Kansas City Wizards hit with sexual harassment lawsuit

The good news that has surround the Wizards over the past week (late win against, and by, Real; comeback win in US Open Cup; re-signing of Josh Wolff) looks to be at an end as the team's management has been accused of “pervasive and regular” sexual harassment.

Kathryn Carver filed the lawsuit on Monday against the Wizards' ownership group OnGoal as well as 'Greg Cotton, executive vice president and general counsel for OnGoal, and Robert Thomson Jr, the company’s vice president for marketing and communications.'

The suit alleges, amongst other things, that:

•Cotton and Thomson would review the Facebook and MySpace sites of prospective female employees to determine whether they were “hot enough” to be hired.

•Cotton allegedly said of one employee, “She is the dumbest person I have ever met, but she is worth keeping around for the scenery.”

•Male employees held “drafts” of young female employees with whom they would want to have sex.

•During a team-sponsored trip to Las Vegas, Thomson told Carver she was “hot,” complimented her physical attributes and said he wanted to have sex with her, she alleged.

It is far to early to figure out if these charges are true or not, but it is worth watching, especially as the Wizards move forward on their stadium development.

Obviously, if these accusations prove to be accurate, Cotton and Thomson need to be dismissed and a major restructuring of the whole OnGoal organization must happen. In addition, the league would need to figure out punishments, such as the loss of allocation money, that they can place on the team.

Bad times in Kansas City.

Houston's Eddie Robinson suspended three games for attack on KC's Wahl

The Houston Dynamo are rapidly becoming the Oakland Raiders of MLS as Eddie Robinson has been suspended for three matches and fined $1000 after an ugly, ugly elbow to the face of Kansas City Wizards defender Tyson Wahl (see video below).

As you can see from the video, this was a horrible, intentional act by Robinson. Combine this with Ricardo Clark's 9 game suspension for kicking the little fish last season and you have a reputation starting to take hold. (Here is the video of Clark's kick - it will open Windows Media Player).

Oddly enough, I think Robinson's act is worse then Clark's because Robinson's seems premeditated and the action is not taking place near him at the time while Clark looks to be reacting poorly to things taking place around him.

I think Clark's suspension was too harsh (the rest of the 2007 season would have been enough) and I don't think Robinson's is enough (5 games would have been more justified). Then again, Tyrone Marshall was only suspended for three games after his nasty tackle that broke Kenny Cooper's leg last season so I guess the lesson is the more physical harm you do in your attack, the less your suspension will be.

Anyway, the loss of Robinson just adds to Houston's defensive problems. Although it is only three games into the new season, it looks like the defensive giant that was Houston 2007 might be dead on the pitch. And the tears for Ryan Cochrane begin to fall in Dynamo land.

KC sign Argentine Claudio Lopez as their Designated Player

After months of rumors and speculation, the Kansas City Wizards finally signed Argentine striker Claudio Lopez for the 2008 season. Lopez said of the move, "I had different offers but Kansas talked to me first and I respect that."

The Wizards will call on the 33 year old Lopez a lot since their striker options are thin. This could be a test for Lopez as he has minutes have been limited during his past season with Racing. The good news is he is not coming off any major injury and he has a habit, even now, of finding the net.

Lopez will probably be combined with Scott Sealy up top. This match-up should give KC a dangerous attack that never seemed to come together with Eddie Johnson. Of course this will only happen if the Wizards can provide the support out of the middle, which is where fellow Argentine Carlos Marinelli will probably come in.

Overall, this move is an improvement for Kansas City, however, as with all Designated Players, the proof will come on the pitch. Will Lopez end up being more of an Angel or a Denilson? My guess, a bit in the middle. Lopez will get some good goals as he is a born scorer, but I think he will fade towards the end of the season.

Former KC goalkeeper Chris Konopka signs with top Irish side

After not seeing a minute of playing time in his year with Kansas City, Chris Konopka is hoping to have better luck in Ireland. Irish soccer club Bohemians FC signed Konopka to a one-year deal after the Wizards decided against exercising their contract option.

The Bohs went for Konopka after he trained with them in January. He also had trails at other European clubs.

Konopka is the type of keeper that could develop into an amazing player. At 6' 5", he is imposing in goal, but he knows how to get low to stop shots. He might not be as known as Real Salt Lake's Chris Seitz, but he is very similar (although at this point Seitz is still the better goal stopper).

Perhaps the biggest thing Konopka has going for him in Europe is his ability to land a Polish passport, thanks to dual citizenship, which will make any future moves in Europe easier then most of his American counterparts.

Anti-KC stadium petition drive fails

The group opposing the redevelopment of an abandoned mall has failed to gather the needed signatures to voice a public vote on the $1 billion proposal. With the possibility of the ballot box out of the picture, the group will now try to gain title over the mall.

The next step for the stadium developers is a '$30 million in state supplemental tax increment financing from the Missouri General Assembly.' If this passes, as expected, and the anti-development group fails to gain title, then construction will likely start very soon.

All and all, it looks like the Kansas City Wizards are on pace to open up the 2010 season in a new home.

Eddie Johnson signs with Fulham

US international Eddie Johnson has been granted a work permit and has signed with Fulham of the EPL. Johnson's deal goes through the 2011 season.

The move to Fulham is not an unexpected one, but it does come at a difficult time for the club as they are in the relegation zone. But with the club lacking in strikers, the odds of Johnson earning a lot of minutes looks good. Overall, this is bound to be a huge test of his abilities. He will be out of his comfort zone and under pressure to perform immediately.

One of the tags Johnson has gathered over the last few MLS seasons is that of a lazy player, however that probably has more to do with his lack of constant challenges in the league then his skill. During the 2006 World Cup, he showed some real force on the ball during some of his limited minutes, but it was obvious he needed more training. With this move, he should get it.

Congratulations to Johnson.

PS - Will Johnson be this season's Dempsey and get the goal that keeps the team up? If so, I doubt it will be his first and only goal.

KC gets top draft pick in San Jose trade, sign that Eddie Johnson is gone?

If there was any doubt that Eddie Johnson was about to fly off to Europe, today's trade of defender Nick Garcia for San Jose's number one overall pick in Friday's expansion draft should put that to rest. The move means the Wizards should pick forward Patrick Nyarko to replace Johnson.

This is a little risky, but the Wizards need a striker, even if he is untested at the professional level.

Rally FOR Kansas City Wizards stadium

In an interesting change of events, a community rally came together yesterday in favor of building a soccer stadium. A group of 250-300 people gathered at the site of the abandoned Bannister Mall site to show their support for the redevelopment of the land as approved by the City Council last month. Included in that redevelopment is an 18,500-seat stadium for the Wizards.

The redevelopment has particularly broad appeal among neighbors of the mall who have watched the mall become boarded and blighted.
...
In a display of unity, representatives of many area groups came together Sunday to try to dissuade the public from signing any petition that could jeopardize what is known as the Three Trials Redevelopment Plan.

At issue is a petition a former City Council member is passing around which would require a referendum on the redevelopment. Those in attendance were urging people not to sign it out of fear that it will delay and possible derail the entire project.

Reading this story reminded me of the petition that tried to stop the Real Salt Lake stadium development. My guess is that much like the one in Utah, this one will fail as well, unless those in favor of the petition have a group lined up to reopen the mall as they want to do. Nothing will be known for sure till January 22 when the signatures are due.

KC Wizards all but have their stadium

Today is a good day for fans of the Kansas City Wizards as they have all put wrapped up a stadium deal. Last night the Kansas City, Missouri City Council unanimously approved the city's portion of a $949 million redevelopment project at the site of a former mall (roughly $273 million). Included in this project is an 18,500-seat soccer stadium as well as 12 tournament-quality soccer fields.

The final approval to make everything official is expected in February when state officials will decide issues related to state-level tax incentives. With most of the state leadership signaling their support for the plan, it is expected to pass.

Kansas City hopes to open their 2010 season in the new stadium, which is about 8 miles from downtown (click on above image to see the proposed development). After all the struggles the team has been through, it is really amazing how this has all come together.

On a side note, it is interesting that this happened on the same day that Wizards' season-ticket holders got to pick their seats at their temporary home in a baseball stadium. Also, who would have ever thought the Wizards would get a stadium deal before DC United?

2007 'Western' Conference Championship - KC vs. Houston

Kansas City Wizards vs. Houston Dynamo
Saturday - 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT
TV: Fox Soccer Channel (30 min pre&post), FSE, HDNet

So if the Wizards pull off the upset, they will be the champions of a conference to which they do not belong. That would make for an interesting footnote in the MLS story.

Can the Dynamo make 2007 a 2006 repeat? All they need to do is get past an uneven Wizards side to make it all come true, but that could prove harder then it looks.

The Wizards will need Eddie Johnson at full steam if they want to make it happen in Houston. Scott Sealy is a dangerous attacker, but having just one player causing pain for the Houston defense is not going to be enough. Johnson looked lively at Chivas last week, but he was much better at putting the ball over the crossbar then under it.

The Dynamo need to keep the momentum from their thrilling victory last Saturday going. Brian Ching and Dwayne De Rosario will be important as always, but if they really want to take it to KC, they will need the midfield to shut down the Wizards quick counters and they will need their defense to not give up a goal off a sloppy event in the box (something they do a bit too often).

Much like the New England in their match, Houston has players everywhere that can strike at goal while KC, like Chicago, are limited. Also, Houston has home pitch advantage and is not suffering from injury woes like Chivas, meaning this one will be theirs to lose. In the end, it will be a harder struggle then most expect, but Houston will move on to the finals.

Prediction: Me: KC 0-2 HD, Wife: KC 1-2 HD

Kansas City will play two years in a baseball stadium

As expected, the Kansas City Wizards have announced that they will play the 2008 & 2009 seasons at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kansas. This move will allow the Wizards to play in a more 'intimate, family-friendly atmosphere.'

A little interesting bit, all stadium information seems to point to the site having between 4,300-5,000 fixed seats, but in their announcement, the Wizards specifically said '10,000 seats' are available. I'm guessing that they are using 'seat' as in place to sit down, not necessarily an actual physical chair as it looks like their is a large lawn area, plus it looks like they will add some bleachers on the field (here is a seating map for soccer).

People who purchase tickets for the 2008 season will 'receive priority for season ticket purchases when the Wizards permanent stadium opens in 2010.'

Although this is not fantastic news by any means, it could be much worse. The team seems to want to build on the next two seasons in order to open strong in their new stadium in 2010. Don't get me wrong, even 10,000 is a bit low, but if they can really improve the atmosphere of their matches, they should be able to use this as a springboard. Also, knowing where they are going to play with five months till their first home game should allow their marketing team to get the place sold out.

There might be one little hitch to this whole plan, the soccer stadium deal is not yet finalized, and even though it looks like it will happen, until it is done, nobody can be sure. I would hate to see the CA Ballpark become a long term home to the team.

2007 MLS Playoffs - Week 2 recap - First always loses to worst

Without a doubt, leg 2 of round 1 was a lot more fun then leg 1. However, after both number one seeds were knocked out by the bottom seeds, one has to wonder if the league needs to take some sort of action to give the teams that proved themselves during the whole season an advantage in the playoffs. But that is a discussion for another day.

Here is the playoff table after the first round:

	Playoffs	Week 2
Attendance	136,331	79,353
Att per game	17,041	19,838
Goals	13	10
Goals per game	1.625	2.5
Visitors	0-5-3	0-2-2
Ties	3 (37.5%)	2 (50%)

FC Dallas 1-4 Houston Dynamo
Houston wins series 4-2 on aggregate
It is a real shame this match was not on national television because it is exactly the sort of game that could convert casual fans. The atmosphere was amazing, the game was physical yet had great flow and the goals were all fantastic.

FCD just needed a tie to win the series and early on it looked like they were going to do that, but then one stupid reaction turned this game. Two minutes into the second half, Arturo Alvarez allowed the intensity of the match to get the better of him and got sent off for giving Brad Davis a knee to the groin. Alvarez, a Houston native, sank his team and should be deeply ashamed of his actions.

Up a man with 30,000 fans roaring them on, the Dynamo attack, which has been mighty cool for most of the reason, flared to live as Houston cut through Dallas's lines again and again. Passes that had early been a little off where now finding their marks as Dallas was overwhelmed by the push.

Sure enough, 20-minutes almost to the second after Alvarez was sent off, Houston go their first to tie the game and bring them within one on aggregate. Five minutes later, the series was tied after come great passing in the box setup a reborn Brain Ching who slotted the ball home.

Houston kept pushing to get the third and kill the game in regular time, but FCD had just enough in them to stop it from happening.

But then came overtime and Dallas fell to pieces. They were dragging all over the pitch and when Joseph Ngwenya again setup Brian Ching for the goal ahead goal, there was not a shocked fan in the house. The Dynamo were rolling and the fans were going crazy.

The death nail would come in the 100th minute when Brad Davis stepped up to take a free kick just outside of the box. He delivered a perfect shot into the upper corner of the goal and the series was over.

The teams played on for another 20-minutes but it was mainly time filled with the Dynamo killing off the game as FCD tried desperately to make anything happen (usually resulting in fouls).

This was exactly the sort of game we have come to expect from Houston as they controlled it without any doubt. Still, they were having a lot of trouble with a full 11, which should give Kansas City at least a little hope heading into the 'conference' final.

On a different note, how big of a bouquet of flowers do you think the Dynamo sent Alvarez to think him for going all Ricardo Clark on Davis?

Goals: FCD: Carlos Ruiz (1) 14',
HD: Stuart Holden (1) 67', Brain Ching (1) 72', (2) 97', Brad Davis (1) 100'
Attendance: 30,088 (way to go Houston!)


New York Red Bulls 0-1 New England Revolution
New England wins series 1-0 on aggregate
Much like the Houston match, it took a side going down a man to turn this one. However, unlike the showdown in Texas, the man advantage was due to an injury. The Revs found ways of breaking New York's line, but they never really applied constant pressure. But when Juan Pablo Angel went out after taking a hard knock to the chin that resulted in a concussion, the Revs saw their opening.

NY coach Bruce Arena took a gamble in allowing his doctors to check on Angel before replacing him and it did not pay off. With the extra man to push forward, the Revs finally had that little extra opening they needed to get the final pass perfectly in place for Taylor Twellman.

With NE up a goal and NY without Angel or Reyna (who was injured in the first 20-minutes), the Bulls needed something amazing to have a chance, and they almost got it as John Wolyniec had a perfect chance in front of goal, but he headed the ball just over the bar, thus ending the Red's run for MLS Cup.

The Revolution should be happy returning to the Eastern Conference championship match for the sixth straight time, but they have a lot of work ahead of them. New York was able to crack their defense and should have got at least one goal and their offense still is not full strength. To beat Chicago on Thursday night, they are going to need to find a way to open up a tougher backline.

And who is getting the big of a bouquet of flowers from the Revs, probably Bruce Arena. I can't really fault the Bruce for giving his staff as much time as possible to figure out the extent of Angel's injury, but it was still the thing that turned the match.

Goal: Taylor Twellman (1) 64'
Attendance: 10,116 (there were be no tropical storm on Thursday)


Kansas City Wizards 0-0 Chivas USA
Kansas City wins series 1-0 on aggregate
Chivas didn't have much attack, but they threw everything possible against KC on Saturday night and if it weren’t for the goal frame, Chivas would have won this series.

Chivas put pressure on the Wizards for a majority of the match, but they could not get the lucky bounce. KC give the goats a number of chances, thanks to some weak passes that resulted in breakaways by Chivas, but none could be converted. In the final 10-minutes of play, Chivas had three shots that either knocked off the frame or hit the side netting.

The Wizards applied some pressure of their own thanks in large part to Eddie Johnson who actually turned in a decent night. However, Eddie's shots are still more likely to go over the bar then between the posts, but he did apply enough of a push to force Chivas to hold their line back.

In the end, injury, much like every other series, was the key factor in this one. With Ante Razov, Chivas did not have enough options to exploit the holes KC presented. The bad news for the Wizards, Houston has Brian Ching, Dwayne De Rosario, Stuart Holden, Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya ready to make them pay. If they hope to escape Texas still breathing, they are going to need to sharpen their whole game.

Without question, the bouquet of flowers from Kansas City goes to the goalposts that made more meaningful saves then Kevin Hartman did on the night.

Attendance: 19,711 (much improved over the regular season)


Conference Finals
Chicago Fire vs. New England Revolution
Thursday (8 Nov) - 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT
TV: ESPN2
Tickets

Kansas City Wizards vs. Houston Dynamo
Saturday (10 Nov) - 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT
TV: Fox Soccer Channel, HDNet, FSE
Tickets

2007 MLS Playoffs - Round 1 Leg 2 Preview - Are you ready for some Friday night action?

Will last night be an omen for what is to come this weekend or will Chicago be the irregular that makes it on? Every match has something worth watching, but sadly the best two will be the hardest to find. I really think the FCD-Houston match is going to be something classic, while the KC-Chivas game will be shocking in the end.

FC Dallas vs. Houston Dynamo
FCD up 1-0 on aggregate
Friday - 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT
TV: Direct Kick
Internet: MLStv

Friday nights in Texas are all about football, so it is only fitting that the second match of this series is tonight. Dallas comes into the game up a lucky goal while Houston is fumbling on offense. The good news for the Dynamo, overall, they looked better last Saturday in Frisco then FCD did. However, the good news for Dallas, the score is what matters.

FCD will probably go with Ruiz and Cooper up top, which really didn't produce anything last week. Ruiz, as always, will play for the foul, but he is ridding a yellow and if his team does get out of Houston alive, they are going to need him next week. Will this mean that the little fish will alter his ways at all? I doubt it. Cooper needs to push himself into the box. The Dynamo kept forcing him out wide last week, which isn't horrible as he can center some good balls, but it means his size becomes a minor factor. Also, Dallas really wasn't getting anyone into position to do anything with the centering passes.

But the big question for me is can Dallas get something out of their midfield? With the exception of a couple plays by Adrian Serioux, their middle suffered. If Juan Toja can return to early season form and start placing good passes that open up the attack, they have a great chance of finally getting a win in Houston, but short of that, it is going to be a tough night.

With FCD's problems, Houston should be able to spring attacks. With Dwayne De Rosario, Brian Mullan and Richard Mulrooney clicking, the middle of the park should be theirs, but will Ching, Jaqua or Ngwenya be able to do anything with it? The lack of quality finishing is the only reason the Dynamo are down in the series. As his playoff history shows, Ching can explode at any moment, but it does seem that his injury from August is still hurting his game. However, he likes big games so I think he will find the next at least once.

This game really should be outstanding. Expect a really strong, vocal crowd and an intensity level that will make soccer fans proud (by the way, if you live in the area, the game will not be on local TV, so to see it you will need to be there).

Prediction: Me FCD 1-2 HD (HD wins series on pks), Wife FCD 0-2 HD (HD wins series 2-1)


New York Red Bulls vs. New England Revolution
Series tied 0-0
Saturday - 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT
TV: Fox Soccer Channel (30-min pre & post), FSE

So the playoff team with worse road record has to go to New England and win to advance. That should tip the balance in the Revs direction right off the bat. Much like Houston, the Red Bulls had their chances in the first leg, but they did not finish. Angel and Francis Doe should have got something from all the work Claudio Reyna was doing in the middle, but it did not happen.

The Revs say they are confident and they should be. Michael Parkhurst is doing wonderful work in the back, Steve Ralston and Shalrie Joseph own things in the middle and Taylor Twellman and Pat Noonan offer good options up top. If it wasn't for a bit of a slip in form for goaltender Matt Reis, there really wouldn't be much to talk about, and that's why Angel and Altidore need to expose.

New England is a quality side, but they depend a lot on the skill of their keeper. In the regular season he made 120 saves off 169 shots, meaning he made the second most saves off of the third most shots in the league (by the way, none of the other teams that had this many shots or saves made the playoffs). So even if he is just a tad off his game, the Revs are in danger.

For the Revs to keep the Eastern Conference final from being a #3 versus #4 affair, they will need to limit that chances the Bulls have. If they can do this, they have enough talent at the top get the win.

Prediction: Me NY 0-1 NE (NE wins series), Wife NY 1-2 NE (NE wins series)


Kansas City Wizards vs. Chivas USA
KC leads 1-0 on aggregate
Saturday - 10:30pm ET/7:30pm PT
TV: HDnet, Direct Kick
Internet: MLStv

First the good news for Kansas City. They are the only team that owned a game in Los Angeles this year against Chivas. They controlled the pass, had the better opportunities and frustrated the goats. The bad news, they still lost the match 2-1.

With Maykel Galindo and Ante Razov still either out or less then 100% for Chivas, the Wizards defense should again be able to dictate the pace of the match. With a goal, KC all but has the series, so they will need Eddie Johnson (who might be playing his final MLS match) to actually get involved in the game and Scott Sealy needs to work on staying on sides and his movement in the box. Brad Guzan is a fantastic net minder, so they will need to either catch him with a quick dump pass in front of goal or create a mess in the box and hope for the best.

Chivas has their own offensive worries as they have only scored one goal in their last four games (which matches Razov's injury). Sacha Kljestan and Jesse Marsch can make trouble, but overall, they have no solid strikers for this match. Jonathan Bornstein should help control things in the back, but with nothing to really push the game, the Wizards have a golden opportunity to knock off the second number one seed of the playoffs.

Predictions: Me KC 1-0 Chivas (KC wins series 2-0), Wife KC 0-1 CV (Chivas wins series on pks)


By the way, I am now taking bribes to predict that a team will win. I do this because I have been incorrect about every game for the last two weeks. If you want your opposition to lose, just bribe me and I'll pick them to win.

One last thought, what happens if FCD, NY and KC win this weekend? If all four top seeds are knocked out in the first round, will MLS finally change the playoff format to actually give top seeds an advantage in the first round or will they point to it as proof that the playoffs are the most exciting time of the year?

Kansas City fans finally get a little love

Kansas City Wizards fans must hold one of the hardest gigs in all of soccer. Year after year their team plays their matches in front of tiny, tiny crowds in an oversized stadium, and except for a couple of quality years, for the most part the team has not been the best. Still, the faithful are out there. They might not match the numbers of DC or Toronto fans, but they still no how to celebrate the game of soccer.

That's why it is so nice to see pieces like this talking about the atmosphere in the Cauldron.

For half an hour Saturday night, Lawrence freshman Anthony Frei and the other soccer diehards in sections 102 and 103 of Arrowhead Stadium sang, chanted and danced to the beat of bass and snare drums to support the Kansas City Wizards, who were in the midst of a fierce battle to take control of their first playoff game in three years.

In the 35th minute Davy Arnaud’s audacious free kick found its way past a diving Brad Guzan and rippled the back of the Chivas USA net. The 450 fans in the section of Arrowhead known as the Cauldron sent trash bags full of confetti and 120 blue-and-white checkered flags to the sky. They were rejoicing what would be the decisive goal in a 1-0 Wizards victory.

This is followed up by one of the best explanations I've ever seen about the joy felt by fans after a goal.

“Whenever a goal is scored it’s pandemonium,” Frei said. “There’s a huge amount of joy. In football, basketball and other sports your team scores at regular intervals. It’s all of that packed down into the one moment you are all waiting for.”

The article continues to explain the community that is a supporter's club and how they are trying to expand their numbers.

Anyone who is an involved fan will find nothing new here, but for those who might be curious fans, this hopefully will open their eyes. The more people that come out and experience a match, the more the sport will grow.

The one downside to this article, the Wizards have no more home games this season, so the curious will need to wait till April.

Houston Dynamo downtown stadium deal coming together - MLS stadium update

Back in May, the Houston Dynamo signed a letter of intent with the city to negotiate a stadium deal. The letter called for a deal to be reached by mid-July. Well July is long over and forgotten with no deal reached. However, it now looks like a deal could be worked out by the end of the year as the club is looking at a location just east of downtown (a previous location near the baseball stadium has been ruled out).

The new deal will actual involve two different locations. The first location will be a 22,000-seat, open-air stadium downtown costing $70-80 million while the second location will be a satellite public soccer complex and training facility on the city's south side. To me, this makes the most sense. Put the stadium in a central location that is easily accessed by the city's population and put the bulk of the playing fields further out where the land is cheaper.

No official world on city money has been given, however it looks like AEG (the owner of the Dynamo) will invest over $60 million in this project.

As far as the players, they feel it is about time to get a deal done. Having moved from San Jose because they could not get a stadium, a few players are wondering what is taking so long, including defender Craig Waibel:

"We feel like we're a championship team, and we've won one, and regardless of what happens here in the (playoffs) we've done very well this season, we've had great attendance (average attendance was 15,883 in 2007), we've done everything we were supposed to do.

''We feel a bit frustrated that there hasn't been an announcement, but we understand there's a lot more things to this than just our feelings and our team."

If the Dynamo can end up with a stadium downtown, then the wait really would be worth it, but what about everyone else in MLS? One of the odd events, or non-events of this season has been the lack of stadium news, still things have been moving along. Here is a look at the way the future stadiums look right now:

Chivas USA - There is occasional talk of a possible move from the Home Depot Center, but nothing major has come of it.

DC United - How to sum this one up? There was a lot of movement on building a stadium along the Anacostia River at Poplar Point, however in July talks broke down. United offered to pay for the $150 million stadium, however it wanted '$200 million in city subsidies, including roads, tax incentives and the right to develop additional land.' The city has since put out a call for open proposals on ways to develop the land, some of which will not include a soccer stadium. There has also been talk about building a stadium next to RFK (which would then be torn down) or move the team out of DC (something the owners have said they don't want to do). With nothing set as of yet, it looks like United will play at least through 2009 at RFK.

Kansas City Wizards - Last November, the Wizards saw a $75 million soccer complex voted down by a large margin. Since then, their focus has turned to the site of a mall. The Tax Increment Financing Commission of Kansas City as scheduled a special meeting for 7 Nov. to listen to the proposal for Bannister Mall and its surroundings in south Kansas City. A new stadium would anchor the site and would open in time for the 2010 season. As far as the 2008 season, the team might end up playing at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

New England Revolution - Despite occasional noise concerning a move from the much too big Gillette stadium, there really has not been much of a push to get the Revs a home.

New York Red Bulls - On 19 September 2006, the New York franchise broke ground on a stadium that they hoped would be ready by 2008. However, due to disputes between co-owners Red Bull and AEG, the progress on the site has been minimal at best. At issue is AEG's demand that a stage be included at the site in order to make it more profitable. Needless to say, the stadium will not be ready for 2008 and might not be up and running by 2009.

Real Salt Lake - After a very rocky process, Real got their stadium deal in Sandy and construction has been moving along very nicely. They still seem on pace to open in 2008.

San Jose Earthquakes - The team is still hoping for the city of San Jose to rezone some industrial land so owner Lew Wolff can develop it for residential purposes. He would then take the money made and build a stadium near the airport. The city has yet to move forward on this idea.

2007 MLS Playoffs - Week 1 recap - I guess everyone was actually playing for week 2

The first leg of the first round is over and even though three teams hold an edge, nobody is in a real bad place. Traditionally, the first leg is a low scoring affair, but even by MLS post-season standards, this round was mighty lacking in the goal department. I would like to say that it was do to outstanding defensive work, however it had more to do with sloppy midfield play and failures to finish. But on the plus side, each of this week's games should see some offensive pushes as every team needs a goal.

But first, the playoff table:

	Playoffs	Week 1
Attendance	56,978	56,978
Att per game	14,245	14,245
Goals	3	3
Goals per game	.75	.75
Visitors	0-3-1	0-3-1
Ties	1 (25%)	1 (25%)

New England 0-0 New York
The Red Bulls must be disappointed after this match as they owned the possession game and even found open space in front of the Revs goal, but could not finish. Claudio Reyna was showing his skill in the midfield and Francis Doe had his chances (as did Angel), but they New England defense either just got a touch on the ball or sent the ball right to Matt Reis. The Revs were cool on attack as they didn't for Jon Conway to make a stop until the second half and often found a way to loose the ball on weak challenges. Overall, not an interesting 90-minutes of soccer. Still, got to hand it to New York for getting over 14,000 people out for the game.

With this series tied going back to Gillette Stadium, the Revolution have to love their chances for advancing to the East Conference finals for the fifth straight year, but to make it happen, they need keep Angel from getting free in the box and find a way to push more players into the final third.
Attendance: 14,165


Houston Dynamo 0-1 FC Dallas
If I hadn't watched the match, I wouldn't have believed just how lopsided this one was in favor of Houston. They were pushing forward, making passes, stopping counters and overall doing everything that should win you the game. Well that is except scoring and making a defensive mistake in your own box.

Did Dallas even try to attack during this one? It seemed like their plan was get a goal and then hold on at all costs. Once that happened, they sat back and absorbed all Houston's pressure and fouled a lot. A win is a win, but it does make you wonder what they plan on doing in Houston on Friday. Is their plan to let the Dynamo run the game like they did on Saturday and hope to hold them goalless for 90-minutes? If so, head coach Steve Morrow is one hell of a gambler.

As for Houston, their problem continues to be their offense as they have just one goal in their last three matches. De Rosario is looking lively again but Brian Ching is still off his track. The perfect example of this came in the closing minutes when Ching had a great chance on goal but Dario Sala was able to get just enough on it to knock it wide. Last year, Ching made that shot. With neither Joseph Ngwenya nor Nate Jaqua really looking that great either, one has to wonder where the goals will come from (hard to believe they got 9 corner kicks and didn't look dangerous on any of them).

Heading down to Houston, FCD has to be a bit concerned. The Dynamo were unlucky to get out of Dallas with nothing while the Hoops looked lackluster just about everywhere except in goal. Houston will be able to get at least a goal at home, which will force Dallas to make something happen or go to penalty kicks, and with their history on pks, that would be a very bad thing.
Goal: Clarence Goodson (1) 23'
Attendance: 12,537 (wow, that is a tiny number, what happened here?)


Chivas USA 0-1 Kansas City Wizards
These two played an interesting match for the first hour but by the final 30, they both seemed happy to just let the game end. The Wizards came out fast and furious at the start and put the goats on their heels, but could not punch through. Once the game settled, it became obvious how much Chivas was missing Maykel Galindo and Ante Razov. Chivas would push the attack but had no idea where to place the ball for a finish.

The Wizards tried to get Eddie Johnson involved, but for the most part, he was a no show, except when he got a foul about 30 yards away from goal. The following free kick by Davy Arnaud was simply beautiful as it just edged over the Chivas wall, hit the slick ground and caught Brad Guzan off his mark. Really was nice.

So now things head back to California with Chivas needing to make up a goal. The goats are still the favorites in this one but I could easily see an upset taking place. Without the power up top, they just don't have the options needed to beat back defensives lack they did during the second half of the season. Jonathan Bornstein and Jesse Marsch are doing a good job of causing trouble, but it just doesn't seem like enough.
Goal: Davy Arnaud (1) 35'
Attendance: 12,442 (a really good number by KC's standards)


Second Leg schedule:
Chicago Fire vs. DC United - 1 Nov 7:30pm ET, ESPN2
FC Dallas vs. Houston Dynamo - 2 Nov 8:30pm ET, DK, MLStv
NY vs. NE - 3 Nov 7:30pm ET, FSC, FSE
KC vs. Chivas - 3 Nov 10:30pm ET, HDNet, DK, MLStv

2007 MLS Playoff preview

The 2007 playoffs kickoff tonight in Chicago as the Fire play host to Supporters' Shield winning DC United. Now instead of just focusing on this one game, which should be a good one, I thought I would give my overall view of the playoffs including a prediction on how things will play out.

East
DC United vs. Chicago Fire
(25 Oct 8:30pm ET, ESPN2 & 1 Nov 7:30pm ET, ESPN2)
There is no other team that strikes as much playoff fear into United fans hearts as Chicago. The teams have meet three times in the post season and the Fire have won them all (including the MLS Cup in 1998). In fact, till New England beat DC in last year's conference championship, the Fire were the only club to ever knock United out of the playoffs. With that kind of voodoo going on, Chicago should feel good these days.

However, this year's version of the Fire is suffering from a big problem that could end their streak in that they can't score goals. Amazingly, Chicago has either failed to score only managed to find the net once in 22 of their 30 league matches this year. Traditionally the playoffs are a lower scoring affair then the regular season, but not so low that you do not need offensive strikes. Unless the Fire can find a contact guy up top (Calen Carr could be a surprise in this role), their 1.0333 goals per game average will not be enough to get past United and Emilio.

DC had a bad final run of the regular season and still can fail to use the wings to their fullest, but this is a team that is smart on defense and good in tight situations. Add to it the experience that the wonderful form of Troy Perkins in goal, and they have everything you need for a win.

In the end, this might just be the best series in the first round. Chicago will keep it close with Blanco adding something special to the mix (I am very much looking forward to Blanco in a high-pressure match), but in the end DC will get what they need to advance.

Predictions: Me - DC (combined score of two games) DC 4-2 CF, Wife DC 3-1 CF


New England Revolution vs. New York Red Bulls
(27 Oct 7:30pm ET, FSC, FSE & 3 Nov 7:30pm ET, FSC, FSE)
This one doesn't have the history of DC-Chicago but it is still bound to be interesting to watch. One of the undercurrents that I think should be fun to watch is the Altidore-Twellman match up. Okay, they will not be covering each other, but it would seem that these two are about to pass one another on the US national team roster (with Altidore going in the good direction). If Jozy can come up big this year like he did last year and if Twellman doesn't show so well (which is pretty normal in the playoffs), it could be the final bit of convincing Bob Bradley needs to call the younger into camp.

From the look of it, Jozy has a number of things going his way with the biggest being Angel. One of the things that makes Juan Pablo so great his is ability to open space for other players by pulling the defense towards him. The Revs have a good backline but they have slipped up a number of times of late and with Matt Reis off a step between the posts, Jozy should get some great chances.

However, the Red Bulls still suffer from an on/off midfield. With Reyna questionable, who knows what could happen especially with Shalrie Joseph and Steve Ralston working things for NE.

In the end, New England will win this as they win most non-MLS Cup post-season games.

Predictions: Me NE 5-3 NY, Wife NE 2-3 NY


West
Chivas USA vs. Kansas City Wizards
(27 Oct 8pm ET, HDNet, DK, MLStv & 3 Nov 10:30pm ET, HDNet, DK, MLStv)
KC, welcome to the Western Conference, here is one of the most creative and talented teams to play against, best of luck.

On paper, this one should not be close, but I have a funny feeling about this. Maybe it has something to do with the top team from the West getting knocked out in the first round for the past two years or maybe it has a lot to do with the injury to Ante Razov, but I think Kansas City might shock with this one.

The last few weeks, the goats have been less then their best with Sacha Kljestan having to lift a lot. I have little doubt that Sacha will continue to do well, but I don't think he has the team around him to hold off a hard charging team. I know, they managed to keep Houston under wrap for 50-minutes down a man, but I think the Wizards will find a way.

My reason for this has a bit to do with the play of Scott Sealy, but even more to do with their matches this year. KC took the one at home and almost tied on the road except that Razov got an injury-time goal. The Wizards actually out played Chivas in that match but luck went against them. If that luck happens to be on the bench for this series, I would not be shocked if KC made it through.

As odd as it seems, I think the Wizards will pull this one out.
Predictions: Me CV 3-3 KC (KC advances on pks), Wife CV 4-1 KC


Houston Dynamo vs. FC Dallas
(27 Oct, 8:30pm ET, DK, MLStv & 2 Nov 8:30pm ET, DK, MLStv)
So will this series be a grudge match or a blow out? If it goes the grudge match route, FC Dallas stands a much better chance of finally topping their intra-state rival.

Carlos Ruiz will be looking forward to this one, but less face it, other then his ability to get Ricardo Clark kicked out for the rest of the season, he has not done much of note. In fact, Dallas is painfully lacking in their attack, which will present a major problem against the best defense in the league. Kenny Cooper is looking better, but he still fails to get into the middle of things, thus limiting the influence his size could have on his game. Abe Thompson might be an alternative or maybe the always fun to watch Arturo Alvarez, but in the end, I just don't think they have the guns to take the series, especially when they face Pat Onstad in goal.

Houston has had their own issue with scoring but Ching is looking better, while Dwayne De Rosario seems to be coming out of his funk. Throw in Joseph Ngwenya and a sneaky Stuart Holden and there should be enough for Houston.

Predictions: Me HD 3-1 FCD, Wife HD 3-0 FCD


So why not predict a little further.
Conference finals:
Me: DC 2-1 NE, HD 1-0 KC
Wife: DC 3-2 NY, CV 2-0 HD

MLS Cup:
Me: DC 3-1 HD
Wife: DC 1-2 CV

MLS playoff race

The final weekend of the 2007 regular season is here and there are still a number of questions as to what which two teams will earn the final playoff spots. In all, four teams have a chance but only Chicago and Kansas City hold their destiny in their own hands.

Anyway, here is the way the playoff picture currently looks:

Current standings:
7 - Chicago - 37pts
8 - Kansas City - 37pts
9 - Colorado - 35pts
10 - Columbus* - 34pts
11 - LA - 33pts

Schedule:
Chicago hosts LA on Sunday
Kansas City travels to Dallas on Saturday
Colorado hosts Salt Lake on Saturday
LA hosts New York tonight and travels to Chicago on Sunday

Tie breakers**:
Chicago beats KC with 2 wins from their 3 matches
Colorado beats Chicago on goal difference (they tied both games)
LA beats Chicago with 1 win but they still have one game to play
KC beats Colorado on goal difference (they tied both games)
LA beats KC with 1 win and 1 tie from their 2 matches
Colorado beats LA with 2 wins from their 3 matches

So how do they get to the playoffs?
Chicago
If they win, they are in.
If they tie, they are in if Colorado or KC does no better then a tie.
If they lose, they can still advance if KC loses and Colorado does no better then a tie.

Kansas City
If they win, they are in.
If they tie, they are in if Colorado does not win their match by more then two goals and either Chicago loses or if LA fails to get at least 4 points from their remaining two matches; or if Colorado does no better then a tie and if Chicago loses.
If they lose, they can still advance if Colorado does no better then a tie and LA fails to get at least 4 points from their remaining two matches.

Colorado
If they win, they are in if both KC lose; or if LA and Chicago tie and KC loses or ties if Colorado wins by more then 2 goals and KC ties.
If the tie or lose, they are out.

Los Angeles
If they get 6 points from their two matches, they are in.
If they get 4 points from their two matches, they are in if KC loses and Colorado does no better then a tie.
If they get less the 4 points, they are out.

There is one scenario I'm not 100% sure about. If Chicago and KC tie while Colorado wins by no more then 2 goals, then all their teams will be tied on points and each team beats another in a tie-breaker (Chicago beats KC who beats Colorado who beats Chicago).

No matter what happens, at least one team will enter the playoffs with a losing record and unless Chicago win on Sunday, the number will stand at two.

* Columbus is out due to head-to-head results against both Chicago and KC.
** Tiebreakers go head-to-head, goal difference, goals scored for the season

Klinsmann ready to coach again - Eddie Johnson buys jewel-encrusted mouthpiece

Jurgen Klinsmann has announced that he is ready to return to the world of full-time soccer management, but where will he end up. Will it be is old club Tottenham Hotspur or is Chelsea calling or could Alexi Lalas pull off a huge coup and land him in LA? Let's see, if I was a soccer manager, which club would I go for?

In other news, Eddie Johnson had a bit of a shopping spree over the weekend as he purchased $85,000 in jewelry while in LA. On his list, a new watch, necklace and a jewel-encrusted mouthpiece, "like a retainer." Could this be why he sparkled so much during their match with Chivas?

Rumor - Wizards to play 2008 season in a baseball stadium

The Kansas City Wizards didn't know where they would play this season's games till February, however they hope to know where they will play next season before 27 September. The reason, that's when Beckham comes to town and they hope to use that game to springboard interest in season tickets.

But to what venue will fans be going?

Although there is no confirmed deal, one Wizards' employee has said the team will be heading to CommunityAmerica Ballpark, home of the minor league baseball KC T-Bones.

The stadium is located in Kansas and is 10-miles from downtown Kansas City and 14-miles from the Wizards current home at Arrowhead.

Team officials are keeping quiet on any discussions, however they will say that they are talking with two primary sites with one alternative site also in the mix.

“We’re negotiating with I’ll say three — but it’s really two — primary sites and we have confidentiality agreements around all three of them, so I can’t really discuss it too much,” Cotton said. “No one place is on the front burner more than the other. I will tell you that we do hope to announce something in the next, hopefully, three weeks.”

I have no knowledge but I would guess a return to Arrowhead is the third option.

If the team does move to the ballpark, they should be able to announce a sellout crowd for every match as capacity is only 5,768 (although they have fit up to 10,345 in on occasion).

Wherever they end up playing, the team hopes it will only be temporary as they continue to look for a site on which to build a permanent stadium.