The Colorado Rapids face a seven-game, end of the season slog in an attempt to salvage a couple
of wins and a little bit of pride before the long off season.
Where those wins will come from is in doubt with the latest evidence of the team's ineffective
attack coming in the form of Friday night's 1-0 loss to the Portland Timbers.
George John has experienced his fair share of setbacks in the past year. But if the FC Dallas
centerback's spirits have been dampened, he isn't showing it.
Last summer, a deal that would have sent John to English side Blackburn Rovers FC fell
through.
The acquisition of Andrew Wiedeman has paid immediate dividends for Toronto FC.Â
Wiedeman, sent to TFC from FC Dallas in exchange for Julian de Guzman last week, came off the
bench and scored the game-winning goal Wednesday night at BMO Field, lifting TFC to a 2-1 victory
over the floundering Colorado Rapids.
Perceptions of the Sounders have evolved significantly over the course of the season. Early in
the year many people questioned whether Eddie Johnson could still score goals. Later, when it was
clear that EJ found his shooting boots, there were concerns that Fredy Montero could not play
alongside him.
What most people don't understand is that home field advantage isn't always about where you
play. Just as often, it's about what you're playing for. And no matter where the games are played,
US Open Cup matches are home matches for the Seattle Sounders, because this is their Cup. It's our
Cup. Sounders players have been stomped, cut, mocked, and bruised for it.
Michael Gspurning was deemed "ready" by Seattle Sounders coach Sigi Schmid following Thursday's
training. The assumption being that Gspurning is due to make his first start since May 2, allowing
for the obvious caveats that anything can happen between now and then.
The seven-game winless run has not gone unnoticed by Seattle Sounders leadership. I had a chance
to catch up with Sounders GM Adrian Hanauer earlier this week and he made it very clear that
something is going to have to change. That might be the Sounders simply playing better, but he's
clearly not ready to just sit on his hands and hope that happens.
The Portland Timbers are currently in 7th place in the MLS Western Conference, just three points
behind their next opponent, the Colorado Rapids. The team's win last weekend over the Seattle
Sounders has given hope to fans and players alike that they have turned a corner and will now go on
a winning run to surpass the losing run they just finished.
That did not go as planned. For the first time in the MLS era, the Seattle Sounders lost to the
Portland Timbers. I wouldn't say the Sounders were outplayed, but I don't know that I'd say they
were clearly outplayed in many of these seven games that they've failed to win.
Rather, this was a hugely frustrating continuation of an incomplete game being followed by a
substandard result.
By Andrew Crawford, writing from Shanghai. View all letters here.
Two months into the second phase of the Shanghai Shenhua revolution, with Didier Drogba freshly
installed as the team's new alpha male, the team have gone unbeaten over seven games.
The GPS Portland Phoenix have already clinched one of the USL PDL Northeast Division's two
playoff spots, but their hopes of reclaiming first took a blow on Thursday night with a scoreless
draw against the Seacoast United Phantoms at in front of a reported 100 fans at Portsmouth High
School in New Hampshire on Thursday night.
Jordan Thomas scored in the 25th minute and it was all the Seacoast United Phantoms would need
to take a 1-0 home victory at Portsmouth High School against the visiting Vermont Voltage on
Saturday night.
The win helps the unbeaten Phantoms (5-0-3, 18 points) keep within a point of the Northeast
Division leading Ottawa Fury (6-1-1, 19 points).
Tony Tchani (left) and Benny Feilhaber battle for position during the Crew's visit to Gillette
Stadium on Jun. 16. (Photo: Kari Heistad/CapturedImages.biz)
Talk about a tale of two halves.
In the first 17 games of the season, the Revolution were a team with realistic playoff hopes.
No, really.
The New England Revolution are in free-fall mode at the moment. The 2-1 loss in Chicago last
night, extended the club's winless streak to seven games (0-6-1) dating back to early July. The
streak is the team's longest since going seven games winless from July 23 through Sept. 7, 2011
(0-2-5).
BRIDGEVIEW, IL.- Fans at Toyota Park were treated to plenty of goal-scoring action early and
often in Saturday night's Chicago Fire-New England Revolution, with three goals coming in the first
15 minutes of the match. Luckily for most of those fans, the Fire came away with the edge during
that flurry, as they continued their recent hot form with another victory.
The New England Revolution have waived Colombian striker Jose Moreno this morning, according to
the team's official twitter feed. "Pepe" Moreno, 30, made seven appearances in 2012 (five starts),
scoring one goal.
New England acquired Moreno on loan from Once Caldas in February, but it took over a month for
the striker to arrive in Foxboro.
Chivas hopes to knock off the Galaxy this weekend. (Getty Images)
The weekend is finally here folks. I have to say this felt like a longer week than normal but
now that Friday is finally here we can focus on the task at hand with this weekend's slate of
games.
Another full weekend, seven games on Saturday with one on Sunday.
Every week the New England Soccer Today crew will look beyond the standings to rank each of
the 19 Major League Soccer (MLS) teams. This week Sean Donahue and Brian O'Connell contributed
rankings. Comments are followed by the ranker's name and the rank they gave that team. *Note:
Games played on July 3rd were not included in these rankings.
A.J. Soares and the Revolution defense helped keep the Crew off the board in Saturday's 0-0
draw. (Photo: Kari Heistad)
Depending upon who you ask, Saturday night's 0-0 draw was either a step forward or a more of the
same from an inconsistent attack. Or both. Or neither.
The Revolution were aiming for three points, but fell two short of that goal.
After an extended break, Major League Soccer is back in full swing tonight, with seven games to
be played and some history to be made.
Stade Saputo opens for business in Montreal, with the Impact unveiling their new home with a
match against Seattle. The Houston Dynamo welcome FC Dallas to BBVA Compass Stadium for the first
installment of the Texas Derby to be played at the new Houston Stadium.
Back to the Cathedral!Good morning! The Portland Timbers come to the Cathedral of Football
for the first visit since they foolishly decided to trade one Kenny Fuckin' Cooper to the Red
Bulls. We all know what has happened since: 13 goals for New York, the firing of John Spencer and a
comfortable spot at the bottom of the West for Portland.
In November 2010, the Colorado Rapids took to a cold Toronto field and won an MLS Cup. On
Wednesday night, the team took the same field with hopes of linking "playoff" and "aspirations"
into a reality.
Playing in a stadium where the Rapids were 0-5-0 against the home team, Colorado saw those hopes
vanish in yet another 2-1 loss.
Every week the New England Soccer Today crew will look beyond the standings to rank each of
the 19 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.
By J Hutcherson - WASHINGTON, DC (July 3, 2012) US Soccer Players – Major League Soccer has seven
games on the schedule over the next two days, and another opportunity for a team or two to separate
themselves. Up first is an unlikely choice. Houston plays Chicago in a game that could give us
enough to argue one or the other as the true contender in the Eastern Conference.
The sixth ranked Boston College Eagles drew 2-2 with University of Central Florida on Sunday at
BC's Newton Soccer Field. Kristen Mewis and Kate McCarthy scored for BC in the draw.
Boston College (5-0-2) extended their unbeaten run to seven games with the tie against UCF
(5-1-1).
Mewis gave BC the lead at halftime with a 17th minute goal.
Have you checked out the O-Zone yet? After offering soccer coverage for 7 years in the Ozarks,
it's nice to see the local media finally stepping up their coverage of the beautiful game. A check
of the Men's Soccer Page on the O-Zone website shows recent game reports, including
photos, from Nixa-Greenwood, Central-Greenwood and Ozark-Parkview.
LONGWOOD HOSTS FIRST-EVER BIG SOUTH MATCH FARMVILLE, Va. – The Longwood University men's soccer team will host Liberty University in
the Lancers' first-ever home Big South Conference contest on Saturday, September 1 at 7 p.m. at the
Athletics Complex in Farmville. Admission is free for all of Longwood's fall sports home contests.
If Andrew Wooten is to find consistent minutes in the 2. Bundesliga this season and further his
development, it apparently won't be with Kaiserslautern.
According to a report, Wooten is set to go on a season-long loan to recently-promoted club SV
Sandhausen in a quest for playing time.
The Finnish FA reorganised the league structure last season, taking the opportunity presented by
Tampere United and AC Oulu's licensing difficulties to reduce the top league by two clubs and
introduce a 33-game system. Twelve clubs now play each other club three times, squeezing an
additional seven games into the short Finnish season.
Chris Korb's likely reintroduction to D.C. United's starting lineup could not come at a more
convenient time for the Ohio native.
With Robbie Russell suffering a foot injury at Houston Sunday and out for "somewhere in the
month-plus region," according to D.C. United coach Ben Olsen, Korb will be looked at to fill in at
right back starting with Saturday's match at the Columbus Crew.
Hotspur vs RoyalsFredericksburg drop pair of games over weekend
By Tom Leiss
For Fredericksburg Hotspur: www.fasahotspur.com
FREDERICKSBURG, Va.—The Fredericksburg Hotspur Premier Development League team got off to a quick
start this season, going undefeated in the team's first seven games.
Everywhere you look at the moment, people are fretting over transfers. Will van Persie still be
here next season? What about Walcott's contract? Or Song's? Will M'Vila arrive, or Giroud, or maybe
some other stars that we so desperately need? And what about the clearout? We still haven't got rid
of anyone from that long list, surely we need to be getting on with it?
The Sriwijaya steamroller shows no sign of halting. A tricky game in Balikpapan saw them end the
game with 10 men yet still take home the three points.
Two goals in four minutes from M Ridwan gave the visitors an early lead before the prolific Aldo
Baretto pulled one back for the home team.
