Houston's Heartbreak Hotel for RSL.

RSL's Yordany Alvarez battles in Houston. (Getty Images)

What is there to say to the RSL faithful tonight?  To be like the Miami Heat's "Good Effort" kid seems to ring a little hollow.  One thing is for sure, that was an absolutely brutal way to lose.  Dropping on a PK in stoppage time is hard enough, but when you do it after not only saving a PK earlier, but being denied a possible winner in the late stages, it's even worse.

RSL had the better of the ball through most of the match, especially in the first half, but good chances were hard to come by as the absence of Alvaro Saborio was keenly felt.  Fabian Espindola did have a couple of nice looks, forcing a good save out of Tally Hall in the 11th minute   Ricardo Clark also made what was likely a goal saving tackle in on the speedy RSL forward in minute 31, and the half ended  scoreless.

Things picked up a bit in the second half, and the Dynamo looked likely to take the lead in the 75th minute when Chris Schuler brought Will Bruin down in the box to concede a PK.   The usually trustworthy Brad Davis stepped up to take it, but Nick Rimando made the save to keep the game scoreless.

RSL then had their two best chances of the match.  In the 79th minute Nat Borchers looked certain to score, putting a bouncing header to Tally Hall's far post on a set piece, however the Houston 'keeper made a fantastic save to keep the Dynamo in it.  Then in the 89th minute Ned Grabavoy got one on one with Hall, but once again the Houston 'keeper came up big and stopped the shot cold.

The Dynamo got their magic in stoppage time, as the only big defensive mistake of the night came back to haunt the Claret and Cobalt.  Mac Kandji lost the RSL defense and slipped unmarked into the penalty area.  Nick Rimando came out to try and claim the incoming ball, but bowled over Kandji from behind, conceding a second penalty to the Dynamo.  This time Colin Clark absolutely smashed the ball past Rimando into the back of the net to give the Dynamo a 1-0 win at full time.

In my match preview I noted that Houston was very likely to get a goal, even through late dramatics.  Therefore RSL would need two to win.  However, the Dynamo seemed to be unconcerned about the RSL attack without Sabo, and they took the only chance they needed to get the win.

The defense has cleaned itself up for the most part.  The problem is this, when you don't score any goals, you have no chance at winning and you have to play perfectly to earn the draw.  The perfect match wasn't going to happen against Houston in their building.

Someone at forward needs to be a threat for RSL.  The last time a striker besides Saborio scored for the Claret and Cobalt was June 16th when Fabi dropped two on Chivas USA.  Since that match, RSL is 4-8-2, picking up only 14 of 42 possible points.  That's barely a point per game, and nowhere near good enough to compete in MLS.  The power outage is staggering.  We need to give the defense and Nick Rimando some breathing room by scoring more goals, and 3 out of our 5 forwards seem incapable of scoring.  One of them, the ONLY one who is a proven scorer in MLS, never gets off the bench.

Without more balls going into the opposing net, it's tough to see RSL making a deep playoff run. If RSL falls into the 4 or 5 slot, and even manages to win that first match, how do we feel about stopping San Jose's machine if we can't score?  It's gotta change.

Tonight, the credit goes to the Dynamo for sticking to their plan and their guns.

Preview: Houston Dynamo vs. Real Salt Lake

Houston celebrates their win over RSL last August in Houston

The fact that Real Salt Lake has a serious aversion to winning in Texas is not lost on most RSL fans.  The Claret and Cobalt have failed to win in 20 visits to the Lone Star state, and that is where they find themselves Thursday night against the Houston Dynamo in brand new BBVA Compass Stadium.

The news doesn't get a lot better for RSL if you just read the tail of the tape preview.  Captain Kyle Beckerman will be missing from the lineup as well as Alvaro Saborio and Will Johnson, all away on international duty.  Apparently MLS can't get it through their head to give ALL the clubs the FIFA date off, especially as this is a World Cup Qualifying week.  Nick Rimando was also called in to the US National team, but will be Houston to play the match tomorrow night.  Also, BBVA Compass has been a fortress for the Dynamo since it's opening, as it's been hard for any team to get a result there, let alone a win.

It's not all bad though.   Houston comes into the match winless in their last four, and suffered a nasty defeat at the hands of the Chicago Fire last weekend.  They've dropped from the top of the table in the East to fourth, now looking over their shoulder in the playoff race.  They'll also have international absences of their own.  Oscar Boniek Garcia will be with Honduras, Andre Hainault will be wearing Canadian colors, and both Jermaine Taylor and Je-Vaughn Watson have been called into the Jamaica squad that will face the USA.

Boniek Garcia in particular has been a constant threat for the Dynamo since his signing earlier in the summer, so that will be one less attacking option for the Dynamo.  However RSL will still have to deal with the ever present form of Brad Davis and his lethal service, probably the best left foot in MLS.  Also RSL will have to defend Will Bruin, who has 11 goals on the season for the Dynamo.

A big part of playing against, and having success against, Houston is to defend the set piece well.  The Dynamo have 11 goals from set pieces this year, trailing only San Jose with 15.  The cultured left foot of Brad Davis is a huge part of that, and it concerns me as RSL has given up some pretty cheap goals on set pieces this year, though they've been much better of late.  It will be of paramount importance to limit the chances that the Dynamo get to to punish them in this area.

The big hit Houston takes from the international week is on their back line, and I think RSL can possibly exploit that.  They'll be missing two of their top defenders in Taylor and Hainault, and of course they no longer have Geoff Cameron to be a rock in their defense as he's off to Stoke City.  Keeping that in mind, the Dynamo have allowed 8 goals in their four game winless streak.  Even minus Saborio, the speed and ability of Fabian Espindola and Paulo Jr should be able to cause Houston some problems at the back and create some quality chances on goal.

As for RSL's defense, it looks like the line will probably be Beltran/Watson-Siriboe/Borchers/Wingert across the back.  Watson Siriboe has been stellar filling in for Olave, and we'll probably need his height defending those Davis free kicks.  Plus, that guy is going to get on the score sheet from a set piece of his own, sooner rather than later.  RSL has posted three straight clean sheets across all competitions and we'll need that effort to take three points form BBVA Compass Stadium.

On the injury front, Houston will have MF Adam Moffat listed as doubtful with a adductor strain and FW Calen Carr as questionable with knee swelling.  For RSL, Jamison Olave is still listed as doubtful, while Kenny Mansally is questionable.  Chris Schuler, who was in the 18 against DC, is listed as probable.  

The Claret and Cobalt have a number of guys who are on suspension notice for their next yellow card: chief among them Espindola and Javier Morales.  Olave and Saborio are as well, but they won't see action.  Calen Carr is the only player in that boat for the Dynamo.

The referee tomorrow night is Ismail Elfath.  Everybody hold your breath.  In 5 MLS matches he's given out 4 reds and 3 pks.  He averages 22.6 fouls per game and 2.2 yellows.  The 4th official is the infamous Jasen Anno.  

So what's going to go down in the Texas heat Thursday night?  I don't think we'll see the same effort/formation that we saw for the point in Philly.  The chance for three is there but SOMEBODY has to step up and score goals, because Sabo won't be there to help us out.  I think we'll get one.  However, Houston has a knack for drama at home, and I see them getting one as well.  I'll call it a 1-1 draw.  I honestly think we'll need two to win, so hopefully somebody can step up to shoulder the load.

Sydney FC Sign Del Piero in Coup For A-League

Juventus Legend Alessandro Del Piero has signed with Sydney FC

Today marks one of the biggest signings in the Hyundai A-League.  The Australian top flight has pulled a major coup by signing former Juventus main-stay Alessandro Del Piero to 2 year deal.  He will wear number 10 for the side, which begins it's domestic league campaign next month.

The move has been rumored for much of the summer, but competition for his signature emerged from England as both Southampton and Liverpool had been said to have presented offers to the 37 year old.  However, in the end, the lure of of Australia sealed the deal for Del Piero.

 "This is a very big moment for me because I want to continue my career in a new part of the world where I can make a major contribution and help grow the game I love."

A-League fans should enjoy watching the stylings of Del Piero, who has 91 caps for the Italian National Team.  His resume is long, including winning both the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup.  He scored 289 goals in 704 appearances at Juventus, where he won the Italian Serie A six times.

For someone such as myself, that follows and loves both Major League Soccer and the Hyundai A-League, it's very easy to draw a comparison between this move and the move of David Beckham to the LA Galaxy some years back.  I do think it's the same caliber of move, though I stand by my thought that at this point in it's development the A-League is actually a little ahead of where MLS was 7-8 years in.  Hopefully with the Gold Coast situation seemingly behind them and the addition of the new West Sydney Club, the league can find stability in it's membership, something that MLS struggled with at times as well.  If Del Piero can stay healthy at 37, he should help move some more people through the gates, providing that International star that many fans seem to crave seeing.

This really should be a banner season in Australia. 

EPL After Hours Dealing: Stoke Sign Owen, Chelsea Make a Sale

Michael Owen has signed with Stoke City (BBC)

The transfer window for clubs in England officially ended last Friday, but there were still a couple bits of business to be done.  The end of the window did not exclude a club from signing an out of contract player, nor did it prohibit teams from selling to a club where the window is still open in that country.  Both of those things have taken place in the last couple of days.

The headline grabbing news has to do with former England/Liverpool and Newcastle great Michael Owen.  Owen was on a free transfer after ending his time with Manchester United, and waited to see if a club would pick him up in the transfer window.  When that didn't materialize, speculation became rampant that he might return to Liverpool, who famously missed out on US International Clint Dempsey on deadline day.

In the end, Owen penned a one year deal with Stoke City.  He revealed on twitter that talks with Stoke had been ongoing, so the move to Potters wasn't a surprise.  The former star striker couldn't get his career back off the ground in the three injury riddled seasons at Manchester United.  He made only three appearances last year, and hasn't played in a competitive match since last November.

Chelsea were also back in the headlines just a couple of days after being defeated by Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup.  They sold midfielder Raul Meireles to Fenerbache, who in turn signed him on a four year deal.  Rumor has it that the transfer fee was around 8 million pounds.  

Meireles was said to be unhappy at Chelsea last year after Andre Villas-Boas, whom he had worked with at Porto, was sacked by the club.  After arriving in Turkey, he stated that former Liverpool teammate Dirk Kuyt had been instrumental in convincing him to come to Istanbul.

Must See Save: Al Habsi Denies Adam, Preserves A Point

I post a lot of goals here on the blog, but the top saves deserved to be honored as well.  This one has to end up a candidate for save of the year for the Barclay's Premier League.  Check it out as Wigan's Ali Al Habsi stones Charlie Adam's deflected free kick to preserve a point late on in this entertaining match!

MLS: Quakes Stomp Chivas, Tighten Grip on West

San Jose's Alan Gordon wins a header (Getty Images)

Was there ever any doubt on this one?  I think most MLS fans' doubts are disappearing week after week as the San Jose Earthquakes continue to take down opponent after opponent.  This week, they didn't even need crafty (read bizzare) antics from Steven Lenhart or stoppage time heroics from Alan Gordon.  They just put their foot on the collective throats of Chivas USA and finished the job.  There were no questions asked and no quarter was given for the stumbling Goats.

It didn't take the Quakes long to get on the board.  They set up for a direct free kick from about 35 yards out in the 11th minute.  Chivas 'keeper Dan Kennedy carefully constructed his wall then sat back and waited for the strike. Victor Bernardez stepped up and curled his free kick around the wall, and Kennedy couldn't get down to it as it trickled inside his near post for the first San Jose score to make it 1-0.  It was an outstanding strike from Bernardez, but Kennedy really should have doen better at his near post.

However, in the 14th minute the Quakes were very fortunate not to have a major decision go against them.  Juan Agudelo jumped on a sloppy back pass for Chivas and turned toward the San Jose goal.  John Busch came out to meet him, hit the deck, and made the save.  As it turns out, he was clearly outside of the box.  Despite the fact that the ball plainly struck Busch's arm, the AR signaled that it did not, and Busch escaped what would have, and should have been, an automatic red card.  It was another in a string of breaks that have gone San Jose's way this year.

Chivas USA were so overmatched that it likely wouldn't have made a difference either way, and the Quakes added another goal in minute 39.  Marvin Chavez picked the ball off of Chivas defender Raushawn McKenzie and dished over to Chris Wondolowski.  Wondo then hit Simon Dawkins, who ran in behind what was left  of the Chivas defense and scored, making it 2-0 to the home side at halftime.

The second half didn't go any better for Chivas as they would concede yet again from a set piece opportunity.  In the 71st minute Ramrio Corrales beat the Chivas wall and Dan Kennedy once again to make it 3-0.  The time Kennedy gave it a better effort, but it was just struck too smartly and he was pretty much helpless.

Finally in the 81st minute the Quakes added insult to injury.  The Goats conceded another free kick in the danger zone, but made an bonehead type mistake and didn't put someone on the ball to force Corrales to ask the refree for the ten yards.  Kennedy and Chivas went about setting up the wall, oblivious to the fact that referee Mark Geiger was not impeding San Jose from taking it quickly and Corrales struck the ball while Chivas was asleep at the wheel.  Kennedy realized what was happening, but it was too late as the ball went into the net to make it 4-0 to the Quakes, which was the score at full time.

With the win San Jose takes back sole possession of first place in the race for the Supporters Shield, 3 points ahead of Sporting Kansas City.  Their cushion on the rest of the Western Conference sits at 7 points, as Real Salt Lake moved back into second place after a win over DC United.  Seattle sits in third, 9 points back after a draw at FC Dallas.  Chivas sit on 28 points, 9 behind Vancouver for the final playoff spot.  The two teams will meet again in two weeks at the Home Depot Center.

EPL Thoughts: Wigan and Stoke Entertain, Share Spoils

Maynor Figueroa and Jonathan Walters jump for a header (Action Images/Paul Currie)

Just a couple of years ago nobody would have been really excited about a Wigan vs Stoke City match.  The thought would be that Wigan would come out and shoot blanks while Stoke would just sit and play physical defense.  As it happened, there was actually very little of that at the DW Stadium.  Both teams played an energetic and entertaining game that speaks volumes about the rising quality of the Barclay's Premier League.

The action kicked off pretty much right away in the opening minutes as the home side pushed their way into the Stoke defensive third.  In the 4th minute, Wigan man James McCarthy tried a shot in the center of the box that deflected off of Robert Huth's hand, resulting in a PK for Wigan.  Shaun Maloney stepped up and sent the 'keeper in the wrong direction making it 1-0 to Wigan on five minutes.

There weren't a ton of clear cut chances that came out of the next half hour, but both sides were able to move the ball well, especially Wigan, who showed a lot of creativity.  Stoke was more than up to the challenge though.  After conceding the opening goal, Tony Pulis made a slight tactical adjustment. pretty much going three at the back, to try get some more pressure on the Wigan end.  It started to pay dividends as the match wound toward halftime.  In the 33rd minute American International Geoff Cameron found himself in some space just outside the box and took a rip at the goal.  It was a solid strike, but just curved wide of the near post at the end.    Then in the 38th minute he had a decent header off of a Charlie Adam free kick, but Wigan managed to block it and end the threat.

Stoke got their first equalizer in the same manner in which Wigan got their first goal.  In the 40th minute, Maynor Figueroa was whistled for a handball in the box, and the Potters found themselves with a PK of their own.  The Wigan 'keeper guessed right, but couldn't get down to Jonathan Walters' shot in time and the half ended with the sides tied at 1-1.

The second half stared off in cracking fashion.  In the 49th minute Wigan tore up the pitch on a counter attack as Arouna Kone got on the end of a beautiful long ball and took it into the penalty area.  After attracting a couple of Stoke defenders he slipped it over to a trailing Franco Di Santo who slotted home a beautiful finish to give Wigan the lead once again at 2-1. 

The match proceeded at a frantic pace as Stoke went for the equalizer and Wigan looked to ice the match at home.  They nearly did just that in the 66th minute.  Maloney had a driven shot blocked, but it fell for Emmerson Boyce who took a rip at it but missed the near post.  He really should have done better.

Six minutes later Stoke nearly made Wigan pay for the miss.  Walters found himself open in front of goal with just enough space for a shot, but he mishit it and the ball trailed easily to Al Habsi in goal for Wigan.  It didn't matter though, because in the 76th minute the Potters got their equalizer.  Walters sent in a lopping cross after a long throw in that found the head of who else but Peter Crouch.  The big man's header was spot on as it flew into the net to make the match 2-2 with 14 minutes to go.  It was a prototypical Crouch goal.

From then on it was nearly all Stoke as they had two golden chances to steal all three points late.  In the 83rd minute, Al Habsi made a neat save on Cameron Jerome, but it fell to Crouch who took a shot.  The defense stepped in and covered, averting danger for the moment.  In the 85th Al Habsi pulled a true wonder save out of his pocket to preserve the point.  Charlie Adam sent in a nice free kick that appeared to be going to the Wigan 'keeper's left, but it took a deflection back to the right.  With all of his momentum going to the left, he stuck his right hand and down and JUST managed to parry it away from the bottom corner.  It was one of the most skillful saves I've seen in awhile.   The match finished 2-2, which was about right.  Both sides played very well and neither really deserved to lose.