Total Futbol

U.S. Open Cup resumes

Yes, it's been two weeks since your Miami FC Blues were bounced by Charleston, but if you'd still like to follow along with the happenings in the national soccer tournament, here's the place to do it.

Match previews and Tuesday's scoreboard.

Another take: Soccer to remain fringe sport in U.S.

From Greg Cote today:

Soccer fans in this country, like Jehovah's Witnesses, have an evangelical bent to them, always trying to get the message out, to convince, to convert. It is they who obviously have seen the light and would enlighten the rest of us if given half a chance.

So I draw the shade when I see them coming up the walk to my front door.

The soccer fans, I mean.

Read on, soccer fans, if you dare ...

Miami No. 1 TV market for US-Brazil!!

The  national overnight rating for U.S. vs. Brazil is a 2.74 average ... top ten markets below:

 

MIAMI-FT.LAUD 5.67

Las Vegas 4.28

New York 4.23

West Palm Beach 3.65

Hartford/New Haven 3.64

Atlanta 3.5

Richmond 3.46

Washington DC 3.45

San Francisco 3.35

San Diego 3.30

Reaction from ConfedCup Final

Anybody else down in the dumps today? How could you not be after the U.S. being this close to completing the most improbable title run ever, only to have it snatched away. Here are other thoughts from around the sporting world ...

There's no shame in second-place for U.S.

U.S. Lets Confederations Cup Slip Away

Steven Goff: USA-Brazil Rewind

The Shattered Myth of Western European Supremacy

Soccer, Wimbledon style!

The U.S. is playing Brazil in the Confederations Cup final, and you are at Wimbledon...what's a sportswriting girl to do??? Answer: Head into town and look for a pub.

That's what I did yesterday, and found a small collection of US fans watching the match at a place called The Common Room. Brad Gilbert was in there, watching intently.

Couldn't believe my eyes when the US led 2-0...and then Brazil became Brazil...still, no shame in beating Egypt and Spain and losing to Brazil in a hard-fought final. Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Oguchi Onyewu, Jay DeMerit looked like big-time players all week...entire team surely gained confidence heading into runup to World Cup...now, they have to QUALIFY!

OK, back to yellow fuzzy balls...Roger Federer and Serena Williams on court.

Yours in Soccer,

Michelle

Heartbreak in Johannesburg

From AP:

Lucio scored a late goal to give Brazil a 3-2 win over the upstart United States and a second straight Confederations Cup title Sunday.

The Brazil captain headed in a corner from Elano in the 84th minute to help the five-time world champions hold off a spirited American team that had taken a 2-0 lead at halftime.

Luis Fabiano scored two goals in the second half to put Brazil back in the match after Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan had given the Americans the lead.

Brazil, which won its third Confederations Cup title, looked like a beaten team in the first half, creating little and being constantly stymied by the United States defense and goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Quick hitters from South Africa

I'm on USA Volleyball duty this weekend, but thought I'd pass along a couple of stories on Sunday's Confederations Cup final.

FYI, I'll be liveblogging the big game at Fritz & Franz Bierhaus at 60 Merrick Way in Coral Gables. Come out and say hello.

The headlines

Another upset? US must find a way to stop Brazil

U.S. players Onyewu, Adu feel at home in Africa

Upstate New York college coach faces sex charges

As an alumnus of Syracuse University, this story from AP caught my eye. Le Moyne is the Salt City's other school, and apparently, its soccer coach has been up to no good.

Read on:

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The former women's soccer coach at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., is facing additional sex abuse charges after two more girls came forward claiming inappropriate behavior.

State police say 28-year-old James Riverso is now charged with 18 more counts, including sex abuse and disseminating indecent material to minors.

Investigators say he sent sexually explicit messages and photos to the victims' cell phones over several months. He's also accused of having a physical relationship with the teenage girls he coached in a youth soccer league.

Riverso resigned as Le Moyne coach after he was arrested last month on charges he sent sexual messages and photos to a 16-year-old girl.

Troopers could not say if Riverso has a lawyer. He's due in court next Thursday.

Final set: Brazil vs. United States

If the Americans want to be the best of the Confederations Cup, they've got to beat the best in the tournament: Brazil.

The Brazilians get a late goal from Daniel Alves to squeak past South Africa 1-0 and into the final.

Much more to come, but for now, here's the scoreboard.

Gold Cup roster set

While the Americans very may take home their first FIFA title Sunday in the Confederations Cup final, they'll need to rely on some vastly different players to defend their Gold Cup crown.

The CONCACAF tournament, which begins next week and includes a July 10 doubleheader at FIU Stadium, follows qualifying and Confederations Cup matches too closely for the United States to use its top players.

Instead, Bob Bradley will mix Freddy Adu, Brian Ching, and a few other familiar faces with a largely untested group.

The roster, courtesy of The Sports Network:

Goalkeepers: Jon Busch (Chicago Fire), Troy Perkins (IK Start), Luis Robles (FC Kaiserslautern).

Defenders: Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Jay Heaps (New England Revolution), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaellands), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock).

Midfielders: Davy Arnaud (Kansas City Wizards), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Colin Clark (Colorado Rapids), Sam Cronin (Toronto FC), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Logan Pause (Chicago Fire), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew).

Forwards: Freddy Adu (AS Monaco), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Santino Quaranta (D.C. United).