[WPS] The Chicago entrant in the new Women’s Professional Soccer has named Englishwoman Emma Hayes, a coach at the top-ranked Arsenal Ladies Football Club in London, as its head coach and director of soccer operations.
LaBrocca, Rapids’ ‘Silent Sponge,’ Earns Spot
One of the surprises of the 2008 MLS season has been Colorado Rapids midfielder Nick LaBrocca, who played only two games in his rookie season but he’s started every game for the Western Conference co-leaders going into Thursday’s match against Real Salt Lake. Dubbed the “Silent Sponge” for his ability to take advice and put […]
British Review Police Powers After UEFA Cup Mess
Prime Minister Gordon Brown says the British government will review measures to stop violent public drunkenness after clashes broke out before and after Wednesday’s UEFA Cup final between Rangers and Zenit St. Petersburg in Manchester. The fear is that more trouble like that which took place Wednesday could hurt England’s 2018 World Cup bid. Fighting […]
Kahn Bids Farewell
The final day of the 2008 Bundesliga season will mark the last game for Bayern Munich goalie Oliver Kahn, who is retiring Saturday after winning his eighth Bundesliga championship and sixth German Cup. Saturday’s match against Karlsruhe — his hometown team — will be the 557th Bundesliga game for the 38-year-old Kahn, who is as […]
Barcelona Deal First Step to Its Own MLS Club?
Barcelona will be returning to the United States this summer as part of a long-term agreement signed Thursday with Major League Soccer. Barca will play a minimum of six games over the term of the five-year agreement that could lead to the Spanish club having a permanent presence in the form of a team in […]
Zenit too strong for Rangers
[UEFA CUP] Nothing — not a midnight prank that robbed them of a good night’s sleep, the specter of Glasgow Rangers’ manager Walter Smith‘s past close calls or the relatively unknown reputation of their club – could prevent Zenit St. Petersburg players from completing a remarkable run in the UEFA Cup by lifting the trophy.
MLS TV Schedule
Play in Week 7 of Major League Soccer kicks off Thursday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, where the Colorado Rapids meet Real Salt Lake in the Rocky Mountain Cup series. For all this week’s MLS games on television …
Atlas creates surprise at Boca Juniors
[LIBERTADORES CUP] Mexican club Atlas held defending Libertadores Cup champion Boca Juniors to a 2-2 tie in the first leg of their quarterfinal series on Wednesday.
Czechs will be without Rosicky and Nedved
[EURO ’08 COUNTDOWN] The Czech Republic will head to the European Championship next month without captain Tomas Rosicky and former European Player of the Year Pavel Nedved. For the Czech roster …
Format set for Champions League
[DATEBOOK] The CONCACAF version, that is. Modeled after the European competition but with a dash of Libertadores Cup thrown into the mix, the confederation club championship will feature 24 teams vying for the regional title and a spot in the 2009 World Club Cup.
Sites announced for CONCACAF semifinal round
[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] Two new venues and an old standby are destined to host the three U.S. home matches in the semifinal phase of 2010 World Cup qualifying.
What They’re Saying
“I was there dressed just lying on my bed for a couple minutes before going to another meeting and suddenly I felt the room moving left to right … mirrors were falling and I felt as though my room on the 31st floor was almost going down to road level and back up. I heard screams throughout this which lasted for about five minutes. I was dazed… I was stunned literally. Then it just subsided. I didn’t move… I just laid on the bed.”
— Concacaf president Jack Warner, who was staying at the Sheraton Hotel in Chengdu, China, for a soccer tour at the invitation of the Asian Football Confederation when a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit. More than 12,000 people are reported to have died. (soccer365.com)
Rangers’ failure was eminently deserved
I have just had the melancholy experience of watching Glasgow Rangers lose the UEFA Cup final to Zenit St.Petersburg. It has left me feeling immeasurably disappointed, and really rather sad.
Rocky Mountain Derby: Round 1
Round one of the Rocky Mountain derby between the Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake is this week’s feature on “MLS Primetime Thursday” (ESPN2: 9:30 PM ET). Despite being just three years old, the rivalry is marked by “megawatt intensity,”says ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle, fondly recalling Pablo Mastroeni’s infamous on-field tirade in 2005 that drew the […]
Former Revs Captain Turns the Page in L.A.
It’s been nearly a month since Joe Franchino was traded from the New England Revolution to the Los Angeles Galaxy. But more than a chance to return to his roots — Franchino grew up in Southern California and started his MLS career with the Galaxy — he says the trade gave him the opportunity to […]
Rock-Bottom Barcelona
FC Barcelona hit rock bottom on Sunday, surrendering a 2-0 lead in its last home game of the season in front of a nearly-empty Estadio Camp Nou, to lose, 3-2, to Real Mallorca. Even the usually expressionless coach Frank Rijkaard couldn’t suppress a look of utter helplessness as the Barca supporters threw projectiles onto the […]
Twellman Injury: How Bad This Time?
After being sidelined for seven games with a knee injury, it took barely 14 minutes for New England Revolution striker Taylor Twellman to score his first goal of the MLS season. But then, four minutes later, he got injured again, his ankle this time. Revs coach Steve Nicol was prepared to have Twellman replaced before […]
U.S. under-20 women’s national team roster
[YOUTH] The U.S. under-20 women’s national team is in Clemson, S.C. for a two-week training camp as Coach Tony DiCicco puts the team through some final preparations before next month’s CONCACAF Qualifying in Puebla, Mexico. For the complete under-20 women’s roster …
Beasley ready for Rangers’ duty
[UEFA CUP] American DaMarcus Beasley traveled with Rangers to Manchester, but he is not expected to be included in the Scottish club’s squad for Wednesday’s UEFA Cup final against Zenit St. Petersburg (TV: Fox Soccer Channel, live, 2:30 pm ET) that would make him the first American to play in a European cup final.
Soccer is a joy to recalled Larsson
[EURO ’08 COUNTDOWN] Sweden recalled veteran striker Henrik Larsson in a surprise move for the European Championship. Larsson, who retired from international play after the 2006 World Cup, did not play in the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign but has scored six goals in 11 games for his club, Helsingborg. His return to international soccer is the third of his career. For the complete Sweden roster …
Rapids pull out stops to attack midweek malaise
[MLS] You have to give the Colorado Rapids some credit; they’re throwing everything but the kitchen sink at their ESPN2 Thursday night clash against Rocky Mountain rival Real Salt Lake. Midweek attendances for MLS games remain problematic, especially those played before summer vacations commence, but Colorado is attacking the midweek malaise in several manners.
Beckham’s Galaxy falls to USL team
[MLS] With David Beckham in tow, the Los Angeles Galaxy headed back on the exhibition circuit, and it had no more luck Tuesday night than it has had in MLS, where it’s again playing below .500 almost two months into the 2008 season.
What They’re Saying
“I think some people might not be as devastated as I am. It might be because of personal situations with some guys leaving. But you have to play well to leave and I don’t know if a lot of guys did themselves any favors.”
— American goalie Marcus Hahnemann criticizing his Reading teammates for lack of effort after the Royals were relegated from the English Premier League after only two seasons in the top flight. (BBC Radio Berkshire)
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.
Soccer on TV
Midweek matches include Copa Libertadores quarterfinals and the UEFA Cup final. In MLS’s Thursday night game, Colorado hosts Real Salt Lake. Mexican league playoffs go from Wednesday through Sunday.
