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MLS Power Rankings

By on June 12, 2007 | Follow @WVHooligan |

Not a lot of change in the top of the pack, nor at the bottom of the table for that matter. A little tough to do rankings with so many players missing and some teams not being in action at all over the past week. But, those that were made their mark in some fashion, while other failed to live up to any hype.

Ranking (last week’s) – Team (points)

1. (1) Kansas City Wizards (19 pts.) – No change here as the Wizards didn’t play a single game this week. Big test this weekend in New York coming up. I believe the Red Bulls will be mighty hungry to avenge a loss from a couple weeks ago. Very dangerous game for the Wizards, who will be without Johnson. If they find ways to control the game and control the midfield then they could walk with three points. If not, I don’t see more than a point from this game, which would still be very big.

2. (3) New England Revolution (18 pts.) – This is kind of a 2a and 2b kind of thing with New England and New York. I would have had the same as last week if New York had won their game or tied their game with DC. New England, however, got lucky since they were off and so was New York on Sunday. In a way they get a slight break with Columbus coming to town. I will be very interested to see how into this game they will be with the Crew. They need three points no matter what I think.

2. (2) Red Bull New York (20 pt.) - Not the best of weeks for the Red Bulls. Sure they got three points in Toronto but they were vastly outplayed by the Reds at BMO Field and then they were dominated by DC on Sunday. Another big game for them against the Wizards coming up. They should know they need three points in this game to stay up in the table in the east. Not to mention they need to show that last week was just a one week deal with the way they played. Eight goals in the last three is more than their first eight games. Guess those injuries are starting to catch up with them.

4. (5) DC United (14 pts.) - Statement win on Sunday for the Black-and-Red. Love Ben Olsen’s quote after the game that “the sun shins on a dog’s ass every once and a while”. I expect DC to continue their run of play this weekend as they host a reeling Chicago club. Another win would just congest the top of the eastern table even more than it already is.

5. (6) FC Dallas (19 pt.) - I don’t know if they are the biggest winners of the week or the biggest losers of the week with the loss of Kenny Cooper. Nasty challenge from Tyrone Marshall in a game that was already lost for the Galaxy. But on a brighter note, the Hoops were able to muster three goals without Cooper being apart of any of them. Two games this week that are very dangerous for the Hoops. RSL on the road (a team that hasn’t won yet) and Toronto on the road in a very tough place. I think the Hoops would be more than happy with two points this week.

6. (8) Houston Dynamo (16 pt.) – Their luck is finally changing and somehow it is coming when most of their stars are gone. Weird. Needless to say the addition of Joseph Ngwenya has been great for the Dynamo. Three goals in three games for the kid. Good to finally see him show his worth. A great time for the Dynamo to make their mark in the west (which they are still undefeated against this season). They are the lone team off this coming week, which is probably even better for them.

7. (4) Colorado Rapids (15 pts.) - Biggest loser of the week. I thought they could have easily won the game in Houston but Bouna can’t save them all. A big challenge coming up this weekend as they travel to LA to play a very up and coming Chivas squad. They are starting to look like they really need Roberto Brown more than ever out there. Hopefully the play of Terry Cooke will turn around, they really need him to be on his game to send in balls to Gomez and the lads.

8. (9) CD Chivas USA (14 pts.) - Good win on the road in Chicago. The midfield is slowly coming together, the defense is improving game-by-game, and the offense is still clicking. The west needs to be cautious against this club because they could very well sneak up and end up winning it I think. Colorado coming into town will be the next club to have to realize this in the west. They could be looking at second place after this weekend if they beat Colorado.

9. (8) Toronto FC (10 pt.) - You think they will continue winning and beat a real quality club and then the next thing you know their defense has a brain fart for two minutes and loses a game. Again, they should be sitting at 13 points and smiling that they beat one of the best clubs in the league. They get a chance at beating one of the best the west has to offer this Sunday when they host Dallas. I think Dallas may be alright in the hostile nature that is BMO Field with all the foreign players on their roster but I think the Reds could very easily walk with three points in this one.

10. (10) Chicago Fire (14 pts.) - Think Blanco is having second thoughts about coming to Chicago? I know I would if I were him but I am not. Still no real sign of life against a quality club. Sarachan’s seat continues to get hotter and I don’t see it cooling off anytime soon. A win at DC would be a great start though. Cool off one of the hottest teams in the league would be a major boost. I just don’t see it happening here though.

11. (11) Columbus Crew (8 pt.) - I think really from here until the bottom club they are all equally bad. Columbus still cannot find offense and their defense isn’t any better these days either. Tough game ahead at New England this weekend. They are a bit lucky that New England will be without some key players but I don’t know if it will matter.

12. (12) LA Galaxy (6 pt.) - Still playing bad and injuries and call-ups keep hurting this club more and more. Didn’t play horrible at Dallas but didn’t play great either. Their bench is thinning too with the possible suspension to Tyrone Marshall. Help could be on the way as Abel Xavier may be able to suit up for the Galaxy this Sunday as they host fellow bottom dweller RSL. Will it matter though is the bigger question.

12. (12) Real Salt Lake (6 pt.) - Didn’t drop them since they didn’t play. I think I would have dropped LA if anyone was to be the bottom team but since RSL hasn’t won a game yet (other than exhibitions and US Open Cups) so they couldn’t be ranked higher than LA. Get it? Yeah, so anyways, I think this is the week RSL finally gets out of the loss column and the tie column for that matter and scores three points. FC Dallas come to town on Thursday and they travel to LA on Sunday. There has to be points in those two games somewhere. But don’t be shocked if it all ends up being two points from draws.

Continue Reading · · in Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, DC United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, LA Galaxy, MLS, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake, Sporting KC, Toronto FC
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Is Chicago Desperate For Salas?

By on June 11, 2007 | Follow @WVHooligan |

I guess when the going gets tough the tough keeps trying. I don’t know really how to put it with the Chicago Fire anymore but they are in need of something.

Enter Marcelo Salas. Or at least in the minds of the Fire, enter Marcelo Salas.

The Fire has been trying to negotiate a deal with the 32-year old forward. The Fire wants to Salas offer $22,000 per month the rest of this year. The club would also be willing to pay a $100,000 signing bonus next year and a 2008 salary of approximately $265,000.

Many expect Salas and his reps to not accept this deal. There will probably be some counter-offering afterwards and a potential deal by the end of the week or so.

But I wonder if the Fire really need another 30+ year-old forward (Blanco comes next month). They do need a solid goal scorer, one that is consistent and that will be able to produce for the rest of the season.

But do the Fire need another headache in the locker room? I still believe Blanco will prove to be more of a headache than a help for the Fire and their scoring woes. I also think Salas would be just as much of a headache and I really question whether or not he would get along with Blanco once he arrives. Another striker won’t help, possibly a coaching change would do wonders. Or better yet get a central midfielder that could control the game and help feed better passes to the strikers up top? I don’t know that kind of move has paid off for teams like DC, New York, and Kansas City.
What do you all think? Do they need another forward or would this just another headache?

Continue Reading · · in Chicago Fire, MLS, News and Rumors
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Cooper Out 8 Weeks With Broken Leg

By on June 10, 2007 | Follow @WVHooligan |

Kenny Cooper has suffered a broken tibia courtesy of a Tyrone Marshall tackle late in the game against Los Angeles. Initial estimate from the doctors at Pizza Hut Park is the Hoops striker will be out eight weeks.

This comes right at the end of the Hoops commanding 3-1 victory over the Galaxy. Marshall received a straight red card for the tackle. This is the third broken leg suffered on a tackle by a player in FC Dallas history, the first two Ronnie O’Brien and Brandon Pollard, at the hands of Dema Kovalenko.

“I feared the worst when I saw and heard the tackle,” said FC Dallas head coach Steve Morrow. “Kenny’s a guy that fights through those things and I knew it was serious when he couldn’t continue. So, its takes the shine off a good night for us and a good win. The thoughts of us and all the players right now are with Kenny. We’re obviously devastated for him and it’s a big loss for the whole team as well.”

Dallas is now desperately short on strikers with experience as Carlos Ruiz remains with Guatemala for the Gold Cup and Kenny Cooper now joining Roberto Mina on the inured list. Perhaps this injury will accelerate the possible addition of the young Brazilian striker Ricardinho from Atletico Paranaense.

It remains to be seen how long Marshall will be suspended for as it was a very nasty tackle that caused this injury. Many off the Dallas coaches were raged by the foul as it happened close to their bench. It looks like it was a bad attempt at winning the ball, I really felt Marshall had no chance at the ball. To make matters worse he was arguing his case with the ref over the card and the foul. I never really like calling for multi-game suspensions but that foul warrants one I believe.

As I stated last night it was a horrible way for Dallas to end a game as they were playing very well. The foul on Cooper was certainly uncalled for on Marshall’s part as his team was well out of the game by the time the foul happened in the 89th minute. Eight weeks is a long time but thankfully for the Hoops their season schedule will start to take a bit of a nosedive as the summer months kick up thanks to SuperLiga and other events going on. Dallas has five games between now and August, unfortunate four of those games are on the road.

Continue Reading · · in FC Dallas, MLS, News and Rumors
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Running Thoughts During FCD-LA Match

By on June 9, 2007 | Follow @WVHooligan |

Both teams set to go…no Kenny Cooper to start things off with for Dallas and LA is without many of their normal faces.

Some reason the FSN camera is on the roof of Pizza Hut Park. Horrible angel really.

2nd min. – Commentators talk about hair…not Juan Pablo Toja’s believe it or not…

~~ Decent crowd in Dallas. Decent, not great but decent. I know fans there felt they got a bit screwed at first seeing the Galaxy on their home schedule before Beckham arrives. But they do get one of his first games in SuperLiga action though.

4th min. – Horrible goal kick from Sala, LA almost made him pay for it…

~~ I think the commentators have a man-crush on Donovan like most Galaxy broadcasters do. I wonder how many times they will bring up his name during the broadcast.

~~ I wonder who’s speed will be more of a factor in this game. Robbie Findley or Dominic Odoro?

8th min. – Findley is getting more dangerous but he can’t seem to get that final touch to get off a good shot or pass. So far there hasn’t been a lot of possession for either team. Lot of back and forth play. LA is trying their usual dump and chase style, this time with Findley instead of Donovan.

~~ How is LA going to score since every goal this season has gone through Donovan? Interesting sidepar in this game I think if your a Galaxy fan.

12th min. – You can tell how bad things are for the Galaxy this season. For the second time in the first 15 minutes of the game the commentators are talking about hair on the Galaxy roster. Wow.

14th min. – Nice chance for Alvarez, but it goes just wide.

15th min. – LA shooting from distance now. I guess when things are bad you got to try anything you can. None of the shots have been any good.

17th min. – Decent corner chance for Dallas. No luck however and then the Galaxy have a clear break chance and they don’t even try on it…

~~ Rather boring match so far…snoozer from the broadcasters as well…a bit of homers but I guess since it is the Galaxy broadcast it will be…I love Dallas but their crowd is a bit too quiet…not a lot of chants or anything…I guess maybe I have been spoiled watching those Toronto games as of late

23rd min. - Toja some how slips one through the net…weird goal as I have ever seen. Nice run by Thompson…and honestly seeing the replay he was offside but the Galaxy stayed with it and Toja made a nifty kick to score that…very crafty goal…odd angle too…one people need to see cause it could be a goal of the week quality at that angle

~~ Some reason the play-by-play guy said Steve Morrow is in his second year…rookie coach there buddy…maybe he was thinking second year as a coach overall…

27th min. – Gbandi given the first yellow of the game. Some reason the play-by-play keeps calling him “Bandy”…its “Ga-Bond-e”….read your media guide buddy…

~~ I believe we are at 4 Landon mentions in the game…a little less than I expected

36th min. – Neither team really getting possession in this game…LA may have more on the ball but a lot of missed passes lead to turnovers to the Hoops…and Dallas, well, they don’t seem to care to possess the ball now that they have the lead

40th min. – I don’t know which it is…LA’s midfield is so bad it is making Dallas’s look good or Dallas is playing good defense in the midfield and it is making the Galaxy look bad…

41 min. – Findley finishes a Cobi Jones rebound. Two ladies in the crowd are excited.

42 min. – Wow, Dallas almost comes back and comes back and scores on the way back down. Nice save by Cannon.

~~ Horrible time for Dallas to give up a goal, right before the half. LA has to have some confidence now going into the second half. Though Dallas right before the half getting some decent chances. Thompson and a couple others had decent chances to shot and Gbandi actually had a great shot at the net.

54 min. – PK for Dallas gives the Hoops the lead. Good strike by Thompson.

~~ LA now clearly getting the bulk of the possession as they want and need another goal.

55 min. – Another card for the Galaxy. Things are a little chippy. But the Hoops are finally getting more possession and are really taking it to the Galaxy.

63rd min. – McCarty on for Alvarez, I think Arty had a nice game tonight..

~~ Looks like Cooper is beginning to warm up. Probably see him come on for Odoro in a bit.

68th min. – Well I was wrong Cooper for Thompson. Nice game by Abe, goal and an assist.

70th min. – Good chances from Dallas as of late but no luck for the Hoops. Galaxy fend them off. Jaqua comes off for one of the three Galaxy subs. Yeah, Jaqua was totally worthless out there tonight.

72nd min. – Nice free kick from Dax and Drew Moore heads it home to make it 3-1 for the Hoops.

~~ Dallas is playing very well, then again the Galaxy aren’t playing well at all…

80th min. – LA still cannot get any good possession…yeah they miss Landon…I will admit it now.

82nd min. – Nice give and goes to Cooper…almost a good shot but Cannon gets down and makes a decent save.

86th min. – Wags on for Toja. People really need to know that Toja is legit these days.

~~ The Galaxy look like a team that is on a bad year…the broadcasters sound like they are covering a team that is having a bad year…tough stretch.

88th min. – Ugly challenge on Cooper. I believe it looks like a ankle injury of some sort. Red card to Tyrone Marshall. Cooper is helped off and that is an ugly way to finish a game.

Good win for Dallas but real ugly way of finishing a game for the Galaxy with the card to Marshall.

Continue Reading · · in FC Dallas, LA Galaxy, MLS
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Weekend MLS Preview

By on June 8, 2007 | Follow @WVHooligan |

Just finished watching the Houston – Colorado game from last night a second time through. I can honestly say it was one of the more boring games of the season. Houston some how is undefeated against the western clubs this season still while Colorado continues their horrible streak on the road.

I loved the additions in the second half by Houston though. That added some life to the game that was already fairly dull. Stuart Holdin’s strike may have been one of the better goals from a Dynamo this season, in fact it may rival for goal of the week this week too. Very well struck ball, anyone who knows anything about striking a ball will tell you that Holdin got a lot on that strike because Buona had no chance even though he did get a piece of it.

Sad to see ESPN go back to the O’Brien/Wynalda/Smyth trio in the booth. I don’t know if it was the games rather dullness already or these three together, plus throw in the fact that ESPN/ABC felt it was necessary to bump the game back 15 minutes in favor of an even more boring NBA Finals game.

Nice to see the Red card/yellow card segment back, however, it was its usual wasteful self. Seriously, I don’t want to ever see back to back red cards to Roger Clemens during a soccer game segment like this. Does anyone else find this to be a total waste when he doesn’t talk soccer during this as I do?

Anyways, Houston won, Colorado continues to stink up the joint (boy is their midfield off these days). This weekend had some action, two games each day this weekend. A couple of good ones too that I am rather interested in seeing.

Saturday’s game:

LA Galaxy at FC Dallas: I will p lay master of the obvious here with this one and say both teams need a win here. LA is missing their prized golden child in Landon Donovan and some Canadians due to the Gold Cup; while Dallas is missing Ruiz and a couple injured guys.

In all honesty this game does not shake up well for the Galaxy who are already on their own path of horrible soccer. Take away Landon and the Canadians (who have played fairly well in defense and in the middle for them), and the fact that the Galaxy doesn’t play well on the road to begin with and you will have a bad luck drawn all over this one. However, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we see LA play their best ball of the season tomorrow because of this all too. No disrespect to Dallas but, I could see it happen.

Dallas needs to get Kenny Cooper out of his funk that he is in right now. The midfield also needs Ramon Nunez to play better. If those two play well for Dallas tomorrow then they will have no problem beating the Galaxy. They already did it once this season on the road and should have no trouble doing so at home.

Dallas needs a win to stay a float in the west, while the Galaxy need a win to get out of the league cellar with RSL.

I think the home field advantage will play a part as well as the amount of players missing for the Galaxy. Other than the MLS Cup two years ago, the Galaxy have never won at Pizza Hut Park. I don’t see that trend ending tomorrow.

WVH Prediction: FC Dallas 2, LA Galaxy 0

Chivas USA at Chicago Fire: I have to say this may be the most interesting matchup for me this weekend. I want to see just how Chivas responds after some time off and how Chicago respond to a win.

In all honesty I see this shaping up to be a draw. Both teams are missing some key players but I think Chicago is missing more keys to their attack and defense than Chivas. Chivas will be able to plug the holes better than the Fire will.

Chivas has had success at Toyota Park before but I don’t know if it will be enough to muster out three points. I don’t think Chicago really has the fire power to get goals against Chivas unless they find ways to eat at the midfield of the Goats. If Chris Rolfe plays then the Fire should be able to win but if not I see a draw right now.

Expect Barrett to may get a goal and probably Galindo to do so as well. The Fire really have to be careful with Galindo, if he does anything like he did to FC Dallas a couple weeks ago then it will be a long evening for the Fire.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 1, Chivas 1

Sunday’s Games:

Red Bull New York at DC United: Oh the Atlantic Cup renewed here. I don’t think New York fears the United anymore and I think DC has to respect the Red Bulls run of play now. Both teams got 2-1 victories in a tough place up in Toronto so I can’t base anything on this prediction from those games. I know that is childish but I had to mention it.

How DC defends Angel will dictate whether or not the Black-and-Red win this match. Toronto did a decent job defending him early on but one free kick turned deadly against him. DC cannot give up freebies to Angel or even to Altidore.

If this game were on a neutral site or even in New York I would easily go with the Red Bulls but since it is in DC I honesty see a draw. Its nothing against the United, I think they have been playing very well lately too but I think the Red Bulls are just that much better right now.

I feel safe going with a draw in this one but it should and could very well be the best game this weekend has to offer.

WVH Prediction: RBNY 2, DCU 2
Houston Dynamo at Columbus Crew: Houston found a way to win last night against a boring Colorado team and now they go back on the road where they are horrible against eastern conference sides. Columbus is coming off a game that they actually scored more than once but loss. So what gives?

Houston showed that they really aren’t missing a lot due to the Gold Cup and I think that is a very important thing. They know they can win no matter what now and that is a dangerous thing that I think they will take with them into Columbus.

I question their energy levels though going into this game. Last night’s game was very humid and muggy and I am sure they are spent from the game. Columbus won’t be as humid on Sunday. It will be hot but not muggy like it was in Houston.

Houston’s midfield should be the key in this game. If they control the pace of the game then they will win. However if they let Columbus play their game (like they usually do at home) then it will turn into a rather interesting affair. Columbus has to win this game to get out of the bunker in the east. A win will only help Houston out in the west and even move them into second place.

I am going out on a limb though with this one and taking the Crew. Sigi’s job is on the line and his club should be fighting for it. Schelotto shows his class and scores a winner. Hell the Crew may even score off a corner kick…okay, I know, that was too much, because that won’t happen.

WVH Prediction: Columbus 2, Houston 1

Continue Reading · · in Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, Columbus Crew, DC United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, LA Galaxy, MLS, New York Red Bulls, News and Rumors
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MLS Primetime Thursday Night Preview

By on June 7, 2007 | Follow @WVHooligan |

I saved this post for later in the day because after yesterday I was a little burnt out of posting. I was planning on ranting about the ESPN family of networks putting the first few minutes of the NBA Finals on all of their channels (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU, ESPN360, ESPN.com and Mobile) but that would just be worthless since nothing will come of it. I guess the NBA knows how poorly their ratings are and they are doing everything in their power to get them up a person or two.

I doubt it will work.

Nonetheless, the Colorado Rapids and Houston Dynamo will kickoff tonight a little later than expected. Probably around 9:15ish for you on the east coast like myself.

This western conference clash doesn’t seem to have any steam since the Gold Cup is here and a good portion of the Dynamo squad is gone for it. Well, meaning, the more popular stars are gone. Colorado is only losing two players on the other hand and most people probably won’t even notice a change in their boring style of play.

Houston hasn’t lost a game against a western conference side yet this season but are still playing pretty terrible soccer themselves. Colorado is coming off a road loss at Toronto, in a game that they were really never in until the end but they couldn’t finish their chances.

I see this game to be slightly boring but I am hopeful that some young guns on the Dynamo’s bench will step up like Corey Ashe. I think he will be a factor in this game. The biggest concern if you are a Dynamo fan is who will score? Sure you saw results against Dallas over the weekend but it won’t happen against a better defense in Colorado.

I think the Rapids should easily pull through on this game and end the Dynamo’s streak against the western conference. Herculez Gomez enjoys the spot light on him and he should shine in the primetime lights in Houston. Houston is missing too many of their weapons on offense and defense (keeper Pat Onstad was called up to Canada’s team as well this past week, big loss there folks).
WVH Prediction: Colorado 2, Houston 0

Continue Reading · · in Colorado Rapids, Houston Dynamo, MLS
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TFC – RBNY In-game Thoughts

By on June 6, 2007 | Follow @WVHooligan |

Looks as though we are blessed with the MSG broadcast here tonight. Nice preview of the game and the two teams.

~~ Second game in Toronto where the road broadcast team does the game from a studio, thankfully JP and Shep are so much better than the duo from Altitude. Plus it sounds like MSG turned up the natural sound from the crowd a bit more than the Altitude broadcast had. Sounds a little better.

~~ Good early play from both clubs. Alitdore almost gets through but his shot is well over.

~~ TFC crowd filling in nicely as they always do here as we are about 13 minutes in.

~~ Nice comments about Cunningham and working with Dichio. I really think that Cunningham will get a goal tonight against New York. Also I loved the fact that JP said that Cunningham will have an effect on his play saying that he will love having 20,000 people at his home games. I can’t think of the last time that Cunningham had a good solid home other than maybe Columbus for those early years.

~~ Fun clips of Mo Johnston from yesteryear.

~~ Good chance from TFC, Dichio picks off a bad pass and almost makes New York pay by dissing it off to a wide open Andy Welsh. Just a bad one timer from Welsh goes wide. Welsh comes back moments later with another nice cross, but he couldn’t find Dichio with the ball.

~~ Lots of early possession here from the Reds. Lots of wing play from O’Brien and Welsh, and even Wynne getting some runs down the wing.

~~ Cunningham SCORES! Told ya, 94th career goal for Cunningham. Welsh is playing very, very well right now as he feeds Cunningham. I think Cunningham will really start to like Welsh and O’Brien dissing him the ball from the wings now. All it takes is one and Cunningham has found it.

~~ Corner now for New York….love the party streamers from the crowd on that goal-line. Very festive atmosphere there I believe. And New York gets nothing from it…

~~ Very few touches from Angel so far as we are about 25 minutes in.

~~ Few minutes pass with little to talk about. Brief viewing of how tall Dichio is compared to Reyna. Also mention of the last time the Red Bulls gave up the first goal, it was a loss to Colorado earlier this season. Could thunder strike again against the Red Bulls?

~~ Schopp with the first card of the game. Nasty tackle from behind on Welsh. I agree with that card, and with the way the ref has handled this game so far. No real bad calls yet.

~~ Shep keeps talking about the damn seagulls at BMO Field. Dear Lord…are things returning to Metrostar days in his mind from watching this team play or something. Bringing up crap like that only means you think the club you are commentating on is sucking and I don’t think New York is really sucking right now. They just aren’t getting enough chances.

~~ First bad no call of the game. Could have very well been a PK for TFC too. I think it was Mendes with the foul that wasn’t called.

~~ First half is almost over here…New York isn’t looking great but they aren’t playing horribly here. Toronto is looking very hungry out there. They don’t wanna give up anything stupid here…

~~ Good chance for New York on a corner. Angel can’t get on top of the ball and get it in the wide open net. Shaky moments late in the half for the Reds.

~~ First half ends…Toronto with the 1-0 lead. I believe it was a solid half for the Reds. Johnston probably would have been happy with his club if it had been still 0-0 at half. No shots on target for the Red Bulls while TFC has two shots on target. Couple corners for each club so the chances have been there but more so for the home side. During the half you would hear the crowd scream that it was their house. It is looking more true by the game up there.

~~ New York getting a lot of early possession in the second half. Couple early corners. I think the crowd is getting a little restless early on with the loads of possession from the Red Bulls. Good corners but no goals from any of them. Johnston can’t be happy with the play. Lots of wing play as well from the Red Bulls, taking a page out of the Reds play book in how they played in the first half.

~~ If New York can score here in the early stages of the second half then they will probably win this game. If not they will have to push and push a lot late to get the draw. Toronto is pushed far back into their own defensive third.

~~ More scary stuff from the Red Bulls. A couple more corners but still no solid chance for the Red Bulls to score.

~~ Hour mark in the game and Toronto is finally showing some life in the second half. Ronnie O’Brien is so dangerous on the wing. Nifty move to beat Reyna on the wing and almost sent in a nice chance in the box.

~~ New York finally gets a good chance at net with Altidore. He tried to go low to the far post and got a great pass from Van Den Bergh. But great save by the Toronto keeper. First real chance and it makes you wonder if there is now more to come.

~~ 63 minutes in and the Red Bulls have nine corners…seven in this half alone so far. The chances are getting there for the Red Bulls.

~~ Great chance for Dichio in the box but he couldn’t get the right boot on it. Right now Toronto is slowly making their mark in this half.

~~ Dangerous play on Boyens against Atlidore. Beautiful angel for a nice free kick. A couple guys on the ball. Beautiful strike and Angel scores! 1-1 game now! Keeper totally blinded by his own wall. So 20 minutes left and its a 1-1 game.

~~ Minutes later Angel scores again off a bad pass in the back. Sixth goal of the season. Wow. This game has turned on a dime here. Schopp now comes off for Parke. New York going defensive now…

~~ Couple corners from the Reds now in the 74th minute. Almost dangerous set pieces here. Wouldn’t be surprised if Johnston goes to Buddle here soon and put three up top.

~~ More good chances from TFC. But nothing is coming from it.

~~ John “Don’t Call me Taylor Hicks” Wolyneic comes on for Jozy Alitdore. Decent game for the kid but didn’t really create or produce anything worth talking about.

~~ Big chance late for Toronto in the 88th minute. Nothing comes of it…looks as though this is how things will finish up.

~~ This game is turning out just like the DC-TFC from a couple weeks ago. Toronto goes up early and then lets the road side back in it with some unlucky goals. To the credit of the Djekanovic, he had no chance on the free kick and was just unlucky on the second goal.

~~ New York wins the game thanks to Juan Pablo Angel, who is quickly looking like the league’s MVP so far this season. Big victory on the road for the Red Bulls. Toronto drops their third home game this season by a one goal margin. Big character win for the Red Bulls. They showed loads of heart and hustle. That second half was a bunch of fun to watch. Toronto played well but the second half was the telling story of the Reds, couldn’t get the possession that they had in the first half. New York took advantage and won. Good, solid game, lot of fun to watch.
Add your thoughts if your watching…

Continue Reading · · in MLS, New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC
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Extratime an extra waste?

By on June 6, 2007 | Follow @WVHooligan |

Well, I wasn’t expect to post before the TFC-RBNY  game tonight but I just felt like it. I just sat through another edition of MLSnet’s Extratime. While I like Shep Messing and Greg Lalas, I really find this six minute program to be a total waste.

However, I don’t know if it is more of a waste then the short-lived Red-Card/Yellow-Card segment that ESPN was giving Eric Wynalda.

I think the biggest reason why I see both of these segments or programs as a waste it because of the length each are given. Wynalda’s is a given that it was too short and it was mostly a 40 second segment to let Eric bitch and complain about someone he didn’t like or give a “game ball” to someone he thought was doing well. In all honesty it was a decent thought segment that really needed more to it to really get people interested.

As for the Extratime program on the league’s website, I think it has potential to do well. Like I said I like Lalas and Messing and they work alright together. In all honesty, the program is poorly edited and poorly produced. The content is usually alright but everything else is a little junior varsity to me. I say that in mean it just doesn’t seem like it should be something the league wants to show people to represent itself with.

I think adding more content to it would vastly do wonders for it. More segments on it and possibly a real host with Shep and Greg giving their insights. I think that would improve its over all content and value.

So I pose this to you all. Is this program a waste? Something the league’s site should just write off and not continue to do? Or is it something that is alright the way it is? Or does it need some tweaking to improve it and be the full product that it should be?

Continue Reading · · in MLS, News and Rumors
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FC Dallas To Get Ricardinho On Loan

By on June 6, 2007 | Follow @WVHooligan |

As reported on 3rddegree.net earlier today, FC Dallas has confirmed that they are in negotiations with their sister club to the south in Brazil, Atletico Paranaense to bring 19 year old striker Ricardinho to Dallas at least through the end of the season and possibly longer.

The speculation surrounding the deal rests on if the Hoops can one get the deal done with their partner club and two, if they have to put Roberto Mina on the injure reserve for the rest of the season. Head coach Steve Morrow was very careful in how he talked about Mina’s ACL injury and surgery in Argentina.

“The facts are that Roberto had a torn ACL repaired in Argentina.  The facts are from us, when he went down there, and the assessment we did on him, was we were going to do a scope on his knee to repair some damage to his meniscus.  He also had that repaired in the surgery down there, but they also informed us that they found a torn ACL and they repaired it.  From our point of view, he had two separate MRIs here with two completely different doctors, one not tied to FC Dallas.  Both of those guys agreed on the same diagnosis, that there was slight damage to his meniscus and we should do a scope to repair it.  We had those photos down there so they could look at them again and I will tell you the MRI pictures are the same one that Roberto had with him in Argentina and that there’s no way there was a tear to the ACL.  So that’s what our doctors told us here.  After he had the ACL repaired in Argentina, we had another doctor look at the same MRIs just to get another opinion, a very reputable doctor in the country, and he told us in his opinion the ACL was not torn. Those are the facts gentlemen.”

According to Morrow, Ricardinho will arrive in Dallas at the end of this week on a tourist visa.  Then early next week, if Mina is placed on season IR, the Hoops will file the paperwork for a P1 work visa for Ricardinho. Sometimes that process takes longer than people might think. It could be up to three weeks until anyone will see Ricardinho in a Hoops jersey.

In my opinion this is a solid deal for the Hoops, showing that partnerships with clubs can be pulled off. Now I honestly don’t know a whole lot about Ricardinho but I do know that he was heavily looked at by the Hoops during their pre-season matches. I do know he is a member of the Brazilian U17 national team. It looks good that FC Dallas is looking to replace Mina and get some production out of it. The training over the next couple of weeks will be interesting if this deal gets worked out.

Continue Reading · · in FC Dallas, MLS, News and Rumors
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Midweek MLS Prediction

By on June 6, 2007 | Follow @WVHooligan |

Odd schedule in the month of June in the MLS due to the Gold Cup and other various things. Tonight kicks off the month of June in the MLS with a midweek encounter north of the border between Toronto FC and Red Bull New York.

I have been waiting a little while to see this game because of how well the Reds have been playing at home in BMO Field and just how well the Red Bulls have been playing this entire season. I think New York is one of those few clubs in the league that has the experience to play and do well in BMO Field, unlike most of the clubs who have played there and haven’t seen success.

Toronto has built a nice fortress and continues to impress when they are at home. I know Mo Johnston will want this game more than most because it is against his old club. Mo has found some nice chemistry when his club as of late and they really are becoming a formidable contender in the east. A win tonight would easily put them in playoff contention.

New York comes in with some injuries as usual as well as a suspended Clint Mathis. I do wonder if Claudio Reyna will play tonight since the game is being played on FieldTurf and we all know that New York needs Captain America for the long haul so it may be best to keep him off the pitch for now since it is on the lovely turf.

I think the big thing tonight will be if Toronto’s depth gets questioned even more than it already is. Another injury or red card and this team will be in some serious trouble since a few guys are off to the Gold Cup. If the Reds can handle the firepower that the Red Bulls have it will be an interesting game.

I do believe there will be some goals tonight from both sides. Expect a fiery crowd as usual at BMO Field. I can only hope the MLSnet.TV coverage will be of the CBC variety rather than the New York side, though I am not holding my breathe. Who knows it may be better than I think but most of the road crews to broadcast at Toronto haven’t been good yet this season. I think the Colorado broadcast over the weekend really hurt it for a lot of people.

Anyways, as for a prediction I think New York will probably come out on top but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Toronto really gives them a solid game. Again, expect some goals, hopefully Jeff Cunningham will tally his first goal as a member of the Reds.

WVH Prediction: Red Bull New York 3, TFC 2

Probably expect some in-game commentary from me tonight…feel free to give you predictions and weigh in during the game on what you see going on if you are watching.

Continue Reading · · in MLS, New York Red Bulls, News and Rumors, Toronto FC