“The vision of the city in building this complex was to host the top events in the country.”
— Alan Blinzler, president of the Kansas State Youth Soccer Association, on Overland Park landing the 2010 US Youth Soccer National Championships at the $36 million soccer complex that’s scheduled to open later this summer. (Kansas City Star)
[TV WATCH] How do you sugarcoat another in a series of games marked by some dreadful soccer? The USA’s performance in its 3-1 loss to Italy on Monday at the Confederations Cup left its commentators grasping at straws.
“I would like to dedicate my goals to my family who were watching from America.”
— Giuseppe Rossi, who was born and raised in New Jersey before moving to Italy at age 12, on the two goals he scored against the USA in Italy’s 3-1 win. (Goal.com)
[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] The best teams are the best at punishing miscues, as the U.S. national team learned once again Monday at the Confederations Cup in South Africa. Errors of technique, positioning, and judgment enabled world champion Italy to rally from a 1-0 deficit and smack the Americans, 3-1, as the nations opened play in Group B in a rematch of the 1-1 tie they played three years ago at the World Cup.
[ITALY-USA REPORT CARD] Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players and comments on their performance in Monday’s 3-1 loss to Italy at the Confederations Cup.
[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] The knock on Dunga‘s Brazil has been its defense-first approach, so its display in its opening game at the Confederations Cup Monday was certainly a surprise. The defending Confederations Cup champion opened up a 3-1 lead in Bloemfontein, blew that lead early in the second half and then needed a controversial decision on the awarding of a penalty kick Kaka converted to beat Egypt, 4-3.
What on earth is FIFA waiting for? The reports out of Nigeria make it alarmingly clear that to stage the Under-17 World Cup there Oct. 24-Nov. 15, as currently scheduled, would be exposing the young players to considerable risk.
In the opening match of group B in the Confederations Cup, underdog Egypt shook five-time world champions Brazil but finally succumbed 4-3 when Kaka converted a penalty in stoppage time awarded for Ahmed Al Muhamadi's handball on the goal line. African champions Egypt fought back from two goals down at halftime, scoring twice in a […]
FIFA president Sepp Blatter suggested on Monday that unsold tickets for Confederations Cup matches should be given away rather than have empty seats at games after disappointing opening day crowds. "I had a meeting with the organizing committee this morning, and I think they should have done a little bit more to bring more people […]
The Premier League said sports pay TV channel Setanta has until Friday to pay more than $49 million it owes to retain its broadcast rights. An invitation has been issued for competing bids for the broadcaster’s package of 46 live matches in the upcoming season and will sell them to the highest bidder if Setanta […]
The Columbus Crew is in such good form right now that even the bad turns out to be good. Take the service from defender Gino Padula that led to the deciding goal by Guillermo Barros Schelotto in the 87th minute of the 2-1 win against Chivas USA on Sunday at Crew Stadium. Padula, not known […]
This month, U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu used a rare tactic to seek redress for racial remarks uttered at him by another player in a playoff last month to decide the Belgian league championship. Onyewu, who has grown tired of monkey noises and racial remarks made by fans toward black players, filed a legal complaint in […]
By this time next year, Jermaine Jones could be a starter for the United States at the World Cup in South Africa. Jones, a midfielder for Schalke 04 of the Bundesliga, is a citizen of Germany and the United States, a son of an African-American serviceman and a German woman. Jones has spent his entire […]
The FIFA Confederations Cup rolls on. The USA has a tough week of competition with matches against Italy (Monday), Brazil (Thursday) and Egypt (Sunday) this week. For more international action, catch the UEFA U-21 Championship. In the MLS Game of the Week, Seattle hosts D.C. United. Look for updates in Wednesday’s and Friday’s Soccer on TV.
[U.S. SOCCER] Jermaine Jones, a 27-year-old midfielder who has played in 96 German First Division games, has stated his desire to represent the USA and should eligible despite having played for Germany, thanks to a change in FIFA’s national team eligibility rules. If Jones plays for the USA, he will follow the footsteps of Tom Dooley, who was also the son of an American serviceman and a German mother. Dooley played for the USA at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.
[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] A big week of international action from the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa begins Monday with USA-Italy and Brazil-Egypt. For the complete television schedule …
[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] Host South Africa, which needs a strong Confederations Cup to build momentum for next year’s World Cup, could only manage a 0-0 tie with Iraq, coached by former U.S. national team coach Bora Milutinovic. The Bafana Bafana were stymied by a combination of Milutinovic’s ultradefensive tactics and bad luck.
[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] Fernando Torres needed only 17 minutes to score a hat trick, connecting with his right foot, left foot and his head, to lead favorite Spain to a 5-0 win over hapless New Zealand in the opening game of the Confederations Cup.
“That was one of the most memorable games in my career. It gives me goose bumps just talking about it.”
— Landon Donovan recalls the USA’s 1-1 tie against Italy at the 2006 World Cup, which the Italians went on to win. Donovan and Co., face the Italians Monday in their Confederations Cup opener in South Africa. (USsoccer.com)
[CONFEDERATIONS CUP] Nearly three years after they tied, 1-1, at the 2006 World Cup, the USA and Italy meet again Monday to open their schedules at the 2009 Confederations Cup (2:25 p.m. ET, ESPN, TeleFutura). Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey, DaMarcus Beasley and Landon Donovan are the only U.S. holdovers who played in that match against the eventual world champion, though keeper Tim Howard watched from the bench. The Americans are missing several regulars for the Confederations Cup, including right back Steve Cherundolo and Pablo Mastroeni, who also played in the Kaiserslautern match that featured an own goal, an equalizer by Alberto Gilardino, and three players sent off.
[MLS WINNERS & LOSERS] D.C. United downed Chicago thanks to a fine free kick by Christian Gomez and moved into first place in the East while Houston climb atop the other conference as Chivas USA faltered again. The Red Bulls set a record for futility but Columbus, which beat the Bulls in last year’s MLS Cup, is riding high thanks to its Argentine veteran.
[WPS] The inaugural season of Women’s Professional Soccer has seen some high-quality play, in part due to success teams has had with their foreign imports, but there has been one problem: a paucity of goals. England international Eniola Aluko‘s goal for the Saint Louis Athletica in its 1-0 win at Boston on Sunday was the only goal in three games, reducing the league’s goal-per-game average to 2.09.
There was a shakeup at the top of both conferences on a weekend that produced no ties — hurray! For all the game summaries, standings, leading scorers and this week’s schedule …
[USL-1] The USL First Division’s bottom three teams all won over the weekend, putting them within striking distance of the pack.
So the Confederations Cup got itself moving — rather sluggishly — with a 0-0 tie, a scoreline that is now virtually traditional for opening games at international tournaments.
