Just look at Avia keeper Eduardo Martini frantically weighing up his options. He eventually settles on belting it as hard as he can, and I bet he is glad he did now. One of those bizarre kicks of the turf and a loop over the Parana keeper later, and Eduardo is a goalscoring hero. Click to continue reading...

The Colorado Rapids, unbeaten in the past three games, are now headed to New York for a tough game on the turf against the Red Bulls. Much has been made of the consistency of the team in those recent games. Unfortunately, injuries mean there will have to be some changes in tomorrow night's line-up. Click to continue reading...

It finally looks like the National Stadium has shut for good. Now it has been revealed the turf at Jalan Besar Stadium will be relaid in December, during the AFF Cup.

Should the Lions reach the semis or final the games will be played home and away and now Singapore's flagship stadiums will be unavailable. Click to continue reading...

Within seconds of defeating the New England Revolution on their own turf to move on in the CONCACAF Champions League, Trinidad and Tobago side Joe Public was already fielding offers from their hat-trick hero Gregory Richardson. According to Goal.com, the Columbus Crew are said to be interested in the 26-year old striker that tourched the Revs [. Click to continue reading...

As I'm sure you've noticed, the promises I delivered about contributing regular articles and even live blogs during my time in Germany were as empty as...well as a net after Cunningham has had a breakaway. The live blogs were not possible for various reasons:

Colorado: I couldn't get a consistent feed (just like the TFC strikers, but thankfully one of them buried a deadly set piece)

New York: I was on an 8 hour train ride home from Freiburg, where I watched the season opener of my other team, 1860 Munich.

Click to continue reading...

You know it's hot and humid when the precipitation you feel isn't from the sky, but rather the sweat being flung from your arms as you run.
I realized as I got to the field, that one of my personal soccer landmarks , something that always brought back a memory, was being demolished. Click to continue reading...

Maybe there's something strange that happens somewhere over the southern border. Maybe when MLS teams head into Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, they lose all sense of themselves.

Maybe that's why both Chivas USA and New England looked like garbage on Tuesday.

And yes, I'm fully aware that DC and Houston won home-and-away series just this year against non-Mexican CONCACAF teams and all that. Click to continue reading...

Putting an end to rumors about whether he would even report to his new team, Carlos Ruiz is scheduled to arrive in Toronto on Tuesday to meet his new teammates and tour the facilities, according to a press release put out by Toronto FC Media Relations.The Los Angeles Galaxy announced that they had traded Ruiz to Toronto FC on Wednesday, while the Guatemalan forward was in his home country preparing to take on the USA in a World Cup Qualifier. Click to continue reading...

Welcome back to a new season of Manchester City football!

Yes, I understand that two league matches, and a round and a half of UEFA Cup matches, have already been played. But, there hasn't been anything worth remembering until the Citizens 3-0 dismantling of West Ham this past Sunday. A friend of mine, who is a Hammers supporter, informed me that City was lucky that they were able to play most of the match a man up as West Ham midfielder Mark Noble was sent off in the 39th minute with his second yellow card of the day. Click to continue reading...

If ever there was an underhanded pitch for FIFA to hit out of the park, the vicious Gustavo Cabrera elbow to the head of Eddie Lewis has got to be it.

In last night's World Cup qualifier, the Guatemalan midfielder took a bead on Eddie Lewis and actually changed his run to time the collision as opposed to run on to the ball. Click to continue reading...

Toronto FC lost a key part of their midfield when Maurice Edu transferred to Scottish Premier League outfit Rangers this past week, but they may stand to gain something else that was on their wishlist: a grass pitch.

Edu's transfer fee was reportedly in the range of $5 million, of which Toronto FC will get $3. Click to continue reading...

Sven Goran Eriksson will make his first of possibly many trips to the United States as Mexico coach when Mexico plays Chile in a friendly in September.

Not sure if he'll think that's a good thing or not.

Mexico, of course, plays more friendlies on American soil than they do in Mexican turf. Click to continue reading...

Far be it for me to neglect you, readers, on the day before the classic NY-DC matchup up at the stadium named after my NFL team. From what I can gather, DC is using this game as a chance to work back in some players coming off of injury. On turf, I'd have [...] Click to continue reading...

If you are surfing to this blog, you probably saw the USA squeak by Japan 1-0 to open up the Olympic tournament for the Stars and Stripes. A fair result could have been 2-1 for Japan, which created more dangerous chances than our boys and demonstrated more fluid passing and coherent defense.

I'll delve into this more later but here are a few quick bits:

Brian McBride - Battled hard as always but there was seldom anyone available for the second ball. Click to continue reading...

Anguish and despair was everywhere at WakeMed Soccer Park on Friday night.
It was on the field after the RailHawks allowed Vancouver to score a goal 90 seconds into the match then when they gave up another one eight minutes later.
It was in the players body language, like when goalkeeper Chris McClellan lay on his back after his gaffe led to the second Whitecaps goal, and later when Caleb Norkus header went inches wide in the 50th minute and he collapsed on the turf as if every bone in his body turned to mush. Click to continue reading...

Sadly, our Monday night didn't go aswell as hoped, as I'm sure you will have gathered from Rob's post.
This entry isn't so much about the game (though it is at the same time), it's about blogs for future games. After Sunday's date with FC Dallas, I will be going to Germany for three weeks.

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The BMO Fields in Toronto, Canada have announced today that their controversial FieldTurf artificial grass has acquired a two-star FIFA certification. The grass-like turf was installed on the Toronto FC home pitch back in April, 2008. Since then it has been the centre of criticisms for Canadian soccer fans who say that nothing can replace [. Click to continue reading...

The BMO Fields in Toronto, Canada have announced today that their controversial FieldTurf artificial grass has acquired a two-star FIFA certification. The grass-like turf was installed on the Toronto FC home pitch back in April, 2008. Since then it has been the centre of criticisms for Canadian soccer fans who say that nothing can replace [. Click to continue reading...

The BMO Fields in Toronto, Canada have announced today that their controversial FieldTurf artificial grass has acquired a two-star FIFA certification. The grass-like turf was installed on the Toronto FC home pitch back in April, 2008. Since then it has been the centre of criticisms for Canadian soccer fans who say that nothing can replace [. Click to continue reading...

Persik Kediri didn't just tear PSIS Semarang apart. They ripped them to shreds in an exhilirating first half, chewed them up, spat them out then rubbed their faces in the turf.

The White Tigers went in at half time two goals up, both by Gonzalez, but it could have been, should have been more. Click to continue reading...

I have to admit that this was the first MLS All Star Game that I have ever watched. After finally getting back into MLS after 8 or so years I was really excited about seeing everyone play. Even though none of my DC United players made the squad (I have to admit that only Emilio was qualified to play) I knew it was going to be a great game. Click to continue reading...

In her conference call about her injury, Abby Wambach mentioned receiving cards and emails of support from players around the world on different teams. Not everyone was feeling sad on her behalf, though. Here's an email I received:

Just wanted to comment on your article on Abby Wambach.
As a football journalist, I usually have a lot of sympathy for players when they get injured, especially in the course of a game. Click to continue reading...

The Galaxy add Eddie and say farewell to Abel. From the press release:
LA Galaxy defender Eduardo Dominguez has officially been added to the club's roster ahead of this weekend's game against the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium. The 29-year old Argentine center back agreed to terms with the club last week and has been training with the rest of his teammates all week in preparation for Saturday's game. Click to continue reading...

Daniel Guzman wasn't kidding when he said more Mexican club teams are scouting in the U.S. Atlas is, for sure.

I like the different interpretations of the same thing said.

Not picking the home team.

John, of course, doesn't actually have to play on turf.

Could sprayed lines make encroachment vanish? Click to continue reading...

A red-hot Real Salt Lake rode its stingy defense to a shutout win against a strong Columbus squad to move into first place in the Western Conference.

Okay, I'll wait while everybody takes in that last sentence. And no, you aren't dreaming.

RSL is enjoying the best run of form in club history (and yes, I know that's not saying a lot) and now sits in first place in the extremely weak Western Conference.

Click to continue reading...

There is also a reason that there is a "Gossip" tag. And stories like this one, placing 36 year old Turkish striker Hakan Şükür in the loving arms of Maurice "Trader Mo" Johnston and his Toronto FC side, are it. While this may or may not be true but I'm fairly certain that playing a man old enough to have children who are high school graduates at striker and on turf is not the answer. Click to continue reading...

According to a report in the BBC, Chelsea are interested in signing Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Robinho - but there is some debate as to whether or not Stamford Bridge have ponied up the £48 million purse.

The BBC goes on to report that Robinho is on Big Phil's list of target players but the 24 year old's price tag is up for debate. Click to continue reading...

He may be tied for the league lead in goals, but Edson Buddle didn't seem to be letting that puff him up too much.
He still doesn't like turf, though he'd like to play in the All-Star Game. He's especially self-deprecating when talking about his national team chances.

Click to continue reading...

Marcos Senna is listed as a midfielder but his usefulness lies in his being a utility player capable of coming forward on attack, falling back to defend, and controlling midfield. He is strong in the air, very capable with free kicks, burns up the outside turf to slice in a cross, quick and decisive in his tackling, and shows some dribbling chops too, turning and twisting his way through defenders.

Click to continue reading...

A choppy first half with neither team finding their rhythm ended with the teams tied at one apiece on two rather strange goals.

The first came from a direct free kick in the 26th minute when the speedy Dane Richards bested Jonathan Bornstein yet again down the right hand side to draw the foul.

Click to continue reading...

If you were able to catch the second half of the Houston Dynamo v. FC Dallas Thursday night (27 June); besides tuning in to a very physical match with both teams playing for keeps, you also may have noticed something else quite interesting.
The Dynamo's favorite Canadian, Dwayne De Rosario, was running across field and was being hounded. Click to continue reading...

Sometimes the topic for an article comes up unexpectedly. Went to interview Buddle after the Columbus game, because Ruud Gullit mentioned in his presser that Buddle has changed and become a "real professional." Gullit talked about how Edson came early and stayed late. So Scott French and I brought it up when we talked to Edson in the locker room. Click to continue reading...

The Galaxy managed to blow two leads in the second half and in the end escaped with a 3-3 tie with David Beckham blowing a gorgeous chance to smash home the winner in the 90th minute. Afterward he slumped to the turf, hanging his head in shame.

Substitute Steven Lenhart was the hero for Columbus, poking home the ball in the 88th minute to make it 3-3 after Steve Cronin punched away a hard Frankie Hejduk shot.

Click to continue reading...

As Guus Hiddink ran onto the pitch at FC Basel's St Jakob Park at around five past ten tonight, fist clenched, face contorted with joy, there was only one man he was heading for. The man crumpled on the turf, completely drained thanks to a combination of the emotion of an extra time win, and [...] Click to continue reading...

'Who Ate All the Pies' writer Ollie Irish sum's it up best today...

'Ballack was immense in Germany's win over Portugal. He inspired his team-mates to play above their level, which is the true measure of a world-class player - Diego Maradona, a better player than Ballack, had the same effect on his Argentine team-mates. Click to continue reading...