Some Soccer News for Tue Sep 27, 2011

STARTERS

My huge thanks go out to Joe the Curmudgeon for posting the du Nord news last Thursday and Friday while I was off on safari.

STORY OF THE DAY

Awesome video of my favorite team NSC Minnesota Stars singing in the lockerroom down in Cary NC after clinching their playoff spot. I am grinning from ear to ear watching this!

2011-12 CONCACACHAMPIONS

Matchday 5

A Seattle tie or win tonight will put them into the next round.

A win for Pumas tonight will move them on to the knock out rounds.

dN

Group Stage - Round robin, home & away - matches played Aug 16 to Oct 20

Matches & Scores:
-Tue Sep 27
Toronto v Pumas UNAM - live at 7pm CT on Fox Soccer
Comunicaciones v Seattle Sounders - live at 9pm CT on Fox Soccer
Monterrey v Herediano
-Wed Sep 28
Real Espana v Santos Laguna
Tauro v Dallas - live at 7pm CT on Fox Soccer
LA Galaxy v Morelia - live at 9pm CT on Fox Soccer
Isidro Metapan v Colorado Rapids - delayed at 11:30pm CT on Fox Soccer
-Thu Sep 29
Alajuelense v Motagua

dN

Advanced: None

Eliminated: Motagua

Standings:

GROUP A
9 Monarchas Morelia (Mexico) (+6)
9 Alajuelense (Costa Rica) (+2)
6 LA Galaxy (USA) (+2)
OUT-0 Motagua (Honduras) (-10)
GROUP B
9 Santos Laguna (Mexico) (+8)
6 Isidro Metapan (El Salvador) (-4)
4 Real Espana (Honduras) (-1)
4 Colorado Rapids (USA) (-3)
GROUP C
7 UNAM Pumas (Mexico) (+5)
7 Dallas (USA) (0)
6 Toronto (Canada) (-3)
2 Tauro (Panama) (-2)
GROUP D
9 Seattle Sounders (USA) (+4)
6 Monterrey (Mexico) (+5)
6 Comunicaciones (Guatemala) (-2)
3 Herediano (Costa Rica) (-7)

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Matchday 2 is this week.

Recap du Nord:

Matches & Scores:
-Tue Sep 27
CSKA Moskva v Inter Milan
Man United v Basel - live at 1:30pm CT on Fox Soccer
Otelul Galati v Benfica
Lyon v Dinamo Zagreb
Real Madrid v Ajax - delayed at 4:00pm CT on Fox Soccer
Bayern v Man City
Napoli v Villarreal
Trabzonspor v Lille
-Wed Sep 28
Zenit v Porto
Shakhtar Donetsk v APOEL
BATE v Barcelona - delayed at 4:00pm CT on Fox Soccer
Milan v Plzen
Valencia v Chelsea - live at 1:30pm CT on Fox Soccer
Leverkusen v Genk
Arsenal v Olympiacos
Marseille v Dortmund

Group Standings

CONMEBOL

Copa Roca - Special Home & Home Friendly Series: (only players from the domestic leagues are used)

Tim Vickery of the BBC previews the Brazil v Argentina match on Wednesday.

Matches & Scores:
2nd Leg
-Wed Sep 28
Brazil v Argentina (0-0) - 8pm CT on ESPN3.com

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Should he stay or should he go?

Frank Dell'Apa of the Boston Globe ponders the future of New England Revolution head coach Steve Nicol whose contract expires at the end of this season.

FACT OF THE DAY

Joshua Mayers of the Seattle Times reports that the Sounders are currently on a 10 day 9000 mile trip.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Mauricio Cienfuegos son Lester is a giant moose who plays American football, quite well. Big #75 seen here in white on offense, its him that is going in motion and throws a huge block as they score a touchdown.
(Thanks to Frank for this one)

MLS MATCHES, SCORES & STANDINGS

WEEK 29

Matches & Scores:
-Wed Sep 28
Sporting Kansas City v Columbus Crew - 7:30PM CT on Direct Kick
Venue: LIVESTRONG Sporting Park
Real Salt Lake v Chicago Fire SC - 8:00PM CT on Direct Kick
Venue: Rio Tinto Stadium
-Thu Sep 29
Philadelphia Union v DC United - 7:00PM CT on ESPN2
Venue: PPL Park
-Sat Oct 1
Houston Dynamo v Chicago Fire SC - 3:00PM CT on Telefutura
Venue: Robertson Stadium
Toronto FC v New York Red Bulls - 6:30PM CT on FOX Soccer
Venue: BMO Field
New England Revolution v Seattle Sounders FC - 6:30PM CT on Direct Kick
Venue: Gillette Stadium
Colorado Rapids v FC Dallas - 8:00PM CT on Direct Kick
Venue: Dick's Sporting Goods Park
LA Galaxy v Real Salt Lake - 9:30PM CT on Direct Kick
Venue: The Home Depot Center
San Jose Earthquakes v Sporting Kansas City - 9:30PM CT on Direct Kick
Venue: Buck Shaw Stadium
-Sun Oct 2
Columbus Crew v DC United - 3:00PM CT on Direct Kick
Venue: Crew Stadium
Vancouver Whitecaps FC v Portland Timbers - 3:30PM CT on Direct Kick
Venue: BC Place
CD Chivas USA v Philadelphia Union - 7:00PM CT on Direct Kick
Venue: The Home Depot Center

dN

Standings:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
42 Houston Dynamo (31 GP) (0 GD)
41 Sporting Kansas City (30 GP) (+6 GD)
41 Columbus Crew (30 GP) (-3 GD)
40 Philadelphia Union (29 GP) (+6 GD)
39 New York Red Bulls (30 GP) (+5 GD)
38 DC United (28 GP) (+2 GD)
33 Chicago Fire SC (29 GP) (-3 GD)
30 Toronto FC (31 GP) (-23 GD)
27 New England Revolution (30 GP) (-15 GD)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
*61 LA Galaxy (30 GP) (+22 GD)
*54 Seattle Sounders FC (30 GP) (+17 GD)
51 Real Salt Lake (29 GP) (+15 GD)
46 FC Dallas (30 GP) (+3 GD)
42 Colorado Rapids (31 GP) (+1 GD)
37 Portland Timbers (30 GP) (-7 GD)
35 CD Chivas USA (31 GP) (+1 GD)
31 San Jose Earthquakes (30 GP) (-7 GD)
22 Vancouver Whitecaps FC (29 GP) (-20 GD)

MLS TEAM & PLAYER NEWS

DC UNITED

Steven Goff of the Washington Post with the latest in DCU team notes.

NEW YORK RED BULLS

Frank Giase of the Newark Star Ledger with more examination of the Rafa Marquez situation.

Will Marquez play in Toronto on Saturday?

MLS POST SEASON AWARDS

Here is our current list of candidates for...

Rookie Of The Year
Jalil Anibaba - Chicago Fire
Rich Balchan - Columbus Crew
Will Bruin - Houston Dynamo
Perry Kitchen - DC United
Stephen McCarthy - New England Revolution
Darlington Nagbe - Portland Timbers
CJ Sapong - Sporting Kansas City
AJ Soares - New England Revolution
Zarek Valentin - Chivas USA
Ethan White - DC United

Who else should be on this list?
And who should be left off?
I have a good idea who I would vote for as the winner, but I will keep that to myself for now.

MLS OFFENSIVE STATS LEADERS

As of Tue Sep 27

Goals:
13 Dwayne De Rosario
12 Landon Donovan
12 Thierry Henry
11 Charlie Davies
11 Andres Mendoza
11 Dominic Oduro
11 Chris Wondolowski
10 Eric Hassli
10 Alvaro Saborio
10 Brek Shea
9 Five players tied

Assists:
14 David Beckham
14 Brad Davis
12 Mauro Rosales
11 Dwayne De Rosario
9 Kyle Beckerman
9 Davide Chiumiento
8 Jack Jewsbury
8 Sebastien Le Toux
8 Fredy Montero
7 Four players tied

MLS RESERVE LEAGUE

Matches & Scores:
-Tue Sep 27
Portland Timbers 5-1 CD Chivas USA - PT goals by Jorge Perlaza, Rodney Wallace, Bright Dike(2) & Brian Umony. CUSA goal by Ben Spencer.
-Sat Oct 1
Houston Dynamo v Chicago Fire SC
Toronto FC v New York Red Bulls
-Sun Oct 2
Colorado Rapids v FC Dallas
Columbus Crew v DC United
-Mon Oct 3
LA Galaxy v San Jose Earthquakes
Vancouver Whitecaps FC v Portland Timbers
-Thu Oct 6
FC Dallas v Sporting Kansas City
-Sat Oct 8
Real Salt Lake v Chicago Fire SC

dN

Standings Etc.

MLS STADIUMS

Robert Jonas of Center Line Soccer gives us genuine substance in the progress of a stadium for the San Jose Earthquakes.

US OPEN CUP

Ticket sales crossed the 29,000 mark for the final next week in Seattle, where they host Chicago.

AMERICANS IN EUROPE

Andrew Vorce of Yanks Abroad reports that Everton in England has signed Marcus Hahnemann to be their third keeper!

The 3 Americans were all in the lineup for Rangers again today.

dN

Game Action:

ENGLAND - Championship League
Robbie Findley - Nottingham Forest - Tue Sep 27 - came on as a sub in the 27th min as they got clobbered 5-1 at Burnley.

SCOTLAND - Premier League
Alejandro Bedoya - Rangers - Tue Sep 27 - came on as a sub in the 75th min as they won 2-0 v Kilmarnock.
Carlos Bocanegra - Ragners - Tue Sep 27 - played the entire game and won 2-0 v Kilmarnock.
Mo Edu - Rangers - Tue Sep 27 - went the distance as they won 2-0 v Kilmarnock.