Illinois was the only state to claim multiple winners at U.S. Club Soccer’s 2009 National Cup VIII Finals at the Hampton Roads Soccer Complex in Virginia Beach, Va.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Alabama club succeeds with free soccer
While the rising costs of youth soccer are colliding with the downward turn in the economy, one Alabama youth club in Alabama is trying to stem the tide with free soccer. The Vestavia Hills Soccer Club in Birmingham just concluded its first summer of the program, titled Team Adidas.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
MLS teams dominate boys Super-20
Red Bull New York and Triangle FC won titles at the fourth annual USL Super-20 League North American Finals in Rockford, Ill.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
U.S. under-14 boys national development camp roster
The annual U.S. under-14 boys national development camp, led by veteran coach Manfred Schellscheidt, is in the midst of its annual identification camp in Concord, Mass. For a list of all the 118 players, their club affiliations and hometowns …
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
U.S. takes fifth at U-18 Milk Cup
The USA survived an eight-round shootout and defeated Israel in the fifth-place game in the U-18 Elite division at the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
U.S. U-20s take second in Rosario
The U.S. under-20 national team finished second at the Copa Ciudad de Rosario in Argentina when it fell to Australia, 3-1, in its final group game of the round-robin tournament.
Posted inStory, Youth Soccer Reporter
Sounders launch youth program
Seattle Sounders FC, MLS’s widely popular first-year team, will launch regional training centers across the state of Washington this fall in its first youth soccer initiative in partnership with Washington Youth Soccer.
Posted inYouth Soccer Reporter, Youth What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I am proud of the growth of soccer in Encinitas over the past decade and now feel that the time is right to pass the baton on to the next generation of coaches. Youth soccer is now big business in San Diego County and it is my sincere wish that the person who takes over will be able to build on what we have created here and make the club the best in the area.”
— Former NASL and MISL star Juli Veee, who is retiring after 15 years as director of coaching at the Encinitas Express. The Hungarian-born Veee, one of the first U.S. internationals to play in Europe, is also an accomplished artist whose works have appeared at many shows in California, Arizona and New Mexico. (Daily San Diego Soccer News)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
D.C. United ekes out Champions League win
[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Since the advent of the Concacaf Champions League last year, D.C. United has failed to win a game in eight attempts. But by rallying from a 1-0 deficit in a hostile environment and fighting through fatigue during a draining overtime, United prevailed in a two-game series to reach the group phase.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Second straight zero eliminates TFC
[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] The scorer of six goals against rival Montreal in its final Nutrilite Canadian Championship game couldn’t get the goal it needed to keep alive its hopes of reaching the group phase. Toronto FC, which lost the first leg at BMO Field, 1-0, last week, labored through a 0-0 tie in Bayamon Tuesday night and fell to Puerto Rico Islanders by that single goal. The USL-1 Islanders, which stunningly reached the semifinals last year, advance to group play that begins in two weeks.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Club-by-club summer moves
[GERMANY] Two Americans were involved in moves involving clubs in the German First Division, which opens the 2009-10 season this weekend. Nurdin Hrustic became the latest Bosnian-American to join the Bundesliga when Bochum signed him out of the University of Jacksonville. Kamani Hill left champion Wolfsburg for Portuguese club Vitoria Guimaraes on a free transfer. For all the club-by-club Bundesliga summer moves …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Ten biggest German league deals
[TRANSFER WATCH] The 2009-10 German season begins Friday when defending Bundesliga champion Wolfsburg hosts VfB Stuttgart (TV: Gol TV, live, 2:30 pm ET). Wolfsburg didn’t sit on its laurels, acquiring Nigerian Obafemi Martins from Newcastle for $14.7 million and Algerian Karim Ziani from Marseille for $9.8 million. Stuttgart will be without star Mario Gomez, who was sold to Bayern Munich for a German record $42 million.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Coach fired before Bundesliga opener
[GERMANY] Mainz fired Norwegian Jorn Andersen on Monday, making him the first Bundesliga coach to ever be fired prior to the start of the season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Foreigners dominate First XI
[WPS] Foreigners — three from England, two from France and one each from Brazil and Canada — claimed seven of the 11 berths on Women’s Professional Soccer’s First XI. Brazilian Marta, who plays for regular-season champion Los Angeles, was the highest vote-getter. (The English and French players will miss the All-Star Game against Sweden’s Umea on Aug. 29 because of Euro ’09.)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“Mohammad was a prophet who didn’t understand soccer. … But from all the beautiful colors he came up with blue and white.”
— Verse from the fan anthem of German club Schalke 04, whose colors are blue and white, that has prompted protests from the area’s Muslim community. The club has announced it has asked an Islamic expert to analyze the text of the song that its fans have been singing since 1924. (Reuters)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Real’s Ronaldo insurance: $80 million per leg
[OFF THE POST] After Cristiano Ronaldo was fouled 34 times in three preseason games with Real Madrid, which had paid Manchester United $132 million for the Portuguese star, Real purchased a $160 million insurance policy on his legs.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Chicago eyes SuperLiga silverware
[SUPERLIGA] The Chicago Fire hosts Mexico’s UNL Tigres Wednesday at Toyota Park (8 p.m. ET, Galavision) in the SuperLiga final, aiming to lift its first trophy since its 2006 U.S. Open Cup win.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Crew Keeping it Together Despite Important Absences
This time last season, the Columbus Crew were just "America's Hardest Working Team," always pretty good but hardly ever great. But after a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Houston on Aug. 2, 2008 left its injured/absent/suspended squad seemingly down for the count and a long shot for the playoffs, "America's Most Resilient Team" rallied […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Cooper Sr. Calls Out MLS on Young Americans’ Pay
There are overbearing sports parents, those who unconditionally criticize and blindly claim that their son/daughter isn't being utilized or valued enough, and there are sports parents who played the sport and might actually know what they're talking about. Whether former FC Dallas striker Kenny Cooper has the former or latter is up for debate after […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Evaluating Bruce Arena, One Year In
With an almost endless string of incoming and outgoing players in L.A. over the past four years, whether it be signings as big as Beckham or players such as Ante Jazic and Alecko Eskandarian merely being moved down the hall to HDC roommate Chivas, the Galaxy has hardly been what you'd call a solid "team." […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Sign of the Times: Chivas’ Vergara Vents Via Twitter
In a sign of the times and what also a prescient sign of the things to come (although we kind of hope it's not, for the sake of our already over-informed society), a prominent off-the-field figure from a popular sports franchise has taken to Twitter to voice his frustration about the performance of the team. […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
UEFA ‘Disquiet’ At Over Man City, Real Madrid Spending
UEFA General Secretary David Taylor has come out to denounce the lavish spending of European clubs such as Manchester City and Real Madrid for fear that they're risking "serious difficulties" if they continue to over-extend themselves by paying huge sums in the transfer market. "I would say in this financial climate, it is surprising, a […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
1994 the Turning Point for Brazil Dominance
Now 15 years removed from the first ever World Cup in the USA, we can look back and see that with its massive stadiums full of soldout crowds, USA 1994 changed what the tournament could be from an attendance and financial windfall. But SI.com's Tim Vickery goes one step further regarding the '94 World Cup's […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Henry Headed to MLS?
Amid all the hype and hysteria surrounding this summer's FC Barcelona tour, amid the countless fans screaming for Lionel Messi, amid the persistent journalists pleading for a few words from new addition Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is a lesser-known story about a certain French forward named Thierry Henry who is quite keen on playing in MLS. And […]
Posted inSoccer on TV., Story
Soccer on TV
Real Madrid faces MLS opponents on Friday (Toronto FC) and Sunday (D.C. United). On Friday, Vancouver hosts Charleston in USL action. In Europe, France and Germany begin their league seasons on the weekend. Look for updates Friday’s Soccer on TV.