Kevin Hutson: Football (Soccer) News

Fri, 11 Apr 2003 06:25:16 GMT

Major League Soccer (MSL) marks new season with Frisco (Dallas) Soccer Stadium Announcement
One more soccer specific stadium is announced. This one will be ready by next season sometime? What great news! The more stadiums the better. The teams will then be the primary tenants and enjoy better rates. This will help the teams actually make money, increasing the potential pay for the players. This will then enable us to get better players. This will also be good for the fans who can enjoy soccer the way it should be enjoyed, in a facility designed for the sport, not these oversized poorly designed American football stadiums. Yea for MLS!

Mon, 23 Sep 2002 03:45:20 GMT

Madrigal Dragons continue on a winning track
Phew. 2-1 was the score today. After last week's awesome 7-1 victory, we are sitting pretty with 2 wins and no losses. Not a bad start to the season. Somehow I have managed to score 2 goals in 2 games. Not bad for a former defender. Moreover, I have also receieved 2 yellows in 2 games, both very questionable. :-)
Our womens' team is also doing great. They have shutout both of their opponents. Sweet!

Sun, 15 Sep 2002 04:22:52 GMT

First match tomorrow against the Wanderers.
It's also my first over-30 match. Geez, I'm so old :-)

Tue, 25 Jun 2002 04:59:22 GMT

oops..forgot to blog that the U.S. lost to Germany 1-0 in the quarters...might as well record that for historical purposes :-)

Tue, 25 Jun 2002 04:56:05 GMT

USSoccer.com : Top Ten Ways To Get Americans Excited About Soccer (The Late Show with David Letterman)

Tue, 25 Jun 2002 04:49:40 GMT

House Resolution Congratulates U.S. Soccer Team
Yes, strange but true.

Tue, 25 Jun 2002 04:44:00 GMT

Dave Knows Soccer!
David Letterman had the U.S. soccer team on tonight. More specifically, he had Landon Donovan on to talk about the recent World Cup 2002 in Korea. Some of the other guys from the team (among whom were Mathis, Agoos, Sanneh, Reyna, Berhalter and McBride) on the roof to kick the ball into stuff. Reyna and Berhalter kicked the ball off the top through a couple of water towers. Mathis stepped up and punted the ball across Broadway hitting the skyscraper next door before it bounced down into the street. That's hilarious! Dave should bring back the gig where he throws fruit off the sides of buildings. I'm easy for a good laugh. So, more coverage means more attention to soccer in the US! Note: that link takes you to video clips from Late Night. However, you can't link direclty to the soccer ones. Dave and Paul also did a funny soccer skit at Wembley some time ago. Do check that one out!

Wed, 19 Jun 2002 01:38:05 GMT

Korea 2 Italy 1
There goes my pick! I can't believe I couldn't pick a team to make it through to the quarterfinals. Who would have known Italy could be knocked out that early? Brazil, Germany and England are the only real powers left. Well, maybe Spain. So, who wants to bet one of these other teams is going down. Obviously Brazil or England will not make it to the semi's. Very interesting indeed. With England and the U.S. playing Friday morning, Kevin will not be sleeping much that evening!!

Tue, 18 Jun 2002 03:15:34 GMT

Viva U.S.A.!
US - 2 - Mexico 0
Someone wake me up, because I think I'm dreaming.
Wow. What a game. Needless to say, I won't be overwriting that VHS copy.
I was so excited when the U.S. scored that my cat left the room quite briskly. As you can imagine, there is a lot of press due to this greatest of U.S. victories, here and here and here and here and here among others. Here is the match summary. Oh yea, and here.

Sun, 16 Jun 2002 01:25:32 GMT

¡Qué Bueno USA!
Well after a disappointing 3-1 loss, Korea have proven to be our true allies, defeating Portugal 1-0. We should do something nice for them, like bitch slap North Korea or something. :-) Anyway, what a exciting match we have to look forward to. I love US-México matches. US-México is one of the best rivalries in the game, definitely in this hemisphere. México hates to lose to us more than ANYONE else, and we relish in beating them at their game. Why not? We are a nation of numerous cultures blended together in places like a fine SuperTuscan. If we are so international, why can we not be good at the world's game? Anyway, I will definitely be up to watch this one live. 1:25 AM Monday morning, don't miss it.

Mon, 10 Jun 2002 08:27:45 GMT

Clint Mathis delivers! U.S. 1 - S. Korea 1
Scoring early and holding the result, the U.S. take a point with one game to go. With some sort of result against Poland, the U.S. should be assured of victory. But Group D is tighter than ever. The future hinges on the result of the Poland vs Portual match set to kickoff in only a few hours. This was an awesome game. 50,000 screaming Koreans in red shirts made even me sitting at home feel intimidated. The Koreans had speed and tenacity, but the U.S. used their experience and skill to keep them at bay. An amazing result for the U.S. indeed. I have never been more proud. This was the game to prove themselves worthy of advancing. I have never seen Tony Sennah play such great defense. Brad Friedel is a god! Jesus! How did he make some of those saves! Clint Mathis is going to get a nice contract from some European club. Not starting the first match, he comes in with the new hair and solidly puts the ball into the net after only 20 minutes! Wow! Look out Poland! We are on a roll! Woohoo!

Fri, 07 Jun 2002 03:35:27 GMT

What is your best juggling count?
If you have Flash, you should try out this soccer game. It's kind of cool.

Fri, 07 Jun 2002 03:23:16 GMT

SatireWire: SOCCER-MAD U.S. CRAZED OVER WORLD CUP
"What? No We're Not," Say Blindly Obsessed Americans
Though veterans like Agoos remain, many new faces have joined this year's team, and arguments over which of them should see playing time dominate kitchen table conversations. For most of the last few months, the all-consuming question on Americans' minds: will coach Bruce Arena choose to start Kasey Keller or Brad Friedel at keeper?

As Josh Carpenter, a Chicago electrician, said when asked if the Friedel-Keller decision would be second-guessed for years to come: "Keeper? Like Sutherland?"

Fri, 07 Jun 2002 03:17:28 GMT

Americans' stunning win was one for the ages
Marc Connolly analyzes the U.S. victory, which players were the key to victory and why, and what lies ahead.

Wed, 05 Jun 2002 11:14:42 GMT

We won!! U.S. 3 - Portugal 2
This has been the best game of the tournament so far. What a match. The U.S. should be very proud of that performance. We actually have some offense. Brian McBride is our hero. And our 2 20-year old's are dangerously fast and furious. Bring it on Korea!
This was worth getting up at 4 AM in the morning to watch. Woohoo!

Sun, 02 Jun 2002 20:43:56 GMT

NYTimes: English 101: How to Handle a Thirsty, Big- Bodied Soccer Fan

The Japanese are famous for advocating proper behavior for the group. They have signs everywhere reminding everyone to be nice and things like that. It's an ingrained part of the K'ung-fu-tzu (Confucius) culture.

This article from the New York Times illustrates that tendency quite well. The idea is very refreshing and one Americans could learn from. Nonetheless, it's also good for a bit of a chuckle. Here are some example translations:

Please be careful how you translate "nomi hodai." It will be all right if you translate it as "as much as you can drink for . . . yen," but it is incorrect to say "Free Drinking." This means you are giving drinks away for free.

Even if your bar is full, that won't stop supporters trying to come in. They might buy alcohol to take outside and drink in the street or in parks, so it's a good idea to think about serving drinks in plastic cups. . . .

British people might try to tip taxi drivers, waiters and hotel staff. To refuse politely, say: "You are very kind, but tipping is not necessary in Japan."

Fri, 31 May 2002 23:06:04 GMT

Early Hours Don't Scare Cup Fanatics
"Soccer fans across America are planning afternoon naps, late-night caffeine blasts and early wakeup calls to catch live broadcasts of the World Cup from Japan and South Korea. " Damned straight!

Fri, 31 May 2002 18:03:54 GMT

Senegal 1 France 0
That is damned amazing! It's good to see the underdogs win. Perhaps that bodes well for other unestablished nations, such as the U.S.? The president of Senegal decreed the day a national holiday so that all could celebrate. They also called off school saying that no one could be expected to study. Wow.

Thu, 30 May 2002 05:32:05 GMT

Get your World Cup 2002 Nesting Doll!
This is cool. I may have to do this. The problem is which 5 players? Obviously, I would want either a US set or an England set. Perhaps I should wait for the second round? :-) But, $34.99 seems a fair price.

Fri, 17 May 2002 03:35:52 GMT

United States 5 Jamaica 0
Wow. A lot of goals. Scary injuries. Mathis is awesome. Let's hope he bounces back from a broken toenail :-)

Wed, 15 May 2002 04:53:29 GMT

Armas out for World Cup
Armas suffered a torn knee ligament in last week's friendly with Uraguay in which the U.S. prevailed 2-1.
More playing time for DaMarcus Beasley? Yes!

Mon, 06 May 2002 16:25:47 GMT

¡Cinco de Mayo!
I had a great weekend in San Antonio. We played in the Cinco de Mayo soccer tournament. There were 3 games on Saturday. We won 2 games and lost 1 with scores of 1-0, 0-1, and 2-1. That's a much better performance than last year and a significant improvement on this season's performance. We were one goal off of advancing to the semi-finals on Sunday. Nevertheless, everyone was still happy. So, we had a nice celebration to cap off the tournament. Mother Nature was very kind to keep the temperatures down as well.

Thu, 25 Apr 2002 02:57:48 GMT

Analysis: United States World Cup squad
Jamie Trecker doesn't seem to think the U.S. squad will fare will next month in the 2002 World Cup Finals? I'm not giving up hope yet!

Thu, 04 Apr 2002 18:03:15 GMT

United States tops Mexico on Mathis' goal
Nice job guys! I missed the game dammit. But, I am very pleased. We are steadily improving our play against Mexico. They know now not to bring a practice squad to play against us. What a spirited rivalry! Anyway, Mathis again proves he's got what it takes. Who knows? We might actually score some goals in the World Cup if he stays healthy! Final score, US 1 Mexico 0.

Mon, 11 Mar 2002 05:36:40 GMT

Lewis strike gives U.S. first ever win over Ecuador
Awesome! This is the first time that the U.S. has beaten Ecuador in a soccer match. That sounds funny to a lot of people who don't follow the sport. Nonetheless, each country we can notch a victory against (even if it was just a friendly) is a big one. It gives our country more respect among other nations, albeit not much more. The match was chock full of fouls. Mathis was sent off in the 58th minute from a second yellow. That shows good poise that we didn't crack with only 10 men. Good stuff! I wish I could have seen that one. Here's a photo [courtesy of FIFA/Reuters] of Eddie Lewis going up for a header. Nice air!

Fri, 08 Mar 2002 05:28:50 GMT

Finding his niche
Interesting article about Gregg Berhalter.

Tue, 05 Mar 2002 09:56:06 GMT

Burn's new stadium plan voted down by McKinney city council
"The Dallas Burn's dreams of a new stadium have been iced by the city of McKinney, Texas, which decided Thursday morning to pull out of a planned 22,000-seat facility to attract the team. MLS was stunned by the news."

Sun, 03 Mar 2002 00:49:16 GMT

US 4 Honduras 0
I must have missed my alert today, because I missed this game. Anyway, the result is great. What a nice finish for our youngsters. Landon Donovan continued to shine with 2 goals. More suprising was Clint Mathis. He also found the back of the net twice today. What a comeback after injury! And, he almost had a third goal if not for that stubborn crossbar. The U.S. also sported new jerseys (Photo1 - Photo 2 - Photo 3) today that will be used for the World Cup in June this year.

Sun, 24 Feb 2002 04:27:27 GMT

Soccer in the snow! Here's a nice photo! Ahh..gotta love that German winter :-)

Sat, 16 Feb 2002 19:39:27 GMT

Afghan men attempt to get into watch a soccer match at the Olympic Stadium in Kabul
[Soccer News]

Sat, 16 Feb 2002 04:31:28 GMT

Reuters Soccer: Shots Fired Amid Afghan Soccer Match Mayhem - [Soccer News]

Thu, 14 Feb 2002 01:28:30 GMT

Well, Italy 1 - US 0. But, they can't feel all bad. The first half the US had almost won the crowd they were playing so well. Donavon cracked one off the post in the 8th minute. We were close to an upset. 1-0 is still respectable though.

Wed, 13 Feb 2002 02:37:58 GMT

The U.S. takes on Italy tomorrow.
The game will be on ESPN. I think it starts at 1 PM Central Time. It should be nice to see how prepared these lads for "real" competition. After all, Portugal or Poland will be no cakewalk for these guys come June.

Sat, 09 Feb 2002 05:03:40 GMT

World Cup Countdown: Arena Wants Unity

Tue, 05 Feb 2002 23:55:33 GMT

My WorldSoccer news feed now contains 3 sources (Reuters, YahooSoccer and Major League Soccer press releases). This is getting very easy :-)

Tue, 05 Feb 2002 00:42:21 GMT

Nigeria, Mali reach African semis [WorldSoccer]

Mon, 04 Feb 2002 03:57:52 GMT

However, the US did win yesterday. They take the Gold Cup for the second time since '91, beating Costa Rica 2-0. It was a great match, with good play from all the young players. The US fielded a "B" team while Costa Rica was at full strength. Donovan still played well, although not as well as against Canada. Wolff proved he's still got it by sprinting through the Costa Rican defense for the game winning goal. Agoos followed up with a beauty of a shot that he curled around the wall and into the right upper netting. All in all, a fine match, giving Arena some tough choices to make on the roster going forward.

Mon, 04 Feb 2002 03:54:22 GMT

OK. So, they didn't win. 3-0 final. Still better than watching the Super Bowl.

Sun, 03 Feb 2002 21:44:21 GMT

Not playing ball today. But, I'm out here supporting my team. They're down 1-0 at half, but playing very well. This beats watching the Super Bowl.

Sat, 02 Feb 2002 06:17:26 GMT

U.S. meets Costa Rica on Saturday in Gold Cup final
"The United States takes on Costa Rica at the Rose Bowl on Saturday in an attempt to take home its first major trophy in 11 years." The US played really well against Canada on Thursday. They controlled the pace of the game and took a lot of shots. The only downside is that none of those shots went in the net. There was this one barrage in the second half (I think like 4 shots back-to-back on goal) that Canada kept out that still has me amazed. So, Canada earned the shutout with a little luck as well. Nonetheless, the US advanced on penalty shots. Thank you Kasey Keller! I hate shoot-outs. They should just play till they all pass out :-) I tell you Donovan is looking awesome. He is got to be the fastest guy out there on the field. He's also very creative. As he gets more caps, he's going to be very dangerous.

Thu, 31 Jan 2002 02:41:03 GMT

UKYahooSports: Arsenal closes the gap on Man U.
Thank God! I like to root for the underdogs. And I hate to see sports dynasties. Bring on the usurpers, whoever you are. Personally, I'd like to see Liverpool do it. A return to the their old glory as it were. Plus, I think it would do all kinds of good things for Michael Owen's career. Arsenal would be OK. I don't think Newcastle has what it takes. Shearer is past his prime. Is it a one-man team? I can't name one player off of Leeds United. Oh wait, they just got Robbie Fowler, so now I can. Hmm. Perhaps I can get behind Leeds.

Tue, 29 Jan 2002 04:46:28 GMT

US 4, El Salvador 0 - Welcome back, Brian! Glad to have you on board again! Now, to see what the young kids can do. Wolff and Mathis are back. Can they take the team to a new level?

Mon, 21 Jan 2002 18:21:11 GMT

YahooSports: Cool! This reminds me of the movie Victory. So the security forces in Afghanistan are set to play a match against an Afghan team put together by the new interim government.

Sat, 19 Jan 2002 22:01:00 GMT

YahooSports: Proud Van Nistelrooy thanks unselfish Beckham - Van Nistelrooy is the first player to score in eight consecutive matches since the inception of the premier leage in 1992.

Sun, 09 Sep 2001 03:14:18 GMT

And, no, I don't want to talk about the Costa Rica/US match. Geez...

Mon, 03 Sep 2001 06:12:42 GMT

Owen on top of the world. Yea, all I got to say is wow! This kid is awesome!

Mon, 03 Sep 2001 06:11:36 GMT

England's goal rush: On a lighter note, I missed probably the best game of the year, or maybe the last 2 years? England at Germany qualifier. England bashes them 5-1 behind a hat trick from Michael Owen. It wasn't showing on cable but my football manager had bought it on satellite. Great! If only I had known! Perhaps I should call the pub ahead of the game next time. It would be a nice place to have lunch, beer and ball.

Mon, 03 Sep 2001 06:03:25 GMT

ugh...what a disappointing Saturday. The US fell to Honduras 3-2 at home. An exciting game, but a big let down. I guess I was wrong about the depth of our team. We really need guys like Reyna, Razov, McBride, Mathis and Wolff to get healthy! Those guys make up half the team that was there this spring kicking ass. The team we saw this Saturday was not that team, at least offensively. Sure, Stewart scored 2 goals, but should not be asked to carry the team! I don't think anyone else is asking more of him. With all 5 of those players back, I think we could have blown Honduras out of the water. And why was the defense so damned slow this week? They are never that slow. Something should be done there. Cherundolo had his chance and impressed at times. But, this game proves he is not ready. Bring in Llamosa, a very solid back!

Fri, 31 Aug 2001 03:52:21 GMT

Hondura prepares for US! And, England gets ready for Germany. What a weekend. Gonna need to have some Guinness on hand for this spectacle! However, I am very disappointed in Guinness' site. Why should I have to use a different browser (othan Opera) to view a beer site's web page? <loser>Does IE have some sort of beer tasting plug-in that I haven't heard about?</loser>

Tue, 14 Aug 2001 03:54:04 GMT

SA Q&A with Claudio Reyna: Back in Action Soon - It's great to see one of our guys make a career at such an esteemed club. Maybe this year I can learn some names of the other players. Since I only recently got Fox SportsWorld, I get to watch a lot of European ball!

Sun, 29 Jul 2001 17:05:57 GMT

Yahoo! SPORTS: West's Landon Donovan (picture) celebrates the last of his four goals, which tied the game in the second half during the MLS All-Star soccer game Saturday, July 28, 2001, in San Jose, Calif. The match ended in a 6-6 tie. Donovan was named MVP for the West.

Even more funny was when Jim Rooney (picure) -- Donovan also did this on his last goal-- removed his jersey after scoring. Underneath was a black sports bra, a tribute to Women's World Cup star Brandi Chastain.

Thu, 17 May 2001 02:41:10 GMT

Football365.com : Lucky, Lucky Liverpool

Thu, 17 May 2001 02:35:15 GMT

Sporting News via Moreover.com : UEFA Cup: Liverpool defeats Alaves 5-4 in UEFA Cup final - I'm so there dude! This game is going to be on in 30 minutes. I can't wait to see the 9 goals!!!

Fri, 04 May 2001 03:09:11 GMT

Lilly penalty kick lifts Boston to 1-1 tie with Bay Area . Not a bad home draw for another WUSA game. Bay Area drew 10,010. Who would have thought women's pro soccer could do this well? With the right management and marketing, they have a future. Very exciting!

Fri, 04 May 2001 03:05:37 GMT

Mathis Nets Three Goals in Metros' Rout

Tue, 01 May 2001 04:00:58 GMT

Growing gap between rich and poor. Sport Telegraph Apr 30 2001 8:26PM ET

Mon, 02 Apr 2001 04:47:48 GMT

U.S. mens soccer is finally on a roll. US News Apr 1 2001 8:12PM ET. Yea, seems like an April Fools joke, eh? But, it's not.

Sun, 01 Apr 2001 04:20:03 GMT

San Jose Earthquakes acquire Landon Donovan . Good move. At 19 years old, Landon can enjoy a little California culture, get some playing time, and when Bayer Leverkusen has the option of reacquiring him in 2 years, things may get even more interesting!

Thu, 29 Mar 2001 03:01:58 GMT

United States 2, Honduras 1. 2 down, 8 to go. Not a bad start!

Wed, 21 Mar 2001 03:56:18 GMT

England v Finland - No more Mr. Friendly. I hope this game is on pay per view or something. I gotta see this game. It should be nail-biting. Here's a breakdown of England's group : World Cup Qualifying Europe - Group 9

Wed, 21 Mar 2001 03:45:46 GMT

Un-freaking-believable! Now, I know England's play has been less than stellar lately and that they are indeed in danger of not qualifying for the World Cup, but please.. Can we honestly say that they are 17th in the World? Hmm.. Maybe. There is a lot of competition. But, FIFA is ranking the U.S. at 16th. Sorry, but I will probably be long dead (or maybe retired) by the time the U.S. is legitimately "better" than England at football. However, one could look at it this way. This list is really intended to be a snapshot of the "current performance" of the national team, not the strength and depth of players from that country. That would probably be more accurate and thus, a little more fair. It's just shocking to see the U.S. above England on that list. Don't get me wrong. I'd love for our country to be able to claim that honour, but they are still not ready.