In light of poor results at this year's U-17 World Cup, the launch of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, and MLS's move into the youth arena, it's time to reassess U.S. Soccer's 9-year-old Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla. The preparation process for the USA's first appearance at the U-17 World Cup, in 1985, didn't much […]
Tag: men’s national team
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Bradley scores again; Dempsey’s streak ends
[AMERICANS ABROAD/VIDEO] A week after getting his first Dutch Eredivisie goal, Michael Bradley pounced on a rebound to score his second in Heereveen’s 3-2 loss to Utrecht. On-fire Bradley had scored twice on Thursday in a 5-2 UEFA Cup win over Swedish club Helsingborg. Clint Dempsey, who scored a goal in each of Fulham’s last three games, came up empty in a 3-3 tie with Manchester City.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Tony Meola joins indoor Ironmen
Tony Meola, 38, whose MLS career ended after being released by the New York Red Bulls following the 2006 season, is returning to action with Major Indoor Soccer League expansion club New Jersey Ironmen. Meola, starting goalkeeper for the USA at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, and a reserve on the 2002 World Cup squad, played 11 MLS seasons, including a championship season with the Kansas City Wizards in 2000. The first three years and final two of his MLS career were spent in his native New Jersey with the MetroStars/Red Bulls. He told USSoccerPlayers.com of his acrimonious departure from the Red Bulls under Coach Bruce Arena.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Michael Bradley scores first Eredivisie goal
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Midfielder Michael Bradley scored his first goal for his Dutch First Division squad since joining Heereveen in the middle of the 2005-06 season. The 20-year-old scored the final goal of a 5-2 win at Excelsior on Saturday and assisted on his team’s second goal, the 2-2 equalizer.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Beasley scores in Rangers loss
[AMERICANS ABROAD/VIDEO] DaMarcus Beasley scored his second Scottish Premier League goal in five appearances since joining Glasgow Rangers, but his team went down, 4-2, at Hearts as Rangers fell for the first time this season.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Dempsey named Fulham’s Player of the Month
[AMERICANS ABROAD] American attacker Clint Dempsey was named Player of the Month at his English Premier League club Fulham. Dempsey was used a sub in the first three games of the season, then started the next two games and notch a goal in each.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. keeper shelled in Norway; Bradley in loss Ajax
[AMERICANS ABROAD] American goalkeeper Adin Brown took a shelling as his 10th place Norwegian club fell 7-0 to Lillestroem. Midfielder Michael Bradley played the whole game for his Dutch Eredivisie club Heerenveen in its 4-1 loss on Saturday to Ajax Amsterdam. Last week in Heerenveen’s season opener, Bradley had also gone the distance, and received a yellow card in a scoreless tie with Willem II. The 20-year-old midfielder made 21 appearances last season, mainly as a sub.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. REPORT CARD: Average or worse for most Bradley boys
Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 1-0 loss to Sweden …
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
U.S. Men’s team: Summer Lessons
Some players dazzled, others stumbled as U.S. teams played 14 matches in three countries during a trio of international tournaments. Amid the results emerged the next crop of candidates for the 2010 World Cup squad, with the fortunes of many players partially dependent on next year’s Olympic Games.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Friedel and Califf earn wins in Intertoto Cup
Americans Brad Friedel (Blackburn Rovers), Danny Califf (AaA Aalborg) and Charlie Davies (Hammarby) were in action as the Intertoto Cup, Europe’s summer competition that serves as qualifying for the UEFA Cup, moved into the third round. Blackburn and Aalborg both won on the road, while Hammarby tied Dutch club Utrecht, 0-0, at home. For complete Intertoto Cup results …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Luck and fatigue finally catch up to Americans
[U-20 WORLD CUP] Two consecutive overtime matches took a severe toll on the U.S. under-20 team, which battled all the way but couldn’t summon the moment of magic or the ounce of luck they needed to stay alive in the FIFA U-20 World Cup. An early goal by Jozy Altidore, his fourth of the tournament, brought the USA a 1-0 lead Saturday but it conceded an equalizer just before halftime and in overtime, down to 10 men, succumbed to a second goal that swept Austria into the semifinals with a 2-1 win.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA aims for U-20 World Cup semifinals
One win stands between the U.S. under-20 national team and only the second semifinal appearance by an American team in the 30-year history of this world championship. The USA meets Austria in Toronto Saturday at 2:15 pm ET (ESPNU, Galavision) and that last semifinal appearance might as well be ancient history. Goalkeeper Kasey Keller helped the USA to a fourth-place finish in 1989, the same year the youngest members of the current squad were born.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. REPORT CARD: Youngsters Guzan, Kljestan and Nguyen stand out against Colombia
Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 1-0 Copa America loss to Colombia …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. exercise at the Copa America ends pointless
A tough, rugged game against Colombia in which four U.S. players made their first Copa America appearance produced promising moments but nothing more than a 1-0 defeat and an 0-3 record in the competition. Finishing pointless in the standings is also how the entire exercise of taking a young, largely inexperienced team to so prestigious a competition will be deemed: pointless.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Mexico-Chile tie knocks USA out of Copa America
Mexico and Chile played to a 0-0 tie Wednesday at the Copa America — a result that suited both teams nicely and had fans fuming in Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela. The tie clinched first place for Mexico in Group B and put Chile through to the quarterfinals as one of the two best third-place teams. It also eliminated the USA and Colombia, which can only finish with three points if one beats the other in their Group C finale in Thursday. Brazil finished second in Group B with a 1-0 win over Ecuador on Robinho’s fourth goal of the tournament.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA to play for pride vs. Colombia in Copa
The USA has no chance of advancing to the second round of the Copa America when it meets Colombia on Thursday in Barquisimeto, Venezuela (TeleFutura, GolTV-English, 6:30 pm ET). Yet a case can be argued that sending this pool of U.S. players, many of whom had just a handful of caps if they had any at all, has already attained something. This group is not only a feeder group to the national team, it is also the foundation of the next Olympic team. Would Drew Moor otherwise be even a candidate at right back? Hasn’t this tournament sharpened the wits and talents of Ricardo Clark? Did his dismal appearance as a sub against Argentina consign Eddie Gaven to the nether regions of the player pool? What does the promising yet maddening showing of Justin Mapp mean in the short run as well as long-term?
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They’re Saying
“I would score 49 out of 50 times. Unfortunately, it was the wrong time to miss it.”
— Drew Moor, whose otherwise encouraging debut at right back for the USA on Monday night was marred by a wide-open header right in front of the Paraguay goal he hit tamely straight to keeper Aldo Bobadilla with the score 2-1 in Paraguay’s favor late in their Copa America match. Minutes later, Paraguay put the game away with a third goal and won, 3-1.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA pays for brain lock and squandered chances in Paraguay loss
Nothing redeems a mediocre performance more than clinical finishing. Nothing mars a commendable showing like squandered opportunities. Create, battle, and squander sums up the 3-1 U.S. loss to Paraguay Monday night in Barinas, Venezuela. The defeat left the Americans with a 0-2 record, a minus-5 goal difference, and a very slim chance to advance.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. REPORT CARD: Good games for Clark and Moor (in debut)
Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 3-1 Copa America loss to Paraguay …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2007 Copa America TV Schedule
The USA plays its second game at the Copa America on Monday when it faces Paraguay, a 5-0 winner over Colombia in its first game. The match will be broatcast live, beginning at 6:30 pm ET, on TeleFutura in Spanish and on GolTV in English. For the complete Copa America TV schedule …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA must put it all together to get a result against Paraguay
[COPA AMERICA PREVIEW] The glaring disparity in talent that was evident when Argentina beat the USA, 4-1, last Thursday won’t be as prevalent Monday when the Americans take on Paraguay in Barinas, Venezuela, yet Paraguay looked tremendous in its 5-0 win against Colombia, playing a fluid, organized game unlike its rigid, defense-first squads at previous World Cups. If the Americans are again rocked back on their heels, they could be chasing the game for longer than they did against Argentina.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Paraguay’s Santa Cruz regains form at right (wrong?) time
The USA is unbeaten in four games against Paraguay — including a 3-0 victory at the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay — but Bob Bradley‘s team will be the underdog when they meet Monday in Barinas at the Copa America. Paraguay’s No. 1 threat is Roque Santa Cruz, who scored its first three goals in its 5-0 demolition of Paraguay on Thursday night.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2007 Copa America TV Schedule
Action at the 2007 Copa America continues this weekend with two games each on Saturday and Sunday. Brazil will look to rebound from its 2-0 loss to Mexico when it faces Chile on Sunday, while the Tri will go for two wins in a row when it faces Ecuador in the second game of the doubleheader in Maturin. Both games will be broadcast live in Spanish on Univision. For the complete Copa America TV schedule …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Next up for USA at Copa America: Paraguay, a 5-0 winner over Colombia
Paraguay, the next U.S. opponent the Copa America, crushed Colombia, 5-0, in their opening Group C game on Thursday in Maracaibo. Striker Roque Santa Cruz scored a hat trick, and substitute Salvador Cabanas added two more in the last 10 minutes as Colombia collapsed.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. REPORT CARD: Tough day for young team
Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 4-1 Copa America loss to Argentina. …