With about three months to go in Year 2 of the Designated Player, D.C. United and Kansas City are still waiting for Marcelo Gallardo and Claudio Lopez, respectively, to surpass their solid performances and attain the lofty heights attained last year by Juan Pablo Angel, who himself battled injuries for the first half of 2008. In Los Angeles, home of DP David Beckham and his “grandfathered” colleague, U.S. international Landon Donovan, the offense is sexy but the defense is sordid. On the other coast, New England has steadily chugged along without an injured Taylor Twellman and has added a prime Rookie of the Year candidate to its already deep squad. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney provides a rundown of MLS’s top players in 2008 so far, including a league Best XI …
Author Archives: Ridge Mahoney
Revs set up all-MLS SuperLiga final
It seems nothing – Mexican opposition, bad blood, scuffles, player absences, naked men running amuck on airplanes – can distract New England’s players and coaches as they strive to make their first serious foray into international competition a triumphant one.
MLS Midseason: Changes muddle Race
It’s never easy predicting the second half of an MLS season based on what transpired in the first three months, but playing Nostradamus this year is especially vexing.
Women’s Olympics: Pia embraces change
Swede Pia Sundhage, installed as U.S women’s national team coach following the debacle at the 2007 Women’s World Cup, has stressed the need for change.
Men’s Olympic Guide:
USA, Opponents, Stars, Men’s Soccer Olympic Gold Medalists and Schedule.
Houston looks like a champ again
[SUPERLIGA] For one night, at least, the two-time defending MLS Cup winner looked the part, and as a consequence, Houston has reached the SuperLiga final. Defender Bobby Boswell tucked away a flicked-on corner kick and Corey Ashe headed in a late clinching goal to carry the Dynamo past Pachuca, winner of the inaugural SuperLiga last year, 2-0, at Robertson Stadium. Houston will meet either New England or Atlante, which contest the other semifinal Wednesday night at Gillette Stadium (TV: Telefutura, 8 pm ET), in the final next week.
Cooper stays, Toja waits
[MLS] FC Dallas has responded to one vexing question by deciding not to sell forward Kenny Cooper and as of Tuesday night had not come to any conclusion regarding midfielder Juan Toja
Toronto, in midst McBride deal, loses late in Salt Lake
Chad Barrett made it to Salt Lake City in time to play for Toronto FC in a rare Monday night MLS contest, but never got into uniform, much less the match. As the live body sent by Chicago to TFC in the Brian McBride allocation deal, Barrett spent the match in limbo, frozen between teams for reasons unknown. Toronto rallied with a blistering Amado Guevara free kick in the 84th minute to tie the match, 1-1, then quickly conceded a Robbie Findley strike to lose, 2-1. On Thursday, Commissioner Don Garber said TFC and the Fire had agreed to a deal by which McBride, claimed via allocation by Toronto more than a month ago, would be traded to Chicago.
Hyndman does deals for Dallas
[MLS] There are indeed changes afoot at FC Dallas, but so far, none of them have moved midfielder Juan Toja or forward Kenny Cooper. Pending transfers of those two players, to Steaua Bucharest and SK Rosenborg, respectively, are still pending. Two other deals were announced Monday, with FCD acquiring Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guarda in a trade with Colorado and sending midfielder Arturo Alvarez to San Jose.
Scorers push MLS to the brink
The glow on Kenny Cooper‘s face lit up his corner of the MLS All-Stars locker room as he and his teammates decompressed after beating West Ham United, 3-2, at BMO Field Thursday.
MLS expansion contradicts its ambitions
More than one MLS general manager or team executive has expressed concerns that for all the proclamations that MLS wouldn’t repeat the mistake of the NASL, in more than a few cases it has done exactly that.
San Jose sends Kamara to Houston
[MLS] Houston and San Jose are sharing more than history in this expansion season of the Quakes, who were reincarnated this season after leaving the Bay Area two and a half years ago.
MLS Stars win with flair and focus
Disadvantaged by a lack of conditioning, West Ham United knew keeping pace with an in-season MLS All-Star squad would prove difficult. Yet flair and focus, as much as fitness, propelled the All-Stars past West Ham, 3-2, at a sold-out BMO Field Thursday. They pushed the pace early in the match and twice came back quickly from conceding a goal to score one of their own.
Big occasion for Ontario’s own
The packed house of 20,844 at BMO Field for the MLS All-Star Game caused some consternation before kickoff when large sections booed and whistled during the U.S. national anthem. The fans wanted to hear the Canadian national anthem — just as they wanted to see their Canadian players. They were rewarded in the second half when Ontario favorites Jim Brennan and Dwayne De Rosario came on.
MLS All-Stars put reputation on line
Does the soccer world care if the MLS can run its winning record against foreign opposition in the All-Star Game to 5-0? No. But the fact the MLS All-Stars-West Ham game is being televised to nearly 100 countries and approximately 300 media credentials have been issued shows the game is being taken seriously. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney reports from Toronto, where Landon Donovan and the boys from MLS are ready for the challenge.
TFC-Impact tie is another USL victory
Former MLS keeper Matt Jordan is alive and well and playing for Montreal, which by scraping out a 1-1 tie with Toronto FC Tuesday night at BMO Field captured the Nutrilite Championship and qualified as the Canadian representative in the CONCACAF Champions League.
Expansion Sounders sign multi-year TV deal
[MLS] Seattle’s preparations for a spectacular launch in 2009 took another step forward with the announcement of a multi-year local TV deal, nearly nine months before it plays an official league match.
Even MLS-Mexico split for semis
[SUPERLIGA] MLS and the Mexican league will have equal representation in the SuperLiga semifinals following completion of group play over the weekend, and the final placings kept domestic rivals apart in the next round.
One goal apiece is enough for Revs and Chivas USA
[SUPERLIGA] New England and Chivas USA took giant strides towards qualifying for the SuperLiga semifinals Wednesday night by scraping out 1-0 victories against their Mexican rivals in Group B.
Wambach out of Olympics
The U.S. women will head to the 2008 Olympic Games on the momentum of two straight victories over nemesis Brazil — and a 21-0-1 record in 2008 — but they will do so without their top scorer.
MLS teams face elimination
[SUPERLIGA] Both teams need to win, but both Houston and D.C. United must approach their SuperLiga showdown Saturday at RFK with the bigger picture in mind.
Toronto FC shuffles the deck
[MLS] Regardless of where their team winds up in the MLS standings, Toronto FC’s managing duo of John Carver and Mo Johnston has set the pace regarding recent transactions. Filing discovery claims on strikers Paul Dickov and Darren Huckerby before anyone else yielded a contract with Dickov and a trade with San Jose for the rights to Huckerby, for which TFC received allocation money and an international player slot.
Picking the All-Star lucky seven
By design or luck, MLS officials can account for every league team when seven additions to the 2008 All-Star Team are named Tuesday.
MLS and Mexico split SuperLiga openers
MLS teams split their four encounters with Mexican league opposition as the second SuperLiga tournament kicked off last weekend. Houston ran up a 4-0 demolition of Atlante and New England knocked off Santos Laguna, 1-0, but Chivas USA and D.C. United fell to defending SuperLiga champion Pachuca and Chivas Guadalajara, respectively, by 2-1 scores. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney details the first round of group games.
MLS clubs need firepower for SuperLiga
One of the scenarios plaguing MLS teams as they struggle to match their Mexican league counterparts is being played out on the eve of SuperLiga 2008, in which four teams from each country compete for a $1 million prize.