England v US: Men v Boys

That's what it looked like on the pitch at Wembley yesterday, as England embarrassed the U.S., 2-0 in the first of three big-name challenges before the Yanks start World Cup qualifying on June 15th.

Barely able to maintain possession, the U.S. was outclassed by England, who scored on a John Terry header in the first half, and a Steven Gerrard breakaway in the second. The Yanks had two decent scoring opportunities the entire match: a blast from Eddie Johnson that went wide, and a smart serve into the six-yard box by sub Eddie Lewis that was parried away by England keeper David James.

While England captain Fabio Cappello had his entire squad to pick from, the Yanks were without Landon Donovan, who was nursing a strained groin (ouch!), Brian Ching (with Houston), Taylor Twellman (with New England) or even Jozy Altidore (with New York). In their stead, Josh Wolff, who wasn't had a decent national-team outing since the 2002 World Cup, and a mostly ineffectual Eddie Johnson got the starting nods at forward. Clint Dempsey was neutralized by the England defense.

If the Yanks are to compete on the world stage (next chance: at Spain next Wednesday), the U.S. is going to have to find a way to generate some creativity and offense. None of the players on the pitch yesterday were able to get the job done, not remotely. The match reminded me of the domination that Germany laid on the Americans in the first round of the '98 World Cup in France. That match was similarly non-competitive.

Atrocious

Not much more to be said about the Red Bulls' effort and result on Sunday afternoon at Giants Stadium in a 1-5 dismantling by Chicago. The lineup suspended New York coach Osorio put on the field included central defender Carlos Mendes in a defense mid role, a single striker in JPA, and four-man back line that surrendered four goals in a fourteen-minute span in the second half. As much as the club will want to brush this performance away, the fact is that without roster improvements, New York will find themselves also-rans for yet another year. With the summer transfer window opening soon, Red Bulls fans are praying that the Austrian overlords allow JCO and Jeff Agoos the freedom to spend to the club's salary cap. Otherwise, another fight for a playoff spot beckons.

Dreaming of Wembley

Tomorrow the United States takes on England at Wembley Stadium (3p ET) in what should be Landon Donovan's 100th cap for the Yanks. Bob Bradley brings an A-minus squad to home of football, including EPLers Dempsey, Howard, and Eddie Johnson. The match will televised live on ESPN Classic, and John Harkes and JP Dellacamera preview the match here:



It's no surprise that the English press is all but ignoring the US ahead of the match, notes Yahoo's Martin Rogers.

Red Bulls Preview: Game #8 vs. Flamers

Sunday, the Red Bulls have their first real test of the season as FC Best Buy (aka the Chicago Fire) visit the Swamp with bad blood on their minds.

Despite what you might read in today's press, Chicago (5-2-1) ain't too pleased with the Red Bulls, since NY's current coach Juan Carlos Osorio bolted from Bridgeview after last season, breaking his Fire contract. Of course, the MetroStars absconded with original Fire coach Bob Bradley after the 2002 season, so there's was a precedent for Chicago coaches ending up in New York.

Chicago has retaliated in two ways; one by putting a discovery claim and then signing Red Bull off-season target Lider Marmol, then preventing unhappy Chicago defender Wilman Conde from joining coach Osorio in New York.

On the field, however, under longtime assistant Denis Hamlett, the Fire is on a roll, with five wins in eight starts. Despite a home loss to Houston last week, Chicago's second-ranked offense (14 goals) and top-ranked defense (5 goals conceded) will give New York everything it can handle.

Last week's Red Bulls home draw with Kansas City was disappointing on two levels; first that KC scored on one of their few decent chances all night, and second that it took New York 16 (!) quality opportunities to get the ball in the net. For New York to deliver a positive result on Sunday, it must convert any and all opportunities the stingy Fire defense allows.

Position and Recent Form:
New York, 12 pts from 7 matches, 5th East, TWTWT
Chicago, 16 pts from 8 matches, 2nd East, LWWWL

Here's a line-by-line look at Sunday's match:

The Chicago forwards vs. the Red Bulls' defense:
Chad Barrett and Andy Herron vs. Kevin Goldthwaite, Jeff Parke, and Hunter Freeman (and Jon Conway). Though the bulk of the Fire's scoring comes through the midfield, Barrett (with his size) and sub Herron will provide a challenge. The Red Bulls' defense faltered last week only when Jeff Parke was picked from covering KC's Jimmy Conrad on a corner kick. Otherwise, the back line has been the story of the season for New York, especially since the offense has produced only nine goals in seven games. Advantage: New York

New York's attackers vs. the Fire defense:
Jozy Altidore and Juan Pablo Angel vs. Diego Gutierrez, Gonzalo Segares, Bakary Soumare, and Brandon Prideaux (and Jon Busch). When your defense pitches four clean sheets in eight outings, something special is happening. Last week's 2-1 loss in Houston was the first time the Fire had conceded more than one goal in a match this year. The fearsome foursome in front on Busch has played together in seven of eight 2008 matches. Angel and Altidore's production have been way down this season, though it seems that Angel's sore back is finally healing. If any tandem can break through the Fire defense, its the Red Bulls'. Advantage: Chicago

The Midfields:
Dane Richards, Luke Sassano, Mike Magee, Claudio Reyna and Danleigh Borman, vs. Justin Mapp, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Logan Pause, and Chris Rolfe. Blanco is leading the Fire in scoring (3g, 2a), and his ability to score from long range will keep the NY backline honest. As he goes, so goes the Fire. Mapp and Rolfe are huge scoring threats as well. Chicago will miss John Thorrington (3g), doubtful with back spasms. Reyna, if he plays, will be responsible for slowing down Blanco and will need to be at the top of his game. The Red Bulls will miss suspended Dave van den Burgh, especially against the 6' 1" Mapp. Can the Rookie Borman extend his scoring to three matches? Advantage: Push

The Coaches:
Denis Hamlett's promotion to Head Coach in Chicago after a decade on the staff was one of the great stories of the MLS offseaon. Hamlett knows his success depends on a happy Blanco, and his impressive record in the young season is a testament to his ability to get the most of his players. New York's Osorio needs to get his side to finish more chances. Advantage: Push

Intangibles:
Blanco's visit will result in a big walk-up crowd wearing Club America jerseys. With many among the Red Bulls' fan base out of town for the holiday weekend, Chicago may be the "home" team on Sunday. It'll be a sunny, warm day on the Giants Stadium turf. Advantage: Chicago

Prediction: With the two stingiest MLS defenses going head-to-head, goals will be few and far between. This is the first real gut-check of the season for New York, and a loss, even this early in the season, could drop the Red Bulls into a flight for a playoff berth. I think the Fire is the better side, and Blanco will feed Barrett for the lone tally in a 1-0 Chicago win.

Please Indulge Me...

A dad can dream of national team glory, right? When he learns to use his left... look out!

Red Bulls Preview: Game #7 vs. Wizzzz

After a gutty 2-1 road win at FC Goldenballs, the New York Red Bulls find themselves on a four-match unbeaten streak heading into Saturday night's test with a Kansas City Wizards (3-3-1) squad looking for its first points since April 20th. New York (3-1-2) will take the field for the second straight outing without injured Captain Claudio Reyna or D-mid Seth Stammler, though their replacements, Mike Magee and rookie Luke Sassano, carried the load well in last week's victory.

The Wizards have cooled since their strong start, and have won only once in their last five matches, scoring just three goals over that span. Will KC's talented Argentines be able to break through NY's second-ranked defense? Therein lies the storyline for tomorrow night.

Position and Recent Form:
New York, 11 pts from 6 matches, 4th East, LTWTW
Kansas City, 10 pts from 7 matches, 6th East, LTWLL

Here's a line-by-line look at Saturday's match:

The Kansas City forwards vs. the Red Bulls' defense:
Claudio Lopez and Ivan Trujillo vs. Kevin Goldthwaite, Jeff Parke, and Hunter Freeman (and Jon Conway). Wizards fans were celebrating when the club brought in Lopez from the Colombia and Truilljo from Argentina to create an energetic attack. However, the KC strike force has been off target for weeks as they learn to play together. The Wizards have only a single tally from the run of play (along with a pair of PKs) in their last five outings. Much has been written about the Red Bulls' buy-in to coach Osorio's defense-first mindset, as New York has allowed only five goals in six matches this season. JCO's tendency to shift midfielder Dave van den Burgh to a d-wing position will present an even tougher challenge to KC. Advantage: New York

New York's attackers vs. the Galaxy defense:
Jozy Altidore and Juan Pablo Angel vs. Michael Harrington, Tyson Wahl, Jimmy Conrad and Chance Myers (and Kevin Hartman). The look on Angel's face after scoring his first of the year, the game-winner in LA last week, offered a clue into the Colombian's frustration to date this young season. Neither he nor Altidore, who's been nothing less than a punching bag for opposing defenses, are 100%, but they'll still be quite a handful for KC. The Wizards have allowed a pair of goals in each the team's last two outings, at TFC and at the Crew. That Conrad is tied for the team lead in goals scored is bizzare. Hartman is graying (33), but is still a quality MLS keeper. Advantage: New York

The Midfields:
Dane Richards, Luke Sassano, Mike Magee, Danleigh Borman and Dave van den Bergh, vs. Sasha Victorine, Kurt Morsink, Jack Jewsbury, and Eloy Colombiano. Say what you will about Richards' inability to deliver a cross, but his sweet delivery on Angel's game winner last week was pure football poetry. Magee proved his worth at A-mid, and Sassano and Borman have to be considered for Rookie of the Year honors. Argentine Eloy Colombiano (hmm) is a newcomer who'll make his second MLS start tomorrow night. Victorine is blah, but Jewsbury is always dangerous. Slight Advantage: New York

The Coaches:
I have nothing but respect for KC coach Curt Onalfo, a youth star who co-captained the US U20s to a 4th-place finish at the '89 U20 World Cup, was an MLS original (LA, SJ, DC), and served as US assistant coach during the last qualifying cycle. He's a definite future candidate to helm the USMNT. Juan Carlos Osorio clearly has won the respect of his players, and their play shows in terms of effort. Advantage: Push

Intangibles:
When you share a stadium with a baseball team called the Kansas City T-Bones, a long road trip is inevitable. KC is will play game four of a six-match road trip tomorrow night, and it'll clearly show. New York comes home for the first time since April 27th, and while a large crowd may not be in the offing if the weather is poor (and even if it isn't), I believe that home cooking will do the team some good. Advantage: New York

Prediction: This is one of those games that is the Red Bulls' for the taking, but Altidore & Angel will have to be sharp and capitalize on their opportunities. Jewsbury will score on a fluky goal, but Angel and Magee will be the difference in a 2-1 victory.

All-Star 2008: Ambivalence, Ho!

MLS has released its ballot for the 2008 All-Star game, and it's pretty wacky. Wilman Conde, the unhappy Chicago defender who's played only 107 minutes in three appearances for the Fire, is up for All-Star honors, as is Abel Xavier, who's played 224 minutes this season for an LA defense giving up 2+ goals/game. I know All-Star games are big popularity contests, but with a topsy-turvy start to the season (Columbus up, Houston and DC down), one wonders if the most deserving players will make it to the pitch on July 24th.

Then there's the opponent for the MLS All-Stars. West Ham United finished 10th in the EPL this season, and frankly offers little excitement for the hard-core, or even casual soccer fan. Previously, MLS sides have faced off with Chelsea, Chivas (Mex.), and Celtic, all teams with large global fan bases. Even the 2005 match vs. Fulham had the "Brian McBride Returns to Columbus" storyline. While West Ham has a long history, the only opponents MLS should consider are the storied clubs of Europe or South America; Man U., Rangers, Milan, Inter, Roma, Juventus, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, Bayer Leverkusen, Boca Juniors, River Plate, Vasco da Gama, Santos, etc.

Lastly, there's word that the rabid TFC fan base may use the All-Star game (at Toronto's MBO Field) to stage a protest of a proposed move by the CFL's Toronto Argonauts to the stadium. So much for soccer-specific stadia! Yuck!

The match will certainly sellout, but with questionable players, a fan protest, and a weak opponent, July 24th may be a day to stay longer at the pool, get some ice cream, or kick the ball around with your kids. Yawn...

Red Bulls Preview: Game #6 @ FC Hollyweird

After a nine-day layoff that most clubs use to get healthy, New York (2-1-2) will travel to Carson late Saturday night without two key midfielders (10:30p, HDNet) to take on a resurgent LA Galaxy squad (2-2-2) that leads MLS in scoring.

Captain Claudio Reyna (left calf sprain) and midfield Seth Stammler (lower back) won't make the cross-country trip, and the injuries couldn't come at a worse time. LA, in year two of the Beckham era, is clicking on all cylinders up front, and Reyna and Stammler would have been vital in attempting to shut down LA's Landon Donovan, who's on a mission this young season (eight goals in six games). Throw in a possible scratch of NY forward Jozy Alitdore (exhaustion) and one wonders if the Red Bulls will be able to keep up.

Position and Recent Form:
Los Angeles, 8 pts, 2nd West, WLTWT
New York, 8 pts, 6th East, WLTWT

Here's a line-by-line look at Saturday's match:

The Los Angeles forwards vs. the Red Bulls' defense:
Landon Donovan and Alan Gordon vs. Kevin Goldthwaite, Jeff Parke, and Hunter Freeman (and Jon Conway). When Landycakes decides he wants to play (which sadly isn't always), the all-time USMNT scoring leader is just about unstoppable. So for in 2008, Donovan has wanted to come to the park, as evidenced by his torrid scoring pace that would smash the all-time MLS single-season scoring record of Rocket Roy Lassiter's 27 tallies in 1996. Becks' play has energized Donovan, and lifted the club to a .500 record. Gordon has two scores and three assists on the year. The Red Bulls defense has been its strongest line to date this season, as coach Juan Carlos Osorio had hoped. New York has given up only 0.8 goals/match, good enough for second in the league. Freeman's return at right back is a huge plus. Still, if LD & Becks are connecting... Advantage: Los Angeles

New York's attackers vs. the Galaxy defense:
Oscar Echeverry and Juan Pablo Angel vs. Chris Klein, Troy Roberts, Sean Franklin, and Greg Vanney (and Steve Cronin). To say that LA's defense stinks is a massive understatement. The Galaxy's porous back line gives up 2.17 goals/match and should allow enough of an oppportunity for Juan Pablo Angel to finally get on the scoring sheet this season. After tearing up MLS in 2007 (19g in 24 games), JPA hasn't been able to get on target to date. Without Altidore, New York turns to Angel's countrymate Echeverry, who will also look for his first goal of the season. Advantage: New York

The Midfields:
Dane Richards, Luke Sassano, Mike Magee, Sinisa Ubiparipovic and Dave van den Bergh, vs. David Bechkam, Brandon McDonald, Troll Franchino, and Mike Randolph. Without d-mid stalwart Stammler and field general Reyna, JCO may turn to Mike Magee to quarterback New York's attack. The return of Dane Richards will help but pressure on the flanks, and Ubiparipovic will get the assignment of slowing down Beckham. McDonald and Randolph have a total of 30 MLS starts between them, but as long as "wicked pissah" Franchino can disrupt the NY attack, Beckham will be all that matters. Slight Advantage: Los Angeles

The Coaches:
"Sexy Football" or not, Ruud Gullit has figured out that his two gifted superstars are all that LA needs to shine. Gullit called out MLS as "amateurish" to the foriegn press last week after the Gals had to call in some friends to play in a reserve match. Do we really need Eurosnobs coaching in the league? JCO is doing the best he can with his M*A*S*H unit of a roster. Is Andrew Boyens the best he can do on the acquisition front? Advantage: Push

Intangibles:
LA will be playing at home, where they've scored 11 of their 13 goals. Posh will be there. Real TV star Mrs. Donovan will be there. Maybe Katie Holmes & Suri will be there. Drew Carey may be there. No one will be rooting for the visitors. New York has a single goal in their two road tests to date. Weather will be clear, low of 56. Advantage: Los Angeles

Prediction: Becks and Donovan hit the net once each, but New York gets goals from Angel, Magee, and van den Burgh a wildly entertaining 3-2 victory.

Revenue, Pause, and Progress

Some quick midweek news/notes for ya:

Revenue: DC United takes the plunge with the Volks folks in a multi-year, multimillion dollar shirt sponsorship package. The scum, if you squint your eyes a bit, look a little like Flavor-Flav. Check 'em out Thursday night on the Deuce vs. FC Flat Screen.

Pause: There are a lot of demands being made on superstar-to-be Jozy Altidore. He's here, he's there, he scores almost everywhere. He's darn tired, and may not make the trip to LA this weekend for the Red Bulls' match with FC Hollywood.

Progress: New Red Bull Park slideshow up. Hooray for concrete!

Tied Up in 'To

It's crazy to say it, but the day has arrived in MLS when teams playing at Toronto are satisfied escaping from BMO Field with a single point. Although the New York Red Bulls controlled the midfield, the club left the Great White North with that one point in last night's 1-1 draw with Toronto FC. Both goals were scored in the first half; Toronto's on a header by an unmarked Marco Velez off a free kick in the 22nd minute, and New York's on a curling, ground level free kick by midfielder Dave van den Burgh in the 39th.

The match saw the return to the New York lineup of two starters from injury; of D Hunter Freeman (full 90) and MF Dane Richards (last 35 minutes). Sadly and inevitably, though, captain Claudio Reyna came off the field with a "lower left leg" injury at halftime. Thankfully the club has nine days to heal before the annual trip to FC Goldenballs on Saturday the 10th.

The draw currently leaves the Red Bulls (2-1-2) in 6th place in the hyper-competitive East, but in 7th place on the league table. A rule change in the MLS offseason mandates at least three sides from each conference take part in the playoffs, so if the season ended today, New York would be on the outside looking in.

After the trip to LA, New York plays three of four in the friendly confines of Giants Stadium (KC, Chicago, Chivas) with a road trip to slow-starting Houston throw in.

Red Bulls Preview: Game #3 vs. Buffalo Bills

Coming off a road loss always smarts, but the Red Bulls get some home cooking and A-list players back on the field Saturday night when New York (1-1-0) hosts perennial MLS Cup runners-up New England (2-2-0) at Giants Stadium (7:30p, HDNet).

Going down by a goal is always tough. Going down by a goal in the opening minute on the road makes for a more daunting task, but that's just what happened to New York in last week's match in Dallas. Without a hurting Juan Pablo Angel at the Deep Dish, the Dallas D rightly keyed on Red Bulls' F Jozy Altidore, limiting his chances. The good news is that Altidore and Angel will play together for the first time this season tomorrow night. New England has been on a complete roller coaster this season. A home 3-0 beat-down of Houston in week 1 was followed by an embarrassing 0-4 loss at Chicago. A surprising 3-1 win at Eastern contender Kansas City was followed by a 0-1 home loss to Colorado. Which Revs squad will show tomorrow night? Stay tuned.

Recent Form:
New York: WL
New England: WLWL

Here's a line-by-line look at tomorrow's match:

The New England forwards vs. the Red Bulls' defense:
Adam Christman and Kenny Mansally vs. Chris Leitch, Jeff Parke, and Kevin Goldthwaite (and Jon Conway). Mansally (1g, 1a) and his fellow Gambian signing Sainey Nyassi have been the talk of the league over the season's first month. Christman leads NE in shots (12) and has hit the net once this year already. The Red Bulls get Jeff Parke back at central defense after a one-match suspension, and will match up well with Christman (6'1", 185 vs. 6'0", 180). It's on the wings that the lightning-fast Mansally will have a field day, especially with good midfield service. Advantage: New England

New York's attackers vs. the Revs' defense:
Jozy Altidore and Juan Pablo Angel vs. Amaechi Igwe, Michael Parkhurst, and Jay Heaps (and Matt Reis). Finally! Angel and Altidore will get on the field at the same time, can could wreak havoc (ht: Ty Keough) with New England's 3-man back line. The Revs' Igwe has tightened things up in back (GAA of 1.0) since he knocked Chris Albright to the bench. Hard to believe that Jay Heaps is 32 years old. Where does the time go? Advantage: New York

The Midfields:
Luke Sassano, Seth Stammler, Claudio Reyna, Sinisa Ubiparipovic and Dave van den Bergh, vs. Khano Smith, Shalrie Joseph, Mauricio Castro, Jeff Larentowicz, and Sainey Nyassi. Castro is still jelling with his NE teammates, but the core of Smith, Joseph, and Larentowicz are a veteran group. Nyassi is a burner with skill, as he proved with his Goal of the Week vs. the Dynamo. Can VDB handle him? Unlikely. Reyna had a great game last week in the NY loss to Dallas, but the carpet of Giants Stadium seems to hinder him. Joseph usually has NY's number. Slight Advantage: New England

The Coaches:
Despite not bringing home the MLS Cup in four tries, Steve Nicol has been one of the best coaches in MLS (75-56-47) over the years. He always gets the most of his low-wage players, and seems to have two winners in his Gambian pair. Juan Carlos Osorio will be happy to have Parke back in Center-D, but the jury's still out on him. Three points would help in an Eastern Conference that is already pulling away from the Red Bulls. Advantage: New England

Intangibles:
Despite losing to the Revs in last season's playoffs, New York felt it played better in the two-game series, and lost on a flukey goal when Angel was off the field for medical attention. A passionate 17K at New York's home opener lifted the team. The Midnight Riders will travel in numbers for the match, and always matches the NY supporters song for song. Weather: Mostly Sunny, low of 49. Nice. Advantage: Push

Prediction: Angel and Altidore lead their team out of bondage on Passover. Nyassi hits the net, but New York takes a physical 2-1 victory.

SSS for the WC Quallies?

Part of the sales pitch for communities building soccer-specific stadia was the attraction of World Cup Qualifiers to the small, intimate venues. Columbus Crew Stadium has been the US site of choice when taking on Mexico ('01 and '05), Grenada ('04) and Jamaica ('04). The Toolbox in Carson, CA will see its first US quallie in June when the Yanks take on mighty Barbados. Now it seems that MLS/SUM and US Soccer will make good on its promise as Chicago's Toyota Park will be set to host one of the three home CONCACAF Semifinal-round qualifiers this fall. If the US is serious about rewarding communities that have built stadia for their MLS teams, expect to see Frisco, TX's Pizza Hut Park, Commerce City, CO's DSG Park, and even Sandy, UT's unnamed RSL stadium named hosts these vital matches.

With more and more support for our boys as the US Soccer movement grows, however, one wonders if US Soccer would do better by opening up big parks like RFK and Soldier Field for the right opponents.

Regardless, the lucky US fans who have the resources and time to travel to the small venues (especially for midweek qualifiers) will certainly be a part of great pro-US fan experiences.

Sounders FC Owner on The Immgration Debate

Here's America's favorite game show host/club owner/superfan Drew Carey, framing America's immigration debate around Goldenballs and the beautiful game. Don't want to start a debate here, but the man seems to make sense...

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.