I'm Comin' Over News

Here is the head-to-head match up every MLS fan is going to want to see: Abel Xavier v Danny Dichio! Put 'em in a cage!


du Nord Player Of The Week - Michael Parkhurst - New England
-I know his teammate Taylor Twellman scored twice against LA on Saturday, one being the winner at the end, but without Parkhurt's amazing smothering defense it would not have mattered. Yes they did give up 2 goals, but with Landon Donovan around and on his game its bound to happen. Did you see the second LA forward have any luck at all? Nope. Findley first, then Jaqua. Neither got a sniff on goal. Parkhurst tracked them sideline to sideline too, making sure they did not get a chance to take a clean pass, or a decent move if they did get the ball. He blew the other defenders out of the water. The people that say MP is too short or too slow, should tell that to Fabio Cannavaro. That is the current player Parkhurst reminds me the most of. Not bad at all.
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My KC v Dallas game notes:
-Former player Brian Roberts is now the analyst on the KCW broadcasts with Sean Wheelock. He made a good statement early on in the game: "After 5 games if you don't know that the Wizards are going to come out attacking, then you haven't been paying attention." And they did attack for the first 10-15 minutes. But then Dallas just took over the rest of the half and got their 0-2 lead.
-Later in the broadcast KC defender Jimmy Conrad joined them, and gave several homer remarks on referee calls. The funniest was the supposed handball on Juan Carlos Toja as he scored, but the referee called nothing. Jimmy was adamant that it was a handball, and demanded to see the slo-mo replay. He barked out that you could see it, when in reality right as the ball would have hit a hand a KC defender stepped in front of the camera and all you saw was the back of a shirt. Hahahahahahahaha. It was funny timing.
-As Conrad left the booth he did proclaim to Wheelock and Roberts that in 5 years he would have their jobs."
-I spotted a couple in the crowd wearing their full wedding attire! Excellent. Get married, stop at Arrowhead Stadium to see yer team, then go to a reception. They should have brought their reception to the game. Maybe they did!
-Dallas fans singing to the KC players: "You're blue. You're white. You play like you are shite!" Quality.
-One name: Frankencooper!
-After their teams first goal it appeared as though those Dallas fans threw a mountain of cocaine onto the field.
-A big group of Argentines have added in to the Cauldron in KC giving them a whole new look and sound. They are called La Porra (The Club). I think they brought flares to the game too!
-Carlos Ruiz has joined the yellow shoe club.
-Late in the match the Dallas fans lit off one serious smoke bomb! It was industrial!
-The KC fans in the parking lot before the game were very friendly. Big thanks to them. Keep on truckin'.
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The ownership of the Houston Dynamo, AEG, and the city of Houston have entered into an agreement to try and work out a deal to build a soccer stadium. From the Houston Chronicle.
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Michael Lewis at Big Apple Soccer talks to NYRB forward Jozy Altidore who says he has no problem taking his turn starting the game on the bench.
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New York have an Argentine central defender currently on trial. His name is Mariano Fernandez, and he plays for Nueva Chicago.
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Ives Galarcep of the North Jersey Herald looks at the 7,800 (bless 'em) people who turned out for the NY Red Bulls game on a beautiful Sunday. Its bad, real bad.
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The gang from Toronto known as U Sector has posted an open letter to soccer detractors. I love their passion. They might want to slow down a little here though. Yes their fan success is unprecedented in the league, but it's only been two games. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
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Steven Goff on his blog Soccer Insider has several quotes from DC United coach Tom Soehn.
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Frank Dell'apa with a story on former New England coach Fernando Clavijo who is currently in charge of the Colorado Rapidos! Plus other newsworthy items.
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Larry Millson of the Toronto Globe & Mail talks to TFC defender Kevin Goldthwaite about moving from Houston to TO.
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Abel Xavier says goodbye to the Middlesbrough fans following Sundays win over Fulham. Picture.
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Those rumors about Dutchman Phillip Cocu coming to MLS won't die down. He has already told PSV that he is not coming back for next season with them.
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Kristian Dyer at Soccernet sits down with the two men who control the New York Cosmos legacy, Peppe Pinton & Giorgio Chinaglia. Basically Peppe whimpers while Giorgio complains & insults. I don't find it surprising at all that MSL doesn't want anything to do with this couple of goofballs. If Steve Ross, and Amhet & Nashui Ertegun were alive and controlled the team name etc you could bet that a good deal would have already been struck to put the name back into circulation. As it stands it will never happen.
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A former MLS employee wants to bring futsal to Harlem. From the New York Times.
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Richard Snowden at Soccer365 thinks Mexican team Club America should just step up and put a team of their own in Chicago instead of just selling them Blanco. (I shouldn't waste your time with insults on guys like Richard who's only crime is just bleeding for the game like the rest of us. Sorry!)
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Marc Connolly & Ian Plenderleith at the US Soccer Players Assoc get together and talk Bob Bradley!
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For the second straight year, Brian McBride has been selected by Fulham fans as their teams Player Of The Year. Fellow American Carlos Bocanegra finished 3rd in the voting.
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It's official, Manchester City has released DaMarcus Beasley.
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Yanks Abroad reports today that USA & Hannover defender Steve Cherundolo has signed a 3 years contract extension.
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The USA U20 team plays Argentina in Rochester tonight.
-Here is the USA roster:
G:
Alec Dufty (Evansville)
Chris Seitz (Salt Lake)
D:
Amaechi Igwe (New England)
Nathan Sturgis (Los Angeles)
Julian Valentin (Wake Forest)
Tim Ward (Columbus)
M:
Freddy Adu (Salt Lake)
Jalil Anibaba (Davis)
Bryan Arguez (DC)
Rodrigo Lopez (Chivas USA)
Michael Stephens (UCLA)
Danny Szetela (Columbus)
F:
Josmer Altidore (New York)
Robbie Rogers (Columbus)
Johann Smith (Carlisle)
Sal Zizzo (UCLA)
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US Soccer with video of day one in Rochester for the U20 team.
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Mexican Clausura Semifinals:
Thur May 17 - first leg
-Cruz Azul v Pachuca - 6pm
-America v Guadalajara - 8:30pm
Sun May 20 - second leg
-Guadalajara v America - 6pm
-Pachuca v Cruz Azul - 8pm
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Joel Aceves of LA Soccer News previews the Mexi-semi's.
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Copa Libertadores - Quarterfinals - first leg matches:
Tue May 15
Cucuta Deportivo v Nacional
Wed May 16
Defensor Sporting v Gremio
America v Santos
Thur May 17
Boca Juniors v Libertad
-Second leg matches:
Tue May 22
Nacional v Cucucat Deportivo
Wed May 23
Gremio v Defensor Sporting
Santos v America
Thur May 24
Libertad v Boca Juniors
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English Championship Division promotion playoffs first round second leg games. One of these 4 will get promoted (with first leg scores included):
Tue May 15
Derby v Southampton (2-1)
Wed May 16
West Bromich Albion v Wolverhampton (3-2)
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UEFA Cup final - Wed May 16 in Glasgow:
Sevilla v Espanyol
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Sam Allardyce has been hired as the new man in charge of Newcastle. That is at least a step up.
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FIFA have announced that they will investigate the signing of Carlos Tevez by West Ham. The mess may not be over.
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Phil Ball of Soccernet on the Real Madrid - Barca battle for La Liga supremacy.