It looks as though there may be a bidding war between Icelandic businessman Eggert Magnusson and Isreali real estate magnate Eli Papouchaldo for control of West Ham United Football Club. It seems that different high-ranking English soccer officials are supporting each of the bids, according to the Independent. Football Association Chairman Geoff Thompson is supporting […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Emphatic Home Win Puts Chelsea in Sight of Qualification
And now for the positive news from Stamford Bridge: yesterday’s 1-0 defeat of Barcelona was as comprehensive a team performance (with the possible exception of the struggling Andriy Shevchenko) as Chelsea has managed to put together all year. But for some poor finishing, the Sky Blues could have easily scored one or two more. The […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Victory Notwithstanding, Mourinho Tarnishes His Own Reputation
Chelsea may have played well last night in defeating Barcelona 1-0 at Stamford Bridge, but the victory has been undermined by the selfish and paranoid off-field antics of Manager Jose Mourinho, writes Richard Williams of The Guardian. In fact, it all has very little to soccer: following the head injury sustained by Mourinho’s goalkeeper, Petr […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
EUROPE: Somber Chelsea edges Barcelona
Chelsea beat defending champion Barcelona, 1-0, in their much-anticipated Champions League showdown Wednesday on an outstanding individual effort by Ivory Coast star Didier Drogba. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was in no mood to be boastful, despite the win against the club that the Blues have faced in two emotionally charges series the last two years. […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
3. MLS: Goalscoring dips again
Goalscoring during the MLS 2006 regular season matched its lowest average in history. The 2006 average of 2.62 was just a whit higher than the league’s most anemic season ever – in 2004, when games averaged 2.61 goals. MLS averaged more than three goals per game in six of its first seven seasons but hasn’t […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
1. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“It’s pure speculation. There’s a list of people who I guess always get mentioned and I feel pretty flattered that I get put into that mix. It means I’m doing something right in my coaching career. But I’m not looking at doing that at the moment. I really enjoy what I’m doing here. I’m looking […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
Englishmen lead West Virginia past Irish
It was supposed to be a duel between No. 5 West Virginia's Jarrod Smith (14 goals) and No. 7 Notre Dame's Joseph Lapira (19 goals), but Englishmen Dan Stratford and Andy Wright were the heroes Wednesday night for the Mountaineers in the much-anticipated Big East showdown. To the delight of a sellout crowd of 2,153 […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
TV PREVIEW: Santa Clara pumped up for UP
Santa Clara-Portland is one of the biggest rivalries in women's soccer. No. 5 Portland and No. 7 Santa Clara have either won or shared all 14 WCC titles and have claimed three of the last five NCAA championships. Santa Clara took the 2001 title and Portland followed in 2002 by beating the Broncos for its […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
COLLEGE FOCUS: UTEP's Yeamans leaves everything on field
Last year, as a junior, Kelli Yeamans missed UTEP's unbelievable victory at heavily favored Texas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Miners' sweeper had gone down with an ACL tear of her left knee six weeks earlier. This year, Yeamans tore the ACL in her right knee. It came in a game […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
MLS: Goalscoring dips again
Goalscoring during the MLS 2006 regular season matched its lowest average in history. The 2006 average of 2.62 was just a whit higher than the league's most anemic season ever – in 2004, when games averaged 2.61 goals. MLS averaged more than three goals per game in six of its first seven seasons but hasn't […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
3. FOCUS: UTEP’s Yeamans leaves everything on field
Last year, as a junior, Kelli Yeamans missed UTEP’s unbelievable victory at heavily favored Texas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Miners’ sweeper had gone down with an ACL tear of her left knee six weeks earlier. This year, Yeamans tore the ACL in her right knee. It came in a game […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
2. TV PREVIEW: Santa Clara pumped up for UP
Santa Clara-Portland is one of the biggest rivalries in women’s soccer. No. 5 Portland and No. 7 Santa Clara have either won or shared all 14 WCC titles and have claimed three of the last five NCAA championships. Santa Clara took the 2001 title and Portland followed in 2002 by beating the Broncos for its […]
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
1. Englishmen lead West Virginia past Irish
It was supposed to be a duel between No. 5 West Virginia’s Jarrod Smith (14 goals) and No. 7 Notre Dame’s Joseph Lapira (19 goals), but Englishmen Dan Stratford and Andy Wright were the heroes Wednesday night for the Mountaineers in the much-anticipated Big East showdown. To the delight of a sellout crowd of 2,153 […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
4. WOMEN: White called up for Peace Queen Cup
U.S. women’s national team coach Greg Ryan named 20 players who will compete in the Peace Queen Cup Oct. 28-Nov. 4 in South Korea. The eight-team tournament will be the last test for the Americans before November’s Gold Cup that will serve as qualifying for the 2007 Women’s World Cup in China. Ryan called up […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
WOMEN: White called up for Peace Queen Cup
U.S. womenÆs national team coach Greg Ryan named 20 players who will compete in the Peace Queen Cup Oct. 28-Nov. 4 in South Korea. The eight-team tournament will be the last test for the Americans before November's Gold Cup that will serve as qualifying for the 2007 Women's World Cup in China. Ryan called up […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2. EUROPE: Somber Chelsea edges Barcelona
Chelsea beat defending champion Barcelona, 1-0, in their much-anticipated Champions League showdown Wednesday on an outstanding individual effort by Ivory Coast star Didier Drogba. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was in no mood to be boastful, despite the win against the club that the Blues have faced in two emotionally charges series the last two years. […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Red Bull Revival? Not!
The most successful coach this season for the moribund Red Bulls? Easy. Richie Williams, in a landslide. As the interim coach after replacing Mo Johnston (2-3-7) in late June, Williams went 3-3-2, and all of those losses were road games. Bruce Arena is getting props for guiding RBNY into the postseason, but if anything, his […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
UEFA Champions League: Results (Oct. 18-19)
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Oct. 18 Group A Wer. Bremen 2 (Naldo 45, Diego 73) Lev. Sofia 0. Chelsea 1 (Drogba 47) Barcelona 0. Group B Inter Milan 2 (Cruz 1, 9) Spartak Moscow 1 (Pavlyuchenko 54). Sp. Lisbon 0 Bay. Munich 1 (Schweinsteiger 19). Group C Bordeaux 0 Liverpool 1 (Crouch 58). Galatasaray 1 (Ilic […]
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FOCUS: North Carolina's fab freshmen
Anson Dorrance is regularly starting six freshmen, the most since the early days of the North Carolina program, but that hasn't stopped the No. 2 Tar Heels from running off 16 straight wins. UNC was hit hurt by graduation, losing three national team players Lindsay Tarpley, Lori Chalupny and Kacey White, but Dorrance's freshmen pushed […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Lyon: Dark Horse or Firm Favorite?
It might be a little unfair to call Olympique Lyonnais a dark horse to win this season’s Champions League. After all, Lyon comes into Europe’s top club competition as France’s champion for the fifth year running, a domestic feat no club in the world has approached in recent memory. In the Champions League, Lyon has […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Ferguson: Captain Rooney Back on Form
Wayne Rooney delivered a captain’s performance for Manchester United yesterday that Roy Keane, the Red Devils legendary captain during United’s glory years, would have been proud of. Twenty-year old Rooney was given the captain’s armband just 15 minutes before yesterday’s 3-0 victory against FC Copenhagen at Old Trafford after Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs belatedly […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Henry Fumes at Poor Decision
Arsenal captain Thierry Henry is still fuming that his 85th-minute strike against CSKA Moscow was disallowed by Spanish referee Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez for a handball replays suggest never happened. In fact, it was a perfectly good goal, taken brilliantly off the chest by the France striker and then calmly placed home, but Mejuto Gonzalez, who […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Chelsea-Barcelona Part 1
For the third year running, English champion Chelsea is playing a home-and-away series against Spanish champion Barcelona in the Champions League, but this time, both coaches promised a “gentler” rematch between the familiar adversaries. Going into Wednesday’s game, Barcelona, last year’s Champions League winner, led the series with two wins, a draw and a loss […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
As Ever, Mourinho Plays the Blame Game
One of the more unfortunate characteristics of Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, is his need to always blame others for his team’s misfortune. Following the horrific accident that resulted in a fractured skull for Chelsea’s No. 1 goalkeeper Petr Cech, Mourinho has his hands in the air blaming everyone from Reading Football Club to Stephen Hunt […]
Posted inSoccer America Site, Story
Duke finally beats Alabama A&M
Duke, ranked No. 2 in the Soccer America Men's Top 25, beat Alabama A&M for the first time in four meetings, downing the Bulldogs, 4-1, in a game played in a steady rain on Tuesday night. A&M is not the program it was in the early 1980s when it beat Duke three times, but it […]