Some Soccer News for Jul 29, 2016

It's Day 211 of 2016.


The frightening story of Chris Rolfe's latest battle with concussions. The DC United attacking midfielder has not played since April, and is a long way from taking the field again. By Steven Goff of the Washington Post.

• Teammate Patrick Nyarko has suffered 2 concussions this season and just returned to playing.

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Sigi Schmid with an emotional and heartfelt goodbye last night to Sounders fans at an Emerald City Supporters function. By Matt Pentz of the Seattle Times. [VIDEO]

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Some very big games this weekend in MLS, including two head coaching debuts:
-Sat Jul 30
NYC v Colorado - #1 East v #2 West - 2pm CT
-Sun Jul 31
SKC v Portland - both want to be elite, neither is right now - 1pm CT on FOX
Seattle v LA - Brian Schmetzer's first game- 3pm CT on ESPN
Orlando v New Eng - Jason Kreis first game - 6:30pm CT

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MLS All Star Game:
-Thu Jul 27
MLS 1-2 Arsenal - MLS goal by Didier Drogba. Ars goals by Joel Campbell(PK) + Chuba Akpom.

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San Jose hosted the All Star game, and their most hardcore supporters had a little something to say about the game.

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During halftime of the All Star game MLS Commissioner Don Garber was talking about expansion and he used the phrase, "About a dozen cities are fighting for those LAST FOUR SPOTS." Does this mean that for now MLS will stop at 28 teams?

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Dallas' best player, Fabian Castillo, is gone and its nearly been a total local media blackout of the story. By Peter Welpton of the Dallas Morning News.

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Bob Bradley and Le Havre (HAC) play their first game of the new season today Fri Jul 29 at Orleans.

• Do you want to know just how good BB is as a head coach? His previous team Stabaek are currently in 14th place (out of 16) in the relegation zone with just 15 points from 17 games, and 25 pts behind the league leaders Rosenborg.

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Goalkeeper Brad Guzan has officially signed with Middlesbrough. Great for him.

• But the club has also has former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, so America's #1 will have a battle on his hands to see the field.

• This will be the first year back in the English Premier League for Middlesbrough since 2009.

• Sadly their biggest rivals Newcastle just got relegated out of the EPL.

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In Europa League 3rd Qualifying Rd action John Brooks went the full 90 for Hertha as they won the 1st Leg 1-0 v Brondby.

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Minnesota's game on Saturday at Oklahoma City will be a huge test. United had one of their worst games of the season there in early June, losing 1-0.

• In total Minn only has 4 points from 6 road games this season. 1 win, 1 draw and 4 losses. That is not championship material.

• The field in OKC is fake turf laid over fake turf - true story. So the conditions are very poor, but that is not an excuse for what should be a great team.

• OKC has improved and will be a serious test. OKC has only lost once since that win against Minnesota.

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The Golden Governor doubles down. Tampa Bay Rowdies owner Bill Edwards, who prefers to be referred to as Governor, was fined for his hilarious rant about poor referees and in his "apology" he mentioned them some more. Classic stuff. By Jake Nutting of Empire of Soccer.

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NASL Week 15
-Sat Jul 30
Fort Lauderdale Strikers v Jacksonville Armada
Ottawa Fury v Tampa Bay Rowdies
NY Cosmos v Puerto Rico
Miami v Indy Eleven
Rayo OKC v Minnesota United
-Sun Jul 31
Edmonton v Carolina RailHawks



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Jul 28, 2016

It's Day 210 of 2016.


Copa Libertadores Finals:

• The home team Nacional of Colombia scored early and then hung on to win their second mega trophy, the Libertadores Cup!!! Huge congrats to them and the fans in Medellin.

• 23 year old Colombian forward Miguel Borja only joined the team AFTER the Copa America, so he only played 4 games, but he scored 5 goals (of 6), including the Cup winner. Wow.

• Tim Vickery of ESPNFC with the victory story.

• Nacional played 14 games in the tournament: 10 wins, 3 ties, and only 1 loss. 25 scored and 6 allowed. Impressive.

• Game highlights. [VIDEO]

2nd Leg Results
-Wed Jul 27
Atletico Nacional (COL) 1-0 Independiente del Valle (ECU) - AN wins it 2-1 on aggregate.

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Clint Dempsey sat down for an interview with Taylor Twellman, old teammates. Part 1 - and - Part 2. (We are told there is a Part 3 coming.) From ESPNFC. [VIDEO]

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MLS All Star Game:
-Thu Jul 27
MLS v Arsenal - 8pm CT on ESPN

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Bob Bradley and his team Le Havre (HAC) play their first game of the new season this week on Fri Jul 29 at Orleans.

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A massive box set of early Pink Floyd music is being released. 27 CDs/DVDs. 11+ hours audio of unreleased studio recordings. 7+ hours audio of unreleased live recordings. Plus tons more.

• Two imporant things to note:

1. Its $700.
2. All the music is pre-Dark Side of the Moon.

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Omar Gonzalez talks about his big move from LA Galaxy to Pachuca. Lots of success already, but its never easy. By Tom Marshall of ESPNFC.

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A preview of several young American prodigies who are getting set to start a new season around Europe. By Avi Creditor of Sports Illustrated.

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We have been waiting all week for the latest Minnesota United training report. By Jeff Rueter of Fifty Five One.

• The Loons fly to OKC on Friday for Saturday's game on that abomination of a field. They lost their 1-0 on Jun 4.

• OKC beat Tampa last night on a fluke goal - huge mistake from the Rowdies keeper.

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Here you go: answering all your questions about the future of Minnesota United as we know it, or don't know it yet, shhhhhhhhh its a secret. By Wes Burdine of Fifty Five One.

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Edmonton got their 7th consecutive home win last night. They are doing it with stout defense. But last night they scored 2 goals, uncommon for them.

• Just the 5th times in 15 games that they have scored multiple goals. They have never scored more than 2 in any game this season.

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Mid-week results in the NASL:
Week 15
-Wed Jul 2
Ottawa Fury 2-0 Carolina RailHawks
Edmonton 2-1 NY Cosmos
Rayo OKC 1-0 Tampa Bay Rowdies

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Since the NASL teams have played between 14 and 16 games the only way to truly see where they stand is by Points Per Game.

NASL PPG Standings:
1.87 Indy
1.80 Edmon
1.79 Minne
1.75 Cosmos
1.44 OKC
1.40 Tampa
1.40 Caro
1.07 Ft L
1.00 Otta
1.00 PR
0.86 Miami
0.73 Jax



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Jul 27, 2016

It's Day 209 of 2016.


One day after firing the only head coach they have ever had in MLS the Seattle Sounders signed 27 year old Uruguayan attacking midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro from Boca Juniors. This guy has one helluva resume. Before Boca he played for Corinthians, Botafogo, Ajax and Montevideo Nacional.

• The club also said that they have another key player signing to announce later in the week.

• Seattle sits 11 points away from a playoff spot with 14 games left to play. Making the playoffs is their priority but that is a very very tall order.

• Here is how 1 player feels about the great coach that was shown the door:

I owe a ton to Sigi, my 1st and only MLS coach. 10 yrs & over 250 total games. Make sure you take time to reflect on what he achieved here.

— Brad Evans (@brad_evans3) July 26, 2016

• Clint Dempsey has been silent.

dN

Fabian Espindola was sold a few days ago by DC United to Vancouver Whitecaps, but he never even got on a plane to Vancouver as the Whitecaps turned right around and sold him at a profit to Necaxa in Mexico. Shrewd business.

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Young American Gedion Zelalem, Arsenal and the MLS All Star Game. By Brian Straus of Sports Illustrated.

• Young Americans by David Bowie

A full article on Zelalem. by Jeff Carlisle of ESPNFC.

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Copa Libertadores Finals:

• This is it! For all the marbles! Two minnows fighting it out for South America's biggest trophy! Someone is getting laid tonight! Someone else is not!

2nd Leg
-Wed Jul 27
Atletico Nacional (COL) v Independiente del Valle (ECU) (1-1) - 7:45pm CT on FS2

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Wouldn't you like to be this bullheaded:

Just interviewed Julian Green. He said he will not be playing with Bayern Munich's reserves this season. 1st team or bust.

— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) July 27, 2016

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The other day Conor McGregor was training for his rematch with Nate Diaz (on Aug 20) when none other than the King of Tanning Beds + Bronzer showed up at the gym to say Hi - Cristiano Ronaldo. [VIDEO]

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Miguel Ibarra started for Leon last night in Copa MX. He played 79 minutes and they won on the road 0-1 at Atlante.

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At the midway point of the NASL season only 2 teams have a better defensive record than Minnesota United (Indy + Eddy) and no one has a better offense. Come on you Loons.

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Ismaila Jome scored in his professional debut, in a hometown uniform, for Minnesota United. He calls it a dream. By Matthew Levine of NASL.

• Jome is basically claiming the spot of Lance Laing who has been a huge disappointment this season.

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Edmonton goes for their 7th consecutive home win tonight.

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Mid-week games in the NASL:
Week 15
-Wed Jul 2
Ottawa Fury v Carolina RailHawks - 6pm CT on beIN
Edmonton v NY Cosmos
Rayo OKC v Tampa Bay Rowdies - 8pm CT on CBS Sports

dN

Its official: ESPN2 will broadcast both US Open Cup Semifinal games on Aug 9 + 10.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Jul 26, 2016

It's Day 208 of 2016.


Sigi Schmid has been shown the door by the Seattle Sounders. He is my favorite coach in the history of MLS. But something had to change. By Matt Pentz of the Seattle Times.

• Schmid was the only coach the team has ever had in MLS.

• Brian Schmetzer, singer and guitarist of the Stray Cats, was named interim head coach.

• Schmid had been #1 on the du Nord Futbol MLS Coaches Hot Seat Power Rankings for months. Greg Vanney of Toronto now goes to the top of the charts.

• LAFC should be on the phone with Sigi's agent right now.

• On Sep 3 2005 I was in a bar in Columbus Ohio telling every Crew fan I could find that their team should be hiring Sigi Schmid as head coach. In 2008 he lead them to the MLS Cup Championship. A month later he left the Crew for Seattle.

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Diamond Bill "Call me Governor" Edwards, owner of the Tampa Bay Rowdies wrote an amazing open letter to fans of his team bitching about the poor quality referees. It is straight out of the Onion. Enjoy:

Statement From Chairman, CEO and Governor Bill Edwards on Recent Officiatinghttps://t.co/HOweXzfdCo

— Tampa Bay Rowdies (@TampaBayRowdies) July 25, 2016

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The deal to sell Fabian Castillo by Dallas to Trabzonspor is not straight forward. By Brian Strauss of Sports Illustrated.

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A female assistant coach at River Plate has brought a whole new level of mental training to the futbol field. Meet Sandra Rossi (a life long River Plate supporter living her dream.) By Juan Arango of the Guardian.

• The head coach who hired her is Marcelo Gallardo, a River Plate legend who spent a frustrating year (injuries) at DC United in 2008.

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A great interview with Louis CK, about his life, TV, stand up, politics, family, attitudes and more. By David Marchese of Vulture.

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Miguel Ibarra and Leon travel to Atlante for a Copa MX match tonight. Will Ibarra see the field? He damn well better, or I am gonna halfta text my old drinking buddy Carlos Slim and ask him what the hell is wrong with his coach Luis Tena.

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Last weekend Minnesota United benched starting goalkeeper Sammy Ndjock (after The Own Goal) and gave Stewart Ceus his first start. Will it continue this weekend in Oklahoma City? Only time will tell us, or possibly a mid-week training report.

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The novelty of the Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS has lost its thrill for the locals, but the games are still selling out and fans are becoming much more savvy, demanding and critical, which is a GREAT thing. By Tyler Green of 24 Hrs Vancouver.

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The new DC United stadium will reportedly be the most expensive in MLS. By Michelle Goldchain of Curbed - Washington DC.

• But if this total includes what the city is spending to acquire the land then its not even close to the top price.

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Landon Donovan, coach of the MLS Homegrown team during All-Star week, talked to the press on many subjects. Always good to hear from Landon. By Alex Morgan of Football Everyday.

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Some very important mid-week games coming on Wednesday in the NASL:
Week 15
-Wed Jul 2
Ottawa Fury v Carolina RailHawks
Edmonton v NY Cosmos
Rayo OKC v Tampa Bay Rowdies

dN

Jaime Chavez of Miami named NASL Player Of The Week

Nicole Barnhart of Kansas City named NWSL Player Of The Week

Maikel Chang of Charleston Battery named USL Player Of The Week

Sebastian Giovinco of Toronto named MLS Player Of The Week



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Jul 25, 2016

It's Day 207 of 2016.


MLS Week 20 results from the biggest games:

• Dallas came back late to get the tie in Colorado. (While Dallas is the top team in the league by 3 points over Colorado, the Rapids have played 3 fewer games. How is that possible in a league with 20 teams? Seriously?)

• Montreal, Red Bull and SKC all had very big wins with many goals scored!

• LA got a HUGE road win. They have never been good on the road under Bruce Arena. I wonder if this is changing?

• Toronto was the other team with a dominant performance, 4-1 over DC.

• Sebastian Giovinco with a hat trick. Was this the best goal of the week by Giovinco, or the worst goalkeeping? Either way, its a goal!

• Didier Drogba with a hat trick.

• Bradley Wright Phillips with a pair.

• Dom Dwyer with a pair.

• No shots on goal for Seattle. And just 1 shot period. Oof.

• I have asked the question many times this season: Is this the end for Sigi Schmid in Seattle? Every time my Twitter feed responds with a certain, "No." Will that change now?

-Sat Jul 23
Colorado 1-1 Dallas
Montreal 5-1 Philadelphia
Portland 1-2 LA
-Sun Jul 24
Red Bulls 4-1 NYC
KC 3-0 Seattle

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Go deep for a review of MLS Week 20. By Matthew Doyle of MLSsoccer.com.

• Dallas just finished a run of 8 games in 29 days. Their record? 6-1-1. Yeah. They are really good. But the potential sale of Fabian Castillo will really hurt. (If Dallas actually sells Fabian Castillo for just $4M as reported, its a crime.)

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If you watched Portland play this weekend you saw centerback Nat Borchers go down with an injury late in the first half. Many speculated that it looked like it might be an achilles tendon injury. It was. Fully ruptured. Surgical repair coming. Out for the season. Damn.

• And just like that the team announced the signing of 30 year old English centerback Steven Taylor from Newcastle.

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The RBNY-NYC derby is for real and getting nasty. By Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

Four NYC players earned suspensions from the next game (v Colorado) during the derby. Out: David Villa, Ethan White, RJ Allen and Federico Bravo. Very costly. By Christian Araos of Empire Of Soccer.

Tommy McNamara looks more like a college hacky sack guy than a MLS player, but he sure gets the job done for NYC. By Brian Sciaretta of American Soccer Now.

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The MLS All Star game is on Thursday night in San Jose against Arsenal. Kick off is at 5pm local time in San Jose. Brutal.

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Rough weekend for Greg Garza of Tijuana. He suffered a bad triple. Scored an own goal, got a Yellow Card and left the game with a concussion. Not good. They also lost 3-2 at Puebla.

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Omar Gonzalez and Pachuca off to a great start again. 2 wins from 2 games. 7 goals scored and 1 allowed. Omar has played all 180 minutes too. The champs are good!

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Did you know that there are 4 Americans starting at left fullback in Mexico? Jonathan Bornstein, Jorge Villafana, Edgar Castillo and Greg Garza.

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Trainspotting 2 is coming in January 2017. Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller and Robert Carlyle all return. Teaser. [VIDEO]

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NASL Week 14 results:

• Solid win for Minnesota against a deflated Ft Lauderdale team.

• Highlights from MNUFC's win. [VIDEO]

• Christian Ramirez got his league leading 11th goal for Minnesota.

• And Ismaila Jome made his professional debut with Minnesota, coming on as a sub, and then scoring a goal!

• After the game word came out that Ft L had sent their best player PC to Tampa Bay. By Old What's His Name of Fifty Five One. It was confirmed later that PC was sold to TBR. By Pedro Heizer of the Sun Sentinel.

• Indy returned to the win column and the top of the table.

• Puerto Rico got its first ever expansion team win, coming in its 5th game. Add that to 2 draws and they have a respectable 5 points.

• Rayo OKC and Edmonton are the big surprises early in the Fall season sitting in 4th and 5th place respectively.

• A wild finish in Tampa saw the home team get a tie against the Cosmos in the 5th minute of stoppage time on a typical Tommy Heinemann penalty - he bulled his way into the box plowing into anyone he could and then with the slightest touch on his back went down like a ton of bricks. Why do referees fall for his garbage? Great job by Heinemann though - you gotta give him credit for helping his team.

• Omar Bravo made his debut for Carolina, playing the full 90 and scoring his team's final goal.

-Fri Jul 22
Carolina RailHawks 3-3 Miami
-Sat Jul 23
Jacksonville Armada 0-2 Ottawa Fury
Puerto Rico 1-0 Rayo OKC
Indy Eleven 1-0 Edmonton
Tampa Bay Rowdies 2-2 New York Cosmos
Minnesota United 3-1 Fort Lauderdale Strikers

dN

Minnesota must now go on the road to that nasty fake turf on fake turf stadium in rural OKC. They did not perform well last time they made the trip. Are they mentally in a better place now to get the desired results? I am not confident.

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Lionel Messi was pictured last week with a Joy Division t-shirt on, and now he's got blonde hair.

what is with football players and having blonde hair? now messi has too... pic.twitter.com/SW4qrkyDc6

— ㅤ (@RepShady) July 24, 2016

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Many outside England see the 1966 World Cup as a scam not a moment of national glory the way the English people still do. Great anecdotes. by Simon Burnton of the Guardian.

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FIFA says that the former president of the German FA Wolfgang Niersbach knew about shady deals that went down when Germany was awarded the 2006 World Cup and did nothing about it. For this he has been banned for 1 year. Really? That's all? For that big of an offense. Hmmmmmm. From Deutsche Welle.

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When do the 5 biggest European Leagues begin the new season?

• Ligue 1 - Aug 12 Matches

• Premier League - Aug 13 Matches

• La Liga - Aug 19 Matches

• Serie A - Aug 20 Matches

• Bundesliga - Aug 26 Matches

The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Jul 22, 2016

It's Day 204 of 2016.


Five really tasty games this weekend in MLS Week 20:

• Its one of the those "true test" games for Colorado. Unbeaten at home they now face the top team in the league, Dallas. A classic Defense v Offense showdown.

• The New York derby moves to Harrison for a huge battle.

• Montreal and Philly both need to keep pace with the Eastern leaders.

• The other two games feature 4 of the most popular teams in the league: LA, Seattle, Portland and KC.

-Sat Jul 23
Colorado Rapids v Dallas - 8:00pm CT on MLS Live
Montreal Impact v Philadelphia Union - 6:30pm CT on MLS Live
Portland Timbers v LA Galaxy - 2:30pm CT on ESPN
-Sun Jul 24
New York Red Bulls v New York City - 12:00pm CT on FOX
Sporting Kansas City v Seattle Sounders - 2:00pm CT on ESPN

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The Rapids have been shockingly good this season, but the strike partnership of Kevin Doyle and Shkelzen Gashi is just starting to cook. Look out. By John Meyer of the Denver Post.

• Here's the duo in action. [VIDEO]

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They say Jozy Altidore is healthy again and ready to roll for Toronto. He has been out over 2 months. And the never-ending struggle of this club needs an injection of quality. By Kurt Larson of the Toronto Sun.

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Tommy McNamara is holding his own and thriving among the superstars at NYCFC. By Brian Sciaretta of American Soccer Now.

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Former MLS Deputy Sherrif Ivan Gazidis, now CEO of Arsenal, gives his appraisal of MLS in 2016 - the future is the development of youth players. By Jeff Carlisle of ESPNFC.

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Jay Heaps, head coach of New England Revs, is an intense dude who curses like a sailor. A US Open Cup game diary. By Graham Parker of Four Four Two.

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Columbus Crew has signed young American goalkeeper Zack Steffen from German club Freiburg.

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Damn!
Loud Warning Sirens Going Off!

News | Venegas injured in Wednesday's friendly—underwent surgery this morning on left knee: https://t.co/YyNdwBFxCz pic.twitter.com/2GhMn6kbPa

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUnitedFC) July 22, 2016

No word on how long he will be out!

• UPDATE: From the team "Venegas is expected to be back and at full strength this Fall Season." Oof. That could put him out 2 months or more. Lets hope not.

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Minnesota United hosts Fort Lauderdale Strikers on Saturday night at NSC Stadium. The Strikers are winless in their 4 games of the Fall Season and lost 3 in a row. But 9 of their season total 16 points have come on the road. The Loons better not take them lightly.

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Omar Bravo will make his debut for Carolina RailHawks tonight.

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All of the NASL Week 14 matches:
-Fri Jul 22
Carolina RailHawks v Miami
-Sat Jul 23
Jacksonville Armada v Ottawa Fury
Puerto Rico v Rayo OKC
Indy Eleven v Edmonton
Tampa Bay Rowdies v New York Cosmos
Minnesota United v Fort Lauderdale Strikers

dN

John Brooks is cleared of his injury issues and training at full speed with Hertha Berlin for a new season. By Stephan Uersfeld of ESPNFC.

• Brooks is another one of the people who unfortunately says he is "OK" with that loss to Argentina. He should be pissed off and embarrassed instead. Its OK to lose to a great team, but not like that, not if you want any one to take you seriously.

dN

The Chinese men's national team will be hosting an international tournament Jan 9-16 next year. I would not be surprised to see the USMNT participate.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Jul 21, 2016

It's Day 203 of 2016.


US Open Cup Quarterfinals:

• Brad Knighton of NER saved PKs by Sebastien Le Toux and CJ Sapong of Philly after Added Extra Time ended tied 1-1.

• The last non-MLS team, Fort Lauderdale, was easily ousted by Chicago.

• Dallas was the only road winner, with Fabian Castillo scoring in the 90th min.

• LA trailed twice before pulling out the win with 2 late goals by Sebastian Lleget.

-Wed Jul 20
New England Revolution 1-1 Philadelphia Union - NER advances 4-2 in Penalty Kick Shootout.
Chicago Fire 3-0 Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Houston Dynamo 0-1 Dallas
LA Galaxy 4-2 Seattle Sounders

The draw was held this morning for the Semifinal matches:
-Tue Aug 9
New England Revolution v Chicago Fire
-Wed Aug 10
LA Galaxy v Dallas

• Both games will be shown on the ESPN Networks, details TBA.

dN

The extreme heat did not help.... But:

• Minnesota United 0-4 Bournemouth - Oof!

• Minnesota held strong and had two great scoring opportunities, but a water break stopped their momentum and it was all Bournemouth after that.

• I personally witnessed the worst Own Goal I have ever seen. We have all seen blunders on TV, but my own two eyes witnessed this one. Minnesota goalkeeper Sammy Ndjock literally threw the ball into his own goal. Literally. -0-3 at half time

• Both teams brought out completely different 11's in the 2nd half.

• Minnesota showed that they do have depth as the 2nd 11 contained some very good players and held their own until a late mistake cost them 1 more goal against.

I guarantee that come Saturday night when Sammy Ndjock takes to the field for Minnesota against Fort Lauderdale at NSC Stadium he is gonna get one helluva welcome from the hardcores of the Dark Clouds and True North Elite! Sammy, we got yer back.

Sammy Ndjock and Minnesota United decided to embrace the madness - blame it on sticky Jelly!

PSA: always wait at least 30 minutes after eating jelly sandwiches before hitting the pitch... #BlameItOnTheJelly pic.twitter.com/sGDKxfvLNE

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUnitedFC) July 21, 2016

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This whole Jason Kreis coaching Orlando thing could have a big pay off. By Brian Strauss of Sports Illustrated.

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The excellent Weekly MLS awards by Alejandro Moreno of ESPNFC. [VIDEO]

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Copa Libertadores Finals:

• The 1st Leg ended tied 1-1. Here are highlights from the game. From Fox Sports. [VIDEO]

-Wed Jul 20
Independiente del Valle (ECU) 1-1 Atletico Nacional (COL)
-Wed Jul 27
Atletico Nacional (COL) v Independiente del Valle (ECU)

dN

Did you like the TV show Louie? How about Baskets? If yes, then get ready for a third Louis CK production on FX. "Better Things" premiers on Sep 8, starring Pamela Adlon who had an excellent recurring role on Louie.

• Check out this trailer for Better Things.

dN

Testing of the proposed Video Assistant Referee system is underway in New Jersey. By Wayne Epps Jr of the New York Times.

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A very interesting conversation with Umberto Gandini the general manager of AC Milan. They talk Milan, money, Serie A and MLS. By Stanley Kay of Sports Illustrated.

dN

A little Copa MX last night too, and I have 2 things to say:

• 1. Again Miguel Ibarra did NOT play for Leon. He was on the bench... Get him the hell out of there! Please! Someone! Save Batman.

• 2. Paul Arriola scored the game winner for Tijuana, but that is not the story - the story is that SIX Americans started for Tijuana. Holy Smokes! SIX. Goalkeeper Carlos Lopez, defenders Michael Orozco and John Requejo, midfielder Alejandro Guido, and forwards Arriolo and Amando Moreno!

dN

FYI: Freddy Adu has come on as a late game sub in the last two Tampa Bay Rowdies games. These are his first appearances of the season.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Jul 20, 2016

It's Day 202 of 2016.


Jason Kreis has been hired as the new head coach of Orlando City.

• The people of Orlando seem pretty damn excited to have Kreis coming on board to run the team. By Alicia DelGallo of the Orlando Sentinel.

• Why in the world would Jason Kreis take the job as head coach at Orlando City, one of the leading contenders for Titanic of the Year. (New award I just made up.) The ownership that came on board to take the lower division club into MLS has been shipping people out the door left and right for a year and a half now - both field staff and business staff alike.

• Someone else sees the "imperfect" situation ahead. By Jeff Carlisle of ESPNFC.

dN

Speaking of head coaches, Jurgen Klinsmann remains in charge of the USMNT as Sam Allardyce is hired to lead England.

dN

Minnesota United plays a friendly against English Premier League team Bournemouth tonight. Kick off is 7:00pm CT at the National Sports Center Stadium in Blaine MN. I am pretty sure there is no broadcast or online stream of the game.

dN

US Open Cup Quarterfinals:

• 5 of the 8 teams (Chic, LA, Sea, Dall and NER)  in the Qfinals have won the tournament in the past.

• Fort Lauderdale is the only non-MLS team left standing.

• 3 MLS teams (Chic, Sea and Hous) are performing poorly in league play this season.

• 3 MLS teams (LA, Dal and Phil) are having very strong seasons in league play.

• All 4 games will be streamed online. You can find info about all four games and links to the streams right here.

Matches
-Wed Jul 20
New England Revolution v Philadelphia Union
Chicago Fire v Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Houston Dynamo v Dallas
LA Galaxy v Seattle Sounders

dN

DC United has decided that Fabian Espindola is just not working for them any more and has been sold to Vancouver Whitecaps.

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Peter Papas, one of the TV commentators for Philadelphia Union games has pleaded guilty in a scheme to turn prescription drugs into cash. Or something like that. Its complicated. But he's guilty. And he took about half a million bucks. From the Associated Press via NorthJersey.com.

dN

Why did the Fort Lauderdale Strikers leave their long time home stadium, Lockhart? By Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald.

• The new home, Central Broward Stadium, is very close to old one, just 7 miles apart.

• But make no mistake, their latest stadium is far from ideal as it was built for cricket, and will be kinda nasty for soccer. See it here.

• One of the big pluses is that the team will be able to house their club offices and practice facilities at CBS.

dN

Copa Libertadores Finals:
-Wed Jul 20
Independiente del Valle (ECU) v Atletico Nacional (COL)
-Wed Jul 27
Atletico Nacional (COL) v Independiente del Valle (ECU)

dN

CONCACAF Champions League group stage starts in just 2 weeks!

dN

The English Premier League is supposedly going to get serious about punishing players for abusing referees this season. By the Press Association via the Guardian.

• I will believe it when I see it in action on a regular basis.

• It took the NBA 2 years to really crack down against referee abuse when they instituted a similar policy. In the case of the NBA it has really worked. You just don't see the insane histrionics that used to go on happening at all any more, and the game is much better for it.

The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Jul 19, 2016

It's Day 201 of 2016.


One of the rarest of 1970s New York musicians was Alan Vega. Without being anything like our modern interpretation of  punk, Vega was more punk then all of the NY and London punks put together. His band with Martin Rev was called Suicide, and their music could make the hair on your neck stick straight out. An amazing, unnatural, electro-charged, unhinged variation of minimal rock n roll. Last weekend Vega passed away at age 78. Rest In Power Ghost Rider.

• Vega's blood and guts story by Alexis Petridis of the Guardian.

• His death was announced by Henry Rollins.

• On the July 17 edition of Rollins radio show on KCRW the entire program was dedicated to Vega's music. [AUDIO]

• Vega's obituary by Jon Pareles of the New York Times.

dN

Sources have confirmed to me that Orlando City has hired Jason Kreis as its new head coach. #OCSC #MLS https://t.co/Gjqh1Vfdgz

— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) July 19, 2016

dN

In just 10 days Bob Bradley and Le Havre (HAC) begin their first full season together. Opening game of the new Ligue 2 season is Fri Jul 29 at Orleans.

dN

Michel of Rayo OKC Named NASL Player Of The Week

Estefania Banini of Washington Spirit Named NWSL Player Of The Week

Diego Valeri of Portland Timbers Named MLS Player Of The Week

Memo Rodriguez of Rio Grande Valley Named USL Player Of The Week

dN

Wednesday night! US Open Cup Quarterfinals:

• New England Revolution v Philadelphia Union

• Chicago Fire v Fort Lauderdale Strikers

• Houston Dynamo v Dallas

• LA Galaxy v Seattle Sounders

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Who's Hot and who's cold in the current USMNT player pool. By Doug McIntyre of ESPNFC.

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Are German teams getting sucked into the stupid game of throwing transfer money at players on a gamble the way teams do in England? Pragmatism can get easily distracted by loud noises and shiny flashing colors. But this is not what made the Bundesliga so successful. By Stefan Bienkowski of Deutshe Welle.

dN

My political advice to everyone: Beware the fearmongers.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Jul 18, 2016

It's Day 200 of 2016.


After harsh international condemnation of the Russian Ministry of Sports, which is behind the supposed state sanctioned doping of Russia's Olympic athletes, will FIFA now respond with a SERIOUS investigation of the World Cup program being run by those same Russian authorities? No chance. In reality we are just too close to the tournament, and billions have already been spent in prep, for there to be a change now, barring natural disaster or war. You can kick Russia out of the Olympics taking place in Brazil, but trying to do something like that IN Russia is nearly impossible.

• A report was issued today showing who was behind the Russian athletic doping scandal and how widespread the program was and still is. By Rebecca Ruiz of the New York Times.

• Video from the press conference after the release of the damning report.

Russia oversaw manipulation of athletes' analytical results & sample swapping - WADA https://t.co/aoGNqroRqv

https://t.co/TRPPTVxt6U

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) July 18, 2016

dN

Will this week's US Open Cup match be the last straw for head coach Sigi Schmid in Seattle? The team is floundering badly right now, so will a loss in the Cup be the end of his reign?

• Sounders plays at LA Galaxy on Wednesday.

• Tomorrow we can talk about the other 3 Quarterfinal match-ups.

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Where do things stand today in the world of USA youth soccer development? We all know its still way behind. Some of the big names in the region give their opinions. By Doug McIntyre of ESPNFC.

• "We're just in the beginning stages. I think in the next five to seven years, there's going to be a lot of really good players coming out of the U.S. in world soccer." Not everyone is this enthusiastic about what they see.

dN

MLS News + Notes:

• A 15 year old made his debut for the Vancouver Whitecaps. 2nd youngest player in MLS history. You know who was the youngest. By Marc Weber of the Province.

• Top three goal scorers are: David Villa 13, Ignacio Piatti 11, Fanendo Adi 10.

• Dallas (on total points: 40) + Colorado (on points per game: 1.95) are still the Top 2 teams in the league. LA, NYC and Philly round out the Top 5.

• A breakdown of Week 19 is worthy reading. By Matt Doyle of MLSSoccer.com.

• This Fabian Castillo to Maxi Urruti goal is a thing of fabulous subtle skill and beauty. [VIDEO]

• Colorado has not faded away like we thought they would. They are currently 14 games without a loss.

• New York City coach Patrick Viera and his team are not satisfied with where they currently sit in MLS, even though its waaaaaaay better then most of us give them any credit for. By Doug McIntyre of ESPNFC.

MLS results - 4 games of big importance:
-Sat Jul 16
Colorado Rapids 1-0 Sporting Kansas City
-Sun Jul 17
Portland Timbers 3-1 Seattle Sounders
Montreal Impact 1-3 New York City
Phildelphia Union 2-2 Red Bull New York

dN

Atlanta has signed 31 year old T+T forward Kenwyne Jones from Cardiff. They plan to loan him out until January of next year when they open their first preseason camp. He spent last season on loan at At Jazira in UAE.

dN

Portland won MLS Cup back in December with goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey, but he got hurt earlier this year, then he couldn't win his job back, and [POOF-POW-FLASH] just like that, now he is out the door to Norwegian club Rosenborg. No word on the price paid.

dN

Fantastic! Over 35,000 in Cincinnati for their friendly against Crystal Palace. Beyond impressive.

dN

Huge congrats to Luchi Gonzalez, FC Dallas Academy director and FCD U16 head coach, as their teams won the US Development Academy championships at both U18 and U16 levels this weekend.

• The people who run the FC Dallas organization and academy program are doing the best job in the USA. So who are they and what are they doing. By Paul Tenorio of Four Four Two.

dN

Dennis Crowley has a vision for the future of American soccer. I like the way this guy thinks. Posted at SI's The Cauldron.

• And now he has Leander Schaerlaeckens for Vice writing about his team Kingston Stockade too.

• Minneapolis City SC has a similar visionary plan, albeit without the millionaire guy like Crowley paying the bills.

dN

Liga MX News + Notes on the Americans:

• Greg Garza (who has been out injured for a year) was back for Tijuana. He started and played 69 minutes as they won 2-0 over Morelia. Paul Arriola + Michael Orozco dressed but did not play for the Xolos.

• Jonny Bornstein went 90 for Querataro in a 2-0 win v Veracruz.

• Edgar Castillo went 61 min for Monterrey but he replacement saw Red and they gave up a late tying goal to end 1-1 v Puebla.

• Omar Gonzalez played the full match as Spring/Clausura Champions Pachuca picked up right where they left off, rolling 5-1 over Leon.

• William Yarborough was in goal for Leon as they were crushed 5-1 at Pachuca. Miguel Ibarra again did not suit up for Leon. Ibarra needs to get out of there.

• Ventura Alvarado on the bench for America as they beat Chiapas 2-0.

• Jorge Villafana played the entire game for Santos as they tied at home 0-0 with Tigres. Jose Torres was on the bench for the Tigers.

Liga MX Apertura opening weekend results:
-Fri Jul 15
Tijuana 2-0 Morelia
-Sat Jul 16
Queretaro 2-0 Veracruz
Monterrey 1-1 Puebla
Atlas 1-1 Toluca
Pachuca 5-1 Leon
Necaxa 0-0 Cruz Azul
America 2-0 Chiapas
-Sun Jul 17
Pumas 1-0 Guadalajara
Santos Laguna 0-0 Tigres

dN

NASL News + Notes:

• Minnesota United ended Indy Eleven's 13 game unbeaten streak with a 2-0 win that was over after just 6 minutes. Minn also set a new attendance record of 9460.

• Here are the Minn v Indy game highlights. [VIDEO]

• The other big result was OKC smashing the Cosmos 3-0. Is OKC going to be a force in the Fall season?

• And just 8 months after playing in the NASL Championship game, Ottawa is now the worst team in the league. Oof.

• Remember when us negativos said Joe Cole was a stupid signing for Tampa. Yeah right, eat crow Bruce:

WHAT A GOAL BY JOE COLE! ?????? pic.twitter.com/ymaOsVySgQ

— Tampa Bay Rowdies (@TampaBayRowdies) July 17, 2016

• Top three NASL goal scorers are: Christian Ramirez 10, Michel 8, Eamon Zayed 6.

NASL Weekend results:
-Sat Jul 16
Fort Lauderdale 0-1 Carolina
Tampa Bay 3-0 Puerto Rico
Minnesota 2-0 Indy
Miami 1-0 Jacksonville
OKC 3-0 Cosmos
-Sun Jul 17
Edmonton 1-0 Ottawa

dN

Minnesota United hosts an exhibition match against English Premier League team Bournemouth on Wed Jul 20.

dN

With two HUGE name coaches moving into Manchester this summer what are the biggest questions ahead for them. By Jamie Jackson of the Guardian.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Jul 15, 2016

It's Day 197 of 2016.


USL president Jake Edwards talks about the status and future of his league. By Anthony J. Merced of Empire of Soccer.

dN

Copa Libertadores Semifinals:

• The two big names are OUT! And it really wasn't even very close.

-Wed Jul 13
Atletico Nacional (COL) 2-1 Sao Paulo (BRA)
- AN advances 4-1 on aggregate.
-Thu Jul 14
Boca Juniors (ARG) 2-3 Independiente del Valle (ECU)
- IdV advances 5-3 on aggregate.

Finals:
-Wed Jul 20
Independiente del Valle (ECU) v Atletico Nacional (COL)
-Wed Jul 27
Atletico Nacional (COL) v Independiente del Valle (ECU)

dN

Ian Curtis, singer of Joy Division, would have turned 60 today. He took his own life in the Spring of 1980. H/T to Joe.

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A band with one of the worst names of all time was also one of the very greatest bands I ever saw perform: The Butthole Surfers. An article on just how incredible and incredibly challenging they were at their peak. By Daniel Dylan Wray of Vice.

• This quote says it all: “There was this tightrope between entertainment and sheer terror that existed. Very few bands had that kind of power to have you, quite justifiably, fear for your own safety.” (That is exactly how I felt the 3 or 4 times I saw them in '84, '85 and '86)

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No one in the USA has a soccer academy as successful as FC Dallas, and its only growing bigger and better. By Peter Welpton of the Dallas News.

• Two former Minnesota pro players are coaches in the FCD system - Marco Ferruzzi (asst on the senior coaching staff) and Luchi Gonzalez (academy head coach).

dN

Chicago Fire had this guy on their team and shipped him off to NYCFC without a 2nd thought, now Jack Harrison is bursting onto the scene as a big time prospect. Oh Chicago. By Jeff Carlisle of ESPNFC.

• Go watch the highlights of the Jul 3 match between NYC and RBNY to see just what Harrison is capable of. [VIDEO]

dN

Sean Johnson is back in goal for Chicago Fire and making a difference. By Jon Gallo of Gwinnett Daily Post.

• He has only given up 1 goal in 3 games since being reinstated in the starting lineup - 2 wins and a draw.

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Longtime TV match commentator JP Dellacamera talks Copa America, Olympics, Philadelphia Union, MLS and more. Q + A by Jonathan Tannenwald of Philly.com

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du Nord's MLS Team Trending Power Rankings: (based on immediate heat from the last 5 games)
01 New York City
02 Sporting KC
03 Dallas
04 LA Galaxy
05 Toronto
06 Vancouver Whitecaps
07 Chicago Fire
08 Philadelphia Union
09 New England Revolution
10 Montreal Impact
11 Colorado Rapids
12 Portland Timbers
13 Houston Dynamo
14 Red Bull New York
15 DC United
16 Real Salt Lake
17 Orlando City
18 Seattle Sounders
19 Columbus Crew
20 San Jose Earthquakes

dN

MLS this weekend - 4 games look to be top notch:
-Sat Jul 16
Colorado Rapids v Sporting Kansas City - 8pm CT on MLS Live
-Sun Jul 17
Portland Timbers v Seattle Sounders 2pm CT on FOX
Montreal Impact v New York City - 4pm CT on ESPN
Phildelphia Union v Red Bull New York - 6pm CT on FS1

dN

Liga MX returns tonight and is targeting big growth in the USA. TV is already good, but they want more. By Scott French of Four Four Two.

Liga MX begins its Apertura season tonight!
-Fri Jul 15
Tijuana v Morelia
-Sat Jul 16
Queretaro v Veracruz
Monterrey v Puebla
Atlas v Toluca
Pachuca v Leon
Necaxa v Cruz Azul
America v Chiapas
-Sun Jul 17
Pumas v Guadalajara
Santos Laguna v Tigres

dN

Minnesota United is out for revenge this weekend as they play Indy Eleven for the 2nd week in a row. Down in Nap town it was a Minn mistake that lead to a late goal for Indy and a 1-0 win. Will the high powered offense show up this week for the Loons? It frickin better.

dN

Its official, Ft Lauderdale Strikers are moving out of their home Lockhart Stadium. While the building is falling down around the spectators a standoff between stadium owners and government officials have put any major renovations on hold indefinitely. By Larry Barszewski and Pedro Heizer of the Sun Sentinel.

• So the strikers are moving to a cricket stadium. Yikes.

dN

NASL Weekend matches:
-Sat Jul 16
Fort Lauderdale v Carolina
Tampa Bay v Puerto Rico
Minnesota v Indy
Miami v Jacksonville
OKC v Cosmos
-Sun Jul 17
Edmonton v Ottawa

dN

After a really underwhelming performance by his team at the Euro 2016 tournament Belgium has fired head coach Marc Wilmots. No surprise.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Jul 14, 2016

It's Day 196 of 2016.


Chant it like a mantra: Tab Ramos for USMNT

dN

HERE is the article that the New York Times SHOULD HAVE run on diversity in the stands of MLS and American soccer. By Nachiket Karnik of Fifty Five One.

dN

Judith Hill tells the story of being on the infamous flight with Prince when he ODed and had to be revived at a Moline IL hospital just days before he died. By Melena Ryzik of the New York Times.

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A restored and 4k digital quality edition of the film The Man Who Fell to Earth starring David Bowie will be re-released in theaters this fall. The great/odd movie directed by Nicola Roeg was made in 1976.

dN

Seattle Sounders put a 5-0 beatdown on Dallas (who played almost all backups) on Wed night, but it was costly as Clint Dempsey got a Red Card for slapping/batting at Juan Esteban Ortiz's head.

• Dallas defender Maynor Figueroa was sent off for Dallas in just the 4th minute of game for a handball that stopped a shot from going into the goal.

• The damage done by the Dempsey Red Card will be felt on Sunday in the derby with Portland. Not what coach Sigi Schmid needs right now.

dN

Lots more MLS on the dockett this weekend - 4 of them look to be top notch:
-Sat Jul 16
Colorado Rapids v Sporting Kansas City - 8pm CT on MLS Live
-Sun Jul 17
Portland Timbers v Seattle Sounders 2pm CT on FOX
Montreal Impact v New York City - 4pm CT on ESPN
Phildelphia Union v Red Bull New York - 6pm CT on FS1

dN

Up up and away as Liga MX begins its Apertura season on Friday night!

• Champions Pachuca host Leon who already have their eyes on the trophy that'll be won in December. Don't count out America, Tigres, Monterrey or Pumas either.

-Fri Jul 15
Tijuana v Morelia
-Sat Jul 16
Queretaro v Veracruz
Monterrey v Puebla
Atlas v Toluca
Pachuca v Leon
Necaxa v Cruz Azul
America v Chiapas
-Sun Jul 17
Pumas v Guadalajara
Santos Laguna v Tigres

dN

FC Cincinnati has already sold 30,000 tickets to their friendly against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

And the Chelsea v Milan game in Minneapolis at Jawa Sandcrawler Stadium on Aug 3 has sold 45,000.

dN

In the NASL last night the 2 league leaders rolled to big home wins. Their confidence has to be soaring.

• Indy's streak of games without a loss is up to 13.

• Indy comes to Minnesota for a Saturday Showdown! Be there.

3 NASL games were played last night:
Indy 3-0 Ft Lauderdale
Cosmos 3-0 Jacksonville
OKC 2-2 Puerto Rico

This coming weekends matches:
-Sat Jul 16
Fort Lauderdale v Carolina
Tampa Bay v Puerto Rico
Minnesota v Indy
Miami v Jacksonville
OKC v Cosmos
-Sun Jul 17
Edmonton v Ottawa

dN

The biggest NASL newsmakers this week were the Carolina RailHawks, a team that has really struggled on the field, but just had a big exhibition match and introduced a game changing player.

• They signed Mexican star Omar Bravo from Chivas.

• The Railhawks played a friendly against EPL team West Ham, tying 2-2 and setting an attendance record of 10,125.

dN

Word has come out that the US Open Cup semifinals will be played Aug 10 and shown on ESPN2.

• Quarterfinal matches will be played next Wed Jul 20.

The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Jul 13, 2016

It's Day 195 of 2016.


I have said this in private to several people and now its time to go public: I want Tab Ramos as the next head coach of USMNT.

How about Oscar Pareja of FC Dallas as the next USMNT coach. By Will Parchman of Top Drawer.

And why not a list of coaching candidates for open and possibly open jobs around MLS. By Steve Davis of Four Four Two.

dN

Philly Union tech director Earnie Stewart may have found a hidden gem in Roland Alberg who he signed from his former home in the Netherlands. By Christopher Vito and Matthew De George of the Delaware County Daily Times.

dN

A beautiful 3rd kit for Deportivo La Coruna 2016-17

dN

Celtic lost 1-0 yesterday in UEFA Champions League qualifying to a team called Lincoln Red Imps, from Gibralter, a semi-pro team. Oof!

dN

We all watch lots of videos of people wiping out or smashing into things or natural disasters, at least I do. So why not switch it up and watch some amazing human feats instead. [VIDEO]

dN

Universelle: du Nord Music Mix Vol 87 (download + extract)

dN

Seriously, why is there another Bourne movie coming out? Well, let the film makers tell you why. By Lorne Manly of the New York Times.

• I seem to be one of the only people who liked The Bourne Legacy starring Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton. I thought it fit in just fine with the first 3 starring Matt Damon. I am curious about the new film, but I sure hope it's a lot better than the un-creative title and cliched trailer.

dN

A popular English sports radio hosts has quit his job after the company that owns the Sun newspaper bought the station he works for. The host, Colin Murray, is a life long Liverpool supporters, and their ongoing battle with the Sun on how that newspaper treated their fans after 96 of them died in Hillsbrough in 1989 has been a long time and very heated feud. By Mark Sweney of the Guardian.

dN

No fewer than 16 MLS games are being played this week! And 4 of them look to be top notch:
-Sat Jul 16
Colorado Rapids v Sporting Kansas City
-Sun Jul 17
Portland Timbers v Seattle Sounders
Montreal Impact v New York City
Philadelphia Union v Red Bull New York

dN

3 NASL games on Wed Jul 13:
Indy v Ft Lauderdale
Cosmos v Jacksonville
OKC v Puerto Rico

dN

Minnesota hosts Indy Eleven on Saturday in a rematch from last week in Indiana.

• Ben Speas, Damion Lowe, and Jack Blake are all back from injury 100%.

• No word on Danny Cruz who left the last game with an injury.

• Tiago Calvano is out due to a Red Card suspension.

The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Jul 12, 2016

It's Day 194 of 2016.


2016 USWNT Olympic Roster:

• G: Alyssa Naeher, Hope Solo

• D: Whitney Engen, Julie Johnston, Meghan Klingenberg, Ali Krieger, Kelley O’Hara, Becky Sauerbrunn

• M: Morgan Brian, Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan, Carli Lloyd, Allie Long, Megan Rapinoe

• F: Crystal Dunn, Alex Morgan, Christen Press, Mallory Pugh

dN

I like this and want to see it in the Twin Cities: NYCFC, US Soccer and Adidas to build 50 soccer fields in under-served New York City neighborhoods.

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A critical (some very real issues tackled, and yet a very incomplete scope too) look at the division of fans in the American soccer landscape - White and Latino. By Jay Caspian Kang of the New York Times Magazine.

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Maud Griezmann the sister of France and Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann was attending the concert at the Bataclan in Paris the night ISIS terrorists attacked, and has a horrible story to tell. By Sam Borden of the New York Times.

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Great article on the broadcasting of the 2016 European Championship from a behind-the-scenes perspective. By Eoin Connoly of SportsPro.

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Its just 6 months until the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted by Gabon.

• I really hope it finds a home on TV in the USA.

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Lets check in with World Cup 2018 in Russia. There are many many many issues. By Shaun Walker of the Guardian.

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Mazi Urruti had my fave goal of the week, by a mile, in MLS! Its a beauty. [VIDEO]

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The work continues as MLS tests the video assistant referee system. From The International Football Association Board (IFAB). (The body that decides on the rules of soccer.) Thanks to Jonathan Tannenwald for the link.

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From hosting MLS Cup Final to one of the worst teams in the league in just 7 months. The Columbus Crew are face down in a puddle of mud right now. By Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch.

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Tim Howard is very happy to be in Colorado. And MLS is radically different to when he left in the summer of 2003. by Dave Caldwell of the Guardian.

• I will quibble with this part of the article: the bump in ticket sales for Howard's 1 home game had nothing to do with him. It was the 4th of July and the Rapids have a 20 year history of putting on a great fireworks display.

• But lets hope the addition of Howard and Jermaine Jones can wake Coloradans from their slumber.

dN

Ilsinho of Philadelphia Union named MLS Player of the Week.

Nazmi Albadawi of Carolina Railhawks named NASL Player of the Week.

Kristen Edmonds of Orlando Pride named NWSL Player of the Week.

Brandon Allen of New York Red Bulls II named USL Player of the Week.

dN

Comment left here yesterday by Locust (Rich): Bummer the US played so scared in their game vs Argentina, unless their plan was to play fully afraid, then they executed about flawlessly.



The Bird Is The Word

Some Soccer News for Jul 11, 2016

It's Day 193 of 2016.


Huge praise to Wales and Iceland for their terrific runs at Euro 2016. They made an otherwise dull tournament worthwhile.

dN

du Nord Futbol's MLS Coaches Hot Seat Power Rankings:

• 5 Jay Heaps - won't actually lose his job cuz the Kraft's are the ultimate cheapskate owners, but this team is slowing backing down the hill.

• 4 Carl Robinson - there is just no progress being made in Van BC, even though the club keeps bringing in players.

• 3 Mauro Biello - with an like owner Joey Saputo you have to sleep with 1 eye open, even if you are "One of his guys."

• 2 Greg Vanney - all Toronto coaches are on this list permanently, and the team is currently not much better than some of the other pretty mediocre teams.

• 1 Sigi Schmid - it looks worse week after week. A loss in the Open Cup next week could be the last straw.

dN

Copa Libertadores Semifinals:
-Wed Jul 13
Atletico Nacional (COL) v Sao Paulo (BRA) (2-0) - 7:45pm CT on FS2 + FOX Deportes
-Thu Jul 14
Boca Juniors (ARG) v Independiente del Valle (ECU) (1-2) - 7:45pm CT on FS2 + FOX Deportes

dN

Minnesota United laid an egg in Indy. They came with a very conservative approach that held out until a lazy pass from Lance Laing (Lazy Pass might be his new nickname) gave an opening to Indy and they got their goal. Yes MU had several chances to score and should have, but that counts the same in the standings as a red hot cup of jack squat.

• Watching Christian Ramirez hit that soft PK and seeing Jon Busch save it so easily really summed up the whole game for Minnesota. Don't get cute, just blast the fucker!

• Tiago Calvano (MU) and Lovell Palmer (IE) got into a kerfuffle as the game ended and were both ejected, meaning they are out for next weeks rematch.

• Indy comes to Minnesota next Saturday where we hope to see the return of the high powered Loons attack.

dN

On Jul 20 Minnesota United hosts English club Bournemouth in a friendly. You should go.

dN

Today is the first day-off for this years Tour de France. The race has never been this tight. Chris Froome is in the lead.

• Here is a look at the top 10:

The TOP 10 has never been so tight at the 1st rest day. #TDFrestday pic.twitter.com/Hwtrdt48JI

— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 11, 2016

• American Tejay Van Garderen is in 11th place, also 1 minute and 1 second behind the leader.

dN

The spending on soccer players in China is accelerating at an insane rate. Huuuuuuge money. By Tariq Panja, Rachel Chang and Jonathan Browning of Bloomberg.

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Construction has begun on the new US Soccer National Training and Coaching Development Center in suburban Kansas City. By Sam McDowell of the KC Star.

dN

For anyone still tracking USA forward Terrence Boyd... He tweeted that he finished his first training session today with his team RB Leipzig after being out a year and a half due to a knee injury that required surgery twice (thrice?)

dN

Kei Kamara enacted revenge on Columbus Crew this weekend. Earlier this season the Crew scapegoated him for the teams troubles and sent the leagues top scorer to New England for virtually nothing. In Saturday's game Kamara got a goal and assisted on another as New England beat Columbus 3-1. He was involved in all 3 NER goals: drew multiple defenders away from teammates for first goal, had a cross punched in for an own goal, and scored while the CC defense took a nap. Also had a shot go off the crossbar, and should have drawn an obvious PK too but the ref said "Noooooo."

dN

Do you remember back in May when Frank Lampard was the worst signing in MLS history? Yeah. He has scored 4 goals in the last 5 games.

dN

27 goals were scored in 14 games of MLS action last week = 1.9 goals per game which is kinda painful.

dN

We are nearing the 2/3 mark of the MLS season, and if it ended today the 2 teams who played in last years Final would miss the playoffs!

dN

Vancouver has pulled off a good signing with centerback David Edgar who has played his whole career in England and has 37 caps for Canada. They are in desperate need of defensive help. (And the Whitecaps were my preseason pick to win MLS Cup. So this is very important news.)

• They also signed Canadian fullback Marcel de Jong from Ottawa Fury, where he toasted Minnesota United this Spring with 2 goals after coming on as a sub. I am pretty sure that is the highlight of his career. No offense.

dN

A very good break down of last weeks games in MLS. By Matthew Doyle of MLSsoccer.com.

dN

MLS Leaders:

• Dallas is 1st in the West.

• NYC, yes NYC, is 1st in the East.

• Colorado leads the whole league in Points Per Game Played at 1.89.

• David Villa has 12 goals. 2 more than Ignacio Piatti, and 3 more than Fanendo Adi and Bradley Wright-Phillips.

• Philadelphia has scored 32 goals.

• Colorado has allowed 13 goals.

dN

I missed three things this morning in my roundup of the past month:

• LA Galaxy stopped hitting the snooze alarm. (from Marc)

• NYFC figured out that everyone else in the East is pretty bad too. (from Marc)

• Sigi Schmid gave birth. (from Demko)

The Bird Is The Word

Return To The Blog

It's Sunday night/Monday morning of Jul 11, 2016.


Some big things happened since I went on vacation Jun 4:

• Chile won Copa America Centenario.

• Lionel Messi took his ball and went home. (Or to prison.)

• USA reached the Semifinals and then got beat more thoroughly then I have ever seen them get beat.

• Portugal won Euro 2016.

• Cristiano Ronaldo finally got his major trophy. From the bench. Injured.

• France yakked up the trophy on home soil.

• CORRECTED: Indy Eleven New York Cosmos won the NASL Spring Championship. (Indy winning was such a shock that I am still stunned. Thanks to Evan for sorting that mess out for me.)

• Minnesota United face planted in the Spring season, finishing 4th.

• The US Open Cup is down to the Quarterfinals, which will be played Wed Jul 20.

• Toronto FC won the Voyageurs Cup aka the Canadian championship.

• Another name from du Nord Futbol's MLS Coaches Hot Seat Power Rankings bit the dust: Adrian Heath of Orlando, who was at #4. (So I guess its about time for a new list.)

• Jurgen Klinsmann is the name in the headlines of the English tabloids - they want him as their national team coach. We shall see.

• Copa Libertadores Semifinals 2nd Leg games will be played this week.

• Tell me what else I missed.

The Bird Is The Word