Author Archives: Ridge Mahoney

[MLS PREVIEW] The regional rivals Columbus and Chicago, separated by a five-hour drive and just two points in the standings, meet for the only time this season at Crew Stadium.

[MLS PREVIEW] The Dynamo can ill afford another slip-up at home, and its clash with Real salt Lake has banana peel written all over it.

[MLS PREVIEW] How can a dire situation get even worse? In the case of Toronto, to a league-record scoreless streak (642 minutes) drought tack on an injury to its best striker.

[MLS PREVIEW] Having been scored upon by ex-Galaxy forward Robbie Findley in a 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake last week, might LA be victimized by Herculez Gomez or Ugo Ihemelu this week?

[MLS PREVIEW] The class of the Eastern Conference goes head-to-head for the last time in the regular season with D.C. holding the upper hand by virtue of tying the Revs, 1-1, at RFK May 3 and beating them, 3-0, at Gillette Stadium Aug. 5.

[MLS PREVIEW] New York’s attack has dazzled at times this season while its inconsistent defense has struggled, so a solid showing at both ends of the field in beating Chicago, 1-0, last week gives it an ideal starting point to test Chivas USA’s impressive home record.

Former Belgium national team coach Guy Thys once said, “Soccer is a very cruel game.” Thursday night, Chivas USA and D.C. proved it can also be farcical and embarrassing as well as enthralling. D.C. jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a Luciano Emilio‘s thunderbolt and follow-up of a Brad Guzan bobble, then conceded a goal drilled off an opponent by its goalkeeper and a deflected equalizer to end up tied, 2-2.

[MLS TV PREVIEW] Since day one of the preseason, the theme of Chivas USA’s 2007 season has been maintaining the progress it achieved in 2006 despite a coaching change and the departure of two Mexican star attackers. In the third year of its existence Chivas USA is butting up against the top tier of MLS, and can crack through the barrier separating it from the elite teams this week when it plays D.C. United (Thursday) and Red Bull New York (Sunday) at the Home Depot Center, where it has posted the league’s best home record (7-0-1). Critics of MLS wondering how the league can showcase itself without David Beckham should tune in to this national telecast on Thursday night.

The international transfer window has closed, yet MLS teams may still sign and trade players prior to the Sept. 15 deadline, and several teams are doing just that. Sometimes teams are just adding depth, and sometimes they’re looking for that missing piece to make it all fit together. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney looks at reinforcements in Chicago, New York and New England.

D.C. handed Dallas its worst loss ever at Pizza Hut Park; New York edged Chicago in a battle of DPs; Kansas City came out of Houston with a point; Columbus and Colorado tied to remain deadlocked in the final playoffs spot; and Real Salt Lake dropped the Galaxy deeper into the Western Conference cellar. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney reviews last weekend’s MLS action …

[MLS GAME PREVIEWS]. Interconference play takes center stage this weekend, with the hottest action taking place in Texas: FC Dallas hosts D.C. United, and Kansas City travels to Houston. Might we see a preview of MLS Cup 2007?

In his five MLS matches, Cuauhtemoc Blanco has scored two goals and assisted on four others. On Saturday, he leads the Fire against the New York Red Bulls.

Real Salt Lake goes for a second straight win at last-place (!) Los Angeles. Both teams have managed only three wins this season.

Columbus and Colorado are tied for the eighth and final playoff spot with 27 points and both have eight games to play.

A month or so ago, Kansas City had its sights set on the Eastern Conference lead. Now its playoff chances are by no means secure. Real Salt Lake (3-11-6) sent the Wizards (9-9-5) tumbling to the .500 level with goals by two of its recently signed Argentines and its resident Jamaican, yet relied a team effort to frustrate KC with hustle and pressure, plus some tidy possession play, for much of the game.

Matias Mantilla, Fabian Espindola and Andy Williams (from 50 yards!) delivered the knockout punches in the 3-1 win that dealt KC its fourth loss in the last five games. Eddie Johnson scored with 21 minutes remaining for his 13th of the season but by then his team trailed by two.

Great saves. Astonishing goal-line clearances. Fierce tackles. Penalty-kick appeals denied. An own goal scored, another narrowly averted. Brazen goalkeeper “gamesmanship” during the penalty-kick shootout going unpunished, as usual. An unbelievable stoppage-time equalizer, on a bicycle kick, by an American.

Pachuca prevailed on penalties, 4-3, following 120 minutes that would be hailed as thrilling, dramatic, and riveting anywhere in the world. But David Beckham left the game in the 33rd minute with a knee strain and Landon Donovan failed to convert from the penalty spot.

[TV PREVIEW] The Wizards have been slowly losing ground to a chasing pack of teams close behind them, and far more than a formality against the league’s worst team, this match is vital to their playoff hopes. After hosting Kansas City, Real Salt Lake sets out on a four-game road swing; if wants to take any momentum into the final month of the season with University of Utah football in full swing, it needs a strong showing.

Remember the wails of anguish from FC Dallas fans and a few pundits back in March when “negotiations” broke off with Dutch midfielder Edgar Davids? The two sides never got very close, according to a source. FC Dallas had offered in the neighborhood of $800,000; Davids had a sum closer to $2.5 million in mind, give or take a few guilders. There were some who believed Davids could be the missing piece to the puzzle of FCD finally reaching an MLS Cup. That was wishful thinking, since at the time, perhaps only Coach Steve Morrow had an idea what that puzzle might eventually look like.

A drastic revamping of the team’s midfield had already begun and would soon accelerate: Ronnie O’Brien and Simo Valakari, and eventually, Richard Mulrooney and Ramon Nunez, out; Juan Toja and Pablo Ricchetti, and just last week, Denilson, in.

[MLS WEEKEND REPORT] New England and D.C. United pull away from the pack atop the Eastern Conference; Toronto sets futility record; Red Bulls’ keeper Jon Conway gives up long-distance own goal; the Fire edges closer to the playoff octet by winning again, thanks to Cuauhtemoc Blanco; the 10-man Crew escapes from Houston with a point; Colorado pulls even with Columbus by rolling over the sorry Galaxy; and Chivas USA continued its dominance at home. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney recaps the weekend’s MLS action …