The losers of two 3-4 clashes on Saturday will probably fall from contention in their respective races: Real Madrid-Valencia in Spain and VfB Stuttgart-Bayern Munich in Germany. Inter Milan and Lyon will get another chance to clinch the Italian and French league titles, respectively, but they’ll have to do it on the road after putting […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Brave Roma Halts Inter
With the Copa Italia final still months away, the Scudetto out of reach, and a Champions League thumping at the hands of Manchester United still fresh in its memory, Roma’s players could be forgiven for feeling they have little to play for in Serie A, but Wednesday night at the San Siro, Roma put together […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Messi Bids Against the Greatest Goal
The real “next Maradona” just stood up, so the countless Argentine pretenders out there may now sit down, and the press can stop crowning them as such. Leo’s Messi’s goal against Getafe at the Camp Nou Wednesday night was every bit as good as Diego’s highly touted winner against England in the 1986 quarterfinals. This […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Kroenke Ties Force Dein Out of Arsenal
The Arsenal takeover situation got a little more interesting on Wednesday after major shareholder David Dein, Arsenal’s former vice chairman, vacated the club’s board with immediate effect. Dein has been involved with the North London club for 24 years; he’s also a prominent figure in European soccer politics, most recently chair of the G-14 group […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Maradona Goes Back to Rehab
Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona has spent the better part of three weeks in a hospital in Buenos Aires for a variety of health problems related to excessive eating and drinking. The 46-year-old Maradona is now officially being treated for “alcoholic hepatitis,” and will now be moved to a psychiatric clinic to treat his alcoholism. […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Crew’s Virtuoso Aims to Pick Up Where He Left Off
Major League Soccer is once again making headlines for a recent spate of high-profile additions. One of these, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, is headed to the decidedly low-profile Columbus Crew, which Thursday hosts the New England Revolution in its only live match on ESPN2 this season (7 pm ET). Much has been made of the signing […]
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Insider
A Positive Approach to Player Development
Player development is critical to U.S. soccer success. Without a pipeline of prospects, the USA cannot compete with the traditional world powers. The best way to build, fill and maintain that pipeline is to help kids fall in love and stay in love with soccer.
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
MLS: Crew looks for first goal vs. Revs
THURSDAY NIGHT PREVIEW COLUMBUS-NEW ENGLAND (ESPN2, 7 pm ET/4 pm PT) By Ridge Mahoney The cost of missing the playoffs last year and its failure to score a goal in two games this year is putting pressure on the Columbus Crew already, regardless of when Argentine attacker Guillermo Barros Schelotto's paperwork is completed so he […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP: Chivas, Pachuca tie in final, first leg
Pachuca and Chivas Guadalajara tied, 2-2, in the first leg of the CONCACAF Championships Cup final in Guadalajara on Wednesday in front of 45,000 fans. Omar Bravo notched both Chivas goals while Juan Carlos Cacho and Marvin Cabrera, who provided the late equalizer, struck for Pachuca, which hosts the second leg April 25. Pachuca and […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
ARSENAL: Vice chairman Dein quits
David Dein, one of the most powerful figures in European soccer, has quit as vice chairman of English Premier League club Arsenal because of ''irreconcilable differences'' with board colleagues over the recent purchase by American billionaire Stan Kroenke of an 11 percent interest in the club. Dein is reported to have backed Kroenke's takeover of […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
U.S. OPEN CUP: Williams strike gives Salt Lake win over Wizards
Goals by Jeff Cunningham and Andy Williams gave Real Salt Lake a 2-1 win at home over the Kansas City in a U.S. Open Cup qualifying win on Wednesday. Williams' overtime gamewinner in the 109th minute came on a 15-yard shot after receiving a pass from Cunningham, who had opened the scoring with a penalty […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
OFF THE POST: Fan Appreciation Millwall-Style
Millwall striker Darren Byfield decided to connect with fans by entering MillwallOnline's chat room and offering to answer any questions. The first two queries, reports The Sunday Times, were ''Why does it always rain on me?'' and ''Explain the theory of relativity, please.'' Problem was the fans didn't believe it was really him, so he […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
WORLD: Inter and Lyon fail to clinch titles
Both Inter Milan and Lyon failed in their bids to clinch their respective league titles on Wednesday. Inter Milan lost for the first time this season when it fell, 3-1, to second-place Roma at home. Inter's hopes of sealing its second successive Scudetto were dashed as late second-half goals from Francesco Totti and Marco Cassetti […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
EURO 2012: Poland and Ukraine awarded championship
Poland and Ukraine will co-host the 2012 European Championship after beating out favorite Italy and a joint bid from Croatia and Hungary in a vote by UEFA executive committee members on Wednesday in Cardiff, Wales. UEFA awarded the tournament to an Eastern European country for the first time since Yugoslavia hosted the final four of […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
5. OFF THE POST: Fan Appreciation Millwall-Style
Millwall striker Darren Byfield decided to connect with fans by entering MillwallOnline’s chat room and offering to answer any questions. The first two queries, reports The Sunday Times, were “Why does it always rain on me?” and “Explain the theory of relativity, please.” Problem was the fans didn’t believe it was really him, so he […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
4. CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP: Chivas, Pachuca tie in final, first leg
Pachuca and Chivas Guadalajara tied, 2-2, in the first leg of the CONCACAF Championships Cup final in Guadalajara on Wednesday in front of 45,000 fans. Omar Bravo notched both Chivas goals while Juan Carlos Cacho and Marvin Cabrera, who provided the late equalizer, struck for Pachuca, which hosts the second leg April 25. Pachuca and […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
3. U.S. OPEN CUP: Williams strike gives Salt Lake win over Wizards
Goals by Jeff Cunningham and Andy Williams gave Real Salt Lake a 2-1 win at home over the Kansas City in a U.S. Open Cup qualifying win on Wednesday. Williams’ overtime gamewinner in the 109th minute came on a 15-yard shot after receiving a pass from Cunningham, who had opened the scoring with a penalty […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2. MLS: Crew looks for first goal vs. Revs
THURSDAY NIGHT PREVIEW COLUMBUS-NEW ENGLAND (ESPN2, 7 pm ET/4 pm PT) By Ridge Mahoney The cost of missing the playoffs last year and its failure to score a goal in two games this year is putting pressure on the Columbus Crew already, regardless of when Argentine attacker Guillermo Barros Schelotto‘s paperwork is completed so he […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
1. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
"Even when he is sitting on a bike, Cristiano is doing tricks. He eats with the ball, he watches TV with the ball. He probably even sleeps with the ball." — Manchester United defender Patrice Evra on Portuguese teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. (BBC)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
7. CUPS: Barca’s Messi creates ‘work of art’ (video)
Argentine Lionel Messi scored a goal Wednesday for Barcelona reminiscent of the goal scored by another Argentine, Diego Maradona, against England at the 1986 World Cup. (Click here to view Messi’s goal.) The goal, the first of two Messi scored in a 5-2 Barcelona win over Getafe in the semifinals of the Spanish Cup, was […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
6. WORLD: Inter and Lyon fail to clinch titles
Both Inter Milan and Lyon failed in their bids to clinch their respective league titles on Wednesday. Inter Milan lost for the first time this season when it fell, 3-1, to second-place Roma at home. Inter’s hopes of sealing its second successive Scudetto were dashed as late second-half goals from Francesco Totti and Marco Cassetti […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
8. ARSENAL: Vice chairman Dein quits
David Dein, one of the most powerful figures in European soccer, has quit as vice chairman of English Premier League club Arsenal because of “irreconcilable differences” with board colleagues over the recent purchase by American billionaire Stan Kroenke of an 11 percent interest in the club. Dein is reported to have backed Kroenke’s takeover of […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
9. EURO 2012: Poland and Ukraine awarded championship
Poland and Ukraine will co-host the 2012 European Championship after beating out favorite Italy and a joint bid from Croatia and Hungary in a vote by UEFA executive committee members on Wednesday in Cardiff, Wales. UEFA awarded the tournament to an Eastern European country for the first time since Yugoslavia hosted the final four of […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Joseph Ponders Revs’ Boycott
The New England Revolution’s Shalrie Joseph never got that contract he wanted, and now the holding midfielder says his only recourse is to strike. “Sooner or later, I am going to have to make a decision whether to continue playing or to hold out,” Joseph told Soccer New England. “I hope it doesn’t come to […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Arsenal Chair “Horrified” by Kroenke Takeover
American sports tycoon Stan Kroenke has kept mum about whether the purchase of a 10 percent stake in Arsenal FC by his sports conglomerate heralds a future takeover attempt, but Arsenal’s Peter Hill-Wood has two words for him: go away. The Gunners’ chairman told the Guardian that the club’s shareholders had “no intention of selling […]