I could use one of those right about now...
1. Columbus (6-1-1). Road shutouts are hardly ever a bad thing.
2. Chicago (5-2-1). A chink in the defensive armor as Houston finds back of net twice.
3. New England (5-3-1). Rather efortless 2-0 win.
4. Toronto (3-2-2). Crowd support? Check. Defense? Check. Goals? Goals? Hello?
5. New York (3-1-3). Is Borman poor man's Jozy?
6. Colorado (4-4-0). Nice to see Herculez Gomez contribute for this inconsistent side.
7. Los Angeles (3-3-2). Buddle lives! Guess Alan Gordon's injury was a blessing in disguise.
8. Kansas City (3-3-2). Onalfo's kingdom for a goal from the run of play.
9. Houston (2-2-4). Rumors of their demise were premature after all.
10. FC Dallas (2-3-3). Reported internal problems threatening to derail season.
11. Chivas USA (2-4-2). Was that really Atiba Harris creating offense? Well, it couldn't have been Galindo/Alecko/Jonny/Law/Wicky since they're all hurt.
12. Real Salt Lake (2-4-2). Just when they have something positive to build on, they regress. Old habits die hard.
13. San Jose (1-5-1). By year's end, this team will have lost in every which way imaginable - at least they got Demoralizing Own Goal out of the way.
14. DC United (2-6-0). This team is anything but united right now.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Week 8 Spotlight
Top Players
G: Will Hesmer Kevin Hartman, vintage Gato versus NY
D: Bobby Boswell Jimmy Conrad
D: Tyrone Marshall
D: Chris Klein
M: David Beckham
M: Steve Ralston
M: Danleigh Borman
M: Sacha Kljestan
M: Herculez Gomez
F: Atiba Harris
F: Edson Buddle
Coach: Fernando Clavijo. Former Galaxy star Herculez Gomez has desire and skill; Clavijo finally noticed, and the Rapids were the beneficiaries.
Top player: Sacha "Karate Kid" Kljestan, for his game-winner and subsequent assist and carrying the load in an historic come-from-behind win.
Edson Buddle - Can't deny the hat trick - and he could have had a fourth if not for a quality save from Sala.
Top goal: Edson Buddle's first goal. He muscled through the heart of FC Dallas' defense and buried the ball in the back of the net.
LOWLIGHTS
James Riley. A momentary mental lapse forced Riley to forget that he does not play for New England any more, but only realized that until the ball hit the back of the net.
John Carver and Guillermo Barros Schellotto should strike a deal - GBS can roll around for as long as it takes to clear away TFC streamers on corners. GBS doesn't like streamers, Carver doesn't like theatrics, but both are apparently partial to their own drama.
Adrian Serioux. Down three goals, Serioux sees it fit to slide in on David Beckham from behind in a play that had red card written all over it. Fittingly, Serioux saw red.
Matias Mantilla trying to control the ball with his hand in his own box. MLS refs aren't so bad that they'll miss that.
DC United. Lack of heart, effort, desire, class... pretty much sums up United's night.
G: Will Hesmer Kevin Hartman, vintage Gato versus NY
D: Bobby Boswell Jimmy Conrad
D: Tyrone Marshall
D: Chris Klein
M: David Beckham
M: Steve Ralston
M: Danleigh Borman
M: Sacha Kljestan
M: Herculez Gomez
F: Atiba Harris
F: Edson Buddle
Coach: Fernando Clavijo. Former Galaxy star Herculez Gomez has desire and skill; Clavijo finally noticed, and the Rapids were the beneficiaries.
Top player: Sacha "Karate Kid" Kljestan, for his game-winner and subsequent assist and carrying the load in an historic come-from-behind win.
Edson Buddle - Can't deny the hat trick - and he could have had a fourth if not for a quality save from Sala.
Top goal: Edson Buddle's first goal. He muscled through the heart of FC Dallas' defense and buried the ball in the back of the net.
Top save: Pick your choice of Kevin Hartman saves. Mine is his reaction save off of a Juan Pablo Angel shot midway through the second half.
Best game: Dallas/LA - It might not be sexy, but when a 4-1 lead doesn't feel safe, a Galaxy game certainly isn't boring.LOWLIGHTS
James Riley. A momentary mental lapse forced Riley to forget that he does not play for New England any more, but only realized that until the ball hit the back of the net.
John Carver and Guillermo Barros Schellotto should strike a deal - GBS can roll around for as long as it takes to clear away TFC streamers on corners. GBS doesn't like streamers, Carver doesn't like theatrics, but both are apparently partial to their own drama.
Adrian Serioux. Down three goals, Serioux sees it fit to slide in on David Beckham from behind in a play that had red card written all over it. Fittingly, Serioux saw red.
Matias Mantilla trying to control the ball with his hand in his own box. MLS refs aren't so bad that they'll miss that.
DC United. Lack of heart, effort, desire, class... pretty much sums up United's night.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Liguilla day four
Quarterfinal round is over and the semifinal matchups are:
Santos-Monterrey
Cruz Azul-San Luis
San Luis advanced to the semifinals after a tough 0-0 draw with Toluca. The match did not have any goals but it had plenty of controversy. Referee Roberto Garcia did not call a blatant penalty late in the match that would have given Toluca a spot kick and a chance to win the series. Perhaps Garcia felt he did not call another foul minutes earlier that would have given San Luis a penalty or maybe he just didn't feel like blowing the whistle. Regardless, Marcelo Guerrero got away with shoving Paulo Da Silva inside the box and San Luis escaped.
Michael Orozco, meanwhile, did not play.
Here are the match highlights, which pretty much consist of the two non calls.
Santos, meanwhile, tied Necaxa and advanced to the semifinals on a 3-2 aggregate. Edgar Castillo went the distance for Santos. Juan Pablo Rodriguez scored the equalizer in the 80th minute for Santos. Highlights aren't available yet.
Santos-Monterrey
Cruz Azul-San Luis
San Luis advanced to the semifinals after a tough 0-0 draw with Toluca. The match did not have any goals but it had plenty of controversy. Referee Roberto Garcia did not call a blatant penalty late in the match that would have given Toluca a spot kick and a chance to win the series. Perhaps Garcia felt he did not call another foul minutes earlier that would have given San Luis a penalty or maybe he just didn't feel like blowing the whistle. Regardless, Marcelo Guerrero got away with shoving Paulo Da Silva inside the box and San Luis escaped.
Michael Orozco, meanwhile, did not play.
Here are the match highlights, which pretty much consist of the two non calls.
Santos, meanwhile, tied Necaxa and advanced to the semifinals on a 3-2 aggregate. Edgar Castillo went the distance for Santos. Juan Pablo Rodriguez scored the equalizer in the 80th minute for Santos. Highlights aren't available yet.
Karateka Kljestan
Sacha Kljestan scored a game-winning goal on Saturday and celebrated by punching and kicking his way toward a group of DC supporters.
I asked Sacha after the match about the goal celebration.
Same old thing. You guys have seen the karate. The other fans like to talk and they don't appreciate me going up to them but I like to celebrate with my team and celebrate how I feel after I score a goal. Obviously I'm very pumped up so it's exciting.
I then asked him about the inspiration behind the karate-style celebration. I had pondered everything from Spongebob and Sandy to Bruce Lee. Turns out it was Daniel-san and Miyagi-do Karate all along, albeit indirectly.
The Karate Kid was always something that my dad did when he was playing in men's leagues. I always kind of did it as a tribute to him early on and now it's kind of stuck. Everyone says it's my trademark so I guess I've got to keep doing it.
I asked Sacha after the match about the goal celebration.
Same old thing. You guys have seen the karate. The other fans like to talk and they don't appreciate me going up to them but I like to celebrate with my team and celebrate how I feel after I score a goal. Obviously I'm very pumped up so it's exciting.
I then asked him about the inspiration behind the karate-style celebration. I had pondered everything from Spongebob and Sandy to Bruce Lee. Turns out it was Daniel-san and Miyagi-do Karate all along, albeit indirectly.
The Karate Kid was always something that my dad did when he was playing in men's leagues. I always kind of did it as a tribute to him early on and now it's kind of stuck. Everyone says it's my trademark so I guess I've got to keep doing it.
Morrow on hot seat?
So says Al Dia's soccer blog. Actually there's a whole host of problems detailed by Diego Aparicio, a regular beat writer of the squad. A lot of it centers around the recent firing of a popular assistant coach, but there are also accusations that players have been told they need permission from their media relations department to speak to the press, and that other players have accused coach Steve Morrow and GM Michael Hitchcock of dealing with them unfairly, while at least one charges that Morrow is incompetent, unable to lead a team and has lost the locker room.
No names are named, though, because apparently players spoke to Diego only on condition of anonymity.
Such discontent, if true, might have played a role in the disjointed play of Dallas today versus the Galaxy.
No names are named, though, because apparently players spoke to Diego only on condition of anonymity.
Such discontent, if true, might have played a role in the disjointed play of Dallas today versus the Galaxy.
Liguilla day three
Seems only Pachuca is immune to curses.
Chivas finished first atop the regular season table, a kiss of death for mortal clubs. Chivas succumbed to Monterrey after a 4-4 draw on Saturday. Monterrey took the series on an 8-5 aggregate.
Monterrey, of course, has benefited from Ricardo Lavolpe. Had Isaac Mizrahi stayed with Monterrey, it is unlikely he could have had this team playing this well at this point of the season. Monterrey moves on while Chivas goes home.
Since Toluca's great teams at the turn of the century, only Pachuca has finished atop the regular-season table and won the league championship. Los Tuzos turned the trick in the Clausura 06 and 07 seasons.
Also, Cruz Azul joined Monterrey in the semifinals. Cruz Azul ousted Jaguares after winning 2-1 on Saturday. The series finished on a 2-2 aggregate but Cruz Azul advanced by virtue of having finished the regular season with more points. Daniel Hernandez was sent off late in the match as the teams bade farewell to each other with a massive brawl.
I'll post highlights of both games later. Looking for a good recap of the Cruz Azul-Jaguares goals, I mean, brawl.
ADD:
Okay, it's later. Here's a good video of the Cruz Azul-Jaguares stuff. If you want to keep an eye on our Sangre Americana boy, Daniel Hernandez, he's number 5. He takes a swing at Gerardo Torrado and Miguel Sabah and then I lost him in the scrum. Cruz Azul's Gerardo Lugo (number 23) gets chased for something he did. In terms of soccer brawls, it's pretty good.
And here are the highlights from Chivas-Monterrey. All they did was score eight goals, though. No huge brawl.
Chivas finished first atop the regular season table, a kiss of death for mortal clubs. Chivas succumbed to Monterrey after a 4-4 draw on Saturday. Monterrey took the series on an 8-5 aggregate.
Monterrey, of course, has benefited from Ricardo Lavolpe. Had Isaac Mizrahi stayed with Monterrey, it is unlikely he could have had this team playing this well at this point of the season. Monterrey moves on while Chivas goes home.
Since Toluca's great teams at the turn of the century, only Pachuca has finished atop the regular-season table and won the league championship. Los Tuzos turned the trick in the Clausura 06 and 07 seasons.
Also, Cruz Azul joined Monterrey in the semifinals. Cruz Azul ousted Jaguares after winning 2-1 on Saturday. The series finished on a 2-2 aggregate but Cruz Azul advanced by virtue of having finished the regular season with more points. Daniel Hernandez was sent off late in the match as the teams bade farewell to each other with a massive brawl.
I'll post highlights of both games later. Looking for a good recap of the Cruz Azul-Jaguares goals, I mean, brawl.
ADD:
Okay, it's later. Here's a good video of the Cruz Azul-Jaguares stuff. If you want to keep an eye on our Sangre Americana boy, Daniel Hernandez, he's number 5. He takes a swing at Gerardo Torrado and Miguel Sabah and then I lost him in the scrum. Cruz Azul's Gerardo Lugo (number 23) gets chased for something he did. In terms of soccer brawls, it's pretty good.
And here are the highlights from Chivas-Monterrey. All they did was score eight goals, though. No huge brawl.
Galaxy-Dallas running blog
Hey, hey, people
I wonder if it's hotter in Dallas than LA right now. Hard to imagine. Predictions? I'm calling this one a draw, just like it was in preseason, but this time, I think the teams will score. 1-1.
Alvaro is back in the lineup for LA, as is Edson Buddle.
Steve Cronin, Greg Vanney,Chris Klein, Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle, Alvaro Pires, Joe Franchino, Abel Xavier, David Beckham, Sean Franklin, Brandon McDonald
Kickoff!
3 - LA with a decent early run of play in terms of possession, but not really in terms of creating chances yet.
5 - Becks crosses to Buddle, who puts his shot from the left of the arc wide.
6 - Alan Gordon is injured and not available, but Carlos Ruiz is on the sub list.
7- No goal. Abe Thompson gets whistled for a foul on Sean Franklin before putting the ball through Cronin's legs.
Ooh, and then on the next attack, Kenny Coope shoots wide of goal, but not by much. With less ball possession, Dallas has created far more dangerous chances.
9 - Ha, ha, the announcers are reminiscing about the amazing Superliga game these two teams fought last year, mentioning Donovan's throat slash, "It's over gesture". They call him the "California Boy".
11 - Then the announcers screw up history by mentioning that LA won MLS cup here in 2004. Nope, it was 2005. Donovan send in a cross to no one, deep in Dallas territory.
12 - Pablo richetti could have given up a PK on that Galaxy attack, according to the announcers. Sean kept his feet, though. It's not often you'll hear announcers saying a player should have dived.
14 - The English feed broke into Telefutura's for a bit there. Weird. Corner to the Galaxy. LD takes it. Cleared, served back in.
15-Another corner. This one served back in, too. The Galaxy are presuring, but the final shots are getting deflected.
17 - Pires might be very happy to be back, he wound up on a distance shot put it over the bar.
18 -Dallas on the counter, Cooper versus Cronin, who has a great footsave. LA can't control the clear and Cooper gets another chance - outside side netting.
19 - Cooper nearly puts one in by distance - Cronin backpedals to push it out - gives up a corner. FC comes close on this, and suddenly, all the momentum is theirs.
22 - Becks shows on an overhit pass why he is famous for service from his right leg and not his left.
24 - The Galaxy show some decent midfield possession play, but lose composure working the ball around for the final pass.
26 - There's a lot of pressure on the Galaxy to score, because no one trusts that shaky defense of theirs.
GOAL! Klein gets it done! He overlaps well for the ball, and LD tears off on his run, which pulls defenders to him and Klein keeps instead of crossing, calmly slotting nearpost past Sala. 1-0 Galaxy.
27 - Becks, as any good OCD person would, does housekeeping on the streamers on the field before taking a FK. If he does play at Toronto - I say the game will be delayed ten minutes with the combo of Becks cleaning and TFC fans throwing streamers.
30 Arturito Alvarez with a wayward cross.
31 - AA with a low outside shot. Cronin catches.
32 - GOAL! Buddle! LD with a little layoff for Edson, who looks a bit like his namesake as he dribbles nicely past two FC defenders and looses a corker of a shot on goal. 2-0 Galaxy.
33- Dallas with a FK, Cronin punches it out safely.
GOAL! LD! Davino is covering the angle on the cross but LD changes the angle more acutely and puts it on goal. One announcer thinks Davino deflected it, but I didn't see that. 3-0 Galaxy. Wow.
37 - Dallas get a FK on a play that earns Pires a yellow. the service is good, but though they fumble for the ball, the Galaxy eventually clear it. Good chance for FC to cut into the deficit gone by.
39 - GOAL! Damn. Off a set play, Dallas can't clear, Sala can't grab the ball and Edson adroitly pokes the ball into the goal. 4-0 Galaxy. That's an impressive cushion, even for one of the league's worst defenses.
42 - The announcers are saying that the Galaxy are finally a real team, pointing out that Becks, LD and Gordon have scored all the goals to this point - Gordon is injured, but in this game, others are clearly stepping up for the team. Ruud said he needed leaders. Players are coming forward to lead.
43 - LD beats Davino with a move, but Sala is well positioned for the low shot.
45 - LD didn't get credit for that one goal - it's now officially a Davino own-goal.
45+ Cronin with a low save.
Halftime - So far the defense of LA has held, and the offense, well, it's exceeded expectations. Perhaps the heatwave out here prepared LA, because they've been on fire and except for a few bright moments, FC Dallas has been sluggish and stuck in second gear.
47 - Match continues - In the SuperLiga shootout - Dallas nearly pulled even. They have to score early to get hope going, though. Rocha shoots from middle distance, but misses.
48 - Bobby Rhine and Dominic Oduro are in for Anthony Wallace and Abe Thompson.
49 - Rhine comes in studs up on LD, gets a yellow. FK is cleared back.
52 - Alvaro comes in hard on Oduro, the crowd boos for a yellow, but doesn't get it. That would have taken Pires out of the match.
53 - Ruud's seen enough and pulls Pires for Troy Roberts.
54 - Oduro with a low shot, but Cronin saves it.
GOAL! Cooper with a good cross to the head of Oduro, who is perfectly positioned. Can Dallas come back? Well, Chivas USA set the standard last night, scoring thre goals in nine minutes, so it's definitely possible. We'll see if LA has poise. 4-1 Galaxy still lead.
55 - Great Beckham cross to Buddle, but Sala parries well. FC is going to need Sala to stand strong to crawl back in this.
58 - Crossbar! Cooper with a great chance at goal - Cronin should have come out for that cross, instead Cooper darts in faster than one would expect of a six-footer to place a shot that ricochets off the bar.
60 - Galaxy corner - leads to another corner. LD took the first, the second belongs to Becks. Becks over hits this one, though Josh Tudela tries to chase it down.
62 - Dallas with another chance! Cronin comes out badly on the counter, giving Toja a clear chance at the goal, but he puts it over the bar. Dallas could be as close as 4-3 right now. Instead, it's still 4-1.
64 - It's downright weird how the Galaxy can make a 4-1 lead look shaky. Cronin catches the ball as Rhine slides in from close for it.
68 - The Galaxy are trying to move the ball around, but I'm not sure it's a good idea to stop going for goal.
Oduro with the ball in the box, but Cronin picks it off his foot.
69 Becks has dropped far back.
70 - Now he's lining up a freekick. It deflects off the wall for a corner.
73 - Dallas circling the LA goal, but can't break through.
74 - LD in the box! Wide.
76 - Serioux late tackle on Beckham, who is furious and shoves the Dallas player. That was a dangerous tackle. Handbags, but it finally gets cleared up. Becks and Alvarez get a yellow for arguing, Serioux is gone for his second yellow.
80 - The heat seems to be taking a toll on the FC Dallas comeback. Plus the frustration of the missed chances has to kill energy as well.
84 - The Galaxy are getting a couple of chances on the counter, but they're not killing themselves to finish them. They're trying to do what they haven't done much, manage a game. Klein does get a low shot off. Sala saves.
86 - GOAL! Buddle with the hat trick! Becks with the service, LD with the decoy pulls defenders and Sala to him, and Buddle finishes nicely via header. 5-1 Galaxy
87 - Xavier with a nice play robs the faster Oduro of the ball in the box.
89 - Dallas trying to work past the LA bunker.
90 - Nothing doing.
Final whistle. This might have been Buddle's breakout match. The Galaxy work their way back to .500 with the 5-1 win.
I wonder if it's hotter in Dallas than LA right now. Hard to imagine. Predictions? I'm calling this one a draw, just like it was in preseason, but this time, I think the teams will score. 1-1.
Alvaro is back in the lineup for LA, as is Edson Buddle.
Steve Cronin, Greg Vanney,Chris Klein, Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle, Alvaro Pires, Joe Franchino, Abel Xavier, David Beckham, Sean Franklin, Brandon McDonald
Kickoff!
3 - LA with a decent early run of play in terms of possession, but not really in terms of creating chances yet.
5 - Becks crosses to Buddle, who puts his shot from the left of the arc wide.
6 - Alan Gordon is injured and not available, but Carlos Ruiz is on the sub list.
7- No goal. Abe Thompson gets whistled for a foul on Sean Franklin before putting the ball through Cronin's legs.
Ooh, and then on the next attack, Kenny Coope shoots wide of goal, but not by much. With less ball possession, Dallas has created far more dangerous chances.
9 - Ha, ha, the announcers are reminiscing about the amazing Superliga game these two teams fought last year, mentioning Donovan's throat slash, "It's over gesture". They call him the "California Boy".
11 - Then the announcers screw up history by mentioning that LA won MLS cup here in 2004. Nope, it was 2005. Donovan send in a cross to no one, deep in Dallas territory.
12 - Pablo richetti could have given up a PK on that Galaxy attack, according to the announcers. Sean kept his feet, though. It's not often you'll hear announcers saying a player should have dived.
14 - The English feed broke into Telefutura's for a bit there. Weird. Corner to the Galaxy. LD takes it. Cleared, served back in.
15-Another corner. This one served back in, too. The Galaxy are presuring, but the final shots are getting deflected.
17 - Pires might be very happy to be back, he wound up on a distance shot put it over the bar.
18 -Dallas on the counter, Cooper versus Cronin, who has a great footsave. LA can't control the clear and Cooper gets another chance - outside side netting.
19 - Cooper nearly puts one in by distance - Cronin backpedals to push it out - gives up a corner. FC comes close on this, and suddenly, all the momentum is theirs.
22 - Becks shows on an overhit pass why he is famous for service from his right leg and not his left.
24 - The Galaxy show some decent midfield possession play, but lose composure working the ball around for the final pass.
26 - There's a lot of pressure on the Galaxy to score, because no one trusts that shaky defense of theirs.
GOAL! Klein gets it done! He overlaps well for the ball, and LD tears off on his run, which pulls defenders to him and Klein keeps instead of crossing, calmly slotting nearpost past Sala. 1-0 Galaxy.
27 - Becks, as any good OCD person would, does housekeeping on the streamers on the field before taking a FK. If he does play at Toronto - I say the game will be delayed ten minutes with the combo of Becks cleaning and TFC fans throwing streamers.
30 Arturito Alvarez with a wayward cross.
31 - AA with a low outside shot. Cronin catches.
32 - GOAL! Buddle! LD with a little layoff for Edson, who looks a bit like his namesake as he dribbles nicely past two FC defenders and looses a corker of a shot on goal. 2-0 Galaxy.
33- Dallas with a FK, Cronin punches it out safely.
GOAL! LD! Davino is covering the angle on the cross but LD changes the angle more acutely and puts it on goal. One announcer thinks Davino deflected it, but I didn't see that. 3-0 Galaxy. Wow.
37 - Dallas get a FK on a play that earns Pires a yellow. the service is good, but though they fumble for the ball, the Galaxy eventually clear it. Good chance for FC to cut into the deficit gone by.
39 - GOAL! Damn. Off a set play, Dallas can't clear, Sala can't grab the ball and Edson adroitly pokes the ball into the goal. 4-0 Galaxy. That's an impressive cushion, even for one of the league's worst defenses.
42 - The announcers are saying that the Galaxy are finally a real team, pointing out that Becks, LD and Gordon have scored all the goals to this point - Gordon is injured, but in this game, others are clearly stepping up for the team. Ruud said he needed leaders. Players are coming forward to lead.
43 - LD beats Davino with a move, but Sala is well positioned for the low shot.
45 - LD didn't get credit for that one goal - it's now officially a Davino own-goal.
45+ Cronin with a low save.
Halftime - So far the defense of LA has held, and the offense, well, it's exceeded expectations. Perhaps the heatwave out here prepared LA, because they've been on fire and except for a few bright moments, FC Dallas has been sluggish and stuck in second gear.
47 - Match continues - In the SuperLiga shootout - Dallas nearly pulled even. They have to score early to get hope going, though. Rocha shoots from middle distance, but misses.
48 - Bobby Rhine and Dominic Oduro are in for Anthony Wallace and Abe Thompson.
49 - Rhine comes in studs up on LD, gets a yellow. FK is cleared back.
52 - Alvaro comes in hard on Oduro, the crowd boos for a yellow, but doesn't get it. That would have taken Pires out of the match.
53 - Ruud's seen enough and pulls Pires for Troy Roberts.
54 - Oduro with a low shot, but Cronin saves it.
GOAL! Cooper with a good cross to the head of Oduro, who is perfectly positioned. Can Dallas come back? Well, Chivas USA set the standard last night, scoring thre goals in nine minutes, so it's definitely possible. We'll see if LA has poise. 4-1 Galaxy still lead.
55 - Great Beckham cross to Buddle, but Sala parries well. FC is going to need Sala to stand strong to crawl back in this.
58 - Crossbar! Cooper with a great chance at goal - Cronin should have come out for that cross, instead Cooper darts in faster than one would expect of a six-footer to place a shot that ricochets off the bar.
60 - Galaxy corner - leads to another corner. LD took the first, the second belongs to Becks. Becks over hits this one, though Josh Tudela tries to chase it down.
62 - Dallas with another chance! Cronin comes out badly on the counter, giving Toja a clear chance at the goal, but he puts it over the bar. Dallas could be as close as 4-3 right now. Instead, it's still 4-1.
64 - It's downright weird how the Galaxy can make a 4-1 lead look shaky. Cronin catches the ball as Rhine slides in from close for it.
68 - The Galaxy are trying to move the ball around, but I'm not sure it's a good idea to stop going for goal.
Oduro with the ball in the box, but Cronin picks it off his foot.
69 Becks has dropped far back.
70 - Now he's lining up a freekick. It deflects off the wall for a corner.
73 - Dallas circling the LA goal, but can't break through.
74 - LD in the box! Wide.
76 - Serioux late tackle on Beckham, who is furious and shoves the Dallas player. That was a dangerous tackle. Handbags, but it finally gets cleared up. Becks and Alvarez get a yellow for arguing, Serioux is gone for his second yellow.
80 - The heat seems to be taking a toll on the FC Dallas comeback. Plus the frustration of the missed chances has to kill energy as well.
84 - The Galaxy are getting a couple of chances on the counter, but they're not killing themselves to finish them. They're trying to do what they haven't done much, manage a game. Klein does get a low shot off. Sala saves.
86 - GOAL! Buddle with the hat trick! Becks with the service, LD with the decoy pulls defenders and Sala to him, and Buddle finishes nicely via header. 5-1 Galaxy
87 - Xavier with a nice play robs the faster Oduro of the ball in the box.
89 - Dallas trying to work past the LA bunker.
90 - Nothing doing.
Final whistle. This might have been Buddle's breakout match. The Galaxy work their way back to .500 with the 5-1 win.
Featuring - or not?
so what if dc did not want to talk after the game? you just report the players did not want to talk
I didn't have a game story assignment last night. As I mentioned in the running blog, I was working on a Marcelo Gallardo feature.
I'd been working on it for a while, actually. On Friday, when I was at the DC/Chivas USA presser, I asked Jaime Moreno about Gallardo, among other things (since I write for multiple places, I often try to get quotes on different topics when players are in town, so I can plug in a relevant quote later).
DC had a practice scheduled after the presser, and I called their media liaison to see if I could ask Gallardo a few questions before practice.
You see, I'd been at the HDC since 10:00. It was almost 3:00, and on a Friday, that means the window to escape the hell of traffic is closing. It was over a hundred degrees, and my air conditioning in my little car was out. The HDC is south of downtown LA, while I live north of it. Now, in MLS, players usually talk to media after practice, but often, if one shows up early and requests only one player, teams are accommodating in granting quick interviews. No luck this time. DC's press guy said I'd have to wait until after practice. From my seat in my car across from the field where they were getting off the bus, I watched the United players and debated staying around versus leaving. Practice would place me in the absolute worst of rush hour, so I instead asked if it was possible to make an early arrangement for a pregame interview on Saturday. Per MLS policy, players are supposed to be available to media members - actually, the locker room is supposed to be open to the press until an hour before warm-ups. Some teams get away with not showing up until this window is over, but they don't need to normally go through such conniptions to avoid the press, because the nature of our jobs is such that we are always expected to get the latest word on things, so only in a few cases does anyone show up to the early interview period.
What's funny in hindsight is that when I was trying to set up a time to ask Gallardo questions, DC's media person kept telling me, "Well, you can talk to Gallardo during the post-game locker room access."
That's what I thought, too, but I was trying to get at least a few exclusive quotes. So after having been assured that I'd get a little time pregame if I showed up right at 6:00, I tried to interview him. I passed on the offer for translation for the simple reason that though my Spanish isn't great, translation takes time, and I thought asking questions directly would save me a minute or two and allow me to ask a few more things.
Not really. I asked three questions, then was told, "Last question. We'll see you again after the game."
Except - no.
What incentive is Gallardo going to have to speak to the media when he sees clearly that his own organization doesn't follow the post-game standard? We press people complain about David Beckham taking a long time after games to come out and talk, but now I appreciate in a whole new way that he does so, every time. I've an assignment of a Beckham feature post-Galaxy games, and that would get hung out to dry if he decided not to speak to the press.
Writers like Danny Bueno did get left out in the cold by DC. His MLSnet assignment is to specifically cover the post-game reaction of the visiting team. Usually, a minimum of three different players quoted is expected. He got one. And he waited for that one player longer than it would normally have taken him to get all his interviews completed and his post-game article written. Other LA writers who are assigned to get reactions from both teams left after half an hour had passed.
Look, I understand that a lot of people think the lot of a sportswriter is a blessed and lucky one, and don't understand why I point out that giving the reporters who do cover MLS hassles is a mistake for a league that wants to grow. Fine. One espn.com feature is not going to make or break the future of DC United's public profile.
But the publishing industry isn't going through an easy time right now, and sports reporters are getting reassigned or laid off everywhere. They're fighting to write the most relevant stories, and if an editor looks at a piece and says, "Where's the quotes from the other team you're supposed to have?" then hears the reason why they're not there, do you think he or she's going to want to send more coverage that way? A piece without any exclusive quotes that covers what happened during a match can be picked up off AP. That's probably what the editor will do in the future, thinking, "Screw soccer. We don't need to send a reporter out to a game and then get stiffed on the locker room access that every other sport in the U.S. allows."
Thinking I'd get to talk to Gallardo specifically about the game after it finished meant my early questions were very general. I'm trying to piece something together anyway, but it's not easy.
I didn't have a game story assignment last night. As I mentioned in the running blog, I was working on a Marcelo Gallardo feature.
I'd been working on it for a while, actually. On Friday, when I was at the DC/Chivas USA presser, I asked Jaime Moreno about Gallardo, among other things (since I write for multiple places, I often try to get quotes on different topics when players are in town, so I can plug in a relevant quote later).
DC had a practice scheduled after the presser, and I called their media liaison to see if I could ask Gallardo a few questions before practice.
You see, I'd been at the HDC since 10:00. It was almost 3:00, and on a Friday, that means the window to escape the hell of traffic is closing. It was over a hundred degrees, and my air conditioning in my little car was out. The HDC is south of downtown LA, while I live north of it. Now, in MLS, players usually talk to media after practice, but often, if one shows up early and requests only one player, teams are accommodating in granting quick interviews. No luck this time. DC's press guy said I'd have to wait until after practice. From my seat in my car across from the field where they were getting off the bus, I watched the United players and debated staying around versus leaving. Practice would place me in the absolute worst of rush hour, so I instead asked if it was possible to make an early arrangement for a pregame interview on Saturday. Per MLS policy, players are supposed to be available to media members - actually, the locker room is supposed to be open to the press until an hour before warm-ups. Some teams get away with not showing up until this window is over, but they don't need to normally go through such conniptions to avoid the press, because the nature of our jobs is such that we are always expected to get the latest word on things, so only in a few cases does anyone show up to the early interview period.
What's funny in hindsight is that when I was trying to set up a time to ask Gallardo questions, DC's media person kept telling me, "Well, you can talk to Gallardo during the post-game locker room access."
That's what I thought, too, but I was trying to get at least a few exclusive quotes. So after having been assured that I'd get a little time pregame if I showed up right at 6:00, I tried to interview him. I passed on the offer for translation for the simple reason that though my Spanish isn't great, translation takes time, and I thought asking questions directly would save me a minute or two and allow me to ask a few more things.
Not really. I asked three questions, then was told, "Last question. We'll see you again after the game."
Except - no.
What incentive is Gallardo going to have to speak to the media when he sees clearly that his own organization doesn't follow the post-game standard? We press people complain about David Beckham taking a long time after games to come out and talk, but now I appreciate in a whole new way that he does so, every time. I've an assignment of a Beckham feature post-Galaxy games, and that would get hung out to dry if he decided not to speak to the press.
Writers like Danny Bueno did get left out in the cold by DC. His MLSnet assignment is to specifically cover the post-game reaction of the visiting team. Usually, a minimum of three different players quoted is expected. He got one. And he waited for that one player longer than it would normally have taken him to get all his interviews completed and his post-game article written. Other LA writers who are assigned to get reactions from both teams left after half an hour had passed.
Look, I understand that a lot of people think the lot of a sportswriter is a blessed and lucky one, and don't understand why I point out that giving the reporters who do cover MLS hassles is a mistake for a league that wants to grow. Fine. One espn.com feature is not going to make or break the future of DC United's public profile.
But the publishing industry isn't going through an easy time right now, and sports reporters are getting reassigned or laid off everywhere. They're fighting to write the most relevant stories, and if an editor looks at a piece and says, "Where's the quotes from the other team you're supposed to have?" then hears the reason why they're not there, do you think he or she's going to want to send more coverage that way? A piece without any exclusive quotes that covers what happened during a match can be picked up off AP. That's probably what the editor will do in the future, thinking, "Screw soccer. We don't need to send a reporter out to a game and then get stiffed on the locker room access that every other sport in the U.S. allows."
Thinking I'd get to talk to Gallardo specifically about the game after it finished meant my early questions were very general. I'm trying to piece something together anyway, but it's not easy.
Remains of the day
Danny Bueno was one of the reporters able to talk to Jaime Moreno after the game.
Luis Bueno wrote about Chivas USA - and therefore has a number of quotes, because he was allowed into their locker room.
Luis Bueno wrote about Chivas USA - and therefore has a number of quotes, because he was allowed into their locker room.
Soehn says his bit
My tape started a bit late because when Tom Soehn came out to talk to the media, I thought the locker room was finally open. Usually, when the coach comes out or starts talking to the media, the locker room is officially open for reporters. Deciding player quotes were more important, even though I wanted to ask Soehn stuff, I tried to enter. Instead, I was stonewalled at the door - "The locker room still isn't open."
Then I joined the circle around Soehn, off to one side in the hallway. Busy with the questions, I didn't realize at first that players were leaving while the coach was being interviewed, then I happened to glance over my shoulder and realized that the departing black polo shirts were all the guys we'd been waiting to talk with for so long. I broke away from Soehn and tried to get Marcelo Gallardo to stop. No luck.
Technically, the DC locker room never was declared open for the press, unless one counts it as open when the entire team has already left.
I can sympathize to a certain extent with DC - the players were no doubt upset and emotion is evident in Soehn's voice, but I've also witnessed many teams lose tough games. Almost every one is still professional enough to still comply with their press obligations. Heck, last night I was watching NBA Jazz coach Jerry Sloan do a in-game interview while his team was struggling, which I'm sure he'd prefer not to do, but he did anyway.
In this case, it wasn't one upset player declining interviews. It was an institutional move to keep all the media out and make our job far more difficult. It was also conducted in a rather underhand manner - at no point were we told that we wouldn't have media access to the locker room. So when Marc Burch left early, for example, most of the reporters didn't stop him. We don't usually do hallway interviews with players. It's too noisy, and players at that point just want to get on the bus. Steve Goff talked to Marc, but the rest of us waited in front of the locker room like good little sheep, expecting patience to eventually be rewarded. Seriously, though, if some DC bigshot decided, "Forget it, no press in the locker room," they should have manned up and told us that. #1, the deadline people could have left. #2, the rest of us could start asking the players who were willing to answer questions in the hallway. Instead, if we're continually told, "Not yet," there's an implied, "eventually you'll get in" that once it doesn't happen seems rather dishonest, disrespectful and unprofessional.
Then I joined the circle around Soehn, off to one side in the hallway. Busy with the questions, I didn't realize at first that players were leaving while the coach was being interviewed, then I happened to glance over my shoulder and realized that the departing black polo shirts were all the guys we'd been waiting to talk with for so long. I broke away from Soehn and tried to get Marcelo Gallardo to stop. No luck.
Technically, the DC locker room never was declared open for the press, unless one counts it as open when the entire team has already left.
I can sympathize to a certain extent with DC - the players were no doubt upset and emotion is evident in Soehn's voice, but I've also witnessed many teams lose tough games. Almost every one is still professional enough to still comply with their press obligations. Heck, last night I was watching NBA Jazz coach Jerry Sloan do a in-game interview while his team was struggling, which I'm sure he'd prefer not to do, but he did anyway.
In this case, it wasn't one upset player declining interviews. It was an institutional move to keep all the media out and make our job far more difficult. It was also conducted in a rather underhand manner - at no point were we told that we wouldn't have media access to the locker room. So when Marc Burch left early, for example, most of the reporters didn't stop him. We don't usually do hallway interviews with players. It's too noisy, and players at that point just want to get on the bus. Steve Goff talked to Marc, but the rest of us waited in front of the locker room like good little sheep, expecting patience to eventually be rewarded. Seriously, though, if some DC bigshot decided, "Forget it, no press in the locker room," they should have manned up and told us that. #1, the deadline people could have left. #2, the rest of us could start asking the players who were willing to answer questions in the hallway. Instead, if we're continually told, "Not yet," there's an implied, "eventually you'll get in" that once it doesn't happen seems rather dishonest, disrespectful and unprofessional.
Tino talks
Kudos to Quaranta, one of the few DC guys who stopped to talk to the press in the hallway after we weren't allowed in the locker room by club officials. In the background one can hear Jaime Moreno a little bit. He stopped, too, spoke to a couple of the LA press members, but since I was interviewing Tino at the time, I couldn't switch over right away and Jaime had left by the time I finished. Heck, the entire team was gone. It's very difficult to get a decent variety of quotes with no locker room access.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Post -game posturing
So much for being blessed. DC United stones the press outside their locker room, flouting MLS regulations to open it to media. Any media, including Steven Goff, who is out here all the way from D.C. The team doesn't do a post-match presser, and Kevin Payne just shakes his head when we ask, after he briefly appears, if we can go get quotes. Nearly forty minutes go by before coach Tom Soehn steps outside to take any questions. I break off from the scrum around him to try to get into the locker room for player quotes, because players are leaving as Soehn speaks. Danny Bueno of MLSnet is also trying to get into the locker room. We're told no, it's still not open. Gallardo comes out into the hallway - he shakes his head at me when I ask him if he'll answer questions.
Santino Quaranta still has a soft spot for some of the LA press - he stops to take a few questions. The rest of the players disappear.
MLS headquarters will probably fine the organization for not following league press rules, but DC administrators apparently don't care.
Santino Quaranta still has a soft spot for some of the LA press - he stops to take a few questions. The rest of the players disappear.
MLS headquarters will probably fine the organization for not following league press rules, but DC administrators apparently don't care.
DC United/Chivas USA running blog
Hi yall, (By the way, the Barra Brava has taken up residence in the Riot Squad's usual stadium spot)
Luciano Emilio isn't starting - Francis "Grandpa" Doe has been given the chance. Chivas USA has nine players injured apparently, so their starting lineup should be interesting. Given that development, I'm calling this one 2-1 in favor of DC. Moreno and McTavish with the goals. Kljestan with the consolation.
Post your predictions up to kickoff time.
Jesse Marsch is playing centerback for Chivas USA. Marsch last played centerback when he was 13 for Racine United. Yep, in Wisconsin.
No, I don't know this off the top of my head. David Lindholm, Chivas USA's press guy, just told me. he also mentioned that minus their third-string goalkeeper, every player Chivas USA has healthy is in the starting lineup or on the bench tonight.
DC's lineup: Zach Wells, Bryan Namoff, Marc Burch, Domenic Mediate, Gonzalo Martinez, Santino Quaranta, Marcelo Gallardo, Clyde Simms, Ryan Cordiero, Francis Doe, Jaime Moreno
Chivas USA: Guzano, BB, Big Red, Marschman, Panchito, Dandini, Sach, Nags, Braunbear, Tiba, Te.
Luis just mentioned that someone laughed at him when he mentioned Pancho as left back - well, that's exactly where Mendoza is lining up.
The Legion is still boycotting. This is apparently the last game of that, though, since the player they're protesting for finishes his suspension then.
Kickoff!
1- Chivas USA with first shot and attack. 'Te from outside the box. Deflected off DC defender.
5 - Play is mostly in the midfield. Oooh, pass over the top to Ante, who goes all-out versus Wells. Bigtime clash. Both players are down for a matter of minutes.
8 - DC with an attacking play; well, not anymore, cross into the box cut off.
9 - Well, my Mctavish score prediction can't be right, because he isn't available. I'd guessed he might be back. Wishful thinking.
10 - DC FK. Tricksy Gallardo tries to sneak it in near post, Guzan parries but give up corner. Gallardo to take, but there's shoving in the box holding up play. Gallardo serves it in - Namoff heads wide.
14 - Chivas USA give up a deep FT, but then wriggle out of the difficulty.
16 - DC has the better of possession, but Chivas USA is getting counter chances, like the corner earned just now by Razov. Kljestan on the kick, Sims clears.
18 - The atmosphere here is weird. There's noise from the fervent fans, but everyone else is so quiet that one can hear the players talking to each other.
19 - Gallardo serves in another freekick that Marsch clears well. Racine United would be proud.
21 - Burch catches Kljestan with a leg tackle that flips the Chivas USA midfielder partly sideways. Yellow.
23 - Doe is pushing for a yellow after a tackle on Panchito - Kennedy chooses to whistle sternly at him and point emphatically instead.
25 - Moreno with a shot from middle distance - doesn't get much leg on it and it rolls wide, though Guzan dives for it.
27 - Gallardo working a few good passes up the flank with Quaranta. But generally, both teams are bogging down the midfield.
29 - The crowd is trying to start the wave and booing whatever section gives up on it. So basically, they're not even really watching the game any more.
30 - GOAL! Gallardo! He gets a good pass near the top of the arc from Quaranta. Paladini falls trying to cut it off, then Gallardo cuts back on Marsch, and nails a shot into the top upper corner of the net. Racine, Wisconsin weeps.
33 - Simms with an outside shot, gets nicked on the follow of the shot and is down for a while.
35 - Corner for Chivas - cleared.
36 - Offside! The crowd hates the linesman for that, because it would have been a goal, because Wells came out and the canny vet Ante put in a chip header behind him. The replay shows the press box nothing, so if you have a DVR, you know better than we do who is right.
39 - Gallardo is down. Is DC timewasting? It seems way too early for that. perhaps not, because th'e on the sideline, and DC is playing a man down. Ball over the top to Atiba Harris. "It's only Atiba" says a reporter in the box, implying, of course, that there is no threat. Harris gets a wayward cross off, Klejestan has to backtrack for it, and eventually, DC escapes danger.
41 - Gallardo gets back into action and is down again. this time Nags took him down and gets yellow for it.
43 - How timely is my Gallardo feature for espn.com going to be now that he's scored? I'm blessed.
44 - Doe was offside, but he took a shot anyway. And missed.
45 - Quranta sacrifices his bod to shield a ball going out for a goal kick. Crowd boos, thinking it touched him anyway. It was close.
45 - Close like Moreno with the shot just now over the bar.
Halftime - Chivas USA must be fuming about that offside call on Razov. Though DC hasn't played great, they deserve the lead, as they have created most of the chances on goal. If Chivas USA doesn't come out with some new energy and effectiveness, the visitors are taking this. For heaven's sake, the home team didn't have a single shot on goal in the half.
Okay, LB chiming in here. It's about five minutes before the start of the second half and I'm writing all of my stories as a Chivas USA loss. They've never come from behind to win a game, ever, and I don't see them doing it with such a depleted lineup. I say they throw Jorge Flores and Gerson Mayen out there and hope to catch lightning in a bottle.
Now back to AC...
Heck, I'm surprised Flores didn't start. Hey, that's weird. To rally Chivas USA at the start of the second half, the stadium PA is playing Kinky (Mas) - the band that provided the Galaxy their official song last year and played in a pregame concert for the team. I suppose the music guys don't know this.
47 - Chivas USA pushing a bit more into DC territory. Marsch has been moved to the midfield. Kraig Chiles is in.
49 - Yellow for Mediate for a foul on Razov. Kljestan on the FK, scrum in the box. Trouble with the wall, and all the drama is meaningless becaus Sach chips over the wall and the bar. Poor.
53 - Chivas USA keeps getting stuck in the defensive third of DC. Razov nearly gets sprung, bu he's just offside and throws his hands up in frustration.
56 - Sach crosses into the box and it looks like a handball and DC amazingly fail to clear, but no call.
57 - Eric Ebert getting set to come in, setting off all sorts of puns in the pressbox about his poor play and decent movie reviews. "Thumbs down," says one. "He nearly gave a goal away in the last game with a bad backpass. He's in for Dandini. Emilio is in for Doe, too.
61 - DC is scrapping this one out. It's not elegant, but it's working.
63 - Like on the last play - 'Tiba gets a nice through ball that leads him into the box and Gonzalo Martinez shoulder charges him into last week. It works.
66 - Soehn is pacing the sideline - oh, here comes Jorge - "The Dream" for Chivas USA.
69 - CK for Chivas USA after Wells parried a nearpost shot. It's cleared for another corner on the opposite side, Sach takes that one, too, and this one gets safely cleared.
70 - People are already learing.
72 - Moreno holds off two defenders on sheer skill, gets a deep FT, takes a bunch of time off the clock.
74 - GOAL! The pride of Racine! Jesse Marsch! The forgotten MLS original today. Ebert sends a leading pass in for a speedy 'tiba, who doesn't get onto it well, but manages to deflect it off a charging Wells. Marsch is there to send a following shot off past a fallen Wells. 1-1 He knee slides to celebrate. Rock on, Jesse.
76 - GOAL! Sach! Harris gets up the wing again, totally befuddling the DC defense and hits a decent cross this time that DC fails to clear l Kljestan connects. 2-1. Chivas USA, improbably and against all history and while not even playing very well with a decimated lineup, is leading.
80 - Yikes, Harris gets behind the D again, gets he ball to Kljestan and Chivas USA gets about three clear chances to pad their lead, but deflections and a shot over the bar is all that results.
82 - GOAL! The pressbox is beginning the Soehn deathwatch. The Dream scores! Harris looks offside, but in fact a wayward DC defender on the far side kept him on. Harris comes in on goal, while the defensive line looks in vain for the call, then lays the ball back for Flores. Wells looks like he has the hard shot, but it slips past him. 3-1 The Raging Goats.
85 - Bryan Namoff is down. He probably wants to be carted away from this misery, even if it's in an ambulance. Looks like an ankle problem. Oooh, bad - he's limping off.
88 - DC's defense is horrid. I just checked and they haven't had a single shutout this season.
89 - CK for Chivas USA and they are taking their time over it - ooh Kennedy has a card out and is surrounded by players. Not sure what's going on. The Barra crew is giving Kennedy the finger, hard - turns out it was a yellow for Quaranta.
90 + Apparently the key for DC was taking out Grandpa.
hivas USA with a chance to further pad their lead, but Anthony Hamilton misses a sitter.
Final whistle - It's official, DC is having a horrid season. It's Chivas USA's first victory over United, by the way.
Mea Culpa
It's only fair if I point out the mistakes of others on occasion that I cop to my own. I was typing fast during the DC/Chivas USA presser and I originally didn't put Paulo Nagamura's name correctly. I had it as Pablo, probably thinking back to the Colorado running blog I'd done the day before, where Pablo Mastroeni was a prominent player.
I know Paulo's name, though I mostly think of him as Nags, which became his nickname when he first got to LA. But I typed the wrong name anyway.
Incidentally, the email pointing out the name error came from the Galaxy staff, looking out for their former player, the accuracy of this blog, or perhaps both.
I know Paulo's name, though I mostly think of him as Nags, which became his nickname when he first got to LA. But I typed the wrong name anyway.
Incidentally, the email pointing out the name error came from the Galaxy staff, looking out for their former player, the accuracy of this blog, or perhaps both.
No help needed
I'm watching the Toronto-Columbus game here (and Dodgers-Angels is on the tube) and I was wondering about the Galaxy's upcoming trip to Toronto. I think it will be the first opponent they will have played twice and the first opponent against whom they will have completed their season series.
The Galaxy's game at Toronto is on May 31, and David Beckham likely won't be there. He'll be with England that day, more than likely. It's no coincidence, of course, that the Galaxy's game at Toronto was scheduled for that day. Toronto is the only venue in the league where no help is needed to sell tickets, so it will be a packed house with or without Beckham around to hype the game.
It's scoreless right now, as the Crew and Toronto battle it out in what could be a preview of an Eastern Conference playoff spot. It's a good game so far. The Galaxy, heck any team, will have a tough time up on Toronto.
The Galaxy's game at Toronto is on May 31, and David Beckham likely won't be there. He'll be with England that day, more than likely. It's no coincidence, of course, that the Galaxy's game at Toronto was scheduled for that day. Toronto is the only venue in the league where no help is needed to sell tickets, so it will be a packed house with or without Beckham around to hype the game.
It's scoreless right now, as the Crew and Toronto battle it out in what could be a preview of an Eastern Conference playoff spot. It's a good game so far. The Galaxy, heck any team, will have a tough time up on Toronto.
Coach of the Year - Buh bye!
Interestingly enough, no MLS Coach of the Year, for the past few years, has kept the same job the following year.
2004 - Greg Andrulis - Fired as coach of the Columbus Crew
2005 - Dom Kinnear - Relocated San Jose coach became coach of the new Houston Dynamo
2006 - Bob Bradley - Left Chivas USA post to become interim USA men's coach, moved to permanent position after early success.
2007 - Preki - Of course, Preki still has his job, but things are not going well for the club, thus, his Chivas USA position is looking precarious. He and the team badly need to turn things around, or over.
2004 - Greg Andrulis - Fired as coach of the Columbus Crew
2005 - Dom Kinnear - Relocated San Jose coach became coach of the new Houston Dynamo
2006 - Bob Bradley - Left Chivas USA post to become interim USA men's coach, moved to permanent position after early success.
2007 - Preki - Of course, Preki still has his job, but things are not going well for the club, thus, his Chivas USA position is looking precarious. He and the team badly need to turn things around, or over.
Taking temperature
I've had this long-held theory that the longer MLS is around, the more that traveling support for other teams will show up at games even thousands of miles away from a squad's home base. My reasoning is that the more fans grow up with a team, the more they'll continue that loyalty even as they often move for job purposes - as many do in this country.
DC and the LA Galaxy have been my barometer for this. Not only has DC had a pretty loyal fanbase from the start, but the rivalry with LA goes back to that first year and final, despite the vast distances between the cities. No self-respecting DC fan who has taken a job in LA could resist the chance to cheer their team on when they're in town.
Sure enough, there's generally been a little contingent of DC fans at the LA games when they play. In 2005, Freddy Adu scored a late winning goal versus the Galaxy. He ran and celebrated with the small throng of DC fans going crazy-happy while the rest of the stadium sat glumly.
I thought, "As it should be."
It always strikes me as a bit sad when no one cheers a great road game goal except for one's teammates, though I understand club faithfulness demands no one cheer for an opposition strike. That's why it's important to have away fans. Sports is the metaphor of tragedy and triumph, and yes, there should always be some brave, loyal souls happy to be the minority support, happy to see their team in person in the town where they live now.
However, the DC traveling group hasn't showed up to Chivas USA games in the same numbers as for the Galaxy games, even though tickets to CDCUSA games are cheaper. That rivalry is still developing, and right now, probably takes a backseat to both teams needing points.
Yet it turns out the DC fan ranks might swell a bit this year, even with the team's poor record. I asked former UCLA goalkeeper Zach Wells if he had invited a lot of people to the match. He ticked off a list of groups - family, friends, college teammates.
"So about 20 tickets?" I asked.
"Something like that," Zach nodded.
DC and the LA Galaxy have been my barometer for this. Not only has DC had a pretty loyal fanbase from the start, but the rivalry with LA goes back to that first year and final, despite the vast distances between the cities. No self-respecting DC fan who has taken a job in LA could resist the chance to cheer their team on when they're in town.
Sure enough, there's generally been a little contingent of DC fans at the LA games when they play. In 2005, Freddy Adu scored a late winning goal versus the Galaxy. He ran and celebrated with the small throng of DC fans going crazy-happy while the rest of the stadium sat glumly.
I thought, "As it should be."
It always strikes me as a bit sad when no one cheers a great road game goal except for one's teammates, though I understand club faithfulness demands no one cheer for an opposition strike. That's why it's important to have away fans. Sports is the metaphor of tragedy and triumph, and yes, there should always be some brave, loyal souls happy to be the minority support, happy to see their team in person in the town where they live now.
However, the DC traveling group hasn't showed up to Chivas USA games in the same numbers as for the Galaxy games, even though tickets to CDCUSA games are cheaper. That rivalry is still developing, and right now, probably takes a backseat to both teams needing points.
Yet it turns out the DC fan ranks might swell a bit this year, even with the team's poor record. I asked former UCLA goalkeeper Zach Wells if he had invited a lot of people to the match. He ticked off a list of groups - family, friends, college teammates.
"So about 20 tickets?" I asked.
"Something like that," Zach nodded.
Done deal
Mediotiempo is reporting Sven to Mexico is happening. Today at the DC/Chivas USA presser, I was discussing this possibility with a few other reporters and our general take was that Sven doesn't seem to fit Mexico's technical style.
Oh, well, he may prove us wrong.
Oh, well, he may prove us wrong.
Ha, ha, Jaime
I do not see players from the East Coast all that often, and subsequently, interviews with them tend to be straight-forward, since neither party involved is really comfortable enough to joke around. But DC United forward Jaime Moreno has been in the league long enough (since the beginning) that he won't hesitate to tease anyone. I asked him about Ben Olsen's injury and Jaime had me going for a second there.
Me: Do you talk to Ben? Do you think he'll make it back this year?
Jaime: Oh, I don't even talk to him. (He shrugs like Ben is dead to him).
Me: (startled, not sure how to take this information.) Er. . .
Jaime: (grins - gotcha!) Yeah, of course, we do talk. He's been fighting. He's a guy who doesn't give up easily. He's a lion for us. Hopefully we'll have him back soon.
Me: Do you talk to Ben? Do you think he'll make it back this year?
Jaime: Oh, I don't even talk to him. (He shrugs like Ben is dead to him).
Me: (startled, not sure how to take this information.) Er. . .
Jaime: (grins - gotcha!) Yeah, of course, we do talk. He's been fighting. He's a guy who doesn't give up easily. He's a lion for us. Hopefully we'll have him back soon.
In the basement
No, not talking about DC United's place in the Easten Conference table, though they're at the bottom. I'm referring to goalkeeper Zach Wells, and the fact that he currently lives in Ben Olsen's basement.
My first thought, when I heard about that, was, "What about when it rains?" I used to visit cousins who lived back East. I'd read in the basement a lot because it was quiet, but I'd invariably get driven out by the water whenever it rained.
I asked Zach what was the best part about living on Ben's property.
"They just got done redoing the back deck," said Zach. "Hopefully I'll be enjoying some nice afternoons there after practice and maybe a few barbecues here and there. I'm lucky enough to get some residual use out of that."
Then I asked what was the worst part of the experience.
"If I'm being honest, the worst part right now is that it's flooding," said Zach.
"Ah, ha," I said. "I was wondering about the rain."
Zach nodded. "There's been lots of rain the past two weeks. We've been patching things up and trying to figure out where the water's getting in. Ben's been good throughout the whole process. We'll figure it out."
My first thought, when I heard about that, was, "What about when it rains?" I used to visit cousins who lived back East. I'd read in the basement a lot because it was quiet, but I'd invariably get driven out by the water whenever it rained.
I asked Zach what was the best part about living on Ben's property.
"They just got done redoing the back deck," said Zach. "Hopefully I'll be enjoying some nice afternoons there after practice and maybe a few barbecues here and there. I'm lucky enough to get some residual use out of that."
Then I asked what was the worst part of the experience.
"If I'm being honest, the worst part right now is that it's flooding," said Zach.
"Ah, ha," I said. "I was wondering about the rain."
Zach nodded. "There's been lots of rain the past two weeks. We've been patching things up and trying to figure out where the water's getting in. Ben's been good throughout the whole process. We'll figure it out."
Friday, May 16, 2008
Chivas USA/DC presser
The suspense is building - but we've been served sandwiches, so I can stand the delay. Actually, it's supposed to start at 1:30.
Ok, now they're late. It's 1:50.
Brad Guzan and Paulo Nagamura are the players scheduled for CDCUSA. Jaime Moreno and Zach Wells are representing for DC.
I just asked Grahame Jones if there is a name for the DC/Chivas USA rivalry. "Copa de Losers?" Grahame responds. Ouch. But both teams are struggling.
Jaime is asked if it motivates him to play against other MLS originals, like Jesse Marsch. Jaime says his family is his main motivation, but he's happy to see other longtime players continuing.
Nagamura says his first Chivas USA match, which was against DC, was tough, and he expects another difficult match. About the team's difficult season, he says they can, "turn it over" when I think he means "turn around".
Zach Wells doesn't think that international competition derailed Houston and DC this season - he thinks injuries took a toll and now the team is striving for consistency.
Guzan says he is honored to be called in by Bob Bradley, but he's focused on Chivas USA's next match.
Paulo is asked if he feels more defensive pressure with injuries affecting so many players on the field. He answers that the team needs to cope with any situation.
Grahame asks Moreno about DC's struggles. Jaime talks too fast for me to get everything down, but here's the gist of what he said.
"The reason is simple, we're not playing well. We worked so hard in the preseason, and got to this point. the players have to do their job and unfortunately we haven't done our job. We're human, we make mistakes. We have to defend. We know we're going to score goals, but we have to defend as a team."
The presser is over. No signing announcement. It really was just a DC/CSUSA preview.
Speak to me in a language I can hear
US national team coach Bob Bradley called in thirty-three players, from which he will select rosters for games in England, Spain and against Argentina. He'll select 22 from this list for the England match, and that will be announced next week.
Here's the roster:
Goalkeepers: Dominic Cervi (Out of Contract), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham), Dan Califf (FC Midtjylland), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United).
Midfielders: Freddy Adu (Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Eddie Lewis (Derby County), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado).
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Nate Jaqua (Out of Contract), Eddie Johnson (Fulham), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Josh Wolff (1860 Munich).
A little bit of a breakdown:
- Uncapped players: Cervi, Perkins, Seitz, Orozco, Rogers. Michael Orozco showed what he's capable of during both the Olympic qualifiers and over his career with San Luis. For Orozco to participate in the England match, though, he will need to overcome an injury that has kept him from playing for several weeks and San Luis needs to be eliminated from the Mexican league playoffs. Yes, the fixture dates fall on the international calendar but it's unlikely that Orozco will be pried away from his club team if San Luis is playing in the semifinals. The Mexican league finals will be done by the end of May so Orozco would be free to play against Spain and/or Argentina as well as the World Cup qualifiers. Robbie Rogers has shown excellent form in league as well and made himself impossible to ignore.
- One-through-ten: Players who have between one and 10 caps: Guzan; DeMerit; Adu, Edu, Gaven, Kljestan; Altidore, Cooper, Jaqua. Eddie Gaven has his detractors but he's shown good form in league, has played under Bradley before with both the US and the MetroStars and is still just 21 years old. He's not an MLS MVP candidate but it's not like he's not playing well for Columbus. Sacha Kljestan has probably taken the biggest leap from this group in terms of where he was entering 2008 and where he is now. He helped the US U-23s get into the Olympics and has played well for a struggling Chivas USA side in league.
- Goalscoring glory: If this season is any indication, Kenny Cooper should have passed up Brian Ching on the depth chart. Cooper has done well for FC Dallas (five goals in seven games) while Ching has struggled (one goal in seven games). The difference, however, is that Ching has played important games for the US while Cooper hasn't. That may change during these upcoming games but Cooper could force Bradley's hand and get more playing time if he can carry his league form over to the US national team. Aside from them, you have your known commodities (Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson, Josh Wolff) and the guys whom we haven't seen much for the US senior side (Altidore, Jaqua, Rogers). The expectation is for Altidore to have nailed down a starting spot by 2010 and if he does he will need to continue showing well, both in the three upcoming friendlies and the qualifiers.
- Midfield questions: Three players seemingly have a lot to prove in this upcoming camp. DaMarcus Beasley has missed a lot of time this year due to injury. He's finally recovered and healthy but his match sharpness is likely not there. The only good thing about his injury is that it did not keep him from playing in meaningful games. He's obviously played in many important games for the US but how he looks and plays now after his severe injury remains to be seen. Benny Feilhaber had a turbulent calendar year, from May 2007 to May 2008. At this time a year ago, Feilhaber was a bright up-and-coming talent. He went on to score a magnificent goal in the Gold Cup, played well in Copa America, moved to England, failed to impress on the club level and failed to win a spot on the Olympic qualifying team. Questions about his attitude have arisen but he has a chance now to further his US career. Pablo Mastroeni was at one point one of the best central midfield options for the US, but has since seen the rise of players like Maurice Edu and Michael Bradley. How much does Mastroeni have in the tank? Bob Bradley is not one to give up on experienced players (see Frankie Hejduk) and frankly the US needs as much depth in every position across the board. Qualifying will test the US significantly and having a capable guy like Mastroeni around can only help, if in fact he is still a capable guy.
Here's the roster:
Goalkeepers: Dominic Cervi (Out of Contract), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham), Dan Califf (FC Midtjylland), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United).
Midfielders: Freddy Adu (Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Eddie Lewis (Derby County), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado).
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Nate Jaqua (Out of Contract), Eddie Johnson (Fulham), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Josh Wolff (1860 Munich).
A little bit of a breakdown:
- Uncapped players: Cervi, Perkins, Seitz, Orozco, Rogers. Michael Orozco showed what he's capable of during both the Olympic qualifiers and over his career with San Luis. For Orozco to participate in the England match, though, he will need to overcome an injury that has kept him from playing for several weeks and San Luis needs to be eliminated from the Mexican league playoffs. Yes, the fixture dates fall on the international calendar but it's unlikely that Orozco will be pried away from his club team if San Luis is playing in the semifinals. The Mexican league finals will be done by the end of May so Orozco would be free to play against Spain and/or Argentina as well as the World Cup qualifiers. Robbie Rogers has shown excellent form in league as well and made himself impossible to ignore.
- One-through-ten: Players who have between one and 10 caps: Guzan; DeMerit; Adu, Edu, Gaven, Kljestan; Altidore, Cooper, Jaqua. Eddie Gaven has his detractors but he's shown good form in league, has played under Bradley before with both the US and the MetroStars and is still just 21 years old. He's not an MLS MVP candidate but it's not like he's not playing well for Columbus. Sacha Kljestan has probably taken the biggest leap from this group in terms of where he was entering 2008 and where he is now. He helped the US U-23s get into the Olympics and has played well for a struggling Chivas USA side in league.
- Goalscoring glory: If this season is any indication, Kenny Cooper should have passed up Brian Ching on the depth chart. Cooper has done well for FC Dallas (five goals in seven games) while Ching has struggled (one goal in seven games). The difference, however, is that Ching has played important games for the US while Cooper hasn't. That may change during these upcoming games but Cooper could force Bradley's hand and get more playing time if he can carry his league form over to the US national team. Aside from them, you have your known commodities (Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson, Josh Wolff) and the guys whom we haven't seen much for the US senior side (Altidore, Jaqua, Rogers). The expectation is for Altidore to have nailed down a starting spot by 2010 and if he does he will need to continue showing well, both in the three upcoming friendlies and the qualifiers.
- Midfield questions: Three players seemingly have a lot to prove in this upcoming camp. DaMarcus Beasley has missed a lot of time this year due to injury. He's finally recovered and healthy but his match sharpness is likely not there. The only good thing about his injury is that it did not keep him from playing in meaningful games. He's obviously played in many important games for the US but how he looks and plays now after his severe injury remains to be seen. Benny Feilhaber had a turbulent calendar year, from May 2007 to May 2008. At this time a year ago, Feilhaber was a bright up-and-coming talent. He went on to score a magnificent goal in the Gold Cup, played well in Copa America, moved to England, failed to impress on the club level and failed to win a spot on the Olympic qualifying team. Questions about his attitude have arisen but he has a chance now to further his US career. Pablo Mastroeni was at one point one of the best central midfield options for the US, but has since seen the rise of players like Maurice Edu and Michael Bradley. How much does Mastroeni have in the tank? Bob Bradley is not one to give up on experienced players (see Frankie Hejduk) and frankly the US needs as much depth in every position across the board. Qualifying will test the US significantly and having a capable guy like Mastroeni around can only help, if in fact he is still a capable guy.
Liguilla day two
San Luis and Toluca tied 1-1 in Nemesio Diez. San Luis played without Michael Orozco for the fourth consecutive match. Toluca's Santiago Fernandez scored in stoppage time as Toluca leveled the match late.
Santos, meanwhile, won at Necaxa 2-1. Walter "Lorito" Jimenez scored the winner with five minutes from time. Edgar Castillo went the distance for Santos.
Santos, meanwhile, won at Necaxa 2-1. Walter "Lorito" Jimenez scored the winner with five minutes from time. Edgar Castillo went the distance for Santos.
Mexico's worst
... may be South America's best.
America finished dead last in the Mexican league table during the Clausura 2008 season, the first time the club has ever finished bottom of the table.
But America is one step away from the Copa Libertadores semifinals. America took care of Brazil's Santos by 2-0 in Estadio Azteca on Thursday. America needs only a draw to get through. Even a loss could see America through.
Here are the highlights. German Villa had a sublime pass to Salvador Cabanas on the second goal, and Cabanas touch and finish were perfect.
America finished dead last in the Mexican league table during the Clausura 2008 season, the first time the club has ever finished bottom of the table.
But America is one step away from the Copa Libertadores semifinals. America took care of Brazil's Santos by 2-0 in Estadio Azteca on Thursday. America needs only a draw to get through. Even a loss could see America through.
Here are the highlights. German Villa had a sublime pass to Salvador Cabanas on the second goal, and Cabanas touch and finish were perfect.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
What's his salary, again?
Apparently Shaka Hislop can't afford a DVR.
Or a $20 dollar full-season subscription to MLS Live, which archives all the matches online. Basically, Hislop maintains that he wasn't able to watch this weekend's games, so he wrote a column on the evils of racism instead.
In that context, it might be nice to note that the American league is one where racist chants have, to my knowledge, not taken place.
Or a $20 dollar full-season subscription to MLS Live, which archives all the matches online. Basically, Hislop maintains that he wasn't able to watch this weekend's games, so he wrote a column on the evils of racism instead.
In that context, it might be nice to note that the American league is one where racist chants have, to my knowledge, not taken place.
Rapids/RSL running blog
Real Salt Lake versus the Colorado Rapids has as much deep-down animosity as any local rivalry MLS can muster.
I'm calling this one 2 -0 for the home team, because the MLS trend for teams at home has been pretty good. Gomez and Gomez with the goals.
Predictions open until kickoff.
Let's go. Kyle Beckerman is starting for RSL, of course, while the guy he was traded for, Mehdi Ballouchy, is on the bench. I've never been really high on Mehdi, myself. He's creative, but a bit delicate. Colorado got the worst of that trade, I think, but they're still ahead of RSL at this point, so perhaps Clavijo is doing something right.
RSL - Nick Rimando (GK) Tony Beltran Kyle Beckerman Nat Borchers Fabian Espindola Kenny Cutler Kenny Deuchar Chris Wingert Dema Kovalenko Matias Mantilla Andy Williams
Rimando reps UCLA's NCAA record championships in his player intro. Tony Beltran reps Claremont, which might be a first in pro sports. Kenny Duechar actually refers to his Dr. Goals nickname, which officially makes him the dorkiest doctor on the field.
Colorado: Bouna Coundoul Facundo Erpen Christian Gomez Omar Cummings Jacob Peterson6 - Herculez Gomez Ugo Ihemelu Nick LaBrocca Colin Clark Pablo Mastroeni Kosuke Kimura
Kickoff!
2-Colorado with the early run of play - Herc into the box, but his cross is cut off.
4 - I used to call Jacob Peterson "Blondie" because as a teenager, he was. Now his coif has darkened - he's more sandy-haired than blonde.
5 - Herc shanks a pass. Oddly, he seems to have switched sides since starting the match. His first cross was from the opposite side of the field.
8 - Facundo Erpen lines up an outside shot - but bangs it off the first RSL player in front of him. Weird idea.
10 RSL on the attack, but Beltran gets closed off from making the cross in the box and the ball crosses the goal line.
12- Beltran called for a holding foul, Christian Gomez flicks it to LaBrocca, who fires on goal, but Rimando isn't fooled and stays steady for the catch. RSL on the counter, but Duechar is offside.
14 - Peterson gets on the end of a longball on a counter, shoots far post, but Rimando palms it out for a corner. It's cleared.
15 - Espindola dribbles free for a shot from outside the box. Bouna's got it.
17 - Espindola and Kimura seem to bang legs and are in mutual hurt.
20 - Rapids end a nice little run of RSL possession and attack with a counter that Peterson wastes by not crossing the ball versus Wingert.
21 - Clark with an outside shot Rimando takes care of.
23 - Kovalenko floats a ball into the box, but nat Borcher's first touch fails him utterly and the Rapids clear.
24 - I know Luis loves JP Dellacamera, but JP needs to just call Herculez by that name. It's unclear which Gomez he means half the time, otherwise.
SAVE! The Rapids get a corner off their latest attack and Rimando parries an attempt well. The ensuing corner is cleared.
27 - Yellow for Wingert - tackle from behind Sandy.
28 - I'm also not sure about JP's pronounciation of "Mantilla" - he's saying it Argentine-style, where the double-l sounds like a "j" and it just sounds weird. Ha, Harkes just clarified which Gomez he meant. Just say "Herculez," guys.
29 - Dema runs right out of his shoe on an RSL attack that ends in a Beckerman shot that Bouna collects. Rapids come right back, though, and get a corner. It's cleared.
31 - RSL counter as well, get their own corner. "Man-tee-ja" as JP says, heads it wide.
33 - Mastro cross in box cut off by Rimando.
34 - Andy Williams serves a FK into the box and two RSL forwards miss it.
36 - Sandy and Clark have switched sides. Good team play generates a CK for the Rapids on Clark's side. It's cleared, though.
38 - ESPN interrupts the game to show the Fulham relegation-avoidance-goal. I guess they assume MLS fans care.
41 - I hear cheerleaders, which is a first for me watching MLS games. RSL corner. Bouna caught in a bad position as Duechar heads it down and Kimura dashes in to head ball away from the line. It might have gone wide, but it was a gutsy play by the Japanese defender, who falls into the net and seems a bit shaken up.
45+ - The Rapids have had the better of play, but there's no goal to show for it.
Halftime: The match is ripe for the picking Colorado is playing well, but RSL could steal it.
46 - Rapids on the attack - Christian Gomez leading it.
48 - Duechar offside on his header.
49 - Rapids counter - Clark in the box - but no one latches on to his low cross in front of goal. RSL right back, Williams in the box, but the Rapids defense clears.
52 - Rapids again controlling the play, but the RSL defense is holding and waiting for counter chances.
55 - Ooooh - Herc in the box, lays it back to Sandy, who gets a great cross in to Clark, who for some reason doesn't head it, but tries a Rockets girl high kick and sends the ball over the crossbar while standing right in front of net.
56 - Rimando out of the box clears a long ball with his head. Nifty.
58 - Omar takes on about five RSL players and gets a deep FT. RLS clear, though. RSL won their last game playing ugly. They might pull the trick off again.
59 - Rapids corner. Cleared.
61 - Great play by the Rapids, but missing the finish. Christian to Herc, whose cross goes to Omar, whose shot is wide.
RSL counter - Beckerman wide from distance.
63 - Herc feeds Pablo this time, laying the ball off at the top of the box, but Andy Will with a slight shove gets Mastro off-balance and shot is over the bar.
66 - GOAL! Colorado finally puts it all together! It's pretty as a picture - a planned set up. Herc to Colin Clark, who centers it for Cummings, and Omar connects past Rimando. 1-0 Colorado.
68 - Kries reacts by going to his bench. Robbie Findley ready to come in. Herc on a break, shoots on goal, but Nicky collects. Findley comes in for Kenny Cutlet. Cutler, I mean.
72 - Harkes acknowledges that Herc might be the best Gomez on the night.
73 - Then Harkes fumbles, "keeping the game" when he meant "ball"
74 - JP, meanwhile, is back to saying "Gomez" and not clarifying which one. Just say, 'Herculez'! That's what his jersey says.
75 - Herc with a chance in the box from a Sandy pass sends it wide.
77 - Bouna jumps for a cross, ends up deflecting it for a corner. that was poor. Catch it, Bouna. CK goes to Dr. Goals, who sends his header over the goal.
80 - Findley pressure on Erpen results in a corner, but Williams' service misses all the RSL players in the box.
82 - RSL bringing more energy into the attack. JP actually clarifies, with eight minutes left in the match, that the two Gomez players are not related. Brilliant.
HANDBALL!
The Rapids aren't the victims this time. Man-tee-jah clearly handles the ball in the box, trying to defend against Herc.
83 - GOAL! Christian takes it, makes it well. Harkes now clarifies that C. Gomez is not related to Herc, in case anyone didn't hear JP. 2-0. Rapids. I was almost right on the goalscorers. Herc certainly contributed to both goals, even if he didn't score.
88- Rapids settle into defensive mode. RSL, to their credit, is still scrapping. Herc is out, and Gomez follows.
90 - Good on ESPN cameramen - they get a shoot of a peeved Christian getting pulled back by Clavijo for a quick word. Interesting dynamics there.
90+ FK close in by Espindola, Bouna dives for it. parries wide. On the corner, he picks the ball off Mantilla's head (and the compliments I gave the ESPN cameras I take back - they missed the shot live) and gets a shove. Slight handbags, but game goes on.
Final whistle. Rapids take the first leg of the Rocky Mountain Cup, cement first place in Western Conference.
Yay! I called the score right. Rapids did well for their home fans, even if there weren't that many of them at the game.
I'm calling this one 2 -0 for the home team, because the MLS trend for teams at home has been pretty good. Gomez and Gomez with the goals.
Predictions open until kickoff.
Let's go. Kyle Beckerman is starting for RSL, of course, while the guy he was traded for, Mehdi Ballouchy, is on the bench. I've never been really high on Mehdi, myself. He's creative, but a bit delicate. Colorado got the worst of that trade, I think, but they're still ahead of RSL at this point, so perhaps Clavijo is doing something right.
RSL - Nick Rimando (GK) Tony Beltran Kyle Beckerman Nat Borchers Fabian Espindola Kenny Cutler Kenny Deuchar Chris Wingert Dema Kovalenko Matias Mantilla Andy Williams
Rimando reps UCLA's NCAA record championships in his player intro. Tony Beltran reps Claremont, which might be a first in pro sports. Kenny Duechar actually refers to his Dr. Goals nickname, which officially makes him the dorkiest doctor on the field.
Colorado: Bouna Coundoul Facundo Erpen Christian Gomez Omar Cummings Jacob Peterson6 - Herculez Gomez Ugo Ihemelu Nick LaBrocca Colin Clark Pablo Mastroeni Kosuke Kimura
Kickoff!
2-Colorado with the early run of play - Herc into the box, but his cross is cut off.
4 - I used to call Jacob Peterson "Blondie" because as a teenager, he was. Now his coif has darkened - he's more sandy-haired than blonde.
5 - Herc shanks a pass. Oddly, he seems to have switched sides since starting the match. His first cross was from the opposite side of the field.
8 - Facundo Erpen lines up an outside shot - but bangs it off the first RSL player in front of him. Weird idea.
10 RSL on the attack, but Beltran gets closed off from making the cross in the box and the ball crosses the goal line.
12- Beltran called for a holding foul, Christian Gomez flicks it to LaBrocca, who fires on goal, but Rimando isn't fooled and stays steady for the catch. RSL on the counter, but Duechar is offside.
14 - Peterson gets on the end of a longball on a counter, shoots far post, but Rimando palms it out for a corner. It's cleared.
15 - Espindola dribbles free for a shot from outside the box. Bouna's got it.
17 - Espindola and Kimura seem to bang legs and are in mutual hurt.
20 - Rapids end a nice little run of RSL possession and attack with a counter that Peterson wastes by not crossing the ball versus Wingert.
21 - Clark with an outside shot Rimando takes care of.
23 - Kovalenko floats a ball into the box, but nat Borcher's first touch fails him utterly and the Rapids clear.
24 - I know Luis loves JP Dellacamera, but JP needs to just call Herculez by that name. It's unclear which Gomez he means half the time, otherwise.
SAVE! The Rapids get a corner off their latest attack and Rimando parries an attempt well. The ensuing corner is cleared.
27 - Yellow for Wingert - tackle from behind Sandy.
28 - I'm also not sure about JP's pronounciation of "Mantilla" - he's saying it Argentine-style, where the double-l sounds like a "j" and it just sounds weird. Ha, Harkes just clarified which Gomez he meant. Just say "Herculez," guys.
29 - Dema runs right out of his shoe on an RSL attack that ends in a Beckerman shot that Bouna collects. Rapids come right back, though, and get a corner. It's cleared.
31 - RSL counter as well, get their own corner. "Man-tee-ja" as JP says, heads it wide.
33 - Mastro cross in box cut off by Rimando.
34 - Andy Williams serves a FK into the box and two RSL forwards miss it.
36 - Sandy and Clark have switched sides. Good team play generates a CK for the Rapids on Clark's side. It's cleared, though.
38 - ESPN interrupts the game to show the Fulham relegation-avoidance-goal. I guess they assume MLS fans care.
41 - I hear cheerleaders, which is a first for me watching MLS games. RSL corner. Bouna caught in a bad position as Duechar heads it down and Kimura dashes in to head ball away from the line. It might have gone wide, but it was a gutsy play by the Japanese defender, who falls into the net and seems a bit shaken up.
45+ - The Rapids have had the better of play, but there's no goal to show for it.
Halftime: The match is ripe for the picking Colorado is playing well, but RSL could steal it.
46 - Rapids on the attack - Christian Gomez leading it.
48 - Duechar offside on his header.
49 - Rapids counter - Clark in the box - but no one latches on to his low cross in front of goal. RSL right back, Williams in the box, but the Rapids defense clears.
52 - Rapids again controlling the play, but the RSL defense is holding and waiting for counter chances.
55 - Ooooh - Herc in the box, lays it back to Sandy, who gets a great cross in to Clark, who for some reason doesn't head it, but tries a Rockets girl high kick and sends the ball over the crossbar while standing right in front of net.
56 - Rimando out of the box clears a long ball with his head. Nifty.
58 - Omar takes on about five RSL players and gets a deep FT. RLS clear, though. RSL won their last game playing ugly. They might pull the trick off again.
59 - Rapids corner. Cleared.
61 - Great play by the Rapids, but missing the finish. Christian to Herc, whose cross goes to Omar, whose shot is wide.
RSL counter - Beckerman wide from distance.
63 - Herc feeds Pablo this time, laying the ball off at the top of the box, but Andy Will with a slight shove gets Mastro off-balance and shot is over the bar.
66 - GOAL! Colorado finally puts it all together! It's pretty as a picture - a planned set up. Herc to Colin Clark, who centers it for Cummings, and Omar connects past Rimando. 1-0 Colorado.
68 - Kries reacts by going to his bench. Robbie Findley ready to come in. Herc on a break, shoots on goal, but Nicky collects. Findley comes in for Kenny Cutlet. Cutler, I mean.
72 - Harkes acknowledges that Herc might be the best Gomez on the night.
73 - Then Harkes fumbles, "keeping the game" when he meant "ball"
74 - JP, meanwhile, is back to saying "Gomez" and not clarifying which one. Just say, 'Herculez'! That's what his jersey says.
75 - Herc with a chance in the box from a Sandy pass sends it wide.
77 - Bouna jumps for a cross, ends up deflecting it for a corner. that was poor. Catch it, Bouna. CK goes to Dr. Goals, who sends his header over the goal.
80 - Findley pressure on Erpen results in a corner, but Williams' service misses all the RSL players in the box.
82 - RSL bringing more energy into the attack. JP actually clarifies, with eight minutes left in the match, that the two Gomez players are not related. Brilliant.
HANDBALL!
The Rapids aren't the victims this time. Man-tee-jah clearly handles the ball in the box, trying to defend against Herc.
83 - GOAL! Christian takes it, makes it well. Harkes now clarifies that C. Gomez is not related to Herc, in case anyone didn't hear JP. 2-0. Rapids. I was almost right on the goalscorers. Herc certainly contributed to both goals, even if he didn't score.
88- Rapids settle into defensive mode. RSL, to their credit, is still scrapping. Herc is out, and Gomez follows.
90 - Good on ESPN cameramen - they get a shoot of a peeved Christian getting pulled back by Clavijo for a quick word. Interesting dynamics there.
90+ FK close in by Espindola, Bouna dives for it. parries wide. On the corner, he picks the ball off Mantilla's head (and the compliments I gave the ESPN cameras I take back - they missed the shot live) and gets a shove. Slight handbags, but game goes on.
Final whistle. Rapids take the first leg of the Rocky Mountain Cup, cement first place in Western Conference.
Yay! I called the score right. Rapids did well for their home fans, even if there weren't that many of them at the game.
Sven to Mexico?
Some stories about Sven Goran Eriksson possibly taking over as Mexico national team coach.
Here's one from the Mirror, who said Eriksson is likely to be sacked despite guiding Manchester City to a top-10 EPL finish and a possible UEFA Cup spot.
Meanwhile, the Guardian talks a bit more about Eriksson's link to Benfica and the possibility of taking over the Portuguese side once again.
Where is Sven right now? In Thailand, with Manchester City. Up next is Hong Kong.
Here's one from the Mirror, who said Eriksson is likely to be sacked despite guiding Manchester City to a top-10 EPL finish and a possible UEFA Cup spot.
Meanwhile, the Guardian talks a bit more about Eriksson's link to Benfica and the possibility of taking over the Portuguese side once again.
Where is Sven right now? In Thailand, with Manchester City. Up next is Hong Kong.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Saving it for late
Jaguares-Cruz Azul highlights. Itamar Batista scored the match-winner with little time left in the second half.
Liguilla day one
Chivas lost just twice in the regular season, each by 1-0 scores, en route to finishing atop the table entering the Liguilla.
Monterrey showed Chivas just how little they thought of that accomplishment on Wednesday. Monterrey demolished Chivas by 4-1 and now have a huge advantage heading into Saturday's decisive second leg.
Jared Borgetti had a hat trick as Ricardo Lavolpe won his first Mexican league playoff match since Dec. 1, 2001, when he led Toluca past - as luck would have it - Chivas.
Meanwhile, Jaguares also won their home game as Cruz Azul fell in Chiapas by 1-0. American-born Daniel Hernandez played all 90 minutes in the match and picked up a yellow card in the 50th minute. Itamar Batista scored the game's only goal, in the 85th minute.
Monterrey showed Chivas just how little they thought of that accomplishment on Wednesday. Monterrey demolished Chivas by 4-1 and now have a huge advantage heading into Saturday's decisive second leg.
Jared Borgetti had a hat trick as Ricardo Lavolpe won his first Mexican league playoff match since Dec. 1, 2001, when he led Toluca past - as luck would have it - Chivas.
Meanwhile, Jaguares also won their home game as Cruz Azul fell in Chiapas by 1-0. American-born Daniel Hernandez played all 90 minutes in the match and picked up a yellow card in the 50th minute. Itamar Batista scored the game's only goal, in the 85th minute.
Atlas draws in Argentina
Atlas of Guadalajara tied Boca Juniors 2-2 in the first leg of the clubs' quarterfinal series in the Copa Libertadores.
It was a great show by both sides. Atlas took an early lead but Boca wound up ahead midway through the second half. With a few minutes from time, though, Atlas leveled terms and the match finished even at 2. Atlas will host the second leg next week and has the upper hand with their two road goals.
Here are highlights of the entertaining match:
It was a great show by both sides. Atlas took an early lead but Boca wound up ahead midway through the second half. With a few minutes from time, though, Atlas leveled terms and the match finished even at 2. Atlas will host the second leg next week and has the upper hand with their two road goals.
Here are highlights of the entertaining match:
After Carson, what?
US Soccer announced venues for the semifinal phase of qualifying, should the US get past mighty Barbados.
Sept. 10, Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Ill. (vs Trinidad/Bermuda)
Oc.t 11, RFK Stadium, Washington D.C. (vs Cuba/Antigua)
Nov. 19, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colo. (vs Guatemala/St. Lucia)
I've advocated for the use of soccer-specific stadiums for World Cup qualifiers, so this is particularly exciting. Swap out RFK for Pizza Hut Park and it would have been fantastic news.
The US will play Barbados at Home Depot Center on June 15 in their first World Cup qualifier.
Sept. 10, Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Ill. (vs Trinidad/Bermuda)
Oc.t 11, RFK Stadium, Washington D.C. (vs Cuba/Antigua)
Nov. 19, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colo. (vs Guatemala/St. Lucia)
I've advocated for the use of soccer-specific stadiums for World Cup qualifiers, so this is particularly exciting. Swap out RFK for Pizza Hut Park and it would have been fantastic news.
The US will play Barbados at Home Depot Center on June 15 in their first World Cup qualifier.
For all you Chris Klein fans
The Galaxy right back will be on Fox 11 news tonight on the "Wednesday's Child" segment which aims to find LA-area foster children a permanent home.
Anyway, just wanted to pass that along if you're flipping the channels around tonight and need something to watch.
Anyway, just wanted to pass that along if you're flipping the channels around tonight and need something to watch.
Sailed ships
Some topics in and around MLS have been covered to death, so I'm going over a few of them one more time to gauge validity.
Invalid: Stadium location complaints
Is there really any point to railing about the locations of MLS stadiums once they're actually built? They're not going to tear them down now.
Granted, I'm still griping about Toronto FC's surface, and I don't think they're planning on changing that any time soon.
Very little validity: Promotion/Relegation
I suppose the fact that MLS eliminated the shootout gives proponents of promotion and relegation in the States some hope (a few have implied to me that Sounders FC, as the USL champion team, is getting promoted - no they're not. They are simply folding the USL team and forming an MLS one with a similar name. It's not promotion in any sense. It's that they had the money and paid to become the next MLS franchise.) that MLS is moving in the direction of pro/reg. Don't hold your breath there. Few owners would ever fork over 40 million for a franchise that might slip down to a lower level.
A little validity: Marketing the league better will bring in more fans.
It makes sense on the surface, but on the other hand, soccer fans can be fickle. Red Bull New York pulled the stops out when they first took over the team, and yet the core NY attendance remains not great. Chivas USA has trotted out a host of promotions and came into the league with the most sponsors, but there are challenges, there, too. The bottom line is that the example of TFC pretty much wipes out much conventional wisdom on this topic. People will come for a fancy stadium, said some - TFC's is simple. People will come for a winning team - TFC lost in record fashion. People will come for a big name - who had ever heard of Danny Dichio before? People will come when the MLS standard of play improves - MLS remains a growing league. Thing is, TFC fans come for the most basic and profound sporting reason of all - they have claimed their team, and they care. No amount of marketing enticements can replace or create that.
Valid: The salary cap debate
"Raise the cap!" seems a simple enough proposition, but it's a bit trickier when one notes the millions of dollars most MLS owners continue to lose every year. There's also no guarantee that raising the cap wouldn't just lead to more spending on the higher end of the scale. Financial responsibility to the league itself and to the players in it is going to be a tough balance, so this is a worthy argument, with solid points to different sides.
That's my take on a few of the topics that seem to be on a continual discussion turntable. What MLS issues do readers consider most relevant now?
Invalid: Stadium location complaints
Is there really any point to railing about the locations of MLS stadiums once they're actually built? They're not going to tear them down now.
Granted, I'm still griping about Toronto FC's surface, and I don't think they're planning on changing that any time soon.
Very little validity: Promotion/Relegation
I suppose the fact that MLS eliminated the shootout gives proponents of promotion and relegation in the States some hope (a few have implied to me that Sounders FC, as the USL champion team, is getting promoted - no they're not. They are simply folding the USL team and forming an MLS one with a similar name. It's not promotion in any sense. It's that they had the money and paid to become the next MLS franchise.) that MLS is moving in the direction of pro/reg. Don't hold your breath there. Few owners would ever fork over 40 million for a franchise that might slip down to a lower level.
A little validity: Marketing the league better will bring in more fans.
It makes sense on the surface, but on the other hand, soccer fans can be fickle. Red Bull New York pulled the stops out when they first took over the team, and yet the core NY attendance remains not great. Chivas USA has trotted out a host of promotions and came into the league with the most sponsors, but there are challenges, there, too. The bottom line is that the example of TFC pretty much wipes out much conventional wisdom on this topic. People will come for a fancy stadium, said some - TFC's is simple. People will come for a winning team - TFC lost in record fashion. People will come for a big name - who had ever heard of Danny Dichio before? People will come when the MLS standard of play improves - MLS remains a growing league. Thing is, TFC fans come for the most basic and profound sporting reason of all - they have claimed their team, and they care. No amount of marketing enticements can replace or create that.
Valid: The salary cap debate
"Raise the cap!" seems a simple enough proposition, but it's a bit trickier when one notes the millions of dollars most MLS owners continue to lose every year. There's also no guarantee that raising the cap wouldn't just lead to more spending on the higher end of the scale. Financial responsibility to the league itself and to the players in it is going to be a tough balance, so this is a worthy argument, with solid points to different sides.
That's my take on a few of the topics that seem to be on a continual discussion turntable. What MLS issues do readers consider most relevant now?
Another viewpoint
I must strongly disagree with you concerning
American college soccer. American college players have
formed the backbone of Major League Soccer. Players
such as Brian McBride, Taylor Twellman, Michael
Parkhurst, Clint Dempsey; the list is endless; have
provided the foundation of MLS. Simply put, American
colleges have provided an absolute bounty of talent to
MLS. This year is no different as many college players
have made MLS rosters. Unfortunately, MLS committed
the crime of letting MLS teams add one more foreigner
to each MLS team roster. This has reduced the
opportunity for rookies to contribute immediately.
Remember, MLS was formed to develope the American
player, not to showcase foreigners. If I want to watch
foreigners, I can watch the world's best foreigners
on Fox Soccer Channel or Goltv. I follow MLS in order
to watch American talent being developed. MLS simply
can not afford to develop enough talent on its own.
The country is simply too big for the cash strapped
MLS to fund the development of America's young soccer
talent. MLS must rely on America's colleges for the
bulk of its talent. And American college soccer is up
to the challenge. By the way, the substitutions in
college soccer that you condemn actually promote the
development of larger numbers of players who are
blooded by playing in college games. Remember, soccer
development is a numbers game. The more players who
play, the more prospects will emerge. An example of
the kind of the depth of talent provided to MLS by
the colleges is Michael Gavin of LA Galaxy. Gavin was
drafted in the first round of the 2008 Supplemental
Draft. He showed tremendous potential in playing left
back through the preseason for the Galaxy.
Unfortunately, the Galaxy lost their first game badly,
and, even though Gavin did not play badly in that
first game, he has been benched since then in an
apparent act of scapegoating by Ruud Gullit. Gavin has
been picked by the US U23 team for an upcoming
tournament in Europe. I think Gavin has tremendous
potential, but he must be played. Gullit should bench
Greg Vanney and Xavier and go with Troy Roberts, Sean
Franklin, other collegians, and Gavin in defense. As I
said, the colleges have provided MLS with tremendous
depth of talent. It was very unfair of you to pick out
three mistakes by rookies, this year, and attack
college soccer. Also, the colleges play the power game
which is ascendent in world soccer. A year or so ago,
I watched a Fox Soccer Channel documentary on
Brazilian soccer. During the documentary, the head of
a Brazilian soccer academy explained that they no
longer look for technical players, but instead look
for speed and strength. In other words, they look for
players who play a power game. The days of Brazil and
other teams playing a slow, technical game are over.
The colleges play a power game which prepares college
players for the power game. The US has dominated
Mexico by playing a power game. The power game
emphasizing speed, strength and size is the future of
soccer.
American college soccer. American college players have
formed the backbone of Major League Soccer. Players
such as Brian McBride, Taylor Twellman, Michael
Parkhurst, Clint Dempsey; the list is endless; have
provided the foundation of MLS. Simply put, American
colleges have provided an absolute bounty of talent to
MLS. This year is no different as many college players
have made MLS rosters. Unfortunately, MLS committed
the crime of letting MLS teams add one more foreigner
to each MLS team roster. This has reduced the
opportunity for rookies to contribute immediately.
Remember, MLS was formed to develope the American
player, not to showcase foreigners. If I want to watch
foreigners, I can watch the world's best foreigners
on Fox Soccer Channel or Goltv. I follow MLS in order
to watch American talent being developed. MLS simply
can not afford to develop enough talent on its own.
The country is simply too big for the cash strapped
MLS to fund the development of America's young soccer
talent. MLS must rely on America's colleges for the
bulk of its talent. And American college soccer is up
to the challenge. By the way, the substitutions in
college soccer that you condemn actually promote the
development of larger numbers of players who are
blooded by playing in college games. Remember, soccer
development is a numbers game. The more players who
play, the more prospects will emerge. An example of
the kind of the depth of talent provided to MLS by
the colleges is Michael Gavin of LA Galaxy. Gavin was
drafted in the first round of the 2008 Supplemental
Draft. He showed tremendous potential in playing left
back through the preseason for the Galaxy.
Unfortunately, the Galaxy lost their first game badly,
and, even though Gavin did not play badly in that
first game, he has been benched since then in an
apparent act of scapegoating by Ruud Gullit. Gavin has
been picked by the US U23 team for an upcoming
tournament in Europe. I think Gavin has tremendous
potential, but he must be played. Gullit should bench
Greg Vanney and Xavier and go with Troy Roberts, Sean
Franklin, other collegians, and Gavin in defense. As I
said, the colleges have provided MLS with tremendous
depth of talent. It was very unfair of you to pick out
three mistakes by rookies, this year, and attack
college soccer. Also, the colleges play the power game
which is ascendent in world soccer. A year or so ago,
I watched a Fox Soccer Channel documentary on
Brazilian soccer. During the documentary, the head of
a Brazilian soccer academy explained that they no
longer look for technical players, but instead look
for speed and strength. In other words, they look for
players who play a power game. The days of Brazil and
other teams playing a slow, technical game are over.
The colleges play a power game which prepares college
players for the power game. The US has dominated
Mexico by playing a power game. The power game
emphasizing speed, strength and size is the future of
soccer.
Ain't just a Chivas town
Chivas may be one of the most popular clubs in Mexico but Guadalajara is also home to Atlas. They've relegated their more popular city rival to the very top of Wednesday's Cancha cover.
Chivas begins its quest for a league-record 12th title today against Monterrey, but Atlas has a match against Boca Juniors in Argentina tonight and trumped Chivas, in terms of coverage in Cancha at least. Atlas got four pages inside Cancha while Chivas got three.
Also in Cancha was a report that Sven Goran Eriksson is being pursued by Benfica of Portugal, and how one Mexican official wants Sven to take over Mexico's vacant coaching post.
Missed a scoop
After the Galaxy/New York presser, I noticed David Beckham limping slightly. Turns out he had, and still has, a sore foot.
At least he played, though. Landon Donovan suffered a calf injury and didn't even travel for the friendly versus the Whitecaps.
Three Galaxy players have been called up to the u23 team. BJ, Gav and Jules.
Most of the serious contenders for an Olympic spot were left off, but it's a chance to catch Peter Nowak's eye.
At least he played, though. Landon Donovan suffered a calf injury and didn't even travel for the friendly versus the Whitecaps.
Three Galaxy players have been called up to the u23 team. BJ, Gav and Jules.
Most of the serious contenders for an Olympic spot were left off, but it's a chance to catch Peter Nowak's eye.
Sangre americana: Liguilla edition
As the Mexican league kicks off the Liguilla on Wednesday, three of the four quarterfinal series will feature American players.
Daniel Hernandez and Jaguares will take on Cruz Azul tonight while San Luis (Michael Orozco) and Santos (Edgar Castillo) will begin their respective title quests on Thursday.
Jaguares faces a tough challenge in Cruz Azul. The two clubs met in Chiapas on Week 13 and Cruz Azul came away with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory. Hernandez should take his usual spot in central defense for Jaguares. Hernandez struggled against Cruz Azul. He picked up a yellow card in the 41st minute and was taken off in the 73rd minute in the last meeting. Hernandez, though, started 11 of Jaguares' final 12 games this season.
On Thursday, Orozco could return to the playing field for the first time in three games. Orozco missed the season finale - a 4-1 loss at Santos - and the entire repechaje series against Pachuca. Without Orozco in central defense, San Luis suffered as replacement Alfredo Gonzalez Tahuilan was shaky at best, particularly in the 2-1 second-leg loss to Pachuca. Orozco has been training and appears set to regain his spot on the backline when San Luis visits Toluca. The series is probably the most evenly matched one of the quarterfinal round.
Also, Santos begins its title quest at Necaxa. Castillo will be a fixture on the left side as he has been during parts of the Clausura 2008 season. Castillo missed a portion of the season with the Mexican Under-23 national team and also missed time due to injury but Castillo has gone the distance in four consecutive matches. Santos seemingly has the upper hand over Necaxa as the Laguneros have been able to rest for the last 10 days or so while Necaxa survived a tough series against Atlas in the repechaje round.
The other series - Chivas-Monterrey - features as much intrigue as any of the others. Chivas finished atop the regular season table but Monterrey went on an offensive tear down the stretch. Also, one of Monterrey's better victories down the stretch was against Chivas, as Monterrey beat Guadalajara 1-0 in El Tec on April 19.
Daniel Hernandez and Jaguares will take on Cruz Azul tonight while San Luis (Michael Orozco) and Santos (Edgar Castillo) will begin their respective title quests on Thursday.
Jaguares faces a tough challenge in Cruz Azul. The two clubs met in Chiapas on Week 13 and Cruz Azul came away with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory. Hernandez should take his usual spot in central defense for Jaguares. Hernandez struggled against Cruz Azul. He picked up a yellow card in the 41st minute and was taken off in the 73rd minute in the last meeting. Hernandez, though, started 11 of Jaguares' final 12 games this season.
On Thursday, Orozco could return to the playing field for the first time in three games. Orozco missed the season finale - a 4-1 loss at Santos - and the entire repechaje series against Pachuca. Without Orozco in central defense, San Luis suffered as replacement Alfredo Gonzalez Tahuilan was shaky at best, particularly in the 2-1 second-leg loss to Pachuca. Orozco has been training and appears set to regain his spot on the backline when San Luis visits Toluca. The series is probably the most evenly matched one of the quarterfinal round.
Also, Santos begins its title quest at Necaxa. Castillo will be a fixture on the left side as he has been during parts of the Clausura 2008 season. Castillo missed a portion of the season with the Mexican Under-23 national team and also missed time due to injury but Castillo has gone the distance in four consecutive matches. Santos seemingly has the upper hand over Necaxa as the Laguneros have been able to rest for the last 10 days or so while Necaxa survived a tough series against Atlas in the repechaje round.
The other series - Chivas-Monterrey - features as much intrigue as any of the others. Chivas finished atop the regular season table but Monterrey went on an offensive tear down the stretch. Also, one of Monterrey's better victories down the stretch was against Chivas, as Monterrey beat Guadalajara 1-0 in El Tec on April 19.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Announcers poll
Most of us watch plenty of soccer games on TV, whether it's MLS, foreign leagues, international friendlies, etc. As such, we are exposed to a wide variety of announcers.
It's just another aspect of the American game, specifically MLS, that differs from the rest of the world. In many ways, soccer broadcasts have had to evolve over time much like the game on the field. Sometimes when I watch an MLS broadcast, I wonder why the league can't take about 20-30 soccer announcers from England and drop them by helicopter over strategic locations across the country.
Anyway, I decided to make a poll on the crop of announcers most of us are exposed to throughout the year. I tried to cast a wide net but I know I missed an announcer or three. I just hope there aren't any glaring omissions. I just limited it to play-by-play guys. Perhaps we'll have another round of a poll for those guys but for now I wanted to see who is well-liked by our readers.
My own vote goes for JP Dellacamera. I really like a couple of the other ones a lot but JP has always been my favorite, probably since the 1998 World Cup. I saw him recently in the press box at Home Depot Center and almost introduced myself but I decided against it. I didn't really have anything prepared and I probably would have said something lame to him like "Hey, I like your calls" or something like that.
Anyway, let me know who you like, who you don't and why.
It's just another aspect of the American game, specifically MLS, that differs from the rest of the world. In many ways, soccer broadcasts have had to evolve over time much like the game on the field. Sometimes when I watch an MLS broadcast, I wonder why the league can't take about 20-30 soccer announcers from England and drop them by helicopter over strategic locations across the country.
Anyway, I decided to make a poll on the crop of announcers most of us are exposed to throughout the year. I tried to cast a wide net but I know I missed an announcer or three. I just hope there aren't any glaring omissions. I just limited it to play-by-play guys. Perhaps we'll have another round of a poll for those guys but for now I wanted to see who is well-liked by our readers.
My own vote goes for JP Dellacamera. I really like a couple of the other ones a lot but JP has always been my favorite, probably since the 1998 World Cup. I saw him recently in the press box at Home Depot Center and almost introduced myself but I decided against it. I didn't really have anything prepared and I probably would have said something lame to him like "Hey, I like your calls" or something like that.
Anyway, let me know who you like, who you don't and why.
Interesting perspective
An email this morning, relating to my college soccer article:
I'm dad of a recent college player, and your comments have helped enlighten me about the strange nature of NCAA soccer. I've seen about 30, D-I games and I remain puzzled by the nature of college soccer and the boys who play it--and perhaps by the men who coach them.
Watching college soccer, a fan can see that it's not easy to play college soccer well, which seems to indicate that the players are talented, and therefore hard to play against. Paradoxically, most college players don't seem to actually know much about, well, playing soccer.
Our son gradually adjusted to the college game and became a league all-star. He had barely made the team during freshman tryouts, and couldn't do much on the field the first few months, overwhelmed by the frantic pace of the game. Still, when it came to team practice and training, he was literally shocked at what his experienced, and nationally-recruited amd recognized teammates, did not know. He gave an example: "Our coach today showed the players how to go to a ball that's going out of bounds. He said we should sprint to get there as soon as possible, then approach the ball in time to turn our body and look back at the field before making the first touch, so we could already know what to do next. I couldn't believe it! How could anyone have played even a couple of games and not already know how to do that, and when, and why? Guys were literally practicing the move, and asking the coach "Like this? Did I do it right?" and so on. I was totally frustrated."
Our son grew up playing overseas in countless pickup games and had already taught himself lots of stuff the American boys were learning as college players.
So your article was very helpful to me. I agree that most college players are very good athletes--fast, fierce and tough. Watching them play, though, I cannot help but believe their main talent is the ability to disrupt the other team, to break up plays. And it seems to me the coaches pick players first and foremost for this perceived eagerness to "do battle" on the field, rather than to pick boys who can see ahead in the game, plan attacks, take action when given momentary tactical advantage, notice weaknesses, press an opportunity, and so on. And it's my perception that some of the college players are picked by MLS coaches simply because they are so good at speeding up the game, but in my opinion, that is a two-edged sword. Simply adding hustle to a team may hurt the quality of play as much as it helps, particularly if the hustling player doesn't actually know soccer.
I personally think the whole nature of the game of soccer is that, once the whistle blows, the players are basically uncoached. It is up to them, on the field, to figure out how to win. That's what makes foreign soccer so entertaining. When our son was growing up, he used to say, "I just love soccer. There are so many ways to beat the other player and his team." Watching the college game, I don't think that players who can actually do this are rewarded, coveted, and nurtured by the coaches. It's almost like the coaches are hoping to beat the other team off the ball through speed and intensity alone throughout the game, and win the game via set plays, corners, and penalty kicks, which actually can be coached.
I suspect the foreigners recruited into MLS teams must be pretty surprised by the level of soccer knowledge and perception among their new, US teammates.
I'm dad of a recent college player, and your comments have helped enlighten me about the strange nature of NCAA soccer. I've seen about 30, D-I games and I remain puzzled by the nature of college soccer and the boys who play it--and perhaps by the men who coach them.
Watching college soccer, a fan can see that it's not easy to play college soccer well, which seems to indicate that the players are talented, and therefore hard to play against. Paradoxically, most college players don't seem to actually know much about, well, playing soccer.
Our son gradually adjusted to the college game and became a league all-star. He had barely made the team during freshman tryouts, and couldn't do much on the field the first few months, overwhelmed by the frantic pace of the game. Still, when it came to team practice and training, he was literally shocked at what his experienced, and nationally-recruited amd recognized teammates, did not know. He gave an example: "Our coach today showed the players how to go to a ball that's going out of bounds. He said we should sprint to get there as soon as possible, then approach the ball in time to turn our body and look back at the field before making the first touch, so we could already know what to do next. I couldn't believe it! How could anyone have played even a couple of games and not already know how to do that, and when, and why? Guys were literally practicing the move, and asking the coach "Like this? Did I do it right?" and so on. I was totally frustrated."
Our son grew up playing overseas in countless pickup games and had already taught himself lots of stuff the American boys were learning as college players.
So your article was very helpful to me. I agree that most college players are very good athletes--fast, fierce and tough. Watching them play, though, I cannot help but believe their main talent is the ability to disrupt the other team, to break up plays. And it seems to me the coaches pick players first and foremost for this perceived eagerness to "do battle" on the field, rather than to pick boys who can see ahead in the game, plan attacks, take action when given momentary tactical advantage, notice weaknesses, press an opportunity, and so on. And it's my perception that some of the college players are picked by MLS coaches simply because they are so good at speeding up the game, but in my opinion, that is a two-edged sword. Simply adding hustle to a team may hurt the quality of play as much as it helps, particularly if the hustling player doesn't actually know soccer.
I personally think the whole nature of the game of soccer is that, once the whistle blows, the players are basically uncoached. It is up to them, on the field, to figure out how to win. That's what makes foreign soccer so entertaining. When our son was growing up, he used to say, "I just love soccer. There are so many ways to beat the other player and his team." Watching the college game, I don't think that players who can actually do this are rewarded, coveted, and nurtured by the coaches. It's almost like the coaches are hoping to beat the other team off the ball through speed and intensity alone throughout the game, and win the game via set plays, corners, and penalty kicks, which actually can be coached.
I suspect the foreigners recruited into MLS teams must be pretty surprised by the level of soccer knowledge and perception among their new, US teammates.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Funny, no emails on DB last week
This morning, via email:
I just saw your article re: Red Bulls v. LA Galaxy game.
When David Beckham was good he was playing for Manchester. No great soccer players come to play for MSL. How many great NBA players go to Europe to play basketball? I agree with you, that he is a skilled player, but does not have the desire to play the game with passion anymore!
David Beckham is just a celebrity. When have seen him, since he moved here, more in tuxedo, than in Galaxy uniform. He was never a soccer superstar. Never was No. 1 in Europe. He's coach (Gullit) was a much better player.
If LA Galaxy fans think that Beckham will bring them the title they are dreaming.
Regards.
I just saw your article re: Red Bulls v. LA Galaxy game.
When David Beckham was good he was playing for Manchester. No great soccer players come to play for MSL. How many great NBA players go to Europe to play basketball? I agree with you, that he is a skilled player, but does not have the desire to play the game with passion anymore!
David Beckham is just a celebrity. When have seen him, since he moved here, more in tuxedo, than in Galaxy uniform. He was never a soccer superstar. Never was No. 1 in Europe. He's coach (Gullit) was a much better player.
If LA Galaxy fans think that Beckham will bring them the title they are dreaming.
Regards.
Kicking it after getting kicked
Well, maybe Lawson Vaughn isn't exaclty kickin' it but he's certainly not going to get any playing time anytime soon.
The Law got smacked in the face in rather viscious fashion by Dwayne De Rosario's failed bicycle kick attempt in a match on May 3. Vaughn had to have a pair of surgeries to correct his subsequent broken nose and facial injuries.
Vaughn said the doctor who tended to him had only seen such a complete nasal fracture before on a man who had been kicked by a horse.
Here's a link to the story I wrote on Vaughn. Just hadn't had the chance to post it yet. Nothing against Bobby Burling, who was tossed into the fray and did as well as he could have, but Vaughn can't come back soon enough. Vaughn was just starting to get over his preseason injury concerns when this happened.
The Law got smacked in the face in rather viscious fashion by Dwayne De Rosario's failed bicycle kick attempt in a match on May 3. Vaughn had to have a pair of surgeries to correct his subsequent broken nose and facial injuries.
Vaughn said the doctor who tended to him had only seen such a complete nasal fracture before on a man who had been kicked by a horse.
Here's a link to the story I wrote on Vaughn. Just hadn't had the chance to post it yet. Nothing against Bobby Burling, who was tossed into the fray and did as well as he could have, but Vaughn can't come back soon enough. Vaughn was just starting to get over his preseason injury concerns when this happened.
More from Borman
Audio of my little chat with New York's Danleigh Borman following Saturday's 2-1 win over the Galaxy.
Preki post-game
Audio of Chivas USA coach Preki from Sunday's press conference following Chivas USA's 2-1 loss to New England.
Already cited rankings
1. Columbus Crew - Those who said Robbie Rogers should have stayed in Europe probably haven't watched him blossom in MLS play this season.
2. Chicago Fire - At this point in the season, Blanco is the king of the DPs.
3. New England Revolution - Boston's team is battling to find consistency.
4. FC Dallas - Hoops spinning in circles.
5. Toronto FC - Will streamers on the corners still get tacit approval from Don Garber?
6. Kansas City - Hopefully,their players made good use of their timeout.
7. New York Red Bull - Though at times their chances seemed more lucky than good, the team pulled out a road win versus the Galaxy.
8. Colorado Rapids - Will the real Rapids stand up - oh, sorry, strike the word real.
9. Los Angeles Galaxy - How to kill momentum? Yield a goal within a minute of scoring one.
10 Houston Dynamo - Guess who is back (with a little help from the ref)?
11. Real Salt Lake - Does Kreis coach better from the box?
12. Chivas USA - Strikers left stranded far too often.
13. San Jose Earthquakes - Yallop probably didn't expect that freedom (from the Galaxy circus) would come with so few wins.
14. DC United - Team may shake things up with a serious trade - or a win.
2. Chicago Fire - At this point in the season, Blanco is the king of the DPs.
3. New England Revolution - Boston's team is battling to find consistency.
4. FC Dallas - Hoops spinning in circles.
5. Toronto FC - Will streamers on the corners still get tacit approval from Don Garber?
6. Kansas City - Hopefully,their players made good use of their timeout.
7. New York Red Bull - Though at times their chances seemed more lucky than good, the team pulled out a road win versus the Galaxy.
8. Colorado Rapids - Will the real Rapids stand up - oh, sorry, strike the word real.
9. Los Angeles Galaxy - How to kill momentum? Yield a goal within a minute of scoring one.
10 Houston Dynamo - Guess who is back (with a little help from the ref)?
11. Real Salt Lake - Does Kreis coach better from the box?
12. Chivas USA - Strikers left stranded far too often.
13. San Jose Earthquakes - Yallop probably didn't expect that freedom (from the Galaxy circus) would come with so few wins.
14. DC United - Team may shake things up with a serious trade - or a win.
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