Tag: mls

Don’t blame the playoff system, or fate, or injuries for the tricky tasks facing the higher seeds in the conference semifinals. Blame the policies of MLS that restrict teams to an 18-man roster and a $2.1 million salary cap despite a burdensome schedule of regular-season, Open Cup, playoffs and international club competitions. With more competitive games come greater chances for injury to attacking players and a commensurate loss of offensive punch.

2007 MLS regular-season games averaged 2.66 goals, compared to 2.62 in 2006. But the 2007 season was the third lowest-scoring year in the league’s 12-year history. MLS averaged more than three goals per game in six of its first seven seasons but hasn’t hit the 3.0 mark since 2002. For the third straight season, D.C. United was the league’s highest scoring team, notching 56 goals in 30 games for 1.87 per game strike rate. Two teams, Colorado (0.97) and Toronto (0.83) mustered less than a goal per game. For year-by-year scoring averages and this year’s team-by-team breakdown …

The MLS 2007 regular-season attendance average of 16,770 is the highest since the inaugural season of 1996, when attendance averaged 17,406. The 2007 season also marked the first time attendance average broke the 16,000-mark since the inaugural season. And for the first time in MLS history, three teams averaged more than 20,000: Los Angeles (24,252) D.C. United (20,967) and Toronto FC (20,130). Total attendance for the season’s 195 games was 3,270,210.

The three away teams conceded just two goals yet scored none in the conference semifinal first legs played on Saturday. Dallas and Kansas City took narrow 1-0 leads against defending champion Houston and Chivas USA, respectively, and New England heads home after playing a goalless tie with New York.

When the reincarnation of San Jose Earthquakes returns to MLS, it will make its primary home venue Buck Shaw Stadium for home games of the 2008 and 2009 MLS seasons.

[MLS PLAYOFF PREVIEW] More than few fans and pundits believe this is the season the Revs finally break their jinx and win the whole thing. They lost the 2006 final on penalties, lost in overtime in 2005, and were also beaten in overtime in 2002 in front of the home crowd. They must be due. Maybe. In their first full season under Coach Bruce Arena, the Red Bulls are far from the finished product. But they are potent going forward and have a lot of big-game experience in Juan Pablo Angel, Dave van den Bergh and Claudio Reyna

[MLS PLAYOFF PREVIEW] The Texas Shootout has been more of a stampede this season, with Dallas avoiding defeat only once by tying Houston, 0-0, at Pizza Hut Park June 30. Houston is deeper than last year’s championship team. The additions of Nate Jaqua, Richard Mulrooney and Joseph Ngwenya brought experience as well as ability.

The Wizards are back in the playoffs three years after finishing runner-up at MLS Cup; among the veterans of that solid team are defenders Jimmy Conrad and Jose Buricaga Jr., midfielders Sasha Victorine and Kerry Zavagnin, and attackers Scott Sealy and Davy Arnaud. They needed a win on the final day of the season to make the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, and as the fifth-placed team in the Eastern Conference are matched against the Western Conference champion on the other side of the bracket. First-year head coach Preki has upgraded Chivas USA from good to borderline excellent by incorporating a more direct, yet skillful, style of play.

The regular season’s best team, D.C. United, lost its postseason opener, 1-0, at Chicago in front of 17,834 fans on Thursday and faces a must-win second-leg game at home next week to keep its campaign for a fifth MLS title alive. Chris Rolfe scored the gamewinner with a 15-yard volley while D.C. United’s offense sputtered because of Jaime Moreno and Luciano Emilio‘s foot injuries.

Every team, even the most successful one in MLS history, has to have a bogey opponent, that nettlesome foe always capable of inflicting a painful result no matter what the setting or situation. Four-time league champion D.C. United opens its quest for a fifth title on Thursday against Chicago, a team it has never beaten or scored against in the postseason.

Outscored by Chicago 10-0 in five postseason meetings, of which it has lost four and tied one, United’s players must wash away memories of 2003 and 2005. (Of the current squad, only Ben Olsen and Jaime Moreno played in the 1998 MLS Cup that D.C. lost to Chicago, 2-0, in the Rose Bowl.

Luciano Emilio, the Brazilian striker who joined D.C. United this season from CD Olimpia of Honduras, won the MLS regular-season scoring title with 20 goals, edging another first-year player, Colombian Juan Pablo Angel of New York by a goal. The highest scoring American in MLS this season was New England’s Taylor Twellman. For final MLS scoring stats and MLS leading scorer history …

[VIDEO] Houston is awaiting word from the league office regarding its appeal of the nine-game suspension meted out to midfielder Ricardo Clark for kicking Carlos Ruiz as he lay on the ground in a Sept. 30 match. Commissioner Don Garber reviewed numerous incidents, including the six-game suspensions handed out to Thomas Ravelli in 1998, Andy Herron in 2005, and Dario Sala last year in making his decision.

The MLS playoff field is set after the Galaxy’s gallant quest falls short in Chicago; Kansas City finally gets it done in Dallas; Chivas thwarts Houston to win the Western Conference; and Colorado surrenders the Rocky Mountain Cup at home. Columbus and Toronto finish with encouraging results against D.C. United and New England, respectively. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney looks at how the 2007 regular season wrapped up. …

[TV SCHEDULE] The MLS 2007 playoffs begin this Thursday when Chicago hosts D.C. United …

The introduction of David Beckham midway through the second half sent a jolt of excitement through the crowd at Home Depot Center, but while he bent a few corners and sprayed some nice balls, still the Galaxy and Red Bull New York remained tied, 1-1. Goals less than a minute apart from Troy Roberts and Jozy Altidore early in the match stood up for the remaining 75 minutes. The tie left the Galaxy needing a win Sunday against Chicago and a few breaks to reach the playoffs.

[TV PREVIEWs] Colorado, Kansas City, Chicago and Los Angeles are vying for the two remaining playoff spots, and the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, D.C. United and New England, finish the regular season on the road. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney previews this weekend’s action …

The teams that had to win to stay alive in the playoff hunt did, but for the Crew, beating the Revs, 3-2, wasn’t enough because the Fire picked up a precious point by tying D.C., 0-0. Three games finished 2-1: Colorado staved off elimination by ending Chivas USA’s home unbeaten record; Los Angeles downed 10-man Toronto for its fifth straight win; and New York blasted another hole into Kansas City’s sinking ship. Ridge Mahoney explains the playoff picture and recaps the all the weekend’s MLA action …

[TV PREVIEW] Houston has two road games to make up the four points separating it from Western Conference leader Chivas USA, which opened the door a crack by losing its first home game of the season Sunday to Colorado, 2-1. Houston’s final home game of the season is this Sunday against Chivas USA at Home Depot Center. If the conference crown is to be doubt until then, the Dynamo need at least a point against Real Salt Lake on Monday.

[MLS WEEKEND PREVIEWS] Colorado, Columbus and Los Angeles must win to keep their playoff hopes alive, Kansas City can clinch a postseason spot by beating New York, and Chicago will greatly enhance its playoff chances with a victory on the penultimate weekend of the MLS regular season. Chivas can clinch the Western Conference crown by beating the Rapids on Sunday.

Click HERE for playoff-race standings.

Two teams bidding to be the Western Conference representative in MLS Cup 2007 squared off Thursday night at Pizza Hut Park, and only one of them looked the part. Backed by a bewigged home crowd honoring the do and daring of Juan Toja, FC Dallas (13-11-5) threw what it had at Chivas USA but could do no better than a 0-0 tie.