I've been watching from the start, but had some connection problems.
4 - DeRo from distance, off the post.
6 - Announcers discuss Igwe, correctly asses that Jay Heaps was unjustly suspended from the final in the Atlante scrum.
8 - Joseph with a scorcher from distance. High.
10 - This game has had a ton of intensity from the start.
11 - Joseph puts a ball out for a corner. Revs clear the corner.
13 - Davis gets a yellow for being just a bit late, but very aggressive on a Dube tackle.
15 - Bad final pass wastes a Revs chance.
18 - GOAL! Igwe's poor first touch leaves the ball free and Jaqua pounces, sending a low shot past a surprised Reis. 1-0 Houston.
20 - NO Goal! But so close! Igwe again loses the ball to Jaqua, who sends a pass to Ching, but his blooping shot, hit quickly to beat Reis, goes off the post. Revs escape.
23 - Poor Igwe. He made a mistake, sure, but it was really the absence of Heaps that hurt the team there. Young players are prone to mistakes.
25 - The announcers discuss how Nicol's tactics are part of the problem, leaving Igwe and Lawrentowitz isolated a lot. No help.
27 - The Revs need to stay aggressive, though. With this FK, they have a chance. Onstad puts the ball out for a corner.
28 - Ralston with a shot off the corner. High.
32 - Shot! Nyassi! But no, even though it was a good, aggressive, play, he missed the near post - shot just outside.
33 - Penalty! No, says the ref, but the announcers disagree. Waibel clearly pushed Mansally from behind, the replay makes that clear and the fans are in full voice, hating the ref for missing the call.
36 - SAVE! Reis dives to deny DeRo's hard shot. CK. Reis gets down to claim the ball from the corner.
37 - Onstad is out of the box to kick out the ball. DeRo going the other way, beats Reis, has a nearly open goal, but Albright (Chrissie!) saves the day by just reaching the ball. Corner.
38 - The kick falls in front of goal, Ries misses the grab but the rebound, lucky for the Revs, goes their way.
39 - Revs semi-clear, out for a Houston throw.
41 - No offense, but the cameras catch Taylor Twellman in a warm-up move where he is lying on the ground in the missionary position, moving back and forth slightly. I realize he's stretching is groin or something, but it looks like he's humping the grass.
42 - GOAL! Ralston! The fans roar as the veteran comes through. Ralston had a horrible angle on that shot, set up by a long Castro pass, but it didn't matter. Rally nailed it. 1-1 All square.
44 - DeRo from distance, but Reis is all over the ball and snuffs the shot.
45 - Ching misses with a header. He didn't really get his noggin on the ball.
Halftime
The announcers discuss how this is an exciting final, not just intense and filled with passion, but also with pretty good soccer. Aside from Igwe's howler, I'd have to agree.
The score is pretty deserved, because both sides have had solid chances.
47 - The announcers discuss how Barret let the pass slide past him on the Rev goal, thinking it would go out. So both goals were the result of defender errors, but Igwe's was more egregius.
51 - Reis with a save off a Davis shot. Davis should probably have passed, but he was probably trying to surprise Reis.
54 - The intensity is off just a bit in the second half - both teams are probing a bit more carefully.
55 - Davis tumbles in the box, but there's no call. Albright fell in front of him, but the ref has apparently rules that accidental.
58 - Twellman is in for Mansally, who took a knock, but might have been coming off anyway. Fernando Schwartz, the sideline dude, mimics the fans' chant for TT.
60 - Houston has had the better of play this half. NE with fewer attacks.
61 - Jaqua with an awkward shot, hits side netting, on the outside.
62 - Jaqua again, off a nice layback header from Ching, misses wide worse than before.
63 - Nyassi earns the Revs a corner, but the Dynamo clear it easily.
64 - Save! Onstad saves a ball that Twellman can't quite reach - I think Dube had the pass.
66 - The announcers debate whether this game will go to penalties. The majority think no.
68 - DeRo from distance again. Reis nabs it. He's got to be almost expecting those by now.
71 - Subs for both teams. Khano Smith in for Castro, and Kei Kamara comes on for Jaqua.
73 - Seems early for the MVP question, but Rally is my choice right now.
75 - Nyassi way wide. None of the coolness of Rally with a difficult angle.
76 - Ching! high.
77 - Smith shoots - Onstad saves!
78 - Barrett shoots! High. Why is a defender shooting? Ashe comes in for Mullan.
79 - Schwartz reports tension in the bench area.
80 - Cameron blocks a Nyassi cross - Revs corner. Dynamo clear.
81 - Joseph gets a yellow, pulled DeRo's shirt as DeRo tried to take off on a counter.
83 - The Dynamo look more likely to score as the game winds down, if only because the ball is down in the Revs own half nearly all the time.
85 - Reis cuts off a long pass, hanging on to the ball as Ching undercuts him, unable to stop the momentum he gathered trying to reach the ball.
87 - Davis fouls, but the FK is far out. Joseph serves it into the box, but the Dynamo clear the ball out.
88 - Revs having trouble with basic clearances, giving Houston hope and the ball repeatedly.
89 - Announcers discuss how the Revs seem fearful. They don't have the drive and guts of the first half.
90 - Ralston fouls Ashe. "This could be the million dollar ball!" the announcers say before the kick. Except, it's cleared.
90+ Houston still pressuring the Revs goal.
Igwe redeems himself a bit - picking the ball off Kamara's foot in the box just before the whistle blows.
Fulltime whistle!
Kinnear is interviewed before halftime. His Spanish is a bit rough, though his pronounciation is pretty good. (He forgets how to say "extra" in Spanish.) But anyway, Dom interviews that he is happy with the way his team is playing. He wants more of the same in extra time, but with one more goal.
Extra time
2 - Schwartz says the DeRo is bossing the midfield, not Joseph.
5 - DeRo called for a handball.
6 - Clark from just outside the box, but Reis nabs it.
8 - Houston circling the Revs goal.
9- GOAL! Kamara connects with a header over Reis, who failed to punch the ball to safety after he came out for it. It seemed like Reis called off the defense, Igwe in particular, who didn't contest the header. 2-1 Houston. Perhaps Reis would not have called off Heaps if he were playing.
13 - GOAL! Rally lines up a FK, and Joseph, despite being half-held, gets to it and pops in a header past Onstad. The Revs refuse to die! 2-2
15 - The announcers are still wondering about Kamara, who pulled a piece of cloth out of his shorts with a message. Toro #3 JTT. Well, Kamara played for Cal State Dominguez Hills - the Toros.
Second overtime period
4 - Both teams are looking weary, but the Revs have looked tired for a longer amount of time.
5 - Igwe clears a cross into the box. Corner for Dynamo. De Ro serves it in, Revs clear.
6 - Chris Wondolowski is in for Davis.
7 - Twellman is clearly frustrated - he must miss his set-up partner Pat Noonan.
8 - Revs with a corner of their own, but the Dynamo clear.
9 - SAVE! Reis dives down for an Ashe shot and Albright clears it. Chris looks so tired.
11 - As the announcers discuss penalty kicks, the Revs have perhaps their best run of this period. Rally's shot gets blocked, though and then Smith hits his shot wide.
12 - Albright can't clear via header and Ashe swoops in and gets fouled by Nyassi. It's a dangerous spot.
13 - But DeRo hits it high and no one even jumps for it, because it's so high.
14 - Revs give up a counter and Kamara has a chance with a shot but Reis gets down for the service. Both teams look about to fall over.
15 - Ching gets daylight between two defenders and tries a shot - wide.
15+ Reis blocks another shot, but puts it over the bar for a corner. DeRo serves it up and Wondo hits it way wide.
Whistle blows! We're off to Pks!
Selfishly, I hope Reis takes a kick. I love that.
Rally up first. He goes slowly, and Onstad moves, so Rally puts it softly the other way. 1-0 NE
Waibel next. He slams his shot in. 1-1
Reis next! Careful what you wish for Andrea - Reis is usually money with these, but he puts this one way high. Ugh. 1-1
Wondo up now. takes it quick and well. 2-1 Houston
Shalrie Joseph! Onstad almost reaches it, but it's in. 2-2.
DeRo now. Reis SAVES! 2-2
Twellman backs up a ton, but softly hits it away from Onstad. 3-2 Revs
Chingy! SAVE! REIS! 3-2 Revs.
Smith for the win - SAVE! Onstad gets to it. Revs can't get away with hitting that many soft shots. 3-2 Revs.
Clark for the tie. Upper 90! 3-3!
Ginger Jeffy Lawrentowitz is up. Slams it in. 4-3.
Barrett next. Same. 4-4.
Tierney the newbie. Slams it in. 5-4
Kamara hits the ball up, but in. 5-5
Albright. Chrissie, don't miss! He doesn't 6-5.
Ashe next - Crossbar!
The REVS WIN! The REVS WIN THE SUPERLIGA, BEATING THEIR NEMESIS HOUSTON!
Rally interview "It's fantastic to win in front of the home fans. We were due."
Castro is interviewed and says Houston is a great team, but the Revs preserved.
Albright is interviewed. "Houston is a great team and I'm very happy. It was a good game. We have a good group and we're good friends, so that helps us to achieve."
Reis wins the MVP, even with a crappy PK.
Chrissie gets the play of the game, for striking the winning PK.
Webb, the ref, is interviewed. He compared the final favorably to the soccer in England. Webb should have reffed other SuperLiga games.
Confetti is flying as Rally holds the trophy high. What's funny is that so many players have switched jerseys that through the hail of confetti, it looks like the Dynamo have won again. Nicol is happily presenting the trophy to the Revs fans.
The Revs didn't lose a single SuperLiga game, and are justifiable winners, even though they didn't dominate this match. They picked themselves up every time they were down and they never gave in, or up. The first MLS winners of the SuperLiga.
Showing posts with label SuperLiga 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SuperLiga 2008. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
More from Carlos Albert
Basically, Carlos doesn't think teams should play SuperLiga if they can't behave better. But he also blames the structure of the tournament.
By the way, don't knock me for not knowing all the panelists names - I don't watch the show that often, but feel free to inform me if you know who they are.
Carlos Albert: When is Atlante going to go back? What did the players have to lose? Probably never, so it didn’t matter to them, Vilar, Mustafa, and the rest, how they behaved or if they got carded. And the fields were bad. We’ve got to understand that the team directors went in search of a million dollars and came back without that and in many cases, without dignity. That can’t be permitted – against the U.S. teams, that we’re always the villains, because we can’t lose. We have to go to win, we have to learn to win, but we also have to learn to lose. We can’t be ridiculous and lose our dignity like so many on Atlante and a few on Pachuca the other day. What we saw in the SuperLiga wasn’t new or strange – we can’t cry about it. Coaches, administrators and players, they all have to learn to do their preseason differently, with dignity. It’s embarrassing, as a Mexican. It makes me mad.
Heriberto Murrieta: You really think Atlante has lost their dignity?
CA: Don’t tell me that Vilar hasn’t lost it.
HM: He lost his head.
CA: And his dignity.
HM: Well, his sporting dignity.
CA: Everything I’m saying is at the sporting level. When a player reacts the way he did to a loss, that’s a loss of dignity.
HM: But don’t you think such reactions are due to crappy refereeing?
Panelist #2: That’s not a decent excuse. Mexican teams know that the refs are terrible and they go there with that knowledge. These two teams, Pachuca and Atlante, come back with nothing. What if this had been a final?
Panelist #3 But bad refs can really change a game and upset players. It clearly happened in Pachuca’s game, and again with Atlante. Did you see the handball play near the end of the game? Would you consider that a penalty for Atlante?
CA: Yes.
P3: Then I’m telling you, the bad calls by the refs changed those games.
By the way, don't knock me for not knowing all the panelists names - I don't watch the show that often, but feel free to inform me if you know who they are.
Carlos Albert: When is Atlante going to go back? What did the players have to lose? Probably never, so it didn’t matter to them, Vilar, Mustafa, and the rest, how they behaved or if they got carded. And the fields were bad. We’ve got to understand that the team directors went in search of a million dollars and came back without that and in many cases, without dignity. That can’t be permitted – against the U.S. teams, that we’re always the villains, because we can’t lose. We have to go to win, we have to learn to win, but we also have to learn to lose. We can’t be ridiculous and lose our dignity like so many on Atlante and a few on Pachuca the other day. What we saw in the SuperLiga wasn’t new or strange – we can’t cry about it. Coaches, administrators and players, they all have to learn to do their preseason differently, with dignity. It’s embarrassing, as a Mexican. It makes me mad.
Heriberto Murrieta: You really think Atlante has lost their dignity?
CA: Don’t tell me that Vilar hasn’t lost it.
HM: He lost his head.
CA: And his dignity.
HM: Well, his sporting dignity.
CA: Everything I’m saying is at the sporting level. When a player reacts the way he did to a loss, that’s a loss of dignity.
HM: But don’t you think such reactions are due to crappy refereeing?
Panelist #2: That’s not a decent excuse. Mexican teams know that the refs are terrible and they go there with that knowledge. These two teams, Pachuca and Atlante, come back with nothing. What if this had been a final?
Panelist #3 But bad refs can really change a game and upset players. It clearly happened in Pachuca’s game, and again with Atlante. Did you see the handball play near the end of the game? Would you consider that a penalty for Atlante?
CA: Yes.
P3: Then I’m telling you, the bad calls by the refs changed those games.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Abuses
Mediotiempo cartoons of course have something to say about the exits of Atlante and Pachuca. Here the Pachuca gopher and little horse of Atlante complain about their mistreatment to the authorities. It's paradoxical, considering the players that got physically rough as the games ended.
No Mexican teams in SuperLiga final
Need translation? Click below.
Announcer introduces analyst Carlos Albert
Carlos Albert: Atlante has demonstrated, like all the teams in this tournament, that they’re not in good form yet, they’re in preseason. But that’s a pretext, like the bad refs, because all the Mexican teams accepted those terms while chasing the carrot of a million dollars. On one side, we also have to recognize that the U.S. teams have grown, while some of the Mexican squads are too puffed up with their own value at times, thinking they’re going to win just by wearing their uniforms and showing up. That’s untrue. The SuperLiga has shown that you have to show up serious and ready to play these types of games.
Announcer: There’s a big rivalry, clearly, not that that excuses the way both these semifinal games ended. What’s your take on that situation?
CA: The theme we have to accept here is that the U.S. teams are in midseason, while the Mexican teams are in preseason. We have to recognize that the Mexican teams can’t show up and take it easy. In the U.S. there are good players. They’re disciplined, they’re organized, they’re fit. You have to see the goals that beat Pachuca and Atlante. We can see they were good goals, well taken, goals that indicate good soccer. Those goals weren’t the fault of the ref, the fans or the field conditions. They were soccer goals. We lost. We have to learn to lose, so that what happened this year doesn’t happen again – they return without the million dollars and without dignity, because due to their impotent inability to score, they turned surly and scuffled and now many people have reason to speak badly of our teams.
SuperLiga Salvation
In only two years of existence, two different SuperLiga scenarios have already played out in the final.
The first was the MLS/Primera Division split final, with Pachuca and the LA Galaxy representing both participating leagues. Pachuca, of course, became the first SuperLiga champion in history. Now, the 2008 winner is sure to be an MLS squad - either New England or Houston - because a second finals scenario has taken place; two MLS teams in the final. The last possible configuration is obviously two Mexican clubs battling for the title.
But SuperLiga may not make it that far if problems persist and teams from Mexico vow not to participate.
Here are my suggestions for the tournament.
1) Play in Mexico. SuperLiga should start incorporating at least one Mexican venue every tournament, even if for only one match. It would season up the MLS teams, and give the tournament true international ambiance.
2) Split the difference on refs - yes, the tournament is organized by SUM, but as a gesture of involvement, the FMF should get to pick half the refs involved in the tournament. SUM should just ask for a list of names to be submitted by a certain time, and if the complaints about the refs start again, politely point out that half the officials were approved by the other side.
3) Play on decent fields.
4) Negotiate an equal split of the prize money - players should not get less for winning simply because they play for an MLS squad.
5) Have the captains of each squad read the FIFA Fair Play pledge before each match - perhaps it wouldn't make a difference, but perhaps it might serve as a reminder that players are role models.
The first was the MLS/Primera Division split final, with Pachuca and the LA Galaxy representing both participating leagues. Pachuca, of course, became the first SuperLiga champion in history. Now, the 2008 winner is sure to be an MLS squad - either New England or Houston - because a second finals scenario has taken place; two MLS teams in the final. The last possible configuration is obviously two Mexican clubs battling for the title.
But SuperLiga may not make it that far if problems persist and teams from Mexico vow not to participate.
Here are my suggestions for the tournament.
1) Play in Mexico. SuperLiga should start incorporating at least one Mexican venue every tournament, even if for only one match. It would season up the MLS teams, and give the tournament true international ambiance.
2) Split the difference on refs - yes, the tournament is organized by SUM, but as a gesture of involvement, the FMF should get to pick half the refs involved in the tournament. SUM should just ask for a list of names to be submitted by a certain time, and if the complaints about the refs start again, politely point out that half the officials were approved by the other side.
3) Play on decent fields.
4) Negotiate an equal split of the prize money - players should not get less for winning simply because they play for an MLS squad.
5) Have the captains of each squad read the FIFA Fair Play pledge before each match - perhaps it wouldn't make a difference, but perhaps it might serve as a reminder that players are role models.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
SuperDisgrace
What was supposed to have been a battle for the right to play for the SuperLiga final instead turned into, well, a battle.
Atlante vs. New England in a battle royale. Vilar versus Heaps. Atlante assistant versus Albright. Disgrace versus Revolution.
The match itself was not the greatest display of soccer. Shalrie Joseph's early goal made the rest of the game pretty much anticlimactic. But what wasn't expected was the way Atlante went down swinging... and gouging and chest-butting and grabbing and clutching, all of it dirty and shameful.
Now, you've got to keep in mind what kind of club you're dealing with. Atlante does not represent the typical Mexican club. Atlante are for all intents and purposes a bottom-feeder that rose up and had one great season. They won the Clausura 2007 title but probably won't contend for a title in another decade or three. To lump Atlante in with Pachuca or America or Cruz Azul and others in the same class would be a disgrace to Mexico's upper crust.
What Atlante did was shameful. It was a black eye on a tournament that's loaded with them, that could barely stand to have been dealt with another negative blow. A million-dollar tournament that isn't quite, that is played on below-average fields, that has had questionable calls at best, conspiracy theory-raising calls at worst, a tournament that now will be associated with poor smortsmanship from one of its semifinalists.
Verbal jabs and accusations from south of the border will be harsh. We'll probably hear 'The tournament was staged for MLS teams and the refs are on MLS' side' or the like.
Now, none of that excuses Atlante's behavior. Nothing can justify Federico Vilar knocking Jay Heaps down with a chest blow. Or the gutless assistant coach slamming Chris Albright's face. Or the mad scramble from player after player well after the final whistle was blown. In total, five Atlante players saw red.
Let's hope in future editions of this tournament that cooler heads prevail and that the issues listed above improve, mainly the refereeing. Until then, we can hope the display we saw from Atlante was an aberration.
Atlante vs. New England in a battle royale. Vilar versus Heaps. Atlante assistant versus Albright. Disgrace versus Revolution.
The match itself was not the greatest display of soccer. Shalrie Joseph's early goal made the rest of the game pretty much anticlimactic. But what wasn't expected was the way Atlante went down swinging... and gouging and chest-butting and grabbing and clutching, all of it dirty and shameful.
Now, you've got to keep in mind what kind of club you're dealing with. Atlante does not represent the typical Mexican club. Atlante are for all intents and purposes a bottom-feeder that rose up and had one great season. They won the Clausura 2007 title but probably won't contend for a title in another decade or three. To lump Atlante in with Pachuca or America or Cruz Azul and others in the same class would be a disgrace to Mexico's upper crust.
What Atlante did was shameful. It was a black eye on a tournament that's loaded with them, that could barely stand to have been dealt with another negative blow. A million-dollar tournament that isn't quite, that is played on below-average fields, that has had questionable calls at best, conspiracy theory-raising calls at worst, a tournament that now will be associated with poor smortsmanship from one of its semifinalists.
Verbal jabs and accusations from south of the border will be harsh. We'll probably hear 'The tournament was staged for MLS teams and the refs are on MLS' side' or the like.
Now, none of that excuses Atlante's behavior. Nothing can justify Federico Vilar knocking Jay Heaps down with a chest blow. Or the gutless assistant coach slamming Chris Albright's face. Or the mad scramble from player after player well after the final whistle was blown. In total, five Atlante players saw red.
Let's hope in future editions of this tournament that cooler heads prevail and that the issues listed above improve, mainly the refereeing. Until then, we can hope the display we saw from Atlante was an aberration.
NE vs Atlante
Here we go, with the game to decide the second finalist of the SuperLiga. The telenovela is ending, and Paloma's heart has been broken because she has just returned (from a kidnapping?) to find the love of her life has married. Or maybe it's a lie, but too late, the game is starting.
The announcers focus on the midfield, saying Shalrie Joseph is key for the Revs. Well, yeah.
Atlante:
* 3 - Federico Vilar (GK)
* 2 - Javier Munoz Mustafa
* 6 - Gerardo Espinoza
* 8 - Alan Zamora
* 9 - Giancarlo Maldonado
* 11 - Luis Gabriel Rey
* 15 - Arturo Munoz
* 17 - Jose Guerrero
* 18 - Christian Bermudez
* 23 - Gerardo Castillo
* 31 - Daniel Arreola
Revs:
* 1 - Matt Reis (GK)
* 2 - Amaechi Igwe
* 3 - Chris Albright
* 6 - Jay Heaps
* 11 - Kheli Dube
* 13 - Jeff Larentowicz
* 14 - Steve Ralston
* 16 - Mauricio Castro
* 21 - Shalrie Joseph
* 29 - Kenny Mansally
* 31 - Sainey Nyassi
Kickoff!
1- Albright scrapping from the start - no surprise there.
3 - Atlante might be considered the weakest semifinalist, but they're taking it to the Revs early, attacking hard.
4 - Maldonado earns a corner. Cleared, but Atlante regain possession and continue an attack. Reis is mentioned as the All-Star keep.
6 - Nyassi with a decent attempt in the box, but the cut-back move to get free was better than the shot. Vilar catches.
8 - Maldonado with a shot at the other end, but he doesn't even put it on frame. Reis dives, for practice more than anything.
9 - Dube with a header that is way off.
10 - The announcers mention Sunil Gulati is in the house, watching the game. Well, yeah, he works for the Revs.
11 - Maldonado called for offside, though he seemed even on the replay. But TV angles aren't always accurate. It depends where the camera is.
13 - The teams have played before, back when NE was training in preseason at Cancun. Atlante won 1-0.
14 - Revs developing a better rhythm after withstanding the early Atlante onslaught.
15 - Announcers report that Blanco gave Joseph serious props after the All-Star game, said his play allowed the other players to shine.
16 - Nyassi with a nice attack, gets overexcited and loses the ball at the edge of the box for no good reason.
18 - Igwe gets a pass or shot into the box, but Dube touches a pass back to the defense of Atlante.
19 - Dube with an opportunistic shot. High.
23 - Corner kick for Revs - cleared but leads to another corner. Joseph with a header, but it's high.
25 - Off the crossbar! Mansally with a great move to get free on the side, crossed the ball into the box, where Dube, I think kicked the ball off the crossbar.
26 - Corner for Atlante on the counter, Reis catches the header.
27 - Save! Reis dives to stop another shot. Igwe collided with Guerrero on the play, and Guerrero is down.
30 - Messy tackling in midfield. Ref is letting a lot go.
31 - GOAL- Off a FK by Rally near midfield, Ralston serves it into the Atlante box and Joseph goes high to power the ball into the goal. 1-0 Revs. Joseph is key indeed.
33 - Atlante have a FK of their own, closer than the one the Revs scored on. It appears to miss everybody, but they get a corner out of it. The Fort boos that lustily.
34 - No matter, Reis scoops up the corner kick and motions for his team to calm down.
35 - Dube shoots into the arms of Vilar.
37 - Nyassi with a hopeful shot. No.
39 - Castillo is off for Vanegas. Reis catches a cross and stops an Atlante attack.
40 - Albright in the box, working the give and go, but doesn't get much on his shot and Vilar catches it.
41 - Rally's FK misses everybody.
43 - Nyassi puts in a great low cross, but no one can reach it.
45 - Atlante appear to have lost their mojo.
45 + But just as I type that, they attack and Reis has to catch a cross to stop it.
Halftime
The Revs did well on their goal and stayed just ahead of every Atlante attempt on the other end, but the game is well within striking distance for the Mexican squad. A comeback is possible in the second half.
46 - Shalrie gets fouled - obviously Atlante has decided not to let him roam freely - he makes too much of an impact on the game. They're looking to shut him down.
48 - Fight! Ok, well, at least some shoving there. This game has a lot of emotions as well. I'll bet the Atlante player said to Reis, "What's the point? You'll just lose to the Dynamo again!" Meanie.
50 - Taylor Twellman is warming up.
52 - Atlante attacking hard - Nyassi gets a card for a tackle from behind.
54 - Atlante corner. Reis catches.
55 - Rally FK - Joseph gets a bit of it, but the ball ends up in Vilar's hands.
56 - Espinoza gets a card and Rally a FK in almost the same spot as a minute ago. Bad kick, though, Rally overshoots Joseph by quite a bit.
59 - Reis gives up a chance when he palms a ball instead of catching it, but the defense is able to clear.
61 - Igwe from distance, but Vilar sees the ball the whole way.
62 - Dube crosses to Mansally, but Kenny puts his chance wide. Poor.
63 - Handball! The ref doesn't give it, though. Lawrentowitz was going for the ball may have had his hand out for balance, but it definitely wasn't by his side.
66 - Nicol is exhorting his charges to keep calm.
68 - Joseph gets a ball full in the face from a teammate's attempted clear. That smarts.
70 - Maldonado is pissed off to be whistled offside.
72 - Nyassi fouled deep in Atlante territory. Vilar misses Rally's FK, but all the other Revs fail to poke the ball into the net.
75 - Rally with another FK, but Atlante manage to clear. TeleFutura now wants to know who is your game MVP. I say Shalrie wins in a landslide.
76 - Albright clears a service into the box via header, but gives up a corner.
77 - Save! Reis picks the ball off the Atlante attackers foot.
79 - Adam Cristman comes in for Mansally.
80 - Trujillo comes on for Guerrero.
83 - Joseph with a shot - deflection falls to Smith, who winds up - wide.
84 - Cristman gets fouled deep - a FK for NE. But before it can be taken, Joseph is down and handbags break out. I guess Joseph got a headbutt from Luis Gabriel Rey, who gets a red card. Vilar is pissed at Albright, who by the way speaks Spanish, so I'm sure something was said there.
88 - The FK finally gets taken, and cleared, though Nyassi gets a shot off the clearance. Wide.
89 - Nyassi down for another NE FK. It's taken quickly, but Albright then gets fouled. Another FK, leading to a Lawrentowitz shot - high.
90 - Cristman gets a yellow - I guess he threw the ball at someone? Chippy game.
90+ Atlante stop Smith on the line of the box - finally set up a real attack, but the cross overshoots everyone in the box. Bad.
Shalrie wins the MVP. Big shock.
Atlante scrap desperately for a final chance. Zamora gets beaten fo a ball with Joseph's touch. He twofoot tackles Joseph. That's his second yellow and he's gone. Something about Albright is dais by the announcers - apparently he and Zamora had words during the exit.
Mustafa elbows Dube, not even going for the ball - gets a yellow. Ugly.
Nicol is pointing at his watch. Finally, the whistle blows.
Revs win. Vilar comes hunting for Albright. A scrum breaks out, because he hits Heaps, just for being in his way. Albright is hit and pissed. The ref is trying to keep players off each other.Vilar is grabbed for an interview and he says he can't talk because this is a dangerous country or something like that.
The Atlante coach blames the ref, what's new?
So it's the Revs and Houston in the final. Deja vu all over again.
Just to wrap it up, here is the conduct report from the game, because I missed some, there were so many.
NE -- Amaechi Igwe (caution; Reckless Foul) 27
NE -- Sainey Nyassi (caution; Pushing, Holding) 52
ATN -- Giancarlo Maldonado (caution; Dissent) 53
ATN -- Gerardo Espinoza (caution; Pushing, Holding) 56
ATN -- Fernando Navarro (caution; Pushing, Holding) 71
ATN -- Alan Zamora (caution; Reckless Foul) 84
ATN -- Luis Gabriel Rey (ejection; Violent Conduct) 85
NE -- Chris Albright (caution; Dissent) 85
ATN -- Federico Vilar (caution; Dissent) 86
ATN -- Federico Vilar (ejection; Second Caution) 91+
ATN -- Alan Zamora (ejection; Second Caution) 94+
ATN -- Javier Munoz Mustafa (ejection; Second Caution) 95+
NE -- Jay Heaps (ejection; Violent Conduct) 95+
ATN -- Luis Venegas (ejection; Violent Conduct) 95+
The announcers focus on the midfield, saying Shalrie Joseph is key for the Revs. Well, yeah.
Atlante:
* 3 - Federico Vilar (GK)
* 2 - Javier Munoz Mustafa
* 6 - Gerardo Espinoza
* 8 - Alan Zamora
* 9 - Giancarlo Maldonado
* 11 - Luis Gabriel Rey
* 15 - Arturo Munoz
* 17 - Jose Guerrero
* 18 - Christian Bermudez
* 23 - Gerardo Castillo
* 31 - Daniel Arreola
Revs:
* 1 - Matt Reis (GK)
* 2 - Amaechi Igwe
* 3 - Chris Albright
* 6 - Jay Heaps
* 11 - Kheli Dube
* 13 - Jeff Larentowicz
* 14 - Steve Ralston
* 16 - Mauricio Castro
* 21 - Shalrie Joseph
* 29 - Kenny Mansally
* 31 - Sainey Nyassi
Kickoff!
1- Albright scrapping from the start - no surprise there.
3 - Atlante might be considered the weakest semifinalist, but they're taking it to the Revs early, attacking hard.
4 - Maldonado earns a corner. Cleared, but Atlante regain possession and continue an attack. Reis is mentioned as the All-Star keep.
6 - Nyassi with a decent attempt in the box, but the cut-back move to get free was better than the shot. Vilar catches.
8 - Maldonado with a shot at the other end, but he doesn't even put it on frame. Reis dives, for practice more than anything.
9 - Dube with a header that is way off.
10 - The announcers mention Sunil Gulati is in the house, watching the game. Well, yeah, he works for the Revs.
11 - Maldonado called for offside, though he seemed even on the replay. But TV angles aren't always accurate. It depends where the camera is.
13 - The teams have played before, back when NE was training in preseason at Cancun. Atlante won 1-0.
14 - Revs developing a better rhythm after withstanding the early Atlante onslaught.
15 - Announcers report that Blanco gave Joseph serious props after the All-Star game, said his play allowed the other players to shine.
16 - Nyassi with a nice attack, gets overexcited and loses the ball at the edge of the box for no good reason.
18 - Igwe gets a pass or shot into the box, but Dube touches a pass back to the defense of Atlante.
19 - Dube with an opportunistic shot. High.
23 - Corner kick for Revs - cleared but leads to another corner. Joseph with a header, but it's high.
25 - Off the crossbar! Mansally with a great move to get free on the side, crossed the ball into the box, where Dube, I think kicked the ball off the crossbar.
26 - Corner for Atlante on the counter, Reis catches the header.
27 - Save! Reis dives to stop another shot. Igwe collided with Guerrero on the play, and Guerrero is down.
30 - Messy tackling in midfield. Ref is letting a lot go.
31 - GOAL- Off a FK by Rally near midfield, Ralston serves it into the Atlante box and Joseph goes high to power the ball into the goal. 1-0 Revs. Joseph is key indeed.
33 - Atlante have a FK of their own, closer than the one the Revs scored on. It appears to miss everybody, but they get a corner out of it. The Fort boos that lustily.
34 - No matter, Reis scoops up the corner kick and motions for his team to calm down.
35 - Dube shoots into the arms of Vilar.
37 - Nyassi with a hopeful shot. No.
39 - Castillo is off for Vanegas. Reis catches a cross and stops an Atlante attack.
40 - Albright in the box, working the give and go, but doesn't get much on his shot and Vilar catches it.
41 - Rally's FK misses everybody.
43 - Nyassi puts in a great low cross, but no one can reach it.
45 - Atlante appear to have lost their mojo.
45 + But just as I type that, they attack and Reis has to catch a cross to stop it.
Halftime
The Revs did well on their goal and stayed just ahead of every Atlante attempt on the other end, but the game is well within striking distance for the Mexican squad. A comeback is possible in the second half.
46 - Shalrie gets fouled - obviously Atlante has decided not to let him roam freely - he makes too much of an impact on the game. They're looking to shut him down.
48 - Fight! Ok, well, at least some shoving there. This game has a lot of emotions as well. I'll bet the Atlante player said to Reis, "What's the point? You'll just lose to the Dynamo again!" Meanie.
50 - Taylor Twellman is warming up.
52 - Atlante attacking hard - Nyassi gets a card for a tackle from behind.
54 - Atlante corner. Reis catches.
55 - Rally FK - Joseph gets a bit of it, but the ball ends up in Vilar's hands.
56 - Espinoza gets a card and Rally a FK in almost the same spot as a minute ago. Bad kick, though, Rally overshoots Joseph by quite a bit.
59 - Reis gives up a chance when he palms a ball instead of catching it, but the defense is able to clear.
61 - Igwe from distance, but Vilar sees the ball the whole way.
62 - Dube crosses to Mansally, but Kenny puts his chance wide. Poor.
63 - Handball! The ref doesn't give it, though. Lawrentowitz was going for the ball may have had his hand out for balance, but it definitely wasn't by his side.
66 - Nicol is exhorting his charges to keep calm.
68 - Joseph gets a ball full in the face from a teammate's attempted clear. That smarts.
70 - Maldonado is pissed off to be whistled offside.
72 - Nyassi fouled deep in Atlante territory. Vilar misses Rally's FK, but all the other Revs fail to poke the ball into the net.
75 - Rally with another FK, but Atlante manage to clear. TeleFutura now wants to know who is your game MVP. I say Shalrie wins in a landslide.
76 - Albright clears a service into the box via header, but gives up a corner.
77 - Save! Reis picks the ball off the Atlante attackers foot.
79 - Adam Cristman comes in for Mansally.
80 - Trujillo comes on for Guerrero.
83 - Joseph with a shot - deflection falls to Smith, who winds up - wide.
84 - Cristman gets fouled deep - a FK for NE. But before it can be taken, Joseph is down and handbags break out. I guess Joseph got a headbutt from Luis Gabriel Rey, who gets a red card. Vilar is pissed at Albright, who by the way speaks Spanish, so I'm sure something was said there.
88 - The FK finally gets taken, and cleared, though Nyassi gets a shot off the clearance. Wide.
89 - Nyassi down for another NE FK. It's taken quickly, but Albright then gets fouled. Another FK, leading to a Lawrentowitz shot - high.
90 - Cristman gets a yellow - I guess he threw the ball at someone? Chippy game.
90+ Atlante stop Smith on the line of the box - finally set up a real attack, but the cross overshoots everyone in the box. Bad.
Shalrie wins the MVP. Big shock.
Atlante scrap desperately for a final chance. Zamora gets beaten fo a ball with Joseph's touch. He twofoot tackles Joseph. That's his second yellow and he's gone. Something about Albright is dais by the announcers - apparently he and Zamora had words during the exit.
Mustafa elbows Dube, not even going for the ball - gets a yellow. Ugly.
Nicol is pointing at his watch. Finally, the whistle blows.
Revs win. Vilar comes hunting for Albright. A scrum breaks out, because he hits Heaps, just for being in his way. Albright is hit and pissed. The ref is trying to keep players off each other.Vilar is grabbed for an interview and he says he can't talk because this is a dangerous country or something like that.
The Atlante coach blames the ref, what's new?
So it's the Revs and Houston in the final. Deja vu all over again.
Just to wrap it up, here is the conduct report from the game, because I missed some, there were so many.
NE -- Amaechi Igwe (caution; Reckless Foul) 27
NE -- Sainey Nyassi (caution; Pushing, Holding) 52
ATN -- Giancarlo Maldonado (caution; Dissent) 53
ATN -- Gerardo Espinoza (caution; Pushing, Holding) 56
ATN -- Fernando Navarro (caution; Pushing, Holding) 71
ATN -- Alan Zamora (caution; Reckless Foul) 84
ATN -- Luis Gabriel Rey (ejection; Violent Conduct) 85
NE -- Chris Albright (caution; Dissent) 85
ATN -- Federico Vilar (caution; Dissent) 86
ATN -- Federico Vilar (ejection; Second Caution) 91+
ATN -- Alan Zamora (ejection; Second Caution) 94+
ATN -- Javier Munoz Mustafa (ejection; Second Caution) 95+
NE -- Jay Heaps (ejection; Violent Conduct) 95+
ATN -- Luis Venegas (ejection; Violent Conduct) 95+
Heh, I think
Mediotiempo cartoons skewer the SuperLiga again.
I don't know why the Houston guy isn't in Houston colors, but anyway, he's in the background cheering on Atlante's horse against New England.
But he has selfish motives - "I don't want to go get a million dollars on foot," the Dynamo dude tells Atlante's horsey.
It was only in the previous edition, though, that Pachuca's gopher was very confident. "Houston, you have a problem!" he says to the Houston player (this time in Dynamo colors). "What's that?" responds the Dynamo dude. "You're my client!" says the proud gopher.
It must be said that Houston had certainly lost to Pachuca time and again.
Also, mediotiempo's gallery of the Houston/Pachuca game is great.
I don't know why the Houston guy isn't in Houston colors, but anyway, he's in the background cheering on Atlante's horse against New England.
But he has selfish motives - "I don't want to go get a million dollars on foot," the Dynamo dude tells Atlante's horsey.
It was only in the previous edition, though, that Pachuca's gopher was very confident. "Houston, you have a problem!" he says to the Houston player (this time in Dynamo colors). "What's that?" responds the Dynamo dude. "You're my client!" says the proud gopher.
It must be said that Houston had certainly lost to Pachuca time and again.
Also, mediotiempo's gallery of the Houston/Pachuca game is great.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Houston/Pachuca running blog
Hey, hey - here we go now. Well, not just yet, some telenovela is on. "No quiero verle nunca mas!" spits the heroine. Oh, ok, it's over now. Bring on SuperLiga! Post predictions quick!
Ha, the announcers know all about the Houston/Pachuca history.
"Houston wants revenge," they say. I've picked Pachuca to win, however, so I predict a heartbreaking 2-1.
Pachuca
* 1 - Miguel Calero (GK)
* 2 - Leobardo Lopez
* 3 - Julio Manzur
* 6 - Jaime Correa
* 7 - Damian Alvarez
* 8 - Gabriel Caballero
* 9 - Bruno Marioni
* 12 - Juan Rojas
* 16 - Carlos Rodriguez
* 18 - Jose Torres
* 21 - Fausto Pinto
Houston
* 18 - Pat Onstad (GK)
* 9 - Brian Mullan
* 11 - Brad Davis
* 13 - Ricardo Clark
* 14 - Dwayne De Rosario
* 16 - Craig Waibel
* 20 - Geoff Cameron
* 24 - Wade Barrett
* 25 - Brian Ching
* 27 - Nate Jaqua
* 32 - Bobby Boswell
Robertson doesn't look full, but not shabby for a Tuesday night.
Kickoff!
1- Dynamo early on.
3 - The announcers compliment the field. It's not so nice, but definitely improved than the last SuperLiga game, which was embarrassing.
4 - Brad Davis takes a corner, overshoots everyone.
6 - Davis threatens to bring a ball down in the box, but the defense of Pachuca covers - Lopez slides in to claim the ball with a tackle. Announcers agree that the Dynamo are far more aggressive early on.
8 - SAVE! DeRo creates somethng out of almost nothing. A Pachuca clear falls to him and he touches it to himself and rockets a shot on goal from 30 yards out that Calero just dives to touch over the bar. Close.
9 - Corner cleared.
13 - Hey, a Sangre Americano reference - they're talking about how Torres turned down the U.S. Olympic team.
14 - Heh, announcers are amazed that Ngwenya, who is infamous for a crappy PK against Calero, is now on trial in Germany with Bayern Munich.
15 - Ching with a header! It's a ways out, though, and Calero comes up with it.
17 - "Food poisoning" sound worse than "stomach pain" which is the reason the announcers give for Eddie Robinson's absence. Dynamo take a FK, clearance falls to Mullan, who takes a rather crappy shot. The announcer has fun with it, though, getting very dramatic. "Mullan shoots with his left foot! He shoots the ball very hard! He shoots badly!"
19 - DeRo's cross caught by Calero, but the Dynamo aren't just knocking on the door, they're banging dents in it.
20 - Mullan! Wide.
24 - Pachuca has had a bit of run lately, now has a corner. Onstad catches it and the announcers give him props, but mercifully, manage not to reference his advanced age. (It's like the "Jay Heaps played basketball at Duke" reference - done to death.)
25 - Nice Pachuca shot, blocked by Boswell. The color commentator scoffs at giving Boswell any credit. "He didn't move - the ball just hit him." Well, maybe he didn't move to make sure the ball hit him.
27 - The announcers also reference how Erikson is watching the SuperLiga games.
29 - Marioni is down. He touched the ball into the box too far and then dashed after it, vaulting over Wade Barrett along the way. He's not going to get that call - he doesn't even have the ball.
31 - Heh, the announcers talk about getting the the stadium, mentioning how many fans are trickling in still. "With GPS, it's no problem."
33 - Torres gets a card for a late, hard tackle on Davis - Lopez argues it. Lopez gets a yellow, too.
34 - Pachuca clear the FK.
35 - Correa with an outside shot. Wide by more than a bit.
36 - DeRo on the run - beats his defender, into the box, shoots right into Calero. The announcer lament rightly that he should have passed. Ching was right there.
38 - Apparently coach Meza has the whole bench warming up, so changes could be coming soon for Pachuca.
39 - Rico Clark has a yellow, but they never really showed why. Reckless foul, apparently. Ok.
41 - Not much point in playing a lot better than Pachuca if the scoreboard doesn't reflect that. Yes, I love to point out the obvious.
42 - Meza is now arguing with the linesmen, they don't like where the subs are warming up, getting in their way. "Are you going to eject all my subs?" a snide Meza apparently asks.
44 - Davis wastes a cross to Ching - just overhits him badly.
Halftime - All Houston, in every aspect, except the most important one. There's not even a single goal. Ooooh, Pachuca going after the referee! Marioni, Meza, they're all up in his grill.
Alvarez interviews that this is a contentious and emotional match.
45 - Pachuca already looks better this half. They're deep in Dynamo ground.
47 - Marioni wide.
48 - The announcers like Onstad, they mention him as a possibility for 2010 if Canada makes the World Cup. Guess they're not Greg Sutton fans.
49 - Save! Onstad! He cut off the angle, foot save.
50 - SAVE! Onstad! Dives for this one, a more difficult one. Out for a corner.
SAAAAAVVVEEEE! The toughest one of all, the announcers can't believe it, but Onstad's reflexes stop a point blank shot off the corner by Lopez.
52 - What did Meza say at the half? Pachuca all over the Dynamo now.
53 - Corner for Pachuca. Onstad punches out, but not far and Caballero tries, but misses a bicycle kick. Must have been inspired by last year's Chris Klein version.
56 - This is weird. Calero is limping around and Marioni is bringing paper cups of drink to his teammates.
59 - Calero apparently has a slight pull. Houston readies a sub.
60 - NO goal! Offside. But the replay seems to show even. Announcers gripe about the call. Caballero wuz robbed.
61 - Davis is out - Ashe in.
64 - Rodriguez! Shoots high, but not by too much.
65 - Jaqua! Diving header wide, but close. Announcer, "The Tower Jaqua threw himself knee high to send the ball toward the goal!"
66 - Ashe sends in a cross that Calero can't hang on to, but Jaqua hits the ball out.
67 - Ashe with another cross, but this one is poor and Pachuca claims the ball.
68 - Kinnear is throwing everything but the - oh wait, here comes Kei Kamara for Jaqua.
69- Ashe with another cross, but misses the front line and Mullan's shot on the follow is blocked.
70 - Corner for the Dynamo, earned by Geoff Cameron's cross.
Montes comes on for Rodriguez. Pachuca clear the counter.
71 - Caballero sulks off the field. Aguilar is subbed in for him.
73 - Corner for Dynamo - header by Kamara goes over goal and falls in the back of the net.
74 - Hah, that's always tricky - fans have to text in the game's MVP. Well, no goals yet, so I say Onstad, but the true hero could yet be shown.
76 - Dynamo on the attack again. A corner chance. DeRo takes it.
77 - GOAL! Waibel flicks the ball on and it goes far post, where Boswell gets a foot, or an ankle on to the ball, with Calero way out of position. It goes into the goal, not pretty, but finally, very effective. 1-0 Dynamo. Waibel's flick really made the goal.
80 - Pachuca have picked up the pace looking for the equalizer, but the Dynamo are also primed to release on the counter. Ashe is likely to get a good chance here.
82 - Ching wastes a chance to pass to Kamara, passing to his buddy DeRo instead, but overshooting him with the cross.
83 - Marioni shot, deflects off Waibel.
84 - Torres is out - limping slightly. Dynamo fans are celebrating already. They can taste their revenge.
85 - Ashe with a great move gets a good cross off to Ching - but the header is wide.
86 - Houston trying to keep the ball, Pachuca trying desperately to set up a goal chance. Tough tackling both ways. Meza is cussing on the sidelines.
87 - GOAL! ASHE! This time, he's the beneficiary of a great cross by Mullan, who somehow slips two defenders and gets a pass into the area, who misses everybody but the littlest guy on the field - who nails a header into the goal. 2-0 Dynamo.
89 - Onstad takes him time with a goal kick, infuriating the Pachuca fans, who clamor for enforcement of the six-second rule.
90 - Barret is shoved down and then when he gets up, gets shoved again. Boswell comes up to defend him and all manner of shoving and insults break out. Marioni gets a card, but others get away with pushing. Marioni was losing it, though. I wonder what he says when he's that mad. None of the Dynamo players speak Spanish.
90 + Boswell wins the games MVP. The assistant coach of Pachuca has been tossed from the game. Baldomero Toledo, the 4th official, had it with him, I guess.
Final whistle.
More shoves and insults break out, Security intervenes. They have to protect the ref, Neil Brizan, but also Ashe, who apparently made some gesture that pissed off Pachuca players. Torres is interviewed and says that the team was robbed a goal, but that they accept the outcome. Calero says little, "That's how refs are."
Well, Pachuca was hard done by that goal that was called offside but didn't seem so. Still, the Dynamo dominated the early going and should have scored. They asserted themselves again in the second half after Pachuca had a good run, and this time, the Dynamo sealed the deal and broke the Pachuca jinx.
Ha, the announcers know all about the Houston/Pachuca history.
"Houston wants revenge," they say. I've picked Pachuca to win, however, so I predict a heartbreaking 2-1.
Pachuca
* 1 - Miguel Calero (GK)
* 2 - Leobardo Lopez
* 3 - Julio Manzur
* 6 - Jaime Correa
* 7 - Damian Alvarez
* 8 - Gabriel Caballero
* 9 - Bruno Marioni
* 12 - Juan Rojas
* 16 - Carlos Rodriguez
* 18 - Jose Torres
* 21 - Fausto Pinto
Houston
* 18 - Pat Onstad (GK)
* 9 - Brian Mullan
* 11 - Brad Davis
* 13 - Ricardo Clark
* 14 - Dwayne De Rosario
* 16 - Craig Waibel
* 20 - Geoff Cameron
* 24 - Wade Barrett
* 25 - Brian Ching
* 27 - Nate Jaqua
* 32 - Bobby Boswell
Robertson doesn't look full, but not shabby for a Tuesday night.
Kickoff!
1- Dynamo early on.
3 - The announcers compliment the field. It's not so nice, but definitely improved than the last SuperLiga game, which was embarrassing.
4 - Brad Davis takes a corner, overshoots everyone.
6 - Davis threatens to bring a ball down in the box, but the defense of Pachuca covers - Lopez slides in to claim the ball with a tackle. Announcers agree that the Dynamo are far more aggressive early on.
8 - SAVE! DeRo creates somethng out of almost nothing. A Pachuca clear falls to him and he touches it to himself and rockets a shot on goal from 30 yards out that Calero just dives to touch over the bar. Close.
9 - Corner cleared.
13 - Hey, a Sangre Americano reference - they're talking about how Torres turned down the U.S. Olympic team.
14 - Heh, announcers are amazed that Ngwenya, who is infamous for a crappy PK against Calero, is now on trial in Germany with Bayern Munich.
15 - Ching with a header! It's a ways out, though, and Calero comes up with it.
17 - "Food poisoning" sound worse than "stomach pain" which is the reason the announcers give for Eddie Robinson's absence. Dynamo take a FK, clearance falls to Mullan, who takes a rather crappy shot. The announcer has fun with it, though, getting very dramatic. "Mullan shoots with his left foot! He shoots the ball very hard! He shoots badly!"
19 - DeRo's cross caught by Calero, but the Dynamo aren't just knocking on the door, they're banging dents in it.
20 - Mullan! Wide.
24 - Pachuca has had a bit of run lately, now has a corner. Onstad catches it and the announcers give him props, but mercifully, manage not to reference his advanced age. (It's like the "Jay Heaps played basketball at Duke" reference - done to death.)
25 - Nice Pachuca shot, blocked by Boswell. The color commentator scoffs at giving Boswell any credit. "He didn't move - the ball just hit him." Well, maybe he didn't move to make sure the ball hit him.
27 - The announcers also reference how Erikson is watching the SuperLiga games.
29 - Marioni is down. He touched the ball into the box too far and then dashed after it, vaulting over Wade Barrett along the way. He's not going to get that call - he doesn't even have the ball.
31 - Heh, the announcers talk about getting the the stadium, mentioning how many fans are trickling in still. "With GPS, it's no problem."
33 - Torres gets a card for a late, hard tackle on Davis - Lopez argues it. Lopez gets a yellow, too.
34 - Pachuca clear the FK.
35 - Correa with an outside shot. Wide by more than a bit.
36 - DeRo on the run - beats his defender, into the box, shoots right into Calero. The announcer lament rightly that he should have passed. Ching was right there.
38 - Apparently coach Meza has the whole bench warming up, so changes could be coming soon for Pachuca.
39 - Rico Clark has a yellow, but they never really showed why. Reckless foul, apparently. Ok.
41 - Not much point in playing a lot better than Pachuca if the scoreboard doesn't reflect that. Yes, I love to point out the obvious.
42 - Meza is now arguing with the linesmen, they don't like where the subs are warming up, getting in their way. "Are you going to eject all my subs?" a snide Meza apparently asks.
44 - Davis wastes a cross to Ching - just overhits him badly.
Halftime - All Houston, in every aspect, except the most important one. There's not even a single goal. Ooooh, Pachuca going after the referee! Marioni, Meza, they're all up in his grill.
Alvarez interviews that this is a contentious and emotional match.
45 - Pachuca already looks better this half. They're deep in Dynamo ground.
47 - Marioni wide.
48 - The announcers like Onstad, they mention him as a possibility for 2010 if Canada makes the World Cup. Guess they're not Greg Sutton fans.
49 - Save! Onstad! He cut off the angle, foot save.
50 - SAVE! Onstad! Dives for this one, a more difficult one. Out for a corner.
SAAAAAVVVEEEE! The toughest one of all, the announcers can't believe it, but Onstad's reflexes stop a point blank shot off the corner by Lopez.
52 - What did Meza say at the half? Pachuca all over the Dynamo now.
53 - Corner for Pachuca. Onstad punches out, but not far and Caballero tries, but misses a bicycle kick. Must have been inspired by last year's Chris Klein version.
56 - This is weird. Calero is limping around and Marioni is bringing paper cups of drink to his teammates.
59 - Calero apparently has a slight pull. Houston readies a sub.
60 - NO goal! Offside. But the replay seems to show even. Announcers gripe about the call. Caballero wuz robbed.
61 - Davis is out - Ashe in.
64 - Rodriguez! Shoots high, but not by too much.
65 - Jaqua! Diving header wide, but close. Announcer, "The Tower Jaqua threw himself knee high to send the ball toward the goal!"
66 - Ashe sends in a cross that Calero can't hang on to, but Jaqua hits the ball out.
67 - Ashe with another cross, but this one is poor and Pachuca claims the ball.
68 - Kinnear is throwing everything but the - oh wait, here comes Kei Kamara for Jaqua.
69- Ashe with another cross, but misses the front line and Mullan's shot on the follow is blocked.
70 - Corner for the Dynamo, earned by Geoff Cameron's cross.
Montes comes on for Rodriguez. Pachuca clear the counter.
71 - Caballero sulks off the field. Aguilar is subbed in for him.
73 - Corner for Dynamo - header by Kamara goes over goal and falls in the back of the net.
74 - Hah, that's always tricky - fans have to text in the game's MVP. Well, no goals yet, so I say Onstad, but the true hero could yet be shown.
76 - Dynamo on the attack again. A corner chance. DeRo takes it.
77 - GOAL! Waibel flicks the ball on and it goes far post, where Boswell gets a foot, or an ankle on to the ball, with Calero way out of position. It goes into the goal, not pretty, but finally, very effective. 1-0 Dynamo. Waibel's flick really made the goal.
80 - Pachuca have picked up the pace looking for the equalizer, but the Dynamo are also primed to release on the counter. Ashe is likely to get a good chance here.
82 - Ching wastes a chance to pass to Kamara, passing to his buddy DeRo instead, but overshooting him with the cross.
83 - Marioni shot, deflects off Waibel.
84 - Torres is out - limping slightly. Dynamo fans are celebrating already. They can taste their revenge.
85 - Ashe with a great move gets a good cross off to Ching - but the header is wide.
86 - Houston trying to keep the ball, Pachuca trying desperately to set up a goal chance. Tough tackling both ways. Meza is cussing on the sidelines.
87 - GOAL! ASHE! This time, he's the beneficiary of a great cross by Mullan, who somehow slips two defenders and gets a pass into the area, who misses everybody but the littlest guy on the field - who nails a header into the goal. 2-0 Dynamo.
89 - Onstad takes him time with a goal kick, infuriating the Pachuca fans, who clamor for enforcement of the six-second rule.
90 - Barret is shoved down and then when he gets up, gets shoved again. Boswell comes up to defend him and all manner of shoving and insults break out. Marioni gets a card, but others get away with pushing. Marioni was losing it, though. I wonder what he says when he's that mad. None of the Dynamo players speak Spanish.
90 + Boswell wins the games MVP. The assistant coach of Pachuca has been tossed from the game. Baldomero Toledo, the 4th official, had it with him, I guess.
Final whistle.
More shoves and insults break out, Security intervenes. They have to protect the ref, Neil Brizan, but also Ashe, who apparently made some gesture that pissed off Pachuca players. Torres is interviewed and says that the team was robbed a goal, but that they accept the outcome. Calero says little, "That's how refs are."
Well, Pachuca was hard done by that goal that was called offside but didn't seem so. Still, the Dynamo dominated the early going and should have scored. They asserted themselves again in the second half after Pachuca had a good run, and this time, the Dynamo sealed the deal and broke the Pachuca jinx.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Sacha's last pre-Olympic clip
Well, maybe he'll talk to other reporters and maybe they'll put the audio up on a blog or site somehwere. Until that happens, though, here's Sacha Kljestan before he departs for the Olympic squad.
Sacha was disappointed about the result as everyone else on Chivas was. He felt they played well enough to win. Now, though, he can start thinking about China and the Olympics and all that good stuff that goes along with that tournament. It's a special time for him and the rest of the squad and now they get to enjoy it all.
Still, he was upset about not winning. The Olympics didn't take away from that.
Here's the audio.
Marsch on match
Jesse Marsch didn't seem too happy after the match. He is usually in decent spirits even after losses. That wasn't the case on Sunday. And I wasn't about to take a picture of him that way.
I asked Jesse all of the questions on the audio clip here. So most of the time he was looking right at me. I thought it would have been kinda strange for me to raise my camera and snap off a few pics while he was answering my question. I was hoping someone else would ask him something - anything - but that wasn't he case. Oh well. Still got the audio of course.
I asked Jesse all of the questions on the audio clip here. So most of the time he was looking right at me. I thought it would have been kinda strange for me to raise my camera and snap off a few pics while he was answering my question. I was hoping someone else would ask him something - anything - but that wasn't he case. Oh well. Still got the audio of course.
Matko on the match
Preki was not in the country on Sunday as he was in Serbia tending to some sort of family emergency. In his place was Mike Matkovich, the club's assistant coach.
Matko, as he is known to his players, and Preki took care of the starting lineups as they were in communication throughout the day. Not sure if Matko will have to explain much to Preki or if Preki watched the game in Serbia via the internet or something.
Preki was certainly missed but the squad did well without him. I did think that Matko sort of threw everyone out there after the Revs went up but I don't know that Preki would have done differently.
Here's the audio.
Ralston talks match, season
Steve Ralston was his usual calm self after the match. He didn't rip into the field nor did he get too excited about the prospects of playing at home.
He did however have a huge influence in the match as he sent in the corner that led to the equalizer.
Ralston answered some questions about the potential schedule logjam coming up as well as a bit on the All-Star game. And, of course, some on the naked passenger on the flight over here.
Listen to the Ralston audio here.
Reis rips field
Matt Reis was another of the players who did not care much for the field. In fact, none of the Revs players I heard had anything but negatives to say for the field.
Reis of course is a local guy, a UCLA product, and he was on the Galaxy before when the Galaxy played games here on a somewhat regular basis. But that was a long time ago. Now, the fields are expected to be much better than what was presented on Sunday.
Here's the audio of Reis.
Nicol post-game
Steve Nicol spent much of the imprompt post-game presser talking about the deplorable field conditions. He had as good a view as anyone and didn't really feel like the field was something that should have been used for a tournament of this magnitude.
The field was pretty bad. I could tell from up here that it wasn't the greatest but the way it went down, well, Nicol was none too pleased about it.
Here's the audio.
The field was pretty bad. I could tell from up here that it wasn't the greatest but the way it went down, well, Nicol was none too pleased about it.
Here's the audio.
Chivas USA-New England running blog
Welcome to the beautiful Titan Stadium for tonight's SuperLiga (and I use the word beautiful loosely). I tried to get pictures of both teams before the match but only New England gathered for a team shot. Perhaps Chivas players were too focused on the game...
Here are the starting lineups:
Chivas: Dan Kennedy; Carey Talley, Claudio Suarez, Bobby Burling, Francisco Mendoza; Sacha Kljestan, Daniel Paladini, Jesse Marsch, Jonathan Bornstein; Ante Razov, Roberto Nurse.
New England: Matt Reis; Amaechi Igwe, Michael Parkhurts, Jay Heaps, Chris Albright; Sainey Nyassi, Steve Ralston, Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz; Kheli Dube, Kenny Mansally.
And on to the match...
7 - Okay, updating all that took me some time. Chivas have had a few corner kicks but nothing too dangerous.
8 - Preki isn't here. He had to go to Serbia for some sort of emergency. Not sure when he's coming back, but the team won't have any games or anything for the next few weeks.
12 - Albright sends nice cross to far post but Igwe's side volley goes wide of goal.
15 - Pretty quiet first quarter hour. Most of the action came very early. The Revs are pretty organized as usual.
16 - Razov called for offside. Marsch just a fraction of a second too late on the pass, and Razov lets him knows it.
17 - Steve Ralston gets booked for a foul on Jesse Marsch.
19 - Dube has a breakaway but the ball skips away from his feet as Dube's touch was horrible.
21 - It looked like a Revs player was offside, Dube maybe, but no whistle was blown. It looked like the assistant was about ready raise the flag and but nothing was blown. Panchito took out a Revs player in the box but nothing was called.
24 - Ralston sends long free kick into area and Albright heads it but the ball goes wide of the goal.
26 - Revs with the better of the possessions here as Kenny Mansally rips a shot on goal. But the ball hits the outside of the net.
29 - Chivas with some good buildup but Panchito dribbles the ball around too much and can't get a shot off.
31 - Kljestan shot, deflects off Revs player, Razov with the shot but goes right to Reis.
33 - Bornstein finds some space at the top of the box but his shot floats away. Looked like he kicked a balloon there.
36 - Bornstein with a cross to Razov but the ball is just a bit too high for Razov. Then, Razov eventually gets the ball again but his slow-rolling 22-yard shot goes just wide of the post.
38 - Looks like Dube is down. Chivas held the ball for a while before knocking it out of bounds but i dont think they saw Dube laying on the field.
42 - Marsch with a blast and forces Reis to make diving save. Corner for Chivas and Kljestan sends it in but ball gets cleared away.
45 - Revs show same danger in stoppage time but a corner goes nowhere.
HALFTIME - Fairly even match but there was really just the one scoring chance, Marsch's late attempt. Revs would be happy with this result but Chivas USA needs a win to go through; if they draw, Pachuca's gotta lose.
46 - Substitutions... none for either side.
47 - Nyassi with a shot for the Revs but Kennedy turns him away.
49 - Revs with a dangerous set piece here. Ralston from the right side places it into the box but Kennedy punches it away.
52 - Kljestan sends Razov through but Razov can't get a clean shot off on goal. Reis makes the save but Razov cant control the rebound.
55 - Razov with an attempt but his shot goes just wide of goal.
59 - GOAL! Razov finally breaks through. Through ball from Paladini, Razov breaks past defense, Reis makes initial save but ball bounces out to Razov, who knocks it into an empty net.
60 - Paladini made a perfect pass to Razov. Reis actually made a partial save with his left hand but Razov had put so much force into it that Reis couldn't stop it but only slow it down. Razov has now scored a goal in six consecutive games.
69 - Revs trying to get back into the match but look a bit unsettled. Their SuperLiga campaign might be over, if this holds and Pachuca wins.
79 - GOAL! Revs. Joseph with a header, got past Kennedy and Paladini could't kick it out.
80 - Revs in driver's seat now. If they hang on, they win the group.
90 - Four minutes of stoppage time.
90 - Might be Chivas' last stand. Kljestan with a free kick on the left side. He swings it into the box and Marsch places header wide.
FULLTIME - Match is over. 1-1. New England wins group. Chivas needs for Santos to beat Pachuca.
Here are the starting lineups:
Chivas: Dan Kennedy; Carey Talley, Claudio Suarez, Bobby Burling, Francisco Mendoza; Sacha Kljestan, Daniel Paladini, Jesse Marsch, Jonathan Bornstein; Ante Razov, Roberto Nurse.
New England: Matt Reis; Amaechi Igwe, Michael Parkhurts, Jay Heaps, Chris Albright; Sainey Nyassi, Steve Ralston, Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz; Kheli Dube, Kenny Mansally.
And on to the match...
7 - Okay, updating all that took me some time. Chivas have had a few corner kicks but nothing too dangerous.
8 - Preki isn't here. He had to go to Serbia for some sort of emergency. Not sure when he's coming back, but the team won't have any games or anything for the next few weeks.
12 - Albright sends nice cross to far post but Igwe's side volley goes wide of goal.
15 - Pretty quiet first quarter hour. Most of the action came very early. The Revs are pretty organized as usual.
16 - Razov called for offside. Marsch just a fraction of a second too late on the pass, and Razov lets him knows it.
17 - Steve Ralston gets booked for a foul on Jesse Marsch.
19 - Dube has a breakaway but the ball skips away from his feet as Dube's touch was horrible.
21 - It looked like a Revs player was offside, Dube maybe, but no whistle was blown. It looked like the assistant was about ready raise the flag and but nothing was blown. Panchito took out a Revs player in the box but nothing was called.
24 - Ralston sends long free kick into area and Albright heads it but the ball goes wide of the goal.
26 - Revs with the better of the possessions here as Kenny Mansally rips a shot on goal. But the ball hits the outside of the net.
29 - Chivas with some good buildup but Panchito dribbles the ball around too much and can't get a shot off.
31 - Kljestan shot, deflects off Revs player, Razov with the shot but goes right to Reis.
33 - Bornstein finds some space at the top of the box but his shot floats away. Looked like he kicked a balloon there.
36 - Bornstein with a cross to Razov but the ball is just a bit too high for Razov. Then, Razov eventually gets the ball again but his slow-rolling 22-yard shot goes just wide of the post.
38 - Looks like Dube is down. Chivas held the ball for a while before knocking it out of bounds but i dont think they saw Dube laying on the field.
42 - Marsch with a blast and forces Reis to make diving save. Corner for Chivas and Kljestan sends it in but ball gets cleared away.
45 - Revs show same danger in stoppage time but a corner goes nowhere.
HALFTIME - Fairly even match but there was really just the one scoring chance, Marsch's late attempt. Revs would be happy with this result but Chivas USA needs a win to go through; if they draw, Pachuca's gotta lose.
46 - Substitutions... none for either side.
47 - Nyassi with a shot for the Revs but Kennedy turns him away.
49 - Revs with a dangerous set piece here. Ralston from the right side places it into the box but Kennedy punches it away.
52 - Kljestan sends Razov through but Razov can't get a clean shot off on goal. Reis makes the save but Razov cant control the rebound.
55 - Razov with an attempt but his shot goes just wide of goal.
59 - GOAL! Razov finally breaks through. Through ball from Paladini, Razov breaks past defense, Reis makes initial save but ball bounces out to Razov, who knocks it into an empty net.
60 - Paladini made a perfect pass to Razov. Reis actually made a partial save with his left hand but Razov had put so much force into it that Reis couldn't stop it but only slow it down. Razov has now scored a goal in six consecutive games.
69 - Revs trying to get back into the match but look a bit unsettled. Their SuperLiga campaign might be over, if this holds and Pachuca wins.
79 - GOAL! Revs. Joseph with a header, got past Kennedy and Paladini could't kick it out.
80 - Revs in driver's seat now. If they hang on, they win the group.
90 - Four minutes of stoppage time.
90 - Might be Chivas' last stand. Kljestan with a free kick on the left side. He swings it into the box and Marsch places header wide.
FULLTIME - Match is over. 1-1. New England wins group. Chivas needs for Santos to beat Pachuca.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Gaining respect (from teams, at least)
My latest effort for SI.com is on Mexican soccer players' and coaches' levels of respect towards MLS and SuperLiga. I was able to get quite a few people's thoughts on both, from Mexican players and Argentine players as well as a veteran coach and a young coach and they all had overwhelmingly positive things to say about MLS.
I don't think that means more Mexicans will follow MLS or even respect it any more than they already do but at least the sentiment that MLS is inferior that seems to run rampant south of the border is limited to fans and media, not necessarily players and coaches.
Now, you might say 'Oh, they were just saying nice things because they were in the tournament.' Well, I've interviewed plenty of coaches and players over the years about MLS and responses before haven't been very kind. The first time I remember asking a coach of a Mexican team about MLS was Tuca Ferreti back in 99 when the Galaxy played Chivas in a friendly, and Tuca and Ricardo Pelaez, then a forward with Chivas, each pretty much bashed the league. Don't remember the specific words they said but they bashed the style of play and the physicality of the league.
But now, even players like Matias Vuoso who has nothing to gain or lose by calling MLS out gave the league a positive review.
I don't think that means more Mexicans will follow MLS or even respect it any more than they already do but at least the sentiment that MLS is inferior that seems to run rampant south of the border is limited to fans and media, not necessarily players and coaches.
Now, you might say 'Oh, they were just saying nice things because they were in the tournament.' Well, I've interviewed plenty of coaches and players over the years about MLS and responses before haven't been very kind. The first time I remember asking a coach of a Mexican team about MLS was Tuca Ferreti back in 99 when the Galaxy played Chivas in a friendly, and Tuca and Ricardo Pelaez, then a forward with Chivas, each pretty much bashed the league. Don't remember the specific words they said but they bashed the style of play and the physicality of the league.
But now, even players like Matias Vuoso who has nothing to gain or lose by calling MLS out gave the league a positive review.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Sick about it
Mediotiempo cartoons on the SuperLiga continue.
This time, the little Chivas USA goat asks the Santos player, "You got "Championitis" already?" The player responds, "It's better to get sick here than in a tournament that really matters."
In the background - I'm not sure - could be a Revs player chasing the Pachuca gopher with a stick.
This time, the little Chivas USA goat asks the Santos player, "You got "Championitis" already?" The player responds, "It's better to get sick here than in a tournament that really matters."
In the background - I'm not sure - could be a Revs player chasing the Pachuca gopher with a stick.
Carey-ing the load
When Chivas USA acquired Carey Talley, I figured he'd man the right back slot until Lawson Vaughn was healthy enough. I didn't realize that he'd become such an integral part of the squad, so much so that The Law may not play right back provided he gets back healthy and Talley stays healthy.
I had the chance to catch up with Carey after the match as he was holding his new but fully drenched Santos Laguna jersey.
I asked Carey a few questions about the match and Sunday's now-decisive game against New England. Then, I grabbed some stuff he had to say about Edgar Castillo right before Edgar walked out so it may end aprubtly.
Matias Vuoso on loss
Matias Vuoso spoke to reporters after the match. He's a Spanish speaker so read on if you want to hear his palabras.
Vuoso kept it brief. He basically said that Chivas had one chance and put it away while Santos had many but couldn't do anything with them.
Here's his audio.
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