[MLS PREVIEW] The class of the Eastern Conference goes head-to-head for the last time in the regular season with D.C. holding the upper hand by virtue of tying the Revs, 1-1, at RFK May 3 and beating them, 3-0, at Gillette Stadium Aug. 5.
Category: Story
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Can New York dazzle at The Depot?
[MLS PREVIEW] New York’s attack has dazzled at times this season while its inconsistent defense has struggled, so a solid showing at both ends of the field in beating Chicago, 1-0, last week gives it an ideal starting point to test Chivas USA’s impressive home record.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA takes losing streak into Brazil friendly
Instead of playing Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, a harsh environment for any team, the U.S. national team gets a home game. The catch is, it’s against Brazil, which is bringing Ronaldinho and Kaka and a few more of its many stars to the encounter Sunday (4 p.m. ET, ESPN2, Univision) at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Nigeria meets Spain in U-17 World Cup final
German keeper Rene Vollath had a rough day in his team’s 3-1 loss to Nigeria, which earned a date with Spain in the U-17 World Cup final on Sunday (6 am ET, live on ESPNU & Galavision).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Farce and flair bind D.C. and Chivas USA, 2-2
Former Belgium national team coach Guy Thys once said, “Soccer is a very cruel game.” Thursday night, Chivas USA and D.C. proved it can also be farcical and embarrassing as well as enthralling. D.C. jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a Luciano Emilio‘s thunderbolt and follow-up of a Brad Guzan bobble, then conceded a goal drilled off an opponent by its goalkeeper and a deflected equalizer to end up tied, 2-2.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
OFF THE POST: Next time, we’ll use our Beetles
After VfL Wolfsburg lost to Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath blamed the train service provided by the Deutsche Bahn, which turned a 60-minute journey into a three-hour trip. “I have to congratulate Hertha for its main sponsor,” said Magath. While Hertha is sponsored by the Deutsche Bahn, Wolfsburg is bankrolled by Volkswagen.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Euro 2008 Qualifying TV Schedule
More than half of Saturday’s Euro 2008 qualifiers will be available, live or delay, on American television. For the complete Euro 2008 schedule and TV listings (live unless noted) …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
TV PREVIEW: Four Euro ’08 Qualifiers to Watch
The first of three double fixture weekends to conclude Euro 2008 qualifying takes place on Saturday. It’s highlighted by a Group A match between Italy and France, the 2006 World Cup finalists, in Milan. Also on tab are England-Israel, Portugal-Poland and the Netherlands-Bulgaria — all matches critical to the campaigns of the home teams.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
AEG’s MLS Sales
[MAKING A LIST] Anschutz Entertainment Group, which once owned six of MLS’s 10 clubs, now owns just two (of 13 clubs) following Thursday’s announcement it had sold the Chicago Fire to Andell Holdings, a Los Angeles-based private investment firm with global business and investment interests controlled by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Hauptman.
Posted inSoccer Business Insider, Story
Insider Tournament Tips For Sponsors
Soccer tournaments are one of the key vehicles for reaching America’s soccer player “masses.”
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
AEG Sells Fire to L.A. Investment Group
The Chicago Fire has been sold to a private investment group from L.A. for the estimated price of $30 million, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Andell Holdings now becomes the sole owner of the club, having purchased it from Anschutz Entertainment Group, owner of the L.A. Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo. Last year, AEG sold […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
The Case for St. Louis
In general, USSoccerPlayers’ Kevin McGeehan is opposed to the idea of Major League Soccer expanding into mid-size markets like Kansas City and Columbus. Why? Because “the American game is at its strongest in a handful of major cities around the league, such as Washington, Toronto and Los Angeles.” Big cities mean more people, more Latino […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Injury-Riddled England Receives Some Good News
England heads into its must-win Euro 2008 qualifier against Israel on Saturday with a long list of missing regulars: Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Gary Neville, David Beckham and Kieron Dyer all cannot play, while Steven Gerrard, John Terry, and Owen Hargreaves are all struggling to reach full fitness ahead of Saturday’s crucial match at Wembley. […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Report: Becks Might Seek to Go Back to England
Becks may be looking for a loan deal that would return him to the English Premiership in the months leading up to the Euro 2008 Championships in Austria and Switzerland. According to the London Daily Express, the England midfielder might be willing to sacrifice some of his earnings in order to do so. Galaxy GM […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Becks’ Biggest Losers Are in L.A.
After being suspended for a bit, the David Beckham No Show has returned, for as long as six weeks this time, which means plenty of people are feeling pretty sorry for themselves right about now. Who should you feel sorriest for? Mark Ziegler of The San Diego Union-Tribune says the Galaxy’s season ticket holders are […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Buying the Right Cleat for Your Foot
The temptation as a parent purchasing cleats for a growing child with a growing foot is to buy cleats that are a bit too large, thinking that your child will “grow into them” and thereby save you some money in not having to buy another pair too soon.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
TV Game of the Week begins Thursday
Fox Soccer Channel’s weekly coverage of college soccer begins Thursday when No. 23 Connecticut hosts No. 21 Penn State in women’s action at 8 p.m. ET. NSCAA College Match of the Week coverage in 2007 will include eight women’s matches played on Thursdays and nine men’s matches on Fridays. There will also be bonus coverage of three men’s matches played on Wednesday evenings throughout the season. For a look at Penn State and UConn …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Fast starts for first-year Florida Gulf Coast programs
How about this for your first-year Division I program’s inaugural weekend: You open with a 10-0 and then turn around two days later and win, 3-2, in overtime to capture your first tournament. That’s what happened to the Florida Gulf Coast women, winners of their Embassy Suites Kick-Off Classic. The FGCU men’s team — the first from-scratch Division I men’s program to be launched since 2000 — didn’t do too badly itself, winning its opening game, 3-2, over Coastal Carolina.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Big Blue find solace in soccer success
It will do little heal the sorrow of Michigan faithful after the Wolverines’ epic football loss to Appalachian State at the Big House last Saturday, but the Wolverine men’s soccer team made a statement last weekend. Led by a pair of exciting sophomores Mauro Fuzetti and Peri Marosevic, Michigan is making a case for itself as one of this year’s darkhorses in the Division I men’s ranks.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Big East women’s teams Rutgers and Louisville remain perfect with comeback wins
[WEDNESDAY ACTION] Rutgers and Louisville, two of four ranked Big East women’s teams, improved to 3-0-0 with comeback wins on Wednesday. No. 24 Long Beach State fell for the first time when it lost at Wake Forest, 1-0.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
How do you say ‘Woo pig sooie’ in Spanish?
It reflects a sign of the changing demographics in Arkansas: college soccer being carried on Spanish-language radio. After a year on La Tremenda, Spanish-language broadcasts of the University of Arkansas women’s team has moved to ESPN Deportes, La Maquina 1590 AM in Springdale.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Spain reaches U-17 World Cup final
[U-17 WORLD CUP SCOREBOARD/VIDEO]. Spain beat Ghana, 2-1, on an overtime goal by Bojan Krkic to reach the U-17 World Cup final, in which it will meet the winner of the Nigeria-Germany semifinal. But Krkic, who is on the verge of cracking Barcelona’s first team, was ejected for a second yellow card late in the game and will miss the final.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
W-League products at the Women’s World Cup
[MAKING A LIST] There are 54 current or former W-League players representing nine teams at the 2007 Women’s World Cup that will kickoff Monday.
The entire Canadian team has played in the W-League, and 13 members of the U.S. team have experience in the W-League. Other nations with W-League representatives headed to the tournament are Australia (6 players), Ghana (4), New Zealand (2), Japan (1) and Norway (1).
Four players headed to China less than two months after the conclusion of their club play in the W-League are Jodi-Ann Robinson and Sophie Schmidt of the Vancouver Whitecaps, Jersey Sky Blue’s Formiga (Brazil) and Ottawa Fury’s Faye White (England).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Promising Matchup: Chivas USA vs. D.C. United
[MLS TV PREVIEW] Since day one of the preseason, the theme of Chivas USA’s 2007 season has been maintaining the progress it achieved in 2006 despite a coaching change and the departure of two Mexican star attackers. In the third year of its existence Chivas USA is butting up against the top tier of MLS, and can crack through the barrier separating it from the elite teams this week when it plays D.C. United (Thursday) and Red Bull New York (Sunday) at the Home Depot Center, where it has posted the league’s best home record (7-0-1). Critics of MLS wondering how the league can showcase itself without David Beckham should tune in to this national telecast on Thursday night.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
OFF THE POST: Couch potato soccer
[VIDEO] The European Commission and UEFA have created an anti-obesity public-service commercial to air more than 2,000 times during halftime of Champions League games. The ad featuring armchair-bound soccer players is expected to reach up to 100 million viewers.