Soccer America Archives

The United Sports Foundation in Pennsylvania provides opportunities to young hopefuls from six East Coast states. In recent years, soccer leaders have recognized and addressed flaws in the way top young American players are identified. Regional and state administrators, following Steve Sampson’s Southern California lead, are reaching out to overlooked groups, including minorities and players […]

The U.S. women’s national team lost to archrival Norway, 3-2 and will play Denmark for fifth place at the Algarve Cup after finishing third in Group B. Group A winner China will play Norway for the title, and Sweden will play Germany for third place. Shannon MacMillan scored both goals for the Americans, one in […]

John O’Brien helped Ajax maintain its five-point lead atop the Dutch Honor Division by playing 90 minutes in a draw against Feynoord, which is currently tied for second place with PSV Eindhoven. Elsewhere in Europe, Brad Friedel, Cory Gibbs and David Regis also played 90 minutes each in matches that ended in ties for their […]

The U.S. U-17 boys national team lost its first two games in Brazil, and U-18 followed the U-16 team into camp in Chula Vista, Calif. U.S. U-18 BOYS: The U-18s has three matches scheduled during their stay in Chula Vista, Calif.: UCLA on March 5, the L.A. Galaxy on March 7 and the San Diego […]

BY RIDGE MAHONEY, Senior Editor The sights of Landon Donovan dancing around the goalkeeper to slide the ball into the net from a sharp angle — not once but twice — and Clint Mathis flicking a ball into the bottom corner may not be repeated in the World Cup, yet in those images is the […]

American forward Conor Casey got his first league start since joining Hannover 96 in October as the German Second Division leader downed LR Ahlen, 3-1, on Monday. Compatriot Steve Cherundolo, sidelined with a hip injury, missed the match. Cherundolo has played the full 90 minutes of 22 of Hannover’s 24 games this season. Casey’s previous […]

The U.S. U-19 girls team beat a pair of CONCACAF rivals on their trip to Pachuca, Mexico, while the U-16 girls get set to host Germany and Canada in Florida. U.S. U-19 GIRLS: The U-19s, favorites to win this year’s Under-19 Women’s World Championship, beat Costa Rica’s U-19s, 4-0, and Mexico’s U-19s, 2-1, in Pachuca, […]

CHICAGO Training March 2-10 — Birmingham, Ala. March 10-15 — Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Matches Jan. 28 — Univ. of Tampa (3-0). Feb. 4 — U.S. U-18 national team (2-0). Feb. 6 — Kansas City Wizards (1-4). Feb. 16 — at Portuguese union all-stars (6-0). Feb. 20 — at Benfica (Portugal) (2-0). March 5 — at […]

One of the unfamiliar faces on the Mexico Gold Cup roster refined his game at the high school and college level in California. “I was spending my [Christmas] vacation with my family,” said Carlos Ochoa (left) of his Gold Cup invitation. “I was surprised. They called me and told me I was selected, and I […]

The Kansas City Wizards defeated TrinidadGs W Connection. 1-0, on the road in their first-leg, round-of-16 FC Champions Cup clash on Sunday. Midfielder Francisco Gomez scored the gamewinner in the 85th minute. He hit a 16-yard volley off a cross from Gary Glasgow. Both players were late second-half substitutes. Kansas City hosts the second leg […]

GROUP A March 1 Germany 3 Denmark 0 China 4 Finland 1 March 3 Denmark 2 Finland 0 China 4 Germany 2 TEAM GP W T L GF GA P China 2 2 0 0 8 3 6 Germany 2 1 0 1 5 4 3 Denmark 2 1 1 0 2 3 3 Finland […]

The United States got second-half goals from Shannon MacMillan and Kelly Wilson to beat England, 2-0, Sunday at the Algarve Cup in Portugal. Santa Clara University midfielder Aly Wagner set up both goals. MacMillan has scored in both games to give her 41 goals in 133 games. The England game marked the international debut for […]

Coach Bruce Arena, keeper Kasey Keller, midfielder Landon Donovan and forward Clint Mathis met the press after the USAGs 4-0 win over Honduras on Saturday in Seattle. U.S. head coach BRUCE ARENA: pI thought it was a good effort. We had a good afternoon. ItGs positive to be able to look at 16 players as […]

Clint Mathis and Landon Donovan scored a pair of goals each on Saturday as the USA thumped Honduras, 4-0, in Seattle. Game summary: International Friendly March 2 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Wash. Weather: 52 degrees; sunny, cold. Attendance: 38,534. USA 4 Honduras 0 Goals: USA — Clint Mathis (Brian McBride) 14th minute. USA — […]

GROUP A March 1 Germany 3 Denmark 0 China 4 Finland 1 GP W T L GF GA P China 1 1 0 0 4 1 3 Germany 1 1 0 0 3 0 3 Finland 1 0 1 0 1 4 0 Denmark 1 0 1 0 0 3 0 GROUP B USA 1 […]

The United States women tied Sweden, 1-1, in the opening game at the Algarve Cup in Portugal. The United States has a 16-12 edge in shots, but the Swedes put heavy pressure on goalie LaKeysia Beene to get the equalizer after Shannon MacMillan had given the United States the lead in the first half. USA-SWEDEN […]

The USA plays its seventh game of 2002 on Saturday. It meets Honduras at Safeco Field in Seattle (4 pm ET, 1 pm PT live on ESPN). Coach Bruce Arena’s team enters the friendly game following five wins in its Gold Cup triumph (including a penalty-kick tiebreaker triumph over Canada) and a 1-0 loss in […]

DaMarcus Beasley turns 20 one week before the start of World Cup 2002, where he hopes to prove his moves, which have earned him the nickname ‘Jitterbug,’ will work against the world’s best. The Facts Born: May 24, 1982, in Fort Wayne, Ind. Hometown: Fort Wayne, Ind. Pro clubs: Los Angeles Galaxy (1999), Chicago Fire […]

Wednesday, Feb. 27: Dutch League: = John OGBrien (Ajax Amsterdam/D1) vs. Fortuna Sittard (1-1) Started: 56 minutes. Replaced in the by Ahmed Hossam Mido four minutes after receiving a yellow card. A tie at lowly Sittard puts first-place AjaxGs lead over PSV at 4 points. Libertadores Cup: = Jonny Walker (Universidad Catolica/D1) vs. Olimpia (0-1) […]

CHICAGO Training March 2-10 — Birmingham, Ala. March 10-15 — Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Matches Jan. 28 — Univ. of Tampa (3-0). Feb. 4 — U.S. U-18 national team (2-0). Feb. 6 — Kansas City Wizards (1-4). Feb. 16 — at Portuguese union all-stars (6-0). Feb. 20 — at Benfica (Portugal) (2-0). March 5 — at […]

BY SCOTT FRENCH Fourteen of the WUSA’s Americans, and about a dozen of its foreigners, are on Portugal’s resort coast for the March 1-7 Algarve Cup, the annual fling that brings the world’s top teams together to compete before crowds sometimes topping 100. The lack of local interest notwithstanding, the Algarve Cup — in its […]

In parentheses are 2001 teams. Key: SI=senior international; TI=transitional international; YI=youth international; P-40=Project-40. Chicago

The pain of contraction struck not just the folding Fusion and Mutiny, but scores of players across MLS. A friend saw his name on the Internet. The Colorado Rapids’ most valuable defensive player last season thought he had found his niche. Playing in Denver, his hometown, leading the team in minutes for two consecutive seasons, […]

On Tuesday, MLS celebrated the ground-breaking on the Los Angeles GalaxyGs new venue in Carson, Calif. On Wednesday, the league revealed bad news from the stadium-building front. The city council of McKinney, Texas voted unanimously to pcease all negotiations on the projectS that would have provided the Dallas Burn a 22,000-seat, soccer-specific stadium. The Hunt […]

Milton Nunez and former MLS and A-League striker Saul Martinez head the Honduran national team roster for the USA-Honduras match Saturday in Seattle (ESPN, 4 pm ET). Nunez tormented the U.S. defense in the Catrachos’ 3-2 win in 2002 World Cup qualifying last September in Washington. Martinez had four goals against World Cup finalist Slovenia […]