American Soccer News for March 7

Here's the News from the past week:
-Chelsea won the first of what could be 3 trophies this year. A 3-2 victory over Liverpool gave them the Carling Cup. The difference betweent the FA Cup and the Carling Cup is difficult to explain, and frankly I have no idea why they have both.
-Olde Molde Wolde Harris is training with Colorado
-Henry Ring has really fallen down the well now. The 2004 All-Star was traded by Chicago to Dallas a few months ago, now he has been released by Dallas, and is in Ecuador training with Metrostars (who already have two good keepers)
-Phil Ball is a great English soccer writer who lives in Spain. He writes a weekly column for ESPN, and this week he went off on many people including prima donna referee Anders Frisk. Frisk in known more these days as the guy who got hit in the head with a Zippo lighter in Rome after making unpopulars rules against the home team Roma. Frisk bled, the game was called off and Roma played their next few home games to an empty stadium as punishment. Ball really takes a good jab at Frisk's looks:
Anders Frisk himself is a prime example. In general he refereed the game rather well, but does he really have to pout and preen like a peacock in rut?
Those flowing blond locks, that Viking-pillager strut, that dodgy 1980s suntan.
With such rich resources available to him, it's perfectly understandable that he prefers to finish every game he officiates as the main protagonist of the show.
here is a picture of the guilty party
and another picture taken moments after he got hit with the lighter
and yet another showing the damage done
-USA is playing two exhibition matches as a warm up for the two World Cup Qualifiers that are coming up in late March against Mexico (27th) and Guatemala (30th). The games: March 9 vs Colombia in Fullerton CA at 930pm central on Fox Soccer Channel, and March 19 vs Honduras in Albuquerque with game time and TV details still to be announced.
-First round action from the CONCACAF Champions Cup - this pits the 8 best club teams from North & Central America and the Caribbean against each other.
Catch some of the matches on tv:
Wed Mar 09 06:30PM Central
FOX Soccer Channel
DC United vs Harbor View (Jamaica)
and
Wed Mar 09 08:30PM Central
FOX Soccer Channel
Kansas City vs Saprissa (Costa Rica)
and
Thu Mar 10 02:00PM Central
FOX Soccer Channel
Monterrey (Mexico) vs Municipal (Guatemala)
-Charlton have set up a United States Soccer Academy in an attempt to capture emerging players in America. Players at the centre in Tuscon, Arizona, will follow the same football and educational syllabus as members of the Addicks' academy set-up in England.
-Los Angeles Galaxy have lost standout defensive midfielder Marcelo Saragosa after Sao Paulo, the club that owns his contract, called the Brazilian back after they and MLS could not come to an agreement on a further loan or transfer.
-The USA is in Carson CA for the upcoming friendlies with Columbia and Honduras, followed by the World Cup Qualifiers against Mexico and Guatemala. In a surprise, John O'Brien stopped by the training the other day - he is in California rehabbing.
-It looks like Greg Vanney is heading back to MLS & Dallas
-And its looks like Dwayne DeRosario won't be leaving San Jose after all. Following many European trials he has not been offered any deals, so he remains an Earthquake player.