When I worked at the L.A. Times' Ventura County Bureau, every Sunday the reporter on duty was required to scour the death notices, call a relative of the deceased and write an obituary about a "regular" human being.

It was a twist on the old journalism class assignment of interviewing a person at random and writing a profile of them on the theory that everyone has a story that needs to be told.

Click to continue reading...

Here are the results that mattered Saturday for Chivas USA:
Chivas USA 2 Kansas City Wizards 1
Houston Dynamo 1 Toronto FC 1
Colorado Rapids 5 Red Bull New York 4
Real Salt Lake 3 San Jose Earthquakes 2
Dallas plays D.C. United at noon Sunday
(Just for the sake of completeness, Sigi Schmid's Columbus Crew beat the New England Revolution, 1-0, and lead the league.

Click to continue reading...

Though the common man could only dream of being with a Brazilian female -- you know, the ones with this kind of reputation. But if you get one, never let her go.

Trust me.

Take the story of Thiago da Silva. The second-division Brazilian soccer player was tortured then murdered in a horrific set-up by his ex-girlfriend after breaking up with her. Click to continue reading...

If you aren't watching KSPR-33 news (ABC) locally, then flip over to their Sports coverage tonight. Their Athlete of the Week tonight is a local prep soccer player.

Mike Scott was also out to interview Steve Wilczewski and Marco Cherisma after last nights game against Missouri Southern (pictured).

Click to continue reading...

If you aren't watching KSPR-33 news (ABC) locally, then flip over to their Sports coverage tonight. Their Athlete of the Week tonight is a local prep soccer player.

Mike Scott was also out to interview Steve Wilczewski and Marco Cherisma after last nights game against Missouri Southern (pictured).

Click to continue reading...

Ballots are due very soon for the Honda Player of the Year award, given to the top U.S. men's player. That's a tough call considering that we're halfway through the games that count (qualifiers).

My ballot went as follows:

1st: Tim Howard. Bob Bradley's defense-first approach relies heavily on him to be perfect.

Click to continue reading...

The Republican campaign manager has accused the NY Times of no longer being a "journalistic organization".

It's not that often that I identify too much with an old gray lady, but in some ways I feel I've fielded some similar criticism when I write about Landon Donovan, the whole "if you're not attacking him, you're not objective" spin. Click to continue reading...

What was with the end of that match? Calling the game in the middle of a breakaway? Next to just before a PK, that is the most absurd time a ref could possibly call a game in soccer. If you watched the game from your home (at least the part that made it on the air), you heard a lot of complaining about inconsistent officiating, but over all, it seemed pretty normal for MLS.

Click to continue reading...

Make sure you see all the replays. Looks like the Inter guy got jobbed.

And the other dude clearly sold it like, well, an Italian league soccer player. This is why this sport struggles to make it in this country. Click to continue reading...

Accusations that a soccer player was using witchcraft during a match in eastern Congo sparked a riot that killed 13 people, a U.N.-funded radio station reported Monday. Click to continue reading...

Horrible news out of the Congo as accusations that a soccer player was using witchcraft (juju) during a match in eastern Congo sparked a riot that killed 13 people, a U.N.-funded radio station reported Monday.

Most of the victims were between the ages of 11 and 16, Radio Okapi said. They were suffocated as panicked crowds ran for the exits during the mayhem Sunday in Butembo in eastern Congo's North Kivu province. Click to continue reading...

Part three of This Is American Soccer's Clint Dempsey chronicles is live today. You know, there may have been a book in this...it's that long. And that's certainly not a complaint. Dare I say it, but this may be the deepest look into the life of any current US soccer player since the days of Freddy mania. Click to continue reading...

Stupid injuries are the best. Gotta love rich athletes absolutely humiliating themselves.

Enter Fabian Espindola.

He's a pretty good soccer player for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer.

In a game against Los Angeles Beckhams Galaxy, Espindola scored an apparent 6th-minute goal. Click to continue reading...

Think that Beckham fella knows a thing or two about show-business? He's not the only soccer player around who has starred in a hit movie. While none of these flicks are named after someone on our roster, the guys got a little nostalgic recently and went back in time to reenact their favorite scenes from 80s movies. Click to continue reading...

Oh boy.

Did you see last night's Revolution-Joe Public CONCACAF Champions League match? (Please say you didn't).

All you need to know, from a writer's perspective, is that there were more wisecracks than keystrokes in the pressbox by the half. In other words, the match was already a joke through 45 minutes. Click to continue reading...

Brazilian Lucas Leiva signed for Liverpool in July 2007. He also holds an Italian passport, but chose to play for Brazil. He is nephew of former Brazilian soccer player Leivinha. Lucas is the youngest player ever to win the Bola de Ouro. The kid will do well in the coming years. Quick Profile: Full name: Lucas Pezzini Leiva Date of [. Click to continue reading...

Things I would've blogged over the past three weeks had I not been racing all over China:

- Cleveland rules USL's Second Division.

- The USL teams are outperforming MLS teams so far in the CONCACAF Champions League, about which I'll have more later. The biggest shocker: Puerto Rico taking a road draw at Costa Rican power Alajuelense.

Click to continue reading...

I am not a patient man. At all.

I suppose it's a combination of being 1) a man, 2) Portuguese, 3) Irish, and 4)stubborn. I liked Dark Knight until that part where Harvey Dent becomes Two-Face. It should have ended right there. Cue the credits, check out the sequel in two years. Instead, it dragged on another hour, and by the time all those people were trapped on the ferries, I just wished both of 'em blew up simultaneously and ended it right there. Click to continue reading...

Simply answer is "yes" and not just that, you should incorporate weight and strength training into your routine.  Why?  Because in sport, any sport, strength is the number one leveller.  As a soccer player or coach, strength training is the single most important component of your conditioning program. Click to continue reading...

Did you see Davy Arnaud's goal over Chivas USA this weekend? The Wizards midfielder out of West Texas A&M University --sorry but I had to put in a shout out for Randall County, where my parents live-- put one in that was equal parts And 1 Mixtape & trained seal performance. If this whole "I'm a pro soccer player thing" doesn't work out he can always join the circus. Click to continue reading...

Someone told me that they considered Marta to be "the best women's soccer player ever". I disagree, but not because I think it's impossible for her to one day make a solid claim to that title.

For me, Michelle Akers still occupies that "best ever" spot. Part of the reason why is that Akers was a gamer. Click to continue reading...

Los Angeles Galaxy soccerstar David Beckham reported to feature in latest Panasonic Panasonic and retailer Best Buy ads campaign. Beckham will be featured with three other Major League Soccer player Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Chicago Fire), Davino (FC Dallas) and Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls).

Click to continue reading...

Private Jair De Jesus Garcia, 29, passed away this past Friday in Afghanistan. He and three other members of his army unit were killed when their military vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in the Chowkay Valley, according to defense officials. He leaves behind a nine-year-old son and a wife. Click to continue reading...

England and Liverpool soccer player Steven Gerrard seen after he received an honorary fellowship from John Moores University, accompanied by his wife, Alex Curran, at the Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool, England, Friday July 25, 2008. Click to continue reading...

Missed this announcement back in late May but it's worth posting now. From the St Louis Post-Dispatch:

In 1980, St. Mary's High senior Keith Meyer was honored by Parade magazine as its high school boys player of the year. This year's All-America team, which will be featured in the Parade Magazine in the Sunday Post-Dispatch, will include two area standouts ?

Click to continue reading...

Missed this announcement back in late May but it's worth posting now. From the St Louis Post-Dispatch:

In 1980, St. Mary's High senior Keith Meyer was honored by Parade magazine as its high school boys player of the year. This year's All-America team, which will be featured in the Parade Magazine in the Sunday Post-Dispatch, will include two area standouts — SLUH's Tommy Meyer and DeSmet's Will Bruin.

Click to continue reading...

Before I really begin this post let me preface it by saying, "no one is asking". By that I mean I know that no one is asking me what I think MLS should do in regard to signing players nor would I ever feign being qualified to tell anyone over there what to look for in a player. I say this because I don't want this post to come across like one of those that you read on some other blogs where a guy who's got less access and insight than the janitor at HDC tells you who Chivas USA should sign, so please don't take it too seriously. Click to continue reading...

Soccer - Futsal soccer also known as FIFA approved indoor soccer is one of the fastest growing sports and branch of soccer in the world. Futsal is usually played in a basketball court indoor with indoor soccer shoes and a low bounce soccer ball. If you are a soccer player I recommend you play Futsal every [. Click to continue reading...

As everyone has undoubtedly heard by now, Landon Donovan has made noise about leaving the small pond that is MLS for a foreign destination, with the English Premier League being the presumed destination.

Donovan does this occasionally -- discussing his chances in Europe with the press, that is. Click to continue reading...

My friends at SoccerPro.com want me to let you know that they have just launched their Goalmouth Scramble podcast. Its a podcast devoted to the new fantasy soccer game. Create your team and watch em play in the cyberworld. The podcast will be hosted by retired pro soccer player Curtis Stelzer and will be [. Click to continue reading...

My friends at SoccerPro.com want me to let you know that they have just launched their Goalmouth Scramble podcast. Its a podcast devoted to the new fantasy soccer game. Create your team and watch em play in the cyberworld. The podcast will be hosted by retired pro soccer player Curtis Stelzer and will be [. Click to continue reading...

If you want to say Roberto Nurse's last name correctly, it's like this: noor-say. In Spanish, of course, every syllable is prounounced so you don't get silent a -gh thrown into the middle of the word or a silent letter at the end. Thus, in an English word like Nurse when prouncouned in Spanish is noor-say. Click to continue reading...

Veteran Chivas USA and Mexican international defender Claudio Suarez considers himself a "simple soccer player" who initially was dead set against writing his autobiography.

But the classy Suarez, respected for his modest demeanor off the field and his commanding defensive presence on it, succumbed and the result is "Claudio Suarez: Portrait of a Warrior.

Click to continue reading...

Clarence Seedorf and Ali Campbell for Goal4Africa
by Steve Amoia for Keeper Skool

Image and text courtesy of Kate Carlisle, ON International.

"On 12 July 8 p.m. Goal4Africa will celebrate its global kick off at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.

Click to continue reading...

Cristiano Ronaldo has every right to file a transfer request and let it be known that he would like to leave Manchester United for Real Madrid. However, for him and Sepp Blatter to associate his situation with slavery is insulting at best and highly offensive. They have absolutely no right to be using that comparison, considering the history of slavery throughout the world and the negative connotation that it brings about. Click to continue reading...