Romario and Zinho, who played on Brazil's 1994 World Cup team, head the list of players named for the USL First Division All-Star Game July 19 against English Championship League team Sheffield Wednesday in Cary, N.C. Two first-team all-league selections from last season also highlight the roster: two-time Defender of the Year Gabriel Gervais (Montreal) and defender Scot Thompson (Portland). The USL-1 coaches are MontrealÆs Nick DeSantis and RochesterÆs Laurie Calloway.USL-1 Roster:GoalkeepersNelson, Matt, Virginia Beach MarinersVallow, Scott, Rochester Raging RhinosDefendersBranan, Dustin, Minnesota ThunderGervais, Gabriel, Montreal ImpactSanfilippo, Frank, Rochester Raging RhinosSegovia, Mauricio, Puerto Rico IslandersThompson, Scot, Portland TimbersVincello, Mauricio, Montreal Impact …

By Paul KennedyManaging Editor, Soccer America MagazineBarcelona, winner of the UEFA Champions League and SpainÆs La Liga, heads the list of EuropeÆs championship clubs. Our Starting XI of league champions should play major roles in the new European season that begins soon.BARCELONA: A SUCCESS ON ALL FRONTS HISTORY. Most of BarcelonaÆs titles have come in bunches: 1948-49, 1952-53, 1959-60, 1991-94, 1998-99 and now 2005-06. Only four times has Barca failed to win a title defense. Its 18 titles still leave it far behind Real Madrid with 29.CHAMPIONSHIP RUN. BarcelonaÆs 2006 La Liga championship is a testament to the coaching of …

Soccer America profiles American soccer's rising stars, nine executives and coaches who were born after Soccer America was launched in 1971 and have excelled in their positions. They all caught the soccer bug at a young age and quickly moved up the ranks. They stress the importance of diligence and the good fortune of opportunity as reasons for their rapid advancement. What comes through most of all is their passion for the game and commitment to developing players and serving fans. They're all doing something they love.Jay Berhalter: Keeping a sharp focusJay Berhalter, 34, is the deputy executive director of …

Can't get enough soccer? Here are 35 soccer things to see and do this summer after the World Cup. By Paul KennedyManaging Editor, Soccer America Magazine1JULY 12. European clubs quickly move into high gear to prepare for the new season after the World Cup. Scottish champion Celtic is the first club to head to the USA, facing D.C. United in a friendly at RFK Stadium. Celtic, which is coming off its 40th league title, features an assortment of international stars, including Irish great Roy Keane, who joined the Hoops from Manchester United in December 2005. D.C. United has a …

Founder Clay Berling on the game's ascent during 35 years of Soccer America.By Mike WoitallaExecutive Editor, Soccer America MagazineClay Berling fell in love with soccer in the late 1960s and wanted to share his passion.In April of 1971, he launched Soccer West out of his State Farm Insurance office. Demand for the publication soon came from around the nation and in March 1972 it was rechristened Soccer America.Upon this 35th anniversary of Soccer America, we asked Berling, 75, to pick five events he believes were crucial to soccer's rise in the USA.NORTH AMERICAN SOCCER LEAGUE. ''The NASL ignited the movement,'' …

Chinese fans win the award for World Cup fanaticism.China didn't qualify for the 2006 World Cup, but that doesn't mean locals are ignoring the tournament. The viewing audience in China for the England-Paraguay match on the second day of the tournament was 62.9 million people -- larger than the populations of England and Paraguay combined.The Chinese media are filled with reports on the extremes fans are going to watch the tournament, which is broadcast in the middle of the night.In Fujian province, a woman awoken to hear her husband yelling during the Argentina-Ivory Coast match turned off the television in …

Clint Dempsey played his first MLS game since returning from the World Cup, where he starred for the USA, and he set up Taylor Twellman for the lone goal as New England beat Western Conference leader FC Dallas, 1-0. Also playing for the Revs was Avery John, who started for Trinidad & Tobago at the World Cup.-- Jimmy Conrad's return from Germany was less fortunate. Five minutes into Kansas City's game with D.C. United, a D.C. corner kick deflected off Conrad's foot for an own goal. Freddy Adu scored United's second goal and helped set up Cristian Gomez for the …

USL-1 clubs Minnesota and Miami fell to the PDL's Des Moines Menace and USASA's FC Roma Wednesday night in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup.SECOND ROUNDJune 28Charleston Battery (USL-1) 1 Sonoma County Sol (USASA) 0Wilmington Hammerheads (USL-2) 3 Charlotte Eagles (USL-2) 1Arizona Sahuaros (USASA) 0 Virginia Beach Mariners (USL-1) 1Minnesota Thunder (USL-1) 0 Des Moines Menace (PDL) 1Michigan Bucks (PDL) 2 Cincinnati Kings (USL-2) 1Roma FC (USASA) 1 Miami FC (USL-1) 0Carolina Dynamo (PDL) 1 Richmond Kickers (USL-2) 0New Hampshire Phantoms (USL-2) 4 Milford International (USASA) 1 FIRST ROUNDMichigan Bucks (DL) 2 Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL-2) 0Wilmington Hammerheads (USL-2) …

June 28 in Carson, Calif. Chivas USA 1 Houston 1. Goals: Marsch 75; De Rosario (Barrett) 55. Chivas USA -- Burpo, Regan, Hernandez, Llamosa (Vaughn, 61), Bornstein, Garcia, Kljestan, Marsch, Mendoza, Palencia, Razov. Houston -- Onstad, Waibel, Cochrane, Gray, Goldthwaite (Davis, 82), Clark, De Rosario, Barrett, Mullan, Ching (Cerritos, 88), Moreno. Yellow cards: Chivas USA -- Llamosa 3, Hernandez 92+. Referee: Tim Weyland Att.: 9,689. June 28 in Kansas City Kansas City 2 D.C. United 3. Goals: Garcia 20, Burciaga pen. 72; own goal 5, Adu 16, …

Chicago's Eclipse Select won four girls titles at U.S. Youth Soccer's Region II championships on Tuesday. The Michigan Wolves and Chicago Magic both won two boys titles. Under 13 Boys Michigan Wolves 1 Carmel United 0. Goal: Pickern 41. Under 14 Boys Michigan Wolves 2 Chicago Wind National 1. Goals: H.Saad 58, 65; Guitierrez 18. Under 15 Boys  Chicago Magic 2 Ohio FC Mutiny 0. Goals: Galounis 35, 62. Under 16 Boys FC Milwaukee 4 Vardarstars 2. Goals: Finlay 39, 70, Banks 59, Walls 72; Bega 26, Verville 58. Under 17 Boys Scott Gallagher …

By Mike Woitalla in HanoverPredictably, German tabloid Bild provided in-depth coverage of David Beckman vomiting on the field during England's 1-0 win over Ecuador.Under the headline, ''David Barfman,'' Bild ran sequence photos of the incident accompanied by possible reasons why he lost his lunch.''Did he drink English beer instead of German beer?''''Can a metrosexual get pregnant?''''Did he see his wife's credit card bill?''''Did the quality of the game make him ill?''The last is the least far-fetched. Like half the games in the round of 16, England's victory included little entertainment.The knockout round began promising enough. Germany beat Sweden, 2-0, with …

Police were investigating whether Juventus team manager Gianluca Pessotto made a suicide attempt when he fell about 40 feet from a window on the roof of Juventus' headquarters.Italian World Cup players Alessandro Del Piero and Gianluca Zambrotta flew to Turin on Tuesday to visit their former Juventus teammate, who was in stable condition at Molinette Hospital with multiple fractures and internal bleeding.Pessotto, 35, was found clutching a rosary after his fall. ''In all probability it was a voluntary move by Pessotto,'' an investigative source who asked not to be identified told Reuters. A Turin hospital official speaking on Sky Italia …

The National Grid, which operates British electrical lines, have been prepared for power surges known as ''TV pick-up'' as television viewers around Britain switch on tea kettles at halftime of England's World Cup matches.At halftime of Sunday's England-Ecuador game, fans caused the use of electricity to jump by 1,600 megawatts -- the equivalent of 640,000 kettles being boiled. During the England-Sweden game, the power surge was 1,800 megawatts.The record power surge took place on July 4, 1990, when the use of electricity jumped by 2,800 megawatts during the England-West Germany World Cup semifinal. World Cup games account for four of …

The New York Red Bulls fired Scotsman Mo Johnston as head coach and named assistant coach Richie Williams to coach the team on an interim basis until a new head coach is named.ôWe are a results-driven company,'' said Red Bull managing director Marc de Grandpre, ''and thatÆs what todayÆs decision is based on. Having only two wins through 12 games is unacceptable for our organization and above all else, our fans.öThe Red Bulls are 2-3-7 with wins over Chivas USA (May 20) and Los Angeles (June 17). Johnston first became the head coach on an interim basis last fall after …

By Ridge Mahoneyin Hamburg(This will the final installment regarding the U.S. performance in Germany, replete with references to criticisms, valid and otherwise.)FORMATION. The 4-5-1 formation used primarily by Bruce Arena took a lot of abuse, of course, since a simplistic, knee-jerk reaction is to deride it as defensive.Well, it ain't. With the outside players pushed up as wingers, the formation resembles a 4-3-3 used by many teams out to score goals. If the midfielders are deployed in two lines and use the middle third effectively, the formation can be solid defensively yet still spring attacks. And with the wide players …