MLS Week 4 News/Week 3 Review

[Mr. Warmth]

Andy & Sacha, take a seat.

All in all, I can't disagree with Herron's suspension & fine for this incident (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:mediaPlayer.play%28%7Bw:%27mms://a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/11504/v0001/mlbmls.download.akamai.com/11504/2007/open/discipline/041907_clbner_herron_on_heaps_42nd.wmv%27,w_id:%277555%27,catCode:%27discipline%27,type:%27v_free%27%7D%29) where the Costa Rican put the elbow to one of MLS' biggest jerks. No one outside the myopic fan base of Revolution really shed a tear for Jay Heaps getting popped in the grille, given how often he's not above thugging it up. I'm sure they would have rather seen 10 games and a public flogging. Kljestan's tackle (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:mediaPlayer.play%28%7Bw:%27mms://a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/11504/v0001/mlbmls.download.akamai.com/11504/2007/open/discipline/042107_chvrsl_klijestan_on_williams.wmv%27,w_id:%277551%27,catCode:%27discipline%27,type:%27v_free%27%7D%29) on Andy Williams was more bad luck & bad timing than malice, but it's good to see MLS doing something to discourage tackles from behind. Not only does this protect the offensive/creative players in MLS, hopefully, it will encourage players to refrain from those tackles in CONCACAF club games and with the US National team. Also, I would have liked to see Joseph get a one game suspension for his push (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:mediaPlayer.play%28%7Bw:%27mms://a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/11504/v0001/mlbmls.download.akamai.com/11504/2007/open/discipline/041907_joseph_herron_43rd.wmv%27,w_id:%277553%27,catCode:%27discipline%27,type:%27v_free%27%7D%29) to Herron's face. The League & the refs HAVE TO start cracking down on stuff like this and more importantly dissent with 3 and 4 players surrounding a ref to bitch about every decision. A few yellow cards and/or fines might just curtail this truly annoying behavior that not only wastes time and takes away from the quality of the game, it's cost more than one MLS team a yellow in CONCACAF play. Just shut your damned mouths and play on. And while I'm echoing my fellow BigSoccer Blogger Matrim55 (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=523813) in being concerned about the dangerous tackles we have seen delivered on Andy Williams & Carlos Ruiz, we're also pleasantly surprised with the general tenacity of the games that have been played. It's much better seeing teams try to garner as many points as possible all season long, rather than try to turn it on it on, post ASG, and hope to sneak into the final playoff spot.

I don't think that there is one singular reason for this change in how teams are playing, but several contributing factors that have forced managers to get their players to adapt, or be a part of the purse fight with Toronto FC for next season's #1 SuperDraft pick. Contributing to the frantic pace of the league so far, we have fewer points available because of the reduction in games, minor to moderate upgrades in the talent on some teams, a punching bag in Toronto FC (easy points while Mo plays "pick'em", CONCACACF Champion's Cup & SuperLiga slots, but most of all is the impending absence of many players due to Gold Cup and Copa America games. Several teams could be looking at losing some players for the majority of the season, not to mention the potential for losing younger players depending on when CONCACAF decides to hold Olympic Qualification games. Most teams stand to lose at least two players through one or both of these tournaments, which will test the depth of the clubs, and while that might give a player or two the opportunity to show their value, it's much more likely to make the teams that aren't really deeper than their starting XI, take a nosedive in the standings.
http://members.cox.net/mondaymorning10shirt/Results.jpg (http://members.cox.net/mondaymorning10shirt/Results.jpg)http://bp3.blogger.com/_yxROJtWD0Sg/Ri2UYsIulHI/AAAAAAAAADQ/IdGriuUDumE/s400/vampire.jpg (http://bp3.blogger.com/_yxROJtWD0Sg/Ri2UYsIulHI/AAAAAAAAADQ/IdGriuUDumE/s1600-h/vampire.jpg)
Chicago Fire 2-1Kansas City Wizards:

Long time BigSoccer member and soccer photographer extraordinaire, Andy Mead, called me out for allegedly not knowing anything about what the Wizards might have done in the off season to improve their team. Whatever it was, it still wasn't enough to ward off whatever mojo or ju ju or voodoo or old Chippewa curse that has kept the Wizards from any measure of success when playing in Chicago, with the Wizards only able to muster an single victory in 2005 the 10 seasons Chicago has been in the league. Sure, maybe I should spend a cozy weekend with the Wizards media guide and mining their forums for news and information, to get myself up to speed on KC. Then again, the game was in Chicago and when KC plays in Chicago, always bet on Red. That's all I really needed to know.

Also, while the actual score didn't reflect it, I did pick this game as a 1-0 win for the Fire, which Chad Barrett delivered on. Kevin Stott obviously had money riding on a 2-1 final scoreline as he added a late penalty for both teams, awarding PK's for soft to non-existent fouls on Ivan Guerrero and KC newcomer, Carlos Marinelli.

Chivas USA 4 - 0 Real Salt Lake:

If Chivas could have finished a bit better, they could have easily 67 goals as Ante Razov picked up goal 100 and Cuban ex-pat Maykel Galindo showed why Nick Rimando should start looking for apartments in USL markets. One of the TV people popped off about how John Ellinger had hooked his fate on teenager Freddy Adu. In reality, Ellinger hooked his future on trading to get a craptacular Rimando back as well as the ancient legs of Eddie Pope. Ellinger had better hope he can right the ship in the April 30 game against the Rapids, because I don't see Checketts holding on to Ellinger if the team doesn't finish April with more than three points. The John Ellinger Career Deathwatch is officially on. Thanks to this pick, I'm already up $200 on Dan Loney for the year.

http://bp3.blogger.com/_yxROJtWD0Sg/Ri-_1Lp-RDI/AAAAAAAAADY/uwrEbrl-_5A/s400/geico-cavemen.jpg (http://bp3.blogger.com/_yxROJtWD0Sg/Ri-_1Lp-RDI/AAAAAAAAADY/uwrEbrl-_5A/s1600-h/geico-cavemen.jpg)
Houston 0 - 1 CFKA Metro RBNY:

I'm big enough to admit that I went the wrong way on this pick and things were looking pretty good when Clint Mathis sent Pat Onstad a candygram letting him know he was going left , then got himself sent off on a pretty soft (by the standard of the fouls in the other games of the week) shot on Ryan Cochrane. Houston's attack was missing in action without Ching starting, though Arena, ABMOD, Captain4Life and the Geico Caveman have put together a squad that for the time being is looking strong enough to finish one or two in the east. Of course the true test will be if Arenaball can overcome the death grip that mediocrity and failure seem to exercise on the New York club. Josmer Altidore is certainly going to make it easier for Arena put a competitive club on the recycled rubber of Giants stadium with his ability to make defenders look positively stupid like did all game with his attacks and crushing shots, including the blast for the game winning goal (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:mediaPlayer.play%28%7Bw:%27mms://a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/11504/v0001/mlbmls.download.akamai.com/11504/2007/open/partner/sierra_mist/winner/042207_smgotw_altidore_winner_350.wmv%27,w_id:%277501%27,catCode:%27partner_sponsor%27,type:%27v_free%27%7D%29) that earned MLS Goal of the Week.


Colorado Rapids 1 - 3 FC Dallas.

FC Dallas continues through the April of Doom with their 6 game Battan Death March to start off the season. Watching some of Shaka Hislop in the pre-season, I was picking FC Dallas to spot the league 18 points while Dario Sala was serving his 6 game suspension for popping Hunter Freeman. Thankfully for the hicks that comprise The Inferno, FC Dallas is scoring enough to make up for Hislop's average of 1 soft goal per game, though they have been playing a bunch of offensive chumps, aside from RBNY. Upcoming games against Josmer Altidore's RBNY and perennial USNAT underachiever Taylor Twellman and the Revs could see FC Elsie throw 4-6 points away.

[Chowda]

So you were glad to see Jay Heaps get "popped in the face" which resulted in a concussion?

You have zero class.

[metroflip73]

So you were glad to see Jay Heaps get "popped in the face" which resulted in a concussion?

You have zero class.

So does Jay Heaps behave in this manner as well? If not, then yes, no class. If he does act like Ulf Samuelsson on the soccer pitch, it's called Karma. It's a cast-iron beetch...

[skipper60601]

I'm not happy to see Heaps get a concussion, but he does play like a thug and so it shouldn't be a surprise when someone pops him. MLS games for the most part are painfully dull to watch, in large part because of the way that hacks like Heaps stifle offensive play. MLS is not going to capitalize on the signings of Beckham and other foreign stars if it continues to do little or nothing about the excessive fouling and thuggery that goes on routinely.

[hadmonster]

Agreed. No need for thuggery in the MLS. But I thought the league was tame compared to the EPL....

[upupnaway20]

So was Sacha only fined or did he get a suspension too?? All I see on mlsnet is a fine and I have to know if I should take him off my fantasy team!!

[petezuke17]

So was Sacha only fined or did he get a suspension too?? All I see on mlsnet is a fine and I have to know if I should take him off my fantasy team!!

He was suspended for two games.

[upupnaway20]

He was suspended for two games.

Thanks for the info. I'm off to mfls.com!

[Mr. Warmth]

So you were glad to see Jay Heaps get "popped in the face" which resulted in a concussion?

You have zero class.


Glad? Hell, I made it my wallpaper. Now if we can just get someone else's elbow to meet up with Ben Olsen's face, my Christmas list will be complete.

[Bill Archer]

So you were glad to see Jay Heaps get "popped in the face" which resulted in a concussion?

You have zero class.

Just another NE fan pretending that Heaps had nothing whatever to do with Herron getting fed up and belting him.

Why poor Little JayBoy was just standing there waiting for the bus to take him to choir practice, after having spent the afternoon at the Nursing Home, reading to blind people. All that nonsense about having gotten a yellow for a two-footed tackle just moments before giving Joeseph Ngwenya a forearm to the face and then getting nailed by Herron? Just a coincidence, apparently.

Look, Herron got suspended, alright? Why in the hell isn't that enough for you oafs? Why is it that, after getting exactly what you wanted from the league you are all still pissed off?

If we all promise to pretend we're as blind, biased and stupid as you guys apparently are and thus haven't noticed that Heaps is probably the dirtiest player in the league, will that satisfy you? If we promise to expand the Lady Bing to soccer and award it to Good Saint Heapsie, will that mollify you guys?

Was I "glad" to see Heaps get "popped in the face"?

Absolutely not. I was hoping to see his face get run over by a truck, stabbed with an icepick, doused with gasoline and set on fire.

[JMoney418]

Just another NE fan pretending that Heaps had nothing whatever to do with Herron getting fed up and belting him.

Why poor Little JayBoy was just standing there waiting for the bus to take him to choir practice, after having spent the afternoon at the Nursing Home, reading to blind people. All that nonsense about having gotten a yellow for a two-footed tackle just moments before giving Joeseph Ngwenya a forearm to the face and then getting nailed by Herron? Just a coincidence, apparently.

Look, Herron got suspended, alright? Why in the hell isn't that enough for you oafs? Why is it that, after getting exactly what you wanted from the league you are all still pissed off?

If we all promise to pretend we're as blind, biased and stupid as you guys apparently are and thus haven't noticed that Heaps is probably the dirtiest player in the league, will that satisfy you? If we promise to expand the Lady Bing to soccer and award it to Good Saint Heapsie, will that mollify you guys?

Was I "glad" to see Heaps get "popped in the face"?

Absolutely not. I was hoping to see his face get run over by a truck, stabbed with an icepick, doused with gasoline and set on fire.


I agree.

How can you defend such a goon?

Then call someone else classless?

Typical revs fan

[usasoccerhooligan]

Was I "glad" to see Heaps get "popped in the face"?

Absolutely not. I was hoping to see his face get run over by a truck, stabbed with an icepick, doused with gasoline and set on fire.

well that escalated quickly....

http://www.dvdforum.nu/images/recensioner/2005/0419/anchorman.jpeg

[Benedict XVI]

Why isn't the plural of oaf oaves?

[Matrim55]

I'm just glad my team doesn't have anyone thuggish like that...

http://redbull.newyork.mlsnet.com/imgs/bios/photos/kovalenko_d.jpg

[nedigital]

and apparently heaps has morphed into kovalenko, simo valkari and the entire team from slapshot somehow. look, he's annoying to play against, does make the occasional bad foul, but generally is not that bad. there's not exactly an epidemic of heaps ruining games he's involved in.

it's great that herron was suspened, as anyone in that position should have been. yes, that's enough for us. done and done. but people are reacting to the comments here, not the suspension.

for some reason i thought bill archer wouldn't fall into the immature exchanges....

[schmuckatelli]

look, he's annoying to play against, does make the occasional bad foul, but generally is not that bad.....
By "the occasional bad foul," did you mean, say, one per game, or one each time an opponent arrives in his half of the field? Cuz, if it's the latter, I'm OK with that... ;)

Jay Heaps is a pain in the tuchas to play against, but that does not excuse Andy Herron's actions in any way. You might recall a similar hard elbow from Branco in WC94 that almost ended Tab Ramos' career.

[The Magpie]

This is funny, sad, and all reather predictible.

Herron got what he deserved, and Joseph got what he deserved... some might say Heaps got what he deserved as well, but nobody deserves to be on the receiving end of such viscious play.

The Magpie

[Khan]

Chivas USA 4 - 0 Real Salt Lake:

If Chivas could have finished a bit better, they could have easily 67 goals as Ante Razov picked up goal 100 and Cuban ex-pat Maykel Galindo showed why Nick Rimando should start looking for apartments in USL markets. One of the TV people popped off about how John Ellinger had hooked his fate on teenager Freddy Adu. In reality, Ellinger hooked his future on trading to get a craptacular Rimando back as well as the ancient legs of Eddie Pope. Ellinger had better hope he can right the ship in the April 30 game against the Rapids, because I don't see Checketts holding on to Ellinger if the team doesn't finish April with more than three points. The John Ellinger Career Deathwatch is officially on. Thanks to this pick, I'm already up $200 on Dan Loney for the year.
Correction: Nick Rimando should've been looking for apartments in MISL markets ever since he lost his job to a guy who was working @ a sporting goods store. He's shyte, and he's BEEN shyte for seasons.

I don't know which is more enjoyable to me:

That [some factions of] DCU Nation has had this insane infatuation with a craptacular 5'10" 'keeper,

OR

That Stupid John Ellinger was dumb enough to acquire him.


I suppose that Ellinger's existence as a MLS manager enables comparatively-brilliant soccer minds such as Dave Sarachan to enjoy job security. So there is at least ONE family in Chicago that is enjoying Rimando's Cavalcade of Crap.

[fatboy15]

nobody seriously wants to see a player get hurt. especially something like a concussion that can affect a player for years (check out eskandarian).

but honestly, is there anybody whos not a revs fan that thinks heaps didn't deserve this?

[hadmonster]

Khan -

As an RSL fan, I agree completely. I think we have the WORST keeper in the league. If the organization doesn't do everything in their power to acquire Kasey Keller, they are idiots. Anyone can see that our keeper is our weakest position.