Total Futbol

Messi, Forlan, Drogba, Dempsey, Falcao in Miami!

The list of confirmed players has been released for the World Soccer Masters exhibition match June 23 at Sun Life Stadium, and it reads like a Who's Who of international soccer...Here is the full list. If you haven't gotten tickets yet, you are not a true soccer fan. Tix start at $25 through Ticketmaster or at 305-943-6311. A portion of the proceeds go to Messi's charitable foundation. The coaches will be Fabio Capello and Dunga.

• Lionel Messi - Argentina and Barcelona – World’s best player three years in a row;
• Diego Forlan - Uruguay and Inter Milan - Best player of the 2010 World Cup;
• Didier Drogba - Ivory Coast’s national captain - Former front-man of Chelsea F.C.;
• Diego Milito – Argentina and Inter Milan - Champions League winner;
• Dani Alves  - Brazil and Barcelona -  Two time winner of UEFA cup;
• Lucio - Brazil and Inter Milan – 2006 Brazil national captain;
• Antonio Cassano­ - Italy and AC Milan;
• Alessandro Nesta - Italy - 2006 World Champion;
• Radamel Falcao - Colombia and Atletico Madrid - top scorer of European League;
• Juan Silveira dos Santos - Brazil and AS Roma;
• Gerardo Torrado - Mexico and Cruz Azul;
• Diego Lugano - Uruguay and Paris Saint-Germain;
• Edison Cavani - Uruguay and Napoli;
• Walter Gargano - Uruguay and Napoli;
• Marco Materazzi - Italy’s national team;
• Luis Suarez - Uruguay and Liverpool;
• Jhon Viafara - Colombia and La Equidad;
• Javier Mascherano - Argentina  and Barcelona;
• Ezequiel Lavezzi – Argentina and Napoli;
• Fabio Cannavaro – Italy - 2006 national  captain, participation in four World Cups;
• Clint Dempsey - USA and Fulham;
• Jozy Altidore - USA and AZ Alkmaar;
• Carlos Bocanegra - USA and Rangers F.C. – National team captain;
• Ariel Ortega – Argentina and Defensores de Belgrano;
• Marek Hamsik – Slovakia and Napoli;
• Pablo Daniel Osvaldo – Argentina and AS Roma;
• Guillermo Ochoa  - Mexico and  Ajaccio –  Goalie;
• Andre Santos – Brazil and Arsenal;
• James Rodriguez – Colombia and F.C. Porto;
• Martin Demichelis – Argentina and Malaga;
• José Salomón Rondón – Venezuela and Málaga;
• José Manuel Pinto -  Spain and FC Barcelona, and
• Julio Cesar - Brazil and Inter Milan – Goalie.

Poll: Should MLS be embarrassed?

Bad night for MLS

Tuesday night is one MLS executives surely would like to forget.

Seven MLS teams were eliminated from the US Open Cup by 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th division clubs. No, the MLS teams didn't all field their best players, but still. For a league trying to convince fans it is the best soccer America has to offer, Tuesday's results won't help. In fact, many fans were Tweeting that perhaps a pyramid relegation system, like they use in other parts of the world, might be a good idea if the NASL and USL teams can knock off seven MLS teams in one night.

Here are the results:

Carolina Railhawks d. LA Galaxy 2-1

San Antonio Scorpions d. Houston 1-0

Minnesota Stars d. Real Salt Lake 3-1

Dayton Dutch Lions d. Columbus Crew 2-1

Charlotte Eagles d. Dallas FC 2-0

Harrisburg City Islanders d. NE Revolution on PKs after 3-3 regulation

Michigan Bucks d. Chicago Fire 3-2

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers led the San Jose Earthquakes through 63 minutes, but wound up losing 2-1. Great effort by the Strikers. Definitely earned some respect across the country.

Big game tonight: USA vs. Brazil! 8 p.m. ESPN2. I plan to park myself on the sofa with my family, and switch back and forth between Heat game and soccer.

Question: What do you conclude from Tuesday's US Open Cup results? Share your thoughts.

Strikers win 7-2! Earthquakes next!

The Ft. Lauderdale Strikers beat the PDL's Fresno Fuego 7-2 last night at Lockhart Stadium in the second round of the US Open Cup (the American version of the FA Cup). Aly Hassan had a hat trick, Polo Morales added a pair of goals, Mark Anderson and Walter Restrepo also scored. The Strikers travel to Stanford, Calif., May 29 for the third-round match against the MLS San Jose Earthquakes.

Here are scoring details from last night's match, courtesy of the Strikers...

Aly Hassan opened the scoring with his first goal on the night shortly before the halftime whistle. The forward was the quickest to react to a cross from Darnell King that bobbled off a couple of defenders around the six yard box.

Justin Finch equalized for the Fuego in the 54th, but it was all downhill for the Fresno-based side after. Just three minutes later, Hassan restored the Strikers' lead, scoring the first of six unanswered goals. Scott Lorenz delivered an inswinging free kick to the back post that was met by the towering forward to make it 2-1.

The Strikers capitalized on another free kick opportunity in the 61st. From the left side of the box, Mark Anderson beat Gilbert Vera at the near post with a 30 yard free kick. The goal was Anderson's third goal in the last four matches.

Hassan completed his second hat-trick of the season in the 69th minute, in a rather unspectacular fashion. Nickardo Blake beat his marker on the right and cut the ball back for Anderson to shoot, however the Englishman's shot was unintentionally blocked by his teammate Hassan. The forward turned and poked the ball past Vega for his sixth goal in all competitions this season.

At 4-1 with just thirteen minutes left, the game looked out of Fresno's reach. But the Strikers weren't done yet, Restrepo increasing the Strikers lead further, rounding the keeper and slotting the ball to the far corner.

Tyler Reinhart pulled a consolation goal back for the Fuego in the 86th but again the Strikers would bounce back. Polo Morales scored his first two goals of the year in the final minutes of the game, crushing any hopes Fresno had of a dramatic comeback, and setting up a date for the Strikers against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Miami tops Champions League TV ratings

Which US city had the highest TV ratings on Fox for Chelsea's dramatic Champions League final win over Bayern Munich? MIAMI, of course.

1. (tie) Miami, Austin (TX) 2.6

2. Dallas 2.2

3. (tie) Washington DC, New York City 2.1

Some people have already e-mailed me saying it is perplexing that a city that consistently tops US TV ratings for international soccer hasn't been a hotbed for MLS and Strikers struggle to draw. I don't find it perplexing. Au contraire. This is a very soccer-savvy market. People here devour the World Cup, Champions League, La Liga, EPL. They know who the world's top players are, and their children wear those jerseys around town more than they wear Dolphin jerseys (I see it in my daughter's middle school..when it's jersey day, way more kids wear Barca, Real Madrid, ManU jerseys than NFL or MLB. Only Heat competes). Now that there is SO MUCH European and South American soccer on TV, fans here would rather watch their favorite teams and stars on TV than sit in a local stadium and watch teams and players they don't identify with. Soccer snobs? Perhaps. But it is what it is. For MLS to work here, my opinion, needs to be the right owner, with a 25,000-seat high-quality soccer-specific stadium in Miami, and some star players to get people excited. 

In other soccer news Tuesday, beINsports USA, Al Jazeera's new US soccer broadcasting arm, is reporting that it hired veteran broadcaster Phil Schoen, who had been doing LaLiga games for GOL-TV since 2003. Other big names are expected to follow, both English and Spanish-speaking.

beINsports will own rights to LaLiga, Serie A and Ligue 1...and don't be surprised if they go after English Premier League next. Question is whether they'll get cable contracts done in time for August 1 launch.

Their broadcast center will be in Miami, at Imagina studios. Stay tuned...GOL, FOX, ESPN certainly paying close attention.

Reminder: Tonight, 7:30 p.m., Lockhart Stadium: Ft. Lauderdale Strikers vs. Fresno Fuego in US Open Cup second round. Winner goes to Stanford, Calif. May 29 to face MLS San Jose Earthquakes.

Drogba, Chelsea, Strikers, etc...

Monday Musings...

1. WOW! How else to describe the ending of that Champions League final? No score for 83 minutes, then two goals, Didier Drogba has a chance to win it for Chelsea in extra time, doesn't, but winds up hero of the day with the clinching PK in one of the most dramatic CL finals in history. So, Chelsea -- 6th place in Premier League -- wins the Champions League title, and in doing so, earns automatic berth in next year's CL, and relegates fourth-place Tottenham to the Europa League. Did you watch? What are your thoughts? Do you like the PK system or should they keep playing for a golden goal?

2. For the second year in a row, South Florida fans will get to see the Champions League winner up close! Chelsea plays AC Milan in a July 28 friendly at Sun Life Stadium. Tickets on sale through Ticketmaster. Also, on June 23, Lionel Messi, Didier Drogba, Diego Forlan, Falcao are among the stars playing at Sun Life in the World Soccer Masters tour.

3. Tuesday night, the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers host the Fresno (Calif.) Fuego in the second round of the US Open Cup (our version of FA Cup). The Fuego is an amateur team made up primarily of college players. They play in the USL-Premier Development League and last year topped their division with a 13-0-3 record. They were riding a 28-game regular-season unbeaten streak before losing 3-1 to OC Blue Star this past Saturday night. The Strikers (2-3-3) are coming off a 3-1 home loss to the Minnesota Stars. Winner of Tuesday's match plays the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS next week in Stanford, Calif.

Chelsea vs. AC Milan in Miami! July 28!

Circle July 28 on your calendar. Chelsea and AC Milan are coming to Sun Life Stadium as part of the World Football Challenge.

Last summer's Barcelona vs. Chivas match was such a huge success (71,000 fans) that big-time international soccer is coming back.

Tickets start at $29 and go on sale THIS Thursday, May 10, through Ticketmaster. Kickoff for the match is 6 p.m.

“Miami is a soccer hotbed,” said Mike Dee, CEO of the Miami Dolphins. “This announcement continues the tradition of bringing world-class events to our facility.”

Chelsea has never played here. AC Milan last played here against the Colombian national team in 1994 in front of 57,000 fans.

 

 

 

 

LIVE from Mexico v. Colombia!

Hola from Sun Life Stadium, where there is a World Cup-like atmosphere for the 8 p.m. Mexico v. Colombia match. Between 40,000-50,000 expected. Fans from both teams decked out in flags, wigs, body paint, sombreros, wrestling masks, and team jerseys. Lots of Chicharito and Falcao shirts.

Will Ferrell is here promoting upcoming movie, Casa de mi Padre, and drew a HUGE cheer from the crowd when he yelled: "Chicharito!'' into the microphone at midfield. He clearly knows how to win over the Mexican audience.

300 reporters credentialed. Should be fun.

Breaking news: they just handed out the lineups. Here you go...

Mexico: Ochoa, Marquez, Moreno, Perez, Salcido, Guardado, J Dos Santos, Barrera, Zavala, Chicharito, G Dos Santos.

Colombia: Ospina, Armero, Zuniga, Perea, Mosquera, Sanchez, Rodriguez, Cuadrado, Ramirez, Falcao, Pabon.

On an unrelated note: Can you believe USA beat Italy 1-0? Clint Dempsey on fire.

As expected, Chicharito and Falcao get loudest cheers during introductions. 

GOOOOOOOL! Colombia! 37th Minute. Falcao scores when Pabon's shot ricochets off Mexican GK Ochoa's gloves. Colombia 1, Mexico 0.

HALFTIME: Colombia 1, Mexico 0

60th minute: GOOOOOL! Colombia again. Cuadrado, on beautiful cross by Armero. COL 2, MEX 0. Coach Jose Pekerman a hero in first game. Yellow-clad Colombian fans singing Ole-Ole Ole!

Crowd of 51,615 is second-largest for soccer at Sun Life behind 71,000 for Barca-Chivas last August.

Mexico-Colombia tix up to 35,000

Ticket sales are approaching 35,000 for Wednesday's Mexico vs. Colombia friendly at Sun Life Stadium (8 p.m.) Club level is sold out, lower bowl almost sold out. Fans invited to get there at 4 p.m. for Futbol Fiesta, a 120,000 square-foot interactive festival with games, vendor booths, legend autographs, etc...

Chicharito is Coming to Miami!

Chicarito is coming! Chicharito is coming!

Mexican National Team Head Coach Jose Manuel “Chepo” de la Torre announced the list of European and U.S.-based players on Mexico’s roster for the friendly against Colombia on Wednesday, February 29 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami (8 p.m.)

El Tri’s roster includes Manchester United star forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, Deportivo La Coruña's Andres Guardado, New York Red Bulls defender Rafa Márquez, and brothers Jonathan Dos Santos of FC Barcelona and Giovani Dos Santos of Tottenham.

Many of the seats in the lower bowl are sold. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster, the stadium box office and local soccer stores.