Mondaini gets four-game suspension for Morales tackle 12 May 2011 The league’s Disciplinary Committee decided to ban Chivas USA’s Marcos Mondaini a total of four games and levy fines worth US$1,500 for his red-card challenge from behind that broke two bones in the ankle of one of the league’s top stars, Javier Morales. This comes just hot on the heels of the decision to ban Colorado’s Brian Mullan 10 games for his studs-up challenge that broke the leg of Seattle’s Steve Zakuani.
MLS Cup to be staged in Los Angeles 10 May 2011 LS has decided to keep its championship game at a neutral-site venue. And, it will go back to the safety of a warm-weather site for the Nov. 20 MLS Cup. The league announced Tuesday that the game will be awarded to the Home Depot Centre, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA.
Another weekend, another star goes down in MLS 8 May 2011 Canada’s Will Johnson scored the winner on a goalmouth scramble to give Real Salt Lake a 1-0 win over Chivas USA on Saturday, but the talking point of the game — indeed, the weekend of MLS action at large — will be yet another serious injury to a star player. This time, it was Javier Morales, RSL’s midfield sparkplug, who will miss months because of a fracture and dislocation of the left ankle after he was brought down from behind on a red-card worthy challenge from Chivas’ Marcos Mondaini.
Whitecaps need to have more of the ball 17 Apr 2011 There is a very real trend that has become evident in Whitecaps match after Whitecaps match. Win, lose or draw, the Whitecaps will allow their opponents to have more of the ball and, in the case of Saturday’s 0-0 draw at home to Chivas USA, a lot more of the ball.
Gordon scores again as TFC draws with Quakes 10 Apr 2011 Last week, Toronto FC and Chivas USA played to a 1-1 draw at BMO Field. On Saturday night, the Reds drew 1-1 with the San Jose Earthquakes at Buck Shaw Stadium. Same scorelines, two radically different feelings. Saturday’s draw represented a decent result for TFC, securing its first road point of the season. Last week, a home draw against a poor Chivas side was a missed opportunity.
Tchani still learning the ropes with Toronto FC 6 Apr 2011 After a successful rookie season with the New York Red Bulls, Cameroonian midfielder Tony Tchani knows how to adapt to change – whether it’s on the pitch or living in the bright lights of New York City. Tchani finds himself adapting to change once again as he joined Toronto FC along with teammate Danleigh Borman this past weekend. Both were part of the deal that sent former TFC captain Dwayne De Rosario to the Red Bulls.
Post De Ro era begins: TFC drops points at home to Chivas 2 Apr 2011 hose looking for a sign of where Toronto FC is headed in the post-Dwayne De Rosario era will need to wait a little longer. TFC's 1-1 draw with Chivas USA on Saturday afternoon was inconclusive both on the scoreboard and on the lineup sheet, given the rather thrown-together nature of the Reds' lineup. Less than a day after De Rosario was traded to New York, the two players TFC received in return (midfielder Tony Tchani and defender Danleigh Borman) were already in the starting XI. The two former Red Bulls didn't arrive in Toronto until midnight last evening and Tchani admitted to being weary. "I found out [about the trade] yesterday at four o'clock," Tchani said. "After training I heard rumors but I wasn't sure. They let me know after training that I had been traded to TFC and that they wanted me to come here today.
Bravo! Mexican star named MLS player of the week 22 Mar 2011 Omar Bravo won the hearts and minds of soccer reporters across the continent, capturing the first Player of the Week award of the MLS season. Bravo, Sporting Kansas City’s Mexican Designated Player, scored twice as his new club travelled to Los Angeles and edged Chivas USA 3-2. As Bravo once starred for Chivas Guadalajara, the irony was too good to pass up.
The super-duper MLS season preview 14 Mar 2011 It’s become obligatory for every sports journalist to provide season previews for the league he or she covers. It’s automatic, and a great space killer! In that vein, The 11 presents its “waited until the last possible second before the regular season” season preview! Why the wait? Because it’s hard to figure out the East. The West? Wow, a lot of power and depth there. As for the East? Last season, New York and Columbus and six other mediocre to bad to awful clubs were in the conference. New York and Columbus left them all in the dust.
Toronto FC trades for Chivas USA striker Gordon 11 Mar 2011 Toronto FC has made a deal to try and get some more goals in the lineup. The Reds sent midfielder Nick LaBrocca, who they acquired in 2010 from the Colorado Rapids, to Chivas USA for American striker Alan Gordon.