Atlanta Soccer News: Art, Music and Culture

KENNESAW, Ga. (AP) — James Galanis, took over the expansion Atlanta Beat as interim coach on Aug. 17 after being named by general manager Shawn McGee, has been named the full-time coach for 2011.

Galanis was named interim coach of the Beat after Gareth O'Sullivan was fired when the Women's Professional Soccer league team had just four wins through 19 games.

Galanis led the Beat to a 3-2 win over Boston four days later and they finished the season in last place at 5-13-6.

9:09 AM

Applications are now available.
Register on line.

Join in the fun and play some great soccer at the season-ending State Tournament for Recreational teams only. Show your skills and how far you've come as a team. It's fun, it's fast and it's a blast for players, coaches and fans alike. Registration deadline is Friday, October 15.

Help Bring the FIFA World Cup to the USA and Atlanta!

Click here and sign the Atlanta Petition and then forward to your team, family and friends.

We need to show the US Bid Committee that we are ready, willing and able and need 50,000 signatures in support of our bid. And we need your help to do that!

General Information

The Georgia Kohl’s American Cup – is the fall season finale open to all Recreational Teams. As the final event of the fall season, the Georgia Kohl’s American Cup will be an exciting tournament . . . with competitive games and lots of fun! This action-packed tournament is for Recreational Teams only.

TEAMS

All teams and players must be registered on recreational teams with Georgia Soccer for the current seasonal year. Georgia Soccer team rosters and player passes are required to participate.

FEES

U10 - $375
U12 - $395
U14 and older - $435

ROSTER

* U10 teams will play 6v6. Roster limit is 12.
* U12 teams will play 8v8. Roster limit is 14.
* U14 teams will play 11v11. Roster limit is 18.
* U16 and U19 teams will play 11v11. Roster limit 22.

GUEST PLAYERS

* u10 teams - one guest player allowed.
* u12 teams - two guest players allowed.
* u14 and older teams - three guest players allowed.

Guest players may not be select players of any level.
Academy players are not eligible to guest. They are considered Select Players by GA Soccer.

LOCATION

Games will be played at McCurry Park, Lovejoy Soccer Complex
and Tyus/Cowan Park.

TOURNAMENT HEADQUARTERS
& HOTEL

tbd

FEES and DEADLINES

Click on the APPLY tab and complete an application. The only method to apply is online. Once you have completed the application you will be able to pay by check or major credit card.

IMPORTANT DATES

* Entry forms due: October 15, 2010
* Acceptance notice emailed: October 23, 2010
* Schedules posted:
* Check-in will be at the venue - before your first game on Saturday morning.
* Tournament games: November 13-14, 2010

AWARDS
All participants will receive a tournament souvenir. All players on the Championship and Runner-up teams will receive trophies.

REFEREES
Please contact Mike Wright, Referee Coordinator, mikewright@mindspring.com if you are interested in refereeing at the tournament.

GENERAL INFORMATION
All teams will play three games, two on Saturday and one on Sunday morning. Teams advancing to the finals will play an additional game on Sunday afternoon.

A Coach or Manager will check the team in prior to their first game on Saturday at the venue. Please allow enough time to check-in.

4:30 PM

August 21, the Boston Breakers (8-7-5) fell 3-2 to the Atlanta Beat (5-10-5) at Veterans Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut, but still remain in third place in the WPS standings and focused on the playoffs. The Breakers gave away three goals to the Beat before rebounding in the final minutes. Lori Chalupny scored unassisted in the 11th minute and Eniola Aluko scored a brace in the 66th and 73rd minutes, first assisted by Angie Kerr and then unassisted, for her eighth and ninth goals of the season. Lindsay Tarplay scored for the Breakers in the 87th minute and Kristine Lilly scored in injury time.

Boston Breakers (8-7-5) vs. Atlanta Beat (5-10-5)
Saturday, August 21, 2010 — Veterans Stadium

SCORING SUMMARY

ATL: Lori Chalupny 3 (Unassisted) 11'
ATL: Eniola Aluko 8 (Unassisted) 66'
ATL: Eniola Aluko 9 (Angie Kerr) 73'
BOS: Lindsay Tarpley 3 (Unassisted) 87'
BOS: Kristine Lilly 2 (Unassisted) 90+

BOSTON BREAKERS — Alyssa Naeher, Amy LePeilbet, Kasey Moore, Stephanie Cox (Liz Bogus, 79'), Fabiana, Kristine Lilly, Taryn Hemmings, Lindsay Tarpley, Chioma Igwe (Laura del Rio, 62'), Lauren Cheney, Jordan Angeli

Substitutes Not Used: Allison Lipsher, Ashley Phillips, Analisa Marquez

ATLANTA BEAT — Hope Solo, McCall Zerboni, Kia McNeill, Tina Ellertson, Leigh Ann Robinson, Angie Kerr, Lori Chalupny, Aya Miyama (Carolyn Blank, 85'), Stacy Bishop, Monica Ocampo (Eniola Aluko, 46'), Mami Yamaguchi (Ramona Bachmann, 58')

Substitutes Not Used: Kaley Fountain, Brett Maron

STATS:

BOS ATL
Shots 10 9
Shots on Goal 8 5
Fouls 3 7
Offsides 2 8
Corner Kicks 8 7
Saves 2 6

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
none
Referee: Ted Unkel
Referee Assistants: Kristen Schiereck, Russell Wolf
4th Official: Daniel Hristov
Attendance: 4071

9:13 AM

In 2010, FC Dallas hired new president Doug Quinn, new technical director Barry Gorman, three new academy signings, a progressive player development program and a 2010 MLS team surpassing expectations and climbing towards the top of the League. On August 13, I spoke with technical director Gorman about the progress in Dallas.

LE: In May, we talked about FC Dallas developing an exchange/loan program with teams in Brazil and Mexico. Has that progressed?

Gorman: Yes, and that’s still ongoing. I’ve been down there and met with different clubs in Brazil and I’m going to be going to Germany and Europe and the British Isles later on in October and see if we can develop some relationships. A young American can go over and play in the lower leagues without having to have a European passport and this is an area we’ve been trying to explore to get our young players games. It’s all well and good to sign a young player – we now have four players who have come through our academy systems that are now on our roster at FC Dallas – but at some point in order to get them games, we might be loaning them out to teams, say in Mexico or Europe, we have to explore different possibilities.

We’re hoping it’s going to be a two-way exchange because when you go down to places like Brazil they have so many players playing with them and they have so many talented youngsters that they’e had in their systems since eight, ten years of age, so where do you get a chance for them to develop?

We’re in the process of closing a deal with a young man that’s only just turned 23 from San Paulo Brazil and he’s going to be here on a loan program. LA have a few players on loan from Brazil. Jackson is his name. He’s with us right here at the moment and just waiting for his international clearance. I was on the phone to Brazil earlier and that’s all just a matter of the right person pushing the right buttons in the system and his international card will go through. We signed him a loan deal for a year with a six-month option.

LE: This year FC Dallas has been accumulating points with draws and now they’re getting wins. How has Dallas managed to climb up in the League this season?

Gorman: The credit has to go to coach [Schellas] Hyndman and his staff, they’re doing a tremendous job. They’ve got in the right players who are buying into the system. One of things I’ve stressed here is not only having the talented soccer players and athletes, but we have people of great character. People who believe in the family club system that we’re trying to develop here, so we’ve got a good mixture of youth and senior experience.

LE: What distinguishes Hyndman from other MLS coaches?

Gorman: He’s one of the hardest working soccer coaches that I’ve ever met. But also, he cares about his players. He’s very loyal to his players, he treats them like human beings and he’s interested in them in and off the field.

LE: What was the significance of Doug Quinn recently becoming president of FC Dallas?

Gorman: That’s a matter of the owners looking to really improve upon things. John Wagner, he was the president, is still part of Hunt Sports Group. Looking at what needs to be done right now, Doug is going to come in and take control of the other side of the business. Basically, we’re looking at a three-pronged organizational structure with Doug doing his thing and I’ll take care of the soccer end of stuff and coach Hyndman will be working with the professional team. What we want to do with Schellas is get a winning product on the field which he obviously has and the next stage is to develop raw talent. We want to show to the Dallas soccer community and beyond that we’re very much interested in producing our own home grown talent. Doug will take care of all of our marketing and promotions and getting a good all-round experience for anyone who comes to Pizza Hut Park.

LE: Previously we discussed the possibility of an FC Dallas residential academy. Has anything gone forward on that?

Gorman: There’s a lot of movement. The ultimate goal is to build our own residential academy and hire players there and hopefully, that will be looking at upwards of 100 players in a residency at FC Dallas, though we have to be realistic and say that might be three, four years down the road. But the idea right now is to say, what can we do at the moment? This morning we had various meetings with the local school district superintendent because if we’re going to sign young professionals they’re going to have to train in the morning, but we want to make sure we take care of their education as well.

LE: This spring you said they called you to Dallas to help them find a DP. How's that going?

Gorman: That’s one of things we’re in discussion about and looking at for next year’s window in January, lining these things up. But obviously one of the concerns that we have is that some of these teams are getting two or three DPs so there’s a possibility that the gap may widen, so that’s a serious situation that we’re looking at in great depth. But along with that, we’re saying all right, can we develop our own DP, a home-grown American player who will rise to DP status?

LE: That’s not the same thing from a promotional standpoint. Bringing someone over, you go across borders when you do that - they bring they’re own publicity, they bring their own machine.

Gorman: Correct, marketing and everything else. But they have to be the right person and it has to be the right player that we’re going to build a lot of things around, not just for one or two years, but for maybe four years or beyond and making sure we have the right individual. It’s one thing to bring in a DP - we’ve seen this where DPs have come in and they haven’t been successful. We want to bring in a DP and do all those things that you mentioned – the marketing, the promotions, crossing all kinds of borders to attract people to Pizza Hut Park, but he’s also got to be a player who's got to help other players get better.

LE: Are you looking at anyone specifically for the January window?

Gorman: Right now we’re still formulating a list. We were close to one in this window but permits couldn’t be worked out.

12:19 PM

MITRE, the world's oldest football brand, have launched the new TENSILE ball - the most advanced football in the world - which will be used in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League this season.

The TENSILE is a revolution in football design and technology, comprised of just 10 panels and has over 30% less stitching.

This optimizes power and efficiency, improving airflow and reducing drag on the ball. This increases the average speed of a shot, making it a strikers' dream.

The ball is the first of its kind and will be used in all SPL matches from this weekend, as well as in the Football League.

TENSILE's graphic design is completely unique, with each of the 12 SPL clubs having their own match balls printed in club colours and adorned with their club badge.

Mitre's heritage and reputation for making the world's best footballs is unrivalled, with the TENSILE being another example of Mitre's innovations in football over nearly 200 years.

The TENSILE's revolutionary design delivers a greater transfer of energy, superior efficiency, stability and aerodynamics than ever before, and will retail at £74.99.

Nick Crook, Marketing Manager for Mitre, said: "Mitre is a people's sports brand and we are always looking for new and exciting ways to give the fans what they want.

"We have enjoyed going the extra mile to deliver the new Mitre TENSILE ball in club colours with the club logo to satisfy fans of every club in the SPL and Football League.

"The TENSILE is a players' ball, uses the very latest technology and we've no doubt it will add to the excitement and spectacle of the new season - and hopefully more goals!"

2:47 PM

The CASL Seven a Side World Cup Summer League O30 division was won by Scotland as they went undefeated in all of their games.

The team was comprised largely of Express Locomotive players and had GA Soccer board member and CASL committee member Glenn Garrison.

"This was a great summer season experience from playing with so many skilled players and playing in such a great environment. CASL and Georgia Soccer work really hard to get the quality of officials and fields right that make seven aside so much fun in the summer. I'm looking forward to defending our unofficial title next summer." - Glenn Garrison.

Karon Byer the President of CASL and Georgia Soccer board member was quoted as saying “I can't remember the last time the weather co operated so well to create great field and playing conditions for this summer league. This was the largest and most competitive participation we've had in the over 30 age group. Clearly Scotland are deserving of their title. Thanks to all the clubs in this division. Especially CASL clubs Express (3 teams), Rovers, Ohana, Witchdoctors and the others for entering teams."

Cobb Adult Soccer League or CASL is an Adult Soccer League devoted to promoting the principals of fair play and good health in Cobb County by promoting and organizing adult soccer leagues for men, women and co-ed leagues.

1:32 PM

Hope Solo made one eye-popping save after another, leading the Beat to a win, a tie and this week's Goal.com top WPS player.
Aug 2, 2010 2:12:00 PM

Women’s Professional Soccer’s expansion club is firing on all cylinders. If you’ve been hibernating for the past month, you’d have thought for sure that statement is in reference to the Philadelphia Independence. Not this time.

While Philadelphia is playing great soccer, it’s the Atlanta Beat making headway in WPS. The Kennesaw, Ga.-based club is riding a four-game unbeaten streak, going 3-0-1 during that span.

What once seemed to be a hopeless season for the first-year club has turned into a promising second-half run that could place them in a playoff spot come season’s end. Much of that credit can be given to its keeper, the United States’ national team starting goalie, Hope Solo.

During the streak, Solo has notched three shutouts. In the first two games of the Beat’s current streak, Solo helped the Beat claim 1-0 wins – on July 18 at Sky Blue FC and July 21 vs. Chicago Red Stars.

And during week 16 of WPS regular season action, Solo guided the Beat to a win over the Washington Freedom on July 28, 3-2, and a scoreless draw against the league’s highest-scoring offense, FC Gold Pride, on Sunday.

In the win, Solo stopped five shots, giving the Beat its third straight win in the process. But the real achievement of the week was her outing against the first-place Gold Pride.

Gold Pride fired 16 shots at Solo, who was aided by the woodwork behind her on three occasions. However, those three clangs aside, Solo made three incredible diving stops – Kelley O’Hara the victim of two of those. In total, Solo was able to block all six shots on frame.

If not for Solo, Atlanta could have fallen victim to another embarrassing 4-0 (or more) defeat, which they did to the Pride on July 3. She made sure there was no repeat performance.

With her 11 saves, Solo is this week’s Goal.com WPS Player of the Week. And she also helped the Beat pull to a sixth-place tie with the Freedom, too. Other players receiving consideration were Amy Rodriguez (two goals for Philadelphia in its 3-0 win over Chicago on Wednesday) and Monica Ocampo (two goals for the Beat in its come-from-behind win over Washington on Wednesday).

9:18 AM

North Korea's coach Kim Jong-hun during the World Cup. Since returning home, he fears for his safety.

North Korea's coach Kim Jong-hun during the World Cup. Since returning home, he fears for his safety.

Cathal Kelly Staff Reporter

First, they were made to listen to a public airing of their faults. Then they had to turn around en masse and do the same thing to their disgraced coach, who may not be long for this world.

New reports are leaking out of North Korea about the national soccer team’s humiliating return home after losing all three of their matches at the recent World Cup.

No one expected North Korea to do well – except, apparently, the leadership apparatus of North Korea.

Embarrassment was compounded when, after a competitive 2-1 opening loss to five-time champions Brazil, the country’s despotic leadership took the unprecedented step of broadcasting the team’s second game on live television. North Korea’s 7-0 loss to Portugal was one of the most lopsided in tournament history.

According to early reports, the North Korean play-by-play team stopped speaking during the second half of the broadcast. The match went unreported in the next day’s newspapers.

In a country that takes perverse delight in punishing its most loyal servants, you could smell the payback coming.

It apparently arrived on July 2, shortly after the North Koreans returned home.

The 23-man roster – minus its two Japanese-based ringers, Jong “Weepy” Tae-se and An Yong-hak – was hauled up on stage in front of 400 attendees at the inaptly named People’s Palace of Culture.

The audience included a large number of university students and athletes, as well as high party officials.

For the next six hours, players were reprimanded for failures in their play, according to a jarring report from Radio Free Asia.

This included a damning player-by-player appraisal of individual mistakes in play, provided by the country’s leading sports broadcaster.

More alarmingly, they were accused of “betraying” the country in the “great ideological struggle.”

After the players received their collective rollicking, the team was then forced to round on its coach, Kim Jong-hun.

Things were far worse for Kim.

He was accused of “betraying the young General Kim Jong-un,” the shadowy son of North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il.

Though no adult photos exist of Kim Jong-un, he is thought to be his seriously ill father’s heir apparent. A nascent personality cult is quickly building up around him in North Korea.

When the team first qualified for the World Cup several months ago, the success was chalked up nationwide as “young General Kim Jong-un’s accomplishment.”

The ominous linking of coach Kim with future leader Kim means the soccer manager’s “safety is in jeopardy,” according to RFA.

In recent months, North Korea has executed two top officials – one who oversaw a recent disastrous currency revaluation and another in charge of diplomatic talks with South Korea. Both were subjected to the same sort of accusations of treachery before they faced the firing squad.

Rumours abound that coach Kim has been expelled from the Worker’s Party and forced into the construction industry as a labourer.

11:02 AM

21 Jul 2010

Maurice Edu believes Rangers can prevail in the face of adversity by placing their faith in Walter Smith and his players.

Danny Wilson yesterday became the sixth player to leave Ibrox this summer after concluding a £2m transfer to Liverpool, leaving Rangers with only 15 senior professionals and the new season just three weeks away.

Edu joined up with the rest of the Rangers squad in Australia yesterday, where they will play three matches against Blackburn Rovers, Sydney FC, and AEK Athens, after being granted extended leave following his endeavours with the USA at the World Cup in South Africa.

The Californian hoped new signings would arrive shortly to fill out a lightweight squad, but felt that recent history showed he and his team-mates have what to takes to prosper even in the most trying of circumstances.

“We have a lot of trust in Walter and ourselves and if you don’t have that then you have no chance at success,” he said. “We are able to find ways to overcome different situations so hopefully we can get a couple of new players before the transfer window closes. With a thinner roster, it will also give our younger guys a chance to step up so more players will have an opportunity for more minutes. I’d love to rest a little more but I am really excited to get back to training and earning a starting spot as soon as possible.”

Kevin Thomson’s departure for Middlesbrough has opened up a berth in central midfield and Edu, yet to fully establish himself in a Rangers jersey, hopes to make an impression. “This is a big year for me since I was hurt a good part of the year last year and missed out on the Champions League.

“It’s funny, this is actually my first full pre-season at Rangers because I was at the Olympics my first year before joining the club and then last year I had the injury, so I’m eager to get started.”

Edu was injured when Rangers limped tamely out of the Champions League last season and so is relishing the prospect of his first crack at the tournament this year when Smith’s side again enter at the group phase.

“No doubt that the World Cup is tops for me considering it’s every four years and there are no guarantees about who makes the squad, but the Champions League is a close second,” he added.

“It was disappointing to not play in it last year. The hardest part was watching, being injured knowing I couldn’t be out there helping the team. Just the experience of going up against the likes of Arsenal, Barcelona, Milan or Bayern Munich would be unbelievable. I couldn’t be more excited.”

Edu admits harbouring mixed feelings about how things transpired. “It’s been really good being back home and seeing the reaction from the country,” the 24 year-old told Yanks Abroad. “I think the World Cup was good for soccer in the US and it made some progress so we’re proud of that. But at the same time, we felt like we could have won the Ghana match and made it further so that was disappointing.”

9:09 AM

All-Star roster is set for clash with Manchester Utd

The final All-Star selections were announced on Monday to round out the final 23-man MLS roster for the 2010 AT&T MLS All-Star Game against Manchester United on July 28 at Reliant Stadium in Houston (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2, TeleFutura).

The list of players named today include 11 players picked by MLS All-Star manager Bruce Arena along with his assistant for the game, Dominic Kinnear, and two selections made by Commissioner Don Garber: MLS all-time leading scorer Jaime Moreno (D.C. United) and 2006 US World Cup veteran Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo).

Arena named the following players to his squad: goalkeeper Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake); defenders Kevin Alston (New England Revolution), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Wilman Conde (Chicago Fire) and Heath Pearce (FC Dallas); midfielders Sebastien Le Toux (Philadelphia Union), David Ferreira (FC Dallas), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution) and Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids); as well as forward Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls).

Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman has been forced to withdraw from the event due to injury and has been replaced on the roster.

Arena and his coaching staff will have the freedom to determine the starting lineup based on tactical considerations from the following 23-man roster:

2010 AT&T MLS All-Star Game Roster

Goalkeepers (2): Donovan Ricketts (LA Galaxy), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

Defenders (7): Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Jamison Olave (Real Salt Lake), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Wilman Conde (Chicago Fire), Kevin Alston (New England Revolution)

Midfielders (9): Dwayne De Rosario (Toronto FC), Marco Pappa (Chicago Fire), Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake), Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew), Sebastien Le Toux (Philadelphia Union), David Ferreira (FC Dallas), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids)

Forwards (5): Edson Buddle (LA Galaxy), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)

4:13 PM

Atlanta Beat Wins Its First Road Game, Shuts Out Sky Blue FC
Eniola Aluko got an early goal, and Hope Solo stopped all shots faced, and the Atlanta Beat notched its first road win on Sunday night, beating Sky Blue FC 1-0.
By Giovanni Albanese Jr.
Jul 19, 2010 2:24:00 AM

A seventh-minute goal by Eniola Aluko was all the expansion Atlanta Beat needed to get its first road win in Women’s Professional Soccer. Hope Solo did the rest, saving all four shots that reigning champs Sky Blue FC put on frame to give the Beat a 1-0 win at Yurcak Field in Piscataway, N.J., on Sunday night.

In the previous meeting, Sky Blue FC got the best of Atlanta, beating them 1-0 in the KSU Soccer Stadium opener. Sky Blue FC was outplayed by the Beat, but an own goal and 13 Karen Bardsley saves was enough to prevail on the road.

This time around, Atlanta came with the same offensive pressure, and they benefited from that pressure, early, with the Aluko goal.

“We played a very offensive style tonight and tried to play the ball to feet as much as possible,” said Beat coach Gareth O’Sullivan. “We tried to get forward and get in behind their back four.”

And Aluko did exactly that in the game’s lone goal. Aluko made a perfectly-timed run behind the Sky Blue FC (5-6-3, 18 points) defense, running onto an Angie Kerr through ball, and finishing with great precision past keeper Kristin Luckenbill.

Atlanta (2-7-4, 10 points) continued to put the pressure on for the duration of the first half, but couldn’t figure out a way to beat Luckenbill again, who made five saves on the night.

Despite the loss, Sky Blue FC saw the return of Tasha Kai, who took five shots on the night in her first game since the WPS All-Star Game.

"I always try to play with a lot of energy, and I know that rubs off on my teammates," Kai said. "Unfortunately, we came up short tonight. We had our chances, but we have to do a better job of putting them away."

Sky Blue FC came out in the second half of the game and brought the pressure to Atlanta, but Solo was up to the task. It has been a recurring theme for Sky Blue FC, playing in spurts. On Sunday, the defending champs started slow, and came on strong in the final 45 minutes. It wasn’t enough.

"It was truly a tale of two halves tonight," said Sky Blue FC coach Pauliina Miettinen. "We had trouble getting it going in the first half, but we played with a lot of fire in the second half. What we have to do is get ourselves to play with that type of intensity for the full 90 minutes."

Despite the loss, Sky Blue FC remains in third place in the WPS standings, three points behind Philadelphia and one point ahead of both Washington and Chicago; Atlanta remains in the WPS cellar, six points behind its nearest competitor, Boston.

9:43 AM

International soccer is coming to Atlanta this summer! The Aaron’s International Soccer Challenge will feature Mexico's top team Club America versus the world’s richest club UK's Manchester City at the Georgia Dome on July 28 at 8 p.m.

As part of the Georgia Soccer family, we are pleased to offer you a unique opportunity to attend this match. Tickets start at just $25 and with promo code WORLDCUP, receive 10 percent off and a free upgrade. To get your tickets, visit www.Ticketmaster.com. Purchase by July 21 to take advantage of this great deal!

The Aaron’s International Soccer Challenge will feature the best players from around the globe fresh off this summer’s tournament. The competition will be intense and the excitement is building!

Come early and enjoy the free, fun-filled FanFest courtesy of Chick-fil-A® and Coca-Cola® with interactive games and activities to warm up for the match.

The timing for this international match in Atlanta is ideal. As Atlanta competes to be a host city for the FIFA World Cup™ in 2018 or 2022, this is a great chance for us to show our strength as a soccer town. For more information, visit www.aaronssoccerchallenge.com.

2:36 PM

SECAUCUS, N.J. -- France striker Thierry Henry joined the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday in a multiyear deal.

The 32-year-old former Arsenal and Barcelona player will make his Red Bulls' debut on July 22 in an exhibition against Premier League club Tottenham.

"Some people might think I am going to go there for vacation -- I do actually go there for vacation -- but it won't be for vacation this time," Henry said in a video interview on the club website. "I'm a competitor and I don't like to lose."

Henry was released by Barcelona last month after scoring just four goals last season.

"This marks an exciting new chapter in my career and life," Henry said.

Henry will be introduced at a press conference on Thursday at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.

"Thierry is not only a world class player who will undoubtedly improve our squad, but he has shown most importantly throughout his career that he is a winner," said Erik Soler, general manager and sporting director of the Red Bulls. "He has made it clear to us that he is committed in the short and long term to help in our vision of making our organization the premium franchise in Major League Soccer."

With France, Henry won the World Cup in 1998 and the 2000 European Championship, but sparked outrage last year when his handball during a playoff match helped to deny Ireland a spot at this year's World Cup.

At the finals in South Africa, France went out at the group stage after the team was beset by a player protest.

Henry guided Arsenal to the Premier League title in 2002 and 2004 before leaving in 2007 to join Barcelona, where he won six trophies in 2009 -- the Champions League, the Spanish league, the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Supercup, the UEFA Supercup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

9:21 AM

6:56 am July 13, 2010, by Henry Unger

Call it the St. Louis Scramble.

The last thing that the rookie owner of the women’s pro soccer team in Atlanta needed was for the St. Louis team to fold right before coming here in May for the third home game of the season.
Fitz Johnson

Fitz Johnson

But that’s exactly what Atlanta Beat owner Fitz Johnson faced — a shot to the gut while trying to woo new fans in his team’s inaugural season.

Welcome to the rocky world of women’s pro soccer, a perennial tough sell in America. Marketing women’s basketball is no picnic, but hoops is a considerably bigger draw than soccer.

“You’ve got to become relevant in the sports landscape of Atlanta,” said Johnson, who has invested $2.5 million to try to do that. “It’s extremely hard.”

Even harder, when the league, Women’s Professional Soccer, is shaky. It has gone from nine teams to seven, losing the Los Angeles franchise before the season started.

When St. Louis bailed out right before the Atlanta game, Johnson needed to do some fancy footwork to minimize the damage. He quickly got a minor league team in from Tampa as a substitute, slashed individual ticket prices for the game and told season ticketholders it would be a “bonus game.”

“You get a little dose of reality you didn’t plan for,” Johnson, 46, said. “It’s similar to any start-up. … You can’t know everything going in.”

To his credit, Johnson seems to be a fast learner. He has lined up 33 corporate partners, including WellStar, which gets front billing on the team’s uniform. He speaks to any business, civic, church, sports or youth group that will invite him. And he’s trying to create a family-friendly atmosphere in the new Kennesaw State University soccer stadium — all in the name of providing young girls with more role models and opportunities in the future.

But the former defense contractor, retired army officer and Citadel grad is in for a steep, uphill fight.

He needs to average 5,000 to 6,000 paying fans a game to break even. So far, he said, the average has been in the 3,500 neighborhood. Even when hosting the league’s All-Star game to showcase the best of the best, only 4,610 showed up.

“You’ve got to build it and build it. It takes time,” he said.

The competition for the sports dollar is daunting — Braves, Falcons, Hawks, Thrashers, Bulldogs, Yellow Jackets, Gwinnett Braves and Atlanta Dream. Plus, Georgia State’s new football team will soon start playing in the Dome.

“We have to do more marketing, but it’s expensive,” he said, noting that he is losing more money than he anticipated. “You want to be around for the long haul, so you don’t want to spend it all up front. … I’m still committed to three years and hopefully a lot longer.”

Will the league survive? (The previous one did not.)

Johnson thinks it will, as long as it can maintain at least six teams, which he thinks it can.

For his part, Johnson will be looking for investors in the off-season and trying to boost revenue by organizing other events at the stadium. He also needs to convince youth soccer players in hotbeds like Gwinnett and Fayette that Kennesaw is not located in a foreign land.

“There’s no question it’s extremely difficult and challenging,” Johnson said. “I don’t think anything worth it is ever going to be easy.”

This certainly isn’t.

For instant updates, follow me on Twitter.

9:25 AM

June 28, 2010

ATLANTA, GA –Women’s Professional Soccer took a turn through the schoolyard on Monday evening in downtown Atlanta, letting team captains Marta and Abby Wambach choose up sides for Wednesday night’s league All-Star Game at KSU Soccer Stadium.

The two superstar captains, who finished first and second in the All-Star balloting, divvied up the remaining 20 highest vote-getters to fill out their starting lineups. All-Star head coaches Paul Riley (Philadelphia Independence/Abby XI) and Albertin Montoya (Bay Area FC Gold Pride, Marta XI) consulted on the selections.

As the top vote-getter, Abby XI had the first pick and selected Atlanta Beat goalkeeper Hope Solo. Each side had only 30 seconds to make the selection.

Marta and head coach Montoya followed with the selection of goalkeeper Karen Bardsley (Sky Blue FC). That was followed by the selection of defenders including 2009 WPS Defender of the Year Amy LePeilbet from the Boston Breakers as the third pick. The coaches and captains went through defenders and midfielders sequentially before getting to forwards.

"We're excited. Obviously both teams are very talented and it's going to be entertaining, and that's how it should be,” said Marta XI coach Montoya. “Hopefully both teams will put on a good show for the fans. And with players like this, how can we not?"

"The amount of talent that will be in our locker room tomorrow and Wednesday is fantastic. Obviously we only have one practice ... it's just a matter of natural ability: let them go, roll the ball out there, roll the dice and see what happens,” said Abby XI head coach Riley. “It's an amazing amount of talent on this team, me and Abby just looked at each other and at the list and it really doesn't matter who you pick. We have some fabulous players so hopefully they click together and have a great game."

At the end of the event, Riley held up a hand-written sign that read Abby XI – 7, Marta XI – 5. The challenge was on. Even Marta, who rarely breaks out the English in front of a big crowd announced: “I want to wish good luck to my team!”

The All-Star Reserves were divided between Abby XI and Marta XI prior to the Pick ‘Em Event. Reserves Caroline Seger (ankle) of the Philadelphia Independence and Kate Markgraf (hamstring) of the Chicago Red Stars were late scratches due to injury and not replaced. Television coverage of the 2010 WPS All-Star Game presented by U.S. Coast Guard Reserve begins Wednesday, June 30 at 7:30pm ET on Fox Soccer Channel and will also be webcast at womensprosoccer.com and streamed to iPhones.

Abby XI (green/home; Abby Wambach – Captain, Paul Riley – Head Coach)
Starters
#1 – Hope Solo, GK, Atlanta Beat
#3 – Amy LePeilbet, D, Boston Breakers
#6 – Lori Lindsey, M, Philadelphia Independence
#7 – Shannon Boxx, M, FC Gold Pride
#8 – Tina Ellertson, D, Atlanta Beat
#9 – Eniola Aluko, F, Atlanta Beat
#10 – Heather O’Reilly, M, Sky Blue FC
#11 – Lauren Cheney, F, Boston Breakers
#17 – Lori Chalupny, M, Atlanta Beat
#20 – Abby Wambach, F, Washington Freedom
#84 – Cat Whitehill, D, Washington Freedom

Reserves
#4 – Angie Kerr, M, Atlanta Beat
#14 – Karen Carney, M, Chicago Red Stars
#19 – Kelley O’Hara, F, FC Gold Pride
#21 – Laura Kalmari, M, Sky Blue FC
#66 – Tasha Kai, F, Sky Blue FC
#85 – Jillian Loyden, GK, Chicago Red Stars
Kate Markgraf, D, Chicago Red Stars (injured/not rostered)

Marta XI (white/away; Marta – Captain, Albertin Montoya – Head Coach)
Starters
#1 – Karen Bardsley, GK, Sky Blue FC
#3 – Allison Falk, D, Philadelphia Independence
#4 – Rachel Buehler, D, FC Gold Pride
#7 – Kelly Smith, M, Boston Breakers
#8 – Sonia Bompastor, M, Washington Freedom
#9 – Ramona Bachmann, F, Atlanta Beat
#10 – Marta, F, FC Gold Pride
#12 – Christine Sinclair, F, FC Gold Pride
#13 – Kristine Lilly, M, Boston Breakers
#14 – Brittany Taylor, D, Sky Blue FC
#24 – Aya Miyama, M, Atlanta Beat

Reserves
#5 – Christie Rampone, D, Sky Blue FC
#11 – Becky Sauerbrunn, D, Washington Freedom
#17 – Amy Rodriguez, F, Philadelphia Independence
#18 – Erin McLeod, GK, Washington Freedom
#22 – Alex Scott, D, Boston Breakers
#78 – Cristiane, F, Chicago Red Stars
Caroline Seger, M, Philadelphia Independence (injured/not rostered)

10:09 AM

[REGION III BOYS] Georgia led all state associations with four teams in the boys finals at the U.S. Youth Soccer Region III Championships in Baton Rouge, La. Concorde Fire Elite captured the under-15 title and finished second in the under-16 division.

In the U-17 age group, Alpharetta Ambush Red beat GSA Phoenix Red, 4-1, in an all-Georgia final, scoring three times in the overtime. GSA Phoenix Red is headed to the National Championships as the National League champion.

Concorde's big forward, Cameron Moseley, drove in the winner in the 54th minute to lead it past Mexicas (S-TX), 1-0l in the under-15 final.

Concorde fell to RSL Florida, 2-1 in overtime in the U-16 final.

Triangle United SA Gold was the only team to repeat as champions as they knocked off Edmond OFC, 4-1.

Lonestars Red won the under-14 championship without conceding a goal during the entire tournament.

Under-14 Boys
Lonestar Red (S-TX) 1, Charlotte SA Predator (NC) 0
Goal Scorer: Andrew Lopez (52)

Under-15 Boys
Concorde Fire Elite (GA) 1, Mexicas (S-TX) 0
Goal Scorer: Cameron Moseley (54)

Under-16 Boys
RSL Florida (FL) 2, Concorde Fire Elite (GA) 1
Goals: RSL - Lakota Thomas (42), Travis Jehs (102)
Concorde - Adrian Alabi (68)

Under-17 Boys
Alpharetta Ambush Elite Red (GA) 4, GSA Phoenix Red (GA) 1
Goals: Ambush - Alhagi Toure (76, 117), Karl Chester (95), Jaime Sanclemente (120); GSA - Iain Smith (90)

Under-18 Boys
TUSA Gold (NC) 4, Edmond OFC (OK) 1
Goals: TUSA - Sebastian Garner (45), Robert Lovejoy, III (53, 78), Zabarle Kollie (84)
OFC - Andrew Hall (63)

Under-19 Boys
Andromeda Navy (N-TX) 1, Black Rebels (S-TX) 0
Goal: Alexei Reyes (36)

by Paul Kennedy - Editor in Chief & General Manager of Soccer America Magazine

5:52 PM

Dear Boss,

How are you? I'm fine. Thanks for asking.

Just wanted to let you know to expect a new expense sheet from me when I get home. In addition to my journalistic duties, I have also been seconded as the staff chauffeur for the entire Canadian press corps. Yes, I know. It's a heady responsibility, and far more difficult than writing, but I think I'm ready to take this important step in my career progression.

Why was I chosen? I haven't talked this over at any length with the other guys, but I think it's got something to do with being stupid and ... maybe just stupid.

As you may have heard, the South African roads resemble Mad Max. Or Escape From New York. Sort of half-Mad Max, half-Escape from New York.

First, everybody else on the road is insane. Or, at least, drives as if they are. 'Lane integrity' means nothing to these people. Probably because large sections of the highway have no lanes painted on them.

Second, many of their cars are not what we would consider road worthy. Nor are their driving practices. This occurred to me when we passed a hubcap-less miniature pick-up truck going 120 kph with a pair of matresses stacked on top of the bed. With two guys lying on the mattresses.

Made the long drive to Nelspruit yesterday with Morris Dalla Costa of the Sun papers - four hours in, four hours out. The four hours in were fine. The four hours out felt like four hundred years.

What's the road to Nelspruit like? Pretty. Morris and I agreed that it looked like the Alberta Badlands. If the Alberta Badlands were on fire. From the smokey haze covering the road for all of 350 km, everything on the way to Nelspruit appeared to be on fire.

On the way home, we passed eight - eight - roadside grass fires. Not little, contained fires. These were grass-based forest fires licking the pavement. Any one of them would have caused a 25 km back-up in Toronto and prompted a Royal Commission. Here, nobody took any notice. Who are these grass firebugs? Or is lightning a serious problem?

Eventually, Morris remarked offhandedly, "Oh, there's something you don't see in Africa every day ...something's on fire."

There was also the problem of directions. Our colleague at the Globe, Johannesburg-based Geoff York, advised us to get a GPS while here. Maybe we could give Geoff a little something-something out of the Star slush fund, because that may have been the most valuable advice anyone's ever given me. South Africa's roads were apparently designed by the same guy who put together the Minotaur's place. Nothing makes any sense, and everything involves a 360 degree on-ramp.

Nelspruit undertook a series of improvements ahead of the World Cup. How nice. Sadly, they didn't finish any of them. At one point, our GPS simply ran out of road. Ahead of us, twenty other carloads of people using GPS started making simultaneous, panicked u-turns. It look a little like the Golden Gate Bridge scene out of The Day After Tomorrow.

Morris and I, being experienced Africa hands now, proceeded calmly, counting on the GPS lady to adjust her way out of the problem. Then the highway ended. Just ended. At one point, there was highway. At the next point, there was a 20 foot high wall of dirt. The road was paved and marked right up to and under the wall of earth.

The four hours on the road in the pitch dark were exciting. Especially when people without working headlights or taillights begin trying to overtake at wild speed on an unlit two-lane highway. That concentrated my attention somewhat. Or when the guy pulled over to the shoulder and attempted to make an unsignalled u-turn while fleets of cars whizzed by at 155 kph. That was interesting as well.

Did I tell you we ran out of gas?

Well, not quite. But I admit getting a little impatient at one gas station because all the pumps are attendant-serviced, and there were no attendants. So everybody just sat there waiting. And waiting. And waiting. I lost my head - and drove away. Yes, it was foolish. Morris reminded me.

And suddenly we were on the middle of the pitch-black highway with the fuel warning blinking and Morris starting to emit a low growl like a cat that's sensed a ghost.

But just as we began to mentally prepare ourselves for our nude corpses to be discovered at sunrise on the roadside, we managed to pull into a 24-hour place and refill. So we're still alive.

For now.

I'm going to really appreciate that bonus.

All the best,

Cathal

1:42 PM

11:14 AM

Goal! Ouch! How Boys' and Girls' Injuries Differ
Soccer May Be Safer Than Football, But After Age 12 the Game Heats Up And So Does the Risk of Getting Sidelined

By ISAAC ARNSDORF

It's nearly impossible to tune into the World Cup and not cringe at the knocked heads and kicks to the chest. Concussions, knee injuries and ankle sprains are common in kids' soccer, too, though the sport is still safer than kids' football and rugby.

What's more, girls and boys suffer different types of injuries. Girls are more prone to heat illness and concussions. And in a new study that has puzzled researchers, girls are more likely to tear a ligament on their supporting leg, whereas boys are more prone to injure their dominant leg.

Experts attribute the disparities to different physiologies and styles of play. Some believe girls are simply more forthcoming with their symptoms.
Where Boys and Girls Get Hurt

Soccer injuries in high schoolers. Click to enlarge graphic.
[SOCCER]

Meanwhile, soccer safety regulations and equipment have changed little since the sport was popularized in the U.S. after World War I. Shin guards, for example, have long been required, but years ago were sometimes constructed of cardboard, leather straps or even magazines, says Mark Koski, assistant director of the National Federation of State High School Associations, which oversees high school sports nationwide. In 2008, the NFHS updated its standards for shin guards and now they must be certified by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment.

Efforts to require soccer helmets, notably in Massachusetts, have failed to gain traction.

Orazio Siclari of North Haledon, N.J., has a 14-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son who both play team soccer. His son, Sebastian, has had a few muscle strains. His daughter, Olivia, broke her nose six weeks ago and suffered a concussion while playing last year.

"Fortunately it wasn't that advanced, but it's still disturbing when your kid is saying her head hurts and she doesn't feel good," Mr. Siclari said of Olivia's concussion.

Most injuries, like Olivia's, occur in competitions rather than in practices—3.9 times as many for boys and 4.6 times as many for girls, according to the Center for Injury Research and Policy at National Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. For both genders, about twice as many injuries occur in the second half, when fatigue sets in. No position on the field has been consistently found to be riskier, but about a third of injuries occur at the top of the goal box.

More than eight million American youths play soccer in school and community leagues, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. For the youngest soccer players, injuries are rare and minor because the game is slower and less intense. That all changes after age 12, when the casual players tend to drop out and the onset of puberty amps up the level of play, says Donald Kirkendall, a sports medicine researcher at the University of North Carolina.

That's also when injury patterns diverge for boys and girls, as their bodies begin developing differently.

More boys tend to hurt their ankles, while girls tend to hurt their knees. Studies have found that adolescent girls are four to six times more likely to tear their anterior cruciate ligament, found in the back of the knee, than boys of the same age, according to the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Scientists are not sure why, but believe estrogen makes girls' ligaments looser, and lower levels of testosterone make it harder for girls than boys to build muscle. Also, because girls' muscles are different sizes and proportions compared to boys, Dr. Kirkendall says girls tend to stay more erect when they land, which absorbs less shock and can cause their knees to buckle.

A study published this month in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that boys tend to injure the ACL in their dominant kicking leg, whereas girls are more prone to injuries in their supporting leg. The authors said more research was needed to understand why.

Girls are also more susceptible to heat illness, according to a 10-year study of participants in the Schwan's USA Cup, the largest youth soccer tournament in the Western hemisphere. In the two years when the heat index topped 84 degrees, girls were 1.7 times more likely to suffer heat illness—exhaustion, hyperventilation or cramping—than their male counterparts. (Both years officials shortened playing time, required water breaks and allowed unlimited player substitutions.)

Researchers aren't sure why girls are more likely to suffer concussions, but theorize it's because girls' neck muscles are not as strong or because they are more likely to report their injuries. Most concussions result from collisions with another player, not from heading the ball, says Matthew Grady, a pediatric sports medicine specialist at the Children Hospital of Philadelphia.

Most leagues require players who show symptoms of concussions (such as loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion or balance problems) to be cleared by a medical professional before returning to the field. The practice became an official rule of the NFHS this past school year.

To prevent injuries, teams should stretch and warm up at the beginning of every practice. Coaches and trainers are advised to emphasize correct posture, straight up-and-down jumps, minimal side-to-side movements and soft landings (on the balls of the feet with a bent knee and straight hip). Research has shown that proper training and conditioning can reduce the risk of ACL injury, often by 30%.

9:05 AM