Our beloved USWNT defender Ali Krieger is finally back with the national team!! In honor of her return, I’d like to take us back to the 2011 Women’s World Cup quarterfinal match between the USWNT and Brazil. And what a match it was!

One last shot to win the game

July 10, 2011 marked the 12th anniversary of the USWNT win over China for the championship. Two of the world’s powerhouse teams in female soccer met for an epic quarterfinal game: Brazil vs the USA. The clash started quickly as an own goal by Daiane gave the US a head start.

It wasn’t until the second half when things really started to heat up. Rachel Buelher was sent off with a straight red and Marta was awarded a penalty kick. Uh oh! But then Hope Solo saved it! Only to be shown a yellow for coming off her line early. Marta made sure her retake landed in the back of the net.

As the seconds ticked by, neither team could break the deadlock even with the US playing a man down. The ref blew the whistle and off the game went into extra time! Talk about stressful. Almost immediately at the start of extra time, Marta scored a golazo putting Brazil in the winning position. But then came one of the most epic goals I have ever seen. Oh yes, that goal. Abby Wambach’s 121st minute header off a cross from Megan Rapinoe. The game was tied yet again. And we were headed to a penalty shootout.

I cannot stand shootouts. My nerves simply cannot handle the pressure. But I forced myself to watch as Boxx, Cristiane, Lloyd, Marta and Wambach all buried their shots. Then everything changed. Hope Solo, our last defense, saved Daiane’s shot. Suddenly, we were in a position to win it all. Then both Rapinoe and Francielle scored theirs.

It was all down to Ali Krieger. And here’s what happened:

Jubilation! Exhilaration! Chaos! So many emotions!! Ali Krieger saved the day and carried the USWNT on to the semifinals. (Sadly, our wonderful USWNT would lose to Japan in the final on pks, but that’s not the point.) I just remember screaming my voice hoarse and collapsing on the couch, exhausted from the nervousness. It was such a beautiful scene to see as our girls ran and jumped into each other arms in excitement!

Sadly, in the process of helping the USWNT qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics, Ali Krieger suffered a horrendous injury. Both her ACL and MCL were torn in a collision during the game against the Dominican Republic. As such, a year long rehab period saw Ali miss out on the gold medal this past summer. But time heals everything and this past week saw Ali suit up for the USWNT for the first time in year.

We all love Ali, especially her teammates. The best part? How they welcomed her home:

Hey footy fans and HAPPY NEW YEAR’S EVE! Wow, 2012 has been pretty crazy, hasn’t it? I honestly can’t believe it’s over! We’ve had a lot of changes around here and there’s been a lot that’s happened in Major League Soccer and all around the world. So, to close out the year, the ladies of Aerys Soccer will take you back and share with you our favorite stories, games, events and more from this past year!

Toni Stone: Arsenal and DC United writer

Theirry Henry makes Arsenal history January 2012 with first appearance as a Gunner since 2007

When my editor Trista Lutgring asked me to write about my favorite soccer memory of 2012, one immediately popped into my head.  It was in early January, just after the transfer window had closed.  Not surprisingly, my favorite team Arsenal had not made a single trade despite a poor start to their season. But there was a silver lining to the new year.  The club borrowed a player on loan from the New York Redbulls.  That player was none other than the Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry. It was Henry’s first appearance as a player at Emirates Stadium and a who’s who guest list filled the stands to witness the historic event.  Even David Beckham, an obvious Manchester United former player and fan, was in attendance with his three boys in tow (one of which is an Arsenal fan).

Prior to writing this, I honestly didn’t remember that Arsneal played Leeds that night, or that it was an FA Cup match.  I do remember however, that Henry didn’t start, but when he stood up to warm up, it felt like the entire stadium took in a giant breath and held it.  All eyes widened and even the cameramen found it difficult to pull the camera away from the sidelines and follow match play. As the superstar striker came on to a standing ovation, the anticipation was so high, I look back now and realize that what was expected from him was too much pressure to put on any human.  Fortunately for all of us, Henry is no ordinary human. He touched the ball once maybe twice in the nearly eight minutes he was on the pitch, with fans standing and singing his praises the entire time.  Then Alex Song made a beautiful pass, which Thierry touched once to settle and once more to fire into the upper right corner of the net.

The adrenaline that must have been pumping through that man was contagious.  I can recall his reaction to that goal as if I were watching it in front of me, but I just watched a few thousand Youtube videos to hear the crowd celebrating with him, and well, just because. In his revelry, he ran around the edge of the stadium with his arms outstretched.  He made a quick pit stop to hug his mentor, Arsene Wenger, then continued the festivities along with everyone else wearing a red Arsenal jersey.  That moment was an incredible rush and an inspiring shot in the arm the team needed at that point in the season. Henry’s first appearance as an Arsenal player in many years concluded with a game-winning goal (1-0) and an historic night for all.  Thank you Thierry Henry (and Trista for prompting me to rememeber), for a tremendous 2012 soccer memory.

Tamara Rinehart: La Liga and Seattle Sounders writer

It’s been a crazy year in the football world and naming just one specific moment that stood out for me was tremendously difficult. First off, Real Madrid becoming La Liga champions and Spain winning Euro 2012 was pretty spectacular and a feat for future countries to compete with. But it was a match in Seattle on June 7th that caught me eye (hell, it even made me tear up a bit!)

Alyssa Olszewski: San Jose Earthquakes writer

There were several hugely exciting moments for the San Jose Earthquakes this past season. Ground was broken on their new stadium, the Supporters’ Shield was won, and there was no shortage of drama between the Quakes and their sworn rivals down in Southern California. However, one of my favorite moments came relatively early on in the season, when the Quakes played the Columbus Crew at Buck Shaw Stadium May 19. Columbus had gone up in the 47th minute thanks to a goal by Justin Meram. Crew keeper Andy Grunebaum made some massive saves, including a Wondo penalty kick, and it seemed San Jose was destined to end their unbeaten-at-Buck-Shaw streak earlier than hoped.

Then Gordon Time happened. This was the season of last-minute results for the Earthquakes, and Alan Gordon scored a disproportionate share of those late goals. He came on as a sub in this game in the 60th minute, but, true to form, waited until the 90th minute to score. And what a beauty it was. His first shot clanged off the crossbar but he followed the rebound, completely laying out his massive frame to beat the keeper with an acrobatic half volley.

The stadium erupted, Gordon was tackled by his teammates, and the Quakes managed to hold on for the remaining minutes of extra time to secure a draw.

Terry Munoz: English Premier League writer

The beginning of the 2011-12 EPL season started off great for my club, Manchester City. They were at the top of the table and it looked like the league was ours. Then in the middle of the season, City was no longer playing they way they had at the beginning of the year and Manchester United was at the top of the table, eight points ahead. Somehow, though, City was able to catch up and by the last match day, City and United were tied at the top of the table. The last match, against Queens Park Rangers, was a must win for City.  A loss or draw would mean that United would win the league. Rooney scored the goal for United, but City had also scored. However, QPR equalized much to the disappointment of City fans (and excitement of United fans).

QPR then scored another goal and were winning 2-1. With less than 10 minutes to go, United was winning against Sunderland and City was losing against QPR. Roberto Mancini decided it was time to sub in Edin Dzeko, who then scored for City in the last remaining minutes of the match. This wasn’t enough though. City would need one more goal if they wanted to win their first league title in 40-plus years. Kun Aguero came to the rescue when he scored the winning goal in extra time. City fans everywhere (including myself) were in shock, but excited and thrilled to see City win the league. Supporters of other clubs were also happy, they had wanted anyone but United to win the league. That match was one of the most exciting matches of the season for me, as a City fan, and a very memorable moment for 2012.

Kristian Russell: LA Galaxy writer

Oh man… Picking my favorite LA Galaxy moment this season is easier said than done! So I’ve narrowed it down to two; beating San Jose in the playoffs and winning the MLS Cup again. Beating San Jose was nothing short of epic. LA went in as the underdogs and came out the team to beat on the road to the cup. It was something of a dream! Winning the MLS Cup again was the icing in the cake to the whole season. The way the boys went from last in the league, to the best gave me cold chills… And it’s still does to this day! 2012 was a great season for LA, and 2013 will be right up there with it.

Frances Sullivan: La Liga writer

There were many candidates for my best moment of 2012. From living in Brazil for the Euros to Real Madrid winning their 32nd La Liga title, from watching the USMNT defeat Mexico in the Azteca Stadium to attending my first MLS game (Dallas vs LA), 2012 was a packed year. Nevertheless, I’m going to have to say the USWNT semifinal game against Canada in the Olympics takes the cake this year. I got to watch the game with a bunch of university friends on a giant screen. The thrill of enduring Christine Sinclair scoring three times against the U.S. and watching our girl come back each time was exhilarating! I was barely breathing by the time Alex Morgan’s header crossed the line four minutes into injury time after extra time was already exhausted. I was freaking out! I totally thought the game was going to penalty kicks. Whew! What. A. Game.

Liz Johnsen: Real Salt Lake writer

Late in the season, Real Salt Lake were playing DC United, and it was defiantly not a game for fair weather fans. Someone in Utah must have infuriated Mother Nature, because the rain and wind were vicious – so bad that the ref called a weather delay not even 20 minutes into the game, after an unsettlingly large lightning strike shook the building. But I like to think that’s how all other teams view the RioT when they come play here! I happened to be taking one of my friends who had never been to a game before, and who was skeptical that soccer was entertaining in the slightest way, shape, or form. We had an hour and a half to kill before the storm passed and the game started again, so I began telling her about everything Real Salt Lake and gave her the unofficial tour of the soggy stadium.

The Supporters Section drunks were great entertainment for us as they formed a dance circle (which in this case ended up being more of a who-could-make-dance-motions-the-longest-without-falling-over-circle), and sang some not so PG rated songs. I was shocked when my friend showed some interest in the team and asked about my favorite player, Will Johnson, and some other players who she had heard me talk about in the past. By the time the game had started again, and she was standing, and singing, and having a great time. She even picked out a favorite player! I kept telling her not to worry that the score was 0-0, and that Will would come through and score. It was really crazy because he actually did! Whenever I say someone is going to score, they usually never do, so of course calling that my favorite player would score the game winner was great, but by converting a baseball fan into a soccer fan, I felt accomplished and everyone went home happy. Except for maybe DC United… They just went home wet.

Trista Lutgring: Editor, Columbus Crew and USMNT writer

Okay, so wow. When I issued this assignment, I didn’t even take a second to think about what I would deem my favorite moment of 2012. There were so many around the league, with the United States Men’s National Team and well, just all over the world! But once I got to thinking about it, the Crew fan in me would only let me choose one moment.

Aug. 15, 2012. It was a game against the LA Galaxy that held a lot more meaning than the usual match ups between the Crew and the west-coast team. A week prior to that game, our rookie midfielder Kirk Urso died for reasons unknown at the time. A promising talent from the University of North Carolina, Kirk had played six games for the Crew, starting five of them. As fans, we were excited about his presence on the team. He was hard working, had talent and, more importantly, had a great, promising future with us. I never met Kirk, I didn’t know him personally and never got to sit at Crew Stadium and watch him take the pitch. But to this day, it still gets me that the Crew Nation lost Kirk just as we were getting to know him.

And Columbus didn’t mourn alone. Major League Soccer and its teams grieved with us. It was the first time in the league’s history that a young player had passed during the season. It was quite unreal for all of us. So when the Crew took to the field Aug. 15 for the first time at home since Kirk’s passing, it was pretty emotional. The number 15 was everywhere, commemorating our fallen player. And I’ll never forget when the 15 minute mark in the match happened and everyone fell silent. The supporter’s section, every person in a seat and on the sidelines dead quite for one minute that just stretched on as banners for Kirk were held high. The silence ended with a bagpipe lead rendition of “Amazing Grace,” which made me tear up and still does now that I am remembering it.

It was a moment I’ll never forget; all of MLS banning with the Crew Nation. Kirk was one of us, Forever Massive, and he will be greatly missed.

“Don’t count your time, make your time count.”

The clash of the top two women’s soccer teams in the world lived up to its billing, with #1 U.S.A. and #2 Germany battling to a 2-2 draw at rain-soaked Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT tonight. The two had played to a 1-1 draw Saturday night in the opener of their two-game series, with both goals scored in the first 20 minutes – a second minute finish from Abby Wambach, assisted by Alex Morgan, and a 14th minute strike from German forward Anja Mittag.

This time, the first goal of the night, also by Wambach, didn’t come until 43 minutes in. The U.S. defense was on its heels for much of the first half, but a late buildup from Carli Lloyd to Megan Rapinoe along the left flank allowed Morgan to break free into the edge of the penalty area, where she crossed Rapinoe’s service toward the far post for Wambach to head it home. It was Wambach’s 148th career goal, 11 away from breaking Mia Hamm’s record of 158.

The lead wouldn’t last long, however. Just after the break, the young, electric German forward Dzsenifer Marozsán pounced on an uncharacteristic misstep on a clearance by captain Christie Rampone and with nobody to defend her, slotted the ball easily past Solo. The U.S. grabbed the lead back midway through the half when Morgan chased down a ball to the end line and passed it back into the area for an incoming Carli Lloyd. Lloyd just missed the ball, but Tobin Heath timed her run perfectly behind Lloyd to put it away. Morgan collected her second assist of the night, and her 18th of the year.

The U.S. was nearly able to close out the victory, but with just five minutes left, Marozsán shocked the backpedalling defense with a rocket from 20 yards out, past a diving Solo to tie things up once again.

The results are not surprising for two of the most physical teams on the international stage. Midway through their Olympic celebration “Fan Tribute Tour” and wearing down after an intense year of training for the Olympics following the World Cup, the U.S. is certainly not in top form. Their frequent inability to possess through the midfield and defensive breakdowns made that clear. However, they held strong against the Germans, who are in the middle of their club season and preparing for Euros 2013. Germany possesses a much younger roster, as well. Five members of the squad also recently appeared in the U-20 World Cup, where they lost in the finals to the U.S. U-20s.

Below are highlights of both matches, courtesy of U.S. Soccer.

Wambach’s opening goal in Hartford:

Marozsán equalizes:

Marozsán scores her second of the night:

Full highlights of Tuesday’s 2-2 draw in East Hartford, including Heath’s go-ahead goal:

Full highlights of Saturday’s 1-1 draw in Chicago:

The U.S. will continue their Victory Tour with a double-header against the Republic of Ireland November 28 in Portland and December 1 in Phoenix.

Red Bull Arena is sold out tonight for RBNY’s potential playoff-clincher against #1 Sporting KC. Photo via newyorkredbulls on Facebook.

We only have two more weekends in MLS and the race to the Cup is at its boiling point.

Three of today’s six matches have major playoff implications in the Eastern Conference, as the Red Bulls, Dynamo and Crew all look to clinch their spots. Sporting KC and Chicago Fire can rest a little more comfortably in their matches with the Red Bulls and Revs, knowing they’re already in. But SKC doesn’t want to relinquish that top spot and the Fire can catch up to them with three points tonight. Can you feel the heat?

The only issue with tonight’s action? It’s all on at the same time! If only MLS had its version of NFL RedZone.

Not only that, but the U.S. Women’s National Team resumes their Olympic Victory Tour at 6:30pm ET with a friendly against Germany, ranked #2 in the world. And as your resident USWNT writer, you know I’m not missing that one. My DVR will be on overdrive. Here’s what I’ll be watching and my predictions:

New York Red Bulls vs Sporting KC. – 7:00pm ET, Red Bull Arena (MSG+ NY)

The Red Bulls are home, in front of a sellout crowd, facing the #1 team in the conference. Win and they’re in. Piece of cake, right?

RBNY spent the season aggressively acquiring new talent — Sebastian Le Toux, Heath Pearce, Tim Cahill – to make sure they’re still standing on December 1. The Red Bulls have only lost 2 games at home this season, so the chances that they pull out 3 points in this one are pretty high. Then again, who was their first home loss to? Oh, right. Sporting KC.

Now, even if they lose, RBNY can still get in with a Crew loss at D.C. United today, but this team doesn’t want to leave their playoff chances in anyone else’s hands, especially their rivals down I-95. If they draw against KC, they can still get in with a Dynamo loss to Philadelphia (not likely) or a draw between the Crew and United.

My pick: Red Bulls 2 – 1 Sporting KC

U.S. Women’s National Team vs Germany - 6:30pm ET, Toyota Park (FOX Soccer Channel)

While the Chicago Fire are on the road at New England, their home turf will be occupied by the two top women’s soccer teams in the world: USA and Germany. Yes, it’s only a friendly and there’s no major international tournament in sight until the 2015 World Cup, but there’s something different about this one. It’s the U.S’s first match in five years without Pia Sundhage at the helm. USWNT Development Director, Jill Ellis, will step in as interim head coach.

But it’s not just about a new head coach. This is the beginning of a new era for the U.S. Women. It’s unlikely that the U.S.’s lower spine, Christie Rampone and Shannon Boxx, will return for the 2015 World Cup. Abby Wambach will be 35. Youth is on the rise. Becky Sauerbrunn will likely anchor the center of the backfield, but the rest of the defense is up for grabs. Will Olympic heroine Carli Lloyd keep her role as the attacking central midfielder, or will Lauren Cheney or even Tobin Heath supplant her? We’re going to see more of Sydney Leroux, for sure. But will Olympic alternate Christen Press get in the fold? This may be a Fan Tribute Tour for their Olympic victory, and in this match we’ll see the familiar faces, but everything is changing.  The competition for 2015 starts now.

My pick: USA 3- 2 GER

Follow @AerysSoccer on Twitter for MLS and U.S. Soccer commentary throughout the weekend. You can also follow me at @dwag29 if you can put up with my during commentary Notre Dame and Chicago Bears football games. 

Photo via nbcolympics.com

U.S. Soccer never makes it easy on the fans, does it?

Just a few days ago, our Men’s National Team put together a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde performance in a World Cup qualifier against Jamaica, where they came out roaring in the first half with multiple heart-stopping opportunities, only to slow down and look worn down and undisciplined for the majority of the second half. They managed to hang on for a 1-0 win, but not without questions of where did that first half go.

Today’s U.S. Women’s National Team’s performance in a friendly versus Australia was exactly the opposite, but not in the way you might think. The third match of the Olympic Gold medalists’ Fan Tribute Tour didn’t start out with anything that resembled their triumph over Japan in July. It certainly wasn’t a first half performance that gave the fans cause to celebrate. Maybe you can chalk it up to rust from a few weeks off after such a rigorous training schedule through the Olympics, but the U.S.A did not look like a shell of themselves in the opening 45 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

Instead, the U.S. looked sluggish and out of sync, dinking short passes without much precision throughout the midfield, unable to maintain possession long enough to take advantage of Alex Morgan’s speed and Abby Wambach’s strength up top. Meanwhile, Australia was the team dominating the run of play, stringing together passes long enough to keep the U.S. defense on their heels early on. Defensive breakdowns led to near heart attack-inducing moments, courtesy of forward Sarah Walsh, who pounced on a failed U.S. attempt to clear the ball in the penalty area and ripped a shot from close range that went over the crossbar. The Matildas continued to pressure the U.S. by picking off errant passes, and soon afterward Walsh slipped past the defense and beat Hope Solo, only to have her surefire shot bang off the bottom corner of the right post. » Continue reading “U.S. Women Write a Tale of Two Halves in Comeback Win vs Australia”

Change is something that’s good right? The ladies of Aerys Soccer think so. That’s why we decided it was time to change things up on the site and bring it into focus.

Starting immediately, Aerys Soccer will begin a re-branding, a make over if you will. We’ll be getting a new name, a new look and changing our focus to Major League Soccer. We’ll cover your favorite domestic league teams, players, transfers and more. And we’ll be there every step of the way as we head into the playoffs! You can expect to see previews of weekend games, round ups of the league, introductions to some players you might not know about and much more!

Other things you can expect from the ladies here are Throwback Thursdays, taking a look back at our favorite kits, players and games of old. And of course, we’ll keep bringing you Midweek Muscles!! (We really can’t forget those, now can we?)

Love our coverage of the U.S. Men’s and Women’s teams? Never fear! Dana and I will keep you updated on both national teams! And don’t worry, we might be covering MLS, but we’ll keep an eye on English Premier League and La Liga too! The ladies will keep you in the know on big matches, Champion’s League competition and headline news out of two of the biggest leagues in Europe!

We’re also looking for writers to cover MLS teams for us! There’s 19 total and we want to make sure they all get represented! So, if you’re a die-hard for the New England Revolution, Sporting Kansas City, FC Dallas, Colorado Rapids, Toronto F.C., Vancouver Whitecaps, Montreal Impact, Portland Timbers, Chivas USA, Philadelphia Union or Real Salt Lake and you want to spread the love, hit me up at trista.lutgring@gmail.com! I would love to hear from you and bring you into our staff!

We’re very excited about this and we hope you are too! Look for our MLS weekend preview tomorrow and get ready for all the changes!

On behalf of our staff, I want to thank all our readers for your continued support and can’t wait to bring you our MLS coverage!

Co-captain Abby Wambach scored two goals in front of her hometown crowd at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester, N.Y.

It was a fitting homecoming for Abby Wambach, who scored two goals – both headers – in front of a sold-out crowd of over 13,000 at Rochester’s Sahlen Stadium to kick off the U.S. National Team’s Fan Tribute Tour.

The day before the match, the City of Rochester had welcomed their hometown hero back from her Olympic triumph by renaming the main street outside of the stadium “Wambach Way”. Abby and her teammates thanked the city and its fans by giving them a performance to remember, a clinical showing in which they controlled possession from start to finish, scoring eight goals in the process.

Alex Morgan appeared to put the U.S. up in the 13th minute when she sent a ball through the legs of the Costa Rican goalkeeper, Erica Miranda, but was called offside. Lucky for the U.S., however, Wambach was fouled just at the edge of the penalty area on her pass to Morgan, and a free kick was awarded. Megan Rapinoe lined up to take the kick, and sent the ball straight over the wall, off the crossbar and behind the goal line for an early 1-0 lead.

The U.S. continued to apply heavy pressure, with on-target strikes from Tobin Heath and Wambach, and another just-wide header from Wambach threatening to put the game away early. But Miranda was on her game early, racking up six saves in the first 20 minutes to keep Costa Rica within reach.

Wambach would not be denied for long, however. In the 25th minute she headed home a cross from Rachel Buehler, her 144th international goal, and from there, the rout was on.

Minutes later, Wambach headed in a corner kick from Rapinoe to give the U.S. a comfortable cushion, though it wouldn’t be necessary as Costa Rica’s opportunities were few and far between. Hope Solo only had to make one save, and Costa Rica’s first real threat didn’t come until midway through the second half, when backup keeper Jillian Loyden came up with a big save of a strike from just a few yards in front of the net.

In the 38th minute, Alex Morgan joined the scoring party, doing what Alex Morgan does best. She raced into the penalty area to get a hold of a Wambach header, took one touch to evade her defender and struck the ball with her left foot, past Miranda with ease.

Rapinoe closed the first half with yet another goal, a long-range strike from about 20 yards out that Miranda got a hand on, but couldn’t control,and the ball trickled over the goal line for the 5-0 lead.

Pia Sundhage brought on multiple subs over the course of the second half – Loyden for Solo, Amy Rodriguez for Rapinoe, Heather O’Reilly for Shannon Boxx, Becky Sauerbrunn for Rachel Buehler, Heather Mitts for Amy LePeilbet, and Sydney Leroux for Abby Wambach, who left the field to a standing ovation. Leroux picked up a goal of her own in the 77th minute, speeding past the defense to collect a Morgan pass through the middle, and finding a wide open net. She also provided an assist to Heather O’Reilly in the closing minutes.

Not to be denied after her MVP performance in the Olympics, Carli Lloyd added to the barrage of goals with a free kick over the wall and beyond the keeper for the 7th goal of the evening.

The Victory Tour is dubbed as a  ”Fan Tribute,” but it may end up being a tribute to Sundhage as well, who announced this morning that she will be leaving the team after five years to pursue opportunities in her home nation of Sweden. It seems like a no-brainer that Sundhage will take over at the helm for the Swedish Women’s National Team, who finished third in the 2011 Women’s World Cup behind the United States and Japan, and lost to France in the quarterfinals of the Olympics. It is unclear at this point whether Sundhage, whose contract runs through November, will finish the tour with this team.

The U.S. will continue their tour with tougher tests to come, including two matches against Australia September 16 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. and September 19 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Colorado Springs. Those matches will air on NBC and ESPN2/ESPN3, respectively. The U.S. will also head to Chicago and Hartford for two matches against international powerhouse Germany October 20 and 23. The Victory Tour is scheduled to include 10 stops, but no other matches have been announced yet.

I’m gearing up for the U.S. Women’s National Team’s “Olympic Victory Tour,” which kicks off against Costa Rica from Rochester at 2:30pm ET on NBC (yes, actual, real national television!), so today’s headlines will focus mostly on the women’s game.

U.S. Women’s National Team

Today’s USWNT-Costa Rica match could be head coach Pia Sundhage’s swan song on the sidelines. U.S. Soccer announced today that Sundhage will return to her native Sweden “to pursue opportunities” there.

“After the Olympics we had discussions and early in the process it became clear that Pia was very interested in returning home to Sweden,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. “It certainly wasn’t an easy decision for U.S. Soccer or Pia. She deserves a tremendous amount of credit for the amazing success the U.S. Women’s National Team had during the past five years. On behalf of U.S. Soccer, we sincerely appreciate Pia’s hard work, dedication and commitment to the organization. We wish her all the best in the future.”

Sundhage finishes her tenure with the U.S.A with 88-6-10 record and 11 tournament titles, including 2 Olympic gold medals over five years.

Grant Wahl tweeted that an early candidate to replace Sundhage is U.S. National Teams’ Development Director Jill Ellis.

In other WNT news announced this week, two more friendly dates have been announced for the U.S. this fall. The team will face 2nd-ranked Germany in back-to-back matches on Oct 20 in Chicago and Oct 23 in Hartford, Conn. Germany failed to qualify for the Olympics after falling to Japan in the quarterfinals of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

After the “Victory Tour” what’s next for the U.S. Women’s National Team?  A responsibility to help grow the women’s professional game, starting with sustainability of next year’s new pro league, writes Equalizer Soccer’s Jeff Kassouf.

English Premier League

Things aren’t off to a great start for Andre Villas-Boas and Tottenham this season. After conceding a lead for the second week in a row, settling for a 1-1 draw with Norwich City, the Spurs are still looking for their first win of the season. The deadline-day acquisition of Clint Dempsey should help up front, but AVB has some serious work to do if this club has hope of being a Champions League contender.

The London club lacked penetration up front and were almost totally devoid of ideas in midfield and on the flanks until the introduction of Dembele and Emmanuel Adebayor and the home support made their feelings known at the final whistle by booing their team off.

Worryingly for Villas-Boas, Tom Huddlestone was also sent off for a very poor tackle on Bradley Johnson with one minute left.

Had it not been for an excellent performance from Brad Friedel, Spurs could have been 3-0 down by the time Dembele struck.

Follow @AerysSoccer on Twitter for commentary during the USWNT game and check back for a full recap soon after!

We’ve got news from the USMNT ahead of tomorrow’s friendly, as well as a sneak peak at USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo’s new memoir.  We’ll also take a trip to Europe to scope out the best players in UEFA, and finish up back in MLS with another possible signing for the New York Red Bulls.  It’s all in today’s Daily Kick Around!

USMNT

Tales of intrigue and espionage from inside the US men’s national team?  Not quite, but Jurgen Klinsmann is relying heavily on players who ply their trade in Mexico when the U.S. men take on El Tri at Estadio Azteca Wednesday night.  No doubt they’ll be able to provide some inside information on what to expect from some of their club teammates and opponents.

Speaking of which, how does everyone feel about this FIFA date?  We’ve already heard from the likes of Landon Donovan, who was pretty clear that he wasn’t a fan.  All in all, it seems that everyone agrees that playing international friendlies immediately before the season starts or, in the case of MLS, right in the middle of the season, does not make sense.

USWNT

Hope Solo, Hope Solo!  You may not always agree with how she handles herself, but at least you always know where she is coming from!  Her book, “SOLO: A Memoir of Hope,” went on presale today.  Everyone knows about her infamous 2007 benching and subsequent interview.  Read her side of it in this excerpt from her book.

UEFA

Surprise surprise, guess who is on the short list for the 2011/2012 best player in Europe award!  If you said Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, you are correct.  Also in the top 5 are Andres Iniesta, Andrea Pirlo, and Xavi.  The winner will be decided by a vote during the Champions League draw Aug. 30.

MLS

So you thought the New York Red Bulls were finally done wheeling and dealing?  No way!  Manager Hans Backe confirmed today that his team will try to sign former England U-20 winger Lloyd Sam who has been on trial with them during the past week.

Image courtesy of mlssoccer.com/Getty Images.

How does San Jose keep pulling out these magical at-the-death goals? We don’t know, but it sure is fun to watch. Unless you’re a Western Conference rival like Seattle, that is.

Stoppage time goals were the name of the game yesterday with three in the Western clashes, though only one carried three points with it. Read on for more news from MLS Saturday, plus more on the next incarnation of a professional women’s soccer league in the U.S.

Major League Soccer

Just when you thought Seattle had San Jose’d San Jose with a 92nd minute goal to salvage a point in the Western Conference, the Earthquakes answered back with a Stephen Lenhart header off a corner kick in the 93rd to defeat the Sounders 2-1. What an absolute gut-wrencher for the Sounders. Look for more on this dramatic comeback win from our Quakes writer, Alyssa Olszewski, later today.

With their three precious points, the Earthquakes put some more room between themselves and Real Salt Lake, who fell to Vancouver by a 2-1 score, with their lone goal coming on a Nat Borchers header in stoppage time.

Sporting KC followed up their U.S. Open Cup title win with a 2-1 victory over D.C. United, pulling KC past the New York Red Bulls atop the Eastern Conference.

Fabian Castillo led FC Dallas to a 3-2 victory over the Rapids with a goal and an assist, to come back from an early deficit.

Colorado would not go out without a fight, though. Jeff Larentowicz joined the action in the 55th minute to bring the Rapids within a goal.

Unfortunately, Larentowicz and his hair was not the only red Colorado saw on the night, as Jaime Castrillon was shown a red card after kicking a downed George John following an attempted tackle. The match’s opening goal scorer was escorted out, and Colorado was forced to play a man down for the final twenty minutes.

Professional Women’s Soccer

Now that the 2012 Olympics are over, and we won’t have another major international tournament for North American women’s soccer for three years, the attention once again turns to professional women’s soccer on this side of the pond. With the demise of WPS, what will happen to top players like Wambach, Sinclair, Solo, Lloyd and Rapinoe? What about young players who aren’t yet at the national level? After much rumor over the last few months, it’s been confirmed that there will be a new pro league starting in Spring 2013, including some familiar, former-WPS teams:

According to a release distributed by Boston Breakers’ communication early Thursday morning, the new, yet to be named league will feature at least eight teams, including three former Women’s Professional Soccer teams: the Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, Sky Blue FC.

They will be joined by a to-be-formed Seattle-based team, one of at least two entrants who will play on the West Coast.

In addition to those four commitments, the new league claims “four other teams are finalizing their participation in the league,” with the league’s organizers “working with United Soccer Leagues (USL) and Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL).”

A new Seattle team that’s not the popular Sounders Women? Tell us more, Equalizer Soccer:

Bill Predmore, the President of POP Agency in Seattle, is the lead owner of a new women’s team that was announced as one of the founding teams.

Predmore acknowledged that details are currently scant due to still ongoing organizational efforts, but he was able to shed some additional light on the new Seattle team. The Sounders Women declined to comment last night on their involvement, but Predmore stated that outreach has happened and a working relationship is not off the table entirely.

“We had a lot of respect for what the Sounders did this year,” he said. “They were a dream team in terms of the team they put together. I have talked to them on if there’s a way we can work together on things, but the result of that is still to be determined. We’re talking with all interested parties.”

Currently Predmore is the sole owner of the new Seattle team, although he expects to have others join the ownership team. If there are no interested parties, however, he is committed regardless. The team itself is still in the beginning stages, although conversations have been held concerning a general manager and other leadership. Predmore expects to start making announcements on that front “in the next few weeks.”

But will top national players and upcoming college stars have enough faith to be part of this new league? What about playing in more financially stable leagues in Europe? Thomas Hofstetter, the president of  Sky Blue FC, weighs in:

“The grass always looks greener, but when they come back they often say it’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” Hofstetter said.

One advantage in Europe, said the German native, is that the soccer federations in Germany, England, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden provide women’s teams (most of which are affiliated with men’s clubs) with financial support.

“There’s nothing from the U.S. federation, nor will there ever be,” he said. “I’m beyond that. It’s not an issue anymore. There is a market for women’s sports in America, but we have to accept that the level of professionalism might not be what we expect.”

Check back for more on Sunday’s MLS matchups, and make sure you’re following us on Twitter at @AerysSoccer for the latest news and commentary.