Dallas reverts to form
By: Sean |
2 Comments
It’s front office CYA vs. big-bucks bagmen in this year’s MLS drama factory, FC Dallas:
A couple of points:
- Hunt Sports Group has suffered priaprism for Hyndman for years. This isn’t some knee-jerk hire. And it’s arguable that the people at HSG have a greater clue than Hitchcock. It’s their money, so they’re going to call the tune.
- To that end, I’m hoping Hitchcock has the resumé all prettied up and ready to go … unless what he really wanted from this job was to be held responsible for terrible ticket sales and trampled-down training pitches.
- It seems like MLS has jumped up sharply in expectations in the last couple of years. Is attendance now lagging perception, instead of the other way around?
- If you’ve ever had a boss fired, you know this shit trickles downhill. The new guy’s going to come in looking for someone associated with the old guy, usually someone good who’s gotten by with some idiosyncracies, and he’s gonna go after that guy. Some kind of primate dominance thing. If I’m, say, Pablo Ricchetti, I’m praying the ankles and hammys are good to go.
- For all the crying about needing a more professional outlook from the players in MLS, both from us fútnards and our beloved imported players, it’s not for lack of trying. It takes situations like this one to create that outlook - the front office feels pressure to produce, in both asses-in-seats and success-on-field perspectives, and exerts that pressure to perform on the staff and players. The pressure to perform is how a professional outlook emerges. And we’re getting there.
Category: FC DallasWeek 10 Preview
By: travis | 5 Comments
As usual, lots of news and events clogging the Internets. There was that friendly played at Wembley - won’t go there, but I’ll just say I was disappointed - the newest MLS team got a new jersey, and it’s also that time of the year when national teams need their players. Along with that, the Fire and Wizards both aren’t playing this weekend. It should be an unpredictable weekend as a lot of team’s will have their depth tested.
New England v DC United
A big game for DC. Can they reverse their negative fortunes on the road - they’ve only scored one goal, conceded 12, and lost five games away from RFK - against the consistently tough Revolution? New England is all square at the top with the Crew and Fire, having topped Columbus last week. Neither side faces a significant international loss, as DC’s Francis Doe is back in Africa with Liberia while Kenny Mansally is with Gambia, as both try to qualify for the World Cup. With a win, things could start to look up for DC, who beat Toronto at home last weekend, although it was slightly unconvincing. Zach Wells has struggled in goal while they have issues at just about every position. Can’t really see them scoring, much less winning their second game in a row.
Verdict: New England 2-0 DC United
Toronto v LA
These are two of many teams hit by international call ups. Toronto loses starting keeper Greg Sutton and defender Jim Brennan to Canadian duty, Maurice Edu was over in England and I’m not sure if he’s going to make it back in time, Amedo Guevara was called up by Honduras for a friendly, midfiedler Carl Robinson is going to play for Wales - the list goes on. LA Galaxy are missing Donovan, Becks, and Ante Jazic. Not sure if Donovan will play - he is still nursing his sore groin. Beckham was named in the 22-man squad that will face T&T, and Jazic was part of the Canadian squad. As far as predictions go? This one seems like a crap shoot. A quick look at the Galaxy’s squad and it looks bleak, but the same point could be made about Toronto. That’s before mentioning that Laurent Robert is out through suspension after being sent off the previous weekend against DC. If Donovan plays, advantage Galaxy. If not, a toss up.
Verdict: Toronto 1-1 LA Galaxy
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Week Nine Recap
By: travis | 2 Comments
This was the week that snapped the streaks. As many as five teams all had consecutive unbeaten, winning, or losing streaks all broken. The Crew lost, San Jose won, Toronto lost, and so on and so forth. A recap of the action:
San Jose 2-1 Houston
This weekend marked the return of Houston to the city they abandoned a few years ago. And the people of San Jose had their revenge, with a victory over the Dynamo. Scoreless after an hour, San Jose scored first through Kei Kamara, as he got on the end of a flick on by Ned Grabavoy, controlled it, turned and fired in. Ryan Johnson played well for San Jose as he was involved in a lot of their attacking movements. It was actually his shot that Pat Onstad saved but couldn’t hang on to the rebound, and Ivan Guerrero poked home the rebound. Brian Ching pulled one back for Houston but by that time it was too little, too late. It was San Jose’s first win from four tries at home, and the Dynamo saw their brief two game winning streak snapped.
Columbus 0-1 New England
Matt Reis is a good, good goalkeeper. He didn’t singlehandedly win this game for the Revs, but his outstanding save on a shot from Eddie Gaven kept the score at 0-0. It set the stage for some late game heroics from Steve Ralston and Kheli Dube. With the game heading for a scoreless draw, Ezra Hendrickson fouled Ralson in the box. Shalrie Joseph’s penalty was save by Will Hesmer, but no one marked Dube close enough and he poked home the winner. Robbie Rogers again showed how dangerous he is becoming, drawing a number of fouls as the Revolution tried to contain him. The Crew had their share of chances, but Reis stood tall to the task.
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Week Nine Preview
By: travis | Add Comments
Well, DC already lost this week. No surprise really. If you haven’t seen the goal they conceded, it’s awful enough to sum up United’s dreadful season thus far. If they had some how rattled off two consecutive wins against Toronto, they would have climbed up out of last place. But they didn’t. Anyway, the two sides meet again this weekend. Other interesting match ups include the old (Houston) versus the new (San Jose), Juan Carlos Osorio visiting his old team - although he is suspended for the match, and the Crew try to keep their unbeaten streak intact.
San Jose v Houston
A lot of story lines coming at you with this game. Most importantly, it’s the return of the Dynamo to the San Jose area since the franchise moved to Texas in 2005. It’s the first of three meetings between the two sides this season and should be one to keep an eye on. It’s the Thursday night game of the week on ESPN as well. The recent form of both the Dynamo and the Quakes has been heading in different directions. San Jose has struggled, conceding five times in the past two games, while Houston are starting to re-emerge this season. After a slow start, they have won two games in a row and will look to continue their turnaround this week.
Verdict: San Jose 1-2 Houston
Dallas v Real Salt Lake
Dallas has hit the panic button. Last week’s 5-1 beating at the hands of LA Galaxy led to the firing of coach Steve Morrow. Not too sure if I agree with that move, but someone in the front office thinks it’s the right direction to go. But a closer look shows that Dallas is only three points off the top in the West. Yes, they haven’t managed a win in four games, but surely firing your coach after struggling like that? A bit harsh. Morrow’s replacement is assistant coach Marco Ferruzzi who will serve on an interim basis. Lucky for Dallas, Real Salt Lake is coming to town. And they’ve laid an egg on the road so far this season, going 0-for-4 thus far. Salt Lake couldn’t muster much against the Rapids last weekend, and I think that Dallas will snap out of their funk.
Verdict: Dallas 3-1 Real Salt Lake
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OFFSIDE EXCLUSIVE: Jimmy Conrad Q and A
By: Dave Martinez | 11 Comments
Jimmy Conrad has won a US Open Cup, has faced the World Champion Italians in World Cup competition, and has served as a vocal proponent of the MLS for what seems like an eternity.
Dubbed a “media darling” or the “King of all MLS Media,” Jimmy Conrad lives up to the moniker, with a lively, honest attitude and hilarious story telling fit for any form of media. He was gracious enough to sit down with us to discuss a little bit of everything, from the upcoming US friendlies against England, Spain and Argentina, to Kansas City and the MLS.
He is a funny, honest guy; the kind of guy that doesn’t take himself too seriously - even when he has every right to. Have a good read with one of the brightest personalities in MLS today:
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Category: Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, DC United, Expansion Teams, FC Dallas, General MLS News, General MLS Stuff, Houston Dynamo, Just for Fun, Kansas City Wizards, LA Galaxy, MLS, MLS Business Matters, Major League Links, New England Revolution, Players Behaving Badly, Quotes and Photos, Real Salt Lake, Red Bulls New York, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders FC, Toronto FC
Tags: Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, DC United, Expansion Teams, FC Dallas, General MLS News, General MLS Stuff, Houston Dynamo, Just for Fun, Kansas City Wizards, LA Galaxy, Major League Links, MLS, MLS Business Matters, New England Revolution, Players Behaving Badly, Quotes and Photos, Real Salt Lake, Red Bulls New York, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders FC, Toronto FCWeek Eight Recap
By: travis | 1 Comment
Another week brought a flurry of action and excitement. Toronto finally slowed down the Crew, DC United keeps struggling, and the Galaxy dropped a five spot on Dallas. Edson Buddle had a hat trick. I don’t know if anyone who writes about soccer would ever expect to type those words down. Good work for him and the Galaxy.
Colorado 2-0 Real Salt Lake
Sparse attendance in Commerce City as the Rapids took the first matchup for the Trillium Cup. Omar Cummings notched a nice goal to give Colorado the lead in the 65th minute, and Christian Gomez put the game away when he put away a penalty called for handball. Real continues to under perform away from Salt Lake and didn’t threaten much as Colorado had the upper hand most of the game.
Toronto 0-0 Columbus
Whenever a match returns with this scoreline, it’s easy to write it off as a boring game. And while that may have been the case, from what I could tell it had plenty of excitement. The two hottest team’s in MLS fought to a stalemate, but it was a game not lacking in chances. Amado Guevara and Laurent Robert both looked threaten, more so than Guillermo or Robbie Rogers. The best chance of the match came when Robert hit the post, and it was a game that Toronto looked more like winning than Columbus. Toronto now has just a few days off before hosting DC.
EXCLUSIVE: Jimmy Conrad takes YOUR Questions
By: Dave Martinez | 8 Comments
Jimmy Conrad, US national team defender and member of the Kansas City Wizards, will be sitting down with me for a few minutes Saturday for an interview.
As a thank you to our many readers and writers in this MLS Community, we are opening the floor to this interview for you.
I will be selecting the 5 best questions, as given by our readers and writers, to present to Jimmy Conrad - and, of course, you will get full credit for your participation.
I am sure I will have most of the cookie cutter questions covered on my end, so think of some things outside of the box.
Make em cool, make em creative.
Have fun. And again, thanks to all of you in advance.
Week Eight Preview
By: travis | 1 Comment
Morning all. Or should I say good evening. I don’t know what time it is, but I’m woozy because of a cold and getting on a plane to go to the middle of Australia. Should be good fun. Needless to say, I’ve put together this week’s picks and previews very spur of the moment - so forgive me for not having my facts right, or for just being boring to read. Or illegible. My hands are very warm right now too.
Last week we saw lots of action. And lots of goals. Everyone but DC, Kansas City, and Toronto scored. To be fair, KC and Toronto didn’t play. This week, we shall see if the Crew can win in Toronto, Real Salt Lake battle Colorado for the Rocky Mountain Cup. That’s enough. Here’s what else we’ll see this week:
Colorado v Real Salt Lake
Part One of this season’s Rocky Mountain Cup. The Rapids maintain their first place standing even after a 2-1 loss to the Dynamo. Real can’t seem to do much away from Rice-Eccles except to concede a whole lot of goals. They have yet to win anywhere else, and I don’t see that happening this week.
Verdict: Colorado 2-0 Real Salt Lake
Toronto v Columbus
The Crew head up to BMO to put their six game winning streak on the line. A bit of pressure also comes from the Fire, who sit just two points off pace. I think things will be tougher for the Crew - they’ll be on turf, dealing with a rowdy crowd, and they’ll be up against a team who has just had a week off. Robbie Rogers look to continue his sizzling form, while Amado does his best to not go crazy for another week. Crew’s winning streak snapped, but not due to a loss. On another note, according to Goff, Toronto supporters may be organizing a protest with talk of BMO Field being shared with the Argos.
Verdict: Toronto 2-2 Columbus
New York v Kansas City
Aside fromt Toronto, the Wizards were the other squad given a week off. This week’s stop on their two months away from home tour takes them to the Big Apple, where they will be keen for a win. The Red Bull have a couple of injury issues (Claudio Reyna - who else?) that may give Kansas City the advantage. I think even without Captain America, Altidore and Angel will take care of business. Unless they aren’t playing of course.
Verdict: New York 2-1 Kansas City
New England v San Jose
The return of Twellman helped greatly last week. This week? Probably won’t need the same kind of firepower, considering San Jose should struggle to score. Although was the Quakes two goal performance against the Crew a mirage or the start of something new?
Verdict: New England 3-0 San Jose
Chivas USA v DC United
Lots could be written here about the struggles of United. No Ben Olsen. Too many new faces. Luciano Emilio looking like a boy among man. The list can go on. Fortunately, their opponent this week is another struggling team. And in the battle of two teams down on their luck, I think United can take this. Chivas has not looked great this year and are there for the taking. If United can’t muster at least a tie, then they’re in even more trouble than they realize. It’s a bold move - considering DC has yet to score a goal away from RFK.
Verdict: Chivas 0-1 DC
Chicago v Houston
The defending champs finally got in the win column last week. It was about time too. The big question is, can Dewayne De Rosorio and Brian Ching start any kind of goal scoring consistency? Without those two on top of their game, Houston is in trouble. Meanwhile, Chicago has played extremely well all season and looks to keep pace with the Crew, or even overtake them on the ladder. They should have enough “fire” power to keep Houston at bay.
Verdict: Chicago 3-1 Houston
Dallas v Los Angeles
I’m tired and feel like junk. Kenny Cooper to get a hat trick to narrowly edge out Donovan’s brace.
Dallas 3-2 Los Angeles
Week Seven Recap: The Woeful West
By: travis | Add Comments
Emergent trends are continuing. The Crew keep winning. DC keeps losing. United were the only team from this weekend’s games to not find the net. They seem to have problems. The Galaxy couldn’t outscore New York. However, some trends are changing - San Jose scored two goals, the same total for their whole season before this game. Houston got their first win against the Rapids, who continue to be inconsistent. The MLS is also doing its best impression of the NBA except with the Eastern Conference emerging as the stronger side - at least according to the standings. Stay tuned for this and more on this week’s recap.
DC United 0-2 Chicago
United’s struggles continue. The new sponsor couldn’t change anything this week, as they lost their second straight match 2-0. Goals from Justin Mapp and Cuauhtemoc Blanco made sure DC stayed quiet. The Fire keep right on pace with the Crew, only one point back from the top. United on the other hand can’t seem to solve any of their problems. Marcelo Gallardo was out and Luciano Emilio seems to have forgotten how to play resulting with DC having just 6 points after 7 games. They really miss Ben Olsen.
Houston 2-1 Colorado
The Dynamo won. Finally - with their big stars Dewayne De Rosorio and Brian Ching finding the net for the first time this season. Can Houston turn things around after this? I think they’ll start to claw their way back into things, and with the Western Conference struggling, they could very well be in the thick of things come playoff time. The Rapids on the other hand continue to have a good result one week and come back the next and struggle. What was Bouna Coundul doing on Ching’s goal? However, they still are on top of the West, because no one else is any good.
Hair Ye, Hair Ye! MLS Hair Report
By: Steve | Add Comments
The officially unofficial report on the state of folicile style in MLS is here! Check it out on the Seattle Offside page.
Many question the style of American Soccer, whether it’s the lack of talent, slow play on the field, or the overall inconsistency of the on-field product, many hate on the MLS. But, should hair be an issue? Certainly not. An American league should be able to operate without Eurotrash mullets, girly looking men with long hair, limp afros, frosted tips and ugly mops.
Category: MLS
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