LA, Revs Win In Desert Cup

With First Kick only two weeks away, the MLS Preseason is coming to a climax in Arizona’s Desert Cup.

In the first of two games this past weekend, LA overcame a nine-man RSL 2:0, with goals from Paulo Cardozo and Mike Magee. Salt Lake’s ejections included an immediate red for Ned Grabavoy in the 70th minute after a a rough tackle on Marcelo Sarvas, and a second yellow for Yordany Alvarez in the 77th for a challenge on LA’s Cardozo. Galaxy first found the net in the 81st, just after the second ejection, when a scramble before the goal led to a shot rolling right through the hands of RSL’s keeper Nick Rimando, then sealed the deal with Magee finishing a signature Beckham cross in the 87th. Beckham didn’t come on until the second half, subbing in for Kenny Walker in the 66th, but surely made his mark on the game.

Later on, a revitalized New England bested the Red Bulls 2:0, with a pair of goals from the rookie Kelyn Rowe. New York compromised a number of chances early in the first half including Dax McCarty’s 12th minute screamer over the crossbar, and Brandon Barklage’s wide header off of Jose Angulo’s corner in the 19th. Rowe finished first in the 77th, cleaning up a loose ball fro Tyler Ruthven, then again in the 84th, curling a left footed shot into the upper 90 after a pass from Saer Sene.

The tournament continues at 8pm Eastern on Wednesday (the 29th) with RSL v. New England, and LA v. New York. Both games will be streamed live on MLSsoccer.com Channel 1.

The LA/ RSL match really doesn’t show us much; RSL was down on men, and LA played like LA. If anything, it’s surprising they didn’t find a way to capitalize a third time with a two man advantage. The Revs/ New York match, though, could be a very telling preview for the 2012 season. Despite a seemingly stacked lineup (Henry, Agudelo, McCarthy, Lindpere, Marquez, I could go on…) New York’s 1-2-3 preseason hints that 2012 could be another long, frustrating season. The club is still fighting for striker Luke Rodgers to be allowed back into the country, and hasn’t yet found the right formula to create forward momentum on the pitch. New England, though, is just the opposite, as it seems that 2012 could be the end of the club’s plaguing mediocrity. With a handful of new talent such as Saer Sene and Kelyn Rowe teaming up with more senior players like Benny Feilhaber, this could be the most exciting season for the Revs in recent memory.

There you have it. Granted, it is preseason, but there’s still a lot we can take from watching these teams prepare for First Kick. Keep on supporting, and check back for an update later in the week.

Category: MLS