The Thick Chains News

MLS Scoreboard

Week 6
Matches & Scores:
-Thu May 1
Toronto 1-1 New York - Tor goal by Marco Velez. NY goal by Dave Van Den Bergh.
-Sat May 3
New England 0-3 Chicago - Chic goals by Chris Rolfe, John Thorrington & Stephen King.
-Attendance: 10,858
Match report by Frank Dell'apa of the Boston Globe.
Match report by John Connolly of the Boston Herald.
Post game notes from Dell'apa.
Post game notes by Luis Arroyave of the Chicago Tribune on his blog The Red Card.
Columbus 2-1 Kansas City - Colu goals by Adam Moffat & Roggie Rogers. KC goal by Claudio Lopez(PK).
-Attendance: 10,447
Match report by Shawn Mitchell of the Columbus Dispatach.
Match report also by Mitchell but for the Kansas City Star from a KC point of view.
Post game notes from Mitchell on his blog Covering The Crew.
Post game attendance analysis by Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch on his blog The Daily Hunter.
Houston 0-0 Chivas USA
-Attendance: 20,058
Match report by Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle.
Post game notes by Fallas of the Chronicle.
More post game notes and Houston player ratings by Fallas on his blog Soccer y Futbol.
Post game analysis by Jerome Solomon of the Chronicle.
Post game notes from Glenn Davis on this blog The Soccer Hour.
Salt Lake 2-2 Los Angeles - RSL goals by Fabian Espindola & Kenny Deuchar. LA goals both by David Beckham.
-Attendance: 25,500
Match report by James Edward of the Deseret Morning News.
Match report from the Salt Lake Tribune.
Player ratings for RSL by Edward on his blog Real Salt Lake.
Post game notes from Edward at the Deseret.
Post game analysis by Michael Black of the Deseret.
San Jose 0-0 Dallas
-Attendance: 10,515
Match report by Elliot Almond of the San Jose Mercury News.
Match report from the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
Match report from the Dallas Morning News.
New stadium analysis by Almond.
-Sun May 4
Colorado 2-0 DC - Colo goals by Jacob Peterson & Facundo Erpen.
-Attendance: 13,115
Match report by Brian Forbes of the Denver Post.
Match report by Pat Rooney of the Rocky Mountain News.
Match report by Steven Goff of the Washington Post.
Player-by-player analysis of Colorado by George Tanner at the RMN blog FC Rocky.
Post game quotes by players & coaches from Behind the Badge - DC's official blog.
Post game notes and DC player ratings by Goff on his Soccer Insider blog.
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Out suspended this week:
-Eddie Robinson - Houston - 3rd of 3 games
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Red Cards received:
Roger Espinoza - KC - Violent Conduct.
Claudio Suarez - Chiv - Denied Goal Scoring Opportunity.
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Unlike the Kansas City home opener this year that was billed as a sellout, but was only 2/3's full at most, the San Jose game was a sellout, and they sold another 200+ standing room tickets as well. Great for them, I was a bit worried we would have another KC. Now they have to do it again next game.
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Houston & Chivas - you think these two don't like each other? How about no goals but 8 Yellow Cards, 4 for each team, and a Red Card for Chivas. Wow.
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MLS Standings

Eastern Conference
15 Columbus (6)
13 Chicago (6)
10 Kansas City (7)
10 Toronto (6)
10 New England (7)
8 New York (5)
6 DC (6)
Western Conference
9 Colorado (6)
9 Dallas (6)
8 Los Angeles (6)
5 Chivas USA (6)
5 Salt Lake (6)
4 San Jose (5)
4 Houston (6)

(Games Played)

du Nord MLS Player Of The Week

John Thorrington - Chicago Fire
This award is not just for his great effort with a goal and an assist this weekend, but also for the 2 goals last week, and his big goal in the final game of last season that knocked LA out of the playoffs. Not to mention his a rise and fall and comeback from prodigy with Manchester United to injury bust with multiple teams around Europe and back to new rising star in MLS. Could the USA national team still be in his future? If he can stay healthy, I say why not! Fantastic for Thorrington!
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MLS News

DC UNITED

Will have a press conference on Tuesday to introduce VolksWagen as they new front of shirt sponsor. The will get nearly $3million a year in the deal.
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NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

Frank Dell'apa of the Boston Globe looks at the current state of the Rev's after another big loss to Chicago, this time at home.
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Kyle McCarthy of the Boston Herald covers similar turf with his article on the teams lack of goal scoring.
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GENERAL

Steven Goff of the Washington Post on his blog Soccer Insider gives us his weekend wrap up - the Good, the Bad & the Coyote Ugly.
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Jeff Carlisle of Soccernet looks at the so far inconsequential 2008 rookie crop.
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Tobias Xavier Lopez of the Fort Worth Star Telegram on MLS's South American revolution.
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USL First Division News

Minnesota Thunder

Alen Marcina took a clearance from goalkeeper Nic Platter, raced the length of the field and torched Scott Vallow for a 1-0 Thunder win over Rochester in the teams home opener.
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My match report for Blue Sky Soccer. Plus links to 5 other match reports.
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USL First Division Scoreboard

Matches & Scores:
-Fri May 2
Charleston 2-0 Rochester
Puerto Rico 0-1 Montreal
Atlanta 0-2 Seattle
-Sun May 4
Minnesota 1-0 Rochester
Miami 0-1 Carolina
-Thu May 8
Portland v Rochester
-Fri May 9
Charleston v Miami
-Sat May 10
Carolina v Atlanta
Minnesota v Montreal
Seattle v Portland
Vancouver v Rochester
-Wed May 14
Charleston v Montreal
Seattle v Rochster
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USL First Division Standings

Points - Team - (Games Played)
9 Portland (3)
7 Carolina (3)
6 Minnesota (3)
6 Montreal (4)
5 Charleston (4)
4 Seattle (3)
4 Atlanta (3)
4 Miami (5)
3 Vancouver (2)
3 Puerto Rico (4)
0 Rochester (2)
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Team USA

Could the potential World Cup qualifier on September 10th v Trinidad & Tobago be played at Toyoto Park in suburban Chicago? I really hope so!
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Soccer In America

So how did Eric Wynalda do in his debut with Bakersfield of the PFL? We'll let the Ventura County Star tell you all about it.
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Americans In Europe

Fulham are out of the relegation zone in the England for the first time since Boxing Day!
-Here is how the bottom of the table looks with 1 game left to go (with Goal Difference tie breaker included) + last game schedule which all kick off at the same time on Sun May 11:
36 Bolton (-18) at Chelsea
33 Fulham (-23) at Portsmouth
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
33 Reading (-29) at Derby
32 Birmingham (-19) v Blackburn
11 Derby (already relegated)
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Clint Dempsey signed a contract extension with Fulham through the end of the 2010 season.
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The Independent with a big story on Brian McBride that ran on Saturday. Nothing us hardcore fans don't already know, but fun to read as a look back on his great career.
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101 Great Goals links us to excerpts of a SKy Sports interview with both Brad Friedel & Kasey Keller. Thanks for showing us the good stuff.
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Mexico & FMF News

Torneo Clausura 2008 Liguilla is all set:
Top 2 from each of the 3 groups go through, then the next 4 best records regardless of group will playoff in the first round for 2 spots in the final 8. All games are home & away throughout the championship run.
-The 3 leaders are: Toluca, Santos Laguna & Guadalajara.
-2nd places belong to : Chiapas, Monterrey & Cruz Azul.
-And the next 4 are: San Luis, Necaxa, Pachuca & Atlas.
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First round 1st leg Matches & Scores:
-Wed May 7
Atlas v Necaxa
Pachuca v San Luis
First round 2nd leg Matches & Scores (1st leg scores included):
-Sat May 10
San Luis v Pachua (-)
Necaxa v Atlas (-)
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These 2 winners will advance to be paired off with the top 6 who got a buy in this round.
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South American News

The Observer with a story on Liverpool midfielder Javier Macherano who wants to play in the Olympics for Argentina.
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Copa Libertadores

Round of 16, 2nd Leg Matches & Scores (1st leg scores included):
-Tue May 6
Fluminese v Atletico Nacional (1-2)
Atlas v Lanus (1-0)
Estudiantes v LDU Quito (0-2)
-Wed May 7
Sao Paulo v Nacional (0-0)
Cruzeiro v Boca Juniors (1-2)
Flamengo v America (4-2)
-Thu May 8
River Plate v San Lorenzo (1-2)
Cucuta Deportivo v Santos (0-2)
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England News

Duncan Casltes at the Observer with an article on Michael Ballack who is the main reason Chelsea have made this late season charge to the summit.
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Nike presents The Cesc Fabregas Show - see Cesc burst into flames and other fun.
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Chuck Culpepper of the LA Times with an article on the power/ownership squabble at Liverpool.
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Portsmouth keeper David James in the Observer gives us the rundown on the women's FA Cup final.
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European News

Bayern Munich clinched the Bundesliga title with a goalless draw at Wolfsburg giving them a 10 point lead with only 3 game left to go. It is their 21st title.
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And Real Madrid has won another La Liga championship in Spain by winning 1-2 at Osasuna. Like Bayern they have a 10 point lead with 3 left to play. It is their 31st league title.
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Sid Lowe of the Guardian on Real Madrid's title win.
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Raphael Honigstein of the Guardian writes about big bald Czech striker Jan Koller who returned to Dortmund with his new team Nurnberg, got a nice welcome from his old fans, causing his new teams fans to turn on him!!! Ya gotta love the Germans!
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Paolo Bandini also at the Guardian wonders who let the air out of Fiorentina's balloon.
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The Observer with the story of the ugly scene in Moscow over 25 years ago when hundreds were crushed to death at the stadium in Moscow where the Champions League final will be played, and the government covered the whole thing up. Disgusting. Why would UEFA play such an important game in a place like this. Maybe they can schedule one for Auschwitz one day.
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Big Euro Club Matches This Week

Matches & Scores:
-Sun May 4
Milan 2-1 Inter - with a win in the Derby della Madonnina Milan move into the last Champions League spot, while Inter's lead for the title falls to just 3 points over Roma with 2 games left to go.
Boca Juniors 1-0 River Plate - Boca's first win for 3 years in one of the biggest derby's in the world, and definitely in South America!
Sivasspor 3-5 Galatasaray - decisive road win for #1 over #3 in Turkey. Gala have elminated Siva from the title race with only 1 game left to play. Fenerbahce, 3 points back in 2nd are the only team who can still steal the title.
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Eredivisie Champions League Spot Playoffs

Semifinal 1st Leg Matches & Scores:
CL Qualifier Semifinal 2nd Leg Matches & Scores (1st round scores included):
-Sat May 3
NAC Breda 1-5 Twente - Twente advance 8-1 on aggregate.
-Mon May 5
Ajax v Heerenveen (2-1)