tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354731372024-03-07T03:35:58.442-08:00American Soccer BlogA blog tracking most things related to US Soccer, from MLS to the MNTUSsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-12808731042426327212007-04-28T12:09:00.000-07:002007-04-28T12:28:51.693-07:00Toronto FC vs. Kansas CityWhat an atmosphere at BMO Field! This time it really seemed like there was a sell-out crowd (unlike Colorado). There was a lot of optimism in the Toronto support, although the pin drop silence when Eddie Johnson scored was a bit amusing.<br /><br />Don Garber must be pleased with his decision to bring MLS to Canada. Toronto's new signing Danny Dichio was impressive, as was Greg Sutton (who was awarded Man of the Match). Eddie Johnson was a bit fortunate with the deflection of his shot for the winning goal, although Toronto proved that they can play at MLS level.<br /><br />Either way, there were promising signs coming from Toronto. Even a 1-0 scoreline seems harsh, although I am disappointed that they have no points of even a goal, considering I put them third in my predictions for the Eastern Conference.<br /><br />On KC's side of the game it looked good to see Eddie Johnson on the scoresheet again. Carlos Marinelli did come off in the 10th minute, although KC coped well without him. Kevin Hartman didn't make any new friends in Toronto. All in all, it seems that Curt Onalfo has a good team coming together. Now if they can only cope with the Gold Cup and Copa America, we may see KC's play-off drought come to an end.<br /><br />Finally, it seemed that MLS couldn't make ut its mid when to start the match. First it said 12:00 PM (EST), then it said 3:30 PM on ESPN. I checked MLSnet.com, it said 3:30 PM as well, but then the game started at 1:00 PM. Huh?USsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-20093255550504406612007-04-25T15:20:00.000-07:002007-04-28T12:09:06.466-07:00MLS PredictionsHere are my predictions for this week's games:<br /><br />Toronto FC @ Kansas City - 2-0 KC; Toronto continues its search for its first MLS goal, whilst Eddie Johnson and KC bounce back after losing to Chicago<br /><br />New York @ FC Dallas - 1-0 NY; Dallas' defence isn't good enough to cope with New York, and with Claudio Reyna pulling the strings from midfield, anything is possible<br /><br />Kansas City @ Toronto - 1-1; Toronto gets a goal in front of its home crowd. They hold on for the draw as KC pushes everthing they've got<br /><br />D.C. United @ Columbus - 1-1; Emilio is showing everyone he can get it done, however, Erpen shows us why D.C. hasn't won yet. On the other hand, Columbus remain undefeated<br /><br />Chivas @ L.A. - 3-2 Chivas; Kljestan's presence is missed in the Chivas midfield (I believe that he is suspended), although the Razov-Galindo partnership carries Chivas to victory<br /><br />NE @ Dallas - 2-0 Dallas; New England struggle and are swept aside by Dallas<br /><br />Chicago @ Houston - 1-0 Houston; Chicago struggle away from home as Houston bounces back from defeat at New York<br /><br />UPDATE:<br /><br />Monday's Game<br />Colorado @ RSL - 1-0 RSL; RSL needs a win here, and that's what they get. Also, a shoutout for the rookie keeper Seitz.USsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-78813082663298788282007-04-24T15:49:00.000-07:002007-04-24T16:09:01.994-07:00MLS Power Rankings: Week 31. New York - This team has got it all, from a good and experienced goalkeeper to a 17-year old scoring goals<br />2. Houston - Can anyone tell De Rosario to get back to playing soccer again?<br />3. Chicago Fire - Solid outing from the Fire<br />4. Chivas USA - Razov has finally got his goal, but they'll need Amado Guevara to play his best to have any chance of winning MLS Cup<br />5. New England - Let their lead slip for a point at Columbus<br />6. Colorado - Probably trying to convince Kasey Keller to join them<br />7. Kansas City - 1 win, 1 loss, it can only mean being dead center of the rankings for now<br />8. FC Dallas - Get sweet revenge on the Rapids<br />9. Columbus Crew - Strangley they're undefeated and going better than DC and LA<br />10. D.C. United - Want to prove that they are still the real deal<br />11. Los Angeles - This team needs to get their head straight. First Beckham, now rumors of trading Donovan?<br />12. Real Salt Lake - John Ellinger is feeling the heat, although that is someting that's not uncommon<br />13. Toronto FC - Mo Johnston never seems to be happy with his teamUSsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-91560701304073740052007-04-18T16:22:00.000-07:002007-04-18T16:05:55.576-07:00Today's News and RumorsFrank Simek has been rumored for a move to a <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/gossip_and_transfers/default.stm">premiership team.</a> It says it could possibly be either Charlton, Aston Villa or Portsmouth.<br /><br />Also, BBC says that Scottish Club Rangers wants a <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6566965.stm">link</a> with the LA Galaxy.<br /><br />Also in LA, <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/scorecard/04/18/truth.rumors.soccer/index.html">Chivas USA</a> won't deny rumors that they want to sign Zinedine Zidane. Although they will have competition from the <a href="http://soccer365.com/US_NEWS/MLS/page_95_141041.shtml">LA Galaxy.</a> I can't see this happening for Chivas as they don't have a DP slot. Also, they just got Amado Guevara, who plays the same position.<br /><br />Alexi Lalas <a href="http://soccer365.com/US_NEWS/MLS/page_95_141042.shtml">speaks out again.</a><br /><br /><a href="http://njmg.typepad.com/sbi/2007/04/richard_mulroon.html">Richard Mulrooney</a> has been sent back to Texas. In exchange, Toronto gets Kevin Goldthwaite and a draft pick.<br /><br />A behind the scenes look at <a href="http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_9877.aspx">BMO Field.</a> [Via <a href="http://torontomls.blogspot.com/">Toronto MLS FC</a>]<br /><br />US Open Cup & MLS Predictions (I missed last week)<br />USOC:<br /><br />Real Salt Lake 2-1 Kansas City Wizards - Chris Seitz impresses for his RSL debut. Freddy Adu shows us why RSL gave away everything for him.<br /><br />(Winner plays Colorado)<br /><br />MLS:<br />Thursday MLS Primetime on ESPN:<br />Columbus 1-2 New England - Columbus finally manage a goal, though New England proves to be too good and prevails. (If it happens it will be the third consecutive MLS on ABC/ESPN that has ended with the final score at 2-1)<br /><br />Saturday:<br />MLS Saturday on FSC<br />New York 2-2 Houston - The New York midfield proves to be a tough battle of Houston's equally talented midfield. New York's defence makes a costly error for the tie though.<br /><br />On HDNet<br />Chicago 0-1 Kansas City - Chicago's offence can't get throught KC, as one of KC's speedy players scores on a counter attack<br /><br />Chivas USA 2-0 Real Salt Lake<br />Razov scores goal number 100. Galindo actually finishes a chance to seal it. RSL looks for excuses.<br /><br />Sunday:<br />Telefutura<br />FC Dallas 1-1 Colorado<br />Colorado's good defence (note: not goalkeeper) earns them a point on the road.<br /><br />Here are other soccer site's Power Rankings (for comparison)<br /><br /><a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/powerranking?league=USA.1&season=2007&week=2&cc=5901">ESPN Soccernet</a><br /><br /><a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/ryan_hunt/04/18/free.kicks3/index.html">Sports Illustrated</a><br /><br /><a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/6697242">Fox Soccer</a><br /><br />Don't forget to participate in the American Soccer Blog Poll on the left sidebar->USsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-42503834523104959622007-04-17T20:25:00.000-07:002007-04-17T20:48:12.877-07:00MLS buzzing two days after transfer deadlineHere are some recent transactions in MLS' world<br /><br /><strong>Juan Pablo Angel</strong><br />Joining from EPL side Aston Villa. He had a terrible game againt Tottenham Hotspur when he <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=GU3XC0zZZRg&mode=related&search=">missed a penalty</a> (the best I could find), and then he scored an <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=fg9_V11xto4">own goal.</a> He was fazed out at Villa Park and New York hopes he can bang in the goals at Red Bull Park (and Giant's Stadium)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20070417&content_id=89227&vkey=pr_rbn&fext=.jsp&team=t107">New York Press Release</a><br /><br /><a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=422371&cc=5901">Soccernet Release</a><br /><br />Also, though not official, other big news is that New York have traded ... <br /><strong>Marvell Wynne</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://njmg.typepad.com/sbi/2007/04/marvell_wynne_t.html">Soccer By Ives Link</a><br /><br />Finally, <br /><strong>Guillermo Barros Schelotto</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://mlsunderground.blogspot.com/index.html">MLS Underground</a> has found that Boca Juniors star Guillermo Barros Schelotto <a href="http://www.columbusdispatch.com/dispatch/content/sports/stories/2007/04/17/0417crew.html">has signed a contract</a> with Columbus, though this too isn't official yet.USsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-71691344079766320842007-04-17T20:03:00.000-07:002007-04-17T20:05:53.734-07:00Have Your Vote CountTo be more interactive with users, there will be a periodic poll on American Soccer. This week's question:<br />Which MLS has impressed you the most?USsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-71909982532906359822007-04-16T19:06:00.000-07:002007-04-16T19:06:14.167-07:00JP Angel is a Red Bull<a href="http://njmg.typepad.com/sbi/2007/04/angel_on_the_wa.html">Soccer By Ives</a> says that Aston Villa's Juan Pablo Angel is on his way to the New York Red Bulls. This will easoly make New York contenders for MLS Cup, should Clint Mathis and Josmer Altidore keep playing this strong, and Angel scoring goals as well.<br /><br />The Midfield is equally strong, granted that Reyna doesn't consistently get injured.<br /><br />There should be a press conference regarding this tommorow.USsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-43215429951150238882007-04-16T15:20:00.000-07:002007-04-16T15:34:00.698-07:00MLS Power Rankings Week 21. Houston Dynamo (-) Win at home keeps them the team to beat<br />2. Colorado (+3) Manage a draw, despite being down to 10 men<br />3. Chicago (-1) A draw in Denver wouldn't have been a bad result, but it still seems like 2 points lost<br />4. New England (+3) Teaching Toronto how to play in MLS<br />5. Chivas USA (-1) A loss to Houston as Razov's hunt for goal number 100 goes on<br />6. New York Red Bulls (+2) Mathis could be the the biggest surprise of the season<br />7. Kansas City (+5) Eddie Johnson is playing near his best again! Curt Onalfo should be a coach of the year candidate for just doing that, let alone beating DC at RFK convincingly<br />8. Los Angeles (-2) Should be doing better, considering their squad, yet their rookie is the one scoring for them<br />9. Columbus (-) A tie away from home, though they still can't score<br />10. D.C. United (-7) No excuses this time, besided Toronto, the only team without a point<br />11. FC Dallas (-) Dallas are 11-0-2 when Kenny Cooper scores, which isn't hard to believe<br />12. Real Salt Lake (-1) Freddy Adu is not ready, or am I speaking too early<br />13. Toronto FC (-) This is going to be a long season for TorontoUSsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-53491568642632373762007-04-09T15:50:00.000-07:002007-04-10T07:58:39.096-07:00MLS Power Rankings: Week 1 completedWell, now that week 1 of MLS is complete, here are the latest MLS Power Rankings:<br /><br />1. Houston Dynamo - Defending Champs opened the season with a tie<br />2. Chicago Fire - Holding onto their early lead for a narrow win<br />3. D.C. United - Another team that looked tired from their CCC match<br />4. Chivas USA - Razov is closing in on goal number 100<br />5. Colorado Rapids - A good way to start the new season in a new stadium<br />6. Los Angeles - The last minute free kick could have been where Beckham could have made a difference<br />7. New England - Injuries are hurting their chances of a good season<br />8. New York - A draw with Columbus on the road, is it a good thing or a bad one?<br />9. Columbus - Prove that they are no pushovers<br />10. FC Dallas - Ruiz and Cooper providing the goals as usual<br />11. Real Salt Lake - Gift Dallas a point<br />12. Kansas City - A week off to prepare for D.C.<br />13. Toronto FC - Kick off on a losing noteUSsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-51626783814416323982007-04-06T20:02:00.000-07:002007-04-06T20:11:07.643-07:00First Kick PredictionsHere are my predictions for the first weekend of MLS:<br /><br />Colorado 1-2 DC United - DC come back after going out in the CCC. Emilio gets them both.<br /><br />Real Salt Lake 3-2 FC Dallas - Awful defending leads to a wide open game.<br /><br />Columbus Crew 1-2 Red Bull New York - Van den berg shines.<br /><br />Chicago Fire 0-0 New England Revolution - After excellent defending, it ends a bore draw<br /><br />Chivas USA 2-1 Toronto FC - Razov scores his 99th and 100th goals<br /><br />Houston Dynamo 1-1 Los Angeles Galaxy - Houston fail to fully recover from their CCC exit.<br /><br />Review of Houston v Pachuca<br /><br />One thing Houston should have done once Ching scored - waste time! No one likes it, and it frustrates the opponents, but it works very well. Also, they shouldn't have been in South Carolina, and like D.C. United, should have been training in Mexico for at least one week to acclimate.<br /><br />They played well, but it was in spurts of five minutes or something. Gimenez's goal was unstoppable, but Houston shouldn't have let the game slip to overtime. Even Pachuca's fans had been silenced for once during the match.USsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-6603607862669715452007-04-02T19:04:00.000-07:002007-04-02T20:36:00.094-07:00News*Blanco to Fire:<br />He will join at the END of the Mexican Season<br />He will sign the contract tommorow, LIVE on MLSnet.com<br /><br />*<a href="http://www.metrofanatic.com/story.jsp?ID=4307">Marcelo Salas</a> is headed to New York.<br /><br />*Kansas City will form a <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/soccer/mls/kansas_city_wizards/17003638.htm">partnership</a> with Mexican Club Atlas.<br /><br />Preview for the CCC game tommorow<br /><br />DC United needs all it has to get past Chivas. I say this game goes to penalties as DC's defence holds firm for a 0-0, and DC wins on penalties (This prediction is very optimistic - it probably won't happen).<br /><br />*4 days to go until the start of the new MLS season!<br /><br />First Kick Matchups:<br />Colorado v DC United<br />Real Salt Lake v FC Dallas<br />Columbus Crew v Red Bull New York<br />Chicago Fire v New England Revolution<br />Chivas USA v Toronto FC<br />Houston Dynamo v Los Angeles GalaxyUSsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-80803577565302123602007-04-02T18:51:00.000-07:002007-04-02T19:03:39.173-07:00MLS and "Game First"Today, MLS announced that they are taking some <a href="http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20070402&content_id=87043&vkey=pr_mls&fext=.jsp">initiatives to improve the league.</a> However, there is one problem, I need clarification if there will be 6 <a href="http://mysoccerblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/mls-drops-playoff-spots-rewards-good.html">play-off</a> <a href="http://wvhooligan.com/2007/04/02/thoughts-on-game-first-initiatives/">spots</a> or are they sticking with 8?<br /><br />Anyway, here are the main points:<br /><br />*MLS clubs have more resources than ever to acquire players. This off season has already witnessed a significant influx talent. The new resources include: <br /><br />*Increased options with allocation money <br />*Designated Player Rule <br />*Re-investment of transfer fees (MLS clubs now receive two-thirds of the fees earned when one of their players is transferred. That money can be used in a number of ways to improve the team's on-field product.)<br /><br />*MLS has hired a full-time consultant based in South America to assist MLS teams in scouting and acquiring players from that talent-laden region. <br /><br />*MLS has started a worldwide player database and video library for teams to use as a scouting resource. <br /><br />*The Youth Development program allows for teams that invest in player development to reap competitive rewards for their efforts. Players who are part of an MLS club's Youth Development program for at least 24 months become eligible to sign directly with that team instead of entering the MLS SuperDraft.<br /><br />*MLS will utilize a digital system that tracks and analyzes the technical aspects of soccer. This will provide coaches, players, and officials with valuable training and evaluation tool, help teams prepare for their opponents and allow for comparisons of our League games versus others around the world. <br /><br />*MLS is working with broadcasters to provide better television coverage of games than ever before. Every MLS game will be available via at least one of the following platforms: our national broadcast partners, the Direct Kick cable/satellite package, or MLSnet.com. Game broadcast enhancements include: <br /><br />*Increased access to national broadcast partners for locker room and sideline interviews that do not interfere with the game. <br />*More camera angles of the action; better and more timely replays.<br /><br />*MLS has implemented certain standards for pre-game presentations that will occur at all MLS games. <br /><br />*Teams will line up alongside each other in the tunnel prior to emerging for kickoff. <br />*As teams enter the field, led by the referees (FIFA style), a new MLS anthem will be played.<br /><br />*A new MLS anthem and signature sound was recorded last month by a full orchestra in Prague, Czech Republic, under the direction of an American conductor. More details on this piece of music will be revealed on April 6 on MLSnet.com. <br /><br />*In-stadium commercial PA announcements during play will be significantly reduced. <br />MLS has established guidelines for field maintenance, including: <br /><br />*The length of the grass cut and optimal watering schedules prior to the match <br />*The pattern of directional cuts, so as to assist fans and referees better view offside decisions<br /><br />*The four MLS teams with the best regular season records in 2007 will qualify for SuperLiga 2008. Starting in 2006, the Supporters' Shield winner for best regular season record receives one of the United States' two spots in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The MLS Cup champion receives the other. <br /><br />*In 2007, the regular season was reduced to 30 games (from 32). <br /><br />*During the past few years, more bonuses for starts and wins have been incorporated into player contracts. In 2007, those bonuses will be paid once every two weeks instead of in one sum at the end of the year as in the past. <br /><br />*Playoffs: At the end of the regular season, the top two teams in each conference earn playoff spots along with four "wild cards" which have highest point-totals in the standings, regardless of conference. This will add competition and intensity to the playoff race. If one conference is stronger than the other in a given year, more of its teams can qualify for the playoffs. <br /><br />*On July 24, 2007, the inaugural edition of SuperLiga begins. This international tournament features four of the top teams from MLS and four of the top teams from Mexico's first division competing in a Champions' League-style format for a $1 million prize. The MLS Technical Committee will continue to examine the competition format for possible changes in the future.<br /><br /><br />*U.S. Soccer has hired full-time referees for the first time. Jair Marrufo, Ricardo Salazar, Baldomero Toledo and Terry Vaughn will become full-time referees, enabling them to focus their professional abilities on preparation and training. <br /><br />*MLS has established the MLS Working Group on Officiating, which will conduct regular meetings between officials, coaches, and player representatives to promote better relationships and understanding of the rules and their application. Funding has been budgeted for the formal training of the first MLS player who decides to pursue a career in officiating. <br /><br />*MLS works continuously with officials and players to protect player safety and prevent tactics that destroy the game. Among the new League initiatives for players and referees aimed at improving the attractiveness and rhythm of MLS games are: <br />Players have been advised to no longer kick the ball out of play when a player is on the ground unless they believe a serious injury has occurred. The referee will stop play in cases of serious injury. This change is designed to help maintain the flow of the game and reduce the feigning or exaggerating of injuries as a tactic to stop play, kill momentum and waste time. If a team kicks the ball out of play deliberately, but the player down is not injured, there is no obligation on the part of the opponent to return possession to that team. <br /><br />*Referees have been encouraged, at their discretion, to issue a yellow card caution to players who raise their hand with an imaginary card. <br />Referees have been encouraged to issue a yellow card caution to players who embellish or feign contact or injuries in an attempt to have opponents cautioned or sent off or otherwise disrupt game flow.<br /><br />*On March 13, 2007, MLS and the German Bundesliga launched a new relationship that will foster collaboration between the Leagues on multiple levels. The Bundesliga is a world leader among soccer leagues in average attendance, stadium design, broadcast production, and corporate governance. <br /><br />*MLS will strategically develop relationships with other leagues, federations, and clubs to glean the best applicable practices and maximize connectivity to the global soccer marketplace. <br /><br />*MLS is actively exploring new, meaningful international competitions.<br /><br />The good:<br /><br />*More transfer money to teams<br />*South American based consultant<br />*Youth Development Program<br />*Increased access to national broadcast partners for locker room and sideline interviews that do <strong>NOT</strong> interfere with the game<br />*Theme song / standard FIFA style entrance<br />*Less PA announcements during games<br />*Full-time refreesUSsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-42668173981885246502007-04-01T20:15:00.000-07:002007-04-01T20:17:07.910-07:00Blanco with the FireBreaking News: <a href="http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20070401&content_id=87011&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp">Cuautemoc Blanco</a> has joined the Chicago Fire.USsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-8595008231863461752007-03-29T17:32:00.000-07:002007-03-29T17:46:02.552-07:00Power RankingsBased on predictions, CCC, Lamar Hunt Cup, etc. Very few changes though:<br />en<br />1. Houston Dynamo (-) haven't hurt their hold on first place<br />2. D.C. United (+1) Strong in CCC, and new signings (Fred, Emilio), have made them second to the Dynamo<br />3. New England (-1)<br />4. Chicago Fire (+2) haven't done much, just that other team's previously above them don't seem deserving of a higher spot.<br />5. Chivas USA (+2)<br />6. Los Angeles (+3)<br />7. Colorado Rapids (-3) just a completely different team from last year - is it for better or for worse?<br />8. New York Red Bulls (-) same old New York<br />9. Real Salt Lake (+1) Improved from last season offensively<br />10. Kansas City (+1) Losing Wolff won't help this team, but it seems they will play better this season<br />11. Columbus Crew (+1) Beating FC Dallas 3-0 in the Lamar Hunt Cup seems to be a good sign, or is Dallas a lot worse from last season<br />12. FC Dallas (-7) This probably won't be their year<br />13 Toronto FC (-) Still undecidedUSsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-4887997631071352762007-03-29T17:15:00.000-07:002007-03-29T17:27:02.168-07:00Misc.In news that was somewhat expected, D.C. United have acquired <a href="http://dcunited.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20070329&content_id=86773&vkey=pr_dcu&fext=.jsp&team=t103">Fred</a> from Melbourne.<br /><br />In news that wasn't expected,<br /><a href="http://njmg.typepad.com/sbi/2007/03/clint_mathis_co.html">Clint Mathis</a> has been traded to New York.<br /><br />Also, U.S. tied Guatemala 0-0 yesterday.<br />Stars of the game:<br />*Bradley and Feilhaber - they are starting to show they can fill in for Reyna, but again it was against Guatemala. The center of midfield looks better for next World Cup, with Mastroeni, Clark, Bradley and Feilhaber.<br /><br />Expected performance:<br />*Landon Donovan - he can't do it for the fourth game in a row<br /><br />Really Poor:<br />*The Referee - got it all wrong<br />*Eddie Johnson<br /><br />Bradley's record is now 3-0-1. Will it change, or will a new man step in? It is up for Gulati to make his decision (with out hesitating)USsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-64034360171286811482007-03-27T17:02:00.000-07:002007-03-29T17:13:21.008-07:00Predictions/Preview: U.S. vs GuatamalaPrediction:<br />US 3-1 Guatamala<br /><br /><a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=417080&root=us&cc=5901">ESPN Preview.</a><br />Bradley will probably use a more experimental line-up.<br /><br />Possible line up:<br />Keller<br />Simek, DeMerit, Conrad, Spector<br />Dempsey, Bradley, Feilhaber, Mapp<br />Donovan, Twellman<br /><br />Beasley could easily start instead of Mapp. Also, Donovan may start the game as a forward, with Cooper possibly partnering Twellman up top. Hopefully, Eddie Johnson doesn't start, unless Bradley really see's something special in him, which everyone can't.USsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-77604388374662754152007-03-27T16:50:00.000-07:002007-03-27T17:02:22.927-07:00ESPN CommercialsNice job by ESPN with their <a href="http://espnmediazone.com/mediacenter/mediacenter.html">commercials</a> for MLS this season. Another step in the right direction.<br /><br />Also, MLS will unveil some initiatives for the 2007 season this Monday.USsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-63907918348911402752007-03-27T16:20:00.001-07:002007-03-27T16:20:27.116-07:00Cobi Jones Compilation<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/0BnYhhUI6es' name='movie'></param><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/0BnYhhUI6es'></embed></object></p><p>Here is a recent compilation of Cobi Jones for the U.S. and the Galaxy. He will retire after this season.</p></div>USsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-83202063124482102122007-03-26T16:30:00.000-07:002007-03-27T16:05:07.981-07:00Latest U.S. newsU.S. beats Ecuador <a href="http://soccernet-akamai.espn.go.com/report?id=214327&cc=5901">3-1.</a> <br /><br />Here are the goals:<br /><div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/xPIOU9xVeTQ' name='movie'></param><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/xPIOU9xVeTQ'></embed></object></p></div><br /><br />Some thoughts about the game:<br />*Can ESPN and BBC or some other international soccer broadcaster form a strategic partnership, like MLS did with Bundesliga? It would be an improvement from some of the current commentators.<br />*Good to see Donovan back. Can he come near this performance in the summer tournaments?<br />*Howard seems to be 1st-choice goalkeeper now<br />*Feilhaber and Bradley seem to be the future of US' midfield<br />*Dempsey is still not match fit<br />*Onyewu needs to concentrate more on the game<br />*The Eric Wynalda Yellow/Red Card segment is a step in the right direction.<br /><br />Best Performers from the game:<br />* Landon Donovan - a hat trick says it all<br />* Feilhaber - not a bad debut<br />* Bradley - showing lots of potential<br /><br />Can Improve:<br />*Dempsey<br />* Beasley<br />* The defence - they need chemistryUSsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-54701109217337235832007-03-22T15:15:00.000-07:002007-03-22T15:23:34.686-07:00Predictions: The West (2-6)L2- Los Angeles Galaxy<br /><br />They have improve greatly this offseason, bringing in Joe Cannon, Nate Jaqua (and Beckham in July). Also, Yallop is a will probably start the season a lot better than how Sampson did last year.<br /><br />3- Chivas USA<br /><br />Preki will have learned a lot from Bob Bradley, and despite loosing Juan Pablo Garcia and Juan Francisco Palencia (and John O'Brien, but he didn't do much), having Amado Guevara will boost their chances.<br /><br />4- Colorado Rapids<br /><br />They will squeeze by again, due to their high elevation at home.<br /><br />5- FC Dallas<br /><br />Cooper and Ruiz can't run the team themslves. Serioux is out for the start of the season, and they lost Valakari, so who will play D-Mid? And what about their defense? 3-0 to Columbus isn't pretty, and it looks like a long season for Dallas.<br /><br />6- Real Salt Lake<br /><br />They haven't improved their defense, so will probably not make the play-offs. If Eddie Pope has a good season, they have a slight chance with their talent up front.USsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-84446281489136186662007-03-06T17:05:00.000-08:002007-03-06T17:07:33.758-08:00Predictions - 1st in WestMy Prediction for 1st in the west is the Houston Dynamo. They may have close competion from the LA Galaxy, but I think they still will come out on top as they have been together for some time know.USsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-84199907278772174342007-02-28T17:33:00.001-08:002007-02-28T17:41:40.342-08:00Predictions: Rest of the East4 - New England<br />They should be able to make the play-offs, and should have a good record in the reg. season. Dempsey should be a big loss, but they must have known he was leaving for 6 months, and should have had a plan worked out by now.<br /><br />5 - Chicago<br />Losing Herron and Jaqua might sting the Fire this season. They might be able to get into the play-offs, due to the new rules to get in.<br /><br />6 - Kansas City<br />They have acquired Hartman, and with Garcia, Conrad and Burciaga in defence, they should be solid. The problem? They will miss these players, along with probably Eddie Johnson, for the summer tournaments, which will truly test their depth.<br /><br />7 - Columbus<br />They probably haven't done enough to make the play-offs this season. They should flashes at the end of last season, but they may be a year away from returning from the play-offs.USsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-37462258860043206942007-02-18T12:44:00.000-08:002007-02-18T12:49:03.413-08:00Predictions-2nd & 3rd in the EastHere are my predictions for 2nd and 3rd in the east. Bruce Arena has made some singings that have improved New York Red Bulls significantly. 2nd place isn't impossible with Reyna healthy for the majority of the season. <br /><br />Toronto will be a team that may catch teams by surprise - they did it in the expansion draft, and got a few allocations in reward.<br /><br /><br />2. New York Red Bulls<br /><br />3. Toronto FCUSsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-6165544105367302442007-02-01T01:03:00.000-08:002007-01-31T19:29:29.414-08:00My Complaints on MLS Part IHaving looked at the <a href="http://njmg.typepad.com/sbi/2007/01/the_official_ml.html">updated allocation</a> list, I noticed at how there aren't many rewards for winning the MLS Cup, or for winning the Supporters' Shield. The allocation list seemed to favor the teams that missed the play-offs, which brought me to my first complains on MLS:<br /><br /><strong>Parity</strong><br /><br />Parity is one of the biggest problems in MLS. A simple example of this is near the end of last season, Columbus, who was the worst team last season, beat Chicago 4-1 away from home. They also won the double over FC Dallas, 2-1 away and 3-1 at home, yet they were the worst team in MLS. On top of this, MLS awards these teams with higher draft picks as well as allocation spots for missing the play-offs. This does makes managing a (so called) 'top team' tougher, but sometimes it makes a lowly team's life easier.<br /><br />Even though MLS isn't near the standard of Europe, and some say it shouldn't be compared to it, I want to make a simple comparison. When a team finishes last in, say England, they fall down to the next lower league and must try to come back and stay in the Premiership all over again. This makes bottom of the league more exciting and eventful. Meanwhile in MLS, the bottom of the league can relax because they will, probably, get the next top talent in the draft as well as a high position on the allocation list, which means that they may be the team that wins the title next season.<br /><br /><strong>Rivalries</strong><br /><br />There are many small problems which leads us to the big problem. The problem isn't the fans who hate fans of the other team. It's just that sometimes, the rivalries are sort of forced. Let FC Dallas and Houston build their rivalry, rather than saying the winner gets a cannon or a trophy. The rivalry between RSL and Colorado was forced in the beginning, before it finally took off.<br /><br />Another thing which I have a problem with is the rivalries. I would personally prefer the LA Derby over the Honda Superclasico. I feel that the fans or the press should have the freedom over the rivalry's name, rather than having the rivalry official and sponsored.<br /><br /><strong>Eastern/Western Conference</strong><br /><br />I feel that there is probably too much emphasis on winning the MLS Cup, but of course the reason is that there is no motive to win the "regular" season. The 4th place team in the conference can go and win it all (eg. LA Galaxy - 2005), and the team that worked hard for most of the season (eg. San Jose - 2005) is left helpless. MLS tried to solve this problem, but now a bigger problem arose - what's the point of the Eastern/Western conference divide. If it's possible for DC United to win the Western Conference, why call it the Western Conference?<br /><br /><strong>Summer Schedule</strong><br /><br />This is another point debated over, and it seems to me that MLS should adopt a winter schedule. Thought there are some problems (clashes with Football, it's too cold, etc.) these can be resolved easily. One is to play 24 games in the season, one home and one away (which means a single table) Also, a winter break won't be that bad, as it can help avoid the 'too cold' temperatures. It can also give the teams a break so a team doesn't have an extremely good first half of the season, but a poor second half. It can also help MLS is competitive competitions (eg. CCC). Maybe, MLS can push the SuperLiga so it won't be a Mexican Pre-season tournament and it will have more meaning to the Mexican teams they face. Finally, many international player may not be missing as much and then MLS may have more meaning to them.<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Part II to come soon</em><br /><br /><em>Note: I understand how easy it is to blast a small league, so to help, I will make a few proposals, which is also to come soon<br /><br />Comments appreciated</em>USsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35473137.post-42625724841069574742007-01-31T19:26:00.000-08:002007-01-31T19:28:42.935-08:00PredictionsThe predictions for the 2007 MLS Regular season will start now, as the regular season begins. I will start with my prediction for 1st in the East - DC UnitedUSsoccer Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614739555092819896noreply@blogger.com0