SoccerBlogs

Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIPhotos.com

By JOHN BOSCHINI

A rebuilt Chivas USA isn't happy with being second best.

Less than four months after seeing their cross-town rivals lift the MLS Cup in their home stadium, second-year head coach Robin Fraser is determined to improve on a 2011 marred with inconsistency and a late-season slump.

Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com

For a team coming off of a championship run, the Los Angeles Galaxy have had plenty of major moving parts over recent weeks.

Between Landon Donovan going back to Everton on a short-term loan, Juninho returning to Sao Paulo, Donovan Ricketts being dealt to the Montreal Impact, Sean Franklin re-signing and David Beckham, well, still making a decision, the Galaxy remain the talk of MLS deep into the offseason.

 Photo by Brad Smith/ISIPhotos.com

By THOMAS FLOYD

Fans expecting their team to nab that missing piece of the MLS Cup puzzle in the Re-entry Draft on Monday shouldn't get their hopes up.

Last year, clubs used the mechanism to bolster their rosters with the likes of Juan Pablo Angel, Josh Wolff, Jimmy Conrad and Cory Gibbs.

There was a time when I liked a couple players in the MLS Re-Entry Draft for the Seattle Sounders to pick up in Stage Two and talk into less money. First Bobby Boswell renegotiated with the Houston Dynamo and then Bobby Convey went to Sporting Kansas City at a cut rate (rumors say 200K$). Now the list of available players is absent of the really appealing names.

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Photo by David Bernal/ISIPhotos.com

By JONATHAN VERA

When the 2011 MLS season began, veteran Zach Thornton had a hold on the starting goalkeeper job with Chivas USA. After some early struggles by Thornton, Dan Kennedy has taken over the starting role.

The two best teams in MLS met Wednesday in the latest installment of the Rocky Mountain Cup. This game matched up the past two MLS Cup champions and like four of the previous six games between these two rivals, was decided by a goal scored after the 88th minute.

In the third minute of second half stoppage time, a foul gave RSL a free-kick 25 yards out.

By JONATHAN VERA

CARSON, Calif -- Chivas USA's quest for its first win of the 2011 MLS season ran into the defending champion Colorado Rapids, who look like a team intent on repeating.

Playing without star strikers Omar Cummings and Conor Casey, the Rapids still managed to post a 1-0 road victory against Chivas USA on Saturday night at the Home Depot Center.

                   Photo By ISIPhotos.com

Heath Pearce is on the move.

The U.S. International left back has been sent to Chivas USA for allocation money. Pearce was an integral part of FCD's run to the MLS Cup Final in 2010, but appeared to have some tension with head coach Schellas Hyndman.

BY ADAM SERRANO

Brian McBride found the perfect way to end his illustrious career.

McBride scored the opening goal as the Chicago Fire ended their season with an impressive 4-1 victory over Chivas USA. It was a night in farewells at the Home Depot Center as three players played their final match with their respective teams.

A typical match preview is tough to put together when two teams that have nothing to play for are the combatants. Similar to the Fire, Chivas USA is suffering through a miserable season with a new coach after qualifying for the playoffs in 2009. They also played on Wednesday night and were victims of a Chris Wondolowski hat trick en route to a 3-0 defeat in San Jose.

By AVI CREDITOR

Thursday night wasn't a complete loss for the Columbus Crew, despite the team dropping to second place in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference.

Emilio Renteria tallied two goals in the second half to lead the Crew past Joe Public FC, 4-1, in their CONCACAF Champions League group stage finale in Trinidad.

By AVI CREDITOR

Thursday night wasn't a complete loss for the Columbus Crew, despite the team dropping to second place in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference.

Emilio Renteria tallied two goals in the second half to lead the Crew past Joe Public FC, 4-1, in their CONCACAF Champions League group stage finale in Trinidad.

BY ADAM SERRANO

Chris Wondolowski continued his MVP-caliber season on Wednesday with a hat trick in the San Jose Earthquakes, 3-0 victory over Chivas USA.

Wondolowski began the match on the bench and came on as a sub late in the first half after Cornell Glen left with an injured hamstring.

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Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIPhotos.com

The Colorado Rapids became the eighth and final MLS team to qualify for the playoffs, and while Kansas City's loss on Saturday made their game against Los Angeles a formality, the Rapids still delivered an eye-opening thrashing of the Western Conference leaders, beating the Galaxy 3-1.

BY ADAM SERRANO

The Seattle Sounders have finally shaken their Chivas USA jinx in regular season play.

Goals by Steve Zakuani and Osvaldo Alonso were all the Sounders needed to defeat Chivas USA, 2-1 in front of 36,356 at Qwest Field. The victory was the Sounders first victory over Chivas USA in league play.

By AVI CREDITOR

The FIFA calendar is at it again.

With international call-ups affecting roster personnel for some Major League Soccer teams this weekend, it's important to know who won't be available for your roster selection.

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Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIPhotos.com

BY ADAM SERRANO

The SuperClasico may be a rivalry on paper, but on the field, the dominance lies with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

A pair of first half goals by Edson Buddle and David Beckham was enough to cancel out a second half strike from former Galaxy forward Alan Gordon and the Galaxy were able to take home the SuperClasico trophy for the third consecutive time.