Soccer

UEFA Champions League: the final four

Filed under: Soccer

Liverpool hosts Chelsea on Tuesday. Most troubling for the hosts is the questionable status of midfield talisman Steven Gerrard. He was ruled out against Fulham on Saturday owing to a neck injury, but is expected back in the lineup for tomorrow's showdown. Will Gerrard be fully fit? Chelsea has more significant woes. Midfield dynamo Michael Essien is suspended owing to yellow-card accumulation, while Michael Ballack (hamstring) and Didier Drogba (knee) are banged up. Liverpool is looking to dump the Blues from the semifinals for the third time in four years. In six Champions League encounters all time between the clubs, a miserly three goals have been scored. Expect nothing different this time around. A single goal should make the difference. Who will it be? Fernando Torres.

On Wednesday the two most famous clubs in the world, Manchester United and Barcelona, square off at the Camp Nou. It's been a miserable campaign by Barcelona standards. They've failed to win in four straight league matches, allowing Real Madrid to run away with the La Liga title despite some shoddy results recently. On the upside for Barcelona, the scintilating Lionel Messi returned to the field on the weekend and is expected to start on Wednesday. Manchester has been brilliant all season, with Cristiano Ronaldo netting an extraordinary 35 goals. But the defense looked vulnerable against Arsenal two weeks ago without injured centerback Nemanja Vidic, and they could only muster a 1-1 tie against Blackburn on the weekend. Vidic is exepected to be in the lineup this week, despite lingering knee troubles.

The match will mark a return to the Camp Nou for Manchester the first time since their incredible 1999 Champions League final comeback against Bayern Munich. I stumbled upon that match one afternoon while drinking beer with a crazy Cuban prosecutor at a pub in Fort Lauderdale and have been obsessed with the game ever since. Here's the highlights:

Posted by Paul Demko at April 21, 2008 1:04 PM | Comments (2)

 

MLS predictions: the top six

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Apparently math is not among my stronger skill sets. I inadvertently included eight teams in the first set of MLS picks, leaving just six squads to sort through. MLS returns to ESPN tonight with a double header featuring New England-Chicago and Los Angeles-San Jose. Here it goes:

6. Real Salt Lake No team is more difficult to figure at this early point than Real Salt Lake. After three odious seasons, the squad was significantly overhauled in the offseason and features just two players over age 30. Jason Kreis's club should prove deep and talented along the backline. Last year's Argentine signing Matias Mantilla will be joined by Colombian Jamison Olave and a pair of Americans with European seasoning, Ian Joy and Nat Borchers. The team also features two of the league's most talented young defensive-minded midfielders in Kyle Beckerman and Nathan Sturgis. If Salt Lake's kiddie corps of strikers (Yura Movsisyan, Robbie Findley, and Fabian Espindola) can regularly put the ball in the back of the net, they should prove one of the league's biggest surprises.

5. Kansas City Wizards Eddie Johnson is out. The enigmatic American striker found the net 15 times for last year's squad, but has moved on to help Fulham and its cadre of yanks flounder towards relegation in the EPL. In his place the Wizards brought on South Americans Ivan Trujillo and Claudio "El Piojo" Lopez. The latter is a 33-year-old alum of the Argentine national team who's played with Valencia and Lazio. Both strikers scored in their debuts on Saturday against D.C. I think it's fair to say that K.C. fans will not miss EJ. Midfield playmaker Carlos Marinelli showed flashes of brilliance last year and should be poised for a breakout year. Jimmy "The Groin" Conrad will have the considerable task of holding together a re-tooled backline that could frequently feature a pair of rookies in (highly touted) Chance Meyers and Jonathan Leathers.

4. Dallas FC The question for this team will once again be its defense. Veteran Mexican centerback Duilio Davino (who spent the last decade at Club America) was brought in to shore up the backline. He'll pair up with Adrian Serioux in the middle for what should be a solid defensive foundation. With wildman Juan Toja flying all over the pitch and Arturo Alvarez terrorizing defenders with his nifty footwork and jaw-dropping free kicks, Dallas will have one of the best midfield's in the league. It will be interesting to see how Brazilian signing Andre Rocha, who drew raves from 3rd Degree in the pre-season, fits into the mix. A healthy Kenny Cooper should reach double figures for goals, but he'll need some help up top from Abe Thompson, Ricardinho or The Birdman (my pick) if Dallas is going to seriously contend in the West.

3. New England Revolution If this list was based solely on first week performance, the Rev's would easily claim the top spot. Steve Nicol's squad came out on Saturday and simply eviscerated the defending champs Houston Dynamo 3-0. Most impressively it was the newcomers who fueled the attack. Sainey Nyassi, who just turned 19, was a beast on both sides of the ball, and was justly rewarded with a stoppage time goal. Fellow Gambian Kenny Mansally (just two days older than his countryman) didn't get on the scoreboard, but was an effective menace up top all game long, while new Honduran signing Mauricio Castro caused headaches on the left side of the midfield. Add in the league's best defender (Michael Parkhurst), the league's top defensive mid (Shalrie Joseph), and the league's soon-to-be-all-time-leading scorer (Taylor Twellman, who unfortunately is out injured for at least a month), and you have a lethal mix. But can the Revolution, following three straight MLS Cup defeats, finally take the title?

2. D.C. United Despite posting the best regular-season record in the league for the second straight campaign, the squad has been substantially re-tooled. Gone are goalkeeper Troy Perkins (Valeranga), central defender Bobby Boswell (Houston), and midfield maestro Christian Gomez (Colorado). Veteran MLS backup Zach Wells will get a chance to start between the posts, while a pair of South Americans, Gonzalo Peralta (Argentina) and Gonzalo Martinez (Colombia) will hold down the central defense. Most significantly D.C. brought in veteran Argentine playmaker Marcelo Gallardo, who'd been wasting away on the bench at Paris Saint-Germain, to fill Gomez's considerable boots at the heart of the attack. The results so far in four matches (one MLS; three CONCACAF Champions league) have been mixed. Gonzalo y Gonzalo (not related, thank you Paul Caligiuri) have looked like a potentially dominating duo in the back, but I'm not sure Gallardo will prove an upgrade in the center of the pitch. He's shown moments of brilliance, but also seems to disappear for long stretches. Diminutive striker Franco Niell, another newcomer, has displayed little but the ability to flop on the pitch at any hint of contact. Look for Brazilian Fred, adjusting to the league in his second season, to have a banner year.

1. Houston Dynamo The two-time defending champs are still the team to beat. They might not look like the most dominating squad on paper, but Dominic Kinnear has consistently guided his side to the top of the table. Midfielder Dwayne de Rosario has been arguably the most valuable player in the league over the last three seasons, while Eddie Robinson anchors the best defense in MLS (allowing a paltry 23 goals in 30 matches last season). The crucial question for Houston will be whether the attack can muster sufficient firepower. When healthy Brian Ching is among the league's most lethal strikers. But with just Chris Wondolowski (two league goals in three seasons) and young Argentine newcomer Franco Caraccio available to help out up top, Houston could struggle to score goals.

Posted by Paul Demko at April 3, 2008 10:12 AM | Comments (0)

 

MLS predictions: the bottom seven

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Major League Soccer's 13th season got underway last weekend. I was in Kansas City to watch the Wizards methodically dispatch last season's Supporters' Shield winners D.C. United 2-0. With San Jose rejoining the league following a two-year absence, there are now 14 teams. The offseason didn't bring any Beckham-esque signings, but rather a steady influx of quality players from around the globe. Among the significant signings: Argentines Marcelo Gallardo (D.C.) and Claudio Lopez (K.C.), and Mexican defender Duilio Davino (Dallas). But the transfer window doesn't close for another two weeks and several teams that have promised to bring in fresh talent (New York and Toronto most notably) are still likely to announce acquisitions. This lack of complete information will not dissuade me from making (undoubtedly flawed) projections for how the teams will stack up. Here's my take on the bottom half of the table:

14. Toronto F.C. The worst team in the league last year did almost nothing to bolster their roster. Seemingly every day during the winter months there was a fresh name linked to Toronto (Kiki Musampa, Amado Guevara, Victor Danilo Pacheco), but the team never managed to put pen to paper. Budding U.S. national team star Maurice Edu will be counted on to keep Toronto from repeating last year's disastrous 6-17-7 campaign. But barring any significant signings rookie coach John Carver and the league's best fans will endure another brutal season.

13. San Jose Earthquakes This re-constituted club will undoubtedly play the most boring brand of futbol in the league. Their roster features about as much attacking prowess as the Iraqi army. If Frank Yallop can get them to stand up it will be something of a coaching miracle. But Yallop's sideline prowess and a solid defense, led by goalkeeper Joe Cannon and outside back Ramiro Corrales, should keep scorelines (if not their overall record) respectable for the Earthquakes.

12. Columbus Crew It's something of a miracle (travesty?) that Sigi Schmid is still at the helm of this increasingly hapless franchise. In two years he's guided the Crew to a 17-26-19 record and missed the playoffs both seasons. Even the squad's star playmaker Guillermo Barros Schelotto--used to the quick coaching hook of South American clubs--was reportedly bewildered by Schmid's survival. Surely this will be a make-or-break season. The Crew got off to a promising start with a 2-0 victory on Saturday (of course it was at home against sorry Toronto). Youngsters Eddie Gaven and Robbie Rogers will have to play key roles, and Nico Hernandez will have to rediscover his scoring touch if Schmid is to remain employed past 2008.

11. Los Angeles Galaxy This club is a three-headed monster created by the strange strictures of MLS and the complete idiocy of GM Alexi Lalas. The Galaxy have three of the league's most fearsome attacking players in David Beckham, Carlos Ruiz and Landon Donovan. But the rest of the squad (including furniture wholesaler Ely Allen) resembles something that might have been assembled by scouring the Santa Monica Pier for potential recruits on weekends. Saturday's humiliating 4-0 pasting at the feet of the Colorado Rapids was a poor omen for Ruud Gullit's team (and for the league given how much they've invested in Beckham). The defense is alarmingly old and slow, and the Galaxy's prospects took a further dip this week when it was announced that Ruiz will miss four to six weeks with a knee injury.

10. Colorado Rapids Last year I was taken to task by a delusional Rapids fan for predicting that the team would finish with the eighth best record in MLS. Colorado had just dispatched perennial powerhouse D.C. United in its opening match and this person was convinced that great things were on tap for Fernando Clavijo's club. Well it turns out I was overly optimistic about Colorado's prospects: they finished with the fourth worst record in the league and missed the playoffs. Adding savvy playmaker Christian Gomez to a midfield that already boasts crosser extraordinaire Terry Cooke and hardman Pablo Mastroeni will undoubtedly help. But a suspect back line, a motley crew of forwards that wouldn't inspire fear in a police rec-league squad, and Clavijo's shoddy stewardship should keep the Rapids mired near the bottom of the Western conference.

9. Chivas USA I nearly spit out my glass of Carlo Rossi cabernet sauvignon the other night when Max Bretos announced on Fox Soccer Channel that the Goats were his pick to win MLS Cup in 2008. But a lot of folks seem to agree that Chivas will improve on last year's stellar campaign, in which they finished with the best record in the West. I just don't see it happening. Key cogs Claudio Saurez and Ante Razov are a year older and in the twilights of their careers. The only significant addition is Swiss midfielder Raphael Wicky, and he started on the bench in the team's first match (a 1-1 draw with Dallas on the road). Perhaps Preki will work his considerable magic, but I see Chivas tumbling pretty far down the table. (Of course last year I predicted they would stink as well.)

8. Chicago Fire Last year's team clicked just in time to squeak into the playoffs and (again) knock off a heavily favored D.C. squad. The late-season surge corresponded with the arrival of Cuauhtemoc Blanco, the devilish, dynamic Mexican attacker. The 35-year-old striker proved all the naysayers wrong with a combination of grit and brilliance that few in MLS can rival. But the team was also bolstered by the acquisition of dominating central defender Wilman Conde and the tutelage of coach Juan Carlos Osorio. The latter was wooed away to New York in the offseason, and a disgruntled Conde (who wants to join his former coach) is threatening to be a locker-room cancer. The retirement of defensive mid Chris Armas, one of my all time favorite MLS players, will also hurt.

7. New York Red Bulls This team boasts the most dangerous pair of strikers in the league with Juan Pablo Angel and Jozy Altidore. After a full season playing together they should terrorize opposing defenses. So it's a mystery why the only move that the Red Bulls made in the offseason was to bring in Colombian forward Oscar Echeverry. But Osorio has reportedly been scouring South America for prospects and the squad is likely to announce at least one more signing before the transfer window closes on April 15. The key for New York will be whether Claudio Reyna, who languished through a rotten 2007 campaign, and Mike Magee can provide adequate service out of the midfield for the redoubtable duo up top.

I leave you with this photo of Bruce from the weekend in K.C.:

Who is "The Groin?" I'll post my top seven later this week.

Posted by Paul Demko at April 1, 2008 7:25 PM | Comments (4)

 

Border battle

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U.S. faces Canada tonight with Olympic birth at stake

The U.S. is yet to deliver a convincing performance in Olympic qualifying. The team staggered to a 1-1- draw against Cuba, then added 1-0 victories over CONCACAF minnows Panama and Honduras. Even more troubling the Americans scored just one goal from the run of play during those three matches. But the squad's lack of dynamic, attacking soccer will be irrelevant if they can knock off Canada tonight (8 p.m. CST, Fox Soccer Channel) in Nashville and claim a spot in Beijing. The other semifinal will feature Guatemala and Honduras (5:00, FSC)

The Canucks advanced by crushing Guatemala 5-0, in the process (hilariously) eliminating Mexico. So the Americans will be a facing a border rival this evening, but it won't be the one that everyone anticipated. Midfielders Freddy Adu and Stuart Holden (pictured above) have been the most impressive attacking players for the U.S., while Chad Barrett and Eddie Gaven have been notably poor. The former has displayed feet of stone, while the latter seems to lack sufficient mettle for international competition. Jonathan Spector, who lately has been starting for West Ham in the EPL, has joined the squad in Music City to bolster the defense. He'll likely be paired with the promising Michael Orozco in central defense.

Folks in the Twin Cities will be gathering to watch the match at the Sweetwater. Join us.

Posted by Paul Demko at March 20, 2008 10:20 AM | Comments (1)

 

Miserable performance by U.S. Olympic squad

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The U.S. men's Olympic qualifying campaign got off to a dismal start last night in Tampa. The Americans could only manage a 1-1 tie against a lowly Cuban side. The yanks dominated the opening quarter of an hour, culminating in a 13th minute goal by Freddy Adu--easily the best player on the pitch.

But then the game seemed to run completely off the rails for the U.S. squad. The midfield collapsed, Jozy Altidore got beaten to a pulp, and the Cubans netted the inevitable equalizer just before halftime.

The second half was painful to watch. The Americans dominated possession, but seemed to lack any clue how to unlock the bunkered defense. Robbie Findley blew a wide-open breakaway with a brutal attempt at finishing. The Cubans meanwhile spent most of the half lying on the grass writhing in faux agony.

Let's hope tomorrow's performance against Panama is a little more impressive.

Posted by Paul Demko at March 12, 2008 2:54 PM | Comments (2)

 

U.S. Olympic qualifiers kick off tomorrow

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The U.S. will face Cuba tomorrow at 7 p.m. CST in Tampa. Panama and Honduras are also in the group. All games will be televised on Fox Soccer Channel. The U-23 squad will be fighting for two CONCACAF births in Beijing. The U.S. and Mexico are prohibitive favorites, but four years ago the Americans failed to qualify. Playing on their home soil, it would be humiliating if they again fail to make the cut.

The U.S. squad should be dynamic and dangerous. Jozy Altidore and Freddy Adu will likely pace the attack, with Maurice Edu wearing the captain's armband and patrolling the midfield. Chris Seitz will almost certainly get the call in net. Other intriguing players to keep an eye on are Michael Orozco, a defender who plays with San Luis in the Mexican top flight, and Charlie Davies, a forward who suits up for Hammarby in Sweden.

Folks will be gathering in the Twin Cities at the Sweetwater to watch tomorrow's match. Join us.

Posted by Paul Demko at March 10, 2008 10:55 PM | Comments (0)

 

Delusional jackasses successfully woo MLS franchise

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Philadelphia will be joining Major League Soccer in 2010. An anouncement is slated for next week. This is great news for the Sons of Ben, the not-yet-existent team's supporters group that basically willed the franchise into existence. The Guardian's Steven Wells has a hilarious little piece on their jackassery.

Posted by Paul Demko at February 22, 2008 1:22 PM | Comments (2)

 

The final sixteen

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Champions League action returns tomorrow
This week's matches should be riveting: Arsenal v. Milan, Roma v. Real Madrid, Celtic v. Barcelona, Liverpool v. Inter. And those are just the games that can be seen on ESPN over the next two days. Gabriele Marcotti has a nice primer on the round of sixteen over at SI. Barcelona's lethal striker Samuel Eto'o might see some action after missing recent matches with a thigh injury. That means Frank Rijkaard could have his full complement of offensive weapons available for the first time since August. Real Madrid magician Robinho is likely out owing to a torn stomach muscle. Rafa Benitez might need another deep run in Europe to keep his job at Liverpool after Saturday's hilarious home defeat to lower division Barnsley in the FA Cup.

Likewise Arsenal will be looking to make amends for the team's humiliating 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester United. I'd barely tucked into my hashbrowns at The Local on Saturday before Nani, Anderson, Rooney and company had run the visitors off the field. Sir Alex Ferguson's side will try to keep the good times rolling at Lyon on Wednesday. Here's the highlights from the Manchester pasting:

Posted by Paul Demko at February 18, 2008 9:27 PM | Comments (2)

 

Ghana goes down

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Ghana has been walking a tightrope through the African Cup of Nations. The home squad, among the favorites to win it all, has never looked particularly convincing. They needed a late crackerjack volley from Suley Muntari in the opening match to secure three points against Guinea. Then they went a goal down to Nigeria in the quarterfinals before rallying courtesy of a Junior Agogo gamewinner. (Don't miss this touching Agogo marriage proposal. Cribbed from du nord.)

Today the string ran out. The Black Stars fell to Cameroon, 1-0, on the strength of an Alain Nkong goal. The former Colorado Rapids striker was making just his second international appearance for the Indomitable Lions.

Cameroon will take on the winner of today's other semifinal in Sunday's championship match. Egypt currently holds a 3-1 lead over Ivory Coast with less than 30 minutes to play.

UPDATE: Egypt romps over the Elephants, 4-1.

Posted by Paul Demko at February 7, 2008 3:43 PM | Comments (1)

 

U.S.-Mexico renew rivalry tonight

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The U.S. men's national team has owned Mexico in recent years. Since 2000, they've compiled a 9-2-1 record against their southern rivals, dramatically reversing decades of suffering at the feet of the Mexicans. The results have been even more stark on U.S. soil, with the yanks going 8-0-1 and running up a 15-1 scoring advantage. Most recently, Benny Feilhaber sent the Mexicans to defeat in the finals of the Gold Cup with a stunning gamewinner. This string of ugly results is driving Hugo Sanchez's side loopy with anger.

The bitter rivalry continues tonight in Houston. Both squads have called in some of their big guns from Europe. The Mexico roster features stalwarts Rafa Marquez (Barcelona) and Pavel Pardo (Stuttgart), along with youngsters Carlos Vela (Osasuna) and Giovanni dos Santos (Barcelona). The U.S. will likely count on Michael Bradley (Herenveen), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), and Landon Donovan (L.A. Galaxy) to pace the attack, while the kids Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bull) and Freddy Adu (Benfica) could provide a spark off the bench.

Kickoff is 8 p.m. CST from Reliant Stadium. More than 55,000 tickets have been sold. ESPN2 and Univision will both be carrying the match live. Folks will be gathering to watch locally at the Sweetwater. Join us. My pal Andy is promising free yank swag courtesy of the American Outlaws.

Here's Feilhaber's wonderstrike:

Posted by Paul Demko at February 6, 2008 11:34 AM | Comments (0)

 

U.S. v. Sweden and African Cup of Nations viewing

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Saturday evening the U.S. men's national team kicks off its 2008 campaign against Sweden in Carson City, California. It's a young, predominantly MLS-based roster, with 18-year-old strike menace Josmer Altidore getting his second call-up. It will be the 500th match for the squad. As usual folks will be gathering locally at the Sweetwater to watch. Kickoff is 7:30 CST.

Viewing for the African Cup of Nations will be a little trickier. It can only be seen in the U.S. on French-language station 3A Telesud. Holy Land Deli again looks like the best possibility for catching games in the Twin Cities. I just spoke with the redoubtable Northeast Minneapolis establishment's office manager, Jan Stafford, on the phone. "To the best of my knowledge, yes," she says of televising the games. "Because we have a lot of customers who are soccer fans." The opening match features hosts Ghana against Guinea. Kickoff is 11 a.m. CST. On Monday powerhouses Nigeria and Cote D'Ivoire face off at 11 a.m. in the most anticipated matchup of the opening round.

Posted by Paul Demko at January 18, 2008 11:45 AM | Comments (2)

 

African Cup of Nations kicks off Sunday

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I suspect this explains Petyon Manning's anemic fourth-quarter performance last weekend. The African Cup of Nations gets underway in Accra, with hosts Ghana facing off against Guinea. Despite the incessant whining of English clubs losing players to the 16-team tournament, it should offer some of the most exciting soccer played on the planet.

Unfortunately watching matches in the U.S. is not easy. They're only broadcast through some Arabic language network (or somesuch) that most sports bars (understandably) fail to carry. Last tournament Bruce and I caught a few games at the Holy Land Deli in Northeast. They had a large-screen TV upstairs and immigrants from all over Africa were holed up there watching matches. It's also possible that the Sweetwater will be showing matches. I'll hunt down some viewing information and post it here later this week.

But for now the San Antonio Express-News (inexplicably) has a nice little preview. The Guardian also has lots of first-rate coverage.

Posted by Paul Demko at January 15, 2008 5:14 PM | Comments (5)

 

Champions League: Liverpool faces elimination

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The group stage of the UEFA Champions League concludes over the next two days. There should be several crackerjack matches to watch.

Liverpool fans have justified their squad's lousy form in the Champions League by insisting that Rafa Benitez's team has been focused on winning the EPL title. But after Saturday's drubbing by Reading, they're now sitting seven points behind Arsenal, and that excuse is sounding rather silly. Liverpool has advanced to the final two of the the last three years, but they'll need to win on the road against Marseille just to guarantee a spot in the knockout stage (ESPN2, 1:30 CST).

In today's late game, Real Madrid will host Lazio (ESPN Classic, 4 CST). The Spanish league leaders need a draw to book a place in the next round. They survived a dust-up with Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, and look to be in fine form. Ruud van Nistlerooy has scored a remarkable 53 goals in 68 Champions League matches.

Tomorrow Lyon visit Rangers with a spot in the knockout stage on the line (ESPN2, 1:30 CST). The French side started miserably, losing their first two matches by a combined score of 6-0. But they've rallied to take seven points from their last three matches. Lyon need the away win to stay alive. Unfortunately American Damarcus Beasley won't suit up for Rangers for a long, long time after blowing out his knee last month.

The last match being televised in the U.S., Barcelona v. Stuttgart (ESPN Classic, 4 CST), is of zero consequence. The Spanish club has already won the group, while Stuttgart has been eliminated.

Posted by Paul Demko at December 11, 2007 12:44 PM | Comments (2)

 

I will be dining at Ben's Chili Bowl this weekend

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For the third straight year I'll be in attendance at the MLS Cup on Sunday in D.C. The good news is that it's not in Frisco, Texas--that godforsaken wasteland north of Dallas that has all the charm of a moldy soft taco. The bad news is that D.C. United once again got dumped in the playoffs after finishing with the best record in the league.

I'm nominally a D.C. fan. I lived there in the early years of MLS and spilled enough beer on strangers at raucous RFK Stadium matches to forever have a soft spot in my heart for the black and red. But more importantly, I'm bummed because there will once again be no home squad and therefore a rather tepid atmosphere. D.C. had sold 36,000 tickets as of earlier this week. If United were in the championship match it would most definitely be a glorious, ear-blistering sellout. Instead we'll get 40,000-odd fans--the vast majority of which are uncertain who the hell to cheer for. Many of them will be drunk, bitter D.C. supporters.

But New England is offering free bus rides down I-95 to the faithful, so there should be a decent contingent of Revolution fans. And the Houston supporters, in just two seasons, have proven themselves among the league's most ardent jackasses. The two sold out playoff games at Robertson Stadium, with seemingly every yahoo in the crowd clad in orange, were glorious to watch. We'll see how many make the long journey east.

There are a number of intriguing story lines in this rematch of last year's MLS Cup: Can Houston survive the almost-certain absence of Brian Ching? Will New England finally break its MLS Cup curse, having lost in three of the last five title matches? Can Taylor Twellman and company find some way to break down the dominant Dynamo defense? Will Nate Jaqua try to take someone's head off with another vicious forearm shiver (see the 40th minute)?

We'll find out Sunday at noon EST. My prediction: Houston 1-0. Jaqua nods home a Brian Mullan cross for the victory.

Posted by Paul Demko at November 16, 2007 10:38 AM | Comments (0)

 

I just can't get enough of that David Beckham cologne

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I was too busy drinking beer, directing choruses of "we sing better than your wife" at Beckham, and making a general jackass out of myself to do any reporting at Sunday's Thunder-Galaxy game at the Metrodome. But luckily Brian Quarstad was on the scene. He filed this excellent audio report for Blue Sky Soccer. He also took some fine photos, including that one of me inexplicably wearing a rainbow-hued propeller hat.

Posted by Paul Demko at November 15, 2007 11:41 AM | Comments (0)

 

Beckham-mania

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The circus hits town on Sunday. Even Bob Sansevere has taken notice. I made it over to the Minnesota Thunder's practice yesterday at the Metrodome. I only caught a few minutes of scrimmage action, but this squad looks pretty impressive. Sebastien Le Toux and Hugo Alcarez-Cuellar, in particular, looked menacing.

In addition Metro columnist Scott Schneweis was training with the squad, apparently for a future piece. I can report with all honesty that he's got a rocket of a shot and seemed to acquit himself reasonably well. More impressively, Schneweis proceeded to change from his sweat-soaked practice clothes directly into a stunning three-piece powder blue suit (complete with matching shoes).

Brian Quarstad and I interviewed some of the players about the match. He's posted a complete audio report over at Blue Sky Soccer, but here's a few quotes:

Left-sided midfielder Dayton O'Brien was acquired earlier this month in a swap with the Atlanta Silverbacks. Last season he played in 19 games and scored one goal for a squad that advanced to the league championship game.

On the trade: "I couldn’t be happier to be here. With the new ownership group coming in and meeting new players and the guys already on the team and the coaching staff, it's a fine time to be a Minnesota Thunder player."

On playing against the most famous footballer on the planet: "It's great for the Minnesota Thunder. It's great for the community around here to get the word out about the team here. It's important for us to have a good showing to build a fan base for next year. It's going to be fun. It's a challenge for us. I'm sure we'll make it a challenge for them as well."

Defensive midfielder Jeremiah Bass just completed his first year with the Thunder, logging nearly 2000 minutes and scoring a goal. He also works as a mutual funds researcher at Ameriprise Financial.

On the possibility of marking Beckham: "It's going to be fun. I'm sure the initial feeling is going to be, wow, there's David Beckham. But then after that it's just going to playing. Anytime you get to play against a team like this, with so many stars, it's fun. It's just kind of like an adventure."

On how the squad, which is sort of a USL First Division all-star team, is coming together: "A lot of these guys are good players. They're easy to play with. That's how it goes. It's always easy to play with good players. It's been fun. It's been a lot of fun this week. I think everybody's enjoyed themselves. We're looking forward to Sunday."

Posted by Paul Demko at November 9, 2007 2:30 PM | Comments (1)

 

UEFA Champions League Matchday 4!

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The UEFA Champions League is back--and American viewers will once again get the chance to take in four matches via ESPN. Today it's Liverpool fighting for its group stage life against Turkish club Besiktas (1:30 p.m., ESPN2). The English side has managed a paltry one point from its first three matches. Then it's Real Madrid visiting Olympiakos (4 p.m. ESPN Classic). The Spaniards have been flying recently in La Liga play, with Robinho and Guti in particularly impressive form, but they stumbled against a resurgent Sevilla side on Sunday.

Unfortunately tomorrow they're showing Manchester United at home against Dynamo Kyiv (ESPN, 1:30). The Ukrainians are yet to register a point and were whipped 4-2 at home by Cristiano Ronaldo and company in the last round. This will surely be an unwatchable drubbing. Then its Rangers visiting Barcelona (ESPN Classic, 4 p.m.) The Scottish side received lavish praise for tying mighty Barca two weeks ago at home, but the kind words seemed rather condescending and misguided. Shouldn't a team at least try for all three points when playing at home? American Damarcus Beasley, enjoying an excellent campaign, should see some time for Rangers.

Posted by Paul Demko at November 6, 2007 12:30 PM | Comments (0)

 

How does Tom Soehn sub out the league's leading scorer down three goals in the playoffs?

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D.C. United and the Chicago Fire staged an intense, epic battle last night. The visitors stunned D.C. by taking advantage of some indecisive defending in the back to twice find net early on. Following last week's 1-0 home win, it gave the underdogs a three-goal cushion on aggregate.

But just when it looked like Chicago was going to cruise to victory, D.C. suddenly went mental. Clyde Simms jumpstarted the attack with a long-range scorcher. Then Christian Gomez squeezed one past Chicago 'keeper Matt Pickens. It appeared that D.C. had gotten the equalizer in the dying minutes, but Gomez was (correctly) whistled for a handball. Agony for the black and red; ecstacy for the upstart Fire.

Video highlights here. The Washington Post also has an extraordinary photo gallery from the match.

Posted by Paul Demko at November 2, 2007 12:32 PM | Comments (1)

 

Beckham is coming to town

Filed under: Soccer

David Beckham--he of the dreamy looks, bum ankle, and bending free kicks--is apparently making a movie with Snoop Dogg. He is also coming to Minnesota to play in the inaugural Copa Minnesota on November 11 at the Metrodome. Becks' Los Angeles Galaxy squad will take on the Minnesota Thunder at 5:30 p.m. Tickets start at $15.

Beckham is, of course, the main draw (barring a Posh appearance), but there are other reasons to attend this match. Enigmatic U.S. player of the year Landon Donovan is on the roster--and even on a bad day he's still among the best players ever to suit up for this country. And retiring midfield dynamo Cobi Jones--one of the most beloved players in the history of the men's national team--could be playing his last game on U.S. soil. (The Beckham circus will be traveling to Australia and New Zealand later this month.)

As for the Thunder, they will be fielding a sort of First Division all-star squad. Headlining the roster are league MVP Sebastien Le Toux (Seattle Sounders) and defender of the year David Hayes (Atlanta Silverbacks). Also back in blue will be former Thunder midfielder Johnny Menyongar (Rochester Raging Rhinos) and nimble-footed New Zealand target man Nate Knox (Seattle Sounders). Among the players returning from last season's Thunder squad will be forward Aaron Paye and defender Kevin Friedland.

Here's the announced rosters:

Minnesota Thunder:

GOALKEEPERS: Nic Platter (Thunder), Lance Friesz (LA Galaxy)

DEFENDERS: Kenney Bertz (Rochester Rhinos), Alejandro De La Mora (Thunder), Kevin Friedland (Thunder), David Hayes (Atlanta Silverbacks), Brian Pederson (Thunder), Derek Smith (Thunder)

MIDFIELDERS: Hugo Alcarez-Cuellar (Seattle Sounders), Jeremiah Bass (Thunder), Sasha Gotsmanov (Thunder), Craig Mallace (Thunder), Dayton O’Brien (Atlanta Silverbacks), Dale Weiler (Thunder)

FORWARDS: Leo Gibson (Thunder), Nathan Knox (Seattle Sounders), Sebastien Le Toux (Seattle Sounders), Johnny Menyongar (Rochester Rhinos), Aaron Paye (Thunder)

Los Angeles Galaxy:

GOALKEEPERS: Joe Cannon, Steve Cronin

DEFENDERS: Chris Albright, Ty Harden, Ante Jazic, Chris Klein, Mike Randolph, Troy Roberts, Kyle Veris

MIDFIELDERS: David Beckham, Kelly Gray, Kevin Harmse, Cobi Jones, Kyle Martino, Josh Tudela, Peter Vagenas

FORWARDS: Edson Buddle, Mike Caso, Landon Donovan, Carlos Pavon, Israel Sesey

Posted by Paul Demko at November 1, 2007 5:15 PM | Comments (0)

 

MLS playoffs: D.C. and Houston will meet in the final

Filed under: Soccer

The MLS playoffs kickoff tonight with Chicago at D.C. on ESPN2, easily the most intriguing matchup of the first round. Some thoughts:

1. I would not want to play the Chicago Fire right now: Don't let the shabby 10-10-10 record deceive. The Fire are riding an eight-game unbeaten streak into the playoffs, although five of those were ties. If someone on the squad could just learn to finish they'd be a real menace. Cuauthemoc Blanco, of course, has played a vital role in the team's surge. But of almost equal importance has been the arrival of defender Wilman Conde from Colombian club Millonarios. He's slotted into the central midfield with Chris Armas the last few games and wreaked havoc with tough tackling and defense-splitting through balls. Just two weeks ago the Fire frustrated and outplayed D.C. at RFK in a 0-0 draw.

2. Bench Paulo Wanchope: The veteran Costa Rican striker has been miserable for the Fire. He looks old, slow, and indifferent. It's time to put the dude out to pasture--or at least to United Arab Emirates. Granted Chad Barrett hasn't been much better, but at least he's young, tenacious, and talented. Eventually the goals will start to flow for the kid. Pair him up top with Chris Rolfe and see if they can jumpstart the team's anemic attack.

3. Watch out for Christian Gomez: The reigning MVP had a lackluster first half of the season. Luckily for D.C. Ben Olsen picked up the scoring slack while Gomez floundered. But in recent weeks the Argentinian has once again been terrorizing defenses with his kamikaze runs through the middle of the pitch. He also seems to be looking for goal at every opportunity. With both Jaime Moreno and Luciano Emilio gimpy, Gomez will have to engineer the offense if D.C. is going to make a run in the playoffs.

4. Who cares about Chivas v. Kansas City?: I can summon no enthusiasm for this series. Chivas has been the biggest surprise of the season, finishing with the best record in the west despite a roster that looks pretty flacid on paper. But with Ante Razov out injured, Preki's duct-tape operation shows signs of finally coming apart. The squad failed to get a win in its final three games. After a strong start, Kansas City limped into the playoffs and doesn't appear to be a threat to knock off anyone. Look for whoever staggers through this series to get walloped in the conference finals.

5. This is Denilson's last chance: It's been an extraordinary year for foreign acquisitions in MLS. Almost all of the high profile signings--Blanco, Juan Pablo Angel, Guillermo Barros-Schelotto--have worked out tremendously. Some lesser known foreigners--Emilio, Juan Carlos Toja, Conde--have also had a dramatic impact on the league. Denilson is the one ugly exception. The nimble-footed Brazilian has added nothing to the Dallas attack and plays no defense. He has no goals from the run of play and no assists. Dallas has the option to cut ties with the midfielder at the end of this season. Unless Denilson can work some serious mojo in the playoffs, he'll soon be joining Wanchope in the United Arab Emirates.

6. How does Steve Nicol do it?: Take a look at New England's roster. What do you notice? Not a single high profile foreign acqusition in the bunch. Nicol has put together a squad that year after year is among the league's best basically by plucking players from the MLS draft. Every year it seems he uncovers some overlooked gem--Clint Dempsey, Shalrie Joseph, Andy Dorman, Jeff Larentowicz. This year it was rookies Adam Cristman and Wells Thompson contributing vital minutes. But I think the Revolution's run of tanking in the MLS final is over. I don't see them getting past New York.

7. Houston will win it all: Signficant injuries to Brian Ching, Brad Davis, and Stuart Holden have not slowed down the defending champs. Now that those three appear to be fit, they've lost Ricardo Clark to suspension after he fulfilled every MLS player's dream by planting a viscious cleat into Carlos Ruiz. No worries. They just bring in Richard Mulrooney to fill the defensive mid vacuum. Houston has the best defense in the league, dynamic wing players in Davis and Brian Mullan, and a nice yin-and-yang strike duo in Ching and Joseph Ngwenya. Look for them to once again hoost the MLS Cup on November 18.

Posted by Paul Demko at October 25, 2007 5:28 PM | Comments (1)

 

Next time you might want to try Mapquest

Filed under: Soccer

Soccer mom charged with taking a chair to coach's head

Posted by Paul Demko at October 23, 2007 6:19 PM | Comments (0)

 

Next time you might want to try Mapquest

Filed under: Soccer

Soccer mom charged with taking a chair to coach's head

Posted by Paul Demko at October 23, 2007 6:19 PM | Comments (0)

 

Hudsonia!

Filed under: Soccer

How could I possibly not know that there is a blog devoted to Ray Hudson? It's genius, of course. I once interviewed the great man at a Chammps in Fort Lauderdale for a story about the Miami Fusion.

I played with the L.A. Riot Squad in a game Saturday morning against Chicago's Section 8 supporters. The winner of this annual match earns dibs for the year on the Jorge Campos Golden Bedpan. It was an ugly affair. Our goalkeeper's preparations involved drinking a beer prior to the 10 a.m. kickoff. A kid who couldn't have been older than 10 scored against us. I believe the final score was roughly 10-3 bad guys. Here's a photo of this motley crew:

Posted by Paul Demko at October 23, 2007 12:52 PM | Comments (1)

 

L.A.'s Peter Vagenas: "marriages were suffering"

Filed under: Soccer

The U.S. scraped out a 1-0 win over Switzerland yesterday in Basel. It wasn't the prettiest of victories. The yanks showed little clue how to put together any kind of attacking pressure for most of the match. They were desperately lacking a play-making midfielder. Their passing in the first half was pathetic.

But the backline (Carlos Bocanegra in particular) was extremely good, Maurice Edu had an impressive debut at defensive mid, and the Americans harried the Swiss until they fell apart. Then the kiddies came on and put the game away. Freddy Adu looked sublime, sending Steve Cherundolo in on goal with a slick back heal on his first touch, then nearly scoring on a breakaway. Danny Szetela served in the game-winning cross in the 86th minute.

Both dailies have stories today on the Minnesota Thunder's new ownership group. The Pi Press digs deeper into the details.

L.A. midfielder Peter Vagenas had some fascinating comments heading into tonight's showdown with New York. The Galaxy need at least a tie to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Posted by Paul Demko at October 18, 2007 10:22 AM | Comments (0)

 

Blanco v. Beckman

Filed under: Soccer

The MLS playoff system sucks. It's patently ridiculous for 8 out of 13 teams in a league to make the playoffs. It cheapens the regular season to a degree that's insulting to fans who pay to see matches all season long. But I understand the rationale. MLS brass want to keep playoff hopes alive, and therefore fan interest high, in as many cities as possible. And last weekend the league saw the best attendance of the season, with four out of five games drawing better than 20,000 fans. (The exception was Chivas USA, which apparently has a following approaching that of the Indomitable Drinky Crows.)

However silly the post-season format, it sets up some pretty damn interesting soccer matches this final weekend of the season. Four teams are still vying for two playoff spots, including the long-left-for-dead L.A. Galaxy, riding an improbable five game winning streek. If they take all three points against New York on Thursday, it sets up a winner-take-all showdown with the Chicago Fire on Sunday afternoon. This should be a grand spectacle. Two of the hottest teams in the league featuring two of the best attacking players in MLS history fighting for their post-season lives.

And best of all ... I will be there!

Posted by Paul Demko at October 16, 2007 3:48 PM | Comments (0)

 

Q & A with Thunder coach Amos Magee

Filed under: Soccer

Bruce and I recently conducted a lengthy post-season interview with Minnesota Thunder coach Amos Magee. You can read (or listen) to the whole shebang over at Blue Sky Soccer. But here's a few choice snippets.

On the Thunder's disappointing 5-12-11 season:

We didn't get it done as an organization and I didn't get it done as a coach. So you get really frustrated about that. Ten of our twelve losses by one goal. And our goal differential over the course of the year--minus three. All those games lost beyond the 88th minute. Eleven ties. [Assistant coach Tod Herskovitz] and I have an expression when you get really close to something, but it just doesn't quite work out. We're always like "crossbar." Looks like it's going in, hits the crossbar. This season was a freaking crossbar. We got close, but they don't count crossbars. They count goals, and we didn't get goals.

On the team's new ownership group:

These guys came along and I think that they really have a long-term vision for our team that involves a soccer-specific stadium, that involves bringing big international games to the Twin Cities. ... They want to brand our team better. They want us to be bigger players in the sports culture here in the Twin Cities, through advertising, through re-branding if that's the way we go, through public appearances, through whatever way that they can do it. I'm a believer. I think that it's a great, great step forward for our organization.

On where the team will play next season:

We do have choices. But I think in our minds there's probably two venues that we feel are going to be steps up from James Griffin, that are going to bridge us the gap before our guys build us our new stadium. I can imagine you're a little skeptical. I'm sold on it. I believe it's going to happen. I believe that's one of the reasons why these guys bought the club. These are real players in commercial real estate. I think that they see that a stadium's a piece of that. So we've got to find a place that can really sort of help increase our professionalism between now and that new stadium.

On the Copa Minnesota and David Beckman:

We're feverishly working at trying to find a date. We thought we had a date and then freaking L.A. goes on a three-game winning streak. We can't announce anything. We can't sell anything. L.A. doesn't want to do anything until they're officially eliminated. It just couldn't have worked out worse. We're committed to bringing the Galaxy here and we're committed to doing it with Beckham. There's no other reason to do it. Listen, they want to work with us. They want to be here too. They see this as a chance for them to expand their brand and sell merchandise. The Metrodome is one of the few stadiums that's in a major metropolitan area that's not an MLS market that can do this. Everyone wants to see it happen. It's just gotta make sense.

Posted by Paul Demko at October 16, 2007 12:08 PM | Comments (1)

 

Happy Juan Carlos Toja wig day!

Filed under: Soccer

In honor of tonight's Dallas-Chivas match, the geniuses at Pizza Hut Park are handing out Juan Carlos Toja wigs to the first 5,000 fans through the gates. The brilliantly coiffed Colombian midfielder has been a bit off his game since returning from injury, but perhaps the site of 5,000 hairy clones in the stands will prove inspirational. Both Dallas and Chivas have clinched playoff spots, but the western conference post-season pecking order remains unresolved. Dallas got a big win on Saturday, with Abe Thompson netting two late goals to take down Columbus, but the team's defense remains highly erratic, especially now that both Clarence Goodson and Pablo Ricchetti are sidelined.

(Cribbed, of course, from Bruce.)

Posted by Paul Demko at October 11, 2007 10:53 AM | Comments (0)

 

Roma will be looking for revenge

Filed under: Soccer

The UEFA Champions League returns to action today. ESPN will be broadcasting four matches. The highlight should be Manchester United v. Roma (1:30 CST, ESPN2), with Francesco Totti and the Italians seeking revenge for last season's humiliating 7-1 quarterfinal shellacking. Also on today's schedule is Stuttgart v. Barcelona (4, ESPN Classic). Tomorrow it's Liverpool v. Marseille (1:30, ESPN2) and Lazio v. Real Madrid (4, ESPN Classic).

Posted by Paul Demko at October 2, 2007 10:10 AM | Comments (4)

 

"Defending this team is like trying to nail jello to the ceiling."

Filed under: Soccer

No, Ray Hudson was not talking about the U.S. women's team, which was thoroughly eviscerated 4-0 by Brazil this morning in the semifinals of the World Cup. Coach Greg Ryan will be dogged for his inexplicable decision to switch goalkeepers, but he should be more broadly derided for fielding a dull, predictable squad that did little more than pound the ball down the field and try to take advantage of their superior size. The U.S. team was a snooze to watch from the first whistle of this tournament.

Nor was Hudson talking about his former squad D.C. United, which overcame a dodgy red-card decision to take a 2-1 win over Chivas Guadalajara in the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana clash. The home side played some nifty soccer in the opening 45 minutes, but had to survive a Chivas onslaught over the last half hour playing a man down. Can the MLS club make the lead hold up next Tuesday at Estadio Jalisco? Sadly I seriously doubt it.

Hudson was talking about Barcelona. Playing without Ronaldinho their last two matches, Barca has put on a simply spectacular show. The reason: Lionel Messi. The Argentine kid was mesmerizing against Sevilla and Real Zaragoza. I can't find the highlights of those matches, so you'll have to make do with this cheeky Messi golazo from the summer against Mexico:

Posted by Paul Demko at September 27, 2007 9:57 AM | Comments (0)

 

USA! USA! USA!

Filed under: Soccer

The yanks are through to the quarterfinals of the Women's World Cup. They knocked off Nigeria 1-0 to win Group B. They'll face England on Saturday. The squad didn't look particularly impressive, but got the job done.

UEFA Champions League begins today! Can Milan repeat? Liverpool at Porto will air on ESPN2 today. Tomorrow it's Sporting Lisbon at Manchester United (1:30 p.m. CST, ESPN2) and Lyon at Barcelona (4 p.m., ESPN Classic).

Posted by Paul Demko at September 18, 2007 9:10 AM | Comments (0)

 

Alexi Lalas is an incompetent ass (and other MLS notes)

Filed under: Soccer

The MLS season is coming to a close. With just five weeks left, D.C., Houston and New England have officially secured playoff spots. It looks like Chivas and Dallas are safely in as well, with New York and Kansas City practically a lock. Chicago, Columbus, and Colorado will likely battle it out for the final spot. A few thoughts on the season so far:

1. D.C. is the team to beat: Last year's squad romped through the first half of the season, then limped through the second half. They held on to claim the Supporters' Shield, but then promptly flamed out in the playoffs. Rookie coach Tom Soehn seems to have learned from that last campaign. His team has played their best ball in recent weeks, putting up a sterling 8-0-1 ledger since the start of August, while outscoring opponents by a formidable 23-6 margin. During that span they put up two impressive drubbings of their chief rivals in the east, New England. Ben Olsen is having the best season of his career and deserves serious MVP consideration. Fred keeps getting better as the season progresses, while fellow Brazilian Luciano Emilio simply scores and scores and scores.

2. Chicago will snag the final playoff spot: And I wouldn't want to face them in the first round of the post season. Cuathemoc Blanco has dramatically improved the Fire. The attack--featuring the hunchbacked Mexican along with Paulo Wanchope, Chris Rolfe and Chad Barrett--is lethal. It will be interesting to see how Wilman Conde's presence impacts a shaky defense. He didn't get off to a promising start with a red card in his first match. The Fire caught a break on Sunday, though, when Colorado was derailed by a dubious red card and penalty kick call after Facundo Erpen put a love tap on Laurent Merlin in the box. Chicago gets another break this week, catching D.C. without Fred, Christian Gomez, and Olsen--all out for Sunday's match owing to card accumulation.

3. Preki is hands down coach of the year: The first-year Chivas coach has done a remarkable job with a squad that looks humdrum on paper. After planning to build the nucleus of the team around playmaker Amado Guevara, Preki was forced to scrap that plan after the Honduran jackass did his best to sabotage the season. Undeterred, Preki has taken players like Lawson Vaughn and Shavar Thomas, who had proven thoroughly middling in prior seasons, and put together the league's most consistent team. Jesse Marsch has been a human wrecking ball in the midfield, while also displaying a heretofore unknown passing touch. And in a year that has seen the greatest infusion of talent since the founding of MLS, Maykel Galindo might just be the league's top newcomer. Both of these Goats deserve consideration for MVP. Too bad nobody shows up for the games, no matter how idiotically Christian Miles blathers on about their supposedly rabid fans.

4. I'll be cheering for Dallas to come through the west: They're the most entertaining, unpredictable team in the league. Steve Morrow's squad looked anemic at the start of the season. When Kenny Cooper went down early on it seemed like the rookie coach was facing a long, lousy campaign. But that was before the revelation of Juan Carlos Toja, the gritty Colombian midfield dynamo, and Pablo Richetti, the steady veteran defensive midfielder. The jury is still out on what Denilson will bring to the mix, but it doesn't look particularly promising. Dallas would have been much wiser to add a veteran centerback. The team will ultimately be undone by its lousy defense. Give the starting goalkeeper job to Ray Burse, Jr.! The kid was fantastic in the three games that he started, while Dario Sala has looked old and inept since returning from injury. Put him out to pasture.

5. This has been the best season in the history of MLS: Forget David Beckham. The other newcomers have brought an impressive jolt of class and skill throughout the league. Juan Pablo Angel, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Carlos Marinelli, Abel Xavier, Galindo, Toja, Emilio, and Blanco have all shined. Average attendance is set to be higher than at any time since the league's inaugural season, with roughly 16,000 showing up per game. Chicago and New England, in particular have shown a marked spike in fan support, while Toronto's sold out home campaign is testament that expanding to Canada was a wise move. With ESPN, Fox Soccer Network, and Telefutura all showing weekly matches, the league has never had greater exposure. These positive developments have been overshadowed by the media’s silly Beckham fixation.

6. Alexi Lalas should never have another job in MLS: His ineptitude is staggering. I love the fact that Lalas isn’t afraid to court controversy, but his track record is simply atrocious. Trading Robbie Findley and Nathan Sturgis, two highly promising young players who have helped Salt Lake significantly, for a washed-up Chris Klein was jaw dropping. Shipping out Ugo Ihemelu and Tyrone Marshall--gritty, proven defenders who could have gone a long ways towards solidifying the squad--was another brain-dead move. Every option that L.A. has tried in attack—Alan Gordon, Carlos Pavon, Edson Buddle, Nate Jaqua, Gavin Glinton—has been a bust. It’s been sad watching Landon Donovan try to singlehandedly spark the team towards some level of competence. I’m agnostic on whether Frank Yallop should also get shived for the team’s putrid performance. His handling of Beckham was criminally stupid, but he’s proven himself a capable coach over many years.

Posted by Paul Demko at September 17, 2007 12:12 PM | Comments (9)

 

Thunder sold to Belgium-based ownership group

Filed under: Soccer

Fantastic, unexpected news surfaced at yesterday's tailgate prior to the Minnesota Thunder's final game of the season. The team's director of soccer operations, Manny Lagos, dropped by with a couple of mysterious gentleman in sportcoats who were introduced as the club's new ownership group. I arrived immediately after their talk, and failed to chase them down after the game, but here's what was gleaned:

1. They are based in Belgium.

2. One of the gentleman is originally from St. Paul; the other is originally from the Netherlands

3. They intend to invest serious money in the franchise with the hope of one day joining Major League Soccer

4. They promise to build a soccer specific stadium for the club within two years

Expect some kind of official announcement about this phenomenal news, including where the club will play next season, around the end of the month.

And oh yeah: the Thunder lost, again, 1-0. Final record: 5-12-11, one point worse than last year's campaign.

(Photo courtesy of Brian Quarstad.)

Posted by Paul Demko at September 10, 2007 12:30 PM | Comments (6)

 

Minnesota Thunder's miserable campaign closes

Filed under: Soccer

The Minnesota Thunder have once again proven not so mighty this season. They currently own a 4-11-11 record and have been eliminated from playoff contention in a league where almost every god forsaken team makes the playoffs. But from a more Pangloss-ian perspective, the squad has made some strides. Last year they finished tied for last. With last weekend's surprise victory over top-of-the-table Seattle Sounders, the Thunder are all but assured of finishing ahead of the California Victory. We're comin!

What's more the squad has only been outscored by a margin of 34-27. In other words, they were competitive in pretty much every game they played. They just couldn't figure out how to win. Every time the Thunder managed to take a lead this season, they almost immediately let their guard down and surrendered an equalizer. It's a particularly agonizing trait for a team to possess.

But it's a young, talented group playing for a chronically under-funded organization on a sorry high-school pitch. The challenges are formidable. Hopefully next year Coach Amos Magee can right the operation--if he still has a job.

The squad has two home matches remaining in the campaign. Tonight at 7:05 they will square off against the Carolina Railhawks, who are battling for the league's final playoff spot. Then Sunday at 5:05 the Thunder wrap up their season with a rematch against the Sounders.

C'mon Thunder!

Posted by Paul Demko at September 6, 2007 3:17 PM | Comments (2)

 

Chris Klein bicycle kick equalizer in stoppage time?

Filed under: Soccer

Last night's SuperLiga final was extraordinary. Pachuca was clearly the better squad, but the Galaxy put forth a heroic effort. The crowd was electric. Landon Donovan was a menace. Abel Xavier again proved himself the best defender in MLS. But it was Joe Cannon who repeatedly saved the game with mind-blowing saves. And then the most unlikely equalizer ever by Chris Klein. But the Galaxy--with Landon Donovan primed to deliver the $1-million gamewinning goal--somehow found a way to lose on penalty kicks. Grant Wahl has a great little write up over at SI. And oh yeah: Beckham got hurt--again--and he cried. Watch the highlights here.

Posted by Paul Demko at August 30, 2007 8:46 AM | Comments (1)

 

I bet David Beckham's neck is sore this morning

Filed under: Soccer

The headlock that Abel Xavier put on him after he scored last night looked mighty uncomfortable. Let the guy celebrate his damn goal. And can someone explain to me exactly what the hell Troy Perkins was doing? Anyway, here it is:

Posted by Paul Demko at August 16, 2007 10:46 AM | Comments (0)

 

Barra Brava

Filed under: Soccer

Don't miss this piece about D.C. United's loudest, most unruly supporters section in today's Washington Post. The audio gallery, in particular, is fantastic.

Posted by Paul Demko at August 15, 2007 4:01 PM | Comments (0)

 

The free beer movement!

Filed under: Soccer

The Minnesota Thunder's season can pretty much be encapsulated by last week's three-game west coast road trip. On Thursday night the club was outplayed by Portland, but hung on for a nil-nil draw. Then on Saturday in Seattle they clawed back from a 1-0 deficit with two second half Keisuke Ota goals--only to surrender the equalizer in stoppage time. Finally on Sunday the Thunder again fought back from a one-goal deficit, but a would-be winner clanged off the post in the 89th minute.

Not the worst road trip, actually. They scratched out a point against each of three probable playoff teams. Except at this point the Thunder are desperate for victories. At 3-8-10, they're 12 points out of the playoff picture. With just nine matches remaining, it will be nearly impossible to make up this ground. Tomorrow night the Thunder begin a three-game homestand, facing league leaders Portland for the third time in less than two weeks.

The late great blog We Call it Soccer started something called the Free Beer Movement. The gist of this genius idea: give soccer a chance, we give you free beer. It's a gesture intended to convince the uninitiated to attend a game.

Thunder fans will once again be offering this benevolent service before Saturday's match against Rochester at The Jimmy. S