Barcelona coach Luis Enrique says the Spanish club will have to weigh the demands on Neymar as it decides whether to release him for the Olympic soccer tournament at the Rio Games, just as theydid for Lionel Messi in 2008. Neymar says he wants to be one of Brazil’s three over-age players at the Olympic […]
copa centenario
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
For once, USA starts off a year just as it's supposed to
By Ridge Mahoney (@ridgemax) Defensive miscues. Sloppy touches. Blown assignments. Confusion. These negative facetsof play have been part and parcel of U.S. friendlies played in January and early February, and they were present against Iceland a week ago Sunday and Canada last Friday. Iceland left most of itsstarters home yet scored twice, and Canada nearly […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Jozy shows he's still the man up front
By Paul Kennedy (@pkedit) U.S. soccer fans have a love-hate relationship with most of their big stars. For every fan wholoved Landon Donovan as the greatest American player of all time, you could find another who thought he was a wuss for failing in Germany. Fans are equally divided about MichaelBradley and Jozy Altidore. For […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They're Saying: Gerardo Martino
“Messi will not go to the Olympic Games.” — Argentina coach Gerardo Martino, saying Lionel Messi will play in the Copa Centenario in the United States and skip the Olympicslate in the summer in Brazil as it was “too much” for the Barcelona star to play both events. Argentina’s main focus: World Cup 2018 qualifying […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
TV Report: Fox Sports wins Copa Centenario rights
Fox Sports was awarded the English-language rights to the 2016 Copa America Centenario, which will be held June 3-26. All 32 matches will be broadcast live on Fox, FS1 and FS2. Thebroadcasts will be coupled with pregame and postgame shows as well as complimentary programming during the tournament. All games will also be available digitally […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Copa America Centenario draw set for Feb. 21
The draw for the USA-hosted Copa America Centenario, the special edition of the South American championship that will also include six Concacaf teams, will take place at a gala Sunday, Feb. 21 at 7:30p.m. ET, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. The draw will fill out the schedule that so far includes the […]
Posted inOff The Post, Story
Why Lionel Messi must play in Copa Centenario
Lionel Messi says he’d trade his five Ballons d’Or for one World Cup trophy. The Argentine was, of course, hypothetically speaking at the pre-FIFA awards gala on Monday before he was awarded afifth golden ball as the world’s best player. But he could win a sixth, seventh or eighth Ballon d’Or in the next three […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Panama and Haiti complete Copa Centenario field
The final two teams in this summer’s Copa America Centenario were determined as Panama and Haiti won Concacaf play-in games in Friday in Panama City. The host Canaleros crushed Cuba, 4-0, while Haitiedged Trinidad & Tobago, 1-0. Panama and Haiti join 2015 Gold Cup champion Mexico, 2013 Gold Cup champion and host United States, reigning […]
Posted inOff The Post, Story
Raid on Conmebol offices bodes badly for New Year
The Copa America Cententario has been green-lighted to be staged in the U.S. this summer, but roadblocks in the path forward continue to spring up. Less than three weeks beforescheduled elections to select a new president of Conmebol, the governing body of soccer in South America, Paraguayan authorities have raided the organization’s main offices near […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S.-based players called up for Copa Centenario play-ins
Four current MLS players — Panamanian Anibal Godoy (San Jose) and Trinidadians Cordell Cato (San Jose), Kevan George (Columbus) and Joevin Jones (Chicago) — are among theplayers in camp for Friday’s Copa Centenario play-in matches in Panama City: Panama vs. Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago vs. Haiti. Players from the NASL and USL were also […]