Four Americans Sign With Ottawa

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.

"We are extremely fortunate to have added players of this quality to our roster,” said Fury Assistant Coach Dom Oliveri. “Ashly, Sarah, and Jennifer have US National Team experience and Danielle comes to us with a tremendous collegiate track record."

Kennedy, from Edgewater, Maryland has just completed a stellar varsity career at the University of Maryland. She is a two-time team captain who started all 74 matches of her Maryland career. During her time in College Park, the Terrapins posted 23 shutouts. Recognized as one of Maryland’s all-time best defenders, she was among the fastest defensive players in the ACC conference with a physical style of play that set her apart from the rest. Kennedy was a decorated youth level player and a member of the United States Youth National Team Pool.

Sample, from Annapolis Maryland, split her college career between George Washington University (2003/2004) and the University of Maryland (2005/2006). Sample was ever-present and dependable appearing in a total of 73 games (69 starts), scoring 12 goals and adding 10 assists. A versatile player, Sample can play midfield or up front. Before college she was a three year member of the Olympic Development Team as a US national pool player. Sample was no stranger to honors, being selected to the First team all-Atlantic 10 in 2004 and the 2003 Atlantic 10 all-rookie team.

Hance, from Sugar Land, Texas, has just completed her junior year at the University of Mississippi. The midfielder/forward was voted SEC Freshman of the Year by league coaches, second-team All-American by Soccer Buzz/Soccer America and was one of 15 finalists for Soccer Buzz National Freshman of the Year. She participated in a US U-20 National Team camp in 2006. Hance was consistently among the top points-getters on her college squad, racking up 17 goals and eight assists over the past three years.

Johnson, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a leading member of the University of Mississippi defense and midfield. In two seasons with Ole Miss, Johnson picked up Freshman All-America honors (2006) as well as All-SEC and All-Region honors in both 2006 and 2007. Johnson has anchored a miserly Rebel back line that allowed just 40 goals in 40 contests over 2006 and 2007. Johnson logged 1,828 minutes in 19 games for the Rebels last year and was voted team MVP by her peers.

The Fury has put together a tremendous W-League record over the past five seasons. They have qualified for the W-League Championship Finals in four of the last five years losing in the semi-finals in 2003 and 2004 and in the final to New Jersey and Vancouver in 2005 and 2006. In 2005 and 2007, the Fury was the W-League regular season champions. Last season, the club registered an unbeaten 11-0-1 record in regular season play, before losing to the eventual W-League champion Washington Freedom, 1-0 in the Eastern Conference final. The club has amassed a remarkable 58-5-3 regular season record over the past five seasons.

The Fury open their 2008 W-League campaign with a home game on Saturday, June 7 when they host the Western Massachusetts Pioneers at the University of Ottawa Athletic Complex, kickoff is at 7:00 PM. For season ticket information visit the Fury web site at www.ottawafury.com.

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Eagles Blank Rival Kickers 3-0

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.

Dustin Swinehart scored his fifth goal in just two games. Jonah Long and Jorge Herrera each had fantastic goals of their own.

Jonah Long gave the Eagles an early lead in the 11th minute of play. Joseph Kabwe moved the ball down field and put it across to Dustin Swinehart on the right side. Swinehart dumped the ball back into the center for Jonah Long. Long controlled the ball, moved into space and fired a bullet shot from about 30 yards out. Long's shot beat Richmond Goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale just under the crossbar.

Long's goal was the only goal of the first half, but it was certainly a spark that gave Charlotte confidence throughout the match. Charlotte outshot Richmond 8-1 in the half.

The Richmond Kicker's came out strong at the start of the second half, hoping to score an equalizer. Richmond got their best chance about 5 minutes into the second half. Stanley Nyazamba took a shot from the middle of the field at the top of the box. Eagles goalkeeper Terry Boss made a beautiful diving save to stop the low driven shot and deflect it over the crossbar.

Charlotte extended its lead to two goals in the 58th minute of play on a penalty kick. Former Rickmond Kicker Robert Ssejjemba, while attacking the goal, was taken down in the penalty box by Chavez. Dustin Swinehart stepped up to take the penalty kick and scored with a perfectly placed shot in the bottom left corner.

Colombian Jorge Herrera put the Eagles up 3-0 in the 75th minute. Herrera got a fast break down the right side. With pressure hot on his heels Jorge sped toward goal and drilled a low shot just inside the left post, beating the dive of Pascale.

"Jorge Herrera finished a great shot. With really no angle he was still able to find the goal" commented Eagles coach Mark Steffens.

Eagles goalkeeper Terry Boss came up big one last time in the 85th minute with another save to preserve his shutout. Shots were more even in the second half as Richmond pressured for a goal. Richmond had ten shots to Charlotte's seven in the second half.

"This is a big win for us," said Steffens. "They're a good team, and they were missing a couple guys tonight, so they'll be better later in the season for sure. Our defense played well tonight. Steve Shak does a great job organizing those guys in the back, and we love the wider field. It helps us, no question."

Tonight's win extends the Eagles record to 2-0-0, and is the second shutout win for goalkeeper Terry Boss. The Eagles next two matches are on the road in Wilmington on May 3rd and in Harrisburg on May 10th. Charlotte returns to Restart Field for the next home game on Friday May 16th in a doubleheader with the Lady Eagles season opener kicking off at 5:30 pm.

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RailHawks Edge Battery In USL Opener

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.

Edozien played an excellent give-and-go with Kupono Low just outside the box, allowing him to get the ball back just inside the 18. He would dribble across the top of the box, eluding four Battery defenders before turning to let loose a rocket that zipped into the upper corner outside of goalkeeper Dusty Hudock’s reach.

The RailHawks held their own throughout the game and even found themselves one man up when Charleston’s John Wilson was ejected in the 60th minute for a bad tackle on Martin Nuñez.

The victory maintained the second-year RailHawks’ perfect record against their southern rivals after sweeping the three-game series last year.

The event was presented by WakeMed and culminated in a spectacular fireworks display to celebrate the 2008 home opener.

Next the Carolina RailHawks travel to Florida to face Miami FC on Sunday May 4th at 6:00 PM. The match will be broadcast live on www.usllive.com. Fans are encouraged to log on and sign up for a season pass to be able to watch all the action of the Carolina RailHawks away games from the comfort of their computers.

The Carolina RailHawks return to WakeMed Soccer park on Saturday May 10th at 7:30 PM as they host the Atlanta Silverbacks. For information on the Carolina RailHawks home gamesand the RailHawks men’s and women’s 2008 schedules, please visit www.carolinarailhawks.com or call the LGFCU Box Office at 919-859-5425.

Atlanta Silverbacks Win

The Montreal Impact (1-2-0) lost its second game of the season 3-2 (halftime 1-1), Friday, against the Atlanta Silverbacks (1-0-1), at RE/MAX Greater Atlanta Stadium.

The Silverbacks’ win was headed by forward Macoumba Kandji (19th minute), defender David Hayes (52th minute) and midfielder Jason McLaughlin (70th minute).

Midfielder Patrick Leduc, with his 10th career goal in the 32nd minute, and Charles Gbeke, from Gbeke, in the 84th minute, scored for the Impact.

Miami FC Blues Lose
In their second rain-drenched encounter of the weekend against the Miami Blues, the Puerto Rico Islanders came to the field full of energy and sporting a new bright green uniform, ready to avenge the 2-0 loss suffered on Friday. And so they did with a 3-1 victory over the visitors.

Afoul inside the box on Puerto Rico’s Noel Fabrice set up the first goal of the game. Victor Herrera had no problem blasting the penalty kick past keeper Josh Saunders for the score. But Miami came back in minute 24, as Alex Afonso also made good on a penalty kick that Bill Gaudette was unable to stop, evening the score 1-1.

First Real Maryland Victory
The expansion Real Maryland Monarchs recorded their first-ever victory in USL-2 with a 2-0 win over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in front of a raucous crowd of 1,800 at the Maryland SoccerPlex Saturday in a slightly shortened affair due to lightning.

The Monarch fans didn’t have to wait long for games first goal. In the sixth minute, Dennis Alas floated the ball into Devlin Barnes who snuck behind the Riverhounds back line. Barnes took the ball down and squared it for William Brindley to score the first-ever goal in Real Maryland history.

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Philly Makes #16 For MLS

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.

The Philadelphia club will be owned by iStar Financial CEO Jay Sugarman, Swarthmore Group Chairman James Nevels, Philadelphia attorney William Doran, veteran sports executive Nick Sakiewicz and Christopher and Robert Buccini, founding partners of The Buccini/Pollin Group.

“We are thrilled to welcome Philadelphia to Major League Soccer,” said Commissioner Garber. “Philadelphia brings in one of the most passionate sports markets in the country and provides a natural rivalry with the New York Red Bulls and D.C. United.

“Thanks to the steadfast commitment of Jay Sugarman’s group and the vision of Pennsylvania government officials, MLS is coming soon to Philadelphia,” Garber added. “We look forward to celebrating the world’s most popular sport in the country’s fourth-largest market and in a state-of-the-art soccer-specific stadium.”

“Major League Soccer is truly a league with the wind behind its sail,” said lead investor Jay Sugarman, CEO of iStar Financial. “I am very excited to join the distinguished list of existing MLS owners and to help guide the League’s growth into one of America’s great sports cities. We’re going to build a first-class organization on and off the field and we will create a development that makes the community proud.”

The MLS Philadelphia club will play their home matches in a 20,000-seat soccer-specific stadium in Chester, just 13 miles from downtown Philadelphia and easily accessible from Interstate 95 and public transportation via the R2 SEPTA train and SEPTA buses. The stadium will serve as the hub of a $500 million waterfront development project that will also feature townhomes, apartments, office space, a convention and exposition center, retail space, new streets, greenways and a riverside promenade that will include boat slips.

Eastern Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia area have a rich soccer tradition that has produced some of the country’s best players throughout the years, including 2006 U.S. World Cup team members Ben Olsen of D.C. United, Chris Albright of the New England Revolution and former D.C. United and current Reading FC midfielder Bobby Convey. Professional soccer in Philadelphia dates back to the 1920’s and the formation of the American Soccer League with charter member Philadelphia F.C. In addition, the National Soccer Hall of Fame was organized by the Philadelphia Old-Timers Association in 1950.

With the announcement of the 16th team, MLS added its sixth team since the start of the 2005 season. Expansion conversations continue with approximately 10 markets throughout the United States and Canada. MLS officials will continue those discussions as the League could feature as many as 18 clubs by 2011.

“As evidenced by our patience in the case of Philadelphia, we will only expand when we believe the circumstances are right,” Garber said. “We continue to seek the essential combination of strong ownership, an appropriate facility controlled by that ownership, and a market with a tradition of supporting the sport. St. Louis is one of the leading candidates we are considering and we are hopeful that all elements will come together soon for the city to join the League.”

The fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States with 6.8 million people, the Delaware Valley features a diverse population and some of the most fervent sports fans in the country. Philadelphia has hosted many international soccer matches, including the Manchester United vs. Barcelona game in front of more than 68,000 fans that opened Lincoln Financial Field in 2003 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2003.

Philadelphia’s name, logo and colors will be unveiled at a later date, along with the coaching and administrative staff. For more information and season ticket availability, fans should visit www.MLSPhilly2010.com or call 1-877-MLS-2010.

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New Women’s League Launched

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.

One thing the new league wants to make clear is that this is not a remake of the WUSA, which folded in 2003 after three seasons. The new league has announced teams in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, Washington, D.C. and St. Louis. The door is also open for an eighth team.

“A long and careful process led to the selection of Women’s Professional Soccer and the subsequent WPS acronym,” said Tonya Antonucci, WPS commissioner. “The league and team owners reviewed countless variations of league names and logos and conducted numerous focus groups before ultimately deciding on a brand identity that we strongly believe will resonate with fans for years to come.”

The WPS logo, developed by branding agency Adrenalin, Inc., features a deep navy, red, and gold color scheme while showcasing a familiar silhouette – FIFA World Cup champion, Olympic Gold Medal winner and Hall of Fame player Mia Hamm, renowned as a pioneer for women’s soccer.

“I am extremely honored and humbled to personify the WPS brand, knowing full well that this league will be revered by generations of soccer fans around the world,” said Hamm. “Above all else, this league represents opportunity – not just for female soccer players, but for women everywhere.”

The league launched its official website at www.womensprosoccer.com, an interactive source for all information related to the league, WPS teams, prospective players and women’s soccer in general.

Since the league was formalized four months ago, operations have been underway at the WPS office in San Francisco and the team offices in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington D.C.

Staffing has been among top priorities for both the league and its teams. In recent months, WPS has hired Boston Breakers General Manager Joe Cummings as senior consulting chief operating officer, Vicki Veenker of Shearman & Sterling LLP as general counsel, and Aaron Burch as league development/relationships manager. Teams have also been active in hiring staff. Former Women’s National Team Head Coach Tony DiCicco was named as the head coach of the Boston Breakers. The Washington Freedom, meanwhile, appointed Joe Quinn as team president and general manager, Jim Gabarra as head coach, Louise Waxler as director of operations, and Clyde Watson as assistant coach. Likewise, Chicago’s WPS team announced Marcia McDermott, former coach for the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) Carolina Courage, as general manager.

“Momentum is definitely in our favor as we draw closer to the inaugural WPS season in 2009,” said Antonucci. “The next year promises to be an exciting one for women’s soccer, as our nation’s elite athletes compete against the best international stars in the Beijing Olympics with the knowledge that they’ll come home to the opportunity to play professionally. As the players prepare, we’ll be working diligently toward the 2009 kick-off with more league and team news, facility announcements, and community events.”

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Nyarko, Phelan Drafted In First Round

UCLA defender Chance Myers was the #1 pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, taken by the Kansas City Wizards. The Wizards traded defender Nick Garcia to the expansion San Jose Earthquakes for the #1 pick.

U. S. Under-17 National Team midfielder/defender Brek Shea went to FC Dallas with the second pick of the draw.

Virginia Tech junior Patrick, Nyarko was the first forward selected, going to the Chicago Fire as the #7 pick in the first round. Tech’s Ben Nelson, a midfielder from Stafford, VA, was drafted by FC Dallas in the fourth round.

Wake Forest defender Pat Phelan was taken with the #10 overall pick by Toronto FC. Phelan was one of three members of the Deacon’s 2007 national championship team, selected in the draft. Goalkeeper Brian Edwards was the #28 overall selection, also going to Toronto FC, and defender Julian Valentine was the first player selected in the third round by the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Midfielder Joe Germanese from Duke, who played at Vanderbilt before that program was dropped after his sophomore year, went #27 to the New England Revolution. He was one of three Blue Devils drafted. Midfielder Michael Videira was the first taken, at #18 overall in the second round by New England. Midfielder Spencer Wadsworth went in the fourth round to the Revolution.

Furman’s Shea Salinas, a midfielder, was the first player taken in the second round with the #15 overall selection, by the San Jose Earthquakes. Salinas’ Furman teammate, Jonathan Leathers (Athens, GA) was taken #25 by the Wizards.

Two Old Dominion defenders were drafted. David Horst was selected with the #14 overall pick, by Real Salt Lake. The Wizards drafted Yomby William at #23 overall.

The Columbus Crew at #22 in the second round drafted Lee University (TN) forward Ricardo Pierre-Louis, the NCAA Division II Player of the Year. Lynn University (FL) forward Dwight Barnett was a third round selection by the Chicago Fire. Another Division II player, West Florida’s Keith Savage, was the first player taken in the fourth round, going to Chivas USA.

The New York Red Bulls drafted UNC midfielder Scott Campbell in the fourth round. Virginia midfielder Jeremy Barlow was the last player selected in the draft, #56 overall, by the Houston Dynamo. Maryland midfielder Stephen King was taken by Chicago in the third round.

D.C. United had only one player in the draft, selecting midfielder Andrew Jacobson of Cal-Berkley in the second round.

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2008 MLS SuperDraft Order

Coaches and general managers of Major League Soccer’s 14 teams will have their scouting expertise tested Friday as the 2008 MLS SuperDraft takes place on at the Baltimore Convention Center (400 Level Ballroom) in Baltimore. The event begins at 2 p.m. ET and will be carried live by ESPN2 and MLSnet.com. The draft order and rules are listed below.

As an MLS expansion team, the San Jose Earthquakes currently hold the first overall selection in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. The SuperDraft consists of four rounds with 14 selections each round. Currently, Western Conference teams FC Dallas and the Los Angeles Galaxy hold the most selections in the draft with seven (7) each. The Chicago Fire of the Eastern Conference hold six (6) selections heading into Friday’s SuperDraft. Western Conference club Chivas USA may be looking to deal for draft picks as they hold only one (1) selection that lands in the fourth round.

Last year, 2007 expansion side Toronto FC selected University of Maryland midfielder Maurice Edu with the first overall selection in the SuperDraft. Edu starred for Toronto FC in his first year in the League and became the first-ever No. 1 pick to capture Rookie of the Year Honors. With a surprising pick at No. 5, the New England Revolution selected Wake Forest midfielder Wells Thompson, who proved his worthiness over the course of his first pro season. The Revolution has developed a number of previously unheralded players into stars, including Shalrie Joseph, Michael Parkhurst and Clint Dempsey.

The first hour of the SuperDraft will be televised live on ESPN2. The remainder of the draft, which consists of four rounds of 14 picks each, will be streamed live on www.MLSnet.com, the League’s official Web site.
For the sixth consecutive year, the MLS SuperDraft will be held in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) convention. Thousands of youth soccer coaches from across the country will be in Baltimore on Friday and many will watch from the draft floor as their brightest pupils make a leap from amateur to professional.

The MLS SuperDraft draft features the finest collegiate and youth soccer prospects in the United States. The majority of draft prospects are graduating college seniors from NCAA schools. Others come from Generation adidas, a joint program between MLS and adidas that is dedicated to developing exceptional domestic talent in a professional environment. Each year, a handful of top domestic underclassmen and youth national team soccer players are signed to the league and placed in the SuperDraft through this program.

The MLS SuperDraft is open to the public at no charge, and fans are invited to attend, however seating is limited, and fans are encouraged to arrive early. Fans must pick up a ticket at the fan check-in table outside the ballroom.

Credential requests should be sent directly to MLS Communications. Submit requests to Stephen Rodriguez at stephen.rodriguez@mlsnet.com and Justine Kraus at justine.kraus@mlsnet.com.

Below are details on the selection order, rules and procedures for the 2008 MLS SuperDraft.

The 2008 MLS SuperDraft order follows (as of January 15, 2008):


1st ROUND:
1. San Jose Earthquakes
2. FC Dallas (From Toronto FC)
3. Real Salt Lake
4. Los Angeles Galaxy
5. Colorado Rapids
6. Columbus Crew
7. Chicago Fire (From New York Red Bulls)
8. FC Dallas
9. Toronto FC (From Chivas USA)
10. Toronto FC (From D.C. United)
11. Kansas City Wizards
12. Chicago Fire
13. New England Revolution
14. Real Salt Lake (From Toronto FC)

2nd ROUND:
15. San Jose Earthquakes
16. New York Red Bulls (From Toronto FC)
17. Real Salt Lake
18. New England Revolution (From Los Angeles)
19. FC Dallas (From Colorado Rapids)
20. Columbus Crew
21. Los Angeles Galaxy (From New York Red Bulls)
22. FC Dallas
23. Kansas City Wizards (From Chivas USA)
24. D.C. United
25. Kansas City Wizards (From Los Angeles Galaxy, Kansas City Wizards)
26. Chicago Fire
27. New England Revolution
28. Los Angeles Galaxy (From Houston Dynamo)

3rd ROUND:
29. Los Angeles Galaxy (From San Jose Earthquakes)
30. Toronto FC
31. FC Dallas (From Real Salt Lake)
32. New York Red Bulls (From Los Angeles Galaxy)
33. D.C. United (From Colorado Rapids)
34. Los Angeles Galaxy (From Columbus Crew)
35. Toronto FC (From Colorado Rapids, New York Red Bulls)
36. Colorado Rapids (from Dallas)
37. Real Salt Lake (from Chivas USA)
38. Chicago Fire (from D.C. United)
39. Kansas City Wizards
40. Chicago Fire
41. New England Revolution
42. Houston Dynamo

4th ROUND:
43. Chivas USA (From San Jose Earthquakes)
44. New York Red Bulls (From Toronto FC)
45. FC Dallas (From Real Salt Lake)
46. Los Angeles Galaxy
47. Colorado Rapids
48. Columbus Crew
49. Colorado Rapids (From New York Red Bulls)
50. FC Dallas
51. Los Angeles Galaxy (From New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake, Chivas USA)
52. D.C. United
53. Kansas City Wizards
54. Chicago Fire
55. New England Revolution
56. Houston Dynamo

Selection Order:

The MLS SuperDraft selection order is determined as follows: The first selection is awarded to Major League Soccer’s expansion team, San Jose Earthquakes. The next four selections are from teams that did not qualify for the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs beginning with the team with fewest 2007 regular season points (3 points per win, one point per tie). The remaining eight positions are ranked by fewest regular season points among the teams that were eliminated in the same round of the MLS Cup Playoffs.

Procedural rules for the 2008 MLS SuperDraft:

Draft Rounds: The 2008 MLS SuperDraft will include four rounds and 56 selections. Once a team has passed, it may no longer participate in the Draft (e.g. may no longer select players, use a timeout, etc.)

Selection Clock: Teams are permitted four (4) minutes to make a selection in the First and Second Rounds. Teams are permitted three (3) minutes to make a selection in the Third and Fourth rounds.

Intermissions: There will be a five (5) minute break between each round.

Timeouts: Each team is permitted one (1), five (5) minute timeout. Selections must be made immediately following the timeout (no additional time given). More than two (2) timeouts cannot be used consecutively.

Failure to Make Selection in Designated Time: Teams that fail to make their selection in time must wait until the next selection is made, regardless if their choice is presented prior to the next team’s decision. The team that was delinquent with its selection must immediately have its choice in hand following the selection of the team that followed. If not, the original team must again wait for the next selection to be made.

Trades: Prior to being announced, trades need to be verified and approved by the Commissioner and/or his designee. Trade announcements should not reveal the identity of players until those players have been contacted by their respective clubs. For example, Team A trades a “player to be named later” for Team B’s first selection.

Team Passing: In the event a team passes, it shall be precluded from making any further picks for the remainder of the Draft.

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Brian Carroll Traded To Crew

The Columbus Crew has acquired midfielder Brian Carroll from the San Jose Earthquakes in exchange for forward Kei Kamara. Carroll, a member of D.C. United’s 2004 MLS Cup-winning squad who has earned six caps with the U.S. National Team, appeared in 121 games over five seasons with D.C. before being selected by San Jose in Wednesday’s MLS Expansion Draft.

“We are excited to acquire someone of Brian Carroll’s ability and experience,” said Head Coach Sigi Schmid. “He is someone who has been a part of an MLS championship and he will help bring that mentality to our team. At the same time, we thank Kei for his efforts on behalf of the Crew and wish him the best of luck in San Jose.”

Carroll, a 26-year-old native of Springfield, Va., was originally selected by D.C. United in the second round (No. 11 overall) of the 2003 MLS SuperDraft out of Wake Forest University. In 2007, the defensive midfielder saw action in 28 games (19 starts) and collected a career-high four assists. He has two goals and 11 assists in his career. Carroll also represented the United States at the Under-20 and U-23 levels, prior to his six appearances at the senior level.

Kamara, a native of Sierra Leone who played collegiately at Cal State Dominguez Hills, spent two seasons with the Crew after being selected by Columbus in the first round (No. 9 Overall) of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft. He scored five goals in 36 games (13 starts) in Black & Gold.

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Carroll, Riley, Vide Drafted By Earthquakes

Three players who played collegiate soccer in the Atlantic Coast Conference, were among the 10 selected by the San Jose Earthquakes in the MLS Expansion Draft.

James Riley, a defender who played at Wake Forest, was chosen from the New England Revolution. The New York Red Bulls lost Joe Vide, who grew up in Raleigh and played at the University of Virginia, while Brian Carroll, another former Demon Deacon and a native of Springfield, VA, was chosen from D.C. United.

MLS held its 2007 Expansion Draft on Wednesday for the League’s 14th team, the Earthquakes, allowing the team to begin constructing its roster for the 2008 season. The Earthquakes selected one player each from 10 of the 13 MLS teams. The Colorado Rapids, Kansas City Wizards and Real Salt Lake were the three teams that did not have a player selected in the draft. Each of the 13 teams was allowed to protect 11 players, leaving all others unprotected and available for selection by the Earthquakes.

The other seven players selected were Ryan Cochrane (Houston Dynamo), Clarence Goodson (FC Dallas), Ned Grabavoy (Columbus Crew), Ivan Guerrero (Chicago Fire), Jason Hernandez (Chivas USA), Gavin Glinton (LA Galaxy) and Chris Pozniak (Toronto FC). Glinton played with the USL-1 Charleston Battery during the 2006 season.

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Parkhurst Named MLS Defender Of Year

New England Revolution defender Michael Parkhurst, who played collegiate soccer at Wake Forest, has been named the Major League Soccer Visa® Defender of the Year.

Kansas City Wizards forward Eddie Johnson was named the Comeback Player of the Year, and Brian Hall was honored as the 2007 Official Sports International (OSI) Referee of the Year.

Parkhurst, 23, a native of Cranston, R.I., and former Demon Deacon, had an exceptional regular season in only his third year as a professional. The 2005 winner of the Gatorade Rookie of the Year award appeared as a First XI selection to the 2007 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star team where the MLS All-Stars defeated Celtic FC 2-0 on July 19. He played in and started 25 games at central defender for the Revolution, who finished in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 14-8-8 record.

Parkhurst missed the first three games of the season recovering from a preseason shoulder injury, but came back to anchor a defense that recorded 10 shutouts and allowed 43 goals, sixth best in the League. His fine form since joining the League has also led to his inclusion as a member of the U.S. Men’s National Team. He represented the United States in their victorious run in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

This is the second 2007 year-end award for Parkhurst, as he was also named the individual Fair Play winner. His hard work on defense led to one of the most spectacular goals of the season. In the Revolution’s final game of the regular season, Parkhurst intercepted a pass in the Revolution’s defensive end and fired a shot from his team’s own half more than 60 yards over the head of Toronto FC goalkeeper Kenny Stamatopoulos and into the Toronto FC net. It was the first shot of Parkhurst’s career in 87 games played and the first goal. He led the voting ahead of Houston Dynamo defender Eddie Robinson and Chivas USA defender Claudio Suarez.

Johnson, 23, a native of Palm Coast, Fla., was voted the 2007 Comeback Player of the Year in his seventh season of professional soccer in MLS. The Kansas City forward is not coming off of injury, but a 2006 season plagued with inconsistent play and absences due to U.S. Men’s National Team duty and suspension by his team.

Johnson had a spectacular regular season, as he started each of his 24 games played and contributed 15 goals and six assists for the Wizards. Improving upon last season’s total of two goals and one assist in 19 games played, this season Johnson was named Major League Soccer’s Player of the Week for two consecutive weeks and was also chosen as MLS Player of the Month for April. He was also a First XI selection for the 2007 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star game.

The mercurial forward made history on June 2 as the first player to score a hat trick in consecutive games. He accomplished the feat in a 4-3 win over New England on May 26 and again on June 2 in a 3-2 win over the New York Red Bulls. Johnson claimed the award over Columbus Crew defender Frankie Hejduk and New England Revolution forward Pat Noonan.

Hall was awarded the OSI Referee of the Year for the fourth time and third consecutive season. He also won the award in 2003. A consummate professional, Hall is regarded as one of the best-ever American referees. He has plied his trade in MLS since the inaugural season and has represented the United States in FIFA competitions across the globe, including the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Hall led the voting ahead of Jair Maruffo and Alex Prus for OSI Referee of the Year.

The OSI Referee of the Year was determined by equal voting from the media, MLS players, MLS coaches and general managers and MLS referees.

MLS Defender of the Year Winners:

2007: Michael Parkhurst – New England Revolution
2006: Bobby Boswell – D.C. United
2005: Jimmy Conrad – Kansas City Wizards
2004: Robin Fraser – Columbus Crew
2003: Carlos Bocanegra – Chicago Fire
2002: Carlos Bocanegra – Chicago Fire
2001: Jeff Agoos – San Jose Earthquakes
2000: Peter Vermes – Kansas City Wizards
1999: Robin Fraser – Los Angeles Galaxy
1998: Lubos Kubik – Chicago Fire
1997: Eddie Pope – D.C. United
1996: John Doyle – San Jose Earthquakes

MLS Comeback Player of the Year Winners

2007: Eddie Johnson – Kansas City Wizards
2006: Richard Mulrooney – FC Dallas
2005: Chris Klein – Kansas City Wizards
2004: Brian Ching – San Jose Earthquakes
2003: Chris Armas – Chicago Fire
2002: Chris Klein – Kansas City Wizards
2001: Troy Dayak – San Jose Earthquakes
2000: Tony Meola – Kansas City Wizards

OSI Referee of the Year Winners:

2007: Brian Hall
2006: Brian Hall
2005: Brian Hall
2004: Abiodun ‘Abbey’ Okulaja
2003: Brian Hall
2002: Kevin Terry
2001: Paul Tamberino
2000: Paul Tamberino
1999: Paul Tamberino
1998: Paul Tamberino
1997: Esse Baharmast

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Arena Resigns From Red Bulls

A very surprising Monday afternoon announcement from the New York Red Bulls ended the club’s affiliation with head coach Bruce Arena. The decision came just days after the Red Bulls were knocked out of the MLS playoffs by the New England Revolution.

The Revolutions won the home-and-home first round series by a goals total of 1-0, winning at home on Saturday night in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The move was said by both parties to be mutual, and the official release said that Arena had resigned, but there were indications that Arena may have been fired as head coach and Sporting Director.

"We've made progress this season, but it is not where we want to be,” Red Bulls managing director Mark de Grandpre said in a statement. “We made a promise to our fans to provide the best quality product on the field. Unfortunately, we haven’t achieved that promise to this point. Thus, we’ve come to a mutual agreement to part ways. I want to thank Bruce for his hard work. I am certain that he will have success in his future endeavors.”

Arena said in a statement: “Marc and I discussed the direction of the team and decided mutually that this was the best move for Red Bull New York. I wish the organization the best of luck going forward.”

The team said that a search for a new head coach would begin immediately.

Arena, who coached the U.S. National Team for eight years, had directed the Red Bulls to a 12-11-7 and third-place finish in the conference. In one-plus seasons with New York, Arena was only 0-2-2 in postseason play.

Over the course of his tenure with the Red Bulls, Arena compiled a 16-16-10 regular season record. Included was a 4-5-3 mark in 2006 after he made his debut with the club on August 12, 2006 in a friendly against UEFA Champions League winner FC Barcelona.

Arena’s resignation comes one day after Frank Yallop resigned as head coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy

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D.C. United’s Emilio Is Top Scorer

With the conclusion of the Major League Soccer regular season on Sunday, D.C. United forward Luciano Emilio claimed the Budweiser Golden Boot, awarded to the League’s leading goal scorer during the regular season. Emilio scored 20 goals during the 2007 campaign, one more than New York Red Bulls forward Juan Pablo Angel and four ahead of New England Revolution forward Taylor Twellman.

Emilio, 28, helped lead United to a 16-7-7 record and their second consecutive Supporters’ Shield title for finishing the regular season with the most points in MLS. Emilio is the first MLS player to reach the 20 goal mark in one season since 2002, when current FC Dallas forward Carlos Ruiz scored 24 goals for the Los Angeles Galaxy and Twellman scored 23 for New England.

Among Emilio’s 20 goals were four game winners, which tied for third most in the League. He and Angel tied for the most multi-goal games this season with five apiece. Emilio claimed MLS Player of the Week honors in Week 11 and Week 18, and was named September’s Player of the Month.

The first-year MLS forward joined D.C. United in January 2007 from CD Olimpia of Honduras and immediately had an impact with his new team as he scored four goals in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and led D.C. United to the tournament semifinals. Emilio has played professionally in Brazil, Germany, Honduras, Mexico and the United States.

Entering the MLS Cup Playoffs, Emilio and D.C. United have the top seed in the Eastern Conference. United will open their postseason campaign against the Chicago Fire in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, which begin in Chicago on Thursday, Oct. 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2). United will host the second game of the series on Thursday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2).

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USL D-2 All-League Teams

TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced the Goalkeeper of the Year honor and the All-League Teams for the 2007 USL Second Division season, honoring 22 of the league’s top players for their performances as voted on by club general managers and coaches.
USL Second Division All-League First Team
Goalkeeper of the Year – Ronnie Pascale (Richmond Kickers)
Although he finished third in the GAA Championship race behind Harriburg’s Matt Nelson (0.611) and the honoree Hunter Gilstrap (0.500) of the Cleveland City Stars with an average of 0.684, Pascale was voted the top netminder in the league for the season. Pascale did lead the league in wins with 12 on the season, two ahead of Nelson and Charlotte’s Daniel Benton, and was second in shutouts with nine, one behind Nelson. Pascale was also Goalkeeper of the Year in 2006 when it was a statistical honor prior to the introduction of the GAA Championship.
Defender – Nelson Akwari (Charlotte Eagles)
Akwari was a leader for the Eagles, finishing as one of four players in the league to play every minute. The former US youth international spent the last five seasons in Major League Soccer, playing 78 regular season games for Real Salt Lake (2005-06), Columbus Crew (2003-04) and New York Red Bulls (2002).
Defender – Mark Schulte (Cleveland City Stars)
In addition to finishing the season as one of four players in the league to play every minute of the season, Schulte tallied two goals and four assists while leading the expansion club to the fourth one-loss season in the history of the league. The USL veteran returned after a stint abroad in Iceland, where he played for IBV. He last played in the US for the Columbus Crew in 2005, seeing action in 19 games. Previously, he spent four years with the Minnesota Thunder (2000-03), logging 93 regular season games, after playing one season in the PDL in 1999 with the Twin Cities Tornado.
Defender – Jay Willis (Western Mass Pioneers)
In his fourth year with the club, Willis has become a staple in the roster, playing 18 games this season and scoring twice. He now has three career goals in 68 regular season games with the club.
Midfielder – Mike Burke (Richmond Kickers)
The USL-2 Assist Leader with nine on the year, Burke assumed the role of captain upon the mid-season retirement of veteran defender Kevin Knight, finishing the regular season tied for scoring on the team with three goals and nine assists for 15 points. In his eighth season with the Kickers, Burke eclipsed the all-time career assists leaders to hold the sole position in the franchise with 38 assists overall. He continues to reside in third place on the Kickers all-time career points list with 90 (26g, 38a). Burke was a USL-2 First Team honoree and USL-2 Most Valuable Player Finalist en route to the 2006 USL-2 Championship.
Midfielder – Mathew Mbuta (Crystal Palace Baltimore)
An unknown in North America, Mbuta joined the club from Malaysia, where he was known as the Black Pearl. He was a key component of the club’s midfield throughout the season, playing in 16 games and finishing with five goals and seven assists, which ranked second in the league behind Burke.
Midfielder – Adam Moffat (Cleveland City Stars)
From the midfield, Moffat led the team in scoring in their first season with eight goals and two assists in 19 games. He joined the club from Scottish Third Division side Elgin City and previously played for Ross County.
Midfielder – Matt Watson (Richmond Kickers)
In his second pro season, Watson finished tied for the team lead in goals with 2006 USL-2 MVP Robert Ssejjemba and Ricky Schramm with six. He also tallied three assists in his 17 games played. As a rookie, he was the only Kicker to appear in every match during the 2006 season, becoming a regular starter early in the season and making 24 overall appearances, starting 21. Leading the team to the USL-2 regular season title and Championship, Watson finished fourth on the team with four goals and four assists during the regular season.
Forward – Stephen Astwood (Bermuda Hogges)
Although the striker only tallied four goals and an assist on the season for the first-year Hogges, Astwood left a lasting impression on his opponents to receive All-League honors. He led the team in scoring, finishing with one more goal than former Manchester City star Shaun Goater for the season.
Forward – Gary Brooks (Crystal Palace Baltimore)
A veteran of the USL First Division, Brooks joined the club midseason and was the driving force behind the club’s surge from near the bottom of the table to fifth place. He finished the season with seven goals and two assists in nine games as the team went on a 6-2-1 run with him up top. Brooks previously played for the Virginia Beach Mariners (2002-03) and the Atlanta Silverbacks (2004-05) in USL-1, logging 13 goals and 13 assists in 79 regular season games. He also played four games last season with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Forward – Jacob Coggins (Charlotte Eagles)
After leading the league in points and goals in 2004 and 2005, Coggins saw his numbers drop off last year due to a season-limiting injury, scoring just four goals in 14 games. He made an impressive return in 2007, however, to earn the Scoring and Goal Scoring Championship honors for the third time in four years, finishing the season with 12 goals and 31 points. Coggins became the first player in the 14-year history of the league to earn the scoring honors three times. Luis Orrellana (1998, 1999) and Julio-Cesar Dos Santos (2000, 2002) were the only other players to win the awards twice.
USL Second Division All-League Second Team

G Matt Nelson Harrisburg City Islanders
D James Greenslit New Hampshire Phantoms
D Shintaro Harada Crystal Palace Baltimore
D Michael Lookingland Harrisburg City Islanders
D Ashleigh Townsend Cincinnati Kings
M Maciel Everson Western Mass
M Mo Oduor Harrisburg City Islanders
M Brian Ombiji Harrisburg City Islanders
M Steve Shak Charlotte Eagles
F Nigel Codrington Cleveland City Stars
F Robert Ssejjemba Richmond Kickers

The Defender of the Year and the Finalists for Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors will be announced Monday, August 20. The winners of the final three honors will be announced at the USL Second Division Championship banquet.
USL Second Division Semifinals
The USL Second Division playoffs begin this week with Semifinals Saturday. The regular season champion Richmond Kickers play host to the Charlotte Eagles in a rematch of the 2006 final. The Harrisburg City Islanders will visit the first-year Cleveland City Stars. Both games begin at 7:00 pm ET.

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Battery, Kickers, RailHawks Advance In Open Cup

The Charleston Battery, Richmond Kickers and Carolina RailHawks are through to the quarterfinals of the 2007 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. All advanced with upset wins over Major League Soccer teams.
By the narrowest of margins, a penalty kick shootout, the Atlanta Silverbacks are out of the competition having lost to another MLS team, FC Dallas.
Despite an exceptional effort by Atlanta goalkeeper Ryan McIntosh, the Silverbacks lost the shootout 4-3 after playing FCD to a 1-1 draw through overtime.
FCD advances to the quarterfinals against the Battery, which eliminated the Houston Dynamo 1-0 on a goal from Stephen Armstrong‘s penalty kick in overtime.

Battery 1, Houston 0

Charleston saved the best to last against the defending MLS champion Dynamo. With the game in the 106th minute and headed to a shootout, the Battery received a penalty kick, which was taken by Armstrong.
Zach Wells, who bailed out the Dynamo with several big saves, saved the PK from Armstrong, but could not hold the ball and Armstrong followed the rebound for the game winning goal.
It marked the fourth win by the Battery over an MLS team in their franchise history (1999 D.C. United, 2001 MetroStars, 2004 MetroStars).
A year ago Charleston met Houston in the fourth round of Open Cup play. Kenny Cooper scored the equalizer for the Dynamo, his third goal of the game, in the final minute of extra time to send the 3-3 game to penalties. Dallas won the shootout, 5-3.

Kickers 1, LA Galaxy 0

David Bulow pounced on a mishandled corner kick in the 29th minute for the game’s only goal, and the Kickers defense held the Galaxy off the scoresheet for the rest of the game. Goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale made four saves for Richmond.
The Kickers became the last USL Second Division team in the tournament, and the win was the first for the Kickers over an MLS team since moving to Second Division last year.
As a USL First Division team, the Kickers had knocked off the Colorado Rapids in the second round of the 2000 tournament, and D.C. United in the fourth round in 2004.
“With all the hype around the (David) Beckham situation and all the hype around the Galaxy being the #1 club in America in trying to single-handedly change the direction of soccer in this country, I think this makes it the biggest win,” said Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond’s coach on just how big the win over the Galaxy was for the Kickers.

RailHawks 1, Chicago Fire 0

The first-year Carolina RailHawks put out the Fire....the defending Open Cup champion Chicago Fire, 1-0, in front of a packed crowd of 4,485 at SAS Stadium in Cary.
McColm Cephas got the game-winner in the 56th minute as he dribbled into the penalty area and struck a low shot to the near post past Fire backup goalkeeper Jon Busch.
The RailHawks got a big game from their own backup goalkeeper, John O’Hara, who held Chicago scoreless, despite not playing a single minute during the regular season.
“It’s great to play and get the win,” said O’Hara. “I think I might be the curse of the MLS teams, but nonetheless, it was great to bring home a positive result.”
O’Hara had previously recorded a shutout in his only other game against a MLS team.
Carolina will host the Kickers at SAS Stadium on August 7. Thus, the USL is guaranteed to have a representative in the Open Cup semifinals.

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Kickers, Battery Eliminate MLS Teams

David Bulow scored off a corner kick in the 31st minute and the Richmond Kickers' defense did the rest in a 1-0 upset of the Los Angeles Galaxy in their U.S. Open Cup match.

With the victory over the Major League Soccer's Galaxy, the defending second division champion Kickers advance to the next round to face the winner of the Chicago Fire and Carolina Railhawks match. That game will be played on July 15 at SAS Soccer Park in Cary, NC.

The Galaxy, which awaits the much-anticipated arrival of David Beckham later this week, has struggled so far this season in MLS play, and was heavily favored over the Kickers in the contest at Richmond, Va.

In another Open Cup loss for an MLS team, the Charleston Battery eliminated the Houston Dynamo 1-0 on Steven Armstrong's rebound of his own penalty kick in extra time.

Houston goalie Zach Wells blocked Armstrong's kick from the spot, but Armstrong charged forward to put the ball into the net.

The Battery will face FC Dallas in the quarterfinals. Dallas survived a six-round penalty kick shootout to eliminate the Atlanta Silverbacks after playing to a 1-1 draw through overtime.

Taylor Twellman scored twice, the second time for the go-ahead goal in the 90th minute, and the New England Revolution beat the Rochester Rhinos 4-2 in their match.

Steve Ralston added an insurance goal for the Revolution on a penalty kick in stoppage time.

New England next faces the winner of DC United and Harrisburg City Islanders.

Jose Cancela and Herculez Gomez each had a goal and an assist in the Colorado Rapids' 3-1 win over the California Victory

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Dallas Dumps Atlanta In Open Cup

Atlanta Silverbacks goalkeeper Ryan McIntosh came up big with a pair of saves in a penalty kick shootout with FC Dallas of Major League Soccer.

However, McIntosh needed three saves, as his USL First Division club was eliminated by the Hoops, 4-3 on kicks, after playing to a 1-1 draw in the round of 16 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The game was played in Frisco, TX, at Pizza Hut Park before a crowd of only 2,510.

Each team scored in the second half to force overtime. Carlos Ruiz got the first for Dallas in the 74th minute, with the Silverbacks finishing the equalizer four minutes later. Daniel Antoniuk got the Atlanta goal off a Rodrigo Rios free kick from 40 yards out.

The Silverbacks played a man short for the final 38 minues after Antoniuk was ejected. In all five Atlanta players were booked in the game, but Antoniuk was the only one shown a red card.

After Atlanta’s sixth kicker, Scott Buete, sent his kick high, FCD midfeilder Arturo Alvarez clinched the win with the last kick of the night.

McIntosh had an outstanding game, making several key saves on shots from Ruiz and from forward Dominic Oduro.

Dallas will now face the winner of Tuesday night’s match between Houston and USL side the Charleston Battery, which will be held at Charleston’s Blackbaud Stadium. Should Dynamo prevail, FCD will host their in-state rivals on August 7. If the Battery emerge victorious, the Hoops will have to travel to Charleston on the same day.

July 09, 2007 -- Pizza Hut Park
Scoring Summary:
DAL -- Carlos Ruiz 1 (Dario Sala ) 74
ATL -- Daniel Antoniuk 1 (Rodrigo Rios ) 78
Penalty-kick shootout:
ATL -- Rodrigo Rios (Goal)
DAL -- Carlos Ruiz (Goal)
ATL -- Justin Moore (Saved)
DAL -- Pablo Richetti (Saved)
ATL -- Dayton O’Brien (Wide Left)
DAL -- Juan Toja (Saved)
ATL -- Angel Rivillo (Goal)
DAL -- Chris Gbandi (Goal)
ATL -- David Hayes (Goal)
DAL -- Abe Thompson (Goal)
ATL -- Scott Buete (High)
DAL -- Arturo Alvarez (Goal)

Atlanta Silverbacks -- Ryan McIntosh, Martyn Lancaster, Matt Bobo, David Hayes, Justin Moore, Rafique Hassim (John Queeley 66) (Angel Rivillo 12), Tony McManus, Rodrigo Rios, Scott Buete, Daniel Antoniuk, Warren Ukah (Corey Woolfolk 74) (Dayton O’Brien 12),
Substitutes Not Used: Alvin Hudson, Luis Liendo, Felipe Quintero
FC Dallas -- Dario Sala, Drew Moor (Abe Thompson 91), Clarence Goodson (David Wagenfuhr 12), Chris Gbandi, Bobby Rhine (Michael Dello-Russo 12), Aaron Pitchkolan, Pablo Richetti, Juan Toja, Ramon Nunez (Dominic Oduro 69), Carlos Ruiz, Arturo Alvarez.
Substitutes Not Used: Ray Burse, Blake Wagner, Alex Yi

Misconduct Summary:
ATL -- Tony McManus (caution; Reckless Foul) 72
ATL -- Rodrigo Rios (caution; Reckless Foul) 82
ATL -- Daniel Antoniuk (ejection; Violent Conduct) 82
ATL -- Martyn Lancaster (caution; Reckless Foul) 92
ATL -- Matt Bobo (caution; Reckless Foul) 96

Referee: Colin Tait
Referee’s Assistants: Paul Blackwell; Jorge Luna
4th official: Fernando Galvan
Time of game: 2:43
Attendance: 2,510
Weather: Partly Cloudy -and- 87 degrees

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Pope Announces That He Will Retire

Recognized by many as the best defender the U.S. has ever produced, Eddie Pope has announced that he will retire from professional soccer and the Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake at the end of the 2007 season.

Pope, 33, began his career with D.C. United after playing collegiate soccer at UNC Chapel Hill. The High Point, N.C. native, also played for the New York/New Jersey MetroStars before moving to Real Salt Lake in that club’s expansion year.

He has played in 236 MLS games in his 12 year career, and feels Real Salt Lake is a good place to end his playing career.

"I love it here and I've had a good time playing here in front of the amazing fans," Pope said. "It's been a pleasure for me, so to be able to retire here is a great thing for me. I'm very, very happy about that, to retire in such a great place.

"It's my last year, and it's certainly not a lackadaisical type of decision, so yeah, it's my last year, and let's get something done," Pope said.

Pope is the latest player from the league's inaugural season to announce his retirement at the end of the years. Chris Armas and Cobi Jones also have decided to hang up their shin guards at the end of the season; for many original players like Pope, the game is beginning to take a toll on their bodies.

"It's just time," Pope said. "You get up in the morning and you're in pain, before practice you are in pain, and after practice you are still in pain.

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New York, Houston Win Carolina Challenge Cup Openers

Things went pretty much as expected in the opening match of the Carolina Challenge Cup between Houston Dynamo and Toronto F.C. Even missing five starters through injury and national team call-ups, Houston looked very much like defending MLS Cup champions.

Toronto, on the other hand, demonstrated the growing pains that come with an expansion year.

Houston handedly beat Toronto 2-0 behind goals by Ryan Cochrane and Chris Wondolowski.

Both ran an approximation of what would be their first teams if the season were to begin this weekend, though both were missing several starters, and let them run, both coaches keeping substitutions to a minimum.

In the fifth minute it looked like Houston had struck first blood when Wondolowski beat Toronto’s Greg Sutton from close range but was ruled offside.

Nine minutes later Cochrane easily touched home a Brad Davis corner kick after Sutton misplayed the in-swinging ball. All an unmarked Cochrane had to do was help the ball into the goal.

Sutton redeemed himself, however, diving to his left to parry wide a long-range bomb from Davis that should have been Houston’s second goal.

Houston continued to control the run of play through to the halftime whistle. The second half began in much the same vein as the first.

In the 72nd minute Toronto coach Mo Johnston looked for an offensive spark by inserting Abbe Ibrahim in for Jose Cancela with hopes of an offensive spark.

“It bit us,” Johnston said. “The substitution opened things up for them in the back.”

With Toronto putting more pressure forward, Houston took advantage of the space in the midfield when Kevin Goldtheaite sprung Wondolowski with a cross-field ball from the left flank. Wondolowski ran through Toronto’s offside trap and easily slotted the ball past Sutton.

It was not all doom and gloom for Toronto, however. After joining the team on Friday, Richard Mulrooney started and played all 90 minutes.

Both teams will be in action Wednesday as the round-robin tournament continues. Toronto will face New York Red Bull at 6 p.m. Houston will take on the Charleston Battery at 8:15.

Charleston Battery 0 — New York Red Bulls 1
The New York Red Bulls took on tournament hosts USL First Division Charleston Battery. In last year’s tournament, the Red Bulls lost to the Battery 1-0 and serve as the only MLS team to lose to the Battery in the four-year history of the tournament.

A nearly full-strength Red Bull again struggled, but managed to get past the USL side 1-0 on a second half stoppage time goal by Dema Kovalenko.

Battery goalkeeper Dusty Hudock was hands-down the man of the match, coming up big on several occasions including a save on a Claudio Reyna penalty kick.

But the Red Bulls speed up front proved to be too much for the Battery—in their second week of preseason preparation—when Kovalenko jumped on a rebound after Hudock made an initial save on a Dane Richard breakaway.

The Battery’s game plan was obvious from the start: Absorb the Red Bulls repeated runs forward and counter. It worked, for the most part. The Battery had several chances utilizing the counter, but lacked the breakaway speed in the end to capitalize.

Despite the strong defensive effort, it looked as if the Red Bulls would pull ahead in the 61st minute when Battery midfielder Ian Fuller was called for a handball in the penalty area. Reyna stepped up hitting the spot-kick low and to Hudock’s right. With a good jump on the ball, Hudock knocked the ball down and it was cleared away.

Richard, a 63rd minute substitute for Ansu Toure, increased the pressure on the tiring Battery back line, making several penetrating runs, forcing Hudock to make two good saves before his third run on goal which Kovalenko finished.

For Red Bulls coach Bruce Arena, the result was met with mixed feelings. “We attacked well,” he said. “But our finishing need to be better.”

On Wednesday the Red Bulls face Toronto F.C. in the second leg of the round-robin tournament at 6:p.m. followed by Charleston and Houston at 8:15.

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Dynamo Win, D.C. United Draws In Semifinal

The Houston Dynamo defeated CF Panchca of Mexico 2-0 in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup semifinal series, and D.C. United drew 1-1 with CD Guadalajara, commonly known as Chivas.

Both games were played in home stadiums for the two MLS teams. Houston will have a two-goal advantage going into the second lefg, which will be played on April 3. With the tie, D.C. United must beat Chivas in Guadajara in order to advance to the championship game.

Striker Brian Ching and midfielder Chris Wondolowski found net in the second half to give the Major League Soccer champion Houston Dynamo the 2-0 win.

Meanwhile, 26,528, mostly a pro-Chivas crowd, braved a chilly, steady rain in Washington, D.C., and saw D.C. United's new Brazilian striker Luciano Emilio score in stoppage time to give his club a 1-1 draw with CD Guadalajara.

Defender Craig Waibel crossed from the right flank to Ching, who had coasted the penalty area unmarked to place a header into the lower right corner of the net past goalkeeper Miguel Calero for a 1-0 lead.

Pachuca nearly pulled even four minutes later when Houston keeper Zach Wells left his box to clear a long Pachuca ball over the top of the Dynamo defense. Wells headed the ball weakly to Pachuca striker Andre Chitiva, who lobbed a ball at the vacated net, only to have Waibel clear just before it reached the goal-line.

Dwayne De Rosario came of the bench in the 76th minute, replacing Paul Dalglish up top, and started the sequence for Houston's second tally. He played a ball down the left flank to Davis, who crossed to the far side of the box where an unmarked Wondolowski easily converted for a 2-0 advantage.

Emilio emerged from a crowd to head home an equalizer in the first minute of stoppage time to give D.C. United a 1-1 draw with CD Guadalajara.

United, which qualified for the Champions Cup as winner of the MLS Supporters Shield for having the best 2006 regular-season record, still faces a daunting task. It must win the April 3 second leg before around 57,000 hostile fans at Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara to advance to the championship match.

United got some practice at facing an inimical audience with a large majority of the 26,528 at RFK rooting passionately and vociferously for visiting Chivas.

"Once you're in the game mode, you don't think about the crowd," United coach Tom Soehn said. "I think all you hear are your own fans."

Midfielder Ben Olsen, United's 2006 United States World Cup team representative, started in motion D.C.'s tying goal. He took a long pass from defender Facundo Erpen and carried deep into the right corner where he was taken down by Chivas midfielder and captain Ramon Morales.

While Olsen verbally sparred with several members of the opposition and exchanged shoves with a couple, United playmaker Christian Gomez set up the free kick and delivered it to Emilio, who raced into the goalmouth, ducked his head and snapped his header directly into the middle of the net. Sprawling keeper Luis Michel, who was trying to recover to his right, could not reach the shot.

Emilio, a new acquisition, has four goals in three appearances for United in the Champions Cup.

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Orlando Sharks Join MISL

Central Florida’s latest professional sports team will be named the Orlando Sharks and will become the eighth team in the Major Indoor Soccer League. The announcement was made by team investor/operator Sham Maharaj, who is the president of Buena Vista Corporation. MISL commissioner Steve Ryan was also on hand.

"I am pleased to introduce the birth of a legacy in Central Florida sports, Orlando's newest professional sports team, the Orlando Sharks," Maharaj said.

The Sharks will join the Baltimore Blast, California Cougars, Chicago Storm, Detroit Ignition, Milwaukee Wave, Philadelphia KiXX and a yet-to-be-named New Jersey team in the MISL's 2007-08 season.

"We've spent many hours soliciting feedback from the community to ensure we captured Central Florida's input into the naming process," said Rich Bradley, vice president of Buena Vista Sports & Entertainment and team president. "We offered a selection of geographic references, historical nicknames, mythical creatures and native species in the polling; ultimately the most popular name was originally a write-in that was the clear winner in the final round of voting."

The poll attracted over 3,500 responses last August, and the logo features a teal, black and gray shark.

The MISL Collegiate Amateur Draft will take place on March 8. Following the completion of the 2006-07 MISL season, a dispersal draft of unprotected current MISL players will be held to help fill the rosters of the Orlando and Newark, N.J. teams, as well as for any other new expansion clubs scheduled to play during the 2007-08 season.

Later this spring, the team will announce a series of local try-outs to be held over the summer throughout nine counties in Central Florida, as well as unveil the team's head coach, uniforms and mascot.

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Dempsey Off To England, While Reyna Returns Home

Former Furman University star Clint Dempsey has been granted a work permit to play in England and became the third American on Fulham’s English Premier League roster. He joins fellow U.S. men’s national teammates striker Brian McBride and defender Carlos Bocanegra.

It has been reported that former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna, a midfielder with Manchester City, has bought out the remainder of his contract, reported to be $1.5 million a year, and will return home to New Jersey to play with the MLS Red Bulls for his former collegiate coach at the University of Virginia, Bruce Arena.

Reyna’s move to the Red Bulls has been called a “family decision”, as he and his wife Danielle, who has five caps herself with the U.S. WNT, are expecting their third child.

Reyna, 33, has played his entire professional career abroad and has been with Manchester City since the 2003-04 season. He has been hobbled by injury with Manchester, having never played more than 22 games in a season, which consists of 38 matches.

He has also played with Sunderland in England, the Glasgow Rangers in Scotland and Bayer Leverkusen and VfL Wolfsburg in Germany.

Reyna, who had 112 appearances for the U.S. MNT before his retirement after the 2006 World Cup, is expected to sign with the Red Bulls under the new MLS Designated Player Rule, which allows a club to sign a player outside of the salary cap. New York has two exceptions, one coming in a trade.

Dempsey’s transfer fee from Major League Soccer is reported to be $4 million, which would be the largest in MLS history. The league received $3 million when goalkeeper Tim Howard moved from the MetroStars (now the Red Bulls) in 2003 to Manchester United.

Another U.S. player, central defender Oguchi Onyewu remains a hot item, but he also remains with Standard de Liege of Belgium. Fulham also sought to obtrain him, but that effort failed. EPL champion Chelsea also sought a deal for Onyewu, but the Blues manager Jose Mourinho could not obtain the funds to sign him.

It has been said that Italian power AC Milan is the latest club to express interest in the former Clemson standout, a native of Olney, MD.

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D.C. United Signs Brazilian Goal-Scorer

D.C. United has announced the signing of Brazilian forward Luciano Emilio, one of the most prolific goal scorers in the Honduran First Division during the past five years. The 28-year-old joins United from Honduras side CD Olimpia and will occupy a Senior International slot on United’s roster and will be available for selection upon receiving his international transfer certificate and P-1 visa. Per League policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are very pleased that Luciano is officially part of D.C. United,” said United Technical Director Dave Kasper. “He is a strong target striker and an accomplished goal scorer who has been part of several championship teams. We look forward to his future contributions to our club.”

The 5-foot, 11-inch, 175-pound forward signed for a second stint with Olimpia midway through 2005 and led the Lions to the 2005 Apertura crown. He won his fourth scoring title with 13 goals and helped Olimpia capture the championship in the 2006 Clausura tournament. Most recently, Emilio scored eight goals for Olimpia during the 2006 Apertura tournament. For his career, Emilio tallied 91 goals in the Honduran league, 45 with Real España and 46 with Olimpia. He was also the recipient of the Golden Boot of the 2006 UNCAF tournament, the Central American clubs cup competition, tallying eight goals in seven games for Olimpia. Overall, Emilio amassed 16 goals in three UNCAF tournament appearances.

After having amassed 45 goals in league play with Real España, Emilio joined powerhouse CD Olimpia of Tegucigalpa, where he immediately paid dividends and won his third scoring crown after tallying 16 goals in the 2004 Apertura Tournament. Emilio joined Mexican Second Division side Queretaro for one season, scoring 10 goals and helping the club capture the Clausura championship in 2005.

In 2001, Emilio returned to his native Brazil and after a stint with Union Barbarense, he joined Real España of Honduras in August 2002. He became an instant success with Real España, winning two goal scoring titles (Clausura 2003 and Clausura 2004) and helping the club capture the 2003 Apertura championship.

Emilio began his professional career at age 16 with Brazilian First Division club XV de Piracicaba and one year later transferred to Rio Branco, another Sao Paolo-based First Division club. In August of 1997, the then 18-year-old forward signed a contract with FC Cologne of the German Bundesliga. Emilio starred for Cologne’s U-23 team and eventually played in several matches for the first team in Bundesliga competition. After his time at Cologne, Emilio moved to Second Division side Aachen in 1999, where he played until 2001.

Born December 12, 1978 in Ilha Solteira, Sao Paolo, Brazil, Luciano and his wife Elenice are the proud parents of three-month old daughter, Emily.

“Our technical staff has successfully signed a player that D.C. United has long coveted,” said United Co-Managing Partner Will Chang. “We feel that his strengths as a player will work well in our system and will compliment those of Jaime Moreno, Christian Gomez and our other attacking players. We're excited to have Luciano in our organization and look forward to seeing him in uniform.”

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Claudio May Be Headed Home

With the 2007 MLS SuperDraft less than a week away, the New York Red Bulls could be close to obtaining veteran help at midfield, and a marquee player in former U.S. MNT captain Claudio Reyna.

Reyna is reported to be in the final stage of negotiations with Manchester City to cancel the last six months of his contract, which would make it possible for him to sign with the Red Bulls. That move would reunite him with former U.S. MNT coach Bruce Arena, Reyna’s collegiate coach at the University of Virginia.

Reyna earned 108 international caps with the U.S. National Team. Most came with Arena as the head coach.

Articles in the London Daily Mail confirmed negotiations, and Manchester City coach Stuart Pearce was quoted as saying that Reyna’s departure from the English Premier League club “looked inevitable.”

He also said that the move would occur only if it was “in the best interests” of the club.

Reyna, 33, is a New Jersey native. After an outstanding prep career at St. Benedict’s Prep, he was an All-America standout at Uva. He is married to the former Danielle Egan of Long Island, who played collegiate soccer for UNC Chapel Hill.

Pearce did say that Reyna wanted to return to the United States due to personal reasons. He is a native of Springfield, N.J. and a graduate of St. Benedict's Prep. He married the former Danielle Egan of Long Island.

Reyna was signed by Manchester City by former City manager Kevin Keegan from Sunderland in 2003. He made 77 English Premiership and F.A. Cup starts in 3 1/2 seasons, scoring four goals

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Dempsey Set To Move To England

Fulham is close to adding a third American to its roster.

Midfielder Clint Dempsey of Major League Soccer's New England Revolution could soon been joining World Cup teammates, striker Brian McBride and defender Carlos Bocanegra, on the English Premier League club's roster, the Boston Globe reported.

The transfer fee of $4 million, has been accepted and is the highest payment in Major League Soccer history.

The only thing pending, now that Fulham and MLS have reached agreement, is securing a work permit for Dempsey.

Dempsey, 23, had one year left on his MLS contract, and has played three seasons for the Revolution. He played in nine of 13 U.S. Men’s National Team games last year, missing one with injury. He scored against Italy in the World Cup in a 1-1 draw with the eventual World Cup champions.

Players from outside the European Union are required to have played in at least 75 percent of their recent national team games in order to receive a work permit. A tribunal will make a ruling on Dempsey’s case within the coming week.

The previous record for an MLS transxfer was about $3.5 mill, when Stern John, a Trinidad & Tobago forward went from the Columbus Crew to Nottingham Forest in 2000. Tim Howard’s transfer from the Metrostars in 2003 to Manchester United was work about $3 million.

"Clint's a wide player up front, can play either flank, strong with pace, a good player, good touch," Fulham manager Chris Coleman told the Boston Globe. He has all the attributes to be a good player in the Premier League, is the right age and was in our price range."

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Freddy Traded To Real Salt Lake

Freddy Adu has been looking for a place where he could play a bigger role, and the 17-year-old midfielder has found it.

Not in England with Manchester United, but in Salt Lake City Utah with Real Salt Lake.

Adu was traded by D.C. United to Real Salt Lake, along with the rights to reserve goalkeeper Nick Rimando, with his former club receiving a major player allocation in return as well as the rights to goalkeeper Jay Nolly and future considreations.

“I’m definitely looking forward to this,” Adu told the Salt Lake Tribune.

The move reunites Adu with his former U.S. Under-17 national coach John Ellinger, who is RSL’s head coach.

If Adu does move to Europe by way of transfer during the upcoming MLS season, United would receive a portion of the compensation package the league would receive in transfer fees.

If Adu stays with RSL for the entire season and does well, United would receive a conditional draft pick at a position determined by how well he plays.

Adu was signed my Major League Soccer as a 14-year-old, and became the highest paid player in MLS at about $500,000 a year.

While Adu has expressed a strong interest in playing in Europe, he could not sign with a club there until his 18th birthday, which is June 2, right in the middle of the MLS season.

“Freddy wanted to play central midfield or withdrawn forward,” United president and general manager Kevin Payne told The Washington Post. “On our team, that’s Christian Gomez and Jaime Moreno and that wasn’t likely to happen.”

Adu has 11 goals and 17 assists and has played in 87 regular season game with 59 starts.
“I just felt like I needed to go to an environment where I would get an opportunity to play my natural position and I’ll get that here,” Adu told the Tribune.

“I’m just real excited about it, because I also get to be with the coach I started with, who knows me. We have an amazing relationship, and when I have a great relationship with my coach, I play my best soccer, so hopefully that’s the case.”

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Houston Wins MLS Cup On PKs

FRISCO, Texas (Sunday, November 12, 2006) – It came down to a penalty kick shootout. New England appeared to have the edge on goalkeeper Matt Reis’ history of saving kicks from the mark. However, it was the Houston Dynamo that came away the winner.

Never before had the MLS Cup been determined by PKs, but the Dynamo made four kicks, while the Revolution made only three. Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad, before a crowd of 22,427 at Pizza Hut Park, drove to his right to save Revs defender Jay Heaps’ weak attempt.

Both goals in regulation came within 71 seconds of each other in overtime. Taylor Twellman found the back of the net in the 113th minute and New England had its first goal in three MLS finals. Brian Ching’s header equalized just over a minute later. Ching, who scored the deciding kick in the shootout, was named the game’s MVP.

“It’s the best award I've ever won, because it came in the course of our team winning a championship," Ching said. "We have a lot of MVPs on this team, but there's only one award. I'm happy to accept it as a reflection on our group of guys who just kept battling when things looked bad."

Three of MLS's first 10 title games were decided in sudden-death overtime, including last November when the Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the Revolution 1-0 in extra time, a repeat of the 2003 Cup final result.

Sudden death was no longer a possibility because MLS converted to world governing body FIFA's recent move from golden goals to a required 30 minutes of overtime. This worked out well for Houston, which was allowed the opportunity of responding to Twellman's fine strike.

Twellman scored his goal when he touched the ball forward once with his right foot, entering the top left of the penalty area before striking a perfect low, bouncing left-footer that tucked just inside the far post, well beyond Onstad's dive to make it 1-0.

Twellman's celebration, pumping his fist while making a 50-yard dash, consumed almost a minute. Immediately after the restart, Houston midfielder Brian Mullan took a pass, pushed the ball forward and then lofted a slightly deflected pass right to the penalty spot. Ching, who had slipped behind Heaps by a couple yards, elevated and nodded his shot inside the left post, past the reach of extended keeper Matt Reis and suddenly it was 1-1.

"I knew Mullan was going to cross the ball," Ching said. "We were fortunate to get a little deflection. I just got in the box and did the things that make me a goal scorer. The ball fell right to me and I was fortunate enough to put it in.

"I didn't think we were going to get one, but we were going to die trying."

New England is now 0-for-3 in the MLS title contest. "We've lost every possible way we can lose in the finals," Twellman said.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Houston 0, New England 0

Lineups: Houston Pat Onstad, Craig Waibel, Ryan Cochrane (Kelly Gray 102), Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett (captain), Brian Mullan, Adrian Serioux (Stuart Holden 116), Dwayne De Rosario, Brad Davis, Brian Ching, Paul Daglish (Alejandro Moreno 81); New England - : Matt Reis, Avery John, Michael Parkhurst, Jay Heaps, Joe Franchino - captain (Khano Smith 53), Shalrie Joseph, Daniel Hernandez (Jeff Larentowicz 111), Steve Ralston, Andy Dorman (Clint Dempsey 62), Pat Noonan, Taylor Twellman.

Scoring:
New England - Twellman (Smith) 113.
Houston - Ching (Mullan) 114.

Penalty kicks summary:
Houston - Gray (goal), Holden (goal), De Rosario (goal), Davis (saved), Ching (goal).
New England - Joseph (goal), Reis (goal), Noonan (missed), Twellman (goal), Heaps (saved)

Total shots: Houston 15 (Davis 4), New England 15 (Twellman 4). Shots on goal: Houston 4 (Ching 2), New England 7 (Twellman 3), Saves: Houston - Onstad 5; New England - Reis 3. Fouls: Houston 24 (Davis 6), New England 20 (Dempsey 5). Offside: Houston 4 (Ching 4), New England 1 (Noonan). Corner kicks: Houston 10 (Davis 9), New England 10 (Ralston 9). Yellow card cautions: Houston - Davis 23, Cochrane 99, Waibel 103; New England - Franchino16.

Referee: Jair Marrufo. Referee's assistants: Craig Lowry, Nate Clement. Fourth official: Kevin Stott. Time of game: 2:46. Attendance: 22,427 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. Weather: Sunny, 61 degr

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Red Bulls Hire Arena

It didn’t take long for Bruce Arena to land a new job. What had been rumored became fact when Arena signed on as head coach and sporting director of Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls.

The announcement came four days after the Unied States Soccer Federation announced it would not renew his contract as manager of the U.S. Men’s National Team.

Arena's contract with the USSF does not expire until December 31. But U.S. Soccer Sunil Gulati, that even though he expected Arena to fulfill that contract, he said he would not allow that obligation to prevent the coach from accepting a new job.

Richie Williams, who played for Arena at D.C. United and at the University of Virginia, had served as interim head coach since Mo Johnston was fired by the Red Bulls on June 21.

When Arena accepted the new position, New York was 3-6-8 overall with 17 points, last in the Eastern Conference. Only Real Salt Lake, last in the Western Conference at 4-9-4 with 16 points, has a worse record.

The Red Bulls, who were the MetroStars until this season, have been one of MLS's most underachieving franchises and have gone though eight prior coaches, not including Williams, in the club's 11-year history.

At 71-30-29 (.658), Arena was the most successful coach in U.S. history, posting twice as many victories as any of his predecessors with, by far, the best winning percentage. In 2002, the Americans advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals, but could not live up to the expectations that followed that historic run in the recently-completed Germany 2006.

The 130 matches were the most under one coach in U.S. history, coming in a tenure of almost eight years. Arena was hired on October 27, 1998, coaching the Americans to a 0-0 draw with Australia in his debut November 6, 1998, at Spartan Stadium in San Jose., Calif.

In the 2006 World Cup, the U.S. was 0-2-1, last in the tough Group E and winding up officially finishing 25th in the 32-nation field. The Americans managed only two goals, one of which was an own goal.

Arena was the coach of D.C. United from 1996-98, advancing to the first three MLS Cup finals and capturing the initial two championships in 1996 and 1997. Under Arena, United also won the 1996 U.S. Open Cup, the 1997 CONCACAF Champions Cup and the 1998 Interamerican Cup.

Prior to that, Arena was coach at University of Virginia for 18 years, becoming the first coach to lead his team to four consecutive NCAA Division I titles. A fifth championship was shared with Santa Clara, which was coached by Steve Sampson, Arena's predecessor as U.S. manager.

"He has been extraordinarily successful at every level he's coached at," Gulati said Friday. "Bruce has nothing but the strongest possible compliments for his accomplishments, for his achievements, for his integrity and everything he's done with us."

With the Red Bulls, Arena inherits a club with a multitude of problems. Midfielder Amado Guevara, disgruntled by his contract, engaged in a war of words with then-president and general manager Alexi Lalas (now serving in a similar job with the Los Angeles Galaxy) prior to this season. The MetroStars 2004 "Most Valuable Player," who scored 26 goals and added 31 assists in his first three years with the team, including 11 goals and 11 assists in 2005, has two goals and no assists in 14 matches this year.

Midfielder Youri Djorkaeff, the MetroStars' 2005 MVP and a member of France's 1998 World Cup champions, had 10 goals and seven assists last season, his first with the MetroStars, but grew increasingly unhappy with what he saw as less-than-professional management.

Around July 1, he asked for a leave of absence to attend to personal matters in France, then turned up on international television, seen with his wife in stands watching France's World Cup semifinal victory against Portugal in Munich. Though it has been confirmed Djorkaeff's mother is ill, Red Bulls management released a statement saying he had never informed the team his plan included attending the World Cup.

Djorkaeff has yet to return to the team and as only two goals and three assists in 13 outing in 2006.

Guevara ($281,250) and Djorkaeff ($207,000) are the two highest-paid players on a club where 15 players on the opening-day roster make $60,000 or less.

Recent injuries to goalkeeper Tony Meola and midfielder Mark Lisi have not helped New York's fortunes.

(See www.SoccerTimes.com)

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Spector, Whitbread Sign With New Clubs

Two young American players recently signed contracts with two new professional clubs in England.

West Ham United signed 20-year old defender Jonathan Spector from Manchester United for a transfer fee of $926,000 in a deal between English Premier League clubs.

Spector was on the short list for the U.S. World Cup team before being sidelined with a dislocated shoulder. He spent the last season on loan to Charlton Athletic, which is West Ham’s London rival. He signed a four-year contract with West Ham after the final year on his contract with Man U was cancelled.

"I see it as a great opportunity for myself to become part of a young and exciting team, and I'm excited about playing under (manager) Alan Pardew, who has done a fantastic job in his time at West Ham," Spector told the West Ham web site. "The guys have just had a great year and hopefully I can be a part of helping the team to build on that success next season.”

Spector joined Manchester United at 17 and became a stalwart of the club's youth teams before graduating to the reserve side. In 2004-05, Spector made four appearances for Man. U.'s senior team in various competitions and was loaned to Charlton after the season.

Zak Whitbread, another young American defender, has signed to play with Millwall. He played on loan for the Lions last year and was on contract with Liverpool of the EPL.

Millwall had a poor season last year and was relegated to third-division League One. Whitbreak, who was born in Houston but lived for less than a year in the U.S., played in 25 matches for the Lions, all starts.

“I really enjoyed myself last season at Millwall and I just felt that this was absolutely the right move for me,” said Whitbread on the club’s website. “Im really looking forward to the new season and trying to help the club get back into The Championship at the first attempt.”

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Sampson Fired By Galaxy

It would appear that the “from first to worst” slide by the MLS Los Angeles Galaxy has cost the job of another head coach.

Galaxy President and General Manager Alexi Lalas has announced that the club has relieved