So, rather than comment on the USMNT rosters for the Guatemala World Cup Qualifiers and the U-23 showdown with Colombia, I thought it would be interesting to see if I could put together a roster of players not selected for either group that could, on paper, give Guatemala a run for their money. I didn't consider injured/suspended players (Benny Feilhaber, Brad Evans, Bill Hamid, Jermaine Jones, etc), but here's what I came up with:
For the purpose of argument, we'll line up in a traditional 4-4-2, but I think our roster offers enough flexibility to be able to run a 4-3-3/4-5-1 as well if need be:
Goalkeeper - Nick Rimando - Real Salt Lake - The veteran netminder was a part of the U.S.'s World Cup roster in 2014, and he's been an MLS All-Star each of the last three seasons. CAPS: 21
Left Back - Jorge Villafaña - Santos Laguna - Villafaña is fresh off an MLS Cup win with the Portland Timbers, and has started all three of Santos's CONCACAF Champions League knockout round matches where they have yet to concede a single goal. A member of the ill-fated U-23s in 2012, Villafaña hasn't received any attention for Jurgen Klinsmann, and with left back such a question mark, you'd think the 26 year Villafaña would at least be due a look. CAPS: 0
Center Back - Nat Borchers - Portland Timbers - Borchers has been a key contributor on multiple MLS Cup winning sides and the 6'2" mountain man would bring a toughness that the U.S. teams often lack when visiting Central America. Borchers is 34, and his best days are probably behind him, but I think you could get two matches out of him. CAPS: 3
Center Back - Chad Marshall - Seattle Sounders - A three-time MLS Defender of the Year, most recently in 2014, the 6'3" Marshall would be big (figuratively) on set pieces. Always a threat to score on corners, Marshall's head could be the difference in a close game. CAPS: 11
Right Back - Eric Lichaj - Nottingham Forest - Lichaj's been a regular in the English League Championship for Nottingham Forest and at 27, is at that right age for a breakout. Lichaj hasn't appeared for the U.S. since 2013, but he's really seen his playing time increase overseas since we last saw him in the red, white and blue. CAPS: 10
Showing posts with label Real Salt Lake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Real Salt Lake. Show all posts
Monday, March 21, 2016
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
MLS Players on Loan for 2016
Bernardo Añor - Sporting Kansas City - Loaned to Minnesota United FC (NASL) - Minnesota United features several former MLSers including Danny Cruz, Ben Speas, Kristian Nicht (the keeper Montreal brought in for last year's Champions League Final) and their captain Aaron Pitchkolan. They are famous for recently developing USMNT midfielder Miguel Ibarra and also boast the 2014 NASL player of the year in striker Christian Ramirez. Añor started his MLS career in 2011 and had a career year in 2014 with the Columbus Crew when he scored six goals. He logged just 483 minutes with Sporting Kansas City in 2015.
Erik Palmer-Brown - Sporting Kansas City - Loaned to FC Porto (Portugal) - Just 18 years old, Palmer-Brown has already been around a while having signed his first professional contract in 2013. Palmer-Brown played in a career high 7 matches with Sporting KC in 2015. He has yet to appear in a match for Porto.
Jimmy Ockford - Seattle Sounders - Loaned to New York Cosmos (NASL) - A second round pick in 2014, Ockford, now 23, has appeared in just one regular season match for the Sounders (a start against Philadelphia last June) in his brief career. He returns to the Cosmos where he also spent the 2014 season to play alongside the likes of Jairo Arrieta, Adam Moffat, Hunter Freeman, Danny Szetela and Carlos Mendes.
Leandro Barrera - San Jose Earthquakes - Loaned to Club Atlético San Martín (Argentina) - San Martín finished 17th out of 30 teams in the Primera División in 2015. Barrera, 24, appeared in only six matches (1 start) for San Jose in 2015. He spent his first MLS season (2014) with Chivas USA for whom he made 24 starts scoring a goal and adding two assists.
Sebastian Saucedo - Real Salt Lake - Loaned to Veracruz (Liga MX) - The 19 year-old Saucedo has appeared for both the U.S. and Mexico's youth international squads and was loaned to Veracruz in January. To date, Saucedo has appeared twice as a substitute, once against América and once against Puebla. Saucedo made nine appearances during his debut season in MLS, logging 168 total minutes.
Michael Lahoud - Philadelphia Union - Loaned to New York Cosmos (NASL) - Lahoud will join Seattle's Jimmy Ockford on the Cosmos after spending the seven seasons in MLS with Chivas USA and most recently, the Philadelphia Union. The 29 year-old Sierra Leonean made 14 starts for the Union in 2015 and has two goals and eight assists in 122 career MLS appearances.
Romario Williams - Montreal Impact - Loaned to Charleston Battery (USL) - Williams, the third overall pick in the 2015 SuperDraft, made just two appearances for the Impact during the 2015 regular season. He joins the Battery who were winners of the 2015 Southern Derby, but whose last true hardware came when they won the USL League Championship in 2012.
Juan Ramírez - Colorado Rapids - Loaned to Almería (Spain) - Signed to a young designated player contract in 2015, Ramírez scored a goal and added three assists during his debut season with the Rapids. He will play on loan in Spain's second division with Almería for a period of six months. According to Almería's Wikipedia page, Ramírez has currently logged four appearances during the regular season. The club currently sits in 19th place.
Erik Palmer-Brown - Sporting Kansas City - Loaned to FC Porto (Portugal) - Just 18 years old, Palmer-Brown has already been around a while having signed his first professional contract in 2013. Palmer-Brown played in a career high 7 matches with Sporting KC in 2015. He has yet to appear in a match for Porto.
Jimmy Ockford - Seattle Sounders - Loaned to New York Cosmos (NASL) - A second round pick in 2014, Ockford, now 23, has appeared in just one regular season match for the Sounders (a start against Philadelphia last June) in his brief career. He returns to the Cosmos where he also spent the 2014 season to play alongside the likes of Jairo Arrieta, Adam Moffat, Hunter Freeman, Danny Szetela and Carlos Mendes.
Leandro Barrera - San Jose Earthquakes - Loaned to Club Atlético San Martín (Argentina) - San Martín finished 17th out of 30 teams in the Primera División in 2015. Barrera, 24, appeared in only six matches (1 start) for San Jose in 2015. He spent his first MLS season (2014) with Chivas USA for whom he made 24 starts scoring a goal and adding two assists.
Sebastian Saucedo - Real Salt Lake - Loaned to Veracruz (Liga MX) - The 19 year-old Saucedo has appeared for both the U.S. and Mexico's youth international squads and was loaned to Veracruz in January. To date, Saucedo has appeared twice as a substitute, once against América and once against Puebla. Saucedo made nine appearances during his debut season in MLS, logging 168 total minutes.
Michael Lahoud - Philadelphia Union - Loaned to New York Cosmos (NASL) - Lahoud will join Seattle's Jimmy Ockford on the Cosmos after spending the seven seasons in MLS with Chivas USA and most recently, the Philadelphia Union. The 29 year-old Sierra Leonean made 14 starts for the Union in 2015 and has two goals and eight assists in 122 career MLS appearances.
Romario Williams - Montreal Impact - Loaned to Charleston Battery (USL) - Williams, the third overall pick in the 2015 SuperDraft, made just two appearances for the Impact during the 2015 regular season. He joins the Battery who were winners of the 2015 Southern Derby, but whose last true hardware came when they won the USL League Championship in 2012.
Juan Ramírez - Colorado Rapids - Loaned to Almería (Spain) - Signed to a young designated player contract in 2015, Ramírez scored a goal and added three assists during his debut season with the Rapids. He will play on loan in Spain's second division with Almería for a period of six months. According to Almería's Wikipedia page, Ramírez has currently logged four appearances during the regular season. The club currently sits in 19th place.
Thursday, March 3, 2016
CCL Update - Final MLS Thoughts
In a word, I'm disappointed. Four chances (eight if you count both legs) for an MLS club to beat a Liga MX side and we went winless with four draws and were shut out in four of eight matches. And so, once again, the CONCACAF Champions League title will be raised by a club from Liga MX and the MLS drought continues. Here are my final thoughts for each of the four clubs:
LA Galaxy - Failed to score in either leg against Santos Laguna despite a "star-studded" roster which turned in an unremarkable performance. We knew there would be chemistry issues in LA with all of the new faces, but I think we thought the tandem of Gio dos Santos and Robbie Keane would be more effective. Same can be said of the central midfield duo of Steven Gerrard and Nigel de Jong.
Seattle Sounders - Seattle actually led on aggregate goals three times in their series with América, but couldn't sustain a lead at all. When they took a 1-0 lead on the road in the second leg, they conceded the equalizer a minute later and the go ahead goal just moments after that. Their three goals scored were by far the most by any of the four MLS sides and Seattle also managed to be the only MLS team not to get shut out in the quarterfinals, but their inability to hold a lead/play well with a lead is what ultimately doomed them.
DC United - For the second year in a row, Bill Hamid was unavailable to United in the knockout round of the CCL. Not to say he would've done any better than Andrew Dykstra, but from a confidence standpoint, DC United likely would have headed into the series on a higher note had he been there. If there's a bright spot for United, it was rookie Julian Buescher who scored a laser-beam long range strike in just his second professional match.
Real Salt Lake - Perhaps the most unlikely of MLS teams to succeed, RSL was a missed penalty kick away from overcoming a 2-0 deficit against Tigres. The addition of Yura Movsisyan looks to be a great one, and Juan Manuel Martinez and Joao Plata will provide additional support on offense for a team that lacked in that a year ago. Still, in big games you have to make big kicks and missing a penalty when down one is a back breaker no matter how you look at it, especially when it's missed by arguably one of the league's best on set pieces in Javier Morales.
Anyhow, despite the MLS's early exit, there is still reason for U.S. fans to follow the rest of the tournament. A pair of American left backs started both quarterfinal matches for their respective Mexican clubs and combined to pitch three shutouts in the quarterfinals with the one goal conceded being Julian Buescher's long range golazo for DC United. With left back a perennial question mark for the U.S., the 26 year old Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna) and 31 year old Jonathan Bornstein (Querétaro) could present some intriguing options for Jurgen Klinsmann moving forward. Villafaña has youth national team experience but has never been CAP'd with the senior team while Bornstein was CAP'd 38 teams between 2007 and 2011 and even scored a pair of goals including one during World Cup Qualifying back in 2009. Here's a look at how all of the American Exports performed in CCL action this week:
José Francisco Torres - Tigres UANL - Started vs RSL, 76 mins, 1 shot
Ventura Alvarado - América - Dressed but did not play vs Seattle
Jorge Villafaña - Santos Laguna - Started vs LA Galaxy - 90 mins
Jonathan Bornstein - Querétaro - Started vs DC United - 90 mins, 2 shots
The semifinals will kick off in two weeks with Santos Laguna taking on América and Tigres UANL taking on Querétaro. Regardless of what happens, an American will raise the CCL Trophy this April.
LA Galaxy - Failed to score in either leg against Santos Laguna despite a "star-studded" roster which turned in an unremarkable performance. We knew there would be chemistry issues in LA with all of the new faces, but I think we thought the tandem of Gio dos Santos and Robbie Keane would be more effective. Same can be said of the central midfield duo of Steven Gerrard and Nigel de Jong.
Seattle Sounders - Seattle actually led on aggregate goals three times in their series with América, but couldn't sustain a lead at all. When they took a 1-0 lead on the road in the second leg, they conceded the equalizer a minute later and the go ahead goal just moments after that. Their three goals scored were by far the most by any of the four MLS sides and Seattle also managed to be the only MLS team not to get shut out in the quarterfinals, but their inability to hold a lead/play well with a lead is what ultimately doomed them.
DC United - For the second year in a row, Bill Hamid was unavailable to United in the knockout round of the CCL. Not to say he would've done any better than Andrew Dykstra, but from a confidence standpoint, DC United likely would have headed into the series on a higher note had he been there. If there's a bright spot for United, it was rookie Julian Buescher who scored a laser-beam long range strike in just his second professional match.
Real Salt Lake - Perhaps the most unlikely of MLS teams to succeed, RSL was a missed penalty kick away from overcoming a 2-0 deficit against Tigres. The addition of Yura Movsisyan looks to be a great one, and Juan Manuel Martinez and Joao Plata will provide additional support on offense for a team that lacked in that a year ago. Still, in big games you have to make big kicks and missing a penalty when down one is a back breaker no matter how you look at it, especially when it's missed by arguably one of the league's best on set pieces in Javier Morales.
Anyhow, despite the MLS's early exit, there is still reason for U.S. fans to follow the rest of the tournament. A pair of American left backs started both quarterfinal matches for their respective Mexican clubs and combined to pitch three shutouts in the quarterfinals with the one goal conceded being Julian Buescher's long range golazo for DC United. With left back a perennial question mark for the U.S., the 26 year old Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna) and 31 year old Jonathan Bornstein (Querétaro) could present some intriguing options for Jurgen Klinsmann moving forward. Villafaña has youth national team experience but has never been CAP'd with the senior team while Bornstein was CAP'd 38 teams between 2007 and 2011 and even scored a pair of goals including one during World Cup Qualifying back in 2009. Here's a look at how all of the American Exports performed in CCL action this week:
José Francisco Torres - Tigres UANL - Started vs RSL, 76 mins, 1 shot
Ventura Alvarado - América - Dressed but did not play vs Seattle
Jorge Villafaña - Santos Laguna - Started vs LA Galaxy - 90 mins
Jonathan Bornstein - Querétaro - Started vs DC United - 90 mins, 2 shots
The semifinals will kick off in two weeks with Santos Laguna taking on América and Tigres UANL taking on Querétaro. Regardless of what happens, an American will raise the CCL Trophy this April.
2015-16 CCL Goal Scorers by Nationality - Quarterfinal Leg 2 Update
Argentina (14)
Emanuel Villa - Querétaro F.C. - 6
Martín Bravo - Santos Laguna - 2
Jonathan Hansen - Herediano - 2
Diego González - Santos Laguna - 1
Carlos Izquierdoz - Santos Laguna - 1
Juan Manuel Martínez - Real Salt Lake - 1
Rubens Sambueza - Club América - 1
Belize (2)
Deon McCaulay - Verdes FC - 2
Brazil (3)
Danilinho - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Ricardinho Paraiba - Santa Tecla - 1
Israel Silva - Motagua - 1
Canada (1)
Kianz Froese - Vancouver Whitecaps - 1
Cape Verde (4)
Djaniny - Santos Laguna - 4
Chile (1)
Bryan Rabello - Santos Laguna - 1
Colombia (9)
Carlos Quintero - Club América - 4
Andrés Andrade - Club América - 1
Yerson Candelo - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Olmes García - Real Salt Lake - 1
Jámison Olave - Real Salt Lake - 1
Andrés Rentería - Santos Laguna - 1
Costa Rica (12)
Johnny Woodly - Municipal - 2
Marvin Angulo - Saprissa - 1
Jairo Arrieta - DC United - 1
Randall Azofeifa - Herediano - 1
Daniel Colindres - Saprissa - 1
Kenny Cunningham - Herediano - 1
Mynor Escoe - Saprissa - 1
Dylan Flores - Saprissa - 1
David Guzmán - Saprissa - 1
David Ramírez - Saprissa - 1
Deyver Vega - Saprissa - 1
Ecuador (5)
Michael Arroyo - Club América - 3
Joao Plata - Real Salt Lake - 2
El Salvador (6)
Tony Rugamas - Isidro Metapán - 2
Josué Flores - Isidro Metapán - 1
Irvin Herrera - Santa Tecla - 1
Otonel Salinas - Isidro Metapán - 1
Giovanni Zavaleta - Santa Tecla - 1
Finland (1)
Mika Väyrynen - LA Galaxy - 1
France (1)
André-Pierre Gignac - Tigres UANL - 1
Germany (1)
Julian Büscher - DC United - 1
Ghana (2)
Kofi Opare - DC United - 2
Guatemala (2)
Wilson Lalín - Comunicaciones - 1
Carlos Ruiz - Municipal - 1
Honduras (7)
Erick Andino - Motagua - 2
Alberth Elis - Olimpia - 2
Wilmer Crisanto - Motagua - 1
Eddie Hernández - Motagua - 1
Néstor Martínez - Olimpia - 1
Ireland (2)
Robbie Keane - LA Galaxy - 2
Jamaica (4)
Dino Williams - Montego Bay FC - 2
Allan Ottey - Montego Bay FC - 1
Jermaine Woozencroft - Montego Bay FC - 1
Mexico (23)
Oribe Peralta - Club América - 3
Miguel Aguilar - DC United - 2
Alonso Escoboza - Santos Laguna - 2
Luis Ángel Mendoza - Santos Laguna - 2
Sinha - Querétaro F.C. - 2
Alonso Zamora - Tigres UANL - 2
Antonio Briseño - Tigers UANL - 1
Jürgen Damm - Tigres UANL - 1
Ulises Dávila - Santos Laguna - 1
Kevin Gutiérrez - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Raúl Mendiola - LA Galaxy - 1
Víctor Milke - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Javier Orozco - Santos Laguna - 1
José Rivas - Tigres UANL - 1
Giovani dos Santos - LA Galaxy - 1
Ángel Sepúlveda - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Nicaragua (1)
Raúl Leguías - Walter Ferretti - 1
Nigeria (1)
Ikechukwu Uche - Tigres UANL - 1
Panama (17)
Jhonny Ruiz - San Francisco - 3
Ervin Zorilla - San Francisco - 2
Renán Addles - Árabe Unido - 1
Abdiel Arroyo - Árabe Unido - 1
Rolando Blackburn - Comunicaciones - 1
Moisés Gil - San Francisco - 1
Martín Gómez - San Francisco - 1
José González - Árabe Unido - 1
Eduardo Jiménez - San Francisco - 1
Daniel Morán - San Francisco - 1
Jonathan Pinilla - San Francisco - 1
Armando Polo - Árabe Unido - 1
Richard Rodriguez - San Francisco - 1
Enrico Small - Árabe Unido - 1
Paraguay (2)
Pablo Aguilar - Club América - 1
Édgar Benítez - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Saint Lucia (1)
Kurt Frederick - W Connection FC - 1
Spain (1)
Ignacio Maganto - LA Galaxy - 1
Sweden (1)
Erik Friberg - Seattle Sounders - 1
Trinidad and Tobago (4)
Ataullah Guerra - Central FC - 2
Alvin Jones - W Connection FC - 1
Willis Plaza - Central FC - 1
Uruguay (1)
Bernardo Laureiro - Walter Ferretti - 1
USA (20)
Alan Gordon - LA Galaxy - 5
Lamar Neagle - Seattle Sounders - 3
Clint Dempsey - Seattle Sounders - 2
Conor Doyle - DC United - 2
Ventura Alvarado - Club América - 1
Chad Barrett - Seattle Sounders - 1
Brad Evans - Seattle Sounders - 1
Michael Farfan - DC United - 1
Jared Jeffrey - DC United - 1
Tim Parker - Vancouver Whitecaps - 1
José Francisco Torres - Tigres UANL - 1
Gyasi Zardes - LA Galaxy - 1
Emanuel Villa - Querétaro F.C. - 6
Martín Bravo - Santos Laguna - 2
Jonathan Hansen - Herediano - 2
Diego González - Santos Laguna - 1
Carlos Izquierdoz - Santos Laguna - 1
Juan Manuel Martínez - Real Salt Lake - 1
Rubens Sambueza - Club América - 1
Belize (2)
Deon McCaulay - Verdes FC - 2
Brazil (3)
Danilinho - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Ricardinho Paraiba - Santa Tecla - 1
Israel Silva - Motagua - 1
Canada (1)
Kianz Froese - Vancouver Whitecaps - 1
Cape Verde (4)
Djaniny - Santos Laguna - 4
Chile (1)
Bryan Rabello - Santos Laguna - 1
Colombia (9)
Carlos Quintero - Club América - 4
Andrés Andrade - Club América - 1
Yerson Candelo - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Olmes García - Real Salt Lake - 1
Jámison Olave - Real Salt Lake - 1
Andrés Rentería - Santos Laguna - 1
Costa Rica (12)
Johnny Woodly - Municipal - 2
Marvin Angulo - Saprissa - 1
Jairo Arrieta - DC United - 1
Randall Azofeifa - Herediano - 1
Daniel Colindres - Saprissa - 1
Kenny Cunningham - Herediano - 1
Mynor Escoe - Saprissa - 1
Dylan Flores - Saprissa - 1
David Guzmán - Saprissa - 1
David Ramírez - Saprissa - 1
Deyver Vega - Saprissa - 1
Ecuador (5)
Michael Arroyo - Club América - 3
Joao Plata - Real Salt Lake - 2
El Salvador (6)
Tony Rugamas - Isidro Metapán - 2
Josué Flores - Isidro Metapán - 1
Irvin Herrera - Santa Tecla - 1
Otonel Salinas - Isidro Metapán - 1
Giovanni Zavaleta - Santa Tecla - 1
Finland (1)
Mika Väyrynen - LA Galaxy - 1
France (1)
André-Pierre Gignac - Tigres UANL - 1
Germany (1)
Julian Büscher - DC United - 1
Ghana (2)
Kofi Opare - DC United - 2
Guatemala (2)
Wilson Lalín - Comunicaciones - 1
Carlos Ruiz - Municipal - 1
Honduras (7)
Erick Andino - Motagua - 2
Alberth Elis - Olimpia - 2
Wilmer Crisanto - Motagua - 1
Eddie Hernández - Motagua - 1
Néstor Martínez - Olimpia - 1
Ireland (2)
Robbie Keane - LA Galaxy - 2
Jamaica (4)
Dino Williams - Montego Bay FC - 2
Allan Ottey - Montego Bay FC - 1
Jermaine Woozencroft - Montego Bay FC - 1
Mexico (23)
Oribe Peralta - Club América - 3
Miguel Aguilar - DC United - 2
Alonso Escoboza - Santos Laguna - 2
Luis Ángel Mendoza - Santos Laguna - 2
Sinha - Querétaro F.C. - 2
Alonso Zamora - Tigres UANL - 2
Antonio Briseño - Tigers UANL - 1
Jürgen Damm - Tigres UANL - 1
Ulises Dávila - Santos Laguna - 1
Kevin Gutiérrez - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Raúl Mendiola - LA Galaxy - 1
Víctor Milke - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Javier Orozco - Santos Laguna - 1
José Rivas - Tigres UANL - 1
Giovani dos Santos - LA Galaxy - 1
Ángel Sepúlveda - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Nicaragua (1)
Raúl Leguías - Walter Ferretti - 1
Nigeria (1)
Ikechukwu Uche - Tigres UANL - 1
Panama (17)
Jhonny Ruiz - San Francisco - 3
Ervin Zorilla - San Francisco - 2
Renán Addles - Árabe Unido - 1
Abdiel Arroyo - Árabe Unido - 1
Rolando Blackburn - Comunicaciones - 1
Moisés Gil - San Francisco - 1
Martín Gómez - San Francisco - 1
José González - Árabe Unido - 1
Eduardo Jiménez - San Francisco - 1
Daniel Morán - San Francisco - 1
Jonathan Pinilla - San Francisco - 1
Armando Polo - Árabe Unido - 1
Richard Rodriguez - San Francisco - 1
Enrico Small - Árabe Unido - 1
Paraguay (2)
Pablo Aguilar - Club América - 1
Édgar Benítez - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Saint Lucia (1)
Kurt Frederick - W Connection FC - 1
Spain (1)
Ignacio Maganto - LA Galaxy - 1
Sweden (1)
Erik Friberg - Seattle Sounders - 1
Trinidad and Tobago (4)
Ataullah Guerra - Central FC - 2
Alvin Jones - W Connection FC - 1
Willis Plaza - Central FC - 1
Uruguay (1)
Bernardo Laureiro - Walter Ferretti - 1
USA (20)
Alan Gordon - LA Galaxy - 5
Lamar Neagle - Seattle Sounders - 3
Clint Dempsey - Seattle Sounders - 2
Conor Doyle - DC United - 2
Ventura Alvarado - Club América - 1
Chad Barrett - Seattle Sounders - 1
Brad Evans - Seattle Sounders - 1
Michael Farfan - DC United - 1
Jared Jeffrey - DC United - 1
Tim Parker - Vancouver Whitecaps - 1
José Francisco Torres - Tigres UANL - 1
Gyasi Zardes - LA Galaxy - 1
Monday, February 29, 2016
Advantage Mexico - CCL Update
It was a rough week in the CCL for MLS clubs as none of the league's four remaining teams managed to knock off their Mexican opponents in the first leg of the quarterfinals. In total, the four MLS teams managed just two goals (both by Clint Dempsey) en route to two 2-0 losses and two home draws. Now, with backs to the wall, all four teams essentially face must-win games this week if any MLS club is to reach the semifinals. Here's a quick look at each team's needs ahead of their second leg match:
LA Galaxy - Arguably in the best shape of any of the four MLS teams, the Galaxy did not concede an away goal in their 0-0 home draw with Santos Laguna which means they can advance with a 1-1 draw or better.
Seattle Sounders - Seattle blew a pair of leads against América at home and because they conceded two away goals, likely will need a win when they travel to Estadio Azteca. A high scoring draw (2-2 or better) could also be enough to send the Sounders through.
DC United - United held Querétaro scoreless for 70 minutes before conceding twice late in the match. United forced keeper Tiago Volpi into making nine saves, but couldn't get on the scoresheet, and now need a shutout win of 2-0 or better, or they need to win by at least three goals.
Real Salt Lake - Like DC United, RSL went nearly 70 minutes without conceding, and allowed an 86th minute insurance goal to put them in a 2-0 hole against Tigres as they head home. RSL will also need a shutout win of 2-0 or better, or they need to win by at least three goals.
LA Galaxy - Arguably in the best shape of any of the four MLS teams, the Galaxy did not concede an away goal in their 0-0 home draw with Santos Laguna which means they can advance with a 1-1 draw or better.
Seattle Sounders - Seattle blew a pair of leads against América at home and because they conceded two away goals, likely will need a win when they travel to Estadio Azteca. A high scoring draw (2-2 or better) could also be enough to send the Sounders through.
DC United - United held Querétaro scoreless for 70 minutes before conceding twice late in the match. United forced keeper Tiago Volpi into making nine saves, but couldn't get on the scoresheet, and now need a shutout win of 2-0 or better, or they need to win by at least three goals.
Real Salt Lake - Like DC United, RSL went nearly 70 minutes without conceding, and allowed an 86th minute insurance goal to put them in a 2-0 hole against Tigres as they head home. RSL will also need a shutout win of 2-0 or better, or they need to win by at least three goals.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Making Moves
Clint Irwin Traded to Toronto FC - 2015 was a rough year defensively for Toronto FC. A leaky back line and the combination of Joe Bendik and Chris Konopka in goal surrendered a league-worst 58 goals and recorded only five shutouts. Now, in Irwin, Toronto has an All-Star caliber netminder who allowed just 38 goals in 31 starts while posting 8 shutouts for lowly Colorado. The addition of Irwin pairs well with the acquisitions of veteran defenders Drew Moor and Steven Beitashour, as Toronto FC looks to build on their first ever postseason appearance.
Yura Movsisyan Loaned to Real Salt Lake - Yura Movsisyan, an Armenian International, returns to Major League Soccer where he started his professional career. Movsisyan spent parts of two seasons with the Kansas City Wizards before being traded to Real Salt Lake in late 2007 where he eventually helped his new club win the 2009 MLS Cup. The 2012-13 Russian Premier League co-Top Scorer, Movsisyan - who's only 28 - looks to add some firepower to an attack that scored the second fewest goals in MLS in 2015.
Lucas Ontivero Loaned to Montreal - There aren't a lot of big name clubs that loan its players to MLS so the fact that Ontivero comes to Montreal on loan from Galatasaray (the Turkish giants) is a big deal. The 21 year-old Argentine winger is looked at as a dynamic attacker who can play on either side, and previously participated in youth programs for Real Madrid, AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur before turning pro.
Yura Movsisyan Loaned to Real Salt Lake - Yura Movsisyan, an Armenian International, returns to Major League Soccer where he started his professional career. Movsisyan spent parts of two seasons with the Kansas City Wizards before being traded to Real Salt Lake in late 2007 where he eventually helped his new club win the 2009 MLS Cup. The 2012-13 Russian Premier League co-Top Scorer, Movsisyan - who's only 28 - looks to add some firepower to an attack that scored the second fewest goals in MLS in 2015.
Lucas Ontivero Loaned to Montreal - There aren't a lot of big name clubs that loan its players to MLS so the fact that Ontivero comes to Montreal on loan from Galatasaray (the Turkish giants) is a big deal. The 21 year-old Argentine winger is looked at as a dynamic attacker who can play on either side, and previously participated in youth programs for Real Madrid, AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur before turning pro.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
2015-16 Champions League Roster Moves
We're just over a month away from the start of the CCL Quarterfinals with four MLS clubs getting set to take the field against their Mexican counterparts. Let's take a look at the offseason moves for each of the four to see how they're setting themselves up for a deep tournament run:
Seattle Sounders - Seattle has parted ways with a number of veterans this offseason losing Chad Barrett, Leonardo González, Troy Perkins, Gonzalo Pineda, Andy Rose, Lamar Neagle, Michael Azira and Marco Pappa. That said, they return the glut of their core contributors including last season's midseason additions Erik Friberg, Andreas Ivanschitz, Nelson Valdez and Román Torres. A solid 2015 Draft Class that includes Cristian Roldan, Oniel Fisher, Andy Craven and goalkeepers Tyler Miller and Charlie Lyon will help the transition phase, as will the addition of the versatile Joevin Jones from Chicago.
D.C. United - Bill Hamid is out for several months with a knee injury, so for the second year in a row, United will enter the CCL Quarterfinals without their starting netminder. While United has added some veterans into the mix in Lamar Neagle and Patrick Nyarko this offseason, Neagle won't be a help in the CCL as he's cup-tied to the Sounders. Additionally, United has yet to make any moves that will offset the loss of midfield stalwart Perry Kitchen.
Real Salt Lake - RSL will be bringing back striker Yura Movsisyan who helped them win an MLS Cup title in 2009 in an effort to bolster their attack. That aside, they've been relatively quiet this offseason, and still have to make up for the losses of Elías Vásquez, Chris Schuler, Luis Gil, Luis Silva and Sebastian Saucedo.
LA Galaxy - By far the busiest club of the four Champions League hopefuls, the Galaxy have added a new starting keeper in Dan Kennedy, veterans in Jeff Larentowicz and Mike Magee from the Chicago Fire, and a young stud in Ghanaian Emmanuel Boateng. They've also been linked to Europeans Ashley Cole, Jelle van Damme and Nigel de Jong. With their only significant offseason departures being Omar Gonzalez and Juninho, the Galaxy look to be pretty good shape.
Seattle Sounders - Seattle has parted ways with a number of veterans this offseason losing Chad Barrett, Leonardo González, Troy Perkins, Gonzalo Pineda, Andy Rose, Lamar Neagle, Michael Azira and Marco Pappa. That said, they return the glut of their core contributors including last season's midseason additions Erik Friberg, Andreas Ivanschitz, Nelson Valdez and Román Torres. A solid 2015 Draft Class that includes Cristian Roldan, Oniel Fisher, Andy Craven and goalkeepers Tyler Miller and Charlie Lyon will help the transition phase, as will the addition of the versatile Joevin Jones from Chicago.
D.C. United - Bill Hamid is out for several months with a knee injury, so for the second year in a row, United will enter the CCL Quarterfinals without their starting netminder. While United has added some veterans into the mix in Lamar Neagle and Patrick Nyarko this offseason, Neagle won't be a help in the CCL as he's cup-tied to the Sounders. Additionally, United has yet to make any moves that will offset the loss of midfield stalwart Perry Kitchen.
Real Salt Lake - RSL will be bringing back striker Yura Movsisyan who helped them win an MLS Cup title in 2009 in an effort to bolster their attack. That aside, they've been relatively quiet this offseason, and still have to make up for the losses of Elías Vásquez, Chris Schuler, Luis Gil, Luis Silva and Sebastian Saucedo.
LA Galaxy - By far the busiest club of the four Champions League hopefuls, the Galaxy have added a new starting keeper in Dan Kennedy, veterans in Jeff Larentowicz and Mike Magee from the Chicago Fire, and a young stud in Ghanaian Emmanuel Boateng. They've also been linked to Europeans Ashley Cole, Jelle van Damme and Nigel de Jong. With their only significant offseason departures being Omar Gonzalez and Juninho, the Galaxy look to be pretty good shape.
Monday, December 28, 2015
The Mexican Exodus
It's still early in the MLS offseason, but already four MLS regulars have made moves south of the border to join first division teams in Mexico. Juninho (Tijuana), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Luis Gil (Querétaro) and Jorge Villafaña (Santos Laguna) will all be in different jerseys next season with Villafaña and Gonzalez joining Champions League sides from Liga MX. While this is a positive move for U.S. Soccer with Gonzalez, Villafaña and Gil all with some level of National Team experience, it doesn't do a lot for MLS's Champions League aspirations. The Galaxy lose both Juninho and Gonzalez from their 2015-16 Champions League run and could now conceivably have to play against Villafaña in the CCL Knockout Round. Not only that, the Timbers won't have Villafaña for their run in the 2016-17 Champions League. Similarly, Real Salt Lake is also still alive in the 2015-16 Champions League and they will have to move forward without Luis Gil. A Champions League title continues to prove elusive for MLS and as long as players in their prime (Gonzalez is the oldest of the four at age 27) are transferring south instead of north, it will continue to be an uphill battle for MLS clubs.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
U-23s Drop Opener in Brazil, 2-1
The U.S. U-23s dropped the first of two friendlies scheduled with Brazil, 2-1 on Wednesday. Jerome Kiesewetter, who scored 4 goals during Olympic Qualifying, converted a penalty kick for the U.S.'s only goal after they'd already fallen behind 2-0. Of the 11 U.S. starters, four weren't a part of the group that participated in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (John Brooks, Eric Miller, Julian Green, Khiry Shelton), and a fifth (goalkeeper Charlie Horton) was on the U.S. roster, but didn't appear in any matches. Here's a look at how MLS was represented in the Starting XI.
Starters vs Brazil
Boyd Okwuonu - Real Salt Lake
Eric Miller - Montreal Impact
Fatai Alashe - San Jose Earthquakes
Matt Polster - Chicago Fire
Khiry Shelton - New York City FC
Starters vs Brazil
Boyd Okwuonu - Real Salt Lake
Eric Miller - Montreal Impact
Fatai Alashe - San Jose Earthquakes
Matt Polster - Chicago Fire
Khiry Shelton - New York City FC
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Season in Review: Real Salt Lake
Record: 11-15-8, 41 pts, 9th Place Western Conference
Goals For: 38
Goals Against: 48
Team Leaders
Goals: Javier Morales - 8
Assists: Javier Morales - 12
Shutouts: Nick Rimando - 8
All-Stars: Tony Beltran, Nick Rimando
Year in Review
For the first time since 2007, Real Salt Lake failed to make the MLS postseason. With 8 losses in their final 12 matches, the perennial contenders fell below the red line and closed out the season with three straight losses during which they scored just one goal TOTAL. RSL's leading scorer from 2014, Joao Plata, never truly returned to the form he had before his injury and scored just 4 goals in 19 appearances. And while RSL remained ever dangerous on set pieces thanks to Javier Morales, the rest of the attack struggled mightily ranking 19th in goals out of 20 teams. Strikers Sebastián Jaime, Juan Manuel Martínez, Olmes García and Devon Sandoval combined to score just 12 goals, and all-time leading scorer Álvaro Saborío was traded away midseason to DC United for Luis Silva. Silva, who had 11 goals a year ago for DC United, had 0 goals and 0 assists in 530 minutes for RSL after the trade. Defensively, RSL struggled to overcome the offseason losses of veterans Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert and Ned Grabavoy, and then to add injury to insult, defender Chris Schuler was limited to just five games due to multiple injuries during the season. Despite all the issues, 2015 wasn't a total loss though. Youngsters Jordan Allen (20), Luis Gil (21), Justen Glad (18) and Elías Vásquez (23) all logged a good chunk of minutes, and despite their struggles in league play, Real Salt Lake still managed to advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. But ultimately, after a seven year run of postseason appearances including two MLS Cup appearances, 2015 feels like a failure.
What's Next?
Kyle Beckerman (33), Javier Morales (35), Jámison Olave (34), Demar Phillips (32) and Nick Rimando (36) don't have too many years left in them, but all five made at least 16 starts in 2015. While, some youngsters on the roster have begun to emerge as legitimate contributors, there is still a significant bridge to be gapped before torches can be passed. First and foremost, Real Salt Lake needs to address their attack. The lack of a big-time goal scorer hurt them down the stretch, and I'm not sure the answer is currently on their roster unless Plata bounces back in 2016. RSL has used all three of their designated player slots on Plata, Jaime and Martínez (who ironically are all strikers), and if all three are back next year, they MUST do better. Still, this team is better than their 9th place finish suggests, and now that they are equipped with a high draft pick, they should be able to turn things around relatively quickly.
Goals For: 38
Goals Against: 48
Team Leaders
Goals: Javier Morales - 8
Assists: Javier Morales - 12
Shutouts: Nick Rimando - 8
All-Stars: Tony Beltran, Nick Rimando
Year in Review
For the first time since 2007, Real Salt Lake failed to make the MLS postseason. With 8 losses in their final 12 matches, the perennial contenders fell below the red line and closed out the season with three straight losses during which they scored just one goal TOTAL. RSL's leading scorer from 2014, Joao Plata, never truly returned to the form he had before his injury and scored just 4 goals in 19 appearances. And while RSL remained ever dangerous on set pieces thanks to Javier Morales, the rest of the attack struggled mightily ranking 19th in goals out of 20 teams. Strikers Sebastián Jaime, Juan Manuel Martínez, Olmes García and Devon Sandoval combined to score just 12 goals, and all-time leading scorer Álvaro Saborío was traded away midseason to DC United for Luis Silva. Silva, who had 11 goals a year ago for DC United, had 0 goals and 0 assists in 530 minutes for RSL after the trade. Defensively, RSL struggled to overcome the offseason losses of veterans Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert and Ned Grabavoy, and then to add injury to insult, defender Chris Schuler was limited to just five games due to multiple injuries during the season. Despite all the issues, 2015 wasn't a total loss though. Youngsters Jordan Allen (20), Luis Gil (21), Justen Glad (18) and Elías Vásquez (23) all logged a good chunk of minutes, and despite their struggles in league play, Real Salt Lake still managed to advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. But ultimately, after a seven year run of postseason appearances including two MLS Cup appearances, 2015 feels like a failure.
What's Next?
Kyle Beckerman (33), Javier Morales (35), Jámison Olave (34), Demar Phillips (32) and Nick Rimando (36) don't have too many years left in them, but all five made at least 16 starts in 2015. While, some youngsters on the roster have begun to emerge as legitimate contributors, there is still a significant bridge to be gapped before torches can be passed. First and foremost, Real Salt Lake needs to address their attack. The lack of a big-time goal scorer hurt them down the stretch, and I'm not sure the answer is currently on their roster unless Plata bounces back in 2016. RSL has used all three of their designated player slots on Plata, Jaime and Martínez (who ironically are all strikers), and if all three are back next year, they MUST do better. Still, this team is better than their 9th place finish suggests, and now that they are equipped with a high draft pick, they should be able to turn things around relatively quickly.
Friday, October 23, 2015
CCL Goal Scorers by Nationality
Here's a list of all of your 2015-16 CCL goal scorers through the group stage broken down by nationality. MLSers are highlighted in red. With 5 goals, Alan Gordon has the highest total by an American player in the Champions League since Herculez Gomez scored 6 goals for Santos Laguna during the 2011-12 tourney.
Argentina (12)
Emanuel Villa - Querétaro F.C. - 6
Jonathan Hansen - Herediano - 2
Diego González - Santos Laguna - 1
Carlos Izquierdoz - Santos Laguna - 1
Juan Manuel Martínez - Real Salt Lake - 1
Rubens Sambueza - Club América - 1
Belize (2)
Deon McCaulay - Verdes FC - 2
Brazil (3)
Danilinho - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Ricardinho Paraiba - Santa Tecla - 1
Israel Silva - Motagua - 1
Argentina (12)
Emanuel Villa - Querétaro F.C. - 6
Jonathan Hansen - Herediano - 2
Diego González - Santos Laguna - 1
Carlos Izquierdoz - Santos Laguna - 1
Juan Manuel Martínez - Real Salt Lake - 1
Rubens Sambueza - Club América - 1
Belize (2)
Deon McCaulay - Verdes FC - 2
Brazil (3)
Danilinho - Querétaro F.C. - 1
Ricardinho Paraiba - Santa Tecla - 1
Israel Silva - Motagua - 1
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Updated CCL Scenarios
After last night's three matches, only one group remains undecided in the CONCACAF Champions League and that will be settled tonight between Tigres UANL and Herediano. Here's the updated scenarios for each group with tonight's matches highlighted in red:
Group A
Santos Laguna defeated Saprissa 6-1 in the Group A finale to win the group.
Group B
Tigres UANL (Mexico) carry a three point lead and homefield advantage into their final match with Herediano (Costa Rica) on October 21st, but an Herediano win will send the Costa Rican side through as the two clubs drew 1-1 in their previous match-up.
Group C
Querétaro (Mexico) has already clinched the group so the October 22nd showdown between Verdes (Belize) and San Francisco (Panama) is purely for bragging rights. Verdes won the last match-up 2-1.
Group D
The LA Galaxy have clinched the group, but their October 21st match with Comunicaciones (Guatemala) could influence their quarterfinal seed. The Galaxy won the last match-up between these two clubs 5-0 thanks to a pair of goals from both Alan Gordon and Robbie Keane.
Group E
América drew with Motagua 1-1 to clinch Group E with a record of 3-0-1.
Group F
The Seattle Sounders clinched the group thanks to their 3-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps, but the Whitecaps still have one more match to play on the road against Olimpia (Honduras) on October 22nd. The Whitecaps defeated Olimpia 1-0 on September 16th.
Group G
Real Salt Lake's 1-0 win over Municipal guaranteed four MLS squads in the Round of 8.
Group H
DC United has clinched this group leaving the final match between Árabe Unido (Panama) and Montego Bay United of no significant importance.
Current Positioning for the Quarterfinals is as follows:
1. América - 10 pts (+7)
2. DC United - 10 pts (+6)
3. Real Salt Lake - 10 pts (+3)
4. Santos Laguna - 9 pts (+9)
5. LA Galaxy - 7 pts (+9)
6. Querétaro - 7 pts (+9)
7. Seattle Sounders - 7 pts (+3)
8. Tigres UANL/Herediano - 7 pts (+2)
Teams in bold have no matches remaining while teams in red play tonight. For teams that have not clinched, the higher of the points values was used.
Group A
Santos Laguna defeated Saprissa 6-1 in the Group A finale to win the group.
Group B
Tigres UANL (Mexico) carry a three point lead and homefield advantage into their final match with Herediano (Costa Rica) on October 21st, but an Herediano win will send the Costa Rican side through as the two clubs drew 1-1 in their previous match-up.
Group C
Querétaro (Mexico) has already clinched the group so the October 22nd showdown between Verdes (Belize) and San Francisco (Panama) is purely for bragging rights. Verdes won the last match-up 2-1.
Group D
The LA Galaxy have clinched the group, but their October 21st match with Comunicaciones (Guatemala) could influence their quarterfinal seed. The Galaxy won the last match-up between these two clubs 5-0 thanks to a pair of goals from both Alan Gordon and Robbie Keane.
Group E
América drew with Motagua 1-1 to clinch Group E with a record of 3-0-1.
Group F
The Seattle Sounders clinched the group thanks to their 3-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps, but the Whitecaps still have one more match to play on the road against Olimpia (Honduras) on October 22nd. The Whitecaps defeated Olimpia 1-0 on September 16th.
Group G
Real Salt Lake's 1-0 win over Municipal guaranteed four MLS squads in the Round of 8.
Group H
DC United has clinched this group leaving the final match between Árabe Unido (Panama) and Montego Bay United of no significant importance.
Current Positioning for the Quarterfinals is as follows:
1. América - 10 pts (+7)
2. DC United - 10 pts (+6)
3. Real Salt Lake - 10 pts (+3)
4. Santos Laguna - 9 pts (+9)
5. LA Galaxy - 7 pts (+9)
6. Querétaro - 7 pts (+9)
7. Seattle Sounders - 7 pts (+3)
8. Tigres UANL/Herediano - 7 pts (+2)
Teams in bold have no matches remaining while teams in red play tonight. For teams that have not clinched, the higher of the points values was used.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
U.S. U-23s Complete Sweep of Group A
The U.S. scored four times in the second half as they completed group play of Olympic Qualifying with a perfect 3-0 record following a 4-0 defeat of Panama. Second half substitutes Jerome Kiesewetter and Jordan Morris both scored goals while captain Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake) converted a penalty kick for the U.S. who outscored their opponents 13-2 during their three opening matches. The U.S. will be joined in the semifinals by Canada after their 2-2 draw with Cuba. Canada's Michael Petrasso (Queens Park Rangers) has scored in all three of Canada's matches thus far and is tied with Kiesewetter and Morris for the tournament-lead in goal scoring with three. Mexico and Honduras will face off tonight in Colorado to determine who plays who in the semifinals on Saturday.
Monday, October 5, 2015
US U-23s Rout Cuba in Olympic Qualifying, Clinch Semifinal Berth
Ths U.S. U-23s have clinched a spot in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Semifinals after a convincing 6-1 win over Cuba. The U.S. scored three goals on each side of halftime conceding only deep into stoppage time in a match whose result was never really in doubt. Jerome Kiesewetter (VfB Stuttgart) scored a pair of goals while the U.S.'s MLS contingent contributed a goal and four assists. Jordan Morris, who scored twice in the U.S.'s opener, also added an assist in the rout. The U.S. will wrap up group play tomorrow against Panama. Panama fell 3-1 to Canada on Saturday leaving them on the outside looking in as they trail Canada by two points in the standings. Canada will take on winless Cuba in their final match of group play with a chance to clinch a semifinal berth of their own. Over in Group B, Mexico and Honduras have both already clinched semifinal berths after Mexico defeated Haiti 1-0 and Honduras upended Costa Rica 2-0. Mexico will play Honduras on Wednesday to determine the Group winner.
Here's a rundown of the MLSers who featured for Andi Herzog's U-23s on Saturday:
Starters:
Matt Polster - Chicago Fire - 1 assist
Matt Miazga - New York Red Bulls - 1 goal
Boyd Okwuonu - Real Salt Lake
Luis Gil - Real Salt Lake - 2 assists
Wil Trapp - Columbus Crew (Captain)
Marc Pelosi - San Jose Earthquakes - 1 assist
Subs:
Dillon Serna - Colorado Rapids - Did Not Play
Fatai Alashe - San Jose Earthquakes - Did Not Play
Here's a rundown of the MLSers who featured for Andi Herzog's U-23s on Saturday:
Starters:
Matt Polster - Chicago Fire - 1 assist
Matt Miazga - New York Red Bulls - 1 goal
Boyd Okwuonu - Real Salt Lake
Luis Gil - Real Salt Lake - 2 assists
Wil Trapp - Columbus Crew (Captain)
Marc Pelosi - San Jose Earthquakes - 1 assist
Subs:
Dillon Serna - Colorado Rapids - Did Not Play
Fatai Alashe - San Jose Earthquakes - Did Not Play
Friday, October 2, 2015
CCL Scenarios
Only one match week left in the CONCACAF Champions League with four quarterfinal berths still on the line. Here's a breakdown of the scenarios that will determine the final quarterfinal draw:
Group A
Saprissa (Costa Rica) and Santos Laguna (Mexico) are tied atop the group with six points, so it'll be winner take all when the two sides face each other in Mexico on October 20th. Saprissa came back from one goal down to win their first match-up 2-1 so a draw will send them through to the quarterfinals.
Group B
Tigres UANL (Mexico) carry a three point lead and homefield advantage into their final match with Herediano (Costa Rica) on October 21st, but an Herediano win will send the Costa Rican side through as the two clubs drew 1-1 in their previous match-up.
Group C
Querétaro (Mexico) has already clinched the group so the October 22nd showdown between Verdes (Belize) and San Francisco (Panama) is purely for bragging rights. Verdes won the last match-up 2-1.
Group D
The LA Galaxy have clinched the group, but their October 21st match with Comunicaciones (Guatemala) could influence their quarterfinal seed. The Galaxy won the last match-up between these two clubs 5-0 thanks to a pair of goals from both Alan Gordon and Robbie Keane.
Group E
América (Mexico) haven't clinched the group yet, but Motagua (Honduras) have their work cut out for them needing to beat the Mexican powerhouse by at least four goals on October 20th to make up for a 4-0 defeat in Mexico on August 5th.
Group F
The Seattle Sounders clinched the group thanks to their 3-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps, but the Whitecaps still have one more match to play on the road against Olimpia (Honduras) on October 22nd. The Whitecaps defeated Olimpia 1-0 on September 16th.
Group G
Real Salt Lake controls their own destiny against Municipal (Guatemala) needing a draw or better at home on October 20th to advance. A 1-0 win for Municipal, however, will be enough to send the Guatemalan club through thanks to the 5th tiebreaker (greater number of goals scored in group matches).
Group H
DC United has clinched this group leaving the final match between Árabe Unido (Panama) and Montego Bay United of no significant importance.
Current Positioning for the Quarterfinals is as follows:
1. DC United - 10 pts (+6)
2. América/Motagua - 9 pts (+7)
3. LA Galaxy - 7 pts (+9)
4. Querétaro - 7 pts (+9)
5. Seattle Sounders - 7 pts (+3)
6. Tigres UANL/Herediano - 7 pts (+2)
7. Real Salt Lake/Municipal - 7 pts (+2)
8. Saprissa/Santos Laguna - 6 pts (+4)
Teams in bold have no matches remaining. For teams that have not clinched, the higher of the points values was used.
Group A
Saprissa (Costa Rica) and Santos Laguna (Mexico) are tied atop the group with six points, so it'll be winner take all when the two sides face each other in Mexico on October 20th. Saprissa came back from one goal down to win their first match-up 2-1 so a draw will send them through to the quarterfinals.
Group B
Tigres UANL (Mexico) carry a three point lead and homefield advantage into their final match with Herediano (Costa Rica) on October 21st, but an Herediano win will send the Costa Rican side through as the two clubs drew 1-1 in their previous match-up.
Group C
Querétaro (Mexico) has already clinched the group so the October 22nd showdown between Verdes (Belize) and San Francisco (Panama) is purely for bragging rights. Verdes won the last match-up 2-1.
Group D
The LA Galaxy have clinched the group, but their October 21st match with Comunicaciones (Guatemala) could influence their quarterfinal seed. The Galaxy won the last match-up between these two clubs 5-0 thanks to a pair of goals from both Alan Gordon and Robbie Keane.
Group E
América (Mexico) haven't clinched the group yet, but Motagua (Honduras) have their work cut out for them needing to beat the Mexican powerhouse by at least four goals on October 20th to make up for a 4-0 defeat in Mexico on August 5th.
Group F
The Seattle Sounders clinched the group thanks to their 3-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps, but the Whitecaps still have one more match to play on the road against Olimpia (Honduras) on October 22nd. The Whitecaps defeated Olimpia 1-0 on September 16th.
Group G
Real Salt Lake controls their own destiny against Municipal (Guatemala) needing a draw or better at home on October 20th to advance. A 1-0 win for Municipal, however, will be enough to send the Guatemalan club through thanks to the 5th tiebreaker (greater number of goals scored in group matches).
Group H
DC United has clinched this group leaving the final match between Árabe Unido (Panama) and Montego Bay United of no significant importance.
Current Positioning for the Quarterfinals is as follows:
1. DC United - 10 pts (+6)
2. América/Motagua - 9 pts (+7)
3. LA Galaxy - 7 pts (+9)
4. Querétaro - 7 pts (+9)
5. Seattle Sounders - 7 pts (+3)
6. Tigres UANL/Herediano - 7 pts (+2)
7. Real Salt Lake/Municipal - 7 pts (+2)
8. Saprissa/Santos Laguna - 6 pts (+4)
Teams in bold have no matches remaining. For teams that have not clinched, the higher of the points values was used.
Jordan Morris Paces U-23s to Win in Olympic Qualifying Opener
Jordan Morris is back and has the United States off to a solid start as they try to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since 2008. Opening the tournament against Canada, who beat the U.S. during Olympic Qualifying in 2012, Morris and the U.S. wasted little time scoring in the opening minute en route to a 3-1 win. Morris would add a second goal before Real Salt Lake's Luis Gil added a stoppage time penalty to secure the victory. The U.S. will wrap up group play with matches against Cuba on Saturday and then Panama on Sunday. Panama and Cuba drew 1-1 in their Opener. Group B will be in action today with Mexico taking on Costa Rica and Honduras facing off against Haiti.
Here's a rundown of the MLSers who featured for Andi Herzog's U-23s.
Starters:
Matt Polster - Chicago Fire
Matt Miazga - New York Red Bulls
Dillon Serna - Colorado Rapids
Fatai Alashe - San Jose Earthquakes
Wil Trapp - Columbus Crew (Captain)
Subs:
Boyd Okwuonu - Real Salt Lake
Marc Pelosi - San Jose Earthquakes
Luis Gil - Real Salt Lake
Trapp assisted on Morris's second goal.
Here's a rundown of the MLSers who featured for Andi Herzog's U-23s.
Starters:
Matt Polster - Chicago Fire
Matt Miazga - New York Red Bulls
Dillon Serna - Colorado Rapids
Fatai Alashe - San Jose Earthquakes
Wil Trapp - Columbus Crew (Captain)
Subs:
Boyd Okwuonu - Real Salt Lake
Marc Pelosi - San Jose Earthquakes
Luis Gil - Real Salt Lake
Trapp assisted on Morris's second goal.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
CCL Group Play, Round 1 Highlights
Here's the highlights from the first round of Champions League action:
Real Salt Lake 1 Municipal (Guatemala) 0 - Group G
Real Salt Lake 1 Municipal (Guatemala) 0 - Group G
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
CONCACAF Champions League Starts Tonight!
The biggest club soccer competition in our region is back with three matches tonight kicking off group play in the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League. Here's a quick rundown of who's in this year's tournament:
Group A
W Connection F.C. (Trinidad and Tobago)
Saprissa (Costa Rica)
Santos Laguna (Mexico)
Group B
Isidro Metapán (El Salvador)
Herediano (Costa Rica)
Tigres UANL (Mexico)
Group C
Verdes (Belize)
San Francisco (Panama)
Querétaro (Mexico)
Group D
Central (Trinidad and Tobago)
Comunicaciones (Guatemala)
LA Galaxy (USA)
Group A
W Connection F.C. (Trinidad and Tobago)
Saprissa (Costa Rica)
Santos Laguna (Mexico)
Group B
Isidro Metapán (El Salvador)
Herediano (Costa Rica)
Tigres UANL (Mexico)
Group C
Verdes (Belize)
San Francisco (Panama)
Querétaro (Mexico)
Group D
Central (Trinidad and Tobago)
Comunicaciones (Guatemala)
LA Galaxy (USA)
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Trade Tracker
Following this week's trade between Philadelphia and Houston, we've now seen six trades over the past month that have moved players around (I'm going to assume you're not interested in trades that only deal with money). In case you haven't been following, here's a quick trade recap:
6/26/15
San Jose trades Ty Harden to Chicago for Quincy Amarikwa. Amarikwa gives the Quakes another goal scoring threat to go alongside Chris Wondolowski and we already saw the impact he can have when he scored twice against the Galaxy on July 17th. Harden had only made one start for the Quakes this year, ironically against the Fire, and scored his first career MLS goal and added his first career MLS assist in a 2-1 win.
7/14/15
Houston trades Corey Ashe to Orlando City for allocation money and a 2017 2nd round draft pick. Ashe gives Orlando City some much needed depth in the back after getting squeezed out of the rotation in Houston. After making 20 starts for the Dynamo in 2014, Ashe had yet to appear in an MLS match this season. Ashe had been with Houston since his MLS debut in 2007.
7/16/15
Montreal trades Bakary Soumaré to FC Dallas in exchange for Kyle Bekker. The Canadian-born Bekker returns to Canada where he spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons with Toronto FC. He saw only limited playing time in Dallas appearing in 8 matches and making a pair of starts during the regular season. Soumaré was the driver in this deal as he'd become unhappy with his role in Montreal after factoring in their Champions League run this spring.
DC United trades Luis Silva to Real Salt Lake in exchange for Álvaro Saborío. In easily the biggest trade so far this season, United sends Silva, who tied for the team lead in scoring last season, to Real Salt Lake for RSL's all-time leading scorer. Silva had not returned to form for DC after suffering an injury at the end of last season scoring just once and making just four starts this year. Sabo, meanwhile, was having a down year by his standards scoring just three times in 14 appearances. He leaves RSL with 63 goals over parts of six seasons, and should be fresh after not seeing much action for Costa Rica during the Gold Cup.
7/20/15
Sporting Kansas City trades Servando Carrasco to Orlando City for Amobi Okugo. Carrasco, who is perhaps most famous for being married to USWNT star Alex Morgan, had seen his playing time diminish in Sporting's 4-3-3 where Benny Feilhaber, Haitian newcomer Soni Mustivar and Honduran Roger Espinoza had absorbed most of the minutes. He gives Orlando much needed depth as in more than a few occasions this season, City has struggled to put an 18-man squad together. In Okugo, Sporting gets some more experience on their back line where they had been starting a pair of rookies, Saad Abdul-Salaam and Amadou Dia.
7/23/15
Philadelphia Union trades Sheanon Williams and an international roster spot to Houston for allocation money. Williams, who had been with Philadelphia since 2010, saw his playing time diminish with the emergence of Raymon Gaddis and became expendable. Jermaine Taylor's injury in the Gold Cup leaves a gap at the back for the Dynamo that Williams should be able to help fill.
6/26/15
San Jose trades Ty Harden to Chicago for Quincy Amarikwa. Amarikwa gives the Quakes another goal scoring threat to go alongside Chris Wondolowski and we already saw the impact he can have when he scored twice against the Galaxy on July 17th. Harden had only made one start for the Quakes this year, ironically against the Fire, and scored his first career MLS goal and added his first career MLS assist in a 2-1 win.
7/14/15
Houston trades Corey Ashe to Orlando City for allocation money and a 2017 2nd round draft pick. Ashe gives Orlando City some much needed depth in the back after getting squeezed out of the rotation in Houston. After making 20 starts for the Dynamo in 2014, Ashe had yet to appear in an MLS match this season. Ashe had been with Houston since his MLS debut in 2007.
7/16/15
Montreal trades Bakary Soumaré to FC Dallas in exchange for Kyle Bekker. The Canadian-born Bekker returns to Canada where he spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons with Toronto FC. He saw only limited playing time in Dallas appearing in 8 matches and making a pair of starts during the regular season. Soumaré was the driver in this deal as he'd become unhappy with his role in Montreal after factoring in their Champions League run this spring.
DC United trades Luis Silva to Real Salt Lake in exchange for Álvaro Saborío. In easily the biggest trade so far this season, United sends Silva, who tied for the team lead in scoring last season, to Real Salt Lake for RSL's all-time leading scorer. Silva had not returned to form for DC after suffering an injury at the end of last season scoring just once and making just four starts this year. Sabo, meanwhile, was having a down year by his standards scoring just three times in 14 appearances. He leaves RSL with 63 goals over parts of six seasons, and should be fresh after not seeing much action for Costa Rica during the Gold Cup.
7/20/15
Sporting Kansas City trades Servando Carrasco to Orlando City for Amobi Okugo. Carrasco, who is perhaps most famous for being married to USWNT star Alex Morgan, had seen his playing time diminish in Sporting's 4-3-3 where Benny Feilhaber, Haitian newcomer Soni Mustivar and Honduran Roger Espinoza had absorbed most of the minutes. He gives Orlando much needed depth as in more than a few occasions this season, City has struggled to put an 18-man squad together. In Okugo, Sporting gets some more experience on their back line where they had been starting a pair of rookies, Saad Abdul-Salaam and Amadou Dia.
7/23/15
Philadelphia Union trades Sheanon Williams and an international roster spot to Houston for allocation money. Williams, who had been with Philadelphia since 2010, saw his playing time diminish with the emergence of Raymon Gaddis and became expendable. Jermaine Taylor's injury in the Gold Cup leaves a gap at the back for the Dynamo that Williams should be able to help fill.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
US Open Cup Quarterfinal Match Summaries
Upsets were the story in the quarterfinals as Real Salt Lake, Philadelphia and Chicago all advanced in a wild round of play. Here's a rundown of all four matches. The semis will pit Philadelphia against Chicago and Sporting against Real Salt Lake.
Real Salt Lake 1 LA Galaxy 0
Steven Gerrard's insertion in to the LA lineup wasn't enough to stop Real Salt Lake from pulling off a narrow victory and knock the Galaxy out of the 2015 US Open Cup. Aaron Maund's 87th minute header, his first professional goal, was the difference in the match as the Galaxy couldn't overcome the absences of Gyasi Zardes, Omar Gonzalez and Jaime Penedo. Real Salt Lake outshot the Galaxy 15-6 while maintaining possession for 60% of the match.
Philadelphia Union 1 New York Red Bulls 1, Philadelphia wins 4-3 in Shootout
Philadelphia survived a first half red card for the second match in a row in the tournament and against all odds, have advanced to the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. Conor Casey, who got the start because C.J. Sapong was red carded in Philadelphia's 5th Round win over DC United, was sent off 40 minutes in with the score tied at 0-0. Philadelphia took the lead in the 56th minute but then watched New York tie the match 4 minutes into stoppage time. Still, the Union persevered winning the shootout 4-3. The Red Bulls outshot the Union 34-8 and John McCarthy made nine saves for Philadelphia.
Sporting Kansas City 3 Houston Dynamo 1
Luis Garrido suffered an early ejection, and while Houston was able to take a lead behind a Will Bruin goal, Sporting roared back with goals of their own from Benny Feilhaber, Dom Dwyer and Krisztián Németh as they advanced to the semifinals with a 3-1 win. Erick 'Cubo' Torres made his 2015 debut for Houston, and while he wasn't a factor in this match, the hope for Houston is that he'll add some punch to a struggling offense.
Chicago Fire 3 Orlando City SC 1
Kennedy Igboananike came off the bench to score twice in the closing minutes as the Chicago Fire stunned Orlando City 3-1. The Fire, who have struggled for much of the year, outshot Orlando 20-8 despite losing the possession battle and eventually broke through when Igboananike found the back of the net late. Orlando got a goal from rookie of the year candidate Cyle Larin in a losing effort.
Real Salt Lake 1 LA Galaxy 0
Steven Gerrard's insertion in to the LA lineup wasn't enough to stop Real Salt Lake from pulling off a narrow victory and knock the Galaxy out of the 2015 US Open Cup. Aaron Maund's 87th minute header, his first professional goal, was the difference in the match as the Galaxy couldn't overcome the absences of Gyasi Zardes, Omar Gonzalez and Jaime Penedo. Real Salt Lake outshot the Galaxy 15-6 while maintaining possession for 60% of the match.
Philadelphia Union 1 New York Red Bulls 1, Philadelphia wins 4-3 in Shootout
Philadelphia survived a first half red card for the second match in a row in the tournament and against all odds, have advanced to the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. Conor Casey, who got the start because C.J. Sapong was red carded in Philadelphia's 5th Round win over DC United, was sent off 40 minutes in with the score tied at 0-0. Philadelphia took the lead in the 56th minute but then watched New York tie the match 4 minutes into stoppage time. Still, the Union persevered winning the shootout 4-3. The Red Bulls outshot the Union 34-8 and John McCarthy made nine saves for Philadelphia.
Sporting Kansas City 3 Houston Dynamo 1
Luis Garrido suffered an early ejection, and while Houston was able to take a lead behind a Will Bruin goal, Sporting roared back with goals of their own from Benny Feilhaber, Dom Dwyer and Krisztián Németh as they advanced to the semifinals with a 3-1 win. Erick 'Cubo' Torres made his 2015 debut for Houston, and while he wasn't a factor in this match, the hope for Houston is that he'll add some punch to a struggling offense.
Chicago Fire 3 Orlando City SC 1
Kennedy Igboananike came off the bench to score twice in the closing minutes as the Chicago Fire stunned Orlando City 3-1. The Fire, who have struggled for much of the year, outshot Orlando 20-8 despite losing the possession battle and eventually broke through when Igboananike found the back of the net late. Orlando got a goal from rookie of the year candidate Cyle Larin in a losing effort.
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