European leagues were idle this weekend as the first round of World Cup qualifiers took precedence. The US secured their second 1-0 road win in CONCACAF qualifying, this time against Cuba, but such is life in Major League Soccer that the domestic show goes on. A full schedule of fixtures took place despite squad depletions across the board.
Toronto, with many Canadian internationals, were hardest hit as nine regulars missed the visit of Chivas. Head coach John Carver fielded three defenders signed during the week; a 39-year-old from the obscure Canadian Soccer League, a former MLS player now employed as a team scout, and a one-game loan signing from Vancouver Whitecaps. They gave a fabulous account of themselves, but ultimately Chivas took three points with a 3-1 win.
The MLS schedule is riddled with frustrating anomalies. In a 30-game regular season, these teams met twice in eight days. The same fete awaits San Jose Earthquakes and Houston Dynamo over the next fortnight. A Dynamo front office employee told me on Friday that MLS insists the fixtures are randomly generated. It would seem there are a few bugs in the software. How else to explain this week’s farcical 2pm kick-off for Kansas City’s trip to the searing summer heat of South-East Texas?
As fans sought refuge in what little shade Robertson Stadium affords, Dynamo revelled in bullying the Wizards into submission. Their comfortable 3-1 win sees the two-time defending champions pull seven points clear at the top of the Western Conference. Much is made of the restrictive nature of coaching in MLS but Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear has built an impressively deep roster that barely flinched at losing four key starters to international duty. In Houston, designated players need not apply.
Kansas had their DP on show – former Argentine international Claudio Lopez. Little fanfare has surrounded a player who once attracted the world’s highest transfer fee when moving from Valencia to Lazio in 2000. This performance showed why. After an initial spurt of effort, Lopez slid into obscurity as Dynamo seized control of midfield. El Piojo (The Louse) may no longer have the passing guile of Gaizka Mendieta or Dejan Stankovic available to provide him with service, but his frequent gesticulations when teammates fail to find him must adversely affect team morale. Four goals and a string of mediocre performances marks a poor return for his $720,000 salary.
Any hopes New England harboured of a quick return to the league’s summit were crushed by Columbus Crew as The Revs clocked their third 4-0 reverse in seven games. After being humiliated by Trinidad’s Joe Public in the CONCACAF Champions League preliminary stage, head coach Steve Nicol will be aghast at the manner in which his team were dismantled in Ohio. Columbus registered 27 shots on goal, 13 on target. In response, only Taylor Twellman mustered one single attempt requiring a save from Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer.
This loss is more galling as New England were virtually at full strength. Only the Costa Rican defender Gabriel Badilla was on international duty. Guillermo Barros Schelotto continued his canvassing for Player of the Year votes with the opening goal and two assists as the Crew moved five points clear in the East.
After vacating the basement last week, San Jose’s charge up the table continues unabated with a 2-1 victory over D.C. United. The Earthquakes climb into fourth in the West. D.C. clinched their second US Open Cup title in midweek with a narrow 2-1 win over Charleston Battery of the United Soccer League First Division, the second tier of football in America, but a lengthy injury list meant they were no match for Frank Yallop’s rampant side. Recent signings Arturo Alvarez and “English legend” Darren Huckerby gave the Californians an unassailable lead despite Santino Quaranta’s late consolation.
The Earthquakes’ resurgence coupled with Colorado Rapids’ 1-0 win at Dallas piles further pressure on Los Angeles Galaxy. They could only draw 2-2 at home with Real Salt Lake. Galaxy has not won since June 14th, amassing only six points from a possible 33 in that period. Still, there was a night of high drama in Carson as Bruce Arena soldiered on without the brilliance of Landon Donovan.
Fabian Espindola appeared to give Salt Lake an early lead and the former Boca Juniors youngster wheeled away in celebration with his trademark backflip. Unfortunately, he injured himself upon landing and limped to the touchline for treatment. Worse was to follow; Espindola was judged to be offside, the goal was disallowed, and Brian Jordan scored minutes later for Galaxy as RSL head coach Jason Kreis waited to replace his prostrate striker.
Jordan must have missed Espindola’s botched gymnastics as he collapsed to the turf after somersaulting. Thankfully he got to his feet and continued – diagnosis later revealed that Espindola had broken his leg. Salt Lake battled back to take the lead before Edson Buddle rescued a point for Galaxy with his 13th goal of the season.
With seven games remaining, Galaxy face trips to the league’s current top three (Columbus, Chicago and Houston). Chivas remain in the final play-off place, but they also have a difficult run-in. Should San Jose avoid a meltdown in their double-meeting with Houston, they look to have the easiest path through October.
How Galaxy management must rue relieving Frank Yallop from his coaching duties last year in favour of building a faltering sideshow. The great list of footballing ironies could soon have another entrant.
Week 24 Results
Dallas 0 Colorado 1
Toronto 1 Chivas 3
Columbus 4 New England 0
Chicago 1 New York 0 (Stephen King capitalises on NY defensive horror story)
San Jose 2 D.C. United 1
L.A. Galaxy 2 Salt Lake 2
Houston 3 Kansas City 1 (Click here for game pictures from Robertson Stadium)
Standings
Eastern Conference
1) Columbus 43 points (played 23)
2) Chicago 38 (23)
3) New England 38 (23)
4) D.C. United 32 (23)
5) *New York 32 (23)
6) Toronto 26 (23)
7) Kansas City 26 (23)
Western Conference
1) Houston 38 (23)
2) Salt Lake 31 (23)
3) *Chivas 30 (23)
4) San Jose 28 (23)
5) Colorado 27 (23)
6) Dallas 26 (23)
7) L.A. Galaxy 26 (23)
*Lines show teams occupying play-off positions.
Toronto, with many Canadian internationals, were hardest hit as nine regulars missed the visit of Chivas. Head coach John Carver fielded three defenders signed during the week; a 39-year-old from the obscure Canadian Soccer League, a former MLS player now employed as a team scout, and a one-game loan signing from Vancouver Whitecaps. They gave a fabulous account of themselves, but ultimately Chivas took three points with a 3-1 win.
The MLS schedule is riddled with frustrating anomalies. In a 30-game regular season, these teams met twice in eight days. The same fete awaits San Jose Earthquakes and Houston Dynamo over the next fortnight. A Dynamo front office employee told me on Friday that MLS insists the fixtures are randomly generated. It would seem there are a few bugs in the software. How else to explain this week’s farcical 2pm kick-off for Kansas City’s trip to the searing summer heat of South-East Texas?
As fans sought refuge in what little shade Robertson Stadium affords, Dynamo revelled in bullying the Wizards into submission. Their comfortable 3-1 win sees the two-time defending champions pull seven points clear at the top of the Western Conference. Much is made of the restrictive nature of coaching in MLS but Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear has built an impressively deep roster that barely flinched at losing four key starters to international duty. In Houston, designated players need not apply.
Kansas had their DP on show – former Argentine international Claudio Lopez. Little fanfare has surrounded a player who once attracted the world’s highest transfer fee when moving from Valencia to Lazio in 2000. This performance showed why. After an initial spurt of effort, Lopez slid into obscurity as Dynamo seized control of midfield. El Piojo (The Louse) may no longer have the passing guile of Gaizka Mendieta or Dejan Stankovic available to provide him with service, but his frequent gesticulations when teammates fail to find him must adversely affect team morale. Four goals and a string of mediocre performances marks a poor return for his $720,000 salary.
Any hopes New England harboured of a quick return to the league’s summit were crushed by Columbus Crew as The Revs clocked their third 4-0 reverse in seven games. After being humiliated by Trinidad’s Joe Public in the CONCACAF Champions League preliminary stage, head coach Steve Nicol will be aghast at the manner in which his team were dismantled in Ohio. Columbus registered 27 shots on goal, 13 on target. In response, only Taylor Twellman mustered one single attempt requiring a save from Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer.
This loss is more galling as New England were virtually at full strength. Only the Costa Rican defender Gabriel Badilla was on international duty. Guillermo Barros Schelotto continued his canvassing for Player of the Year votes with the opening goal and two assists as the Crew moved five points clear in the East.
After vacating the basement last week, San Jose’s charge up the table continues unabated with a 2-1 victory over D.C. United. The Earthquakes climb into fourth in the West. D.C. clinched their second US Open Cup title in midweek with a narrow 2-1 win over Charleston Battery of the United Soccer League First Division, the second tier of football in America, but a lengthy injury list meant they were no match for Frank Yallop’s rampant side. Recent signings Arturo Alvarez and “English legend” Darren Huckerby gave the Californians an unassailable lead despite Santino Quaranta’s late consolation.
The Earthquakes’ resurgence coupled with Colorado Rapids’ 1-0 win at Dallas piles further pressure on Los Angeles Galaxy. They could only draw 2-2 at home with Real Salt Lake. Galaxy has not won since June 14th, amassing only six points from a possible 33 in that period. Still, there was a night of high drama in Carson as Bruce Arena soldiered on without the brilliance of Landon Donovan.
Fabian Espindola appeared to give Salt Lake an early lead and the former Boca Juniors youngster wheeled away in celebration with his trademark backflip. Unfortunately, he injured himself upon landing and limped to the touchline for treatment. Worse was to follow; Espindola was judged to be offside, the goal was disallowed, and Brian Jordan scored minutes later for Galaxy as RSL head coach Jason Kreis waited to replace his prostrate striker.
Jordan must have missed Espindola’s botched gymnastics as he collapsed to the turf after somersaulting. Thankfully he got to his feet and continued – diagnosis later revealed that Espindola had broken his leg. Salt Lake battled back to take the lead before Edson Buddle rescued a point for Galaxy with his 13th goal of the season.
With seven games remaining, Galaxy face trips to the league’s current top three (Columbus, Chicago and Houston). Chivas remain in the final play-off place, but they also have a difficult run-in. Should San Jose avoid a meltdown in their double-meeting with Houston, they look to have the easiest path through October.
How Galaxy management must rue relieving Frank Yallop from his coaching duties last year in favour of building a faltering sideshow. The great list of footballing ironies could soon have another entrant.
Week 24 Results
Dallas 0 Colorado 1
Toronto 1 Chivas 3
Columbus 4 New England 0
Chicago 1 New York 0 (Stephen King capitalises on NY defensive horror story)
San Jose 2 D.C. United 1
L.A. Galaxy 2 Salt Lake 2
Houston 3 Kansas City 1 (Click here for game pictures from Robertson Stadium)
Standings
Eastern Conference
1) Columbus 43 points (played 23)
2) Chicago 38 (23)
3) New England 38 (23)
4) D.C. United 32 (23)
5) *New York 32 (23)
6) Toronto 26 (23)
7) Kansas City 26 (23)
Western Conference
1) Houston 38 (23)
2) Salt Lake 31 (23)
3) *Chivas 30 (23)
4) San Jose 28 (23)
5) Colorado 27 (23)
6) Dallas 26 (23)
7) L.A. Galaxy 26 (23)
*Lines show teams occupying play-off positions.
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