Some Soccer News for Tue Sep 25, 2012

STARTERS

Mark you calendar: Tuesday October 2 - The Dark Clouds present the Annual Minnesota Stars Supporters Post Season Awards Ceremony, Banquet and Silent Auction.

dN

The 5th du Nord MLS Hot List of the season was posted earlier today. Which teams are HOT and which are NOT - right now!

dN

Bayern Munich won their 5th straight game to start the season today, and have scored 17 goals while only giving up 2. Impressive.
-Eintract Frankfurt saw their perfect start end, but not horribly as they tied defending champs Dortmund 3-3.

dN

Juventus tied today, making it 44 games in Serie A without a loss now!
-They host Roma on Saturday.

MINNESOTA STARS FC

Playoffs
Matches + Scores:
Quarterfinals
-Sun Sep 30
Puerto Rico Islanders v Minnesota Stars - 5pm CT

DU NORD AT THE CONTROLS

du Nord at the Controls - Tue Sep 25, 2012 - new music mix at Spotify.

CONCACHAMPIONS 2012-13

TFC must win tonight in El Salvador or they are out.

dN

ADV:(1) Seattle

OUT:(9) Chorrillo, FAS, Puerto Rico, Aguila, Marathon, Tauro, W Connection, Real Esteli, Caledonia AIA

dN

Matches + Scores:
-Tue Sep 25
Monterrey v Municipal
Aguila v Toronto - 9pm on Fox Soccer
Herediano v Tauro
-Wed Sep 26
W Connection v Guadalajara
Marathon v Caledonia AIA
Alajuelense v Real Esteli
-Thu Sep 27
Puerto Rico Islanders v Isidro Metapan
FAS v Olimpia

All games are shown on the internet at CONCACAF TV.

dN

Standings:
Group 1
9 Santos Laguna(+11)
3 Toronto(+2)
OUT-0 Aguila(-13)
Group 2
6 Real Salt Lake(+2)
6 Herediano(+2)
OUT-0 Tauro(-4)
Group 3
7 Houston Dynamo(+6)
4 Olimpia(+3)
OUT-0 FAS(-5)
Group 4
ADV-9 Seattle Sounders(+5)
OUT-1 Marathon(-1)
OUT-1 Caledonia AIA(-4)
Group 5
7 LA Galaxy(+7)
3 Metapan(-1)
OUT-1 Puerto Rico Islanders(-6)
Group 6
5 Tigres UANL(+4)
4 Alajuelense(+1)
OUT-1 Real Esteli(-5)
Group 7
6 Monterrey(+6)
6 Municipal(+1)
OUT-0 Chorrillo(-7)
Group 8
7 Xelaju(+2)
3 Guadalajara(+3)
OUT-1 W Connection(-5)

WELL WELL WELL

This is my initial list for MLS MVP candidates:

Victor Bernardez - San Jose
Landon Donovan - LA
Roger Espinoza - KC
Omar Gonzalez - LA
Eddie Johnson - Seattle
Chris Rolfe - Chicago
Mauro Rosales - Seattle
Chris Wondolowski - San Jose
Graham Zusi - KC

FACT OF THE DAY

Soccer America has the latest MLS attendance numbers breakdown.

Here is a problem: LA - 2012 avg: 22,621 - 2011 avg: 23,335
-How does a team in the 2nd largest city in America drop numbers in the season AFTER they win the championship? AND have 3 of the most popular players in the league.

MLS MATCHES AND SCORES

WEEK 30

Matches + Scores:
-Fri Sep 28
Sporting Kansas City v Chicago Fire SC - 7:30 pm CT on NBCSN
Venue: Livestrong Sporting Park
-Sat Sep 29
New York Red Bulls v Toronto FC - 6:00 pm CT
Venue: Red Bull Arena
Columbus Crew v Philadelphia Union - 6:30 pm CT
Venue: Crew Stadium
Houston Dynamo v New England Revolution - 7:30 pm CT
Venue: BBVA Compass Stadium
Vancouver Whitecaps FC v Seattle Sounders FC - 8:00 pm CT on NBCSN
Venue: BC Place
Portland Timbers v DC United - 9:30 pm CT
Venue: Jeld Wen Field
CD Chivas USA v Real Salt Lake - 9:30 pm CT
Venue: The Home Depot Center
San Jose Earthquakes v FC Dallas - 9:30 pm CT
Venue: Buck Shaw Stadium
-Sun Sep 30
Colorado Rapids v LA Galaxy - 6:00pm CT on Galavision
Venue: Dick's Sporting Goods Park

MLS MATCH NOTES

Leading Goal Scorers:
(As of Tue Sep 25)
22 Chris Wondolowski
14 Kenny Cooper
14 Robbie Keane 14 Alvaro Saborio
13 Alan Gordon
13 Thierry Henry
13 Eddie Johnson
12 Fredy Montero
11 Will Bruin
11 Kei Kamara
11 Chris Pontius
11 Saer Sene

Leading Assist Makers:
(As of Tue Sep 25)
14 Landon Donovan
14 Graham Zusi
13 Mauro Rosales
12 Dwayne DeRosario
11 Brad Davis
10 Felipe Martins
9 David Beckham
9 Marvin Chavez
9 Thierry Henry

MLS STANDINGS

EAST
55 Sporting Kansas City (37GF/30GP)
53 Chicago Fire SC (42GF/29GP)
50 DC United (47GF/30GP)
-----
50 New York Red Bulls (50GF/30GP)
46 Houston Dynamo (42GF/30GP)
-----
45 Columbus Crew (36GF/30GP)
40 Montreal Impact (44GF/31GP)
30 Philadelphia Union (29GF/28GP)
@29 New England Revolution (37GF/30P)
@22 Toronto FC (34GF/30GP)
WEST
*60 San Jose Earthquakes (62GF/30GP)
*49 LA Galaxy (54GF/30GP)
*49 Real Salt Lake (40GF/30GP)
-----
48 Seattle Sounders FC (45GF/29GP)
38 Vancouver Whitecaps FC (31GF/30GP)
-----
36 FC Dallas (35GF/30GP)
30 Colorado Rapids (38GF/30GP)
29 Portland Timbers (31GF/30GP)
28 CD Chivas USA (21GF/29GP)
-(Goals For/Games Played)

* clinched a playoff berth
@ eliminated from the playoff race

The first tie breaker is goals scored.

Top 5 in each conference make the playoffs.
Top 3 in each conference get a first round buy in the playoffs.

MLS TEAM AND PLAYER NEWS

CHICAGO FIRE

Kyle McCarthy of Fox Soccer with a look at the in-form-at-exactly-the-right-time Fire.

dN

Pavel Pardo looks set to miss a third straight game with a calf muscle strain.

COLUMBUS CREW

Adam Jardy of the Dispatch with some minor updates from Crewville.

SPORTING KANSAS CITY SC

Bobby Convey is back to full time practice after recovering from yet another leg injury.

LA GALAXY

David Beckham is back training after his ankle injury.

NEW YORK RED BULLS

Rafa Marquez is out injured again, this time for approx two weeks with a hamstring tweak.

REAL SALT LAKE

Michael C Lewis who has cover RSL since the beginning is leaving the Salt Lake Tribune. He was one of the good ones for sure.

NASL NEWS

Michael Lewis of Newsday reports that the Cosmos will play at Hofstra University on Long Island.
-This is what everyone had assumed all along.

USA U20 TEAM

The USA U20 will take part in the Marbella Cup 2012 in Spain in mid October.

Here are the matches they will play:
-Wed Oct 10
USA v Canada
-Fri Oct 12
USA v Scotland
-Tue Oct 16
USA v Azerbaijan

USA U17 TEAM

The USA U17 team heads to Europe at the end of this week for the 2012 AGS Cup in Alicante Spain.

Matches + Scores:
-Sat Sep 29
USA v Azerbaijan - 9am CT
-Sun Sep 30
USA v Georgia - 5am CT
-Mon Oct 1
USA v United Arab Emirates - 9am CT
----
-Wed Oct 3/Thu Oct 4
Playoff Match
-Sat Oct 6
Placement Match

Here is the roster.
G:
Jeff Caldwell - NC Fusion
Paul Christensen - Seattle Sounders FC
D:
Bryce Cregan - PA Classics
Conor Donovan - NC Alliance
Elijah Martin - Cal Odyssey
Jorge Miranda - LA Galaxy
Shaquell Moore - no club
John Requejo Jr - Real So Cal
Tyler Turner - South Central Premier
M:
Mukwelle Akale - Minnesota Thunder
Junior Flores - McLean Youth Soccer
Angel Heredia - San Jose Earthquakes
Christopher Lema - New York Red Bulls
Rolando Munoz - LA Galaxy
Ben Swanson - Crew Soccer Academy
F:
Corey Baird - San Diego Surf
Rubio Rubin - Portland Timbers
Ahinga Selemani - CSA Wolves
Wesley Wade - New York Red Bulls
Alan Winn - Solar Chelsea FC

FIFA U17 WOMEN'S WORLD CUP

Being held in Azerbaijan.

The USA is in the tournament and got a big win in game 2 today.

Here are their initial games:

Group Stage
Matches & Scores: -Sat Sep 22
France 0-0 USA
-Tue Sep 25
USA 6-0 Gambia
-Sat Sep 29
USA v N Korea

Group B Standings
4 N Korea (+11)
4 USA (+6)
2 France (0)
0 Gambia (-17)

dN

Group Stage
Matches & Scores: -Sat Sep 22
Azerbaijan 0-4 Colombia
Nigeria 1-1 Canada
France 0-0 USA
N Korea 11-0 Gambia
-Sun Sep 23
Mexico 1-0 New Zealand
Brazil 0-5 Japan
Uruguay 0-4 China
Ghana 1-2 Germany
-Tue Sep 25
Azerbaijan 0-11 Nigeria
Colombia 0-1 Canada
France 1-1 N Korea
USA 6-0 Gambia
-Wed Sep 26
Mexico v Brazil
New Zealand v Japan
Uruguay v Ghana
China v Germany

AMERICANS IN EUROPE

Game Action:

DENMARK - DBU Pokalen 3rd Round
Charlie Davies - Randers - Tue Sep 25 - won 1-2 at Naestved.
Michael Parkhurst - Nordsjaelland - Tue Sep 25 - won 1-3 at Svebolle.

ENGLAND - League Cup
Brad Guzan - Aston Villa - Tue Sep 25 - on the bench as they won 2-4 at Manchester City.
Seb Hines - Middlesbrough - Tue Sep 25 - went the full 90 as they won 1-3 at Preston.
Tim Howard - Everton - Tue Sep 25 - on the bench as they lost 2-1 at Leeds.
Eric Lichaj - Aston Villa - Tue Sep 25 - came off the bench in the 86th min as they won 2-4 at Manchester City.

GERMANY - Bundesliga
Jermaine Jones - Schalke - Tue Sep 25 - did not suit up as they won 3-0 v Mainz.

GERMANY - 2 Bundesliga
Joe Gyau - St Pauli - Tue Sep 25 - came on as a sub at half time but they lost 0-1 v Aalen.
Andrew Wooten - Sandhausen - Tue Sep 25 - on the bench as they lost 1-2 v Jahn Regensburg.

COPA MX

QUARTERFINALS
Matches + Scores:
-Tue Sep 25
Dorados v San Luis
-Wed Sep 26
Toros Neza v Pachuca
Necaxa v Toluca
Correcaminos v Tijuana

ASIA

FIFA.com interviews Portuguese Carlos Queiroz who is head coach of Iran.