Former New England Revolution forward Pat Noonan reportedly wants to return from Norway to Major League Soccer and sign for the Columbus Crew. The Crew would like to have him, is happy to pay a “modest” transfer fee to his current side, and can fit the U.S. international under its salary cap. But such a […]
Category: Story
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Dynamo Aims To Bring Back Jaqua
Another former MLS striker returning from a quick stay in Europe could be Nate Jaqua, reports Bernardo Fallas. According to Houston Dynamo President Oliver Luck, Jaqua has been offered a contract to re-sign for Houston, who would then pass him on to Seattle in time for its debut MLS season in 2009. Jaqua is […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
French Victim of Barton Assault Slams Newcastle
Newcastle United’s England midfielder Joey Barton this week escaped a second prison term when a lenient court gave him a suspended sentence and 200 hours of community service for a vicious assault on French player Ousmane Dabo. Now Dabo, who was attacked by Barton at their former club Manchester City’s training ground last year, has […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Where’s Joe Lapira Now?
American Joe Lapira made his international debut in New York 14 months ago, playing for his mother’s Republic of Ireland against Ecuador at Giants Stadium. Now he’s turning out for Nybergsund Idrettslag Trysil in the Norwegian second division in front of home crowds of around 700, but he’s not complaining. The former Notre Dame […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Messi, Aguero in Argentine Olympic Squad
The roster inclusion of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero will make Argentina the team to watch (and beat) at next month’s Olympic Games.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Spain Top Latest FIFA Rankings
But the United States has slipped nine places to number 30.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Some MLS dates, and rules, make no sense
The contract guarantee date has come and gone, yet not all MLS players still employed are assured of being paid in full for their 2008 services. This is just one more topic for the MLS Players’ Union to address as it bargains for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, to take effect for the 2010 season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Busy month broadens Team of the Month recipients
[MLS AWARDS] With four MLS teams competing in SuperLiga, the first round of which concludes just in time for the All-Star Game, the load of league matches in July will decrease significantly from that of June, during which five weekends of play helped sort out teams in both conferences. Sort of.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
No stopping U.S. women
[OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN] The USA continued its domination of Norway with a 4-0 victory on Wednesday in Fredrikstad — the 10th straight win by the Americans over the Norwegians.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Brazilian forward Jo seals Man City switch
[TRANSFER TALK] Brazilian Jo may be in the doghouse of Brazilian national team coach Dunga, but he’s certainly a hot commodity on the international transfer market, as reflected by the $36 million it’s believed Manchester City paid CSKA Moscow to acquire the 21-year-old striker.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
VIVA World Cup a celebration of culture
[OFF THE POST] With the end of the Euro 2008 festivities, soccer fans may be looking for a taste of international soccer to whet their appetite. Look no further than the VIVA World Cup. You may have some difficulty getting to the Arctic to attend the tournament, and the games probably won’t be on TV, but it’s hard to find a tournament with more international appeal.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. under-20 men’s national team roster
U.S. under-20 men’s national team coach Thomas Rongen has named five MLS players to the roster that will compete against the Mexico U-20 national team on July 12 in Laredo, Texas. The roster includes three players from FC Dallas — Josh Lambo, Brek Shea and Anthony Wallace — Chivas USA’s Jorge Flores, who has scored three goals this season, and Brandon Manzonelli, who joined the New England Revolution in late May from the Villarreal (Spain) youth system. For the complete roster …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS TV Schedule
Major League Soccer’s July 4 weekend begins Thursday when Real Salt Lake hosts defending champion Houston in a key Western Conference battle. Three games take place on July 4, and the weekend action concludes with a Fox Soccer Channel doubleheader on Saturday. For all the MLS matchups and television schedule …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Rising Star Profile: Luke Sassano
[MLS] Luke Sassano has earned eight starts in 12 appearances in his rookie year for the New York Red Bulls. After playing the majority of his soccer (high school, club and college) in Northern California, Sassano has made a seamless transition to the East Coast. Find out what the best advice the former Cal Bear got from a youth coach in this profile by Soccer America’s Bryan Alvarez that covers Sassano’s on- and off-field experiences …
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
The obscenity of the shootout
After the excitement of Euro 2008, came the drama of the Libertadores Cup. The second leg of the final, played last night, between Fluminense of Brazil and LDU of Ecuador, promised much. A jammed Maracana Stadium, LDU surprisingly leading, 4-2, from the first leg — and so there was to be expected the thrill of an all-out attacking game from Fluminense.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Shutting Out Red Bulls ‘Nothing Incredibly Difficult’
The New York Red Bulls, a 13-year-old Major League Soccer franchise, has yet to win a title. On Tuesday, they lost to a second-year United Soccer Leagues Division II team, Crystal Palace Baltimore, in round three of the U.S. Open Cup. It wasn’t even close, with the senior side losing by two goals, despite having […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Sounders’ Win ‘No Fluke’
The Seattle Sounders are warming up for MLS play in a year’s time by continuing to dump the league’s teams out of the Open Cup. They beat Chivas USA for the second successive year Tuesday on goals by Taylor Graham and Sebastien Le Toux, proving that last season’s two victories over MLS opposition were “no […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Dusty Denies The Dynamo
Tuesday’s third Open Cup upset came when MLS Cup holder Houston Dynamo lost on penalty kicks to the short-handed Charleston Battery following a 1-1 tie. Houston is another team with three other competitions to balance in a busy schedule, but its defeat to a USL side using a number of second-string players further reflects a […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Toronto Can Get Upset Too
Not wanting to feel left out as its MLS counterparts were beaten by lower-level opposition, Toronto FC fell, 1-0, at home to the USL’s Vancouver Whitecaps in the Canadian Championship, the country’s round-robin qualifying tournament (also including the Montreal Impact) for the CONCACAF Champions League. And it was no second-string eleven fielded by Coach John […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Kroenke Has ‘No Intention’ Of Taking Over Arsenal
The Colorado Rapids’ billionaire owner Stan Kroenke has assured Arsenal’s hierarchy that he has no intention of buying control of the London Premier League club as he prepares to take a seat on the board, according to Arsenal’s current chairman, Peter Hill-Wood. Kroenke’s place on the board “has certainly been talked about and it […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Boca Fury As Player Leaves After One Match
Boca Juniors midfielder Sebastian Nayar’s decision to leave after playing just one game to join Spain’s Recreativo Huelva leaves the Argentine side furious.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
David Villa Pledges Future To Valencia
Tough luck for free-spending Chelsea — rumored transfer target David Villa says he hopes to stay at Valencia “for many years.”
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Nelsen gets Olympic Green Light
Former D.C. United central defender Ryan Nelsen gets the nod from his club side Blackburn Rovers to play for New Zealand at this summer’s Olympic Games.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Man City to face city of few men
[OFF THE POST] Manchester City of the English Premier League will travel to the Faroe Islands to play EB/Streymur in the first round of UEFA Cup qualifying. EB/Streymur, Faroese Cup champion for the past two years, is based in the tiny village town Streymnes, which boasts a population of 199. But let’s not forget the other half of the island. With the residents of sister village Hvalvik added to the equation, the population balloons to nearly 400.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
The phantom ‘elbow’
[REF WATCH] The first point to be made about Marcelo Gallardo‘s elbowing of Landon Donovan in the face Sunday at RFK Stadium during D.C. United’s 4-1 beatdown of Los Angeles is that it didn’t happen, at least not in the manner that so many reporters and broadcasters have described.