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.
Stephen Hart chats about Jackson, DeRo and NASL 3 May 2011 Canadian men’s national team coach Stephen Hart held a conference call Tuesday to discuss the team’s preparation ahead of the Gold Cup and the June 1 friendly against Ecuador at BMO Field. Hart touched on a number of topics, from mixed messages over the availability of attacking midfielder Dwayne De Rosario for the Gold Cup, where Simeon Jackson will play in the Canadian lineup and the possibility that Montreal Impact or FC Edmonton players could get call-ups.
MLS needs to build on Real Salt Lake’s run in Champions Leagues to come 28 Apr 2011 Real Salt Lake finally lost a home game, the first since 2009. With a 1-0 win in the second leg, thanks to a goal from Chilean national-teamer Humberto Suazo, Monterrey took the CONCACAF Champions League title.
Real Salt Lake gets just reward in CONCACAF Champions League 6 Apr 2011 Jamison Olave is known as one of the meanest, toughest central defenders in Major League Soccer. But the Real Salt Lake anchor guaranteed that his club would be the first MLS side to go to the CONCACAF Champions League final with a thumping volley off a scrambled corner kick to give RSL the precious road goal it needed to get by Costa Rican giants, Saprissa.
Rimando named MLS Player of the Month 4 Apr 2011 The Player of the Month voting wasn’t just a statement about Nick Rimando the goalkeeper, it was a statement about Real Salt Lake, the club.
It’s official: De Rosario Bull-ish about New York 1 Apr 2011 It is official. Dwayne De Rosario is off to the New York Red Bulls. Both the Red Bulls and Toronto FC confirmed the trade Friday afternoon, hours after it reportedly had hit a snag. According to various sources, De Rosario and the Red Bulls will talk about an improved contract from his current deal, which pays him more than US$400,000 per season. If the Red Bulls were to make De Rosario a Designated Player, the club would save cap space, as the hit for the DP is more than US$100,000 less than he is making at the moment
MLS officiating crackdown already taking its toll 27 Mar 2011 Before the kickoff of the season, MLS headquarters instructed its officials to crack down on fouls in the box and to make absolutely certain that a player was in an offside position before raising the flag. More penalties, more cards, less offside calls — the recipe to boost scoring. We are clearly seeing the effect of the mandate. Fans will likely have to get used to seeing the flag stay down more often than not.
Two Canadian keepers up for Save of the Week 23 Mar 2011 This week, both Canadian keepers are nominated for MLS Save of the Week. Sutton made a couple of fantastic stops on attempts from Seattle’s Fredy Montero in a 1-0 win, but the best was a reflex stop with his arm as Montero tried to get one upstairs from only a couple of yards out. Onstad, who is old enough to recall a time when players wore cotton jerseys, made a diving stop off a redirected Columbus Crew corner, as D.C. United won its opener by a 3-1 count.
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.
Garber: Empire Field sets example for other MLS suitors 20 Mar 2011 MLS commissioner Don Garber thinks the temporary arrangements that the Vancouver Whitecaps have at Empire Field can be translated into other potential MLS expansion markets. A sold-out throng of 22,592 electrified the stadium as the Whitecaps beat Toronto FC 4-2.