Rafa Marquez has been nothing but a problem for the New York Red Bulls since coming to the team in the summer of 2010.

Last year, he was suspended for one game after ripping his teammates in the media and accusing them of not being on the same level as him and then was suspended for three games after he threw a ball at Landon Donovan and then feigned getting hit in a scuffle he started.

His latest incident could and should earn him even more games lost.

In Saturday’s match against the San Jose Earthquakes, Marquez was matched up against Shea Salinas on a corner kick. As Salinas moved off the goal-line to get open for the ball, Marquez wrapped his arms around Salinas and tackled him from behind. As he toppled over Salinas, Marquez then delivered a kick to Salinas that broke the Earthquake midfielder’s clavicle.

The maneuver was not seen by the referees during the game, but it was caught clearly on video. It’s time for the MLS Disciplinary Committee to step up and deal him a proper punishment.

This is obviously not Marquez’s first offense, and he even had a prior track record for violent and dirty plays before even signing with the MLS. A hard tackle here or there, even the occasional red card, happens and can be tolerated. However, fouls intentionally meant to hurt another player should never be accepted as part of the game.

A message has to be sent to Marquez, if anything will get through to him.

Not only should the league make a stand, but the Red Bulls should as well.

No player is above good sportsmanship and respecting the game, not even a Designated Player that was the third-highest paid player in the league last year. Marquez has missed so many games for New York, and if last year is any indication, he has not done a tremendous amount to help the team win games.

This should be Marquez’s third strike with the organization. As per the baseball rule or with the NFL substance abuse policy, three strikes means you’re out.

He has done nothing but cause headaches and generate negative publicity for the team and the league. Someone needs to step in and show Marquez, and any other dirty players, that if this is the way you choose to play, you will pay.

It’s uncalled for and enough is enough.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

The Chicago Fire played the Houston Dynamo Sunday night in a match that was called in the 66th due to inclement weather of heavy rains and lightning. The competitive match ended up in a1-1 draw.

Not bad considering the Fire played against the reigning MLS Eastern Conference champions. When you also add on a 70-minute weather delay early in the match, any team would have completely packed it in.

Not the Fire.

After Chicago 'keeper Sean Johnson was unable to stop a goal by Dynamo forward Will Bruin in the 24th minute, Fire midfielder Logan Pause quickly responded with a goal of his own three minutes later. Pause's deflection carried over Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall to even the Fire.

Plenty to discuss after the game, including a ton of optimism coming from the coaches and players.

Fire assistant coach Leo Percovich praised the “aggression” of the team, while going on to say that he felt that the Fire would have won had play continued. From Chicago-Fire.com:

We had good chances tonight, we have a lot of mobility.  The team tried to play great soccer for the first half, I guess the wind… their goalkeeper made a couple good saves.  We missed a couple passes at the end because the field was so wet.  Houston tried to put good pressure on them, but Grazzini made a good opportunity to score.  I think we were very aggressive.  If we kept going in this game, we would’ve won this game.  You can see in the second half, we wanted to play.  Houston had players falling down.  We had good chances in the first half against the wind and then more for sure in the second half.

Meanwhile, fellow assistant coach Mike Matkovich concurred with Percovich's assessment of the game, insisting the Fire should have pulled three points on the night, and praised his team's resilience:

Obviously we’re a little disappointed that we didn’t get the game in its’ entirety, but we can’t control the Lord above.  It was a difficult night to play… rain, wind, starts, stops… the one key thing is, we were down a goal, we had a good response, we scored within three minutes to tie it.  I felt that if the game would’ve went on, we could have pulled three points out of the night.  But I give our guys a lot of credit.  They fought hard and there was a lot of adversity.  I thought our focus was good.  The guys came out and kept their focus to try to get three points.  Unfortunately, we ended up in a draw, but we will reevaluate and get ready for Toronto.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake were both looking to establish their supremacy. They wanted to show Major League Soccer who was the team to beat. And Kansas City came out on top and stayed perfect. 

Sporting Kansas City has the whole package while the rest of the Eastern Conference is lagging far behind. Sporting's closest competitor, New York, has a defense with as many holes as an industrial colander.

Out West, Real stays on top, but San Jose keeps creeping closer and closer to jumping into the top two spots.

1. Sporting Kansas City (6-0-0, 18 pts.) - Sporting showed the league they are for real with a solid win over RSL. But the real test awaits when the team travels to Vancouver this Wednesday. A short week and a lot of travel could finally ruin KC's unbeaten run. Still, Sporting, even if they lose Wednesday, is the best team in the league right now.

2. Real Salt Lake (5-2-0, 15 pts.) - Real Salt Lake might not have deserved to lose in Kansas City, but they aren't and won't be the only team this season to lose in Livestrong Park. The Royals have one of the deepest and most experienced teams in MLS, this loss won't slow that crew down a bit.

3. San Jose Earthquakes (4-1-1, 13 pts.) - San Jose wasn't able to stop the Kenny Cooper and Thierry Henry show, but they were able to get an impressive point on the road in New York. If Chris Wondolowski can stay healthy, San Jose is a team no one is going to want to see in the MLS Cup.

4. New York Red Bulls (3-2-1, 10 pts.) - Thierry Henry says he called it. But the questions about New York's defense have been around since the end of last year and they're still there. Hans Backe needs to figure it out and make it work.

5. Seattle Sounders (3-1-1, 10 pts.) - The Sounders just keep rolling along under the radar for now, but if they keep winning people will pay attention. 

6. Vancouver Whitecaps (2-1-2, 7 pts.) - No game this weekend for Vancouver, but a real test of how good this team is and can be comes Wednesday when the Whitecaps host perfect Sporting Kansas City. A loss would set back the early-season progress. A win, well, it could change the whole outlook of the season for Martin Rennie's side. 

7. Houston Dynamo (2-1-1, 7 pts.) - Weather interrupted Houston's game with Chicago with the score even, 1-1. It wasn't a win, but with injuries plaguing the Dynamo midfield, one point will do for right now.

8. Colorado Rapids (3-2-0, 9 pts.) - Going to Seattle isn't easy, but the Rapids were in the game, and they will be in just about every game of the season because they play a tough, hard-nosed game. But Colorado needs to turn it around if they want to stay in the playoff picture come August because the rest of the Western Conference won't wait for it.

9. FC Dallas (3-2-1, 10 pts.) - Brek Shea looked tired playing for the U.S. Olympic qualifying team, but he looked great in the 88th minute when he scored a winner for the Hoops. A win over Montreal isn't anything, yet, but Dallas needed that win to prove that the late game-winner over New England wasn't a fluke.

10. D.C. United (2-2-2, 8 pts.) - New England has looked good in recent weeks, but United went into Foxborough and got three points, which isn't something a lot of teams will say this year by the looks of things. Are the early-season jitters over for United? It looks like it right now.

11. New England Revolution (2-0-3, 6 pts.) - Shalrie Joseph's midweek suspension was more painful than New England might admit, but it was evident that Joseph's presence next to Clyde Simms was missing in a 2-1 home loss to D.C. Simms and Joseph have something going in the middle of the midfield, and having only one of them there really hampers what Jay Heaps is trying to do. The good news? Saer Sene and Jose Moreno look like they are going to create and score plenty of chances, which is good news for a team that has been in search of goalscorers the past few seasons.

12. Los Angeles Galaxy (2-3-0, 3 pts.) - Does Bruce Arena have the Galaxy playing to their potential finally? Or is Portland just that bad? A little bit of both. A comeback win is good, but the Timbers aren't a team to measure someone against right now.

13. Chivas USA (3-0-3, 9 pts.) - Maybe the Goats should just play on the road for the rest of the season. Toronto is still a mess, but that didn't stop Chivas from going into Canada and leaving with three points. All three of Chivas' win are on the road this season. 

14. Columbus Crew (2-2-0, 6 pts.) - Philadelphia was going to win soon enough, and it was going to be at home. The Crew were just unlucky to be the team that was there the one time the Union finally held on for their first win.

15. Chicago Fire (1-2-2, 5 pts.) - The Fire just can't catch a break. In a game Chicago should have been able to win against the Dynamo, the weather decided to be difficult. The game was called after 66 minutes because of a storm, and Chicago fans will wonder what could have happened in the last 20-plus minutes of the game with Houston knee-deep in injuries and a short bench.

16. Philadelphia Union (1-3-1, 4 pts.) - Finally off the hide, but there are still so many questions the Union need to answer. This team really should be scoring more goals, especially at home, but no one has stepped up yet and become the player people expected at the beginning of the season.

17. Portland Timbers (1-4-1, 4 pts.) - Another blown lead for the Timbers. This time it got real ugly, though. Los Angeles has been in a funk, this would have been a perfect time for Portland to get three important points.

18. Montreal Impact (1-4-1, 4 pts.) - Expansion woes continue for Montreal. Losing late is part of the learning experience. It's going to happen. 

19. Toronto FC (0-5-0, 0 pts.) - Still no wins for Toronto. Time is running out on this 4-3-3/Ajax experiment. So many questions and no answers.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Defender Aurelien Collin scored the only goal of the game and Jimmy Nielsen posted his third consecutive shutout as Sporting Kansas City defeated Real Salt Lake 1-0 last night. It was Sporting KC's third consecutive 1-0 victory.

The standing-room-only crowd of 19,422 at Livestrong Sporting Park also witnessed the 200th win in franchise history. The all-time record now stands at 200-199-100. This makes Sporting KC the fifth team in MLS with 200 wins, joining the LA Galaxy, Columbus Crew, FC Dallas and DC United.

Sporting KC's league-record streak of not allowing a shot on goal ended after a span of 335 minutes. The last shot on goal allowed was Ricardo Villar's 25th-minute goal for FC Dallas on March 25th.

To put this streak into perspective, prior to this season, there were only three games in franchise history where Sporting KC had held a team without a shot on goal.

Sporting KC's shutout streak remains alive, also at 335 minutes.

Real Salt Lake had a streak of their own snapped. Collin's goal ended a shutout streak of 267 minutes. The loss drops RSL to 5-2-0 on the season.

The first chance for Sporting KC came in the eighth minute, when defender Seth Sinovic played a long ball over the top to C.J. Sapong. Sapong appeared to be fouled when Jamison Olave pulled him down just outside the penalty area, but referee Kevin Stott signaled for play to continue.

RSL's Alvaro Saborio was in a potentially dangerous situation in the 20th minute. On a ball headed by Kansas City's Chance Myers, Saborio went up for the ball while Kei Kamara stood next to him and Saborio went up and over Kamara. Saborio landed awkwardly, but appeared to be okay.

Despite having only 48.9 percent of the possession in the first half, Sporting KC earned nine corner kicks in the first half, one off of a team record.

It was the ninth corner kick of the half that generated some controversy. Graham Zusi took the corner with Collin and Sapong going up for the ball and Sapong heading it back out. Bobby Convey gathered the ball as Sapong made a run for the back post and Convey served the ball in to Sapong.

Sapong headed the ball into the back of the net, but Stott disallowed the goal. Stott had called a foul on Sapong for pushing off on Olave, but replays showed no contact.

Sporting KC continued to press the attack early in the second half. In the 51st minute, RSL's Will Johnson was booked for pulling down Kamara just outside the penalty area. Zusi took the ensuing free kick and the ball fell to Sapong, who one-timed it, but hit it just wide.

Six minutes later, RSL's Fabian Espindola had what appeared to be a breakaway. Espindola was running down the left wing, but pulled up to wait for help. With a better first touch, he could have been in alone on Nielsen, but tried to get too fancy with it and Sporting KC ended the chance and cleared the ball to safety.

Collin struck on the first corner of the second half. Zusi took the corner and both Kamara and Sapong missed it, but Collin buried it in the back of the net. It was Collin's second goal of the season and Zusi's league-leading sixth assist. The goal was also the team's second from a corner kick this season.

Kamara almost doubled Sporting KC's lead in the 75th minute. Convey's shot was deflected, setting up the team's 11th corner of the match. Zusi served the ball into the penalty area and Kamara got a head on it, but Nick Rimando made an impressive save to keep it a one-goal game.

The Sporting KC shots-on-goal streak ended in the 90th minute. Off of a Kyle Beckerman free kick, Nat Borchers headed it on net, directly into the arms of Nielsen. The assistant referee has his flag up, but Stott overruled him as Nielsen had the ball.

With the shutout, Nielsen moves into a three-way tie on the Sporting KC regular season shutouts list with 22. Nielsen is tied with Kevin Hartman and Bo Oshoniyi. Tony Meola tops the list with 37.

This match was the first of three in eight days for Sporting KC. They travel to Vancouver to take on the Whitecaps on Wednesday before heading to Portland for a matchup with the Timbers on Saturday. Sporting KC's next home match is May 5th against the Montreal Impact.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

The Los Angeles Galaxy's David Beckham had a solid outing against the Portland Timbers on Saturday at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Well, let's be honest here, folks, it was the Portland Timbers after all. They aren't Real Salt Lake, and sure as heck aren't Sporting Kansas City. (By the way, aren't they still unbeaten?) But any time you get back on the winning trail and you are a part of a team's success, it's a great feeling that adds fresh wind to your sails.

The set pieces from Beckham weren't exactly the best free kicks I have seen from him, although there was one chance in the second half that nearly found David Junior Lopes, who is my man of the match for making a splash in his debut.

However, the real reason why I gave Beckham a high rating is that he did what is paid millions of dollars in sponsorships and ticket sales and merchandise sales and all other types of Galaxy-related sales to do, and that is...to score with authority.

And this goal, which didn't change the outcome of the match, is completely on Portland and John Spencer's tactical decision-making. There's no one in a green shirt within 15 yards of Beckham.

He is essentially on an island. All alone.

I said this before on the "6 Things We Learned" piece for this match, but I am going to reiterate this to you readers once again: When Beckham has an embarrassment of space in front of him, it's pretty much game over if you are the netminder.

In this case: embattled Timbers goalkeeper Troy Perkins. Beckham's first touch may not have been there, but when he has space for a placement shot, Perkins can do his best Victor Valdes impersonation, but he is not going to get to that ball in the top right corner.

It is going in. The hammer, laid down. Signed, sealed, delivered. Game, set and match.

And Beckham is paid the dough to elicit the reaction that comes afterwards.

The fans of the Angel City Brigade throwing themselves down before him. The screaming throngs of the fans after the match clamoring for his shirt. And the collective sighs of relief from Galaxy supporters who have been literally fed up with Los Angeles not doing the work and dropping points left and right.

The only question now for Beckham is this: Can he stay healthy and make it a habit to be on the pitch for a full 90 and stoppage? This is going to be crucial to the Galaxy's fortunes.

Los Angeles can only go up from here, and Beckham will see to it that it is done.

Rating: 8/10

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Where has this been, everybody? It's a victory for Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy, who left it late and ran it up on the Portland Timbers 3-1 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

A solid victory means good player ratings. So, here they are.

Josh Saunders 7

Only had to make two saves all contest, but he made them count when it mattered most, and he also made his routine collections. The goal suffered by Chicken Thief Kris Boyd was unfortunate, as replays show he was possibly offsides.

Saunders nearly gave up two more goals to Portland, but aside from that, it was smooth sailing.

Sean Franklin 7.5

This was the first time in a while that I actually saw Sean Franklin test Troy Perkins with a couple of strikes. You can see from the look in his face that he, like the rest of the team, were simply sick and tired of their lack of form.

Sometimes that can cause you to play up to the level you are capable of, and Franklin's mojo returned with a vengeance. This was a nice effort defensively from Franklin, and it could have been even better.

David Junior Lopes 8.5

Ladies and gentlemen, here is your Man of the Match. Welcome to the Galaxy, David Lopes. An admirable effort, teaming up with rookie Tommy Meyer in central defense. I think the defensive dilemma is solved, but more evidence will need to come next week against Colorado.

Never mind that Lopes has a cannon of a foot and really could have made a statement with his first goal in a Galaxy uniform. Outstanding debut. There's more to come from No. 3, as we will see.

Tommy Meyer 8

Lopes and Meyer didn't have a perfect performance in the back, but they limited the damage the Timbers could have laid on the Galaxy. Workmanlike effort. The rookie earned his bread tonight.

Todd Dunivant 7.5

Just another part in the first solid defensive performance of the year since the D.C. match. The best in their profession kick at the darkness until they bleed daylight, and the Iron Man pulled through, along with the rest of the back line.

Dunivant, Meyer, Lopes, Franklin and Saunders had some nice sequences, which contributed to their dominance of ball possession.

Landon Donovan 8

A goal and an assist. That's perhaps the bare minimum criteria from a captain-worthy performance from Landon Donovan.

Finished with authority in the 44th minute to open his scoring account, and then late in the match, he found David Beckham to help him open his scoring account.

Well-rounded effort. No explanation necessary.

Juninho 7

For the most part, Juninho didn't have a great game, primarily due to his efforts in the first half. However, he can finish when he picks his spot, and his goal in the 83rd minute put LA ahead for good.

That goal evoked shades of last year. Maybe this is a sign that the Brazilian from Sao Paulo is back on the comeback trail.

David Beckham 8

Although the set-piece slot machine didn't pay well, David Beckham made up for it with a strike in the 91st minute that was quintessential of the No. 23. Even the Portland announcers were impressed by the hammer that was laid down in stoppage time.

Other than that, Beckham dictated the flow of the game well and was instrumental in determining the outcome of this match.

Mike Magee 7

Magee had it tough against Portland. He was challenged physically by the Timbers back line and had to be subbed late by Pat Noonan. He needs to be able to finish his chances he gets, too. Wasn't the worst in terms of finishing, though. Read on.

Robbie Keane 7.5

Keane didn't score on Saturday night, much to my chagrin, but he did get an assist to Landon Donovan in the 44th minute. A workmanlike effort from Keane, no questions asked.

Chad Barrett 6

Tactically, it was the same scenario as with D.C. United. Start Chad Barrett, then bring in Edson Buddle late. Barrett does not get a good rating for one reason only: he can't finish, period.

Barrett's going to have to find his scoring form if he wants to remain in the starting XI...unless Bruce Arena will go with this tactic next week against the Colorado Rapids.

Edson Buddle 5.5

Buddle didn't do much to change the outcome of the game, but tactically, it worked out for Bruce Arena. Still, both Buddle and Barrett need to figure out how to get one in, or they will be consigned to splitting up minutes per match.

Pat Noonan NR

Noonan came into the match late, therefore he receives no rating. Free pass.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Well, would you believe this: Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy still have a pulse.

As in, they still know how to win games. In all honesty, this was a pillow fight between the G's and John Spencer's Portland Timbers, but after going down a goal early, Los Angeles left it late and won by an unsurprising scoreline: 3-1.

Hasn't that scoreline been like an old friend? And with every outcome, there are lessons to be learned and conclusions to be written.

With that said, here are six things we learned from Saturday's contest between the Galaxy and Timbers at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here

On one side, you have the visitors from Utah, Real Salt Lake. Led by manager Jason Kreis, RSL is in first place in the Western Conference with 15 points (of a possible 18).

On the other, you have the hosts, Sporting Kansas City. Under the direction of manager Peter Vermes, Sporting KC is in first place in the Eastern Conference with 15 points (of a possible 15).

On paper, this looks like it could be an early-season preview of MLS Cup, right?

Not according to Vermes, it isn't. When he was asked at the weekly press conference if today's match was a preview of MLS Cup, he told us, "It's just the next game on the schedule."

That answer fits in with the way Vermes says the team tries to deal with the season: in 45-minute increments.

It seems to be working. Not only has Sporting KC not lost a match this season, they've not lost a half, either. The only game they fell behind in (at home against FC Dallas), the equalizer was struck in first-half stoppage time and the game-winner was put in two minutes from full time.

To say Sporting KC's defense has been playing well this season would be an understatement. Team captain and goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen has a GAA of 0.20. The team has not allowed a shot on goal in a league-record 254 minutes.

The last shot on goal? Ricardo Villar's 25th minute goal for Dallas on March 25th.

In contrast, Real Salt Lake has had periods of dominance, but they've been interspersed with periods of utter vulnerability. The crossbar was probably goalkeeper Nick Rimando's best friend against the Galaxy on the road, keeping a Landon Donovan blast out.

As far as health is concerned, Sporting KC has the edge there, as well. For the most part, the only injury Sporting KC has to deal with is the back injury of backup goalkeeper Eric Kronberg. Kronberg has not made the bench this season, but has now returned to training.

Real Salt Lake's midfield, on the other hand, could be missing a few pieces. Ned Grabavoy (left rib cage dislocation), Enzo Martinez (lower back spasms) and Javier Morales (strained right hamstring) are all listed as doubtful on the team's injury report.

There are a few reasons I believe that Sporting KC will win this match, starting with their style of play. The high-pressure, attacking style that Sporting KC uses with their 4-3-3 formation has been producing great results so far. At home or on the road, Sporting KC will come after you nonstop.

Another factor that can't be discounted is the home crowd. As Taylor Twellman said on ESPN before last week's match with the Galaxy, "If you had told me five years ago that this stadium and this crowd were in Kansas City, I would've said you were nuts."

The team is expecting another capacity crowd, and with the way the roof holds the sound in, LIVESTRONG Sporting Park is an incredibly difficult place to play for an opposing team. Just ask the Galaxy about that.

With all of that in mind, I will say this game will not be easy. Any Kreis-led team will not roll over and play dead. He was never that way as a player in the league.

I asked Vermes about that during the press conference. I asked how playing against Kreis translated into coaching against him.

Vermes said, "Jason was a very good player and he also was an efficient player on the field and I think his team plays that way as well. They're efficient. They stick to what they're good at and they go do it and they're good at it. And I think that's what translates to knowing, at least, him and what he does."

Should be a great game.

Alan Hainkel is a Contributor for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Top and bottom teams collide this weekend in Major League Soccer play. Both ends of the table have early-season six-pointers on tap, with the top two teams in the league clashing, as well as the third- and fourth-placed teams.

On the other end of the standings, teams that really shouldn't be there (Los Angeles and Portland, to name two) have an opportunity to climb off the foot of the rankings at the expense of the other.

The lack of national television coverage this weekend will not help the league's image, with only one game beamed across the nation. But this is shaping up to be the most important and exciting weekend of the young season, so find a local affiliate televising a local club, or subscribe to MLS Live to get the full experience.

With games such as these kicking off, fans won't want to miss it.

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here

Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy continue their 2012 Major League Soccer campaign when they host John Spencer's Portland Timbers at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

The Galaxy are 1-3 (three points) and are in the cellar of the Western Conference.

A victory on Saturday at Victoria Street will work wonders for their chances at rediscovering their form from last year.

However, Portland are also struggling to get results, and a win for the Timbers will be just what the fans in Oregon need.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET. A live blog of this contest will begin at approximately 5:45 p.m. PT/8:45 p.m. ET.

Keep it right here on Bleacher Report for continuing coverage of the 2012 MLS season and all things World Football.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here