To survive in MLS, the basic understanding goes that a team needs its own soccer-specific stadium. But to really thrive financially within the league, it seems a team needs a stadium that’s also jam-packed with other sports and entertainment events. I mean, who can’t use a little extra cash on the side? So it’s promising […]
Category: Story
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Fox to Televise Over 100 Champions League Matches
Fox Network edged out ESPN as the future rights-holder for the world's most popular club competition and announced today that it would televise more than 100 matches as official U.S. broadcast partner the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League. A total of 31 matches will be shown live (up from ESPN's 28) and another 79 shown on […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
USL-1 Adds Own Expansion Teams For 2009, 2010
As Major League Soccer grows, so does the United Soccer Leagues First Division, with the second-tier league announcing today that with the inclusion of newest expansion franchise FC New York, there will be a total of 13 teams set to compete in the USL-1 in 2010. In part to offset the loss of longtime teams […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Altidore Modest Even After Hat Trick
"When you have 11 guys on the field working hard and working together as a team, an individual can have a good night. That's just how it happens." Well-spoken 19-year-old Jozy Altidore, whose hat trick in the 3-0 win over T&T gave him six career goals for the U.S., five of which have come in […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Gerrard: England No Longer Playing With Fear
"That was the pleasing thing. I think 18 months ago when we got a goal against us this side might have gone into our shell and played the final 20 minutes with fear. But this was much more positive. It was a good reaction. We showed a lot of character and deserved the win in […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Mascherano: Altitude No Excuse For Lop-sided Loss
“For some of us playing in the altitude was something new, for others not so much, but we can’t say that we lost because of the altitude, but because our rivals played better and nothing turned out right for us.” Argentina captain Javier Mascherano, on playing at over 11,000 feet in La Paz in a […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Lippi: 3rd Minute Red Card ‘Not Right’
"It's not right, not right. Ninety minutes with 10 men because of that? At the international level? It is not right in any way." Italy coach Marcello Lippi, angry at Giampaolo Pazzini's dismissal, which forced the defending World Cup champion to play a man down for the rest of what would end up being a […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
High grades in big win
[USA-TRINIDAD & TOBAGO REPORT CARD] Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players and comments on their performance in Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Thursday Night: Crew under early pressure
[PREDICTIONS] It’s hard to imagine the defending champion to be winless after three games yet RSL will be pumped up for its home opener and so will the fans. Still, the Crew’s experience will carve out a point.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Week 2: Sounders’ first-year duo stands out
[TEAM OF THE WEEK] Several first-year players, including Seattle stars Oswaldo Alvarez and Fredy Montero and New England rookie Darrius Barnes, had big games. For Soccer America’s MLS Team of the Week for Week 2 …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Australia’s qualification on hold
[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING-ASIA] Australia moved to within one point of clinching a berth in the World Cup finals with a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan. South Korea took over the lead in Group B with a 1-0 victory over North Korea.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Pretty in Pink
[OFF THE POST] Roberto Fernandes, coach of Brazilian second division club Figueirense, felt central defender Jairo was playing significantly below form. So Fernandes forced Jairo to wear a small pink dress over his practice gear.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Expansion team headed to New York
[USL-1] For many years, there’s been talk of a second pro team joining the Red Bulls (nés MetroStars) in New York. It won’t be a second MLS team but a USL-1 team set to play at Hofstra University in 2010.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Mexico loss to Honduras is Costly
[HEXAGONAL] Honduras did it again. For the fourth time in the last four World Cup qualifying cycles, the Catrachos beat Mexico in San Pedro Sula. They got two goals from Carlos Costly and one from the former Los Angeles Galaxy striker Carlos Pavon and defeated the reeling Tri, 3-1. The result propelled Honduras into third place and dropped Mexico into fourth. Costa Rica claimed second behind the first-place USA thanks to a 1-0 win over El Salvador.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Trim suits England hero Terry
[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING-EUROPE] Spain, England and the Netherlands remained the only teams with perfect records at the midway point of World Cup 2010 qualifying in Europe. Northern Ireland held on its surprise lead in Group 3, while Ireland got a late goal from Robbie Keane to earn a 1-1 tie at Italy. The Czech Republic slumped to a 2-1 loss at home to Slovakia. For more on European action and all the results, goalscorers and standings …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Bolivia delivers six blows to Maradona’s heart
[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING-SOUTH AMERICA] Wonder why there’s so much controversy about playing international matches at high altitude? Four days after Diego Maradona‘s Argentina looked like world beaters in a 4-0 victory over Venezuela, it traveled to La Paz, at almost 11,000 feet above sea level, and got hammered by Bolivia, 6-1. The irony: Maradona had backed Bolivia’s campaign to get FIFA’s ban on matches at high altitude lifted.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Altidore-Donovan Duet Lights up Nashville
[USA-TRINIDAD & TOBAGO] Along with praise for hat-trick hero Jozy Altidore and three-assist man Landon Donovan, credit is due is all around for a spirited, determined cast of U.S. players who took command early and rarely let their grip slip while beating Trinidad & Tobago, 3-0, Wednesday in Nashville.
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
USL Reaches for Big Apple
Professional soccer in New York City? Now there’s an idea. I’ll buy that. And that’s what the United Soccer Leagues, the USL – which likes to define itself as an “alternative league” to MLS – is promising us.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
1.6 Million Ticket Requests For South Africa 2010
FIFA announced on Wednesday it had received more than 1.6 million ticket requests from over 200 countries for the 2010 World Cup as part of the first phase of online sales, which closed Tuesday night. This first group of tickets will be allocated in a lottery to take place on April 15, which I'm sure […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Gooch: ‘Camaraderie’ Key to U.S. Success
“A big strength of our team is our camaraderie, on and off the field. We have a fairly young group of guys, and we all get along well. I think our game plan for the most part proves that we have good chemistry throughout the team. The coach has tried to instill that in us, […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Altidore Important to USA Despite Club Slump
In what is becoming an increasingly familiar but equally alarming phenomenon, young Jozy Altidore is yet another U.S. player who while considered among the best talent America has to offer, can’t seem to find the field while plying his trade overseas in Europe. The notion “sounds crazy,” writes MLSnet.com’s Michael Lewis, but that’s just the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Passport Loss Keeps Castillo at Home
I'm pretty sure there's no Spanish translation for "D'oh!" but seeing how Mexican midfielder Edgar Castillo originally hails from Las Cruces, New Mexico, perhaps he knows Homer enough that it was the aggravated expression he uttered when he realized he lost not only his passport but the opportunity to represent Mexico in an important World […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Berhalter Headed to MLS after 15 Years in Europe
After spending 15 seasons playing in Europe, World Cup veteran Gregg Berhalter is set to return to the USA and play for MLS very soon after his contract with German second division club 1860 Munich was recently terminated in advance of its June 30 expiration date, according to the AP. “The time has come to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Shearer Called Back to Newcastle As Coach
Former England captain and Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer is set to return to the place where he gained fame, this time on the sidelines. Controversial owner Mike Ashley is expected announce tomorrow that Shearer will be given the reins of the once-proud club through the end of the current campaign, which finds Newcastle in […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Capello: Rooney Could Be Next Raul
"Because of his movement, his passion and leadership on the pitch, he is very similar to Raul. When I started at Madrid for the first time, Raul was 19. He was very young but he was already a leader on the field. Can Rooney be England captain? Why not? But you have to wait. Now […]