“The first goal was to qualify for the Olympics and then do great in the Olympics, but another very important goal is to change the attacking style a little bit, which we have done. Of course, it’s a fine line keeping possession and being boring and keeping possession and penetrating at the right time, but the second half was pretty good today.”
— U.S. women’s coach Pia Sundhage after her team recovered from a scoreless first half to beat Costa Rica, 3-0, to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games.
“It’s win or go home and I think both teams know that. We don’t doubt that Costa Rica will throw everything they’ve got at us, but I know we are going to do everything in our power to get that berth to the Olympics.”
— U.S. forward Abby Wambach, who will lead the attack for the U.S. women when they face Costa Rica for a ticket to this summer’s Olympic Games. Costa Rica is winless so far in the Concacaf qualifying tournament. It lost, 1-0, to Canada and tied Trinidad & Tobago, 2-2. Mexico faces Canada for the other berth.
“I really appreciate the apology published in the Daily Star. The truth is now coming out – finally. I am looking forward to a quick and positive conclusion to my claims against the other newspapers who published lies about me.”
— Italy defender Marco Materazzi after the settlement of a libel suit against British tabloid The Daily Star, which printed an apology to Materazzi and agreed to pay him undisclosed damages for having reported that he goaded Zinedine Zidane with racial abuse before the French captain head-butted him during the 2006 World Cup final. The Daily Star also agreed to pay the Materazzi’s legal costs (AP)
“Thierry Henry is one of my favorite players of all time. He has spoken in the past about coming to MLS to play soccer. I am now in a position with the Seattle franchise to consider such a player. It would be irresponsible of me not to explore and consider a possibility like this.”
— Adrian Hanauer, part owner and general manager of the Seattle franchise that will enter MLS in 2009, on rumors that the club is pursuing French striker Thierry Henry, currently with Barcelona. (Seattle P-I)
“It is an honor to be taking part in the MLS All-Star Game this July. The club has a strong global fan base and we are working hard to increase our international exposure as well as help the game develop at grassroots level across North America.”
— Scott Duxbury, CEO of English Premier League club West Ham United, which will face the MLS All-Stars July 24 in Toronto in the 2008 MLS All-Star Game. West Ham is currently in 10th place of the EPL.
“The way Everton are playing they are never going to attack down the right … they are attacking down the right now, sorry to confuse you.”
— BBC Radio 5 Live commentary during the Liverpool-Everton game. (BBC).
“I think we should welcome all peaceful people to our country. They get to pursue the ‘American Dream’ and we get to benefit from all the wonderful things that immigrants bring to our country — like good old fashioned soccer. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.”
— Drew Carey, TV star and part owner of the Seattle franchise that will join MLS in 2009 (REASON.TV)
"I don’t have to stand here like a rocket scientist and tell you what we need because I think it’s pretty obvious what we need. We need creative players who can put the ball in the back of the net. And we’re working tirelessly on bringing those players here."
— John Carver after his first game as Toronto FC coach, a 2-0 loss to Columbus on Saturday. (The Globe & Mail)
“I’m finding it hard not to criticize some of the decisions tonight but I’ve just been told I’ll be fined if I do. I don’t want that to happen. Referees have a tough job, but some decisions change games, and that’s happened tonight.”
— Thrifty David Beckham pinpoints the reason his Los Angeles Galaxy lost 4-0 to the Colorado Rapids, which last season finished 10th in MLS’s overall standings. (AP)
“It’s only been three and a half months and the injury’s supposed to be six months, so I am definitely ahead of schedule. I’m not going to rush anything – I’m going to take it day by day. … If I’m able to play by late April, early May, that’s fantastic. I’m aiming for that because I’ve been out for so long.”
— U.S. national team winger DaMarcus Beasley, who suffered severe knee ligament damage playing with Glasgow Rangers in November and couldn’t walk for five weeks after surgery in December. (The Herald)
“He is in the style of Ronaldo at that age. They both like to get involved and try to do what you tell them. You have to give players like that room to be creative. I don’t think he is a normal talent. There are some people that can make a big difference and he is one of those players.”
— Brazil coach Dunga on 18-year-old Pato, who scored the winner against Sweden on Wednesday with a curling shot from near the sideline. (AFP)
“The standards are growing each year and I genuinely believe we are at the stage now where the top [MLS] sides could survive in the English Premiership.”
— FC Dallas coach Steve Morrow, a former English Premier League player with Arsenal. (Yahoo!Sports)
“In all my years in the game, that’s probably the worst performance I’ve ever seen.”
— Toronto FC’s first-year coach John Carver after last season’s worst MLS team finished its 2008 preseason with a 2-0 loss to the USL’s Charleston Battery. (National Post)
“I don’t interfere in politics because I know nothing about it. … It is one thing to talk about a bullfight but another thing to be in the arena facing the bull.”
— South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira tells the nation’s politicians to stop interferring with his attempts to get the struggling team on track as it prepares for the 2010 World Cup, which South Africa is hosting. (AFP)
“I think Freddy is starting to realize not only his potential, but starting to see the things that we’ve been talking about for the last three or four years. … I did understand from the beginning that for a young man like Freddy at that time it was a little difficult for him to understand the bigger picture. I think he’s started to believe not only what I’ve been saying; he’s started to believe in his ability to change the game.”
— U.S. U-23 coach Peter Nowak on Freddy Adu, who scored twice in the USA’s 3-0 win over Canada that qualifed the USA for the 2008 Olympic Games. Nowak was Adu’s coach at D.C. United during Adu’s first three seasons of pro ball.
“I haven’t seen so many grown men hugging and kissing since I watched Brokeback Mountain with the missus.”
— British radio commmentator Tom Ross on Portsmouth players during their 2-0 win over Aston Villa. (BBC).
“I am convinced that the serenity of the team comes with isolation.”
— France national team coach Raymond Domenech, who says his team will have the best chance of winning the European Championship if it is cut off from the outside world before and durintg the tournament. (AFP)
“I speak for all of Argentina when I say that we do not fear the altitude. All of us have to play where we were born, my brothers and sisters. Not even God can ban that — much less [FIFA president Sepp] Blatter.”
— Former Argentine great Diego Maradona after scoring three goals to lead a team of ex-Argentine players to a 7-4 win over Bolivian President Evo Morales‘ team of former Bolivian greats, palace staffers, security guards and local television newcasters in a charity match played before 25,000 fans in La Paz’s Hernando Siles Stadium, high in the Andes at 11,800 feet. FIFA effectively banned international games from taking place in La Paz after ratifying a rule requiring players to arrive at the host city a week before international games above 9,000 feet and two weeks for matches higher than 9,800 feet to allow time to adjust to the thin air.
— Mexico national team coach Hugo Sanchez after his U-23s were knocked out of Olympic men’s qualifying on Sunday when they finished third in Group B, behind Guatemala and Canada. (Los Angeles Times)
“After the defection of the first five players, the morale of the team was low. I was thinking of leaving after the tournament but given the situation I preferred to bring forward my departure.”
— Yendry Diaz, explaining why he and Cuban under-23 national teammate Eder Roldan defected 24 hours after five other players left the team participating in Concacaf Olympic qualifying in Tampa. The defections left the Cubans with 10 available players for Thursday’s match against Honduras, which they lost, 2-0. (AFP)
“They’ve got a teletepathic, teletepathic, pathetic, well it’s not pathetic … oh just forget it.”
— Graham Taylor while commentating on the AC Milan-Arsenal Champions League game for England’s 5 Live. (BBC)
“This is one of the theories. But when you have so many people drunk, drugged up and looking for a fight, sometimes it’s hard to find out what really started it.”
— Diego Cardona, secretary for sport for the Colombian city of Cali, on the theory that a brawl at the America-Deportivo derby that injured 83 people was sparked by a jealous boyfriend angered that his girlfriend was flirting with another man. (AP)
“This year he’s not allowed in the ocean. And when he goes in the pool, we get him a lifeguard.”
— New England Revolution midfielder Khano Smith on Michael Parkhurst, who during the team’s 2007 preseason camp in Cancun was nailed by a wave and dislocated his shoulder. The Revs are preparing for the 2008 season in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. (Boston Globe)
“Refs don’t protect skillful players. I think about the Arsenal player [Eduardo] and I’m scared sometimes to do skills because some players do unbelievable fouls and the ref protects the defender, not the skilled player! It’s very disappointing and I’m thinking a lot about changing my game. When referees don’t give penalties, yellow cards or reds, it’s difficult to play.”
— Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo after a 1-0 loss to Portsmouth in the FA Cup in which he suffered repeated fouls and was denied a penalty kick call on one of them. Arsenal forward Eduardo suffered multiple leg fractures two weeks ago from a foul by Birmingham’s Martin Taylor. (ManU Website)
“There are gay footballers but they don’t declare it because they think it will not be accepted in these macho organizations. Look at women’s football: homosexuality is more popular there.”
— FIFA President Sepp Blatter. (Telegraph)
