Some Soccer News for Wed Sep 26, 2012

STARTERS

Seattle fans get their chance to vote Thumbs Up or Down on general manager Adrian Hanauer. Is he doing the job the supporters want? If they vote Yes then he stays and if they vote No he goes. Its amazing that the team has gone through with this early promise.

STORY OF THE DAY

Mike Woitalla of Soccer America looks at why youth development in Mexico has been so successful with the current generation of players.

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.

TEAM USA - EL EQUIPO DE TODOS

Ives Galarcep of Soccer By Ives draws the very apparent comparisons between Jurgen Klinsmann's USA team to the one Bob Bradley put on the field.
-Bradley haters should not read this.

CONCACHAMPIONS 2012-13

TFC got the win they needed last night to stay alive in the hunt for a place in the knock out rounds.

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 3-0 Municipal - Mon goals by Abraham Carreno, Pablo Solorzano(PK) + Neri Cardozo.
Aguila 0-3 Toronto - Tor goals by Quincy Amarikwa + Terry Dunfield(2).
Herediano 2-1 Tauro - Her goals Pablo Salazar(PK) + Enoc Perez. Tau goal by Edwin Aguilar.
-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)
6 Toronto(+5)
OUT-0 Aguila(-16)
Group 2
9 Herediano(+3)
6 Real Salt Lake(+2)
OUT-0 Tauro(-5)
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
9 Monterrey(+9)
6 Municipal(-2)
OUT-0 Chorrillo(-7)
Group 8
7 Xelaju(+2)
3 Guadalajara(+3)
OUT-1 W Connection(-5)

Y'ALL READY FOR THIS?

Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union Tribune on the fastest growing team in Southern California - Los Xolos of Tijuana.

THAT'S MY HALF-BAKED THEORY AND I'M STICKIN' TO IT

I keep reading blog posts and articles saying that because the point totals of the top teams in the MLS Eastern Conference are higher than those in the Western Conference that it proves the Eastern teams are better. This is fiction. With the unbalanced schedule the teams in each conference play each other more times giving the teams in the WEAKER Eastern Conference a chance to rack up more points against their lower cousins. The STRONGER Western Conference teams beat up on each other more often, lowering their point totals. The West is still the best.

HMMMMM, VERY INTERESTING

Geoffrey Arnold of the Oregonain writes that the Portland Timbers have not been awarded a single penalty kick this season.

NO SURPRISE THERE

Jeff Carlisle of ESPN sees Juninho having an even bigger impact on the LA Galaxy then he did last season.

VIDEO OF THE DAY 1

Kick TV gives us all 34 goals from Week 29 in MLS.

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 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

COLUMBUS CREW

Adam Jardy of the Dispatch talks to Dilly Duka who went into exile from the team for a few days for unknown reasons.
-A more indepth article is expected on Thursday.

dN

Jardy also has an article on long time back up keeper Andy Gruenebaum who got his chance when starter William Hesmer got injured and has certainly made the most of it.

FC DALLAS

It turns out that the buy week wasn't so good to David Ferreira. With no game last weekend the star FCD player suffered a broken nose at practice last Friday. They say he will be able to play this weekend in a huge game at San Jose.

HOUSTON DYNAMO

Jeff Carlisle of ESPN writes about a Houston team that is used to finding great form in the stretch run, whereas this season they are finding struggles.

MONTREAL IMPACT

Jon Spratt of Sports Net on how the Impact ended up so Italy-heavy.

NEW YORK RED BULLS

Kristian Dyer of Big Apple Soccer brings us up to date on the teams injury ins and outs.

PHILADELPHIA UNION

Tim Mastro of the Delaware News Journal with an article Ray Gaddis who seems to have success every time he steps on the field (which is not nearly enough.)

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

Jeff Carlisle of ESPN talks to Simon Dawkins about his growing influence on the best team in the league.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS

Joshua Mayers of the Times writes that the Sounders hardly know what to do with themselves without a mid-week game.

dN

Mayers also writes about Mauro Rosales who is back from a quad muscle injury.

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC

Cam Tucker of the Sun writes that the Caps are all too aware of how many points they have let slip through their hands.

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
-Sat Sep 29
Canada v Azerbaijan
Colombia v Nigeria
Gambia v France
USA v N Korea
-Sun Sep 30
Japan v Mexico
New Zealand v Brazil
Germany v Uruguay
China v Ghana

dN

Knock Out Stage

Quarterfinals
-Thu Oct 4
A1 v B2
B1 v A2
-Fri Oct 5
C1 v D2
D1 v C2

AMERICANS IN EUROPE

Suddenly Hoffenheim can't stop winning and Fab Johnson can't stop scoring goals!!

dN

Tim Chandler grabbed a goal in a losing effort for Nurnberg today.
dN

Seemingly out of nowhere Johann Smith turns up in starting 11 of Finish team KuPS today. Didn't hear a single thing about that happening!

dN

I also stumbled upon Zurab Tsiskaridze playing in the 2nd division of Sweden at Jonkopings Sodra. He spent part of last season with the Montreal Impact when they were in the NASL.

dN

Game Action:

AUSTRIA - League Cup
Terrence Boyd - Rapid Vienna - Wed Sep 26 - won 1-4 at Allerheiligen.

BELGIUM - League Cup
Sacha Kljestan - Anderlecht - Wed Sep 26 - went the full 90 as they won 2-0 v Boussu Dour Borinage.
Devann Yao - Boussu Dour Borinage - Wed Sep 26 - did not play as they lost 2-0 at Anderlecht.

DENMARK - DBU Pokalen
Clarence Goodson - Brondy - Wed Sep 26 - won 0-3 at B93 (I used to love that radio station.

ENGLAND - League Cup
Clint Dempsey - Tottenham - Wed Sep 26 - started and went 75 min as they won 0-3 at Carlisle.
Brad Friedel - Tottenham - Wed Sep 26 - did not suit up as they won 0-3 at Carlisle.
Frank Simek - Carlisle - Wed Sep 26 - went the full 90 but lost 0-3 v Tottenham.

FINLAND - Veikkausliiga
Daniel Antunez - Inter Turku - Wed Sep 26 - on the bench as they tied 0-0 at JJK.
Mike Banner - Jaro - Wed Sep 26 - played the whole game as they won 1-0 v Honka.
Johann Smith - KuPS - Wed Sep 26 - played the full 90 but lost 4-1 at HJK.

GERMANY - Bundesliga
Timmy Chandler - Nurnberg - Wed Sep 26 - played the whole game scoring a goal but they lost 4-1 at Hannover.
Steve Cherundolo - Hannover - Wed Sep 26 - went the distance and they won 4-1 v Nurnberg.
Fabian Johnson - Hoffenheim - Wed Sep 26 - played the full 90 scoring a goal as they won 0-3 at Stuttgart.
Daniel Williams - Hoffenheim - Wed Sep 26 - went the full match getting a yellow card and they won 0-3 at Stuttgart.

GERMANY - 2 Bundesliga
John Anthony Brooks - Hertha Berlin - Wed Sep 26 - came on as a sub in the 85th min and they won 1-0 v Dynamo Dresden.

ITALY - Serie A
Michael Bradley - Roma - Wed Sep 26 - on the bench as they tied 1-1 v Sampdoria.

NETHERLANDS - KNVB Beker
Charles Kazlauskas - Helmond Sport - Wed Sep 26 - played the whole 120 minutes scoring a goal and getting a yellow card but they lost 6-5 in a Penalty Kick Shootout after the game ended tied 3-3.

NORWAY - NM Cupen Semifinals
Josh Gatt - Molde - Wed Sep 26 - lost 2-1 at Tromso.

RUSSIA - League Cup
Eugene Starikov - Rostov - Wed Sep 26 - won 1-3 at Astrakhan.

SWEDEN - Allsvenskan Liga
Brian Span - Djurgarden - Wed Sep 26 - came on as a sub in the 82nd min but lost 2-1 at Atvidaberg.

SWEDEN - Superettan
Brian Edwards - Degerfors - Wed Sep 26 - went the distance and tied 1-1 at Brage.
Patrick Hopkins - Ljungskile - Wed Sep 26 - played the entire match as they won 0-1 at Brommapojkarna.
Zurab Tsiskaridze - Jonkopings Sodra - went the full 90 as they tied 2-2 at Angelholms.

AMERICANS IN MEXICO

Game Action:

COPA MX - Quarterfinals
Michael Orozco - San Luis - Tue Sep 25 - went the full 90 getting a yellow card as they lost 3-2 at Dorados.
COPA MX

QUARTERFINALS
Matches + Scores:
-Tue Sep 25
Dorados 3-2 San Luis
-Wed Sep 26
Toros Neza 1-1 Pachuca - TN advances 4-3 in Penalty Kick Shootout.
Necaxa v Toluca
Correcaminos v Tijuana

SEMIFINALS
Matches + Scores:
-Date TBA
Dorados v ???
Toros Neza v ???