Down a goal with less than a half hour remaining in their 2007 campaign, the Houston Dynamo rallied behind the relentless play of Dwayne De Rosario to defeat the New England Revolution, 2-1, at RFK Stadium in Washington DC on Saturday (11/18) and capture the team's fourth MLS Cup title in seven years.
De Rosario, 29, set up teammate Joseph Ngwenya, just in front of the opposition goal in the 62d minute. Ngwenya took two point blank shots on keeper Matt Reis, the second slipping past for the equalizer.
Moments later, the Canadian born De Rosario scored the winning goal himself, heading home a cross from about 12 yards out in the 74th minute. "I would normally volley it," De Rosario said, commenting on the goal after the match, "but I decided to head it in and luckily it went in."
Just 3 minutes from full time, Houston keeper Pat Onstad rescued his team's victory with a stunning save of Jeff Larentowicz' blast from inside the 8 yard line.
The win marks the second straight title since the San Jose Earthquakes moved to Houston and were renamed the Dynamo. The team also won MLS Cups--as San Jose--in '01 and '03.
New England have now played in the last 3-, and 4 of the last 6-, MLS Cup finals, but have yet to walk away with the trophy.
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
|
|---|
Showing posts with label Richard DeLaurell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Richard DeLaurell. Show all posts
Monday, November 19, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
"Sexy Football" Comes to MLS as Gullit Joins Galaxy
Just as AEG and the LA Galaxy's Beckham gambit seemed to have pulled a fast fade--5 matches, 1 goal, no playoffs, no cup--the MLS club got even "sexier" by announcing Ruud Gullit as new head coach.
Gullit will be introduced tomorrow (Fri., Nov. 9) as the replacement for Frank Yallop, who left at the end of this season to take the reins of the expansion San Jose franchise which begins league play next year.
Gullit, 45, had been rumored as one of two finalists last week, along with former German national coach, Jürgen Klinsmann. Klinsmann is a resident of Newport Beach, California, not far from Los Angeles. His name seems to be added to the list every time a high-profile coaching job comes up lately; earlier this year he was reportedly on the short list to coach the US Men's National Team through the next World Cup, but such a deal did not materialize.
Gullit, former European Footballer of the Year (1987), comes to Los Angeles with previous coaching experiences at Feyenoord, Newcastle, and Chelsea.
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Gullit will be introduced tomorrow (Fri., Nov. 9) as the replacement for Frank Yallop, who left at the end of this season to take the reins of the expansion San Jose franchise which begins league play next year.
Gullit, 45, had been rumored as one of two finalists last week, along with former German national coach, Jürgen Klinsmann. Klinsmann is a resident of Newport Beach, California, not far from Los Angeles. His name seems to be added to the list every time a high-profile coaching job comes up lately; earlier this year he was reportedly on the short list to coach the US Men's National Team through the next World Cup, but such a deal did not materialize.
Gullit, former European Footballer of the Year (1987), comes to Los Angeles with previous coaching experiences at Feyenoord, Newcastle, and Chelsea.
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Sunday, November 4, 2007
US Soccer October Recap: Marta Makes Her Mark, Beckham No-Shows, and Blanco Lights Fire
In October, as so often happens in the USA, the world of women's soccer easily out-shone that of the men.
In that month, the US women's team made it all the way to the semi-finals of the FIFA Women's World Cup in China, but having got there were summarily dismissed by Brazil and their emergent national team. Indeed, the USA bowed out to Marta and company, 0-4, the budding superstar punctuating the victory with what had to be the classiest World Cup goal scored since Denis Bergkamp's YouTube classic against Argentina at France 1998.
The "early" exit for the US women seems very much to have disappointed the national federation and--though the Olympic tournament is less than a year away--a coaching change has already been announced.
Simultaneously, the biggest news in US men's soccer is that David Beckham and LA Galaxy are absent from the MLS playoffs, now underway.
This past weekend (Nov. 2-3) the final four teams vying for the 2007 MLS Cup were determined in conference championship semifinal play. In the Western Conference, 2006 champs Houston Dynamo eliminated Texas rivals, FC Dallas, 4-1, while Kansas City Wizards held ChivasUSA socreless to advance as Houston's opponent.
On the Eastern Conference side, the New England Revolution defeated Bruce Arena's New York Red Bulls, 1-0, Saturday night to advance to their sixth straight conference championship appearance. The Revolution will meet Chicago Fire in the conference final match, as the Fire--low seed in their conference--dismissed overall top-seeded DC United, 1-0.
The success of the Chicago Fire this season has surprised many. The club did not look likely to even make the playoffs in June, but--taking advantage of the same league salary rule which brought Beckham to Los Angeles--the Fire acquired Cuauhtemoc Blanco, late of Mexico City's Club America, and the Mexican national side. Blanco, 34, has scored four goals since he joined the Fire in July and totaled 13 points in just 16 games.
The Fire travel to New England Thursday, Nov. 8, for the Eastern Conference final match, while Houston will host Kansas City Wizards for the Western Conference final on Saturday, Nov. 10.
MLS Cup 2007 will be played Nov. 18 at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC.
Just FYI, let me say that it has been a while since I posted here. My main is excuse is I've been working on other things, my 1988 VW in particular. I hope to have the shifter working properly again sometime this week and thereafter have more time for blogging, etc.
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
In that month, the US women's team made it all the way to the semi-finals of the FIFA Women's World Cup in China, but having got there were summarily dismissed by Brazil and their emergent national team. Indeed, the USA bowed out to Marta and company, 0-4, the budding superstar punctuating the victory with what had to be the classiest World Cup goal scored since Denis Bergkamp's YouTube classic against Argentina at France 1998.
The "early" exit for the US women seems very much to have disappointed the national federation and--though the Olympic tournament is less than a year away--a coaching change has already been announced.
Simultaneously, the biggest news in US men's soccer is that David Beckham and LA Galaxy are absent from the MLS playoffs, now underway.
This past weekend (Nov. 2-3) the final four teams vying for the 2007 MLS Cup were determined in conference championship semifinal play. In the Western Conference, 2006 champs Houston Dynamo eliminated Texas rivals, FC Dallas, 4-1, while Kansas City Wizards held ChivasUSA socreless to advance as Houston's opponent.
On the Eastern Conference side, the New England Revolution defeated Bruce Arena's New York Red Bulls, 1-0, Saturday night to advance to their sixth straight conference championship appearance. The Revolution will meet Chicago Fire in the conference final match, as the Fire--low seed in their conference--dismissed overall top-seeded DC United, 1-0.
The success of the Chicago Fire this season has surprised many. The club did not look likely to even make the playoffs in June, but--taking advantage of the same league salary rule which brought Beckham to Los Angeles--the Fire acquired Cuauhtemoc Blanco, late of Mexico City's Club America, and the Mexican national side. Blanco, 34, has scored four goals since he joined the Fire in July and totaled 13 points in just 16 games.
The Fire travel to New England Thursday, Nov. 8, for the Eastern Conference final match, while Houston will host Kansas City Wizards for the Western Conference final on Saturday, Nov. 10.
MLS Cup 2007 will be played Nov. 18 at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC.
Just FYI, let me say that it has been a while since I posted here. My main is excuse is I've been working on other things, my 1988 VW in particular. I hope to have the shifter working properly again sometime this week and thereafter have more time for blogging, etc.
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Monday, September 24, 2007
MLS Playoff Spots Going Fast With 5 Weeks To Go
ChivasUSA, the Los Angeles-based "franchise" of Mexico's oldest football club--CD Guadalajara--has become the fourth MLS team to qualify for the league playoffs which begin October 25.
Chivas qualified on the strength of a 2:1 victory Saturday over Kansas City Wizards at the Home Depot Center in LA. The Red and White join DC United, New England Revolution, and holders Houston Dynamo as those clubs qualified for the playoffs. The clumination of the playoffs is the single-match MLS Cup to be contested on Nov. 18 in Washington, DC.
With the addition of Chivas, just four playoff spots remain. Thus far, none of the clubs making midseason acquisitions of former World Cup superstars has qualified to vie for the 2007 MLS championship.
FC Dallas, featuring former Brazilian World Cup star Denilson, is the closest to attaining a playoff berth and likely would face Chivas in a Western Conference seminfinal. Dallas could qualify as early as Wednesday of this week.
Chicago Fire, new home to Mexican international Cuauhtémoc Blanco, remain in the hunt for the lowest seed playoff berth, but are closely bunched on points with Colorado Rapids and Columbus Crew. With three points on the line in each of the last five matches, it will likely go down to the wire.
Finally, LA Galaxy, possessed of US international Landon Donovan, and now second home to England uber-star David Beckham, has virtually (though not mathematically) been eliminated from making this year's playoff.
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Chivas qualified on the strength of a 2:1 victory Saturday over Kansas City Wizards at the Home Depot Center in LA. The Red and White join DC United, New England Revolution, and holders Houston Dynamo as those clubs qualified for the playoffs. The clumination of the playoffs is the single-match MLS Cup to be contested on Nov. 18 in Washington, DC.
With the addition of Chivas, just four playoff spots remain. Thus far, none of the clubs making midseason acquisitions of former World Cup superstars has qualified to vie for the 2007 MLS championship.
FC Dallas, featuring former Brazilian World Cup star Denilson, is the closest to attaining a playoff berth and likely would face Chivas in a Western Conference seminfinal. Dallas could qualify as early as Wednesday of this week.
Chicago Fire, new home to Mexican international Cuauhtémoc Blanco, remain in the hunt for the lowest seed playoff berth, but are closely bunched on points with Colorado Rapids and Columbus Crew. With three points on the line in each of the last five matches, it will likely go down to the wire.
Finally, LA Galaxy, possessed of US international Landon Donovan, and now second home to England uber-star David Beckham, has virtually (though not mathematically) been eliminated from making this year's playoff.
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
Saturday, August 25, 2007
MLS Cup Playoffs Minus 60 days: Moreno Marks Most and Denilson Does Dallas
MLS Cup Playoffs Minus 60 days: Moreno Marks Most and Denilson Does Dallas
With the MLS playoffs looming just 60 days away the league's focus finally has begun to shift from the galactic starpower of David Beckham to the Cup final which is set for Washington, DC on Nov. 18.
DC United midfielder Jaime Moreno scored a second half penalty against New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night (Aug. 22) to bring his MLS career total to 109. Moreno takes over first place on the list of the league's all-time leading scorers, just ahead of the recently retired Jason Kreis.
"For me, in the back of my head the main thing is the team," said the Bolivian-born Moreno after his record-setting performance. "Anything you do is because you work hard at it," continued the 33 year old. "I'm proud, and now I'm just going to keep working, keep scoring, and we'll see what happens." Moreno is also the league's lifetime leader in spot-kick goals with 33.
Meanwhile, FC Dallas, looking to make a run at finally capturing a Cup title for its growing legion of fans, has acquired the rights to field Brazilian star Denilson. The 29 year old Denilson was a member of Brazil's "penta-campeon" at World Cup 2002; his professional career has included time with São Paulo FC, Real Bétis, Flamengo, Bourdeaux and Al-Nasr of Saudi Arabia.
"Now, I am anxious to get started playing," he told reporters at a press conference announcing his signing on Thursday (Aug. 23). "[And happy] to join a team that is in a good position in the league," he continued, "I hope that through my work I will be able to contribute to this team and have success in this league." FC Dallas is in second place in the Western Conference behind Houston Dynamo, last year's champ, with just 12 games to go in the regular season.
The playoffs include the 8 clubs with the best regular season records in two-leg series; the winners move on to conference championships and then the single, final match in Washington.
Denilson was acquired as FC Dallas' "designated player". In MLS, teams have a limited amount of league funds to use for player salaries, but each club is allowed one "designated player". The "designated player"-, or "Beckham" rule provides that one player's salary per team will not be counted against that club's allotted amount. In that way, the "designated player" may be payed quite a bit more than the others.
So it's all back to the bendy one in the end, isn't it?
With the MLS playoffs looming just 60 days away the league's focus finally has begun to shift from the galactic starpower of David Beckham to the Cup final which is set for Washington, DC on Nov. 18.
DC United midfielder Jaime Moreno scored a second half penalty against New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night (Aug. 22) to bring his MLS career total to 109. Moreno takes over first place on the list of the league's all-time leading scorers, just ahead of the recently retired Jason Kreis.
"For me, in the back of my head the main thing is the team," said the Bolivian-born Moreno after his record-setting performance. "Anything you do is because you work hard at it," continued the 33 year old. "I'm proud, and now I'm just going to keep working, keep scoring, and we'll see what happens." Moreno is also the league's lifetime leader in spot-kick goals with 33.
Meanwhile, FC Dallas, looking to make a run at finally capturing a Cup title for its growing legion of fans, has acquired the rights to field Brazilian star Denilson. The 29 year old Denilson was a member of Brazil's "penta-campeon" at World Cup 2002; his professional career has included time with São Paulo FC, Real Bétis, Flamengo, Bourdeaux and Al-Nasr of Saudi Arabia.
"Now, I am anxious to get started playing," he told reporters at a press conference announcing his signing on Thursday (Aug. 23). "[And happy] to join a team that is in a good position in the league," he continued, "I hope that through my work I will be able to contribute to this team and have success in this league." FC Dallas is in second place in the Western Conference behind Houston Dynamo, last year's champ, with just 12 games to go in the regular season.
The playoffs include the 8 clubs with the best regular season records in two-leg series; the winners move on to conference championships and then the single, final match in Washington.
Denilson was acquired as FC Dallas' "designated player". In MLS, teams have a limited amount of league funds to use for player salaries, but each club is allowed one "designated player". The "designated player"-, or "Beckham" rule provides that one player's salary per team will not be counted against that club's allotted amount. In that way, the "designated player" may be payed quite a bit more than the others.
So it's all back to the bendy one in the end, isn't it?
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Beckham Makes His Mark as MLS Tries to Turn "Soccer" Into "Football" in USA
David Beckham finally took the field last night (August 15) as captain of the Los Angeles Galaxy at the club's Home Depot Center in California. Playing at something approaching full speed for the first time in his new "kit", the bendy one scored once from a free kick at 20 meters and placed an assist at the feet of linemate Landon Donovan for a second half clincher. The Galaxy advanced, 2-0, to the first ever finals of the brand new SuperLiga tournament featuring MLS and Mexican league clubs.
Beckham's heroics come just one month into his MLS career and one day after former league star Freddy Adu debuted with Benfica of Portugal. Adu, entering the league as barely a teenager in 2004, had been touted as the star who could bring US soccer some star power and some devoted fans. After helping DC United win MLS Cup in his first season he made clear his intention to play professionally in Europe. He departed Real Salt Lake City, his last MLS club, for Portugal at nearly the exact moment that Beckham arrived from Madrid in July.
MLS has become the most successful professional soccer league in the history of the USA over the eleven years of its existence, but soccer still has yet to achieve the same status here as it does in those countries where it is known as "football". In the US, "soccer" is associated with moms driving minivans, and co-eds (mostly female) kicking the ball around at private colleges.
If Beckham can change that image, and give the US game the same kind of street-cred that Tiger Woods has given golf, or that John McEnroe gave tennis in the 1980's, MLS is hoping that fans and advertisers will naturally follow.
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football MLS Beckham Betting
Beckham's heroics come just one month into his MLS career and one day after former league star Freddy Adu debuted with Benfica of Portugal. Adu, entering the league as barely a teenager in 2004, had been touted as the star who could bring US soccer some star power and some devoted fans. After helping DC United win MLS Cup in his first season he made clear his intention to play professionally in Europe. He departed Real Salt Lake City, his last MLS club, for Portugal at nearly the exact moment that Beckham arrived from Madrid in July.
MLS has become the most successful professional soccer league in the history of the USA over the eleven years of its existence, but soccer still has yet to achieve the same status here as it does in those countries where it is known as "football". In the US, "soccer" is associated with moms driving minivans, and co-eds (mostly female) kicking the ball around at private colleges.
If Beckham can change that image, and give the US game the same kind of street-cred that Tiger Woods has given golf, or that John McEnroe gave tennis in the 1980's, MLS is hoping that fans and advertisers will naturally follow.
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football MLS Beckham Betting
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
