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Morning Ticker: Chicago buries Galaxy, Kinnear named Newcastle manager and Keane to let Yorke join T&T

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The Los Angeles Galaxy just flat-lined. Coded. Went into cardiac arrest.

You don’t need to watch Grey’s Anatomy or ER, or be a doctor, to know the medical terms for what happened to the Galaxy’s playoff hopes last night. An embarrassing 3-1 loss to Chicago all but squashed LA’s faint playoff hopes less than a week after a promising win against D.C. gave the Galaxy life again.

While the result crippled Los Angeles, Thursday night’s performance breathed some life into a Fire team that desperately needed a good result after suffering two straight ugly defeats. With Cuauhtemoc Blanco showing signs of breaking out of his recent slump, and Chris Rolfe proving that he still has a sniper’s focus in the penalty area, the Fire just might regain that early-season form that had them looking like title contenders.

Here are some other stories from this morning and last night to get your day going:

Newcastle makes surprising managerial hire

Admit it, when you read the headline at the very top, you thought for a second that Houston Dynamo head coach Dom Kinnear had by Newcastle. It’s okay, I thought the same thing when I read Kinnear in a Newcastle headline this morning.

Fortunately for Houston fans, Newcastle hired Joe Kinnear, not Dominic, to be the Magpies’ caretaker manager through October, which should give Newcastle owner Mike Ashley enough time to sell the team. Reports are suggesting that Kevin Keegan will return as manager once the team is sold, with Alan Shearer taking on a role with the club.

A bit disappointed that there’s no MLS angle to this story? Don’t be. I’ll add an MLS twist to the story by setting a 7-1 line on the chances of current Toronto FC head coach John Carver leaving TFC this winter to join Keegan and Shearer’s staff at Newcastle.

Keane backs Yorke’s on T&T call-up

Sunderland manager Roy Keane has given begrudgingly given his blessing to the international call-up of Trinidad & Tobago legend Dwight Yorke, who will play for the ‘Soca Warriors’ in two crucial qualifiers against Guatemala and the United States.

You may recall Keane’s public (and hilarious) war of words with FIFA vice-president and T&T overlord Jack Warner over Yorke’s absence from Trinidad & Tobago’s 3-0 loss to the United States in qualifying. Keane avoided any shots at Warner this time around (unfortunately).

What do you think of these stories? Are you ready to call the Galaxy’s playoff dreams dead? Think Chicago can make a run to an MLS Cup final? Surprised to see Keane back off of the Dwight York-Trinidad & Tobago situation?

Share your thoughts on these stories, and any other stories from this morning or last night, in the comments section below.

Comments

  1. I don’t understand why the Galaxy didn’t make a play to have Kasey Keller on loan. The current Sounders aren’t using him like their other signings, so it only makes sense. Keller could probably use the games to stay match fit and the Galaxy obviously need the help. In fact the Leiweke brothers run both of the clubs. I’m sure they could have come to an arrangement.

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  2. Joe K, keep in mind the rosters are frozen, so the Gals can’t get anybody else to play goal. Just 4 more games and their season is done anyway.

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  3. Considering Carver is constantly covering his a$$ in the media these days it wouldn’t suprize me at all if he up and left. Even the main stream media is starting to catch onto the fact he’s an inferrior coach.

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  4. And now for something completely different: this poem by Big Soccer’s Dan Loney. Truer words have rarely been written:

    This morning when Timmy arrived at his job,

    He was met by a furious torch-waving mob.

    “You stuck us with Sampson! You gave us Alexi!

    You hired that guy who thought football was sexy!

    We’re still in last place! The Galaxy stink!

    Resign from your post! Yes, that’s what we think!”

    Tim raised his hands and said, “What can I do?

    I’m mad as well, just as angry as you.

    I went to the team and said, start playing better!

    But the coach handed me a go-sex-yourself letter.

    I did bring us Beckham, I did bring us Landon.

    This lack of success wasn’t something I planned on.

    But I have the solution to keep us from reeking.

    Take the old DP rule, and just give it a tweaking.

    The salary cap is what’s holding us back.

    Free up some space and we’ll soon be on track.”

    Just then spoke a man who arrived from Columbus

    “Don’t listen to him! He’s just trying to numb us!

    He’ll cover his ass and he’ll try to save face,

    He just wants to change rules since he’s stuck in last place!

    He brought in Dominguez! He brought in Pires!

    Why should we care what this idiot says?

    We’re not DC or Dallas, and we’re not Kansas City.

    To win, don’t spend money on players who are ______.

    Where I come from, our team has a motto,

    Who needs a DP? We have Barros Schelotto!

    You suck. And you’re stuck. And you’re ____ out of luck.

    So go roll a donut, and take a flying ____.”

    But Timmy just shrugged and then quietly answered,

    “This is Dr. Seuss cadence. Your lines have been censored.

    As for you, fans, with your pitchforks and pickets,

    We have two more home games, so you’d better buy tickets.

    Our team is so bad, but we sell out each night.

    Logically, then, I am doing things right.”

    And the crowd was left helpless and sad and frustrated

    As they bought Beckham jerseys and then dissipated.

    Timmy relaxed, he thought this was so funny.

    He’s not here to make friends.

    He’s just here to make money.

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  5. I’m a Galaxy fan, but I have to admit after winning 1 game in 3 months they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs. If Josh Wicks isn’t the worst goalie in MLS than he’s running a close second to Steve Cronin. What the hell was Wicks doing so far out of the box on Chicago’s second goal? And was I seeing it right the first goal with 4 Galaxy players near Rolfe and not one Galaxy player tried to close him down? Talk about a terrible defense.

    The midfield was terrible and as much as JP Delacamera kept talking about LD not getting touches on the ball I didn’t see where the team was making an effort to get him the ball. He also appeared to have one of those games where he wasn’t there mentally. If he doesn’t get over those mental lapses in Europe they’re apt to send him packing back to MLS where head coaches seem more willing to deal it.

    And the forwards just suck. Granted Edson Buddle has 13 goals on the season but what has he done in the last 3 months. Buddle and Alan Gordon are nothing more than giant moving cones. Hit them with the ball and watch it bounce off them to another player.

    As bad as the Galaxy are I keep reminding myself this is the team Lalas built and Bruce Arena is left to try and win with a team that has the worst defense in MLS, worst goal keepers in MLS, a very bad midfield, an overpriced and under working English international (am I’m a Beckham fan), and a couple forwards that need to be replaced.

    Besides LD who will probably be gone next year the only bright spot I see on the team is Brian Jordan who has impressed me the last few times I’ve watched him play. He’s still developing but there are flashes of what he can be. It’s a good thing Lalas is not the general manager anymore or he’d trade Jordan next year for some over aged, over priced, has been player. He’d probably also fire Arena for not getting into the playoffs.

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  6. I think we can dismiss the Galaxy’s win over D.C. United as an opportunistic achievement against a team that never had it together this year, especially defensively. Houston and Columbus, let alone Chicago, are made of much sterner stuff, especially defensively.

    BTW, Ed Dog, Lalas had nothing to do with Beckham coming to L.A. That was all Leiweke’s doing, since he’s close with Simon Fuller, Beckham’s agent.

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  7. rewatching the highlights, it was crazy how loud the stadium got on Blanco’s goal… couldnt tell it last night as i had the tv on low, but they certainly made their presense felt…

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  8. i wouldnt go so far to label the fire as contenders just yet…. we are finally getting off our offensive slump and hopefully we can keep it there…. i think with the reintroduction of Nyarko as a sub for the season (once healthy) and Pappa as a starter over Mapp, we could definately be up there…

    but at the moment with the flakiness of both mapp and blanco, its all up in the air…

    however, i will say im glad Blanco has proven me wrong, if only for that game… he did very well what with his composure of the goal and the flick to Sega for the assist on Rolfe’s second goal…. perhaps he should be starting up top with BMB from now on?? not much speed up front altho their talents complement each other… with speed from Mapp(Pappa), thorington and rolfe in the middle we did well at getting up and down the field…

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  9. Murphy – personally i think its better that Becks brings these crowds just to see the home side actually win… i feel that would benefit home town fans more then seeing Becks sail in and get 40 assists….

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  10. “Dont think Carver will be going anywhere, hes happy here (sad as much), has signed an extension and is looking forward to a new season”

    I love it everytime someone wholeheartedly believes anything a professional athlete or coach says to the media. Athletes and coaches would never lie, would they?

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  11. Hopefully things will settle down for Newcastle now that there looks to be some sort of plan in place as far as moving the team and having a management plan in place until then.

    That said, the teams has looked very poor, and it’s probably going to be a lost season by the time the club is sold and Keegan (or whoever) is back in place. Then again, what else is new?

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  12. Indeed it was a very lively and festive crowd last night at TP. I love when LA comes to town and its funny how the booing has shifted from Donovan to Becks. Every time Becks had the ball at his feet the boo-birds came out in full force. And it wasn’t just Section 8 making noise last night, the whole stadium was rockin!

    On a different note as good as Chicago’s defense has been this year we still gave up too many good opportunities to LA. This needs to get better as we push into the playoffs and what looks to be another matchup with NE (say it aint so). Maybe we can jump them in the standings and have the second leg at home for a change.

    GO FIRE

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  13. The crowd in Chicago looked great last night. I wish I was at that game, it looked like a fun atmosphere…

    Can you imagine if the galaxy were actually good? With Beckham drawing those crowds MLS would be benefiting much more than it is right now from having Beckham. Blame Lalas for this debacle–I’m sure there are GM’s who could have pieced together a better squad around Donovan and Beckham. Lalas just dug them too deep a hole. What a waste!

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  14. I am a big galaxy fan and I still believe in the team, but I have to say after last night’s performance, they let me down one too many times. This is what I would like to see happen:

    1. Donovan going to Bayern Munich

    2. Alexis Lalas getting banned from soccer

    3. Beckham not regretting coming to the galaxy.

    4. By some miracle we could reverse the Albright trade.

    5. Galaxy not make the playoffs!

    6. Never remembering who Ruud Gullit was.

    7. Eduardo Dominguez sent packing.

    8. Alvaro Pires going on a diet.

    9. Cobi Jones come out of retirement.

    10. Taking Gibbs instead of Lewis, duh!!!

    THIS GAME WAS THE LAST STRAW! I blame everything on LALAS! that ginger kid didn’t know what the fudge he was doing (except beckham). I don’t think it takes a genius to figure out that you need a some kind of defense! what ever happened to babayaro?

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  15. They just weren’t the highest quality goals that I’d like to see us create. With mcBride our wing play should be able to create some chances but we just aren’t getting the ball on his head.

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  16. Sigh, i do hope your wrong on that one Ives.

    Christ, with all the rumors swirling between league and team, its not been a good week.

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  17. I love Keane. He has made me a Sunderland supporter, which is no easy feat. As far as the Yorke decision, it seems like it’s simply unworth it to continue a sparring match with doof Jack Warner. Honestly, what would be the point, for Keane, who already got his shots in?

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  18. Ives, It might be time for a review of the playoff pretenders/contenders vs their remaining schedules with some predictions. That should make things lively!

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  19. Well, we (the FIRE) certainly looked dynamic going forward much of the match. Thorington had some particularly good runs himself and you keep wondering where Justin Mapp is, but it was good to get some goals. Now if we can just do the same against a team that has some defense! This should bury the Galaxy as they have some pretty tough games left, Columbus and Houston especially.

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  20. While, it seems unlikely LA makes the playoffs, I wouldn’t completely count them out yet.

    I wouldn’t be surprised to see Chivas lose or tie Kansas City, Colorado lose or tie New York, and San Jose win or tie Real Salt Lake. I would be surprised if Dallas didn’t beat DC who are battered and tired because of schedule congestion, but even with that, there is a decent chance LA will still be in the running with 4 games to go.

    Of course, it is still highly unlikely that they advance, but I wouldn’t shut the door on them. The teams in the West are inconsistent to bad, and the race is wide open. Anything can happen.

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  21. I don’t think Jack Warner gets it. Keane isn’t as selfish as most managers. He is extremely close with his former teammate Yorke, and will let Yorke do whatever he chooses as long as he is healthy. Warner is a moron, he thinks Keane is out to get T&T.

    I don’t know what to think about Rolfe these days. His finishing is deadly as always but he doesn’t seem to be quite good enough at playing either striker or midfielder to justify him as being considered top notch.

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  22. I thought the Galaxy would have beaten us last night but our offense woke up and Blanco finally did something poductive. Hopefully we can turn it on and get rolling once the playoffs start.

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  23. Put your money down Ossington. 7-1 is a good number if you’re feeling that confident. 🙂

    But in all seriousness, you might want to look into that extension Carver supposedly signed. I hear different on that one.

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  24. Dont think Carver will be going anywhere, hes happy here (sad as much), has signed an extension and is looking forward to a new season

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