Archive for February 18th, 2012

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Another year, another MLS promise to crack down on fouls

By
Steven Sandor
– 02/18/2012

When MLS talks about its state of officiating, sports fans are easily reminded of the National Hockey League.

Remember how, for years, the NHL would announce a new initiative against holding/clutching/grabbing/hooking/interference on an almost annual basis, and how the more the league tried to change the ways officials called the game, the more they stayed the same?

Well, MLS is now caught in a similar rut.

Earlier this week, the Washington Post’s Steve Goff reported that MLS was looking at making some changes to better protect star players. (SEE IT HERE)

Now, here are a couple of quotes from league commissioner Don Garber.

“The man on ball will be protected a lot more than in the past,” said Garber.

“Verbal warnings without punishment aren’t working for us,” said Garber.

Guess what? These quotes weren’t from last week. They were from March of 2011, when MLS announced, cough, that it had instructed referees to get tough with players who were persistent with their fouling and violent conduct.
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TFC finally gets its preseason underway with 5-1 win over USF

By
Steven Sandor
– 02/18/2012

Luis Silva

Toronto FC finally got its preseason schedule underway, and the Reds got a rather one-sided — and expected — win over the University of South Florida.

First-round draft pick Luis Silva scored two quick goals and set up another as TFC won 5-1 over the University of South Florida. TFC is at the Walt Disney World complex as it prepares for next week’s preseason tournament in Orlando.

Silva gave the Reds a 2-0 lead by the 15-minute mark.

Joao Plata, who set up Silva’s second goal, scored one of his own. Nick Soolsma and Canadian midfielder Terry Dunfield also got on the scoresheet. Dunfield’s goal came off a pass from Silva.
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Impact acquires Fucito and Neagle from Seattle in pick-and-trade deal

By
Steven Sandor
– 02/18/2012

Lamar Neagle

On the afternoon that the Montreal Impact picked up former MLS star Eddie Johnson for the sole purpose of trading him away to the Seattle Sounders, the club finished its California camp with two final preseason matches in Los Angeles.

The Impact, at the top of the allocation order, snapped up Johnson, who scored 41 times for FC Dallas and the Kansas City Wizards — including the first-ever MLS goal scored at BMO Field, back in 2007 — before bouncing around Europe and never really catching on. But right after the pick was made, the club made a big deal with the Sounders, receiving two attacking players, Mike Fucito and Lamar Neagle, in exchange for EJ. Both Neagle and Fucito are in their mid 20s and could have started regularly on some other clubs, but were stuck on a rather deep Seattle squad.

Johnson had originally announced his intention to come back to MLS in August of 2011, but then withdrew himself from the process before any team could sign him.

Fucito scored six goals in all competitions last year; Neagle scored five in MLS and then added another playoff marker in the Western Conference semifinal loss to Real Salt Lake. Three of Neagle’s goals came in an August win over Columbus.

Bascially, the Impact sacrificed its spot at the top of the allocation ladder — it now moves to spot No. 19 — in exchange for two forwards with lots of upside.
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