Midweek action includes the FIFA World Club Cup and the final games of the European Champions League group stage.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Arsenal Weathering Injury Crisis
If you saw Arsenal play Newcastle to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday night, you might have noticed that the Gunners were lacking their usual fluid passing game. That’s because Arsenal is in the middle of a mini-injury crisis, says coach Arsene Wenger. Starters Alexander Hleb, Mathieu Flamini, Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas were all […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
City to Make January Transfer Splash
The January transfer window is fast approaching, and not a day goes by without Manchester City being linked to a big-name player. It’s obvious that coach Sven Goran Eriksson wants to bolster his side –which is just seven points behind league-leader Arsenal — for the second half of the season, and it seems like owner […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Police Raid Red Star Offices in Belgrade
Yet another scandal in Europe unfolded on Friday as Serbian police raided the headquarters of domestic giant Red Star Belgrade as part of an investigation into corruption and organized crime involving the team’s officials. Police said it had detained four Red Star executives, including team administrator Zoran Damjanovic. The organization has been accused of illegal […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Interview: MLS Deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis
USSoccerPlayers’ Ian Plenderleith has a lengthy interview with Ivan Gazidis in which the MLS Deputy Commissioner discusses the coming influx of South American talent, the success of the Designated Player Rule, the 2007 season, and how recent changes made by the league will help improve the overall product of MLS soccer. Not for the first […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Solo Reflects on World Cup Dismissal
It’s been three months since Hope Solo’s public dismissal from the U.S. women’s national team by former head coach Greg Ryan, but in an interview with the Associated Press, the American goalkeeper says she’s still haunted by the experience. “I had felt as though my childhood dream basically had been ripped away from me,” she […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
The U.S. U-17 boys national team, which beat Russia 2-0 in Coach Wilmer Cabrera’s debut on Thursday, is in action on Fox Soccer Channel Saturday (vs. Brazil) and Sunday (vs. Turkey). … Also on tap this weekend: The NCAA women‘s Division I final four, FIFA World Club Cup, the second leg of the Mexican League final, and Americans abroad, including Hannover with Steve Cherundolo and an English Premier League clash with Brad Friedel (Blackburn) and Jonathan Spector (West Ham).
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Patrick Nyarko, the accidental collegian
Patrick Nyarko is a big reason Virginia Tech is still alive in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament, where the Hokies face No. 2 seed UConn on Saturday. He might have never left his native Ghana if he hadn’t started watching ESPN and CNN on television and if his father hadn’t been sold on the value of Virginia Tech’s academics.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
NCAA Division I Tournament TV Schedules
All three games from the Women’s College Cup in College Station will be broadcast live on either ESPN2 or ESPNU. For the men’s and women’s weekend schedules …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Irish big three contribute more than goals
[NOTRE DAME PREVIEW] After nine years in South Bend, Coach Randy Waldrum still has a little of his North Texas drawl, which was on show on the eve of the Irish’s rematch with Florida State in the semifinals of the Women’s College Cup.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Noles’ sacrifice pays off
[FLORIDA STATE PREVIEW] It’s three years and three College Cups for Coach Mark Krikorian, so how do the ’07 ‘Noles compare with his other two FSU teams?
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Rookie Trojans ready to go
[USC PREVIEW] The Trojans are the self-described “rookies” at the Women’s College Cup, but that doesn’t mean they lack confidence heading into Friday’s match against No. 1 UCLA — a team they have lost to in their last nine meetings.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
New attitude favors UCLA
Paul Kennedy previews the Women’s College Cup
[UCLA PREVIEW] This is the fifth straight year UCLA has reached the Women’s College Cup, and the Bruins are still looking for their first championship. What means this weekend will be different in College Station?
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USL: 67 teams in 2008 USL Premier Development League
The PDL will consist of 67 teams in 2008, playing in 10 divisions that comprise four conferences. Expansion teams are the Kalamazoo Outrage, Houston Leones, Panama City Pirates, New Jersey Rangers, Austin Stampede and Vancouver Whitecaps U23s. For a list of all teams and conferences …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USL Second Division 2008: Pittsburgh back, Real Maryland joins
Ten teams will compete in USL-2 in 2008, with the return of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds after a one-year hiatus and the arrival of expansion Real Maryland. Longtime USL-2 club New Hampshire Phantoms and the Cincinnati Kings have joined the Premier Development League for the 2008 season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USL-1 to play 30-game season in 2008
The San Francisco-based California Victory, which debuted in 2007, won’t return to USL-1 in 2008 but defending champion Seattle Sounders will return for one more season before Seattle becomes an MLS city in 2009 – setting up an 11-team slate in which each team will play 30 games.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“It is a little difficult to relive that. Mentally, I was full of all sorts of emotions. The World Cup was the only thing that kept me together after the death of my father [in June], kept me fighting and together and dedicated to the game. More so, the moment I realized we didn’t have the opportunity to win the gold medal, my world came tumbling down. I had nothing to immediately give back to my father. I was wound so tight emotionally, and the moment after the loss I broke.”
— U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Hope Solo, who was controversially benched during last summer’s Women’s World Cup and then kicked off the team for criticizing the decision. Solo made her first public comments on the incident to the Associated Press on Thursday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. U-17s win in Cabrera’s debut
The U.S. U-17 ’92 national team won its first international match under new coach Wilmer Cabrera when it beat Russia, 2-0, on Thursday at the Development Academy Nike Friendlies in Bradenton, Fla. For more on Cabrera’s debut and all the Nike Friendlies results …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Atlante holds UNAM to 0-0 tie in finals
[MEXICO] Atlante held UNAM to a 0-0 tie Thursday in the first leg of the Torneo Apertura finals played in Mexico City, its old home.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
UEFA Cup Results
With American Dan Califf again starting in the middle of the defense, AaB was knocked out of the UEFA Cup on Thursday when it fell at home to Spanish club Getafe, 2-1. The Danish club finished in last place in Group H with one point in four games. The top three teams in each group advance to the round of 32 in February. For all the results and goal scorers …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
The Ronaldinho soap opera continues
[WEEKEND HEADLINERS/TV] Amid speculation that Ronaldinho is unhappy and wants to move after starting the last two games on the bench, Barcelona played up the Brazilian’s value to the team. Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic played down talk of Inter Milan walking away with another Italian league title. Embattled Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce hopes the Magpies can build upon Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with English Premier League leader Arsenal. In Germany, leader Bayern Munich is considering its winter moves with the mid-season break only two weeks away.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Beckham to Rep England for 2018 Bid?
L.A. Galaxy midfielder David Beckham confirmed his interest in working as the ambassador for England’s 2018 World Cup bid. The 32-year-old has yet to officially discuss the role with England’s Football Association, but the BBC understands that the organizing board wants him and that Beckham would be happy to oblige. After all, the former England […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Inter, Roma Pull Away in Serie A
The Scudetto race is taking shape as the Serie A season approaches its mid-point. As expected, defending champ Inter Milan and defending No. 2 AS Roma are pulling away from the pack. Each posted comfortable victories during makeup games last night: Inter breezed past Roma neighbor Lazio, 3-0, while the Romans were caused few problems […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
TFC Courts New England’s Nicol, Mariner
Several news outlets are reporting that Toronto FC is courting the New England Revolution’s Steve Nicol and Paul Mariner for its head-coaching job, as Mo Johnston, the man currently occupying that post, looks set to move into TFC’s front office. Sources tell Goal.com that Johnston wanted to put Nicol, a longtime friend and former roommate […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
The USA’s Experienced U-23 Squad
The U.S. will be taking arguably its deepest ever U-23 squad to the Olympics in Beijing this summer, says the L.A. Daily News’ Nick Green, who notes that this Olympics team is more closely tied to the full national team than any squad in the past. In all, seven in the 22-player camp made their […]