By tried-and-true methods — efficiency on set plays and the unerring daring of Dwayne DeRosario – Houston duly returned to the MLS Cup by beating Kansas City, 2-0, Saturday. But those elements are only part of a formula that for the past two seasons has proven tough to break down even under pressure. Nate Jaqua powered home a Richard Mulrooney corner kick late in the first half to break open a goalless game and DeRosario drilled a low shot with nine minutes left for the clinching goal as Houston won its fifth postseason match (out of seven) since the franchise moved from San Jose in December, 2005.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Italian soccer in chaos
Italian soccer was thrown into chaos when three key matches were either postponed or suspended in the aftermath of the shooting death of a Lazio fan on Sunday. Gabriele Sandri, a 26-year-old disc-jockey, was shot by a police officer after Lazio and Juventus fans clashed at a gas station on the A-1 freeway near the town of Arezzo. As news of Sandri’s death spread across Italy, riots involving soccer fans broke out across Italy.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
American foes ‘combine’ on EPL goal
[AMERICANS IN BRITAIN] West Ham’s American defender Jonathan Spector celebrated his first English Premier League goal but later found out his strike against Derby County in a 5-0 win was credited as an own goal by countryman Eddie Lewis. The 21-year-old Spector moved in England in 2004 when he joined Manchester United. Goalkeeper Tim Howard helped Everton to a 1-1 tie with Chelsea by making an acrobatic save on an effort by Chelsea’s Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Beckham assists in Minnesota exhibition
The Los Angeles Galaxy again failed to beat a USL team in regulation time for the second time within a week, but at last this time marquee attraction David Beckham made an impact, assisting on Edson Buddle‘s goal in a 1-1 tie with Minnesota Thunder in front of 20,123 fans at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Last Wednesday, the Galaxy played to a scoreless tie with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Cristiano Ronaldo make case with ‘stunning’ display
[INTERNATIONAL HEADLINERS/VIDEO] Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo may lose out to Brazilian Kaka and Argentine Lionel Messi in balloting for the two year-end international player of the year awards, but he is certainly the class of European soccer, as evidenced by his two superb goals for Manchester United against Blackburn on Saturday. Barcelona’s troubles on the road continued, while Bayern Munich’s slump has put Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld at odds with club president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. In Mexico, the Torneo Apertura’s regular season finished, and 10 teams moved into the playoffs.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I’m happy to be here as an assistant coach and to be able to say that I can actually work with Ruud Gullit. Obviously it will be a little bit of a change for me, but it’s something that I look forward to.”
— Cobi Jones, whose first job after retiring as a player will be as assistant coach to Ruud Gullit with the Los Angeles Galaxy, for which Jones played in its first 12 MLS seasons. (MLSnet)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Altidore, Adu in USA roster for South Africa game
[ROSTER] Josmer Altidore, who turned 18 last week, has a chance to make his first full national team appearance in the USA’s Nov. 17 friendly in South Africa. He is among six MLS players called up by Coach Bob Bradley for the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup game. Altidore scored nine goals for the New York Red Bulls in the 2007 MLS season. Also on the roster is Freddy Adu, who starred with Altidore on the USA’s 2007 U-20 World Cup team that reached the quarterfinals last summer. Landon Donovan is the most capped (96) player on the roster and is aiming to break the all-time national team scoring record.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS expands to Northwest; Seattle to field team in 2009
No surprise here: On Friday, the MLS Board of Governors approved a Seattle franchise to start play in 2009 as the league’s 15th franchise. MLS commissioner Don Garber will be in Seattle Tuesday for a formal announcement. The new team will play at Qwest Field, home of the NFL Seattle Seahawks, and might or not be called the Sounders, the nickname used by a popular but ultimately defunct North American Soccer League franchise (1974-83) as well as a current member of United Soccer Leagues.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Puerto Rico Islanders romp, 7-1, in Caribbean quarterfinals
The USL-1’s Puerto Rico Islanders moved into the semifinals of the 2007 CFU Club Championship with a 7-1 win over SV Leo Victor of Suriname on Sunday in Macoya, Trinidad. Former Colorado Rapids player Fabrice Noel scored goals in the 18th and 22nd minute to put the Islanders ahead for good. The Haiti-born Noel now has scored seven goals in four games.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Bundesliga Pins Hopes on Bayern Munich
Ten seasons ago, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League, but recent years have seen the German the league suffer a marked decrease in power and prestige across Europe. Just have a look at this year’s Champions League: two of Germany’s three representatives are currently dead last in […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Feilhaber Struggling to Adjust to EPL
It’s been a rough start to English Premier League life for U.S. international Benny Feilhaber. The 22-year-old midfielder has made just a three appearances off the bench for Derby County since coming over from Hamburg SV in August. “I think that the main reason I haven’t been playing much is because of the style of […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Gullit and the Unfortunate History of Foreign Coaches in MLS
On Friday, Dutchman Ruud Gullit was officially named head coach of the L.A. Galaxy. “It’s a huge challenge to be here but it’s all here for the taking,” said Gullit. “The Galaxy is used to winning things and we will try everything in our power to win more titles here. I hope to find a […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Rooney to Miss Four Weeks
On the very day that Steve McClaren announced his squad for England’s final Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia on Nov. 21, the England coach was hit with the news that star striker Wayne Rooney would have to pull out. The Manchester United player suffered an ankle injury in training on Friday that will keep him […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Becks to Play Crucial England Qualifier
Despite a pair of nondescript performances at the end of the L.A. Galaxy’s season, David Beckham on Friday was named to Steve McClaren’s England squad for the final Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia. The 32-year-old Beckham has played 97 times for England, which means appearances in the next two games would make him one shy […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
NCAA Division II Women’s Tournament Results
Yvonne Vasquez‘s golden goal gave Cal State Dominguez Hills a 2-1 win over UC San Diego in the opening game of the NCAA Division II Women’s Tournament.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
NCAA Division II Men’s Tournament Results
Midwestern State crushed Metro State, 8-1, Thursday in first-round play in the NCAA Division II Men’s Tournament. The Mustangs got goals from six different players in the first 45 minutes and cruised an easy win. Former MLS coach Tim Hankinson‘s first season at Fort Lewis came to an end when it fell to West Texas A&M, 2-1, in another first-round game. For all of Thursday’s results …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
2007 NAIA Women’s National Championship Seeds
Lee is the top-seeded team at the NAIA Women’s National Championships that begin next Wednesday in Daytona Beach Fla. Defending champion Lindsey Wilson is the No. 2 seed even though the Blue Raiders fell to Martin Methodist, 1-0, in the Region XI championship game.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
2007 NAIA Men’s National Championship Seeds
Azusa Pacific (Calif.) is the No. 1 seed at the NAIA Men’s National Championships even though the Cougars fell in the first round of the Region II tournament to Westmont, 2-1. Fresno Pacific, No. 8 seed, eventually won Region II with a 4-1 win over No. 6 seed Concordia (Calif.). The National Championships begin next Wednesday in Olathe, Kan.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Oklahoma women’s coach quits
Randy Evans has resigned after nine years as the women’s head coach at the University of Oklahoma. His decision follows the Sooners’ second straight losing season. They finished 6-10-3 in 2007 and failed to make this week’s Big 12 Tournament in San Antonio.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
2007 Big Ten Men’s Awards
Five unanimous selections highlighted the All-Big Ten first team, including Ohio State forward Xavier Balc, the 2007 Player of the Year. Striker Doug DeMartin (Michigan State), midfielders Brad Ring (Indiana) and David Roth (Northwestern) and defender Eric Brunner (Ohio State) were also unanimously selected by the conference coaches.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Austin saves punchless Michigan State in shootout
[BIG TEN MEN] No. 20 Michigan State’s offensive woes continued as it was shut out for the fourth straight game, but the host Spartans advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten men’s tournament against regular-season champion Indiana thanks to a 4-2 shootout win over Ohio State. For all the news from East Lansing …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Purdue star Eyorokon injured in win over Northwestern
[BIG TEN WOMEN] Seventh-ranked Purdue lost Big Ten Player of the Year Parrissa Eyorokon with an injury early in its Big Ten women’s tournament game against Northwestern, but that didn’t stop the Boilermakers from advancing to the semifinals with a 3-1 win Thursday at the University of Minnesota’s Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
UPSETVILLE: Lower seeds are still alive in Atlantic-10
The opening day of the Atlantic-10 women’s tournament produced a pair of surprises as the tournament’s lowest seeds Richmond and Dayton both won. No. 6 Richmond scored early and late to defeat No. 3 Duquesne, 2-0, and No. 5 Dayton triumphed, 2-1, over No. 4 Saint Louis in overtime after its apparent winner in the last minute of regulation was called off for offside
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
COMEBACK CITY: Golden Foote sends Winthrop into Big South semifinals
Winthrop rallied from two goals down to beat Liberty, 3-2, in overtime in the quarterfinals of the Big South Tournament on Thursday in Charleston, S.C. Erin Foote was the hero for the Lady Eagles, setting up Ashley Bader for the tying goal with 48 seconds left in regulation and winning the game with a golden goal 39 seconds into overtime.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
TV SCHEDULES: Women’s Conference Tournaments
Fans can follow women’s conference tournament action on cable and online. For all of this week’s conference tournament coverage …