Red Bulls Preview: Game #2 at Steers

After a winning start to the season at home, New York (1-0-0) heads to The Deep Dish for a tussle with FC Dallas (0-0-2) Saturday night (8:30p, MSG, DK).

A lot went right in the Red Bulls' 2-0 victory last week against Columbus. The 3-man backline helped pitch a shutout, the offense scored goals without Jozy Altidore or Dane Richards, and M Luke Sassano went the distance in his first MLS start. Still, there's reason for pause. Centerback Jeff Parke picked up a silly second yellow card in the 81st minute, suspending him for tomorrow. There's also late word that F Juan Pablo Angel won't go in Frisco due to a strained left hamstring. So, with key absences up top and in the back, NY will take on Dallas squad loaded with firepower and itching for a win. Here's a line-by-line look at tomorrow's match:

The Dallas forwards vs. the Red Bulls' defense:
Kenny Cooper and Arturo Alvarez vs. Chris Leitch, Carlos Mendes, and Kevin Goldthwaite (and Jon Conway). Cooper, who's returned from a horrible knee injury last season in fine form, with a pair of goals in FCD's first two matches. Alvarez had a goal and an assist in the Hoops' 3-3 draw at Houston last week. The key matchup is clearly the 6' 3", 210 lb. Cooper vs. NY's left back, the 6' 1", 180 lb. Kevin Goldthwaite. Shutting down the Crew's lithe forwards are one thing, but Cooper is simply a tank. Mendes has proven solid in the past for the Red Bulls' D. Advantage: Dallas

New York's attackers vs. the Hoops' defense:
Jozy Altidore and Oscar Echeverry vs. Drew Moor, Duilio Davino, and Adrian Serioux (and Dario Sala). Altidore showed he's ready to go after a week off from first team action when he tallied two in a reserve match. Echeverry went 71 productive minutes in his first MLS appearance vs. Columbus. Can the two mesh? Dallas' "Big D" defense (Drew, Duilio, 'Drian and Dario) didn't deliver last week at Houston, giving up three and blowing a lead to the champs in the final minutes. Four goals allowed in two matches = not good. Slight Advantage: New York

The Midfields:
Luke Sassano, Seth Stammler, Claudio Reyna, Sinisa Ubiparipovic and Dave van den Bergh, vs. Dax McCarty, Pablo Richetti, Juan Toja, Andre Rocha and Blake Wagner. This battle of five-man midfields will hinge on Stammler and Reyna's ability to shut down the mighty Toja, who has 7 goals in 29 MLS appearances. McCarty showed his worth and work rate in helping the US qualify for the Olympics. The Red Bulls' Ubiparipovic needs to last more than a half if he wants to keep his starting job. Advantage: Push

The Coaches:
Osorio has won one-in-a-row for NY, and his focus on defense first worked like a charm after scoring two early goals last week. Steve Morrow is overjoyed to have healthy Cooper and Toja back in the lineup. Advantage: Push

Intangibles:
New York has started 0-0-3 before, and Dallas wants to avoid the triple-sister-kiss at all costs. Will the crowd show? FCD drew a healthy 17K to their opener vs. Chivas on March 30. New York will make a statement with a win, pulling them even on points with Kansas City and New England, who the Red Bulls have at home next week. Weather will be clear and cold (low of 42, brrr!). Advantage: Push

Prediction: Can Altidore and Echeverry keep pace with the relentless Dallas attack? New York will miss Angel's magic touch as Toja and Cooper steer the Steers past the Bulls, 2-1.

CCC: Good Riddance
For the eighth straight year, no MLS club will win the Concacaf Champions Cup, after both Houston and DC United crashed out in the tourney semifinals on Wednesday. MLS teams usually fall due to their inability to get results on the road, and this year's efforts were no different. DC's 2-0 loss at Pachuca was too big a hill to overcome at RFK, and Houston's D snapped in an 0-3 at Saprissa. MLS teams have been at a disadvantage in the CCC, as the competition's early spring time frame has traditionally overlapped with the league's off-season.

Starting this summer, though, MLS can't use that excuse, as the infant Concacaf Champions League will begin in August. DC, Chivas, New England and Houston will carry the MLS banner in an expanded 24-team competition that will run through next Spring. If the clubs want to win the thing, though, they'll have to learn how to win, or even draw, in Mexico and Costa Rica. Best of luck to them.

Red Bulls Preview: Game #1 vs. Bumblebees

The Red Bulls will be the last MLS club out of the starting gate tomorrow night, when they take on the undefeated (tee hee) Columbus Crew at Stade de Swamp (7:30p, FSC).

Change is usually the only constant around the New York club, who in the off-season dumped former US skip Bruce Arena for the former Metro Assistant Coach Juan Carlos Osorio. However, the wholesale changes that usually accompany a NY off-season failed to materialize. There are only (!) 10 new faces on the Red Bulls' roster, and those mostly consist of draft picks, a veteran keeper (Zach Thornton) and a 31-year old Colombian striker Oscar Echeverry, who'll mostly provide cover up front when Jozy Altidore's away with the Nats or the Olympic team. New York has room under the cap for a decent international signing, but so far JCO has yet to pull the trigger on any acquisitions. As such, the club is younger and greener than the one that dropped an 0-1 series loss to New England in the first round of last year's playoffs. Who would have thought the club would be criticized for a LACK of change. Strange. Anyway, here's a line-by-line look at tomorrow night's match versus the Crew.

The Columbus forwards vs. the Red Bulls' defense:
Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Alejandro Moreno vs. Jeff Parke, Carlos Mendes, and Kevin Goldthwaite (and Jon Conway). The Crew has a stable of improving young forwards, but the South American starters form a potent attack for Columbus. Moreno has 31 career tallies in his time with Houston/San Jose and LA, while Schelotto can not only score but dish out chances (11 assists last season). New York's three-man back line debuts tomorrow night, but with starter and US U-23 man Hunter Freeman out 4-6 weeks with an ankle sprain, the much maligned Goldthwaite gets the nod at left back. The former TFC man spent most of the '07 season on the bench, but apparently has impressed the new boss enough to start. This could get ugly. Advantage: Columbus

New York's attackers vs. the Crew's defense:
Jozy Altidore and Juan Pablo Angel vs. Stefani Miglioranzi, Danny O'Rourke, Chad Marshall, and Frankie Hejduk (and Will Hesmer). New York's front line is flat out one of the best in the league. Angel looks to continue his tear through MLS defenses (19g in 24 app in '07), and Altidore looks to have a stellar final season in a NY uniform before Europe beckons. The Crew D shut out Toronto FC last week, which isn't all that hard, though G Will Hesmer snuffed a TFC penalty that would have changed the game. Frankie Hejduk keeps going... and going... Slight Advantage: New York

The Midfields:
Luke Sassano, Seth Stamller, Claudio Reyna, Dave van den Burgh, and Danleigh Borman vs. Eddie Gaven, Brian Carroll, Adam Moffat, and Robbie Rogers. Starting MLS rookies on both wings doesn't exactly inspire confidence, especially with a three-man back line behind them. However, the Red Bulls will go as far as Captain America will take them, and NY fans are hoping that Reyna will be able to handle the attacking midfielder role as well as his usual d-mid position. Stammler and VDB will help funnel the attack through the middle. On the Crew side, Gaven and Carroll are MLS vets that show rare flashes of brillance. Moffat, the young Scot, will make only his 2nd MLS appearance. Rogers is a US Youth International. Slight Advantage: New York

The Coaches:
What to expect from Osorio? He's clearly passionate about the game, and did wonders enlivening the Fire last season (with some help from Temoc Blanco), but without any new signings, its hard to believe his club is going places. Sigi Schmid hasn't made the postseason in his two seasons in Columbus, but after beating powder puff TFC last week, he has a confident squad on his hands. Advantage: Columbus

Intangibles:
Opening night #3 in the Red Bull regime, and a pre-game charity match featuring Ethan Zohn, and former Metro Steve Jolley will attempt to draw a crowd. RB is actually marketing this year, so we'll see if a crowd of any size appears. Doubtful. Weather: Cloudy, 56 degrees after a day of rain. Advantage: Push

Prediction: So many uncertainties on what New York will show. Let's say goals from Moreno and Angel in a 1-1 draw.

MLS Preview: Ten Words or Less

Mazel Tov to MLS on its Bar Mitzvah birthday! Here are one man's team-by-team thoughts on a league that's "all grows up," in predicted order of finish.


Cup Contenders:

DC UNITED: New faces will propel elite club to another title.

HOUSTON: Orange will be crushed in final after winning West.

NEW ENGLAND: Can Twellman carry the team without departed Noonan? Unlikely.

Playoff Bound:

CHIVAS USA: With Guzano in net, Preki's boys will be strong again. Where are fans?

KANSAS CITY: Intimate home, new Argie star enlivens Sky Blues. Good story.

CHICAGO: Once cancer Conde's gone, Blanco's boys will entertain and contend.

On the Fence:

NEW YORK: Donut club: Strong in front & back, weak in the middle. And tasty.

DALLAS: A healthy Toja and Cooper will keep the Deep Dish rocking.

COLORADO: Gomez lifts all Rapids. Coundoul will be the difference maker.

Playing for Pride:

LOS ANGELES: Gals' wins will be of the 4-3, 3-2 variety. There's no D in LA.

COLUMBUS: Will Sigi's youth movement finally start to mature? Not this year.

SALT LAKE: A revamped Real will win more than last year, just not enough.

Bottom O' the Barrel:

TORONTO: Won't take four matches to score this year. Home crowd gets antsy.

SAN JOSE: Yay, you're back! Ooh, you're bad! When's the season over?

Argies in Gotham
Well, Argies in the swamp, actually. Here's to the Fed for scheduling a killer friendly with Argentina on Sunday, June 8th at Giants Stadium. It'll be the Yanks' first appearance in the New York area since the 2005 Gold Cup Final, and along with matches at England (May 28th) and Spain (June 4th), should put our boys in fine shape to take on mighty Barbados to open World Cup Qualifying in Carson on June 15th, don't you think?

MLS at 13: Media Push

You have to hand it to the media relations folks at MLS headquarters. The league is taking to the air and the web to promote the new season, kicking off this Saturday. Here's Don Garber and Ben Olsen reaching dozens of viewers on the Fox Business Channel yesterday:



Wizards Captain Jimmy Conrad shared thoughts on the trailing end of his career on cool thought-provoking site BigThink!



...and of course, here's Goldenballs on 60 Minutes this past Sunday...



Nice job, guys!

Can American Teams Go 3-For-3?

All in all, it's been a pretty good week for American soccer. The Fed finally announced the US-England match at Wembley for May 28th, and the Yanks learned they'll be playing Spain in the beautiful, seaside town of Santander on June 4th.

On the field, the news was great as well, as both DC United and Houston advanced to the semifinals of this year's Concacaf Champions Cup. On Tuesday, DC, playing at home for the first time since the Nats vamoosed from RFK, hammered Jamaica's Harbour View FC 5-0 for a 6-1 aggregate series win. There were plenty of heroes to go around, as Devon McTavish and Luciano Emilio each netted two goals. United next takes on Mexican powerhouse and tournament holders Pachuca, who advanced with a 1-0 aggregate win over CD Motagua of Honduras.

Last night at Robertson Stadium, Houston was kick-started by a Dwayne DeRosrio PK early in the second half for a 3-1 win over Guatemala's CSD Municipal. The two-time defending MLS Cup champs await tonight's match between Mexico's Atlante and Costa Rica's Saprissa to learn their semifinal opponent.

Then there's tonight. Qualifying matches for any tournament can be ugly. Elbows are sharp, dives are more frequent, and questionable pks can turn fortunes. To say that the US Under-23 squad has been winning ugly in its Olympic Qualifying quest is a massive, massive understatement. A 1-1 draw with Cuba, followed by 1-0 victories over Panama and Honduras (both on pks) haven't exactly generated confidence that the Gnats can get the job done. Tonight, the mission is clear: beat Canada in Nashville (9p ET, FSC) and head to Beijing. Lose, and stay home. The US squad has been bolstered by the addition of D Jonathan Spector of West Ham, but to date, this all-pro U-23 team has yet to impress.

As Important
Steve Amoia at SoccerLens has done a great job chronicling the ongoing story of the Fugees Family, an incredible Clarkston, GA youth program headed by Jordanian coach Luma Mufleh. The Fugees were profiled in a 2007 article in The New York Times, and since then, life has gotten better... much better. A great quote at the end of the article as well. Check it out.

NYRB Roster-A-Rama

One thing Red Bulls fans have grown accustomed to in their dozen years of title-free wandering is constant roster turnover. Of course, when your club is on their eleventh head coach in thirteen years, there's bound to be lots of comings and goings among players. However, new Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio has held onto a strong core of last season's squad that went 12-11-7.

Here's a summary of who's come and gone this off season, with a mere five weeks until opening day:

Outgoing (11):
M Blake Camp, released
M Sal Caccavale, released
F Francis Doe, released
M Elie Ikangu, released
M Dema Kovalenko, traded to RSL
M Clint Mathis, traded to LA
M Santino Quaranta, released
D Tim Regan, released
M Marcus Schopp, retired
G Ronald Waterreus, retired
M Joe Vide, taken by SJ in Expansion Draft

Incoming (7):
D Eric Brunner, drafted
M Danliegh Borman, drafted
D John Gilkerson, drafted
M Michael Palacio, drafted
M David Roth, drafted
M Luke Sassano, drafted
G Zach Thornton, signed from Colorado

Hangers-On (17):
F Jozy Altidore
F Juan Pablo Angel
G Danny Cepero
G Jon Conway
D Hunter Freeman
D Kevin Goldthwaite
F Jerrod Laventure
D Chris Leitch
F Mike Magee
D Carlos Mendes
D Jeff Parke
M Claudio Reyna
M Dane Richards
D Seth Stammler
M Sinisa Ubiparipovic
F John Wolyniec
M Dave van den Bergh

Red Bull is reported to be $800,000 under the salary cap for acquisitions. Will Mexican midfield trialist Jose De Jesus Mendoza make the cut? With both of the club's DP slots taken (Angel, Reyna), acquiring another name player is probably out of the question. If New York is serious about challenging an improved DC squad in the MLS East this season, some quality midfield additions are a must.

MLS: Ready to Get Philthy

Viva la public-private partnership! Reports out of Philadelphia today are that the Pennsylvania state legislature will kick in the coin needed to fund the Chester, PA stadium project, paving the way for an imminent announcement that the City of Brotherly Love will host MLS' 16th active club.

For fans of the league, and especially the Philly supporters' group Sons of Ben (SOBs), this clearly is the best of times. Say what you want about Philadelphia fandom, (they're classless, they booed the Pope), they are extremely loyal and get behind their local clubs. Fans of New York and DC will clearly enjoy the new geographic rival and the stadium design looks fantastic.

Will MLS use the entry of club #16 (in 2009, or more likely 2010) to realign into a single table?

Perhaps the league will consist of four, four-team divisions:
Atlantic: DC, New England, New York, Philly
Midwest: Chicago, Columbus, Kansas City, Toronto
Central: Colorado, Dallas, Houston, Salt Lake
Pacific: Chivas USA, Los Angeles, San Jose, Seattle

However you slice it, today's announcement is another step in the long, slow growth of the league, and soccer in America. Congrats, Philthadelphia!

Behold the New US Jersey...ugh

Can't say that I'm enamored of this pajama-looking kit. The horizontal stripes give the US a softer look that the "Victory"-inspired home shirt the team wore for the '06 World Cup.

The two-toned panels take me back to the early 1980s Land's End catalog. It in word.... eccchhh.

What do you think?

More Games (and More and More)!

Yesterday Concacaf rolled out their newest of new continental tournaments: The Concacaf Champions League. 24 regional sides will battle for nine months starting this August for supremacy of our top-heavy region and a date at the 2009 World Club Cup in Japan. Is the new CCL an improvement over the Concacaf Champions' Cup? The CCC has been held as an eight-team Springtime tournament over the last few years. Let's compare the two on a few levels:

1) Club Involvement: In the current CCC format, Caribbean and Central American club sides plod through three months of playoffs from October through December to reach the "final eight," so switching to a 24-team format won't include that many more clubs that weren't already involved.

The 16-team preliminary round of the CCL will include clubs from MLS, Mexico and Panama (two each); three from the Caribbean, and one each from Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Canada, Beliza, and Nicaragua. The eight teams given byes to the group stage: two each from MLS and Mexico, one club from Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

2) Timing: By scheduling the first rounds of the CCL from August-October, and the knockout rounds in February-April 2009, the Confed is making their club championship even less in tune with the MLS season. Not only will advancing MLS teams need to stay match-fit through the off-season, but the first stage will take place smack in the middle of the playoff stretch run and the MLS Cup playoffs.

3) Television: With four participating MLS squads, the CCL could generate some relatively strong ratings. Not sure how many would tune in to see Chivas USA take on FC Belize in the first round, however. The CCL should provide plenty of MLS-FMF matchups in the group stage, though, which should attract an audience based on the strong Superliga ratings of this past season.

4) MLS Fatigue: And what's to come of the SUM-created Superliga? Will too much USA-MEX club ball in the next twelve months squeeze the life out of all these competitions? What of the US Open Cup? Here's a brief calendar of the extra competitions MLS clubs will face this year...

-February, Pan-Pacific Championship: LA & Houston (2 games each)
-March-April, Concacaf Champions League: DC & Houston (up to 6 games each)
-July*, Superliga: DC, Houston, Chivas & New England* (up to 4 games)
-July-October*: US Open Cup, All MLS teams but TFC (up to 5 games)
-August-October, Concacaf Champions League: MLS teams TBD (bet on DC, HOU) (up to 8 games this year)

* Timing/teams to be finalized

So Houston, the league's two-time defending champion, could play as many as 24 non-league matches, in addition to the team's 30 MLS games, not including playoffs. I'm all for building a soccer culture in the US, but that's way, way too many for a 28-man roster to handle.

Now I've been a huge US Open Cup supporter in the past, but with faced with such a schedule, I'd give teams taking part in the Superliga or the CCL a pass out of the Hunt competition.

Such a move would further dilute the visibility and quality of the nation's longest-contested cup competition, but if we want our boys to have a realistic shot at reaching Japan to take on the worlds' best clubs, we need to give them every advantage.

Of course, we can't forget what's to come in 2008 on the National Team front:
-February (Olympic Qualifying)
-June (World Cup Qualifying, 1st round)
-August (Beijing Olympics)
-August-November (World Cup Qualifying, semis)

...and, of course the first 14-team MLS season in history.

Strap yourselves in for games, more games, and even more!

Fearless 2008 Predictions

Ah, January, where it'll be 60 degrees in NYC today. Where Coach Bob's boys started camp in a foggy downpour. Where new RBNY honcho Juan Carlos Osorio is scouting his native Colombia for more players that the NJ-based Colombian community will ignore.

What's to be for next 12 months of soccer ahead of us? Let's gaze into the crystal ball together & see what we find...

The January US MNT camp will produce another boring result against a Scandinavian side, this time Sweden, at the HDC. Maurice Edu shows flashes of promise once again.

The US will continue its stranglehold on El Tri on February 6th in Houston. Osvaldo Sanchez rips his own face off, leaving only a flaming skull.

Houston loses in the CONCACAF Champions Cup Final to Pachuca.

The Pennsylvania legislature runs out the clock on the Chester stadium project, much to the chagrin of AEG's Nick Sakiewicz, who realizes that he'll never, ever get to build one of these things. St.Louis is announced as MLS' 16th team, to kick off on 2010. 15 sides will play in '09.

March 20th, Nashville: The US beats Guatemala to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

The LA Galaxy, with a healthy Goldenballs behind them, wins 9 straight matches to open the MLS season.

The Kansas City Wizards draw better in a minor-league baseball park that they ever did in Arrowhead.

The new San Jose Earthquakes average 6,000 fans in Buck Shaw stadium.

Brad Guzan, Jozy Altidore, and Eddie Johnson all transfer to Europe over the summer.

A fluke goal in the opening minute gives Barbados a 1-0 lead in its June WCQ series vs. the US, but the Yanks finish the Caribbean nation 8-1 in aggregate. Landon Donovan scores to become the single all-time US goal scoring leader. Eric Wynalda weeps.

The Lenape Indian tribe claims ownership over the Red Bull Park site in Harrison, and stages a sit-in to prevent construction of the stadium. The are removed by NJ state police after a 60-day standoff.

September 6th: The Yanks draw 1-1 with Cuba in Havana to open the CONCACAF semifinal series. The US still finishes on top of the group.

Johnny Exantus joins the Red Bulls.

15,000 season tickets are sold for Seattle FC's inaugural campaign.

Claudio Reyna plays in 20 matches, enough to get the Red Bulls to the playoffs once again. There the team suffers a six-straight first-round exit.

Los Angeles defeats the Chicago Fire to win the MLS Cup. ABC rejoices a record viewership for the final.

That's just a taste of what's to expect from the year to come. Can't wait for it to get going!

Ho Ho Ho, JCO

Holiday tidings to all from the Red Bulls, who rolled out former Metros and Man C assistant and Chicago Fire boss Juan Carlos Osorio as the 11th head coach in franchise history today. Why should JCO succeed when the ten others have failed? Good question. A parade of coaching legends have led the Metros since its founding in 1996, and only two; Octavio Zambrano (4 gms. over .500), and Bob Bradley (1 game) finished their terms at the helm with positive records.

Osorio noted at today's press conference that the team was solid up front (though the team only scored 4 goals in their last five '07 matches) and had trouble at the back (though NY held MLS Cup Finalist New England to a single goal in their two-match playoff series).

Does JCO have a safety net? RBNY honcho Marc deGrandpre noted that Osorio "doesn't have to win the championship" to keep his job, but MdG does believe that Osorio will get the Red Bulls to the playoffs. Of course, that's just what Bruce Arena did, which wasn't good enough. de Grandpre, through a bad poker face, noted that Arena resigned and wasn't let go after the team's failure to advance in the MLS Cup playoffs. Umm-hmm.

Osorio needs to have a quick 2008 start to get some attention for the marketing-starved team, though Arena's '07 Red Bulls went 3-0-1 before coming back to earth. Perhaps MLS will schedule Becks & LA early in the season to lift ticket sales early rather than late in the season.

Kansas City, Hello.
The woeful Wizards are a state vote away from landing their own soccer-specific stadium in a development similar to the Harrison, NJ Red Bull Park development (without the industrial waste). The 2010 "Three Trails" project will include 12 soccer fields, a 250-room hotel, retail, office, and residential space. Good luck to them. Not sure how they'll find 18,000 fans to attend, but here's to hoping.

Here's a quick snapshot of MLS stadia and status heading into the new year...

Eastern Conference
Chicago: Toyota Park (SSS)
Columbus: Crew Stadium (SSS)
DC United: RFK Stadium - plans for SSS stalled
Kansas City: Arrowhead (NFL) - SSS state vote from fruition ('10)
New England: Gillette (NFL) - early discussions for SSS
New York: Giants (NFL) - SSS in construction (tee hee) ('09)
Toronto: BMO Field (SSS)

Western Conference
Chivas USA: Home Depot Center (SSS)
Colorado: Dick's SG Park (SSS)
FC Dallas: Pizza Hut Park (SSS)
Houston: Robertson Stadium (NCAA) - SSS plans in discussion
Los Angeles: HDC (SSS)
Salt Lake: Rice-Eccles (NCAA) - Sandy SSS to open in '08
San Jose: Buck-Shaw (NCAA) - SSS plans in the works for '10
Seattle ('09 expansion): Qwest Field (NFL) - No SSS plans

Soccer-specific stadia in MLS
2008: 8 of 14 teams by year-end
2009: 9 of 15 teams by year-end
2010: 11 of 15 teams should KC and SJ open during the year

US on the road in WCQs
The WC 2010 CONCACAF Semifinal Round schedule puts the Yanks on the road on August 20th and September 6th before three at home; on September 10th, and October 11th and 15th. The final match in the four-team group is away on November 19th. If the US falls to Dominica or Barbados in the June two-leg tie then the semis are moot, but I've got a good feeling the Yanks'll go through. Probable Semifinal round opponents are Guatemala, Cuba, and Trinidad & Tobago.

Concacaf Champs Cup Draw Set
2-time defending MLS Cup champ Houston Dynamo will meet Municipal of Guatemala in the first round of the 2008 CCC in a two-leg tie in March. Supporters Shield winner DC United faces Harbour View of Jamaica on the other side of the bracket.

Should Houston advance, Mexico's Atlante should await in the semis. The Mexicans take on Costa Rica's Saprissa in round one. DC would likely face Pachuca in round two, who'll be favored over Motagua of Honduras in the opening round.

No MLS side has taken home the trophy since the Galaxy won it in 2000.

Dynastic Dynamo and Other News

Did you really think DeRo would be kept from making an impact? Houston's big-time, big-game striker Dwayne DeRosario did what he usually does; score a huge goal, as the Dynamo rallied past the Buffalo Bill-like New England Revolution 2-1 in last Sunday's MLS Cup in DC. Houston not only became the first back-to-back MLS Cup champ since the Scum did it in 1996-97, but the core of this Dynamo team (which was the Earthquakes before their '06 move to Texas) has now won four MLS Cups together, matching DC United. SI's Grant Wahl has a great summary of the game here. Gotta feel for the Revs, who have now lost three straight title games.

Ok, I'm done feeling for them. Season 13 can't come soon enough.

Now the much too-long MLS off-season begins with today's Expansion Draft to stock the revived San Jose Earthquakes, who'll play at Santa Clara's Buck Shaw Stadium as they wait for a sweetheart stadium deal to coalesce. Current MLS sides were allowed to protect 11 players each. New York left the entire reserve squad plus Francis Doe, Mike Magee, Joe Vide, and John Wolyniec unprotected. Will any of them head West? My money's on Vide, who came on strong late in the season in the Red Bulls' midfield and ably helped New York push the Revs in the postseason.

Was all-time New York goal scoring champion Clint Mathis left unprotected? No, he was traded to FC Circus in Los Angeles for what Metrofanatic called "a ham sandwich." It actuality, Cleetus' $400K salary was the prime reason for the move, and the RBFO are looking to bring in younger high-priced talent. Watching Clint play for NY has been nothing short of a love affair. When he was on (which admittedly was not always), Mathis was the lethal striker that found a way to make the difference. A Soft spoken rebel, he's been a joy in a NY uniform. Wonder how he will fit in on the Galaxy's roster, but best of luck, pal.

Red Bull continues to invest in MLS and US Soccer with its' multi-million dollar buyout of AEG's half of the stalled Red Bull Park project in Harrison. Will this mean the construction will begin soon? Wake me when it happens. New projected opening: Summer '09. Sigh.

On Sunday the World Cup 2010 Preliminary Draw will be held in South Africa, and the Yanks will learn their path to a sixth-straight WC Finals. Will they pull Grenada again in the first round? Montserrat? Anguilla? Stay tuned.

Off soccer for a minute, the news this week that NY Jets fans routinely spend their halftime trying to get female fans to "go wild" is incredibly disturbing. That the NJ Sports & Entertainment Authority (which manages Giants Stadium) allows the behavior is absolutely unbelievable. We all know that there will always be a segment of pro sports fandom that goes to games simply to get drunk and act rowdy. As a season ticket holder of the Red Bulls, and partial plan holder of the Mets and Rangers, I've seen plenty of drunkness and fights in the stands in my day. However, these idiots should be identified and have their season tickets revoked immediately. Jets owner Woody Johnson should state unequivocally that such behavior will not be tolerated, and the NJSEA, which has been aware of the problem, should be fined.

As a soccer fan, I cringe everytime someone brings up "soccer riots." This degrading, adolescent behavior by Jets fans seems just as bad, and the NFL and the Jets should be called on it. On a lighter note, as a Giants fan, I'm not surprised. Jets fans rank just above DC United fans on the evolutionary scale, anyway.

Happy Turkey.

Garber Lays it Down as MLS Cup Weekend Begins

Here are highlights of MLS Commissioner Don Garber's State of the League Address today at the National Press Club in Washington, DC...

-Garber thanked the attending media for covering the league, noted the need for more media to provide more exposure for the league and its clubs

-Philly is clear favorite for club #16, but if there's no announcement by the end of January, MLS will go with 15 clubs when Seattle enters the league in 2009

-Atlanta, Las Vegas, Miami (!), Montreal, New York #2 (with the Mets' Wilpon), Portland, St. Louis, and Vancouver round out the expansion hopefuls after Philly for clubs #17 and 18.

-Red Bull Park will break ground soon (hah!) with a Summer '09 targeted opening

-TV ratings for the '07 SuperLiga Final between LA and Pachuca beat Super Bowl XLI on TeleFutura. SuperLiga will return in 2008 (MLS teams should be DC, Chivas, New England and Houston based on 2007 standings)

-Important '08 dates:
--Superdraft-January 18th in Baltimore
--Season 13 kicks off on March 29th
--All-Star '08 in Toronto (date TBD)
--MLS Cup (site TBD) on November 23rd

-A Pan-Pacific tournament with teams from Asia and Australia is close to a reality

-Salary cap will go up next year, amount to be determined

-Frustration over the DC stadium situation

-Qwest Field is a good choice of venue in Seattle (despite not being soccer-specific) because the MLS team ownership group owns the stadium, and will benefit from all revenue streams there.

Oh, and there's a game, too.
I won't be at RFK on Sunday for MLS Cup (Noon ET on ABC and Telefutura), but I believe Houston's loss of Brian Ching will be too much to overcome. Sharlie Joseph plays huge and serves goals by Twellman and late sub Adam Christman to deliver the Revs their first MLS Cup and an MLS-Open Cup double in a 2-0 New England victory. Viva Boston sports!

Pride of Jersey
Don't forget that the US National Team makes their final appearance of the year in Johannesburg vs. World Cup 2010 host South Africa tomorrow morning (9am ET on FSC and Galavision). Look for Bob Bradley to test many youngsters, including 18-yr old Red Bull Jozy Altidore! Go get 'em, kid!

Expansion-a-rama: "S" is for...

...Seattle, where a Monday announcement at a popular soccer pub looks like the forum for the Emerald City to form active club #15 in 2009. (Hattip: PZ). There's been lots of hand-wringing over the perceived waiver of the "soccer-specific stadium" proviso for Seattle (the club will play at the Seahawks' Quest Field), but accessing Paul Allen's big fat wallet comes with a price. What will happen to the USL1-champion Seattle Sounders in 2008? Perhaps we find out on Monday.

Another S interested in MLS is St. Louis, where the good folks at St. Louis Soccer United are jazzed about a plan for a suburban SSS in Collinsville, Illinois, ten miles to the East of downtown. Of course, St. Loo has a fantastic soccer history, and one would hope a instant fan base. Soccer celebrities supporting St. Louis include hometown boy Taylor Twellman and former US stars Tony Meola, Tab Ramos, and Marcelo Balboa.

If Nelly's hometown makes club #16 in '09, where does that leave the folks in Philly? Will another club step up to join them in 2010? Vancouver? New York #2? Paging Peter Wilt! The league should make every effort to avoid an odd number of clubs if possible.

Oh, and there's a game tonight as well. Enjoy.

Global Football Trafficking and other thoughts

For all you "ESPN hates soccer" folks comes a video by the WorldWide Leader's new E:60 investigative squad on the trafficking of young african players into the European club system.
Not sure if the story pitched in the video will make it to air, but based on the journalists' explanation of the problem, FIFA should be questioned about this very important issue.

The Times' venerable George Vescey takes a look a the goal that killed the Red Bulls' season, and the job of its former coach.

Don't you wish the attention paid by the mainstream media around the MLS coaching moves would be as frequent around the games played between the lines? I sure do. Yahoo News' Soccer feed has failed to include any game stories in the past few weeks. But I guess American sports writers "don't really know" how to write soccer game stories, now do they?

Lather. Fail. Repeat.

After one hundred and eighty minutes against New England without a goal, the New York Red Bulls find themselves in a familiar spot; without an MLS Cup. For the fifth straight year, New York was eliminated in the first round of the MLS playoffs, this time by New England, 1-0 on aggregate. As each NY team is different, each annual playoff failure illustrates a slightly different deficiency on New York's part.

This year's theme was lack of depth, as a concussion suffered by New York's star forward Juan Pablo Angel in the 57th minute led to a goal against the run of play for New England. Without Angel, or the injured Claudio Reyna (who left the game in the first half), a win just couldn't be conjured up at Gillette Stadium, where New York hasn't won in five years of trying.

Predictably, in true New York fashion, the club fired "sporting director" Bruce Arena today for his failure to move the club closer to a title. New York Sun soccer columnist and renowned crank Paul Gardner noted last week that Arena seemed to hate his job, to be almost disdaining the work he'd put in at RBNY. Well, now Arena won't have to worry about the plastic pitch at Giants Stadium for the next, and possibly more seasons.

The fans, however, must expect another high-profile "name" coach to come in, take at least half a season to "become acclimated" with MLS, and generally underperform. Such is life as a Red Bulls fan, where we're used to the cycle: Lather. Fail. Repeat.

Settling Up

Loyal readers of my blog might remember the friendly wager I offered to D of the terrific DC United fan blog The DCenters early this MLS season, when the Red Bulls looked unbeatable. The bet was simple. If New York finished above DC in the standings, D would wear a Red Bulls shirt to a DC match & post the photo. If slow-starting United finished above New York, I'd reciprocate. By now you should know how the season ended, and so the following should be no surprise.

Here, ESC member and all-around good guy Joe Tiernan shows me the love after I appeared at Saturday's Giants Stadium tailgate in Scum regalia. Not only do I obviously need to get going with the crunches already, but you clearly won't catch me in the black again. Nevertheless, a bet is a bet. Thanks to Corey Vezina for snapping the pic, then wisely telling me to cover up before the "Benedict Arnold" and "WTF" chants started.

Here's to a DC-NY Eastern final next Thursday. Will United hold up its end tonight at home?

Red Bulls Preview: Playoff Game #1 vs. Revs

It's tough to write your playoff preview on Friday afternoon, as everyone in the socca blogosphere and all the main-stream guys have already made their picks. Ne'ertheless, here's what to expect tomorrow when New York and NewEngland meet in the MLS Eastern Conference semis:

Mojo:
Much has been written about the lack of playoff success by New York over the last dozen years. The team is trying to avoid its fifth-straight first-round playoff exit, and win a series for only the second time in franchise history. The Revs has turned their franchise around over their 12 years in the league. From 1996-2001, New England qualified for postseason play only once. Since 2002, however, the Revs have made the playoffs every year, and have played in three MLS Cup finals. They've yet to taste the champagne, but have become one of MLS' most consistent winning teams. Of course, history is history.

Here are the clubs' last five results:
New York: DDLWD
New England: DWLLD

Here's a line-by-line look at what to expect tomorrow:
The Revolution forwards vs. the New York defense:
Pat Noonan and Taylor Twellman vs. Hunter Freeman, Jeff Parke, Carlos Mendes, and Dave van den Bergh (and Ron Waterreus). All the ink this year in MLS has been about Luciano Emilio and Juan Pablo Angel, but Twellman had yet another solid season for the Revs, notching 16 goals in 26 appearances. Noonan has a reputation as a Metro-killer, and had 7 tallies of his own in the regular season. Christman off the bench is dangerous. New York's defense has been an adventure since the summer, and the soon-to-be-retired Wattereus offers little confidence in net. Dave van den Bergh can push the ball up the field quickly, but the key for NY is to contain Twellman, and handle the rest that the Revs serve up. Advantage: New England

The Red Bulls' attackers vs. the New England defense:
Jozy Altidore and Juan Pablo Angel vs. Avery John, Michael Parkhurst, and Jay Heaps (and Matt Reis). It's no surprise that as JPA goes in this series, so will the Red Bulls. While Angel will get the most attention from the NE defense, Jozy Altidore has the skills the breakdown opponents one-on-one and can be the difference-maker. New England waited until the end of the regular season before letting its usually strong defense droop. The Revs allowed seven goals in its last three matches and two+ goals in seven of its last eight. That letdown may continue. Advantage: New York

The Midfields:
Dane Richards. Claudio Reyna, Seth Stammler, and Dema Kovalenko vs. Khano Smith, Jeff Larentowicz, Steve Ralston, Sharie Joseph, and Wells Thompson. It's common knowledge that New York played better without Claudio Reyna on the field this year than when Captain America was ailing, but it's in these types of big matches that Reyna's calming influence will serve the Red Bulls well. Richards and Kovalenko add speed and opportunism on the flanks, but the name you don't see, Clint Mathis, will be a key late sub. New England's midfield in led by the league's all-time assist leader in Ralston (14 this year), and big, skilled Shalrie Joseph (4g, 5a). These two New England stalwarts won't be rattled should the Revs go down early, as the pair were a part the three-goal playoff comeback against NY in 2005. Slight Advantage: New England

The Coaches:
Both Steve Nicol and Bruce Arena have coached and won in the MLS playoffs, though Arena has yet to win with his NY crew. Slight Advantage: New England

Intangibles:
With DC dropping their first leg match at Chicago last night, both clubs are eyeing home dates for the Eastern final. Though they didn't beat NE this year (0-2-1), New York can take solace in their strong play against the Revs this regular season. A rainy forecast will keep the crowd small, and the Revs usually bring a large and loud traveling contingent. Slight Advantage: New York

Prediction:
New York will gladly take the same 1-0 result they grabbed in the clubs' 2005 first-leg playoff match. With a energized duo up top, New York does even better this time out. Goals by JPA and Jozy give the Red Bulls a 2-0 lead heading to New England on November 3rd.

Finishing Smartly & Questioning the Iceman

Congrats to the Red Bulls for finishing up the regular season last night by taking a point on the road in a 1-1 draw at the HDC vs. the Gals. Jozy Altidore hit his ninth goal of the season with a snap header a minute after LA's Troy Roberts put the Galaxy in front with a header of his own.

For my money, the best part about last night's match was that the squad escaped injury, while holding MLS' hottest side from winning their sixth match in a row. New York finishes the season at 12-11-7, good enough for sixth place among MLS' 13 teams. The 43 points did mark New York's third-best finish in twelve MLS seasons, behind the Eastern Conference champion season of 2000 (54 pts.) and 2005's 47-point campaign.

Will NY's mini-spurt of decent play (1-0-1) generate any momentum into the playoff opener vs. New England next Saturday in the swamp? We'll see.

Ice Ice, Baby?
Scaryice, of Climbing the Ladder fame, is a one-man MLS content machine. His blog is full of amazing and insightful analysis of MLS stats. He creates weekly highlight videos of every goal scored in the league each week, and for the second straight season, he's created a "Top 10 Goals" for each team. Here's his 2007 Red Bulls collection:



Love the work, but not all of the choices. For my money, two terrific and meaningful goals were omitted, and both were scored in the epic 5-4 win over LA on August 18th at the Swamp.

First, is Juan Pablo Angel's pin-point free kick to open the scoring... and second is Clint Mathis' laser volley in first-half injury time (Find video of both here under 8/18). Not only did Mathis' strike knot the score at two, but the goal put Cleetus at the top of the all-time NY scoring list. C'mon Ice!

You say Edu, I say Adu

MLS Rookie of the Year candidate and TFC midfielder Maurice Edu cracked coach Bob Bradley's lineup for today's US friendly match vs. Switzerland at St. Jakob's park in Basel. (FSC, 2:30p et).

The complete lineup:

------------Hahnemann-------------
Boca-----'Dolo-----Gooch-----Lewis
Nepotism-Feilhaber-Edu-Clint-DMB
--------------Twellman-------------

A 4-5-1 on the road in Europe, where Bradley's boys will attempt to end a five-match losing streak. The Bench: Guzan, Califf, Pearce, DeMerit, Szetela, Adu, Findley. Will we see Edu and Adu on the field at the same time? Stay tuned.

UPDATE: In the 77th minute of a scoreless match, Adu was subbed on, making a Edu-Adu US midfield a reality! Can the two youngsters deliver a goal? We'll see!

FINAL UPDATE: While not affecting the play, both Edu and Adu were on the field when Michael Bradley scored his first-ever national-team goal in the 87th minute, giving the US a 1-0 victory on European soil! Well done!

Rev'd Up for the Playoffs

Three points in a match! How novel! The Red Bulls' take down of KC on Saturday night sewed up third place in the East with a match to play. Considering the squad clinched berths in the seasons' final match in 2005 and 2006, this year's finish could be considered a step in the right direction. Just a step, though.

Juan Pablo Angel continues to amaze, as the Colombian notched goals 18 and 19 in the victory, setting up a first-round playoff tie with second-place New England. Series matches are Oct. 27 at the Swamp, and Nov. 3rd at the Big Razor. The Revs have lost their air of invincibility of late, dropping their last two matches v. Chicago and at Columbus.

Does New York have a reason to be optimistic? New England did own the Red Bulls this year with a 2-0-1 record over their I-95 rivals, though each victory was only by a single goal. The Red Bulls and Revs have met twice in playoff history; in 2003 when NE eliminated NY with a 3-1 aggregate score win, and 2005, where New York took a 2-0 agg. lead at New England in the second leg, only to blow the series by allowing three scores in the final 23 minutes. Currently the Red Bulls are on a seven-match losing streak at Gillette and haven't won in Foxboro since June 29, 2002 when Mamadou Diallo (!) and Mark Lisi led the way in a 2-0 win.

I'll have a full playoff preview after the regular season ends on Sunday. With one week to go, Supporters' Shield champion DC United can face either KC, Chicago, Colorado or LA in its first-round series as of today. Viva mediocrity! I mean... parity!

Uninspired

The Red Bulls took another step on the the club's well-worn road to mediocrity with a 2-1 loss at TFC last night, snapping the Canadian Club's 12-match losing streak. NY defender Chris Leitch's own goal allowed Toronto to record two tallies in a match for the first time since July 8th vs. league "powerhouse" RSL.

New York let in 2+ goals for the fifth straight match. The Red Bulls are 1-4-3 in their last eight games, providing zero confidence that they'll advance in the playoffs. Only the dundering Kansas City Wizards (1-4-1 in last 6) and awful Columbus Crew (1-5-3 in last 9) have kept NY from being overtaken in the standings.

The Red Bulls finish up with KC and a resurgent LA squad. At this point, the team needs to be put down quietly and retooled (yet again!) for '08. With the baseball playoffs, NFL, and NHL in full swing, only the small crowd of RBNY faithful fans will notice the team's season mercifully end in four weeks' time. Sigh.

DC and Chivas Taking All the Fun Away

Since August 1st, DC United and Chivas USA are a combined 14-0-2 in league play, vaulting each to the top of their respective division and 1-2 in the MLS standings. The only draws in that stretch came in the 2-2 deadlock the teams played in Carson on September 6th.

There's such a thing as peaking too early, but there's no reason to think that the squads won't meet at RFK for the MLS Cup on November 14th. DC has the easier road to the Supporters Shield, as United plays at Chicago, home vs. TFC, at Kansas City, and home vs. the Fire and Columbus to end the season. Chivas has two games at hand on DC and plays at Colorado, home vs. KC, at Chicago, at RSL, at Dallas, home vs. Colorado, and finishes at home versus division contender Houston.

Barring a late surge by Chicago or KC, the Red Bulls should qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs for the fifth straight year, and a win in Bridgeview on Saturday could go a long way to cement New York's standing as a playoff team. There's little expectation for advancement in the postseason unless the walking Red Bull wounded (Kovalenko, Altidore, Richards, Reyna) get back into form and play some inspired ball. I wouldn't bet on it.

Red Bulls Preview: Game 23 vs. Flamers

After a down-in-the-dumps week that saw New York lose at DC and New England, the Red Bulls (10-9-3) face another hot division rival, the Chicago Fire (7-9-5) at the Swamp on Saturday (7:30p ET, MSG). Tomorrow's Fire squad will look nothing like the team that New York blanked 3-0 on May 24th, however. Impressive roster addtions Temoc Blanco and Paulo Wanchope have lifted Chicago to within a single point of playoff position. Chicago's new coach Juan Carlos Osorio has the Fire playing with confidence, while the Red Bulls are once again looking to keep their season on a positive note. A loss will drop New York to .500, where they haven't been since Week 1 (0-0-1).

Recent Form/Playoff Position
New York: LWWLL/3d in East, would face DC in 1st rd.
Chicago: WDWLW/6th in East, 1 pt. from playoff pos.

Here's a line-by-line look at what to expect tomorrow:
The Fire forwards vs. the New York defense:
Calen Carr and Pablo Wanchope vs. Hunter Freeman, Jeff Parke, Seth Stammler, and Chris Leith (and Ron Waterreus). Carr (3g) has to be elated with the additions to his Fire squad. His Costa Rican strike partner (1g) has been terrorizing defenses for most of his storied career at EPL clubs like West Ham and Man City. While Wanchope is a little long in the tooth, he'll be dangerous against MLS defenses. The NY backline's three goals for tomorrow: 1) stop allowing keepers to get assists, 2) stop allowing own goals, and 3) provide confidence that they can help win some points. I guess after Conway's howler last week, the Walrus will be back in the NY net. Advantage: Chicago

The Red Bulls' attackers vs. the Chicago defense:
Jozy Altidore and Juan Pablo Angel vs. Dasan Robinson, Diego Gutierrez, and C.J. Brown (and Jon Busch). Not much more can be said about Jozy and the Angel. They score goals (21 of NY's 36 this season and 8 in the last five games). They have flair. They'll be playing at home. Hopefully they'll produce. Chicago has pitched a surprising four shutouts in their last five. Yes, their opponents included TFC, RSL, and Columbus, but they also shutout KC at home last week.Advantage: New York

The Midfields:
Dane Richards. Claudio Reyna, Joe Vide, and Clint Mathis vs. Ivan Guerrero, Chris Armas, Temoc Blanco, Bakary Soumare, and Logan Pause. Vide has been a steady sub, and has supplanted Dave van den Bergh in the starting lineup. Richards continues to have a fine rookie season. Key stat for New York: the Red Bulls are 5-6-3 in matches that Claudio Reyna plays, 5-3-0 in matches he does not. Chicago's midfield now runs through Blanco, who has two goals and four assists in his five matches in a Fire uniform. Armas will be steady as always at d-mid and Guerrero is always tough. Advantage: Push

The Coaches:
Rookie coach Osorio has to thank his lucky stars that Blanco and Wanchope are on the roster, because the Fire were woeful without them. He has his team jelling at just the right time, and has his team believing in themselves. Arena should start thinking about his next gig, because his present one might not be his much longer. Advantage: Chicago

Intangibles:
One has to wonder how many of the 66,000+ that attended the Red Bulls' last match will return in the middle of a holiday weekend, though the appearance of Blanco may tip attendance to the support of the visitors. On the field, one club is making gains, while the other is accepting its fate. You guess which one is which. Advantage: Chicago

Prediction:
Blanco and Wanchope have punished the U.S. MNT for years. Tomorrow, they'll punish the Red Bulls in front of a group of happy Mexican fans at Giants Stadium. Chicago wins, 3-1.

Middle of the Road

Mediocre. Also-ran. Mid-table. These adjectives adequately describe the Red Bulls after their lost week on the road against the Eastern Conference leaders. New York is 2-3 over its last five matches, while DC United is 5-0 and New England is 3-2. Playing the way they are, there's little hope that NY will catch either foe, and a fifth-straight first-round playoff exit seems likely. One wonders whether Red Bull will allow Bruce Arena to keep his job without advancing in the playoffs, which would start the NY turnover parade for another year.... and so on... and so on...

Red Bulls Preview: Game 21 at Scum

Coming off Saturday's emotional win, the Red Bulls (10-7-3) start a challenging stretch of three divisional matches, the first at RFK tonight vs. a strong DC United squad (10-6-3). Discounting their SuperLiga semifinal loss at LA, DC has three straight MLS wins via shutout. Luciano Emilio has proven to be the signing of the year in the league (sorry, Alexi), as the Brazilian is on top of the league scoring list with 14 goals in 19 appearances.

New York is riding high as well, though wins in its last two games vs. subpar LA and Toronto sides give reason for pause. Tonight's match (7:30p, MSG) is a real test to see if the Red Bulls have shaken off the mid-season doldrums.

Tonight offers the final regular season match between the two clubs (they've split the first two), and is a potential playoff preview as the teams would face each other should the season end today.

Recent Form/Playoff Position:
DC United: DLWWW/2d in East, would face NY in 1st rd.
New York: LWLWW/3d in East, would face DC in 1st rd.

Here's a line-by-line look at what to expect:

The United forwards vs. the Red Bulls' defense:
Luciano Emilio and Jaime Moreno vs. Hunter Freeman, Jeff Parke, Seth Stammler, and Chris Leitch (and Jon Conway). What more can be said about Emilio? He's been everything DC has hoped for, with five goals in his last seven matches. Throw in NY-killer Moreno's three strikes, and you've got almost half of DC's MLS goals coming from its front line. All deference to the amazing free-kick ability of David Beckham, but unless New York figures out how to defend set-pieces, the Red Bulls will go nowhere come playoff time. Ron Wattereus is scheduled to start, but after giving up some questionable goals last week, I give Conway the starting nod. Advantage: DC

New York's attackers vs. the DC defense:
Juan Pablo Angel and Jozy Altidore vs. Brian Namoff, Devon McTavish, Greg Vanney, and Marc Burch (and Troy Perkins). MLS Player of the Week Jozy Altidore is on fire for New York (7 goals), and has taken pressure off of Angel (12 g) to carry the entire scoring load. While DC is known for its firepower up front, the backline hasn't allowed a goal in MLS play since John Wolyniec scored against them on July 22nd, a scoreless streak of 341 minutes. Most impressive was the 3-0 beatdown DC laid at New England on August 5th. Advantage: Push

The Midfields:
Fred, Christian Gomez, Domenic Mediate, and Clyde Simms vs. Dave van den Bergh, Joe Vide, Clint Mathis and Dane Richards. All members of the New York midfield impressed last Saturday, especially Mathis, who finally set the franchise all-time scoring mark, and Richards, whose speed gave the Galaxy fits. Fred is heating up for DC, with two goals in his last five MLS matches, and Gomez is of course always dangerous. Newbies Mediate and Vide cancel each other out. Slight Advantage: DC

The Coaches:
Tom Soehn is certainly having the last laugh over his early-season detractors. After an 0-3-1 start, DC is 10-3-2 and looks to be in championship form once again. Bruce Arena is hoping the high of last week's win can provide the confidence necessary to win on the road. NY is 4-2 is its last six outings. Advantage: Push

Intangibles:
DC has won the maximum points in six of nine home matches this season (6-1-2) and will have its regular rowdy supportive crowd behind the club tonight. New York has played decently on the road (3-4-2) but has only gone 1-2 in road games after home wins this season. Advantage: DC

Prediction:
While New York has certainly played better without the injured Claudio Reyna, the speed and skill of DC calls for his unique brand of field leadership. Mathis does ok to run the team in Reyna's stead, but on paper United is just too strong to beat at home. Emilio and Gomez score in a 2-0 DC victory.

Just How Many Red Bulls Fans Are There?

Walking through the Giants Stadium parking lot before Saturday's Red Bulls-Galaxy match, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of Red Bulls regalia worn by the tailgating fans. While less than half the crowd had their Red Bulls jerseys and shirts on, definitely more than a quarter did. Given the much-reported, pre-Beckham home attendance mark (11K+ per game), I wondered where all these Red Bull-clad fans were each week, because they certainly weren't at Giants Stadium, cheering on the team. Were they watching on TV?

Maybe not. Today's NY Times has a story by sports business/media columnist Richard Sandomir on the varied channel line-up that will get Beckham games (ESPN, FSC, Telefutura, HDNet, local cable stations, etc.) this season. The piece also notes that Red Bulls games on MSG and FSNY, the New York local cable sports stations, draw an average of...1,031 households.

That's mind-bogglingly low, even considering folks watching matches in bars (not measured) , and those watching over the internet. One thousand households. The story notes that ratings are up 40% over last year's 736-HH average. I know it's been reported in the past that the Metros/Red Bulls regularly outdraw the Islanders and Devils on TV, but with numbers that low, one wonders just how much more invisible the club can get.

Perhaps Saturday orgasmically-good win over LA will kick-start the ratings and attendance pumps, but for RBNY to make a dent in the local sports scene, the marketing dollars have to start flowing, and quickly.

Amazing Night in Giants Stadium

I have first-hand knowledge that last night's game converted at least two soccer fans into MLS fans. Which is exactly what it was supposed to do. What an electric atmosphere. Hopefully the RB FO can create some momentum for the Red Bulls' final four home games. One will be played on Labor Day weekend, and another on Yom Kippur, but if there was an advertisement for the league, it was last night.

I'll be on vacation this week, so expect few posts, but I'll be back with more after the 27th. Have a great week.

Red Bulls Preview: Game 20 vs. Team Hollywood

Well, the traveling circus has finally arrived in the Metro Area. Look for an avalanche of Beckham media before, during, and after tomorrow night's match at the house the Caricola destroyed. The report on newsradio this morning led off with, "The Red Bulls usually have problems attracting 10,000 fans to Giants Stadium, but tomorrow..." (sigh).

The Red Bulls (9-7-3) have won two of three and three of five, and are still glowing from last week's walkover vs. TFC. The Jozy Altidore hype machine is in full gear, and the 17-year star even posted on Jack Bell's NY Times GOAL blog to feed it. Claudio Reyna may not play tomorrow, but that might not be the worst thing for New York, who seem to be better without Captain America on the field.

The Gals (3-7-5) are surely riding high since their SuperLiga win on Wednesday. With players like Xavier, Pavon, Alan Gordon, and Landon Donovan in addition to Goldenballs, LA looks to be heading in the right direction. If LA wants to make the playoffs, however, the need points in a hurry.

Recent Form/Playoff Position:
New York: WLWLW/3rd in East, would face DC United in 1st round
Los Angeles: WDLLW (all competitions)/5th in West, 10 pts. from playoff position

Here's a line-by-line look at what to expect:

The Los Angeles forwards vs. the Red Bulls' defense:
Alan Gordon and Carlos Pavon vs. Hunter Freeman, Jeff Parke, Seth Stammler, and Chris Leitch (and Ronald Wattereus). Gordon has yet to score in MLS play this season, but the former A-League Golden Boot winner did pump in three goals during the first round of the SuperLiga. Pavon, the dangerous Honduran striker, has yet to score since joining the Galaxy, but with Donovan and Beckham there to pick up the scoring slack, he should relax and let the goals come to him. The NY defense has allowed only three goals in its last five matches, a feat even more impressive since they've done it without centerback stalwart Carlos Mendes, who's still not 100% fit. If Ron Wattereus is back in form in net, another shutout is a possibilty. Advantage: New York

New York's attackers vs. the Galaxy defense:
Juan Pablo Angel and Jozy Altidore vs. Ante Jazic, Abel Xavier, Ty Harden, and Chris Klein (and Joe Cannon). Yes, last week's match was against the Weak Sisters of the Poor, but it's hard to deny that the JPA and Jozy show is for real. Jozy's second marker of the TFC game earned him MLS Goal of the Week. On the big stage, the two could win some fans for the team. LA has allowed 20 goals in 17 matches, but recently held New England to a single strike and shut out DC United. Abel Xavier has been a revelation in the back for the Gals. Advantage: Push

The Midfields:
Dave van den Bergh, Joe Vide, Clint Mathis and Dane Richards vs. David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Kyle Martino, and Kevin Harmse. There's not much more to be said about Becks' blast on Wednesday vs. DC. Even at 3/4 speed, Beckham may be the most skilled player in the league. Throw in Metro-killer Landcakes, and you've got a tough assignment for anyone to handle. Harmse is a bruiser. New York will miss pit-bull Dema Kovalenko for another week, but Joe Vide has done a yeoman's job in his stead. Without Reyna, Mathis will play quarterback. Here's to hoping he's up for the assignment. Advantage: Los Angeles

The Coaches:
Bruce Arena is finally getting the club moving in the right direction after a few months of bad form while Frank Yallop, who has also won MLS Cups in his day, is still trying to figure out how to get his talented squad to mesh. Advantage: Push

Intangibles:
Without a Barcelona or Manchester United barnstorming the country this year, tomorrow's match is THE night for soccer in New York this summer. Most of the 60,000+ attending will not care one whit whether the Red Bulls will win or not, which sucks, frankly. Hopefully, New York won't underachieve yet again in front of a large crowd, which has been the club's M.O. over the years. Beckham's aversion to the plastic pitch may be the Red Bulls' saving grace. Weather will be ideal. Advantage: Push

Prediction:
Traditionally, New York gacks it up when playing in front of more the 25k at home. My guess is that Arena will hype his boys up by telling them that the vast majority of the crowd will be rooting against them. Maybe it'll work. Goals for Beckham, Donovan, JPA, and Jozy tomorrow in a super entertaining 2-2 draw.

Becks' Blast to Allay Appearance Anxiety?

Bend it he did last night, knocking the DC Scum out of the SuperLiga and sending the Galaxy to the tournament final vs. Mexico's Pachuca on August 29th. MLS/SUM should be pleased that the first SuperLiga final will include a team from South of the border, 'cause an all-MLS final would be a hard sell to the Latino fans that the tournament was designed to reach.

In any case, Beckham's 63-minute, 1 goal, 1 assist performance should allay any fears that he'll be riding the pine on Saturday night at Giants Stadium, where at least 60,000 fans will await his arrival. Though he's publicly poo-pooed the notion of playing on an artificial surface, Becks will certainly play in his only '07 appearance in the nation's #1 media market. Saturday's weather will be absolutely perfect, and the walk-up crowd could sell out the joint. We know at least 15K will be pulling for the home side, and perhaps with a strong performance, the Red Bulls could actually win some fans. Perhaps.

ESPN Overdoing Promotion of MLS?

Any sports fan with a pulse over the last few weeks is aware of the ESPN hype machine orgasm over David Beckham's MLS arrival. Of course, if Becks had been playing more (or at all) during his ESPN-televised games, the ubiquitous "Beckham-cam" would have been much less annoying.

While soccer-bashers out there continue to do their thing, Jason Chung of "The Situationalist" wonders if ESPN's behavior can "save" Major League Soccer. The notion that MLS needs "saving" is, of course, debatable, with the new ownership groups (and more on the way), new stadiums (ditto), new sponsors, and new television contracts in place all before Goldenballs' arrival.

Chung's piece delves into the idea that the ESPN family of products; print, radio, broadband, mobile, and of course, television, is spending more time on MLS that the league's ratings warrant. Much has been made in the sports business press about the "decline" of the National Hockey League coinciding with the NHL's contract with the Versus network, severely shrinking the viewing audience for its games (The lockout had an impact as well, no?).

This past season was Arena Football's first on ESPN, and the network did its best to promote the AFL on SportsCenter, on its' "Bottom Line" sports ticker, on ESPNNews, and other places. Now I'm ignorant to how the AFL did ratings-wise, but I'm guessing the league drew similar ratings to MLS.

And it's those MLS ratings that are the crux of Chang's issue. Noting the league's microscopic 0.2 average rating on ESPN2 (LA-Chelsea did a 1.0), how long will ESPN put its' energy into promoting MLS? If the larger soccer-loving public continues to thumb its nose at the league (case in point: NYRB attendance) in favor of the top leagues of Europe, how long, despite the massive investment, will MLS sponsors and television networks support it? With Beckham's arrival a watershed moment for the league, how long does MLS have to show real growth in the form of increased attendances and television ratings?

Here's the link to Chung's piece. Enjoy.

Peach-Colored Society Rag Profiles the ESC

Never in a million years would I have thought that the New York Observer, that effete Upper East Side-focused society paper would spare an inch of space on the scruffy, clever, boozy group that supports the Red Bulls (yes, I'm a member) from section 101 at Giants Stadium, but here it is. Between coverage of Bill & Hillary in the Hamptons, and the Rex Reed (yes, he's still alive) review, the paper that hosted Candice Bushnell's Sex & The City column is slumming indeed. Enjoy.

FMF Fans' View of Superliga

MLS fans seem to be jazzed about the first Superliga as the tournament starts the semifinal stage tonight when Houston hosts Pachuca (10p ET, TF). What do Mexican league fans have to say? After all, this first tournament was played during the Apertura pre-season, and although the FMF clubs tried hard, perhaps they weren't at top strength.

Using Yahoo! Answers, I asked users in the Mexican league area: "Has the Superliga grabbed the attention and respect of FMF fans?"

The answers ran the gamut from: I think this tournament could grow into something," to "no they were just practice games for me." While I'm not sure the goal of the Superliga was to attract FMF fans, the majority were not surprisingly in the latter camp.

Jozy's Blast
If you didn't see the highlights of NY's 3-0 pasting of Toronto on Sunday, check out Jozy Altidore's amazing goal, then vote for it for Goal of the Week. If the Pride of Jersey keeps scoring goals like these, he may be headed to Europe before the MLS season ends.

Munching on the Maple Leafs

Nice to see the Red Bulls avoid playing down to the level of its opponent. New York dominated an injury-depleted last place Toronto FC squad 3-0 yesterday at Giants Stadium. The Red Bulls got a goal from Juan Pablo Angel and two scores from Jozy Altidore in the win, and held TFC, missing both starting forwards, without single shot on goal in the match.

Down the stretch, New York (9-7-3) will have more matches like this to overcome, as six of the club's 11 remaining matches are with the bottom four teams in MLS:

Team, Record, Matches vs. NY
RSL, 2-9-6, Sept. 29 at NY
LAG, 3-7-5, Aug. 18 at NY, Oct. 18 at LA
TFC, 5-10-5, Oct. 4 at TOR
CHI, 5-8-5, Sept. 1 at NY, Sept. 15 at CHI

Of course, it's not just the bottom-feeders on the NY schedule. The Red Bulls will face its key Eastern Conf. rivals and make an extra trip to LA on the way to the playoffs:

NE, 10-4-6, Aug. 25 at NE, Sept. 22 at NY
DCU, 9-6-3, Aug. 22 at DC
CHV, 8-6-3, Sept. 9 at LA
KC, 8-6-5, Oct. 13 at NY

New York can thank the schedule-maker for putting matches vs. Western Conference heavies Houston and Dallas early in the season, making the quest for a top-four finish and a Superliga 2008 berth a realistic goal.

Red Bulls Preview: Game 19 vs. Hosers

The Red Bulls (8-7-3) haven't played a match (other than standing around in Central Park this week) since an 0-2 home loss to Chivas on July 26th. New York has scored two goals in its last six outings, and has dropped from first place on July 8th to fourth place today.

Toronto FC (5-9-5) may be one of the few sides that New York may feel comfortable playing right now. The men from T.O. are on a five-match winless streak, and haven't scored in 372 minutes since #1 draft pick Maurice Edu scored at Chicago in a 1-1 draw on July 7th.

Recent Form/Playoff Position:
New York: LWLWL/4th in East, would face the Revs in 1st round
Toronto: DDLLD/7th in East, six points from playoff position

Here's a line-by-line look at what to expect:

The Toronto forwards vs. the Red Bulls' defense:
Andrea Lombardo and Colin Samuel vs. Hunter Freeman, Jeff Parke, Carlos Mendes, and Kevin Goldthwaite (and Ronald Wattereus). Toronto, in their inaugural season, has scored only 18 goals in 19 matches, and will be without starting forwards Jeff Cunningham (3g) and Denny Dicho (5g). Sunday's starting forwards have only one goal between them this season. The big layoff should help New York's defense considerably if Jeff Parke has rounded back into shape and Ron Wattereus has returned to form. The Red Bulls have conceded only three goals in their last four matches. Advantage: New York

New York's attackers vs. the TFC defense:
Juan Pablo Angel and Jozy Altidore vs. Todd Dunivant, Jim Brennan, Tyrone Marshall, and Andrew Boyens (and Kenny Stamatopoulos). As foes have figured out how to stop Angel (double team him, don't let him turn), the Red Bulls scoring production has completely evaporated. Arena may choose to play a 4-3-3 including Wolyniec to add some punch. Despite the winless streak, TFC's defense has been strong, only giving up six goals in their last five outings, with two shutouts. Stamataopoulos, Toronto's Greek keeper, made his debut last Sunday with a shutout vs. Los Angeles. Advantage: Push

The Midfields:
Seth Stammler, Claudio Reyna, Clint Mathis and Dane Richards vs. Andy Welsh, Carl Robinson, Chris Pozniak, and Joey Melo. There's been a APB out for Clint Mathis since early May. At a time when New York is hurting for goals, New York needs Mathis to regain his form, and fast. Without the re-injured Dema Kovalenko, the Red Bulls need the fire to come from somewhere. Melo has two MLS starts for TFC. Advantage: New York

The Coaches:
Bruce Arena hasn't been able to pull New York out of its midseason funk (2-4-1 in last seven). The club is finally mostly healthy, but Bruce may be starting to feel some heat from management after last week's home loss. Mo Johnston is suffering through an avalanche of injuries in his first season, but the great crowds in Toronto have given him a free pass this season. TFC has nothing to lose. Advantage: Push

Intangibles:
The Red Bull FO has bundled tickets to Sunday's match with next week's Beckham game, so a large turnout (20k+) is possible if the weather's good. Rested and healthy, New York has no excuses. Toronto will be without many top players (K Sutton, Fs Cunningham, Dichio, M O'Brien, D Wynne), so even with a modest effort, New York should come out on top. Advantage: New York

Prediction: While it's hard to imagine the Red Bulls losing this match, New York must attack early and often to put the game out of reach in the first half. There's not much good feeling around the club right now, but Toronto may be visiting at just the right time New York wins, 2-0.

Television Guide
The new EPL Season highlights this week's TV lineup (times ET):

Saturday, August 11th:
9:25a: GER: Bayern Munich-Hansa Rostock, GOL
9:55a: EPL: West Ham-Manchester City, FSC
11:30a: GER: Bochum-Werder Bremen, GOL
12noon: EPL: Aston Villa-Liverpool, FSC
2:15p: EPL: Derby County-Portsmouth, FSC
4:00p: INTL: Friendly, Yokohama-Barcelona, TM
6:00p: MEX: San Luis-Necaxa, GALA
7:00p: COL: Cucuta-Millonarios, GOL
8:00p: MEX: Chivas-Tecos, TF
8:30p: MLS: Dallas-Columbus, FSC
9:00p: MLS: Colorado-Houston, HDNet
10:00p: MEX: Atlante-Pumas, GALA
11:00p: USL: PDL Final, Michigan-Laredo, FSC
12mid: MEX: Monterrey-Puebla, GALA

Sunday, August 12th:
7:00a: EPL: Arsenal-Fulham, FSC
10:55a: GER: Nuremberg-Karlsruhe, GOL
11:00a: EPL: Manchester United-Reading, FSC
1:00p: MEX: Toluca-Santos, UNI
1:00p: GUA: Comunicaciones-Jalapa, GOL
1:00p: INTL: Friendly, Hong Kong XI-Barcelona, TM
1:00p: INTL: USWNT-New Zealand, ESPN2
3:00p: ARG: River Plate-Newell's Old Boys, FSC
4:00p: ESP: SuperCopa, Sevilla-Real Madrid, TM
5:00p: MLS: New York-Toronto, FSNY
5:00p: MLS: New England-Los Angeles, GALA
5:00p: MEX: Club America-Jaguares, TF
6:15p: COL: Dep. Cali-Tolima, GOL

RBFO: Not So Smart

Ah, those boys in Secaucus just can't seem to get it right. The Red Bull FO must have some egg on its face after trying to stage an "impromptu" match in Central Park yesterday between the NY boys and a side led by NBA superstar Steve Nash. Adam Spangler covers the, um, non-event here. Even when trying to pull together a little exposure on the cheap, the FO couldn't get the job done, as they thought the draconian rules regarding team sports on the Sheep Meadow didn't apply to professional teams. Hmm. Big ups to Spangler mentioning ESC'er Joe Tiernan by name. You go on Joe, with your bad self.

The Sound of Defeat
Yes, USL clubs provide a quality product. Yes, USL teams have proven they can play with MLS sides in exhibitions and in US Open Cup play. No one, however, expected the hurt that the Seattle Sounders put on the Colorado Rapids last night at Qwest Field in the USOC Quarters. Former Red Bull Taylor Graham kicked off the scoring for the Sounders in a five-nil whitewash of Colorado, the biggest loss by an MLS club in modern US Open Cup history. The Rapids lined up with a strong team to take on Seattle, but trailed 0-3 at half. Colorado has won all of four MLS matches this season, and one has to wonder when coach Fernando Clavijo will walk the plank. My guess: real soon.

In other USOC play last night, Carolina beat Richmond 1-0 and FC Dallas got by Charleston 2-1 in extra time on a goal by Arturo Alvarez. Tonight, the Revs host the teeny-weeny Harrisburg City Islanders at the Big Razor. Methinks New England in a walk.

Building Blocks: RBNY Takes More Baby Steps

As originally reported here way back in April, the Red Bulls announced today that Hanover, New Jersey, will be the site of the team's permanent training facility. The club has practiced all over Northern New Jersey since its inception in 1996, and has called Montclair State University its training site this season.

The announcement should allay any fears that Red Bull isn't committed to the success of the franchise, and will finally give the club a place to call their own.

Former Metro GM Nick Sakiewicz tried to get a training center built in more distant Pequannock in the late '90s, but NIMBY-minded voters nixed the deal.

Yesterday, BigAppleSoccer reported that Red Bull Park (to be built in Harrison, NJ) won't be ready until the 2009 season. Much has been written about Red Bull's desire to buy former Metro owner AEG out of its 50% of the stadium project, but the sale has yet to be announced. Harrison Mayor Ray McDonough said that construction at RPB will begin in mid-September. As we've been saying for almost a decade... stay tuned.