The Charleston Battery defeated the Rochester Rhinos 3-1 at Blackbaud Stadium in front of 3,691; the win lifts the Battery into first position in the USL First Division. Charleston scored two unanswered goals in the first-half and added a third with ten minutes to go to secure the victory; the Rhinos played most of the game reduced to ten men after defender Alfonso Loera was ejected in the 41st minute.

Chelsea Football Club has announced the start of an unprecedented initiative to partner with America’s top youth football clubs.

It was a win, but a win that raises questions. The U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Brazil, 1-0, on a 41st minute goal from forward Amy Rodriguez in a scrappy encounter at the 2008 Peace Queen Cup, giving the USA control of Group B and taking a major step toward a berth in the tournament’s championship game.

New owners announced a throwback to earlier times with the return of the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer team to the USL First Division. Speaking for the ownership group, which included two other partners, local restaurateur David Laxer and Boston resident Hinds Howard, Rowdies President and CEO Andrew Nestor gave a synopsis of what soccer fans can expect. Also at the press conference held at Raymond James Stadium was co-owner Gerald Trimble. A fifth member of the Rowdies ownership group, Jeff MacDonald, was not in attendance.

With a 1-0 victory against Barbados, the U.S. Men’s National Team captured the two-game, aggregate goal series by a 9-0 margin, advancing to the Semifinal Round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Eddie Lewis scored the only goal of the game in the second leg of the affair at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, providing the U.S. with their fourth straight shutout against the small Caribbean nation.

The U.S. Women’s National Team won the 2008 Peace Queen Cup with a 1-0 victory over Canada as midfielder Angela Hucles (Virginia Beach, VA) scored a fortuitous goal two minutes into second half stoppage time.

The U.S. Women’s National Team earned a place in the championship game of the 2008 Peace Queen Cup with a quality 2-0 victory over Italy as Abby Wambach scored goals in the 41st and 51st minutes. The two goals were classic Wambach, the first coming on a powerful dribbling run and the second a towering header.

It was a win, but a win that raises questions. The U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Brazil, 1-0, on a 41st minute goal from forward Amy Rodriguez in a scrappy encounter at the 2008 Peace Queen Cup, giving the USA control of Group B and taking a major step toward a berth in the tournament’s championship game.

The U.S. Men’s National Team opened 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying and took a commanding lead in first leg of their Second Round two-game series against Barbados this afternoon with a historic 8-0 victory at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

The U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Australia in its opening match of the 2008 Peace Queen Cup, winning 2-1 on a hot, humid afternoon as forward Natasha Kai scored in the first half and forward Abby Wambach added the winner 13 minutes from the end of the game.

With the beginning of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying just one week away, the U.S. Men’s National Team showed its mettle with a impressive 0-0 draw with #1 ranked Argentina in front of a record sell-out crowd of 78,682 fans at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The crowd was the largest for a U.S. Men’s National Team match at Giants Stadium and the fourth largest ever held at the stadium.

SANTANDER, Spain (June 4, 2008) – The U.S. Men’s National Team fought fourth-ranked Spain toe-to-toe for more than an hour before an opportunistic goal by Xavi Hernandez in the 79th minute delivered Spain a 1-0 victory before 13,500 fans at the Estadio El Sardinero in Santander. Eddie Johnson had one goal called back and barely missed a second as Spain extended its unbeaten run to 17 matches and improved its record against the United States to 3-0-0 all-time.

This Is A Story That Will Touch Your Heart. It all began when Houston doctor asked two Houston Dynamo players to stop by the room of a 14-year old boy, from Wake Forest, NC, who had a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

That visit by Stuart Holden and Craig Waible led to a friendship with young A.J. Piniewski that would last a lifetime. Sadly, that would be less than six months.

In a time when some professional athletes declare that they don’t want to be role models, Holden, who played collegiate soccer at Clemson, and Waibel, his Dynamo teammate, transcended “role model” and became a friend.

This is a story shared by A.J.’s family and told by sportswriter Richard Justice in the May, 10, 2008 issue of the Houston Chronicle.

The U.S. Men’s National Team fell to a determined England side on Wednesday evening in front of 71,233 fans at Wembley Stadium in London. John Terry, acting as the team captain on the night, and Steven Gerrard scored on either side of halftime to deliver a 2-0 victory to the world’s 11th ranked team.

U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has named a 33-man player pool that will be used to select rosters for the upcoming trio of blockbuster friendlies against England, Spain and Argentina. The roster for the England match, which will include approximately 22 players, will be announced early next week.

The U.S. Women’s National Team ended a three-game domestic tour with a comprehensive 6-0 victory over Canada as forward Natasha Kai scored her first career hat trick. Lindsay Tarpley, Carli Lloyd and Leslie Osborne also added goals in what was a dominating performance from the opening whistle.

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (May 3, 2008) – In a wild match that saw the U.S. Women’s National Team score two own goals and give up a three-goal lead in the second half, substitute midfielder Angela Hucles provided the game-winner in the 94th minute as the U.S. defeated Australia, 5-4, while getting the winning goal in extra time for the second straight game.

Gordon Bradley passed away in Northern Virginia on April 29 at the age of 74 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

The Ottawa Fury have announced the signing of four new players to their 2008 W-League squad. University of Maryland graduates Ashly Kennedy and Sarah Sample will join current University of Mississippi players Jennifer Hance and Danielle Johnson on the Fury roster for this upcoming season.

The Charlotte Eagles hosted the Richmond Kickers tonight at Charlotte Christian's Restart Field, the Eagles new home field for the 2008 season. A win against Richmond is something that has eluded the Eagles over the past few years, but tonight Charlotte earned that victory with an exciting 3-0 shutout.

The Carolina RailHawks (1-0-1) defeated the Charleston Battery (0-1-2) in their home opener on Saturday April 26th at WakeMed Soccer Park 1-0 with a goal by Connally Edozien in the 32nd minute.

CARY, N.C (April 27, 2008) – In a match that was delayed 53 minutes due to rain and lightning, the U.S. Women’s National Team earned its first domestic win of 2008 with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Australia on a stoppage time goal from midfielder Carli Lloyd.

The U.S. Under-23 Men and Women’s National Teams were drawn into their respective groups for the 2008 Olympic Games during the Final Draw this evening in Beijing, China.

The U.S. Women’s National Team got a dramatic overtime free-kick goal from Carli Lloyd before Canada tied the game three minutes from the end, sending the match into a penalty kick shootout where the Americans prevailed 6-5 to win the 2008 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament.

The U.S. Women’s National Team got two goals from Natasha Kai and one from Abby Wambach in a rousing 3-1 victory over Mexico in front of a sold-out crowd of 22,280 at the Estadio Olimpico Benito Juarez.

U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Pia Sundhage has chosen the 20-player roster to travel to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, for 2008 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying as the USA attempts to earn one of two berths to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Coming off a 3-0 victory over Poland, the U.S. MNT’s first-ever back-to-back wins in Europe, U.S. Soccer has announced a May 28 game against England in Wembly Stadium, and a June 8 game at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands, NJ against #1 ranked Argentina.

Goals by a pair of defenders and a swerving free kick from Eddie Lewis paced the U.S. to a convincing 3-0 win against Poland as the U.S. improved their lifetime record against Poland to an even 7-7-2. Landon Donovan provided both assists on the first half goals from Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu as the U.S. remained unbeaten in 2008, posting a 2-0-1 record.

U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has named 18 players to the roster that will face Poland on Wednesday, March 26 in Krakow.

NASHVILLE, TN (Mar 23, 2008) USSF -- The US Under-23 Men’s National Team fell to Honduras, 1-0, in overtime of the 2008 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Final. Both teams had already qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The U.S. Women’s National Team will play their first two domestic matches of 2008 against Australia, taking on the Matildas on April 27 in Cary, N.C., and on May 3 in Birmingham, Ala. The two games will be the first in the United States for new U.S. WNT head coach Pia Sundhage.

The U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team clinched a berth to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing after defeating Canada, 3-0, at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn., in the semifinals of CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying.

It’s Official! The U.S. Men’s National Team will travel to England for the first time since 1994 to meet the 11th ranked England National Team on May 28 in London.

The U.S. Will play Canada in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Under-23 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Thursday, March 20, in Nashville, TN. Canada beat Guatemala 5-0 in its third Group A game to edge Mexico on goal differential. Mexico scored five goals also, but gave up one in their final group game in
a 5-1 win over Haiti.

Mexico had been the favorite from Group A to advance to the semifinal, and is now eliminated from a trip to the Olympics later this summer in China. Mexico, which tied Canada 1-1, finished 1-1-1.

Tampa, Fla. (March 15, 2008) – The U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team topped Honduras, 1-0, on an Eddie Gaven penalty kick in the final minute of second half stoppage time to take the top spot in Group A and advance to the semifinals of 2008 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying .

U.S. Women’s National Team got four second half goals from four different players in a 4-0 win over Norway, sending the USA to its sixth consecutive Algarve Cup final. The U.S. got goals from Natasha Kai, Abby Wambach and Heather O’Reilly in an 11-minute span before second-half sub Amy Rodriguez finished the scoring in the 90th minute.

An open letter to: Yenier Bermudez, Jose Manuel Miranda, Erlys Baro, Yordany Alvarez, Loanni Prieto, Yendry Diaz and Eder Roldan.

Bienvenidos a los Estados Unidos. Welcome to the USA.

The U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team tied Cuba, 1-1, in its opening game of 2008 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying behind a 14th minute goal from Freddy Adu. The U.S. is currently tied for second in Group A, and will take on Panama on Thursday, March 13 at 8 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

Legendary University of North Carolina Women’s Soccer Coach Anson Dorrance and highly respected U.S. National Team Veteran Hugo Perez have been elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame President Steve Baumann announced today.

U.S. Women’s National Team got four second half goals from four different players in a 4-0 win over Norway, sending the USA to its sixth consecutive Algarve Cup final. The U.S. got goals from Natasha Kai, Abby Wambach and Heather O’Reilly in an 11-minute span before second-half sub Amy Rodriguez finished the scoring in the 90th minute.

U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team head coach Peter Nowak named the 20-player roster for 2008 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying in advance of the team’s first game against Cuba on March 11 at 8 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The team arrived in Tampa earlier today after a nine-day training camp in Bradenton, Fla.

The U.S. Women’s National Team has opened the 2008 Algarve Cup in Portugal with a pair of shutout victories.

The U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team’s road through 2008 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel, the tournament’s exclusive English-language provider. Fox Soccer Channel will show a total of seven qualifying matches, including all three of the USA’s first-round matches, semifinals, third-place and championship match.

The Silverbacks Women signed four key players from the 2007 season that saw the women advance to the W-League final. The signings are the first for the 2008 squad. Returning are forward Sarah Steinmann, midfielders Tara Minnax and Melanie Schneider, and defender Monica Buff.

The Silverbacks Women signed four key players from the 2007 season that saw the women advance to the W-League final. The signings are the first for the 2008 squad. Returning are forward Sarah Steinmann, midfielders Tara Minnax and Melanie Schneider, and defender Monica Buff.

Major League Soccer unveiled plans for the league’s 16th team, as MLS Commissioner Don Garber awarded Philadelphia an expansion team that will begin play in 2010. The Philadelphia team will play in a new 20,000-seat stadium to be constructed as part of a major development project in Chester, Pa.

Florida State University and head coach Mark Krikorian has announced that junior forward Mami Yamaguchi will forgo her senior season to pursue a professional soccer career.

Imagine a time when there were no personal computers. A time when there was no internet, and website was a term yet to be coined.

In those days you got sports scores, a day after the event, in the daily newspaper. Soccer scores were seldom listed.

United States Soccer has hired former Chicago Fire coach and U.S. MNT Assistant Dave Sarachan as Scouting Manager of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Also joining the Development Academy brass are Tony Lepore and former Revolution striker Raul Diaz Arce.

The U.S. has been drawn into Group A along with Jamaica and Mexico for 2008 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying from April 2-12 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

CHARLESTON, SC -- The Charleston Battery has agreed to terms with veteran defender John Wilson for the upcoming season. A Clemson product, Wilson started his pro career with the Battery in 1999 and was a member of the 2003 Championship winning side. He went on to play for the Rochester Raging Rhinos and then Major League Soccer’s DC United. The Battery has also signed defender Jack Stewart; Stewart comes to the Battery after three years in Major League Soccer with Real Salt Lake and the Chicago Fire; both players sign pending USSF approval.

RICHMOND, VA -- The Richmond Kickers are pleased to kickoff their 15th Anniversary with an exhibition featuring D.C. United of Major League Soccer (MLS) on Saturday, March 22, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. at the University of Richmond Stadium (just off the Downtown Expressway). This preseason exhibition will serve as DC United’s final warm-up game prior to the start of the MLS season. General admission tickets are $15/person and can be ordered in advance via www.RichmondKickers.com.

The Carolina RailHawks and the New York Red Bulls of the MLS have announced that they will meet in a friendly match at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on Friday, March 28th at 7:30 PM.

The Atlanta Silverbacks have signed defender David Hayes, midfielder Macoumba Kandji, and goalkeeper Ryan McIntosh to contract extensions.

Appalachian State University has hired Shaun Pendleton, NCAA Division II’s all-time winningest men’s soccer coach, as the 10th men’s soccer head coach in school history.

Following a 17-day training camp at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Pia Sundhage has named 20 players to the roster for the 2008 Algarve Cup, being held from March 5-12 in southern Portugal.

The U.S. Men’s National Team continued their dominating undefeated streak at home against Mexico this evening with an exciting 2-2 draw in front of 70,103 fans at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

The 2008 Carolina Challenge Cup will take place at Blackbaud Stadium March 15, 19 & 22, 2008. Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC and expansion MLS outfit the San Jose Earthquakes will join the USL First Division Charleston Battery for the premier annual US pre-season soccer tournament. This is the fifth consecutive year for the Carolina Challenge Cup.

CHICAGO (January 24, 2008) — U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has recalled 21 players to the U.S. Soccer’s National Training Center in Carson, CA, to begin preparations for the match against Mexico.

United States striker Eddie Johnson has became the fifth American player to sign with Fulham of the English Premier League. He has received an English work permit and was immediately signed by Fulham to a contract running through the summer of 2011.

Formally announced in September, the new women’s professional soccer league launching in Spring 2009 now has a name, Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS). With the unveiling of the league logo and launch of its website, WPS made its official debut at the NSCAA annual convention in Baltimore.

The World Cup final between the United States and France was tied 1-1 through overtime and came down to penalty kicks.

Sports Medicine

Dr. Don Kirkendall, exercise physiologist and member of the US Soccer Sports Medicine Medical Center, writes a monthly sports medicine column in Southern Soccer Scene. The High Ankle Sprain Injury Prevention (F-MARC) FIFA Fair Play You Need Water Research You Can Use - Further Refinements in Sports Drinks Where Do We Get All That Energy Using All That Oxygen

Coaching Corner

You Need To Develop 'Soccer Players' Scoring Goals Just Doesn't Happen Change It….To Find Space And Move The Defense Stretching Your Opponent…..Think Rubber Band Scoring Goals Requires Having An Attitude