During a Cameroon First Division game, Bamboutos FC’s coach calls Federal SC captain Nkoun a Rim to the sideline for a chat late in the second half after Federal tied the game, 2-2. Shortly afterward, Bamboutos captain Koss Roger hits the floor and acts injured. In full view of the spectators, already suspicious because of the sideline conference, Bamboutos’ trainer hands Roger an envelope. Roger returns to action and hands the envelope to Nkoun a Rim, who makes a lackluster effort in the play that leads to Bamboutos’ winning goal. Cameroon’s federation has relegated Bamboutos FC two divisions and has banned the officials and players involved in the incident for at least two years.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Brazil finally plays at home again
Brazil, which has taken to playing its friendly games abroad, will play its first home game in more than two years when it faces Ecuador in World Cup qualifying on Wednesday. Its last home game was 3-0 win over Venezuela Oct. 12, 2005 in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. The game against Ecuador also marks its first at Maracana Stadium since a 5-0 win over Bolivia in 2000.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Hope Solo back with USA
Goalkeeper Hope Solo, who was kicked off the U.S. team during the Women’s World Cup, has been invited back by Coach Greg Ryan for the team’s three-game series with Mexico, which kicks off Saturday in St. Louis. After being benched for the USA’s semifinal against Brazil and replaced by Briana Scurry, Solo lashed out at Ryan and said she would have saved the goals Brazil put past Scurry in the 4-0 loss. Scurry is also on the 20-player roster for the Mexico series.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Edgar Castillo back with Mexican national team
Edgar Castillo is still eligible to represent the USA because his appearance for Mexico in an August friendly against Colombia wasn’t official FIFA competition. But Castillo, who starts at left back for Santos, the Mexican league’s top team this season, is back in camp with the Mexican national team, which is preparing for friendlies against Nigeria on Sunday and Guatemala on Wednesday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Chivas USA aims for top in Big D
[MLS TV PREVIEW] These Western Conference foes haven’t played since the Fourth of July, when a 2-0 Dallas victory over Chivas USA at Pizza Hut Park reversed a loss by the same score in late May at Home Depot Center. Since that last meeting, Brazilians Denilson and Ricardinho have relocated in Texas, a player has been traded from one team to the other, Carlos Ruiz has picked up a suspension that rules him out of Thursday’s game, Dallas has clinched a playoff spot, and Chivas USA has climbed up the overall standings to challenge for the league’s best record.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Fiji fumes over World Cup visa snub
Fiji’s soccer federation says it will seek to take the New Zealand government to court over its refusal to grant a visit to starting goalie Simione Tamanisau for Saturday’s World Cup qualifier, the opening game of the final round of qualifying in what is also the OFC Nations Cup final round.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I won’t mince my words. I lambasted them after the game. I wasn’t happy with the effort. I’ll tell you what, even if you don’t play well you have to give 100 percent.”
— Toronto coach Mo Johnston gets really, really upset after his team’s league-leading 16th loss of the season last weekend. (The Globe & Mail)
Posted inSoccer Business Insider, Story
Making Player Endorsements Work For Your Brand
The biggest challenge is to find a player who is compatible with your company or brand, someone respected by, and popular with, consumers.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
World Player of the Year Candidates Released
The FIFA World Player of the Year shortlist, which is long at 30 players, was released on Wednesday, featuring five players from 2006 world champion Italy, four from England, four from France, three from Brazil and three from Argentina. Italy’s national team candidates include defending World Player of the Year Fabio Cannavaro of Real Madrid, goalkeeper […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ronaldo Finally Set for Serie A Return
The long-awaited season debut of AC Milan striker Ronaldo could finally happen after the international break, which ends after next Wednesday’s games. “The doctors have given me good news about Ronaldo,” Vice President Adriano Galliani said earlier this week, suggesting that the Brazilian striker would be fit to play Empoli on Oct. 21. Billed by […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
SAF Warns England Against FieldTurf
If David Beckham’s attitude toward artificial turf is anything to gauge by, his England teammates could be in for an equally unhappy time when they face Russia in a Euro 2008 qualifier in Moscow next Wednesday. The capital city’s Luzhniki Stadium had field turf installed in 2002 due to the country’s particularly harsh winters. The […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Are We in for Another Beckham Comeback?
Just three months into his five-year MLS adventure, David Beckham has once again found himself in the position of having to prove people wrong. A pair of injuries restricted him to just three league appearances, and five overall, causing many to brand Beckham as “a bust, a distraction to his struggling team, and a malingering, […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
MLS Clashes with International Calendar, Again
Bob Bradley’s roster says it all. While it’s nice to see fresh faces like Preston Zimmerman, Freddy Adu and Sal Zizzo on the U.S. national team squad to face Switzerland, it’s frustrating to see the national team coach in a position where he can’t call on his best domestic-based players. As USSoccerPlayers’ Ian Plenderleith points […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
The Power Of Parity
With the Red Bulls and FC Dallas assured of playoff participation, and five teams – theoretically – still in the hunt for the remaining two spots, will the eighth-place team set a record for the poorest mark ever to qualify?
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
NCAA Men’s & Women’s Division II & III Scoring Leaders
Se Eun Park, Brian Nord, Katy Tafler and Brittany Yeggy lead their respective divisions in scoring. For the Top 10 goal scorers in each division …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
NCAA Women’s Division I Scoring Leaders
U.S. international Lauren Cheney (UCLA) inched closer to the top of the NCAA Division I women’s scoring charts with three goals in wins over San Diego State and Santa Clara. For the Top 10 goal scorers …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
NCAA Men’s Division I Scoring Leaders
Hat tricks by O’Brian White (Connecticut) and Kyle Evans (Lehigh) propelled them up the NCAA Division I men’s scoring charts. For the Top 10 goal scorers …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Brito keeps on scoring
[UPDATE] There’s no stopping Graciano Brito, the Cape Verdean immigrant who never played organized soccer until entering college and is the NCAA Division I’s leading scorer. Brito’s unassisted goal in the 88th minute gave unbeaten Quinnipiac a 1-0 win over Holy Cross on Tuesday for his third game-winning goal in five days.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
NCAA Men’s & Women’s Division II & III Rankings
The No. 1 teams in the NSCAA/adidas rankings remain the same: Northern Kentucky (DII men), Trinity, Texas (DIII men), Grand Valley State (DII women) and Wheaton, Ill. (DIII women).
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Wake Forest’s Phelan makes up for lost time
[MEN’S TOP 25 ACTION] Pat Phelan quickly made up for lost time. After going 65 games at Wake Forest without scoring a goal, the senior defender scored twice in the first six minutes on Tuesday to lead No. 2 Wake Forest to a 5-0 win over Appalachian State.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Clemson sinks to new low
[UPSET] Clemson’s long season got even longer Tuesday night when it lost to UNC Asheville, a team it had beaten in their six previous meetings, 2-1, in overtime. The loss dropped the Tigers’ record to 4-7-1 and left them increasingly danger of finishing with a losing record for only the third time in the 41-year history of the program.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
NCAA Division I Women’s Tuesday Results
Lafayette ended a six-game losing streak with a 4-0 win over St. Peter’s on Tuesday. Senior Kelly Koreyva scored twice to lead the Leopards. For all Tuesday’s scores …
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
NCAA Division I Men’s Tuesday Results
Maryland moved back above .500 with a 2-1 win over Lehigh in non-conference action on Tuesday. Sophomore Jeremy Hall connected on a penalty kick in the 84th minute to break the tie. The loss was the third of the season for the Mountain Hawks (5-3-2), who lost only two games all last season. For all scores and more news from Tuesday’s action …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
FIFA to experiment with goalmouth referees
Soccer’s 3-to-22 officials-to-player ratio is significantly lower than all major sports. Finally FIFA, the game’s world governing body, has approved an experiment with two additional referees. At the Club World Cup competition in Japan in December, two goalmouth referees will be used in addition to the referee and the two assistant referees (linesmen). FIFA’s new Strategic Committee, chaired by
UEFA president Michel Platini, confirmed the experiment during the first meeting of FIFA’s new Strategic Committee. What exact role the two goalmouth referees will play has not yet been determined.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
How the Red Bulls snuck in; top spots for grabs
[MLS PLAYOFF PICTURE] Three days after failing to clinch a playoff spot – again — New York snuck into the postseason thanks to other results going in its favor. The Red Bulls lost to Toronto, 2-1, last Thursday, which left their record at 11-11-6 and 39 points. When Columbus lost to FC Dallas, 3-1, on Saturday, it lost any chance to catch New York. Colorado won, but is seven points behind New York with two games to play.