[SCOUTING REPORT] Wilmer Cabrera‘s Americans open against Caribbean champion Cuba Tuesday at the Concacaf U-17 Championship in Tijuana, Mexico. Canada, loaded with players from the Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps youth systems, and Honduras, featuring 15-year-old phenom Anthony Lozano, also stand in the way of the USA’s bid to keep intact its record of being only country to have qualified for every U-17 World Cup since FIFA initiated the tournament in 1985.
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
Midweek action: An all-Mexican Concacaf Champions League final, Copa Libertadores, South American U-17 Championships, English Premier League (Liverpool-Arsenal) and Coppa Italia. The MLS Game of the Week is on Thursday as Kansas City hosts New York, but there’s also a game on Wednesday: Toronto-Chivas USA. Catch the USL opener on Friday as Miami FC Blues hosts the Montreal Impact. On Sunday, WPS continues as FC Gold Pride hosts the Washington Freedom. Look for Mexican league and other updates in Wednesday’s and Friday’s Soccer on TV.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Specter of Beckham looms over struggling Galaxy
You can’t blame Coach Bruce Arena, the Galaxy players, and the rest of the organization if they’d rather not talk about David Beckham
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Mexico’s Biggest Rivalry
“Club America, from urbane Mexico City, is the team of the nation’s elite. Owned by billionaire television mogul Emilio Azcarraga Jean, who inherited his fortune from his father, it is arguably the richest soccer team outside Europe, a wealth it flaunts by regularly signing big-name foreign talent.That stands in stark contrast to Chivas, based in […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Successful English Clubs Not Very English, says Ranieri
The success enjoyed by Premier League clubs in Europe has more to do with imported skill and cash than English superiority, Juventus coach and former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri said on Friday. “There are very few English people in the English teams, what with the (foreign) owners, coaches and players,” he said. While no Serie […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Boca Coach Thinks Team Deserved More in Superclasico
Carlos Ischia, the coach of Boca Juniors, believes his team "should have won" the Superclasico, for having created "more opportunities" to score than River Plate. Despite dominating their archrival for long stretches in the second half, Boca managed only a 1-1 draw. "I always say that in these types of matches playing better doesn't mean […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Fowler to Make Australian Debut Against Sydney
Former Liverpool and England striker Robbie Fowler, who had been rumored as an MLS candidate, will make his Australian debut for expansion team North Queensland Fury against Sydney FC in Townsville in August. The draw for 2009-10 season was unveiled Monday. With the league now expanded by two, including the Fury and a Gold Coast […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
In-Form Milan Pull Level with Juventus
Filippo Inzaghi‘s hat trick helped AC Milan thrash lowly Torino 5-1 at the San Siro on Sunday. The win puts Milan in joint-second place with Juventus, which managed a last-minute equalizer against Inter. Inter remains 10 points ahead with just six games left in the season. Beckham, returning to the starting lineup after two games […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
AFC Chief Continues to Accuse OCA of Buying Votes
Asian soccer Confederation chief Mohamed bin Hammam continues to maintain that officials of the Olympic Council of Asia tried to buy votes for his rival, Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Khalifa, in a campaign for a seat on one of the key decision-making bodies in soccer. The OCA has threatened legal action and denies Bin Hammam’s […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Montero Wants to Use MLS as Spring-Board
Fredy Montero, the 21-year-old Colombian striker playing for FC Seattle Sounders on loan from Deportivo Cali, has dazzled defenses early in the season, scoring three goals in his first four appearances. Montero suggests that playing in the MLS will help him grow as a player: "This will be important for me and my career and […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Inquiry On ‘Financial Doping’ at Top English Clubs
Heavily indebted Premier League clubs Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool were accused of “financial doping” in a British parliamentary report Monday. The report, which came after a year-long inquiry, claims that the worldwide economic meltdown should serve as a warning to clubs operating risky business models. Legislators urged English soccer authorities to curb “ludicrous levels […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Howard saves two PKs, Gooch scores a pair
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Goalkeeper Tim Howard helped Everton reach the FA Cup final by saving two penalty kicks against his former club, Manchester United. Defender Oguchi Onyewu scored twice for Belgium’s Standard Liege. In Scotland, Maurice Edu scored the gamewinner for Glasgow Rangers. But it didn’t go so well for Michael Bradley in Germany.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
AZ ends Dutch dominance of big three
[EUROPEAN RACES] Despite losing its third game of the season, AZ Alkmaar clinched the Dutch league, marking the first time since 1981 that the championship won’t go to PSV, Ajax or Feyenoord, the big three.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Everton and Chelsea advance to FA Cup final
[ENGLAND] Everton and Chelsea will meet in the English FA Cup final May 30 after winning their semifinal matches at Wembley Stadium. Everton’s shootout victory — courtesy of two saves by American keeper Tim Howard — ended Manchester United’s bid for five titles this season. Chelsea came from behind to down London rival Arsenal, 2-1.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Chivas takes Super Clasico in Ramirez’s debut
[MEXICO] Playing for its third coach in a month, Guadalajara defeated Club America, 1-0, Sunday at the Jalisco Stadium to win the Super Clasico, the biggest game of the Mexican league season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Three strugglers get their first wins [VIDEO]
[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS] Houston, FC Dallas and New York finally won, leaving defending champ Columbus, which had a bye, and Los Angeles, the league’s only winless teams. The Chicago Fire is undefeated after five games for the first time in club history. Jaime Moreno hit another milestone. Chivas USA remained undefeated by handing Seattle its second straight loss.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Sorry, Energie Fans! Certainly one can lose at Schalke. But we did not put up enough defense against the class of the individuals of this opponent. … True compensation will come at the next game.”
— Steffen Heidrich, general manager of German club Energie Cottbus, in an apology to 600 Cottbus fans who traveled to its game against Schalke 04 and witnessed a 4-0 Cottbus loss. The apology included a promise of free tickets to those fans for Cottbus’ next game. (FCenergie.de)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
International Weekend Results
Lyon’s hopes of winning its eighth straight French league title are fading. Porto maintained its four-point lead in Portugal. Only one point still separates in Celtic and Rangers in Scotland. For all the weekend results and standings in Europe’s major leagues and Mexico …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Results
The defending champion Columbus Crew and Los Angeles Galaxy are the only winless MLS teams after five weeks and find themselves in the Eastern and Western Conference basements, respectively. For all the game summaries, standings, leading scorers and next weekend’s schedule …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Marta’s Sol remains perfect
[WPS] Starting her first game of the season, two-time Olympic gold-medalist Aly Wagner set up Brazilian star Marta for the only goal to lead the Los Angeles Sol to a 1-0 win over FC Gold Pride for its third consecutive shutout victory of the season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Islanders get their revenge
[USL-1] The Puerto Rico Islanders gained revenge for their loss to the Vancouver Islanders in last year’s USL-1 championship with a 2-1 victory on Saturday at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium. Nicholas Addlery, who played the Whitecaps last season, scored both goals for Puerto Rico. Carolina took the early lead in the USL-1 with its second win, a 1-0 victory over Rochester. In its debut, expansion Austin tied Minnesota, 1-1, at home, while Cleveland, with Real Salt Lake keeper Chris Seitz playing on loan in goal, fell in its USL-1 debut at Miami FC, 3-1.
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Red Bull Arena: A new era for New York soccer
It looked like a burned-out aircraft hangar. It was certainly big enough, a towering hulk of intertwined metal beams with a gaping hole in the middle. A huge metallic donut.
Posted inYouth Soccer Reporter, Youth What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I try to do a lot of hard work on my fitness, and sometimes you have to suck it up and go outdoors. I wear spikes on my shoes. They have sort of grippers on the bottom so you can run. I couldn’t out-run a bear, but luckily he didn’t seem interested in me.”
— U.S. under-18 girls national team forward Kelly Cobb on training she does at Bear Mountain near her home in Chugiak, Alaska. With an outdoor season of only five months and only one serious rival to her club team, the Cook Inlet Velocity, she spends extra time training. (ussoccer.com).
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
High School Girls Spring Rankings
St. Pius X of Atlanta remained the top-ranked team in the NSCAA/adidas National Ranking ahead of St. Joseph’s Academy of St. Louis and Sierra of California. For the top 20 girls rankings …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
High School Boys Spring Rankings
Bellarmine Prep of Tacoma, Wash., has taken over as the No. 1 team in the NSCAA/adidas National Rankings. Cody of Wyoming moved up to No. 2. For the top 20 boys rankings …