Rhinos Updates

The Rhinos have announced the arrival of defenders Ryan Heins and Nigel Marples on loan from the Philiadelphia Kixx. Kixx is an indoor team in the MISL. Not too sure how the players will adapt, but if they see action tomorrow the fact that Paetec is field turf should ease the transition. Their arrival will mitigate the Rhinos' concerns in a back third that has been hampered by injuries.

Additionally, pairings have been announced for the US Open Cup with the Rhinos first draw being RWB Adria of the United States Adult Soccer Association. RWB Adria is based in Chicago. Paetec Park hosts the game on June 10th at 7:30 PM. Those who attend may be familiar with RWB forward Jamar Beasley, brother of Demarcus Beasley of the US Nats and Rangers. He was once a highly regarded prospect but he enjoyed the nightlife a bit too much and focused on his game too little.

RWB Adria has been very consistent in recent years but while they have stood out in league play and earned their way to competitions such as the US Open Cup, they have not experienced success against high level opposition having fallen to the Carolina Railhawks 4-1 last year in the first round. I expect a battle as the Rhinos face a highly motivated club, but ultimately in front of a home crowd with a more talented roster, the Rhinos should dispatch of RWB and advance to the second round. Scoring early could make it a rout for the Rhinos, where if they struggle to score as they have in league play, they could certainly make life difficult on themselves.

What do you think of the draw? Expect a win here? Don't care as much about the US Open Cup as league play? Share your thoughts

Weekend Soccer: Can I get an Eh Men?

With a good deal of soccer action this weekend and a great deal of talk about the United States and their series of friendlies against top opponents, I'll highlight the discussing of this weekend's list of games by talking about our neighbors to the north. Canada, not to be outdone by a nation lacking a comparable health care program, will be playing a game at Qwest Field in Seattle tomorrow night at 10 PM EST. Their oppenent is Brazil, so they aren't exactly scheduling the easy wins themselves. I will be very interested to check in on this game as Canada will have many first choice players available including Julian de Guzman, Pat Onstad and DeRo. Hope you don't have Onstad and DeRo on your MLS fantasy team this weekend! Brazil will be considered the obvious favorites, but Canada has not so quietly creeped into the conversation when looking at CONCACAF's top teams. This will be a nice test for them. No word to this point on Brazil's travelling supporters.

Some other friendlies worth noting this weekend include:

Serbia at Germany

Georgia at Portugal

Paraguay at France

Peru at Spain

Wales at Holland

Denmark at Poland

Ukraine at Sweden

England at Trinidad and Tobago

Many teams will look to prepare for Euros while England seeks to improve their record the more to secure their fan base!

MLS action:

Saturday

3:30 PM EST: Guevara-less Toronto FC hosts Beckham/Donovan-less LA Galaxy.

8:30 PM EST: Houston will be without DeRo and Onstad as they host the Red Bulls who hope to bounce back from last week's embarrassment. Red Bull will still be without Dave van den Berg who is expecting the birth of his second child. This will be on MSG (the game, not the birth)

9:30 PM EST: Real Salt Lake hosts San Jose, and THIS is the game FSC choosed to show... excuse me while I make plans for after the Red Bulls game.

10:30 PM EST: Chivas hope to extend the Crew's recent struggles in the last game of the day.

Sunday:

3:00 PM EST: Colorado hosts Dallas, game will be shown on Telefutura, ¿Qué tan bueno es su español? Mine sucks...

6:00 PM EST: Get out to Paetec and watch the Rhinos take on the Timbers and enjoy the festivities that accompany the game as the concert series continues at Paetec. Check back later today for more on the Rhinos including their quest for the US Open Cup.

England Blanks US Men

From the moment the opening lineups were shown on television I couldn't help but think that the US starters I was most confident in would be laughed at if they showed up for a tryout on the English team. I love Clint Dempsey, I love Michael Bradley, but Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard they are not. I had to laugh when respective captains Carlos Bocanegra and John Terry shook hands. On one side you have the captain of a top 3 EPL team (Terry) and on the other you have a defender recently released by an EPL team barely avoiding relegation that currently is without a club (Bocanegra). The United States fell 2-0, and 2-0 was not a bad scoreline all things considered. Without Landon Donovan you never got the feeling we would score unless we managed a fluke goal or penalty. With Landon Donovan we still would have been outclassed but perhaps our attack would have looked better. My personal evaluation as a huge fan of US Soccer is that while we have come a long way and are now a much more respected opponent for the world powers, we are still not yet on the same level. To beat teams such as England, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Brazil or Argentina to name several, we likely have to defend superbly and kill off the game, hoping for a counter to score and take the win.

For those who did not see the game, the first goal was almost scripted as US import David Beckham's free kick found the head of John Terry (who one week ago missed a penalty that could have won the Champion's League) for the opener. In the second half a sublime sequence ended with a nice ball through to Steven Gerrard who made no mistake 1 on 1 against Brad Guzan.

My mental notes for the game:

1) Against elite attacks, a central defense pairing of Bocanegra and Onyewu appears too slow. One is excellent, but together they have similar strengths and weaknesses. I prefer something like Onyewu/Boca paired with Michael Parkhurst. Spector and Orozco make intriguing possibilities in the future as well.

2) We need more creative attacking players (like Donovan) in games. When Adu came on for the final 20 minutes we looked a bit better with the ball. No shock here, but our future lies with players like Donovan, Beasley, Adu, Altidore and eventually Charles Renken and Stefan Jerome.

3) Eddie Johnson is done. No more chances period. How many times must we suffer through watching him up top. He had one great game in a US uniform. He's had infinite pathetic showings since. What do managers see? Why on Earth did Fulham pay for this guy, and better, why do US coaches continue to place any faith in him? I thought he was better than usual today, and that still amounted to relatively boring.

Get Ready For Eddie Johnson...

Landon Donovan is being called questionable for this afternoon's contest due to a groin strain? What does this mean for the US? Well besides missing their most recognizable player, tactics will be changed drastically. This likely makes Eddie Johnson a starter up top (no, I don't mean to ruin ESPN Classic's ratings) and possibly and adjusted midfield as well. I now believe the US will play a more disruptive midfield and try to make it a low scoring battle. Perhaps Bradley will surprise me. 2-0 England as US fights well but after giving up a first goal eventually expose themselves for the second as they push for an equalizer. Hopefully I am wrong, but I put the odds of EJ scoring against John Terry and Rio Ferdinand at 350-1.

Where Will You Be Watching?

As the highly anticipated friendly between the United States and England nears, I ask the question where will everyone be watching? I have heard Monty's Korner will again have a bit of a gathering and the Distillery restaurants will also have the game on. For those of you unlucky that will be stuck in work and unable to take a late lunch, try espn360.com and hope your internet provider supports it. I get ESPN Classic at home, so I will either be watching here or joining a group if anyone has suggestions. Let's hear it, where is the best place to catch Wednesday afternoons' game?

US Faces England at Wembley

This week's big soccer event for Americans is without a doubt the friendly against England at the new Wembley Stadium. It kicks off the United States' difficult series of friendlies leading up to World Cup qualifying. The friendlies include stops in England, Spain and a home match at Giants Stadium against Argentina. Wednesday's match will be on ESPN Classic, scheduled for 2:50 PM EST. The reasons to watch are endless. The roster for the US is pretty close to as good as we can field. Tim Howard is available to mind the nets, Cherundolo, Bocanegra, Onyewu and Pearce are among the available defenders, the midfield features Freddy Adu, Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu and the return of Demarcus Beasley, and up top we can have Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan. The England roster features none other than US import David Beckham, whom one could expect to see action against the country he now calls home. England also boasts Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney. This should be an excellent game for a US squad against a world class opponent in a hostile environment. These are the sort of games that I think help build a group for the great challenges of World Cup play.

What are your thoughts about this game? Think the US has a chance? Where will you be watching this game on Wednesday?

The above photos present a dilemma as to who wins this showdown, but Heather Mitts settles it for us:

Red Bulls Deliver Real Stinker

After a fairly pathetic showing before a home crowd of just under 15,000, the Red Bulls walked off the field embarrassed by a 5-1 drubbing. In a game expected to be intense as ever with the bad blood between the two sides over coach Osorio leaving for New York and Chicago denying the Red Bulls the chance to sign Lider Marmol, the Red Bulls must have forgot that you are supposed to battle in a rivalry, not roll over. Chicago looked aggressive as ever while the Red Bulls looked confused throughout.

The game got off to a quick start when Blanco found Chad Barrett who muscled off Jeff Parke and slotted the ball home in the 7th minute. The first half continued without much excitement as the hosts never really threatened to score the equalizer with what amounted to a very defensive starting lineup.

No changes were made as the teams took the pitch for the final 45. Perhaps they should have been as Chicago scored right off the bat again, this time with a long ball finding Blanco streaking, yes that's right, Blanco streaking down the sideline in behind Kevin Goldthwaite. When Blanco beats you with pace you know defensive ineptitude was involved in the play. Blanco's ball to the far post found Chris Rolfe wide open with a red faced Hunter Freeman about 10 yards behind him. Rolfe finished easily, heading home on the empty half of the net. This second goal prompted changes as Altidore and Mike Magee appeared at the midline to check in. They soon got their chance to come into the game as Jon Conway was picking the ball out of his net for a third time. Andrew Boyens, who was apparently good enough to merit losing Eric Brunner, took down Justin Mapp in the box and Blanco converted the penalty. Boyens was shaky on more than one occasion, but that goes for pretty much every Red Bull that saw action. With a new look for the Red Bulls, it was Conway's turn to disappoint, as the defenders again forgot their purpose in life and left Chad Barett wide open again. Thankfully his header was weak and at Conway, unfortunately he dove and it went under his arm. A mere two minutes later a Blanco corner is banged off the post and falls to Gonzalo Segares who scores. We now stand at 5-0 in only the 62nd minute. Blanco's personal damage for fantasy buffs? 1 goal and 3 assists. In the 74th the Bulls would find some small consolation when Hunter Freeman's corner found Jozy Altidore for the only NY goal of the game. With a 5-1 setback at home of all things, Osorio needs to get back on the bench quickly and sort things out as the team gets ready to take on Houston.

Sunday Soccer

If you won't be outside, check out the US youth team face off against Italy's youth team in the Toulon youth tournament in France. The game will be shown on Fox Soccer Channel at noon EST. While the US side doesn't have top choice players and will be heavy underdogs, there are players worth watching such as Kamani Hill who looks to be a good bet to get the call to the Olympics. Italy has an impressive team and should be entertaining. Tune in and learn some of tomorrow's big names today.

The Red Bulls host the Chicago Fire at 3:00 EST today. Why watch this one? They HATE each other. Some pre-game notes:

Claudio Reyna is expected to be back in action and will likely be handed the task of keeping Blanco at bay.

Seth Stammler is not yet expected to return.

Juan Pablo Angel feels much healthier, that could be a dangerous statement!

Between some quick and tricky players like Mapp and Rolfe combined with Blancos antics, Chicago can be a tough team to keep off the board. My prediction is 2-1 Red Bulls hang on at home in a real battle. Catch the action at 3 on MSG. Sorry about the picture, was the best I could manage to cover US Soccer and the Red Bulls with one picture!

Rhinos Running Commentary

We are already 23 minutes into the action and I will post updates the rest of the way, but will not be doing as detailed of a running commentary as I will be back and forth. Feel free to share your own insight if you are following the game.

Final- Rhinos fight back with a late goal to earn a 1-1 draw on the road. They now stand at 0-4-3.

89th- GOAL RHINOS: Mauricio Salles scores off a feed from Kreamalmeyer. We're all tied up with only a few minutes remaining.

85th- Sorry for no posts, just waiting for something to happen. Attendance is announced at 4,510... maybe if the Rhinos don't score they can get this result thrown out because no one was there to witness the correct game score.

62nd- Salles with a rip but sends it just wide, and the score remains 1-0 despite more pressure from the Rhinos.

52nd- Rhinos Substitution: Hamed Diallo on for Ze Roberto. Let's see if this boosts the attack a bit.

50th- And we're back, slow start to the second half so far. Ze Roberto plays through to Salles but the defender clears first.

Halftime- Rhinos remain a goal down but have room to make some offensive minded substitutions if they can't find a goal early in the second half. Look for changes by the 65th if the Rhinos still struggle finding the net. I say still... hey the goals gotta come sometime right?

40th- Not much going on at the moment, apparently the women's team us on top 2-0 at the halftime break in their opener.

37th- Yellow card to Mauricio Salles for persistant infringement.

32th- Rhinos have been dealing with some pressure but not giving up any clear looks. They'll have a goal kick to try to build some possession. On a side note the Railhawks roster features Jamil Walker, formerly of DC United and a native of Rochester.

27th- Railhawks with some dangerous play but the post saves the Rhinos from a 2-0 deficit.

24th- Palguta is not active today. The Rhinos trail 1-0 early. The goal came in the 14th minute. The Railhawks an an interesting story for Rhino fans as their coach is Scott Schweitzer and their GM is Economides.

Soccer Saturday

Both the Rochester Rhinos and New York Red Bulls will be in action this weekend. The Red Bulls host the Chicago Fire in what figures to be a somewhat more intense rivalry than in the past. The match will be on MSG at 3 PM EST on Sunday. I will post pre-game notes later today. The Rhinos travel to Cary, NC to face the Carolina Railhawks at WakeMed Soccer Park. If you haven't seen the park yet and you paid for the usllive pass or have time to look it up on google, it is a beautiful soccer park, if we had a similar venue in Rochester you'd be punching me in the face in the ticket line about now.

At WakeMed, expect an energized effort from the Rhinos. After a well needed week off from action the team has had an opportunity to recover from some of the early season knocks they have taken. With what should be a top choice line-up with a full week to prepare and get the midfielders and forwards to link up with quality, I expect to see a more entertaining performance. It may be an away game and the Rhinos may be considered underdogs, but with a new coach it takes time to implement a system of attacking soccer. I have a feeling much of the early season has been spent on fitness, and this past week should have provided time to address some of the issues that have haunted the club early on. Don't be surprised to see the Rhinos walk out with a point on the road or even their first win tonight. My prediction? 1-1 draw, goal by Kreamalmeyer.

MLS action on Saturday:

New England at Colombus, 7:30 EST, on Fox Soccer Channel, should be worth the watch

Toronto FC at DC Scum (United), 7:30 EST, the immediate rematch after Toronto's home win

Real Salt Lake at FC Dallas, 8:30 EST, how will Dallas fare without Morrow?

Chivas USA at Colorado, 9:30 EST, will Mastroeni be shown a card? Odds 2-1

KC Wizards at LA Galaxy, 10:30 EST, can Claudio Lopez steal the show from Goldenballs, or will Edson Buddle flex his muscles yet again?

My scorelines, Colombus 3, New England 1
Toronto 2, DC 2
Real Salt Lake 1, FC Dallas 2
Chivas 2, Colorado 2
KC Wizards 1, LA Galaxy 2
DO NOT USE THESE TO BET, THEY WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY NOT BE THE TRUE RESULTS!!!




What are your predictions?

New 'Quakes Beat Old 'Quakes

Umm, did I say Houston looked to be on the rise? On the national stage tonight Houston looked a bit short of impressive, falling to expansion San Jose tonight 2-1. Kei Kamara opened the scoring in the 67th, and Ivan Guerrero all but sealed it with the 2nd in the 81st minute. Houston pressure late as Ching netted the consolation goal in the 88th minute, and they knocked on the door through four minutes of stoppage, but road points were not meant to be. Will someone please tell me what I should expect from this Houston club? They start the season miserably, then put together some solid wins showing why they are the champs, then suddenly drop one to the expansion cellar-dwellers. Do we give them a pass being on the road? Did they look past San Jose? I would think the motivation should have been there considering Houston's franchise was previously in San Jose, so it's almost an instant rivalry. On the bright side it may be a rivalry set to build as Ching took out Cochrane at the final whistle drawing some jawing between the two clubs.

In world soccer action today, Rangers dropped their away match against Aberdeen 2-0, while Celtic took care of business on the road at Dundee. What a disappointing end to a campaign for Rangers, losing the UEFA Cup final and blowing the league title.

It was not a good day for Europe in the youth tournament in France. Japan knocked off the hosts 2-1 while Chile defeated the Netherlands 2-0. The United States (albeit somewhat makeshift) team takes on Ivory Coast at 12:30 EST tomorrow afternoon, live on Fox Soccer Channel.

Thursday Night MLS!

Now for my weekly Thursday night MLS advertisement. Don't forget to check out the new San Jose Earthquakes take on the old San Jose Earthquakes (now the Houston Dynamo) at 10:30 on ESPN 2. Houston certainly looks revived lately and I like them to take this one on the road. Check out Ching and DeRo and hope for something magical!

In last night's MLS action, Dichio scored early for Toronto and the held on at home 1-0, sending DC United even further into the Eastern cellar, and leaving them a mere two points ahead of expansion San Jose who holds the worst record in the league. Expect changes in DC sooner rather than later.

Manchester United are the Kings of Football

And the man pictured is the king of something, perhaps his title is simply "the borderline creepy fan". With a day to reflect on yesterday's showdown between the English giants, I must say it was an incredible match for a true soccer fan. My early reaction was to think it was a shame for it to end in penalties, but such a finish admittedly added to the drama, and the extra 30 minutes of that battle were an extra treat.

Ronaldo opened the scoring off a beautiful sequence beginning with a nice combination on the wing leading to a cross to the back post where Ronaldo was waiting to head in home with accuracy. I thought this goal was great validation for him as he has been accused of disappearing on the biggest stages. The game continued to be hard fought with neither side willing to give an inch. Plenty of fouls ensued, and Ronaldo often did not get the benefit of the doubt, the ref appeared to have preconceived notions that Ronaldo might be a diver. Chelsea struck back in the second half when a ball in struck the back of Rio Ferdinand who lost site of the ball that fell perfectly for Frank Lampard to slot past a helpless van der Saar. The match played out scoreless through 90 as the game became increasingly physical. It was clear the extra time would be a dog fight for the trophy.

With Chelsea piling pressure Manchester United looked as though they may concede. The goal frame proved to be a dear friend for the Manchester supporters when Drogba was foiled. The moment in extra time that will be most widely discussed, however, is the altercation late in the second 15 minutes. Vidic and Drogba were both hot, but it was Drogba who served up the weakest slap in the history of the world. For raising his hand and initiating contact with a players face intentionally and in a violent manner, he had to be sent off. John Terry perhaps foolishly held Vidic back and likely preventing retaliation that would have brought Manchester United to 10 men as well. No goal resulted in the final minutes of extra time, but Chelsea lost a penalty taker with Drogba going off. Substitutions were made and both teams prepared for the dreaded penalty shootout.

Both teams found the net early, when who else but Ronaldo should step up for the 3rd United penalty. He stuck with his hesitation step and Cech smiled back, not going for it. This is why I hate the hesitation, if the keeper doesn't go for it the kicker is the one thrown off. Ronaldo hit a miserable penalty that was saved by Cech, and his earlier glory was all but gone. With the remaining penalties finding the net, it came down the the captain, John Terry, to seal the deal for Chelsea. It was not to be, as van der Saar made a great save to keep United alive. Finally, van der Saar ended the drama with a save on Anelka to begin the celebrations for the Red Devils.

What did you think of the game? Happy to see Scholes get his chance? Sick of seeing the same few teams always monopolizing titles? Share your thoughts

Wednesday's Soccer

For those of you who have not noticed (this included me until 45 minutes ago), FSC is broadcasting the youth tournament in France this week. The United States with a somewhat makeshift squad just fell 3-2 to Turkey. The Turkey squad looked pretty good. Goals for the US were scored by Sammy Ochoa and Eric Brunner, Brunner being the defender that recently turned down the pittance offered by the Red Bulls in favor of a contract with Miami of the USL.

Currently airing on FSC (which you can access for online viewing by going to the live tab, then FSC, at playbeautifully.com) is the Italian youth squad taking on Ivory Coast's youth squad.

Ives Galarcep reports that Arsenal are set to sign Samir Nasri, the promising young talent currently with Marseille. With Hleb potentially on the move, Nasri could step right in and fill a position of need immediately for Arsenal.

If you need a place to stop in for a late lunch break from work this afternoon to catch the Chelsea-Manchester United game, a crowd will be gathering at Monty's Korner in Rochester for the action (Thanks Mark!)

Post your game predictions and in game thoughts here.
If you aren't lucky enough to find yourself in front of a tv, make espn360.com your best friend assuming your internet provider supports it. If you have RoadRunner go there anyhow and send the form they provide to Time Warner telling them to add espn360!

Tuesday Afternoon Thoughts

A quick thought from Sunday's MLS action I failed to address until now. Raise your hand if you thought the only players on the LA Galaxy that could do anything were David Beckham and Landon Donovan (with the occasional fluke by Alan Gordon). Now who happened to catch Sunday's match against FC Dallas? 5-2 in favor of LA, with the difference being provided by, that's right, Edson Buddle. For anyone wondering, this is not the first hatty of his career, previously striking three times in the same place against RSL as a Red Bull.

And how about Dallas? After a promising beginning they have really faltered. I like big Kenny Cooper and am glad to see him in the US player pool for the upcoming friendlies. I also am a fan of Alvarez. My biggest question has to be how healthy Toja is. He is always a good player but I just feel like his impact on the game is down. The Hoops need him to be big, and also wouldn't mind seeing DC United and San Jose on the schedule a few more times. UPDATE: FC DALLAS COACH STEVE MORROW HAS BEEN FIRED!!!

Speaking of the upcoming friendlies for the US team, Argentina has revealed their roster to be used against the United States. Riquelme and Tevez were conspicuously missing after finishing long seasons, but Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano, Gabriel Heinze, and Julio Cruz will be players to watch, but then again who isn't for Argentina?! I have my fears about dealing with Messi since players like Dos Santos and Guardado for Mexico have caused problems for the US.

Lastly, with tomorrow's big Champions League Final looming, where will you be watching the match? Will you be following a gametracker at work (I will find and post later a link to watch the game live online)? Watching at home? Sneaking out to a sports bar? If so, where will be the best places to catch the match with fellow fans?

Two Day Warning!

Alright, it's officially Monday, 2 days from the Champions League Final between Chelsea and Manchester United. This is your advance heads up, if you work beyond 3 PM EST, start making a good show of a cough every now and then at work today and Tuesday. You're going to want to catch this one live if possible, but if not record it or make espn360.com your new best friend at work and don't forget the alt-tab when a boss comes around. I won't even go into details on why you should watch this match. It is the greatest title a club team can hold, and better yet it features two heated rivals from England. If you don't know some of the featured players I suggest you watch instead of reading my player profiles. Each team boasts world class stars, but they play somewhat different styles. Manchester United tends to play a more open, attacking style. Chelsea has very impressive firepower, but tends to be more reserved and if they can score first they often try to kill the game to sit on a 1-0 lead. I think the game will greatly depend on the first half. If a goal is scored early look for a more wide open match. Who do you like Wednesday? I like Manchester United as I fancy them the better side and also prefer watching them to Chelsea. I'm going to go 2-0 to Manchester United, so that is unlikely to be the final score! Coverage on ESPN 2 starts at 2:00 PM EST with kickoff scheduled for 2:45. I will not be doing a running commentary as I have a meeting that will take me past kickoff, but I will record the game and join live around halftime. I will post a game summary afterwards. Please share your predictions for the matchup.

Inter Milan Win Title

With a 2-0 win on a brace from Zlatan Ibrahimovic Inter Milan assured themselves the Serie A title Sunday morning. The result itself proved less important when Roma failed to hold off a late charge from Catania and in the 85th minute was forced to settle with a 1-1 draw in their match. Share your thoughts on Sunday's action.

Rhinos Fall in Home Opener, Continue Sleepy Start

In the highly anticipated home opener at Paetec Park tonight the Rhinos struggled with similar issues that plagued them on the road. The final connection between the playmakers and the forwards went a bit lacking as the team again failed to find the back of the net. Their best chance came off an athletic attempt my Mauricio Salles that seemed destined for the top corner, but the keeper was there to watch as the ball just missed. The only goal of the game came when a Battery forward flicked the ball over the backline to an onrushing Randi Patterson who popped the ball over Scott Vallow who had come off his line.

When all the extra curricular activities of the night were over with, it was hard to get three things off my mind.

1) A more attacking style is needed as we suffer through another scoreless effort from our home club who now stand at 0-4-2 with an anemic 1 goal scored, an average of .166 goals per game.

2) A little disappointing in the attendance department, whoever questions about weather, local youth soccer tournaments and a slow start for the Rhinos are all contributing factors. The official attendance was announced at 7, 132. One thing that is clear is Clark is going the extra mile to have happy fans and earn our support. Give this group some time, with new management, new coaching staff, new players and an uncertain off-season it shouldn't come as a total shock that the team is off to a rough start.

3) Bo Bice may sing better than I do, but I have a better haircut.

Did you attend the game tonight? Share your thoughts below.

This Weekend's Soccer on TV

Saturday:

7:30 PM EST- KC Wizards at NY Red Bulls, MSG
Why would I watch? Juan Pablo Angel, Jozy Altidore, Claudio Lopez.

10:30 PM EST- DC United at Chivas, FSC
Why would I watch? Galindo and Emilio, Kljestan and Gallardo.

Sunday:

9:00 AM EST- Inter Milan at Parma, FSC
Why would I watch? Inter can claim the Scudetto in this match!

11:00 AM EST- Roma at Catania, FSC
Why would I watch? Well if Inter can't seal the deal Roma has their shot here.

1:00 PM EST- Udinese at AC Milan, FSC
Why would I watch? Kaka!

3:00 PM EST- LA Galaxy at FC Dallas, Telefutura
Why would I watch? Spanish commentary, BeckhamMania, Landycakes, FrankenCooper, Toja, the list goes on.

Enjoy your soccer weekend and join me at the Rhinos game Saturday night, 7:35 kickoff. Postgame thoughts on the Rhinos and Red Bulls games will come later. Which games are you most looking forward to?

Let's Talk About 'Cesc Baby!

Just to give a share of the world football spotlight to a man who deserves it, here is a small piece on Cesc Fabregas of Arsenal. He is a Spanish international and while the likes of Ronaldhino and Cristiano Ronaldo get the main attention of the casual fans in America, for a young soccer player Fabregas may be the best to watch and learn from. He plays with great class, exhibiting masterful vision, sublime ball control and pinpoint passing. He gets his stats and is highly praised elsewhere, but I'm not sure enough Americans realize how special of a player he is. Were I an MLS owner right now and there were no restrictions on one player I could bring in, he would easily be on my top 5. You'll get a chance to see him play against our own boys when the United States take on Spain in Santander on June 4th. If you haven't seen him play take a look at the video. Still think you can hang?

MLS on ESPN2

The Colorado Rapids host Real Salt Lake tonight at 9:30 EST on ESPN2. Again, if you like seeing soccer on ESPN, watch it at least for awhile! Show them that people do watch soccer in America! Both teams are vastly improved this year so it should be a decent watch anyhow. Predictions? I like Colorado to win at home. Share your thoughts on the match.

League Titles So Far...

EPL- Manchester United
La Liga- Real Madrid
Bundesliga- Bayern Munich
Bwin Liga (Portugal)- FC Porto
Greek Super League- Olympiacos
Belgian Jupiler League- Standard Liege
Austrian Bundesliga- Rapid Vienna
Swiss Super League- FC Basle


In Scotland, Celtic sit in prime position to claim the title.

In Italy Inter Milan can seal the Scudetto with a win.

In France Lyon sits 2 points up with fate in their own hands.

Rhinos' Running Commentary

Alright folks, sorry for starting at halftime, home late due to unforseen circumstances. We are sitting even at 0-0 through the first 45, but the Rhinos looked good in the waning moments of the second half. According to the commentator (as I wouldn't know) the Rhinos managed 5 shots on frame in the first half which is a season high for a half, and encouraging for being away from home. The commentator says he thinks we'll see some goals tonight, it might be the night for the big Rhinos goal... well buddy, I wish you better luck than when I made a similar halftime prediction! On to the second half


Final: Rhinos earn a point on the road, but perhaps even more importantly have gotten their first goal of the season. This will be important for them heading back home as they will look to build off of this performance. They will be happy with the 1-1 draw and now, finally, it will be home sweet home.


Late stoppage- Vallow with a big save, corner Seattle. Cleared by Atiba Charles.

90th- Ok, I won't be out any tickets... NOBODY picked Palguta to score first. Palguta's was a side volley under the bar resulting from a corner kick.

90th- GOLAZO!!! GOAL RHINOS!!! Scott Palguta is the man.

87th- Some attacking pressure from the Rhinos but it will be a goal kick. Just heard the Rhinos have 5 shots this half, but none of the 5 were anything to write home about.

85th- Make it Fiztpatrick off for Delicate. Fitzpatrick's work rate seemed good in the second half (I missed the first), and this is a good, attacking minded substitution.

85th- Delicate is now on, for who I do not know as the commentators didn't feel like mentioning anything about a substitution until Delicate was running around on the field.

84th- No trouble on the corner but time is against Rochester at this point.

83rd- Yellow card to Salles, seemed to be a bit of a foul both ways, iffy on the yellow. Rhinos have a man advantage at the moment as a Sounder is being treated off the field. That said... Sounders corner kick coming up.

79th- Substitution Seattle: A midfielder comes off for a defender as it looks like Seattle will pack it in and play for a 1-0 win.

79th- Menyongar with a nice shot, saved out for a Rhinos corner. Nothing from the corner.

78th- You had to feel all these corners would lead to trouble. The Rhinos have to pressure higher to force the mistake and get a chance for a game tying goal to salvage a road point tonight.

76th- GOAL Sounders: Headed home upper corner off the second corner. Gardner gets the assist on the goal by Scott.

76th- Another Sounders corner coming. Palguta deals but it's knocked out again for a corner.

75th- Menyongar scores three points in American football at he sends it well over.

73rd- Series if Seattle corners, Rhinos must withstand this pressure. Vallow punches clear.

68th- Rhinos Substitution: Craft off, John Ball on. Craft too a bit of a knock and had shoulder trouble, but seems minor.

65th- Not sure if I am happy or dismayed to report I didn't miss much of anything.

60th- The Rhinos will almost certainly score their first of the year within the next 4-5 minutes as I must step out for a few, I'll update on the action shortly.

58th- With Seattle set to join the MLS as the new expansion team, the crowd will have to do some brainstorming to come up with something better than tonight's "Vallow, Vallow... you suck!" that frequents high school sporting events.

57th- Kante is the Sounders #10 shirt, and happens to be from the same area Hamed Diallo is, but plied his trade in Romania rather than France before joining the A-League.

55th- Substitution Sounders, Kante in, O'Brien out.

52nd- Might as well pass on that the box office is open from 10

50th- Goal- Rhinos... just kidding, I bold the line if it really is anything important. Just really wishing I could finally post some good news on here!

48th- Nice save from Vallow to snuff out a chance.

46th- Second half is underway

Oh, For (Zenit St.) Pete's Sake!

The Russian club hoists the UEFA Cup, only the second time a side from Russia has had the honor. In a good game featuring more attacking action from both clubs in the second half, Zenit manufactured a pair of nice goals including one in the closing moments to finish on top. The ringing sound is Chelsea calling Arshavin as the richest clubs attempt to rob Zenit of it's strongest players in the summer transfer window.

UEFA Final This Afternoon

If you work anywhere other than a school, start working up a cough to leave work early today. The UEFA cup final will be televised live on FSC today starting at 2:30 EST (2:45 kickoff). It makes for a more interesting UEFA final than is often the case, as with Rangers of Scotland and Zenit St Petersburg of Russia, we have two sides where winning the UEFA cup would mean a great deal to them as opposed to world soccer super powers that take it only as a consolation prize. Both teams have had impressive runs to reach the final, but with very different approaches. Rangers have rarely found the back of the net, but have allowed even fewer goals, relying on tight defending and strong goalkeeping, advancing often on the away goal rule and triumphing over Fiorentina in the semis on penalties after a pair of scoreless draws. Zenit on the other hand has shown a powerful offense, most recently shocking European giant Bayern Munich in the semis by a score of 5-1 aggregate (4-0 at home). The final will be played on neutral ground in Manchester, England, and Zenit is listed as the favorites, but will be without their leading goalscorer due to suspension. Who do you think will win, the defensive minded Rangers squad or the high flying team from Russia?

In other news, Manchester United wrapped up the EPL title with their win over the weekend and now all eyes will be on the Manchester United vs Chelsea Champion's League final. With the final week approaching in Spain's La Liga, Real Madrid has sealed the title while Villareal has locked up 2nd. The real point of interest this weekend will be the battle for 3rd and 4th, with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid sitting on 64 points a piece. In Italy one last week also remains, and Inter Milan sits 1 point ahead of Roma in the fight for the Scudetto. Here in Rochester, we will be turning our attention back to the Rhinos tonight as they face their final road test before returning home for this weekend's home opener. They face the Sounders at 10:00 PM and I will attempt to do a running commentary if anyone will be following along.

Comment on the UEFA final or give your thoughts on the Rhinos.

How Badly Do You Want To Be A Footballer?

Saturday Night Lights...

In Saturday's action there were a few interesting points to express. The games I caught were the Dynamo vs Rapids match (sorry for not starting the first 30 minutes of running commentary for the Rhinos but this was a good game!) and the Galaxy vs Red Bulls match.

The first match featured... Who? Dynamo!!! Who? Dynamo!!! Not to go all Mike Jones on ya, but it might be time we start talking about the club from Houston. There were some exciting moments tonight as they took a lead on a strange Brian Ching goal when Bouna Condoul missed a ball he ran out for. Colorado equalised, but in the 87th the game was won on a goal by the recently much maligned DeRo who netted the game winner, much to the relief of sad my fantasy team.

The next game I watched was the Red Carpet event between the Red Bulls and the LA Galaxy. Early on it appeared we may be in for some "Sexy Futbol" (good Lord Alexi) but the New York squad struck first as Jozy Altidore turned and fired on goal and the rebound was placed into the net by Danleigh Borman for his first MLS goal. Following the goal we saw Beckham falling down and whining for calls on more than one occasion. As the Red Bulls seemed content to bunker down, MLS All-Star candidate (this is a joke!) Alan Gordon turned and fired home to tie the score. While LA was celebrating Beckham for a goal that had nothing to do with him, Juan Pablo Angel received a nice ball from Dane Richards and touched it around LA's young keeper, Steve Cronin, scoring easily. NY defended comfortably the rest of the match and earned a solid 2-1 win on the road without regulars Claudio Reyna and Seth Stammler.

As for our Rhinos, I'm afraid I don't have great news...
The Rhinos suffered their third loss in four attempts on the road, falling 1-0 in Vancouver Saturday night. This quite sadly extends the scoreless streak to four straight to begin the season. With the home opener approaching I can't help but feel the team desperately needs the return home. I will now officially begin a contest, when will the Rhinos first score a goal and who will score it? Which game will become a poll, if you post a comment for who scores and in what game, the first person to post the correct player and game will win two free Rhino tickets for a home game later this year!

This Weekend's Soccer Schedule

Saturday:
(All time EST)
8:30 PM- MLS: Colorado at Houston on FSC
10:30 PM- MLS: NYRB at LA Galaxy on MSG
10:00 PM- USL: Rochester Rhinos at Vancouver Whitecaps (local radio 107.3)

Sunday:
10:00 AM- EPL: Bolton at Chelsea on FSC
12:00 PM- EPL: Liverpool at Tottenham on FSC
2:00 PM- EPL: Newcastle at Everton on FSC
3:00 PM- MLS: New England at Chivas on Telefutura
5:00 PM- Serie A: Siena at Inter Milan on FSC
7:00 PM- Serie A: Atalanta at Roma on FSC


Why to watch? Watch the Dynamo to see if they can pull themselves together sense there is no soccer alternative at the time. Watch the Red Bulls at Galaxy for Beckham and Angel, Donovan and Altidore. Watch Bolton at Chelsea as Chelsea tries to make one last gasp effort in the EPL. Watch Newcastle at Everton as Everton tries to hold on to a spot in Europe.

I will begin a running commentary for the first 30 minutes of the Rhinos for those who would like to follow along. It will give you a place to post as the game moves on, but at 10:30 I will be watching the Red Bulls/Gals game. I will post reports on both the Rhinos and Red Bull games afterwards. Predictions for any of this weekend's games? Will Manchester United hang on? Will the MLS goal of the week be produced in the Red Bulls/Galaxy game? Better yet will the Rhinos score a goal? My pick for the week is a 1-0 win for the Rhinos based only on the trend that they have improved the scoreline by a goal each game, falling 2-0, 1-0 then drawing at 0-0. Post your predictions of laugh at mine if the Rhinos fail to get on the board again.

Rhinos Running Commentary

Welcome to those of you joining in for the running commentary. The game is about to get underway in Portland. If you want to listen in you can catch the game on 107.3 in the Rochester area or click the link to the station on the rhinossoccer.com website. Let's hope we're in for some quality action tonight, and perhaps the Rhinos first win, but hey I'll live with a tie! I'll do my best to update major events and general opinions of play throughout the game. Comment on your thoughts on tonight's match.

Final: Rhinos earn their first point of the season with a 0-0 draw in Portland. They started strong but faded in the second half. Rochester has now failed to score in 3 straight games to open the season, but on the bright side ticket lines may not be as long for home games! Kidding folks, a point on the road is a positive result, I won't list excuses but the Rhinos need time to build and gain some confidence at home before we can fairly judge them. Postgame reflection will come tomorrow evening.

89th- Substitution: John Ball in for Bonseu. I thought this was an aggressive move, but he seems to be holding in a right back spot. Can't say it makes for encouraging viewing.

88th- Substitution Portland: Former Rhino Bagley is on for Brown.

83rd- At this point the Rhinos will do well to hold on for a draw.

81st- Palguta draws a yellow card.

81st- Portland has outshot the Rhinos 10-4 as the Rhinos haven't generated much this half. That said not too many of those 10 shots were particularly worrysome.

77th- Substitution: Delicate is on for Salles! Vallow with a save following the substitution. And another miss for the Timbers. Crowd is announced at under 8,000.

73rd- The Rhinos offense has looked stagnant in the 2nd half and has not yet managed a shot in the half. Kreamalmeyer taken down in the box but no call, looked as though he was pulled on. How long until Tilley makes a change? On a side note, looks as though my formatting has gone down the tubes again, I'll have to look into this problem for the future, not as easy of a read when my updates all run together.

70th- Portland makes the first substition, Little is on for Portland and I regret that I am not in Portland to hear the Scottish accent.

68th- Salles with a chance with the head but the keeper collects.

64th- Back and forth play again with some buildups that have been dealt with without incident on either side of the field.

57th- Yellow to Fitzpatrict who took it upon himself to respond to the foul on Kreamalmeyer. After seeing a replay of Suzuki's foul it was certainly reckless and I can see why the Rhinos were hoping for a send off.

56th- Suzuki with a yellow for taking down Kreamalmeyer, the Rhinos are irate asking for more than a yellow. I think more than a yellow would have been a bit harsh in fairness.

55th- Timbers free kick near the corner, inswinger is hit in around the 2 man wall but headed away by Fiztpatrick. Possession still with Portland.

53rd- Salles is being paid a visit by the trainer as it appears he has a problem. Rhinos freekick from 35 yards, was a foul against Kreamalmeyer, not Salles, who appears to be fine much to the displeasure of the Portland crowd after he spent some time on the ground.

50th- Dangerous free kick for Rhinos, not really shooting angle though. Comes through outside the 6 yard box but goes out harmlessly off Palguta.

47th- No changes at halftime, although if the Rhinos don't get on the board you can expect to see Delicate come on around the 70th minute unless his injuries are more serious than they let on.

Halftime- Through the first 45 the Rhinos must be relatively happy with what they've been able to do. They've opened the field up with some nice passing sequences and I expect they will continue to get chances in the second half. Now it is time to take advantage of some of the chances. They've been superior as the visitors tonight, and while a point on the road is typically considered a good result I think anything less than the full three points will leave some thinking "what if" on the bus ride up to Vancouver. I like their chances, but you have to seal the deal, how many times have we seen a team look superior but fail to capitalize, then the other team gets one goal against the run of play and steals the three points? What do you think of the first half? Hoping Delicate comes on for the second half?

45th- Diallo with a nice run with the ball, but his shot goes the wrong side of the post. Some nice pressure again but as of this point no tangible results.

44th- Salles with a strong left foot wide of the goal.

40th- After taking a cheap shot at Suzuki as I hadn't heard of him, it was just explained that he spent time in the Japanese J-League as well as Brazil before coming to the USL. Rhinos corner coming up. Not much comes of it, Menyongar taken down shortly afterwards and the ref ignores it.

35th- Still no scoring, although this has the feel of a game where a goal for either side could really open up play. If the Rhinos can get one, they might well be able to get two, but they must find a way to break through. It is dangerous letting a home side hang around and build confidence, the Rhinos must take advantage of their strong play.

33rd- Ze Roberto has been active so far tonight.

30th- Is it just me or would anyone else prefer the commentator to bite the bullet and say Fitzpatrick so I don't have to hear him say "good pass Tiger, way to go Tiger".

28th- Rhinos corner, Kreamalmeyer to Bonseu's left foot, which does not produce magic in this instance.

27th- Dangerous situation for the Rhinos but the escape as the ball is headed wide of Vallow's net. Juan Pablo Reyes is warming up, but difficult to say if a move would be made this early. Perhaps Salles took more of a knock than it appeared earlier.

26th- Folks, as they discuss ticket sales for Rhino home games this year it might be a good time to mention I will do my best to get discounts for readers when possible, and will occasionally do contents on here for ticket giveaways or other prizes.

24th- The Rhinos have had a little less of the play than earlier, they still are playing at least evenly, but the momentum seems to have slowed. Salles involved in a collision but both he and the Timbers' defender seem ok.

20th- A little about Portland's team. Chris Brown may "Run It" up top for Portland, but it isn't the singer Chris Brown. He leads the league so far in shots, and those of you who really pay attention to your soccer in America, he was with Real Salt Lake last year in the MLS. He is partnered up top with Takayuki Suzuki. No, I don't know anything about him, just felt a resolute need to type his name.

18th- Rhinos have been off to a great start tonight. They've comfortably played the ball back to maintain possession, and managed a solid amount of pressure, we're just waiting on the breakthrough. Just a feeling I get, but I think the Rhinos will get into the win column tonight, although my original prediction of 2-1 Rhinos doesn't look as appropriate with the lack of attacking pressure for Portland.

14th- Kreamalmeyer with a cross but Portland deals easily and clears.

11th- Some nifty passing in the final third from the Rhinos. Diallo is taken down just outside the box and the Rhinos will have a dangerous freekick about 20 yards out from straight on. It looks like Salles, he hits it straight to the keeper.

9th- Diallo suffers an apparent foul in the penalty area but the ref seems unimpressed.

8th- Salles with a right-footed blast just off frame. Rhinos seem to be settling in and gaining more possession. The back line has dealt comfortably with the rare early buildup for Portland.

5th- Rhinos freekick around midfield, some back and forth action early on and a few fouls, but nothing major to take note of.

1st- We're underway in Portland.


Pre-game: Starting for the Rhinos: Scott Vallow, Scott Palguta, Atiba Charles, Nate Craft, Tenywa Bonseu, Luke Kreamalmeyer, Tiger Fitzpatrick, Johnny Menyongar, Ze Roberto, Mauricio Salles, and Hamed Diallo. Matthew Delicate is nursing some knocks and will be available off the bench.

MLS on ESPN

Don't forget, at 7:30 tonight the Chicago Fire take on DC United on ESPN. Watch Luciano Emilio and Marcelo Gallardo (game time decision- groin) battle it out with Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Justin Mapp and Chris Rolfe. If nothing else, tune in if you don't have anything to do and give ESPN their soccer ratings. I usually check out the Thursday night MLS game regardless of my overall interest level because if we want improved soccer coverage in the United States we have to show by numbers that their efforts will pay off and there are enough soccer fans here. Yes, this is a bit of a shameless advertisement, but I don't work for ESPN! Every once in awhile if you are pleased to see a game being televised, log onto ESPN.com and send a comment saying so. Same idea if you are unhappy about a game not being televised. But if no one tunes into games, don't expect expanded coverage anytime soon. Just something to think about.

Rhinos Look to Grab Road Points in Portland

Coming off a game where the Rhinos might feel unlucky not to come away with a point, they will be very fired up for Thursday night's showdown in Portland. This is a talented Rhinos team that knows they should not wind up 0-3 to start the season, and I think you'll see a more aggressive approach to Thursday night's game. The first choice players should be available and with a strengthened midfield it is only a matter of time before the forwards get on the same page with the midfielders and start producing results. My bold prediction, 2-1 Rhinos steal the 3 points on the road. Look for Diallo to find himself on the score sheet after the penalty miss last outing. Join me here before kickoff (10:00 PM EST) to join in on the running commentary.

Real Madrid- Barcelona Running Commentary

Watch online and follow along here to offer your thoughts on the action. Remember, alt+tab to bring your spreadsheet back up if you hear the boss coming!

Halftime: With a 2-0 home lead and showing no major signs of faltering I think Real Madrid should be able to hold onto this one. I apologize for the format change, suddenly the spaces between events I post disappear when I update the page so it all runs together. Nothing like technical difficulties! I will be unable to update during the 2nd half, I have to go play for my own team, but feel free to discuss the action.

45th- Krkic earns a free kick for kicking the field instead of the ball and falling down... Marquez wastes in and we're at halftime with Barcelona still trailing 2-0.

43rd- Raul is just late to Ramos' cross to the back post.

42nd- Yellow card to Sneijder as he gets his revenge on Marquez with a nasty challenge of his own.

41st- Wow, Robben volleys just high after the ball is juggled over Barcelona defenders and bounces to him for the half volley, that would have been some goal!

39th- Yellow card to every American's favorite defender, Rafa Marquez. He was booked for a dangerous tackle on Sneijder.

34th- Some nice defending to break up some solid attacking play both ways recently. Raul with a nice turn in the box and earns a corner.

27th- Henry's strike goes just wide.

26th- Barcelona will have a good look with a free kick coming from about 25 yards, straight on. Look like it may be Thierry Henry.

23rd- Lionel Messi with a rather hopeful shot on goal off a free kick from about 30 yards and near the sideline. Barcelona looks like a team in trouble, and I would have to say down 2-0 as the away side they are in trouble. Will their considerable offensive talents get them back in the game? As I type, decent build-up but Krkic sends his shot high and wide.

20th- GOAL: The ball is chipped into the penalty area and Arjen Robben gets to it with a strong header, 2-0 Real Madrid

20th- Real Madrid will have yet another free kick, this one from a lesser angle around 22 yards out.

18th- Hit off the wall and out of play, corner coming for Real Madrid. A long range volley is spilled by Valdes but he manages to control it just before Raul can pounce.

17th- Dangerous free kick here for Real Madrid from about 20 yards

13th- GOAL: Raul slot one home for Real Madrid
After a nice buildup from Real Madrid the ball is touched over to Raul who slaps it inside the post with his left foot, beyond the reach of Victor Valdes.

11th- It must be said Barcelona has enjoyed a fair amount of possession early on and has just put together a nice sequence, but the the cross was lacking.

6th- Barcelona escapes a dangerous situation as Victor Valdes holds the ball at his feet too long in goal and is forced to dribble through a pair of Real Madrid attackers before playing the ball away rather precariously, but Barcelona possesses.

2nd- We're underway, both teams should be motivated here, Barcelona to save face on a disappointing season and earn a big road win against their rivals, and Real Madrid to improve on an exceptional home record and place an exclamation on their dominance. Conspicuously missing from the Barcalona lineup are Deco and Eto'o due to suspension and Iniesta and Milito are unavailable due to injury.

Watch Barcelona vs Real Madrid LIVE!!!

Those of you who have visited my blog already may notice an addition to my lineup of links. I have added "Play Beautifully" to my recommended soccer sites and would encourage you to check them out from time to time, they are a site for any soccer purist, devoted to the best parts of soccer. As I post this they are running a live feed of the Bayern Munich match, and at 4:00 Eastern this afternoon they will be airing the Barcelona/Real Madrid matchup live as well. If you get a chance, I highly recommend checking out two of the more entertaining clubs on the Earth do battle. If you still haven't seen Lionel Messi he is reason enough alone to watch Barcelona, and he will be in the United States this summer with both Barcelona as well as the Argentinian national squad so you'll have your chance to see him in person. To watch the match go to http://www.playbeautifully.com/?L=cms.live

Red Bulls Updates

Just some quick notes from Ives Galarcep (SBI) about Red Bulls practice. Chris Leitch and Carlos Mendes both practiced and appear to be available for this weekend's match against the Galaxy. Dane Richards and Hunter Freeman look more match fit and may quite possibly make their 2008 debuts in the the starting lineup. New addition Boyens is having visa issues and may not be available by the weekend. Claudio Reyna and Jozy Altidore did not practice but will likely be ready for game day. With all of the first choice players available, what line-up would you like to see against the Galaxy?

Red Bulls/Andrew Boyens Ink Deal

Recently reported by Ives Galarcep, defender and New Zealand international Andrew Boyens has come to an agreement with the New York club to join the clubs roster immediately. Boyens, previously with Toronto FC but released to make room for their recent influx of midfielders, has been on trial with the Red Bulls and apparently has impressed Juan Carlos Osorio to make the move. It may come at an appropriate time as starter Chris Leitch and reserve Carlos Mendes are both injured, and Boyens may have to step right in and start in his first game with the senior team. What do you think of the move? Think the Red Bulls needed the depth at defense, think they should have been quicker to pull the trigger on one of the previous trialists? Think this is the first step in Carlos Mendes' glorious return to the Rhinos? Stay tuned this week as I post some thoughts leading up to Thursday night MLS as long as the Rhinos game, which I will provide a running commentary on this time. Any features you'd like to see added please e-mail me or comment, I have been thinking of possibilities but want to avoid copying too many ideas from other blogs.

Rhinos Fall to Thunder

UPDATE: Upon reading about the game, the Thunder opened scoring in the 26th minute and shortly after Hamed Diallo earned a penalty kick. He chose to go straight down the middle, and the keeper was not fooled, extending the Rhinos scoring drought to two full games. Not a huge fan of having the man fouled take a penalty, but in this case he is their go to spot kick man so you can't argue.

The Rhinos have dropped a second straight game to open the 2008 campaign. Sunday night's defeat came at the hands of the Thunder, 1-0. I was not able to catch any of the match due to other obligations, but if anyone did watch or listen please fill the rest of us in on your thoughts. Having only followed one of the two I can't say if the final third caused trouble again, or if we were simply outplayed, but it is somewhat alarming to be shutout twice to open the season. Rochester has three more on the road before returning for the home opener, starting with the Portland Timbers Thursday night. Here's hoping I'm not watching the home opener still awaiting the first win of the season! Share your thoughts, concerned with the start, writing it off due to a tumultuous offseason and and tough road start, think Bruce Arena was more the man for the job than Darren Tilly? (kidding!) Let's hear it, in the meantime we'll hope I am not in the stands on May 17th looking like Ronaldo asking for a call...

FC Bayern Munich Video

Americans Abroad- A Report from Germany

Many of us have never been to a soccer game outside of the United States, but it takes only a quick glance at a televised game from other parts of the world to make you wonder what it'd be like to attend a game with the incredible atmosphere that you see on TV. I personally have never seen a game outside of the US and it is certainly high on my Bucket List. At 24 years of age, I sure hope I get around to it! Major League Soccer's attendance numbers are pathetic, and I live in a city where the new soccer specific stadium we dreamed of for years was built with only 12,600 permanent seats without bleachers and luxury boxes, and in recent years many of those 12,600 have not been in use. For myself the single strongest motivator to buy tickets is a quality product on the field. If the soccer is quality, I'll be interested. This is not always the case for the casual fan, but I think many people would be interested in going to a game just for the atmosphere if it looked like this!

Army Specialist Richard Barney is stationed in Germany and recently had the opportunity to tour Allianz Arena in Munich and catch a league match. He has provided us with some thoughts on the experience as well as the photos and video. All I can say is wow, what I wouldn't give to see a soccer game at a venue like this. Now from Army Specialist Barney:

"On April 27th, 2008 I attended the FC Bayern Munich vs. VfB Stuttgart match. This was my second time watching a world class game in person, but unlike the Manchester United - AC Milan game in New York City, I was a visitor in another country where soccer rules the daily conversations. The day before the match I took a tour of the Allianz Arena. Having missed the only English speaking tour time I settled for a German one, as I was mostly there for the sites. The tour took us through most parts of the stadium including different sitting areas, the teams press conference room, and locker room. Standing in the locker room I couldn't help but think how exciting it is to be in the locker room where the world class players of FC Bayern will be getting ready for the match tomorrow. After the tour I made my way to the team store to disguise myself as a regular. At the store they had the DFB Cup and the DFL League Cup available for you to take a photo with which was a pretty big thrill.
On the day of the match I arrived at the arena 2.5 hours before the game would actually begin, needing the time to find my seat and walk around. When I arrived the area was already swarming with fans, I thought to myself how many fans show up this early for a sporting event in the US? As I made my way to my seat I took note of how everyone in someway was showing support of the home team, regardless of age and gender every supporter had something about Bayern Munich, whether it was something simple as a pin or scarf, or going all out with a team jersey, shorts, scarf, and flag wrapped around you, it was easy to see that these people truly love their team. Before the match even began the arena was filled with many chants and cheers. The cheers were so loud that they could even be heard from the other side of the stadium as music came on the speakers as the two teams took the field. The arena would erupt into a state I might describe as chaos several times as Bayern Munich scored four times in the match, each time drawing the unmitigated frenzy of the crowd.
What was most amazing to me was that this game was just a regular season game, not a cup final, yet all 69,000 seats were filled. I thought to myself how amazing it was to be with that many people who shared the love of the same game, regardless of what it's called around the world.

Thank you for your insight Specialist Barney, it's great to get a taste of the stage the game was meant to be played on over here from time to time. I will now go photoshop my face into that picture and use it as my myspace photo. Ladies, if you're in Germany or planning on making a trip, Specialist Barney resides in Amberg. For those of you around Rochester, NY, Richard is a native of Brockport.

Games to watch this weekend

If you are starving for a compelling match or two this weekend, there is a very solid lineup for you Eurosnobs this weekend. Depending the channels you get there are various matchups with serious star power.

Saturday includes:
Manchester United on Setanta (comment if you get that!) bright and early at 7:30
At 10:00 check out Marcus Hahnemann and Bobby Convey as Reading takes on Tottenham on FSC
At 5:00 in the evening on FSC check out a replay of the US women vs Australia in a game filled with goals. If you want to make in interesting, bet me on who wins!
At 7:30 on FSC catch some MLS action as the Crew host the Wizards in what should be an excellent matchup as the upstart Crew take on a dangerous Wizards offense with Claudio Lopez

Sunday includes:
9:00 is time to lose the hangover and wake up for the Milan derby as AC Milan takes on Inter Milan on FSC
11:00 Want to see Liverpool bounce back from disappointment, tune in to FSC at 11
2:00 on FSC check out legendary Argentinian rivalry River Plate vs Boca Juniors

Let's make it a futbol weekend! Which match will you be watching?

Rhino's Postgame Thoughts

I hope everyone has enjoyed their Friday night, and I hope we can look forward to better performances from the Rhinos in the future. In fairness, we witnessed a club that was uncertain until shortly before training camp that they would in fact have a team, a club with several new players, and a club with a new and inexperienced coach in Darren Tilley. When all is said and done, a loss is a loss, and with so many road games to open the campaign I will make no excuses, and I doubt Coach Tilley will either. This team must find a way to win games on the road in the early going to set themselves up for the postseason. It may be early to think of such things, but the Rhinos did not look two goals inferior tonight, and earning points on the road can be critical for earning a place in the postseason. In fairness, the early injury to Atiba Charles may easily have disrupted the comfort level of the back four, but this is soccer and these things happen. I thought the midfield performed well, Scott Vallow came up with some key saves, but ultimately the final pass in the attacking third was lacking. To become successful on the road that final ball must be more effective so our attempts result in goals. Tonight we had almost the same amount of opportunities, but theirs were set up better and found the back of the net, Rochester's did not.

Rhinos Kick-off the Season (Game Commentary)

Good evening everyone, and welcome to another season of Rhinos soccer, we are about 10 minutes from kickoff and I will do my best to provide some insight as to what is going on in the game. As Fox Soccer Channel will be airing the Sounders vs Silverbacks game and USLlive is now charging, I suspect many of you will not be watching. The game is available in the Rochester area on 107.3 FM if you have nothing else to do. If nothing else, enjoy your Friday night and catch the game summary right here when you get in tonight or tomorrow morning.

Final- The Rhinos fall to the Battery 2-0. Alright folks I am out of here for now, I will offer up post game thoughts later.

86th- Substitution: Guppy off, Evan Milward on.

83rd- Rhinos corner does not result in a shot.

81st- Goal: Battery take a 2-0 lead on a goal by Aaron King. Alonso credited with the assist. About 8 minutes plus stoppage remain for the Battery to claim their first win of the year. The Rhinos' window of opportunity is closing in this one.

76th- Rhinos really coming under pressure now. Kreamalmeyer with a goal line clearance to save a goal.

67th- This game has really slowed to a crawl, if you are reading this tomorrow because you went out tonight you'll never be so happy with the decision you made. As I type this Vallow with another huge save. Corner kick Battery. Nothing comes of it.

62nd- Substitution: Aaron King in for Lester More. That's all we'll see of Castro's least favorite soccer player this evening.

58th- Substitution: Ze Roberto on for Salles, no, not the Ze Roberto that plays for Bayern Munich

56th- Yellow card to the 39 year old Guppy, you'd think he'd want to set a better example for the kids.

55th- Sorry for the lack of posts, there just isn't much exciting going on. The Rhinos have regained their composure at the start of the second half and have been possessing more, but there has been no excitement to speak of.

Halftime- The players are coming back onto the field and the second half should be underway shortly. To quell your fears of an equally uninspiring performance as this first half was when these teams meet again in Rochester's home opener, fear not, as regardless of the home result we can either enjoy Bo Bice after the game or throw things at him in frustration.

Halftime- Tiger Fitzpatrick is quietly have a nice game, and Menyongar is putting in a workman-like effort. The Rhinos have been maintaining more possession as the game has moved forward, and they seemed to have settled in until the goal. It will be important to see how they respond to giving up the late goal, the start of the second half will be very telling. Look for the goal to open up play a bit more for the second half as the Rhinos are forced to push higher for an equalizer on the road.

45th- Another Battery shot goes just wide, the Rhinos need the halftime whistle to save them and allow them to regroup.

42nd- Goal: Randi Patterson heads home a cross to the back post. Just when the Rhinos looked to be controlling the game more they give up a corner and the ensuing play results in the goal. The assist goes to Marco Reda, and the Rhinos will not post a shutout season.

37th- Diallo slips before he can move in for a header, would have been a great chance. Rhinos are starting to put some pressure on now.

35th- Vallow with a routine save. Rhinos have a free kick coming from just inside midfield. Player/coach Guppy will serve it into the 6 but it sails through for a goal kick.

29th- Lester More called offside on a breakaway, but Vallow came up with a nice save anyhow.

28th- Nice flick on off a corner by Bonseu but nothing comes of it, after the clearance Lester More has the Battery's first good look but fires high.

23rd- The commentator mentions that Lester More's orange cleats made him think he was wearing pumpkins... seriously, where do they find these guys. As I type this, a booking in the 24th to Alonso of the Battery. The resulting free kick results in the first shot on goal by Salles, but it easily dealt with by Charleston's keeper.

21st- Battery earn the first corner of the game, and Bonseu comfortable nods it away from danger.

20th- Both teams are feeling each other out, not wanting to make the mistake. Unfortunately that has prevented many openings and to this point there have been no shots for either team.

14th- Substitution: Nate Craft on for the injured Atiba Charles

14th- Atiba Charles has taken a knock and may be heading off, there is action on the bench. It appears to be a cut on Atiba's head and he is heading to the locker room.

12th- The Rhinos have to find a way to play the ball into the feet of Delicate, the service to the forwards early on has left much to be desired, and much of the battle has lingered around the midfield.

1st- And we're underway, through the early moments possession has been controlled by the Rhinos but neither team has created any opportunities.

Pre-game: Starters for the Rhinos tonight will be Scott Vallow, Scott Palguta, Tenywa Bonseu, Atiba Charles, Luke Kreamalmeyer, Tiger Fitzpatrick, Mauricio Salles, Steve Guppy, Johnny Menyongar, Hamed Diallo, and Matthew Delicate

The Battery feature former Red Bull reserve Randi Patterson up top along with Lester More, the impressive Cuban international best known for defecting.

NikeFootball film by Guy Ritchie

Great Nike Soccer ad, and you thought the cheerleader you had a crush on was motivation!

Red Bulls earn a point on the road

In a hard fought game in a raucous venue at BMO field in Toronto, the Red Bulls will be happy to come away with a point on the road. The New York side controlled a good portion of the game, but rarely found a clear look at goal. With star forward Juan Pablo Angel returning and for the first time having projected starters Hunter Freeman and Dane Richards available we saw yet another new look for the Red Bulls. On the road against a red hot Toronto club, Coach Osorio elected to go with four defenders as he had previously done on the road. With injuries to Chris Leitch and Carlos Mendes, Hunter Freeman was thrust into a starting role in his first match of the season. Jeff Parke held his regular role in the center of the defense, joined by Kevin Goldthwaite. Dave van den Bergh dropped back from the midfield to play left back for this contest. After last week's second half penalty kick and all around energetic performance, Mike Magee earned a spot in the starting line-up, and Danleigh Borman returned on the left flank. With Angel healthy, Wolyniec returned to the bench. New York controlled the possession early but was unable to do much with it. After a questionable call in the 22nd minute, Laurent Robert took a free kick before the Red Bulls seemed to be ready, and found the head of Marco Velez alone in front of Jon Conway. Velez powerfully headed the ball home past an irate Jon Conway to open the scoring. The away team responded well and slowly started buildups of their own until the 39th minute when they earned a dangerous free kick off a handball. Dave van den Bergh stepped up and slotted it outside of the wall to the far post beating Greg Sutton just inside the post. Sutton appeared to be screened by the wall as the far post should be his responsibility. The second half began with Sinisa Ubiparipovic coming on for Claudio Reyna who was subbed off with a mystery "lower leg injury". Sinisa struggled a bit containing Maurice Edu who got forward a bit more, but neither team saw many great chances during the second half. Dane Richards got his first action of the season as a second half sub and looked confident in his return, while he didn't get much chance to show off. The best chance of the second half was thwarted as a ball snuck through to an onrushing Danny Dichio but Conway slid out to smother it long before anyone could latch on. The Red Bulls next take on a flying Landon Donovan, "Goldenballs" Beckham and the rest of the LA Galaxy (can you name them?) a week from Saturday.

Rhinos to face off against Battery

Your Rochester Rhinos travel to Charleston for the season opener on Friday. After a pristine preseason we can only be optimistic the momentum will carry over into the regular season. With Scott Vallow in goal, Scott Palguta remaining with the team after a trial with the Red Bulls, and newly signed Atiba Charles, a Trinadadian footballer capped 25 times for his country, joining the fold in the back the Rhinos should prove to be a difficult team to score on. To cheer for your John Ball, Matthew Delicate, Johnny Menyongar and to come as close to seeing Ze Roberto as you can without going to Munich, check out USLlive.com for a live broadcast of the game in Charleston at 7:30 Friday night. A good start on the road may prove a crucial boost to open the season. The month of May will certainly be a difficult test early in the season for the Rhinos as they open with five straight away matches and will host only one on May 17th. Start looking into your tickets for the home opener now, it's a Saturday evening and what better to do to start your night than to catch the most recognizable team in the USL live and in person? Don't forget to check out Recognition experts on Winton Road or visit the website for all your Rhinos gear! http://www.recognitionexperts.com/Products.aspx?category_id=6&brand=rhinos