Black and Red United give DC winger Andy Najar five-stars for his performance on Saturday. Hard
to argue.
MLSTalk praises Peter Nowak as the Arsene Wenger of MLS. I am totally confused about the
comparison. Both successful yet flawed coaches? Both European?
Former Union netminder Brad Knighton helped his Carolina Railhawks to their 10th straight win,
earning his 5th shutout of the year in the process.
Black and Red United give DC winger Andy Najar five-stars for his performance on Saturday. Hard
to argue.
MLSTalk praises Peter Nowak as the Arsene Wenger of MLS. I am totally confused about the
comparison. Both successful yet flawed coaches? Both European?
Former Union netminder Brad Knighton helped his Carolina Railhawks to their 10th straight win,
earning his 5th shutout of the year in the process.
With the Seattle Sounders on their best form of the season and being as healthy as they've been
all year, you would think that projecting the starting lineup would be getting easier. And it is.
But there are still a few questions heading into Monday's game against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The biggest is who starts as the center midfielder next to Osvaldo Alonso?
What's in team form? Is it 4 wins in six games without a loss? Or ten games without a loss? Or
is form getting 64 points in last 34 with a +18 goal differential? Either way, that's the Seattle
Sounders right now. This team isn't just hot now. It has been hot for quite some time. Despite
changes scattered throughout the standard XI and substitution pattern, Sigi Schmid's squad has been
as good in 34 matches as FC Dallas (current PPM leader) is pacing in its half season.
The Montreal Impact aren't wasting any time here in building their roster. In the second move of
the day for the new club they have traded for veteran international keeper Donovan Ricketts from
the Los Angeles Galaxy in exchange for allocation money.
I had a sneaky suspension that Ricketts would get traded this winter or at least before next
season by the Galaxy.
First day of school: Newcomer Dustin McCarty practices Monday under the watchful eye of
Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena as the team hit the fields for the first time this preseason (Photo by
Brad Graverson, staff photographer).
Coach Bruce Arena has capitalized fully on his years of experience in MLS and with the U.
The Oakland native was waived by Dallas May 5 and picked up by the Galaxy the next day.
He is eligible to play Saturday against Chivas USA after agreeing contract terms.
The 22-year-old started his pro career with England's Southampton in 2007, was selected by Real
Salt Lake in a weighted lottery in 2009 and was traded to Dallas less than two weeks later.
Bruce Arena had to draft Mike Magee in the 44th minute as emergency goalkeeper after losing
Donovan Ricketts with a broken forearm following a nasty collision and Josh Saunders, his
replacement ejected for lashing out at the obnoxious Steven Lenhart.
Magee the winger turned goalie had little to do for the most part against an unambitious San
Jose side who failed to press the man advantage.
Photo by ISIphotos.com
It's no secret that West is the more dominant of Major League Soccer's two conferences. It's
even more evident considering that the top four teams in the SBI MLS Power Rankings all hail from
the Western Conference.
Los Angeles, FC Dallas, Seattle and Real Salt Lake occupy the top four spots in the latest
rankings, respectively, after all added points to their totals this past week.
Photo: Paul Rudderow
Union
Sebastien Le Toux is a team player. In interviews, he always adheres to the party line. But that
has, ever so slightly, changed. Speaking to Chris Vito of the Delco Times, Le Toux made clear his
desire to paired up top with Danny Mwanga and his doubts about being played as a midfielder.
Every week the New England Soccer Today crew will look beyond the standings to rank each of
the 18 Major League Soccer (MLS) teams. This week Brian O'Connell and Sean Donahue contributed
rankings. Comments are followed by the ranker's name and the rank they gave that team.
1.
I couldn't watch the San Jose game until the last few minutes, so imagine my surprise when I
turned it on to see this. Mike Magee can't pick up the ball! That's a handball!! Well, not that
night.
Who would have thought that for a number of weeks keeper would be the most exciting position on
the field for the Galaxy?
More photos » Brian Bahr - Getty Images
Browse more photos »
Apropos of nothing really, except the news that Knighton was waived by the Union yesterday, here
are Philly's goalkeeper transactions in their just over one full year of existence:
- Nov 25, 09 - Traded 175K in allocation money and an agreement not to pick an RSL player in the
Exp Draft to RSL for backup Chris Seitz
- Nov 25, 09 - Selected backup Brad Knighton from the New England Revolution in the Expansion
Draft
- Jan 14, 10 - Drafted Seattle Wolves' Brian Perk in Rd 4 of the 2010 SuperDraft
- Jul 30, 10 - Waived Brian Perk (claimed by the Galaxy)
- Oct 24, 10 - Finished season with 2nd highest GAA in MLS
- Nov 21, 10 - Both Knighton and Seitz left off of the expansion draft protected list
- Nov 24, 10 - Seitz is added to the protected list after Shea Salinas is selected by
Vancouver
- Dec 8, 10 - Declined Seitz' option and left him available for the Re-Entry Draft
- Nov 15, 10 - Seitz selected by Seattle (and then traded on to FC Dallas)
- Jan 13, 11 - Drafted consensus late-first-rounder Zac MacMath 5th overall in the 2011
Superdraft
- Jan 20, 11 - Signed Columbian international Faryd Mondragon (hereafter known as the Moon
Dragon) after he was benched by Bundesliga relegation candidates FC Koeln.
On Tuesday, the Union announced that Brad Knighton, the presumptive second string goalkeeper
behind new signing Faryd Mondragon, had been waived.
The announcement was met with shock in some quarters. After all, that leaves the Union with, at
present, only two keepers: Mondragon and first round SuperDraft pick Zac MacMath.
STARTERSMexico is the Gold Cup champions. Huge congrats to them on a roaring comeback win crushing their
rivals the USA. Hurra Cerveza!
dN
In a whopper of a deal DC United has acquired Dwayne DeRosario from New York in exchange for Dax
McCarty.
dN
In a stunning upset River Plate has been relegated to the second division (B Nacional) in Argentina
for the first time in their 110 year existence.
By ADAM SERRANO
The season is moving into its most grinding month, and there is some concern at Chivas USA that
the Goats might be slipping due to a lack of concentration
The Rojiblancos have conceded the lead six times this season, and Saturday the club lost for the
third match in a row.
The Los Angeles Galaxy have been forced into starting their third goalkeeper tonight versus the
Seattle Sounders. Brian Perk sits as the potential starter for at least one game for the Galaxy
because of Donovan Ricketts' broken forearm and John Saunders' red card last game.
Drafted 49th overall in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft, Perk did not start a single MLS or USOC game
for the Philadelphia Union.
The Brotherly Game Shares Their Knowledge of Brian Perk
Brian Perk has never played in a MLS game. Until last week's appearance against the LA Blues,
there's a pretty good chance he had never even donned a MLS uniform. The Brotherly Game shares what
they know about Perk from his days with the Philadelphia Union.
For the 16th consecutive season and the second against Seattle the Galaxy are at home for
Independence Day. How many of you have attended every game?
The Galaxy boast a 10-game unbeaten streak, the Sounders have four wins in 11 days and something
has to give between two teams separated by just four points in the MLS standings who meet each
other again July 12 or 13 in the Pacific Northwest in the U.
Two of the top teams in MLS will square off tonight at Home Depot Center as the first-place Los
Angeles Galaxy faces the red-hot Seattle Sounders (10:30pm, ESPN2).
The Galaxy will play with third-string goalkeeper Brian Perk after losing Donovan Ricketts to a
broken arm and Josh Saunders to a red card suspension.
A tie on the road against the best team in the league should feel satisfactory. But facing a
third-string goalkeeper, drawing a penalty and generally outplaying the Los Angeles Galaxy for much
of the match, the Seattle Sounders 0-0 tie does not feel as satisfying as it probably should.
The big reason for that is probably Fredy Montero's failed penalty.
BY ADAM SERRANO
The LA Galaxy had to reach deep into its bench, but was able to continue its 11-game unbeaten
streak with a 0-0 draw against the Seattle Sounders on Monday night.
Third-string goalkeeper Brian Perk performed admirably in his MLS debut, making two saves
including the definitive play of the game on a Fredy Montero penalty kick in the 18th minute.
There's been another change at the top.
Despite not losing, the Los Angeles Galaxy has made way for FC Dallas to take over the No. 1
spot in SBI'S MLS Power Rankings. FCD, on the heels of its 2-0 win over Columbus, extended its
torrid streak to 9-1-3 in its last 13 games and trails the Galaxy by two points in the race for the
Supporter's Shield but has two games in hand.
TeamCurrent RankingLast RankingRecord (W-L-T)Last FiveComments 119-2-9T-T-W-T-TFourth straight week
in the top spot for the Galaxy.
Good morning everyone and a happy belated 4th of July. The Seattle Sounders played the LA Galaxy
to a 0-0 tie this weekend and were a bit unlucky not to get the full three points. Young LA
goalkeeper Brian Perk did well in his first MLS game to keep a clean sheet including a good PK save
against Fredy Montero.
Fourth of July matches are often hidden and buried from our psyche. There is just so much other
stuff going on in the average American household. What shouldn't be forgotten is that the Seattle
Sounders had more chances in the first 30 and last 15 than the Los Angeles Galaxy did. While the
Galaxy controlled the 45 minutes within that period.
Loads of great highlights from Major League Soccer this week from Portland's Nagbe's wonderstrike
to Brian Perk's stand up performance between the sticks for LA. Voting closes at 11:50pm PT on
Thursday.
Get your vote on!
Vote here for "Goal of the Week".
Vote here for "Save of the Week"
Get the NEW Free Beer Movement "Pint Glass" shirt!
Brian Perk's diving save on Fredy Montero's penalty kick not only earned the LA Galaxy a point
in their 0-0 draw with Seattle on Monday, but it also took home MLS Save of the Week honors for
Week 16.
Perk's magnificent stop in the 18th minute helped keep the Sounders off the scoreboard and
propelled LA to their 11th straight match without a loss.
Seattle Sounders have lifted the hearts of their supporters to new heights, winnning
convincingly against LA Galaxy (including Landon Donovan) in the US Open Cup, winning in Portland,
and most recently defeating the Colorado Rapids in Seattle. Sounders were slightly unlucky in Los
Angeles on July 4th when Montero had his penalty kick saved by MLS noob Brian Perk.
Seattle Sounders have lifted the hearts of their supporters to new heights, winnning
convincingly against LA Galaxy (including Landon Donovan) in the US Open Cup, winning in Portland,
and most recently defeating the Colorado Rapids in Seattle. Sounders were slightly unlucky in Los
Angeles on July 4th when Montero had his penalty kick saved by MLS noob Brian Perk.
Seattle Sounders have lifted the hearts of their supporters to new heights, winnning
convincingly against LA Galaxy (including Landon Donovan) in the US Open Cup, winning in Portland,
and most recently defeating the Colorado Rapids in Seattle. Sounders were slightly unlucky in Los
Angeles on July 4th when Montero had his penalty kick saved by MLS noob Brian Perk.
It should probably come as no surprise that the Galaxy have traded Donovan Ricketts to the
Montreal Impact in exchange for allocation funds. Ricketts has statistically been the best keeper
in the league. But when he went out with injury this season, Saunders took the starting role.
Ricketts is older and costs more, so it isn't such a stretch to understand why Arena would part
with him rather than Saunders.
