Thursday, June 11, 2009

Some News for Thu Jun 11

STARTERS

The 2010 World Cup starts one year from today!

dN

Give a listen to myself and Beau Dure of USA Today talk turkey with Kartik Krishnaiyer at Major League Soccer Talk. We spend the entire hour talking Team USA as the Confederations Cup arrives. Those two guys are smart, I babble. Listen or download here.

dN

$131 Million! That is how much Real Madrid paid today for Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United. Frightening. Man U can now go out and buy almost any team they want around the world. Back to Madrid - the team and player still have to work out a contract. So all is not completed! Is David Villa of Valencia the next target for RM?

dN

Sing it: Twittle-ee-dittle-ee-dee, twittle-ee-dittle-ee-doe: Twitter me: dunord

dN

TFC forward Danny Dichio via Twitter today: "The only good thing to come out of last week is that me & the Mrs found out that we are expecting a bouncing baby 'Cannuck' boy in October!" Fantastic news my man! Three cheers for the Dichio's! Hooray Beer! Hooray Beer! Hooray Beer!

MLS

MLS Week 13 Matches:
-Wed Jun 10
Houston Dynamo 1-0 Chivas USA - HD goal by Stuart Holden.
Venue: Robertson Stadium, Houston TX
Attendance: 14,516
-Sat Jun 13
DC United v Chicago Fire - 6:30pm Central on Direct Kick
Venue: RFK Stadium, Washington DC
Toronto FC v New York Red Bulls - 7pm Central on Direct Kick
Venue: BMO Field, Toronto ON
FC Dallas v Houston Dynamo - 7:30pm Central on FSC & FSE
Venue: Pizza Hut Park, Frisco TX
Kansas City Wizards v New England Revolution - 7:30pm Central on Direct Kick
Venue: Community America Ballpark, Kansas City KS
Los Angeles Galaxy v Real Salt Lake - 9:30pm Central on Direct Kick
Venue: Home Depot Center, Carson CA
Seattle Sounders FC v San Jose Earthquakes - 9:30pm Central on Direct Kick
Venue: Qwest Field, Seattle WA
-Sun Jun 14
Columbus Crew v Chivas USA - 2pm Central on Telefutura
Venue: Crew Stadium, Columbus OH

dN

Some amazing video from last Friday nights Chicago v Houston game. I was standing right in the middle of it. TV commentator Glenn Davis said it all: "You're not going to see that at an NBA game!" Thanks to Tom for this one. See more photos from Section 8 Chicago.


dN

The Kansas City Star with their 3rd article this week on the people inside the Wizards, this time the team's Technical Director Peter Vermes. Great stuff. These are the kinds of articles we all need to read and comment on so the paper keeps writing things like this.

dN

A reader sent us a link to some renderings of the entire development being planned around the future KC Wiz stadium project. (I am very sorry but I deleted the email and forgot who sent this my way, you have my thanks and apologies)

dN

John Connolly of the Boston Herald talks to New England coach Steve Nicol about Taylor Twellman's neck injury. And trashes a certain Washington DC sports writer along the way.

dN

New England defender Jay Heaps played in his 300th MLS game this past weekend. Quite the milestone.

dN

Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle on another big Dynamo win.

dN

Michael C Lewis of the Salt Lake Tribune with an article on the ineffective flounderings of RSL midfielder Javier Morales this season.

dN

The St Petersburg Times with an article on their hometown boy Nick Zimmerman who recently made his professional debut for the New York Red Bulls.

dN

Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy has had reconstructive surgery on his right posterior cruciate ligament and will be out of action for this entire season. He should be ready to resume full time training for next years preseason.

dN

Paul Oberjuerge writing for Soccer Training Info calls the LA Galaxy "the Tie Machine".

dN

The CBC has quotes from goalkeeper Greg Sutton about his release from Toronto FC.

dN

In a sign that the fan voting for the MLS All-Star game is complete fucking joke, 10 of the 11 starting spots are currently being held by players from the Seattle Sounders. Now I hate them and their fans even more than I did when they were my USL mortal enemy.

dN

Playoff Picture - if the regular season ended today (Top 2 in the East & West plus next best 4 make the post season):
EAST
21 Chicago
19 DC
WEST
27 Chivas
24 Houston
NEXT 4
17 Seattle (+5)
17 Colorado (+3)
16 Columbus (0)
16 Kansas City (0)
OUT
16 New England (-3)
16 Toronto (-4)
15 Los Angeles
12 Salt Lake
10 Dallas
9 New York (-10)
9 San Jose (-10)

dN

MLS Summer Friendlies:
-Wed Jun 10
FC Dallas 2-0 CS Herediano (Costa Rica)
Venue: Pizza Hut Park, Frisco TX

US OPEN CUP

The tournament proper kicked off this week with Round 1 matches all over the country.

dN

1st Round Matches:
-Wed Jun 10
Ocean City Barons 3-0 Crystal Palace Baltimore
Venue: Carey Stadium - Ocean City NJ
Real Maryland FC 1-0 Aegean Hawks FC
Venue: Richard Montgomery H.S. - Rockville MD

dN

2nd Round Matches:
-Tue Jun 16
Carolina RailHawks v Wilmington Hammerheads
Venue: WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary NC
Rochester Rhinos v Cleveland City Stars
Venue: Marina Auto Stadium, Rochester NY
Harrisburg City Islanders v Western Mass Pioneers
Venue: Skyline Sports Complex, Harrisburg PA
Miami FC Blues v Charleston Battery
Venue: Tropical Park, Miami FL
Minnesota Thunder v Chicago Fire PDL
Venue: National Sports Center, Blaine MN
Austin Aztex v El Paso Patriots
Venue: Nelson Field, Austin TX
Sonoma County Sol v Portland Timbers
Venue: Santa Rosa High School, Santa Rosa CA
Ocean City Barons v Real Maryland Monarchs
Venue: Carey Stadium - Ocean City NJ

TEAM USA - CONFEDERATIONS CUP

USMNT Official Blog
-Centerback Jay DeMerit fills us in on what is going on with him right now.

dN

US Soccer gives video of the team from South Africa. Via You Tube.

dN

Steve Davis at ESPN Soccernet compares the USA team to the one at World Cup 06 and sees little change.

SOCCER IN AMERICA

Brad Friedel's Premier Soccer Academy in Lorain Ohio is in deep financial trouble. The doors are not closed, but...... The Lorain Morning Journal with the story. Read the sorry ass comments if you want to see ignorance at its worst.

dN

Ann Killion of the San Jose Mercury News reminds of all of a decade ago when someone at US Soccer cooked up a plan called Project 2010 and predicted total global domination for our team by then. Now of course we aren't even close, and any fan with a pulse knows that was never going to happen, it doesn't stop Killion from rearing back and giving the federation a good old fashioned kick in the gonads for their silly bravado.

dN

How are we coming along as soccer fans comparatively? Our friend Brian Quarstad at Inside Minnesota Soccer tries to answer that question.

dN

There is a tentative plan for the USA to play in Iran on Nov 14 or 18. (both are international break dates)

dN

James Edward of the Deseret News reports on the Real Salt Lake U18 team that represented MLS at a big tournament in Madrid last week. They had mixed but promising success.

dN

Soccer America reports that the USA U17 team has been expanded to 40 players as they prepare for the World Cup later this year.

dN

Ridge Mahoney at Soccer America wonders if MLS is now holding players back in their development for national team play. via Sports Illustrated.

dN

Marcelo Balboa is getting his long flowing locks cut off tomorrow for a cancer charity fund raiser. Good move man.

AMERICANS IN EUROPE

Brent Latham of Yanks Abroad with an article on U20 fullback Sheanon Williams who is currently without a team, but hoping for a shot in Europe after the U20 World Cup in Egypt at the end of summer.

CONCACAF

After only a couple of months on the job Jamaican national team coach John Barnes has resigned. He is being replaced by former Reggae Boyz player Theodore Whitmore.

CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

The draw was held on Thursday:

Preliminary Round (home and away dates TBD):
Arabe Unido or San Francisco (Panama) v San Juan Jabloteh (Trinidad & Tobago)
Pachuca (Mexico) v Comunicaciones or Jalapa (Guatemala)
New York Red Bulls (USA) v W Connection (Trinidad & Tobago)
Olimpia (Honduras) v Arabe Unido or Chorrillo (Panama)
Cruz Azul (Mexico) v CS Herediano (Costa Rica)
DC United (USA) v Chalatenango (El Salvador)
Liberia (Costa Rica) v Real Espana (Honduras)
Vancouver Whitecaps or Toronto FC (Canada) v Puerto Rico Islanders (Carribbean)

dN

Those 8 winners will join the 8 seeded teams in 4 groups of 4. They will play a round robin home and away schedule to determine the top two in each group who will mover on to the Quarterfinals. Here are the groups:
Group A
Houston Dynamo (USA)
Isidro Metapan (El Salvador)
Winner of Pachuca v Comunicaciones or Jalapa
Winner of Olimpia v Arabe Unido or Chorrillo
Group B
Toluca (Mexico)
Marathon (Honduras)
Winner of DC United v Chalatenango
Winner of San Juan Jabloteh v Arabe Unido or San Francisco FC
Group C
Columbus Crew (USA)
Saprissa (Costa Rica)
Winner of Cruz Azul v CS Herediano
Winner of Toronto FC or Vancouver Whitecaps v Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR)
Group D
UNAM Pumas (Mexico)
Winner of Comunicaciones v Municipal
Winner of New York Red Bulls v W Connection
Winner of Liberia v Real Espana

MEXICO

Luis Bueno of Sports Illustrated reports that Mexico has no more do-over's left on their World Cup qualifying dance card.

CANADA

The Toronto Globe & Mail with an article on NBA star Steve Nash and his love of the beautiful game.

SOUTH AMERICA

After another disappointing performance you would have to think that Diego Maradona's days as head coach of Argentina are all but over.

WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA 2010

Andrew Hush of ESPN Soccernet gives us a preview one year to the day ahead of the start of next summers big tournament.

WORLD CUP QUALIFYING

CONCACAF
Matches & Scores
-Wed Jun 10
Honduras 1-0 El Salvador - Hon goal by Carlos Pavon.
Mexico 2-1 Trinidad and Tobago - Mex goals by Guillermo Franco & Oscar Rojas. T&T goal by Hayden Tinto.

Standings (after 5 of 10 rounds):
12 Costa Rica
10 USA
7 Honduras
- - PLAYOFF - -
5 Mexico
- - OUT - -
5 El Salvador
2 Trinidad & Tobago

dN

CONMEBOL
-Wed Jun 10
Ecuador 2-0 Argentina
Colombia 1-0 Peru
Venezuela 2-2 Uruguay
Chile 4-0 Bolivia
Brazil 2-1 Paraguay

Standings (after 14 of 18 rounds):
27 Brazil
26 Chile
24 Paraguay
22 Argentina
- - PLAYOFF - -
20 Ecuador
- - OUT -
18 Uruguay
17 Colombia
17 Venezuela
12 Bolivia
7 Peru

dN

Group standings for all regions.

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES

Matches & Scores:
-Wed Jun 10
Italy 4-3 New Zealand
Albania 1-1 Georgia
Belarus 2-2 Moldova
Estonia 0-0 Portugal

ENDERS

Last weekends WPS game between Sky Blue FC and Saint Louis Athletica promoted the fight against breast cancer. The teams played with a very cool looking Pink ball, and special uniforms. Here is a great picture of Lori Chalupny from SLA all decked out for the event.

dN

4 Comments:

Anonymous Frank said...

Does anybody actually care about the All-Stars Game? What a waste of time!

7:42 AM  
Blogger brucio said...

yer right on about the all star game frank

but the league uses it so much as a marketing tool that as a fervent follower i feel i have to care somewhat or at least pay attention

or maybe i just never mention it again, who knows

8:29 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bummer of a draw for the CCL. I was really hoping 2 USL teams would make the group stage again.

smatthew

9:43 AM  
Anonymous Nicole said...

Ann Killion is a tool, to put it nicely. Sorry, but I won't read anything that woman writes. She has a stick up her butt and never, and I mean never, has anything good to say about soccer - ever since the Earthquakes were uprooted to Houston. She has serious "issues" towards soccer in America; she pretends to be a "fan," but she's had her panties in a wad for quite a while...it started when Donovan went to the Galxy. She is close-minded and snarky. She might as well move on to baseball.

4:43 PM  

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