Friday, July 03, 2009

Happy 4th

Owen joins Manchester United in shock move




Michael Owen has been confirmed as a Manchester United player.
The striker has signed a two-year deal to play at Old Trafford and no transfer was paid as the former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle forward was a free agent.

Owen close to shock Manchester United move



Michael Owen has arrived at Manchester United's training ground Carrington to have a medical with the Premier League champions. The 29-year-old hopes to complete a move to United after his contract with Newcastle United ran out.

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Bono And Pep Guardiola Hail Each Other After U2 Gig




Bono and Pep Guardiola were full of praise for each other when the pair spoke to the audience as U2 played to a packed Camp Nou crowd on the first gig of their world tour.

Referees can stop matches amid racist chants - UEFA




UEFA on Thursday approved new guidelines for match officials to deal with racist chants or other behaviour in stadiums which includes stopping the game.

Georghe Popescu admits past as informer for the secret police



Gheorghe Popescu, a former Romania captain and Tottenham defender, has admitted to being an informer for the country's secret police during the communist era.

The Mill + ++




Thursday's Rumours



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Carlos Tevez's summer whine whiffs of self-regard and sour grapes




Carlos Tevez's argument that Manchester United would have won the European Cup had he started the final is fantasy.

Report: Clint Dempsey To Quit Fulham For Everton




The Toffees are ready to offer around £4million for him, a figure that Fulham will have to seriously consider, as they risk losing him for nothing when his contract expires next season.

Carlisle's Gold Cup Preview: Lacks the intrigue of the 2007 edition




Two years ago, the Gold Cup was rife with intrigue. It was the first time U.S. coach Bob Bradley had managed the team in a tournament setting. Ditto for Mexico manager Hugo Sanchez, who was fired less than a year later. There were plenty of compelling matches along the way, with Guadeloupe stunning all and sundry with its run to the semifinals. And the U.S. came from behind to beat Mexico 2-1 in what was a captivating final.


U.S. vs. Grenada

July 4
Qwest Field; Seattle
9 p.m. ET
Fox Soccer Channel



U.S. vs. Honduras

July 8
RFK Stadium; D.C.
9 p.m. ET
Fox Soccer Channel

U.S. vs. Haiti
July 11
Gillette Stadium; Foxborough
7 p.m. ET
Fox Soccer Channel

Weary U.S. Returns for CONCACAF Gold Cup


Three days after its stunning success in the Confederations Cup in South Africa, a younger, scaled-down U.S. team was back home preparing for Saturday's game against Grenada, its opener in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Wednesday morning's 90-minute practice on a back field with only a girls' team watching through a fence was a relatively quiet plateau off the peak of becoming the first U.S. team to reach the final of a FIFA men's tournament.

Donovan Launches Book Blast at Beckham


In a new book due out later this month, Donovan claims Beckham has demonstrated little commitment to the Galaxy cause and has been a negative influence on the team since the ousting of former coach Ruud Gullit.


And here's an excerpt from Grant Wahl's book, The Beckham Experiment.

It makes for interesting reading...Sanford

Forward Benzema joins Real Madrid from Lyon



The 21-year-old is set to join Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo in signing a six-year contract at the Bernabeu after his French employers agreed to a 35m euro (£29.7m) approach from Madrid, who with this deal will see their summer spending spree pass the 200m euro mark.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Wilmington upsets Chicago 1-0 in U.S. Open Cup





The Hammerheads, of USL-2, advanced to the quarterfinals by beating an MLS team for the second time and the first since 2003.

Goal.com Profile: Luis Antonio Valencia




His full name is Luis Antonio Valencia Mosquera. His nickname is Toño Maravilla.

He is Manchester United's latest capture.

The Mill + ++




Wednesday's Rumours



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Goal.com Special: The Future Is Bright, The Future Is German



Germany are now champions of Europe at U-17, U-19 and U-21 level following their victory over England on Monday. The future certainly looks a bright one for the traditional European powerhouse…

History of the world transfer record


No sooner had Real Madrid paraded £56m man Kaka than they completed the world record signing of Cristiano Ronaldo for a staggering £80m. Check out the players who have previously broken the world transfer record...




West Ham legend Syd Puddefoot...

Calcio Debate: Top 20 Serie A Stars Not Playing In Europe




Serie A is well known for its strength in depth. Carlo Garganese picks out the top 20 stars from clubs that did not qualify for Europe, players whom the super-giants in Italy and Europe should be taking note of during this summer's transfer season…

Phil Holland: Six Years On...




After six years with Soccernet I am moving on to pastures new. Given my impending departure and an unhealthy, nay, nerdy interest in the business of football now seems an opportune moment to assess the health of the UK game and see what, if anything, has changed in my time covering the game for ESPN.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Stuart Pearce left angry as England fail to rise to occasion




England U-21 0 - 4 Germany U-21

Phil McNulty: Who will be market movers?




So who will be the prime movers in the market as clubs prepare to return to pre-season training this week?

The MIll + ++




Tuesday's Rumours



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Confederations Cup Special: Crime Review



With less than a year on the clock to the kick-off of the 2010 World Cup at Soweto's stunning Soccer City, players, managers, fans, and crucially FIFA's top brass all gave the rainbow nation the thumbs up. Despite the vote of confidence it is important to take a look at the few incidents where security was breached, analysing whether or not it is a major problem ahead of next year’s event.

Top 10 Funny Footballing Nicknames




Every Tuesday, Goal.com publishes a new Top 10 - this week it is the Top 10 Funny Footballing Nicknames…










Quasimodo...

Carlisle: U.S. team takes positives from the Confederations Cup



With apologies to Charles Dickens, the Confederations Cup performance of the U.S. men's national team can be neatly described as "A Tale of Two Teams," because without question, the Americans' South African sojourn saw them experience the best of times and the worst of times. The question now is, which team will show up during the rest of World Cup qualifying, as well as in South Africa next summer? Will it be the side that struggled early during the tournament or the one that finished with a flourish, even in losing a heartbreaking final to Brazil?

Eduardo Alvarez in Spain



Spain's third-place finish in the recently finished Confederations Cup deserves an analysis beyond the shallow "we only lost one match in the competition, we'll be fine for the World Cup" that most Spanish media displayed on Monday, after Spain narrowly defeated South Africa 3-2 on Sunday.

Europe: Rising Stars




With Germany crowned the Under-21 European Championships, we take a look back over some of the stars of the future who have made their names in Sweden.

Michael Owen Brochure: The complete 32-page agents' dossier on the out-of-contract Newcastle and ex-England striker


Michael Owen, 'the athlete; the ambassador; the icon', is laid bare in all his former glory here in the 32-page brochure distributed to elite football clubs across Europe, touting the ex-England striker as a potential summer signing.

Do you want your club to sign the former Liverpool prodigy, turned Newcastle flop?

Have a good read of the 32 pages below and have your say using the comments section at the foot of this page.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Calcio Debate: Italy U-21's Are Out, But The Future Is Very Bright For The Azzurri




The Azzurrini have returned from Euro 2009 without the trophy, but Carlo Garganese believes the future is very bright for the Azzurri thanks to their Under-21 stars...

I need to get this for my office

Monday MLS Breakdown: Reserving Those Depth Questions



MLS scrapped its reserve system prior to the 2009 campaign. While there isn't much reason for teams to miss the expensive development system, MLS clubs might miss the extra players that accompanied it. Kyle McCarthy explains why the crowded fixture list in July and August could stretch MLS rosters to their breaking point.

The Forgotten Story of… England's Class of '93




On a big day for the Under-21 side, we recall the last time England's kids won a Uefa tournament.

Tim Vickery in South America


Good and evil are not hard to find in Argentine football, sometimes in the same place - such as the Huracan club at the moment.

Founded just over a century ago, Huracan are one of the traditional big six of greater Buenos Aires.

The Mill + ++



Monday's Rumours



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Marcela Mora y Araujo in Argentina




Only by standing united can we stop the violence that has overshadowed Huracán's revival.

How the gangs are ruining Argentinian football.

Recession-proof Sounders thriving in first season




In a city known for starting unique trends -- grunge rock and overpriced coffee as examples -- Seattle is doing its best in year one at wresting away from rival Portland, Ore., the title of "Soccer City USA."









Seattle fans engage in the pre-game ritual of chugging Rainier tallboys...

FIFA Confederations Cup: Brazil 3 - 2 United States


Clint Dempsey sobbed as the Americans walked up to get their second-place medals, unable to hide the pain and the disappointment any longer.

Report

Trecker:
Loss doesn't ruin U.S.
accomplishments

Carlisle:
Furious comeback breaks U.S. hearts

Rogers: U.S. finds solace in defeat

Player Ratings

Team of the Tournament

USA Tournament Roundup