I am going to do my best to recreate the "magic" of the 2002 World Cup by waking up early tomorrow morning to catch the US vs. Japan. No, not 3 am early, but maybe 5:30 so I can start up the DVR and see the entire match before heading to work. We'll see if my ambitions match my ability.

Check out today's US Soccer Studio 90 post. Click to continue reading...

Photo by ISIphotos.com

The U.S. men's Olympic team fell, 1-0, to Cameroon on Sunday in Hong Kong. A first-half penalty kick goal proved to be the difference for the Africans.

Here is the lineup the Americans trotted out against Cameroon:

--------------McBride-------------Altidore------------------

Rogers--------Holden------------Bradley------------ Kljestan

Orozco----------Edu---------Parkhurst---------------Wynne

------------------------Guzan------------------------------------

Freddy Adu came on for Altidore in the 64th minute.

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In the final warmup before the olympics, the USA didn't put out their strongest showing.  They USA were beaten 1-0 on a 24th minute penalty in Hong Kong today, an event that won't inspire much confidence in the team.  A Michael Bradley trip led to the penalty which Aurelien Chedjou, who plays for Lille, was able [. Click to continue reading...

Cote d'Ivoire was held to a 0-0 draw by a string of stops by US goalkeeper Brad Guzan in a four-nation warm-up tournament for the Beijing Olympics in Hong Kong. The Ivorians dominated for most of the game, with two shots on goal by Kafoumba Coulibaly and another from Sekou Cisse ... Click to continue reading...

The United States failed to score a goal and were generally the poorer side in today's ING Cup match versus the Ivory Coast in Hong Kong. Solomon Kalou of Chelsea help create several good scoring chances for the Africans which... Click to continue reading...

NEWS: The U.S. men's Olympic team played to a scoreless draw with Ivory Coast in the opening match of the ING Cup on Wednesday in Hong Kong. Houston-area product Stuart Holden started and played the first half; Dynamo teammate Pat... Click to continue reading...

Young Jozy (aka the player formerly known as The Boy King of New York & Jersey™) is out in Hong Kong at the moment training with the Olympic team and whatnot. But before he left for Dim Sum country he dished to FIFA.com about life at his new Spanish home, Villarreal.

And just in case you missed it he also wrote a lengthy post about Spanish life for the New York Times' Goal last week which is probably the most insightful guest-blogger post I've read in a long time. Click to continue reading...

i received a phone call today from Chicago Fire legend and Ring of Fire member Lubos Kubik. He was at the airport waiting to board for a flight to Hong Kong and the Beijing Olympics where he will serve as Piotr Nowak's Assistant Coach for the United States Men's Olympic Soccer Team.

We talked about getting together in October when he plans to be in Chicago and he offered to help the Chicago Red Stars source players in Eastern Europe. Click to continue reading...

Peter Nowak swapped one Floridian for another as Midfielder Dax McCarty replaces the injured Defender Nathan Sturgis on the US squad. This leaves Nowak with only four natural defenders on the squad which leaves for Hong Kong and pre Olympic... Click to continue reading...

Chelsea's Salomon Kalou, Liverpool's Ryan Babel, former Bayern Munich Sriker Roy Makaay, and American teenager Freddy Adu are set to represent their countries at a pre-Olympic football tournament in Hong Kong. The Netherlands, Cameroon, USA, and Cote D'Ivoire will play in the ING Cup from 30 July to 2 August to . Click to continue reading...

Although it's unlikely we will have any overseas guys back, so maybe not so easy.


Draw is on July and five teams in each group and two go through from each group.
THE SEEDINGS AND POTS

Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4
1. Japan 6.China 11. Click to continue reading...

The Asian Football Federation(AFC) has already brushed away Premier League plans to stage international matches in Asia from 2010-11, but rapidly developing Hong Kong is supporting the plan. The former British colony has a vast amount of expatriots and the country's football association is ready to embrace the Premiership. Click to continue reading...

Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung has assured David Sullivan, his fellow major shareholder of English Premier League club Birmingham City that he is confident of soon buying full control of the club. Sullivan had publicly expressed concern that the club's stability would suffer if a deal wasn't concluded by the end of September. "I don't know enough about the Chinese psychology. Click to continue reading...

David Sullivan, co-owner of English Premier League club Birmingham City wants Hong Kong-based businessman Carson Yeung to make a full offer for the club by the end of September. "I have to admit that I am concerned that this is all dragging on too long. It is not in the best interests of the club. Mr Yeung is a very nice man, he is very enthusiastic and he clearly likes his football. Click to continue reading...

Phil Lines, Head of International Broadcasting and Media Operations at the English Premier League recently spoke to the Economic Times of India on EPL policy (extracts): On leveraging interest in the Premier League beyond TV broadcasting: "Its honestly up to our partners. We usually sell our rights, and the partner takes over. We don't do any marketing and promotion, as the broadcaster who buys Click to continue reading...

Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung has revealed he wants to complete a takeover of English Premier League club Birmingham City by the end of 2007. "I think we may be able to take over by the end of the year, maybe earlier than that," he told told Sky Sports News. Yeung also said that a love for Birmingham is what is motivating him in his bid. "I came here before. Click to continue reading...

David Sullivan, Chairman of the holding company of English Premier League club Birmingham City claims most of the team's supporters are 'armchair fans' who only come to St Andrews for the biggest games. 24,898 fans attended Birmingham's first Premier League game of the season against Sunderland and the figure only increased slightly to 24,981 for the visit of West Ham at the weekend. Click to continue reading...

Three bars in Hong Kong have settled copyright infringement suits with the world football body FIFA and Pay-TV operator Hong Kong Cable Television's i-Cable for illegally broadcasting during the FIFA World Cup 2006 held in Germany. Carnegies, the Bridge and the Coyote Bar & Grill, made out-of-court settlements, agreeing to pay "substantial compensation" for the copyright infringement and covering Click to continue reading...

Spanish Primera Liga club Barcelona ended its Asian commercial tour with a 0-4 win against a Hong Kong side. Goals came from Xavi, Eto'o, Henry and Giovani dos Santos in a match which was delayed because of a typhoon. Click to continue reading...

English Premier League club Birmingham City manager Steve Bruce has firmly told the club's newest and biggest shareholder Carson Yeung that he will resign if he interferes in team selection. Yeung gained a reputation for meddling in first team affairs at his previous club Hong Kong Rangers. Bruce told BBC Five Live "If someone tries to pick your team for you then I don't think that is for me," he Click to continue reading...

Italy fullback Gianluca Zambrotta has joined France defender Lilian Thuram in questioning the wisdom of Spanish Primera Liga club Barcelona's nine-day pre-season commercial tour to Asia. "It would be better to stay here and prepare really well for next season. It's a long way and it isn't easy for the players," Zambrotta told a news conference after Thuram had complained the tour "isn't good for Click to continue reading...

Adidas engaged Carat to launch a Hong Kong media campaign tagged "Are you Red enough?" to create awareness of English Premier League club Liverpool's visit to the Chinese territory and reinforce the sportswear brand's association with the club. The campaign targeting young football enthusiasts started last week with front cover exposure on Oriental Daily News and Apple Daily as well as Milk Click to continue reading...

Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung has completed the financial transaction for his publically-listed textile company to become English Premier League club Birmingham City's biggest shareholder. The club announced to the Stock Exchange that Yeung's company, Grandtop International Holdings Limited, had completed the purchase of 29.9 percent of the club's shares. Click to continue reading...

Hong Kong multimillionaire, Carson Yeung Ka-Shing, should become Birmingham City Blues' single largest shareholder today when he acquires 29.9 percent of the English Premier League club for £15 million - but he believes it has been his "destiny" to own the club since his first trip to St Andrews eight months ago."I came here last year to see Birmingham play Luton, and it was destiny," Yeung told Click to continue reading...

Asian investors are beginning to make a major impact on English Premier League clubs with former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's successful £81.6 million bid for Manchester City and with Hong Kong entrepreneur Carson Yeung's HK-listed Grandtop International Holdings Ltd scheduled to emerge with the largest single shareholding, 29.9%, in Birmingham City when it pays £14. Click to continue reading...

The Sunday match between the B team of Brazil's champion club São Paulo and Bundesliga club Bayern Munich generated a TV audience share of 54 percent in Hong Kong where the game was played, according to TNS-CSM Media Research quoted by Soccer Investor, Some 463,000 viewers watched the game in total. "This is a fantastic result for a friendly, especially in Hong Kong," said Pierre Justo, TNS-CSM's Click to continue reading...