The New York Red Bulls, now in their 15th year of existence, have been a roller coaster of a franchise. There have been some extreme highs but also some terrible, unthinkable lows. There has been a revolving door of coaches and players, a name change, and a new stadium for the team to call its own.

Two players, more so than any others, have been through almost all of it. And after the 2010 season, they’ll be a part of the club’s history as well.

Forward John Wolyniec has retired effective immediately, and defender Mike Petke will finish out the current season before hanging up his boots.

Both are New York natives, were drafted by the club, and have spent the majority of their careers with the Red Bulls. They also both have two appearances with the U.S. National Team.

Wolyniec spent seven of his 12 MLS seasons, over three separate stints, with the New York club. He is second in franchise history in regular-season games played with 142 appearances and fifth in goals scored in all competitions with 36.

Petke is a 13-year veteran, seven of which (over two stints) have been spent with New York. He is the club’s all-time leader in regular season games played (167), games started (158), and minutes played (14,006). He was most recently voted by the fans as one of the Red Bulls All-Time Best XI. He also recently became only the 12th player in league history to play in 300 MLS games.

These two players endeared themselves to the fans for so many priceless moments on the field.

Wolyniec shined during the 2008 playoffs. In the second leg of the opening round Wolyniec scored a goal in the team’s 3-0 rout of the Houston Dynamo, and then proceeded to do the Thriller dance. He continued his scoring ways scoring in the Cup final against the Columbus Crew. That strike is the first-ever, and only, goal scored by the Red Bulls in the championship game.

Petke was forever embedded in club lore when in 2000, the then-spiky-haired, bleached-tips defender stood up for his fallen teammate.

In a game against since-folded franchise Tampa Bay, an opposing forward broke the ribs of Metrostars goalkeeper Mike Ammann by kicking him although Ammann had control of the ball. No disciplinary action was taken by the league.

In the team’s next game, Petke scored and lifted his jersey revealing a t-shirt that read “August 16: Crime of the Century” on the front and “Revenge is Coming” on the back. The league fined him, but the fans’ love for him was permanently cemented.

After a strong 2000 campaign, Petke trialed with Bundesliga side Bayern Munich and was offered a contract by FC Kaiserslautern, but elected to stay with the Metrostars, the club he has always called home, no matter who he played with.

One thing that really has been evident in both of their careers has been leadership and strong work ethics.  No matter what the circumstance those two have been true professionals. Even if the season was a lost cause those two continued to work as if every game was the championship.

The fans loved Wolyniec for his ability to come off the bench, no matter how early or late in the game, and change the action. The “Staten Island Ronaldo” could score in a mere few minutes of work, but most importantly, he brought life and energy on the field when the team needed it most.

Petke returned to the Red Bulls for the 2009 season, a disastrous season resulting in a 5-19-6. However, there was Petke on the practice field every day pushing himself and his teammates, and calling them out when they weren’t performing up to par.

Rewarding these players is a must. They were both fortunate enough to finally play in Red Bull Arena, a home stadium rumored to be built for what seemed like the entirety of their careers yet finally came to fruition this season. Wolyniec will be honored before the team’s October 2 game against Kansas City.

There is still one thing that the team can do, at least for Petke, and that is to finally win the championship.

It would be the perfect ending for the perfect Red Bull.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Everything is better when David Beckham is back. Seriously.

And even though he saw an expected 20 minutes of action in relief of Juninho (who also returned from his own matters on the other side of the Western Hemisphere), it was a manageable margin—yellow card, touches and all—in the Los Angeles Galaxy's 3-1 victory over the Columbus Crew at the Home Depot Center.

On the ninth anniversary of 9/11, the Galaxy got a little revenge for what their youth academy Under-20s did to them in Rockford, Illinois several days ago.

So now this one question sprouts out of the seeds of this relieved publian: will they make this a habit?

Tonight, the fans saw what they were accustomed to during the early part of the season. They were treated to crisp passing and solid defending from the back line of Omar Gonzalez, Leonardo, Sean Franklin, and Todd Dunivant, save for one blatant hiccup (more on that later).

As a matter of fact, this was the first time in recent memory that the back line played like a back line. It's been too long since I've given a rave review on this otherwise inconsistent foursome, but they got the job done. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Eddie Gaven, and Steven Lenhart got stymied once again by a team that needed this win.

The Galaxy NEEDED this win. This result was a breath of fresh air, a release from the smog that was the last two months.

Offensively, the Buddlevan Connection was back online...via an intermediary by the name of Sean Franklin. In the 13th minute, Buddle earned his 14th of the season from Landon Donovan and Franklin.

About 22 minutes later, Dema Kovalenko found real estate in Columbus's defensive third. You cannot give up that much space to Kovalenko; otherwise, his finishing touch will make you pay. And he did, giving Los Angeles a 2-0 lead and opening his scoring account in the process.

The icing on the cake came in the 55th minute, when Alex Cazumba's free kick found Jovan Kirovski for his fourth of the season.

But what really got the fans pumped up was the inevitable return of David Beckham.

A few minutes after the whistle blew, the flashbulbs were off as Beckham warmed up. The flashbulbs intensified as he took off his warm-up jersey and put on his game jersey. And as he took the pitch, the energy in Victoria Street hit a peak and the rest is history, as the old saying goes.

You know, I would like this to happen—and excuse me as I put my Bruce Arena hat on— have Beckham play the second half next week against D.C. United. Then—if he is in good stead, and feeling fit as ever—start him against the New York Red Bulls.

Picture this: Thierry henry, Juan Pablo Angel, David Beckham, Rafa Marquez, and Landon Donovan (oh yes, and Edson Buddle too) all on the same pitch. Better get Lalas Hill ready, ye men and women of the Galaxy Front Office. I feel a sellout coming on September 24. I hope...


Ins and Outs

Chicken Thief No. 8: Andres Mendoza

This 85th minute goal was a flat-out gimme. No help from the back line in what was essentially a reprise of the past misdeeds of the past twon months, and Donovan Ricketts was a lame, sitting duck hung out to dry.

Uh, guys in the back, when are you going to kick this habit of giving up howlers? Mercy!

Cue that McBain scene from the Simpson involving Rainier Wolfcastle.

I will go on the record to say that Mendoza, a feisty Peruvian with the heart of a lion, was the hardest-working player on Columbus, and I'll tell you why: he has no respect for Beckham. Mendoza challenged his recently-healed Achilles, and even though Becks didn't get hurt and should shake it off in time for next week's match against D.C. United, he earned his goal tonight.

This back line for LA is miles away from being the finished product, but aside from this gift, they are a step in the right direction. That being said...Leonardo, you owe the 19,000-plus in attendance some chicken, boy! Pay up!

Movin' right along...


"Just Call Me Joe!"

Earlier today I said my customary hello to the voice of the LA Galaxy, the one, the only, the incredible Mr. Joe Tutino. He perhaps went out to check his car and/or meet with some of his connections in the parking lot. In a twist of fate, instead of Mr. Tutino, he told me, "Just call me Joe!"

Boy what a gentleman. He's a down to earth guy and a great personality. One of the best in the business. Be sure to check out his "Cup of Joe" interviews fresh from the percolator that is LAGalaxy.com.


A cheap way to get a sound bite

Inside the press box, I noticed that a Nick Green of the Long Beach Press Telegram and a few others were using their voice recorders and gluing them to a television screen to get an interview from David Beckham on the pitch.

Now I thought that was a clever idea. Just amp up the tellies in the box, glue the recorders, and get the sound bites. Upload it to wherever, and watch the magic unfold.

At first I thought this was a hilarious gimmick, but after I thought about it, this was convenience defined. A serendipity doo dah, if you will. Smart, you lot.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

At this point, United fans would welcome a goal from anyone on the squad, but defender Julius James must have been on few people’s minds to snatch the only goal in an otherwise dour affair at Toronto’s BMO field.

The former Toronto big man had netted only two previous goals in MLS before settling Branko Baskovic’s 81st minute free kick on the six-yard box, feigning—maybe tripping, but we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt—and slotting home past Stefan Frei, much to the chagrin of the 20,000+ fans in attendance.

It was a welcome turn of late-game fortune for United, who have let in an astounding 14 goals in the final 15 minutes of their 23 games this season.  The squad was buoyed by the returns of the Montenegrin Baskovic and Canadian Dejan Jakovic from International call-ups, Jakovic not having to travel far to meet up with the team after a series of Canadian friendlies. 

The Montenegrin Maestro and veteran Canadian had little calming effect on the side in the first half however, as possession was given away far too often and Toronto displayed early signals of intent when Dwayne DeRosario smacked a shot off Troy Perkins’ post.  But the Canadians’ attack soon fizzled as the game degenerated into a series of fouls and sloppy passes before the halftime whistle.

In a welcome sign of actual leadership in the squad, team captain Santino Quaranta delivered an unequivocal answer when questioned on his team’s chances in the second half: “We are going to win this game.”  His words seemed more in hope than reality before James’ late strike, but it was certainly refreshing to see the captain stand up and offer some leadership for this otherwise desperate team.

The late goal put United in the particularly unfamiliar position of defending a lead late in a game and their inexperience was certainly laid bare.  The contest was full-blown Keystone Cops by the end, with bodies flying every which direction and Perkins seemingly constantly over-reaching for loose balls in his area. 

United persevered however, and now leave their Canadian foes further on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture; a small victory, but given results this season, we’ll take any victory. 

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

The New York Red Bulls beat the Colorado Rapids 3-1 at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey in front of a sold-out crowd.

Thierry Henry, Tim Ream, and Dane Richards scored for the Red Bulls. Omar Cummings scored for the Rapids.

Thierry Henry scored the first goal of the game within 17 minutes with a direct kick into the left side of the goal post. Henry was assisted by Joel Lindpere in scoring the first goal.

Tim Ream scored the second goal of the game after an assist by Tony Tchani in 32 minutes.

The Rapids had posession of the ball and Tchani received it by mistake. He kicked it in the direction of Ream. He then proceeded to do a clean-cut kick into the center of the goal post in 32 minutes.

Dane Richards scored the third and final goal for the Red Bulls in 58 minutes. Juan Pablo Angel assisted Richards in scoring the last goal of the Red Bulls.

The Colorado Rapids were quick to prevent the game from becoming a shut out. Omar Cummings scored the only goal for his team with a distant kick that landed in the side of the goal post before entering the net.

The game itself was one in which both teams played very well as if it were the last game in their lives.

The Red Bulls and Rapids were consistent and disciplined in their passes, defense, and offense games. Colorado deserves credit for at least trying to keep up with New York.

New York refused to give up and were attempting to widen its lead. Joel Lindpere even attempted a fourth goal within the last minute. The result was a deflection of the ball from the goal post.

Baldomero Toledo was the referee of the game and he deserves high marks for fairness. He issued yellow cards to Chris Albright (New York Red Bulls), Anthony Wallace, Jamie Smith, and Wells Thompson (the last three of the Colorado Rapids) for unsportsmanlike conduct.

New York Red Bulls 3-1 Colorado Rapids

Red Bull Stadium New Jersey

Most Valued Player: Tim Ream

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

As the MLS season moves ever closer to the playoffs, the one thing that the Seattle Sounders did not want to endure was a loss in their match with red-hot Real Salt Lake Thursday night.

Kasey Keller, the Sounders' team captain and most veteran player at 40, proved once more why he has become one of the enduring players of American soccer with an impressive resume of international professional activity along with spots on the American National Team.

In a tightly locked defensive struggle where goals are at a premium, the surest route to victory often lies in making good on a penalty kick.  The odds are squarely in favor of the offensive side and a defending goalkeeper is compelled to initially guess right and then make a quick move to thwart a booming kick at close range.

Veteran goalie Keller was the man for such a job, as he snuffed out Real Salt Lake’s golden opportunity and enabled the Sounders, who now stand at 9-9-6, to avoid the loss and garner a point.   

Keller stopped a penalty kick in the 32nd minute by Robbie Findley, who had been tripped by Seattle defender Jeff Parke in the left side of the box.  Referee Paul Ward immediately pointed to the spot. It was the fourth PK Keller has faced this year, and the second in the last three games, but was his first stop.

"I mean, penalty saves are penalty saves,” Keller said.  “You just hope you go the right way.  It was great to be able to come up with that save at that time. You hope he puts it somewhere where you can save it, and today, [Findley] did that, which was nice."

The save provided the dramatic high point of the night for the Sounders' faithful at the Xbox Pitch of Qwest Field, where 36,078 were in attendance on Thursday.  The home crowd were so inspired by Keller’s save that they began to loudly chant his name, later evoking a response from the veteran goalkeeper.

"There's going to be far more years when they don't chant my name so it's nice when they do,” a gratified Keller exclaimed.  “The most important thing was getting away with this game. It was one of those games where they came here to get at least one point and if they got something more then they were very happy about that.

“I thought the first 10 or 15 minutes we were tremendous and then we kind of didn't quite play as well after that. But some guys really stepped up. Ossie [Osvaldo Alonso] continued to play great. Zach Scott came in for James [Riley] and did a tremendous job. We are doing okay.

“We are frustrated. Sure. We want to win every time we step on this field. But people have to understand that teams are going to come here and really make it difficult for us because they respect what we have done here and what this crowd is like. Like I said, we could've gotten a little more today but it's definitely not the end of the world."

Real Salt Lake came into Seattle on a roll and remain there by emerging with a tie and one point in a challenging road environment.  Last year’s MLS Cup titlist now boasts an impressive 12-4-8 mark and 44 points.  The tie moved the Utah team into a tie for first place in the West, level with the L.A. Galaxy and the Columbus Crew in the Supporters' Shield race.

The goalkeeper position was one of the high points of the night for the visitors as well.  Kyle Reynish, who had played but one game for Real Salt Lake, stepped in for Nick Rimando on Thursday.  Rimando, who helped Salt Lake win the MLS Cup at Qwest Field last November, tweaked his Achilles' tendon during practice on Wednesday.  He was held out as a precautionary measure by coach Jason Kreis.  Reynish made two saves.

With the Thursday night clean sheet, Salt Lake recorded its fourth straight shutout.  It has not allowed a goal in 452 minutes.

"I have a ton of respect for Nicky (Rimando),” Reynish said.  “He's one of the top keepers in the league. But the guys (in front of me) were great tonight compared to the Philadelphia game a few weeks ago. It was much less for me to do."

Seattle moved back into sole possession of fifth place in the Western Conference and into seventh place in the overall playoff picture, one point ahead of San Jose. But Sounders Coach Sigi Schmid didn't like having to settle for just the one point at home.

With Seattle chasing points late in the campaign and playing an important match at home, Schmid understandably wanted the three points a victory would have provided.  He has set a figure of 45 points as the amount that would ensure his team postseason activity.

Schmid addressed the match’s result and where his team fell short on goal productivity:

"I think we battled and we fought, but I don't think we played great soccer tonight. So it was a little disappointing in that regard because I know we have more in us," Schmid said. "For whatever reason, all of our passing was disjointed, and we didn't click in that regard.”

As for goalkeeper Reynish’s play, Schmid said, "With any keeper, you just have to put shots on goal.  Reynish did well, but I don't think we put enough things on goal to really test him often enough. Ossie [Alonso] did a couple of times on some shots, but there was nothing clean that I felt really put him under pressure. He did well. And we find out about that when the lineups are exchanged so when we put the lineups for the guys, they knew then."

Schmid was delighted with Keller’s performance, stating, “Kasey Keller made a great save on the penalty [kick].”

Seattle held the advantage on the evening in shots at 10-7.  Much of it came from a 6-2 edge on corner kicks. The teams were even 2-2 on goal.  Sounders FC also suffered 15 fouls.

The draw could have been predicted by the teams’ first meeting in Real Salt Lake’s home opener April 10; That match ended in a 2-2 deadlock.

On a positive note for the Sounders, Thursday’s match was the 29th consecutive sellout of MLS matches with the attendance of 36,078.

The deadlock enabled Real Salt Lake to continue an impressive current run, extending their unbeaten streak to seven games at 3-0-4.  Salt Lake is 11-1-7 in their last 19 matches.  The only loss during that stretch was a 2-0 decision at FC Dallas on July 17. This marked the 10th shutout in those 19 games.

Seattle Sounders FC now go into road play overdrive.  Their next four matches span three nations over 12 days, beginning with a CONCACAF Champions League contest against Costa Rica's CD Saprissa on September 14. The Sounders then return to MLS play September 19 at Columbus.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Digging into MLS salary numbers is a bit like knowing I’ll get a hangover, but opening that next bottle of wine anyway.  The problem is, understanding the salary cap and restrictions are core to understanding the league.

The hardest part of finishing up this series of around building an MLS roster for $1 million in total compensation is that there are so many interesting ideas to follow up with that it’s hard to keep focused on a few key points.

But let’s give it a try…

First, I wanted to point out that my use of total compensation rather than base salary information exaggerated the challenge, since base salaries are more relevant for the MLS salary cap, which is currently around $2.5 million for a full roster.

However, at worst, it made the challenge more difficult.  When using the more salary cap-relevant base salary information, the team I picked would have cost $844,960 in base 2010 salary.  This means that the team, which I still think would be competitive in MLS, would only be one third of a typical MLS club’s budget.

Not bad.

It’s also worth pointing out that in creating this exercise, I’m dealing in a completely implausible world, where I can sift through league rosters and choose whoever I want.  No front-office in the league has ever been offered such a luxury.  Even expansion teams are only able to pick from non-protected players—where smart teams weed out the best bargains before the draft.

One of the biggest considerations in my view, was how to achieve the best team balance.  Anyone familiar with MLS can recall an exciting passing sequence, or especially creative move, that is immediately followed by a missed trap of the most basic variety that sees the ball go out of bounds.

Is there anything more frustrating?

This is one area that seems to be a particular struggle for MLS teams like my local New England Revolution.   I ran some numbers to compare the roster I picked for that $1 million to the roster the Revolution fielded against Philadelphia that same weekend I was in the middle of my salary number crunching.

In that game, the Revs lineup was $300,000-plus on my selected team, and they were without an otherwise obvious starter of Matt Reis, who would have added another $100,000-plus to the starting 11.

This picture is a graph that plots the salaries of my lesser-paid starting 11 versus the Revolution starting 11 for that game (the picture sorts from low-to-high based on base 2010 salary).

The Revs lineup (v. Union) vs. My Million-Dollar 11

What’s more interesting is that even with the higher overall salary value, for that game, if you were to pile all the players into a single group (the Revs starting 11 plus my choices) of 22 players, six of the lowest seven base salaries would have been Revolution players, as would six of the bottom nine based on total compensation.

To further illustrate the current Revolution challenge, here’s a chart of the base and total compensation of all 2010 Revolution players, including those dropped and added mid-season.

The Revs lineup (v. Union) vs. My Million-Dollar 11

Anyone who tracks the Revolution does not need to have it emphasized that two of the three players that constitute that “hockey stick” rise in salaries are not on the field in 2010 (Twellman, Jankauskas)—totally slamming any sense of balance in our lineup.

However, there is a crowd of “barely paid” professionals at the other end of the spectrum that see plenty of action.

To me, this illustrates the extreme importance of placing winning bets with highly-paid players, and perhaps the greater importance of spreading the wealth to solid players across the lineup.

What becomes clear is that, despite having positioned the lack of an aggressive pursuit of a designated player on the idea that it might unbalance the Revolution’s history of a solid lineup and cohesive locker room, the team is already very unbalanced.

Despite the fact that MLS slush-funds for salary cap use (aka, allocation money) blurs things, it still appears that the Revolution have the two most expensive non-DP’s in the league—Taylor Twellman and Shalrie Joseph.

It’s not the team’s fault that Twellman’s injury took him out for the year, but not being more aggressive with a creative answer to that major salary commitment is something they should answer for (if he barely played last year, why risk such a huge investment in the roster all year?  Was there no creative option left?).

Shalrie Joseph remains one of the league’s top midfielders, but has had (for his standards) an up-and-down year, further marred by a league suspension for substance abuse issues (however minor some might argue they may have been).

That didn’t help the “marketability” of him to an already reticent fan base.

Add to those issues a non-playing third most costly player and one of the league’s most expensive goalkeepers, and you end up with the worst-case scenario of an unbalanced team, where your biggest investments do not make a difference in the quality of play or team marketability.

The Revolution will never need to play my bargain basement top 11, but I sure do wonder how that game have ended.   If team balance is truly important for MLS success, which I suggest it is, someone needs to ask if the Revolution were ever really structured for success in 2010.

The bigger question is, how much can—and will—be changed for 2011?

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

It was a week ago that David Beckham made a promise to return to action for Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy against Robert Warzycha's Columbus Crew on September 11, 2010.

Fast forward a week: it looks like he is set to make due on his guarantee after taking part in an accelerated training session on Tuesday.

“You can tell he has that competitiveness back,” Galaxy defender Todd Dunivant said. “When you come back from something that long, you’re kind of careful at first. Now he’s over that."

“It’s given us a boost. Anytime you can add someone like David Beckham to their team at this stage of the season is going to be a big plus for you.”

If Beckham does make his return to action against Columbus, it would be earlier than expected. During training, Beckham went through drills that restored his strength and agility while the rest of the team played short-sided games. Eventually, he participated in full training sessions with the club.

Arena, however, opted to ease him into action instead of rushing him in.

“Having a player of that quality around is huge. It makes a difference,” Arena said earlier this week. “Therefore, that’s why we’re hopeful we get him to a point where he can get on the field and help us this year.”

“I think it’s up to him and the coaching staff to realize where David’s at,” Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez said. “If it’s still hurting him, another game won’t hurt to sit him out but if he’s ready to go, it’s all up to him."

Beckham would be available on September 16 against D.C. United if Arena chooses not to place the England international on the bench this week.

“We’ve got to be good professionals and do our job,” Dunivant said. “If he does get some time, it will be great. If he doesn’t, he’ll be ready the next week I’m sure. David is the ultimate competitor and he’ll want to be out there.”

Kickoff for the match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Columbus Crew is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT and can be seen on tape delay at 9:30 p.m. PT on Fox Sports West.

Ins and Outs

350 Minutes of Futility Down the Drain

Omar Gonzalez's goal on Saturday against the Chicago Fire ended a goalless streak that lasted 350 minutes.

This streak is the third-longest in MLS this year and the second-longest in club history; only the Kansas City Wizards (402 minutes) and D.C. United (352 minutes) have gone longer without scoring a goal in the league this season.

Los Angeles' record for the longest span without a goal in 525 minutes, from April 29 to June 3 of the 2006 season.

Juninho Is a Go

If Beckham is not available to be on the bench Saturday against the Crew, Juninho will definitely be available for action. Juninho has missed the last two games while attending to personal matters in his native Brazil.

Currently, Juninho has appeared in and started 18 games for the club. The 21-year-old Brazilian has a goal and two assists, while also adding a goal in the U.S. Open Cup win over AC St. Louis on June 29.

Over the four games missed, the Galaxy have only mustered a 1-2-1 record.

Could Another Dry Spell End on Saturday?

Victoria Street's home field advantage has been lacking in more ways than one for the G's.

The Galaxy are 0-3-1 at The Home Depot Center since a 3-1 win over Seattle on July 4, including 0-2-1 in the league.

With the defeats to Kansas City and Chicago, the Galaxy have now lost consecutive home games in the league for the first time since 2007.

The only time that LA dropped three or more consecutive home games was in 2006, where they lost four straight from April 22 to June 8.

Stephens on the Bench

Michael Stephens, after playing in LA's first 22 games of the 2010 Major League Soccer campaign, was an unused substitute. The 21-year-old rookie was the only player to appear in the Galaxy's first 22 games and was on track to become the second straight rookie to appear in all 30 MLS matches this season.

The UCLA graduate is now tied with Omar Gonzalez for the most games played on the team this season, each appearing in 22 games. Stephens has one goal and seven assists to go with 18 starts and 1,629 minutes, good for fourth-most on the team.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

As of  last check  over 1,007,987 soccer fans had cast their vote on the Bid City Leader board, at gousabid.com, this in an effort to help lure either World Cup 2018 or 2022 here to the United States.

Soccer fans in Houston, Texas, led the crusade with over 72,000 votes. Is your city in the Top 10?

Rank

City

Supporters

1

Houston

72,714

2

Miami

69,125

3

Tampa Bay

62,517

4

Los Angeles

62,051

5

NY/NJ

57,556

6

Philadelphia

48,922

7

Seattle

41,269

8

Atlanta

39,709

9

Washington DC

35,696

10

Baltimore

34,010

If you would like to help the cause and have not yet voted, you can do so at www.gousabid.com 

Earlier this week, a FIFA inspection team led by Harold Mayne-Nicholls arrived in the United States to tour our facilities and attend events related to the U.S. bid. The delegation, which is expected to remain stateside until Sept. 10, will travel with members of the USA Bid Committee to five U.S. cities.

Currently the United States is one of nine countries bidding to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, but at the moment most critics agree that England is probably the front- runner to entertain the 2018 World Cup.

Nonetheless, the USA bid committee forges on and has assembled a group of powerful board members to boot.  A board that includes the likes of former president Bill Clinton, who is also its honorary chairman; boxer Oscar De La Hoya; actor Brad Pitt; and Bob Iger, president and CEO of Disney.

The USA Bid Committee even launched an e-mail marketing push back on July 1 utilizing the new found star power of American soccer player Landon Donovan, who of course was not only captain of this summer’s USA World Cup team buy also its biggest star.

Yes, the bid committee is pulling out all the stops as representatives from 18 different U.S. cities showed up for a special party in New York earlier this week to welcome the FIFA World Cup inspection team.

Philadelphia Union Team President Tom Veit told me that he thinks Philadelphia would make for a great host World Cup City. “It’s a great soccer market," said Veit. “It has been for a hundred years, I think what the union has helped do is pop the cork and given Philly soccer fans a focus to show how passionate they are about the sport."

As you can see by the bid city leaderboard above, almost 50,000 Philadelphia-area soccer fans have cast their vote to bring the Cup to town and sometime over the next 80 days or so, we will find out just how much of an influence we have made on the FIFA Cup inspection team when they announce their selection for host countries for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

By the way, the United States got high reviews from FIFA when they last hosted the World Cup in 1994.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Seattle Sounders FC and reigning MLS Cup champion Real Salt Lake, two teams currently demonstrating winning ways, clash in a late-season Western Conference showdown Thursday night before a national television audience and capacity crowd on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. First kick is 8 p.m. PT with the match telecast live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

Undefeated in its last four games against Western Conference foes, the Rave Green seeks its fourth straight home win before beginning an odyssey of four road matches being played in three nations over 12 days.

Real Salt Lake will be returning to the site of its most glorious night.  That occurred last November 22 when it prevailed over the L.A. Galaxy in a shoot-out to claim its first MLS Cup.

Sounders FC has compiled a 9-9-5 mark for 32 points in league play.  The team stands 12-11-7 overall.  It has recently been on domestic tear, losing only once with a glossy 7-1-2 mark in 10 games. The next phase of matches will prove challenging as well as seasonally pivotal.

The next two MLS games come against defending champion RSL and the Columbus Crew, winner of the last two Supporters' Shields and Coach Sigi Schmid’s former team. The resumption of CONCACAF Champions League adds three more matches this month. There will be over 13,000 air miles flown across the U.S. and Central America by the time Seattle returns home after playing in Chicago on September 25.

Last week the Sounders experienced mixed emotions. First came the high notes as Seattle continued its march through the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, bringing the Cup Final to the Emerald City October 5 by beating Chivas USA, 3-1, in Tukwila, Wash., Wednesday night.

Three days later in New England, the Sounders hit a speed bump to terminate the team’s recent unbeaten string with its first MLS defeat in two months.  Seattle fell 3-1 to the Revolution.

Real Salt Lake holds an impressive 12-4-7 MLS mark with 43 points.  It won its last match 1-0 at home against New York, tying the record of 22 consecutive unbeaten home games. Owner of an MLS best plus-21 goal differential, RSL has been more vulnerable on the road, going 3-4-4 and drawing in its last three matches.

Both teams have rebounded from slow starts. Real Salt Lake, after winning just one of its first five, has gone 11-1-6 since April. Not until July did the Sounders FC catch fire, going 5-1-2 in its last eight outings.

Seattle seeks its first MLS win over Real since the second game of its inaugural season. The league series is tied at 1-1-1 after the sides finished even at 2-2 in Real Salt Lake's 2010 home opener April 10. Although separated by a time zone and 691 miles, for now Salt Lake is Seattle's closest MLS neighbor.  This will change next year with both Vancouver British Columbia and Portland joining the league.

The Utah side is second in the Western Conference, just one point behind the Galaxy and Crew in the Supporters' Shield race.  Seattle is tied for fifth in the West but is currently in position to grab a wild card playoff slot.

Each team will get the weekend off before playing Champions League dates to begin next week. Sounders FC visits Costa Rica's CD Saprissa on September 14 and RSL hosts Canadian champion Toronto FC September 15.

Seattle returns to MLS play September 19 at Columbus. The two sides will meet again 16 days later in the U.S. Open Cup Final October 5. Tickets for that match went on sale Tuesday at 10 a.m. PT.

Following Tuesday’s workout at the team’s Tukwila, Wash., training facility Coach Schmid commented on Real Salt Lake as well as other current matters.

“Their style is really the same [as it was in the first meeting] in terms of how they pinch their midfielders,” Schmid said concerning the Utah team.  “I think [Alvaro] Saborio has become a bigger part of their team at this stage.

“Early in the season he was working his way into the team. Now he has definitely become their target, lead striker. [Fabian] Espindola and him have formed a good combination, so [Robbie] Findley plays a little bit less. But obviously he is dangerous off the bench. They are really a similar type of team except it’s given them time to gel with Saborio.”

On the subject of Tuesday’s training session, Schmid exclaimed, “We wanted to get some things done today, for sure. We wanted to continue to work on our ball movement. That was the first drill that we did where we quartered the field.

“We wanted to get some finishing done, so we got that. We wanted to remind our defenders about clearances because we thought our inability or poor clearance for sure cost us the third goal (Saturday against New England), so we wanted to work on that. And 5 v 5 goals in tight,  I think if you ask any player that’s just fun. It’s intense but it’s fun.”

The Sounders’ mentor addressed the pivotal period of Saturday night’s match against New England when three goals were conceded in eleven minutes, eliminating a 1-0 Seattle lead and ultimately costing the team the match.

“I think through 60 minutes we had the game pretty much in hand and then we woke up the sleeping dog,” Schmid said.  “ … When the incident occurred between [Patrick] Ianni and Shalrie [Joseph] and then later the push on [Fredy] Montero, which looked worse because he went flying into the board, Montero had been pushed like that a couple times already by [Kevin] Alston and nothing (had happened), at that point I think it energized them.

“It motivated them, put them back into the game mentally and then we gave up a bad first goal. We cleared one off the line just moments earlier and then they get the same throw-in, same position, we make the same mistake and they end up scoring a goal. That’s what we are displeased with.”

Schmid was philosophical about Seattle’s seven-game MLS unbeaten streak being halted:

“We have to look at the body of our work. You can’t get hung up with just one particular incident. This is just one game and we came out on the short end of this game. But over the last two months the body of our work has been pretty good.

“Since July 4 on it has been very good. Now we have got to continue to get back to that. We know we have a good team. We know that we can play well. We just got to get right back on the horse and ride out on the field again and make it happen.”

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Tyrone Marshall wears the smile of a content man.  Spend a few minutes talking to him and you immediately learn why.

Following a recent workout at the Seattle Sounders’ Tukwila training facility, Marshall spent some time talking about his career.  He promptly revealed the basis for his happiness.

“From the time I was a very young boy I wanted to be a soccer player,” Marshall said.  “I got my dream fulfilled by getting to make my living playing the game I love.”

Marshall was born in Kingston, Jamaica and moved with his family to Fort Lauderdale at the age of 14.  He still retains some of his Jamaican accent along with certain customs, as evidenced by delivering the nation’s customary greeting of, “Hey, mon!”

Soccer was a byproduct of Marshall’s genes, which explains at least in part why he was kicking a soccer ball around by the age of four.  Marshall’s father, bearing the distinguished British first name of Cornell, had a distinguished career in the sport.

“My father began by playing semi-pro soccer,” Marshall said, “And finally he became a member of the Jamaican National Team.”

The link to the Jamaican National Team is one in which son would ultimately follow father.

The younger Marshall’s natural talent for the sport found him in youth soccer in Fort Lauderdale and later at Boyd Anderson High School at Lauderdale Lakes.  He played a variety of positions.  One of them would be his ultimate career destiny.

“I was able to score goals so I became a striker and also played at midfield,” Marshall said.  “Because defense was naturally important I would be put on the back line.  Eventually that would be where I would play in professional soccer as a central defender.”

After graduating from high school Marshall moved on to Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Kentucky.  He earned All-American honors his first two seasons there and led the Blue Raiders to their first NAIA Championship while scoring 47 goals. 

Marshall’s career with the Blue Raiders helped initiate a dynasty which has been extended to eight NAIA titles.  Despite his magnificent success, he felt it was time to move elsewhere.

“I felt like I accomplished everything I could possibly achieve at Lindsey Wilson College in those two seasons,” he related.  “When I moved on from there it involved coming back home.”

The next stop on Marshall’s successful itinerary was Florida International University in Miami.  He performed there during his junior and senior seasons in 1996 and 1997.

From there it was on to the professionals and the realization of his boyhood dream of playing professional soccer.  He was drafted by the Colorado Rapids, but after one game was dealt along with Jason Boyce to the Miami Fusion on August 14, 1998 in exchange for David Vaudreuil.

“We played a 3-5-2,” Marshall said.  “I played forward and then moved to midfield and from there to defense.”

To that point Marshall spent a large part of his soccer career at various levels of competition in his hometown Miami area.  That would change after the Miami franchise folded.  He was picked up by the Los Angeles Galaxy and a highly productive phase of his career emerged.

“The Los Angeles period was a big part of my life,” Marshall smiled.  “Three of my children were born in that period and then there was what we accomplished with the Galaxy: two MLS Cups.”

Tyrone was with the Galaxy from 2002 until his trade to Toronto in 2007.  His stalwart defending helped propel the Galaxy to MLS Cups in 2002 and 2005.  In 2005, L.A. also won the US Open Cup.

The defender had a good deal to be delighted about in his Galaxy playing experience.  In 2003 Marshall was named to the MLS All-Star team for the first time in his career.  In 2005 he started all 25 regular season matches, collecting a goal and two assists, and earning honors as the club’s defender of the year as well as another spot on the MLS All-Star squad.  

The 2006 season saw Marshall’s nifty defensive work contribute to an impressive record.  He started all 25 games and played a key role in the Galaxy’s franchise record 521 minute shutout streak.

In 2007 Marshall was traded to Toronto FC.  After spending 2008 with Toronto he was traded in exchange for allocation money to Seattle on February 10, 2009.

The 2009 season turned out to be highly productive.  Marshall started 25 of 26 regular season appearances and played the full 90 minutes in 22 contests.  He was voted by teammates as the Sounders’ Defensive Player of the Year.

Along with a fulfilling Major League Soccer career including championship cups won and two All-Star selections, Marshall completed a tandem with his father Cornell in playing for the Jamaica National Team.  He was selected in 2001 and remains a member today.

“I will never forget my first match,” Marshall said.  “I can still remember the date of May 17 because it holds such great significance.  We played to a 0-0 draw against Romania as part of a national tour.”

A meeting with Mexico in Mexico City was another match that stands out in Marshall’s mind.  Estadio Azteca or Aztec Stadium holds great significance in international soccer history. 

It was the venue for the 1968 Olympics and is the only stadium to host two FIFA World Cup finals matches in 1970 and 1986.  Its capacity of 105,000 establishes it as the largest stadium in Latin America and fifth largest in the world.    

“There was a huge crowd of some 98,000 people at Aztec Stadium when I played there,” Marshall revealed.  “What I took away from there and can never forget is how intimidating a place it is to play.  They don’t boo you but they do something else.  They make this loud buzzing sound.  It sounds like it is coming from a huge number of bees. 

By talking about it I can hear it all over again.  We lost 3-0 that day, which was an improvement over the 5-0 and 6-0 losses Jamaican teams sustained there before.  So we managed to improve on our previous efforts.”

The veteran defender has fond memories of a trip he took with his Jamaican teammates to England in 2003.  Jamaica faced Brazil.  “I will always remember that because of the great players we played against,” Marshall said.  “This was a period when Kaka and some of their other stars were just beginning to develop into great players.”

In assessing the present and the future, Marshall remains the glowing optimist.

As for the future of Major League Soccer, Marshall said, “At one time this was a league where veteran players came to finish their careers.  Now we are seeing all this younger talent come into the MLS.  I think this league has a very promising future.”

As for his current Seattle career phase, Marshall said, “I have really enjoyed my stay in Seattle and I hope to finish my career here.  The Sounders have such great fans.  We hope we can raise some more cups such as last year when we won the U.S. Open Cup.  Playing here is such an exciting challenge.”      

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here