The Wellington Phoenix gave up a slender lead but remained unbeaten this season after they held the Brisbane Roar to a 1-1 draw at Westpac Stadium this afternoon.
In a game that was played in strong winds, off-season signing Stein Huysegems bagged his second goal of the year when he put the Phoenix ahead after 17 minutes with a sharp finish from close range.
But, dangerous Brisbane striker Besart Berisha squared the ledger in the 38th minute when he took advantage of some relaxed Phoenix defending.
Brisbane came in to the contest following an impressive 5-0 drubbing of Melbourne Victory last week, which showed their 1-0 loss in the opening round against Perth was just a minor blip on the radar.
They were slow to start against the Phoenix and barely mounted an attack on goal during the first 20 minutes as Wellington began the better of the two sides and made sure Roar keeper Michael Theo was wide awake in goal.
Inspirational Phoenix skipper Andrew Durante was ruled out of the game with illness and his place in the heart of defence was filled by new recruit Michael Boxall.
It was the second game on the bounce for Boxall after he filled in for Ben Sigmund during last weekend's 1-1 draw with Melbourne Heart, which backed up the Phoenix's 2-0 win over Sydney FC in week one.
It was Sigmund who was called upon to lead the Phoenix in Durante's absence and the club veteran was busy at the back as the Phoenix were made to work to contain the dangerous Brisbane attackers.
The fleet-footed Ben Halloran gave Phoenix left back Tony Lochhead a thorough examination and the All Whites defender was exposed on a couple of occasions during the first 45 minutes but settled in to his work as the game went on.
A-League table
Phoenix goalkeeper Mark Paston missed both of New Zealand's recent internationals against Tahiti with a foot infection but showed no signs of any lingering issues as he kept his side in the game during the first spell.
The big custodian made two sharp stops from close range, which showed why Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert currently prefers the 35-year-old to Glen Moss.
During the first 15 minutes of the second spell both sides failed to make any inroads as the game drifted along without incident.
Solomon Islands international Benjamin Totori was summoned from the bench after an hour of the game had passed and he replaced Huysegems who had produced a busy shift up front.
Youngster Tyler Boyd, who won't celebrate his 18th birthday until the end of December, was the next Phoenix player to be injected in to the game from the pine when he replaced fellow rookie Louis Fenton with 20 minutes left.
Herbert used his third and final sub when Vince Lia joined the fray in the 83rd minute in place of the industrious Alex Smith but the reserves failed to provide any major impetus as the game stuttered to an eventual draw.
Chris Wondolowski scored his MLS-leading 26th goal and the San Jose Earthquakes came back twice in the second half for a 2-2 tie with the Galaxy on Sunday.
Wondolowski's goal, a header in the 73rd minute off Marvin Chavez's corner kick, put him one behind Roy Lassiter's season MLS scoring mark with one game left.
The Earthquakes (19-6-8), who clinched the Supporters' Shield when Sporting Kansas City tied New York on Saturday, finish their regular season Saturday in Portland.
Wondolowski moved into a tie for second place on the league's goal list. Stern John had 26 goals for Columbus in 1998, and Mamadou Diallo accomplished the feat for Tampa Bay in 2000.
Robbie Keane scored his 12th goal in 15 games and Edson Buddle, making his first start since May 26, nodded in his third of the season to stake the Galaxy to a pair of second-half leads.
But Marvin Chavez curled home a free kick and Wondolowski finally broke through after hitting the post twice earlier in the second half.
The Galaxy (15-12-6) are virtually assured of finishing fourth in the Western Conference, and thus having to play an extra postseason match.
The Galaxy grabbed back the momentum in the 59th with a play started and finished by Keane. The Irish international sprung Buddle loose on the wing, and the return cross bounced off two Earthquakes defenders and dropped down for Keane to drive home a goal at the edge of the 6-yard goal area.
Read more: Soccer: Galaxy let two leads slip away - SGVTribune-com
Soccer legend Diego Maradona arrived here to a tumultuous welcome from thousands of football crazy fans from all over the state.
The Argentine World Cup winning captain is in the state for tomorrow’s inauguration of a new showroom of Boby Chemmanur International Jewellers and Airlines, for which he is the brand ambassador.
Maradona, on a two-day trip to the state, arrived by a chartered helicopter from Nedumabassery International airport at Kochi.
Tight security was in place in the city, which saw a festive atmosphere with hundreds of fans pouring in from Kozhikode, Malappuram and Kasargod districts. About 2,000 police personnel were enlisted for security.
Maradona, who led Argentina to a World Cup triumph in 1986, waved to the crowds after landing at Kannur, a city which has hosted many international and national soccer tournaments.
The FIFA player of the 20th century along with Pele in 2000, had come to India once before for a function in Kolkata in 2008.
With roughly 16 minutes left in Tuesday night's District 6 Class AAA boys soccer semifinal at Tiger Stadium, Altoona had a prime opportunity to draw even with long time rival Hollidaysburg on a corner kick.
Instead, the Golden Tigers cleared, and Chris Miller sprinted nearly half the length of the field with the ball and fired a laser from 30 yards out into the upper right corner of the net.
It was the exclamation point on Hollidaysburg's season series with the Mountain Lions as the second-seeded Tigers escaped with a 3-1 victory.
"That goal was just an absolute bullet," Hollidaysburg coach Craig Shale said of Miller's blast. "That was just a screamer. It was a beauty. No one was going to stop that. That was the icing on the cake right there."
"That might have been the best shot of my life," Miller said as he explained the play. "I just went at [the defender] with a lot of speed, took it by him and just took a shot."
Miller's insurance tally assured the Tigers (13-3-1) that they would be playing in their fourth straight district title game.
"That's quite an accomplishment," Shale said. "For the seniors to play in the championship each year definitely is a great achievement."
Hollidaysburg will travel to Bald Eagle Area to tangle with top-seeded State College - 4-0 winners over Central Mountain on Tuesday - on Oct. 31.
To say that Miller and his teammates are looking forward to the contest would be an understatement.
"To win the district championship again would be amazing," Miller said. "We won it when I was a sophomore. To win it again as a senior would be awesome."
"We've got the talent," Shale said of Hollidaysburg's chances. "State College is always the team to beat. When you're in a final, anything can happen."
As has been the case all season against Altoona, Hollidaysburg was in control and never really let up.
But after Kristian Mirenda tied the game at 1 - the Lions' only goal against the Tigers in three games - Altoona found a new gear.
Read More: Tigers boys soccer advance to finals - AltoonaMirror-com - Altoona, PA | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information - The Altoona Mirror
Legendary footballer Diego Maradona did not disappoint the hundreds of fans who had thronged the Municipal Stadium in Kannur today just to get a glimpse of their idol.
The soccer god, brand ambassador of Bobby Chemmanur International Jewellers and Airlines, had come to Kerala to inaugurate a jewellery showroom in Kannur and launch the group's helicoper service.
On ascending the specially-prepared stage at the stadium, Maradona energetically waved to the crowd and then kicked footballs in all four directions.
Maradona also exhibited the dribbling skills which made him famous around the world. He hugged Kerala's biggest soccer star IM Vijayan and shared a few headers with the latter.
Maradona next picked up the mike and said "Viva India" several times. He surprised the organisers by singing few lines of a Latin song. When the function's compere Ranjini Haridas urged him to dance with her, Maradona obliged by getting jiggy in his characteristic manner. He even planted a peck on her cheek.
After this, Maradona cut a 25-kg cake to celebrate his 52nd birthday that falls on Oct 30. The organisers had earlier convinced Maradona to accept their request for an early birthday celebration in Kannur.
To mark the occasion, a 5-feet-long and 3-feet-wide cake in the shape of a football field was baked. The cake had a football at its centre. Another cake resembled the trophy that was handed to Maradona when he led Argentina to victory in the 1986 World Cup.
Yesterday, the soccer legend made his first ever appearance in Kerala. He landed at the Nedumbassery airport near here around 6 a.m and spent an hour in the VIP lounge before boarding a Kannur-bound helicopter.
As soon as the chopper touched down at the Defence Security Corps ground in Kannur, Maradona's fans went into a tizzy. Football lovers were seen lining both sides of the road leading to the Blue Nile Hotel where he was due to stay.
Today morning, he left the hotel and reached the stadium in a helicopter at the scheduled time. Though about 3000 police personnel were deployed in connection with his brief visit, the organisers did not want to take any chances and therefore arranged private security too for Maradona's protection.
Soccer god Diego Maradona celebrates 52nd b-day in Kerala | India - Oneindia News
This time around, the 2012 Yavapai College men's soccer team wasn't about to let Pima have its way with the Roughriders' proud program in the postseason.
Heading into their NJCAA Region I, Division I semifinal match against Pima this week at Mountain Valley Amphitheater, the 'Riders were well aware that in 2010 and 2011 the Aztecs knocked YC out of regionals and denied the club a shot at qualifying for the national tournament.
Playing in front of a boisterous crowd Thursday night, NJCAA Division I No. 5-ranked Yavapai out-shot Pima 32-6 en route to a 5-2 victory over the region's fourth-seeded Aztecs, earning the top-seeded Roughriders a trip to the region championship Saturday vs. No. 2 seed Arizona Western (19-2-0).
"It actually feels really great," Roughriders sophomore attacker Julien Dragomir said of beating Pima in the playoffs. "Last year, we got a huge upset and I was hysterical after the game. I thought we should've been the ones going on. But it definitely feels great to finally knock them out and be able to advance."
In Thursday's other semifinal, the Matadors beat Chandler-Gilbert, 3-1, to advance.
Read More: Yavapai soccer team's win over Pima sets up title tilt - The Prescott Daily Courier - Prescott, Arizona
N.C. State may have drawn blood, but the No. 4 North Carolina men’s soccer team’s response resulted in a 2-0 victory Friday night at Dail Field. In the 64th minute, UNC forward Andy Craven left the field due to a bloody nose after being fouled by Wolfpack defender Matt Ingram.
Senior Martin Murphy took the ensuing free kick and curved the ball around the Wolfpack wall to a jumping junior Rob Lovejoy.
Before Murphy sent the ball to Lovejoy’s forehead, a Wolfpack defender said, “He can’t bend it from there.”
But Murphy said he was confident Lovejoy would be there to finish his cross.
“I knew he was making the run to the front post, so I just tried to whip it in there, and I knew he would get on to the end of it” he said.
Lovejoy described the ball as the perfect cross, something he’s come to expect from Murphy.
Twenty two minutes later, Lovejoy set up teammate Danny Garcia for the Tar Heels’ second goal of the night.
With two defenders surrounding him, Lovejoy managed to back-heel the ball along the end line to a sliding Garcia.
Garcia beat the diving Wolfpack goalkeeper to the ball for the Tar Heels’ second goal. Garcia said he was caught off-guard by Lovejoy’s sneaky pass.
“I wasn’t expecting that, but I’m glad he did it” he said. Lovejoy described the ball as the perfect cross, something he’s come to expect from Murphy.
Twenty two minutes later, Lovejoy set up teammate Danny Garcia for the Tar Heels’ second goal of the night.
With two defenders surrounding him, Lovejoy managed to back-heel the ball along the end line to a sliding Garcia.
Garcia beat the diving Wolfpack goalkeeper to the ball for the Tar Heels’ second goal. Garcia said he was caught off-guard by Lovejoy’s sneaky pass.
“I wasn’t expecting that, but I’m glad he did it” he said.
Although Garcia may not have been anticipating the pass, Lovejoy said he knew Garcia would be there for the finish.
“Danny is one of those players you just know where he is on the field,” Lovejoy said. “He’s got such a sixth sense for the game.
“Obviously it was a bit of luck, but I knew (Garcia) was making that run behind me, so I just closed my eyes and did it”.
Though in a winning effort, UNC (13-2-1, 5-1-1) was outshot by N.C. State 15-10 on the night.
Coach Carlos Somoano said he was pleased with Friday’s performance, specifically the second half. Following the scoreless first half, Somoano said some changes needed to be made in order to secure a victory.
“We just needed to speed everything up just a little bit and get that final execution” he said.
Both of the Tar Heel goals involved Lovejoy, who just recently made his season debut after missing the first 12 games of the season due to injury. Lovejoy’s return has had already made an immediate effect on the team. In his four games this season, Lovejoy has netted four goals and one nifty assist.
“He brings a lot of energy and he can score goals obviously and help make goals” Murphy said. “It’s really great to have him back.”
Somoano added that his experience from last season has helped make his transition back into the lineup.
“He’s a constant threat, he goes for goal, he’s got this extra-aggressive nature and he’s a returner.” Somoano said. “Robbie has that immediate impact.”
The Daily Tar Heel :: From the Press Box : Men's soccer team edges Wolfpack 2-0
In the dusty old days, Alberto Gutierrez played soccer under the critical eye of his father. So it was only natural and right that when he became a father, Gutierrez vowed to be at every match his son played.
On Saturday, Alberto, a coach for the Milwaukee Saint Anthony soccer team, watched his son Eduardo shine like gold.
Eduardo, a senior forward for the Roman Legion, scored two goals and helped Saint Anthony beat Winnebago Lutheran Academy, 4-1, to win the WIAA Division 3 state championship at Uihlein Soccer Park.
"This is a really special day to have my dad here and have us win," Eduardo Gutierrez said. "He's been with me ever since I started playing, he's been with us since our first game this season and it means everything to have him here when we won it all."
Saint Anthony (27-3) won the golden ball in only its third year as a school and as a team.
"We played Winnebago Lutheran our first year as a team and we lost, 3-1," Roman Legion coach Jeff Serak said. "Beating them today shows just how far we have come, not only as a team but as a school and a community."
The Legion scored twice in the first eight minutes. Gutierrez scored in the second minute, taking a feed from midfield from sophomore Juan Serna, splitting two defenders and firing a shot past Winnebago Lutheran goalkeeper Caleb King.
"You have to take every opportunity you have to get a goal," Gutierrez said. "I wanted to motivate us to a championship."
In the eighth minute, Serna dribbled past two defenders, made a nifty move and popped a shot over a leaping King for an unassisted goal.
Gutierrez made it 3-0 in the 33rd minute, getting a perfectly placed through ball from Carlos Ramirez and beating King one-on-one into the left corner.
The Vikings cut it to 3-1 in the 35th minute on a well-run set piece. Jacob Schraufnagel headed a long free kick over to Richie Schuktz, who flicked it into the goal.
The Roman Legion used halftime to cool down after tempers flared during the first 40 minutes. Serna was sent off with a yellow card and got another warning from the head official. The Vikings (19-6-3) played aggressively as they tried to get back into the match.
"We knew we couldn't get yellow cards and silly fouls," Saint Anthony senior Bernabe Barba said. "We had a lead and we needed to stay cool."
Said Serak: "We get so excited and maybe over-emotional. I told our players we needed to stay on the field, that they represented their school, not just the team."
Serna stayed cool in the second half and made it 4-1 in the 46th minute by slicing in an angled strike from the far left.
Winnebago Lutheran, which lost the 2011 state championship match to Racine Prairie, had plenty of chances to get back into the match. The Vikings took 15 shots and had six corner kicks, but the Roman Legion did just enough to keep its lead.
"This season was a lot of hard work by players, coaches and fans," Barba said. "Winning it makes it all worth it."
WIAA soccer - Milwaukee Saint Anthony wins first state title
NBC's networks will televise the English Premier League under a $250 million, three-year deal that begins next season.
They will show every match from the world's most popular soccer league, taking coverage away from Fox and ESPN.
''The Barclays Premier League is the pre-eminent soccer league in the world, and is on the cusp of exponential popularity growth here in the U.S.,'' NBC Sports Group chairman Mark Lazarus said Sunday.
The company picked up Major League Soccer last year and had success with its soccer broadcasts during the London Olympics.
Criticized for using tape delay with the Olympics because of time differences, NBC will not do so with Premier League games, Lazarus said. English-language broadcasts will primarily be on cable channel NBC Sports Network, with Telemundo and mun2 used for Spanish coverage.
NBC's English-language networks will televise six live games a week. One or two of the company's other cable channels will also be used, Lazarus said, but which has not been determined yet as schedules are evaluated. Other games will be streamed live online.
The company has been seeking to expand the audience of NBC Sports Network, which was renamed from Versus after its owner, Comcast, took over NBCUniversal.
''We think we're acquiring a set of assets that has unique affluent male appeal that's very attractive to advertisers and attractive to cable operators,'' Lazarus said.
And soccer is a potential area for growth with most sports broadcast rights currently under contract, though NBC recently signed a deal with the Formula One auto racing series.
NBC Sports Network's biggest property is the NHL, whose season runs concurrently with English soccer. The EPL will be a good complement to the network's hockey coverage, Lazarus said, adding live soccer games in the morning and afternoon to prime-time NHL broadcasts.
''It's a younger skewing sport than some others out there, like some that are in a championship series right now,'' Lazarus said, in apparent reference to Major League baseball and its older viewership.
The previous three-year EPL deal with Fox, that saw some matches sublicensed to ESPN, was worth about $80 million. NBC Sports Network is in about twice as many homes in the U.S. as Fox Soccer but about 20 percent fewer than ESPN.
The EPL has sold its TV rights in Britain to BSkyB and BT for 3.018 billion pounds ($4.86 billion) in a record three-year deal from the 2013-14 season.
The EPL said NBC will deliver the ''biggest and broadest programming and promotion commitment ever in the United States'' for the league.
''The NBC Sports Group has an excellent track record in sports broadcasting,'' EPL chief executive Richard Scudamore said.
NBC secures English Premier League soccer rights - News | FOX Sports on MSN
Alex Ferguson has wished referee Lee Mason good luck in Wednesday's League Cup tie between Manchester United and Chelsea, just three days after their fiery Stamford Bridge soccer clash ended in controversy.
The fallout from United's thrilling victory on Sunday is set to continue beyond Wednesday's game, when the English Premier League's top two will meet for the second time in a week.
Roberto Di Matteo's side have accused referee Mark Clattenburg of using inappropriate language towards their players during Chelsea's 3-2 defeat, prompting the Football Association to launch an investigation.
The Metropolitan Police are also looking at how a steward was injured as United celebrated Javier Hernandez's controversial 75th-minute winner.
"Good luck to the referee," said Ferguson when asked if he had a message for Mason.
All eyes will be on the man with the whistle after Clattenburg dismissed Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres on Sunday before allowing Hernandez's goal to stand despite the United striker appearing to be offside.
It is expected to be another hot-blooded clash, although both teams will make changes to their starting line-ups.
United's Portuguese winger Nani insists he is in perfect condition as he prepares to make a rare start this season, amid speculation surrounding his long-term future at Old Trafford.
Nani cast doubt over his future last week following the club's Champions League victory over Braga when he responded to questions about his future by saying: "God only knows what awaits me."
United manager Ferguson admitted he would change some players ahead of the return to Chelsea.
Hernandez, Ryan Giggs, Anderson, Paul Scholes and Danny Welbeck could feature, while centre-back Scott Wootton, Belgian defender Marnick Vermijl, Michael Keane and Nick Powell are also in contention.
Chelsea will also make changes, although some of Di Matteo's adjustments will be forced as Ivanovic, Torres and John Terry are suspended and Frank Lampard is recovering from a calf injury.
"I have to see how the players are and then we have to think about what kind of team I can put out on Wednesday.
"We know we can play good football and create chances and take them, and that's what we have to do," Di Matteo said.
In Wednesday's other League Cup fixture, Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers comes up against his former employers Swansea City for the first time as Michael Laudrup's side visit Anfield.
Tom Sermanni, who led Australia to the quarterfinals at the last two Women's World Cups, was chosen as the new coach of the U.S. women's soccer team.
Sermanni replaces Pia Sundhage, who stepped down Sept. 1 after leading the U.S. women to back-to-back Olympic gold medals and their first World Cup final in 12 years. Sundhage finished with a 91-6-10 record in five years, including 23-1-1 this year.
U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said Sermanni has "the knowledge, experience and vision to take on the challenge of keeping our team at the top of the world." He was chosen by a search committee that considered more than 30 candidates.
-- Arsenal staged a stunning comeback at Reading, overcoming a 4-0, first-half deficit and winning 7-5 to advance to the League Cup quarterfinals as Theo Walcott scored a hat trick.
Read more: Sermanni to coach U.S. women's soccer - SFGate
Second-seeded Hollidays-burg had rallied from two goals down to tie the game at 2-2, and goalkeeper Justin Hann had made some big saves on State College attempts.
But, just as the District 6 Class AAA boys soccer championship appeared to be headed toward overtime, State College's Joe Thomas turned the Golden Tigers' Halloween chillier than the cold, damp Wednesday night conditions they were playing in at Alumni Stadium.
Thomas' third goal - on a breakaway - came with 2:50 left in the game and gave the top-seeded Little Lions a 3-2 win. It was the Lions' second straight district title. "It's obviously disappointing," Hollidaysburg coach Craig Shale said. "We got ourselves back in the game. We gave them two goals. It could have been anybody's game. I thought it was going to go overtime, but they took their chance well."
"We've not trained for six days," State College coach Dan Ortman said. "So, it was a bit difficult. I think it was quite exciting. Usually, we're a little more comfortable on the ball, but we were a little bit more panicky because Hollidaysburg would go through the middle of the field. In the end, we got a break."
The Lions (12-5-2) got two goals in the first 17:46 from Thomas, but Shale wasn't worried.
"We've got goal-scorers on this team," Shale said. "There's no way we were going to get shut out. We've got some kids that can strike a ball. It was good to get that goal just to go back at halftime 2-1."
Hollidaysburg (13-4-1) got on the board with a goal from Zach Franks, who booted one from about 35 yards past starting goalie Nate Davis.
The Tigers tied it with an Eric Miller goal 6:51 into the second half past backup goalie Ty Leway. Some of the players on both teams play on the same traveling team in the offseason, so it was fitting it came down to the end.
In a very physical second half, Thomas slipped away from a Tiger defender and scored his third goal.
"Tonight was his game," Ortman said. "He missed another breakaway, and I'll talk to him about that later on. He's a good player."
Hann, a senior who came into the district title game two years ago off the bench and had a big game, made eight saves in this one, including a couple off boots right in front of the net.
"Justin is a great goalkeeper," Ortman said. "I think in the first half, he might have saved one with his face. I know a couple years ago he won it for Hollidaysburg against State College with an unbelievable performance."
The Tigers had one last chance when Franks' shot went over the goal with a minute left in the game.
"It thought we took it to them," Shale said. "They [State College] are a good team. They played a tough schedule, but our guys gave as good as they got. I thought we gave them a great game.
"We didn't have the tough schedule that State College had, but we played well as a team, and I think we showed it tonight."
Mike Magee scored the tying goal in the 69th minute and Landon Donovan converted a penalty kick four minutes later, leading the Los Angeles Galaxy to a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps in a knockout playoff game Thursday night.
The defending MLS champion Galaxy endured a tense hour of play after Darren Mattocks scored in the fourth minute for fifth-seeded Vancouver, which had won just three of its past 17 matches.
Los Angeles' stars finally came through. David Beckham's corner kick helped set up Magee's goal, and Donovan drew a penalty with a strong run to earn the go-ahead goal, the record 21st of his MLS playoff career.
Vancouver rarely threatened in the final minutes, and Beckham's defense of his first MLS title stayed alive.
The Galaxy advanced to a two-leg Western Conference semifinal series against the Earthquakes, who won the Supporters' Shield as MLS's best regular-season team.
San Jose visits Home Depot Center on Sunday night and hosts the Galaxy at Buck Shaw Stadium on Wednesday night.
Brad Knighton made several impressive stops in goal for the Whitecaps, who nearly pulled off a stunner after skidding into the playoffs. Vancouver was the first Canadian MLS team to reach the postseason in just the franchise's second MLS season.
Read more: Galaxy knocks out Whitecaps in MLS - SFGate
Notre Dame advanced to the Class 2A state soccer title match with a fingernail-biting, penalty-kick victory Friday over West Chicago Wheaton Academy at Lincoln-Way North High School.
The Irish won 3-1 in PKs after 80 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtimes. Each team scored a one goal in 100 minutes of timed play.
“This point of the season, you take (a victory) any way you can get it,” Notre Dame coach Mike Bare said. “I don’t know if we played to our ability, but (Wheaton Academy) is a nice team, big and physical. They kind of took us out of our style of play.”
Notre Dame (21-2-2) will play Urbana (21-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday in the state championship match. Urbana defeated Arlington Heights St. Viator 2-1 in the second 2A semifinal.
“That’s the goal every year, to play for a state championship,” Bare said. “But I’ll tell you, Justin Buck saving three penalties. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a penalty shootout like that, where the first four balls are saved. Incredible.”
Buck and Wheaton Academy’s Spencer Graf rejected shots all day. Graf was credited with 11 saves and Buck eight, but understandably none were bigger than the penalty kicks.
“We practice PKs in practice all the time,” Buck said. “Today, I just wanted to keep my mind clear and try to pick up any movements to which way (the attacker) is going. It’s just you and the kicker out there.”
Graf started the PK session by stopping ND leadoff kicker Alex Garcia.
“You always want to go first,” Bare said about penalty-kick endings. “You want to get that first one in the net, just to relieve those nerves a little bit. You miss and it, unfortunately, puts more pressure on your goalkeeper.”
Buck didn’t flinch and followed Garcia’s miss by turning back Wheaton Academy’s Grant Stoneman.
Graf kept Ben Fiddes’ attempt out of the net. Buck then stopped the Warriors’ Casey Zimmerman.
Nick Finerty finally got a shot by Graf and Wheaton Academy’s Andrew Luetkehans scored on Buck.
Tommy Frampton converted ND’s second PK from the fourth position and Buck, with a dive to his right, stopped Zeb Lewis.
“Three saves in a PK situation is pretty much unheard of,” Bare said. “And Justin, he was supposed to be our backup this season. We lost a goalkeeper to the Academy system and Justin stepped in, and it is a credit to him on the type of season he had.”
Read More: Notre Dame soccer saving the best for last - Peoria, IL - pjstar-com
David Beckham's six years in Southern California have had all the elements of a great movie — and this being Hollywood, don't think someone's not already working on a screenplay.
But while it's been part farce and part tragedy, it's also been fully entertaining.
There were the early feuds and eventual rapprochement with teammate Landon Donovan and the Galaxy fans. There were the controversial loans to A.C. Milan and the unrequited desire to play for England in the World Cup and for Britain in the London Olympics.
There was success too, with Beckham leading the Galaxy to a Major Soccer League title last fall when he was Major League Soccer's comeback player of the year.
Yet the Beckham Experiment, as Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl called it, may be entering its final act. On Sunday the Galaxy meets San Jose in the first leg of the Western Conference semifinals, and if it doesn't beat the favored Earthquakes the match could prove to be Beckham's last in a Galaxy uniform at the Home Depot Center.
Or not. Even Beckham isn't sure what he'll do next.
"Who knows?" he said last week. "I'm going to enjoy being in the playoffs again this season and then we'll see … how this body feels."
The Galaxy and Beckham have been down this road before, of course. Last winter Beckham reportedly entertained offers from a number of European suitors before eventually deciding to stay, signing a two-year deal in January. But a lot has changed since then.
In many ways this has been Beckham's best MLS season, one that featured a career-high seven goals, nine assists and an all-star selection. But it's also been one of the most frustrating, with Beckham being passed over for the Olympic team and missing two games to disciplinary suspensions and four others with injuries.
More significant, however, is the fact the Galaxy has already begun envisioning a future without the 37-year-old who, along with Robbie Keane and Donovan, holds one of the team's three valuable designated player spots.
"At the end of this year we have decisions to make on our DPs," Galaxy Chief Executive Tim Leiweke said. "The DPs, they're going through changes in their lives now. We're starting to think through life without them. Whether it's at the end of this year or the end of next year, that's something we're thinking about. And we're going to be preparing for it."
The league limits teams to three designated players, whose salaries are only partially counted against the MLS salary cap. That exemption is also known as the Beckham Rule since MLS originally adopted it to give the Galaxy the payroll flexibility it needed to lure the former English national team captain to the U.S.
And Beckham has clearly been worth it. He's the biggest reason for the burgeoning popularity of the Galaxy and MLS, whose games are televised around the world. Leaguewide attendance topped 6 million for the first time this season, and since Beckham arrived the league has grown from 12 to 19 franchises while expansion fees have more than quadrupled, to a reported $50 million.
Now the Galaxy says it needs to open up one of its three DP spots. Keane, 32, the team's leading scorer, isn't an option. Not only is he playing brilliantly, but he has a contract that will keep him with the team for at least two more seasons.
Donovan, 30, has struggled with injuries this season while openly discussing his desire for a break to deal with physical and mental exhaustion. But Donovan, the team captain, has a year left on his contract and with the World Cup just two summers away he's likely to stay put as well.
That leaves Beckham, who also has a year left on his contract. But it's unclear whether that contract binds him to the pitch or simply to the team, which has always viewed him as more of a partner than a player. Plus Beckham's first deal with the Galaxy included an option to buy an MLS franchise, an option he has said he plans to exercise when he retires.
That's a transition Leiweke and the Galaxy could help Beckham start this winter.
Or not.
Asked again Saturday if the playoff game with San Jose could be his last home match in a Galaxy uniform Beckham again demurred.
"It might not be. We'll have to wait and see," he repeated. "I will decide whether I continue to play not just solely because of injuries and things like that. Sometimes that's an excuse.
"So for me [retirement] will be when I feel like I don't want to play anymore."
On Soccer: David Beckham could be in his final act with the Galaxy - latimes-com
Heather Cairns coached nine seasons before Utah State qualified for its first NCAA women’s soccer tournament.
With a 1-0 defeat of Denver on Sunday for the Western Athletic Conference tournament title, the Aggies, in front of 1,109 spectators, clinched their second consecutive appearance. In a season that began with several questions due to player graduation, the only one that now remains is just where USU will play its opening-round game. The 64-team field will be announced Monday, with first-round games scheduled for Friday and Saturday at 32 sites around the country.
USU (13-2-6), the first WAC back-to-back champions since 2003-2004, made a stunning Denver own goal in the fourth minute hold up for the full 90 minutes in a tight, physical struggle that placed a premium on defensive play.
"I’m not going to lie," said USU defender and tournament MVP Natalie Norris. "The second half was the most intense soccer I’ve ever played.
"Our goal was to keep them out of the back of the net."
And they did, an accomplishment considering the Pioneers’ offensive firepower. Denver (15-2-4) came into the championship with a 19-game unbeaten run and 45 total goals.
The Pioneers had been shut out only twice during the season — including a scoreless draw in Denver with USU.
"It’s tough when you score the first goal for them," Denver coach Jeff Hooker said. "We did what we needed to do in the second half. They seemed to get a piece of everything."
Utah State, which counterattacked when possible, was content to sit back and absorb pressure and rely on keeper Ashlyn Mulford. Norris, Taryn Rose and Jackie Tillotson were constantly using a foot, leg or head — front and back — to clear shots out of their 18-yard box.
The U.S. women’s soccer team will play three exhibitions against China in an eight-day span next month, with new coach Tom Sermanni watching as an observer.
The Americans said Monday that they will play China at Detroit’s Ford Field on Dec. 8, at Houston’s BBVA Compass Stadium on Dec. 12 and at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla., on Dec. 15.
In hiring Sermanni last week to replace Pia Sundhage, the U.S. Soccer Federation said Jill Ellis will continue as interim coach for the final five games this year, including matches against Ireland on Nov. 28 in Portland, Ore., and on Dec. 1 in Glendale, Ariz. Sermanni takes over the U.S. team on Jan. 1.
Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, Sermanni has coached Australia for eight years and will lead that nation in the East Asian Cup qualifying from Nov. 20-24 at Shenzen, China.
Adieu for Adu?
PHILADELPHIA — In his final news conference Monday, Union team manager John Hackworth insisted that his exit interview with Freddy Adu might not lead to the midfielder’s exit.
Yet there was no denying, reading between the lines, that Hackworth and the team feel that a player who earned $519,000 this MLS season had underperformed — not only in games but in practice.
After a season-ending 3-0 defeat to the Red Bulls on Oct. 27, Hackworth said no final decision on Adu had been made, despite a Philly-com report that suggested he had played his last game for the Union.
Hackworth has not changed his stance.
Soccer wrap: U.S. women to battle China - NorthJersey-com
You could be forgiven if you looked at the timing of Canadian Soccer's announcement Tuesday and concluded they were hoping to bury the news.
After all, who in their right mind would plan to introduce a major new hiring on the same day as the U.S. presidential election, if they weren't expecting it to fall through the cracks of the ink-stained pages?
This is the day when sports reporters and lifestyle editors everywhere are asked to pull double duty and chip in on what is easily one of the busiest times for any newsroom.
But, in all likelihood, despite the hiring having been made weeks ago, the Canadian Soccer Association's ill-timed official unveiling of its new technical director, Tony Fonseca, was probably just a detail overlooked.
However glaring, the slipup did provide an interesting contrast to the man they've hired to help build the next generation of Canadian soccer.
Like many former professional players, Fonseca isn't one willing to suffer fools lightly.
Serious and analytical, he has built a reputation as a problem solver apt at breaking down issues to their root and then demanding nothing less than the necessary change.
He's also someone who doesn't mind standing slightly out of the limelight. He played that role during his time under former national team head coach Stephen Hart. Fonseca was responsible for combing through hours of match videos and often doing the pre-scout of upcoming opponents.
Thankless task
He'll play that role once again now under general secretary Peter Montopoli. Often a thankless task, a technical director spends years planning, mentoring and molding on the youth levels in the hopes of one day developing a handful of players who can contribute to the senior national teams.
Last year, he impressed the Canadian soccer decision makers when, as the high performance director, he presented a plan for elite level soccer in this country that challenged some of the realities that Canada faces, without being naively optimistic about what can be done.
Back then, as just a director, he didn't have the clout to clear a lane for the major financial projects that would come with such a needed overhaul. But now, as a technical director, he has a mandate to do just that.
As it is with most change in Canadian soccer, this kind will be met with the usual kicking and screaming.
Fonseca is likely to face major opposition from the provincial soccer bodies as he rolls out his agenda over the next few years. Ultimately it will mean further marginalizing the province's place in developing players on the elite levels.
Sounding very much like a politician Tuesday, one that is seemingly aware of the fights that lay ahead, Fonseca peppered his teleconference with phrases like "consensus-building" and "working together," when asked about how he plans to transform the youth ranks.
Despite the pandering, today's announcement should force Canadian soccer as a whole to ask some very difficult questions of itself.
Questions that are desperately needed in the wake of Canada's latest failure to get to the Men's World Cup and at a time when this country continues to fall further and further behind at developing players of a world-class caliber.
Provincial programs
Do the provincial programs have a purpose anymore? Are they really interested in creating a competitive pool of the best players? Or are they just there to keep people employed?
Every province is different. And it has been said by more than one person that Canadian soccer is a region with 10 provinces, three territories and ultimately 13 different countries.
But these types of things need to be asked if Canada is ever going to leave the business of recreational soccer and actually move towards something that resembles a fully functional national program. One that not only competes in the region but regularly qualifies for World Cups.
On a day when the U.S. election dominated the headlines, Canadian soccer has set in motion something that if successful, will help to reshape the way we develop players in this country.
Fonseca wasn't elected but how his legacy will be defined is directly tied to how well he can navigate the politics of change.
Many challenges await new CSA hire Tony Fonseca | Soccer | CBC Sports
The U.S. will open the fourth and final round of World Cup qualifying Feb. 6 in Honduras while Mexico will begin its quest by playing host to Jamaica.
Pairings and dates for six-nation, 10-match regional qualifier were determined Wednesday in Miami Beach, where CONCACAF, the governing body for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, staged its tournament draw.
That draw laid out a difficult qualifying path for the U.S., which will play its first and last games on the road.
The top three finishers in the tournament are assured berths in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil while the fourth-place finisher will meet the winner of the Oceania region in a home-and-away playoff for another World Cup spot.
After Honduras, and a late March home match with Costa Rica, the U.S. will play in Mexico on March 26, meaning the Americans will play their first three matches against teams that qualified for at least one of the last two World Cups.
The March match in Mexico will probably be a key game for both teams given that last August the U.S. beat Mexico in Mexico City for the first time.
The U.S., which has not missed the World Cup since 1986, plays three times -- against Jamaica and Costa Rica on the road and against Panama at home -- during an 11-day span in June before playing host to Honduras and Mexico in another set of matches in September.
Juergen Klinsmann's team, which climbed five places to No. 27 in the latest FIFA rankings, then closes out qualifying with Jamaica and Panama in October. Jamaica was the only team to beat the U.S. in the third round of qualifying.
Mexico, No. 14 in the FIFA rankings, visits Honduras before hosting the U.S. It will visit Panama and Jamaica and play Costa Rica at home in June before finishing with games against Honduras, the U.S., Panama and Costa Rica.
The draw (home team listed first; cities still to be determined):
Wednesday, Feb. 6: Mexico vs. Jamaica; Honduras vs. U.S.; Panama vs. Costa Rica
Friday, March 22: Jamaica vs. Panama; Honduras vs. Mexico; U.S vs. Costa Rica
Tuesday, March 26: Mexico vs. U.S.; Panama vs. Honduras; Costa Rica vs. Jamaica
Friday, June 7: Jamaica vs. U.S.; Panama vs. Mexico; Costa Rica vs. Honduras
Tuesday, June 11: Mexico vs. Costa Rica; Honduras vs. Jamaica; U.S. vs. Honduras
Tuesday, June 18**: Jamaica vs. Mexico; U.S. vs. Honduras; Costa Rica vs. Panama
Friday, Sept. 6: Mexico vs. Honduras; Panama vs. Jamaica; Costa Rica vs. U.S.
Tuesday, Sept. 10: Jamaica vs. Costa Rica; Honduras vs. Panama; U.S. vs. Mexico
Friday, Oct. 11: Mexico vs. Panama; Honduras vs. Costa Rica; U.S. vs. Jamaica
Tuesday, Oct. 15: Jamaica vs. Honduras; Panama vs. U.S.; Costa Rica vs. Mexico
** The fixture involving Mexico on 18 of June will be moved to June 4th to allow Mexico, the CONCACAF representative, to participate in the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013.
U.S. soccer to begin and end World Cup qualifying on the road - latimes-com
Five months ago, the Galaxy was in last place in its conference. Two days ago, the team was basically dead in its second-round playoff series with San Jose.
But things can change quickly in Major League Soccer's unpredictable postseason. After rallying to a 3-1 win Wednesday to advance to the Western Conference finals, the Galaxy suddenly finds itself in position to play host to the league's title game for the second time in as many years.
There's still a lot of work to be done over the next 10 days, but a clear path to a second consecutive MLS Cup final at the Home Depot Center has emerged: If the Galaxy gets past the Seattle Sounders in its two-leg home-and-away playoff series, and Houston upsets D.C. United in the Eastern Conference finals, the Galaxy would have the best regular-season record of the two finalists, meaning the title game would come back to Carson on Dec. 1.
Before this season, the site of the MLS Cup final was determined months ahead of time.
This fall, however, the game will be played on the home field of the finalist with the best regular-season record. That opportunity seemed well beyond the Galaxy's reach upon entering the playoffs since the league's defending champions had the seventh-best point total of the league's 10 playoff teams.
But the Galaxy won its play-in game against Vancouver to reach the conference semifinals, where it knocked off top-seeded San Jose, leaving only Seattle -- which won one fewer regular-season game than the Galaxy -- between it and a return trip to the MLS Cup final.
The Galaxy's series with Seattle -- a 1-0 winner over Real Salt Lake on Thursday -- will begin Sunday at the Home Depot Center and conclude Nov. 18 in Salt Lake City.
In the Eastern Conference, Sporting Kansas City, the New York Red Bulls and the Chicago Fire -- who all did better than the Galaxy in the regular season -- have been eliminated.
That leaves just D.C. United and Houston as the only teams left standing. Second-seeded D.C. United finished higher in the standings than the Galaxy, but Houston was a point behind. That series will begin Sunday in Houston.
If Houston and the Galaxy both score upsets, again, it would not only set up a rematch of last year's MLS Cup final -- won by the Galaxy, 1-0 -- but it would also bring that rematch back to the Home Depot Center.
By the way, last year's win made the Galaxy just the second team in history and the first since D.C. United in 1997 to win an MLS title on its home field. Both teams were coached by Bruce Arena.
Galaxy could host Major League Soccer Cup final, again - latimes-com
In a game that was played in strong winds, off-season signing Stein Huysegems bagged his second goal of the year when he put the Phoenix ahead after 17 minutes with a sharp finish from close range.
But, dangerous Brisbane striker Besart Berisha squared the ledger in the 38th minute when he took advantage of some relaxed Phoenix defending.
Brisbane came in to the contest following an impressive 5-0 drubbing of Melbourne Victory last week, which showed their 1-0 loss in the opening round against Perth was just a minor blip on the radar.
They were slow to start against the Phoenix and barely mounted an attack on goal during the first 20 minutes as Wellington began the better of the two sides and made sure Roar keeper Michael Theo was wide awake in goal.
Inspirational Phoenix skipper Andrew Durante was ruled out of the game with illness and his place in the heart of defence was filled by new recruit Michael Boxall.
It was the second game on the bounce for Boxall after he filled in for Ben Sigmund during last weekend's 1-1 draw with Melbourne Heart, which backed up the Phoenix's 2-0 win over Sydney FC in week one.
It was Sigmund who was called upon to lead the Phoenix in Durante's absence and the club veteran was busy at the back as the Phoenix were made to work to contain the dangerous Brisbane attackers.
The fleet-footed Ben Halloran gave Phoenix left back Tony Lochhead a thorough examination and the All Whites defender was exposed on a couple of occasions during the first 45 minutes but settled in to his work as the game went on.
A-League table
Phoenix goalkeeper Mark Paston missed both of New Zealand's recent internationals against Tahiti with a foot infection but showed no signs of any lingering issues as he kept his side in the game during the first spell.
The big custodian made two sharp stops from close range, which showed why Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert currently prefers the 35-year-old to Glen Moss.
During the first 15 minutes of the second spell both sides failed to make any inroads as the game drifted along without incident.
Solomon Islands international Benjamin Totori was summoned from the bench after an hour of the game had passed and he replaced Huysegems who had produced a busy shift up front.
Youngster Tyler Boyd, who won't celebrate his 18th birthday until the end of December, was the next Phoenix player to be injected in to the game from the pine when he replaced fellow rookie Louis Fenton with 20 minutes left.
Herbert used his third and final sub when Vince Lia joined the fray in the 83rd minute in place of the industrious Alex Smith but the reserves failed to provide any major impetus as the game stuttered to an eventual draw.
Wellington Phoenix 1 (Stein Huysegems 17) Brisbane Roar 1 (Besart Berisha 38) HT: 1-1
Soccer: Phoenix remain unbeaten - Sport - NZ Herald News