[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.
Category: Story
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
D.C. United aims to extend East lead
[MLS PREDICTIONS] Of the seven games, only Friday’s matchup of New York and San Jose pairs teams from different conferences. Out west, Texas rivals Houston and Dallas play the first of their three meetings this season. In the East, foes Chicago and New England square off again, the Crew celebrates the 10th anniversary of the first game played at Columbus Crew Stadium when it hosts Kansas City, and leader D.C. United takes on second-place Toronto FC at RFK. For all of Soccer America’s predictions, as well as TV viewing information, and to see how we’ve fared on prediction so far this season …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Sol looks for revenge
[WPS] A week after Boston handed the leader Los Angeles Sol its first defeat of the season, the Breakers head to the Home Depot Depot, where they face the Sol in a Mother’s Day afternoon game. For a look at all the weekend action …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
FC Gold Pride slashes ticket prices
[WPS] After drawing the two lowest crowds of the inaugural Women’s Professional Soccer season for back-to-back games — 3,321 and 2,533 — FC Gold Pride, WPS’s Bay Area team, announced it was cutting individual game ticket prices by an average of 25 percent. In addition, beginning with the May 24 match against the Los Angeles Sol, the Pride will reduce seating capacity at Buck Shaw Stadium, the Santa Clara University stadium used by MLS’s San Jose Earthquakes, from 10,500 to 5,680.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Wambach suspended for foul on Daniela
[WPS] Women’s Professional Soccer Commissioner Tonya Antonucci suspended Washington Freedom forward Abby Wambach for one game for her tackle on the St. Louis Athletica’s Daniela Sunday at Maryland SoccerPlex that left the Brazilian star with damage to two knee ligaments and a cracked tibia. Athletica defender Kia McNeill was also suspended for “persistent egregious conduct toward” Wambach during the game, which ended in a 3-3 tie.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Tom Henning Ovrebo target of death threats
[REF WATCH] Tom Henning Ovrebo, who refereed Champions League semifinal on Wednesday in which Barcelona ousted Chelsea, needed police protection after the game and has been receiving death threats. The hate campaign against the Norwegian included a Facebook group titled “Kill Tom Henning Ovrebo.”
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Feedback: Introducing Position Play
Soccer America readers comments on a recent edition of the Youth Soccer Insider e-letter.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Fletcher Suspension Final. Or Is It?
Manchester United have asked UEFA to over turn Darren Fletcher’s late red card against Arsenal on compassionate grounds. The Scotland international was dismissed in Tuesday’s Champions League semifinal win over Arsenal for a foul on Cesc Fabregas in the penalty box. Replays showed the harsh nature of the call, as Fletcher played the ball before […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Barcelona-Chelsea: No Conspiracy, Just Bad Officiating
Chelsea manager Gus Hiddink should consider the hypocrisy of his suggestions that Barcelona’s victory on Wednesday marked a conspiracy to end Chelsea’s bid for Champions League title, says Carlo Garganese of Goal.com. At the 2002 World Cup, Hiddink found himself at the other end of accusations, after South Korea’s miraculous wins over Italy and Spain […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Toronto FC Uses Reserves in Win Over Vancouver
In the midst of a stretch of nine games in 36 days, Toronto FC relied on its reserve players in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Canadian Championships. Two reserves made special contributions. Nana Nana Attakora-Gyan played a strong 90 minutes at center back in his first start of the season, and […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
D.C. United Draws While Giving Stars Rest
Playing their third match in eight days and using a young lineup, D.C. United drew with host the Kansas City Wizards 1-1 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, a result that inched it one point ahead of the Eastern Conference pack and next Saturday's foe, second-place Toronto FC. United managed the draw while resting former league MVPs Christian […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Frankie Hejduk to the rescue for Crew?
After out for more than a month with a hamstring strain, Frankie Hejduk returned to action as the Columbus Crew defeated Ohio State in the eighth annual Connor Senn Memorial Game, 3-1. Hejduk, who had not played a game since the United States' 3-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in World Cup qualifying on April […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Land Sale Approved for New Earthquakes Stadium
Considering the harsh reality of a slumping real estate market, the San Jose City Council unanimously agreed to cut $43 million from a land deal in hopes of keeping alive plans for the construction of a new soccer stadium for the San Jose Earthquakes. Under the new agreement, team owner Lew Wolff and his partners […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Harmse goal wins Nutrilite opener for TFC
[CANADA] Despite its MLS status, Toronto FC came out third best amongst the three Canadian professional teams last year, but got its 2009 international program off to a good start by beating Vancouver, 1-0, in the opening game of the Nutrilite Championships, which determine Canada’s entrant into the Concacaf Champions League.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Sundhage starts investing in 2011
[U.S. WOMEN] U.S. women’s national team coach Pia Sundhage has named 17 WPS players and four collegians to face Japan in friendly matches on May 20 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas and on May 23 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. For the complete roster …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Wizards tie D.C. United to crowd East race
[MLS] The already snug Eastern Conference standings were drawn tighter Wednesday when host Kansas City tied D.C. United, 1-1, to bunch the top four teams within two points of each other.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Late-night dramatics at Stamford Bridge
[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] How was it that Barcelona, the highest-scoring team in European soccer’s modern history, could have gone scoreless for 179 minutes of its UEFA Champions League semifinal series with Chelsea and went without a shot on goal for 89 minutes in Wednesday’s second leg? Chelsea had the lead and all the chances until a desperation goal by Andres Iniesta sent Barca into the final against Manchester United.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Wild finish leaves Galaxy and RSL tied, 2-2
Precious few games pack more action and drama into stoppage time than the rest of the match, but by such a remarkable scenario Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles wound up tied, 2-2, Wednesday at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Who’s Manly Now, Guus?
Chelsea lost big-time yesterday. With almost the last action of the game, it lost a 1-0 lead over Barcelona, and so it lost the chance to be in the UEFA Champions league final. But it lost a lot more than that.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Wambach Claims ‘No Intent’ to Cause Daniela Harm
“For a league that is just over six weeks into its inaugural season, Women’s Professional Soccer now faces its first big controversy,” writes Christa Mann. The Washington Freedom’s Abby Wambach, a player known for her tenacious attitude, likely ended Brazilian star Daniela‘s season on Sunday with an ill-advised slide-tackle in midfield. Daniela, who scored two […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Adebayor Urges Arsenal to Get More Players
After Tuesday's loss to Manchester United in the Champions League semifinal, Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor urged his club to spend big money on top signings at the end of the season or risk increasing its trophy-less spell. "I think we have taken a step backward," Adebayor is quoted as saying by The Daily Mail. "Not […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Palestine Coach Just Happy to Field Team
While the biggest concern for most national team coaches often involves injuries to star players, Palestine coach Izzat Hamzeh worries about more basic problems, like assembling enough players for a team. Negotiating players' exits from Gaza and the West Bank makes this feat difficult, especially for away matches. On Tuesday, Hamzeh managed to gather a […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Barton Suspended, Again
On Tuesday Newcastle suspended Joey Barton "until further notice" in a move that portends an end to the midfielder’s career at the club. The announcement followed reports of a locker-room confrontation with interim head coach Alan Shearer in the wake of Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield. Shearer had publicly accused Barton of letting […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Van Basten Leaves Ajax
Marco Van Basten has resigned as coach of Ajax Amsterdam after the club failed to qualify for next season’s European Champions League. Van Basten announced his resignation after a stunning 4-0 loss to Sparta of Rotterdam, a result that knocked Ajax out of European contention. “How in god’s name is it possible that we cannot […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
South Africa Hoping to Sell More Confederations Cup Tickets
While South Africa has witnessed a spectacular demand for tickets to next summer’s World Cup, the country hopes demand will increase for next month’s Confederations Cup. Around 340,000 of the 640,000 tickets for the competition have been sold. FIFA and South Africa’s Local Organizing Committee hope that selling tickets more directly to the South African […]