U.S. Soccer Wire [September 22, 2008]

From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center -- September 22, 2008

U.S. WNT SETS WIN RECORD FOR CALENDAR YEAR WITH 2-0 VICTORY
AGAINST IRELAND IN THIRD MATCH OF ACHIEVE YOUR GOLD TOUR;
U.S. FUTSAL NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER NAMED FOR UPCOMING FIFA FUTSAL WORLD CUP

U.S. DEFEATS IRELAND FOR RECORD 29TH WIN OF 2008: The U.S. Women's National Team swept its three-game series against Ireland with a 2-0 win on a beautiful night at Toyota Park in the third match of the Achieve Your Gold Tour. With the victory, the U.S. women set a record for wins in a calendar year, picking up their 29th victory of 2008 to move to 29-1-1. The U.S. team won 28 games in 2004 while losing two and tying four. To add to the record-breaking night, defender Kate Markgraf scored her first-ever international goal in her 193rd cap as she pounded home a penalty kick in the 31st minute. The U.S. women will now take a break during the end of September and the month of October before hitting the field again in November for the next matches on the Achieve Your Gold Tour. The dates and venues for the remaining seven games of the tour will be announced in the near future.

U.S. WNT Achieve Your Gold Tour

Date	Opponent	Result	U.S. Goal Scorer(s)
Sept. 13	Ireland	2-0 W	Kai, O'Reilly
Sept. 17	Ireland	1-0 W	Kai
Sept. 20	Ireland	2-0 W	Chalupny, Markgraf

U.S. FUTSAL TEAM NAMES ROSTER AHEAD OF 2008 FIFA FUTSAL WORLD CUP: U.S. Futsal National Team head Coach Keith Tozer has named a squad of 14 players for the upcoming FIFA Futsal World Cup in Brazil. The U.S. has been drawn into Group B of the tournament, and kicks off its campaign on Sept. 30 against Paraguay. The U.S. also faces Italy on Oct. 2 and Thailand on Oct. 4, before rounding out group play on Oct. 6 against Portugal. Of the 14 players named to the FIFA World Cup squad, 11 took part in June's CONCACAF Futsal Championship, where the U.S. finished third. The team will travel to Brazil on Sept. 24, stationing itself in Rio de Janeiro ahead of the tournament's opening. The U.S. will train in the city and play a friendly with current World champions Spain on Sept. 28.

U.S. Futsal National Team Roster
GOALKEEPERS (2): Jeff Richey (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Nick Vorberg (Grants Pass, Ore.);
DEFENDERS (2): Joe Hammes (Cedarburg, Wis.), Pat Morris (Philadelphia, Pa.);
MIDFIELDERS (6): Denison Cabral (Florianopolis, Brazil), Andrew Jacobsen (Palo Alto, Calif.), Ptah Myers (Columbus, Ohio), Sandre Naumoski (Philadelphia, Pa.), Andy Rosenband (Hammond, Ind.), Matthew Stewart (El Paso, Texas);
FORWARDS (4): Mike Apple (Akron, Ohio), Jamar Beasley (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Chile Farias (Los Angeles, Calif.), Brett Wiesner (Brookfield, Wis.).

U.S. Futsal National Team World Cup Schedule

Date	Opponent	City	Time (ET)
Sept. 30	Paraguay	Rio de Janeiro	11:30 a.m.
Oct. 2	Italy	Rio de Janeiro	11:30 a.m.
Oct. 4	Thailand	Rio de Janeiro	9:30 a.m.
Oct. 6	Portugal	Rio de Janeiro	9:30 a.m.

TICKETS FOR UPCOMING MNT QUALIFIERS NOW AVAILABLE: Tickets are now available for the U.S. Men's National Team's two upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying game against Cuba on Oct. 11 and Guatemala on Nov. 19. Kickoff against Cuba at RFK Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic and Galavision. Fans can also follow along live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker. Tickets ranging in price levels from $28 to $95 are available online at ussoccer.com, through all Washington-Baltimore Ticketmaster outlets (including Macy's stores), and by phone (Washington 202-397-SEAT (7328); Baltimore 410-547-SEAT (7328); Northern Virginia 703-573-SEAT (7328); out of state 1-800-551-SEAT (7328). Groups of 20 or more can obtain a group order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290. Against Guatemala at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo., kickoff for the team's last semifinal round qualifier is set for 6 p.m. MT, and the game will be televised live on ESPN2 and Galavision. Tickets ranging in price levels from $30 to $95 are now available online at ussoccer.com, by phone at 866-461-6556, at all Dick's Sporting Goods locations in Colorado, and at the Dick's Sporting Goods Park ticket office, open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290. Visa® is the preferred card of U.S. Soccer.

U.S. MNT Semifinal Round Qualifying Schedule

Date	Opponent	Result / Time	U.S. Goal Scorer(s) / TV
Aug. 20	@ Guatemala	1-0 W	Bocanegra
Sept. 6	@ Cuba	1-0 W	Dempsey
Sept. 10	vs. Trinidad & Tobago	3-0 W	Bradley, Dempsey, Ching
Oct. 11	vs. Cuba	7 p.m. ET	Live on ESPN Classic, Galavision
Oct. 15	@ Trinidad & Tobago	8 p.m. ET	Live on ESPN Networks, Galavision
Nov. 19	vs. Guatemala	6 p.m. MT	Live on ESPN2, Galavision

U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM PLAYERS ALLOCATED TO WPS CLUBS: Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) announced the allocations of the 21 U.S. Women's National Team pool players, including 15 Olympic gold medalists, to its seven franchises Tuesday, Sept. 16, during an event at the Sports Museum of America in downtown Manhattan. The announcement was hosted by NBA All-Star and WPS part-owner Steve Nash and presided over by WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. Each of the seven teams set to begin play in WPS for the 2009 season were allocated three players apiece.

San Francisco Bay Area: Nicole Barnhart, Rachel Buehler, Leslie Osborne
Boston Breakers: Kristine Lilly, Angela Hucles, Heather Mitts
Chicago Red Stars: Carli Lloyd, Kate Markgraf, Lindsay Tarpley
Los Angeles: Shannon Boxx, Stephanie Cox, Aly Wagner
Sky Blue FC: Heather O'Reilly, Christie Rampone, Natasha Kai
St. Louis: Lori Chalupny, Hope Solo, Tina Ellertson
Washington Freedom: Ali Krieger, Abby Wambach, Cat Whitehill

– U.S. YOUTH NATIONAL TEAMS UPDATE –

U.S. U-20 WNT KICKS OFF CAMP IN SUNRISE, FLA.: The U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team has kicked off a week-long camp in Sunrise, Fla., their first of two domestic camps prior to the 2008 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup. Head coach Tony DiCicco has brought 21 players to Sunrise to train from Sept. 21-28, and will make his final World Cup roster selections following the camp. The players will return in time for their collegiate games scheduled on Sunday, Sept. 28, if applicable. The U.S. has been drawn into Group B of the 2008 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Chile alongside France, Argentina and China. The team will open against France on November 19 before facing Argentina on November 22, with both games taking place at the Estadio Nelson Oyarzun in Chillan. The U.S. will then travel to Estadio German Becker in Temuco to conclude group play against China.

U.S. U-20 WNT Training Camp Roster
GOALKEEPERS (4): Bianca Henninger (Santa Clara), Chantel Jones (Virginia), Alyssa Naeher (Penn State), Cat Parkhill (Minnesota)
DEFENDERS (5): Kaley Fountain (Wake Forest), Lauren Fowlkes (Notre Dame), Liz Harkin (Arizona State), Nikki Marshall (Colorado), Elli Reed (Portland)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Becky Edwards (Florida State), Meghan Klingenberg (North Carolina), Christine Nairn (Maryland), Ingrid Wells (Georgetown)
FORWARDS (8): Kiersten Dallstream (Washington State), Gina DiMartino (Boston College), Michelle Enyeart (Portland), Sydney Leroux (UCLA), Alyssa Mautz (Texas A&M), Jessica McDonald (Glendale, Ariz.), Alex Morgan (California), Nikki Washington (North Carolina)

CREDENTIAL PROCESS OPEN FOR 2008 FIFA U-20 WOMEN'S WORLD CUP: Media wishing to apply for credentials for the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Chile can register at the FIFA Media Channel: http://mediachannel.extranets.fifa.com/RegProc.aspx. The FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup will take place from Nov. 19 to Dec. 7 in Chile. The U.S. has been drawn into Group B of the tournament, along with Argentina, China and France.

U.S. U-17 MNT PICKS UP PAIR OF WINS OVER NOMADS SC IN EXHIBITION TOUR: The U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team continued its Development Academy Exhibition Tour with a pair of victories over Nomads SC in San Diego, Calif. The split squad defeated the U-15/16 Nomads, 3-1, and the U-17/18 Nomads, 5-3, in a doubleheader on Saturday evening. Dustin Corea's brace in the first match marked his first goals since joining the Under-17 Residency Program in August, and set the tone for 3-1 win. John Agudelo rounded out the scoring for the U.S. In the second game, a high-scoring affair at Kinsell Field, Jack McInerney and Luis Gil each scored a pair of goals, with Alfred Koroma adding one for the 5-3 final.

U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team Exhibition Tour Results

Date	Opponent	Result	U.S. Goal Scorer(s)
Sept. 13	U-15/16 Chivas USA	2-0 W	Pineda, Renken
Sept. 13	U-17/18 Chivas USA	3-3 T	McInerney (2), Gil
Sept. 20	U-15/16 Nomads	3-1 W	Corea (2), Agudelo
Sept. 20	U-17/18 Nomads	5-3 W	McInerney (2), Gil (2), Koroma

– AROUND THE SOCCER NATION –

DATES, LOCATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR US CLUB SOCCER 2009 NATIONAL CUP VIII REGIONALS: The 2009 National Cup VIII Finals for US Club Soccer teams will run from May through July for the nine different regions, with regions H and B holding separate weekends for the Boys' and Girls' tournaments. The application process will being in November, and information about the 2009 National Cup VIII Finals will be announced in the near future. More information, including specific dates and locations for all regions, is available at the 2009 National Cup VIII Web page at http://www.usclubsoccer.org.

NATIONAL SOCCER HALL OF FAME TO HOST 'MOOCH' MYERNICK MEMORIAL JAMBOREE: The National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y., will host a jamboree Sept. 27-28 in honor of former U.S. Men's Olympic Team head coach and U.S. Men's National Team assistant coach Glenn "Mooch" Myernick. The Glenn "Mooch" Myernick Memorial Middle School Soccer Jamboree will feature boys and girls middle school soccer matches, as well as an appearance by U.S. Women's National Team forward Abby Wambach and various workshops. "Our goal was to create an event that was more than just soccer, but, in a tribute to Glenn, reflected the importance of putting soccer into a life perspective," said Hall of Fame President Steve Baumann. "We have done that through the educational programming and through Abby's presentation to the players. They will be receiving a message about healthy living and the values Glenn so fervently believed in – dedication to goals, hard work, making what you are doing fun, and in being modest about your accomplishments."

*** CENTER CIRCLE SPOTLIGHT ***

PEAK PERFORMER: U.S. MNT stalwart Landon Donovan was apparently tired of losing, and on Saturday, Sept. 20, he put his foot down, so to speak. Donovan scored a hat-trick and dished out an assist in the Los Angeles Galaxy's 5-2 victory against D.C. United. The victory ended a 12-game winless streak and was the first victory for the Galaxy under head coach Bruce Arena.

MARQUEE MATCHUP: The CONCACAF Champions League is back in action this week with two MLS and two USL clubs participating. In Group A, D.C. United takes on Honduran club CD Marathon on Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 8 p.m. MT. Meanwhile, in Group B, Houston Dynamo travels to face San Francisco FC at 7 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Sept. 23, in Panama City, Panama. USL club Impact de Montreal hosts Mexican club Atlante FC at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 24, in Group C action. In Group D, the USL's Puerto Rico Islanders host Mexican champions Santos Laguna at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Sept. 23. All four matches will be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel, check local listings for broadcast times.

SOCCER SHOCKER: It only took 193 games, but finally Kate Markgraf can count "goalscorer" among her list of many achievements with the WNT. Markgraf calmly dispatched a penalty kick during the U.S.' 2-0 victory over Ireland in the second game of the Achieve Your Gold Tour, 15,278 minutes into her national team career. "For the past 10 years, any time we've had a penalty opportunity that wasn't in a major tournament they've tried to get me to take one," said Markgraf. "Today I finally caved." Despite her newfound nose for goal, don't expect Markgraf to be starting at forward when the Tour resumes in November...

QUOTABLE: "I'm so happy for her. I coached her in Sweden with our club team and she scored a goal on a corner, but I'm so proud and happy to be a part of this, because it is her first international goal and she's been playing forever and ever."
-- U.S. WNT head coach Pia Sundhage on Kate Markgraf scoring her first international goal on Saturday, Sept. 20, in the 2-0 win against Ireland.

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