[OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN] The U.S. women’s national team gained revenge for its only blemish of the year with a resounding 6-0 win over Canada before 9,322 fans Saturday in Washington, D.C.
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USL-1 Results
The Seattle Sounders drew 10,184 fans at Qwest Field for their 0-0 tie with Northwest rival Portland in their 2008 home opener. The Timbers remained in first place in the USL-1, two points ahead of Minnesota, which beat Montreal, 1-0, before only 745 fans in rainy St. Paul. For all the USL-1 results and goal scorers …
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The great escape for Fulham’s American five
[AMERICANS ABROAD] With three Americans in the starting lineup, one more on the bench and a fifth not suited up, Fulham completed one of the most improbable comebacks in English league history when it won at Portsmouth, 1-0, on Sunday to avoid relegation. The win gave the Cottagers nine out of nine points in their final three games to escape almost-certain relegation. Instead, Reading and Birmingham City, both big winners on Sunday, joined last-place Derby in being dropped to the League Championship.
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Five Reasons the EPL Won’t Miss Reading, Fulham
Relegation is an unspeakably bitter pill for any fan to swallow, but the Guardian’s Steve Wilson tackles the issue from the neutral or non-fan’s perspective, offering five reasons why the EPL wouldn’t miss relegation-threatened Reading and Fulham, home to seven current or former American internationals. Reading manager Steve Coppell is the first reason the […]
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Ferguson Irate at Bolton Celebrations
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was not happy to hear that Bolton players have been out celebrating after securing their place in the Premiership with a 2-0 home win against Sunderland last weekend. On Sunday, Bolton plays Chelsea in what will be an effectively meaningless match for Bolton. Similarly, United’s opponent Wigan Athletic will […]
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D.C. United President Digs into Players After Loss
A disappointed Kevin Payne spoke with Steven Goff of the Washington Post about his underachieving D.C. United side following Thursday night’s 2-0 loss to Chicago at RFK Stadium. “We have a personal accountability issue on the field,” the DCU president fumed. “I hope that the players know; some of them probably don’t, actually. There are […]
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Conde Out in Chicago; Adu (Possibly) Out in Portugal
Soccer blogger Ives Galarcep addresses a few rumors swirling around lately. Despite recent comments to the contrary, Fire defender Wilman Conde is not happy and wants to leave Chicago as soon as possible. Galarcep says the Colombian didn’t even dress for Thursday night’s 2-0 win over D.C. United at RFK, nor did he step foot […]
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Soccer on TV
Saturday’s MLS action includes defending champ Houston’s quest to pick up its first win of the season when it hosts Colorado. The English Premier League will be decided on Sunday, when Chelsea faces Bolton (Fox Soccer Channel) and Manchester United clashes with Wigan (Setanta Sports USA).
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The haunted team in need exorcism
D.C. United is haunted; not by the dearly departed, but by those whose recent departures have left great voids in a once-great team floundering and flailing in search of points and answers.
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MLS TV SCHEDULE
Two-time defending champion Houston seeks its first win of the season when it hosts Colorado. … Javier Morales, who has four assists this season, leads Real Salt Lake against FC Dallas. … With a four-game winning streak, Columbus travels to San Jose, which has managed just two goals in five games. … Los Angeles, the league’s highest scoring team with 13 strikes in six games, hosts New York. … On Sunday, Chivas USA, with a four-game winless streak, hosts New England. For all the weekend’s MLS action on TV …
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Fire hands D.C. another depressing defeat
[MLS/VIDEO] The momentum and the misery continued for Chicago and D.C. United, respectively, Thursday night at RFK Stadium in a game that included a brilliant long-range goal from the Fire’s Cuauhtemoc Blanco.
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Real Salt Lake coach punished for ref railing
[MLS] Jason Kreis‘ largely unfounded tirade against MLS referees in a Deseret Morning News article has cost the Real Salt Lake coach a $1,000 fine and a one-game suspension.
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Rijkaard to be replaced as Barcelona coach
[SPAIN] Less than 24 hours after a humiliating 4-1 loss to Spanish champion Real Madrid, Barcelona announced that Coach Frank Rijkaard would be replaced next season by former captain Pep Guardiola.
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Club America pulls historic upset
[LIBERTADORES CUP] Mexico’s Club America pulled off one of the most improbable upsets in the history of the Libertadores Cup when it overturned a 4-2 deficit from the first leg of its second-round series with Brazilian club Flamengo thanks to a 3-0 at the famed Maracana Stadium on Wednesday night.
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International Weekend TV Schedule
The English Premier League race goes down to the final day of the season on Sunday with UEFA Champions League finalists Manchester United and Chelsea still tied for the English Premier League. United travels to Wigan, while Chelsea hosts Bolton Wanderers with United holding the advantage on the tiebreaker. Italy’s Scudetto could be decided on Sunday when leader Inter Milan and second-place Roma, three points back, host Siena and Atalanta, respectively. For all the weekend international action on television …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“We want to get paid.”
— Slogan on T-shirts donned by Levante players before their Spanish La Liga game against Deportivo Coruna. Levante players, who are owed millions of dollars in back pay, staged a stand-still kickoff protest at the game’s start, remaining stationary as a Coruna player dribbled the length of the field and shot the ball out of bounds for a goal kick.
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OBITUARY: Francois Sterchele
Francois Sterchele, the leading scorer in the 2006-07 Belgian First Division, was killed Thursday morning after he lost control of his Porsche and hit a tree near the city of Antwerp.
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Eriksson in Benfica Talks
Various reports are linking Manchester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson with a return to Benfica, home of American teenage sensation Freddy Adu. A statement from the Portuguese club confirmed that talks had taken place. Eriksson, who has been told by Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra that his job will be terminated at the end of […]
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Barca Ridiculed After Clasico; Rijkaard to Leave
Headlines across Spain ridiculed FC Barcelona’s players for lying down and letting Spanish champion Real Madrid walk all over them at the Santiago Bernabeu Wednesday night. The day after the 4-1 thrashing, Sport, a Barcelona-area daily, led with a black front cover that read: “You have dishonored the Barcelona shirt”. El Mundo Deportivo, another Barcelona […]
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Photo Finish in France
For the first time since 2002, the French Ligue 1 is too close to call with two games remaining. Olympique Lyon, the incumbent now for six years running, maintains a slender two-point lead over second-place Bordeaux. Among the other intriguing storylines: Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc has a shot at the title in his first year; […]
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TSU, Dynamo to Build Shared Stadium?
Texas Southern University wants to join forces with MLS champ Houston Dynamo to build a $105 million 22,000 capacity stadium just east of the city’s downtown area, TSU athletic director Charles McClelland told the Houston Chronicle. The facility would be the joint-home of both the TSU Tigers and the Dynamo. McClelland alerted the city of […]
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Hamlett’s Long Road to Fire Coach
The Washington Post’s Steven Goff profiles the long and winding road taken by Denis Hamlett to become Head Coach of the Chicago Fire. Hamlett came to the U.S. from Costa Rica when he was just 10, eventually moving to the D.C. Metro area. Hamlett played college soccer at George Mason University. After college, he spent […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“It is a basic requirement that they have some command of English.”
— Britain’s immigration minister Liam Byrne, announcing that non-Europeans who want to play in the English Premier League will not be exempt from tougher immigration rules that will require passing an English-language test covering everyday phrases and simple conversation. (AFP)
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The Sports Hernia Chronicles
[MLS] A week ago, Chivas USA forward Alecko Eskandarian came back from Germany. Next week, FC Dallas midfielder Dax McCarty will head over. With luck, both of them will be training and playing full-time within a few weeks following examinations by noted German surgeon Dr. Ulrike Muschaweck, whose proficiency in treating sports hernias affects athletes of different sports all over the world.
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Fears of French fries shortage alleviated; but intestines needed
[OFF THE POST] The Swiss government has agreed to ease potato import restrictions following fears of a French fries shortage during next month’s European Championship, which the Swiss are co-hosting with Austria. The policy change makes way for the importation of an additional 5,600 tons of potatoes. The possibility of a sausage shortage, however, remains.