CL Review/Preview: Crew gets shocked, D.C. and Houston play tonight

Last night the Columbus Crew were let down in the final minutes as a header by Saprissa's Alexander Robinson tied the match 1-1. The end result was nothing like the run of play, as Columbus out ran and out defended the Costa Rican team. The match could have been over much earlier in the match, but missed chances by Emmanuel Ekpo and Alejandro Moreno left the Crew wanting.

The ball nodded past Columbus keeper William Hesmer was the late equalizer, and the Crew must now wait another match before they can advance to the next round. There were several cards given out during the match, but the defining play could have resulted in another, as Brian Carrol looked to be pushed to the ground by Robinson before his goal. The match is over, however, and all they will need is guarantee a spot in the quarterfinals is a  tie against last place Puerto Rico Islanders to qualify, as they already hold the point advantage on Saprissa.

Tonight

Both D.C. United and Houston will play in a doubleheader on FSC starting at 8pm with D.C. vs. San Juan Jabloteh. United is coming off a win against Marathon last week, and will be at home once more in their friendly confines at RFK. On Sunday, D.C. failed to pick up points against the lowly San Jose Earthquakes and thus fell out of playoff contention for the time being. As this game progresses, one can only imagine that Tommy Soehn will be moving players in and out so that they can be prepared for their upcoming match against Chivas USA to put them back in contention.

Houston, also in third place in their group, has a much more difficult task in facing Pachuca. In their last match, Pachuca dominated in every aspect of the game and obliterated Houston on the stat sheet except for the 'saves' statistic because Houston put so few shots on goal for Pachuca keeper Miguel Calero. The wind in their sails for the Dynamo will be their homefield advantage. Houston has dominated at home (8-1-4) and a plus +10 goal differential when playing at Robertson Stadium. Houston did not play last weekend and should be rested for their match tonight as well as their match against Kansas City at home on Sunday.

f

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

Toronto Fans Seek Real Green

Between the cleats of Toronto FC players is the unnatural, the unforgivable, the dangerous and the unsightly artificial turf that plagues many stadiums like BMO Field. Some people whine on message boards and might even call the front office to complain, but some choose a grassroots effort which could actually sway the higher-ups and city governments.

Outside the realm of not making the playoffs, Toronto fans draw ire from the playing surface and cite the turf for the many maladies that plague the young franchise. The answer to this problem could lie in this petition.

Patrycja Koller, the leader behind this movement, has locked up several signers but is still looking for more involvement from the Toronto community. She states that the articifical turf is "deterorating badly" and that "the surface is undoubtedly preventing the stadium from reaching its full potential." Koller also believes that  "many top club teams, as well as the Canadian national teams, are reluctant to play on it."

Koller explains to possible signees that the citizens of the International City would not have to worry about taxhikes.

"It must be stressed that Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment Limited has made it clear that they are committed to ensuring that an equitable facility is put in place if they are allowed to install grass at BMO Field. Additionally, the company has promised to pay for both the new facility and the grass installation out of its own pocket. Ratepayers in Toronto will not be on the hook for the upgrades."

CBC News has stated in the past couple weeks that BMO is set for a new pitch, and that MLSE will spend up to $3.5 million to improve the playing surface. After spending $100,000 to put real grass on the field for one exhibition match against Real Madrid, Toronto is ready to make the plunge to avoid future extraneous costs.

The fact that the turf could be used year round, however, is what leads many speculators to believe the agreement with the city might fall through. With new sod, BMO will be closed to the public to preserve the surface, thus ending opportunities for local clubs and teams to use the facility. To make up for the lack of stadium usage, MLSE will pledge $800,000 for new soccerfields on the West side of Toronto and will make $2 million in upgrades on the nearby Lamport Stadium.

So what are we to believe of this? Is BMO Field going to get grass? Are we going to see an MLS Cup played in Toronto just because they have grass? Will the game improve because of the new surface? All of it is debateable, but considering the amount of revenue that is being generated by the club, a little love back to the fans, players, and the community could be in order.

The city council will vote on the agreement on either September 30th or October 2nd.

----------

Update! The Toronto city council passed the agreement, which allows MLSE to install grass at BMO.

Congrats!
f

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

U-20's Cruise Past Cameroon

As if it were a distant memory, the U.S. U-20 squad took on Cameroon and promptly took them out of the match with an offensive display that ended 4-1. The U.S. decided to go with a 4-4-3 lineup, similar to what they used against Germany, but they had markedly different results against the side that won against South Korea in their first match.

The reason? The players in these positions were very different. Dilly Duka and Bryan Arguez started in the midfield, Sheanon Williams at left back, Jorge Flores at right back and Danniel Cruz out on the right wing. Both Arguez and Duka scored as a result of the roster moves, and Tony Taylor and Brian Ownby scored as well.

The win puts the U.S. in second place because of the goal aggregate, but a win against South Korea in their last match on Friday will not guarantee advancement: if both Cameroon and the U.S. wins, the life in the tournament will be up to how many goals each team won by.

Notes:

Brian Ownby will miss the next match due to his second caution of the tournament.
The U.S. U-20's have scored four or more goals in the WC four times.  
The starting roster featured three MLS players (Cruz, Flores, Shea).
The game on Friday will be televised at 12:45pm on ESPN2.
f

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

In the Books: Week 28

After a slew of great matches from the past weekend, the MLS playoff picture muddied up, putting clubs that had seasons that seemed all but over a few weeks ago into great positions, and took high profile teams and put them on the waiting list. Let's take a look at the playoff picture after week 28.

Who's In

With a win against the Galaxy and a D.C. loss, the Crew became the first team to put the 'x' next to their name and is guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. Their stock is rising as they continue to be undefeated at home this year (and then some) and are the favorites for the Supporters Shield. 

Houston's bye week allowed the club to relax and breathe easy as the Galaxy failed to apply pressure and take over the West. There is no break for the team next week, however, as the all-but-dead Kansas City Wizards are making their last-breath run.

Los Angeles is still seeded second in the Western Conference, closely followed by Colorado. While they can argue all they want about the game last Saturday, the fact is that this team is very different without Beckham. A deep playoff run will be unlikely without him.

Chicago managed a tie last Saturday night against Toronto, giving McBride yet another opportunity to be the hero (although sharing points is never a victory). There is a clear gap between them, first, and fortunately third place in the Eastern Conference, which should put them at ease over the next couple weeks.

Towards the middle of the Western Conference, where half the teams will make it into the playoffs, the Colorado Rapids consider themselves fortunate to come away with a tie, regardless of how it came. While Connor Casey's late PK conversion was the equalizer in the 93rd min, tying matches in your last matches is no way to intimidate your future opponents.

The other team in SoCal, Chivas USA, had the rare occasion to be on the same field when the Red Bulls scored a point. All kidding aside, Chivas will have an interesting match with D.C. this upcoming week that may or may not matter: the Goats still have two games in hand on many other teams in the West.

Slowly slipping down the table is Seattle, who are now in the seventh position. Losing to playoff hopefuls New England only makes the loss more unbearable, as the Revolution are now only one point behind, and the first team removed from contention is only two points away.

With their 2-1 victory on Saturday, the Revolution have phoenixed their playoff lives and have finally broken the seal on the postseason. Having two more games left than their fellow MLS teams will help, but playing two matches away (Dallas, Colorado) in four days will not.

Who's Out

Another absurd result puts us in D.C., where United lost to San Jose. Frustration and exhaustion from the Champions League might have finally caught up with our nation's capital's team, and coach Soehn will need to make one or the other the focus for this upcoming week if they are to have some sort of success this year.

Toronto, who looked like the playoffs would be nothing short of a guarantee a couple months ago, now are struggling to be consistent. Last week's match against Chicago should inspire some quality play, as anytime you can go to Chicago and escape with a point is an accomplishment.

Real Salt Lake took a licking against FC Dallas last weekend, suffering a 3-0 loss. The absence of offense is unlike the RSL of late, but perhaps Yura Movsisyan is packing his bags a little early. They will have a couple weeks to prepare for their next match, though, and maybe by October 14th they'll have their act together.

Kansas City tied Colorado in a home match that needed a more positive result. There was no score, and there might not be any hope for the Wizards anymore. It doesn't get much easier from here on because they will take on the Dynamo in Houston on Sunday.

Lastly, FC Dallas blasted the aforementioned RSL, where Jeff Cunningham made mincemeat of the goalnet. Too bad this is week 28 and not week 5. If it was, then the team with most goals in the MLS might not also be suffering from one of the worst defenses in the league.

San Jose and New York are done. Sorry kids, there's always next year, where the goals always have a silver lining... or nylon.

So who will be in and out come week 32? Leave your thoughts below.

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

U-20 team takes hit in Egypt

The U-20 World Cup campaign for the U.S. took a hit on Saturday, losing to defending champions Germany 3-0. Some quick counterattacks, coupled with a smooth and highly aggressive by the Europeans in the first half led to the Americans' demise.

Head coach Thomas Rongen said that "the team as a whole, especially in the first half, gave Germany a little too much respect." Perhaps this was the case, as the Americans were out shot (6 / 17) and had fewer shots on goal (2 / 6). What they can take away from the match is their approach in the second half where substitutes Jorge Flores, Bryan Arguez and Dilly Duka provided some improved assistance to their defeated attitude.

On the possibility of including the previous players in upcoming matches, coach Rongen believed that a shakeup was eminent: "Based on performances and the scouting of Cameroon, I would certainly think that we will make some changes for our next game.”

One player that will be questionable for the match is Kyle Davies, who had a head injury in the first half and whose status is not yet updated. Other MLS players that were participants in the match include Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Gerson Mayen (Chivas USA) and Jorge Flores (Chivas USA).

The next match in group play puts the U.S. against Cameroon, who won their first match against South Korea 2-0.The game will be played Tuesday at 12:45pm on ESPN2. Check out the US Soccer preview here.

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

Game of the Week: Seattle Sounders FC at New England Revolution

 

at

 

Ok, ok. So this might not be of 'game of the week' quality, but these two teams still have very real postseason dreams, and both can be made or broke with this one game. New England is still fighting for their chance to slide into the top eight, while Seattle is looking to move up the ranks in the west. Let's break it down.

Seattle Sounders FC

The idea that Seattle is worried about this away game might be a little thick, but the very real truth is that Seattle has never played at New England. The obvious comparisons between the two teams starts with the field turf. Both Fredy Montero and Freddie Ljungberg did not play in the only match the two teams this year, but both of them have proved that they are more than capable at handling the ball on the faster field turf.

To prove their worth, they will have to outwit Matt Reis, another consistent keeper that has a knack for stopping counter attacks. Because Seattle has been shutout in six of its last nine, the Sounder faithful will need to see at least a goal this game to gain back some confidence in a team that is still playing for the playoffs.

Where the offense has failed, the defense has prevaled. The man in the box, Kasey Keller, has the second best goals against average and is tied for second with 9 shutouts. In fact, the entire defense has played a part in statistically the best defense in the MLS. With coach Sigi Schmid reliably going to the bench for replacements, Seattle will have no problem keeping the back line in formidable shape.

New England Revolution

The Revolution had a nice streak going through August, but have failed to make their way towards the playoff easier in September. The team is 0-2-1 in their last three and could use a boost, especially with Shalrie Joseph potentially missing the match with a hip flexor strain.

New England ranks tenth in both offensive and defensive production, putting their team behind the rest of the league. It has become evident that the offense needs to have a field day if they want to produce wins, and more importantly, a playoff spot. Perhaps their earlier win against Seattle (Aug 20., 1-0) will produce some confidence that can lead the team before they head out on a roadtrip to FC Dallas and Colorado.

The greatest motivator will be the need to succeed at home. New England has only three more games at home in their last six, and the next two come against the leaders in the Eastern Conference, the Columbus Crew and the Chicago Fire. Look for New England to make the match interesting in the last third of the match, where the Revolution has scored almost half of their goals.

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

CONCACAF Rewind: D.C., Houston collect big wins, Crew lose

Last night, D.C. helped their cause by getting a huge win at home against CD Marathon, the then second place team in Group B. Today, D.C. sits in second after their 3-0 thrashing of the Hondurans with a six goal differential. This win, critical as it might have been, does not guarantee United anything, however, as they must now play San Juan Jabloteh at home, then go abroad to visit Toluca in a what could be deciding match.

The week, although it might not have gone the way Columbus had hoped, brough a lot of promise towards the American sides, as all three teams in the group stage have an opportunity to advance into the next round. Houston's 5-1 victory give them a three goal differential with Arabe Unido, and put them in good shape as they face Pachuca next week. They share points, but Houston has the easier run of play and can use their previous experiences in the tournament as a good lesson for these tough upcoming matches.

Columbus, which lost 2-0 to Cruz Azul on Wednesday, are still in second place in Group C, and can advance to the next round with a win against Saprissa on next Tuesday. The opportunity to see an all Mexican/American Championship Round can bring some real legitimacy to a tournament that rarely sees American sides succeed. Of course this all depends on the next two matches, which makes the wait between the fifth and sixth games (almost a month) almost unbearable.

What do you think? Can D.C. and Houston use these last games as catalysts towards their next matches? Will the Crew seal the deal next week?

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

CONCACAF Preview/Review: D.C. host Marathon, Crew falls

Tonight, D.C. hosts CD Marathon in a match of critical implications that could effectively end D.C.'s chances at advancing to the next round. Sitting third in the group, United needs the win to tie Marathon with six points and tie for second, thus putting the American side closer to advancing into the next round.

Being the fourth game for each side, they will both have to play groupmates Toluca and San Juan Jabloteh once more, but Marathon has the upper hand in home matches, as they will get to play Toluca in Honduras rather than Mexico. D.C. will need to travel to Estadio Nemesio Diez to take on Toluca in the final match of group play.

Without a win tonight, D.C. will have most likely need to win both of their remaining matches and for Marathon to be scoreless in theirs.

Last Night

In an offensive display, the Crew amassed a total of 22 shots but put none into the back of the net, falling to Cruz Azul 2-0 and failing to capitalize on homefield advantage. Switching to a 3-5-2 formation, the Crew thought they would be able to use their offensive prowess to overwhelm the Mexican side, but ended up falling victim to lapses on defense which allowedPablo Zebellos to nutmeg goalkeeper William Hesmer and gave Alejandro Vela the chance to pop one over the Crew 'keep when the whole back four was caught offguard.

The Crew can still clinch a spot in the next round by beating Saprissa next week at home.

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

MLS Reveals 2010 Openers

The MLS has released the first games of 2010, which include a few prominent games in the first weekend of games, also known as 'First Kick.' Chicago will open the season against New York at the brand new Red Bull Arena on March 27th, which will be featured at prime time on ESPN2. Seattle will open their 2010 campaign at home in a game likely to billed as the 'Battle of the Newest Franchises' (catchy, eh?) as they face the Philadelphia Union in their first ever match, also to be broadcast on ESPN2 on Thursday, March 25th.

Other notables that weekend include Toronto at Columbus, New England at D.C. in the second week of matches and the home opener for Philadelphia against D.C. United in week three.

Check them all out here.

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

CONCACAF CL: Top Group C teams play tonight

Tonight the Crew play host to Cruz Azul. While the two teams are separated by only a point, the two teams faced off a month ago, and Columbus was anything but close to the level of competition. They were humiliated 5-0 in Mexico and left with a bitter taste of CONCACAF defeat in their mouths. If there was any time to get redemption, the Crew will need to act now, as the teams only meet twice this round and this match will be at their home grounds.

The next two games will be against some stiff competition, but the Crew could essentially establish their position for the next round by beating Cruz Azul tonight. Columbus has beaten both Puerto Rico and Saprissa in their opening matches.

Last Night

Houston battled Arabe Unido at a home match at Robertson Stadium Tuesday night and won the encounter 5-1. The Dynamo held the ball for most of the match, only allowing Arabe to accumulate six shots to Houston's sixteen. The loan goal scored for the visitors was in the 69th minute, but was soon negated when Houston scored in the same minute by Corey Ashe. Winning the game last night allowed Houston to reshape their chances at advancing, tying Arabe at 7 pts in the group, two behind leader Pachuca. The 5-1 score line puts Houston ahead of Arabe with a +3 goal differential to Arabe's 0.

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

Philadelphia to Open at Lincoln Financial Field

Looks like Philadelphia will have to wait a bit longer to get the stadium of their dreams.

The Philadelphia Union website is reporting that the team will be opening up the season in a partnership with the Philadelphia Eagles, which will last multiple years and will probably include several home games at the stadium.

CEO & Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz stated: “In crafting this relationship with the Philadelphia Eagles and Soccer United Marketing, we’re ensuring that our fans will have an opportunity to see the absolute greats of our game from around the world and throughout our league for many years to come."

You have to wonder if this is just merely an apologetic approach to a stadium that is nowhere near completion, and that they are implying that Lincoln Financial Field is more accommodating to a team that will need the extra seating. As of the end of July, they had 9,200 season ticket holders. This is nothing to scoff at, but the idea that your stadium needs to hold around 70,000 instead of the projected 18,500 is just stupid.

But then Sakiewicz continues:

"Since we now know that our stadium will not be ready in early April, we made this decision to enable the League to move forward with its plans. Construction is moving along rapidly, and I can assure everyone that we will play the vast majority of our games in Chester this season."

Sigh. It's just another ploy to make up for the fact that the stadium will not be ready in time for First Kick 2010. Here's to your majority of games at Union Stadium at Chester, Philadelphia!

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

Attendance: Selling out allows MLS to sellout

CONCACAF Champions League play has depressed many MLS fans. Looking at empty stadiums, regardless if they are in Central America or here in America, makes soccer look ugly, and inspires boring and predictable plays from players and a bored outlook from the spectators that showed up. The fact is, without people in the seats, no one really wins.

When you play in a cavernous NFL stadium or at a ground that can only be half-filled, American soccer fails to live up to the expectations that many sports fans perceive as 'successful' in the domestic market. Without fans at the game, no one will continue to watch because no one drove to the stadium and sat and watched it in person.

Now that we are at the tail-end of the MLS season and the CONCACAF C.L. group stage, MLS powers need to make some drastic changes to allow future league games and tournaments to have more success in terms of ticket sales. What I am proposing, while it might not be original, is increasing the perceived legitimacy of the MLS by creating a variety of ways to get people to come to games.

The easiest way to get people to attend a soccer match is to let them in free. I am not promoting handing out tickets to businesses and people on the street because it is not good business practice and ultimately will lead to a bad impression of the league. What is do recommend, however, is giving out tickets to kids in school. Many MLS franchises give out tickets to soccer teams in the area, and those are the same kids that beg their parents in the future to go to another game. Why not expand the idea of soccer into the impressionable minds of others that don't play soccer?

Giving out tickets to contest winners, good grade getters, or even just going to the schools for a pep rally with players increases the approachability of the MLS. By giving out 'free' tickets to kids, they would be more likely to come in the future. Besides, many teams make most of their income on concession sales, and do you think mom and dad would mind splurging if they get into the game for free? It's like movie theaters: your ticket will pay for the film and staff that run the place, but concessions are where they make bank.

But this isn't the only way of getting butts in the seats. Houston offered $5 end line tickets to their CONCACAF match last night, and Pachuca has opened their gates completely to fans for the tournament for years now. Dropping prices for select games increases attendance, and will likely lead to more patronage.

Student discounts are another key to bringing in the cash-strapped youth. Because I am from Columbus, Ohio, I know that Ohio State actually offers discounted $10 student tickets that include a $5 voucher for food and beverage. The idea that you are essentially paying $5 for your ticket (plus a future $5 food purchase) increases the likelihood that people will attend games, and the success of the program (almost every game sells out of student tickets) encourages others to do the same.

To get people to come and stay for a match or two, the MLS needs to stop worrying about fireworks displays and $1 hotdog nights and start putting people in the seats the 'free' way. A full stadium of fans is a much more lucid and impressive image than a sorry stadium that has a couple thousand. Making money is always the key, but people remember the atmosphere, the armoas, and the plays, which all are hightened by the amount of people you shared the experience with.

While it might seem shady, some creative selling can lead to bigger sales down the road.

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

MLS Playoffs: Postseason teams takes shape

Whether or not you agree with it, the MLS Playoffs are upon us. It is that time of year when fans cringe to see whether or not a couple of unfortunate goals will keep their team from playing for another week, or if they can hold onto a spot while awaiting the results of other matches. Here's how the table looks right now:

Overall										Home						Away
Club	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA	+/-		W	L	T	GF	GA		W	L	T	GF	GA
Columbus	25	11	4	10	43	38	28	10		8	0	4	23	13		3	4	6	15	15
Houston	27	12	8	7	43	35	26	9		8	1	4	22	12		4	7	3	13	14
Los Angeles	26	10	5	11	41	33	29	4		5	4	4	15	17		5	1	7	18	12
Chicago	26	10	6	10	40	36	31	5		4	4	5	13	15		6	2	5	23	16
Seattle	26	9	6	11	38	31	24	7		6	2	6	19	9		3	4	5	12	15
Colorado	25	10	8	7	37	39	31	8		8	2	3	23	8		2	6	4	16	23
Chivas USA	24	11	9	4	37	25	24	1		8	2	1	18	8		3	7	3	7	16
D.C. United	26	8	6	12	36	39	38	1		6	1	5	17	10		2	5	7	22	28
Real Salt Lake	26	9	10	7	34	38	31	7		7	1	5	29	11		2	9	2	9	20
New England	24	9	8	7	34	29	33	-4		6	3	3	20	14		3	5	4	9	19
Toronto FC	26	9	10	7	34	33	38	-5		7	3	3	18	13		2	7	4	15	25
Kansas City	25	8	11	6	30	28	34	-6		4	5	3	14	15		4	6	3	14	19
FC Dallas	25	7	12	6	27	41	43	-2		5	3	4	22	18		2	9	2	19	25
San Jose	23	5	12	6	21	28	41	-13		5	4	4	20	19		0	8	2	8	22
New York	26	4	17	5	17	21	43	-22		4	6	4	19	20		0	11	1	2	23

**From MLSNet.com

Looking at the table allows us to see where there is a clear divide between who is in and who is out. D.C. United, occupier of the eighth and final spot in the playoffs, is only the third team from the East to be in a qualifying position. Outside looking in is both Real Salt Lake, New England, and Toronto FC. RSL is in an interesting position, however, because they can only advance into the playoffs if they take out the fifth team from the west, which is currently Chivas USA.

This brand of buffering is what keeps a lot of MLS fans awake at night: not seeing your team play because they are better than the other conference teams, but not good enough for your own conference. For those that do not understand the playoff system, take a look here. In layman's terms, the best three teams from each conference make it into the playoffs, and the next two teams with the best point totals make it in (and yes there is a tie breaker, look at the above link for more information). D.C. United, the last team to currently qualify in the East, can be ousted by New England and Toronto, but Real Salt Lake would need to surpass Chivas USA to advance. Frustration, thy name is the Western Conference.

The situation also comes as a surprise to many fans, as last year the exact opposite happened. The East ran away with five spots in the playoffs to the West's three. It was also odd that the New York Red Bulls actually won the Western Conference and played Eastern Conference foe Columbus Crew for the MLS Cup.

The Rundown

While New York is out of this year's playoff picture, San Jose is still mathematically elligible to make the playoffs, however unlikely that may be. Their next two games are away at Colorado and D.C., which could produce a couple spoilers for these teams desperate to hold onto their spots.

Toronto, slowly dying from not making the playoffs yet, has a definite advantage in the last four games of their schedule. After facing a difficult match in Chicago, TFC will have an easier time handling San Jose, RSL and finally New York.

The greatest advantage New England has as it approaches the end of the schedule is that they have a game in hand over many others. The unfortunate point, though, is that all but one of their six remaining matches are against current playoff spot holders, including two matches against defending champions Columbus.

Chivas USA also has a game in hand and can potentially move up and get homefield advantage for their first playoff round, should they complete a relatively difficult run of games, including playing away at D.C. and Chicago.

Down but not out, Kansas City will need a miracle run to advance into the playoffs. In their way are (most likely) all playoff bound teams, but three of their last five are at home.

D.C., while clearly having a mediocre season, can salvage what is left and hold onto the last playoff position in the East. Preventing them from establishing their form is the COCACAF Champions League, which will have them playing midweek games three more times this season.

So what do you think? Who's going to advance? Who's going to be left with a long offseason?

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

America's U-20 Team Has MLS Flair

In Egypt the U.S. U-20 squad is looking forward to their challenging group in the 2009 U-20 World Cup. Facing the likes of Germany, Cameroon and South Korea will provide many opportunities for these young players to face tough competition unlike any other they have faced.

While there are many faces that soccer fans have never seen, there are indeed several that play in the MLS across the United States. Here is a list of those players:

Daniel Cruz (15/2): Houston's third round pick from this year's draft, he has seen limited playing time on the field, but has picked up a couple shots on goals in his few appearances.

Kyle Davies (10/0): Captained the team in the 2009 CONCACAF U-20 Championship that ultimately fell to Costa Rica. Has started in 10 matches for FC Dallas this year.

Peri Marosevic (14/5): Fifth overall selection in the 2009 SuperDraft, the University of Michigan standout was selected by FC Dallas but has managed to see the field only four times this year. This tournament should ease his crave for playing time.

Gerson Mayen (4/0): This year has been quietly successful for the young Chivas USA midfielder, collecting four assists in under 400 minutes after not seeing first team action during his rookie season.

Josh Lambo (4/0): While he still hasn't played professionally for FC Dallas, the capable goalkeeper is looking for some time to impress and earn his Generation Addidas contract.

Brek Shea (10/4): The second pick in the 2008 SuperDraft, Shea has seen an increase in playing time this season and has gifted Dallas in his 12 appearances by adding four assists and six shots on goal.

*(caps/goals)

Brian Perk (UCLA), Sheanon Williams (UNC) and Dilly Duka (Rutgers) are possible future SuperDraft top picks if they do not get picked up by European clubs.

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

MLS Cup Goes Primetime

This year's MLS Cup just got a whole lot more interesting. Compared to years in the past, the 2009 edition will be carried by ESPN at 8:30pm, which will pit it against big-time sports programs like Sunday Night Football on NBC.

The SportsBusiness Journal reports that the game could be played on ESPN or ABC, but no official word has been made. They also state that the executives of the MLS hope the move "will enhance the in-stadium atmosphere, which should make it more appealing on television."

The encouraging nature of the programming switch has alluded to an increase in interest in the league and can be inferred that the switch will give huge rating for the Cup that was normally a Sunday afternoon affair. Qwest Field in Seattle will hold their first MLS Cup on November 22nd.

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

Jermaine Jones: How switching to America can change his career

Jermaine Jones, the American turned German soccer star, is the latest in players that have committed to the U.S. National Team, to make a more difficult decision for coach Bob Bradley to decide what to do with a plethora of talent before the U.S. makes its trip to the South African World Cup in 2010. While his current injury might hamper his ability to be readily available for the team, Jones might be able to recover quick enough to actually become a valued member of the team. But what happens if that is not enough, and Bradley skips over the Schalke star?

Jones is often not considered an American: he was born in Frankfurt am Main, moved to the U.S., then moved back with his mother, who raised him German away from his American father. Everything about him, though, is uniquely American. Where other European athletes might avoid the spotlight, Jones relishes the chance to display himself, obviously evident by his unique personality, his tattoos and his swagger on the field. While he speaks German and struggles with English, his sports personality is one that is common with American sports fans, being a fan-favorite at Frankfurt but also burning bridges and creating controversy at a lot of the clubs he has been with.

Although he might just be 27, Jones has most likely reached the pinnacle of his soccer career. He has realized that his chances with the German national team are limited and he will most likely never be called up for a match of significance. His move to the USMNT is unique, being a European player that has willingly decided to be 'American' and play for the country of his father. Not many people can claim to know a player that has willingly turned down a major national team in European to play in America.

Although his recent injury has put him behind schedule in terms of national development, Jones still plans on joining the team before the World Cup. If this does not work out, however, Jones might be hard-pressed to come into favor with Bob Bradley. His international experience will be in his favor, but if visibility is key, moving to the U.S. would be an easy choice. Perhaps being on an MLS franchise or practicing with a club will allow Bradley to examine him to a level that is unavilable to those currently abroad, and could guarantee him future play with the U.S.

Of course, there are many things against him. Jones does not know English. He signed a contract extension with Schalke this year that will put him on the team until June 2004. There are even some that do not recognize him as a true American and find fault with that. Choosing America over others, however, has been a common practice on the USMNT.

For example, America steals talent all over the place, and there are players like Benny Feilhaber and Stuart Holden that were born in Brazil and Scotland respectively and could have claimed citizenship in those nations. Pablo Mastroeni could have chosen Argentina. Like Jermaine Jones, all of them could have patiently waited for a call up, wasting time in a league that would bring little hope of national glory. But they decided to change to the U.S. for an opportunity to play almost immediately. Can we fault Jones for wanting to play at a national level and give himself some legitimacy outside of the Bundesliga?

To increase the speed that Jones wants to play in the U.S., training with a team in the U.S. after the German season is common sense. In fact, if he wants to really get onto the good side Bob Bradley, he should have plans for moving sometime in June at the latest, and be on a roster for a friendly before the tournament. His chances of being picked, albeit slim, are going to be based on wowing Bradley early and often. For those that still debate whether he should be allowed to compete, should realize that others before, like many of our ancestors, did the exact same thing to better themselves.

America is a place of great opportunity, and we would be wrong to deny it for someone looking for a home.

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

Game of the Week: Columbus Crew at Chicago Fire

vs.

Sunday's matinee performance will surely give the Eastern Conference more perspective as we head into the last weeks of the season. Three points separate the two teams that are making late season surges, each one picking up points in their last match. This game can determine the season series; each team has two points for two ties. A win by Columbus will result in furthering themselves from the rest, or a win by Chicago will put them in the party at the top of the East.

Columbus Crew

As the Crew look to finish their season strong, they face stiff competition in many playoff bound clubs and will becoming off many short weeks during pivitol matches. After coming away with a win at Saprissa on Wednesday, the Crew must feel confident in their ability to put on a show even with the most unlikely of talent and come away with the most improbable of wins. For this match, the Crew will be without Chad Marshall, who suffered a knee MCL strain and will need to be kept on reserved status with the impending playoffs just weeks away.

Schelotto, who has cooled off from his early run at MVP honors, took the night off Wednesday so he can play the full-90 minutes Sunday. Due to the number of players available for the match, the Crew played with three backs, but played two two deep midfielders in Duncan Oughton and Brian Carroll. It is unlikely that the Crew will use this formation Sunday, but if the Crew need to score an equalizer it is a likely alternative to their normal 4-4-1-1 formation, which allows Columbus to put two forwards forward.

The match will have the same intensity of last year's Eastern Conference Championship, but the change of scenery might prove to be a worthy alteration to Columbus's future plans. If Chicago puts on a good performance and has a good crowd, the Crew will come away with a very unfortunate turn to their difficult closing schedule: they still face a schedule that includes L.A., Seattle, D.C. and CONCACAF Champions League matches, or a total of 8 matches in 5 weeks.

Chicago Fire

Denis Hamlett's club features many star players, but if there was a time for Brian McBride to appear, it's now. The match is so crucicial to the Fire's future plans, that the head (and brain) of McBride is a must to increase the volume of goals the Fire can produce. While the Crew and the Fire share similar goal scoring (1.50, 1.36) and goals against averages (4th, 6th), where Chicago stands out is scoring at home. The Fire have one of the worst home records in the league (4-4-4) due to their worst scoring average in the MLS at Toyota Park (0.96).

The backbone as always is Jon Busch, who has appeared in every game this year. His eight shutouts nears the top of the list of MLS keepers, and his 2250 minutes in goal is second to only Pat Onstad. Busch will need to stay strong against a vaunted Columbus attack that ranks fourth in the league in goals. Without regular Tim Ward, the defense will be pressed to keep competitive but should look good come gametime. Costa Rican David Myrie signed earlier this week, and pending some kind of international snafu, will see the field Sunday.

Cuauhtemoc Blanco will be leaned on extensively this game, much to the distain of Columbus fans that have had multiple problems with the Crew this year, extending from a questionable red card foul to a jersey given to a referee after the game. All things aside, Blanco is at home, and is very much settled into his role as assist man and offensive starter. Look for Chicago to create a lot of scoring chances towards the end of a half, where they have commonly scored most of their goals and have achieved synchrocy.

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

CONCACAF Rewind: Columbus, D.C. win, Houston falters

While the week as a whole might not have gone the way the MLS had hoped, two teams came away winners, while one team lost. Each game was abroad, meaning that Columbus, D.C. and Houston would each have difficult tasks ahead of them to establish themselves in the tournament. Winners Columbus and D.C. came away with what could be considered unlikely wins when you look at the stat sheet, but Houston's performance was clearly subpar, allowing themselves to be exposed by the powerful Pachuca offense. Here's how it all went down:

D.C. United

With their first ever CONCACAF Champions League group stage win, D.C. United proved that they are not totally out of the tournament in a difficult but not unbeatable group. The 1-0 win against San Juan Jabloteh came at a time when all seemed lost for the MLS club; their first two matches ended with loses against Honduran side Marathon and Mexican club Toluca. While the club might not have looked their best, all it took to win was a penalty strike by Gomez to tip the scales. The empty stadium was filled with the discordant sounds of drums and pans but the faith the team had in their play was all D.C. needed to complete the match. Several Jabloteh resurgences almost brought a sharing of points, but in the end D.C. held on for a pivotal win in the group. United will host Marathon in a sure to be thriller at RFK on September 24.

Columbus Crew

Suspense was the name of this game, as Eddie Gaven's 5th minute goal was the only difference between them and Costa Rican side Saprissa. Gaven took the ball away from Saprissa's defender, ran at the goal and slotted it under keeper Keilor Navas clearly caught off guard by the Columbus counterattack. After that, the game had a definite Italian feel, where the Crew bunkered down, relied on their reserves and built up a defense to defend the lead. Seeking to keep as many players as fresh as possible for their Sunday clash with Chicago, Crew keeper Will Hesmer made great saves to give the MLS their first win ever in Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá. While their next contest against Cruz Azul will be daunting, their 6 pts in three games will certainly give the Crew confidence in their ability to advance.

Houston Dynamo

Where others succeeded, Houston faltered, failing to gain at least a point away from home at Pachuca. Running most of the possession and offensive firepower, Pachuca showed their prowess for loose balls and attacked the Houston goal and second-stringer Tally Hall at whim. After Dominic Oduro received his second yellow card of the match, it seemed only a matter of time before Pachuca sealed their win. It came in the 74th minute when Gimenez put away the insurance goal and put the Dynamo on ice, at least for this week. Next match, the Dynamo face Arabe Unido at home at Robertson Stadium and need the full three points if they look to keep up with Pachuca, who will face Metapan.

So what say you? Are MLS clubs likely to move on? Is D.C. too far out to make it?

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

Questions abound: Is this Don Garber's schedule change or the MLS's?

Did Don Garber finally get one right?

Amongst fears that next year's season would be marred by player absences and disinterested fans, the MLS has decided to not play any games during the group stage of the World Cup 2010 in South Africa. The MLS has played through three World Cups, 1998 in France, 2002 in South Korea/Japan, and 2006 in Germany, and never before has the league taken a break from play to allow their best to travel abroad and give others a needed break.

This leaves us one question: why now? Why has Garber and co. decided that now is the right time to stop what was making American soccer fans so upset for over 10 years? The reason: it's because they want to try caring.

"The decision to stop League play during the group phase of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is part of MLS' commitment to deepen its connection with the millions of soccer fans in the United States and Canada," said Garber.

What? Now is the time that the league wants to deepen its connection with fans? What about all those other years when fans were clamoring for a break? If the MLS had cared before, they should have stopped then before teams were forced to play with purged lineups, when fans were less likely to watch due to a diminished quality level and because they were more worried about other soccer happening elsewhere.

While this is an obvious good move for the league, I do not think that this sort of 'good will' will last with fans. With 2008 coming to a close, soccer aficionados thought the league was growing, had embraced the commissioner with open arms, and then found out the reserve league was collapsing and the rosters were to be cut. Although the economy had certainly hit American sports hard, it seemed to hit the MLS the hardest. The quality of play is now your starting eleven, a couple subs, and a bench where there is little room for error. Couple this with international tournaments during the season, and it's no wonder Eurosnobs never watch the MLS.

The bone-headedness of these words by Garber only shows what sort of ignorance he thinks his fans have for soccer. Does he believe that everyone will just get on the wagon and believe the league is moving towards a brighter future as teams still look for legitimacy in their markets? Does he think that by answering one common question that other leagues around the world have avoided will make him memorable? I highly doubt it, but to think that Garber has done something profound here is definitely obtuse and it will take a lot more change to put the MLS in its right place.

I'm not arguing for a fall-spring schedule. I'm not arguing for pro/rel. I am simply stating that if the MLS cares about the quality of the league, there are very basic things they can do to improve it. The World Cup schedule is a step in the right direction. Let's hope they continue to walk the line.

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

Julian de Guzman: The best Toronto player ever?

 

f

Julian de Guzman: the answer for Toronto? or THE answer for a club that has never made it to the playoffs? 

f

Signed not even a week ago, Julian de Guzman could be the single best move ever made by the young Toronto FC. His international play, coupled with his national team experience has made him one of the best, if not the best Canadian soccer player of all-time. So what if he's never played a game. de Guzman is the best player ever for Toronto. 

f

When you take a look at the hallowed list of Toronto players, no one even compares. Maurice Edu? A flash in the pan if you look at his production outside of the club. Greg Sutton? More like a collander than a stopper in the goal. Danny Dichio? Please, the guy scores the first goal in your history and you claim that he's a god. Well for all you Toronto fans that want to take up polytheism, start adopting #6 as your savior.

f

Just look at de Guzman's track record: reserve player with Marsielle, first team with FC Saarbrucken, Hannover 96 and Deportivo de la Coruna. He has over 40 caps for Canada. He was the MVP of the 2007 Gold Cup tournament. de Guzman has cups and trophies and accolades that far surpass half the Toronto squad. But yet we still haven't hit on exactly why de Guzman is the best player ever to put on a Toronto jersey (note we still have not seen him put on a jersey). 

f

Think about it. There are seven designated players in the MLS. Beckham, Blanco, Angel, Emilio, Schelotto, Ljundberg, and Landin. There are also four that are not under that tag or have retired: Reyna, Denilson, Gallardo and Lopez. de Guzman, now the eighth active DP, is special, and here's why. When you look at that list, what do you notice? Did you notice that there are some recognizable names? Probably. Did you see that several countries are represented? Perhaps. But did you notice anything about the positions?

f

Ah, yes. Here we are. de Guzman, the defender. de Guzman, the man with only three goals to his name in league play over a nine year period, but still has the ability to outrun, outpace and play the opposition. Signing a player to a DP salary takes a lot of consideration, but signing a defender who will likely never appear on the scoresheet, rarely appear twice on the box score (if carded) and possibly be the silent type that will rarely get recognized is a stretch is a 'danger, Will Robinson' scenerio. It's a huge economic gamble, but with de Guzman, it's not really that troublesome, and definitely not something front office members will fret about. 

f

Coming to Toronto is his renassiance, his rebirth, if you will. Bored (or so I would like to think) with Europe he has taken the next stop towards the final frontier, which is actually his own. Why not play for a home crowd for once, where people shouting your name is in your native tounge. A translator is not needed, and everytime you go to a visiting stadium you know exactly what vulgarities are being said. 

f

This is the second reason why Toronto must pat themselves on the back: believing in your own Canadian athletes. Besides Claudio Reyna, there have been no other DPs from the northern portion of North America. To come from a country of around 34 million, the idea that your very first designated player would be from your own nation would be considered ludicrous. Not even American teams do that. Holding onto players like Landon Donovan or budding stars like Chris Rolfe is difficult to justify for American franchises. They would rather players develop abroad, grow bored on the bench and come begging on their knees to play in the MLS. But not de Guzman.

f

Julian used his talents to get placed into one of the best French clubs, then moved onto a first team spot where he instantly became a hit and has plied his craft all over the continent. He chose to come back. He's not doing it for charity. He's not doing it because of pride for his country. It's because de Guzman wants to. He can make the same money abroad as he does here, but because Toronto can offer it makes no difference. He's not worried about standard of play, nor is he worried that he will be underappreciated. Besides Seattle, there is probably no other place in the league that shows more gratitude for their players in terms of attendance. 

 f

His decision to come back to Canada, to play during the height of his career, and to play a position that is underappreciated has made de Guzman the best player for Toronto. Now all he has left to do is conquer the rest of MLS.

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

UEFA Champions League Preview: Group H

The end of our marathon, Group H is a group that is quietly assembled by some small but well known clubs that have some very good teams that have made it automatically into the group stage, the play-off round, or into the third qualifying round. The most likely team to advance will be Arsenal, but it will be a toss-up for the second spot, and will likely be a tight race coming into the final matches to determine which team will be retiring and which will be be moved to the UEFA Cup.
f

**Note: I must apologize for my infrequent posting, but the past week has been rather hectic. Blame graduate schools. The next week will feature more regular posting and some new ideas. 

f

Arsenal F.C.

f

Semi-finalists last year, Arsenal looks to win their first Champions League title and establish another strong showing the tournament. The last time the Gunners qualified for the group stage was when they won the 2005 Premiership and became runners-up in the tournament, falling to Barcelona. Moving from Ajax, Thomas Vermaelen is becoming a steady force on defense and will be seen on many occasions during the course of the tournament, as well as William Gallas, who has been known to score during his time on defense. Van Persie, Fabregas, and Arshavin will of course be regulars, but it will be a challenge to see how the club competes without Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor.

f

Alkmaar Zaanstreek

f

Their first tournament under the name of the Champions League, AZ was involved in the 1981-82 European Cup, but was knocked out after group play while facing Norwegian side IK Start, and groupmates Liverpool. Youth is the name of AZ's game, and a lot of the hopes will lie with the likes of the 23-year old Ari, 25-year old Mounir El Hamdaoui, and 25-year old Maarten Martens. In goal, the 22-year old Argentinian Sergio Romero returns after a hand injury limited him to time last year. Stijn Schaars will captain the club at the ripe age of 25 and use their youth advantage and heart to push them through to the next round.

f

Olympiacos F.C.

f

After the departure of coach Ernesto Valverde to Villareal, Olympiacos looked like it might struggle before the season even started. Salvation came in the form of Temuri Ketsbaia, the new coach that led Anorthosis Famagusta FC of Cyprus to two league titles in 2005 and 2008, and put the team in the first group stage of the Champions League. It was the first group stage appearance for any team from the island. This year, Ketsbaia will be on the side that he defeated during the tournament in 2008, and hopes to lead them through to the next round. Players to watch include keeper Antonios Nikopolidis, who has seen over 150 matches with the Athens area club, and transfer striker Matt Derbyshire will look to restart his career after several loan stints from Blackburn.

f

Standard Liege
f
Back-to-back championships in the Belgian League has given Standard a chance for more international stardom, and this time they look to stay. They were knocked out of the tournament last year by (as if this was a theme) Liverpool, but with the new organization they are now involved in group play. Despite an impressive record in the tournament (23-16-5) the team has no hardware to show for it. To change their future, the Belgians are looking towards the Serbian Milan Jovanovic for big games and the Brazilian Felipe and the native Belgian Reginal Goreux to provide strength and depth on defense. Igor De Camargo will put the ball on goal and need to take some pressure off the defense that saw the lost of American Oguchi Onyewu to AC Milan.
f
Enjoy the matches!

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users

UEFA Champions League Preview: Group G

 ff
Group G spreads out across Europe and features top competition with a history in the tournament. Play begins on Wednesday for this group, with Stuttgart facing Rangers and Sevilla against Unirea Urziceni. F those that don't recognize the Romanian club, don't worry, most of Europe is being introduced to them as well.  

Sevilla FC 

For the Spaniards, this is not just another opportunity for European glory. Sevilla has won the UEFA Cup twice this decade, but they have never won the Champions League. Their third place finish was good enough to put them into the last group state qualifying spot, and to waste the opportunity would waste their best chance to advance in the tournament in their history. Luis Fabiano and Frederic Kanoute are the successfful strikers on the team and they will need to put in a lot of goals to keep the club in contention. Thankfully, not all the pressure is on the offense, because Andres Palop, who was the third string keeper for Spain in Euro 2008, will be in goal.

Rangers F.C. 

The Glasgow club also received an automatic spot in the group stage and could feature some American talent in the form of Maurice Edu and DaMarcus Beasley. The last time Rangers was in the group stage was two tournaments ago, when they failed to advance and were relegated to the UEFA Cup. This tournament, their automatic qualification will give the team more time to be composed throughout the matches and might help them recover from past failures. Both Kenny Miller and Lee McCulloch have two goals this season, but someone to watch is Jerome Rothen, who is on loan from Paris Saint-Germain and has quite a lot of international experience.
 ff
VfB Stuttgart 

Die Schwaben outlasted Timisora of Romania to become the third member in group three. They were involved in last year's UEFA Cup, but were taken out in the Round of 32. For this upcoming season, they advance to the Champions League by finishing third in Germany. The last hardware Stuttgart has won was the 2008 Intertoto cup, but Eren Derdiyok, the Swiss international, would like to add to the cupboards of the German club. Thomas Hitzlsperger will lead the club in the tournament, but will still need to rely on his defense and Jens Lehmann in goal.
  ff
FC Unirea Urziceni
 ff
Obscure? Yes. Unknown? Yes. Without hope? Maybe. The Romanian club won their first ever Liga I crown after being promoted only 4 seasons earlier. Under the direction of Dan Petrescu, the famous international player of Romanian origin, the club has blossomed into its current position. Their roster, although full of unknowns, will need to compete with some of the greatest athletes in the world, and their inability to participate at a high level could be revealed by their ineptitude on the pitch. Giedrius Arlauskis, the 21-year old goalkeeper from Lithuania, will grow up quick, especially if the defense of the club cannot keep up with their play. As a side note, Unirea Urziceni's stadium is too small for UEFA play, so they will play all of their matches at Steaua Stadium, home of the Romanian national team.

Save to delicious Saved by 0 users