Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story

MLS Players Go Public with Salaries

MLSPlayers.org, the Web site for the Major League Soccer Players Union, released a full list of the league’s player salaries, including guaranteed bonuses, for the first time in its history. Incidentally, the move puts MLS in line with the rest of American’s sports leagues. In the past player salaries have been leaked to the media, […]

Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story

Soccer teams recognized for academic success

As part of the NCAA’s broad Division I academic reform effort, the NCAA recognized teams that posted multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports. Programs honored included 2006 NCAA Division I men’s quarterfinalists Duke and Northwestern and women’s runner-up Notre Dame and quarterfinalist Portland.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

OFF THE POST: Witnesses vouch for miracle header

There were only 37 people in the stands when English amateur clubs Holker Old Boys clashed with Chadderton FC and nobody had a video camera. But eyewitnesses confirmed that Holker Old Boys’ captain Graham Capstick did indeed score with a header from 57 yards out. “I can honestly say that he scored with a header from inside his own half,” Holker right back David Robinson told the Evening Mail.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

American Hilgenbrinck scores winner in Chile

[VIDEO] Illinois product Chase Hilgenbrinck scored the gamewinner for Chilean First Division club Nublense in its 1-0 victory over O’Higgins, which hadn’t lost at home since April 2006 and had never lost to Nublense. Hilgenbrinck, who at Clemson University was teammates with Oguchi Onyewu, has started 13 of Nublense’s 14 games this season, mostly at left back until he was moved to left midfield to fill in for an injured player.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

San Francisco soccer with ties to Spain

It’s not often that a major American city boasts a pro soccer team within its true borders. The New York Red Bulls play in New Jersey. FC Dallas is based in Frisco, the Los Angeles Galaxy in Carson and the Chicago Fire in Bridgeview. But San Francisco now has a USL-1 team, the California Victory, which will play at the edge of Golden Gate Park in Kezar Stadium, once home to the San Francisco 49ers. The man behind the Victory is Dmitry Piterman, who emigrated from Ukraine to the USA at age 15 in 1979, graduated from UC Berkeley (across the bay from San Francisco) and started accumulating a fortune in San Francisco area real estate. Three years ago, he bought Spanish club Deportivo Alaves while keeping his eyes on opportunities in the USA.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

USA looks to extent U-17 streaks

[MAKING A LIST] The USA can wrap a berth in the Under-17 World Cup for a record 12th straight time if it ties or beats host Jamaica Friday at CONCACAF’s Group B qualifying tournament or Canada and Trinidad & Tobago tie in the first game. The USA, which also faces group leader Costa Rica on Sunday, takes an 18-game unbeaten streak in CONCACAF qualifying into the weekend action.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Mexico’s Toluca crushed in Libertadores Cup

Argentine youngster Juan Manuel Martinez scored a hat trick in 13 minutes late in the first half to lead of Colombian champion Cucuta past Mexico’s Toluca, 5-1, in the first leg of their Libertadores Cup second-round series. In the other Thursday matches, Paraguayan champion Libertad came from behind to win at Brazil’s Parana, 2-1, while Nacional of Uruguay beat Mexico’s Necaxa, 3-2, in Montevideo.

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The Jason Kreis era begins in Salt Lake

[TV PREVIEW] Jason Kreis, the man who has scored a league record 108 goals, retired on Thursday and immediately launched a new career. He’s leaving the Real Salt Lake captaincy and replacing his boss, John Ellinger, after RSL started the 2007 season with an 0-2-2 record. Ellinger, who failed to guide Real Salt Lake to the playoffs in its first two seasons, lasted longer than any other coach in MLS history who had gone that distance without taking a team to the playoffs. When the 34-year-old Kreis steps on the sidelines Saturday against the New York Red Bulls, he will become the youngest person in MLS history to serve as head coach of a team. Real is keeping Ellinger, who was credited for Freddy Adu‘s arrival to Real this season, as Technical Director/Director of Soccer Operations. But General Manager Steve Pastorino has resigned.

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Robust stuff in United-Revs clash at RFK

In the run-up to Thursday night’s D.C. United-New England tussle, Revs coach Steve Nicol said whether or not it was a great match, it would be passionate and fierce and rugged. Was it? As Nicol might have replied if asked, “Aye.” Scuffles, hard tackles, aerial duels, a controversial penalty, a hotly disputed ejection, and an ESPN2 audience fueled a intense if inelegant 1-1 tie. The Revs struck just seconds into the second half when Andy Dorman slotted the rebound of a Taylor Twellman shot, and D.C. equalized five minutes later with a Jaime Moreno penalty kick.

Posted inSoccer on TV., Story

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On the menu for U.S. viewers this weekend are title contenders in England (Fox and Setanta), Germany (Gol TV) and Spain (Gol TV). Mexico’s last two playoff spots will be determined on Saturday (Galavision). MLS action kicks off with red-hot Kansas City hosting Columbus (Direct Kick Package).

Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story

Forza Milan!

AC Milan put on a display of attacking soccer reminiscent of the great Milan teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s and crushed Manchester United, 3-0, on Wednesday night to advance to the UEFA Champions League final. All but forgotten as a European contender after last season’s Calciopoli scandal left it reeling, Milan was far the better team over the two legs of its 5-3 aggregate victory over United, which had been the toast of Europe for its 7-1 demolition of Italian club Roma in the quarterfinals. Milan moved into the final against Liverpool on May 23 in Athens, which will be a rematch of the 2005 final in which Milan blew a 3-0 halftime lead and lost to Liverpool on penalty kicks.

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