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Associated Press
4 hours ago
- Health
- Associated Press
US goalkeeper Zack Steffen injures knee and will miss CONCACAF Gold Cup
CHICAGO (AP) — Zack Steffen injured a knee and became the second goalkeeper dropped from U.S. training camp ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Steffen was hurt during training Tuesday, returned to the Colorado Rapids for more exams and will miss the tournament, the U.S. Soccer Federation said Wednesday. Columbus goalkeeper Patrick Schulte injured an oblique on May 24. Matt Turner, the No. 1 American goalkeeper for the past three years, remains in camp along with Chris Brady and Matt Freese, who both have never played for the national team. The Americans have friendlies against Turkey on Saturday at East Hartford, Connecticut, and Switzerland three days later at Nashville, Tennessee, then meet Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia and Haiti in the first round of the Gold Cup. ___ AP soccer:
CBS News
16-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Youth soccer rule changes have helped reduce concussions, report says
We often think of football when we think of concussions, but girls who play high school soccer are at nearly the same risk for traumatic brain injuries as high school football players. Boys playing high school football suffered the most concussions of any youth sport studied at 10.2 for every 10,000 practices and games. Girls soccer was second at 8.4 per 10,000 times playing. But a recent study shows that rule changes in youth soccer that started in 2016 to reduce concussions are helping. Almost 10 years ago, the U.S. Soccer Federation banned headers for players younger than 10, and players ages 11 to 13 can practice headers for no more than 30 minutes a week. The new report found that since the rule change, there's been a nearly 26% reduction in soccer-related concussions, going from 8.2% of all soccer injuries to 6.1%. Nine-year-old Presley Markich, who plays for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Soccer Club at AHN Montour Sports Complex, knows what a concussion feels like. She was just 8 when she got a concussion playing soccer after colliding with another player. "I started to feel sick in the car. I threw up once we got home. I took a nap because my vision was blurry, and I threw up again and then ended up in the ER for four hours," she said. Her mom, Liz Whiting, said, "As a parent, I really did not want any long-term effects from this, especially at such a young age." AHN physical therapist Kim Kelley suffered three concussions playing soccer in high school and college, all in the midst of going for a header. "In high school, another player and I went up at the same time, and I hit the ball, and she hit the back of my head," Kelley said. The U.S. Soccer Federation also now requires that any time there's a potential concussion, coaches must include the player in an assessment, and if it could be a concussion, they must call in a medical professional. "I think it's really important to stop and make sure that they're evaluated so it doesn't get any worse because there are horrible long-term effects if it continues to happen," Whiting said. Kelley, who works with kids who have concussions, says, "If they get hit in the midst of a current concussion or a fresh acute concussion, potentially it's fatal. You know, we see that those kids have a prolonged recovery, higher risk of prolonged headaches, prolonged symptoms, some higher risks – we're talking about depression, anxiety, things like that." One of the most important things for players to do is to be honest about their symptoms and for parents and coaches to look for subtle signs they may not be telling you about. "You have to be honest with yourself, with everybody else," Kelley says. "It's very hard with these athletes. They're extremely competitive. No one wants to miss any playing time, but we are talking about your career and well-being." Whether it's practice or a game, these young soccer players give it their all – every sprint, every block, every shot. They are passionate about the sport. Eight-year-old Ivy Armel says she loves the "footwork, goalie, scoring." Teammate Adley Valkavitch says, "I like when I have to defend," and Markich says she likes "the games, practicing and all my teammates." Mia Duckstein is 15 and says the coaches teach them how to properly head the ball. "If you do it the right way, it doesn't hurt, but if you do it the wrong way, it kind of hurts a little bit," she says. Her mom, Mikaela Halaja, says, "It's hard not to wonder if and how those headers, even when they do it the right way, are affecting the brain. Even if it's little bumps and bruises along the way, it is definitely a concern." The young players want to win on the field, but their parents often have a longer-term perspective, wanting to ensure they win at life. One interesting note from the study was that girls had fewer concussions overall, but a higher percentage of their injuries were from concussions – 10% compared to 6% for boys. This could be because of female anatomy, because boys have thicker skulls and stronger neck muscles, but there's no scientific consensus. For more on kids activities, go to KDKA is proud to partner with
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
US men to play South Korea, Japan in September friendlies with World Cup looming
The US men's national team will kick off the final part of their journey to the 2026 World Cup with September friendlies against South Korea and Japan, the US Soccer Federation announced on Tuesday. The US will play South Korea on 6 September at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, before traveling to Ohio to take on Japan at Field in Columbus on 9 September. The friendlies come in the first of four international windows between this summer's Gold Cup and next year's main event – the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. Related: Nations League losses and sparse crowds have US momentum at low ebb The US previously played at Sports Illustrated Stadium, then known as Red Bull Arena, in the run-up to the 2014 World Cup, when Fabian Johnson and Clint Dempsey scored in a 2-1 win over Turkey. They also hosted Costa Rica in a World Cup qualifier there in 2018, losing 2-1 to Costa Rica in a result that contributed greatly to the infamous failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. The meeting with South Korea will be the eighth-ever between the sides, the most notable of which came in the 2002 World Cup group stage when Clint Mathis and Ahn Jung-hwan scored in a 1-1 draw in Daegu. South Korea are currently in a good spot in World Cup qualifying, sitting in first place of their group in Round 3 of AFC qualifiers with a three-point lead over Jordan and a four-point lead over Iraq. With the top two sides earning automatic qualification to the 2026 tournament, South Korea are likely to book their tickets to North America in June's international window with games against Iraq and Kuwait. The team, coached by legendary defender and former LA Galaxy player Hong Myung-bo, also boast star power in the form of Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min. Related: An increasingly multicultural Japan have qualified for the 2026 World Cup Japan, meanwhile, have already assured their spot in next year's showpiece. In March, the Samurai Blue became the first non-host nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, and are riding a 12-match unbeaten run dating back to February 2024. Japan have reached the round of 16 in the last two World Cups and are currently ranked No 15 in the world. The US will host Japan at Field in Columbus, Ohio, home of MLS's Columbus Crew. It will be the third time the US men play at the venue, having hosted two World Cup qualifiers there on the road to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Guardian
13-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
US men to play South Korea, Japan in September friendlies with World Cup looming
The US men's national team will kick off the final part of their journey to the 2026 World Cup with September friendlies against South Korea and Japan, the US Soccer Federation announced on Tuesday. The US will play South Korea on 6 September at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, before traveling to Ohio to take on Japan at Field in Columbus on 9 September. The friendlies come in the first of four international windows between this summer's Gold Cup and next year's main event – the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. Sign up to Soccer with Jonathan Wilson Jonathan Wilson brings expert analysis on the biggest stories from European soccer after newsletter promotion The US last played at Sports Illustrated Stadium, then known as Red Bull Arena, in the run-up to the 2014 World Cup, when Fabian Johnson and Clint Dempsey scored in a 2-1 win over Turkey. The meeting with South Korea will be the eighth-ever between the sides, the most notable of which came in the 2002 World Cup group stage when Clint Mathis and Ahn Jung-hwan scored in a 1-1 draw in Daegu. South Korea are currently in a good spot in World Cup qualifying, sitting in first place of their group in Round 3 of AFC qualifiers with a three-point lead over Jordan and a four-point lead over Iraq. With the top two sides earning automatic qualification to the 2026 tournament, South Korea are likely to book their tickets to North America in June's international window with games against Iraq and Kuwait. The team, coached by legendary defender and former LA Galaxy player Hong Myung-bo, also boast star power in the form of Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min. Japan, meanwhile, have already assured their spot in next year's showpiece. In March, the Samurai Blue became the first non-host nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, and are riding a 12-match unbeaten run dating back to February 2024. Japan have reached the round of 16 in the last two World Cups and are currently ranked No 15 in the world. The US will host Japan at Field in Columbus, Ohio, home of MLS's Columbus Crew. It will be the third time the US men play at the venue, having hosted two World Cup qualifiers there on the road to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Boston Globe
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
FIFA president points to US hosting 2031 Women's World Cup and UK getting 2035 edition
'We look forward to sharing more details and unveiling our full vision for the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup in the near future,' the US Soccer Federation said in a statement. Advertisement FIFA has just one 'valid bid' to host the 2035 event, from the British member federations centered on England, Infantino said at UEFA's annual meeting in Belgrade, Serbia. 'Hosting the first FIFA World Cup since 1966 with our home nations partners will be very special,' English FA CEO Mark Bullingham said. 'The hard work starts now, to put together the best possible bid by the end of the year.' The UK's interest was quickly supported last month by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer when FIFA said it was formally seeking bids from member federations. FIFA excluded Europe from the 2031 contest, clearing the way for a long-expected US win. Spanish soccer officials said last week they hoped to bid, possibly with Portugal and Morocco in a repeat of the co-hosting plan for the men's 2030 World Cup. It was unclear why Spain did not then meet Monday's deadline set by FIFA to express interest in bidding. Advertisement Infantino's comments to the annual meeting of UEFA seemed to rule out a Spain bid now being allowed. 'So the path is there for the Women's World Cup to be taking place in '31 and '35 in some great countries,' the FIFA president said, 'to boost even more the women's football movement.' FIFA is scheduled to confirm Women's World Cup hosts next year. The 2027 edition with 32 teams is being hosted by Brazil. The Women's World Cup would return to the US for the first time since the 2003 edition. The US also hosted in 1999. England hosted the Women's European Championship in 2022 — which the home team won — and the men's Euro 2028 will be co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. In a further boost for women's soccer, Infantino detailed FIFA's plan to have more women's teams than men's playing at the next Olympics. There were just 12 teams in the women's tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics and 16 in the men's tournament. Though the International Olympic Committee strongly supports gender equality at the games, adding four more women's teams — and about 70 extra players, plus team officials — would push the limit of agreed athlete quotas for organizers in Los Angeles. Infantino said on Thursday that FIFA's new proposal is to flip the numbers to have 16 women's teams and 12 in the men's tournaments. The final decision is for the IOC, which has an executive board meeting next Wednesday. Advertisement
