Oh boy. I think DC is officially in trouble after this game. Houston outplayed them in every area: offense, defense, midfield, you name it.
Things started out on the wrong foot for DC United. One might think their defense forgot to come out of the locker room. In the 4th minute, Geoff Cameron put sweet pass into the area for Will Bruin, who slotted home the first goal of the night to give Houston the 1-0 lead. DC didn't buckle totally just yet though. In the 12th minute Pontius got a header on goal and forced a save out of Tally Hall.
Things proceeded in a bit of a lull for most of the first half, but Houston had the most of the possession. DC would try a counter every once in awhile, but didn't really look too threatening. However we did get a talking point in the 32nd minute when Freeman took Pontius down in the area. The ref didn't award a PK, but it looked from the replay that DC had a case, and even the Fox commentators thought so. DC kept plugging away though. They had a set piece chance in the 39th minute, which they put on a training ground move. It worked, and Burch eased it in past a perplexed Tally Hall to tie things at 1-1.
That was the high point of the night for DC, and things fell away for them rather quickly. In the 41st minute, Davis eased a beautiful left footed cross into the area and Will Bruin headed it in. Gorgeous goal! Houston took the lead into the half 2-1.
The second half was all Houston. I don't know what was going on for DC United at all. Najar did check in and it helped a little at first. Pontius had a shot blocked at the defensive line after a Najar cross, but that was it.
In the 57th minute Bruin got his hat trick. He put in a nice header off a set piece, and DC's defense was nowhere in sight. 3-1 Houston. The Dynamo weren't done either. In the 62nd minute Weaver took a ball from a throw in in his own half and streaked through a sleeping DC defense and scored. I've never seen anything like it. 4-1 Houston.
The only other really noteworthy action came in the 66th, when Jakovic was shown a yellow for a vicious tackle on Cameron. For my money, it was red. Not much different from the Mullan tackle, except for the visitor escaped injury. MLS really does need to continue to take a look at some of this. Houston took the match by the 4-1 score.
We like to put DC on national tv. True, watching CD9 is awesome, but this team has a hell of a long way to go. They've played absolutely horribly for two straight weeks now. Hopefully, Ben Olsen will get time to right the ship. Houston picks up more points and at least temporarily moved to the top of the Eastern Conference. Great performance.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Match Thoughts: San Jose Earthquakes vs. Chivas USA
So prior to this last week, I hadn't seen Chivas yet this year, and Chivas hadn't won yet. I did see Chivas in person last year at Rio Tinto, and I wasn't impressed. They got a cheap draw against RSL. However, the goats made changes during the offseason, bringing in at least 12 new players and new coach Robin Fraser.
The Quakes really wanted to play better at home, as they hadn't won ay home yet in 2011. They started out well enough, controlling chances. They seemed to have the most possession and Chivas seemed to be sitting looking for a counter chance. They got one in the 14th minute when Flores flicked a cross into the area. Zemanski got a head to it, but it went off the post.
San Jose took a sigh of relief and moved back up the pitch. Convey took a shot that was deflected out of bounds earning a corner. The ensuing corner bounced off a head or two onto the head of Chris Wondolowski who put it past Kennedy into the back of the net, 1-0 to the Quakes.
Really the Quakes had the better of it in the first half. At one point they had 70% possession. They certainly had the better chances, but they weren't really pushing the issue, which their coach bemoaned during an in game interview. Despite players like Wondo being active on both ends, you got the feeling they were letting Chivas hang around. In the 29th, Chivas almost made them pay as La Brocca got a head on a shot that was only kept out by a great save from Busch. In the 34th they got a free kick on a goal, which Busch caught and almost carried back over the line. Finally in first half stoppage time, Chivas got the equalizer. Moreno got his head on a set piece shot and we went into the half 1-1.
The second half was mostly Chivas. San Jose did get a talking point in the 52nd minute when Sealy was pulled down in the box. I thought he had a pretty good case for a PK. Marrufo wasn't interested though.
Then, slowly but surely Chivas took over. They even took the lead in possession. They got more and more chances. They took the lead in the 85th minute on a counter when Busch couldn't hold a save and Trujillo poked it in to put Chivas up 1-2. The Quakes had a flurry of chances, but they couldn't find the back of the net and we ended with that 1-2 score.
The Quakes were horribly disappointed. They got beat bad in the midfield, and didn't get the pressure on Chivas, allowing the Goats to really play their game. What's worse, they only took two points out of their first four home matches which leaves them mired on the bottom of the West Table.
For Chivas, it was certainly a bright spot. They got a lot of good play, especially in the midfield, that supplemented their already solid defense and goal keeping. It would seem like they might be on the rise a little bit. We'll see what happens next week against the Revs.
The Quakes really wanted to play better at home, as they hadn't won ay home yet in 2011. They started out well enough, controlling chances. They seemed to have the most possession and Chivas seemed to be sitting looking for a counter chance. They got one in the 14th minute when Flores flicked a cross into the area. Zemanski got a head to it, but it went off the post.
San Jose took a sigh of relief and moved back up the pitch. Convey took a shot that was deflected out of bounds earning a corner. The ensuing corner bounced off a head or two onto the head of Chris Wondolowski who put it past Kennedy into the back of the net, 1-0 to the Quakes.
Really the Quakes had the better of it in the first half. At one point they had 70% possession. They certainly had the better chances, but they weren't really pushing the issue, which their coach bemoaned during an in game interview. Despite players like Wondo being active on both ends, you got the feeling they were letting Chivas hang around. In the 29th, Chivas almost made them pay as La Brocca got a head on a shot that was only kept out by a great save from Busch. In the 34th they got a free kick on a goal, which Busch caught and almost carried back over the line. Finally in first half stoppage time, Chivas got the equalizer. Moreno got his head on a set piece shot and we went into the half 1-1.
The second half was mostly Chivas. San Jose did get a talking point in the 52nd minute when Sealy was pulled down in the box. I thought he had a pretty good case for a PK. Marrufo wasn't interested though.
Then, slowly but surely Chivas took over. They even took the lead in possession. They got more and more chances. They took the lead in the 85th minute on a counter when Busch couldn't hold a save and Trujillo poked it in to put Chivas up 1-2. The Quakes had a flurry of chances, but they couldn't find the back of the net and we ended with that 1-2 score.
The Quakes were horribly disappointed. They got beat bad in the midfield, and didn't get the pressure on Chivas, allowing the Goats to really play their game. What's worse, they only took two points out of their first four home matches which leaves them mired on the bottom of the West Table.
For Chivas, it was certainly a bright spot. They got a lot of good play, especially in the midfield, that supplemented their already solid defense and goal keeping. It would seem like they might be on the rise a little bit. We'll see what happens next week against the Revs.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Serie A: Inter Milan vs. Lazio
This was a really fun match to watch, and as an Inter supporter, I'm sure glad they ended up winning. Leonardo has been under pressure as Manager, and a loss would have surely put them out of the Scudetto picture.
The match was nice and wide open early as both clubs had something to play for. Inter is still barely chasing the title, and Lazio, once considered contenders, are fighting for a spot in Europe. Lazio got a nice on goal in the 5th minute that forced Cesar to make a save. In the next minute Samuel Eto'o curled a shot just wide. Nice end to end stuff. In the 11th minute, Eto'o roared up the pitch on a break, only have the ball taken off him at the last second. Replay showed that it should have been a free kick. Lazio responded in the 15th with a nice run by Zarate, but Ranocchia made a gorgeous tackle in the area to spoil the chance.
Then the goals started. In the 22nd, Zarate broke 1 on 1 with Cesar. The Inter keeper brought him down in the area resulting in a penalty kick and a red card. Zarate scored on the cold Inter back up keeper, 0-1 to Lazio.
Inter put together a response though. They really started to build and put pressure on the Lazio defensive third. Sneijder had a shot saved in the 28th minute, and he managed to equalize in the 40th with a gorgeous bending free kick that was a great crowning moment on all the Inter pressure. We went to the half tied at 1-1.
Lazio tried to hang in there in the second half, and had some chances. Inter had the better chances though, and finished off their impressive performance. Zarate had to settle down after a hard tackle on Maicon earned him a yellow.
Inter took the lead in the 53rd. Samuel Eto'o made his presence felt yet again. Taking the ball up the pitch, he ran rings around the Lazio defense and slotted the winner home. Great finish, 2-1 Inter. Mauri got sent off in the 66th minute, putting both sides at 10, and Inter held on for the three points at home. A great win for them versus a good side, but the hole they're in now is probably too deep to get out of. They still might win the Coppa Italia though.
The match was nice and wide open early as both clubs had something to play for. Inter is still barely chasing the title, and Lazio, once considered contenders, are fighting for a spot in Europe. Lazio got a nice on goal in the 5th minute that forced Cesar to make a save. In the next minute Samuel Eto'o curled a shot just wide. Nice end to end stuff. In the 11th minute, Eto'o roared up the pitch on a break, only have the ball taken off him at the last second. Replay showed that it should have been a free kick. Lazio responded in the 15th with a nice run by Zarate, but Ranocchia made a gorgeous tackle in the area to spoil the chance.
Then the goals started. In the 22nd, Zarate broke 1 on 1 with Cesar. The Inter keeper brought him down in the area resulting in a penalty kick and a red card. Zarate scored on the cold Inter back up keeper, 0-1 to Lazio.
Inter put together a response though. They really started to build and put pressure on the Lazio defensive third. Sneijder had a shot saved in the 28th minute, and he managed to equalize in the 40th with a gorgeous bending free kick that was a great crowning moment on all the Inter pressure. We went to the half tied at 1-1.
Lazio tried to hang in there in the second half, and had some chances. Inter had the better chances though, and finished off their impressive performance. Zarate had to settle down after a hard tackle on Maicon earned him a yellow.
Inter took the lead in the 53rd. Samuel Eto'o made his presence felt yet again. Taking the ball up the pitch, he ran rings around the Lazio defense and slotted the winner home. Great finish, 2-1 Inter. Mauri got sent off in the 66th minute, putting both sides at 10, and Inter held on for the three points at home. A great win for them versus a good side, but the hole they're in now is probably too deep to get out of. They still might win the Coppa Italia though.
Puddle's MLS Preview: Saturday, 4/30 matches.
Another full slate of MLS action tomorrow, featuring the return of league leaders and CONCACAF finalists Real Salt Lake to league play.
Philadelphia Union vs. San Jose Earthquakes.
The Union return after an unexpected weekend off last week after their fixture at Salt Lake was moved. Prior to that, they gave up a late equalizer at home to drop points against Seattle. San Jose has taken a couple of tough losses to RBNY and Chivas. This game has the potential to be a classic if these teams can pick themselves up. I look for Le Toux to get involved and for the Union to take the points at home.
Columbus Crew vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
Don't look now, but here come the Crew. They're unbeaten since opening day and have been grinding out some positive results. For the Whitecaps, they've been playing alright, but they have had a hard time getting the result. Plus, Atiba Harris is out for awhile, which will hurt them. I think they'll recover some and earn a point in Columbus. If they don't, they might be in trouble.
NY Red Bulls vs. Sporting KC
These two teams are headed in two different directions. NY have been dominant in recent matches while KC has been dropping matches. Henry has been on fire for Red Bulls and for Sporting, well, still no Omar Bravo. Their massive road trip continues as they await the opening of their new stadium. Look for NY to continue their winning ways here.
Colorado Rapids vs. Chicago Fire
Well the good news is, one of these teams has to get a result, right? Hopefully anyway. You'd favor the Rapids to pick up points at home. After all, they played well despite going down a man in the loss to Seattle, but they are still injury riddled, and they've lost three straight. Chicago managed a draw with Houston last week, at least that's something for them, but they're obviously still struggling. I look for Colorado to do enough at home to pick up the three points.
Seattle Sounders vs. Toronto FC
Seattle is in deep trouble, really through no fault of their own. Zakuani is probably out for the season and O'Brian White is out for an extended period of time after surgery this week. Who will score goals? The good news is that Freddy Montero scored last week. For TFC, they had a draw result last week, but they're having troubles getting goals too. I look for Seattle's crowd to get behind them and help them pick up three points in a low scoring game.
Chivas USA vs. New England Revolution
Chivas took some of the pressure off last weekend by picking up their first win. New England also looked decent against KC. A three point result for either team would be a real boost at this point, but I look for a draw at the Home Depot Center.
Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake
Normally I kinda pull for Portland, but not against my boys tomorrow night. Sorry. Portland will look to do better after being destroyed by LA. RSL? Well, I think they'll either explode and rip up the Timbers, or implode following CCL. I look for Kries to keep them on an even keel, and I expect a point for RSL in a tough road match.
Philadelphia Union vs. San Jose Earthquakes.
The Union return after an unexpected weekend off last week after their fixture at Salt Lake was moved. Prior to that, they gave up a late equalizer at home to drop points against Seattle. San Jose has taken a couple of tough losses to RBNY and Chivas. This game has the potential to be a classic if these teams can pick themselves up. I look for Le Toux to get involved and for the Union to take the points at home.
Columbus Crew vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
Don't look now, but here come the Crew. They're unbeaten since opening day and have been grinding out some positive results. For the Whitecaps, they've been playing alright, but they have had a hard time getting the result. Plus, Atiba Harris is out for awhile, which will hurt them. I think they'll recover some and earn a point in Columbus. If they don't, they might be in trouble.
NY Red Bulls vs. Sporting KC
These two teams are headed in two different directions. NY have been dominant in recent matches while KC has been dropping matches. Henry has been on fire for Red Bulls and for Sporting, well, still no Omar Bravo. Their massive road trip continues as they await the opening of their new stadium. Look for NY to continue their winning ways here.
Colorado Rapids vs. Chicago Fire
Well the good news is, one of these teams has to get a result, right? Hopefully anyway. You'd favor the Rapids to pick up points at home. After all, they played well despite going down a man in the loss to Seattle, but they are still injury riddled, and they've lost three straight. Chicago managed a draw with Houston last week, at least that's something for them, but they're obviously still struggling. I look for Colorado to do enough at home to pick up the three points.
Seattle Sounders vs. Toronto FC
Seattle is in deep trouble, really through no fault of their own. Zakuani is probably out for the season and O'Brian White is out for an extended period of time after surgery this week. Who will score goals? The good news is that Freddy Montero scored last week. For TFC, they had a draw result last week, but they're having troubles getting goals too. I look for Seattle's crowd to get behind them and help them pick up three points in a low scoring game.
Chivas USA vs. New England Revolution
Chivas took some of the pressure off last weekend by picking up their first win. New England also looked decent against KC. A three point result for either team would be a real boost at this point, but I look for a draw at the Home Depot Center.
Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake
Normally I kinda pull for Portland, but not against my boys tomorrow night. Sorry. Portland will look to do better after being destroyed by LA. RSL? Well, I think they'll either explode and rip up the Timbers, or implode following CCL. I look for Kries to keep them on an even keel, and I expect a point for RSL in a tough road match.
UCL: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona
Forget Lakers v Celtics, Yankees v Red Sox, Bears v. Packers. The best sports rivalry in the world is Real Madrid v Barca, hands down. To stoke these historic fires even further, these times had met twice in recent weeks prior to this match. In La Liga, Real Madrid earned a 1-1 draw lat with Barca, in the Copa Del Rey final, Real Madrid got an extra time goal from Ronaldo to take the trophy 1-0. Of course, then they proceeded to throw the trophy under a bus.
Anyway, we all had a lot to look forward to as this classic rivalry was renewed in a Champions League semifinal. Unfortunately, what we got was something we'd all rather forget. A match that could have been so beautiful turned out to be an ugly waste of time.
We kicked off, and that was about the only thing worth noting before half time. Messi had a decent shot on goal in the 25th minute, but St. Iker saved it. Then about the 40th minute, things got interesting for all the wrong reasons.
For several minutes before this, you could see the diving starting from both sides. The tension started to build and tempers started to flare. Both teams got yellows for tough challenges. Arbeola picked one up for Madrid in the 40th, and Alves for Barca in the 44th. All this did was heighten the tension further.
The half ended with a couple of shots on goal by Ronaldo, but both were saved. As we headed to the half with our 0-0 score, a scrum broke out in front of the tunnel. When coverage resumed for the second half, we found out that Pinto, Barca's backup keeper had gotten a red card for his part.
We all hoped that the second half would be more about football than the amateur theatrics, but it was not to be. Things started out a little better. In the 46th, Messi had a chance off a cross, but it was blocked. He had another chance a couple minutes later, but shot wide. Ronaldo took a shot for Madrid in the 50th but it was blocked at the defensive line.
Things started to get messy again in the 53rd. Ramos ran over Messi and received a yellow. That means he will miss the return leg next week. In the 57th, Mascherano got a yellow for Barca, and in the 61st, Pepe got a straight red for Madrid. Replay revealed hardly any contact on the play, and that Alves totally dived like a Wanker. Things devolved further with Barca players surrounding the ref and screaming at him, and then the Special One himself was kicked off the touchline for mouthing off to the officials. We were in football hell.
The only thing that could save the match was a goal. Fortunately for us, Messi was on the pitch, and he took over. In the 76th, he scored a tap in off of a cross to give Barca the lead and an all important away goal. In the 82nd he amazed everybody with, well I can't describe it. Go to youtube and watch it if you haven't seen it. It was classic, vintage Messi. He would not be denied. The match ended 0-2 to Barca.
It's hard to imagine how Real Madrid comes back from this. They gotta go to Camp Nou down two away goals, and they'll have two players suspended. You've gotta say though, this was an ugly match, and the red card to Pepe as absolute BS. You;d expect better play and refereeing from a match of this importance, but both were severly lacking unless your last name was Messi.
Anyway, we all had a lot to look forward to as this classic rivalry was renewed in a Champions League semifinal. Unfortunately, what we got was something we'd all rather forget. A match that could have been so beautiful turned out to be an ugly waste of time.
We kicked off, and that was about the only thing worth noting before half time. Messi had a decent shot on goal in the 25th minute, but St. Iker saved it. Then about the 40th minute, things got interesting for all the wrong reasons.
For several minutes before this, you could see the diving starting from both sides. The tension started to build and tempers started to flare. Both teams got yellows for tough challenges. Arbeola picked one up for Madrid in the 40th, and Alves for Barca in the 44th. All this did was heighten the tension further.
The half ended with a couple of shots on goal by Ronaldo, but both were saved. As we headed to the half with our 0-0 score, a scrum broke out in front of the tunnel. When coverage resumed for the second half, we found out that Pinto, Barca's backup keeper had gotten a red card for his part.
We all hoped that the second half would be more about football than the amateur theatrics, but it was not to be. Things started out a little better. In the 46th, Messi had a chance off a cross, but it was blocked. He had another chance a couple minutes later, but shot wide. Ronaldo took a shot for Madrid in the 50th but it was blocked at the defensive line.
Things started to get messy again in the 53rd. Ramos ran over Messi and received a yellow. That means he will miss the return leg next week. In the 57th, Mascherano got a yellow for Barca, and in the 61st, Pepe got a straight red for Madrid. Replay revealed hardly any contact on the play, and that Alves totally dived like a Wanker. Things devolved further with Barca players surrounding the ref and screaming at him, and then the Special One himself was kicked off the touchline for mouthing off to the officials. We were in football hell.
The only thing that could save the match was a goal. Fortunately for us, Messi was on the pitch, and he took over. In the 76th, he scored a tap in off of a cross to give Barca the lead and an all important away goal. In the 82nd he amazed everybody with, well I can't describe it. Go to youtube and watch it if you haven't seen it. It was classic, vintage Messi. He would not be denied. The match ended 0-2 to Barca.
It's hard to imagine how Real Madrid comes back from this. They gotta go to Camp Nou down two away goals, and they'll have two players suspended. You've gotta say though, this was an ugly match, and the red card to Pepe as absolute BS. You;d expect better play and refereeing from a match of this importance, but both were severly lacking unless your last name was Messi.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Suspension: Mullan banned for ten games.
Colorado Rapids MF Brian Mullan has been suspended 10 games by MLS for a red card tackle that broke the leg of Seattle's Steve Zakuani. The 10 includes the automatic 1 game ban for the red card.
The Rapids have said that Mullan will not appeal the ban. He issued an apology to Zakuani, who returned to Seattle on Tuesday.
The Rapids have said that Mullan will not appeal the ban. He issued an apology to Zakuani, who returned to Seattle on Tuesday.
Atiba Harris out with knee surgery.
More news in the MLS injury front.
This time it's bad news for Vancouver, as striker Atiba Harris underwent knee surgery on Tuesday. He is out indefinitely. Apparently he tore cartilage in his left knee in practice a couple weeks back. Sucks for him.
This time it's bad news for Vancouver, as striker Atiba Harris underwent knee surgery on Tuesday. He is out indefinitely. Apparently he tore cartilage in his left knee in practice a couple weeks back. Sucks for him.
O'Brian White out indefintely with blood clot.
More bad news for the Seattle Sounders. They might be officially screwed.
Less than a week after losing Zakuani for the season, the club announced that O'Brian White had surgery on Wednesday to remove a blood clot from his left leg.
It is unknown how long he'll be out.
White had scored two goals so far this year.
Less than a week after losing Zakuani for the season, the club announced that O'Brian White had surgery on Wednesday to remove a blood clot from his left leg.
It is unknown how long he'll be out.
White had scored two goals so far this year.
Tough Night at the RioT.
Well, this is pretty hard to talk about, though it was harder last night. Monterrey squeaked by Real Salt Lake 0-1 to take the final of the CONCACAF Champions League.
First off, I'm proud of my team. It wasn't their best performance, to be sure. In the end, there can be only one champion. Monterrey played the better match, and they deserved the result. They were an honorable opponent and their a great side. I will, however, be rooting for them to get their lunch eaten in the club world cup.
I didn't take notes or anything, there's not much to say. Monterrey had far too much possession, and I could feel their goal coming late in the first half. We were just desperate of defense. Not having Kyle Beckerman killed us. It looked to me like we were getting our asses handed to us in midfield. When Arturo Alvarez came in in the second half things came to life a little bit, and Paulo Jr. came in late, but it was too little too late.
Ant any rate, that's about all I have to say. Congrats to Monterrey. Congrats to RSL for giving us fans a great ride. We need to win the US Open Cup and lock up CONCACAF qualification for next year.
On to Portland.
First off, I'm proud of my team. It wasn't their best performance, to be sure. In the end, there can be only one champion. Monterrey played the better match, and they deserved the result. They were an honorable opponent and their a great side. I will, however, be rooting for them to get their lunch eaten in the club world cup.
I didn't take notes or anything, there's not much to say. Monterrey had far too much possession, and I could feel their goal coming late in the first half. We were just desperate of defense. Not having Kyle Beckerman killed us. It looked to me like we were getting our asses handed to us in midfield. When Arturo Alvarez came in in the second half things came to life a little bit, and Paulo Jr. came in late, but it was too little too late.
Ant any rate, that's about all I have to say. Congrats to Monterrey. Congrats to RSL for giving us fans a great ride. We need to win the US Open Cup and lock up CONCACAF qualification for next year.
On to Portland.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
UCL: Schalke '04 vs. Manchester United
So my friend and I were talking about Champions League the other day, and I actually picked Schalke to take this match and this tie. How very stupid of me. I thought my reasoning was sound. United had had a tough time scoring goals in Champions League, and Schalke had shown a lot of fire beating both Valencia and Inter Milan. Anyways, yeah, that doesn't seem to be working out.
I'd like to point out the time in the match where Schalke actually showed up, but they never did. United absolutely dominated from first whistle to last. It really was a tremendous performance.
My notes on the match read just like a roll of shots from United players. In fact the only reason Schalke was in the match at all from the get go was the stellar performance of their goal keeper, Manuel Neuer. He started saving shots in the 3rd minute, the first off the foot of Wayne Rooney, and it never got easier. The Schalke defense was a shambles and Neuer might as well have been facing a firing squad, especially with Chicharito buzzing about. Ryan Giggs also had several decent chances in the first half, but ultimately Neuer held up and we went to the half at 0-0.
United might have come out of the half a little concerned. After all, they'd had about 60% of the possession, but hadn't been able to find the back of the net. One counter from Schalke, and they would be in trouble. That trouble never materialized, and United remained in total control.
Schalke's best chance came in 52nd minute when they did actually stage a counter. However, in the end it only amounted to half a chance and Jurado hit the shot wide of the target.
At that point, United had had enough. in the 67th minute Wayne Rooney sent a cheeky ball into the 18 for Giggs, who finally slotted it past Neuer to give United the 0-1 lead and an away goal. Then just two minutes later, the Schalke defense must have been on break, because Hernandez managed an easy ball to Wayne Rooney for United's second goal and a 0-2 advantage. The final action of the match ended with a whimper in the 76th minute when Farfan hit a dreadful free kick out of bounds. The full time result was 0-2 to United.
So in the end, Manchester United looked like a team capable of winning the final, and Schalke looked like a team that wasn't capable of beating your kid's AYSO squad. Great run for the German side, but you're going to Old Trafford down two away goals. Good luck with that.
I'd like to point out the time in the match where Schalke actually showed up, but they never did. United absolutely dominated from first whistle to last. It really was a tremendous performance.
My notes on the match read just like a roll of shots from United players. In fact the only reason Schalke was in the match at all from the get go was the stellar performance of their goal keeper, Manuel Neuer. He started saving shots in the 3rd minute, the first off the foot of Wayne Rooney, and it never got easier. The Schalke defense was a shambles and Neuer might as well have been facing a firing squad, especially with Chicharito buzzing about. Ryan Giggs also had several decent chances in the first half, but ultimately Neuer held up and we went to the half at 0-0.
United might have come out of the half a little concerned. After all, they'd had about 60% of the possession, but hadn't been able to find the back of the net. One counter from Schalke, and they would be in trouble. That trouble never materialized, and United remained in total control.
Schalke's best chance came in 52nd minute when they did actually stage a counter. However, in the end it only amounted to half a chance and Jurado hit the shot wide of the target.
At that point, United had had enough. in the 67th minute Wayne Rooney sent a cheeky ball into the 18 for Giggs, who finally slotted it past Neuer to give United the 0-1 lead and an away goal. Then just two minutes later, the Schalke defense must have been on break, because Hernandez managed an easy ball to Wayne Rooney for United's second goal and a 0-2 advantage. The final action of the match ended with a whimper in the 76th minute when Farfan hit a dreadful free kick out of bounds. The full time result was 0-2 to United.
So in the end, Manchester United looked like a team capable of winning the final, and Schalke looked like a team that wasn't capable of beating your kid's AYSO squad. Great run for the German side, but you're going to Old Trafford down two away goals. Good luck with that.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
A Few Words about what RSL Means to Me.
I must go there to find my soul yeah....
Tomorrow night is significant.
It's significant in the life a soccer club. It's significant in the life of a city. It's significant in the life of a beautiful game in a country where it's never quite caught on. It's significant in the lives of supporters who will pack a stadium wearing Claret and Cobalt, wrapped in scarves that show their colors, and standing together on an evening that's likely to be cold and uncomfortable. It's significant in the life of this sports fan.
I grew up watching sports. I remember watching my first baseball game with my father at 4 or 5 years old. I was never overly athletic. I played baseball into my high school age years, but was never real great. I did a short stint as a defender in UYSO, but was never really fleet of foot enough to stand a chance at playing soccer. I always loved watching sports though. I'd get wrapped up in the teams, the tactics, the stats, the raw emotion that only true heartfelt support for a team can bring. When they're up, you're on cloud nine. When they're down, it can devastate you, if only for a few agonizing moments.
My history as a supporter has been mixed. I watched the Atlanta Braves screw up more than one chance at a World Series in the 90s, luckily they did get one. I watched Michael Jordan drain the color from the faces of my fellow Jazz fans two years in a row. In the NFL, I've watched the 49ers win several times only to fall on hard times.
That brings me to Real Salt Lake. When RSL joined MLS in 2005 I was a soccer fan, but only of the international variety. I loved watching the World Cup and the Olympic tournaments, but I'd never really seen club soccer. My friend Rick took me to a couple of matches during the Rice-Eccles era, and I had a good time. I started following the team, but never really had a ton to cheer about.
In 2007, I got married and moved out of state. It was hard to follow RSL in Florida, especially when you don't have steady internet access. A couple of years later, we moved back and I should have gotten to witness the MLS Cup run, but I worked a crummy job with crummy hours, and the local media didn't give a fuss about RSL. Even when they won the cup, it was barely a blip on the radar in a NBA obsessed market. I missed, we missed the significance.
It will not be missed tomorrow night.
RSL has come a long way from that 2009 cup win. All the way to 2011 and a chance to earn a trip to compete with best in the world. Last summer it seemed like merely a dream to us fans. Tomorrow, it may become reality. Significant.
I want to be there. I'm going to be there. I wouldn't miss it. The RioT has become kind of sacred ground in a new faith to me. So much has been going on in my life the last year, some good, some bad, but all significant. Through all the upheaval I've had a constant. That constant is soccer. At the end of the day when work is done I can always come home, flip a match on the DVR, and get lost for just a little bit in the game I love. The most poignant manifestation of that has been the evenings at Rio Tinto, watching the guys leave everything on the pitch in order to earn this chance. For a couple of hours every few weeks, I've found my own slice of heaven in Sandy, Utah of all places. I've loved every minute of it. It's been quite significant.
Whatever the outcome tomorrow night, I want to say thank you. Thank you to the players, the staff, the stadium staff, and everyone who helps make the RSL experience so great for us fans. It's been quite the ride, and I'll never forget it. If a soccer team from Utah, in a small MLS market can go out and beat the world, then it should give all of us faith to reach for the stars and pursue our dreams. The significance of that cannot be understated.
I will be there, I MUST be there...
I must go there to find my soul yeah.....
Tomorrow night is significant.
It's significant in the life a soccer club. It's significant in the life of a city. It's significant in the life of a beautiful game in a country where it's never quite caught on. It's significant in the lives of supporters who will pack a stadium wearing Claret and Cobalt, wrapped in scarves that show their colors, and standing together on an evening that's likely to be cold and uncomfortable. It's significant in the life of this sports fan.
I grew up watching sports. I remember watching my first baseball game with my father at 4 or 5 years old. I was never overly athletic. I played baseball into my high school age years, but was never real great. I did a short stint as a defender in UYSO, but was never really fleet of foot enough to stand a chance at playing soccer. I always loved watching sports though. I'd get wrapped up in the teams, the tactics, the stats, the raw emotion that only true heartfelt support for a team can bring. When they're up, you're on cloud nine. When they're down, it can devastate you, if only for a few agonizing moments.
My history as a supporter has been mixed. I watched the Atlanta Braves screw up more than one chance at a World Series in the 90s, luckily they did get one. I watched Michael Jordan drain the color from the faces of my fellow Jazz fans two years in a row. In the NFL, I've watched the 49ers win several times only to fall on hard times.
That brings me to Real Salt Lake. When RSL joined MLS in 2005 I was a soccer fan, but only of the international variety. I loved watching the World Cup and the Olympic tournaments, but I'd never really seen club soccer. My friend Rick took me to a couple of matches during the Rice-Eccles era, and I had a good time. I started following the team, but never really had a ton to cheer about.
In 2007, I got married and moved out of state. It was hard to follow RSL in Florida, especially when you don't have steady internet access. A couple of years later, we moved back and I should have gotten to witness the MLS Cup run, but I worked a crummy job with crummy hours, and the local media didn't give a fuss about RSL. Even when they won the cup, it was barely a blip on the radar in a NBA obsessed market. I missed, we missed the significance.
It will not be missed tomorrow night.
RSL has come a long way from that 2009 cup win. All the way to 2011 and a chance to earn a trip to compete with best in the world. Last summer it seemed like merely a dream to us fans. Tomorrow, it may become reality. Significant.
I want to be there. I'm going to be there. I wouldn't miss it. The RioT has become kind of sacred ground in a new faith to me. So much has been going on in my life the last year, some good, some bad, but all significant. Through all the upheaval I've had a constant. That constant is soccer. At the end of the day when work is done I can always come home, flip a match on the DVR, and get lost for just a little bit in the game I love. The most poignant manifestation of that has been the evenings at Rio Tinto, watching the guys leave everything on the pitch in order to earn this chance. For a couple of hours every few weeks, I've found my own slice of heaven in Sandy, Utah of all places. I've loved every minute of it. It's been quite significant.
Whatever the outcome tomorrow night, I want to say thank you. Thank you to the players, the staff, the stadium staff, and everyone who helps make the RSL experience so great for us fans. It's been quite the ride, and I'll never forget it. If a soccer team from Utah, in a small MLS market can go out and beat the world, then it should give all of us faith to reach for the stars and pursue our dreams. The significance of that cannot be understated.
I will be there, I MUST be there...
I must go there to find my soul yeah.....
Match Thoughts: Vancouver Whitecaps vs. FC Dallas
I didn't get a chance to see many games live this weekend in MLS, so I've been trying to play catch up with Match Day Live. The first match I went for was Vancouver vs. Dallas because Vancouver is usually pretty entertaining and I wanted to see if FC Dallas could bounce back after the Portland match.
Dallas had good possession in the opening minutes, and had some threatening ball in the Whitecaps 18. It wasn't really until about the 4th or 5th minute that Vancouver got their feet under them. They started to get more and more possession. There was another trend in play that arose with this. The more Vancouver got possession, the more Dallas players hit the floor. It made the game feel very disjointed and really frustrated any attempt Vancouver made at establishing a rhythm.
Vancouver got their chances though. The pressure paid off in the 25th minute when Rochat put a gorgeous header on a cross, found the back of the net, and put the Whitecaps up 1-0.
Things got turned on their heads just a couple of minutes later when Rochat handled the ball in his own 18 and FC Dallas was awarded a PK. Reigning MLS MVP David Ferreira stepped up to take the kick. Here's where things went wrong for Dallas. Ferreira ran up to the ball, succeeded in sending Jay Nolly the wrong way, then proceeded to shank the penalty kick wide. Following that horrible display, Vancouver controlled the rest of the first 45 minutes and we went to the half with Whitecaps up 1-0.
The first bit of the second half was dominated by one incident. In the 50th minute, Ferreira went down after a seemingly harmless challenge from Vancouver defender Jonathan Leathers. Leathers wasn't even given a foul, but damage was done. The MVP was stretchered off, and later reports revealed a fractured ankle. He became the second high profile casualty of the MLS weekend, along with Steve Zakuani. However, George John put the ensuing corner kick into the back of the net to equalize.
Vancouver had a few chances late to take the lead. Hartman saved a nice shot from Camilo in the 67th, and Dallas managed to clear a nice Whitecaps set piece in the 71st. They got one more chance in the 78th with a Rochat free kick, but he put it over the bar. To make matters worse, Hassli got a yellow card in the 80th minute, which means he will miss their next match.
In the 83rd minute, Dallas put the game away as Avila, who had come on to replace Ferreira, hit a shot in at the far post and gave FC Dallas all three points by virtue of a 1-2 win.
The biggest talking point out of this has been the Ferreira injury. Leathers' tackle was nowhere near the horrid tackle that Mullan put on Zakuani. I wonder if that horrid turf at Empire Field was a factor. At any rate, the MVP is expected to miss at least three months.
Dallas had good possession in the opening minutes, and had some threatening ball in the Whitecaps 18. It wasn't really until about the 4th or 5th minute that Vancouver got their feet under them. They started to get more and more possession. There was another trend in play that arose with this. The more Vancouver got possession, the more Dallas players hit the floor. It made the game feel very disjointed and really frustrated any attempt Vancouver made at establishing a rhythm.
Vancouver got their chances though. The pressure paid off in the 25th minute when Rochat put a gorgeous header on a cross, found the back of the net, and put the Whitecaps up 1-0.
Things got turned on their heads just a couple of minutes later when Rochat handled the ball in his own 18 and FC Dallas was awarded a PK. Reigning MLS MVP David Ferreira stepped up to take the kick. Here's where things went wrong for Dallas. Ferreira ran up to the ball, succeeded in sending Jay Nolly the wrong way, then proceeded to shank the penalty kick wide. Following that horrible display, Vancouver controlled the rest of the first 45 minutes and we went to the half with Whitecaps up 1-0.
The first bit of the second half was dominated by one incident. In the 50th minute, Ferreira went down after a seemingly harmless challenge from Vancouver defender Jonathan Leathers. Leathers wasn't even given a foul, but damage was done. The MVP was stretchered off, and later reports revealed a fractured ankle. He became the second high profile casualty of the MLS weekend, along with Steve Zakuani. However, George John put the ensuing corner kick into the back of the net to equalize.
Vancouver had a few chances late to take the lead. Hartman saved a nice shot from Camilo in the 67th, and Dallas managed to clear a nice Whitecaps set piece in the 71st. They got one more chance in the 78th with a Rochat free kick, but he put it over the bar. To make matters worse, Hassli got a yellow card in the 80th minute, which means he will miss their next match.
In the 83rd minute, Dallas put the game away as Avila, who had come on to replace Ferreira, hit a shot in at the far post and gave FC Dallas all three points by virtue of a 1-2 win.
The biggest talking point out of this has been the Ferreira injury. Leathers' tackle was nowhere near the horrid tackle that Mullan put on Zakuani. I wonder if that horrid turf at Empire Field was a factor. At any rate, the MVP is expected to miss at least three months.
Monday, April 25, 2011
EPL: Bolton Vs. Arsenal
So can we finally say Arsenal is out of the title race? I think we can. The title has been United's to lose for a couple of weeks at least, and this result really does take Arsenal out. Chelsea has the only shot now, and that's an outside shot at best. They'll need to be perfect and get some help from United.
For the most part, this match was typical Arsenal, in more ways than one. They dominated possession, they got chances, but didn't take them. Plus, both Bolton goals came from corners, which blatantly exposed The Gunners' lack of commanding defenders.
From the opening of the match Walcott and Nasri were all over for Arsenal, buzzing around the Bolton D and creating chances. Fabregas took a couple of shots as well, but couldn't find the target. Bolton sat back, absorbed the pressure, and looked for their chances. They had a few real good ones. In the 14th, Wanderers countered with an extra man forward and looked good, but the chance was ended by the offside flag. They had another great chance off the break in the 24th, but sabotaged themselves by making one too many passes.
Things finally came full circle for Bolton in the 38th. They put a corner into the box and the Gunners just looked confused. Anyway, one shot was rebounded off Nasri, but Sturridge got a hold of it and put it in the back of the net, giving Bolton a 1-0 lead, which held up to the half.
Bolton had a chance to ice it right off the bat in the second half, and this time it was Wanderers who didn't take advantage of a gifted chance. In the 46th minute, Sturridge went down in the box, and a PK was awarded. This was one of the softest PKs I've seen given, but given it was. Then Davies lined up and took the penalty, and it was about the worst PK I've ever seen taken. Szczesny could have had a tea party in goal and still stopped it EASILY. Huge mistake for Bolton.
Just a minute later, Arsenal made them pay. Robin van Persie spotted up a shot from the top of the 18 and drilled it into the back of the net and tied the score at 1-1. Still Arsenal knew they needed all three points, and they pressed for it. However, Bolton got the last laugh as Tamir Cohen scored yet another goal off a corner in the 90th minute to give Bolton a 2-1 lead, which was the full time result.
Wenger looked utterly dejected after the match. Yet another monumental collapse by Arsenal. Maybe he should listen to outside advice for a change and get some commanding central defenders. He probably won't though. He'll just think he's misunderstood and that next year will be the year. Yeah right.
For the most part, this match was typical Arsenal, in more ways than one. They dominated possession, they got chances, but didn't take them. Plus, both Bolton goals came from corners, which blatantly exposed The Gunners' lack of commanding defenders.
From the opening of the match Walcott and Nasri were all over for Arsenal, buzzing around the Bolton D and creating chances. Fabregas took a couple of shots as well, but couldn't find the target. Bolton sat back, absorbed the pressure, and looked for their chances. They had a few real good ones. In the 14th, Wanderers countered with an extra man forward and looked good, but the chance was ended by the offside flag. They had another great chance off the break in the 24th, but sabotaged themselves by making one too many passes.
Things finally came full circle for Bolton in the 38th. They put a corner into the box and the Gunners just looked confused. Anyway, one shot was rebounded off Nasri, but Sturridge got a hold of it and put it in the back of the net, giving Bolton a 1-0 lead, which held up to the half.
Bolton had a chance to ice it right off the bat in the second half, and this time it was Wanderers who didn't take advantage of a gifted chance. In the 46th minute, Sturridge went down in the box, and a PK was awarded. This was one of the softest PKs I've seen given, but given it was. Then Davies lined up and took the penalty, and it was about the worst PK I've ever seen taken. Szczesny could have had a tea party in goal and still stopped it EASILY. Huge mistake for Bolton.
Just a minute later, Arsenal made them pay. Robin van Persie spotted up a shot from the top of the 18 and drilled it into the back of the net and tied the score at 1-1. Still Arsenal knew they needed all three points, and they pressed for it. However, Bolton got the last laugh as Tamir Cohen scored yet another goal off a corner in the 90th minute to give Bolton a 2-1 lead, which was the full time result.
Wenger looked utterly dejected after the match. Yet another monumental collapse by Arsenal. Maybe he should listen to outside advice for a change and get some commanding central defenders. He probably won't though. He'll just think he's misunderstood and that next year will be the year. Yeah right.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Jason Kreis - Fan Support
Coach Kreis's thoughts on RSL's fan support and what he needs us to do on Wednesday to help the guys win CONCACAF.
Serie A: Juventus vs. Catania
I love me some Italian footy, and I love watching Juve play, even though I'm an Inter supporter. I had seen the result prior to watching the match on my DVR, and I was really keen to see how we arrived at it.
Things got off to a weird start as Motta was handed a yellow for Juventus just 40 seconds in. That's right, in the first minute. Talk about your early yellows. It really didn't slow Juve down, as they had a lot of great possession throughout this match. In the 7th minute, Marchisio sent a hard shot into goal but it was saved by Andujar, the Catania keeper.
The great possession continued for Juve, and in the 15th minute Juve Captain Del Piero got a gorgeous free kick on goal, but Andujar made another save. However, in the 18th minute, the ref awarded a PK to Juve, and even the announcer wasn't really sure why. Del Piero knocked home the ensuing kick to give Juventus a 1-0 lead.
Juventus continued to move the ball at will through the rest of the first half. They were in total control. In the 38th minute they charged up the pitch after a rare Catania attack, and Del Piero chested a rebounded cross into the net to send Juve into half time with a 2-0 lead
Things didn't look anymore promising for Catania in the second half. Juve had chance after chance. In the 52nd, they had a nice break but a poor cross from Grosso was gobbled up by Andujar. In the 55th minute Matri had a glowing chance in the box, but couldn't get the ball off his feet for a shot. Juventus was not taking advantage of their chances, and you got the sense that they weren't throwing the knock out punch.
Still in it, Catania began to come to life in about the 75th minute. Gomez had been their best player all day, and he began to lead the charge. In the 81st minute he finally netted a goal to cut the lead to 2-1. Things were starting to look a little nervy for Juve, but they still had their chances. In fact they missed a breakaway chance in the 83rd, and Krasic missed a shot to seal it in the 89th.
Cue the dramatics.
As we entered the 5th minute of stoppage time, Lodi lined up over a free kick for Catania. You could feel the tension through the tv. Juve tried to perfect their wall, but in the end, Lodi knocked it home to finalize a 2-2 draw and cap a great end to a match that Juve had taken far too lightly. Now it remains to be seen if this slip up costs them a chance at the Europa League. For Catania, it's a precious point to use in their relegation battle.
Things got off to a weird start as Motta was handed a yellow for Juventus just 40 seconds in. That's right, in the first minute. Talk about your early yellows. It really didn't slow Juve down, as they had a lot of great possession throughout this match. In the 7th minute, Marchisio sent a hard shot into goal but it was saved by Andujar, the Catania keeper.
The great possession continued for Juve, and in the 15th minute Juve Captain Del Piero got a gorgeous free kick on goal, but Andujar made another save. However, in the 18th minute, the ref awarded a PK to Juve, and even the announcer wasn't really sure why. Del Piero knocked home the ensuing kick to give Juventus a 1-0 lead.
Juventus continued to move the ball at will through the rest of the first half. They were in total control. In the 38th minute they charged up the pitch after a rare Catania attack, and Del Piero chested a rebounded cross into the net to send Juve into half time with a 2-0 lead
Things didn't look anymore promising for Catania in the second half. Juve had chance after chance. In the 52nd, they had a nice break but a poor cross from Grosso was gobbled up by Andujar. In the 55th minute Matri had a glowing chance in the box, but couldn't get the ball off his feet for a shot. Juventus was not taking advantage of their chances, and you got the sense that they weren't throwing the knock out punch.
Still in it, Catania began to come to life in about the 75th minute. Gomez had been their best player all day, and he began to lead the charge. In the 81st minute he finally netted a goal to cut the lead to 2-1. Things were starting to look a little nervy for Juve, but they still had their chances. In fact they missed a breakaway chance in the 83rd, and Krasic missed a shot to seal it in the 89th.
Cue the dramatics.
As we entered the 5th minute of stoppage time, Lodi lined up over a free kick for Catania. You could feel the tension through the tv. Juve tried to perfect their wall, but in the end, Lodi knocked it home to finalize a 2-2 draw and cap a great end to a match that Juve had taken far too lightly. Now it remains to be seen if this slip up costs them a chance at the Europa League. For Catania, it's a precious point to use in their relegation battle.
MLS MVP David Ferreira OUT with Broken Ankle.
Via Goal.com
2010 MLS MVP David Ferreira suffered a broken right ankle as a result of a tackle from behind in FC Dallas's 1-2 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday. X-rays have confirmed the fracture, and reports say that Ferreira will return to Dallas for further evaluation before surgery is scheduled.
This is the second high profile injury in as many days for MLS following Steve Zakuani's broken leg in Seattle's 0-1 win at Colorado Friday night.
2010 MLS MVP David Ferreira suffered a broken right ankle as a result of a tackle from behind in FC Dallas's 1-2 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday. X-rays have confirmed the fracture, and reports say that Ferreira will return to Dallas for further evaluation before surgery is scheduled.
This is the second high profile injury in as many days for MLS following Steve Zakuani's broken leg in Seattle's 0-1 win at Colorado Friday night.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Match Thoughts: LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers
So the Galaxy get Beckham and Donovan back, at home, against an expansion team that can't keep possession. What could go wrong? You're right, not much.
The Galaxy grabbed this match by the balls right from the get go. Portland looked out of their depth away from home. In the 4th minute Chad Barrett sliced up the Portland back line and welcomed Troy Perkins back to MLS with a nice goal, 1-0 to the Galaxy. Could Portland respond?
No.
A couple of minutes later, LA deftly moved the ball up the pitch. I mean, it was effortless. They tried a flick in to Landon Donovan at the top of the 18, but apparently, somebody breathed on him, and he was awarded a PK. Rodney Wallace received a yellow on the play. Looked soft to me. That's beside the point though. Donovan slotted home the PK and put LA up 2-0 in the 8th minute.
So again we waited to see if Portland could respond. Could they show any of that fire that they showed at home? Unfortunately, no. The rest of the half pretty much played out like a shooting gallery for LA. The lone bright spot for the Timbers being that Perkins made several nice saves that kept them in sight of Galaxy. PDX started to move the ball a little bit better right at the end, but the half time whistle brought a stop to that.
The second half wasn't very pretty either. You could tell LA took their foot off the gas a little bit, and Portland just had nothing for them. Juan Pablo Angel checked in, and he did make his presence felt tonight. In the 68th minute he served a gorgeous ball across to Donovan, who headed it in to an open net to give the Galaxy a 3-0 lead. That was pretty much all she wrote.
Portland did show some character though. They refused to give up. Some of it was probably LA relaxing, but PDX did get some nice shots on goal in the closing minutes, particularly from Kenny Cooper. However, Ricketts was stout in net and earned the clean sheet as LA won the match by that 3-0 score.
Obviously this one was full of positives for the Galaxy. This was the best they've played so far, and as much as I kid Donovan with the Landycakes thing, he looked great, notching two goals. Beckham was Beckham, delivering first class service. Still couldn't keep his mouth shut though. He did manage to avoid a yellow tonight. I would say a better night from Angel coming off the bench and a top notch performance from Ricketts in goal.
For Portland, they might be tempted to go back to the drawing board. I'm not sure that would be a great idea though. The best thing might be for their team to actually just get the minutes together on the pitch. That might help them avoid some of the bonehead mistakes that they made tonight. Again, they have to figure out how to get possession of the ball and keep it. Maybe then they can start to be more consistent between road and home matches.
The Galaxy grabbed this match by the balls right from the get go. Portland looked out of their depth away from home. In the 4th minute Chad Barrett sliced up the Portland back line and welcomed Troy Perkins back to MLS with a nice goal, 1-0 to the Galaxy. Could Portland respond?
No.
A couple of minutes later, LA deftly moved the ball up the pitch. I mean, it was effortless. They tried a flick in to Landon Donovan at the top of the 18, but apparently, somebody breathed on him, and he was awarded a PK. Rodney Wallace received a yellow on the play. Looked soft to me. That's beside the point though. Donovan slotted home the PK and put LA up 2-0 in the 8th minute.
So again we waited to see if Portland could respond. Could they show any of that fire that they showed at home? Unfortunately, no. The rest of the half pretty much played out like a shooting gallery for LA. The lone bright spot for the Timbers being that Perkins made several nice saves that kept them in sight of Galaxy. PDX started to move the ball a little bit better right at the end, but the half time whistle brought a stop to that.
The second half wasn't very pretty either. You could tell LA took their foot off the gas a little bit, and Portland just had nothing for them. Juan Pablo Angel checked in, and he did make his presence felt tonight. In the 68th minute he served a gorgeous ball across to Donovan, who headed it in to an open net to give the Galaxy a 3-0 lead. That was pretty much all she wrote.
Portland did show some character though. They refused to give up. Some of it was probably LA relaxing, but PDX did get some nice shots on goal in the closing minutes, particularly from Kenny Cooper. However, Ricketts was stout in net and earned the clean sheet as LA won the match by that 3-0 score.
Obviously this one was full of positives for the Galaxy. This was the best they've played so far, and as much as I kid Donovan with the Landycakes thing, he looked great, notching two goals. Beckham was Beckham, delivering first class service. Still couldn't keep his mouth shut though. He did manage to avoid a yellow tonight. I would say a better night from Angel coming off the bench and a top notch performance from Ricketts in goal.
For Portland, they might be tempted to go back to the drawing board. I'm not sure that would be a great idea though. The best thing might be for their team to actually just get the minutes together on the pitch. That might help them avoid some of the bonehead mistakes that they made tonight. Again, they have to figure out how to get possession of the ball and keep it. Maybe then they can start to be more consistent between road and home matches.
TORRES SCORES FOR CHELSEA!!
Did you really think Torres wasn't gonna score?
HE'S NOW A BLUE HE WAS A RED, TORRES! TORRES!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Match Thoughts: Colorado Rapids Vs. Seattle Sounders
Before the match I tapped Sounders to come out of Colorado with a point, three if they played really well. Unfortunately, I don't think any of us expected what happened.
The whole tone of the match was changed in the 3rd minute when Rapids MF Brian Mullan staged a horrific slide tackle on Steve Zakuani. You could hear his leg fracture on TV, Kyle Martino said it was worse in person. Zakuani was stretchered off and Mullan was shown a red card. In all the years I've spent watching sports, that was one of the worst things I've seen. I said my peace in the previous blog entry about it, I'm sure Mullan meant no injury. As for the match, the Rapids found themselves down a man early.
Over the next few minutes, the entire match had a cloud hanging over it as both sides seemed a bit dazed. The Rapids, despite the man disadvantage, had a great run of possession in Sounders territory and had a nice free kick blocked in the 16th minute. However, they couldn't find the back of the net, and Seattle ended up with a great counter chance. After breaking down the pitch, Montero scored a less than impressive goal to put Sounders ahead 0-1 in the 19th minute.
After that, Seattle decided to take the night off. They were obviously rattled by the Zakuani injury. They could not take possession away from the Rapids, and when they did have it, they just kicked the ball around the back line without even trying to get forward. Colorado almost made them pay for that twice. Had you not watched the entire match, you would not have known Seattle was up a man. In the 44th minute, Cummings had a nice break chance for Colorado, but hit the shot high and we went to half with the 0-1 score line.
Seattle started the second half a little better, but quickly reverted to the pallor in which they had played the first half. Colorado tried to take advantage. In the 51st minute, Larentowicz put a shot on goal but it was saved by Keller. Seattle had a chance to ice it in the 54th minute, but Pickens made a great save on a shot by O'Brian White.
Following that chance, Colorado really upped the pressure for the rest of the match, but just couldn't find the net. Honestly, they played a better match than Seattle did, but a nice effort in goal all night long by Kasey Keller made Montero's goal hold up and gave the Sounders an ugly 3 points.
The win catapults the Sounders up the table, but I doubt they'll take much joy in it. The loss of Zakuani hurts them, and it's likely to be a long term loss. After that, they pretty much played a horrible match except for the goal on the counter. They're gonna need to get it together. Montero can't do it all, and they shouldn't let him try.
More bad news for the Rapids. They still have hardly any healthy forwards, and dropping all these points early could kill them come CONCACAF time this summer. Supposedly, they have depth. Where? Also, totally classless for Gary Smith to refer to Zakuani as "the player." He whines so much he's starting to sound like Wenger. All that being said, Colorado played the better match and probably deserved a point.
The whole tone of the match was changed in the 3rd minute when Rapids MF Brian Mullan staged a horrific slide tackle on Steve Zakuani. You could hear his leg fracture on TV, Kyle Martino said it was worse in person. Zakuani was stretchered off and Mullan was shown a red card. In all the years I've spent watching sports, that was one of the worst things I've seen. I said my peace in the previous blog entry about it, I'm sure Mullan meant no injury. As for the match, the Rapids found themselves down a man early.
Over the next few minutes, the entire match had a cloud hanging over it as both sides seemed a bit dazed. The Rapids, despite the man disadvantage, had a great run of possession in Sounders territory and had a nice free kick blocked in the 16th minute. However, they couldn't find the back of the net, and Seattle ended up with a great counter chance. After breaking down the pitch, Montero scored a less than impressive goal to put Sounders ahead 0-1 in the 19th minute.
After that, Seattle decided to take the night off. They were obviously rattled by the Zakuani injury. They could not take possession away from the Rapids, and when they did have it, they just kicked the ball around the back line without even trying to get forward. Colorado almost made them pay for that twice. Had you not watched the entire match, you would not have known Seattle was up a man. In the 44th minute, Cummings had a nice break chance for Colorado, but hit the shot high and we went to half with the 0-1 score line.
Seattle started the second half a little better, but quickly reverted to the pallor in which they had played the first half. Colorado tried to take advantage. In the 51st minute, Larentowicz put a shot on goal but it was saved by Keller. Seattle had a chance to ice it in the 54th minute, but Pickens made a great save on a shot by O'Brian White.
Following that chance, Colorado really upped the pressure for the rest of the match, but just couldn't find the net. Honestly, they played a better match than Seattle did, but a nice effort in goal all night long by Kasey Keller made Montero's goal hold up and gave the Sounders an ugly 3 points.
The win catapults the Sounders up the table, but I doubt they'll take much joy in it. The loss of Zakuani hurts them, and it's likely to be a long term loss. After that, they pretty much played a horrible match except for the goal on the counter. They're gonna need to get it together. Montero can't do it all, and they shouldn't let him try.
More bad news for the Rapids. They still have hardly any healthy forwards, and dropping all these points early could kill them come CONCACAF time this summer. Supposedly, they have depth. Where? Also, totally classless for Gary Smith to refer to Zakuani as "the player." He whines so much he's starting to sound like Wenger. All that being said, Colorado played the better match and probably deserved a point.
Sounders FC MF Steve Zakuani injured vs. Rapids.
WARNING: Video Content is GRAPHIC.
Seattle Sounders MF Steve Zakuani suffered a serious injury in the 3rd minute of the Sounders 0-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids. Rapids MF Brian Mullan was shown a straight Red Card for the tackle. Early reports suggest Zakuani suffered a fractured right fibula and tibia and he is expected to remain in Denver for surgery.
Mullan is taking a lot of heat. Some of it is deserved. No reason for a tackle like that. However everyone in the MLS professional sphere, including folks like Kyle Martino and Brian Dunseth are saying Mullan is not a dirty player at all and is distraught, which I'm sure is true. We as supporters need to keep that perspective in mind, as I'm sure Mullan had no intention of causing injury.
Good luck to Z in his recovery, and thoughts go out to Mullan as well.
Match Thoughts coming soon.
Seattle Sounders MF Steve Zakuani suffered a serious injury in the 3rd minute of the Sounders 0-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids. Rapids MF Brian Mullan was shown a straight Red Card for the tackle. Early reports suggest Zakuani suffered a fractured right fibula and tibia and he is expected to remain in Denver for surgery.
Mullan is taking a lot of heat. Some of it is deserved. No reason for a tackle like that. However everyone in the MLS professional sphere, including folks like Kyle Martino and Brian Dunseth are saying Mullan is not a dirty player at all and is distraught, which I'm sure is true. We as supporters need to keep that perspective in mind, as I'm sure Mullan had no intention of causing injury.
Good luck to Z in his recovery, and thoughts go out to Mullan as well.
Match Thoughts coming soon.
Puddle's MLS Preview: Saturday, 4/23 Matches
The entire soccer world has been waiting for the next edition of "Puddle's MLS Preview." Well, wait no longer.
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Chivas USA
Last week on my twitter, I posed the question: Does anybody ever score in a Chivas USA match? There's good news for Chivas, they've recorded back to back clean sheets. Bad news is they haven't scored either. This team needs to find a way to score goals and fast. Tristan Bowen is still out for them. For the Quakes, they had a rough outing at Red Bulls last week, but I think they're better than that. I look for Wondo and Dawson to help the Quakes win at home against Chivas.
Toronto FC vs. Columbus Crew
The 2011 Trillium Cup kicks off at BMO field in Toronto. TFC was embarrassed by DC last weekend, but they face a bigger problem. They've never beaten the Crew. What adjustments can Aron Winter make? Both Gordon and Stevanovic are questionable for TFC, and I think they need both of those guys. For the Crew, Hesmer has playing well in goal, and they seem to be coming into form a bit. I think TFC get up for this game and manage a draw here.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. FC Dallas
I'm really looking forward to this one. Last week Vancouver was held to a scoreless draw, but they've showed flashes of great play, especially at home. The atmosphere at Empire Field seems awesome. Dallas' comeback came up short against Timbers last week, and I think they'll wake up from the first whistle here, but they'll need a better game out of their defense and keeper. I look for Vancouver to take this one in a great match, though Atiba Harris is doubtful, and that could be a blow.
New England Revolution vs. Sporting Kansas City
I wonder if KC is tired of the road yet? Probably. What to say about this? Omar Bravo is still out, maybe Bunbury can score for KC. This one has a lot of snoozefest potential, but I look for the Revs and their new horrible health care sponsors to take the points.
Chicago Fire vs. Houston Dynamo
Houston has been playing some decent ball, with back to back wins. Chicago hasn't, and they're clearly in that "rebuilding" phase. Still, Dynamo have had their own issues, and Brian Ching is still out. I look for the Fire to get a result here, but just a point for a draw.
LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers
This is the other one I'm looking forward too. The Timbers got 6 points at home recently, but they had a tough time with quality possession an had a real hard time closing teams out. They won't have that rabid fan base and Timber Joey in LA, and the Galaxy are getting both Landycakes and Beckham back. I think they got this. I look for Galaxicos to have a great match and take all 3 points.
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Chivas USA
Last week on my twitter, I posed the question: Does anybody ever score in a Chivas USA match? There's good news for Chivas, they've recorded back to back clean sheets. Bad news is they haven't scored either. This team needs to find a way to score goals and fast. Tristan Bowen is still out for them. For the Quakes, they had a rough outing at Red Bulls last week, but I think they're better than that. I look for Wondo and Dawson to help the Quakes win at home against Chivas.
Toronto FC vs. Columbus Crew
The 2011 Trillium Cup kicks off at BMO field in Toronto. TFC was embarrassed by DC last weekend, but they face a bigger problem. They've never beaten the Crew. What adjustments can Aron Winter make? Both Gordon and Stevanovic are questionable for TFC, and I think they need both of those guys. For the Crew, Hesmer has playing well in goal, and they seem to be coming into form a bit. I think TFC get up for this game and manage a draw here.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. FC Dallas
I'm really looking forward to this one. Last week Vancouver was held to a scoreless draw, but they've showed flashes of great play, especially at home. The atmosphere at Empire Field seems awesome. Dallas' comeback came up short against Timbers last week, and I think they'll wake up from the first whistle here, but they'll need a better game out of their defense and keeper. I look for Vancouver to take this one in a great match, though Atiba Harris is doubtful, and that could be a blow.
New England Revolution vs. Sporting Kansas City
I wonder if KC is tired of the road yet? Probably. What to say about this? Omar Bravo is still out, maybe Bunbury can score for KC. This one has a lot of snoozefest potential, but I look for the Revs and their new horrible health care sponsors to take the points.
Chicago Fire vs. Houston Dynamo
Houston has been playing some decent ball, with back to back wins. Chicago hasn't, and they're clearly in that "rebuilding" phase. Still, Dynamo have had their own issues, and Brian Ching is still out. I look for the Fire to get a result here, but just a point for a draw.
LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers
This is the other one I'm looking forward too. The Timbers got 6 points at home recently, but they had a tough time with quality possession an had a real hard time closing teams out. They won't have that rabid fan base and Timber Joey in LA, and the Galaxy are getting both Landycakes and Beckham back. I think they got this. I look for Galaxicos to have a great match and take all 3 points.
Scott Parker named FWA Footballer of the Year.
Congratulations are in order for West Ham United MF Scott Parker, who today was named Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association.
Great recognition for Scott and West Ham. Hopefully West Ham will stay up, but I still hope Chelsea kicks your butt. Sorry for that!
EPL: Chelsea vs. Birmingham City
Earlier this season, Chelsea went to St. Andrews and lost to Birmingham City 1-0. Meh. I hate losing. On Wednesday, the two teams came to Stamford Bridge, where Birmingham was going to try to complete their first top flight double over Chelsea since 1959.
Yeah, right.
The Blues are continuing their formidable form, and dominated this match from start to finish. There's really not much to say about it, but I love to talk about Chelsea victories.
After both teams started a little sloppy, John Terry put a beautiful long ball toward the side of the 18, and a couple passes later, Florent Malouda got his head on it and put Chelsea up 1-0. Credit Drogba with an assist.
City had a couple of first half chances. In the 10th minute, John Terry made a great tackle in the 18 to save a chance. In the 21st, Jerome had a shot toward net but Cech made a nice save.
It really was all Chelsea. As I look at my notes, it's chance after chance for the Blues. Didier Drogba was playing like a wild man. In the 26th, Kalou sliced up the City Defense and scored a collector's item type goal to make it 2-0 to the Blues. Ben Foster saved a great shot from Drogba in the 36th, and the half ended with the Blues up 2.
In the second half Chelsea continued their dominating ways. In the 62nd minute, Malouda got on the end of a cross from Bertrand, making his EPL debut, and scored his second of the night to give Chelsea a 3-0 lead. In the 76th minute, Luiz was hit for a cheap foul in the box, and a minute later Larsson scored from the spot to give City a consolation goal. Torres checked in, but failed to threaten, and the match finished at 3-1 to Chelsea.
Three points here is a big deal. We went ahead of Arsenal on goal difference, and we're back to within sight of United. Chelsea still have one match at United, and United have to go to the Emirates still, so it's possible for Chelsea to win the title, but they'll have to be perfect and get some help. Still, great win in this one and great to see Drogba playing well.
Yeah, right.
The Blues are continuing their formidable form, and dominated this match from start to finish. There's really not much to say about it, but I love to talk about Chelsea victories.
After both teams started a little sloppy, John Terry put a beautiful long ball toward the side of the 18, and a couple passes later, Florent Malouda got his head on it and put Chelsea up 1-0. Credit Drogba with an assist.
City had a couple of first half chances. In the 10th minute, John Terry made a great tackle in the 18 to save a chance. In the 21st, Jerome had a shot toward net but Cech made a nice save.
It really was all Chelsea. As I look at my notes, it's chance after chance for the Blues. Didier Drogba was playing like a wild man. In the 26th, Kalou sliced up the City Defense and scored a collector's item type goal to make it 2-0 to the Blues. Ben Foster saved a great shot from Drogba in the 36th, and the half ended with the Blues up 2.
In the second half Chelsea continued their dominating ways. In the 62nd minute, Malouda got on the end of a cross from Bertrand, making his EPL debut, and scored his second of the night to give Chelsea a 3-0 lead. In the 76th minute, Luiz was hit for a cheap foul in the box, and a minute later Larsson scored from the spot to give City a consolation goal. Torres checked in, but failed to threaten, and the match finished at 3-1 to Chelsea.
Three points here is a big deal. We went ahead of Arsenal on goal difference, and we're back to within sight of United. Chelsea still have one match at United, and United have to go to the Emirates still, so it's possible for Chelsea to win the title, but they'll have to be perfect and get some help. Still, great win in this one and great to see Drogba playing well.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Match Thoughts: DC United vs. New York Red Bulls
So in my "Puddle's MLS Preview" last week, I kinda called out Thierry Henry. Me and a lot of other people that watch MLS. He promptly went out and scored a goal, played really well, and led his team to victory. Would he continue his run against DC United, or would CD9 and company spoil the show for Red Bulls?
Well, they might have, had they actually showed up. I'm sure United was determined to give the Red Bulls more of a game than the Quakes did last week, but it just never materialized. Davies, Pontius, Fred, and many others had a great game for DC last week, but Davies was really the only one who showed up tonight.
New York was on the front foot from the first minute, when Luke Rodgers hit a shot that Bill Hamid had to save right off the bat. It was just a taste of what was to come. The first ten minutes were a little disjointed on both sides, but it looked like NY was having the edge. They showed that edge in the 12th minute when Jan Solli sent a gorgeous cross into the box that found it's way on Thierry Henry's head and into the back of the net giving the Red Bulls a 0-1 lead. Welcome back Thierry.
Over the next 20 minutes or so, DC tried to respond. In fact, at one point they held an edge in possession 61-39 percent. However the final touch, and sometimes the second to final touch, often eluded them. Their best look could have come from a great run by Charlie Davies, but he was incorrectly ruled offside. For all of the pressure DC exerted, they didn't equalize, and that proved fatal.
NY took advantage of the DC failures, and a porous DC defense again before the half. Honestly, DC failed to mark Henry all night. They paid for it in the 12th and they paid for it again in the 37th, when Henry waltzed to the net and poked in a loose ball and put NY up 0-2 going into the half time break.
During the half time break, DC United made an odd substitution. Ben Olsen subbed out Dax McCarty for Branko Boskovic. The weirdest thing about that was that midfield space had been a problem for DC, so why take Dax out? Commentary suggested that it was to try to get offense out of Boskovic, but it didn't work. Still, it was like Davies was the only person on the pitch for DC, and his teammates were just standing around watching him, to his obvious frustration. His night ended early, as he was subbed out in the 59th minute.
The rest of the game was all Red Bulls and they scored two outstanding goals. The first was by Joel Lindpere in he 75th minute. He took a ball from Henry, made a nifty move around the clueless DC defense, and slotted a great goal. That would have been the goal of the week candidate from this match, but there was one more goal to go. Teen sensation and new US International Juan Agudelo had entered in the 70th minute, and showed his quality in the 2nd minute of stoppage time. Solli put a cross into the 18 along the ground, Agudelo flicked it up with his foot, then shot it out of midair into the net. One of the greatest goals I've seen and I'll never forget it. NY won the match 0-4,
For NY Red Bulls, it's awesome to see Henry coming into form, 2 goals and an assist tonight. Red Bulls look to be on fire, even though DeRo was totally quiet tonight. They look to be tough, and Agudelo....WOW.
This was, or at least should be, a wake up call for DC United. A lot of people were ready to say they're back after a decent start, but lets face it, they got lucky with a controversial PK against LA, and TFC, well, not everybody in MLS is TFC. Davies was great but he can't be the whole team. DC United has a lot of work to do.
Well, they might have, had they actually showed up. I'm sure United was determined to give the Red Bulls more of a game than the Quakes did last week, but it just never materialized. Davies, Pontius, Fred, and many others had a great game for DC last week, but Davies was really the only one who showed up tonight.
New York was on the front foot from the first minute, when Luke Rodgers hit a shot that Bill Hamid had to save right off the bat. It was just a taste of what was to come. The first ten minutes were a little disjointed on both sides, but it looked like NY was having the edge. They showed that edge in the 12th minute when Jan Solli sent a gorgeous cross into the box that found it's way on Thierry Henry's head and into the back of the net giving the Red Bulls a 0-1 lead. Welcome back Thierry.
Over the next 20 minutes or so, DC tried to respond. In fact, at one point they held an edge in possession 61-39 percent. However the final touch, and sometimes the second to final touch, often eluded them. Their best look could have come from a great run by Charlie Davies, but he was incorrectly ruled offside. For all of the pressure DC exerted, they didn't equalize, and that proved fatal.
NY took advantage of the DC failures, and a porous DC defense again before the half. Honestly, DC failed to mark Henry all night. They paid for it in the 12th and they paid for it again in the 37th, when Henry waltzed to the net and poked in a loose ball and put NY up 0-2 going into the half time break.
During the half time break, DC United made an odd substitution. Ben Olsen subbed out Dax McCarty for Branko Boskovic. The weirdest thing about that was that midfield space had been a problem for DC, so why take Dax out? Commentary suggested that it was to try to get offense out of Boskovic, but it didn't work. Still, it was like Davies was the only person on the pitch for DC, and his teammates were just standing around watching him, to his obvious frustration. His night ended early, as he was subbed out in the 59th minute.
The rest of the game was all Red Bulls and they scored two outstanding goals. The first was by Joel Lindpere in he 75th minute. He took a ball from Henry, made a nifty move around the clueless DC defense, and slotted a great goal. That would have been the goal of the week candidate from this match, but there was one more goal to go. Teen sensation and new US International Juan Agudelo had entered in the 70th minute, and showed his quality in the 2nd minute of stoppage time. Solli put a cross into the 18 along the ground, Agudelo flicked it up with his foot, then shot it out of midair into the net. One of the greatest goals I've seen and I'll never forget it. NY won the match 0-4,
For NY Red Bulls, it's awesome to see Henry coming into form, 2 goals and an assist tonight. Red Bulls look to be on fire, even though DeRo was totally quiet tonight. They look to be tough, and Agudelo....WOW.
This was, or at least should be, a wake up call for DC United. A lot of people were ready to say they're back after a decent start, but lets face it, they got lucky with a controversial PK against LA, and TFC, well, not everybody in MLS is TFC. Davies was great but he can't be the whole team. DC United has a lot of work to do.
Ramos throws the Copa del Rey under the bus....literally.
Real Madrid was excited about the Copa del Rey finding a new resting place in Madrid, they just didn't know it would be under the team bus.
PHOTO: AP & Telemadrid.
Sergio Ramos dropped the cup off the roof of the bus, and the bus ran it over, breaking the trophy. I mean, hey, who HASN'T left a soda or major sports trophy on the roof of your car, amirite?
Real Madrid will have trophy repaired. No word on whether or not Ramos will get to play around with future trophies.
PHOTO: AP & Telemadrid.
Sergio Ramos dropped the cup off the roof of the bus, and the bus ran it over, breaking the trophy. I mean, hey, who HASN'T left a soda or major sports trophy on the roof of your car, amirite?
Real Madrid will have trophy repaired. No word on whether or not Ramos will get to play around with future trophies.
Arsenal "P*sses Off."
Okay, so who is Arsene Wenger gonna blame for this match, this result? Face it, once again Arsenal have stumbled down the stretch pissing away chances at trophy after trophy. It's not that I hate Arsenal so much, I despise the Manchester teams much more, but Wenger is just so.....annoying, and for all his complaining, his teams never step up. I mean, just 5 or 6 weeks ago we were talking about the possibility of an Arsenal Quad. Of course, Wenger doesn't disappoint, blaming the refs for disallowing Van Persie's offside goal.
As for the match itself, it was a classic. Fox Soccer is calling it the best in the Premier League this year. Indeed, there were three goals in the first 12 or so minutes. An absolutely breathless start. Theo Walcott (who I really like, sue me) started things off for Arsenal, scoring off of a nice ball from Fabregas in the 5th minute. However, just two minutes later, Rafael Van der Vaart equalized for Spurs. Here we go! Not to be outdone, Samir Nasri put the Gunners back in front in the 12th minute, and everybody at White Hart Lane took a breath. However, the first half scoring was not done, as Van Persie added a goal taking advantage of a failed clearance from William Gallas (Irony?) in the 40th. Trailing 3-1, Spurs decided to show they were still in it, as Huddlestone scored off a 20 yard strike to make it 2-3 at the half.
The second half was a battle as well, and Gareth Bale did not return after being stretchered off. Spurs are horribly thin. Van der Vaart had a screamer saved, and Van Persie had his goal called back for offside. This was Wenger's big whine of the day, but replays suggest Van Persie was about a half yard off, according to the ESPN match report.
In the 70th minute, Arsenal keeper Szczesny tripped Aaron Lennon in the area and that resulted in a PK for Spurs. Van der Vaart, who I'm convinced really does have ice in his veins, slotted home the shot and equalized at 3-3, which was how things ended.
Unfortunately, neither club really benefits from this result. Spurs are chasing the final Champions League spot after getting a taste of European glory this year. That battle with Man City is likely to go to the end, but three points would have been huge for them today. However, it's perhaps worse for the Gunners, who not only failed to make up ground after United dropped points at Newcastle, but found themselves dropping to third behind Chelsea on goal difference after the Blues destroyed Birmingham City. Bad times. To make matters worse, Cesc Fabregas criticized his team before the game for not having a killer instinct. Arsenal is claiming his comments were misrepresented, but they seem to have been oddly prophetic.
As for the match itself, it was a classic. Fox Soccer is calling it the best in the Premier League this year. Indeed, there were three goals in the first 12 or so minutes. An absolutely breathless start. Theo Walcott (who I really like, sue me) started things off for Arsenal, scoring off of a nice ball from Fabregas in the 5th minute. However, just two minutes later, Rafael Van der Vaart equalized for Spurs. Here we go! Not to be outdone, Samir Nasri put the Gunners back in front in the 12th minute, and everybody at White Hart Lane took a breath. However, the first half scoring was not done, as Van Persie added a goal taking advantage of a failed clearance from William Gallas (Irony?) in the 40th. Trailing 3-1, Spurs decided to show they were still in it, as Huddlestone scored off a 20 yard strike to make it 2-3 at the half.
The second half was a battle as well, and Gareth Bale did not return after being stretchered off. Spurs are horribly thin. Van der Vaart had a screamer saved, and Van Persie had his goal called back for offside. This was Wenger's big whine of the day, but replays suggest Van Persie was about a half yard off, according to the ESPN match report.
In the 70th minute, Arsenal keeper Szczesny tripped Aaron Lennon in the area and that resulted in a PK for Spurs. Van der Vaart, who I'm convinced really does have ice in his veins, slotted home the shot and equalized at 3-3, which was how things ended.
Unfortunately, neither club really benefits from this result. Spurs are chasing the final Champions League spot after getting a taste of European glory this year. That battle with Man City is likely to go to the end, but three points would have been huge for them today. However, it's perhaps worse for the Gunners, who not only failed to make up ground after United dropped points at Newcastle, but found themselves dropping to third behind Chelsea on goal difference after the Blues destroyed Birmingham City. Bad times. To make matters worse, Cesc Fabregas criticized his team before the game for not having a killer instinct. Arsenal is claiming his comments were misrepresented, but they seem to have been oddly prophetic.
Shout out to my Melbourne Victory!
With everything that's been going on in my footy world today: Chelsea win and big result for RSL, I would be remiss to not mention that Melbourne Victory, the team I support in Australia's Hyundai A-League won 2-1 over Tianjin Teda today to keep their hopes alive of advancing out of the group stage of the AFC Champions League.
The Victory fell short of defending their A League title this year, but they had a great season and have enjoyed a nice run in the AFC Champions League. Keep it up guys!
The Victory fell short of defending their A League title this year, but they had a great season and have enjoyed a nice run in the AFC Champions League. Keep it up guys!
Liverpool 11/12 Away Soccer Jersey - WorldSoccerShop.com
Liverpool 11/12 Away Soccer Jersey - WorldSoccerShop.com
Check out the new Liverpool away jersey for next season....
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
CONCACAF Champions League: Monterrey vs. Real Salt Lake
The first leg of the 2010-2011 CONCACAF Champions League final is in the books. For this RSL supporter, I've had my heart my throat all day long. See I have this issue with superstition. As a Braves fan since I was a little boy in the early 80s, I watched them suck, then become perennial contenders in the 90s. I also tuned in to a lot of World Series games that they blew, so I find it hard to watch my teams in big games for fear I'll jinx them. So this match petrified me.
It really petrified me that RSL got off to kind of a slow start. I'm always confident that we can hang with anyone, but I've seen us concede a lot of early goals as well. My fears seemed to be realized when De Nigris scored early, despite a great performance so far from Homeboy Nick Rimando. Then something strange happened. In the 22nd minute, Monterrey subbed out both De Nigris and captain Luis Perez. The Ap match report sights injury concerns. I think Monterrey thought they had it in the bag already.
RSL started to get it together. As I said earlier, I'm pretty confident that we can hang with anybody in any stadium. Just ask Cruz Azul and Saprissa. If we have something to exploit, it's our size game, and that's how RSL equalized. In the 34th minute, Nat Borchers headed in a high cross from Will Johnson to tie it at 1-1, which proved to be the half time result.
Coming out in the second half, Monterrey set up shop in the RSL half and kept the pressure on. About the 62nd minute, Olave, who we call THE VERB, was hit for a hand ball in the box. I think it was BS. Anyway, Monterrey was awarded the PK, which Suazo scored to put Monterrey up 2-1.
For a long time, it looked like that's how the match would finish. However, you NEVER count RSL out of anything. We have this guy, Javi Morales. That's MR. MORALES. Javi had, shall we say, a flair for the dramatic. Right at the death, he sliced and diced the Monterrey defense and knocked the equalizer into the corner. The match ended 2-2, and the Championship Tie will switch to Rio Tinto next week, and RSL will enjoy the advantage of two away goals. That could be HUGE.
Not much more to say except WOW. Whatever happens next Wednesday, thanks to RSL for the ride of a lifetime for this sports fan.
Note: RSL Captain Kyle Beckerman will miss the 2nd leg after picking up another yellow card in tonight's match.
It really petrified me that RSL got off to kind of a slow start. I'm always confident that we can hang with anyone, but I've seen us concede a lot of early goals as well. My fears seemed to be realized when De Nigris scored early, despite a great performance so far from Homeboy Nick Rimando. Then something strange happened. In the 22nd minute, Monterrey subbed out both De Nigris and captain Luis Perez. The Ap match report sights injury concerns. I think Monterrey thought they had it in the bag already.
RSL started to get it together. As I said earlier, I'm pretty confident that we can hang with anybody in any stadium. Just ask Cruz Azul and Saprissa. If we have something to exploit, it's our size game, and that's how RSL equalized. In the 34th minute, Nat Borchers headed in a high cross from Will Johnson to tie it at 1-1, which proved to be the half time result.
Coming out in the second half, Monterrey set up shop in the RSL half and kept the pressure on. About the 62nd minute, Olave, who we call THE VERB, was hit for a hand ball in the box. I think it was BS. Anyway, Monterrey was awarded the PK, which Suazo scored to put Monterrey up 2-1.
For a long time, it looked like that's how the match would finish. However, you NEVER count RSL out of anything. We have this guy, Javi Morales. That's MR. MORALES. Javi had, shall we say, a flair for the dramatic. Right at the death, he sliced and diced the Monterrey defense and knocked the equalizer into the corner. The match ended 2-2, and the Championship Tie will switch to Rio Tinto next week, and RSL will enjoy the advantage of two away goals. That could be HUGE.
Not much more to say except WOW. Whatever happens next Wednesday, thanks to RSL for the ride of a lifetime for this sports fan.
Note: RSL Captain Kyle Beckerman will miss the 2nd leg after picking up another yellow card in tonight's match.
Congrats to Real Madrid
Congrats to Real Madrid for winning the Copa del Rey! Los Galacticos beat Barcelona 1-0 to earn their first bit of silverware since 2007. They also ended an 18 year drought in the Copa del Rey itself.
Christiano Ronaldo scored in the 103rd minute to seal the trophy for Madrid and the Special One. The two teams drew 1-1 in La Liga play recently and will face each other in the UEFA Champions League semifinals starting next week.
Christiano Ronaldo scored in the 103rd minute to seal the trophy for Madrid and the Special One. The two teams drew 1-1 in La Liga play recently and will face each other in the UEFA Champions League semifinals starting next week.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Sunderland's Gordon (GK) out 4-6 months.
From The Original Winger:
Craig Gordon, Keeper for Sunderland AFC, had knee surgery yesterday and will be out of action for 4-6 months.
Gordon averaged 1.57 goals conceded per game in 15 appearances this season for Sunderland.
Craig Gordon, Keeper for Sunderland AFC, had knee surgery yesterday and will be out of action for 4-6 months.
Gordon averaged 1.57 goals conceded per game in 15 appearances this season for Sunderland.
Chivas USA passes on US MF Benny Feilhaber
As per MLS Insider, Chivas USA has decided against using their number one allocation spot on US International Benny Feilhaber. Rumor had it the cap hit taken by Chivas would have been around 400K.
According to head coach Robin Fraser, the move would have compromised Chivas's ability to improve their team in the summer transfer window. That's probably true. Also, some are questioning whether the Goats' biggest need is in the MF.
UPDATE: 4/19/11 9:30 PM (EDT) After being passed up by Chivas USA and Philadelphia Union, Feilhaber has been taken by New England.
According to head coach Robin Fraser, the move would have compromised Chivas's ability to improve their team in the summer transfer window. That's probably true. Also, some are questioning whether the Goats' biggest need is in the MF.
UPDATE: 4/19/11 9:30 PM (EDT) After being passed up by Chivas USA and Philadelphia Union, Feilhaber has been taken by New England.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Match Thoughts: Portland Timbers vs. FC Dallas
Would FC Dallas become the next victims of Timber Joey's chainsaw? You bet they would. Portland had this game in hand for 80 minutes, but in the end, they let up and the final score was closer than it should have been.
It was kind of an uneasy match from the opening minutes. Both sides struggled staying onside. However, it did seem like Dallas had the better of possession. Those would be themes that would pop up throughout the match. Dallas played a high line out back and Portland had a horrid time getting possession in the final third.
Shaky goal keeping was a problem for both sides. However, you might expect it from Portland, who was essentially playing their third string keeper, but you wouldn't expect it from Kevin Hartman. It cost both teams, but ended up costing Dallas more. In the 15th minute Jewsbury, playing in his 200th MLS match, bounced a shot off the post and Hartman to give the Timbers a 1-0 lead. Timber Joey took another slice off the victory log in the 35th when Hartman whiffed on a header from Kenny Cooper, and PDX went into half time up 2-0.
Portland picked up right where they left off in the second half. They had one goal called back for offside in the 48th minute, and in the 55th they scored again. Alhassan sliced and diced the Dallas defense and then dished off to Wallace who again made Hartman look foolish and put PDX ahead 3-0. Alhassan went around Dallas defenders like they were orange cones on the training ground. The whole play should be up for goal of the week in my opinion.
Unfortunately for Portland, that's about when they took their foot off the gas. You could really feel Dallas building, and maybe getting under the skin of the less experienced Portland side. Not to mention Dallas has this guy named David Ferreira. You might remember him. He was the MVP last year and helped dismantle Colorado in Dallas' last match. Well in the 83rd minute, the PDX defense decided to chill a little bit, and Mr. MVP scored, making it 3-1. Brek Shea followed that a couple minutes later with a nice chip over Gleeson to make it 3-2, and it looked like PDX was coming off the rails heading into stoppage time. In fact, right at the death, Dallas got a nice chance off of a set piece, but Gleeson picked the right time to come up big, saving the kick off the crossbar in what should probably be save of the week. Portland held on for the 3-2 win.
It's been fun watching PDX play at home, and I think they can probably give anybody a run in their home field. However, they have to do a better job getting and keeping possession, particularly in the attacking third. They had issues against both Chicago and Dallas. They also have to learn to keep their discipline and close out matches. Neither the Chicago match nor this one should have been as close as they were, and that has to be the next step to maturity for this squad.
For FC Dallas, it's like Jekyll and Hyde. If the side that beat Colorado had showed up before the 80th minute, they would have stood a good chance at picking up a road point in the Western Conference. As it is, they fell short. Ferreira is great, but it looks like the team as a whole lacks consistency, and that could cost them in the powerful West.
It was kind of an uneasy match from the opening minutes. Both sides struggled staying onside. However, it did seem like Dallas had the better of possession. Those would be themes that would pop up throughout the match. Dallas played a high line out back and Portland had a horrid time getting possession in the final third.
Shaky goal keeping was a problem for both sides. However, you might expect it from Portland, who was essentially playing their third string keeper, but you wouldn't expect it from Kevin Hartman. It cost both teams, but ended up costing Dallas more. In the 15th minute Jewsbury, playing in his 200th MLS match, bounced a shot off the post and Hartman to give the Timbers a 1-0 lead. Timber Joey took another slice off the victory log in the 35th when Hartman whiffed on a header from Kenny Cooper, and PDX went into half time up 2-0.
Portland picked up right where they left off in the second half. They had one goal called back for offside in the 48th minute, and in the 55th they scored again. Alhassan sliced and diced the Dallas defense and then dished off to Wallace who again made Hartman look foolish and put PDX ahead 3-0. Alhassan went around Dallas defenders like they were orange cones on the training ground. The whole play should be up for goal of the week in my opinion.
Unfortunately for Portland, that's about when they took their foot off the gas. You could really feel Dallas building, and maybe getting under the skin of the less experienced Portland side. Not to mention Dallas has this guy named David Ferreira. You might remember him. He was the MVP last year and helped dismantle Colorado in Dallas' last match. Well in the 83rd minute, the PDX defense decided to chill a little bit, and Mr. MVP scored, making it 3-1. Brek Shea followed that a couple minutes later with a nice chip over Gleeson to make it 3-2, and it looked like PDX was coming off the rails heading into stoppage time. In fact, right at the death, Dallas got a nice chance off of a set piece, but Gleeson picked the right time to come up big, saving the kick off the crossbar in what should probably be save of the week. Portland held on for the 3-2 win.
It's been fun watching PDX play at home, and I think they can probably give anybody a run in their home field. However, they have to do a better job getting and keeping possession, particularly in the attacking third. They had issues against both Chicago and Dallas. They also have to learn to keep their discipline and close out matches. Neither the Chicago match nor this one should have been as close as they were, and that has to be the next step to maturity for this squad.
For FC Dallas, it's like Jekyll and Hyde. If the side that beat Colorado had showed up before the 80th minute, they would have stood a good chance at picking up a road point in the Western Conference. As it is, they fell short. Ferreira is great, but it looks like the team as a whole lacks consistency, and that could cost them in the powerful West.
EPL: West Brom vs. Chelsea
I like West Brom, I like Roy Hodgson. They just seem to be a likeable side and I hope they stay up. Still, I'm a Chelsea supporter, and my fellow supporters and I are grumpy after crashing out of the Champions League.
I was hoping that Chelsea would dominate at the Hawthorns, and I pretty much got what I wanted. The Blues, wearing their lime green thirds, got off on the right foot and Malouda hit a shot just wide on two minutes. Encouraging.
West Brom weren't going to roll over though. They had their fair share of the ball early as well. They had at lest one chance that Mulumbu hit high over the bar. In the 17th minute, the Baggies charged up the field with some beautiful development, and Odemwinge beat Petr Cech for his 12th goal of the Premier League campaign. He's the first Baggie to score that many goals in a Premier League season, congrats.
So it was time to see how Chelsea would respond. Would they fold into shell shock after their UEFA experience? Would they come back and reassert themselves as a dominant team? Happily, for me anyway, they decided to wake up. Camping in the West Brom half, they got the ball in the box and the West Brom defense and keeper Scott Carson were all over the place. Carson couldn't quite get a hold of the ball, and Drogba scored to tie the match at one.
After that 22nd minute goal, Chelsea were firmly in control. West Brom did have one nice counter, but it was snuffed out by David Luiz. In the 26th minute, Carson again failed to get the ball cleanly, rebounding a shot right to Kalou, and Kalou gave Chelsea their first lead at 1-2. The West Brom defense continued to be weak, and right before the half, Lampard added a goal to make it 1-3.
The second half was kind of pedestrian, with Chelsea holding the ball most of the time and West Brom not really threatening when they did get a chance. Fernando Torres came in for Chelsea for Drogba in the 82nd, and Chelsea tried really hard to get him a goal. He actually put one in the back of the net, but was ruled offside. They showed the replay, and it certainly didn't look offside to me, but I'm biased. At any rate, the match finished 1-3 to Chelsea.
The Blues looked good, and bounced back well from midweek disappointment. Drogba was definitely man of the match, and pretty much put on a clinic. It will be interesting to see how this works out with Torres, and it'll be interesting to see if Anelka ends up being odd man out. The Blues probably don't have a real good shot at the title, but Arsenal hasn't playing real great, and we might grab second. At any rate, we have to secure a Champions League spot for next year.
I was hoping that Chelsea would dominate at the Hawthorns, and I pretty much got what I wanted. The Blues, wearing their lime green thirds, got off on the right foot and Malouda hit a shot just wide on two minutes. Encouraging.
West Brom weren't going to roll over though. They had their fair share of the ball early as well. They had at lest one chance that Mulumbu hit high over the bar. In the 17th minute, the Baggies charged up the field with some beautiful development, and Odemwinge beat Petr Cech for his 12th goal of the Premier League campaign. He's the first Baggie to score that many goals in a Premier League season, congrats.
So it was time to see how Chelsea would respond. Would they fold into shell shock after their UEFA experience? Would they come back and reassert themselves as a dominant team? Happily, for me anyway, they decided to wake up. Camping in the West Brom half, they got the ball in the box and the West Brom defense and keeper Scott Carson were all over the place. Carson couldn't quite get a hold of the ball, and Drogba scored to tie the match at one.
After that 22nd minute goal, Chelsea were firmly in control. West Brom did have one nice counter, but it was snuffed out by David Luiz. In the 26th minute, Carson again failed to get the ball cleanly, rebounding a shot right to Kalou, and Kalou gave Chelsea their first lead at 1-2. The West Brom defense continued to be weak, and right before the half, Lampard added a goal to make it 1-3.
The second half was kind of pedestrian, with Chelsea holding the ball most of the time and West Brom not really threatening when they did get a chance. Fernando Torres came in for Chelsea for Drogba in the 82nd, and Chelsea tried really hard to get him a goal. He actually put one in the back of the net, but was ruled offside. They showed the replay, and it certainly didn't look offside to me, but I'm biased. At any rate, the match finished 1-3 to Chelsea.
The Blues looked good, and bounced back well from midweek disappointment. Drogba was definitely man of the match, and pretty much put on a clinic. It will be interesting to see how this works out with Torres, and it'll be interesting to see if Anelka ends up being odd man out. The Blues probably don't have a real good shot at the title, but Arsenal hasn't playing real great, and we might grab second. At any rate, we have to secure a Champions League spot for next year.
Kenny Dalglish telling Arsene Wenger to P**s Off!
I think King Kenny echoes the thoughts of non-Arsenal supporters everywhere. That being said, I haven't watched the match yet, so I don't really know if Wenger has something to whine about or not. I just know he likes to whine.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Match Thoughts: Toronto FC vs. DC United.
Well, that went well. Right TFC?
Things started out bad and got progressively worse for Toronto, which is weird for a couple of reasons. One, TFC is usually a pretty safe bet at home. They have a good crowd that really gets behind them. Two, DC had really been struggling for results, only being saved by penalty kicks. Well all that went out the window today and went out rather quickly in the cold Toronto rain.
Before the crowd could even get settled in their wet seats, Pontius sliced and diced the TFC defense, if you can call it that, and pounded his first goal of the season into the back of the net. Oops. Well, TFC is a decent side, they're at home, they'll respond, right? Not really. In the 10th minute, Frei saved a hard shot headed into the TFC goal, but it rebounded right to Charlie Davies, and CD9 made quick work of it for his 4th goal of the year. DC United was up by two and there wasn't a penalty kick in sight. Finally about the 20th minute, TFC got going, and even gained the upper hand on possession, but they never really threatened. DC had their 2 goal lead going to the half, looking secure.
Things looked even more secure in the second half, when Harden was shown a straight red for TFC for denying a clear goal scoring chance. Now, MLS refs have been under a lot of scrutiny this week, but this was absolutely the right call. TFC was now down 2 goals and down to ten men.
That seemed to galvanize them a little though, it's like they finally woke up and tried to do something with their possession. In the 54th minute, Tchani got off a nice strike that went wide, and in the 77th minute TFC got a header on goal that was just barely cleared off the line. That could have made things interesting. Instead Pontius added his second of the match to seal the DC win.
Charlie Davies went down right at the end, but it looked to be just a cramp. Lets hope so, he looked awesome tonight, and that's great to see. DC United gets a win to hopefully build on, and if you're TFC, it might be back to the drawing board at this point. They looked bad. Kyle Martino commented that Aron Winter might not have the players for the system he wants to play, and it certainly looked like square pegs in round holes tonight.
Things started out bad and got progressively worse for Toronto, which is weird for a couple of reasons. One, TFC is usually a pretty safe bet at home. They have a good crowd that really gets behind them. Two, DC had really been struggling for results, only being saved by penalty kicks. Well all that went out the window today and went out rather quickly in the cold Toronto rain.
Before the crowd could even get settled in their wet seats, Pontius sliced and diced the TFC defense, if you can call it that, and pounded his first goal of the season into the back of the net. Oops. Well, TFC is a decent side, they're at home, they'll respond, right? Not really. In the 10th minute, Frei saved a hard shot headed into the TFC goal, but it rebounded right to Charlie Davies, and CD9 made quick work of it for his 4th goal of the year. DC United was up by two and there wasn't a penalty kick in sight. Finally about the 20th minute, TFC got going, and even gained the upper hand on possession, but they never really threatened. DC had their 2 goal lead going to the half, looking secure.
Things looked even more secure in the second half, when Harden was shown a straight red for TFC for denying a clear goal scoring chance. Now, MLS refs have been under a lot of scrutiny this week, but this was absolutely the right call. TFC was now down 2 goals and down to ten men.
That seemed to galvanize them a little though, it's like they finally woke up and tried to do something with their possession. In the 54th minute, Tchani got off a nice strike that went wide, and in the 77th minute TFC got a header on goal that was just barely cleared off the line. That could have made things interesting. Instead Pontius added his second of the match to seal the DC win.
Charlie Davies went down right at the end, but it looked to be just a cramp. Lets hope so, he looked awesome tonight, and that's great to see. DC United gets a win to hopefully build on, and if you're TFC, it might be back to the drawing board at this point. They looked bad. Kyle Martino commented that Aron Winter might not have the players for the system he wants to play, and it certainly looked like square pegs in round holes tonight.
Chelsea 11/12 Home Soccer Jersey
Chelsea 11/12 Home Soccer Jersey - WorldSoccerShop.com
I love it, despite the Hoops. Blues will be looking good next year!
Check out worldsoccershop.com for all your soccer gear needs!
Puddle's MLS Preview: Sunday, 4/17 matches
Chicago Fire vs. LA Galaxy, Sunday, 4:00 EDT
The Fire will try to overcome the chainsaw wounds inflicted by Timber Joey against an LA squad facing a bunch of suspensions, including one David Beckham, who can't learn to keep his trap shut. LA has dropped four points in the last two matches, and if they want to be in the Supporter's Shield mix again, they better pick it up. Teams aren't going to roll over for them, and MLS is done worshiping at the feet of Beckham. Still Chicago is having a rough time, so LA should win, but that's what you might have thought the last couple of outings as well. The Fire showed some guts trying to come back against Portland, but their back line was horrid.
Portland Timbers vs. FC Dallas, Sunday, 6:00 EDT
How many slabs will Timber Joey cut off against the Hoops? Honestly though, Dallas looked pretty good last time out, and they do still have the MVP. I think this could be a really fun match to watch. It will be interesting to see if the advantage the Timbers at home against Chicago will turn up again. They need to hold on to the ball better, or Dallas will punish them. Still, Timber Joey rules.
Houston Dynamo vs. New England Revolution, Sunday, 7:00 EDT
Maybe New England can keep everyone on the pitch for this one, but I doubt it. Discipline problems have hassled the Revs all year, and it's not just the ref's fault. They were just boneheads against RSL and couldn't take losing. As for Houston, they'll try to build on a 3-1 win over Vancouver, but they still had some lapses in the at one that will need fixed. Unfortunately for the Orange, Brian Ching is still doubtful after going off injured in NY a couple weeks back.P
The Fire will try to overcome the chainsaw wounds inflicted by Timber Joey against an LA squad facing a bunch of suspensions, including one David Beckham, who can't learn to keep his trap shut. LA has dropped four points in the last two matches, and if they want to be in the Supporter's Shield mix again, they better pick it up. Teams aren't going to roll over for them, and MLS is done worshiping at the feet of Beckham. Still Chicago is having a rough time, so LA should win, but that's what you might have thought the last couple of outings as well. The Fire showed some guts trying to come back against Portland, but their back line was horrid.
Portland Timbers vs. FC Dallas, Sunday, 6:00 EDT
How many slabs will Timber Joey cut off against the Hoops? Honestly though, Dallas looked pretty good last time out, and they do still have the MVP. I think this could be a really fun match to watch. It will be interesting to see if the advantage the Timbers at home against Chicago will turn up again. They need to hold on to the ball better, or Dallas will punish them. Still, Timber Joey rules.
Houston Dynamo vs. New England Revolution, Sunday, 7:00 EDT
Maybe New England can keep everyone on the pitch for this one, but I doubt it. Discipline problems have hassled the Revs all year, and it's not just the ref's fault. They were just boneheads against RSL and couldn't take losing. As for Houston, they'll try to build on a 3-1 win over Vancouver, but they still had some lapses in the at one that will need fixed. Unfortunately for the Orange, Brian Ching is still doubtful after going off injured in NY a couple weeks back.P
Friday, April 15, 2011
Puddle's MLS Preview : Saturday, 4/16 matches
This weekend we have another full slate of MLS matches after the most recent midweek matches gave us kind of a mixed bag. Here's what I'm looking forward to in the upcoming matches this weekend.
Philadelphia Union vs Seattle Sounders FC, Saturday, 4:00PM EDT.
Philly will try to hold on to the top spot in the East as the Sounders come to town. I always love watching Philly play, and I'm kind of bummed that I'm gonna be missing the first half of this one at while I'm at work. Needless to say, I'm gonna fire up Match Day Live as soon as I walk in the door. The Union struggled for a decent part of the match against NY last week, but found a way to win. Seattle is looking a lot better, starting to score goals and Keller still looks solid in goal. Two questions though: Can Le Toux be more of a factor for Philly and can the Seattle defense limit the amount of cracks the Philly attack gets at Keller?
Toronto FC vs. DC United, Saturday, 7:00 PM EDT.
Don't look now, but TFC has been grinding out some results. I know I didn't expect it. Sure they had the luck of the wood work against LA during the week, but in the end, only a Ricketts save kept them from 3 points against Beckham and company. I don't know, but I'm thinking TFC might sneak up on some folks this year, even without DeRo. As for DC, the biggest question is this: Can they score on anything besides a PK? They looked pretty anemic against LA last weekend. We'll see what happens. Hope CD9 can spark some more for DC from open play.
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Chivas USA, Saturday, 7:00 PM EDT.
The Whitecaps return home to Empire field after being but to the sword by the Dynamo in Houston last weekend. The 'Caps definitely have a bit of a home field advantage, and watching Camilo is always fun. My guess is they'll look to take out their frustrations on Chivas, who have picked up two draws after dropping their first two, but that match against the Crew last weekend just sucked all around. Hopefully Vancouver will at least keep it entertaining. DeMerit is questionable for Vancouver and Bowen is out for Chivas. Yawn.
NY Red Bulls vs. San Jose Earthquakes, Saturday, 7:30 PM EDT
Paging Thierry Henry? Mr. Henry? NY was supposed to dominate with Henry along side JPA when he showed up last year. Didn't happen, and Angel took his La-Z-Boy and went to LA to hang out with Becks. So Red Bulls go out and get DeRo, and everybody is so confident that they start arguing about whether the Supporter's Shield or the MLS Cup is more important, cause, you know, they're obviously going to win them both. Then they go out and play like the same old Red Bulls. DeRo looks pretty good, Henry looks like.....he came here cause Europe was tired of him. Meanwhile, Wondolowski and Dawson will be hoping Tim Ream kicks some more balls right to them so they can add to their goal tallies.
Columbus Crew vs. Sporting KC, Saturday, 7:30 EDT
Umm.....who wants to watch this one? The team formerly sponsored by Glidden takes on the team with the logo that's a blatant rip off of the Eastern Conference logo. That's literally the most interesting thing I can think of to say about this, other than Omar Bravo is out for KC. However, if KC can play the way they did in the first half against Vancouver, there might be something worth seeing here.
Philadelphia Union vs Seattle Sounders FC, Saturday, 4:00PM EDT.
Philly will try to hold on to the top spot in the East as the Sounders come to town. I always love watching Philly play, and I'm kind of bummed that I'm gonna be missing the first half of this one at while I'm at work. Needless to say, I'm gonna fire up Match Day Live as soon as I walk in the door. The Union struggled for a decent part of the match against NY last week, but found a way to win. Seattle is looking a lot better, starting to score goals and Keller still looks solid in goal. Two questions though: Can Le Toux be more of a factor for Philly and can the Seattle defense limit the amount of cracks the Philly attack gets at Keller?
Toronto FC vs. DC United, Saturday, 7:00 PM EDT.
Don't look now, but TFC has been grinding out some results. I know I didn't expect it. Sure they had the luck of the wood work against LA during the week, but in the end, only a Ricketts save kept them from 3 points against Beckham and company. I don't know, but I'm thinking TFC might sneak up on some folks this year, even without DeRo. As for DC, the biggest question is this: Can they score on anything besides a PK? They looked pretty anemic against LA last weekend. We'll see what happens. Hope CD9 can spark some more for DC from open play.
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Chivas USA, Saturday, 7:00 PM EDT.
The Whitecaps return home to Empire field after being but to the sword by the Dynamo in Houston last weekend. The 'Caps definitely have a bit of a home field advantage, and watching Camilo is always fun. My guess is they'll look to take out their frustrations on Chivas, who have picked up two draws after dropping their first two, but that match against the Crew last weekend just sucked all around. Hopefully Vancouver will at least keep it entertaining. DeMerit is questionable for Vancouver and Bowen is out for Chivas. Yawn.
NY Red Bulls vs. San Jose Earthquakes, Saturday, 7:30 PM EDT
Paging Thierry Henry? Mr. Henry? NY was supposed to dominate with Henry along side JPA when he showed up last year. Didn't happen, and Angel took his La-Z-Boy and went to LA to hang out with Becks. So Red Bulls go out and get DeRo, and everybody is so confident that they start arguing about whether the Supporter's Shield or the MLS Cup is more important, cause, you know, they're obviously going to win them both. Then they go out and play like the same old Red Bulls. DeRo looks pretty good, Henry looks like.....he came here cause Europe was tired of him. Meanwhile, Wondolowski and Dawson will be hoping Tim Ream kicks some more balls right to them so they can add to their goal tallies.
Columbus Crew vs. Sporting KC, Saturday, 7:30 EDT
Umm.....who wants to watch this one? The team formerly sponsored by Glidden takes on the team with the logo that's a blatant rip off of the Eastern Conference logo. That's literally the most interesting thing I can think of to say about this, other than Omar Bravo is out for KC. However, if KC can play the way they did in the first half against Vancouver, there might be something worth seeing here.
Vancouver to host Manchester City this July.
Another big name English side will be playing some matches in MLS land this summer. Fox Soccer is reporting that the Vancouver Whitecaps will host Manchester City at Empire Field on July 18, 2011. This is part of that whole "World Football Challenge" thing.
The Whitecaps will truck in a temporary grass pitch for the match. I'm sure City won't want to risk any of their reserves on the turf up there. You know the regulars probably won't play.
Coup for the 'Caps. I like to see these big name sides come to MLS, but I don't think we should have sacrificed Super Liga for it. The only way our teams are going to really improve on the international scene is to play meaningful, competitive matches against international squads at full strength. Our venue for this is CONCACAF Champions League and Super Liga. Not friendlies against reserve squads from Europe.
Oh, and these teams are still too scared to play Real Salt Lake. Just sayin.
The Whitecaps will truck in a temporary grass pitch for the match. I'm sure City won't want to risk any of their reserves on the turf up there. You know the regulars probably won't play.
Coup for the 'Caps. I like to see these big name sides come to MLS, but I don't think we should have sacrificed Super Liga for it. The only way our teams are going to really improve on the international scene is to play meaningful, competitive matches against international squads at full strength. Our venue for this is CONCACAF Champions League and Super Liga. Not friendlies against reserve squads from Europe.
Oh, and these teams are still too scared to play Real Salt Lake. Just sayin.
Match Thoughts: Portland Timbers vs. Chicago Fire
Didn't keep any real detailed notes on this match, I was too busy hanging out, so this is basically gonna be my impressions on this one. Really, there was no pity in the Rose City, and the Fire were MIA for about the first 60 minutes. By the time they showed up, it was too little, too late.
First off, it's been a bad week for MLS refs. Toledo allowed a controversial winning goal for RSL against Colorado last night. Beckham was given his six yellow in five matches, and there were two questionable calls on goals in this match. Early on, PDX looked to have opened the scoring off of a corner kick, but the official ruled that the kick went out of bounds, so the goal was disallowed. My friend and I at first thought it was because of some shirt tugging in the box, but then ESPN explained the actual call and showed the replay. I dunno. The replay didn't convince me either way.
At any rate, it didn't slow the Timbers down. They put two on the board and went into the break up 2-0. The Fire were nowhere in sight. Granted the Fire had a ton of turnover this season, and they are in the middle of a major rebuild, but they looked awful except for the last 25 minutes or so.
Portland came out of the half and put another beauty of a goal up, and we thought it was over. After all, Chicago had given us no reason to think otherwise. However, they did come back and put two up in a row that made it 3-2 with about ten minutes to go. It looked like we had a match after all.
It wasn't to be, and this is where the other controversial call came in. Portland put a ball in the box off of a set piece, and it ended up getting booted around the line for a few seconds before finally going in to restore the two goal advantage for Portland. However, looking at the replay, Kenny Cooper obviously handled the ball not once, but twice before it went in. It was just a bad no call. At any rate, the goal counted and the Timbers went on to win 4-2.
Portland was obviously the better team, but they're gonna have to hold on to the ball a lot more against the better teams in MLS. They looked pretty good, but not real crisp, and I would question if they could break down a defense that actually bothered to get off the bus. I can't take anything away from them tonight though, great match and a great atmosphere. The Timbers supporters were awesome and "Timber Joey" with his chainsaw is surely one of the most awesome mascots in sports. Let's hope nobody freaks out over sawing that log!
First off, it's been a bad week for MLS refs. Toledo allowed a controversial winning goal for RSL against Colorado last night. Beckham was given his six yellow in five matches, and there were two questionable calls on goals in this match. Early on, PDX looked to have opened the scoring off of a corner kick, but the official ruled that the kick went out of bounds, so the goal was disallowed. My friend and I at first thought it was because of some shirt tugging in the box, but then ESPN explained the actual call and showed the replay. I dunno. The replay didn't convince me either way.
At any rate, it didn't slow the Timbers down. They put two on the board and went into the break up 2-0. The Fire were nowhere in sight. Granted the Fire had a ton of turnover this season, and they are in the middle of a major rebuild, but they looked awful except for the last 25 minutes or so.
Portland came out of the half and put another beauty of a goal up, and we thought it was over. After all, Chicago had given us no reason to think otherwise. However, they did come back and put two up in a row that made it 3-2 with about ten minutes to go. It looked like we had a match after all.
It wasn't to be, and this is where the other controversial call came in. Portland put a ball in the box off of a set piece, and it ended up getting booted around the line for a few seconds before finally going in to restore the two goal advantage for Portland. However, looking at the replay, Kenny Cooper obviously handled the ball not once, but twice before it went in. It was just a bad no call. At any rate, the goal counted and the Timbers went on to win 4-2.
Portland was obviously the better team, but they're gonna have to hold on to the ball a lot more against the better teams in MLS. They looked pretty good, but not real crisp, and I would question if they could break down a defense that actually bothered to get off the bus. I can't take anything away from them tonight though, great match and a great atmosphere. The Timbers supporters were awesome and "Timber Joey" with his chainsaw is surely one of the most awesome mascots in sports. Let's hope nobody freaks out over sawing that log!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Match Thoughts: Toronto FC vs. LA Galaxy
What are my thoughts on this one? Not very much. Pretty dull. As Kyle Martino commented on his twitter, both teams lacked inspiration up top.
Certainly LA had the better chances. Frei made a great save in the first two minutes for TFC, but Galaxicos couldn't do anything but hit woodwork the rest of the evening.
Toronto had a couple of looks in the second half., the best being on 88 minutes when Ricketts was called into action to make a great save off of a header that preserved a point for LA. For the most part though, it just looked like two boxers dancing around each other.
TFC will claim they got a point versus one of the MLS's big fish. True enough, but at home they should have controlled tempo more and had they taken their second half chances, they might have won.
LA will claim that getting a point on the road is a big plus in the MLS standings. That's also true enough, but they really should have picked up all three here, and despite the fact that they had the better chances, it just came across as another uninspired performance without Landon Donovan. Even when he's healthy, Landycakes can't play all 11 positions. LA needs somebody to step up, and I'll say it again, If Angel wants his DP money, he ought to actually do something. Perhaps more importantly, Beckham will miss the next match because of yellow card accumulation, and Juninho saw red and he will miss the next match too. Bad discipline and cards are already catching up with LA.
Certainly LA had the better chances. Frei made a great save in the first two minutes for TFC, but Galaxicos couldn't do anything but hit woodwork the rest of the evening.
Toronto had a couple of looks in the second half., the best being on 88 minutes when Ricketts was called into action to make a great save off of a header that preserved a point for LA. For the most part though, it just looked like two boxers dancing around each other.
TFC will claim they got a point versus one of the MLS's big fish. True enough, but at home they should have controlled tempo more and had they taken their second half chances, they might have won.
LA will claim that getting a point on the road is a big plus in the MLS standings. That's also true enough, but they really should have picked up all three here, and despite the fact that they had the better chances, it just came across as another uninspired performance without Landon Donovan. Even when he's healthy, Landycakes can't play all 11 positions. LA needs somebody to step up, and I'll say it again, If Angel wants his DP money, he ought to actually do something. Perhaps more importantly, Beckham will miss the next match because of yellow card accumulation, and Juninho saw red and he will miss the next match too. Bad discipline and cards are already catching up with LA.
UCL: Real Madrid & Schalke 04 round out semifinals.
Two more births in the UEFA Champions League finals up for grabs today, so there had to be drama, right? Not on your life. Both Spurs and Inter stunk it up so bad their respective first legs that Real and Schalke had easy passages in the second leg.
In London, Galacticos sat back and had a vacation. Gareth Bale had a goal called back for offside, but that was pretty much the highlight of the entire tie for Tottenham, who just look like the fixture congestion and injuries are starting to catch up with them. Gomes fumbled a Ronaldo shot over his own line for the games lone goal. Madrid advances to face Barca on a 5-0 aggregate.
Who knows what was up with Inter Milan? I'm an Inter supporter and I can't figure it out. Perhaps they took Schalke and Raul way too lightly? Perhaps the German side was pissed for being written off before tie? Perhaps Inter isn't much without the Special One at the helm? No secret Inter struggled in the Champions League all year, and never looked to be really serious threats to defend their title. Lame. All the credit to Schalke. Good look against United. Inter needs to settle down and chase the scudetto now.
Great run for Spurs though, in their first campaign. Had Crouch not gotten the red in the first leg, things might have been different. Still, credit to Tottenham and their fans.
In London, Galacticos sat back and had a vacation. Gareth Bale had a goal called back for offside, but that was pretty much the highlight of the entire tie for Tottenham, who just look like the fixture congestion and injuries are starting to catch up with them. Gomes fumbled a Ronaldo shot over his own line for the games lone goal. Madrid advances to face Barca on a 5-0 aggregate.
Who knows what was up with Inter Milan? I'm an Inter supporter and I can't figure it out. Perhaps they took Schalke and Raul way too lightly? Perhaps the German side was pissed for being written off before tie? Perhaps Inter isn't much without the Special One at the helm? No secret Inter struggled in the Champions League all year, and never looked to be really serious threats to defend their title. Lame. All the credit to Schalke. Good look against United. Inter needs to settle down and chase the scudetto now.
Great run for Spurs though, in their first campaign. Had Crouch not gotten the red in the first leg, things might have been different. Still, credit to Tottenham and their fans.
Match Thoughts: Houston Dynamo vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
Yeah, yeah. I know this match is old news now, but it wasn't available on Match Day live until tonight, so here ya go. I've really enjoyed watching Vancouver play this season. They're always entertaining. Plus it would be interesting to see if Houston could build on the points they had previously picked up on the road.
The Dynamo came out sharp as a tack and had a lot of chances early on. Bruin shot just barely off target twice in the first ten minutes. It was obvious at this point that the Whitecaps were going to have defensive issues all night long. The Houston forwards never really had a problem finding space.
Still, if there's one guy that's going to show up for Vancouver and try to get it done, even if he's got to do it by himself, it's Camilo. He tried damn hard tonight. He's really been teaming up well with Atiba Harris, but Harris just looked dog tired all night. In the 12th minute, Camilo found all kinds of space but had his shot blocked at the last second. A few minutes later, in the 16th, he went down in the box trying to draw a PK, but Jair wasn't buying it.
At that point, Danny Cruz tried to take over for Houston, and he found acres of wide open space. Unfortunately, he couldn't finish anything. He hit the crossbar in the 28th minute, went way wide in the 31st, and in the 34th lingered over the ball too much and failed to even get a shot. You could feel the Dynamo's frustration.
That frustration evaporated in the 37th minute when Cam Weaver finally got Houston on the board after three straight set pieces. Houston looked dangerous on set plays all night, and it payed off here. Unfortunately, the Dynamo partied too long and Camilo took the ball right up the pitch, broke Tally Hall's ankles, and scored, evening things at 1.
I'm sure the Whitecaps would have loved it if the half had ended right then, but it was not to be. In the 41st minute, Jay DeMerit tackled the ball away from Weaver in the box, but aggravated his groin injury in the process. After the ensuing corner, Boswell busted a goal in from a nice ball off the foot of Cruz to send the Dynamo to the break up 2-1.
DeMerit subbed out for the Whitecaps at the half, which was not good news for their defense. Still, they got a lot more of the possession in the 2nd half. They were never able to capitalize though. Will Bruin iced it for Dynamo in the 76th minute, beating Nolly 1 on 1 and smacking his first MLS goal into an empty net. Congrats to him. The only other noteworthy moment came in the 84th minute when Omar Salgado, the number 1 pick in the Super Draft, made his debut. He put one ball into the box, but that was about it.
For the Dynamo, great win. Just what the doctor ordered. They got great service into the front all night, and really played quite well on defense as well, against a Vancouver side that can score a lot of goals. Certainly this was a win to build on.
For the Whitecaps, well they didn't get anyone sent off tonight, so that's a plus. Absences from injury and bans obviously hurt them. Camilo is an awesome creative talent up front, but I think he needs to develop more with Harris. They also need to get their back line sorted out. That was ugly.
The Dynamo came out sharp as a tack and had a lot of chances early on. Bruin shot just barely off target twice in the first ten minutes. It was obvious at this point that the Whitecaps were going to have defensive issues all night long. The Houston forwards never really had a problem finding space.
Still, if there's one guy that's going to show up for Vancouver and try to get it done, even if he's got to do it by himself, it's Camilo. He tried damn hard tonight. He's really been teaming up well with Atiba Harris, but Harris just looked dog tired all night. In the 12th minute, Camilo found all kinds of space but had his shot blocked at the last second. A few minutes later, in the 16th, he went down in the box trying to draw a PK, but Jair wasn't buying it.
At that point, Danny Cruz tried to take over for Houston, and he found acres of wide open space. Unfortunately, he couldn't finish anything. He hit the crossbar in the 28th minute, went way wide in the 31st, and in the 34th lingered over the ball too much and failed to even get a shot. You could feel the Dynamo's frustration.
That frustration evaporated in the 37th minute when Cam Weaver finally got Houston on the board after three straight set pieces. Houston looked dangerous on set plays all night, and it payed off here. Unfortunately, the Dynamo partied too long and Camilo took the ball right up the pitch, broke Tally Hall's ankles, and scored, evening things at 1.
I'm sure the Whitecaps would have loved it if the half had ended right then, but it was not to be. In the 41st minute, Jay DeMerit tackled the ball away from Weaver in the box, but aggravated his groin injury in the process. After the ensuing corner, Boswell busted a goal in from a nice ball off the foot of Cruz to send the Dynamo to the break up 2-1.
DeMerit subbed out for the Whitecaps at the half, which was not good news for their defense. Still, they got a lot more of the possession in the 2nd half. They were never able to capitalize though. Will Bruin iced it for Dynamo in the 76th minute, beating Nolly 1 on 1 and smacking his first MLS goal into an empty net. Congrats to him. The only other noteworthy moment came in the 84th minute when Omar Salgado, the number 1 pick in the Super Draft, made his debut. He put one ball into the box, but that was about it.
For the Dynamo, great win. Just what the doctor ordered. They got great service into the front all night, and really played quite well on defense as well, against a Vancouver side that can score a lot of goals. Certainly this was a win to build on.
For the Whitecaps, well they didn't get anyone sent off tonight, so that's a plus. Absences from injury and bans obviously hurt them. Camilo is an awesome creative talent up front, but I think he needs to develop more with Harris. They also need to get their back line sorted out. That was ugly.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
UCL: Barca and Man United advance to semis.
This Blues fan is blue. Looks like Chelsea won't be adding anymore trophies to the cabinet this year, and that bums me out, especially after the double from last year. Chelsea gave it a whirl today at Old Trafford, but give credit where it's due, Untied was the better team, and the opening loss at The Bridge just killed us. The debate about Torres will go on. Will Anelka leave, will Carlo get sacked?
United has just been awesome this year, you have to give them that. They haven't scored a ton in Champion's League, but they've gotten the job done. Next up they get either Inter or Schalke, probably Schalke. I'm not sure either side can take on United and win.
On the other side of the coin, Barcelona did what they needed to do against Shakhtar, which wasn't much. Messi scored in the 43rd minute to add to the 5-1 advantage that Barco had coming into the match, and Shakhtar had nothing for them. Give the Ukrainian side credit though, they had a great run. Barca is just a buzz saw this year, and it looks like they'll get their La Liga rivals Real Madrid in the semis, which will be great!
United has just been awesome this year, you have to give them that. They haven't scored a ton in Champion's League, but they've gotten the job done. Next up they get either Inter or Schalke, probably Schalke. I'm not sure either side can take on United and win.
On the other side of the coin, Barcelona did what they needed to do against Shakhtar, which wasn't much. Messi scored in the 43rd minute to add to the 5-1 advantage that Barco had coming into the match, and Shakhtar had nothing for them. Give the Ukrainian side credit though, they had a great run. Barca is just a buzz saw this year, and it looks like they'll get their La Liga rivals Real Madrid in the semis, which will be great!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Match Thoughts: Liverpool vs. Manchester City.
I sat down to watch this match on the DVR when I got home from work. If you would have told me the score was going to be 3-0, I'd have said that City must have had the goals. I would have been dead wrong.
What in the world is going on at City? I'm sorry, but when you spend as much as City did last summer, trying to duke it out for fourth in the Premier League isn't gonna cut it. I suspect Mr. Mancini is in deep trouble.
Things were horrible from the start for City. From the get go, Liverpool was the far more aggressive side and they took it to City, and took it to them good. Much has been made about Torres not scoring yet for Chelsea, and Andy Carroll had yet to open his account for Liverpool as well. To be fair to Andy though, he's been injured and is just getting back to form. He showed it in this match.
Lets not forget about Suarez though. The villain of the last world cup has already made a splash at Anfield, and in the 7th minute of today's match sent a screamer in that Joe Hart just managed to get a hand to and deflect. It was just the beginning of a long day for Hart. In the 13th minute, Andy Carroll got off a monster shot from outside the 18 and slammed it past Hart for his first Liverpool goal. It really was an awesome strike.
Things got worse for City. Just a minute or two later Carlos Tevez left the match with a hamstring injury. Mario Balotelli checked in for him, but had no effect. City just looked like they just didn't care, and as was said in the commentary, it was like they didn't even want to be there. Perhaps they were too focused on the FA Cup Semi final with United this weekend. At any rate, they only had one decent spell for the entire match, about 5 minutes leading up to the 31st, where Adam Johnson guided them to 75% of the possession. However, despite all the possession, they didn't even really get it on net. They paid for that in 34th minute, when Liverpool built up a massive attack around the City penalty area that Dirk Kuyt nicely finished off with a goal, making it 2-0 to Liverpool. Just over a minute later, Carroll got a second goal, heading one in with true center forward style. 3-0, Liverpool, and that was all she wrote.
The second half wasn't really much, Liverpool stayed on the front foot, and despite Silva entering the match for City, they never threatened. 3-0 Liverpool was the final.
Liverpool looks to be in a strong position to perhaps capture a Europa League spot for next year, and with a couple more signings, they could be back in the top four mix again sooner rather than later. Carroll and Suarez could be a real future for this club.
City on the other hand....yikes. Rumors are floating that Mancini might be sacked if he doesn't beat United this weekend. Honestly, I don't think City has a chance, unless they play totally different than they did today. Tevez is out at least 2-3 weeks, and the club looks to just be falling apart. I'm ok with that, really. You can have an expectation to win when you spend like that, but you don't have a right to win. You still need to play the matches, and City has looked worse and worse. I guess we'll see what happens.
What in the world is going on at City? I'm sorry, but when you spend as much as City did last summer, trying to duke it out for fourth in the Premier League isn't gonna cut it. I suspect Mr. Mancini is in deep trouble.
Things were horrible from the start for City. From the get go, Liverpool was the far more aggressive side and they took it to City, and took it to them good. Much has been made about Torres not scoring yet for Chelsea, and Andy Carroll had yet to open his account for Liverpool as well. To be fair to Andy though, he's been injured and is just getting back to form. He showed it in this match.
Lets not forget about Suarez though. The villain of the last world cup has already made a splash at Anfield, and in the 7th minute of today's match sent a screamer in that Joe Hart just managed to get a hand to and deflect. It was just the beginning of a long day for Hart. In the 13th minute, Andy Carroll got off a monster shot from outside the 18 and slammed it past Hart for his first Liverpool goal. It really was an awesome strike.
Things got worse for City. Just a minute or two later Carlos Tevez left the match with a hamstring injury. Mario Balotelli checked in for him, but had no effect. City just looked like they just didn't care, and as was said in the commentary, it was like they didn't even want to be there. Perhaps they were too focused on the FA Cup Semi final with United this weekend. At any rate, they only had one decent spell for the entire match, about 5 minutes leading up to the 31st, where Adam Johnson guided them to 75% of the possession. However, despite all the possession, they didn't even really get it on net. They paid for that in 34th minute, when Liverpool built up a massive attack around the City penalty area that Dirk Kuyt nicely finished off with a goal, making it 2-0 to Liverpool. Just over a minute later, Carroll got a second goal, heading one in with true center forward style. 3-0, Liverpool, and that was all she wrote.
The second half wasn't really much, Liverpool stayed on the front foot, and despite Silva entering the match for City, they never threatened. 3-0 Liverpool was the final.
Liverpool looks to be in a strong position to perhaps capture a Europa League spot for next year, and with a couple more signings, they could be back in the top four mix again sooner rather than later. Carroll and Suarez could be a real future for this club.
City on the other hand....yikes. Rumors are floating that Mancini might be sacked if he doesn't beat United this weekend. Honestly, I don't think City has a chance, unless they play totally different than they did today. Tevez is out at least 2-3 weeks, and the club looks to just be falling apart. I'm ok with that, really. You can have an expectation to win when you spend like that, but you don't have a right to win. You still need to play the matches, and City has looked worse and worse. I guess we'll see what happens.
Match Thoughts: Fiorentina vs. AC Milan
Last week AC Milan destroyed Inter in the Milan derby to regain their confidence. This week, they looked to build on their momentum with an away match to Fiorentina. The Rossoneri hadn't lost at Fiorentina in six years, and last year took the same fixture by winning 2-1. Milan was also bolstered by the return of Ibrahimovic to their lineup after a three match ban.
All in the all the match was very entertaining and both clubs produced a wide open game and a couple of chances in the first 5-7 minutes. During this time, Seedorf smashed a shot on target, forcing the Fiorentina keeper to save, and it was a preview of things to come.
In the 8th minute, Seedorf struck again. He engaged in some brilliant 1-2 passing with Ibra, which resulted in Seedorf hammering a shot into the top corner of the net to give Milan a 1 goal lead. The Rossoneri weren't done though.
Fiorentina put their best stretch of the match together from about the 18th to the 24th minute, and saw about 5 minutes straight possession in the Milan defensive third. In the 24th, they had a free kick in a promising position not too far outside of the 18, but they tried a training ground type play that backfired badly and wasted the chance.
The rest of the first half was all Milan, as they put on a clinic up front, tearing the Fiorentina defense to shreds. They got several nice balls in and a few shots on goal. Finally in the 41st, they got a string of good passes from Ibra to Boateng to Pato, which resulted in Pato tapping in Milan's second goal and sending them to the half up by two.
Fiorentina tried something different in the second half, bringing in Babacar off the bench. He did succeed in sparking them a bit, but he squandered a chance in the 47th minute when he refused a pass on a counter and selfishly smacked his shot off target.
In the following minutes, Ibrahimovic had a few chances to finish off the match, but was consistently off target. Despite Milan controlling the match for the first hour plus, the Viola were starting to wake up.
In minute 73, Seedorf and Comotto went down in the Milan penalty area. Fiorentina screamed for a penalty, but the ref wouldn't have it. On replay, it looked like Comotto actually was the one who hauled Seedorf down by the arm, but still, the Viola felt hard done by. They did strike finally in the 79th minute as Vargas scored off of a rebound given up by Abiatti.
The final ten minutes weren't really as exciting as you might think. However, in the 87th minute, Ibrahimovic said something that was apparently way out of line to the 4th official, and was shown a straight red card. Despite winning the match 2-1, Milan will have to wait and see how many matches Ibra will miss now, and whether that haunts their run for the Scudetto.
All in the all the match was very entertaining and both clubs produced a wide open game and a couple of chances in the first 5-7 minutes. During this time, Seedorf smashed a shot on target, forcing the Fiorentina keeper to save, and it was a preview of things to come.
In the 8th minute, Seedorf struck again. He engaged in some brilliant 1-2 passing with Ibra, which resulted in Seedorf hammering a shot into the top corner of the net to give Milan a 1 goal lead. The Rossoneri weren't done though.
Fiorentina put their best stretch of the match together from about the 18th to the 24th minute, and saw about 5 minutes straight possession in the Milan defensive third. In the 24th, they had a free kick in a promising position not too far outside of the 18, but they tried a training ground type play that backfired badly and wasted the chance.
The rest of the first half was all Milan, as they put on a clinic up front, tearing the Fiorentina defense to shreds. They got several nice balls in and a few shots on goal. Finally in the 41st, they got a string of good passes from Ibra to Boateng to Pato, which resulted in Pato tapping in Milan's second goal and sending them to the half up by two.
Fiorentina tried something different in the second half, bringing in Babacar off the bench. He did succeed in sparking them a bit, but he squandered a chance in the 47th minute when he refused a pass on a counter and selfishly smacked his shot off target.
In the following minutes, Ibrahimovic had a few chances to finish off the match, but was consistently off target. Despite Milan controlling the match for the first hour plus, the Viola were starting to wake up.
In minute 73, Seedorf and Comotto went down in the Milan penalty area. Fiorentina screamed for a penalty, but the ref wouldn't have it. On replay, it looked like Comotto actually was the one who hauled Seedorf down by the arm, but still, the Viola felt hard done by. They did strike finally in the 79th minute as Vargas scored off of a rebound given up by Abiatti.
The final ten minutes weren't really as exciting as you might think. However, in the 87th minute, Ibrahimovic said something that was apparently way out of line to the 4th official, and was shown a straight red card. Despite winning the match 2-1, Milan will have to wait and see how many matches Ibra will miss now, and whether that haunts their run for the Scudetto.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Match Thoughts: Udinese vs. Roma
As far as Serie A goes, I'm an Inter supporter. Despite this, I try to never miss a chance to see Roma play. Why, you ask? Francesco Totti. Totti's history has been rocky to be sure, but he's Roma's talisman, and when he's on, which he was today, he can win you a match.
Things didn't start well for the Giallorossi. Udinese was all over the ball through much of the first half, including a couple really nice chances on goal. Even more unfortunate for Roma, Doni looked really uneasy in goal. He bungled a couple of balls and barely saved a strike from Cassetti that would have resulted in a Roma own goal. One must think that had Udinese had Sanchez in the match, they might have taken advantage of some of these first half chances.
The second half started with the sides still knotted at zero. Udinese jumped on possession again, but Totti and Roma seemed to steel themselves a bit at half time, and started to turn things around. Vucinic in particular missed a glowing chance at goal after fielding a long ball.
Roma finally struck in the 56th minute. Pizarro earned a PK after being taken down in the area. Totti lined up over the spot and chipped the shot in past the diving Udinese keeper. How cheeky indeed!
Udinese didn't give up though. They didn't have Sanchez, but they did have Di Natale, Serie A's current top scorer, and just when things looked grim for the home side, he struck, putting the ball off his left foot past Doni in the 88th minute to equalize and send the home supporters into a frenzy. Udinese even looked to be the hunt for a winner going into stoppage time.
It was not be though, thanks to Totti. Udinese had the potential winner called back for handball in the final minute, and in the drama, Totti and Roma burst up the pitch. On the last kick of the match, Totti pounded the ball into the back of the net sealing all 3 points and a dramatic victory for Roma.
This match had massive consequences for the fourth and final Serie A spot in next year's Champions League. The win pulled Roma to within 3 points of Udinese for that spot, and Udinese seems to have tougher schedule left to go.
Things didn't start well for the Giallorossi. Udinese was all over the ball through much of the first half, including a couple really nice chances on goal. Even more unfortunate for Roma, Doni looked really uneasy in goal. He bungled a couple of balls and barely saved a strike from Cassetti that would have resulted in a Roma own goal. One must think that had Udinese had Sanchez in the match, they might have taken advantage of some of these first half chances.
The second half started with the sides still knotted at zero. Udinese jumped on possession again, but Totti and Roma seemed to steel themselves a bit at half time, and started to turn things around. Vucinic in particular missed a glowing chance at goal after fielding a long ball.
Roma finally struck in the 56th minute. Pizarro earned a PK after being taken down in the area. Totti lined up over the spot and chipped the shot in past the diving Udinese keeper. How cheeky indeed!
Udinese didn't give up though. They didn't have Sanchez, but they did have Di Natale, Serie A's current top scorer, and just when things looked grim for the home side, he struck, putting the ball off his left foot past Doni in the 88th minute to equalize and send the home supporters into a frenzy. Udinese even looked to be the hunt for a winner going into stoppage time.
It was not be though, thanks to Totti. Udinese had the potential winner called back for handball in the final minute, and in the drama, Totti and Roma burst up the pitch. On the last kick of the match, Totti pounded the ball into the back of the net sealing all 3 points and a dramatic victory for Roma.
This match had massive consequences for the fourth and final Serie A spot in next year's Champions League. The win pulled Roma to within 3 points of Udinese for that spot, and Udinese seems to have tougher schedule left to go.
Match Thoughts: Philadelphia Union Vs. New York Red Bulls
So once the NY Red Bulls got DeRo, they were supposed to set the league on fire. I'm waiting.
Meanwhile, a Torres scored a goal. It just wasn't El Nino.
I busted my butt to get home from work yesterday afternoon to catch this Eastern Conference clash on ESPN 2. Philly has been playing pretty well, and as I mentioned, NY is favorites for the cup now, right? (Somebody might want to double check with Real Salt Lake.) Anyway, I was little disappointed. This match wasn't as big of a stinker as the Chivas/Crew match was later in the evening, but it could have been better.
The first half belonged to Red Bulls, and for awhile it looked like they were ready to break things as wide open as everyone was predicting. They had the lion's share of possession, and when Philly did get the ball, they failed to threaten Coundoul at all in the NY net. US international Juan Agudelo really was the star for NY, getting two nice shots on target, unfortunately for him and Red Bulls, one hit a post and the other hit the crossbar. These would be the best chances Red Bulls would have all night. Henry wasn't a factor.
We went to the break 0-0, and Philly was probably happy to be sitting on a draw as much as they were outplayed. However, the second half was a bit of a different story. The Union looked a little more comfy on the ball, and you could tell that they were starting to sense that NY wasn't going to be able to put them away.
In fact, the footy gods struck NY down in the 68th minute off the foot of Tim Ream. In one of the most boneheaded moves you'll see in MLS this season, Ream, just outside his own 18, kicked the ball right to Philly's Danny Mwanga. Oops. Mwanga got the ball to Roger Torres, who had just checked in for Philly, and Torres knocked it into the back of the net for what would prove to be the game's loan goal.
Obviously, NY played well enough to deserve a point. This just goes to show that when you don't take your chances, as NY didn't in the first half, often the opposing side will come back and bite you. DeRo played well, and of course he makes Red Bulls better, but if they're going to keep paying Henry, he ought to do something.
For Philly, they recorded their third clean sheet, as many as they had all last year. Le Toux didn't score, but was involved in the second half quite a bit. Best thing for Philly is that they found a way to pull 3 points out of an ugly match when the other side has outplayed them. That's something champions do. We'll see what happens, but a great start for them.
Meanwhile, a Torres scored a goal. It just wasn't El Nino.
I busted my butt to get home from work yesterday afternoon to catch this Eastern Conference clash on ESPN 2. Philly has been playing pretty well, and as I mentioned, NY is favorites for the cup now, right? (Somebody might want to double check with Real Salt Lake.) Anyway, I was little disappointed. This match wasn't as big of a stinker as the Chivas/Crew match was later in the evening, but it could have been better.
The first half belonged to Red Bulls, and for awhile it looked like they were ready to break things as wide open as everyone was predicting. They had the lion's share of possession, and when Philly did get the ball, they failed to threaten Coundoul at all in the NY net. US international Juan Agudelo really was the star for NY, getting two nice shots on target, unfortunately for him and Red Bulls, one hit a post and the other hit the crossbar. These would be the best chances Red Bulls would have all night. Henry wasn't a factor.
We went to the break 0-0, and Philly was probably happy to be sitting on a draw as much as they were outplayed. However, the second half was a bit of a different story. The Union looked a little more comfy on the ball, and you could tell that they were starting to sense that NY wasn't going to be able to put them away.
In fact, the footy gods struck NY down in the 68th minute off the foot of Tim Ream. In one of the most boneheaded moves you'll see in MLS this season, Ream, just outside his own 18, kicked the ball right to Philly's Danny Mwanga. Oops. Mwanga got the ball to Roger Torres, who had just checked in for Philly, and Torres knocked it into the back of the net for what would prove to be the game's loan goal.
Obviously, NY played well enough to deserve a point. This just goes to show that when you don't take your chances, as NY didn't in the first half, often the opposing side will come back and bite you. DeRo played well, and of course he makes Red Bulls better, but if they're going to keep paying Henry, he ought to do something.
For Philly, they recorded their third clean sheet, as many as they had all last year. Le Toux didn't score, but was involved in the second half quite a bit. Best thing for Philly is that they found a way to pull 3 points out of an ugly match when the other side has outplayed them. That's something champions do. We'll see what happens, but a great start for them.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
EPL Thoughts: 4/2/11. Huge day in the title race!
Well, as a Chelsea fan, I'm pretty bummed tonight. If you're an Arsenal fan, you very well might be in the same boat. If, however, you're a Manchester United supporter, you're probably pleased as punch. Looks like the Premiership is yours to lose. Mr. Rooney says, "You're welcome."
First off, at Upton Park, things looked a little bleak for the Red Devils. West Ham won two first half PKs, and converted them both. At this point, Arsenal and Chelsea are licking their lips and thinking that even Robert Green can't screw this up. Right? Well, Wayne Rooney had other ideas, which he frequently does. Today he fancied a hat trick and got to work in the second half. Later, Javier Hernandez came in and added a fourth. A stunning comeback for United that put them in control of the title race, waiting on Chelsea and Arsenal. The result also dropped the Hammers back into the bottom three. I'd hate to see the Hammers go down, I hope they can get it together.
Next up Stoke and Chelsea. The Blues knew they needed to pick up all three points, but let's face it, a game at Stoke is never a walk in the park. Stoke showed their intentions early with a goal in the 8th minute from Jonathan Walters, putting Chelsea on their heals. Didier Drogba brought Chelsea back though, equalizing in the 30th. For the Blues fans, nice to see Drogba back in the side. In the second half, Stoke looked to be the favorite to go ahead for awhile, but couldn't beat Petr Cech. Torres came in late for Chelsea but really didn't look dangerous. In the end, the Blues' title hopes took a big hit with a 1-1 draw.
Surely the Gunners would get it done right? I mean, 2 draws before the FIFA date had already cost them, and they had Blackburn Rovers at home. Plus, they knew they needed the 3 points to keep pace. Well, once again, Arsenal can't get it done when it counts. Despite a lively match from Theo Walcott and a fairly consistent attack, they couldn't find the back of the Blackburn net. They almost went down a goal when Almunia got caught out and watched a shot go just wide. Much frustration for the Gunners. Another draw, this one 0-0 with a relegation threatened club. Hard to believe that just a few weeks back Arsenal was in the running for 4 trophies. Rovers pick up a crucial point to stay above the drop zone.
In other results of note, Spurs had a goalless draw at Wigan and failed to make up any ground on the top four. West Brom beat Liverpool 2-1 and picked up three crucial points. Plus, that result makes me really happy for Roy Hodgson. It also deals a mortal blow for any hopes Liverpool had of trying to claw into a Champions League spot. I guess King Kenny isn't perfect after all.
First off, at Upton Park, things looked a little bleak for the Red Devils. West Ham won two first half PKs, and converted them both. At this point, Arsenal and Chelsea are licking their lips and thinking that even Robert Green can't screw this up. Right? Well, Wayne Rooney had other ideas, which he frequently does. Today he fancied a hat trick and got to work in the second half. Later, Javier Hernandez came in and added a fourth. A stunning comeback for United that put them in control of the title race, waiting on Chelsea and Arsenal. The result also dropped the Hammers back into the bottom three. I'd hate to see the Hammers go down, I hope they can get it together.
Next up Stoke and Chelsea. The Blues knew they needed to pick up all three points, but let's face it, a game at Stoke is never a walk in the park. Stoke showed their intentions early with a goal in the 8th minute from Jonathan Walters, putting Chelsea on their heals. Didier Drogba brought Chelsea back though, equalizing in the 30th. For the Blues fans, nice to see Drogba back in the side. In the second half, Stoke looked to be the favorite to go ahead for awhile, but couldn't beat Petr Cech. Torres came in late for Chelsea but really didn't look dangerous. In the end, the Blues' title hopes took a big hit with a 1-1 draw.
Surely the Gunners would get it done right? I mean, 2 draws before the FIFA date had already cost them, and they had Blackburn Rovers at home. Plus, they knew they needed the 3 points to keep pace. Well, once again, Arsenal can't get it done when it counts. Despite a lively match from Theo Walcott and a fairly consistent attack, they couldn't find the back of the Blackburn net. They almost went down a goal when Almunia got caught out and watched a shot go just wide. Much frustration for the Gunners. Another draw, this one 0-0 with a relegation threatened club. Hard to believe that just a few weeks back Arsenal was in the running for 4 trophies. Rovers pick up a crucial point to stay above the drop zone.
In other results of note, Spurs had a goalless draw at Wigan and failed to make up any ground on the top four. West Brom beat Liverpool 2-1 and picked up three crucial points. Plus, that result makes me really happy for Roy Hodgson. It also deals a mortal blow for any hopes Liverpool had of trying to claw into a Champions League spot. I guess King Kenny isn't perfect after all.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Match Thoughts: Columbus Crew vs. FC Dallas
Having already seen the Crew in person this year and not being impressed, and seeing Dallas had performed mediocre at best, I didn't hold out a lot of hope for this MLS Friday night tilt. I got about what I expected, except for the fact that the Crew looked a lot better than they did at Rio Tinto a few weeks back.
First off, liked the studio there for FSC's coverage. Looks a lot better than the Fox Soccer Report set. Wynalda and Sullivan are great. I also thought Kyle Martino really came into his own in the booth tonight, which was nice.
As for the match, things started fairly slow. Dallas had a real good opening 15 minutes, but they never really tested Hesmer, and it pretty much went down hill from there. The Crew were just getting an edge in possession when about the 32nd minute, Jackson picked up a yellow for Dallas. He threw a fit, and about a minute later he made another questionable challenge and picked up red card from Jair, and put Dallas down to 10 men. Still, they held their own and went into the break even at 0-0.
Second half started about the same as the first half ended, but you could tell the Crew were starting to work their man advantage. Ekpo earned a PK, and Mendoza converted on a rather shaky shot, one that Hartman got a hand to but couldn't keep it out of the back of the net.
After that, Dallas had to change tactics and really went after the equalizer. However, the Crew defense was up to the task and Dallas couldn't quite get the good final ball in on Hesmer's goal. Finally, in the first minute of stoppage time, Eddie Gaven smoked a home a nice shot and made it 2-0 Crew, which is how it finished.
The 2-0 score will look pretty nice for Columbus if you didn't watch the match. Despite the fact that they did outplay Dallas, they didn't do it by much. Martino was highly critical of Mendoza, and rightly so. His PK was poor and nearly stopped. After the PK, Dallas went all out on attack and really put the Crew under pressure. Only Gaven's late shot put it out of reach. They still have work to do.
What about Dallas though? They're sitting on 1 goal and 1 point from three matches now. They look leaderless except for Hartman in goal, and it would be hard to think that Hartman will be in the same form as last season. They need to score goals, and I'm not sure who is going to do it. I'm sorry, I hate Shea in the CB role, but maybe that's just me. They play Colorado next week, and if they can't right the ship quickly, they may find themselves down a lot of points really early.
First off, liked the studio there for FSC's coverage. Looks a lot better than the Fox Soccer Report set. Wynalda and Sullivan are great. I also thought Kyle Martino really came into his own in the booth tonight, which was nice.
As for the match, things started fairly slow. Dallas had a real good opening 15 minutes, but they never really tested Hesmer, and it pretty much went down hill from there. The Crew were just getting an edge in possession when about the 32nd minute, Jackson picked up a yellow for Dallas. He threw a fit, and about a minute later he made another questionable challenge and picked up red card from Jair, and put Dallas down to 10 men. Still, they held their own and went into the break even at 0-0.
Second half started about the same as the first half ended, but you could tell the Crew were starting to work their man advantage. Ekpo earned a PK, and Mendoza converted on a rather shaky shot, one that Hartman got a hand to but couldn't keep it out of the back of the net.
After that, Dallas had to change tactics and really went after the equalizer. However, the Crew defense was up to the task and Dallas couldn't quite get the good final ball in on Hesmer's goal. Finally, in the first minute of stoppage time, Eddie Gaven smoked a home a nice shot and made it 2-0 Crew, which is how it finished.
The 2-0 score will look pretty nice for Columbus if you didn't watch the match. Despite the fact that they did outplay Dallas, they didn't do it by much. Martino was highly critical of Mendoza, and rightly so. His PK was poor and nearly stopped. After the PK, Dallas went all out on attack and really put the Crew under pressure. Only Gaven's late shot put it out of reach. They still have work to do.
What about Dallas though? They're sitting on 1 goal and 1 point from three matches now. They look leaderless except for Hartman in goal, and it would be hard to think that Hartman will be in the same form as last season. They need to score goals, and I'm not sure who is going to do it. I'm sorry, I hate Shea in the CB role, but maybe that's just me. They play Colorado next week, and if they can't right the ship quickly, they may find themselves down a lot of points really early.
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