Sunday, May 31, 2015

9 MLSers On Latest USMNT Roster

Despite the absence of mainstays Clint Dempsey, Omar Gonzalez, Matt Besler and Jozy Altidore, nine MLSers still got picked up for the U.S. Men's National Team's upcoming trip to Europe where they'll face off against Germany and the Netherlands. Here's a look at the nine:

Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake) - 5 shutouts in 12 apps for RSL, 21 CAPs for USMNT

Brad Evans (Seattle) - 13 apps for SEA, 1 goal in 18 CAPs for USMNT

Brek Shea (Orlando City) - 1 assist in 11 apps for OCSC, 4 goals in 32 CAPs for USMNT

Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake) - 1 assist in 14 apps for RSL, 1 goal in 43 CAPs for USMNT

Michael Bradley (Toronto) - 1 goal, 2 assists in 10 apps for TOR, 13 goals in 96 CAPs for USMNT

Mix Diskerud (New York City FC) - 1 goal in 11 apps for NYCFC, 5 goals in 28 CAPs for USMNT

Jermaine Jones (New England) - 9 apps for NE, 3 goals in 50 CAPs for USMNT

Juan Agudelo (New England) - 4 goals, 2 assists in 14 apps for NE, 3 goals in 19 CAPs for USMNT

Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy) - 3 goals in 14 apps for LA, 5 CAPs for USMNT

And the rest of the U.S. roster:

GK - Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
GK - William Yarbrough (Club León)
DEF - Ventura Alvarado (Club América)
DEF - John Brooks (Hertha Berlin)
DEF - Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt)
DEF - Michael Orozco (Puebla)
DEF - DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)
MID - Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC)
MID - Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
MID - Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt)
MID - Danny Williams (Reading)
FWD - Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar)
FWD - Bobby Wood (Erzgebirge Aue)

MLS SuperDraft Rookie Stats Through May

Here's a look at your MLS Superdraftees who've seen MLS action in 2015:

1 - Cyle Larin (Orlando City) - 10 apps, 8 starts, 664 mins, 22 shots, 4 goals
2 - Khiry Shelton (New York City FC) - 12 apps, 6 starts, 704 mins, 12 shots, 1 goal, 1 assist
3 - Romario Williams (Montreal) - 1 app, 6 mins
4 - Fatai Alashe (San Jose) - 10 apps, 9 starts, 758 mins, 5 shots, 1 goal, 3 yellows
7 - Matt Polster (Chicago) - 11 apps, 10 starts, 884 mins, 6 shots, 3 yellows
8 - Zach Steinberger (Houston) - 2 apps, 28 mins, 1 shot
9 - Clement Simonin (Toronto FC) - 1 app, 1 start, 90 mins, 1 shot, 1 yellow
10 - Connor Hallisey (Sporting KC) - 5 apps, 116 mins, 2 shots, 1 assist
12 - Saad Abdul-Salaam (Sporting KC) - 3 apps, 40 mins, 1 shot
13 - Tim Parker (Vancouver) - 2 apps, 1 start, 92 mins
14 - Axel Sjöberg (Colorado) - 8 apps, 8 starts, 720 mins, 5 shots, 2 yellows
16 - Cristian Roldan (Seattle) - 9 apps, 4 starts, 314 mins, 4 shots, 1 yellow
17 - Miguel Aguilar (DC United) - 8 apps, 2 starts, 218 mins, 2 shots
20 - Amadou Dia (Sporting KC) - 9 apps, 5 starts, 506 mins, 3 shots, 1 yellow
21 - Ignacio Maganto (LA Galaxy) - 7 apps, 5 starts, 414 mins, 8 shots, 1 goal, 1 assist
23 - Connor Brandt - New York City FC - 1 app, 9 mins
36 - Rob Lovejoy (Houston) - 11 apps, 1 start, 221 mins, 5 shots, 1 goal, 1 assist
40 - Oniel Fisher (Seattle) - 1 app, 4 mins
45 - Cameron Porter (Montreal) - 2 apps, 1 start, 39 mins, 1 shot
67 - Dominique Badji (Colorado) - 9 apps, 6 starts, 492 mins, 12 shots, 1 goal, 1 yellow
71 - Raymond Lee (Philadelphia) - 1 app, 12 mins

With the MLS debuts of Saad Abdul-Salaam, Tim Parker, Connor Brandt and Ignacio Maganto this past month, the total of 2015 SuperDraftees to see the field this season jumps up to 21. Cyle Larin took the league by storm in May scoring 3 more goals, easily leading all rookies. Here's a look at the rest of your leaders in various categories:

Appearances: Khiry Shelton (NYCFC) - 12
Starts: Matt Polster (Chicago) - 10
Minutes: Matt Polster (Chicago) - 884
Shots: Cyle Larin (Orlando City) - 22
Goals: Cyle Larin (Orlando City) - 4
Assists: Khiry Shelton (NYCFC), Rob Lovejoy (Houston), Connor Hallisey (Sporting KC), Ignacio Maganto (LA Galaxy) - 1
Yellow Cards: Matt Polster (Chicago), Fatai Alashe (San Jose) - 3

MLS SuperDraft Rookie Watch, Week 13

Busy week for the rookie class as 8 different members got starting nods including 2 apiece for Seattle's Cristian Roldan and LA's Ignacio Maganto. Maganto responded with a goal and an assist against New England on Sunday night and was the only rookie to score this week. Sporting's Connor Hallisey made his first start of the season and had a nifty assist in their 4-0 rout of FC Dallas. In U.S. Open Cup action, Andy Craven and Sidney Rivera both bagged goals for their respective USL sides. Finally, San Jose's Fatai Alashe scored in the U.S. U-23s' loss to Costa Rica in the Toulon Tournament. Here's a rundown of all the action:

1 - Cyle Larin - Orlando City - Started vs Columbus, 72 mins, 5 shots
2 - Khiry Shelton - New York City FC - Appeared as sub vs Houston, 32 mins
7 - Matt Polster - Chicago - Started vs Montreal, 80 mins
10 - Connor Hallisey - Sporting KC - Started vs FC Dallas, 65 mins, 1 shot, 1 assist
12 - Saad Abdul-Salaam - Sporting KC - Appeared as sub vs FC Dallas, 7 mins, 1 shot
14 - Axel Sjöberg - Colorado - Started vs Portland, 90 mins, yellow card
16 - Cristian Roldan - Seattle - Started vs Colorado, 70 mins, 2 shots
16 - Cristian Roldan - Seattle - Started vs NYRB, 64 mins, 1 shot
17 - Miguel Aguilar - DC United - Started vs Portland, 85 mins
17 - Miguel Aguilar - DC United - Appeared as sub vs Philadelphia, 15 mins
20 - Amadou Dia - Sporting KC - Started vs FC Dallas, 90 mins
21 - Ignacio Maganto - LA Galaxy - Started vs RSL, 90 mins, 3 shots
21 - Ignacio Maganto - LA Galaxy - Started vs New England, 90 mins, 1 goal, 1 assist
36 - Rob Lovejoy - Houston - Appeared as sub vs NYCFC, 12 mins

U.S. Open Cup

48 - Andy Craven - Seattle - Sounders 2 (USL) vs Portland Timbers 2, 1 goal (2)
63 - Sidney Rivera - Orlando City - Lousville FC (USL) vs Indy Eleven, 1 goal

National Team Duty

4 - Fatai Alashe - San Jose - Scored for U.S. U-23s vs Costa Rica

Lionel Messi is Amazing

I know I claim this to be an MLS/USA blog, but this was just too good to pass up. In the Copa del Rey Final, Lionel Messi scored one of the most ridiculous individual effort goals that you will EVER see. Here's the highlights, enjoy!

 

Saturday, May 30, 2015

U.S. U-20s Open World Cup with Win

The U.S. U-20s fell behind early, but rallied for a 2-1 win over Myanmar in their World Cup Opener. After going down in the first ten minutes, the U.S. equalized on a goal from Maki Tall (Red Star F.C., France Ligue 2) following a set piece. Then shortly after half time they took the lead for good on a goal from Emerson Hyndman (Fulham, England). The match featured appearances from a number of MLS players including starters Matt Miazga (New York Red Bulls), Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Marky Delgado (Toronto FC), Jordan Allen (Real Salt Lake) and substitutes Tommy Thompson (San Jose) and Bradford Jamieson IV (LA Galaxy). Next up for the U.S. is a match against host nation New Zealand on June 2nd. New Zealand drew with the Ukraine 0-0 in their opener.

U.S. Open Cup Preview

In a few short weeks, MLS clubs will enter the U.S. Open Cup. Here's a rundown of the 16 Round 4 matches that will kick off on June 16th.

6/16

Philadelphia Union vs Rochester Rhinos (USL)

The Rhinos are New England's USL affiliate. The reached the fourth round by defeating the GBFC Thunder 1-0, and the Harrisburg City Islanders 3-1 in extra time. They've been lead by Jamaicans Kenardo Forbes and Asani Samuels, both of whom have two goals in the tournament.

New York Red Bulls vs Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL)

After falling behind 1-0 in the 87th minute against Chattanooga FC, Atlanta rallied behind a penalty by Sierra Leonean striker Shaka Bangura and an extra time winner from Jaime Chavez to advance. Atlanta knocked Real Salt Lake and Colorado out of the tournament in 2014 before falling to Chicago in the quarterfinals. Chavez scored three goals in last year's tournament.

Sporting Kansas City vs Saint Louis F.C. (USL)

Saint Louis is the Chicago Fire's USL affiliate. Their roster features former MLS defender Brandon Barklage and they recently knocked out Miguel Ibarra's Minnesota United FC on penalties in the tournament's third round. Their leading scorer in the tournament is Bryan Gaul, the 19th overall pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft who spent two seasons with the LA Galaxy.

Chicago Fire vs Louisville City FC (USL)

Louisville is Orlando City's USL affiliate. They advanced to the fourth round by defeating Lansing United 1-0 and the Indy Eleven 2-0. They're lead by former U.S. youth national teamer, Conor Shanosky and striker Sidney Rivera, the 63rd overall pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.

FC Dallas vs Oklahoma City Energy (USL)

Oklahoma City is coached by former Sporting KC goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen, and not coincidentally they're Sporting's USL affiliate. Striker Kyle Greig leads the team with two goals in the tournament.

Colorado Rapids vs Colorado Springs Switchbacks (USL)

Coached by former U.S. National Teamer Steve Trittschuh, an MLS original, the Switchbacks are one of the few USL clubs without an MLS affiliation. That said, they do have Houston's Taylor Hunter, the 49th overall pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft on loan with them. Northern Irish Striker Martin Maybin leads the team with two goals in the tournament.

Real Salt Lake vs Seattle Sounders FC 2 (USL)

The Sounders USL farm team is loaded with talent including MLS prospects Aaron Kovar, Andy Craven and Victor Mansaray. Craven already has two goals in the tournament while teammate, Argentine midfielder Pablo Rossi, has three. Seattle dispatched their rivals, Portland Timbers 2 in extra time in round 3.

San Jose Earthquakes vs Sacramento Republic (USL)

Coached by soccer legend Preki, Sacramento won the 2014 USL Championship in their inaugural season and now they'll face their MLS parent club, San Jose. Sacramento's roster features the tournament's leading scorer, Northern Irish striker Thomas Stewart, former MLS striker and current captain Justin Braun, 2015 MLS SuperDraftee Cameron Iwasa, and former Seattle Sounders striker David Estrada. Sacramento has scored 11 goals so far in the tournament led by hat tricks from Stewart and Bosnian-American striker Adnan Gabeljic, a second round pick (38) by Sporting KC in 2014.

Seattle Sounders FC vs Portland Timbers

The only match-up between two MLS teams in the fourth round features two of the league's biggest rivals.

6/17

Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL) vs DC United

The Riverhounds are another USL side without an affiliation with MLS. They have yet to be scored upon in advancing to the fourth round of the tournament and are led by two goals from English midfielder Rob Vincent.

Richmond Kickers (USL) vs Columbus Crew

DC United's USL affiliate has outscored its opponents 5-0 on its way to the tournament's fourth round. Former MLSer David Yeisley (38th overall pick, 2010 MLS SuperDraft) leads the team with a pair of goals.

New York Cosmos (NASL) vs New York City FC

With a roster bolstered by former MLSers Hunter Freeman, Carlos Mendes, Danny Szetela, and Adam Moffat, U.S. Youth International Haji Wright, and Spanish legend Raúl, the Cosmos are looking to build on there 2014 success that saw them knock out the Red Bulls 3-0.

Charleston Battery (USL) vs Orlando City SC

The Battery are the USL affiliate of the Houston Dynamo. The Battery reached the tournament semifinals back in 2004 and lost in the finals in 2008 when they defeated the Houston Dynamo, FC Dallas and the Seattle Sounders before falling to DC United.

New England Revolution vs Charlotte Independence (USL)

Affiliated with the Colorado Rapids, the Independence got a hat trick from Polish striker Thomas Zahorski in the second round before upsetting the Carolina RealHawks 1-0 in the third round. The Independence roster also includes former MLSer Ryan Finley, a runner-up for the 2012 Herman Trophy and the 9th overall pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft.

Houston Dynamo vs Austin Aztex (USL)

The Aztex are the Columbus Crew's USL affiliate. The Aztex roster includes former MLSers Kris Tyrpak and Adam Bedell, and Crew draft pick Kalen Ryden (69th overall). The Aztex have won both of their matches by a score of 2-0.

LA Galaxy vs PSA Elite (USASA)

The only club remaining from the first round of the tournament, PSA Elite is an amateur soccer club based in Irvine, California. They defeated the Golden State Misioneros 7-1 in the first round, the Orange County Blues 2-1 in the second round, and the Ventura County Fusion 2-1 in the third round. They're lead by Mats Bjurman's three goals.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

MLS Weekly Predictions - Week 13

Wednesday

Seattle Sounders 1 Colorado Rapids 0 - Colorado is proving to be a tough match-up for almost everyone, but Seattle and Clint Dempsey will find a way.

DC United 0 Portland Timbers 0 - United is searching for offense while the Timbers are just searching for consistency. Is this the week we see Will Johnson retake the field?

LA Galaxy 2 Real Salt Lake 1 - Robbie Keane is back. We saw the magic he's capable of last weekend. Expect to see more with him in a bigger role this week.

Friday

Sporting Kansas City 2 FC Dallas 1 - Benny Feilhaber and company are short-handed, but the guys they have are clicking right now. Meanwhile, FC Dallas's attack has been somewhat disjointed.

Saturday

Toronto FC 2 San Jose Earthquakes 2 - The Atomic Ant versus Wondo. Should be a fun one to watch even without Jozy Altidore in the mix.

Houston Dynamo 3 New York City FC 1 - The Barnes/Bruin tandem got shut down by LA last week, but look for them to bounce back against struggling City. Is Oguchi Onyewu going to New York?

Philadelphia Union 1 DC United 0 - I'm not sure I'm buying Brian Sylvestre and the Union, but he's on a hot streak lately against the East's best.

Columbus Crew 3 Orlando City SC 1 - Columbus won't have Ethan Finlay, but Orlando won't have Brek Shea. Look for Kei Kamara to keep scoring goals.

Vancouver Whitecaps 1 Real Salt Lake 0 - Octavio Rivero is due for some magic and the Caps should be able to take advantage of RSL playing two matches.

Montreal Impact 2 Chicago Fire 1 - Nacho Piatti and Jack Mack are clicking as the Impact keep finding a way. Meanwhile, Chicago's 3-game winning streak seems like a long time ago.

Colorado Rapids 0 Portland Timbers 0 - The Rapids go with ties like Jermaine Jones and yellow cards.

Sunday

New York Red Bulls 2 Seattle Sounders 1 - The Red Bulls are due for a rebound after a couple subpar performances.

New England Revolution 4 LA Galaxy 1 - This game means a lot more to New England than it does to LA and that will show. Charlie Davies goes for a hat trick, calling it now.


Week 12: 2-9 (Toronto, New England-DC United)

Overall: 31-65 (In my defense, there were a lot of upsets last week...)

Monday, May 25, 2015

The 100 Goal Club

With his successful penalty kick against Orlando City on Sunday night, Chris Wondolowski became the ninth player to reach 100 career goals. Here's a closer look at all nine members of the prestigious club:

1) Landon Donovan (USA) - 144 goals - Appeared in 334 matches over 14 seasons (2001-2014) with the San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy. He scored a career high 20 goals with the Galaxy in 2008 and added 136 career assists.

2) Jeff Cunningham (Jamaica/USA) - 134 goals - Appeared in 365 matches over 14 seasons (1998-2011) with the Columbus Crew, Colorado Rapids, Real Salt Lake, Toronto FC and FC Dallas. He scored a career high 17 goals in 2009 for FC Dallas and added 70 career assists.

3) Jaime Moreno (Bolivia) - 133 goals - Appeared in 340 matches over 15 seasons (1996-2010) with DC United and the MetroStars. He scored a career high 16 goals in a season three times for United (1997, 1998, 2005) and finished with 102 assists.

4) Ante Razov (USA) - 114 goals - Appeared in 262 matches over 14 seasons (1996-2009) with the LA Galaxy, Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew, MetroStars and Chivas USA. He scored a career 18 goals for the Fire in 2000 and added 66 career assists.

5) Jason Kreis (USA) - 108 goals - Appeared in 305 matches over 12 seasons (1996-2007) with the Dallas Burn and Real Salt Lake. He scored a career high 18 goals for Dallas in 1999 and added 74 career assists.

6) Dwayne De Rosario (Canada) - 104 goals - Appeared in 343 matches over 14 seasons (2001-2014) with the San Jose Earthquakes, Houston Dynamo, Toronto FC, New York Red Bulls and DC United. He scored a career high 16 goals in 2011, a season he split between Toronto, New York and DC United. DeRo added 77 career assists.

7) Taylor Twellman (USA) - 101 goals - Appeared in 174 matches over 8 seasons (2002-2009) although he didn't officially retire until 2010 due to concussions. He spent his entire career with New England, scoring a career high 23 goals as a rookie in 2002. He added 28 career assists.

8) Edson Buddle (USA) - 100 goals - The only other active member of the 100-goal club, Buddle has appeared in 296 career matches over 14 seasons (2001-2010, 2012-2015) with the Columbus Crew, New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC, LA Galaxy and Colorado Rapids. He scored a career high 17 goals for the Galaxy in 2010 which he parlayed into a chance to play in Europe. He has appeared in just four games for the Galaxy this season, all of them off the bench, and has yet to score in 2014. He has 30 assists in his career.

9) Chris Wondolowski (USA) - 100 goals - Wondo has played in 210 career matches over 11 seasons with the San Jose Earthquakes and the Houston Dynamo. He tied the league record with 27 goals for San Jose in 2012, and has 21 career assists. He has 7 goals in 12 appearances this season.

The next five active players who are closest to matching Wondo and joining the 100-goal club are:

1) Kenny Cooper (USA - Montreal Impact) - 75 goals in 211 appearances
2) Conor Casey (USA - Philadelphia Union) - 68 goals in 186 appearances
3) Mike Magee (USA - Chicago Fire) - 64 goals in 274 appearances
4) Álvaro Saborío (Costa Rica - Real Salt Lake) - 63 goals in 124 appearances
5) Kei Kamara (Sierra Leone - Columbus Crew) - 61 goals in 204 appearances

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Weekly Top Tens and Power Rankings - 5/24/15

THE SOCCERSMITH'S MLS POWER RANKINGS

1 - Seattle Sounders (6-3-2) - Disappointing result against Sporting at home, but with the craziness of this week, who else deserves this spot. Last Week: 2
2 - Sporting Kansas City (4-2-6) - Injuries have taken their toll on Sporting, but the offense erupted against New England and the defense delivered against Seattle. Benny Feilhaber is playing sensational football. Last Week: 8
3 - FC Dallas (6-3-3) - Got tripped up on the road against suddenly relevant Montreal. Nothing they shouldn't be able to bounce back from though. Last Week: 1
4 - New England Revolution (5-3-5) - Tough week with a big loss against Sporting and then lost Chris Tierney and Lee Nguyen to red cards against DC United. To their credit they salvaged a draw against the Eastern Conference frontrunners despite being left with 9 players. Last Week: 3
5 - DC United (6-2-4) - Only mustered one goal despite a 30+ minute two man advantage against New England. Last Week: 5
6 - Columbus Crew (4-4-3) - Kei Kamara is having a career year, but once against inconsistency cost the Crew as they squandered a two goal lead against Chicago. Last Week: 6
7- New York Red Bulls (4-2-5) - Lost 2-0 at home to lowly Philadelphia. The Red Bulls are in a rut having been shutout in back-to-back matches. Last Week: 4
8 - San Jose Earthquakes (5-4-3) - Congratulations to Chris Wondolowski for becoming the 9th player in MLS history to reach 100 goals. Way to go, Wondo! Last Week: 9
9 - Vancouver Whitecaps (6-5-2) - Snuck past Edmonton with a late winner to advance to the Canadian Championship Finals, but couldn't produce the same magic against Colorado. Last Week: 7
10 - Montreal Impact (2-3-2) - Who are these guys? Knocked Toronto out of the Canadian Championship last week, and now have back-to-back wins against Western Conference contenders. Last Week: 13

MLS Weekly Recap - Week 12

Lots to talk about this week, here we go: The Vancouver Whitecaps have a date with the Montreal Impact in the Canadian Championship Finals after Matías Laba scored 7 minutes into stoppage time to help the knock off Edmonton FC. The first leg of the finals begins on August 12th... Sporting Kansas City, playing short-handed after multiple injuries, stunned the New England Revolution 4-2 and then held on for a 0-0 draw in Seattle... Robbie Keane returned to action for the LA Galaxy coming off the bench to assist on Alan Gordon's dramatic game winner... A week after blowing a 2-0 lead with a man advantage against NYCFC, the Fire rallied from 2 goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw with the Columbus Crew... The Montreal Impact are suddenly red hot as they picked up a second straight win, this one on the road against FC Dallas. Ignacio Piatti, Montreal's only designated player, had a goal and an assist... Portland moved one step closer to getting Will Johnson back as the Canadian international and their team captain dressed for the match against Montreal although he didn't see the field. Unfortunately, Diego Valeri left the match with another injury... Joao Plata made his 2015 debut for Real Salt Lake as a late substitute. Plata scored 13 goals for RSL last season... Colorado's Kevin Doyle, a teammate of Robbie Keane's on the Irish National Team, made his MLS debut this weekend as the Rapids knocked off the Whitecaps 1-0... The Philadelphia Union, who looked like easily the worst team in the league for much of the first 2+ months of the season have now posted back-to-back shutout wins over DC United and the New York Red Bulls... And last, but not least, Chris Wondolowski became just the 9th player in MLS history to reach the 100  goal plateau when he buried a penalty kick against Orlando City on Sunday night. Here's a rundown of all the action:

RESULTS

WEDNESDAY

Sporting Kansas City 4 New England Revolution 2
Vancouver Whitecaps 2 FC Edmonton 1 (Canadian Championship Semifinals, Leg 2), Vancouver wins series 3-2

FRIDAY

Columbus Crew 2 Chicago Fire 2
LA Galaxy 1 Houston Dynamo 0

SATURDAY

Toronto FC 1 Portland Timbers 0
New England Revolution 1 DC United 1
Montreal Impact 2 FC Dallas 1
Colorado Rapids 1 Vancouver Whitecaps 0
Seattle Sounders 0 Sporting Kansas City 0
Real Salt Lake 2 New York City FC 0

SUNDAY

Philadelphia Union 2 New York Red Bulls 0
San Jose Earthquakes 1 Orlando City SC 1

MLS SuperDraft Rookie Watch, Week 12

Busy week for the rookie class as two more members of the 2015 SuperDraft made their MLS debuts. Saad Abdul-Salaam made his first two appearances for short-handed Sporting KC while Connor Brandt debuted for New York City FC. In other action, Vancouver's Tim Parker picked up the game-winning assist to put the Caps through to the Canadian Championship Finals, Amadou Dia made a pair of starts for Sporting, and a couple of draftees playing in the USL scored in the U.S. Open Cup. Here's the complete rundown:

1 - Cyle Larin - Orlando City - Started vs San Jose, 84 mins
2 - Khiry Shelton - New York City FC - Started vs Real Salt Lake, 66 mins
4 - Fatai Alashe - San Jose - Started vs Orlando City, 90 mins, yellow card
7 - Matt Polster - Chicago - Started vs Columbus, 90 mins, 2 shots
10 - Connor Hallisey - Sporting KC - Appeared as sub vs New England, 11 mins,1 shot
10 - Connor Hallisey - Sporting KC - Appeared as sub vs Seattle, 34 mins
12 - Saad Abdul-Salaam - Sporting KC - Appeared as sub vs New England, 1 min
12 - Saad Abdul-Salaam - Sporting KC - Appeared as sub vs Seattle, 32 mins
13 - Tim Parker - Vancouver - Started vs Edmonton FC (CC), 90 mins, 1 assist
14 - Axel Sjöberg - Colorado - Started vs Vancouver, 90 mins
16 - Cristian Roldan - Seattle - Appeared a a sub vs Sporting KC, 17 mins
20 - Amadou Dia - Sporting KC - Started vs New England, 90 mins, yellow card
20 - Amadou Dia - Sporting KC - Started vs Seattle, 90 mins
21 - Ignacio Maganto - LA Galaxy - Appeared as sub vs Houston - 5 mins
23 - Connor Brandt - New York City FC - Appeared as sub vs Real Salt Lake, 9 mins
36 - Rob Lovejoy - Houston - Appeared as sub vs LA - 2 mins

US Open Cup

34 - Kharlton Belmar - Portland - Timbers 2 (USL) vs Michigan Bucks, 1 goal
48 - Andy Craven - Seattle - Sounders 2 (USL) vs Kitsap Pumas, 1 goal

Monday, May 18, 2015

Weekly Predictions, MLS Week 12

Wednesday

New England Revolution 2 Sporting Kansas City 1 - I believe in Charlie Davies and company, despite the inability to hold a lead lately.

Friday

Columbus Crew 2 Chicago Fire 1 - You never know which Crew team is going to show up each week, but I think Kei Kamara is going to find a way to score against the Fire.

Houston Dynamo 3 LA Galaxy 1 - The tandem of Will Bruin and Giles Barnes is clicking for the Dynamo. Meanwhile, the Galaxy haven't won in a month plus. 

Saturday

Toronto FC 1 Portland Timbers 0 - Even with no Jozy, look for Toronto to lean on Sebastian Giovinco and Michael Bradley for a result.

New England Revolution 1 DC United 1 - Should be a great match between two of the East's best. DC United is still getting healthier and we even had a Markus Halsti sighting last week.

FC Dallas 3 Montreal Impact 1 - I know I just talked about the Impact about how they're putting it all together, but Montreal's banged up defense will be no match for the high octane Dallas attack.

Vancouver Whitecaps 2 Colorado Rapids 1 - The Caps need a big game after a disappointing week. We'll see where they focus their efforts with a huge midweek Canadian Championship match against Edmonton FC ahead of their match with the Rapids.

Seattle Sounders 3 Sporting Kansas City 1 - Seattle isn't the team you want to play when you've got multiple matches in a week. Just ask Vancouver.

Real Salt Lake 1 New York City FC 1 - City seems to be on the upswing while RSL is all over the place. Joao Plata can't return soon enough.

Sunday

New York Red Bulls 4 Philadelphia Union 0 - I'm happy for the Union and the result they got against DC United this past weekend, but I'm not buying this team yet. Look for the Red Bulls to come out with their hair on fire.

San Jose Earthquakes 2 Orlando City SC 1 - Don't be surprised to see Cyle Larin score again, but also don't be surprised when Wondo hits 100.


Week 10: 7-5 (San Jose, RSL-LA, San Jose-Colorado, Portland, Vancouver, FC Dallas, NYRB)

Overall: 29-56 (Took a week off, now we're back to probably not being very good)

Weekly Top Tens & Power Rankings - 5/18/15

THE SOCCERSMITH'S MLS POWER RANKINGS

1 - FC Dallas (6-2-3) - Dan Kennedy hasn't allowed more than one goal in any of his four starts this season. I still think Dallas could use some help on the offensive end. One more asset could be all they need. Last Week: 2
2 - Seattle Sounders (6-3-1) - Bounced back nicely from their loss to Columbus with a win over Vancouver despite not having Obafemi Martins. If Chad Barrett keeps delivering braces, Seattle won't miss a beat. Last Week: 4
3 - New England Revolution (5-2-4) - Picked up a point against Toronto, but have now blown leads in two straight. Last Week: 3
4- New York Red Bulls (4-1-5) - Nice defensive effort against FC Dallas. I'd like to see some more complete efforts from these guys though. Where is the Bradley Wright-Phillips that scored 27 goals last season? Last Week: 5
5 - DC United (6-2-3) - I don't care if you have the league's best record, if you lose to Philadelphia, you drop. Last Week: 1
6 - Columbus Crew (4-4-2) - Hard to punish them for losing after a red card, but at some point, the bad results are going to cost them. The Crew are not a .500 team. Last Week: 7
7 - Vancouver Whitecaps (6-4-2) - Nearly lost to NASL side Edmonton FC and couldn't match up with the Sounders in a 2-0 loss. Not a great week. Last Week: 6
8 - Sporting Kansas City (3-2-5) - If they were playing more consistently, they could've jumped some clubs, but as it is, they'll hold at number 8. Last Week: 8
9 - San Jose Earthquakes (5-4-2) - Took advantage of their man advantage to beat a good Columbus team, and now Chris Wondolowski needs just one more goal to reach 100. Last Week: 12
10 - Houston Dynamo (4-4-4) - The Dynamo have suddenly produced back-to-back wins and Will Bruin has three goals in his last two games. The Bruin/Giles Barnes tandem is quietly one of the more effective in the league right now. Last Week: 16

MLS SuperDraft Rookie Watch - Week 11

Cyle Larin showed more of why he was the first overall pick in this year's SuperDraft scoring in both of Orlando's matches this week. The 20 year-old Canadian has now scored in three straight contests, and has four goals on the season. Number two pick Khiry Shelton was no slouch either as his first MLS goal salvaged a draw for City against Chicago after going down two goals and one man thirty minutes into the match. In other action, DC United's Miguel Aguilar made his first MLS start, and Tim Parker got a full 90 minutes in the Canadian Championship Semifinals. Here's a rundown of all of the week's action:

1 - Cyle Larin - Orlando City - Started vs DC United, 77 mins, 1 shot, 1 goal
1 - Cyle Larin - Orlando City - Started vs LA Galaxy, 78 mins, 4 shots, 1 goal
2 - Khiry Shelton - New York City FC - Appeared as sub vs Chicago, 30 mins, 1 shot, 1 goal
4 - Fatai Alashe - San Jose - Started vs Columbus, 90 mins
7 - Matt Polster - Chicago - Started vs NYCFC, 90 mins
13 - Tim Parker - Vancouver - Started vs Edmonton FC (CC), 90 mins
17 - Miguel Aguilar - DC United - Appeared as sub vs OCSC, 24 mins, 1 shot
17 - Miguel Aguilar - DC United - Started vs Philadelphia, 65 mins, 1 shot
21 - Ignacio Maganto - LA Galaxy - Started vs OCSC, 65 mins, 1 shot
36 - Rob Lovejoy - Houston - Appeared as sub vs Portland, 1 min




MLS Weekly Recap - Week 11

Talk about your crazy weeks. The last seven days featured the Montreal Impact pulling off another improbable tournament victory as they scored a late goal to knock off heavily favored Toronto FC on the away goals tiebreaker in the Canadian Championship semifinals. They also watched Edmonton FC play the Whitecaps to a 1-1 tie in the other semifinal which means with a little luck, the Impact could face a lower-tier opponent in their quest to return to the Champions League. In other action, top picks Cyle Larin and Khiry Shelton combined for 3 goals with Larin's OCSC throttling the defending champion Galaxy 4-0 and Shelton's City rallying from a 2-0 deficit against the Chicago Fire despite being a man down. RSL's Nick Rimando let in 4 goals as the Impact won for the first time this season, and Bill Hamid was out-dueled by Philadelphia's Brian Sylvestre as the Union won for just the second time, 1-0. Here's a rundown of all the action:

RESULTS

WEDNESDAY

Toronto FC 3 Montreal Impact 2 (Canadian Championship Semifinals, Leg 2), Montreal Wins 2-0 on Away Goals Tie-Breaker
Vancouver Whitecaps 1 FC Edmonton 1 (Canadian Championship Semifinals, Leg 1)
DC United 2 Orlando City SC 1

FRIDAY

New York City FC 2 Chicago Fire 2
FC Dallas 0 New York Red Bulls 0

SATURDAY

Montreal Impact 4 Real Salt Lake 1
Seattle Sounders 2 Vancouver Whitecaps 0
New England Revolution 1 Toronto FC 1
Houston Dynamo 3 Portland Timbers 1
San Jose Earthquakes 2 Columbus Crew 0

SUNDAY

Orlando City SC 4 LA Galaxy 0
Philadelphia Union 1 DC United 0

Monday, May 11, 2015

Weekly Top Tens and Power Rankings - 5/11/15

THE SOCCERSMITH'S MLS POWER RANKINGS

1 - DC United (5-1-3) - Probably could've done better against Sporting, but when a team picks up points on bad days, that's the sign that things are going pretty well for them. Last Week: 1
2 - FC Dallas (6-2-2) - Two more assists for Mauro Díaz and a come-from-behind win over the Galaxy equals a jump in the power rankings. Last Week: 5
3 - New England Revolution (5-2-3) - Lost a two goal lead against lowly Orlando City, but on the bright side Charlie Davies remains red hot. Last Week: 3
4 - Seattle Sounders (5-3-1) - Columbus exposed them a bit this week, but Clint Dempsey is still averaging a goal a match. Last Week: 2
5- New York Red Bulls (4-1-4) - Dispatched their crosstown rivals despite playing a man down. Their drop is more due to Dallas's rise than anything else. Last Week: 4
6 - Vancouver Whitecaps (6-3-2) - Convincing win against the Union, but anything less against Philly right now would be a disappointment. Last Week: 6
7 - Columbus Crew (4-3-2) - Brilliant offensive performance against Seattle that produced 3 goals and forced Stefan Frei into 10 saves. Kei Kamara has been tremendous for the Crew thus far. Now the club just needs some consistency. Last Week: 8
8 - Sporting Kansas City (3-2-5) - Not sure they're deserving of a spot this high, but coming from behind to save points against DC United counts for something. This club needs more from Dom Dwyer and company. Last Week: 9
9 - Real Salt Lake (3-2-5) - Youngster Jordan Allen turned in a huge performance against the Fire. Can he sustain his high level of play? Last Week: 12
10 - LA Galaxy (3-3-5) - A scoreless draw and a blown lead for a loss. I just keep reminding myself that this club will be much better with Robbie Keane and Steven Gerrard in uniform. Last Week: 7

MLS SuperDraft Rookie Watch, Week 10

Cyle Larin's second goal of the season opened the door for Orlando City to rally from two goals down to draw with the Revs on Saturday. Larin becomes the first member of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft class to score two goals. In other action, Fatai Alashe left San Jose's midweek match with an injury, Vancouver's Tim Parker made his first start in a rout of Philadelphia, and Chicago's Matt Polster picked up his third yellow card of the season. Here's a rundown of all the action:

1 - Cyle Larin - Orlando City - Started vs New England, 81 mins, 1 shot, 1 goal
2 - Khiry Shelton - New York City FC - Started vs NYRB, 90 mins
4 - Fatai Alashe - San Jose - Started vs Houston, (left w/ injury), 29 mins
7 - Matt Polster - Chicago - Started vs Real Salt Lake, 90 mins, Yellow Card
8 - Zach Steinberger - Houston - Appeared as sub vs Toronto, 7 mins
10 - Connor Hallisey - Sporting KC - Appeared as sub vs DC United, 5 mins
13 - Tim Parker - Vancouver - Started vs Philadelphia, 90 mins, Shutout
14 - Axel Sjöberg - Colorado - Started vs San Jose, 90 mins, 3 shots
17 - Miguel Aguilar - DC United - Appeared as sub vs Sporting KC, 2 mins
20 - Amadou Dia - Sporting KC - Appeared as sub vs DC United, 1 min
21 - Ignacio Maganto - LA Galaxy - Appeared as sub vs RSL, 18 mins, 1 shot
21 - Igancio Maganto - LA Galaxy - Started vs FC Dallas, 74 mins
36 - Rob Lovejoy - Houston - Appeared as sub vs San Jose, 16 mins, 2 shots
36 - Rob Lovejoy - Houston - Appeared as sub vs Toronto, 16 mins
67 - Dominique Badji - Colorado - Started vs San Jose, 45 mins, 2 shots


MLS Weekly Recap - Week 10

Lots of action in MLS this week with midweek matches, the start of the Canadian Championship Semifinals, and the first official match between the Red Bulls and NYCFC. We saw Orlando rally from a 2-goal deficit behind rookie Cyle Larin to come back and tie the Revs, we saw Kei Kamara and Clint Dempsey go goal-for-goal as the Crew narrowly defeated the Sounders 3-2, and we saw the Rapids pick up their league-leading 7th draw of the season. Meanwhile, Montreal is still winless in MLS, Toronto lost their home opener against Houston, Diego Valeri returned to the Timbers' starting lineup, and the Philadelphia Union are still terrible despite starting their third different goalkeeper. Here's a rundown of all the action:

RESULTS

TUESDAY

San Jose Earthquakes 1 Houston Dynamo 0

WEDNESDAY

Montreal Impact 1 Toronto FC 0 (Canadian Championship Semifinals, Leg 1)
LA Galaxy 0 Real Salt Lake 0

FRIDAY

New England Revolution 2 Orlando City SC 2
San Jose Earthquakes 1 Colorado Rapids 1

SATURDAY

Real Salt Lake 2 Chicago Fire 1
Portland Timbers 2 Montreal Impact 1
DC United 1 Sporting Kansas City 1
Vancouver Whitecaps 3 Philadelphia Union 0
Columbus Crew 3 Seattle Sounders 2
FC Dallas 2 LA Galaxy 1

SUNDAY

Houston Dynamo 2 Toronto FC 1
New York Red Bulls 2 New York City FC 1

Monday, May 4, 2015

MLS Weekly Recap, Week 9

For the seventh year in a row, the CONCACAF Champions League title goes to a Mexican club despite Montreal's best efforts to bring a title to MLS. Still, Impact fans can hold their heads high knowing that their club left it all out on the field. Now back to the regular season: The Red Bulls were knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten by Charlie Davies and the red hot Revolution. The Fire saw their three game winning streak snapped by Sporting KC. Houston gave up four goals for the second consecutive match while Seattle, Dallas and DC United all came up with big wins. Here's a rundown of all the action:

RESULTS

WEDNESDAY

Club América 4 Montreal Impact 2 (CCL), América wins 5-3 on aggregate goals
New York Red Bulls 1 Colorado Rapids 1

FRIDAY

FC Dallas 4 Houston Dynamo 1
Real Salt Lake 1 San Jose Earthquakes 1

SATURDAY

DC United 2 Columbus Crew 0
New England Revolution 2 New York Red Bulls 1
LA Galaxy 1 Colorado Rapids 1
Vancouver Whitecaps 0 Portland Timbers 0

SUNDAY

Sporting Kansas City 1 Chicago Fire 0
Seattle Sounders 3 New York City FC 1

Weekly Predictions, MLS Week 10

Tuesday

San Jose Earthquakes 2 Houston Dynamo 1 - The Dynamo defense has allowed four goals in each of their last two matches and San Jose has lots of offensive weapons.

Wednesday

Real Salt Lake 0 LA Galaxy 0 - The Galaxy exercised some of their depth this past week against Colorado. I'd expect we'll see more of it in a midweek match against RSL.

Friday

New England Revolution 3 Orlando City SC 1 - The Revs are perfect when Charlie Davies starts. Don't expect the league's hottest team to slow down this week.

San Jose Earthquakes 1 Colorado Rapids 1 - The Rapids have six ties in nine matches. Smart money's on another draw.

Saturday

Chicago Fire 1 Real Salt Lake 0 - Look for Chicago to take advantage of Real Salt Lake playing two matches this week.

Portland Timbers 1 Montreal Impact 0 - The Impact are back? Injuries have taken their toll though and the Timbers are just starting to get healthy with the return of Diego Valeri.

DC United 1 Sporting Kansas City 0 - Bill Hamid and company are playing well right now. Sporting is all over the place.

Vancouver Whitecaps 3 Philadelphia Union 0 - The Union are struggling, look for Octavio Rivero to get back in the goals column.

Seattle Sounders 2 Columbus Crew 1 - The dynamic duo of Dempsey and Martins is on fire right now and I really thought Columbus would be playing better than they are.

FC Dallas 2 LA Galaxy 1 - Can the Galaxy slow down Castillo and company? I'm not sure they have THAT much depth.

Sunday

Toronto FC 3 Houston Dynamo 1 - Toronto is on the rise while the Dynamo are a sieve.

New York Red Bulls 3 New York City FC 2 - In the first match-up between the two New York clubs I see the Bulls coming out on top, but expect city to show more fight than they have lately.


Last Week: 3-7 (Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver-Portland)

Overall: 22-51 (Back to not being very good. Almost a halfway decent batting average though.)

Weekly Top Tens and Power Rankings - 5/4/15

THE SOCCERSMITH'S MLS POWER RANKINGS

1 - DC United (5-1-2) - Best record in the league right now, and they're tough to beat with Bill Hamid in net. Even with Steve Birnbaum sidelined, the defense has been steady Last Week: 2
2 - Seattle Sounders (5-2-1) - Martins and Dempsey have combined for 11 goals so far this season, more than 11 other clubs. Last Week: 3
3 - New England Revolution (5-2-2) - Knocked the Red Bulls from the ranks of the unbeaten. The Revs are 5-0-0 in Charlie Davies' 5 starts. Last Week: 5
4- New York Red Bulls (3-1-4) - Rough week for the Red Bulls as they managed only a draw with Colorado and then met their first defeat at the hands of their rivals to the north. Last Week: 1
5 - FC Dallas (5-2-2) - Fabián Castillo and Mauro Díaz are in form which is bad news for the rest of the West. If the defense holds up, FCD will be tough to beat. Last Week: 8
6 - Vancouver Whitecaps (5-3-2) - After scoring five goals in six matches, Octavio Rivero has gone scoreless in fourth straight. The Caps have just one win in their last five. Last Week: 4
7 - LA Galaxy (3-2-4) - The Galaxy started a lineup of mostly kids against Colorado, and were bailed out by super sub Alan Gordon. Last Week: 7
8 - Columbus Crew (3-3-2) - The highest scoring offense entering Week 9 ran into the wall that is Bill Hamid this weekend. Last Week: 6
9 - Sporting Kansas City (3-2-4) - Hard to predict this team from week to week. Got a nice performance from backup keeper Tim Melia to defeat the Fire 1-0. Last Week: 12
10 - Toronto FC (3-4-0) - Sebastian Giovinco struck again and Toronto now have won two in a row after losing four straight. Last Week: 15

Sunday, May 3, 2015

MLS SuperDraft Rookie Watch, Week 9

Week Nine featured the debuts of Vancouver's Tim Parker and LA's Ignacio Maganto, in addition to a pair of starts by Colorado's Axel Sjöberg in their draws against the Red Bulls and Galaxy. We also saw the usual suspects, Khiry Shelton, Fatai Alashe and Matt Polster all make starts for their respective clubs. No goals or assists this week though. Here's the complete rundown.

2 - Khiry Shelton - New York City FC - Started vs Seattle, 90 mins, 3 shots
4 - Fatai Alashe - San Jose - Started vs Real Salt Lake, 90 mins
7 - Matt Polster - Chicago - Started vs Sporting KC, 90 mins, 1 shot
13 - Tim Parker - Vancouver - Appeared as sub vs Portland, 2 mins
14 - Axel Sjöberg - Colorado - Started vs NYRB, 90 mins, 1 shot
14 - Axel Sjöberg - Colorado - Started vs LA, 90 mins
16 - Cristian Roldan - Seattle - Appeared as sub vs NYCFC, 1 min
17 - Miguel Aguilar - DC United - Appeared as sub vs Columbus, 4 mins
20 - Amadou Dia - Sporting KC - Appeared as sub vs Chicago, 13 mins
21 - Ignacio Maganto - LA Galaxy - Started vs Colorado, 72 mins, 1 shot
36 - Rob Lovejoy - Houston - Appeared as sub vs FC Dallas, 23 mins
67 - Dominique Badji - Colorado - Started vs NYRB, 73 mins, 3 shots
67 - Dominique Badji - Colorado - Appeared as sub vs LA, 28 mins, 1 shot