Thursday, April 13, 2006

Paul Kennedy
Managing Editor
Soccer America
With Mike Woitalla & Bryan Alvarez

TODAY'S EDITION
1. WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
2. U.S. ABROAD: Americans go out in cup action
3. WORLD CUP: MLS players John and Glen on T&T short list
4. OFF THE POST: Swiss target World Cup widows

1. WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

''Red Bull has incredible plans on and off the field for this organization. If I'm a part of that, great, but if not, I can take my guitar and go down to the Port Authority and bust for a few dollars.''
— New York Red Bulls President and GM Alexi Lalas on his future with the club. He denied rumors he was rejoining AEG to run the Los Angeles Galaxy following the death of Galaxy President Doug Hamilton last month. (Newark Star-Ledger)

2. U.S. ABROAD: Americans go out in cup action

Oguchi Onyewu had the winning goal in the 73rd minute for Standard Liege in its 1-0 away win Wednesday over Zuite-Waregem in the second leg of their Belgium Cup semifinal series, but it wasn't enough to see Standard through to the final. The series ended, 2-2, on aggregate, and Zuite-Waregem went through on away goals.
Standard is in first place in the Juliper League with a one point lead over Anderlecht with four games to play. It will be without 2005 Belgian Player of the Year Sergio Conceicao for the rest of the season. The Portuguese star was handed an 18-game ban for his part in an altercation in the first leg of the Zuite-Waregem series.
— American World Cup hopeful Jonathan Spector was again in the starting lineup at right back for Charlton in its 4-2 loss to Premier League rival Middlesbrough in their FA Cup quarterfinal replay. Spector's long throw-in helped set up the Addicks' first goal.
— Former U.S. youth international Ian Joy didn't play in Regionaliga (third level) St. PauliÆs 3-0 loss to First Division leader in the semifinals of the German Cup. Bayern goes for its 13th cup title when it faces Eintracht Frankfurt in the final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on April 29. St. Pauli whose fan base includes punks and political radicals, played at home before a capacity crowd of 19,400 fans at the Millerntor Stadium, located next to the Reeperbahn, capital of Hamburg's sex industry.

3. WORLD CUP: MLS players John and Glen on T&T short list

Two MLS players — New England Revolution veteran Avery John and Cornell Glen, recently traded from Colorado to Los Angeles — are among the players on Trinidad & Tobago's short list of 24 players for the World Cup.
Soca Warriors coach Leo Beenhakker will name his 23-player squad before his team leaves for training in England on May 13.
John's younger brother, Stern, previously starred at Columbus in MLS before moving to England.
Avery John (American), Stern John (Mercer County CC), Shaka Hislop (Howard) and Brent Sancho (St. JohnÆs) all played for U.S. colleges. Both Johns and Sancho also played in the A-League.
Alternates include Kansas City striker Scott Sealy, who played at Wake Forest, former UConn star Brent Rahim and Nigel Henry, who spent time in the A-League.
Beenhakker's two assists are former New York Cosmos defender Wim Rijsbergen and former Erskine University Hall of Famer Anton Corneal.

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 24
Goalkeepers: Kelvin Jack (Dundee/Scotland), Shaka Hislop (West Ham/England), Clayton Inceá (Coventry/England).
Defenders: Dennis Lawrence (Wrexham/Wales) Cyd Gray (San Juan Jabloteh), Marvin Andrewsá (Rangers/Scotland), Brent Sancho (Gillingham/England), Ian Cox (Gillingham/England), Atiba Charles (W Connection), Avery John (New England Revolution/USA).
Midfielders: Silvio Spann (free agent), Chris Birchall (Port Vale/England), Aurtis Whitleyá (San Juan Jabloteh), Anthony Rougier (United Petrotrin), Anthony Wolfe (San Juan Jabloteh), Densill Theobald (Falkirk/Scotland), Carlos Edwards (Luton/England), Dwight Yorke (Sydney FC/Australia), Russell Latapy (Falkirk/Scotland).
Forwards: Stern John (Coventry/England), Kenwyne Jones (Southampton/England), Colliná Samuel (Dundee United/Scotland), Jason Scotland (St. Johnstone/Scotland), Cornell Glená (Los Angeles Galaxy/USA).

4. OFF THE POST: Swiss target World Cup widows

A cow-milking Mr. Switzerland and other beefcakes are featured in a Swiss Tourism ad campaign seeking to entice soccer widows to leave their World Cup-obsessed men behind.
The ad is being aired in France, Germany and Switzerland with the message: ''Dear girls, why not escape this summer's World Cup to a country where men spend less time on soccer, and more time on you?''
The ad shows images of a strapping farmhand, a sexy train conductor, a fit mountain climber, a dapper ferryman and a brawny lumberjack.
It ends with Renzo Blumenthal, Mr. Switzerland 2005, milking and then leaning up against a cow.