American soccer’s most expensive export, $10 million Jozy Altidore, is due to start pre-season training with his new Spanish club Villarreal on Monday. He told Grant Wahl that he’s “just excited, man” and that he “can’t wait to have my first training session and see what it’s like playing European soccer.” Despite sounding like […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Fed To Review Tape Of Blanco-Burch Fracas
The U.S. Soccer Federation will review tape of a skirmish in Tuesday night’s Open Cup game between D.C. United and Chicago involving the Fire’s Cuauhtemoc Blanco and United’s Marc Burch and Clyde Simms. Both Blanco and Burch received red cards in the first period of overtime after Blanco attempted to punch the ball out of […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Snack Food for Thought
Since when did the postgame (or, in some cases, pregame and halftime, too) snack become the focal point of youth recreational soccer games? And when did it become the latest installment of “Keeping up with the Joneses”?
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Rooney’s agent banned for 18 months
[ENGLAND] Paul Stretford, the agent of England star Wayne Rooney, has been banned for 18 months and fined $600,650 by England’s FA for how he became Rooney’s representative.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I feel mugged and brutalized, it is scandalous, and this sends a message to smaller clubs. Why bother to bring players through if tribunals cannot reflect the work that has gone in? … It’s beyond me and it makes me question why I bother with football. I have an academy that has produced a world-class footballer for someone else and got paid two-and-sixpence for it.”
— Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan on John Bostock‘s transfer to Tottenham. After the clubs could not agree to a transfer fee for the 16-year-old midfielder – Jordan wanted some $10 million — a Football League tribunal ruled on an initial fee of $1.3 million. (Guardian)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Salt Lake lands All-Star game
Real Salt Lake’s new stadium will still be a work-in-progress when it opens in early October, but all the bells and whistles are sure to be in place next year when it hosts the 2009 MLS All-Star Game.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Toronto tie sets up must-win finale
The first Nutrilite Championship, a three-team playoff that will decide Canada’s representative in the CONCACAF Champions League, is going down to the final game.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Lampard wants $270,000 a week for five years
[TRANSFER TALK] England national team player Frank Lampard is stuck in a tug-of-war between Inter Milan and Chelsea. The 30-year-old midfielder has one year left on his Chelsea contract, but Chelsea rejected a $16 million bid from Inter Milan for Lampard. New boss Jose Mourinho, who left Chelsea by mutual consent in September of last year, is hoping to be reunited with Lampard, whom he once called “the best player in the world.”
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
USA Part of Instant World Cup Mix
Sepp Blatter, smiling blithely in all directions, as is his wont, is beginning to feel the pressure. Criticism of South Africa as the venue for the next World Cup is mounting.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
China Suspends Brawling Youths
The Chinese Football Association suspended eight players from its U-18 women’s league who were involved in a 40-player melee.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Salt Lake To Host 2009 All-Star Game
Michael Lewis reveals that Salt Lake will host next year’s All-Star junket (sorry, “showcase”) at the city’s new soccer stadium, due to open in October.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
U.S. Soccer In Crisis?
Dan Leo takes aim at the mediocre standards of the U.S. national team, its coach Bob Bradley and above all, the U.S. Soccer Federation.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
‘Physical’ Palace Edged by Revs
New England coach Steve Nicol sent out a team largely made up of reserves to face USL-2’s Crystal Palace Baltimore, and though his team won on penalty kicks after a 1-1tie, some of his players found it tough going. “Their center backs made it difficult,” said the Revs midfield rookie Chris Tierney. “It’s tough […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Seattle To The Semis
Next year’s big thing in Major League Soccer, the Seattle Sounders, served notice on what’s in store by dumping an MLS team out of the U.S. Open Cup for the second successive week. They beat Kansas City on penalty kicks after what Matthew Gaschk describes as “an action-packed, competitive game” at Qwest Field Tuesday. […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Dallas Players Struggling To Stay on Hyndman’s Bus
New FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman is taking a while to adjust from college to men’s pro soccer. At the weekend he told his players that no one’s place was guaranteed. After Tuesday’s Open Cup quarterfinal 3-1 loss at home to second-tier Charleston Battery, he vented again about his shattered game plan and why he […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
ECA Rejects FIFA’s Proposed ‘6+5 Rule’
The 103-member European Club Association used its first meeting to tell FIFA that it opposes the soccer world governing body’s goal of restricting the number of foreign-born players in a club team’s line-up. The organization sees no need for FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s proposed “6+5 rule” that would stipulate at least six home-grown players and […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
If The USA Were Blatter’s World Cup Plan B
FIFA President Sepp Blatter insisted up until last week that there was no alternative to staging the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Then he conceded that he would not be doing his job properly if he didn’t have a Plan B at the back of his drawer. Mark Zeigler has worked out that only […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They Saying
“For the international project, we are looking to bring competitive games to our fans in the United States and the international expansion of the brand, also in the United States.”
— Michael Bauer, the new president of Mexico’s Club America, hinted at the possibilities of creating a sister club in MLS a la Chivas USA. (SI.com)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
SuperLiga Officials
[REF WATCH] Referees, linesmen and fourth officials for the SuperLiga, the competition comprised of four MLS teams and four Mexican first division clubs, have been announced and include officials from the USA, Mexico, Guatemala, Jamaica, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Surinam.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Rising Star Profile: Maurice Edu
[MLS] Maurice Edu won the 2007 MLS Rookie of the Year award after scoring four goals in 25 starts with Toronto FC. The first-year performance earned him U.S. national team duty. The Californian, who has 11 starts in 2008 and leads Toronto FC in assists with three, is aiming for a spot on the U.S. U-23 squad in next month’s Olympic Games. Get to know Edu in this profile by Soccer America’s Bryan Alvarez that covers on- and off-field experiences …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USL assured spot in Open Cup final
[U.S. OPEN CUP] If New England’s reserves are barely good enough to beat a USL-2 team on penalty kicks, and a nearly-full strength FC Dallas squad gets worked by USL-1 Charleston, what does that say about the relative strengths of the first, second, and third tiers of American soccer?
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 inSoccer America Daily, Story
Guiza reunites with Aragones at Fenerbahce
[TRANSFER TALK] Spanish forward Daniel Guiza has joined Turkish club Fenerbahce in a move that reunites him with Coach Luis Aragones, who guided Spain to its Euro 2008 victory. Fenerbahce has not disclosed the transfer fee but Spanish press estimated the move to be worth $27 million.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Swedish club GAIS signs college stars Ayarna and Campos
[TRANSFER TALK] Ghanaian Reuben Ayarna, who helped Boston College win the 2007 ACC title, and Brazilian Pablo Campos, a star for NAIA power Fresno Pacific and the PDL’s Fresno Fuego, have signed to play for GAIS Gothenburg of Sweden’s top-level Allsvenskan.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Florida state association gets fields of its own
The Florida Youth Soccer Association is moving to the town of Auburndale in Polk County, where a 250-acre sports park will have eight soccer fields, training facilities and headquarters for the FYSA.