"In the past, it's always come down to two teams, but I don't think that'll be the case this season — I expect the 'big four' to take it right to the wire." Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson predicts an exciting finish to the Premier League.
Category: Story
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Cristiano Ronaldo: Why I Handled
“[Wayne] Rooney knocked in a corner, I jumped and that was when I heard a shout from [City defender Micah] Richards and simultaneously the sound of a whistle. At that moment I was convinced that the referee had whistled for a foul. I stopped trying to head the ball and score a goal, and I […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Riquelme In Trouble Over Goal Celebration
"In principle he has violated two rules. One which concerns affecting the progress of the match and another which concerns inciting disorder. We have to verify the motive and the gestures." Argentine Public Prosecutor Luis Cevasco is studying the goal celebration of Boca Juniors' Juan Roman Riquelme, who after scoring the winning goal against Racing […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Politician Demands Cheaper Beer For Soccer Fans
"When will Premier League football clubs learn to stop taking the loyalty of their fans for granted?" Don Foster, the Culture, Media and Sports spokesman for the UK's Liberal Democrat Party, complains that soccer clubs over-charge for beer in stadiums compared with pub prices.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
RISING STAR: Stanford’s Kelley O’Hara
SOCCER AMERICA profiles Stanford junior Kelley O’Hara, the elder in one of the nation’s most prolific attacks. O’Hara will lead the Cardinal (22-1-1) as it moves into Friday’s Women’s College Cup semifinals for only the second time.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
LEADERS: NCAA Division I Women’s Scorers
Cynthia Morote-Ariza of Loyola (Ill.) and Milwaukee’s Sarah Hagen remain the NCAA Division I women’s leaders in points and goals, respectively, but they can be overpassed by North Carolina’s Casey Nogueira and Notre Dame’s Keri Hanks, who will be competing in the Women’s College Cup. For all the NCAA Division I leaders …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
SCOREBOARD: NAIA Women’s National Championship
Top-seed Lindsey Wilson won its opening game at the NAIA Women’s Championship with a 3-0 win over McKendree in Daytona Beach, Fla. The higher seeds won all four games on Monday. For all the results and goal scorers …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
COACHING CHANGES: Thompson leaves Bowling Green
Bowling Green men’s coach Fred Thompson handed in his resignation on Monday.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
LEADERS: NCAA Division I Men’s Scorers
Akron sophomore Steve Zakuani maintained his lead among NCAA Division I men’s scorers in points (47) and goals (20). The only player with a realistic shot of catching him is Wake Forest’s Cody Arnoux, who has 39 points and 17 goals. For all the NCAA Division I leaders …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
SCOREBOARD: NAIA Men’s National Championship
Making its first appearance in the NAIA Men’s National Championship, Mt. Vernon Nazarene upset Lindsey Wilson, 1-0, on Adam Worrall‘s second-half goal. The Blue Raiders went into the game with 35 national championship wins, the most of any current NAIA program. Top-seed Oklahoma City needed a goal from Stephen Sheffield in the second overtime to earn a 2-1 victory over the host school, Fresno Pacific. For all the results and goal scorers …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
TOURNAMENT WATCH: Top-notch frontlines
No Women’s College Cup has ever featured the depth of talent in the frontlines of the four participants. They include an Olympic gold-medalist (UCLA’s Lauren Cheney) and a former Hermann Trophy winner (Notre Dame’s Kerri Hanks). For a look at the North Carolina, Notre Dame, Stanford and UCLA frontlines …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. women’s semifinal streak at world championships
[MAKING A LIST] With its 3-0 win over England in Sunday’s quarterfinal at the 2008 Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Chile, the USA kept its record intact of reaching the semifinals of every women’s world championship it has entered.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Holder North Korea and Germany advance
[UNDER-20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP] Japan and Brazil, the only unbeaten and untied teams left in the Under-20 Women’s World Cup, fell in Monday’s quarterfinals.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Lackluster Liverpool held by Hammers
[ENGLAND] Liverpool went one point clear of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League Monday, despite being held to a 0-0 draw by West Ham United.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Real Madrid poised to sign Ajax striker Huntelaar
[SPAIN] Real Madrid has moved to solve its striking problems by signing Ajax Amsterdam’s Dutch forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, according to Spanish media reports.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Cristiano Ronaldo wins 2008 Golden Ball
[AWARDS] Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d’or (“the Golden Ball”) as the 2008 Player of the Year. Cristiano Ronaldo, who led United to the Premier League and Champions League double, outdistanced Argentine Lionel Messi and Spaniard Fernando Torres as the 53rd recipient of the award, formerly known as the European Player of the Year.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Generation adidas squad headed to England
[MLS] A squad of young American players, all members of the Generation adidas program, are headed to England next week for eight days of training and matches.San Jose Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop is in charge of the 16-player roster, which will face the reserve teams of West Ham, Chelsea and Aston Villa and also attend Premier League and Champions’ League matches during the stay.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Positive Developments in Philly
[MLS] Politicians, executives, and fans gathered Monday to witness the official ground-breaking for a stadium that will house the Philadelphia MLS franchise starting in 2010. League commissioner Don Garber and lead investor Jay Sugarman wielded shovels for a photo opportunity that followed about a month of actual work, once site preparation had been completed, in Chester, Pa.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Olympics ’08: Argentine Gold
Argentina repeated as Olympic gold-medalist in men’s soccer with a narrow win over Nigeria.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
The Concacaf Conundrum
The introduction of the Concacaf Champions League taxes the participating MSL teams in 2008. The international schedule only gets worse next year when the Confederations Cup and Gold Cup are added to the mix.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
MLS: The Designated Player Experiment
MLS clubs increased their spending on players with the introduction of the Designated Player in 2007. The investment in high-priced players has produced mixed results.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Euro ’08: Where Are They Now?
It was six months ago that fans were treated to a scintillating European Championship. Here’s a look at how the leading actors of Euro ’08 are now faring.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Pia Sundhage: No Ordinary Coach
Pia Sundhage, a guitar-playing, folk song-singing Swede, guided the U.S. women to Olympic gold one year after their World Cup debacle. The feat came despite the absence of four key veterans and an opening-game loss in China.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Year In review: U.S. Players To Watch
The USA will attempt to qualify for the 2009 Under-20 World Cup at Concacaf qualifying next spring in Trinidad. Here’s a look at some of the top U-20 prospects – none of whom advanced through the traditional development stage from U-17 residency to the U-20 team.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Backline: Tony Lepore Heads USSF Youth Scouts
Searching for talent and advising elite American youth clubs on player development.