“There’s very little in the way of any coaching feuds in MLS,” writes Andrea Canales, casting a wistful eye towards Europe and the psychological games and insults involving men like Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson. “That’s a shame, because it robs the game of a certain amount of intrigue.” Grudge incidents in […]
Category: Story
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Rapids Aim To Win MLS In Style
Colorado Rapids coach Gary Smith has made three New Year’s resolutions for the club. “Number one, to win the MLS Cup. Number two, in doing that, to play in a style and fashion that fits this club. Number three, for the whole staff within the club, for the players and for the fans, to have […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Drogba Lost Will To Play
“This summer, I no longer had a head for football, I’d completely lost the fire. I felt completely extinguished. For the first time in my career, I’d lost the passion for football. I was lost.” Chelsea striker Didier Drogba confesses that he started the season with no desire to play following the death of his […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Beckham Has ‘Five Or Six Years’ Left
“[David] Beckham could go on for another five or six years. His cardiovascular readings are very good. His basic fitness is excellent. All he needs to do now is to alter his training program slightly.” AC Milan doctor Jean-Pierre Meerseeman on the future playing prospects of the L.A. Galaxy midfielder.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Turning Off The TV Commentators
“It’s dawned on me that not only do some sports thrive in silence, but indeed they flourish. They become things of grace and beauty. Stripped of the chatter — most of which is gaudily decorative rather than utilitarian anyway — we see the sports in their naked state. And they are beautiful.” Steven Wells explains […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Liverpool’s Gerrard Charged With Assault
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, 28, was charged on Tuesday with assault “occasioning actual bodily harm and affray” following an alleged fight outside a nightclub. His arrest happened in the early hours of Monday, just hours after he had scored twice in league-leading Liverpool’s 5-1 win at Newcastle. Gerrard was charged along with two other […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Luis Not Landin’ In Houston
The Houston Dynamo has given up its pursuit of Mexican striker Luis Angel Landin after the Morelia Monarcas forward signed a one-year loan deal with Mexican First Division club Cruz Azul instead. “We’re out of the running,” Dynamo Chief Operating Officer Chris Canetti said Monday. Houston’s offer was apparently not good enough for Morelia, […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Disney’s Soccer Showcase Under-15 Boys Scoreboard
Lonestar SC Red edged out the NJSA 04 Gunners, the 2008 U.S. Youth Soccer U-14 national champions, and FC Alliance Black on goal difference with a 3-0 win in the final game of their Showcase bracket. For all the results and schedules in the Showcase, Predator and Copa divisions …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Disney’s Soccer Showcase Under-16 Boys Scoreboard
The Alpharetta Ambush SC Red won its showdown with the Dallas Texans Red Dallas, 2-1, to win its Showcase bracket. The only other Showcase team to finish with a 3-0 record was New Mexico’s Elite FC Gladiators. For all the results and schedules in the Showcase, Predator and Copa divisions …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Disney’s Soccer Showcase Under-17 Boys Scoreboard
Concorde Fire Elite was the only team to finish with a perfect record in Showcase group play. For all the results and schedules in the Showcase, Predator and Copa divisions …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Disney’s Soccer Showcase Under-19 Boys Scoreboard
PDA Cruyff, CASL Chelsea FC Academy and Miami Strike Force Cagliari all finished Showcase group play with perfect records. For all the results and schedules in the Showcase, Predator and Copa divisions …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Disney’s Soccer Showcase Special Edition
Day 3 Wrapup/by Paul Kennedy
The YOUTH SOCCER REPORTER continues daily coverage of Disney’s Soccer Showcase presented by Chelsea Football Club.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
SHOWDOWNS: Tuesday’s championship games
The Dallas Texans and Kendall Soccer Coalition programs both have five teams in Tuesday’s boys championship games at Disney’s Soccer Showcase. Ohio’s Blast FC is the only club with two teams in Showcase finals. For all the 28 championship matchups …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
INTERVIEW: Paul Clement, Chelsea FC youth manager
As manager of Chelsea‘s youth team program and now manager of its reserve team, Paul Clement is familiar with the U.S. soccer scene. Indeed, he has traveled to the United States twice in two months, first with the U-18s to the Newark International Soccer in November and now with the U-17s, who advanced to Tuesday’s final against Kentucky’s Javanon in their Showcase division at Disney’s Soccer Showcase. Clement gave the Youth Soccer Reporter his impressions on Chelsea’s trip.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
AWARDS: Disney’s Soccer Showcase All-Stars
The Disney’s Soccer Showcase all-star team features 18 boys from teams competing in the Under-17 Showcase divisions. The team will train and compete against players from pro clubs at Chelsea’s facilities near London in August 2009.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
U.S. Youth Soccer Boys ODP Super Group Scoreboard
The U.S. Youth Soccer ODP Super Group moves into the finals at Disney’s Soccer Showcase, where 1992 Region I faces 1993 Region IV in the championship game.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Mexican clubs go on shopping sprees
[INTERLIGA] The InterLiga, which kicks off on Friday, features eight of Mexico’s top clubs in search of two spots in the 2009 Libertadores Cup. Club America America and Guadalajara, which meet Saturday in an InterLiga clasico in Houston, used the break between the Torneo Apertura and the Torneo Clausura to load up on reinforcements. Among the players on the move in major deals were U.S. products Carlos Ochoa (Guadalajara) and Edgar Castillo (Club America), both now Mexican internationals. MLS players Francisco Mendoza (Guadalajara) and Diego Jimenez (UAG) are also expected to take part in the InterLiga. For all the key moves …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Videira joins the ranks of returnees
[MLS] Another highly-regarded college player has come back to MLS after failing to land a spot in Europe. Former Duke midfielder Michael Videira has signed with the New England Revolution following a six-month stint in Scotland.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Offseason MLS Player Moves
[MAKING A LIST] The Houston Dynamo failed in its bid to sign Mexican Luis Angel Landin (loaned by Morelia to Cruz Azul), leaving Swede Freddie Ljungberg as the one foreign signing of note for the 2009 season. The only Americans who moving overseas are New England’s Michael Parkhurst and Toronto FC’s Hunter Freeman, who are headed to Scandinavia. For the all MLS player movement …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Ligue 1 clubs rake in profits
[FRANCE] For the third year in a row, France’s Ligue 1 showed a profit with its 20 clubs netting a profit of $35 million for the 2007-08 season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Bizarre end to strangest FA Cup encounter ever
[OFF THE POST] The second-round match between sixth-level Droylsden and fourth-level Chesterfield may go down as the strangest match in English FA Cup history. It took four games before there was a winner, Droylsden, and that was reserved when it was discovered that defender Sean Newton, who scored both goals in the 2-1 win, was ineligible. Before that, games were halted for fog and light failure, and the third match ended in a 2-2 tie when Chesterfield allowed a Droylsden player to score straight from the kickoff to make up for one of its players taking a ball put back in play following an injury and lobbing the Droylsden keeper.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Hodgson Redeems Himself At Fulham
When Roy Hodgson was offered the job of taking Fulham out of the relegation zone a year ago, he may have been motivated by more than money, writes Paul Doyle. Another key factor at play was redemption. Despite much acclaim for his coaching prowess abroad, neither of his previous spells in England at Bristol City […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
No Respect From Redknapp For ‘Scary’ Referee
Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has come through the honeymoon phase of his spell at White Hart Lane and is back to doing what Premier League managers know best — blaming referees for their team’s defeats. After Tottenham lost, 2-0, at lowly West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, Redknapp said referee Steve Tanner was so poor […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Scolari Slams Chelsea Defense
If managers don’t blame referees, then the next option is to blame their players. Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari had harsh words for his own team’s defense after it let slip a 2-1 lead at Fulham Sunday and allowed Clint Dempsey a late headed equalizer. Scolari held goalkeeper and captain Petr Cech chiefly responsible […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Striker Sent Off After Three Seconds
A player at English non-league side Chippenham Town seems to have set a new world record for receiving the fastest ever red card after he was dismissed three seconds into a game. Striker David Pratt, 21, lunged at midfielder Chris Knowles of opponent Bashley straight from the kickoff and received a straight red from […]