[MLS] It seems nothing can shut down the young New England foreign players: not injuries, not jet lag, not paperwork snafus. A day after young Gambians Kenny Mansally and Sainey Nyassi, both 19, each scored a goal in a 3-1 triumph over Kansas City, the Revs reserves tied their Wizards counterparts, 2-2, as Costa Rican striker Argenis Fernandez, 21, scored both goals after joining up with the team late Wednesday afternoon.
Category: Story
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Miami and Vancouver host season openers
[USL-1] The 11-team USL First Division, the USA’s second-tier pro league, kicks off the season with two games this weekend. The league’s clubs, which include Canada’s Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact, and Puerto Rico’s Islanders, have players from more than 35 nations on its rosters. In addition to Friday night games on Fox Sports World (beginning on April 25), USL-1 games are broadcast live on the Web by www.USLlive.com . For previews of the four teams in action this weekend …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS TV SCHEDULE
The reborn San Jose Earthquakes play their home opener against the undefeated Chicago Fire. … Two defeated teams clash when FC Dallas hosts New York. … The league’s other team without a loss, Chivas USA, travels to Columbus. … Los Angeles, coming off a win against San Jose, hosts Toronto, which was been outscored 6-1 while opening its season with two losses. For all the weekend MLS action on TV …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
UEFA Cup Results
With five minutes left in overtime, Bayern Munich needed two goals against Spain’s Getafe to advance to the semifinals, and got them, from Italian striker Luca Toni. The 3-3 tie, against a Getafe team playing a man-down from the sixth minutes because of Ruben De la Red‘s red card, gave Bayern the win on away goals. Also advancing are Glasgow Rangers, Fiorentina and Zenit St Petersburg. For all the results and goal scorers …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Player kicked off team for insulting female referee
[REF WATCH] Peru’s defending champion, Deportivo San Martin, has kicked off its team Uruguayan striker Mario Leguizamon for crude comments with sexual connotations in a TV interview about referee Silvia Reyes, who red-carded Leguizamon in a game last Sunday against Alianza Atletico. So offensive were Leguizamon that Reyes would not accept his apology.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Few Answers as MLS Clubs Fall
It wasn’t particularly surprising that D.C. United and the Houston Dynamo failed to advance to the Champions Cup final, given the huge hole these teams dug for themselves in their first-leg matches, but “at least United can rightly claim to have made a game of it,” says ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle. Indeed, it was a little […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
U.S. Up Seven, Approaches FIFA Top 20
The U.S. national team moved up seven spots in FIFA's World Rankings to 21, thanks to that impressive 3-0 win over Poland in Krakow last month. The loss set the Poles back four places to No. 28. This is the highest the U.S. men have been ranked since coming in at No. 20 last December. […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Roman Heads Held High Despite Sound Defeat
Despite being soundly beaten, 3-0, on aggregate over two legs, AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti believes that Manchester United was superior to his team only in its finishing. “I didn’t see United create much more than we did over the two legs,” Spalletti told reporters of Roma’s Champions League quarterfinal defeat, adding that overall, Roma […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Champions League Deja Vu
There’s something oddly familiar about this year’s Champions League semifinal lineup: it looks a lot like last year’s. Three of four teams are English, the same three teams that featured at this stage last year. One of the matchups is exactly the same, and has been now for three of the last four years. UEFA […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Cheeky Advertising
[OFF THE POST] The German federation (DFB) bans uniform advertising below the belt, but a regional court ruled in favor of lower division team Arminia Hannover, which wishes to sell space on its players’ behinds. The club has been challenging DFB’s pants ad ban for four years.
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Oddities of the Cuban Defections
I cannot say that I find the story — or is it the saga? — of the defecting Cubans a particularly edifying episode. Which puts me at odds with those who will no doubt see it as a heroic dash for freedom. Possibly it is that, but there are other aspects that I find disturbing.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Cristiano Ronaldo: Entertaining even in warmup
[VIDEO] Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 37 goals in all competitions this season, nutmegs Manchester United’s equipment manager.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Eight qualify for USYSA National Championships
[YOUTH] Eight teams have qualified for the 2008 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships through play in the U.S. Youth Soccer National League season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. women down Costa Rica for China ticket
[OLYMPICS] A 3-0 win over Costa Rica in the semifinals of the Concacaf Olympic qualifying tournament sends the U.S. women’s national team to the Summer Games in China, where it will defend its gold medal title of 2004. After the Ticas stifled the USA in the first half, Natasha Kai struck twice and Heather O’Reilly scored once. Canada defeated host Mexico, 1-0, to claim the region’s other spot.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2004 MVP Amado Guevara returns to MLS
Much that is good and bad about the MLS player-distribution system is personified in the return of Amado Guevara, who has left Honduran club Montagua, has been acquired by MLS, and was traded by his previous club, Chivas USA, to Toronto FC, for which he refused to play last year. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney explains the intricacies of the transaction.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Red Bulls boss resigns
[MLS] Marc de Grandpre, who, despite having no soccer experience, became Managing Director of the New York Red Bulls when the energy drink brought the franchise in 2006, has resigned. De Grandpre’s tenure was marked by the release of Coach Bruce Arena, who was at the helm for less than two seasons, and Giovanni Savarese, the popular and successful youth development director.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Teens shine for New England
[MLS] New England became the first team to win on the road this season when it downed Kansas City, 3-1. The first Revs’ goal came on an own goal by Jack Jewsbury, who deflected a teammate’s header into the net. Jewsbury made amends by scoring from the penalty spot at the other end, but goals by Gambian teenagers Sainey Nyassi and Kenny Mansally provided the win for New England, which was missing injured attackers Taylor Twellman and Steve Ralston
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Barcelona puts domestic woes aside
[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] A goal by 24-year-old Yaya Toure of the Ivory Coast gave Barcelona a 1-0 home win over Schalke 04 for a 2-0 quarterfinal win on aggregate to reach the semifinals, where Barca will meet Manchester United. It was a sorely needed win for Barcelona, whose La Liga title hopes are slim at best.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Man U rests big guns and beats Roma
[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Having won the first leg, 2-0, Manchester United rested Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney and still came away with a 1-0 win over Roma to advance to the semifinals and set a Champions League record with its 11th straight home win.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Adios for MLS clubs
[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP] Houston didn’t have the horses. D.C. United didn’t have the archers. Both MLS teams, for the second straight year, fell in the semifinal round. In second legs played Wednesday night, Saparissa beat the shorthanded Dynamo, 3-0, in its home leg to win the series, 3-0, on aggregate; at RFK Stadium, United fell behind, 1-0, before rallying with two late goals to leave it a goal short of Pachuca on aggregate, 3-2.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
MLS Must Raise its Pay
Millions may be pouring into Major League Soccer’s coffers through expansion clubs, but the players aren’t likely to receive raises anytime soon. That may seem unfair, but MLS Commissioner Don Garber reminds us that, “The league is doing better, but don’t forget that there has been massive amounts of money invested in this league to get to this point,” Garber tells Luis Bueno of the Press Enterprise. “One good year does not a future make. We’ve got to ensure that we’ve got a good year this year and ensure that some of the teams we have that have struggled at the gate are able to pick it up.”
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Gulati: U.S. to Decide on 2018 Bid
The U.S. Soccer Federation still hasn’t decided whether to bid on the 2018 World Cup, President Sunil Gulati reveals, although a decision is expected by June 1 or shortly thereafter.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Wenger Left to Reflect on Shattered Season
"There are the good Anfield European nights, there are the great ones and then, like this one, there are those remarkable occasions which fall into a different category altogether," says the Independent's Sam Wallace, and last night's 4-2 thriller at Anfield certainly falls into the latter category. In a night of "joyously chaoti" soccer Liverpool's […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Must See TV: ‘I’m on Setanta Sports’
If you don't subscribe to Setanta Sports, then do yourself a favor and do a YouTube search for "I'm on Setanta Sports," a parody show hosted by a puppet personifying former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho. "The Special One", as he refers to himself, has regular in-studio "guests," such as Manchester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Inter Sensation Balotelli Better Than Pato?
Inter Milan teenager Mario Balotelli announced his arrival on the global stage with a fantastic individual performance during the Nerazzurri’s 2-0 victory away to Atalanta over the weekend. So good was the 17-year-old that Inter legend Mario Corso was moved to declare him the best talent he’s ever seen. “After so many years it is […]