SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras (Oct. 10, 2009) — The U.S. Men’s National Team qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa in dramatic fashion with a 3-2 win against Honduras with five goals scored and a penalty missed by Honduras in a heart-stopping second half.
A standing room only crowd of Honduran supporters rocked Estadio Olímpico in San Pedro Sula, uniting behind their national team despite the domestic political strife dominating international headlines. After a scoreless first half that saw both teams shooting off-target, the second half turned into an instant classic with the U.S. getting the deciding goal in the 71st minute from a free kick by midfielder Landon Donovan.
Forward Conor Casey provided the heroics for the U.S., scoring the first two goals of his international career in the 55th and 66th minutes, and setting up the Donovan freekick. It was Casey’s third appearance in the 2010 qualifying cycle, and the 15th of his career.
The Honduras faithful thought their side would draw even in the 87th minute when the referee awarded a penalty kick in their favor. Carlos Pavon, the all-time leading scorer for Honduras with 55 career goals, shockingly blasted his penalty over the crossbar. Despite the misfortune, the Honduran crowd showed their class by offering the U.S. team a warm ovation following the match.
The U.S. team returns from Honduras to face Costa Rica at RFK Stadium on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m. with first place in CONCACAF qualifying on the line. More than 20,000 tickets have been sold for the match that will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Galavision. Tickets are available at ussoccer.com. To finish first in the group, the U.S. needs to maintain its one-point lead in the standings ahead of Mexico, who travels to Trinidad & Tobago.
“This was the most important game in qualifying because it was the one that qualified us for South Africa 2010,” said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. “The celebration was a very good one because when you have a group that has come together, that has worked hard, that has grown, when they’ve accomplished something it’s a special feeling. Tonight we can all share that feeling.”
After Honduras got things started with a handful of shots in the first few minutes of the game, the U.S. had the first dangerous opportunity in the 18th minute on a second consecutive corner kick by Donovan. His in-swinger from the left side bounced once in the middle of the penalty area and skipped to an unmarked Carlos Bocanegra. The bounce was too high for Bocanegra to get on top of and he headed the chance over the crossbar.
Eleven minutes later, Carlo Costly perfectly timed his run to beat the U.S. to a clearance over the heads of the U.S. back line. As he dribbled toward goal, he scuffed his shot just inches wide of Tim Howard’s right post.
Back the other way, the U.S. had their best chance to score of the half. Casey held the ball just across midfield on the right side and sent Stuart Holden, who was making his first World Cup qualifying start, free down the line. With plenty of time, Holden sent a pinpoint cross to Davies, whose header from eight yards was saved by Noel Valladares reaching back across his body. The rebound came right back to Davies, but he hit his follow-up effort above the crossbar.
After a scoreless first half, the complexion of the game changed completely just 20 seconds into the second half. U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu fell and made a clumsy foul that set up a Honduras freekick just a yard outside of the U.S. penalty area. Julio Cesar de Leon took a one-step approach on his right-footed shot that curled over the U.S. wall and under the cross bar, just out of the reach of Howard in the 47th minute.
The U.S. answered eight minutes later with Onyewu getting involved in the goal. The U.S. center back served a 50-yard ball to the top of the penalty area, where Davies won the header and popped the ball high in the air. As it came down at the top of the six yard box, Casey spun in the air as he challenged Valladares for the ball, and he made first contact with the back of his head before the goalkeeper could get a hand on it. The ball bounced once before going into the empty goal.
In the 64th minute, forward David Suazo came on for Honduras and moments later he made a great diagonal run right from left to right. He received the ball in stride before unleashing a shot from the right side of the area to the far post that forced Howard to make his best save of the night with a two-handed parry to keep the ball from curling inside the far post.
In the 66th minute, the U.S. took the lead that it would not relinquish. Onyewu stepped in at the top of the U.S. penalty area to win a through ball, and carried the ball forward before he found Davies available on the left wing at midfield. Davies took the ball across midfield before playing it square to Donovan. Donovan dribbled toward the middle and threaded the defense for Casey who got behind the last defender in the area. Casey faked a shot to get Valladares to go down, and then calmly slotted the ball inside the right post.
A minute later, Jonathan Bornstein nearly doubled the U.S. advantage with a 25-yard blast that Valladares pushed back into play. Holden followed up but his shot from the right was blocked by a defender.
The U.S. continued to put the pressure on, and Casey earned a free kick after de Leon was whistled for a foul 22-yards from goal. Just three yards further from goal than de Leon scored from earlier in the half, Donovan perfectly placed the ball over Ricardo Clark standing at the end of the wall. Valladares was screened, and couldn’t react in time as the shot sailed over his back shoulder in the 71st minute.
Four minutes later, Wilson Palacios played a soft pass to Suazo who was in behind the U.S. defense on the right side. He played a cross in to Pavon who put the ball into the net from point-blank range. The goal was waived off, however, as Pavon was correctly ruled offside, in front of Suazo and the ball when the pass was played into the center.
In the 78th minute, play seemed to stand still as de Leon played Ramon Nuñez into the U.S. box with two other Honduran players in an offside position. Nuñez dribbled forward to the endline to bring his teammates back into play, and dropped the ball back for Suazo. He found de Leon a few yards away on the right side of the penalty area. De Leon took a touch toward the penalty spot before drilling a shot past a drawn-out Howard to cut the U.S. lead to 3-2.
In the 87th minute, a Nuñez free kick bounced in the area before coming up and hitting Holden’s left arm. Referee Roberto Moreno immediately pointed to the spot, and Pavon – who converted a penalty against the U.S. on Sept. 1, 2001, in Washington, D.C., in the last U.S. loss on home soil – missed the chance to equalize.
The U.S. held on for the next five minutes of regulation plus four minutes of added time to become the first CONCACAF team to win in Honduras during the 2010 qualifying cycle.
Honduras was previously 8-0-0 at home in qualifying for South Africa, and with three goals scored the U.S. matched the total that Honduras had allowed in their prior eight home games. The U.S. is now 5-3-1 on the road in qualifying, the best mark in CONCACAF heading into Matchday 10.
The match was the fourth time in nine qualifies that the U.S. surrendered the first goal. In those four matches, however, the U.S. has earned 10 of their 19 points with three come-from-behind wins and one come-from-behind tie.
With his goals, Casey became the 20th different player to score a goal for the U.S. in 2009 – the most ever in one year for the team. Donovan, with his pass to Casey on the second goal, set the U.S. single-year assist record with 10 to pass Cobi Jones.
The USA joins Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain and Korea Republic as the only teams who have participated in all six World Cup since 1990, including secured berths to South Africa in 2010.
Fans who wish to follow the U.S. team to South Africa are encouraged to join U.S. Soccer Supporters Club, the official fan membership program for fans of the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams. U.S. Soccer SC members will have priority status to purchase 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets through U.S. Soccer, with access ahead of the general public.
- U.S. Men's National Team Game Report -
Match: United States vs. Honduras
Date: Oct. 10, 2009
Competition: FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Final Round
Venue: Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano – San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Kickoff: 8 p.m. MT
Attendance: TBA
Weather: 80 degrees
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 0 3 3
HON 0 2 2
HON – Julio Cesar de Leon (unassisted) 47th minute
USA – Conor Casey (Charlie Davies) 55
USA – Conor Casey (Landon Donovan) 66
USA – Landon Donovan (unassisted) 71
HON – Julio Cesar de Leon (David Suazo) 78
CHARLESTON, S.C. (Aug. 13, 2009) - Twenty-four
teams from eight clubs will participate in the
Chicago ECNL Showcase hosted by Eclipse Select
Soccer Club, Aug. 14-16, 2009, at the
Libertyville Township Soccer Complex. In
conjunction with the event, the new ECNL Web
site will soon be launched at http://www.eliteclubsnationalleague.com.
The Chicago ECNL Showcase marks the league's
inaugural event and is the first of five 2009-
10 ECNL regular-season tournaments. Member clubs
must select three of the five events to attend
in advance of the 2009-10 ECNL National
Championship, scheduled for July 15-18, 2010, in
Seattle.
The eight participating clubs in the Chicago
ECNL Showcase are: Birmingham United (Ala.),
Colorado Rush (Colo.), Eclipse Select SC (Ill.),
FC Milwaukee (Wis.), Irvine Strikers (Calif.),
SC Del Sol (Ariz.), St. Louis Scott Gallagher
(Mo.) and Virginia Rush (Va.). Attending clubs
will bring a U-15, U-16 and U-17 team to
Chicago, with each squad playing one game on
each of the event's three days.
"This inaugural ECNL event will serve as the
foundation for what will be a highly-successful,
competitive league that follows the appropriate
framework for elite girls' player development,"
said US Club Soccer Executive Director Bill
Sage. "Our staff is very much looking forward to
contributing to this significant development."
"Everyone is tremendously excited to finally
kick-off the ECNL season," said ECNL President
Christian Lavers. "Over the past months it has
become very clear that the member clubs are
committed to making the ECNL a vehicle for
positive change in female youth soccer. This
weekend will showcase some very talented
players, competing in some great games, and we
look forward to it."
A complete schedule, as well as additional
league information, will soon be available on
the new ECNL Web site: http://www.eliteclubsnationalleague.com.
Those interested will also be able to follow the
action at the Chicago ECNL Showcase with daily
updates and highlights at the Chicago ECNL
Showcase event page.
About the ECNL:
The ECNL is a non-profit national youth soccer
league founded in 2009 to provide the best
possible developmental environment for American
female youth soccer players through the creation
of the highest level of national competition and
an identification and development program to
provide an avenue for players to participate in
U.S. Soccer's National Teams. The 2009-10 season
is the ECNL's inaugural season. Each of the 40
member clubs in 2009-10 will have a team in the
U-15, U-16 and U-17 age groups, each competing
for the ECNL National Championship, the ECNL
National Club Championship, and promotion and
relegation between flights. The ECNL is
sanctioned by US Club Soccer.
About US Club Soccer:
US Club Soccer is a non-profit organization
whose mission is to develop competitive club
soccer in the United States. A member of the
United States Soccer Federation since July 2001,
US Club Soccer has grown to include member clubs
and leagues in 49 states. In addition to
sanctioning and administering tournaments,
leagues and other competitions as well as
offering a range of programs for its members, US
Club Soccer annually conducts the National Cup
and the National Collegiate Showcase. US Club
Soccer also directs its own player
identification and development program
MEXICO CITY (Aug. 12, 2009) — The U.S. Men’s
National Team took its first-ever lead at
Estadio Azteca in the ninth minute, but Mexico
quickly tied the game before striking for the
game-winner in the 82nd minute in front of a
sold-out crowd of more than 100,000.
U.S. forward Charlie Davies scored nine minutes
into his first FIFA World Cup qualifying start,
but Mexico came from behind with a rocket of a
goal by Israel Castro in the 19th minute and an
82nd-minute strike from substitute Miguel Sabah
“It was a tight game and a fair score,” U.S.
head coach Bob Bradley said. “It's a tough loss
to have so many guys work so hard and then give
up a late goal. The feeling inside is one of
great disappointment, because the idea that you
could still walk away today with a point after
everyone gave everything they had is important
for any team.
“Overall, our defending was very good. On the
other side, I think we could still connect some
more passes and hold the ball a little bit
better. I think that probably was the area that
let us down the most.” (more quotes)
With two of the MatchDay 6 games yet to conclude
tonight, the U.S. is still in second place with
10 points from six games, while Mexico has
passed Honduras for third place with nine
points. Honduras hosts Costa Rica and Trinidad &
Tobago hosts El Salvador in the other matches.
Mexico’s win means that the teams have now split
their final round qualifying games in each of
the last three World Cup cycles. Dating to 2001,
the U.S. has won the home leg 2-0 while losing
by one goal on the road for the third
consecutive game. The U.S. is still seeking its
first road win against Mexico, falling to 0-23-1
including 0-9-1 at Estadio Azteca.
Mexico got the action started in the second
minute when Andrés Guardado let a 23-yard shot
fly at Tim Howard in the first of seven shots on
goal on the day for Mexico.
The only U.S. shot on goal on the day was the
Davies tally in the ninth minute, and with the
strike he joined Willie Roy, Rick Davis and
Eddie Lewis as the only U.S. players to score
against Me xico at Estadio Azteca.
The scoring play started with a clearance by
Howard that a Mexican defender headed back to
Clint Dempsey. Dempsey touched the ball back
behind the midfield stripe to Michael Bradley,
who took a touch before playing the ball to
Donovan. Donovan came back to receive the ball
at the front edge of the center circle, and
quickly turned inside Guardado and dribbled
forward. He looked up and found Davies behind
the left side of the Mexico defense. Davies sped
in on Guillermo Ochoa’s goal and coolly curved a
right footed shot around the Mexico goalkeeper
from 16 yards.
The first ever lead against Mexico for the U.S.
at Estadio Azteca lasted just 10 minutes, as
Castro hit a bomb off the underside of the
crossbar in the 19th minute.
Castro tackled the ball away from Donovan in the
U.S. defensive half and popped up quickly to
play the ball to Guardado. He played the ball to
Cuauhtemoc Blanco on the left wing, and Blanco
brought the play inside where he drew the
attention of both Bradley and Ricardo Clark.
Blanco then found Castro wide open 28 yards from
goal in the middle of the field. After one
touch, he blasted a shot off the underside of
the crossbar that bounced across the goal line.
Five minutes later, Mexico nearly went ahead as
Giovanni dos Santos played a one-two with
Guillermo Franco and shot just wide of the post,
but Franco was correctly flagged offside.
For the remainder of the first half, Mexico put
on most of the pressure and referee Roberto
Moreno from Panama showed the U.S. three yellow
cards. Oguchi Onyewu will miss the next U.S.
qualifier after a handball in the 27th minute,
and two minutes later Jay DeMerit was booked for
a late challenge on dos Santos outside the U.S.
penalty area that led to a Blanco shot on goal
that was saved by Howard. In first half stoppage
time, Carlos Bocanegra went into the book for a
tackle on dos Santos at midfield.
In the second half after Mexico coach Javier
Aguirre replaced Blanco with Carlos Vela in the
56th minute, the U.S. countered by brining in
Benny Feilhaber for Brian Ching and Stuart
Holden for Ricardo Clark. For holding, it was
his first career appearance in a FIFA World Cup
qualifier.
Each team’s defense continued to stand strong,
as they had for much of the first half. Mexico
had pair of chances from dos Santos in the 59th
minute. On the first, Guardado crossed to a
wide-open dos Santos outside of the far post,
and his hard shot was saved by Howard at the
near post. On the ensuing corner, the 20 year
old again tried to find the near post but his
rolling shot was picked up by Howard.
Later, Davies injected himself into the best two
chances for the U.S. in the second half. The
first came when he was called offside as a pass
from Bradley came just as Davies passed the last
Mexico defender, and the second coming as he
narrowly missed a diving chance as Holden sent
in a driven cross from the right wing.
After a Mexico free kick in the 75th minute,
Davies went down injuried with leg cramps and
while on the ground was confronted by Mexico
captain Gerardo Torrado. Feilhaber came to
Davies’ defense, shoving Torrado away, and both
were shown yellow cards as Davies was carted off
the field and replaced by Jozy Altidore.
The Mexico game-winner came in the 82nd minute
with Mexico switching fields to find Efrain
Juarez on the right wing. Donovan gave chase and
Juárez passed Bocanegra on the way to the
endline, where his pass into the middle
deflected off DeMerit attempting a slide tackle
and found Sabah. The Mexico substitute, who had
come on just three minutes earlier, crushed a
shot into the goal over Howard from close range.
Mexico held on down the stretch, with Donovan’s
only corner of the second half punched away by
Ochoa in the 88th minute.
The final round of qualifying resumes on Sept.
5, when the U.S. hosts El Salvador at Rio Tinto
Stadium in Sandy, Utah, followed four days later
by a trip to play at Trinidad & Tobago. Tickets
for the El Salvador match, which kicks off at 6
p.m. MT, are on sale now at ussoccer.com. ESPN
Classic and Galavision will televise the game
live, and fans can follow online via
ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker.
The United States did beat Mexico once in Mexico
City. A sell-out crowd of 41,000 was on hand.
Mexico went ahead on a penalty kick 10 minutes
into the second half, but the Americans rallied
to win,
2-1, on a pair of late goals, prompting the
local fans to pelt the Mexican players with
debris.
What was the year? What the competition?
Who was the future U.S. star who committed the
foul that led to the
Mexico penalty? Who were the college teammates
who scored the two U.S.
goals? Who was the U.S. keeper who is still
active today?
In 1992, Mexico hosted the USA at the Estadio
Azulgrana (current home
of Cruz Azul) in the opening game of the final
round of Concacaf
qualifying for the Barcelona Olympics.
Alexi Lalas tripped Manuel Vidrio in the penalty
area for the penalty
converted by Pedro Pineda.
UCLA teammates Chris Henderson and Mike Lapper
responded to give the
USA the win. Another Bruin, Brad Friedel, had an
outstanding game in
goal.
Factors that helped the Yanks: pre-game rains
had cleared smog and
cooled temperatures.
U.S. lineup -- Friedel, Rast, Lalas, Lapper,
Imler, Burns, Henderson,
Reyna, Jones (Allnutt), Washington, Snow. Coach:
Lothar Osiander.
BURLINGTON, Vt. – University of Vermont head
women's soccer coach Kwame Lloyd has announced
that Kristi Lefebvre has been promoted to the
top assistant position on his staff.
Lefebvre, who will begin her second season at
Vermont in 2009, replaces Steph Mead who
resigned in July after three seasons to pursue
career opportunities outside of coaching.
"I am very appreciative of the work that Steph
put in during this transitional period. She was
a valuable member to our staff and displayed her
passion for the women's soccer program and the
University of Vermont," stated Lloyd.
"I am also excited to promote Kristi to the
first assistant position. She is a rising talent
and a key component to helping lead UVM women's
soccer to the next level. She brings
unquestionable character, experience from the
highest level of women's soccer and a commitment
to recruiting. Her extensive soccer IQ will be
integral to our future success, and she shares
our vision for the women's soccer program,"
continued Lloyd.
Lefebvre (pronounced lah-fave) is a former
University of Connecticut and Colchester (Vt.)
High School standout. She came to Vermont in
2008 after spending two seasons as an assistant
coach at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. She
was also a member of the FSA SoccerPlus FC staff
with Tony DiCicco, the former US Women’s
National Team coach, since 2005.
Lefebvre graduated from UConn in 2006 after a
strong four-year career with the Huskies. She
helped Connecticut win three Big East Regular
Season titles and two tournament championships
in her four years. The Huskies also advanced to
the NCAA Tournament four times, including an
appearance in the Final Four and national
championship game in 2003.
Lefebvre served as a team captain as a senior
and earned team MVP honors that year. She earned
NSCAA All-Northeast Region and NEWISA All-New
England honors in 2005 and closed out her career
ranked among the all-time leaders in games
played at UConn with 93 appearances.
Prior to her collegiate career at Connecticut,
Lefebvre played locally at Colchester High
School. She was the Gatorade Player of the Year
and Vermont Player of the Year twice and was
named to the all-state first team all four
years. Lefebvre also earned all-America honors
twice during her scholastic career.
Lefebvre also played for one of the top club
programs, the Bethesda (Md.) Fury, prior to
beginning her collegiate career. She won three
state championships, two regional championships
and one national championship in 2001 with the
Fury.
Lefebvre continued her playing career following
her graduation from UConn. In 2006, she led the
New Jersey Wildcats of the W-League to the
Eastern Conference Regular Season Championship.
She also served as captain of the SoccerPlus
Connecticut Reds of the Women’s Premier Soccer
League (WPSL) in 2008.
SEATTLE (Tuesday, August 4, 2009) – To
commemorate FC Barcelona’s 2009 U.S. Tour,
Argentine striker Lionel Messi today
participated in one of the most unique photo
opportunities to emerge from the city of
Seattle. The 22-year-old, considered by many to
be the world’s greatest player, made the trek to
the roof of Seattle’s historic Space Needle
where he showcased a commemorative scarf
featuring the team marks of both FC Barcelona
and Seattle Sounders FC. He then visited the
famed observation deck, where he juggled the
ball to the delight of the tourists visiting the
landmark.
Messi took a scenic elevator to the observation
deck and climbed three flights of steep stairs
to the rooftop the 605-foot tall Space Needle,
where a helicopter hovered overhead to capture
the images which have since circulated around
the world.
The team’s visit will be further commemorated
tonight when the iconic Seattle beacon will be
lit in the colors of the club, blue and red.
From the roof, Messi moved to the 520-foot
Observatory Deck, which has a 360 degree view of
the city. The Argentine striker juggled the ball
to the delight of the Space Needle visitors, who
immediately began to snap photos and get
autographs.
The Space Needle was built in 1962 in time for
Seattle’s World Fair, and has remained the
city’s main attraction. The image of the Needle
is incorporated into the logo of Seattle
Sounders FC, the successful MLS expansion club
which faces FC Barcelona on Wednesday at
sold-out Quest Field.
FC Barcelona, at its second stop in the 2009
U.S. Tour, will face MLS’ Seattle Sounders FC in
a sold-out international match at Qwest Field
tomorrow on nearly 68,000 people, Wednesday,
August 5. Barça defeated the LA Galaxy 2-1 in a
memorable match at the historic Rose Bowl, where
more than 93,000 watched the game, the most fans
to attend a soccer game in the United States
since the 1994 FIFA World Cup. FC Barcelona
continues on to San Francisco, to face CD
Guadalajara on Saturday, August 8 at Candlestick
Park.
[WORLD CUP 2014] The price tag for Brazil's 2014
World Cup could top $40 billion. That's the
estimate of a report released Wednesday on
stadium and infrastructure spending projects
planned by the 12 cities that will host the
competition.
Globo's G1 Web site projected spending to reach
$41.7 billion. The money will come from a
combination of public and private forces.
Sao Paulo will be the big spender with plans to
spend more than $19 billion.
Other cities hosting matches are the capital
Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Porto
Alegre, Curitiba, Salvador, Recife, Natal,
Fortaleza, Manaus and Cuiaba.
One of the projects Brazil hopes to finish for
the World Cup is its first high-speed rail
project from Rio to Sao Paulo at a cost of $18
billion, 50 percent more than the government's
previously estimated price.
Joe Cummings (left) pictured with legendary
UConn Soccer coach Joe Morrone (right)
July 23, 2009 - Paul Kennedy,
Soccer America Daily
[NSCAA] Longtime soccer executive Joe Cummings
is leaving his post as president and general
manager of WPS's Boston Breakers to become the
new CEO and executive director of the National
Soccer Coaches Association of America.
Cummings, a former president of the NSCAA, will
assume his new duties in early September after
the conclusion of the WPS season.
"What Joe Cummings offers to the role of NSCAA
CEO and executive director is unique in its
tremendous diversity, its depth of experience
and the passion that he has for the
Association," said NSCAA President Randy Waldrum.
"We couldn't ask for someone more qualified to
assume the responsibilities of leading the
world's largest coaches association."
Cummings has worked in MLS (assistant general
manager of the New England Revolution, 1996-99),
the WUSA (president and general manager of the
Breakers, 2000-03), MLS again (technical
director of the New England Revolution, 2004-05)
and WPS (first as its chief operating officer).
He also worked as the director of operations for
the Birmingham venue of the 1996 Olympic Games
soccer tournament and the 1999 Women's World Cup
and as venue manager for the Boston and
Philadelphia venues for the 2003 Women's World
Cup.
Cummings, who has also coached high school and
college soccer, replaces longtime NSCAA
executive director Jim Sheldon, who retired.
Summer brings the best weather for soccer and
across the country SoccerPlus is educating
passionate and aspiring young players. During a
recent program at Suffield Academy in
Connecticut, the campers and staff traveled east
to Harvard to see the Boston Breakers in person.
Assistant Coach (and former SoccerPlus
camper) Katie Shields welcomed the group on the
bus. Following the Breakers victory, Head Coach
Tony DiCicco thanked the group for their support
and wished them well as they pursue their dreams
offering some insights into the mentality of
champions. Camp Director, Mariel Wilner
commented, “The game was a tremendously
educational and entertaining experience for the
students. There’s no doubt that one of the best
ways to improve as a player is to watch the game
at the highest level. Watching the Breakers was
a great opportunity and we look forward to
bringing SoccerPlus back soon.
Founded by former US National Team Head Coach
and current Boston Breakers Head Coach Tony
DiCicco, SoccerPlus Camps is in its 28th year of
running residential camps, day camps and
clinics. In addition, SoccerPlus Camps offers
custom programs. For more information, visit our
website at www.soccerpluscamps.com or call us
toll free at 1-800-KEEPER-1.
Independence Day is an official kickoff to
summer, and for many, a taste of relaxation. But
for the first American to coach soccer abroad on
a club level, these days are busier than ever.
John Murphy is getting ready for his debut as
the head coach of Scotland’s Livingston Football
Club, which has made headlines in the United
Kingdom more for its financial difficulties than
its onfield play. On the brink of bankruptcy,
Livingston had the electricity turned off at its
Almondvale Stadium and owed the previous manager
back wages.
“I knew it’d be a difficult situation but I felt
comfortable as the coach if I’m allowed to focus
on the soccer side of it,’’ said Murphy, a
42-year-old Quincy native who was hired in
February as the goalkeepers coach.
Americans have been placed in charge of other
countries national men’s soccer teams before,
but never has a Yank landed a head coaching job
of another country’s domestic, club-level team.
Livingston plays in the Scottish First Division,
one tier below the Scottish Premier League that
includes the likes of famed Glasgow clubs Celtic
and Rangers.
A 1985 graduate of North Quincy High School,
Murphy will have to draw upon the knowledge
accumulated from a career that has taken him
from Massasoit Community College to the highest
levels of Major League Soccer.
After being unable to resist other clubs’ offers
for its top players, Livingstone will be forced
more than ever to identify and develop young
players - a talent that Murphy has honed in his
earlier stops. While scouting for the New
England Revolution, he helped discover Clint
Dempsey, Taylor Twellman, Pat Noonan and Shalrie
Joseph - all of whom became MLS all-stars. Later
he was instrumental in starting the Revolution’s
youth academy and did the same in four seasons
with the Colorado Rapids.
“I still enjoy that part of it,’’ said Murphy,
who spent 13 years in the college ranks
recruiting, the last three as head coach at
Assumption. “You start meeting the agents and
the managers. It’s the same thing in the States:
it’s about your contacts and your relationships.
If they know you’re good at what you do, people
are willing to send people over.’’
When its Scottish First Division season opens on
Aug. 8 (Murphy formally makes his debut in two
Cup competitions later this month), Livingston
should be considered an underdog to finish atop
the table and gain automatic promotion to the
Scottish Premier League. Livi finished seventh
in the 10-team division last season with a
20-goal scorer as well as its captain, both of
whom were later sold to other clubs.
Being underestimated is not unfamiliar to
Murphy. He heard the whispers about his own
limitations - first as a coach without a playing
pedigree (he was a backup keeper at North Quincy
and Massasoit) and later pigeonholed as a
goalkeeping specialist.
“I’ve always had a strong drive,’’ Murphy said.
“I really react to people saying I can’t do
something. I’ve always been that way, even when
I was a little kid. Something inside me wants to
make me do it even more.’’
Murphy made himself a commodity by excelling at
courses for coaches through the US Soccer
Federation and National Soccer Coaches
Association of America. It was at an NSCAA
clinic that he met Craig Brown, the Scotland
national team coach. Upon learning that Murphy’s
mother, Maureen, hailed from Glasgow, Brown
encouraged Murphy to obtain his European badges.
“Yeah, it’s fair to say, without that, I might
not have been known in Scotland,’’ said Murphy,
who became the first American to earn the
prestigious UEFA Professional Badge through the
Scottish Football Association and UEFA’s top
goalkeeping badge through the English FA.
After being an MLS assistant at New England,
Columbus and Colorado the past nine years (in
which two of his bosses earned MLS Coach of the
Year honors), accepting his first professional
head coaching job was not without some
misgivings.
“You get one chance over here,’’ Murphy said.
“If you get fired, there’s a stigma with that.
In Europe, you have to make good on your first
job.’’
“With what’s hanging over the club right now, if
I can turn it into a better situation, that
would reflect very well on me. And if for some
reason things didn’t go as planned, maybe people
wouldn’t be as harsh.’’
Being a bit of a curiosity as a foreigner might
earn a little slack in the beginning but Murphy
is wise enough to know that he needs results.
“I want people to judge me on who I am as a
coach,’’ Murphy said. “The fact that I’m an
American and the fact I have Scottish heritage,
that’s part of who I am. But I want to be judged
on how I develop teams and, ultimately at this
level, about winning games and winning
championships.’’
BARBOURSVILLE, W.Va. (July 8, 2009) – US Youth
Soccer is proud to announce the 2009 US Youth
Soccer Region I (East) Champions and acknowledge
their success in the state and regional
championships of the US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series, the country's most
prestigious national youth soccer tournament.
These teams now advance to the third and final
leg of the quest for the national championships.
Of the 10 defending US Youth Soccer Region I
Champions, only four repeated including the
Under-17 Girls PDA Fire, who claimed a
three-peat. Under-14 Boys Dix Hill Thunder,
Under-18 Girls FC Bucks Vipers and Under-19
Girls FC Delco Fury II are all back-to-back
Region I Champions.
Representing US Youth Soccer Region III at the
US Youth Soccer National Championships
Girls
Under-14 Scorpions SC (MA)
Under-15 Chantilly Burn (VA)
Under-16 Syosset Rough Riders (E-NY)
Under-17 PDA Fire (NJ)
Under-18 FC Bucks Vipers (E-PA)
Under-19 FC Delco Fury II (E-PA)
Boys
Under-14 Dix Hills Thunder (E-NY)
Under-15 Spirit United Celtic (E-PA)
Under-16 Hicksville Strikers (E-NY)
Under-17 YMS Xplosion (E-PA)
Under-18 East Fishkill Thunder (E-NY)
Under-19 Baltimore Casa Mia Bays
"Each year, the nation's top players look
forward to the US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series as teams earn their way from
state to regional champions, striving to be one
of the top 60 teams in the country playing for
the US Youth Soccer National Championship," said
Larry Monaco, president of US Youth Soccer. "It
was a tremendous event by host West Virginia
Soccer Association and congratulations to the
more than 282 teams who advanced to represent
their state and to those who will continue their
quest to be named US Youth Soccer National
Champions."
The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series
is the country's most prestigious national youth
soccer tournament, providing approximately
185,000 players on more than 10,000 teams from
US Youth Soccer's 55 State Associations the
opportunity to showcase their soccer skills
against the best competition in the nation while
emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play.
The National Championships cap a yearlong series
of competitions, US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series, for boys and girls teams in
multiple age groups as teams earn their way from
the top teams in their state to the regional
championship tournaments. US Youth Soccer State
Champions and selected wildcard teams are
eligible to compete in one of four US Youth
Soccer Regional Championships. The champions in
the Under-14 through Under-19 age groups from
each regional event will converge in the finals
in Massachusetts.
The James P. McGuire Cup is the oldest trophy in
youth sport dating back to 1935 with the
inaugural youth championships. The Under-19 Boys
age group as the National Champion will hoist
the McGuire Cup. This is the 74th anniversary of
the storied cup.
Annually the US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series provides the nation's top
collegiate coaches the premier stage to identify
and scout the most coveted players in the
country.
The dates and locations for the 2009 US Youth
Soccer National Championships:
US Youth Soccer National Championships |
Lancaster, Mass.
Citizens Bank Field at Progin Park
Round Robin: July 21-24
Finals: July 25-26
To learn more about the US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series and see the results from all
of the regional competitions log on to http://Championships.USYouthSoccer.org,
the online home for the US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series, providing the latest in
news, information and more.
BAGHDAD (AP)—Iraq’s national soccer team will
play on home soil Friday for the first time
since 2002, hosting Palestine.
Tareq Ahmed, a senior official in the Iraqi
Football Federation, said Tuesday that Iraq will
play two exhibition matches against
Palestine—the first Friday in northern Iraq, and
the second next week in Baghdad.
“This is another sign that the security
situation is getting better,” Ahmed said in a
telephone interview. He added that he expected a
huge turnout by fans “who are eager to see their
national team playing inside Iraq.”
The Iraqi players have flown to the northern
city of Irbil, the capital of Iraq’s
self-governing Kurdish region that will host the
first match, Ahmed said.
Ahmed said Iraqi coach Nathem Shaker will take
charge of the Iraq team against Palestine. The
contract of coach Bora Milutinovic expired at
the end of the Confederations Cup in South
Africa.
Iraq also plans to play Tanzania in Baghdad in
August.
Iraq last played a home game on July 22, 2002,
when it beat Syria 2-1 in Baghdad. The country
sank into chaos after the U.S.-led invasion in
2003, but has made gains in security after years
of insurgent attacks and sectarian violence.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Selling Americans on
professional soccer has been tough. Selling them
on women’s team sports has been tougher. Selling
them on a new women’s soccer league during a
deep recession may prove to be the toughest task
of all.
Yet with high hopes and low expectations, the
Women’s Professional Soccer league started its
first season in April. The seven-team league has
no television rights deal, a meager media budget
and just a handful of major sponsors. It also
must overcome history: The Women’s United Soccer
Association, built on a wave of support after
the host United States won the 1999 Women’s
World Cup, folded after only three seasons.
But hard times can be instructional, and those
associated with the new league say they have a
plan to keep their venture going longer than
their predecessor did.
Gone is the corporate-run league that owned all
the teams, blew through $100 million and
overestimated sponsorship deals, attendance and
television exposure.
In its place is a far slimmer league. Franchises
cost $1.5 million, teams can spend only $565,000
on players’ salaries, and marketing budgets are
modest. To reduce costs, teams travel with 16
players from their 18-player rosters, and the
league’s championship game will be held at the
home field of the top-seeded team.
“You have to have some pioneer spirit,” said Joe
Cummings, the president and general manager of
the Boston Breakers, who worked for the
franchise in the old league, too. “If you’re not
willing to make the sacrifices beyond the white
line, this is not for you.”
The league was going to start play in 2008 but
waited to give several teams more time to
prepare. In the interim, financial markets
collapsed, consumer spending shriveled and media
budgets disappeared.
Plan B became Plan A. The Breakers halved their
target for sponsorship revenue, to $300,000, and
have missed that goal by $50,000. They reduced
their marketing budget by 80 percent. The team
expects to lose about $1 million in 2009.
Several teams are producing Webcasts together to
cut costs. The Washington Freedom shares some
front-office functions with D.C. United of Major
League Soccer.
Cummings and other league executives said the
recession forced teams to act more like most
start-up businesses. Teams use Twitter and
Facebook instead of advertising on radio or
television. They held preseason practices at
their home grounds, or nearby, not overseas.
Players make appearances in soccer camps and
shopping malls to drum up interest.
“We’re definitely aware of the economy,” Kristin
Luckenbill, a goalkeeper for the Breakers, said
before taking on the Washington Freedom late
last month at Harvard Stadium. “We can market
ourselves as a cheaper entertainment
alternative.”
Indeed, the league sells itself as an affordable
live sports option. Single-game tickets to the
Breakers start at $13. Season-ticket holders can
exchange passes for one game for those to
another. Parking and food are cheaper than they
are for other professional sports. Tailgating is
encouraged.
“I’ll be frank, at $25 a game times 10 games,
that’s $250” for a season plan, said Hugh
Taylor, a banker who has four season tickets for
his family and six for his company. “If I went
to the Red Sox, it’s $40 to $50 per person. The
cost of major professional sports is
ridiculous.”
Still, the league faces daunting hurdles. While
a few games are carried on Fox’s soccer channel,
among others, the league does not have a
television rights deal. That means less revenue
and less publicity.
“You have an American market where the real big
sponsorship money is tied to television deals
because the advertisers will not do anything
without television,” said Donna A. Lopiano, a
leading sports management consultant. “The keys
to the kingdom are not available to new sports,
men’s or women’s.”
Despite efforts to broaden its appeal, the
league’s core fans remain girls who play soccer
and their parents — a potentially large group,
since roughly 377,000 girls play high school
soccer nationwide.
But because many of them leave for college or
stop playing the sport, teams continually have
to find new fans. Persuading parents, especially
fathers, to stick with the sport in their
daughters’ absence is not easy, either.
“We need to get out of the ghetto of being a
role model for girls,” said Andy Crossley, the
Breakers’ director of business development. “You
can’t make dads feel like they’re visiting Chuck
E. Cheese’s.”
Women’s professional sports have also hit a
rough patch. In December, the W.N.B.A., which
has been partly subsidized by the N.B.A., lost
one of its marquee franchises, the Houston
Comets. Rosters leaguewide have also been
reduced.
The L.P.G.A. Tour is eliminating several golf
tournaments because title sponsors have dropped
out, and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour expected its
revenue to fall by about 20 percent this tennis
season.
The soccer league’s backers often note that they
have signed the best players in the world,
including Marta from Brazil and Kristine Lilly,
the longtime stalwart of the United States
national team. That talent, they say, will
attract fans who want to watch soccer played at
the highest level.
Indeed, the largest group tuning into the
league’s games on the Fox Soccer Channel are men
who also watch men’s games, said David
Sternberg, the chief operating officer of Fox
Cable Networks.
But getting men to attend games in appreciable
numbers is another story. Doug Logan, the former
commissioner of Major League Soccer who now
leads USA Track and Field, said team sports were
“fundamentally tribal” and that women’s sports
leagues have struggled to develop that kind of
support.
“Success at the gate has to have a tribal
following and not just a van of soccer-playing
kids who come to one game a year,” Logan said.
“If your business model depends on youth soccer,
it won’t be enough.”
Many of the 3,000 or so fans at the recent match
between the Breakers and the Freedom were young.
Groups of girls, some in their soccer club
shirts, jumped around in the aisles while their
parents sat nearby. Others ran to the first row
to snap pictures with their cellphone cameras.
Many stuck around afterward to get autographs.
Next year, the league plans to add franchises in
Atlanta, Philadelphia and possibly one more
city; the league aims to field 14 teams by 2014.
The league has sponsorship deals with Puma, Hint
Water and Advocare, and said it was close to
announcing three more deals.
Teams are drawing between 4,000 and 5,000 fans a
game, and another 41,000 are watching on
television, about as many fans as watch Major
League Soccer games.
“I have no illusions that we’ll be rolling in
dough in the next three to five years,” said
David Halstead, part owner of the Philadelphia
Independence, which will join the league next
year. “You have a bunch of folks who want to see
something new around the horizon.”
Heavily sought after central defender Oguchi
Onyewu has signed with legendary Italian team AC
Milan on a free transfer, finally ending months
of speculation about his destination.
"He has signed a contract until June 2012,"
assistant communications director Giuseppe
Sapienza told YA. "We will release more
information in the next few days."
"We believe that this signing will help us
greatly in our effort to win the Scudetto and
the Champions League."
The hulking defender had seen his stock steadily
rise over the last two years, leading Standard
Liege to a pair of consecutive league titles as
well as in an impressive run to the knockout
rounds of the 2008/09 UEFA Cup.
While already linked to numerous teams
throughout Europe's top leagues throughout the
spring and summer, his strong play in central
defense during June's Confederations Cup in
helping to power the Stars and Stripes to the
tournament's final increased his status.
The former Clemson Tiger's name recently became
linked to traditional European powerhouses such
as Real Madrid, Porto, Fenerbahce and Ajax.
By signing with the seven-time European
champions, Onyewu strengthens a back line which
saw the retirement of team legend Paolo Maldini
at the end of the previous season. He's also
guaranteed a spot in the 2009/10 UEFA Champions
League group stage by way of the team's
third-place finish in Serie A.
The team begins their pre-season training in
mid-July, before embarking on an exhibition tour
which includes the World Football Challenge in
various US cities against Chelsea, league rivals
Inter Milan and Club América, then followed by
the Audi Cup in Munich against FC Bayern,
Manchester United and Boca Juniors.
The Rossoneri will then begin their Serie A
season in late-August as they attempt to break
bitter rivals Inter Milan's string of four
consecutive league championships.
Appears in July 6, 2009 issue
of Sports Illustrated Magazine
After his five-month loan to Italian superclub
AC Milan, David Beckham is expected back with
the Los Angeles Galaxy and scheduled to play on
July 16 against the New York Red Bulls at Giants
Stadium. But when he takes the field the mood
will be far less giddy than the one that
heralded his arrival in the U.S. in 2007. In
Beckham's two years with the Galaxy he has
successfully sold jerseys and served as
celebrity eye candy, but the soccer story has
been an epic disaster, from his injury-plagued
season in '07 through a loss-filled campaign in
'08.
Beckham's side made sure he became team captain,
and later they engaged in a behind-the-scenes
takeover of Galaxy management. Yet L.A. failed
to reach the MLS playoffs both years. By the end
of the '08 season Beckham was barely speaking to
his teammate Landon Donovan, MLS's leading
scorer, who questioned the Englishman's
commitment to the team.
The Beckham Experiment is a story of worlds
colliding, bringing together the planet's most
famous athlete with teammates who earned as
little as $12,900 a year. But that inequity was
only the start of a downward spiral that, on the
eve of Beckham's return, has turned into a
soccer fiasco.
*****
The summit meeting took place at Mastro's, a
high-class steak house in Beverly Hills. On July
25, 2007 -- three days after their
welcome-to-Hollywood party, hosted by Tom Cruise
and Katie Holmes, and Will and Jada Pinkett
Smith -- David and Victoria Beckham joined
Landon Donovan and his wife, Bianca Kajlich, for
a get-to-know-you meal. At the Home Depot
Center, 10-foot-high profiles of Beckham and
Donovan stared at each other from huge banners.
Now, for the first time, the team's two biggest
stars were facing each other across the dinner
table.
Nearly anywhere else in the world, Donovan's
achievements would have made him a household
name, a fixture on the covers of sports
magazines and (considering that his wife starred
in the CBS sitcom Rules of Engagement) celebrity
rags. As a 20-year-old at the 2002 World Cup he
had scored the goal that sealed the most
important victory in U.S. men's soccer history,
a 2-0 second-round defeat of archrival Mexico.
Now 25, Donovan had won three MLS titles and
been voted the national team's player of the
year a record three times. Yet it was his fate
-- equal parts fortune and misfortune -- to have
been born in the U.S. Which is to say that the
three dozen paparazzi outside Mastro's were not
there for him.
Beckham was supplanting Donovan as the main
attraction in U.S. soccer, and if MLS's Beckham
Experiment was to work, Donovan needed to be
happy. Beckham knew it. So did Frank Yallop, the
team's mild-mannered coach, who had left nothing
to chance. Yallop put Beckham's locker next to
Donovan's, the better to encourage their
interaction, and the coach had arranged this
dinner, bringing along his own wife, Karen, in
the hope that there would be less pressure on
the two couples if it were a table for six.
As the wives chatted among themselves and Yallop
got the conversation going among the men by
asking Beckham about his playing days in Europe,
Donovan recalled two exchanges that had taken
place just the week before. On successive days
he had met with Yallop and Galaxy president and
general manager Alexi Lalas, and each had told
him that "people above me" -- meaning Tim
Leiweke, CEO of AEG, which owned the Galaxy --
thought Beckham should be the team captain. Both
men tried to sugarcoat the blow. "I don't really
look at who has the armband," Yallop told
Donovan. "You're a leader to me, a great player.
It would just be great if you could have a
relationship with David and you pass it on to
him." Lalas, for his part, issued Donovan a
challenge: "Let him be the captain; you be the
star."
What they didn't tell Donovan was that the
request that he give up his captaincy had
originated not with Leiweke but with Beckham's
camp. The topic had come up when Lalas and
Yallop visited Beckham and Terry Byrne,
Beckham's best friend and personal manager, in
Madrid the previous spring. After a lunch at
Beckham's house, the host stayed inside as Byrne
walked Lalas and Yallop onto the porch. "What
are you doing about the captaincy?" asked Byrne,
who felt that Beckham should wear the armband as
soon as he joined the team. Neither Lalas nor
Yallop felt comfortable deciding right then, so
the men agreed to table the idea. But in
subsequent months, Lalas says, Byrne made his
best friend's wishes explicit more than once to
Lalas and Leiweke. (Beckham declined to comment
on this or any other issue in this story.
Sources close to Beckham confirmed that Byrne
had brought up the captaincy, but only in
Madrid, and denied that the request had come
from Beckham himself.)
Donovan's first thought about his bosses'
request? That's pretty s-----. He didn't have a
problem with someone else being captain, least
of all a player with Beckham's credentials, but
he did have an acute sense of being
disrespected. So he decided not to act
immediately. Lalas and Yallop might sweat, but
before he'd consider surrendering the armband
Donovan wanted to get to know Beckham. That
night at Mastro's, over thick steaks and fine
red wine, was his first chance.
*****
Donovan gave up the captaincy three weeks later.
The more he thought about it, the more he
realized he had only two options. He could dig
in his heels, force Yallop to make the change
himself and create tension with Beckham in the
locker room. Or he could accept that he was
boxed into a corner, give up the armband and
hear public praise from Beckham and Yallop for
his selfless act for the good of the team. Of
course, nobody -- including Donovan -- would
tell the media the real story behind the change.
Meanwhile, Beckham made an effort to fit in, and
on his first MLS road trip he endured an
only-in-America experience. After his first
training session with the Galaxy, in Washington
two days before a nationally televised game
against D.C. United, he helped organize a dinner
with 10 other players at Morton's steak house in
Arlington, Va. Beckham had enjoyed the
players-only meals at Real Madrid, and if he was
going to be just one of the lads in the Galaxy
locker room, things needed to get off on the
right foot. Not long after they took their
table, the waiter asked if anyone wanted wine.
They all raised their hands.
"O.K.," the waiter said. "I need to see some
I.D.'s."
"I don't have my I.D. with me," Beckham said.
"No I.D., no wine!" the waiter announced,
theatrically snatching Beckham's wineglass.
Beckham thought it was a put-on. "Is this guy
taking the piss?" he asked. But the waiter was
serious. When the Galaxy's Portuguese defender
Abel Xavier couldn't produce an I.D., his
wineglass disappeared too. "What is this?" the
34-year-old Xavier thundered. "I have a kid who
can drink." The other players laughed
hysterically, partly because the waiter hadn't
recognized the world's most famous athlete and
partly because Beckham and Xavier were so used
to being mobbed in Europe that they didn't
bother carrying identification. Welcome to
soccer in the U.S., guys.
-U.S. Takes Two-Goal Lead, But Five-Time
World Champion -Brazil Answers With Three
Second-Half Goals to Earn Third Confederations
Cup Title With 3-2 Victory
-Tim Howard Wins Golden Glove, Clint Dempsey
Wins Bronze Ball
-U.S. Shifts Gears, Will Open 2009 CONCACAF Gold
Cup on July 4 in Seattle
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (June 28, 2009) — The
U.S. Men’s National team led the five-time world
champion for 64 minutes in their first ever
final in major FIFA tournament, but eventually
fell as Brazil scored three unanswered goals for
a 3-2 victory at Ellis Park in Johannesburg at
the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. Even with the
disappointing loss, the second-place finish
stands as the best-ever performance for the U.S.
in a FIFA competition.
The U.S. scored two first-half goals for the
first time ever against Brazil, with Clint
Dempsey and Landon Donovan striking in the 10th
and 27th minutes, respectively, and Tim Howard
stoned five attempts on goal as the U.S. carried
over their top form from the semifinal upset of
Spain.
Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey earned individual
awards for their impressive performance in the
tournament. Howard earned the Golden Glove as
the best goalkeeper, while Dempsey was awarded
the Bronze Ball as the third best player.
Dempsey was also in the running for the Silver
and Bronze Shoe, but despite matching Fernando
Torres and David Villa of Spain, he played more
minutes so missed out on the tiebreaker despite
also having three goals and one assist. The
awards were the first ever earned by a U.S.
Men’s National Team player in a FIFA Tournament.
Brazil answered 38 seconds into the second half,
breaking the U.S. defense as Luis Fabiano turned
and fired a shot through Jay DeMerit’s legs.
With momentum shifting to those in the famous
yellow jerseys, the second Brazil goal came in
the 74th minute as Golden Ball-winner Kaka
rounded the U.S. defense and played a cross into
the center that Robinho put off the crossbar.
Fabiano, the Golden Boot winner, headed the
rebound into the net before Howard could
recover. The winner came 10-minutes later as
Lucio headed in a corner kick.
“The feeling is a mix of great disappointment
but also great pride,” said U.S. Men’s National
Team head coach Bob Bradley. “There’s no getting
around that it is a difficult loss. Certainly
the moment that really hurt was giving up the
goal so early in the second half. At that point,
they are right back into the game. When we get
past the disappointment, we know that we are
making progress. You learn from these kinds of
experiences and these kinds of games, but it
doesn’t make it any easier on the night.” [More
Quotes]
It was truly a dream start for the U.S. After
absorbing the pressure of two Brazil corners in
the sixth and seventh minutes, the U.S. scored
on their first shot on goal in the 10th minute
when Jonathan Spector and Clint Dempsey linked
up for the second time in South Africa. Jay
DeMerit got things started in the back, playing
the ball forward to Ricardo Clark. He
immediately turned the ball forward to the right
wing where Spector was standing in space. With
all day to cross, he curled a right-footed
service over the head of Gilberto Silva, and
Dempsey stayed inside of his marker and slightly
redirected his shot to find the far-side
netting.
Dempsey tallied three goals during the
tournament to lead the team, passing Bruce
Murray and Brian McBride for the most goals in
FIFA Confederations Cup play all-time. Dempsey
increased his career total to 16 goals to take
sole possession of eighth place on the all-time
list for the U.S.
With their first strike of the day, the U.S.
broke Brazil's shutout streak of 315 minutes
that stretched back to their tournament-opening
match against Egypt.
Howard got this eight-save day started in the
13th minute when he pushed a Robinho shot from
an angle on the left side of the area. He later
was up to the task on shots from Felipe Melo in
the 25th minute and Maicon one minute later.
Shortly after the pair of Howard saves, the U.S.
struck with dangerous speed on a counter attack.
Clark immediately slotted a wayward Brazilian
pass forward to the center circle for Donovan,
who just before crossing midfield played the
ball wide into space on the left for Davies.
Davies ran onto the ball and played his first
touch back into Donovan’s path at the top of the
penalty area. In one touch, he settled the pass
while also cutting it back to go around Ramires
before slotting an 18-yard, left-footed shot
inside the right post. It was Donovan’s 41st
goal in 115 appearances, while Davies picked up
his first career assist in his 10th appearance.
In the 34th minute, Brazil continued to
effectively round the U.S. wings and forced
Howard to make another save. Robinho played
Santos through on the left side of the penalty
area, but the U.S. goalkeeper saved the blast
from six-yards out. Fabiano closed the
first-half with a dangerous chance in stoppage
time. Maicon got forward and played a low cross
from the right that Carlos Bocanegra was able to
deflect before Fabiano had a chance for a
close-range attempt.
The U.S. kicked off the second half, but once
Brazil took possession they began to take
control. Moving the ball up the right side,
Maicon played the ball forward to Ramires
running at the U.S. defense before laying the
ball back to Maicon, who hit a first-time pass
to Fabiano who was posting up at the top of the
penalty box. Fabiano’s first touch popped in the
air a bit, and he immediately took advantage of
the good bounce, spinning and shooting through
DeMerit’s legs before Howard could have any
chance to make a play.
Howard came up big twice for the U.S. in the
58th and 60th minutes to keep the lead. A header
by Lucio at the far post was pushed away, and
later on a header from the same location by
Kaka, Howard pushed the ball off the underside
of the crossbar and out. Replays show that the
ball may have crossed the line, but the U.S. got
the no-call and would go back on the attack
shortly thereafter.
In the 65th and 66th minutes, both Donovan and
Dempsey shot from the top of the penalty area
only to see Julio Cesar up to the challenge and
make a pair of saves.
Howard answered his Brazilian counterpart as
Lucio intercepted a U.S. pass and dribbled
forward, threading the needle to Fabiano before
Howard came out to make the big save one-on-one
against Luis Fabiano in the 71st minute.
The second Brazil goal came in the 74th minute
with Lucio again quarterbacking the Brazil
attack. He found Kaka open on the left and the
dynamic midfielder took Spector almost all the
way to the endline before squaring a cross that
deflected slightly off DeMerit and went under
Bocanegra’s leg before Robinho shot off the
center of the crossbar from inside the six-yard
box. The rebound bounced once before Fabiano
headed the ball just inside the post before
Howard could track back to cover.
Ten minutes later, with the U.S. absorbing waves
of attacks from Brazil, a corner kick off the
head of Lucio decided the game. DeMerit made a
heroic recovery to block a Fabiano shot from 12
yards out, and Bocanegra cleared a subsequent
touch by Elano for a corner. Elano hit an
out-swinger to the far post where Lucio held his
ground, leaping to hit his header off the inside
of Howard’s right post and in. It was the sixth
of Brazil’s 14 goals in the tournament to come
off a set piece.
The final U.S. attack came in the 87th minute,
with Davies, Dempsey and Donovan putting
pressure on Brazil’s right, forcing a wild
clearance by Lucio that set up a corner kick.
Donovan played it perfectly into the path of an
onrushing Oguchi Onyewu, but the U.S. defender’s
header went high from 10 yards out.
Until today, the United States had not lost when
leading by two or more goals at halftime,
compiling a 47-0-1 record. The lone draw came
against Venezuela in the 1993 Copa America.
The U.S. was without the services of midfielder
Michael Bradley, who was serving a suspension
for his semifinal red card against Spain. Benny
Feilhaber stepped into the starting lineup, and
played 74 minutes before giving way to Sacha
Kljestan.
The U.S. is now 1-14-0 all-time against Brazil.
The U.S. switches gears immediately and returns
to home soil to defend the CONCACAF Gold Cup
title from July 3-26 in 13 venues across the
United States. Training camp for the Gold Cup
opens on Tuesday, June 30 in Seattle, and
Bradley has included Davies, Freddy Adu, Heath
Pearce and Luis Robles from South Africa on his
23-man roster for that event. Following the Gold
Cup, the U.S. begins the second half of the
final round of FIFA World Cup qualifying,
seeking their first-ever victory against Mexico
in the famed Estadio Azteca on Aug. 12.
Match: United States vs. Brazil
Date: June 28, 2009
Competition: FIFA Confederations Cup – Final
Venue: Ellis Park - Johannesburg
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. ET)
Attendance: 52,291
Weather: 46 degrees, fair
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 2 0 2
BRA 0 3 3
USA – Clint Dempsey (Jonathan Spector) 10th
minute
USA – Landon Donovan (Charlie Davies) 27
BRA – Luis Fabiano (Ramires) 46
BRA - Luis Fabiano 74
BRA - Lucio (Elano) 84
June 25, 2009 - U.S. Youth
Soccer Communications Center
KY) Javanon sends two boys of two boys teams to
national championships
(MO)St. Louis Scott Gallagher sends one boys and
one girls team to nationals
Ohio to be well represented in Massachusetts
with four teams
Defending champs go three of three in defense of
regional crowns
(IL) Eclipse Select sends three of three girls
teams through to US Youth Soccer National
Championships
Complete recaps available at http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org/RegionII
Video highlights, including finals, available at
http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/multimedia/index.asp
FRISCO, Texas (June 25, 2009) – US Youth Soccer
is proud to announce the 2009 US Youth Soccer
Region II (Midwest) Champions and acknowledge
their success in the state and regional
championships of the US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series, the country's most
prestigious national youth soccer tournament.
These teams now advance to the third and final
leg of the quest for the national championships.
2009 US Youth Soccer Region II Champions
Boys
Under 13 Michigan Wolves 96 (MI)
Under 14* St. Louis Scott Gallagher (MO)
Under 15* Blast FC (OH-S)
Under 16* Campton United Navy (IL)
Under 17* Javanon 92s (KY)
Under 18* Javanon 91s (KY)
Under 19* Pike Indy Burn (IN)
Girls
Under 13 96 Michigan Hawks (MI)
Under 14* Eclipse Select (IL)
Under 15* St. Louis Scott Gallagher Green (MO)
Under 16* Cleveland FC (OH-N)
Under 17^ Eclipse Select 91-92 (IL)
Under 18* Ohio Elite SA (OH-S)
Under 19* Eclipse Select 89-90 (IL)
*Represents Region II at US Youth Soccer
National Championships in Lancaster, Mass., July
21-26.
^Represents US Youth Soccer National League at
National Championships
(OH-N) Internationals to represent Region II in
Under-17 Girls at National Championships
"Each year, the nation's top players look
forward to the US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series as teams earn their way from
state to regional champions, striving to be one
of the top 60 teams in the country playing for
the US Youth Soccer National Championship," said
Larry Monaco, president of US Youth Soccer. "It
was a tremendous event by host South Dakota
State Soccer Association and congratulations to
the more than 212 teams who advanced to
represent their state and to those who will
continue their quest to be named US Youth Soccer
National Champions.”
The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series
is the country's most prestigious national youth
soccer tournament, providing approximately
185,000 players on more than 10,000 teams from
US Youth Soccer's 55 State Associations the
opportunity to showcase their soccer skills
against the best competition in the nation while
emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play.
The National Championships cap a yearlong series
of competitions, US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series, for boys and girls teams in
multiple age groups as teams earn their way from
the top teams in their state to the regional
championship tournaments. US Youth Soccer State
Champions and selected wildcard teams are
eligible to compete in one of four US Youth
Soccer Regional Championships. The champions in
the Under-14 through Under-19 age groups from
each regional event will converge in the finals
in Massachusetts.
The James P. McGuire Cup is the oldest trophy in
youth sport dating back to 1935 with the
inaugural youth championships. The Under-19 Boys
age group as the National Champion will hoist
the McGuire Cup. This is the 74th anniversary of
the storied cup.
Annually the US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series provides the nation's top
collegiate coaches the premier stage to identify
and scout the most coveted players in the
country.
The dates and locations for the remaining
Regional Championships and the 2009 US Youth
Soccer National Championships are:
US Youth Soccer Region I Championships |
Barboursville, W.Va.
Barboursville Soccer Complex, Huntington YMCA
Kennedy and Scott Orthopedics Soccer Complex
Round Robin: July 2-5
Semis: June 6
Finals: July 7
US Youth Soccer National Championships |
Lancaster, Mass.
Citizens Bank Fields at Progin Park
Round Robin: July 21-24
Finals: July 25-26
To learn more about the US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series and see the results from all
of the regional competitions log on to http://Championships.USYouthSoccer.org,
the online home for the US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series, providing the latest in
news, information and more.
FRISCO, Texas (June 25, 2009) – US Youth Soccer
is proud to announce the 2009 US Youth Soccer
Region III (South) Champions and acknowledge
their success in the state and regional
championships of the US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series, the country's most
prestigious national youth soccer tournament.
These teams now advance to the third and final
leg of the quest for the national championships.
Teams from North or South Carolina collected
titles in five of the six boys’ age groups and
will now advance to the US Youth Soccer National
Championships. On the girls’ sides, teams from
six different states won championships and will
now head to Lancaster, Mass., next month with
national championship aspirations.
Representing US Youth Soccer Region III at the
US Youth Soccer National Championships
Girls
Under-14 CASL Spartans Elite Black (NC)
Under-15 Dallas Texans 94 Red (N-TX)
Under-16 Ponte Vedra Storm (FL)
Under-17 GSA Phoenix 92 Red (GA)
Under-18 ESC 91 Black (OK)
Under-19 BUSA 90 (AL)
Boys
Under-14 CASL Elite (NC)
Under-15 SCSA 93 Gold (NC)
Under-16 CESA 92 Premier (SC)
Under-17 Triangle United (NC)
Under-18 DSC 90 Green (SC)
Under-19 NASA 08 Elite (GA)
"Each year, the nation's top players look
forward to the US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series as teams earn their way from
state to regional champions, striving to be one
of the top 60 teams in the country playing for
the US Youth Soccer National Championship," said
Larry Monaco, president of US Youth Soccer. "It
was a tremendous event by host North Texas State
Soccer Association and congratulations to the
more than 184 teams who advanced to represent
their state and to those who will continue their
quest to be named US Youth Soccer National
Champions.”
The US Youth Soccer National Championship Series
is the country's most prestigious national youth
soccer tournament, providing approximately
185,000 players on more than 10,000 teams from
US Youth Soccer's 55 State Associations the
opportunity to showcase their soccer skills
against the best competition in the nation while
emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play.
The National Championships cap a yearlong series
of competitions, US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series, for boys and girls teams in
multiple age groups as teams earn their way from
the top teams in their state to the regional
championship tournaments. US Youth Soccer State
Champions and selected wildcard teams are
eligible to compete in one of four US Youth
Soccer Regional Championships. The champions in
the Under-14 through Under-19 age groups from
each regional event will converge in the finals
in Massachusetts.
The James P. McGuire Cup is the oldest trophy in
youth sport dating back to 1935 with the
inaugural youth championships. The Under-19 Boys
age group as the National Champion will hoist
the McGuire Cup. This is the 74th anniversary of
the storied cup.
Annually the US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series provides the nation's top
collegiate coaches the premier stage to identify
and scout the most coveted players in the
country.
The dates and locations for the remaining
Regional Championships and the 2009 US Youth
Soccer National Championships are:
US Youth Soccer Region I Championships |
Barboursville, W.Va.
Barboursville Soccer Complex, Huntington YMCA
Kennedy and Scott Orthopedics Soccer Complex
Round Robin: July 2-5
Semis: June 6
Finals: July 7
US Youth Soccer National Championships |
Lancaster, Mass.
Citizens Bank Field at Progin Park
Round Robin: July 21-24
Finals: July 25-26
To learn more about the US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series and see the results from all
of the regional competitions log on to http://Championships.USYouthSoccer.org,
the online home for the US Youth Soccer National
Championship Series, providing the latest in
news, information and more.
-Altidore, Dempsey Score U.S. Goals on Either
Side of Halftime
-Spain's Record 15-Game Winning, 35-Match
Unbeaten Streaks Come to an End
-Howard, U.S. Defense Hand Spain First Shutout
Since 2008 Euro Final
-U.S. to Face Winner of Brazil-South Africa
Semifinal on Sunday, June 28, at 2:25 p.m. ET,
Live on ESPN2 and Univision
BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (June 24, 2009) — In
one of the greatest matches in U.S. Soccer
history, the U.S. got goals by Jozy Altidore and
Clint Dempsey to stun No. 1-ranked Spain 2-0 and
advance to the finals of the 2009 FIFA
Confederations Cup in South Africa. The U.S.
Men's National Team will face the winner of the
other semifinal match between Brazil and South
Africa in their first ever final in a FIFA
tournament on Sunday, June 28 in Johannesburg.
Altidore ignited the upset with a fantastic show
of strength and skill to score from the top of
the 18-yard box in the 27th minute, while
Dempsey surprised the Spaniards to provide the
insurance goal in the 74th minute en route to
earning his second consecutive ussoccer.com Man
of the Match award. Tim Howard, who returned to
goal after resting for the final group match
against Egypt, made eight saves to match an
impressive performance by the U.S. defense,
which shutout Spain to snap their world record
15-game winning streak and 35-game unbeaten
streak.
"For us it's a big night,” said U.S. Men’s
National Team head coach Bob Bradley. “The
players all work hard. We constantly talk about
reaching higher and trying to accomplish new
things. Spain is a team that we have the
greatest respect for. They are a super team.
Their ability to play, pass and move. We knew it
was a challenge, but we felt that we would have
a chance and that we could win this game.
“We had a real confidence that we could try to
make it harder for them than some of the other
teams they have play against, and we had the
weapons that could cause them some trouble. We
have some speed up front. We have some guys that
come out of the midfield. I think that those are
all things that work for us." (More Quotes:
Bradley | Players)
The FIFA Confederations Cup final will be
broadcast live at 2:25 p.m. ET live on ESPN2 and
Univision, and fans can follow ussoccer.com’s
MatchTracker and at twitter.com/ussoccer. The
U.S. will find out their opponent after the
other semifinal between Brazil and South Africa
is played on Thursday, June 25, live on ESPN and
Univision at 2:25 p.m. ET.
After what will undoubtedly be considered one of
the greatest victories of all-time, the U.S.
Men’s National Team is now 2-7-1 against the top
team in the FIFA World Rankings and has a 2-2-0
overall record at the Confederations Cup with
six goals scored and six allowed. The U.S. was
the first team to shutout Spain since Italy did
so in the 2008 European Championship final. The
win was the first victory by a CONCACAF team
against Spain, and the match marked the first
time in 29 games that Spain allowed two goals.
Bradley made just two changes to the lineup that
started against Egypt, with Howard returning in
goal and team captain Carlos Bocanegra making
his first appearance of the tournament.
Bocanegra, making his first start at left back
since March 25, 2007, joined a back line of
Oguchi Onyewu, Jay DeMerit and Jonathan Spector.
The game began at a frenetic pace, with the U.S.
getting the better of chances in the first 10
minutes. Charlie Davies, starting two
consecutive games for the first time in his
national team career, nearly immortalized
himself with a bicycle kick off a Dempsey cross
that went wide left of the goal in the seventh
minute. One minute later, Davies directed a
Bocanegra cross just wide of goal. Shortly after
Dempsey had a dangerous shot bounce wide left
from the top of the penalty area.
Spain was not without chances, most coming
through the trio of Fernando Torres, David Villa
and Cesc Fabregas, who had a 10th-minute volley
sail over the crossbar. One minute later,
Fabregas hit a dangerous, low cross to the right
post where Bocanegra did well to force Torres to
shoot high.
As play moved back the other way, Donovan capped
a 35-yard run with a low shot that missed wide
left before Spain answered almost immediately
with Albert Riera bouncing a cross that was too
high for Torres at the near post.
The U.S. capitalized on the hectic pace through
Altidore in the 27th minute, ending Spain’s
shutout streak at 451 minutes, their last
allowed goal in an April 1 FIFA World Cup
qualifier against Turkey. The play started as
Bocanegra settled a blocked pass by Michael
Bradley, and played it back to Bradley in the
center of the field. The central midfielder
curled a ball up the left sideline to Davies,
who played the ball to Dempsey with his first
touch. Dempsey played a one-two with Davies to
get past his defender, and looked for Altidore
who was posting up against his Villareal
teammate Joan Capdevila. Dempsey’s pass was
deflected by Xabi Alonso who was tracking back,
but still found Altidore, who held off Capdevila
before hitting a left-footed strike that went
off goalkeeper Iker Casillas’ right hand and the
inside the left post before hitting the back of
the net.
A Villa shot set up by a lucky bounce of Torres’
heel sailed high in the 32nd minute, and then
once again it went back to the other end where
Dempsey nearly got his head to a Donovan free
kick to direct it toward goal. Spain closed the
first half with pressure, with DeMerit stopping
a shot off the foot of Sergio Ramos and then
Howard coming up with one of his clutch saves on
the night, a left-footed kick against Torres,
who had created the point-blank chance by
rounding Bocanegra as he entered the penalty
area.
Spain came out flying in the second half, and
Howard and the U.S. defense was up to the task,
absorbing pressure that included four shots in
the first 10 minutes. Just two minutes in,
Howard came off his line to parry away a cross,
and a minute later pulled out a world-class save
as Villa curled a shot that looked destined for
the right side netting with the outside of his
left foot from 16 yards.
Three more of Howard’s eight saves came up in
the 52nd minute (Villa after a corner kick),
56th minute (Villa shooting near post) and 64th
minute (Ramos shooting near post). In the 65th
minute, Ricardo Clark made the first of many
great hustle plays by the U.S. down the stretch
when he recovered on a ball switched to the far
post to slide and deny Ramos a clear shot.
In the 69th minute, the U.S. went to the bench
bringing on Benny Feilhaber for Davies. As he
did against Egypt, Dempsey moved to forward with
Feilhaber stepping into Dempsey’s slot in the
midfield.
Five minutes later, the move paid dividends as
Dempsey scored the insurance goal. Dempsey
checked back to break up Spain’s passing rhythm,
and his interception could not be controlled by
Xavi with Bradley stepping in to take the ball
and start the U.S. attack.
Bradley switched the ball to Feilhaber, who came
inside to keep Ramos from intercepting.
Feilhaber dribbled to the top of the penalty
area, and faked a shot to draw in defenders
before playing an entry pass to Donovan on the
right. Donovan’s low cross to the back post
deflected off the heel of Gerard Pique before
Ramos settled it at the far post. Dempsey,
unseen by Ramos, quickly recovered from the
defender’s goal side to turn and hit a sliding
shot into the net before Ramos could recover.
“It's huge for U.S. soccer,” said Dempsey. “I
think it's the first time for the men to be in
the final of a major international competition.
This is much sweeter because we were down and
out. We came back fighting in the Egypt game. No
one expected us to win this game. We fought
hard, showed a lot of heart playing compact
defensively, picked our moments to go forward
and got some goals. We're excited by the result,
and I think all the fans back home will be
excited as well.”
With the two-goal cushion, the U.S. put forth an
impressive defensive effort to keep the clean
sheet down the stretch. Two more confident saves
by Howard in the 79th and 81st minutes were his
last of the game as DeMerit, Spector, Onyewu,
Bocanegra, Jonathan Bornstein, Clark, Donovan
and Bradley all made key tackles and clearances.
In the 86th minute, the U.S. faced a major
setback when Bradley was shown a red card for a
slide tackle on Xavi Alonso on a 50-50
challenge, and the midfielder will now miss
Sunday’s final. It was the third time in four
games the U.S. has had a player sent off.
Dempsey continues to climb the all-time scoring
lists for the U.S., and by scoring his 15th
career goal, he is now tied with Cobi Jones for
eighth on the all-time goal list. He also
leapfrogged Claudio Reyna on the all-time points
list and is now tied at ninth with Eddie Lewis
with 36 points.
Following the Confederations Cup final, the team
switches gears immediately to returns to home
soil to defend the CONCACAF Gold Cup title from
July 3-26 in 13 venues across the United States.
Training camp for the Gold Cup opens on June 30
for the U.S. in Seattle, and Bradley will
announce the 23-player roster on Thursday, June
25.
U.S. Men's National Team Match Report
Match: United States vs. Spain
Date: June 24, 2009
Competition: FIFA Confederations Cup – Semifinal
Venue: Free State Stadium - Bloemfontein, South
Africa
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. local / 2:30 p.m. ET
Attendance: 35,396
Weather: Cool, 35 degrees
Scoring Summary:
1 2 F
USA 1 1 2
ESP 0 0 0
USA – Jozy Altidore (Clint Dempsey) 27th minute
USA – Clint Dempsey 74
NEW YORK (Saturday, June 20, 2009) –
Houston Dynamo Coach Dominic Kinnear will lead
the MLS All-Stars versus Everton FC in the 14th
annual MLS All-Star Game on July 28 at Rio Tinto
Stadium in Sandy, Utah. The All-Star coaching
honor is awarded to the coach whose team has the
best points-per game record through June 28.
With one game remaining to play before June 28,
the Dynamo’s points per game cannot drop below
1.87 and no other team can reach that average.
An emphatic headed goal by Brian Ching in the
90th minute earned Houston a 1-1 draw with
visiting Real Salt Lake tonight that extended
the Dynamo’s unbeaten streak to 11 and clinched
Kinnear’s honor.
After an auspicious start with no wins in the
first four games, Kinnear helped right the ship
and the Dynamo have reeled off eight wins in
their last 11 games to take the Western
Conference lead.
As coach of the MLS All-Star team, Kinnear will
select a minimum of five players and his
coaching and training staff. If players selected
for the All-Star First XI are unavailable due to
international duty, injury or other commitments,
Kinnear may decide on alternates.
The MLS All-Star First XI is scheduled to be
announced in mid July. The First XI are
determined by online fan balloting comprising 25
percent of the total vote, with MLS coaches and
GMs (25 percent), media (25 percent) and players
(25 percent) accounting for the remainder.
Following the First XI announcement, Kinnear and
his staff will select five All-Stars who will
join two Commissioner’s selections to complete
the MLS 18-man roster.
Now in his fourth season as Dynamo head coach,
Kinnear led the Dynamo to two MLS Cups (2006 &
2007). As coach of the San Jose Earthquakes,
Kinnear captured MLS Coach of the Year honors in
2005 – the season prior to their move to
Houston. This is his first chance to coach the
All-Stars.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Kinnear relocated to
Fremont, Calif. at age three. The former U.S.
international began his professional career in
the American Professional Soccer League (APSL).
He played for both the San Francisco Bay
Blackhawks and the Seattle Sounders, interrupted
by a season with Necaxa of the Mexican First
Division, winning one championship with each
club. Kinnear joined MLS as a player with the
San Jose Clash during the League’s inaugural
season in 1996. He also played with the Colorado
Rapids and the Tampa Bay Mutiny in his 117-game
MLS career, scoring six goals and tallying 26
assists.
Kinnear earned 54 caps for the U.S. Men’s
National Team with nine goals and two assists
throughout his career. In 1993, he led the U.S.
Men’s National Team in scoring with seven goals
and one assist. He was captain of the national
squad for its match against his country of
birth, Scotland, on May 17, 1992, in Denver.
Major League Soccer hosts its midseason showcase
match between the League's top players and the
best of the world. This will be the sixth time
that the MLS All-Star Game has followed this
format, adopted to ensure the most intriguing
All-Star spectacle in North American
professional sports. Last year, the MLS
All-Stars defeated West Ham United, at BMO Field
in Toronto, Canada on goals from D.C. United
midfielder Christian Gomez, Toronto FC
midfielder Dwayne De Rosario and game MVP
Chicago Fire forward Cuauhtémoc Blanco. In 2007,
the MLS All-Stars defeated Celtic FC 2-0, at
Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City,
Colo., and in 2006 defeated Chelsea FC 1-0 at
Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill. In 2005, the MLS
stars defeated English Premier League club
Fulham FC, 4-1, at Crew Stadium in Columbus,
Ohio.
NEW YORK (June 19, 2009)
– This Sunday, June 21 --
Father’s Day in North America --
14 MLS players will be wishing a
happy Father’s Day to former
professional athletes near and
dear to them. Nine of the
League’s 15 clubs currently have
players on their rosters whose
fathers were also professional
athletes -- competing in four
different sports.
Following directly in their father’s footsteps
by becoming professional soccer players are 10
of the 14 MLS players. These soccer dads include
former Irish, Iranian, Nigerian and Senegalese
National Team players who had playing careers in
England, Ireland, France, South Africa and the
U.S.
The remaining four sons bucked family
trends when they chose to pursue careers in
professional soccer. Marvell Wynne, Nate Jaqua,
Danny O’Rourke and Jarrod Smith took advantage
of their inherited athleticism, but chose not to
follow their fathers into baseball, football or
cricket – to the benefit of MLS.
Marvell Wynne Jr., a stalwart on the backline
for Toronto FC, is the son of Marvell Wynne,
Sr., who played Major League Baseball for the
Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and the
Pittsburgh Pirates. Jaqua, a standout player for
Seattle Sounders FC is the son of former
Washington Redskins safety Jon Jaqua, while
O’Rourke is the son of Dan O’Rourke a wide
receiver for the Houston Oilers. Smith, a
Seattle Sounders FC forward and member of the
New Zealand National Team, is the son of Ian
Smith, a former professional cricket player.
New England Revolution forward Taylor Twellman –
the son and nephew of North American Soccer
League players – had to think hard about his
choice of sport. Twellman, a standout baseball
and soccer player growing up in St. Louis, was
recruited by the University of Maryland on a
baseball scholarship, before deciding to make
the crossover to the Terps’ men’s soccer team.
Twellman’s grandfather, Jay Delsing, played 17
years of professional baseball, including 10
years in Major League Baseball. Twellman turned
down a professional baseball contract offer
before beginning his professional soccer career
in Germany. He returned to the United States in
2002 to ply his trade in Major League Soccer,
and recently became the youngest player in
League history to score 100 MLS goals.
Unlike many soccer-centric countries, the United
States is the home to a wide-range of top-level
sports leagues. Major League Soccer is
attracting players from families with strong
sporting backgrounds and would like to take the
opportunity to recognize those fathers who
helped make their sons the athletes that they
are today.
The Soccer Dads:
Driss Ballouchy – father of Colorado Rapids
midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy – played
professionally in France.
Daniel “Dot” Borman – father of New York Red
Bulls midfielder Danleigh Borman – played
professionally in South Africa.
Kenny Cooper Sr. – father of FC Dallas forward
Kenny Cooper Jr. – played professionally for
Blackburn Rovers in England and in the NASL for
the Dallas Tornadoes.
Andranik Eskandarian – father of Chivas USA
forward Alecko Eskandarian – played
professionally in the NASL for the New York
Cosmos and played for Iran National Team in the
1978 World Cup.
Tony Igwe – father of New England Revolution
defender Amaechi Igwe – played for the Nigerian
National Team in the 1968 Olympic Games.
Cheriff Kandji – father of New York Red Bulls
forward Macoumba Kandji – played for the Senegal
National Team.
Fran O’Brien – father of Colorado Rapids
defender Ciaran O’Brien and Seattle Sounders FC
midfielder Leighton O’Brien – played
professionally in Ireland and in the NASL for
the Philadelphia Fury, Montreal Maniac and
Vancouver Whitecaps (was also capped four times
by the Irish National Team).
Tim Twellman – father of New England Revolution
forward Taylor Twellman – played professionally
in the NASL for the Minnesota Kicks, Tulsa
Roughnecks and the Chicago Sting.
Norman Wingert – father of Real Salt Lake
defender Chris Wingert – played professionally
in the NASL for the Philadelphia Atoms.
The Non-Soccer Dads:
Jon Jaqua – father of Seattle Sounders FC
forward Nate Jaqua – played professional
football for the Washington Redskins.
Dan O’Rourke – father of Columbus Crew defender
Danny O’Rourke – played professional football
for the Houston Oilers.
Ian Smith – father of Seattle Sounders FC
forward Jarrod Smith – played professional
cricket in New Zealand.
Marvell Wynne Sr. – father of Toronto FC
defender Marvell Wynne Jr. – played professional
baseball for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres
and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Louder and louder grows the
cacophony of top Premier League
managers crying out for the
introduction of video
technology.
Sir Alex Ferguson. Arsene
Wenger. Mark Hughes. The list
goes on...
But, from a quiet backwater of Switzerland, the
stance on that hot potato of those with the
power to initiate change remains the same."We
know video refereeing is not the solution,"
William Gaillard, Uefa's main spokesman and
confidante of president Michel Platini, tells
BBC Sport without fuss. "Football is based on
speed, pace, and rhythm. And if you interrupt
the flow of the game, you kill the game's
spirit."
So. That's that. Wenger says that failing to use
video replays is like refusing to use
electricity. If he's right, then football is in
blackout.
Yet, with each sinew stretch of every remotely
contentious movement by top-flight players or
officials becoming ritualistically analysed to
death in high, sweat-glistening, 'slow-mo'
definition, Uefa openly admit there are serious
issues which need to be addressed.
And, at Platini's behest, it is in the midst of
a process which could see a radical solution
implemented fairly soon. BBC Sport investigates.
FIRST THINGS FIRST, WHAT EXACTLY IS THE PROBLEM?
Where to start? By common consensus, football at
the top level - premier European and South
American leagues, elite continental competitions
(ie the Champions League), and international
tournaments - has become much quicker than, say,
15 years ago.
Watch, for example, a match between Arsenal and
Chelsea from 1993. The ferocity and commitment
will be just the same as it is today. But,
crucially, the pace is unrecognisably quicker
and the all-round technical ability, to a man, a
shade or two higher.
The result? The flow of play, generally, is
moving around the pitch at virtually twice the
speed it used to (think of an era when every
player wore black boots and back-chat was not
commonplace).
The upshot? Referees are struggling to keep up,
and consequently making mistakes... either
through a) being too far away from the incident
b) having too much on their plate or c) plain
exhaustion.
And these mistakes, picked up upon in a
millisecond by up to 30 TV cameras strewn around
stadia, are dissected by scandal-hungry studio
analysts for global audiences which can stretch
to billions.
Uefa, much-maligned as it often is, does at
least acknowledge that the game has
significantly evolved. The problem which it is
now keen to tackle, is that the way matches are
officiated has not.
"Match officials are slightly overwhelmed by the
speed of the game," admits Gaillard. "It is the
last game on a pitch of this size which is
refereed by a single man, really.
"You could say there is rugby - but they have
video assistance on the tries and the game
doesn't move as fast. You have plenty of time
with scrums and line-outs that, actually, the
referee can pause and position himself in a
suitable place on the pitch."
IF VIDEO REPLAYS ARE NOT THE ANSWER, WHAT IS?
As an alternative to goal-line technology and
"potentially disruptive" instant TV replays,
Uefa - initiated by Platini - has been looking
at a new refereeing system whereby the referee
is helped by four rather than two assistants.
In October and November, trials took place at
European Under-19 Championship qualifying
tournaments in Slovenia, Hungary and Cyprus,
where two extra assistants were situated behind
the goal-line at either end of the pitch.
Their responsibility? To alert the referee to
fouls and unsporting play (diving) in the
penalty area, along with shirt-pulling and
touch-and-go corner kicks. Ultimately, to be "an
extra pair of eyes".
"The goal is to have one referee with more
eyes," explains France legend Platini, who
succeeded Lennart Johansson in January 2007. "We
do not want to change the game's philosophy - we
do not want to have two or three referees."
At the trials the 'goal-line assistants' have
been acting purely as assistant referees
(formerly known as linesmen) do now - talking to
the referee through a radio headset system.
If the referee wants to ignore or overrule what
his assistants say, he is free to do so and
nobody is any the wiser.
"One effect is that you have far fewer
shirt-pulling incidents or fouls in the goal
area which, in the end, favours the flow of the
game," insists Gaillard.
Yet one problem is still to be resolved. Where
do goal-line assistants stand? If they are not
on the field of play, on which side of the goal
do they stand? Surely they cannot run around the
back of the net from one side to the other as
the ball flies around the penalty area?
"We still have to decide which is the best
position for the two goal-line assistants," says
Gaillard. "In or near the goal area, it has not
been determined yet which is the ideal position.
"The extra refs stay on the goal-line but
outside of the goal or behind the goal. We need
proper analysis."
Another factor propelling the experiment is age.
With many top referees - such Pierluigi Collina,
who was widely considered to be the best referee
in the world - having to retire at the age of
45, Uefa does not want to lose their expertise
and experience for good.
"It does not involve a lot of physical strain,
they don't move much, but their experience of
many years would be very useful in a crucial
area just near the goal," says Gaillard.
HOW THE NEW SYSTEM COULD WORK: "The referee is
usually behind the action and the goal-line
assistant is in front," illustrates Gaillard.
"Between the two of them they can exactly see,
through their dialogue, what is going on." Had
this system been in place for the Robinho
incident (mentioned earlier), Styles may have
been informed by his 'goal-line assistant' that
Habib Beye put in a fair tackle.
HOW DID THE TRIALS GO - AND WHAT HAPPENS FROM
HERE?
Already the (Uefa-sanctioned) feedback is
overwhelmingly encouraging, though Uefa insists
it is still early days.
"So far it has been very successful," said
former Fifa referee Hugh Dallas, a Scottish
member of the Uefa Referee Committee who has
taken charge of numerous Old Firm derbies.
"The main aim of it is to assist with more
control of the penalty area... and in general to
assist the referee, because we know the penalty
area is obviously where the most incidents
happen.
"What we are doing is really introducing a human
camera from behind the goal."
Northern Ireland referee Mark Courtney, who took
charge of the Slovakia-Armenia game using the
new system, welcomed the experiment.
"The important thing for the match officials is
to always make the correct decision," he said.
"With this system, we can quickly receive
additional information from the additional
referees, which we can consider as part of the
thought process to make the final decision."
Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli, who officiated
at the Norway-Slovenia game, also said that he
was impressed by the additional assistance he
had in making penalty-box decisions.
"We had three pairs of eyes on the penalty box,
which is very important," he said.
While Gaillard has a note of caution - "they
have to adjust a little to the fact they have
two more people to communicate with" - he
insists that, rather than putting more pressure
on referees, it will relieve them of the
overwhelming pressure they currently face.
"They think it is definitely a positive
contribution to refereeing," he tells BBC Sport.
While, ultimately, the experiments are about
helping referees - players would also be huge
beneficiaries were it to work.
The views of footballers on advancing the game's
rules are not as sought after as managers, but
some high-profile names have come out in support
of moves to improve a situation where refereeing
mistakes are happening every week at many
grounds.
When asked by Sky Sports in September what he
would do if he could change anything about
football, Barcelona and France striker Thierry
Henry's answer was instant and unequivocal.
"I would have more referees or video replays
because it's impossible for one human being to
see everything," he said, before alluding to
experiments with more officials similar to those
which Uefa have just finished trialling.
"The linesman has to see when the ball is kicked
and watch if the guy is in line... it's
impossible. You're going to make mistakes. So I
don't know why they don't put one on one side of
the pitch and the other on the other, or use
video."
For a player as fast as Henry, one of the most
frustrating aspects of the current climate is
being wrongly caught offside. The new system
would seek to rectify that by allowing the
assistant referees (formerly known as linesmen)
to concentrate far harder on offside decisions,
having relieved them of the burden of much
activity in the penalty area.
Uefa is currently writing up the observations
from its experiments and will report its
findings to the International Football
Association Board, which meets in February. It
is then down to world governing body Fifa and
the IFAB to decide whether the proposed solution
is workable. And what happens from there?
"If they like what they see they will probably
call for more experiments," says Gaillard,
explaining that Uefa's role was merely to
undertake the experiments. "But once the IFAB
approves something it's very quick to implement
it, usually it comes the next season."
If sanctioned, and it is a relatively big 'if'
at present, the introduction of goalline
assistants to top-flight football could
represent the biggest change since backpasses
were outlawed in 1992.
"Football has to open its eyes wider," raged
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson last
season after his side had been controversially
knocked out of the FA Cup by Portsmouth. "Those
running the game are resisting the introduction
of technology."
Technology, Ferguson might want to note, is not
an option under the rule of Platini. But two
extra pairs of wide eyes inches from the most
important area of the pitch most certainly are.
Faro, Portugal – The U.S. Women’s
National Team fell in a penalty kick shootout to
Sweden in the championship game of the 2009
Algarve Cup after the match ended dramatically
with a 1-1 score in regulation. Shannon Boxx
equalized in the 90th minute and the match went
directly to penalty kicks, where the USA lost
4-3 after seven shooters.
Boxx’s goal came after an intense second half of
searching for a tying goal to answer Lotta
Schelin’s tally in the 18th minute. The
Americans finally got it with seconds left in
regulation time.
Carli Lloyd slipped past a player in midfield
with a nice cut move and played a perfect ball
into the left side of the penalty area to the
streaking Natasha Kai. The Hawaiian ran the ball
down at the end line, but was knocked down by a
retreating Swedish defender. From a sitting
position, Kai managed to knock the ball back to
Megan Rapinoe in the left side of the penalty
area. Rapinoe struck a hard cross on the ground
through the goal mouth to Boxx at the far post
where she slammed it first-time into the net
from two yards away.
The dramatic goal, the USA’s second 90th-minute
score of the tournament, led to an even more
dramatic penalty kick shootout.
Sweden’s Louise Fors started her country out
with a hard shot into the lower left corner.
Boxx answered with a perfect blast into the
upper right corner. Lisa Dahlkvist also found
the lower left corner, setting the stage for
Rapinoe, whose driven shot was almost directly
at Swedish goalkeeper Kristin Hammarstrøm and
she batted the ball away.
Linda Sembrandt hit her shot off the left post
and in, followed by Lloyd tucking her chance
away into the left corner as well to make it 3-2
Sweden after three shots each. The USA then got
new life as Anna Paulson skied Sweden’s fourth
shot over the bar. The Americans didn’t take
advantage as Christie Rampone clanged her shot
off the inside of the left post and behind the
Swedish ‘keeper, but it didn’t cross the goal
line.
Schelin then stepped to the spot on her team’s
fifth kick with a chance to win the match, but
Solo acrobatically pushed her shot away with a
full-extension dive to left post. The miss meant
that late substitute Tina DiMartino had to
convert the USA’s fifth kick to send the
shootout into sudden death. DiMartino’s shot was
seemingly saved by Hammarstrøm with a dive to
the left post, which would have ended the game,
but somehow the ball squeezed through the
goalkeeper’s hands and rolled across the goal
line.
Emelie Ölander then blasted her shot over the
goal and incredibly, Sweden had missed its
fourth, fifth and sixth kicks, giving 88th
minute sub Angie Woznuk a chance to win it for
the USA. Unfortunately, Hammarstrøm guessed
correctly and pushed Woznuk’s shot away with a
dive to the left post.
Stine Segerstrom then finished smartly into the
lower left corner on her team’s seventh penalty
and Heather Mitts cracked her shot off the left
post and out to give Sweden the victory.
Mitts earned her 100th cap for the USA in the
match, becoming the 25th female player and
eighth defender in U.S. history to reach that
career milestone.
The Americans had gifted Sweden the lead off a
give-away in USA’s defensive third by Boxx, who
hit her back-pass too lightly to Rampone and
created a 3-v-1 situation. Caroline Seger
swooped in to control the ball, dribbled hard at
Rampone and then played a pass to her left to
the wide-open Schelin. The lanky Swedish striker
had plenty of time to pick her corner and rolled
her shot into the lower right corner past the
charging Solo. It would be the last time Schelin
would beat Solo, her former teammate on the
Swedish club side Kopparbergs/Goteborg, although
she had plenty of chances.
In the 24th minute, Sara Thunebro got around the
left side of the U.S. defense and cut a cross
back to Schelin who was making a hard run to the
top of the six-yard box. She swiped at the ball
from almost point blank range, but somehow Solo,
who was moving across the goal, stuck her foot
out and saved the shot. The rebound bounced off
the fallen Schelin and over the end line.
In the 52nd minute, Schelin was back terrorizing
the U.S. defense as she tussled with Boxx on a
through ball. Boxx went down, giving Schelin
another one-on-one with Solo, but the U.S.
‘keeper flung herself at the ball and gobbled it
up as Schelin tried to dribble around her.
In the 67th minute, Schelin got behind the U.S.
defense once again, but this time Solo held her
ground and timed her challenge perfectly,
stealing the ball right off her feet.
Sweden was certainly the better team in the
first half, attacking with fervor and creating a
few chances that were either saved by Solo or
scrambled away by the defense, while exerting
intense defensive pressure in the midfield that
precluded the Americans from developing any sort
of rhythm. Sweden forward Victoria Svensson did
a great job of finding the space between the
U.S. midfield and backline, then combining with
her teammates, but the U.S. backs held strong
after giving up that 18th minute goal.
Sweden’s goal marked the only one allowed by the
USA in the tournament.
The Swedes may also have done enough to win the
match in the second half, but the U.S. team
never gave up its search for an equalizer while
playing much better in the final 45 minutes.
Sundhage sent on forward Amy Rodriguez at
halftime and moved Rapinoe to the left midfield
slot where she created all kinds of danger. Boxx
also moved into more of a midfield role.
The USA started to make a real push midway
through the second half, and Rampone’s run from
the back in the 63rd minute almost produced a
goal, but her bending ball behind the defense
from the left side of the penalty area was just
a bit too far for Rodriguez.
Three minutes later, Rapinoe slipped a pass
through the Sweden defense to the streaking
Rodriguez, but she fired her breakaway chance at
Hammarstrøm who pulled off the kick save.
Three minutes after that, the USA sent a looping
ball into the penalty area that bounced hard
over the onrushing Hammarstrøm and a defender
had to clear it out of the six-yard box with an
overhead kick.
In the 75th minute, Rapinoe was taken down above
the left side of the penalty area, but Lloyd
ripped her free kick right at the Swedish
‘keeper from 30 yards away. Lloyd had another
chance two minutes later as she played a short
corner to Rodriguez, got it back as she dribbled
centrally and ripped a shot that a Swedish
defender headed out of the hands of her own
‘keeper at the left post.
Solo had to come up big again with five minutes
left as Sweden’s counterattack continued to
threaten. The U.S. ‘keeper flew to her left to
snag a shot from Madelaine Edlund that could
have snuck inside the left post. Solo’s
phenomenal performance in her three starts at
the Algarve Cup earned her Best Player of the
tournament honors. It was first time in 14
Algarve Cups that a goalkeeper has won the
award.
The USA only had one or two good chances in a
lackluster first half, but one came right after
Sweden’s goal as Lloyd found a bit of space to
win a long throw-in into Sweden’s penalty area.
She got a good strike on the ball, but hammered
her shot off the legs of Hammarstrøm from about
10 yards away.
The match marked the USA’s seventh straight
Algarve Cup championship game. The USA won the
tournament in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008,
but fell in penalty kicks to the Germans in the
2006. The USA won the Algarve Cup for the first
time in 2000.
The U.S. played without starting defender Lori
Chalupny, who missed her second straight game
due to illness, but Rachel Buehler filled in
admirably at left back.
In the other Algarve Cup placement matches,
Poland reversed a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of
Wales in the final match of Group C play to
defeat the Welsh 2-1 and take eleventh place.
Norway defeated Austria, 2-0, to take ninth.
Finland and Portugal tied 1-1 after regulation
before the hosts fell 4-2 in penalty kicks and
China PR downed Iceland, 1-0, to take third. A
43rd minute goal from Julie Rydahl Bukh gave
Denmark a 1-0 upset win against Germany in the
third-place match.
The U.S. players now head back to United States
to join their WPS clubs in final preparations
for the inaugural season that opens March 29 as
the Washington Freedom visit the Los Angeles
Sol. The U.S. team will not come together again
until this summer for matches that will be
announced in the near future.
- U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT -
Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Sweden
Date: March 11, 2009
Competition: 2009 Algarve Cup; Championship Game
Venue: Estadio Algarve; Faro, Portugal
Kickoff: 4 p.m. (Noon ET)
Attendance: 1,200
Weather: 72 degrees, sunny, breezy
Scoring Summary:
1
2
F
PKs
USA
0
1
1
3
Sweden
1
0
1
4
SWE – Lotta Schelin (Caroline Seger) 18th
minute
USA – Shannon Boxx (Megan Rapinoe) 90
NEW YORK, NY – The 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
will be played in a record 13 different U.S.
cities, opening at The Home Depot Center in Los
Angeles on Friday, 3 July and concluding with
the championship match Sunday, 26 July at Giants
Stadium outside New York.
The 13 cities are more than twice than the
number previously used for the continental
championship and shy of only the 1982 FIFA World
Cup in Spain and the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which
used 10 venues each in Japan and Korea Republic.
The 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA was played in
nine different venues.
“By expanding the Gold Cup to 13 venues, it will
give fans more opportunity to experience the
championship in person,” said CONCACAF President
Jack Warner. The Gold Cup will make its first
appearance in four cities: Columbus, Ohio;
Phoenix; Philadelphia and Washington. A Gold Cup
quarterfinal will be the first sporting event to
be played at the Dallas Cowboys New Stadium.
Each venue will host one doubleheader except for
the final at Giants Stadium.
“While 13 cities create logistical challenges,
we think the benefits of reaching out to more
venues are clearly worthwhile,” CONCACAF General
Secretary Chuck Blazer said. “The ability of so
many people to see national teams play we feel
is well worth the effort.”
The tournament will use the same format as in
2005 and 2007, with the 12-team field divided
into three, four-team groups. The top two teams
from each group will advance to the
quarterfinals along with the two best
third-place teams.
The three first-round groups for the qualifiers:
Canada, Mexico and the USA from the North Zone;
Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador and
Nicaragua from Central America; and Jamaica,
Grenada, Guadeloupe and Haiti from the
Caribbean, and schedule will be announced at a
later time.
The Gold Cup was played in six different cities
in its two most recent editions, including two
stadia in Los Angeles in 2005 (the Los Angeles
Memorial Coliseum and The Home Depot Center).
This will be the second time Giants Stadium has
staged the final and first since 2005. Miami
will see the Gold Cup for the seventh straight
time, although it will be the first time at FIU
Stadium, while the Los Angeles area will stage
matches for the eighth time in 10 tournaments.
Games will be played on modern synthetic
surfaces in four stadiums: Qwest Field, FIU
Stadium, Gillette Stadium and the New Dallas
Cowboys Stadium. Grass will be laid over the
existing surface for the final in Giants
Stadium.
Groups and a full schedule as well as ticket
information will be available in the coming
weeks, but more information is available at
CONCACAF.com.
2009
Gold Cup Schedule
First Round
3 July – The Home Depot Center (Los Angeles)
4 July – Qwest Field (Seattle)
5 July – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (San Francisco)
7 July – Crew Stadium (Columbus, Ohio)
8 July – Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium (Washington)
9 July – Reliant Stadium (Houston)
10 July – Florida International University Stadium (Miami)
11 July – Gillette Stadium (Boston)
12 July – University of Phoenix Stadium (Phoenix)
Quarterfinals
18 July – Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
19 July – Dallas Cowboys New Stadium (Dallas)
Anyone that follows the English Premiership can
tell you that the parity within the league is
greater this season than it has been at any
point in the last five years or more. Aside from
Manchester United, who has proven to be a head
above the rest of the league, every week is
filled with excitement and anticipation because
the games have proven to be hard fought
rollercoaster rides that include injury time
heroics and world-class performances.
Just this past week, Aston Villa was in a great
position, up 2-0 against Stoke City, to take
three crucial points when Stoke found the
inspiration to spark a dramatic comeback in the
final 10 minutes to tie 2-2. The draw cost Villa
dearly in their effort to put distance between
themselves and fifth place Arsenal who also need
to finish in the top four to secure a Champions
League position.
During the same week, Middlesborough, a
struggling team in danger of being relegated to
the second division were able to recover from a
woeful January to topple second place Liverpool
2-0 and potentially give themselves a foothold
to climb out of the relegation zone in upcoming
weeks. Former Premiership professional and
FSASoccerPlus Director of Coaching, Chris
Bart-Williams agreed that this season has been
extremely difficult to predict because any team
is capable of beating any other team on a given
day. With 10 or 11 games left to be played
(depending on the team), the final 2-3 months of
the season should be quite the spectacle because
of what’s at stake. Tune in to FSC (Fox Soccer
Channel) or Setanta Sports to follow your
favorite side or just to stay up to date with
the various position battles across the league.
Fox Soccer Report, Premier League Review Show
and Sky Sports News do a great job of showing
quality highlights and interviews from around
the league. Enjoy the show! -Andrew DiCicco
Lagos, Portugal – The
U.S. Women’s National Team got
its 2009 Algarve Cup campaign
off to a rousing start,
defeating Denmark 2-0 in nasty
weather conditions as
midfielders Angie Wonzuk and
Tina DiMartino tallied in the
first half.
With the wind whipping through
the small stadium and a
drizzling rain falling almost
the entire match, the U.S.
played the first 20 minutes on
shaky legs before warming up to
the task.
The first U.S. score came in the 22nd minute on
the USA’s first shot on goal as Woznuk scored
her second career goal in just her seventh
career cap and second start. The scoring
sequence started with an attack down the left
flank as midfielder Angela Hucles rolled a pass
to Woznuk on the wing and she hit a looping
cross. The ball was punched to the other side of
the penalty area by Denmark goalkeeper Heidi
Johansen but Heather O’Reilly ran it down.
O’Reilly’s cross was also punched by Johansen,
and this time the ball fell to Woznuk near the
left post. She settled the ball quickly and
while standing just a few paces from the end
line, blasted a sizzling half-volley into the
roof of the net over the Danish goalkeeper.
The goal energized the U.S. team, which started
connecting passes and getting numbers into the
attack. Thirteen minutes after the first score,
the Americans got another. This one came off a
corner kick from the left side as Christie
Rampone looped her cross to the far post. U.S.
forward Natasha Kai jumped high to win the ball,
heading it hard off the arm of a Danish defender
who was protecting the left post. The ball spun
out front of the goal and DiMartino, the
smallest player on the field at 5 feet 2 inches,
found space to slide and smash a left-footed
shot through that same defender’s legs and into
the net from just a few yards out.
The goal was DiMartino’s first for the full U.S.
National Team, and it came in just her second
cap and first start. “It’s a special feeling to
score a goal and, for Woznuk and DiMartino, who
are fairly new to the team, it shows that on
this team anyone can score,” said U.S. head
coach Pia Sundhage. “Everyone is happy when
anyone scores a goal, but especially the new
players.”
Lindsay Tarpley replaced DiMartino at halftime
and immediately added a spark to the U.S.
attack, which was also bolstered later in the
match by the fresh legs of Megan Rapinoe and Amy
Rodriguez. But as it turned out, the U.S. got
all the goals it would need before the break.
That was partly due to the excellent match
played by U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo, who saved
two breakaways in the first half from Danish
winger Johanna Rasmussen, pushing the first away
with a dive to her right in the 26th minute
before securing the second with a dive to her
left about 10 minutes later.
Solo made her biggest save just a minute before
halftime when Rasmussen’s cross from the left
wing was allowed to fall in a dangerous area
inside the U.S. penalty box. Danish forward
Merete Pedersen got a great strike on the ball
from just six yards away, but Solo stuck out her
right arm to make a great reaction save and then
pounced on the ball before it could spin over
the goal line.
Rasmussen created danger down the flanks the
entire match and almost pulled a goal back in
the 61st minute after Rampone was stripped at
midfield, leading to a Denmark counter attack.
With the recovering Rampone on her hip,
Rasmussen slapped her shot wide right of the
goal from the left side of the penalty area.
The match marked the debut of Shannon Boxx in
the center of the U.S. defense, where the USA’s
usual defensive midfielder performed extremely
well next to Rampone. The U.S. team received
three uncharacteristic yellow cards in the
match. The first was to Woznuk for a cleats-up
tackle, the second to Buehler for a powerful
slide that was just a second too late and the
final caution went to Rapinoe for kicking the
ball away after a foul late in the game. The
cautions were just a side note however as
accumulated yellow cards do not lead to
suspension in the Algarve Cup.
Solo made several secure catches in the rainy
conditions, but her best play on a cross may
have been a punch with about eight minutes left
that keep a wicked service from Rasmussen moving
across the goal and away from danger.
The victory marked the sixth straight Algarve
Cup where the USA has started off with a win.
The American women are looking for their third
straight Algarve Cup title after defeating
Denmark in the championship game the past two
years. The win also reversed a strange trend for
U.S. matches in Lagos, Portugal, where the U.S.
Women won for just the second time in its
history after coming into the match with a 1-5-0
record at the venue.
“Even though it was raining the field was pretty
good,” said Sundhage. “So we tried to play
through the midfield and at times we managed to
do that, especially after the first 20-25
minutes. Then every single player in the
midfield got involved in every attack and I was
very pleased with that.”
The U.S. will have one rest day before its next
game, taking on Iceland on March 6 in Ferreiras,
with a kickoff at 3 p.m. local / 10 a.m. ET.
Fans can follow the action on ussoccer.com’s
MatchTracker.
- U.S.
WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM GAME REPORT -
Match: United States Women's
National Team vs. Denmark Date: March 4, 2009 Competition: 2009 Algarve Cup;
Group B Venue: Municipal Stadium;
Lagos, Portugal Kickoff: 12 p.m. (7 a.m. ET)
Attendance: 200 Weather: 55 degrees, Cold,
windy, rain
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F USA 2
0 2
DEN 0 0 0
USA – Angie Woznuk (Heather O’Reilly) 22nd
minute
USA – Tina DiMartino 35th
minute
RENTON, WA – There can be
no doubt that something special
is happening in Seattle. Single
game tickets for the Seattle
Sounders FC inaugural home
opener on March 19 have sold
out. Sounders FC will kick off
the 2009 Major League Soccer,
its first, season at Qwest Field
versus the New York Red Bulls
with an expanded capacity of
over 32,000. Due to the
anticipation and tremendous
enthusiasm from soccer fans, the
seating configuration for the
March 19 home opener had to be
expanded expanded.
In addition, the team recently
surpassed 20,000 season tickets,
the largest season ticket base
in Major League Soccer - before
having ever played a regular
season game.
“This community once again showed why Seattle
has the best fans in the country,” said Vulcan
Sports and Entertainment CEO Tod Leiweke. “The
demand for tickets has exceeded our
expectations, and the regular season seating
expansion to 27,700 will allow more fans to join
us without jeopardizing the intimacy of the
stadium.”
The team has already announced they will be
welcoming one of the largest clubs in the world
this summer when on July 18 they take the pitch
versus English Premier League power, Chelsea FC.
The seven franchises
of Women’s Professional Soccer opened up
preseason training in the past 48 hours with
players reporting for light work-outs and
physicals on Sunday and more formal practices on
Monday. The month of March will feature more
than 20 exhibitions, scrimmages and preseason
games involving WPS teams with the highlights
including Saturday, March 14, when four WPS
teams square off in preseason games and March
21, when four WPS teams will be in action
against college and club teams.
The first preseason game for a WPS franchise
will be Friday’s scrimmage for the Boston
Breakers against the University of Connecticut
at Storrs, CT. The Chicago Red Stars play in a
round robin tournament against Northwestern and
Purdue on Saturday, March 7.
Download the 2009 WPS Preseason Rosters
2009 WPS Preseason Schedule Friday, March 6:
Boston Breakers vs. Univ. of Connecticut
(Storrs, Conn.) Scrimmage
Saturday, March 7:
Chicago Red Stars vs. Northwestern & Purdue
(Lake Barrington, IL) Round Robin
Tuesday, March 10:
Los Angeles Sol vs. USC (Carson, CA) Scrimmage
Wednesday, March 11:
Boston Breakers vs. Boston College (Chestnut
Hill, Mass.) Scrimmage
FC Gold Pride vs. California (Danville, CA)
Scrimmage
Thursday, March 12:
Chicago Red Stars vs. University of Miami (TBD)
Practice Game
Saturday, March 14:
FC Gold Pride vs. Los Angeles Sol (Carson, CA)
Preseason Game
Sky Blue FC vs. Washington Freedom (Germantown,
MD) Preseason Game
Tuesday, March 17:
FC Gold Pride vs. Los Angeles Sol (Carson, CA)
Closed Scrimmage
Wednesday, March 18:
Boston Breakers vs. Chicago Red Stars (Lauderhilll,
FL) Preseason Game
Friday, March 20:
Sky Blue FC vs. Univ. of North Carolina
(Greensboro, NC) Exhibition
Saturday, March 21:
Boston Breakers vs. University of Florida
(Sunrise, FL) Scrimmage
Los Angeles Sol vs. ODP Boys (Carson, CA)
Scrimmage
FC Gold Pride vs TBD (USF – San Francisco, CA)
Exhibition
Saint Louis Athletica vs. Notre Dame
(Edwardsville, IL) Closed Scrimmage
Sunday, March 22:
Washington Freedom vs. North Carolina
(Wilmington, NC) Exhibition
Saturday, March 28:
Chicago Red Stars vs. University of Notre Dame
(TBD) Practice Game
FC Gold Pride vs. California Storm – WPSL (TBD)
Practice Game
Tuesday, March 31:
Chicago Red Stars vs. University of Illinois
(Champaign, ILL) Practice Game
Saturday, April 4:
Washington Freedom vs. Virginia (Germantown, MD)
Practice Game
La Liga (Spain) Athlético Madrid
4, Barcelona 3 - In a wide open game that
was highlighted by several potential
SportsCenter Top Plays, this result had some
fans experiencing déjà
vu following a similar result last season when
Athlético came from
behind to stun Barca 4-2. The drama from this
year's fixture didn't take long as the Assistant
Referee apparently made an incorrect call in the
third minute, disallowing a goal
for a phantom offsides violation. However, it
would be French-international Thierry Henry
drawing first blood 19 minutes in when a wall
rolling towards him was punished into the upper
right corner of the net - a fantastic finish.
Barcelona appeared to have the game well in hand
when Lionel Messi, who had been kept quiet in
the early stages of the match was able to use
his technique and body control to slip through
the Athlético
defense and slip a ball clinically into the side
netting of the back post. However Athlético
quickly answered on a Diego Forlan shot that was
of the highest caliber. Shortly after a miss by
Samuel Eto'o that would have once again padded
the lead, Kun Aguero was able to take advantage
of mistake in the Barcelona defense to level the
match. But there was still to be three more
goals before this one was said and done. Eidur
Gudjohnsen, the Barca midfielder was able to get
in behind the Athlético
defense and despite Leo Franco playing the
breakaway well (and indeed playing a solid game
overall), Gudjohnsen was able to find Henry for
an empty net finish from a difficult angle.
Forlan converted on a penalty 10 minutes later,
which set up the opprtounity for Aguero to be
the hero when the Argentinian combined through
the defense on a beautiful 1-2 that made him the
most popular man in Madrid on the day. A
thoroughly entertaining match that once again
led analysts and fans alike to wonder if
Barcelona would crumble as the La Liga title
race heads into the last months of the season.
Serie A (Italy)
Inter 3, AS Roma 3 -
Inter survived with a point thanks to a
Hernan Crespo goal late in that match at the San
Siro following twice trailing by two goals. A
first half header by Daniele De Rossi and a
fortunate near-post finish by John Arne Riise
put Roma in the driver seat. At the half Jose
Mourinho brought on Figo and Patrick Vieira for
Burdisso and Maxwell. The changes worked quickly
with Inter breaking through at the 50th minute.
Figo was able to find Adriano on a quality
through ball who played it wide to Mario
Balotelli who's professional strike from inside
the area cut the Roma lead in half. However, the
excitement was short-lived as Roma retained
their two goal edge at the 57th minute mark when
Matteo Brighi was able to beat Julio Cesar one
on one. Then in the 63rd minute, the string of
controversial calls that seems to have haunted
Roma in Milan continued when the teenager
Balotelli played a ball forward and got in
between two Roma players and tumbled to the
ground. "It should not have been a penalty,"
declared Roma's manager Luciano Spalletti.
Harsher words by others were shared after the
match in which one Roma official decried
Mourinho of teaching Balotelli to dive. But
alas, Super Mario converted the penalty and
changed the dynamic of the game as Inter
controlled more of the ball the last 20 minutes.
But it was the veteran Argentinean Hernan Crespo
who only one minute after entering the match
beat Doni on a header from a Figo cross. The
result means Inter stays 7 points clear of
Juventus (who won 1-0 over Napoli on Saturday).
Said the Inter manager following the match, "A
point is gold from a match like this. The match
seemed lost at 3-1. My team deserves this point,
not for the quality of play. Their character
made the difference."
AC Milan 1, Sampdoria 2 -
Following an early departure from the UEFA
Cup earlier this week, AC Milan seemed to fall
further from grace following a 2-1 defeat away
this weekend. Antonio Cassano headed a ball
towards the goal in the 33rd minute; Milan
goalkeeper Christian Abbiati held the ball, but
carried it over the line. Despite Milan
protests, replay showed that referee appeared to
make the correct decision. The lead went to 2-0
six minutes into the second half on a finish by
Giampaolo Pazzini (his 5th in 5 fixtures). Alex
Pato pulled when back with ten minutes remaining
and Emerson appeared to bring the match level
but the goal was called back for offsides. AC
Milan manger Carlo Ancelotti appears to be in an
unenviable position and spectulation continues
to grow that he will be replaced. He has already
said that Milan (12 points behind Inter) has no
hope of the Serie A title and are playing to be
in the Champions' League next season (meaning a
top 3 finish).
EPL (England)
Aston Villa 2, Stoke City 2 -
Villa Park was quieted on Sunday as goals by
Stoke in the 87th and 90th minutes erased the
Villans two goal advantage. Despite at times
dominant play and a plethora of chances Villa
could not extend their lead over Arsenal beyond
six points (Arsenal tied Fulham 0-0 over the
weekend). Said Aston Villa manager Martin
O'Neill, "We were more than disappointed in the
dressing room afterwards...For the first time
today, I thought there was a degree of
over-confidence about us."
February 24 & 25, 2009 - UEFA Champions'
League News
Tuesday's Matches
Arsenal 1, Roma 0 - All it took was a spot
kick for Arsenal to get out of the first leg
with a lead, however the Gunners may have missed
the opportunity to seal up a trip to the next
round by squandering chances. Nicklas Bendtner
and Emmanuel Eboue both should have scored,
however, following three straight domestic
matches in which Arsenal have come up empty,
they will likely feel some relief to have
escaped not only with a goal, but also having
prevented a Roma away goal. In the second leg,
look for Roma to open up after a surprisingly
defensive approach at the Emirates, which could
leave the Italians susceptible to the dangerous
Arsenal counter-attack. In an unusual start to
the second half, Roma kicked off with only 9
Arsenal players on the field. William Gallas and
Kolo Toure eventually came sprinting out of the
tunnel. Toure ran straight onto the pitch where
he was quickly shown a yellow card for an
illegal substitution.
Athlético Madrid
2, Porto 2 - In a match played in Spain, it
was the Portuguese side from Porto that
dominated play. If it hadn't been for a strong
showing by Athlético Madrid
goalkeeper Leo Franco, the score-line may very
well have been much more one-sided with little
doubt going into the second leg. Having said
that, the side from Madrid led twice (their
second goal on a piece of shocking goalkeeping
by Porto goalkeeper Helton. Two away goals means
that Athlético
Madrid will be required to score if they hope to
advance. Lisandro López was stellar for Porto
finding the back of the net twice in the 22nd
and 77th minutes in addition to a goal called
offsides and several quality chances denied by
Franco.
Internazionale
0, Manchester United 0 - Arguably the most
exciting match up on paper and in the news
reports yielded a great deal of excitement but
no goals in the San Siro. However, the score
does not tell the story of the game as in the
first half Manchester United showed their class
as Inter never looked prepared to deal with the
personalities of the Red Devils. SoccerPlus
FieldPlayer Academy National Director and ESPN
International Analyst Janusz Michallik
elaborated, "Jose Mourinho was out coached by
Sir Alex today and ManU outplayed and outclassed
Inter at home. I believe Christiano Ronaldo
responded to Mourinho's challenge in the media
reports that Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a better
player." Going forward there is no telling what
will happen in the return leg, but it is
conceivable that one goal could decide this
matchup.
Lyon
1, Barcelona 1 - Lyon continues a
streak of strong matches at home but Thierry
Henry returned home and scored against his
former club in the 67th minute to ensure that
Barcelona did not leave France empty. Lyon's
goal came off another Juninho free kick that
Barcelona keeper Victor Valdez was unprepared
for. In this thoroughly entertaining match Lyon
had chances to put the dangerous Barcelona away,
but were unable to. Barcelona will be happy to
have walked away with an away goal while Lyon
can be pleased with the performance put forward
by their side.
Wednesday's
Matches
Chelsea 1, Juventes 0 - Didier Drogba looked
to be returning to form after injuries, a
fallout with his former manager and suspension
had kept him off the pitch. His 12th minute goal
off a through ball by Salomon Kalou put him in a
position to beat Gianluigi Buffon early.
Following a blistering start by Chelsea, Petr
Cech was required to step up for the London-club
as Juventes became more dangerous as the match
went on. All while lacking the best from Amauri
or Del Piero. Michallik questioned, "Will one
goal be enough? I'm not sure it will be." This
will be one to watch during the second leg.
Villarreal 1,
Panathinaikos 1 - If anyone doubted that
Pantathinaikos could be a dangerous team to face
in the CL, they won't anymore. After beating
Inter in the last game of the group stage, the
side from Greece was able to go into Spain and
frustrate a good Villarreal side that ultimately
required a penalty kick in the 67th minute to
draw them level. Villarreal was the stronger
team, but an inability to convert in the first
half left them wanting. New Jersey-native
Giuseppe Rossi was the most dangerous player on
the field and continues to take a leadership
role with the Spanish club.
Bayern Munich 5,
Sporting Lisbon 0 - In the only match that
has effectively decided who will advance through
the home and away aggregate system, this was the
Frank Ribery show. His stock soared as he scored
two and set up three others. This was Sporting's
first trip to the knockout stage, but their
manager explained, "The feeling is one of
frustration. It's not normal to lose with this
type of result in this phase of the Champions'
League." Sporting was able to get 13 shots off,
but only one was on target - a Anderson Polga
chance that was cleared off the line 11 minutes
into the match. Ribery's first goal was a thing
of beauty, after working defensively to win the
ball in his own half, Ribery took it upon
himself to beat three defenders and ultimately
scored from inside the Portuguese team's box in
the 42nd minute. This match effectively put
Bayern into the quarterfinals. American Landon
Donavon did not see action in this match.
Real Madrid 0,
Liverpool 1 - Rafa Benitez knows how to win
in Europe. His success in the Champions' League
is unmatched in recent history and Wednesday's
effort was no different. Real Madrid was in good
form coming having scored ten goals in their
previous two matches and the late scratch of
Reds captain Steven Gerrard made Benitez's
decision on how to play somewhat easier. Defend
well, score when we can. Through the first half
the Spanish side saw more of the ball, but
nearly went down a goal on a tremendously
ambitious effort by Spaniard Xabi Alonso on a
shot from inside his team's defensive half that
forced Iker Casillas back to the bar with a nice
touch of the fingertips to put the ball over the
top. Pepe Reina was solid for Liverpool
throughout. Finally the English side was able to
break through on a set piece in the 82nd minute
that allowed Benayoun to head a ball past
Casillas from six yards out. This will be one to
watch when the 2nd leg takes the teams back to
Anfield.
Boston, MA - Smith
was the biggest name in a day of international
signings for the WPS. In addition to Smith, the
LA Sol announced French midfielder Camile Abily,
Chinese foward Huan Duan and Swedish defender
Johnna Frisk would be coming to the US for the
launch of Women's Professional Soccer this
March.
Kelly Smith, 30, currently
playing with Arsenal Ladies is one of the most
decorated players in the women's game having won
11 major honors with Arsenal since 2005, most
notably the quadruple (Women's Premier League,
UEFA Women's Cup, FA Cup and Premier League Cup)
in one season, 2007. Since 2005, she has 100
goals in 112 appearances for the Gunners,
reaching the century mark on Sunday versus
Blackburn Rovers. Smith recently explained to
the BBC, "I couldn't earn anywhere near to what
I'll be getting in WPS if I stayed in this
country. But it's not just about money. It's
about playing with and against the best players
in the world, training every day, and everything
else that goes with being a professional
footballer."
In addition to having played for the
Philadelphia Charge of the now-defunct WUSA,
Smith has also lined up 76 times for England,
scoring 33 goals for her country. On what this
means for the Breakers, Coach Tony DiCicco
explained, "Kelly is recognized as one of the
best players in the game now. I've very excited
for the Breakers and Breakers fans who will have
the opportunity to see one of the great players
perform regularly."
New York, NY -
Arguably the most successful Designated Player
in the two years since the "David Beckham Rule"
went into place was under contract through 2009
until this recent deal went through which now
ensures that he will be with the club through
2010 with two additional years of club options,
potentially ending in 2012 when
Ángel will be 36 years old.
Since his arrival in 2007 Ángel has scored 33
goals in 47 games and led the NY Red Bulls to
the 2008 MLS Cup.
Ángel has been the bright
spot in a program that has seen excitement and
disappointment in form of Macelo Gallardo (DC
United), Denilson (FC Dallas), Claudio Lopez (KC
Wizards), Claudio Reyna (NY Red Bulls) and of
course the recent controversy in the David
Beckham-Milan-Galaxy saga. It should be said
that Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Chicago Fire) has been a
bright spot for the Fire, both on the field and
with fans. There is also a great deal of
excitement leading into the 2009 season with new
DP signings Freddie Ljungberg (Seattle Sounders
FC) and Guillermo Barros Schelotta (Columbus
Crew). All things considered, there will be
lively discussions regarding the Designated
Player Rule when it comes under review following
the 2009 season by the MLS Board of Governors.
Said Jeff Agoos, Red Bull's sporting director,
"Juan has shown over the course of two years
that he is one of the franchise's most import
signings."
London, England -
It was 358 days since he had been carried
off the pitch at St. Andrews with a fractured
leg, dislocated ankle and questionable future.
It was exactly 20 after Arsenal's Eduardo made
his triumphant return to the Emirates before he
once again made him mark for the Gunners scoring
on a brilliant header. He added his second from
the penalty stripe in the 60th minute before
coming off to a raucous applause in the 67th
minute for Robin van Persie.
Following the weekend's draw at Tottenham and
the nil-nil match with Cardiff at Ninian Park,
this match had added importance as Arsenal's
Barclays title hopes continue to slip away. It
would seem that the FA Cup will be their best
opportunity for hardware this season. The North
London club is trophy-less since winning this
competition in 2005.
The nights other tallied were put up by Nicklas
Bendtner in the 34th minute, as he continues to
make his case for a spot in the starting eleven
and van Persie in the 89th. Arsenal starting
keeper Manuel Almunia got the evening off as did
Gael Clichy, while van Persie came off the bench
and Emmanuel Eboue was suspended following his
sending off at White Hart Lane and Emmanuel
Adebayor out for an estimated three weeks with a
hamstring injury.
But the night was to be Eduardo's. As he
described it, "It was the best day of my life."
Arsenal who were two rounds behind now advance
to play Burnley with the winner of that match
meeting Hull or Sheffield United in the
Quarterfinal.
Milan, Italy -
Today's match of the day came from the world
famous San Siro where Inter Milan walked away
with a 2-1 victory putting them 9 points clear
of 2nd place Juventus and 11 points clear of AC
Milan following goals for Inter by Adriano and
Dejan Stankovic.
Early in the match Stankovic was in on a clear
breakaway with Milan goalkeeper Christian
Abbiati only to be tackled at the last possible
second by Massimo Ambrosini. While Inter had the
better chances in the first half, AC Milan had
more of the ball and the game was fairly evenly
matched.
The deadlock was broken 28 minutes in on a
controversial goal by Adriano. While initially
it looked to be a header from the large
Brazilian, replays clearly showed it to have
been scored by his hand, not his head.
Regardless, the goal stood and pointed to some
questionable defending by AC Milan. The second
Inter goal from Stankovic in the 43rd minute,
while a good finish, was also the result of AC
Milan midfielder Pirlo allowing Stankovic to run
through freely and pick up a ball knocked down
by Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The halftime whistle blew
with Inter holding a 2-0 advantage.
AC Milan was able to keep the match in question
after some quality saves from Abbiati and some
missed opportunities from Inter early in the 2nd
period. AC Milan's Alexandre Pato pulled one
back with 20 minutes remaining when he tucked
home a cross from Marek Jankulovski following a
marvelous ball to the endline by Ronaldinho.
Milan continued to bend but not break
defensively and nearly pulled equal on a ball
from Pato to Filippo Inzaghi in the 77th minute
that saw Inzaghi find the back of net, only to
have it called back (correctly) for being
offsides. Two minutes later, Inzaghi appeared to
be taken down in the box, but was not awarded a
penalty and for the trifecta, Inzaghi was denied
in the 90th minute from close range by Inter
goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
Overall, this was a highly entertaining match
renewing a rivalry that always yields fireworks.
For 40-year old AC Milan Captain, Paolo Maldini,
this was his last derby before retiring. Also of
note, LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham was
forced from the match due to an apparent upper
leg injury. No report on his status yet.
All
goals count the same. Certainly
no one is going to argue that a
ball you knee in off following a
goalkeeper's save is as pretty
as a goal scored off of a side
volley to the Upper 90 from the
top of the box, however, at the
end of the day, the toe poke
from inside the six will count
the same as the bicycle kick. So
the question is what is the
difference between players who
know how to score the "garbage
goals" and players that always
seem to be unlucky from close
range.
Some players, notably Ruud van
Niestelroy (currently of Real
Madrid), have a knack for being
in the right place at the right
time. So it is not a coincidence
that Ruud is the only player to
lead three European leagues (the
Dutch, English and Spanish) in
scoring. The question is how
does he do it? While it would
take a great deal of time to
break down the Dutchman's flair
and movement off the ball, there
are a few things that are at the
top of the list:
1) Framing (also referred
to as following shots) - this
could be the single greatest
difference maker for goal
scorers. Those who train
themselves to never miss the
opportunity to follow a shot in
find themselves rewarded by
goalkeeper mistakes, deflections
and occasionally luck. If you
start by making a conscious
effort to crash the net, it will
start to come more naturally.
2) Composure - Poise in
front of goal comes from
experience, mental-skills
training, but also from an
anticipation that the ball
will find its way to you.
When you do get one versus one
with the goalkeeper, can you
tuck it away in the corner or do
you try to rip the net and end
up hitting the goalkeeper? Feel
the calm come over you and be
urgent but not rushed.
3) Mentality - Many
penalty-area scrambles come down
to who wants to win a key
tackle, who is going to
sacrifice their body by sliding
or putting their head into a
dangerous place to redirect a
ball towards the net. If you
don't have the mindset to be
willing to do what it takes to
score, you'll probably find that
you're missing out on
opportunities to put the ball in
the back of the net. Do what it
takes to be the difference
maker.
