By Ian Barker I work for a youth soccer association and I am convinced that the majority of our youth players have a very good experience in the sport. Beyond that I believe many come to develop a passion for the sport that extends beyond college and into full adulthood and this will create the […]
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5. YOUTH: Mexico eliminated in CONCACAF shocker
Mexico won’t be defending its U-17 World Cup championship this summer in South Korea. In a shocking turn of events at the first of two CONCACAF U-17 qualifying groups, Mexico was eliminated without losing a game. Host Honduras and Haiti advanced to the 2007 U-17 World Cup by sharing first place. Mexico finished third after […]
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4. ROMARIO: Quest for 1,000th goal must wait
Romario will have to wait another month before he resumes his bid to score his 1,000th goal. The 41-year-old legend again was held scoreless as Vasco da Gama were knocked out of the Taca Rio after a 4-4 tie with Botafogo in a game that produced three goals in the first four minutes and seven […]
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3. EUROPE: Milan and Liverpool reach semifinals
AC Milan cruised to a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in Munich to win their UEFA Champions League quarterfinals series, 4-2, on aggregate and move into the semifinals of the Champions League against Manchester United. Milan looked to be in trouble ater having to settle for a 2-2 tie at home with Bayern, but first-half […]
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2. MLS: Donovan looks to get shots
THURSDAY NIGHT PREVIEW LOS ANGELES-FC DALLAS (ESPN2, 7 pm PT/10 p.m. ET) By Ridge Mahoney It’s back to work for FC Dallas and the Galaxy, both which tied their opening games last weekend, and also for Eric Wynalda. Wynalda served a one-match suspension Saturday during the ABC broadcast of Colorado’s 2-1 victory over D.C. United […]
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1. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“I am still a young coach and I felt I could waste a lot of time as national team coach when I could be learning things which would help me improve. — Former MLS star Hristo Stoitchkov, 41, on quitting as national team coach of his native Bulgaria to take over as coach of Spanish […]
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Dempsey Struggles at Fulham
It hasn’t been the best of times for former New England Revolution midfielder Clint Dempsey since he traded MLS for Fulham FC of the English Premier League three months ago. Soccer New England’s Andrew Hush analyzes the player’s dip in form, which unfortunately for his employer, has coincided with Fulham’s drop toward the relegation zone. […]
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Chelsea Late Show is Becoming a Habit
Chelsea last night once again did what it’s refused to do all season long: that is, die-something domestic rival Manchester United, England’s other victorious Champions League quarterfinalist yesterday, knows all about after seeing its commanding nine-point lead at the top of the English Premiership cut to just three points. Last night Jose Mourinho’s unbelievably resilient […]
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Italians Describe Roma’s “Epochal Beating”
It was certainly a night for the record books. What else can you say about Manchester United’s 7-1 destruction of AS Roma at Old Trafford last night? Well, the Italian press had plenty to say, according to the Guardian. Columnist Candido Cannavo, a self-described Roma fan, was forced to invoke the great Italian poet Dante […]
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Corinthians Revolt Highlights Murky West Ham Deal
Corinthians fans had had enough: armed with household items like brooms and boxes of soap powder, fans stormed the Sao Paulo club’s training base on Good Friday demanding a change – that the club cleans up its act. Corinthians is one of the country’s most loved and most confused clubs, and its owner, Media Sports […]
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MLS CONFIDENTIAL: Backed by belief, perhaps Freddy can flourish
The tweaking of lineups and formations by Real Salt Lake coach John Ellinger landed Freddy Adu a new position on opening day, a sort of pseudo-forward, left-sided attacker who can link up with forward partner Jeff Cunningham as well as midfield catalyst Mehdi Ballouchy. Ellinger tried Adu in the attacking playmaker role during preseason, but […]
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TV PREVIEW: Liverpool set to slide into semis
WEDNESDAY: UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal, 2nd Leg LIVERPOOL-PSV (ESPN Deportes & Setanta USA, live, 2:30 pm ET). The prospects that three of the four Champions League semifinalists will hail from the English Premier League look darn good. Manchester United and Chelsea qualified yesterday, and on Wednesday Liverpool takes a 3-0 lead into its second leg […]
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U.S. CLUB SOCCER: California teams take titles
LAFC (boys) and San Juan (girls) were victorious in U.S. Club Soccer's Champions Cup competition at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Eight boys clubs and eight girls clubs sent teams in the U-13, U-15 and U-17/U18 divisions and earned points toward their placement at the 2007 Champions Cup. Competing […]
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TELEVISION: Fox Soccer Channel & USL make 3-year deal
Under a new three-year agreement, Fox Soccer Channel will air 27 United Soccer Leagues games annually. FSC will broadcast a weekly Friday night USL First Division match and all USL League Championship games. ''We are excited to announce the continuation of our presence on Fox Soccer Channel,'' said USL executive vice president and COO Tim […]
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AMERICANS ABROAD: Fulham's U.S.-friendly coach sacked
Fulham coach Chris Coleman, who brought a trio of Americans to the English Premier League club, has been fired and replaced by Northern Ireland's Lawrie Sanchez. Coleman, at the helm since 2003, signed forward Brian McBride and defender Carlos Bocanegra in 2004, and Clint Dempsey early this year. But Fulham has dropped to 15th place […]
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TV PREVIEW: Bayern optimistic against AC Milan
WEDNESDAY: UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal, 2nd Leg BAYERN MUNICH-AC MILAN (ESPN2 2:30 pm ET, live) Bayern Munich aims to return to the semifinals for the first time since lifting its fourth European Cup in 2001. Having managed a 2-2 tie, on two goals by defender Daniel van Buyten, in the first leg in Milan, a […]
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EUROPE: Man U routs Roma; Chelsea squeaks through
Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson called his team's 7-1 thumping of Roma its greatest performance among the more than 200 European games in which he's coached the team in his two decades at the helm. The home rout gave Manchester United an 8-3 aggregate win in the quarterfinal series. ''It was an unexpected scoreline,'' Ferguson […]
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MLS ROUNDUP: Opening game TV ratings match last year's
ABC broadcast of MLS's season opener last Saturday, a 2-1 Colorado win over D.C. United, drew a 0.6 overnight rating (460,000 households). It was the same rating that the 2006 opener got on ABC. In comparison, CBS's coverage of The Masters (golf) at the same time April 7 earned a rating of 6.1 (4.7 million […]
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U.S. SOCCER: U-17 boys '91s beat Mexico in France
The U.S. U-17 '91 boys national team beat Mexico, 3-0, at the Mondial Minimes International Tournament in France, where they also tied England 0-0, lost to Ireland, 2-1, and beat Cameroon on PKs after a 1-1 tie. The team was coached U.S. U-17 assistant coach Raul Diaz Arce, who took an 18-player roster that was […]
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8. TELEVISION: Fox Soccer Channel & USL make 3-year deal
Under a new three-year agreement, Fox Soccer Channel will air 27 United Soccer Leagues games annually. FSC will broadcast a weekly Friday night USL First Division match and all USL League Championship games. “We are excited to announce the continuation of our presence on Fox Soccer Channel,” said USL executive vice president and COO Tim […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
7. U.S. SOCCER: U-17 boys ’91s beat Mexico in France
The U.S. U-17 ’91 boys national team beat Mexico, 3-0, at the Mondial Minimes International Tournament in France, where they also tied England 0-0, lost to Ireland, 2-1, and beat Cameroon on PKs after a 1-1 tie. The team was coached U.S. U-17 assistant coach Raul Diaz Arce, who took an 18-player roster that was […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
6. MLS ROUNDUP: Opening game TV ratings match last year’s
ABC broadcast of MLS’s season opener last Saturday, a 2-1 Colorado win over D.C. United, drew a 0.6 overnight rating (460,000 households). It was the same rating that the 2006 opener got on ABC. In comparison, CBS’s coverage of The Masters (golf) at the same time April 7 earned a rating of 6.1 (4.7 million […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
5. TV PREVIEW: Liverpool set to slide into semis
WEDNESDAY: UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal, 2nd Leg LIVERPOOL-PSV (ESPN Deportes & Setanta USA, live, 2:30 pm ET). The prospects that three of the four Champions League semifinalists will hail from the English Premier League look darn good. Manchester United and Chelsea qualified yesterday, and on Wednesday Liverpool takes a 3-0 lead into its second leg […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
4. TV PREVIEW: Bayern optimistic against AC Milan
WEDNESDAY: UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal, 2nd Leg BAYERN MUNICH-AC MILAN (ESPN2 2:30 pm ET, live) Bayern Munich aims to return to the semifinals for the first time since lifting its fourth European Cup in 2001. Having managed a 2-2 tie, on two goals by defender Daniel van Buyten, in the first leg in Milan, a […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
3. EUROPE: Man U routs Roma; Chelsea squeaks through
Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson called his team’s 7-1 thumping of Roma its greatest performance among the more than 200 European games in which he’s coached the team in his two decades at the helm. The home rout gave Manchester United an 8-3 aggregate win in the quarterfinal series. “It was an unexpected scoreline,” Ferguson […]