MLS’s hapless New York club reached a new low when French star Youri Djorkaeff was caught on worldwide television in the stands at France’s 1-0 victory over Brazil in the quarterfinals of the World Cup on Saturday in Frankfurt. The Snake had been excused from the Red Bulls’ game the same day at New England — a 3-2 loss — after he told the club on Thursday “he had to leave the team and attend to an unexpected, serious family matter in France.”
According to the Red Bulls, Djorkaeff never said he planned on attending the France-Brazil game nor did he express any ill-feeling toward the organization.
Djorkaeff started on France’s 1988 World Cup championship team and is close to captain Zinedine Zidane, who had one of the greatest games of his career against Brazil. He was also reported to be close to former Red Bulls coach Mo Johnston, who was fired last week.
The images of Djorkaeff in Frankfurt brought back memories of another former World Cup champion absent from MLS’s New York team. In 2000, after the European Championship, German star Lothar Matthaeus was supposed to be rehabilitating an injured back but he was photographed lounging on the beach with his girlfriend in St. Tropez, France.
— Landon Donovan scored both goals as the Los Angeles Galaxy beat Kansas City, 2-0, on Saturday to end its 10-game winless streak and give Canadian Frank Yallop his first win since taking over as Galaxy coach from Steve Sampson. The game, Donovan’s first since returning from the World Cup, drew 21,936 fans, the fifth largest crowd in Wizards’ history.
— Mexican defender Claudio Suarez scored his first two goals for Chivas USA to lead it past Western Conference leader FC Dallas, 3-0. Suarez, who has 178 caps for Mexico, didn’t play for the Tri at the World Cup. Jonathan Bornstein also scored for Chivas USA. All three goals came in the first half and were set up by midfielder Juan Pablo Garcia.
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