Real Salt Lake may have lost the battle, but they won the war.

In what was one of the biggest soccer matches in the history of soccer in the United States, Real Salt Lake lost 2-1 to the home club, Deportivo Saprissa, in San Juan, Costa Rica Tuesday night.

Real Salt Lake could not have been happier with the loss because it allows them to move on to the CONCACAF Champions League finals where they will face the winner of the series between Mexican clubs Monterrey and Cruz Azul later this month.

For the casual soccer fan, this score does not make sense. How does a team lose a game in a tournament and move on?

The games are played on a home and home basis and the total number of goals from both games are tallied to determine the winner.

Real Salt Lake won the game at home in Utah by a score of 2-0. That meant that Saprissa would have had to win by at least three goals to make up the difference. The aggregate score for both matches was 3-2 for Real Salt Lake which helped them become the first Major League Soccer team to reach the finals.

The game, which was scoreless at the half, ended in a 2-1 result for the home team. The scoring began just after halftime when Saprissa midfielder Luis Cordero took a high shot from the top of the box that raced past Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando and found the back of the net.

Following the goal, the full house of fans in the stadium known as the "Monster's Cave" woke up and began chanting and singing in hopes that their team could tie the aggregate score.

The excitement did not last long as Real Salt Lake defender Jamison Olave put home an amazing goal to tie the score on the night 1-1. His goal came on a rebound of a set piece from the corner that was served in by Javier Morales and headed toward goal by fellow defender Nat Borchers. Olave got on the end of the rebound and hooked it high into the goal.

Late in the match, Alonso Solis hit a penalty kick goal for Saprissa following a foul committed in the box by Ned Grabavoy to make the score 2-1 on the night.

Real Salt Lake defended well the rest of the way and earned the right to move on to the final set of games by an aggregate score of 3-2.

Prior to the game, Real Salt Lake had the support of many Major League Soccer players and fans who have never seen a club team from the United States make it to the finals.

A former MLS player posted on his Twitter account, "Today I woke up a Real Salt Lake fan...Today they will represent all of us MLS contingent and move onto the CCL final."

New York Red Bull player Dwayne DeRosario also tweeted, "Wishing Real Salt Lake all the best in their decisive second-leg showdown against Deportivo Saprissa."

CONCACAF, which stands for Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football, is a tournament that is held yearly with the tournament champion moving on to play in the FIFA Club World Cup that will be held in Japan later this year.

Club teams such as Manchester United, Barcelona and Boca Juniors are teams that have been in the seven-team FIFA tournament in the past.

The first leg of the finals will be held in Mexico at the home of either Monterrey or Cruz Azul. The second and deciding leg will be held at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah on April 26, 2011.

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The Seattle Sounders have been lucky enough to keep Fredy Montero away from Europe and sign him to a long term DP contract. The problem they face now is, they have no partner for him.

With a stacked midfield which includes World Cup vet Alvaro Fernandez, former Ajax and River Plate man Mauro Rosales, electrifying Steve Zakuani, and likely All-Star Osvaldo Alosno, a strike partner for Montero will complete the puzzle. Now the big question is, who?

With a DP spot available, and a poor striker pool, here are 7 players who could turn the Seattle Sounders from a good team into a great team.

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Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy have had success last season against D.C. United, but will find it a bit tougher when the travel to RFK Stadium to face an improved D.C. outfit.

The Galaxy are coming off a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union and take on a D.C. United team that got hammered 4-1 by the new league leaders, the defending MLS Cup Champion Colorado Rapids.

“The performance was more important [Saturday] than anything else,” David Beckham told Luis Bueno of MLSSoccer.com after their win over the Union.

“We wanted the three points of course, but after the embarrassment of last week, the performance was the important thing—and the character—and I think we showed that.

“We came out at the start of the game better than we did last game. We needed that, we needed a good start to the game. We started with a hard tempo and continued that, even when we went down to 10 men. We needed to show even more character and I think we did that.”

“Our experienced guys did well in the second half, understanding what needed to be done to get the three points,” Arena said.

“Landon I thought played very well. … Landon’s experience, David and [Juan Pablo Angel’s], I think was a big factor in the game.”

"When you give up that many goals, [against Real Salt Lake earlier in the season] something’s wrong," Donovan said after the match with Philadelphia to LAGalaxy.com.

"I didn’t watch the game, but I did watch the highlights. Certainly we weren’t good in a lot of aspects. It was a starting point during the week. And then it was down to individual effort. Guys made plays. Guys were tuned in for 90 minutes. We didn’t give up a shot on goal, which was really good."

Chris Birchall, who will be suspended for this week's contest with D.C., was impressed by the tenacity heart of the G's after he was sent off in the second half.

“That’s exactly what this team’s about. When one player goes off, the team spirit is so high and we fight for each other,” Birchall said.

“I said to the guys when we all came in, I apologized for what happened and thanks for fighting and getting a good result. If it was someone else we’d all do the same.”

The addition of Charlie Davies makes D.C. a threat to contend in the MLS Cup race. He already had three goals to his credit and can finish from the spot.

Jed Zayner and Marc Burch are solid providers and will be key players to watch on the defensive side of the ball.

Andy Najar, the 2010 MLS Rookie of the Year, and Chris Pontius will  need to be on their game to stop Juan Pablo Angel, David Beckham and Landon Donovan.

Beckham was able to grab his lion's share of spot kicks and, if he draws enough of them, one of them is likely to get past D.C. goalkeeper Pat Onstad.

This will be a tough contest for the Galaxy. I look for this team to battle to a draw.

Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Sports West.

Youth Academy Update

This week, the Los Angeles Galaxy Youth Academy was in San Diego for a couple of matches.

On Saturday, the Under-18s and Under-16s took on the San Diego Surf at the San Diego Polo Club grounds.

The Under-16s won 2-0, while the Under-18s dismissed the Surf 1-0.

On Sunday, the Under-18s and Under-16s traveled to Kinsell Field on the campus of UC San Diego to take on Nomads SC.

Scores were not available as this article went to press.

Up next for the Galaxy Youth Academy is a Sunday contest with Arsenal FC at the Home Depot Center on Apr. 10.

Kickoff for the Under-18s is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. PT while the Under-16s will kickoff at 3:30 p.m. PT.

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Three weeks are now in the books in this young 2011 Major League Soccer season. Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids continue to leave the rest of the league in the dust. While Colorado has the overall lead in the standings, RSL have a couple of games in hand and will look to catch up on their Rocky Mountain neighbors.

Other teams are making their move up and down the ladder after a match week filled with draws, draws and more draws. As well as the occasional win or two.

Bleacher Report presents to you this week's MLS power rankings.

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A day prior to their match against the Houston Dynamo, the New York Red Bulls made a bold statement that they are intent on winning the 2011 MLS Cup.

By trading away their first-round 2010 MLS SuperDraft selection midfielder Tony Tchani, midfielder/defender Danleigh Borman and their 2012 MLS SuperDraft selection to Toronto FC for midfielder Dwayne De Rosario, the Red Bulls organization made it clear to the league and their fans that are in a "win now" mentality.

With the acquisition of four-time MLS Cup winner Dwayne De Rosario, the Red Bulls now have a player who's been not only one of the most consistent MLS players for the decade, he's also been a "clutch" player during the postseason as evidenced by his heroics in his four MLS Cup champions with both the San Jose Earthquakes and Houston Dynamo.

Last night at Red Bull Arena against the Houston Dynamo, De Rosario demonstrated the force he is capable of being with his new teammates. Coming out in the second half as a substitution, De Rosario registered his first assist with the Red Bulls when Dane Richards scored in the 47th minute of the game.

Unfortunately for Red Bulls fans, Houston tied it in the 50th minute when Cam Weaver scored the equalizer when GK Bouna Coundoul moved too far out of the box to defend. As a result, the match ended in a 1-1 tie. With the tie, the Red Bulls haven't won a match in two weeks and now have a 1-0-2 record.

For the Houston Dynamo, they've yet to register a win in their 2011 MLS campaign. By tying New York, the Dynamo for the second consecutive week played well on the road. Their GK Tally Hall was spectacular as he recorded nine saves, some of them which may be considered for the MLS Save of the Week.

In a game where the Red Bulls out-shot the Dynamo 24-9 while taking a 12-5 shots on goal advantage and held an 8-3 on corner kicks, the Red Bulls failed to capitalize on their numerous opportunities. For the third consecutive week, New York has only produced one goal. For the season, the Red Bulls have taken a total of 48 shots along with 20 shots on goal and it has resulted in three goals for the season.

No one can can accuse the Red Bulls of not trying to produce goals. After a lackluster first half where the highlight consisted a hot-dog vendor walking up and down the stairs of Red Bull Arena for the first time this season, the Red Bulls came out aggressive in the second half. By taking 16 shots and nine shots on goal, the Red Bulls attacked the net and were clearly the dominant team.

The season is still early and with the recent moves made by the organization, fans have reasons to believe that the Red Bulls will be in sync. The only main concern the team has right now is the playing of Thierry Henry who has yet to produce a goal this season. In addition, he's missing numerous scoring opportunities as evidenced by his six shots and four shots on goal that he took last night.

One has to wonder if Henry is injured more than he's letting on, not in playing shape or simply that time has caught with him. It's still too early in the season to tell but if he doesn't start producing, Red Bulls fans in the South Ward may begin to boo him.

Prior to last night's game, the Red Bulls also honored Rafa Marquez for playing his 100th game with the Mexican National Team, El Tri in a 3-1 victory over Paraguay on March 26, 2011. Since making his debut for El Tri against Ecuador on February 5, 1997, Rafa has been an important member of the Mexican National Team.

Next week the Red Bulls travel to Philadelphia where they will face 2-1-0 Philadelphia Union at the PPL Park at 7 p.m. E.T.

Other MLS Results

On Friday, April 1, 2011 the Columbus Crew won 2-0 over FC Dallas. Saturday matches resulted with Toronto FC tying Chivas USA 1-1. The Vancouver Whitecaps FC produced two goals in stoppage time to tie Sporting KC 3-3 at Empire Field in Vancouver. 

Meanwhile the New England Revolution tied the Portland Timbers 1-1 at the Gillette Stadium. The San Jose Earthquakes battled the winless Seattle Sounders to a 2-2 draw at the Buck Shaw Stadium in San Jose. At home in the Home Depot Center, the Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the Philadelphia Union 1-0.

Cesar Diaz covers soccer for Latino Sports and freelances for USSoccerPlayers.com. You may follow him on Facebook at Covering Soccer and at Twitter at @CoveringSoccer and @LatinoSports143. Please email your questions and comments to Cesar at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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Well, Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy prove me wrong for yet another week. This time, it was all for the right reasons.

The other Brazilian on the Galaxy's roster, Leonardo, broke through for his first-ever goal on a set piece from David Beckham in the 33rd minute to give Los Angeles a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union.

But the person on the pitch who really stole the show on Saturday night at the Home Depot Center was the match referee, Mr. Paul Ward.

Ward issued 10 cards, all drawn out during the second half. This had to be his way of saying, "I don't care if you are a designated player or a deadbeat off the street playing the game for the first time. I will card you and I can't be reprimanded because players and coaches get fined for criticizing my abusal of my leet card-issuing abilities. Boo-yah!"

Well, that's a casual way of putting it, but this was a tad too excessive.

I found it hilarious that the "Chicken Thief" from last year's game at the Home Depot Center, Jack McInerney, got sent off by Ward late in stoppage time, as if it was a last-ditch face-saving attempt to placate the home fans, who had already lost faith in him when he sent off Chris Birchall earlier.

Look at how many cards he dealt. Ward issued four yellows and one red to each side. If Major League Soccer does not look at this and give him some form of reprimand, a piece of the league's credibility is lost; this was an utter abomination.

But what wasn't an abomination was the play of the Galaxy's defense, specifically the work of goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.

Welcome back, oh Big Cat from Montego Bay. He made key stop after key stop in goal, and seems to be on the rebound after his preseason injury.

And how about the return of Omar Gonzalez? The back line missed his tall presence in their last two matches, and Gonzalez made it hard for the likes of Sebastien Le Toux, former Galaxy frontman Carlos Ruiz and Danny Mwanga tonight.

Even while playing with 10 men, the Galaxy continued to dispossess and play their brand of football, containing the sequences by Philadephia, disrupting the pace and going on the counter at will, culminating in a lottery of set piece chances for Beckham.

There's a word for that: continuity. And they will need to display this as the season goes on.

Offensively, the finishing is still a work in progress. Most of the set pieces from Beckham were cleared easily, or they were not finished by those on the receiving end.

For someone in his rookie season, Miguel Lopez is looking like the real deal when it comes to his ability. It's going to take some time before he finally arrives, but the looks he had could serve as warning for bigger and better things. Who knows? This young Argentinean could be opening his account, too.

I'm not sold on Juan Pablo Angel yet. Sure, he got his first goal as a member of the G's last week, but he was not a factor tonight. Actually, he was just as effective as the one-dimensional Bryan Jordan. He'll get his touches on the ball, but he can't finish.

Then again, Jordan was just thrown to the lions late in the second half and was holding on to dear life. As for Landon Donovan, he had another mediocre performance. I am waiting for him to break out and contribute to a set piece, whether it's a goal or an assist.

I will say that the Union's Stefano Miglioranzi didn't perform up to snuff and failed to take advantage of Peter Nowak's side being a man up. A shame, but that's football.

Anyway, 1-0 isn't much, but it's a win nonetheless. At the same time, the win proved costly, and someone is going to need to fill in for Birchall, who will not be available due to suspension against D.C. United.

And we all should know how challenging it is to get a result at RFK, especially with a certain Charlie Davies now in the line-up.

Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, Apr. 9 at 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET and will be televised locally by Fox Sports West.

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Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy look to bounce back from an embarrassing 4-1 defeat at Real Salt Lake when they take on Peter Nowak's high-flying Philadelphia Union today at the Home Depot Center.

The new and improved Union are coming off a couple of hard-fought 1-0 victories and look to hit their stride on the road against a team they have yet to get a result. As for the Galaxy, a victory will give them momentum into an important road swing in the middle of April.

Bleacher Report's Jo-Ryan Salazar provides you exclusive coverage of the Galaxy vs. the Union live from Victoria Street.

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We all know that Chad Ochocinco can hold his own on the football field, and he proved he could do it on the dance floor after a stint on Dancing with the Stars. But lookout, David Beckham—now he is trying to conquer the world of soccer.  

Ochocinco had a six-day trial run with Sporting Kansas City. Unfortunately for Ochocinco, he was not as much a success on the soccer field as he is on the football field. Sporting KC did not give him a contract, but did say that he could continue to practice with the reserve team as an "honorary" member.

As it turns out Ochocinco played competitive soccer back in high school and some may remember when he kicked the extra point for the Bengals in 2009 when Kicker Shayne Graham was injured. Even though his skills were not enough to keep him on the team, he was just happy to get out and get some exercise.

“I just played in a match for a professional soccer team,” Ochocinco said. “It doesn’t get any better than that. What is everybody else (in the NFL) doing? ...I can get better, stay fit, continue to stay active instead of being home on my butt.”

Ochocinco has also made it clear that he is not concerned about the lockout. He claims he makes enough money off the field that there is no point in arguing with the owners over revenue.

So where will the combination of professional soccer and the NFL lockout take him? No one knows.

But Ochocinco is definitely down for the ride.

For more info on Chad Ochocinco and Sporting KC go to: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/03/29/2762390/ochocinco-will-train-with-sporting.html 

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This is Part 11 in a list of players that will be joining the Los Angeles Galaxy this season.


In order for Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy to be a relevant force in Major League Soccer, it must start from the grassroots level. More and more, young players are being given the chance to show what they can do in MLS and the Reserve League, the proving grounds for the next generation of stars in the league.

Two young Galaxy players hoping to make an impact in the future are Miguel Lopez and Jack McBean.


Miguel Lopez

Miguel Lopez is a 22-year-old midfielder who can play wide on the left or in the central midfield. Born in Ensenada, Argentina, Lopez began his career at Gimnasia La Plata at the age of 10, playing on the youth sides for seven seasons from 1998 through 2005.

After spending three years with the Gimnasia, Lopez spent three seasons with Argentina B side Deportivo Coreano from 2005-08. He then spent one season with Primera C side Defensores Cambaceres before signing with Quilmes AC in June 2009.

During his time with Quilmes, Lopez played alongside 2010 Galaxy SuperDraft selection and current Galaxy midfielder Paolo Cardozo. His skills playing the midfield while doubling as a second forward caught the attention of Galaxy team scouts, who signed Lopez to a loan deal on Jan. 28, 2011.

Lopez made his debut appearance on March 26, 2011 against Real Salt Lake.


Jack McBean

Homegrown players are always a plus to any side because they have the potential to translate their skills at the youth level into success down the road at the senior level.

One of those homegrown players is Jack McBean, from Newport Beach, Calif. McBean, the youngest player on the Galaxy's roster at the age of 16, first broke on to the scene for the G's last year, when he debuted for the LA Galaxy Youth Academy Under-16 team at the SUM U-17 Cup in Houston, Texas.

During his work with the Galaxy U-16s, McBean scored nine goals in 10 appearances en route to a 10-0-1 record in the fall portion of the campaign.

At the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase in Phoenix, Ariz., McBean scored a hat trick against South Carolina United FC and also played in one of the Academy Select games. In that match, he came in as a sub and helped his side win 2-1.

But McBean's greatest success in his young footballing career has to come as a member of the USA Under-17 Men's National Team. He was one of 40 players selected for the Residency Program in January 2011, which was before he was signed by the club on Jan. 28.

McBean made his international debut off the bench in a friendly against Jamaica on Jan. 27, which ended in a scoreless draw.

McBean saw limited playing time, but he did his part in helping the USA win their very first CONCACAF U-17 Championship, capped off by a 3-0 victory over Canada in extra time. McBean now hopes to add some playing tin in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico to his resume of accomplishments.

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In what many fans were hoping was an elaborate April Fool's joke, the merger with CenturyLink and Qwest became final today.  The Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders Football Club have a very strong relationship with their fans, and their fans have a strong tie to the building their teams play in.  

Qwest Field has become ingrained in the culture of Seattle sports fans.  Yes, it is just a name, and not nearly as catchy as Seahawks Field.  Granted, Sounders fans would take umbrage with that name at this point.  

But, fans are not at ease with the pending changes.  In an earlier article, it was mentioned that we are better off having a nice stadium with a corporate name, but we beat the Saints a few months ago.  We want to have our cake and eat it too.

Qwest Field doesn't sound overly corporate, and it just flows well—even after fans have had a few adult beverages with questionable volumes of fluid.  Is it a large, or is it a medium?

In a prepared statement, CenturyLink President Brian Stading gave a bit of a glimpse into the future of the stadium's name.  "CenturyLink is excited to become a vital part of the Seattle community, the Seahawks, Sounders FC, and incredible atmosphere fans of both teams provide.  Transitional branding with sponsorship items inside Qwest Field begins in late April at the Sounders FC games. Fans will notice a new look to existing Qwest ads and promotions with this transitional branding."

So in the short term, fans can perhaps expect to see different names on cups and napkins, and maybe changes in the internal signage.  However, there is no reason to believe the big, official name on the top of the roof is going to be changed in the immediate future.

We knew it was inevitable, but if CenturyLink is serious on their pledge, and they want to garner some immediate support in their new Washington market, they need to be sensitive to the new name.  Granted, Mr. Stading, it is your company to run and your stockholders' money, but you can enter Washington state with a lot of goodwill with one simple move.

Don't name the stadium CenturyLink Field.  If you do, fans will call it The Clink.  Perhaps that is a moniker that you wouldn't mind, but most of us would think a telecommunications giant would like to have a bit more of a progressive spin to their name.

We have a suggestion for your consideration, given that it doesn't appear you've made final decisions.  First would be 12th Man Field at CenturyLink Complex, which truly does honor the fanbase of Washington and beyond.  There is a stadium and an exhibition center, which would allow different branding for the latter venue.  Option two would be Football Clubs of Seattle Stadium at CenturyLink Field.  

You have an opportunity to dedicate the stadium to the fans who make these sports so great in Seattle.  The goodwill and additional media exposure from such a seemingly selfless act would do wonders for your reputation.  Then again, we can always have The Clink T-Shirts ready by whatever date the NFL takes the field again.

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