More Football in Canada Eh?

According to Martin Rogers' latest MLS expansion update from Yahoo! sports, Montreal and Vancouver seem to be two of the frontrunner's for 2011 MLS expansion, with a lot of focus on the City of Saints.

According to the piece, "Joey Saputo, owner of United Soccer League side Montreal Impact, is determined to secure an MLS license and already has some infrastructure in place. The Impact’s Saputo Stadium holds around 13,000 and could comfortably be expanded to 20,000 if MLS gives the green light."

What's the downside? Well, if you go by Martin's list of prospects - my home town comes in towards the end of the table! He gives Atlanta a 10% chance of getting on the MLS train, while St. Louis shares the second highest percent likelihood with the largest city in Quebec.

Rounding out the list are Vancouver, Portland, my Atlanta team, Las Vegas, a second New York franchise, and Ottawa.

Check out the full list and accompanying rationale on Martin's article.

Video of the Houston vs. Pachuca CF Post Match Fracas and the Controversial Offside

Judge for yourself:

Major League Soccer Outlines Expansion Plans

Start digging for loose change, MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced the timeline and application process for the League's next two expansion teams.

Garber confirmed that the league intends to add two clubs by 2011, bringing the total to a respectable 18 teams.

As we know, the league is looking for prospects in both the US and Canada.

According to the official press release, "ownership groups and markets that are interested in being considered for this expansion round can submit applications to MLS up until October 15, 2008." It continues, "MLS will determine the date by which the selection decision will be made. An announcement regarding the next two expansion clubs will take place during the fourth quarter of 2008 or the first quarter of 2009."

"I went to a fight, and a soccer match broke out"

Did you ever think that old hockey joke would make its way to the soccer fields of America?

If the two SuperLiga semi final matches are any indication of the current emotional state between Mexican and American club football, then I'm afraid unless something is done, the SuperLiga tournament will continue to have this major black eye (and bloody nose, and busted mouth, etc.)

While Pachuca had a case to feel hard done after losing to Houston, certainly they had no excuse to rush the referees and last night's eruption by Atlante after losing to New England was just plain bizarre.

I'm of two minds about it. I love a heated rivalry, which is what we have now between Mexican and American teams, but the sport is football, not MMA. I'm a huge fan of both, but I don't expect my MMA fighters to start heading a soccer ball anymore than I want to see footballers throwing punches.

Perhaps it's the fact that American soccer has reached parity with Mexican soccer (in terms of skill if not popularity). Perhaps it's the complex national political and social relationship between the two countries. Perhaps it's the centuries old history of a shared border or a combination of all three, but maybe it is time to institute some kind of détente policy between MLS and Primera División? What that policy would be I have no idea.

I guess the question is, can the rivalry exist without the animosity? Maybe, Maybe not.

New Enlgand Advance in Win Over Atlante: But Seriously WTF

New England earned a shot at the 2008 SuperLiga million dollar prize Wednesday night with a victory over Atlante.

A Shalrie Joseph header was the only difference in the win over the Mexican league side, setting up an all American final against MLS rivals Houston Dynamo, but the result took a back seat to the final minutes and subsequent post game melee.

In spite of a solid performance by New England and relatively fair officiating tonight - the final five minutes of the match degenerated in to a showcase of cheap shots by the Atlante side who otherwise played a respectable match.

The ref let the game go about four minutes too long as the Atlante players felt compelled to let out their frustrations on the New England players and in spite of a flurry of yellows and reds, the game ticked on painfully.

Fortunately no one was seriously injured, but the final whistle actually made matters worse as Atlante players and coaching staff took swings at New England players - one connecting with Chris Albright - and I'm sure CONCACAF will delve further in to the fracas.

I get the Mexican American rivalry, but the whole thing has left me wondering if Mexican and American clubs have matured enough to play against each other in international competition.

Messi is China Bound

According to reports in the AFP, Barcelona FC prodigy, Lionel Messi, will be wearing blue and white instead of blue and red this August.

Reports suggest that Messi will fly to China early Thursday to join the Argentina squad for the Olympics which get underway next week.

Bypassing Barcelona's American tour, the 21-year-old will fly directly from Italy, where he took part in a 3-1 friendly win over Fiorentina in Florence earlier tonight.

Earlier today, FIFA confirmed clubs are obliged to release players aged 23 and under for the Olympics but Barcelona has been pushing for Messi to stay with the club.

The club said they will take their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but Messi said, "if FIFA say I should be there then I'll go without waiting for the CAS ruling."

Blanco No Go for US Open Cup

Cuauhtémoc Blanco may have said adios to any US Open Cup action.

The U.S. Soccer Federation suspended Blanco for at least two years on Wednesday based on his bad behavior during the Chicago Fire's Open Cup quarterfinal game against D.C. United on July 8.

In that match, Blanco was accused of a few moves that aren't' even allowed in MMA - some eye gouging and head butting and at the end of the day, US Soccer decided Blanco's actions were worthy of a lengthy exit from the Open Cup.

MLS Sunday Recap

This should have been typed up earlier, but similar to recent DC United games it had to be postponed because of things beyond my control. That said this weekend had some really exciting games. I got to watch a few of them and here are my thoughts on the four matches this past Sunday.


Dallas FC 4 - LA Galaxy 0
The only match that I caught all of was the Dallas FC and LA Galaxy match up. I have to say that it must have been pretty embarrassing being a Galaxy fan and watching the game because Dallas totally dominated the entire match. The game ended 4-0, but could have easily been close to 7-0. LA had a few chances that hit the crossbar but even so they wouldn't have been saved.

Kenny Cooper had a very masterful performance, but Dominic Oduro had an equally great game. It looked as though the Galaxy forgot how to play defense as the pair of Cooper and Oduro combined for three goals and two assists. Cooper also missed a one on one with the keeper that should have been a gimme goal, but it really wasn't needed. Hopefully that will be corrected in the playoffs when they will need every goal they can get.

There really isn't anything to say about the Galaxy except how poor they played. Other than Beckham, I thought I was watching a high school team. I feel sorry for the man because he plays so well still (completing over 90% - 95% of his passes) but has no striker or forwards to pair up with. The only person that seems to be consistent is Landon Donovan but in my opinion he really isn't that great at all. It seems like he never wants to score as can be seen in this game where he has an open net to shoot into while standing in the penalty box and instead passes the ball which eventually gets turned over. Simply pathetic. Maybe Edson Buddle will step up and become the man Beckham needs to get a few more wins for the Galaxy who are 0-3-3 in their last six games.


NY Redbulls 1 - San Jose Earthquakes 1
I only got to see a few minutes of the NY Redbulls and San Jose Earthquakes game because it was the same time as the Manchester United/Portsmouth friendly. From what I saw it looked like your typical last place match-up with nothing really happening. However, the tie did NY into a four way tie for 4th place in the East. San Jose seems to be the Derby County of this season and is still a far distance from the next lowest team and cannot get a win to save their life. It is unfortunate for them because the only way that the Redbulls pulled out the tie was by the most hilarious own goal I have ever witnessed (other than the Liverpool one during Champions league which is only hilarious because of the situation surrounding it).


Columbus Crew 2 - Colorado Rapids 0
I watched the first half of the Columbus Crew and Colorado Rapids match Sunday night. It was a pretty exciting game with a lot of back and forth action. I haven't had the chance to watch either team much this season so I was glad for the opportunity to do so and wasn't disappointed. I was really surprised at how well Columbus attacked the net. It seems like their defense needs a bit of work, but outside of Houston and New England, what team doesn't.

The Crew's first goal was a beauty and after watching the highlights the second one looked just as good. I was kicking myself for turning it off at half time (East Coasters have to be at work early!) because the second half looked extremely exciting with Colorado getting so many near misses. The Crew are now within two points of New England keeping the race for first place exciting. I will have to tune into more of their games in the future.


Kansas City Wizards 0 - Chicago Fire 0
I don't really have anything to say about the Kansas City Wizards and Chicago Fire game because I don't find either team that enjoyable to watch outside of seeing the Wizards get out of last place. The game ended in a scoreless draw and MLS only had one shot on goal as the highlight so I guess that speaks for itself.


Next Week:
This upcoming weekend looks to be great and I think the best match up will probably be the Houston Dynamo and Columbus Crew game. My boys in DC play their last home game until taking on New England in the US Open semi finals so hopefully they can get a few points to keep the race for the playoffs alive. With injured players looking to return and hopefully the team working on fixing what has been going so wrong lately it seems like it will be a good game to watch.

New England To Try for an All-American SuperLiga Final

Tonight the New England Revolution will attempt to continue their winning ways against a game opponent in Mexican side Atlante as the 2008 SuperLiga Semis close out. The winner of this match will determine who meets Houston in the final.

Gillette Stadium has been kind to the Revs in this tournament as they arrive as the only undefeated side still standing, but Atlante will be riding high after their 2-0 defeat against CD Guadalajara in SuperLiga action as well as their 2-1 defeat of Toluca in Mexican league action a few days ago.

Kick off is at 8:00PM eastern – you can watch the match live via streaming video from SuperLiga2008.com.

SuperLiga 2008 Semi Final - Houston Dynamo vs. Pachuca CF: Updated

This one turned in to an ugly affair folks and at the end of the match, it was Pachuca CF who came away with some legitimate grievances.

The first half was certainly all Houston Dynamo but, as I stated last night, while their penetrating runs were effective, particularly the work of Dwayne DeRosario, their final passing was never really on target. Both teams went in to the break tied 0-0.

The second half showcased a Pachuca side that was lit on fire! I'm not sure what Enrique Enríquez said to the Tuzos, but they were hammering in chance after chance while Pat Onstad struggled to stay afloat in the net.

Finally, the Pachuca effort paid off about twenty minutes in - or so they thought - with a brilliant run and finish by Gabriel Caballero that was disallowed. However, the linesman may need to get his prescription checked because to all even casual onlookers, there was nothing offside about that play.

Pachuca seemed to have lost the wind in their sails after this piece of bad officiating and Houston capitalized on their lackluster defending, with Corey Ash nodding and Bobby Boswell flicking their two game winning goals in within easy range.

The result stood at Houston 2 - the defending champions Pachuca 0 and the final whistle resulted in a release of frustration by the Mexican side. Security personnel were needed to escort the refereeing team safely off the pitch. Let's hope for some good football and fair officiating in tonight's other semifinal match.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Shea: SuperLiga2008.com

SuperLiga 2008 Semi Final - Houston Dynamo vs. Pachuca CF

Houston Dynamo takes on Pachuca CF for the first semi-final of SuperLiga 2008 - I have no idea how I let this slip up on me. I'll follow this up with a quick summary.

Half time report: 0-0 so far and both sides have had some chances early on. I've got to give the edge to Houston for the first 45 minutes. A couple of errant final passes are all the separate the Dynamo from going ahead in the match.

(the announcer just said "the ball took a gratuitous bounce" he he. I think he meant fortuitous, but here I am blogging while he's at Robertson Stadium checking the action live)

Dominic Cervi Leaves Portsmouth Without a Deal

The steady drip of American Goalkeepers joining the Premiership may have a valve on it after all.

American goalkeeper Dominic Cervi recently concluded a trial at the Premiership side Portsmouth but did not receive a contract offer.

Apparently Cervi impressed, but earned just enough praise to ensure Pompey "keeps tabs on him" and not enough to convince them to put pen to paper.

Surly Cervi is still holding out for a spot in Europe as he did not sign with Major League Soccer after being drafted by the Chicago Fire.

Will Lionel Messi be in Beijing or New Jersey this August?

Lionel Messi is already playing spectacular football for Barca in tune up matches this pre season and will most likely challenge Cristiano Ronaldo for the world's soccer spotlight this year.

If early June's international friendly between the US and Argentina is any guide, Messi may be the difference between 50000 and 80000 fans showing up at the Meadowlands next month to watch the Catalan powerhouse take on the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium.

That being said, the battle between club and country continues as the Barcelona-based sports daily, El Mundo Deportivo, reported Monday that FIFA will most likely side with Argentina - but that FC Barcelona will simply dispute to the sport's highest appeal body, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, while taking Messi with them on their North American tour.

FC Barcelona Coming to America

If your travels will take you anywhere near Soldier Field or Giants Stadium early next month, then you have to try and score tickets to one of the two friendlies the Catalonian greats have planned.

According to the detailed itinerary on FC Barcelona’s website, the team is set to arrive via chartered jet in Chicago around 2:00PM on Thursday 31 July.

They have a series of training sessions scheduled throughout their tour of the American Northeast, the first starting at 8:00PM the day of their arrival, followed by Friday and Saturday morning sessions, all at Illinois University and afternoon sessions at Toyota Park and Soldier Field respectively.

Barça will play its first friendly of the tour against CD Guadalajara on Sunday 3 August at Soldier Field. Kickoff for this match is scheduled for 6:00PM and Chivas will certainly want to regain a bit of pride after their Superliga exit courtesy of fellow Mexican side, Atlante.

Barcelona will then travel to New York to take on the Red Bulls at Giants Stadium on Wednesday 6 August with a scheduled kick off of 7:00PM.

Look for tickets here ->

Or here ->

And if you get to go to either match - I want a full report!

Monday Night Football - Toronto vs. Real Salt Lake

The only soccer action to speak of today after a busy Sunday of MLS soccer is tonight's Monday night match up between a recently struggling Toronto FC (6-6-4) and Real Salt Lake (sporting an evil record of 6-6-6).

Toronto FC is missing their top scorer, Danny Dichio, and are likely to look to 16 year old Abdus Ibrahim for help in finding the net against a defensively strong Real Salt Lake.

TFC gaffer, John Carver, has admitted that placing the scoring burden on the shoulders of a 16 year old is both unwise and unsustainable, but considering the goal drought they're in, he has little choice.

You can catch the match on CBC and MLSlive.tv.

MLS in Atlanta. What's in a Name?

Cobb Snobs. Gwinnett Traffic Jammers. Atlanta Flamers…ahem…these are few of the names (obviously tongue in cheek) that I’ve seen bouncing around several message boards of late as MLS expansion continues to be a hot topic.

I know I'm being unrealistically optimistic, but let's spend a few moments talking about team names. While the old storied clubs in Europe tended to be founded with their city names in the title and usually some other rather bland moniker such as "United" or "Football Club", American sports teams have historically picked up the name of some ferocious beast (Bears or Dolphins - ok, not Dolphins), city themed mascot (Packers, Patriots, Pistons), clothing articles (Sox – either White or Red), or the ever popular ethnically cleansed minority of the region (Chiefs, Braves, Redskins).

With that, we have a couple of years to think about the name of our MLS team in Atlanta, so let's get to it.

Atlanta's USL team, the Silverbacks, took their name from one of the city's great icons, the world famous silverback gorilla at the Atlanta Zoo, Willie B, who in turn was named for former mayor, William Berry Hartsfield.

I’ve heard the Atlanta Phoenix, which I get – rising out of the ashes and all that – and that might work until Phoenix gets a team - which might make it awkward when Phoenix play the Phoenix.

Atlanta is not a maritime city, but there were a lot of major ferry crossings along the Chattahoochee River. Hmmm, somehow I don't think the Atlanta Ferries are going to strike fear in the hearts of their enemies.

We could just copy what has worked for Europe and go with the obvious:
Atlanta Football Club (Atlanta FC)
Atlanta United

I also like the idea of looking in to Atlanta’s military history (ignoring the part where we were burned to the ground), so I’ll throw out:
Atlanta Rail Riders
Atlanta Light Guard
Atlanta Old Guard
Atlanta Grays
Atlanta Rebels (well, New York has the Yankees)
Atlanta Regulars
Atlanta Bell Bombers (nod to the Marietta plant's role in WWII)

The city is also known as a major transportation hub, so we could go with the more modern:
Atlanta International (we are home of Hartsfield/Jackson after all)
Atlanta Transporters (well, Jason Statham plays for Hollywood FC)
Atlanta Browns (sorry Cleveland, we are the home of UPS)

And finally there are the idiosyncratic New South emblems such as:
Atlanta Kudzu
Atlanta Rappers (we are home of So So Def Recordings you know)
Atlanta Coyotes (I realize we're back to animals, but I have a ton around my house and they are, if only slightly, more intimidating than deer or rabbits)
Atlanta Creed (shout out to Paul Gaston for that one)

Well, that’s quite enough from me and at the end of the day, it will most likely be up to Arthur Blank or whoever ends up bankrolling the eventual Peach State side.

But if you could choose the name for Atlanta's next major sports franchise, what would you pick?

Cobb FC Bring Talent from Liverpool FC

Cobb Futbol Club has been looking across the pond for their coaching talent and appear to be making some impressive progress.

The Cobb County, Georgia amateur club has officially announced the arrival of Gareth Evans as the new Boys Academy Director. Gareth is joining Cobb FC from the storied Liverpool Football Club in England, where he played alongside England internationals Michael Owen and current Liverpool FC Captain Steven Gerrard.

Gareth had been Liverpool Academy’s U6-U8 and U9-U14 coach since 2000 and he brings to Cobb County soccer his experience as a UEFA Licensed Coach, as well as 18 years of combined playing and coaching experience with Liverpool.

West Ham vs. Columbus Crew Fight Follow Up: Much Ado About Nothing

It would seem that in the media’s push to latch on to something tantalizing – yours truly not exempted of course – that the first reports of the so called "brawl" at Crew stadium were more than slightly overblown.

Some thoughtful exchanges with eye witnesses as well as some digging around for first hand reports prove that the so called 130 person hooligan style brawl was more of a scuffle between a handful of security guards and a few inebriated West Ham fans.

How the drunk Hammers ended up in the Crew fan section is a question for Crew Stadium security to answer – but at any rate, a drunken scuffle does not hooliganism make. I’ve seen more fighting than that at a Jimmy Buffet concert yet I don’t recall the media getting up in arms about those dangerous and disruptive parrotheads.

If the old adage stands true that any publicity is good publicity, then let’s hope that Crew football can get something out of what was otherwise pretty much nothing.

Brad Friedel to move to Aston Villa. Are Villa the new Fulham?

With the announcement today that US goalkeeper Brad Friedel has signed a three year deal with Aston Villa – Americans will have yet another team of expats to tune in to this coming football season.

Last season Fulham became the side of choice for many newbie EPL fans because of the presence of Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson, Kasey Keller, and Brian McBride at Craven Cottage.

Even with McBride’s homecoming to the US and MLS’ Chicago Fire, the American contingent remains strong at Hammersmith and Fulham.

But now Aston Villa has added some considerable red, white, and blue to the nets as Brad Friedel has signed on at Villa Park and Brad Guzan is set to join the club pending a work permit hearing. Villa also signed young Eric Lichaj in July of ’07 after the 18 year old defender impressed scouts during Aston Villa’s North American tour.

West Ham vs. Columbus Crew: the Fight and Reflections on Hooliganism

As we close out the soccer week in America, I’ve got to reflect on the MLS All Star game and events that led up to it. I’ve always been a critic of the MLS all star game – more the format really than the match itself. In fact, if America insists on a All Star game, I suggested in an earlier post that we look to Australia’s State of Origin rugby league match up and emulate their format for our match. At any rate, this week’s match proved quite entertaining…but it was an event a few days ahead of that match which deserves some review.

On July 20th, the Columbus Crew met up with West Ham United for a “friendly” and somewhere along the way, about 100 Crew fans thought it might be clever to get in to a brawl with about 20 West Ham supporters.

There are many many books and studies about Hooliganism out there folks and I’d like to recommend that we all read up on a couple. As football continues to rise in popularity in the US, we as American fans need to ensure that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past.

One of the great consolation prizes that we have in America is that, because our professional football is still so young, we can hopefully mature without going through that particular growing pain which has caused so much violence and destruction for football across the world.

Come on fellas, we can do better than that.

* READ MY FOLLOW UP ON THIS POST HERE *

MLS All Star Game: Teams 1 - ESPN 0

I have to admit that this was the first MLS All Star Game that I have ever watched. After finally getting back into MLS after 8 or so years I was really excited about seeing everyone play. Even though none of my DC United players made the squad (I have to admit that only Emilio was qualified to play) I knew it was going to be a great game. Even better was the fact that they were playing West Ham United, one of my favorite teams to cheer for in the English Premier League. As a mostly unbiased viewer I thought the game turned out amazing.

The beginning started out shaky as many would expect it to with players getting used to playing with each other on the MLS side and the Hammers just starting their pre-season. However, after the first fifteen minutes the game opened up and the stars began to shine. I thought it was good that West Ham scored the first goal because it really showed that the All Stars had to actually try to play together to win the game. After the resounding comeback with amazing goals and support between Blanco and Gomez the game went to half time with everyone knowing the game would live up to expectations. The second half of the game kept the excitement up, except for the final ten minutes where it looked like West Ham wasn't pushing up as much as they could to try and get the tie. All in all it was a great game that really showcased what the MLS is capable of.

Now with all that said I would like to raise some complaints I found with the game. As big a support base that TFC has, I think they could afford to get a real field. I don't think any sport should be played on turf, especially soccer. It just doesn't seem natural to me and the physics related to sliding on the ground and the ball bouncing just aren't right.

Another thing that was horrible about the game was ESPN's involvement and the terrible announcers they keep pushing on the viewers. Having to listen to those two blow hards try to talk about soccer just grates my ears. They hardly ever talk about the game and really have nothing to add. It seems those two just seem to like to hear each other talk and every so often talk about how amazing Landon Donovan and David Beckham are at soccer. The other thing ESPN does it not take soccer seriously at all. Each half they interrupted the game to tell us how some boring baseball game was progressing. One of the biggest MLS games that every fan would be watching and they proceed to interrupt to tell us about a sport that is only mildly more entertaining than golf to watch.

ESPN did get one thing right and that was their pre-game and half-time male correspondent. I don't remember his name but he was hilarious. Thankfully he didn't defer to Julie Foudy (who I also cannot stand) very often and just kept making me laugh. The bit with the hawk and the food was just amazing. Get rid of JP Dellacamera and his cronies and just put this guy on for all of the next ESPN broadcasts.

All in all I have to say that this game was really fun to watch and makes me look forward to next year's All Star Game. I hope they can get another great Premier League team to play that has some draw here in the States and Canada. I just hope ESPN can fix their coverage because I love to be able to watch the game in hi-def.

Serie-A schedule revealed

It's that time of year again when "Silly Season" finally starts to wind down and the thoughts begin to focus on the upcoming season, and finally the schedule for this season has been set. Week 1 begins with a bang as the Juve-Fiorentina rivalry is the obvious highlight, and Inter opening their defense of the Scudetto away at Sampdoria should be entertaining as well.

There is some controversy over the scheduling of the Derby della Madonnina as Inter are expressing unhappiness over a date 2 days before a Champions League match early on in week 5, but for us fans seeing the beauty of the San Siro in full regalia can there really be a problem with getting a Nerrazurri-Rossoneri matchup too soon? Juve - Roma in week 10 should be another match watched worldwide, and week 13 will feature Inter-Juve at the San Siro

The schedule is possibly toughest on the Milanesta as their final 4 games include Juve, Fiorentina and Roma

Let's get ready to rock and roll, real football time is just around the corner

SuperLiga Impressions and Predictions

After watching a fair amount of the SuperLiga games from the group stage I think its safe to say that the tournament's sophomore year has been a pretty big success. Many, if not all of the games have been very exciting and high scoring. As a DC United fan it has been hard at times, but I think the games have been enjoyable overall. I even got to see United play Chivas Guadalajara and Houston Dynamo live.

I have to say I was fairly surprised when Chivas Guadalajara didn't advance and Atlante surged back from their opening game 4-0 loss to secure the runner up position. The best part was that none of the final spots had been secured by the last round of games. Every single team on Group A had a shot of advancing and all but Santos had a shot at advancing in Group B. The teams really made it exciting until stoppage time ran out in the final half of all the last games.

Now that we look towards the knockout round it is going to be really hard to try and pick the winners. However, I think if you have been paying attention to all four teams it will make sense as to who the winners are going to beat. The first match will be Group B winners New England Revolution against Group A runners up Atlante. The Revs will be hurting with having a decent amount of players still injured and many of their top players not getting a rest because of the All Star game. Also you have to take into account Atlante's resurgence and how well they played against Chivas last weekend. With all that said, the Revs have continually brought their best and haven't lost a game in a very long time. They even beat last year's winners (although only because of a very shady PK call). I would have to say this game will be very close, but the Revs will take it by a goal.

The other game is going to more difficult to predict. I think that Houston definitely has the size advantage, but Pachuca has the skills to pull out the victory. Pachuca's goalie will be the determining factor of the game I think as his age limits his ability to have a perfectly dominating performance. However, after watching him stop almost everything New England threw at him I don't think Houston will have the ability to to overcome the obvious skill difference. Houston is just lacking the ability to compete at the top level of CONCACAF where Pachuca has been for the past several years and will lose this one by a goal or more.

The final will be a rematch of the previous New England and Pachuca game and it will be one for the ages. More on the final after the other two games have been played.

AS Roma Star's Car Stolen with Daughter Still Inside!

AS Roma Frenchmen Philippe Mexes got the phone call that makes your heart stop.

Mexes was at pre-season training camp when news came to him that his car was stolen from his driveway while his two-year-old daughter slept on the back seat.

Apparently Mexes' wife left the little girl in the car while she dashed inside carrying the couple's young son and the car thieves thought the car was theirs for the taking.

Undoubtedly the thieves were just as surprised to find the sleeping stowaway in the back seat and abandoned the car and child unharmed at a piazza close to their house.

Mexes' daughter actually slept through the entire ordeal!

Attention America: Want to Put on a Real All-Star Game? Look to Australia

America loves All-Stars. For whatever reason, we are infatuated with this idea of a group of best of the best. I’ve suggested in the past that America needs to just drop the “All-Star” game for soccer altogether. Why? Because it’s a holdover from the other main stream sports, is basically a strange concoction of players, and besides all that, we already have an All-Star team – it’s called the US National Team.

But I’ve been thinking as I’m prone to do on rare occasions. If we as Americans insist on watching a group of "club All-Stars" as well as a group of "country All- Stars", then let's do it right!

I’d like to see the US implement a “State of Origin” style tournament. The State of Origin is Australia’s premier Rugby League championship. It is an All-Star game to end All-Star games. The State of Origin pits the best players from two states, New South Wales and Queensland, against each other. It is a blood match (set of three matches actually) for bragging rights that electrifies Australia and Rugby League fans across the world. Players are eligible to play for their “state of origin” literally based on the state where they played their first senior rugby.

I would love to see a similar format for Soccer in the US.

Imagine carving the US in to four big sections. I don’t think pure quadrants would work, but I could imagine the competitors in the US Origin All-Star match representing: North vs. South vs. Mid-West vs. West Coast. Each team composed of all star players from the various states that make up each section and open to all Internationals, MLS, USL Div 1 & 2, PDL, etc.

Oh you see where this is going? The South flying some racially tolerant variant of "stars & bars" vs. the Carpet Baggers from the North (sorry guys). The Mid-West with all of its soccer history in St. Louis vs. the soccer surfers from the West Coast. Could be catastrophic or outstanding - but I think there's no way around it, it would be immensely entertaining!

Now that’s an All-Star series I could get behind! Who’s with me?

MLS “All-Stars” take on the Hammers Tonight

This year’s collection of MLS All-Stars is set to take on Premiership side, West Ham United at BMO Field, the home of Toronto FC. Kick off is at 7pm eastern.

TV listings are here.

Check out Martin Rogers’ column on yahoo sports suggesting that West Ham is the wrong team for this game.

Atlanta Silverbacks Women Host the W-League Eastern Conference Semifinals and Championship

The undefeated (13-0-1) Atlanta Silverbacks Women will host the W-League Eastern Conference Semifinals and Championship this upcoming weekend.

Along with the championship, a berth is on the line for the full W-League Semifinals and Championship in Virginia Beach.

Look for some tough football in this regional semi, as every team in the group has a shot at the Championship. In addition to the ladyBacks, the bracket includes the defending champions Washington Freedom (11-1-2), the Charlotte Lady Eagles (11-2-1), and either the Boston Renegades or Long Island Rough Riders (both at 9-3-2) depending on the outcome of their match tonight.

Check out the full press realease at AtlantaSilverbacks.com.

Manchester United vs. Chelsea – the Psychological Battle Begins

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson believes the old boys at Chelsea may not provide much of a challenge for major silverware this coming season.

The BBC reports that Sir Alex believes Liverpool and Arsenal are the true threats to Man U's Premier League title.

Sir Alex’s psychological salvo was launched toward Stamford Bridge with a couple of zingers picked up by the BBC:

"Chelsea are an experienced side and I don't see outstanding progress coming from a team in their 30s."

"I wouldn't write off Liverpool or Arsenal. It has been understated what Arsenal achieved last season."

"I'm not concerned about Chelsea, I just don't know how far that team has got to go…they have lots of experience and big-game temperament and in a sense Scolari is fortunate, joining a big club with a team of internationals, but it's hard to see where there is going to be an improvement. Maybe they have reached a plateau - although perhaps that's not the right word."

Landon Donovan – Can What Might Have Been, Still Be?

The blogs were lighting up yesterday with news that maybe, possibly, there was an outside chance that the United States’ own "best" international star – Landon Donovan – might be hitching a ride to England.

Max over at yanksssocer.com ran a very interesting quote from the still young Landon, hinting that England may be gaining some priority on his radar –

“The older I get and the more I play, the more I’m yearning for that highest level I can play at. I think the Premiership would be the best place to play.”

I ran an update on Michael Essien yesterday and whenever I see Essien, rightly or wrongly, I think about where Landon could be.

Both Michael and Landon were neck and neck for the top honor at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championships. In spite of losing the 3rd place match to Ghana in that tournament, the Golden Ball winner was Landon Donovan, yet Michael Essien just re-signed with one of the world’s best clubs through 2013. Essien continues to receive nominations for FIFA World Player of the Year, while Landon enjoys sunshine and long walks on the beach.

Landon is a craftsman with considerable potential, so let’s hope he can find his way across the pond – much like his Ghanaian U17 counterpart did years ago – and turn some of that potential in to results the US can be proud of.

Video compilation of what AS Monaco are hoping to see from young Freddy Adu

Since Freddy Adu is at the top of US Soccer export news, here's a quick video compilation of what AS Monaco are hoping to see from Freddy:

Four Teams in Four Years for Freddy Adu

Adu is on the move again. The US international is but a signature away from a loan deal between his current Portuguese club, the Lisbon based multisports giant Benfica, and his new digs with French Ligue 1 side AS Monaco.

Freddy will settle in at Stade Louis II after a growing CV that also includes DC United and Real Salt Lake.

After finishing last season's Ligue 1 firmly planted in the middle of the table, I'm sure Ricardo Gomes is looking for Adu to bring some offensive spark to Les Rouge et Blanc.

Essien Re-Signs with Chelsea

Michael Essien has signed a new five-year deal with Chelsea, ensuring that the young Ghanaian international will be controlling the midfield at Stamford Bridge until 2013.

Read the full report from the BBC.

Atlanta Soccer News: ADASL Announces Pre Season Organization Meeting

The ADASL, metro Atlanta's top mens amateur league, has scheduled the annual pre-season organizational meeting for Tuesday, August 5 at the Hudson Grille-Brookhaven at 7 PM.

This meeting kicks off the 2008-2009 Major Season. Teams must have a representative in attendance to collect registration information.

Hudson Grille is at the corner of Peachtree Road and Dresden Drive across from the Brookhaven MARTA station.

More information about the league can be found at ADASL.com.

Took the Night Off to see The Dark Knight

Don’t worry – I’m not going to get in the habit of hijacking my football blog to do movie reviews. But after seeing The Dark Knight tonight – I’ve got to say...man.

I’m not going to write any spoilers for my footy fans, but I’ll say this – do NOT take the kids to go see this one. There is nothing here for children. It is dark...I’m talking Unforgiven, Heart of Darkness dark. It’s a disturbing movie, exhilarating but I can assure you, the level of psychological violence packed in these two and half hours is enough to make anyone want a shot of Basil Hayden to take the edge off.

Of course Christian Bale is still the most kick ass batman in history, and you always knew the late Heath Ledger was going to be an eerily psychotic joker, but after it was all said and done, Aaron Eckhart was the guy who blew me away.

I’ll leave it at that and get back to the business of football tomorrow. I think I’m going to have another shot.

Why Do So Many American Football Fans and Sports Writers Hate Soccer? A Follow Up

Is American football “hate” of soccer overblown?

One of the comments on my piece helped shed some light on the issue for me. In fact, the comment suggested that it is not in fact American football haters, but bitter soccer fans, that are at the center of the problem.

I admit it, as I re-read my article, I did come across sounding pretty damned sanctimonious. I can see how my tone might illicit some negative reaction, but that’s ok, as I said in my response, I can take my medicine.

I still stand behind my statement however. I don’t think there are enough soccer writers in the States to even create a “bitter” atmosphere. In fact, I’ll point you to some mainstream soccer bashing of late - take a look at this relatively lame article on ESPN Page 2 listing the biggest “bandwagons” in American sport. Of course, they take a potshot at soccer.

Another more anecdotal piece of data I’ll offer, is that on many a sports thread, particularly my old haunt, fark, the most trolled sport is soccer. Now it may be the case that fark is not a good statistical indicator of the greater population, in which case the problem resides with my perception and not, as my commentator suggests, with American football fans and sports writers. Here’s hoping that I’m wrong!

The Baltimore Bays Win 2008 U.S. Soccer Development Academy U-17/18 Title while Concorde Fire takes Fifth

The Bays defeated west coast rivals LAFC in the final match of the 2008 Development Academy tournament in a nail biter that went to overtime before the boys of Baltimore could scrap out the 4-2 victory.

But in a match closer to home for many of my readers, in the battle of two fires, North Atlanta’s Concorde Fire took the fifth place spot with a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Fire. Again it was a finish plastered with a warning label to all cardiac patients, as Cooksey Cameron scored in the 89th-minute to deliver the result for Concorde.

Read the full summary for all U17/18 matches at US Soccer.com.

Soccer Coaching Tips – Practice Using a Mini Ball

One of my most read pieces so far has been a little ditty I put together after I finally figured out how to do an “around the world” with the soccer ball. So that got me thinking a bit about other ways to share what has and hasn’t worked for me over the years.

With that sentiment, and with over a decade of coaching experience and a lifetime of playing experience, this is a segment to impart some of what has been helpful to me.

The foundation of any great player is ball control. I’ve considered and employed many different techniques to build ball control skills. One such technique is to incorporate the use of the mini ball, essentially a size 1 ball, in to your normal drills.

Because of the decreased surface area, the mini ball requires pin point accuracy of touch. Shooting, trapping, passing, heading – all become exercises on precision. The tendency for most young players is to substitute skill with power, but the mini ball doesn’t necessarily reward power – so the player has to stay focused on touch.

At a recent futsal camp at Street Soccer Indoor in metro Atlanta, former Atlante and Colorado Rapids defender Antonio de la Torre, almost exclusively used mini balls to work ball control, passing, and shooting drills with his young attendees. The rationale is simple. According to de la Torre, “if you can master the control of a ball this size [referring to the mini ball], then playing with a regulation sized futsal or outdoor ball will be that much easier.”

Players - start practicing your juggling skills with a mini ball as well as your regulation ball.

Coaches - consider incorporating mini balls in to some of your precision and ball control drills. I think you will find this addition to your regime incredibly beneficial.

Pictured: the Adidas Euro 2008 Mini Soccer Ball

SemiFinal SuperLiga Matches are Set

The New England Revolution and Pachuca CF both advanced last nigh in the final Group B matches of SuperLiga 2008. Everyone scored a goal as both games ended in 1-1 draws, but single points were not enough for some so going home are Chivas USA and Santos Laguna.

The Semi finals are set with two MLS teams and two Primera División teams facing off:

Tuesday, July 29 Houston Dynamo vs. Pachuca CF at Robertson Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Wednesday, July 30 NE Revolution vs. Atlante at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

SuperLiga Group B Action Concludes Tonight

Last night's Group A matches concluded with one MLS team, the Houston Dynamo and one Primera División team, Atlante, earning semifinal spots in 2008 SuperLiga. Tonight, Group B action concludes as the second set of all MLS / all Primera División SuperLiga derbies gets underway.

Chivas USA will take on the high flying New England Revolution in Titan Stadium at Cal-State Fullerton. You may recall that the Revs made international news on their cross country commute to this match by subduing a fellow on their flight who was playing with a few cards shy of a full deck. Kick off is at 8:00PM Eastern.

The Lone Star State will play host to the last two Mexican league sides as Santos Laguna take on Pachuca CF at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. Kick off is at 10:00PM Eastern.

The link to the live online stream is here.

Get tickets for tonight’s matches here ->

And all of the Group B Scenario’s are listed below courtesy of 2008 SuperLiga:

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (6 points, +2 goal differential)

• Revolution clinches 1st place with a win or tie.
• Revolution clinches 2nd place with a loss AND a Pachuca loss or tie.
• Revolution clinches 2nd place with a loss AND a Pachuca win IF Chivas USA wins the group in a three-way tiebreaker.
• Revolution is eliminated with a loss AND a Pachuca win IF Pachuca wins the group in a three-way tiebreaker.

Note: If New England wins or draws its last group game, it would host every match it plays moving forward as neither Houston nor D.C. United could obtain 7 or 9 points. See note below on Semifinals.

PACHUCA (3 points, even goal differential)

• Pachuca clinches 1st place with a win AND a Chivas USA win IF Pachuca wins the group in a three-way tiebreaker.
• Pachuca clinches 2nd place with a win or tie AND a Chivas USA loss or tie.
• Pachuca clinches 2nd place with a loss AND a Chivas USA loss IF both teams lose by one-goal margin and identical score lines.
• Pachuca clinches 2nd place with a loss AND a Chivas USA loss IF both teams lose by a one-goal margin with Pachuca scoring more goals than Chivas USA.
• Pachuca is eliminated with a loss AND a Chivas USA win or tie.
• Pachuca is eliminated with a loss AND a Chivas USA loss IF Pachuca loses by two goals or more.
• Pachuca is eliminated with a loss AND a Chivas USA loss IF Chivas USA loses by more goals than Pachuca.
• Pachuca is eliminated with a tie AND a Chivas USA win.
• Pachuca is eliminated with a win AND a Chivas USA win IF Chivas USA wins the group in a three-way tiebreaker.

CHIVAS USA (3 points, even goal differential)

• Chivas USA clinches 1st place with a win AND a Pachuca loss or tie.
• Chivas USA clinches 1st place with a win AND a Pachuca win IF Chivas USA wins the group in a three-way tiebreaker.
• Chivas USA clinches 2nd place with a win AND a Pachuca win IF Pachuca wins the group in a three-way tiebreaker.
• Chivas USA clinches 2nd place with a tie AND a Pachuca loss.
• Chivas USA is eliminated with a loss AND a Pachuca win or tie.
• Chivas USA is eliminated with a tie AND a Pachuca win or tie.
• Chivas USA is eliminated with a loss AND a Santos win IF Santos wins by two or more goals.
• Chivas USA is eliminated with a loss AND a Pachuca loss IF both results are identical and by a one-goal margin.
• Chivas USA is eliminated with a loss AND a Pachuca loss IF both teams lose are by a one-goal margin with Pachuca scoring more goals than Chivas USA.
• Chivas USA is eliminated with a loss AND a Pachuca loss IF Chivas USA loses by more goals than Pachuca.

SANTOS (0 points, -2 goal differential)

• Santos clinches 2nd place with a win AND a Chivas USA loss IF Santos wins by two or more goals.
• Santos clinch 2nd place with a win AND a Chivas USA loss IF Chivas USA finishes with the worst goal differential in three-way tie.
• Santos is eliminated with a loss or tie.
• Santos is eliminated with a win AND a Chivas USA tie or win.
• Santos is eliminated with a win AND a Chivas USA loss IF both results are by one-goal margins.

A Walk Down Memory Lane with Letters From Vagabondia

Chris Courtney from Letters From Vagabondia, has written a great piece tracking the evolution of the American player in Europe. Chris had the enviable job of actually getting paid to cover US Players in Europe as a writer and reporter for Soccer Times! He has done a great job of capturing the trends and key names in his Part 1 post (1980s to the mid 1990s).

I found it interesting to overlay his time line with my own player/fan experience through that same decade and a half. As a 6 year old kid playing in the United States in 1977, my only real soccer influence was Pele. Frankly, I was too young to realize how big soccer actually was in the world, so it turned out that for me, like millions of children all over the world and in the absence of any real soccer news, Pele was my first ambassador for the beautiful game.

My home town NASL team was the Atlanta Chiefs, a team I vaguely remember as it went through the ups and downs of professional soccer in the States. Interestingly enough as I got older in the game, I played soccer alongside and became good friends with the son of one of the Chief's pioneer players, Alan Hamlyn. The fact that Alan was a professional for several years and actually played on the US National Team was completely lost on me!

Even as I began to play more seriously in the 80's, the players Chris tracks in his piece were largely unknown to me until World Cup 1990. So taking this walk through time, I'm saddened a bit about my generation's missed opportunities but at the same time, I'm incredibly optimistic about the future. The soccer information landscape has matured dramatically in the US and so have the players. My own trend line I think is a close match to the trend line that Chris traces - and while there is still a very long way to go, the soccer experience for both players and fans in the US has grown dramatically.

Stick a Fork in 2008 SuperLiga Group A, She's Done

And with that, the Houston Dynamo sit on top of 2008 SuperLiga's Group A standings and will be followed in to the semi finals by second place finisher and Mexican league stand outs, Atlante.

The Dynamo ensured DC United's exit tonight with a 3-1 victory while Atlante dispatched fellow Primera División side CD Guadalajara 2-0 to secure the second place spot.

Group B resumes tomorrow night as Pachuca, Santos, New England, and Chivas USA battle it out for the remaining two spots in the semis.

Beckham Says MLS is Better Than People Think

According to an AP report, Beckham says, "Soccer is definitely changing in this country, and it is getting bigger and growing...but it is going to take time, and I said that at the start. It’s not just going to happen in a year or two. It’s a long-term plan to raise the profile for this game in this country. I think it has gone well so far."

Of the MLS, he says, "Every game is a tough game. Of course, we do want to get it to the level of other leagues in the world, but it will take time. But it’s not that far away. There is a lot of talent in this league."

Read the full article on MSNBC.

What do you guys think? Is Beckham right - have we reached a mini tipping point for the world's game in the US?

Mexico vs. Mexico and USA vs. USA: SuperLiga Group A Closes Out Tonight

In the all MLS / all Primera División SuperLiga derbies tonight, the Houston Dynamo will take on the all but eliminated DC United at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C at 8:00PM Eastern.

On the other side of the country Atlante will play CD Guadalajara at Buck Shaw in Santa Clara (beware of all the damned vampires) at 10:00PM Eastern, with all four teams in the group looking at chances to advance.

Get tickets for tonight’s matches here ->

Here are all of the Group A Scenario’s courtesy of 2008 SuperLiga:

CD GUADALAJARA (6 points, +2 goal differential)

• Guadalajara clinches 1st place with a win or tie.
• Guadalajara clinches 2nd place with a loss AND a Houston tie or loss.
• Guadalajara clinches 2nd place with a loss AND a Houston win IF Atlante wins group on goal differential.
• Guadalajara is eliminated with a loss AND a Houston win IF Houston wins group on goal differential.

HOUSTON DYNAMO (3 points, +3 goal differential)

• Houston clinches 1st place with a win AND a Guadalajara loss IF Houston wins group on goal differential.
• Houston clinches 2nd place with a win or tie AND an Atlante tie or loss.
• Houston clinches 2nd place with a loss AND an Atlante loss IF Houston loses by two goals or fewer.
• Houston is eliminated with a loss AND an Atlante win or tie.
• Houston is eliminated with a loss AND an Atlante loss IF Houston loses by three goals or more.
• Houston is eliminated with a tie AND an Atlante win.
• Houston is eliminated with a win AND an Atlante win IF Atlante wins group on goal differential.

ATLANTE (3 points, -3 goal differential)

• Atlante clinches 1st place with a win AND a Houston tie or loss.
• Atlante clinches 1st place with a win AND a Houston win IF Atlante wins group on goal differential.
• Atlante clinches 2nd place with a win AND a Houston win IF Houston wins group on goal differential.
• Atlante clinches 2nd place with a tie AND a Houston loss.
• Atlante is eliminated with a tie AND a Houston win or tie.
• Atlante is eliminated with a loss.

D.C. UNITED (0 points, -2 goal differential)

• D.C. United clinches 2nd place with a win AND Atlante loss IF D.C. United win by three or more goals.
• D.C. United is eliminated with a loss or tie.
• D.C. United is eliminated with a win AND an Atlante win or tie.
• D.C. United is eliminated with a win AND an Atlante loss IF D.C. United wins by two or fewer goals.

Atlanta Soccer News: Silverbacks Come Away with a Point against the Timbers

In a match finish that should have a warning label for cardiac patients, the Silverbacks miraculously scraped out a draw against the Portland Timbers.

For large stretches of the match, the Silverbacks seemed to control the run of play yet could not convert any of their possession in to goals.

When the first goal did come, it was on the other end of the field as the Timbers went up 1-0 at the end of regular time. The Silverbacks were staring down a gut wrenching loss but an injury time equalizer by Ansu Toure kept the match even and both teams left Silverbacks park with a point.

Read the full match report at AtlantaSilverbacks.com .

New England Revolution Subdue Crazy Dude on a Plane

According to an FBI statement, an American Airlines flight from Boston to Los Angeles was diverted to Oklahoma City on Friday after a passenger got naked and tried to open an emergency exit door.

None other than Major League Soccer's New England Revolution were on board traveling to LA to face Chivas USA in their final group match.

According to the FBI, "members of the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer were among those who grabbed the passenger near an exit door."

Read the full article at Yahoo.

Why Do So Many American Football Fans and Sports Writers Hate Soccer?

On the heels of a hugely successful and entertaining Euro 2008 tournament, I'm thinking again about Soccer in America.

It is almost a pastime for some sports writers and hard core gridiron fans to square off against football fans. As it would appear to me that the two sports are entirely different, this zero sum mentality from gridiron fans escapes me. The fact this debate peters along has led me to gather up some thoughts.

Is it not bizarre that of all the sports out there, pure gridiron football fans seem to have an almost pathological aversion to the world game? Is it the sharing of the name? The common ancestor so to speak? Is it rooted in an "us" vs. "them" old American isolationism? There is something there for sure; some animosity I can't seem to put my finger on.

It's not like the two sports competed against each other for time in American high schools - at least not mine - gridiron was an Autumn sport and high school soccer was in Spring. In fact, we had a couple of guys that played both quite well (besides the kickers).

Staying with the high school theme for a moment, I must admit the babes in school consistently went for the soccer players over the gridiron boys. I suppose it's no surprise that cute girls go for fit guys over fat guys. In fact, there could be something there. Perhaps some of the "gridiron soccer hate" may be a remnant of high school angst, grounded in some Freudian slap in the face that builds in to an anti-soccer condition as an adult? Any psychologists reading this out there care to weigh in?

Beyond that, perhaps it's just a generic sports ego thing, derived from conflict through competition. Clearly NFL and NCAA gridiron are the biggest "per event" spectator sports in the US and yet, once every four years, we see how the entire world unites to not only watch, but live a single month long sporting extravaganza.

The World Cup is the Superbowl times 100. It must be a bit humbling for our gridiron brethren. Maybe the knee jerk reaction is to lash out. That being said, it is a rather bizarre response.

I'm hesitant to chalk the soccer hate up to just good old fashioned American myopia. The fear of the unknown on the other side of dark and distant waters. The world is so much smaller now I can't imagine that soccer haters are surprised by the sport which American kids have taken up en masse. On the flip side, I've actually heard soccer haters lash out at the notion that soccer is "being shoved down their collective throats." Anyone watching mainstream American sports media must surely agree those proclamations are made by people on crack rock.

So I'm still left to ponder the source of the hate. But rest assured that on Sunday's this Fall while a lot of Americans will be plopped on the couch, watching NFL and eating fried snickers bars, I'll be watching the world's great leagues in the morning and out on the pitch in the afternoon.

Gruffgoat Needs Writers

It's time to freshen up the scenery. We need to showcase other perspectives from around the world. With that in mind, please consider contributing a post or two.

My thinking is, if you're like me, then you're probably already spending time on your favourite football news sources - from Serie A to Australian A-League, or maybe AC Milan to Sydney FC...doesn't matter, if you think it's interesting, chances are so do a lot of other people. Write two or three original lines and link to it. And there you have it, your interest, your perspective, being shared across the world. Pretty cool right?

Email me at footballeratl -at symbol- yahoo -dot- com (sorry for the non linked email, but if I get one more "From the Desk of His Majesty Doctor MBUTO" email, then I think I'm going to scream) and include your main area of interest and preferred username. I'll get you set up to start posting today!

Cheers,
RL

New England Revolution vs. Pachcua CF: Penalty or No, You Be the Judge

Here is a video of the key highlights of the SuperLiga Group B match. The controversial handball is at minute 3:35.

BONUS: Cool 70's porn music for the introduction

Atlanta Soccer News: Friday Night Football in Atlanta

The Silverbacks return to league play tonight after a couple of hard fought losses against Western Hemisphere powerhouses.

The Backs hosted Mexican first division side Pachuca C.F., who are currently battling for a spot in the 2008 SuperLiga semis, and Argentinean first division club Atletico Independiente.

They fell to both of those quality teams in close matches, but I'm betting the opportunity to play against that caliber of club will pay long term dividends for the Silverbacks.

Tonight, the Backs take on the Portland Timbers at Silverbacks Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:55PM.

Read the full press release at AtlantaSilverbacks.com.

McBride to Join U.S. Olympic team

The "old man" of US football raised American hopes of a decent Olympic tournament as Brian McBride was listed on Peter Nowak's roster of American under 23 talent.

Brian joins future Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan and New England Revolution defender Michael Parkhurst as one of the three over-age players allowed in the under-23 tournament.

The remaining roster going to Beijing looks like:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)

Defenders: Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)

Midfielders: Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Danny Szetela (Brescia Calcio)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Brian McBride (out of contract), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

Pat Phelan Update

According to a New England Revolution press release, Pat Phelan suffered a concussion and nothing more last night in 2008 SuperLiga action.

According to the press release, "he was momentarily unconscious, but regained consciousness before being stretchered off the field. He was taken by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital where he was further evaluated. Phelan is expected to be out of action for at least one week."

While a concussion is no small event, it's great news for those of us who witnessed the brutal contact and thought the worst.

FIFA's Plan B Starts to Materialize: Brazil seen as backup host for 2010 World Cup

According to a report by the AFP, FIFA is in talks with authorities in Brazil about staging the 2010 World Cup should South Africa be unable to host the event.

A Spanish sports newspaper reported this turn of events on Thursday although Brazilian officials vehemently denied the claim.

Read the full article.

Roy Keane Trys to Cash in on Spurs Fire Sale

According to the Sun, Sunderland manager and former Manchester United pussy cat, Roy Keane, has put forward £14million for four Tottenham Hotspurs players.

Pascal Chimbonda, Steed Malbranque, Younes Kaboul and Teemu Tainio will all have talks with the Sunderland as Spurs boss Juande Ramos attempts to unload as many as eleven players from a side that ended up firmly in the middle of the table, while the Black Cats skirted above the relegation line with just 39 points.

Abby Wambach Breaks Leg in Win Over Brazil

In sad news for the US Women's National Team, their goalscoring centerpiece and all around tough as nails competitor, Abby Wambach, broke both the fibula and tibia of her left leg in a violent collision with Brazil's Andreia Rosa.

The article from Yahoo Sports has Abby quoted from the emergency room as saying, "I want to thank all the fans, the doctors, the players on the team and Tasha Kai for scoring the winning goal...obviously, it's devastating, but above everything else, I'm only one player, and you can never win a championship with just one player. I have the utmost confidence in this team bringing home the gold."

Abby is a class act, full of heart and determination. Let's hope for a speedy recovery.

Chivas USA Defeat Santos Laguna 1 - 0

A wonderfully executed Sacha Kljestan cross found an onrushing Ante Razov in the box in the 73rd minute of play. Razov made no mistake as he flicked a great header in to the corner of Santos' net to give Chivas USA the 1-0 lead.

In spite of missed chances and arguably missed calls by the referee, the Guerreros from Torreón could not equalize.

Read the full match report at SuperLiga2008.com.

Questionable Refereeing Benefit American Sides in 2008 SuperLiga Action

I hate it when a match is decided by a stoppage time penalty kick. Sure it's going to happen, especially at the late stages of the match; players are tired after 90 plus minutes, they make stupid mistakes, etc. So I understand it, but I don’t like it.

What’s worse? When the stoppage time penalty is awarded because of a bad call.

That’s what viewers saw last night as the New England Revolution defeated Pachuca CF on an injury time penalty kick.

Sainey Nyassi drove a cross in to the Pachuca defender, Julio Manzur, with such force that it was always going to hit him. It just so happened to hit him in the arm. So was the ball on target for a goal? No way. Did Manzur reach for the ball, nope. Yet the Costa Rican referee, Walter Quesada, pointed to the spot.

I didn't catch all of the Santos v. Chivas match but apparently Santo’s equalizing goal was disallowed because of an offside call that never happened.

Before last night, I was fairly impressed with the refereeing in the 2008 SuperLiga, considering the bad blood that exists between Mexico and the USA, but bad calls that affect the score line are a quick way to lose fans on both sides of the Rio Grande.

New England Revolution 1 Pachuca CF 0 - 2008 SuperLiga Update

The New England Revolution remain undefeated on their way to the semi finals of the 2008 SuperLiga.

The first half saw a lot of good, attacking end to end football from both the New England Revolution and Pachuca CF.

The first 20 minutes of the second half were all New England as they put on a passing clinic for the fans at Foxborough Stadium. Not bad for a side missing five of their key starters.

Pachuca looked dangerous on the counter attack, particularly the boot of Damian Alvarez, who found woodwork but could never find net.

In the 84th minute, a clash of heads sent Pat Phelan to the ground with no movement whatsoever. Medical teams for both Pachuca and the Revolution sprinted to the field to tend to Pat.

Match play resumed 10 minutes later but with only 6 minutes of added time.

A hand ball in the penalty box was awarded in the 6th minute of stoppage time.

Kahno Smith stepped up to the ball – and hammered it home to send the Revolution through to the 2008 SuperLiga Semi Finals!

Scary Moment in 2008 SuperLiga Action

Hearts stopped for a moment all over the stadium in the 84th minute as a clash of heads sent Pat Phelan to the ground with no movement whatsoever.

Defending a Pachuca corner kick, Sainey Nyassi rose up to clear a header and caught Phelan with a head under his jaw. The impact lifted Pat off the ground.

Medical teams for both Pachuca and the Revolution sprinted to the field to tend to Pat. The medical teams exercised all caution as Pat’s neck was braced and he was stretchered off, to the subdued applause of nervous Revs and Pachuca fans.

Look for a follow up report on Pat Phelan's health and let's hope for the best.

2008 SuperLiga Match Day 4 Group B Preview

The two winners and the two losers will face each other tonight as Group B play resumes.

The New England Revolution try to earn another victory against a high flying Pachuca CF at Gillette Stadium while Chivas USA will try earn a win against Santos Laguna at the Home Depot Center.

Tickets here ->

Will he or won't he. The Olympics is Becoming a Messi Affair

*rimshot* and groan. I know the pun is awful - but I couldn't resist. The Olympic tournament is causing considerable consternation for many clubs who want their talented young stars fit and healthy, and focused on club competition this August.

Among those stars in the throws of a Country vs. Club battle is Argentinian Lionel Messi. Argentina are confident that Lionel Messi will take part at the Beijing Olympic Games despite the reported opposition from his club, Barcelona.

Argentina's Olympic team coach, Sergio Batista, believes that the rulebook is on his side; however, Barcelona are reluctant to let their star player go.

FIFA reiterated just last week that clubs are obliged to release under-23 players for the Aug. 7-23 Olympic soccer tournament, so this saga has yet to be played out. Most of these young players will want nothing more than to wear their nation's colours should duty call.

MLS All-Star Game – the Americanization of Soccer Continues

Why does Major League Soccer feel the need to copy the other major American sports? I suppose it gets to the old debate – do they try to lure non-soccer fans to the sport by feeding them familiarity, or do they try to grow the league by attracting purists (such as myself) who spend hours watching the Premiership every Saturday and Sunday morning from August to May.

Based on MLS as it exists today, the former appears to be the league direction for now. They already have this bizarre “regional” dual table system. They already have a “play-off” to find out – oh by the way after a full season of playing head to head football – who the “real” champions are. They do not have a system of promotion and relegation (something that my readers know I feel passionate about).

And of course there is the MLS All-Star game. I truly don’t understand this match. Sometimes it’s based on region, sometimes it’s based on nationality, sometimes this team plays a National team, sometimes this team plays a Club team.

I get it, I know it’s a marketing event, but for a purist (fine…a snob) like me, it’s a contrivance of a match.

This is a team comprised of players who are not selected by a manager, but rather are voted on by a combination of fans, coaches, general managers, players, media, and the MLS commissioner. Don’t get me wrong, I realize these players are usually of the highest caliber, as popularity and performance tend to go hand in hand, but it does lean toward a popularity contest.

In my mind, international football already has an All-Star team – it’s called the National Team. Club football already has an All-Star team – it’s called the League Champion. These two teams have actually earned the right to play in the big events.

I would like to see MLS focus more resources on promoting the league champions, setting up a proper table, and adding to the contest by building competitive grass roots teams, rather than spinning out resources by promoting this “all-star” team. Let me know if I'm off base here!

Not New: Parents at youth soccer games make imbeciles of themselves berating referees. New: Moving said parents behind barricades

I'm sure it's no surprise that more often than not, the worst behaved participants in any youth sport are the parents.

It is a sad fact that has been around since I played as a young lad and now that my kids are old enough to play, I'm disheartened to report that the behaviour appears to still be going strong.

Apparently Northumberland Football Association is not just fed up with the phenomenon, they've decided to try something new - parents behind barricades!

Ok, so they aren't putting parents behind chicken wire fences just yet - but by putting some distance between the parents and the pitch by marking off a "safe-zone" with a couple of stakes and some bright ribbon - early results of the Northumberland pilot program appear to be working.

Read the full article from the Daily Mail.

Atlanta Soccer News: Street Soccer Indoor Holds First Futsal Final in Atlanta

One hundred and twenty five dedicated Atlanta area futsal fans were in attendance at Street Soccer Indoor’s inaugural Friday night league finals.

The match between JR Trim, a team predominately of Mexican players and Team Fenix who are mostly Brazilian, had all of the flare and excitement you would expect from a futsal final.


photo courtesy of NyowoSkillz

JR Trim’s green clad fans and Team Fenix’s orange clad fans literally lined the court to watch these two quality sides battle it out for bragging rights.

The two had met during the regular season to a 4-4 draw; however in an inaugural victory which seemed fitting based on futsal’s South American roots, the Brazilians from Team Fenix would earn the championship honor.

CD Guadalajara Takes Firm Control of Group A After Defeating Houston,1-0

Just shy of 29,000 were in attendance last night at Robertson Stadium to find out which of these two sides would rise to the top of Group A.

After a dominating performance over Atlante, many Dynamo fans were I'm sure hoping that orange would carry the day; however an Omar Arellano strike in the 71st minute dashed those hopes and instead, the Mexican league side, CD Guadalajara is in the best seat.

Group A now has undefeated Chivas Guadalajara on top with six points, Atlante and Houston in the middle of the group with three points each, and sitting close enough to the ground to grow roots is DC United with not a point to their name.

Final Group A play resumes on Saturday, 19 July. Tickets here ->

DC United on the Ropes in 2008 SuperLiga

DC United lost by a margin of 3-2 in a tough battle to Atlante in Tuesday night's Group A match up.

DCU's fate now rests largely in the hands of others as they sit firmly at the bottom of the Group A table.

Group A action resumes Saturday, 19 July and DC United's hole looks to be too deep to climb out of. Tickets here ->

Ronaldinho on His Way to AC Milan

Wow - the wild west of international superstar transfers continues as Ronaldinho - who just yesterday was reportedly considering Manchester City, announced today his transfer from Barcelona to AC Milan.

Milan will pay USD33.4 million for Ronaldinho and another USD6.3 million if the club clinches a place in next season’s Champions League. However, the transfer amount was considerably less than the USD50.7 million Barcelona said Manchester City had offered.