Here's everything you'll need to help digest the Sounders' 3-1 win over FC Dallas, including recaps, analysis, photos and highlights.
The Seattle Sounders relied on a couple of uncommon goal scorers when they rode a brace from Brad Evans and an insurance goal from Mauro Rosales to a home win, an elimination of FC Dallas from playoff contention, and a guaranteed top 3 finish in the West.
The Seattle Sounders relied on a couple of uncommon goal scorers when they rode a brace from Brad Evans and an insurance goal from Mauro Rosales to a home win, an elimination of FC Dallas from playoff contention, and a guaranteed top 3 finish in the West.
For much of the game it had all the makings of a match in which Seattle dominates possession and chances but can't convert enough of them and ends up surrendering points to a team with an inferior attack that converts their opportunities.
One team is heading in one direction while another team appears to be clinging onto its
postseason life.
The Galaxy entered Saturday's matchup against the Vancouver Whitecaps looking to continue its climb
up the Western Conference standings while the Whitecaps came in mired in a three-match losing
streak.
The du Nord Futbol Show Podcast Ep. 7 is ready - download or listen here.
dN
According to my onscreen guide for Directv I now have BeIn, the new Al Jazeera sports network, on
channel 620. That used to be the channel of GolTv which has now been moved to 627!
The Seattle Sounders will travel to Kansas City's Livestrong Sporting Park on August 8, 2012, to
take on Sporting KC in their attempt to become the first ever team to win four consecutive US Open
Cup titles. Seattle defeated Chivas USA in the semifinal by a 4-1 score with four different goal
scorers: Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans, Sammy Ochoa, and Eddie Johnson.
Every club from each 32-team age group is scheduled to play during Tuesday's
session
Tuesday marks the beginning of competition in the U-15/16 age group while the U-17/18 clubs enter
their second day of matches at the 2011-12 Development Academy Playoffs at FC Dallas Stadium
Complex in Frisco, Texas.
New England Revolution striker Jerry Bengtson and Honduras kept their World Cup hopes alive with
an important 3-0 victory over Cuba at Estadio Pedro Marrero in Havana on Friday night.
Bengtson played the full 90 minutes in the match and scored the eventual game-winner in the 32nd
minute. Bengtson's goal came off a left footed volley from just outside the 6-yard box after
Georgie Welcome headed a cross from Emilio Izaguirre into his path.
The Robin van Persie transfer saga has come to a conclusion, and it is one that has the Dutch
striker set for a major move from the Emirates to Old Trafford.
Arsenal announced that they have reached an agreement with Manchester United for the transfer of
Van Persie, who has been the subject of transfer rumors for months, including potential moves to
United rival Manchester City and Italian champion Juventus.
Madison 56ers striker Anthony Santaga (Green Bay Notre Dame) pulled into a tie atop the
National Premier Soccer League Midwest Region Central Conference scoring race Sunday, recording his
seventh goal of the league season.
Eau Claire Aris midfielder Charlot Nacius and Milwaukee Bavarians forward
James Weber (Hartford), who has played in just three matches, also have seven
goals apiece heading into the final week of the season.
Even though he's been in Sweden for the past month, UW-Green Bay striker James Weber
(Hartford) continues to top the National Premier Soccer League Midwest Region Central Conference
scoring chart.
Madison 56ers striker Anthony Santaga (Green Bay Notre Dame) scored his sixth goal of the
season Sunday to pull within one of Weber, who scored seven times in three matches for the
Milwaukee Bavarians.
Another light weekend of play in the National Premier Soccer League Midwest Region Central
Conference meant just a few changes on the conference goal scoring list.
UW-Green Bay striker James Weber (Hartford), who has missed the past four matches for the
Milwaukee Bavarians because he is training and playing in Sweden, continues to top the scoring
chart with seven goals.
With just two National Premier Soccer League Midwest Region Central Conference matches this
weekend, there wasn't much movement on the conference goal scoring list.
UW-Green Bay striker James Weber (Hartford), who has seven goals in just three matches
for the Milwaukee Bavarians, continues to top the scoring chart.
UW-Green Bay's James Weber (Hartford) is in training with a club in Sweden and has missed
the past two matches, but the Milwaukee Bavarians striker continues to lead the National Premier
Soccer League Midwest Region Central Conference scoring chart.
After a high-scoring weekend of conference matches, players from the Minnesota Twin Stars (11
goals in two games last week) and the Madison 56ers (eight in one) made moves up the list.
Milwaukee Bavarians striker James Weber (Hartford) once again is the leading goal scorer
in the National Premier Soccer League Midwest Region Central Conference.
Weber's four-goal game Sunday, his second hat trick of the young season, sent him back into the
top spot after three weeks of action.
Milwaukee Bavarians striker James Weber (Hartford) is tied with the Minnesota Twin Stars'
Derek Oelmann atop the goal-scoring chart for the National Premier Soccer League Midwest
Region Central Conference through two weeks of play.
Weber and Oelmann each have scored three goals, courtesy of hat tricks in wins over Eau Claire
Aris.
The U.S. is going after its first win in World Cup qualfying at "The Office"
For all you stat folks out there, get yourself set up for tonight's World Cup qualifier with the
full USA-Jamaica game notes. Just in case, here's the crib version:
Eighteen players on the roster were part of the group that earned four points from the first
two World Cup Qualifiers this past June, including all three goal scorers: Clint Dempsey (2),
Carlos Bocanegra and Herculez Gomez.
Emmanuel Adebayor is returning to White Hart Lane to inject some much-needed life into
Tottenham's attack.
Adebayor, who scored 17 goals last season while on loan with Tottenham from Manchester City, has
completed a permanent transfer to the club after a drawn-out transfer saga has finally concluded
with his departure from Etihad Stadium for a reported ÂŁ5 million fee.
First off, the leader is Chris Wondolowski and unless San Jose starts to fade or the stretch run
has someone go made (maybe like another couple 6 goal months?) he should be the MVP. There is no
doubt he is the Most Valuable Player in the league right now. Where it gets interesting for
Sounders fans is that they have four players that received at least one vote on the 20 ballots.
This past Saturday's match between the San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy at a sold out Stanford
Stadium with more than 50,000 in attendance lived up to the hype of a Classic.
It has often been referred to as the California Clasico. For Northern California fans, it is the
one time to watch Beckham and Donovan during the regular season.
The goals were flowing in MLS this past week, with many multiple-goal scorers making their case
for Best XI recognition and some not making the cut.Â
Landon Donovan's three goals and two assists helped carry the resurgent Los Angeles Galaxy; Alan
Gordon had a hand in all four San Jose Earthquakes goals during wins over Colorado and Real Salt
Lake; and Danny Koevermans and Will Bruin each scored three goals over the course of two games.
Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo acknowledges that his side has endured a difficult pre-season but
feels no shame in losing 3-2 to defending Premier League champions Manchester City with 10 men.
Di Matteo's Blues, who played yesterday's Community Shield as FA Cup winners, surrendered a 1-0
half-time lead to lose the match in dramatic fashion following the sending off of Branislav
Ivanovic right before the interval.
Man United's signing of Robin Van Persie looks set to be one of the most crucial that the
Premier League has ever seen occurring just as the powers of England's most renowned side had
looked to be on the wane.
Man United seemed to be floundering as their nearest rivals spent big and snapped up the latest
star names.
Courtesy of the Evansville Courier Press, May 20, 2012
As we come off perhaps the most exciting weekend in the history of the English Premier League a
week ago, we need to look back on the Cinderella story and tremendous ascension of Manchester
City.
Professional soccer – and specifically the EPL - continues to rise in popularity here in the
United States, and the drama last weekend only added to that.
All of us have our heroes and villains, and in every generation there are players who
passionately divide opinion, causing us to dissect every possible flawed trait of the human DNA,
especially those representing Arsenal.
The first conscious connection I had with Arsenal was the side that won the UEFA Fairs Cup,
followed by the 'Double' a year later, which was particularly pleasing because we equalled what
Spurs had done ten years previous, and I'm sure I read somewhere in statute law that under no
circumstances are Spurs allowed to get one over Arsenal for as long as the sun rises in the east
and sets in the west.
All of us have our heroes and villains, and in every generation there are players who
passionately divide opinion, causing us to dissect every possible flawed trait of the human DNA,
especially those representing Arsenal.
The first conscious connection I had with Arsenal was the side that won the UEFA Fairs Cup,
followed by the 'Double' a year later, which was particularly pleasing because we equalled what
Spurs had done ten years previous, and I'm sure I read somewhere in statute law that under no
circumstances are Spurs allowed to get one over Arsenal for as long as the sun rises in the east
and sets in the west.
Luis Silva continued a stellar week by scoring an early goal for Toronto FC on Saturday night,
then TFC goalkeeper Milos Kocic made that goal stand up with a virtuoso performance.
Silva scored in the 8th minute for his second goal in as many matches and Kocic recorded four
saves to lead Toronto to a 1-0 victory over the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium on
Saturday night.
Toronto's midweek game against FC Dallas brought a familiar sight: striker Danny Koevermans finding
the back of the net. The Reds managed to salvage a point thanks to the big Dutchman's ninth goal in
nine games.
Sad news today coming from Malaga with the news that Ruud Van Nistelrooy has retired from
football aged 35. Ruud helped Malaga to qualify for Champions League football in his final game for
the club, but now he feels that he physically can't play at the level that he wants to, and as much
as he'd love to play in the Champions League next year he can't afford to do so.
What Mourinho wants, he gets. Reports emerging suggest that Mourinho will try to force out
sporting Director Zinedine Zidane for his alleged involvement in first team affairs.
Zidane who was referred to Madrid as an advisor to then incoming president Florentino Perez
three years ago, has seen his roles change eventually being named as the Sporting director at the
season.
Both teams are weakened for tonight's nationally televised game (NBCSN). Both due to injuries and international callups. Both lack significant goal scorers up top. Seattle's defense is piecemeal. Salt Lake takes a hit in their wide midfield. If matches must be played shortly after international dates at least the impact to both rosters should be similar and in this case it is.
The Drury Panthers are hosting the Drury Invitational with four games for the men this weekend.
Coach Ryan Swan's squad finished last fall with a flurry, knocking off top-seed, regular season
champion and nationally fourth-ranked Northern Kentucky 2-1 in Highland Heights to kick off a
scintillating run in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships, one that wasn't halted until
the Panthers fell 2-1 in two overtimes to Quincy in the title match in Kansas City.
The Portland Timbers reserves won their match up against the Oregon State Beavers today with a
score of 2-1. All three goal scorers were Timbers with Brent Richards and Franck Songo'o scoring
for the Timbers while U23's product Emory Welshman got on the board for OSU.
The Timbers played two very different games in the first and second halves.
Eau Claire Aris midfielder Charlot Nacius claimed top honors in this season's
National Premier Soccer League Midwest Region Central Conference scoring race.
The Haitian finished with an impressive 10 goals in 12 matches and scored half of the goals for
Aris, which finished last in the five-team conference.
The Philadelphia Union may have suffered a scare, but in the end they were the ones who looked
the most frightening.
Led by a brace from Lionard Pajoy, the Union advanced to the U.S. Open Cup semifinals with a 5-2
victory over USL Pro club Harrisburg City Islanders at PPL Park on Tuesday night.
Oduro juggles cleat after a goal. Speed can't be taught. Improving one's speed can be learned, but,
reaching maximum capacity is G-d given.
In Soccer, finesse and skill on the ball can take a player only so far. Add speed, then, players
like Lionel Messi emerge. Messi is considered the greatest attacking player because he combines all
the goal-scoring (finishing) attributes.
After our 2-0* win against PAOK earlier in the week (it feels like ages since we beat them), its
come down to a match-up between PAO and AEK to decide who will be Greece's second team to attempt
to make their mark in the Champions League. Thanks to Chelsea's win against Bayern in the final
today, whichever team goes on to win the playoffs will be placed in the stronger group for
qualifying matches and will play against lower seeded teams (definitely good news!
In scoring our second goal in the win over Fulham yesterday, Jermain Defoe moved into the top
ten of Tottenham's all time goal scorers with 118 goals in his two spells at the club.
"Great to hear that I've become one of Spurs' top 10 goalscorers of all time brilliant support
today knew I'd score if given the chance," JD said on his Twitter feed.
