“Have they stopped scoring yet?” Seldom is this heard in a high-class soccer game, but only the final whistle kept the Galaxy and FC Dallas from hitting double-digits — apiece — in their incredible SuperLiga match Tuesday night at Pizza Hut Park. Eleven goals, three of them in stoppage time: That’s entertainment.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Freddy Adu: ‘I am very happy’
The Freddy phenomenon died here a long time ago. It’s only now begun in Lisbon, where a crowd of 100 fans and reporters greeted Freddy Adu upon his arrival at Portela Airport from Washington to finalize his contract with Portuguese giant Benfica.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Soccer on TV
Group play in the SuperLiga concludes on Wednesday. All games of eight-team tournament are televised live by Spanish-language TeleFutura. ESPN2 has added live coverage of Sunday’s Toronto FC-Los Angeles game (blacked out in Los Angeles).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Freddy’s been very devoted to working hard, being a contributor. He became a better and more mature player. He’s still only 18. When we step outside world of MLS, a good league with veteran players and put him with his peers on a world stage – and peers that are older than him – Freddy clearly has progressed.”
— MLS deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis on 18-year-old Freddy Adu, who joined Portugal’s Benfica after four years in MLS. (AP)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. Club Soccer National Cup VI Champions
U.S. Club Soccer crowded 2007 National Cup VI champions on Tuesday in Super Group and Premier divisions for U-15 to U-17 girls teams at Bryan Park in Greensboro, N.C. and U-12 to U-14 boys teams at Springwood Park in Burlington, N.C. U-15 to U-17 boys champions were crowned last week in Greensboro.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Dynamo and D.C. play for spot(s) in SuperLiga semifinals
There’s much more on the line than a spot in the SuperLiga semifinals when Houston hosts D.C. United Wednesday (8 p.m. ET, TeleFutura, mlslive.tv) as play concludes in Group B. Tied atop the group with four points, neither team is assured of advancing should this match end in a tie. If Morelia beats Club America (10 p.m. ET, TeleFutura, mlslive.tv), there would be a three-way logjam of teams with five points and tiebreakers would be needed to determine which two teams move on and which one does not.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Beasley’s Rangers opens Champions League bid with 2-0 win
DaMarcus Beasley didn’t off the bench in Scottish club Rangers’ first official match since he was transferred from Dutch champion PSV, a 2-0 win over FK Zeta of Montenegro in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League second round qualifying series.
Posted inGrassroots Soccer Biz, Story
How To Protect Your 501(C)(3) Status
Maintaining your nonprofit status is one of the most critical components of any soccer organization’s future success.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Rossi Joins Villarreal
Manchester United’s Italian-American striker Giuseppe Rossi will play in La Liga next season, joining Spanish giant Villarreal in a transfer deal for approximately $13.7 million, according to various media reports. The 20-year-old Rossi spent all of last season on loan, first with Newcastle United of the EPL, where he received little playing time, and then […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Coming Soon: Boca Juniors USA?
Boca Juniors, Argentina’s most famous club and the current South American champion, is looking at the possibility of establishing a satellite franchise in MLS as soon as next season. Apparently, Boca’s board is excited by the idea, and (surprise, surprise) favored son Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who currently plays with the Columbus Crew, is expected to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Favored Brazil Launches 2014 World Cup Bid
As expected, the Brazilian Soccer Federation (CBF) has submitted a bid to host the 2014 World Cup in the form of a massive 900-page dossier handed over to FIFA on Monday by CBF President Ricardo Teixeira. The South American giant last hosted the World Cup in 1950 and is the only country bidding to host […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Donovan Deserves Player of the Year
The voting for the U.S. Honda Player of the Year Award has concluded, and the Newark Star-Ledger’s Frank Giase says there should be little argument over Landon Donovan winning his fourth award in the last six years. The 25-year-old Donovan, who swept the honor for three straight years (2002-2004), has scored nine goals in 11 […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Johnston, TFC’s Canadian ‘Handicap’
The Toronto Star has an interesting story about the difficulties Toronto FC faces as a Canadian team in MLS. Following the news that TFC keeper Greg Sutton had not sufficiently recovered from a concussion sustained during last month’s Gold Cup, Coach Mo Johnston vetted his frustration to the Star about how he can’t find a […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
Group play in the SuperLiga concludes this weekend with MLS and Mexican interleague matches. All games of eight-team tournament are televised live by Spanish-language TeleFutura. Fox Soccer Channel will have live coverage of the traditional English curtain-raiser as Manchester United and Chelsea meet in the FA Community Shield.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“For however frustrated we all are, we’ve got to wait until the moment when he can step on the field and play. It’s soon, it’s coming.”
— L.A. Galaxy coach Frank Yallop on injured David Beckham, who won’t play at FC Dallas on Tuesday although the Galaxy needs a win or a draw to reach the SuperLiga semifinals. Beckham twisted his ankle playing for England in a Euro 2008 qualifying match in early June and aggravated it in his final appearance for Real Madrid 11 days later.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Castillo headed to wealthy Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk
Mexican international Nery Castillo, the revelation of Gold Cup and Copa America, is set to sign a lucrative deal with Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk in a $20.5 million transfer from Olympiakos, the Greek club at which he has been since he was 16.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Behold the backlash of Beckham!
FC Dallas president Michael Hitchcock fired the first salvo in the SuperLiga showdown between his team and the Galaxy, 24 hours before kickoff (8 p.m. ET, TeleFutura, mlslive.tv) at Pizza Hut Park.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Adu needs clear view of his new world
Freddy Adu is within a few dollars of realizing his dream: a spot with a prestigious European team, in this case Benfica of Portugal, which has bid $2 million to buy his contract from MLS that expires at the end of this year. No doubt if terms are successfully negotiated and he signs a deal with Benfica or another team, one of his first statements will pertain to being shackled and stifled in MLS, his creativity smothered, his talents squandered. Such a perception is perfectly understandable from a spoon-fed prodigy handed a half-million-dollar salary and lucrative endorsements at age 14, and anointed as great by those people who represent him and the league that embraced him. The perception is also perfectly wrong.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Report backs Toronto police in clash with Chilean U-20s
A Toronto police report released Monday concluded that officers acted appropriately during a clash with players and staff of the Chilean U-20 team after their semifinal match with Argentina on July 19 at the Under-20 World Cup.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2007 W-League All-League and All-Conference Teams
Former U.S. national team star Tiffeny Milbrett of the Vancouver Whitecaps heads the 2007 All-W-League team. The all-league team included players from Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Switzerland as well as the USA.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Statistical Leaders
MLS’s four games last week produced 13 goals, pushing the average goals per game for the 2007 season up to 2.65. MLS averaged 2.62 goals per game in 2006.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2007 PDL All-League and All-Conference Teams
Three members of the regular-season champion Hampton Roads Piranhas — Evan Newton, David Horst and Andrew Wheeler — head the All-Premier Development League Team.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. U-14 Boys Development Camp Roster
U.S. Soccer is conducting a weeklong identification camp in its U-14 boys development program. There were 119 players were selected from the four regions across the United States to participate in the camp that began on Sunday at Middlesex School in Concord, Mass.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Pele: ‘Pop Star’ Becks Better Focus on Soccer
Pele, the Brazilian widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, has fired a warning to the L.A. Galaxy’s David Beckham, warning him that achieving glory in MLS will be far tougher than many think. Beckham has repeatedly stated that his intention in coming to America is to raise the profile of soccer in […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Big Question Still Looms in L.A.
Surprisingly well-received by fans, and surprising (perhaps) for the success MLS teams are enjoying, the SuperLiga is (rightly) garnering all the attention in American soccer recently. However, after all is said and done, David Beckham’s left ankle should be just about healed, and the attention surrounding MLS will inevitably revert back to the question that […]