Mid-Continent of Kentucky was the only NAIA Top 10 men's team that remained unbeaten from the Sept. 20 rankings after Embry-Riddle's pair of losses. Joe Zakowicz's Cougars, ranked No. 9 this week, are 4-0-2. The only other unbeaten NAIA teams in this week's Top 25 are Oklahoma's Science & Arts at No. 7 and Fresno Pacific at No. 12.

No. 3 Maryland hosts No. 7 Duke Friday night in the NSCAA Match of the Week on Fox Soccer Channel (live, 8 pm ET). The match features two of the country's top sophomore strikers. Maryland's Graham Zusi, last week's Soccer America Player of the Week, has tallied a point in each of the Terps' last four matches with a goal against N.C. State, the game-winning goal and an assist against Penn State, the game-winning goal at Wake Forest and an assist against Loyola (Md.). Duke's Mike Grella, an All-ACC Freshman selection last season, has seven goals and …

No. 2 North Carolina won its 11th game in a row with a 2-0 win at Clemson thanks to first-half goals by freshman defender Ali Hawkins and sophomore midfielder Yael Averbuch. Sophomore Anna Rodenbough picked up her eighth solo shutout of the season in the Tar Heels' 12 games. No. 3 Florida State's troubles with Virginia as the No. 11 Cavaliers held the Seminoles to a 0-0 tie. Virginia remains the only ACC team Florida State has never beaten. The Cavs lead the series 13-0-2. In other ACC action, No. 16 Wake Forest endured a hour-long rain delay …

The U.S. U-17 boys national team will train in Uruguay and Argentina for the entire month of October. The U-17s will begin their month-long tour by spending five days in Montevideo, Uruguay, before traveling to Argentina, where they will split time training in Buenos Aires, San Luis and Rosario. U-17 coach John Hackworth named a 24-player roster to travel to South America, while the remaining 16 resident players will remain in Bradenton, Fla., to continue to train and play games. HackworthÆs four assistant coaches û Raul Diaz Arce, Keith Fulk, Brian Maisenneuve and Tim Mulqueen û will split time …

Longtime North Carolina coach Anson Dorrance has called it the biggest change in women's soccer in the last decade. Canadian players have played a growing role in the success of nationally ranked teams. In 2002 and 2005, Canada national team star Christine Sinclair led Portland to NCAA Division I titles. In 2004, Canadian Katie Thorlakson was instrumental in Notre Dame's championship run. Fourteen of the 23 foreigners who are starting for teams in the Soccer America Women's Top 25 are Canadians. Unbeaten West Virginia has surged into the No. 7 spot with the help of three Canadian …

With three games left in the regular season, three teams have clinched playoff berths - D.C. United, FC Dallas and the Chicago Fire. Nine are vying for the remaining five playoff berths. Here's how this weekend's six games can shape the postseason. SATURDAY, Sept. 30 NEW ENGLAND-COLORADO 7:30 pm ET. TV: Direct Kick, FSN-NE. New England clinches a playoff spot with a win OR if New York fails to beat Chicago. Colorado clinches with a win if Real Salt Lake loses to Kansas City. NEW YORK-CHICAGO 7:30 pm ET. TV: HDNet If New York loses and Kansas City …

Three-time champ Rochester Rhinos host final debutant Vancouver in the USL-1 championship game on Saturday (live at 7 pm ET on Fox Soccer Channel). If the Rhinos win the title of the nation's second-tier league they'll set the title record at four; defending champion Seattle Sounders having also lifted the crown three times.

Energy drink Red Bull, which owns the New York MLS franchise of the same name, is launching a U-17 national championship that comprises 16 teams and consists of four weekend-long tournaments, the first of which takes place Nov. 17-19, 2006, in Raleigh, N.C., in conjunction with the Capital Area Soccer League (CASL) Shootout. ''Red Bull National League 17 further demonstrates Red Bull's commitment to soccer in this country,'' says Bruce Arena, the New York Red Bulls head coach and sporting director. ''This will give young players the opportunity to compete against not just the best clubs in their …

The Madrid derby between second-place Real and fifth-place Atletico (TV: Gol TV, Sunday, live, 12 pm ET) takes on new significance this year as both teams are off to strong starts. This weekend's headline match at Real's Bernabeu Stadium pits Real coach Fabio Capello and against Atletico's Javier Aguirre, the former NASL player. Both clubs are hoping to end Barcelona's two-year reign as champion. Real Madrid hasn't won the Spanish league title since 2003, while Atletico's drought extends back to 1996. For Real Madrid, Ronaldo could make his first league appearance of the season. In his absence, new …

Field hockey coach Bernhard Peters, who became the symbol of Juergen Klinsmann's efforts to remake German soccer, was finally hired by the German federation (DFB) to work as an ''external advisor'' two weeks after he led Germany to a second straight field hockey World Cup title. Peters, 46, was Klinsman's choice for the job of sports director to restructure German soccer, an aging game short on talent and increasingly dependent at the professional level of the mass importation of foreign players. Klinsmann, who quit as German national team coach following the 2006 World Cup, wanted German soccer to adapt …

By Mike WoitallaExecutive Editor, Soccer America MagazineThe U.S. Soccer Federation is reevaluating the nation's approach to youth player development and coaching education.Even before the USA's unsatisfactory performance at the 2006 World Cup, U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati, elected in March, decided to launch a complete review of all the Federation's technical areas.''We're going to try to look at the picture as broadly as possible,'' says Kevin Payne, who is chairing the Technical Committee that Gulati has assigned to make the reevaluation. ''We'll look at the U-17 program, at the coaching schools, the methodology of disseminating coaching thoughts.''I think a …

How over-coaching and the emphasis on winning stifle young American talent.The little boy dribbled and kept dribbling. He had taken the ball away from the midfield pack and zoomed toward his own goal. This surprised the other children and allowed him to keep the ball to himself for much longer than any player had managed during this U-8 game.Having put some 15 yards between himself and the other players, he slowed down and seemed to marvel at all the territory he now had to himself. He started making a wide U-turn and flashed a big smile.He moved down the sideline …

By Bryan Alvarez Assistant Editor, Soccer America MagazineOn the field, they played in Freddy Adu's shadows. Even today they marvel at the moves he executed, contributing to the making of a legend. Off the field, they were Freddy's older brothers, all two years older than the phenom who entered the U.S. U-17 residency program in Bradenton, Fla., at the age of 13. For two years, they lived together. Then after the 2003 Under-17 World Championship, where the team finished fifth, they went their separate ways. Freddy joined D.C. United. But most went on to college -- and stayed. This is …

By Ridge MahoneySenior Editor, Soccer America MagazineBy forming a provision by which ''homegrown'' players can sign pro contracts and bypass the leagueÆs distribution procedures, MLS has provided incentive for teams to get serious about finding and developing talent.Argentinos Juniors isnÆt the equal of glamorous Buenos Aires neighbors River Plate and Boca Juniors, yet it was the first professional club to sign Diego Maradona, who debuted for the club at age 16.Visit the clubÆs youth facility, and you wonÆt see any trophies or championship banners. What you will see, on a free-standing white wall, painted in red, are the names of …

UCLA lost its leading scorer, sophomore forward Maxwell Griffin (5 goals, 1 assist), for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee, and transfer Tony Beltran will have a right ankle arthroscopy on Friday and will be out 6-8 weeks. The Bruins are already without former U-17 defender Brandon Owens (torn ACL suffered in the spring) as well as defender Edwige Ligonde and forward Robert Georgiefski.