UEFA President Michel Platini on Monday directed harsh criticism at England’s big four over their policy of recruiting young players from overseas and planned to work with politicians to ban the signing of 16-year-old boys from foreign countries. Should he succeed, the move would have huge implications for these clubs, which have come to rely […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I’m finding it hard not to criticize some of the decisions tonight but I’ve just been told I’ll be fined if I do. I don’t want that to happen. Referees have a tough job, but some decisions change games, and that’s happened tonight.”
— Thrifty David Beckham pinpoints the reason his Los Angeles Galaxy lost 4-0 to the Colorado Rapids, which last season finished 10th in MLS’s overall standings. (AP)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
EPL’s ‘American team’ sinks further; Derby goes down.
[AMERICANS ABROAD]Chances that Fulham — the English Premier League team with five Americans – might avoid relegation took another blow when it could muster only a 2-2 tie with the league’s worst team, Derby. The tie made Derby, which has two Americans in its ranks, the first team in the 16-year history of the Premier League to be relegated by March.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Flying start for Crew, Revs and Wizards
The first MLS opener for David Beckham turned into the worst drubbing of his brief Galaxy career, two young Gambians led the Revs to a spanking of Houston in a rematch of MLS Cup 2007, and the ballyhooed offseason FC Dallas signing turned victory into disappointment. For the first week of MLS 2008, we’ll examine how much impact was wielded by some of the players signed for that purpose.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Game Summaries, Standings, Schedule
New England, Columbus and Colorado started the MLS season with impressive wins …
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
Not simply a ‘Beckham league’
Apart from the unfortunate Galaxy happenings in Denver, I would suppose that the MLS guys are reasonably satisfied with their opening weekend. While there was nothing wildly spectacular to report, there were no dreary games either — and the home teams did well, always a good thing when the larger-than-usual opening day crowds have been lured to the game.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Red-hot Fernando Torres, sinking Barcelona, Italian violence
[THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY] Spaniard Fernando Torres scored in Liverpool’s sixth straight home game, tying a Reds’ record, and helped them beat Everton, 1-0, in their Merseyside derby. Barcelona was all but eliminated from Spain’s La Liga race when it blew a two-goal lead against Real Betis and lost, 3-2. Italian soccer was again marred by violence when a Parma fan was accidentally run over by a bus as it attempted to leave a service station at which Juventus and Parma fans were trading insults. For all the weekend developments across Europe …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS dream continues for youngsters
[SUENO MLS 2008] Briant Reyes, a 16-year-old Salvadoran-American midfielder from Downey, Calif., was selected as the Winner of Sueno MLS 2008: The Dream Continues by Chivas USA, while 16-year-old Gabriel Funes, an Argentine-born forward from Arlington, Texas, was selected by FC Dallas in the culmination of the reality show televised on Univision’s popular weekly sports show, Republica Deportiva.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Japanese World Cup player Suzuki signs with Timbers
[USL] The Portland Timbers signed 2002 Japanese World Cup player Takayuki Suzuki for the 2008 season. Suzuki, who has made 55 appearances and scored 11 goals for Japan, is considered the club’s most significant signing since joining the USL in 2001.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Bermuda and Bahamas claim last Concacaf spots
[WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING] Bermuda, coached by former Howard University coach Keith Tucker, defeated the Cayman Islands, 3-1, Sunday to win their open stage series, 4-2, aggregate and advance to the second stage of World Cup 2010 qualifying in the Concacaf zone against Trinidad & Tobago.
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer On TV
Major League Soccer kicks off its 13th season and this weekend’s games will be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports en Espanol, Telefutura and the MLS Direct Kick package.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Beckham is No Cristiano Ronaldo
England coach Fabio Capello invited a torrent of criticism from the British press when he compared David Beckham to Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo in a news conference on Thursday. Capello started by saying he had deployed Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney in the natural positions they play for their clubs, attacking center midfield and […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Why Hugo Sanchez Deserves the Sack
El Tri emerged victorious against Ghana on Wednesday, but some still think Mexico coach Hugo Sanchez should head for the exit. Goal.com’s Sergio Tristan says the 2-1 win overshadowed another tepid performance, and the Mexican fans’ attitude towards Sanchez best be summed up by a sign in the stands that read “Hugo, La Ultima y […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Is Guevara Deal Dead?
Honduran playmaker Amado Guevara, who had been in talks over a possible move to Toronto FC, will not be joining Major League Soccer, his U.S.-based agent Patrick McCabe confirmed on Friday. In an email, McCabe said the parties were close to reaching a deal but that “certain obligations could not be met within the requested […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Unknown Faces to Watch in MLS ’08
Anyone could pick David Beckham, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Juan Pablo Angel or Jozy Altidore as MLS players to watch in 2008, but Goal.com’s Pat Walsh provides us with a list of off-radar players to keep tabs on as the season kicks off this weekend. They are: strikers Ivan Trujillo (Kansas City), Franco Niell (D.C. United) and […]
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MLS Offseason Moves
MLS’s imports grew during the offseason. Argentina led all countries with seven players — including former World Cup players Marcelo Gallardo (D.C. United) and Claudio Lopez (Kansas City) — joining MLS teams. Colombia was next with four players signing with MLS clubs. For all the team-by-team offseason player moves …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
The Pato Goal
[VIDEO] Alexandre Pato‘s spectacular goal — a curling shot from near the sideline — gave Brazil a 1-0 win over Sweden on Wednesday and has Brazilians comparing the 18-year-old to Pele and Ronaldo. Pato’s goal came 12 minutes into his debut. Pele scored 32 minutes into his debut, against Argentina, in 1957. Ronaldo hit the net after 51 minutes against Iceland in 1994.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Argentines lead MLS’s foreign contingent
[MAKING A LIST] While nearly 65 percent of MLS’s 2008 player pool is U.S.-born, the league’s 14 teams are fielding players born in 46 other nations. The foreign-born players are led by 19 players from Argentina. For a list of the most represented nations …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Behind the MLS talent boost
For the second straight year, MLS has welcomed a good number of exciting players from abroad — and the league expects more signings within the next few months. In an exclusive interview with Soccer America, MLS deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis explains how the league has altered its approach as it enters its 13th season, which kicks off this weekend.
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International Weekend TV Schedule
On the first weekend of play in MLS, the schedule of international matches is a reminder of the competition MLS faces for fans. There are 24 foreign league games available live on cable or pay-per-view. Among the matches on tap are the Old Firm derby between Rangers and Celtic in Glasgow, and important matches in the English and Spanish league races, as well as all nine Mexican First Division matches.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. Soccer confirms clash against world’s ‘No. 1’ Argentina
Fresh off its 3-0 at Poland, the U.S. men’s national team faces an ambitious schedule of friendlies as it prepares for the start of 2010 World Cup qualifying this summer. After playing England May 28 at Wembley and Spain June 4 in Santander, Coach Bob Bradley‘s men host Argentina June 8 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Argentina is currently No. 1 in the FIFA World Ranking , ahead of Brazil, Italy, Spain and Germany. The USA is ranked No. 28.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Ready, set, go!
[MLS] The new season starts off without its newest team, as San Jose — and the New York Red Bulls – don’t commence league play until next weekend, but the slate includes a rematch of MLS Cup 2007. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney previews Week 1 games.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“It’s only been three and a half months and the injury’s supposed to be six months, so I am definitely ahead of schedule. I’m not going to rush anything – I’m going to take it day by day. … If I’m able to play by late April, early May, that’s fantastic. I’m aiming for that because I’ve been out for so long.”
— U.S. national team winger DaMarcus Beasley, who suffered severe knee ligament damage playing with Glasgow Rangers in November and couldn’t walk for five weeks after surgery in December. (The Herald)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS TV Schedule
MLS opens its 13th season with six games this weekend. Fox Soccer Channel kicks off its 35-match package with a live five-hour broadcast — including its first doubleheader (New England-Houston and Colorado-Los Angeles). The telecast begins with a half-hour pregame show at 7 p.m. ET. For all the weekend MLS action on TV …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
The Question College Hopefuls Must Ask
Wilbur Avataria is a good soccer player. He’s been in touch with a dozen or so college coaches, visited a handful of those schools, and scored a stunning goal at Dallas Cup. Recruiting is moving along pretty well for him. But there’s one glaring exception: he has no idea how serious any of these coaches are about having him on their teams.