“There have been five goalless draws this season, home and away against Stoke City, away at Aston Villa and at Anfield against Fulham and West Ham United, but this was worse. This was a match that Liverpool had won and contrived to draw, in a way that must have felt like defeat.” Martin Samuel analyzes […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
ESPN’s Thursday Night Decision Not All Bad
The decision to cancel ESPN2’s regular Thursday night MLS broadcast may not be as bad as it sounds, writes Frank Giase, because there could be a number of benefits to spreading the games out across the week from Wednesday to Saturday. “One of the problems the past two years was that the schedule was […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
MLS Teams Must Feed The Noise
His regular column in the Chronicle may not win any prizes for originality, but former pro Glenn Davis makes a fair point Tuesday in calling on those MLS teams with quiet stadiums to pull out all stops this season to create “more passionate environments.” In stringent economic times, teams are going to be hard […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ronaldo Not Fit To Start Brazilian Season
Brazilian soccer’s biggest signing will be sidelined as the new season kicks off this week, writes Brain Homewood. Ronaldo, 32, who joined Corinthians last month, is still struggling to regain fitness following a long term knee injury he suffered last February. “It’s best not to make a prediction,” said the former Barcelona, Real Madrid, […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Robinho Goes AWOL From City Training Camp
Having failed to secure the services of Kaka, Manchester City found itself without another Brazilian, striker Robinho, who went missing from the team’s training camp in Tenerife on Monday. The club refused to comment on reports that the player had returned to South America after falling out with City manager Mark Hughes. Other reports […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Man. City: Milan ‘Bottled’ Kaka Sale
AC Milan “bottled” the transfer of Brazilian midfielder Kaka to Manchester City, according to City’s Chief Executive Garry Cook, returning home from Italy after the Serie A club turned down the EPL team’s $150 million offer for the player. Cook said that although he knew a deal wouldn’t be easy, Milan’s celebrations at Kaka’s […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Joint Iberian bid announced
[WORLD CUP 2018/2022] Spain and Portugal are the latest countries to enter the race to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup when they announced a joint bid to stage the tournament.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. gold campaign highlighted by 14-0 triumph
[U.S. UNDER-18 NATIONAL TEAM] The U.S. under-18 men’s national team won its first tournament under new coach Mike Matkovich when it won the Australian Youth Olympic Festival on Monday with a 5-0 win over Australia in Sydney. That followed a 14-0 win over China in which Adam Jahn scored five goals — four in a span of six minutes.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Liverpool drops two points in Merseyside derby
[ENGLAND] A late goal by Tim Cahill gave Everton a 1-1 tie at its city rival Liverpool and cost the Reds the outright lead in the Premier League. Afterwards, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, whose exit looked to be increasingly likely following the news he had rejected an offer of a contract extension, pleaded for patience.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Kaka decides to stay
[ITALY] Prospects of Kaka‘s departure from AC Milan to Manchester City in a $147 million deal sparked protests, but when the Brazilian approached a window with a Milan jersey in hand late Monday night and beat his hand three times on his heart, he sent 50 fans standing outside his house into delirium.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Friendly pulled from proposed Miami stadium
[MLS EXPANSION] What had been billed as the first of perhaps many soccer games to be played at the new football stadium of Florida International University in Miami never occurred.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
What ESPN’s shift could mean
[ANALYSIS] The news that the Thursday night time slot held for “MLS Primetime Thursday” on ESPN2 has been released is hardly the news MLS wanted to get out as the countdown to the 2009 season began in earnest. It could have major implications for MLS on several fronts.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I was just so angry at myself. For a little while, it was like I had no more hope. I worked so hard to get there, and then that happened. I learned the hard way that one dumb move can ruin everything. Something like that won’t happen again.”
— U.S. under-17 national team standout Carlos Martinez, who was dismissed from U.S. Soccer’s U-17 residency program in October for violating a team rule but invited back to the program in mid-January. (ESPN Soccernet)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Donovan scores again for Bayern [VIDEO]
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Landon Donovan scored on a header in Bayern Munich’s 2-0 friendly win over Second Division leader Kaiserslautern in front of 42,604 fans at Fritz Walter Stadium on Monday. It was his second goal in four exhibition appearances for Bayern, to which Donovan is on loan until March 15.
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
Catch the U-20 South American Championship all week long. Cup action continues with the English FA Cup. The U.S. men’s national team is back in action with a friendly against Sweden.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Who did what, and well, at the SuperDraft
The SuperDraft annually reveals games within the game, moves that may interlock or interfere with others, perhaps logically, perhaps not.
Chivas USA coach Preki, to cite just one example, perplexed many of the “experts” attending the 2009 SuperDraft at the St. Louis Convention Center Thursday by passing on California goalkeeper Stefan Frei, whose Generation adidas status and exceptional college career triggered comparisons to 2005 Chivas USA rookie keeper Brad Guzan, now a U.S. national team player employed by English Premier League club Aston Villa.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Castillo starts with win at Club America
[AMERICANS IN MEXICO] New Mexico product Edgar Castillo went the full 90 for Club America in a 2-1 win over his former club, Santos, in the first weekend of the Clausura 2009 championship.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Onyewu hits own goal; Friedel and Villa roll on
[AMERICANS IN EUROPE] Title hopes for Rennes (Carlos Bocanegra) took a blow as its long undefeated streak ended. Brad Friedel helped keep Aston Villa near the top of the English Premier league. Landon Donovan made his third straight friendly game appearance for Bayern Munich. Oguchi Onyewu struck the wrong goal in Belgium. For a wrapup of Americans in Europe. …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
International Weekend Scores
The Scottish Premier League race tightened as Rangers moved to within one point of Celtic, which fell at Aberdeen, 4-2. In France, Lyon and Bordeaux remained 1-2, while Monaco suffered another embarrassing collapse, this time without Freddy Adu on the field. It was winning, 2-0, at Caen when it gave up two late goals and had to settle for a 2-2 tie. For all the results of the major European leagues and the first day of play in Mexico …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Chelsea wins without benched Drogba
[ENGLAND] Chelsea remained in the Premier League race with a 2-1 win over Stoke City on goals by Juliano Belletti and Frank Lampard scored in the final four minutes, but the win was overshadowed by Didier Drogba‘s continuing absence from the lineup and the news that England midfielder Joe Cole will miss the remainder of the season after injuring his knee in Wednesday’s FA Cup replay against Southend United.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Milan fans demand Kaka stay
[ITALY] David Beckham‘s first home game for AC Milan could have been Brazilian star Kaka‘s last. With San Siro fans chanting for Kaka to stay, AC Milan beat Fiorentina, 1-0, on a goal by Alexandre Pato
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Barcelona sets La Liga record
[SPAIN] Barcelona became the first team to reach 50 points at the halfway point of La Liga season when it beat Deportivo Coruna, 5-0, on Saturday. Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi combined for all five goals to give them 41 of Barcelona’s 59 goals through 19 games.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“If Kaka is worth $150 million then [Cristiano] Ronaldo and Lionel Messi must be worth that, too. And as Cristiano has just been named World Player of the Year ahead of those two, you could say he is worth more – $180 million. There would be no chance of a deal, and that is the attitude of the owners even more than me. Cristiano is fully settled down here now.”
— Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson reiterates that his club won’t sell Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo as soccer ignores the global economic crisis. (goal.com)
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Enough with the Peter Pan act, Alexi
How ironic that the David Beckham fiasco should have cost Alexi Lalas his job as the Galaxy GM. Ironic because these two guys have so much in common. Both of them players hyped way beyond what their talents merit. Both of them guys with charisma and sex appeal and marketability to spare. Both of them guys carefully put into prominent positions where they could help spread the gospel of American soccer and the MLS. And both of them making a dreadful hash of things.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Roy Gordon receives NSCAA’s Honor Award
[AWARDS] Roy Gordon, who just completed his 32nd season as the head coach of the University of Mary Washington men’s program he founded, received the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s Honor Award, the association’s highest award. Jim Lennox, Bob Barry, Charlotte Moran and Peter Broadley were honored for their long-term contributions to soccer. Mike Pantalione of Yavapai College was recognized as Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his JC coaching career, For more on them and all the 2008 NSCAA/adidas National Coach of the Year awards …