Some Soccer News for Fri Nov 11, 2011

MLS CUP PLAYOFFS

Final
Match & Score:
-Sun Nov 20
LA Galaxy v Houston Dynamo - 8:00pm CT on ESPN
Venue: The Home Depot Center - Carson CA

dN

General Playoff News

I know I pick on Chad Barrett of LA a lot. Have done so for years. Its not personal. Its cuz I am lame and its easy. But in all truth the guy has to have a fair amount of soccer talent just to put himself in so many great chances to score goals. We all wish we had 5% of that talent. Now if he could just put a few more of them away. But you have to really feel bad for a guy that works this hard and week before the championship game he destroys his ankle is out. A real shame for him. Good luck Chad, heal up and we will see you next year.

LA GALAXY

Kevin Baxter of the Times on Omar Gonzalez.

Brian Straus of Sporting News with articles on Landon Donovan - AND - David Beckham.

TEAM USA - EL EQUIPO DE TODOS

dN

International Friendlies
Matches & Scores:
-Fri Nov 11
France v USA - 2pm CT on ESPN2
-Tue Nov 15
Slovenia v USA - 11am CT on ESPN2

dN

U23 Training Camp
Matches & Scores:
-Fri Nov 11
USA U23 3-1 Bochum Reserves - USA goals by Terrance Boyd, Tony Taylor & Dilly Duka.
Liveup: Sean Johnson; Sheanon Williams, Ethan White, Royal Dominique Fennell, Zarek Valentin; Joe Benny Corona, Amobi Okugo, Mixx Diskerud, Greg Garza; Terrance Boyd, Juan Agudelo
USA U23 v Azerbaijan U21
Liveup: Cody Cropper; Perry Kitchen, Will Packwood, John Anthony Brooks, Sean Cunningham; Caleb Stanko, Sebastian Lletget, Luis Gil; Jerome Kieswetter, Omar Salgado, Bobby Wood
Tue Nov 15
USA U23 v Leverkusen U23
USA U23 v Leverkusen U19

dN

USA Roster-
G:
Bill Hamid - DC United
Tim Howard - Everton
D:
Carlos Bocanegra - Rangers
Timmy Chandler - Nurnberg
Steve Cherundolo - Hannover
Clarence Goodson - Brondby
Alfredo Morales - Hertha
Michael Orozco Fiscal - San Luis
Oguchi Onyewu - Sporting CP
M:
Kyle Beckerman - Real Salt Lake
Michael Bradley - Chievo
Clint Dempsey - Fulham
Maurice Edu - Rangers
Fabian Johnson - Hoffenheim
Jermaine Jones - Schalke
Robbie Rogers - Columbus Crew
Brek Shea - Dallas
Danny Williams - Hoffenheim
F:
Jozy Altidore - AZ
DaMarcus Beasley - Puebla
Edson Buddle - Ingolstadt

dN

Special USA U20/23 Training Camp Roster-
G:
David Bingham - San Jose Earthquakes
Cody Cropper - Ipswich Town
Sean Johnson - Chicago Fire
Jon Kempin - Sporting Kansas City
D:
Gale Agbossoumonde - Eintracht Frankfurt
Anthony Brooks - Hertha Berlin
Sean Cunningham - Molde
Royal-Dominique Fennell - Stuttgart Kickers
Greg Garza - No club
Perry Kitchen - DC United
Will Packwood - Birmingham
Zarek Valentin - Chivas USA
Sheanon Williams - Philadelphia Union
Ethan White - DC United
M:
Joe Corona - Tijuana
Mixx Diskerud - Stabaek
Dilly Duka - Columbus Crew
Luis Gil - Real Salt Lake
Jared Jeffrey - Mainz
Sebastian Lletget - West Ham
Tyrone McCargo - Nurnberg
Amobi Okugo - Philadelphia Union
Charles Renken - Hoffenheim
Caleb Stanko - Freiburg
Jose Villarreal - LA Galaxy
F:
Juan Agudelo - New York Red Bulls
Terrence Boyd - Hertha Berlin
Conor Doyle - Derby County
Josh Gatt - Molde
Joe Gyau - Hoffenheim
Jerome Kiesewetter - Hertha Berlin
Jack McInerney - Philadelphia Union
Omar Salgado - Vancouver Whitecaps
Tony Taylor - Atletico CP
Bobby Wood - 1860 Munich
Andrew Wooten - Kaiserslautern

dN

France Roster-
G:
Cedric Carrasso - Bordeaux
Hugo Lloris - Lyon
Steve Mandanda - Marseille
D:
Eric Abidal - Barcelona
Mathieu Debuchy - Lille
Laurent Koscielny - Arsenal
Jeremy Mathieu - Valencia
Adil Rami - Valencia
Anthony Reveillere - Olympique Lyon
Mamadou Sakho - Paris Saint-Germain
M:
Yohan Cabaye - Newcastle
Alou Diarra - Marseille
Yann M'Vila - Rennes
Florent Malouda - Chelsea
Marvin Martin - Sochaux
Samir Nasri - Manchester City
F:
Karim Benzema - Real Madrid
Kevin Gameiro - Paris Saint-Germain
Olivier Giroud - Montpellier
Jeremy Menez - Paris Saint-Germain
Loic Remy - Marseille
Franck Ribery - Bayern Munich

YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING

Got word today on the LA Galaxy playing a friendly in Manilla, Phillipines in a couple of weeks. Things are not going well according to a loyal du Nord reader:

"Massive uproar about the price of tix for the Galaxy match here, with cheapest tickets selling for about $115 and the most expensive soaring to $325-350. This is a middle income country with a poverty rate of about 40%. The ticket pricing limits attendance to the top sliver of the population. Even expats on foreign contracts (thus with some disposable income to spend on recreation should they choose) are balking, with one citing much lower prices to see top tier European teams sometime back in a Dubai friendly. At least the match is being televised, and for those who do go, the facility is an intimate 13,000 seat stadium..."

The Manilla Bulletin has this complaint, and compares ticket prices to a recent visit by NBA stars.

STAT OF THE DAY

Good news on TV ratings numbers for the 2011 season of MLS:
-Fox Soccer - 70,000 average - up 26%
-ESPN/ESPN2 - 311,000 average - up 16%
-Telefutura/Galavision - 233,000 average - up 10%

MLS TEAM & PLAYER NEWS

HOUSTON DYNAMO

Ken Hoffman of the Chronicle with a feature story on Brian Ching, who plans on being the Dynamo starting 11 again next season.

Houston News does a Q & A with team president Chris Canetti.

SPORTING KANSAS CITY SC

Sporting Kansas City players and staff with a video Thank You the team's supporters.

Omar Gonzalez Bravo told Univision that he is wondering why he wasn't given more time on the field last Sunday to help KC beat Houston in the Semifinals. As much as he had enjoyed playing for KC that really bothers him and he will need to have some questions answered before he decides if he wants to return for next season or not.

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

LE Eisenmenger of the Examiner looks at the new changes made to team management and sees a big task ahead.

PHILADELPHIA UNION

Marc Narducci of the Inquirer with suggestions on how to improve the team for next season.

Kerith Gabriel of the Daily Mail has some end of season words from head coach Peter Nowak.

Tim Mastro of the News Journal looks at the rough ending to the Union's quality season.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS

Joshua Mayers of the Times does one last classic player Q & A with Kasey Keller.

MLS STADIUMS

Michael Lewis of Big Apple Soccer has the inside scoop on some possible stadium sites for another MLS team in New York.

MEXICO

Laguilla - Quarterfinals

Matches & Scores:
1st Leg
-Sat Nov 19
Queretaro v Guadalajara
Morelia v Cruz Azul
-Sun Nov 20
Pachuca v Tigres
Jaguares v Santos Laguna
2nd Leg
-Sat Nov 26
Guadalajara v Queretaro
Cruz Azul v Morelia
-Sun Nov 27
Tigres v Pachuca
Santos Laguna v Jaguares

CANADA

Canada needs just 1 point from their two final Group Stage qualifiers in order to move on to the next round.

GERMANY

Raphael Honigstein of Sports Illustrated with the best and worst so far this Bundesliga season.

UEFA EURO 2012 QUALIFYING

The final 4 places are now up for grabs. 8 teams were paired up and now face off home and away to claim the last places in the next summers big tournament.

You can watch all the games online at ESPN3.com

Matches & Scores:
1st Leg
-Fri Nov 11
Bosnia & Herzegovina v Portugal
Turkey v Croatia
Czech Republic v Montenegro
Estonia v Ireland
2nd Leg
-Tue Nov 15
Portugal v Bosnia & Herzegovina
Croatia v Turkey
Montenegro v Czech Republic
Ireland v Estonia

BRAZIL

Retuers with an article on the growing return to strength of the Brazilian Serie A league. More and more players are staying at home instead of heading to Europe as they money gets better. This can only help the nation team too.

Serie A Top 5 Standings (33 of 38 games played):
58 Corinthians (17 W) - NEXT: Sun Nov 13 v Atletico PR
58 Vasco da Gama (16 W) - NEXT: Sun Nov 13 v Botafogo
56 Fluminense - NEXT: Sat Nov 12 v America Mineiro
55 Botafogo (16 W) - NEXT: Sun Nov 13 at Vasco
55 Flamengo (14 W) - NEXT: Sun Nov 13 at Coritiba

ASIA 2014 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING

Matches & Scores:

Australia suffered a road loss today in Oman, while Japan & South Korea both got road wins. A loss by North Korea sees them knocked out of the 2014 World Cup. Their dream ride is over.

-Fri Nov 11
United Arab Emirates 0-2 S Korea
Iraq 1-0 China
Kuwait 0-1 Lebanon
Uzbekistan 1-0 N Korea
Oman 1-0 Australia
Tajikistan 0-4 Japan
Jordan v Singapore
Bahrain 1-1 Iran
Qatar v Indonesia
Saudi Arabia v Thailand
-Tue Nov 15
Lebanon v S Korea
N Korea v Japan
Kuwait v United Arab Emirates
Jordan v Iraq
Uzbekistan v Tajikistan
Thailand v Australia
Indonesia v Iran
Qatar v Bahrain
Singapore v China
Saudi Arabia v Oman

AFRICA 2014 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING

1st Round matches are Home & Away total goal series'.

Liberia has already advanced due to the disqualification of Mauritius.

Matches & Scores:
1st Leg
-Fri Nov 11
Eritrea 1-1 Rwanda
Chad 1-2 Tanzania
Seychelles 0-3 Kenya
Swaziland 1-3 Congo DR
Sao Tome e Principe 0-5 Congo
Djibouti 0-4 Namibia
Comoros 0-1 Mozambique
Lesotho v Burundi
Equatorial Guinea v Madagascar
Guinea-Bissau v Togo
-Sat Nov 12
Somalia v Ethiopia
-Sat Nov 12
Somalia v Ethiopia
-Tue Nov 15
Madagascar v Equatorial Guinea
Congo v Sao Tome e Principe
Burundi v Lesotho
Rwanda v Eritrea
Togo v Guinea-Bissau
Congo DR v Swaziland
Tanzania v Chad
Kenya v Seychelles
Mozambique v Comoros
Namibia v Djibouti
-Wed Nov 16
Ethiopia v Somalia

CONCACAF 2014 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING

SECOND ROUND

The last two vital rounds are coming up this week and next. Who will advance? 4 spots left to fill.

Matchday 5

-Fri Nov 11
Suriname v El Salvador
Dominican Republic v Cayman Islands
Guyana v Trinidad & Tobago
Bermuda v Barbados
Dominica v Panama
Bahamas v Nicaragua
St Kitts & Nevis v Canada
St Lucia v Puerto Rico
Guatemala v Grenada
Belize v St Vincent & the Grenadines
Antigua & Barbuda v Haiti
US Virgin Islands v Curacao

Matchday 6

-Mon Nov 14
Cayman Islands v Dominican Republic

-Tue Nov 15
El Salvador v Suriname
Trinidad & Tobago v Guyana
Barbados v Bermuda
Panama v Dominica
Nicaragua v Bahamas
Canada v St Kitts & Nevis
Puerto Rico v St Lucia
Grenada v Guatemala
St Vincent & the Grenadines v Belize
Haiti v Antigua & Barbuda
Curacao v US Virgin Islands

Standings:

Group A
12 El Salvador
7 Suriname
7 Dominican Republic
0 Cayman Islands

Group B
10 Guyana
9 Trinidad & Tobago
4 Bermuda
0 Barbados

Group C
ADV-9 Panama
3 Nicaragua
0 Dominica

Group D
10 Canada
6 St Kitts & Nevis
3 Puerto Rico
1 St Lucia

Group E
ADV-12 Guatemala
4 Grenada
4 St Vincent & the Grenadines
3 Belize

Group F
12 Antigua & Barbuda
10 Haiti
1 Curacao
0 US Virgin Islands

dN

Beginning Next Summer:

THIRD ROUND

Group A
USA
Jamaica
Guatemala
2nd Rd Group F winner

Group B
Mexico
Costa Rica
2nd Rd Group A winner
2nd Rd Group B winner

Group C
Honduras
Cuba
2nd Rd Group D winner
Panama

Group Standings
-The 6 group winners advance to the next round.

CONMEBOL 2014 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING

Kun Aguero has suffered a groin muscle injury in training with Argentina ahead of their 2 World Cup Qualifying games - today v Bolivia and next Tuesday at Colombia. Huge loss.

Matches & Scores:
-Fri Nov 11
Argentina v Bolivia
Colombia v Venezuela
Uruguay v Chile
Paraguay v Ecuador
-Tue Nov 15
Ecuador v Peru
Colombia v Argentina
Venezuela v Bolivia
Chile v Paraguay

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES

Matches & Scores:
-Fri Nov 11
Ukraine v Germany
Poland v Italy
Mexico v Serbia
Netherlands v Switzerland
France v USA
Panama v Costa Rica
Denmark v Sweden
Georgia 2-0 Moldova
Greece v Russia
Hungary v Liechtenstein
Burkina Faso v Mali
Guinea v Senegal
Cameroon v Sudan
Albania v Azerbaijan
Belarus v Niger
Cyprus v Scotland
Morocco v Uganda
Belgium v Romania
-Sat Nov 12
England v Spain
Algeria v Tunisia
South Africa v Cote d'Ivoire
Nigeria v Botswana
Ghana v Sierra Leone
Wales v Norway
-Sun Nov 13
India v Malaysia
Morocco v Cameroon
Sudan v Uganda
-Mon Nov 14
Brazil v Egypt
Honduras v Serbia
-Tue Nov 15
Costa Rica v Spain
Germany v Netherlands
Italy v Uruguay
France v Belgium
England v Sweden
Slovenia v USA
Algeria v Cameroon
Macedonia v Albania
Poland v Hungary
Ukraine v Austria
Denmark v Finland
Nigeria v Zambia
Zimbabwe v South Africa
Senegal v Cote d'Ivoire
Ghana v Gabon
Guinea v Burkina Faso
Belarus v Libya
Luxembourg v Switzerland
Greece v Romania
-Tue Nov 16
India v Malaysia