Photo by nicksarebi

Quite possibly this has been one of the darkest weeks in MLS in a long time.  David Ferreira is gone for a while, Steve Zakuani’s situation is even worse, the league handed out the longest suspension in its history, Seattle is suffering even more with O’Brian White’s surgery, and RSL suffered a gut-punch defeat.  All of this overshadowed a good weekend of action and threatens to overshadow what is a good slate of games this weekend.

Fortunately not all is dark and gloomy in American soccer; here are some of the more up-beat stories not covered this week:

• Big news from London where it was made official: the Red Bulls will be participating in the 2011 Emirates Cup this summer.  Joining them will be hosts Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, and Boca Juniors.  The Red Bulls will face PSG on July 30th and Arsenal the next day.  That is an incredible schedule.
• Congratulations to Clint Dempsey whose two goals this week moved him up to #1 on the Fulham all-time EPL scoring list, passing fellow American Brian McBride.  Dempsey has 33 goals for his Fulham career but he noted after the game that his goals secured enough points for Fulham to stay in the EPL next season.
• Congratulations to another American abroad.  Stuart Holden won the Bolton Wanderers’ Supporters’ Association player of the year award despite missing part of the season due to injury.
• When DC United visits Houston tonight, there will be a special ceremony honoring former Dynamo keeper and current DCU coach/player Pat Onstad for his illustrious career in Texas.  He played in 136 games for the Dynamo and was a fan favorite, although he is unlikely to start.
• Twitter has been awash with the social media battle between Teal Bunbury and Juan Agudelo.  I do not want to bias anyone, so check out their “feud” here.
• New England seems to be revving up (sorry couldn’t resist) at the right time.  First they pick up Benny Feilhaber and now their injured offseason signing may be match fit.  Ousmane Dabo played 76 minutes in New England’s 3-2 win over DC United in the U.S. Open Cup this week, and although Steve Nicol didn’t have a timetable for him to crack the starting XI, the midfielder looked good in his debut.

Good morning MLS fans!  We are now mere weeks away from the season and, if you’re like me, the previews we have been running on the site have been getting you fired up for an exciting season.  Amidst all the preseason matches and television/playoff drama, here are some stories that flew under the radar last week and this weekend:

• Over the weekend, the U.S. U-17 team won the U-17 title with an overtime 3-0 win against Canada.  The match was scoreless during regulation but the Americans found their scoring touch in overtime.  This is the U.S.’s first title at this level since 1983 (when it was U-16), although this was also the first championship held since 1996.  The highlights are above.
• Welcome back Carlos Ruiz!  The one-time Golden Boot winner has come back from Europe (specifically Aris) and signed an MLS contract with Philadelphia.  A bit older at age 31, Ruiz can still give the Union some goals this season.
• For those who have missed the D.C. United drama over the past week, here is a recap: newly-acquired keeper Steve Cronin broke his wrist in training camp and, with Bill Hamid still recovering from shoulder surgery, goalkeeper coach Pat Onstad has come out of retirement to play for the club.  This allows DCU to at least have someone with MLS experience in net but Hamid is still considered the starter when healthy.
• This story was referenced in our MLS Talk podcast, but terrible news out of New England training camp as Shalrie Joseph was arrested in Orlando for trespassing.  He and Kevin Alston, who was also involved in the altercation at the party, have been dismissed from the team’s training camp and their status is still up in the air for the season.  A bad situation that muddles the Revolution’s season, to say nothing of the legal situation.
• And finally, who says ESPN doesn’t care about MLS.  The Worldwide Leader has released a fantasy MLS game called FC Manager, which can be found here.  Basically you have  to build a roster of 15 MLS players under the salary cap, and collect points every week.  If anyone is interested in an MLS Talk league, sound off in the comments section.

Team: DC United

Coach: Ben Olsen

Last Year’s Finish: 8th Eastern Conference, 16th Overall, 6-20-4

This year’s seemingly annual retooling of DC United carries much more weight than usual.  After finishing not only the worst season in club history, but likely the worst in MLS history, United had holes to fill all over the place.  But before adding pieces to a league worst everything (attack at the bottom, tons of goals against), DCU needed to decide who would attempt to lead them from the abyss.  After initially claiming the United legend was not a candidate, the front office did a 180 and made Ben Olsen’s temporary job a permanent one.  Though lacking experience in the position and not far removed from a brilliant playing career, the feeling is that United needed a leader with his fiery passion to motivate a team that seemed to give up on itself very early last season.  In fact, virtually all the roster moves made this offseason reflect on an attempt to form the club in his image, with players who have that inherent grit and drive inside them. 

Key Roster Additions: While MLS  journeymen Stephen King and Kurt Morsink tried desperately to fill the shoes of the retired Olsen last year, there was decidedly something missing in the center of midfield.  Enter Dax McCarty, who has been brought in to really stabilize the core of said midfield.  McCarty is known as both an effective distributor and ball winner.  He has the kind of motor that is a bit reminiscent of Benny’s.  We all know what a hard time this club had putting the ball in the back of the net (among so many other difficulties).  Enter Charlie Davies, who is trying to not only help ressurect DC United, but also his career.  Davies has come full circle to the place where a car accident nearly took his life and ability to play soccer.  The onus is on Charlie to find the back of the net because the amount of proven goal scorers on this team is negligible at best.  Perry Kitchen was drafted as the 3rd overall pick and should shore up two very gray areas, defense and on – field leadership.  Kitchen is another addition in the Olsen mold; fiery, passionate, a leader, gritty, etc.   Pat Onstad has also been added as a player/coach, due to injuries.  Stikers, Joseph Ngwenya and Josh Wolff were picked up in the Re-Entry Draft.  Uruguayan defender, Rodrigo Brasesco was added to solidify the backline.

Key Roster Subtractions:  Troy Perkins was supposed to be a stabilizing influence last year and he turned out to be anything but that.  Perkins dropped off massively in quality compared to his previous DCU stint and was practically run out of town to make way for promising Academy signing, Bill Hamid.  Rodney Wallace, who spent much of last season with a broken leg, was also sent packing.  Wallace was making the transition from midfield, back to his collegiate position of left back.  He began as a starter, but his progress was stunted due to injury.  Concerning Luciano Emilio and Pablo Hernandez : the attack was flat out horrible, neither of these midseason acquistions did much to help the ball find it’s way into the back of the net. 

Projected Starters: If healthy, Bill Hamid will definitely be the starter in goal.  After a promising slate of appearances last year, Hamid like Andy Najar, showed that United’s academy must be doing something right.  However, a shoulder injury that has been nagging for some time, could see Pat Onstad start the season between the posts.  Though his first priority is the development of the young Hamid, Onstad is still darn good at 43 and so valuable in both his roles.

Last year it was pick your scapegoat for the Black and Red.  With the attack and defense being equally horrible, a dramatic sea change was on the horizon.  The backline suprisingly doesn’t appear to be too much different.  Jed Zayner will certainly occupy one of the starting fullback positions.  It appears that Dejan Jakovic and Perry Kitchen, will start in the center and potentially be a very formidable duo.  The other fullback position looks wide open.  Though Marc Burch seems the likely candidate … perhaps Brasesco will get a look there.  He is considered a more central defender but has potential to play on the flanks.

When we get to the midfield and striking corps, the big question is what formation first – year coach Ben Olsen will utilize.  Midfield is definitely where the largest amount of talent and depth coalesces.  Add that to the fact that the striking line is improved, but still somewhat barren, and it seems that going to five in the middle makes sense.  A couple of things seem to be certain: rookie of the year, Andy Najar, will be on one wing.  Expect to see McCarty and Clyde Simms forming a tough, gritty core in the center of midfield. Beyond that, depending on the formation … Santino Quaranta, Branko Boskovic and Chris Pontius appear set to fill out a wing spot and potentially an attacking midfielder or supporting striker’s role. 

Up top, we all know who the man is gonna be, Charlie Davies.  He should be on the pitch regardless of the formation.  If Olsen goes with two strikers, then we could see Joseph Ngwenya paired with Davies or perhaps Quaranta / Pontius in a support role. 

Player to Watch: Could it be more obvious here … Charlie Davies.  Though they didn’t score much last year, the club did display the ability to pass and link up well.  They often fluidly moved the ball into scoring positions, only to either finish poorly or even more concerning … simply be afraid/hesitant to shoot.  Though the entire scoring load isn’t Charlie’s responsibility, the club’s success will in large part depend on the midfield moving the ball well and Davies finishing opportunities provided. 

Predictions: This team is drastically improved from a roster standpoint this year.  There is a lot more depth and Olsen has many more options at his disposal.  Based on the way last year finished, the club can only go up.  Add to the fact that this is a league of parity and quick turnarounds; and factoring in a weak Eastern Conference, there is reason for some guarded hope.  Despite all the additions though, this is a team with a lot of questions to answer.  The least of which is not, whether Ben Olsen is ready to take the reins full time.  Then there’s the whole Charlie Davies factor. If he can’t be an inkling of his former self, where do the goals come from? How drastically will a healthy Jakovic, as well as Kitchen, improve the league’s worst defense?  Despite a solid offseason, the expectations should be muted due to so many unanswered variables.  Still in this league, a turnaround and playoffs are never out of the question.

Best Case Scenario: Olsen completely transposes his heart and determination onto the team.  They fight with heart week in and week out, managing to secure a wildcard playoff spot.  Charlie Davies proves to be a goalscoring machine.  Kitchen and Jakovic hold down the fort, leading a much improved backline. 

Worst Case Scenario: Olsen bombs out with the job.  The club repeats last year’s travesty, with a continued inability to score goals (much less stop them).  Olsen loses out on a dream job because he might have gone for it too early.  Yet another offseason rebuild would likely follow in such a situation.

Team: DC United

Coach: Ben Olsen

Last Year’s Finish: 8th Eastern Conference, 16th Overall, 6-20-4

This year’s seemingly annual retooling of DC United carries much more weight than usual.  After finishing not only the worst season in club history, but likely the worst in MLS history, United had holes to fill all over the place.  But before adding pieces to a league worst everything (attack at the bottom, tons of goals against), DCU needed to decide who would attempt to lead them from the abyss.  After initially claiming the United legend was not a candidate, the front office did a 180 and made Ben Olsen’s temporary job a permanent one.  Though lacking experience in the position and not far removed from a brilliant playing career, the feeling is that United needed a leader with his fiery passion to motivate a team that seemed to give up on itself very early last season.  In fact, virtually all the roster moves made this offseason reflect on an attempt to form the club in his image, with players who have that inherent grit and drive inside them. 

Key Roster Additions: While MLS  journeymen Stephen King and Kurt Morsink tried desperately to fill the shoes of the retired Olsen last year, there was decidedly something missing in the center of midfield.  Enter Dax McCarty, who has been brought in to really stabilize the core of said midfield.  McCarty is known as both an effective distributor and ball winner.  He has the kind of motor that is a bit reminiscent of Benny’s.  We all know what a hard time this club had putting the ball in the back of the net (among so many other difficulties).  Enter Charlie Davies, who is trying to not only help ressurect DC United, but also his career.  Davies has come full circle to the place where a car accident nearly took his life and ability to play soccer.  The onus is on Charlie to find the back of the net because the amount of proven goal scorers on this team is negligible at best.  Perry Kitchen was drafted as the 3rd overall pick and should shore up two very gray areas, defense and on – field leadership.  Kitchen is another addition in the Olsen mold; fiery, passionate, a leader, gritty, etc.   Pat Onstad has also been added as a player/coach, due to injuries.  Stikers, Joseph Ngwenya and Josh Wolff were picked up in the Re-Entry Draft.  Uruguayan defender, Rodrigo Brasesco was added to solidify the backline.

Key Roster Subtractions:  Troy Perkins was supposed to be a stabilizing influence last year and he turned out to be anything but that.  Perkins dropped off massively in quality compared to his previous DCU stint and was practically run out of town to make way for promising Academy signing, Bill Hamid.  Rodney Wallace, who spent much of last season with a broken leg, was also sent packing.  Wallace was making the transition from midfield, back to his collegiate position of left back.  He began as a starter, but his progress was stunted due to injury.  Concerning Luciano Emilio and Pablo Hernandez : the attack was flat out horrible, neither of these midseason acquistions did much to help the ball find it’s way into the back of the net. 

Projected Starters: If healthy, Bill Hamid will definitely be the starter in goal.  After a promising slate of appearances last year, Hamid like Andy Najar, showed that United’s academy must be doing something right.  However, a shoulder injury that has been nagging for some time, could see Pat Onstad start the season between the posts.  Though his first priority is the development of the young Hamid, Onstad is still darn good at 43 and so valuable in both his roles.

Last year it was pick your scapegoat for the Black and Red.  With the attack and defense being equally horrible, a dramatic sea change was on the horizon.  The backline suprisingly doesn’t appear to be too much different.  Jed Zayner will certainly occupy one of the starting fullback positions.  It appears that Dejan Jakovic and Perry Kitchen, will start in the center and potentially be a very formidable duo.  The other fullback position looks wide open.  Though Marc Burch seems the likely candidate … perhaps Brasesco will get a look there.  He is considered a more central defender but has potential to play on the flanks.

When we get to the midfield and striking corps, the big question is what formation first – year coach Ben Olsen will utilize.  Midfield is definitely where the largest amount of talent and depth coalesces.  Add that to the fact that the striking line is improved, but still somewhat barren, and it seems that going to five in the middle makes sense.  A couple of things seem to be certain: rookie of the year, Andy Najar, will be on one wing.  Expect to see McCarty and Clyde Simms forming a tough, gritty core in the center of midfield. Beyond that, depending on the formation … Santino Quaranta, Branko Boskovic and Chris Pontius appear set to fill out a wing spot and potentially an attacking midfielder or supporting striker’s role. 

Up top, we all know who the man is gonna be, Charlie Davies.  He should be on the pitch regardless of the formation.  If Olsen goes with two strikers, then we could see Joseph Ngwenya paired with Davies or perhaps Quaranta / Pontius in a support role. 

Player to Watch: Could it be more obvious here … Charlie Davies.  Though they didn’t score much last year, the club did display the ability to pass and link up well.  They often fluidly moved the ball into scoring positions, only to either finish poorly or even more concerning … simply be afraid/hesitant to shoot.  Though the entire scoring load isn’t Charlie’s responsibility, the club’s success will in large part depend on the midfield moving the ball well and Davies finishing opportunities provided. 

Predictions: This team is drastically improved from a roster standpoint this year.  There is a lot more depth and Olsen has many more options at his disposal.  Based on the way last year finished, the club can only go up.  Add to the fact that this is a league of parity and quick turnarounds; and factoring in a weak Eastern Conference, there is reason for some guarded hope.  Despite all the additions though, this is a team with a lot of questions to answer.  The least of which is not, whether Ben Olsen is ready to take the reins full time.  Then there’s the whole Charlie Davies factor. If he can’t be an inkling of his former self, where do the goals come from? How drastically will a healthy Jakovic, as well as Kitchen, improve the league’s worst defense?  Despite a solid offseason, the expectations should be muted due to so many unanswered variables.  Still in this league, a turnaround and playoffs are never out of the question.

Best Case Scenario: Olsen completely transposes his heart and determination onto the team.  They fight with heart week in and week out, managing to secure a wildcard playoff spot.  Charlie Davies proves to be a goalscoring machine.  Kitchen and Jakovic hold down the fort, leading a much improved backline. 

Worst Case Scenario: Olsen bombs out with the job.  The club repeats last year’s travesty, with a continued inability to score goals (much less stop them).  Olsen loses out on a dream job because he might have gone for it too early.  Yet another offseason rebuild would likely follow in such a situation.

photo courtesy Joshua Trujillo/seattlepi.com

What was Pat Onstad thinking? How could he lose his cool so suddenly in the most important game in the Dynamo’s season? A dangerous cross came through the penalty area, just out of his reach, and continued over the byline. Sure, replays show Fredy Montero obstructing the goalkeeper, but not in any way dangerously. Besides, he has as much right to get position on the cross as Onstad. So when the ‘keeper charged the young striker, chest-first, knocking him to the ground, a red card from referee Ricardo Salazar was certainly next. The Dynamo would be down to 10 men, without their veteran goalkeeper for the rest of this game and the return leg in Houston, and looking at a second successive first round exit in the MLS Cup playoffs. However, Salazar conferred with his officiating crew and proceeded to display a yellow card to Onstad. The Seattle crowd roared furiously, viewers across the nation were left scratching their heads – even the announcers seemed to be surprised.

Perhaps if the push had occurred on any other player than Fredy Montero, there would have been a red card. Unfortunately for the young Colombian, he has developed a reputation throughout MLS for his unsporting tactics. So while Onstad escaped with a yellow card, Montero was also booked for his part in the altercation. As Kartik Krishnaiyer introduces in the previous article, these often despicable actions do little to endear Montero to the general American soccer fan. Even some Seattle supporters have expressed their displeasure at the perceived cheating. He is still early in his career, and one hopes that Montero can learn to use his skills with the ball to find success in MLS – not his dives.

On the play that could have changed the whole complexion of this playoff series, Pat Onstad explained his side. “He just picked me and, to be honest, I just gave him a super-light bump,” he said to reporters after the game. “He went down like he normally does and rolled around a few times. I think if it had been Nate Jaqua, he would’ve just brushed his shoulder like there was a fly buzzing him.”

Onstad may be underselling his part in the altercation. Replays show the goalkeeper visibly upset at Montero’s actions, and the “super-light bump” was given with heavy intent. According to a report from the referees, a yellow card was given instead of a red because of the action of the push – no hands or head, just the chest. However, it seemed clear that there was malicious behind the push, and could have easily been awarded with an ejection from the game. Onstad was saved by the poor reputation of Montero, a point he referred to in further post-game comments: “[T]hat’s Fredy. I knew as soon as I bumped, ‘That’s the wrong guy to bump, Pat.” So, I got what I deserved and I’m sure the referee felt [Montero] embellished a little bit.”

Give credit to the referees in this hotly contested match. Both the Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders FC earned eight red cards apiece during the regular season. The Dynamo in particular was being labeled in the media as being “undisciplined.” Preparation prior to the game for the officiating crew must have entailed the profiling of players most likely to inflict dangerous play. The Onstad/Montero incident occurred in the 15^th minute of the match, with each earning a yellow card. With the precedent set for the remainder of the game, only four more yellows were issued, despite a number of other reckless and dangerous tackles. Should the head referee Ricardo Salazar made more of a statement early with a sending off of Pat Onstad (and perhaps Montero as well?) Fortunately he did not, and despite the early fireworks, as exciting a scoreless draw as you will see played out.

On Saturday, July 4th, the Kansas City Wizards hosted the Houston Dynamo at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in front of a sell out crowd of 10,385. The Dynamo were coming off a lackluster loss to Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday and a lucky draw against Real Salt Lake the previous weekend, and Kansas City was seeking their first MLS win since June 13 when they beat the New England Revolution, 3 – 1.

Kei Kamara got the match’s only goal in the 18th minute when he headed a Mike Chabala cross into the net. Saturday’s goal was Kamara’s fourth goal of the season, a goal which he celebrated with a tribute to the late Michael Jackson. Despite the early Houston goal, the Kansas City Wizards never gave up – racking up 15 shots, only 3 of which were on goal.

With Saturday night’s win, the Dynamo sit atop of the MLS table with 31 points and a league leading nine wins. Kansas City is still within Playoff range, sitting at the fifth spot in the East with 19 points.

Up next for both teams are Quarterfinal matches in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Dynamo travel to Charleston on Tuesday to play the Battery while the Kansas City Wizards head to Seattle to take on the Sounders. On Saturday the clubs resume MLS play as Kansas City heads to New England and the Dynamo make their first visit to Seattle.

Here’s some post match video from the Houston Dynamo dressing room, courtesy of Erin Dutka:

Houston Coach Dominic Kinnear

Houston Dynamo Mike Chabala

Houston Dynamo Kei Kamara

Houston Dynamo Pat Onstad

As a bonus, here’s some video Erin Dutka filmed after the Dynamo’s 2-0 victory over the Austin Aztex in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup:

Houston Coach Dominic Kinnear

Houston Dynamo Corey Ashe