Part one of what Rob Hughes of the International Herald Tribune calls the “East-West rapprochement” begins tomorrow, although it should really be called the “Russia-Great Britain rapprochement” considering the teams and cities involved. Wednesday’s UEFA Cup final pits Scotland’s Glasgow Rangers against Russia’s Zenit St. Petersburg at the City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England. […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Sexy Football, Horrid Defending
It may not be all that effective, considering the team’s record, but at least the L.A. Galaxy is attempting to play Ruud Gullit’s brand of “sexy football,” says ESPN’s Steve Davis, for which the team should be commended. Under the Dutch legend’s direction, the Galaxy midfielders are settling into their roles, moving the ball quickly […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Early Season MLS Revelations
Robbie Rogers is this year’s Juan Toja, says Steve Davis, writing for MLSNet — which is to say the Columbus Crew winger is off to a fast start in 2008, scoring five goals in his first seven games. It remains to be seen whether he can keep up the momentum (Toja in the second half […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Is Columbus the Best Team in MLS?
The team that SI.com’s Greg Lalas calls “The Milwaukee Bucks of Major League Soccer” (non basketball fans note: this is not a good thing), the Columbus Crew, has surprised just about everyone this year in assuming top spot in the league’s loaded Eastern Conference. Sure, it’s only seven games into the season, but when you […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
CORRECTION: MLS playoff berths
Contrary to what was reported on Monday’s SoccerAmericaDaily, the top three teams in each of Major League Soccer’s two conferences are assured berths in the playoffs. Last season only the top two teams in the two conferences were guaranteed spots in the eight-team playoffs.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Beckham’s call-up could delay Toronto debut
[ENGLAND] David Beckham, who was injured and missed the Los Angeles Galaxy’s game at Toronto FC last season, will likely miss the Galaxy’s trip to Toronto again this year. He was among the 30 players named to England’s squad for games against the USA May 28 at Wembley and at Trinidad & Tobago on June 1. TFC and the Galaxy are scheduled to meet May 31.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Portugal’s Scolari names experienced squad
[EURO ’08 COUNTDOWN] Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari named 11 players from his Euro ’04 runner-up team to the squad he will take to the European Championship finals in Austria and Switzerland next month. For the complete Portugal roster …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Monmouth’s Wilson lands at promoted Austrian Bundesliga club
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Monmouth University forward Damon Wilson signed a three-year contract to play with Kapfenberg SV of Austria’s T-Mobile Bundesliga. Kapfenberg SV recently won the Second Division championship, earning the club promotion to the First Division.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Bradley’s Heerenveen return to UEFA Cup
[AMERICANS ABROAD] In what could be Michael Bradley‘s last game in the Netherlands, Heerenveen earned a place in the 2008-09 UEFA Cup thanks a 2-2 tie with NAC on Monday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Getting it right
[REFEREE WATCH] So many borderline handball decisions arise during an MLS season that it’s somewhat disconcerting when a stone-cold violation becomes “controversial.” Such was the case Saturday when Ugo Ihemelu brought down a ball — expertly it must be said — with his left arm in the 87th minute of a game tied 1-1 between Colorado and Houston.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Nowak names 22 players for Toulon Tournament
[OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN] For what will be the most important test for players seeking to make their way on to the U.S. Olympic men’s team, U-23 head coach Peter Nowak has named 22 players who will participate in the Festival Espoirs International in the region of Toulon, France, beginning May 23.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“No one is to blame and it is certainly not that we are unprofessional but it is not something we will be doing again.”
— Lee Thorpe of English fourth division club Rochdale after breaking his arm in three places while arm-wrestling with a teammate on the bus taking them to Saturday’s playoff match at Darlington. (Reuters)
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Everything to Play For in Italy
Inter Milan will have thrown away the Italian Scudetto in spectacular fashion if Roma wins and the Nerazzurri draw or lose in the decisive final round of Serie A matches next Sunday. All Inter needed was a win against lowly Siena to secure a third successive league title, but it wasn’t meant to be: Roberto […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Fulham Headed for Europe?
Amazingly, the day after Fulham pulled off a relegation escape of epic proportions, it emerged that the Cottagers might now be in line for a spot in Europe thanks to their performance in the so-called European Fair Play League. England has already secured an extra UEFA Cup slot thanks to their position in this table, […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Donovan, Becks, Disappoint Against New York
L.A. Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit had serious questions to ask of his more experienced players following Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls. Gullit didn’t name names, but David Beckham and Landon Donovan were both conspicuous by their lack of influence. Poor individual performances notwithstanding, what the Galaxy was missing, Gullit said, was […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Who Will Bradley Pick for Wembley Clash?
England coach Fabio Capello on Monday named a 31-man provisional roster for the upcoming matches against the USA and Trinidad & Tobago, opting once again to go for the experience of Los Angeles Galaxy star David Beckham. The game might still be more than two weeks away, but Capello’s decisive move has soccer blogger Ives […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
‘Unsung’ Brian Carroll drives Crew revival
Brian Carroll won’t take any credit for the Crew’s 6-1 start to the MLS season. There’s no need; his teammates and coach are happy to supply the platitudes.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Chivas USA’s Bornstein out 6-8 weeks with knee injury
[MLS] With the start of World Cup 2010 qualifying only weeks away, the USA suffered a blow when Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein was sidelined with a sprain of the lateral collateral ligament in his left knee that will be him out of action for 6-8 weeks.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Materazzi miss costs Inter Milan title clincher
[EUROPEAN RACES] The race for Italy’s Scudetto took a dramatic turn Sunday when Inter Milan defender Marco Materazzi missed a penalty kick that would have given the Nerazzurri their third straight Serie A title. Instead, Inter, which was held to a 2-2 tie by Siena, goes into the final day of the season with a one-point lead over Roma. In France, the race for the Ligue 1 championship will also be decided this weekend. Lyon and Bordeaux remained 1-2 in Ligue 1 with one game to play.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS’s Eastern Conference teams clean up out West
[NAMES & NUMBERS] There were three East-West confrontations over the MLS weekend, and all resulted in — you guessed it — wins for the visiting Eastern Conference teams. The Western Conference is so bad that FC Dallas, which dropped to .500 with a 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake, is the only team that doesn’t have a losing record. It took seven weeks, but MLS stars Juan Pablo Angel, Taylor Twellman, Brian Ching and Dwayne De Rosario finally got their first goals of the season. For all the MLS weekend action …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I’m starting to see in the MLS there isn’t much consistency.”
— Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham after his team dropped a 2-1 decision at home to the New York Red Bulls, conceding the deciding goal in the 78th minute, a minute after it had tied the game. (Daily Breeze)
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Not a betting man’s sport?
I’ve heard it put forward as a reason why soccer won’t make it in the USA: that betting on soccer is simply too chaotic an affair to capture American interest. Actually, it sounds like quite a good point.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Giggs adds to his United legend
[CHAMPIONS] On the final day of the English Premier League season, Manchester United broke the deadlock at the top when it won, 2-0, at Wigan and Chelsea could only tie Bolton Wanderers, 1-1, at home. United’s goalscoring heroes were Cristiano Ronaldo with his 31st goal of the EPL season and Ryan Giggs, who won his 10th EPL title with United.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Puerto Rico Islanders gain home edge
[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFYING] The USL-1’s Puerto Rico Islanders took a 1-0 lead in their CONCACAF Champions League qualifying series with Trinidad & Tobago’s San Juan Jabloteh thanks to their victory Friday night in Bayamon on Haitian international Fabrice Noel‘s goal.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Results
The top six teams in the Eastern Conference have better records than the Western Conference co-leaders, Colorado and FC Dallas. For the up-to-date MLS standings and leading scorers, all the weekend summaries and this week’s schedule …