Soccer By Ives

Tickets for USA-Mexico qualifier on sale Saturday

                                                                         Photo by ISIphotos.com

If you are a U.S. national team fan intent on traveling to Mexico for the highly-anticipated World Cup qualifier between Mexico and the United States, your chance to get tickets is coming.

Tickets for the Aug. 12 qualifier go on sale to the general public on Saturday. Tickets went on sale on Mondayfor Banamex credit card holders, but if you don't have one of those (and I'm sure 99.9 percent of SBI readers don't), you will have to wait until Saturday to start stockpiling the tickets.

U.S. Soccer will also be selling an allotment of tickets. Details on that process have yet to be revealed.

Will you be making the trip to Mexico City? Are you counting down the days? Think this will be the match that finally sees the U.S. national team win in Mexico?

Share your thoughts below.

Gold Cup Rewind: Mexico ties Panama in crazy match, Guadeloupe rolls

Meetings between the Mexican national team and Panama are always heated, but Thursday night's clash in the CONCACAF Gold Cup took the rivalry to new, uglier levels.

Fan violence in the stands and clashes on the field turned the match into an ugly encounter as three red cards and one very unfortunate intervention by Mexican head coach Javier Aguirre (and his subsequent ejection) transformed the match into a farce. The final result was 1-1, but both teams lost in the grand scheme of things.

For those who missed it, here are some of the highlights:

Lost in the wake of the ugly Mexico-Panama match was Guadeloupe's 2-0 victory against Nicaragua, which secured Guadeloup's place in the semis. Now the unbeaten French territory will face Mexico on Sunday with first place in the group on the line.

What did you think of last night's match? Were you impressed with Guadelope's victory against NIcaragua? will you be rooting for Guadeloupe against Mexico in their final group game?

Share your thoughts below.

USA-Mexico World Cup qualifier set to kick off at 4pm

 

                                                                             Photo by ISIphotos.com

The Mexican Football Federation has announced that the USA-Mexico World Cup qualifier in Mexico City on Aug. 12th will start at 4pm (ET). No word yet on what led to that decision, which is odd for a Wednesday game.

The 3 p.m. local time kickoff should mean that the game will be played in hot and humid conditions at Estadio Azteca. When Mexico defeated the United States in Mexico City in 2005, the match was played at noon, which led to very hot and muggy conditions. (Okay, so maybe I'm not a weatherman. A quick check of The Weather Channel tells me that the average high temperature in Mexico City in mid-August is mid-70s. The 2005 qualifier was played in March). So why is this game being played so early? To better manage crowd violence if the United States actually wins?

What do you think of this news? Think Mexico is getting desperate? Does that start time make you more likely to make the trip to Mexico City? Will you be skipping work to watch this crucial World Cup qualifier? What's your best excuse for missing work to watch a mid-day soccer game?

Share your thoughts below.

Report: Edgar Castillo "would play for the United States"

                                                  Photo by ISIphotos.com

Edgar Castillo has apparently changed his mind.

Two years after saying he wouldn't play for the United States even if called, the American-born defender is open to the idea of playing for the U.S. national team despite having already appeared for the Mexican national team.

In an interview with USSoccerplayers.com, Castillo stated that he "would play" for the U.S. national team and ready to use the new FIFA rule that allows players to switch national teams at any age as long as they haven't played in official competitions.

We touched on this possibility two weeks ago, laying out the details of Castillo's status and the potential for him to change his mind. As a speedy and skillful left back, Castillo could provide some much-needed depth to one of the weaker positions in the U.S. national team pool.

What do you think of this development? Are you open to having him join the U.S. national team? Think he is just an opportunist who doesn't care about the U.S. national team? Think he can get some playing time for the U.S. team? Happy to see a trend of players choosing the United States over other countries?

Share your thoughts below.

Catching up with SuperLiga

Lost in the shadow of the Confederations Cup (at least on SBI) has been the third-annual SuperLiga Tournament. We have largely ignored the MLS vs. Mexico competition and while we've been asleep at the wheel some MLS teams have had good showings vs. their neighbors to the south, with MLS holding a 2-1-1 record against the Mexican clubs.

The Chicago Fire is leading the competition with a 2-0 record, while New England stands at 1-0-1. Kansas City has ties in both of its meetings while Chivas USA stands winless at 0-2.

We will have four inter-league match-ups this weekend that should go a long way in establishing which league will wind up with bragging rights. Here is the weekend SuperLiga schedule:

Mexico calls up B Team for Gold Cup

 

                                              Photo by ISIphotos.com

If you were thinking you might see the U.S. men's national team's B Squad defeat a Mexico A team for the Gold Cup title next month, it won't be happening.

Mexico is also sending a B team, with youngsters Carlos Vela and Giovani Dos Santos the only European-based players called into the squad for the July tournament. Playing in a group that includes Nicaragua, Panama and Guadeloupe, Mexico is still considered one of the favorites to reach the final, set for July 26 at Giants Stadium.

Here is the Mexico Gold Cup roster:

SuperLiga 2009 set to kick off

The third annual SuperLiga Tournament is set to kick off this weekend and what was once a tournament with so much promise has turned into a bit of an afterthought that isn't getting much in the way of attention.

Some of the best teams in MLS and the Mexican First Division are set to do battle in a tournament that has provided some entertaining, as well as feisty, matches. The tournament has its flaws of course, from Mexican teams that are out of season to MLS teams that aren't exactly enthusiastic about competing in the event, but somewhere along the way we still wind up with some pretty good games.

Here is the question for you, MLS fans. Do you still care about SuperLiga? Is your team competing in it, and if so, are you interested?

If so, here is the upcoming schedule of SuperLiga matches:

USA or Mexico: Castillo has another decision to make

 

                                                  Photo by ISIphotos.com

About 20 months ago, Edgar Castillo made what he thought would be the last decision he would have to make regarding his national team future.

The U.S. born-and-raised defender chose to play for Mexico after being courted by former Mexico head coach Hugo Sanchez and after establishing himself as one of the best young defenders in the Mexican First Division. He played for the Mexican Under-23 national team and appeared in a handful of friendlies for Mexico, so when he turned 21 it looked like he would be Mexico's forever.

That was before FIFA's recent rule change allowing players like Castillo, players eligible for multiple national teams, to switch national teams regardless of age as long as they had never appeared in an official senior competition for either country. Castillo has yet to play for Mexico in an official competition and can therefore still play for the United States.

Two years ago, when Castillo chose Mexico, things were going so well for him that you couldn't really blame him for feeling his future was with 'El Tri', but things have changed quite a bit since then.

Torres, Pachuca lose Mexican final

by GIANFRANCO PANIZO

Jose Francisco Torres and Pachuca tied UNAM, 2-2, in the Mexican Clausura final on Sunday night but Pumas walked away with the title as they won on aggregate, 3-2.

The game ended 2-1 in favor of Pachuca but with Pumas having won the first leg, 1-0, the game went into extra time. Pachuca entered extra time down a man as defender Javier Mustafa was given a red card one minute prior to the end of regulation.

With Pumas attacking throughout the majority of extra time, Pachuca surrendered a goal in the 107th minute as goalkeeper Miguel Calero mishandled a low shot from Pablo Edson Barrera. The goal gave Pumas the advantage, one which they would not relinquish en route to capturing their second Clausura championship in team history.

Torres, who will join the United States men's national team in Miami on Monday before flying to Costa Rica for their World Cup qualifier against Los Ticos, came off the bench in the 72nd minute for midfielder Gabriel Caballero.

What did you think of the Mexican final? Happy to see Pumas win the title? Should Torres have started?

Share your thoughts below.

Howard leads contingent of Americans going for trophies this weekend

 

                                                                                          Photo by ISIphotos.com

Four U.S. national team players will have a chance to add some silverware to their collections this weekend before taking part in upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Tim Howard, Maurice Edu, DaMarcus Beasley and Jose Francisco Torres will all have a chance to win trophies with their respective clubs teams. Howard leads the way as he mans the goal for Everton in the FA Cup final against Chelsea (10am, Fox Soccer Channel). Howard will attempt to add a second FA Cup winner's medal to his resume while Edu and Beasley will see their Glasgow Rangers face Falkirk in the Scottish Cup final. Edu did not train this week due to a thigh injury so his status is in serious question. Beasley has not figured into Rangers plans lately so he's unlikely to dress.

And then there is Torres, who will lead Pachuca into the second leg of its Mexican League Championship series against UNAM Pumas on Sunday (8pm, Telemundo). Pumas won the first leg, 1-0, but Pachuca will still be favored to win it all at home.

Will you be making time to watch the Americans bring home the hardware? Think Howard can duplicate his FA Cup semifinal heroics in the final? Do you see Torres scoring a game-winner for Pachuca?

Share your thoughts below.

Morning Ticker: Fire downs Chivas USA, Pachuca drops first leg and more

 

Cuauhtemoc Blanco converted the second of two penalty kicks in second-half stoppage time to help give the Chicago Fire an improbable 3-2 comeback victory against Chivas USA on Thursday night.

The match ended in controversy when referee Terry Vaughn awarded a questionable penalty on an apparent push of Brian McBride by Mariano Trujillo in the penalty area. Blanco stepped to the line and buried the game winner.

The Fire looked on its way to its first loss of the season before late substitute Patrick Nyarko equalized in the 89th minute. Chivas USA were forced to play the final 27 minutes a man down after Jesse Marsch was issued a red card.

Here are some other stories to get your day started:

Top two teams in MLS set to square off (and an American prepares for a championship)

The two best teams in Major League Soccer will square off tonight at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California when Chivas USA plays host to the Chicago Fire (10:30pm, ESPN2) in the season's best match-up today.

Chivas USA boasts the most points in the league, led by the midfield tandem of Jesse Marsch and Paolo Nagamura and rejuvenated goalkeeper Zach Thornton. The Fire come into the match undefeated for the season and having won two straight road games by a combined score of 3-0. Led by Brian McBride, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Wilman Conde, the Fire should pose the toughest test to date for the Goats.

That kickoff time might be a bit late for you East Coast soccer fans, but it isn't the only late-night viewing on tap. U.S. national team midfielder Jose Francisco Torres will help lead Pachuca against UNAM Pumas tonight in the first leg of the Mexican League championship (10pm, Telemundo).

Who do you see winning tonight's MLS showdown? Are you excited to see Torres gaining some championship experience? Will you be watching either match tonight, or will you find a way to watch both?

Share your thoughts below.

Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

 

by GIANFRANCO PANIZO

Charlie Davies continued his scoring ways as he net the lone Americans Abroad goal of the weekend in Hammarby's 1-0 win over Malmo FF. Davies' goal, which came in the 57th minute, was his fourth of the season and further established him as the team's leading scorer.

U.S. national team defender Oguchi Onyewu and Standard Liege forced a two-game playoff to decide the Belgian League championship with a 1-0 win vs. KAA Gent. Liege now faces Anderlecht

Maurice Edu also had a solid weekend, going 90 minutes in Ranger's 2-1 win against Aberdeen. The win once again put Rangers in first place of the Scottish Premier League with one game to go.

Midfielder Michael Bradley's weekend was not as bright. Bradley and Borussia Moenchengladbach let a golden opportunity to maintain themselves in Bundesliga 1 next season slip away as they were crushed 5-0 at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen. Moenchengladbach can still assure themselves of another season in Germany's top flight with a win in against Borussia Dortmund in the season finale.

Here is how the rest of the Americans Abroad fared this weekend:

Soccer Saturday: Your Running Commentary

Good morning all. If you are a Manchester United fan then you've spent your morning celebrating your team's latest EPL championship. For the rest of you, the day has just begun in terms of soccer to watch.

There are great match-ups from Spain to MLS, Mexico to Italy, so if you're stuck in the house due to rainy weather (or just a soccer fanatic), it will be a fun day in front of the television.

If you will be watching today's matches, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Today's schedule is after the jump).

Mexico cuts ties with CONMEBOL after Libertadores mess

By NESTOR F. SEBASTIAN

A little over a decade ago, CONMEBOL decided to start including Mexican teams in its club tournaments after noticing the caliber of the Mexican soccer league, its national team and the potential revenue it could bring in. The move paved the way for Libertadores to add further competitiveness.

While no Mexican team has won the most prestigious competition on this side of the hemisphere yet, they certainly came close on one occasion and have consistently had many of its teams advance past the group stages. Cruz Azul lost on penalties to Boca Juniors in the 2001 campaign while in 2006, Pachuca took home the Copa Sudamericana, the UEFA equivalent of South America. The Mexicans' displays in both tournaments showed the under-appreciative South American teams and fans that Mexico is a force to be dealt with and that it would not lay down so easily to the continent's heavyweights.

On Friday, after Brazil's Sao Paulo and Uruguay's Nacional announced their refusals to travel to Mexico last week for the Libertadores first-leg matches in the Round of 17 phase due to the swine flu scare, the Mexican soccer federation decided that Chivas and San Luis, the Mexican representatives in this year's tournament, would withdraw from play and also said it would sever all ties with CONMEBOL. The federation, in a press conference, blamed the negativity and unprofessional attitude displayed by the Brazilian and Uruguayan camps.

Soccer Saturday: Your Running Commentary

 

Good morning folks. As the European season winds to a close the title races in the top leagues have been all but decided. That doesn't mean there aren't still matches worth watching.

Everton-Tottenham, Fulham-Aston Villa and Houston Dynamo-FC Dallas (for the MLS die-hards) are just three of the better match-ups to keep an eye out for. For those of you who have started watching Mexican soccer, San Luis-Toluca is a good one to watch (and not just because of Michael Orozco)

If you will be watching today's action (or if you already caught some of the early matches like the Old Firm), please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action.