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Thursday Kickoff: MLS teams in non-MLS action

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By AVI CREDITOR

Ludovic Giuly, a rumored Major League Soccer summer target, assisted on the lone goal as Paris Saint-Germain defeated the Chicago Fire in front of more than 9,000 at Toyota Park Wednesday night, 1-0.

Giuly's cross found Clement Chantome, and the midfielder headed home the 14th-minute pass by rookie goalkeeper Sean Johnson for the winning goal in the opening match of the Chicago Sister Cities International Cup. 

Giuly could potentially be plying his trade in the Fire midfield once the summer transfer window opens, as the 33-year-old midfielder has reportedly drawn interest from Chicago.

PSG will face Red Star Belgrade, 1-0 winners over Legia Warsaw in the other opening-round game, on Saturday in the final of the inaugural Sister Cities Cup. The Fire will face Legia Warsaw in the consolation match.

Here are a couple of more stories to get your Thursday going:

BENFICA CRUISES PAST NEW ENGLAND

Despite having its biggest names training for the World Cup, Portuguese champion Benfica had no problem putting on an offensive display at Gillette Stadium in a 4-0 romp over the New England Revolution.

Filipe Menezes opened the scoring in the 15th minute, followed by Sidnei three minutes later. Cesar Pixoto tallied the third goal in the 32nd minute, and Alan Kardec closed the scoring in the 53rd.

Even though the match was played in rainy conditions and chilly weather, 12,735 turned out for the international friendly. 

TORONTO, VANCOUVER DRAW

Toronto FC missed out on a chance to clinch the Nutrilite Canadian Championship Wednesday night, playing to a scoreless draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The draw keeps Vancouver barely alive and in need of victories at the Montreal Impact and at Toronto in order to steal the CONCACAF Champions League berth.

The Canadian champion will meet Honduran side Motagua in the Champions League preliminary round.

Here are highlights of the match:

Would you like to see the Fire sign Giuly? Did you see any of Wednesday night's matches? Think Vancouver can win the Canadian championship?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I was there also, and I was more than surprised by the amount of Serbians there. They had to make up at least 2500 of the people in attendance, and they were loud.

    Reply
  2. The crowd was very weak if you ask me, I was there and couldn’t believe that 70 percent of the stadium was empty. I was really hoping for a packed house given the size of the Polish community here, I’m sure it’ll be full for the Milan game on the 30th though. What’s this I’m reading about Giuly coming to the Fire?? This was the first I’ve heard this? Any more info?

    Reply
  3. I don’t know what Chicago was hoping for, but 9,000 for an international friendly is disappointing. I’ll be very curious to see what sort of turnouts teams have this summer for their international friendlies. I’m sure teams will sell out for big names like ManU. But I’m not sure that teams like PSG, Benfica, and Boca Juniors can sell tickets the same way.

    Reply
  4. Went to the Vancouver-Toronto game. Toronto didn’t really put their top line up out on the field. Nor did they play with a lot of energy. It looked like they felt a tie would be sufficient and if they could steal a win, fine. DeRosario played the whole game. No DeGuzman. Preki brought in a couple of subs late: Garcia and Barrett. These seemed to upgrade the team’s play, although neither really did a lot. It was a pretty even match. Good crowd on a nasty night.

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  5. As usual, you make no sense. Yes, I see the thong…once I retrain my brain to think like a perverted republican. Things were weird in the 1970s? Are you referring to the general deindustrialization that was occurring in Paris that started the ever-widening social gap, the banlieues created after Algeria’s independence, or the May 1968 uprising against de Gaulle?

    Reply
  6. New England needs to think out of the box. Scheduling a Portuguese side is a great idea there — but, on a Wednesday night in mid-May, in Foxborough? At least, Mohammed should go to the mountain. Play the game in Providence. Brown stadium.

    Reply
  7. My new, fun, entertaining-to-me-only game is to see how much time elapses between the first (FIRST!) post and a post about Freddy Adu.

    One minute…veeery impressive.

    j

    Reply
  8. Actually what you are seeing is a drawing of a girl in a thong as seen from the floor below her. Those Frenchies are always up to something. The real mystery is why that girl chose a red thong with that funky symbol on it, but this was 1970 afterall and things were getting kind of weird then.

    Reply
  9. what’s the story with the baby leaping out of the baby carriage underneath the Tour d’Eiffel in PSG’s emblem?

    or maybe it’s a space alien landing in the baby carriage. actually, i like that better.

    Reply

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