Category: Story

[BARCELONA TOUR] In a summer highlighted by huge crowds across the country for international matches, the biggest crowd of the summer should turn out Saturday at the Rose Bowl, where the Los Angeles Galaxy hosts European champion Barcelona on the first game of the Spanish club’s three-game West Coast tour (TV: Fox Soccer Channel, live, 11 pm ET). In addition to the stars from last season’s triple championship team, newly acquired Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be in Pasadena for his second game in two weeks and Mexican teenager Jonathan Dos Santos is in the traveling squad.

[WPS] Referee Jose Carlos Rivero decision to eject Boston Breakers defender Alex Scott for her studs-up tackle — a clear red-card offense — on Washington’s French international, Sonia Bompastor, five minutes into Wednesday’s game didn’t sit well with Boston coach Tony DiCicco, who for the second time this year ripped the Women’s Professional Soccer refereeing after the game.

[TELEVISION WATCH] Former U.S. national team star Eric Wynalda, replaced by former teammate John Harkes as the lead color person on ESPN2’s MLS coverage, will be returning to the air as Nick Webster‘s co-host of Fox Football Fone-In, replacing the controversial Steve Cohen.

[WPS] Abby Wambach‘s second-half goal gave the Washington Freedom a 1-0 win over the visiting Boston Breakers that propelled it into third place ahead of the Breakers and eliminated last-place FC Gold Pride from playoff contention.

[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] After a spectacular 6-1 thumping of Montreal in June that captured the Nutrilite Canadian Championship and with it a spot in the Concacaf Champions League, Toronto FC players and Coach Chris Cummins emphasized how important it was for them to represent Canada and do well in the regional club competition. But TFC left itself a huge task by losing the first leg of its two-match preliminary series, 1-0, to Puerto Rico Islanders Wednesday at BMO Field.

[MEXICO-USA] Mexico coach Javier Aguirre rewarded El Tri’s heroes for the 5-0 dismantling of the USA in the Gold Cup final, calling up all but two starters for the Aug. 12 showdown with the USA in World Cup 2010 qualifying. Barcelona star Rafael Marquez was one of eight players in the 20-players squad who played last season in Europe. The Chicago Fire’s Cuauhtemoc Blanco was also recalled for the game at Azteca Stadium.

[AMERICANS ABROAD] Young American Eric Lichaj has earned starts in back-to-back games for English club Aston Villa at right back at the Peace Cup in Spain.

[OFF THE POST] After referee He Zhibiao ejected three Tianjin FC players in its 3-1 loss to Beijing in a third-round Chinese Cup He had to run to safety.

[MLS] An All-Star Game is a spectacle, and as such the wisdom of using penalty kicks to decide an exhibition does make some sense, since entertainment is the first priority. Fans at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, ran through the gamut of emotions, facial expressions and gestures, and most of them left disappointed at the result. As bizarre as it might have seemed for Everton players to step up to the penalty spot after playing 90 minutes in a friendly, at least a few – and not the least, U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard – got it right. After a 1-1 tie in regulation, Howard saved three shots as Everton took the shootout, 4-3, to end a five-match winning streak posted in All-Star action against foreign teams.

[AMERICANS ABROAD] Oguchi Onyewu‘s preseason with AC Milan didn’t get any better after his appearances in losing performances with his new club in the USA. After the central defender came on as a 64th minute substitute for Alessandro Nesta at Bayern Munich, AC Milan conceded three more goals in a 4-1 loss.