Soccer By Ives

Morgan and Wambach lead U.S. Women past Canada

By CALEB SONNELAND

Despite both sides having punched their tickets to the 2012 London Olympics, bragging rights and a No. 1 seed were on the line when the United States Women clashed with Canada last night.

Thanks to the continued brilliance of Abby Wambach and young gun Alex Morgan, the United States trotted out a 4-0 victory to cap off what has largely been a pedestrian Olympic Qualifying.  The US Women outscored their opponents 38-0 throughout the entirety of the tournament.

Morgan finished the game having played a hand in every goal, with two goals and two assists while Wambach notched herself two goals with one assist.

Eight-team field set for CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament

By JOEY SAMUEL

The field competing for CONCACAF's spots at the 2012 Summer Olympics is officially set.

Trinidad & Tobago and Cuba each recorded the results they needed Monday night to advance out of Caribbean qualifying and earn the final two spots in the 2012 CONCACAF Pre-Olympic Tournament.

North American nations Canada, Mexico, and the United States were each awarded automatic berths into the eight-team Olympic qualifying tournament.

In September, El Salvador and Honduras each won their respective three-team groups to qualify directly. Then, Panama outlasted Costa Rica over two legs in a matchup of the second-placed teams from those three-team groups to earn the third spot out of Central America.

Monday, Trinidad & Tobago thrashed Suriname, 9-1, while Cuba earned a 1-1 draw with St. Kitts & Nevis to round out the field. Cuba finished first, while Trinidad & Tobago finished second in a four-team group in the second round of Caribbean qualifying. Each team in that four-team group had already won a four-team (or in Cuba's case, three-team) group of their own in the first round.

Union tie Toronto FC to seal playoff berth

By JOEY SAMUEL

CHESTER, Pa. - It wasn't pretty, and it certainly wasn't impressive. But it was good enough, at least for now.

Behind a goal from Sebastien Le Toux, the Philadelphia Union tied Toronto FC, 1-1, in front of a record crowd at PPL Park. They played a mostly lackluster 90 minutes against a team with next to nothing to play for, but it was enough for the Union to clinch a playoff berth in just their second MLS season. However, the Union's hold on first place in the Eastern Conference disappeared with the disappointing draw.

Le Toux continued to make his late case for the league MVP award when he scored the game's opening goal in the 43rd minute. He took a pass from Justin Mapp and was left open on the edge of the box. The Frenchman unleashed a shot that curled around Toronto goalie Milos Kocic for the goal, his 10th in 11 games.

Toronto FC responded, though, as Aron Winter began to make changes to his side in the second half. He brought on Nathan Sturgis for Torsten Frings, and not long after, the Reds managed to create an equalizer. Nick Soolsma fed Ryan Johnson a pass into the penalty area, and Johnson deftly one-timed the ball past Mondragon to make it 1-1 in the 57th minute.

World Cup Qualifiers: Venezuela upsets Argentina, Panama advances and more

By JOEY SAMUEL

Different coach, same old inconsistency.

That was the story Tuesday night as Argentina slumped to a 1-0 defeat away to Venezuela in the second round of 2014 World Cup qualifying in South America. Despite replacing coach Sergio Batista after a poor performance at the 2011 Copa America, Argentina once again struggled against a lesser opponent under new coach Alejandro Sabella.

For Venezuela, meanwhile, the win was the first time in history that it defeated mighty Argentina. It also represented a continuation of the strong form seen at that same Copa America, where the Vinotinto surprised with their strong play en route to a fourth-place finish.

World Cup qualifying continued elsewhere across the world on Tuesday, including in Asia, where China were defeated 1-0 at home by Iraq. China, which was were expected to show big improvement this qualifying cycle, has now lost two straight games and its hopes of advancing to the next round are disappearing quickly.

In other World Cup qualifiers around the globe:

World Cup Qualifying Rewind: Uruguay, Argentina roll, Canada cruises and more

By JOEY SAMUEL

Last summer, Uruguay shocked the world by advancing all the way to the semifinals of the 2010 World Cup. On Friday, they started their path to the next World Cup in style.

Uruguay, which also won the 2011 Copa America this summer, opened their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign in CONMEBOL with a 4-2 win over Bolivia. Luis Suarez put Uruguay up early, only for Bolivia to battle back and equalize. A brace from Diego Lugano and another goal from Edinson Cavani would be enough for Uruguay, though, as they picked up three points to start of a long, grueling qualifying process.

Uruguay's intense rivals Argentina also picked up a convincing 4-1 win over Chile to open their campaign. In South America, all nine teams involved play each other twice for a 16-game schedule that lasts two years, and the Albiceleste have started that process with three valuable points. Gonzalo Higuain led Argentina with a hat-trick.

After the break, read more about CONMEBOL qualifying and find out what happened in Friday's CONCACAF qualifying matches as well.

Canada, Panama earn road victories in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying

Canada's quest to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup has started off in fine fashion.

After beating St. Lucia convincingly on Friday, the Canadians topped Puerto Rico by a 3-0 scoreline on the road behind goals from Iain Hume, Simeon Jackson and Tossaint Ricketts to take early control of Group D on Tuesday. Through two games, Canada stands atop its group, two points clear of Saint Kitts and Nevis for the one automatic spot in the next qualifying round.

Panama also made a road statement Tuesday, topping Nicaragua, 2-1, behind goals from Luis Tejada and Blas Perez. In the three-team Group C, Panama is level on points with Nicaragua but has a game in hand while also already winning what should be its most difficult game in this qualifying round.

Here are the latest standings other results following Tuesday's CONCACAF qualifiers:

Manchester City ousts Whitecaps in fourth match of WFC

The fourth match of the 2011 World Football Challenge took place in Vancouver on Monday night, and though the Vancouver Whitecaps gave their fans hope of a win, it was Manchester City that wound up victorious.

Manchester City defeated the Whitecaps 2-1 on goals from John Guidetti and Shaun Wright-Phillips in the second half. Camilo knocked in the opener for Vancouver, which played in front of a home crowd of 24,074 on Bell PItch at Empire Field.

Whitecaps coach Tom Soehn fielded a strong starting eleven against Manchester City, one that included the recently-acquired Mustapha Jarju, the club's second Designated Player signing.

Here are the match highlights:

Soolsma's PK leads Toronto FC over Whitecaps

  

By JOSE M. ROMERO

Nick Soolsma lined up his penalty kick in the 53rd minute and beat Vancouver goalkeeper Jay Nolly to Soolsma's right for a goal.

It didn't count. Joao Plata was called for encroachment, necessitating a re-kick. 

Unfazed, Soolsma went left from the spot this time in the 54th minute, and the ball got by Nolly again. The goal was all Toronto FC would need to earn its first MLS win at BMO Field since May 7, as TFC hung on for a 1-0 victory to cap off a big day for the club.

TFC had earlier Wednesday signed a pair of designated players, 34-year-old midfielder Torsten Frings -- a two-time World Cup veteran for Germany -- and Dutch forward Danny Koevermans, a 32-year-old who spent the past four seasons with PSV Eindhoven. The two aren't eligible to suit up for TFC until after the July 15 international transfer window.

Canada eliminated from Gold Cup after late equalizer clinches group for Panama

Photo by Bill Barrett/ISIphotos.com

The Canadian men's national team's Gold Cup began with a goal conceded due to shaky goalkeeping, and it ended the same way.

Goalkeeper Milan Borjan couldn't control Blas Perez' rebound attempt on the goal line, and Luis Tejada got the final touch to score in the waning moments of the clubs' Group C finale, which ended in a 1-1 draw at Livestrong Sporting Park.

Canada had gone ahead earlier in the half on a Dwayne De Rosario penalty kick, and a win would have sealed the team's place in the quarterfinals. Instead, the last-second draw, coupled with the United States' win over Guadeloupe, knocked a Canadian team that had high aspirations out of the tournament.

With the draw, Panama won Group C and will face El Salvador in the quarterfinals at RFK Stadium on Sunday. The winner of that game will meet the winner of United States-Jamaica in a semifinal in Houston.

Highlights of Canada's tie with Panama are after the jump:

USA vs. Canada: The Highlights

USA vs. Canada: Match Night Commentary

The U.S. men's national team begins its quest to regain the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a Group C opening match against Canada at Ford Field tonight (8pm, Fox Soccer Channel).

The Americans have struggled to get results in friendlies this year, but comes into the Gold Cup with a dominating track record in Gold Cup group play, having never lost a match. The United States has also won every one of its Gold Cup opening matches since 1991.

SBI will be providing commentary on tonight's match, so please feel free to follow along. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Tonight's commentary is after the jump):

USA vs. Canada: The Pre-Game Tailgate

The United States and Canada face off tonight (8pm, Fox Soccer Channel) in their opening matches of the 2011 Gold Cup and the excitement surrounding the match is building.

The Americans come in as Gold Cup co-favorites with Mexico, and have never lost a Gold Cup group stage match. The United States also hasn't lost to Canada in 13 matches. A streak the Canadians nearly snapped four years ago in the Gold Cup semifinals.

If you're looking for some background on tonight's match, be sure to read my Fox Soccer preview of the match, as well as my breakdown of top match-ups to watch for tonight.

SBI will be providing commentary on tonight's match from Ford Field, starting at 5:45pm, so please feel free to join us as we discuss tonight's Gold Cup matches.

Join us on the pre-game chat after the jump:

Where will you be watching USA-Canada?

Photo by Tony Quinn/ISIphotos.com

The United States opens its Gold Cup run in a few hours against North American foe Canada, as the two meet for the first time since a controversial matchup in the 2007 Gold Cup semifinals.

The tournament is of great importance not only to the national team, but also to its fans, who have been waiting patiently since last summer's World Cup for the USMNT to play in meaningful games with something on the line.

While the game will be televised on Fox Soccer Channel and Telefutura at 8 p.m., you may opt to watch the match elsewhere.

Are you going to the game? Planning on watching it at a soccer bar in your city? Feel like inviting SBI readers over to your house for the match?

Where will you be watching USA vs. Canada?

Share your thoughts and plans below.

Canada ties Ecuador on busy Wednesday of friendlies

By FRANCO PANIZO

In its final tune-up before its Gold Cup opener against the United States, Canada tied Ecuador, but it did so in controversial fashion.

Trailing 2-1 in injury time, Canada equalized through a goal from Tosaint Ricketts while several Ecuadorian players were busy arguing a foul call with the referee. Ricketts' first goal for Canada came after Julian de Guzman quickly played a free kick to him.

Canada had opened the scoring in the 2-2 draw when Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Terry Dunfield nailed a blast from distance. Ecuador responded with two goals in a span of three minutes in the second half. Christian Benitez and Michael Arroyo each found the back of the net before Ricketts' late-game heroics.

Mexico also prepared for the Gold Cup with one final friendly on Wednesday. With Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez being rested, Mexico defeated New Zealand, 3-0, in Denver. Giovani Dos Santos netted twice and Aldo de Nigris added a goal just before halftime to give the Mexicans a win before its Gold Cup opener against El Salvador on June 5.

In total, there were six international matches played on Wednesday. Here are the results from those matches along with highlights from Canada's 2-2 draw with Ecuador:

Canadian championship final leg rescheduled for July

Canadian Soccer Association officials have deemed the surface at BMO Field unplayable, and the second leg of the Canadian championship between Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps has been rescheduled for July 2.

Vancouver held a 1-0 lead in the 60th minute of Wednesday night's second leg, but torrential downpours and repeated lightning forced the game to be abandoned. Per CSA rules, the game must be replayed in its entirety, so Vancouver's lead in the game (and 2-1 on aggregate) is wiped off the board, and the teams will restart from 0-0 (1-1 aggregate). Eric Hassli had scored to put the Whitecaps ahead.

The rescheduled date makes sense from a logistical standpoint. Instead of the teams having to play back-to-back days during the week and then play their league games on Saturday, they'll stay on the playing schedule for which they prepared. Plus, Vancouver will already be in Toronto for a league game on June 29 and can remain there through the rescheduled final.

What do you think of this development? Do you think it's fair that the game has to be replayed from the start instead of the teams just picking up from where they left off?

Share your thoughts below.

Canadian Championship match to be replayed due to inclement weather

By JOSE M. ROMERO

The Vancouver Whitecaps were 30 minutes away from their first piece of hardware since becoming an MLS franchise.

They led Toronto FC, 2-1, on aggregate goals when rain and lightning forced an early abandonment of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship second leg in Toronto, and now, the Whitecaps' 1-0 lead Wednesday is for naught. According to Canadian championship rules, the match must be replayed in its entirety on Thursday morning at 11 a.m, EST, at BMO Field assuming that the field is in playable condition.

Sixty minutes of the match had been played despite two weather delays, one after halftime of 35 minutes and another that lasted an hour after players were pulled off the field in the second half.