[AMERICANS ABROAD] Brad Friedel‘s understudy Brad Guzan made the most of a rare appearance for Aston Villa, saving one penalty kick in regulation time and three PKs in the tiebreaker in a win over Sunderland that sends Villa to the English League Cup quarterfinals. In Scotland, DaMarcus Beasley saw his first action of the season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“He was excellent. No one’s more euphoric than Mr. Guzan. His was a fabulous, fantastic performance. He’s got everything and he’s as brave as they come. [Brad] Friedel has been terrific for us but Guzan was immense tonight. I can’t remember the last time a keeper saved four penalties but, by the end, I was almost expecting him to save them.”
— Aston Villa coach Martin O’Neill on 25-year-old American goalkeeper Brad Guzan after an English League Cup win over Sunderland. (The Guardian)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
A belly bump in Seattle says it all
[MLS] In a season rife with memorable scenes from Qwest Field, a tiny tableaux just after the final whistle Saturday set off the last regular-season game just about right. Minority investor and extremely funny guy Drew Carey, swathed in a scarf, roamed across the field, and spotted majority investor and entertainment entrepreneur Joe Roth similarly attired and beaming just as broadly. Without a word or gesture, the two men, with combined ages solidly into three figures, joyfully and shamelessly jumped in unison to slam their bellies together.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Konopka heads to Irish Cup final
[AMERICAN ABROAD] Goalie Chris Konopka was in the nets for Irish First Division (second level) club Sporting Fingal FC Sunday in its 4-2 win over Premier Division Bray Wanderers that sent it to the final of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) Cup Nov. 22.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS crowds down — but they could have been worse
[MLS] Major League Soccer average attendance declined 2.6 percent in 2009, but it could have been a lot worse. Without the expansion Seattle Sounders, who set an MLS record with an average attendance of 30,897 fans a game, MLS average attendance would have been down 9 percent.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Hitchcock out at FC Dallas
[MLS] FC Dallas will not renew the contract of General Manager Michael Hitchcock and will not fill his position. Instead, FCD will hire a technical director to assist Head Coach Schellas Hyndman in day-to-day soccer operations. Hunt Sports Group President John Wagner will continue to oversee the business side of the organization.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2009 Playoff Television Schedule (Updated)
[MLS] The MLS playoffs will begin Thursday when the Seattle Sounders FC host the Houston Dynamo (TV: ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, live, 10 pm ET). Of the 11 games, 10 will be available on national television — five on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, three on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Espanol, one on TeleFutura and MLS Cup 2009 on ESPN and Galavision. For the complete television schedule …
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Chelsea Not Worried About Swine Flu on Field
Chelsea says it is unconcerned with the recent surge of fears over swine flu spreading around the Premier League. Blackburn, which lost 5-0 to Chelsea on Saturday, confirmed three ill players after the match. Bolton has also revealed that four of their players have recovered from the virus. Chelsea's expressed viewpoint represents that of many […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Brown Preaches Professional Standards to Altidore
Hull City manager Phil Brown is trying to impress some standards on young American striker Jozy Altidore. Brown axed Altidore from the Hull City match-day squad when Altidore arrived just 50 minutes before kickoff, instead 90 minutes. Altidore then issued a public apology via Twitter that only angered Brown further. Brown says Altidore will need […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Gap in Quality, Professionalism, in Premier League
Rob Hughes, writing for the New York Times, takes issue with the Premier League’s image as the most competitive league on earth. “In truth,” writes Hughes, “the gulf between the elite and the struggling clubs is getting so wide that it is no longer one league, but two.” As evidence, Hughes looks at Chelsea’s clinical […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Fire vs. New England, Round Eight
The Chicago Fire and New England Revolution meet again this MLS postseason. It will mark their eighth postseason matchup. It might be fair to say that no two MLS teams know one another better. In the playoff history between these two teams, New England has won four of seven. In their first-ever playoff match-up in […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Los Angeles Reveling in Rare Playoff Rivalry
Anticipation is building around the playoff edition of the SuperClasico between Southern California's two MLS teams, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA. The two tenants of the Home Depot Center "literally pass each other in the hallways every day," writes Larry Morgan for MLSnet.com. The professional relationship should be put to the test during […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Coach Cummins Out At Toronto FC
After Toronto FC failed to make the playoffs, the team has dismissed interim head coach Chris Cummins. Toronto finished with a 10-11-9 record. Cummins, who took over in the second month of the season for John Carver, oversaw an 8-9-7 record in 24 matches. TFC’s director of soccer Mo Johnston says the team hopes to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
The Secret Life of Stuart Holden
Stuart Holden is trying to help the Houston Dynamo win its third MLS championship in four years. MLSnet.com provides a quirky interview with the U.S. national team midfielder that gives a few facts you might not know about the rising American star. Among other things, Holden reveals his fear of snakes, his current favorite song […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Big East teams move into tournament play
WOMEN’S NEWS … The 2008 women’s conference tournament season kicks off on Thursday with first-round games in three conferences. The highlight is a pair of 4-5 matchups in the Big East: Villanova, the No. 4 seed from the National Division, hosts Connecticut, the No. 5 seed from the American Division, and South Florida, the No. 4 seed from the American Division, is at home against DePaul, the No. 5 seed from the National Division. At least one win in the Big East Tournament may be necessary for them to maintain their NCAA Tournament hopes. Villanova, Connecticut and DePaul all have wins over teams in this week’s Soccer America Women’s Top 25.
Villanova (11-4-4) Wildcats have scored only one goal in their last four games.
Connecticut (10-7-1) Last year Huskies failed to make NCAA Tournament for first time in 27 years.
South Florida (8-7-3) All seven Bulls losses have been by one-goal margins.
DePaul (10-8-2) Blue Demons are making first appearance in Big East Tournament.
Conference Tournament Scoreboard
* HAGEN STREAK ENDS. Sophomore Sarah Hagen‘s nine-game goal scoring streak came to an end Monday when she didn’t score in Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s 4-1 over Wisconsin-Green Bay in their makeup game. Hagen assisted on Kate Megna‘s goal. Megna also added an assist to give her 15, the most in the country.
Women’s Player of the Week: Danielle Foxhoven (Portland)
Women’s Team of the Week
* LEADING GOAL SCORERS:
1. Danielle Foxhoven, Portland 21
1. Morgan Marlborough, Nebraska 21
3. Sarah Hagen, Milwaukee 19
3. Kelley O’Hara, Stanford 19
5. Jessica Fuccello, Penn 16
5. Britany Curry, Texas State 16
7. Sydney Leroux, UCLA 15
7. Christen Press, Stanford 15
7. Whitney Palmer, Oklahoma 15
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
What’s happened to the Hoosiers?
MEN’S NEWS … Indiana is in trouble. The Hoosiers, who have never had a losing season in their previous 36 seasons as a varsity sport, have fallen to .500 and out of the Soccer America Men’s Top 25. Three consecutive losses — all shutouts — have left Indiana at 7-7-1 and in danger of missing out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1986.
After last Wednesday’s 4-0 loss to Louisville, Indiana coach Mike Freitag said his team didn’t show up. Not for the first time, he blasted his players’ lackluster play. The Hoosiers played better at Northwestern on Sunday, outshooting the Wildcats, 8-2, in the first half, but they came out flat after halftime and lost the key Big Ten match, 2-0. “This is a very difficult loss,” said Freitag. “It is indicative of the season at this point and time. For whatever reason, we have not come together as a team and we have very little time left to do that.”
IU has only three regular-season games left, all at home, beginning with a match against long-time rival Evansville in Bloomington. The Aces (10-5-1) have lost the last seven games in the series with IU that was resumed two years ago, but they are having a strong season. After that, IU closes out Big Ten play with matches against Ohio State and No. 25 Penn State, both tough teams. Then comes the Big Ten, which will be held in Bloomington Nov. 12-15.
To be considered for the NCAA Tournament, Indiana will need a record of .500 for better. If it finishes around .500, it should get in. It’s played one of the strongest schedules in the country. Six of its losses have been to teams ranked in this week’s top 13 — No. 1 Akron, No. 2 Wake Forest, No. 7 UC Santa Barbara, No. 9 Louisville, No. 10 Northwestern and No. 13 Butler.
* CROWD COUNT. UC Santa Barbara is on course to break the modern-day men’s soccer attendance record. The Gauchos are averaging 4,836 fans a game and should top the NCAA record of 3,629 fans a game set by New Mexico in 2005. The unofficial record is held by Connecticut, which averaged 4,297 fans a game in 1982. UCSB has led the nation in average attendance the last two years.
2009 AVG. ATTENDANCE:
1. UC Santa Barbara 4836
2. Connecticut 3211
3. Maryland 3085
4. Creighton 2449
5. Indiana 2335
6. New Mexico 2254
7. North Carolina 1819
8. Wake Forest 1773
9. Portland 1690
10. Clemson 1681
11. Akron 1597
12. Saint Louis 1492
13. Notre Dame 1485
14. St. John’s 1444
15. Louisville 1425
16. Kentucky 1322
17. Virginia 1318
18. Cal Poly 1307
19. Binghamton 1302
20. Seton Hall 1217
Men’s Player of the Week: Carlos Alvarez (Connecticut)
Men’s Team of the Week
* LEADING GOAL SCORERS:
1 Andrew Bulls, UMBC 15
2. Levi Houapeu, UMBC 14
3. Issa Tall, Adelphi 13
4. Teal Bunbury, Akron 12
4. Matt Eliason, Northwestern 12
6. Matthew Skonicki, Winthrop 11
6. JC Banks, Green Bay 11
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Soccer America Women’s Team of the Week
[COLLEGE] For the third time this year, Portland sophomore Danielle Foxhoven is the Soccer America Women’s Player of the Week, earning the honor for games played Oct. 19-25 thanks to two-goal and four-goal performances in WCC wins for the No. 2-ranked Pilots. For the Soccer America Women’s Team of the Week …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Soccer America Men’s Team of the Week
[COLLEGE] Freshman Carlos Alvarez, who assisted on two goals in each of a pair of Connecticut road wins over Yale (2-0) and Seton Hall (3-1), is the Soccer America Men’s Player of the Week for games played Oct. 19-25. For the Soccer America Men’s Team of the Week …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Dynamo must stave off fatigue in Seattle
[MLS] Quick turnarounds are nothing new to the Houston Dynamo. In the case of MLS, success begats more chances to succeed, which means more games compressed into a shorter time frame. Yet being compelled to play in the madhouse known as Qwest Field just a few days after toughing out a 3-2 road win against Chivas USA might even stretch the battle-hardened Dynamo, which played nearly 50 domestic and international games last year and has incurred another heavy load this season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS scoring hits all-time low
[MLS] The 2009 regular-season averaged 2.54 goals per game – the lowest in MLS’s 14-year history and a significant drop from last season’s scoring average. For a season-by-season history of MLS scoring averages and the team-by-team rankings from 2009. …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“We have to determine whether we believe, for the immediate long term, if Tommy is the guy to lead the team. … Tommy’s year was like everybody else’s year: Some good things and some things that weren’t as good. He is still a fairly young coach, and he did some things very well and made some mistakes.”
— D.C. United president Kevin Payne, who said that the club will decide within a month whether to retain head coach Tom Soehn, who has failed to guide the club to the MLS playoffs the past two seasons. (Washington Post)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. Player Ratings
[USA-SPAIN REPORT CARD] Soccer America’s Paul Kennedy rates the U.S. players in Monday’s 2-1 loss to Spain at the Under-17 World Cup.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA to face Slovakia for the first time
[WORLD CUP 2010 COUNTDOWN] The U.S. national team will face Slovakia for the first time when they meet Nov. 14 in Bratislava. The match comes four days before it faces Denmark in Aarhus. The two games will give national team coach Bob Bradley a chance to look at European-based players against World Cup 2010 finalists.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Short-handed Spain edges USA
[UNDER-17 WORLD CUP] Gifted a man advantage after 63 seconds and a goal after four minutes, the USA could not have asked for a better start to their opening Group E game at the Under-17 World Cup in Kano, Nigeria, but some suspect defending allowed the Spaniards to rally for a pair of first-half goals and hold on for a 2-1 win.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ramos Fired From CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow fired coach Juande Ramos after a 3-1 home defeat to FK Moscow. Ramos, who has also coached Tottenham and Real Madrid within the last year, replaced Zico at the beginning of September. His short reign at the club produced a record of three wins, two losses and a draw. The loss to FK […]