Good afternoon folks. Today is a SLOW day in the soccer world. With nothing on the slate except for tonight’s SuperLiga matches and some UEFA Under-19 championship games today, there isn’t much to discuss.
Well, actually, there’s always something to discuss in the soccer world. If you want to talk about last night’s MLS matches (such as the debuts of Jorge Rojas with the Red Bulls and Francisco Lima and Darren Huckerby with San Jose), or if you want discuss Kaka and Ronaldo’s rumored moves, do so here.
I will look to post something this afternoon so stay tuned. For now, share your thoughts on any of this weekend’s events in the comments section below.
You can break your arm in pre-season games in California or in Mexico. It is a shame though as that keeper was pretty freaking good against Houston.
Did you hear about Chivas keeper Luis Ernesto Michel breaking his arm last night late in their match with Atlante. Do you think injuries to key players may cause the mexican clubs to not want participate in any future Superliga tournaments?
Man, my cousins can attest to the fact that I constantly talked crap about VDB and how he’s so stiff and not a good player…blah blah blah. But he has CERTAINLY grown on me. He is, by far, the best player on RBNY this season. Hopefully, everybody else can see that, wake up, and start producing like he does week in and week out.
VDB for prez!
Ives – any chance Eddie Buddle gets a cap for the US?
Ives, there is a report on FoxSoccer.com saying Deco turned down “more lucrative” offers from MLS and Saudi Arabia to play at Chelsea. Do you know who the MLS club was? LA, RBNY? Is this even true? Im just intrigued by the fact MLS is trying to become a player on the major international front.
Little lucky??? He meant to shot on goal. What you talking about? Lucky was the Donovan goal. VDB was a good shot on goal.
I have to agree with Nicole. LA was dominating the first half, and let’s be realistic the goal from 30 yards out was definitely a little lucky, but luck is the result of opportunity and preparation.
NY certainly fought back in the 2nd half, but overall I think the Galaxy deserved to win at the end. Oh well, these two teams can continue their winless streaks now.
Ives any chance you could get someone a try out with a pro team other than Red Bulls? Like say Salt Lake?
Thoughts on the Red Bulls game:
– Rojas is just what we need. Although he needs to work on his finishing (ugh).
– Angel looks to be back. Praise the lord.
– Our defense needs new blood. Hopefully chichero and jimenez fit the bill.
– I’m still loving VDB and Stammler.
– Oh, and yes the VDB shot was NOT luck. That was a beauty of a shot. If anybody’s noticed, LA just talks like that these days. I’m assuming that’s Ruud’s and Beckham’s doing (i.e. they always deserve to win ties, they’re always the better team, blah, blah, blah)
Just like team jerseys, the ref suppliers have to make money every few years by coming out with a new, and completely incompatible, product line. Except, in the case of the referees, and unlike supporters, they have no option in purchasing the new product …
To whom can we complain about last night’s day-glo officials’ jerseys? I thought referees were supposed to be as unobtrusive as possible. The yellow or green shirts would have been much better. The day-glo draws the eye.
Hey Josh,
I’m not sure why you are making such a big deal of that Fulham win over Celtic in a friendly. Celtic actually played a game the night before, and Nakamura didn’t even play. Also, the player on Fulham that made the biggest impact was Bobby Zamora, not EJ or Dempsey.
Here were the lineups:
Fulham: Stockdale, Konchesky (Kallio 71), Pantsil (Volz 71), Hangeland, Andranik (Andresen 46), Nevland (Healy 65), Gera (Cook 65), Hughes, Bullard (Dempsey 46), Davies (Murphy 46), Zamora (Johnson 46).
Unused subs: Etheridge, Ki-Hyeon.
Celtic: Brown; Hinkel (Wilson 46), Caldwell, McManus, Naylor (O’Dea 59); Robson (Caddis 67), Brown, Donati (Hartley 46), McGeady (Mizuno 76), Killen (Samaras 46), McDonald (Sheridan 67).
Unused subs: Fox, Balde, Nakamura, McGowan.
Yeah, I don’t understand this belief that Van den Bergh’s goal was luck… I heard a similar comment on FSC from someone who had spoken with Ruud. In all honesty, there is no luck involved in hitting a 30yd shot through traffic into the lower left hand corner.
Heck, I was even surprised he hit it.
I thought the chances were about even and LA was lucky to walk away with a tie considering the equalizing goal wasn’t a pass but a miffed cross. I blame that one squarely on Conway who was too focused on the LA player in front of him potentially hitting a header and not focused enough on the ball — hence getting caught out a bit and not putting his hands out to block the ball. That was in extra time — in light of which, LA was clearly luck to get the tie.
That said, Donovan was unlucky to take the game when his shot went off the post a minute later.
All in all, Rojas was great. Just what the Red Bulls needed. The problems that I saw were:
1- NY was losing possession in the midfield as a result of the Stammler/Mendes combo. I don’t know exactly who wasn’t coming through, but those two weren’t keeping possession. I thought Pietravallo should have come on much earlier.
2- NY wasn’t using width well, especially on the left side. Richards needs to be instructed to stay wider on the right and really work that sideline. Borman needs to be brought in on the left to provide some speed and a point of attack from there.
3- Echeverry is useless in front of goal. He had a golden opportunity from Angel, the pass that came in from the endline, and he totally blew it. I can’t be upset for Rojas blowing one chance in his first game (the header was well placed but also well saved by Cronin), considering how much else he contributed in the game.
Since its such a slow day, does Mr. Ives or anyone else know a good english site that follows Ligue 1? I can read a bit of french but not quite up to snuff. Thanks….er Merci.
Went to the Galaxy/Red Bulls game yesterday and it was a blast. This is what the NY/NJ area needs week in and week out.
Enjoyed the LA-NY match and the Superligas. I’m glad that the Goats were knocked out. Even if just for the fans’ sake who called out “ole” in every match before the fifteen minute mark. Personally, except for DCU and CDG, I’ve enjoyed watching all of the Group fixtures. Hoping New England and Santos get through. I like Pachuca, but they got on my bad side by lucking out against Houston and LA last year.
I think 2-2 was fair. To say NY was dominant the entire game would be stupid. They had maybe a 15-20 minute spell in the second half (just like LA did in the first half) but other than that it was a pretty even game. I’d say LA were closer to winning, but not by much. 2-2 is as fair as you can get; a win either way, not so much.
I played with purdy at cal.. The guy is world class and will be on the us national team soon enough. He Is getting multiple new tryouts in Germany after leaving 1860 Munich. And why isn’t sassano even on the bench for ny?? He’s better than freeman
I’m sorry Nicole, but you must be having a laugh. Van den Bergh’s goal was lucky? Really? A 30-yard rocket into the bottom corner was the lucky goal? And, I suppose, Donovan’s goal was pure skill. He wasn’t really trying to cross the ball, he was trying to make it look like a cross, hit it too high for Buddle, but freeze Conway so that it snuck in the far post. Yeah, I’m sure that’s it.
I wouldn’t exactly say Ruiz missed sitters. Conway made saves in one-on-one situations. Should Ruiz have done better? Maybe. But to compare those chances to the two empty-netters missed by Rojas and Woly, not to mention the free header Rojas couldn’t put away and Angel’s ball cleared off the line, is just not fair. More apt comparisons would be Conway’s saves on Ruiz (and Buddle?) to Cronin’s saves on blasts from van den Bergh and Angel. Cronin made eight saves, many of them great, and we gave up the tying goal on a cross in the 92nd minute. So, yeah, we’re upset and feel like we let two points slip away.
Was the draw a fair result? Yeah, it probably was. But it certainly would have been a fair result had the cross not gone in.
Ives, if you’re looking for Sunday topics how about Fulham’s 3-1 win over Celtic in a friendly with Johnson and Dempsey coming on at the half or yanks abroad on trial (e.g. Purdy in Germany).
Sorry, I just re-read my post and I didn’t mean to sound so snarky.
Thinking further about the game, just suffice to say that the Red Bulls did not totally outplay the Galaxy. Galaxy outplayed NY in the first half; NY outplayed LA in the second half. With all the missed sitters, a tie was the fair result.
hate to break it to you homers, but you were lucky to walk away with a tie. The Galaxy totally dominated you in the first half. Totally. If Ruiz were sharper….game over, early. You got a lucky goal by DVB (who was a beast last night; clearly best player for NY, followed closely by JPA), but you mostly played long ball. LA’s short passing game was making a mockery of your team…and that’s WITH Pete Vagenas and Pires in the midfield!
NY had the better of play in the 2nd half…but not dominating by any means. LA’s outside mids got a little tired and couldn’t compensate for the aforementioned Petey and Pires. Rojas missed sitters, but so did Ruiz so that’s a wash.
If Donovan’s shot didn’t curve 2 inches to the left…you lose.
I’m gonna put this one on Hunter. Too much space for Landon.
I saw that interview with Donovan too, what the hell was he thinking when talking about that he felt that they deserve to win and played better than we did. They might have played btter the first 25 minutes, thats about it.
Pretty exciting game I thought. Did not see the replays of rthe Donovan goal, but live, it looked like Conways fault to me. Either get out far enough to know that cross away, or stay back and gaurd the far post. Not that the keeper was the Only one to blame. But I think the only way we were out played was at the keeper position. Rojas was MOM imo. Even if he couldn’t finish. Good to see Angel back too. I would have to say if we had Ruiz we would have been beter…
I agree: Rojas looks like the real deal. Now if we can find someone to replace Echeverry…
I watched the post game interview with Donovan when I got home. While commenting on the heat, he spoke about losing water and electrolytes and then proved that he was a couple of quarts low by saying that his team was the better for entire game.
Who is to blame for on Donovan’s goal? I saw the replay over and over again when i got home from the game. I saw it 3 ways, Hunter gave Donovan too much room, Boyens jumped late to head the ball out, and Conway was blind sided, a little in no mans land, dont know if i can blame Conway thou, cant see how any keeper could have a chance at it. What do u guys think?
What about Ariel Ortega to FC Dallas? That would be pretty big news if they could close the deal.
Columbus hosts West Ham today
Rojas didn’t do enough little things for my liking. He actually produced pretty clearly.
I’m like many RB fans. Just to dumb to understand those little things CR did for us, even when healthy, because there was nothing obvious and I’m a child when it comes to understanding thi sgame I guess.
Oh wait, he passed the ball back and from side to side.
I’ll take dumb an dobvious like Rojas last night anyday.
Ives can convince me of little things contributions “when healthy” in Oz.
How many (if any) weeks in league history have there been when *every* league game ended in a tie?
hey ives i just want u to know how much i depend on u. i check back like every thirty mins to see if there is a new post. The funny part is i find myself pissed if u have not written anything. Guess this is the long way of telling u that u are in my five
Rojas was everything Reyna should have been. The DVB pass was pure class …
Ives,
Since it’s such a “slow” day you shouldn’t have any problems knocking out that Q&A from decades ago! j/k! Happy Sunday Ives!
Rojas looked really good, great passes, nice flair on the ball. He should be a staple as the CAM. Did anyone see the pass to DVB for the goal, great move? The team is looking up, if we can only get another forward.