[OFF THE POST] Wanting to be be good hosts, South Africa organizers asked competing teams to send the special requests that will make their stay in South Africathat much more enjoyable. Some lists were short — Slovakia only wanted two ping-pong tables and an electronic dartboard — but others bordered on the excessive. Argentina’s long […]
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Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Maradona aims to emulate Beckenbauer
At the World Cup in South Africa, Diego Maradona aims to achieve what only one other man has managed: Win the World Cup as a coach after lifting the trophy as a captain.German Franz Beckenbauer won in 1974 and as coach in 1990. Maradona was the hero of Argentina’s second and last World Cup title, […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Postseason club friendlies draw
[MAKING A LIST] Post-season tours by foreign clubs generally draw more poorly than pre-season tours. But even though they were missing many stars headed to theWorld Cup, clubs such as AC Milan, Juventus and Boca Juniors have drawn remarkably well, and Wednesday’s game between AC Milan and the Montreal Impact could attract the biggest crowd. […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They're Saying
“Maradona is the synthesis of Argentina, of Argentine identity. He came from dire poverty and went up so quickly in social status. … And he has crashed — been knocked out so manytimes and failed — just like the country.” — Guillermo Oliveta, president of the Argentina Marketing Association, explaining the popularityof Argentina coach Diego […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They're Saying
“The players can have sex with their wives and girlfriends during the World Cup. Players are not Martians. But he it should not be at 2 a.m. with champagne and Havana cigars.” –Argentina team doctor Donato Vallani. (AP)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Sounders rout Boca before big crowd
[MLS] Seattle soccer fans will turn out to see anyone. With the Sounders struggling in MLS, you’d forgive them if they passed on Wednesday’s friendly againstArgentina’s Boca Juniors, missing its star players, but a crowd of 40,122 watched Sounders win, 3-0. Roger Levesque gave the Sounders the leadshortly before halftime, and Pat Noonan and Michael […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Japan's Okada offers to quit
[WORLD CUP WARMUPS] Japan coach Takeshi Okada offered to quit after the Blue Samurai lost at home to archrival SouthKorea. Argentina coach Diego Maradona was pleased, but Australia’s Pim Verbeek was livid with two of his players.Meanwhile, Portugal’s Carlos Queiroz was surprisingly low key after his team’s 0-0 tie at home against Cape Verde Islands. […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Teenager Bowen leads Galaxy past Boca
[MLS] Three days after getting his first MLS start, academy product Tristan Bowen scored to lead the Los Angeles Galaxyto a 1-0 victory over Boca Juniors in an exhibition match Sunday night at the Home Depot Center. Bowen scored in the 83rd minute, taking a pass from rookie Michael Stephens. Goalie Josh Saunders made 13 […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Mighty Milito, King of Europe
[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Once again, an Argentine forward was the dominant figure of the European season. But this time, it wasn’t Lionel Messi. Two and a half weeks after his goal gave Inter Milan the Coppa Italia title and less than a week after he scored the goalthat clinched Inter’s fifth straight Italian league title, […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Maradona's latest media clash
[ARGENTINA] Diego Maradona and the press sure don’t go together. In the latest incident involving the Argentina nationalteam coach, he accidentally ran over the leg of a cameraman as he was driving to Wednesday’s press conference in Buenos Aires to announce his 23-player roster for the World Cup and was surrounded byjournalists and cameramen. To […]