The Italian government is proposing to suspend Serie A for several weeks following violence in Rome and Bergamo that was spurred by the shooting death of a Lazio fan by a policeman on Sunday. Additionally, Italy’s anti-hooliganism body wants to see large groups of violent fans — known in Italy as “ultras” — banned from […]
Category: Story
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Liverpool Owner Hicks in Talks to Takeover Roma
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks is reportedly in talks with AS Roma over a possible a takeover, according to several reports in Italy. Apparently, Hicks has been pressuring Roma President Franco Sensi to sell the club for several months, although the situation has only just been brought to the media’s attention. The 61-year-old Dallas native has […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Deserving, if Uninspiring MLS Finalists
MLS Cup 2007 will be a repeat of last year’s final, but USSoccerPlayers’ Ian Plenderleith sincerely hopes it won’t be a repeat of last year’s “deadly” final—”deadly” because Steve Nicol’s New England Revolution “killed” it just like his team did the year before, the columnist says. However, are there two teams more deserving of being […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Robinho Leads Real to Victory, Again
“Someone get that man a colossal caipirinha, a bevy of Brazilian beauties and a bumper box of johnnies!” the Guardian’s Sid Lowe says of Real Madrid winger Robinho. He’s referring of course to the little Brazilian’s penchant for women and late-night partying, which got him into trouble barely three weeks ago. But none of that […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer On TV
The USA faces South Africa on Saturday in Johannesburg for the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup on a weekend that includes European Championship qualifying, South American 2010 World Cup qualifying and MLS Cup 2007.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Soccer America Women’s Top 25
There was no doubt about the No. 1 team in the final Soccer America Women’s Top 25 of the regular season. UCLA beat Washington State, 2-0, and Washington, 3-0, to finish the regular season at 16-1-2 overall and 9-0-0 in the Pac-10. The Bruins have an 18-game unbeaten streak, the longest in the country. For the Final Top 25 …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Women’s Conference Report
The NCAA Division I women’s regular reason has wrapped up. Champions were crowned in 31 conferences, 28 of which held tournaments. For the results, goal scorers, all-tournament teams and MVPs, they’re all here …
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Soccer America predicts NCAA D1 women’s at-large field
The NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Committee will reveal on Monday the 64 teams that will participate in the 2007 NCAA Division I Women’s Tournament that begins later this week. The 64-team bracket will be revealed on the NCAA Women’s Soccer Selection Show that is set to air between 8 and 8:30 pm ET on ESPNews. Before seeding the top 16 teams and drawing the bracket, the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Committee must pick the 34 at-large teams who will join the 30 conference champions who have already qualified. After examining some of the key questions facing the committee, Soccer America’s predicts the 34 at-large teams …
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Soccer America Men’s Top 25
No. 1 Wake Forest’s 3-1 victory over Virginia on Friday night kept the Demon Deacons at No. 1in the Soccer America Men’s Top 25 for the ninth time in 11 weeks and knocked the slumping Cavaliers (1-5-2 in the ACC!) out of the Top 25. All six teams behind Wake remained in the same spot after recording wins over the weekend. For the complete Top 25 …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Ohio State takes care of business
[BIG TEN] Last year, Ohio State was one of the hottest teams in the country over the last month and a half and finished 11-7-3 but didn’t get at-large bid to the NCAA Men’s Tournament. This year, the Buckeyes made sure there would be no question about whether they moved into the postseason. They won the Big Ten Championship for only the second time, beating regular-season champion Indiana, 5-4, on penalty kicks after their game ended 0-0.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Secret weapon propels Brown to Ivy championship
[IVY LEAGUE] Opposing teams have derided Brown junior Darren Howerton‘s flip throw as a gimmick, but it certainly has been effective. Canadian Dylan Sheehan headed in Howerton’s flip throw in the 83rd minute of Saturday’s Ivy League showdown between Brown and Dartmouth to break a 0-0 tie and lift the No. 3 Bears to a 1-0 win over No. 23 Dartmouth that clinched the 2007 Ivy championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Tournament.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Santa Clara wraps up WCC title early
[WCC] Santa Clara clinched its 10th WCC title with a week to spare thanks to a 4-1 win over St. Mary’s on Sunday. Captain Peter Lowry scored the first goal and helped set up two others to lead the Broncos, who repeated as WCC champions and clinched a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
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NCAA TOURNAMENT: Small-college powers advance
Defending champion Dowling and top-ranked Northern Kentucky both moved into the NCAA D2 men’s quarterfinals. Unbeatens Texas (Trinity) and Loras advanced to the D3 men’s round of 16. No. 1 Grand Valley State got a scare in the second round of the D2 women’s play. D3 women’s powerhouses Wheaton (Ill.) and the College of New Jersey both flexed their muscles.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Beckham assists in Minnesota exhibition
The Los Angeles Galaxy again failed to beat a USL team in regulation time for the second time within a week, but at last this time marquee attraction David Beckham made an impact, assisting on Edson Buddle‘s goal in a 1-1 tie with Minnesota Thunder in front of 20,123 fans at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Last Wednesday, the Galaxy played to a scoreless tie with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
American foes ‘combine’ on EPL goal
[AMERICANS IN BRITAIN] West Ham’s American defender Jonathan Spector celebrated his first English Premier League goal but later found out his strike against Derby County in a 5-0 win was credited as an own goal by countryman Eddie Lewis. The 21-year-old Spector moved in England in 2004 when he joined Manchester United. Goalkeeper Tim Howard helped Everton to a 1-1 tie with Chelsea by making an acrobatic save on an effort by Chelsea’s Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Italian soccer in chaos
Italian soccer was thrown into chaos when three key matches were either postponed or suspended in the aftermath of the shooting death of a Lazio fan on Sunday. Gabriele Sandri, a 26-year-old disc-jockey, was shot by a police officer after Lazio and Juventus fans clashed at a gas station on the A-1 freeway near the town of Arezzo. As news of Sandri’s death spread across Italy, riots involving soccer fans broke out across Italy.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Houston returns to MLS Cup
By tried-and-true methods — efficiency on set plays and the unerring daring of Dwayne DeRosario – Houston duly returned to the MLS Cup by beating Kansas City, 2-0, Saturday. But those elements are only part of a formula that for the past two seasons has proven tough to break down even under pressure. Nate Jaqua powered home a Richard Mulrooney corner kick late in the first half to break open a goalless game and DeRosario drilled a low shot with nine minutes left for the clinching goal as Houston won its fifth postseason match (out of seven) since the franchise moved from San Jose in December, 2005.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Puerto Rico Islanders romp, 7-1, in Caribbean quarterfinals
The USL-1’s Puerto Rico Islanders moved into the semifinals of the 2007 CFU Club Championship with a 7-1 win over SV Leo Victor of Suriname on Sunday in Macoya, Trinidad. Former Colorado Rapids player Fabrice Noel scored goals in the 18th and 22nd minute to put the Islanders ahead for good. The Haiti-born Noel now has scored seven goals in four games.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS expands to Northwest; Seattle to field team in 2009
No surprise here: On Friday, the MLS Board of Governors approved a Seattle franchise to start play in 2009 as the league’s 15th franchise. MLS commissioner Don Garber will be in Seattle Tuesday for a formal announcement. The new team will play at Qwest Field, home of the NFL Seattle Seahawks, and might or not be called the Sounders, the nickname used by a popular but ultimately defunct North American Soccer League franchise (1974-83) as well as a current member of United Soccer Leagues.
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Altidore, Adu in USA roster for South Africa game
[ROSTER] Josmer Altidore, who turned 18 last week, has a chance to make his first full national team appearance in the USA’s Nov. 17 friendly in South Africa. He is among six MLS players called up by Coach Bob Bradley for the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup game. Altidore scored nine goals for the New York Red Bulls in the 2007 MLS season. Also on the roster is Freddy Adu, who starred with Altidore on the USA’s 2007 U-20 World Cup team that reached the quarterfinals last summer. Landon Donovan is the most capped (96) player on the roster and is aiming to break the all-time national team scoring record.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Cristiano Ronaldo make case with ‘stunning’ display
[INTERNATIONAL HEADLINERS/VIDEO] Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo may lose out to Brazilian Kaka and Argentine Lionel Messi in balloting for the two year-end international player of the year awards, but he is certainly the class of European soccer, as evidenced by his two superb goals for Manchester United against Blackburn on Saturday. Barcelona’s troubles on the road continued, while Bayern Munich’s slump has put Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld at odds with club president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. In Mexico, the Torneo Apertura’s regular season finished, and 10 teams moved into the playoffs.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Becks to Play Crucial England Qualifier
Despite a pair of nondescript performances at the end of the L.A. Galaxy’s season, David Beckham on Friday was named to Steve McClaren’s England squad for the final Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia. The 32-year-old Beckham has played 97 times for England, which means appearances in the next two games would make him one shy […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Rooney to Miss Four Weeks
On the very day that Steve McClaren announced his squad for England’s final Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia on Nov. 21, the England coach was hit with the news that star striker Wayne Rooney would have to pull out. The Manchester United player suffered an ankle injury in training on Friday that will keep him […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Gullit and the Unfortunate History of Foreign Coaches in MLS
On Friday, Dutchman Ruud Gullit was officially named head coach of the L.A. Galaxy. “It’s a huge challenge to be here but it’s all here for the taking,” said Gullit. “The Galaxy is used to winning things and we will try everything in our power to win more titles here. I hope to find a […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Feilhaber Struggling to Adjust to EPL
It’s been a rough start to English Premier League life for U.S. international Benny Feilhaber. The 22-year-old midfielder has made just a three appearances off the bench for Derby County since coming over from Hamburg SV in August. “I think that the main reason I haven’t been playing much is because of the style of […]