[PDL RESULTS] The expansion Hampton Roads Piranhas clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference and captured the PDL regular season title, becoming only the eighth team to finish with an unbeaten record in PDL history. The defending champion Michigan Bucks will host the Central Conference playoff tournament July 27-28. The complete playoff field: Central Conference — Cape Cod Crusaders, Brooklyn Knights, Michigan Bucks, Chicago Fire Premier, Thunder Bay Chill, St. Louis Lions, Hampton Roads Piranhas, Ocean City Barons, Carolina Dynamo, Central Florida Kraze, Laredo Heat, El Paso Patriots, BYU, Tacoma Tide, Fresno Fuego and San Fernando Valley Quakes.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Adu and Bradley named to Under-20 World Cup team
Americans Freddy Adu and Michael Bradley were named to the U-20 World Cup team by FIFA’s Technical Study Group. The 27-player short list was used to pick the player of the tournament. Adu finished sixth in the balloting. Goals by Danny Szetela and Adu remain in contention for the top goal of the tournament.
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Coaches to match wits at U-14 boys nationals
[UNDER-14 BOYS PREVIEW] Former pros Braeden Cloutier and Nilton Batata will go up against veteran youth coaches Steve Nichols and Bruce Talbot when CASL Elite, Sockers FC, West Coast FC and the Baltimore Casa Mia Bays meet at the US Youth Soccer National Championships that begin Wednesday in Frisco, Texas.
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Top U-15 talent on display at National Championships
[UNDER-15 BOYS PREVIEW] Fans will get to see some of the country’s best young players when PDA Larsson, Sereno White, Michigan Wolves Black and Lonestars compete at US Youth Soccer’s 2007 finals in Frisco, Texas.
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Tough U-16 opposition awaits two-time defending champion Real So Cal
[UNDER-16 BOYS PREVIEW] Real So Cal (the former So Cal United) looks to become only the second boys club to win three straight national titles in its age group when it faces the Michigan Wolves, Houstonians and FC Delco Hammerheads at the 2007 US Youth Soccer National Championships this week.
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Real Colorado faces U-17 powerhouses at nationals
[UNDER-17 BOYS PREVIEW] The Real Colorado Nationals join three of the dominant U-17 teams in their age group — FC Milwaukee Blue, Dallas club Andromeda and FC Delco Dynamo — at the US Youth Soccer National Championships being played this week at the Pizza Hut Park complex.
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Arsenal FC goes for four in a row at U-18 nationals
[UNDER-18 BOYS PREVIEW] Arsenal FC remains on course for its fourth straight national title its age group. No team had ever won three in a row until the Alta Loma, Calif., club won the 2006 U-17 title. Atlanta Fire United and a pair of upstart teams — Terryville Fire of Long Island and Nebraska’s NFC Bluejays — also compete at US Youth Soccer’s U-18 boys nationals July 25-29.
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Mighty Dallas Texans Red hope to go out with McGuire Cup title
[UNDER-19 BOYS PREVIEW] The quartet, led by two-time national champion Dallas Texans Red, is one of the strongest in the history of the 72-year history of the McGuire Cup. The Texans Red are joined by the Baltimore Casa Mia Bays, Chicago Magic and South San Jose/San Juan Ruckus at the US Youth Soccer National Championships July 25-29 in Frisco, Texas.
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U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships Schedule
The U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships begin Wednesday at Pizza Hut Park, home of FC Dallas, in Frisco, Texas. For the complete boys and girls schedule …
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Soccer on TV
SuperLiga, Pan American, Asian Cup and German League Cup games are part of the midweek slate, which also includes New York-Chivas USA on ESPN2’s Thursday Night MLS Game of the Week.
Posted inGrassroots Soccer Biz, Story
Soccer Volunteers Are Vanishing
Just as the automotive industry has responded to the need for more fuel-efficiency and produced hybrid cars, youth soccer is facing a similar adjustment.
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
The SuperLiga, which pits MLS clubs against Mexican league foes, kicks off Tuesday. All games of eight-team tournament are televised live by Spanish-language TeleFutura.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Blanco Brilliant in Fire Debut
On the day after Beckham’s landing, Cuauhtemoc Blanco made his Chicago Fire debut against Glasgow Celtic, the team the MLS All-Stars beat 2-0 last Thursday. The Daily Southtown’s Nick Firchau says that while Blanco’s unveiling was a decidedly lower-key affair, the Mexican star fared better than the injured Becks in his debut. Easily the best […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Beckham Relief, Mourinho Praise Following Galaxy Debut
The David Beckham debut spectacle is finally over. Following three hours of all-Beckham pre-game coverage, 19 cameras and the mentioning of his name every 10-15 seconds, the L.A. Galaxy’s new franchise man hobbled around bravely for 15 minutes to oohs and ahs and thunderous applause at his every touch (about 10 in all) before a […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Kroenke Still Intends to Take over Arsenal
Colorado Rapids owner Stan Kroenke looks to be on a mission to add more Arsenal shares to his 12.2 percent total, according to the Independent. After a meeting with Danny Fiszman, the English Premier League club’s largest shareholder, the American billionaire is attempting to join forces to mount a full takeover. The report says the […]
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Beckerman Steers RSL to 2-0 Win Over Everton
Real Salt Lake can’t win a game in MLS, but it blanked American keeper Tim Howard and EPL giant Everton, 2-0, in that other exhibition game on Saturday. RSL’s victory was arguably the standout result of the weekend, especially for a last-place team that’s won just one game in 15 in league play. As the […]
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Revs & Dynamo serve up a barn-burner
New England and Houston, leaders of the MLS’s East and West conferences, played to a 3-3 tie at New England in a game that saw Houston’s 746-minute shutout streak come to an end. John Wolyniec headed home the winner in the New York Red Bulls’ 1-0 win over D.C. United after Jozy Altidore nodded on a Claudio Reyna free kick. Argentine Guillermo Barros Schelotto scored twice as Columbus downed Toronto FC. Colorado, winless since late May, enjoyed a 2-2 tie with Kansas City.
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Iraq victory at Asian Cup touches off wild celebrations back home
Iraq, Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia moved into the semifinals of the Asian Cup with wins over the weekend. Captain Younis Mahmoud scored twice to give Iraq a 2-0 win over upstart Vietnam and advance to the semifinals of the Asian Cup for the first time since 1976. Iraqis of all backgrounds took to the streets to celebrate the victory by the team of Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish players. Three people were killed and 25 others injured by stray bullets in Baghdad.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“He brings something special to the team. You notice in 75 percent of the times we got in the attacking third, it was through him that we created the better chances.”
— Chicago coach Juan Carlos Osorio on Mexican attacker Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who like fellow MLS superstar newcomer made his debut in a friendly against a British club. But Blanco spent much more time on the field than Beckham and scored in the 30th minute for the Chicago Fire in a 1-1 tie Glasgow Celtic. (USA Today)
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Blanco scores in Fire debut; RSL beats Everton
Saturday’s Galaxy-Chelsea game wasn’t the only international friendly played over the weekend in the United States. Tigres of Mexico won the World Series of Football with a 3-0 win over Suwon Blue Wings of South Korea in the first game of the doubleheader with the Galaxy-Chelsea game at the Home Depot Center. Mexican star Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored in his Chicago Fire debut as the MLS club tie Scottish champion Celtic, 1-1, before 15,719 fans. Playing without Freddy Adu, rumored to headed to Benfica of Portugal, Real Salt Lake beat Everton of England, 2-0, before 12,221 fans. Mexico international Israel Lopez scored twice on free kicks to give Cruz Azul of Mexico a 3-1 win over Libertadores Cup champion Boca Juniors in the final of the inaugural Copa Panamericana in Glendale, Ariz.
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The Beckham Era Begins
He debuted. He played. He didn’t get hurt, or at least, didn’t apparently injure himself any further. Now what? Now that Chelsea won, and the Galaxy lost, and David Beckham has been officially presented in a match of that hoary 1-0 scoreline, can American soccer resume normal behavior?
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Charleston ends Portland’s seven-game USL-1 winning streak
Former Portland Timber forward Byron Alvarez helped the Charleston Battery end USL First Division leader Portland’s seven-game winning streak as the Timbers fell 2-0 to the Battery Sunday night at Blackbaud Stadium. The Richmond Kickers became the first team to clinch a playoff berth in the USL-2. For complete results and goalscorers …
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Friedel and Califf earn wins in Intertoto Cup
Americans Brad Friedel (Blackburn Rovers), Danny Califf (AaA Aalborg) and Charlie Davies (Hammarby) were in action as the Intertoto Cup, Europe’s summer competition that serves as qualifying for the UEFA Cup, moved into the third round. Blackburn and Aalborg both won on the road, while Hammarby tied Dutch club Utrecht, 0-0, at home. For complete Intertoto Cup results …
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Argentina’s Aguero sweeps top honors at Under-20 World Cup
[UNDER-20 WORLD CUP AWARDS] Like fellow Argentine Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero is small in stature but a big-time player. The 5-foot-7 Aguero followed in the footsteps of Messi and swept MVP and top scorer honors at the Under-20 World Cup.
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Argentina beats Czech Republic to repeat as U-20 champion
Argentina successfully defended its Under-20 World Cup title and won for the sixth time when it defeated the Czech Republic, 2-1, on Sunday in Toronto. The Czechs took the lead in the second half on a fine goal by Martin Fenin, but the Argentines recovered thanks to goals by Sergio Aguero, the tournament’s MVP and top scorer, and Mauro Zarate. Aguero scored off a through ball from playmaker Ever Banega, and Zarate beat Czech keeper Radek Petr to the near post with a fierce shot from the edge of the area in the 86th minute.