As his soccer career ends, Christian Vieri seems determined to prove himself the "Fabio" of the business world. A few years ago the former Serie A star launched his own fashion line, named Sweet Years, with AC Milan's Paulo Maldini. Now Vieri, who has built a reputation as a playboy on multiple continents, will help […]
Category: Story
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Fletcher and Abidal Bans Upheld
Manchester United’s attempt to overturn Darren Fletcher‘s suspension from the Champions League final has failed. UEFA has confirmed that the red card given for a foul on Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas will stand. Barcelona meanwhile will have absentees in both Eric Abidal and Dani Alves. Like Fletcher, Abidal’s plea for UEFA to rescind a harsh […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Norway, Denmark, Scotland Get Extra Europe Spots
Norway, Denmark and Scotland have earned extra places in the qualifying round for next season’s Europa League. The extra places for the Europa League — formerly known as the UEFA Cup — will be given to the winners of the trio’s domestic fair-play competitions, which have yet to be announced. Norway leads UEFA’s Fair Play […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Obama: World Cup would be ‘diplomatic coup’ [VIDEO]
[WORLD CUP 2018/22 BID] In an interview with Univision news anchor Jorge Ramos, President Barack Obama reiterated his support for the USA’s effort to win the right to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup. For Obama’s response to Ramos’ soccer question …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Clubs withdraw from Libertadores Cup
[MEXICO] The final weekend of play in the Torneo Clausura first phase, which saw longtime First Division club Necaxa be relegated when it lost to sister club Club America, was overshadowed by the decision by the Mexican soccer federation (FMF) to sever ties with Conmebol, South America’s confederation, the latest fallout from the flu epidemic that impacted Mexico.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Sky Blue and Athletica get first wins
[WPS] Parity finally arrived to Women’s Professional Soccer in the form of victories for Sky Blue FC and the Saint Louis Athletica, the first wins for both teams six weeks into the league’s first season. Sky Blue’s 2-0 win at Chicago resulted in the Red Stars’ first loss of the season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Results
In the Eastern Conference, last-place Columbus beat Kansas City for its first win of the season. In the Western Conference, San Jose and FC Dallas trail the pack after they both lost on the road. For all the game summaries, standings, leading scorers and this week’s schedule …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
International Results
Rangers took over the lead in Scotland after beating archrival Celtic, 1-0. Besiktas moved ahead of Sivas in Turkey. For all the results in Europe’s major leagues and Mexico …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
The Crew finally gets a W [VIDEO]
[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS] The defending champion Columbus Crew finally got its first win of the season, joining three other teams that have mustered only one victory. Chivas USA continues to rule at the Depot, while Chicago remains undefeated. New York had its most productive outing of the year. …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Gbeke leads Vancouver past Puerto Rico again
[USL-1] Journeyman Charles Gbeke did it again. The 31-year-old Ivorian-born Canada international, who was the MVP in Vancouver’s 2-1 win over Puerto Rico in the 2008 USL First Division final, scored in the 82nd minute to give the Whitecaps a 1-0 win over the Islanders Sunday night and move them into first place.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Barca’s celebrations put on hold
[EUROPEAN RACES] It was not a good evening for Barcelona. It had a chance to wrap up La Liga title Sunday, but it blew a 3-1 lead late in the game against Villarreal and had to settle for a 3-3 tie, meaning Barca needs one more point to clinch. But there was worse news for Barca. In England, Chelsea took out the frustrations of its Champions League exit out on Arsenal. In Germany, four goals by VfB Stuttgart’s Mario Gomez threw the Bundesliga race wide open with three matches left. Races were decided in Portugal and Ukraine, while there was a lead change in Scotland.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
‘Excellent’ Howard helps Everton clinch Europa spot
[AMERICANS ABROAD] A 0-0 tie with Tottenham clinched a Europa League (formerly UEFA Cup) spot for Everton and marked keeper Tim Howard‘s 16th shutout of the season, a club record. Carlos Bocanegra scored in the French Cup final and Oguchi Onyewu hit the net in Belgium. Three U.S. products are headed to the playoffs in Mexico. Michael Bradley celebrated a crucial win in Germany. …
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Chatty refs and wasted corners defy common sense
During the first half of Sunday’s game between Arsenal and Chelsea, there were two aspects of the modern game that sprang to my attention. Two highly irritating aspects.
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
The weekend action kicks off on Friday evening with New York hosting San Jose in MLS action and USL’s Game of the Week: Austin-Puerto Rico. More MLS action includes ESP2’s coverage of Houston-FC Dallas on Saturday. The WPS Game of the Week is Chicago vs. Sky Blue FC on Sunday.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Zourab Tsiskaridze Jr.’s Unique Journey to the USL
Zourab Tsiskaridze Jr., just called Zee by his Miami FC teammates, has taken a meandering and unique path to professional soccer in South Florida. The 22-year-old has lived on five continents and speaks five languages. ''I'm really lucky that I've had all of these opportunities,'' he said. "A lot of people my age are coming […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
MLS Expansion Club Philadelphia Gets a Name
The MLS’s newest expansion team, Philadelphia, has picked a moniker and an emblem that will be officially unveiled on Monday. The Union, which the Philadelphia Inquirer reports as the club’s selection, is a name that harkens to the city’s colonial past and to the area’s historic role in the American labor movement. The team will […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
AFC Chief Keeps FIFA Seat
Asian soccer chief Mohamed Bin Hammam narrowly fought off a vicious challenge to his seat on the FIFA executive board on Friday after one of the most vitriolic political battles the region's soccer world has known. The Qatari, who has held the seat unopposed since 1996, beat off the challenge of Bahrain's Sheikh Salman bin […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Bocanegra Enjoying Pressure of Coupe de France
U.S. national team captain Carlos Bocanegra and his club Rennes are set to take on Ligue 2 Guingamp in the Coupe de France final this weekend. The defender says he won't take the game lightly, but instead enjoys the pressure of one of the biggest games of his club career. "Obviously a Ligue 1 team […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
UEFA to Make Decision on Fletcher’s Suspension
UEFA has confirmed that it has received an appeal from Manchester United against Darren Fletcher's red-card suspension and will meet on Monday to decide whether or not to overturn the decision to suspend Fletcher from the Champions League final. Had the incident occurred in a domestic match, the Football Association would have watched replays and […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Barcelona to face Galaxy & Sounders
FC Barcelona, one of the world's most popular and successful clubs, will return this summer for its third U.S. tour in four years. Barcelona will tour the West Coast, taking on the LA Galaxy Aug. 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. (11:00 p.m. ET), and the Seattle Sounders on Aug. 5 at Qwest […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Chelsea Searches for British-Asian Star
“The lack of British-Asians in football is still a big issue and one very much on our radar,” said Danny Lynch, media officer at the Kick It Out campaign against racism in football. “The number of British Asians playing at the top level is completely disproportionate to the thousands across the country playing at grassroots […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Fed-up United fans will be on the march
So virulent is the friction between competing political parties during the past decade or so that “compromise,” the process once heralded as vital to the democratic process, is practically an epithet these days.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Stadiums reopened — sort of — for final weekend
[MEXICO] Stadiums across Mexico will be reopened — with restrictions — for the final weekend of regular-season play in Mexico’s Torneo Clausura. Following two weekends of games without fans in response to the swine flu outbreak, supporters will be allowed at games, but they will restricted to sitting in every other seat and every other row and they must wear facemasks, wash their hands when entering and walk to their seats in single file.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Werder Bremen and Shakhtar Donetskin reach final
[UEFA CUP] Germany’s Werder Bremen and Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk defeated domestic rivals on Thursday to advance to the final of the last edition of the UEFA Cup before the competition is converted to the Europa Cup.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Ronaldo to make national team comeback?
[BRAZIL] Having scored 10 goals in 13 games for Corinthians since returning from a one-year knee-injury layoff, two-time world champ Ronaldo could be set for a national team comeback.