Tag: mls

Colombian Juan Pablo Angel of the New York Red Bulls heads the players named to the MLS All-Star First XI for the 2007 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game bwteen the MLS All-Stars and Scottish Premier League champion Celtic on July 19. Angel led in total voting percentage ahead of 2006 MLS All-Star MVP Dwayne De Rosario of the Houston Dynamo. Angel and fellow Colombian Juan Toja (FC Dallas) are the only first-year players on the first XI. Second-year player Jonathan Bornstein of Chivas USA is the only other player with no pevious All-Star Game experience.

Brazilian Luciano Emilio moved to within a goal of MLS leadings scorers Juan Pablo Angel (New York) and Eddie Johnson (Kansas City) with his eighth strike, the decider in D.C. United’s 1-0 win at Kansas City. Toronto won its first road game of the season, over hapless Real Salt Lake, 2-1. Landon Donovan struck twice from the penalty spot as Los Angeles downed Chicago, 2-0, in front of the biggest Fourth of July crowd (24,333). FC Dallas notched its fourth shutout in five games with a 2-0 win over Chivas USA. Colorado and Columbus played to a scoreless tie.

Five games on Independence Day and a Thursday night ESPN2 matchup gives every MLS team except New England a slice of midweek action. Of course, why would the Revolution, of all teams, play at home on Independence Day? Ridge Mahoney previews the action …

A consortium led by former Fire player Frank Klopas is just one of two groups seriously interested in buying the Fire from the Anschutz Entertainment Group, says a source close to the discussions being held. Of the two groups, the out-of-town group not fronted by Klopas has been performing due diligence for a couple of months, examining financial documents at the team and league level.

[WEEKEND WRAPUP] On a barren weekend of just five goals in five games, Columbus beat Red Bull New York, 1-0, for its third straight victory; zeroes were posted in the Dallas-Houston and Chicago-Colorado showdowns; the Revs ran aground at Home Depot Center; and Toronto’s backup to the backup goalie helped it tie Kansas City, 1-1. Ridge Mahoney recaps all the MLS weekend action …

Of the two 4-1 games played Thursday night, only one was closer than the score would indicate and it wasn’t the U.S. loss to Argentina in the Copa America. Rain, lightning, and two late strikes by D.C. United swept Colorado to its fifth straight defeat, 4-1, after Colorado wasted chances to stay in the game.

[MLS WEEKEND PREVIEWS]. Dallas and Houston, the top two teams in the Western Conference square off, the Crew tries to keep its revival going at home against New York, the Revs head west to test Chivas USA, Chicago plays its first league match in four years without coach Dave Sarachan, and Kansas City hosts Toronto in a tightening Eastern Conference race. Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney previews all the weekend’s MLS action …

His penchant to swap players has anointed Toronto head coach Mo Johnston with the nickname “Trader Mo,” yet his trigger-finger frenzy of jettisoning players he’s recently acquired is more “Quick Draw McGraw.”

Majority ownership in GolTV will not become part of Real Salt Lake operator-investor Dave Checketts’ sports and entertainment empire.

London’s High Court awarded undisclosed damages to Victoria Beckham, the wife of Los Angeles-bound David Beckham, over Britain’s Star Magazine’s report that a crew member on her American reality TV show called her “picky, demanding and rude.” The Star article said a crew member of the show documenting her move to the USA described the former Spice Girl as “full of herself and not very nice” and said “she waltzes round with her icy attitude.” The High Court was told by Beckham’s lawyer, Gerrard Tyrrell, that filming on the program had not commenced when the allegations were published, so they could not have been made.

[WEEKEND WRAP]. It took 12 games, but Real Salt Lake finally won its first game of the season, victimizing D.C. United. Andy Dorman’s two goals helped New England thump Toronto FC to move the Revs into first place in the East. Young Colombia Juan Toja was again the hero in a win for FC Dallas, which downed struggling Colorado. Los Angeles fell to Columbus despite playing a man up for an hour in a game that saw each team fail from the penalty spot. Houston eked past Kansas City, shut out for the first time this season.

Oakland A’s co-owner Lewis Wolff visited the MLS league headquarters this week along with several staff members of Earthquakes LLC to make his pitch to start play next season, with stadium arrangements to be decided. Wolff is discussing with the City of San Jose a two-pronged proposal. He is seeking city approval to re-zone of large parcel of land from industrial use to residential, on which would be built housing. Those residential developments would supply funds that would be used to build a stadium on city-owned land south of the San Jose International Airport.

Saturday: New England-Toronto FC 7:30 pm ET (Direct Kick), Colorado-FC Dallas 9 pm ET (Direct Kick), Real Salt Lake-D.C. United 9:30 pm ET (Fox Soccer Channel & Fox Sports en Espanol), Los Angeles-Columbus (live), 10:30 pm ET (Direct Kick, Hdnet); Sunday: Kansas City-Houston 5 pm ET (Telefutura).