A disappointing 1-1 tie with Cuba in the opening game of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers leaves the Americans tied with the Cubans in second place and pondering changes borne by practicality more than necessity. Freddy Adu marked an opening period of USA dominance by curling home a shot in the 14th minute but a Cuban revival and a moment of laxity in the American defense enabled Yordany Alvarez to drive a low ball that Roberto Linares redirected past keeper Chris Seitz three minutes before halftime.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Adu & McCarty get top marks
[USA-CUBA GRADES] Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. U-23s players’ performance in their 1-1 tie with Cuba in Olympic qualifying on Tuesday.
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Revamped MLS powers get real preseason test
[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP] After stopping in San Antonio to play MLS opposition, including each other, in the Texas Pro Soccer Festival last week, Houston and D.C. United begin play Wednesday in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals sporting very different lineups than they did last year. In United’s case, the look is drastically new.
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Liverpool makes to 4-for-4 for England
[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Liverpool made it 4-for-4 for English clubs in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League when it beat Inter Milan, 1-0, on Fernando Torres‘ goal and moved into the quarterfinals with a convincing 3-0 victory on aggregate. The Reds join Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea — the three teams ahead of them in the EPL standings — in Friday’s draw for the quarterfinals. Barcelona of Spain, Fenerbahce of Turkey, Roma of Italy and Schalke 04 of Germany round out the final eight.
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Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Results
Defender Hendry Thomas‘ goal in the 90th minute gave Honduras a 1-0 win over Panama and the lead in Group A at the Concacaf Olympic men’s qualifying tournament in Tampa. For all the results and complete TV schedule …
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Mexico heavily favored in Group B
[SCOUTING REPORT] Group B in Concacaf’s Olympic men’s qualifying begins on Wednesday at the Home Depot Center, where Mexico is the heavy favorite. Led by Marvin Avila, who scored two goals against Mexico’s national team in October, Guatemala could provide the Tri’s most difficult test. Lack of preparation is an issue for the other two teams in Group B, Canada and Haiti.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“This is one of the theories. But when you have so many people drunk, drugged up and looking for a fight, sometimes it’s hard to find out what really started it.”
— Diego Cardona, secretary for sport for the Colombian city of Cali, on the theory that a brawl at the America-Deportivo derby that injured 83 people was sparked by a jealous boyfriend angered that his girlfriend was flirting with another man. (AP)
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Name That Tune
[OFF THE POST] FIFA has moved the World Cup qualifier between North Korea and South Korea from the North Korean capital of Pyongyang to Shanghai after North Korea objected to the playing of the South Korean anthem, instead demanding that a folk song popular in both countries be played. FIFA stipulates that each national anthem must be played.
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Brazilian ref suspended for miscounting cards
[REF WATCH] Referee Jose Henrique de Carvalho has been suspended for 15 days for showing Guaratingueta midfielder Magal two yellow cards in a 2-0 loss to Corinthians without sending him off.
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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.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ferguson, Queiroz Facing Fines Over FA Cup Comments
The Guardian reports that Manchester United coaches Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlos Queiroz could face sanctions from the Football Association following comments the pair made about referee Martin Atkinson following United’s 1-0 FA Cup defeat by Portsmouth. Ferguson accused Atkinson of favoritism before launching a scathing tirade against Keith Hackett, head of the Professional Game […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Reyna to Play Attacking Midfield Role
The New York Times’ Jack Bell has another story on the season ahead for Claudio Reyna, which will be closely scrutinized following a poor first season in MLS last year with the New York Red Bulls. Despite another injury-hit season, Bell says Reyna “often looked confused, out of place and languorous on the field,” in […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Former FIFA Marketing Partner Goes to Real Court
Swiss prosecutors opened their court case against ISL/ISMM, FIFA’s marketing partner for almost two decades, on Tuesday by alleging that six executives of the now-defunct company left an estimated debt of $300 million when it collapsed in 2001. The executives, who cannot be named due to Swiss privacy law, were charged with embezzlement, fraud, fraudulent […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Goal-Line Technology Nixed
As it turns out, goal-line technology will not be introduced into the modern game anytime soon. The technology, which had been given the provisional go-ahead by the International FA Board last year, will not be used, the Board opting instead to experiment with two additional linesmen. Line-technology such as the Hawk-Eye system is widely used […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Hall of Fame Voters Snub U.S. Stars
Goal.com editor Marc Connolly, a voter for the National Soccer Hall of Fame, says he’s “embarrassed” at the outcome of yesterday’s results that only saw Anson Dorrance, the UNC women’s coach and former U.S. women’s national team coach, and Hugo Perez, a former NASL and U.S. men’s national team standout, inducted into U.S. Soccer’s Hall […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
At whose Beckham and call?
So spoke Galaxy president and general manager Alexi Lalas in January, while David Beckham trained with Arsenal and speculation swirled regarding his possible selection for a friendly against Switzerland and possibly his 100th cap:
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Gascoigne released from mental hospital
Former England star Paul Gascoigne was released from a psychiatric health clinic after being held under the Mental Health Act since Feb. 20, when his antics included wandering around a hotel with three battery-operated plastic parrots that said “Give us a kiss” to other guests.
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More refs experiment OKed; goal-line tech scrapped
[REF WATCH] At its Annual General Meeting, the International Football Association Board, which oversees FIFA’s Rules of the Game, has suspended the pursuit of goal-line technology and agreed to experimentation with two additional assistant referees.
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Argentine World Cup striker ups ante in KC
[MLS] When Kansas City hired Curt Onalfo as head coach a year and a half ago, he promised to implement at least two elements not always present in past Wizards’ teams: a commitment to attack and score goals, and Latin flair. Kansas City scored 45 goals last year, fifth-best in MLS, and unveiled Argentine playmaker Carlos Marinelli and Colombian winger Eloy Colombano. Long before the move of Eddie Johnson to English Premier League club Fulham became official in January, Onalfo and technical director Peter Vermes had begun work on landing replacements. They officially announced the signing of Colombian striker Ivan Trujillo last week but for months had been chasing a much bigger prize.
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Perez & Dorrance elected to Hall of Fame
Hugo Perez starred in the NASL and MISL, represented the USA at the 1984 Olympics and 1994 World Cup, and played a key role in successful qualifying campaigns for the 1988 Olympics and 1990 World Cup. He has been elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame on the Veteran Player ballot, while Anson Dorrance, the nation’s most successful women’s college coach and a world championship winner, was elected on the Builder Ballot. However, in the 2008 Player election no individual exceeded the required 75 percent of ballots cast to gain entrance into the Hall of Fame.
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Why Altidore won’t struggle like Adu
[OLYMPIC QUALIFYING] What gives latest American teen phenom Jozy Altidore an excellent chance to avoid the pitfalls that have befallen predecessors Eddie Johnson and Freddy Adu? Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney explains.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“This year he’s not allowed in the ocean. And when he goes in the pool, we get him a lifeguard.”
— New England Revolution midfielder Khano Smith on Michael Parkhurst, who during the team’s 2007 preseason camp in Cancun was nailed by a wave and dislocated his shoulder. The Revs are preparing for the 2008 season in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. (Boston Globe)
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U.S. women cruise with wind at their backs
[ALGARVE CUP] The U.S. women’s national team got second-half goals from Natasha Kai, Abby Wambach, Heather O’Reilly and Amy Rodriguez to beat Norway, 4-0, and move into Wednesday’s final of the Algarve Cup against Denmark.
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The Benfica coaching carousel
[MAKING A LIST] For his first foray into European soccer, Freddy Adu certainly didn’t pick the most stable club. Despite a succession of famous coaches — Tomislav Ivic, Artur Jorge, Graeme Souness, Jupp Heynckes, Jose Mourinho, Giovanni Trapattoni and Ronald Koeman, among others — it’s been more than 15 years since a coach lasted two full seasons at Benfica. Adu’s first coach, Fernando Santos, was gone after one league game, and his replacement, Spaniard Jose Antonio Camacho, quit on Sunday after Benfica was tied by the last-place team, Leiria. Former Portuguese great Fernando Chalana was promoted from assistant coach and will replace Camacho.
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CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying TV Schedule
All 16 games at the CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament will be televised live on Fox Soccer Channel, ESPN Deportes and ESPN360.com. For the complete TV schedule …