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
Showing posts with label Reyna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reyna. Show all posts
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Saturday, January 27, 2007
US Soccer Update - Weekly Capsule
A Retirement League Response:
As media reports from around the world stream in on the blockbuster Beckham transfer, the worlds perception of the league in which Beckham is heading to is not in line with the reality of what awaits the current Real Madrid players. Much of this view is a hold over from the day of
Pele and the defunct NASL. The average age of an MLS player is roughly on par with the average age of players at this year's World Cup, 27.
True, MLS has had its share of former international stars looking for paychecks such as Lothar Matteus, Hristo Stoitchkov, Youri Djorkaeff, and Hong Mihn Bo in recent years. Of this group, only Stoitchkov met with any success (mostly because he rarely played 90 minutes). The rest
were simply signings of folly in a league that requires as much fitness as any league in the world.
For the uninitiated, the Major League Soccer Season starts on April 1 this season and heads continues through mid November. The heart of the season is played during the summer months and it is not uncommon for matches to be played in excess 90 degree Fahrenheit heat. A team like the LA Galaxy will be involved in additional competitions during the MLS season as well such as the Superliga (a USA vs. Mexico Champions League) and the US Open Cup (similar to FA Cup). Further straining MLS players are the travel requirements of a large country (a LA vs. New York match will require a 5,700 round trip for one team) and summer international
matches which drain MLS team of their best talent throughout the season.
Buried in the piles of Beckham news was that US international Clint Dempsey completed a US $4 million transfer to Fulham in the English Premier League. At Fulham, he will join Americans Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra who also honed their skills in MLS before crossing the
Atlantic. Also on the Fulham roster is Kiwi Simon Elliot, formerly of the LA Galaxy and Columbus Crew. The list doesn't stop there! Tim Howard (Everton), Bobby Convey (Reading), Marcus Hannehman (Reading), DaMarcus Beasley (Manchester City), Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn), Cory Gibbs (Charlton) and Brad Friedel (Blackburn) all formerly manned MLS rosters
before graduating to the EPL. Freddy Adu is often linked with Manchester United and Landon Donovan is often rumored to head overseas too. MLS isn't filled with aging stars; rather it is a hotbed for budding stars!
MLS also limits the amount of "Senior International" players a team can sign to three, creating many opportunities for young Americans to get playing time. The US National team has qualified for the last five World Cups, with the last three rosters being comprised of players on
MLS rosters, which was good enough to snag a quarter-final appearance in 2002!
Once, LA Galaxy games are broadcast around the world this summer, the world will be shocked at the quality of the matches being played out in the team's soccer-only stadium. The days of Pele are long gone!
Captain America Comes Home:
As expected Claudio Reyna was signed by The Bruce Arena Red Bulls almost immediately after he was released by Manchester City. On paper this look like another quality signing, for the rest of the Eastern Conference. Although Captain Boredom was recently a starter for EPL
mid-tablers Manchester City, he's at the tail end of an injury plagued career. Opinions on Reyna differ vastly, but one cannot doubt that he is one of the highest quality players every produced by the US. What has been unfortunate for our national team over the years is that this
is his first opportunity to play in MLS. Over the past two World Cups, he has clearly been out of sync with the MLS raised players, yet continued to garner praise for his "poise" on the ball. Some call it poise, I'll call it slow down play. This slow-down, build up play is well suited for the EPL and Germany, where Claudio has been seen until recently, but is was a killer against the Czech's and Ghana. I apologize for getting off topic slightly, but I wanted to paint a picture of what Arena has traded Amado Guevara for! Surely, when on form, Guevara is more suited to the MLS pace than Reyna. Further, Guevara's durability cannot be question as we are talking about the player that took to the field for a sweltering 90 August minutes in DC
with two broken arms a couple of years ago. Surely, Arena is trading up in the locker room department as Guevara's talent was often overshadowed by his poor attitude under duress. Of course, Claudio may be seen in the Red Bull infirmary more than the locker room, where the heat and Astroturf involved in an MLS season are bound to result many days on the
IR for him. When you piece all these transactions together, NYRB is basically paying more money (and wasting a DP slot) for a player that will have a similar overall impact in the team as Guevara.
Denver oh Denver:
Our Boys take on their Bhoys! I like it! Another out of form team for the All-Stars to beat up on and on a Thursday to boot. If Chelsea couldn't handle the Enhanced DC United Crew, then the Scots should really have their hands full with the Uber Dynamo that likely will be
fielded. Should be a great showcase for the league, particularly of Mr. Becks can make it. Expect ticket demand to be resemble a crush as Beckhamania and legions of Celtic fans combine to pack the smallest stadium in the league.
USA 3 - Denmark 1
Oh, yes! The US played last week for the first time in 9 years. Good to see a MLS coach familiar with the current state of the league to get a run out! The result, surprise! Attacking Soccer! Expectedly the group looked tentative and out of sync early on as many newcomers
acclimated to the faster pace of the international game. During this period, the Danes took advantage of some wire crossing in the US defense to score a highlight reel goal that almost decapitated Matt Reis. Landon equalized from the spot shortly after. Fortunately for the home team, Justin Mapp entered at the half for flaccid former teammate Nate Jaqua
and ensured that, as Yoda might say, the visitors alone would not feature on the highlight reel. Following a steal in the center circle, Mapp headed against instinct to the right side while evading sliding would-be tacklers. As he approached the corner of the box he looked up
seeing no options and a pair of Danes. Undaunted, he split the defenders and headed to the endline. Upon reaching the line, Mapp crossed the ball to national team newbie Jonathan Boronstein who coolly finished the scoring sequence and put the Americans ahead for good.
Later Kenny Cooper entered and scored shortly after on a through ball from Heath Pearce and a 20-30 yard run. The finishing has been so poor for our side over the years, we've forgotten how much of a gimme Cooper's goal was after receiving the pass. Of course, credit is due to
Kenny for correctly reading the game and putting himself in excellent position to convert the opportunity.
As media reports from around the world stream in on the blockbuster Beckham transfer, the worlds perception of the league in which Beckham is heading to is not in line with the reality of what awaits the current Real Madrid players. Much of this view is a hold over from the day of
Pele and the defunct NASL. The average age of an MLS player is roughly on par with the average age of players at this year's World Cup, 27.
True, MLS has had its share of former international stars looking for paychecks such as Lothar Matteus, Hristo Stoitchkov, Youri Djorkaeff, and Hong Mihn Bo in recent years. Of this group, only Stoitchkov met with any success (mostly because he rarely played 90 minutes). The rest
were simply signings of folly in a league that requires as much fitness as any league in the world.
For the uninitiated, the Major League Soccer Season starts on April 1 this season and heads continues through mid November. The heart of the season is played during the summer months and it is not uncommon for matches to be played in excess 90 degree Fahrenheit heat. A team like the LA Galaxy will be involved in additional competitions during the MLS season as well such as the Superliga (a USA vs. Mexico Champions League) and the US Open Cup (similar to FA Cup). Further straining MLS players are the travel requirements of a large country (a LA vs. New York match will require a 5,700 round trip for one team) and summer international
matches which drain MLS team of their best talent throughout the season.
Buried in the piles of Beckham news was that US international Clint Dempsey completed a US $4 million transfer to Fulham in the English Premier League. At Fulham, he will join Americans Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra who also honed their skills in MLS before crossing the
Atlantic. Also on the Fulham roster is Kiwi Simon Elliot, formerly of the LA Galaxy and Columbus Crew. The list doesn't stop there! Tim Howard (Everton), Bobby Convey (Reading), Marcus Hannehman (Reading), DaMarcus Beasley (Manchester City), Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn), Cory Gibbs (Charlton) and Brad Friedel (Blackburn) all formerly manned MLS rosters
before graduating to the EPL. Freddy Adu is often linked with Manchester United and Landon Donovan is often rumored to head overseas too. MLS isn't filled with aging stars; rather it is a hotbed for budding stars!
MLS also limits the amount of "Senior International" players a team can sign to three, creating many opportunities for young Americans to get playing time. The US National team has qualified for the last five World Cups, with the last three rosters being comprised of players on
MLS rosters, which was good enough to snag a quarter-final appearance in 2002!
Once, LA Galaxy games are broadcast around the world this summer, the world will be shocked at the quality of the matches being played out in the team's soccer-only stadium. The days of Pele are long gone!
Captain America Comes Home:
As expected Claudio Reyna was signed by The Bruce Arena Red Bulls almost immediately after he was released by Manchester City. On paper this look like another quality signing, for the rest of the Eastern Conference. Although Captain Boredom was recently a starter for EPL
mid-tablers Manchester City, he's at the tail end of an injury plagued career. Opinions on Reyna differ vastly, but one cannot doubt that he is one of the highest quality players every produced by the US. What has been unfortunate for our national team over the years is that this
is his first opportunity to play in MLS. Over the past two World Cups, he has clearly been out of sync with the MLS raised players, yet continued to garner praise for his "poise" on the ball. Some call it poise, I'll call it slow down play. This slow-down, build up play is well suited for the EPL and Germany, where Claudio has been seen until recently, but is was a killer against the Czech's and Ghana. I apologize for getting off topic slightly, but I wanted to paint a picture of what Arena has traded Amado Guevara for! Surely, when on form, Guevara is more suited to the MLS pace than Reyna. Further, Guevara's durability cannot be question as we are talking about the player that took to the field for a sweltering 90 August minutes in DC
with two broken arms a couple of years ago. Surely, Arena is trading up in the locker room department as Guevara's talent was often overshadowed by his poor attitude under duress. Of course, Claudio may be seen in the Red Bull infirmary more than the locker room, where the heat and Astroturf involved in an MLS season are bound to result many days on the
IR for him. When you piece all these transactions together, NYRB is basically paying more money (and wasting a DP slot) for a player that will have a similar overall impact in the team as Guevara.
Denver oh Denver:
Our Boys take on their Bhoys! I like it! Another out of form team for the All-Stars to beat up on and on a Thursday to boot. If Chelsea couldn't handle the Enhanced DC United Crew, then the Scots should really have their hands full with the Uber Dynamo that likely will be
fielded. Should be a great showcase for the league, particularly of Mr. Becks can make it. Expect ticket demand to be resemble a crush as Beckhamania and legions of Celtic fans combine to pack the smallest stadium in the league.
USA 3 - Denmark 1
Oh, yes! The US played last week for the first time in 9 years. Good to see a MLS coach familiar with the current state of the league to get a run out! The result, surprise! Attacking Soccer! Expectedly the group looked tentative and out of sync early on as many newcomers
acclimated to the faster pace of the international game. During this period, the Danes took advantage of some wire crossing in the US defense to score a highlight reel goal that almost decapitated Matt Reis. Landon equalized from the spot shortly after. Fortunately for the home team, Justin Mapp entered at the half for flaccid former teammate Nate Jaqua
and ensured that, as Yoda might say, the visitors alone would not feature on the highlight reel. Following a steal in the center circle, Mapp headed against instinct to the right side while evading sliding would-be tacklers. As he approached the corner of the box he looked up
seeing no options and a pair of Danes. Undaunted, he split the defenders and headed to the endline. Upon reaching the line, Mapp crossed the ball to national team newbie Jonathan Boronstein who coolly finished the scoring sequence and put the Americans ahead for good.
Later Kenny Cooper entered and scored shortly after on a through ball from Heath Pearce and a 20-30 yard run. The finishing has been so poor for our side over the years, we've forgotten how much of a gimme Cooper's goal was after receiving the pass. Of course, credit is due to
Kenny for correctly reading the game and putting himself in excellent position to convert the opportunity.
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