Category: Story

Nick Rimando entered his second MLS season at age 21 and with 22 starts under his belt. Get to know MiamiÆs Californian keeper in this segment of SoccerAmerica.com’s series on the USA’s most promising young talent. INTERVIEWED BY BRYAN ALVAREZ Name: Nick Rimando Position: Goalkeeper Height: 5-11 Weight: 181 Born: June, 17, 1979 Hometown: Montclair, […]

Saturday, April 14 — Bay Area at Washington, 2:00 p.m. ET (TNT). Season series: First Meeting. All-time regular-season series: First Meeting. Did you know? The Little twins — the Bay Area’s Jacqui, a forward, and Washington’s Skylar, a defender — are on opposite sides of the field for the league’s inaugural game. Key players out: […]

I love the WUSA. But I hate the nicknames – all except one. Boston Breakers – rolls easily off the tongue, nice alliteration, and it’s plural! (Means they’re a “they,” not an “it” – big deal for us writers and editors.) The other seven WUSA nicknames? They suck. If the BigSoccer.com postings are a true […]

Washington hopes to sell more than 20,000 tickets and work out operational snags before the April 14 league opener with the Bay Area CyberRays at RFK Stadium. The full-page newspaper ads, the 250-plus banners on light poles in the nation’s capital and the commercials during the men’s college basketball Final Four all touted the WUSA’s […]

The following is a brief team-by-team injury overview entering Week 2 of the 2001 MLS Regular Season: EASTERN DIVISION D.C. UNITED — OUT: Jaime Moreno (knee surgery-R), Ben Olsen (ankle fracture-R); DOUBTFUL: Mike Ammann (hamstring strain-R), Eddie Pope (big toe sprain-L); PROBABLE: Brian Kamler: (groin strain-R) METROSTARS — IR: Billy Walsh (stress fracture/foot-R); OUT: Mark […]

The Philadelphia Charge added to its roster with the signing of Icelandic international Margret Olafsdottir. The midfielder rounds out the 20-woman roster and becomes the fourth and final international player for the Charge. Olafsdottir, 24, has made 44 appearances with Iceland national team since 1993, scoring seven goals. She has also starred for the Breidblik […]

This supplements the articles found on page 18-19 of the April 23, 2001 issue of Soccer America Magazine. ELLINGER’S 18 Tough decisions needed to mold U.S. qualifying roster BY SCOTT FRENCH John Ellinger’s toughest job this spring isn’t qualifying — it was selecting the 18 players for his qualifying roster. This is a far deeper […]

The following supplements the articles found on page 18-19 of the April 23, 2001 issue of Soccer America Magazine. BY SCOTT FRENCH The Americans’ foes at the CONCACAF Under-17 Group A qualifying tournament April 18-22 at Robert R. Hermann Stadium on the Saint Louis University campus: Jamaica (April 18, 7 p.m. CT): The Young Boyz […]

Chris of Herndon, Va. asks: Do you think that Clint Mathis should replace Claudio Reyna in the U.S. midfield … or do you still feel that Reyna is that good? Mike Woitalla: I think the notion of dropping Reyna is absurd — and I would wager that Coach Bruce Arena and Mathis agree. Mathis played […]

A summary of MLS transactions for April 2001: April 12 Chicago Fire — Re-signed midfielder DaMarcus Beasley through 2005. Tampa Bay Mutiny — Mutually greed to end contract of defender Chris Houser due to illness. Signed midfielder Jair as Discovery Player. April 10 Chicago Fire — Traded a conditional second-round draft pick in 2002 to […]

Saturday, April 14 — Columbus at Tampa Bay — 7:00 p.m. (WSYX) Season series: First Meeting. All-time regular season series: Mutiny leads 13-7-0 (Tampa Bay leads 40-29 in aggregate goals). Leading scorers: Columbus: F Dante Washington (1g, 0a = 2pts); Tampa Bay: M Steve Ralston (1g, 1a = 3pts) Did you know? In two meetings […]

U.S. star leaves Bayer Leverkusen after two frustrating years on the bench. That Landon Donovan will tear it up in MLS is assured if all the hoopla and hype about AmericaÆs most exciting young player is true. ôHeÆs going to be a great asset to us and the league, and IÆm sure heÆs going to […]

MLS’s Kansas City Wizards and the MetroStars are among 16 teams entered in the South American confederation’s annual Merconorte Cup. Other teams include Blooming (Bolivia); America Cali, Millonarios and Atletico Nacional (Colombia); Aucas, Emelec and Barcelona (Ecuador); Alianza Lima, Universitario and Sporting Cristal (Peru); Guadalajara (Mexico). The field will be completed by one Venezuelan team […]

This article is an extended version of the interview found on page 11 of the April 23, 2001 issue of Soccer America Magazine. Dayak: ‘I’m here for the long run’ Troy Dayak, a staple of San Jose’s defense before a “career-ending” neck injury in 1998, returned to MLS with the first goal and a galvanizing […]

Craig Ziadie, impressive in his MLS debut for D.C. United, has been called up for Jamaica’s World Cup qualifier against Honduras April 25 in Kingston. Ziadie attended Hotchkiss School in Connecticut (where Jamaican teen-aged star Shavar Thomas also graduated) and the University of Richmond, where he was 2000 CAA Player of the Year. Ziadie’s father […]

The Columbus Crew and Saprissa of Costa Rica played to a 1-1 tie in the second leg of their two-game CONCACAF Giants Cup quarterfinals series, sending Saprissa through to the semifinals, 3-1, on aggregate. Saprissa scored first on Raynor Robinson’s 16th-minute looping volley over charging Crew goalkeeper Tom Presthus. Columbus got one back just before […]

Mexico won its second straight game, beating Chile, 1-0, before 35,000 fans at Monterrey’s Tecnologico Stadium. Daniel Osorno’s goal with six minutes left gave the Tri the win. Chile, the big disappointment in World Cup qualifying in South America, finished with nine players after red cards for Eros Perez and Joel Reyes in the second […]

Mark Lisi and Carey Talley scored a goal each as D.C. United claimed a 2-1 victory over Arnett Gardens at RFK Stadium and win their CONCACAF Giants Cup quarterfinal series, 5-1, on aggregate goals. United advances to the semifinals of the competition, where it will play the winner of the series between Comunicaciones of Guatemala […]

A chance for a ‘normal’ life, one defined by possibility and choice – by the freedom to do as one pleases – has lured Chinese forward Sun Wen, arguably the finest women’s soccer player on the planet, to America. Oh, she wants to help the Atlanta Beat win the WUSA’s first title, too. Sun Wen […]

D.C. UNITED: D.C. United will face Jamaica’s Arnett Gardens, who visits the nation’s capital on April 11, in the return match of the CONCACAF Giants Cup quarterfinal pairing … D.C. United will face German Bundesliga power Bayer Leverkusen in an international friendly on Wednesday, May 23, at 8:00 p.m. in RFK Stadium … Midfielder Mark […]

England and Philadelphia star Kelly Smith checks in as the Charge’s preseason winds to a close. In the fifth installment of her column on SoccerAmerica.com, she discusses the Charge, England’s friendly win over Spain and England’s draw in this summer’s European Championship. BY KELLY SMITH Preseason is just about over. In our latest exhibition game, […]

Former University of Connecticut standouts Sara Whalen and Kerry Connors each scored a goal as the New York Power defeated Connecticut, 2-0, in an April 11 friendly match in front of 1,052 fans at Mitchel Athletic Complex. On this cold, rainy April evening, Sara Whalen scored the game’s first goal in the 25th minute. Kerry […]

The following are Soccer America player ratings for MLS Week 1 — games played on April 7. SA Report Cards: 1 (low) to 10 (high) MetroStars 2 New England 1 GOALS: MET — Mathis (unassisted) 61 NE — L.Alvarez (Sunsing) 73 MET — Valencia (Chung, Mathis) 92+ METROSTARS (3-5-2) — Tim Howard (4); Steve Jolley […]

A summary of MLS transactions for April 2001: April 10 Chicago Fire — Traded a conditional second-round draft pick in 2002 to New England for forward Jamar Beasley. New England Revolution — Traded forward Jamar Beasley to Chicago for a conditional second-round draft pick in 2002. San Jose Earthquakes — Signed midfielder Ronnie Ekelund (Denmark) […]

The following is Soccer America’s MLS Team of the Week from games played April 7. Goalkeeper Tom Presthus (1) Columbus Crew Defenders Troy Dayak (1) San Jose Earthquakes Zak Ibsen (1) San Jose Earthquakes Ivan McKinley (1) Miami Fusion Midfielders Bobby Convey (1) D.C. United Mark Lisi (1) D.C. United Matt McKeon (1) Kansas City […]