The USA was forced to settle for a pair of ties in its first two games at the Four Nations Women's Tournament in Guangzhou, China. After opening with a 0-0 tie against reigning world champion Germany on Friday, Greg Ryan's Americans tied England, 1-1, on Sunday. The USA got its lone goal against England on a bullet header from forward Heather OÆReilly -- her ninth international goal -- on a cross from Natasha Kai in the 17th minute. England, which had the better of play with more dangerous attacking chances, equalized just two …

Colin Carmichael will take over as head coach of the Oklahoma State women's program with fellow co-coach Karen Hancock assuming the role of assistant coach. ôThis was completely my decision,ö said Hancock. ôIÆm a single mother and the job responsibilities of a head coach take up a lot of time. At this juncture, I think itÆs in my best interest to pass along those duties to Colin.ö Hancock and Carmichael coached together at South Alabama before they came to Oklahoma State in 1996 with Hancock serving as head coach and Carmichael as …

SMU has hired UCF men's coach Brent Erwin as its new women's coach. Prior to taking over the UCF men's soccer program in 2005, Erwin had served as the top assistant on the SMU men's staff for five seasons. He will take over for John Cossaboon, who left SMU for a position on the Gonzaga women's staff.

In a surprise move, Paula Wilkins, who has the second-highest winning percentage in the nation among active NCAA women's coaches, has left Penn State to take over the women's program at Big Ten rival Wisconsin. Wilkins compiled a 119-19-11 in six seasons as Penn StateÆs head coach, leading the Nittany Lions to six straight Big Ten regular-season championships, a pair of Big Ten tournament titles and two Women's College Cup appearances during her tenure. She coached such stars as Christie Welsh, the winner of the 2001 Hermann Trophy, Joanna Lohman and

The USA opened play Friday at the Four Nations Women's Tournament at Guangzhou, China, with a 0-0 tie with reigning world champion Germany. U.S. defender Cat Whitehill earned her 100th cap while captaining the USA to mark the occasion. The match was also the first career cap for forward Lauren Cheney, who played the first 45 minutes before giving way to Natasha Kai. Defender Stephanie Lopez got just her second career start and went the entire 90 minutes at left back in place of Lori Chalupny, who made her first start for the USA at the attacking …

By Ridge Mahoney Senior Editor, Soccer America By coming to MLS after more than dozen years overseas, Claudio Reyna has begun not only the final chapter of his playing career, but also closed out his tenure as the American who accomplished the most overseas. There are others with impressive resumes. John Harkes won trophies and played more times at Wembley than most Englishmen. Kasey Keller's arrival overseas preceded Reyna's and he's still there. Brad Friedel has been among the top keepers in the Premier League since he transferred to Blackburn in 2001. Brian McBride has scored goals consistently …

The Bundesliga resumes Friday after its six-week winter break but not before winter weather finally hit Germany. Snow and ice struck this week after unseasonably warm weather over the holiday season. Defending champion Bayern Munich opens the weekend slate Friday at Borussia Dortmund (TV: GolTV, live, 2:30 pm ET). Bayern finished the fall campaign in third place, three points behind leader Werder Bremen and second-place Schalke 04, and the big concern remains its midfield. Playmaker Sebastian Deisler retired during the break, ending at the age of 27 a once-promising career marred by injuries and personal personal problems. On …

Fadi Afash, a former star of the USL's Portland Timbers, pleaded guilty to stealing an estimated $137,000 from a retired couple and faces 17 months in prison time after pleading guilty to four counts of identity theft, forgery, theft and unlawful use of a check. The Columbian reported that Afash, 32, met the couple in 2004 at a Washington casino, where he gambled with the pair and gave them tickets to see him play with the Timbers. ''He just seemed like a real nice guy. He said, 'Do you want to come watch a soccer game?''' said one …

The MLS All-Stars will face Glasgow Celtic at the Colorado Rapids' Dick's Sporting Goods Park in the 2007 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game on July 19. Last year, the MLS All-Stars defeated EPL champ Chelsea, 1-0, in Bridgeview, Ill. The Columbus Crew re-signed defender Frankie Hejduk, 32, to a two-year contract. Hejduk, a U.S. veteran of the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, joined the Crew from German club Bayer Leverkusen in 2003 after starting his pro career with MLS's Tampa Bay Mutiny. In April of 2006 he suffered a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. …

Chad Ashton is leaving Denver after 10 years as the men's coach to take a position as assistant coach with MLS's D.C. United. Ashton's career record was 85-85-14, all as head coach of the Pioneers. He was the 2004 MPSF Coach of the Year and 2006 MPSF Co-Coach of the Year after guiding his team to an 11-5-2 record and a Soccer America Top 25 ranking for much of the second half of the season. The former North Carolina All-American played in MLS during a pro career that saw him play for six teams. Assistant men's coach …

Keith Tucker is out after 26 years as the men's head coach at Howard University, one of the great names in the history of men's college soccer. Tucker's current contract will not be renewed for the 2007 season after the Bison went 3-13-1 overall and 0-6-0 in the Atlantic Soccer Conference last fall. Tucker's overall record at the Washington, D.C., school is 182-175-47, but the Bison has a combined 24-60-10 record the past six years. Tucker, a former Howard player, succeeded Lincoln Phillips, who led Howard to national championships in 1971 and 1974. Howard's best season under Tucker …

The following clubs will compete in U.S. Club Soccer's 2007 Champions Cup April 5-8, at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.: Boys: Concorde Fire; CASL Elite; Colorado Rush; Internationals; Los Angeles FC; PA Classics; San Juan SC; Scott Gallagher. Girls: Albertson SA; CASL Spartan Elite; Colorado Rush; FC Delco; Internationals; Los Angeles FC; San Juan SC; Weston Fury. Clubs accumulate points for results at U13, U15 and U17/U18 age groups in the invitation-only event.

The USA opens play against defending world champion Germany Friday (kickoff: 3 am ET) at the Four Nations Tournament in Guangzhou, China. Both teams will be without key players. U.S. coach Greg Ryan is without his strike force of Abby Wambach and Kristine Lilly. Germany coach Silvia Neid didn't bring regulars Birgit Prinz, Kerstin Garefrekes, Sandra Minnert, Renate Lingor and Steffi Jones to China. The most experienced U.S. players are Kate Markgraf (153 caps) and Briana Scurry (158 caps). Defender Cat Whitehill is at 99 caps and will likely join the century club Friday. She would become the 19th …

U.S. coach Bob Bradley has called in 26 players to a training camp that will begin on Thursday at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., to prepare for the showdown with archrival Mexico on Feb. 7 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. In addition to the 26 players arriving in California on Thursday, Bradley submitted releases for eight U.S. players based in Europe. Per FIFA rules, requests for the release of players must be sent no later than 15 days prior to match day. The final decision on which European-based players will travel to Phoenix …

BEAS BUZZ. With Claudio Reyna joining the New York Red Bulls, the question becomes: are there any other U.S. internationals bound for these shores? Real Salt Lake would take DaMarcus Beasley yesterday, of course. Yet since he's on loan from PSV Eindhoven to Manchester City, which just terminated Reyna's contract so he could join MLS, any transfer is complicated by the FIFA transfer windows. PSV would have to take Beasley back from Manchester City before January 31, when the European transfer window closes, and then transfer him to MLS. Not impossible, but very complicated …