With two shutouts in USL First Division action, Rochester’s Scott Vallow tied and surpassed Billy Andracki as the all-time regular-season win leader in Rhinos history. Vallow was just back after missing four months with a biceps injury. The shutouts ended a club record streak of 12 games without a shutout. Josh Wicks also had two shutouts in a pair of scoreless draws for Portland, which needs just one point to clinch a playoff berth.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Houston-Pachuca, the rematch
[SUPERLIGA PREVIEW] The roles have reversed, somewhat, since Houston and Pachuca met in a riveting CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal five months ago. Houston hosts Pachuca Tuesday night in the semifinals of the SuperLiga. This time around, the Dynamo is the team in the midst of its regular season. Yet it has lost its last two league games by 1-0 scores after running through its SuperLiga first-round group against D.C. United, Club America, and Morelia unbeaten.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Statistical Leaders
Los Angeles (22,586), D.C. United (20,940) and Toronto FC (20,089) all average more than 20,000 fans per game and the league average is up to 15,382 fans a game. Never have three teams averaged more than 20,000 fans in a season. Three times — 1996, 1997 and 2001 — two teams surpassed 20,000 a game.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Becks Does His Job without Playing
He was there and yet he wasn’t, says the Boston Globe’s John Powers. David Beckham may have been on the field at Gillette Stadium on Sunday night, but — and many of the 35,000-plus fans who showed up just to see him didn’t know this — his name wasn’t even on the team sheet. Beckham’s […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Despite Injury, Becks May Travel with England
L.A. Galaxy midfielder David Beckham made it sound like he might join up with Steve McClaren’s England squad for the friendly with Germany on Aug. 22 even if he can’t play. “I spoke to Steve [McClaren] about my fitness and how it has been over here,” Beckham said. “He said he is looking forward to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Rest Does the Bulls Good
In the middle of a season, it’s not often that you’ll hear talk about a 16-day layoff as being a good thing for a soccer team, but it certainly looks as though rest and recuperation have done a world of good for Coach Bruce Arena and the New York Red Bulls, who stormed back to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Real Adds Two Dutchman Not Named Robben
Fresh from a 1-0 loss to Sevilla in the first leg of the curtain-raising Spanish Super Cup, Real Madrid on Monday completed the signing of Dutch pair Royston Drenthe and Wesley Sneijder. Drenthe, a left winger, cost $19 million from Feyenoord, while Sneijder cost a hefty $37 million from Ajax. “To play for Real Madrid […]
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
U.S. Soccer: Why the Development Academy?
Whether to pursue entry into U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy wasn’t an easy choice for many of the nation’s top clubs, particularly in areas like North Texas and Southern California, where clubs are already entrenched in highly competitive leagues.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
MLS Midseason Report
The Eastern Conference is loaded, but the best team(s) may be out west. Houston, New England and D.C. United look like the most likely champions with one half of the season to be played, yet a few others are impossible to dismiss.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
U.S. Men’s team: Summer Lessons
Some players dazzled, others stumbled as U.S. teams played 14 matches in three countries during a trio of international tournaments. Amid the results emerged the next crop of candidates for the 2010 World Cup squad, with the fortunes of many players partially dependent on next year’s Olympic Games.
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Youth: Gottschee Embraces New Era
Members of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy for its inaugural 2007-08 season are mainly suburban clubs that grew out of the late 20th century’s youth soccer boom. But New York City’s BW Gottschee has been fielding youth teams for 50 years. Ben Boehm isn’t your typical Director of Coaching. He doesn’t earn tens of thousands […]
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Rennie: Dean of College Coaches
Duke coach John Rennie is still going strong in his fourth decade of Division I coaching. Legend has it that Chatham High School in New Jersey had abandoned its football program early in the last century because the mayor’s son had broken his neck on the gridiron. So back in the 1960s, top young Chatham […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
The semifinals of the SuperLiga will be broadcast Tuesday and Wednesday on TeleFutura. The Under-17 World Cup begins this weekend on ESPNU.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Wayne Rooney out with another broken foot
England star Wayne Rooney broke his foot in Manchester United’s 0-0 tie with Reading on Sunday and could be out for as long as three months.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I struggled in the first few days with breakfast. Instead of a croissant and cappuccino, I was faced with eggs. Things are better now, though, and Sven Goran Eriksson is imposing a dietary regime which is very Italian.”
— Italian striker Rolando Bianchi on one of the many changes Manchester City’s new manager, Sven Goran Eriksson, has made for top accommodate his many new signings from abroad. Eriksson replaced the traditional breakfast of eggs, bangers, bacon and beans with a continental breakfast of coffee and croissants at City’s training camp. The moves may have had an effect. City opened with a 2-0 win at West Ham on Saturday. (Sunday People)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
International Soccer Scoreboard
Chelsea and Arsenal both rallied from early deficits to win their English Premier League openers at home. Action also began in Germany, where defending champion Stuttgart was held to a 2-2 tie by runner-up Schalke 04.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Teen Torres makes first start for Mexican champion Pachuca
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Texas-born teen Jose Francisco Torres became one of the youngest Americans ever to start for a Mexican club when he started for 2007 Torneo Clausura champion Pachuca in a 3-1 win over Morelia.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Big weekend for Yank keepers in EPL
[AMERICANS ABROAD WRAPUP] Tim Howard made a diving save late in the game to preserve Everton’s 2-1 victory over Wigan. Brad Friedel was in goal for Blackburn in a winning effort on the road, beating Middlesbrough, 2-1.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Hahnemann heroics at Old Trafford
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Keeper Marcus Hahnemann was outstanding as 10-man Reading held defending English Premier League champion Manchester United to a 0-0 tie on the opening weekend of the 2007-08 season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Dramatic Dallas win; Red Bulls romp
[MLS WEEKEND WRAPUP] Dallas takes over top spot in the Western Conference by beating Columbus as Houston loses it second straight; the Red Bulls return from a long hiatus to thump Toronto; and a big crowd at Gillette Stadium sees a victory but not David Beckham.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Laredo captures first PDL championship
The Laredo Heat won its first Premier Development League championship with a 4-3 win over the Michigan Bucks in a shootout to gain revenge for their loss to Michigan in last year’s final. Felix Garcia, 17, scored the winner in the shootout that followed 120 minutes of scoreless play.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. women roll past New Zealand, 6-1, in tuneup
The USA easily disposed of New Zealand, 6-1, on Sunday in Chicago in its next-to-last friendly before departing for the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China. The Americans dominated the Kiwis, outshooting them by a margin of 33-2. The win improved the USA to 14-0-2 in 2007 and 10-0-2 against teams who will be playing in the Women’s World Cup.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Real Planning Dutch Makeover?
Contrary to reports in Spain, Real Madrid still has yet to capture Arjen Robben from Chelsea. The Spanish champion is believed to have offered $47 million for the Dutch winger, although Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho earlier Friday characterized his transfer status as “wait and see.” Chelsea had been hoping to use the funds from Robben’s […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
NBA Star Uses His Other Passion to Stay in Shape
Some NBA players take part of the summer off, some just lift weights in the gym, but Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns, a two-time NBA MVP, spends his summers playing soccer in New York City. “It’s better for me than just running lines,” Nash said. “I don’t want to play a lot of basketball […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Turf Comes Back to Haunt Becks [#22977]
Becks is likely to make his first start for the Galaxy against the Eastern Conference-leading New England Revolution on Sunday — that is, if his tender left ankle holds up on the turf. Indeed, the L.A. Galaxy star revealed that he’s no fan of FieldTurf. In fact, Beckham was forced to apologize for his negative […]