Category: Story

[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Canadian qualifying play for the new Concacaf Champions League opened Tuesday at Stade Saputo, the new home of the Montreal Impact, where Toronto FC defeated the USL-1 club, 1-0, on Puerto Rican defender Marco Velez‘s goal off a cross from Frenchman Laurent Robert in the 72nd minute.

[EURO ’08 COUNTDOWN] Tuesday was the final day for players to impress European national team coaches before they must cut their rosters for the European Championship down to 23 players on Wednesday. No player made a better case for himself than Bafetimbi Gomis, who scored two spectacular goals in his international debut to help France beat Ecuador, 2-0.

[EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES] Soccer America provides the latest on employment opportunities for soccer-related positions, They include college coaching opportunities, as well as opportunities in pro soccer, youth soccer, the soccer industry and television.

[HALL OF FAME] Veteran Newark Star-Ledger sportswriter Ike Kuhns has been selected to receive the 2008 Colin Jose Media Award and will be honored during the National Soccer Hall of Fame’s Induction 2008 Weekend Aug. 1-3 in Oneonta, N.Y.

[OFF THE POST] Juan Carlos Bazalar and his son, Alonso, played together in midfield for Cienciano in its 3-2 win over Juan Aurich in the Peruvian First Division on Sunday. The 40-year-old Juan Carlos has played for the Peruvian national team, including appearances at last year’s Copa America. Alonso, 18, represented Peru at the 2007 U-17 World Cup and is considered one the nation’s top prospects.

[OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN] Leslie Osborne, a key midfielder for the U.S. women’s national team, is out of contention for a berth on the Olympic team after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during training last Thursday at The Home Depot Center, in Carson, Calif.

When the USA faces England at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday (TV: ESPN Classic, live, 3 p.m. ET, Galavision, 7 p.m. ET/PT), the players up top must step up. U.S. coach Bob Bradley at the very least must find a suitable attacking companion for Landon Donovan (or a tandem to free Donovan to play elsewhere) for the rugged schedule ahead over the next 18 months, and the Wembley game will give him a chance to evaluate the form of his European-based forwards.

[WPS] Women’s Professional Soccer, the new women’s pro league, announced plans to add a team in Philadelphia in 2010. It hopes to play in the new soccer stadium expected to open in Chester, Pa., in 2010, the same year an MLS Philadelphia expansion team will begin play.

[FIFA] The controversial ban on international matches played at high altitude has been provisionally shelved by FIFA’s executive committee.

The Charleston Battery won its fifth straight game with a 2-0 win over Atlanta and hold a four-point lead in the USL First Division. Randi Patterson scored for the fifth straight game and Aaron King added a goal. For all the USL results and goal scorers …

[ENGLAND] Barcelona’s Frank Rijkaard, Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini, Russia coach Guus Hiddink and Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson are among the names being mentioned as possible candidates to replace Israeli Avram Grant, who was fired as manager of Chelsea on Saturday.

[AMERICANS ABROAD] U.S. international Ali Kreiger started for FFC Frankfurt on Saturday when it beat Umea of Sweden, 3-2, to win the UEFA Women’s Cup, 4-3, on aggregate before a UEFA women’s record crowd of 27,640.

[AMERICANS ABROAD] New Mexican Edgar Castillo started for Santos in a 2-2 tie with Monterrey that gave it a 3-2 aggregate tie and moved it into the finals of Mexico’s Torneo Clausura. Dallas product Marco Vidal started for Indios Saturday in a 2-2 tie with Leon that gave them a 3-2 victory on aggregate and clinched Mexico’s Premier A (second level) title.

[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] The USL-1’s Puerto Rico Islanders moved one step closer to reaching the Concacaf Champions League, which begins play this summer, when it held Trinidad & Tobago’s San Juan Jabloteh to a 0-0 tie on Saturday and won their Caribbean qualifying series, 1-0, on aggregate.

Chicago and New England moved into ties with Columbus for the Eastern Conference lead, while Los Angeles took over the lead in the Western Conference. For all the MLS weekend summaries, current standings and leading scorers and this week’s schedule …

[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS] From the penalty spot, Landon Donovan scored his league-leading ninth goal of the season and David Beckham struck from inside his own half as the Galaxy moved into first place in the West. D.C. United ended its losing streak as last year’s leading scorer, Luciano Emilio, finally found the net again. For the weekend’s MLS highlights …

[ENGLAND-USA] The addition of one MLS player and all-too-English weather highlighted the first few days of preparation for the USA men’s national team friendly against England at Wembley on Wednesday (TV: ESPN Classic, live, 3 p.m. ET, Galavision, 7 p.m. ET/PT).

[AMERICANS ABROAD] DaMarcus Beasley celebrated his 26th birthday and first start in six months by scoring one goal and setting up the winning goal to lead Glasgow Rangers to a 3-2 win over Queen of the South in Saturday’s final of the Scottish FA Cup.