Soccer Watch

U.S.A. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann was fired on Monday, following the team's dismal start to the final round of World Cup qualifying, losing at home to Mexico, and 0-4 at Costa Rica. And on Tuesday it was announced that U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati has hired LA Galaxy skipper Bruce Arena as the replacement. Arena was previously head coach from 1999-2006, the longest tenure of any national team coach. Klinsmann finishes with a record of 55-27-16; only Arena has won more games as U.S. coach.

MLS conference finals first legs are being played as we go to press Tuesday night; the return legs are this week: Seattle at Colorado, 3pm, Sun., Nov. 27; and Montreal at Toronto, 6pm, Wed., Nov. 30... The U.S. has advanced to the knockout round of the U-20 Women's World Cup in Papua New Guinea; they play Mexico in the quarterfinals (midnight Thanksgiving night on FS1). The semifinal would be Monday night at midnight, with the final at 3:30am next Saturday morning, Dec. 3. The U.S. women have now reached the second round in all eight U-20 World Cups... The St. Edward's men lost to conference rival Midwestern State in the NCAA regionals, to end their season at 18-3-1.