Another Mexico game and another goal for 21-year-old star Javier Hernandez. Carlos Vela, the Tri’s other young star,also came off the bench and added a second goal three minutes later to give Mexico a 2-0 win over New Zealand before a sellout crowd of 90,526 at the Rose Bowl. Afterwards, Rafael Marquez, Mexico’s captain in […]
world cup
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
South Africa fails to beat team of teachers and part-timers
South Africa needed a 70th-minute goal from striker Katlego Mphela to earn a 1-1 tie with Namibia — ranked 109th in the world — in Durban but Carlos Alberto Parreira says there is no need to panic that the World Cup hosts couldn’t beat a team that included teachers and part-time professionals.
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Argentina comes to life, Germany disappoints
On a day when 28 of the 32 World Cup finalists were in action, the biggest surprise look place at Munich’s Allianz Arena, where Diego Maradona‘s Argentinastunned Germany, 1-0, on Gonzalo Higuain‘s goal in the 45th minute. The performance was perhaps Argentina’s best under Maradona. “We needed to showourselves we could do what we did […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Jeers for Domenech and Henry
France played its first game since its controversial game against Ireland qualified it for the World Cup, and it was treated to a hostile reception from the home crowd at the Stade de France. It only got when worse as the Bleus were outclassed by European champion Spain and fell, 2-0. Captain Thierry Henry left […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They're Saying
“We lost our concentration and it was a very bad time to give up a penalty.” — U.S. coach Bob Bradley on Jonathan Bornstein‘s terrible penalty that cost the Americans the first goal — late in the first half — in the Netherlands’ 2-1 win. (usssoccer.com)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Slovenia's big win belies offensive deficiencies
[WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN] Slovenia, the USA’s second opponent at the World Cup, struggled to score in the late stages of qualifying, but it poured it on againstQatar Wednesday in Maribor, winning, 4-1, in the last game it will have its foreign-based players before the end of the European season. Those deficiencies in front of the […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Algeria undone again by poor goalkeeping
[WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN] Such was the anticipation of Algeria’s World Cup warmup against Serbia in Algiers that the 70,000-seat Stade du 5 Juillet was filled threehours before gametime. Such was the crowd’s disappointment in the Desert Foxes’ performance that the stadium was half empty shortly after Dusko Tosic made it3-0 for Serbia in the 65th […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Assessing players on the bubble
[NETHERLANDS-USA] With no more games scheduled until late May, before which Bob Bradley is expected to name his 23-manroster, here’s a rundown of where players on the bubble stand after their performances in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to the Netherlands … UPGRADE: DaMarcus Beasley. Thrown into the fray unexpectedly by injury to Holden, he got lively […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
England has subs to thank for win
[WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN] After a torturous first half, during which Egypt went ahead, England recovered to beat the three-time African champion, 3-1, at WembleyStadium. Substitutes Peter Crouch and Shaun Wright-Phillips combined for the three goals and improved their chances ofearning tickets to the World Cup. At the start of the game, the crowd of 80,000 […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
U.S. Player Ratings
[NETHERLANDS-USA REPORT CARD] Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players after the USA’s 2-1 loss to theNetherlands in Amsterdam. USA: STARTERS: Rating/Player(Club/Country) GP/G 6 Tim Howard (Everton/ENG) 49/- 4 Jonathan Spector (West Ham/ENG) 24/0 5 Jay DeMerit (West Ham/ENG) 17/0 6 Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes/FRA) 77/123 Jonathan Bornstein (Chiovas USA) 29/2 5 Stuart Holden (Bolton […]