Seattle Sounders Are Not a Fluke, but Can They Get Past the First Round?

In the franchise’s second season, the Seattle Sounders proved that their great 2009 season was no fluke and that this team was a true contender. They didn’t improve on their first-year campaign despite all of the preseason buzz. The team won its second consecutive U.S. Open Cup, the first club to do so since 1983. However, they couldn’t escape the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs for the second straight time. The season was salvaged after the team started off to a disappointing record of 4-8-3. Over the team’s final 15 games, the Sounders only lost twice. The biggest addition to last year’s squad didn’t come from a trade or transfer. Instead, the Sounders will be glad to have defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado return to the lineup after spending the majority of last season on the disabled list. A valuable piece, Hurtado’s presence should solidify the back line and give the team a bit more presence. What was a huge strength in 2009 dipped in form in 2010. The Sounders gave up the most goals out of all eight playoff teams (35). Hurtado should help them get back to form. Even more discouraging for Seattle was the offense. Seattle scored 39 goals last season, ...

Los Angeles Galaxy Ins and Outs, March 11, 2011

Down go the Bruins...On Wednesday, Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy completed their final tune-up game, a 2-1 victory over the UCLA Bruins. Juninho, who is looking to build on his first year with the club on loan from Sao Paulo FC, opened up the scoring in the 22nd minute on an unassisted goal.In the 50th minute, expected starter Juan Pablo Angel sent in a delivery to Chad Barrett, who then played a through ball to Galaxy team captain Landon Donovan to make it 2-0.UCLA made things interesting in the 55th minute to cut the lead to 2-1, but backup goalkeeper Josh Saunders did a good job in fending off any forthcoming threats from the Bruins.“As far as the way we move, the way we’re passing, the way we’re defending, we’re there,” Donovan said after the match. “We just need to get a little fitter and that’s going to take a little bit longer. You need a real game of 90 minutes before you can get that final piece of fitness.”Angel also believed more work needed to be done in terms of building a connection with Barrett.“We’re working on it,” Ángel said. “It takes time to build a partnership. Hopefully, throughout the ...

Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders: On the Road To Redemption

The Los Angeles Galaxy's 2010 quest for the MLS Cup ended at the Home Depot Center, where they fell to FC Dallas in the Western Conference Championship to the tune of 3-0. The bitter taste lingered in the lips of Bruce Arena's club, and it was the bitterness that drives this team for a big season in 2011.They begin their Major League Soccer campaign on Mar. 15 at Qwest Field against an opponent that they have been for the most part successful against, the Seattle Sounders.The Galaxy will rely on the power trio of team captain Landon Donovan, forward Juan Pablo Angel and midfielder David Beckham to establish scoring continuity after Edson Buddle took a chance overseas.Angel scored 13 goals for the New York Red Bulls last season. Donovan finished last year with the most assists, recording 16. Beckham only returned to the pitch in September of 2010 after suffering a torn Achilles. Chad Barrett adds scoring depth to this combination.Newcomers Miguel Lopez and Paolo Cardozo have impressed the coaching staff during preseason. Watch for these two Argentineans to hone their potential in the midfield, taking slack off Chris Birchall and Mike Magee.Defensively, the Galaxy will need a solid performance ...

New York Cosmos: A Conversation with the Former Team Doctor

“They say life's what happens when you're busy making other plans. But sometimes in New York, life is what happens when you're waiting for a table.”—Carrie Bradshaw; Sex and the City One thing I love and appreciate about living in New York City are the diners. Along with the diversity of it's patrons and staff, the beautiful thing about diners is the no thrill no frills philosophy. It's the one place where I go to understand the rhythm of the city and it's people. It's also the place where one finds information that you'll never find anywhere else. As a writer who covers soccer, diners have been my invaluable resource. No matter the time of day/night, there's always someone who I can talk too about soccer. Over the years, the soccer history (both locally & globally) that I've learned has given me a better understanding of the game and the impact it has in people's lives. In the case of the New York Cosmos, I regularly talk with their older fans. These are the fans who were with the team from the beginning till the end. During our conversations, I give them an update of the organization while giving them a ...

Los Angeles Galaxy Can’t Wait for Business to Begin Ahead of Season Opener

At the Los Angeles Galaxy training camp, Bruce Arena's men were itching for the fight, even though the team has a week to go before its season opener with the Seattle Sounders.“The anticipation is building. You could really tell that today,” said Galaxy forward Chad Barrett. “He was yelling at us right from the get-go, from the very first pass.“It really woke me up and I know it woke a couple of other guys up and got training going. I like that. It just shows you straight from the top it’s time to go.”For Barrett, he embraced the opportunity to challenge Juan Pablo Angel for one of the starting forward positions.“The competition is great,” said Barrett, who scored seven goals with Toronto FC in 2010. “In Toronto, we didn’t have much of an issue because we were so thin up front, but here? Maybe two starting spots up top and spots all over the field? That competition means the team is going to be that much better.”No pity is needed for Barrett, who understands that self-criticism will need to be cast aside for the good of his new team.“I’m still very hard on myself, but it’s gotten better,” Barrett said. ...

New York Cosmos: Can Pele, Eric Cantona and Cobi Jones Restart a Revolution?

In the late 1970s, it was Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto and Giorgio Chinaglia who were helping the New York Cosmos become the hottest sports ticket in North America. Giants Stadium would regularly sell out its 77,000 tickets, celebrities would flock to the games, fans in opposing cites turned out in droves and uttering the simple words, "I'm with the Cosmos" could get you past any velvet rope in Manhattan. The New York Cosmos were not only the flagship team of the North American Soccer League, but they transcended the sport internationally and domestically before it all came crashing down in 1985. But now, the Cosmos are back. They do not have a team or a stadium yet, but they do have famous names once again to represent the famous white and green uniforms. Pele is returning to the organization as Honorary President, and Manchester United legend Eric Cantona, who has turned down numerous opportunities to return to soccer since his retirement in 1997, joins the club as the Director of Soccer. Working alongside Cantona as part of the soccer personnel structure is American Cobi Jones, a veteran of over 300 MLS games and 164 caps for the US National team. A structure is in place ...

MLS Championship Opportunty Window Closing for Los Angeles Galaxy

The 2010 season was another year the Los Angeles Galaxy fell short. Again with one of the most loaded teams in the league, the Galaxy was the top-seed in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season and won the Supporter’s Shield. However, they were bounced in the semifinals of the MLS Cup playoffs. It appears management won’t settle for anything short of the franchise’s third championship, so the team brought in several big-name acquisitions over the offseason. The team was dealt a rather large blow when breakout star and 2010 leading goal scorer Edson Buddle left Los Angeles for Germany. Who would pick up the goal scoring slack? The organization acted quickly in not only replacing Buddle, but improving its entire stable of forwards. The Galaxy traded for Adam Cristman and Chad Barrett and acquired Designated Player Juan Pablo Angel—the New York Red Bulls’ all-time leading goal scorer—in the Re-Entry draft. Angel may be 35-years-old and have some injuries that have bothered him in recent years, but he still was New York’s leading goal scorer not only last season, but all four years he was with the franchise. He is deadly as a penalty-kick taker. Barrett is a nice-pickup for the squad. He’s only 25-years-old ...

Los Angeles Galaxy Ins and Outs, Mar. 6, 2011

Youth Academy UpdateOn Friday, the Los Angeles Galaxy announced that the Youth Academy will be participating as founding members in the new Southern California Developmental Soccer League (SCDSL) beginning in September of 2011. The Galaxy Academy will have four teams participate this fall in the inaugural season of the SCDSL in the Under-12, Under-13, Under-14 and Under-15 age divisions.The SCDSL Founding Clubs are (in alphabetical order):Arsenal FCChivas USACosmos AcademyIrvine StrikersLA GalaxyLaguna Hills EclipseLegends FCNomadsOC RevolutionPateadoresPVSC ExilesReal So CalSlammers FCSo Cal BluesSo Cal InfinitySouth Bay ForceSouth Coast BayernSurfUnited FCWest Coast FCTryouts for the Under-12 and Under-13 teams will take place on Sunday, March 27 on Field No. 7. The Under-12 tryout will be held from 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and the Under-13 tryout from 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. To be eligible to play for the Under-12 team, players must be born after July 31, 1999 and Under-13 players must be born after July 31, 1998.More information can be found at the Galaxy's web site.Dusting off the young CanadiansThe Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the Canada Under-23 national team 4-0 in a training game at the Home Depot Center on Saturday.Miguel Lopez opened up the scoring 15 minutes into the contest off the delivery from ...

Vancouver Whitecaps Sign Eric Hassli as Its First Designated Player

David Beckham. Thierry Henry. Rafael Marquez. Thierry Henry. Cuauhtémoc Blanco. Juan Pablo Angel. Those are some of the biggest DP signings in MLS history. They provide talent on the field and name-recognition off it, bringing in a lot of fans to see them play. Eric Hassli? Have you ever even heard of him? The Vancouver Whitecaps have announced Hassli will be the team’s first designated player. The question is, why? He comes from Swiss Super League club FC Zurich. As a forward, however, he’s only scored seven goals in the past two seasons. Not very good numbers. He’s also not going to draw many fans out to games, although as an expansion team, the Whitecaps may not need a marquee name to bring out fans; the “newness” of the team may be enough. Hassli has never played at the international level for France. C’mon man, even Mista has made a couple of appearances for Spain. There are some reasons why it could be a good signing. At 6’4” and 200 pounds, he is a very strong forward, who according to Vancouver president Bob Lenarduzzi, also has good technical skill. The Whitecaps were also very thin at the forward position, with the ...

MLS 2011 Schedule Preview: Must-See Games

Anticipation is building for soccer fans in America with the 2011 edition of the Major League Soccer season less than two weeks away. There are a lot of new faces in new places, as well as two new teams—the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps. Each team will play 34 games in 2011, with each team playing everybody twice. That means there are a total 612 games. There will be some very entertaining soccer to be played, but here are the top 15 regular season games that you need to watch.Begin Slideshow