What's New Nationally & Internationally...
Sunday, June 08, 2003
| Home, sweet home |
| Marc Connolly / ESPN.Com |
| Bruce Arena has been known to call the Home Depot Center
"his facility." He has a point, as the sparkling new complex in
Carson, Calif., will be home to U.S. Soccer's National Training Center.
Say goodbye to those two-week sessions at the Sunrise Hilton in the middle
of Stripmallville, Florida, fellas. You now have a home.
Of course, Sigi Schmid and the Los Angeles Galaxy will also call the HDC home from now on. From the looks of their new facility, even the pain of a 0-4-4 start might be all worth it for the defending champions. By the end of Saturday afternoon's match against the Colorado Rapids, the Riot Squad should be settled in, as well. There are no more excuses for this group of rabid fans. You have one hell of a home now. With the new digs, you should have as easy of a time adding new members as Columbia House does. The HDC is so important to MLS and the Anschutz Entertainment Group that if you're not up to par as far as supporters groups go, replacements might be flown in from across the Pond. Speaking of Phil Anschutz - if he feels like striding around the 27,000-seat soccer palace or anywhere within the 85-acre complex he built on the campus of Cal State - Dominguez Hills wearing nothing but his championship ring, so be it. That's what you get when you pony up another $150 million to help a sport that wouldn't have a true professional league in this country without his checkbook. It's his home, too. Yet, even though Messiah Anschutz might get the big piece of chicken at dinner, no one person, team or organization can truly call the Home Depot Center home. From this point on, the HDC is simply home to all of us who support American soccer. Forget the pooh-bahs in Chicago, the MLS folks in New York City, the media and everyone else who has some cache in the world of U.S. soccer - it's more about the people you don't hear too much about. For those of you who've scheduled a vacation or two around a U.S. qualifier, this is your home. If you've ever stayed up late endlessly hoping for "Matchtracker" to update some meaningless friendly in a non-World Cup year, welcome home. Even if you loathe Cobi Jones and his squad out in La La Land because you stuck with the Revs through the Walter Zenga regime, or bought that first Tampa Bay Mutiny gamer, or were patient with the Metros through all these years, the HDC is yours too. With the type of locker rooms (10), weight room (3,000 square feet), luxury suites (48), restaurant, TV production rooms and player lounges that are normally reserved for NFL stadiums in America, the HDC is truly a landmark.It will not only immediately leapfrog that beautiful soccer-specific park in Columbus to take reign atop the soccer stadium world in this country, but it will also take its place among the world's best before long. The HDC won't have an endless amount of seats like the Rose Bowl or contain anything like a retractable dome that is more associated with baseball and football stadiums. Instead, the HDC has a European feel. It won't be like the Old Soccer Church that is Wembley, which was large enough to accommodate any sort of match, concert or event. But it will have nuances that seasoned English Premier League followers might recognize from Old Trafford (Manchester United), White Hart Lane (Tottenham) and Stamford Bridge (Chelsea). The roof over the seating areas gives it an established look, as well, and will certainly help the Riot Squad sound more like Quiet Riot than the noise produced by the usual show-up-late/leave-early type of fans of other teams in SoCal. In a perfect world, such a Mecca wouldn't have a corporate sponsor tagged to it. But the "Victoria Street" moniker doesn't cut the honey mustard in my book, either. It could be worse, though. A fly-by-night wireless phone company or some Dot Com could have its name right up there, which is always the first sign to the local staffers to order the small bulk of stationary pads and logos before it's changed (We hardly knew ye, CMGI Field). Plus, if we're to have soccer-loving tourists from around the world visit our showcase stadium, it might as well have something to do with The Home Depot. What's more American than that? The overseas tourists will come, too ... in time. Just wait until the Women's World Cup final is played there this fall (we all know it's headed there) or the first big qualifier is held. That's when the real buzz will start. And don't think that a stadium doesn't have such drawing power. I've run into way too many French and German exchange students on their way to Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park who have never even seen a baseball glove and think that "Nomar Garciaparra" is some exotic island in the Caribbean. This weekend's opening of the Home Depot Center isn't in itself a statement that soccer in America has arrived. But it will be some summer afternoon in the near future when 27,000-plus crazies are making it as loud as the Boston Garden in the '80s, and with the passion of a typical Sunday afternoon at Lambeau. It may not come right away, as soccer fans have only seen glimpses of this fandom in the past whether it was at the Rose Bowl for U.S.-China in '99 or at MLS Cup at Gillette last October, but having the Home Depot Center open just one year after the U.S. reached a quarterfinal at the World Cup seems to make witnessing such scenes a lot more of a reality than ever before. With the HDC, everything seems possible. Welcome home, soccer fans. |
May / June 2003
Rosters
for McDonald's All American High School Games Announced
23 players from
U.S. National Team among the top high school seniors
Seventy-two of the
nation’s top high school boy and girl soccer players have been named to play
in the second annual McDonald’s All American High School Soccer Games –
Powered by POWERade, scheduled for Sunday, June 15 at Blackbaud Stadium on
Daniel Island in Charleston, S.C.
Selected by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), the 36 boys and 36 girls hail from 23 states and represent the “cream of the crop” among seniors competing during the 2002-2003 school year.
“We are pleased to carry on the tradition of honoring top scholastic athletes who excel in their chosen sport,” said John Lewicki, Director of McDonald’s U.S. Sports Marketing. “The McDonald’s All American High School Soccer Games are an outstanding platform to showcase the skills of America’s top high school soccer players, many of whom will go on to careers in college and the professional ranks.”
"Our selection committee has worked long hours to identify the best players nationwide for the McDonald's All American High School Soccer Games,” said Janet Rayfield, President of the NSCAA and Women’s Soccer Coach at the University of Illinois. “The talented young men and women who will take the field in Charleston will ensure a tremendous event and two highly competitive matches.”
Leading the list of All Americans is Zachary Riffett from Brenham High School in Brenham, Texas, the 2003 NSCAA/adidas Boys Player of the Year. Riffett, who is headed to Boston University, helped his team to the state 4A final as a sophomore while earning tournament Most Valuable Player and state player of the year honors. A three-year letterman, two-time all-region and all-state selection, he was the co-district defensive MVP in 2001 and was named Brenham’s soccer MVP in 2002.
Other outstanding male players who will represent their high schools in this prestigious game include Jonathan Spector from St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, Ill., who will be going overseas to play professionally for English Premier League powerhouse Manchester United; and Danny Karbassiyoon from Northside High School in Roanoke, Va., who will be playing professionally for Arsenal, another of the top English Premier League teams. In addition, there are 23 players from the United States U-17 and U-18 National Teams.
The All American Girls team is highlighted by Katherine Krambeer from Osseo Senior High School in Brooklyn Park, Minn., who will be attending Texas A&M. Krambeer played on the US U-16 National Team and most recently was a member of the US Youth Soccer adidas All Star team that traveled to Europe for competition. Her club team finished second in the nation in 2002 and “Student Sports” named Krambeer to the All Tournament Team. Krambeer was the leading scorer in Minnesota high school play and was named Minnesota’s “Ms. Soccer.” She is also the state long jump champion.
Among the outstanding female players named to play in the event there are a number of U-17/U-19 US national pool players, including; Elizabeth Guess and Jessica Maxwell, who both will attend the University of North Carolina; Ashley Foster, Amy Burlingham and Carrie Schmit, who will be teammates at the University Texas in the fall; and University of Virginia-bound Shannon Foley and Becky Sauerbrunn.
McDonald’s is once again teaming up with POWERade, a Coca-Cola brand; adidas, the world’s leading soccer brand; and the NSCAA to sponsor this All Star event. Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and adidas all support soccer worldwide and are official sponsors of the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup. It is, therefore, natural for the All Star event to be “powered by” POWERade, “selected by” the NSCAA, and “equipped by” adidas. In addition, Delta Airlines is the official airline for the Games.
“For many years soccer has been one of the fastest growing team sports in the United States, and POWERade is proud to sponsor this event that showcases the top high school soccer student athletes in the country,” said David Preston, Senior Brand Manager for POWERade.
The games are scheduled to be played Sunday night, June 15, at Blackbaud Stadium, home of the Charleston Battery of the A-League. The girls’ East-West game kicks off at 5 p.m. (EST), followed by the boys’ East-West Game, which begins at 7 p.m. (EST). An All American fireworks celebration will immediately follow the games.
Founded in 1941, the NSCAA has grown into the nation's largest coaches organization regardless of sport. Its 16,000 members coach at all levels of the game and are dedicated to coaching education as well as recognizing achievement in soccer. The NSCAA's annual convention is the world's largest gathering of soccer coaches.
adidas will be the Official Supplier of Soccer Products for the McDonald’s All American High School Soccer Games. adidas is the leading manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of soccer products worldwide and in the United States. adidas is also one of the world’s most successful sporting goods companies, supplying products for more Olympic sports than any other manufacturer and distributing products in approximately 160 countries.
POWERade, a brand of The Coca-Cola Company, is a system of high performance sports drinks that are engineered to satisfy hydration and energy needs. The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s leading non-alcoholic beverage manufacturer, marketer, and distributor and produces more than 230 brands that reach almost 200 countries.
McDonald’s is the world’s leading foodservice retailer, with more than 30,000 restaurants serving over 46 million people each day in 119 countries. Approximately 80 percent of McDonald’s U.S. restaurants are owned and operated by independent local businessmen and women.
The McDonald’s All American High School Soccer Games are managed by Sports Events International.
Complete team rosters follow:
BOYS EAST SQUAD ROSTER
Name, High School, Hometown, College/Club
Corey Ashe, Edison Academic Center, Virginia Beach, Va., North Carolina
William Chiles, Spring Brook, Silver Spring, Md., Rutgers
Issac Collings, Oriskany Central, Oriskany, N.Y., Syracuse
Adam Cristman, Mills E. Godwin, Glen Allen, Va., Virginia
Steve Curfman, Edison Academic Center, Raleigh, N.C., Wake Forest
Jon Eggert, Riverside , Greer, S.C., South Carolina
Brian Grazier, Texas Tech, Edwardsville, Ill., Saint Louis
Will Hall, St. John The Baptist, Shirley, N.Y., Virginia
Michael Harrington, Edison Academic Center, Greenville, N.C., North Carolina
Drew Harrison, Edison Academic Center, Roanoke, Va., Virginia
Kyle Helton, Edison Academic Center, Alpharetta, Ga., Duke
Danny Karbassiyoon, Northside , Roanoke, Va., Arsenal
Phillip Marfuggi, Edison Academic Center, Highstown, N.J., Clemson
Nathan Norman, Rochester Adams, Rochester, Mich., Notre Dame
Olatomiwa Ogunsola, Edison Academic Center, Woodbridge, Va., Clemson
Jacob Peterson, Edison Academic Center, Portage, Mich.,
Indiana
Georgios Spanos, St. John the Baptist, West Islip, N.Y., St. John’s
Jonathan Spector, St. Viator, Arlington Heights, Ill.,
Manchester United
Coaches:
Rob Wilcher, T.C. Roberson High School, Fletcher, N.C.
Brian Gibney, Shawnee High School, Shamong, N.J.
BOYS WEST SQUAD ROSTER
Name, High School, Hometown, College/Club
Chad Barrett, Southridge, Beaverton, Ore., UCLA
Taylor Canel, Sherman Oaks, Sherman Oaks, Calif., UCLA
Adrian Chevannes, Edison Academic Center, Fort Worth, Texas, Clemson
Kenny Cooper, Jesuit, Plano, Texas, SMU
Greg Dalby, Poway, Poway, Calif., Notre Dame
John DiRaimondo, Texas Tech, St. Louis, Mo., Saint Louis
Ian Etherington, Chaparral , Temecula, Calif., Notre Dame
Patrick Ianni, Lodi , Lodi, Calif., UCLA
Vedad Ibisevic, Roosevelt , St. Louis, Mo., Saint Louis
William John, Rockhurst Jesuit, Overland Park, Kan., Saint Louis
Andrew Kartunen, San Clemente , San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Stanford
Alex Matteson, Chaminade College Prep, Chesterield, Mo., Saint Louis
Ramon Nunez, Texas Tech, Dallas, Texas, SMU
Brandon Owens, Edison Academic Center, Marietta, Calif., UCLA
Zachary Riffett, Brenham , Brenham, Texas, Boston University
Marcus Ryan, Chatfield , Littleton, Colo., Stanford
Jamie Watson, Edison Academic Center, Coppell, Texas, North Carolina
Chase Wileman, Edison Academic Center, Dallas, Texas, SMU
Coaches:
Mike Davis, Catlin-Gabel School, Portland, Ore.
William Hosea, J.L. Mann High School, Greer, S.C.
GIRLS EAST SQUAD ROSTER
Name, High School, Hometown, College
Jessica Bayne, Triad, Troy, Ill., Illinois
Ali Christoph, Columbus School for Girls, Columbus, Ohio, Tennessee
Megan Connors, Westfield, Westfield, N.J., North Carolina State
Nikki Cross, Notre Dame Academy, Pembroke, Mass., Connecticut
Heather Ferron, Brookfield Central , Brookfield, Wis., Boston College
Ashley Foster, Clarke Central, Athens, Ga., Texas
Elizabeth Guess, Athens Academy, Athens, Ga., North Carolina
Sarah Johnson, Breck School, Shorewood, Minn., Dartmouth
Ashley Kennedy, Saint Mary's, Edgewater, Md., Maryland
Katherine Krambeer, Osseo, Brooklyn Park, Minn., Texas A&M
Jenny Maurer, East Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, Mass., Boston College
Abi Nicholas, Wando, Mt. Pleasant, S.C., College of Charleston
Laura Odorczyk, Our Lady of Mercy, Pittsford, N.Y., Harvard
Meghan Pipkens, Holt, Holt, Mich., Indiana
Sara Sample, St. Mary's, Annapolis, Md., George Washington
India Trotter, St. Thomas Aquinas, Plantation, Fla., Florida State
Megan Tuura, St. Pius X Catholic, Tucker, Ga., Michigan
Missy Vierling, Cincinnati Country Day, Cincinnati, Ohio, Indiana
Coaches:
Jack Pickard, Westminster Schools, Atlanta, Ga.
Frank Ridlehoover, Hillcrest High School, Simpsonville, S.C.
GIRLS WEST SQUAD ROSTER
Name, High School, Hometown, College
Nadia Al-Lami, Harbor, Santa Cruz, Calif., California
Amy Burlington, Newport Harbor, Costa Mesa, Calif., Texas
Mary Castelanelli, Tokay, Lodi, Calif., UCLA
Marian Dalmy, Green Mountain, Lakewood, Colo., Santa Clara
Tina Estrada, Washington, Fremont, Calif., Santa Clara
Kari Evans, Mountain Ridge, Glendale, Ariz., Portland
Priscilla Fite, MacArthur, Colleyville, Texas, Texas
Shannon Foley, Santa Margarita Catholic, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.,
Virginia
Anna Key, Bishop O'Dowd, Oakland, Calif., California
Stephanie Lopez, Elk Grove, Elk Grove, Calif., Portland
Jessica Maxwell, Colleyville Heritage, Colleyville, Texas, North Carolina
Kelsey Rasmussen, Bellarmine Prep, Gig Harbor, Wash., Washington
Tiffany Roberts, Arcadia, Phoenix, Ariz., Santa Clara
Beck Sauerbrunn, Ladue Horton Watkins, St. Louis, Mo., Virginia
Carrie Schmit, Grossmont, La Mesa, Calif., Texas
Shari Summers, Valencia , Canyon Country, Calif., Stanford
Nikki Thaden, Vickey Poole, Clive, Iowa, Texas
Caitlin Ursini, San Pedro, San Pedro, Calif., UCLA
Coaches:
Maureen McVey, St. Joseph Academy, St. Louis, Mo.
Frank Dixon, Carmel High School, Carmel, Ind.
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Friday May 23, 2003
U.S. vs. Sweden
FIFA likely to decide Women's World Cup site Monday
NEW YORK The site of this year's Women's World Cup probably will be announced Monday.
The United States and Sweden were the only nations to submit complete bids to host the 16-nation tournament, and soccer's governing body is awaiting the votes of the eight members of its emergency committee.
"The folder has been given to the emergency committee," FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren said Friday. Asked when a decision will be made, Herren said, "It is likely to be made Monday."
FIFA president Sepp Blatter, chairman of the committee, has called the United States the "front-runner" to take over the quadrennial championship, which had been scheduled in China from Sept. 23 to Oct. 11.
FIFA's executive committee decided May 3 to move the tournament because of SARS.
"If chosen, we're ready to hit the ground running," U.S. Soccer Federation president Bob Contiguglia said Friday.
The Canadian Soccer Association announced late Thursday that it was withdrawing its bid to host one group of the tournament in Edmonton, Alberta, in the event the rest of the tournament was awarded to the United States.
The decision was made after discussions with Jack Warner, a FIFA emergency committee member who also is president of soccer's governing body for North and Central American and the Caribbean (CONCACAF).
CSA president Andy Sharpe said the withdrawal was made "in an effort to provide CONCACAF with a unanimous bid to host the World Cup."
"We are convinced Edmonton would have been an excellent host city, but we must consider importance of showing solidarity within our Confederation," Sharpe said.
The original U.S. bid, according to FIFA, proposed using stadiums in Carson, Calif.; Columbus, Ohio; San Jose, Calif.; and Washington, D.C. It also proposed possibly having the final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., where the Americans won the 1999 championship game in front of a crowd of 90,125.
Contiguglia says the USSF and FIFA are now discussing having the tournament in four-to-seven stadiums.
| Friday, May 16, 2003 |
| Associated Press |
| BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Soccer returned to Iraq on Friday and a
near-capacity crowd cheered former World Cup captain Rad Hamoudi, who
watched from the sideline after years of exile.
Iraqi champion Police beat al-Zawra 2-1 in the first soccer match in Iraq since the downfall of Saddam Hussein last month. But the result hardly mattered. "This is a happy day, a new day for Iraq and Iraqi soccer,'' said Hamoudi, who captained the World Cup team in 1986 before he was forced to flee Saddam's regime two years later. "This exhibition match is very important, although the result itself isn't important at all.'' Troops were sent by the United States and British led administration to provide security for the match, which was billed as a symbolic fresh start. A squad of U.S. infantrymen watched discreetly from the cool shade of a hallway at the edge of the field. Al-Zawra's 10,000-seat stadium in downtown Baghdad was nearly full well before the start of the match. The crowd cheered Hamoudi, long considered one of the Arab world's best goalkeepers. Hamoudi left Iraq in 1988 when he quarreled with Saddam's son, Odai, who was in charge of sports in the country. Odai, who also oversaw Iraq's Olympic Committee, has been accused of punishing athletes who failed to perform to his standards. The popular former goalie returned this month from Jordan and is now helping reorganize the country's soccer federation. Hamoudi said the first priority is to get the national team back into qualifying for the 2004 Olympics in Athens. "That's why today's game is so important,'' he said. "It shows to the world that we will be able to take part in that competition.'' FIFA, soccer's ruling body, plans to help Iraq restart its 20-team domestic first league and prepare the national team for international tournaments. Soccer is by far the most popular sport in this country of 24 million people, and the national team was considered an Asian powerhouse in the 1980s. "My experience in the Arab world is that soccer is far more
important than politics,'' said John Sawers, British special
representative for Iraq. "The fact that people are getting back out
to play soccer - it's another sign that people are re-establishing normal
lives in this country.'' |
May 14, 2003
China philosophical over
tournament switch
FIFA
A woman wearing a protective face mask
walks past Shanghai Stadium May 5, 2003, one of several venue stadiums
for the Women's World Cup Soccer Finals. FIFA, soccer's governing body,
said on Saturday in Zurich it was moving the Women's World Cup to
another country after consulting with the World Health Organization. The
move came as a result of China's struggle to contain Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS ). The tournament was scheduled to be held
from Sept. 23 to Oct. 11. REUTERSClaro Cortes IV |
“We were working in the LOC office when we first heard the news,” general operations officer Li Xiaoguang told the media. His predecessor, Feng Jianmeng, admitted that he had “shed some tears” on hearing the news, commenting: “I spent 700 days with our guys to prepare for the event but now it has left us.”
On 3 May, FIFA’s Executive Committee made the heart-wrenching yet unavoidable decision to relocate the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2003 because of health concerns posed by the SARS virus. Both the Football Association of the People’s Republic of China (CFA) and LOC were quick to respond to the news.
“We understand and respect FIFA’s decision as their chief responsibility is to protect the health of all participants,” Yuan Weimin, a director of the China Sports Bureau and CFA, said in an official statement the next day. “Although the decision is a heavy loss for us, we will continue to cooperate with FIFA. We extend our best wishes to the inheritors of the competition.”
Zhang Jianqiang, the CFA’s director of women’s football, acknowledged that nobody was to blame for the situation, preferring instead to look to the future: “We still have the 2004 Asian Cup, and probably the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2007. We will keep working.”
While the CFA and LOC began the long process of cancellation, the players themselves appeared philosophical.
“It is no use discussing if the decision is good or bad, the most important thing for us is how to prepare for the upcoming games,” said Sun Wen, who was voted third at last year’s FIFA World Player of the Year awards.
“Everything has two sides. On the one hand, we will lose the support of the home fans. But on the other, we don’t need to face the pressure and expectation of having to perform.” China’s top striker, who celebrated her 30th birthday on April 6th, said she would keep up her strict training regime in order to be at her best wherever the tournament is held.
“We were expected to win the World Cup simply because we were the hosts,” said midfielder Pan Lina. “I think we could perform even better now that the tournament has been moved.” China’s coach Ma Liangxing showed no surprise at the change of venue. “I’m sure that knowing people are suffering at home will just encourage our players to perform even better.”
The question now is who will replace China as hosts of the competition scheduled to be held between 23 September and 11 October.
Wen Lirong, a veteran defender who played for North Carolina in the WUSA,
expressed her own particular preference. “Sweden would be a nice place to host
the World Cup as its football infrastructure is good and it possesses a pleasant
environment. Women’s football is developing very steadily there,” she said.
“But the USA would be good too as they have experience at hosting such
international events and, perhaps more importantly, they have the enthusiasm
needed.”
Tuesday May 13, 2003 2:21 PM
Off day for
RefereeLiberal interpretation of offside law helps Real Madrid
By Brian Glanville, World Soccer
OVER this week's return European semifinal in Turin between Juventus and Real Madrid hung the deeply unsatisfactory "offside" goal with which Real won in the Bernabeu.
When Brazil's Roberto Carlos struck his shot past Gianluigi Buffon, there were, notoriously, no fewer than three and maybe even four Real players well offside. Norwegian referee Hauge went through the formality of consulting his linesman, whose flag had gone up, but then he gave the goal. Why? Plainly on the grounds that Buffon's sight line had not been blocked and that in consequence, three offsiders were neither seeking to gain an advantage (really?) nor were they attempting to interfere with the play or an opponent.
The offside law being drafted as it is, Hauge could claim that he had done nothing illegitimate. But as Billy Shankly used to say in his days as Liverpool manager, "If a player isn't interfering with the play, what's he doing on the field?"
The whole concept is all too vague, all too subjective, and the fallout from this contentious decision could be astronomical. For henceforth, how can defenders do what they have done for generations; move out quickly in line when the ball is cleared out of their penalty box? What confidence can they have, however many opponents they may leave in their wake, that when the ball comes back and goes to another of them, the players behind them won't be deemed onside?
I would submit that the Real Madrid three were by definition seeking to gain an advantage; otherwise why were they where they were? In addition, even if Buffon's sight line wasn't impeded, how did Hauge or anyone else know to what extent he may have been distracted by the presence of those three opponents bang in front of him?
Yes, there can be times when a referee is entitled to assume that a player isn't, however far offside, interfering with the play.
Remember the remarkable, decisive goal that West Bromwich Albion's Tony Brown scored against Leeds United years ago at Elland Road, running half the length of the field unchallenged, while the late Jeff Astle, the Albion center forward, stood marooned in enemy territory? Jeff certainly wasn't in any position to interfere with play. Brown scored, Leeds lost, and therefore lost the championship as well. Irate fans invaded the pitch, but referee Ray Tinkler stood by his decision.
Hauge's, I submit, was essentially wrong.
May 8th, 2003
 |
Soccer
Concussions
(Aired on HBO first week of May 2003) According to a study conducted by Dr. Ruben Echemendia at Penn State University, 50% of soccer players entering college had already sustained at least one concussion. While many injuries are caused in collisions with goalposts or other players, medical experts are now studying whether repeated heading of the ball can cause damage to the brain as well. In response to the frequency of injuries, a protective headband was developed that would provide protection without affecting play, but there has been some opposition to the push to wear them. The National Federation of High Schools prohibits protective headgear on the field and maintains that players who have already suffered serious enough injuries to require headgear should be more cautious about returning to play. (New position by NFHS since HBO airing) What is the solution for athletes like Lauren West of North Rowen High
in North Carolina, who wishes to play on, but does not want to be exposed
to the dangers of a second concussion? |
May 08, 2003
Goodwill games
Arizona politician suggests soccer match between U.S., Iraq
WASHINGTON (AP) -- An Arizona congressman is suggesting a series of soccer matches between the United States and Iraq in an effort to build goodwill between the countries.
Rep. J.D. Hayworth sent a letter Tuesday to U.S. Soccer Federation president Bob Contiguglia suggesting a series of games in the United States, and Iraq once the Iraqi national team is re-established. The Republican from Maricopa County said proceeds should be used for relief work in Iraq.
"It hasn't been something that is immediately on our radar because our 2003 schedule is set, but we're always looking to play games against countries from all over the world and we're definitely not opposed to using soccer to unite people," said Jim Moorhouse, spokesman for the U.S. Soccer Federation.
The United States and Iran received a sportsmanship award from the international soccer federation for matches they played in 1998. The teams played again in 2000. But with the schedule set, it's unlikely the games could be squeezed in this year, Moorhouse said.
Hayworth said the Iraqi soccer team was a symbol of all Iraqi people under Saddam Hussein's regime. There have been reports that Hussein's son, Uday, who was in charge of Iraq's sporting teams, jailed and tortured players who failed to perform to his standards.
But Hayworth was inspired by stories of a game in Najif between a local soccer team and U.S. Marines. The Marines lost 7-0.
"The goal of the Marines was to help win the hearts and minds of the locals," Hayworth said in his letter. "It apparently worked. By the end of the match, 600 Iraqi fans were cheering on the overmatched Americans who played in fatigues and combat boots."
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May 08, 2003 |
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First
ever FIFA final on artificial turf This decision is also a major step in the development of artificial turf. FIFA fully supports the use of such surfaces, which are now often of a standard comparable to that of natural grass. In 2001, FIFA launched the Quality Concept for Artificial Turf to complement the scheme already in place to guarantee the quality of footballs. In doing so, FIFA was acting in direct response to an ever-increasing number of requests to play football on such surfaces – most notably from regions where the weather makes it impossible to play football outdoors all year round. On 28 February 2002, FIFA went even further by introducing a certification and license program in collaboration with companies. Again, this was a reflection of the growing tendency to play football on artificial surfaces. The “FIFA Recommended” standard had been born. Today, approximately 40 stadiums around the world are equipped with an artificial playing surface bearing this label, which allows them to host official FIFA competition matches. A number of matches have already been played on artificial turf, including Caribbean qualifiers for the 2002 FIFA World Cup™. Such matches are certain to increase in regularity in the future, particularly as at its meeting on 15 March 2003, the International Football Association Board confirmed its support for the use of artificial turf and mandated FIFA to create universal guidelines for the use of such surfaces. “FIFA is determined to continue to work with the members of the international football family and companies all around the world to take our research onto the next level and develop a single recognized standard. This would give a major boost to the use of artificial turf. It would also be for the good of millions of players around the world, as it would then be easier for them to play their favorite sport on a more regular basis, and above all, in better conditions,” stressed FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter. |
Wednesday, May 7, 2003
U.S. men
Sellout crowd of 68,000 will set Houston record for match with Mexico.
HOUSTON -- Reliant Stadium will be sold out tomorrow night when the United States meets Mexico in a friendly, and as is often the case, the Americans will be playing what will amount to a road game on home soil.
"There probably will be a pro-Mexican contingent in the stands, but we're used to that,'' striker Brian McBride told Associated Press "It's starting to change. We're starting to get a great group of supporters coming out for us."
While the stadium's capacity is listed as 69,500 for football, a crowd of about 68,000 is expected. The match, which will kickoff at 8 p.m. (ET), will be televised on ESPN2 and Telemundo though ESPN2 viewers should check local listings for the possibility the broadcast will be delayed. The previous largest crowds for soccer in Texas were several sellouts of 63,998 for World Cup games at Dallas' Cotton Bowl in 1994. The last time the Americans played in Houston, they lost 2-0 to Ecuador before 10,500 at a high school football stadium on June 10, 1988.
"The sellout shows that Houston is not only a great football town, but it's a great fútbol town," said Steve Patterson, senior vice president and chief development officer of the National Football League's Houston Texans in a press release.
The last time the two nations met, the U.S. shocked Mexico 2-0 in the World Cup Round of 16 on June 17 in Jeonju, South Korea. And it looks as if coach Bruce Arena will use a similar 3-5-2 alignment with Tim Howard is expected in goal, Dan Califf, Eddie Pope and Carlos Bocanegra the defenders, Frankie Hejduk Pablo Mastroeni and Chris Armas supporting DaMarcus Beasley and Landon Donovan in the midfield with Clint Mathis and McBride the forwards. Pope, Mastroeni, McBride and Donovan started the World Cup match against Mexico -- McBride and Donovan scored the goals -- while two reserves here, attackers Earnie Stewart and Cobi Jones, were subs in that game in South Korea.
"Every time we step on the field we try to win," Arena told AP. "You don't win every game, but that is not the bottom line in these types of games. Winning is necessary when you're qualifying (for the World Cup) or playing in the Confederations Cup or the Gold Cup, more so than these types of games. We know our guys will go out on Thursday and give a good effort." The U.S. is building toward two major competitions this summer. The U.S. will square off against Brazil, Cameroon and Turkey in Group B of the Confederations Cup which runs from June 18-29 in France and then head to the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup July 12-27 in Boston, Miami and Mexico City. El Salvador and Martinque are the Group C opponents there.
Expecting a large Mexican contingent, the match is being billed as promoters are billing the game as "Revancha en la Cancha,'' or "Revenge on the Field." Mexico goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez doesn't see it like that. "Playing this friendly match against the United States isn't about revenge," he told AP. "We'd only call it revenge if we were meeting again in the World Cup."
The two nation first met in 1934 with Mexico holding 28-11-8 advantage in
the rivalry though the U.S. is 9-6-5 since 1991. The U.S.
and Mexico rosters with players' teams listed in parentheses. All players come
from their nation's domestic leagues:
United States
Goalkeepers (2): Tim Howard (MetroStars), Adin Brown (New England). Mexico
Goalkeepers (2): José de Jesús Corona (Atlas), Oswaldo Sánchez (Chivas
of Guadalajara).
Defenders (5): Carlos Bocanegra (Chicago), Dan Califf (Los Angeles),
Nick Garcia (Kansas City), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus), Eddie Pope (MetroStars)
Midfielders (7): Chris Armas (Chicago), DaMarcus Beasley (Chicago),
Bobby Convey (D.C. United), Chris Klein (Kansas City), Pablo Mastroeni
(Colorado), Richard Mulrooney (San Jose), Earnie Stewart (D.C. United).
Forwards (4): Landon Donovan (San Jose), Cobi Jones (Los Angeles),
Clint Mathis (MetroStars), Brian McBride (Columbus).
Defenders (7): Héctor Altamirano (Santos), Omar Briceño (Tigres),
Salvador Carmona (Toluca), José Antonio Castro (Club América), Duilio Davino
(Club América), Carlos Morales (Monarcas), Ramón Heriberto Morales (Chivas).
Midfielders (7): ), Fernando Arce (Veracruz), Israel López (Toluca),
Alberto Medina (Chivas), Luis Ernesto Pérez (Monterrey), Eduardo Rergis (Atlante),
Juan Pablo Rodríguez (Atlas), Octavio Valdez (Toluca).
Forwards (3): Jesús Arellano (Monterrey), Omar Bravo (Guadalajara),
Irving Rubirosa (Atlante).
Sunday, May 4th, 2003
FIFA moves Women's World Cup from China because of SARS
FIFA, soccer's governing body, will move the tournament from China because of SARS. FIFA's executive committee said the United States and Australia have expressed interest in staging the tournament, which is scheduled for Sept. 23-Oct. 11. Sweden and Brazil also have shown interest in being the host.
After consulting with the World Health Organization, FIFA on Saturday followed the lead of other sports organizations in moving the event out of China, which will get the 2007 tournament. "It will be transferred to another country in view of the current health threat in China, which is greatly affected by the SARS epidemic," FIFA said in a statement.
The United States hosted the highly successful 1999 Women's World Cup. Sweden staged the 1995 event. "Clearly we are always interested in hosting events of this caliber, but being interested and actually hosting an event are two very different things," said U.S. Soccer president Dr. S. Robert Contiguglia. "Given the incredibly short timeframe it would take to pull this off, there are a great number of hurdles to cross in making something like this happen."
Contiguglia said he would meet soon with FIFA representatives to discuss the matter. The dates of the tournament could be changed. Many of the U.S. stadiums used in 1999 would not be available in the fall. In Australia, the scheduled dates would overlap with rugby's World Cup, which starts Oct. 10.
"It is our understanding Brazil, the United States and Australia are the three leading contenders to replace China as the host," WUSA spokesman Dan Courtemanche said. Also, FIFA tentatively expanded the number of teams in the men's 2006 World Cup in Germany from 32 to 36. A final decision will come in June if the South American federation that made the proposal develops an acceptable format and schedule.
SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, has killed more than 400 people worldwide — the majority in China and neighboring Hong Kong — and sickened more than 6,000.
Other sports events in China already canceled include four WNBA exhibition games against China's national team, and the women's ice hockey world championships. The world badminton championships in England were postponed because many Asians were expected to compete. On Friday, the International Cycling Union said the world track cycling championships would be moved to Europe from China.
Sixteen teams are scheduled to take part in the Women's World Cup. The United States, Nigeria, Ghana, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Germany, Norway, Russia, Sweden and France have already qualified. China automatically qualifies as the host.
A qualifying tournament in Thailand was moved from April to June because of SARS. The draw to set the groups for the finals also was postponed because of concerns over the virus.
| Thursday May 1, 2003 | |
| Ready For The Big Stage | ||||
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| BEIJING -- China delayed the start of its
soccer season Thursday because of concerns over severe acute respiratory
syndrome. The Chinese Football Association said women's league games
scheduled for May have been postponed until June or July, casting doubt on
the World Cup, which is set to start in Shanghai on Sept. 23.
Chinese officials and FIFA, soccer's world governing body, are monitoring the situation and have not planned to postpone or cancel the World Cup. Three men's leagues were scheduled to start playing in mid-May, but the association said matches have been suspended indefinitely. A statement posted on its Web site said new dates would be announced later. Other sports events in China have been canceled since the outbreak of SARS, which has killed at least 110 people there. The women's world ice hockey championship and an international rugby tournament were scrapped. Asian soccer officials have postponed Olympic qualifiers and women's World Cup qualifiers, while English Premier League teams Everton and Aston Villa have canceled off season trips to mainland China and Hong Kong. Practice will continue, but teams have been ordered to enforce measures to ensure players and staff take precautions against the disease. Also Thursday, 15 Chinese athletes withdrew from an IAAF Grand Prix track and field meet in Japan, Kyodo News Agency reported. Chinese officials informed Japanese organizers by letter that their athletes decided to stay home from the May 10 meet at Osaka in order not to cause "unnecessary trouble.'' So far, Japan has no confirmed cases of SARS. World-record holder Tim Montgomery is among 70 athletes still scheduled to take part in the meet. The Danish Rugby Union also canceled a May 12 exhibition against Hong Kong in Copenhagen, Denmark, because of the "continued serious situation'' regarding SARS. The union said it considered the risk of infection small, but decided it was in the players' best interest to call off the match. Worldwide, SARS has killed at least 261, with more than 4,300 cases of infection reported. |
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A Touch of Class |
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The 2002 MLS season was very memorable for Kyle Martino as he claimed the league's Rookie of the Year award. However, the 2003 campaign could be even bigger for the Columbus midfielder after he took over the team's playmaking role in training camp. According to Marc Connolly, the promotion has lifted his confidence and will ultimately help take his game to new heights. Martino and the Crew topped the Revs 2-1 on Saturday, spoiling New England's home opener. |
April 09, 2003
Football Chat with Mel Webster
The AYSO & Channel 36 Match of The Week
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April 01, 2003
Major League Soccer
Fox Sports World to broadcast Saturday night MLS games with 4-year agreement.
By Gary Davidson
SoccerTimes
NEW YORK (Tuesday, April 1, 2003) -- Major League Soccer has signed a four-year contract with Fox Sports International to televise at least 25 regular-season games and at least eight playoff games per season on its Fox Sports World and Fox Sports en Español channels.
The agreement will also send MLS broadcasts to Fox affiliated networks in Latin America and the Middle East.
"This is an extremely important milestone announcement for our networks," said David Sternberg, senior vice president and general manager of the two Fox channels. "We believe that adding MLS to the outstanding roster of worldwide soccer on these two networks will generate tons of excitement for American soccer fans across the country and on our affiliated Fox sports networks in Latin American and the Middle East."
The Fox broadcasts will supplement the 26 Saturday afternoon games on ESPN2. ABC will air the All-Star and MLS Cup championship games.
Saturday Night Soccer on Fox Sports World will open with the D.C. United's season-opening visit to the Kansas City Wizards April 12 at 8 p.m (ET). Following the games on Saturday will be an hour-long MLS studio highlights show.
On Fox Sports en Español, the weekly Saturday night game will be broadcast in Spanish as La MLS en Fox Sports en Español.
"We have achieved through this agreement three major objectives," said MLS chief operating officer Mark Abbott. "The first is that over the past several seasons we have been attempting to do all we can do to tighten and further the connection between our league and the hardcore soccer fan in the U.S. . . The second is that it allows us to revive a weekly highlight show which is something we have not had for a few years and we've seen from our fans a lot of demand for such a show.
"Lastly it achieves a very important objective of having a national Spanish language television partner."
Fox Sports World, which is mostly available to satellite subscribers and increasingly to digital cable users, can be found in just under 20 million U.S. homes. Fox Sports en Español reaches about 5.1 million American households, 45 percent of them primarily Hispanic. ESPN2 reaches approximately 82 million U.S. homes.
The schedule of games to be broadcast on Fox Sports World
and Fox Sports en Español (with all times Eastern):
April 12 -- D.C. United vs. Kansas City Wizards, 8 p.m.
April 19 -- Chicago Fire vs. D.C United, 7:30 p.m.
April 26 -- Chicago Fire vs. Kansas City Wizards, 7:30 p.m.
May 3 -- Dallas Burn vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
May 10 -- Colorado Rapids vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
May 17 -- Kansas City Wizards vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
May 24 -- New England Revolution vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
May 31 - Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids, 9 p.m.
June 7 - San Jose Earthquakes vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
June 14 -- Columbus Crew vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
June 21 -- New England Revolution vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
June 28 -- Colorado Rapids vs. New England Revolution, 6 p.m.
July 5 -- Dallas Burn vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
July 12 -- D.C. United vs. Chicago Fire, 8:30 p.m.
July 19 -- Kansas City Wizards vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
July 26 -- Kansas City Wizards vs. Chicago Fire, 8:30 p.m.
August 9 -- New England Revolution vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
August 16 -- Columbus Crew vs. Colorado Rapids, 9 p.m.
August 23 -- Colorado Rapids vs. Kansas City Wizards, 8 p.m.
August 30 -- Chicago Fire vs. New England Revolution, 6 p.m.
September 6 -- Los Angeles Galaxy vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
September 13 -- Dallas Burn vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
September 20 -- Columbus Crew vs. MetroStars, 7:30 p.m.
September 27 -- Columbus Crew vs. New England Revolution, 6 p.m.
October 4 -- Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Chicago Fire, 8:30 p.m.
October 11 -- Dallas Burn vs. MetroStars, 7:30 p.m.
October 18 -- New England Revolution vs. MetroStars, 7:30 p.m.
October 25 -- Kansas City Wizards vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
April 01, 2003
AYSO MATCH OF THE WEEK LAUNCHES ON CHANNEL LA 36 THIS SUNDAY!
Don’t miss the AYSO South Central Los Angeles VS Culver City U-19 boys match ON CHANNEL LA 36 SUNDAY APRIL 6 at 1pm! More than 1.7 million Southern California households will see this game! This is a test model for rollout in Regions across the country. Stay tuned for more details!
Check out www.la36.org for coverage areas and then tune in for 90 minutes of cross-town rivalry, action and AYSO soccer fun! And if you can’t wait until Sunday for the match broadcast, join us at the field for the taping Saturday April 5 1.30pm kick off at Harvard Park, South Central Los Angeles! Spectators welcome, the more the merrier and no tickets are needed! Wear your AYSO uniform and participate in our player parade! Come and cheer on your AYSO players! Go AYSO!
March 28, 2003
Soccer plays major role in new movie
Bend It Like Beckham -PG13
Ebert & Roeper give Bend it Like Beckham “Two Thumbs Up!”
By Erik Brady, USA TODAY
Gurinder Chadha knew little about soccer when she attended the women's World Cup finals at the Rose Bowl in 1999. Mostly she knew that in England, where she is a movie director, men's soccer was adored while the women's game remained nearly invisible.
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"The image of strong, powerful, skilled women running up and down the pitch was striking to me," Chadha says. "I wanted to do something with that."
The result is Bend It Like Beckham, a feel-good comedy that combines the conventions of sports movies such as Rocky and Hoosiers with what might be called My Big Fat Indian Wedding. The independent movie is playing in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago and opens Friday in a dozen more cities, from Seattle to Boston.
Parminder Nagra plays Jess, a teen girl whose traditional Sikh Punjabi family cannot abide her longing to play soccer like Manchester United star David Beckham, her hero. Beckham's trademark is a looping free kick that can bend around a wall of defenders.
"It is a great metaphor for girls," Chadha says. "We do have to bend and twist our way around" obstacles. The trick was how to make Nagra and co-star Keira Knightley look like real players. Chadha hired Simon Clifford, a British soccer teacher, to train them. He says they worked eight-hour days for three months before filming began. Knightley suffered a mild concussion heading the ball, and Nagra injured her kicking foot.
"I had never played," Nagra says. "But I think we got to a competent level, enough for the camera."
Clifford thinks that's too modest. "Mindy didn't know what it meant to bend a free kick, and she got to the point where she could hit eight of 10 from outside the 18-yard box," he says. "I didn't have to teach them to be real footballers, just to look like them."
The movie is about first love and familial love, assimilation and culture clashes, hero worship and friendship. "I defy anyone to call it a soccer movie," Chadha says.
Mad Brit Diary
Trickle of Chinese players to Europe could become a flood.
(Saturday, March 22, 2003) -- It's just a trickle now, but it could become a flood.
The Mad Brit predicts that in the near future, Chinese soccer players will begin moving to European teams in greater numbers. It's a good bet that down the road, if a team has to decide between signing a Chinese, or a non-European Union player, of equal talent, the club will likely opt for the Far Eastern dude, because of economic factor.
With a talented Chinese player on the roster, the cash registers will sing. After the success of Chinese star Li Tie at Everton in England's Premier League, the club earned a big sponsorship deal with Chinese telephone company Kejian. The mobile phone giant is now promoted on the team shirt and will sponsor Everton's tour of China this summer.
Amidst China's 1.3 billion people, there is a massive interest in the Premier League. On January 1, when Everton played Manchester City, which includes Chinese international midfielder Sun Jihai, an estimated whopping 360 million viewers stayed up late to watch the 2-2 tie on live TV.
"Sun and Li are the two best Chinese players in the world," Manchester City coach Kevin Keegan told a British paper.
In Beijing, an Everton game with Li Tie playing, draws 13 percent of the television audience. "The level of soccer in China isn't that high," said a Kejian PR man . "So if young people want to develop their skills, they often have to go outside. Our business had a chance to send these two players abroad to develop their skills."
As the nation shakes of the economic shackles of socialism, and the rising middle class seeks leisure time at sporting events, soccer will continue to expand in China. Two years ago, the Chinese soccer bosses issued its famous "White Paper on China Football," introducing an ambitious five -year plan to build China into a soccer power. And the Asians are not afraid to spend money to promote the game.
Last month, World Cup champion Brazil, with a top-heavy star roster, was lured by a $1.25 million payoff to play China's national team. While the Brazilians hardly broke a sweat in the scoreless tie, the game sent a message to other nations: China wants to play the world and is willing to pay good cash for it too.
The China's national team is now under Dutch coach Arie Haan, a former Ajax star and two-time World Cup finalist in 1974 and 1978. Still the country has a long way to go. Chinese players are reported to earn just $19 a day while on national-team duty.
China qualified for the World Cup for the first time last year under former United States coach Bora Milutinovic. The team lost all three games and failed to score a goal in games against Brazil, Turkey and Costa Rica in South Korea.
After the finals, Chinese players were encouraged to, "Go west." At the club level, Chinese teams are improving and giving Japanese and South Korean clubs a run for their money. Chinese champ Dalian Shide is through to the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation's Champions League after defeating South Korean titlist Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma before 25,000 at Dalian recently. The winner of the event, played in May, will earn $3 million.
The Asian soccer market is enormous and clubs in Europe are fighting for a share of it. England's Manchester United already has thousands of fans in Thailand and Singapore and is wooing followers in China. Other Chinese stars now in Europe are Fan Zhiyi at Dundee, and Yang Chen (Frankfurt) and Xie Hui (Achen) who play in Germany's second division.
U.S. women
MacMillan, Hamm score to lead 2-0 victory over China for Algarve Cup crown.
LOULÉ, Portugal (Thursday, March 20, 2003) -- Striker Mia Hamm and midfielder Shannon MacMillan scored within a four-minute span early in the second half -- each assisted by the other -- giving the United States a 2-0 victory over China for the 10th Algarve Cup championship before an estimated 1,000 at Municipal Stadium this afternoon.
The U.S. won the Algarve title for the second time after four final appearances in eight trips here. The Americans also won in 2000 in coach April Heinrichs' first visit here.
"Tonight's performance from start to finish was phenomenal," Heinrichs said. "Every player was tied into our tactical scheme and was committed to playing the way the coaching staff asked them to play. Every player was allowed to be a personality within our system and they absolutely stepped up. We played a different system, and we wanted to sit back in a low-pressure style and explode out of that."
Aided a strong defense, the U.S. held China to a few dangerous chances while avenging a 2-0 loss in the Four Nations Tournament last January. The Americans hold a 13-8-9 advantage in the series
Both teams played 4-5-1 formations, a lineup unique for the U.S. which employed Hamm as the lone forward and midfielders Kristine Lilly and MacMillan attacking down the flanks,.
China played uncharacteristically direct, sending numerous long balls sailing into the U.S. defensive third, but center backs Brandi Chastain and Joy Fawcett were up to the task, winning most balls in the air while beating the Chinese to balls over their heads. Outside backs Cat Reddick and Kate Sobrero also did well, digging balls out of the corners and winning numerous headers.
Sobrero even came close to scoring her first international goal, banging a cross off the left post after an aggressive run in the second half.
"Obviously, people want to pay attention to our attacking personalities, but I'll tell you what, Brandi Chastain and Joy Fawcett were two of our most valuable players for the second tournament in a row," said Heinrichs, referring to the Four Nations and Algarve events. "Joy's consistency and mentality is the best of all the players on our team."
After a first half in which the Americans took five shots and China had just one, the U.S. struck for its two-goal lead. Hamm was at the heart of both goals.
Center midfielder Aly Wagner was having trouble finding space to distribute in the first half, but found more room after intermission. In the 52nd minute, she sent Hamm behind the Chinese defense. Hamm headed the bouncing ball down to herself then accelerated into the penalty area for a one-on-one with Chinese goalkeeper Zhao Yan.
The world's all-time leading scorer tried to bend a shot around Zhao, but she got a piece of it. The ball spun behind the keeper and toward the goal where MacMillan, following the play, thundered in to slam the ball home from one yard. Tumbling into the net in a cloud of dirt, MacMillan had her 54th international goal and a 1-0 advantage
Four minutes later, MacMillan returned the favor, slipping a great pass to Hamm cutting into the right side of the penalty area. Hamm shot from 16 yards out to the far post. Zhao got a piece of this one too, but couldn't keep it out of the net as it bounced off the left post and caromed in to make it 2-0.
"We were able to get that goal early in the half and then the second one right after, and it took some of the spirit out China, but we never expected China to give up and they didn't," said Hamm who now has 138 career goal.
A bumpy field made holding the ball difficult for both teams, but the U.S. had much better possession in the second half. While China took seven of its eight shots after the break, most did not trouble U.S. goalkeeper Briana Scurry who made three saves and picked up her 60th career shutout.
Scurry was excellent coming out of her goal to grab long balls and twice, in the first half, left her penalty box to safely clear balls away with her feet.
"We are very happy with the win," Hamm said. "To play four games in seven days and to end with the second half that we did, especially against a Chinese team that is extremely talented, was great for us. But I have to hand it to our defense. They played great the entire tournament and today was no different. They just played phenomenally and that allowed us in midfield and up top to take a few more chances."
The U.S. outshot China 10-8, 6-3 on frame.
In the first half, MacMillan produced the best American chances, but Zhao dove to save a 35-yard free kick in the 21st minute and stopped a dipping shot 15 minutes later.
The U.S. had a great chance to add a third goal in the 77th minute when reserve midfielder Heather O'Reilly raced in on a breakaway, but Zhao held her ground and stuffed the 18-year-old's shot.
"I really thought either team could win it until it was 2-0, even though that is certainly not a safe lead against China," said Heinrichs. "But with the way we were playing, with the system we were playing and with the veteran leadership on the field, I felt secure with the 2-0 lead."
Midfielder Julie Foudy and Fawcett played all 90 minutes in all four matches over the seven days.
Norway defeated France 1-0 for third place on Dagny Mellgren's third goal of the tournament. Sweden hammered Finland 5-0 for fifth place with the Fins finishing sixth despite not scoring a goal in the tournament.
Canada blasted Greece 7-1 for seventh place with Christine Sinclair scoring three times. Denmark used an own goal to defeat Portugal 1-0 for ninth place. Wales scored a dramatic equalizer in stoppage time to tie Ireland 2-2 in regulation, but Ireland took 11th place 4-2 in penalty kicks.
MasterCard
Extends Global Soccer Alliances
The deal includes the extension of its status as Official Sponsorship of the
2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship
in Portugal. In addition, the company extended its agreement as Official Sponsor
for the UEFA Champions League (through 2006) and CONMEBOL Copa America (2004),
and will continue its commitment to Copa Toyota Libertadores (2003). Financial
terms were not revealed.
Under the agreement, MasterCard said that it retains the rights to use the
official marks, logos and designations of each of the five events in
advertising, promotions and merchandising. MasterCard also receives on-field
perimeter signage. As Official Sponsor of these five major properties,
MasterCard's exclusivity as the official payment system includes all real and/or
virtual payment and/or account access systems (including credit cards, charge
cards, ATM cards and networks, and travelers checks).
"The alliances provide MasterCard with a platform to reinforce brand image
and awareness, particularly in Europe," John Stuart, svp-MasterCard
International, said in a statement. "At the same time, these agreements
allow us to create business-building opportunities for member financial
institutions at the global, regional -- Europe and South America -- and local
levels in key markets such as the host nation for the 2006 FIFA World Cup,
Germany."
-- Barry Janoff
Published: March 12, 2003
| News Roundup: Bud Cans Leverage Links to World Cup, Earnhardt Jr., USA | |
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Budweiser will be
available in three limited-edition cans through the summer, to highlight
the Anheuser-Busch brand's affiliation with 2002 FIFA World Cup soccer,
Nascar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and its self-proclaimed position as
"America's Beer." The World Cup trophy will be featured on cans
distributed this month and in June. Earnhardt, whose mug sold 100 million
cans when he was featured on packaging several years ago, appears through
October, as does the red, white and blue label for "America's Beer. |
|
Brandweek, Published: May 13, 2002 |
| Cup to the Challenge | |
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The quadrennial World
Cup of soccer—the most popular sporting event in the world—will
commence May 31, and I believe it will be a historic event for American
audiences. For the first time in World Cup history, the U.S. men's team
has a chance to win something other than our sympathies. |
|
Brandweek, Published: May 13, 2002 |
Dish
Network to Add GOL TV
GOL TV is a new 24-hour, Spanish-language channel dedicated exclusively to
soccer. GOL TV will provide 10 hours of original programming each day, including
international soccer news and events from Mexico, as well as games from Italy,
El Salvador, Guatemala and South America.
--- John Consoli
Published: February 18, 2003