[WORLD CUP 2018/2022 BID] The USA Bid Committee received positive responses from public officials and executives representing 58 major U.S. stadiums confirming interest in playing host to World Cup matches in 2018 or 2022. Three new candidates — Las Vegas, Nev., Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and Salt Lake City, Utah — also reached out to the USA Bid Committee to express their interest.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Week 5: Marta and Co. spread the gospel
[WPS] Women’s Professional Soccer faces its first week of play without many of its foreign stars on international duty abroad. Marta and four other WPS Brazilians are in Europe. They drew a European women’s soccer record crowd of 44,825 fans Wednesday in Frankfurt for their 1-1 tie with Germany and play Sweden on Saturday. For a look at this weekend’s WPS action …
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Greening the Beautiful Game
Despite all the game’s green fields, soccer isn’t the world’s greenest global industry. On Earth Day, Goal.com provided some quick tips to help make your experience with the game a more environmentally friendly one. For example, try using a soccer ball from Fair Trade Sports, based in Bainbridge Island, Wash. The company ensures “fair wages […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Romanian Referees Arrested For Bribes
Three Romanian referees were arrested Thursday. Police arrested two on charges that they took bribes in exchange for rigging matches in favor of Romanian club FC Arges in 2008. Another referee was accused of being paid to write a favorable report about FC Arges, anti-corruption prosecutors said. The three referees – Marcel Savaniu, Sorin Corpodean […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
German Defender Involved in Police Sting
Germany defender Arne Friedrich has been involved in a police sting after a thief attempted to bribe 5,000 euros ($6,475) from him for his Euro 2008 watch, it was reported on Wednesday. The 29-year-old Hertha Berlin captain had his engraved Euro 2008 watch stolen two months ago while he was working out in a fitness […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Keane Returns as Manager of Ipswich Town
“I truly believe that I am joining a club that has the potential, ambition and infrastructure to once again be a Premier League side,” Roy Keane said of the English League Championship’s Ipswich Town. “The club’s owner and chief executive impressed upon me their total focus on achieving this quest at the earliest opportunity and […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
D.C. United Showcases Depth In Open Cup
“I’ve said from the beginning that we have a deep team and it was fun to get them on the field and let them show what they’re about, their character, the qualities of why we brought some of them here,” said third-year United coach Tom Soehn. “It’s probably one of the deepest teams I’ve coached. […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Bora Not Deterred by Lingering Violence in Iraq
Former U.S. national team coach Bora Milutinovic has officially taken over as the head coach of the Iraqi national soccer team. Milutinovic signed his contract during a ceremony in Baghdad on Thursday, saying the lingering violence in Iraq did not deter him from accepting the post. Milutinovic has led five different teams to World Cup […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
The tendency that exists in all of us
The other night I was watching the program “How I Met Your Mother.” I admit this even though it may decrease my credibility in some people’s eyes. But I find the show a pleasant diversion for Mondays. In this particular episode one storyline concerns Marshall, who is married to Lily, a kindergarten teacher. He agrees to coach her class basketball team. Marshall has an amiable even child-like demeanor, and Lily is just plain sweet.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
[VIDEO] U.S. U-17 boys rout of Cuba
[UNDER-17 CONCACAF CHAMPIONSHIP] The USA, which faces Canada Thursday, opened its campaign to qualify for the U-17 World Cup with a 5-0 win over Cuba on Tuesday. For video of the Cuba win …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“These are the worst days of my life. I do not have any desire to return to playing soccer. I have seen the replays of the incident, but I do not recognize myself. I lost my cool and I went crazy, but that is not me. The worst punishment is going through what I’m experiencing now. If I see that there’s no chance of me returning to soccer again, then I will try something else.”
— Real Madrid’s Portuguese defender Pepe, who is expected to received a lengthy suspension after kicking Getafe’s Javier Casquero twice while he was face down on the ground. Pepe apologized profusely for the assault.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
D.C. United ousts FC Dallas
[U.S. OPEN CUP] Defending cup champ D.C. United downed FC Dallas, 2-0, on Wednesday in a play-in thanks to goals by Fred and Brandon Barklage. D.C. United will play the winner of the April 29 San Jose-New York for a spot in the U.S. Open Cup proper.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Toronto hands Chivas USA first loss
[MLS] In cold, blustery conditions at Toronto’s BMO Field, and with both teams a bit fatigued from playing the previous weekend, neither Toronto FC nor Chivas USA had much good soccer in them, yet the host did get enough luck to win, 1-0, in front of 19,915 fans.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
A goalfest from Wizards & Red Bulls?
[MLS PREDICTION] Last season runner-up New York aims to hit the .500 mark when it travels to Kansas City for ESPN2’s MLS Game of the Week on Thursday. The Wizards, who lost their first two games of the season, hope to extend their undefeated streak to four.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Albright joins ranks of injured Revs
[MLS] He avoided the injury bug for the most part last season, but 2009 is rapidly turning into a different story for Revs defender Chris Albright.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Atlante returns home with two-goal lead
[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Atlante is on course to its Concacaf title since 1983 and a place in the 2009 Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates thanks to a 2-0 win over Mexican rival Cruz Azul on the road in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Howard puts damper on Chelsea’s EPL hopes
[ENGLAND] In a preview of next month’s FA Cup final, American Tim Howard was again in fine form for Everton as it held Chelsea to settle a 0-0 tie that all but knocked the Blues out of contention for the Premier League. Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink admitted as much after the result, along with leader Manchester United’s 2-0 victory over Portsmouth, left Chelsea six points behind United, which has a game in hand.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Mexico means business
[UNDER-17 CONCACAF CHAMPIONSHIP] Mexico, winner of the Under-17 World Cup in 2005 but unable to qualify for the final two years later, very much means business at the 2009 Concacaf U-17 Championship, opening with a 7-0 over Trinidad & Tobago before 13,333 fans.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
American-Iranian Ghotbi handed Iran job
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Iran has its third national team coach in less than a month — and its Afshin Ghotbi, an Iranian-born and U.S.-educated coach who has mostly recently been coaching in Iran for Persepolis in 2007 and 2008.
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
MLS Coaches Have It Easy
It hadn’t occurred to me to judge the worth of a soccer league by looking at whether coaches like it or not, but since Jose Mourinho brought the subject up recently I’ve given it some thought.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Southern California Clubs on Opposite Ends
Chivas USA is tops while the Los Angeles Galaxy is rated rock bottom in MLSnet.com’s Power Rankings after Week 5. Winless defending champ Columbus rates better only than the Galaxy and FC Dallas. On the rise is Kansas City, which “came from two goals down in the 78th minute to earn a draw on the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
WPS Commissioner Likes What She Sees So Far
On Sunday, the Chicago Red Stars hosted Sky Blue FC at Toyota Park in the last home opener of the young WPS season. WPS League Commissioner Tanya Antonucci, on hand for the game, expressed her pleasure with Chicago and the league: "Chicago's been great. It was a little surprising that WUSA didn't pick Chicago for […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
After Last Year’s Glory, Quito Fighting Elimination
After winning the the Copa Libertadores last season, Ecuador’s Liga de Quito is on the verge of getting eliminated from the competition after a 2-0 away loss to Brazilian club Palmeiras on Tuesday. Liga still has a mathematical chance of qualifying for the tournament’s last 16, but its advancing depends on an unlikely combination of […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Arshavin Scores Four, Can’t Sleep
Arsenal’s Andrei Arshavin got four G’s against Liverpool yesterday, but he couldn’t find any Z’s afterward, according to his mother Tatyana. "I spoke with him this morning, when it was only 7 [o’clock] in London," Tatyana told uefa.com. "He couldn’t get to sleep after such a tense battle where the pressure was very high. I […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Celtic Considers Playing in England
Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell claims that he will give "serious consideration" to the newly proposed two-tier English Premier League that would include the Old Firm. Under the proposed structure, Scottish teams Celtic and Rangers would join the Championship, the second tier of the English Premier League, in 2013. "I think there is a very […]