The Fort Lauderdale Strikers and Carolina RailHawks both made players moves late this week. The Strikers added former MLS player Andy Herron to their roster but in turn lost Mike Palacio from their 2011 roster. Carolina announced two signings, Palacio and Ty Shipalane who had played for the RailHawks in 2010.
Former Chicago Fire striker Andy Herron, 33, has signed with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. A native of Costa Rica, Herron began his youth career with AD Limonese before joining Santos de Guápiles in Limón, Costa Rica. He then went to CS Herediano in 2003, scoring 26 goals for the Costa Rican Primera League club before joining the Fire in 2004. The 5’9″ forward had two stints with the Fire, scoring 17 goals in 60 plus matches and has also played for the Columbus Crew and more recently was back in Costa Rica for a second stint with Herediano, along with time at Puntarenas and most recently with Limón.
“We’re excited to add a player of Andy’s experience the goal-scoring ability to our team,” said Strikers head coach Daryl Shore. “He gives us read more…
Mark Cook receives a NDSU cap and jersey from president Dean Bresciani.
The North Dakota State University Women’s Soccer team has a new head coach. Mark Cook, who has been director of coaching for both Bangu and the Minnesota Thunder Academy for the past 11 years, was announced as the new head coach of the Division I school filling the void left by outgoing coach Pete Cuadrado, who compiled an overall record of 93-62-8 in his nine years at the school.
“On behalf of women’s soccer at North Dakota State University I am extremely pleased to welcome Mark Cook as the new head coach,” said NDSU director of women’s athletics Lynn Dorn. “Mark’s extensive knowledge and understanding of soccer, his work ethic, and capacity to teach and develop talent are exceptional.”
Watch the press conference after the jump. —> read more…
U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann didn’t bring his A-squad to Panama City for Wednesday night’s match. While that was no surprise to supporters of the U.S. side they still may have been wishing for a player or two to step up and put in an A-squad performance. What they saw instead were some very tired players putting in a solid B-squad-like performance, according to the U.S coach. In the end, the team walked away with a win, their second consecutive victory of this January camp and the third for a Klinsmann squad. More importantly, the victory came in a fairly hostile environment where young players gained experience.
“I think we saw a very close game, a very tight game which we luckily won because Panama didn’t finish off the chances that they had,” said Klinsmann. “Our team had a very hard three weeks, and they had tired legs today and you could see that. After the red card, we couldn’t pressure enough anymore to create more chances. Overall, I think it really paid off doing this, not only playing a game in the U.S., but coming down here. A lot of the young players learned their lesson today.”
“Our goal with these two games was very simple. We wanted to introduce the players to those difficult games in different environments, especially away from home outside of their comfort zone. We wanted them to come here and experience this atmosphere and a different way of doing things. I think they did very well with all that.
Video highlights after the jump —> read more…
This Friday, David Moyes’ Everton will take on Martin Jol’s Fulham in England’s 141-year-old FA Cup. The tournament’s glorious historical significance will play stage to a battle that many Americans will be keen to observe: that of Everton’s on-loan forward, Landon Donovan, versus Fulham’s leading scorer, Clint Dempsey– both Americans.
Landon Donovan’s career is a long and successful one. Those that have been following America’s domestic club scene remember well the bleach-haired 18-year-old that led San Jose to their first of two MLS Cups with him in the side in the early part of last decade. Followers of the US National Team will remember the Landon Donovan that helped lead his team to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup, where the team narrowly lost to eventual second-place Germany despite one of the best international performances ever put in by an outfield player in American football history.
Over the subsequent years Donovan, of course, went on to pass Eric Wynalda as the the country’s all-time leading scorer, and to fill his trophy cabinet with three Gold Cup winner’s medals with his country, four MLS Cup winner’s medals, two MLS Supporters’ shields medals, and a US Open Cup championship medal for good measure. It’s plain to see then that Landon Donovan is the best player that America has ever produced.
Or is he? read more…
Luke Mulholland, the late season addition for the Stars, will no longer have to go up against Tampa Bay.
With the upcoming opening of the 2012 NASL season in April inching closer, the Tampa Bay Rowdies have added Luke Mulholland from the NASL champion Minnesota NSC Stars to their roster for the upcoming season, while the expansion San Antonio Scorpions signed veteran Mexican Primera Division striker Javier Saavedra. The Atlanta Silverbacks have brought in veteran goalkeeper Daniel Illyes from Hungary.
Mulholland to Rowdies
The Tampa Bay Rowdies moved to strengthen their attack with the acquisition of Luke Mulholland. The 23-year-old Englishman enjoyed a whirlwind year in 2011. After playing at Wingate University, where he earned All-American honors, the 5’7″ attacker signed his first professional contract with USL PRO side Wilmington. There he scored nine goals in 23 matches, earning USL PRO Rookie of the Year honors. Mulholland then went on to join the Minnesota NSC Stars in September following the end of the Hammerheads’ season.
Scoring game-winning goals against Tampa Bay and Fort Lauderdale in the playoffs, the addition of Mulholland to the Stars seemed to provide that final ingredient that turned their season into a magical one. The Preston native had a busy winter also, training with English side Walsall and the New England Revolution before coming to terms with the Rowdies. Mulholland is the twelfth player signed read more…
Ian Barker
A name familiar to the Minnesotan soccer community has been appointed to the top coaching position with the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America). Ian Barker, former MYSA Director of Coaching and currently Region II US ODP Assistant Head Coach and Macalester College Men’s head coach has been named Director of Coaching for the NSCAA.
Barker came to Minnesota in 1997 to lead the MYSA (Minnesota Youth Soccer Association) as director of coaching which he did for 11 years before leaving in 2007. Before Barker came to Minnesota he was assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin, where he was an assistant coach for the men’s team from 1989-97. While there he helped the Badgers to four NCAA tournament appearances in a five-year span. The 1995 team won the Big 10 title and claimed the NCAA national championship.
After his successful tenure at the University of Wisconsin he assisted John Leaney at Macalester College working with both the men’s and women’s programs. He took over the head coaching role of the men’s program in 2003 and compiled a 152-74-21 conference record in his time with the team winning six conference championships, one MIAC playoff title, and six appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Barker has also led and assisted in many USSF coaching courses over the years. Two years ago the England native took on the added position of Technical Director for International Sports Connection, which is funded by the U.S. State Department to assist in the creation of a youth soccer system in Uganda.
“The opportunity to work with the NSCAA is a really special one,” said Barker. “Being in a position to meaningfully impact coaching education on a regional and national basis is a real privilege and something to put full energy in to.”
The U.S. Women’s National team played their 3rd game in 5 days in the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament at BC Place Stadium and walked away with a 4-0 win over Mexico. The win gave the U.S. all 9 points and puts the team through as the winner of Group B. The U.S. now has a +31 goal differential in the tournament.
Carlie Lloyd had a big night for the the U.S. Women with a hat trick, her first-ever. Lloyd struck early for the Americans scoring in the 7th minute of play. Heather O’Reilly scored again for the U.S. just one minute later. Lloyd tallied twice in the second half scoring in the 57th and 86th minute. Lloyd was named Women of the Match by U.S. Soccer.
The U.S. dominated the Mexican side from start to finish with a 17-4 shot advantage and an overwhelming 11-1 difference in corners.
“I am very happy about four goals and especially Carli Lloyd, the way she was on the end of the set pieces,” said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage. “In the beginning of the game we got up 2-0 fairly quickly, but after that we couldn’t find the rhythm in the attack and it was a little bit tough for us to change the point of attack and get it going. In the second half, by putting Syd Leroux up top, we stretched the team a little bit and it got better and better. And of course getting that 3-0 goal gave us confidence.”
The match played at BC Palace in Vancouver, Canada drew 7,599 on a Tuesday evening.
The U.S. will now face Group A runner-up Costa Rica in the semifinal on Friday, Jan. 27, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcast live on the Universal Sports Network and web-streamed on universalsports.com and CONCACAF.com. Host Canada will play Mexico in the other semifinal at 8 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET. Canada topped Costa Rica 5-1 on Monday to win Group A.
U.S. Women’s National Team Stats —> read more…
Richie Williams
Sunil Gulati, president of U.S. Soccer has named former USL and MLS player Richie Williams as the new head coach of the men’s U-17 national team. Williams has most recently been in charge of the U.S. U-18 team. The 41-year-old Williams now takes charge of the federations only residency camp based in Bradenton, Fl.
Williams replaces former coach Wilmer Cabrera who led the U-17 team for 4 years. Cabrera and U.S. Soccer mutually agreed to part ways in early January. That “parting of ways” could be the effects of new U.S. Men’s National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann who is said to be imposing a top down system of play for all men’s national teams.
“Richie is an ideal candidate to guide the development of our young National Team players while also preparing the team during the next year to qualify for the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. “His experience as a player and coach at the highest levels will allow him to continue to provide a professional environment for the players in our U-17 Residency Program.”
After attending the University of Virgina, Williams played outdoor for the USL’s Richmond Kickers and read more…
Come join Minnesota supporters of the Men’s National Team, along with readers of IMSoccer News, duNord Futbol, and members of Minneapolis and St. Paul American Outlaws and the Dark Clouds supporters group for a US National Team World Cup watch party.
The US National Team plays Panama in a friendly from Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City, January 25 with a 7:30 p.m. CT kick off. The game will be carried live on Galavision and ESPN3. Fans can also follow the match live via ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and on Twitter.
Tomorrow the US National Team will face Panama for its second friendly of the year in Panama City. The Americans will be riding high after their win against Venezuela thanks to a last-second goal by Ricardo Clark. Though they may have dominated the game with chances and showed glimpses of the attacking style that Klinsmann has been striving for, leaving the result until that late in the game shows the US attack still has a ways to go.
By the end of the game the US had a 16-4 shot advantage over Venezuela, however only four of those shots were on goal. Teal Bunbury, who earned the start over Chris Wondolowski who has shown to be a more prolific goal scorer, found it difficult to hit the target in a number of first half chances. It is likely that Klinsmann will switch up the starting eleven against Panama and Sapong’s physical play could help the US tire out the young Panama back line leaving the defense with heavy legs when Wondolowski comes in as a sub again.
While the US midfield also suffered from miscued shots and errant passing and crossing, the limited number of players on hand could lead to a very similar line-up. read more…
On Sunday night IMS reported that the Soccer USA stores in the Twin Cities and Austin, Texas had the appearance of a failed business. The store had evidently shut down Sunday evening, January 15th after its Sunday shift.
On Monday afternoon, Soccer USA released a statement via email concerning their Burnsville and Blaine stores. IMS had been promised a statement last Wednesday which never materialized even after following up. The statement did not identify the author but confirmed the worst, that the store has indeed closed its doors.
Read Soccer USA’s statement after the jump -> read more…
Sydney Leroux
The U.S. Women’s National Team, playing their 2nd match in 3 days, rolled over Guatemala on Sunday night by a score of 13-0. With the two wins the U.S. women have now scored 27 goals in its two CONCACAF 2012 Olympic qualifying games. The U.S. defeated the Dominican Republic 14-0 on Friday evening.
Sydney Leroux, playing in her native Vancouver, tied the U.S. WNT record of 5 goals in a game in only her second appearance with the team. Leroux has dual citizenship and has elected to play for the United States over Canada.
As could be expected, some Canadian soccer supporters were not happy with Leroux’s decision to play for the U.S. “I’m happy where I am. I’m happy to wear this jersey … I heard some people were booing me, but after the fourth goal, they stopped.”
What made Leroux’s record even more special is that she didn’t enter the game until read more…
Ali Krieger stretchered off in Friday night's US WNT game.
The United States cruised to a 14-0 win over the Dominican Republic in Friday’s Olympic Qualifier but did not escape without a key loss to their backline in right back Ali Krieger. Krieger, 27, suffered a torn ACL and Grade 2 MCL sprain in her right knee when a Dominican Republic player recklessly tackled her while she followed through on a shot from the top of the 18 early in the match. Krieger has 27 caps in total, playing in every minute of the 2011World Cup, and will not be back in time for the 2012 Olympics in London. The team will miss her attacking presence from the right back position but look for Heather Mitts or Becky Sauerbrunn to step into her spot in the US line-up.
Krieger will most likely undergo ACL reconstructive surgery once swelling subsides and she regains normal range of motion and quadriceps control. In elite female soccer players, the ACL is commonly reconstructed using read more…
Published monthly, the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking of national teams gives football fans across the world much to talk about, not to mention numerous statistics that sportsbook review betting outfits use to create odds. No one can deny it; it’s exciting to see your country climb up a few spots and even more exciting to see your arch-rival drop a few. In 2011 the ranking has provided something that no football fans of a few years ago would have been able to predict. Brazil, who added impressive qualities to the beautiful game, has not fared as usual in the rankings.
Brazil is not doing poorly, to be sure, but they are not living up to expectations; thus it gives a new topic of conversation. They are still doing very well, being ranked 7th at their lowest in 2011, but in looking at how the year progressed, the success of the Selecao leaves something to be desired. The Brazilians began the year ranked 4th. At their best they ranked 3rd in April and May, and for just more than halfway through the year, namely July, they kept a spot in the top 5 nations. However, the greater challenge is that by the middle of 2011 the world of football was no longer talking about Brazil as the standard setter. Spain was the new standard. Since August read more…
Customers found the Blaine, Minn., Soccer USA location windows covered with brown paper last Monday. Photo-Aaron Frederickson.
Less than a month after Soccer Express closed their St. Paul store (the first-ever soccer retail store in Twin Cities), another soccer apparel store seems to have closed its doors for good.
While Soccer Express closed only one of their stores, customers that may have tried to frequent Soccer USA on Monday, January 16th would have found stores at their three locations closed for business. Soccer USA had stores in Burnsville and Blaine, Minnesota as well as Austin, Texas. Windows in all stores were covered over with brown paper and some product seemed to be left behind while most of it looked to have been removed. Phones to all three stores rang without being answered or directed to recorded messages.
A visit to the web Soccer USA website states: “Our site is currently being reconditioned. Please check back soon for updates.”
