Section 2 Around the Net

Keith Costigan‘s Q&A with Curt Onalfo includes the new D.C. United coach’s explanation for why United didn’t hold on to BraziliansFred and Luciano Emilio” “We want to play a certain way and score a lot of goals but having said that this team has given up a lot of goals over the last few years,”Onalfo […]

In what was only his sixth game in the last 15 months, Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy came off the bench and scored twice for his new club, Germany’s Hamburg SV, ins a 3-1 winover VfB Stuttgart. Gabriele Marcotti traces the career and comeback of the marksman who was discarded by Real Madrid — which […]

The English Premier League is considering the introduction of a playoff system top decide the fourth qualifier for the UEFA Champions League. As it is now, the top four teams advance to the UEFAChampions League. Under the proposal, the teams that finish fourth to seventh would meet in a playoff. The proposal was is believed […]

DaMarcus Beasley admits he needs to take better care of himself if he is to avoid recurring injuries that have threatened his chances of returning to theWorld Cup for a third time. The latest: a thigh sprain that kept him out of action for six weeks. Beasley, who played the first half of Rangers’ 3-0 […]

While Chelsea was playing — and beating, 4-1 — Cardiff City in the English FA Cup, its captain, John Terry, was in Dubai making up with his wife.Chelsea gave Terry time off to reconcile with his wife, Toni, following revelations that he had an affair with French model Vanessa Perroncel, once one of Toni’s friends. Terry […]

FIFA president Sepp Blatter‘s is developing quite a reputation for putting his foot in his mouth. Blatter’s latest remark came in response to the controversysurrounding John Terry, stripped of his England captaincy following  revelations he had an affair with teammate WayneBridge‘s former partner. “Listen, this is a special approach in Anglo-Saxon countries,” he said, speaking […]

Almost a decade after playing on Puebla’s reserve team, Herculez Gomez is back with the first team in Mexico’s First Division. His move follows seven seasonsin MLS, most recently with the Kansas City Wizards. “It’s been awhile since soccer has been fun,” Gomez says. “I’m living my dream and I hope to give a lot […]

How can one player’s injury — and an injury to the left back at that — spell doom for a World Cup team’s hopes. In England, which has a history of injury woes, that’s just how Ashley Cole‘s broken ankle — suffered in a collision with Landon Donovan in EPL action — is being treated. […]

The joint Spain-Portugal bid is among four European bidders for the 2018/22 World Cups, but the Iberian neighbors aren’t exactly on the best of terms. “I don’t see Portugal overly excited,”Spanish sports minister Jaime Lissavetzky told Spanish newspaper AS. “It seems that those in soccer are more interested than the politicians.” Lissavetzky’s Portuguese counterpart, Laurentino […]

Martin Rogers spoke with U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley about  the ongoing dispute between MLS and its players union over a newcollective bargaining agreement, which remains in a stalemate. A work stoppage, Rogers writes, is still a very real possibility. “MLS does and will continue to play a very big role inregards to the […]