The angry reaction by Chivas USA players and Coach Preki to the antics and purported dives by Fire attacker Cuauhtemoc Blanco is, in the eyes of some opponents, a case of the stripes getting a hefty dose of their own medicine.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Sharp D.C. United takes on Guadalajara
All that stands between D.C. United and a spot in the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals is at least 90 minutes of madness in Estadio Jalisco, one of the cathedrals of Mexican soccer, when it faces Guadalajara in the second leg on Tuesday (9 pm ET, live, Fox Sports en Espanol; 11 pm, delay, Fox Soccer Channel). United leads the two-leg series, 2-1, and will advance with a tie, but that’s not the mindset likely to be adopted, at least not early in the match.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Will Roma again beg for mercy from Man. United?
[MARQUEE MATCHUP] Manchester United hosts Roma at Old Trafford Tuesday in a repeat of their memorable UEFA Champions League encounter last spring. Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson doesn’t expect a repeat of the match that ended with a 7-1 victory for United in one of the most spectacular displays of attacking soccer in recent history
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
UEFA Champions League TV Schedule
The group stage of the UEFA Champions League continues with live and delayed coverage of Tuesday’s matches on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and Setanta Sports USA. There is also live pay-per-view coverage as well as Internet viewing on ESPN360.com.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
OFF THE POST: Homeland Security snares Real Madrid president
Real Madrid president Juan Ramon Calderon Ramos flew to New York last week to catch the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Gaetano Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor.” But Calderon, 56, only caught the last part of the performance because he had been detained at JFK Airport by authorities. According the Spanish daily Diario As, they confused him with a 26-year-old suspected criminal with a similar name, Jose Ramos. Calderon was released after a call to Spain’s Ministry of the Interior confirmed his true identity.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I want to continue on as coach. I don’t feel my job is done yet with this team. We had a lot of youngster here and this was a first World Cup for so many of our players. With the Olympics up next, having players with a world championship under their belt completely changes them because the only way to get experience is to play.”
— U.S. women’s coach Greg Ryan hopes to stay on the job despite his team’s disappointing third-place finish at the 2007 Women’s World Cup. (Ticker)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
An U.S. Soccer Development Academy first
Nolan Hemmer etched his name in the record books Saturday when he scored the first-ever goal in U.S. Soccer Development Academy history, nodding home a corner kick in the 30th minute to deliver the Atlanta Fire U-16s’ a 1-0 victory against Birmingham United U-16’s at Rathmell Sports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
UEFA Champions League Numerical Rosters
From 1 to 99, the jersey numbers of all the players eligible to play for the 32 teams competing in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
John Doyle: Keeping the Focus on the Kids
U.S. World Cup veteran John Doyle chose the youth game over coaching in MLS. When John Doyle looks at youth soccer today and his own experience as a kid, the differences he sees are profound. "Girls commit to college programs when they're sophomores in high school!" says Doyle, the Director of Coaching of Mustang […]
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Chicago Fire Set for Second Decade
The arrival of flamboyant Mexican attacker Cuauhtemoc Blanco is just one of several major changes for the Chicago Fire, the expansion champion of 1998 that has yet to bag a second league title. At a team golf outing two days after a crucial 1-0 victory over Columbus lifted Chicago into the playoff tier, Fire […]
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
European Market Frenzy
Spending on the European summer transfer market reached $2 billion in 2007. What's behind the spending boom? And who spent wisely and who spent foolishly? Spending on the European summer transfer market – the two-month window during which European teams stock up on players for the new season – reached $2 billion in 2007. […]
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Brazil’s New Look
The selection of former captain Carlos Dunga as coach of Brazil came as a surprise to many, but a stunning upset of Argentina in the Copa America final has secured his position as he readies the team for the start of World Cup qualifying. During his career as a player, many observers regarded Carlos […]
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
How Barcelona Spawns Stars
Barcelona can buy any player it wants, but maintains an ambitious and successful youth program. There's a large crowd of people in the plaza area surrounding Barcelona's Camp Nou Stadium, many of them are wearing jerseys with Ronaldinho, Messi and Eto'o on the back. But there's no game today. It's a Thursday afternoon, the team […]
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
U.S. Backline: Up For Grabs
After winning the Gold Cup, the U.S. conceded 13 goals while losing five straight games in the Copa America and against Sweden and Brazil in friendlies. Yet the defeats did serve the purposes of Coach Bob Bradley, who is testing veterans as well as young players to upgrade the backline. Defending is about far […]
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Reevaluating the Residency Program
In light of poor results at this year's U-17 World Cup, the launch of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, and MLS's move into the youth arena, it's time to reassess U.S. Soccer's 9-year-old Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla. The preparation process for the USA's first appearance at the U-17 World Cup, in 1985, didn't much […]
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Beez Faces New Frontier
DaMarcus Beasley has left England for Scotland, where his blazing speed and two-way play may be the right fit for legendary club Glasgow Rangers. There's a goatee where was once the clean jawline of his teens, and a thick silver chain and "7" encircles his neck rather than the gold version(s) he sometimes favors, […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer On TV
Midweek action includes European Champions League action, starting Tuesday with Manchester United-Roma and VfB Stuttgart- Barcelona clashes. Also on Tuesday, D.C. United takes a 2-1 lead to Guadalajara for the second leg of their Copa Sudamericana round of 16 series. FC Dallas and New England meet in the U.S. Open Cup final on Wednesday.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Big Crowds Highlight Week 27
The last month of the MLS regular season begins on the back of an outstanding week for crowds. According to Ian Plenderleith of USSoccerPlayers, there was an average of 23,100 for last week’s seven games, including two Beckham-less “Beckham” games and Cuauhtemoc Blanco’s Los Angeles debut against Chivas USA. Aside from these expected average boosters, […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
A Shameful Return for Botafogo
Brazilian fans are a notoriously fickle bunch: not only are their teams expected to win but they’re supposed to do it with style, and in the same week that the Brazilian women’s national team won new fans with beautiful flowing samba-style futebol, Botafogo, one of the country’s biggest clubs, saw its stock sink to a […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Messi Inspires Barca
It was a full week in Spain’s La Liga, and once again Phil Ball of ESPN Soccernet has the roundup. The story over the last seven days has been the dramatic fall of FC Sevilla and the return to prominence of the Leo Messi-inspired Barcelona. After a shaky start to the season, Barca has won […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Despite Final Loss, a Victory for Brazil
Germany may have shut out the Brazilian women in successfully defending its second successive Women’s World Cup final, but the Brazilian team’s remarkable campaign — highlighted by the 4-0 shalacking it gave the U.S. women in the semifinal — could prove to be a watershed moment in the history of women’s soccer. It certainly went […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
UConn’s Reid earns 300th win with emphatic victory
[MILESTONE] Ray Reid became the fourth Division I men’s coach to pick up his 300th win since the start of the 2007 season when Connecticut beat St. John’s, 3-0, Friday in a Big East match that drew a crowd of 5,116 fans at Morrone Stadium.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Morgan propels Cal past depleted Santa Clara
[UPSET] California picked up the biggest win since Neil McGuire took over as women’s head coach on Sunday when the Golden Bears knocked off No. 1 Santa Clara, 2-0, on the road. Freshman forward Alex Morgan opened the scoring with her fourth goal of the weekend.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Canadian Lang celebrates UCLA return in style
[COMEBACK] After missing all of last year with a knee injury and the first seven matches of this season while representing Canada at the Women’s World Cup in China, UCLA forward Kara Lang celebrated her return to college soccer with two goals in the Bruins’ 2-1 overtime win over No. 2 Portland Friday night.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Soccer America Men’s Top 25
Connecticut returns to No. 2 behind unbeaten and untied Wake Forest in the Soccer America Men’s Top 25. Villanova is the only new team in this week’s Top 25. For the complete Top 25 rankings …