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MLS Matchday 14

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With SuperLiga set to kick off and four MLS teams participating, it is a slightly-reduced MLS schedule we find ourselves with this week as we reach the mid-point of the 2009 season.

Chicago, New England, Kansas City and Chivas USA are all taking part in the battle vs. Mexican club, leaving ten teams to do battle in MLS this weekend.

There are three inter-conference games on tap, led by the D.C. United-Colorado Rapids tilt. D.C. is fresh off its surprising draw vs. Seattle while Colorado is coming off a bye week as it attempts to win without Conor Casey, who is at the Confederations Cup.

Here is this weekend's schedule of MLS matches as well as Best XI match-ups to watch:

This weekend's MLS Schedule

  • Los Angeles Galaxy at San Jose Earthquakes (4:30pm, ESPN2)

  • Seattle Sounders at New York Red Bulls (7:30pm, MSG)

  • Columbus Crew at FC Dallas (8:30pm, FSC)

  • Real Salt Lake at Houston Dynamo (8:30pm, Direct Kick)

  • D.C. United at Colorado Rapids (9:30pm, Direct Kick)

This weekend's Best XI match-ups to watch

  • Jhon Kennedy Hurtado vs. Juan Pablo Angel

  • Osvaldo Alonso vs. Albert Celades

  • Kevin Goldthwaite vs. Fredy Montero

  • Kenny Cooper vs. Chad Marshall

  • Dave Van Den Bergh vs. Frankie Hejduk (questionable)

  • Geoff Cameron vs. Yura Movsisyan

  • Richard Mulrooney vs. Javier Morales

  • Chris Wingert vs. Brian Mullan

  • Nick LaBrocca vs. Chris Pontius

  • Pablo Mastroeni vs. Christian Gomez

  • Cory Gibbs vs. Luciano Emilio

What match will you be looking forward to the most? What individual match-up do you think is the weekend's best?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. GOLD CUP Roster is out. Will cut 6 from this list:

    Preliminary U.S. Gold Cup Roster:

    Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan, Marcus Hahnemann, Troy Perkins, Luis Robles
    Defense: Jonathan Bornstein, Danny Califf, Steve Cherundolo, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson, Eric Lichaj, Chad Marshall, Michael Orozco, Michael Parkhurst, Heath Pearce, Marvell Wynne
    Midfield: Freddy Adu, Davy Arnaud, Ricardo Clark, Benny Feilhaber, Eddie Gaven, Stuart Holden, Pablo Mastroeni, John Thorrington, Jose Torres
    Forwards: Jozy Altidore, Conor Casey, Kenny Cooper, Charlie Davies, Jeremiah White

    Reply
  2. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado vs. Juan Pablo Angel

    I’m looking most foward to this match-up! why? cuz they’re both Colombianos! You just know Angel will play 2x as hard. That said, Hurtado has been shutting down peeps all season, and this will be no diff.

    Hurtado is the best man-marker in the league.

    what would really put the nail in the coffin is if Hurtado can shut-out Angel *and* get another goal for himself off a corner!

    Reply
  3. 30-man Gold Cup roster at:
    http://www.concacaf.com/competitions/goldcup/2009/rosterDetail.aspx?id=10

    GK: Guzan, Hahnemann, Robles, Perkins

    D: Bornstein, Pearce, Demerit, Califf, Parkhurst, Marhsall, Orozco, Goodson, Cherundolo, Wynne, Lichaj

    M: Rogers, Torres, Clark, Mastroeni, Feilhaber, Holden, Gaven, Arnaud, Thorrington

    F: Altidore, Adu, Davies, Casey, Cooper, White

    That would mean the following “regulars” were left off:

    GK: Howard

    D: Bocanegra, Onyewu, Spector, (Hejduk – inj)

    M: Bradley, Dempsey, Kljestan, Beasley, (Edu – inj)

    F: Donovan, Ching

    Therefore, arguably the best available players not being rested and not actually named to the 30-man list would include:

    GK: Keller, Yeldell, Reis
    D: Conrad, Cameron, Simek (inj?), Wingert, Namoff, Ward (for Ives)
    M: Beckerman, B. Davis, C. Clark, Szetela, Quaranta, Zizzo, Alvarez
    F: E. Johnson, J. Johnson, Rolfe, Zimmerman, Wolff, Shea, Mathis

    Reply
  4. Ives, no posts about the Atlanta Beat? Mid 90s soccer names come back from the dead to have their revenge. But since WPS will likely fold in 2 to 3 years, it shouldn’t be too bad.

    Reply
  5. If Angel can’t do anything without perfect service, then I don’t see how everyone can claim he is so amazing. Yes, when he does get the service, his finished are impeccable, but when he doesn’t? He jogs around for 90 minutes looking frustrated and not helping out at all. He’s overrated and overpaid. I’d rather have a Santino Quaranta on my team; a guy who can create and can also score when given the opportunity.

    …Oh, wait. I DO have a Santino Quaranta on my team! =P

    Reply
  6. Newcastle, actually, if any RB player deserves to be in the “Best” match-ups, it should be ZIMM. Zimm is probably our best player right now.

    And you’re right about Angel, his skill is decreasing for sure.

    Reply
  7. Newcastle, actually, if any RB player deserves to be in the “Best” match-ups, it should be ZIMM. Zimm is probably our best player right now.

    And you’re right about Angel, his skill is decreasing for sure.

    Reply
  8. I am really looking forward to the RSL v Houston game. Real needs to show what they are made of this weekend. Another loss and I will sink into an everlasting depression.

    Reply
  9. Dallas put Chicago in a slump but I cannot see them doing that to the Crew. Crew just look too powerful right now, even playing their backups.

    Reply
  10. No NYRB player should be in the “Best” match-ups even if it is Angel. I don’t doubt that he has the ability but he isn’t getting the service and I’m not sure he even has the confidence right now.

    NYRB need to get a result but I wouldn’t be surprised with a 2-1 loss to Seattle at home. Roll on next season…

    Reply
  11. > Dave Van Den Bergh vs. Frankie Hejduk

    Frankie isn’t expected to play:

    “Frankie Hejduk (groin) is unlikely to travel to Dallas for Saturday’s game. “He played today in 11 on 11 but he did not participate in everything that we did in practice,” coach Robert Warzycha said. “I think next week he can step in and have a full week of practice.”

    Without Hejduk the Crew defense will likely include Danny O’Rourke, Eric Brunner, Chad Marshall and Gino Padula with Brian Carroll and Eddie Gaven in the central midfield.”

    http://blog.dispatch.com/crew/2009/06/frankie_rumors_and_rules.shtml

    Reply
  12. Seattle will crush RBNY.

    It’s a battle of the Hunt teams as Columbus travels to Dallas. I hope that all 200 people who show up get to see a good game.

    Reply
  13. I’m a DC United supporter, so I’m looking forward to that game the most. It’ll be interesting to see Gomez going up against Colorado again. I’m wondering if there will be some bad blood there. Seeing DC back in form and hitting their stride makes for exciting games. It seems that when one MLS team is really firing on all cylinders it rubs off on the opponents as well. If this game is half as good as the Seattle match up, I will have had a great father’s day weekend. Pablo v Gomez will be the match up to watch!

    Reply

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