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Week 15: The Rest, Inkblot-style[R]

Jeff Bull — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:14:00 GMT

I already wrote-up all the games I caught - and intend to catch - this weekend (RSL v. Houston; LA v. New England; Columbus v. Chicago), but still feel compelled to kick around the results I caught through the highlights. Obviously, these will be big-picture, even half-blind, opinions but some of those results really caught the eye.

On with it - and do feel free to fill in the ample blanks I'll leave in the comments.

FC Dallas 1-1 KC Wizards
Just when you think the Wizards had forced a flip to send Dallas tumbling to the basement, Abe Thompson makes a late, great run to the back-post, heads in a goal, and - pow! - tie game. Up to that point, the tale was a familiar one for Dallas: Kenny Cooper against the world. Even given that, KC is showing some signs of life...unlike Dallas' attendance.

Chivas USA 1-0 San Jose Earthquakes
I happened to glimpse MLSnet.com's write-up on my way to their scoreboard, where I saw some headline about San Jose showing its defensive muscle. My first reaction is...mmm...maybe. My second reaction is that, wow, I must be rating Chivas too highly - and that's mainly because I want them to reward their playing style. Still, helluva goal by Razov, just not enough to make Chivas look like the belong among the heavyweights.

Colorado Rapids 4-0 Red Bull New York
In many ways, this is the result for which I've been waiting. It's the most eye-catching result of the week, if nothing else. This isn't so much about believing in Colorado - who are far too erratic, at this point, to earn confidence - than it's about confirming a doubt/wish about the Red Bulls: I just don't think they're a good team, which makes me really happy when I get presented with "proof." Going the other way, it was great to see Colin Clarke - a player in whom I really want to believe - come alive. That must have been a really fun thrashing for Rapids fans. Enjoy it now, 'cause next week is coming.

Crew v. Fire [R]: Dueling Danger Men

Jeff Bull — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 17:58:27 GMT

Again, it's a holiday and I'm entertaining, so this will be short.

A good, if slightly weird, game out Columbus way, wasn't it? The Chicago Fire, a team that really stunk up June, came out flying against the Columbus Crew, shutting them down inside their half, pressuring every ball and, yes, knocking in two well-taken goals before 20 minutes were gone (maybe....don't hold me to the time). Before the first half ended, however, Columbus scrapped one back and, when all was said and done with a couple absurdly close call thrown in, the Crew forced the draw. The most interesting angle in this one comes with which players showed up. Chicago's Justin Mapp played a wonderful first half, making the kinds of runs and passes we came to expect from the once-(now?) up-and-comer. Given Mapp's season, this seemed to come out of nowhere. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, the Crew's Robbie Rogers - e.g. this year's Golden Boy - remained something like invisible up to the game's final 15. Ekpo carried what little offense the Crew had through the first half, but things never really took off for Columbus until Rogers woke up.

Games turn on performances like that. And, for the record, I hope to see a rematch between these teams in the post-season.

Columbus Crew
1. Ekpo.
Take a guy like Alejandro Moreno, who just busts ass all over the field for the full 90. Then there's a guy like Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who is good enough that he doesn't have to bust ass. And then there's Emanuel Ekpo, who came in and out of this one. He ran like dogs were chasing him through the first; I'd call him Columbus' key danger man and not just because of the crucial goal. By the end of the game, he looked tanked: the ball kept getting caught in his spokes, he'd try one move and then seem to give up. I'm not knocking the man, so much as I'm wondering why he didn't get pulled...maybe because there's no Eddie Gaven?

2. Iro.
The rookie had a couple shaky moments, didn't he? He held firm overall, but his occasional trouble with playing the ball threw a couple curves Will Hesmer's way.

3. Were they or weren't they...goals, that is?
Two scrambles and two arguable goals, both of them credited to the Crew: the first, the one Moreno picked out of the hands of the Fire's Jon Busch; the second, the late-game, goal-mouth scramble that had everyone in yellow hopping and barking that the ball had crossed the line. Should either have counted? I have no idea on the second, but was a little surprised on the first - though the video for that was, admittedly, inconclusive. Because Moreno pipped it relatively easily, it just seemed like Busch didn't quite have that one.

Chicago Fire
1. Am I right, or am I wrong?
I kicked Chicago inordinately hard in my Week 14 rankings and, for as long as the first half lasted, figured I'd be eating crow (assuming anyone had read either this or the rankings). So, with the game ending as it did, what to think now? Speaking for myself, this didn't look like a club in crisis - and that's an improvement. But their vaunted defense gave up two, nearly gave up two more, and, a late, happy spell around the 80th minute aside - which, significantly, was broken by the Crew's equalizer - the Fire had a weak second half. They're not #13 anymore - probably never were; I was being an asshole by way of making a point - but this wasn't the convincing performance I wanted.

2. Barrett.
I doubt I was the only one to notice where Chad Barrett started the game - e.g. on the bench. Can't say that doesn't tally, given Chad's recent penchant for missing.

3. Conde.
Is he working his way back in from the outs? I don't follow Chicago closely enough to know, so will only say this: Wilman Conde looked a lot like his old self out there, playing a solid game in defense as well as getting forward usefully from time to time.

FC BARCELONA: THE VOTE OF CONFIDENCE (This article is available in English and Espa�ol)

rolandinho — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 17:51:16 GMT

If you want to read all the article, please visit:

http://saqueneutral.blogspot.com/

FC BARCELONA: THE VOTE OF CONFIDENCE (This article is available in English and Espa�ol)

Today the vote of confidence against FC Barcelona�s president Joan Laporta is taking place. Those, who have followed us during the last months, know our critical position to the management of Laporta as president of this club, because we believe that it is very difficult to doing the things worse.
However we believe that it is not a good option to hold a vote of confidence at this time, because the only thing that it is causing is more bad managements of the FC Barcelona�s president Joan Laporta during this period and whether the vote of confidence thrives, whether it does not thrive, the consequences are and will be negative for the club because:

1-It is very difficult that the vote of confidence thrives, since it requires an important participation and votes in favour of the Laporta�s dismissal, so I think that everything will continue to be the same on Sunday night and therefore Laporta will continue with his mismanagement. We saw important mismanagements during this period of the vote of confidence, since Laporta wanted to convince the supporters with news acquisition, but he paid a lot of money for these new players.
The truth is that to sell and buy players during this period is a big mistake, because the sellers are take advantage of the moment of the weakness of the president and they are demanding a lot of money for just normal player, because they know that Laporta needs new faces and excuses to appear every day in the medias to campaign and to criticize the former FC Barcelona�s vice president Sandro Rosell, who will be a future candidate to be FC Barcelona�s president.
If we look at the list of the acquisitions in the recent times is "impressive" because on the one hand FC Barcelona signed the inexperienced and arrogant coach and Pep Guardiola-we should remember that FC Barcelona�supporters did not want Guardiola when he was in the list of the candidate to be FC Barcelona�s president Lluis Bassat (it was incredible the Guardiola�s bet: the inexperienced Juanma Lillo as FC Barcelona�s coach�no more comment!!)........

LA v. New England [R]: The Mulligan Half

Jeff Bull — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 17:19:59 GMT

I'm entertaining this 4th of July weekend, like I lot of you I expect, so this and subsequent write-ups will have to be brief...probably a good thing given my capacity for blabbing.

What to say about this one, but Ho-ly CRAP, did the LA Galaxy suck every possible thing in every possible way in the first half. They didn't even look like professionals out there; one blond-shag-sporting player looked so out of place that it looked as if he walked out of the stands to join the team (OK, no, that's not technically a shag Abel Xavier is sporting, but what the hell do you call that...thing on his head?). Given that, you can almost forgive the New England Revolution for nodding off in the second half, thereby nearly allowing a draw.

Straight to the talking points:
LA Galaxy
1. Dude, Xavier freakin' sucks.
Yeah, this is about as novel as saying grass is green, but Xavier somehow slipped under his own lowly standards last night. He made New England's Adam Cristman look world-class...need I say more? I would be friggin' outraged if I were a Galaxy fan.

2. Whose that Beckman guy? And where's Beckham?
Obvioulsy, Beckham played the full 90. Hell, he even scored LA's lone reply to Cristman and played in a great pass to Edson Buddle for what came desperately close to being his side's equalizer. Beckham didn't show in the first half, however, to the extent I thought a stunt double might have taken the field for him.

3. Paying the ref (but not enough).
That was some damned strange, and LA-friendly, refereeing last night. I'm not seriously charging the team with match-fixing, but LA got a lot of calls New England didn't last night. It wasn't a big deal, mainly because it wasn't an issue of protecting the players or keeping a lid on the game; it was more a matter of LA getting really soft calls when New England wasn't getting them. Must have been frustrating...

New England Revolution
1. On killing games.
This is a quibble given their record, but New England sure likes making things interesting late. Maybe they like getting the early lead and holding grimly on to it, but it makes for stressful viewing. It especially doesn't help when...

2. Castro misses.
Had they gone into the locker room three goals up - as they should have, but for Mauricio Castro's shocking miss - New England's apparent game-plan might have held up better. That said, it's a shame because this was one of the better games I've seen Castro turn in this season.

3. Big, Underrated Red
Hard as it is to miss a big ginger, not enough love goes Jeff Larentowicz's way - must be something to do with running in Shalrie Joseph's shadow. But he's a hell of a force in New England's midfield and plays a very strong, clean game.

MLS rest of Week 15 - Born on the Fifteenth of July

Dan Loney — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:33:33 GMT

From MLSnet:

Quote:

"I can't wait for the 15th of July, when we can sign some players and make a very competitive team," said Osorio. "Because at the moment, I think all of our players have had the chance to shine and stake a claim and a lot of them refuse to do that."

Okay, but, you did wait for the 15th of July.

I guess I don't want to say that teams shouldn't have a chance to improve, or correct mistakes during the season. But I blame DC United for doing too good a job of it in 1996, and then again in 2004. You can also blame DC United for turning Supporters Shields into first-round exits the past two years. People think they can write off the first three months of the season and contend for the championship, and that's the reason we get New England and Houston every year. The big moves Houston made last year were Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya. The big moves Los Angeles made last year were Much More Widely Covered. Which team didn't embarrass itself?

The teams that rely on the midsummer transfer window to salvage their seasons tend to stay in the salvage heap. The seeming exception last year, the Chicago Fire, really isn't one. Cootiemac Blanco vastly exceeded expectations, especially those like me who still hope he fails every week. And yeah, the Fire got to the semifinals ahead of the Shield winner.

Then they lost to New England, yet again, because the core of the roster that just wasn't good enough in April still wasn't good enough in October...and because the other big pickup over the summer was Paulo Wanchope, who was given way too many chances to succeed simply because he was a big summer acquisition.

The midseason savior model has permeated the league. The Galaxy do it every year, apparently thinking the law of averages will eventually kick in and their team will actually improve in August. (Two years they didn't, by the way, were 2002 and 2005, just saying.) Chivas USA has built its marketing model for the year around it, and may saddle themselves with Bofo Bautista and Osvaldo Sanchez. San Jose and Houston knowingly started the seasons way, way too shallow at forward.

Meanwhile, New England and Columbus got their acts together, and are putting together solid years. DC United made all their big moves in time for the season, and seemingly have managed to adjust. Toronto waited a few weeks before acquiring Guevara and Robert, but they certainly didn't tell their fans to wait patiently for improvement. Real Salt Lake is...well, hey, they're better than they were, and they're not in the East, so the sky's the limit.

("But, Dallas and Kansas City thought they were ready on Opening Day, and now look at them." Well, there's just no helping some people.)

CREW v. FIRE
Um, I dawdled on this preview, so the game has started. These teams usually hate each other, so this should be exciting. I'd go into more detail, but someone has scored already. Yes, I ruined the result, if you had been on a 0-0 draw.

CALIFORNIA CLASICO
Yeah, can't be objective here. I'm cheering for red cards and injuries.

EDIT for awesome: Nick Green asks Mike Randolph about his contribution to the Galaxy offense:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Randolph

I have no attacking skills whatsoever.

Top Ten $igning$ To Date in La Liga

Elisa Uranga — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:30:07 GMT

The Silly Season started off with a bang and then went into hiding as Euro 2008 took over our footballing world. Now that the Euro tournament is over, let's review the Top Ten Monetary Signings thus far in La Liga.

1. Dani Alves from Sevilla to Bar�elona - $48M USD

The best Right Back in the world? Possbly, well, most definitely in the top 3. Dani Alves has been itching for a move to a big team, the elite of Europe, for the last two years. He is a fantastic addition to the team. Alves brings defensive and attacking acumen, a dangerous combination. His free kicks are sublime. He can most definitely fit in the Cruyff/Barca style quite nicely. He's young, only 24 years old and he is lightning fast. Gianluca Zambrotta will not be missed. But is the price tag a bit much? This is the most expensive defensive signing ever! Good to see that Sevilla's President Jose Maria Del Nido, also known as the Scrooge of La Liga, is still raking in the profits and standing firm on his exorbitant prices. But if you can get a player of this caliber, I say go for it. Bar�a has the money and this addition will greatly enhance the team's current renovation project. Pep Guardiola means business. Look out.

2. Martin Caceres from Villarreal to Bar�elona - $25M USD

Bar�a in da house agin. The Uruguayan Defender had a solid season last year at Recreativo Huelva. Who? Recre, a team that missed relegation by the skin of their teeth. A team that let in 60 goals last year. Caceres was on loan from Villarreal during the 2007-8 season and actually never played for the Yellow Submarines. Previous to his loan, he played at Defensor in Uruguay. The Central Defender is only 21 years old and Txiki Bergiristain and company must see some vast potential in the player. The club needs more depth in defense, as the first teams get older and older and are quite injury prone. But $25M, hmmmm? Good business by the Villarreal, for sure.

3. Jonas Gutierrez from Mallorca to Newcastle - $23M USD

Mallorca is in desperate need of money. Their parent company has filed for bankruptcy and there is a fire sale in the Balearics, for the right price. Jonas aka Spiderman has been wanting to leave for at least two years and has talked up England big time (Liverpool, Portsmouth, etc.). But Newcastle? Jonas is an out and out winger, pacy, but with a slight body. The type of slender body that is not quite suited to the Prem nor the Geordie club's style of play, in my opinion. Last season, the player was not a happy camper, a bit of a diva, and was benched due to his attitude from time to time. I know that Mallorca and Velez Sarsfield (his former club) are not particularly happy with the transfer particulars. But I am sure that will be sorted out by the big bucks of the Prem. I am feeling good about the transfer all things considered. Not really sure if this is a good fit for the player and team. The jury is still out.

4. Seydou Keita from Sevilla to Bar�elona - $21M USD

Aw Bar�a again in the market, this time for a quality hard tacking, Defensive Midfielder. Obviously Pep, Txiki, and fans of La Liga, feel that the midfield has been a problem defensively. Seydou is of the same ilk as Yaya Toure. Only difference is the age factor. Seydou is a little older at 28. The Malian International had a very good year with Sevilla which included his first taste of Champions League football. A fantastic addition for Bar�a once again. A little pricey, but you are dealing with the devil in Seville. All in all, money well spent.

5. Felipe Melo from Almeria to Fiorentina - $18M USD

Smaller clubs like Almeria, desperately need to find diamonds in the rough or unknowns and turn them around to make a windfall when they sell them to bigger teams, like La Viola. Melo had a very good year at the small Andalusian club. Almeria play a fast paced, attacking game and Melo was a key part of creating plays and advancing the attack. The Brasilian, previous to his year at Almeria, spent a season and a half or so, at Racing Santander. The Midfielder is only 24 years old and will get his first taste of European glory in Italy. Nice bit of business for both parties.

6. Deco - from Bar�a to Chelsea - $16M USD

Whodathunk? What a major change for Chelsea football club! Felipao aka Big Phil is going to change the team's style of play around Deco. That is what you need to do, when you bring in someone like Deco. If Felipao is successful with this grand shift, no longer will we sing "Boring, Boring, Chelsea." Maybe this is a good thing? Only time will tell. Is the price a bit cheap for someone of the caliber of Deco? Well he is 30 years old and moving to a very physical league. Honestly, I feel that Pep Guardiola and company just wanted him out of Catalunya and this was the best price on the market, given his age, their desparate situation, and his known Diva antics. It will be interesting to see what comes out of the Ronaldhino and Eto'o auction.

7. Ezequiel Garay - from Racing Santander to Real Madrid - $15M USD

One for the future, according to Bernd Schuster. Madrid picked up one of the hottest, most versatile players around. Garay can play as a Center Back, Sweeper, and Right Back. The Argentine International is only 21 years old and had a stellar year at El Sardinero, which unfortunately ended in injury. Real Madrid has agreed to loan him back to Racing for one more season, probably a contingency of the sale, so we will not see him in a Madrid shirt until 2009-10. But you know how those things can change. Good to see Madrid continuing on their youth mantra.

8. Johnny Heitinga from Ajax to Atletico de Madrid - $15M USD

One of the biggest problems with Atleti last season, was their leaky defense. Sure, it made for some great goal fests, but supporters were worried about Los Colchoneros' European potency. So Vasco Aguirre went straight to work and made one of the earliest purchases of the silly season with the Dutch Defender. He's only 24 and he can play Full Back, Central Defender and Defensive Mid, which is a nicety. I was not too impressed with his "super" sub showing at Euro 2008, but let's give him time. Plus, working alongside Tomas Ujfalusi should really help his game.

9. Gianluca Zambrotta from Bar�a to AC Milan - $13M USD

I know his wife didn't settle well in Spain, but how can a World Cup winning Right Back become utter crap in games? Talk about lack of motivation. Was he abducted by aliens? There are some players that should never leave their homeland to play abroad. Zambo is on top of the list. At 31 years of age, Bar�a made some nice coinage on the Italian. I am not sure if he will be back to his pacy self on the wings, as he is getting a little long in the tooth. But being back on terra firma may do wonders for the guy. Ya never know.

10. Koffi Romaric from Le Mans to Sevilla - 12M USD

Le Mans stuck to their guns and was able to get beacoup bucks out of President Del Nido. Touche! According to Monchi, Sevilla's sporting director, the Ivorian Midfielder is better than Keita (who they sold to Bar�a for a ton - see above). The 25 year old is able to operate in defense as well as attack. He is a notable play maker as well. So versatility once again is the key. A nice piece of business for one so young. Monchi's scouts are top notch and still showing their class. Incredible!

*In Summary

So what does this tell us about Summer 2008, thus far? Bar�a, once again, is a big time player in the market this year. The Catalans will do whatever it takes to reclaim La Liga and European glory. Sevilla, as always, is making every single penny count. Is the Nervion, the best buisness model in La Liga? Real Madrid is lying in waiting for the big merchandising extravaganza, as they are ready to break the bank one more time. (Please say it isn't so). La Liga teams are still trying to rip off Prem teams when they can (ahem Newcastle and perhaps Chelsea). Aleti seems to be rather happy with their squad. Why does that scare me? And a good bit of business by some of the lower lights in La Primera, IE Mallorca and UD Almeria.

Next week it's time to review some of the top free transfers to date in La Liga.

Post your comments or thoughts here on the blog. If you need to air or rant in detail, you can email me at elisa@forzafutbol.com. Don't forget to check out our weekly podcast on all things La Liga and Serie A at www.csrnusa.com, itunes, our myspace, www.forzafutbol.com (our website), etc. etc.

Ciao y Gracias.

The Mexican League: A great American business?

LMvCP — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:39:06 GMT

With the 2nd edition of SuperLiga just around the corner, I would lie to myself if I did not question this tournament�s legitimacy and foremost, its purpose. Without going into great detail about the plight of Mexican-Americans and their struggles of assimilation within the United States culture, one can say that futbol had always been an escape from reality. It was not that long ago, two generations to be exact, signs that read �No Dogs and Mexicans allowed� were common in many parts of the country. Despite the socio-political climate of the era, what was true then, still holds true today�Mexicans + futbol = $$$.

[ABOVE. FMF delegates receiving the John F. Kennedy Cup after beating S.S. Stephens (Los Angeles) in 1961. BELOW. Members of the Mexican B Team winning the 2nd edition of the pacific coast tournament hosted in Los Angeles in 1962. Even then, Mexican fans still drew huge crowds]

We know that this tournament has more financial motives than athletic ones. By no means am I being cynical, nor am I conveying that money as the root of all evil. I understand and accept that futbol is a business. I have no problem with an owner wanting to make a buck. Where I have a problem is with owners that want to make a buck and not care about the product that they put on the field. I question a tournament that is held annually in one country, where its participants are chosen by different methods, and where one league is in midseason form and another in preseason. I understand that MLS can not implement a traditional calendar, but the problem igoes deeper than that. If MLS and MFL are truly to become rival leagues, MLS should take the initiative to put aside their financial motives and exploitation of the US Mexican market and start building rivalries at the grassroots levels.

American teams in Mexico do not attract huge crowds, which is a factor as to why very few American teams play exhibition matches south of the border. I am convinced that this has nothing to do with anti-American sentiment, but more so with the public's awareness of MLS. In general, the public's image of MLS is that it has no sense of direction and just an extension of the old NASL. MLS needs to play more matches in Mexico. They need to showcase their league, their brands, and their style of play.

Team - No. of appearances in Mexico (year)

Hungarian - 1 (63)
Greek American - 3 (68, 70, 89)
Cosmos - 3 (73, 80, 81)
Aztecas - 2 (74, 79)
Dallas - 2 (78, 92)
San Diego - 4 (79, 80, 82, 83)
Tulsa - 1 (79)
Chicago - 1 (80)
Brooklyn - 2 (80, 91)
Kurtiss - (87)
San Antonio All Stars - 1 (87)
Seattle - 1 (88)
Busch Soccer - 1 (89)
Black Hawks - 1 (92)
San Jose Oaks - (92)

Prior to the creation of the league (MLS), from 1943, the year Mexico professionalized its league, to 1996, only 15 American teams ever stepped foot on Mexican soil to play a match. It is hard to believe that in 53 years, American teams only played 33 matches in Mexico. During that same time frame, 198 matches were played in Mexico against Argentinian clubs, 251 matches were played against Brazilian clubs, 85 matches were played against Uruguayan clubs, 47 matches were played against Chilean clubs, 58 matches were played against Spanish clubs, 51 matches were played against German clubs, and 46 matches were played against Costa Rican clubs.

The Mexican league was notorious throughout the 1940s up until the 1970s for their invitational-type tournaments known as cuandrangulares (4 teams), pentagonales (5 teams), and hexagonales (6 teams). Mexican promoters, as well as league executives, would schedule matches against league champions of other leagues. On the surface, MLS appears to be doing what the Mexican league did decades ago with their invitational tournaments. Little do they know that those tournaments, though financially successful, did not improve the league's competitive nature.

The number of encounters between American clubs and Mexican clubs has grown in the past 12 years. The creation of MLS has facilitated more encounters between both leagues; however, it is evident as to why MLS clubs have done so poorly in official cup competitions in Mexico. More often than not, many MLS teams play exhibition matches with reserve squads and/or 2nd division teams. To me, it is mind blowing how teams that have been in the league for a long time, like the Galaxy and the Red bulls have only played a combine total of 2 matches in Mexico in 12 years.

I remember when Mexican clubs started to participate in CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores. I remember the days I had to pay $20-25 bucks to watch PSN at some bar, only to listen to South American commentators belittle the league. Amazing what 10 years can do--change public opinion of a lesser known league. But that change in public opinion came by going into people's backyards, going against questionable officiating, dealing with hostile fans, and picking up points against historical clubs. I am not saying that MLS needs to make it a point to participate in Copa Libertadores, but just change their mindset and go for the tougher opposition than the quick buck. .

TNFtermath

Dan Loney — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:59:59 GMT

You read something like this, and of course, you immediately think it's just Jason Kreis running off at the mouth again like there's money in it:

Quote:

Chris Wingert was red carded and ejected following a scuffle with Corey Ashe in the 90th minute -- a decision that brought a shower of debris from the stands to the turf at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Tempers became further inflamed when referee Mark Geiger brought the match to an end after four minutes of added time. RSL argued the allotted added time should have run 4-1/2 minutes instead of four.

The time added on and Wingert's red card pushed Kreis to his boiling point and the second-year RSL coach exchanged heated words with the referee before heading off the field. He was unhappy following the game with what he perceived as a lack of consistency from the referee and the linesmen.

"Every single week we play here, I feel like we're playing away," Kreis said. "Every 50/50 call goes against us. My man gets pushed down in the box. The defender has his arms up in front of him -- showing everybody he's clearly pushed my man down in the box -- and we don't get a thought of a penalty kick.

"Where's the linesman there to help the referee? He was certainly there a few weeks ago to call a non-offside against us," Kreis continued."

This from the man who employs Dema Kovalenko. The man with the only unbeaten home record in the West, with a squad that would be flattered by the term "average," thinks he plays away every week.

Plus, unless John Coon really, really blew the story (and credit to MLSnet for publishing such an unkind series of quotes against the league), Kreis is arguing that more time should have been added...with Real Salt Lake a man down. So, if Houston had scored after 4:30, that would have satisfied him?

So it pains me to say that Kreis has a point.

Not on the stoppage time thing, he's just insane. And not really on the complaints about violence in the penalty area - it may be a few years before anyone confuses Jamison Olave with Lilian Thuram.

But, Wingert's foul wasn't any worse than what the Dynamo were doing to Javier Morales all game - a big part of the reason the game did end up scoreless. Dwayne De Rosario and Corey Ashe's reactions seemed a lot more cardworthy than Wingert's...and since Wingert was sporting a big torn shirt after the fracas, he really seemed more sinned against that sinning. No way Houston should have finished the game with eleven men. (Not that it helped - they may need to start twelve the way things have been going for them.)

Anyway, let's give you one huge wall of text, and cover today's holiday games really quick. It's fun to see which teams have their own stadiums (Los Angeles, Colorado, Dallas), and which teams play in cities that have otherwise overwhelming Fourth of July traditions with which soccer cannot compete (Chicago, and I imagine Foxboro has something, they are in New England, they take the late rebellion against good King George fairly seriously up there).

DALLAS v. KANSAS CITY
They're wasting this game on the Fourth? This used to be a fairly interesting little Tornado Alley rivalry. Moving City to the Tough Division probably took some of the spice out of it. "Come for the fireworks despite the soccer" is probably the slogan here, because, WOW are these teams in trouble. The same kind of desperation that made last night's game into an angry slogfest should kick in here. Literally the only thing that ticks this game on the radar is Josh Wolff's return. Columbus can't have Pat Noonan, Chicago can't have Big Mac, but 1860 Munich's biggest star since Seth George can dictate terms. It's not actually funny to predict injuries, by the way, so all of you who are predicting Wolff rediscovers his MLS form, and goes down in the third minute with a season-ending injury, should be very ashamed of yourselves. You know who you are. 0-0.

RAPIDS v. RED BULLS
"Hi, for a few minutes in April it looked like we were serious contenders. Now we've been stinking up the league, and our fans are up in arms." "Really? Us too! Wanna kick the ball around a little?" 0-0.

GALAXY v. REVOLUTION
Perfect symbolism! The Revolution against the most famous English guy in the league, if not the world...and on Independence Day! That's almost as easy as pointing out how godawful the Galaxy defense is. Revolution, 3-1.

RSL v. Houston [R]: Gee...What to Talk About?

Jeff Bull — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 05:05:57 GMT

And it was more than bullets the Houston Dynamo dodged tonight: what about the late altercation that saw Real Salt Lake's Chris Wingert get sent off while the two Houston players involved in the fracas got...well, let's just say they got the rough equivalent of the extension of extra time to account for that incident.

Does this mean RSL got screwed? Nah. Getting back to the bullets fired by RSL, it's fair to say the Utah club failed to aim where they could inflict maximal damage. They put plenty on frame, but kept aiming for Houston's Onstad-lined vest...must be something like kevlar...then again, I'm guessing there's also a meaningful connection between RSL's (is it?) league-leading number of shots taken and their meager return on goals.

OK, I'm done with bullet analogies, but the big take-away from tonight's presentation of MLS Primetime is this: it's rare to see a club get so close to a win - and, lest we forget, be allowed to do so - without actually getting that win. Houston is, at present, bringing all the wrong kinds of funk; if it weren't for the rest of the West stinking up nearly every joint they walk into and MLS's still-remarkably forgiving playoff format, we would be talking plausibly about writing-off the three-peat. But, in this league, fifteen games down the road takes place in the equivalent of another dimension. Them's the rules, so be it.

Some thoughts to kick around...
Real Salt Lake
1. Half-a-tick behind at times.
I saw it again: RSL players would work the ball well enough from side to side, find a player usefully open on the flank...at which point, said player would make like a deer just seconds away from getting over-familiar with the grill of an SUV. That said, they did better tonight on this count than they did last time out - and, significantly, against better opposition - but RSL needlessly kills too many of their own attacks.

2. Closer than you'd think.
Against a virtually all-around good performance, point #1 is a quibble. Kyle Beckerman, Kenny Deuchar, Javier Morales, Jamison Olave, Nick Rimando, yes, even Chris Wingert: all those players had solid-to-very-so outings. A couple others mixed 55% good with 45% bad - here, I'm thinking mainly Robbie Findley and Andy Williams - and that's nothing to sniff at either. This isn't a bad team; just one that...can't...friggin'...score, not even with a cat in heat (ew...horrible image...my bad; just didn't want to re-use the "brothel" cliche).

3. A Parade of Fines, Coming Soon.
I wasn't wild about Mark Geiger's final ten minutes and my job isn't at stake. That's to say, I sympathize with what are sure to prove fine-inducing outbursts by Beckerman and RSL coach Jason Kreis. I'm also thinking Wingert might find a couple bucks missing when he checks his balance this week. I hope they don't get fines - except maybe Wingert, who well and truly lost it - but Beckerman's very direct calling out of the entire officiating crew ("You suck, you suck, and you suck!") and Kreis' cool-killer glare, yeah, both of those have drawn fines in the past. Good luck, guys!

Houston Dynamo
1. When Bobby Boswell is your best defender.
I'm being a shit with that line, but the point shouldn't be all that controversial: the Dynamo defense ain't what it was. Count Onstad lucky that a couple very, very hard, close-range shots went straight at him. To give them credit, Dynamo defenders stopped several shots before they reached Onstad, but, too often, they gave Houston players too much space to shoot, got played around, and got out-worked in the area. That can't keep up, not with...

2. That offense.
Here's another handy stat ESPN's team put up tonight: Houston has the 10th weakest goals-scored-per-game figure in MLS, while RSL boasts the 11th. It might actually be the reverse of that, but 1) that doesn't matter all that much, and 2) it says a lot about tonight. And yet they might have stolen it - especially Brian Ching, who wrestled a few nice openings, even if the shots with which those left him were tough. Houston's nice patch around the 80th minute aside, as well as their opening spell of better possession, they're looking a little over-reliant on set-plays. Yes, there is such a thing.

3. The fracas.
Now, I know I wax all indignant in the lead, but I'm not overly shocked, really, that only Corey Ashe saw yellow for Houston; RSL's players didn't freak out then and ESPN's commentating crew let it go pretty quickly, so maybe I'm the crazy one. That said, I wouldn't have been hugely surprised had either Dwayne DeRosario seen yellow or if Ashe had seen red. Don't get me wrong: when Wingert hit the "psycho" button, he left the officials with no choice ("I'm crazy? I'm CRAZY!? I'll show you f#$%ing crazy!!") But DeRosario kicked off the whole thing with the first shove and Ashe escalated the thing, oh, entirely needlessly. So, again, I'm not too surprised they didn't get anything, but nor would I have been surprised if they had.

That's enough for me. Have at it.

MLS in 10 Years - What my fantasy would look like

nickknx865 — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:16:37 GMT

Picture in your mind for a quick second what the year of 2018 will look like, in soccer terms at least(don't strain for too long).

Here are my predictions and ideals for MLS in 2018. I shall start in 2012 to set the stage.

In 2012, Vancouver Whitecaps and New York Cosmos are the two expansion teams that will start play. LA Galaxy will have won the leauge title in David Beckham's last year. Galaxy win CONCACAF Champions Leauge, and earn a spot in the Club World Cup. In the first game against Egyptian power Al-Ahly, they manage to score a suprize win, 2-1, before getting smashed by AC Milan 5-0.
2013 - The Cosmos manage to pry Franz Beckenbauer from Bayern to manage the Cosmos. Thier first big move is to get Ronaldinho from Man City, and to get Casillas from Real Madrid. However, the talent raid would not help them as they finished 4th in the East.
2014 - Another two expansion teams join the leauge as Atlanta and St. Louis get thier expansion franchises. The Cosmos manage to evoke passions from the 1970's, as they take the leauge crown, Superliga, and Champions Leauge. In the Club World Cup, the Cosmos manage to win thier first game against Sydney FC of Australia. A shocking win of sorts was the Cosmos second round, as they upset Inter Milan 2-0, setting up a final of historic proportions for MLS. The Cosmos are to face Boca Juniors in the finals. In the greatest upset in the history of soccer, the Cosmos win 3-2 to win the Club World Cup.
2015 - David Beckham returns to leauge, this time to manage the LA Galaxy. The Beckham managed Galaxy make it to the MLS Cup finals, but lost to the NY Cosmos. Cosmos win Superliga and Champions Leauge, but Ronaldinho, and Casillas retire soon after, leaving Beckenbauer with a huge decision on club personel.
2016 - The new kids on the block this time are Minnesota and Montreal, but these teams are of no consequence, as the big news during the MLS offseason was World Footballer of the Year Jozy Altidore transferring from Valencia to New York Cosmos. Cosmos however would fall short to the Zolos of Philidelphia, with thier star Cristano Ronaldo on his last leg. Zolos fall short to Club America of the Mexican Leauge in both the Superliga and Champions Leauge.
2017 - A sad tragedy has befallen the New York Cosmos, as thier beloved manager and West German national, Franz Beckenbauer, had died of a heart attack the day before the opening kickoff of the season, leaving the Cosmos managerless for the first week of the season. In a fitting tribute, the Cosmos beat the Red Bulls of New York 6-2, with Jozy Altidore scoring a hat trick. As another token of remeberance, the Cosmos wear all black unis for the rest of the season. They are inspired to win the MLS, Superliga, and Champions Leauge, and make it to the Club World Cup. They kill Urawa Red Diamonds 8-1. In thier second game, they get past Chelsea 2-1. In the final, they are sentenced to play Santos FC of Brazil, and destroy them 5-0 to win the Club World Cup for the second time. The trophy they won that season is encased in a glass case near Beckenbauer's grave near Munich, Germany.
2018 - No new teams are added this making this a first for an odd year. Coming off the strength of last season, the Cosmos try and recreate the magic of last season with new manager Fatith Terim of Turkey. But they cannot do it, as Cosmos lose to Beckham coached LA Galaxy. Galaxy win MLS and Superliga, but fail to win Champions Leauge, losing to Chivas 4-2 on aggregate.

Well, this would be how MLS turns out in my fantasy, but we all know that this probably will stay that, fantasy.

TNF: All Noisy on the Wasatch Front

Dan Loney — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:41:33 GMT

What with the Galaxy playing a good team on the Fourth (i.e., one from east of the Mississippi), tonight's game might easily be How the West Was Won, at least in week 15.

The Royals are playing, and here's all you need to know about Salt Lake this year:

4 0 4 14 6
1 6 0 4 13

Wins, draws, losses, goals for, goals against. One line is home, one line is away. SEE IF YOU CAN GUESS WHICH IS WHICH. Someday, some team will have the bright idea of making visiting teams play on molten lava. Until October, though, we have Rice-Eccles Stadium, the last unconquered home field in MLS this season. (Beemoe Field was violated this week, and by a USL team, even. Technically, that's not an MLS loss, but that's like saying Vietnam wasn't technically a war.)

So the only question is, will the Dynamo get the point, or lose outright? Tough call. The Dynamo were all set to do to the West what DC United is doing in the East - clawing its way out of the grave to terrorize the neighborhood. Except, Zombie Dynamo hasn't beaten anyone in nearly a month. And yes, they're one win out of first place. God, the horse laughs in the West never stop.

Houston can in theory settle for a loss here - it isn't like anyone else is getting points in Utah - but because they stupidly won MLS Cup last year, they have to play in the Superliga and the CONCAliga, and their schedule gets absolutely sickening starting about....now.

It's tempting to say that regression to the mean kicks in, but just as Real Salt Lake's unusual home record has a solid, painful, concrete basis behind it, the Dynamo's poor luck isn't down to just luck. They pretty much sacrificed the US Open Cup for this game, and they must get something out of it. Ching is already starting to call out the defense publicly. They haven't given up a lot of goals, but when they've given them up has been downright brutal. They can't score, they can't hold a lead, and they can't catch a break. I hate to say Houston needs a player whose game I look down my nose upon, but without Eddie Robinson, Amigo Energy just isn't getting their money's worth. (At least I'm not saying nonsense like "Wow, RSL will really miss Dema Kovalenko tonight.)

I think we're looking at a 2-0 Royals win here, followed by some serious finger-pointing in southeast Texas.

MLS Week 14 Collective Rankings: Clusters; Pigeon-Holes and Their Discontents

Jeff Bull — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:00:57 GMT

After a comparatively dynamite roll-call for Week 13, we�re back down to the old normal. Can�t say I mind, not least because it�s clarified the big picture a little bit. If 2007 was the Year of the Tiers - or that�s what I called them - let�s call 2008 the Year of the Cluster. More on that later: here are the somewhat reduced, but sincerely appreciated, pundits on this week�s panel:

Center Holds It (me)
ESPN.com (collective)
Goal.com (Kyle McCarthy)
Sideline Views (Luis Bueno)
WVHooligan (Drew Epperley)
Fullback Files (um�Fullback?)
Blue Blooded Journo (a collective)
An American Game (Patrick Guldan)
FOX Soccer (Keith Costigan)
AYL Soccer (a collective, welcome back)
True Crew (easier to give a link through the forums)
Calexico77 (BigSoccer forums)

Now, the data, which sticks with the same layout (e.g. each MLS club is ranked below according to the average of all the rankings they received from the 12-pundit panel; last week�s rankings and average follows in parentheses, along with the most common ranking assigned to each team across the 12 rankings and the highest and lowest ranking for each club).

1. New England Revolution, 1.08
(#1 X 11, high, #1, low, #2; last week, #1, 1.19)
2. Columbus Crew, 2.33
(#2 X 8, high: #2, low: #3; last week, #2, 3.13)
3. DC United, 2.67
(#3 X 7, high: #1, low: #4; last week, #5, 5.38)
4. Toronto FC, 4.25
(#4 X 8, high: #3, low: #6; last week, #4, 3.94)
5. LA Galaxy, 5.67
(#5 X 6, high: #4; low: #8; last week, #3, 3.63)
6. Houston Dynamo, 7.08
(#6 X 4, high: #4, low: #10; last week, #8, 7.75)
7. Red Bull New York, 7.58
(#7 X 4, high: #5, low: #10; last week, #10, 9.31)
8. Chivas USA, 7.67
(#7 X 3, high: #5, low: #10; last week, #7, 7.13)
9. Chicago Fire, 8.08
(#5 X 2, #6 X 2, #13 X 2, high: #3, low: #10; last week, #6, 5.94)
10. Real Salt Lake, 9.67
(#10 X 4, high: #8, low: #11; last week, #9, 7.81)
11. FC Dallas, 11.33
(#11 X 5, high: #9, low: #13; last week, #12, 11.75)
12. Colorado Rapids, 11.67
(#13 X 5, high: #9, low: #13; last week, #11, 11.44)
13. Kansas City Wizards, 11.92
(#12 X 7, high: #9, low: #13; last week, #13, 12.63)
14. San Jose Earthquakes, 14.00
(#14 X 12, high: #14, low: #14; last week, #14, 13.94)

Commentary
- Do I really need to review whose first (New England...still), last (San Jose...still...and a little worse), up (DC rose most with 2.71), and down (a virtually dead-heat between Chicago (2.14) and LA (2.04))? Nah. You can see that for yourselves.

- And that takes us to the week�s big trend: take away the teams with sharp rises and churning falls and you�re looking at a league that has settled down a little - if only between this week and last. In broad terms, The Collective�s rankings actually held here or there for the first time this season. While it�s not quite accurate to say, for example, that New York or RSL stood pat (up 1.73 and down 1.86, respectively), I�m counting nine teams that moved less than 1.00 in either direction. Six of these moved .50 or less...well, only if you sneak in Chivas, who lost 0.54.

- Hints of long-anticipated stability aside (well, long anticipated by me, anyway; I wanted these teams pigeon-holed yesterday), there�s one club stubbornly defying classification as either good or bad, cohesive or chaotic: the Chicago Fire. No club in Major League Soccer divided opinion nearly as much as Chicago. Sure, clubs like Houston, New York, and Chivas had a five-ranking range (e.g. from either #5-10, or, in Houston�s case, #4-10), but pundits pegged Chicago everywhere from #4 to #13 - twice for each rank, as you might notice from the fine print. Bottom line, Chicago is either a great defensive club going through a scoring drought, or they�re a club in crisis. I took the latter view, for the record, as did Calexico77. Those arrayed against the Chicago-haters: AYL Soccer, Blue Blooded Journo, and True Crew. Want to know the cool thing? We don't really need to argue about who's right and who's wrong: we only have to keep watching. That predictions and arguments of this sort actually get answered makes sports immensely satisfying.

- Another point of curiosity to flag: you can all see New England is a solid #1, while San Jose is #14 - taking the bullet - but more striking than that is the near unanimity on which teams are #2 and #3. The fact that Columbus picked up #2 and #3 exclusively suggests people have bought their recent run; toss out one #1 and one #4 and DC also boasts only #2�s and #3�s. In the grand scheme, this reverses the arrangement from earlier in the season when pundits only felt confident picking the top club and the bottom, say, three clubs. Now, they�re feeling more confident about the top of the rankings and less about the bottom.

- Now, about those clusters: a couple solidified this week, leaving a couple of teams in no-man�s-land when they did - and accurately so, as I see it. Only 1.00 in average ranking separates #6 (Houston) from #9 (Chicago); let�s call that the �Bubble Cluster.� Further down the table, you have the �Cluster of Suck,� which contains Dallas, Colorado, and KC. It�s worth noting the clubs in between. For starters, you have a club like TFC, who sit comfortably within the playoff picture, but who also seem unable to take that step into the elite. Behind them, quite a ways now, you have a Galaxy club heading the wrong way - e.g. into the Bubble Cluster. There�s only one no-man�s-land club further down and that�s RSL, who suffer from an ailment similar to TFC�s: they can�t play consistently enough to step into the Bubble Cluster - i.e. they�re caught between Bubble and Suck...not a good place.

All right. That's how they're stacking up...and just in time for the kick-off of Week 15.

July 15th Looming, A Couple MLS Teams Announce Intentions Early

Breton Bonnette — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:04:05 GMT

Just a little more in-depth than The Wire, which you should take a look at by clicking on the "News" link at the top of your BigSoccer screen.

FC Dallas: Big man Kenny Cooper's suitor was uncovered after an unknown European squad tabled a $1 million bid. That club - according to Buzz Carrick over at 3rd Degree - would be Rosenborg, the Norwegian powerhouses that once was the home of American fullback Robbie Russell. The move wouldn't exactly be a bad one for Cooper as Rosenborg has hit some trying times (finishing 5th last year - they've won 20 league titles) and are in need of a proven target man. Cooper isn't exactly proven on the international level, but with Rosenborg's success in developing "big striker" talent (Steffen Iversen, Sigurd Rushfeldt, Jon Carew), Cooper could be a steal for them. It's going to take a little more than $1 million however.

Houston Dynamo: The Dynamo have extended an offer to bring Nate Jaqua back to the States after a pretty decent spell in Austria with Altach of the Austrian Bundesliga. There's a catch - if Jaqua was to return, he would only be in orange for a year and then he would go to the Seattle Sounders FC for the 2009 season to allow Jaqua to play close to home. Isn't Jaqua - at 26 - a little young to be dictating significant contractual terms or will Seattle be giving Houston favorable compensation for their concessions? Or - more importantly - is this all just a load of crap?

Kansas City Wizards: Josh Wolff is back in blue. Don't let his national team performances fool you, the 31-year old striker definitely has enough left in his tank to terrorize MLS defenders for the next couple of seasons. He's looking to rediscover his scoring touch after scoring only 2 with former club 1860 Munich. Can he really help cure the goal drought (minus the 4-goal USOC performance Tuesday night)?

Los Angeles Galaxy: An 18-month deal for Club Atletico Huracan defender Eduardo Dominguez is apparently on the way, according to Steve Goff. The 29-year old could help shore up a defense that has seen great improvement from rookie Sean Franklin and inconsistent contributions from Abel Xavier. Not confirmed yet, but Dominguez played quite a bit for Huracan last year. He's 6'5" and has gathered a reputation in the Argentine Primera as a hard tackler. Could be the guy to at least take some of the pressure off the younger guys in the back.

New England Revolution: Goalkeeper Brad Knighton was loaned out to the Portland Timbers, while Costa Rican prospect Argenis Fernandez has been loaned to Alajuelense. Knighton has never featured in the first team, but Argenis grabbed a couple appearances - but playing day in and day out will definitely help the two. 21-year old Argenis has a bright future according to Nicol, so gone are the days that "getting loaned out" read more like "eventually moving on" in the MLS.

New York Red Bulls: Two new players, both will not start playing until after the July 15th date - assuming everything is cleared without too much trouble. Jorge Rojas has 82 caps for the Venezualan national team and was a big part of their 2-0 win over Brazil at Foxboro. Osorio has been trying to get him for some time now and the 31-year old fits Osorio's quest for a left-sided player.

Juan Pietravallo is a bit of an unknown quantity. Argentinian midfielder who comes from the Greek Super League squad Veria FC, only playing in three matches however.
Only thing that really worries me about the two is that there has been very little in the way of loyalty. They both seem like journeyman - Rojas playing for no less than 5 clubs in his last 6-7 years but he always seemed to return to Caracas FC, a place he has over 100 appearances for. Pietravallo - on the other hand - had his hand forced, being sent out on loan for a good portion of his career. Osorio wants the Argentinian to act like a second Seth Stammler out there - hard tackling, ball-winning, and superb work ethic. Could these work out? We should also expect a striker in the coming transfer window.

Real Salt Lake: Has let Matias Cordoba move on after only appearing in 7 MLS matches. A playing time thing, so back to Argentina he goes.

Insert Result Joke Here (R)

BuffloSoldier — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:11:16 GMT

What an impressive result in last night's Copa Libertadores final. As much of a fan that I am of the Champions League, the Libertadores--well, it's nuts.

It was all in Flu's corner--as one player remarked, LDU Quito couldn't bring altitude with them to Brazil. With a spot in the World Club Cup at stake, I'll leave the result unsaid and let people comment...

YCJ on BigSoccer: 7/1 Kansas City at Carolina

AndyMead — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:17:49 GMT

Exclusive BigSoccer content!

more after the jump...