US Soccer Players

CONCACAF Schedules Presidential Election

CONCACAF announced on Friday that they will hold a presidential election to fill the remainder of the term vacated by Jack Warner when he retired from soccer last summer.  The election will be held on May 23rd in Budapest, Hungary the day before the start of the 2012 FIFA Congress.  Candidates have to be nominated by a member association by March 25th.

Video: U-23's - San Antonio Scrimmage

Highlights from Wednesday's game between the United States Under-23 National Team and San Antonio, courtesy of US Soccer Communications.  Brek Shea, Dilly Duka and Jack McInerney scored for the United States.

Upside: 2014 At Work

Their Words

"Please allow me, though I may sound repetitive, to stress how much work there is still ahead of us – and here I mean for the authorities, the host cities and states, and FIFA/LOC." FIFA's Jerome Valcke on Brazil 2014. 

Other Sources

Chelsea could take lesson from MLS - from MLSsoccer.com's Jonah Freedman: You don’t establish consistency by constantly changing things up.

Star-filled Galaxy primed to repeat, Dallas' conundrum, more MLS notes - from SI.com's Grant Wahl: "and MLS now is starting to get into the game, which is very encouraging."

Putting A Value On The Designated Player

By Dario Camacho - MIAMI, FL (Feb 24, 2011) US Soccer Players -- For most clubs, the designated player rule doesn't work.  Here's how to fix it. 

At the 2011 MLS Cup, a Designated Player wish was fulfilled.  A team that spent well past the salary cap was rewarded with the MLS Cup.  A monumental occasion to say the least, tangible proof that spending can mean winning rather than seeing a small budget club take advantage of the playoff system. 

Weekend TV: London

Saturday

Chelsea - Bolton
9:30am - Fox Soccer

After making his debut in London last week in the FA Cup against Millwall, Tim Ream could see the big time against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Even Bolton's manager is being realistic about their chances.

Queens Park Rangers - Fulham
10am - Fox Soccer Plus

Clint Dempsey and company get a London derby against a team that bought their striker during the transfer window. It's lost on no one involved that Fulham beat QPR six to nothing at Craven Cottage earlier this season, and it's Fulham nine points ahead in the table.

Also in the Premier League on Fox Soccer: Manchester City - Blackburn at 12pm and Newcastle - Wolverhampton at 5pm. On FS+: WBA - Sunderland at 2pm, Wigan and Aston Villa at 4pm. Championship on FS+: West Ham - Crystal Palace at 7:30am and Middlesbrough - Reading at 6pm.

What If Arsenal Pulls It Off?

By J Hutcherson - WASHINGTON, DC (Feb 24, 2012) US Soccer Players -- What happens should Arsenal manage an unlikely week, beating Spurs and somehow advancing in the Champions League?  Does all of the noise directed toward Arsene Wenger simply shift tone?  Do we stand in a long line of mea culpas while once again recognizing one of the great managers still working in soccer actually knows what he's doing?

The always helpful English media have gone ahead and built up the Spurs game as the true test.  Local derby, inconveniently scheduled just after that 4-0 loss to Milan and then a 2-0 FA Cup exit to Sunderland.  In a run of form that hasn't impressed anybody, it's now the next game on the schedule looming over the Arsenal experiment. 

Europa League: Americans Advance To Round Of 16

In the Europa League meeting of US National Team players, Jozy Altidore's AZ got the better of Sacha Kljestan's Anderlecht 1-0 on the night and 2-0 on aggregate.  Maarten Martens scored AZ's goal in the 54th minute.  Kljestan got the start and Altidore subbed on in the 44th minute.  Kljestan was yellow carded in the 53rd.  Hannover 96 move on at the expense of Club Brugge, winning 1-0 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate.  Steve Cherundolo was unavailable due to injury.  Jermaine Jones missed Schalke 04's overtime heroics to win 3-1 at home against Viktoria Plzen to take the series 4-2.  Klaas Jan Huntelaar was the hero, scoring in the 7th minute only for Viktoria Plzen to equalize in the 88th.  Huntelaar scored in the 106th and 120th minutes to advance Schalke.  Oguchi Onyewu's injury meant he took no part in the second leg of Sporting's series with Legia Warsaw.  Sporting won 1-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate.

Friday's TV

Borussia Monchengladbach - Hamburg
2:30pm - GolTV

On a usual slow Friday for live games, GolTV brings us an interesting option from the Bundesliga.  With all teams level on 22 games played, 'Gladbach trail Dortmund by three points at the top of the table.  Hamburg are 7th, just out of the European places and tied with 6th-place Bayer Leverkusen on points. 'Gladbach haven't lost a league game since December 10th.  

In Mexico's second division, GolTV has Correcaminos - Cruz Azul at 9:30pm.  All Times Eastern

Thursday's Upside: Playing Up The Opponent

Their Words

"I don't think there is ever a good time to face Chelsea. They'll probably be thinking that it's a good time to play Bolton. What I do know is that it'll be two teams going all out to pick up three points." Bolton manager Owen Coyle. 

Other Sources

MLS teams & USMNT representation - from MLSsoccer.com's Elijah Miller: The lowest number used by an American team a year ago was two, by the New England Revolution.

With New York City faltering, Orlando makes MLS push - from The Sporting News's Brian Straus: Last fall, Rawlins told Sporting News that entry into MLS by 2014 wasn’t out of the question.

Questions: India, San Diego, Houston, Liverpool, Fairness

By Tony Edwards - San Jose, CA (Feb 23, 2012) US Soccer Players -- In Thursday's Five Questions, Tony looks at a delayed start in India, Brad Davis's recovery, and Franz Beckenbauer's Fair Play ideas.

So how's it working out with the fledgling Premier Soccer League?

Not so well. As expected with any startup league, the problems began to mount.  Player clearances were the first hurdle, both domestic and international.  Now, it's the stadiums.  The promoters are pushing for an April start, good news for Santino Quaranta, who signed as a player, and Marco Etcheverry, who is coaching one of the teams.