Soccer the Rochester Way

Once Again I'm Back

2010-04-08T18:58:00.004-04:00

Re-did my contract like Mike Vrabel, now the Chief is back...

What's new on the soccer front... well, first and foremost:

If you follow soccer and don't already know this, yes, Bayern Munich took the home/away Champions League series from Sir Alex and Manchester United on away goal margin with a terrific display of what I can describe as nothing but true grit. After falling behind 3-0 Bayern refused to put their heads down, and rallied for two goals of their own in a 3-2 away loss, good enough to give them a 4-4 aggregate score which saw them through to Europe's version of the Final Four with an away goal advantage of 2-1. French club Lyon awaits the German giants, and 2 years removed from an all English final, England now has no representatives in the final four teams of the CL.

On the US soccer front, Clint Dempsey is again sidelined with a recently sustained leg injury which forced him out of today's Europa League win, but the injury does not appear to have any long range implications, he should return before long and have time to prepare for South Africa. Charlie Davies is by all reports looking great in his recovery and at this point is a good bet to be a World Cup participant, and if you've missed it Maurice Edu has been scoring some goals of late in his return to action for Rangers. One of the more interesting stories is the late push for consideration by Herc Gomez, who has been scoring goals for fun in Mexico. Tomorrow I will post my current prediction for the US World Cup final roster as well as MLS updates.

Jonathan's Army and US vs Honduras

2010-01-23T11:02:00.003-05:00

In tonight's 8:30 EST friendly between the United States and Honduras, expect one player to have more fans in attendance from the opposition than he perhaps has from his own nation. Jonathan Bornstein has battled and proven himself to be a viable option at left back on the international level, and perhaps the US team's best option there come South Africa this summer. In Honduras, however, he is much much more. In a country that hadn't qualified for a World Cup in 27 years, Bornstein is somewhat of a hero for scoring the last minute goal against Costa Rica that would send Honduras into World Cup SA. Many Honduras fans have made the trip to California for this tune-up game, and are expected to cheer at least one American if he is introduced as a starter. I'll get into details for tonight's match later, but for now let's relive the final seconds of that US/Costa Rica matchup.

HIATUS

2009-12-28T10:39:00.002-05:00

hi⋅a⋅tus
–noun, plural -tus⋅es, -tus.
1.
a break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action, etc.
2.
a missing part; gap or lacuna: Scholars attempted to account for the hiatus in the medieval manuscript.
3.
any gap or opening.

Yes folks, StRW has taken quite a break from the world of soccer blogging. My first year of my career and first year of home ownership changed my priorities a fair amount, and when you throw in coaching two youth teams, well I'll just say the days are not long enough! Anyhow, with the new year fast approaching I shall make the resolution to return, and none too soon with the MLS Draft coming up and World Cup South Africa less than a year away. I will also dig more for local stories to mix with the larger scene, so if you have any exciting news on local teams or players, by all means send me an e-mail. Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season, I'm glad to be back with you all.

High School Game of the Week

2008-10-03T23:11:00.002-04:00

Friday night featured one of the more anticipated matchups in local high school soccer as 9-0-1 Webster Thomas (now 10-0-1) downed the now 11-2-0 Brockport Blue Devils by the score of 1-0. Taylor Smith scored just after the halftime break to give the home side the only goal it would need to remain undefeated against a Brockport team that looks to be Thomas' chief adversary this season. While Brockport improved on their previous 4-1 loss to Thomas in the season opener, the win for Webster was certainly a statement win, sweeping the season series. Brockport, who has beaten every team it's faced not named Webster Thomas, will likely head into sectionals as the team most likely to down the so far undefeated Titans.

In other Friday night action, Greece Arcadia downed West Irondequoit 3-1, Rush-Henrietta held off Churchville-Chili 1-0, Brighton topped Eastridge 2-1, Fairport rolled on Gates-Chili 5-1 and Jared Toth tallied 4 goals in an 8-0 romp over a Greece Odyssey team that looked very tame despite their 7-4 record.

As the season winds down and sectionals approach, it's starting to come to do or die for many of the fringe teams. Let's hope the teams can stay healthy and all the real stories are played out on the field down the stretch. Will a surprise team step up for crunch time, or will powerhouses such as Thomas and Brockport steal the show? Let's hear your take on where the teams stand.

Rhinos Learn of Individual Honors

2008-10-01T19:28:00.003-04:00

After staying within 1 goal in Charleston to secure their spot in the USL-1 semifinals, the Rhinos have now learned that two of their players have also been named Second Team All League. The fiesty and trustworthy defender Scott Palguta was one of four defenders named to the Second Team and crowd favorite Johnny Menyongar was named as a midfielder after playing in all 30 of the team's games and tallying 6 goals and 5 assists.

Now we must wait and see what Scott, Johnny and the rest of the Rhinos have in store for the semifinal round Friday night!

High School Updates

2008-10-01T19:16:00.002-04:00

After watching the Brockport-Spencerport matchup in the rain last night I decided it was time to post an update on the local high school scene.

Last night in Brockport, I watched a strong looking Brockport team jump out to an early advantage over Spencerport with a nice mix of short passing and long balls opening up the game and leading to a nice individual effort opened the scoring. Spencerport would pressure late in the first half, but the last pass in the final third was lacking. Brockport goals were scored by Christian Zale, DJ Barnhart and Andrew McGinnis while Shane Dobles scored the loan Spencerport goal in the 3-1 game.

Also in action Tuesday were Webster Thomas and Webster Schroeder, with Thomas emphatically claiming bragging rights in a 8-1 thrashing.

These results left Brockport and Webster Thomas to remain ahead of the pack in Monroe County, as Brockport stands at 11-1-0 while Webster Thomas is the only undefeated team at 9-0-1. Fairport sits a small margin back at 8-1-2 overall.

I'll be back after the weekend to check in with sectional standings and comment on each team's shot at glory for 2008.

Rhinos Head South With Lead

2008-09-27T22:30:00.005-04:00

In Friday night's playoff showdown between the Rhinos and Battery both teams would play conservatively in search of a positive result. Aside of a shaky moment or two on Battery crosses, the Rhinos seemed to have the better of play, but were unable to get on the scoresheet for most of the match. Vallow also bailed his team out early in the second half. On a night where the rain held off, the Rhinos seemed destined for a disappointing 0-0 draw in their home leg of the first round. Determined not to head down to South Carolina as equals, the Rhinos forced the game in the late stages, and came away with a pair of late goals to put themselves in prime position to advance. Guppy struck first in the 86th on an assist from Menyongar, and Delicate added a second after a poor clearance from Charleston in the 90th minute to wrap up the game.

The Rhinos will defend their two goal advantage in a 7:00 PM kickoff at Blackbaud Stadium on Sunday. Expect some conservative play from the Rhinos leading to a low scoring affair, as the Rhinos need only to stay within a goal of the hosts to advance to the second round. Check in tomorrow evening for a running commentary.

Here is another photo of Blackbaud:

High School Roundup

2008-09-23T18:42:00.002-04:00

It's been awhile since I've posted an update as to where the local high school teams stand. Heading into the last week of September, it's the Brockport Blue Devils (8-1-0) and Webster Thomas (6-0-1) boasting the most impressive records. Fairport, Webster Schroeder, Spencerport, Churchville-Chili, Pittsford Mendon, Pittsford Sutherland, Penfield, Greece Odyssey, Greece Athena and Victor round out the Monroe County league teams with .500 records or better.

More Bad News for the Red Bulls

2008-09-23T18:38:00.003-04:00

Coming off a disappointing road loss to Colombus, the Red Bulls were dealt another tough blow ahead of the RSL matchup. The team, already without Dave Van den Bergh who is recovering from a sports hernia surgery, will also be left without playmaker Jorge Rojas and center back Gabriel Cichero who have both been called up to the Venezuela national squad for a World Cup Qualifier. Juan Pablo Angel may want to bring a book, otherwise he's likely to get bored in the offensive third.

In other MLS action, Dallas smashed the Fire in Chicago, and DC was beaten handily by LA as the Galaxy flexed their muscles and reminded people they are not yet out of the playoff conversation.

Red Bulls Falter in Colombus

2008-09-21T00:13:00.003-04:00

In Thursday night's MLS action the Red Bulls bid to move up in the Eastern Conference playoff positioning was thwarted as the club gave up a 1-0 lead by allowing 3 unanswered goals against a Crew team that lacked playmaker Schelotto. While on the subject of MLS games, if you are home late on a Saturday night with nothing to do, tune to FSC for the goalfest that is the DC United vs LA Galaxy game, currently led by the Gals 3-2 early in the second half. For a full report of the Red Bulls match check Metrofanatic's story.

Rhinos Stumble into Playoffs

2008-09-12T23:56:00.002-04:00

While the Rhinos will participate in the USL-1 playoffs, they will do so after a disappointing home result in the final home game at Paetec. The Rochester side played host to USL leading Puerto Rico on Friday night with hopes of making a statement heading into the postseason. Unfortunately a flat team was dealt a 2-0 loss in a game they never really got into.

The Rhinos stand at 11-9-8 with the 2 away games left. With games at basement clubs Carolina and Miami, the Rhinos look to move up to at least 4th in the playoff seedings.

US Cruises Past T&T

2008-09-12T23:49:00.003-04:00

After 3-0 win in Chicago over Trinidad and Tobago, the United States now sits at the maximum possible 9 points through 3 games. This is critical because it not only puts them in the driver's seat to qualify for the next round of World Cup qualifying, but it should allow them to give some other players a look during some heated battles. To take this one step further, hopefully other players seize that chance and get EJ out of the forward picture for the US.

In a game the US dominated for at least 70 minutes, Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey got the US rolling in the first half, and Brian Ching's 2nd half goal sealed the deal. Bradley nicely redirected a free kick to open the scoring. Dempsey added the second when a ball got past a defender and reached him for a nice far post finish, and Ching iced the game when Onyewu managed a header over the keeper and the Hawaiian simply had to head the ball into an open net.

What's next? Let's hope some phone calls to Kenny Cooper, Jozy Altidore and Freddy Adu!

Odyssey vs Cal-Mum

2008-09-06T15:28:00.008-04:00

This evening I made the trip out to Caledonia to check out a non-league matchup between Cal-Mum and Odyssey in the Cal-Mum Tournament. The match was the first of two varsity games to be played for the tournament's final day.

The game got off to a slow start with the first real chance coming 20 minutes in when a long ball found the head of Odyssey striker Joe Walsh. Walsh redirected towards goal, but his header went just high of the crossbar. Shortly later in the 28th a thru-ball played in by Walsh was smothered by Cal-Mum's junior goalkeeper Erik Miles.

Cal-Mum found their first chance a minute later when confusion in the box lead to a dangerous chance with a portion of the net open after the ball was redirected, but the shot was sent over the crossbar. The first half continued rather unevenfully with Miles dealing with an Odyssey cross rather comfortably and no real chances coming for either side.

Early in the second half, Odyssey subsitute Chris Terwilliger made his presence felt in the midfield, adding some bite in the center third and winning tackle after tackle. The intensity picked up for the team from Greece as they continued to win the ball and maintain possession, looking quite unlikely to concede a goal. This added pressure led to a turnover that eventually set up a powerful volley by Jason Snook that went just wide. Shortly after Snook's opportunity, Adam Cottorone sent in a corner kick that found the head of Tim Alesio to break the deadlock.

In the 76th minute Odyssey midfielder Kevin Booth got free and sent in a nice shot on goal, but Miles, who looked solid throughout, again was up to the task and tipped the shot over the bar.

Odyssey would eventually add a 2nd goal just 2 minutes from full time as a long range shot from Alesio provided an unlucky bounce for the Cal-Mum keeper and found the back of the net. Led by Alesio's brace, Odyssey improved to 1-1 on the season as Cal-Mum fell to 0-2-2.

The win game senior goalkeeper Joe Scarlata his first shutout of the year after his first bid for a shutout was wiped out with a penalty kick goal. His goals against average stands at an anemic 0.50 early in the season. Joe provided his thoughts on the match as well as the state of his team after the game.

Thoughts on getting his first shutout of the season:

"It feels good to get the shutout, but I've got to credit alot of it to the defense because I only got two shots on me today. They played well and really stepped up and won the ball and that keyed us to the win."

Thoughts on this year's team:

"Well, I think we have an opportunity to be better than we were last year. Our leadership has improved and the young guys really listen and learn. It seems like guys know what to do with the ball instead of panicking, and we're more fundamentally sound than last year."

Thoughts on the team moving forward:

"We're definitely a more mature team this year. It was great to get the first win out of the way, and now we can get a few more practices in and build off of this game. This should be a good foundation for the rest of the season."

Goalscorer Tim Alesio added that he thought that the improved intensity in the second half led to winning the ball consistently and giving him the opportunities he needed to find the back of the net. This intensity is contagious and really leads to improvements throughout the team.

Saturday Soccer Action

2008-09-06T15:12:00.003-04:00

There are plenty of games taking place today so here is an update on all the action:

Results of interest in WCQ's-
Slovenia managing a 1-1 draw with Poland
Turkey beating Armenia 2-0
Albania playing Sweden to a scoreless draw
Ukraine knocking off Belarus 1-0
England holds a 2nd half 2-0 lead over Andorra courtesy of a Joe Cole brace
The Romanians who had success in Euro 2008 trail Lithuania 1-0 in the 2nd half
Austria has an early 1-0 advantage on France due to an own goal
Italy is locked a 1-1 with Cyprus in the 1st half
Argentina trailing Paraguay 1-0 in the 1st half.

Still to come-
US Men take on Cuba on ESPN Classic at 8 PM EST, watch it there since it's highly unlikely you will be in attendance.

Red Bulls vs Fire on FSC at 8:30 PM EST, expect a heated battle from two teams that strongly dislike each other.

I'm off now to the Cal-Mum tournament to see some of the Odyssey vs Cal-Mum and Batavia vs Kendall games.

School is in Session

2008-09-05T21:17:00.005-04:00

My apologies to everyone for the once again infrequent posts, school has resumed and with it a very busy schedule for me. Being that it was my first week at a new school an inordinate amount of time and energy went into my efforts, so pencil me in on those teacher of the year ballots.

In any event, my efforts on Soccer the Rochester Way have been less than adequate, and I will do my best to catch up a bit now. It's been 5 days since the Red Bulls managed a well earned 0-0 draw in DC for their first shutout in DC in franchise history. Perhaps the highlight for Red Bull fans was when the much maligned Jaime Moreno sent a late spot kick wide right blowing the chance for 3 points. The Red Bulls look forward to another interesting road game when they take on Chicago tomorrow night in what will be Juan Carlos Osorio's first trip back to the Windy City since he left the Fire. NY looks to take advantage of the World Cup Qualifying schedule that won't leave them shorthanded, but will see the Fire without star playmaker Blanco.

In one of the more unusual MLS stories you will see, Toronto FC will be hit hardest by the WCQ's yet forced to play despite Chivas USA agreeing to reschedule. For an interesting read check out Ives' piece on the incident. http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2008/09/help-wanted-if.html

The Rhinos have been out of action since my last post, but will host the Portland Timbers at Paetec Park tomorrow night. The game is scheduled for a 7:35 kick-off so come out and support the club.

As I'm sure everyone knows by now, US Men's midfielder Michael Bradley has been transferred from Dutch club Heerenveen to newly promoted German club Borussia Monchengladbach. For those unfamiliar with German football, the club has a history of being very respectable, and stays in the top division more often than not. It may not be a widely known club here in America, but I don't think the move is a bad one as many suggest.

Lastly, the high school soccer season is now most certainly underway, and I will be moving on my high school posts and player highlights as promised. For now it is far too early to get excited about team records, but Hilton and Fairport have each jumped out to 3-0-0 records while Penfield and Webster Thomas sit a 2-0-0. Remember, I am by no means everywhere at once, so if you have any stories, scores or player info on local high school teams, please send them my way via e-mail.

Rhinos Top Atlanta Again

2008-08-30T23:31:00.002-04:00

A first half goal from Menyongar (assisted by Delicate) in the 29th minute was all the Rhinos would need as the early advantage stood up through 90 minutes and the Rhinos got the full 3 points on the road. The win, the Rhinos second straight over Atlanta, moved Rochester to 10-8-8 and a tie in third place with Charleston.

Additionally, the Rhinos also have recently signed former Minnesota forward Alen Marcina to add depth to the attack. Marcina has found the net 3 times and assisted twice so far this season.

Are the Rhinos poised to be dangerous in the postseason, or will they prove to still be a bit behind the best? Share your thoughts on the rebirth of the Rhinos below.

Friday Updates

2008-08-29T19:30:00.004-04:00

I've been off the scene for awhile and wanted to post many things, so here is the condensed version:

Last Sunday the Red Bulls continued their strong play, totally dominating last year's champs, Houston Dynamo, en route to a 3-0 win. The win was New York's third straight, and they are now unbeaten in five straight.

Mac Kandji, the USL striker from Atlanta who had drawn interest from the Red Bulls, will apparently not be joining the MLS this year. The Red Bulls had sent Zach Thornton to Chivas USA for allocation money to be able to pay the $200,000 transfer Atlanta was asking, but reports have the league office blocking the deal as they don't want to see MLS pay so much for a USL forward. What happened to being able to use your money as you feel fit? Now, Ives Galarcep reports that Ivan Gazidis and Jeff Agoos (a worthless Red Bull suit) have both denied that the league blocked anything, but it seems very fishy to suddenly throw out a defense of the league office after Ives' initial report. UPDATE: In the wake of the Mac Kandji debacle, Sainey Touray of the Gambia has been signed to a developmental contract.

The New England Revs and Chivas USA each started their CONCACAF Champions league campaigns on the wrong foot, each falling in their away legs in Trinidad and Tobago and Panama, respectively.

Maurice Edu has officially joined Celtic and there are rumors of a Dutch interest in Sacha Kljestan, both of who will be playing for the US against Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba.

Speaking of qualifiers for the US Men, Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore and Kenny Cooper were all left off the roster, yet Eddie Johnson is again called in as an option for the two games. When will we be through with his futility?

Rhinos Blank Silverbacks

2008-08-23T23:02:00.003-04:00

The above pictured Scott Vallow had a relatively simple night in the Rhino's nets on his way to a shutout as his team dominated play in a 2-0 victory over Atlanta. Ross Smith struck first, redirecting a Kreamalmeyer shot into the net in the 21st minute. The second goal came shortly after on a nice header by Tiger Fitzpatrick. There were a few flashes in the second half, such as Delicate receiving the ball all alone but splitting a pair of defenders to put himself in on goal (sadly his shot was straight at the goalkeeper), but most of the second half saw the Rhinos play possession soccer against an Atlanta team that failed to look threatening. The win moves the Rhinos to 9-8-8.

Also of note tonight was Macoumba Kandji's conspicuous absense from the line-up. The team's star forward made the trip, but never removed his track suit and seemed to be a man running out of time with the club. With him being withheld from the line-up I would suspect a deal is deep in the works to send Kandji elsewhere, presumably to the Red Bulls.

Share your thoughts on Saturdays game.

Top 3 Reasons to go to the Rhinos Game Tonight:

2008-08-23T12:46:00.003-04:00

3. It's the home team, of course we should go!

2. There are many deals on tonights match, from family night buy one ticket get one ticket deals, to discounted prices for RDYSL teams that won their divisions. Also, the first 1000 through the gate will receive a free Scott Vallow disposable camera from Kodak. And lastly, on the way out after the game free Power Trip will be handed out again. Come take advantage, and if you show up early for the camera there will be music to enjoy!

1. Macoumba Kandji. The Atlanta striker is the most prolific in the USL with 10 goals and five assists. He is a major target of the New York Red Bulls to join Juan Pablo Angel up top, and Atlanta is asking for a $200,000 transfer fee. He is strong on the ball and incredibly fast. Sources in Atlanta claim he is good enough to draw serious European interest when he gets all his papers straightened out so he can travel overseas.

The game is scheduled to kick off at 7:35 at Paetec, hope to see you there!

It's About Time...

2008-08-22T22:39:00.002-04:00

With the first week of high school preseason in the books, it's time for us to shift some of our focus over to the local scene. With the Olympics wrapping up, I will be doing player and team profiles over the course of the next couple of weeks for any local teams and local talents that I can find information about. Check back to familiarize yourselves with some of the brightest young talents. If you have any news about players or teams, please send me an e-mail to let me know so I can create a post.

Men's Gold Medal Game

2008-08-22T22:33:00.002-04:00

After Brazil downed Belgium 3-0 to claim the bronze medal, all that is left in the Olympic tournament is the decision between silver and gold. Will it be mighty Argentina who boasts household soccer names such as Messi and Riquelme, or will the upstart Nigerians claim their spot on the highest platform? Don't forget Nigeria has a history of success with their younger teams. I still like Argentina tomorrow, they have too much class and it seems clear that they mean to win this. Don't forget to catch the match live on CNBC at midnight EST.

US Women Good as Gold

2008-08-21T11:38:00.004-04:00

Quick, someone tell Hope Solo she came in first, not second!

In a gold medal match unlikely to have converted many outsiders to the soccer fanatic cult, the US did precisely what it needed to this morning (or night in China) to earn one of their most improbable championships. Tied 0-0 after 90 minutes of relatively ugly, tentative play from both sides (no one could make a quality pass consistently!) the game would be forced into extra time. From there it didn't take long for the US to stake their claim on the gold medals as Carli Lloyd struck in the 96th minute for the 1-0 lead. Brazil then pressured like crazy, but the US responded exactly the way I had hoped; they played a bend but don't break style of defense. Brazil is strong with the ball at their feet, but if you are content to let them dance but force them to less dangerous spots you give your keeper a chance. That's what the US did, and Hope Solo took care of the rest (making former coach Ryan look all the more idiotic). Lloyd almost sealed it with a nice move past the defense but her shot hit the far post. The insurance goal was not needed as the US weathered the final couple of minutes and got the win that many didn't think they could get. In the end we were treated with the shared joy of the team as well as Natasha Kai's best Brandi Chastain impression.

Earlier Germany downed Japan 2-0 to claim the bronze medals.

MLS Updates

2008-08-21T01:37:00.002-04:00

From the seemingly unintentional and light elbow that earned Cichero a red card against Toronto, the league has handed him down an extra game suspension. This means Cichero will not only miss the Red Bulls game against Houston, but also against DC.

Houston mashed on Chivas tonight.

Revs beat DC tonight.

Bruce Arena is the LA coach.

His new acquisition was bloodied tonight in the US/Guatemala match.

Bruce Arena may be picking up where he left off with overaged stars surrounded by awful role players...

Nuff said!

US Men With Historic Night!!!

2008-08-21T01:26:00.003-04:00

Eddie Johnson did not see the field!!!

And no, that is not what made this game in Guatemala historic. For the first time ever in WCQ's, the US team secured a win and 3 points in Guatemala.

Long story short:

Guatemala cheated. Guatemala took a dive. Guatemala whined about a call. Dempsey got a yellow for a light shove, but thankfully former Galaxy player Pando Ramirez also got a yellow for acting like Dempsey blasted him with a magnum. US got screwed on a throw-in call. Cherundolo got mad and got a yellow. Guatemala cheated some more. Guatemala took a dive and Cherundolo picked up a red. A Guatemalan came in way late lining up Eddie Lewis' head with his elbow, splitting Lewis open and earning a red. Guatemala cheated and cried several more time. Much to their chagrin, and Beasley corner found Bocanegra for a great header and a 1-0 win. Newly acquired (yay Toronto fans...) TFC forward Carlos Ruiz drew the ire of Tim Howard when Howard secured a ball only to be kicked by Ruiz. Howard told Ruiz what he though of him and go a yellow. Guatemala would continue to cry and complain while their fans spewed profanities...

GO USA!!! May Guatemala continue to suck and lose every game that Carlos Ruiz plays in!

For the US fans, don't forget to check out the women's team action in the gold medal game tomorrow at 9 AM EST! For good measure I offer Natasha Kai...

Abs!!! I knew I'd recognize them if I saw them!

US Women Down Japan, Will Play for Gold

2008-08-18T21:19:00.003-04:00

The US Women overcame an early 1-0 deficit with a pair of goals late in the first half courtesy of Angela Hucles and Lori Chalupny, and finished strong with another goal from Hucles and a fourth coming from Heather O'Reilly to take the win by a final of 4-2. Ok, I admit it, Heather Mitts didn't score, I just wanted to get that picture into the post!

With Brazil romping a talented Germany side in the other semifinal, the US will certainly head into the Gold Medal match as underdogs. That said, I think anyone would have been happy to hear they would be playing in this match when Wambach broke her leg. Adding to the excitement will be the story of Hope Solo. Many will remember when Solo was unceremoniously benched by ~~idiot~~ head coach Ryan in favor of Scurry who was supposedly better equipped for Brazil's offense. Solo will now get her shot in a game where she will likely need to be sensational.

In other Olympic soccer action, Brazil will play Argentina in the men's semifinals at 9 AM EST tomorrow morning. Watch, or if you are working like me, dvr it! It is sure to provide some excitement as Messi goes head to head with Ronaldhino.

Red Bulls on the Charge

2008-08-17T21:39:00.002-04:00

With Sunday's impressive defensive showing with Jeff Parke subbed off early and Cichero ejected early in the second half, the Red Bulls have consecutive victories for the first time after opening up their homestand with wins over DC and Toronto. Below is Metrofanatic's summary of the action.

"Coming into the homestand, Metro knew that wins were vital. So far, so good, as New York put on a defensive clinic against a morbid Toronto side. Even losing starting defenders Jeff Parke and Gabriel Cichero, the latter to a red card early in the second half, did not matter. Mike Magee scored the game-winner and Juan Pablo Angel added one in garbage time.
Juan Carlos Osorio trotted out the same lineup that trashed DC a week ago, but was forced to make an early change by putting in Andrew Boyens for the injured Parke just 25 minutes in. We usually trash on Boyens in this space, but the New Zealand behemoth had an unusually strong game tonight.
Metro dominated the entire first half; a give-and-go between Angel and Magee led to Toronto keeper Greg Sutton making a big save on the former and the on the follow-up by Dave van den Bergh. 37 minutes into the game, Metro broke through. With play deep in the Metro end, Seth Stammler cleared the ball a good 50 meters upfield. Angel, seeing he would have been offside, held off his run, but Magee didn't. Metro's longest serving citizen ran onto the bouncing ball, abused former Metro draft pick Marco Velez, and slotted the ball from the top of the box past the helpless Sutton.
The game changed just a minute into the second half, as Terry Vaughn gave a ridiculous straight red to Cichero for what looked to be a simple elbow on a jump ball. That there was no malice was obvious from any replay, but Vaughn did not have the benefit of that. And seeing how the game ended, we could give Terry the benefit of the doubt... but no. It was a terrible call.
So Metro bunkered for a bit. Kevin Goldthwaite went in the middle, van den Bergh and Luke Sassano shifted to become outside back. Soon after, Dane Richards, who was supposed to be out 4-6 weeks but came back much earlier after rehabbing in his native Jamaica, would come in for Sassano, with jack-of-all trades Stammler taking the right back spot.
Toronto had a couple of chance, the most dangerous off a long Chad Barrett shot of a corner kick, but this patchwork Metro defense made easy work of the obtuse Canadians. Two minutes into injury time, Richards broke through all alone and could have easily scored, but instead elected to pass to Angel, who tapped it in for the easiest of his Metro goals.
As we said above, so far, so good. Now let's keep it going."

Check them out at http://www.metrofanatic.com for all your Red Bull news with a humorous twist.

He's Back!!!

2008-08-15T21:44:00.003-04:00

To the dismay of those of you hoping Cobi Jones would remain the LA Galaxy head coach following Ruud Gullit's departure, The Bruce will be named for the head coaching role. With the glass being half-full, the Galaxy land an experienced coach that many consider the best coach in US history. He has won several championships with DC United and knows the league very well. If you are more of a glass half-empty type like myself, you'll be quick to point out that everyone was saying just these things when Arena took the helm in New York. Will the frustratingly dismal fringe players rally around Landycakes, Goldenballs and The Bruce, or will it be yet another disappointing year where LA fails to reach the playoffs?

In unrelated MLS news, the Revs apparently will not land Benny Feilhaber as he has signed in Denmark, and Toronto may be looking for midfield help as they have reportedly agreed in principal to a $5 million dollar deal to send Maurice Edu across the pond to Scotland where he will join Demarcus Beasley at Rangers.

What do you think of these developments across the MLS?

US Men Eliminated

2008-08-13T22:56:00.005-04:00

For those of you who woke up early today like myself, you were greeted with a very disappointing way to start your day. A mere 3 minutes into the United States critical match against Nigeria, Michael Orozco was sent off with a straight red card for an suspect elbow to a Nigerian player. It was a bit physical, but Orozco's extremely light elbow, normally unworthy of mention, was deemed to be a flagrant offense for the US left back. Thanks to some great acting by Solomon Okoronkwo, the Nigerian that dropped like he took a 12 gauge round to the chest, the US was forced to play a man short for the final 86+ minutes.

It looked like all was lost, but the American's put up a valiant effort for their part, with Rogers slid back to a left back roll (amazing for someone who lacks defensive skill even as a midfielder) and Jozy Altidore sliding back to left mid. Until late in the first half the US weathered the storm, but fell behind when Michael Parkhurst was beaten endline, allowing a ball played in to Promise for the easy finish. After some bizarre substitutions by coach Peter Nowak including Feilhaber for Altidore at the half, Szetela, who I loved, coming off for Dax McCarty (as opposed to Kljestan, the walking turnover who is a Nowak favorite coming off), and a good, but possibly exhausted Stuart Holden coming off, the US would fall behind by two. On a ball laid off to the left side of the box, a nice individual effort saw Parkhurst slip and fall while the Nigerian player finished well far post.

Charlie Davies (despite commentator Marcelo Balboa's insistance that he is Charlie Davis...) looked fabulous as a late game sub. I have seen him several times previously and thought of him as a fast player that will never succeed, as he goes to ground far too easily. Davies' response? Let's see what you've got Mr. Essig! Davies came on and made immediate impact, torching a the Nigerian defense and offering a dangerous cross, then setting up a penalty kick converted by Kljestan. He had his chance to place his name among US soccer heroes when in stoppage time he rose majestically for a header that fatefully found the crossbar instead of the back of the net.

Following 4 points in 2 games the US were not expected to have, and an unfortunate finish to tie the Dutch, this will certainly be seen as a huge disappointment and a blown opportunity for a US team that could have been dangerous in the knockout round. I had been down all day about the event and waited to write about it until now. In a more relaxed state, I will say that Orozco should not have been red carded, but also should have known better than to throw an elbow no matter how lighly in the opening minutes of a game. He left his fate for the ref to decide. After his departure the US team put forth an unbelievable effort and came oh so close to an improbably draw playing a man down for a full game.

Now we are left to wonder what could have been with Adu and Bradley playing and Orozco avoiding the red card. With a need to draw since the Netherlands would surely beat Japan (which they finally did in a game they were dominated and earned a very shake penalty kick late in the game to win 1-0 and seal the USA's fate) the US would have their olympic dreams ended. As a minority in the United States, we soccer fans cannot even mourn properly. When asked why I seemed sour today, I replied that I thought the most talented US olympic team ever blew their chance today. The response I received? "Oh, well did you see Michael Phelps last night?" Hopefully these young players will learn from this experience and make soccer more relevant to the masses in our country. For now, there's always the women's team to pull for!

USA vs Nigeria

2008-08-12T21:43:00.002-04:00

Set those alarms again, after a sensational display against the Netherlands earned the United States only 1 point, it all comes down to this game against Nigeria. It's quite simple, secure a result and more on the the semis. Don't look for a US team that will be content to defend and play for a draw however. Nigeria has dangerous attacking play, and will be most vulnerable in the back where a pair of starting defenders will be out due to yellow card suspension. This is one of those games where the timeless ascertation that the best defense is a good offense might well fit the bill.

My question to you is without the services of Freddy Adu and Michael Bradley, who should the US turn to for a starting line-up? Think Szetela can fill Bradley's boots or do you prefer Feilhaber? Any predictions on this match? I like the United States to win 2-1 and follow their female counterparts into the knockout stage.

No Mas Sexy Futbol!

2008-08-11T23:38:00.002-04:00

To the delight of fans in Galaxyland, Isiah... err, Alexi Lalas has been fired as GM. With a mixed reaction head coach Ruud Gullit also resigned. The Circus should now be over in LA as US legend Cobi Jones takes the reigns of the media crazed yet subpar club in salary cap hell. Tomorrow I will explain why I think the loss of both Lalas and Gullit will be great news for Galaxy fans.

Red Bulls Squash Scum!

2008-08-11T23:30:00.002-04:00

Juan Pablo Angel and the New York Red Bulls turned in their best collective effort of the season in a 4-1 route of DC United at Giants' Stadium. It what was considered to be a crucial match to the team's playoff chances, a revamped Red Bull squad responded with their greatest victory ever over their biggest rival.

The Scum opened the scoring when Jaime Moreno scored on the NY franchise for the 1049283rd time and it looked like business as usual. NY vs DC, DC wins right? Not to be on this day, as Angel scored a sublime free kick goal, then added another on a nice touch over DC keeper Zach Wells. Between Angel goals was a Mike Magee goal... yes, Mike Magee still lives, and actually looked good in this match, perhaps he is back! Later in the match substitute Sinisa Ubiparipovic walked onto the field and scored almost immediately on a feed from Rojas to officially begin the party.

For a Red Bulls team with more home games coming up, this is a statement win that immediately positions them back among the playoff teams and based on this game has to give them the needed confidence. With Cichero and Rojas in the fold and looking strong, should we expect this team to secure a playoff spot, or is this just another fluke win that gives us fans encouragement between the frequent letdowns?

US Looks for Draw or Win to Advance

2008-08-11T23:19:00.003-04:00

After one of the best Olympic performances in US Soccer history ended in a disappointing draw, the United States men now need to secure at least a draw against Nigeria to advance from the group stage to the quarterfinals. In a game the United States dominated for a good 65 out of 90 minutes against a Netherlands team considered a medal favorite, the US fought from a 1-0 deficit to earn a 2-1 lead courtesy of goals from Sacha Kljestan and Jozy Altidore. Unfortunately the scoreline did not hold, as a Kljestan turnover at midfield led to a foul and free kick for the Dutch about 45 seconds from full time. The subsequent drive from Gerald Sibon of the Netherlands went under a US wall that leapt, and found the back of the net. In what is still a fantastic result for the US, we were left with a bit of a sour feeling. Instead of looking at coasting into the quarters as group winner we now must beat or tie a tough Nigeria team, and do so without stars Freddy Adu and Michael Bradley who picked up yellow card suspensions.

I expect the US will be able to move on with Altidore and McBride up top and a capable Danny Szetela likely sliding into Bradley's midfield spot. Set those alarms and check out the deciding game at 5 AM Wednesday morning. Also don't forget the US women's match tomorrow morning at 7:45 AM (along with US men's hoops at 8).

Soccer Sunday- Wake Up and Watch the Nat's!

2008-08-08T22:43:00.004-04:00

Sunday's Line-up:
7AM-USA v Holland
9AM-Breakfast
10AM-ManU v Portsmouth (Community Shield)
5PM-Red Bulls v DC United
6PM-Rhinos v Islanders
What a Sunday!

Set those alarms for Sunday morning whether you are out late Saturday night or not! Soccer fans unite and show that the US is a soccer nation. Get up and catch an enormous match for the US olympic team in their hunt for olympic glory on MSNBC. It is a much more reasonable hour than the Japan game at 4:55 AM last Thursday. For those who missed it, the US managed a 1-0 win against Japan, defending well and dodging a bullet with some bad misses by Japan. Combined with the Netherlands 1-1 draw with Nigeria, the US sits atop its group. They likely need one more win to advance. Up next, the star studded Dutch squad. The US will have their hands full with a team that is among the favorites to win the gold medal. The load will be lightened as forward Roy Makaay will be out with a foot injury and midfielder Evander Sno (Edgar Davids light) will be suspended after picking up a red card against Nigeria. The player to fear most will be Ryan Babel, the speedy winger who plies his trade in Liverpool and will line up against an American left side that looked suspect in their defending of Japan. Look for Jozy Altidore to start and have an impact against a Dutch side known more for their attacking football than their defending. If he needs any bulletin board material, the Dutch manager says "Nigeria is confident on the ball. They have two very good strikers. The Americans are more of a team on the same level. They don't have anybody extremely good. They're totally different than Nigeria, in my opinion."

If you are a soccer fanatic like me, you can then catch the Community Shield match on Fox Soccer Channel at 10 AM EST. Look for a Manchester team feeling extreme pressure to win this match and Cristiano Ronaldo going the full 90 (yes, that is a joke). Hey, it's still worth a watch if you want to make it a true soccer Sunday.

After lunch and a nap, tune in to MSG to catch the Red Bulls and DC United in one of the great rivalries of MLS. After a blowout in DC the Red Bulls look for revenge at home with a revamped squad featuring Rojas and Cichero while United hopes to welcome Gallardo back to their line-up. Expect a physical game that is fun for the fans.

Not an MLS fan and live near Rochester? Swing out to Paetec for a 6 PM kickoff as the Rhinos look for their own revenge from an away blowout as they host Puerto Rico. Similar to NYRB the Rhinos should be very motivated after losing badly on the road and now getting the same team at home.

Which matches will you be watching? Are you going to the Rhinos game? If you are getting up to watch the USA match where will you be watching?

Rhinos Fall in PR

2008-08-08T22:38:00.002-04:00

In the away portion of Rochester's home and home series with Puerto Rico this weekend the Rhinos showed up, were shown up, and will now look forward to returning home to look for a better result. After a 4-0 drubbing courtesy of the Islanders the Rhinos should have all the motivation they need for an improved performance on Sunday. With very little positive to mention about this performance I will let it pass lightly by simply reminding everyone that if you can win at home regularly you will be a solid soccer team. Let's look forward to Sunday!

Barca Blasts Bulls

2008-08-06T21:30:00.003-04:00

Those who watched Juan Pablo Angel and Thierry Henry walk side by side down the tunnel after the game were left yet another time in the dismal history of the New York club to think about the future. Will the two be playing up top together in a Red Bull uniform anytime soon? We can only hope considering the gap in talent between the two sides was evident from the earliest moments of the game until the final whistle.

In what became a 6-2 thrashing, the Red Bulls showed a lack of patience in possession, likely due to too few of players that are comfortable on the ball. Barcelona's star studded line-up danced and passed around the New York players seeming at will.

What I took away from the game:
A) Pietravallo is not looking like a good acquisition.
B) Angel needs help or he'll just be blanketed by opposing defenses.
C) Van den Berg can play with the big boys.
D) Mike Magee and Hunter Freeman didn't even see a minute in a game with additional substitutes being allowed.
E) Bojan Krkic should have become a US citizen.
F) At least Gabriel Cichero is now onboard hopefully spelling my last sights of Andy Boyens and Carlos Mendes this season!

First Round Knockout

2008-08-06T21:19:00.004-04:00

No, team USA is not eliminated from the group phase, but I thought the title was an appropriate summation of a game that was decided in the early moments. Portrait of Passion provides this game report:

"QINHUANGDAO, China (Aug. 6, 2008) – The U.S. Women’s National Team fell to Norway, 2-0, in the first match for both teams at the 2008 Olympics as the Europeans stunned the U.S. with two goals in the first five minutes. The Americans pushed to pull a goal back in the second half, but an organized Norwegian side held on for the victory on a hot and steamy night at the Qinhuangdao Sports Center Stadium.

The loss was just the second-ever for the U.S. women in the Olympics, with the only other loss also coming to Norway in the 2000 Olympic Final in Sydney, Australia.Norway sits atop Group G with three points. Japan came back from a two-goal deficit to tie New Zealand, 2-2, creating a tie for second place with one point each. The USA will face Japan next in a critical match on Saturday, Aug. 9, at 5 a.m. ET live on USA Network and the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel.

"My glass is always half full. For us, it is a new experience to lose a game and the fact we tried to turn around and create some chances in the second half is positive,” said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage, who suffers her first loss as the U.S. head coach. “I'm happy that this is the first game and not the last. We still have two more games to go. We will take the good part of the second half going forward to play against Japan and New Zealand.” Norway’s dream start came in the second minute. After Christie Rampone cleared away a long throw in, Norway captain Ane Stangeland Horpestad swung in a looping cross from the left wing. Lori Chalupny was good position to try to win the header, but U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo charged off her line and collided with Chalupny as Leni Larsen Kaurin got her head to the ball, popping it over both U.S. players and into the empty net.Two minutes later Norway scored again. The goal came after Kate Markgraf played a back pass from the right sideline into the middle of the field, but hit it too softly, and it was picked off in stride by Melissa Wiik who dribbled into the penalty area and curved a fantastic shot inside the left post around Solo.After a few early build-ups and corner kicks, the best chance for the U.S. in the first half came in the 26th minute and was created by midfielder Heather O’Reilly. With the U.S. pressing, O’Reilly dribbled to the end line and cut back a pass that deflected to Carli Lloyd, who touched the ball forward to Angela Hucles, but her curling shot flew over the crossbar. In the 15th minute, Sundhage was forced to make her first substitution as Chalupny departed the match due to a blow to the side of her head in the collision with Solo on the first goal. She was replaced by Stephanie Cox. In the second half, Norway was content to sit back and counter-attack while the U.S. picked up the pressure, eventually firing 20 shots during the game. Norway’s best chance of the second half came in the 49th minute off a free-kick that Marit Christensen flicked just wide of Solo’s right post. Forward Amy Rodriguez came on at halftime replacing Lindsay Tarpley and helped the U.S. build numerous attacks through the final 45 minutes, but the Americans struggled to solve Norway’s defense with the final pass. In the 61st minute, forward Natasha Kai put a shot over the bar from a tight angle and in the 78th Lloyd had a pair of chances denied after her first shot came back to her off a defender.The USA also had two good chances in stoppage time, the first when Hucles hit a blast from outside of the area that would have dipped into the net if not for a great leaping save from Erika Skarbøe. A minute later, Lloyd’s strike from nearly the same spot went just wide of the post.

This was the 44th meeting in a rivalry that dates to 1987, with Norway having more success against the U.S. than any other team. Going into the match the U.S. had won the 10 previous meetings dating to 2002, and the win was the 19th in the series for the Scandinavian side.The game marked the first Olympic appearances for Solo, Chalupny, Lloyd, Kai, Cox, Rodriguez and Tobin Heath, who came on late in the game for Cox. It was also the first Olympic starts for Hucles and O’Reilly. Chalupny is listed as day-to-day for the USA’s next match against Japan.In other Olympic action, Germany and Brazil played to a 0-0 tie in a rematch of the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final. The hosts China were also victorious, surprising No. 3-ranked Sweden 2-1, and are tied for first in Group F with Canada who were 2-1 winners against Argentina."

Check out Portrait of Passion at their MySpace url, http://www.myspace.com/takeapictureofmesmiling for all your US Women's team news.

My Take on Reyna's Retirement

2008-07-31T18:48:00.003-04:00

In what is now quite old news, I will offer up my view on the retirement of a Red Bull New York disappointment, but nonetheless, an American legend. As you likely know by now if you follow MLS, Claudio Reyna has decided to call it quits on his playing career midway through the MLS season. There has been much speculation as to the circumstances of his departure from the team. I hope I can put some of the rumors to rest in this post.

After 27 appearances with the Red Bulls and zero goals to show for his efforts, many were calling for Reyna to bow out with grace and allow the team to move on. While Reyna was certainly disappointing in his return to The States, we should have been more prepared for his statistics. We may have set the bar too high for a player that has been a career stopper and distributor. He wins the ball and makes the pass that maintains possession, and he did that as a Red Bull. Unfortunately in a designated player spot, he was expected to produce season numbers near 5 goals and 10 assists.

It is a difficult way to end a brilliant career, but I think it is far more important to remember all that we loved about Claudio. He was one of the best Americans to ever play the game, and has never been anything but the consumate professional. Many suspected he was more or less forced to retire. He will stay with the team in a lesser capacity to help with player development, and eventually hopes to be a coach. Staying on board does not sound to me like a player who was told to retire. I think Reyna expected better just as many of us did, and still hoped he could live up to expectations. Ultimately the nagging injuries caught up with him and the curtain fell on the final act of one of the more storied players in US history. Best of luck to Claudio as he moves on to the next stage of his life... GO USA!!!

Rhinos Keep Unbeaten Streak Alive!

2008-07-28T08:42:00.003-04:00

With a draw and a win in last weekend's home and home series with Montreal the Rhinos unbeaten streak has soared to 6 in a row. What exactly happened with this team that started off with dismal performance after dismal performance and sank to the league's cellar? As impatient as myself and other fans may be, a big part of it may simply be Tilley's claims that the team was not fully fit and accustomed to playing together early in the year due to the uncertainty surrounding the team prior to this season. Added depth in the defense as players return to health has also been a contributing factor. Most importantly, however, was Tilley's ability to do what the Red Bulls have not, and sign useful players at the right times to lift the team. The signings have brought a new life to a team that was down, and with players returning from injury spirits are high and the team suddenly is in 4th place. What do you make of this change in momentum for the Rhinos? Think they can go on to win it all? The next few matches should be telling, because if the team can maintain consistency in their play they should be right there by season's end.

McBride's Homecoming

2008-07-25T19:22:00.004-04:00

I bet the Toronto fans enjoying their chance to host the All-Star game last night didn't know that commissioner Don Garber was sitting only a few hundred feet away helping draw up the details of screwing TFC over in a trade. Brian McBride will reportedly be joining an already dangerous Chicago Fire attack, and Toronto will receive Chad Barrett, a draft pick and an allocation. That's Brian McBride, one of the most impressive forwards the US has ever produced, for Chad "Can't Even Finish His Lunch" Barrett. When will the MLS improve their rulebook and restrain themselves from tampering "for the good of the league"? Where are all my Real Salt Lake fans that are waiting for Garber to help them circumvent the rules to become a power?

While I Was Away...

2008-07-25T09:42:00.004-04:00

There have been many developments I have missed since my last post. Again I apologize for my absence and plan to be posting with at least some regularity again. For now I am simply posting a brief summary of events from recent weeks.

Rhinos: The Rhinos have been on excellent form of late, going undefeated over their last five league games including recent road victories in Seattle and Minnesota. They now sit at 6-5-6 heading into tonight's home game againt Montreal. The game is scheduled to begin at 8:00.

Red Bulls: The Red Bulls staggered into the all-star game with a draw against LA when Landon Donovan netted a stoppage time goal to square the game at 2-2. Dane Richards was injured in the game and is expected to miss 6 weeks. Jorge Rojas made his debut and looked excellent, assisting on both Red Bull goals (scored by van den Bergh and Angel). Juan Pietravallo also saw his first action late in the game. Gabriel Cichero is expected to join the team shortly on loan, and Diego Jiminez is also expected to be cleared to play with the team in the near future, so expect a new look from the team over the second half of the season.

MLS: The All-Star team defeated West Ham United 3-2 last night with goals from Gomez, Blanco and De Rosario. Dean Ashton provided both West Ham goals. McBride is also expected to be headed to Chicago as it is reported that Toronto and Chicago have reached and agreement.

Olympics: The US announced their roster and the overage players are to be Michael Parkhurst, Brad Guzan and Brian McBride.

My Apologies...

2008-07-10T19:05:00.003-04:00

Sorry to those of you checking back in for the past few days, things have been very busy for me the last several days and will continue to be busy in the near future, but I will do my best to post whenever possible. I thank you for your support and hope to have the office at Soccer the Rochester Way running smoothly ASAP.

Happy 4th of July!!!

2008-07-04T11:25:00.001-04:00

As you can tell, this is a vacation for many in the world of soccer blogging (Ives, SF and Metrofanatic are all easing up on my daily reading for the weeked) and I too will not have much opportunity to post. Here is a little something to get your sense of nationalism going for the day however.

Also don't forget, Red Bulls at Colorado on MSG at 9:30 PM EST (Juan Pablo Angel did travel!) and Rhinos host Whitecaps Saturday night at 7:30 EST.

Red Bulls, Rhinos Bow Out in Open Cup Play

2008-07-02T00:20:00.003-04:00

Alright, I admit it, I didn't follow the Rhinos vs DC United match and can't say much at the moment other than the fact that Marc Burch scored a second half brace to down the Rhinos 2-0 and eliminate them. I will update if I find out more information.

As for the Red Bulls... well, visit Metrofanatic.com if you want a better summary, but I'll use their favorite word for the result... pathetic! Losing 2-0 to a USL-2 side is nothing short of pathetic, but when you consider they had a man advantage for around 60 minutes it just gets worse. Sure many starters didn't play, but what does that say about the depth of the team. Not to mention, unless NY went into this without a care, why would you not have some of your top players at the very least available on the bench. The Red Bulls treated the game like a pre-season scrimmage and played like it, revealing their lack of talent lower in the depth chart.

Who would I like to see win the US Open Cup now? A better question, why didn't my men's league team attempt to enter if we knew we'd get a chance at Red Bull light...

Share your thoughts on these US Open Cup games or any of the others, including the only MLS side other than the bulls to go down, Chivas USA.

Euro Finals: A Look Back

2008-06-30T12:46:00.004-04:00

After some nervous pre-game moments when ABC's broadcast was freezing up on us, the game was presented smoothly to it's viewers (a number that ESPN/ABC had to be impressed with throughout the tournament, but I'll get into that more in a later post). Spain started the first few minutes strong, followed by a 10 minute stretch of better possession for the the Germans. After that, Spain took control for the remainder of the half. Fernando Torres came close on a header that had goalkeeper Jens Lehmann beaten, but the ball struck the post and was cleared from danger. The Spanish fans would not be forced to wait long, however, as Torres outhustled Philip Lahm and lifted the ball over an onrushing Lehmann to find the side netting just inside the far post in the 33rd minute. The 1 goal advantage would be all Spain would need to wrap up it's first European title in 44 years. Germany had a stretch where they looked dangerous in the second half, and came close when Casillas just beat Kuranyi to a high ball, but the final 20 minutes or so belonged to Spain as they killed the game comfortably. I think it would be fair to say Spain missed David Villa a bit, and Michael Ballack did not appear to be functioning at warp speed for Germany. After such an exciting tournament I'd venture to say the final was a bit of a letdown, however the excite was upheld by the fact that the score remained close and the trophy was on hand. I think Spain looked better and had a great tournament, so congratulations to a deserved champion. Germany too should be proud of their efforts, far surpassing the low expectations many had for them at the conclusion of the group stage.

Euro Final

2008-06-29T12:17:00.004-04:00

We now stand just one DC United vs LA Galaxy game away from the big showdown. I must say it was an intelligent decision by Garber and the MLS to showcase the league to fans that may watch soccer, but not so much MLS. A handful of people will at least catch the end when they are getting settled in for the Euro final and others will watch the whole game because of Donovan and Beckham. I'll pick a 2-2 draw in the MLS game.

As we near the Germany-Spain showdown, it is being rumored that Michael Ballack will in fact give it a go despite the calf injury. How effective will he be? On can only guess, but perhaps being in the starting 11 even at 90 percent would be enough to stabilize the midfield and maintain the confidence of his teammates. Everyone seems to like Spain to win this but I'm not so sure. I have been picking Spain 2-1, but Germany will be difficult to break down. Spain tends to be patient on offense to find the holes in a defense, but Germany's defense prevents many holes from opening up, and will defend with just as much patience. As I type this DC United has gone on top of the Galaxy 1-0 on a Jaime Moreno spot kick. So let's have it, who do you think will win either of today's games? Who will you be rooting for, and where will you be watching? For me I'll be watching in the comfort of my home today, and I'll be wearing a Germany jersey!

Rhinos vs Battery Running Commentary

2008-06-28T19:20:00.037-04:00

Final: The Rhinos fall 3-1 and remain winless on the road. After giving up 2 quick goals, the red card to Loera made the rest of this match a bit of a foregone conclusion as asking for a multi-goal comeback a man down is quite a lofty task. The Battery have swept the season series with the Rhinos. The Rhinos must now hope to get more players fit to play and look forward to their US Open Cup match against DC United.

90th: GOAL: Rhinos get a late consolation goal to cut the lead to 3-1. Ze Roberto puts it in and the assist is from Kreamalmeyer.

84th: Sembaluk also in for Salles, and Lester More (the famous Cuban defection that was the star of their team) is on for Randi Patterson for the Battery.

83rd: Vallow with a save to prevent further damage. JP Reyes and Rey Martinez are ready to come into the game. Menyongar and Earls are coming out.

80th: GOAL: 3-0 Battery, King with a chip under the crossbar.

77th: The Rhinos have calmed down again on attack, and look like they may be finished for the night. It is a very hot night in Charleston to be playing a man down.

72nd: Salles with a nice side volley on frame, but the shot is saved.

70th: Rhinos show a little life as Salles gets behind the defense, but his ball across to Delicate is just out of reach and harmlessly rolls out for a goal kick.

68th: In MLS action right now, the New England Revs lead Toronto FC 2-0 on a pair of Steve Ralston goals 62 minutes in, Colombus and Colorado are tied at 1-1 60 minutes in, and Kansas City and Real Salt Lake are tied 0-0 at halftime.

65th: Corner to the Battery as Vallow knocks a dangerous ball out of play. Vallow punches the corner clear.

61st: Alright, I admit it, I'm losing interest rapidly here. Battery is withstanding the Rhinos light attack to this point, and seems content with their current advantage. They aren't taking many chances at this point, and the Rhinos aren't creative enough themselves. This all combines for very little excitement so far.

51st: Rhinos substitution, Delicate on for Milward. Definitely a sub made with trying to get a goal in mind.

46th: The second half has begun, let's see what tactical adjustments the Rhinos will make.

Halftime: Just when I thought things were bad enough when the Battery scored twice in quick succession, Loera took Patterson down on a breakaway and the Rhinos were reduced to 10 men. Charleston is certainly in control up 2-0, and can play patiently and make the Rhinos chase in the second half. Can the Rhinos rally from behind with a man down like the Railhawks did at Paetec? Count me as one vote for "I doubt it".

42nd: Dangerous free kick now just outside the box. A nice shot goes just wide and spares the Rhinos further frustrations.

41st: Red Card: Loera takes down Patterson from behind and gets a straight red. The Rhinos now must fight from behind with a man less on the field.

39th: This may go without saying after giving up 2 quick goals, but this recent 10 minute stretch or so has really been bad for the Rhinos, the few times they do have the ball they seem panicked and they try to force. They need to hold the ball better even if they aren't scoring just to alleviate the pressure.

34th: GOAL: 2-0... wow! A free kick is sent to the far post and Patterson gets enough on it to score.

32nd: GOAL: 1-0 Battery. Armstrong fires just inside the post, beating Scott Vallow.

30th: Vallow turns a shot over the crossbar, corner for the Battery. The Rhinos clear easily.

26th: Can't say there has been a great deal of excitement in the early going here, but I will say I've been impressed with the Rhinos in transition. They've shown they can go from defending the attacking very quickly with quick passing, and may be able to take advantage with the counterattack.

20th: Still 0-0, Guppy setting up another 35 yarder. The big defenders are up, Millward shoots on goal but a great save keeps the Rhinos off the board.

15th: Vallow missed on a punch attempt from a corner kick, but the Battery head the ball wide.

10th: Battery on the attack, but Patterson is offsides.

7th: Neither team has settled in much, possession has been very back and forth. Free kick from about 35 yards out for the Rhinos now. Guppy is setting it up. The ball to the back post is headed out for a Rhinos corner. Salles connects but fires wide.

1st: The have kicked off, here we go! Don't forget about Randi Patterson for the Battery, who can be dangerous. He was a Red Bull reserve last year.

Pre-game: Rhino starters are Vallow, Kreamalmeyer, Loera, Palguta, Earls, Guppy, Menyongar, Ze Roberto, Salles and Milward.

Pre-game: John Ball is still suspended so he won't see action today, and Nate Craft picked up a knock against Pittsburgh and will not start today. He may see limited action later in the match. Bonseu is also out as he is still with the Uganda national team.

Ballack in Doubt for Final

2008-06-28T19:12:00.004-04:00

We already know that Spain will not have the services of David Villa when they take the field tomorrow against Germany. What German fans will not like to hear, however, is that Michael Ballack is being called doubtful for the final after sustaining a calf injury that has kept him out of training. What kind of impact should we expect this to have on the game? Well it takes a very skilled player out of the midfield for Germany as they face a skilled Spanish midfield that utilizes 5 midfielders. I would expect the possession balance to be tilted towards Spain if Ballack cannot go. Additionally it will force lineup adjustments including possibly sliding Bastian Schweinstieger into Ballack's spot, which takes away his freedom on the sidelines. This is really a nightmare for Germany who will have to be considered the underdogs for sure now. I'll have my Germany jersey on and I'll be pulling for them, but unless they can defend comfortably and score against the run of play it might be a disappointing final for the Deutschland. Be prepared in case when you see Ballack tomorrow he is dressed as shown above and not in uniform.

Rhinos in Charleston Tonight

2008-06-28T15:08:00.002-04:00

The Rochester Rhinos will be at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston tonight to take on the Battery. The 2nd place Battery have been difficult to beat at home with only one loss at Blackbaud on the year (5-1-2 home, 6-3-3 overall) while the Rhinos who currently sit in the cellar with 11 points have yet to win on the road (0-3-3 road, 2-4-5 overall). They will look to continue their strong form in the attack to try to change their fortunes in the league standings. An offense that really had struggled to produce in the early going has now scored 3 goals in 3 straight matches (counting US Open Cup play) and may be ready to help provide a move up the standings. The game is scheduled for a 7:35 EST kickoff, and you can follow along with the running commentary here.

This Weekend's Soccer on TV

2008-06-28T00:48:00.002-04:00

This weekend will obviously be highlighted by the Euro 2008 Final at 2:45 Sunday afternoon, however there will be other games to catch to help get into soccer mode leading up to Sunday.
This weekend's action includes:

MLS- Colorado at Colombus, Saturday @ 7:30 EST (Fox Soccer Channel). The Crew at 2nd in the East look to win at home following a 3 goal performance in LA after a bit of a dry spell. Colorado lists Pablo Mastroeni, Christian Gomez and Jose Burciaga Jr. all as questionable for this match. I love Colombus at home here, and I'll go with 3-1.

NY Red Bulls at Chivas USA, Saturday @ 10:30 EST (MSG). The Red Bulls look to continue their good form from recent matches despite their lack of stars. Angel will still be missing, and Reyna is unlikely to return for this match, but a team that has put forth the total team effort in their past 3 matches (counting a friendly against Chivas Guadalajara) will look to continue their inspired play. Chivas USA will also be missing key players, including Alecko Eskandarian and Maykel Galindo. I like a 1-1 draw in this match.

LA Galaxy at DC United, Sunday @ noon EST (ABC). The match that leads you into the Euro finals should feature plenty of offense. David Beckham and a red hot Landon Donovan (and do I dare say a red hot Edson Buddle?) go into DC to take on a United team that is really on a role with Luciano Emilio suddenly playing like an MVP again. I'll choose a 2-2 draw here.

Euro 2008:

Germany vs. Spain, Sunday @ 2:45 EST (ABC). We now know Germany will face Spain in the final after Germany knocked off Turkey with the last goal in a series of late goals to win 3-2, and Spain dominated Russia 3-0. We also know that David Villa will not be available for Spain. Spain has several skill players in the attack, and we can expect Cesc Fabregas to get the start now. They feature a patient build-up with many options, but Germany features a disciplined enough side to stick with Spain. Spain has looked great, but I like Germany in big time games like this. This is a very difficult one to call, and my brain says Spain but my heart says Germany (yes, I'm Irish and German). Germany 2, Spain 1.

Share your thoughts below on these matches or any of the non-televised MLS matches.

Rhinos Down Pittsburgh, Advance in US Open Cup

2008-06-24T22:49:00.001-04:00

The Rhinos won in convincing fashion tonight in front of the home crowd by a score of 3-0. The final scoreline makes for encouraging viewing, combining a multi goal game with a shutout from the defense. More to come later.

Rhinos Host Pittsburgh Tonight, 7:30

2008-06-24T12:17:00.002-04:00

After managing to get by RWB Adria in the first round of the US Open Cup, the Rhinos earned the right to host their second round game against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds tonight. Pittsburgh is in the cellar of the USL-2 division, winless so far with 7 losses and 4 draws. Averaging less than a goal a game, scoring has been a problem, so look for the Rhinos to try to limit their opportunities and in doing so make a one or two goal effort for themselves stand up for a win tonight. US Open Cup is getting into full swing with the big boys of the MLS joining the competition and the smaller clubs being eliminated. The Rhinos will not survive long with efforts like the previous nailbiter against RWB Adria, so they will have to elevate their play. I will be interested if they advance to see them play an MLS side and discover if they play to the level of competition (like they played down to Adria). Kick-off is set for 7:30 PM EST at Paetec Park. Are you going to the game? Care less about US Open Cup than league play? Share your thoughts

McBride back to Chicago?

2008-06-23T23:23:00.002-04:00

In what has been one of the most widely speculated moves for the MLS, Brian McBride appears set to rejoin the MLS and it is no secret that he would love to play in his hometown and that Chicago would of course love a player of his caliber to pair with the playmaking skills of Blanco. Standing in the way is Toronto, who stands to inherit the rights to McBride if he signs with MLS. The ensuing trade talks has of course led to Toronto wanting multiple players and Chicago offering a ham sandwich and telling Toronto to be nice guys and let McBride play in his hometown. In what seemed like a stalemate, the most recent development reported is that a deal has been struck between the two sides, awaiting only a final approval from the league office. The supposed deal would said disgruntled defender Wilman Conde, a conditional draft pick and a partial allocation to Toronto in exchange for Chicago gaining the right to sign McBride. The deal makes sense and I think would be reasonable for both sides. Chicago gets a major impact forward that would immediately push them to my favorite to win the championship this year, where Toronto gets the younger talent in Conde, also filling a position of need for Toronto, as well as the draft pick and allocation for future players. I think this could well be true because it sounds to me like a Mo Johnson type of trade. Think this is the real deal this time an McBride will be wearing Fire red in the near future? Too afraid to bite just? Personally I this makes too much sense to me for it to be just another rumor, and I expect McBride will in fact be heading to Chicago, which as a Red Bull fan makes me cringe... Share your thoughts below... Happy for McBride, happy for the league, angry fan from another team in the East? Let us know

This Weekend's Soccer

2008-06-22T12:31:00.003-04:00

After a long list of soccer action, I am left feeling smarter than usual. I told many people I thought Russia would have a good chance against the Netherlands side, and they proved me right. I'll admit I didn't see that kind of domination coming, but I didn't think the Dutch would run away with it. While I know the scoreline doesn't reflect that it was an overtime game that obviously remained close until the end, what impressed my most was the quality of chances Russia generated. Nearly all the opportunies from the run of play belonged to Russia, with the Dutch typically only presenting danger on set pieces. I wish these teams hadn't played until semis as they both play a fun style to watch, and I think either could have knocked off some other teams (see Italy). In any event, after today's Italy vs Spain we'll know what the semis will look like. Spain does not have history on their side, but I like them to win today. They just have too good of a team to be knocked out today I feel. Cassano is said to be pairing with Luca Toni again (that sound you hear is a groan from Italian fans), but that said even with the typically boring Cassano, Luca Toni will face a rather small back four against Spain and may take advantage in the air.

On Saturday night, the New York Red Bulls scored early and held on for a 1-0 win over FC Dallas. Kevin Goldthwaite got a backpost header, then had to leave almost right away with BOTH hamstrings strained. New York defended well, Jon Conway had 1 nice save, and the one goal proved to be enough. Impressive for New York was their ability to possess the ball and make Dallas chase in the late stages of the game. Without JPA we knew goals would be scarce, but the Red Bulls controlled most of the game and limited the FC Dallas opportunities.

In other MLS action Toronto tied Kansas City 0-0, Colorado tied Houston 0-0, Real Salt Lake knocked off New England 2-1 and LA Galaxy and Colombus tied at 3. The on fire Landon Donovan added 2 more goals to his season tally. DC United hosts San Jose at 3 PM EST today.

For those of you thinking perhaps Belize would pull the shocker and eliminate Mexico following Mexico's rather meak 2-0 win in the first leg, Mexico finally flexed their muscles in a 7-0 drubbing to advance with the 9-0 aggregate advantage. The United States are in Barbados for their second leg today at 2:55 PM EST on ESPN Classic. They will sport a greatly adjusted roster so they can get a look at other players. They must stay within 7 goals of Barbados to hang on...

Rhinos and Railhawks Draw

2008-06-20T23:23:00.002-04:00

The Rhinos played to a draw at home tonight to move to 2-4-5 in league play. They struck first almost immediately, when Menyongar played Mauricio Salles in and he was taken down in the box. Salles stepped up and converted the penalty in the 4th minute for the 1-0 lead. The Railhawk defender (former Rhino Sanfilippo) was shown a straight red for the challenge, and the Rhinos knew they would have a man advantage for the length of the game. It also set the stage for a very physical game. The Railhawks tied the game in the 17th minute when a clearing attempt was blocked and Carolina's Santiago Fusilier calmly slotted the ball home. Matthew Watson added a 2nd goal for the Railhawks later in the first half on a ball played in behind the defense. Despite the early goal and the man advantage, the Rhinos stared at a 2-1 defecit heading toward halftime. Shortly before the half, however, Delicate headed a cross down for Scott Palguta who hammered in home to draw even at 2 for halftime. The Rhinos took the lead on an own goal in the 2nd half when Danny Earls corner kick was deflected just over the goal line. In the 90th minute Jamil Walker, formerly of DC United, and back even further formerly of McQuaid High School, nearly tied the game at 3 for Carolina, but he fired just high. Caleb Norkus headed home a cross in stoppage time to manage a draw for the Carolina club. For a team that started so slowly, a point is acceptable in most circumstances for the Rhinos, but to falter when given an early lead and a man advantage is not commendable. The additions of new players probably plays a role in the team organization as they get more used to playing together, but based on tonight's match alone, I would say the 3-3 draw at home qualifies as the glass being half empty.

Turkey to Meet Germany in Semis

2008-06-20T23:16:00.002-04:00

Wow! I can't think of another word here. 118 minutes without a goal scored, then Croatia seems to seal the win with a last minute goal, only to see Turkey score in about the last second of overtime to send it to penalties, where Croatia chokes big time. What an awful way to lose, if you are a Croatian fan, well... sorry! I would like to say Germany should look good to win that semifinal, but I can't say anything against Turkey just yet, they play with a ton of heart and never fold, at least to this point. Their diminutive captain Nihat seems to embody the spirit of the entire team with his drive and desire.

I do expect to be with you tomorrow during the Netherlands vs Russia match, at least to do occasional updates. I expect a better game there than many think, as Russia with Arshavin is a different team as we have recently witnessed, and while I like the Netherlands to win tomorrow, I think their defense will be vulnerable. Don't forget the match tomorrow will be on ABC.

Soccer Roundup

2008-06-20T11:38:00.002-04:00

Good morning everyone, this will be my only post of the day at least until later tonight, as I will be away much of the day. I just wanted to post a few updates to the soccer world.

In last night's MLS action, first of all I lied, no players were away for international duty yet. Blame MLS.com's information as that is where I got it from. In any event Chivas USA scored a pair of first half goals before Nagamura was sent off for a foolish second yellow right before the half. They managed to hold on for the 2-0 win as the Chicago Fire, and in particular Chad Barett, were a nightmare when it came to finishing. Sacha Kljestan opened of the scoring and Justin Braun added the second. Ante Razov received an assist on both goals.

The United States women, following a 1-0 win over Brazil, knocked off Italy 2-0 on a pair of Wambach goals to advance to the finals of the Peace Cup where they will face Canada late tonight/early tomorrow starting at 1 AM EST.

The Manchester United/Real Madrid battle continues as Cristiano Ronaldo admitted it is a dream of his to play for Real Madrid. Manchester United made it clear they are not entertaining offers. Will they eventually give in to his wishes?

The Rhinos play at Paetec Park tonight, where they face the Carolina Railhawks. Can they build on their most recent 3-0 win over the Whitecaps?

Lastly, todays Euro quarterfinal pits Croatia against Turkey. The Turkish team may be riding an emotional high after reaching the quarterfinals against all odds. Or they may plain be tired, today we will see. Remember the Turks will be playing without their starting keeper who was sent off previously. What do I expect? I think the Croatian team has the better players and is playing confidently right now. I like Croatia to win 2-1 (I'll give Turkey a goal in a come from behind bid) and set up a great rematch against Germany in the semis.

Germany vs Portugal

2008-06-19T13:59:00.006-04:00

The Euro 2008 quarterfinals get underway today when Germany and Portugal square off on ESPN. Coverage starts at 2:30 EST, with a 2:45 kick-off expected. As in all the matchups from now on, this should be a great one. It features the dynamic attack of Portugal against the disciplined, patient approach of Germany. Many like Portugal in this game, but I like Germany to win, but this could go beyond regular time easily. I will not be doing a running commentary on this but will post halftime and postgame thoughts on here. Anyone following along feel free to post game events in the comments section. If you have no outlet to follow along, try ESPN360.com. Today I'll throw the ladies a bone with a shirtless picture of Cristiano.

Final: It's Germany who has held on and will advance to the semi-finals. They added a goal from Ballack, then Postiga came on and drew a goal back for Portugal late, but Germany weathered the storm to get the win. They now will get their rematch with Croatia if they can take care of business tomorrow against Turkey.

Half: Through the first 45 Germany leads Portugal 2-1. Each team has shown moments, but Portugal didn't use theirs well enough early on. Germany got off to a 2-0 lead by succeeding in quickly transitioning from defending to attacking, and Schweinsteiger got them on the board then Klose added the second. Nuno Gomes finished the rebound of a Ronaldo shot to get Portugal back in it. There is plenty of action, and either team could still very well take the result here and move forward.

Greece Athlete of the Year: TBA Tonight

2008-06-19T13:01:00.005-04:00

At tonight's banquet at the Greece Town Hall, Brad Shelofsky and Jessica Shufelt will be announced the male and female Athlete of the Year, respectively. This honor is awarded after a vote by coaches in the district. Each high school (Arcadia, Athena, Odyssey and Olympia) nominate their best, and this year there were plenty of great choices. Brad and Jessica made themselves stand out from the pack for a variety of reasons.

Brad Shelofsky will be graduating from Greece Athena this year after representing his school in all three sport seasons this year. Brad was the team captain and MVP for the soccer team in the fall season, and the senior defender helped lead Athena to the sectional semi-finals with a record of 10-3-5. From the backline Brad still led the team in assists on the season. His efforts were recognized by the league as he was a First Team AGR selection and was selected to the Sectional Tournament Team for his continued success in the post-season. In the winter Brad moved on to the basketball court, where he again displayed his positive leadership in the role of team captain. Again the team MVP, Brad helped his team in a playmaker role, leading them in assists and sending them to a league title and sectional semi-final birth. For his efforts he was recognized as Second Team All-County. In the spring season Brad was a doubles player for the tennis team and helped them to their deepest sectional run in 11 years. With all his athletic commitments Mr. Shelofsky has still managed to shine in the classroom, earning a 4.2 GPA. Brad will graduate with Valedictory honors.

Jessica Shufelt will soon be a graduate of Arcadia but she is not likely to be forgotten by the school in the near future. Jessica was a starter on the varsity basketball team and earned Second Team All-County honors. Basketball is a great sport... but now, soccer! The 2007 New York State Player of the Year has led her team to two sectional titles and a state championship which was in her senior year. Oh yeah, she scored the winning goal. After leading Monroe County in scoring for three straight seasons, she holds the Greece Arcadia record for goals scored. She has also been on the high honor roll all through high school. Jessica has been named a top 75 college recruit for women's soccer by Soccer Buzz Magazine, and has represented her country against the likes of Brazil and Holland. Don't forget her name as you will be likely to hear more from this young woman in the near future!

Congratulations to Brad and Jessica, and best of luck to them as they continue on past their high school careers. Brad will attend RPI and continue his soccer career, as will Jessica at UCONN, where they will no doubt both be successful.

Thursday Night MLS

2008-06-19T12:51:00.002-04:00

Tonight's MLS action gets kicked off at 10:30 PM EST on ESPN 2 when Chivas USA play host to the Chicago Fire, who have embarrassed some a team or two on their home field this season. At the Home Depot Center don't be shocked to see a Blanco fan or two, particularly sporting his Mexico jersey. Both teams will be seeking to end 2 game skids so the motivation should be high in each camp. Chivas will be without Eskandarian and Galindo in the offense due to injury, and will be missing Brad Guzan, their regular in the nets, due to his national team duty. Gonzalo Segares will also be away from the Fire as he is with Costa Rica. I would pick the Fire for an away win here, but wonder if any players are effected knowing at least one starter is likely to be heading to Toronto shortly to open the door for acquiring Brian McBride. I'll go with a 1-1 draw.

Red Bulls vs Revolution

2008-06-18T18:33:00.003-04:00

For the MLS fans out there, don't forget the New York Red Bulls are in New England tonight at 7:30. The game will be on MSG Plus. Hard to know what to make of this game being that each team is missing key players. For New York, we of course know that Jozy is gone. Out of action tonight will be Claudio Reyna (to the surprise of few), Juan Pablo Angel and Jeff Parke. Osorio hopes to give Parke some well deserved rest and shake up a lineup that was miserable against DC. Look for Magee and Ubiparipovic to start as well as Oscar Echeverry up top. Chris Megaloudis may also see his first MLS minutes tonight as he is back from his national team with Puerto Rico. New England on the other hand, is without Twellman due to injury as well as Shalrie Joseph and Khano Smith who are away for World Cup qualifying. Ralston and Dube still put fear in my heart as a Red Bull fan, and I don't think we'll see a sudden turnaround without a healthy team and hopefully reinforcements in the trade window. 3-0 New England. Your thoughts/predictions?

UPDATE: The Red Bulls earned a point on the road by scoring first off a nice Seth Stammler volley from a Dave Van den Berg cross. They looked the better team for much of the game, but Steve Ralston equalized in the 79th, then New York scrambled the final minutes to hold onto the draw. In the other MLS game of the night, Real Salt Lake and San Jose tied 0-0 with Real Salt Lake unable to take advantage of an extended man advantage after Jason Hernandez of the Earthquakes was sent off just before halftime for a second yellow. San Jose was outshot an incredible 24-7, but RSL mostly failed to shoot on frame.

Final Day of the Group Stage

2008-06-18T14:31:00.028-04:00

We will learn very shortly that last of the 8 teams that will compete in the quarterfinals at Euro 2008. Today is the last day of play for Group D, and it features one meaningless game and one that means everything to the teams involved. Spain takes on Greece as Greece plays for pride, but this match features the formally eliminated Greeks and the confirmed group winners. The other match, which I will be following intently, features Russia and Sweden. The winner of this match will move on the the quarterfinals. Sweden may also advance with a draw. Sweden has looked good and Zlatan Ibrahimovic is always dangerous. Look out for Russia however, who will be getting back their star player, Andrei Arshavin. Post your thoughts if you are following along.

Running Commentary (Sweden vs Russia):

Final: Russia has won 2-0 and will be the final team to move on to the quarterfinals. Sweden will be disappointed, but the scoreline may well have been worse. Russia was very dangerous looking all day, and may manage an upset if they continue this form now that Arshavin is back. Spain has scored late to beat Greece 2-1 and go a perfect 3-0 so far. Check back later as I post the quarterfinal matchups and see if you can pick the winners.

90th: We have 3 minutes of stoppage left.

87th: Russia on the attack again, they are certain to go through now. Guus Hiddink has once again waved his magic wand and brought success to a national team.

82nd: Time is running out on Sweden here. They are spending time defending when they need to get goals. Russia is close again as Sweden's marking has become awful.

80th: Russia comes close again hitting the post and chaos ensures in front of the goal. Eventually an offsides call ends the action.

76th: Dangerous free kick coming up for Sweden, looks like it may be Ibrahimovic. Around 30 yards out. His shot is well off target.

71st: Spain has tied their game 1-1 with a goal from De La Red.

67th: Arshavin held up, not a huge foul but it was the last defender which could have been trouble. The ref lets it go.

62nd: Corner for Sweden, they come close but the header goes high. That was a good chance to get back in this game.

52nd: I must say these goals today have been absolutely fabulous, anyone wanting to learn attacking soccer should study the buildup for the two goals Russia has to this point.

50th: GOAL: 2-0 Russia!!! What a goal! Fabulous sequence leads to an Arshavin goal, and Sweden is in trouble.

46th: The second half has begun. Russia with some early possession.

Halftime: Russia leads 1-0, but Sweden ends the half more positively and will look to build on that in the second half. If things stay this way Russia moves on, but remember, Sweden will only need to come away with a draw to send themselves into the final 8.

44th: Corner to Sweden after Ljungberg's shot is saved, suddenly Sweden is looking much better. Greece has just taken a 1-0 lead on Spain courtesy of a goal from Charisteas.

36th: Some more great stuff and Pavlyuchenko hits the crossbar/post at the upper corner.

35th: Corner for Russia, their 5th so far. They've certainly looked strong today.

27th: Sweden comes close to getting it back as Old Man Henrik makes himself dangerous.

24th: GOAL: Russia gets the first goal and leads 1-0. A nice passing sequence shreds Swedens defense and Pavlyuchenko one times it in from around the penalty spot.

15th: Russia is slowing things down and putting together a nice buildup. Not much from it, but Russia looks good here.

7th: If the first few moments belonged to the Sweden side, Russia has owned the last few minutes. That said there have been no scoring chances for either team in the early going.

1st: And we're underway, look for Russia to force the tempo early as they know they must win, anything less will see Sweden through

Pre-game: We're nearing kickoff, Arshavin of course is in the starting 11 for Russia. Russia is lining up in a 3-5-2, while Sweden will go 3 up top in a 4-3-3. Off the topic of this game, Greece gets to play Spain's backups today... those backups include Cesc Fabregas, Pepe Reina and Xabi Alonso.

Sorting Out Group C

2008-06-17T12:58:00.046-04:00

So here we sit, about an hour and a half from the final group stage matches in Group C. All we know is that the Netherlands will be moving on. Who would have thought we could see France and Italy eliminated today? And Romania, the team most overlooked in this group, is in decent position to indeed advance and knock out France and Italy. My opinion is that the way France and Italy have played to date merits their elimination. They are both great teams, but neither has truly shown it to this point. That is why today they will each have one more chance, this time against each other, to show why they deserve to move on. Romania will face a Dutch team that knows it is has secured their place, and will rest several key players. A Romania win will get them in, as would a draw if the France/Italy game also ends in a draw. With a Romania loss and a France/Italy draw, goal differential would come into play. As for France and Italy, either of them are eliminated with a loss, and a win or draw would have them checking the scoreboard to see what Romania does. Who do you think will wind up advancing? I will do my best to maintain updates on both games the best I can. I will be watching the France/Italy game and will offer a running commentary, and will insert updates on the other game as much as I can.

France vs Italy, Running Commentary:

Final: Italy has defeated France 2-0 behind goals from Pirlo and De Rossi to seal their place in the quarterfinals, combined with Romania's 2-0 loss. Italy finally gets a win and can look to build as the competition goes on, and the Netherlands continue to roll even without some starters, going 3-0 in the group stage with an impressive 9 goals for and only 1 against. Share your thoughts on these matches below. We have one day left to finish our quarterfinal brackets.

90th: 3 minutes of stoppage time to seperate us from the inevitable.

88th: GOAL: It's almost a certainty now, the Italians will be joining the Dutch as the top two in the "Group of Death" to move on. Netherlands has now gone ahead 2-0 on a Van Persie goal.

87th: Petre on for Nicolida as Romania makes one last hopeful push.

78th: Chivu has collected a yellow for Romania, the first card of that game.

74th: Buffon's fingertips keep Benzema from scoring.

72nd: Yellow card to Boumsong. Netherlands and Romania have not altered there scoreline, as Romania still stares at a 1-0 defecit. Dica on for Codrea to give Romania some fresh legs.

66th: Wow, Toni appeared to be in on goal and Evra ran him down with ease. Anelka on for Govou to try to spark France. Kuyt on for Arjen Robben in the other match.

62nd: GOAL: Italy goes ahead 2-0. De Rossi's free kick goes off Henry's foot and past Coupet. This may have closed the door on France, I think at this point there is a better chance of Romania scoring twice on the Dutch than France has of scoring two down a man here.

61st: Daniel Niculae in for Marius Niculae for Romania over in that game.

55th: Ambrosini on for Pirlo.

55th: The Netherlands have just scored a goal to take a 1-0 lead on Romania. Huntelaar is the goalscorer, and now things will be difficult for Romania, needing to score a goal and have France score a goal, or score 2 themselves.

54th: Yellow to Gattuso, who also will now have to sit alongside Pirlo if Italy does move on.

50th: We're back underway and Benzema just came close, firing a bit wide on a volley. Moments ago Govou picked up a yellow card.

Halftime: Netherlands and Romania are already into the halftime break, and the game is tied at 0-0. There have been no substitutions or yellow card so there is little to report there. The second may be more interesting as Romania will see Italy leading with a man advantage and realize a goal may be necessary. And we're at halftime for France and Italy as well, and France has managed to get through down only the one goal. Chiellini picked up a yellow in stoppage time as well. It will be interesting to see how their tactics will change for the second half. If the scores stand up through another 45, it would be Italy who advance.

44th: De Rossi with some nice work to earn Italy a dangerous set piece. Looks like Pirlo, maybe Grosso also. Wow, Grosso hits the far post, and France clears the ball. Now Pirlo gives a foul that earns him a yellow and a suspension for the next game if Italy does advance.

38th: Here's a dangerous free kick for France, good angle about 26 yards out. Benzema and Henry over it. It's Benzema but he hits the wall then fires wide on the rebound.

34th: Henry comes close dribbling in on the right and firing just wide of the far post.

30th: Toni is looking very dangerous now, can France make it to the half without conceding again? At this point Netherlands and Romania are still at 0-0.

26th: Inserted just 16 minutes ago, Nasri will come off before I get much of a look at him. With the red card to Abidal they needed another defender, and Boumsong is in.

25th: Pirlo to take it. GOAL: 1-0 Italy. Pirlo's spot kick is well taken to the upper left corner giving Coupet no chance. Can France recover or is this just what Italy needed to take control?

24th: Wow!!! Penalty!!! Abidal is sent off with a red card for being the last man back and taking down Luca Toni in the box. A light foul but definitely a foul, no choice for the ref there.

22nd: My apologies, forgot to mention it was Nasri who came on for the injured Ribery. I love the sub although I didn't expect it. Nasri is a great young player with some quality on the ball.

18th: Some back and forth play with neither team managing any real chances, through 18 minutes Romania and Netherlands remain deadlocked at zero as well. Patrice Evra being booked for a tackle on Cassano now.

12th: Interesting that we have a rematch of the World Cup Final without Zidane or Materazzi.

11th: Corner to Italy. Panucci with a nice hearder saved by Coupet.

10th: It doesn't look good, he's off on a stretcher and I wouldn't expect him back, look for Malouda to come on as Ribery appears to be in serious pain and may be out awhile. Through 10 minutes both matches stand at 0-0.

8th: Ribery has a problem, looks like the calf. Not a good sign at all for France.

4th: Luca Toni comes close on a misplayed long ball, but he hits it first time and fires wide. It seemed he had time for something better there.

4th: France looks the more dangerous in the first few minutes, earning two corners so far but producing nothing off of them. I doubt I have to even say this at this point, but again... the field is quite wet.

1st: We're underway in Zurich, what a great crowd for both sides today.

Pre-game: As expected, Netherlands will have major changes in the other match. Dirk Kuyt, van Nistlerooy, Van der Vaart, Van Bronckhortst, Van der Saar, and Wesley Sneijder will all be on the bench. With Huntelaar and Van Persie up front with Arjen Robben in behind them the Dutch still will have some strength to their offense. Romania will of course be anchored in the back by Cristian Chivu, and Mutu will be looking to erase the bad memory of his penalty that wasn't to be.

Pre-game: Cassano will start up top for Italy along with Luca Toni. De Rossi, Pirlo, Gattuso and Perrotta make up the midfield while Chiellini, Grosso, Zambrotta, Panucci and of course Buffon make up the back. For France it will be Benzema pairing with Thierry Henry in the attack, a midfield featuring Makelele, Govou, Ribery and Toulalan, with Clerc, Evra, Abidal and Gallas making up the back four. Coupet mans the net.
Pre-game: There has been a good deal of talk that Cassano may well start today for Italy.

Euro Update

2008-06-16T22:24:00.002-04:00

With groups A and B completing their play, we now know a good deal about who will be on to the quarterfinals. In Group A Portugal wins the group, and Turkey will also advance with their crazy comeback against the Czech Republic, who along with Switzerland will be all done. In Group B Croatia emphatically claims the group, winning all three matches including todays against Poland 1-0. Germany will also move on courtesy of their 1-0 win over Austria today. This of course leaves Poland and Austria out. In Group C we know the Netherlands have won the group, but tomorrow's play will be worth following with Romania, France and Italy all alive to move on. Romania may have the edge, a point up on France and Italy and also facing a Netherlands side expected to rest some starters. In Group D Spain has clinched the group, and Russia and Sweden will be left to battle it out for the final place in the quarterfinals. So as we stand now the quarterfinals include:
Portugal
Turkey
Croatia
Germany
Netherlands
Spain
Russia/Sweden
Romania/France/Italy

Tomorrow's games will be played simultaneously, with Romania vs the Netherlands on ESPN Classic at 2:30 PM EST, and France vs Italy on ESPN at the same time. Share your thoughts on the matches and vote for who you think will go through.

US Hangs on at Home Depot Center...

2008-06-15T23:19:00.007-04:00

The United States opened World Cup Qualifying with an emphatic 8-0 win over Barbados. It was the greatest margin of victory ever for a United States Men's team. Credit has to be given to Barbados before I go into goal summary. They showed pride in playing for their nation, and while many of their players are domestic products, and in Barbados there is no pro league meaning they are mostly amateurs, yet unlike many countries did not resort to nasty fouls and cheap dives when things went bad for them. For many of their players the United States game was the biggest of their lives. They came, they played hard and kept their heads high despite what was by all accounts a beatdown. Now from the US perspective, handling this game so easily was a bit of a statement for them after scheduling such difficult friendlies in advance of qualifyers. Other teams that were heavily favored didn't produce such results (see Mexico 2, Belize 0 including a stoppage time penalty for Mexico). Allowing some players who had been in goal scoring slumps to get on the score sheet should help build confidence for when qualifying games get more difficult. Clint Dempsey opened the scoring less than a minute in and scored later for a brace. Brian Ching's hat trick was reduced to a brace when it became clear one of his was in fact an own goal by Barbados. Eddie Johnson came on as a sub and nearly immediately scored with a well placed header. Landon Donovan scored catching the keeper setting a wall as he sent the free kick in early. Eddie Johnson scored a goal for the United States. Michael Bradley got a goal after a bit of a scrum. Eddie Johnson scored a goal outside the MLS. With such a dominating performance the US will be able to change the lineup significantly in Barbados if Bob Bradley chooses to give other players a look. If you know anything about Barbados, John Parris came on as a late sub and earned his 100th cap for his nation. And no, I'm not making this up or playing a joke, Eddie Johnson scored a goal!

Euro Sunday

2008-06-15T23:15:00.002-04:00

What... A... Game! For those of you who watched the Czech Republic take on Turkey today, the game did not disappoint, even for someone like me who has no major interest in either team other than to see good soccer. The Czechs went ahead 2-0 early in the 2nd half, and the Turks stormed back to win 3-2, with 2 goals in the final 10 minutes, including an unlikely "gimme" on a ball spilled by Cech. What heartbreak for the Czech Republic. We now know Portugal and Turkey will advance from this group. Earlier in the day Switzerland earned some consolation by getting a 2-0 victory over a Portuguese team resting some starters. Although it won't be enough to advance, at least the co-host gets to end on a high note. Share your thoughts on either game below.

What I've Missed

2008-06-14T23:57:00.002-04:00

I have been away this weekend and will be away much of tomorrow as well, I should be back around kick-off the for the US game and will check back in then. For now:

Friday night at Paetec, the cellar-dwelling Rhinos stunned first place Vancouver with a complete victory, 3-0. Mauricio Salles headed home to open the scoring in the 10th minute. Menyongar added a second almost as soon as the ball was kicked to start the second half, and Salles scored again in the 62nd for his brace. The match wasn't without blemish for the Rhinos, as John Ball saw red in the 65th and was sent off.

On Saturday we saw Spain with a late goal knock off Sweden 2-1, and Russia defeat Greece 1-0, eliminating the Greeks from the quarterfinals. In Saturday's MLS action, the shorthanded Red Bulls delivered a stinker falling 4-1 on the road against DC United, where Emilio scored a hat trick. The July transfer window can't come soon enough for New York. In other action Toronto defeated Colorado 3-1, Colombus got back on track beating Kansas City 3-0, and the Galaxy have a late lead on San Jose on another hat trick from Edson Buddle... you've got to be kidding me!

Tomorrow we'll have Switzerland vs Portugal, Turkey vs Czech Republic in a huge, winner take all game, and USA vs Barbados in qualifiers. I'll check in later Sunday to update, share your thoughts below on any of this weekend's games.

Netherlands vs France

2008-06-13T14:14:00.030-04:00

This afternoons match is the highly anticipated showdown between the Netherlands and France. France could really use a win here, and the Netherlands are riding the high of their dominating performance over Italy. With a win the Netherlands would clinch the group.

Running Commentary:

Final: 4-1 to the Dutch, who have looked fabulous against the champions and runner-up from the last World Cup. We now know that the Netherlands have won the group, and now both Italy and France become fans of the Dutch to at least draw Romania.

90th: GOAL: 4-1 Netherlands!!! Sneijder with a nice turn and great strike from 20 yards that goes off the underside of the crossbar.

90th: Robben misses by a narrow margin. We have 2 minutes of stoppage to play before it's in the books.

87th: Another good spot for a set piece for France. Ribery's shot gets over the wall, but also gets over the crossbar.

83rd: van Nistleroy comes close, the keeper backtracks to touch it wide.

77th: Dangerous free kick for France, looks to be Ribery. It is, and it's a chip to Henry who heads over.

75th: Anelka on for Govou.

72nd: GOAL: Arjen Robben slams the door on France's hope! 30 seconds after Henry scores Robben scores from a tight angle, beating Coupet near post.

71st: GOAL: Thierry Henry extends a lifeline to France, it's 2-1.

63rd: Good shot from Robben is saved.

59th: GOAL: Netherlands goes up 2-0 on an immediate goal for van Persie. Robben streaks down the wing, sends a great ball in and van Persie volleys in with his first touch of the ball. The shot was deflected and barely trickled over the line.

56th: The goal scorer is off, van Persie on for Kuyt.

54th: Wow, Henry blows a golden opportunity in alone on van der Saar who was out, but his chip is well high. Should have been better.

53rd: We're early in the second half, and Arjen Robben is on the pitch.

Halftime: The Netherlands will carry a 1-0 lead into the locker room.

43rd: Henry fires a bit high and wide.
34th: Great chances for France, first with a shot by Govou held well by van der Saar, then a 3 on 2 with a nice shot from Ribery met with a nicer save from van der Saar.

32nd: Yellow card to Makalele as his hand catches the face of van der Vaart.
31st: The Dutch are looking very good again today, crisp passing and meaningful possession.
22nd: Sorry for the lack of posts, minor technical difficulties at the office here! We're still at 1-0, and perhaps as a message to the players on the field, France has players off the bench and warming up.
9th: GOAL: Netherlands goes ahead 1-0 as Dirk Kuyt gets his header around Mallouda. Another great start for the Dutch.
1st: France has kicked off, here we go.
Pre-game: Thierry Henry will get the start here, immediately changing things for France. It looks like Ribery will be used a bit higher up than last game, more like a withdrawn forward.

Italy vs Romania

2008-06-13T11:28:00.058-04:00

Good morning everyone, and TGIF! We wrap up this work week with Group C action. We'll get started off with Italy squaring off against Romania. Romania has a very solid team that could give the Italians trouble, but they may be facing them at the wrong time. Coming off a 3-0 loss to the Netherlands, expect some changes in the Italy starting 11, as well as a team playing for their lives. I like Italy 2-0 here. Share your thoughs, are you an Italian worried about elimination on Friday the 13th?

Running Commentary:

Final: The game ends 1:1 and everyone remains alive. Italy will have to defeat France in order to advance. I must say there has been a great display of sportsmanship between these two teams after the final whistle.

90th: Free kick for Romania, about 40 yards from goal.

90th: Ick, seems Italian players are going down in the box looking for a call at a rate of one per minute. They don't need to resort to that, no place for it. As I type I see the worst dive yet.

88th: Can either team find a moment of magic here to take the 3 points?

81st: BUFFON SAVES!!! Not the best penalty, up the middle.

80th: PENALTY!!! Nicoli held a bit by Panucci, kind of light penalty here. Mutu steps up, surely he'll score...

79th: Romania barely holding on here with some intense pressure from Italy.

77th: Del Piero off, Quagliarella on.

75th: Toni chests over to De Rossi who is denied by a wonderful save!

73rd: Italy free kick as Goian holds up Toni, and earns a yellow for throwing the ball away. Nothing comes of the set piece.

69th: Just when I thought Italy looked good having tied the game, I spotted an Italian fan with a pom-pom...

61st: Yellow card to Pirlo, he just took Nicoli down with a lazy challenge to save him from having to run back.

60th: Nicoli on for Petre for Romania.

59th: Italy under some pressure again, but they avoid trouble. Cassano is on for Perrotta.

58th: Yellow card to Chivu for a late challenge.

56th: GOAL: Italy scores to tie the game 1-1. The ball gets through to Panucci for the tap in at the back post, and as I was typing "how will Italy respond", they respond in the perfect way, drawing even immediately!

55th: GOAL: Romania takes the lead 1-0. Wow, Friday the 13th indeed. I think a few Italian hearts just sped up. Mutu pounces on a mistake and gets a half-volley past Buffon. Buffon had no chance, great finish by Mutu.

52nd: Foul on Italy and there is a Rat down on the field. Yes, there is a Romanian player named Rat, and I'll guess the pronunciation is nowhere near what I am thinking of. If he ever paired with Neuville of Germany it'd be too good to be true. One named Rat, one that looks like a rat.

51st: Some good ideas from the Italians, Pirlo goes long to Toni who heads back to Del Piero, but Contra gets the touch away. I think Contra has played well today, helping out there and looking good with the ball on the wing.

46th: And the home stretch has begun, hard to imagine 1 goal in this half could eliminate Italy.

Halftime: After a wild an crazy first half we remain at 0-0. While both teams have come close, neither has been able to break the deadlock. It's hard to imagine a scoreless game here, so expect something in the second half.

45th: Toni finds the back of the net, but the flag is up and the goal will not count.

39th: Corner to Italy after Toni heads to Perrotta, but he couldn't quite get it off in time or it would have been a goal for sure. Toni's header off the corner is saved well, and as I type Italy comes close again!

33rd: Great position for a free kick, but Del Piero fires well over the bar.

28th: Another long range strike for Romania goes inches wide.

25th: Dika on for the injured Radoi.

24th: A great cross for Romania, but no targets on the other end of the cross.

21st: This is too bad, Radoi is coming off early due to a collision with a teammate.

20th: Another dangerous free kick coming for Romania. How quickly things change, Panucci's touch on the free kick goes off the inside of the post. Oh so close to 1-0 Romania just when I had thought Italy looked the better of the two sides.

18th: Long range free kick produces another good save from Buffon, diving to his left.
16th: Buffon with a nice save!

13th: Luca Toni was an inch too short for Camoranesi's ball, otherwise it'd be 1-0. Italy is starting to take control here.
12th: Grosso with some nifty stuff, beats two defenders, sliding it through the legs of one. He earns a free kick near the endline.

9th: Del Piero with a great settle in the box, the ball is knocked wide and sent back to Del Piero where he headed wide by the smallest of margins. That was close!

7th: Mutu gets a piece of a long ball and sends it on goal, but Buffon has no trouble.

5th: Corner for Italy but Romania clears.

1st: We're off!

Pre-game: We're nearing first kick, and the Italian fans are going NUTS!!! It also appears I was wrong, Del Piero is being withdrawn a bit, not played in next to Toni.

Pre-game: As expected, the Italians have made changes. Gattuso and Ambrosini are out and Perrotta and Daniele De Rossi are in. Additionally Del Piero will start up top next to Luca Toni, and Marco Materazzi is unable to go. Without Materazzi and Cannavaro it will be interesting to see how the defense performs. Mutu has the abilities to create havoc if given half a chance.

Thursday Night MLS

2008-06-12T19:10:00.003-04:00

I'm sure ESPN has been getting reasonable ratings for soccer this week with the Euros, but again, it's time for my weekly reminder to catch the MLS on ESPN 2. Prove that people do like to watch soccer in America! Tonight pits the New England Revolution against the Houston Dynamo, with each team missing key players due to World Cup qualifiers. Who do I see winning? I like Houston at home as I feel they are a deeper team that can deal with international call-ups, but the West had not faired well against the East to date, so I could well be wrong.

Austria vs Poland

2008-06-12T13:52:00.004-04:00

Both Austria and Poland are sitting on zero points, and could really use at least a draw here to help their chances of moving on. With a draw here, Austria would still need to beat Germany in their final match, where Poland must rely on a combination of a win and a draw in their final 2 games while having Austria beat Germany in the final day for the group. I like Poland to take this one 2-0. I will not be around to do a running commentary, but will check back for a postgame later. Post your comments or game updates if you are following along.

UPDATE: Well, as you likely know by now, Austria tied Poland with a late penalty kick 1-1, and all teams in the group still have the potential to advance. We also now know that Croatia are the winner of the group.

Croatia vs Germany

2008-06-12T11:09:00.034-04:00

Follow the game on ESPN 2, slated for a 11:45 EST kick-off. I will be beginning a running commentary a bit late today but will join you all shortly. I like the Croatian team and thought they could surprise, but Germany have to be considered the favorites here, and I like them to win 2-1 today. Post your thoughts on the game and comment on the game early on to fill in for me!

Running Commentary:

Final: 2-1 Croatia stuns Germany. What a victory for Croatia, they will almost certainly be on to the quarterfinals while Germany will have work left to do. To make matters worse for Germany they will not have Schweinsteiger available as they play their third game in hopes of moving on.

90th: Yellow cards galore, 2 to Croatia, 1 to Lehmann. And there is the final whistle.

90th: Wow, red card to Schweinsteiger, a retaliatory shove. On replay is doesn't look like a red card at all, some acting and grabbing of the face by the Croatian player who was barely touched, what a shame.

90th: Croatia comes close again and will have a corner, time is running out on Germany.

85th: Kranjcar comes off for a defensive minded player whos name I will not attempt.

82nd: Kuranyi on for Fritz. Croatia on the attack but Germany escapes without further harm.

81st: Srna is off for Leko as Croatia attempts to hang on for the 3 points. Kuranyi is set to come on for Germany.

79th: GOAL: Germany gets one back, 2-1 and now it will be interesting. Lahm plays a ball in to Ballack, the ball comes back for Podolski who slams the ball into the back of the net.

75th: Yellow card to Ballack for a late tackle. This has been one to forget for him.

73rd: Schweinsteiger comes close from a bad angle, corner to Germany. The ball is cleared.

70th: Corner to Croatia, Germany does not need to be defending so much down 2-0, but they can't get out of their half.

67th: A dangerous free kick coming for Croatia, about 26 yards out from straight on. No problem for Germany. Schweinsteiger is on for Gomez.

61st: GOAL: Croatia goes up 2-0 and Germany is in trouble! A ball in on goal is missed by a diving Lehmann, the ball hits the post and comes back into the middle while a helpless Lehmann is on the ground. The defenders are caught watching as the ball is tapped in by Olic.

57th: Another corner for Germany, they still look slow to me today though. That said, they have been maintaining some pressure in the Croatian end recently.

48th: Corner kick coming up to Germany, Croatia clears.

46th: The second half has begun and Odonkor is on for Jansen. I think this is a great sub for Germany, those who remember Odonkor from the last World Cup will recall good things!

Halftime: It remains 1-0 with Croatia on top. I missed a few posts here, as Croatia had a nice shot saved by Lehmann, then Germany had a ball find the back of the net but the goal was called off. I didn't hear the explanation, but Pletikosa (Croatian GK) dropped a high ball that was poked in, but apparently a foul was called. Didn't look like much contact with the keeper to me, but Germany didn't argue all that much so who knows. I think we could be in for an entertaining second half as Germany must find a way to score. I think you'll see them go forward with greater enthusiasm, look for the outside backs to get forward even more. Germany should look more potent, while at the same time being more exposed to the counter. Let's hope this leads to more goals!

38th: I didn't fall asleep, just nothing major going on the last few minutes.

30th: Whoops... Kranjcar has a ball hop to an open space in the center of the box but he hits it well high. Pretty good opportunity for Croatia to go up 2-0 there, will that miss matter?

27th: Yellow card to the goalscorer, Srna. Germany wastes the free kick.

24th: GOAL: Wow! Croatia takes a 1-0 lead and shocks Germany. A ball is swung to the far post where Darijo Srna finishes. I must say the marking by Jansen left much to be desired. Let's see how Germany reponds.

15th: Some back and forth action with both teams feeling each other out. Not much between them early. Free kick coming for Croatia, they go short and now draw a corner.

5th: We're scoreless early on and again rain is in the forecast.

Big Phil Scolari to Guide Chelsea?

2008-06-11T17:15:00.003-04:00

Following word that Scolari will not renew his contract to remain with Portugal after Euros, there has been speculation as to what we may read into this announcement. The combination of the awkward timing of this revelation combined with reports out of England that there has been an agreement between Scolari and Chelsea lead me to believe Avram Grant's days are officially over and we will be seeing Scolari in London in the near future. What do you think of the possibility that Scolari will take over Chelsea?

Switzerland vs Turkey

2008-06-11T14:22:00.017-04:00

Up next is a relative must win for both of these teams. Anything less than a draw virtually eliminates either team here. Additionally, if Turkey draws of beats Switzerland, Portugal will be guarunteed to move on. I will back Switzerland here with Tranquillo Barnetta, but I do of course expect a game that could go either way. We should expect a physical battle as you may recall these teams went at it a bit after the game in the last World Cup. I will not be doing a running commentary on this game, but will post updates in the action from time to time. If you are watching then pick up the slack for me in the comment section!
Final: Turkey wins 2-1 with the last minute goal. What heartbreak for the Swiss. Turkey will be elated at the 3 points and will have helped their chances greatly, now knowing that a win against the Czech Republic will send them into the final 8. Switzerland now will be playing for pride as the most points they can manage would be 3, and the lowest possible for second place would be 4.

90+: GOAL: Turkey scores at the death of the game and wins 2-1. What a disappointment for Switzerland. Portugal will go on and Switzerland is all but eliminated.

84th: Great counter by Switzerland but the shot is saved and the rebound attempt is covered. Wow that was close!

83rd: With stoppage time each team will have about 10 minutes remaining to break the deadlock.

62nd: Turkey has scored on a header to even the match 1-1. Goal comes from Senturk.

Halftime: We're through to half with Switzerland remaining on top 1-0.

38th: So far we have a 1-0 lead for Switzerland, as Yakin scores an amazingly easy goal. The cross parallel with the goalline that would normally provide an easy finish was made easier yet as the ball stopped dead in a puddle for him. And yes, it is pouring in Basle.

1st: Play has begun, and it seems like a very nice crowd for Switzerland.

Pre-game: Turkey will be without Emre today.

Portugal vs Czech Republic

2008-06-11T11:17:00.030-04:00

Wednesday marks the second day of action for Group A, and we'll get things started with Portugal taking on the Czech Republic. After their first game, each side sits on a full 3 points, with Portugal just ahead with a superior goal differential. Portugal is coming off 2-0 victory over Turkey while the Czechs recently knocked off Switzerland 1-0. Will Portugal's attack prove too much for the Czechs, or will another patient game yield a result similar to their 1-0 win? As you follow along today, I pose this questions for you that the ESPN analysts have discussed: To you personally, is Cristiano Ronaldo the best player in the world today?

Running Commentary:

Final: Portugal wins by the score of 3-1, and sits in ideal position to advance, assured of a place in the quarterfinals if Switzerland does anything but win this afternoon. What did you think of the match? With a goal and an assist in the second half I think Ronaldo stepped up big time, and Portugal despite some shaky defending looks a safe bet to make it through if not win the group.

90th: GOAL: Portugal seals it, 3-1. A quick free kick finds Ronaldo in behind the defense, he forces Cech to commit then lays off for Quaresma to slide into the empty net.

88th: Quaresma dances a bit and his shot is deflected out for a... goalkick? I think the ref unit got that one wrong!

83rd: Sionko with a header saved just over by Ricardo. Corner to the Czech Republic.

80th: Sorry for the lack of posts, still 2-1 Portugal, Quaresma is coming on for Simao.

63rd: GOAL: Portugal retakes the lead on a Ronaldo strike! 2-1 Portugal. Deco passes to Ronaldo at the top of the box and he slots it past Cech for his first goal of the competition, and the moment many fans were waiting for.

62nd: Czechs came very close there, the header goes just wide of the post while Baros stands just out of reach.

59th: Great stuff from Deco, splits 2 defenders and slots a ball to Simao whos shot is directly at Cech who makes the save. For Red Bull fans wondering, no, Deco did not learn that one at the Claudio Reyna School for Attacking Midfielders.

55th: Wow, terrible giveaway in the back stolen by Nuno Gomes, but his shot inside the 18 is blocked out for a corner. No danger results at the moment.

46th: The second half is underway, let's hope for more goals in this second stanza.

Halftime: And we're halfway through this match, with the score level at a goal a piece. I believe Portugal has had the better of the play overall, but not by the wide margin I had expected. The Czech Republic has looked good, and certainly had attacking moments of their own. Ronaldo has had his times most certainly, but again he disappears for stretches of the game. For Portugal to come away with the victory they must continue to bring him into the game as it forces the Czech team to either play him straight up or leave space for other very capable players.

45th: Free kick in a good position about 30 yards out for Portugal, Ronaldo hits on goal and Cech gives up no rebound.

42nd: There has been more pressure from Portugal lately, and Ronaldo just unleashed a rip forcing a fantastic save by Cech.

31st: Yellow card to Bosingwa for a late challenge.

25th: Ronaldo with a shot on goal saved with no trouble by Cech.

23rd: Yellow card to Polak for a tackle on Pepe.

17th: GOAL: Czech Republic draws even at 1-1. Sionko with a powerful header to knot the game at 1. Each team has conceded their first goal of the tournament, and we've seen how the Czech Republic has responded. How will Portugal respond?

15th: Long range effort from Petit, easily dealt with by Cech. Milan Baros now heads just over on the other end of the pitch.

10th: The goal should force the Czech Republic's hand as they will have to try to find a goal at some point. This should lower the odds of a boring game. This is a bit unfair after a goal, but I forgot to mention before my prediction for this game was 2-0 Portugal, although there is certainly the potential for more than 2 with the early goal.

8th: GOAL: Portugal goes ahead early 1-0 on a goal by Deco! Strange goal as there is a loose ball in the box Cech can't quite hold on to, and Deco eventually gets it to go into the back of the net.

5th: Early on this has the look of a game that could be pretty open, and hopefully we'll be treated to some good attacking football.

1st: The Czech's kick off, and we're rolling.

Pre-game: The Portuguese are singing their hearts out, and the match is almost underway.

Pre-game: Both teams are expected to line up in a 4-5-1 with the Czechs sporting Milan Baros as the loan striker and Portugal giving that duty to Nuno Gomes. With Simao and Ronaldo manning the wings, expect a good deal of attack up the sidelines. Notables on the bench include Jan Koller for the Czech Republic and Ricardo Quaresma, Nani and Hugo Almeida for Portugal.

Rhinos win, advance in Open Cup

2008-06-10T22:01:00.003-04:00

After quite a battle, the Rhinos eventually won 2-1 in extra time to knock off RWB Adria to advance in US Open Cup play. In what was expected to be a game the Rhinos should handle with relative easy, they instead were given all they could handle by a very game amateur squad from Chicago. As I wrote before, RWB Adria featured Demarcus Beasley's brother Jamar, but also recently signed Lenin Steenkamp to fill a void in the midfield. The Rhinos took a 1-0 lead when Fitzpatrick converted a penalty earned by Diallo, but the amateur squad equalized in the 86th minute and the game went to overtime. Hamed Diallo scored early in the first overtime to put the Rhinos on top 2-1 and it was all they would need. The rest of overtime was not uneventful as the Rhinos have more scoring chances they failed to convert, and Scott Vallow was forced to make a one-on-one save to preserve the overtime win. It wasn't pretty, and we may groan at the prospect of barely avoiding elimination at the hands of an amateur team, but right now a win is a win, and the Rhinos are still going in search of another US Open Cup.

It should also be noted that the Rhinos signed Danny Earls, a 19 year old midfielder who has gained experience with the reserve squad for Aston Villa. The native of Ireland is also in his country's u19 national team player pool. Earls did play in tonights match, and my early reaction is that this is a very encouraging signing for the club.

Next Up? The Defending Champs!

2008-06-10T13:52:00.020-04:00

The next kickoff is about 45 minutes away, and it will feature reigning European Champions Greece taking on Sweden. Count yourself in the minority if you expect Greece to repeat in this tournament, but they will still be a formidable opponent. Watch for Kotsas Katsouranis and Giorgos Karagounis to carry much of the load for Greece. For Sweden there is no need to look further than Freddy Ljungberg, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Markus Rosenberg. Henrik Larsson is also back in the fold for Sweden, but pay attention to Rosenberg. Ibrahimovic is certainly the most dangerous player on the field, but Rosenberg could benefit from the concerns of marking Ibrahimovic as he was lethal for Werder Bremen in the German Bundesliga this year. I predict 2-1 Sweden wins this one. Share your thoughts as I do my best to update throughout the game. Below are the three biggest fans of Henrik Larsson, Ibrahimovic and Freddy Ljungberg. I always get embarrassed when the girls show up like this to watch me play...
Running Commentary:

Final: Sweden wins 2-0. Greece and Russia will face each other with both teams in dire need of a result.

87th: A bad giveaway leads to a chance for Greece, but it is from the endline and blocked out easily for a corner.

86th: Greece has been unable to respond as this game is dying down.

78th: Rosenberg on for Wilhelmsson who appears to have pulled his hamstring.

72nd: GOAL: 2-0 Sweden. A bizarre goal to say the least. A deflected ball goes to the far post high in the air where a battle ensues, the ball bounces all over and through the keepers legs and in. Goal is credited to Hansson.

67th: GOAL: Sweden breaks through to go up 1-0. Nice give and go leads to a fantastic strike by Ibrahimovic. Sorry for the lack of posts before, the goal woke me up!

Halftime: And we're through to the half with nothing to seperate these two teams. Sweden has looked my enterprising in their attacks, but the Greeks have defended very well. It should be interesting in the second half as a Sweden goal could force the Greek side to open up play.

38th: Humorous sequence here as the Greek defenders pass the ball back and forth several times near midfield, seemingly unwanting to initiate an attack and instead just kill time. The crowd does not approve.

32nd: Ibrahimovic heads just over the bar.

28th: Sweden is pressuring but hasn't found many holes in the Greek defense, and that is almost certainly Greece's plan in attempting to duplicate their success from 2004.

22nd: Apologies in advance if I botch a name, not being multilingual some of the Greek names are difficult for me. If a goal is scored by Karapanathinesopolousagounis I will no longer be posting.

17th: Wow, great chance for Sweden, nice through ball is flicked on but the shot is saved. Apparently the offsides flag was up as well.

10th: Nothing to get excited about so far, Sweden has had a bit more of the play.

4th: Don't try to take a beer away from the Sweden coach, Lars will do anything to get his Lager back. Yes, the mans name is Lars Lagerback, and yes, I promise no more terrible humor the rest of this post!

1st: And we're underway, every team has now seen action.

Spain vs Russia

2008-06-10T11:28:00.021-04:00

Time to get ready for the Group D start with Spain and Russia getting us going. If you have access to cable tv, switch on ESPN 2 for the 11:45 EST kickoff. If you are at work check back with me for halftime and postgame reports. Anyone watching feel free to comment with your own updates. Flashscore.com can also be a useful tool to follow along with soccer scores if you are stuck at work.
What do we have to look forward to in this match? Well I think the Russian team has been much improved in recent years and should provide a good test for this Spanish team. The Spanish team will rightly be considered the favorites, but Russia has firepower of its own, with Andrei Arshavin and Pavel Pogrebnyak on display at the UEFA Cup final for eventual champs, Zenit St. Petersburg. The former has been rumored as a transfer target for some major club sides. Spain has a more balanced distribution of talent, with of course Fernando Torres, favorite of teen girls everywhere, up top, with Cesc Fabregas, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Xabi Alonso sitting behind him in the midfield.

The X-Factor for this game could be the managerial skills of Russian coach Guus Hiddink who has a strong track record for getting the most out of his players. Can he guide them to an upset win to start the competition? My guess is no. While I expect a competitive game that may well see Russia getting on the board, I like Spain's overall class and see them being a contender deep into this tournament. I predict Spain wins 3-1. UPDATE: We're at kickoff and Fabregas will be on the bench for Spain. Arshavin and Pogrebnyak are out with suspension and injury, and now I don't see Spain having any trouble with Russia.

20th: GOAL: Spain gets out to a 1-0 start. Torres gets past a defender and with the keeper challenging lays the ball off for Villa who slots home.

21st: As I type Russia his a post. Shot was taken by Konstantin Zyryanov. This game seems to be opening up now. I wasn't planning a running commentary but I will do my best. I will be back and forth a bit so if I disappear for awhile it may mean nothing is happening but more likely there is a goalfest going on while I am running errands...

24th: Torres with a chance but the shot is saved.

28th: Dear Cesc Fabregas, if you are bored on the bench I propose becoming a US citizen, you could start for us anytime! Too bad he's cap-tied. As I joke, Villa fires and it deflects wide for a corner. Nothing comes of the corner for Spain.

30th: Corner coming here for Russia, they aren't exactly boring themselves, however the corner is not the best taken I've seen.

37th: Yes, I'm still here, but you haven't really missed anything worth posting. Some back and forth play yielding few exciting moments.

39th: Torres just got the ball in a dangerous position near the endline. He laid the ball back and it was deflected out for a corner. A pair of Spanish defenders effectively deny each other a scoring chance on the ensuing corner.

44th: GOAL: Spain goes up 2-0 on a second goal by David Villa. Russia turns the ball over under pressure and Iniesta sets up Villa for his second of the first half.

Halftime: We're through the first half, and Spain leads 2-0. While there are 45 left to play, it is difficult at this point to see any result other than a Spain win.

Halftime: I will be away for a bit of the start of the second half, if anyone is watching and following along here, feel free to post updates in the comments section.

75th: GOAL: I'm back, and lightning has struck 3 times in the same place. David Villa gets the hat trick and Spain leads 3-0.

84th: Iker Casillas is down for Spain. He came out to punch a ball and was hit pretty hard taking a shoulder to the head. He will stay on, though Spanish fans probably weren't as worried as some nations when their top keeper appears hurt. They have a pretty good second option in Jose Reina.

86th: GOAL: Russia gets a consolation goal and ruins Casillas' clean sheet. A corner is flicked on to the back post where Pavlyuchenko heads it into the goal. 3-1 Spain.

90+: GOAL: Spain goes ahead 4-1 in stoppage time! Cesc Fabregas gets the goal as a substitute with a diving header at the back post.

Final: Spain wins 4-1. It must be said they looked strong today with the exception of a few sloppy moments bordering Russia's goal. Otherwise Spain's quality on the ball really has shown through today. Yes, Fabregas' late goal ruined my 3-1 prediction, but I must reinforce that I think this Spain team can do some damage in the tournament.

Italy vs Netherlands

2008-06-09T15:33:00.006-04:00

Wow! If you aren't watching this game you'd better kick yourself. Through 45 minutes this game has been as exciting as we had hoped and will set the stage for more entertainment in the final 45. So far we've seen a Netherlands team that looks terrific take a 2-0 lead, at it must be said they have had the better of the play to this point and are the deserved leaders. The first goal was somewhat questionable as a ball came through the masses near the penalty mark and found the foot of a wide open van Nistelrooy. Why was he open? Well he was about 3 yards offsides. The ref unit presumably botched it as there was an injured Italian back there, but he had rolled off the field which would make him irrelevant. The second came on a sublime sequence where a long switch was sent to the far side of the 18 where Kuyt gently headed towards the 6 yard box for Sniejder who volleyed around shoulder height past an onrushing Buffon to the near post, slotting it into an impossibly small opening. Unbelievable! The Italians had moments and van der Saar was forced into action when a shot between his defenders legs surprised him, but he reacted well. Later another shot went just high of the bar. The Netherlands missed a chance to go up 3-0 when van Nistelrooy came through on Buffon but opted for power instead of precision and his low blast up the middle was saved. Don't expect this Italy team to go quietly in the second half, and one goal could make things difficult for the back line of the Netherlands. I picked the Netherlands to win this group and feel a bit smarter right now, but this game is far from over. So far this match has already made up for a lackluster France-Romania game. Let's hope for an equally eventful second half!

UPDATED: Netherlands vieren!

In another entertaining half, the Dutch side extended their margin and earned a 3-0 victory. The Italian team looked more dangerous in the second half, particularly after the inclusion of Del Piero, but could not get in the books. The final goal came on a fantastic counter attack what seemed like mere seconds after a tremendous diving save by van der Saar. The ball was played through and as the defense shifted the ball was played flat across the box where Buffon makes a big save but the rebound is tracked down and sent across to van Bronckhorst where he headed home. The Netherlands were dominant, van der Saar looked great, the backline did what they had to, and in true Dutch form they refused to sit back and kill the game, opting to continue to apply pressure. I great match to watch, and things in Group C have gotten even more interesting!

Romania Holds Off France, Draws 0-0

2008-06-09T13:52:00.003-04:00

With the much anticipated Group C action underway, we learned very little after one game and hope for more exciting soccer in second match of the day. France played largely uninspiring football and Romania battled well to manage a draw with favored Les Bleus. Stars such as Benzema and Ribery were not involved enough, and Thierry Henry sat out after failing a fitness test as he is recovering from a bad back. Anelka missed a good chance in the first half, but ultimately the good scoring chances I was looking for were absent. You had the feeling the entire game that someone would have to take advantage of a half-chance to earn the win in this game.

What we learned:

Romania is not to be taken for lightly, they are a better side than they get credit for. They show the grit necessary to stick with superior teams, and players like Mutu can have their dangerous moments that can tip the balance of the game. They may be considered the underdog in every game in this group, but don't be surprised if they upset either Italy or Holland.

France is continuing on is questionable form as of late. While they have not been losing, they have not exhibited the fluid style of play you would like to see with a European power. They must find a way to get Ribery more space as the continue on in this competition. They also can use Henry, I just don't think Anelka is good enough as a starting striker.

Up next is Italy vs Holland, let's hope for a better game here! I'll check back with my thoughts later

Catching up on the weekend!

2008-06-08T22:23:00.007-04:00

Ok folks, you have probably noticed I've been behind on the action this weekend, which is somewhat amplified by the fact that EURO 2008 kicked off this weekend. I apologize but I haven't had time to post as I was at a youth soccer tournament for much of the weekend then playing a game myself. In any event I will catch up here with action from Euro's, MLS, the Rhinos and the US-Argentina friendly that ended a short time ago.

We'll start with Euro's:
Saturday featured the opening matches, with the Czech Republic knocking off Switzerland by a score of 1-0. I thought Switzerland looked solid but the Czechs struck in the 71st minute to claim the first game of the competition. Later on Saturday was a match many looked forward to featuring the dynamic Portuguese team against Turkey. While Portugal boasts stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Deco, I didn't expect the experienced Turks to go quietly. The game remained scoreless through the half, but ultimately Portugal's class was proven as Pepe and Meireles netted second half tallies to take the game 2-0.

Sunday matched Austria and Croatia, and Croatia's 4th minute penalty was all they would need to triumph 1-0. The second showdown featured rivals Germany and Poland. The favored Germans got off to a good start with a 2-0 win thanks to a brace from Podolski.

Get ready for Monday's games which feature an underrated Romania against France, and the highly anticipated Holland vs Italy.

On Saturday night the Rhinos earned another point at home in a scoreless draw. The draw moves the Rhinos to 1-4-4 overall.

MLS action this week:
Houston and DC United's Wednesday night game was postponed due to weather.The Red Bulls downed Chivas USA at Giants stadium 1-0 on a goal by Juan Pablo Angel.New England got off to a quick start at home and defeated FC Dallas 2-1.LA Galaxy got out to a 3-0 lead and held on to win 3-2 in a game that was reduced to 10 men a side before the half.Real Salt Lake and the KC Wizards played to a scoreless draw.DC United shocked the Chicago Fire with a stoppage time game winner from Emilio.San Jose embarrassed the Crew in front of their own fans when the expansion club knocked off Colombus 2-0.Houston just finished a home win over Toronto as DeRo opened the scoring and Brian Ching added a brace.

As for the US-Argentina friendly I only caught the tail end, but the US managed a scoreless draw with FIFA's #1 ranked team in front of a good crowd at Giants Stadium. Donovan was back in action and Jay Demerit lined up in the center of the defense. I heard Heath Pearce had a strong game as did Steve Cherundolo. Freddy Adu looked aggressive in the tail end of the game and Argentina fouled him plenty. It is a promising sign ahead of World Cup qualifiers for this US squad to come away with a draw against the team that recently thrashed Mexico 4-1. A phantom second yellow unfortunately sent off Pablo Mastroeni in a poor ending to what will likely be his last game against his birth country. Later Mascherano was also sent off with a second yellow.

Did you see any of these games? Feel free to provide feedback on any games from the weekend as I didn't catch enough to offer more than the brief summaries above. Stick with me all week for EURO 2008 updates and game summaries.

EURO 2008

2008-06-06T22:47:00.003-04:00

Euro's start up Saturday with two matches to get you going. Both matches will be on ESPN Classic. Are you excited for the action?

First up at noon EST is Switzerland vs Czech Republic. Besides being the opener, there will be two reasons I would be interested in this game. For starters I want to see how the Czech team looks, with aging stars it is beginning to be a bit of a transition period for them. Secondly, while Switzerland doesn't always receive the highest level of respect when compared to European powers, they certainly have a player who can change a game in a hurry. Tranquillo Barnetta is a world class forward, but has had ankle problems lately that may hinder his performance.

Next at 2:45 EST Portugal takes on Turkey. Turkey is always a formidable team, but I must say I like Portugal to not only do well in this match, but also to move on deep into the tournament. Turkey boasts Hamit Altintop who plays club soccer for Bayern Munich. Portugal I hardly need to list for you. Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco, Ricardo Quaresma, Hugo Almeida, and Ricardo Carvalho give Portugal all the attacking talent and defensive balance they need if they perform up to par. Carvalho should lead a defense that is capable of coming up big, while the midfield will wreak havoc on the opposition.

Will you be watching these games? I will record and watch them Saturday night or Sunday as I will be coaching at a youth soccer tournament all day tomorrow. Post your predictions for Saturday's action.

Red Bulls Moving On

2008-06-06T13:38:00.003-04:00

Without the services of star striker Jozy Altidore and with the knowledge they will not have those services ever again, the Red Bulls put forth a good effort at home on Thursday night to down Chivas USA by the score of 1-0. The win for New York put an end to a 3 game winless skid. The areas of weakness for New York were evident as they failed to develop anything encouraging for most of the first half, but for their part defended well and limited Chivas USA to hopeful shots until the end of the first half when goalkeeper Jon Conway came up big on a breakaway. With a makeshift center midfield, the wings were forced to provide most of the creativity during an improved stretch in the second half. As the game wore on, Dane Richards became increasingly dangerous on the right flank, and eventually provided the perfect cross for Juan Pablo Angel to head home for the game winner in the 75th minute. The goal was Angel's 2nd of the campaign.

What I took away from this game is that while Jozy is a great young player, the club may be better suited without him since the large allocation will help us address areas of greater need. We can only hope they are addressed over THIS summer transfer window, and we are not left to wait for yet another year. With Angel up top, and Wolyniec and Echeverry being serviceable, with the possibility of even using Mike Magee up top, I think we have other positions to look at first. Coach Osorio really wants his left-footed center back (I just want any second back that isn't named Andrew Boyens), and we could really use a more creative center midfielder, someone like Amado Guevara without his well known personality issues. Magee doesn't seem ready to make a huge impact there after the injury seasons. Claudio Reyna simply doesn't play that type of game. When all is said and done, if losing Jozy means we can improve ourselves in 2-3 positions I think you have to say this has the potential to be a good thing.

Spain Defeats US 1-0

2008-06-04T19:45:00.004-04:00

In a hard fought game by both sides, the host team eventually walked off the pitch as the victors. The US played with more pride than in the England game, and had a few nice opportunities particularly in the first half, but Spain controlled much of the game. After some halftime changes the US went into defensive mode and showed very little offensive power. The only goal came when Xavi took a pass from Fabregas and dribbled by Bradley and Onyewu and slid the ball past Brad Guzan. Fear not, the US shall get their revenge when domestic side NY Red Bulls face FC Barcelona this summer...

For Spain I thought Fabregas showed his quality nicely, assisting on the goal and quietly making the right decisions to maintain possession and spread the defense. Xavi looked strong with the impressive touch and dribble to score. Fernando Torres was a marked man, but with limited opportunities showed why he can be so devastating as he managed a nice half-volley on target in the first half with what seemed like zero space to get a shot off. For those who will note I predicted 2-1 with goals by Torres and Villa, Villa sat out with an injury picked up in training.

As for doing my best to give the American players a grade on their performance, here we go:

Tim Howard: B Was solid when called upon, had one spill on a tricky cross but recovered well to get the ball out of danger.

Steve Cherundolo: C Solid game from the veteran, but was limited in terms of getting forward and providing service. Was subbed off at halftime again, this time in favor of Frankie Hejduk.

Oguchi Onyewu: B Was a beast winning balls in the air, combined with Bocanegra well to limit the chances for Torres. Lateral agility was exposed a bit on the goal from Xavi.

Carlos Bocanegra: B- See Onyewu, with the exception of being caught napping on a ball into the box early. Howard bailed him out.

Heath Pearce: B I thought the left back looked solid all game and did well getting forward to make Spain's midfield work back some. Personally I think he is our best left back option.

Michael Bradley: C Improved first half compared to the England match. Looked a bit slow as he tired in the second half. Earned a yellow and was dangerously close to a red for repeated fouls late in the game.

Maurice Edu: C- Quiet first half, a bit better in the second but did not leave any mark on the game.

Clint Dempsey: C- Another mediocre performance from the flamboyant winger, he needed to make himself more available to have an impact. He did draw a foul that may have been worthy of a red card if the ref wasn't so clueless.

Freddy Adu: B+ Very nice first start for Freddy. Very active in the first half and was not afraid to go at Spain. Created a nice opportunity and drew some decent free kicks. His inspiring play was brought to an end when he was subbed out at halftime with an apparent foot problem from a Puyol stomping.

Eddie Lewis: B- The vet did what he needed to do offering defensive support when needed. Narrowly missed on a free kick opportunity.

Eddie Johnson: C Even this grade is generous. He wasn't awful, but he was just there is about all I can say. Some smart plays to maintain possession, but plenty of turnovers as well. Had a goal called back after an Adu throughball as he was 2 step offsides. Perhaps a bit more active than we've grown accustomed to, but he had a pair of 1 on 1 chances where he slapped the shot with his purse.

Subs:

Brad Guzan: C+ Looked ok, did well to avoid a rebound on a long range blast. Didn't think he made himself big enough on the goal, although I wouldn't say he goofed, he simply failed to come up big.

Frankie Hejduk: B I was concerned when he came on, but his tackles were spot on and he nearly saved Bradley/Onyewu as he hurried over the challenge Xavi on the goal but was shrugged off.

DaMarcus Beasley: C An uninspiring half for Beasley as he continues to wear off the rust on his return to action. I complain about Donovan's set pieces, but I missed him greatly on corners today!

Josh Wolff: C- He was subbed in? Virtually invisible the final 20+ minutes, did little to atone for his silent night at Wembley.

Pablo Mastroeni: Inc. Came on for the final 5+ for Dempsey (great offensive sub when down a goal late...) as Bob Bradley tried to appease Pablo and the Colorado Rapids as he called in Mastroeni for this friendly then didn't really use him.

Did you catch the game? Share your thoughts... happy with the improved effort? How about the players, agree with my ratings, hate my ratings? Think the US is on pace to beat Argentina on Sunday (who just now finished thrashing Mexico 4-1 led by a brace from Messi)?

US Starters vs. Spain

2008-06-04T15:45:00.004-04:00

Ugh, no Landon Donovan as expected, no Demarcus Beasley... no offense?

The starting line-up:
--------------------Johnson--------------------
Lewis----------------Adu---------------Dempsey
--------------Bradley----Edu-------------------
Pearce---Bocanegra---Onyewu----Cherundolo
-------------------Howard----------------------

I complain, but with the glaring absense of Donovan and Beasley the rest of the line-up isn't too bad. We'll be forced to suffer through another inclusion of EJ in the forward role, but we will get a chance to see Adu's first start for the senior team. Edu has been chosen over Mastroeni to partner with Bradley, giving a more skilled center midfield, but I think Mastroeni may have been better suited for allowing Bradley to get forward. That said, I suspect Edu and Bradley will be doing plenty of defending to keep them busy without getting forward. Lewis sliding in on the left for Beasley gives the US some more experience and a dangerous set piece option. Our best scoring chances will likely be from set pieces, so look out for Lewis to have an impact. He also does a nice job defensively, which will allow Pearce to overlap and get forward as Lewis can adequately cover.

What do you think of the line-up? Did you read past Eddie Johnson's name? I am going to adjust my prediction to 2-1 Spain. Villa scores, Torres scores, and Onyewu scores off a set piece!

Me Encanta Dinero!

2008-06-04T15:34:00.004-04:00

SoccerbyIves reports that the New York Red Bulls have agreed to a transfer deal with Villareal of La Liga that will send Jozy Altidore packing for a US record transfer fee of $8 million. The deal includes performance bonuses that could increase the deal to $10 million total. Red Bull fans like myself will surely have a mixed reaction to this news, but you have to be happy for the kid. The deal will not go through until the July 1st transfer window opens, but sources claim Jozy has already agreed to a new contract with Villareal. Details are not available at this time of course. I think the Spanish league is fun to watch and the fluid play that thrives in Spain should be beneficial to the growth of Altidore.

It has been speculated that he may be loaned out to a smaller La Liga club to see more immediate action since he might struggle to crack the lineup immediately at Villareal. What do you think of the news? If you haven't seen him play you will have two more chances. Tomorrow night at Giants Stadium for the Red Bulls (ESPN 2) and Sunday at Giants Stadium for the US National team (ESPN Classic). Best of luck Jozy, and don't tank in your last few matches with my beloved Bulls!

US vs Spain

2008-06-03T23:20:00.005-04:00

I apologize for the recent lack of posts, between coaching and playing obligations I have been quite busy and there haven't been any Earth-shattering events to write about. I will try to make up for it over the next few weeks between the US friendlies against Spain and Argentina, the kickoff of Euros and transfer rumors.

For the time being I want to know your thoughts on the match against Spain tomorrow. The United States will again be without Landon Donovan who continues to be frustrated by the groin injury, as well as Jonathan Spector. I fear the worst, as with limited attacking options we may be doomed to witnessing another start by Eddie Johnson. Is it time for Adu to get his first start for the senior team? I expect another match where the United States will not enjoy much possession, but without Donovan the defend and counter tactics aren't as effective. Playing for 0-0 seems likely (again, I contribute to the poor tv ratings for US Soccer...) but if Beasley, Dempsey and Adu can find some magic anything is possible. One change I expect is Rico Clark removed from the starting lineup. Pablo Mastroeni (with a chance of Maurice Edu) will probably step in to provide more defensive bite for winning the 50/50 balls in the midfield. This may allow Michael Bradley to attack more from the center mid as he did with great success for Heerenveen in league play the past season.

Ultimately I expect the quality of Spain to prevail, and I will go with a scoreline of 2-0 once again. Torres and Villa will be a difficult pair for our central defenders who can look a bit slow at times, and a midfield featuring Fabregas and Iniesta to name just two, will probably force our midfielders to defend for a large portion of the game.

What do you expect from this game? Who would you like to see start? Will you be watching? The game is only live on espn360.com (if you have Rochester Roadrunner go to espn360.com anyhow and when it says your company doesn't support viewing, fill out the card telling roadrunner you'd like to have them support espn360). If you are unlucky like me and many from Rochester, you'll have to watch on tape delay at 5:30 PM EST on ESPN2.

Bonus picture for the day: Fernando Torres wears capris... and apparently in Europe that gets you girls.

Rhinos Get in Win Column!!!

2008-06-01T22:43:00.004-04:00

Read about the match at http://www.rhinossoccer.com/news/article.php?id=802 on the team's official website. The game featured a goal and assist a piece for Delicate and Menyongar. It marked the first time the Rhinos have led this season, en route to their first win. Will this be a sign of things to come, or simply the result of a home team desperate to get a win? Share your thoughts on the match.

Rhinos Updates

2008-05-31T14:31:00.003-04:00

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?

2008-05-31T00:10:00.006-04:00

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

2008-05-28T23:49:00.003-04:00

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...

2008-05-28T11:43:00.003-04:00

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?

2008-05-27T12:21:00.003-04:00

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

2008-05-25T23:43:00.006-04:00

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

2008-05-25T17:37:00.006-04:00

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

2008-05-25T11:38:00.003-04:00

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

2008-05-24T20:03:00.015-04:00

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

2008-05-24T00:35:00.004-04:00

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

2008-05-23T00:34:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-05-22T11:38:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-22T11:15:00.003-04:00

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