It was a triple killing -- three goals in eight minutes that easily saw off the U.S. challenge in Aarhus. Friendlies tend to spawn more overreactions than calm, logical analysis simply because most American soccer fans expect to be better than they really are.

From the distant perspective of a TV screen carrying the international feed, the defensive collapse was a frustrating exercise that you'd rather not see.

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It was twenty years ago today that Paul Caliguiri struck the hyperbolically-named Shot Heard Round the World. This goal in Port of Spain gave the US men's national soccer team a 1-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago and put the Americans into the World Cup for the first time in forty years:

American soccer fans, please look around you.

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The 32-team field is set for the 2010 World Cup and for the next two weeks until the World Cup Draw on Dec. 4 you will see plenty of sample draws to give soccer fans around the world a sense of where teams just might wind up.

SBI isn't going to miss out on that fun.

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The 32-team field is set for the 2010 World Cup and for the next two weeks until the World Cup Draw on Dec. 4 you will see plenty of sample draws to give soccer fans around the world a sense of where teams just might wind up.

SBI isn't going to miss out on that fun.

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Minnesota and the Twin Cities specifically have a new soccer team called the Kings FC. No, this is not the new team rumored from the National Sports Center or a renamed Thunder team but a brand new team in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). The NPSL is a rival to USL's PDL program.

According to the teams website: The team plans to expand and promote playing soccer at an elite level, creating hometown heroes as role models, and impacting the quality of life in the community by providing opportunities for minorities, ESL speakers, and the financially unable to participate in current programs.

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The Vancouver Whitecaps have announced the signing of former Minnesota Thunder star Ricardo Sanchez. Sanchez who has been a crowd favorite at Minnesota for the last 2-seasons. It also signals the first of the Thunder players to leave the team for greener pastures. The Thunder released all players from their contracts several weeks ago after not being able to make the teams payroll.

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Take your pick: a meaningless friendly on European soil, or fighting for a World Cup spot today. As far as that goes, American soccer fans can't complain about their situation. Thanks to some gutsy results in the final two games of the tournament, they aren't in Montevideo, with a tough Uruguay squad looking to deal a knockout blow.

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Vuvuzelas - Noisy Plastic Trumpets in All Colours

According to bbc news Motoaki Inukai, the president of the Japan Football Association (JFA), wants the noisy vuvuzela trumpet to be banned from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Noisy Plastic Trumpet!

And to add insult to this sign of cultural intolerance, when asked for his thoughts on the subject after Saturday's stalemate, Japan coach Takeshi Okada responded dryly: "Perhaps if they play good football (the fans) will be quiet and watch.

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Champions Soccer Radio Network, America's premier soccer radio network, announces the relaunch of "The American Soccer Show" featuring hosts Jason Davis and Zach Woosley. Created to serve the American soccer fan in the United States, "The American Soccer Show" will cover the American game from an American perspective.

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Ladies and gentlemen of America, I don't know you. I don't know what you like or what you dislike. I have to assume you enjoy things that are fun and exciting. I also have to assume you hate things that are boring and dull. Thus, I just don't understand why you are not eating up the 2009 MLS Playoffs.

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On May 26th, 2009 the whole world found out that this player would be available on a free transfer:

For those of you not familiar with him, Juninho Pernambucano is probably the world's best free kick taker. Give him a free kick within 35 yards and you're facing a very dangerous situation.

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Miami FC President Aaron Davidson was on WQAM 560 yesterday and spoke a little to the Big O about the new, yet to be named TOA League. He Speaks about Miami FC, Traffic Sports and the Miami World Cup bid.
Check it out:
All South Florida Soccer Fans need to listen to the Big O (Orlando Alzugaray) everyday from 2pm to 4pm. Click to continue reading...

News that Charlies Davies was released from the hospital this week was welcome news to U.S. Soccer fans. Now the long journey begins for the Sochaux striker as he battles back to save his career after suffering life-threatening injuries. With Davies likely sidelined for the 2010 World Cup, it's never too soon to speculate on who needs to step up and score in South Africa.

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QUESTION ON MY MIND
Who will help save my team?
The Minnesota Thunder is all but dead. This is horrible news. The team has been around since 1990 and won many amazing games & trophies, but currently finds itself in the hands of ownership who appear to be lying to everyone in sight, and have no money at all. Click to continue reading...

It wasn't the prettiest of games, but it was enjoyable to watch. Reminiscent of old-style English football with plenty of balls kicked high and long, Hull City pulled off a last gasp winner to beat Stoke City 2-1 and to give manager Phil Brown a chance of remaining as manager of the Tigers just for a little longer, perhaps.

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Feel the passion!

Thanks to the dozens of you who entered the first ticket contest with prizes courtesy of the Galaxy.

The winners: Mike Crandall of Glendora and Kristinne Uy of Rosemead, who win a pair of tickets each to Sunday's big game.

They correctly answered the question: who is the only player to score for both the Galaxy and Chivas USA this season?

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I turn my back for one minute and Creepy Jose Romero turns into a 14-year-old dick. On Houston selling lots of tickets for the weekend:

No Sounders FC practice today, but thanks to the Dynamo press crew that really does a nice job, I've learned that Houston's home field is down to upper level end zone and sideline seats.

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First of all, go vote for the AT&T Goal of the Year and Degree Men Save of the Year awards. Both Arnaud and Lopez are up twice for the Goal of the Year honor and Hartman is up three times for the Save of the Year award. You can find links to the highlights of these plays at previous posts below. Click to continue reading...

Soccer fans -- Italian ones in particular -- aren't generally known for being sentimental softies.
That's why it was nice to see Kaka get a nice reception in his return to San Siro, after leaving AC Milan for Real Madrid. Click to continue reading...

The United States
The 2009 MLS Playoffs got underway last Thursday when Seattle Sounders FC hosted Houston Dynamo before a crowd of approximately 36,000 soccer fans. Although the end result was 0-0, it was a thrilling match with both teams battling hard to find the goal. The teams meet for the second leg of their first round tie at Robertson Stadium in Houston, Texas at 2:00 pm local time this Sunday, and fans should expect a nail biter of a match. Click to continue reading...

Moving as I do mostly through non-footballing circles, I've been asked, "hey, what's the deal with Toronto FC? Did they make the playoffs? I heard they lost something like 10 nothing to some nobody team in the states."
These post-mortems can get boring, so let me just throw down my two-cents on this club as I see it so we can all move on. Click to continue reading...

This is the game Southern California MLS fans have long awaited.

I'd like to say there's a buzz in the air, a sense of anticipation and tension and plenty of concrete expressions of the rivalry that have temporarily divided friends and families.

I'd like to say that, but it wouldn't be true.

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Photo by ISIphotos.com

When it comes to conversations about the most dysfunctional clubs in Major League Soccer, the New York Red Bulls often tend to dominate the conversations, but one club that needs to start being discussed is the Colorado Rapids.

The Rapids downright imploded in the final six weeks of the MLS season to miss out on the playoffs for a third straight year.

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Photo by ISIphotos.com

When it comes to conversations about the most dysfunctional clubs in Major League Soccer, the New York Red Bulls often tend to dominate the conversations, but one club that needs to start being discussed is the Colorado Rapids.

The Rapids downright imploded in the final six weeks of the MLS season to miss out on the playoffs for a third straight year.

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Photo by ISIphotos.com

The U.S. Under-17 national team won a World Cup game on Thursday, but for many American observers, the 1-0 victory against Malawi didn't quite feel like a triumph. The disappointing performance led to some criticism (from SBI among others), and while it might seem misguided to be critical of a team of teenagers, the fact remains that this U-17 squad isn't just some youth team.

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Photo by ISIphotos.com

The U.S. Under-17 national team won a World Cup game on Thursday, but for many American observers, the 1-0 victory against Malawi didn't quite feel like a triumph. The disappointing performance led to some criticism (from SBI among others), and while it might seem misguided to be critical of a team of teenagers, the fact remains that this U-17 squad isn't just some youth team.

Click to continue reading...

Halloween is a spooky holiday. Born out of Celtic pagan traditions and All Saints Day, Halloween has become perhaps the most secular holiday in the US (even more so than two of my favorite "Saints" holidays, Valentine's and Patrick's). Thus, as the picture to the left displays, it has become yet another excuse for the young women of the US to dress like whores.

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There was plenty of huffing and puffing in Seattle Thursday - here former Galaxy striker Nate Jaqua and Houston's Geoff Cameron challenge for the ball - but no-one blew anyone's house down in the scoreless draw. (AP Photo) The first game of the MLS playoffs are over and neither Chivas USA nor the Galaxy are any closer to knowing who the winner of their semifinal will face in the Western Conference Championship.

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This morning, EPLTalk writes about "How American Soccer Fans Are Smarter Than Average Americans."
I don't know how soccer fans stack up compared to "average Americans," but I do think that following soccer can make you smarter. It's not that you have to be smart in order to follow soccer, it's that through the act(s) of being a soccer fan, you learn a lot especially as it relates to geography and foreign culture. Click to continue reading...

I've lost track of the number of times Americans ask me where I'm from, and I mention Wales only to hear the next follow-up question, which is "Where is Wales? Is that part of England?"

While most US residents get an F in geography (not just from me, but from many scholars), I've found that soccer fans living in the United States are far smarter than average Americans for the following reasons:

1. Time difference wizards.

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The NFL's Giants Stadium was once a famous venue of American soccer, a must-be-seen place with packed crowds and Pele in the 1970s.

Then the New York MetroStars, later rebranded to Red Bull New York, started playing there almost two decades later in Major League Soccer.

As the Red Bulls laid the final piece of sod today at their new, impressive Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, some current players took the chance to express their feelings about Giants Stadium and the support they (did not) receive there.

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Saturday, Oct. 24 was the day of the last professional soccer game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. While The Swamp has many pleasant memories for soccer fans, particularly those old enough to remember the New York Cosmos, for the New York Red Bulls the end could not have come soon enough.

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Today is the 1 year anniversary of Inside Minnesota Soccer.

A year ago I was scrambling to get the site up and running before the Minnesota State High Schools soccer tournament. I think my vision of what I wanted IMS to be has changed slightly but overall the mission is the same.

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Today is the 1 year anniversary of Inside Minnesota Soccer.

A year ago I was scrambling to get the site up and running before the Minnesota State High Schools soccer tournament. I think my vision of what I wanted IMS to be has changed slightly but overall the mission is the same.

Click to continue reading...

The Beauty: You can't deny that Brazilian soccer players have historically been the world's best. Exhibit A: Pele. Exhibit B: Ronaldo. I rest my case. You also can't deny that Brazilian models have historically been the world's hottest. Exhibit A: Gisele.

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