September 24th, 2008 By Kartik Krishnaiyer --> Comments
Islanders 3 vs Santos Laguna 1(Mexico)
Dynamo 0 vs San Francisco FC 0 (Panama)
Final Thoughts:
FMF apologists will complain about the condition of the pitch tonight in Bayoman, but the bottom line is the Islanders coming off three points last week versus Tauro FC and winning the Regular Season USL-1 title are in form and looked eager to get an early goal because of the conditions. Once Puerto Rico scored that goal the game opened up despite the conditions and the Islanders dominated until about minute 60. Santos then began to really play but also in scenes reminiscent of Superliga showed the chippiness and unsporting behavior which always occurs when a Mexican side losses to an American side. Colin Clarke’s longball tactics were perfect for tonight’s muck.
In Panama, the Dynamo played a good match, the best played thus far by an MLS side in this tournament. Much like the Cuban National Team against the US who had been cooped up for much of the previous few weeks due to Tropical Storms/Hurricanes, the Dynamo showed the affects of Ike early with some rust and lack of shape. I have to assume Houston did not train for the better part of ten days. However, as the game moved on the Dynamo settled in and in the 2nd half especially after DeRo came on, Houston was the superior side. A good point on the road for Dom Kinnear’s group.
LIVE BLOG:
Two time reigning MLS Champion Houston Dyanmo and USL Commissioner’s Cup winner Puerto Rico are in action tonight. Houston has a substantially easier match in Panama City against San Francisco while the Islanders remarkable run of success will end tonight no doubt in Bayoman against Santos Laguna, whom I consider to be the best club side in CONCACAF region. Stay tuned here for live commentary as the elite teams in both of our US domestic leagues do battle tonight with some of the best from the region.
9:55 PM ET: Looks likely both results will hold. Pat Onstad and Peter Villegas have been the respective MOMs. The Santos players are being chippy and are doing a good job of baiting the Islanders. Game over, Islanders win 3-1, Dynamo draw nill nill. A good night for American sides.
9:50 PM ET: Santos has really taken over this game the last fifteen minutes. The Islanders seem to have run out of gas. In Panama, the Dyanmo are doing MLS proud tonight with an awesome display of defending and counter attacking.
9:45 PM ET: Chippy play from San Francisco. They seem desperate and Houston could nick one at the end. Holden standing over a corner, sends a good ball in which leads to a nice header which could have spilled to DeRo.
9:40 PM ET: Colin Clarke making defensive switches. It’s 11 v 10 now and he has a two goal lead. Gbandi replaces Villegas, while the Santos manager has been sent off. In Panama, the Dynamo continue to hold steady.
9:35PM ET: GOAL SANTOS followed by a fight. Typical Mexican Football where the Santos players are trying to stir it up. A Santos player hit Bill Gaudette in the eye. He has been sent off. Now the Santos players are charging the ref again. #23 on Santos sent off. (Sorry don’t know his name). DeRo and Ching on in Panama.
9:25 PM ET: Houston still keeping its shape and looking solid. Puerto Rico getting more chances and in typically Mexican fashion Santos is starting to lose their cool. San Francisco has a free kick and just missed it.
9:20 PM ET: Houston still holding its own down in Panama.
8:55 PM ET: Against a side like Santos, maybe the best team in the region, the Islanders have to take their opportunities and while they have two goals they should have at least two more. Still 2-0 in Bayoman, and 0-0 in Panama. Halftime in both games.
8:50 PM: Puerto Rico should have a third and maybe a fourth by now. Oswaldo Sanchez playing as usual huge between the pipes. Houston and San Francisco still scoreless.
8:46 PM ET: GOAL! Puerto Rico. It’s Delgado. 2-0.
8:45 PM ET: Peter Villegas has a breakaway but cannot settle the ball and loses control of it! Then a great save by Oswaldo Sanchez and then another clearance off the line by Santos. Colin Clarke’s boys could be up 2-0 now. Boy they will regret not finishing in that sequence.
8:40 PM ET: Bill Gaudette goes down and looks badly hurt. The trainer comes on but he shakes it off and will continue. The pitch is now water logged. They should call the game but with the USL-1 side winning let’s hope they don’t!
8:35 PM ET: AGH! Jeff Cameron just a a bit wide of the far post.
8:30 PM ET: I’m glad to see Cory Ashe get a run out tonight. He’s the type of player who can really frustrate latin sides who try and slow the game down.
8:25 PM ET: American born Edgar Castillio flubs a shot on goal. Bill Gaudette was in good position, but Castillio did have the far post open. The rain has intensified in Bayoman and Puerto Rico’s early goal now is even more critical.
8:20 PM ET: GOAL! ISLANDERS! Not sure if that was Telesford or Villegas. Can you believe that Cinderella is still dancing?
8:15 PM ET: Osei Telesford beat Oswaldo Sanchez but he was offsides.
8:10 PM ET: Jorge Dely Valdes who once scored a ton of goals for the Rapids is now playing for San Francisco in his native country. Or is that is brother Juan Dely Valdes?
8:05 PM ET: No DeRo, or Ching for the Dynamo but still a formidable lineup except for the fact that the error prone Patrick Ianni starts.
September 23rd, 2008 By Kartik Krishnaiyer --> Comments
The lead up to World Cup 2006 was costly for the United States. Not only did Team USA play opponents in friendlies that did not prepare them for the ultimate test in football, but both Frankie Hejduk and Cory Gibbs went down with serious injuries.
Hejduk in particular was a huge blow: The best American during World Cup 1998 was also solid in 2002. His injury meant Steve Cherundolo whose international career has yet to match the quality he’s shown on the club level was counted on in Germany. But what was forgotten by many in writing the post mortem’s about the tournament was how much Cory Gibbs could have helped the United States.
Gibbs likely would have played ahead of Carlos Bocanegra either on the left side or at left centre back. Bruce Arena was in particular stunned when Gibbs after 90 minutes of action against Morocco was ruled out of the World Cup and in fact missed a year and a half of action. Gibbs never played a match in the Premiership for Charlton Athletic, depsite being the first Florida native signed by the PL club: by the time he was healthy Charlton had been relegated and was playing out the string in a disappointing Coca Cola Championship campaign.
But now , Gibbs is finally healthy and making a huge impact as his new club the Colorado Rapids under Gary Smith push a playoff spot. Gibbs looks like he’s healthy enough and confident enough to play for the United States again. With Bob Bradley’s side virtually assured of passage to the Hexagonal in CONCACAF qualifying, I believe now would be a great time to call Gibbs into the team and see if he is back to the level he played at between 2003 and 2006. If Gibbs is in fact back, he can be a great asset to a US backline that while playing better, still needs to be sured up before facing the likes of Mexico and Costa Rica.
September 23rd, 2008 By Kartik Krishnaiyer --> Comments
In light of the recent incidents now widely reported at BMO Field during a match two weeks ago between the Crew and TFC, I have a simple question: Does trouble now follow the Crew around? The incidents are chronicled here.
This post is not meant to minimize the Crew’s accomplishment. Sigi Schmid has built his team the right way, showing patience with youngsters through a tough 2006 and 2007 campaign while adding some choice foreign players like Guille Barros Schelotto and making a trade for Alejandro Moreno.
But what does concern me is that a team that continued to lose market share and real fans has resorted to encouraging the sort of element MLS worked 12 years to keep away from games to follow the team.
The Crew are on the verge of winning the Supporters Shield for the second time in team history. They are also right now the biggest threat to Houston’s throne atop MLS. Many in the American Footballing community love what the Crew has done on the field and wan to embrace this organization and team, myself included as an example of how it should be done in MLS.
Let’s Review Some Earlier Incidents:
When I discussed the Toronto situation openly and honestly and tried to engage TFC fans on my CSRN show the complaints about me being “too soft on TFC” all seemed to come from Crew fans. Days later several Crew fans were shouting racial obscenities at New England players as caught on You Tube. The Columbus fans also were caught throwing glass bottles and coins on the pitch during the 2nd half of the match.
In defiance of a league wide ban Columbus fans began sprayed confetti and streamers on opposing players while attempting a corner. Now I cannot recall the specific match but it was done. Why the security did not confiscate the items at the gate is beyond anyone’s comprehension. The league wide ban was more or less enforced throughout the rest of the league. When pressed on the situation at Crew Stadium, Columbus GM, Mark McCullers blamed Toronto FC for the trouble league wide and avoided totally the issue of racist fans.
July s infamous incident against West Ham United in a friendly: West Ham has a reputation for having rowdy fans, but we’ve hosted English clubs before and never had trouble. The poster promoting the match was an implicit call for some sort of nationalistic pride from the fans, which often times in the past has evolved into violence when West Ham is involved. I’m as nationalistic as it comes when this game is involved whether it be the US National Team, Superliga, or even the Caribbean club cup which USL side Puerto Rico participates in. But saying on an official poster promoting the match “we take on the Brits, you push us over the top,” is in fact way over the top and can be seen as encouraging rowdy behavior. How would Tigres supporters have taken a poster in Denver prior to the Tecate Cup match in July ago that read ” Colorado fans put us over the top against the Mexicans?” The poster and its message strongly indicate to me the Crew management has no interest in stopping the continued incidents at Crew Stadium.
This is not to mention the incidents at MLS First Kick at Crew Stadium when TFC came to town.
Given all of this, no need exists for the Crew to continue allowing unruly and undesirable elements to follow the team at home and on the road. Regardless of what any Columbus fan may claim just from a layman’s perspective watching on television, the atmosphere around Columbus games has changed and not for better this season. With success on the pitch comes responsibility off it: Time to step up Columbus.
September 23rd, 2008 By Johnathan Starling --> Comments
Adweek has a very interesting article about network and league sites that are getting into online streaming. In it, MLS gets a mention and rightfully so. Since day one of the league, they have always had an online media presence in some way or form. From being the first to stream games, to their partnership with YouTube (something the Premier League would probably never do in our lifetimes), Major League Soccer was always ahead of the curve.
While I have a subsciption to the service, there is a possibility that next season everyone will be able to enjoy the service free of charge. Now there is no mention of how this would be treated internationally, but at least for those in the United States it will go back to the days when they first started streaming games…at no cost. Now there will be advertising, but if you can get something for free I’ll take it.
Nothing is finalized as of yet, but the fact it’s being discussed is a positive move. Disney (ABC, ESPN) and FSC games won’t be eligible for the free streaming on MLSLive.tv as the networks own the online rights as well.
With the days of all the various video streaming sites, this is a great way to get people looking at your site instead of others.
In order for Soccer to find the success it seeks in the U.S., it must make changes to the traditional rules without changing the integrity of the sport. Soccer can be that viable alternative for sports fans in the U.S. if it plays with American rules and also promotes the game to fit U.S. sports fans expectations, not the expectations of soccer enthusiasts.
The game of Soccer, like all other American spectator sports, must be tinkered with from time to time in order to maintain its entertainment value for the newest generation. But, the sport must not be altered significantly to where it is not recognized as Soccer. The integity of the sport must be kept intact (10 on 10 where no one touches the ball with their hands and one Goalkeeper for each side).
In sport, it is common for rules to vary from country to country. FIBA, the International Federation of Basketball plays its games under its rules, including a trapezoid key (paint). The U.S. adheres to these rules during international play and reverts back to its own rules for play in the NBA.
All strategies for delivering the product must adjust to the spectatorship landscape of the U.S. sports fans. If done with an American flavor, soccer can be an enduring spectator sport in the U.S. It has the ability to provide unique drama, escape and entertainment. It is definitely possible to raise the American consciousness for the appreciation of Soccer and it can become the 4th most dominating spectator sport in America.
Soccer needs to be serious, competitive, fun, and unapologetically American. The rules changes and marketing schemes must take responsibility in perfecting the art in the sport. They must make sure that the skill involved in the sport is showcased and that every match is played with contemporary sports drama and theatre. Action, tension during the contests and common sense in the rules must take precedence so that every game has the potential to rise to the occasion and be an unforgettable sporting spectacle.
There is a lot that must be done for American soccer to succeed. Sports fans in the U.S. expect more from their spectator sports. They are different than sports fans from other parts of the world. They are more sophisticated and they have been spoiled. The greatest moments in the recent history of sports have occurred in American sports or with American athletes.
The sport has been built-up significantly over time at the youth level and upwards through high-school and college levels. But, in order for professional soccer in the U.S. to derive the most amount of fan support possible, the marketing must become event-driven and reach the diehard sports fans.
Soccer can become a fabric of the American sports fans environment just as football, basketball, and baseball have consistently achieved from year to year. Soccer must think progressive in their rules amendments and consider what makes 4th down, the 3 and 2 count and the last-second shot so appealing to sports fans.
September 22nd, 2008 By Kartik Krishnaiyer --> Comments
The USL-1 Regular Season concluded this past week and the playoffs are set. The Puerto Rico Islanders (pictured above) have won the Regular Season title, and gained the #1 seed in the playoffs. This gives the road weary Islanders a bye in the first round and a chance for now to focus on the CONCACAF Champions League.
Here are the other matchups
#2 Vancouver vs # 7 Minnesota
#3 Montreal vs #6 Seattle
#4 Rochester vs #5 Charleston
The two leg first round series begin Tuesday and conclude Sunday.
What are everyone’s thoughts about the USL-1 playoffs. Who are the favorites and will their be surprises. Much more on the playoffs on this Wednesday’s American Soccer Show on CSRN as well as on the next Major League Soccer Talk podcast.
September 21st, 2008 By Kartik Krishnaiyer --> Comments
What happens when you link up the greatest American coach with the greatest American player in the greatest American matchup? A hat trick of course! The renewed partnership of Bruce Arena of Landon Donovan so successful for the US National Team until Germany 2006 paid dividends for the LA Galaxy last night in the biggest matchup Major League Soccer has. I’m sorry MLS snobs but I just cannot get excited about Kansas City playing Toronto or New England playing Colorado. MLS as we’ve discussed for some weeks on this site is for the most part at this stage of the season thoroughly unwatchable although I have often times forced myself to abject torture in order to report for this site and the show.
But something is always different about when DC United meets the Galaxy. It has a feeling a history which the manufactured atmospheres of other MLS games can never match. These are after all the two teams that have made this league and quite frankly in leaner times kept this league in business. It’s MLS’ version of the Celtics- Lakers and when 11 PM ET rolled around, channel surfing between College Football, other MLS games and the news stopped: it was time for Galaxy and United.
I’m constantly reminded what a nightmare MLS has been for one David Beckham when he shows off his legendary temper in front of officials. In addition, the red and black are so beat up now last night was hardly a contest: but the atmosphere was great and Landon Donovan whose confidence has been sapped by Bob Bradley’s negative tactics with the US National Team has been restored to rightful place with yesterday’s display. A nice performance for Alan Gordan as well and you have a playoff contendor from a team that did not win a game in three months. Only in America!
(Speaking of Playoffs check back tomorrow morning for a full wrap on the USL-1 regular season finale and an early playoff preview)
September 20th, 2008 By Kartik Krishnaiyer --> Comments
With the recent proliferation of foreign players in Major League Soccer and the dumbing down of the quality of the league thanks to expansion and fixture congestion, it’s easy to be sour on MLS. I’ve been particularly disturbed by MLS clubs continued reliance on signing foreign players to plug holes in their side, when plenty of good American options exist. Given the kind of support a club like CD Guadalajara has south of the border and the talk that other traditional Mexican clubs feeling the blowback of South American influence on their league may mimick Chivas in the future, I believe the time has come for an MLS or USL-1/2 side to take the chance and field a team made up entirely of American nationals.
I disagree strongly with those people who believe importing foreign talent will continue to sell the beautiful game to the masses here in the United States. American fans eventually want to cheer for and take pride in home grown players. Foreign imports save David Beckham and in year one of the league Carlos Valderrama, Roberto Donadoni and Hugo Sanchez have done little to stimulate attendance for the league. Instead they have been used by coaches and managment too lazy to scout American players or simply who buy into the inferiority complex many have about American players. The time has come for some bold club to step forth and make this change.
With so many people being attratced to the game outside of MLS or USL markets the club that takes my suggeston would suddenly find itself with a national constituency and national fan base. This isn’t 1983 when American players for the most part were truly inferior, and Team America an entirely American squad finished bottom of the table in the NASL. With five consecutive World Cup appearences and countless deep runs in Youth World Championships behind us, it is time for some bold club to step out of the clutter and put its faith in the American player.
As for candidates for this I have a couple of suggestions: The Kansas City Wizards, The Richmond Kickers and the Carolina Railhawks. All three clubs have had decent succeess with foreign players at their respective levels in their leagues, but all three represent a consituency more middle America, than lets say DC United or Chivas USA. Each club could build up its fan base through merchandise sales and marketing outside its home market.
I’m anxious to hear the thoughts of others on my idea, and what clubs do you think could pull it off?
September 19th, 2008 By Kartik Krishnaiyer --> Comments
I’ll be honest. Late in this season with European Football having kicked off, the US National Team’s qualifying in full swing, USL about to decide its playoff participants, and College Soccer having started up I’m having my difficult being motivated to watch MLS games. My disinterest cannot be blamed on the quality of play: I’m used to watching plenty of third rate football: USL and College Soccer would qualify in those categories, but both right now are more compelling for me to watch and track than MLS whose recent public relations among other things have turned me off, as we’ve discussed on this site.
One very obvious thing emerges when comparing MLS and USL. Major League Soccer is becoming more latin flavored in its style of play, while USL is almost undoubtedly a reflection of how lower leagues in England appear in style of play. The two leagues though sharing the same geographical home now play a totally different brand of football: perhaps the direct, route one style of Northern Irish World Cup Veteran Colin Clarke is so atypical to CONCACAF that Puerto Rico Islanders are having success due to style of play more than quality on the pitch in the Champions League. The same can be surmised by Montreal’s solid play in CONCACAF and could have been assumed had Charleston not gotten a few unlucky bounces and beaten DC United in the US Open Cup final. This isn’t meant to minimize the accomplishments of USL sides in CONCACAF play which include defeating a Costa Rican side in a two leg tie, something never accomplished by an MLS side. Readers of this site and listeners to the show know I’m partisan in some regards towards USL but do realize much of the success of its teams when stepping out of what is essentially a second division and playing more talented sides be they in MLS or in Central America has been the style of play and the difficulty it causes for Latin oriented teams.
At the same time Major League Soccer is becoming more and more latin flavored. The New York Red Bulls lost last night to Columbus but I took note of how they played even without Dave Van Den Bergh, who is one of the best players in the league. Juan Carlos Osorio’s side valued possession and knocked the ball around with a purpose in the first half featuring incredibly technical touches on the ball. Jorge Rojas, the captain of the Venezeluan National Team leads this new look team and when you have other quality players like Gabriel Cichero and Juan Pietravello who are technically gifted no question exists in my mind that the New York Red Bulls represents where MLS is headed. On the other side last night, Columbus without the incomparable Guille Barros Schelotto featured the lively, Olympic medalist Emmaunel Ekpo in midfield. Early in MLS’ history Sunil Gulati spent alot of effort in attracting African players to MLS. These included such notable names in World Football as Shaun Bartlett, Junior Agogo, Uche Okafor, Ben Iroha and Abdul Thompson Conteh among others. But as time went on and the original management team of the league was ushered out fewer and fewer African players with the league signing more players from European second divisions like Pascal Bedrosian and Terry Cooke to fill out squads. This trend thankfully seems to have been blunted.
No point exists for MLS to continue to import large numbers of players from Europe. The league is more than welcome to cherry pick certain players like Darren Huckerby who want to be here, but the time of David Beckham, Lothar Matthaeus and Roberto Donadoni has come and gone. The future of MLS lies looking south towards Latin America and the Caribbean as well as across the the Atlantic with a southward tilt at Sub Saharan Africa. Changing the flavor of MLS will make the product more compelling and yes of a higher quality for the American football fan.
September 18th, 2008 By Kartik Krishnaiyer --> Comments
Episode 55 features an interview with US midfielder Eddie Lewis who after playing nine season in England has returned home to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Also Chris Webb from United Mania joins host Kartik Krishnaiyer for a free flowing discussion which topics include United’s US Open Cup triumph, Marcello Gallardo’s injuries, United’s playoff prospects the continued success of USL clubs in the CONCACAF Champions League, the fallout from the failure of team USA at the Olympics and critquing Bob Bradley’s player selections for CONCACAF qualifers. Chris also mentions a name of who could be the next big thing for the US team. You won’t want to miss that, as it is a name not on most fans radar.
