Evening Ticker: Hurzeler joins USA U20 squad, Kandji tears ACL and more

Hurzeler

By JOHN BOSCHINI

The United States' youth system received an unexpected boost with the news that Bayen Munich and German U17 standout Fabian Hurzeler will join the USA's U20 squad.

According to Yanks Abroad, U.S. U20 coach Thomas Rongen said that Hurzeler will join the team during its January camp.

Hurzeler, 17, was born in Houston but has lived most of his life in Germany and is the youngest member of the Bayern Munich reserve team. The midfielder has captained Germany's U17 team in official qualifying tournaments, so he will have to file a one-time switch of federations if he is to participate in any U20 World Cup qualifying or tournament matches. This does not apply to the January camp or friendlies.

Here are some more stories to wrap up your Tuesday.

Kandji tore ACL in MLS Cup Final

Colorado Rapids forward Macoumba Kandji has been diagnosed with a torn ACL after going off injured following his role in the game-winning goal in the MLS Cup Final on Sunday.

Kandji, 25, will most likely be out four to five months with rehabilitation.

SFA set deadline for referee strike resolution

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has set a Thursday deadline for a resolution to the impending referee strike this weekend in the Scottish Premier League.

The referees have voted to strike this weekend due to questions of their integrity that have been raised by SPL coaches, most notably by Celtic manager Neil Lennon. The SFA has not ruled out the possibility of "parachuting" in referees from other countries, but referees from Iceland have rejected the offer and officials from Ireland and Wales are unlikely to accept.

Suarez, Eto'o, banned following on-field violence

Two of Europe's top strikers will be out of action following o! n-field aggression.

Ajax has accepted a two-match ban of Luis Suarez after the Uraguayan striker was seen biting a PSV Eindhoven player in a match last Saturday. Meanwhile, Inter-Milan forward Samuel Eto'o has been handed a three-match ban after the Cameroonian headbutted Chievo defender Bostjan Cesar. Suarez was fined an undisclosed amount while Eto'o was charged $40,000.

FIFA contemplating second A-League

Despite waning national interest, FIFA is looking to add a second tier to the A-League, Australia's domestic soccer league.

The Australian Football Federation announced that it has launched a review of the country's resources with the ultimate goal of developing a promotion and relegation system between the two leagues. Several Australian clubs have been hit with financial difficulties recently, most notably Newcastle and North Queensland.

West Ham likely to take over Olympic Stadium

Several reports out of England suggest that West Ham United will beat out Tottenham Hotspur in the race for use of the 2012 Olympic Stadium.

Sir Keith Mills, deputy chairman of the London games and Tottenham director, admitted that West Ham is in "pole position" for use of the 80,000-seat stadium. West Ham is considered to be the favorite because the Hammers are willing to leave the running track intact, while the Spurs' bid calls for it to be removed.

MLS Playoffs were third most-attended in history

The final attendance numbers from the 2010 MLS Playoffs show a substantial decrease from last year's record-setting average but that they were still the third-highest attended playoffs in history.

According to Sports Business Daily, the average playoff match drew 19,535 fans as opposed to 23,559 fans in 2009. This was capped with an MLS Cup Final crowd estimated at 21,700 at BMO Field in Toronto on Sunday night.

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What do you think of today's stories? Excite! d about Hurzeler joining the U20s? Concerned about Kandji's knee injury? Agree with the bans for Eto'o and Suarez? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.



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