Manchester Derby: For MOST of the Marbles.

City Captain Vincent Kompany after scoring the day's only goal. (Getty Images)

A few weeks back Vincent Kompany let his club down at home against Manchester United.  On that day, he received a red card early in a derby match in the FA Cup against City's heated rivals, ultimately leading to the demise of the dream of repeating their FA Cup success.  Today, the City captain erased that memory, notching a goal that will most likely be long remembered as one of the most important in history of his club.

Today was the "unmissable" game, as Sky Sports dubbed it.  United manager Sir Alex Ferguson called it "The derby to end all derbies." Manchester City hosted Manchester United.  The winner would not quite claim the Premier League title, but would have an advantage nearly impossible to be overcome.

In reality, only one team really showed up.  Manchester City came out confident on their home ground, knowing they needed three points.  A draw would have suited United just fine, and they definitely came out not trying to win, but to avoid losing.  That can spell disaster against a club that's as good as City.

The best chance that United had pretty much all day came in just the second minute.  They won a corner, and sent the ball in.  After a bit of ping pong in front of the City goal, the ball fell to Michael Carrick.  He volleyed the ball toward the goal, but his shot was blocked.  United screamed for handball, but it fell on deaf ears.

After that, Manchester City took control of the first half, and really took control of the match.  United slid back into an almost park the bus mentality, knowing all they really needed to do was keep City out of the back of the net.  In the end, they never really even looked threatening on the counter attack.  The men in sky blue had some issues though, United is never easy to break down.  Sergio Aguero had some half looks, and Carlos Tevez worked hard, but never really got a look.

In end, City would land the only blow of the day right before halftime.  In the first of two minutes of stoppage, City set up for a corner that was taken by David Silva.  As the kick came in Kompany shook his marker, Chris Smalling, and rose for a free header, putting it easily by David De Gea to make it 1-0 to City at halftime.

United tried to come out differently in the second half, but it just wasn't to be.  Honestly the most interesting thing that happened in the last 45 minutes was the 4th official having to break up a sparring match between Ferguson and Roberto Mancini. 

Late in the match Samir Nasri had a chance to ice it, looking at a shooting opportunity right in front of goal.  Instead of shooting to either post for an easy score, he got cute and tried to walk it in.  The United defense regrouped and stuffed him without even a shot.  In the end though, it didn't matter.  United didn't register a single shot on goal for the entire game, as City easily held onto the 1-0 win.

The result puts the two sides level on points, but City have a superior goal difference.  If they win their last two (at Newcastle and vs QPR) United doesn't really have much of a chance.  They have Swansea at home and finish on the road to Sunderland.  It's possible that United could put up a big number against Swansea, but likely not at Sunderland.

United will need City to slip up.  If they don't, the red half of Manchester might be facing a season void of trophies.

Match Thoughts: Real Salt Lake vs. Toronto FC

Kyle Beckerman and Eric Avila of TFC fight for possession. (Getty Images.)

This was probably a great match to watch for a casual soccer fan or for a neutral.  For supporters of the two clubs, not so much.  It was nail-biting time through much of this hard fought 90 minutes.   RSL came into the match after a 3 game road swing on which they only picked up one point, despite playing pretty well.  Times were more desperate for Toronto FC.  They were winless and pointless in their first six matches of the league season, and their nice run to the CONCACAF semi finals was quickly fading into the rear view mirror.

Neutral pundits and commentators on both sides expected a battle, and that's exactly what they got.  They could have also predicted one other thing: lax defense from TFC.  The Reds paid for that early on as RSL got their first corner of the match in the 7th minute.  Javier Morales whipped it in, and it bounced from Jamison Olave to Chris Schuler, and finally fell to Kyle Beckerman.  The RSL captain knocked the ball over the line to give the Claret and Cobalt the 1-0 lead.

Credit to TFC though, they responded well.  They could have rolled over but instead they attacked and put RSL back on their heels.  In the 16th minute Olave brought down Eric Avila in the area and conceded a penalty to TFC.  The Reds looked poised to equalize, but captain Torsten Frings slapped his kick wide of the post and the RSL faithful  breathed a sigh relief.

Things coasted that way through the rest of the first half, but TFC stood the match on it's head early on in the second half.  Eric Avila got the Reds on the board in the 48th minute as he took a pass from Ryan Johnson and managed to get around Olave and beat Nick Rimando to make 1-1.  It looked like RSL might have been a little shocked at the energy with which TFC came out.  It looked more like the TFC team that played well in CONCACAF.

Offensive production or not, TFC's defense still struggled though, and RSL pulled ahead again in the 57th minute.  Alvaro Saborio made a run into the box and collected a cross.  Fortunately for RSL, the ball deflected both off of Sabo and TFC's Richard Eckersley and past Kocic into Toronto's goal to make it 2-1 to Real Salt Lake.

Fans at Rio Tinto now figured that normal service had been restored and expected RSL to button things up for the three points.  Toronto had other ideas though.  They fought back and equalized again, this time in the 76th minute.  Sabo lost his mark on TFC's Doneil Henry on a corner kick and the Canadian U-23 international rose up to head in the goal make it 2-2.  I looked to my friend in the North end zone and commented, "I think I'm gonna throw up."

However RSL had one last trick up their sleeve, and that trick was named Jonny Steele, the hero of RSL's stoppage time win in Portland.  The match went into 4 minutes of stoppage time and TFC looked to have finally locked up their first point of the season.  However in the third of the four minutes, Morales sent a ball across the 18 to Kyle Beckerman, who slid down at full stretch and touched the ball back to Steele, waiting just outside the area.  The former Wolverhampton youth product rifled the ball into the back of the TFC net to seal the 3-2 win for RSL.  The Toronto players collapsed to the pitch in fatigue.

I think TFC outworked RSL through large portions of the match, though I don't think it was by any fault of RSL.  The Reds obviously took it up a notch in the second half, and with Salt Lake playing their third game in 8 days, they couldn't quite match it.  However, once again they showed their true colors and fought back all the way to the end, picking up a vital three points keeping them right with San Jose at the top of the Western Conference. 

The misery continues for Toronto FC.  They have now tied the worst start in MLS history at 0-7-0.  The only other team to do that was the 1999 Kansas City Wizards.  Did they play better?  Absolutely.  Did they play well enough to earn a result?  Probably.  Is their defense good enough to compete week in and week out in MLS?  No.  They need to get the back solidified.  This team is close, but the defense has to better.

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend: Jonny Steele Daggers Toronto FC

Sorry, but I have to play my RSL homer card for this weekend's Goal. After TFC had fought back TWICE in the game to equalize against Real Salt Lake, Jonny Steele finished them off with this strike. Of course, Kyle Beckerman has to be given a TON of credit for his set up touch, as well as Javy Morales for his pinpoint ball across the 18. I LOVE hearing BELIEVE being chanted in the background as well!

Puddle's MLS Matches of the Week.

Last year I wrote a few entries previewing all of the MLS for a particular weekend.  Well my work schedule has changed a bit since then, so I don't get to do as much reading prior to the fixtures.  This year I'm going to try just a picking a couple of matches and keeping an eye on them.

D.C. United vs Houston Dynamo:
RFK Stadium, Saturday, 4/28/12 7:30 PM EDT

Last year the Houston Dynamo represented the Eastern Conference in MLS Cup.  Meanwhile, DC United began a process of trying to restore themselves to MLS powerhouse status under Ben Olsen.  This year both of these clubs are off to a pretty hot start, under somewhat different circumstances.

The Houston Dynamo come into the match on the sixth game of a rough road trip as they wait for the opening of their new BBVA Compass Stadium.  However, they've done well so far, claiming 8 points in the first five matches of the season.  Last week they played to a 2-2 draw against Columbus at Crew Stadium.  DC United currently sit in second place in the east, on 12 points.  Last weekend they thumped the New York Red Bulls at RFK stadium 4-1, in a match that was never close.

It will be interesting to see if Houston can contain DC's offense, which has really been amongst the goals in recent weeks.  Maicon Santos has been especially hot, scoring 4 goals and adding 1 assist in the last 5 games.  Also, Chris Pontius scored a hat trick last weekend against New York.  However, these aren't DC's only weapons.  Nick DeLeon is certainly an early contender for Rookie of the Year.  He's scored three goals already this season, tops among rookies.  Houston also can't forget Dwayne De Rosario, who hasn't found the back of the net yet in 2012, but is always orchestrating the United attack.

For the Dynamo, they'll still be without a couple of key figures.  Colin Clark is still serving his early season suspension, and Brad Davis is still listed as doubtful.  Luckily for the Dynamo, they've had some different weapons start to emerge in the last couple of weeks, namely their forwards.  Through the first three matches of the season, the Dynamo forwards had not contributed either a goal or an assist.  However, Will Bruin and Brian Ching have combined for the last three Dynamo tallies, leading them to draws in their last two away matches.  Houston will need these guys to put in a good work rate against a reforged DC back line now anchored by former RSL man Robbie Russell.

Houston leads the all time series between the two clubs 7-3.  There have been 2 draws.  However, all 3 of DC's wins have come at RFK.  I look for DC to have too many weapons and outlast the road weary Dynamo.  I'll say it'll be 2-1 DC at full time.


L.A. Galaxy vs. F.C. Dallas
 Home Depot Center, Saturday, 4/28/12 10:30 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Galaxy have pulled themselves away from the brink, and off of the foot of the Western Conference table, after a horrid start to the season.  Maybe expectations were tempered for the Galaxy after early home losses and an early exit from Champions League.  Maybe they just finally got their act together.  Who knows?  They do seem to be getting back in the saddle a bit after holding on to a tough win at the Colorado Rapids last weekend.

FC Dallas has been trending the other direction.  Over the last few years they've been a Western Conference power, but they've been sputtering this year.  Last weekend they lost 1-0 up in Vancouver, and dropped points at home against Real Salt Lake midweek, coming out with a 1-1 draw after being dominated in the second half.

The Hoops will have more hands to the pump against the Galaxy this weekend though.  Blas Perez will return after being suspended against RSL, so he'll be somewhat rested.  Jackson has been recalled from loan at Cruziero in Brazil, and made his first appearance of the year midweek.  Team them with Brek Shea and they could possibly deal some damage to an LA defense that has yet to hold a clean sheet this season.

However the Galaxy have been tuning up their weapons the last couple of weeks as well, beating both Portland and the Rapids.  Still, it must be said that they didn't dominate either opponent.  Only a Josh Saunders penalty stop preserved all three points against Colorado, and they didn't really get a good grip against the Timbers until late in the second half.  Certainly, Keane and Donovan will be about their usual activities, and David Beckham is listed as questionable, but should see minutes.  It will be interesting to see if the supporting cast can help them step up against a tough Dallas defense.  Keeper Kevin Hartman is listed as questionable to go against the Galaxy attack, however EJ Holland's article on the Dallas injury list says he will not play, and backup Chris Seitz will get his third consecutive start.

I'm going to call this one a draw, but I want to pick the Galaxy.  I do think they'll get to Seitz, however, with Perez coming back rested and Brek Shea being, well, Brek Shea, I look for them to keep the vulnerable Galaxy defense from notching their first clean sheet of the year.  Look for 1-1 or 2-2 at full time.

 

Match Thoughts: FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake

Nick Rimando and Dallas's Zach Loyd collide (Getty Images)

Coming into RSL's midweek matchup at FC Dallas, a supporter might be forgiven for thinking the latest road swing had been an unmitigated disaster for the Claret and Cobalt, having failed to pick up a point at either Sporting Kansas City or San Jose.  The results had dropped them out of first place in the Western Conference.  Still, they had played pretty well.  Only a blown mark on a corner kept them from a point at red hot Sporting and San Jose was finally able to manage 2 goals in stoppage time to overcome a nine man RSL squad last weekend.  RSL wanted something better in Dallas, but that's always a tough call for them.

Salt Lake certainly came out the brighter of the two squads.  They forced a great chance in the opening minutes as Paulo Jr found Alvaro Saborio, but Sabo's shot was saved expertly by former RSL 'keeper Chris Seitz, playing once again for the injured Kevin Hartman. 

After the first five or ten minutes though, the visitors surrendered the initiative to FC Dallas, and the Hoops piled on the pressure, getting quite a few set piece and corner kick looks at the RSL goal.  Fabian Castillo was a pest in RSL's side all night, forcing a save out Rimando in the 19th minute.  Finally Dallas's pressure paid off in first half stoppage time, when RSL's Tony Beltran was whistled for a handball in the box.  Homer alert: I thought it was BS, and even the official MLS recap says it "appeared to graze Beltran's elbow."  At any rate, Brek Shea nailed the spot kick and Dallas took a 1-0 lead into halftime.

\The second half was pretty much all RSL though. They took control of possession and the match and started to pressure Seitz's goal.  They clearly won the battle of the midfield in the second half, in convincing fashion.  They finally got their equalizer in the 72nd minute, when Will Johnson found sub striker Emiliano Bonfigli, who managed to beat the Dallas back line and Chris Seitz to find the back of the net and tie the match at 1-1.  Dallas managed to hang on and both teams seemed to be content with the 1-1 draw at the end, although the two dropped points at home will hurt Dallas a little more.  The result moves RSL back to joint top with San Jose.

Notes:  RSL was without striker Fabian Espindola and defender Jamison Olave, both of whom were suspended after red cards against San Jose.  Emiliano Bonfigli's 72nd minute goal came in only his second MLS appearance.   For Dallas, they were without Blas Perez, who was suspended by MLS for actions during Dallas's away loss to Vancouver.  Dallas MF Carlos Rodríguez was stretchered off with an arm injury in the second half, and Jackson made his first appearance in 2012 after being recalled from his loan at Cruziero in Brazil.

Pep Guardiola Will Leave Barcelona

Pep Guardiola holds the European Cup in 2011.  (guardian.co.uk)

Today marks the end of an era, at least of sorts, at Camp Nou.  Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola has announced at a press conference that he will not be returning to the La Liga giants once his contract expires at the end of the season.  It's been a tough couple weeks at Barca, losing El Clasico at home to Real Madrid and being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Chelsea.  Still, rumors have been swirling about this for months, and apparently Pep himself has been thinking along these lines for awhile.  According to RivalsDM, Guardiola met with Barcelona leadership on Wednesday and told them he wanted to leave.  The club asked him to reconsider, but he stuck with his choice.

Guardiola had a remarkable run as manager at Barca.  He began his coaching career at Barcelona B in 2007, and became first team boss in 2008.  Since then he has won the Champions League twice, La Liga three times, the Copa Del Rey, three supercopas, two UEFA Supercups, and 2 FIFA Club World Cups.  That's pretty impressive no matter how you slice it.

He also had a stellar career as a player for Barcelona, winning the Champions League, the Copa Del Rey, and multiple La Liga titles.  He also played for Spain when they won Olympic gold in 1992, during which he scored a goal in the final.

Guardiola will certainly leave his mark at Camp Nou, and once again Barca have gone inside the club to replace him, announcing that his assistant Tito Vilanova will manage the club next season.  It's been a popular move.  The rumor mill didn't even really have time to get started, but some names that were bantered about were: Ernesto ValVerde, Laurent Blanc, Marcelo Bielsa, and failed Chelsea project Andre Villas Boas.  Barcelona clearly has the formula though, and they stuck with it by promoting from within.

The Puddle would like to congratulate Guardiola on his stellar success at Barcelona and wish him well in the future.  He is certainly a top manager and one of the good guys in world soccer.

Barca's Gerard Pique Released From Hospital

Pique takes a hit during yesterday's UCL Clash (Getty Images)

Today there's some good news for Barcelona fans in a week that's been full of bad news.  Defender Gerard Pique has been released from the hospital after a short stay to evaluate a possible concussion sustained in yesterday's Champion's League match with Chelsea.

In the 17th minute of the match, Pique went up for the same ball with his teammate and 'keeper Victor Valdes and Chelsea's Didier Drogba.  All three players collided and went to the ground.  Valdes controlled the ball, and he and Drogba got up in fairly short order, but Pique appeared to be out cold after slamming him to his fellow Barca man with his head.  He eventually got up and played for a few more minutes, but was eventually was subbed off and taken to the hospital.

The club had this to say in an official statement:

"Gerard Pique has been discharged from hospital after follow-up medical tests proved satisfactory.  The Barcelona FC defender spent the night in hospital under observation after a heavy collision with Didier Drogba and Victor Valdes in the early stages of the match against Chelsea.  The player will now rest for a week before being re-assessed."

Pique is a class guy and a great player.  Hopefully he'll be back on the pitch as soon as possible.

Robin Van Persie Wins Both PFA and FWA Player of the Year

Arsenal's Robin Van Persie has claimed a double honor in England (telegraph.co.uk)

The Puddle would like to extend congratulations to Arsenal captain and Dutch International Robin Van Persie.  RVP has claimed both player of the year awards in England, one voted on by the players and one voted on by football journalists.

Van Persie was given the PFA award on Sunday, and was announced as the winner of the FWA award on Tuesday.  According to GiveMeFootball.com, the accomplishment isn't all that rare, and has happened 15 times in 32 years.  Who are some other players who have pulled it off?  Try Wayne Rooney, Kenny Dalglish, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Thierry Henry to name a few.

RVP has netted 27 goals for Arsenal this season, and some folks credit him with resurrecting the Gunners from their horrible start almost single handedly.  He currently has them in 3rd place in the EPL, in Champions League position.

Congrats to Mr. Van Persie, and I'm sure all the Gunners fans are hoping they retain your services.

UCL: Barcelona vs. Chelsea

Fernando Torres celebrates after sealing Chelsea's trip to the final. (AP Images)

If you're a Chelsea supporter like myself, the picture above is probably all you need and what you'll remember from this fantastic match.  ESPN Soccernet said in their commentary that this might be one of the greatest matches ever in European football.  I'm not sure about all of that, but it's certainly one of the best I've seen.

It was a brutal match that required a brutal effort from Chelsea.  Getting the 1-0 win last week at Stamford Bridge was hard enough, but today they had to deal with Camp Nou.  Not only that, but they ended up having to do it down a man for the better part of the match.

Everybody knew Barca was going to come out on fire.  Everybody knew Chelsea would have to defend their rear ends off.  Both of those things happened.  Lionel Messi brought Barca out of the gates quickly, just missing a shot wide of the near post in the 3rd minute.  In the 19th minute, he put a free kick on target that was brilliantly saved by Petr Cech.

Funny thing was that between those fantastic chances for Messi, not much happened for Barca.  They seemed to be at a loss for how to unlock Chelsea's defense, much the same as they were last week in London.  Most of their shots came in from distance, and one could see the frustration building on the faces of the Champions.

Barca did eventually find the key though.  They usually do, especially at home.  Interestingly enough, they scored their first goal after a corner kick, in which you'd figure the bigger Chelsea squad would have the advantage.  In the 35th minute Issac Cuenca received the corner and made a great pass to an onrushing Busquets, who promptly slotted the ball past Cech to give Barca the 1-0 lead.

Then things all went to hell for Chelsea.  In the 37th minute John Terry got caught putting his knee into the back of Alexis Sanchez away from the ball.  The linesman saw it and a red card was issued to the Chelsea captain.  It was a totally deserved red card as well.  It was a real bonehead move from Chelsea's skipper who should have known better.  Then to add insult to injury, in the 44th minute, Messi dished off to Andres Iniesta, who easily banged the ball home to give Barca the 2-0 lead in the match and the 2-1 lead on aggregate.  It looked like it was curtains for Chelsea.

The Blues had something to say about that though.  In the first minute of stoppage time, Chelsea caught Barca sleeping, maybe thinking they were as good as through.  Frank Lampard kicked the ball long into the path of an onrushing Ramires, who promptly chipped the ball over Victor Valdes to make the match score 2-1. and equalize the aggregate 2-2.  The Blues went into halftime knowing if they could hold on, they would be through on away goals.

There was no way Barcelona was going to let that happen easily, and their best chance came very early in the second half.  In the 48th minute Didier Drogba brought down Cesc Fabregas in the box to concede a PK to Barca.  Messi stepped up to take, and I'm not sure you'd want anyone else in football to take it.  However, the inexplicable happened.  Messi tried to put it in the roof over the mountain that is Petr Cech, and he hit the crossbar!  The ball bounced harmlessly away, taking with it Barca's best chance of landing a knockout blow on the Blues.

Chelsea would defend stoutly through the second half, bending but not breaking.  If I'm honest with you, they really didn't bend all that much.  Barca's style kind of worked against them, as they seemed to piddle around with short back and forth passes trying to think of a way through.  In the end it was useless possession as the seconds ticked off the clock.

The match finally went into three minutes of stoppage time, and the Blues fans got the moment they've been craving for over a year.  In the first of the three minutes, Tello took the ball into the box and gave it up.  While Barca stood screaming for a handball that wouldn't be given in a million years, Fernando Torres broke away on the counter.  Somehow Chelsea cleared and he got on the end of it, creating a 1v1 with a stunned and probably bored Victor Valdes. Valdes hit the deck trying to take the ball off of Torres' feet, but El Nino jumped expertly around the prone Barca keeper and tapped the ball into the net, sending the Blues into delirium.  It would be the last significant action, the match ended 2-2 and Chelsea took the tie 2-3 on aggregate.  

The result sends Chelsea through to the final in Munich next month against either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.  Whatever happens in that match, this one will go down as one of the most memorable in Chelsea history.   The Blues seem to have Barca's number somewhat, as Chelsea has only lost to them once in their last 7 European meetings.  Lionel Messi has never scored a goal against Chelsea FC.

It has to be said that it was a crushing loss for Barca, who really gave it all on the pitch.  Nobody in a million years would bet that Lionel Messi would miss that penalty kick.  The cameras panned to Messi right after Torres scored, showing the little genius bowed down with his shirt pulled up over his head.  He's one fantastic footballer who is NOT used to losing big games.  He is also a class act, as is the rest of Barca, who sportingly congratulated the Blues after the match on their Herculean effort.

I'm not going out on a limb saying Barca is still the best team in Europe and probably the best in the world.  They've proved it time and time again.  However, this night, this day belongs to Chelsea FC.

Barcelona will be back though, hungrier than ever.

Match Thoughts: Portland Timbers vs. Sporting Kansas City

The Portland Timbers celebrate with a couple of slabs from Timber Joey (Getty Images)

If Toronto FC has gotten off to one of the worst starts in MLS history, Sporting KC has gotten off to one of the best.  Actually, the second best.  However, after being lucky enough to get both Real Salt Lake and the LA Galaxy at home, this week they've found the going a little tougher battling Western Conference foes on the road.  They were severely tested by the Vancouver Whitecaps earlier this week, and Saturday night they finally met their match against a desperate but organized Portland Timbers squad.

Honestly, there's not a ton to talk about in this one.  It was very scrappy.  There were only 5 shots on goal for the entire match, and three of them were by Sporting.  CJ Sapong dribbled a shot wide early, and Kei Kamara forced a save out of Troy Perkins on 9 minutes.

The defining moment of the match came in the 41st minute, and this week, the breaks did not go Sporting's way.  Portland's Kris Boyd floated a cross in toward the back post, looking for Jorge Perlaza.  The Timbers' man really didn't have much of a chance to get to it, but KC's Chance Meyers rose up and put a head to it.  Unfortunately for Sporting, instead of clearing it, he lofted it into the back of his own net to give Portland the 1-0 lead going into half time.  It would prove to be the only goal of the game.

Kansas City came out hot in the second half.  After all, Portland has been known to give up second half goals this year.  However, the Timbers survived in this one.  The closest Sporting got came late on when a Graham Zusi free kick got loose in the box, but Portland desperately cleared it to save their much needed 3 points.

Unfortunately for Portland the result didn't move them off of the bottom of the Western Conference table, as they sit on 7 points.  KC gets a long week off now, and I'm sure they'll have plenty to contemplate after this west coast trip.  We can now stop using the "undefeated" line.

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend: Omar Cummings Blast vs The Galaxy

For all the talk about Beckham's goal against Portland last weekend, this one is tons better for me. I can't get enough of this Omar Cummings strike. The Rapids striker runs onto it, evades a defender and rifles it across the goal and into the corner. I'll also be voting for it for goal of the week on MLSSoccer.com.  Nicely done.

Match Thoughts: Toronto FC vs. Chicago Fire

Chicago's Marco Puppo and TFC's Matt Stinson battle for the ball (AP Images)

So NBC's game this week was Toronto FC versus the Chicago Fire.  My first thoughts on seeing this were pretty drab.  Chicago hasn't been off to the best of starts, and TFC is off to one of the worst starts in MLS history.  They came into this one losing all 5 of their league matches, mired on the bottom of the Eastern Conference with zero points.  They had also not led in a league match once in 2012.  I was curious to see if any of that would change.

I will say this for the match, it was pretty entertaining, which is what you often hope for from a neutral perspective.  However, both sides showed some woeful gaps at the back that facilitated the end to end action.  TFC came out with a three man back line, including Torsten Frings in the middle of it.  This was somewhat mind boggling as Frings is such a rock in the midfield for TFC.  The choice cost the Reds right off the bat.  Just 25 seconds into the match, TFC 'keeper Milos Kocic tamely rolled the ball out of the area to Frings.  Frings didn't seem to know that the Fire's Patrick Nyarko was right bight behind him.  Nyarko deftly took the ball off of him, and slipped it over to Dominic Oduro.  The speedy Chicago striker slipped the ball easily past Kocic near post to give the Fire a 0-1 lead and shock TFC.  It was the 5th fastest goal in MLS history.

Toronto did manage to respond fairly well though.  They didn't implode, at least right off the bat.  They got the ball forward with regularity and seemed to find some space to work on the wings.  Soon enough, Chicago 'keeper Sean Johnson was facing a red firing squad, made up largely of Reggie Lambe and Joao Plata.  Finally the pressure paid off late in the half.  The Fire lost track of Lambe on a corner kick, and he worked his way out into space in the 36th minute.  He got the ball outside of the area and blasted a shot home into the upper near post corner to make it 1-1.  Then just four minutes later, Lambe scored again.  TFC carved up the Fire at the back and they passed out to him as he dashed toward the six, hammering it in to give TFC the 2-1 lead, their first of the MLS season.

However the TFC lead would last less than 2 minutes.  In the 41st, Sebastian Grazzini set up a set piece from distance.  He floated it into the 18 and found Gonzalo Segares unmarked.  The Fire defender easily flicked the ball into the TFC net to make it 2-2 heading into halftime.

TFC deserves a lot of credit for the way they came out in the second half.  They were much more aggressive, knowing they needed a win in this one both for themselves and their fans.  The camera shots around BMO Field revealed a lot of empty seats.  Keep in mind the fact that this is a team that has never made the MLS playoffs.

Unfortunately the Fire caught them asleep at the back after a spell of pressure and capitalized on a counter attack.  Oduro and Nyarko shot up the pitch on the break, and Nyarko found Oduro going into the box.  He worked his way easily around Kocic and slapped the ball past the two TFC defenders who were trying to get back to make it 2-3 in the 58th minute.

Still TFC didn't give up.  Aron Winter finally pushed Frings up into the midfield and flipped his formation into a 4-4-2.  Frings himself would get two great looks to tie it up.  He hit a shot just wide in the 63rd minute, then forced a great save out of Johnson in the 88th.  Ryan Johnson also hit the post with a header late on.  In the end, it wasn't enough and the Fire held on for a hard fought 2-3 win.  TFC drops to 0-6 on the season, and the pressure mounts on Aron Winter.

Thanks For Reading!

A little over a year ago I had the idea to start writing this little blog.  It scratches two particular itches that I often have.  The first is my love of the game of soccer, the second is my constant urge to write.  I wrote a little about sports for the school newspaper back in the day, and I've also tried my hand at fiction, though I often lack the consistency to do it effectively.  However, I love the sport of soccer so much that I've had PLENTY of incentive to write about it over the last year plus.

The name "Puddle on the Pitch" pays homage to one of the most memorable matches in Real Salt Lake's history.  Back during their 2010-2011 CONCACAF Champion's League run, RSL played Mexican giants Cruz Azul in Mexico.  The game took place in a torrential monsoon, and the two sides staged an epic battle.  Azul won the battle that day, but the effort inspired Real Salt Lake in future CONCACAF matches, driving them all the way to the final, and picking up a home win against Cruz Azul along the way.

So I embarked on this little project thinking nobody but my friend Rick, my wife Mariel, and myself would ever read it.  Last night, the blog passed 4,000 views for the 2012 calendar year alone.  I'm stunned.  Never in my dreams did I think anyone would really care enough what some amateur writer had to say about soccer.

Along the way, I've had the chance to meet some great people through the blog and my presence on social media.  Not only have I talked to folks in other US States, but I've even held soccer conversations with people in Australia, the UK, Eastern Europe, Canada, and the Middle East.  It blows my mind to think our world is that much smaller and that one simple, beautiful game can bring people together.

I want to thank a few people.  First, my wife Mariel.  She HATES soccer with a passion but has always encouraged my writing ideas.  Second, my friend Rick.  Honestly, my life over the last 12 or 13 years would really suck had I never met him.  He's not just my football friend, but my best friend, and he has given me tons of encouragement as well.  Next I want to thank Scott, Dy-Anne, and Paul.  They're fans of the Colorado Rapids, RSL's mortal enemy, but I've gotten to know these great folks through social media and it's great to hear their perspectives not only on soccer, but on life.  Plus, as far as I can tell, they're some of my earliest and most faithful readers.

Finally I want to thank the folks over at VictoryBlog. They've got a top notch blog about the Melbourne Victory and the Hyundai A-League.  Last fall, they gave me some nice mentions in social media and it really opened up the world of Australian football to me, a casual A-League fan in the USA that struggles to get the real scoop from Australia.  I highly suggest you check it out.  They've enhanced my enjoyment of the A-League exponentially. 

So there we have it, thanks so much for reading, and I look forward to many more conversations and football memories with you all in the future.

Congrats to Brisbane Roar: 2011-2012 Hyundai A League Champions

The Puddle would like to congratulate the Brisbane Roar, who last night won the Hyundai A League Grand Final to take their second straight title.  The Roar also came from behind late in their second straight Grand Final, using two goals in the closing stages to overcome Perth Glory 2-1.

The win was not without some controversy, however this isn't the place where I'll comment on that.  Certainly the Roar are deserving champions when you look over the whole season.  Sure, I would have preferred Melbourne Victory, but the Roar got it done again this year, and good on them.

Congrats to the Roar and their supporters.  Enjoy the celebrations.

EPL: Reading FC Promoted, Wolves Relegated.

One team this week has celebrated promotion to the Barclay's Premier League.  Today another team suffered the pain of relegation.  To me, promotion and relegation just adds incentive to nearly every fixture on the schedule.  Plus, it keeps us footy fans glued to our sets and favorite news sites long after the titles have been handed out.

First off for the excited folks: Reading FC has earned automatic promotion to the Premier League by virtue of their 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest earlier this week.  The automatic promotion means they will not have to take part in the promotion playoff.

Now for the sad folks.  Today Wolverhampton Wanderers were relegated to the Championship.  They lost 0-2 at home to Manchester City, but this has been in the cards for a few weeks at least.  Fearing eventual relegation back in February, Wolves fired manager Mick McCarthy and replaced him with Terry Connor.  However, Wolves have just taken two points from a possible 30 since then, and it has sealed their fate.  This ends a three year run in the top flight for them.

So Wolves become the first of three teams that will lose their place in the Premier League this year.  The rest of the bottom of the table as of 4/22/12 is as follows:

15. Aston Villa    36 pts
16. QPR              34 pts
17. Wigan           34 pts
18. Blackburn     31pts
19. Bolton           30 pts
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20. Wolves          23 pts

All of the other EPL teams have reached the 40 point mark, which is traditionally the mark at which teams consider themselves safe.

Congrats to Borussia Dortmund: 2011-2012 Bundesliga Champs!

Dortmund fans celebrate their second straight league title (Photo: dw.de)

The Puddle extends it's congratulations to Borussia Dortmund and their fans on their second straight Bundesliga title.  They beat Mochengladbach 2-0 to go eight points clear of Bayern Munich with just two matches left.  What's more impressive: They ran their unbeaten run in the Bundesliga to 26 games.  That's pretty insane.

Fans of BVB, live it up!  Your guys earned it!

Frankie Hejduk Retires, Joins Crew Front Office

Frankie Hejduk hoists MLS Cup as Crew Captain in 2008

Today marks the end of an era for the Columbus Crew.  Former club captain Frankie Hejduk announced his retirement from professional football and also confirmed he will be joining the Crew front office.  Hejduk is a legend in Columbus and in my opinion, deserves league wide recognition as well.

Hejduk was often around major trophies.  He won the Supporter's Shield 5 times: Once with the Tampa Bay Mutiny, once with the LA Galaxy, and three times with the Crew.  He won the MLS Cup with the Crew and the LA Galaxy.

Hejduk was also a major contributor to US Soccer, earning 85 caps and appearing in two World Cups.  He also represented his country twice in the Olympic Games.

His career with Columbus spanned 147 games.  He scored 7 goals and tallied 16 assists with the Black and Gold.  Hejduk also spent time in Europe with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany and St. Gallen in Switzerland.

Hejduk will be a brand ambassador for the Crew, helping promote the team in the community through various means.  He should do really well at that.  He had this to say as reported by the Crew official Site:

“I want to thank my family and all of my teammates, trainers, equipment managers, front office staffers, coaches and fans for making my life that much more special, both on and off the field. We all share a special bond that’s tough to explain to anyone outside that circle, but the memories we share and the good times we had will never be forgotten or matched. Now I look forward to continuing my association with the Crew and helping to grow the sport of soccer."

The Puddle would like to congratulate Frankie Hejduk on a stellar career for club and country.  I look forward to see the end product of his continued endeavors with the Crew and MLS.

MLS Suspends Marquez 3 games.

Marquez's boot to the head of Shea Salinas (estadisports.com)

Most of us MLS watchers have been anxiously awaiting the league's announcement of punishment for New York's Rafa Marquez, after he broke the clavicle of San Jose's Shea Salinas last weekend.  It's been quite in vogue for the league to issue the retroactive bans this season, so we all knew it was coming.

This morning they announced the punishment.  Marquez has been suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount.  The league statement said his: "actions were viewed as violent conduct that demonstrated blatant disregard for the safety of his opponent."  Gee, really?

Earlier in the week, I commented on MLS's site that I suspected the ban would be 3-5 games.  However, I was really thinking it would be more toward the 5.  I have a couple of issues with this.  First, the kick to the head area.  Major sports have been dealing with a rash of head injuries and concussion related symptoms.  Just ask the NHL and Sidney Crosby.  I think any deliberate action to the head needs to be met severely, just for the protection of other players.  Second, Marquez has a history.  He was suspended for the first two matches of this season after freaking out against the Galaxy in the playoffs last year.  Finally, like it or not, all of these type of incidents are going to be compared with the Brian Mullan incident last year, in which he was given a ten game ban for breaking Steve Zakuani's leg.  I have no issue with that on the surface.  However, you've had several incident since where the league has stepped back from that, including Mondiani of Chivas USA breaking Javi Morales's ankle and now this.  The incidents may be apples to oranges as far as the league is concerned, but I'd be interested to hear their thought process.

Also of note from the match, San Jose's Marvin Chavez was also suspended for one game for a "reckless challenge" on NY's Roy Miller.  He was also fined an undisclosed amount.  He will miss San Jose's showdown with Real Salt Lake this weekend.

Match Thoughts: DC United vs. Montreal Impact

D.C. United's Dwayne De Rosario against the Montreal Impact (Getty Images)

D.C. United came into this match a little high on the hog, and rightly so.  They were unbeaten in their last four matches, including an impressive 1-2 win at New England last weekend.  One would have to figure they'd have a pretty good chance on their home turf against the road weary, expansion Montreal Impact.  That wasn't quite how it panned out though.

If I'm honest with you, the first half was a bit drab in this one.  Neither team created many chances, and the ones that came long weren't really good ones.  Montreal captain Davy Arnaud probably had the best look of the first half in the 22nd minute, but he hit his fairly open shot over the bar.

Most disturbing for DC was the fact that they seemed to be getting outworked for large stretches of time.  Montreal was winning a lot of the 2nd balls, and their front line was fairly easily winning balls in the air against the DC defense.  For offense, DC seemed content to lob the ball deep to try and find Pontius or De Rosario.  It didn't really work, but they held on to keep the match scoreless going into halftime.

They certainly changed things going into the second half, coming out with a lot more energy, but again, they really couldn't create any quality chances, save one when Donovan Ricketts managed to shut down De Rosario in a 1 v 1 situation.  The longer the game stayed scoreless, the more confident the Impact got.  Montreal turned this confidence into chances and then into the first goal of the night.

In the 67th minute, Bernardo Corradi got a pass from Arnaud in the six, but poked his shot just wide of the near post.  However, he got it right just two minutes later.  This time he got on the end of a gorgeous cross from Lamar Neagle and tucked the ball into the back of the net to make it 0-1 to the Impact. 

However, DC United had an ace up their sleeve and his name was Maicon Santos.  Santos has been cast off by a couple of teams in the last year, but he's been on fire for DC.  He kind of took the team on his shoulder and got them back in the match.  In the 72nd minute he knotted the match at 1-1 with a rocket strike from outside the top of the box.  Ricketts was helpless to stop it.

Montreal didn't look to be content with the draw though, and they had a great chance to pick up all three points late.  In the 87th minute, the Impact got a flurry of chances at the DC goal.  Most of the shots were blocked, but the ball finally fell to Arnaud, who looked to have anther great look.  However, he once again missed the target, and the match ended 1-1.

The result gave the Impact their first ever road point in MLS, and they played well enough in stretches to earn all three.  DC fought back well, but the continuation of their unbeaten streak may ring hollow as they've dropped more points at home.

Puddle's Goal of the Midweek: Kei Kamara Flick vs Vancouver

I just HAD to share this goal from Sporting KC's Kei Kamara. He's certainly one of the hottest players in MLS right now, and he hits pay dirt from a TOUGH angle against the Caps in this video from earlier this evening. Sporting went on to win 3-1.

Quakes' Salinas Out 6-8 Weeks

If you missed this weekend's match between the New York Red Bulls and the San Jose Earthquakes, you missed one of the more controversial moments so far this season.  Shortly before halftime, during a San Jose corner kick, Rafa Marquez wrapped his arms around San Jose's Shea Salinas and wrestled him to the ground in the penalty box.  He fell on him, and then provided a not-so-accidental boot to Salinas' head as well.  No foul of any kind was given on the play.

According to MLSSoccer.com, Salinas broke his left clavicle in four places. He'll have surgery later this week to repair it, which will include a plate and screws.  Doctors say he'll miss six to eight weeks of action.  According to the MLS article, Salinas has said he forgives Marquez, but wasn't aware of the kick to the head until he saw replays Tuesday morning.  Salinas also said that Marquez was doing the same thing on the first two Quakes corner kicks, and that they had complained to the officials about it, but to no avail.

There's been no word of what, if any, punishment will given to Marquez by the league.  MLS twitter and Facebook circles have been alive about the topic, and I've read suggestions ranging from 3-10 games, if it's treated like a Mullan incident from last year.  However, Mullan doesn't have the disciplinary history with MLS that Rafa Marquez does, so it will be interesting to see if that figures into a punishment at all.

Personally, I'd like to wish Salinas well and hope he gets back on the pitch as soon as possible.  Stay tuned to MLSSoccer.com for updates.

Match Thoughts: LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers

Hanyer Mosquera and Robbie Keane battle for the ball at the HDC (Getty Images)

It's the Battle of the Bad, the toilet bowl, if you will.  Even though you would never had predicted it, this match featured the two teams on the bottom of the Western Conference table.  Of course, I'm not sure anybody really expects them to stay there, but that will play out over the rest of the season.  For now, this match offered one of these teams a chance to get a leg up and win their second of the season.

Early on, and in fact through most of the first half, it looked like the Portland Timbers were going to be the team to take advantage of that opportunity.  Similar to their last match against Chivas USA, the Timbers controlled a good chunk of the possession and carved out the best chances.  They took the lead in the 23rd off the foot of Kris Boyd.  The Scottsman tore through the horrible Galaxy back line (which really wasn't any better in this one) and slotted by Josh Saunders to make it 0-1 to the Timbers.  He about scored again a few minutes later, but Saunders made the save.  Finally, Boyd took a pass and expertly controlled it, then smacked it into the net.  However, he was ruled offside.  Replays showed he was level, and the Timbers would end up ruing that chance.

They fell asleep right when it looked like they were going to make it into the half with the lead.  In the 44th minute Robbie Keane torched the Timbers defense (which also wasn't any better in this one) and centered to Landon Donovan just outside the area.  Donovan drilled the shot into the net and equalized 1-1 heading into the halftime interval.

The second half was pretty much all Galaxy as they smelled blood.  Portland has just totally bled goals in the second half this year, particularly late in matches, and it came back to haunt them again against the Galaxy.  Juninho blasted a low shot in from outside the top of the area in the 83rd minute to make it 2-1 Galaxy.  That set up David Beckham, who sent another rocket in from distance in stoppage time to make it 3-1 at full time. 

The Galaxy get the much needed 3 points and climb off the bottom of the table with 6.  It drops Portland into last in the Conference with 4.  The Timbers just seem to be incapable of playing with the lead.  Again, it's nice that they spent money on Kris Boyd, but they need to sure up the defense.   Hopefully when Futty Danso returns he'll help them out with that.  From a lot of the comments I've been reading on various stories, some folks in Portland are starting to get a little nervous.

I wouldn't say the Galaxy are quite out of the woods yet.  Their defense still needs help, although it must be nice for them to see the goals.  Yes Beckham's strike was pretty, but as various tweets from around the MLS community have pointed out, if you can't hit the target from there with acres of space, you probably shouldn't be on a top flight pitch.  All in all though, a nice win for the Galaxy.  Now we'll find out if they can build on it.

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend: Frank Lampard's FA Cup Free Kick Goal

With all due respect for David Beckham's sweet goal against the Portland Timbers last night, my goal of the week has to go to Super Frank Lampard. You know, that one guy that MLS keeps wanting to insist is finished at Chelsea so he's coming here? Right...

At any rate, check out his awesome free kick verses Spurs in today's FA Cup Semi Final:

Match Thoughts: New York Red Bulls vs. San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes celebrate their first goal against Red Bulls (Getty Images)

Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake got most of the hype heading into this weekend's slate of MLS action, and rightly so.  However, just below them on the radar was this match:  The New York Red Bulls vs. San Jose Earthquakes.  Both of these teams came in near the head of their respective conferences, and the match featured the three leading scorers in MLS thus far: New York's Thierry Henry and Kenny Cooper, and San Jose's Chris Wondolowski

The match had a lot of potential for some fireworks, and indeed, it provided them, at least in the first half.. There were goals galore, pitiful defense, crunching tackles, and plenty of controversy generated by NY's Rafa Marquez.  The only thing this match lacked was San Jose's "Sideshow" Lenhart.

The Red Bulls got off to the brighter start, and continued their habit of scoring goals early in matches.  In the 5th minute Henry and Cooper got together to get New York on the board.  Henry put a ball into Cooper, who deftly timed his run in behind the the Quakes' defense.  The defenders and John Busch all stood there with their hands up calling for offside as Cooper (who replays showed was indeed onside) easily slipped in the goal to make it 1-0 to the Red Bulls.

Then the see-saw nature of the match became evident.  San Jose responded well to going down a goal.  Wondolowski picked up the ball after a NY turnover in the 15th minute and went up the pitch, passing over to Khari Stephenson.  Stephenson, alone in space, slipped the ball over to Rafael Baca, who also had worked in behind the Red Bulls defense, and beat Ryan Meara to equalize at 1-1.  This time it was the Red Bulls standing around looking for an offside call that never came.

After that, things swung back in favor of the New York Red Bulls.  They regained the lead in the 22nd off the foot of Dax McCarty.  Dane Richards totally burned Ramiro Coralles in the San Jose end and sent a low centering pass into McCarty.  Cooper got a little touch, but it fell to Dax, and he volleyed it home to give the Red Bulls the 2-1 lead.

All was not well for the Red Bulls though, as once again San Jose responded.  In the 35th minute Steven Beitashour sent a cross into the Red Bulls area.  Shea Salinas flicked it on to Wondolowski, who put the ball in with a nice diving header to make it 2-2.

Controversy brewed up at the end of the half though.  Right before the the break, the Quakes set up for a corner.  As the ball came in, Rafa Marquez tackled Salinas, NFL style, and drove him right into the ground.  He followed it up with a not so accidental boot to Salinas' head.  The play resulted in a broken collarbone for Salinas.  No infringement was given but it should have been at least a penalty kick.  It will be interesting to see if MLS takes a look at the play and hands down any post match punishment on Marquez later this week.

The fireworks subsided in the second half as both teams seemed to succumb to tired legs.  There weren't many chances to speak of.  Henry got a shot on goal late, but Jon Busch made a nice save to preserve the 2-2 tie, which was the full time result.  In the end, I'm sure the Quakes were much happier with it than the Red Bulls were.

FA Cup Semifinals 2012: Liverpool vs. Everton

Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll celebrate Carrol's winning goal.  (Getty Images)

It's obvious to state that Liverpool's Premier League campaign has fallen short of the mark this season.  Also, a lot of the major news off the pitch (Suarez) has overshadowed what the club has already done.  However, Liverpool have kept the faith in the domestic cups this season, and after winning the Carling Cup earlier this year, now stand just one win from claiming the FA Cup as well.

Their eternal Merseyside rivals, Everton, didn't make it easy on them though.  They're in a much longer trophy drought than Liverpool, and coming into this one they were very much the in form team and a trendy pick to upset their more famous red clad neighbors. 

In fact, Everton was the stronger team in the first half.  After some initial possession from Liverpool, Everton really started to get their attack together.  Their first chance came in the sixth minute, in the form of a set piece chance from Leighton Baines.   Unfortunately he put his kick just slightly over the bar and Liverpool breathed a sigh of relief.  In the 21st minute, Nikica Jelavic tried a bit of a scruffy overhead kick, but it was saved by Brad Jones in goal for Liverpool.  However the former Rangers man drew first blood just 3 minutes later.  Liverpool's Jamie Carragher tried to clear the ball out of his own box, but it bounced off of Tim Cahill and fell right to Jelavic, who slotted past Jones to give Everton the 0-1 lead.

The goal did seem to wake Liverpool up a bit, and they slowly got better as the half wore on.   Still, at the halftime whistle, Everton still clung  to the 0-1 lead.

Liverpool ratcheted up their play in the second half though, while Everton seemed to come out dragging.  The Reds had a great chance to equalize in the 47th minute, but somehow Andy Carroll put his free header wide of the near post and it was Everton's turn to breathe again.

Unfortunately for the Toffees and their supporters, it was an Everton defensive blunder that gifted Liverpool their first goal and really let them back into the match.   In the 62nd minute, Sylvain Distin tried a long back pass to Tim Howard, but it didn't hit it anywhere near hard enough.  Luis Suarez rushed onto the ball, beat Howard one on one, and slapped the ball into the net to tie the match at 1-1.

After that the energy seemed to drain from Everton even faster.  They carved out a couple of half chances but never again threatened Jones.  Finally in the 87th minute, Carroll went from goat to hero.  The big center forward rose on a Craig Bellamy corner kick and headed it into the net to stun Wembley Stadium and hand Liverpool the 2-1 win.

Everton wallowed in the despairing loss as Liverpool celebrated.  They really were the better team in the first half, and were holding their own in the second until Distin's major defensive miscue.  From there, it was pretty much all Reds, as they now look ahead to their second cup final of the year.

Bad News for Columbus, Hesmer, Heinemann Likey Done For Year

I know this is a little on the old news side, but I think this could be a very significant story in the Eastern Conference this year.  Yesterday the Columbus Crew announced two very big injury updates.

First off, starting 'keeper Will Hesmer will likely miss the rest of the season.  Hesmer underwent surgery on his right hip, and expected to be out 6 months.  The Crew are tentatively targeting a potential late October return date, right at the end of the regular season.

It looks like forward Tommy Heinemann will definitely be out for the year.  He had microfracture surgery on his left knee, and MLSSoccer.com is reporting that the surgery requires a 9-12 month rehab.

The Crew have experienced a bit of a power outage for goals, losing today 1-0 to Philly.  Though not always a starter Heinemann is a big guy who can make his presence felt.  He started 12 matches for the Crew last season.  In goal, Columbus has already turned to Andy Gruenebaum, and he's done pretty well.  Gruenebaum has 30 MLS appearances under his belt as well as matches in the CONCACAF Champions League and the US Open Cup.

The Puddle wishes both of these guys a speedy recovery.

MLS Injury and Suspension Round Up

Several Major League Soccer clubs will be facing injury and suspension issues going into play this weekend.  Here's my guide to some of the biggest news.

First up, the New England Revolution.  They'll be missing captain Shalrie Joseph after the league handed down a one game suspension earlier this week.  In the 62nd minute of last Thursday's game at FC Dallas, Joseph made a lunging tackle on Ricardo Villar of the Hoops.  It was a late tackle, and Joseph received a yellow card.  Villar suffered a right mid foot sprain on the play.  The league felt it deserved harsher punishment.  Benny Feilhaber is still listed as doubtful, but has trained this week.

Next we have the Houston Dynamo, who are still dealing with both injury and suspension issues as well.  Colin Clark is still in the midst of his ban from the ball boy incident in Seattle, and Adam Moffat will be missing the game through suspension as well.  Brad Davis will be out with a calf injury, leaving the team very short through the midfield for the match against Chicago. The Dynamo will perhaps be looking to former TFC man Nathan Sturgis to help plug these holes.

There's some slightly better news to report from the Columbus Crew camp.  Last week Julius James suffered a collapsed lung after training and was taken straight to the hospital for emergency surgery.  According to MLSSoccer.com, he's feeling better and recovering, but will be out for at least a month.  The Puddle wishes him a speedy and safe recovery. 

Last but not least, SoccerbyIves is reporting that NY Red Bulls defender Wilman Conde may miss up to a month after injuring his groin in practice.  Conde has already missed three matches for Red Bulls so far, and Ives is keying in on Markus Holgersson to step up.  Click the link above for the whole story.  Plus, if you're interested in MLS and you're NOT following Ives on Twitter at @SoccerbyIves, you should be.

MLS All Star Match Announced

If you know me and my sports following ways, you'll know that I generally don't care much for All Star games of any format, especially when they're held midseason.  All it is is a popularity contest that at it's worst gets guys hurt.  Just ask RSL after Jamison Olave was injured against Manchester United last year.

At any rate, this year the All Stars will be playing at PPL park against Chelsea.  Peter Nowak will coach the all stars because he's done SO WELL with the Union so far this season.  No I get it, it's his home stadium, but that's a dumb reason to choose an All Star coach if you ask me.

Anyway, the match will take place at PPL park at 8:30 PM ET on July 25th, if you're interested.  I might watch, just to support my Blues.

EPL: Manchester United vs. QPR

United's Danny Welbeck tries a shot (AP Images)

This match featured two teams at opposite ends of the Premier League table, but each needing the points as bad as the other.  For Manchester United, a win would move them eight points clear of City at the top.  QPR is in a bit of a different position.  Despite bringing in Mark Hughes and going on a bit of a spending spree during the January transfer window.  They sit at the bottom of the table, just outside the bottom three.

Well if you're a QPR fan, there really wasn't much to be excited about.  They barely got a chance to get their feet underneath them.  United came out with some searing pressure in the opening minutes that resulted in a couple of good free kick looks for Wayne Rooney.  In the fourth minute his effort went into the QPR wall, but in the seventh he got it on frame and forced a big save out of Paddy Kenny to keep the score level at zero.

Then in the 14th minute it went awry for QPR, though not totally of their own making.  Ashley Young seemed to dance in behind the defense and QPR's Shaun Derry brought him down for a penalty.  Derry was also shown the red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity.  There were a couple of problem with this.  First, replays showed that Young was clearly offside, the linesman totally missed it, though it really should have been quite obvious.  Second, Derry barely laid a hand on Young, and it was a clearly a dive by the United player.  At any rate, Wayne Rooney nailed the spot kick to make it 1-0 to United.

As for QPR, they finally settled in a little bit, but they couldn't create any chances on the ball.  The best they got was two shots from Adel Taarabt, both of which were blocked.  As the halftime whistle blew, United still held the 1-0 lead and Mark Hughes sought out the referee for a chat.

QPR did come out solid in the second half, and managed to make things a bit nervy for United as they grabbed a bigger share of possession.  Still, they managed no shots on goal and would not record one for the entire match.

Paul Scholes came to the rescue of United in the 68th minute and killed the game off.  He sent a screamer in from distance that Paddy Kenny had no shot to save at all, and the score became 2-0 to United.  Michael Carrick would hit the post in the 77th minute, but the match ended 2-0.  Coupling this result with the later loss at Arsenal for Manchester City, and the Red Devils stood 8 points clear at the summit by the end of Easter Sunday.

Note:  QPR did appeal Derry's sending off to the FA.  On Tuesday, they denied that appeal, basically saying the denial of the goal scoring chance still occurred as Young was not flagged offside.  Derry will serve a one game ban.  The red card was QPR's seventh sending off of the season.

Opinion: MLS and YSA, My Take

So for the last little while there's been a debate going on in RSL fan circles and in MLS circles in general about the use of a particular chant with a naughty word in it.  Just so we're all clear, MLS, national broadcasting companies, and the clubs have taken exception to the "YSA" chant.  Simply put, fans yell "You suck a-hole" at the opposing 'keeper immediately after a goal kick.

If you're one of my readers from across the pond, this probably doesn't seem like it should be that big of a deal.  However, if you're not aware of the evolution of this particular chant, it mimics a chant often heard in Mexico that basically says "You Suck," but instead of a-hole, it adds a gay slur on the end that rhymes with Pluto.  It's foul, and I won't repeat it here.  Suffice it to say that for a lot of folks, it carries a little more gravitas than simply calling someone an a-hole.

Now obviously MLS wants to create a particular environment at the stadium, and the broadcast TV media would rather not broadcast it, so we see why the league wants to get rid of it.  So that begs a couple of questions:

1. How do you get a large number of folks to abandon this behavior?

2. How do you handle the supporters groups who feel passionately that they pay their money for their seat, and should be allowed to chant what they like?

First off I want to recommend a viewpoint written by Chris Enger over at Soccer Newsday.   The RSL community knows and loves him as the host of the RSL Show podcast.  I've never met him, but he's as passionate about RSL, MLS, and the game as anyone I know, and he crafted a good piece on the issue.

Now back to the questions I posed and my opinion on them.  I'm not a professional sports writer.  I'm just a footy fan who likes to write about the game and engage in conversation about it.  What I'm going to say is just my opinion, not saying it's right or wrong.

1. How do you gets folks to cut this out?  Well there's a couple of ways of going about it.  You can try what happened in New England last year, where from what I heard fans were threatened with arrest and permanent expulsion from the field.  This led to national attention being brought to the issue, as the Supporters groups in "The Fort" had it out with the club.  It got pretty ugly.

You could also try the route RSL has taken, trying to work with the supporter groups and and their leaders to ask the people to refrain from the chant.  Now, I'm not a member of any supporters group, but this is what has been portrayed as happening, so I'm just assuming it is.  However this approach seems to have only met with limited success.  YSA is still heard at the RioT, though if I'm not mistaken the incidence seems to have generally gone down over the last few home matches.

My thoughts are this:  I don't think the first approach is sustainable.  As Enger mentions in his article, the supporters groups that are often involved are usually the most ardent fans of the team, and arguably they contribute significantly to the clubs bottom line, or at least more than the causal fan that comes to 1 or 2 matches per year.  I don't think threatening these wonderful, die hard supporters with arrest and expulsion is a good idea.  It just makes you look foolish, a la New England last year.  I encourage clubs to have open dialogue with the supporters and their leaders, with the reality in mind that the club, league, or supporters group cannot police everyone, and shouldn't really have to.

After all, MLS has faced a bit of an issue over the last few years.  They've tried to balance their marketing between the "family friendly American sports fan" and the die hard soccer fans. What they found is you can't really push one or the other out, but especially not those base, die hard soccer fans, and expect the league to flourish and grow.  That brings me to the second question.

2.  How do you handle these supporters groups?  I think the clubs need to work with the supporters on personal level about this.  I'm not saying that the front office should meet with every single fan, that's not practical, obviously.  I know RSL has supporters summits, and I'm sure other clubs do.  Maybe there should be more of these where management, and maybe even a player or two, meet with these groups and talk about the situation.  I think if the supporters see it as a request from the familiar faces they know, players, coaches, etc, they might be more apt to help out as opposed to sending a suit out from the PR department to say "Do this, or else."  If Captain Kyle Beckerman asked me to jump off a bridge for the good of the club, I'd seriously consider it.  Ok, that's a slight exaggeration...

How do I personally feel about it?  Well, I don't use it.  I do the "You Suck" part and then just end it.  Most of the folks in our section abide by this.  We have a family with children that sit right in front of us, and they're good folks, so I try to moderate my language.  It doesn't ALWAYS work, but I succeed most of the time.

I'm not a prude.  So you know my background: I'm not LDS, I haven't lived my whole life in Utah.  As a general rule, people's language doesn't bother me.  However, I'm also aware that there are folks who don't think the same way I do.

Therein lies the crux of the issue, and that coin has two sides.  Not everyone has the same beliefs or moral code, whatever you like to call it.  If you're a person that's offended by this kind of language, it's gotta be difficult.  I agree that there's an acceptable and unacceptable standard for public behavior, but not everyone is going to agree on where that line rests.  It will NEVER happen.  Perhaps it's unfortunate, but you're going to run in to people who curse in public, maybe even curse in unison.  I can see it being more of an issue with families with kids, but even then you can't expect MLS, the club, or the Supporters groups to eradicate all the behavior that you find offensive.  In the end, it's a free country.  Yes I know the stadiums can regulate behavior on private property.  However the reality is that we're not going throw everyone who swears in jail, and it's unrealistic to expect the club to field an army of language police throughout the stands to kick out anyone who utters a swear word.  Honestly, for most people, that's not a reality we want to live in anyway.

If we're asking the supporters groups to change things, realize that people are trying.  However, if you're honestly one of those people who are affected that much by the utterance of a curse word, then I'm not sure the league will ever be able to placate you.  Some people have made the choice not to attend matches because of this, and that's too bad.  However, the successful medium has to be found to keep the league flourishing.  In the end it is your choice to make.

Enger makes the point in his piece that we ought to be policing ourselves.  This shouldn't necessarily be something the league has to make an all out blitz on.  If we all took a look at those around us and realized that it takes all kinds in the world, we'd be better off.  For those of us that don't have a problem with the language, maybe we try to be adults and see if we can cut it back some to enhance the enjoyment of others.  After all, it can be done, look at Timbers Army.

If you're someone honestly that offended by it, again, realize the efforts are being made.  Maybe you could try acting a little differently too.  I know I don't want to sit next to a person who is going to drop the F word every other word for 90 minutes either, but that's on the extreme.    Let's all try to loosen up a little and enjoy the game we love.

We're all there to support our club, and hopefully working together and loosening up on both ends can enhance the enjoyment for everyone.    However in the end, it's a sports arena, not a church, and the choices we make are our own.

More Injury Woes For Houston's Davis

Some more troubling news on the MLS injury front this afternoon.  MLSsoccer.com is reporting that Houston Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis sustained an injury in training this weekend and his status for the weekend's match against the Chicago Fire is in doubt.

Apparently Davis injured his calf during a training session on Saturday, and missed today's training to have an MRI on the injury.  The Dynamo have said that the results of the test were not yet available as of 5:30 CDT Monday.

This would be a big blow for the Dynamo under any circumstance, but it's particularly tough right now.  Two other Dynamo midfielders: Colin Clark and Adam Moffat, will be serving suspensions this weekend so it will severely test the Dynamo's depth.

Stayed tuned to the MLS and Dynamo official sites for development on this story.  Davis is one of the best service guys in the league and I hope he can play.  He's fun to watch.

Match Thoughts: Portland Timbers vs. Chivas USA

Portland's Kris Boyd and Chivas USA's Rauwshan McKenzie (Getty Images)

Nobody will argue that the atmosphere that the Portland Timbers and Timbers Army have created at Jeld-Wen field is up there with the best in MLS.  The Timbers came up just short of qualifying for the playoffs last year, and are looking to move up the Western Conference ladder after the off season acquisition of Kris Boyd, the former Rangers striker.  There's not really any question that the Timbers can score goals, but Real Salt Lake did ask a very important one: can the Timbers keep goals out, especially late in the match?  The answer against RSL was no.  How would they fair against Chivas USA, who had only scored one goal in MLS play coming into this match?

Things started well enough for the Timbers in this one, and for much of the first half, they looked like they were going to run over Chivas.  Indeed, not only did the Timbers control possession, but they created a lot of chances.  For the most part, they found out just how good Dan Kennedy is in goal for Chivas, but the Rojoblancos 'keeper did eventually run into some trouble.

That trouble came in the 16th minute.  Kennedy went up for the same ball as his defender James Riley.  The two collided and ended up on the ground, the ball loose.  Boyd collected the ball for the Timbers and calmly banged it into the empty Chivas net to make it 1-0.  The Timbers would ride that scoreline into halftime.

However once again defensive trouble came home to roost for Portland in the second half.  Chivas head coach Robin Fraser made a couple of adjustments, including bringing in fullback Ryan Smith.  It paid immediate returns.  In the 48th minute, he sent a gorgeous cross in toward the Timbers six yard box.  The ball found the head of Alejandro Moreno, coming in virtually unmarked.  Moreno headed the ball past a powerless Troy Perkins to equalize the match at 1-1.

The troubles didn't end there for the Timbers.  Last week they gave up the winner against RSL in stoppage time.  This week, it came in the 82nd minute.  Again Ryan Smith torched the Timbers defense and sent in a cross.  This time Nick LaBrocca got his head to the ball and beat Perkins to give the Goats a 1-2 win, as Portland wouldn't really threaten again.

For Chivas, they're starting to take on the reputation of road warriors with their two wins at RSL and Portland, two tough places to play.  If they can keep scoring goals and get their home form in check, I think they could make some noise.

The Timbers have some soul searching to do.  I was a bit surprised to to see some Timbers fans calling for John Spencer's head in some comments on MLS's website.  I don't really think that's the answer.  The team needs to get some defensive help.  You can't expect to hold serve at home based on your unique pitch size and great crowd.  Obviously teams are starting to figure things out there.  Plus, if you really want to make a playoff push in MLS, particularly in the Western Conference, you need to be able to pick up points on the road.  You need some defense.  I don't think it's panic time for the Timbers, but they need some help.