Category: soccer

soccer

Virtual Viewing Party: Sunday’s games

Posted on by Beau Dure

We’re going to keep this room open all day for people to stop by and chat in case Twitter’s down. During the day, you’ll see some Twitter highlights pop through.

Our hosts are:

Algeria-Slovenia, 7:30 a.m. ET, ESPN
Serbia-Ghana, 10 a.m. ET, ESPN
Germany-Australia, 2:30 p.m. ET, ABC
(all on ESPN Deportes / ESPN3.com / Univision)

[iframe http://www.coveritlive.com/index2.php/option=com_altcaster/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=a6d661c1ba 500 600]

0
soccer

Virtual Viewing Party: Argentina-Nigeria

Posted on by Beau Dure

This is a game everyone should’ve circled. Will we Diego Maradona’s team be prepared? Will Nigeria be inspired on its own home continent? Great matchup for Day 2 of the World Cup.

Your hosts are Aaron Stollar of BigSoccer’s Fighting Talker blog and Jenna Pel, who covers the worldwide women’s game at All White Kit.

Argentina-Nigeria, 10 a.m. ET
ESPN/ESPN Deportes/ESPN3.com/Univision

[iframe http://www.coveritlive.com/index2.php/option=com_altcaster/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=0e4e21f686 500 600]

0
soccer

Virtual Viewing Party: Greece-South Korea

Posted on by Beau Dure

Nothing to brighten up the World Cup after the France-Uruguay snoozer like … Greece and South Korea, bright and early. Oh boy. This’ll be a challenge.

Doug Roberson (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) and I will be here to try to liven things up. Please join us. Please help us.

Greece-South Korea, 7:30 a.m. ET
ESPN/ESPN Deportes/ESPN3.com/Univision

[iframe http://www.coveritlive.com/index2.php/option=com_altcaster/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=8ae4bf475e 500 600]

0
soccer

Virtual Viewing Party: Mexico-South Africa

Posted on by Beau Dure

Can’t be at your favorite watering hole for a game? Just so enamored of a couple of soccer bloggers that you want to chat with us? Desperate for updates? Twitter crashing? You’re in luck. Hop in the discussion below for the World Cup opener and come back throughout the Cup for more chatting.

South Africa vs. Mexico, 10 a.m. ET
ESPN/ESPN Deportes/ESPN3.com/Univision

Today’s hosts are Beau Dure, who runs Sports Myriad, and Kyle McCarthy, who writes for myriad sites and papers (Boston Herald, Goal.com, MLSSoccer.com among them).

[iframe http://www.coveritlive.com/index2.php/option=com_altcaster/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=45ca371996 500 600]

0
soccer

MLS marquee matchup: Real Salt Lake and R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Posted on by Beau Dure

Through a fluke of the schedule, MLS has a terrific lead-in to the World Cup: an MLS Cup rematch (9 p.m. ET Wednesday, Direct Kick/MLSSoccer.com) that finds both the Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Salt Lake in good form.

Real might be exhausted, having spent several days sweating in D.C. for an Open Cup qualifier, a White House visit and a league game. But they’re motivated. The mountain men have an MLS trophy, but after squeaking into the playoffs last year, they know they have some work to do.

“We’re going to have to keep fighting in order to keep getting respect,” captain Nat Borchers said after Saturday’s 0-0 draw in D.C.

“At the beginning of the season, everyone thought we were going to be a big-time team,” Robbie Russell said. “We lose three games on the road against the top three teams from last year, and all of a sudden everyone’s talking about how we’re not good. We have another streak of form, get some home wins, and all of a sudden, we’re good again.”

Russell isn’t exaggerating. Real’s April schedule was borderline sadistic. At Houston. A lone home game against Seattle. At Los Angeles. At Columbus.

“When you’re 1-3-1 and have played a lot of good soccer, I think it’s a bit frustrating,” Borchers said. “That being said, we did play very good soccer. We know how good we are at home – that’s our castle, and we got good results there.”

“Castle” may seem a little overblown, but in general, Real’s players have a strong belief that they’ve found that mythical Right Way of Doing Things.

“It’s been about a 2 1/2-year season where we’ve been striving to get to where we’re getting to now,” Kyle Beckerman said. “We have a style of play now we really believe in. You feel confident in games when you have a style you know works. That’s keeping the ball on the ground, keeping a good deal of possession. When you tend to do that, the other team is playing defense a lot of the time, and that takes a lot out of you.”

And so Beckerman, who’s nursing a torn tendon in his left foot, is in a hurry to get back after the World Cup break.

“I’m about two weeks into rehab. We decided to continue with that. It happened at a decent time where I’m only going to miss three games and should be back for the game after the break.

“The injury was a bit unique. It’s not a standard injury where you do the surgery and you’re back in a certain amount of time. I didn’t really feel comfortable with the surgical options. The one doctor who I did feel comfortable with, he thought it would be OK to go the conservative route without surgery.”

1
soccer

MLS recap: Fighting in Toronto, sweating in D.C.

Posted on by Beau Dure

No lineup analysis this week — over the break, we’ll go team-by-team to look at the rosters.

Yesterday:

– Come on you Reds! No, we didn’t mean red cards! With neither side finishing in Toronto, we go to the judges’ scorecards. Adelaide Byrd has it 29-28 Toronto; Nelson Hamilton scores it 29-28 Kansas City. Cecil Peoples insists that leg kicks can’t finish a fight and therefore has neither team winning a round for a 30-30 decision. It’s a draw!

Oh, that was a soccer game, not an MMA fight?

TFC fans were hopping mad after the first round … half, I mean, half … but the biggest complaint seems to be that more Wizards weren’t sent off. The game ended 10-v-10 as is. Toronto squandered a few chances, but if Preki and company want to hang on to that playoff spot ahead of all the more talented West teams just behind them, they should consider investing in some defenders who aren’t quite as clumsy.

–  Soccer soup: The other scoreless tie Saturday was in D.C., where the stats can be a little deceiving. Both teams played positively for the most part, though the heat and humidity sucked the life out the game at times. For some reason, several United attacks wound up on the foot of Stephen King, who was denied brilliantly once or twice by Real Salt Lake keeper Nick Rimando. The rest, he squandered. RSL’s Will Johnson told the Salt Lake papers (the team’s White House visit provided a handy excuse to open up reporters’ travel budgets as if they were suddenly the Washington Post) that he found United’s lack of attacking urgency baffling for a home game, and indeed, RSL was pressing toward the end while D.C. counterattacked. That said, United managed to get a few shots on goal.

– Galaxy stomp: LA 4, Houston 1. No question that the Galaxy can survive without Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan. More pressing question is whether the Dynamo defense is aging before our eyes.

– Quick six for Red Bulls: Hot start, sudden skid, and now the Red Bulls have just as suddenly won two games in the Red Bull Arena fortress.

– Rapids for real: Colorado isn’t going to catch Los Angeles this season, but the Rapids shouldn’t be overlooked. A home win against East leader Columbus ought to grab some attention and bolster some confidence. Colorado scored the winner short-handed thanks to Pablo Mastroeni once again showing the flashes of temper that have hampered his career. (Or, perhaps, made us all regret that he didn’t go to Serie A, where he might have fit in well.)

– Can Dallas hang around? Jeff Cunningham is going through another stretch as Mr. Hyde, and yet FC Dallas isn’t out of it in the West. Brek Shea, my choice for Player of the Week, scored twice against San Jose. The club even showed signs of life at the gate with a crowd of 14,331.

Also, Chicago beat Philadelphia and former coach Peter Nowak 2-1, and Seattle exorcised the demons of a disappointing start with three spectacular goals against New England.

1
soccer

Live: USA-Australia

Posted on by Beau Dure

Watch the USA-Australia friendly with us — or, if you’re stuck somewhere and can’t watch, follow the action with us. This is basically a test run for the World Cup, when I’m tentatively planning to have a discussion like this for every game. Your hosts today are Beau Dure and Atlanta Journal-Constitution writer Doug Roberson. During the Cup, the plan is to rotate hosts. Readers, of course, can join us and chime in at any time.

By U.S. Soccer mandate, we’re obliged to tell you that the game will be broadcast live on ESPN2 at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Click here and make sure your pop-up blocker isn’t on

0
cycling, olympic sports, rugby, soccer, tennis, track and field

Friday Myriad: French finals, final Cup tune-ups

Posted on by Beau Dure

One side effect of the World Cup: These are the last MLS weekend games until June 25. They’ll play a few midweek games June 9-10, then break.

This is an eclectic weekend. How often do you see beach volleyball on two channels? College rugby on a major network?

If you’re an MMA fan, this is your one weekend off before a dizzy stretch with five cards (UFC PPV, Ultimate Fighter finale, WEC, Sengoku, Strikeforce) in nine days.

FRIDAY

7 a.m.: Tennis, French Open men’s semi, #5 Robin Soderling-#15 Tomas Berdych. Tennis Channel

11 a.m.: Tennis, French Open men’s semi, #2 Rafael Nadal-#22 Jurgen Melzer, possibly on delay. Might also see women’s double’s final, Williams sisters vs. Kyeta Peschke-Katarina Srebotnick. NBC

11:55 a.m.: Soccer, France-China. Start the panic in Paris if this one goes awry. ESPN2

2 p.m.: Track and field, Diamond League, Bislett Games, Oslo. Universal Sports.com

7/9:30 p.m.: Softball, Women’s College World Series, winner’s bracket games. ESPN

8 p.m.: Hockey, Stanley Cup finals Game 4, Philadelphia-Chicago (Chicago leads 2-1). Versus

SATURDAY

8:30 a.m.: Soccer, USA-Australia. How well have the final 23 acclimated to South Africa? We’ll find out. ESPN2, with live coverage right here at SportsMyriad.com

9 a.m.: Tennis, French Open women’s final, Samantha Stosur-Francesca Schiavone, and men’s doubles final, NBC

12/2:30 p.m.: Softball, Women’s College World Series, elimination games. ESPN2

4 p.m.: Soccer, Toronto-Kansas City. How far can Dwayne De Rosario and Stefan Frei really carry TFC? Direct Kick/MLSSoccer.com

4 p.m.: Rugby, Sevens Collegiate Championship Invitational, San Diego State-Tennessee, Army-Navy, California-Dartmouth, Ohio State-Penn State, NBC

7/9:30 p.m.: Softball, Women’s College World Series, elimination games. ESPN

7:30 p.m.: Soccer, New York-Chivas USA. The Red Bulls rebounded nicely with a big home win Wednesday, stopping the plummet out of the playoff places. FSC

  • 7:30 p.m.: D.C. United-Real Salt Lake. Direct Kick/MLSSoccer.com
  • 8 p.m.: Los Angeles-Houston. Galavision
  • 8:30 p.m.: Dallas-San Jose. Direct Kick/MLSSoccer.com
  • 8:30 p.m.: Chicago-Philadelphia. Direct Kick/MLSSoccer.com
  • 9 p.m.: Colorado-Columbus. Direct Kick/MLSSoccer.com

10:15 p.m.: Boxing. Miguel Cotto-Yuri Foreman bout tops card from Yankee Stadium. HBO

10:30 p.m.: Soccer, Seattle-New England. Two teams with high expectations try to shake off the early-season misfortune. Direct Kick/MLSSoccer.com

SUNDAY

9 a.m.: Tennis, French Open men’s final, NBC

1/3:30 p.m.: Softball, Women’s College World Series, unbeaten teams in each bracket vs. other surviving teams. ESPN

2 p.m.: Beach volleyball, AVP Huntington Beach Open women’s final, ESPN2

3 p.m.: Cycling, Dauphine Libere prologue (delay), Versus

4 p.m.: Beach volleyball, AVP Huntington Beach Open men’s final, NBC

4 p.m.: Rugby, Sevens Collegiate Championship Invitational final, NBC

6 p.m.: Soccer (WPS), Chicago-Atlanta. Missing St. Louis Athletica? See several of their players in action for the visiting Beat. FSC

7/9:30 p.m.: Softball, Women’s College World Series (if necessary), winners advance to best-of-three championship. ESPN2

8 p.m.: Hockey, Stanley Cup finals Game 5, Chicago-Philadelphia. NBC

OLYMPIC SPORTS

  • Beach volleyball, track and field televised (see above)
  • Volleyball: U.S. men open World League play at Russia
  • Triathlon: World Championship Series, Madrid; UniversalSports.com
  • Modern pentathlon: Final World Cup before the final; Saturday/Sunday coverage at pentathlon.org. Americans Margaux Isaksen (ninth) and Will Brady (21st) in good shape to reach 36-athlete final.

MISC

0