MLS Suspends Shea and Danso

The MLS Disciplinary Committee has been at work again this week, handing out two suspensions and fines.  In retrospect, one could see both of them coming and they're both well deserved.

First on the list MLS suspended FC Dallas star Brek Shea 3 games for intentionally kicking the ball at an assistant referee during the Hoops' 2-1 loss to Columbus at Crew Stadium.  After being called for a foul, Shea kicked the ball at the AR and hit him in the stomach.  He didn't kick the ball very hard, and the AR just stood there, but it was bone headed move by Shea.  He has apologized and accepted responsibility for his actions.  For Dallas fans hoping they might pull a fast one on the league, any games Shea misses while away with the US National Team will NOT count toward his suspension.  He was also fined an undisclosed amount.

MLS also suspended Portland's Futty Danso for striking Houston's Calen Carr across the head in Tuesday's game at Houston.  Danso will miss this weekend's match with the Chicago Fire.  Oh, and say it with me now:  "he was also fined an undisclosed amount."

Women's Professional Soccer League Dissolves.

Bad news today for fans of Women's Soccer in the United States.  Women's Professional Soccer, the league that just last year was granted top flight status by US Soccer, has folded and dissolved the league permanently.  Earlier this year WPS canceled it's 2012 season, hoping to regroup and return next season.  Looks like it wasn't to be.

The league was already in dire straights last season when it clashed with the owner of the MagicJack franchise and expelled the team.  He then filed a lawsuit against the league, accusing them of failing to adhere to their own procedures.  WPS also announced today that it had reached a confidential settlement in the case, but it apparently wasn't enough to save the league.

The end of WPS closes another troubled chapter in the history of Women's Soccer in the United States.  The previous women's league, WUSA, also folded after three seasons.  It started up trying to ride the wave of the Women's World Cup in 1999.  Despite large viewership for the 2011 version of the World Cup, once again a women's league failed to garner the viewership and investment needed to sustain it.

WPS wasn't really my thing.  Honestly I think that the level of soccer played in USL's W-League is pretty much just as good.  Still, it's a sad day not only for fans of the league, but it will also serve to limit the opportunities for young women to play pro soccer in the USA.  I would encourage fans of the women's game to check into and support the W-League.

Puddle's Goal of the Midweek: Oribe Peralta En La Gran Final

I have to share this gorgeous goal with all of you. My choice comes from the Mexican Clausura final, first leg. In the 69th minute Oribe Peralta got on the end of a long ball then drove home this gorgeous strike.

Mexico Match Thoughts: La Gran Final, Leg 1

I don't think anyone that follows Mexican soccer was really surprised to see these two clubs meet in the Clausura final.  Both of these sides have been on fire, Monterrey especially since Humberto Suazo decided he was going to stick around.  This is also a rematch of the CONCACAF Champions League final from this year, in which Monterrey beat Santos to claim it's second consecutive CONCACAF crown.

Monterrey opened the match in good form, controlling possession and working their way into the Santos area.  César Delgado forced a nice save out of Santos in the 7th minute as Monterrey knocked on the door.  Suazo hit the ensuing corner but Walter Ayovi's shot went over the bar.

After the first ten minutes or so, Santos started to get their legs into the match and threaten the Monterrey area.  Both Daniel Ludueña and Oribe Peralta took shots early, but neither of them could find the target.  In the 30th minute Marc Crosas forced the first save out of Jonathan Orozco, but the Monterrey keeper parried it for a corner.  Santos sent the cross in on the corner and Felipe Baloy rose and headed the ball into the net.  However Baloy was whistled for a foul on the play and the goal was called back.  It wasn't the last mistake he would make, but the half ended 0-0.

Monterrey came out the stronger of the two sides in the second half, and began to get looks at goal.  Suazo sent shots high in both the 48th and 51st minutes.  Los Rayados grew more and more frustrated, and every minute that went by, Santos became more confident.

Santos began to knock on the door again in the 56th minute when Ludueña cracked the crossbar from distance.  Orozco didn't have much time to catch his breath though.  In the 69th minute Peralta got on the end of a 50 meter pass from Crosas.  With one deft touch he brought the ball down, settled it, and evaded the Monterrey defender.  He then turned and smacked the ball past a stunned Orozco to make it 0-1 to Santos and give them the all important away goal.

Monterrey continued to press the issue, but as the match went into stoppage time, a Santos error gifted Monterrey the draw.  In the third minute of stoppage time Baloy went to ground in the area on Suazo.  The nasty tackle came in from behind and tripped up the Monterrey attacker, despite the fact that he was moving away from goal.  The referee rightly awarded a penalty kick, which Suazo promptly scored to tie the match 1-1 at full time.

The second leg will be Sunday in Torreon, and I suppose Santos will be happy with the away goal.  However, the Suazo PK could loom large as I have a hard time thinking that Santos is gonna hang a clean sheet on the CONCACAF champs in the next leg either.

Red Bulls, Chivas USA, and Philly Swap Players

Juan Agudelo has been traded to Chivas USA (Goal.com)

Three MLS squads look very different this evening than they did at the start of business today.  Chivas USA pulled off two deals, one with New York Red Bulls and the other with the Philadelphia Union.  The deal with Philadelphia had been rumored for a few days, but the deal with NY came as a bit of a surprise.

The Goats will send midfielder Mike Lahoud to Philadelphia for want-away center back Danny Califf.  The former Union captain had experienced a falling out with head coach Peter Nowak.  He had made 65 appearances in three years in Philadelphia.

Turns out there was a reason Chivas needed another center back.  They dealt MLS All-Star defender Heath Pearce to the New York Red Bulls in exchange for US International forward Juan Agudelo.  There will also be allocation money changing hands, and the Red Bulls will pick up a piece of any future selling fee should Chivas sell Agudelo.

For the Union, the reasoning behind the deal is pretty clear.  They unload Califf and pick up an experienced player in the midfield.  Despite the fact that the deal has been rumored for several days. both sides were fairly coy up until the trade was completed today.

New York addresses one of their biggest needs by acquiring a proven, top level MLS defender to put in front of Ryan Meara.  Yes, Agudelo has a ton of potential upside, but according to Red Bulls management, he himself pushed for a trade somewhere where he could get more playing time. 

So the Goats add a veteran presence on the back line.  Also, if both Juan Pablo Angel and Juan Agudelo can stay healthy, their attack could be lethal.  I'm not sure this puts them up with RSL, San Jose, and Seattle, but I fully expect them to compete for the playoffs, maybe at the expense of Vancouver, Colorado, Dallas, or yes, the Galaxy.

Match Thoughts: DC United vs. Colorado Rapids

Conor Casey was back in action for Colorado. (Getty Images)

Last night MLS staged a midweek stinker featuring a tired Houston squad and a Portland squad coming off of a bye.  Tonight they did the same, with a tired DC United team hosting the well rested Colorado Rapids.  Perhaps the Rapids were too well rested.  At least there were goals in this one tonight, but that ended up being little consolation for the Rapids.

Not much went wrong for DC United, and not much went right for Colorado.  The first half was a particularly dull affair.  Colorado seemed to get the ball for some fairly decent spells, but most of the possession proved rather pointless.  Once in awhile, they would try to flip the ball into Conor Casey, but the service was never all that great, and when it was, the big man was often hit with fouls for pushing off his mark.

DC seemed to be mostly content to sit back and hit on the counter, and that's how they got their first goal of the match.  Lewis Neal and Dwayne De Rosario streaked up the pitch, and the Rapids fell all over themselves on the back line, leaving DeRo with an easy look which he promptly smacked past a bewildered Matt Pickens to make it 1-0. 

After attaining the first goal, DC seemed to smell blood and took a little bit more of the attacking initiative.  Both Robbie Russell and Andy Najar would test Pickens again before the half, but the Colorado keeper played extremely well and kept the score at 1-0 going into halftime.

The Rapids looked a little better in the second half and finally put some pressure on Bill Hamid's goal.   In the early minutes both Tony Cascio and Jamie Castrillon managed decent looks, but the US U-23 keeper kept both shots out.

DC United stepped up and put the game away at the hour mark.  De Rosario again found himself free of the Rapids defense, which was a mess all night.  He cracked a shot that Pickens was able to knock away, but the rebound fell to Hamdi Salihi, who jumped to his left to knock the ball into the open net to make it 2-0.  Colorado would not threaten the DC goal again, and United ended up with the comfortable 2-0 win at full time.

NOTES:  New Rapids signing Edu checked into the game in the 65th minute, but failed to materialize as a threat.  It was his first appearance.  The win moves DC United level with Sporting Kansas City for second place in the East.

Match Thoughts: Houston Dynamo vs. Portland Timbers

Troy Perkins turned in a man of the match performance for Portland. (Getty Images)

At first glance this match looked like a real albatross on the MLS schedule.  A Tuesday night duel in Houston after the Dynamo had just played an emotional and draining match on Saturday, as well as another midweek match last week.  Meanwhile, Portland didn't play this last weekend, in theory giving them an edge.  It didn't turn out at that way at all.  In the end, the match ended up being one of the most forgettable of the the MLS campaign so far.

Portland came out of the gates looking totally lethargic on offense.  Darlington Nagbe really looked like he was the only one who really came to play.  Kris Boyd grew increasingly frustrated as service into the Dynamo penalty area was non existent.  There was absolutely zero creativity from anyone in a green shirt.

It wasn't quite the same for Houston though.  They certainly outworked Portland despite their obviously tired legs.  The Dynamo ended up taking 17 shots in the match but they ran into a couple of problems.  One, they rarely hit the target.  Two, when they did, Troy Perkins was an absolute brick wall.

Houston captain Brian Ching checked in later in the second half to try and provide the Dynamo offense with the little extra they needed to get over the hump.  One would figure he'd get at least one big chance, and he did.  Late on he got the ball right in front of the Portland goal, but sent his shot flying horribly over the crossbar.  In the 87th minute Calen Carr got 1v1 with Perkins, but the Portland keeper came up huge and smotherd the shot to preserve the 0-0 draw.

Sure, Portland will take the point on the road.  However this team has issues.  First off, they have nothing going on offense.  They invested heavily in Kris Boyd as a DP, but it's not working all that well.  Yes, he has a couple of goals, but he doesn't really create much.  He's a target man and when he doesn't get the service, he doesn't get much going.  Everyone talks about how wonderful Boyd was with Rangers, however taking a look at his stats after leaving Scotland, I'm not sure why anyone is really surprised at the results thus far.  In the end, the Timbers still can't win on the road, and whatever advantage they had at Jeld-Wen Field has seemingly evaporated.  This is not a good recipe for climbing the table in MLS.  They need some help.

For Houston, it was disappointing that they didn't get the win, but they'll chalk it up to being their 3rd match in seven days and take solace in the fact that they really did outplay the struggling Portland side.