US First Lady Laura Bush talked soccer yesterday, offering her explanation for the national team’s failed campaign in Germany. “Americans really are just learning about soccer. It’s a new sport to the United States,” she said. I guess you can tell by the way our team plays.” Actually, the United States participated in the first […]
Category: Story
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
French Lawyer Seeks to Nullify World Cup Final
A French lawyer, convinced the fourth official used video evidence to have Zinedine Zidane sent-off, says the World Cup final should be replayed. “I am going to ask the judge to question all individuals concerned and to reconstruct the end of the refereeing,” Rennes-based lawyer Mehana Mouhou told Reuters on Thursday. “If it is proved […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Zidane or Materazzi: Who’s to Blame?
The world is divided over who’s to blame in the case between Zinedine Zidane of France and Marco Materazzi of Italy. After Zizou’s compelling address on French TV yesterday, pundits, fans, and perhaps even FIFA officials are wondering who’s the villain and who’s the victim. BBC News sizes up the case, noting “an impressive array […]
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5. SOCCER ON TV: Your Viewing Guide
All the week’s MLS and international action: https://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=562137397
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
4. FIFA: Disciplinary proceedings launched against Italy’s Materazzi
FIFA has begun disciplinary proceedings against Italy’s Marco Materazzi over the incident in which Frenchman Zinedine Zidane head butted him late in overtime of Sunday’s World Cup final. Zidane was sent off after the attack — a reaction, he said, to repeated insults made by the Italian defender to him. Zidane apologized for his reaction, but […]
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3. U.S. OPEN CUP: Dallas Roma makes history
Dallas Roma FC made U.S. Open Cup history Tuesday night when it beat Chivas USA on penalty kicks. Roma became the first USASA team to beat an MLS club in the annual cup competition. Roma, which had upset Romario’s Miami FC in the previous round, prevailed against Chivas USA, 4-2, on penalties. Jesse Llamas was […]
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2. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“I feel burned out. I have a great wish to be back with my family and my children and to get back into normal life.” — Juergen Klinsmann on why he will not continue as Germany national team coach. “There is absolutely no interest on my side and no contact.” — Klinsmann on the U.S. […]
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1. TELEVISION: SA’s Lynn Berling-Manuel debates Frank Deford
Watch Soccer America Publisher Lynn Berling-Manuel debate Frank Deford to a draw regarding the staying power of soccer post-World Cup. See this video titled “Americans Pay More Attention to the World Cup” from the July 10 edition of the NewsHour on PBS.
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U.S. OPEN CUP: Third Round Results (July 12)
Real Salt Lake (MLS) 2 (Cunningham pen. 28, Williams 93) Virginia Beach Mariners (USL-1) 1 (O'Neill 37). Charleston Battery (USL-1) 3 (Hollinsworth 37, pen. 86, Glinton 79) Portland Timbers (USL-1) 1 (Kreamalmeyer 4). Wilmington Hammerheads (USL-2) 2 (Nylan 25, Bagley 75) Atlanta Silverbacks (USL-1) 1 (Pineda-Chacon 60). Michigan Bucks (PDL) 1 (Rice 22) Columbus Crew […]
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MLS: Five U.S. World Cup players on All-Star First XI
The MLS All-Star team's First XI, the players who received the most votes in each position, include five members of the U.S. team that exited in the first round of the 2006 World Cup. Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Jimmy Conrad and Eddie Pope, who all saw action in Germany, are joined by Chris Albright, a […]
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4. SOCCER ON TV: Your Viewing Guide
All the week’s MLS and international action: https://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=562137397
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
3. MAKING A LIST: FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings
The following are the latest FIFA rankings, the first post-World Cup rankings based on new criteria with more consideration taken of the importance of the match and the strength of opponents. RANK/TEAM/CHANGE 1 Brazil 0 2 Italy +11 3 Argentina +6 4 France +4 5 England +5 6 Netherlands -3 7 Spain -2 8 Portugal -1 9 Germany +10 10 Czech Republic -8 11 Nigeria 0 12 Cameroon +3 […]
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2. MLS: Five U.S. World Cup players on All-Star First XI
The MLS All-Star team’s First XI, the players who received the most votes in each position, include five members of the U.S. team that exited in the first round of the 2006 World Cup. Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Jimmy Conrad and Eddie Pope, who all saw action in Germany, are joined by Chris Albright, a […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
1. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: Zidane speaks
“He grabbed my shirt, and I told him to stop. I told him if he wanted I’d swap it with him at the end of the match. That is when he said some very hard words, which were harder than gestures. He repeated them several times. It all happened very quickly and he spoke about […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Teaching Through Zidane’s Mistake
How do kids respond to Zinedine Zidane’s World Cup final head-butt against Marco Materazzi? One 14 year told the Associated Press the act was “stupid,” saying “It doesn’t matter if somebody says something to you, you should walk away, show them by scoring a goal and doing your best. … tell the referee if something […]
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Brazil Still World No. 1 under New FIFA System
Italy has won the World Cup, but Brazil is still the best team in the world, according to FIFA’s newly redesigned world soccer rankings. The new system changes the criteria for rating the world’s top teams, benefiting Argentina, France, and England, which moved to 3, 4, and 5, respectively, after Brazil and Italy. Italy moved […]
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Adidas Says ‘Thank You’ to Zidane
It will likely become the most famous head-butt in sports history, carried out by one of soccer’s most famous players of all-time. The maneuver sent shockwaves throughout the world’s press corps., leaving millions to wonder what led France’s Zinedine Zidane, one of the sports great ambassadors, to retaliate in such a way. For a sponsor, […]
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Lippi, Klinsmann Step Down
Two of the most successful coaches at this year’s World Cup have quit. Germany’s Juergen Klinsmann and Marcelo Lippi of Italy both announced today that they would be stepping down as coach of their respective national teams. Both were encouraged to stay on the job; Italy, of course, finished world champions, while Germany managed a […]
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Juventus Bracing for Relegation
If Juventus et al are in fact relegated for next season, the result would be a free agency bonanza for other European clubs, writes the Daily Telegraph. Serie A champion Juventus, already close to offloading captain Fabio Cannavaro to Real Madrid, has confirmed it would sell seven of its players who featured in Sunday’s World […]
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WORLD CUP: Juergen Klinsmann quits as Germany coach
Juergen Klinsmann has told the German soccer federation (DFB) that he does not want to continue as head coach of Germany, which he guided to a third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup. Klinsmann took over the German team two years before the World Cup but remained a Southern California resident and commuted to Germany. […]
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4. SOCCER ON TV: Your Viewing Guide
All the week’s MLS and international action: https://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=562137397
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
3. U.S. WOMEN: Scurry returns to action in Minnesota
U.S. women’s national team head coach Greg Ryan named the 18-player roster that will face Sweden on Saturday at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn., in the first home match of the year for the USA (TV: ESPN2, live, 6 pm ET). The match marks the 14th time the U.S. women have played in […]
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2. GERMANY: Klinsmann won’t stay on
California resident Juergen Klinsmann, who led host Germany to a surprisingly strong third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup, won’t stay on national team coach, according to reports in the German press. Klinsmann, whose contract expired on Sunday, came in for heavy criticism for long periods of his tenure as national team coach because of […]
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1. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“In a way, I think every new World Cup can be the ‘best World Cup ever’ because the tournament has this potential to bring even more people together, with nations and cultures setting aside their differences in their shared appreciation of soccer.” — Former U.S. President Bill Clinton on the World Cup. Clinton, who attended […]
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WORLD CUP: Italian pragmatism reigns supreme
By Ridge Mahoney in Berlin On a night of finely balanced tensions, set under darkening skies and poised between two teams replete with heroic storylines and marvelous players, a great career ended in disgrace and a grand tradition prevailed once again. Italy, purveyor of defensive efficiency, rode out numerous French attacks to end regular play […]