Despite his 21 years of unparalleled success as manager of Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson has contended with the criticism that his side has been relatively unsuccessful in Europe. There was victory in the now defunct European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1991, and the famous last-gasp Champions League win over Bayern Munich eight years later, […]
Category: Story
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Toronto No Longer Afraid of Anyone
Wednesday night’s sole Major League Soccer game was by no means a classic, but Toronto FC’s narrow home victory (1-0) over bottom-placed D.C. United proved one thing for the Canadian franchise, says Cathal Kelly: “We’re not afraid of you, or anyone, any more.” Toronto’s new attitude was embodied by striker Danny Dichio standing up […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Relegation Scuppers Bradley’s Birmingham Move
U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley was set for a transfer from Heerenveen to English side Birmingham City until the team were relegated from the Premier League last week. The newspaper reports that Bradley, along with Swiss international Valon Behrami, were “all set to” join Birmingham, but only if the team maintained its top-flight status. Bradley […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Warner Dispute Threatens England Friendly In T&T
Barely a day goes by without CONCACAF president Jack Warner being involved in a dispute — either on the political front in his native Trinidad & Tobago, or on the international soccer scene. His latest fracas manages to involve both local politics and international soccer, and as usual, there’s money involved. Earlier this year, […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Coping with Mistakes: Teaching Tolerance
Tolerance is important not only between and among teammates but also for individual players personally. Ideally, this tolerance starts at the top with the coach.
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Champions League final MVP award goes to …
As we’ve more or less given up expecting great finals, Chelsea and Manchester United provided the sort of game we’ve gotten used to — a Champions League final that was good, but not great.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Toronto extends D.C. misery
[MLS] Toronto reversed its second loss of the season and plunged D.C. deeper into the depths by beating United, 1-0, at BMO Field Wednesday night on a rain-slickened surface perfect for slide tackles but not so conducive to sharp soccer.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS TV Schedule
San Jose looks for its first win at home when the first-year Earthquakes host the two-time defending MLS champion Houston Dynamo on Thursday. A win for Houston will jump the Dynamo into first place in the Western Conference. For all of this week’s MLS action on television …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
A night to remember in Moscow
[MAN. UTD.-CHELSEA HIGHLIGHT REEL] For a 1-1 game, decided in a shootout, Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League final was jammed pack with excitement. Manchester United looked to run away with the game in the first half, but Chelsea came back and had the momentum in the second half. The overtime produced chances for both teams, leading up to the dramatic turn of events in the shootout that made a hero out of long-serving United winger Ryan Giggs and a goat out of Chelsea captain John Terry and earned Manchester United its second Champions League trophy under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Quakes trade for Kirovski, Gray
[MLS] Two new names will appear on the San Jose roster for Thursday’s reunion match against Houston (ESPN2, 10:30 p.m. ET), but neither is the big name its fans are hoping for. Yet both have won league titles.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Beasley aims to Scottish title
[AMERICANS ABROAD] The Scottish Premier League will be decided Thursday when Celtic plays at Dundee United and Rangers is at Aberdeen (TV: Setanta pay-per-view, live, 2:45 pm ET). It comes three days after Rangers pulled even with Celtic thanks to a 3-0 win over St. Mirren that saw American DaMarcus Beasley return to action for the first time in nearly six months.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
The Church — on the ball at Euro ’08
[OFF THE POST] Diego Maradona scored “with the hand of god,” while Kaka shows off his undershirt that proclaims, “I belong to Jesus.” Soccer and religion go back many years. One of the attractions for Euro ’08 visitors in Vienna next month will be the “Fußball und Religion” exhibition at the Vienna Catholic Church’s dommuseum.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Americans fall in first Toulon test
[OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN] In the last major test for U.S. Olympic men’s hopefuls, the U-23s fell to Turkey, 3-2, Wednesday in the opening game of the Festival Espoirs International in Toulon, France.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Managing Disappointment In Dallas
When New York fired Bruce Arena as coach last year, owner Red Bull said its expectation for the team was nothing less than the MLS Cup title. On Tuesday, FC Dallas sprung an early-season surprise by dumping Steve Morrow with the Major League Soccer season just eight games old. Apparently, they don’t feel like championship […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Belated World Cup Pay Day For T&T Players
The dispute over World Cup bonus money between the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation and the T&T players was settled in London Tuesday, with arbitrator Ian Mills QC ruling in favor of the players. The exact amount of money they will receive from the Federation will be ruled on next month, but it is expected […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Will Keegan Stand By Jailed Barton?
Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton isn’t the first English national team player to get drunk, end up in jail, and then come out to renew both his career and his life. Former Arsenal and England defender Tony Adams used a jail conviction for drunk driving to recover from alcoholism and continue to play at the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Coppell To Stay The Course At Relegated Reading
On the day when Dallas dismissed Steve Morrow just two months into the season, it was antidotal to read that Steve Coppell would be staying as manager of Reading, despite their relegation from the Premier League earlier this month. According to his agent Athole Still, “he wanted to show the real Steve — and how […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Others’ Inexperience Was an Issue at New York, Arena Says
Speaking of Mr. Arena, he went on the record at the weekend about his tenure at New York, saying that Red Bull had been “essentially an expansion team” when he took over, and that it had lacked the experience to succeed. “I probably was surrounded by too many young and inexperienced people,” he told Frank […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Donovan looks set to earn 100th cap
[USA-ENGLAND ROSTER] Landon Donovan, who looks set to earn his 100th cap, headlines the 22-player roster named for the U.S. national team’s game against England next Wednesday at Wembley Stadium. For the complete roster …
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 opportunities in pro soccer, youth soccer, the soccer industry and television.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Del Piero in, Inzaghi out
[EURO ’08 COUNTDOWN] The last provisional rosters for Euro ’08 were announced on Tuesday when Italy and Greece released their squads. Italy’s 24-player team included Juventus striker Alessandro Del Piero, who has not played for the world champions in eight months but was expected to be included after finishing as Serie A’s top scorer for the first time with 21 goals. Greece’s only surprise was Coach Otto Rehhagel‘s decision not to take 18-year-old Sotiris Ninis, who scored Monday against Cyprus. For all the provisional rosters …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
National High School Spring Rankings
Brentwood, the top-ranked boys team in the NSCAA/adidas High School Spring Rankings, beat LaVergne, 3-0, for its eighth straight shutout and advanced in the Tennessee Class AAA tournament. Roberson, No. 1 in the latest girls national rankings, will put its perfect record on the line Wednesday at Lake Norman in the North Carolina Class AAA semifinals. For all the boys and girls rankings …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Perfect storm of misfortune strikes FC Dallas
Three slices of advice to MLS coaches wishing to keep employment: (1) don’t lose at home; (2) don’t lose at home in front of a buzzing, capacity-plus crowd never before seen in your facility that includes incredulous management execs, and; (3) don’t get blown out 5-1 by a team incapable of shutting out 11 tykes on tricycles. That’s what happened to FC Dallas on Sunday when it fell to the Los Angeles Galaxy, and less than 48 hours later Coach Steve Morrow was fired.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Manchester United-Chelsea, the Moscow final
[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Manchester United and Chelsea meet Wednesday in Moscow in the first all-English final of the UEFA Champions League. Clarence Seedorf, the only player who has won the Champions League title with three different clubs (Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan), will be part of the broadcast team on both ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes during the game (kickoff: 2:30 pm ET). For a look at some of the key storylines …
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
The Bundesliga’s Village Team
This week’s soccer headlines in Germany have been dominated by the southwestern village of Hoffenheim (population: 3,200), bankrolled by its hometown billionaire Dietmar Hopp, and newly promoted to the Bundesliga after a 5-0 home win over Greuther Fuerth on the last day of the season. Heading the other way are Heath Pearce’s Hansa Rostock, the […]