MLS Game of the Week
Chicago FIRE 5 - NYRB 1
The Bulls game into match riding a nice unbeaten streak, while the FIRE were still smarting from dropping just their second match of the year. What a difference 90 minutes makes! Again on the edge of a benching the maddening Chad Barrett completes the brace while DP Blanco, showed DP Reyna what it’s like to actually earn your paycheck with a goal and two assists. You think there’s any correlation between Arenas firing and the Reyna transaction? Nah! Pure speculation. Barrett even said what the rest of the team wouldn’t (again), that they were out to show Juan Carlos O$orio that he made a mistake going to the side where coaches go to die.
MOTM – Gonzalo Segares – Sega was a monster shutting down the dangerous Dane Richards and putting one in the back of the net to boot.
MLS Notes
Goal of the Week – Although Beck’s 73 yard bomb was the picture of accuracy, Tom McManus’ 40 yard sizzler to beat an actual keeper got my vote.
The Quakes stepped up on national TV to take down their former selves at the first opportunity. Ann Killion at the Mercury news declared it the day the Earthquakes were officially reborn.
Steve Nash – why wouldn’t you invest in a Montreal team?
State of the Nation
Learning from Arena’s pre-World Cup(cake) warm-ups in ‘06, Bob Bradley prepares the boys for Barbados with a brutal three game stretch against England, Spain and Argentina. While the matches are all friendlies, if the US can get four theoretical points from these matches, it would amount to a statement.
First, the Red, White and Blue step onto the revered Wembley pitch on Wednesday intent on handing England their latest loss. The Three Lions, clearly overlooking the US, were still focused on the results of the Champions League final and the EPL at recent press conferences. This was taken to an extreme as Fabio Capello handed John Terry the captain’s armband in what amounts to a “Get Well Soon” card. Look for a motivated US to get at least a draw from a less than full strength England side.
On the Eurorail
Gooch looks for an escape route out of Belguim, but still must have Titus Bramble cooties on him. Think he’ll be motivated Wednesday.
The other half of the presumed US starting central defense, Carlos Bocanegra, was sent packing by Fulham and will also be looking to impress.
Freddy Adu received less than 200 minutes of first team action in his first season at Benfica. Freddy’s got a big summer coming up and always seems to step it up when wearing the national team jersey, however, it will be interesting to see if the Portuguese splinters (cork?) affect his play in upcoming string of games.
Kasey Keller is right where you never want to be as a keeper, stranded. While he is a year away from a near certain move to MLS’ Seattle franchise, his starting role at Fulham is likely gone due to the signing of Aussie Mark Schwartzer. All Keller did was stand on his head at times to give Fulham the opportunity to save their butts. Keller could point to the goal differential that saved the Cottagers as the reason he should be between the posts next season.
Eddie Johnson, please report to the nearest team trainer. We need to get a pulse check.
Showing posts with label Cuauhtemoc Blanco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cuauhtemoc Blanco. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
US Soccer Snob’s US Soccer Update – 08/23/07
TOP STORIES
The Tipping Point
Please tell me that someone got a picture of Don Garber around 11PM EST on Saturday. At that point, the smallest crowd of the four MLS games played Saturday was 18,913 in Salt Lake City. Columbus had drawn nearly 22k and UFC sold-out BMO (pronounced Bee-Mo, Rob Stone) field again. Cuauhtémoc Blanco had scored a golazo of immense proportions and Maykel Galindo continued to press for a human interest story in SI. As immense as these accomplishments would be on any other given weekend, they were over shadowed by the landmark LA Galaxy v. New York Red Bulls game that took place at Giants stadium in front of 66k plus.
In a game that managed to simultaneously please hardcore fans, MLS suits and legions of soccer/Beckham curious sports fans, the home team dispatched the LA Galaxy 5-4 with a late Juan Pablo Angel goal. The game featured two Beckham assists, braces by three players (Carlos Pavon, Jozy Altidore, and Angel), and tension throughout the night. They myths about the weakness of soccer player, complains about low scoring, the general “no one cares” rumor were drown out for one night by the cheers (and boos) of a record crowd in Giants stadium 12 years after the league’s first kick. Nothing says soccer has arrived in America like Saturday night. Never mind the fact that ESPN Classic has deemed it an “instant classic” and is rebroadcasting it this week, it is the duty of the league and it’s diehard fans to make sure that soccer never fades again in the country. I’m up for it!
FIRE Fan Forum with Head Coach Juan Carlos Osorio
Juan Carlos “The Professor” Osorio took time to speak to a group of Fire season ticket holders last Thursday and I was luck enough to be in the audience. Osorio left all in attendance with a positive impression of a very thoughtful and methodical man who is focused on conditioning and will not accept any slacking off. He stressed his commitment to attacking football, all but vowing to play three in the back at home at all times. Osorio conveyed that if he is to bring in a Senior International player (as he did this week by adding Wilman Conde), he would expect that player to be a starter, a welcome relief to FIRE fans who’ve had to suffer through the Bedrossian-era. Among the varied questions that Osorio was asked, two of his opinions really stood out. As opposed to many pundits, he does not believe that NCAA regulations are hurting the progress of players in this country due to the top players finding summer leagues and PDL experience. He believes that the shortcomings of the college games lie in the coaching. Osorio was at his most animated when asked to compare MLS to EPL. He took offense to those who downplay the quality of MLS. Having the unique perspective of coaching in both leagues, Osorio believes that MLS-quality is equivalent to that of lower half EPL. “These are teams that can be beaten by MLS teams.” He believes that MLS teams could beat upper half EPL teams, but it would take some remarkable effort. On that note……….
Quote of the Week I:
Steve McClerran on the standard of MLS (source Liverpool Daily Post):
“I think it was possibly, top-of-the-Championship-lower Premier League. But I get the sense that in type of game, and that type of atmosphere, David will be okay.”
Read it and weep haters! This is a great vindication for our league particularly in light of all the harsh media accounts domestic and overseas and the constant Euro snob batter that MLS takes. The foreign press should know better, however we can’t expect Euro snobs or American sports writers to know anything about the sport.
Quote of the Week II:
Spanish player Xavi on the quality of the Greek pitch they are to play on today (source LA Times): "Anyone who plays on that pitch has a good chance of killing themselves."
SuperLiga
It seems like eons ago that David Beckham launched a perfect ball over the DC United wall and into the side netting setting off a world cup final level celebration amongst fans and providing some sweet relief for MLS. Later in the match, Becks turned Josh Gros with a beauty of a lead pass to Landon who coolly put it in the back of the net. Donovan, with all his great attributes, may just have established himself as the top breakaway artist in MLS history during the past week. The Galaxy meet Pachuca in the Superliga final at the HDC next week. It should be quite the spectacle.
Dynamo Net Jersey Sponsor
The Houston Dynamo became the sixth MLS team to wear a corporate logo on their jersey after inking a four year $7.5 million deal with Amigo Energy. The comprehensive deal includes signage, hospitality and pre- and post game naming. The size of the deal falls right in the middle of the five teams that are not named RedBulls.
MLS Week 20 – Our Finest Moment
(NOTE: Due to a hectic non-soccer schedule these days, I’m only reporting on the games that I actually had the pleasure of watching.)
Thursday
Revs v. Rapids – The WTFs (Revolution) put on a classic display of head scratching for 90 minutes delighting the 10k at beautiful DSG park. The Rapids put three past Matt Reis and the punchless Revs only force a single outbreak of Bouna-time. Oh Fernando, your team bought you another two weeks.
Saturday
Gals vs. The Flagship – I won’t spend too much time on this game here. Amazing game, some wonderful skill, and a pair of goal keepers hung out to try by their terrible defenses.
MOTM: Clint Mathis – without Mathis’ control and explosiveness in the midfield the Flagship falls at home. The Empire Supporters club should make sure frail Reyna never sees the pitch again.
RSL vs. FIRE – The FIRE, that’s to Blanco, controlled this one from start to finish. Osorio, who had been working hard with his team all week on set pieces, was overjoyed when Blanco’s corner met net via Paulo Wanchope’s head. Despite that victory ensuring goal, this match will be remembered for the shot Blanco blasted from the 25 yard line into the far side corner. It was great to see so many “Fire” fans turn up in Salt Lake, although someone should tell them that the FIRE does not wear yellow.
MOTM: Cuauhtémoc Blanco – Blanco is in the process of reversing the curse of MLS for Mexican stars. His rugged style (when appropriate) is well suited to the league.
Week 20 Notes:
Chivas gets the job done against a dreadfully shorthanded UFC.
United disappoint the Crew’s biggest crowd since 2004 with a 2-0 road victory.
Houston reclaims west with clutch Ching goal in front of 19k+.
Revs rebound and shut down a disjointed Wizards.
MLS Commentators
Much has been made about ESPN and Fox Soccer Channel. While four commentators jammed into a booth can get annoying, particularly if one is Michael Wilbon, it is still far more preferable to the single announcer format. That form of commentating is dreadfully boring, despite being filed under “traditional” by footie-philes. The optimal format would be the classic American play-by-play guy with a knowledgeable and opinionated color guy, a role that Eric Wynalda perfectly fills. His ideal compatriot would be the terrific Glenn Davis or the highly knowledgeable Max Brentos, however, you’ll have plenty that “can’t stand” Brentos either. I could take or leave the sideline report, but the interviewing coaches in the middle of matches has to go!
Sir Bobby’s Big Mouth
English football legend Sir Bobby Robson again cast doubt on Beckham’s ability to play for England while playing for a US club team. “In the short term, he looks OK. But the longer he plays in America, with respect to the football being played there, the less competitive he will become, “ Robson told The Daily Telegraph. Robson cited the reels of MLS films he had reviewed as well as his onsite study about MLS quality this year. Oh wait, rather, these are the ramblings of an irrelevant washed up manager looking to stay in the papers in England. Formula for that: bad mouth America while mentioning David Beckham.
MLS Prediction Central
Last Week (2-5)
SEASON (42-73)
Wednesday
The Flagship v. DC United – The good ship Arena takes the Mo from Saturday and blows by their rivals for a change.
FIRE v. Wizards – The reborn FIRE and their new found road fanbase take Arrowhead by storm and do their best impersonation of early season Wizards.
Thursday
Goats v. Gals – Superclassico becomes the inflightclassico as Becks and Landon rush back from the land of Euro to play limited minutes. Too back Chivas USA is sick of living in their shadow and punish the Gals on their home pitch.
Saturday
United vs. UFC – The futility record is set and extended as Mo’s MASH ward grows. United drops UFC again by the lake.
The Flagship vs. Revs – Who the heck knows what to make of the Revs? I’ll go with a spirited draw here between the two least predictable teams in MLS.
Crew vs. Dynamo – With a myopic focus, the Dynamo are a dangerous team and the Crew seem to be running on empty.
Wizards vs. FIRE – It is darn tough to beat a team twice in a week, so I’ll say the Wizards get a draw in front of a capacity Toyota Park crowd.
Sunday
Gals vs. Rapids – The Clavejo phoenix manages a draw against the Galaxy who have their playoff backs against a wall.
RSL vs. Chivas USA – Chivas is on a roll and RSL is always getting rolled. No trend change here.
Podcast:
The Soccer/Dynamo Power Hour
(NOTE: If you know a Podcast that needs to be added please let me know and post a link.)
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
US Soccer Snob’s US Soccer Update – 07/24/07
TOP STORIES
The Beckham Phenomenon
Can we all agree now, that the phenomenon that is David Beckham joining the Galaxy has been much greater than anyone could have predicted or imagined? From the 100+ security restrained photogs vying to get a picture of him sitting on the bench to the frenzied reaction of the LA fans new and old, this January transfer has proven a masterstroke to this point. It really didn’t seem to matter that the player of focus only stepped on the pitch for 16 minutes or that LA was miraculously holding Chelsea to one goal, the game was a coronation ceremony, the likes of which are rarely seen in any sport in any country. The fact that I watched the game on 2 big screen TVs in the middle of a Colorado casino is an indicator of the impact MLS’ of the Beckham transaction. 110 countries carried this “glamour” friendly, I can’t imagine that they, and the rest of LA, won’t sign-up for more Galaxy games. Lastly, a sure sign that Beckham-mania is to the point of absurd, this article is about the man that truly ushered in the Becks era, the fourth official.
SuperLiga – Dia Uno
The SuperLiga is off to a decent start for MLS squads trying to prove their worth to Mexican Americans. Chivas immediately lived up to the diving stereotypes as Dallas’ new find ran within a foot of a diving Ernesto Miguel. Immediately Miguel feigned being clipped by Richardhino’s run and prompted a nearly five minute delay with his theatrics. FC Dallas managed to jump to a 1-0 lead due to a complex chip from Arturo Alvarez in the 56th minute, ushering in the crazy portion of the game. A minute after his insertion into the match, Chivas’ Antonio Olvera blasted a shot past a diving Ray Burse, Dallas third string keeper making his first start in place of injured Dario Sala and Shaka Hislop. What the referee failed to notice was Olvera clearly settling the ball with his left hand prior to his excellent strike. Despite the pleas of the Hoops, the goal stood. Tempers flared minutes later as Drew Moor received an elbow to the face by a Chivas defender. Unnoticed, again, by the refereeing crew, Moor ill advisedly took matters into his own right hand, striking the defender and receiving a red card in the process. This action prompted a near brawl involving every player on the pitch. Dallas managed to hang on for a draw. The draw has to be seen as a disappointment for the MLS side, given the nearly reserve squad that Chivas fielded. Only four Chivas players that saw action in their last competitive match took the field in Dallas. Further the Hoops had trouble connecting on passes all match.
The Galaxy shocked North America as they managed to top a nearly full strength Pachuca at the Home Depot Center. Joe Cannon was a beast between the pipes while Abel Xavier consistently cleared the area of danger as LA was under siege all evening. The Galaxy opened the scoring on a one-time strike from Alan Gordon, bringing Becks and son Cruz out of their skybox chair. Gordon was the recipient of a positively Beckham-esque pass from “Capitan Landon” that found Gordon’s chest between two defenders. Pachuca though they had sealed a draw in the 78th minute with a neat flick past Cannon by Rafael Marquez Lugo, but the Galaxy had other plans. Pressing the attack near the end of the match Donovan again sent a pass, cross field to Cobi Jones. Jones dribbled past his defender and rocket a shot toward goal directly into the path of Donovan. A leaping Landon deflected the ball past Pachuca keeper Miguel Calero for the three points.
Blanco Stokes Friendly FIRE
Yet again the chorus must be sung (“it was only a friendly”), but for one afternoon Cuauhtémoc Blanco made the 2007 version of the Chicago Fire appear to be a respectable football club. Celtic, fresh off being embarrassed in Colorado by the MLS All-Stars, strolled into Toyota Park expecting an easy win at the house of the Eastern Conference cellar-dwellers and not many home fans would disagree with them. What both parties received was a show that left league officials wishing that Blanco had donned a Beckham costume the evening before in LA. Temo put on a display of showmanship that left Celtic bumping into each other and his new teammates giggling. Blanco’s combination of skill and theatrics were on full display during the afternoon. He trapped a long pass with his ass, threw in the famed Blanco hop/bounce, dummied a Celtic defender out of his kilt, backheeled with precision and even scored a goal that looked eerily similar to that of Juan Pablo Angel’s three days prior. This is a player that the casual fan will pay to see, although one can’t help but be disappointed with the far-from-a-sell-out crowd that was in the stands Sunday. Despite the attendance failing, for the moment it looks like John Guppy is re-writing the entry on his tenure with Chicago. The Gupster hires Blanco, fires a coach who was only slightly less popular than he, and now on the verge of delivering Costa Rican assassin, Paulo Wanchope.
Other Friendly Action
Aston Villa kicks off their preseason this week with two tough matches against the best MLS crowd and one of the hottest MLS teams. Villa likely will be wondering if they landed on the right continent when they walk out on the BMO field pitch and are subjected to the howls of U-Sector and the Red Patch Boys. Then Villa travels to Columbus to take on GBS and the Crew. Marty O’Neill’s EPL side better be wary! The shock of the friendly season took place in Utah last week as MLS laughing-stock RSL took down UEFA-cup bound Everton 2-0. RSL had fitness and substitutions on their side, however only Tim Howard looked like a professional footballer for the Merseysiders. A few days later, RSL managed a draw against mighty Boca Juniors.
MLS Week 15 – Actual League Games Too?
Sunday
Dynamo v. Revs – I’ve heard it mentioned in numerous circles that many fans of the league were disappointed that MLS did not do a better job of promoting this big match between the top Eastern and Western sides in lieu of hyping the Beckham debut. Even if they did, would it have gotten the attention it deserved? Likely not. Heck, most of the people that turned out for this showcase of a match were still at the concession booths when DeRo smashed in the Goal of the Week. Seem difficult for fans and the league alike to get their timing right.
United v. The Flagship – Woly’s header tops United and officially takes them out of the “hottest team” discussion. The Flagship, meanwhile, finds themselves tied for the Eastern Conference lead with New England. Five teams are within three points of each other in a race that can count out Toronto or a re-loading Chicago.
UFC v. Crew – Wil Hessmer and the Columbus defense continued it’s strong form blanking the masquerading mixed martial arts squad, but GBS dazzles the home crowd with two big goals and continues Columbus’ unrelenting surge up the Eastern Conference standings. The Hunt family announced that GSB’s jersey is set to be retired by the end of the week.
Rapids v. Wizards – EJ hits for two more, but a feisty Rapids side twice climbed back into the match to salvage a draw at Arrowhead. The Rapids, down by one, were boosted by the ejection of Jose Burciaga Jr. in the 67th minute and took advantage ten minutes later with DC reject Facundo Erpen putting the ball in the back of the net. Rapid fans know things are going well when Jovan Kirovski hits the score sheet. He scored the only way he could, unmarked and from the spot.
Quote of the Week
Chris McGuire, sports marketing manager for adidas soccer:
"At this time the LA Galaxy David Beckham jersey is the number one-selling shirt in the world."
Why Pay to See an MLS Game?
Here is a breakdown of players and other reasons to get you out to see live football in the USA!
Eastern Conference
New England Revolution – Andy Dorman – The most underpaid player is a joy to watch.
New York Red Bulls – Juan Pablo Angel – The Columbian can read defenses like a book.
DC United – Christian Gomez – Deadly from set pieces and a passing wizard.
Kansas City Wizards – Eddie Johnson – A scoring machine, in league play.
Columbus Crew – Guillermo Barros Schelotto – Turned the team around and saved Sigi’s hide.
Toronto FC – The Fans – Staking their claim to “Best Fans in the League” since day one.
Chicago Fire - Cuauhtémoc Blanco – The showman has arrived.
Western Conference
Real Salt Lake – A New Beginning – You can’t compare the team to a Phoenix since 1) it has yet to begin to rise and 2) there was nothing to create any ashes in the first place, but Kries has restocked this club with youth and quality. Perhaps a Designated Player is on the way, but who would put extra butts in seats in Salt Lake? Keith van Horne? Bill Paxton?
LA Galaxy – David Beckham – As if I needed to type that.
Chivas USA – Maykel Galindo – The Cuban speedster is a great story and the primary reason Precki’s side isnt’ fighting RSL for division basement space.
FC Dallas – Juan Toja – The pick-up of the year thus far has big game to match his big hair. This Columbian international will not be around long if he continues.
Houston Dynamo – The Houston Dynamo – Mentioning any one player would slight the rest of this loaded team.
Colorado Rapids – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – It’s a mouthful, but this venue is stunning. No details were overlooked (ala’ Chicago) and it makes for an incredible experience.
Transfer of the Week
It is not a done deal, but Freddy Adu is on his way to Europe. If the league gets the $7.5M they are looking for then it is a coup. Young Fredrick’s pricetag is not going to get any higher through league play. Here’s hoping that he gets some PT in Euroland or else I see a free transfer back to MLS in three years.
MLS Prediction Central
Last Week (3-2)
SEASON (35-58)
LA Goats v. The Flagship – The goats just can seem to work out their road troubles and the Flagship starts putting a streak together.
Revs v. RSL – The Jason Kreis youth movement is making me a beliver, but not over the top team in the East. RSL manages a draw.
FIRE v. UFC – A recharged FIRE remains winless against UFC, but gets a point for their troubles.
LA Goats v. KC – The road nightmare continues as KC makes amends for their poor showing last week.
Podcast:
The Soccer/Dynamo Power Hour – Glenn talks about Becks.
(NOTE: If you know a Podcast that needs to be added please let me know and post a link.)
The Beckham Phenomenon
Can we all agree now, that the phenomenon that is David Beckham joining the Galaxy has been much greater than anyone could have predicted or imagined? From the 100+ security restrained photogs vying to get a picture of him sitting on the bench to the frenzied reaction of the LA fans new and old, this January transfer has proven a masterstroke to this point. It really didn’t seem to matter that the player of focus only stepped on the pitch for 16 minutes or that LA was miraculously holding Chelsea to one goal, the game was a coronation ceremony, the likes of which are rarely seen in any sport in any country. The fact that I watched the game on 2 big screen TVs in the middle of a Colorado casino is an indicator of the impact MLS’ of the Beckham transaction. 110 countries carried this “glamour” friendly, I can’t imagine that they, and the rest of LA, won’t sign-up for more Galaxy games. Lastly, a sure sign that Beckham-mania is to the point of absurd, this article is about the man that truly ushered in the Becks era, the fourth official.
SuperLiga – Dia Uno
The SuperLiga is off to a decent start for MLS squads trying to prove their worth to Mexican Americans. Chivas immediately lived up to the diving stereotypes as Dallas’ new find ran within a foot of a diving Ernesto Miguel. Immediately Miguel feigned being clipped by Richardhino’s run and prompted a nearly five minute delay with his theatrics. FC Dallas managed to jump to a 1-0 lead due to a complex chip from Arturo Alvarez in the 56th minute, ushering in the crazy portion of the game. A minute after his insertion into the match, Chivas’ Antonio Olvera blasted a shot past a diving Ray Burse, Dallas third string keeper making his first start in place of injured Dario Sala and Shaka Hislop. What the referee failed to notice was Olvera clearly settling the ball with his left hand prior to his excellent strike. Despite the pleas of the Hoops, the goal stood. Tempers flared minutes later as Drew Moor received an elbow to the face by a Chivas defender. Unnoticed, again, by the refereeing crew, Moor ill advisedly took matters into his own right hand, striking the defender and receiving a red card in the process. This action prompted a near brawl involving every player on the pitch. Dallas managed to hang on for a draw. The draw has to be seen as a disappointment for the MLS side, given the nearly reserve squad that Chivas fielded. Only four Chivas players that saw action in their last competitive match took the field in Dallas. Further the Hoops had trouble connecting on passes all match.
The Galaxy shocked North America as they managed to top a nearly full strength Pachuca at the Home Depot Center. Joe Cannon was a beast between the pipes while Abel Xavier consistently cleared the area of danger as LA was under siege all evening. The Galaxy opened the scoring on a one-time strike from Alan Gordon, bringing Becks and son Cruz out of their skybox chair. Gordon was the recipient of a positively Beckham-esque pass from “Capitan Landon” that found Gordon’s chest between two defenders. Pachuca though they had sealed a draw in the 78th minute with a neat flick past Cannon by Rafael Marquez Lugo, but the Galaxy had other plans. Pressing the attack near the end of the match Donovan again sent a pass, cross field to Cobi Jones. Jones dribbled past his defender and rocket a shot toward goal directly into the path of Donovan. A leaping Landon deflected the ball past Pachuca keeper Miguel Calero for the three points.
Blanco Stokes Friendly FIRE
Yet again the chorus must be sung (“it was only a friendly”), but for one afternoon Cuauhtémoc Blanco made the 2007 version of the Chicago Fire appear to be a respectable football club. Celtic, fresh off being embarrassed in Colorado by the MLS All-Stars, strolled into Toyota Park expecting an easy win at the house of the Eastern Conference cellar-dwellers and not many home fans would disagree with them. What both parties received was a show that left league officials wishing that Blanco had donned a Beckham costume the evening before in LA. Temo put on a display of showmanship that left Celtic bumping into each other and his new teammates giggling. Blanco’s combination of skill and theatrics were on full display during the afternoon. He trapped a long pass with his ass, threw in the famed Blanco hop/bounce, dummied a Celtic defender out of his kilt, backheeled with precision and even scored a goal that looked eerily similar to that of Juan Pablo Angel’s three days prior. This is a player that the casual fan will pay to see, although one can’t help but be disappointed with the far-from-a-sell-out crowd that was in the stands Sunday. Despite the attendance failing, for the moment it looks like John Guppy is re-writing the entry on his tenure with Chicago. The Gupster hires Blanco, fires a coach who was only slightly less popular than he, and now on the verge of delivering Costa Rican assassin, Paulo Wanchope.
Other Friendly Action
Aston Villa kicks off their preseason this week with two tough matches against the best MLS crowd and one of the hottest MLS teams. Villa likely will be wondering if they landed on the right continent when they walk out on the BMO field pitch and are subjected to the howls of U-Sector and the Red Patch Boys. Then Villa travels to Columbus to take on GBS and the Crew. Marty O’Neill’s EPL side better be wary! The shock of the friendly season took place in Utah last week as MLS laughing-stock RSL took down UEFA-cup bound Everton 2-0. RSL had fitness and substitutions on their side, however only Tim Howard looked like a professional footballer for the Merseysiders. A few days later, RSL managed a draw against mighty Boca Juniors.
MLS Week 15 – Actual League Games Too?
Sunday
Dynamo v. Revs – I’ve heard it mentioned in numerous circles that many fans of the league were disappointed that MLS did not do a better job of promoting this big match between the top Eastern and Western sides in lieu of hyping the Beckham debut. Even if they did, would it have gotten the attention it deserved? Likely not. Heck, most of the people that turned out for this showcase of a match were still at the concession booths when DeRo smashed in the Goal of the Week. Seem difficult for fans and the league alike to get their timing right.
United v. The Flagship – Woly’s header tops United and officially takes them out of the “hottest team” discussion. The Flagship, meanwhile, finds themselves tied for the Eastern Conference lead with New England. Five teams are within three points of each other in a race that can count out Toronto or a re-loading Chicago.
UFC v. Crew – Wil Hessmer and the Columbus defense continued it’s strong form blanking the masquerading mixed martial arts squad, but GBS dazzles the home crowd with two big goals and continues Columbus’ unrelenting surge up the Eastern Conference standings. The Hunt family announced that GSB’s jersey is set to be retired by the end of the week.
Rapids v. Wizards – EJ hits for two more, but a feisty Rapids side twice climbed back into the match to salvage a draw at Arrowhead. The Rapids, down by one, were boosted by the ejection of Jose Burciaga Jr. in the 67th minute and took advantage ten minutes later with DC reject Facundo Erpen putting the ball in the back of the net. Rapid fans know things are going well when Jovan Kirovski hits the score sheet. He scored the only way he could, unmarked and from the spot.
Quote of the Week
Chris McGuire, sports marketing manager for adidas soccer:
"At this time the LA Galaxy David Beckham jersey is the number one-selling shirt in the world."
Why Pay to See an MLS Game?
Here is a breakdown of players and other reasons to get you out to see live football in the USA!
Eastern Conference
New England Revolution – Andy Dorman – The most underpaid player is a joy to watch.
New York Red Bulls – Juan Pablo Angel – The Columbian can read defenses like a book.
DC United – Christian Gomez – Deadly from set pieces and a passing wizard.
Kansas City Wizards – Eddie Johnson – A scoring machine, in league play.
Columbus Crew – Guillermo Barros Schelotto – Turned the team around and saved Sigi’s hide.
Toronto FC – The Fans – Staking their claim to “Best Fans in the League” since day one.
Chicago Fire - Cuauhtémoc Blanco – The showman has arrived.
Western Conference
Real Salt Lake – A New Beginning – You can’t compare the team to a Phoenix since 1) it has yet to begin to rise and 2) there was nothing to create any ashes in the first place, but Kries has restocked this club with youth and quality. Perhaps a Designated Player is on the way, but who would put extra butts in seats in Salt Lake? Keith van Horne? Bill Paxton?
LA Galaxy – David Beckham – As if I needed to type that.
Chivas USA – Maykel Galindo – The Cuban speedster is a great story and the primary reason Precki’s side isnt’ fighting RSL for division basement space.
FC Dallas – Juan Toja – The pick-up of the year thus far has big game to match his big hair. This Columbian international will not be around long if he continues.
Houston Dynamo – The Houston Dynamo – Mentioning any one player would slight the rest of this loaded team.
Colorado Rapids – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – It’s a mouthful, but this venue is stunning. No details were overlooked (ala’ Chicago) and it makes for an incredible experience.
Transfer of the Week
It is not a done deal, but Freddy Adu is on his way to Europe. If the league gets the $7.5M they are looking for then it is a coup. Young Fredrick’s pricetag is not going to get any higher through league play. Here’s hoping that he gets some PT in Euroland or else I see a free transfer back to MLS in three years.
MLS Prediction Central
Last Week (3-2)
SEASON (35-58)
LA Goats v. The Flagship – The goats just can seem to work out their road troubles and the Flagship starts putting a streak together.
Revs v. RSL – The Jason Kreis youth movement is making me a beliver, but not over the top team in the East. RSL manages a draw.
FIRE v. UFC – A recharged FIRE remains winless against UFC, but gets a point for their troubles.
LA Goats v. KC – The road nightmare continues as KC makes amends for their poor showing last week.
Podcast:
The Soccer/Dynamo Power Hour – Glenn talks about Becks.
(NOTE: If you know a Podcast that needs to be added please let me know and post a link.)
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
US Soccer Snob’s US Soccer Update – 07/18/07
TOP STORIES
Quakes to Return
According to press reports out of the Bay Area, Don Garber will announce during the State of the League Address that the Quakes will return to the Bay Area despite not having a place to play next season. “Understandings” have been met between the Lew Wolff ownership group and the City of San Jose, just don’t ask Wolff for an address. Congratulations to the loyal Quakes fans and to Soccer Silicon Valley. Let this be a lesson to the groups across the country that are acting to save or bring soccer to their city (Philadelphia!).
Blanco Reports to FIRE
Most FIRE fans were worried about Blanco’s impact on the locker room when he signed for the FIRE, now those same fans can’t wait for him to arriving and start slamming slackers like Calen Carr and Chad Barrett against lockers! After watching this team mope its way through the last three months, it is clear that someone is needed to fight FIRE with fire! The no-BS injection of Coach Osorio and Temo will have underperforming players fearing for their lives after games. Can you imagine what will happen when Brian Hall makes the next terrible call against the FIRE while Temo is on the pitch? While, I don’t relish the though of the FIRE’s most high priced talent sitting out games due to suspension, it would be nice to see someone in a FIRE jersey look like they care about the team’s form. However, Luis reports that he did see the Houston game. Watch out!!
FIREsale part Three
All reports say the Fire are as good as sold to the family that brought you the Son of the better half of 7 and 7’s (potential Jimmy Buffett song?) will be the new owner of the FIRE. Andell Holdings will be taking over the fledgling FIRE in 30 to 45 day (crafted by a former Metrostar front office guy?). The only drawback is that this does not include the implicit ouster of GM John Guppy. Of course, it may be the wrong time to boot the surging Gupster after his hiring of Osorio, easily his most savvy move to date, despite the events of the past week.
Records go down in MLS
Three important records fell this week:
1. Houston Dynamo broke the league shutout record. The previous holders, walked away with the MLS cup the year they broke the record.
2. Steve Ralston broke the league assist record. The previous holder, walked away from the league with the biggest blond afro in history.
3. LA Galaxy shattered the MLS record for press passes given out for a player announcement. The previous record was 8.
MLS Week 15 – Can’t Stop Addicted to the Shindig
Thursday
Dynamo vs. FIRE – This game was sadder than sad and unfortunately for us FIRE fans, a 4-0 spanking on the alleged night of hope (sell out, new coach, Mapp’s return) wasn’t the low point of the week (see: Cup, Open). At least Juan Carlos Osorio learned a great deal about his team during this debacle and now may have a clear view of just how far he has to bring this team to get to the promised land.
MOTM: Joseph Ngwenya – for his hard work and sublime skills on the third goal against the FIRE.
Saturday
Hoops vs. United – United buries Dallas and the Hoops rise back to life thanks to the reappearance of Carlos Ruiz and the continued timeliness of Juan Toja. Tommy Soehn was rightly livid after this one that United had in the bag.
MOTM: Juan Toja – for sweeping the dust of the Dallas grave and pulling the rest of the team out of the ground.
Revs. vs. The Flagship – The Flagship has done rather well at home and you can’t expect to keep Angel off the score sheet forever.
RSL vs. Wizards – This one went almost according to plan by the 19th minute with EJ doing what he does (in league play), but RSL shut down the KC offensive juggernaut the rest of the match. Defense has not been a problem under the Kreis regime. The comical mistakes in the back that cost the team early on have, for the most part, gone away.
MOTM: No position to judge
Crew vs. LA Goats – Chivas USA is making Beckham’s home their own! This was a big win for Chivas and stay well situated in the playoff race ladder, just above Columbus thanks to the three points. This is the type of win that teams can point to as a reason they made the playoffs.
MOTM: No position to judge.
Sunday
UFC vs. Dynamo – Here’s the deal. No team in the league is better prepared than UFC to handle red card situations. I’ve got to believe that this squad practices 10 on 11 more often than even strength. It is almost becoming inevitable and now number one draft pick Maurice Edu has been indoctrinated into the culture of violence! However, Houston did have every opportunity in the world to put this thing away, but couldn’t managed to put their shots on frame. A shocking development given the events of Thursday night.
MOTM: Carl Robinson – Directing traffic and shutting down attacks, Robinson was everywhere for UFC and helped salvage a point for his side.
Quotes of the Week
FC Dallas coach Steve Morrow on the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup:
"It's a big cup competition. I want to win and get my bonus."
Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas on English press potshots on MLS quality:
"It irritates me so much I want to put my fist through a wall--or through a television set playing Benny Hill,"
Beckham Update
OK, there is much to unearth here that hasn’t been reported 1,000 times over in every paper, but was nice to see that the LA Galaxy have sold in excess of 250,000 jerseys prior to their unveiling and that upon meeting some of his teammates, one of them introduced themselves, then asked Becks, “Nice to meet you. What’s your name?” Victoria’s show was quite entertaining and could be worth picking up for NBC (ratings dependent). We’ll know the Beckham’s are having if everyone starts saying “major”.
“Major” Inroad of the Week
This one is a bit dated, but HBO’s “Entourage” featured entourage leader Vince falling ass backwards into a betting syndicate led by Dennis Hopper. Vince was on the edge of losing big money on Manchester United until Hopper’s pal noted that he hadn’t called in the bets. Hopper then convinced Vince to bet on the next game featuring Brazil. No word on FIFA on if these back-to-back matches were on a official FIFA international match day.
MLS Trade of the Week
Jason Kreis and RSL fleeced the Rapids and obtained rising US National Team force Kyle Beckerman for inconsistent Mhedi Ballouchy. Each side had a clear motivation for the trade, with Colorado already having a Beckerman in Pablo Mastroeni and RSL already having a Ballouchy in Adu. Perhaps Freddy’s play in center at the U-20’s was the final straw in proving to RSL that he needs to play in the middle, this making Ballouchy expendable.
U-20 World Cup
They gave us some thrills and hope against Poland and Brazil, but ultimately reverted to their form against South Korea. They managed to salvage an extra time win against the poorest sports in the tournament Uruguay, but couldn’t manage to come from behind against a very good Austria side. At least we learned that Adu and Altidore are not flukes. The Crew has to be encouraged by the play of Danny Szetela.
US Open Cup
While this remains my favorite competition, it is disappointing to see the early ouster of some MLS sides who trotted out B teams and paid the price as the USL teams have proven more than up to the task! D.C. United was dispatched in farm country by the Harrisburg City Islanders. Richmond Kickers ousted the LA Galaxy, while the Charleston Battery ended Houston’s double hopes. Perhaps, Houston and LA were looking at their schedule and decided that it was crowded enough, but FC Dallas was also on the brink of elimination at the feet of the Atlanta Silverbacks before finally topping the USL side in a penalty kick shootout. Houston’s ouster prevented another meeting between the Texas in-state rivals. These results alone warrant expanded Fox Soccer Channel coverage of these matches.
On the other hand, New England and Colorado topped Rochester and California Victory by two goal margins. Both the Revs and Rapids fielded close to full strength sides, but the Revs needed two goals in extra time to dispatch the underlings.
Then there was the Chicago FIRE marking their franchise low point by dropping a 1-0 match to the Carolina Railhawks. The FIRE fielded a full strength team and was blanked by an A-league club that started a keeper that had yet to play a league match. That is as low as you can go folks!
Quote of the Week II:
Fox Soccer Channel’s David Steinberg to Multichannel news on if he was surprised about the Gold Cup final ratings topping the Stanley Cup finals average rating by 40%:
“Not at all. Soccer is definitely poised to supplant hockey as the No. 4 major team sport in this country. You can already see some indications of that happening. One is TV ratings and another is live attendance. MLS attendance is either on a par or slightly above average NHL attendance. If you look at the country as a whole as opposed to specific regions where hockey may be strong, you just don’t see the same level of awareness of that sport as you do with soccer. Those are all signs of soccer growing more popular.”
Soccer Hater of the Week
A perfect follow-up to our quote of the week II. Every time Joe American sports fan feels threatened by soccer (which should be all the time this week), the ignorant haters come out of the woodwork don’t they? I know that the entities vying to bring MLS to St. Louis can’t be happy after reading this joke of a column in the St. Louis Post-Distpatch by Bryan Burwell. I mean, there is poor research and then there is just straight-up denial. How do you define denial? I’d start by writing this sentence: “Even in a soccer hotbed like St. Louis, is there anyone who believes it will ever rise above the NHL or even the WNBA, and become a core American sporting pastime?” Hasn’t soccer (not just MLS, but all levels of soccer in this country) supplanted these sports already? The NHL is a close call, but if you think about national team games of all countries, friendlies and minor league soccer, even the NHL may trail attendance-wise. I guess this is the mindset developed by only watching Sportscenter (until recently).
Soccer Lover of the Week
Here is an all too rare knowledgeable soccer ink from a major sports mainstream sports columnist. Mike Downey joined the Chicago Tribune a number of years ago and wrote a column about how excited he was to be part of the Chicago sports scene. He mentioned the FIRE and his love of soccer. Unfortunately, as many of us know, the Chicago Tribune, historically has been reticent to provide space in their sports pages to the FIRE of any kind. I would rate their coverage, as far as space devoted to soccer, the worst in the United State among cities with MLS teams. Yes this includes Kansas City and the New York papers. Being immersed in this culture, Mike certainly was never encouraged to write about soccer, more than once every World Cup, where his great column would be offset by a typical “Who Care?” article from one of the other columnists. Although this trend is clearly changing on the heels of the construction of Toyota Park and the successful Gold Cup at Solider Field, it is all to rare that we see columns like this in either of the Chicago papers.
MLS Prediction Central
Last Week (2-4)
SEASON (32-56)
MLS All-Stars vs. Celtic FC – The off season Celtic are no match for a group of in-form players playing for potential European vacations. Oops, I broke soccer writer code. Players only come over to the US for vacations and semi-retirements. I forgot… Either way lifelong Rangers fan Stevie Nichol has a stacked squad to pick from and will be starting a three man back line. Should be a crac’…um’ exciting game. Sorry, I’ll get used to that.
Soccer Sunday?
Dynamo v. Revs – The Dynamo come into the Big Razor a manage a draw.
United v. The Flagship – The Flagship starts taking on water due to the big Angel hole up top. United over their rivals here.
UFC v. Crew – UFC bookends their road odyssey with losses as the Crew rebound from California disappointment.
Rapids v. Wizards – Shock! Ballouchy is not the answer. Wizards reclaim pole position in the east with a pretty win against the Rapids.
Podcast:
The Soccer/Dynamo Power Hour – Glenn couldn’t keep up with me this week, so you’ll have to settle for archives.
(NOTE: If you know a Podcast that needs to be added please let me know and post a link.)
Quakes to Return
According to press reports out of the Bay Area, Don Garber will announce during the State of the League Address that the Quakes will return to the Bay Area despite not having a place to play next season. “Understandings” have been met between the Lew Wolff ownership group and the City of San Jose, just don’t ask Wolff for an address. Congratulations to the loyal Quakes fans and to Soccer Silicon Valley. Let this be a lesson to the groups across the country that are acting to save or bring soccer to their city (Philadelphia!).
Blanco Reports to FIRE
Most FIRE fans were worried about Blanco’s impact on the locker room when he signed for the FIRE, now those same fans can’t wait for him to arriving and start slamming slackers like Calen Carr and Chad Barrett against lockers! After watching this team mope its way through the last three months, it is clear that someone is needed to fight FIRE with fire! The no-BS injection of Coach Osorio and Temo will have underperforming players fearing for their lives after games. Can you imagine what will happen when Brian Hall makes the next terrible call against the FIRE while Temo is on the pitch? While, I don’t relish the though of the FIRE’s most high priced talent sitting out games due to suspension, it would be nice to see someone in a FIRE jersey look like they care about the team’s form. However, Luis reports that he did see the Houston game. Watch out!!
FIREsale part Three
All reports say the Fire are as good as sold to the family that brought you the Son of the better half of 7 and 7’s (potential Jimmy Buffett song?) will be the new owner of the FIRE. Andell Holdings will be taking over the fledgling FIRE in 30 to 45 day (crafted by a former Metrostar front office guy?). The only drawback is that this does not include the implicit ouster of GM John Guppy. Of course, it may be the wrong time to boot the surging Gupster after his hiring of Osorio, easily his most savvy move to date, despite the events of the past week.
Records go down in MLS
Three important records fell this week:
1. Houston Dynamo broke the league shutout record. The previous holders, walked away with the MLS cup the year they broke the record.
2. Steve Ralston broke the league assist record. The previous holder, walked away from the league with the biggest blond afro in history.
3. LA Galaxy shattered the MLS record for press passes given out for a player announcement. The previous record was 8.
MLS Week 15 – Can’t Stop Addicted to the Shindig
Thursday
Dynamo vs. FIRE – This game was sadder than sad and unfortunately for us FIRE fans, a 4-0 spanking on the alleged night of hope (sell out, new coach, Mapp’s return) wasn’t the low point of the week (see: Cup, Open). At least Juan Carlos Osorio learned a great deal about his team during this debacle and now may have a clear view of just how far he has to bring this team to get to the promised land.
MOTM: Joseph Ngwenya – for his hard work and sublime skills on the third goal against the FIRE.
Saturday
Hoops vs. United – United buries Dallas and the Hoops rise back to life thanks to the reappearance of Carlos Ruiz and the continued timeliness of Juan Toja. Tommy Soehn was rightly livid after this one that United had in the bag.
MOTM: Juan Toja – for sweeping the dust of the Dallas grave and pulling the rest of the team out of the ground.
Revs. vs. The Flagship – The Flagship has done rather well at home and you can’t expect to keep Angel off the score sheet forever.
RSL vs. Wizards – This one went almost according to plan by the 19th minute with EJ doing what he does (in league play), but RSL shut down the KC offensive juggernaut the rest of the match. Defense has not been a problem under the Kreis regime. The comical mistakes in the back that cost the team early on have, for the most part, gone away.
MOTM: No position to judge
Crew vs. LA Goats – Chivas USA is making Beckham’s home their own! This was a big win for Chivas and stay well situated in the playoff race ladder, just above Columbus thanks to the three points. This is the type of win that teams can point to as a reason they made the playoffs.
MOTM: No position to judge.
Sunday
UFC vs. Dynamo – Here’s the deal. No team in the league is better prepared than UFC to handle red card situations. I’ve got to believe that this squad practices 10 on 11 more often than even strength. It is almost becoming inevitable and now number one draft pick Maurice Edu has been indoctrinated into the culture of violence! However, Houston did have every opportunity in the world to put this thing away, but couldn’t managed to put their shots on frame. A shocking development given the events of Thursday night.
MOTM: Carl Robinson – Directing traffic and shutting down attacks, Robinson was everywhere for UFC and helped salvage a point for his side.
Quotes of the Week
FC Dallas coach Steve Morrow on the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup:
"It's a big cup competition. I want to win and get my bonus."
Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas on English press potshots on MLS quality:
"It irritates me so much I want to put my fist through a wall--or through a television set playing Benny Hill,"
Beckham Update
OK, there is much to unearth here that hasn’t been reported 1,000 times over in every paper, but was nice to see that the LA Galaxy have sold in excess of 250,000 jerseys prior to their unveiling and that upon meeting some of his teammates, one of them introduced themselves, then asked Becks, “Nice to meet you. What’s your name?” Victoria’s show was quite entertaining and could be worth picking up for NBC (ratings dependent). We’ll know the Beckham’s are having if everyone starts saying “major”.
“Major” Inroad of the Week
This one is a bit dated, but HBO’s “Entourage” featured entourage leader Vince falling ass backwards into a betting syndicate led by Dennis Hopper. Vince was on the edge of losing big money on Manchester United until Hopper’s pal noted that he hadn’t called in the bets. Hopper then convinced Vince to bet on the next game featuring Brazil. No word on FIFA on if these back-to-back matches were on a official FIFA international match day.
MLS Trade of the Week
Jason Kreis and RSL fleeced the Rapids and obtained rising US National Team force Kyle Beckerman for inconsistent Mhedi Ballouchy. Each side had a clear motivation for the trade, with Colorado already having a Beckerman in Pablo Mastroeni and RSL already having a Ballouchy in Adu. Perhaps Freddy’s play in center at the U-20’s was the final straw in proving to RSL that he needs to play in the middle, this making Ballouchy expendable.
U-20 World Cup
They gave us some thrills and hope against Poland and Brazil, but ultimately reverted to their form against South Korea. They managed to salvage an extra time win against the poorest sports in the tournament Uruguay, but couldn’t manage to come from behind against a very good Austria side. At least we learned that Adu and Altidore are not flukes. The Crew has to be encouraged by the play of Danny Szetela.
US Open Cup
While this remains my favorite competition, it is disappointing to see the early ouster of some MLS sides who trotted out B teams and paid the price as the USL teams have proven more than up to the task! D.C. United was dispatched in farm country by the Harrisburg City Islanders. Richmond Kickers ousted the LA Galaxy, while the Charleston Battery ended Houston’s double hopes. Perhaps, Houston and LA were looking at their schedule and decided that it was crowded enough, but FC Dallas was also on the brink of elimination at the feet of the Atlanta Silverbacks before finally topping the USL side in a penalty kick shootout. Houston’s ouster prevented another meeting between the Texas in-state rivals. These results alone warrant expanded Fox Soccer Channel coverage of these matches.
On the other hand, New England and Colorado topped Rochester and California Victory by two goal margins. Both the Revs and Rapids fielded close to full strength sides, but the Revs needed two goals in extra time to dispatch the underlings.
Then there was the Chicago FIRE marking their franchise low point by dropping a 1-0 match to the Carolina Railhawks. The FIRE fielded a full strength team and was blanked by an A-league club that started a keeper that had yet to play a league match. That is as low as you can go folks!
Quote of the Week II:
Fox Soccer Channel’s David Steinberg to Multichannel news on if he was surprised about the Gold Cup final ratings topping the Stanley Cup finals average rating by 40%:
“Not at all. Soccer is definitely poised to supplant hockey as the No. 4 major team sport in this country. You can already see some indications of that happening. One is TV ratings and another is live attendance. MLS attendance is either on a par or slightly above average NHL attendance. If you look at the country as a whole as opposed to specific regions where hockey may be strong, you just don’t see the same level of awareness of that sport as you do with soccer. Those are all signs of soccer growing more popular.”
Soccer Hater of the Week
A perfect follow-up to our quote of the week II. Every time Joe American sports fan feels threatened by soccer (which should be all the time this week), the ignorant haters come out of the woodwork don’t they? I know that the entities vying to bring MLS to St. Louis can’t be happy after reading this joke of a column in the St. Louis Post-Distpatch by Bryan Burwell. I mean, there is poor research and then there is just straight-up denial. How do you define denial? I’d start by writing this sentence: “Even in a soccer hotbed like St. Louis, is there anyone who believes it will ever rise above the NHL or even the WNBA, and become a core American sporting pastime?” Hasn’t soccer (not just MLS, but all levels of soccer in this country) supplanted these sports already? The NHL is a close call, but if you think about national team games of all countries, friendlies and minor league soccer, even the NHL may trail attendance-wise. I guess this is the mindset developed by only watching Sportscenter (until recently).
Soccer Lover of the Week
Here is an all too rare knowledgeable soccer ink from a major sports mainstream sports columnist. Mike Downey joined the Chicago Tribune a number of years ago and wrote a column about how excited he was to be part of the Chicago sports scene. He mentioned the FIRE and his love of soccer. Unfortunately, as many of us know, the Chicago Tribune, historically has been reticent to provide space in their sports pages to the FIRE of any kind. I would rate their coverage, as far as space devoted to soccer, the worst in the United State among cities with MLS teams. Yes this includes Kansas City and the New York papers. Being immersed in this culture, Mike certainly was never encouraged to write about soccer, more than once every World Cup, where his great column would be offset by a typical “Who Care?” article from one of the other columnists. Although this trend is clearly changing on the heels of the construction of Toyota Park and the successful Gold Cup at Solider Field, it is all to rare that we see columns like this in either of the Chicago papers.
MLS Prediction Central
Last Week (2-4)
SEASON (32-56)
MLS All-Stars vs. Celtic FC – The off season Celtic are no match for a group of in-form players playing for potential European vacations. Oops, I broke soccer writer code. Players only come over to the US for vacations and semi-retirements. I forgot… Either way lifelong Rangers fan Stevie Nichol has a stacked squad to pick from and will be starting a three man back line. Should be a crac’…um’ exciting game. Sorry, I’ll get used to that.
Soccer Sunday?
Dynamo v. Revs – The Dynamo come into the Big Razor a manage a draw.
United v. The Flagship – The Flagship starts taking on water due to the big Angel hole up top. United over their rivals here.
UFC v. Crew – UFC bookends their road odyssey with losses as the Crew rebound from California disappointment.
Rapids v. Wizards – Shock! Ballouchy is not the answer. Wizards reclaim pole position in the east with a pretty win against the Rapids.
Podcast:
The Soccer/Dynamo Power Hour – Glenn couldn’t keep up with me this week, so you’ll have to settle for archives.
(NOTE: If you know a Podcast that needs to be added please let me know and post a link.)
Saturday, April 7, 2007
US Soccer Snob's Weekly Update
MLS Predictions:
Order of Finish:East: DC United*, Revs*, Columbus*, Toronto*, Chicago Fire, KC, NYRB
West: Houston*, RSL*, LA Galaxy*, Dallas*, Colorado, Chivas
* - Playoff teams
Supporters Shield: DC United
Again, United builds an early lead and then starts going through a rough patch dealing with injuries and general from the extended season and extensive competitions. Tommy Soehn and company right the ship and start to cruise again before the playoffs. Houston looks to and almost closes the gap after signing Omar Bravo in the summer transfer window, but loses him for much of the season after Blanco breaks his leg in their MLS debuts at Toyota Park.
MLS Cup: United over RSL
Adu’s storybook season is denied its end by an overpowering DCU offense in front of a sellout hometown crowd. Huge Beckham poster hung in the south end is knocked from it’s mooring by an attempted volley by Ben Olsen. Addias is not pleased.
Open Cup: LA Galaxy
A-league teams are asked to foot the bill for “security charges” and forfeit the first two rounds to the Gals. LA plays all its remaining games at home to sell as many Beckham tickets as possible. Christopher Sullivan reminds us again that when he played in South America, they referred a home game as “en casa”.
All Star Game: MLS 2 - Celtic 1
In an amazing move, the entire MLS roster is populated by field players that have yet to make their MLS regular season debut. Claudio Reyna (injured since the first step he took on the Giant’s field turf coming out of the locker room), makes his MLS debut in a wheel chair and feeds a streaking David Beckham for the first goal in the 15th minute. Celtic fans react by drinking more beer. Halftime arrives and Tommy Soehn is forced to sub Reyna as his wheelchair suffered extensive damange heading into the locker room as it rolled over a piece of astroturf on the sidelines. Celtic tie immediately in the second half as a confused Maciej Zurawski (recently inked by RBNY) puts one in for his former teammates. Celtic fans miss the goal as the halftime beer and bathroom lines set North American records. The MLS all-stars win in stunning fashion as 85th minute sub, Zinadine Zidane (signed at halftime by Kansas City) charges, head first, through the Celtic defense and walks the ball into the back of the net. After the final whistle, Don Garber decrees that the entire MLS All-star team be transferred to RBNY via an special “Allstar Disburement Allocation”. Deposed US national team coach Bruce Arena, guides the re-named RedBull Gallacticos to exactly one point the rest of the season. At his firing, he notifies the nation that they just don’t understand the top level of football in this country, expectations were set too high and that Claudio Reyna’s wheelchair is now available via MLS Auctions. The wheelchair is eventually purchased by the Claudio Reyna Museum Foundation and added the it’s extensive collection which is currently located in Bruce Arena’s fourth bedroom.
MVP: Dwayne DeRosario
Mr. Excitement outshines all others and has a season for the ages. After the season new mega-star DeRosario is often seen hangin’ out with Dave Chappelle and Cypress Hill.ROTY: Robbie Rogers (if eligible)
Seriously, who the hell can tell what players are and are not eligible for this award.
CONCACAF Champions Cup
Disappointment follows US based squads on Mexican soil again. Despite having leads, both DC United and the Dynamo failed to protect their advantages on the road. United came into their match with Chivas level on aggregate(1-1). United jumped to a surprising lead on a spectacular goal by Jaime Moreno. As defenders began to close on Luciano Emilio in the Chivas box, Emilio poked a pass to Moreno who had his back to the goal. Moreno vertically one-touched the ball then bicycle kicked a lofting shot into the back of the net. The loft of the show was absolutely physics defying! Unfortunately the lead withered shortly after that as Aldofo Bautista put home a cross just before the half. Throughout the match Facundo Erpen again proved his worthlessness in defense getting torched by every available Chivas attacker. Chivas jumped ahead for good as some nice build-up in United area lead to a strong shot by Gonzalo Pineda right at Troy Perkins. The MLS goalkeeper of the year decided to attempt to catch the shot, but seemed to rethink that approach and opted to push it over the bar. The only problem with that is half way through Perkins’ though process his indecisive hand touched enough ball to slow it and allow it to hit the back of the net. United had other opportunities, but those too fell by the wayside and another American team slunk back from Mexico dejected. Certainly Houston and their 2-0 aggregate lead gave our league a taste of the glory you say!
Where do I begin?
The referee for this match was Mauricio Navarro. Mauricio Navarro was born in Santiago Chile on April 7th 1966. His hometown is Vancouver, Canada. The reason I’m telling you this is that Mr. Navarro made sure that he was a part of every single story about this match. Mr. Navarro and his crew missed an easy offside call in the third minute and allowed Pachuca to cut into Houston’s lead. Apparently seeking approval from the freeloading crowd, Mr. Navarro saw it fit to award the home team a penalty kick ten minutes later. This call was at the very least, debatable. Dynamo defender, Craig Waibel made an ill advised lunge at the ball as a Pachuca attacker was attempting to navigate a maze of defenders and then easily fell when Waibel caught some leg with the ball. Twenty minutes after the penalty, Houston keeper Zach Wells was given a yellow card by Navarro. Here's the laughable part:In the thirty fifth minute, the keeper for a team that is even was awarded a yellow card for time wasting. Please! Somehow, Houston got out of the half level on aggregate, although Navarro did ask the stadium staff to place all available balls in the Houston’s net during halftime for karma’s sake. Again, Houston coach Dominick Kinner seemed to make all the right halftime moves as a fired up Dynamo squad retook the aggregate lead off a goal by Brian Mullan in the 52nd minute. Enter Navarro, who took the next opportunity to blow the whistle. This time it was as a Pachucan attacker attempted to go around Brad Davis where the box meets the endline. Having been shut down, the attacker dives and Navarro promptly points to the spot, Christian Giminez converts and the tilt is level again. After this point, the teams were allowed to decided the match. Undeterred Houston again put themselves ahead on aggregate off a free kick that found the head of an unmarked Brian Ching in the 79th minute. Had there been six minutes left in the match, Houston would have advanced, however seven minutes later Pachuca’s Gabriel Caballero scored on a magical header goal to draw the series even again. High in the mountains of Mexico, the two sides headed to overtime. Late in the overtime’s first half , Giminez completed his hat trick for the home side by unleashing a vicious bending shot that started right and then tailed back left into the top left corner of the net. Stunned Houston keeper Zach Wells could only watch and admire Giminez’s piece of artistry. In the second overtime frame Houston had an opportunity to draw even again, but Ching’s head refused to come to Houston’s rescue again. A great cross was squandered as the ball eluded Ching’s head and connected with his shoulder. Five minutes later, Navarro blew his cruel whistle on the match.
PODCAST:
The Soccer Hour with Glenn Davis
Order of Finish:East: DC United*, Revs*, Columbus*, Toronto*, Chicago Fire, KC, NYRB
West: Houston*, RSL*, LA Galaxy*, Dallas*, Colorado, Chivas
* - Playoff teams
Supporters Shield: DC United
Again, United builds an early lead and then starts going through a rough patch dealing with injuries and general from the extended season and extensive competitions. Tommy Soehn and company right the ship and start to cruise again before the playoffs. Houston looks to and almost closes the gap after signing Omar Bravo in the summer transfer window, but loses him for much of the season after Blanco breaks his leg in their MLS debuts at Toyota Park.
MLS Cup: United over RSL
Adu’s storybook season is denied its end by an overpowering DCU offense in front of a sellout hometown crowd. Huge Beckham poster hung in the south end is knocked from it’s mooring by an attempted volley by Ben Olsen. Addias is not pleased.
Open Cup: LA Galaxy
A-league teams are asked to foot the bill for “security charges” and forfeit the first two rounds to the Gals. LA plays all its remaining games at home to sell as many Beckham tickets as possible. Christopher Sullivan reminds us again that when he played in South America, they referred a home game as “en casa”.
All Star Game: MLS 2 - Celtic 1
In an amazing move, the entire MLS roster is populated by field players that have yet to make their MLS regular season debut. Claudio Reyna (injured since the first step he took on the Giant’s field turf coming out of the locker room), makes his MLS debut in a wheel chair and feeds a streaking David Beckham for the first goal in the 15th minute. Celtic fans react by drinking more beer. Halftime arrives and Tommy Soehn is forced to sub Reyna as his wheelchair suffered extensive damange heading into the locker room as it rolled over a piece of astroturf on the sidelines. Celtic tie immediately in the second half as a confused Maciej Zurawski (recently inked by RBNY) puts one in for his former teammates. Celtic fans miss the goal as the halftime beer and bathroom lines set North American records. The MLS all-stars win in stunning fashion as 85th minute sub, Zinadine Zidane (signed at halftime by Kansas City) charges, head first, through the Celtic defense and walks the ball into the back of the net. After the final whistle, Don Garber decrees that the entire MLS All-star team be transferred to RBNY via an special “Allstar Disburement Allocation”. Deposed US national team coach Bruce Arena, guides the re-named RedBull Gallacticos to exactly one point the rest of the season. At his firing, he notifies the nation that they just don’t understand the top level of football in this country, expectations were set too high and that Claudio Reyna’s wheelchair is now available via MLS Auctions. The wheelchair is eventually purchased by the Claudio Reyna Museum Foundation and added the it’s extensive collection which is currently located in Bruce Arena’s fourth bedroom.
MVP: Dwayne DeRosario
Mr. Excitement outshines all others and has a season for the ages. After the season new mega-star DeRosario is often seen hangin’ out with Dave Chappelle and Cypress Hill.ROTY: Robbie Rogers (if eligible)
Seriously, who the hell can tell what players are and are not eligible for this award.
CONCACAF Champions Cup
Disappointment follows US based squads on Mexican soil again. Despite having leads, both DC United and the Dynamo failed to protect their advantages on the road. United came into their match with Chivas level on aggregate(1-1). United jumped to a surprising lead on a spectacular goal by Jaime Moreno. As defenders began to close on Luciano Emilio in the Chivas box, Emilio poked a pass to Moreno who had his back to the goal. Moreno vertically one-touched the ball then bicycle kicked a lofting shot into the back of the net. The loft of the show was absolutely physics defying! Unfortunately the lead withered shortly after that as Aldofo Bautista put home a cross just before the half. Throughout the match Facundo Erpen again proved his worthlessness in defense getting torched by every available Chivas attacker. Chivas jumped ahead for good as some nice build-up in United area lead to a strong shot by Gonzalo Pineda right at Troy Perkins. The MLS goalkeeper of the year decided to attempt to catch the shot, but seemed to rethink that approach and opted to push it over the bar. The only problem with that is half way through Perkins’ though process his indecisive hand touched enough ball to slow it and allow it to hit the back of the net. United had other opportunities, but those too fell by the wayside and another American team slunk back from Mexico dejected. Certainly Houston and their 2-0 aggregate lead gave our league a taste of the glory you say!
Where do I begin?
The referee for this match was Mauricio Navarro. Mauricio Navarro was born in Santiago Chile on April 7th 1966. His hometown is Vancouver, Canada. The reason I’m telling you this is that Mr. Navarro made sure that he was a part of every single story about this match. Mr. Navarro and his crew missed an easy offside call in the third minute and allowed Pachuca to cut into Houston’s lead. Apparently seeking approval from the freeloading crowd, Mr. Navarro saw it fit to award the home team a penalty kick ten minutes later. This call was at the very least, debatable. Dynamo defender, Craig Waibel made an ill advised lunge at the ball as a Pachuca attacker was attempting to navigate a maze of defenders and then easily fell when Waibel caught some leg with the ball. Twenty minutes after the penalty, Houston keeper Zach Wells was given a yellow card by Navarro. Here's the laughable part:In the thirty fifth minute, the keeper for a team that is even was awarded a yellow card for time wasting. Please! Somehow, Houston got out of the half level on aggregate, although Navarro did ask the stadium staff to place all available balls in the Houston’s net during halftime for karma’s sake. Again, Houston coach Dominick Kinner seemed to make all the right halftime moves as a fired up Dynamo squad retook the aggregate lead off a goal by Brian Mullan in the 52nd minute. Enter Navarro, who took the next opportunity to blow the whistle. This time it was as a Pachucan attacker attempted to go around Brad Davis where the box meets the endline. Having been shut down, the attacker dives and Navarro promptly points to the spot, Christian Giminez converts and the tilt is level again. After this point, the teams were allowed to decided the match. Undeterred Houston again put themselves ahead on aggregate off a free kick that found the head of an unmarked Brian Ching in the 79th minute. Had there been six minutes left in the match, Houston would have advanced, however seven minutes later Pachuca’s Gabriel Caballero scored on a magical header goal to draw the series even again. High in the mountains of Mexico, the two sides headed to overtime. Late in the overtime’s first half , Giminez completed his hat trick for the home side by unleashing a vicious bending shot that started right and then tailed back left into the top left corner of the net. Stunned Houston keeper Zach Wells could only watch and admire Giminez’s piece of artistry. In the second overtime frame Houston had an opportunity to draw even again, but Ching’s head refused to come to Houston’s rescue again. A great cross was squandered as the ball eluded Ching’s head and connected with his shoulder. Five minutes later, Navarro blew his cruel whistle on the match.
PODCAST:
The Soccer Hour with Glenn Davis
Monday, April 2, 2007
US Soccer Update - 04/02/07
US v. Ecuador
Wow! The crystal ball was working pretty good last week as I almost nailed the attendance and the line-up (off by 2), but I don’t think anyone could have predicted Landon Donovan’s three goal outburst! It feels good when you repeatedly back a player and they prove time and time again that they deserve the adoration. My captain, LD, got sailed into by everyone in the press while Arena only seemed to hear it from Wynalda. Speaking of Arena, I’m not sold on his presence in the booth. First, Bruce extremely defensive about any subject regarding his tenure at the helm of the national team. Second, he has this strange exhale-like sound that infiltrates all his sentence. I’ll do my best to spell it, “ahhhmmmm”, but really slow and Brooklyny. I’ll give him credit for his zinger to DOB on the possibility of the Red Sox taking the pennant this year. Arena fired, “Oh, really? Has it been 86 years already?”
Also maddening about Arena is his commentary about any US player on the pitch that was out there for World Cup seemed to directly contradict his coaching tactics during the summer. “Landon isn’t really comfortable being a full forward so he should play withdrawn.” Oh, is that why he was chasing headers against a monstrous Czech back line. I swear one of these days, I’ll stop bringing this stuff up, but it still burns too much to let it go.
As for Wynalda’s “Red Card, Yellow Card” segment, this is a cute little vehicle for E-dub to voice his opinions. This is a good solution since he as such a difficult time getting them out during the game.
US v. Gautamela (sp)
It was rather sad that the crack production team at ESPN2 could even figure out how to spell the name of the US’ opponent. Perhaps some foreshadowing to a “Night of Many Mis-ques”. While Sunday’s Ecuadorian match was a scintillating performance from a US perspective, Wednesday night’s affair failed to match that standard on just about all accounts. Despite the presence of Donovan Conrad, Dempsey and Keller, the US side was young and mostly unfamiliar with each other and that disconnect was evident. A bunkered down Guatemalan defense flummoxed old and new alike, but amid the confusion some Americans managed to make their mark. US newbie Frankie Simek stood out, making some strong pushes into the offense and doing well against the barely there Chapin attack. Most of the American offensive forays in the first thirty minutes flowed through Justin Mapp on the left leaving Deuce an observer on the right. Any chances Mapp created were squandered by sports psychologist patient candidate Eddie Johnson. The greatest entertainment of the evening was provided by MLS’ master thespian Carlos Ruiz, who treated the crowd to some physical comedy not witnessed since the zenith of the Chris Farley years. One thing that was evident during the night was the inflation of MLS attendance statistics. The US crowd was announced at just about 11,000. I’ve seen less people there for an announced 17,000 FCD match.
Blanco Hops to MLS
If this off-season need a yin to David Beckham’s yang (don’t get too excited ladies), he will be meeting fans tonight at Chicago’s Toyota Park. The long rumored transaction will likely result in pen to paper on Tuesday, as mercurial Mexican forward Cuauhtemoc Blanco. Reaping a payday of a reported $2 million, Blanco will attempt to do something no other Mexican star has been able to accomplish, produce at acceptable levels in Major League Soccer. No doubt Blanco will be a star at the home and road box office after joining the Fire in June or July, as fans will pay to cheer or more likely jeer him. Similar to John Starks or Denis Rodman on the Bulls, Albert Belle on the White Sox and Roger Clements in pinstripes; the comparisons of the villain that fans must learn to root for immediately spring to mind. I’m sure there are hundreds more, but Mo Johnston has yet to respond to my inquiry.
Most of my feeling about this transaction were purged from my brain into a blog a few weeks ago when the rumor started. In the stands, this move will result in a more Mexican atmosphere to the games at TP this year which has it’s plusses (fiesta!) and negatives (flying beer). This move will help creates even greater animosity and intensity between Fire and Fire West (Chivas) fans. On paper and hopefully the pitch, the Fire will have the most creative group of midfielders and forwards in the league. This line-up will have to produce as Tony Sanneh was cleared of the books for this move, creating an extremely frail back line that consists of either young or old and slow players.
A Guide to Establishing a Soccer Pub in your Neighborhood
I’ve recently had the good fortune to happen upon a bar that was very receptive to the idea of showing soccer games. After a couple of conversations with the owner, I have found a place that will welcome soccer fans with open arms. Here are a few things to keep in mind when trying go get the same thing going in your hood:
Look for new establishment – these places are looking to get an edge, and the soccer bar angle is still rather unique in our country. It doesn’t hurt if the owner is originally from another country. The more TV’s the merrier too. An owner won’t want to devote all the TV’s in the place to soccer fans right off the bat.
Establish a good rapport with the owner and be prepared. Get all the appropriate communication material (cell phone, e-mail) and stay in touch on a weekly basis.
Stress the low start up costs for this venture. Fox Soccer Channel is likely carried by most bars already. MLS DirectKick only costs $100 a year for commercial establishments.
Patience – these thing don’t happen overnight. Set expectations low and ensure that the owner will have patience.
Promote, Promote, Promote – make sure the local club and supports group know about the place. Post links all over bigsoccer.com. See what the local team can do as far as gear or promo for the bar.
Location – People just don’t like going out of the way. Try to target a place with a central location.
I’m at stage one of this, so I’ll try keep a journal of the steps and missteps I make along the way.
PODCAST:
The Soccer Hour with Glenn Davis
Wow! The crystal ball was working pretty good last week as I almost nailed the attendance and the line-up (off by 2), but I don’t think anyone could have predicted Landon Donovan’s three goal outburst! It feels good when you repeatedly back a player and they prove time and time again that they deserve the adoration. My captain, LD, got sailed into by everyone in the press while Arena only seemed to hear it from Wynalda. Speaking of Arena, I’m not sold on his presence in the booth. First, Bruce extremely defensive about any subject regarding his tenure at the helm of the national team. Second, he has this strange exhale-like sound that infiltrates all his sentence. I’ll do my best to spell it, “ahhhmmmm”, but really slow and Brooklyny. I’ll give him credit for his zinger to DOB on the possibility of the Red Sox taking the pennant this year. Arena fired, “Oh, really? Has it been 86 years already?”
Also maddening about Arena is his commentary about any US player on the pitch that was out there for World Cup seemed to directly contradict his coaching tactics during the summer. “Landon isn’t really comfortable being a full forward so he should play withdrawn.” Oh, is that why he was chasing headers against a monstrous Czech back line. I swear one of these days, I’ll stop bringing this stuff up, but it still burns too much to let it go.
As for Wynalda’s “Red Card, Yellow Card” segment, this is a cute little vehicle for E-dub to voice his opinions. This is a good solution since he as such a difficult time getting them out during the game.
US v. Gautamela (sp)
It was rather sad that the crack production team at ESPN2 could even figure out how to spell the name of the US’ opponent. Perhaps some foreshadowing to a “Night of Many Mis-ques”. While Sunday’s Ecuadorian match was a scintillating performance from a US perspective, Wednesday night’s affair failed to match that standard on just about all accounts. Despite the presence of Donovan Conrad, Dempsey and Keller, the US side was young and mostly unfamiliar with each other and that disconnect was evident. A bunkered down Guatemalan defense flummoxed old and new alike, but amid the confusion some Americans managed to make their mark. US newbie Frankie Simek stood out, making some strong pushes into the offense and doing well against the barely there Chapin attack. Most of the American offensive forays in the first thirty minutes flowed through Justin Mapp on the left leaving Deuce an observer on the right. Any chances Mapp created were squandered by sports psychologist patient candidate Eddie Johnson. The greatest entertainment of the evening was provided by MLS’ master thespian Carlos Ruiz, who treated the crowd to some physical comedy not witnessed since the zenith of the Chris Farley years. One thing that was evident during the night was the inflation of MLS attendance statistics. The US crowd was announced at just about 11,000. I’ve seen less people there for an announced 17,000 FCD match.
Blanco Hops to MLS
If this off-season need a yin to David Beckham’s yang (don’t get too excited ladies), he will be meeting fans tonight at Chicago’s Toyota Park. The long rumored transaction will likely result in pen to paper on Tuesday, as mercurial Mexican forward Cuauhtemoc Blanco. Reaping a payday of a reported $2 million, Blanco will attempt to do something no other Mexican star has been able to accomplish, produce at acceptable levels in Major League Soccer. No doubt Blanco will be a star at the home and road box office after joining the Fire in June or July, as fans will pay to cheer or more likely jeer him. Similar to John Starks or Denis Rodman on the Bulls, Albert Belle on the White Sox and Roger Clements in pinstripes; the comparisons of the villain that fans must learn to root for immediately spring to mind. I’m sure there are hundreds more, but Mo Johnston has yet to respond to my inquiry.
Most of my feeling about this transaction were purged from my brain into a blog a few weeks ago when the rumor started. In the stands, this move will result in a more Mexican atmosphere to the games at TP this year which has it’s plusses (fiesta!) and negatives (flying beer). This move will help creates even greater animosity and intensity between Fire and Fire West (Chivas) fans. On paper and hopefully the pitch, the Fire will have the most creative group of midfielders and forwards in the league. This line-up will have to produce as Tony Sanneh was cleared of the books for this move, creating an extremely frail back line that consists of either young or old and slow players.
A Guide to Establishing a Soccer Pub in your Neighborhood
I’ve recently had the good fortune to happen upon a bar that was very receptive to the idea of showing soccer games. After a couple of conversations with the owner, I have found a place that will welcome soccer fans with open arms. Here are a few things to keep in mind when trying go get the same thing going in your hood:
Look for new establishment – these places are looking to get an edge, and the soccer bar angle is still rather unique in our country. It doesn’t hurt if the owner is originally from another country. The more TV’s the merrier too. An owner won’t want to devote all the TV’s in the place to soccer fans right off the bat.
Establish a good rapport with the owner and be prepared. Get all the appropriate communication material (cell phone, e-mail) and stay in touch on a weekly basis.
Stress the low start up costs for this venture. Fox Soccer Channel is likely carried by most bars already. MLS DirectKick only costs $100 a year for commercial establishments.
Patience – these thing don’t happen overnight. Set expectations low and ensure that the owner will have patience.
Promote, Promote, Promote – make sure the local club and supports group know about the place. Post links all over bigsoccer.com. See what the local team can do as far as gear or promo for the bar.
Location – People just don’t like going out of the way. Try to target a place with a central location.
I’m at stage one of this, so I’ll try keep a journal of the steps and missteps I make along the way.
PODCAST:
The Soccer Hour with Glenn Davis
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