Red Bulls Preview: Game 3 vs. Creamsicles

What a difference a week makes. A 3-0 undressing of FC Dallas, followed by the signing of the proven goal scorer that the team has needed, and everything's coming up roses in Red Bull land. Even the sun came out in New York this morning for the first time in five days. Tomorrow night, the Red Bulls (1-0-1) take on the also-unbeaten defending champs Houston (1-0-1) on what should be a picture-perfect night at the Swamp. Here's what to look for in the MLS Cup Preview? I keed... I keed...

The Houston forwards vs. the Red Bulls' defense:
Paul Daiglish and Brian Ching vs. Hunter Freeman, Jeff Parke, Carlos Mendes, Todd Dunivant (and Ronald Waterreus). New York has started the season with a 180-minute shutout streak, which can't be ignored. The Walrus, when not shivering himself off the field, looks to be in top form. New York's defense better be, because Houston's forwards are strong and talented. World Cup vet Ching is the more experienced of the two, and he has the Dynamo's only goal of the season, last week vs. Chivas. Alejandro Moreno is a strong option off the bench for Houston. Slight Advantage: Houston

New York's attackers vs. the Dynamo's defense:
Jozy Altidore and Clint Mathis vs. Kelly Gray, Wade Barrett, Craig Waibel, and Eddie Robinson (and Pat Onstad). The Jozy and Cleetus show was quite the underwater act last week. Clint looks happy, engaged, and driven, which makes him a threat to pull up and shoot from anywhere near the Houston net. The Dynamo D, however, is not to be discounted, as they've yet to concede a goal this year in matches vs. both LA clubs. Waibel has a hammy tweak and may not start. Advantage: Push

The Midfields:
Rico Clark, Brad Davis, Dwayne DeRosario, and Brian Mullan vs. Dema Kovalenko, Seth Stammler, Dave van den Bergh and Dane Richards. Assuming Captain America will be sitting out another week to rest his knee, the experienced, offensive-minded Houston midfield is easily the better group. As usual, former Metros Clark and Davis will look to do something special on their return to New York. Advantage: Houston

UPDATE: As of 5pm on Friday, BigAppleSoccer is reporting that Reyna will start tomorrow night.

The Coaches:
Houston coach Dom Kinnear has the experienced, successful team he wants on the field right now. Arena the Bruce has to wait for his Angel. Advantage: Houston

Intangibles:
Without the Nor'easter levelling the field this week, It's hard to point the intangibles in New York's way. Cleetus is always the X-factor. The crowd should top 15K on a beautiful night for soccer. Advantage: Push

Prediction: If you'd have told me that Houston, with all the club's firepower, would have only scored once in two matches, I'd be shocked. Powered by their midfield, they break out this week. Houston wins, 3-2.

Boob Tubing
Here's the weekend's matches, times ET. Enjoy!

Saturday, April 21
9:25am: GER: Stuttgart-Bayern Munich, GOL
10:00am: EPL: Charlton-Sheffield U., FSC
11:30am: GER: Schalke-Energie Cottbus, GOL
12noon: EPL: Man. United-Middlesbrough, FSC
2:00pm: ESP: Real Sociedad-Atletico Madrid, GOL
2:15pm: EPL: Bolton-Reading, FSC
4:00pm: ITA: AC Milan-Cagliari, GOL
6:00pm: MEX: Monterrey-Jaguares, GALA
7:30pm: MLS: New York-Houston, FSC
7:30pm: COL: Independiente Santa Fe-Cucuta, GOL
8:00pm: MEX: Chivas-Veracruz, TF
8:30pm: MLS: Chicago-Kansas City, HDNet
10:00pm: MEX: Necaxa-Atlas, GALA
10:30pm: MLS: Chivas USA-Salt Lake, FSN West, DK

Sunday, April 22
9:00am: ITA: Lazio-Fiorentina, FSC
9:00am: ITA: Siena-Inter Milan, GOL
11:00am: EPL: Aston Villa-Portsmouth, FSC
11:00am: ESP: Real Zaragoza-Celta Vigo, GOL
1:00pm: ESP: Sevilla-Atletico Bilboa, GOL
1:00pm: ITA: Catania-Ascoli, FSC
1:00pm: MEX: Pumas-San Luis, UNI
3:00pm: MLS: Dallas-Colorado, TF
3:00pm: ESP: Villareal-Barcelona, GOL
5:00pm: ARG: Gimnasia-Estudiantes, FSC
5:00pm: ESP: Real Madrid-Valencia, GOL
5:00pm: MEX: Club America-Atlante, TF
7:00pm: COL: America de Cali-Millonarios, GOL
9:30pm: GUA: Municipal-Comunicaciones, GOL

de Grandpre: Red Bull Park May Open in 2009

In a six-part audio interview with WCBS Radio's Ray Hoffman, RBNY Managing Director Marc De Grandpre hints for the first time that Red Bull Park, currently under construction in Harrision, NJ, may not open in time for any 2008 matches. He also notes that the Red Bulls are "weeks away" from announcing the home permanent training facility, including six training fields and a 50,000-square foot headquarters building.

Rumors abound that East Hanover, New Jersey, a Morris County community less than 15 miles from the Red Bull Park site, will provide the club with a permanent home. Longtime New York supporters will recall the flirtation the club had with Pequannock, NJ on a training center during former GM Nick Sakiewicz's regime. That proposal was shot down by local residents. Here's hoping that that East Hanover, bisected by busy big-box strip Route 10, will be more welcoming.

The radio interview offers little in terms of other news to MLS fans, though it is entertaining that interviewer Hoffman is under the belief that Chivas USA is owned by the folks who make Chivas Regal. de Grandpre does nothing to correct Hoffman, though, which I found a little odd. Enjoy.

It's so ON

DC blogger extraordinaire D from The DCenters has entered into a friendly wager with yours truly for the new season. When NY finishes ahead of DC United at season's end, D will proudly wear a Red Bulls scarf and shirt to a DC United match. A photo will be taken of the happy event, and said photo will be posted on his aforementioned blog. Should be a great time.

Of course, should the opposite occur, I'll appear here in DC colors. The thought is really atrocious, so come on, New York!

Send Us an Angel.... Right Now!

Even the Pet Shop Boys would be impressed by the Red Bulls' signing of Colombian Striker Juan Pablo Angel from Aston Villa today. After rumors of everyone from Figo to Ronaldo to Edmundo to Wanchope joining the Taurine Army, Red Bull supporters have to be pleased with the bilingual Angel, who deftly answered questions from the media today in a cross-continental conference call.

Angel's track record as a proven goal scorer at some of the world's biggest clubs (River Plate, Villa) should put some fear in the eyes of MLS keepers when he arrives after receiving his visa in the next few weeks. Angel is only 31 (a baby compared to his Red Bull brethren Reyna and Wattereus) and will be a superb mentor to young forward Jozy Altidore.

His unassuming and professional manner came through loud and clear on the conference call, and calm demeanor (Angel has never been red-carded) will quickly make fans forget the hot-tempered Amado Guevara.

Angel joins a list of former Colombian nationals to play in New York with varied success (Alex Comas, Adolfo Valencia) but hopefully Angel's signing will generate some interest (and attendance) from the vast NY-area Colombian fan base that traditionally has ignored the Metro/Red Bulls.

Get Wet with the Red Bull Boys
Hopefully the weather gods will shine on Giants Stadium more often this season, but it's hard to argue with the Reyna-less Red Bulls' 3-0 demolition of FC Dallas on Sunday during the biggest rainstorm to hit the Metro area in years. Mathis turned back the clock, and he and Altidore were simply wonderful. As a NY fan since '96, it's really something to see New York at the top of the table.

There's been a considerable amount of derision directed at New York's fans from staying away from Giants Stadium in droves on Sunday, and kudos (I guess) to those who braved the storm to attend. Had I been 15 years younger and single I may have made a go of it, but let's face it: When the starting keeper suffers hypothermia after only 45 minutes of play... that's a problem. In a letter to season ticket holders by RB GM Marc deGrandpre said, "We want to make it clear that there was no point during Sunday's game in which there was any danger to those in attendance or involved with the game." Ok.

Do the two thousand or so fans that attended deserve some special commendation from the team? Yes. Do the other thousands of Red Bull fans who watched the match from home on TV deserve ridicule? Absolutely not. Moving forward, I hope there'll only be clear skies for Red Bull home games. As longtime fan, I know that's just not going to happen. Advanced weather report for August 18th, anyone?

Ridiculous

Right now in New York: 40 degrees, flood warning, wind advisory.

There is no reason that today's Red Bulls game should not be cancelled. As the league is putting its financial concerns above the safety of its players and its fans, I'm hoping that NO ONE turns out for the 3pm start at the Meadowlands. Truly shameful.

Red Bulls Preview: Game #2 vs. Steers

Another year, another season-opening draw for the Red Bulls, this time in snowy Columbus. If last week's match taught us anything, its that: A) a healthy Reyna will pay huge dividends for the New York in the form of quality scoring chances, B) Dane Richards has an incredibly bright future, and C) The Red Bulls really, really need a forward. Next up: FC Dallas (1-0-1) who'll surely be gassed by their 2-1 win in LA last night and their cross-country trip. The great equalizer will certainly be the storm that will be bearing down on the Meadowlands just in time for the 3pm Sunday kickoff. Here's the breakdown:

The Dallas forwards vs. the Red Bulls' defense:
Carlos Ruiz and Kenny Cooper vs. Marvell Wynne, Seth Stammler, Carlos Mendes, Todd Dunivant (and Ronald Waterreus). While New York held the "vaunted" Crew attack scoreless on the road, the Red Bulls will have their hands full with Dallas' attacking tandem, which may be the most dangerous in MLS. It's been two games, two goals each for Ruiz and Cooper, who will test Wattereus, big time. Advantage: Dallas

New York's attackers vs. the Hoops' defense:
John Wolyniec and Clint Mathis vs. Alex Yi, Clarence Goodson, Drew Moor, and Chris Gbani (and Shaka Hislop). Dallas' defense was four minutes away from a shutout last night against an offensive-minded Galaxy club that boasted Landon Donovan, Nate Jaqua, and Cobi Jones. Take away a bravura performance by RSL's Jeff Cunningham, and Dallas' 1.5 GAA looks respectable. Despite numerous chances in the first half at Columbus, attacking is clearly the Red Bulls' weakest area. A start by Cletus may provide some spark. Maybe. Advantage: Dallas

The Midfields:
Ramon Nunez, Dax McCarty, Aaron Pitchkolan, and Juan Toja vs. Dema Kovalenko, Claudio Reyna, Dave van den Bergh and Dane Richards. Should Reyna's black and blue knee have healed well, New York should be able to control the midfield. Richards showed tons of grit in his debut MLS outing last week, but needs to make that last pass to generate some scoring chances. Dallas' young midfield (average age: 23) will need to step up to feed their talented forwards. Advantage: New York

The Coaches:
Bruce Arena has won in the World Cup. Steve Morrow is a former international... for Northern Ireland. Advantage: New York

Intangibles:
The inclement weather may make any cohesive play impossible for either team. Few fans will be rattling around windy & wet Giants Stadium. Dallas' quick turnaround and travel may help the Red Bulls. Advantage: New York

Prediction: This will be an ugly game to play in or to watch. The speed and skill of Ruiz and Cooper will be the difference. Clint Mathis will not score five goals in this one. Promise. Dallas wins, 2-0.

On the Telly
Here's the weekend's matches, times ET. Enjoy!

Saturday, April 14
9:25am: GER: Mainz-Schalke, GOL
10:00am: EPL: Man City-Liverpool, FSC
11:30am: GER: Stuttgart-Hannover, GOL
12noon: EPL: Middlesbrough-Aston Villa, FSC
2:00pm: ESP: Racing Santander-Real Madrid, GOL
2:30pm: EPL: Reading-Fulham, FSC
4:00pm: ESP: Real Betis-Real Sociedad, GOL
4:00pm: HOL: PSV-Twente, TM
6:00pm: MLS: Real Salt Lake-Columbus, DK
6:00pm: MEX: San Luis-Queretaro, GALA
6:00pm: URU: Penarol-Cerrito, GOL
7:30pm: MLS: DC United-Kansas City, FSC
7:30pm: MLS: New England-Toronto, DK
8:00pm: MEX: Tigres-Necaxa, GALA
8:00pm: GOL: Millonarios-Atletico Nacional, GOL
8:30pm: MLS: Houston-Chivas USA, HDNet
10:00pm: MEX: Atlas-Chivas, TF
10:00pm: ELS: Aguila-FAS, GOL

Sunday, April 15
9:00am: ITA: Torino-Atalanta, FSC
9:00am: ITA: Messina-AC Milan, GOL
11:00am: ENG: FA Cup Semifinal: Blackburn-Chelsea, FSC
11:00am: GER: Borussia Dortmund-Werder Bremen, GOL
1:00pm: EPL: Everton-Charlton, FSC
1:00pm: ESP: Osasuna-Recreativo, TM
1:00pm: ESP: Atletico Madrid-Levante, GOL
3:00pm: ARG: Boca Juniors-River Plate, FSC
3:00pm: ESP: Valenica-Sevilla, GOL
3:00pm: MLS: New York-Dallas, TF
5:00pm: MEX: Club America-Tecos, TF
5:00pm: ITA: Palermo-Inter Milan, GOL
5:10pm: ITA: Cagliari-Empoli, FSC
7:00pm: COL: Dep. Cali-Ind. Santa Fe, GOL
8:00pm: MLS: Colorado-Chicago, DK
8:00pm: MEX: Toluca-Pachuca, GALA

God Hates the Red Bulls

Even the most casual MLS fan must realize that the almighty has had a thing about the soccer team from the swamp. A quick traipse through the Metro-Red Bull record book will conjure such golden memories as:

-Caricola's gaffe in the club's first-ever home game
-Rob Johnson's series-ending foul in the '96 playoffs
-MLS #1 draft pick Steve Shak
-Lothar Mattaeus
-Tab Ramos' health
-The '03 USOC final
-All of 1999
-The blind linesman allowing Earnie Stewart to score in the '04 playoffs
-Etc. etc.

One Metro-Red Bull constant is the tendency for home matches to coincide with bad weather. Now no MLS team (save DC perhaps) is immune to cold, rain, or snow having a negative impact on attendance. As we know, season ticket holders are in the minority at MLS stadiums. However, as most (and now all) NY home matches are televised, even in good weather the Giants Stadium experience offers little incentive for fans to show up and cheer the team on.

This Sunday's Red Bull home opener (3pm ET on MSG and Telefutura) vs. FC Dallas will be played in a cold, windy rainstorm that will keep most sensible people indoors, much less soccer fans. As with the 2005 home opener vs. RSL (a scoreless draw played in 40+mph winds that made passing impossible) and the 2nd home match in 2006 vs. DC (a 4-1 loss played in a cold, stinging rain), there may be as few as 5,000 actual human beings rattling around the Swamp for the national television audience.

Certainly, the Metros have endured many man-made mistakes in their time, but one has to wonder if the league office would be better served by postponing all NY home games until after May 1, if only to escape the wrath of the almighty. Off the field, anyway. Good luck, Claudio.

Red Bulls Preview: Game 1 @ Village People

After yet another off-season of change, the Red Bulls will kick off the 2007 season tomorrow at the Erector Set in mid-Ohio in the least-compelling match of opening weekend. The forecast is for snow and cold, so perhaps we'll get to see the yellow ball, if not too many yellow-clad Crew fans. Here's a line-by-line look at what to expect in moo-ville tomorrow night:

The Columbus forwards vs. the Red Bulls' defense:
Jason Garey and Andy Herron vs. Marvell Wynne, Seth Stammler, Carlos Mendes, Todd Dunivant (and Ronald Waterreus). Garey and the newly-arrived Herron (14 goals combined in '06) are dangerous, but the back four for NY should be able to withstand their pressure. Look for Herron to challenge Mendes and Stammler with slashing runs up the middle. Wynne may be asked to push forward often, which may leave spots on the left wing for Columbus to attack. Advantage: New York

New York's attackers vs. the Crew's defense:
John Wolyniec and Jozy Altidore vs. Marcos Gonzalez, Ezra Hendrickson, Rusty Pierce (and Andy Gruenebaum). Columbus' 2006 keeper injury woes were legend, and Gruenebaum had a 1.00 GAA in two starts last season. Hendrickson and Pierce are MLS greybeards, with 364 league appearances between them. The Woly and Jozy experiment commeces. Jozy got bigger in the offseason, and Woly (presumably) got grayer. Will these two mesh well enough to hit the net often? That's the big question.
Slight Advantage: Columbus

The Midfields:
Frankie Hejduk, Eddie Gaven, Ned Grabavoy, and Danny O'Rourke vs. Dema Kovalenko, Claudio Reyna, Dave van den Bergh and Clint Mathis. Loads of familiar faces on both sides of the ball here. Unless the injury bug bites him in his first MLS start, Reyna should be able to control possession for NY. Gaven and O'Rourke will still want to prove that NY made mistakes by sending them away. My suspicion is that VDB will be the difference maker here. Anything that Clint provides is a bonus. Advantage: New York

The Coaches:
The Sigi vs. Bruce matchup provides a battle of the bellies par excellence. Seriously, these two are among the most experienced coaches in MLS. One of them (though he's done everything to suppress expectations) has pressure on him to perform. The other... coaches in Columbus. Advantage: Columbus

Intangibles:
Reyna! Mathis! Wynne! Altidore! New York offers the past and future stars of the National Team. Columbus has Hejduk, whose mojo will be disrupted big time by the freezing temps. If attendance tops 10K in the horrible conditions, I'll fall over. Advantage: New York

Prediction: The two clubs will kick the ball around for 90 minutes in more of an attempt to keep warm that play attractive soccer. A classic, late Woly goal provides the difference. NY 1-0.

The Tube
Six MLS matches highlight the weekend's viewing opportunities, all times ET. Enjoy!

Saturday, April 7
9:25am: GER: Hamburg-Stuttgart, GOL
10:00am: EPL: Reading-Liverpool, FSC
11:30am: ITA: Reggina-Inter Milan, GOL
12noon: EPL: Portsmouth-Man. United, FSC
2:00pm: ESP: Real Zaragoza-Barcelona, GOL
2:15pm: EPL: Wigan-Bolton, FSC
3:30pm: MLS: Colorado-DC United, ABC
4:00pm: ESP: Atletico Bilbao-Valencia, GOL
5:00pm: ITA: Catania-Roma, FSC
6:00pm: MLS: Real Salt Lake-FC Dallas, DK, FSSW
6:00pm: ITA: AC Milan-Empoli, GOL
6:00pm: MEX: Monterrey-Atlans, GALA
7:00pm: MLS: Columbus-New York, HDNet, MSG2
8:00pm: COL: Millonarios-Tolima, GOL
8:00pm: MEX: Chivas Guad.-Tigres, TF
8:30pm: MLS: Chicago-New England, DK, CSNC, TV38
10:00pm: MEX: Necaxa-San Luis, GALA
10:30pm: MLS: Chivas USA-Toronto FC, FSC

Sunday, April 8
9:00am: ITA: Lazio-Messina, FSC
11:00am: ESP: Sevilla, Racing Santander, GOL
1:00pm: GER: Werder Bremen-Nuremburg, GOL
1:00pm: MEX: Pumas-Club America, UNI
3:00pm: ESP: Villareal-Atletico Madrid, GOL
5:00pm: ARG: Velez Sarsfield-Boca Juniors, FSC
5:00pm: URU: Nacional-Rocha, GOL
7:00pm: MLS: Houston-LA Galaxy, TF
7:00pm: COL: Quindio-Atletico Nacional, GOL
7:00pm: JAM: Portmore United-Boys Town, FSC

MLS Preview: 20 Words or Less

It's hard to believe that the long, dreary MLS offseason is about to come to a close. I'm so glad that the league is kicking off with a full slate of matches, compared to years' past when a only a pair of teams played on opening weekend. In an effort to provide a short and sweet taste of what's to come in 2007, here's 20 words or less on each MLS club, listed by the fictional single table that so many crow about...

Top of the Heap
Houston Dynamo: The returning champs are the class of the league. They play attractive ball, and will repeat in '07.

DC United: Emilio, Gomez, and the newly-acquired Fred lift the four-time champs to the MLS Cup once again.

Superliga '08
LA Galaxy: Beckham notwithstanding, a re-energized Donovan and newly acquired Jaqua will make LA tough to beat. Cannon+LA=weird.

Chivas USA: El Lobo will lift the goats higher this season. Sophomores Klejstan and Bornstein will power Chivas to a playoff series win.

Tough to Face
Chicago: The Devil will make the difference this summer. Mapp and an experienced defense will make Bridgeview a tough place to win.

FC Dallas: The offensive firepower of Ruiz, Cooper, and Mina will provide the scoring, but the midfield is a question mark.

New England Revolution A bit of a step back without Dempsey. Who knows whether Shalrie Joseph will produce? The core is still strong.

A Year Away
New York Red Bulls: The club has improved, but the big question is offense. Look for van Den Burgh to step up. Playoffs again for NY.

Moribund
Kansas City Wizards: We're still waiting for the new ownership to do something to improve the franchise, which lost Josh Wolff. Boring.

Colorado Rapids: New unis and new digs does not a compelling club make. Nico Hernandez is a good player on a poor team.

Columbus Crew: HeyDude and the young'uns on a club that's years away from making serious noise. We miss you, Eddie G!

Relegation (just kidding)
Real Salt Lake: Adu will bring pop, but RSL won't get the production from Hall-of-famers Pope and Kreis to win often.

Toronto FC: Fan support will carry the northern newbies to a last place finish in season one. Esky will be a sparkplug at BMO.

Everyone's in first place for a few more days! Enjoy opening weekend, everyone!

Show us your....WHAT?

Allen Hopkins at ESPN Soccernet is reporting that former Metro Clint Mathis is heading back to the swamp to be the Red Bulls' striker of the, um, what? Future? Mathis, who's fat and 30, has played with LA, the Metro, RSL, and Colorado is his eight-year MLS career. He's scored 52 goals in 182 appearances, though last year he hit the net two whole times in 25 appearances for the Rapids.

While Red Bull's Jeff "I Scored in the World Cup... for Portugal" Agoos has told the media that the club has been "searching the world" for a striker, the notion that Cletus is the answer up top with Jozy Altidore is laughable. Mathis' best years in MLS were spent with the Metros from 2000-2003, when he scored 33 goals in 67 appearances, including his league record 5-goal match vs. Dallas on August 26, 2000. With Mathis' help, the 2000 Metros won their only playoff series and came up a single goal short reaching of the MLS Cup. Mathis, whose memorable goal vs. South Korea at World Cup 2002 was clearly the pinnacle of his career, has always been a bit of a head case, and unless Bruce Arena can summon the Mathis of that long-ago summer, Cletus' new stint in New York will be met with hoots of derision from the NY fans and cheers of glee from Red Bull rivals.

The proof will be in the pudding, but giving Colorado anything for Mathis (save a case of Coors Light) may turn out to be a horrible decision for the RBFO. Wow. Just wow.

Things You Love About...

Big, big ups to the creative guys at ESPN for new their MLS promotional spots, which can be seen here. Soccer snobs have long thumbed their collective noses at MLS, and the Boys of Bristol have wisely decided to focus their MLS message to the more casual sports fan. The "Things You Love About..." campaign rightfully supports the argument that MLS soccer, just like the big American three sports, offers great examples of what all sports fans want to see: Power, defense, pressure, contact, accuracy, teamwork, quickness, athleticism, and desire. By telling the viewer that "you're a fan, you just don't know it yet," ESPN is putting MLS in a smart, positive light. The messages are compelling invitations to experience MLS for the first time. Hopefully, ESPN viewers will take the bait. Good show.

US 3-1 ECU Good/Bad/Ugly

The US is a perfect three for three under Bob Bradley after Landon Donovan led the Yanks to a 3-1 win over '06 World Cup participant Ecuador at the New Sombrero in Tampa on Sunday. Donovan scored three different ways against Ecuador... off of a poor clearance in the first minute... on a 40-yard breakaway in the 66th... and a 20-yd rocket off a DMB feed two minutes later. Here's a quick review of the match, Eastwood style.

Good
The aforementioned Donovan: Took hold of the US effort and willed his team to win. For a guy that's told US Soccer his focus this year is on his club team, he's giving the Nats everything he's got. Donovan has tied Brian McBride for 2nd all-time on the US scoring list with 30 tallies, just four behind Eric Wynalda.

Michael Bradley: Entered at halftime and did a great job managing the US attack, which was scattered in the game's first half. His slow, steady possession helped frustrate the speedy Ecuadorians, who wilted after Donovan's two second-half goals.

Brian Ching: Got kicked in the nose in the first half, but got himself right back on the field and had a chance or two at goal before being subbed out in the 73rd. A real warrior.

Benny Feilhaber: Went 90 minutes at d-mid in his first US start. Tons of upside potential. Worked great with Bradley.

The Fed: Ecuador was a great scheduling choice. They're a good South American squad that gave the young (and not-so-young) Nats fits in the first half. Good speed and sharp passing made them a strong test for the US as they get ready for Gold Cup and Copa America.

Bad

The US D-Wings: Cherundolo and Bocanegra were torched frequently by the young and speedy Ecuadorians. True, the temperature on the field (120 degrees) was a bit warmer than Germany and England, but our d-wings did a lot of chasing, especially on Felipe Caicedo's goal. Caicedo, who's only 21, had a terrific match for the South Americans.

Ugly

DaMarcus Beasley: He's still working his way back into shape, and had a great feed to LD for the US' third goal, but Beaz had a few howlers in the match. It's been a year since he played his best, and while he's all but inked-in for WC 2010, here's to hoping he gets his groove back.

Dave O'Brien: Got smacked-down by Arena for comparing Oguchi Oneywu to an NFL Linebacker. Went off on a ramble out how the Yankees' spring training site was nearby. Continually noted the score and time, although that info is constantly available to viewers on the screen. As Run-DMC once noted... "You talk too much... home boy you NEVER shut up!"

By the way, the first person who can explain what Wynalda was talking about re: MLS' "Game First" effort wins a prize. Looking forward to more roster experiments this Wednesday vs. Guatemala at the Deep Dish in Frisco.

Fashion Show

It was a big week in MLS, even without any meaningful games going on. There was an upbeat article on the front page of the marketplace section in today's Wall Street Journal, and the league's second and third sponsorship deals were announced, with an interesting competitive backstory included.

As you may know, Chivas USA owner Jorge Vergara is also the director of Omnilife, a Mexico-based nutrition products and supplements company. Once of Omnilife's biggest competitors is Torrance, CA-based Herbalife. Chivas USA shares the Home Depot Center with... the LA Galaxy. As you can see, Herbalife is sponsoring the Galaxy kit. A nice story, and a nice $4 million (approx.) annual check to LA for the sponsorship. The Herbalife deal almost defrays Beckham's annual salary. Almost.

As for Club Canada, Toronto stadium sponsor BMO has stepped up to sponsor the Toronto FC kit for the club's first season. No word on the dollars behind the deal, but with TFC reaching its season ticket cap of 14,000, hopefully the club was able to pry additional dollars from BMO, the Bank of Montreal. Sponsoring Toronto FC. Weird.

The US will be wearing a new, blue pajama top (I agree, Bruce) during their matches against Ecuador this Sunday (noon et, ESPN2 and Galavision) and Guatemala on Wednesday (9pm ET, ESPN2 and Galavision). Meh. The shirt really looks like it was picked off the sale rack at Target. Come on, Nike, you can do better than that.

BTW, Northern NJ-based US fans, you're invited to join me and 25 other Garden Staters at the Sportz Bar in East Hanover on Route 10 West on Sunday to watch the US-Ecuador match. It's a trial run for those who can't escape to the city to watch at Stout Pub. Drop me a email if you'd like to come, or just come on by.

Thanks for Digging

Big Ups to D at the DCenters for his investigation into exactly what it takes MLS to update its teams' online rosters on MLSNet. I'm currently in the online media world myself, and I feel their pain, but yeesh.

Red Bull-a-Rama

Dan R and the gang at MetroFanatic always do a fantastic job bringing the fanatics closer to the players at Red Bull Media Day, and this week was no exception. Check out short and sweet interviews with Reyna, Wattereus, Parker, Stammler, Altidore, Laventure, Kovalenko, Wynne, Vide, Wolyniec, and Regan. No one does it better. Thanks, guys.

Watch Party: FIFA DATE

Here's what's on the tube, while you're dodging NCAA Hoops (all times et):

SATURDAY, MARCH 24:
8:30am: INTL: England U-21-Italy U-21, FSC
11:00am: INTL: Brazil-Chile, FSC
2:00pm: EURO: Spain-Denmark, TELEM
2:30pm: EURO: Estonia-Russia, FSC
4:30pm: EURO: Norway-Bosnia, FSC
7:00pm: MEX: Atlante-UNAM, GALA
7:15pm: COL: Bucramanga-Dep. Cali, GOL
9:00pm: MEX: Chivas-Morelia, TELEF
11:00pm: MEX: Necaxa-Club America, TELEF

SUNDAY, MARCH 25:
1am: MEX: Monterrey-San Luis, GALA
Noon: INTL: USA-Ecuador, ESPN2, GALA
2pm: MEX: Toluca-Chiapas, UNI
3:00pm: ARG: San Lorenzo-Independiente, FSC
3:30pm: INTL: Mexico-Paraguay, TELEM
5:30pm: ELS: San Salvador-ALianza, GOL
6:00pm: JAM: Jamaican Cup Semifinal 1, FSC
7:30pm: COL: America Cali-Cucuta, GOL
8:30pm: JAM: Jamaican Cup Semifinal 2, FSC
9:30pm: CLUB: Marathon (HON)-Alajuelense (CRC), GOL

The New New World

There were ripplings from Chicago to DC to Houston yesterday across the US soccer scene, ripplings that signaled change in soccer's new world.

In Chicago, US Soccer announced its 24-man roster for upcoming friendlies against Ecuador (March 25, Tampa) and Guatemala (March 28, Frisco). Unlike Bob Bradley's January US camp, the roster includes young Americans that have plying their trade abroad, like former U20s Benny Feilhaber (Hamburg II, GER), Frankie Simek (West Ham, ENG), Michael Bradley (Heeerenveen, NED) as well as Jay Demerit (Watford, ENG), who left Green Bay, Wisconsin for the dream of the EPL, and reached it. Euro stalwarts Beasley, Dempsey, Howard and Onyewu will be in camp, as well as an old guy with the initials KK that I thought had retired. Throw in some MLS'ers old (Conrad) and young (Clark, Cooper), and you've got the new US team: a little youth, a little experience, and a lot of potential for success. Results against Ecuador and Guatemala or not, simply having this group in camp together will pay dividends this summer in the Gold Cup and Copa America.

In Houston, the MLS Cup champs survived an early barrage against Mexican powerhouse Pachuca, then used a second-half surge (Ching, Wondolowski) to win 2-0 in the first leg of the clubs' Concacaf Champions' Cup semifinal matchup. The second goal, scored in the 83rd minute, gave the Dynamo a huge boost heading south of the border for the return leg on April 5th. I'm sure there were many who expected the MLS side to get swamped by the Tuzos, but remember that Houston (nee San Jose) is a championship squad that has been playing together, and winning, for many years. The Dynamo will be even fitter in three weeks, so here's to hoping that they can shut the door and move on the finals.

In DC, Chivas Guadalajara took a 1-0 lead in the second half of their semifinal opener with DC United on a header by Mexican national-teamer Omar Bravo. Chivas was able to penetrate the DC defense frequently on the sloppy field, but wonder acquisition Emilio scored his fourth goal of the competition in injury time off a corner kick to give DC the 1-1 home draw. Chivas will certainly be favored to beat DC at Estadio Jalisco on April 3rd, and based on last night's play, they probably won't disappoint the home crowd.

Still, two MLS vs. MEX club matches without a loss is a significant achievement. A series win over a Mexican opponent in this competition hasn't happened since the KC Wizards beat Santos Laguna in the 2002 quarterfinals, and would signal a new day in the MLS/FMF rivalry.

Over the next few weeks, US soccer may certainly prove to be a new, new world.

We Are. We're Not. We're Confused.

OK, so Bruce Arena, after telling reporters on Wednesday that a Red Bull DP signing is likely this or next week, decides today that "We're not ready yet." Now fans of any team know the challenges in finalizing player signings, and to date the RB front office has put up a strong unified message. So what happened this week? On Tuesday, Herr Red Bull noted that a second DP signing was unlikely this year. Then the Arena tap dance. Were the recent Zidane sightings in the city just a Frenchman's holiday, or were there significant talks with the retired World Cup champion? Was the club in talks with Liverpool's Robbie Fowler? Tin Delgado? Did Arena get a call from his boss reminding him that the truly big signing comes next year with the opening of Red Bull Park?

And what of the stadium site, which has been cleared and is awaiting vertical construction. A posting on Metrofanatic tells of a change in the construction company which will push the opening to 2009. Though there's less drama this off-season than last year with the ownership change, I can't wait for the season to begin, already.

Good Show
The season did begin in earnest for DC and Houston this past week in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, and both teams' showings (Olimpia 1-4 DCU, Puntarenas 1-0 HOU) offer hope that both MLS sides will move on to the tourney's semifinals, where Mexican powers Chivas and Pachuca will surely await. Two MLS-FMF matchups will certainly add spice to this summer's SuperLiga, in which DC, Houston, and Chivas will take part.

Thumbs Down
MLS rosters in February are filled with also-rans, but that doesn't mean the MLSNet should ignore the clubs' roster pages. Relying on fan and news sites for up-to-date roster changes is embarrassing. The official team sites should be the first place where fans go to learn of player additions and cuts. The same goes for MLSNet's "Competitions" page, where today one can find news of the Galaxy's loss to Saprissa in last season's CCC, and no mention of this year's tournament. Not good.

TV Time
February is traditionally the sports doldrums, but there's plenty of soccer to watch this weekend. Enjoy.

All times ET:
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24th
9:25am: GER: Bayern Munich-Wolfsburg, GOL
10:00am: EPL: Charlton-West Ham, FSC
11:30am: GER: Hamburg-Eintracht Frankfurt, GOL
12noon: EPL: Watford-Everton, FSC
2:00pm: ESP: Real Sociedad-Dep. La Coruna, GOL
4:00pm: ITA: Atalanta-Palermo, GOL
6:00pm: MEX: San Luis-Jaguares, GALA
6:15pm: COL: Tolima-Dep. Cali, GOL
8:00pm: MEX: Necaxa-Chivas, TELEF
10:00pm: MEX: Atlas-Atlante, GALA
12mid: MEX: Tigres-Veracruz, GALA

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25th
9:00am: ITA: Catania-Inter, FSC
9:00am: ITA: Roma-Reggina, GOL
11:00am: ENG: Tottenham-Bolton, FSC
11:00am: ESP: Getafe, Sevilla, GOL
1:00pm: ENG: Blackburn-Portsmouth, FSC
1:00pm: GER: Schalke-Bayer Leverkusen, GOL
1:00pm: MEX: Pumas-Cruz Azul, UNI
3:00pm: ITA: Cagliari-Lazio, FSC
3:00pm: ITA: Milan-Sampdoria, GOL
5:00pm: ARG: River Plate-Racing, FSC
5:00pm: MEX: Club America-Santos, TELEF
9:00pm: U-20: Mexico-Costa Rica, GOL

On a THURSDAY?

Ok MLS, let me get this straight. You prod a second-tier European club to pull another pre-season tour of the States to take part in the '07 All-Star game. You schedule the event at a spanking-new soccer-specific stadium. You tell everyone how excited you are... and then you schedule the game on... a Thursday?

I know there won't be much TV sports competition on Thursday, July 19th to compete with the MLS All Stars' match with Scottish power Celtic at the Big Wang in Colorado, but there's something a little bush about holding the game during the work week. Yes, I know that MLB and NHL put their all-star showcases on weeknights, but for the most part, MLS matches are played on the weekend, and the All-Star Game should be as well.

Of course, the Thursday date fits right in with ESPN2's regular MLS timeslot this season. Keeping in mind the busy July soccer calendar:

The US Open Cup Round of 16 (Tue Jul. 10)
The Copa America Final (Sun. Jul. 15)
MLS All-Star Game (Thu. Jul 19)
The U20 World Cup Final (Sun. Jul. 22)
The start of the SuperLiga (Tue. Jul. 24)

...and that's a lot of "meaningful" games in a very short time frame. Maybe Thursday night isn't such a bad idea. Hopefully the game will take some viewers away from that repeat of Scrubs NBC'll have on. Of course, if you haven't seen it, it's new to you...

A Winning Weekend

Kudos to the US U-20s and the MNT for picking up good results this past weekend. Of course, the U-20s entered their final qualifying match knowing that they had already qualified for the World Cup this summer, but a loose, relaxed, and talented squad blew away host Panama 5-0 to win the group.

There were signs of a hopeful future in the MNT's 3-1 win over Denmark at the HDC. Strong individual performances by Chicago's Justin Mapp, Chivas USA's Jonathan Bornstein, and FC Dallas' Kenny Cooper were the difference makers. Here's hoping the win provided some confidence to the team for the upcoming Mexico match (Feb. 7th in Phoenix).

Hats Off in Panama

The US U-20s are one win away from this Summer's World Cup after a 4-1 trashing of Haiti last night in Panama City. Harvard University's Andre Akpan scored a hat trick in the rout, that was blemished only by a Haitian pk in the 73th minute that was nearly stopped by US keeper and RSL draftee Chris Seitz. FC Dallas's John Wallace scored the other US goal in the physical match, where Trinidadian ref Lee Davis handed out seven yellow cards (only two to the US) . RSL's Freddy Adu captained the US Squad, but NY Red Bull forward Jozy Altidore didn't leave Thomas Rongen's bench. Guatemala tied host Panama in the nightcap, leaving the standings this way after one round:

(Top two nations qualify)
Team, Pts, GD
USA, 3, +3
GUA 1, 0
-----------
PAN 1, 0
HAI 0, -3

A win vs. Guatemala tomorrow night (6:30pm ET, GolTV) will clinch a spot for the Yanks in the U-20 World Cup, to be held in Burnaby, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Victoria, Canada starting on June 30th. Already qualified for the 24-team tournament are European nations Spain, Scotland, Czech Rep., Austria, Poland, and Portugal, and Asian countries Japan, North and South Korea, and Jordan. The host nation will take part as well, of course.

Guatemala will surely prove a tougher task than the Haitians, but here's to hoping for a smooth and safe qualification for the Gnats. Go get 'em!

Stop. Quallie Time.

Panama City's rickety, boisterous Rommel Fernandez Stadium will be the site of the U20 World Cup qualifying tournament for the US, Haiti, Guatemala, and the host canaleros starting tonight when the US faces Haiti at 6:30pm ET on GolTV.

Although US Forward Andre Akpan has said that "the situation with the forwards is kind of shaky," the talented and deep US squad should be one of the top two clubs to advance to this summer's U20 World Cup in Canada. After Haiti, the US plays Guatemala on Friday and the hosts on Sunday. The top two nations in the group .

The Goose is on the Loose
New York-area soccer fans should head to Stout Pub on 33rd Street in Manhattan on Saturday to watch the US take on Denmark at 5pm, then stay to hear future Hall-of-Famer and Red Bulls coach Jeff Agoos answer questions about this year's upcoming campaign. As of this writing, the Red Bulls have yet to announce any free agent signings (Reyna, Wattereus, Ronaldo, hello!) so look for the New York fans to press Mr. Agoos about what to expect from Red Bull, and how it felt to score on Brad Friedel in the 2002 World Cup. While you're there, consider joining the Empire Supporters Club for the upcoming season. You'll be glad you did.

A Liga That's Super?
The MLS-FMF summer tournament was announced this past week, but something with the "SuperLiga" just doesn't seem right to me. If the object is to create battle-tested MLS squads and determine North American club soccer supremacy, then shouldn't some of these matches be played South of the border? I'm sure that the Houston-Club America match at Robertson Stadium will be pro-America, but MLS sides should face the full wrath of Mexican fans to earn respect. Playing all the games in the US just doesn't feel right.

Only 8 in USOC?
Yes, the summer schedule should be crowded. Yes, MLS clubs will be challenged with domestic players taking part in the Gold Cup, Copa America, and the U-20 World Cup, but cutting down the number of sides taking part in the US Open Cup isn't the answer. A recent US Soccer memo noted that only eight MLS teams will compete in this year's tournament. All 12 US-based teams should take part in the longest-running soccer competition in the country. There's been much written and debated about the value of the USOC, as US Soccer has been remiss in marketing the tournament properly. However, omitting top-level clubs isn't the answer. A thumbs down to the league on this one.

It's Going Down

The mainstream media has picked up on the buzz that's been percolating for weeks now, that global-uber-persona David Beckham will be leaving the microscope of European soccer for the beaches of sunny California. The Times of London, ABC News, and ESPN Soccernet are all reporting what was first mentioned yesterday morning on the Fox News Channel, that Beckham will sign today with the LA Galaxy for $36million over four years and will join the MLS club this August after the La Liga season ends for Beckham's current team, Real Madrid.

Earlier this week, Galaxy owner AEG sold its DC United club for $33 million, so Uncle Phil Anschutz won't be dipping too deep into his piggy bank to land Beckham, who has already has a soccer academy based at the the Home Depot Center, LA's home field.

Beckham has played stateside a few times over the last few years; for England in their 2005 tour to New York and Chicago, and with Real Madrid in Utah last summer for their match with Real Salt Lake. Beckham even picked up a shovel at the RSL stadium "groundbreaking" project that has since stalled.

Should this news pan out, prepare for the inevitable "It won't matter" columns from the nation's blowhard fifty-something sports editors who constantly deride soccer. Prepare for Frank Deford, a big soccer hater and interviewer of Beckham for HBO's RealSports program a few years back, to state from his high horse that Beckham's arrival won't move MLS into the nation's sports consciousness.

Say this about the "new" MLS: the league is making waves during a traditionally quiet off-season period. Beckham's arrival may prod other teams to open their wallets for some quality talent. They're no denying, however, that an LA Galaxy squad with Beckham and Landon Donovan will clearly be favorites to win the MLS Cup in DC in November.

The Deuce is Loose

Congrats to Clint Dempsey for winning his work permit from the British Home Office. Dempsey should be introduced at Fulham's Craven Cottage today as the latest Yank to join the English Premier League. Go get 'em, Deuce.

Kicking Off the Year

The best year for soccer in the US is always the one ahead of us in the first days of January. There's so much going on, it's hard not to be excited, even if the games have yet to begin.

1) The U-20's are Ready: U-20 coach Thomas Rongen took a look at lots and lots of talented teenagers before selecting his twenty-man roster for next week's U-20 World Cup qualifying tournament in Panama City. On the roster are Freddy Adu, New York's Jozy Altidore, Clifton, NJ's Danny Szetela, and Euro-based Nats Robbie Rogers (Heerenveen), Johann Smith (Bolton), and Preston Zimmerman (Hamburg). Missing from the squad are talented FC Dallas midfielder Dax McCarty, who didn't seem to meet Rongen's plans, and former Metro Michael Bradley, who wasn't released from Heerenveen. The Nats will play Haiti on Jan. 17th, Guatemala on Jan. 19th, and finish up with host Panama on Jan. 21st. The top two squads will qualify for the U-20 World Cup in Canada starting June 30th. USSoccer.com's Roster Spot video series took a great look inside the most recent U-20 camp, and listened in on Rongen discussing player strengths and weaknesses with assistant coaches Dave Dir and Brian Maissoneuve.

2) The Senior Team is Sweating: Interim coach Bob Bradley's camp is in full swing ahead of the Nats' January 20th match vs. Denmark at the HDC. USSoccer.com is doing another great job with a blog and podcasts from the US camp.

3) AEG Divests DC United: Uncle Phil is down to just three MLS club's after this morning's sale of the four-time MLS Cup champs to a group led by real estate magnate Victor MacFarlane. The new owners, "DC United Holdings" ponied up a record $33million for the franchise, which is hoping to build their own home and move out of RFK Stadium in the near future. The new owners, which include former Duke basketball stars Bryan Davis and Christian Laettner, will keep wisely keep DCU President Kevin Payne in place. The sale, the sixth in MLS since 2005, leaves the league closer to single-team ownership.

Current MLS ownership by club:
Chicago: AEG
Chivas USA: Jorge Vergara/Antonio Cue
Colorado: Kroenke Sports Enterprises
Columbus: Hunt Sports Group
DC United: DC United Holdings
FC Dallas: Hunt Sports Group
Houston: AEG
Kansas City: OnGoal, LLC
Los Angeles: AEG
New England: The Kraft family
New York: Red Bull
Real Salt Lake: Dave Checketts (Sports Capital Partners)
Toronto FC: Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment

For those counting at home, that's ten owners for thirteen clubs, a much, much better outlook than just a few seasons ago.

4) Drafty in Indy: MLS' 2007 draft will be held this Friday, and the mouse networks are stepping up to the plate with an hour of live, first-round coverage on ESPN2. Allen Hopkins will host as he did last year on FSC, and draft previews can be had on From the College to the Pros and 3rd Degree. Top Drawer Soccer has a diary from draft hopeful Greg Dalby.

5) Red Bull additions: BigAppleSoccer has reported that former US National Team and jersey boy Claudio Reyna may be coming home to play for New York. BBC Sport notes that Reyna may return stateside for "family reasons." While the oft-injured Reyna may not prosper on the unforgiving Giants Stadium turf, having that wealth of experience at d-mid would serve the Red Bulls well. Also, one-time Dutch national-team keeper Ronald Waterreus may be an imminent Red Bull signing. There's no denying that the 34-year old Reyna and the 37-year old Wattereus will bring some pedigree to the Red Bulls' roster, but one has to wonder if there are more "in-prime" players that Arena the Bruce will add to the Taurine Army. Stay tuned.

Silly Season

Step right up! Step right up and guess who'll be on the Red Bulls' 2007 roster! Take a guess! It don't cost nothing!

We're only two weeks away from the opening of the European transfer window, when Sporting Director Bruce Arena will begin to spend Herr Mateshitz's dollars on talent designed to pack the swamp come tax day vs. the Moo Cows. Who'll be the lucky enlistee to the Taurine Army? If you believe anything you read, here are some of the names being bandied about (thanks to Metrofanatic):

Figo
Ronaldo
Wanchope
Reyna
Nedved (!)
Wattereus
Eskandarian
de la Pena
"Miloy"

With two Desginated Player slots available, Red Bull fans should expect nothing less than a BIG name. Two even. After all, since Arena arrived, all we've been hearing is "it's all about next year." Well next year is almost here, and after eleven mediocre seasons, a hefty chunk of salary cap to spend, and the trade of club MVP Guevara, New York fans should finally, FINALLY get a superstar (pardons to Mr. Matthaeus). Make our day.

Of course, adding a superstar won't create team chemistry. The current roster is without these ten 2006 Red Bulls:

Forwards
*Edson Buddle (trade w/Toronto)
*Youri Djorkaeff (retired)
Jordan Cila (retired)

Midfielders
*Amado Guevara (trade w/Chivas)
*Chris Henderson (waived)
*Danny O'Rourke (Expansion Draft)
Peter Canero (waived)
Mark Lisi (retired)

Defenders
Steve Jolley (waived)

Keeper
*Tony Meola (waived)
*2006 starter

If history has proven anything, to be successful in the NY market, the Red Bulls must be quick out of the gate. Another 1-1-6 start won't provide much buzz in the market, so Arena must get his stars signed early, and have the majority of the roster complete when training camp starts in late January. Arena's strength is building a cohesive team, so here's to hoping he and his mighty band of UVA alums can get the job done.

RIP Lamar Hunt, and thanks for what you gave us.

Tee hee, Club America. The Red Bulls only lost to Barca by three goals!

Go get 'em, Bob Bradley. Here's to hoping you're on the bench in South Africa in 2010.

Fun in Frisco

Due to internet gremlins (It's not a dump truck, you know), MLS fans were unable to access Don Garber's State of the League Address live from Frisco, Texas, the site of MLS Cup 2006. That didn't stop MLS Radio from bringing us the highlights, courtesy of some BBC Sports hack who's stuck in North Texas covering Sunday's sold-out Revs-Dynamo clash.

The second-hand (now third-hand) news concerning MLS 2007:

-Toronto FC will play in the Eastern Conference
-8 clubs will still make the MLS Cup Playoffs, the top two clubs from each conference and the next best four clubs in the standings, regardless of conference
-Each club will play 30 league matches, down from 32
-A midweek MLS/MFL "Champions League" tournament will kickoff
-There will be "new international players"
-For the first time, a majority of MLS clubs (CHI, CHV, CMB, COL, FCD, LAG, TFC) will play in soccer-specific stadiums
-Expansion candidates include Atlanta, Cleveland, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia, Rochester, San Diego, San Jose, St. Louis, and Seattle (I guess Des Moines and Walla Walla, Washington didn't make the cut)

Neither Landon Donovan or Chris Armas seemed too happy with the new playoff setup in interviews on MLS Radio today. I'm ambivalent. As long as 8 clubs make the playoffs, it's all the same to me.

Of course, the reason everyone's in Frisco is the match, pitting two-time loser New England vs. two-time champion (in a former life) Houston.

Here's New England's lineup:
Reis
Heaps, Parkhurst, John
Joseph, Larentowicz, Franchino, Dorman, Riley
Noonan, Twellman

Here's Houston's:
Onstad
Barrett, Robinson, Cochrane, Waibel
Serioux, De Rosario, Davis, Mullan
Dalglish, Ching

I'm not going to dig in too deep on the individual matchups, but on a personal level (and as an Eastern guy) I'd like to see New England finally break through. It would be great to see Steve Ralston, Dempsey/Noonan/Twellman and BU grad Dorman pick up rings.

Orange-clad Houston fans should rock the Deep Dish, but the Dynamo will be hurting from the void left by suspended former Metro Rico Clark. Look for the Deuce to come on late to score the game-winner in a classic. The prediction: 3-2 Revs.

Red Bulls Postmortem
I could not have been prouder than the effort put forward by the Red Bulls in their season-ending 1-1 draw in DC on Sunday, October 29th. For most of the game, New York was clearly the better squad. Amado Guevara was on top of his game, and had Jozy Altidore's 61st minute post-job gone in, New York could have pulled up an historic upset. The match was an upbeat ending to a season gone completely insane. While most of the '06 squad won't return next season, the year did end on a hopeful note, and hope is something NY fans haven't had in a while.

Television Weekend
Enjoy your time in front of the tube (times ET). Enjoy MLS Cup!

SATURDAY, Nov. 11
9:30am: GER: Bayer Leverkusen-Bayern Munich, GOL
10:00am: ENG: Everton-Aston Villa, FSC
11:30am: GER: Hamburg-Moenchengladbach, GOL
Noon: ENG: Blackburn-Man Utd, FSC
2:00pm: ESP: Atl. Madrid-Villareal, GOL
2:15pm: ENG: Portsmouth-Fulham, FSC
4:00pm: ITA: AC Milan-Roma, GOL
6:00pm: ESP: Valenica-Atl. Bilbao, GOL
6:00pm: MEX: Monterrey-Toluca, GALA
8:00pm: HON: Marathon-Olimpia, GOL
8:00pm: MEX: Chivas-Chiapas, TELEF
10pm: MEX: Necaxa-Veracruz, GALA

SUNDAY, Nov. 12
9:00am: ITA: Lazio-Udinese, FSC
9:00am: ITA: Palermo-Torino, GOL
11:00am: ENG: Arsenal-Liverpool, FSC
11:00am: GER: Hannover-Stuttgart, GOL
1:00pm: ENG: FA Cup: Weymouth-Bury, FSC
1:00pm: ESP: Osasuna-Real Madrid, GOL
1:00pm: MEX: UNAM-Tigres, UNI
3:00pm: ARG: Indpendiente-Racing, FSC
3:00pm: ITA: Parma-Inter Milan, GOL
3:30pm: MLS CUP 2006: Houston-New England, ABC
5:00pm: COL: Ind. Medellin-Dep. Cali, GOL
5:00pm: ITA: Catania-Livorno, FSC
5:00pm: MEX: Club America-Morelia, TELEF
7:00pm: ESP: Racing-Sevilla, GOL

And how about those Rutgers Scarlet Knights! RIP, Ed Bradley.

Carnival of American Soccer #6: Sideshow

Ok, three submissions don't make a full carnival, but perhaps this Carnival of American Soccer can serve as a strong sideshow as we await MLS Cup. Here's the topic, and here are the answers:

First, DCSunDevil of An American's View...

Second, The Manly Ferry of My Very Brain...

and lastly, yours truly. Hope you find this installment fun and interesting, and thanks so for reading and for your comments.

Marketing League Soccer

The Challenge, as posted by yours truly, for the Carnival of American Soccer:

Your commissioner has said that your three target market groups are, in order of priority:

-Youth soccer players and families
-Hispanics
-"Core soccer fans"

Without changes to the league structure or season (i.e. single table, no playoffs, etc. etc.), and with a reasonable but not unlimited marketing budget, what will you do to give MLS the "cool factor" that will ensure an attendance increase next season and beyond?

The Solution (MLS/SUM take note):

Yes, MLS will embark on its twelfth season in a scant five and a half months. Preseason camps will start even sooner, in mid-February. Here's my plan to drive more fannies in the seats come April...

On reaching the youth market:
Peter Wilt has the optimal situation with his nascent MLS Milwaukee effort, hard-wiring the local youth market into his new franchise. Of course, real-life MLS clubs can't turn back the clock, but there are many things that can be done.

1. Have local schools "adopt" players. Given the transient nature of MLS rosters, this can be tricky, but giving schools and school districts "ownership" over players create the oh-so-important connection that pushes junior to get Mom and Dad to drive them to the stadium. Substitute youth soccer teams for schools and double your fun. Send weekly updates during the season on how your player is doing. Schedule appearances by the player in gym classes/bake sales/HS and club matches.

2. Development schools. Many MLS clubs (RBNY, DC) do this very well, horning in on the local soccer camp scene and actually turning kids into members of the clubs.

3. Soccer Moms games. Bring your Mom to the game to play against the other soccer moms at halftime. Have some of the younger players serve as ref. Challenge the town next door. Watch the fun ensue.

On reaching the Hispanic market:
As we know, there are many, many groups within this market, although the love for football is nearly a given for all (save Dominicans, some Cubans, Venezuelans).

Speaking from the New York region, the Metros/Red Bulls have usually held heritage nights for the larger Hispanic populations in the area. The national teams of Ecuador and Colombia play at Giants stadium at least once a year, usually drawing around 35,000 fans per game. These fans don't translate into MLS fans. How to convert them?

1. Roster spots. I know MLS rosters (in theory) are put together to win. However, look at the Raul Diaz Arce effect among Salvadorans in the DC area created. Early on in MLS, RDA was good for an extra grand or two in the stands. It has to work for each market and each team, but it certainly couldn't hurt.

2. Club competitions. Why shouldn't the Red Bulls host a quick quadrangular in a bye week each year? Colo Colo, Emelec, Olimpia, and RBNY for a week each summer should do extra to highlight the skill and quality of the MLS boys, and may win over a few to a demanding public. Yes, the schedule's crowded. Make it happen.

3. Passion. Reaching out to Hispanic fans through a special socio a la Chivas USA could go a long way toward building loyalty for the local side.

On the "core-soccer" market:
This has been traditionally been the toughest to reach. As we know, fans of the Euro or SA game have their pick of matches each weekend to watch, and stay away from MLS in droves. Here we go:

1. Bar Nights. Bring those Red Bull Girls (and players, those old enough to drink) out at least one night/week with some tickets & merch. Raffle off front-row seats, a visit to a training session, jerseys.

2. Live the Dream. Some MLS clubs are trying to sell in-season "fantasy camps" for four-digit prices. I'm not sure how these are doing, but reaching out to soccer hotbeds (park leagues) and giving these away, or raffling them off offers access to MLS clubs that are nothing like eurosnobs can get back home.

3. Meet the Marquee. I'm choosing to believe the hype about the big names heading to MLS in the next few years. Make sure that these guys earn their vacation in the US by getting them out in the soccer community, commando-style, popping up in places you wouldn't ordinarily see them. Attract crowds. Want to meet Figo? Buy tickets here!

Baby steps, yes, but with a little bit of effort, MLS can effectively raise the attendance bar. Go get 'em, kids.

A Heaping Bowl of Pessimism

Friends, here are a Starting XI-ful of reasons why the roller-coaster Red Bulls' season will end at DCU this Sunday. (6pm, ESPN2)...

XI: The only playoff series win in Metro history was clinched on the road at Dallas (Mathis scored two to beat the Burn on 9/20/00). The Metros have been eliminated by DC United twice, in 1996 and in 2004.

X: The Red Bulls have a single road win this season, a 2-0 decision July 19th at Columbus. DC is a little better than the Crew.

IX: That win at Columbus was one of only two matches this season that RBNY won by more than one goal (the other was the 6-0 shellacking of RSL on August 26th).

VIII: DC had a +9 goal differential at RFK this season, NY had a -7 on the road.

VII: DC's two active leading scorers (Gomez, Moreno) had 25 tallies between them this season, NY's (Guevara, Stammler!) had 13.

VI: DC's Bobby Boswell just appeared in Cosmo. NY's Seth Stammler just appeared in Maxim. (Advantage NY, methinks).

V: DC has never lost a playoff series or championship game to a team not named the Chicago Fire.

IV: DC did not give their best effort of the season last week in NJ and still won. They'll be even tougher with a large home crowd behind them.

III: The NY Coaching Staff is chock full of former DC players and coaches: Arena, Harkes, Williams, and Agoos. The only United player with NY experience is Jaime Moreno, who spent one disappointing season in the Swamp.

II: NY needs a win. The Red Bulls had 9 in 32 matches this season. DC only needs a tie. United got at least a tie in 25 of 32 games this season.

I: DC is a club with Supporters Shields, MLS Cups, US Open Cups, InterAmerican Cups, etc. etc.. NY has that La Manga Cup from a few years' back. Hmm.

Prediction: DC 2, NY 1: DC wins series, 3-1 on aggregate.

Here are your soccer television selections for the weekend, times ET. Don't forget to change your clocks (and the batteries in your smoke alarms) on Saturday night before you hit the sack. Have a great weekend.

Saturday, October 28th:
9:30am: GER: Bayern Munich-Eintracht Frankfurt, GOL
10:00am: ENG: Liverpool-Aston Villa, FSC
12noon: ENG: Newcastle-Charlton, FSC
12noon: ITA: Udinese-Roma, GOL
2:15pm: ENG: Watford-Tottenham, FSC
2:30pm: ITA: AC Milan-Inter Milan, GOL
4:30pm: ESP: Gimnastic-Real Madrid, GOL
6:30pm: BRA: Fluminese-Gremio, GOL
7:30pm: MLS: New England-Chicago, DK, FSC, HDNet
8:00pm: MEX: Chivas-Atlas, TELEF
8:30pm: MLS: FC Dallas-Colorado, DK
8:30pm: COL: Millonarios-Bucramanga, GOL
10:00pm: MEX: Necaxa-Tigres, GALA
12mid: MEX: Monterrey-Veracruz, GALA

Sunday, October 29th
9:00am: ITA: Lazio-Reggina, FSC
9:00am: ITA: Fiorentina-Palermo, FSC
11:00pm: ENG: West Ham-Blackburn, FSC
11:00pm: GER: Stuttgart-Schalke, GOL
1:00pm: ITA: Cagliari-Sampdoria, FSC
1:00pm: MEX: UNAM-Morelia, UNI
3:00pm: ARG: Indpendiente-River Plate, FSC
3:00pm: ESP: Atletico Madrid-Real Zaragoza, GOL
5:00pm: GUA: Municipal-Comunicaciones, GOL
6:00pm: MLS: DC United-New York, ESPN2
7:00pm: COL: Quindio-Atletico Nacional, GOL
8:00pm: MLS: Houston-Chivas USA, DK, FSC, HDNet

Scary Good

BASAs Chairman and MLS highlight video creator extraordinaire scaryice of Climbing the Ladder has created 2006 top-ten goal videos for each MLS club. Here's the Red Bulls version:



Scary is single-handedly helping MLS grow, providing league-oriented content that the league...well, doesn't. Way to go, ice.

Carnival of Soccer #6: Getting Butts in the Seats

Taking the reins from Jeff Bull over at It's a Simple Game, I'm here today to invite soccer bloggers one and all to take part in the Sixth and latest installment of the Carnival of American Soccer!

Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is as follows:

You've just been handed the plum position of MLS Marketing Director. MLS regular attendance (as I'm sure you know) reached its peak in the launch year of 1996. Since 2000, attendance has been relatively flat (thanks, Kenn):

2000: 13,756
2001: 14,961
2002: 15,821
2003: 14,898
2004: 15,559
2005: 15,108
2006: 15,502

Many of the tickets that your clubs sell or distribute go unused, creating unfilled stadiums that don't look so good during national TV broadcasts, which will increase next year with new ESPN and Univision contracts. The growing number of intimate, soccer-specific stadiums, has not produced a significant attendance boost.

Your commissioner has said that your three target market groups are, in order of priority:
-Youth soccer players and families
-Hispanics
-"Core soccer fans"

Without changes to the league structure or season (i.e. single table, no playoffs, etc. etc.), and with a reasonable but not unlimited marketing budget, what will you do to give MLS the "cool factor" that will ensure an attendance increase next season and beyond?

Being the benevolent carny that I am, I'm giving you until Monday, November 6th to have your submission ready. Maybe a brave soul who'll be attending the Supporters Summit in Frisco can deliver our rantings to the MLS brass there. Can't wait to see what we come up with.

MLS Cup Ticket Info

Considering making the pilgrimage to Frisco for MLS Cup in three weeks' time?

Call Evan Mitz in the FCD front office. He'll attend to all your ticketing needs, and provide you priority seating, even.

You can reach him at 214-705-6752 or through the magic of the interweb at emitz@fcdallas.net. You'll be glad you did.

Information about this year's Supporters Summit, hosted by FC Dallas supporters' group The Inferno can be found here.

Playoff Preview: NY/DC Game 1

After the most turbulent season in Metros/Red Bulls history (and that's really saying something), New York is gearing up to face the foe of foes in DC United in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs starting tomorrow at Giants Stadium (2pm, FSNY, DK).

While Red Bulls' Head Coach Bruce Arena says plays down any notion of rivalry, DC is at the top of many NY fans' hate list. I mean, would NY fans get as torqued up for Columbus? Doubtful.

It's been a strange season for MLS' most successful franchise. United stampeded their way through the first twenty games of the season with a staggering 13-1-6 record, including a fourteen-match unbeaten streak and a six-match win streak. After building a hefty distance from their Eastern Conference rivals, however, United suffered from a significant lack of focus, finishing the regular season on a 2-6-4 streak and three straight losses since September 30th. DC's Coach Nowak faces a challenge similar to many regular-season champions... how to push the intensity button after a long stretch of meaningless games.

New York's Arena has said that he views the two-game series as little more than "practice" for next season, which doesn't do much for fans that have watched their club win a single playoff series (vs. Dallas in 2000) since the league's inception. As you surely know the Red Bulls eked out a playoff berth in the season's final match for the second consecutive year. This year's NY team started out 0-1-5 before hitting the win column on May 20th vs. Chivas. Though NY finished the regular season on a three-match unbeaten streak, the Red Bulls played their best stretch in July under then-interim and current assistant coach Richie Willams (3-0-0 with three shutouts).

DC easily handled New York this season, finishing 2-0-2 with +4 goal difference. Here's a breakdown of tomorrow's key matchups.

The DC forwards vs. The Red Bulls' back line:
Jaime Moreno and Freddy Adu vs. Todd Dunivant, Carlos Mendes, Jeff Parke, and Marvell Wynne (and Jon Conway). It's hard to believe that Moreno, an 11-year MLS vet, is only 32 years old. Moreno's 11 goals puts him only behind midfielder Chrisitan Gomez on the club's '06 scoring chart. The Bolivian's 10 assists prove he's lethal: an unselfish goal scorer. While Adu started 29 of United's 32 matches this season, his two goals and eight assists note that the youngster still has a long way to go. The NY defense has been strong of late, though the Wizards made Conway & company look awful on KC's first goal last week. Still, they've allowed only one goal per game since allowing four at DC on September 23rd. Advantage: DC

New York's attackers vs. The United defense:
Youri Djorkaeff and Jozy Altidore vs. Brian Namoff, Bobby Boswell, and Facundo Erpen (and Troy Perkins). Youri certainly offered less in terms of on the field production (2G/4A) for the Red Bulls as the season moved along, certainly less than he did during the 2005 campaign. Tomorrow will hopefully be the first of many playoff games for Altidore, who has been the shining light of the Red Bulls this season. DC has allowed nine goals in its last four MLS matches, not the kind of momentum a team want heading into the playoffs. Erpen, with his silly name and three goals, is a scoring threat moving forward. Advantage: Push

The Midfielders:
New York's Chris Henderson, Amado Guevara, Danny O'Rourke, and Dema Kovalenko vs. DC's Josh Gros, Ben Olsen, Christian Gomez, Brian Carroll, and Matias Donnet. It can be argued that no two midfielders are as important to their respective teams' success that DC's Gomez and NY's Guevara (who is in top form with a hat trick last week). The two have combined for 22 goals and 16 assists this season. Assuming the two stars negate each other, the supporting casts offer lots of MLS experience (902 MLS regular-season appearances between them). DC's newcomer Donnet, however, may provide the difference. Expect lots of hard challenges on the Swamp's fieldturf, especially from Kovalenko and Carroll. Advantage: Push

The Coaches:
Bruce Arena vs. Peter Nowak. What a strange matchup. One coach needs to suddenly elevate his talented club's effort. The other has said publicly that these games are auditions for next year. Weird. Advantage: DC

Intangibles:
The oddity that is the MLS playoff setup sends the higher-ranked club on the road for Game One. MLS playoff games are usually poorly attended, with so little advance warning to sell playoff tickets. Of course, the Eskandarian family of Montvale will be well represented, cheering as usual for their boy who'll start on the DC bench. I'm sure DC fans will be in healthy number and voice as usual. Advantage: (Sadly) leaning to DC

The Prediction:
To paraphrase Winston Zeddmore, DC "has the tools, has the talent," to beat the Red Bulls. They haven't lost to them all year. If Guevara displays the form he has this month, though, New York has a chance. Given the Red Bulls' sorry 1-8-7 road record, they must win tomorrow to have a shot at advancing. I don't see it. DC wins, 1-0.

Here what's on the tube this weekend. (times et).

SATURDAY, Oct. 21
9:30am: GER: Werder Bremen-Bayern Munich, GOL
10:00am: ENG: Everton-Sheffield Utd., FSC
11:30am: GER: Wolfsburg-Stuttgart, GOL
12noon: ENG: Aston Villa-Fulham, FSC
2:00pm: MLS: New York-DC United, FSNY, DK, HDNet
2:00pm: ESP: Real Zaragoza-Betis, GOL
2:30pm: ITA: Cagliari-Torino, FSC
4:00pm: MEX: San Luis, GALA
4:00pm: ESP: Dep. Coruna-Atl. Madrid, GOL
6:00pm: BRA: Santos-Figueirense, GOL
8:00pm: MEX: Tigres-Chivas, TELEF
8:30pm: COL: Ind. Santa Fe-Cucuta, GOL
9:00pm: MLS: Colorado-FC Dallas, FSC
10:00pm: MEX: Atlas-Monterrey, GALA
10:30pm: ITA: Messina-Empoli, GOL

SUNDAY, Oct. 28
9:00am: ITA: Catania-Lazio, FSC
9:00am: ITA: Udinese-Inter Milan, GOL
11:00am: ENG: Reading-Arsenal, FSC
11:00am: ESP: Valencia-Osasuna, GOL
1:00pm: MLS: Chicago-New England, ABC
1:00pm: ENG: Tottenham-West Ham, FSC
1:00pm: UNI: Toluca-Santos, UNI
3:00pm: ARG: Racing-Boca Juniors, FSC
3:00pm: ITA: AC Milan-Palermo, GOL
4:00pm: MLS: Chivas USA-Houston, ESPN2
5:00pm: MEX: Club America-Toluca, TELEF
7:00pm: COL: Atl. Nacional-Pasto, GOL

Soft Sell

The time: Last evening

The place: The posh Hilton at Short Hills,NJ, approximately 20 miles from Manhattan

The occasion: A meet-and-greet between MLS, AEG, and Red Bulls brass and prospective Red Bull Park suite buyers and sponsors

In attendance: MLS Commissioner Don Garber, AEG President and CEO Tim Lieweke, AEG NY President Nick Sakiewicz, various SUM/MLS and AEG staffers...and yours truly

I had a chance to press the flesh last night with some of the big names around the league at an event used to get some of the monied NJ gentry to pony up for Red Bull Park luxury suites.

Here are some tasty learnings:

-Lieweke: "If Red Bull Park is ready on time (July 2008), Chelsea will help christen the stadium."
-Don't be surprised to see a single table next season
-Univision matches will be Sunday night affairs
-Don't be surprised to see Figo in an MLS uniform next season (as reported by the always wonderful Metrofanatic)
-The Rapids' stadium rights naming announcement is imminent
-Kraft may be getting serious about his own SSS for the Revs
-Team Services, which was a league-office group dedicated to helping clubs build promotions and sell tickets will soon be reinstated. The group was discontinued in the great contraction of 2001. This should be a huge boon to markets where ticket sales have been slumping.

Following up on Trecker's recent article concerning marketing to adult fans, I had a lengthy conversation with two SUM guys. I asked them, given Garber's three target markets (Youth, Hispanic, Core Soccer), what type of serious effort whould be given to attract the adult MLS fan, the fan that wants to go to the game with a bunch of buddies and knock back some beers. The response, which disheartened me was (paraphrasing) "It's easier to get families into the no-alcohol sections that it is the other way around." (Sigh).

UPDATE/ONE MORE THING: In light of the field quality problems at the HDC since the facility opened, I asked an AEG exec about the issue of "overuse" at Red Bull Park. I was told that the partnership with Red Bull, and the physical limitations of Harrison, should prevent events like the X-Games at RBP. There certainly will be a slate of non-soccer events, but they should take it easier on the playing surface (which will be heated) than those held at Carson.

I'll have thoughts on NY-DC tomorrow. Let's go Mets.