During a girls game in Norway, a mother stormed the field, attacked a 13-year-old player, pushing her to the ground. She swore at several other players and put the referee into a stranglehold before being restrained, reports the Aftenposten. “The referee was completely shaken and the players were crying,” said Tor Eriksen of the Bardufoss regional sports association.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Red Bulls to Revamp Defense?
The New York Red Bulls, porous at the back over the last few weeks, have taken the first of what The North Jersey Herald’s Ives Galarcep says could be a series of moves to shake up its “faltering defense” by trading left-back Todd Dunivant to Toronto FC in exchange for Kevin Goldthwaite. You’d think the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Beasley Confirmed at Rangers
As expected, American winger DaMarcus Beasley has completed the switch from PSV Eindhoven to Glasgow Rangers, signing a three-year deal with the Scottish Premier League giant. Beasley was in Glasgow on Wednesday to put the finishing touches on the deal, which is now only subject to him receiving a work permit. The club said the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Protests in Madrid as Liverpool Eyes Torres
Atletico Madrid is staring at the prospect of a full-fledged fan revolt after reports in Spain revealed that star striker Fernando Torres is in advanced talks with English giant Liverpool. Angry fans gathered in a Madrid plaza to protest the sale of the 23-year-old, who was brought up in the ranks at Atletico and has […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Becks and Co. to Sell out RFK
Tickets for D.C. United’s Aug. 9 match against David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy are on pace to sell out, according to the Washington Times. United officials on Tuesday said that approximately 30,000 tickets had been sold to season-ticket holders, groups and fans who purchased muti-game packages for the game, leaving 12,500 upper-deck seats for […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Copa America a Big Test for Mapp
The American soccer press is largely disappointed at the squad Coach Bob Bradley has chosen to send to the 2007 Copa America; few expect the inexperienced side to make it past the group stage, and more than one reporter/columnist/blogger has already started cringing ahead of Thursday’s debut against a full-strength Argentina. Luis Arroyave of the […]
Posted inSoccer Business Insider, Story
A Naysayer View of Pro Soccer
Beckham is coming to America to lend his enormous global brand power to pro soccer, to underscore that the game has arrived here, and to help the former colonists grasp the gravity of the sport. Although I am a lifelong player and coach, and passionate about soccer, I believe “Beck’s” arrival will have even less impact on the pro game than did Pele’s in his era.
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Chicago hones in on new coach
The list of candidates to take over the head coaching position in Chicago – interim coach Denis Hamlett, former U.S. international Frank Klopas, ex-MetroStar assistant coach Juan Carlos Osorio, and Revs’ assistant Paul Mariner – does have a favorite. President and GM John Guppy, a native of England, has stated the coach will speak Spanish.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Salt Lake’s owner Checketts doesn’t get GolTV
Majority ownership in GolTV will not become part of Real Salt Lake operator-investor Dave Checketts’ sports and entertainment empire.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Two Americans on Gold Cup All-Tournament Team
Before the most important game of the Gold Cup – that would be the final – the CONCACAF Technical Study Group named its 2007 Gold Cup All-Tournament Team, which includes two members of the championship U.S. team. They are defender Frankie Hejduk, who missed the final with a yellow-card suspension, and Pablo Mastroeni, who was subbed at halftime in the final. Americans Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley were selected as “Honorable Mentions” by the Technical Study Group.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Gold Cup attendance average up by 11,000
The attendance average for the 2007 Gold Cup’s 13 game days was 37,598, an increase of more than 11,000 from the previous championship tournament of North and Central America and the Caribbean. The 2007 attendance average was the highest since 1993, when the USA co-hosted the tournament with Mexico. The 2005 was also co-hosted; the USA was lone host for the other seven Gold Cups. For Gold Cup attendance history:
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
‘Trader Mo’s’ latest deal lands Todd Dunivant
His penchant to swap players has anointed Toronto head coach Mo Johnston with the nickname “Trader Mo,” yet his trigger-finger frenzy of jettisoning players he’s recently acquired is more “Quick Draw McGraw.”
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. SOCCER ACADEMY: The venerable Nomads
[CLUB PROFILE]. Nomads SC of Southern California, a pioneer in American youth soccer, was one of the first clubs accepted by the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. In the first of a Soccer America series profiling the clubs that will field teams, we look at Nomads, which were founded in 1976 and by the mid-1980s became of the one of the first fully staffed, multi-team elite youth clubs that soon proliferated throughout the nation.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. Soccer youth academy moves full speed ahead
With more than a month to go before the deadline to apply to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, 21 clubs have already been accepted to field boys U-16 and U-18 teams in the program that launches next fall. The Academy, an extension of the U.S. national team program, was unveiled June 4. On Tuesday, U.S. Soccer named 10 clubs that are joining the 11 clubs that were accepted June 15. So far, clubs from 12 states are represented. The 10 newest clubs are Chicago Magic & Chicago Sockers (Ill.), IMG Soccer Academy, Kendall Soccer Coalition (Florida) & Clearwater Chargers (Fla.), Crossfire Premier (Wash.), Greensboro Youth SC (N.C.), Mustang FC (Calif.), Oakwood (Conn.) and Vardar (Michigan). U.S. Soccer coaches will select qualified applicants on a rolling basis until Aug. 1.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Rochester survives upset bid by Western Mass in U.S. Open Cup
[U.S. OPEN CUP RESULTS] The Rochester Rhinos needed an overtime goal from Aaran Lines to beat the West Mass Pioneers of the USL Second Division, 2-1, and avoid an upset in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Richmond Strikers, the 1995 Open Cup champions, and Harrisburg City Islanders are the lowest-ranked teams left in the final 16 of the competition. Both represent the USL-2. The USL-1 expansion California Victory got an overtime goal from Ricardo Sanchez to win, 1-0, at the Minnesota Thunder. Sanchez was ejected in the celebration that followed the goal for one of four red cards handed out in the game. For complete results and goalscorers …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS star Moreno scores for Bolivia in Copa America opener
Longtime MLS star Jaime Moreno celebrated his return to the Copa America after an eight-year absence by scoring by help Bolivia tie host Venezuela, 2-2, Tuesday on the opening day of the 12-team South American championship. In the other Group A opener, Peru shocked Uruguay, 3-0, on goals by Miguel Villalta, Juan Marino and Paolo Guerrero.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Former Germany coach Derwall dies at the age of 80
[OBITUARY] Jupp Derwall, who coached Germany to the 1980 European Championship title and 1982 World Cup final, died Tuesday at the age of 80 after a short illness. When Derwall was named West German national team coach in 1978, he was only its third full-time head coach, following the legendary Sepp Herberger, who led West Germany to the 1954 World Cup title, and Helmut Schoen, who led West Germany to the 1974 World Cup title and whom Derwall replaced.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2007 Copa America TV Schedule
The 2007 Copa America continues Wednesday with two games, including the showdown between defending champion Brazil and 2007 Gold Cup runner-up Mexico, which will be shown in prime time on Univision, reflecting the huge interest in the tournament in Latino communities across the country. For the complete Copa America TV schedule …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Zimmerman replaces injured Smith on U-20s
Forward Preston Zimmerman has replaced Johann Smith on the U.S. U-20 national team roster for the Under-20 World Cup that starts Saturday in Canada. Smith suffered a third-degree strain of his right ankle in the U-20s’ 4-0 scrimmage win against New Zealand on Monday in Somerset, N.J. In January, Smith was a part of the U.S. team that qualified for the Under-20 World Cup, scoring a goal and an assist in one appearance in Panama. The 20-year-old forward plays professionally in England for Bolton Wanderers, for which he made his Premier League debut in 2006.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Only four defending champions left in Region II youth championships
[REGION II SEMIFINAL RESULTS] Only four defending champions advanced to Wednesday’s finals at the US Youth Soccer Region II Championships, and they are all on the boys’ side: U-15 Michigan Wolves, U-16 and U-18 Chicago Magic and U-17 FC Milwaukee. Eclipse Select of Illinois sent four teams to last year’s US Youth Soccer National Championships and looked to do the same this year, all four teams advancing to the semifinals lost. Michigan’s Bloomfield Force picked up the biggest win with a 4-0 victory over FC Milwaukee on a pair of goals each by Laura Heyboer and Amanda Bowery. For complete Region II semifinal results …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Bayern Munich goes on spending spree
[TRANSFER TALK] No team has been as aggressive on the transfer market as Bayern Munich, which was dethroned as German champion and failed to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Its signing of Germany striker Miroslav Klose from Bundesliga rival Werder Bremen took its spending on players during the offseason to more than $94 million. Here’s a look at the Bayern signees …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Mexico’s Sanchez is under the gun at Copa America
[PREVIEW] Gold Cup runner-up Mexico will be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire when it opens Group B play on Wednesday in Puerto Ordaz. After losing yet again to the United States, Mexico must face defending champion Brazil to open the Copa America (TV: Univision, Gol TV-English, live, 8:30 pm ET). Mexico will be without five starters from the Gold Cup final. To make matters worse, Coach Hugo Sanchez is under intense criticism from the press in both Mexico and the United States.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Young players are a little bit like melons. Only when you open and taste the melon are you 100 percent sure that the melon is good. Sometimes you have beautiful melons but they don’t taste very good and some other melons are a bit ugly and when you open them, the taste is fantastic.”
— Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho chimes in on youth development (Sky Sports)
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
America Braces for the Next British Invasion
America might find it amusing when Victoria Beckham shows up at an L.A. Dodgers game to throw the first pitch, but the arrival of her husband in Major League Soccer, to the potential tune of $250 million over five years, is something a great deal more serious. The American media likes big money and a […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Sven off to City as English Officials Probe Foreign Ownership
Former England coach Sven Goran-Eriksson looks set to take the managerial reigns at Manchester City, though the deal can’t officially go through until prospective new owner Thaksin Shinawatra has completed his proposed purchase of 75 percent of the club’s shares, which is expected to happen now that City’s board has recommended that shareholders accept the […]