Options Of News

Bruce Arena on what he thought his future was with Team USA after the World Cup: “Nowhere in the conversation I had last Thursday was I wanted back. And besides, I had already made the deal with the Red Bulls.”
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Coach Bob Gansler has been given the gas pipe by Kansas City. He has been replaced by assistant coach Brian Bliss. They say Bliss has the job for now, and will be reviewed at the end of the season. But I would bet that he probably won't be the permanent pick unless he produces a miracle. So who could get the job after that? Preki? Mo Johnston? Steve Sampson? Phil Weston? Grinsi Klinsi? Michael Ballack? Moose or Jughead from the Archies?
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Big Apple Soccer talks to Red Bulls players about their new coach.
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Big App also has a couple of tasty quotes from Arena's Q & A.
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Jack Bell of the New York Times on the Arena press conference.
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Ives Galarcep of the North Jersey Herald on the subject at hand.
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Kristian Dyer of Soccernet says Arena has walked into tough situations before and succeeded.
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Do you have anything to say to MLS chief Don Garber, Columbus General Manager Mark McCullers & coach Sigi Schmid? Well, you can on July 25 at Crew stadium.
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Luis Bueno of LA Soccer News with an update on the Galaxy defense who are full of holes due to suspension and injury right now.
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Now that the international transfer window has opened Kansas City is free to play their newest signing, Dutch midfielder Dave Van Den Bergh.
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MLSnet talks to Chivas's talented young midfielder Sacha Kljestan who has started every game this year and has to be one of the top candidates for Rookie Of The Year.
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DJ Walker goes to Chicago and gives his Stream of Consciousness treatment to the Chicago v Dallas game.
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The Denver Post with a midseason report card on Colorado.
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Columbus has signed American forward Ryan Coiner from German team Holstein Kiel. He looks to get his first minutes tonight.
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The Dallas Morning News with a feature on FC Dallas striker Kenny Cooper and his father, Kenny Sr., who was the goalkeeper for the Dallas Tornados of the NASL 30 years ago.
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Our man DaMarcus Beasley makes his preseason training debut with PSV today. And he is all smiles! I love seeing DMB smile.
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Yanks abroad says very young and little known American defender Neven Subotic has signed a deal to join fellow American striker Conor Casey at Mainz in Germany.
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Today US Soccer has a podcast from U17 head coach John Hackworth, with an update on his team.
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MLS midweek games:
Today-
Columbus v New York - 6:30pm central time on Direct Kick
Thursday-
Colorado v Chivas - 7pm central time on Direct Kick
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And some MLS teams have international friendly's to play today too-
Dallas v UANL Tigres
Salt Lake v Morelia
New England v Celtic
LA v Crystal Palace (in Richmond VA)
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The USL First Division All Stars take on English Championship Division's Sheffield Wednesday in Cary NC on Wed. My Minnesota Thunder will be represented by defender Dustin Branan. You can see the game live on Fox Soccer Channel at 7pm central time.
-The sad thing is, if you go to the USL website or the Minnesota Thunder website you would never know this game is happening cuz neither one mentions it. Pathetic!
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The Quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores has kicked back in now that the World Cup is over. Here are the second leg matches (with first leg scores):
Last night:
Libertad 3-1 River Plate - Liber win 5-3 on aggregate after the game was abandon due to crowd violence (see story below)
Toight:
Internacional v Liga Dep. Universitaria (1-2)
Sao Paulo v Estudiantes LP (0-1)
Thursday:
Velez Sarsfield v Guadalajara Chivas (0-0)
-The away goal rule DOES apply in the knock out stages.
-River Plate fans have again been involved in trouble at the Copa, and this time they cost their team the game. Trailing 3-1 to Libertad, the River Plate fans went crazy and the armed police had to step in, finally causing the referee to call the game off with 10 minutes left. In the previous round River fans got into it with Corinthians fans, but luckily for them their team was leading. Corinthians were the ones punished that time with the game being called early. It's sad how many time things like this happen. In Europe they found ways to ban these fans from matches. Maybe South America can figure it out too. Match report from Sports Illustrated.
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The 06-07 UEFA Champions League First Qualifying Round return leg matches (with 1st leg scores):
Last night:
Ekranas (Lithuania) 3-0 Elbasan (Albania) - Ekranas win 3-1 on aggregate
Baku (Azerbaijan) 1-0 Sioni (Georgia) - Sini win 2-1 on agg
Sheriff (Moldova) 2-0 Pyunik (Armenia) - Sheriff win 2-0 on agg
Rabotnicki (Macedonia) 0-0 Dudelange (Luxembourg) - Rabotnicki win 1-0 on agg
Today:
Gorica (Slovenia) v Linfield (Northern Ireland)(3-1)
Hafnarfjordur (Iceland) v TVMK (Estonia) (3-2)
B36 (Faroe Islands) v Birkirkara (Malta) (3-0)
Apollon (Cyprus) v Cork (Ireland) (0-1)
Aktobe (Kazakhstan) v Metalurgs (Latvia) (0-1)
Siroki Brijeg (Bosnia-Herzegovina) v Shakhtyor (Belarus) (1-0)
The New Saints (Wales) v MyPa (Finland) (0-1)
-Ekranas, Sioni, Sheriff & Rabotnicki have advanced.
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Carlos Alberto Parreira has, not surprisingly, stepped down as coach of Brazil.