Monday, May 01, 2017

Some Soccer News for May 1, 2017

It's Day 121 of 2017.


Carly Lloyd scored for Manchester City in the 2nd Leg of the Women's UEFA Champions League Semifinal, but it was not enough to beat Alex Morgan and Lyon who got the 3-2 aggregate victory, and will face PSG in an all-French Final on May 31.
  • Morgan came on as a half time sub, while Lloyd played the full 90 and got the games only goal in the 57th min.)

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With a 0-6 win at Wolfsburg another Bundesliga championship has been won by Bayern Munich. Huge congrats to them.
  • Unfortunately, year after year a new season starts and there is only 1 favorite to win the championship. Not very exciting for such a talented league. Luckily for the league fans still turn up to games in record numbers. So I am wrong about something.
  • Gabriel Marcotti for ESPNFC: "In the past 20 years, every Bayern manager not named Jurgen Klinsmann has led the club to the German title."

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ANOTHER ONE: Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah of Kuwait who is a member of the FIFA executive committee and a high ranking Asian federation member has resigned from all positions after allegations that stem from a bribery investigation by the US Justice Department. He is also an Olympic committee member. By the Associated Press via the New York Times.
  • The arrests in this case started 2 years ago at the FIFA annual meeting in Switzerland, which also happens to be coming up again in about 2 weeks.

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MINNESOTA UNITED

Schedule/Results:
-Sat Apr 29
Minnesota 0-1 San Jose Earthquakes - SJE goal by Florian Jungwirth.

NEEDED: Iron Skillet Training Method (tm):


MY MNUFC Notes:
  • Game highlights [VIDEO]
  • Yes they lost, but they only gave up 1 goal and the attack was poor. This game could potentially have been another blowout, but was far from what we saw in the first month of the season.
  • The 1st half of this game was played at training/friendly pace. The ref had little to no reason to call any fouls. Where was the intensity?
  • Scoring chances for MN were minimal throughout the game.
  • MN has been showing up a lot better in the 2nd half of games in the past few weeks, but not this time. They kept the same soft pace for 90 minutes.
  • SJ came out to start the 2nd with an urgency and piled on the pressure until they got a deserved goal.
  • A set piece again cost MN. (And SJ had other good set piece chances too that narrowly missed.)
Lets break down the San Jose goal shall we:
  1. On the initial cross we see Christian Ramirez marking Chris Wondolowski at the far post, but Ramirez turns his back on the ball and it hits him in the legs and caroms back across the goal mouth.
  2. Then we see Sam Cronin marking eventual goal scorer Florian Jungwirth in the middle of the box, but after the ball goes over their heads toward the back post Cronin stops guarding Jungwirth and leaves him free in front of the net.
  3. Kevin Molino is manning the near post and goal line, but as the ball comes to an open Jungwirth we see Molino beaten to the ball which goes in the net right under his legs.
Lets talk about some more good + bad stuff from the Loons:
  • Ibson was great. Even when he made mistakes he was doing everything he could to make up for it. Impressive.
  • The MN defense was solid, especially the centerbacks Calvo and Kallman who were again very good.
  • The guys in the middle of the defense made goal poacher extraordinaire Wondo invisible.
  • Down the stretch when MN needed a goal badly they put together very few good attacks. They spent too much time lumping the ball forward.
  • The depth on the MN bench is almost non existent, which causes Heath to wait way too long to make changes.
  • Molino + Venegas seemed to lose effort/desire as match got hard. Their defense was noticeably poor. Subs for fading attackers in the 64th, 79th and 90th is just not good enough.
  • Danladi + Jome showed they are fast, but they are also ineffective. Both had chances to make a key play and failed badly in the execution.
  • Burch was not helpful in the attack and only average in defense. Davis could get back on the field if he worked his ass off in training and improved his focus.
  • In contrast the SJ fullbacks in the attack were effective, esp Cato who cracked a wide open shot off the crossbar early in the game.
  • Ramirez was almost invisible too except with his hold up play which he did as good as he ever has.
  • I want to see them move Ibarra to the middle for Venegas. And give Kadrii another chance on the left.
  • I wish some people would stop with the "missed PK call" stuff. Yeah guys ran into each other in the penalty box. Sure some refs might call that. But it was a mile away from a sure fire penalty. So stop with the whining.
  • Some say the Loons offense has gone a little cold, but you have to give some of the credit to the other teams. They do scout their opponents you know. And teams at this level have a lot of experience in shutting down others hot spots. Don't think opposition doesn't circle Christian Ramirez in the week leading up to the game and say, "We are not letting this guy score on us. Here is how we prevent the ball from getting to him..."
  • MN used the same starting 11 for the 2nd game in a row for the first time this season.

Post game media:

Former United player Jeb Brovsky is coming back from a long injury layoff and will get a try out for the current MNUFC roster. By Andy Greder for the Pioneer Press.

Looking Ahead: A visit from Sporting Kansas City, next Sunday, who are off to a strong start and have a huge mental edge over Minnesota United going back several years. SKC has allowed only 3 goals so far this season. Plus their coach Peter Vermes is the best in the league at scouting the opposition and figuring out how to beat them.

dN

MLS

I was told that a certain Mr Sigi Schmid was in attendance at the Toilet Bowl this weekend - LA Galaxy v Philadelphia Union. Two teams who need real leadership, and fast.

My MLS Notes:
  • Toronto and Altidore showed their power. His goals and combo play with Giovinco were fantastic. MN better look out two weeks from now when they travel to Canada.
  • Orlando kept pace with the big boys. Are they for real? Averaging 2.6 points per game they are leading the whole league.
  • The biggest match up was Dallas v Portland, who tied. Good results for the Timbers on the road and pushed the whole game, twice taking the lead. But Dallas stays undefeated.
  • KC is showing they are again a powerhouse too. They are a brutal team to play against. Only given up 3 goals in 8 games.
  • Seattle came from 3 down at home to tie NER. How did it get to 0-3 though?
  • One reason the Sounders trailed was this "howler" by Stefan Frei.
  • Red Bulls have won 3 in a row.
  • Vancouver has won 3 out of 5 after getting no wins in first 3 of the season.

9 takeaways from week 9 in MLS. By Caitlin Murray for Fox Sports.

The weekly analysis from a great perspective. By Matt Doyle for MLS.
  • "Last time things were this ugly in Carson was in early 2008, just before Bruce Arena took over."

The MLS XI highlights of the week featuring Awesome Altidore. By Alexander Abnos for Sports Illustrated.

Week 9 Schedule/Results:
-Fri Apr 28
Toronto 2-0 Houston
-Sat Apr 29
Montreal 1-2 Vancouver
Orlando 2-0 Colorado
Columbus 2-3 NYC
NYRB 2-1 Chicago
Dallas 2-2 Portland
Minnesota 0-1 San Jose
Kansas City 3-0 Salt Lake
Seattle 3-3 New England
LA 0-0 Philadelphia
-Sun Apr 30
Atlanta 1-3 DC

32 goals in 11 games = 2.9 per game. Just under the desired 3. (Blame Minnesota for not scoring.)

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USMNT

A pre-Gold Cup friendly has officially been announced:
-Sat Jul 1
USA v Ghana - 3:45pm CT on ESPN and Univision Network
East Hartford, Pratt + Whitney Stadium

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CONCACAF U17 Men World Cup Qualifying and Championship:

April 21 - May 7 in Panama.

USMNT won their last game of the first group stage 1-0 v El Salvador. Grabbing all 9 point possible points in the first group stage. Fantastic.

USMNT U-17 Roster:
  • G: Carlos Joaquim Dos Santos (Benfica), Justin Garces (Kendall)
  • D: Christopher Gloster (New York Red Bulls), Jaylin Lindsey (Sporting Kansas City), James Sands (New York City), Arturo Vasquez (Golden State), Akil Watts (IMG Academy)
  • M: George Acosta (Weston), Taylor Booth (Real Salt Lake AZ), Christopher Durkin (DC United), Blaine Ferri (Solar Chelsea), Christopher Goslin (Atlanta United), Indiana Vassilev (IMG Academy), Adrian Villegas (Portland Timbers)
  • F: Ayomide Akinola (Toronto), Andrew Carleton (Atlanta United), Zyen Jones (Atlanta United), Bryan Reynolds Jr (Dallas), Joshua Sargent (Scott Gallagher Missouri) Timothy Weah (Paris Saint-Germain)
  • C: John Hackworth

Group C - Schedule/Results:
-Sun Apr 23
USA 5-0 Jamaica - USA goals by Christopher Durkin, Timothy Weah, Joshua Sargent + Ayomide Akinola(2).
-Wed Apr 26
USA 4-3 Mexico - USA goals by Josh Sargent(2), Blaine Ferri + Ayomide Akinola. Mex goals by Roberto de la Rosa(2) + Jaylin Lindsey(OG).
-Sat Apr 29
USA 1-0 El Salvador - USA goal by Zyen Jones.

2nd Stage
-USA is paired with Cuba and Honduras.
-All games can be seen on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube (CONCACAF channels) and UniDep.
Group D Schedule/Results:
-Mon May 1
Honduras v Cuba - 3:30pm CT
-Wed May 3
USA v Honduras - 1:30pm CT
-Fri May 5
USA v Cuba - 3:30pm CT

Group E consists of Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama.

Tournament Format:
  • 1st Group stage (round robin) - 3 groups of 4 teams - top two advance
  • 2nd Group stage (round robin) - 2 groups of 3 teams - top two qualify for World Cup
  • Final - 1st place teams in each group play for CONCACAF championship.
  • Championship game is played on Sun May 7.
  • World Cup is Oct 6-28 in India.

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AMERICANS ABROAD

Matt Miazga went the full 90 for Vitesse as they won the KNVB Beker, equivalent to the Dutch Cup, 2-0 over AZ.

Joe Corona rebounds from a rough couple of years to earn his starting spot back at Tijuana. Now he wants to do the same with the USMNT. By Brian Sciaretta for American Soccer Now.

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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMIFINALS

Back again this week! And the stakes are that much higher.

1st Leg
-Tue May 2
Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid - 1:45pm CT on FS1.
-Wed May 3
Monaco v Juventus - 1:45pm CT on FS1.

dN

English Championship division promotion race:

(4 Americans involved)
(2 games left)
*92 Brighton + Hove Albion
*91 Newcastle United - DeAndre Yedlin
---
^82 Reading - Danny Williams
^81 Sheffield Wednesday
^81 Huddersfield Town - David Wagner (coach)
77 Fulham (+27) - Tim Ream - NEXT: Sun May 7 at Sheffield Wednesday
---
74 Leeds United (+14) - NEXT: Sun May 7 at Wigan
*Promotion Earned
^Playoff Guaranteed
-Fulham has a +13 better goal differential than Leeds so even a loss for Fulham will be very hard to overcome.

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The Terrence Boyd + Torstan Frings + Darmstadt Tracker:
  • Results - Sat Apr 29 Won 3-0 v Freiburg
  • Note - Somehow still not dead! But where was this fight when it could have made a difference. They need 3 wins, plus 3 losses by Hamburger and/or Wolfsburg to survive. Unfortunately for Terrence Boyd, he has been dropped from the gameday 18 for a month now
  • Standings - Last place, 9 points below relegation playoff and/or safety - 3 games left
  • Up Next - Sat May 6 at Bayern Munich (who have already won the championship)

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The Miguel Herrera + Several Americans + Tijuana Tracker:
  • Results - Sat Apr 29 lost 3-0 at Tigres
  • Note - despite the loss it didn't cost them anything. Orozco (back from injury but subbed off after just 8 minutes), Arriola (played 59) and Corona (played 70) all started, but were the 3 subs. American Armando Moreno made the bench.
  • Standings - Remain in 1st place with just 1 final round left in the regular season.
  • Up Next - Fri May 5 v Veracruz

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LIGA MX

With just 1 game and 3 points available in the Liga MX Clausura regular season here are the playoff contention standings:
(Amazingly none of the Top 6 teams won last weekend, 4 losing and 2 tying.)

*28 Tijuana (+7) - LAST: Lost Sat Apr 29 3-0 at Tigres
*27 Monterrey (+9) - LAST: Lost Fri Apr 28 1-0 at Veracruz
*26 Atlas (+5) - LAST: Won Sat Apr 29 1-2 at America
*26 Guadalajara (+3) - LAST: Tied Sat Apr 29 1-1 v Leon
*26 Toluca (+1) - LAST: Lost Sun Apr 30 1-2 v Queretaro
*25 Santos Laguna (+5) - LAST: Tied Sat Apr 29 2-2 at Chiapas
24 America (+1) - LAST: Lost Sat Apr 29 1-2 v Atlas
22 Tigres (+10) - LAST: Won Sat Apr 29 3-0 v Tijuana
----
21 Morelia (+2) - LAST: Won Sat Apr 29 4-0 v Pumas
21 Pachuca (-1) - LAST: Tied Sat Apr 29 2-2 v Cruz Azul
21 Veracruz (-5) - LAST: Won Sat Apr 29 1-0 v Monterrey
20 Leon (-1) - LAST: Tied Sat Apr 29 1-1 at Guadalajara
20 Necaxa (-5) - LAST: Won Sun Apr 30 0-1 at Puebla
19 Queretaro (-2) - LAST: Won Sun Apr 30 1-2 at Toluca
OUT Pumas (-8) - LAST: Lost Sat Apr 29 4-0 at Morelia
OUT Cruz Azul (-2) - LAST: Tied Sat Apr 29 2-2 at Pachuca
OUT Chiapas (-11) - LAST: Tied Sat Apr 29 2-2 v Santos Laguna
OUT Puebla
*clinched a playoff spot

Changes to the standings:
  • Atlas moves up #7 to #3 - and clinches a playoff spot
  • Guadalajara stays at #4 - and clinches a playoff spot
  • Toluca falls from #3 to #5 - and clinches a playoff spot
  • Santos Laguna falls #5 to #6 - and clinches a playoff spot
  • America falls #6 to #7
  • Tigres moves up #9 to #8
  • Pachuca falls #8 to #10
  • Pumas, Cruz Azul and Chiapas join Puebla as eliminated
(2 playoff teams left to be decided)

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BIG GAMES IN EUROPE:

-Sat Apr 29
Espanyol 0-3 Barcelona - the Barcelona derby
-Sun Apr 30
Roma 1-3 Lazio - the Rome derby - plus #2 and #4
Nice 3-1 PSG - #3 and #2
Tottenham 2-0 Arsenal - the North London derby - #2 and #6



The Bird Is The Word

2 Comments:

Blogger Dave DuJour said...

I saw Danladi & Jome as inexperienced. Their speed was a much needed injections of life. Their choices of pass, shot, ball touch, etc. showed that they're still young and don't have a lot of professional game minutes. Hopefully by the end of the season they'll be much improved.

2:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

In other words Dave - they should both be on a lower division team, a reserve team, or affiliate or on loan, getting as much playing time as possible.

Agreed.

But where they are now is not going to help all that much.

-Bruce

2:44 PM  

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