MLS Week 26 - Ike Leaves Stern Examination for Houston

Extreme weather remains an inherent factor for Major League Soccer clubs despite it being a “summer league”. Harsh northern winters provide one reason why the ruling body continues to avoid adopting the conventional FIFA calendar, but soaring temperatures across southern States often leads to insufferable conditions for players and fans alike.

Houston Dynamo are affected more than most when it comes to dealing with the elements. With temperatures constantly approaching the hundreds from June through September, when high humidity is also the norm, reaching optimal fitness in pre-season is essential ahead of those months when it is simply too hot to go overboard on the training field.

The reigning back-to-back MLS Champions do take advantage of their home climate to the detriment of many a visitor to Robertson Stadium. During their three-year tenure, Dynamo have lost only once in 27 home league matches during the summer months. But the devastating effects of Hurricane Ike presents an even greater challenge for the Men In Orange as they seek an unprecedented third successive crown.

Apart from anything else, the regular travel across the continent places huge demands on top MLS players. In light of the impending strike by Ike, Dynamo departed for last weekend’s visit to San Jose Earthquakes a day early. This in itself caused problems for goalkeeper Pat Onstad and playmaker Dwayne De Rosario. The duo represented Canada less than 24 hours earlier in their 2-1 loss to Mexico in the distant provincial town of Tuxtla Gutierrez.

No sooner had they made the long trek back to Bush International Airport than they were on the four-hour flight to Northern California. American internationals Brian Ching and Ricardo Clark featured in the USA’s 3-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago in Chicago and met up with their teammates in San Jose.

After securing a hard-earned point at Buck Shaw Stadium, Dynamo remained stranded in the Bay Area as Houston’s airports stayed closed. Fortunately they were able to return on the Monday, but such disruption to the schedule obviously impacts upon training and preparation for the next match.

As it was, Dynamo’s two home games this week fell victim to the storm’s aftermath. Firstly, the midweek CONCACAF Champions’ League tie with Luis Angel Firpo of El Salvador was postponed indefinitely. Secondly, Saturday’s return fixture with San Jose was rescheduled for mid-October as much of Houston remains without power and traffic signals fail to operate. Concerns for the safety of the public triumphed easily.

With further disruption affecting plans, Dynamo squad members took it upon themselves to assist FEMA efforts to distribute supplies to those in need. Such acts help to foster the close bond between the players and the local community in an era where so many of their millionaire counterparts in other high-profile leagues around the world appear to have lost touch with the reality of everyday life.

The city will hope that Dynamo’s return to action in Toronto next weekend does not mirror that of the local baseball team. The Astros pulled themselves into contention for an unlikely play-off spot with 14 wins in 15 games prior to Hurricane Ike, only to slip out of the picture with five straight defeats after the interruption.

Dynamo cannot afford to let their form slide. The team’s momentum has continued to build in recent weeks and they retain a commanding six-point lead in the Western Conference despite their inactivity. With the CONCACAF Champions’ League group matches also being played before the end of October, Dynamo face 17 fixtures between now and the season’s end if they are to successfully defend their title in Los Angeles on November 23.

Head coach Dominic Kinnear and assistant John Spencer have built a formidable roster with arguably greater depth than any other MLS side. That depth will undergo a stern examination over the next two months.

The biggest news on the field this weekend came, as usual, from L.A. Galaxy as Bruce Arena’s side earned their first victory since June 14 with a 5-2 mauling of D.C. United. It was a win inspired by their true superstar, Landon Donovan, who brought his goals tally for the season to 19 in 20 games with three clinical finishes. Galaxy remain two points outside of a play-off spot with five games left. They face three difficult road trips to Chicago, Columbus, and Houston, but at least hope has been restored after last week’s debacle in Kansas City.

Week 26 Results

Columbus 3 New York 1 (Angel, Hejduk and Rogers hold their own Goal of the Season competition)
Kansas City 2 Toronto 0 (Wizards within a point of play-off positions after dropping Claudio Lopez)
Salt Lake 0 Chivas 1 (Defensive mix-up gifts the win to the Goats)
Colorado 1 New England 1 (Controversial final whistle denies Rapids a glorious last chance)
L.A. Galaxy 5 D.C. United 2
Chicago 1 Dallas 4 (League's best defense has a seriously bad day)

Standings

Eastern Conference
1) Columbus 47 points (played 25)
2) New England 42 (25)
3) Chicago 38 (25)
4) New York 35 (25)
5) *D.C. United 33 (25)
6) Kansas City 32 (25)
7) Toronto 27 (25)

Western Conference
1) Houston 39 (24)
2) Chivas 33 (25)
3) *Colorado 31 (25)
4) Salt Lake 31 (25)
5) Dallas 30 (25)
6) L.A. Galaxy 29 (25)
7) San Jose 29 (24)

*Lines show teams occupying play-off positions.

MLS Week 25 - The Disruption of Ike

Hawksport travelled to the Bay Area last weekend to watch the visiting Houston Dynamo battle to a 1-1 draw at San Jose Earthquakes, the site of their former incarnation.

Unfortunately, the arrival of Hurricane Ike cancelled all flights to and from Houston area airports over the weekend and caused a four-day delay to my return.

Many in the Houston area remain without power a full week after the storm. As a result, a timely report on the action from Week 25 was not possible.

Hawksport will return to normal service for the coming weekend’s fixtures.

Week 25 Results

New England 4 Chivas 0 (The sign says "Ralston Rules" - it's hard to disagree)
Toronto 1 Columbus 1 (Crew continues to lead the way)
Kansas City 2 L.A. Galaxy 0 (Beckham gives another lesson in how not to close down opponents)
D.C. United 2 Dallas 2 (Kenny Cooper gives another example why he should play for USA)
New York 2 Salt Lake 1 (Angel benefits from horrendous refereeing blunder)
San Jose 1 Houston 1 (Fair result between West's two form teams)
Colorado 2 Chicago 0 (Second consecutive win puts Rapids firmly back in play-off picture)

MLS Week 24 Review

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.

MLS Week 23 Review

Ruud Gullit’s appointment as head coach of Los Angeles Galaxy brought a rash of excitement – sexy football was coming to MLS. History already shows that events did not turn out that way. Entertainers are sparse on US soil but they do exist. Landon Donovan remains Galaxy’s sole shining light with his rich vein of outstanding form, the impressive high energy pressing and attacking of Houston Dynamo continues, Chivas and D.C. United are capable of exhibiting delightfully fluid play, and Cuauhtemoc Blano continues to thrill Chicago. Columbus Crew do not spring to mind, but that may soon change.

Sigi Schmid’s team reclaimed overall top spot this weekend with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Dallas repeating the result from their clash two weeks earlier in Ohio. Ironically, Schmid was dismissed as Galaxy head coach in 2004 despite topping the table at the time. He also brought the MLS Cup, US Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions’ Cup to Southern California during his five-year reign. How fortunes have changed.

While Galaxy’s management pursue their misfiring galactico path, a route which has increased merchandise sales but anchored the team firmly in the lower echelons, Columbus are thriving after three barren seasons. Schmid is an intelligent, shrewd coach who has benefitted immensely from the evergreen form of Argentine veteran Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

The Boca Juniors legend has been in sensational form this season. Assists may be a dubious statistic designed to appease the American sports fan, but for what it is worth Schelotto leads the league by some distance – 16 goals created in 22 games (twice the amount generously attributed to David Beckham) adding to five goals of his own. Entering the season, Schelotto ranked 20th in the MLS 2008 guaranteed earnings list on $250,000. The return on that investment has been staggering.

Venezuelan striker Alejandro Moreno leads the team in scoring with eight goals, but the other headline grabber has been Robbie Rogers. The young winger was selected for the MLS All-Star First XI but missed the chance to face West Ham United due to his involvement with the US Olympics squad. Rogers was plucked from a scholarship at University of Maryland by Heerenveen in 2006. While his compatriot Michael Bradley excelled for the provincial Dutch team, Rogers quickly chose to return to America whereupon he was swiftly acquired by the Crew via a draft lottery. At 21, he looks to have a bright future and one that could see him earn another shot at Europe before long.

Columbus are near certainties to reach the post-season, but they will be keen to fend off New England Revolution in the race for the Supporters’ Shield – presented to the team finishing the regular season with the highest points total. The Revs have stuttered since lifting the Superliga title last month. Saturday’s 2-2 draw with the Donovan-inspired Galaxy meant only one win in August for Steve Nicol’s men. Much will depend on the teams’ two eagerly anticipated September meetings.

Houston also pushed themselves firmly into the Supporters’ Shield race with a battling 2-1 win over Chicago Fire that leaves both teams five points behind Columbus. Brian McBride took five minutes to notch his first goal since returning from English football. Blanco gained possession at the edge of Houston’s penalty area after a stumble by Dynamo defender Bobby Boswell. His measured cross found McBride in space at the back post and the former Fulham man blasted past an exposed Pat Onstad from close range.

Dynamo levelled within 60 seconds – Brad Davis setting Dwayne De Rosario free to slide past Jon Busch’s sprawling frame. The Chicago goalkeeper was busy throughout the first half as Houston laid siege to his goal. Davis tested him with a couple of efforts before Brian Mullan pulled his shot wide from a glorious position on the right of the penalty area. Davis then sent a header off target with the goal at his mercy before Mullan atoned for his earlier miss by finishing a sweeping move from a similar position on 39 minutes.

Real Salt Lake remain second in the West following their comfortable 2-0 win over the freefalling Colorado Rapids, but San Jose Earthquakes look like they could provide the biggest success story of the season. The expansion side started from a defensive base and looked utterly toothless during the first half of the season. At the end of July, they sat six points adrift at the bottom of the table and eight points outside of a play-off spot with three wins in 18 games and a measly 12 goals scored. Head coach Frank Yallop bolstered his attack during the transfer window by adding Arturo Alvarez (Dallas), Scott Sealy (Kansas City), and most significantly Darren Huckerby (Norwich).

The Quakes won their three August home games and drew at Chivas to extend their unbeaten run to seven matches. Huckerby’s late winner on Saturday, his third in six games, clinched a vital 2-1 win over Kansas City which moves San Jose off the bottom for the first time in nearly four months. They are now level with L.A. Galaxy and only two points behind Chivas in the battle for the final play-off place.

Yallop, of course, was also cast aside by a Galaxy front office suffering from delusions of grandeur. Since Beckham’s debut in D.C. last August, Galaxy have amassed 26 points from a possible 75 when he has played. In 14 games without him, Galaxy have 19 points from 42. He was brought in for a quarter of a billion dollars to sell the jerseys, but it seems that nobody in Hollywood noticed the double entendre.

Week 23 Results

Salt Lake 2 Colorado 0
New England 2 L.A. Galaxy 2
D.C. United 0 New York 0 (Not the best choice for Fox's live game!)
Dallas 1 Columbus 2
San Jose 2 Kansas City 1
Chivas 2 Toronto 1 (Late goalkeeping blunder puts Chivas into play-off spot)
Houston 2 Chicago 1

Standings

Eastern Conference
1) Columbus 40 points (played 22)
2) New England 38 (22)
3) Chicago 35 (22)
4) D.C. United 32 (22)
5) *New York 32 (22)
6) Toronto 26 (22)
7) Kansas City 26 (22)

Western Conference
1) Houston 35 (22)
2) Salt Lake 30 (22)
3) *Chivas 27 (22)
4) Dallas 26 (22)
5) L.A. Galaxy 25 (22)
6) San Jose 25 (22)
7) Colorado 24 (22)

*Lines show teams occupying play-off positions.

MLS Week 22 Review

The Western Conference winners may have lifted the MLS title in each of the last three years, every time at the expense of New England Revolution, but the regular season dominance of the East continued this weekend. In five cross-conference ties, four resulted in comfortable wins for Eastern sides with only Dallas claiming a point for the West at Kansas City. However, don’t expect Houston Dynamo, back-to-back reigning champions, to be overly concerned at this stage.

Houston and New England seized midweek opportunities to strengthen their positions at the top of their respective conferences. Dynamo moved five points clear of Real Salt Lake after continuing their devastating goal-scoring form, something RSL could vouch for in Week 21, with a 4-0 thrashing of Chivas. Despite missing Pat Onstad, Dwayne De Rosario (both Canada) and Brian Ching (USA) to the opening round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers, Houston exploded from the blocks to finish the contest within 35 minutes.

Stuart Holden, himself back from national duty with the American Olympic squad, capped a fine flowing move down the left flank with a cute chip to put the home side ahead after 11 minutes. Kei Kamara doubled the advantage with a wonderfully executed turn and finish from the edge of the penalty area to double the lead. Next up was strike partner Nate Jaqua forcing a loose ball over the line after Ricardo Clark’s header rebounded from the crossbar. Kamara completed the scoring with a near post header from Jaqua’s cross to finish another fine Dynamo move.

While Houston head coach Dominic Kinnear has managed to restore quality and depth to his squad, the same cannot be said for Chivas. An unmanageable injury list hampered Preki’s line up yet again as he was without the services of either of his preferred strikers, Maykel Galindo and Ante Razov. Swiss international Raphael Wicky has only started one game all season and remains unavailable after ankle surgery. To add to Preki’s woes, Jesse Marsch fractured his jaw in the recent Superclasico and Sacha Kljestan was called up to the senior national team days after returning from the Olympics. It was no contest.

Much of Houston’s success last season originated from the ability of head coach Dominic Kinnear to freshen his attack at vital moments. Ching and Jaqua posed a strong physical challenge to opposing defences while Joseph Ngwenya caused problems with his speed and willingness to run with the ball. Those options evaporated when Jaqua and Ngwenya pursued offers from the Austrian league during the close season. With Jaqua back and Kamara being added from San Jose, Kinnear now has healthy competition for places again as we enter the final stretch. The rest of the league should take note.

New England claimed top spot in the East with a narrow 2-1 win over D.C. United last Wednesday before earning another point in a 1-1 draw at Toronto. They share the lead with Columbus Crew. Sigi Schmidt’s side have refused to wilt this season and fully deserve their place after humbling Salt Lake 3-0. Like Dynamo, the Revs’ attack is beginning to find its form at the right time. Star striker Taylor Twellman has missed most of the season with injury, but he was on target in both games as he returns to full match sharpness.

Houston’s seven-game unbeaten run came to a shuddering halt at Giants Stadium on Sunday thanks to another returning striker. Juan Pablo Angel notched his sixth goal in six games as New York ran out convincing 3-0 winners. The Red Bulls’ recent revival after an abject start and the loss of Jozy Altidore can be attributed to the form of Angel and recent capture Jorge Rojas. The Venezuelan missed this game in bizarre circumstances. Visa problems delayed his return from Caracas following the midweek international, but he is expected to return for this weekend’s clash with D.C. United.

As things stand, Houston would face an unwanted return to New Jersey in the post season – New York, currently occupying fifth place with a better record than the West’s fourth place team, would slide across to the two-legged Western semi-finals. Given the horrendous artificial surface and confusing NFL lines obscuring the pitch, it will be a tie that no opposing team will relish.

The first game of Bruce Arena’s L.A. Galaxy tenure was marked by the absence of further high-profile internationals as the MLS fixture list continues to clash with key FIFA dates. Landon Donovan was on duty for the US in their gutsy 1-0 win in Guatemala, but his absence was compensated by the loss of talisman Mexican Cuauhtemoc Blanco for the visiting Chicago Fire. John Thorrington, a Southern California native, kept up his knack of scoring against L.A. with the only goal to dampen Arena’s spirits.

Galaxy received unfortunate news the day prior to the game when new signing Eddie Lewis left the pitch in Guatemala on a stretcher after a violent aerial collision. Gustavo Cabrera was rightfully dismissed for a sickening act, jumping into Lewis’ blind side with his elbow leading. It was arguably a worse challenge than that by German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher in the 1982 World Cup semi-final that left Frenchman Patrick Battiston unconscious. Thankfully Lewis will not require the same recovery time.

So the play-off picture still looks blurred with nine games remaining. A seven point gap between fifth in the East and fourth in the West suggests five and three to qualify respectively. New England, Columbus and Chicago look to have done enough, while D.C. United and New York should be able to hold off any late challenges from Toronto and Kansas City.

Dallas are showing signs of improvement in the West and Kenny Cooper remains a huge threat, but they are by no means a certainty. Houston look good. Thereafter, pick any two from six.

Week 22 Results

Houston 4 Chivas 0
New England 2 D.C. United 1
L.A. Galaxy 0 Chicago 1
Chivas 0 San Jose 0 (Six undefeated for Quakes)
Kansas City 1 Dallas 1 (Probably the worst camera work in the world)
Toronto 1 New England 1
D.C. United 3 Colorado 0 (Quaranta bullet seals Emilio-inspired win)
Columbus 3 Salt Lake 0 (blah)
New York 3 Houston 0 (blah)

Standings

Eastern Conference
1) New England 37 points (played 21)
2) Columbus 37 (21)
3) Chicago 35 (21)
4) D.C. United 31 (21)
5) *New York 31 (21)
6) Toronto 26 (21)
7) Kansas City 26 (21)

Western Conference
1) Houston 32 (21)
2) Salt Lake 27 (21)
3) *Dallas 26 (21)
4) Colorado 24 (21)
5) L.A. Galaxy 24 (21)
6) Chivas 24 (21)
7) San Jose 22 (21)

*Lines show teams occupying play-off positions.

MLS Week 21 Review

After the turbulent departures of Ruud Gullit and Alexi Lalas, what better way for Los Angeles Galaxy to refocus on their play-off battle than the regular season’s third and final Superclasico clash with neighbours Chivas USA.

Cobi Jones took charge of Galaxy for this vital fixture that captain David Beckham described as a “must win game”. It could be Jones’ sole match in the interim role. Former US National Team coach Bruce Arena attended Home Depot Center to survey events from the comfort of Tim Leiweke’s private box. Leiweke, CEO of the Galaxy’s owners Anschutz Entertainment Group, is keen to fill the void quickly in light of another unsettling year for the team.

Chivas too have endured struggles recently. Injuries to star forwards Ante Razov and Maykel Galindo blunted their title assault after topping the Western Conference last year. Continuing losses to key personnel saw them enter the final third of this season one point behind Galaxy in fifth place in the West (12th overall). Razov and Galindo were absent again for this derby, but perhaps a more significant loss was that of midfielder Sacha Kljestan. The native Californian arrived back from Beijing merely hours before kick-off after three impressive displays for the US Olympic team.

MLS viewers can be thankful for the Olympics. The absence of televised domestic women’s basketball enabled complete soccer coverage from the advertised start time for once, though ESPN would rather have avoided broadcasting simultaneously with the exploits of two extraordinary talented American gymnasts, Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson, in the all-round women’s competition.

A change of manager often sparks an unlikely performance boost and so it proved for Galaxy in the opening exchanges. An excellent Beckham pass released overlapping full-back Chris Klein on 7 minutes, but he shot wide of the far post from a narrow angle. A minute later Klein started a similar move with a pass for Landon Donovan. The league’s top marksman made no mistake firing low beyond Zach Thornton to give Galaxy an early lead.

Chivas’ dire injury situation saw head coach Preki employ the skilful but lightweight Francisco Mendoza at left-back rather than his preferred midfield slot. With the inexperienced developmental player Bobby Burling standing in at centre back, Galaxy exposed their opponents’ lack of defensive cohesion and awareness during the first half hour. Klein found Edson Buddle with a third ball over Chivas’ left side, but Donovan could not steer his strike partner’s cross on target. Donovan then burst through that same gap having taken possession on the halfway line, but blazed his effort high of Thornton’s goal.

Chivas retaliated towards the end of the first half. Forwards Atiba Harris and Roberto Nurse fashioned a trio of chances but could not find the target before Carey Talley forced Galaxy goalkeeper Steve Cronin’s first save from a free-kick.

The pattern continued after the interval with Cronin making three saves in the first five minutes before Chivas deservedly drew level. Former Arsenal youth player Paulo Nagamura burst down the right flank before sliding a low cross into the penalty area for Nurse. The Mexican’s delightful dummy left Galaxy defender Sean Franklin in need of medication and created space for Harris to finish at the back post. It was world class inventiveness by Nurse, but he receives no recognition under MLS’s ridiculous statistics for assists having never touched the ball.

Galaxy almost reclaimed an unlikely lead on 52 minutes when a second excellent Beckham pass sent Donovan clear. Thornton raced from his line to force the striker wide and prevent a clear shooting chance. From a tight angle Donovan set up Ely Allen but the onrushing midfielder failed to direct his effort on goal.

Chivas took a deserved lead on 63 minutes. After cheaply losing possession at the edge of Chivas’ penalty area, Beckham tried to con referee Alex Prus into awarding a free-kick with a pathetic flop. Prus was rightfully unimpressed, leaving Nagamura to seize the loose ball and mount a swift counter-attack. He released Harris down the left flank and continued his run into the penalty box. Harris timed his return pass to perfection finding Nagamura onside and the Brazilian steered his left-foot strike beyond Cronin. Perhaps Becks should have watched the gold-medal winning Liukin to pick up some tumbling tips.

Nurse saw his 69th minute header rebound off a post as Chivas nearly sealed the win that would propel them above Galaxy. That outcome seemed inevitable until Galaxy were boosted by a late numerical advantage. Chivas’ captain Jesse Marsch was withdrawn from the field after suffering a head knock with all three substitutes already committed.

Despite an otherwise anonymous performance, Beckham produced a third exquisite pass on 88 minutes to find substitute Mike Randolph bursting into the Chivas’ penalty area. Randolph controlled excellently on the run before lashing a right-foot shot off the crossbar with time running out.

Galaxy clinched a fortuitous point two minutes into injury time with a goal that will cause much displeasure for Preki. Ante Jazic’s hopeful punt from deep on the left found Alan Gordon neglected near the penalty spot and he headed home a dramatic equaliser.

Chalk up an assist for Jazic – in the hazy world of MLS statistics, clever space-creating feints do not qualify but Hail Mary’s certainly do.

Week 21 Results

Chivas 2 L.A. Galaxy 2
Columbus 2 Dallas 1 (Crew hang on to reclaim top spot)
Chicago 0 D.C. United 1 (Abysmal marking costs Fire as Brian McBride makes losing debut)
Houston 4 Salt Lake 3 (Dynamo back on top despite defensive mishaps)
Colorado 2 Kansas City 1 (Rapids end barren spell with important win)
San Jose 4 New England 0 (Huckerby and O'Brien inspire Quakes to season's biggest shock)
New York 2 Toronto 0 (Football season returns to Giants Stadium)

Standings

Eastern Conference
1) Columbus 34 points (played 20)
2) New England 33 (19)
3) Chicago 32 (20)
4) D.C. United 28 (19)
5) *New York 28 (20)
6) Toronto 25 (20)
7) Kansas City 25 (20)

Western Conference
1) Houston 29 (19)
2) Salt Lake 27 (20)
3) *Dallas 25 (20)
4) Colorado 24 (20)
5) L.A. Galaxy 24 (20)
6) Chivas 23 (19)
7) San Jose 21 (20)

*Lines show teams occupying play-off positions.

MLS Week 20 - Intergalactic Meltdown

With only four games scheduled, it looked set to be a quiet weekend for Major League Soccer. San Jose’s last minute winner over L.A. Galaxy in Week 19 started rumblings of discontent in Southern California, but all seemed tranquil until this Monday when those minor tremors led to a seismic shift at the league’s most high profile franchise.

Galaxy announced on Monday that Ruud Gullit, the head coach, had resigned from his position citing personal reasons. He was joined through the exit by Alexi Lalas, the general manager, who was relieved of his duties ahead of the expiration of his contract at season’s end.

Having spent most of the year in the play-off spots, Galaxy’s recent slump of three draws from seven games sees the realistic proposition of a third straight year without post-season qualification. Performances in recent weeks have led to growing criticism of Gullit as his defensive tinkering failed to prevent the haemorrhaging of amateurish goals. Galaxy have conceded 40 times in 19 games: easily the worst record in MLS.

The Dutchman has certainly tried. Abel Xavier was released in July after a year of bungling around central defence in retirement mode. Greg Vanney, frequently playing the role of Xavier’s sidekick in Keystone Cop defending, was moved to full-back allowing rookie Sean Franklin to solidify the defensive core while the powerfully athletic Mike Randolph was briefly pushed into midfield to minimise his propensity for defensive blunders. Despite short-term successes, Gullit’s ideas have often been compromised by the lack of quality personnel available to consistently implement them.

But it is not just the back four that cause problems defensively. The popular cliché that defending starts from the front does not apply for this team. As one of the league’s outstanding playmakers and goalscorers, Landon Donovan can be excused for not excelling in this area. Likewise his robust strike partner Edson Buddle helps spearhead an attack which has produced 38 goals: seven more than any other side. The midfield, however, resembles a vacuum.

Many supporting cast members have received cameo appearances but failed to stake claims for a regular starting berth. The revolving door has seen the likes of Ely Allen, Alvaro Pires, Joe Franchino, Brandon McDonald, Josh Tudela and Pete Vagenas tried and retried. The only constant, hiding out as an uninterested bystander on the right touchline, has been David Beckham.

When it comes to neglecting defensive duties, Beckham has no equal. The sight of a beleaguered, bedraggled Chris Klein at right-back has been a staple of this season as any team worth their salt exploits Beckham’s continuing lack of application.

Throughout most of his Manchester United career, the Englishman’s work ethic made him one of the world’s top players. It was this commitment to excellence that paved the way for his second defining characteristic: his ability on set pieces and crosses. The former left the building many years ago. Consequently, the latter has diminished. Practice time is sacrificed when furthering your own personal agenda on the sofa with Ellen DeGeneres.

As on-field struggles continued, rumours of dressing room discontent escalated. A bitter Xavier claimed Gullit was unpopular with all players except Beckham and that the Dutchman had amassed too much power over the club. That theory would certainly substantiate another belief that Gullit and Lalas held an unamiable relationship. Gullit’s appointment was allegedly made by one of Beckham’s advisors and not Lalas.

The recent appearance of Gullit’s home in Hollywood Hills on the property market further prompted stories that the Dutchman was leaving. In response, Gullit claimed his wife was unhappy in the house and that he was not going anywhere.

An April interview with The Times gave some fascinating insights into some of the problems he faced in developing his players, as well as feeling a long way from home. Though elaboration of the personal reasons behind his resignation have not been disclosed, it is understandable that many Europeans would struggle to adapt to the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles. The daily commute to Carson through notoriously suffocating traffic would not be fun either, not to mention the troubles awaiting him at work.

Though Gullit’s departure comes as a shock (many fans sympathised with his plight and appreciated the changes he was endeavouring to embed), the firing of Lalas was expected. In announcing the departures, Galaxy investor/operator Tim Leiweke said: “Because of Ruud’s situation it was an opportunity to look for a fresh start. Alexi’s been with us a long time. I do think we need a fresh start.” Lalas joined the club in April 2006.

Leiweke stressed the need for all parties to share blame by saying: “The players have to look deep inside themselves and understand they have to be responsible for some of this.” On Gullit’s interim successor, former US international Cobi Jones, Leiweke stated: “The one guy’s loyalty and passion over there I don’t question is his.”

His comments are interesting. It is difficult to point the finger at a player who may be earning less than a part-time grocery store worker, but less so when that underperforming player is being rewarded $1m a week for his unspectacular displays. Still, as long as merchandise sales continue to rise Leiweke and his bosses at Anschutz Entertainment Group will be pleased, even if the long-suffering true Galaxy fans feel further disenchantment.

Week 20 Results

Colorado 0 Toronto 1 (Chad Barrett’s first for TFC with a great free-kick)
New England 1 Chicago 2 (Surprise Fire comeback cuts Revs’ lead to one point)
Kansas City 3 Chivas 2 (Wizards remain bottom but draw level with play-off teams)
New York 4 D.C. United 1 (Angel returning to form for play-off push with two goals)

Standings

Eastern Conference
1) New England 33 points (played 18)
2) Chicago 32 (19)
3) Columbus 31 (19)
4) D.C. United 25 (18)
5) *Toronto 25 (19)
6) New York 25 (19)
7) Kansas City 25 (19)

Western Conference
1) Salt Lake 27 (19)
2) Houston 26 (18)
3) *Dallas 25 (19)
4) L.A. Galaxy 23 (19)
5) Chivas 22 (18)
6) Colorado 21 (19)
7) San Jose 18 (19)

*Lines show teams occupying play-off positions.

MLS Week 19

The Hawksport Team are on vacation in the UK for two weeks. A full round-up will return for Week 20 fixtures.

Week 19 Results

Salt Lake 2 Toronto 1
D.C. United 2 Kansas City 0
Chicago 1 Chivas 0
Houston 2 Columbus 0
San Jose 3 L.A. Galaxy 2
Toronto 0 Dallas 2

Standings

Eastern Conference
1) New England 33 points (played 17)
2) Columbus 31 (19)
3) Chicago 29 (18)
4) D.C. United 25 (17)
5) Toronto 22 (18)
6) Kansas City 22 (18)
7) New York 22 (18)

Western Conference
1) Salt Lake 27 (19)
2) Houston 26 (18)
3) Dallas 25 (19)
4) L.A. Galaxy 23 (19)
5) Chivas 22 (17)
6) Colorado 21 (18)
7) San Jose 18 (19)

MLS Week 18 Review

The Hawksport Team spent All-Star weekend in the vibrant city of Toronto, watching the MLS All-Stars seal their fifth consecutive victory over foreign opposition with a 3-2 win over West Ham United. Here are some of the brief highs and lows from the game.

Highs

1) BMO Field – A great facility in a superb location, just a few minutes ride away from Downtown Toronto on one of the many streetcars.

2) Toronto Fans – Much was made of their possible indifference towards the All-Star game given the absence of home team players from the starting line-up. While the atmosphere for much of the first half was far from festive, the locals wasted no time in turning up the noise when Jim Brennan and Dwayne De Rosario entered the fray on 59 minutes.

3) Christian Gomez – Impressive first half performance from the Colorado Rapids midfielder, capped by a fantastic finish for the first goal.

4) Cuauhtemoc Blanco – One advantage of never possessing pace is that there is nothing to lose. In any case, Blanco’s speed has always been inside his head. A typically audacious backheel set Gomez clear for the equaliser before he sealed the MVP award with a beautiful strike minutes before half time.

5) Dwayne De Rosario – So he may only have managed 90 minutes sleep between the conclusion of the D.C. United versus Houston match and his flight across the border, but nothing could deny De Ro from sealing the win in front of his hometown fans – not even the attempted gamesmanship of West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green. Almost returned the favour to Juan Pablo Angel by setting up the Colombian for a fourth goal, but the effort was debatably called offside.

Lows

1) Weather – Toronto has been the wettest city in Canada this summer with rainfall levels reaching double that of the 30-year average. So much for the pre-match festival area and beer tent – a washout!

2) National Anthems – MLS officials botched the opening ceremony by keeping the Maple Leaf flag under wraps until God Save The Queen and The Star Spangled Banner had been performed. Everyone in attendance was wondering if the organisation had forgotten where the match was being played. By the time the situation had been rectified with the appearance of some Mounties and a member of the Queen’s Own Rifles to lead a rendition of O Canada, the American anthem had already been booed out of the building.

3) Media Over-reaction – Okay, so the US anthem got drowned out. Big deal. It was obvious that the more vocal element of Torontonians were protesting against a perceived slight against them as opposed to engaging in widespread anti-American sentiment. Not that this prevented near blanket debate on the issue for the next 48 hours on the local television channels as coverage suggested an international incident had taken place.

Pictures from the game are available here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28745&l=c7ada&id=577188900

Week 18 Results

D.C. United 0 Houston 2
San Jose 1 New York 1
Dallas 4 L.A. Galaxy 0
Kansas City 0 Chicago 0
Colorado 0 Columbus 2

Standings

Eastern Conference
1) New England 33 points (played 17)
2) Columbus 31 (18)
3) Chicago 26 (17)
4) D.C. United 22 (16)
5) Toronto 22 (16)
6) Kansas City 22 (17)
7) New York 22 (17)

Western Conference
1) Salt Lake 24 (18)
2) Houston 23 (17)
3) L.A. Galaxy 23 (18)
4) Dallas 22 (18)
5) Chivas 22 (16)
6) Colorado 21 (18)
7) San Jose 15 (18)

MLS Week 17 Review

Major League Soccer parity was further illustrated this week as every league match ended in a draw. The four teams involved in Superliga (New England, D.C. United, Houston and Chivas) are grateful beneficiaries having lost no ground, but the five fixtures played were anything but nauseating stalemates.

Los Angeles Galaxy’s visit to Giants Stadium in New Jersey marked a high point of last season’s campaign. Billed around the newly arrived David Beckham, a crowd of 66,237 witnessed New York Red Bulls clinch a memorable 5-4 victory. This weekend’s figure of 46,754 was the highest MLS attendance this season. As was the case in Washington D.C. three weeks ago though, thousands of customers appear to have been unimpressed by the hype.

If the additional 30,000 added to New York’s usual gate were focused on the Englishman they will have been disappointed by another marginal contribution, but there was much to admire elsewhere. Most notably, a master class in attacking midfield play provided by Galaxy’s Landon Donovan and Jorge Rojas, the Red Bulls’ debutant Venezuelan international.

Donovan dropped into a left sided role to accommodate Carlos Ruiz after his return from injury. Ruiz lined up in attack with Edson Buddle, but it was Donovan’s ability to run at New York’s three man defence which proved to be a staple feature.

The first exhibit came on 20 minutes. Donovan stretched the Red Bulls’ rearguard before sending Ruiz clear on Jon Conway’s goal with a precise pass. The goalkeeper reacted smartly to avert the danger. Five minutes later Donovan provided another example of his dribbling ability, drifting across the edge of the penalty area looking for an opening before eventually being crowded out.

After trading goals, Donovan almost restored a deserved lead for the visitors on 39 minutes. He arrived at the back post to meet Chris Klein’s deep cross with a thumping left foot volley that narrowly cleared the crossbar. At times it was difficult to remember Donovan is a naturally right-footed player, such was his quality on his weaker side.

Despite dominating for large spells, Galaxy needed to thank defender Troy Roberts for maintaining parity at the interval with an outstanding block to prevent Oscar Echeverry’s goal-bound shot from six yards. Roberts’ heroics were reminiscent of the last ditch challenges so often seen from the legendary Franco Baresi, team mate of Galaxy head coach Ruud Gullit during Milan’s era of dominance.

Ruiz had nodded Galaxy into a deserved lead on 29 minutes when poor defending by Jeff Parke allowed Buddle to skip to the by-line and cross for the Guatemalan to head into an empty net. Six minutes later, Dave van den Bergh drilled an excellent 25 yard shot into Steve Cronin’s bottom corner with his weaker right foot. The goal owed much to the craft of Rojas who released the Dutch international with a cute backheel flick.

Rojas grew in influence after the break as he displayed an uncanny awareness of the players around him that compares to Chicago’s Mexican superstar Cuauhtemoc Blanco. He had two glorious chances to mark his debut with a goal. On both occasions, van den Bergh was allowed the freedom of the left touchline to provide crosses, but Rojas somehow contrived to scoop his first attempt over the bar from seven yards with an exposed Cronin helpless. His second effort was on target, but there was insufficient power in his header to trouble the goalkeeper.

It was no surprise that New York took the lead on 71 minutes, and no surprise that the move developed down the left. Galaxy right back Chris Klein joined a promising attack that ended on the edge of New York’s penalty area. Klein could reasonably have expected some defensive cover, but with Beckham marooned on the touchline as a spectator and lacking any inclination to give chase, Rojas and Juan Pablo Angel sprung to life with the former Aston Villa striker racing past Greg Vanney before clipping a delightful finish over Cronin.

New York should have finished the game, but Ante Jazic cleared another Angel effort from his goal-line after more ingenuity from Rojas. Substitute John Wolyniec then had the goal at his mercy, but could not react quickly enough to steer Cronin’s palmed save from van den Bergh’s drive onto the open target.

The decisive contribution was left for Donovan as he provided a fortuitous equaliser two minutes into stoppage time. His inswinging cross from the left was too high for Buddle, but the ball sneaked inside Conway’s far post as the goalkeeper prepared for a headed attempt. The late excitement proved too much for the sanity of Fox Soccer Channel commentator and Galaxy cheerleader Max Bretos as he hailed Donovan’s “wonder goal”.

Galaxy could have stolen a dramatic win in the game’s final attack. Beckham’s cross eluded Alan Gordon but found its way to the far edge of the box where the onrushing Donovan lashed another perfectly executed left footed volley that smacked the base of Conway’s post.

A winner would have been harsh on New York after their second half display; a fact that was acknowledged by Ruud Gullit in his accurate post-match assessment. Galaxy dominated the first half, New York gained the ascendency in the second and should have sealed the victory before Donovan’s late goal earned a deserved share of the points.

Week 17 Results

Columbus 3 Kansas City 3 (Josh Wolff marks MLS return with late KC leveller)
Toronto 0 San Jose 0 (Cannon penalty saves frustrates home fans)
New York 2 L.A. Galaxy 2
Dallas 2 Colorado 2 (Kenny Cooper demonstrates how to take a stutter-step penalty)
Chicago 0 Salt Lake 0 (RSL stays top of the West)

Standings

Eastern Conference
1) New England 33 points (played 17)
2) Columbus 28 (17)
3) Chicago 25 (16)
4) D.C. United 22 (15)
5) Toronto 22 (16)
6) Kansas City 21 (16)
7) New York 21 (17)

Western Conference
1) Salt Lake 24 (18)
2) L.A. Galaxy 23 (17)
3) Chivas 22 (16)
4) Colorado 21 (17)
5) Houston 20 (16)
6) Dallas 19 (17)
7) San Jose 14 (17)