Former Nigerian international Uche Okafor, who played more than 100 games for MLS’s Kansas City, was found dead in his Texas home on Thursday. The Associated Pressreported that Okafor’s body was discovered Thursday by his wife, who left work and returned home when she was unable to reach him by phone. The Tarrant County Medical […]
obituary
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
OBITUARY: Avi Cohen (1956-2010)
Avi Cohen, the first Israeli player to play in England’s top league, died Wednesday from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident last week. Cohen, the longtime captain of the Israeli national team, was one the first Israeli players to sign for a major European team when he joined Liverpool in 1979 and scored both a […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
OBITUARY: Enzo Bearzot (1927-2010)
[ITALY] Enzo Bearzot, the pipe-smoking coach who led Italy to its 1982 World Cup championship, died after a long illnessat the age of 83. Bearzot took over the Azzurri in 1977 and coached one of the greatest generation of Italian players, led by Paolo Rossi, the starof their 1982 championship team. After scraping through the […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
OBITUARY: John Kluge (1914-2010)
John Kluge, one of the richest men in the United States and an original investor in Major League Soccer, died Tuesday at the age of 95. TheMetroStars were named after Metromedia, the media company Kluge owned for many years and made him a billionaire. Kluge and his business associate StuartSubotnick operated the MetroStars from their […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Caribbean soccer star gunned down in Brooklyn
St. Lucia national team striker Isidore Philip Tisson was gunned down execution-style Sunday night in Brooklyn hours after he had scored the winning goal tolead a team representing St. Lucia to the final of the annual Digicel Caribbean Cup. The St. Lucia team will play the championship game against Jamaica in honor of Tisson, killedoutside […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
OBITUARY: Francisco Varallo (1910-2010)
Argentine Francisco Varallo, the last surviving player from the first World Cup in 1930, died Monday at the age of 100. Varallo, nicknamednicknamed “Canoncito” (little canon) for his powerful shot, played in Argentina’s 4-2 loss in the final to Uruguay in Montevideo after missing the semifinals against the United States withan injury. “I was a […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Family kills fan in dispute over television
A South African soccer fan was beaten to death by his family because he wanted to watch the Germany-Australia World Cup game and they wanted to watch a gospel show. David Makweya was stabbed in the back and sustained head injuries, and was pronounced dead when the police arrived on the scene in the townof […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
World Cup performer dies suddenly
Siphiwo Ntshebe, the 34-year-old South African opera singer due to perform in the World Cup opening ceremonies, died Tuesday after a short battle withacute bacterial meningitis. Ntshebe, who was dubbed the “Black Pavarotti,” was rehearsing for the opening ceremonies at which he was scheduled to perform “Hope,” the personal message offormer president Nelson Mandela, when […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Colonel John McHugh, former Army goalie, remembered
Jeff Bradley, a sportswriter for ESPN The Magazine and younger brother of U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley,remembers Colonel John McHugh, who captained the 1985 Army men’s soccer team and was recently killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. Jeff Bradley and McHughwere teammates on the same American Legion baseball team in New Jersey. McHugh […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
OBITUARY: Walt Daggatt (1919-2010)
Walt Daggatt, founder of original Seattle Sounders, died Sunday at the age of 91 at his home in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Daggatt was managinggeneral partner of the ownership group that formed the Sounders and brought pro soccer to Seattle in 1974. The late Lamar Hunt, owner of the NorthAmerican Soccer League’s Dallas Tornado and NFL’s […]