[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] European qualifying for South Africa 2010 is still in its early stages, with no team having played more than two games. Nonetheless, the next two qualifying rounds over the coming week could set the tone for the remainder of the campaign.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Refocusing the Player Development Model
Having been involved in soccer in the USA since 1967, I have had the pleasure of seeing it grow beyond anyone’s expectations. The shear number of players is staggering to say the least. FIFA stats indicate that the USA now leads the world in registered youth players.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
SCOREBOARD: Soccer America Men’s Top 25
No. 7 Louisville travels to No. 10 South Florida Friday in the NSCAA Game of the Week on Fox Soccer Channel (8 pm ET). Three other Top 25 matches take place this weekend: Duke-North Carolina, on Friday and Georgetown-Connecticut and UC Santa Barbara-UC Davis on Saturday. For Soccer America Men’s Top 25 results and schedules …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
NAIA: Women’s National Rankings
After five straight weeks in the No. 1 spot, Martin Methodist fell to No. 4 in the NSCAA/adidas NAIA women’s rankings when it lost to Tennessee rival Lee, 2-1, on Saturday. Lindsey Wilson moved into the No. 1 spot, and Lee climbed to No. 2. Azusa Pacific is No. 3. For all the NAIA women’s rankings …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
SCOREBOARD: Soccer America Women’s Top 25
Teams in the Soccer America Women’s Top 25 kick off play this week on Thursday with five ACC teams in action. The big match pits No. 6 North Carolina against No. 13 Boston College. For Soccer America Women’s Top 25 results and schedules …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
INTERVIEW: UCLA’s Christina DiMartino
SOCCER AMERICA interviews UCLA All-American Christina DiMartino, one of the country’s top playmakers. The U.S. international is the oldest of a family of soccer-playing sisters. Gina is a sophomore at Boston College. Victoria is a member of the U.S. girls under-17 national team. Jaclyn is a member of the ‘Region I ’95 ODP pool.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
NAIA: Men’s National Rankings
With wins over Walsh (3-2) and Point Park (10-0), Rio Grande remained No. 1 in the NSCAA/adidas NAIA men’s rankings. Following a 4-0 loss to Azusa Pacific and 0-0 tie with Vanguard, Fresno Pacific fell from No. 2 to No. 12. Lindsey Wilson took over at No. 2. For all the NAIA men’s rankings …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
MORNING BRIEFING: UConn slump continues
Unbeaten UIC drew a record crowd of 2,438 for its 0-0 tie with last year’s Men’s College Cup runner-up Ohio State. The only Top 25 team to fall was Connecticut, which lost for third time in four games when it dropped a 1-0 decision at Providence. For all the Top 25 news ….
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Key players absent in middle of playoff race
[MLS] TFC is last in the Eastern Conference but again ranks No. 1 among MLS teams in players called for international duty as league coaches prepare for crucial games. Toronto isn’t in the same absurd position as it was during the last FIFA international fixture window, when no less than nine players were summoned and it fielded one of its scouts and a few other short-term emergency signings in a 3-1 loss to Chivas USA. But it will be missing five players this time around to play Dallas on Saturday. Several other teams, including the Los Angeles Galaxy, have been hit call-ups for World Cup qualifying as they aim for playoff spots.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Faltering Brazil, Argentina look to assert themselves
[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] With South American qualification set to move beyond the halfway stage over the coming week, Paraguay is the surprise group leader, while Brazil and Argentina have made mediocre starts.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Real Salt Lake unveils Rio Tinto
[MLS TV SCHEDULE] For the grand opening of Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, a state-of-the-art, $110 million, 20,000-seat soccer-specific stadium, Real Salt Lake hosts the New York Red Bulls. Both teams are barely inside the playoff zone. For all this week’s TV Schedule, standings and leading goalscorers …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Impact lands hard on Joe Public, Islanders lose in Mexico
[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Against the same opponent to which the New England Revolution lost, the Montreal Impact ran wild. The Puerto Rico Islanders crashed back to earth in Mexico, but didn’t do any worse than many of their MLS counterparts when they travel south of the border. The two USL-1 teams split their road matches in the Concacaf Champions’ League Wednesday night and both are squarely in the chase to advance out of group play. Montreal blasted Trinidad & Tobago club Joe Public FC, 4-1, and Puerto Rico lost to Santos Laguna, 3-0.
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
A Bum Idea from Michel Platitudini
Michel Platini has had a vision that he finds unacceptable. He sees an English soccer club — Liverpool — with “an Arab sheikh as president, a Brazilian coach and nine or 11 African players.” He asks: “Where is Liverpool in that?” English clubs, he says, risk “losing their identity. We have to make some rules.”
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
World Cup 2010 Qualifying TV Schedule
Fourteen World Cup 2010 qualifying games, including the USA-Cuba match in Washington, D.C., will be televised on Saturday. Other games of note include Scotland-Norway, Germany-Russia, Romania-France and Jamaica-Mexico.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Yes, they do watch the Borat movie. I know the country’s politicians didn’t like it, but the players find it funny. They get the jokes and don’t think the movie makes fun of Kazakhstan. It makes fun of the U.S. more than it does Kazakhstan.”
— Arno Pijpers, the recently fired coach of Kazakhstan, which faces England Saturday in World Cup qualifying. (The Sun)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Soccer Job Openings
[EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES] Soccer America provides the latest on employment opportunities for soccer-related positions. They include college coaching opportunities, as well as opportunities in pro soccer, youth soccer, the soccer industry and television.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Full UEFA Cup Group Draw
With AC Milan, Valencia, Galatasaray, Sevilla, Hamburg, Benfica, Schalke 04, Manchester City and Ajax Amsterdam still in the competition, the UEFA Cup group phase has a reasonable allure this year.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
U.S. Creeps Up The FIFA Rankings
That all-important FIFA monthly table with the latest world rankings has seen the U.S. climb seven spots to 21st. Mexico is three places lower at 24. The U.S. women are still ranked No. 1.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Vancouver Lobbies The Don
“We have a multicultural city and many, many people come from countries where they have a really strong soccer culture.” Vancouver’s outgoing mayor Sam Sullivan, in New York to meet MLS Commissioner Don Garber and President Mark Abbott to lobby for an MLS franchise.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Scudamore Won’t Let Go Of His 39th Vision
There he goes again: “We believe there is a future for clubs playing matches abroad. Audiences abroad are very sophisticated and know a lot about our clubs.” English Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore can’t let go of his reviled ’39th Game’ plan to play EPL fixtures abroad.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ferdinand Says FIFA Weak On Racism
Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand has criticized soccer’s world governing body FIFA for being all talk and little action when it comes to clamping down on racism. He said that the $26,000 fine imposed on Croatia after its fans hurled racist abuse at England striker Emile Heskey during a World Cup qualifier in […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
UEFA Could Ban Clubs In Debt
UEFA General Secretary David Taylor warned Wednesday that soccer clubs with heavy debts could be excluded from future European competitions. Speaking at the Leaders In Football conference in London, Taylor said there would be plenty of warnings and reprimands, but that the exclusion from European competition of clubs heavily in debt “is absolutely possible.” On […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Pachuca Homing In On The Valley?
Mexican giant Pachuca may choose the Phoenix area for a United Soccer Leagues expansion franchise as early as Wednesday, reports Jose E Garcia. Senior officials from the team are in the Valley for a meeting with the mayors of Tolleson and Mesa, both possible venues for the team, which according to the business plan of […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Portland Struggling With Paulson’s Proposal
Merritt Paulson submitted his bid Tuesday to Major League Soccer to bring a franchise to Oregon. “I feel like I’m creating an opportunity for the city,” he told Ryan Frank and Mark Larabee. “It’s not easy, but I think it makes sense for Portland on a number of levels. For us to be ambitious as […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Bruce Arena’s Unenviable Task
“I certainly understood coming in this would be a challenge, and six weeks later I realize it is a challenge,” L.A. Galaxy coach Bruce Arena told Mark Zeigler before a weekend that could see his side eliminated from playoff contention. “And it’s every bit a challenge as I anticipated. There is a lot of work […]