Olympics: North Korea Pulls Out of Women's 2020 Soccer Qualifiers in South - The New York Times
(Reuters) - North Korea has withdrawn its women's soccer team from the final round of 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifiers being staged in South Korea in February, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has said.
The AFC said on Tuesday the North had sent a letter informing it of its withdrawal from the tournament and that global governing body FIFA was also aware of the decision.
The two Koreas remain technically at war after the Korean War ended in a truce and not a peace treaty, and while there was a flurry of sports diplomacy between the neighbors last year ties have again cooled over stalled negotiations over the North's nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
"The AFC can confirm that DPR Korea Football Association sent an official letter to withdraw from the Women's Olympic Football Tournament 2020 Asian Qualifiers Final Round," the AFC said in an emailed statement.
The third round of group stage matches for the qualifying tournament will be held from Feb. 3-9 in South Korea and China.
North Korea were drawn in Group A alongside hosts South Korea, Vietnam and Myanmar. Australia are in Group B with hosts China, Taiwan and Thailand.
The top two teams from each group advance to a two-legged playoff in March. The two playoff winners will join Japan, who have already qualified by virtue of being hosts, at next year's Olympics in Tokyo.
(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
The Best of 2019 from The Athletic's North American soccer writers - The Athletic
This was The Athletic’s first full year doing soccer coverage, and 2019 was also the year we became what I believe to be the biggest team of full-time journalists ever to cover American soccer. (We’ve all been in the same place exactly once, this summer in Orlando, pictured above.)
I’m immensely proud of our group and the work we’ve produced. On the “Football Manager”-style attributes sliders I keep in my head, they all get high marks for wit, skill, doggedness and teamwork. That last one is both the hardest to demonstrate and the thing that makes me most happy — the little ways our writers help each other with sources and ideas and reporting, and the way that Alexander Abnos and Brooks Peck, who edit the soccer coverage with me, show up to provide those crucial assists that our readers never notice.
I hope this list of our favorite stories of 2019 gives you a glimpse of what I’m talking about. Our writers nominated each...
Factbox: Ownership of leading European soccer clubs - Reuters
(Reuters) - A group led by U.S. billionaire Daniel Friedkin is in talks to buy AS Roma although the Italian soccer club said a formal deal had not yet been agreed.
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Europa League - Round of 32 draw - Nyon, Switzerland - December 16, 2019 Josephine Henning draws AS Roma REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
The Financial Times reported the deal would value AS Roma at 750 million euros ($840 million), including debt, a record figure for a Serie A team.
Shares in AS Roma are listed on the stock market in Milan and the club is controlled by another group of American investors headed by James Pallotta.
Following are ownership structures of some of Europe’s leading soccer clubs:
JUVENTUS :
Listed on the stock market in Milan, the Agnelli family that founded the Fiat motor group remain the controlling shareholder at Juve, Italian champions for the past eight seasons.
INTER MILAN:
Chinese electronics retailer Suning Commerce Group Co Ltd bought nearly 70% of Inter Milan for 270 million euros ($307 million) in 2016 in what was the highest-profile takeover of a European team by a Chinese firm.
AC MILAN:
U.S. hedge fund Elliott Management last year assumed control of indebted AC Milan and injected 50 million euros to help stabilize the finances of the former European champions whose previous owners include former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.
MANCHESTER CITY:
Part of City Football Group (CFG), majority owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with Chinese investors led by media and entertainment group CMC Inc holding around 12% and U.S. private equity film Silver Lake just over 10%.
Abu Dhabi United Group, the investment vehicle owned by Sheikh Mansour, retained majority ownership after Silver Lake agreed in November to pay $500 million for its stake, making CFG the world’s most valuable soccer group with a $4.8 billion price tag.
The group’s investments also include New York City, who play in Major League Soccer, and Melbourne City, as well as stakes in Yokohama Marinos of Japan, Club Atletico Torque of Uruguay, Spain’s Girona, Sichuan Jiuniu of China and Mumbai City.
MANCHESTER UNITED:
Bought by the American Glazer family for 790 million pounds ($1 billion) in 2005. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2012 but the Glazers retain majority ownership of the 20-times English champions. It has a current market valuation of around $3.25 billion.
LIVERPOOL:
The European champions and Premier League leaders have been owned since 2010 by the Fenway Sports Group after a 300 million pound deal. Fenway also owns the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball team.
ARSENAL:
American billionaire and sports entrepreneur Stan Kroenke struck a deal to take full control of Arsenal in 2018 by buying out Russian rival Alisher Usmanov, valuing the English Premier League club at around $2.3 billion.
CHELSEA:
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the London club for a reported 140 million pounds in 2003 and they have since become a major force in the European game.
BAYERN MUNICH:
German champions are 75% owned by their fans, with sportswear brand Adidas, carmaker Audi and insurer Allianz all having stakes of 8.33% each.
REAL MADRID/BARCELONA:
The two Spanish clubs are owned by their fans through membership schemes. They regularly have the highest revenue of any European soccer clubs thanks to their commercial appeal.
PARIS ST GERMAIN:
Owned by Qatar Sports Investments - established by the son of the emir and heir to the Qatari throne Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani - which bought a 70% stake in PSG in 2011.
The remaining 30% was purchased from Colony Capital the following year, at a price that valued the entire club at 100 million euros ($110 million).
Compiled by Yadarisa Shabong; Editing by Keith Weir/Elaine Hardcastle/Susan Fenton
Ukraine, Huawei, Soccer: Your Monday Briefing - The New York Times
(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)
Good morning.
We’re covering a prisoner swap in Ukraine, a deadly attack in Mogadishu, and confusion over California’s new data privacy law.
Image
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, center, waits for released Ukrainian prisoners at Boryspil International Airport in Kyiv on Sunday.Credit...Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA, via Shutterstock
Winning American support for those talks was a key reason that President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine — who had called ending the conflict his top priority — sought a White House meeting with President Trump. But Mr. Trump withheld $391 million in military aid and asked for investigations that could help discredit his political rivals.
Another angle: Russia said on Friday that it had deployed a hypersonic weapon capable of easily evading American missile defense systems. That may be part of an effort to pressure Mr. Trump to renew the last remaining arms-control treaty between the two countries, an agreement that limits strategic nuclear missile launchers and deployed warheads and that expires in early 2021.
Huawei’s European charm offensive
As Huawei competes to build Europe’s next-generation 5G wireless networks, it’s spending millions of dollars on an intensive advertising and lobbying campaign. At meetings with European policymakers, the Chinese tech giant styles itself a guarantor of privacy, transparency and globalization — and warns that the Trump administration is unpredictable and unreliable.
Huawei’s future in Europe once looked shaky amid fears that its networks could be used for Chinese espionage. But even as those fears linger, the company has made dozens of deals to sell 5G hardware to European wireless carriers. And although the Trump administration has essentially blocked Huawei, neither the European Union nor its member states have moved to restrict Huawei’s access to their markets.
Details: Some European policymakers worry that American sanctions on Huawei — which says it has 12,000 employees, and 23 research and development centers in Europe — are merely a bargaining chip in Washington’s broader trade war with Beijing that could eventually be reversed.
When their men went missing, they stepped up to work
Many West African communities are reeling because local men who set out for Europe in search of work never returned. Some women there, realizing they might never see the money their husbands promised to send home, have turned to guiding animals, tilling the soil and other tasks that are traditionally seen as male roles.
Some male villagers disapprove of them working, and would prefer that the women resort to handouts. “I ignore them,” said a woman who plows peanut fields in her husband’s absence. “What matters to me is hard work.”
When Frode Berg, above, agreed to work as a courier for Norway’s military intelligence agency, he assumed it was low-risk spycraft. That was before Russian agents bundled him into a van and threw him in prison for two years.
Kirkenes is strategically important for NATO because it lies near Russia’s powerful Northern Fleet and much of its nuclear arsenal. Yet Russian fishermen and consumers also help to drive the local economy, and some of Mr. Berg’s neighbors see his spying as a risky provocation of a friendly neighbor.
U.S. airstrikes: The United States military said that it struck five targets in Iraq and Syria on Sunday, as a reprisal for a rocket attack on Friday that killed an American contractor. The strikes are notable because they targeted an Iranian-backed paramilitary group, Kataib Hezbollah; a key question is whether they will tamp down the cycle of violence or escalate it.
Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu easily defeated a challenger for the leadership of the conservative Likud party, but his victory is likely to perpetuate the country’s political deadlock.
Data privacy: A California law that takes effect on Wednesday has national implications because many companies say they will apply the changes to all users in the United States. But experts and companies disagree about what the law means.
Snapshot: Above, a diver with a net full of sea cucumbers off China’s northeastern coast. Chinese demand for the unlovely marine animal has depleted natural stocks, prompting the authorities to turn to aquaculture.
In memoriam: George Sakheim, 96, was a German refugee who served as an interpreter at the Nazi war crimes trials in Nuremberg.
“The Weekly”: Our TV show obtained combat footage, text messages and confidential interviews in which members of SEAL Team 7 tell Navy investigators of their platoon leader’s disturbing hunger for violence, which led them to report him. The Special Operations chief, Edward Gallagher, was acquitted of the most severe charges and has been welcomed to the White House.
Soccer: The game changed a lot in the 2010s, our correspondent writes in his latest column. Think superclubs, superplayers and a social media culture that has “proved capable of moments of beauty and brutality.”
What we’re reading: Variety’s list of the 10 most overrated films of the decade. “Fodder for some excellent party arguments,” writes the Briefings editor, Andrea Kannapell. “I mean, ‘Paddington 2’???”
Now, a break from the news
Cook: Start the week with something spiced and spicy: lentils diavolo.
Read: A scathing analysis of Brexit and an essay collection by Emmanuel Carrère are among 10 new books we recommend.
We’re at peak fireworks. Giant displays are planned for New Year’s in Dubai, New York, London, Moscow and uncounted other cities.
The booms and starbursts have often prompted your Back Story writer to wonder: What if wars were decided by fireworks shows? Plenty of awe, and, if handled carefully, no deaths. My assumption was that fireworks had evolved from weaponry. But I had it backward.
The Chinese are credited with the first fireworks, discovering that roasting bamboo caused its closed cells to explode. The early use was to ward off evil spirits, an enduring idea.
China is also thought to be where the first gunpowder was mixed, upping bamboo’s explosive power with a blend of mainly potassium nitrate (a food preservative also known as Chinese snow or saltpeter), charcoal and sulfur. Military use followed within a few centuries.
When the technology spread into Europe, development accelerated. Germany took the lead on arms, Italy on fireworks.
China is still the world’s leading producer of fireworks, but its own biggest displays come at the Lunar New Year. That will be in a few weeks: Jan. 25, 2020.
That’s it for this briefing. Happy Hogmanay to Scots, and see you next time.
— Mike
Thank you To Mark Josephson and Raillan Brooks for the break from the news. Andrea Kannapell, the Briefings editor, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.
P.S. • We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode revisits how family history websites have been used by U.S. law enforcement to track down suspects and win convictions. • Here’s today’s Mini Crossword puzzle, and a clue: Buddy (three letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • Our list of the most-read Times stories of 2019 has options to exclude politics or focus only on fun reads.
What to expect from U.S. soccer in 2020 - The Washington Post
No one knows exactly how the next 10 years will unfold, but we do have a clear vision of U.S.-geared story lines over the next 12 months. Here are 10 of them:
1. With the pain and embarrassment of missing the 2018 World Cup still gnawing at our souls, the men’s national teamwill have an opportunity for absolution starting this fall when regional qualifying for the 2022 tournament begins.
After a year of inconsistency, Coach Gregg Berhalter continues sifting through the player pool and implementing a playing style that has yet to take hold. He has a promising foundation of young players (Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Josh Sargent and Zack Steffen) but is running out of time to make it work.
A restructured format means the Americans will dive straight into the Concacaf hexagonal — six teams vying for three automatic berths and one playoff slot — without the usual preliminary stage to work out the kinks. By Thanksgiving — two years before Qatar welcomes the world — the U.S. team will have played six of 10 qualifiers.
Preparation time is precious. Berhalter will have his full squad available twice — in March for two friendlies in Europe and in June for two Nations League matches — before regathering for two qualifiers in early September. FIFA’s rankings will dictate the field: At the moment, the others are Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Honduras and El Salvador.
2. Women’s soccer conducts its major competitions in consecutive years, so after winning the World Cup last summer, the national team has quickly turned its attention to the Olympics. The Americans have won the most gold medals (four) but lost in the quarterfinals in 2016.
First, they must qualify from the eight-team Concacaf tournament, Jan. 28-Feb. 9. The group stage will take place in Houston and Edinburg, Tex. The semifinal winners in Carson, Calif., will punch tickets to Tokyo. The United States and Canada are heavily favored.
Coach Vlatko Andonovski called 22 of the 23 World Cup players into a 28-strong training camp starting next week. The exception was Alex Morgan (pregnant). Twenty players will report to the qualifiers, and assuming the Americans advance, Andonovski will have to narrow the roster to 18 this summer.
3. While the U.S. women should advance to the Olympics without trouble, the men face a tough road to Tokyo. Unlike the women, Olympic men’s soccer is for ages 23 and under, with three exceptions in the final tournament.
The men have qualified once in their previous four attempts (2008). The qualifying tournament will take place March 20-April 1 in Guadalajara, Mexico. The hosts are big favorites, followed by Honduras and the United States. Two teams will qualify.
Missing the Olympics is not nearly as bad as missing the World Cup, but every failure reflects poorly on the program at large.
4. Euro 2020 is the ultimate European competition and Copa America is South America’s venerable tournament. In the United States, though, the two summer competitions allow expats and unaffiliated fans alike to enjoy the show. Both will run June 12-July 12.
The Euros will use venues in 12 countries; Copa is in Colombia and Argentina. The Euros will feature 24 teams; Copa has the usual 10, plus Australia and Qatar as guests. ABC, ESPN and Univision platforms will show the Euro matches. Copa America broadcast rights have not been announced.
5. MLS’s 25th season is scheduled to kick off Feb. 29, but with the collective bargaining agreement set to expire Jan. 31, that is no certainty. After months of serious talks, negotiations between the league and players’ association will intensify soon. These things typically go down to the wire or beyond. Don’t be surprised if the current terms are temporarily extended to buy additional time.
6. Off-field issues remain a sore point for the U.S. women’s national team, which is due in court May 5 regarding its gender discrimination suit against the U.S. Soccer Federation. Mediation broke down in August, though the sides have said they hope to reach an out-of-court resolution before trial. It seems unlikely to impact Olympic preparations.
7. The video assistant referee system was introduced with good intentions, and for the most part, it serves its purposes of correcting on-field errors. But the interpretation of the offside rule, in particular, has become maddening. Is an extended toe grounds for nullifying a goal? The VAR outrage in England is loudest, but this is something affecting the sport worldwide and must be addressed this year.
8. MLS has long been jealous of the popularity of Mexican teams in the United States. So in an effort to capture some of that audience, MLS last year pitted four of its teams against four Liga MX sides in the inaugural Leagues Cup, which is expected to continue. This year’s all-star opponent will be select squad of Liga MX players July 29 in Los Angeles. MLS teams this winter have also signed several well-known players from Liga MX.
9. The NWSL enjoyed a popularity bump after the World Cup last summer, but will it continue? At the very least, two teams are better positioned to grow: The Washington Spirit will play four matches at Audi Field (doubling the number of 2019 visits to D.C. United’s stadium) and Sky Blue FC will move 30 miles closer to New York by leaving Rutgers University and playing all games at Red Bull Arena near Newark.
10. Fans of the U.S. women’s team have traveled by the tens of thousands to each of the past two World Cups, in Canada and France. Where will they head next? In early June, FIFA will choose the 2023 host.
The candidates are Brazil, Colombia, Japan and, for the first time, a joint effort, put forth by Australia and New Zealand, which seems like the early favorite, followed by Japan. That said, in an effort to lift the lagging women’s game in Latin America, FIFA voters might opt for Brazil or Colombia.
U.S. Businessman Dan Friedkin To Buy Italian Soccer Club AS Roma for ‘$1 Billion’ - Forbes
Roma start line-up during the match Roma-Wolfsberger in the Olimpic stadium. Rome (Italy), December ... [+] 12th, 2019
Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images
Ownership of the Italian soccer giants AS Roma may be changing sooner rather than later, but will still remain in American hands.
The Friedkin Group, a consortium run by U.S. billionaire Dan Friedkin, is reportedly about to purchase the majority share of AS Roma from current co-owner and chairman James Pallotta, Friedkin’s compatriot and executive board member of the NBA's Boston Celtics.
The deal is expected to be closed “before the New Year”, an unnamed legal executive at the Friedkin Group told ASRomapress last Friday.
Pallotta bought two-thirds of club shares for US$100m in 2011 and - according to La Repubblica - now values the Serie A club at more than US$1 billion.
American investment bank Goldman Sachs has been assisting with the acquisition, with due diligence said to be close to be finalized.
The Houston-based Friedkin Group has been reportedly interested in Roma for quite a while.
On November 20th, the rumor of a possible Friedkin takeover caused the trading of AS Roma to be suspended by the Italian stock exchange due to an excessive rally.
The Friedkin Group represents a huge opportunity for Roma, given that they have an even greater financial capability than the current owner.
According to Forbes' official profile, the group CEO Dan Friedkin is worth $4.2 billion in terms of personal fortune, as the owner of Gulf States Toyota - a subsidiary that made $9 billion worth of Toyotas in 2018 alone.
From Pallotta’s perspective, this move makes a decent bit of sense. The Boston hedge fund manager would most likely net a hefty profit on the Giallorossi by selling to Friedkin.
Moreover - since taking over AS Roma in 2011 - the soccer club failed to win any major competition both in Italy and in Europe, managing to only get into the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League (Europe’s biggest soccer competition) in the 2017/2018 season.
Additionally, Pallotta will stop haggling with the Italian bureaucracy over the construction of a new stadium, which was planned to be finished by 2016 and is yet to receive the final approval by Rome mayor Virginia Raggi in order to begin the construction work.
From Freidkin’s perspective, investing in Roma could be a major opportunity to finally enter sports business, given that he reportedly showed interest in buying NBA’s Houston Rockets in the past.
However, it remains to be seen whether the businessman plans to keep hold of the team at this stage or is on the lookout for investment from potential partners interested in such a prestigious club, since Roma placed 15th among Europe’s top soccer team ranked by Deloitte in 2019.
ROME, ITALY - MAY 28: AS Roma President James Pallotta plays with the ball during the Serie A match ... [+] between AS Roma and Genoa CFC at Stadio Olimpico on May 28, 2017 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
Getty Images
In order to answer these questions, I interviewed Alberto Medici, financial consultant for Phoenix Capital Group and head of football analysis at Calcioefinanza, an Italian newspaper specialized in soccer finance.
Is the alleged US$1 billion price worth the investment for AS Roma or is it too expensive, as some critics observed?
Alberto Medici: The US$1 billion price includes a capital increase of US$167 million plus US$313 million of debt refinance, leaving the club net worth value at US$637 million, which is, by all means, higher than the price paid by Pallotta to purchase the club in 2011 (US$293 million).
The final price is certainly high given that over the 7 years of Pallotta’s ownership the Giallorossi struggled to make a profit, losing around US$250 million in total despite a gross revenue of around US$2 billion.
Is it also worth mentioning that around 29% of that US$2 billion comes from capital gains made by selling players (US$605 million).
TELLURIDE, CO - SEPTEMBER 01: Dan Friedkin attends the Telluride Film Festival 2019 attend on ... [+] September 1st, 2019 in Telluride, Colorado. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Do you think that under the new management AS Roma would have the potential for a quick turnaround when it comes to profitability?
Medici: It obviously does: the construction of the new stadium and an innovative brand strategy could do the trick.
The sponsorship deal with the Toyota Center in Houston, home of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, is definitely one of the group main assets when it comes to the construction of the new stadium.
Additionally, from the point of view of branding, the fame of Italy and especially of the city of Rome represent a great asset for a group that is also active in the luxury sector.
A picture shows a model of the Rome's new stadium project designed by US architect Dan Meis during a ... [+] press conference on March 26, 2014 in Rome. AS Roma officially announced plans for a new, purpose-built 52,000-seater stadium that would end the Serie A club's shared tenancy of the Olympic Stadium with city rivals Lazio. Under American chairman James Pallotta, Roma, currently second in the league 11 points behind champions Juventus, are bidding to become "one of the world's most successful football clubs", according to the club. Pallotta sees the move to the 'Stadio della Roma' to the south-west of the city as a major step in the Giallorossi's long-term strategy of challenging for titles at home and abroad. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
AFP/Getty Images
What are the biggest risks that the new management will have to face?
Medici: Beside the lack of progress with plans for a new stadium, the club needs to revamp its merchandising revenues focusing on improving its global brand, especially in emerging Asian markets.
While this might take some time, Friedkin will have to increasingly rely on players trading when it comes to short-term profit, jeopardizing the positive result achieved so far by the team new coach Paulo Fonseca.
The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
American Soccer Weekly Rekrap: A poem, some carols, and a second USSF - Stars and Stripes FC
2019 is coming to an end and this week was... a little slow news-wise. Still, it was in equal measure a thrilling and disappointing year for US Soccer fans. Of course, the USWNT already drank their celebratory champaign and set off fireworks as New Years came in July this year. The men... we know that story.
The end of the year is about looking back, but also looking forward. As 2020 approaches, it might be useful for US Soccer to set a theme or intention for the year. If I may suggest one - the theme of Listening might be useful. Listen to the fans, the players (especially the ones filing lawsuits), the employees, and everyone else who is a stakeholder in the non-profit organization US Soccer. It seems like that’s been in short supply recently and turning the calendar to a new year is a nice time to begin making meaningful changes.
Anyway...
T’was the night before Christmas and all through Soccer House, not a creature was stirring because the federation makes youth coaches move to Chicago and nobody wants to do that
US Soccer FT YNT Staff: Girls Boys U23s: Vacant Kreis (lives in Miami) U20s: Vacant Vacant U19s: Vacant Vacant U18s: Vacant Vacant U17s: Kevins Vacant U16s: Vacant Vacant
This is the youth set up of countries that are in the 150ish range of the FIFA rankings look like.
Paxton POMG he’s good at soccer
There have been a few players that have gotten a lot of attention in 2019 and one is Paxton Pomykal. He’s a versitile midfielder who can play both in the middle and out wide and sit deeper or in an attacking role. This highlight reel from USMNTvideos shows why he’s so highly regarded by such experts as Rob Usry.
Some injuries and possibly disagreeable words said about Gyasi Zardes saw him not quite get the billing he may have deserved with the national team, but if he keeps playing like this he can say whatever he wants (maybe? Wil who?).
Possibly superfluous news that is tangentially related to US Soccer
Looking to no doubt signal that they will be creating a well run, totally not dysfunctional, and successful organization from top to bottom with happy employees, good leadership, and excellent decision-making, the Federal Government has given the sixth branch of the military - the United States Space Force - an apt acronym USSF! Can’t have too many branches of the military or USSFs.
MLS has Matthew McConaughey in it now
US Soccer FT YNT Staff: Girls Boys U23s: Vacant Kreis (lives in Miami) U20s: Vacant Vacant U19s: Vacant Vacant U18s: Vacant Vacant U17s: Kevins Vacant U16s: Vacant Vacant
If there’s one positive from the #SaveTheCrew “I actually just want a team in Austin, not to move the team that isn’t really my team but is kinda my team” debacle, it might be that Matthew McConaughey is in MLS now. For now he’s just saying logical and reasonable MLS owner things about how good MLS is and how it’s going to be bigger than hockey or maybe even baseball, but not basketball or football - let’s be reasonable. Hopefully, he also says interesting things about loving soccer players because he keeps getting older but they stay the same age.
It was a slow week and it’s Christmas so enjoy the USWNT singing some carols
Coach Mohamed Typifies Argentine Influence on Mexican Soccer - The New York Times
SAO PAULO — He is little known outside Latin America, but Antonio Mohamed, who hopes to coach Monterrey to the Mexican league title on Sunday, is one of the best-known faces in his adopted homeland and an outsize example of Argentine influence on Mexican soccer.
Mohamed's Monterrey beat America 2-1 in the first leg of the Apertura final on Dec. 26 and only need a draw at the Aztec Stadium to end the year as both Mexican champions and CONCACAF Champions League winners.
Mohamed's presence on the sidelines is one of the clearest examples of how Argentine imports have become key players in the rise of Mexican soccer.
Six of the 22 players who started Thursday's first leg are Argentine and this season every one of the league's 19 teams, bar Guadalajara, which has a long history of selecting only Mexicans, featured at least one Argentine-born player.
In addition, Mexico's national team coach is Argentina's Gerardo Martino.
Mexico has long been a destination for South American footballers, with Brazilians migrating there in the 1970s and 80s and players from across the continent heading north to play at a higher level on better salaries than they could find at home.
The Argentine influence is not new but has gathered strength in recent years as the domestic game in Argentina declined.
Mohamed is a classic example of someone who came as a player and built a career in Mexico.
After catching the eye as a teenager at Huracan, he was signed by Fiorentina but never made the grade in Italy and left in 1996 to join Toros Neza, a little-known team from one of Mexico City's biggest and most working-class suburbs.
Mohamed led a mercurial band of players there -- including his opposite number in Sunday's final, America's Miguel Herrera -- who brought an unprecedented splash of colour to both their dusty barrio and Mexican football.
They all shaved their heads for one match, dyed them different colors for another and took to the field for playoff games wearing outlandish Halloween masks.
That charisma endeared Mohamed to Mexicans and the 49-year old has rarely been away. He played for seven clubs and has now coached eight.
"I know Mexico's idiosyncrasies very well," he told Clarin newspaper earlier this year. "It was a place where I always felt wanted. I need to be loved if I am to win. I don't need to win to be loved. And that has generated a lovely commitment."
Having lost two previous league finals with Monterrey, Sunday's second leg is a chance to cement that commitment with club and country even further.
(Reporting by Andrew Downie; Editing by Ian Chadband)
Soccer on TV: What to watch this weekend - Los Angeles Times
The English Premier League is the only top league in Europe that doesn’t pause for the holidays. The end of the calendar year marks the busiest time of the season for EPL teams, which will play nearly two dozen games over the next week. Here are a few worth watching this weekend:
EPL: The holiday period could mark a turning point for Wolverhampton, which hasn’t played in a European tournament since 1981. With a win Friday (NBCSN, Universo, 11:45 a.m. PST) over Manchester City (12-4-2), the Wolves (6-3-9) would vault over three teams and into position for a Europa League invitation, a position it could solidify Sunday when it travels to Anfield to play Liverpool (17-0-1), the unbeaten FIFA World Cup club champion (NBCSN, Telemundo, 8:30 a.m. PST). Wolverhampton, whose three losses are second only to Liverpool, beat City 2-0 in Manchester in October and another win Friday would mark the first league double over City since 1999-00, when both teams were in the second division. Wolverhampton hasn’t had a top-flight sweep since 1960-61. For Liverpool, meanwhile, a win Sunday could send the Reds into the new year with a 16-point lead atop the table, the largest in Premier League history. After Thursday’s rout of second-place Leicester City, the Reds have lost just one of their last 58 league matches dating to May 2018. Also on Sunday, Chelsea (10-7-2) and Arsenal (5-5-9) will renew their rivalry in a match both need to win (NBCSN, Universo, 6 a.m. PST). In its first season under Frank Lampard, Chelsea has lost five of its last seven to fall to fourth in the table while Arsenal, working under its third manager in the last month, has won just once since Oct. 6 and could find itself in danger of relegation without a quick turnaround.
Edison girls' soccer advances to Excalibur Tournament of Champions quarterfinals - Los Angeles Times
On a frigid night, the temperature hit the mid-40s by game time Thursday for the Edison High girls’ soccer team.
Norco couldn’t cool off the Chargers on the field, though, in the Excalibur Tournament of Champions.
Christina Hardway, Emily Crownfield and Grace Ingalls all scored goals as Edison beat Norco 3-0 in the Excalibur Group F match at Silverlakes Sports Complex.
The win, coupled with Edison’s 2-1 victory over Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos earlier Thursday, meant that the Chargers won their three-team group. Edison will play in a tournament quarterfinal match on Friday at 6:45 p.m., at Silverlakes field No. 4. The opponent will be the Group C champion, which is to be determined, but San Diego Cathedral Catholic leads the group with one match to play.
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The Chargers (5-2-1) have good team speed this year, said coach Kerry “Mac” Crooks, in her 30th year in charge. They also have a motivated and experienced core, as 15 of the 27 players on the roster are seniors.
“It’s nice that we understand who we are, how they’re supposed to play,” Crooks said. “That’s hard to do in a high school season sometimes, because it’s so short. They’re a good group. They play for each other, which is nice. We don’t have any superstars, and that’s kind of actually a fun thing. We don’t have a lot of times where a player scores more than one goal.”
That was true against Norco (1-4-3). Hardway, a senior, connected from near the top-left portion of the box in the 21st minute. Then, in the 34th minute, sophomore defender Madison Klasey played the ball up to Crownfield, another senior. Crownfield made an inside move on her defender before burying a cross-cage strike.
Edison struck again in the 42nd minute. This time, junior Jaqueline Peterson fed Ingalls with a short pass, and Ingalls buried the shot into the back of the net.
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“It’s really good,” said Ingalls, who didn’t play high school soccer as a freshman as she competed in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. "[My teammates] are like my older sisters. I love them all.”
Ingalls and Maddie Solorzano each scored goals for Edison in the tournament-opening win over Los Osos. Crownfield had an assist.
Senior Abby McCollam, a team captain along with senior midfielder Kate Davies and Nikki Marino, is a leader in the defense for Edison along with players like Alexa Palombo, Sophia Drake and Kelli McKay. They made sure that Edison junior goalkeeper Ava Norquist didn’t have to register any saves.
“I think we’ve definitely grown,” McCollam said. “Today, the coaches were saying that we’re getting a lot of through balls in past the other teams’ defenses. That’s just something that we’ve been working on and growing on. Knowing when to dribble and when to pass, that’s something we’ve also been working on as a team. We’ve been getting better this preseason, and I think we’ll have a good season against some really good competition like Los Al, CdM and Newport Harbor in league.”
The Excalibur Tournament of Champions continues through Saturday. Edison opens Sunset Conference play with a crossover match at rival Fountain Valley on Jan. 2.
It’s the most wonderful Premier League day of the year.
BOXING DAY!
We’ve got a full slate of games, starting at 7:30 a.m. ET and running until dinner time. We’ve made it, soccer fans, and now it’s time to sit back and let a day of games wash over you.
We kick off with Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham taking on Brighton, then move over across London for Chelsea taking on Southampton.
Four games will be on NBCSN, while the rest of the games on Thursday will be televised in the United States on NBC Sports Gold, their streaming service.
We’ve also got a game on Friday, with Manchester City taking on a very good Wolves team, so you can extend the fun all the way to the weekend.
English Soccer Rules Boxing Day — How MLS Could Make Its Own Version - Forbes
The holiday season is synonymous with soccer in England. In particular, almost every pro team plays ... [+] a match on Boxing Day. Could MLS ever establish a similar tradition on a holiday of its own?
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The origins of Boxing Day, celebrated on Dec. 26 in the United Kingdom and most the lands that formerly comprised the British Empire, are widely disupted. But in modern England and Scotland, the meaning for many is simple: soccer, soccer and more soccer.
In a custom that dates back to the early years of the English Football League, the day after Christmas features a full program of matches. In 2019, 88 of the 92 teams in England’s top four divisions will be playing on Dec. 26, including a huge clash between Premier League leaders Liverpool and second-place Leicester City.
In short, Boxing Day day serves as an unofficial midpoint to the season and a day-long showcase for the game.
In North America, the closest equivalent in any sport used to be New Year’s Day, when all of College football’s biggest bowl games were played. (That’s no longer the case, of course).
But perhaps no North American sport — with its continued expansion and slowly but steadily growing popularity — is better positioned to establish new traditions than Major League Soccer. And although MLS doesnt play matches in December, perhaps the league brass should look at another holiday that could be turned into a showcase for the best the sport has to offer in the United States and Canada.
Here’s a few days that could fit into the MLS calendar:
Memorial Day
The last Monday in May
Featuring: A full slate of league matches, possibly the last before a summer break as players are released for international tournaments. Canadian teams could host games the Saturday or Sunday before.
Pros: Although Major League Baseball often plays day games on Memorial Day, in a 162-game MLB schedule those rarely feel like big occasions. It’s also the day the NCAA crowns its men’s lacross champion, but that’s not the type of thing that would overshadow a leage-wide round of MLS fixtures.
Cons: Daytime weather conditions begin to become oppressive by the time Memorial Day arrives, and evening matches at the end of a three-day weekend might be a tougher sell for fans. Also, occasionally Memorial Day falls within a FIFA international match window.
Independence Day
July 4
Featuring: A full slate of league matches, played primarily at night with postgame fireworks. Canadian teams hosting during this round of fixtures could play on Canada Day, July 1.
Pros: Many MLS teams already play matches on Independence Day. And in the MLS spring-to-fall calendar, the date is also an unofficial midpoint to the season, just as Boxing Day is in England.
Cons: Most major international tournaments are played through the 4th of July, including the Concacaf Gold Cup, Copa America, UEFA European Championships and FIFA World Cup. (The 2022 FIFA World Cup, set for November and December in Qatar, is a rare exception.)
Labor Day
First Monday of September
Featuring: The U.S. Open Cup Final, two U.S. Open Cup semifinals, a full league slate, or some combination
Pros: Labor Day could serve as the unofficial kickoff of the chase for the postseason, as well as some good publicity for the league before it begins chasing the scraps of attention that are left when the NFL arrives in full force the following week.
Cons: Similar to Independence Day, Labor Day often falls during an international match window that sometimes includes Concacaf World Cup qualifying games. The weekend is also the first full weekend of American college football.
Thanksgiving Friday
The Day after the 4th Thursday of November
Featuring: At least four of the six first-round playoff matches.
Pros: The combination of many Americans staying home from work with the decreasing popularity of Black Friday shopping might mean a chance to get lots of new eyes on MLS telecasts. There’s also no major pro sports competitor during the daytime, though there are college football rivalry games.
Cons: This won’t be possible unless the league again re-alings its schedule, which probably wouldn’t happen until after the 2022 season at earliest. Currently the playoffs are contested between FIFA’s October and November international windows. This idea requires the postseason be moved to after the November break.
Super Bowl Sunday
Usually the first Sunday in February
Featuring: A full slate of daytime league matches played in doubleheader fashion as the opening round of the new season. Early kickoffs at 1 p.m. ET. Late kickoffs at 3:30 p.m.
Pros: Because of the enormity of the Super Bowl played later in the evening, it’s rare that any other pro sport tries to regularly compete directly, leaving the daytime hours more or less open.
Cons: No matter how big MLS gets, it will always be playing second fiddle to NFL on Super Bowl weekend, which includes the single most-watched TV event of the year. The question is whether the exposure is worth that PR compromise.
Eritrean Soccer Players Disappear During Trip - NPR
Seven members of Eritrea's national soccer team have disappeared after playing in a regional championship in Uganda. It's the latest in a string of defections by Eritrean players in recent years.
Meet PennLive’s 2019 boys soccer all-star team - PennLive
With the new year fast approaching, PennLive is releasing its selections for boys soccer all-stars from the 2019 season.
The central Pennsylvania area saw several players named all-state players by the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association, and Lower Dauphin represented the area with a state championship at the PIAA Class 3A title game.
Players from the Mid-Penn Conference, Lancaster-Lebanon League and Tri-Valley League were considered for this list, and coaches were asked to submit nominations for players on their rosters, in their division or league.
Our player of the year follows our selections for first-team all-star selections. We also have listed our picks for second-team and honorable mentions. Players are listed by position and then alphabetically by school.
First Team
Eric Leach, Cumberland Valley
Eric Leach celebrates his second period goal as Cumberland Valley boys beat Wilson 2-0 in the 2018 District 3, 4A championship soccer match at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pa., Nov. 3.
Mark Pynes | mpynes@gmail.com
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
All-Star Profile: One of only three boys soccer players in the region named to both the all-state team by the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association and the All East Region All-Star team by the United Soccer Coaches, Leach turned in yet another standout season after being named to PennLive’s second-team all-stars last year. He was the leader on the field for the Eagles scoring 12 goals and 15 assists during the Mid-Penn regular season in his senior campaign.
Tad Shellenberger, Juniata
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
All-Star Profile: The race for the top of the scoring leaderboard in the Tri-Valley League was not particularly close with Shellenberger running away with the regular-season scoring lead with 63, 13 higher than the next closest on the list. The Juniata forward cashed in on 27 goals during the year — leading the league — and contributed nine assists, good for fourth in the league.
TJ Hershey, Pequea Valley
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
All-Star Profile: If it weren’t for injuries, Hershey might have finished the season as PennLive’s player of the year. He missed some time with a broken collarbone and shoulder blade, but still finished the season as one of the Lancaster-Lebanon League’s leader in goals with 17. He also contributed three assists during the campaign.
Sam Hershey, McCaskey
Class: Junior
Position: Midfielder
All-Star Profile: McCaskey had an offense to be reckoned with in 2019, and no one was more feared than the junior midfielder. He recorded 23 goals and 11 assists en route to a season in which McCaskey reached the district playoffs for the first time since 2009. Still with one season left at McCaskey, Hershey was named an all-state player by the PSCA and joined Leach and CD’s John Axtman as players named to the All East Region All-Star team by the United Soccer Coaches.
Connor Swope, Northern
Class: Junior
Position: Midfielder
All-Star Profile: Swope was another of the Mid-Penn’s three all-state players per the PSCA as one of the more offensive-heavy midfielders in the conference in 2019. He finished the year with 14 goals and 14 assists as he helped lead Northern York to a state playoff appearance in the PIAA Class 3A tournament. He’ll have another season with the Polar Bears to continue to establish himself as one of the Mid-Penn’s best players.
Joshua Mark, Palmyra
Joshua Mark of Palmyra boys soccer during fall sports high school media day on Aug. 1, 2019.
Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com
Class: Senior
Position: Midfielder
All-Star Profile: The region was heavily represented at midfield in the PSCA’s all-state players list with five players from the three conferences earning selections. One such player was the center attacking mid for the Cougars. Mark tallied 11 goals in his senior season and was an efficient passer, racking up 13 assists on the year.
Parker Rice, Camp Hill
Parker Rice of Camp Hill boysÕ soccer during high school football media day on July 31, 2019.
Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com
Class: Senior
Position: Defender
All-Star Profile: Rice caps off his Camp Hill career with his second placement on the PennLive first-team all-star list following a season in which his stellar defensive play helped the Lions post 10 shutouts. His speed allowed him to play up to midfield as needed, but the starting centerback was at his best when he was orchestrating the defense from the back line in 2019.
Aaron Maynard, Chambersburg
Aaron Maynard of Chambersburg boys soccer during fall sports high school media day on Aug. 1, 2019.
Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com
Class: Senior
Position: Defender
All-Star Profile: Maynard entered the season with lofty expectations having been named a 2018 Commonwealth Division first-team all-star the prior campaign, and he did not disappoint. Leading the defense and earning the first-team all-star honors for a second straight season, Maynard helped the Trojans average just 1.42 goals per game — a number which dips down to 0.88 discounting 12 goals given up in two games against a powerful Central Dauphin offense. Chambersburg posted seven shutouts in 2019.
Liam Wright, Manheim Township
Class: Senior
Position: Defender
All-Star Profile: It’s rare that a defender scores any goals in a season, but such was the case with Wright. In his final season with the Blue Streaks, Wright scored 10 times and assisted on two more, while helping the Manheim Township defense post six shutouts during the year. Wright was recognized as an all-state defender by the PSCA in a season in which his team won the Lancaster-Lebanon League.
AJ Stutzman, Mechanicsburg
AJ Stutzman of Mechanicsburg boys soccer during high school football media day on July 31, 2019.
Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com
Class: Senior
Position: Defender
All-Star Profile: Stutzman makes his first appearance on PennLive’s All-Star list after having a dominant season in the backfield for the Wildcats in 2019. In his third campaign as a starter, he was an ever-present force in front of the goal for Mechanicsburg and helped the team have nine clean sheets in his final season on the team.
Jordan Smith, Palmyra
Class: Senior
Position: Keeper
All-Star Profile: Smith became nearly impossible to score on for the Cougars in 2019, posting 14 clean sheets during his final season starting in net for Palmyra. Without Smith’s stellar play in net, it would have been an upward battle for Palmyra to reach the quarterfinals in the PIAA, Class 4A state tournament.
Player of the Year
John Axtman, Central Dauphin
Central Dauphin’s John Axtman during fall sports high school media day on Aug. 1, 2019.
Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
All-Star Profile: Shortly after the 2019 season came to a close, a year in which the Rams won the District 3, Class 4A championship, the accolades began to pour in for Axtman. First it was Mid-Penn Conference first-team all-star. Then it was an all-star selection by the PSCA. Then it was an all-region honors by the USC. And why not? Axtman was near the top in all categories in the conference, scoring 20 goals in the regular season and adding 12 assists.
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