Following Honduras’ 5-0 rout of Cuba, Mexico knew it was playing for second place against Panama on Wednesday night, and a 60th-minute strike from Carlos Salcido proved to be enough to reach that goal. However, the Tricolores played far from inspiring stuff for long stretches, and overall, Panama looked the more dangerous of the two […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
U.S. Jumps 13 Places in FIFA Rankings
Thanks to a series of bright performances in the Gold Cup, the United States jumped a whopping 13 places in the latest rankings from FIFA, from 29th to 16th, thanks to consecutive wins against China, Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago. The 4-0 victory against El Salvador will be added to the team’s results list when […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
A Tale of Two Payments
As England’s Lions’ give away their national team fees to cancer research, a whole bunch of money is being lodged in the direction of certain teams in Spain to ensure that they, well, do their job- namely, win. As one of the tightest La Liga title races in history comes to its dramatic close, the […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“I’ve worked hard the last couple of years to earn this opportunity to get back on the national team.”
— D.C. United star Jaime Moreno, who has ben called up by Bolivia to play in the Copa America. He had not played for Bolivia for five years until a recent appearance in a friendly game against Ireland in Foxboro, Mass. The 33-year-old Moreno has scored three goals this season for United to tie Jason Kreis for MLS’s all-time goalscoring record with 108 goals.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Boca crushes Gremio, 3-0, in first leg of Libertadores Cup final
Boca put itself in good shape to capture its sixth Libertadores Cup title when it beat Gremio of Brazil, 3-0, in the the first leg of the final on Wednesday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA to face tricky Panama in Gold Cup quarterfinals
The USA-Mexico showdown at the Gold Cup will have to wait for later. Mexico again struggled but held off Panama, 1-0, on Wednesday in Houston to finish second in Group C and avoid a date with the USA in the quarterfinals. Instead, it’s Panama, one of the most dangerous teams in the tournament, that Bob Bradley‘s Americans will meet in a difficult quarterfinal test.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Prime-time pummeling on tap?
[TV PREVIEW] Thursday’s ESPN2 game looks like the mother of all mismatches. But it’s not. Western Conference leader FC Dallas (6-5-1) visits last-place Real Salt Lake (0-3-6), the only MLS team yet to post a victory and smarting from fines and other disciplinary measures meted out by MLS (kickoff: 9 pm ET).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Toronto FC trades Buddle to Galaxy for suspended Marshall
Toronto FC’s wheeling and dealing continued Wednesday when it traded Edson Buddle to the Los Angeles Galaxy for Jamaican national team defender Tyrone Marshall. The deal came the same day MLS suspended Marshall three games and fined him $1,500 for a tackle on FC Dallas forward Kenny Cooper in the 89th minute of the Galaxy’s game on June 9. Cooper’s leg was broken on the play that resulted in a red card for Marshall.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U-17s head to South Korea for pre-World Cup tournament
The U.S. under-17 boys national team will travel to South Korea, host of this summer’s Under-17 World Cup, for the Eight Nations Tournament to be held June 17-24. The USA is slated to play Japan on June 17, Nigeria on June 19 and New Zealand on June 21 in three different World Cup venues. For the U-17 roster …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Former Canada hero nabbed in drug bust
Igor Vrablic, a star on Canada’s 1986 World Cup team, was one of two men arrested in Waterloo, Ont., last week in connection with a drug raid that netted 8.5 kilos of marijuana, 3,000 ecstasy pills and drug paraphernalia, as well as $11,000 in Canadian money and another $6,000 in U.S. currency. The Slovakian-born Vrablic scored in Canada’s 2-1 victory over Honduras that clinched a berth in the 1986 World Cup finals — Canada’s only appearance in the finals — and started in two of the games in Mexico.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Brazil to take loaded team to U-20 World Cup
Brazil, which will face the USA in the first round, has named its team for the Under-20 World Cup. Coach Nelson Rodrigues‘ squad includes Lucas and Carlos Eduardo, two of the most influential players on 2007 Libertadores Cup finalists Gremio, and four European-based players, David Marinho of Benfica (Portugal), Marcelo of Real Madrid (Spain), Jo of CSKA Moscow (Russia) and Luiz Adriano of Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
The incredible shrinking Beckham TV special
Instead of a six-episode special on the life of new arrivals David and Victoria Beckham, NBC will air a one-hour special called “Victoria Beckham: Coming to America” on Monday, July 16.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
From Passionate to Frenzied
Believe it or not, there was a time not so long ago that families spent Saturday mornings together at home or someplace other than a soccer field. … When I was growing up, youth sports were dominated by boys, and kids generally didn’t get started in team sports until 3rd grade at the earliest, joining seasonal teams like football, baseball and basketball, with some kids not getting involved until middle school and almost no one getting serious till high school. Soccer changed all that, with programs starting in kindergarten and close to 50 percent participation by girls.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Inter Prepares $50 Million Tevez Bid
Inter Milan President Massimo Moratti is reportedly keen on adding coveted West Ham striker Carlos Tevez to his vast cabinet of Argentine superstars. “It’s true,” Moratti said on Tuesday. “We really like the player. He has the qualities and the character we need.” Tevez, of course, has spent just one controversial season at West Ham, […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Inside Soccer’s Slave Trade
The Observer delves into the world of one of soccer’s many “football factories” in the developing world, where boys as young as nine “are being exploited by businessmen who hope to profit from negotiating transfers to big European clubs.” In Ivory Coast, which has produced the likes of Arsenal’s Emmanuel Eboue and Chelsea’s Didier Drogba […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
PSV Accepts $1.4 Million Rangers Bid for Beasley
DaMarcus Beasley could be on his way to Scottish giant Glasgow Rangers, according to a report from the Daily Record, which says PSV Eindhoven had agreed to a transfer fee worth approximately $1.4 million for the 25-year-old American winger. That price point has given Rangers coach Walter Smith the go-ahead to open contract negotiations with […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Donovan: Foxborough Feels Like Home, Anyways
The U.S. has already done its duty in the Gold Cup group stage by winning all three of its games and qualifying in first place for the quarterfinals, and Landon Donovan is as happy as anybody to remain in New England for the next game, the striker told Frank Dell’Apa of the Boston Herald — […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
U.S.: Bring on Anyone
Well, that’s certainly more like it: the U.S. cruised to a 4-0 win at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday night, thanks to a pair of goals from DaMarcus Beasley, who could have easily had three or four himself in a much bigger victory Indeed, if the boys in red, white and blue play as well as […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“If you want to play sports, it’s possible to play sports at any altitude in the world.”
— Bolivian President Evo Morales, winded but smiling after scoring the winning goal against a team of local mountaineers in a match that was played on icy boulders 19,700 feet high in the Andes but lasted only about 15 minutes, including the time spent recovering the ball after it skittered away down the slope. Morales set up the game as a show of national unity to protest FIFA’s decision to ban games at altitude. (AP)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Final NSCAA/adidas Spring High School Rankings
Greenville (S.C.) High School and Waubonsie Valley High School of Aurora, Ill., finished as the top-ranked teams in the final NSCAA/adidas National High School Rankings for boys and girls, respectively. For the final Boys and Girls Top 20 spring rankings …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
ESPNU and ESPN360.com to air U-20 World Cup
[TELEVISION] ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network, and ESPN360.com, ESPN’s broadband service, will combine to broadcast all 52 matches at the U-20 World Cup in Canada June 30-July 22. ESPNU will feature all U.S. team matches in pool play, plus the entire round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and championship match.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Patriots knock off Miami FC in Open Cup first round
[U.S. OPEN RESULTS] Goalkeeper Jorge Muniz stopped Brazilian World Cup champion Zinho on one attempt from the penalty spot and then converted the deciding penalty kick himself to give the El Paso Patriots of the PDL a 4-2 victory in a shootout over the USL-1’s Miami FC Tuesday night in the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Two USL-2 teams lost to lower-ranked teams. The PDL’s Ocean City Barons beat Crystal Palace Baltimore, 1-0, and the NPSL’s Milwaukee Bavarians beat the Cincinnati Kings by the same score. For complete results and goalscorers …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
RECORD CARD: Beasley has a blinder against El Salvador
Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 4-0 Gold Cup win over El Salvador …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Efficient U.S. attack overruns El Salvador at the Gold Cup
The Gold Cup is derided for its slipshod organization and paltry promotion in English-language outlets, but as a competitive event, in many respects it stands up. Case in point: For all the importance placed on a team winning its first game, just doing so is no guarantee of advancement, even with two of the three third-place teams qualifying for the quarterfinals along with the top two in each group. El Salvador opened with a 2-1 victory over Trinidad & Tobago the same day the USA scraped past Guatemala, 1-0, at Home Depot Center. By the time they met at Gillette Stadium Tuesday, the Americans were rolling and the Salvadorans reeling. Result: 4-0 to the USA, thanks to a DaMarcus Beasley blinder (scored two goals, set up another), single tallies by Taylor Twellman and Landon Donovan, and the Salvadorans’ bothersome habit of misfiring on the few chances they had to claw their way back into the competition.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Washington Freedom remains perfect in the W-League
The Washington Freedom improved to 4-0-0 on the season by beating the Western Massachusetts Lady Pioneers (7-0) and Boston Renegades (4-0). Ali Andrzejewski had a hat trick against the Pioneers and added a goal against the Renegades. Rebecca Moros scored two goals against Boston. The only other unbeaten and untied teams are the Minnesota Lightning and Ottawa Fury (both 3-0-0). For complete W-League results and goalscorers …