Montreal Impact best team in Canada

Toronto FC's slump continued last night as they only managed a 1-1 tie against the USL's Montreal Impact. With the point, the Impact won the Nutrilite Canadian Championship and earned a trip to the CONCACAF Champions League Cup, which begins next month.

Now the question is will this win have an effect on a possible move to MLS by Montreal? Impact head coach John Limniatis thinks it does.

The platform (for entering MLS) was already set...

I think, obviously, this helps. This just shows we're capable of competing ... From what I understand, we're aiming for the start of the 2011 season to be in the MLS.

The Impact organization has a lot going for it (stadium, rich owners, good fan base) and adding solid play against top-tier teams will only help them in their quest to land in MLS.

However, this failure by Toronto as well as the defeats suffered by MLS teams in the US Open Cup points to a very different issue, player salaries. With just around $2.5m to spend on a full squad MLS teams are very limited in the depth that they can bring in, thus the difference between the two divisions is not as pronounced as it should be. If MLS did up their pay level to around $5m a year, it helps elevate this issue.

Some might think that it is not a big thing that MLS teams often get toppled by USL clubs, however I disagree. League officials are usually quick to claim MLS as a world-class league, however what fan is going to believe them if top-level teams are consistently dropping games to lower-level opposition? In the perception race, these upsets need to become a rare bread.

2008 US Open Cup - Third Round sees three MLS teams go down

Last night is the perfect example of why I enjoy the US Open Cup so much. Seeing all these underweight teams try to out punch MLS sides really is enjoyable. Sure, the MLS teams see this as little more then a reserves match, but it is still good fun.

As bad as it is that MLS teams dropped three of the eight games last night, it is actually much better then last season when five top teams fell. The biggest surprise of the night took place in Maryland where Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL-2) bounced the Red Bulls out of the Open, even though they played down a man for an hour.

Ranking just below on the shock level was the Dynamo losing on kicks to the Charleston Battery (USL-1), even though Houston played up a man for 50 minutes and up 2 men for 15. Really, the defending MLS Champions were up two men for 15-minutes and could not find a way to get a goal. Not only that but the Battery's Osvaldo Alonso was still giving the Dynamo fits in the second period of overtime (Alonso must be on Kinnear's radar after last night). I think Dynamo forward Franco Caraccio summed up the whole night for his club when he collapsed to the pitch in shame after having his penalty kick stopped, thus giving the Battery the win.

The only other lose came in Seattle where the Sounders showed Chivas USA the exit. The goats have not won a USOC match since beating the Charlotte Eagles (USL-2) on 13 July 2005. This streak includes a defeat by Roma FC of the USASA.

There was almost something big in Dallas, however FCD was able to get a late stoppage time goal to take Miami 2-1.

Kansas City also needed a little rally as they were down 2-0 in the 67' minute before coming back to tie and send it to extra time where they piled on two more goals for the win.

DC United needed two goals via free kicks from Marc Burch to take down the Rhinos of Rochester. Both New England (last year's USOC champ) and the Fire (perennial USOC powerhouse) easily saw off their foes for the evening.

Here is the full list of results:
FC Dallas (MLS) 2-1 Miami FC (USL-1)
Charleston (USL-1) 1(4-3)1 Houston (MLS)
DC United (MLS) 2-0 Rochester (USL-1)
Carolina (USL-1) 2-4 Kansas City (MLS)

CP Baltimore (USL-2) 2-0 New York (MLS)
New England (MLS) 3-0 Richmond (USL-2)
Chicago (MLS) 4-1 Cleveland (USL-2)
Seattle (USL-1) 2-0 Chivas USA (MLS)

These results move the numbers a bit when it comes to higher versus lower ranked teams. Before last night, it stood at 19-2 (90.5%) for those higher ranked, but now is at 24-5 (82.75%).

It does look like home field advantage was reinstated. During the second round, home sides only went 3-5, but yesterday saw only one visitor walk away with a win.

Here is the schedule for next Tuesday night's round of eight:
Chicago Fire at DC United (Boyds, Md)
Crystal Palace (USL2) at New England (New Britain, Conn)
Charleston (USL1) at FC Dallas
Kansas City at Seattle Sounders (USL1)

Can Crystal Palace bring down two giants? Will the Battery take out both teams from the Lone Star state? Will Seattle give another MLS team an introduction to soccer in the Northwest? Can DC finally beat Chicago in a playoff situation? It will be fun to find out.

2008 US Open Cup - Second Round results

The second round of the US Open Cup is in the books and yet again the biggest factor is which team is in the higher division. During the first round, only one lower division team pulled off an upset, resulting in a 15-1 run for higher level clubs. Last night saw the higher division squad take 4 and lose 1, while 3 games involved clubs of the same level. That means that 86% of all games are won by the team higher up on the US Soccer pyrimid.

The Minnesota Thunder (USL-1) join the Portland Timbers (USL-1) as the only teams to lose to a lower division team as they lost 0-2 to the Cleveland City Stars (USL-2).

Here are the full results:
Harrisburg (USL-2) 2(1-3)2 CP Baltimore (USL-2)
Western Mass (USL-2) 1-2 Richmond (USL-2)
Rochester (USL-1) 3-0 Pittsburgh (USL-2)
Charleston (USL-1) 2-1 Charlotte (USL-2)

Carolina (USL-1) 1-0 Real Maryland (USL-2)
Minnesota (USL-1) 0-2 Cleveland (USL-2)
Miami (USL-1) 1-0 Atlanta (USL-1)
Seattle (USL-1) 6-0 Hollywood United (USASA)

The winners move on to round three where they will face a MLS team. If the 86% number holds, it means one MLS side will lose in round three. Who could it be?

Here is the schedule:
Houston Dynamo (MLS) at Charleston Battery (USL-1)
Blackbaud Stadium, Charleston, S.C., 7:30 PM

New York Red Bulls (MLS) at Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL-2)
UMBC, Catonsville, Md., 7:30 PM

Kansas City Wizards (MLS) at Carolina Railhawks (USL-1)
WakeMed Soccer Park - Cary, N.C., 7:30 PM

Rochester Rhinos (USL-1) at DC United (MLS)
Maryland SoccerPlex, Boyds, Md., 7:30 PM
Broadcast: English/Spanish Radio (DCU)

Richmond Kickers (USL-2) at New England Revolution (MLS)
Veterans Stadium - New Britain, Conn., Time TBD

Cleveland City Stars (USL-2) at Chicago Fire (MLS)
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Ill., 8:30 PM

Miami FC (USL-1) at FC Dallas (MLS)
Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas, 8:30 PM

Chivas USA (MLS) at Seattle Sounders (USL-1)
Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila, Wash. - 10:00 PM

By the way, home pitch advantage is limited as home sides went 10-6 in round 1 and 3-5 in round two. In matches were the teams were in the same division, home teams only went 1 for 3.

Tampa gets pro team; Houston Dynamo expand into Texas Rio Grande Valley

Seven years after MLS folded the Tampa Bay Mutiny, a move that caused many to predict the sudden demise of the league, professional soccer is returning thanks to a new USL First Division squad. The new team will begin play next season.

This announcement comes one day after 'Hillsborough County commissioners gave limited approval to building a $15 million soccer complex and stadium at a site to be determined' but a spokesperson for the team says the two are unrelated as the owners want to build their own stadium in northwest Tampa. The proposed new stadium would seat between 6-7,000 and be expandable.

By joining the league now, the new owners were able to pay the current expansion fee of $350,000. After 15 August, the fee will increase to $750,000.

The new Tampa club will join the Austin Aztexs as an expansion USL-1 team next season.

This all sounds like a great move for the league and soccer in southern Florida, especially since the stadium project is not looking for public money. With a good place to call home and a stable financial situation, this new Tampa Bay club will have a much easier time then the Mutiny.


In other expansion news, it looks like the Houston Dynamo will expand into the Texas Rio Grande Valley. According to this report, after seeing the talent in the area through team sponsored youth academies, they feel a professional team could do well here and hope to bring a USL-PDL team in the area in the next 18-months.

It comes as no surprise that there are quality soccer players along the Texas-Mexico border. What is a surprise is that the no one else has stepped up to make this happen earlier.

If this does happen, there could be an interesting twist as the Houston area has a team in the PDL, the Houston Leons, however they are not affiliated with the Dynamo.

2008 US Open Cup - The best night in US club soccer is here

The longest running club cup competition in American soccer roars back to life again tonight as the first round of the US Open Cup kicks off. Thirty-two teams from across the county have earned the right to play in this opening night. These teams range from the rag-tag best of the adult leagues to the, "hay we are only one level below MLS" USL First Division. In addition to these teams, two MLS sides will also face off for the final MLS spot in the tournament.

These first round matches are always fun to watch as they are usually full of surprise winners, especially if the higher division team is the visitor. If you live near any of these games, they are well worth going to see.

Here is a rundown of tonight's games (updated scores):

Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2) vs. Yakima Reds (USL-PDL)
Skyline Sports Complex, Harrisburg, Pa. - 7pm ET
With the Reds traveling to Pennsylvania from Washington state, this one will probably go to the Islanders.

Charlotte Eagles (USL-2) vs. Clearwater Galactics (USASA)
Charlotte Chrisitian School, Charlotte, N.C. - 7pm ET
Much like the Reds, a long trip from Florida will probably hurt the Galactics chances, however this has a slight smell of upset on it.

Minnesota Thunder (USL-1) vs. St. Louis Lions (USL-PDL)
National Sports Center, Blaine, Minn. - 7pm ET
St. Louis's hopes hinge on Tommy Heinemann and Jarius Holmes. If these two can link up early, the Thunder might not rumble.

Western Mass Pioneers (USL-2) vs. Boston Olympiakos (USASA)
Lusitano Stadium, Ludlow, Mass. - 7:30p ET
This should be one of the better matches of the night. Boston Olympiakos is a very solid amateur club playing against in-state Western Mass. The Pioneers have been good in league play and will turn to Neil Krause to get them past Olympiakos, but the amateurs are going to bring a lot.

Michigan Bucks (USL-PDL) vs. Cleveland City Stars (USL-2)
Ultimate Soccer Arena, Pontiac, Mich. - 7:30p ET
Both these teams are playing some of the best soccer in their respective leagues. The Stars made it into the second round last year, but the Bucks have a long history in the cup. Since the Stars are on the road, the Bucks have the upper hand.

Rochester Rhinos (USL-1) vs. RWB Adria (USASA)
PAETEC Park, Rochester, NY - 7:30p ET (free video)
As odd as it sounds, this might just be the make or break game to the Rhinos season as they are off to a horrible start in league play. If Adria can exploit their nerves, they might sneak out with a victory.

Charleston Battery (USL-1) vs. ASC New Stars (USASA)
Blackbaud Stadium, Charleston, SC - 7:30p ET (free video)
The New Stars will travel from Houston for this one and they will have their hands full. The Battery have a good season going and love to play in the Open Cup.

Carolina Railhawks (USL-1) vs. Brooklyn Knights (USL-PDL)
WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, N.C. - 7:30p ET
The Railhawks have some weakness and since you never count out an amateur team from New York, there could be something here. The Knights don't get tons of goals, but they also don't give up many.

Real Maryland Monarchs (USL-2) vs. NY Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA)
Maryland SoccerPlex, Germantown, Md. - 8p ET
The Monarchs have not been making it happen in league play and, as noted above, you don't ever count out amateur teams from New York, this could be close.

Miami FC Blues (USL-1) vs. Bradenton Academics (USL-PDL)
Tropical Park Stadium, Miami, Fla. - 8p ET
The Blues have never really jelled. If the Academics can shutdown Alex Afonso, they have a shot.

Richmond Kickers (USL-2) vs. Fredericksburg Gunners (USL-PDL)
SportsBackers Stadium, Richmond, Va. - 8p ET
The Kickers will need to find the net to win this one and they have not proven so great at doing so.

Austin Aztex (USL-PDL) vs. Atlanta Silverbacks (USL-1)
Dragon Stadium, Round Rock, Texas - 8:30p ET
This will probably be the best game of the night as the soon to be USL-1 Austin Aztex see if they can expand their winning ways against the 'no so great on the road' Silverbacks.

AAC Eagles (USASA) vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL-2)
Redmond Park, Bensenville, Ill. - 9p ET
Both of these sides normally lose their opening USOC match, so it is good to know one will advance. With the Riverhounds playing for poor, look for an Eagles victory.

Portland Timbers (USL-1) vs. Hollywood United (USASA)
PGE Park, Portland, Ore. - 10p ET (free video)
Finally a west coast game. Will Alexi Lalas and Allan Hopkins take the pitch for United? If so, they have a chance. If not, the Timbers will probably see them out.

LA Legends (USL-PDL) vs. Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL-2)
Cougar Athletic Stadium, Glendora, Cal. - 10:30p ET
There is not much in terms of offense going for LA, but they have some solid keepers and with Baltimore making the long trip, the Legends have the upper hand.

Arizona Sahuaros (USASA) vs. Seattle Sounders (USL-1)
Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, Ariz. - 10:30p ET
The Sounders will be looking for a repeat of last year when they topped USASA side Banat Arsenal to start their fantastic run to the semifinals. The Sahuaros are a great example of what lowest level clubs can become, but they will need to play well above their level to take this one.

Chicago Fire (MLS) vs. Columbus Crew (MLS)
Shea Stadium, Peoria, Ill. - 8p ET
This is a MLS play in match. My guess is the Crew will take it a little more serious then the Fire. With Columbus thrashing in MLS play, they need something to restart the team and a victory against Chicago could do it. That said, the Fire are one of the best USOC teams ever, so even if they play second string, they are the favorites.

Edmond, OK, to get a pro soccer team?

The endless talk of MLS expansion is a fun game, but it is not the only one it town. The USL-First Division is also looking at increasing their numbers, which brings us to Edmond (just north of Oklahoma City), Oklahoma.

The league recently sent a letter to the mayor concerning their interesting in placing a team in the city for 2009, they just need to find some interested investors.

Here is what the mayor had to say:

"We are interested to begin exploring opportunities to expand United Soccer Leagues (USL) into the City of Edmond. I welcome you to encourage ... potential investment groups to bring USL to Edmond in 2009.”

O'Neil said the city has always been interested in a professional sports team, particularly soccer.

"Now we have to see if there is viable interest from private investors,” O'Neil said. "If there is genuine interest, then we need to get others involved.”

If there is interest and they can find ownership, they will probably play their games at 10,000-seat, University of Central Oklahoma owned, Wantland Stadium.

Oddly enough, USL's interest in Edmond sprang from the city's failed bid to land a MLS team back in 2004. Hard to believe that Oklahoma City was in the running at the time.

The hopeful addition of Edmond to USL is part of the league's plan to put more teams in 'the middle part of the county, including the Southwest and Midwest.' Seeing as MLS is pretty much focusing on the costs these days (with some exceptions), this seems like a good plan. They have already added a team in Austin, Texas for the 2009 season, so an additional team in Oklahoma would make for a great rivalry.

The league is also in 'active negotiations with groups in Omaha, Phoenix and San Antonio.'

USL might not have the glitz, glamour and TV contracts of MLS, but it is a very important part of growing the sport in the US. People love cheering for a local team and since MLS cannot reach everyone, USL will need to fill the void. Add this to the chance of seeing a local side take on a MLS 'giant' in US Open Cup competition and you've got a wonderful publicity machine.

English club owner brings professional soccer to Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas is the home to the newest USL First-Division expansion team, the Austin Aztex. The new club will begin play in 2009 and is also owned by Phil Rawlins. Rawlins also owns Stoke City FC who play in the English Championship League. Not surprisingly, the two teams will work together as far as players are concerned. Also, Stoke City will hold their summer training camp in Austin.

Rawlins believes this is a great move as "Central Texas has long been a hot-bed of young soccer talent with over 35,000 kids playing the game locally."

Austin had an USL-PDL team, but they will now become the U-23 club for the Aztex.

Overall, this is an outstanding move by the USL. Austin is a large, second level market that is lacking in professional level sports. The team needs to figure out a stadium situation (the old PDL team played a distance away from the city center) and a few other issues, but if with the experience Rawlins brings, there is a great chance Austin could become a big USL town.

It will also be interesting to see if they try to have a 'Battle for Texas' during spring training. They could invite FC Dallas and the Houston Dynamo to town to see who is the best in the lone star state.

USL 2008 Fox Soccer schedule

Fox Soccer Channel will air 28 USL games in 2008 starting April 25. Of these games 25 will be USL First Division (22 regular season/3 post). The three other games will be the title matches for the W-League, PDL and USL Second Division (all of which will be in August).

Here is the full list of TV Broadcasts (all times ET):
Friday April 25 Montreal @ Atlanta 8:00 pm
Friday May 2 Seattle @ Atlanta 8:00 pm
Friday May 9 Miami @ Charleston 8:00 pm
Friday May 16 Minnesota @ Atlanta 8:00 pm
Friday May 23 Seattle @ Vancouver 11:00 pm
Friday May 30 Portland @ Montreal 8:00 pm

Friday June 6 Puerto Rico @ Atlanta 8:00 pm
Friday June 13 Vancouver @ Rochester 8:00 pm
Friday June 20 Minnesota @ Charleston 8:00 pm
Friday June 27 Portland @ Carolina 8:00 pm

Friday July 4 Puerto Rico @ Miami 8:00 pm
Friday July 11 Seattle @ Rochester 8:00 pm
Friday July 18 Miami @ Montreal 8:00 pm
Friday July 25 Montreal @ Rochester 8:00 pm

Friday August 1 Vancouver @ Carolina 8:00 pm
Sunday August 3 W-League Championship TBD
Thursday August 7 Seattle @ Portland 11:00 pm
Saturday August 9 PDL Championship TBD
Friday August 15 Miami @ Carolina 8:00 pm
Friday August 22 Portland @ Vancouver 11:00 pm
Saturday August 23 USL Second Division Championship TBD
Friday August 29 Puerto Rico @ Charleston 8:00 pm

Friday September 5 Minnesota @ Montreal 8:00 pm
Friday September 12 Puerto Rico @ Rochester 8:00 pm
Friday September 19 Carolina @ Charleston 8:00 pm
Sunday September 28 USL-1 Quarterfinals - Second leg TBD

Sunday October 5 USL-1 Semifinals - Second leg TBD
Saturday October 11 USL First Division Championship TBD

MLS Expansion - If Seattle gets a team, Poulsbo might get the Sounders

If Seattle lands an expansion team as expected, the Sounders might end up staying in the USL. What that means is the MLS team might not take the name Sounders with them and if they do not, at least one member of the Sounders' ownership group want to keep the team alive.

Robin Waite would be willing to build a soccer specific stadium in Poulsbo (a city on the Kitsap Peninsula, which is located on the west side of the Puget Sound), for a new version of the Sounders. It is about 15 miles away from downtown Seattle.

"Yes, it's a possibility," said Robin Waite of Tracyton, part of the Sounders' ownership group who has been actively trying to build a soccer-only stadium with the hopes of luring a USL franchise to the region.

Waite is zeroing in on nearly 13 acres of land in Poulsbo after a recent attempt to purchase an eight-acre parcel of land in Olhava fell through.

"We're under contract right now on the land," Waite said of the site he's currently zeroing in on.

There are, he said, some wetland issues.

"We can put a stadium on it," he said of the property where he would like to build a 6,500-seat stadium that he estimates will cost him about $2.5 million. "The question becomes what do you do about parking."

The team would be very removed from the Seattle home they have come to know, but it might work. Still, the relatively small population density in the area might make it a bit difficult to draw a large crowd.

But this brings up a different issue, if Seattle lands a team, should they be able to keep the name Sounders? With more and more USL teams getting a look over as possible candidates for MLS, this might be an issue that repeats itself. So provided that all the legal issues are resolved concerning the name, what do you think?

2007 MLS Attendance Numbers - Full Season

The 2007 regular season is over and the attendance numbers look good. The league average for the year is 16,485 per game, which is a significant jump from 2006's 15,518 and 2005's 15,108. Actually, 2007 represents the best average since the inaugural run in 1996.

Home Attendance

Team	HG	Total	Avg	Best vs	Worst vs	HR
LA	15	363,782	24,252	27,000*	19,225 RSL 6/17	6-6-3
TFC	15	301,906	20,127	20,522 LA 8/05	19,123 HD 5/16	5-7-3
DC	15	293,554	19,570	46,686 LA 8/09	12,908 NE 5/03	10-2-3
NE	15	251,132	16,742	35,402 LA 8/12	9,508 CF 5/06	8-3-4
NY	15	247,948	16,530	66,237 LA 8/18	7,802 CR 5/13	9-3-3
CF	15	247,356	16,490	21,374 LA 10/21	10,115 CC 6/03	6-3-6
RSL	15	239,395	15,960	24,633 LA 9/19	13,003 HD 8/04	4-7-4
HD	15	238,240	15,883	30,588 LA 10/07	11,114 TFC 7/15	8-3-4
FCD	15	227,182	15,145	20,500**	9,165 NE 4/29	7-5-3
CC	15	226,706	15,113	22,555 LA 9/30	10,254 KC 6/20	5-5-5
CV	15	226,227	15,082	27,000***	8,756 FCD 5/26	10-1-4
CR	15	221,229	14,749	18,458 LA 5/26	10,677 NE 8/16	6-4-5
KC	15	173,784	11,586	32,867 LA 9/27	7,101 CR 7/22	5-3-2

HG: Number of Home Games, HR: Home Record
* LA reached 27,000 six times - 4/28 CV, 8/23 CV, 9/01 RSL, 9/23 FCD, 10/13 HD & 10/18 NY
** FC Dallas reached 20,500 twice - 4/22 CR & 10/20 KC
*** Chivas USA reached 27,000 twice - 5/20 LA & 9/29 CF

Nothing overly surprising from these numbers. There is the big 15-16,000 pack with a couple teams sliding under and three jumping nicely over. Also, no surprise that every team had their largest home crowd against LA, except FC Dallas who did not have a MLS game against LA when Beckham was on the team. It is interesting to note that home record does not seem to have a big influence on the numbers. But how do these numbers compare to last season?

Last Season

Team	Avg Attend 06	Avg Attend 07	% Change
NE	11,786	16,742	+ 42.0%
CR	12,056	14,749	+ 22.3%
CF	14,088	16,490	+ 17.0%
LA	20,814	24,252	+ 16.5%
CC	13,294	15,113	+ 13.7%
NY	14,570	16,530	+ 13.5%
DC	18,215	19,570	+ 7.4%
KC	11,083	11,586	+ 4.5%
FCD	14,982	15,145	+ 1.1%
RSL	16,366	15,960	- 2.5%
HD	18,935	15,883	- 16.1%
CV	19,840	15,082	- 24.0%

Way to go New England for getting those numbers up, but will they be able to do it again next year without the benefit of as many international double headers? Colorado did well to get people to their new stadium, the Fire used Blanco to get their seats filled and the Crew, New York and DC should all be happy with their bumps.

Kansas City's numbers are lackluster but they are better then what could have been since the team didn't know where they were going to play till a month or so before the season. With this in mind, this year has got to be seen as a minor success, but also a warning that they need to decide on a 2008 home soon.

Both Real and Houston are in similar boats as the aura of a new team is wearing off. That said, I am a bit surprised to see the Dynamo's numbers down as much as they are since they are league champions.

Dallas grew but I doubt they are very happy with the rate. I wonder if the stadium's location has anything to do with the stagnant number?

Finally, what is up with Chivas? The best year by far and they dropped a quarter of their total attendance. Their numbers picked up after they removed GM Javier Leo, but they still have a great deal of work ahead of them.

Home Capacity

Team	Avg Attend	Capacity	Avg % of Cap	Stadium Type
TFC	20,127	20,522	98.1%	SSS
LA	24,252	27,000	89.8%	SSS
CF	16,490	20,000	82.5%	SSS
CR	14,749	18,086	81.5%	SSS
FCD	15,145	20,500	73.9%	SSS
CC	15,113	22,555	67.0%	SSS
CV	15,082	27,000	55.9%	SSS
HD	15,883	32,000	49.6%	CS
DC	19,570	45,016	43.5%	NFL
RSL	15,960	45,634	35.0%	CS
NE	16,742	68,756	24.3%	NFL
NY	16,530	80,242	20.6%	NFL
KC	11,586	79,451	14.6%	NFL

SSS: Soccer Specific Stadium, CS: College Stadium, NFL: NFL Stadium

It is nice to see every sss above 50%, but again Chivas sticks out as the oddball. Toronto and Colorado have got to be happy with their numbers, although the Rapids obvious have a lot more room to improve.

DC did an amazing job in an American football stadium, while NE's, NY's and KC's percentages show the other side of things. Having a stadium less then a quarter full really hurts any environment.

But how much do these numbers have to do with Beckham?

Home Attendance minus Beckham matches

Team	Avg w/o	Avg w/	% Change
NY	12,979	16,530	- 21.5%
KC	10,066	11,586	- 13.1%
DC	17,633	19,570	- 9.9%
NE	15,409	16,742	- 8.0%
HD	14,832	15,883	- 6.6%
RSL	15,340	15,960	- 3.9%
CV	14,493	15,082	- 3.9%
CC	14,582	15,113	- 3.5%
CF	16,142	16,490	- 2.1%
CR	14,510	14,749	- 1.6%
TFC	20,099	20,127	- .1%

Again, not a lot of surprises here. The teams in the largest stadiums take the biggest hit with out their Beckham match in the equation. Actually, if there is a surprise it is how little of an impact Beckham actually had on the numbers. Yes, 5-10% is a lot but it is not everything. I'm sure there is an argument to be made about a 'Beckham effect', like people buying 5 game packs in order to get a Beckham ticket, but overall, the numbers without Beckham are still pretty respectable.

It is also worth noting that without the Beckham game, only 6 teams do worse then they did last year (NY, KC, DC, HD, CV RSL). Don't get me wrong, that is still over half the list but it also means five teams improved (not counted LA or Toronto) even without the big man.

But what about road shows?
Road Attendance

Team	AG	Total Att.	Avg	AR
LA	15	418,780	27,919	3-8-4
CF	15	261,229	17,415	4-7-4
FCD	15	250,220	16,681	6-7-2
NY	15	245,844	16,390	3-8-4
DC	15	240,674	16,045	6-5-4
CC	15	240,153	16,010	4-6-5
CV	15	239,618	15,975	5-6-4
RSL	15	235,367	15,691	2-8-5
HD	15	234,730	15,649	7-5-3
NE	15	223,544	14,903	6-5-4
TFC	15	221,650	14,777	1-10-4
CR	15	215,154	14,344	3-9-3
KC	15	210,635	14,042	4-7-4

AG: Number of Away Games, AR: Away Record

It should come as no surprise that LA is top or that Chicago is second. If anything, this is proof that the designated player idea has worked out at least in one way for MLS. In fact, the four teams that currently have a designated player hold the top four road averages. It could be a coincidence or it could be fans showing up to see the big paycheck talent.

The bottom five positions are also interesting. Toronto makes sense because they were not very good and Colorado is a team most people seem to forget about, so that explains their numbers, but KC, Houston and New England had quality sides this year (although KC fell to pieces toward the end). I know the difference in the numbers is minimal, but one would think Houston and New England as 2 of the best teams in the league with some well known players would have had better road attendance.

So there are the full attendance numbers for the 2007 regular season. What does it tell us? Maybe that people actually started tuning in a bit more and showing up, but we will need to see if this once a one time 'oh wow, Beckham is here' event or if the league can keep the growth going. With San Jose not really having a home pitch, KC still struggling to get noticed, and NY and NE still not packing them in even with strong play, next year might prove a bit difficult.

By the way, here are the season ending numbers from the USL-First Division (thanks to Lucas over at Nerdword)

Here are the numbers:

Team	HG	Total Att	Avg Att
Montreal Impact	14	154,497	11,036
Rochester Raging Rhinos	14	130,700	9,336
Portland Timbers	14	95,592	6,828
Vancouver Whitecaps	14	72,264	5,162
Carolina RailHawks	14	71,735	5,124
Puerto Rico Islanders	14	66,143	4,725
Charleston Battery	14	55,550	3,968
Seattle Sounders	14	46,545	3,325
Minnesota Thunder	14	44,110	3,151
Atlanta Silverbacks	14	36,003	2,572
California Victory	14	15,619	1,116
Miami FC	14	12,828	916

Seattle Sounders USL First Division Champions

If Saturday night's championship match against Atlanta was indeed the final match of the Sounders in USL play, what a way to go out. They took their fourth title with an impressive 4-0 win over the Silverbacks.

Interestingly, as the players were celebrating their victory on the pitch, the fans chanted 'one more year' in reference to the rumor of the team going dark for the 2008 season.

Anyway, no matter what happens with the club in the next few months, they can be sure of at least one thing, they played a near perfect match to win the cup.

Congratulations to the Seattle Sounders.

MLS Expansion - Seattle gets a team!

Major League Soccer is coming to Seattle starting in 2009!

According to Ives Galarcep, the league will announce Seattle as their 15th team in two-weeks. As part of the move, the USL First Divison's Seattle Sounders will stop playing after this Saturday's championship match against the Atlanta Silverbacks (the link says Puerto Rico but that is who the Sounders beat to get to the final). As if the championship game wasn't enough to get fans going, now they will also be saying farewell to their much beloved club (at least in its current form).

The franchise fee is expected to be around $30 million and the ownership group will involve the owners of the Sounders. No word on the stadium status.

Congratulations to Seattle on earning a team, but does this mean the Portland Timbers new main rival is the Vancouver Whitecaps?

Want to own a pro soccer team? It just takes $100

Admit it, at some point in your life you thought about owner a profession soccer team, but with the millions it takes to get involved with the MLS and billions it takes to be a player overseas, you never thought it would happen. But wait, if you have an extra $100, your dream can come true.

Last year there was a great deal of excitement when San Francisco was awarded a USL-First Division team. Even better yet, Dmitry Piterman, chairman of Spanish club Deportivo Alavésk, was announced as owner, making the California Victory the 'first European owned team to compete in any level of the United Soccer Leagues.'

However, this past July, Piterman sold his interest in Deportivo Alavésk and the new owners are not that interested in keeping their American outlet.

Thus enters the California Victory Supporters Association who is trying to keep their team in San Francisco. Their goal, raise $2 million dollars via the sale of 20,000 shares for $100 each, thus making the Victory the first ever fan-owned pro soccer team in the US.

So what are the reasons to think this might work?

1) The Victory will be on sale for cheap (maybe as cheap as $1)
2) Huge fan-base because of huge owner base. The merchandise, sponsorship and shirt sponsorship will be good.
3) Media coverage because of this novel idea of ownership.
4) With the right marketing, the team can average 3000-4000 to break even.
5) Soccer fans around San Francisco would be more involved if they also own part this team.
6) Kezar stadium (10,000 capacity) is great for soccer

Convinced yet or at least a little curious? If so, you can find more at Save the Victory. Having a team owned by the fans would be a very fun turn for the sport.

2007 US Open Cup Quarterfinals are over and New England moves on

Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2) 1-2 NE Revolution (MLS)
The US Open Cup quarterfinals are over and the New England Revolution have moved on to the semifinals for the first time in six years.

The Revs jumped out to a 2-goal lead by the quarter hour mark thanks to goals by Andy Dorman and Taylor Twellman, but the Islanders didn't surrender and in the 78' they got one back. However, they couldn't get past the Revs. Any hope of a last minute miracle was arrested in the 90' when Anthony Calvano got a straight red and was sent off.

New England will face Carolina in the semis while FC Dallas will take on Seattle.

Quarterfinals results:
Game Number Date, Teams, Venue, Time
33 August 8, Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2) 1-2 NE Revolution (MLS)
34 August 7, Richmond Kickers (USL-2) 0-1 Carolina Railhawks (USL-1)
35 August 7, FC Dallas (MLS) 2-1 Charleston Battery (USL-1)
36 August 7, Colorado Rapids (MLS) 0-5 Seattle Sounders (USL-1)

Semifinals schedule:
Game Number Date, Teams, Venue, Time
37 September 4, Carolina RailHawks (USL-1) at New England Revolution (MLS), Veterans Stadium; New Britain, CT,7:00 p.m.
38 September 4, FC Dallas (MLS) at Seattle Sounders (USL-1), Qwest Field; Seattle, WA, 10:00 p.m.

2007 MLS Attendance numbers updated - Part 3

(edit - full season numbers here)

Since it has been about six weeks since I last looked at the attendance numbers for the league, I thought it was about time to do so. So far 1,748,856 fans have attended matches this season for an average of 14,947 per game. Here is how the numbers break down by team:

Home Attendance

Team	HG	Total	Avg	Best vs	Worst vs	HR
LA	8	180,684	22,586	27,000 CV 4/28	19,225 RSL 6/17	3-3-2
TFC	9	180,762	20,085	20,522 LA 8/05	19,123 HD 5/16	4-4-1
DC	8	141,772	17,722	22,358 KC 4/14	12,908 NE 5/03	5-1-2
RSL	9	143,341	15,927	18,678 FCD 4/07	13,003 HD 8/04	2-4-3
CR	9	134,330	14,926	18,458 LA 5/26	10,719 HD 5/05	2-3-4
CF	10	146,850	14,685	20,407 CV 6/09	10,115 CC 6/03	3-3-4
FCD	8	117,448	14,681	20,500 CR 4/22	9,165 NE 4/29	5-2-1
HD	10	144,166	14,417	18,232 NE 5/19	11,114 TFC 7/15	6-2-2
NE	10	142,963	14,296	22,412 CC 6/16	9,508 CF 5/06	4-2-4
CV	7	91,092	13,013	27,000 LA 4/28	8,756 FCD 5/26	6-0-1
CC	10	126,976	12,698	14,203 RSL 7/07	10,254 KC 6/20	5-1-4
NY	9	103,628	11,514	15,546 KC 6/16	7,802 CR 5/13	5-3-1
KC	10	94,844	9,484	13,875 NY 6/02	7,426 CC 5/05	5-3-2

HG: Number of Home Games, HR: Home Record

Home Capacity

Team	Avg Attend	Capacity	Avg % of Cap	Stadium Type
TFC	20,085	20,500	98.0%	SSS
LA	22,586	27,000	83.7%	SSS
CR	14,926	18,086	82.5%	SSS
FCD	14,681	20,500	71.6%	SSS
CF	14,685	20,000	73.4%	SSS
CC	12,698	22,555	56.3%	SSS
CV	13,013	27,000	48.2%	SSS
HD	14,417	32,000	45.1%	CS
DC	17,722	45,016	39.4%	NFL
RSL	15,927	45,634	34.9%	CS
NE	14,296	68,756	20.8%	NFL
NY	11,514	80,242	14.3%	NFL
KC	9,484	79,451	11.9%	NFL

SSS: Soccer Specific Stadium, CS: College Stadium, NFL: NFL Stadium

Since looking at these numbers last, all but five teams have seen their average home gate numbers decline. Those on the up side of things are Chicago (+893), New York (+785), Colorado (+358), Toronto (+97) and DC (+82).

For the teams that dropped, most of them lose around 500 a match, but I am most concerned about what is happening with New England and Chivas.

The Revs saw their average numbers fall 1,593 per match. Since a lot of their early success was based off double-headers, this lower number seems to be closer to the actual number of fans who show up for a game.

Chivas, who has the best home record in the league, continue to see their numbers fall as they dropped over 1,357 folks per game passing through the gates. However, they have only had two additional home games since my last update, so it might just be a freak moment that will correct later.

As I have said every time I've looked at these numbers, Toronto is just amazing. If only they didn't play on the funny turf, the stadium would probably stand as the best place to see a match in the US or Canada.

In the capacity race, everyone stayed close to where they had been except for DC United, but that has to due to a change in their capacity number. Back when I first posted capacity a very helpful comment was left telling me the number was closer to 46k instead of the 56k number I was using, however, I could not find confirmation of that number anywhere until United put out a press release saying all 45,000+ seats had been sold for Thursday's match against LA. From that I was able to find the 45,016 number.

Road Attendance

Team	AG	Total Att.	Avg	AR
LA	5	97,024	19,405	0-2-3
CF	8	129,183	16,148	2-5-1
KC	9	143,308	15,923	3-3-3
CV	10	156,372	15,637	2-6-2
DC	9	139,457	15,495	3-5-1
FCD	11	168,913	15,356	5-4-2
CC	9	135,196	15,022	1-4-4
NY	9	132,927	14,770	3-4-2
RSL	8	115,661	14,458	0-5-3
HD	10	142,683	14,268	4-4-2
NE	9	127,703	14,189	5-2-2
CR	10	130,706	13,070	2-6-2
TFC	10	129,751	12,975	1-5-4

AG: Number of Away Games, AR: Away Record

This chart doesn't tell us a lot but it does point out just how different things are for Chivas and Toronto. At home TFC is a force but they continue to sag on the road while Chivas does much better in different markets then their own. Not a huge surprise as Chivas gets fans of their main club whenever they travel.

One last thing, it will be interesting to see just how much LA's numbers jump once they start hitting the big stadiums with Beckham.

Update: In the comments, someone asked about how these numbers compare to the USL. I looked around for these numbers but could not locate it, however I did find the numbers thanks to Lucas over at Nerdword. His numbers are up to date as of the 5th of August.

Here are the numbers:
Montreal Impact - 10,806
Rochester Raging Rhinos - 8,899
Portland Timbers - 5,711
Vancouver Whitecaps - 5,209
Carolina RailHawks - 4,934
Puerto Rico Islanders - 4,571
Charleston Battery - 3,937
Seattle Sounders - 3,244
Minnesota Thunder - 3,006
Atlanta Silverbacks - 2,476
California Victory - 1,073
Miami FC - 862

Montreal, if they were in MLS, would sit next to bottom between New York and Kansas City while Rochester would be just off the KC mark. The number that stands out most to me is Atlanta. I thought their numbers would be a bit better. Also, Miami FC looks to be in a dangerous place in their second year.

2007 US Open Cup Quarter finals start tonight - Will the USL continue to control the MLS?

The US Open Cup Quarter-final round gets under way tonight with three games on the schedule. The big question going into the action is will the MLS clubs produce. After going 3 for 8 in the last round, they are under pressure to make something happen. However, if results so far are any indication of how things will turn out, it might be a difficult run for the top league in the country.

So far in the tournament, home teams have won 25 of the 32 meetings (including going 7 for 8 in the last round), meaning there is a serious advantage to playing on your own pitch. With both MLS sides playing tonight doing so on the road, well you can see why they should be a little nervous.

By the way, all three of tonight's games will stream live, for free over the internet thanks to USLlive.com.

Here are the games:
Richmond Kickers (USL-2) vs. Carolina RailHawks (USL-1)
7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT
USLlive.com

FC Dallas (MLS) vs. Charleston Battery (USL-1)
7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT
USLlive.com

Colorado Rapids (MLS) at Seattle Sounders (USL-1)
10pm ET/ 7pm PT
USLlive.com

To take a guess at the outcome of these matches, I think Carolina, FC Dallas and Seattle will advance.

2007 US Open Cup Third Round done - Another MLS team gone

Chivas USA 1-3 Seattle Sounders
The woeful work of MLS clubs in the US Open Cup continued last night as Chivas USA were thrown from the tournament by a Sounders team managed to make the most of everything they got. Much like in MLS play, the goats failed on the road because they could not create anything out of what they were handed. They out shot the Sounder and controlled the ball for significant stretches of the match, but they couldn't make Seattle sweat.

The win means home teams went 7 for 8 in the round and are 25 for 32 overall. Seattle will hope this trend continues as they play host to Colorado in the quarterfinals on August 7.

Here are the results from the third round:
Game Number, Date, Teams
25 July 11, DC United (MLS) 0-1 Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2)
26 July 10, NE Revolution (MLS) 4-2 Rochester Rhinos (USL-1)
27 July 10, Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) 0-1 Richmond Kickers (USL-2)
28 July 15, Chicago Fire (MLS) 0-1 Carolina RailHawks (USL-1)
29 July 9, Atlanta Silverbacks (USL-1) 1-1 FC Dallas (MLS) FC Dallas wins on pks 4-3
30 July 10, Houston Dynamo (MLS) 0-1 Charleston Battery (USL-1)
31 July 10, California Victory (USL-1) 1-3 Colorado Rapids (MLS)
32 July 18, Chivas USA (MLS) 1-3 Seattle Sounders (USL-1)

Fourth Round schedule:
Game Number Date, Teams, Venue, Time
33 August 8, Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2) at NE Revolution (MLS), Gilette Stadium; Foxborough, Mass., 7:30 pm ET
34 August 7, Richmond Kickers (USL-2) at Carolina Railhawks (USL-1), SAS Soccer Park; Cary, N.C., 7:30 pm ET
35 August 7, FC Dallas (MLS) at Charleston Battery (USL-1), Blackbaud Stadium; Charleston S.C., 7:30 pm ET
36 August 7, Colorado Rapids (MLS) at Seattle Sounders (USL-1), Qwest Field; Seattle, Wash., 7 pm PT

With the way home teams have been playing, there is a very good chance that only one of the three remaining MLS teams will make it out of this round. Could this be the first year since 1999 that a MLS club does not win the US Open Cup?

2007 US Open Cup Third Round continues - FC Dallas lucks into next round

The third round of the US Open Cup kicked off last night and there was almost a huge upset. The Atlanta Silverbacks traveled to Dallas and played the MLS team to a 1-1 tie through 120-minutes thanks in large part to the goalkeeping work of Ryan McIntosh. Making this tie even more amazing, Atlanta played the last 40-minutes a man down.

The game came down to kicks and sadly for the Silverbacks, their sixth attempt went high.

These are the types of games that make the Open Cup so much fun. Anytime a lower division side causes havoc to an upper-division club, it is exciting. Too bad this year's cup has not had many of these outcomes as higher division teams are now 19-3. It is also a shame that only 2,500 at Pizza Hut Park got to enjoy this match.

Anyway, the third round continues on tonight with four games. Thankfully we'll be able to watch one of these matches online thanks to the USL (Houston-Charleston) and listen to another thanks to the New England Revolution. Anyway, here are tonight's matches:

Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) at Richmond Kickers (USL-2), University of Richmond Stadium; Richmond, Va. 7 p.m. ET
Houston Dynamo (MLS) at Charleston Battery (USL-1), Blackbaud Stadium; Charleston, S.C. 7:30 p.m. ET (live internet feed)
N.E. Revolution (MLS) at Rochester Rhinos (USL-1), PAETEC Park; Rochester, N.Y. 7:35 p.m. ET (live internet feed)
California Victory (USL-1) at Colorado Rapids (MLS), Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; Commerce City, Colo. 7 p.m. MT

Of all these games, the one that stands out like the most likely to see a USL side beat a MLS team is the California-Colorado match. The Rapids have looked horrible for a while now, but to be honest, the Victory has not been doing much itself. However, with Colorado often failing to score, one goal might be enough to take this one.

The Rhinos are always dangerous in the Open Cup and facing them at home is not a place where you want to be, so the Revs might have a difficult night.

Houston is on a fantastic roll, but after playing three games in a week and having another game on Thursday night in Chicago, they might not field many starters. That said, we saw what the Houston B-team can do during the Gold Cup, so it will still take a great night from the Battery to advance.

Finally there is LA. With a week off before their next match, the Galaxy might use this as a chance to continue the improvement they have shown over the last few weeks. Then again, they might just use it as a second team outing since the last thing they are looking for is even more matches added to their schedule.

Here is the full third round schedule:
Game Number, Date, Teams, Venue, Time
25 July 11, D.C. United (MLS) at Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2),Hempfield High School Stadium; Greensburg, Pa. 7:30 p.m. ET
26 July 10, N.E. Revolution (MLS) at Rochester Rhinos (USL-1), PAETEC Park; Rochester, N.Y. 7:35 p.m. ET
27 July 10, Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) at Richmond Kickers (USL-2), University of Richmond Stadium; Richmond, Va. 7 p.m. ET
28 July 15, Chicago Fire (MLS) at Carolina RailHawks (USL-1), SAS Soccer Park; Cary, N.C. 5 p.m. ET
29 July 9, Atlanta Silverbacks (USL-1) 1-1 FC Dallas (MLS) FC Dallas wins on pks 4-3
30 July 10, Houston Dynamo (MLS) at Charleston Battery (USL-1), Blackbaud Stadium; Charleston, S.C. 7:30 p.m. ET
31 July 10, California Victory (USL-1) at Colorado Rapids (MLS), Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; Commerce City, Colo. 7 p.m. MT
32 July 18, Chivas USA (MLS) at Seattle Sounders (USL-1), Qwest Field; Seattle, Wash. 7 p.m. PT

2007 US Open Cup Second Round groupings

Now that the Charlotte Eagles have closed down Lynch's Irish Pub, the first round of the great US Open Cup is over and talk turns to round two.

There are a number of good matchups in this round as Seattle and Portland go after one anther once again and the PDL's El Paso Patriots see if they can do something amazing and topple USL First Division side the Charleston Battery. The winners of round two will face a MLS side in round three.

Here is the schedule:
All matches take place on Tuesday, 26 June.
Game Number, Teams, Venue, Time
17 Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2) at Ocean City Barons (PDL)
Carey Stadium; Ocean City, N.J. 7:30 p.m. ET
18 Western Mass Pioneers (USL-2) at Rochester Rhinos (USL-1)
Paetec Park; Rochester, N.Y. 7:35 p.m. ET
19 Cleveland City Stars (USL-2) at Richmond Kickers (USL-2)
Univ. of Richmond Stadium; Richmond, Va. 7 p.m. ET
20 Bavarian SC (USASA) at Carolina Rail Hawks (USL-1)
SAS Soccer Park; Cary, N.C. 7:30 p.m. ET

21 Charlotte Eagles (USL-2) at Atlanta Silverbacks (USL-1)
Remax Greater Atlanta Stadium; Atlanta, Ga. 7:55 p.m. ET
22 El Paso Patriots (PDL) @ Charleston Battery (USL-1)
Blackbaud Stadium; Charleston, S.C. 7:30 p.m. ET
23 California Victory (USL-1) at Minnesota Thunder (USL-1)
James Griffin Stadium; St. Paul, Minn. 7:05 p.m. CT
24 Portland Timbers (USL-1) at Seattle Sounders (USL-1)
Starfire Sports Complex; Tukwila, Wash. 7 p.m. PT

2007 US Open Cup Results - First Round

The first round of the US Open Cup is all but done as 13 of the 14 games have been decided. The biggest surprise of all the matches happened in El Paso where the PDL's Patriots beat Miami FC of the USL First Division in penalty kicks. The only other PDL side to advance was the Ocean City Barons who topped USL Second Division side Crystal Palace Baltimore. For the USASA, their only success on the night came from Milwaukee Bavarians SC who edged out the Cincinnati Kings 1-0. It should be noted that all three of these upsets took place in the team’s home stadium.

There was almost a huge shock in Rochester as the Raging Rhinos eked out a 1-0 win against the PDL's Long Island Rough Riders.

In blow out news we look no further then Atlanta where the Silverbacks wrecked USASA side Azzurri of Dallas 10-0. It must have been paining for Azzurri to travel all that way and get slapped out so much.

The second round of play happens in two weeks on June 26 and there will be at least one match with a full on rivalry as the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers will meet in a showdown for the Northwest.

The Lynch's Irish Pub-Charlotte Eagles game was postpone due to a canceled flight and will be played tonight at 7:30pm at UNC-Charlotte's TransAmerica Field.
Update: The Pub gave it all against the Eagles but they fell 2-0 in the end. Time for last call.

Here are the results:
1 Aegean Hawks FC (USASA) 0-4 Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2)
2 Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL-2) 0-1 Ocean City Barons (PDL)
3 Long Island Rough Riders (PDL) 0-1 Rochester Rhinos (USL-1)
4 Western Mass Pioneers (USL-2) 3-2 Danbury United (USASA)

5 Michigan Bucks (PDL) 2-4 Richmond Kickers (USL-2)
6 Cleveland City Stars (USL-2) 4-0 Kansas City Brass (PDL)
7 RWB Adria (USASA) 1-4 Carolina Rail Hawks (USL-1)
8 Cincinnati Kings (USL-2) 0-1 Milwaukee Bavarians (USASA)

9 Azzurri (USASA) 0-10 Atlanta Silverbacks (USL-1)
10 Lynch’s Irish Pub FC (USASA) 0-2 Charlotte Eagles (USL-2)
11 Central Florida Kraze (PDL) 0-3 Charleston Battery (USL-1)
12 Miami FC (USL-1) 2-2 El Paso Patriots (PDL) El Paso wins 4-3 on pks

13 El Paso Indios USA (USASA) 2-3 Minnesota Thunder (USL-1)
14 California Victory (USL-1) 2-1 BYU Cougars (PDL)
15 Banat Arsenal (USASA) 1-4 Seattle Sounders (USL-1)
16 Portland Timbers (USL-1) 2-0 Bakersfield Brigade (PDL)