Soccer America Archives

Former U.S. national team and D.C. United captain John Harkes has elected to join the New England Revolution and is expected to join the team when it resumes training in Boston on Monday, March 22. The Revolution acquired Harkes from D.C. United on February 2nd in exchange for the Revolution’s first and second round collegiate […]

Quarterfinals, Second Leg March 16 in Parma Parma (Italy) 6 Girondins Bordeaux (France) 0. Goals: Crespo 37, 66, Chiesa 43, 59, Veron 48, Balbo (pen.) 89. Parma — Buffon, Thuram, Sensini, Cannavaro, Fuser, Baggio, Boghossian (Asprilla, 81), Vanoli, Veron, Crespo (Fiore, 72), Chiesa (Balbo, 69). Bordeaux — Rame, Alicarte, Saveljic, Grenet, Mestre, Micoud, Pavon, Diabate […]

The U.S. U-21 and U-18 national teams each completed a two-game sweep of their tour of Europe yesterday, defeating their Danish counterparts in Copenhagen. With temperatures below freezing outside, the matches against Denmark were played inside on a field comprised of artificial turf and sand. The U-21s went down a goal just four minutes into […]

Vanderbilt women’s soccer head coach Ken McDonald, who led the Commodores to two Southeastern Conference championships, announced his resignation March 16. He will stay with the team through the end of this academic year. McDonald, who had been the head coach at Vanderbilt since 1989, leaves the Commodores with a 126-67-3 overall record and nine […]

Here is the television schedule for the opening weekend of the 1999 MLS season: Date Matchup Kickoff (ET) Television March 20 D.C. United at Tampa Bay 7:00 p.m. Newschannel 8 (Washington, D.C.) March 20 MetroStars at Miami 8:00 p.m. espn2 March 20 Kansas City at Dallas 8:30 p.m. MetroSports (KC) March 20 Colorado at Los […]

Raul Diaz Arce, the all-time leading scorer in Major League Soccer, began training with the San Jose Clash March 15 and might be available to play March 20 when the Clash opens the season against the defending MLS champion Chicago Fire at Spartan Stadium. “We’re excited that Raul has joined us,” Clash GM Lynne Meterparel […]

Baylor University announced March 15 that Nick Cowell has been named head soccer coach of the Baylor Bears. Cowell replaces Randy Waldrum, who led the Bears to the NCAA tournament this past season before departing to coach at Notre Dame. Cowell joins the Baylor program after an eight year stint as head coach at Trinity […]

SA Consensus Eastern Conference: 1. D.C. United. 2. Columbus. 3. Miami. 4. MetroStars. 5. New England. 6. Tampa Bay. Western Conference: 1. Los Angeles. 2. Chicago. 3. Kansas City. 4. Colorado. 5. San Jose. 6. Dallas. MLS Cup Champion: Chicago. Runner-up: Columbus. Pete Bailey Eastern Conference: 1. Columbus. 2. D.C. United. 3. Miami. 4. MetroStars. […]

The A-League’s Connecticut Wolves have named former U.S. international Brian Bliss their new head coach. A native of Rochester, N.Y., Bliss was a two-time All American at Southern Connecticut State University, and was the first player to have his number retired. Bliss played in 43 matches for the U.S. national team, including the 1990 World […]

The U.S. women’s national team got an early goal from forward Tiffeny Milbrett, but could not find the net again, and battled the scrappy Swedish national team to a 1-1 tie in the opening match of the 6th Algarve Cup in Portugal. The USA will probably have to win both of its remaining matches during […]

In front of a festive soccer crowd of 50,324 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, the U.S. national team dropped a 2-1 decision to regional rival Mexico. With the win, Mexico claims the Nike U.S. Cup ’99 title, its third consecutive U.S. Cup crown after wins in 1996 and ’97. The loss was the USA’s […]

USA vs. MEXICO (U.S. Cup) March 13 (3:30 pm ET) at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif. (Television: ABC live) HISTORY Mexico ranks fifth in World Cup appearances, with 11, but only 16th in overall World Cup success. Quarterfinal appearances as host in 1970 and 1986 remain its greatest accomplishments. Despite good reviews for its […]

Gabriel Fuentes Manhattan Beach, Calif. I have heard over the last 3 years about the ‘system’ that Bruce Arena uses for his teams. What is interesting is that I have heard some players say that any player can be brought in to play the system– which seems to make the system independent of the players […]

The United States and Mexico will play for the U.S. Cup ’99 championship on March 13 in San Diego. Mexico defeated Bolivia, 2-1, in the second match of the March 11 doubleheader in Los Angeles. If the USA-Mexico match should end in a draw, the U.S. would win on goal differential. Bolivia scored on the […]

The U.S. national team received goals from Joe-Max Moore, Brian McBride and Frankie Hejduk in defeating Guatemala, 3-1, in the opening match of U.S. Cup ’99. The win puts the USA in position to win the tournament on Saturday in San Diego. Mexico and Bolivia play in the second match of the doubleheader tonight, and […]

News travels fast these days, but I must admit that I was out of the loop on the ousting of MLS deputy commissioner Sunil Gulati. I was on vacation with my family in Cancun, Mexico, when I came across a day-old Esto, the Mexico City sports daily. It is a testament to Gulati’s influence internationally […]

The following is an edited version of the teleconference World Cup USA ’99 president and CEO Marla Messing had with the media March 11: MARLA MESSING: Today is our 100th day-out mark, and as you can imagine, we are very busy and we thought it would be a good time to give you an update […]

Manchester United reserve midfielder John Thorrington’s 69th-minute equalizer, from an assist by University of Maryland defender Dan Califf, allowed the U.S. U-20 national team to draw 1-1 with Morocco in Casablanca on March 10. The two squads will meet again on March 12, after which the U.S. will return home. The U-20s will gather in […]

Both the U.S. U-21 women’s and U-18 girls’ national teams opened their European tour with wins over their German counterparts in chilly weather in Ebersberg, Germany. The U-21s rallied from a two-goal deficit with three strikes in the final 25 minutes for a 3-2 win. 1998 SA Freshman of the Year Mary Frances Monroe of […]

San Jose Clash forward Eric Wynalda will be sidelined for most of the Major League Soccer season after undergoing surgery March 10 to repair a knee injury suffered while playing with Mexican First Division club Leon. Wynalda, the all-time leading scorer on the U.S. national team, is expected to miss 5-6 months after arthroscopic surgery […]

MLS commissioner Douglas G. Logan announced that tickets go on sale Thursday, March 11 at 9:00 AM (PT) for the 1999 MLS All-Star Doubleheader on July 17, 1999 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, marking the first time in the league’s four-year history that the annual showcase will be held on the West Coast. Logan […]

MATCH USA vs. GUATEMALA (U.S. Cup) March 11 (8:30 pm ET) at Los Angeles Coliseum (Television: ESPN live) HISTORY Though the largest Central American country, with a population of 12 million, and home to a relatively strong domestic league, Guatemala remains Central America’s great underachiever. While El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica have all managed […]

FEATURES 1999 MLS PREVIEW The Year 4 Challenge by Ridge Mahoney SA Editors’ Predictions Soccer America Q&A: Doug Logan Interview by Mike Woitalla Eastern Conference Outlook by Ridge Mahoney Western Conference Outlook by Scott French The Changing of the Guard: Twelve of the new, young American MLS stars Team Previews COLUMNS Soccer Talk — Preventing […]

The U.S. women’s national team will face 1996 Olympic semifinalist Brazil at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on May 22 as part of the “Nike Road to Pasadena” tour that will take the USA to nine cities across the country. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. ET and the match will be televised live on […]

Chicago Fire 2/10 — Coastal Carolina 4-0. 2/13 — D.C. United 2-1. 2/25 — Jaguares (Mexico) 2-0. 2/27 — Atlas (Mexico) 1-2. 3/1 — Univ. de Guad. (Mexico) 1-2. 3/3 — UAG (Mexico) 3-4. 3/6 — Colorado Rapids 0-0 (Colorado wins shootout 3-1). Colorado Rapids 2/14 — San Jose Clash 1-0. 2/17 — San Jose […]