Fox Soccer Channel today put out a press release on the growth of its ratings numbers over the past year, its first as a Nielsen-rated channel.

Among reports of increases in Serie A and English Premiership viewers, the statement also points out that "Major League Soccer audiences are up 89%, averaging 51,000 viewers last month vs.

Click to continue reading...

There's still not a lot of new information coming in on the accident that Charlie Davies was involved with early Tuesday morning. There is still no word on who the driver is or their condition.

Steven Goff was reporting this morning that US coach Bob Bradley visited Charlie on Wednesday morning and that he was responding to doctors but was still heavily sedated.

Click to continue reading...

There's not a lot of new information coming in on the accident that Charlie Davies was involved with early Tuesday morning and still no word on who the driver is or their condition.

Steven Goff was reporting this morning that US coach Bob Bradley visited Charlie on Wednesday morning and that he was responding to doctors but was still heavily sedated.

Click to continue reading...

Honduras 2 U.S. 3

Game story.

Former Galaxy striker Carlos Pavon proved once again why he failed so abysmally in MLS, missing a crucial penalty in the 87th minute for Honduras that sealed the U.S. win. And then he missed another sitter two minutes later.

Still, it looked to me a legitimate Honduras goal was called offside.

Click to continue reading...

I will come back tomorrow with my thoughts on the contest tomorrow, kicking off either a standard prediction/line-ups/recap post or a LIVE if I can swing a home feed. I'm working on it.So off we go to the Reading Room:- USMNT match notes- Coach Bradley's conference call quote sheet- FIFA match preview- Michael C. Click to continue reading...

One of America's more perceptive futbol journalists. Beau Dure, has a lengthy profile of Landon Donovan in yesterday's USA Today. (No comments on our speed of motion please.)

Aside from the a vintage shot of Donovan with blond hair, I actually learned a couple of things about the front-runner for the Honda Player of the Year award.

Click to continue reading...

In case you have missed anything, here are some recent links with Chicago pro soccer mention:
WPS expansion draft
• John Howell, Bleacher Report: Red Stars lose two subs to Philadelphia in WPS first expansion draft
• Beau Dure, USA Today: Philly looks strong in WPS expansion draft
• Jeff Kassouf, The Equalizer: Grading the WPS expansion draft
Chicago Fire player development
• L. Click to continue reading...

STARTERS
After yesterdays results things look like this for the USA to get in the World Cup: - Beat Honduras (Oct 10) or Beat or Tie Costa Rica (Oct 14). There are several other ways to get in too, but they are all slightly more complex. These 3 choices are straight up and doable. Click to continue reading...

STARTERS
Brazil & Ghana are the next two teams to have qualified for the World Cup.
dN
Edgar Castillo of UANL Tigres got his clearance from FIFA on Friday to swap from the Mexican national team to the USA.
TEAM USA
Official Team Blog
dN
World Cup Qualifying Match & Score:
-Sat Sep 5
USA 2-1 El Salvador - USA goals by Clint Dempsey & Jozy Altidore. Click to continue reading...

After Mexico's 2-1 win over the US yesterday in World Cup qualifying, the Yanks are third in the six-team CONCACAF final hexagonal (though they're tied on points with Honduras...despite having beaten Honduras, soccer, unlike most logical constructs in the free world, goes with overall goal differential as the first tiebreaker, not head-to-head) with four matches left.

Click to continue reading...

Before Bob Ley was a familiar face on ESPN's SportsCenter and Outside the Lines, he called soccer games from high school to the pro ranks of the NASL and MISL. He also has done commentary for several World Cups.
With South Africa hosting the 2010 World Cup, Ley is able to combine his soccer interest with the sociological issues he explores in Outside the Lines. Click to continue reading...

David Beckham held a press conference today in Hoboken, New Jersey as he prepared to make his 2009 MLS debut with the Los Angels Galaxy as they take on the Red Bulls on Thursday evening. In attendance at the press conference was Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl who's book, The Beckham Experiment was just released in stores on Tuesday of this week.

Click to continue reading...

David Beckham held a press conference today in Hoboken, New Jersey as he prepared to make his 2009 MLS debut with the Los Angels Galaxy as they take on the Red Bulls on Thursday evening. In attendance at the press conference was Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl who's book, The Beckham Experiment was just released in stores on Tuesday of this week.

Click to continue reading...

I've now heard three or four people (including Beau Dure) express worry over the Onyewu to Milan move. Is Milan deep? Sure it is. But it's also old. And so far, there is zero evidence to show that this is any kind of shirt-selling, American marketing ambition behind this deal. Are we really so cynical as to immediately fear for a player's form and career whenever one signs for a big European club? Click to continue reading...

In Friday's edition of USA Today, Beau Dure had a brief buy excellent article on the already apparent improvement of the Women's National Team caused from the new Women's Professional Soccer League (WPS). Dure states in the article that the international influence of both coaches and players are teaching our US women a more possession like style which is also in favor with current US National Team coach Pia Sundhage.

Click to continue reading...

In Friday's edition of USA Today, Beau Dure had a brief buy excellent article on the already apparent improvement of the Women's National Team caused from the new Women's Professional Soccer League (WPS). Dure states in the article that the international influence of both coaches and players are teaching our US women a more possession like style which is also in favor with current US National Team coach Pia Sundhage.

Click to continue reading...

STARTERS
The 2010 World Cup starts one year from today!
dN
Give a listen to myself and Beau Dure of USA Today talk turkey with Kartik Krishnaiyer at Major League Soccer Talk. We spend the entire hour talking Team USA as the Confederations Cup arrives. Those two guys are smart, I babble. Click to continue reading...

On Episode 87 of the Major League Soccer Talk podcast we will have Bruce McGuire from DuNord and Beau Dure from the USA Today discussing all things US National Team and Confederations Cup. Leave your questions for either gentleman in the comments threat on this post.

Related posts:

1. NASL Related Podcast Tomorrow I'll be recording Episode 67 of the Major League.

Click to continue reading...

Here's a sampling of today's (English language) media coverage of the match.
From San Jose, Costa Rica:
Steve Goff / Washington Post
- A game preview focusing on Saprissa Stadium
- The front page of Sports today
- Steve Goff's blog: Soccer Insider
Michael Lewis / bigapplesoccer. Click to continue reading...

Martin Rogers of Yahoo! Sports a regular guest on the show stops by to discuss the latest happening with the US National Team and in CONCACAF.

Afterward, we discuss the National Premier Soccer League with NPSL Director of Public Relations Ryan Knapp.

Related posts:

1. Major League Soccer Talk Podcast, Episode One Episode One of the Major League Soccer Talk Podcast is.

Click to continue reading...

Beau Dure the Soccer (and mixed martial arts) online editor/writer for the USA Today joins us on the show. We cover a potpourri of topics including the US Men's National Team, Kenny Cooper, Freddy Adu, MLS, WPS, David Beckham, Zach Thornton, Jair Marrufo USL's success in certain markets and many many more issues in today's game.

Click to continue reading...

I'm having a hard time figuring out whether New York RedBulls fans are, on the whole relieved or saddened by COMMISSIONER DON GARBER'S UNEQUIVOCAL DENIAL of the rumor about the team being sold.
On the one hand, a lot of fans have never been particularly comfortable with the whole "Corporate/Energy Drink" angle, and while there are some out there who turned their back on the team the day the Austrian caffeine vendor took over, by and large most of the locals were able to hold their nose through the Metrostars-to-RedBull transition and continute to support the side. Click to continue reading...

Turns out that one of the few, most notable, soccer writers in the country was in Chicago this weekend for a couple big events.SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Beau Dure from USA Today visits the Chicago Red Stars office", url: "http://www.amandavandervort.com/blog/2008/10/beau-dure-from-usa-today-visits-the-chicago-red-stars-office/" }); Click to continue reading...

Check out Susan's comment on Alison's post yesterday (and Welcome, Alison - I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say here)!  Speaking of the Electoral College, I heard an interesting piece on NPR about the Electoral College - kinda scary how little people know about it! And speaking of scary, the McCainiacs are getting [. Click to continue reading...

The USWNT and Brazil both won in convincing fashion and will face off on Thursday morning (9AM ET) in the gold medal match. Germany and Japan (maybe it's me ... but doesn't that sound awfully World War Twoish?) will square off in the Bronze medal match-up (6AM ET). Kudos to Japan for making [...]SHARETHIS. Click to continue reading...

I didn't stay up late enough to actually see Michael Phelps and his relay teammates get the gold - but what a stunner as Jason Lezak anchored an amazing race! (I was aiming to watch past 9PM, but when Bob Costas started interviewing a smirking GW Bush I had to call it a night.) [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Inspirational Finish . Click to continue reading...