Seguramente ustedes ya tendrán a su favorito o al menos se darán una idea de cómo pinta la liguilla para los ocho equipos restantes.

Es por eso que vamos a analizar los cuatro partidos de ida de forma breve y concisa.

Sin duda el partido más parejo de todos los cuartos de final.

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Not much of a surprise there. It was just announced on ESPNews.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is this is the first time that Landon Donovan, a five-time Honda Player of the Year and two-time U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year, has won the MLS award.

Said Donovan:

"Well, from a statistical standpoint it wasn't my best year, but what is important to me, and I think the reason we're being recognized, is that our team was very good this year.

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Galaxy 2 Houston Dynamo 0

Who would have thunk it at the outset of this season?

Two extra time goals by Gregg Berhalter (!) and Landon Donovan - his 17th postseason goal, the most in MLS (he was tied with Carlos Ruiz previously) - has given the Galaxy the win before an energized 25,373 even though it's past 11:30 p.

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Galaxy 1 Chivas USA 0

David Beckham played a huge role in earning this goal for the Galaxy sending a long, gorgeous crossfield pass from the Galaxy's own half to Landon Donovan who crossed it to Mike Magee.

Magee was brought down - speared really by Yamith Cuesta - as he attempted to control the ball and was rewarded with a penalty kick.

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Houston and Seattle played a classic match last night on national television. The unsporting Freddy Montero was unable to hand the physical pounding Dom Kinnear and the Houston defenders had in store for the much hyped, but little regarded (at least in Colombia) forward. Montero's solution: whine and go to ground easily.

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Oh, and loved this article by Jayson Stark, sent by a friend ... worth a reprint here.� Onward!

Phillies walk off into history

By Jayson Stark
ESPN.com

PHILADELPHIA The magic is in the moment.

The frozen moment when a baseball soars through the night and your mind begins to understand what's unfolding before your eyeballs.

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I mentioned this last week, but don't forget: there's one last chance to see the Aztex play in Austin this year. On Wednesday, Oct. 7, they will host Monterrey's Rayados, of Mexico's Primera División.
Monterrey is doing well in the current Apertura season. They are 2nd overall, with 23 points from 11 games (7-2-2). Click to continue reading...

A Guatemala con amor.... un verdadero golazo que se firmó el famoso "Pescadito" Ruíz, quien toma el balón de aire y mete un disparo que nadie puede detener.

Sin duda, este gol debe estar entre los mejores de la semana del fútbol mexicano:

Y detrás de ese, debe estar el del Camerunés Alain Nkong que milita con los Indios de Juárez, un portento de gol:

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More details came out in the Jermain Defoe story. Turns out he was wrongfully jailed for five hours.
His lawyer obviously made a big to-do about it. I would too, if that happened to me, and I could afford a lawyer.
Now the links:

• New Galatasaray kit. [3 Pas 1 Gol]
  
• Cheryl Cole spotting.

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Does anyone have it?
Okay, Steve Pastorino. Anyone else?
Used to be I would at least turn and look at the thing. It was cute, once. Just a bunch of our favorite players goofing off on a sunny afternoon.
Then...geez, I dunno, it got all dark and pretentious on us. Click to continue reading...

Se viene el Apertura 2009 en el fútbol mexicano, por lo que todos los equipos están listos para emprender la carrera rumbo al campeonato.

Es por eso que aquí les dejo los cinco jugadores extranjeros que deben seguir para este torneo, ya que ha llegado a nuestro país con ganas de crecer y darles alegrías a sus respectivos equipos.

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A couple of MLS alums have found new teams. After regaining his scoring touch in Paraguay, Carlos Ruiz has moved from Apertura champs Olimpia to Mexican club Puebla. One of the best strikers in league history, Ruiz still ranks 8th on the all-time MLS goal scoring list.
Puebla recently lost another former FC Dallas player when Ramon Nunez moved to Cruz Azul. Click to continue reading...

Every day, another million links:

• Adebayor close to Manchester City?
  
• Or Manchester United?
  
• Danny Szetela to D.C. United.
  
• Flip-flopping. John Terry not for sale now?
  
• Barca sign Inter defender Maxwell.
  
• Downing to Aston Villa.
  
• Ronaldo happy to stay at Corinthians.

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I don't usually post speculation about transfers here but this particular signing would be massive on many levels. My feeling is that MLS exists to promote domestic talent, and Julian DeGuzman is the best attacking player from the US or Canada in Europe. DeGuzman's revelation that he is considering a move to TFC should inspire confidence in Mo Johnston and Major League Soccer.

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According to a Sky Sports report, French club Rennes has expressed interest in acquiring USMNT midfielder Ricardo Clark.
Clark, 26, was a major part of the American squad that made a compelling run all the way to the Confederations Cup final. The Houston Dynamo midfielder started in four of their five matches, missing only the first meeting with Brazil while serving a one-game suspension for a red card offense for a late tackle in the game against Italy. Click to continue reading...

Ruiz eyes return to the City of Angels
We received the following from one of our loyal MLSR readers moments ago:

I read an article on a Paraguayan newspaper about Carlos Ruiz possibly coming back to MLS after the season ends with his current club Olimpia. Here's the link.
By the way you guys rock, love your site!

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Via PA-DIGITAL - Vielka Cádiz Franco
El CSD Municipal avanzó ayer a la final del fútbol guatemalteco al ganar 3-0 y remontar en el marcador global 3-2 al Suchitepéquez, en un partido en el que el arquero panameño Jaime Penedo volvió a ser la figura de su equipo.
El club escarlata dirigido por el argentino Carlos Ruiz perdió el partido de ida por 2-0, pero ayer se hizo respetar en su feudo después de tanto batallar para alcanzar en tiempo extra el resultado favorable de 3-0 que le permitió llegar a otra final. Click to continue reading...

The Scene: The 2002 MLS Cup Final was played between the LA Galaxy and the New England Revolution before the largest Final crowd ever (61,316) at Gillette Stadium. Though the Gals had lost the Cup the year before in an overtime duel with SJE, this time it would be they who would prevail in overtime to best NER 1-0� and hoist their first MLS Cup.

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Ever wonder what happened to the guys from long ago? Yeah, me too, but that will take a little more digging. Until then, here's the latest on the latest former Galaxy guys.

After training with Seattle Sounders FC in the preseason, Ely Allen is now playing for USL's (Premier Development League) Seattle Wolves FC.

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For the second time this season, forward Josh Wolff has been named MLS Player of the Week following an impressive two-goal performance. Wolff is the first player to capture a pair of Player of the Week honors this season and now has seven for his career. That total ties him for 6th all-time in MLS in number of POW awards. Click to continue reading...

MLS is ready to double the ante for its annual All-Star competition in 2010 by creating two separate teams for the Eastern and Western Conferences to compete against two international powers.

This July 29, EPL Everton and keeper Tim Howard compete against the MLS All-Stars at Utah's Rio Tinto Stadium, the seventh and newest soccer specific stadium in the country.

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As we often keep track of ex-FCD'ers, today we have a Carols Ruiz update. Click to continue reading...

According to this article on Paraguay's ABC that may be the case:
Translated Excerpt:
Here comes the "Pescadito". The Guatemalan attacker Carlos Ruiz, 29, 1.75 height and 75 kilograms, would be the next recruit of Olimpia and will arrive in the country in the coming hours, according to unofficial reports. Click to continue reading...

I hope you guys all had awesome Christmases. I certainly did.
There is literally nothing going on right now in the world of TFC, but that's understandable. I think it will be pretty quiet until the "big splash" happens (which could be January 6).
If you remember, last week someone noticed that Carlos Ruiz has apparently been released. Click to continue reading...

Hat-tip to Razcle on the Red Patch Boys forum for this.
It looks like when we traded for DeRo, Carlos Ruiz was released at the same time. Here is an excerpt from an article by the Canadian Press:
"Toronto helped clear some of financial obligations by releasing high-priced Guatemalan forward Carlos Ruiz, acquired in an August deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Click to continue reading...

Our good friends of MLS en Espanol translated some of the article we got from RojoMania.com
For Sale. Or Lease. Or whatever the buyers wants.
Marco Pappa and Carlos Ruiz, both Guatemalans, are in the group of the "unprotected" players for the MLS draft that will take place today. Click to continue reading...

Just received in our inbox from our good friends at RojoMania.comAs we awit our first bit of real news from the MLS Bodysnatchers Expansion Draft, we got an interesting email which stated simply: "If Sigi takes the 2 million then Carlos Ruiz and Marco Pappa follow."An english translation of the above is:Carlos Ruiz and Marco Pappa Will Go Today in The Major League Soccer Expansion Draft after Toronto and the Fire left them:Unprotected! Click to continue reading...

Okay, I'm not quite letting go yet.  Here's a bit about the chaos in Philly, post World Series win!  We begin in an anonymous house, somewhere in Philly, as the Phils close it out and some college students watch ... then spill out into the street. From there we move along toward Broad Street ... [. Click to continue reading...

Yours truly went to see Willie Porter last night - an absolutely wonderful concert!  It was one of his best (in my relatively limited experience as a groupie).  He played a long and varied set and came back for several encores, with the folks at Tupelo going wild!  He's a guitar god ... really ... Click to continue reading...

That's the word from our usually reliable friends at RojoMania.
We're not sure what to make of it as it drops the bombshell disclosure that Schelotto won't be back next year.
Here is a hastily done "Google Translation".

Sigi Schmid asked to Ruiz in 2009 after the inevitable departure of Guillermo Barros Schelotto of the Columbus Crew
Rene Romano
rojomania_news@yahoo.

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Tomorrow marks Houston's second visit to Toronto. The reigning MLS Champs will be looking to extend their lead atop the Western Conference, while TFC will be hoping to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. In the Reds' short history, they have done surprisingly well against the Dynamo, beating them 1-0 at home in a rain soaked affair last May, and getting a point on the road in July.

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Did the Los Angeles Galaxy sell damaged goods to Toronto FC? That's how it is starting to look as the Canadian club revealed that striker Carlos Ruiz has been hobbled by a recurring knee injury and will undergo an MRI to reveal the complete extent of the damage. The Guatemalan forward missed a day of training last week in order to get the troublesome knee drained, and was held out of practice again on Tuesday, prompting the need for further evaluation. Click to continue reading...

Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan has been chosen as MLS Player of the Week for his three-goal, one-assist performance in the Galaxy's 5-2 win over D.C. United this past Saturday. It is the fourth time this season that Donovan has earned the award and the ninth time in his career.Donovan's stellar performance propelled the Galaxy to a much-needed victory - the first of Bruce Arena's tenure with the club - that helps keep LA in the hunt for the eighth and final playoff spot. Click to continue reading...

Well, I almost wish still kicking had not invited me to write the blog while he is enjoying his weekend, because, at the end of it all there were very few positives to write about. Really, there was nothing in this game that hasn't been in a number of other road games. Poor defending, rash challenges, ineffective passing, inadequate attacking were all features of this 2-0 loss to Kansas City. Click to continue reading...

Sorry for getting this out a little later today, went to the Kevin Hartman book signing in Lee's Summit tonight. Had a good time there. Anyways, the Wizards are back home at Community America Ballpark to take on the Canadians, Toronto FC. The Wizards come in off the 2-0 win over LA, while Toronto comes in off of a home draw with top of the table Columbus. Click to continue reading...