"I grew up in Cleveland. Being from Cleveland, I've never experienced a winning team in my life. I'm not sure how to act." Columbus Crew fan Marc Behrendt, who drove to Port Columbus airport to meet the MLS Cup-winning team as it arrived back from L.A. Monday.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Why Did MLS Drop Montreal?
Mystery still surrounds the decision of Major League Soccer to reject the bid of the Montreal Impact to join the league in 2011. The president of the United Soccer Leagues club, Joey Saputo, said Monday that the Impact had been dropped "without explanation," and that he was "disappointed" by the decision. MLS Commissioner Don Garber […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
SOCCER AMERICA INTERVIEW: St. John’s Neal Kitson
Neal Kitson won a national championship as a freshman at NCAA Division II Dowling in 2004 and hopes to finish his career with a second championship, this time with Division I St. John’s. Kitson, whose 0.34 goals-against average is the lowest in the country, has been sensational in his first year as a full-time starter with the No. 3 seed Red Storm, who open play in the NCAA Tournament against Boston University.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
RISING STAR: Akron’s Steve Zakuani
Englishman Steve Zakuani emerged this fall as one of college soccer’s most feared strikers and a leading candidate for Player of the Year honors. The sophomore leads all NCAA Division I scorers with 20 goals and 47 points. Bothered by a sprained left ankle during the Mid-American Tournament, Zakuani is rested and ready for the No. 5 Zips’ second-round match against Ohio State Tuesday in Akron.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
MORNING BRIEFING: Youngsters lead Texas A&M
Perhaps the biggest surprise in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division I Women’s Tournament is the presence of Texas A&M. The Aggies, who struggled late in the season, have gotten hot in the postseason and reached the quarterfinals, where they will meet North Carolina Friday in Chapel Hill.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
SCOREBOARD: NCAA Division I Men
The 16 seeded teams begin action in the second round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Tournament on Tuesday. For the second-round schedule …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
MORNING BRIEFING: Ohio State survives suspensions
It’s been quite a tumultuous end-of-season for Ohio State, last year’s runner-up at the Men’s College Cup. The Buckeyes ended the season with four straight losses but managed to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Things got worse when Coach John Bluem suspended six players — five of them starters in last year’s final against Wake Forest — indefinitely for a violation of team rules. But the Buckeyes (9-8-3) survived to win at Oakland on penalty kicks with a makeshift team and advanced to Tuesday’s second-round game at Akron (16-1-4).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“There is a concern that people will not come in the numbers we expect from aboard. It’s very important to promote in the next months. Hopefully the soccer people will still travel.”
— Horst Schmidt, FIFA consultant to the 2010 South Africa World Cup organizers, on concerns that the global economic downturn could impact the number of visitors to the tournament. (Reuters)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Competition Changes for 2009
[MLS] The MLS Board of Governors approved changes affecting its competition format, schedule parameters, roster size and playoff format. Concacaf Champions League qualifiers and SuperLiga participants were also announced.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Cristman, Kirovski traded as dealing begins
[MLS/LIST] Forwards Adam Cristman and Jovan Kirovski were traded Monday as MLS teams begin the process of tweaking their rosters for the 2009 season. Teams are allowed to protect 11 players and can only lose one player in the expansion draft, to be held Wednesday. Expansion club Seattle Sounders FC can select no more than 10 players, so not every team will necessarily be directly affected by Seattle’s selections. For an update on the latest trades and a list of unprotected players. …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
A big Wednesday for Dynamo
[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Several MLS teams, not just coach-less newcomer Seattle Sounders FC, are in tricky situations as they prepare for the expansion draft Wednesday, but only Houston is also getting ready to play a competitive match.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Wonder-goal takes Boca top (VIDEO)
[ARGENTINA] Boca Juniors took over the top spot in Argentina thanks to an incredible volley from Luciano Gabriel Figueroa.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Wigan beats Everton to climb out relegation zone
[ENGLAND] Tim Howard and Everton were downed by Wigan Athletic in Monday evening’s Premier League game.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USL hands out 2008 honors
[AWARDS] The Puerto Rico Islanders (USL-1), Cleveland City Stars (USL-2), Ocean City Barons (PDL) and Pali Blues (W-League) were named organizations of the year in United Soccer Leagues’ honors handed out Friday night its annual Hall of Fame and Awards Dinner in Tampa.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Crew faces tough choices going forward
Having won its first MLS championship, now comes the hard part for the Columbus Crew. Tough as it is getting to the top — remember this is a team that won the Supporters’ Shield in 2004 before fizzling in the playoffs and hadn’t been back to the postseason since – any coach and any player in any sport will tell you staying up there is a true test of championship mettle.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Rare Loss For Lyon
Lyon has won the last seven French titles, but suffered a rare loss at the weekend, 1-0 at Paris St. Germain. The team is still five points clear at the top, but lost defender Anthony Reveillere with a suspected torn knee ligament, and forward Juninho to a red card for a violent tackle.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Moore Returns To Play 12 Days After Cancer Op
Australian national team defender Craig Moore returned to action for the Australian A-League’s Queensland Roar at the weekend just 12 days after undergoing surgery for testicular cancer. His team beat Perth Glory, 4-1.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
DeMerit Gets A New Manager
U.S. defender Jay DeMerit has a new manager at Championship side Watford. Former Chelsea reserve team manager Brendan Rodgers succeeds Aidy Boothroyd, who left earlier this month. Former West Ham United fullback Frank Lampard Sr., father of the Chelsea and England midfielder, was named the team’s “football consultant.”
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
All Those Cameras, Yet Where’s The Ball?
“The network will employ 20 cameras, including two super slo-mos and a blimp camera. Its all-axis technology will provide a virtual replay that will enable game analysts to use graphic telestrations to highlight the locations and movements of the players to help explain plays in more detail.” Jack Bell previewed ESPN’s extensive camera technology for […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Schmid Lauds Danger-Man Marshall
“This year he’s grown by leaps and bounds. His leadership on the field has improved. His willingness to handle the ball and have the ball, his defensive ability has never been in question and now you can say he’s the most dangerous player in the league on set pieces.” Columbus Crew coach Sigi Schmid on […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
South Africa Hosting ‘No Longer A Question’
The question of whether or not South Africa will be prepared to host the 2010 World Cup should now be forgotten, according to a leading FIFA official. Speaking at Soccerex ’08 in Johannesburg Monday, FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke said that although there were still some issues to be resolved, the general feeling was positive. […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Gallas To Return For Arsenal Against Kiev
The absent William Gallas was a larger part of the story behind Arsenal’s 3-0 weekend defeat at Manchester City than any of the players actually on the field. Now Gallas, suspended from both the captaincy and the City game by manager Arsene Wenger after he criticized Arsenal’s young players, will return to the side for […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Sao Paulo On Brink Of Brazilian Title
Three years ago, Brazil’s Sao Paulo beat Liverpool in the final of the World Club Cup, prompting legendary Brazilian TV commentator Galvao Bueno to keep repeating the phrase, “You don’t have to be a giant to play football.” It was, writes Tim Vickery, an articulation of Brazilian nationalist sentiment, saying that Liverpool “might have the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Donovan In, Podolski Out?
With Bayern Munich clearly interested in the prospect of signing Landon Donovan, the German champion’s unsettled striker Lukas Podolski has stated anew that he wants to leave. The German national team forward has been unsettled at Bayern ever since moving from Cologne in the summer of 2006, and has rarely been a first-choice forward for […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
John Wayne In Yellow Shorts
Michael Arace hails the Columbus Crew’s first MLS title as “the biggest professional trophy ever brought to Columbus.” And Guillermo Barros Schelotto, MVP of both the season and the final, “should now be mentioned with other great athletes who’ve plied their trade in Columbus, including Heisman Trophy winners, Rose Bowl heroes, national players of the […]