Some News for Fri Aug 26, 2011

STARTERS

The NSC Minnesota Stars game on Saturday night v Montreal will be a night for Breast Cancer Awareness. The Stars will be sporting hot pink uniforms to show their solidarity. Game time is 7pm sharp. See you in Blaine.
-IMSoccer News got pictures of the uniforms for us to preview:













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UPDATED: MLS has POSTPONED 3 East Coast games this weekend to avoid any danger from Hurricane Irene:
-Saturday
DC v Portland
-Sunday
New York v LA
Philadelphia v New England

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Just like what happened last week in Spain, the players in the Italian Serie A have declared a strike and will not play their first round matches this weekend. The disagreement is over a collective bargaining agreement. Twice last year the players threatened strike but agreed to play after owners agreed to discuss the matter. That bluff by the owners did not work this time.

TEAM USA - EL EQUIPO DE TODOS

The team has two upcoming friendlies. Expect players to begin arriving in Southtern California after their club games end this weekend.

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US Soccer asks head coach Jurgen Klinsmann why he did not select Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark and Jermaine Jones for this roster.

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Kyle Beckerman will not join the USA team for the Costa Rica game as his club Real Salt Lake has an important game that weekend, but he will be on the roster for the game in Belgium.

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Soccer America posts the rosters for both Costa Rica and Belgium.

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Matches & Scores:
-Fri Sep 2
USA v Costa Rica - 10:00pm CT on ESPN2, ESPN3.com and Galavision
Venue: The Home Depot Center - Carson CA
-Tue Sep 6
Belgium v USA - 1:30pm CT on ESPN and ESPN3.com
Venue: King Baudouin Stadium - Brussels

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ROSTER
G:
Bill Hamid - DC United
Tim Howard - Everton
D:
Carlos Bocanegra - Rangers
Edgar Castillo - America
Timmy Chandler - Nurnberg
Steve Cherundolo - Hannover
Clarence Goodson - Brondby
Zach Loyd - Dallas
Michael Orozco Fiscal - San Luis
Heath Pearce - Chivas USA
Tim Ream - New York Red Bulls
M:
Kyle Beckerman - Real Salt Lake
Clint Dempsey - Fulham
Maurice Edu - Rangers
Fabian Johnson - Hoffenheim
Sacha Kljestan - Anderlecht
Jeff Larentowicz - Colorado Rapids
Robbie Rogers - Columbus Crew
Brek Shea - Dallas
Jose Torres - Pachuca
F:
Juan Agudelo - New York Red Bulls
Jozy Altidore - AZ
Teal Bunbury - Sporting Kansas City
Landon Donovan - Los Angeles Galaxy

STORY OF THE DAY

Mike Woitalla of Soccer America does a Q & A with Brad Rothenberg one of the top scouts of Latino talent in the USA at Alianza de Futbol.
-They have sent 20 American players to Mexican clubs in the last few years alone.

WHAT???

He is getting paid the league MINIMUM!!!

Joshua Mayers of the Seattle Times on the Sounders inspired offseason move signing of midfielder Mauro Rosales.
-The team and his agent Dario Sala are negotiating a new contract right now.

2011-12 CONCACACHAMPIONS

LA rolled to another win at home, without playing the most convincing game. They had a lost of position and scored two very good goals, but they certainly did not blow out Alajuelense by any means.

UNAM Pumas continued their failed experiment with a team full of young reserve players are they were held to a scoreless draw by Tauro of Panama.

But Morelia showed why they will be a challenger to win their group with a convincing win after a first game loss.

CONCACAF gives us video highlights from all the games.

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Group Stage - Round robin, home & away - matches played Aug 16 to Oct 20

Matchday 2

Matches & Scores:
-Tue Aug 23
Monterrey v Seattle Sounders - SS goal by Alvaro Frenandez.
Real Espana v Colorado Rapids - Esp goal by Julio Rodriguez. CR goal by Jeff Larentowicz.
-Wed Aug 24
Metapan 2-0 Santos Laguna - Met goals by Paolo Suarez & Cristian Bautista.
Comunicaciones 2-0 Herediano - Com goals by Marvin Ceballos & Bryan Ordonez.
-Thu Aug 25
Toronto 0-1 Dallas - Dal goal by Jack Stewart
LA Galaxy 2-0 Alajuelense - LAG goals by Omar Gonzalez & Chad Barrett.
Tauro 0-0 Pumas
Morelia 4-0 Motagua - Mor goals by Rafael Marquez Lugo, Joao Rojas, Diego Jimenez & Edgar Lugo.

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Matchday 3 begins on Tue Sep 13.

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Standings:

GROUP A
6 LA Galaxy (USA) (+4)
3 Monarchas Morelia (Mexico) (+3)
3 Alajuelense (Costa Rica) (-1)
0 Motagua (Honduras) (-6)
GROUP B
4 Colorado Rapids (USA) (+1)
3 Isidro Metapan (El Salvador) (+1)
3 Santos Laguna (Mexico) (-1)
1 Real Espana (Honduras) (-1)
GROUP C
6 Dallas (USA) (+2)
3 Toronto (Canada) (0)
1 Tauro (Panama) (-1)
1 UNAM Pumas (Mexico) (-1)
GROUP D
6 Seattle Sounders (USA) (+4)
3 Monterrey (Mexico) (+4)
3 Comunicaciones (Guatemala) (-1)
0 Herediano (Costa Rica) (-7)

BIG EUROPEAN CLUB MATCHES

A full preview of the weekend matches in the Barclay's English Premier League.

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Matches & Scores:
-Sat Aug 27
Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Dortmund
Lyon v Montpellier
-Sun Aug 28
Tottenham v v Manchester City
Manchester United v Arsenal
Lille v Marseille
-Mon Aug 29
Barcelona v Villarreal

FACT OF THE DAY

Samuel Eto'o who left Inter of Italy this week to become the world's highest paid player at Anzhi in Russia scored 53 goals in 101 games for the best team in Milan.
-Jonathan Wilson of the Guardian looks at Eto'o and his odd new club.

THIS IS WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT

Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America does a Q & A with Jimmy Conrad about his abrupt retirement, his career and the future.

MLS MATCHES, SCORES & STANDINGS

WEEK 24

Matches & Scores:
-Wed Aug 24
Portland Timbers 1-0 CD Chivas USA - PT goal by Eric Brunner.
Venue: JELD-WEN Field
Atten: 18,627
-Sat Aug 27
POSTPONED DC United v Portland Timbers
Venue: RFK Stadium
Seattle Sounders FC v Columbus Crew - 3:00PM CT on Direct Kick
Venue: CenturyLink Field
Vancouver Whitecaps FC v Houston Dynamo - 6:00PM CT on Direct Kick
Venue: Empire Field
Toronto FC v San Jose Earthquakes - 6:00PM CT on Direct Kick
Venue: BMO Field
Sporting Kansas City v FC Dallas - 7:30PM CT on Direct Kick
Venue: LIVESTRONG Sporting Park
Chicago Fire SC v Colorado Rapids - 7:30PM CT on Direct Kick
Venue: Toyota Park
CD Chivas USA v Real Salt Lake - 9:30PM CT on FOX Soccer
Venue: The Home Depot Center
-Sun Aug 28
POSTPONED New York Red Bulls v LA Galaxy
Venue: Red Bull Arena
POSTPONED Philadelphia Union v New England Revolution
Venue: PPL Park

IF THE MLS PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY

The 10 teams:

WEST
1 LA Galaxy
2 Seattle Sounders
3 FC Dallas

EAST
1 Columbus Crew
2 Sporting Kansas City
3 Houston Dynamo

WILD CARD
1 Colorado Rapids
2 Real Salt Lake
3 Philadelphia Union
4 New York Red Bulls

MLS TEAM & PLAYER NEWS

General News

After Chivas, Houston and Toronto had passed on acquiring new MLS signing Sammy Ochoa, Seattle made a move to trade spots with Chicago to snap up the forward. The Fire got a future draft pick.
-USA youth national team player Ochoa signed with the league earlier this week from Estudiantes Tecos in Mexico.

CD CHIVAS USA

Chivas still sits at the top of the league's allocation list after passing on Ochoa today. They passed on Benny Feilhaber and Freddy Adu already this season. What do you think they are waiting for?

COLORADO RAPIDS

John Meyer of the Denver Post looks at the team playing mostly reserves in the Champions League, and the great performance from goalkeeper Steward Ceus.

COLUMBUS CREW

Brian Straus of Sporting News looks at how the Crew has been rebuilt without completely bottoming out. And they did it by mainly signing no-name players.

HOUSTON DYNAMO

Opta stats at MLSsoccer.com breaks down the brilliant season Brad Davis is currently having.
-That Davis hasn't gotten a call from Jurgen Klinsmann is surprising to me.

PHILADELPHIA UNION

Kerith Gabriel of the Daily News looks at the strengths & weaknesses of the Unions relatively young squad.

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Marc Narducci of the Inquirer tell us what it will take for the Union to claim a playoff spot in their 2nd season.

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC

Iain Macintyre of the Sun talks to team captain Jay DeMerit about the long win-anemic and injury plagued first season in MLS for him and the Whitecaps. But JD is still on board with the clubs bigger mission.

MLS RESERVE LEAGUE

Matches & Scores:
-Sun Aug 28
Chicago Fire SC v Colorado Rapids
Sporting Kansas City v FC Dallas
Philadelphia Union v New England Revolution

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Standings Etc.

NASL SCOREBOARD

Matches & Scores:
-Sat Aug 27
Fort Lauderdale Strikers v FC Tampa Bay
Atlanta Silverbacks v Carolina RailHawks
Puerto Rico Islanders v FC Edmonton
NSC Minnesota Stars v Montreal Impact

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Standings (as of Wed Aug 17):
*48 Carolina RailHawks (+24 GD) (22 GP)
*41 Puerto Rico Islanders (+8 GD) (22 GP)
31 FC Tampa Bay (+3 GD) (22 GP)
29 NSC Minnesota Stars (0 GD) (22 GP)
29 FC Edmonton (-4 GD) (22 GP)
28 Fort Lauderdale Strikers (0 GD) (22 GP)
- - - OUT OF PLAYOFFS - - -
22 Montreal Impact (0 GD) (22 GP)
12 Atlanta Silverbacks (-31 GD) (22 GP)
*Secured playoff birth

AMERICANS IN EUROPE

Mark Young of ESPN looks at all the things Jozy Altidore can learn playing the Netherlands.
-Altidore's tally at AZ is 5 goals in 5 games. Great start!

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Alexi Lalas at the Mirror says George John can be successful at Blackburn.

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Forward Tristan Bowen has been loaned out to recently relegated KSV Roeselare of the Belgium's Second Division by his club Chivas USA.

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Mike Grella has left Leeds to signed with Brentford of English League One.

AMERICANS IN MEXICO

Tom Marshall of MLSsoccer.com talks to Marco Vidal about the reality of living in a society were violence on the streets has become a big part of ordinary life.

SPAIN

The strike by the Primera players has ended with a new collective bargaining agreement. So the season can begin with Round 2.
Matches & Scores:
-Sat Aug 27
Sporting Gijon v Real Sociedad
Valencia v Racing Santander
Granada v Real Betis
-Sun Aug 28
Atletico Madrid v Osasuna
Athletic Club Bilbao v Rayo Vallecano
Mallorca v Espanyol
Getafe v Levante
Real Zaragoza v Real Madrid
Sevilla v Malaga
-Mon Aug 29
Barcelona v Villarreal

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Sid Lowe of the Guardian looks at the big money invested in Malaga by a new owner from Qatar.

ITALY

Despite the players going on strike, Paolo Bandini of the Guardian filed this Serie A season preview.

SCOTLAND

Celtic may be back in the Europa League this season after the team that knocked them out Sion were found to have used ineligible players.

UEFA

Lionel Messi of Barcelona was name the Best Player in Europe by UEFA today.

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE

48 teams were drawn into 12 groups of 4 teams each today. See those groups here.

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8 American players are in the Group Stage, and none are in the same group as each other:
Jozy Altidore - AZ - Group G
Steve Cherundolo - Hannover - Group B
Clint Dempsey - Fulham - Group K
Brad Friedel - Tottenham - Group A
Sacha Kljestan - Anderlecht - Group L
Jermiane Jones - Schalke - Group J
Oguchi Onyewu - Sporting - Group D
Jonathan Spector - Birmingham - Group H

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Matchday 1 will be played on Thu Sep 15. Here are the matches & scores.

BRAZIL

Brazil - Serie A Standings (18 of 38 games played):
37 Corinthians - NEXT: Sun Aug 29 at Palmeiras
35 Flamengo - NEXT: Sun Aug 29 v Vasco da Gama
34 Sao Paulo (+7 GD) - NEXT: Sun Aug 29 at Santos
34 Vasco (+5 GD) - NEXT: Sun Aug 29 at Flamengo
31 Botafogo - NEXT: Sat Aug 28 at Fluminense

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES

Matches & Scores:
-Wed Aug 24
Guyana 2-1 India
-Thu Aug 25
United Arab Emirates 3-1 Qatar
-Sat Aug 27
Oman v Kuwait
Jordan v Indonesia
Angola v Congo DR
Papua New Guinea v Cook Islands
Solomon Islands v Guam
Fiji v Tahiti
New Caledonia v Vanuatu