RB New York has made it to Sunday's MLS Cup Final on the back of some impressive defensive performances in the playoffs. Some observers are unhappy when defensive teams succeed, but it's a different matter if you're actually on that winning team. "When people say about me that I'm a defensive coach, I take that […]
Category: Story
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Crew’s Fringe Players Hanging In For A Win Bonus
With most pre-MLS Cup story angles exhausted, Shawn Mitchell turns his attention to the poorly paid, unsung players on the Columbus Crew roster who will likely play no part in Sunday's final, but who will at least be happy to take some extra cash from the bonus money. "Obviously it's tough [not being in the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Silverbacks To Sit Out 2009
The Atlanta Silverbacks have announced that its men's professional team will sit out the United Soccer Leagues 2009 season due to the state of the economy and the possibility that the city could land an MLS franchise. "This was an extremely difficult decision that was prompted by the dynamic events in our economy and the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Salt Lake Readies For Change
"After the game is before the game," as the legendary German coach Sepp Herberger used to say. Hardly had Real Salt Lake been eliminated from the MLS playoffs than it had to start planning for next season, what with Monday's expansion draft for Seattle Sounders FC looming. Players will be called in Wednesday and Thursday […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Paolo Sousa New QPR Manager
"I have great belief in my ideas and my coaching ability and I firmly believe I can achieve the objectives set by the management." Former Portugal national team assistant coach and Inter midfielder Paolo Sousa is the new manager of nouveau-riche Premier League wannabes Queens Park Rangers, presently 10th in the second-tier Championship.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
United Players Lived On ‘Burgers And Beer’
"It [the diet at Old Trafford] was outrageous. Everyone ate whatever they wanted to eat and when you think about the typical English diet, you can imagine what I am talking about. Every 15 days they would put us on what we dubbed the 'spare-tire machine' to measure our body fat. You would be amazed […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
30-Year-Old Could Make French Debut
“I am proof that the system doesn’t always work. I was born at the wrong time. I’m from the same generation as [Thierry] Henry and [Nicolas] Anelka and when they were coming through you had to be well over 6-foot to be picked for youth schemes.” Caen striker Steve Savidan, 30, who four years ago […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ronaldo Hints At Retirement
"I could decide tomorrow [to retire] or in a month's time what to do, but I still don't know. It was beautiful to return to play because soccer is my life, but it was just an exhibition as I only played for 22 minutes. Professional soccer is a different issue." Ronaldo, 32, mulls quitting the […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
SCOUTING REPORT: NJCAA Division I Men
The NJCAA Division I Men’s Tournament begins Thursday in Phoenix. The tournament annually features some of the most intriguing prospects to be found in the college ranks. Here are this year’s players to watch, one from each team …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
MORNING BRIEFING: Under-20 World Cup effect
The Under-20 Women’s World Cup begins Wednesday in Chile. Many of college soccer’s top young players are skipping this fall’s NCAA Division I Women’s Tournament to represent their countries.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
LEADERS: NCAA Division I Women’s Scorers
Cynthia Morote-Ariza of Loyola (Ill.) and Milwaukee’s Sarah Hagen remained 1-2 in points among NCAA Division I women’s players, but Casey Nogueira will have a chance to overtake them when North Carolina plays in the third round of the NCAA Division I Women’s Tournament. For all the NCAA Division I leaders …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
MORNING BRIEFING: Hottest men’s teams
Top-ranked Wake Forest had its 25-game unbeaten streak snapped in the ACC Tournament. Loyola (Md.) lost for the first time in 28 games. But there are many other teams riding unbeaten streaks into the NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament, which starts Friday with the first round.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
SPOTLIGHT: Yavapai shoots for greatness
In its 20th year of varsity play, Yavapai College has enjoyed considerable success — six NJCAA men’s championships and 18 national tournament appearances. But this year’s team is on the verge of greatness. The Roughriders are 23-0-0 heading into the NJCAA Division I finals, which begin Thursday at nearby Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix, Ariz. For more on the Roughriders and Coach Mike Pantalione‘s advice for players looking to play JC soccer …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Mexico faces possible exit
[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] It’s a longshot, but Mexico could be out of the World Cup. The Tri travels to San Pedro Sula to face Honduras with its place in next year’s Hexagonal still not assured. If Honduras beats Mexico, and Jamaica defeats Canada, Honduras will advance and it will come down to goal difference to separate Mexico (9-5) and Jamaica (3-6).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
‘Best of U.S. Soccer’ voting begins
[AWARDS] U.S. Soccer has announced the finalists for the 2008 “Best of U.S. Soccer” awards in 12 categories. The seventh annual series, presented by SOCCER AMERICA, gives fans the opportunity to make their selections for the best in soccer in the United States. Fans can vote once a day from now until Monday, Dec. 8, on ussoccer.com’s “Best of U.S. Soccer” blog page.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Soccer Job Openings
[EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES] Soccer America provides the latest on employment opportunities for soccer-related positions. They include college coaching opportunities, as well as jobs in pro soccer, youth soccer, the soccer industry and television.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. depth to be tested
[USA-GUATEMALA] With a majority of its first team resting in Europe or preparing for Sunday’s MLS Cup, the USA concludes the semifinal round of World Cup 2010 qualifying in the Concacaf zone against Guatemala on Wednesday at Dick’s Sporting Good Park in Commerce, Colo. (TV: live, ESPN Classic, Galavision, 8 p.m. ET).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Slugger Pujols backs St. Louis expansion bid
[MLS] Landing an MLS expansion team, even in these tough economic times, requires a strong lineup of financial and political backers, heavy hitters if you will. St. Louis has added power and prestige to its lineup, both figuratively and literally, and its bid by adding Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols to its proposed ownership group, which until recently had been virtually nonexistent, at least publicly.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA begins hunt for world title
[UNDER-20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP] Tony DiCicco, who led the USA to the 1999 Women’s World Cup title, looks to add the Under-20 Women’s World Cup to his trophy case when the Americans compete at this year’s world championship, which begins Wednesday in Chile with a game against France (TV, live, ESPN2, 1 p.m. ET; delay, Galavision, 6 p.m. ET/PT).
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Sigi’s California Dreaming
It’s not just the fact that he grew up in California that will make this weekend’s return to the state for MLS Cup so special for Columbus Crew Coach Sigi Schmid. There’s also the fact that the game will be played in Carson at the home stadium of the team — the L.A. Galaxy — […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Light Schedule Key To Playoff Success
The regular season stats of the Columbus Crew and RB New York may not have had much in common, writes Jack Bell, with the Crew superior in every department. But one thing the two MLS Cup finalists shared these past seven months was a light schedule that left them both in good shape to tackle […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ljungberg Looking Good For Seattle
The Seattle Sounders FC will hopefully get more than just another highly paid underwear model with tattoos when its designated player Freddie Ljungberg takes to the field next season. But as Ravi Ubha writes, if you put the player’s name in google “the first thing that pops up is four pictures of the 31-year-old clad […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Warner: Caribbean Players Born With ‘Natural Talent’
FIFA Vice President Jack Warner has not only accused English clubs of disrespecting the Caribbean game, but also claimed that Caribbean players are born with a “natural talent” for soccer. “African-Caribbean footballers will continue to do better and better because they have natural talent,” said Warner, who is also Concacaf President and “special advisor” to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Uruguayan League Suspended After Violence
The Uruguayan FA has suspended the national championship until further notice after fans fought a pitched battle following a game between the league’s top two sides. When Danubio beat Nacional 1-0 to overtake its opponent and go top of the Apertura (opening) Championship on Sunday, Nacional fans broke down the fencing at the Jardines del […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Fire Forward Frankowski Slams Hamlett
“Honestly, I have a lot of respect for the team but not the coach. [Denis Hamlett] wasn’t honest with me. I wanted to know why I wasn’t playing but he wouldn’t talk to me about it. He’s a very closed off coach. He never talked to me face-to-face.” Chicago Fire forward Tomasz Frankowski is sour […]