Bale Reups With Tottenham

Tottenham's Gareth Bale (guardian.co.uk)

Spurs fans got a bit of welcome news today in an off season full of trouble.  Wales international Gareth Bale has signed a new deal with the club that will keep him in a Spurs kit until 2016.  The winger has been at Tottenham for the last 5 years, and has been in the Premier League's team of the year the last two seasons.  This last year he was also named in UEFA's team of the year.

The move should put Spurs fans at ease at least for awhile.  Manager Harry Redknapp was sacked by the club a couple of weeks back after missing out on the Champion's League due to Chelsea winning this year's competition.  Several clubs were apparently in for Bale himself this summer both from England and throughout Europe.  They'll feel even better if their new manager is able to get Luka Modric to stay put, as the Croatian star has been linked to a move to Real Madrid

Bale told Tottenham's website:

"I love the club and the fans and I want to play my part in trying to get us back into the Champions League - where we belong. "We have a good, young squad and we need to work together to get back on the biggest stage."

Bale originally came to Spurs on a  £7million signing from Southampton.  He has scored 29 goals in 160 matches for the club.

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend: Brandon Barklage Volley Vs DC

Ok folks, here's my selection for Goal of the weekend. Today former DC United man Brandon Barklage volleyed home this goal (his second of the night) against his old team. The Red Bulls would move on to win 3-2 and claim a share of first place in the East.

What's "Wrong" With RSL? A Fan's Thoughts

Jason Kreis shows his displeasure at a San Jose Goal (Getty Images)

To say this last week was a bad week for Real Salt Lake is an understatement.  With two losses at home to the LA Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes, RSL dropped out of first place in the Western Conference.  At the beginning of the week, they sat 21 points ahead of the Galaxy.  Now it's down to twelve.  Thankfully for the Claret and Cobalt, both Vancouver and Seattle also lost this weekend and failed to make up ground.

So what's wrong with this picture?  Is anything actually wrong, or is it just a typical midseason slump?  Reasonable supporters and writers who follow RSL will disagree here.  Coupling these two losses together, it doesn't look like that big of a deal.  After all, they're only one point behind San Jose and still six points up on the Whitecaps in 3rd.  They're also ahead of both of the co-leaders of the Eastern conference, DC United and New York Red Bulls.  No biggie right?

Well, I think there is something going on, some things that in my opinion could be addressed.  How do I rate to make such criticism?  I'm not a football journalist.  I'm just a fan with a blog, a fan that watches football from all over the world.  You might disagree with what I'm going to say, and that's fine, but I don't think you need to be a professional coach to see the issues.

First off, what is going on with the defense?  Yes I get it. Schuler and Olave are injured, leaving us with pretty much one healthy center back.  Yeah, I think that played a part against the Quakes last night, but last night was just the latest in a trend.  RSL has only posted 1 clean sheet in it's last 4 matches, and they've given up an astounding 13 goals in the last 6 home matches.  Both Borchers and Olave played against Minnesota, and RSL was opened up more than once in that match, against a NASL side. 

Defense used to be the great strength of this team, but what of it now?  The injury situation doesn't help, but I don't believe it's the root cause.  I would still take Borchers and Olave over any central pairing in MLS, so what's wrong?  First off, I think they need a little help at full back.  I don't think you can underestimate how much Robbie Russell helped our back line, both in positional play and in being able to come in and help Borchers and Olave clean up a mess.  Chris Wingert is still more than solid, but that still leaves us short.  The obvious counterpoint is "How do you say that?  We have Tony Beltran!" 

Of course we do, but he's been just as responsible for the miscues as anyone else on the back line.  He knows it, and he acknowledges it.  I'm not saying we need to add another full back, but maybe we need some more discipline and cohesion along the back.  After all, the goals that RSL have been giving up haven't been the spectacular, they've been cheap goals, many off set piece or throw in type situations.  More than once I've seen Nick Rimando disgusted at the lack of marking and communication within the the defense, and I think patching up this leaky defense is key to getting this team back on track.

I want to bring up one other issue that worries me somewhat going into CONCACAF Champion's League play.  I'm looking at depth, or lack thereof.  To me, the US Open Cup match really exposed a possible lack of depth on the squad.  That's troubling, because these guys are going to have to play some matches, either in CCL itself or in the league.  For all his wonderful late match heroics, Jonny Steele hasn't fared that well when he's gotten a chance to start.  To me, he looked much better last night, but again, in a sub role. 

What about up front?  Paulo Jr has thus far failed to be the breakout player he looked like he might be, though to be fair to him, he's had injury issues and really looks to be putting forth the effort when he gets on the pitch.  I thought putting him in as an attacking sub was a good idea last night, but in my mind it was far too little, too late.  Cody Arnoux and Emiliano Bonfigli are untested.  They both have a lot of potential, but haven't gotten a ton of chances to see it materialize.  Hopefully they can shoulder the load.

What disturbingly underlies all of this is the fact that the reserves have had a rough year.  They did recently get their first win, so hopefully that will help.  Again, those guys are going to get their chance sooner rather than later.

Am I hitting the panic switch?  Of course not.  I still think when RSL plays their best football, they're the best team in MLS.  I also think we haven't seen their best yet this year.  I think if Coach Kreis can restore the confidence and discipline of the defense, as well as continue to build depth on the squad, we'll see that best football really soon.

Until then, #BelieveRSL

Puddle's MLS Preview 6/23-6/24

When looking at the MLS fixture slate this weekend, there's automatically two matches that jump out at you, unless you're just here for the Cascadia.  On Saturday, the top two teams in the Western Conference will do battle at Rio Tinto Stadium as Real Salt Lake hosts the San Jose Earthquakes.  Sunday will feature a matchup of two of the Eastern Conference's top two sides, as the New York Red Bulls host DC United.  Let's start with a look at the action that will take place at Red Bull Arena.

New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United, Sunday, 6/24/12, 7PM EDT.

The Red Bulls have struggled a little bit coming out of the international break, with a loss against Chicago and underwhelming draw at Vancouver.  However, they haven't had their best players on the pitch either.  Both Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez have been missing of late, and both are officially listed as questionable for this match. 

If they don't play in this one, where will the Red Bulls get the goals to compete with the high octane DC offense?  Last Wednesday Heath Pearce scored off of a set piece, but it was his first goal in MLS in four years.  Kenny Cooper was largely absent against Vancouver without the creative force of Henry teamed up with him.  This time the Red Bulls will also be without Dane Richards for this one, who picked up 5th yellow card during the midweek match. 

Things are a little bit more straight forward for DC United.  MF Danny Cruz is listed as probable, but the rest of the Eagles' big guns look set to roll.  Last time out against the Red Bulls at RFK, DC got a hat trick from Chris Pontius en route to a 4-1 win last April.  They'll be looking to assert their dominance over the Eastern Conference with a repeat performance.  It'll be up to the patchwork New York back line and ROY contender Ryan Meara in goal to keep the Red Bulls in this one.

Mark Geiger will be the center referee in this match.  His stats in 97 MLS matches:  FC/gm: 26.3; Y/gm: 3.7; R: 22; pens: 32.  I look for the Red Bulls to actually hold United off at home and pull out a 2-1 win.  If DC come out with a victory, they'll be up 6 points on NY.


Real Salt Lake vs. San Jose Earthquakes, Saturday, 6/23/12, 7PM MDT

Real Salt Lake is going to have plenty of motivation to come out and win 3 points against the Quakes.  Last April, RSL went down to nine men when playing the Quakes in San Jose.  Despite that, they took a 1-1 draw into stoppage time only to fall 3-1 to two late goals.  Then you have comedy of errors that led to the 2-3 defeat to the Galaxy Wednesday night.

Perhaps the biggest thing RSL can do is eliminate the many individual mistakes the cost them so dearly against LA.  They'll also need to keep their heads on straight as Beckerman, Morales, and Saborio will be suspended with their next yellow card.  Morales and Olave are listed as probable, while Luis Gil and Sebastian Velasquez are listed as questionable. 

The Quakes formula is simple, do what they've done all year.  A good defense and good 'keeper will keep them in the match and Lenhart and Wondolowski will get their chances.  RSL will have to come together at the back to stop them.    For San Jose, Ramiro Corrales and Diver/Wanker Alan Gordon will be suspended on their next yellow card. 

Jair Marufo is the ref in charge of this one.  His stats in 135 MLS matches: FC/gm: 24.2; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 32; pens: 42.  I'll take RSL to right the ship at home, though San Jose will certainly get their chances.  I'm going with RSL 3-2 in an entertaining match.

Match Thoughts: Vancouver Whitecaps vs. New York Red Bulls

Dane Richards and Gershon Koffie make small talk. (AP Photo)

Consider yourself warned, MLS fans.  The Vancouver Whitecaps are making noise in the western conference and they'll make more noise in the league as a whole before all the hardware is handed out.  So often when fans think about the Cascadia teams, the thoughts are of Seattle and Portland.  Don't look now, but the 'Caps are ahead of both of them.  In this particular match both Vancouver and New York played to a scrappy draw, but Vancouver was obviously the better side for much of the match.

Despite the fact that the Whitecaps opened the match with the better possession and ball control, it was the Red Bulls that would earn the first good chance on goal.  In the 8th minute Joel Lindpere sent a cross in on a free kick that found the head of Dax McCarty.  Joe Cannon was up to the task and saved the close range header to keep the match scoreless early.

After that the Whitecaps began to come into some attacking form of their own.  In the 9th minute Martin Bonjour missed a shot after a free kick, and Davide Chumiento had a great look on a 'Caps counter attack, but his shot missed the target.  It wasn't until the 32nd minute that either team would get a good look again, and the chance fell to Camilo for Vancouver.  He found himself alone near the top of the 18 after a perfect setup ball, but somehow drug his shot wide of the goal as Ryan Meara closed him down.  The first half ended 0-0.

The second half didn't see much action until about the last 20 minutes, and it was the Red Bulls who started the party.  New York went on a break of their own and Dane Richards looked to have a 1v1 chance on the Vancouver goal.  Joe Cannon rushed off of his line and hit the deck, taking the ball off of the speedy Jamaican's foot to preserve the tie.

In the 75th minute, the Whitecaps were finally the first side to get on the board.  The ball ended up sliding into the New York penalty area after a corner kick from Alain Rochat.  The ball actually drifted by 4 'Caps players before falling to the feet of Bonjour.  The defender calmly lined up his touch and smashed the ball into the far corner of the Red Bulls' goal to make it 1-0.

However, if the Whitecaps thought they were going to cruise to the 1-0 win with the late goal, they were going to get surprised.  The Red Bulls had a last chance corner kick in the 86th minute.  The Whitecaps defense went to sleep for just a minute, but it was all Heath Pearce needed to get his head to the ball and equalize the match at 1-1, which was the full time result, ending in disappointment for Vancouver.

NOTES:  New York's Dane Richards picked up his 5th yellow card of the season, and will miss the Red Bulls match vs. DC United this weekend.

Euro 2012 Quarters: Czech Republic vs Portugal

Petr Cech makes a save on Cristiano Ronaldo (AP Images)

I'm not sure how many people gave the Czech Republic a chance versus Portugal today, but for the most part, they acquitted themselves well.  Petr Cech had a great game in goal, and were it not for a fantastic header by Cristiano Ronaldo, this match very well might have seen extra time.  However, in the end the Portugal captain provided the needed moment of magic to send his country through to the semifinals.

The Czechs actually came out of the tunnel really well and pressed Portugal through much of the first half.  In the 17th minute Vladimir Darida sent a cross into the six, but Miguel Baros just missed it.  It woke the Portugal side up just a bit.

Portugal gradually came more into the match as the half wore on.  In the 25th minute Ronaldo made a turn in the Czech penalty area and unleashed a shot that was well saved by Cech.  Howard Webb called Ronaldo for a foul on the play, but it was just a taste of what CR7 would have in mind for the Czechs.  In the 34th minute he sent a free kick just wide of the far post.  Finally in first half stoppage time he saw another shot bounce off the woodwork.  The Czechs limped in to the half lucky to still be on even terms.

The second half was all Portugal.  The Czechs barely got a sniff of the ball through the entire 45 minutes.  In the 49th minute Ronaldo hit the post again and then looked to the heavens in frustration like the drama queen he is. 

Still Portugal seemed to have an issue penetrating the Czech goal.  In the 58th minute Hugo Almeida appeared to have scored from a Nani cross, but he was correctly ruled offside.  The Czechs took a sigh of relief and wondered if their luck would hold into extra time.

That was not to be though, and it was Cristiano Ronaldo who finally provided the breakthrough Portugal needed.  In the 79th minute Joao Moutinho sent a spot on cross into the 6.  Ronaldo dove into action, heading the ball powerfully into the ground at the feet of Petr Cech.  The ball took a wicked bounce over the Chelsea 'keeper and into the top of the net to make it 0-1 Portugal.

In the end the Czechs would fail to threaten the Portugal goal, despite calling Petr Cech up for a last minute corner.  Ronaldo and company held on to the 0-1 win and sent the Czechs packing.  They certainly had a great tournament, especially after losing the first match 4-1 to Russia then winning the group.  It just wasn't to be today, Portugal was just too big of an ask.  They will play the winner of Spain vs France in the semifinals.

Puddle's Goal of the Midweek: Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs France

Another AWESOME strike from Euro 2012. This time we have a thundering side-volley from Ibra that helped Sweden sink France on the last day of group play.

Match Thoughts: Vancouver Whitecaps vs Colorado Rapids

Vancouver's Joe Cannon makes a save vs. Colorado's Conor Casey (Reuters)

On Saturday the Vancouver Whitecaps hosted the Colorado Rapids in a classic six point match.  Both clubs were sitting around the middle of the Western Conference table and were hoping a win would help them fire up a midseason run at the top.

The Rapids actually played pretty well, and enjoyed an edge in possession for most of the evening.  Their first chance of the match came on 4 minutes as Edu tried to seize a back pass to the Vancouver goal, but Joe Cannon was able to pounce on it.  Martin Rivero also had two pretty good looks for Colorado.  In the 28th minute he sent a drive in from the top of the 18 that just sailed wide of the target.  Then in minute 34 Cannon was once again called into action, deflecting another Rivero shot wide for a corner.

The best chance for the Whitecaps in the first half came in the 43rd minute when Sebastian Le Toux got 1v1 with Rapids 'keeper Matt Pickens, but Pickens played it expertly, snuffing out the chance and sending the teams into the half still scoreless.

Things appeared to take a turn for the worse for Vancouver around the hour mark.  In the 59th minute Whitecaps rookie Darren Mattocks was hit with a yellow card for diving in the 18.  Then just a minute later he picked up another yellow for a bad tackle on Drew Moor in his own attacking third.  Mattocks hit the showers early, and Colorado had a chance to take it to the Whitecaps with a man advantage.

Unfortunately for the men in Burgundy, it didn't quite work out like they planned.  In the 80th minute Vancouver would score the match's only goal.  The 'Caps attacked on the counter and Davide Chiumiento hit Le Toux with a gorgeous cross and the former Union man easily put it past Pickens to make it 1-0.

The Rapids didn't give up though, and they had a flurry of chances late on.  In the 82nd minute Rivero hit the post, then in the 88th the woodwork denied the Rapids again.  Hunter Freeman saw his curling effort hit the frame and bound away, as Vancouver held on to the 1-0 win at full time.

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend: Fabian Espindola vs Chivas USA

This one is sure to be on the goal of the week list. Great job Fabi!

Match Thoughts: Chivas USA vs. Real Salt Lake

Fabian Espindola and Jonny Steele celebrate Fabi's first goal of the night. (Getty Images)

So, Chivas USA, do you remember your early season win at Rio Tinto Stadium?  Sure you do.  Guess what?  Real Salt Lake did too.  The Claret and Cobalt returned from the international break with with first place on their minds and revenge in their eyes.

The boys did come out a little rusty though.  In fact it would probably be fair to say that Chivas had the better of the opening half possession wise.  You still have to put it in the back of the net though.  RSL did that in the 35th minute, as Alvaro Saborio smacked in a goal, but was ruled offside.  The MLS website called it a "very tight offside call."  I call it incompetence as replays clearly showed Sabo even with the last defender.  Say it with me footy fans, "even is on."

It didn't matter to RSL though, and they seized control late in the half.  Everybody's favorite Irishman Jonny Steele intercepted a dumb ball from Dan Kennedy, who looked clueless all night.  Steele dished over to Captain Kyle Beckerman, who launched a ball into Fabian Espindola.  Fabi took care of business, heading the ball into the net to give RSL the 0-1 lead going into halftime.

It didn't take long for RSL to drive the nail into the coffin in the second half either.  In the 54th minute Ned Grabavoy slid a through ball to Fabi toward the wing, and Espindola came as close as he ever will to channeling another famous Argentine forward.  With some fancy footwork he left former RSL man Rauwshan McKenzie in dust and slapped the ball past Kennedy to make it 0-2.

The Claret and Cobalt wouldn't look back, on offense or defense.  Nick Rimando really only had to make one difficult save all night as Chivas rarely threatened the RSL goal.  A third RSL goal looked to be a sure thing, but it didn't come until stoppage time.  Javier Morales played a brilliant ball over to Will Johnson and the Canadian international blasted a shot into the upper corner of the net to complete the Goat sacrifice and hand RSL the 0-3 win on the road.

Coach Kreis said afterward that it was one of the best matches RSL have played all year, and I have to agree.  Obviously Espindola had a great night, but Real got important contributions from the midfield as well.  Grabavoy did an awesome job with passes on several occasions.  Will Johnson played both midfield and the back line, and played his tail off.  His great effort finally paid off with the late goal.  Javier Morales played in the second half and looked very sharp as well.  Jonny Steele had a bit of a rough night at times, but one can't forget that he made the big play on the Kennedy pass that produced the first goal.  Hopefully he can gain some consistency in the coming weeks as RSL will need the depth on their roster come CCL time.

Euro 2012: Czech Republic and Greece Moving On

Czech Republic's Petr Jiracek and Poland's Ludovic Obraniak

The nice thing going into the final four days of group stage play at Euro 2012 was that pretty much everything was up for grabs.  Ireland and Sweden had been eliminated in their respective groups, but all the quarter-final spots were still on the line.  It set the table for some mouth watering drama.

The Group A Finale took place on Saturday with the Czech Republic against Poland and Greece against Russia.  In Wroclaw, the Czechs needed a win over cohost Poland to advance.  They were able to deliver, but looked a little nervy out of the gate.  The first 25 minutes were pretty much all Poland.  The opening minutes saw efforts from Dariusz Dudka and Robert Lewandowski hit the side netting, and Sebastian Boenisch forced a great save out of Petr Cech on 22 minutes.

The first half ended scoreless, but it was the Czechs who came out on fire in the second half.  They were eating possession and minutes on the clock, but had a hard time carving out great chances.  They finally got their breakthrough in the 72nd minute. Milan Baros ran into the top of the area, then expertly dished to Petr Jiracek, who easily slotted the ball into the Poland net to make it 1-0.  The lone goal would be all the Czechs would need to see off Poland punch their ticket into the quarter-finals.

Giorgos Karagounis scored the Greeks' game winner. (AP Images)

The other simultaneous Group A fixture featured Greece going up against heavily favored Russia, who had been in command of the group since opening day.  The Greeks needed a win and help from the Czechs, and they got both.

Greece came out on the offensive, forcing a flurry of early corner kicks.  However Russia denied them a goal through a nice save by Vyacheslav Malafeev.  Kostas Katsouranis also sent an effort just wide of the Russian net in the early sequences of play. 

After that the Russians pretty much took over for most of the rest of the half.  Andrey Arshavin had a shot saved, Aleksandr Kerzhakov and Yuri Zhirkov would also have good looks, but would fail to penetrate the Greek goal.  On the stroke of half time, the Greeks would make them pay for being wasteful.

Greek Captain Giorgos Karagounis seized control of loose ball just outside of the Russian penalty in the 45th minute.  He ran unchallenged into the area and coolly eased the ball through the Russian 'keeper to make it 1-0 to the Greeks at halftime.

The Russians would continue to push for a goal in the second half, but there was not one to be found.  Unfortunately for the Greeks, Karagounis was booked for diving in the box late in the match. It was actually a pretty clear penalty, but the yellow will mean the Greek captain will miss their quarterfinal match.  In the end, it didn't dampen the Greek spirits as they held on and celebrated a famous victory, sending them through and sending the Russians home early.

Puddle's Goal of the Midweek: Danny Welbeck vs. Sweden

If you haven't seen this one yet, check it out while you can. One of my favorite goals in recent memory.

Euro 2012: Greece vs Czech Republic and Poland vs. Russia

Czech Republic's Petr Jiracek celebrates his opening goal (Getty Images)

The players of the Czech Republic were looking for a good dose of redemption coming into the second day of Group A play.  Sitting on zero points after a day 1 drubbing by Russia, they faced being the first team to be eliminated if they lost.  However, they came out of the gates on fire to make sure that didn't happen.  The Greeks, on the other hand, turned in another nightmare first half effort from which they could not recover this time.

The Czechs opened the scoring in just the third minute when Petr Jiracek took a through ball and slashed open the Greek defense.  He snuck into the six yard box and slapped the ball past a helpless Greek 'keeper to make it 0-1.Then just three minutes later they capitalized on more lackluster Greek defense to double the lead.  Theodor Gabre Selasssie got behind the Greek back line and fired a centering pass to Vaclav Pilar, who poked home another goal to make it 0-2 to the Czechs after just six minutes.

In the end it would be all the Czechs would need, but the Greeks did get one back in half number two.  In the 53rd minute Petr Cech, who hasn't had a great tournament so far, tried to claim a ball in the box but ran into one of his defenders.  He couldn't hang on, and the ball fell to Greece's Theofanis Gekas who blasted the ball into the empty net to make it 1-2.  However, they never really threatened again and the Czechs held onto the win 2-1.

Poland's Jakub Blaszczykowski after equalizing against Russia

Meanwhile, the day's second match took place in Warsaw between Poland and Russia.  Unfortunately, the match was preceded by a march to the stadium by Russian fans celebrating a national holiday.  The Russians had cleared it with the local authorities, but it ended up leading to violence between the Russians and Polish Ultras that resulted in some injuries.

As for the match itself, Russia could punch it's ticket to the knockout stage with a win over the co-hosts, but found that the Polish football team was just as up for the fight as their fans were.  Still, the Russians controlled much of the of the first half and got on the board first in the 37th minute.  Andrei Arshavin sent a free kick into the box that found Alan Dzagoev unmarked.  The hero of the first match for Russia calmly flicked a header into the goal to make it 0-1 Russia.

The Poles were not about to roll over though, and they fought back hard in the second half.  The pressure paid off in the 57th minute when Arshavin reverted to Arsenal form and passed the ball right to a Polish defender.  In the end, Jakub Blaszczykowski ended up smashing an equalizer into the Russian net to make it 1-1.  That score would hold through full time as both teams seemed to come up a little weary toward the end.

The day's results did little to clarify the Group A situation.  Greece's lone point against Poland keeps them alive, and the Poles sit one point behind the Czechs, 2 vs 3.  Russia still tops the group on four, but they are not through yet.  That means both of Saturday's games will figure into the group scenario.

Euro 2012: Ukraine vs. Sweden

Ukraine's Andriy Shevchenko celebrates his first goal of the match (Getty Images)

The last two sides to open up play in Euro 2012 were co-hosts Ukraine and Sweden.  The battle of yellow and blue started off slowly, but by the end of the evening in Kiev, a European legend would turn back the clock and give everyone, not just the home supporters, what was sure to be one of the defining memories of the tournament.

Neither of these sides were on any pundit's list to win this year, and the first half seemed to leave a lot to be desired.  For awhile it seemed like they were destined to replicate the lackluster showing put forth by France and England.  The first clean cut chance of the match fell to the Ukraine on 23 minutes when Andriy Shevchenko took a ball from Andriy Yarmolenko and seemed poised to put a shot on target.  However the angle was too tough and the Ukrainian captain drug his shot across the six.

The Swedes did get a couple of chances of their own in the first half, especially as the match started to pick up late.  The best chance came in minute 39 through AC Milan's Ztalan Ibrahimovic.  The big forward took a cross from Rasmus Elm after a throw in but only managed to head it off the post.  The teams finished the half still at 0-0 with the Ukraine looking more likely to open the scoring.

That wasn't the case though as the Swedes were first to break through in the 53rd minute.  The Ukrainians missed a chance to clear a cross from Sebastian Larsson and Kim Kallstrom passed it over to an onrushing Ibra.  The Milan man didn't miss the tap in, and the score was 0-1 to Sweden.

It was just a few minutes later that Shevchenko, the Ukranian captain and European legend rose to the occasion.  In the 56th minute he dove in, just like a superhero, and headed in the equalizing goal to send the home crowd into a frenzy.  Then in the 62nd minute he drove home the final goal of the match.  Oleg Gusev sent in a corner and Shevchenko, formerly of Chelsea among other clubs, rose above the towering Swedes to head home what would be a legendary winning goal, 2-1.

Sweden did have a good chance late though, and perhaps should have equalized.  In the 89th minute Johan Elmander took a flick from Ibra and found himself 1v1 with the Ukrainian keeper.  Unfortunately for Sweden, he volleyed the ball over the crossbar as they watched their hope for a point sail into the stands. 

The fairytale win for Ukraine, whom nobody expected to do anything, puts them top of the group after the England/France draw.  They get the French next, while the English will be licking their chops for a chance to get at a Sweden side that was largely underwhelming.

MLS Suspends, Fines Jon Busch

My personal favorite Jon Busch moment (Screengrab: Justin Johnson)

More news from your friendly neighborhood MLS Disciplinary Committee.  It seems that Sideshow Lenhart has rubbed off on 'keeper Jon Busch.  He's been suspended for 1 match and fined for "aggressively retrieving a ball" in the final minutes of their match against Sporting KC a couple of weeks back.  MLS didn't provide any video of the incident but accounts that are being posted on the site accuse Busch of aggressively taking a ball from a ball boy as the Quakes pushed for a last minute equalizer.  One comment even accused him of slapping the ball boy.  I didn't see it, so I don't know.

Anyway, above is a photo of Busch losing his mind at Rio Tinto last year.  Fun times.

Busch will miss the Quakes tilt at Colorado on June 20.

Chelsea Appoint Di Matteo Permanently

Roberto Di Matteo holds the European Cup at Chelsea's Victory Parade

The speculation is now over.  Today Chelsea FC announced that they have hired "Interim Manager" Roberto Di Matteo on a permanent basis with a two year contract.  Di Matteo took over from Andre Villas Boas midway through last season.  He couldn't rescue a top four spot for Chelsea in the Premier League, but he did win not only the FA Cup, but the UEFA Champions League as well.  Champions League had been the white whale for Roman Abramovich ever since he took over ownership of the Blues.

Despite Di Matteo's success, rumblings through the summer had suggested that he still hadn't secured the job, despite clinching the European Cup.  Even former England manager Fabio Capello's name was kicked around.  However, the wondering is now over with the club's official announcement today.

As a Chelsea supporter, I think it's a good move.  Good luck to him and the boys for a good season next year!

Euro 2012: France vs. England

England's James Milner reacts after missing a chance against France.  (Getty Images)

This is likely to be one of my shortest match reviews on this blog.  Even as an England fan, I'll say this match sucked.  However, I'm sure the Three Lions will probably be happier to come away with just the single point than France will.

The first shot of the match didn't come until the 11th minute from France's Samir Nasri.  The effort itself was nothing but speculative though and sailed harmlessly off target.  England should have taken the lead four minutes later as James Milner sprung loose to get 1v1 with the French 'keeper, but somehow he managed to find side netting instead of the actual target.

Nothing else happened until the 30th minute when England got on the board.  Captain Steven Gerrard sent a free kick into the box and Man City defender Jolleon Lescott eased it off his head and into the goal to make it 0-1 to England.  The lead lasted less than ten minutes though.  In the 39th Nasri sent in a shot that just managed to sneak into the near post to equalize the match at 1-1.  Joe Hart probably should have done better.

That was it for the first half and pretty much for the game as both sides seemed to sit back and be satisfied with the draw.  In the 64th minute Karim Benzema forced a rather meek save out of Hart to account for France's best chance.  The best look of the half for England was even worse.  In the 66th minute Glen Johnson fired a shot over the bar that ended up in row ZZZ.  That was all she wrote and the match finished 1-1.

For my money, it was the worst match of tournament so far.

Euro 2012: Ireland vs. Croatia

Croatia's Darijo Srna wins a header over Ireland's Aiden McGeady (Reuters)

The Irish brought over 30,000 supporters to Euro 2012, and they came to witness the first Irish involvement in a major tournament in 20 years.  Their last appearance was at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.  Their fans made their presence known, but unfortunately for the green faithful, the team's showing ended up being lacking.

The supporters, whether wearing green or the blue/red and white checkers of Croatia had hardly settled into their seats when the Croats opened the scoring.  They sent in a corner kick on three minutes that the vaunted Irish defense failed to clear.  Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic eventually got his head on it and put it in the net while the defense ball watched.  It was 0-1 to Croatia.

Ireland responded pretty well and their best spell of the match came in the next 10-15 minutes after the opening goal.  In the 7th minute Damien Duff tried a shot and missed, announcing Ireland's intentions.  In the 19th minute Sean St. Ledger got his head to a free kick from Aiden McGeady and scored the equalizer for Ireland, the match proceeded at 1-1.

However Croatia took control of the match pretty much from that point on.  In the 22nd minute Ivan Perisic sent in a blistering volley to the Ireland goal but it was well saved by Shay Given.  They managed to take the lead again right before halftime. In the 43rd minute the ball ended up ping-ponging around the Ireland penalty area after a free kick.  Everton's Nikica Jelavic came away with the ball and smashed it past Given to give Croatia the 1-2 lead going into the break.

The Croats threw the knockout punch shortly after halftime.  In the 48th minute they managed to get yet another ball into Mandzukic.  The result was the same as the third minute as the big forward rose to head the ball once again into the goal to give Croatia 1-3 lead.

The Irish never really threatened the Croatian goal in the second half.  They tried long ball after long ball, but not much came of it.  They probably should have had a penalty though.  In the 62nd minute Croatian defender Gordon Schildenfeld went through Robbie Keane's back and put him down in the 18.  However, the referee wasn't interested.  The Irish were denied the shot to get back in the match from the spot and Croatia pretty much coasted through the last 30 minutes to secure the 1-3 win, putting themselves at the top of Group C.

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend: Lionel Messi's Third Vs. Brazil

No, it's not from the Euros, but it's from Messi, and it's pretty awesome.

Montreal's Ricketts Injured On International Duty

Possible some bad news on the MLS injury front for the Montreal Impact.  Their number one goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts was stretchered off the field in the 17th minute of Jamaica's win over Guatemala in World Cup Qualifying.  He apparently took a knock to the lower body.

Montreal manager Jesse Marsch has said that Ricketts experienced some pain in the top of his knee, and he expects the move was just a precaution.  He's expected to return to Montreal late Thursday night where the Impact medical staff will judge him for fitness for this weekend's MLS match.  Stay tuned to the MLS official site for developments.

Montreal will host Seattle Sounders at 7:30 Eastern Time on Saturday.  It will be the grand reopening of their home ground, Stade Saputo.

Euro 2012: Spain vs Italy

Antonio Di Natale scores Italy's goal in the second half (AP Images)

Sunday afternoon saw the defending Euro champions take the stage in Gdansk as Spain took to the pitch against Italy.  These two teams had also won the last two FIFA World Cups: Italy in 2006 and Spain in 2010.  However, nobody gave the Italians much of a chance in the shadow of their match-fixing scandal, but they put on a pretty decent show in the face of a slightly underwhelming Spain performance.

Spain came out in what announcer Ian Darke labeled a "false number 9" formation, featuring a 4-3-3 type with no actual strikers.  They had some success with this formation in the qualifiers, but it didn't seem to phase the Italians.  The Spaniards had a tough time getting good lucks at goal without a focal point up top. Manchester City man David Silva had the first two looks, sending a drive over the bar in the 9th minute and forcing a save out of Gianluigi Buffon in the 11th.

However Italy got more possession than you might expect an opponent to get against Spain, especially in the first half.  In the 22nd minute Antonio Cassano drug a shot across the face of goal that went just wide of Iker Casillas' far post.  Then in the 36th minute Claudio Marchisio sent in an absolutely blistering volley that would have given the Italians the lead, but he hit it right at the Spanish 'keeper.

The goals didn't come until the second half.  In the 56th minute Italy subbed Antonio Di Natale of Udinese for Mario Balotelli.  Balotelli had just royally mismanaged a look right in front of the Spanish goal, and the Italians had seen enough.  However Di Natale paid immediate dividends.  In the 60th minute Andrea Pirlo played him into the area and Di Natale scorched a shot past Casillas into the far end of the goal to give Italy the 1-0 lead.

Spain didn't panic though, and just 4 minutes later they showed exactly what their players were capable of in the "false number 9" formation.  David Silva slid a gorgeous little pass to Cesc Fabregas and the Bareclona man powered his strike past Buffon to tie the match at 1-1.  

After that Spain finally inserted a striker to try and force a winner against the fatigued Italian defense.  Unfortunately that striker was Fernando Torres, and he did not do well.  Actually, he looked pretty sharp on the ball, but one could tell his confidence in goal is not totally back yet.  His best chance came in the 85th minute.  He and Xavi did a nice little 1-2 that resulted in a great look, but Torres' chip shot not only floated over Buffon, but over the crossbar to consign the defending champs to the 1-1 draw at full time.

Euro2012: Germany vs. Portugal

Germany's Mario Gomez heads home the game winner (AP Images)

Euro2012's Group of Death continued Saturday night with Germany vs. Portugal.  With Denmark actually picking up three points earlier in the day vs. the Netherlands, it's likely that both of these teams knew they needed the full three points to keep pace in the group.  The Germans had the added pressure of being one of the favorites to win the whole thing.

Shades of Chelsea and the Champions League final began to emerge for the Germans, many of whom play for Bayern Munich.  Portugal played a pretty thorough defensive game for most of the match and frustrated Germany in front of goal.  Mario Gomez earned his first chance of the match on 2 minutes, as he headed a cross from Jerome Boateng on target, but Portugal 'keeper Rui Patricio made the save rather comfortably.  In the 9th minute Lucas Podolski tried his luck from just outside the area, but again Patricio was up to the task.

As for Portugal, they did enjoy a decent bit of the ball in the first half, but as usual, they seemed to struggle putting all of their individual talent together to carve out good chances on goal.  Their best chance of the first half came right on the 45th minute when Pepe managed to head a corner into the crossbar.  The ball bounced right back down on the line but the German defense was able to clear before it crossed, sending the two teams into halftime still scoreless.

The second half proceeded along much the same lines as the first, but Portugal did try to attack a bit more.  Cristiano Ronaldo sent a shot wide of the target in the 49th minute, then he had another chance in the 65th minute, being set up by a nice cross from Coentrao, but Boateng just got his foot in at the last second to block the shot.

Germany finally broke through the deadlock in the in 72nd minute.  With his manager prepared to sub him out, Gomez finally won his redemption.  Sami Khedira sent a nice cross into the middle of the box and Gomez rose to head it home brilliantly and give Germany the 1-0 lead.

At the point Portugal didn't really fancy their chances of advancement if they came away with nothing, so they started to pile on the pressure.  The last 10 minutes produced a flurry of chances.  In the 82nd minute, Ronaldo drove a shot in on goal that Manuel Neuer was able to parry away.  This resulted in a couple of corners that Germany managed to clear.  Then in the 84th minute Nani hit a cross/shot that again clanged off the crossbar.  Finally in the 88th minute Varela had a point blank look at Neuer's far post, but somehow the German 'keeper managed to dive in and save it just in time to preserve the 1-0 win for Germany.

NOTE:  In more bad fan behavior news, Germany has been cited for the fact that their fans tossed grapefruit sized wads of paper at the Portugal players. Those of us who have had our teams play in some Latin American countries think, "Well, at least it wasn't bottles of urine."  Portugal was also cited for delaying the 2nd half kick.

Euro 2012: The Netherlands vs. Denmark

Denmark's Michael Krohn-Dehli celebrates the game's only goal (Getty Images)

You wouldn't know it from seeing the end result of this match, but the Netherlands bulldozed most of their opponents in qualifying.  They featured the leading scorers from two of the world's top leagues. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar led the German Bundesliga, and of course Robin Van Persie led the Barclay's Premier League.  In the end, none of the Dutch big guns could break down Denmark.

Holland came out on the attack immediately, as predicted.  Netherlands youngster and PSV Eindhoven man Jetro Willems fired the first salvo of the match on three minutes, but saw his shot sail over the bar.  Van Persie also had a few chances early, one of the best coming in minute seven after a cross from Arjen Robben, but the Arsenal captain dismally put it wide.  Barcelona's Ibrahim Allefay also caused Denmark problems, but couldn't find the target either.

Despite the Dutch bombardment, the Danes were undeterred and pressed forward when they did get their chances on the ball.  In the 24th minute Simon Poulsen had his cross blocked, but it fell to Michael Krohn-Dehli, who expertly slipped the ball between the legs of the Dutch 'keeper to make it 0-1 to Denmark.

Holland continued to mount an assault in the second half.  Early on Van Persie had a great look in front of the Denmark goal, but tripped over his own feet as he tried to shoot.  Shortly after that chance Mark Van Bommel drove a strike in on target, but Danish 'keeper Stephan Andersen made a great save. 

Denmark wasn't done attacking either, and they managed to carve out a couple more chances on the counter.  In the 70th minute Krohn-Dehli managed another effort on target, but this time his shot was saved to keep the match at 0-1.

The Netherlands had one last good chance to equalize in the 89th minute, or at least thought they should have.  Denmark defender Lars Jacobsen appeared to handle a shot from Huntelaar, but the referee waived away the Dutch appeals for a penalty kick and the match finished 0-1 to the Danes.   The group of death became a lot worse for the favored Netherlands.

Euro 2012: Russia vs. Czech Republic

Russia's Alan Dzagoyev celebrates his first of two goals on Friday (AP Images)

The second game of Euro 2012 took place in Wroclaw, Poland, and had a lot to live up to after the dramatics of the first match.  In the end it really didn't have the drama, but it certainly provided the goals. The Czech's porous defense hung Petr Cech out to dry as the Russians ran rampant at full time.

It was actually the Czechs who settled first in the match, having some possession and making it difficult for the Russians to make anything out of it when they had the ball.  However, the men in red finally broke through on 15 minutes.  Alexander Kerzhakov headed a cross into the post and Alan Dzagoyev stepped up and smacked the ball into the net to give Russia a 1-0 lead.  It wasn't the end of the first half nightmare for the Czechs either.  They gave up the ball to Andrei Arshavin in the 24th minute.  The Arsenal man shuttled a pass through Kerzhakov and on to Roman Shirokov, who calmly chipped the ball over the Chelsea 'keeper to make it 2-0 to the Russians, which held into halftime.

The Czechs did make interesting for a little bit in the second half.   In the 52nd minute they managed to cut the lead in half.  Jaroslav Plasil sent in a gorgeous ball to Vaclav Pilar that opened up the Russian defense.  Pilar easily worked the ball around the Russian 'keeper and slipped the ball into the goal to make it 2-1.  After that the Czech side really got their act together, but couldn't find the equalizer.

The Russians finally finished the match off late on.  In the 78th minute Roman Pavlyuchenko grabbed a loose ball and passed over to Dzagoyev, who calmly finished off his second goal of the match to make it 3-1.  Pavlyuchenko himself would put the final nail in the coffin as he blasted a shot into the top of the goal on 82 minutes to make it 4-1 at full time.

Unfortunately, the match itself ended up being overshadowed by unruly fan behavior and alleged racism.  It just doesn't look like the tournament is going to be able to shake this.  First off, Russian fans were filmed fighting with and beating on Polish stadium staff after the match.  As a result, 4 members of the stadium staff were hospitalized, according to Bloomberg News.  Also, UEFA monitors at the match reported that Russian fans racially abused Czech defender Theodor Gebre Selassie, who is black.  UEFA has already charged the Russian soccer association with the beatings of the stadium staff, and they are seeking more evidence on the racism claim.  Apparently the fight started when the stadium staff tried to confront Russian fans who were using fireworks.  Punishments may range from fines to expulsion form UEFA competitions for repeated offenses.

Euro 2012: Poland vs. Greece

Poland backup 'keeper Przemyslaw Tyton saves a PK (AP Photo)

Turns out there was a little bit of everything in the opening match to Euro 2012.  Poland hosted Greece at the Polish national stadium in Warsaw, and both sets of fans had reason to walk away from the match disappointed, but also feeling very fortunate.

Both sides took the pitch to a Thunderous atmosphere after the opening ceremonies, but it was Poland who took charge of the actual football in the first half.   In the 5th minute Rafal Murawski got everyone's attention with a strike on target that the Greek 'keeper managed to tip over the bar.  For the most part the Poles kept applying the pressure in the Greek defensive third and it paid off in the 17th minute.  Jakub Blaszczykowski sent in a cross that found the head of Robert Lewandowski.  The Dortmund connection paid off for Poland as Lewandowski easily headed it into the net to make it 1-0.

There would be other chances for Poland in the first half as well.  Most notably Damien Perquis ended up with what pretty much was a sitter shot in the 37th minute.  Unfortunately for the cohost nation, he somehow put it wide.

However in the minutes leading up to the break, the Spanish referee inserted himself squarely into the match.  In the 44th minute he hit Greece's Sokratis Papastathopoulos with a very soft 2nd yellow card, putting Greece down to ten men.  His first yellow card was very questionable as well, but still Sokratis got an early shower.  Then in the first minute of stoppage time, a Poland defender clearly handled the ball while on the ground in the box.  The Greeks shrieked for a penalty, but none was given and the half ended 1-0 to Poland.

Greece came out totally different in the 2nd half.  There really was nowhere to go but up for them, and up they went.  In the 51st minute Vasilis Torosidis sent a cross into the six, and Poland 'keeper Wojciech Szczesny tried to claim it.  The Arsenal man totally bungled it, and Demitrios Salpingdis was there to slam the ball into the empty net to tie the match at 1-1.

It was not the last error Szczesny would make either.  In the 69th minute he brought down Salpingdis in the box.  He not only conceded the PK but earned himself the red card as well, evening up the sides on 10 men. That one was definitely the correct call.  Backup 'keeper Przemyslaw Tyton stretched and came on to face the penalty.  Giorgos Karagounis took the PK for Greece, but Tyton guessed correctly and dove to his left to make the save.  It wasn't the best PK in the world, but the 'keeper still had to save it.  There will probably be some toasts to Tyton throughout Poland tonight.

That save ended up preserving the draw, as neither side really threatened the goal again.  Greece did have a goal called back for offside, but it was the correct decision as well.  In the final minutes both teams seemed tired from playing with 10 men for an extended stretch and both settled for the 1-1 draw at full time.  Both teams probably could have won, but they'll each walk away with a point which keeps them square in the thick of things after day 1 at Euro 2012.

Aron Winter Out at TFC

Aron Winter has been relieved of coaching duties at Toronto FC

People have been waiting for the axe to fall at Toronto FC for a few weeks now.  The Reds got off to the worst start in MLS history, losing their first nine matches.  Somewhat curiously, the aforementioned axe did not fall until TFC won the Canadian Championship and earned their first MLS win over Philadelphia. 

Today that day finally came though as TFC announced that they were parting ways with manager Aron Winter.  Winter is a former Dutch International who came to TFC in January 2011, promising to implement  the Dutch "total football" style and lead the team to the promised land of the MLS Playoffs.  Neither happened.  In a year and half at the club, Winter won only 7 league matches.  The high point of his tenure was reaching the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League this year, where the Reds were dispatched at the hands of Mexican side Santos Laguna.  According to ownership, Winter was offered a different role with the club, but declined.

TFC has named Director of Player Development Paul Mariner as manager.  Mariner has an impressive footballing pedigree.  He's a former England International who represented the Three Lions in both the European Championships and the FIFA World Cup.  He also spent time with Arsenal during his playing days.  As far as coaching goes, he was an assistant to Steve Nichol in New England and also managed English side Plymouth Argyle in the League Championship before taking the development job at TFC in 2011.  His first match in charge will be at Sporting Kansas City on June 16.

Puddle's Goal of the Midweek: Osvaldo Alonso vs. Cal FC

I'm not sure a better goal will be scored in the US Open Cup this year. Check out Ossie Alonso's strike vs. Cal FC. It's the obvious goal of the tournament so far.

Edson Buddle Set to Miss Up to 6 Weeks

Bad news on the injury front for the LA Galaxy.  It seems that the horrible year for the defending MLS Cup champs just keeps getting worse.  They reacquired Edson Buddle before the season after he was released from his German side.  It's been a tough year, as he's only scored 2 goals. 

He missed the Galaxy's US Open Cup loss to the Carloina Railhawks despite making the trip.  Yesterday the Galaxy announced that Buddle will miss the next 3-6 weeks after having knee surgery.  Oops.  They are know without both Buddle and Robbie Keane at least until Ireland is eliminated from Euro 2012.  Plus it honestly doesn't seem like the Ireland Captain is that enamored with MLS in the first place, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him exit in the summer transfer window.

I'm not a Galaxy fan in the slightest, but the Puddle wishes Buddle a speedy recovery.  He is a very good player, and the league is at it's best when the best players are on the pitch.  On a side note, Galaxy midfielder Dan Keat (who?) will also miss up to six weeks with a knee injury.

US Open Cup 4th Round Review

Last night wasn't quite as bad for MLS teams in the US Open Cup.  After all, DC and Colorado lost to other MLS sides.  However, there was at least one major disappointment for the MLS faithful to swallow as well.

That disappointment was the New York Red Bulls.  They lost 3-1 to the Harrisburg City Islanders in extra time.  The Islanders are known for giant killing in this tourney, but that's not likely to console the Red Bulls.  With the match knotted at 1-1 in the 4th minute of extra time, former Red Bull Sainey Touray lobbed a shot in over Ryan Meara to make it 2-1.  After the Red Bulls were incorrectly denied a PK for a handball, Lucky Mkosana fired home the final nail in the coffin in the 112th minute to make the final 3-1.

Handball in the box also played a significant roll in Chivas USA's 1-2 at the Carolina Railhawks.  Carolina had just taken down the Galaxy in the last round, but couldn't pull off the double over the LA teams.  Juan Pablo Angel hit a penalty kick in second half stoppage time after a Railhawk's defender handled in the box to give the Goats the win.

As mentioned earlier, there were two matches that took place between MLS sides.  Philadelphia needed extra time to overcome DC United 1-2 at DC.  At Livestrong Sporting Park, Sporting Kansas City shut down the Colorado Rapids en route to a 2-0 win.

The most interesting match of the night was supposed to be Seattle Sounders vs Cal FC at Seattle's Starfire Sports complex.  Amateur side Cal FC, coached by former US Soccer great Eric Wynalda, pulled off the upset in round 3 against Portland, but Seattle was just too big of an ask.  Despite being held scoreless in the first half, the Sounders poured on five in the second, two by Fredy Montero, to make it 5-0 at full time.

The evening's slate was rounded out in San Jose where the Earthquakes were pitted against Minnesota Stars FC, who took down Real Salt Lake last week at Rio Tinto Stadium.  Minnesota couldn't pull off the upset for the second straight week, as a goal from Steven Lenhart propelled San Jose to the 1-0 win.

Two other matches were held without MLS sides.  The Dayton Dutch Lions beat the Michigan Bucks 2-1 and the Charlotte Eagles took down NASL's San Antonio Scorpions 2-1 in extra time.

EPL: Liverpool and Aston Villa Name New Managers

Liverpool named Swansea Boss Brenden Rodgers as their new manager

Late last week two of the bigger questions in the EPL offseason were answered.  Who would take over the helm at both Liverpool and Aston Villa?  Liverpool sacked King Kenny after spending a ton of money and only getting the League Cup to show for it.  Aston Villa sacked Alex McLeish for sucking so bad that the club was nearly relegated.  Interestingly enough, both clubs went with younger managers who had brought their respective former teams up to the Premier League the year before.

First in line Liverpool announced on Friday that Swansea City boss Brenden Rodgers had been selected as their new man.  Rodgers led newly promoted Swansea City to an 11th place finish on 47 points.  His side was credited with playing some of the most attractive football in the Premier League.  The 39 year old has previously managed Watford and Reading as well.  He also worked under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.

Swansea will not come away empty handed though.  Liverpool will compensate them for the fact that Rodgers was still under contract.  According to Swansea the two teams also agreed that Rodgers would not attempt to sign any Swansea players for 12 months.  Liverpool has yet to confirm this however.

Aston Villa announced their new manager over the weekend as well, though with considerably less fanfare and more controversy.  They appointed Norwich City manager Paul Lambert as their new boss.  This did not make Norwich very happy.  Supposedly Lambert tendered his resignation to Norwich last Tuesday, but the Canaries did not accept it.  There hasn't been much word on other details.

Lambert led Norwich to a 12th place finish last year, also on 47 points.  His managerial experience includes Livingston, Wycombe, and Colchester before leading the Canaries up through the ranks.  Villa was also criticized for prying McLeish loose from Birmingham City last year, so it will be interesting to see how this newest experiment works out.  Personally, I think Villa needs more than a new manager.

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend: Danny Welbeck vs, Belgium

Not a ton of goals to be seen out there this weekend, but check out Danny Welbeck's silky smooth finish vs Belgium that ultimately led to the 1-0 win for the Three Lions

USA Settles For Uninspiring Draw vs Canada

Herculez Gomez & Kevin McKenna fight for the ball.  (Getty Images)

So fans of US Soccer were wondering which US team would show up tonight, the team that handled Scotland 5-1 or the team that looked brutally bad in the loss to Brazil?  In the end, it wasn't quite either.  While the US side didn't have total defensive meltdown that they did against Brazil, they didn't have any of the attacking creativity that they showed against Scotland either.  The final result was a goalless draw in Toronto that Canada should have won.

It was an exciting night to start for the USA.  Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey were starting together for the first time since Jurgen Klinsmann took over, and hopes were high for some decent offensive output from the two best Americans on the pitch.  It really didn't come off though.

The Canadians were more than happy to let the USA come out and play kickball.  Klinsmann's boys spent a good portion of the first 45 minutes kicking the ball around the edge of their offensive third, but really couldn't get much traction against a very organized and determined Canadian defense.  The lone real highlight of the first half, as far as the Americans were concerned, came in the 15th minute when Fabian Castillo lobbed in volley from 35+ yards.  It looked like it might creep under the bar, but Canadian 'keeper Lars Hirschfeld tracked back and tipped it over for a corner.

Canada really should have had a lead going into halftime though.  In the 34th minute Dwayne De Rosario got the ball to Nik Ledgerwood on the USA left flank.  Ledgerwood smacked the ball into the goal to seemingly give the home side the 1-0 lead, however the linesman raised his flag for seemingly invisible foul and the goal was disallowed.  DeRo told Kyle Martino that he asked the linesman about it at halftime, but the linesman could not tell him who the foul was on or the circumstances.

Things really didn't get any better for the Americans in the second half.  In fact Canada spent a lot of time on the front foot.  They peppered Tim Howard with shots, but nothing really troubled the Everton 'keeper.  The match had 0-0 draw written all over it.

Both teams took a shot late on though.  In the first minute of stoppage time DeRo sent a nice centering pass into the six yard box.  Simeon Jackson got to it, but somehow poked it wide of the near post, leaving the Canadian fans in agony.  Then the USA nearly stole it in the final minute of stoppage time.  Michael Bradley sent a ball into the box and it found the head of Clarence Goodson, who put the shot on target.  Fortunately for Canada Hirschfeld jumped up and made a great save, preserving the draw on the Centennial Celebration of the Canadian Soccer Association.

Both teams will play World Cup qualifiers later in the week.  On Friday Canada will play at Cuba and the US will host Antigua and Barbuda in Tampa, FL.

Galaxy and the Union Feel the Sting of MLS Suspensions

The MLS disciplinary returned from their memorial day vacation today and dropped the hammer on players from the LA Galaxy and Philadelphia Union.  The Houston vs. LA match featured two incidents, and the TFC vs. Philly game featured another.

The biggest news comes out of the LA matchup.  Galaxy midfielder Michael Stephens was suspended 1 game for his challenge of Houston's Adam Moffat in the 46th minute.  This comes under the "endangering the safety of his opponent" heading.  Forward/wannabe 'keeper Mike Magee was also suspended 1 game for something new called "aggravated dissent."  This includes throwing a ball in the general direction of the referee in the 92nd minute.  FC Dallas fans are probably wondering if Magee would have gotten 3 games had he hit the ref.  I'm wondering, since we can suspend guys for "aggravated dissent," can we suspend David Beckham for "aggravating dissent?"  Both players were fined the obligatory undisclosed amount.

There was more bad news for the Union as well.  Not only did they actually lose to TFC, but forward Lionard Pajoy was suspended for 1 game and fined as well.  His suspension arises from the cleaning out of TFC's Joao Plata in the 29th minute.  This is pretty bad for the Union as Pajoy has been one of the only players who really looks capable of scoring goals.