Category: Story
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Sky Blue FC rolls into championship game

by Paul Kennedy

[WPS] First, Sky Blue FC knocked off Washington on the road. Next, it won at Saint Louis. After Wednesday’s convincing 1-0 victory over the Athletica in the Super Semifinal, there appears to be no stopping the bottom-seed Sky Blue FC, which moves into Saturday’s WPS championship against the Los Angeles Sol (TV: Fox Sports Net, Comcast Sports Net, live, 4 pm ET/1 pm PT).

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Trio of newcomers leads Lyon goalfest (VIDEO)

by Paul Kennedy

[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] After winning seven straight league titles, French club Lyon finished third in 2008-09, requiring it to enter the UEFA Champions League in the qualifying stage, where it crushed Belgium’s Anderlecht, 5-1, in the first leg on Wednesday. After Lyon lost Karim Benzema to Real Madrid and veteran Juninho to Qatari club Al-Gharafa, there were concerns about its attack, but a trio of new players came up big against Anderlecht.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Burnley’s Robbie Blake upstages United stars

by Paul Kennedy

[ENGLAND] Where are you, Cristiano Ronaldo, when Manchester United needs you? Burnley produced the first upset of the 2009-10 Premier League season when it knocked off defending champion Manchester United, 1-0, for its first win over United in 41 years. The loss underscored the concerns about United’s attacking prowess following the sale of Ronaldo to Real Madrid and United’s failure to secure a deal to keep Carlos Tevez.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

The Crew’s Rising Star: Eric Brunner

by Bryan Alvarez

[MLS] Eric Brunner started the 2008 season with the New York Red Bulls before a stint with the USL’s Miami FC. He’s finding his stride this season with the Columbus Crew and has contributed a goal, an assist and logged more than 1,400 minutes in 18 games. Get to know the 23-year-old in this profile by Soccer America’s Bryan Alvarez that covers on and off-field experiences.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Feuding Fire foiled by Galaxy

by Ridge Mahoney

[MLS] Maybe this one can be explained away by fatigue, or turmoil induced by the fining of locker room combatants Denis Hamlett and Bakary Soumare, or simply taking a shorthanded opponent too lightly. Yet championship aspirations require a solid footing, and Chicago gouged deeply into its own foundation by succumbing meekly to Los Angeles, 2-0, at Toyota Park Wednesday in front of a sellout crowd. An enthusiastic few hundred chanted to the end, but many more trudged up the steps to the exits during a depressing second half.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Columbus signs Venezuelan striker

by Ridge Mahoney

[MLS] The late-season signings continue. Columbus, riding a five-game winning streak in league play and a run of nine games unbeaten in all competitions, might seem well-set for the stretch run of defending its MLS title. Yet it has embarked in group play of Concacaf Champions’ League as well, and thus the signing of 24-year-old Venezuelan striker Emilio Renteria fills the last vacant spot on the 18-man roster as games are about to pile up.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Subs save day for Dynamo against Salvadorans

by Ridge Mahoney

[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] A combination that seems to work no matter what the circumstances produced again Wednesday night to earn a Concacaf Champions’ League victory for the Houston Dynamo. Teammates for club and country, and on this night, substitutes – yes, you read that right – Stuart Holden and Brian Ching combined midway through the second half for the only goal Houston needed to beat Salvadoran club Isidro Metapan, 1-0, at Robertston Stadium in the first group match for both teams.

Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story

Women’s postseason will look a lot different in 2009

by Paul Kennedy

WOMEN’S NEWS … The Soccer America Women’s Preseason All-Americans were released today. Heading the team is Casey Nogueira, the 2008 Soccer America Women’s Player of the Year and one of three North Carolina seniors on the Preseason All-American first team along with Whitney Engen and Tobin Heath. Florida State, Notre Dame and UCLA are the only teams with two players named to the first and second teams.

Of note, seven of the Preseason All-Americans missed the 2008 postseason because they were with the U.S. under-20 national team that won last year’s world championship in Chile. UConn’s Brittany Taylor, a first-team preseason selection, was injured and missed the entire season.

* No women’s coach is more excited than Portland’s Garrett Smith that there will be no international championships during the 2009 postseason. Just about every major program lost at least one player during the NCAA Tournament to the U.S. U-20s. The Pilots, whose record 19-game winning streak ended when they fell to Stanford in the quarterfinals, were without three starters — Elli Reed, Keelin Winters and Michelle Enyeart. Throughout her career, Sophie Schmidt has missed time to represent various Canadian teams. When you consider that Reed, Winters, Enyeart and Schmidt will be available all fall, that Kendra Chandhoke returns after redshirting last season, and U-17 defender Cloee Colohan joins the backline that returns everyone, Portland will be as deep as any team in the country. “We are going to have players on the bench this year that would start in most years,” Smith told the Oregonian. “It’s a talented group.”

* Florida is picked to repeat as SEC champion for the fourth consecutive year in the preseason poll released today. The Gators return eight starters, including All-SEC performers Ashlee Elliott and Lauren Hyde, from last season’s squad that went 11-0-0 in league play. Florida is also picked to win the East, ahead of Georgia. In the West, LSU was first, ahead of Auburn.

Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story

Teams begin where they left off

by Soccer America

SMALL COLLEGE NEWS … The NSCAA/adidas preseason polls are out, and there are no surprises. The NCAA Division II and III preseason rankings are duplicates of the final 2008 rankings, released after postseason play. That means last year’s champions are all No. 1:

NCAA Men’s Division II Cal State Dominguez Hills
NCAA Men’s Division III Messiah (with first-year coach Brad McCarty in charge)
NCAA Women’s Division II Seattle Pacific
NCAA Women’s Division III Messiah

As for the NAIA rankings, last year’s champions — both Tennessee schools — are No. 1:

NAIA Men Bethel
NAIA Women Lee

Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story

Red Bulls Keeper Cepero Talks About Red Bulls’ Slide and What to Do About It

by Soccer America

Danny Cepero, who won a starting position as the New York Red Bulls goalkeeper last season, has suffered through a dismal 2009. He communicates some of his frustration in the New York Times’ “Goal” blog. Cepero says, “While I appreciate the ability of my friends, family and even fans, to sugarcoat the current embarrassment, sometimes […]

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