Sun Doggy News

In listening to Glenn Davis' radio show this week from down in Houston, its clear that Oscar De La Hoya is serious about his interest in buying the Houston Dynamo.

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A Fox marketing exec is quoted on the rise in quality of advertising on Fox Soccer Channel: "A lot of it [growth of the network] can be tied to the overall increased awareness of MLS and soccer in this country."

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I noticed in yesterdays story about stadium issues in Kansas City that their mayors last name was Funkhouser. I wonder if he is related to Marty Funkhouser, Larry David's friend on Curb Your Enthusiasm?


Ian Plenderleith of the US Soccer Players Assoc with the first part of a Q & A with MLS deputy commish Ivan Gazidis. I think the timing is interesting seeing as the USSPA announced two weeks ago that they were cutting their MLS coverage due to lack of co-operation from the league.
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The San Jose Mercury News asks us to hold the phone, and don't make your plane reservations to San Jose for opening weekend v New York. It looks like it will be changed, due to the stadium not being quite ready. The first part of the article has some good news about season ticket sales too.
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Both Morgan Campbell of the Toronto Star and Larry Millson of the Toronto Globe & Mail try to help us better sort out the coaching situation at TFC. These stories refute the rumors of Steve Nicol of Paul Mariner heading north.
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The rumors of English teams coming after KC forward Eddie Johnson have started again. And again it's Reading being mentioned.
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Buzz Carrick at the 3rd Degree has an update on the contracts of 2 big name FC Dallas players: Carlos Ruiz & Denilson.
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FC Dallas Updates with the review of assistant coach Marco Feruzzi's just finished scouting trip to Argentina.
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Metrofanatic with an article on the brutal state of the New York Red Bulls. The team is rudderless and while every other team in the league is scouring the earth for players, they are in standby mode. And why is Jeff Agoos still around again?
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Ives Galarcep on his Soccer By Ives blog with the latest on Claudio Reyna and the Toros Rojos.
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Emlyn Lewis of Soccer New England fears that he is staring to see a little of the old NASL shenanigans in MLS.
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The Seattle Post Intelligencer with an update on these early days at Team Seattle. They should cross the 10,000 mark on season tickets next week!
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A non-soccer loving columnist in the Seattle PI knows the light is growing stronger, and puts in a good plug for the new local team. (middle section of the article)
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MLSnet with an LA Galaxy season review, and 5 Big Questions for next season.
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The Bermuda Sun with an article on the competition of Bermuda Sports Personality Of The Year - of which New England midfielder Khano Smith is a strong candidate.
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Steven Goff on his Soccer Insider blog has some important dates coming up for us to remember for MLS & USA.
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Remember when Juan Pablo Garcia just had to get out of Chivas USA to broaden his chances to play in Europe and for the Mexican national team? Well he took off last year for the green pastures of Tigres. But they have already grown sick of him and he is being sold to Chiapas. (totally stolen from Andrea Canales and the beautiful Sideline Views blog.
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Greg Lalas at Goal.com with his weekly column The 3-5-2: Club World Cup & other stuff.
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The Vancouver Whitecaps of the First Division have added a PDL team to their club so they can further develop their own young talent. The team will also be announcing their new head coach next Tuesday. Anyone know who it is? Teitur Thordason is the rumored guy, whoever he is.
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NCAA Quarterfinals
-Down to the quarterfinals now, with games to be played next weekend. The big upset was unheralded Bradley beat perennial favorites Maryland. Defending champs UC Santa Barbara were beaten by Ohio State in extra time, and 3 unseeded teams made it to the last eight.
Matches & Scores - with seeds included:
-Sat Dec 8
Connecticut(3) v Virginia Tech(11)
Notre Dame(10) v Wake Forest(2)
-Sun Dec 9
Massachusetts(none) v Illinois-Chicago(none)
Ohio State(5) v Bradley(none)
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Doug McIntyre of Soccernet looks at the underdogs in this last 8.
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Luis Arroyave of the Chicago Tribune previews the three teams with strong Chicago connections: Illinois-Chicago (duh), Notre Dame & Bradley.
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The South Bend Tribune with an article on Notre Dame soccer and the teams leader Joseph Lapira.
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USA U17 at the Nike Friendlies
-The annual December tournament in Bradenton Florida.
Matches & Scores:
-Thu Dec 6
USA 2-0 Russia - goals by Carlos Martinez and Stefan Jerome.
Match report from US Soccer.
Match report from the Bradenton Herald.
Video match highlights from US Soccer.
Game photos from US Soccer.
-Sat Dec 8
USA v Brazil - live at 1:30pm central on FSC
Match preview from US Soccer.
-Sun Dec 9
USA v Turkey - delayed at 7pm central on FSC
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My Thoughts On Last Nights Game:
I watched the USA v Russia game when I got home late last night. It was an impressive USA win. Keep in mind they are playing on home turf (the game was in Bradenton where they all live, train and go to school together) and Russia was probably jet lagged, not to mention the fact that it was hot and humid. But there are some very skilled kids on our new U17 team. I will reserve further judgment about individual players until they have completed all 3 matches. It was also the first game for new head coach Wilmar Cabrera, who I am sure won't admit this, but is very happy to have gotten his first game in charge out of the way successfully. Now comes Brazil, who beat Turkey 7-2 earlier in the day.
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Jozy Altidore writing on the New York Times Goal blog checks in from the USA Olympic team training camp.
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Clemente Lisi at the US Soccer Players Assoc with an article on Petr Nowak's first U23 team.
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New photos from USA U23 training prior to going to China for 2 games next week, from US Soccer.
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The Telegraph of England has a really nice story about USA & Reading midfielder Bobby Convey, and the volunteer work he does.
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Mexican Premiera Apertura Final
Matches & Scores:
-Thu Dec 6
UNAM Pumas 0-0 Atlante - 9pm central on TeleFutura
-Sun Dec 9
Atlante v UNAM Pumas - 7pm central on TeleFutura
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The first leg of the Apertura final ended in a goalless draw which sets up perfectly for Atlante to win it all at home. Atlante have not won the league since 1993. Pumas won both the Clausura & Apertura in 2004.
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UEFA Cup
The penultimate Matchday - #4
-Wed Dec 5
Nurnberg 2-1 AZ Alkmaar
Everton 1-0 Zenit St Petersburg
Kobenhavn 0-2 Atletico Madrid
Panathinaikos 2-0 Lokomotiv Moskva
Mlada Boleslav 0-1 AEK Athens
Villarreal 2-0 Elfsborg
Dinamo Zagreb 0-2 Hamburger
Basel 1-0 Brann
-Thu Dec 6
Spartak Moskva 1-0 Zurich
Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Sparta Praha
Aris 1-1 Braga
Crvena Zvezda 0-1 Bolton
Aalborg 1-2 Getafe
Anderlecht 1-1 Tottenham
Austria Wien 0-1 Panionios
Bordeaux 2-1 Helsingborg
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So after 4 of 5 group Matchdays played, the following teams have qualified for the knockout rounds already: Everton, Panathinaikos, Atletico Madrid, Hamburger & Bordeaux.
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UEFA Cup Group Standings.
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Three Americans are playing matches in the UEFA Cup:
-Dan Califf - Aalborg - played the whole game as always buy they could not get the needed 3 points, losing 1-2 at home to Getafe. Aalborg have now been eliminated from any chance of advancing to the knock out stage.
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Only 2 Big Matches in Europe this weekend:
-Sat Dec 8
Fenerbahce v Galatasaray - the spectacle of two big Turkish clubs playing is always amazing to me.
Athlectic Bilboa v Real Madrid - like a civil war, with the Basques holding off the State.
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FIFA Club World Cup
-The tournament got underway yesterday in Japan
-About the teams:
Sepahan - Iran - Asian Runners Up (in tournament due to host team winning Asia)
Waitakere United - New Zealand - Oceania Champions
Urawa Red Diamonds - Japan - Host team & Asian Champions
Etoile Sportive du Sahal - Tunisia - African Champions
Pachuca - Mexico - CONCACAF Champions
Boca Juniors - Argentina - CONMEBOL Champions
AC Milan - Italy - European Champions
Matches & Scores:
-Thu Dec 6
Sepahan 3-1 Waitakere United
-Fri Dec 7
Etoile Sportive du Sahel v Pachuca
-Mon Dec 10
Sepahan v Urawa Red Diamonds
-Wed Dec 12 - Semifinal
Etoile/Pachuca winner v Boca Juniors
-Thur Dec 13 - Semifinal
Sepahan/Urawa winner v Milan
-Sun Dec 16 - Championship
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The return of Pachuca keeper/pirate Miguel Calero could make a huge difference for them. AP with a story via Sports Illustrated.
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Luis Bueno also of Sports Illustrated looks at the chance for success for Pachuca, as well as Club America's loss in the Copa Sudamericana final.
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A blogger for ESPN looks at the Club World Cup and wonders what it will take for an MLS team to make the grade. And some pre-Olympic qualifying hype.
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Samuel Eto'o is said to be healthy for Barcelona, while Thierry Henry is out with more back troubles. Will Eto'o see any action this weekend? We can only hope. But let's also hope he doesn't pull a stunt like he did last year when coming back from injury and refuse to be subbed in because he was only going to get 10 minutes. That was not good.
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Lionel Messi has been named the Sports Illustrated Latino 2007 Sportsman Of The Year. Picture of the issues cover. Great pic.
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The Times of London says the fans of Paris Saint Germain have turned on the team and coach. Physically. Damn.
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AP via USA Today says police have raided the offices of Red Star Belgrade aka Crvena Zvezda, on charges of mob ties and links to fan violence. What a mess.
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Shaun Fuentes of Soccer365 with an article on Marvelous Jack Warner, who says "exciting" times are ahead for the CONCACAF region. Despite my utter disdain for this guy, there is some really good info in this article.