FC Dallas was an up-and-down team last season, getting off to a slow start (remember Brek Shea as a
fullback) before surging in the summer then falling off a cliff in the fall. The team ended the
season on a ...
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com for the rest of the story.
photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
Geoff Cameron's switch to centerback was one of the key ingredients in the Houston Dynamo's run
to the MLS Cup, and that's why head coach Dominic Kinnear has made the move permanent.
Cameron will serve as a center back in 2012 after he and Kinnear had a discussion following the
end of the season.
STARTERSThe Mexican Semifinals start tonight.
DU NORD AT THE CONTROLSdu Nord at the Controls - Tue Nov 29, 2011 - new music mix at Spotify.
STORY OF THE DAYHigh quality MLS branded Foosball table!
TEAM USA - EL EQUIPO DE TODOSBrian Sciaretta of Yanks Abroad talks to Fabian Johnson about playing for his new international
team.
Fabian Castillo should be a protected player for FC Dallas. (Getty Images)
Another expansion draft list for you on this Friday afternoon.
This one centers around the team I'm most familiar with, FC Dallas. I will keep this one fairly
short as I find FCD to be one of the easier teams to put a list down on paper (or type out in this
case).
Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
By AVI CREDITOR
The New York Red Bulls began the season playing as advertised, producing a high-octane style of
play, outpossessing teams and using their cavalcade of international stars to try and overpower the
opposition.
Quick Recap
Approximately as many people showed up to watch a playoff game at Pizza Hut Park as attended a
reserve match at Jeld Wen Field earlier this season. FC Dallas appeared to draw inspiration from
the sparse crowd as they put forth a half-empty effort against the lowest seed New York Red
Bulls.
FC Dallas 0, New York Red Bulls 2
The New York Red Bulls and Dallas FC squared off in Pizza Hut Park for the first Wild Card game of
the post season in front of 10,017 fans. FC Dallas came out strong against NY and bossed much of
the first half and NY was left with working the counter-attack.
The New York Red Bulls may have eked into the playoffs, but they're in a position to shake up
the postseason picture in a big way after their latest performance.
Joel Lindpere finished a cross from substitute Mehdi Ballouchy in the 61st minute, and Thierry
Henry scored an insurance goal in the final seconds of stoppage time to lift the Red Bulls to a 2-0
victory over FC Dallas in a single-elimination wild card match Wednesday night.
The MLS playoff schedule was set late Sunday night (it's down below here).
We'll review with a thorough handicapping later this week, but for now...here's our quick odds,
brief summary and the schedule.
Please lend your voice to the odds and we'll republish on Wednesday or
Thursday:
Evans for Seattle (and previously for Columbus)
TSG's MLS Playoff Odds:
Seattle Sounders: 3 to 1* (pending Rosales injury update)
Los Angeles Galaxy: 4 to 1
Real Salt Lake: 6 to 1
Philadelphia Union: 7 to 1
Sporting KC, FC Dallas: 8 to 1
Colorado Rapids: 10 to 1
Houston Dynamo: 14 to 1
New York Red Bulls, Columbus Crew: 15 to 1
-
TSG's Pick (may change by Thursday): Seattle
TSG Skinny: There are a just few basic things you need to reach the MLS Cup
Finals after journeying through its playoff gauntlet.
FC DALLAS (2ND) VS. TORONTO FC (3RD)CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - GROUP C PIZZA HUT PARK - TUESDAY 8PM EDTTV: GOL TV -----RADIO: FAN 590 THE KICKABOUT:Yes the hyperbole machine is once again churning out platitudes at full strength - but this time
it's for realsies!
Time is running short for D.C. United and the Chicago Fire, and an accelerated level of stress
is put on each of the remaining regular season games for two teams with postseason aspirations.
As two of the three teams on the outside of the current playoff picture but within striking
range, United and the Fire need to pile on the results beginning with tonight's matches against the
Vancouver Whitecaps and FC Dallas, respectively.
The DeRo for Dax trade was one of the biggest in 2011. (Getty Images)
Each year I do season predictions and nearly every year I boldly state that a trade will shake
up the season (take that with a hint of sarcasm if you will). Well, this season is just like many
of the past where teams wheel and deal in hopes of bettering their playoff hopes.
There are few things as glorious in the podcasting world than celebrating victory, and that's
just what we do in this week's episode of Nos Audietis. Three-straight U.S. Open Cups baby, there
ain't nothing to apologize for.
This is also our first episode with our new engineer, loyal Sounder at Heart reader
Dano_Seattle.
There are few things as glorious in the podcasting world than celebrating victory, and that's
just what we do in this week's episode of Nos Audietis. Three-straight U.S. Open Cups baby, there
ain't nothing to apologize for.
This is also our first episode with our new engineer, loyal Sounder at Heart reader
Dano_Seattle.
"No disrespect to the Eastern Conference, but tonight was the championship" -- Dallas defensive
midfielder Daniel Hernandez after winning the Western Conference Championship in 2010I just wanted to throw that in as a "friendly" reminder about our guests tomorrow. I expect him to
get the official Class VI welcome for 90 minutes!
Photo by ISIPhotos.com
When Omar Bravo finished off a Teal Bunbury pass to give Sporting Kansas City a 2-0 lead on FC
Dallas in the 68th minute on Saturday night, the match-up of top MLS clubs looked to be over. The
home team was leading, the visitors were feeling the grind of a busy week, and it would have been
easy for Dallas to look ahead to Tuesday's U.
It was a strange time for both FC Dallas and Toronto FC as they were getting ready to play each
other as the two MLS sides are in Group C, but of course their countries they call home are
different. It looked like a decent crowd at BMO Field was going to get an entertaining game.
A fantastic chip by Jackson Goncalves in the 18th minute gave FC Dallas the early lead, but
around the 32nd minute the first half was officially delayed for the first time due to a horrible
thunderstorm that came over the city of Toronto, with lightning striking all over the place.
Conventional wisdom once demanded a good club needed a midfield destroyer, someone to bounce about
over a broad range with menace and bite and one simple goal in life: to create mayhem and turnovers
in the midfield while eliminating rhythm for the other guys' attack.
Some MLS clubs still have a character befitting this description, a spritely type who has yet to
meet an attack he wouldn't like to kick, hammer and choke into submission.
MLS and college soccer have been intertwined since the league's inception in 1996. Thousands of
players have navigated the path successfully from college to MLS, with many going on to enjoy
lengthy careers and win numerous trophies as professional.
Travis Clark of MLSsoccer.com writes of the former MLS standouts who are now coaching in the
collegiate game.
Sigi Schmid and his Seattle Sounders have not won in Texas yet. Not against the Houston Dynamo,
nor against Saturday night's opponent FC Dallas. It isn't that the sample size is huge, but as the
season progresses it becomes more clear that the Toros and Sounders are likely to face off in the
MLS Cup Playoffs, and if confidence matters getting a win during the regular season will help
towards that.
Photo: Paul Rudderow
Game time: Saturday, 8:00pm ET
TV: 6 ABC
Freddy Adu and Peter Nowak are not the only reunion on tap for this weekend as former Union
midfielder Andrew Jacobson and goalkeeper Chris Seitz return to PPL Park for the first time since
leaving the club.
How Osvaldo Alonso was overlooked as a MLS All-Star is crazy. (getty Images)
Each year when the MLS All-Star Roster is announced there are always a mass amount of players
that are usually more deserving of the honor than some of those that get to play in the game. For
the most part I don't care a whole lot about the All-Star game but I did want to point out those
who I felt got over looked in a big way this season.
BY ADAM SERRANO
FC Dallas has shown that the willingness to persevere despite absence, injuries or change.
Part of that rise has been the play of two-way midfielder Andrew Jacobson, who appears to have
finally locked down a steady spot on an MLS club after three years of bouncing around the
league.
The Rio Tinto hosted a clash of two of the three best in the Western Conference on Saturday night.
Dallas came in winners of three in a row while Real had not been beaten in five.
Salt Lake's StrategyJason Kreis started with his usual 4-4-2 diamond formation. The only surprise was Luis Gil starting
as Alvaro Saborio's strike partner instead of Fabian Espindola.
By CALEB SONNELAND
Real Salt Lake is back to its winning ways after it ousted a red-hot FC Dallas 2-0 on Saturday
thanks to second-half strikes from Andy Williams and Fabian Espindola.
The deadlock was broken almost immediately after halftime when Kevin Hartman couldn't hold onto
an Andy Williams free kick when the keeper got behind the ball but couldn't hold onto it as it
trickled across the line to earn the hosts a 1-0 lead.
I'm fairly confident today will be one of those days where everyone is making their mid-season
picks (either that or it will be an all week kind of things across the 'net). I've been knocking
around the idea of getting mine posted for some time and today just felt like the right time.
Nearly all teams have played half of their season (KC, RSL and SJ only ones that have played 16
games) and I think we know who was good in this first half of the season and who was not.
Photo by ISIphotos.com
By THOMAS FLOYD
Those looking to get their MLS fix this holiday weekend should have no problem flipping through
the channels and finding a game or two -- or six -- to their liking, as all but two of the league's
matches will be nationally televised.
Real Salt Lake was in a slump, and needed someone to step up and lead the offense, and Alvaro
Saborio showed up just in time.
The Costa Rican striker returned from Gold Cup duty in stylish fashion, scoring a pair of goals
to help Real Salt Lake win its first game in four, earning SBI MLS Player of the Week honors in the
process.
By JOSE M. ROMERO
FC Dallas is as good a team as there is in MLS when things are clicking and a legitimate
contender to return to the MLS Cup final at this point. Just ask the Portland Timbers.
FCD ruined former star Kenny Cooper's return to Pizza Hut Park with a 4-0 victory over Portland,
featuring goals from Zach Loyd, George John, Brek Shea and Ruben Luna and a pair of corner-kick
assists from Daniel Hernandez.
Tomorrow's a big day for fans of soccer in Portland. Not only are the Portland Timbers heading
to Dallas to seek their first road victory but also the United States is playing Mexico in the
CONCACAF Gold Cup final. Both are happening at just about the same time though, so it's going to be
a little tricky to keep track of both.
30 goalkeepers have seen action in Major League Soccer so far this season. 25 have a higher
Goals Against Average than Faryd Mondragon. Of the four with a lower GAA, Donovan Ricketts and Nick
Rimando are the only two with more than 90 minutes under their belts.
It's getting harder every week to find a league-related statistic without Bimbo stamped all over
it.
After a forgettable April, Landon Donovan emerged in May to remind us why he's considered the
best player in Major League Soccer.
The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder a league high six goals in April, leading the Galaxy to a
4-1-2 record and commanding lead atop the Western Conference.
FC Dallas enters Qwest Field and the Emerald City trying to continue its hot streak of 11 points
in their last five games. Seattle Sounders FC continue to "figure it out on the field" from all the
role, formation and personnel changes. The Toros of North Texas are 5-3-3 for 18 points and second
in the Western Conference, while the Rave Green are 4-3-5 with 17 points in a jumble tied at third
with their Saturday opponent (Real Salt Lake) and Cascadia rival Portland Timbers FC.
As we've been saying, the starting lineup for Wednesday's match between the Seattle Sounders and
FC Dallas is a bit of a crap shoot. There are injury concerns, there's the fact that both teams are
in the middle of playing three matches in about a week and there's the ever-changing lineup
decisions of Sigi Schmid.
On the same weekend in late April, both the Seattle Sounders and FC Dallas lost critical members
of their offense to bonebreaking tackles. The Steve Zakuani loss got more attention outside of
Dallas due to the cynicism of the tackle and the graphic injury, but Dallas lost the MLS MVP in
David Ferreira.
FC Dallas and the Seattle Sounders have a few things in common. Both are in the preliminary
round of the CCL, both lost dynamic players to on pitch injuries and both get a few thousand fans
to show up when they play in the suburbs. Tip your waiters, I'll be here all week. Big D Soccer
gives us some insight into the upcoming Wednesday night match.
By JOSE M. ROMERO
Sunday's FC Dallas-Real Salt Lake match might as well have ended in the 83rd minute, when a
torrential downpour forced a lengthy weather delay at Pizza Hut Park in suburban Dallas.
There was no score then, and there would be no score over the final minutes of the match after
it resumed about an hour and 40 minutes later.
RSL and FCD battle this weekend in a big profile match. (Getty Images)
Here we are, ten weeks into the 2011 MLS season. Hard to believe it but we're heading into
summer here really quickly. May is nearly up and while teams are still cluttered in the standings,
there are a couple games this week that could help those at the top break away.
Since this is the inaugural edition of a new daily post, I'll give it a proper introduction!
Welcome to Orange Slices, your daily stop for a roundup of all the Houston Dynamo links and
news. I'll do my best to scour the Internet and find all the news related to the Dynamo that's out
there and I encourage my readers to submit stories either through the comments or via email at
dtblogstaff[at]gmail.
Wondo Scores AgainFirst of all, I'm exhausted. Five games in one night and tweeting out during all
of them. Thanks to my followers for putting up with must have seemed like soccer ADD. It was an
enjoyable experience and one I look forward to again. Now, on to the games.
Los Angeles Galaxy 1, Philadelphia Union 1
(MLS League Play)
Landon Donovan
continued a fine run of form scoring another goal in front of an announced crowd of 19,178 at PPL
Park.
