Houston 1-1 FC Dallas - Bad call by ref still doesn't excuse all the missed chances

Houston Dynamo 1-1 FC Dallas

In ESPN's continuing effort to deprive soccer fans of the chance to actually watch scheduled events, the sports network pre-emptied the first half of last nights outing due to an overtime basketball game. I understand the need to show the basketball game, but why not throw the MLS match over to ESPN Classic or is the viewing audience for a 15 year old, middle-weight boxing match really so great that it would be a crime to do such a thing?

Anyway, to the game itself. Houston spent most of the first half looking like the team that won the last two MLS Cups with Stuart Holden and Bobby Boswell both having a standout game. The team caused trouble for Dallas all over the pitch, but they could not get that final touch till Brian Ching got on the end of a perfect Craig Waibel cross. Still, with the way FCD played in the first half, Houston has no excuse for not being up by two or more.

The second half saw FCD switch from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2, which closed down a lot of Houston's attack, at least for a little while, and allowed Toja more freedom and created open spaces, which Kenny Cooper exploited for his excellent goal in the 62'.

Then came a call so horrible it really killed the excitement of the game for me. Holden broke loss and was running right at Dallas's goal when Pablo Ricchetti brought him down from behind. Let's see, Ricchetti was the last defender, it was a scoring opportunity and Ricchetti did not come anywhere near playing the ball. This is the easiest red card to give but Kevin Stott failed to deliver. Had Stott gone by what the rules say, the final 15-minutes of this game probably would have been very different.

Even though the Dynamo were cheated, they still cannot blame this one mistake for their failure to earn all three points as they had at least two easy chances early in the second half that should have put the game out of reach.

By the way, I'm sure FCD fans will point to the failure of Stott to call another foul later as an excuse for his earlier blown call. Late in the game (I think it was the 90'), Boswell appeared to clip Dominic Oduro from behind under similar circumstance to Holden's event (except Boswell was actually trying to play the ball). The only problem with this argument is if Stott had made the red card call earlier, this play probably would not have happened. That said, Stott should have called a foul, but did not, probably as a makeup call.

This tie means the Western Conference continues to live in chaos with just 5 points separating first from sixth. It also means Houston now has seven ties, which is the same amount that had all of last season.

Goals:
HD: Brian Ching (6) 21'
FCD: Kenny Cooper (8) 62'
Att: 16,933 (including about 30 FCD fans)
Video Highlights

Eric Wynalda returns to the pitch

Former US international and ESPN broadcaster Eric Wynalda is returning to the pitch after being cleared to play for the Premier Development League's Ventura County Fusion.

It has been seven years since he hung up his cleats, but Wynalda feels ready for this challenge thanks in large part to a fruit drink.

He credits this "comeback" to the fruit drink Monavie, which is based on the South American acai berry.

"My life since I retired was the managing pain from 11 surgeries," said Wynalda. "Ever since I've been drinking that stuff, I haven't taken one Advil.

"I've been playing all weekend for a year and a half now."

I smell a jersey sponsorship deal.

With the PDL three levels below MLS, Wynalda should still be able to shine, but I wonder how much juice he will need to drink in order to deal with the pain of playing on high school quality field turf?

So if you live in Southern California and want to see a US soccer legend playing meaningful matches, you now have a good, cheap option.

US men name final Olympic Qualifying training roster

After missing out on the 2004 Olympics, the US U-23 men are looking to redeem themselves by earning one of the two Concacaf spots for the 2008 Beijing games. With this in mind, Peter Nowak has called in a group of 24 players for his final training camp ahead of the March 11-23 tournament.

Here is the list:

GK (3): Dominic Cervi (Chicago Fire), Tally Hall (Esbjerg fB), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)

D (8): Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Hunter Freeman (New York Red Bulls), Kamani Hil (Vfl Wolfsburg), Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Mike Randolph (LA Galaxy), Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)

M (8): Arturo Alvarez (FC Dallas), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Sal Zizzo (Hannover 96)

F (5): Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Chad Barrett (Chicago Fire), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake)

Not a lot of shocks on this list, however the inclusion of Michael Orozco of Mexico's San Luis is interesting. I think this is his first US camp as he has flirted with playing for Mexico (he was born in California).

Overall, the US has some great striker options and a solid midfield, however the defense, with the exception of Edu, doesn't show as much known talent. It is not that they are bad, they just seem a bit unproven.

The unproven tag continues to the goal as none of the keepers have much pitch time to brag about. Again, they are not bad, they are just not tested at the highest level.

Overall, this lineup should allow the team to get out of their group and to the final.

Nowak will announce his final 20-man tournament roster no latter then March 9. Although he can add people not called into camp to that roster, odds are he will not.

Here is the full schedule for the tournament (Tickets Florida, California):

Group A
USA
Panama
Honduras
Cuba

Group B
Mexico
Canada
Guatemala
Haiti

Date	Matches	Venues	Kickoff Times
March 11	Panama-Honduras	Tampa, Fl	5:30 ET
March 11	USA-Cuba	Tampa, Fl	8:00 ET
March 12	Haiti-Guatemala	Carson, Ca	5:30pm PT
March 12	Canada vs. Mexico	Carson, Ca	8:00pm PT
March 13	Honduras-Cuba	Tampa, Fl	5:30pm PT
March 13	USA-Panama	Tampa, Fl	8:00pm PT
March 14	Canada-Haiti	Carson, Ca	5:30pm PT
March 14	Mexico-Guatemala	Carson, Ca	8:00pm PT
March 15	Cuba-Panama	Tampa, Fl	5:30pm PT
March 15	USA-Honduras	Tampa, Fl	8:00pm PT
March 16	Guatemala-Canada	Carson, Ca	5:30pm PT
March 16	Mexico-Haiti	Carson, Ca	8:00pm PT
March 20	Seminfinals	Nashville, Tn	5 & 8pm CT
March 23	Finals & 3rd	Nashville, Tn	1 & 4pm CT

ESPN Deportes will air all the matches live and ESPN306.com will steam them.

LA gets dumped by Osaka, Houston smash Sydney - Pan-Pacific Championship Semifinal wrap

The first round of the Pan-Pacific Championship is over and if there was any surprise, it was just how poorly LA and Sydney played. Houston and Osaka put together quality performances so the final on Saturday night should be a good game.

LA Galaxy 0-1 Gamba Osaka

If LA fans were hoping to see a new look to their club, they were sadly disappointed. The best thing they can say about the club is Donovan and Ruiz were not in the lineups, so it is not really a full test.

That said, neither of those players play in the backfield and that is where Gamba was smacking the Galaxy. The LA backline of last year was in full force as they consistently missed their marks, failed at their clearances and were otherwise schooled by Gamba's Mineiro. It also didn't help that new keeper Steve Cronin looked shocked for the first 15 minutes (he did improve greatly after his opening mistakes).

Up top, nothing. Time and time again Beckham would provide great service only to see the forward turnover the ball within two touches. Obviously Carlos Ruiz will give the team a much better chance up top, but the lack of depth from the bench could unhinge the team as the season progresses.

LA did look a lot better in the second half, but that was due in large part to Beckham dropping back and getting more involved in the defense. Interestingly enough, Beckham also moved into a forward position for chunks of the second half, which did give LA much better looks in front of net. I don't think this was an official thing as much as Becks just getting tired of his passes going nowhere with the forwards. On a non-Beckham second half note, backup keeper Josh Wicks had a strong outing, but he didn't take as many shots as Cronin (13-5).

Gamba proved themselves to be a fantastic technical team with just about every player capable of placing balls right where they need to go. Their speed also gave LA fits and their three attackers were constantly causing 7 or 8 LA players to drop back to defend.

Goal: GO - Mineiro 5'


Houston Dynamo 3-0 Sydney FC

Houston still has it. The team that we last saw winning the MLS Cup was back in good form last night. Their defense was tough, their midfield was smart and their forwards were troublemakers. That said, they were playing a Sydney FC side that didn't even have enough players to dress a full 18, so make of this what you will.

Brian Ching looks to be back from injury as he was finding spots and setting up shots. Dwayne De Rosario is a monster and his shots from outside the box only seem to be getting better (his goal was marvelous). Chris Wondolowski knows how to make his runs and will challenge for a starting spot no matter whom Houston brings in. Stuart Holden continued his great times on ESPN by getting yet another goal. Ricardo Clark and Richard Mulrooney were outstanding.

Okay, you can pretty much run down the Dynamo roster and give everyone a good mark, but I'm not sure how much of that is due to Houston being fully together or the lack of play by Sydney. If there is a dark spot for Houston, it might be Boswell who was not tested much but when he was, make a couple little mistakes that others had to fix.

The only other negative that came from this game for Houston is the possible injury to De Rosario as he came out in the 58' with what appeared to be a pulled hamstring in his left leg.

Goals: Dwayne De Rosario 27', Stuart Holden 28', Chris Wondolowski 43'


So what about the PPC? It is obvious none of these teams are taking it overly seriously and with only 15,128 people showing up to watch (and a lot of them left after the first game), it seems that the locals are not amazed. Perhaps that will change for the Saturday games, but in the end, this tournament has a long, long way to go before people start to care. I just find it odd that ESPN will air these matches but don't fight to get the Concacaf Champions Cup games. I guess I just don't understand television.

LA, Houston, Sydney & Osaka - A Pan-Pacific Championship preview

The first ever Pan-Pacific Championship (PPC) tournament kicks off tonight when the LA Galaxy take on J-League Cup Champions Gamba Osaka at 11pm ET/8pm PT in Honolulu, Hawaii. Both teams are in their pre-season, so who knows what will come of this match.

MLS insists this is a very serious international competition, but with only five months to plan it out, no big reward at the end and three of the teams out-of-season, it is hard to see it as more then a friendly. Then again, perhaps the desire to earn starting spots along with Sydney FC's desire to avenge their recent dumping out of the A-League playoffs, some quality soccer could break out.

Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of reasons to watch these games, I just don't expect them to be as tough as the upcoming Concacaf Champions Cup outings. I want to see if LA can find a way to tie together their bunch of rag-tags with the high priced boys of Donovan and Beckham (and Ruiz but I believe he is still recovering from surgery). For Houston, I'm hoping to see what is going on with their front line and how well Boswell fits in. But my interest is not limited to MLS sides as I will also have a lot of fun watching Gamba and Sydney since they are teams I often read about but seldom get to see.

Long term, the PPC could become something amazing, pitting a number of developing leagues against one another to see where they stand (especially if they can land some big dollar sponsors), but for the next few days, I just hope to see some good games.

So what about tonight?
LA Galaxy vs. Gamba Osaka
11pm ET/8pm PT
TV: ESPN Classics
Web: ESPN360.com

All eyes will be focused on David Beckham to see if he is finally at 100%. Once they are assured of that, I expect eyes to shift to their defensive line and new goalkeeper as Gamba's forward Lucas Severino will be giving them pains.

If LA is to bounce back from 2007, they are going to need to start with their defense as they gave up the second most goals of the league (48), while Gamba was the J-League's top scorer by a large margin (71 in 34 games).

Prediction: LA 1-2 Gamba


Houston Dynamo vs. Sydney FC
1:30am ET/10:30pm PT
TV: ESPN Classics
Web: ESPN360.com

Hometown hero Brian Ching will love this match, which should make him even more dangerous. But I'll be more interested with his partner Chris Wondolowski. Does he have enough to be a true starter?

On Sydney's side, I'm not sure who is even going to be there. Defender Tony Popovic is always someone to watch as is D/M Mark Milligan, but I'm not sure who will challenge the tough Dynamo backline.

Prediction: Houston 2-0 Sydney

Houston to face Sydney in Pan Pacific Championships

The MLS Champions finally know who they will face in the inaugural version of the Pan Pacific Championships (PPC) next week in Hawaii as Sydney FC won the right to represent the Australian A-League after they were knocked out of the playoffs this past weekend.

Sydney FC is a tough team with some quality to it, however, they are in the middle of a major roster problem as they currently have only 16-players available for the trip. This along with their shock playoff defeat, should give the upper hand in the match to Houston, however the Dynamo are still in the early stages of pre-season and have some injury issues of their own to deal with.

The PPC will involve two semifinal games with the losers facing off for third place and the winners go for the cup. The other semifinal match will see Japan's J-League Cup winner Gamba Osaka take on the SuperLiga runner-ups LA Galaxy (Pachuca were invited as SuperLiga winners but turned it down).

All four matches will take place in Hawaii with kickoff times at 6pm HT (GMT -10)/11pm ET and 8:30pm /1:30am ET (semis 20 Feb, finals 23 Feb). I can't find anything definitive, but I read somewhere that ESPN Classic will air the games in the US. Update: It is official, Adrian Healy and Allen Hopkins have been handed the horrible assignment of February in Hawaii as ESPN Classic and ESPN360.com will indeed air the matches live in the US.

It will be interesting to see how the teams treat these games. With LA, Houston and Gamba in pre-season mode and Sydney lacking a bench, who knows what we will see out there. Then again, a trophy is still a trophy, so maybe everyone will step it up.

2008 MLS schedule is out

Major League Soccer has released their full 2008-season schedule. Each of the 14 teams will play 30 regular season games. All teams will play each other twice (one home, one away) for 26 matches. The other four matches will be played against different intra-conference teams with a premium placed on rivalries. This represents the closest MLS has ever come to a traditional single table type schedule.

The season will run March 29 - Oct 26 for 31 weeks in total.

You can find a full schedule here.

Just like 2007, there are four national broadcast partners this season, airing 113 regular season games. In total ESPN2 will air 27, Fox Soccer Channel 32, HDNet 30 and TeleFutura 24.

Fox Soccer Channel will kickoff opening weekend with a doubleheader on Saturday March 29th. ESPN2 will have a doubleheader of their own on Thursday April 3. Big shock, both of those doubleheaders will feature the LA Galaxy. In total, LA will have 20 of their matches shown on national TV, including one on ABC when they travel to DC on June 29 (the full breakdown is FSC 5, ESPN2 5, HDNet 5, TeleFutura 4, ABC 1). Right after this game, ABC will air the Euro 2008 finally live (wow!).

Playoffs dates are:
Conference Semifinals Leg 1: Oct 30 - Nov 2
Conference Semifinals Leg 2: Nov 6 - Nov 9
Conference Championship: Nov 13 - Nov 16
MLS Cup: Nov 23

US 2-2 Mexico - Player Grades

US 2-2 Mexico
The US got outplayed last night and probably should have lost the game, but Tim Howard was just not having any of it. So what is the biggest thing we learned last night? The US is in serious need of some outside backs. Mexico was just racing it in with no interruption till they hit the Bocanegra-Onyewu wall.

There was also the bright spot of Jozy Altidore who appears to have come of age. His skill on the ball along with his speed should make him the striker we have been looking for.

Here are the grades as I see them:

Starting XI
Tim Howard (GK) - Just outstanding. Put himself where he needed to be and grabbed any ball that came near. Keeping after the ball even when Bocanegra collided with him just proves what he can do. Guzan is good but he's not unseating Howard anytime soon. A+
Drew Moor (D) - Not a good night. He was getting beat on the run of play and was the one marking Magallon on both goals. His one bright moment was the setup of Altidore's goal. C-
Carlos Bocanegra (D) - Held his ground well and covered for the mistakes of outside backs. Brought some good physical play to it all. A-
Oguchi Onyewu (D) - This was the Gooch's best match in a long time. He was commanding in defense and smart with his play, plus there was the header into the side pocket for the first goal. He still needs to work a bit on his speed, but so does most of the team, and he needs to try and limit the fouls. A
Ramiro Corrales (D) - Another 'not ready for prime time' back. He was sloppy on the ball and got turned over and over. One good thing, he kept on his mark during set pieces. C
Landon Donovan (M) - Where was he? The only time he really touched the ball was on dead balls and he didn't do a very good job with them. Okay, he did pop the ball back over to Gooch for the first goal, but other then that, nothing. C+
Ricardo Clark (M) - He held his own against a very strong Mexican midfield. He didn't shine but he also didn't sink. Decent passing but needs to control the game more. B
Michael Bradley (M) - A man of extremes. At moments he was fantastic and at others he was giving the ball away. The good outweighed the bad, but there is still a lot of space to improve the gap. B
Bobby Convey (M) - Much like Donovan, Convey was lost on the night. A couple decent touches are not enough. C
Jozy Altidore (F) - Jozy more then held his own in his first big international test. He was a little cold at the start but then he started wrecking Mexico's defense. He still has some work to do on his positioning but the technical skills are there. How great was it to watch a US forward get a goal during the run of play? A-
Clint Dempsey (F) - Wowed on the disallowed goal (what a finish) but other then that didn't do much during the game. Maybe this had something to do with it being around 4am London time, but nothing fantastic. C+

Subs
Freddy Adu (M) - On for Dempsey in the 63'. He brought some control to the game and showed a little creativity but he still has a way to go to earn a start. His passing was pretty solid. B
Benny Feilhaber (M) - On for Bradley in the 63'. If this is what he can do without any playing time for his club, imagine where he would stand with some serious minutes. His footwork was really strong and he controlled the pace of the game. Really, why is Derby not playing this man? A-
Eddie Lewis (M) - On for Convey in the 70'. Much better then I expected, seeing as he was not in camp due to injury, but still past his best days. If the team is looking for speed, Lewis is not the answer, but he was still better then Convey. B+
Maurice Edu (M) - On for Clark in the 79'. He brought in the energy needed towards the end of the match, but didn't really have a lot of time to settle. Did a decent job slowing down the Mexican advance. B+

Subs not used: Pat Noonan (F), Michael Parkhurst (D), Brad Guzan (GK)

So overall, the team did well down the center but was missing out wide. They also need to improve their passing skills in order to control the tempo. So where do we go from here? With so many problems on the defensive outside are injured Jonathan Bornstein and Steve Cherundolo the big winners of the night? Was Donovan's slump due to Mexico's increase coverage of him or did the lack of pre-game smack talk keep him from bring motivated? Is there any excuse for not starting Altidore in every possible match? Did the new home jerseys make you think this was just some sort of pickup game outside the golf club?

One final thing, the call by ESPN last night was so much better then what it once was. The topic of conversation was almost always focused on what was happening or just happened on the pitch plus there were moments when the commentators said nothing. They still need to work on some of their camera angles and play backs (I never did see Dempsey offside on his goal), but still a great improvement.

Scoring summary:
USA: Oguchi Onyewu (Landon Donovan) 30', Jozy Altidore (Drew Moor) 40'
Mexico: Jonny Magallon (Pavel Pardo) 35', Jonny Magallon (Carlos Salcido) 47'
Attendance: 70,103

All the US-Mexico madness you can stand

US-Mexico
9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT
TV: ESPN2

If a 30-minute pre-game and 2-hour match is not enough to quench your cross border soccer thirst, don't worry, US Soccer has you covered. In addition to the broadcast on ESPN2, you will be able to watch the final press conference pre-game stadium warm-ups and post-game show live on ussoccer.com.

Today at about 5pm ET/2pm PT, Bob Bradley and goalkeeper Tim Howard will meet the press for one last time. Tomorrow at about 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT, they will provide a live look-in on the stadium warm-ups and after the match (about 11:30pm ET/8:30pm PT), they will air a post-game show (which will also stream on ESPN360.com).

And as if that was not enough, there will also be a Studio 90 Pre-Game show at 5pm ET/2pm PT, plus ESPN Classic will reply the last year's 'friendly' meeting at 12pm ET/9am PT.

If you need addition hype for this match, you might as well just get on over to Houston and grab one of the few remaining tickets.

Got to hand it to US Soccer, they know how to exploit this rivalry to the fullest.

Here the full list of events in easy to use order:

5 Feb - Live Pre-game Press Conference (ussoccer.com) 5:15 p.m. ET
6 Feb - USA vs. Mexico – Feb. 7, 2007 (ESPN Classic) 12 p.m. ET
6 Feb - Studio 90 Pre-Game (ussoccer.com) 5 p.m. ET
6 Feb - Live Stadium Warm-ups (ussoccer.com) 8:30 p.m. ET
6 Feb - ESPN2 Game Broadcast (ESPN2) 9 p.m. ET
6 Feb - Live Post-Game Show (ussoccer.com & ESPN360.com) 11:30 p.m. ET

New broadcast team for US and MLS soccer - Dave O'Brien is out

ESPN and ABC have made the speculation official, Dave O'Brien and Eric Wynalda are no longer commentators for their soccer broadcasts. This includes MLS and US soccer matches.

Replacing them will be JP Dellacamera doing play by play and John Harkes with analyst. The rest of the team will be Allen Hopkins (sideline reporter), Julie Foudy (studio Analyst) and Rob Stone who will sub in for Dellacamera.

I really like this lineup. Dellacamera knows the game well and can call a fine match while Harkes should be able to explain why things are happening without looking to pick fights about every little thing.

One little bit of interest, Bruce Arena is nowhere on the list. Bruce has a lot of knowledge but his broadcast skills needed some serious work, so I'm happy about this.

Has Dave O'Brien called his last soccer match?

Dave O'Brien might be out of ESPN's booth if rumors from the MLS SuperDraft are to be believed. According to Soccer by Ives lead man, the buzz last night at the bar was a change a comin':

Another popular subject last night was word that Eric Wynalda and Dave O'Brien are being replaced as U.S. national team and major MLS game commentators for ESPN. A team of JP Dellacamera, Bruce Arena and John Harkes was being rumored to take over. Let me be the first to say that Dellacamera as national team play-by-play guy can't happen soon enough. He's the best in the business. Let me also say that the three-man booth model just doesn't work for soccer. Hopefully someone realizes this eventually. This hasn't been made official yet by ESPN though so stay tuned for confirmation.

Let me be as diplomatic about this as possible, 'it is about time.'

O'Brien is a talented sportscaster but his skills do not work well with soccer. As far as Eric Wynalda, he would do better as half-time host (or maybe his own show), because most of his call during games was more commentary on items not really related to the game in front of him.

What about the 'new' guys? JP Dellacamera is fantastic and will give the games the punch they need. John Harkes will bring a wonderful knowledge of the game to the booth. Bruce Arena, um, yeah.

I don't mean to hit Arena, but his time as a broadcaster has not been that spectacular. He does bring a huge amount of knowledge with him but he just doesn't have that great of a voice. Also, why is ESPN sticking with three in the booth? Have two in the booth, one on the pitch and a half-time analyst and everything is covered.

Still, if they go with Arena as the third, it will still be an improvement. As my wife said, "I can handle one million Arenas if it means no O'Brien!"

New England Revolution wins the East, look for the double

Chicago Fire 0-1 New England Revolution

Chicago's lack of finishing finally did them in as the Revs return to MLS Cup for the fourth time in six years. Overall, the match was lacking in excitement as both sides suffered from poor passing in the final third, but the real story is the lack of quality shots on goal the Fire had. Of their 10 on target shots, only two forced Matt Reis to make any sort of effort to stop them.

Blanco was mostly invisible on the evening thanks in large part to referee Kevin Stott. Since a large part of Blanco's game is based on getting calls from the ref, if the ref ain't calling', it just ain't happening. But Blanco was not the only player lacking. Other then some quality saves by Matt Pickens the team was a wash.

The Twellman goal was excellent, but overall, the Revs were a bit caged, but that is sort of their style.

As far as the ESPN call, it did not add anything to the excitement level. Even though they talked a large amount about the game, overall, it was just filler and enough about Boston being the city of champions. We got it the first time.

Goal: Taylor Twellman (2) 38'
Attendance: 10,317 (not very good at all)

2007 Eastern Conference Championship - Chicago vs. New England

Chicago Fire vs. New England Revolution
7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT
TV: ESPN2

Tonight decides who will represent the Eastern Conference in MLS Cup 2007. Will it be the hard charging, Blanco fueled, giant killers Chicago Fire or the always dependable, Matt Reis backed New England Revolution?

Without a doubt, Chicago has had a good run of form over the last couple months, but it really has not been as impressive as it sounds. Yes, they have not lost in their last 10 league matches, however, six of those games ended in ties and they scored one goal or less in seven of them. It makes for a good record but when you are in a must win situation, it doesn't hold up as well.

The Revolution have had a bit of a bumpier ride in terms of results and they looked a little soft against New York in the first round, but overall, they hold a number of key advantages. First, they are playing on turf in their own house. Second, they have a goalkeeper who is getting close to top form. Third, they have multiple scoring options. Fourth, unlike DC, injuries are not hurting a number of key players.

All of these will make Chicago's job extremely difficult, but there biggest issue is the same one they have had all year, failure to score. The Fire have the fewest goals of any playoff team (31) and are second worse when compared to the league as a whole (TFC holds the bottom spot at 25). This lack of attack, especially up against a keeper like Matt Reis, is what will doom them.

On the other side of things, the Revs have one of the most productive offensives in the league and with seven of their regular starters having two or more goals, this productivity is not limited to one area. This will force Chicago to pull players back behind the ball, meaning they will again be counting on break aways and counter attacks to see them through this match.

A very telling thing to look at concerning the Fire is the way they played in the first leg of the DC series. When they went up a goal, they said that they were going to push it in order to get a second. But what happened? The team didn't know how to push forward and instead they wasted the clock and helm off a limping United. So even when they decided to push forward, they could not.

Without a doubt Blanco will play a major role in Chicago's night, but which Blanco will it be? Will it be the Blanco from the first leg who gave away the ball over 40 times or the Blanco of the second leg who was placing the balls were needed and catching the United defense cheating? But the center of attention might not be the most important person to watch as the Fire will need Chad Barrett and Chris Rolfe roaming into the final third regularly if they hope to beat Reis.

The Revs will call on one of the best midfields in the league to dictate this game. Steve Ralston and Andy Dorman have made trouble for their opposition all season with Jeff Larentowicz and Khano Smith adding a great fight to the center. On defense, Michael Parkhurst has been making a case for international duty with his 'defend hard, defend everywhere' style while Jay Heaps likes to get involved when numbers are needed. Combine all this will Pat Noonan and Taylor Twellman and you have all the makings of a whooping.

Chciago might be able to hold off that whooping due to their strong defensive work, however that normally is the result of keeping 10-players behind the ball, meaning that if they go down to the Revs, their style will open up as they push forward, resulting in more possible chances for New England.

Predictions:
Me: CF 0-2 NE
Wife : CF 2-1 NE
But the wife did not stop there, she predicts that NE will go up a goal in the first half hour, Chicago will tie it just a few minutes after halftime and get the winner sometime between the 82-86'. Specific enough for you?

Chicago Fire stump DC, 'Curse of the Supporters' Shield' continues

Chicago Fire 2-2 DC United
Chicago wins series 3-2 on aggregate

What was DC doing during the first 60-minutes last night? I have not seen them look that pitiful since 2002. Nobody was playing a good game. The midfield couldn't pass a ball, people were not getting forward, Troy Perkins was running off his line every chance he got and Bobby Boswell, well the less said about him the better.

The Fire took full advantage of these flubs and using some fantastic passing to silence the crowd. Blanco, who last week gave away the ball over 40 times, was having a much better night. His back heal passes were not getting picked off and his long range ones were landing near target. But their best pass of the night came from Carlen Carr on the first goal. Perfect curve behind the defense, right to Chad Barrett's feet, who, after beating Boswell, hammered it home.

Chicago's second goal was not as pretty, but it too was the result of bad placement by Boswell, giving Chris Rolfe an easy shot for what turned out to be the series winner.

Up till the hour mark, it looked like Chicago was going to run away with this one. I could help but wonder what was going on with DC. Did Chicago get into their head, were late season injuries to blame or was it just a bad night?

But just as I was thinking up ways to write about a total bomb, United, thanks to their subs, staged a fantastic rally by making overlapping runs and flooding the attacking third, forcing the Fire out of their positions and opening up space.

When Clyde Simms hit that low screamer into the corner of the net, it was obvious that it would not be DC's only goal on the night. When Gomez just snuck one past Matt Pickens a few minutes later, it looked like the great comeback was upon us, but thanks to some smart subbing of their own, the Fire were able to re-cage United.

DC still had their chances, but they were no longer everywhere. Chicago were marking their players and holding on just enough to keep the net free. With the exception of the stoppage time non-goal by Gomez (which was the correct call), Chicago was not really hard pressed during the final 15-minutes.

So all congratulations go to Chicago. I didn't think they had one goal in them, much less two. If Barrett and Carr stay hot and if Rolfe and Blanco can continue their ways, the Eastern Conference might go to the fourth seed in the end.

As for DC United, they join a growing list of teams that won the Supporters' Shield but failed to reach the MLS Cup. Since Columbus won the shield in 2004, no winner has reached the final and in three of those four years the Shield winner has been knocked out in the first round. To put this in perspective, in the first eight years of MLS, the Shield winner reached the final five times and won the Cup four times. The three times the Shield winner did not reach the final, they still made it out of the first round only to loose in the semifinals.

So the question has got to be, what curse did the Crew place on the Shield in '04? I think a phone call to Greg Andrulis is in order.

Chicago now advances to the Eastern Conference final, which I'm going to guess will not be on ESPN2 as the host will be New England or New York, ie, there will be American Football lines all over the pitch.

Talking about ESPN, I have to hand it to them for their call of the last two matches. For a majority of the night, the call was focused on the game happening right in front of them. There were no long discussions about player’s hair or baseball or anything else. Now they did wonder more last night then they did last week, but it was still much better then what we got during the regular season (I think having 2 main commentators is much better then their usual 3). Heck, they even interrupted Allen Hopkins because an important play was happening. All around, very nice.

Also, having 30 extra minutes for a 15-minute post and pre game show really adds a lot to the presentation. It gives the game additional build up and allows the match commentators to focus more on the game instead of explaining other things happening around the league. Hopefully ESPN will give keep this going for the rest of the playoffs and into next season.

Finally, the camera work was also fun to watch. With the exception of the odd yellow filter that kept popping up, the angles were helpful for the viewer and replays were presented in an interesting way and at an appropriate time.
Attendance: 19,438
Goals: CF: Chad Barrett (1) 31', Chris Rolfe (2) 33'
DC: Clyde Simms (1) 69', Christian Gomez (1) 74'

Thursday Night Soccer – Chicago vs. DC - Can United finally beat the Fire?

Chicago Fire vs. DC United
7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT
TV: ESPN2
Chicago leads 1-0 on aggregate

So it comes down to this. Will it be a repeat of 2005 when the Fire came to DC the underdogs and walked out with four goals and some of Christian Gomez's spit or will United finally find a way to put out the fire (I promise, this is my only fire pun) in the playoffs?

There are some big differences between the clubs that meet today and those that meet in 2005 with the biggest being scoring ability of the Fire. Back in those lazy days of two years ago, Chicago were much more of an offensive team averaging 1.5 goals per match while this year, they pop in at just a hair over 1 goal per game. The only thing that kept Chicago from being a wash was the ability to defend, where they were second best in the East. The problem for them, the number one defending and scoring team in the East was DC.

United is going to come out expecting Chicago to play a bunker style match because the Fire really does not have any other option. They tried to push the offense in the first leg, but they feel flat thanks to horrible control in the midfield and there is nothing from their season that suggests this will change tonight.

This should give Fred lots of room to move and try to free up Emilio and Moreno, but to fully counter the Chicago wall, they will need to call on Ben Olsen, Bryan Namoff, Bobby Boswell and others to create messes in the final third that might open up the space needed to place one into the net. The problem for Chicago is if one goes in, it will not be the only one.

If United tie of the series score, especially if they do it early, they will not sit back and wait for penalties. They will find the errors and Chicago will go home. One last thing, don't be surprised if the Fire give up a goal after the 80th minute as they have done so on many occasions.

Predictions: Me DC 2-0 CF, Wife DC 2-1 CF (DC on pks)

Thursday Night Soccer - DC vs. Chicago - Let the playoffs begin

DC United vs. Chicago Fire
8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT
TV: ESPN2

As I said in my playoff preview, this should be a real fun series. United will be looking to break the Chicago curse while the Fire will be hoping Blanco can find a way to get them a couple goals in a match. The Fire are on a 8-game unbeaten streak while DC have not won a match in their last four, but the playoffs change everything.

Still, a lot of this match will be determined by the injuries United suffered last weekend versus Columbus. If Moreno and Emilio are doing all right, tonight will not be that bad. However if either is really hurting (especially Emilio), it might be a really bad first leg for United.

Predictions: Me DC 1-1 CF, Wife DC 1-0 CF

Thursday Night Soccer - Chivas vs. Dallas - Mullet night

Chivas USA (51pts) vs. FC Dallas (43pts)
9pm ET/6pm PT
TV: ESPN 2

Both teams have their playoff spots, but there is still a lot to be decided on the pitch. With a win, Chivas will tie DC in the race for the Supporters' Shield and all but clinch the West while Dallas can still needs these points if they hope to have 'home field advantage' in the first round against Houston.

So far this season, the teams have each won a game against each other 2-0 (by the way, the match in Dallas on 4 July is one of only two league games where Chivas did not score a goal), so either team could take this one. Chivas has looked a little less then their roaring self of late, but they have still stayed strong enough to earn points. Dallas was a repeating disaster until this past Saturday in Columbus where Denilson final showed some life while Abe Thompson had a hallmark kind of night. So what teams will arrive on the pitch today?

Chivas has been winning games by staying calm and playing the full field. Combine this with some fantastic goalkeeping by Brad Guzan and you have a team that looks good for a cup. Meanwhile Dallas did improve over the weekend, however, they have not beaten a team with a winning record (at least at the time) since they took Chivas down on the fourth of July. So Dallas has survived by eating the minnows while Chivas has been taking bites out of anyone who comes near them. Because of this, it looks like Chivas will win the night. However, one thing that could upset this is Ray Burse in goal for FCD. Dario Sala is a good keeper, but Burse seems to have been reactions and hasn't really let in any cheap shots. A hot net minder can change everything about a team, so if he is in goal, I think Dallas has a better chance.

Predictions: Me Chivas 3-1 FCD, Wife Chivas 2-0 FCD

PS - A little warning, expect to hear a lot about Toja's mullet from the ESPN crew as the first 5,000 fans will receive a free Toja wig. To see the wigs in action, watch the video:

Thursday Night Soccer - Chicago vs. Dallas - Blanco to let it all hang out

Chicago Fire (8-10-6) vs. FC Dallas (12-9-3)
8pm ET/5pm PT
TV: ESPN2
All eyes will be on Cuauhtemoc Blanco tonight as ESPN brings back their Beckham cam, but with a Mexican flare. For the full 90-minutes, there will be a camera trained on Blanco as he looks to give Chicago their first victory in Dallas since Independence Day 1999. What a dry spell it has been.

In addition, the Brimstone Cup is back up for grabs with the Fire needing a victory to keep FCD from claiming it. But the bigger prize both teams will be looking for is playoff positioning. It would take a major train wreck to keep FCD out of the post season, but his game is still mighty important because if they drop it, their chances of taking the West are all but gone, which could easily mean a third place finish. Then again, this might be for the best because there would be next to no way they could face Colorado in the first round.

The Fire sit in the final playoff spot by just a point, but with one game (this one) in hand. So this is their chance to start closing that door. Anything less then a full three points give Colorado and Columbus hope, which the Fire don't want to see happen.

So what needs to be done? Simple, the Fire need to find someone to finish things. Blanco has been doing a lot of the lifting, but he needs a good target. Paulo Wanchope has moments and Calen Carr has energy, but neither one of them have the kill in them. Because of this, there should be a lot of long-range shots, which might work out for the Fire since Dario Sala is having trouble in goal for Dallas.

FCD has a DP of their own in Denilson, but he has yet to take a major role in the team (not a surprise since he hasn't even been with them a month), but this could be his night. The Fire have a good defense, but they do miss marks and can be surprised on counters or surprise play. If Denilson uses some of his better ball work, he could send them in the wrong direction and open things up. Still, he will need another player to step up to take some of the heat. Carlos Ruiz should be that player, but even though he looked solid on Saturday, he has still been off for the season.

There is another possibility for Dallas in the form of Toja, but even if he does see minutes, he is just getting off the injury list so it might not be as strong as it could be.

Overall, both these teams suffer from a lack of goal scoring and, at times, very sloppy defense. Odds are there will be a lot of build up with very little pay off, but one goal will not be enough to win it. The Fire need this game more so look for them to come out pushing early (hoping to catch Dallas sleeping in the first 15-minutes). If no goal comes of that, it will be a long slog.

Predictions: Me CF 1-1 FCD, Wife CF 1-2 FCD

Thursday Night Soccer - The final battle for LA

Los Angeles Galaxy (17pts) vs. Chivas USA (40pts)
11pm ET/8pm PT
TV: ESPN2

So this is officially the night that the LA Galaxy live or die in 2007. The reality of the matter is that no matter what happens in this outing, LA is not going to reach the playoffs, however they could still keep from being an embarrassment. For Chivas, a win tonight puts them at the top of the West and since they have a very favorable schedule remaining, makes it next to impossible to imagine them not taking the conference. Needless to say, this derby has an even more behind it then normal.

The Galaxy come into the game having played their best match all season on Saturday. The most amazing part of their last outing was the way they flowed through the midfield. This fluidness allowed for quick attacks by sneaking players behind the Rapids lines, however Chivas has a much stronger backline, so it will not be as easy tonight. Still the big problem remains, LA's defense is weak and that is where the goats will hack away at them.

At the start of the season, Chivas needed dozen of chances before they made anything happen but now they seldom waste anything. This means LA will need to keep Galindo in check and get numbers back fast. This is not something the Galaxy has done much of so far this season.

So what will happen? LA will come out fast but Chivas will get them on a counter-attack. From there, things will unravel unless, Landon Donovan can finally pull out something big. Chris Klein and Peter Vagenas will be strong, but without an added bit in the attack, Sacha Kljestan and Maykel Galindo will shred them up.

Predictions: Me LA 1-4 CV, Wife LA 0-2 CV

Thursday Night Soccer - LA vs. Chivas - No matter what happens, Jaime Moreno is still king

Chivas USA (9-6-3) vs. Los Angeles Galaxy (3-8-5)
10pm ET/7pm PT
TV: ESPN 2

The Super Clasico comes to ESPN2 tonight as the teams from LA fight for city pride (but will Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa cheer for his beloved Chivas side or will he wear the Beckham jersey?). In the past, this series has not been so super, however this year things are looking a little different.

The goats, after getting laughed at for the first two seasons of this series now have a good chance of changing things. LA comes into the game hurt and in bad form. They have not won a league match since July 4, and even though their play has picked up since Beckham took the pitch, they are still a low level squad. With both Donovan and Beckham fresh off the plane from Europe, who knows where the Galaxy will turn to jump-start their attack.

Chivas is the quiet team with no real big names that is lurking. With their improved finishing skills and road play starting to look like their outstanding home play, the goats stand an excellent chance of being the out-of-nowhere club for 2007. As far as this match, if Chivas can beat LA, they pretty much kill off the Galaxy's playoff hopes. How sweat would that be for the club?

So what is going to happen? If history is to be a guide, LA will find a way to top their neighbors. Chivas is perfect at homes with the exception of one tie. LA got that tie.
Predictions: Me LA 2-0 CV, Wife LA 3-1 CV

One last note, a big congratulations to DC United's Jaime Moreno for getting his 109th goal last night against New York. It is fantastic that such a classy player holds the record for most goals in MLS play. His playing days might be coming to an end, but he is still fun to watch.