Author Archives: Ridge Mahoney

[USA-MEXICO COUNTDOWN] There wasn’t all that much suspense regarding which of the European-based players would be selected by Coach Bob Bradley for the Hexagonal opener against Mexico Wednesday in Columbus. So the inclusion of Jozy Altidore, who just went on loan to CD Xerez, and the exclusion of Freddy Adu, stuck on the bench while on loan to Monaco from Benfica, is notable for Adu’s notoriety, but not at all surprising.

[MLS] Official word came Thursday that San Jose has signed former USL-1 player Cam Weaver to its attacking contingent. Weaver, 25, is a native of Washington state who won USL-1 Rookie of the Year honors and tied for the league lead in scoring three years ago.

[MLS] During a training session at the Oakland Coliseum Wednesday, Quakes general manager John Doyle tried not to confirm that midfielder Bobby Convey is headed to San Jose. He succeeded, and failed, at the same time.

[MLS] Real Salt Lake attained so much in 2008 – opening a new stadium, reaching the playoffs for the first time, reaching the Western Conference final – that the offseason should have been the time to savor those accomplishments and look forward to an even better 2009. Instead, the team and community rallied around Marcia Williams, wife of RSL attacker Andy Williams, in her fight against leukemia. She was diagnosed with the disease last May and this month will undergo aggressive chemotherapy, at the end of which she will need a bone-marrow transplant to have her best chance of survival. The search for a suitable match continues.

[MLS] Of the many needs being addressed by Galaxy coach Bruce Arena, left back has been one of the more problematic.

Mike Randolph played some of his 20 games there as a rookie in 2008, and veteran Ante Jazic, limited by injuries to 15 games, has been traded to Chivas USA. When the Galaxy signed U.S. international Eddie Lewis – who played his college soccer at UCLA — last year, his name was added to list of possibilities to anchor the corner.

[MLS] Toronto FC posted a much better record in 2008 than it did in its expansion season, and judging by the enthusiasm of coaches and players, another quantum leap is not out of the question.

[MLS] The track records of Designated Players took another hit last week when D.C. United and Marcelo Gallardo concluded negotiations to terminate his contract.

[HEXAGONAL COUNTDOWN] A squad of 20 has been selected as the preliminary U.S. squad to prepare for the Concacaf Hexagonal opener against Mexico Feb. 11 in Columbus.

[MLS] The MLS 2009 schedule is out. Finally. Just 50 days prior to the March 19 season opener the league unveiled its 225-game schedule by which each of the 15 teams will play 30 games, and from which eight teams will qualify for the playoffs.

[MLS] There’s been a bit of belt-tightening in regards to player salaries yet the San Jose ledger sheet has added a major entry on the plus side. Amway Global has signed on as the team’s jersey sponsor and, wasting no time, its placards went on display Wednesday night, a day after the sponsorship deal was announced, at the Mexico-Sweden friendly played at the Oakland Coliseum.

[MLS] The Seattle Sounders aren’t confining their USL-1 signings to the local products they’ve developed. Reigning Rookie of the Year Osvaldo Alsonso, who scored four goals and registered two assists for Charleston last season, has signed an MLS contract to play for Seattle. The two sides had been discussing a contract for several months, as Alonso had been anxious to return to Seattle.

[MLS] Two weeks after signing defender Steve Purdy, FC Dallas tweaked its defense again with the addition of former Columbus and Real Salt Lake backliner Daniel Torres.

[MLS] Chivas USA opens its preseason training camp Wednesday with only one of its two Antes under contract.

[MLS] Tough times are rare but not unknown for the Dynamo; as such, its players and coaches are doing what they have done for years when beset by setbacks. They look ahead, and move on.

[USA-SWEDEN REPORT CARD] Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 3-2 victory over Sweden on Saturday …

[HEXAGONAL COUNTDOWN] Be it a competitive match or a friendly, be it played in January or June or any other month, breaking down a bunkered defense is a difficult task. Several elements are essential for success in such situations and against Sweden on Saturday the U.S. men displayed enough of them to win their first match of 2009. In wowing a crowd of 9,918 at Home Depot Center by scoring all three goals in a 3-2 victory, Man of the Match Sacha Kljestan displayed one of those elements, a clinical finishing touch. He curled a free kick from 35 yards into the top corner, he confidently tucked away a penalty kick, and he polished off his hat trick with a crisp first-time strike.

[HEXAGONAL COUNTDOWN] The revolving door has finally spun to a halt, so no longer will U.S. national team players wonder whom they might line up with Saturday when they face Sweden in the first match of a very busy 2009. Home Depot Center is the venue for the match (8:30 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel, Galavision) that kicks off perhaps the most grueling year in the team’s history.

[MLS] The precise details won’t be known until all the paperwork and documentation is done, but Colombian attacker Fredy Montero has signed an MLS contract to play for Seattle Sounders FC.