Soccer America Archives

All the weekend MLS results, including the defending champion Columbus Crew’s win that put it in first place in the Eastern Conference …

[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS] Claudio Lopez scored a remarkable goal for Kansas City when David Beckham came to town. Seattle’s Designated Player Freddie Ljungberg got himself sent off in a stalemate with Chicago. No surprise on how the Red Bulls fared. For last weekend’s MLS highlights and lowlights …

[USA-MEXICO REPORT CARD] A horrid second half during which it conceded five goals left the U.S. team with marks ranging from poor to terrible in its 5-0 loss to Mexico in the Gold Cup final. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players and comments on their performances.

[GOLD CUP] A sign of what was to come occurred in stoppage time of the first half, before a five-goal Mexican onslaught buried the USA in the Gold Cup final Sunday at Giants Stadium in front of a pro-Mexico crowd of 79,156. After a U.S. free kick, Mexico countered, and only Jay Heaps got back in time as Giovanni Dos Santos and Alberto Medina swept forward. Medina, who’d been threatening but hardly fearsome on the left flank, dragged his shot wide of the far post.

[WORLD FOOTBALL CHALLENGE] Sunday was a big day for English club Chelsea. Captain John Terry confirmed he was staying at Chelsea, spurning an offer from Manchester City, and the Blues clinched the World Football Challenge with a 2-0 win over Mexico’s Club America before 57,229 fans at Jerry World — Jerry Jones‘ new Dallas Cowboys Stadium dubbed a stadium like no other in the world by Chelsea star Andriy Shevchenko.

[MAKING A LIST] You have to go all the way to the late stages of group play at the 1994 World Cup to find a day when there were three soccer crowds in excess of 42,000 for games played in the United States on the same day as there were on Sunday. Sunday’s crowd of 79,156 for the USA-Mexico Gold Cup final was the largest of the day but ranks only third for the month of July. There have been 18 crowds greater than 25,000 — eight for the Gold Cup, six for the World Football Challenge, two for MLS games and two international exhibitions.

[WPS] Allie Long scored what could prove to be one of the most important goals of the Women’s Professional Soccer season when the former Penn State and North Carolina star scored in the 89th minute to give the Washington Freedom to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Red Stars that moved it into a tie with Sky Bue FC for fourth place. The loss ended sixth-place Chicago’s slim playoff hopes.

[USL-1] There is a three-way at the top of the standings in the USL First Division. Charleston beat Carolina, 2-1, to join Portland and Puerto Rico in first place. The Timbers have two games in hand on Charleston and four on Puerto Rico.

[AMERICANS ABROAD] While Mexico’s national team was celebrating its Gold Cup title at Giants Stadium and Club America was playing Chelsea at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Mexican clubs got down to business in the First Division’s Torneo Apertura. Jose Francisco Torres, the lone Mexico-based American on the U.S. Confederations Cup roster, did not suit up for Pachuca on the opening day of the 2009 Torneo Apertura, but four other Americans — including two who spent most of last season in the minor leagues — played.