[COPA LIBERTADORES RESULTS] Martin Palermo scored in the 90th minute to salvage a 1-1 tie for Argentine powerhouse Boca Juniors against Paraguayan champion Libertad in the first leg of their Libertadores Cup quarterfinal series on Thursday in Buenos Aires. Boca star Roman Riquelme and keeper Mauricio Caranta were the goats for Boca. Riquelme missed a penalty kick for Boca, which fell behind when Caranta tried to tip Osvaldo Martinez‘s free kick out of play but missed the ball, which flew into the Boca goal.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Club America takes first leg of Superclasico playoff
[TV SCHEDULE] Twenty-four hours after being held by Santos of Brazil to a 0-0 tie in the Libertadores, Club America returned to Azteca Stadium, where it beat Chivas, 1-0, in the first leg of their semifinal series in Mexico’s Torneo Clausura. Regular-season leader Pachuca looked set to return to the Clausura final with a 3-1 win at Cruz Azul on Wednesday night.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Repeat performance for FC Dallas
For the second time in six days, FC Dallas won, 2-1, on the road sin Carlos Ruiz in the starting lineup. On Saturday, FCD beat Kansas City. On Thursday, Coach Steve Morrow fielded the same starting lineup the beat the Wizards and FCD prevailed over Chicago in the Brimstone Cup to take over first place in the Western Conference. With Ruiz, a subject of trade rumors, sidelined with what was described as a tight left hamstring, Kenny Cooper and Colombian Juan Toja again provided the scoring
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Grudge match marks FA Cup’s return to Wembley
[TV PREVIEW] The English FA Cup returns to Wembley — the new Wembley Stadium built at a cost of $1.49 billion — on Saturday when Manchester United and Chelsea meet in a grudge match. The game comes almost two weeks after United ended Chelsea’s two year-reign as English league champion, clinching the Premier League title. A crowd of 90,000 will pack Wembley for the dream final.
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USA draws untested teams for Under-17 World Cup
[HACKWORTH PODCAST] The USA faces first-time finalists Belgium and Tajikstan and Tunisia in Group E at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in South Korea, which will take place Aug. 18-Sept. 9 in seven venues. The U.S. U-17s, one of the seeded teams in Thursday’s draw in Seoul, open against Tajikistan on Aug. 20 in Changwon, then face Tunisia three days later and conclude group play on Aug. 26 against Belgium in Cheonan.
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U.S. opponent Guatemala names Carlos Ruiz to Gold Cup roster
[GOLD CUP ROSTER] Colombian Hernan Gomez, coach of Guatemala’s national team, named his 23-player squad for the Gold Cup, where the Chapines will face the USA, as well as El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago, in Group B. MLS star Carlos Ruiz and Pablo Melgar of Chilean club Antofagasta are the only foreign-based players.
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Brazil calls up Ronaldinho and Kaka for England and Turkey friendlies
Brazil stars Ronaldinho and Kaka have been called up for friendlies against England and Turkey in June even though they requested to skip the Copa America. Coach Dunga said he wanted Ronaldinho and Kaka at the Copa America in Venezuela this summer but respected their decision to ask for a rest.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
Time for a Children’s Revolt
Some of the things I’ve heard adults yell at children at soccer games are just downright hilarious. Like the coach who yelled at a 6-year-old, “Give him a target on the flank!”
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Roma Takes Italian Cup
The second leg of Thursday’s Coppa Italia final at the San Siro was always a formality after Roma thumped Serie A champ Inter Milan 6-2 in the first leg last week. Indeed, a 2-1 loss in Milan was more than enough for the Giallorossi to lift its first Italian Cup in 16 years, winning 7-4 […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Gooch Gone in Newcastle Clear-Out
As was expected, Oguchi Onyewu has been released by Newcastle and will return to former club Standard Liege as part of the summer shakeout directed by Sam Allardyce, the Magpies new boss. Titus Bramble, Craig Moore, Pavel Srnicek and Olivier Bernard were also released, with Celestine Babayaro, Antoine Sibierski, Stephen Carr and Charles N’Zogbia expected […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
De Rosario, Houston Shutout in Toronto
Toronto FC Wednesday night won its second in a row, beating 2006 MLS champ Houston, 1-0, at BMO Field. Most important, TFC coach Mo Johnston said, was the team’s first shutout of the year. “We had the clearer chances, but I’m more pleased at not giving up any goals, because we’ve worked hard, very hard, […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Repeat Champion Sevilla Sounds Out Across Europe
It was some final at Hampden Park Wedenesday night, as La Liga pretender FC Sevilla overcame Espanyol of Barcelona, 3-1, on penalties to lift its second successive UEFA Cup. Sevilla controlled the play in an open, attack-minded game as the 10 men from Espanyol defended doggedly, twice battling back to draw the match level. Following […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Bradley’s Appointment Nothing to Shout About
ESPN Soccernet columnist Jeff Carlisle takes the contrarian view in the permanent appointment of Bob Bradley as U.S. national team coach. Nothing to celebrate here, he says: “While this development will be praised in many quarters, the only good news I can make out of it is that this sad, tortured process has now reached […]
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Team-building, according to Bob Bradley
[BRADLEY AUDIO] Evoking the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team and the 2006 Italy World Cup team, Bob Bradley set about expressing what he considers important as a coach on his first day with the tag of interim U.S. men’s national team coach removed. Speaking to reporters at a press conference in New York and on a teleconference call shortly thereafter, Bradley talked about team-building as the USA sets forth on a busy summer with the Gold Cup and Copa America and 2010 World Cup qualifying beginning next year.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
Article 21942
“Smiling sometimes is important. I haven’t thrown out any great jokes, but every now and then I may try.”
— U.S. men’s national team coach Bob Bradley, who has been criticized in the past for not smiling enough.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Palop saves the day for Sevilla in UEFA Cup final
Goalkeeper Andres Palop was the hero as Sevilla became only the second team to win back-to-back UEAF Cup trophies. Palop saved three penalties in the shootout to give Sevilla a 3-1 victory over Spanish rival Espanyol in a shootout after their game ended in a 2-2 tie at Glasgow’s Hampden Park on Wednesday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Two in a row for Mo
When he came off the field last Saturday as a raucous crowd celebrated Toronto FC’s first goal and first victory, captain Jim Brennan said he and his teammates wanted opponents “to be intimidated” when they played at BMO Field. Whether or not defending champion Houston (2-3-1) was intimidated when it played TFC Wednesday night at BMO, it certainly was ineffective despite outshooting the host, 13-7. Andy Welsh‘s headed goal from a Ronnie O’Brien corner kick earned TFC a 1-0 win on a rainy Toronto night, giving coach Mo Johnston and his team their second straight victory.
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GolTV acquires Copa America English-language TV rights
GolTV has secured the English-language broadcast rights to televise the 26 matches of the 2007 Copa America. GolTV acquired the rights from soccer agency Traffic Sports Marketing. Univision holds the U.S. Spanish-language rights.
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Americans rank in EPL player ratings
Four Americans ranked in the final Actim Index of the 2006-07 English Premier League season : No. 16 Marcus Hahnemann (Reading), No. 21 Tim Howard (Everton), No. 33 Brad Friedel (Blackburn) and No. 79 Brian McBride (Fulham).
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Brimstone rivals go national
[TV PREVIEW] Let’s hope the Brimstone Cup rivalry livens up the ESPN2 national telecast more than the Rocky Mountain Séance between Colorado and Real Salt Lake, a 1-1 tie with no cautions and just about as much passion, did last week. Chances are, it will. Both FC Dallas-Chicago meetings last year were 3-2 thrillers, with FC Dallas winning both of them. The Fire has been beaten in its last two, 3-1, on the road, and is back at Toyota Park, where it has won both of its home games. Last year, though, it lost at home to Dallas.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Police arrest Chelsea’s Mourinho in dispute over family dog
Jose Mourinho, the pugnacious Chelsea manager, was arrested four days before the Blues’ FA Cup final against Manchester United, on charges of obstructing police. The incident took place after Mourinho rushed home from Chelsea’s team awards banquet after his wife, Tami, called, saying an animal health official and two police officers went to their central London home to place their dog into quarantine, believing it had been taken out of Britain and then brought back without the necessary shots.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Chivas USA teams up with Mexican paint company
MLS club Chivas USA has signed a jersey sponsorship deal with Comex Group, Mexico’s leading paint company. As part of the multiyear, multimillion-dollar agreement, Chivas USA’s jerseys will be emblazoned with the Comex logo, while Comex’s Frazee Paint brand becomes Chivas USA’s first ever presenting sponsor.
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Mitchell to be 10th Canada head coach since ’86 World Cup
[MAKING A LIST] A day after U.S. Soccer confirmed Bob Bradley as men’s national team coach, Canada Soccer Association followed its lead and has called a press conference for Thursday in Toronto to announce the appointment of under-20 national team coach Dale Mitchell as men’s national team coach.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Carolina stars lead Sky Blue in W-League opener
[W-LEAGUE RESULTS] Jersey Sky Blue, which will be a part of the new women’s pro league in 2008, made its W-League debut with a 4-0 win over Western Mass on Saturday. Casey Nogueira and Tobin Heath, who helped lead North Carolina to the 2006 NCAA Division women’s championship as freshmen, powered Sky Blue. Nogueira scored after four minutes, and Heath added two goals. Florida star Stacy Bishop also scored for Jersey.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Dynamo extends PDL regular-season unbeaten streak to 19 games
[PDL RESULTS] The Carolina Dynamo extended its unbeaten run in PDL regular-season action to 19 games with a 3-0 win over Nashville. Richard Jata (Campbell), El-Hadj Cisse (N.C. State) and Eddie Ababio (North Carolina) scored for the Dynamo. Two-time PDL MVP Tomas Boltnar had a hat trick in the Des Moines Menace’s 5-0 win over Sioux Falls. The San Jose Frogs improved to 3-0-0 with wins over Southern California and Ventura County. Hampton Roads, Central Florida and St. Louis are all 2-0-0.