[OFF THE POST] Viennese residents aren’t exactly waiting in anticipation for the start of Euro ’08 — Austria is considered the weakest host team in the history of major international competition — but locals are up in arms after learning that beer at the official fan zone in the historic center of Vienna will cost the equivalent of $7, or $2 more than a beer with cost at the same venues in co-host Switzerland.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Celtic makes it three in a row
[SCOTLAND] Like the English Premier League race, the Scottish Premier League race went down to the final day of the season with two teams tied for the first place, and the team with the edge in the tiebreaker prevailed without needing to win on a count of goal difference.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Champions League final sets U.S. viewing records
[TELEVISION] Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea on ESPN2 was the highest-rated and most-watched UEFA telecast in the network’s history. In addition, the game drew the highest rating ever or ESPN Deportes, which has received Hispanic sample ratings since April 28.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“We must extend the period of residency from two to five years. Today in Brazil, 6,000 professional soccer players are eligible to play for any league in the world.”
— FIFA president Sepp Blatter, warning that half the players at the 2014 World Cup will be Brazilian if the trend continues of players switching nationalities. (Le Monde)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Winning with attitude
What had been billed as a reunion — a meeting of old and new — transformed into a rivalry when the San Jose Earthquakes hosted the defending MLS champion Houston Dynamo Thursday night on national television. The Quakes are still last in the Western Conference, but after upending Houston, 2-1, at Buck Shaw Stadium they are no longer winless at home, and more importantly, they are generating some real, genuine attitude.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Warner Dispute Threatens England Friendly In T&T
Barely a day goes by without CONCACAF president Jack Warner being involved in a dispute — either on the political front in his native Trinidad & Tobago, or on the international soccer scene. His latest fracas manages to involve both local politics and international soccer, and as usual, there’s money involved. Earlier this year, […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Relegation Scuppers Bradley’s Birmingham Move
U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley was set for a transfer from Heerenveen to English side Birmingham City until the team were relegated from the Premier League last week. The newspaper reports that Bradley, along with Swiss international Valon Behrami, were “all set to” join Birmingham, but only if the team maintained its top-flight status. Bradley […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Toronto No Longer Afraid of Anyone
Wednesday night’s sole Major League Soccer game was by no means a classic, but Toronto FC’s narrow home victory (1-0) over bottom-placed D.C. United proved one thing for the Canadian franchise, says Cathal Kelly: “We’re not afraid of you, or anyone, any more.” Toronto’s new attitude was embodied by striker Danny Dichio standing up […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ferguson’s Reputation as ‘Legend’ Sealed
Despite his 21 years of unparalleled success as manager of Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson has contended with the criticism that his side has been relatively unsuccessful in Europe. There was victory in the now defunct European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1991, and the famous last-gasp Champions League win over Bayern Munich eight years later, […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Penalties The Perfect Ending To CL Final
There are two schools of thought when it comes to concluding a match by penalty shootout. The majority opinion says that it’s an unsatisfactory way to decide a game, especially one as big as the Champions League final. The other school says that taking penalties is an art requiring both soccer skill and mental stamina, […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Coping with Mistakes: Teaching Tolerance
Tolerance is important not only between and among teammates but also for individual players personally. Ideally, this tolerance starts at the top with the coach.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Beasley aims to Scottish title
[AMERICANS ABROAD] The Scottish Premier League will be decided Thursday when Celtic plays at Dundee United and Rangers is at Aberdeen (TV: Setanta pay-per-view, live, 2:45 pm ET). It comes three days after Rangers pulled even with Celtic thanks to a 3-0 win over St. Mirren that saw American DaMarcus Beasley return to action for the first time in nearly six months.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Quakes trade for Kirovski, Gray
[MLS] Two new names will appear on the San Jose roster for Thursday’s reunion match against Houston (ESPN2, 10:30 p.m. ET), but neither is the big name its fans are hoping for. Yet both have won league titles.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
I don’t know what to say, I thought we would lose when I missed. I thought it would be the worst day of my life, but the lads believed and we won it even despite my miss. I’m very proud of them. The penalties are a lottery. I think we deserved it because we played better in the whole game. Now it’s the happiest day of my life.”
— Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo who scored the opening goal of the European Champions League final, which ended in a 1-1 tie and went to a penalty kick shootout. Ronaldo’s penalty kick was saved by Chelsea keeper Petr Cech but Man U recovered to win the shootout, 6-5. (Reuters)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
A night to remember in Moscow
[MAN. UTD.-CHELSEA HIGHLIGHT REEL] For a 1-1 game, decided in a shootout, Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League final was jammed pack with excitement. Manchester United looked to run away with the game in the first half, but Chelsea came back and had the momentum in the second half. The overtime produced chances for both teams, leading up to the dramatic turn of events in the shootout that made a hero out of long-serving United winger Ryan Giggs and a goat out of Chelsea captain John Terry and earned Manchester United its second Champions League trophy under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS TV Schedule
San Jose looks for its first win at home when the first-year Earthquakes host the two-time defending MLS champion Houston Dynamo on Thursday. A win for Houston will jump the Dynamo into first place in the Western Conference. For all of this week’s MLS action on television …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Toronto extends D.C. misery
[MLS] Toronto reversed its second loss of the season and plunged D.C. deeper into the depths by beating United, 1-0, at BMO Field Wednesday night on a rain-slickened surface perfect for slide tackles but not so conducive to sharp soccer.
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Champions League final MVP award goes to …
As we’ve more or less given up expecting great finals, Chelsea and Manchester United provided the sort of game we’ve gotten used to — a Champions League final that was good, but not great.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Americans fall in first Toulon test
[OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN] In the last major test for U.S. Olympic men’s hopefuls, the U-23s fell to Turkey, 3-2, Wednesday in the opening game of the Festival Espoirs International in Toulon, France.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
The Church — on the ball at Euro ’08
[OFF THE POST] Diego Maradona scored “with the hand of god,” while Kaka shows off his undershirt that proclaims, “I belong to Jesus.” Soccer and religion go back many years. One of the attractions for Euro ’08 visitors in Vienna next month will be the “Fußball und Religion” exhibition at the Vienna Catholic Church’s dommuseum.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Others’ Inexperience Was an Issue at New York, Arena Says
Speaking of Mr. Arena, he went on the record at the weekend about his tenure at New York, saying that Red Bull had been “essentially an expansion team” when he took over, and that it had lacked the experience to succeed. “I probably was surrounded by too many young and inexperienced people,” he told Frank […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Coppell To Stay The Course At Relegated Reading
On the day when Dallas dismissed Steve Morrow just two months into the season, it was antidotal to read that Steve Coppell would be staying as manager of Reading, despite their relegation from the Premier League earlier this month. According to his agent Athole Still, “he wanted to show the real Steve — and how […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Will Keegan Stand By Jailed Barton?
Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton isn’t the first English national team player to get drunk, end up in jail, and then come out to renew both his career and his life. Former Arsenal and England defender Tony Adams used a jail conviction for drunk driving to recover from alcoholism and continue to play at the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Belated World Cup Pay Day For T&T Players
The dispute over World Cup bonus money between the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation and the T&T players was settled in London Tuesday, with arbitrator Ian Mills QC ruling in favor of the players. The exact amount of money they will receive from the Federation will be ruled on next month, but it is expected […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Managing Disappointment In Dallas
When New York fired Bruce Arena as coach last year, owner Red Bull said its expectation for the team was nothing less than the MLS Cup title. On Tuesday, FC Dallas sprung an early-season surprise by dumping Steve Morrow with the Major League Soccer season just eight games old. Apparently, they don’t feel like championship […]