Some Soccer News for Feb 29, 2016

It's Day 60 of 2016.


US Soccer unveiled a new crest today:

The new crest! #OneNationOneTeam pic.twitter.com/IyslX8KWZd

— Mix Diskerud (@MixDiskerud) February 29, 2016

Behind the new badge and the launch of its release. By the New York Times.

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Minnesota United competed in the Portland Timbers Simple Invitational last week. And I made the trip out to see all 3 games:

• Games: Portland Timbers, Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps were the opponents, and it did not go well. 4-0, 4-0, and 3-1 were the scores.

• Players - Good: Justin Davis looked like a Best 11 player that will continue to dominate. Lance Lang had moments of power and high quality. Sammy Ndjock made several big players and no glaring mistakes despite giving up 7 goals. Greg Jordan picked up right where he left off and I think we can expect even more. Juliano Vicentini and Bernardo Anor displayed excellent touch on the ball.

• Players - Bad: Kevin Venegas could be alone on this list and it would feel finished - two red cards in 2 games - what the fuck is going on in that head? Tiago Calvano also got a terrible red card. (The team only had 1 all last season.) Christian Ramirez barely contributed but it was not really his fault as he got no service in the box at all - I mean NONE. Aaron Pitchkolan is slower then last season.

• Players - Try outs: Centerback Damion Lowe (Seattle Sounders) looked good and has obvious skills but made some huge errors too. Boyd Okwuonu (Real Salt Lake) did not show anything that would make me take a look for even 1 minute longer. Ismaila Jome (UCSB) a forward from Minneapolis needs to put on some serious muscle and gain some urgency/aggression - when you come on as a sub you gotta kill it. Chris Ritter (Chicago Fire) played both centerback and fullback and didn't look bad doing it - solid. Tony Walls (Rochester Rhinos) saw the field a fair amount but bored me to tears - no going forward with the ball at all, just backwards and sideways over and over. Anthony Wallace (New York Red Bulls) was fine, playing left fullback where the team needs depth, but nothing screamed "sign this guy now!"

• Injuries: In the 1st game against Portland Ibson made a turn and pass at midfield then went down holding his left leg - non contact injuries are always scary. No word from the team on severity, but he did sit out practice and the other 2 games. At the Vancouver game I saw him limping around. Stefano Pinho did not take part in any games or practices due to a foot injury that occurred before the team went West.

• Coaching: The coaches watched games and practice from multiple spots around the stadium. Very little of the sideline action you would expect to see and hear during a regular match. The guy who warms up players during games had the most action. By the way that guy had the initials EW on his jacket. Ew.

• Fans: Lots of different Minnesota fans were spotted at all 3 games. Obviously the midweek game had the smallest contingent. But the 3rd game had the largest. I met a lot of great fellow fans during the trip. Excellent to see. I wish the event organizers had figured out a way to put us all together in the stadium for the matches, that was the only downfall.

• Overall: I am glad I went. A week off work. Great weather. Shopped at the best bookstore I have ever been to (and hadn't been to in 20 years) - Powell's. Did some high quality record shopping. Got up to Seattle for a day. Spent excellent time with a lot of old friends and acquaintances - that makes any trip worthwhile. Watched the team play and train up close. Got an idea of what we might expect this season. Confirmed in my mind that the team has a lot of preseason prep ahead. My first trip to Providence Park was a success even though our team lost 11-1 on aggregate.

I have heard rumor of a Minn United preseason trip to Mexico coming up, but there are no details at all floating around.

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How is Christian Pulisic progressing at Dortmund? He joined the first team during the winter break and has made several appearances since then. By Jeff Carlisle of ESPNFC.

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Scotsman Owen Coyle is the Houston Dynamo head coach. He talks about what a unique job it is, in comparison to his coaching days in England. By Tom Dart of the Guardian.

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Andrea Pirlo roams the streets of New York City looking fabulous but undisturbed. By Jeff Oloizia of the New York Times. One thing about this article though - Its been years since I have heard of any MLS player having a second job.

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Atletico Madrid landed a hard overhead right to the jaw of city rivals Real Madrid and all but knocked the superstars out of the 2016 race for the Spanish title. By Sid Lowe of the Guardian.

Current La Liga Standings:
66 Barcelona
58 Atletico Madrid
54 Real Madrid
52 Villarreal

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The USA has produced its first Lionel Messi. And his name is Stephen Curry. The Daily Mail in England is jumping on the "Steph Curry is un-frickin-believable" bandwagon.
-Yeah, there is this from just the other night!

Steph Curry's game-winner, as called in Spanish by @RobAbramowitz & on Russian TV: https://t.co/Putyh7EtX9 pic.twitter.com/OT1waDlFJo

— Deadspin (@Deadspin) February 28, 2016

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In an upset Gianni Infantino of Switzerland was elected the new president of FIFA. Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa of Bahrain had been the favorite.

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And the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup is expected to be defined and get underway shortly. By Brian Homewood of Reuters.

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MLS season 21 kicks off in just 6 days with all 20 teams playing on Sunday.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Feb 19, 2016

It's Day 50 of 2016.


CONCACAF Women's Olympic qualifying:
-Fri Feb 19
USA v Trinidad + Tobago - 7:30pm CT on NBCSN
-Winner goes to the tournament next summer.

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The Copa America Centenario group stage draw will happen on Sun Feb 21 at 6:30pm CT on FS2.

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Minnesota United preseason matches begin Sunday - Simple Invitational:
-See all 3 MNUFC games right here.
-Sun Feb 21
Portland v Minnesota - 7:00pm CT
-Wed Feb 24
Minnesota v Chicago - 7:00pm CT
-Sat Feb 27
Minnesota v Vancouver - 4:30pm CT

• Also at the Simple Invitational:

Breaking: MLS to Experiment w/Instant Replay this weekend at Portlands Simple Invitational: https://t.co/FxAmcRwj07 pic.twitter.com/OxC0NY2Lwn

— Northern Pitch (@northernpitch) February 19, 2016

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Minnesota United has released forward Pablo Campos. As they signed more and more attacking players it appeared to be the end for Campos in Minnesota after 3 years.

• Campos has signed with new NASL team Miami FC.

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MNUFC has been in Portland for a few days now, training at Harry A. Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex on the campus of the University of Portland.

• Here's video from Portland Day 1 training.

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The latest update on MNUFC stadium plans in St Paul. By Peter Callaghan of MinnPost.

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A look at the new foreign coaches in MLS for 2016. By Doug McIntyre of ESPNFC.

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Seattle Sounders have sold Obafemi Martins to Shanghai Shenhua of the Chinese Super League.

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Christine Baskets is the best new TV show characters in years!

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Has anyone out there seen the Coen brothers movie Hail Caesar? I need to get to the movie theater.

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CONCACAF Champions League - Quarterfinals:
1st Leg
-Tue Feb 23
Seattle Sounders v America
Querataro v DC United
-Wed Feb 24
Tigres UANL v Real Salt Lake
LA Galaxy v Santos Laguna

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CONCACAF is being told by a major sponsor to get its act together. By Tariq Panja of Bloomberg.

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Tottenham has the best defense in the Premier League. How did they do it? by Jonathan Wilson of the Guardian.

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UEFA Champions League - Round of 16:
1st Leg
-Tue Feb 23
Arsenal Football Club v Futbol Club Barcelona
Juventus Football Club v Fussball-Club Bayern Munchen
-Wed Feb 24
Philips Sport Vereniging Eindhoven v Club Atletico de Madrid
Football Club Dynamo Kyiv v Manchester City Football Club



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Feb 18, 2016

It's Day 49 of 2016.


Women's Olympic qualifying:
-Fri Feb 19
USA v Trinidad + Tobago - 7:30pm CT on NBCSN

• Winner goes to the tournament next summer.

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Here is a primer on 4 unknown players new to MLS this season who could do some damage (plus 1 other player that we are already familiar with who probably has new motivation.) By Kristan Heneage of Yahoo.

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Business leaders in St Louis have joined forces to make a big push for MLS. By David Hunn of the St Louis Dispatch.

• A Dispatch columnist is impressed with the group. By Ben Fredrickson.

• One of the highlights of this initial project is that USL team St Louis FC is included from the start. Unlike Atlanta where the Silverbacks were never even considered.

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If you didn't already know this... Toronto Argonauts (Canadian Football League) will be playing their home games at Toronto FC's BMO Field starting this summer. Oh boy. Faint lines and ripped up turf here we come. (I know they said it won't affect the playing surface, but lets be serious.)

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FCs, SCs, Uniteds and other names in MLS - a brief examination. By Drew Epperley of Big D Soccer.

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Will Ferrell tells Jimmy Fallon about his ownership stake in LAFC. Video from the Tonight Show. Thanks to Phil for the heads up. And go Cleveland Steamers!

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USL has formed an alliance with Alianza de Futbol - develops amateur Hispanic soccer players in the US - to train, scout, recruit and sign the top players represented by Alianza. Interesting. Thanks to Charles Boehm for the link.

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Rayo Vallecano gets its hooks in the American soccer frontier with Rayo OKC. By Jack Williams of the Guardian.

• I just want to know what Kasey Keller thinks about this project. He played for RV 1999-2001.

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I am sure many of you will not care about this, but its a helluva read: Mike Love of the Beach Boys is still rockin n rollin down the road, and still an insufferable prick. Why is that? By Erik Hedegaard of Rolling Stone.

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PBS documentary on the Black Panther Party. Controversial 60's revolutionaries. Be curious to see what we learn. Watch it online now.

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UEFA Champions League - Round of 16:
1st Leg
-Wed Feb 17
Associazione Sportiva Roma 0-2 Real Madrid Club de Futbol - RM goals by Crinstiano Ronaldo + Jese.
Koninklijke Atletiek Associatie Gent 2-3 Verein fur Leibesübungen Wolfsburg - Gent goals by Sven Kums + Kalifa Coulibaly. Wolf goals by Julian Draxler(2) + Max Kruse.
-A recap of Wednesday's Real Madrid win at Roma. By Rob Hughes of the New York Times.
-A recap of Wednesday's Wolfsburg win at Gent. From Deustsche Welle.

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The NWSL 2016 schedule has been released.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Feb 17, 2016

It's Day 48 of 2016.


When will Minnesota United enter MLS?
Where will they play until the new stadium is completed?
What will the team name even be?
Unnamed sources have answers to those questions, and you might not like some of them. By Brian Straus of Sports Illustrated.

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USWNT will play Trinidad + Tobago with a spot in the Olympics on the line. The game is Friday night at 7:30pm CT in Houston, and can be seen on NBCSN.

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Outstanding goalkeeper David Ousted has signed a contract extension with Vancouver Whitecaps.

• Vancouver is on a mission to secure their defense. By Russell Berrisford of the Vancouver Sun.

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The Detroit soccer loving public has raised money to help renovate Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, the home of NPSL team Detroit City. Thanks to Midfield Press for the heads up.

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Miguel Ibarra had another great game for Leon in Copa MX on Tuesday night, with a goal (perfect timing) and an assist (fast and clever.) They tied Mineros 2-2. What is it gonna take to get this guy on the field in Liga play?

• Video highlights right here.

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High-priority: du Nord Music Mix Vol 72 (download + extract)

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UEFA Champions League - Round of 16:
1st Leg
-Tue Feb 16
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club 2-1 Chelsea Football Club - PSG goals by Zlatan + Edinson Cavani. Chel goal by Jon Obi Mikel.
Sport Lisboa e Benfina 1-0 Football Club Zenit Saint Petersburg - Ben goal by Jonas.
-Wed Feb 17
Associazione Sportiva Roma v Real Madrid Club de Futbol - 1:45pm CT on FS1
Koninklijke Atletiek Associatie Gent v Verein fur Leibesübungen Wolfsburg - 1:45pm CT on FS2

• A recap of Tuesday's PSG v Chelsea UCL match. by Sam Borden of the NY Times.

• A recap of Tuesday's Benfica v Zenti UCL match. By Reuters via the Guardian.

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Franz Beckenbauer is now being accused of refusing to cooperate with investigators who are looking into allegations of bribery in the 2006 Germany World Cup bid process. By Reuters.

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Is the addition of video replay the foregone future of the pro game? By Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Feb 16, 2016

It's Day 47 of 2016.


USWNT finished the Group Stage of CONCACAF Olympic qualifying with a 10-0 win over Puerto Rico, and Crystal Dunn scored FIVE GOALS!!!

• Video highlights

• Next they take on the runner up from Group B (Canada, Guyana, or T+T) with a berth in the Olympics on the line. That game is Fri Feb 19 at 7:30pm CT on NBCSN.

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A deep-dig of a story on how (the non-redacted parts anyway) the FBI has gone after FIFA. By Shaun Assael and Brett Forrest of ESPN.

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Stand As One

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Montreal Impact has signed important centerback Laurent Ciman to a contract extension through 2018. Great move.

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Dallas and Vancouver swapped players: Blas Perez for Mauro Rosales. Vancouver got the better of that deal.

• FCD starts the season with just Tesho Akindele and Maxi Urruti (formerly of Portland) at forward. Oof.

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The first embers of a new NASL team in Chicago have been lit.

• Peter Wilt is leading a whole new charge for soccer in Chicago. By Ryan Tolmich of SBI.

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Which players are on the upswing for the USMNT and who's at bottom scrambling to regain some traction. By Doug McIntyre of ESPNFC.

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A couple of juicy bites of news/whispers - including Miami + Beckham. By Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated.

• Why would David Beckham want more investors for his Miami team? By Kyle McCarthy of Fox.

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Mental illness is everywhere and we should be attacking it vigorously. The story of a Sunderland goalkeeper. By Luke Edwards of the Telegraph. Thanks to BQ for the link.

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UEFA Champions League - Round of 16:
1st Leg
-Tue Feb 16
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club v Chelsea Football Club - 1:45pm CT on FS1
Sport Lisboa e Benfina v Football Club Zenit Saint Petersburg - 1:45pm CT on FS2
-Wed Feb 17
Associazione Sportiva Roma v Real Madrid Club de Futbol - 1:45pm CT on FS1
Koninklijke Atletiek Associatie Gent v Verein fur Leibesübungen Wolfsburg - 1:45pm CT on FS2

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What led to the return to the top of Serie A for Juventus? By Paolo Bandini of the Guardian.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Feb 15, 2016

It's Day 46 of 2016.


Jermaine Jones is stuck in MLS limbo. New England somehow retains his rights in the league even though his contract ended. Jones has no leverage so he posted this on Instagram, then took it down. Luckily Total MLS snagged it.

uhhh, Jermaine wyd? pic.twitter.com/lz8D3TZMRI

— Total MLS (@TotalMLS) February 12, 2016

To which this addition was made by Seth Vertelney.

Jermaine Jones 2015, CONTINUED: Hernia surgeries: 2 Games missed: 16 Referee assaults: 1 Games suspended: 6

— Seth Vertelney (@svertelney) February 12, 2016

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Twin Cities own Eric Miller has been sold by Montreal Impact to Colorado Rapids.

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Odd - Chicago Fire has sent fan favorite and Homegrown signing Harry Shipp was sold to Montreal. He was one of their few productive players the past couple of years.

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Is he or isn't he? Obafemi Martins of Seattle Sounders is rumored to be headed to China. No word yet.

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Could a Doomsday Device be used on CONCACAF? The regional federation is being warned that it could happen if they are not careful in their next steps. By Simon Evans of Reuters.

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Results of three big games last weekend:
-Sat Feb 13
Juventus 1-0 Napoli - And with that Juve jumps over Napoli into first place where they will just pull away from the field over the last 13 games. League over.
-Sun Feb 14
Arsenal 2-1 Leicester - even with the win Ars is still #3 (2 pts back) and Lei is still #1 (2 pts ahead)
Man City 1-2 Tottenham - remains #4 (6 pts back) and remains #2 (2 pts back)

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Premier League: 10 talking points from this weekend’s action. From the Guardian.

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PSG has not lost any of their 26 league games this season and have a 24 pt lead at the top. Kick them out of Ligue 1 and it would be a good title chase between 3 or 4 teams.

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Fab Johnson got another goal for Monchengladbach but they lost 2-3 at Hamburg. Gladbach has fallen all the way to 7th place now under their 2nd head coach of the season.

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Bobby Wood keeps putting the ball in the net too. His 8th of the season in a 3-0 v 1860 Munchen.

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Tim Howard has now joined Brad Guzan in losing his starting job for his club team.

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Its really fun hearing Ray Hudson flip out over a trick Penalty Kick by Barcelona!

Because you think scoring a "normal" penalty would be to undeserving for the MSN. #LaLiga #FCBCelta https://t.co/KQNoDppMGV

— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) February 14, 2016

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UEFA Champions League - Round of 16:
1st Leg
-Tue Feb 16
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club v Chelsea Football Club - 1:45pm CT on FS1
Sport Lisboa e Benfina v Football Club Zenit Saint Petersburg - 1:45pm CT on FS2
-Wed Feb 17
Associazione Sportiva Roma v Real Madrid Club de Futbol - 1:45pm CT on FS1
Koninklijke Atletiek Associatie Gent v Verein fur Leibesübungen Wolfsburg - 1:45pm CT on FS2



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Feb 12, 2016

It's Day 43 of 2016.


4 MLS teams are headed to the CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals to face 4 Liga MX teams beginning Feb 23 with new faces on incomplete rosters, injuries, and preseason form. But those are just excuses. This is a real test. By Paul Kennedy of Soccer America.

• LA v Santos, Seattle v America, DC v Queretaro, and Salt Lake v Tigres.

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Three big games this weekend:
-Sat Feb 13
Juventus v Napoli - #2 v #1 with 2 pt gap - 1:45pm CT
-Sun Feb 14
Arsenal v Leicester - #3 v #1 with 5 pt gap - 6:00am CT
Man City v Tottenham - #4 v #2 with 1 pt gap - 10:15am CT

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Omar Gonzalez is thriving at Pachuca and tells us all about it. By Brian Sciaretta of American Soccer Now.

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Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend. From the Guardian.

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UEFA Champions League - Round of 16 - begins next Tuesday, Feb 16. Get ready.

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New album from Head Wound City coming our way!

2/16/16 #headwoundcity pic.twitter.com/F0CyspMMP9

— Head Wound City (@headwoundcity) February 11, 2016

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Bill Walton: Village Idiot or National Treasure. You decide.
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One of the greasiest weasels in all of soccer, Jerome Valcke, has been given a 12 year ban from the sport. He was Sepp Blatter's bag man. Another scum bag goes down. Very in-depth story from AP.

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The FIFA presidential candidates spoke at a CONCACAF gathering in Miami on Thursday night. By Simon Evans of Rueters.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Feb 11, 2016

It's Day 42 of 2016.


The USA Women got Olympic qualifying started in the right direction, beating Costa Rica 5-0 in game 1 of 3 in the Group Stage. The match featured a goal from Alex Morgon just 12 seconds after kick off! (2 teams from CONCACAF qualify, while a 3rd goes to a regional playoff for 1 final spot.)

• Here are match video highlights. Via CONCACAF.

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Fiorentina is trying to push the women's game forward in Italy, traditions be damned. By San Borden of the New York Times.

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The great songwriter Lucinda Williams describes the songs that formed and still form her life. From Entertainment Weekly. Thanks to Esa for the link.

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Is that a running shoe on the beach over there? Is that a foot inside the shoe? You found how many in this area over the past 10 years? 16!?!? What the hell is going on? By Yanan Wang of the Washington Post.

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Minnesota United is preparing to announce the signing of former Columbus Crew midfielder Ben Speas. He averaged 10 appearances per season (mostly as a sub) with the Crew.

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Here is a list of 15 players that were on MLS rosters in 2015 and now on NASL rosters for 2016. Expect more to be added to this list over the next 6 weeks. By Paul Kennedy of Soccer America.

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New England Revolution has immediately shored up their hole in defensive midfield by buying Gershon Koffie from Vancouver Whitecaps. Jermaine Jones is out of contract and new signing Xavier Kouassi blew out his knee.

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The opponent for this years MLS All Star game is Arsenal. The game is to be played Thu Jul 28 at the San Jose Earthquakes' Avaya stadium.

And the 2016 @ATT #MLSAllStar opponent is… https://t.co/r5hdaKxc0U

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 11, 2016

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Its all Leicester! Leicester! Leicester! But what about Tottenham? They're the ones in 2nd place. By Amy Lawrence of the Guardian.

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FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali says FIFA has punished nations that don't toe the company line with downplayed bids, bad match ups, poor referees, and other punishments. By Brian Homewood of Reuters. Thanks to Simon Evans for the link.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Feb 10, 2016

It's Day 41 of 2016.


Alejandro Bedoya Strikes Again! Bedoya scored another goal for Nantes, this time late (118 min) in extra time to beat Bordeaux 3-4 in the Quarterfinals of the Coupe de France. See it here.

• If the USA plays the next World Cup qualifier and doesn't use the midfield of Johnson-Jones-Bradley-Bedoya I'm gonna lose my mind.

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(don't even bother reading the headline of this article)
For the past few years US Soccer has used a completely different model for improving soccer and especially soccer coaching - so what is this upgrade? By Amanda Ripley of The Atlantic. Thanks to Grant Wahl for the heads up.

• A tweet from the man leading this change of theory:

Honored my work w coaches profiled but disagree strongly w headline. US Soccer needs no saving- def. not by me! https://t.co/TgspHbO2Cq

— Doug Lemov (@Doug_Lemov) February 10, 2016

• A great blog post from the subject Doug Lemov expanding on the ideas in the article.

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An incredibly in-depth three part series on other ways US Soccer is looking to drastically improve its Development Academy: PART 1 - PART 2 - PART 3. By Liviu Bird of Sports Illustrated.

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It has been confirmed that Minnesota United will not have to jump through any weird hoops to bring players with them to MLS. (We all know about the ridiculously complicated MSL roster rules.) By Brian Quarstad of Northern Pitch.


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New famous owners are pushing the expansion of NASL faster and and farther then ever before. By Jack Williams of the Guardian.

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Columbus Crew going for a fairly different look with its 2nd jersey. From Footy Headlines.

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Columbus centerback Michael Parkhurst writes an article in which he describes the horrible feeling of losing MLS Cup (for the 4th time!) and how you go about the next (this) preseason. From ESPNFC.

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A profile of the brilliant underground comic book writer and illustrator Daniel Clowes. by Robert Ito of The California Sunday Magazine.

Advance copies of Patience by @danielclowes have arrived and they are glorious. Pre-order: https://t.co/JM9DYTY5ZX pic.twitter.com/KCJG5JKLRQ

— Fantagraphics Books (@fantagraphics) January 13, 2016

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Even politicians in England are getting involved in the discussion over rising ticket prices. By James Riach of the Guardian.
-After days of unrest Liverpool ownership says they have heard the voices of the fans and that ticket prices will be frozen for the next 2 years. From the Liverpool Echo.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Feb 9, 2016

It's Day 40 of 2016.


USWNT players union has responded to the lawsuit US Soccer filed against them last week. And it comes off as a pretty convincing argument. From Sports Illustrated.

• US Soccer feels that the USWNT are preparing to go on strike before the Olympics. By Jonathan Tannenwald of Philly.com.

• A court date of March 3 has been set.

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Two weeks ago New England announced the Designated Player signing of Xavier Kouassi from Sion, to arrive after the end of the current Swiss Super League season. But over the weekend he suffered a torn ACL and MCL. He will be out 6-8 months.

• That can happen when you don't pay a transfer fee to get a player right away. I believe he was seen as a replacement for Jermaine Jones.
• So will the Revs now up their offer to Jones?

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Wonderboy Dillon Powers is back in Denver and ready to go all-in on the Rapids 2016 season. By Marco Cummings of MLSSoccer.com.

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The latest on the St Paul Stadium from Minnesota United owner Dr Bill McGuire. By Frederick Melo of the St Paul Pioneer Press.

MU has signed former Houston, DC and Philadelphia wide midfielder Danny Cruz. He played last season for Bodo/Glimt in Norway.

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When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.

— Hunter S. Thompson (@GonzoVice) February 9, 2016

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During the 1961–62 NBA season Wilt Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds per game. From the updated Sports Illustrated 50 greatest NBA players by Jack McCallum.

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A recap of the USMNT January training camp and friendlies. By Brian Straus of Sports Illustrated.

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Hey, how is Bob Bradley doing? Not so hot. Le Havre has lost 3 of the last 4 (all to teams above them in the table) and fallen to 7th place.

• This stretch was the teams chance to race for the top or at least solidify a promotion spot, but they have failed.

• Next up is Sat Feb 13 at 3rd place Metz.

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Very high ticket prices in England will only go higher, and fans are reacting. By Owen Gibson of the Guardian.

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Are ya ready for some futsal? With 16 teams across America? With Marc Cuban at the wheel? By Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Feb 8, 2016

It's Day 39 of 2016.


USA Men's National Team Friendly:
-Fri Feb 5
USA 1-0 Canada - USA goal by Jozy Altidore.

• Good: Diskerud defense, Bradley passing, Altidore goal, Vincent poise, Finlay cross, Birnbaum adequate, Nagbe unpredictable

• Bad: Jones passing, Zardes touch, Altidore finishing

• Ethan Finlay only got into the game in the 88th minute, but on his only touch whipped in a perfect cross for Altidore to head home. How many times last year did Finlay and Kei Kamara combine on that exact same play for Columbus Crew. Well done guys.

• Canada was abysmal. (Except for the young goalkeeper - Maxime Crepeau of Montreal.) No shots on goal even. It was a sad sight. Keep hoping for better, but it never seems to change.

• The Jermaine-Jones-At-Centerback situation has to end for good. It does not work. A team with any sense of offense would have punished the USA.

• The defensive effort by Mix Diskerud, especially in the 2nd half, was a thing of beauty. Would love to see that from him every game.

• Brandon Vincent made his debut at left fullback late in the game. He did not have to play hardly any defense, so its hard to judge him on that, but his skills going forward were solid and more importantly fearless.

• Darlington Nagbe had his best game for the USA. I have stated several times that I don't think he will ever make an impact at the international level. But I am always happy to eat my words. We shall see. This was a positive.

• Jozy got to 33 goals in a USA uniform in fewer games then anyone else ever. 91 games.

Oft-criticized Jozy the fastest to 33 #usmnt goals: Altidore (91 caps), Donovan (93), Dempsey (95), Wynalda (102)

— Doug McIntyre (@DougMacESPN) February 7, 2016

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Up next for the USMNT - World Cup Qualifying:
-Fri Mar 25
Guatemala v USA - Time TBD in Guatemala City on beIN Sport
-Tue Mar 29
USA v Guatemala - 6PM CT in Columbus OH on ESPN2

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Scores from 4 big games over the weekend:
-Sat Feb 6
Man City 1-3 Leicester
Hertha 0-0 Dortmund
Leverkusen 0-0 Bayern
-Sun Feb 7
Pumas 1-1 Pachuca

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Omar Gonalez did what he does best for Pachuca - score with his head on a set piece. It tied the game late. Terrible marking - Pumas apparently has no idea who Omar Gonzalez is. See it here.

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Bobby Wood scored a great goal for Union Berlin with superb individual effort where he dribbled through 2 sets of 2 defenders and buried his shot to the near post to tie the game late. See it here.

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Sporting Kansas City ran a Superbowl ad for the club. From Total MLS.

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A look at the dream season for Leicester City. At the top by 5 points (over Tottenham + Arsenal) with 13 games to play. By Rob Hughes of the New York Times. Unreal.

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Premier League: 10 talking points from this weekend’s action. From the Guardian.

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Bundesliga Matchday 20 in 60 seconds. (video) From Duetsche Welle.

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The German football federation has sued Franz Beckenbauer, 5 other former German football officials, and FIFA over how money was spent for the bidding and execution of the 2006 World Cup that Germany hosted. By Ciaran Fahey of the Associated Press.

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UEFA Champions League returns on Tue Feb 16 with the Round of 16.

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"A Chinese football revolution that is only just beginning and has an uncertain destination." By Owen Gisbon of the Guardian.

• How will China change the balance of the world soccer market? By Jonathan Wilson, a great soccer mind, of Sports Illustrated.

The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Feb 5, 2016

It's Day 36 of 2016.


The Super Bowl. Jeff Johnson writes a letter about Hardee's to Jerry Richardson the owner of the Carolina Panthers. From McSweeney. Oh, and who's going to win the big game?

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Next for the USMNT:
-Fri Feb 5
USA v Canada - 9:15pm CT on FS1.

• Detailed preview of the game.

• USA hopes to work on their defensive effort v Canada. And some good "Notes" at the end of the article. By Doug McIntyre of ESPNFC.

• So who is this Jerome Kiesewetter anyway? By Scott French of MLSsoccer.com.

dN

Should the USMNT be worried about the form of Tim Howard and Brad Guzan? By Noah Davis of ESPNFC.

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4 more fun games this weekend:
-Sat Feb 6
Man City v Leicester - 6:45am on NBC Sports
Hertha v Dortmund - 8:30am on FS1
Leverkusen vs Bayern - 11:30am on Fox
-Sun Feb 7
Pumas v Pachuca - 12:00pm on Univision Deportes, Univision

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This drone footage of the Syrian city of Hom is one of the most breathtakingly brutal things I have ever seen. Its beyond sad. Its embarrassing that fellow humans would do this to each other. From the Guardian. Thanks to Alex.

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Minnesota United

• The team begins preseason training. Some interesting tidbits of news in the "Notes" section at the end. By Brian Quarstad of Vida y Deportes.

• Have signed 33 year old German goalkeeper Kristian Nicht from Indy Eleven.

• Being linked to 31 year old centerback Dekel Keinan from Maccabi Haifa. From Joshua Halickman an Isreali journalist.

• The latest plans for the training facility at the National Sports Center. Also by Brian Quarstad this time for Northern Pitch.

• What about development in and around the new stadium? What will that consist of? By Peter Callaghan of MinnPost.

dN

Catching up with former Chicago Fire and Montreal Impact head coach Frank Klopas. By Guillermo Rivera of Chicago Now.

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Introducing San Antonio FC

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All the details including dates for the 2016 US Open Cup tournament. From US Soccer.

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One of the forgotten "Yanks abroad" is Eric Lichaj at Nottingham Forest. Whats going on with him these days? By Brian Sciaretta of American Soccer Now.

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Sunderland AFC, where Jozy Altidore suffered and DeAndre Yedlin flounders, is "stale, rotten and about to be relegated." By Chris Thomas of the Guardian.

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Notorious NPSL team Detroit City has crowd sourced $400,000 to renovate a historic stadium. By John Niyo of the Detroit News.

• Here is more on the stadium plans.

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Samuel Eto'o tells us that we don't know the real Jose Mourinho - a very good person. By Four Four Two. (Editors note: I am a huge fan of Mourinho.)

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Lets end the week with some longform action! Here is a full person-by-person rundown of the entire current FIFA scandal from start till today. By James Tyler of ESPNFC.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Feb 4, 2016

It's Day 35 of 2016.


US Soccer has filed a lawsuit against the union that represents the USA Women's National Team. The dispute is over a collective bargaining agreement that the union says is invalid. US Soccer is not seeking damages, just a declaration that the cba is in play. By Andrew Das of the New York Times.

• The two sides have been negotiating over the disagreement but when the union dug in its heals the federation took legal action. Either way the old collective bargaining agreement expires Dec 31, 2016. -All the documents and a summary of the lawsuit. By Jonathan Tannenwald of Philly.com.

• The players union lawyer Rich Nichols speaks. By Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated.

• US Soccer, not surprisingly, has no mention of any of this on its website.

dN

Lee Nguyen is a late bloomer for call ups for the USMNT, so how and why is this the time? By Brian Straus of Sports Illustrated.

dN

The collective bargaining agreement between MLS and its players was posted on line yesterday by the players union. Some interesting details in there. Kyle McCarthy of Fox looks at win/performance bonuses.

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How to become a celebrity in Iceland. By Dan Bilefsky of the New York Times.

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Christian Pulisic is on the edge of something potentially big at Dortmund. By Samuel Charles of Soccer America.

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Stuart Holden has retired. His open letter. From US Soccer.

• Former teammates Michael Bradley and Geoff Cameron, and former Bolton coach Owen Coyle share their memories of Holden. Doug McIntyre of ESPN FC.

dN

Fans and media are ripping Valencia to tiny pieces after being crushed 7-0 by Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals. The team's English head coach Gary Neville is starting to feel plenty of heat too. By Sid Lowe of the Guardian.

dN

Next for the USMNT:
-Fri Feb 5
USA v Canada - 9:15pm CT on FS1.

• I will be watching the game at the Crooked Pint in Minneapolis.

The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Feb 3, 2016

It's Day 34 of 2016.


So how did LA Galaxy add 3 big name European veterans again this season without cracking the MLS salary cap? By Kevin Baxter of the LA Times.
-Nigel de Jong is the latest to join the Galaxy. (A lot of people despise this guy.) Also by Baxter.

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Is Chicago Fire starting to get a defense together? "They still have a long way to go." - Alice Cooper. By Paul Kennedy of Soccer America.

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32 days until the MLS season begins.

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With just a short time to make an impression at Chelsea Matt Miazga has done enough to be included in their 22 player roster for the Champions League knock out rounds. That is pretty interesting.

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Ale Bedoya scored for Nantes AGAIN! His 3rd in 4 games. Impressive. This was in league play, and it turned out to be the winning goal as they beat Gazelec Ajaccio 3-1. He also assisted on the first goal.
-The whole team is surging as well, climbing up to 6th place with today's win.

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Lee Nguyen is doing himself proud in January camp according to the coach. From US Soccer.

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How in the world is Leicester City still at the top of the Premier League? By Paul Wilson of the Guardian.
-Us geniuses all figured they would have faded away by now. Fantastic.
-On Sat morning Leicester goes to 2nd place Manchester City in a monumental game. 6:45am CT on NBC Sports.

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Mexico is by far the most popular soccer team in the United States, and with that as the lure Fox has bought the English language rights to show all their games in 2016. By Richard Sandomir of the New York Times.

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The Canadian Premier Soccer League is starting to take form. By Steve Milton of the Hamilton Spectator. Thanks to Northern Pitch for the link.

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Fort Lauderdale Strikers are making a push toward something bigger in many ways. By Ryan Tomlich of SBI.

dN

Next for the USMNT: Fri Feb 5
USA v Canada - 9:15pm CT on FS1.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Feb 2, 2016

It's Day 33 of 2016.


In response to the USA Department of Justice investigation that has unearthed financial crimes across CONCACAF + CONMEBOL the parent organization FIFA has suspended all funding of those two federations. SUSPENDED! This stoppage is currently holding up at least $10 Million to each federation. By Tariq Panja, one of the very best covering FIFA, of Bloomberg.

dN

Brad Evans and Michael Orozco have left the USA January camp to train with their club teams. Evans has a hamstring strain too.
-This will really open up the fullback spots for the Canada game. Will be curious to see how Klinsmann handles this. Four possibilities: Kellyn Acosta, Eric Miller, Matt Polster and Brandon Vincent.

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Kelyn Acosta got his first USMNT cap on Sunday and did a very good job according to the coach. I agree. From US Soccer.

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Aron Johannsson returned to training today for Werder Bremen. Via Brian Sciaretta on Twitter.

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Next for the USMNT:
Fri Feb 5
USA v Canada - 9:15pm CT on FS1.

Olympic qualifying playoff schedule:
1st Leg Mar 25
Colombia v USA - in Barranquilla, Col
2nd Leg Mar 29
USA v Colombia - In Frisco TX

dN

Headline: Smashing Pumpkins Announce Acoustic Tour. Ick.

dN

Sporting KC has loaned 18 year old centerback Erik Palmer-Brown to Porto. Interesting.

dN

Minnesota United has signed new contract with goalkeeper Sammy Ndjock and midfielder Juliano Vicentini.

And former Orlando City and Charleston Battery assistant Ian Fuller joins the Minn coaching staff.

dN

Is this the next NASL team?

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Miguel Ibarra has a new head coach at Leon. Luis Tena has taken over for Juan Antonio Pizzi who has become the new head coach of the Chilean national team.

dN

European transfer window: the good, bad and ugly of January’s deals. From the Guardian



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Feb 1, 2016

It's Day 32 of 2016.


USA got 2016 off on the right foot offensively with a 3 goal output in the Sunday friendly against Iceland.

Sun Jan 31
USA 3-2 Iceland - USA goals by Jozy Altidore, Michael Orozco + Steve Birnbaum. ICE goals by Kristinn Steindorsson + Aron Sigurdarson.
-Who had a good game?: Orozco (goal), Acosta (confidence), Bradley (passing), Jones (muscle), Altidore (goal), Nguyen (passing), Birnbaum (assist, goal), Kiesewetter (crossing)
-Who had a bad game?: Orozco (goals against), Finlay (lack of confidence), Zardes (missed open goal)
-USA went behind twice and came back, that is both bad and good.
-Defense limited Icelands chances, but let those few chances count.
-Waited way too long to make more changes. These young guys need more time on the field.
-Steindorsson formerly of Columbus Crew with the first goal for Iceland.
-Sigurdarson who got the other Iceland goal used to be a member of Stiff Little Fingers.
-With less than 9000 in attendance the stadium was a sad sight on television.

Next: Fri Feb 5
USA v Canada - 9:15pm CT on FS1.

dN

Omar Gonzalez is riding high to start the season with Pachuca. The are the only unbeaten team left in Liga MX after 4 rounds won on Saturday 3-1 v 2nd place Monterrey.
-Up next: Sun Feb 7 at Pumas in the DF.

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Sadly Brad Guzan had a horrendous weekend as he was back in goal for the FA Cup and Aston Villa got trounced 0-4 at home by Manchester City.

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Danny Williams scored for Reading as they rolled over Walsall in the FA Cup 4-0.

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John Brooks signed a new long term contract to stay at Hertha. Great for him.

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17 year old Christian Pulisic made his senior team debut for Dortmund coming on in the 68th min of a 2-0 home win over Alfredo Morales and Ingolstadt. Incredible!
-All we need to know about young Pulisic. By our main man Greg Seltzer at MLSsoccer.com.

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How weird has the Marco Pappa stabbing story become? Its become a thing for TMZ to cover. That's how weird its gotten.

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Sporting KC has sold Hungarian forward Krisztian Nemeth to Al-Gharafa in Qatar.

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Its official for Matt Miazga, he is now a Chelsea player.

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LA has added Dutch defensive midfielder Nigel De Jong of Milan to their roster of aging European stars. They have a lot of games to play this season. Is this team gonna be too old? Or perfectly experienced to handle it all.

dN

One of my favorite MLS players (who I know is also getting old) Marcelo Sarvas has been shipped from Colorado to DC United. Good move for him.

dN

Colorado may also have made one of those moves that flies under the radar and could be huge in the end: Signed Swiss forward Shkelzen Gashi who has scored 41 goals in the past 2 seasons in the Swiss Super League for Basel and Grasshopper.
-He has made 10 appearances for the Albania national team.

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Eddie Johnson may be done as a pro player, but it looks like he is just getting started in life. Interesting words here.

Had the privilege watch the @orlandocitysc 2004 pro academy players compete today and coach Craig Melton introduced me at the end of training to say some encouraging words to the boys. It's amazing how much soccer has grown in this country verses when I was growing up as a kid at this exact age. These kids get to be in a professional environment and get to be coached by some of the top coaches at the youth level in our country. The future of soccer is so bright in America and you have no idea how much of a positive impact it has on their lives by taking a little time away from your day and speaking to these kids that look up to us about the game and everything that comes with being a pro player on and off the field. Reality is that all of these kids won't make it to the top which is ok but by being out there speaking to them is an experience that they will always remember and cherish for a lifetime. Giving back to the game what it gave me #LetsContinueToInspire #AreKidsAreTheFuture #POSITIVIBES #POSITIVELIVING @mls

A photo posted by eddie_johnson7 (@eddie_johnson7) on Jan 31, 2016 at 5:23pm PST

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After 23 games in Ligue 1 this season Paris St Germain is still undefeated. Can they pull off a lossless season?

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Milan whooped Inter in the Derby della Madonnina by a score of 3-0 on Sunday. But thats not what caught my eye. The Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is 16. HOLY SMOKES! What were you doing at 16?

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Lio Messi + C Ronaldo have combined for 1000 goals! 1000! They are 28 + 30 respectively. How many more will they score?

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FA Cup: talking points from the fourth round. From the Guardian.

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Four of the worlds top ten spending teams in the Winter transfer window are Chinese. They are all in the $30-40 Million spent pile. When it crashes its gonna crash HARD.
-In a similar story, Brazilian players are flocking to China for ridiculous money. By Ewan MacKenna of the New York Times.

dN

Manchester City has publicly announced the hiring of Bayern coach Pep Guardiola for NEXT season.
-Should be a real fun couple of months for the current coach Manuel Pellegrini. Oof!



The Bird Is The Word