Whereas several years ago Major League Soccer had to actively court investors and convince local and state officials that bringing professional soccer to their city was the right move, MLS now finds itself in the nice position of being able to choose “from a variety of solid options” across the U.S. and Canada. “At one […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Revs romp in Cancun
[MLS] New England ran its warm-weather record to 3-0 Monday by beating Pioneros de Cancun 4-1 with two goals by Khano Smith and one apiece from Taylor Twellman and Kenny Mansally.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Babayaro, Kotschau, Cancela head waiver list
[MLS] Compliance day has come and gone. What is the aftermath, if any, will be known Tuesday, after MLS conducts a waiver draft at 3 p.m. ET. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney explains the significance.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. women’s dominance extends to Algarve Cup
[HISTORY] The defending champion U.S. women’s national team opens play at the 15th annual Algarve Cup in southern Portugal Wednesday when it faces China in Group B play. The USA didn’t win its first Algarve Cup until 2000 but has since won the tournament four more times — an unprecedented three in a row in 2003-05 and again in 2007.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Three-team man busted
[OFF THE POST] Portuguese club Belenenses has been penalized six points for using Cameroon international Albert Meyong in a 2-1 win over Naval in January because he had already played for two other teams this season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
UEFA Champions League TV Schedule
ESPN2 will have live coverage of Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League match between AC Milan and Arsenal. For all the TV coverage of the midweek action …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
The new King of Old Trafford
[NAMES & NUMBERS] Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson says Argentine Carlos Tevez reminds him of Frenchman Eric Cantona, the King of Old Trafford during his reign at Manchester United in the 1990s. Tevez has already played a key role in the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 series between United and Lyon that concludes on Tuesday. Young attackers Robin van Persie and Kazim Kazim could play key roles for Arsenal and Fenerbahce, respectively, on the road. The team with the longest odds is Scottish champion Celtic, which hopes to end a long drought with a victory at Barcelona.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Goal celebrations are a personal matter and up to the player to decide. No one dictates what the player can do as long as he stays within the [rules] of the game and as long as it doesn’t result in a caution. He is a very articulate young man and will have weighed up the pros and cons and decided to do it because it was a personal and emotional matter.”
— Everton spokesman Ian Ross on the goal controversial celebration by Tim Cahill, who crossed his wrists as if he had been handcuffed in a show of solidarity with his brother, who started a six-year prison sentence in January for grievous bodily harm with intent. (BBC)
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Grant’s Chelsea Days Are Numbered
Chelsea manager Avram Grant may be living on borrowed time at Stamford Bridge. The Sunday Mirror claims the Israeli coach will become Chelsea’s director of soccer at the beginning of the summer, making way for the arrival of a new coach — who will most likely be Dutch, according to Goal.com, which names Russia’s Guus […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Italian Papers: Serie A Race Back On
After 11 months and 31 games without a Serie A defeat, Inter Milan finally succumbed to modest Napoli, 1-0, on Sunday. The result, papers across Italy said, had “officially reopened” the title race. With second-place Roma thumping Parma 4-0 the day before, the loss leaves just Inter six points ahead of the Giallorossi with 12 […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Earthquakes’ Potential Revealed in Tricolores Friendly
As the San Jose Earthquakes prepare to launch for the second time in team history, they face a familiar challenge: to get the city’s considerable Latino population to rally around the local MLS team. But how big a potential fan base are we talking about? If Sunday’s friendly at Oakland Coliseum is any indication, it […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Red Bull’s Corporate Clash Turns Ugly
It was a testy, ugly affair when the New York Red Bulls took on the reserves from sister club Red Bull Salzburg earlier Monday at the Salzburg club’s training center near Red Bull’s corporate home in Fuschl, Austria. “So much for corporate harmony,” writes Jack Bell of the New York Times, who described this friendly […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Television Marketing Executive
Founded in Ireland, Setanta Sports TV now operates in countries all over the world, broadcasting via satellite, terrestrial TV, cable, broadband, and fiber optic depending on the platforms available in each market. Setanta has operated in North America for over 10 years and the 24hr Sports Channel is available on Direct TV and Dish network. […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
Midweek action includes European Champions League round of 16, second-leg games and Copa Libertadores and UEFA Cup play.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Heerenveen slide continues; Standard back on top
[AMERICANS IN EUROPE] Dutch Eredivisie club Heerenveen, with Michael Bradley playing the full 90, lost 1-0 at FC Twente. Heerenveen has now lost two straight after a seven-game undefeated streak.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
More woes for EPL’s ‘U.S. team’
[AMERICANS IN ENGLAND] Fulham’s 3-0 loss to Manchester United, combined with wins by fellow strugglers Reading and Birmingham, puts the American-laden Cottagers in increased relegation danger. Coach Roy Hodgson, who has five Americans in his squad, says Fulham will have to win at least five, of its last 10 games to avoid the drop – and “maybe even more than that.”
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Heath Pearce back thanks to maternity ward call
[AMERICANS IN GERMANY] In December, Hansa Rostock coach Frank Pagelsdorf said Heath Pearce would never play for him again because of a dispute related to Pearce’s late arrival from winter vacation. But on Saturday, Pearce was needed as a halftime sub when defender Dexter Langen left the stadium to be with his wife for the birth of their child.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Work in progress is on the air!
Ridge Mahoney examines the Galaxy’s rebuilding
Growing pains and preseason glitches do not a smooth transition make, but they do make for intriguing television. One sidelight to the Los Angeles Galaxy’s well-hyped Hawaiian-Asian preseason tour is every game is being televised, so the ebbs and flows, and warts and glitches, of a dysfunctional team under a new head coach are there to seen. And dissected. And debated. And analyzed ad infinitum.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Mina doesn’t accompany FCD to Brazil
[MLS] FC Dallas is in Brazil, but forward Roberto Mina is not.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
TFC adds to its Canadian contingent
[MLS] The Los Angeles Galaxy shipped one of the two Canadians on its roster to Toronto FC Friday as it trims down its roster to the 18-man limit mandated by MLS. All teams must be roster and salary-cap complaint by the end of business Monday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
"I’m totally against those who buy under-age lads in another country. We should go to our politicians and tell them that we must bring our children up in our training centers and not sell them at 13-14 years of age to another club."
— UEFA President Michel Platini. (Reuters)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Daei beats out American Ghotbi for Iran job
[IRAN] First, Iran began 2010 World Cup qualifying without a national team coach. Now, two coaches have been reported to have been selected to Iran in its fight to qualifying for the World Cup finals for the fourth time. Iranian-American Afshin Ghotbi appeared to have landed the job, but reports out of Tehran on Sunday suggested that former Iran star Ali Daei had been picked to lead Team Melli.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Argentine teen Aguero puts on show against Barcelona
[WINNERS & LOSERS] Real Madrid got a boost from Sergio Aguero of neighboring Atletico Madrid in Spain’s La Liga race when the Argentine teenager scored twice and set up two other two goals to lead Atletico Madrid past Barcelona, 4-2. The English Premier League race tightened when Arsenal was held to a 1-1 tie by Aston Villa at home. The race also tightened in Italy, where Inter Milan lost for the first time this season in Serie A.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
‘The Good Doctor’ Has High Hopes for MLS
Real Salt Lake signing Kenny Deuchar tells Scottish paper has hopes for his new move to MLS, the striker reveals in an interview with The Daily Record, calling the opportunity “the chance of a lifetime.” Deuchar, a part-time practicing doctor who goes by the nickname “The Good Doctor,”spent four seasons in Scotland with Gretna, helping […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Inter a Pretender No Longer
Rob Hughes of the International Herald Tribune reminds points out that if Inter Milan goes on to claim the Serie A Scudetto this season — and following Wednesday’s 1-1 draw versus No. 2 Roma that looks very likely — no one will be allowed to call the Nerazzurri pretenders any longer. Inter was handed the […]