Chicago Sun-Times

U.S. team seeks Gold Cup No. 5 where it won No. 4

Thu, 29 Aug 2013 19:52:10 -0500

Soldier Field again hosts the CONCACAF Gold Cup final Sunday, with the United States facing Panama. The last time Soldier Field hosted the regional soccer federation’s biennial tournament, it was 2007 and the United States beat Mexico 2-1 in front of a sold-out crowd of 60,000 to win a second consecutive Gold Cup and its most recent of four overall. Since its opening match, a 6-1 victory against Belize, the United States has shown itself to be the dominant team, outscoring opponents 19-4 in five games. It advanced to its ninth final with a 3-1 victory Wednesday against Honduras at …

Chicago Sting Twitter launched, but ex-owner denies comeback

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 23:35:41 -0500

The Chicago Sting is back! On Twitter, that is. It seems some nostalgic-types (read anti-Fire fans) started tweeting on Wednesday from @Chicago_Sting with the bio: “Chicago’s true football club. MIA since 1988. Some think it’s maybe time to make a comeback. Chicago’s footballing dreams” When contacted about a possible return, former Sting owner Lee Stern, who led the team to NASL championships in 1981 and 1984, told the Sun-Times he had no intentions. However, he did say the NASL had sought his advice about running a team in Chicago. Stern told them the biggest struggle is securing a facility. NASL …

Soccer-loving pope meets world-class stars

Tue, 13 Aug 2013 09:39:08 -0500

Pope Francis cheered fellow Argentine Lionel Messi and other soccer stars Tuesday as he held a morality-focused pep rally of sorts at the Vatican for Argentina and Italy’s national teams ahead of their eagerly awaited friendly match.

Mexico beats Trinidad & Tobago 1-0 to advance to Gold Cup semifinals

Sat, 20 Jul 2013 22:44:30 -0500

ATLANTA — Mexico coach Jose Manuel De La Torre knows there’s only so much he can do to please his critics. A narrow win over Trinidad and Tobago might rekindle concerns about his job security, but De La Torre was not interested in discussing his future or his team’s perceived struggles. When a reporter asked De La Torre if he thought this was a weak victory, the coach was quick to respond. “You don’t like it? We saw a different game,” De La Torre said. “That’s what I can tell you. Every time we win, we have to enjoy it. …

NU great Matt Eliason scores highlight-reel goal in Messi game

Thu, 08 Aug 2013 07:15:22 -0500

With world-class players such as Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry playing in the Messi & Friends charity game Saturday at Soldier Field, no one thought the highlight would come from a former Northwestern star working in finance. But Matt Eliason, the Wildcats’ all-time leading scorer, provided the most memorable moment on his goal in the 28th minute of a 9-6 victory by Messi & Friends over the Rest of the World. Eliason, playing for the World, chested down a chip from Henry and — before the ball hit the ground —made good contact with a bicycle kick that beat Messi …

Messi in messy tax suit

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:02:00 -0500

MADRID — A state prosecutor for the northeastern region of Catalonia has lodged a lawsuit against Lionel Messi for fraud in unpaid income tax amounting to 4 million euros ($5.3 million). The complaint, signed by prosecutor Raquel Amado, has been submitted for trial at the courthouse in Gava, the upscale Barcelona district where the Argentina forward lives. The document, presented to the court on Wednesday, brings a lawsuit against Barcelona star Messi and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi. Both are accused of three offenses against the public purse for allegedly defrauding more than 4 million euros ($5.3 million) in income …

David Beckham to retire from soccer at end of season

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:20:00 -0500

LONDON — David Beckham says he is retiring from soccer at the end of the season. The 38-year-old Beckham recently won a league title in a fourth country with Paris Saint-Germain. He has become a global superstar since starting his career at Manchester United. Beckham says he is “thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level.” Beckham also played for Real Madrid and the Los Angeles Galaxy, winning titles with both those clubs as well as with United. On the international …

Alex Ferguson to retire with Manchester United

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:38:01 -0500

Alex Ferguson is retiring at the end of the season, bringing a close to a trophy-filled career of more than 26 years at Manchester United that established him as the most successful coach in British football history.

Soccer ref in critical condition after being punched by teenager

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:04:01 -0500

TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — A Salt Lake City man who was serving as a referee in a recreational football game in Taylorsville is in critical condition after being punched by a teenager. Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal says the attack happened over the weekend during a game held at Eisenhower Junior High School. Hoyal says the 46-year-old referee apparently made a call against the suspect, who lashed out with a single punch to the man’s face. Hoyal says the victim was taken to the hospital with what appeared to be minor injuries, but doctors found the injury was much more severe. …

Chicago women’s pro soccer team to play in Lisle

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:38:00 -0500

The Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League will play at the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex. The team is moving into professional soccer this season after two years of semi-professional seasons. The Red Stars will play at the suburban Chicago location for its first professional season. The team includes Olympic medalists and players from the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The facility will accommodate 3,600 spectators. The first game is Saturday against the Seattle Reign. …

Scoreless Fire still figuring things out

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:15:47 -0500

Despite its obvious struggles to score, the Fire doesn’t appear to be panicking. But that doesn’t mean the team isn’t considering immediate change. Coach Frank Klopas likes to play a compact style, which dictates that the team score most of its goals using counterattacks and combination plays. But without a goal through two games, some have considered making a tactical change in advance of the game Saturday at Sporting Kansas City. “Honestly, we need to figure out what kind of style we want to play as a team,” forward Chris Rolfe said. “We just need to get everybody on the …

CONCACAF Gold Cup final at Soldier Field

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 23:01:38 -0500

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football announced Wednesday in Chicago that the 2013 Gold Cup final will be held at Soldier Field on July 28.

Brazilian goalkeeper Bruno gets 22 years for killing ex-girlfriend

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:26:01 -0500

SAO PAULO — Former Flamengo goalkeeper Bruno was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend and sentenced to more than 22 years in prison on Friday. In a trial that made front-page headlines across Brazil, the jury of five women and two men in Minas Gerais found Bruno guilty of ordering the killing of model Eliza Samudio, whose body has never been found amid allegations that she was dismembered and her remains were fed to dogs. Bruno also was convicted of holding hostage their young son. Defense lawyers told local media they already expected a conviction but would appeal. The goalkeeper had …

Source: Fire to acquire Dilly Duka and Robbie Rogers

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 15:29:38 -0500

The Fire and Columbus Crew agreed to terms on a trade Saturday morning that sent striker Dominic Oduro to Columbus in exchange for midfielder Dilly Duka and the MLS rights to Robbie Rogers, an MLS source told the Sun-Times. The Fire is expected to announce the deal by Monday. Duka, 23, is a highly-regarded American outside midfielder expected to eventually make an impact with the national team. He played in 20 games for the Crew in a 2012 season that was derailed by hamstring and ankle injuries. Rogers, 25, amassed 13 goals and 16 assists in five seasons while in …

U.S. women’s soccer team tires but ties Germans

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 06:54:21 -0500

The U.S. women’s national team admittedly wasn’t very sharp in its 1-1 exhibition draw Saturday against Germany, the world’s second-ranked team, at Toyota Park. After a game in which the Americans failed to capitalize on a host of chances, they were bitter about the result against a German team in its peak training phase in advance of the European Championship in 2013. But the tie did little to affect the team’s confidence, especially that of outspoken U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo. “We’re still the best team in the world, deservedly so,” Solo said. “But, yeah, we’ve been on a bit of …

U.S. women’s soccer team to face Germany at Toyota Park

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 06:13:55 -0500

The U.S. women’s soccer team and the German national team are in different phases of training. The American women are coming off their gold-medal triumph at the London Olympics and just resumed training again, while the Germans have been preparing for the European Championship in 2013. Still, the U.S. women aren’t looking for any excuses heading into their exhibition Saturday at Toyota Park against Germany, which is ranked second in the world behind the Americans. “Our standard is and always will be winning; anything less than that will be a failure,” forward Abby Wambach said. “That being said, we have …