Match Thoughts: Crew Deal Gut-Punch to Union Hopes

Eddie Gaven celebrates his match winning goal. (Getty Images)

The Philadelphia Union were in dire need of three points at home in this one to keep their flagging playoff hopes alive.  Last Friday they had failed to capitalize on an RSL team weary from Champions League battles, and this week they faced a surging Columbus Crew side, who have playoff designs of their own.

The match had a rather cagey opening to it as both sides had reason to be a bit nervy.  As mentioned earlier, the Union were in need of the points, and were winless in their last five.  The Crew were minus starting goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum and were fielding rookie Michael Lampson in place of him.  The Union failed to test the youngster early, as he was more than able to survive a couple of half chances from the Philly attack.

That all changed in the 29th minute though.  Chris Birchall had dragged down Michael Farfan about thirty yards from goal, setting up a direct free kick in a dangerous spot.  Carlos Valdes stepped up for the Union and took the kick, which bounced off of two Columbus players before trickling past a helpless Lampson into the bottom corner to make it 1-0 to the Union.

The goal really didn't seem to stun the Crew much.  They began immediately chipping away at the Union defenses in search of an equalizer.  The Union were the next to concede a dangerous set piece chance, and the Crew made them pay.  Frederico Higuain sent his free kick in toward the six, where it met Josh Williams.  The Crew defender headed into goal to knot the match at 1-1 in the 41st minute.

The second half started as blandly as the first did, but things got rather spicy in the 68th minute.  The referee blew his whistle after a clearance and ran back into the Crew attacking third to confer with his assistant, who had witnessed an off the ball scuffle between Josh Williams and the Union's Antoine Hoppenot.  There really weren't any good replays available, as the camera had followed the ball up the pitch.  However, apparently Williams had at least shoved Hoppenot.  Williams was given a straight red card and Hoppenot was shown a yellow.  This put the Crew down to 10 men with just over 20 minutes to go and had the Union licking their chops.

Philly then pushed forward and put Lampson's goal under heavy bombardment.  The young keeper was up to the task, though he did give up a couple of scary rebounds.  He made the biggest stop of the match on 80 minutes against Gabe Farfan, who looked sure to give the Union the lead right near the goal line.

Unfortunately for the Union, they were so busy keeping up the pressure at the offensive end that they left their back door pretty much unguarded.  You can't really blame them, a draw would would have done them absolutely no good, but it created a brutal way to lose.  The Crew went on a counter attack right at the death in stoppage time.  Higuain again pulled the strings, before getting the ball to Justin Meram in the area, who smartly dished over to Eddie Gaven who slotted the ball home to give the Crew the 1-2 win.

The 3 points for the Crew ties them on 39 points with the Montreal Impact.  Both clubs sit two points behind the Chicago Fire and DC United for the 4th and 5th  playoff spots, respectively.  This makes the match between Spurs and l'Impact this weekend even more juicy. 

The Union are pretty much toast.  They're stuck on 25 points, 16 back of the last playoff spot and only 4 ahead of TFC for last place.  Yet after this match, they signed Hackworth as a permanent coach while Adu gets nothing but garbage minutes.  If I were a Union supporter, I'd want answers.  This was a playoff team last year.

EPL Dealings: Down to the Wire!

Forget throwball and politics, it's officially transfer deadline day!  Different leagues across Europe wrap up proceedings at different times, but if the business is to be done, it has to be done today!  For the Barclay's Premier League, the window officially closes a little more than 15 hours from the writing of this entry.  Some big moves have already gone down in the last couple of days with promise of more in the next few hours!

                                                       

In one of the big high profile moves of the day, Liverpool striker Andy Carroll has joined West Ham on a season long loan deal.  Reports are also saying that the Irons will have an option to buy at the end of the loan.

Carroll cited the fact that he had worked with West Ham boss Sam Allardyce at Newcastle as a big reason why he wanted to make the switch.  Last year Liverpool paid 35 million pounds for the big striker's services, but it appears the Hammers finally met the loan conditions.  Carroll told West Ham's website that he's just looking forward to playing games and hopefully scoring some big goals for the side.

Elsewhere in London, QPR have confirmed the signing of Inter Milan goalkeeper Julio Cesar.  The deal is still pending international clearance and the visa process, but the Brazilian looks set to begin a four year stint at Loftus Road.  In 7 years between the pipes for Inter, Cesar won the Serie A title five times as well as the UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup.  This is a big addition for Mark Hughes' side.

Elsewhere in England, Swansea City have finally agreed to a fee to sell Scott Sinclair to Manchester City.  The Swans rejected a 6.2 million pound offer on Tuesday, but the new City offer supposedly has possible bonuses taking the price up to around 8 million for the former Chelsea man.  Sinclair is holding talks with City on personal terms.  If this goes through, the Swans are likely to continue in their pursuit to sign Spanish veteran Pablo Hernandez from Valencia

Finally, back in London. Fulham look set to sign up Manchester United man Dimitar Berbatov.  At last reports Berbatov was at Fulham taking a medical.  Fulham had previously sold Moussa Dembele to Spurs earlier this week, and they're still fielding options for Clint Dempsey.

That brings us back to Liverpool, who are trying to land two rather large fish.  As mentioned earlier, rumors have persisted that Anfield is keen to move for US International Dempsey, who has sat out Fulham's opening matches.  However there has been little concrete evidence of the process going forward, so it remains to be seen.  The other rumor for the Reds has to do with Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente.  However, this deal was seen as contingent upon being able to SELL Andy Carroll, so it remains to be seen.

One thing is for sure, by the time my American readers get this in the morning, the landscape will have shifted even more.  Look for a full round-up tonight on the Puddle.

Champions League Draw and Predictions

Today was a day almost like Christmas Eve, or maybe Thanksgiving, for supporters of Europe's big clubs.  UEFA held the Champions League draw, and now we all know which big teams will be squaring off and which minnows are going to get a shot at upsetting someone to make it into the knock out stage.  As usual, the draw was exciting, and gave us a lot to talk about.

First off I'll list the groups, then I'll give my impressions/predictions.

GROUP A--
Porto
Dynamo Kiev
Paris St. Germain
Dinamo Zagreb

GROUP B--
Arsenal
Schalke
Olympiakos
Montpellier

GROUP C--
A.C. Milan
Zenit St. Petersburg
Anderlecht
Malaga

GROUP D--
Real Madrid
Manchester City
Ajax
Borussia Dortmund

GROUP E--
Chelsea FC
Shakhtar Donetsk
Juventus
FC Nordsjaelland

GROUP F--
Bayern Munich
Valencia
Lille
BATE Borisov

GROUP G--
Barcelona
Celtic
Benfica
Spartak Moscow

GROUP H--
Manchester United
Braga
Galatasaray
CFR Cluj

The first thing that jumped out at me, and probably for most soccer watchers is group D, which in this case really is the Group of Death.  That groups contains the Spanish, English, German, and Dutch champions.  Who will come out of that group?  Well, I think Madrid for sure. but the rest is up for grabs.  It's tough to see Ajax making it out, so it's probably between City and Dortmund.  Sure, Dortmund lost Kagawa, but City will be in trouble if they don't have Aguero back.  I'm taking Madrid and Dortmund.

Group A seems pretty forward.  I'll take PSG and Porto, though I think Kiev could be a pitfall.  Group B seems pretty straight up as well.  I'll take Arsenal and Schalke 04, my favorite German side.  For group C, I'll take Milan and Zenit.

Group E is a little more interesting with Italian Champs Juventus and the defending European Champs Chelsea.  I'll take both of those clubs to advance, but both will have to contend with Donetsk, who are always an upset special.

My group F prediction my surprise a few.  Of course I'll take Bayern, but I'll also take Lille.  I've never been sold on Valencia in these competitions.  Borisov has been here before, but I don't see them making noise.

For group G, the obvious pick is Barcelona, but I'm going with Celtic to join them in the knockout stage.  This club is flying the flag for Scottish football this year, I think they've got a ways to carry it yet.

Manchester United can hardly complain about their draw in group H.  Seems like a walk in the Champions League park.  Sir Alex isn't going to sit for another group stage exit, so I'll take the Red Devils and Braga.

I wish these epic matches started right away.

MLS Roundup: Bunbury Out, Toja to Revs, Portland May Have Their Man

Sporting Kansas City Forward Teal Bunbury is out for the season. 

There are three big new items on the minds of MLS watchers early this week.  Unfortunately for Sporting Kansas City, they get the bit of unfortunate news.  Striker and American international Teal Bunbury suffered an ACL tear in the 4th minute of Sporting's draw with NYRB last weekend.  He will undergo surgery on Friday and will miss the remainder of the season and the playoffs. 

The loss is a decent sized blow to Sporting, as Bunbury had been rounding into good form.  He had 5 goals in 22 league matches for SKC, and also had a goal during their run to the US Open Cup Championship.  The Puddle wishes Mr. Bunbury a full and speedy recovery.

In MLS player acquisition news, the New England Revolution have acquired 27 year old former MLS All Star Juan Toja through the allocation process.  Before trying his luck in Europe, the former Colombian youth international had some strong seasons in MLS with FC Dallas, scoring 8 goals in 43 league matches.  Apparently the Revs had been contacted by clubs trying to trade into the spot to get Toja, but they've gone ahead and taken him on.  It will be interesting to see where he fits in with the Revs midfield.

The final news is not yet official, but media outlets in Portland are reporting that the Timbers will announce University of Akron head coach Caleb Porter as their new manager Wednesday morning.  Porter has been at the helm of one of the most successful college programs in recent memory at Akron, but failed to play that success into another level when he failed to guide the US U-23 squad into the London 2012 Olympics.  We'll see how much patience the folks in Portland have, because they were obviously not happy with Gavin Wilkinson:

Photo Credit: Associated Press

EPL Thoughts: Liverpool Gifts City a Point at Anfield

Carlos Tevez celebrates his equalizing goal (Reuters)

Last week Liverpool played poorly in a loss to West Brom at the Hawthorns.    They faced an even tougher test this weekend as they hosted defending champions Manchester City at Anfield in their home opener.  There was much to be excited about for the Liverpool faithful in this one as things looked a lot better on the offensive end.  Unfortunately, two absolute howlers at the back gifted City all they would need to walk away from Merseyside with a point in their pocket.

City started out on the right track as they they probed for weaknesses in Liverpool's back line.  However the Reds did a really nice job of limiting any quality looks at goal for the Champions.  In the 9th minute Aleksandar Kolarov sent a threatening free kick on target, but Pepe Reina was positioned well and was able to easily field the shot in front of net.

However it was only a little bit of good fortune that kept the game level in the 19th minute.  Carlos Tevez squirted free of the defense and sent in a shot/cross along the end line.  Reina took a diving stab at it as did Martin Kelly.  Neither of them could alter the ball as it ended up rolling pretty much right on the goal line toward the far post.  At the end, it struck the post and took an Anfield friendly bounce away from the goal and the Reds breathed a sigh of relief.

Liverpool ended the first half with a bang, quite literally.  In the 34th minute Steven Gerrard sent a good looking corner kick into the City area and Martin Skrtel came flying in from nowhere to meet it.  His bullet header gave Joe Hart no chance before it stabbed into the back of the net to give Liverpool the 1-0 lead going into the interval.  Skrtel celebrated, but he would have a further effect on things in the second half.

The second half started a bit slowly, but turned into a real cracker when it came to life.  Luis Suarez nearly doubled Liverpool's lead in minute 50, but didn't get enough on his shot as his slow ground roller dragged just wide of the far post.  Then in the 63rd the Champions were able to equalize.  Tevez sent an airborne ball across the face of goal, one that Reina should have been able to punch clear rather easily.  However he totally botched it, and the ball went through to Kelly.  The fullback also could have cleared, but it bounced off of his knee and fell to Yaya Toure, who took full advantage for City.  The Ivorian easily tapped the ball into the open goal to equalize at 1-1.

Credit goes to Liverpool for not dwelling on their misfortune though.  They came right back to the other end of the pitch looking to reclaim the lead.  That happened in the 65th minute off the foot of Luis Suarez.  The mercurial striker had difficulty finding the target in the early going, but he sent a gorgeous free kick around the Manchester City wall that beat Joe Hart into the bottom corner to make it 2-1 to the Reds.

Manchester City piled on the pressure though, and there was still plenty of time for Liverpool to suffer from another self-inflicted wound.  In the 80th minute Skrtel sent a lazy rolling back pass in toward Reina from about a third of the way up his defensive half.  The Reds defender seemed blissfully unaware of the presence of Tevez for City, who easily picked off the pass and headed toward the goal.  He juked Reina out of his boots in the 18, and easily slotted home the goal to make it 2-2, which was the score at the full time whistle.

First off for City, it's not good news that they're giving up so many goals.  Defense was a strength of this team last season, and as yesterday's result shows, they can't win every match 3-2, especially with Aguero out injured.  If they can tighten up at the back though, they should be fine.  Tevez seems to be firmly back in the fold, which will help immensely.  

Liverpool is extremely unfortunate to drop points in this one.  Brendan Rodgers said after the match that they should have won.  This is true.  Both City goals were gifts from Liverpool, especially the second one.  You can't just press on and ignore that though.  If the Reds defense can't become more disciplined, there will be more gifted goals in the offing and more dropped points on the horizon.  It was definitely a step in the right direction offensively though.

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend: A Sublime Higuain Free Kick

We're back to MLS this week for our goal of the weekend.  It was a really tough call for me between Frederico Higuain and Freddy Montero.  Both players had absolutely outstanding matches.  In the end I decided to go with this frighteningly good free kick from the Crew's new addition.  A great strike.

What do you think? Will the Crew have a say in the Eastern Conference Playoff race before all is said and done?

Wayne Rooney Out 4 Weeks With Leg Injury

Wayne Rooney suffered an injury late against Fulham (BBC)

Yesterday was a day of both good news and bad news for Manchester United fans.  The good news was that Robin Van Persie picked up his first goal for the Red Devils and they held on to beat Fulham 3-2 at Old Trafford.  The bad news is that Wayne Rooney suffered an absolutely NASTY gash in his right leg and is set to miss significant time.

The incident happened in stoppage time of United's win.  Rooney headed in to face the shot of Fulham's Hugo Rodallega and the Fulham man caught him on the inside of his leg with his studs.  The TV shots picked up the deep wound, which appeared to be bleeding quite badly.  Rooney was stretchered off and taken to hospital in Manchester, where he was still being treated as of Saturday night.

Sir Alex is quoted as saying he believes Rooney will be out at least four weeks,  If this proves to be the case, he will miss some important matches for club and country.  He looks to miss not only United's match at Liverpool in late September, but also the start of United's Champion's League run.  He will also likely miss England's International double header against Moldova and the Ukraine.

I'm not a United fan, but one always wants to see the best players play.  The Puddle wishes Mr. Rooney a full and speedy recovery free from complication and infection.

Mayhem at the HDC: Sounders Put Chivas to the Sword

Fredy Montero scored a hat-trick en route to a 6-2 thrashing of Chivas (Getty Images)

This was a great match to watch if you were either a neutral or a Seattle Sounders fan.  It's like the two sides just tossed the concept of "defense" out the window.  In the end, Seattle was able to capitalize on a majority of their chances as Chivas looked like you couldn't pay them to finish.

It might sound weird if you didn't see the match, but the Goats actually started out the brighter of the two sides.  Miller Bolanos was active in the opening minutes having a shot blocked in the second and forcing Michael Gspurning into his first save in the third minute.  Head coach Robin Fraser had stated that Chivas was going to try to get some more goals, and the first few minutes seemed to bare that out.

However Seattle through a monkey wrench into Fraser's plan in minute ten.  While busy paying attention to Fredy Montero near the top of the area, the Chivas defense lost track of Brad Evans sneaking up the left.  Montero hit him with a great through ball, and Evans slapped a clinical finish past Dan Kennedy to make it 0-1 to the visitors.  The Chivas defense then proceeded to lose Montero for the rest of the night.

Despite the set back, Chivas tried to continue with the more positive style of play and pushed for an equalizer.  Their first really good chance of the match came 15 minutes in when Ante Jazic sent a cross into the Seattle box.  It found the head of Casey Townsend, but the young attacker was not able to direct it on frame as the his header went wide of the mark.

Seattle made Chivas pay for the miss just 12 minutes later.  This time Mauro Rosales was the provider and Montero the goal scorer.  Rosales hit Montero with a nifty through ball of his own, setting up Fredy's easy finish as he made it 0-2 to Seattle without giving Kennedy the slightest chance to stop it.  Montero wasn't done either.  In the 34th minute he got free and took another pass from Rosales, this time opting to chip over the helpless Chivas 'keeper to make it 0-3.

The Goats did have a positive turn of events leading into halftime though.  In the 37th minute Jeff Parke conceded a PK for a handball in the box.  Juan Agudelo stepped up and nailed the spot kick to make it 1-3 going into the interval.

Chivas USA came out well again in the second half and Seattle looked a little lost on defense.    In the 50th minute Agudelo had a great chance with a header, but saw it flash wide of the target.  However in the 64th minute the Goats pulled to within one as Miller Bolanos got loose and rifled a shot past Gspurning to make it 2-3.

The Sounders responded well though.  Just three minutes later Fredy Montero gave the Goats' defense the traffic cone treatment before slapping yet another goal past Dan Kennedy to complete his hat-trick and make it 2-4.

Chivas does deserve some credit for keeping up the fight though.  In the 75th minute it looked like they had again pulled to within one when Jose Correa had his shot saved just on the goal line by Gspurning.  In the scrum that ensued, Chivas poked the ball into the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed as Juan Agudelo was hit with a foul on the play.  Townsend then directed a bullet header on goal in the 77th, but Gspurning was up for it and made the save near the top of the goal.

From then on it was all Seattle, with a little help from the Goats horrid defense.  In the 80th minute Christian Tiffert  found Sammy Ochoa with a cross, and Ochoa steered it into the net to make 2-5.  The humiliation was complete in the first minute of stoppage time as Ante Jazic headed yet another Montero shot into his own net to make it 2-6.  An own goal just seemed to be the fitting cap on a terrible performance for Chivas as the 2-6 score held until the final whistle.

It was a great night for Seattle as their offense fired on all cylinders.  The one mark against them might be the fact that they gave up a lot of chances that a better team than Chivas might finish.  However, they won't care a fuss for that in Seattle tonight, as the blowout result takes them beyond Real Salt Lake on goal difference into second place.  It was a superior performance, and one really can't argue that they don't deserve it.

EPL Dealings: Chelsea Secure Spanish Defender, Irons Sign Jarvis

Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta has signed with Chelsea.  (Chelsea FC)

Things are heating up across Europe as the summer transfer window winds into it's final days.  In England, clubs are scurrying to take this last chance to better their squads during this calendar year. Today two fairly big name signings came in for a couple of London clubs.

First off, Chelsea FC have acquired the services of Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta from Marseille.   The 22 year old right back started Marseille's first two Ligue 1 matches, but today has sealed his move to Stamford Bridge.  He's represented Spain at the youth level and competed at the London Olympics this summer.  He made 69 appearances in two years in France.

The deal is rumored to be in the neighborhood of 7 million pounds.

Matt Jarvis has signed with West Ham (metro.co.uk)

A name that is likely to be more familiar to watchers of the Barclay's Premier League is Matt Jarvis.  The England winger and Wolves mainstay has finally made his move to West Ham United.  The Irons have been chasing Jarvis for awhile, and the recently relegated Wolves had rejected at least two prior bids from the club.  The deal that finally went through is rumored to be worth around £10.75million.

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has praised Jarvis as "one of the best final third crossers in the Premier League," and in my opinion, he's not too far off.  Jarvis himself is quoted as saying:

 "I'll be playing with some fantastic players and it'll be great to get into training and I'm looking forward to playing with them. Hopefully I will add a bit of pace, crossing and deliveries that will provide some assists."

"It'll be straight in and hit the ground running. There's no time to think about it, you've just got to get on with it, which is good. I hope to train with the team today and then travel up to Swansea."

Jarvis joins the club on a 5 year deal.  The Irons won their first match of the new EPL campaign beating Aston Villa 1-0 last weekend.

UCL Report: Helsingborg vs Celtic

American International Alejandro Bedoya takes a shot (Getty Images)

This is going to be an interesting season for Celtic.  Their eternal Old Firm rivals, Rangers, have been sent tumbling down the Scottish football ladder after their financial crisis, leaving everyone who's anyone to predict that Celtic will have the SPL wrapped up early and easily.  This leaves them free, for the moment, to concentrate on getting into the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.  Not only do they want to fly the Scottish flag in Europe's premier club tournament, but the huge money they'd get just for qualifying for the group stage would go along way toward solving their own financial woes.

Coming into qualifying play on Tuesday, Celtic sat one step away from their group stage dream.  Standing in their way was Heslingborg from Sweden.  The Swedish champs should be of interest to US Soccer watchers as they recently signed former Rangers man and US International Alejandro Bedoya, who featured in this one for the home side.

Celtic took immediate action to help lock up their place among Europe's elite.  In just the second minute of the match Georgios Samaras sent a gorgeous cross to the top of the penalty area at the far post.  Kris Commons was there and met the ball with a picture perfect volley that drilled into the Swedes' goal to make it 0-1.

Unfortunately for the Scottish faithful, that was the lone offensive highlight for Celtic in the first half.  Helsingborg seemingly woke up after conceding the away goal and went into all out attack mode to try and equalize.  Their first big chance came on 16 minutes when Celtic shot stopper Fraser Forster made a nice kick save to keep a shot from Bedoya out of the net.  Then in the 24th minute, a defensive miscue on a counter attack seemed to give May Mahlangu a 1v1 chance at the Cetic goal, but Adam Matthews rushed back and made a nice tackle to end the threat and redeem his mistake.

Celtic looked better in the second half as they continued to nurse their 0-1 lead.  Helsingborg continued to threaten though, as Forster was once again called upon to save a Bedoya header in the 73rd minute.  However, Celtic were able to ice the match after Samaras scored off of a Commons corner in the 75th minute, making the score 0-2, which easily held until the full time whistle.

Perhaps it wasn't Celtic's best game as they looked vulnerable on several occasions.  However the two away goals will give them a nice advantage when they return to Scotland for the second leg of the tie.  That match will be in Glasgow next Wednesday, and it's really hard to see a way back for the Swedes.  Well played to Celtic.

Puddle's Goal of the Midweek: Kyle Beckerman vs. Tauro FC

Yes, I'm gonna put on my homer hat for this one, partially because seeing it live was AMAZING.  My favorite goal from midweek action comes courtesy of Real Salt Lake Captain Kyle Beckerman in the second half of RSL's 2-0 win over Tauro FC in CONCACAF Champions League play.

I couldn't find a video grab of just the goal, so this is the 2 minute highlight package.  Well worth watching anyway, but if you like, FF to about 1:17 to see Captain Kyle's goal.  If you stick with it, you can see the boot to the nether-regions of the Tauro player that got him sent off as well.

RSL Serves CCL Notice With Dominant Win

Alvaro Saborio scores RSL's first goal vs. Tauro FC.  (Reuters)

Real Salt Lake had their backs against the wall last night, there can be no question about that.  After a disappointing loss to Herediano to open CCL play, RSL had to come out of this one with 3 points to have any hope of advancing past the group stage.  It's safe to say they responded rather well.

The first half against Tauro FC was dominated by the Claret and Cobalt, unfortunately it was also punctuated by the type of histrionics that we've come to expect from the Central American sides.  The Tauro players looked for any contact then went down as if shot by a sniper, earning delay after delay.  A nice new wrinkle appeared as well, with the Tauro 'keeper going down every chance he got, forcing even longer delays and making the Rio Tinto fans chant their own suggestion of "get some Midol."

As it turns out, he was ok, and he needed to be as he faced several outstanding efforts from RSL in the first half.  Unfortunately for the 20,000+ at Rio Tinto, he was up to the task.  RSL's play was extremely encouraging though.  They kept the tempo high through much of the first half and really could have gone to the locker room up 2-0 already.

The Panamanian side was forced to abandon their diving ways early in the second half though.  In the 48th minute Paulo Jr. unleashed a brilliant 40 yard run, slipping the Tauro defense.  He slapped a shot on goal, only to have it saved once more.  However, the rebound fell kindly to Alvaro Saborio who blasted the ball into the net to make it 1-0 to RSL.

Captain Kyle Beckerman got the all important insurance goal in the 58th minute as well.  Paulo Jr was again the spark, as he slid a pass to Beckerman near the top of the area.  Kyle hit a low laser into the bottom of the net to make it 2-0.

Unfortunately that would be all the goals that RSL could muster, as Beckerman got himself sent off.  In the 72nd minute he went into a flying tackle studs up and caught a Tauro player in a rather delicate region.  RSL's captain earned a red card and the Tauro man will probably be singing soprano for awhile.  Beckerman was retaliating for a deliberate knee to the face a couple of minutes earlier that went unnoticed by the referee.

The other bad news for RSL is that FB Kenny Mansally suffered a sprained MCL from a dirty studs up tackle by a Tauro player.    The Tauro man was given a yellow on the play, and Mansally will face some time on the sideline.

RSL will face Tauro again on Sept 18 in Panama for their next CCL match.

Alex Song Officially Joins Barcelona

Alex Song has completed his medical and arrival at Barcelona

The exodus from the Emirates continued today as Arsenal midfielder completed his medical evaluation paving the way for his official arrival at Barcelona.  The move is rumored to be worth about £15 millon.

Song is a 24 year old midfielder from Cameroon, who has spent the last seven years in North London.  He has signed a five year deal with the La Liga giants, where he hopes to provide them with a bit more of a physical presence.  I think it's a good move for both player and club.

Song did not play for Arsenal when the Gunners hosted Sunderland this last weekend.  Immediately after the end of the match, which finished scoreless, they announced that they had agreed to terms with Barca for the transfer.  Song appeared in 204 matches for Arsenal, scoring 10 goals in the process.

DC United and Philadelphia Draw Contentious Derby

Dwayne De Rosario looks on after being subbed in stoppage time (Getty Images)

It used to be that the big rivalry for DC United was against the New York (or New York/New Jersey) team.  However, if this match from last night is any indication, the rivalry between United and the Philadelphia Union is getting to a rather, shall we say healthy, stage.

The match was nothing if not contentious and controversial, and it was the Union who jumped out to the early lead.  In the 8th minute Freddy Adu sent a ball in that found Carlos Valdes, whose shot was blocked by DC.  Unfortunately for United the ball fell to an onrushing Brian Carroll for the Union, who popped it into the back of the net to make it 0-1 to the visitors.

DC struck back in the second half after the cards had begun to be dealt.  Sheanon Williams picked up the first yellow of the match for Philly in the 37th, and it would come back to haunt him.  DC got their first goal in the 57th minute, courtesy of a Union own goal.  Branko Boskovic sent in a free kick that got by pretty much everyone except Union defender Amobi Okugo, who accidentally headed it into his own net to tie the match at one.

The controversy really kicked off in the 64th minute when United had a go ahead goal disallowed.  Hamdi Salihi appeared to have scored as he poked the ball past Zac MacMath, but the referee ruled that Salihi interfered with the Union shot stopper.  DC and their crowd weren't at all happy, and replays seemed to suggest that MacMath did not have control of the ball.  Nevertheless, the match continued at 1-1.

However United would have a great chance to cinch up the points late, as the Union conceded a PK in the 86th minute.  DC captain Dwayne De Rosario stepped up to take the spot kick and drilled it into the net to seemingly make it 2-1.  The celebrations were short lived though as referee Mark Geiger rained on their parade once again.  He ruled that both a DC and a Union player had encroached on the PK, so the kick had to be retaken.  This time, the replays and still photos showed Geiger to be correct.  DeRo had to wait as other Union players argued about the kick for several minutes, and finally missed the retake and the score remained 1-1.

The drama was nowhere near done though.  In the confusion around the penalty kick, a fight ensued that saw Boskovic receive a red card and Gabriel Farfan and Roger Torres receive yellow cards for Philly.  Then in the first minute of stoppage time, Emiliano Dudar got DC's second red after a nasty studs up tackle.  Philly was not able to capitalize on the two man advantage though as just a couple of minutes later Williams got his matching orders after a second yellow card.  The match descended into pushing, shoving, and near anarchy as Geiger finally blew the whistle and ended things at 1-1.

The argument going around DC this morning was that the encroachment call is "trifling" and should not have been called by Geiger, basically saying the Salihi's infraction didn't affect anything and should not have been called.  This apparently comes from a USSF clarification on the LOTG.  However, DC clearly had a player in the arc and Philly clearly had a player in the box when DeRo struck the kick.  However FIFA law 14 clearly states that if a player from both teams encroach, the kick must be retaken.  Add to that the fact that Geiger warned the players before hand about encroachment, and there's no surprise that it was called.  In the end, the referee doesn't take the kick, and had DeRo hit the second attempt, this conversation would not be happening.

I doubt that it will make DC United fans feel better though, but the point does put DC back into the playoff places in the east, 1 point ahead of Montreal.

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend: Zoltan Gera vs. Liverpool

Last weekend was the opening day of the Barclay's Premier League, so of course we're headed to England for our goal of the weekend.  Check out Zoltan Gera's outstanding volley for West Brom vs. Liverpool.

EPL Thoughts: West Brom vs. Liverpool

Zoltan Gera (left) celebrates his opening goal against the Reds. (Reuters)

Well, it was only the first game of the new season for Liverpool, but that's not very encouraging when it goes as poorly as this one did.  Certainly West Brom can be a tough place to play, but when you're a club like Liverpool, most folks are gonna figure you for at least a draw.  The Baggies came out and hit Liverpool in the mouth though, out-muscling the Reds, particularly along the back line.  Brendan Rodgers might want to address that issue.

West Brom really came out on the front foot, and it seemed to take Liverpool by surprise a bit.  The Baggies seemed keen on not letting Liverpool get into the new passing strategy that the former Swansea boss wants to implement.  They produced a couple of early chances as well, with Liam Ridgewell coming close with a drive in the 3rd minute and Shane Long missing a chip shot from an angle in the 9th.

After that Liverpool started to settle in some, and some flashes of Rodger's philosophy began to emerge as Liverpool took control of the possession stat.  Unfortunately for the Reds, the ability to finish was nowhere to be seen.    Luis Suarez in particular missed several good looks, though he did force an early save out of West Brom 'keeper Ben Foster in the 16th minute.  Meanwhile Stewart Downing and Fabio Borini were less than inspiring. with the Italian attacker in particular looking very tame and rattled on his Liverpool debut.

West Brom finally took advantage of Liverool's rocky defense and inability to score shortly before halftime.  In the 43rd minute Martin Skrtel looked to head a West Brom corner clear of danger, but it fell right to the Baggies' Zoltan Gera, who smashed a tremendous volley into the top of the net to make it 1-0 going into the interval.

The second half was pretty much the same as the first, for awhile.  However it call came crashing down on Liverpool starting on the hour mark.  Daniel Agger pushed Shane Long over in the penalty area in the 58th minute, not only resulting in a West Brom spot kick, but earning himself a red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity.  Things looked a little brighter a minute later for Liverpool, when Long sent a weak spot kick that was easily saved by Pepe Reina.

However the Reds conceded a second PK just three minutes later as Martin Skrtel clipped Long in the box.  This time Peter Odemwingie took the kick and smashed it into the side of the net to make it 2-0 to the Baggies.

Then the wheels really came off for Liverpool, as the Baggies pretty much dominated the last 20 minutes of the match.  The highlight came in the 77th minute when Chelsea loan product Romelu Lukaku headed home his first of the year for West Brom off of a cross from Liam Ridgewell, wich made the full time score 3-0 at the Hawthornes. 

It was an organized and impressive showing for West Brom, though they gave up quite a few chances to Suarez.  They might tighten up a bit.  For Liverpool, not much went right.  Steven Gerrard had a nightmare match, and it's tough to see who is gonna score for the Reds if Suarez isn't on target.  It's not going to get easier for them, as they get City next weekend.

RSL Drops Gut-Wrencher to Dallas: Thoughts

Guess the word that's about to come out of Kreis's mouth (Getty Images)

I have to say, I have not been as busted up leaving Rio Tinto stadium in a long time.  Last night was one of those nights when you're just unlucky.  You get a couple of spectacular saves against you, a couple of calls don't go your way, and the night is done.  Any RSL fan could point to a number of things and think had just one of those gone RSL's way, things would have been very different.

Well, in the final analysis, it doesn't matter.  Sometimes in this business, you have to make your own luck, and that's been RSL's issue for a good portion of the season.  I'm not going to talk about referees.  Every fan in MLS knows the officiating is atrocious.  Coach Kreis told the guys at halftime last night to stop worrying about the referee, and it's a message the fans need to take to heart as well.

When I look back at the match though, it's really hard to find things that I could say RSL really didn't do well.  There must be some credit given to FC Dallas.  I was pretty much wrong about everything in my preview, except that it was going to be a physical, hard nosed game.  The Hoops came out and played hard.  They weren't intimidated by our building in the slightest.  When Jackson came on at halftime, I knew Dallas was going for it.  He, along with Fabian Castillo and David Ferreira, gave RSL fits in that second half.  Good on' em.

As far as the midfield goes, I think RSL did pretty well for most of the match.  They won a lot of the individual battles against a clearly gassed FC Dallas side.  To my mind Yordany Alvarez was pretty solid, but we needed the injection of energy and leadership from our Captain when Kyle came on.  Javier Morales was very sharp, which is great news considering the injury scare last weekend in Vancouver.  Ned Grabavoy was his usual workman-like self.  I also thought Luis Gil had a decent game, but seemed to be invisible at points.  I know he can be so much more of a threat.  The stats tell a good story in the midfield as well.  The Claret and Cobalt completed 84% of 498 total passes.  They also had about 67% of the possession while creating 19, yes 19 open play crosses.  Though of course not all the crossed come from the midfield.

So that brings me to the first issue.  Finishing.  End product.  The only player scoring consistently right now is Alvaro Saborio.  That has to change.  I'm tired of fans bashing the big Costa Rican.  His job is to score goals, and he does.  Sabo volunteered to come in last night after playing 90 minutes in Costa Rica's match earlier this week, and major props to him for that.  He came in and not only scored a goal, but was by far RSL's most dangerous player.  The other guys need to start finishing though.  Paulo Jr was kind of a frustrating experience last night.  He definitely looked quicker on the ball, but really could have picked his head up a couple of times and created some better chances.  The chemistry with Fabi was not there at all.  Now, I really thought we'd see Justin Braun start last night.  He did come in as a sub, and I thought he looked ok.  The plain fact is that he needs more minutes in our system before he can really take off.  He did play hard though.

Now for the defense.  I thought the Central defense was fine.  Kwame Watson-Siriboe was outstanding again, and in my mind he's been a real plus since coming over.  He also nearly scored on a set piece, and you know that's coming.  With Schuler coming back from injury, I think RSL may have their center back pair of the future.   RSL got torched on the outside though, which is maddening to me because you KNOW that's where FC Dallas is gonna try to hit you.  Brian Dunseth said as much in the pre-game notes.  RSL knew they were going to try to hit outside on the counter, and they couldn't stop it.  I'm rarely critical of Tony Beltran, but he got beat bad a few times and even got his lunch money taken, especially in the second half.  It seems to me like we've given up more than a few goals coming in off the wings this season, and I'm just not sure how to fix it. 

The final thing I'll say is about match management.  Normally I would applaud our team for going for the win at home.  However, last night, a draw would have sufficed.  Better management against a tired FC Dallas squad last night could have brought about that result.  I know some people say a draw is no good at home.  Well, it's a hell of a lot better than a loss, and it would have been a point gained on San Jose with their loss last night.  Now we face the must win CONCACAF match on the back of one of our most heart breaking losses.

That's about it, really.  RSL was clearly the better side last night, but what counts is what it says on the scoreboard at the end of the match.  In the end, I would peg our guys to start scoring again sooner rather than later, but the continued issues in defense, especially on the flanks, troubles me.

RVP Signs With United, and Wayne Rooney Trolls Piers Morgan

At this point we all have all pretty much heard that Arsenal Captain Robin Van Persie has been sold to Manchester United.  You also probably know that Piers Morgan threatened to end his own life should RvP leave the Gunners.  Well, unless you follow Wayne Rooney on twitter, which I recommend you do, you might have missed this little masterpiece of Twitter Trolling:

Yes, Wayne posted a pic of RvP in his new United training duds, directed right at the CNN host.  United fan or not, Wayne Rooney is always good for a laugh.  One of my favorite footballers on twitter.

Preview: RSL Looks To Bounce Back Against FC Dallas

So now we're getting to what might affectionately be called the "business end" of the MLS season.  It's safe to say the season has not quite gone as either the RSL players or fans predicted, but it certainly hasn't been a bad year by any stretch.  One thing is for sure though, the season will end up being defined by what happens in the next few weeks in both MLS and CONCACAF play.  It all starts tomorrow night against FC Dallas.

The Claret and Cobalt have traditionally had trouble with FC Dallas, but it's been a pretty good year, as they've taken results from both their meetings with the Hoops.  The first matchup, in Dallas, ended in a draw, and RSL took all three points from Dallas at the RioT in the last matchup on a late goal from Nat Borchers.  That's the good news for RSL fans.

Here's the bad news.  FC Dallas has been heating up as RSL have been struggling.  The Hoops have taken 7 of the last 9 possible points. In that stretch, they took a draw at Portland and beat Colorado at home.  Earlier this week, they beat the Whitecaps in Vancouver, something that RSL failed to do last weekend.   Things are set up for an entertaining match.

The injury list is significant for both sides.  For Dallas, Ugo Ihemelu, Alex Lee, Blas Perez, and Ricardo Villar are all listed as out.  Jackson, who has really given RSL fits in the past, is listed as doubtful with concussion symptoms.

For RSL, Chris Schuler is still out, however he did train with the team this week, which is definitely a plus.  Lalo Fernandez is also listed as out.  Jamison Olave is listed as doubtful, and Javier Morales is listed as questionable.  Given that RSL has a CCL match this week, it's doubtful we'd see Olave or Morales much anyway.  Also, captain Kyle Beckerman played 90 minutes for the National team in the midweek, so it's highly likely that we'll get another look at Yordany Alvarez, who has looked really good spelling Kyle earlier in the season.

Coach Kreis hinted this week that some other guys were going to get their chance in the coming matches.  We'll probably see Nat Borchers as he's suspended for the CONCACAF match anyway.  Rimando at the back is probably a given.  Will Watson-Siriboe play, or will Wingert fill in at CB again?  I'd expect to see Kenny Mansally at one of the FB spots, and it's tough to see Beltran playing tomorrow night ahead of the CONCACAF match.  In the midfield, Will Johnson and Kyle played for their national teams, and Morales has been hurting.  We'll almost certainly see Alvarez, and probably Jonny Steele.  I'd like to see Ned play as well, maybe a half.   I also wouldn't be surprised to Velasquez break back into the line up.  Heck, maybe we'll even see Enzo Martinez.

Up front I would bet on Justin Braun making an appearance at Rio Tinto in the starting lineup.  Alvaro Saborio played for Costa Rica this week, so I think Braun is a given.  It's his time to step up.  I would personally like to see him with Espindola tomorrow night, as this could almost be a must win league game, however, I wouldn't be surprised to see Paulo Jr start.

One thing is for sure.  It's time for the guys to put all the cards on the table.  The last time some of these guys started together was in the US Open Cup match, and we know how that went.  Earlier I posted an entry critical of RSL's depth at just this juncture in the season, and it's time for these guys to step up and take their place.  For guys like Paulo Jr. and Jonny Steele, if they really want to have an impactful future with the club, it's time to seize the chance.  I think they will.

For a great pre-match read on the lineup situation I recommend this great article at RSL Soccer Talk.

The big question for Dallas is how much will David Ferreira play?  The former MLS MVP played 90 minutes for Dallas midweek, and he's still fresh off the broken ankle.  I think we'll see him, but not for the whole match.  I do expect we'll see plenty of Brek Shea, who probably got some confidence back after setting up the match winner for the USA in Mexico.

Juan Guzman will be the center official tomorrow night.  In 17 matches his stats are: 26.2 fouls per match, 3.8 yellows per match, he's handed out 6 red cards and awarded 4 pks.  The fourth official will be Tyler Ploeger.

I do look for the guys to step up tomorrow night, but I don't think it's gonna be pretty.  It'll be a hard fought match, as Dallas is a tough nosed squad with everything to gain.  I think the defense will pull together for the clean sheet and the offense will get us the needed goal for the 1-0 win.  I hope I'm right, we need the 3 points.

Puddle's Goal of the Midweek. All-American Goal in Mexico

There is only one goal of choice this week: the goal that gave the USA it's first ever win in Mexico, at the Azteca!

Puddle's 2012-2013 Barclay's Premier League Preview

While I love my home domestic league, Major League Soccer, my first footballing love is England, specifically the Barclay's Premier League.  I'm very excited about the prospects for the upcoming season, and here are my non-expert thoughts and predictions on the new year.

The TOP FOUR: UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Who Are Ya designs has a shirt that's emblazoned with the Barclay's Lion and reads "Fourth is the new first."  In this era of the Premier League, this is really true.  For most clubs, you can fail to win the title, but still be viewed as having a successful campaign if you land in one of the top four spots that qualify for the big money of the UEFA Champions League.  Here's who I bet on seeing there next spring, in no particular order:

We'll start with the defending champs.  Manchester City has not been active at all in the offseason, but they've retained the services of key men and I can't really say as I've seen another team pass them up in the transfer market.  I fully expect City's stingy defense, top 'keeper in Joe Hart, and potent attack to have them at least back in the Champions League spots at the end of the season.

How about their cross-town rivals, Manchester United?  They'll be looking for redemption this season.  Not only did they lose the Premiership title to the "noisy neighbors" at City, but they exited the Champions League after the group stage and finished without a trophy.  They've upgraded some, acquiring Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund.  At the time of this writing, they're still in the mix to land Robin Van Persie as well.  My question about United is at the back though.  Can they stay healthy, and can David De Gea round into form as top EPL 'keeper?  Whether they push for the title or not, I can't see them not being in the top four.

Next up is Chelsea FC.  After winning the Champions League and FA Cup in underdog fashion last year, I look for the Blues to be a lot better in league form.  Yes, they lost Didier Drogba, and that's a huge blow.  Fernando Torres will need to step big time.  Daniel Sturridge will need to regain some of his form as well.  The Blues are still in the running to acquire Hulk from Porto, which I think would be a great pickup.  The midfield is stacked with guys like Lampard, Mata, Ramires, and new arrivals Eden Hazard and Marko Marin, who can play on the wing as well.  The question is, can they hold together at the back after some less than impressive defensive performances in the preseason.  David Luiz will have to show some maturity for sure.  There's no reason why the Blues should not compete for the title and the Champions League spots, and the pressure will be on if they stumble out of the gate.

I really have questions about who will get the other spot.  I believe Arsenal will have issues without Van Persie, but I don't think Andre Villas-Boas is a good fit at Spurs, who also look likely to be losing Modric in the next 48 hours.  I'm going to go with Newcastle United here.  The Magpies were a force to be reckoned with last season, and if they can stay healthy, they have a good shot at making a run for the top of the table.  If Demba Ba can stay healthy and team up with Papiss Cisse, Alan Pardew could have a top attack on his hands.  Cisse was unstoppable toward the end of last year.  Pardew will get the most out of them, and I expect them to land in the Champions League Spots.

Movin On Up--EVERTON
Speaking of managers who get the most out of their sides, don't be surprised to see David Moyes and Everton hanging out in the upper part of the table, maybe even with an outside shot at a top 4 spot.  Losing Tim Cahill is blow, but despite his enormous work rate, had a real tough time figuring prominently at Everton last season.  While the Toffees have not been able to secure the services of Landon Donovan, they did bring Steven Pienaar back from Tottenham, and finally were able to sign former Ranger Steven Naismith, who can play either in the midfield or at forward.  Pair him up with Nikica Jelavic (above) and the Toffees, who were formidable during the second half last season, could see a rise up the table.  I'd put them just outside the top four, with a chance to take one of the domestic cups.

Might Be a long year for--LIVERPOOL
Last year I picked Liverpool to regain their form and finish in the top four.  Well, we saw how that worked out.  King Kenny is gone.  Craig Bellamy is gone.  Dirk Kuyt is gone. Andy Carroll may be gone, but Liverpool seem to have too high of an asking price.  Brendan Rodgers is set to bring a new  philosophy to Anfield, but I'm not sold on it.  He's brought in Italian attacker Fabio Borini and a Swansea holdover in Joe Allen, but the Reds will need more than that.  They've been linked with Clint Dempsey, but apparently have not met either Fulham or maybe Dempsey's price.  In the end, I just don't see them improving much.  If Liverpool supporters want back in the top four, they'll need more patience than Hodgson or King Kenny were given.

And the winners will be:  MANCHESTER CITY
Last year my creed during the season was that I wouldn't bet against United.  This year, I won't be betting against City.  The key here is what I mentioned earlier:  City have not been big spenders, but I don't see anyone as quite catching up to them.  Both Chelsea and United have improved significantly (especially with United on the verge of signing Van Persie) but I think both of those squads have questions at the back, where City does not.  I look for the Citizens to repeat their Barclay's Premier League winning campaign.

Fabrice Muamba Retires From Football

Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba has announced his retirement (AP Photo)

This is a sad day for all fans of our game.  Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba has announced that he will have to retire from football.   Muamba collapsed on the pitch during an FA Cup match with Tottenham last season with cardiac arrest.   His heart did not beat on it's own for 78 minutes, but was successfully restarted at the London Chest Hospital.

Muamba has been seeking medical advice, but admitted earlier this year that he did not know if he would be able to play again.  According to the AP, Muamba traveled to Belgium this week to seek advice after consulting with doctors in England and elsewhere in Europe.  He was advised to retire from pro football.

Muamba had this to say about the news: ''While the news is devastating, I have much to be thankful for. I thank God that I am alive and I pay tribute once again to the members of the medical team who never gave up on me.''

Muamba played in 211 games in all competitions during his career, in which he played for Arsenal. Birmingham, and Bolton.  He scored six goals.  The Puddle wishes him well, and hopes he can still be a part of the game he loves so much!

Match Thoughts: Sporting Kansas City vs. D.C. United

Teal Bunbury works around DC's Chris Korb (Getty Images)

This match really could have been one of the weekend's main events with a healthy DC United squad, however the squad that took to the pitch in Kansas City was missing several key players and had a tough time challenging Sporting.  However, knowing that that KC had just played a hard fought cup final in the midweek, DC still had hopes of getting a result.

Sporting sought to crush those hopes early on though, setting the pace right out of the gate.  Over the first 10 minutes of the match Sporting gained an increasing amount of time on the ball, and it was only a matter of time until the quality chances started coming along.  Their first goal of the match came in the 13th minute.  Graham Zusi knocked a corner kick toward the six, where it found the waiting head of Teal Bunbury.  The KC forward calmly headed the ball past Bill Hamid to make it 1-0 to Sporting and leaving the visitors scratching their heads.

DC United did find a way to stay in the match, even though they really didn't look very dangerous on offense.  They struck gold on a counter attack chance in the 23rd minute, with Honduran Olympian Andy Najar providing the spark.  Bolting up the pitch, Najar connected with Nick DeLeon in the area, who worked around a Sporting defender and slotted the ball home to knot the match at 1-1.

That would be about all that DC United could muster though, as Sporting really took control in the second half.  Zusi nearly put the men in blue on top in the 53rd minute, but his effort to chip Hamid hit the crossbar.  it was the second time Zusi had hit woodwork in this one.  However just ten minutes later he hit pay dirt.  Kei Kamara had sent a cross through the box that found it's way all the way through to Zusi on the far post.  He smartly slapped a shot through Hamid's legs and into the net to make it 2-1, which was the score at full time.

Notes:  With the win, Sporting takes control of sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference on 43 points, two ahead of New York.  They showed no hangover from their midweek match, with several players, including Zusi, going the distance.  Zusi is also my man of the match with a goal and an assist.  DC United was missing several key players, including Dwayne De Rosario, Maicon Santos, Hamdi Salhi, and Robbie Russell.  Formerly in first place, they now sit just three points ahead of the Montreal Impact for the final playoff spot in the East.

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend: Sanna Nyassi vs Revs

There were quite a few wonderful goals around MLS this weekend, but to my mind, none better than this strike by Montreal's Sanna Nyassi in New England.  Check out the skill as he nutmegs one defender before slamming the finish into the back of the net.

Costly Mistakes Haunt RSL in Vancouver Loss.

RSL's Ned Grabavoy takes flying leap. (Reuters Pictures)

What started out as a promising night for Real Salt Lake in Vancouver ended on a pretty sour note.  The two sides largely displayed the same type of entertaining, and sometimes physical match play that took place a couple of weeks back in Salt Lake.  The only difference was the last laugh went to Vanoucver tonight at BC Place.

RSL started the match rather sharply, looking in good form through much of the first half.  The Caps fired the opening salvo of the match though, with Camilo forcing an outstanding save from Nick Rimando in minute 14.    Nick stood firm and it looked to fire up the club.

The Claret and Cobalt finally looked to go to the lead in the 25th minute.  Alvaro Saborio rose and met a header inside the six on a Javier Morales cross.  The shot beat the Vancouver 'keeper but bounced off the post and dribbled away, eventually cleared by the 'Caps defense.

It was in the second half that the Whitecaps did their damage, and the first goal was practically gifted by RSL, who did not have lady luck on their side in this one.  Will Johnson attempted a low clearance, but it was a bit too low, and smacked into Chris Wingert's back.  The ball fell kindly to Camilo, who smashed the game's first goal into the low corner to make it 1-0 to the Whitecaps.

It wasn't long before the 'Caps seemingly put the game to bed either.  Camilo was again the catalyst in minute 64, as he picked out Dane Richards who was sitting just outside the box.  Richards smacked a gorgeous shot into the top corner of the goal to make it 2-0 to Vancouver with 25 minutes to go.

RSL did manage to get one back, but ended up being way too little, way too late.  In the second minute of stoppage time Nat Borchers got his head to a cross from Paulo Jr. and put it in the back of the net to make it 2-1.  However it would be the last chance of the night and the Whitecaps hung on for a crucial three points at home.

Notes:  Vancouver captain Jay DeMerit had a collision of heads in the first half with 'keeper Brad Knighton.  He was subbed off, suffering an apparent concussion on the play.  I know that we all wish him the best, he's a great player and a class guy.  For RSL Jamison Olave missed his second straight match after his injury during CCL play.  My man of the match for RSL goes to Kwame Watson-Siriboe, who had a great game at the back filling in for the aforementioned Olave.  True man of the match honors have to go to Camilo though, as he gave RSL fits all night.

EPL Moves: Bellamy Leaves Liverpool, Lukaku Loaned

Welsh International Craig Bellamy has returned to Cardiff City on a new deal.

There have been some interesting moves out of the Barclay's Premier League today, particularly from Anfield.  First off it has been announced that Craig Bellamy has left Liverpool to return to Wales and League Championship side Cardiff City.  Bellamy won the Carling Cup in his second stint at Liverpool last season, but had been vocal about the fact that he'd like to return to Wales and be closer to his family.  Two seasons ago Bellamy played for Cardiff on loan from Manchester City and really enjoyed it.  He is expected to join the Blue Birds in training next week and will be available for selection when they open up league play vs. Huddersfield next Friday.  The transfer fee was not disclosed, but Bellamy has signed a new two year deal with Cardiff.

However the Reds will be gaining a different Welsh International to help fill the void.  Sky Sports is reporting today that former Swansea City man Joe Allen has finalized his move to the red side of Merseyside.   The deal was finally completed after Allen attended Liverpool's Europa League match yesterday at Anfield.  He'll be reunited with former boss Brendan Rodgers.  Allen scored 4 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions last year for Swansea.

Chelsea FC was also active today, this time in the loan market.  They've sent striker Romelu Lukaku on loan to West Bromwich Albion for the season.  The man hailed as "the new Drogba" had a hard time getting into the team last year with so many forwards ahead of him, failing to tally a goal in 8 appearances.  He'll now join West Brom after playing with the Blues on their USA tour this summer and will hopefully gain some experience with the Baggies.

Impact News: Rivas Suspended, Di Vaio Cleared

Montreal's Nelson Rivas has been suspended for this headbutt on Antoine Hoppenot

It's been a good news/bad news week for the Montreal Impact.  The bad news was expected.  The good news was kind of expected, but still comes as a relief for the club and their supporters.

First the bad news.  Defender Nelson Rivas has been suspended for a total of three games for the above headbutt on the Union's Antoine Hoppenot.  The second half incident resulted in a broken nose for the Union man.  Rivas will get an automatic 1 match ban for the red card, and the disciplinary committee added on an additional 2 matches.  Of course he was also fined the regular "undisclosed amount."

In better news for the Impact, DP striker Marco Di Vaio has been cleared of charges related to match fixing in Italy.  He missed the Union match while in his native country facing a hearing on those counts.  Had he been found guilty, he would have been unable to play in any professional league, including MLS.  However, as coach Jesse Marsch expected, he was found innocent and has returned to the club.  He will be available for selection when the Impact travel to take on the New England Revolution this weekend.

Puddle's Goal of the Midweek: Alex Morgan vs Canada. Enough Said

There was no other goal to be considered for my midweek goal other than this. Period. This is the beautiful game. This is Old Trafford. This is CLUTCH. This is ALEX MORGAN.

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend: Captain Jack Jewsbury

I know I'm late to the party on this one, but there were three goals that I was really thinking about for this, so it took time. In the end I decided to go with this outstanding volley from Portland Captain Jack Jewsbury. If there's any fandom in MLS that needed something to be excited about, it's Portland. Check it out:

Congratualtions to Sporting Kansas City, 2012 US Open Cup Champions

Sporting Kansas City lift the US Open Cup (Getty Images)

Congratulations are in order for Sporting Kansas City, who last night captured the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a victory over the Seattle Sounders at Livestrong Sporting Park.  It took extra time and penalty kicks to settle the issue, with Sporting winning the shootout 3-2 to claim the trophy.

The result was not without some controversy though.  Late in the shootout, Seattle 'keeper Michael Gspurning saved Paulo Nagamura's PK, but was judged to have been off his line.  Nagamura retook the kick and buried it.  Seattle's Eddie Johnson then missed his final attempt as Livestrong park exploded into joy.

The win gives the Kansas City franchise their first trophy since 2004, and their second US Open Cup overall.  It's the first trophy since they rebranded themselves as Sporting Kansas City.  They will also represent MLS and the USA in next year's CONCACAF Champions League.

Dynamo's Cameron Finally Seals Move to Stoke

Houston's Geoff Cameron (center) has secured a move to Stoke City of the EPL

Good news today for people who like seeing our quality American players head overseas to compete in Europe.   Houston Dynamo and US International Defender Geoff Cameron has finally completed his move to Stoke City of the Barclay's Premier League as his UK Work Permit came through today.  According to Sky Sports, Stoke manager Tony Pulis and chief executive Tony Scholes were able to successfully lobby an appeal hearing today in Manchester.

Cameron is now cleared to join the Potters, which is a relief for them as the new EPL season is little more than a week away.  According to Cameron, Stoke plan to try him at both center back and center mid.  Either is fine by him, as long as he can get the minutes to work into the club.

Cameron is quoted as saying...

“It’s surreal because it’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. I think I ended my career with the Dynamo with a pretty good game. I thought that was one of my best games of the season against D.C. United [July 15] and now I want to go abroad and try the UK and get that experience and test my ability.”

Best of luck to Mr. Cameron as he embarks on the new phase of his career.  He should do well at Stoke, as he seems to the type of hard working, slightly underrated player that Pulis loves to work on.

Match Thoughts: Impact Win 10 vs 10 Bruiser Over Union

The Union's Jack McInerney sees red after an altercation with Nelson Rivas (Getty Images)

Unfortunately the story of this match isn't going to end up being the Impact's continued dominance at Stade Saputo, or Felipe's gorgeous second half goal.  It's not going to be the Union's missed chances either.  It's going to be about two stupid choices made by players who should know better, and the Disciplinary Committee will surely have something to say about one of them.

The last time the Union met the Impact in Philly it was a close, physical affair, and it wasn't much different last night in Montreal.  However, the Union did some really nice things in the first half and probably were unlucky to not have netted at least one goal.  Lionard Pajoy nearly put Philly out in front in the 21st minute after Carlos Valdes dumped the ball to him after the Colombian had made a brilliant full field run.  Pajoy sliced through the last of Montreal's defense, but his shot hit the far post and bounced out of trouble.  Then in the 28th minute Jack McInerney headed a free kick into the ground in front of the Montreal goal, but Donovan Ricketts was on his game and managed to keep it out.

The Impact seemed to have trouble getting their attack going through much of the first half.  They were missing DP striker Marco Di Vaio, who was in Italy facing charges over the match fixing issues there.  Andrew Wenger stepped into that role, and got the Impact on the board right before halftime.  In the 44th minute Patrice Bernier sent a cross into Wenger off of a corner kick and the rookie headed an expert shot into the goal to give the Impact a 1-0 lead going to the break.

The Union nearly equalized early on in the second half as Michael Farfan nodded a Sheanon Williams cross just wide of the post, but the big story of the half came in the 69th minute.  Philadelphia's Antoine Hoppenot went up for a header with Montreal's Nelson Rivas.  Hoppenot tossed the Impact defender to the ground as the two landed, and Rivas took exception. He walked up to the Philly forward and sent him crashing to the ground with a nasty head-butt.  At that point Jack McInerney came rushing to his teammate's defense with a punch/shove from behind on Rivas.  Both Rivas and McInerney were shown the red card, McInerney's seeming to be for retaliation. 

The match did open up a little with the 10 on 10 action, but Montreal iced it in the 78th minute.  Felipe took a cross from Hassoun Camara and whipped in a goal that you'll most likely see a few times on this weeks highlight reel, and Montreal took a 2-0 lead.  In the 83rd minute Michael Farfan had a shot saved, but it fell to Valdes, who had a great look at the open net.  Unfortunately for the Union, the ball came in at a bad angle and Valdes had to lift his leg rather high to get it, tapping the the shot wide of the near post, sealing the 2-0 win for the Impact at full time.

Match Thoughts: Houston Dynamo vs. New York Red Bulls

NY's Victor Palsson commits a yellow card tackle on Oscar Boniek Garcia (Getty Images)

Ladies and Gentlemen, there's a new sheriff in town in the Eastern Conference.  Please welcome the Houston Dynamo, your new leaders.  They vaulted into the pole position with a convincing 2-0 win over the New York Red Bulls Friday night at BBVA Compass Stadium.

New York was hoping for a bright start, with new DP Tim Cahill making his MLS debut.  It didn't happen as the Dynamo seized control from the first kick off.   In the second minute Brad Davis set up for a free kick and put the ball into the penalty area.  The Red Bulls looked utterly lost as the ball finally fell to Andre Hainault, who put a shot on target that Bill Gaudette was barely able to keep out.  Then Jermaine Taylor came in totally unmarked and tapped the ball over the goal line to give the Dynamo a 1-0 lead.

After that the crowd in Houston waited to see if the Red Bulls could regroup and try to get into the match after giving up the first goal.  It didn't happen.  The Houston attack continued to cause New York problems as their defense wandered rather aimlessly and their midfield just looked uninspired without Dax McCarty, who was serving a suspension for yellow card accumulation.  Both Will Bruin and Oscar Boniek-Garcia forced saves out of Gaudette, but Calen Carr finally added the Dynamo insurance goal in the 28th minute.  He got loose and headed in a cross from Mac Kandji to make it 2-0, which was the score at half time.

The Dynamo continued their march early in the second half.  Will Bruin nearly made it 3-0 in the 47th minute, but sent his shot just wide of the far post.  New York did get a couple of looks as well, though none really threatening.  Tim Cahill missed with a header in the 64th minute and Kenny Cooper hit a shot right at Tally Hall in the 74th.  Thierry Henry was practically invisible. 

Boniek-Garcia had a couple of good looks late on for the Dynamo.  In the 86th minute he drove a shot that just missed the far upper corner, and Gaudette managed to save his last effort in the first minute of stoppage time to make the final score 2-0.

The win puts the Dynamo on top of the East with 40 points, though Sporting Kansas City equaled that total with a win over New England on Saturday.  New York falls to third place, still on 38 points.  The two teams will meet again next Friday at Red Bull Arena.