Author Archives: Ridge Mahoney

[MLS TEAM PREVIEWS] Less than a week before it departs for the Pan-Pacific Championship in Hawaii, the Galaxy has nearly as many questions as players. And it has a lot of players.

[MLS] A goal by one of many former Quakes, Ricardo Clark, downed the 2008 version, 1-0, as the revived San Jose franchise began its renaissance Wednesday night against two-time defending champion Houston.

[MLS TEAM PREVIEWS] Houston is still seeking replacements for Joseph Ngwenya and Nate Jaqua, who combined for 13 goals last season before jetting off to Austrian clubs. After two games against the new San Jose Earthquakes this week, Houston heads to Hawaii for the Pan-Pacific Challenge, with a first-round match against Australian club Sydney FC, so time is short to find reinforcements.

[MLS TEAM PREVIEWS] So many players stormed through the ranks of Toronto FC’s roster last season, more than a dozen played fewer than a dozen games. Those players who survived the 6-17-7 season and interminable stretches without scoring have emerged from the rubble to train under the gaze of ex-head coach and manager/director of soccer Mo Johnston, and his appointee, John Carver, of whom little is known and much will be discovered.

[MLS TEAM PREVIEWS] The Colorado Rapids have bet the bank on 2006 MLS MVP Christian Gomez, acquired from D.C. United in a deal that includes a guaranteed contract through 2009. Coach Fernando Clavijo isn’t so lucky. His contract expires at the end of the 2008 season, and the Rapids will have to show some significant improvement from the team that went 9-13-8, failed to make the playoffs and had the second-worst attack in MLS last season.

[MLS] Traffic between MLS and Norway is flowing both ways. The transfer of FC Dallas defender Chris Gbandi to second division club FK Haugesund has finally been formally announced, while deals sending defenders Ramiro Corrales and Nat Borchers back to MLS are in the works.

[MLS TEAM PREVIEWS] Roster returnees from last year? Bring ’em all. Draft picks, ditto. Mini-camp survivors? Book ’em, flights to Southern California that is. Three dozen players are going through the regimens of Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio at Home Depot Center, and by next week he’ll have trimmed the squad to make room for a few more players, not counting Jozy Altidore, who scored a goal in his first national-team start in the 2-2 tie with Mexico Wednesday.

[MLS] A stadium delay in San Jose, a revamping of its scheduling format, and the usual issues of conflicts and TV considerations forced MLS to push back the release of its 2008 schedule until Thursday.

[MLS TEAM PREVIEWS] With its front line shored up by trading for Alecko Eskandarian and Atiba Harris, another experienced defender on board in Jim Curtin and Brad Guzan back in the fold after an aborted transfer to Aston Villa, Chivas USA is looking pretty good as preseason gets underway.

[MLS TEAM PREVIEWS] Reaching the playoffs for the first time in three seasons in 2007 masked these sobering facts: Kansas City stumbled down the stretch – losing three of four before beating Dallas in the season finale — and edged into the playoffs as the eighth overall seed with a 11-12-7 record. Following a busy offseason, the Wizards will probably look much different in 2008.

[MLS] Many pro athletes take it easy during the offseason, indulging in amusements and luxuries or just chilling out. Not Chicago Fire midfielder Diego Gutierrez, who, along with his wife, Ginna, traveled to Mali in the fight against malaria as part of the Nothing But Nets program that he himself founded. Back home, Gutierrez signed up for one more year of MLS play with the Fire, for whom he should see plenty of playing time in 2008.

[MLS TEAM PREVIEWS] On the eve of its departure for Florida came news one more of Chicago’s top 2007 performers wouldn’t be around for 2008. Replacing goalie Matt Pickens, reportedly headed to English club QPR, is just one of the question marks incoming head coach Denis Hamlett faces, along with finding a replacement for midfield linchpin Chris Armas, shoring up the scoring and handling the unique talents and personality of Cuauhtemoc Blanco.