Ugly dustup at Toyota Park during the Chicago Fire’s 1-0 SuperLiga win over UNAM Pumas Tuesday Night. I know Section 8 very well and they are a hardcore supporters group, but they don’t go cruising around Toyota Park looking to swat people with flag poles. What were those Pumas fans doing right on top of Section 8?
Oh, and just out of curiosity, Where the F was the security? From what I’ve gathered this went on for 8 to 10 minutes during the match. Monterrey Security has been used at every Spanish language Chicago area soccer event, since I can remember, you’d think they’d eventually get better at their job.
Below is a link to a Chicago Tribune photographer Scott Strazzante’s ‘Shooting from the Hip’ page. Strazzante post’s a wonderful photo of the brawl, but the comments section is full of first hand accounts, complaints, finger pointing and a bit of bitterness too.
Everton captain Phil Neville told reporters this weekend that he knows L.A. star Landon Donovan wants to return to Everton.
US Team captain Carlos Bocanegra moved was sold from Rennes of Ligue 1 fellow French side Saint-Etienne.
According to the BBC, former Chicago Fire head coach Bob Bradley will sign an extension to stay on as head coach of the US national team.
Jozy Altidore is in high demand. The latest clubs showing interest in legendary Dutch side Ajax and Turkish side Besiktas. Altidore’s current club Villareal has said they are entertaining offers for the 20-year-old American striker. Since then a myriad of European clubs from shown an interest. From Serie A sides Napoli and Palermo to Glasgow Celtic of the Scottish Premier League.
The sale of Michael Bradley from Bundesliga side Borussia Moenchengladbach to Everton has gained steam, according to the Express. Newly promoted Premier League side Blackpool is also rumored to be interested.
AC Milan defender Oguchi Onyewu has been targeted as Celtic’s back-up plan if the Glasgow super club can’t sign former England international Sol Campbell. Gooch has resisted all offers to be moved from the San Siro, longing for an opportunity to play in Serie A. He is even playing for free this season as a sign he wants to prove himself at Europe’s highest level. “He is adamant about staying at AC Milan,” Onyewu’s agent, Lyle Yorks, told the MLS website. “I’m really not even listening when something comes in anymore.” That doesn’t seem to stop the rumors surrounding the 28-year-old defender.
US midfielder Jermaine White may be pricing himself out of the reach of many clubs that could and would use him. After a trial with the Chicago Fire, Chicago (more…)
There is some serious international flavor on the box this weekend. European Clubs tuning up for the season by playing MLS teams, Mexican clubs battling MLS teams!
MLS teams against MLS teams!! Where will it all end? (Toronto, in November most likely.)
Don’t forget the U20 Women’s World Cup on ESPNU and ESPN3 to continue the international theme.
Friday, July 16
7:00pm International Friendly – Manchester United v Celtic – ESPN2
Saturday, July 17
10:00am Women’s Soccer – FIFA U-20 World Cup – Ghana v United States – ESPNU
Noon Women’s Soccer – FIFA U-20 World Cup: Switzerland v United States – ESPNU
3:30pm MLS – Philadelphia Union v Toronto FC – MLSDK
4:00pm International Friendly – San Jose Earthquakes v Tottenham Hotspur – ESPN
7:00pm SuperLiga – Chicago Fire v New England Revolution – TeleFutura
7:30pm MLS – Columbus Crew v New York Red Bull – MLSDK
8:30pm MLS – FC Dallas v Real Salt Lake – MLSDK
9:00pm MLS – Colorado Rapids v Kansas City Wizards – MLSDK
9:30pm SuperLiga – Morelia v UNAM Pumas – TeleFutura
Possibly the best rivalry between an MLS club and a Mexican Club, these two have put on some of the best club matches seen on this continent in the CONCACAF Cahmpiosn League/Cup. The two sides played a memorable SuperLiga semifinal goal fest in 2007 with the 10 man Dynamo getting a late equalizer to send the match to extra time only to see Pachuca take the match on penalties. The 2010 edition of this rivalry will be the Group A opener for both clubs. If you see only one SuperLiga match this year, make it this Thursday at Robertson Stadium.
SISTER SIDES? MORELIA v CHICAGO
The Chicago Fire and Mexican club Morelia have a sister club relationship. They have had since 2003 and the Fire even sported Morelia colors for a few matches in the clubs 2004 MLS Season. What this relationship means, I have no idea, as the two clubs haven’t met since before the deal was made..
It was the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup (Precursor to the current Champions League) in 2002 and the Fire came back in the 2nd leg of the tie at then home Cardinal Stadium in Naperville IL, only to see their efforts couldn’t stave off elimination.
So Wednesday Night the sister-clubs meet for the first time in eight years. Outside of the Houston-Pachuca match, this may be, on paper anyway, the tie of the group stages.
PACHUCA: TEAM (MEXICAN) AMERICA
CF Pachuca is fast becoming a breeding ground for talent; American talent. Pachuca has not one but THREE Americans on it’s roster. Two of them saw (more…)
NOTE: The Rosters for Group B have been finalized and are included below with Uniform numbers, whereas Group A rosters are still only preliminary.
PRELIMINARY TEAM ROSTERS – GROUP A
CHIVAS USA
Head Coach: Martin Vásquez
Goalkeepers:Dan Kennedy, Zach Thornton
Defenders: Carlos Borja, Jonathan Bornstein, Yamith Cuesta, Darío Delgado, Jorge Flores, Ante Jazic, Mariano Trujillo, Michael Umaña
Midfielders: Rodolfo Espinoza, Blair Gavin, Michael Lahoud, Gerson Mayen, Paulo Nagamura, Osael Romero, Marcelo Saragosa, Cesar Zamora, Ben Zemanski, Alex Zotinca
JULY 9 – SHORT CORNERS: INTERNATIONAL SOCCER NEWS NOTES AND RUMORS
GOLDEN BALL FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
The greatest players of the 2010 World Cup are all up for the prestigious Golden Ball Award. The title goes to the most valuable player of the tournament.
Finalists Spain lead all teams with three different nominees, Andres Iniesta, David Villa and Xavi head the list, all three play their club football at Barcelona.
Spain’s rivals in the final, the Netherlands contibute Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben to the ten-man shortlist.
Tournament semi-finalists Germany contribute two to the list in Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Oezil and Diego Forlan is the lone representative from Uruguay.
MEXICAN PLAYERS ON THE MOVE TO EUROPE?
Mexican winger Pablo Barrera is on the wish list of both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
The attention by the Premier League clubs is so great that a deal with Serie A side Lazio was rejected by the 23-year-old, in order to learn more about the interest of the English sides.
The Roman club attempted to sign Barrera on a one-year loan from Mexican club UNAM Pumas with the option of making the deal permanent for a bargain $4.48 million.
Tottenham like Barrera’s versatility, as the player who can be used on either flank as well as up top.
Manchester United are also said to have been intrigued by Barrera’s performances in the Mexican League having scored 12 goals in 28 league games over the last year, as well as his super-sub role at the World Cup for Mexico.
“I hope I can go abroad to play in a traditional club in Europe, but first I want to do well in the World Cup,” he told Super Deporte.
“I like football in Spain … the Italian, English, I like various styles of the game. I aspire to that, I want to be in a good team, that’s all I want.”
SHORT CORNERS – International News, Notes and Rumors 5-28-2010
US NATIONAL TEAM STOPS IN AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Bob Bradley and his 23-man US National Team stopped by the White House for a World Cup send off Thursday. The team got to meet the President and Vice President as well as Former President Bill Clinton.
AVRAM GRANT TO MANAGE WEST HAM UNITED
Many will feel that Avram Grant is a glutton for punishment. After do his best in the worst possible situation at Portsmouth, Grant will take the reigns at struggling West Ham United, replacing Gianfranco Zola in the position. Grant resigned from his post at Portsmouth after the team’s unlikely appearance in the FA Cup Final.
ESSIEN RULED OUT OF WORLD CUP
A huge blow was dealt to Ghana’s World Cup ambitions as Michael Essien was ruled out of the World Cup due to a knee injury suffered during January’s African Nations Cup. Ghana manager Milovan Rajevac had been hopeful that Essien would be ruled fit in time but the FA released a statement stating that the Chelsea star would not be fully fit until late July.
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