15Mar/120
LA Galaxy vs. Toronto FC: Rating the Galaxy Players
You know, when it comes to player ratings, I think of myself as a professor and the players of Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy as my students. Every match is a class project. A win is akin to a well-done project, solid and well-thought out. On the other hand, a defeat is similar to a plagiarized or poorly-constructed project: not well-thought out, unoriginal and downright uncompelling. I want you to keep this in mind when I post these player ratings on the Galaxy players for the rest of the year because in professional sports, or any profession, nobody is inclined to hold your hand, and I would not bother to hold the hands of these players if I could. With this out of the way, let's take a look at the player ratings for the LA Galaxy in their 2-1 defeat to Toronto FC. Josh Saunders 6 Saunders may as well have been the only player to have done something all night. He made saves, but in the end, he could not do enough of them. Saunders is in a slump, and he knows it. Question is, will he snap out of it on Sunday against D.C. United? Sean Franklin ...15Mar/120
Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Toronto FC: 6 Things We Learned
If this was Europe, and this was a European competition, Los Angeles Galaxy manager Bruce Arena would be sacked after a horrendous 2-1 defeat to Toronto FC. But, this is CONCACAF, so the bar is a little lower, and it's only the CONCACAF Champions League. However, results like this against teams that are not expected to contend for hardware in Major League Soccer raises a red flag. Ladies and gentlemen, there is a possibility that it could be 2007 all over again, when winning was as foreign as Esperanto to the Galaxy. (Of course, they had Ruud Gullit at the time, but that's a different story.) Here are six things we learned after this appalling/shocking/epic result at the Home Depot Center on Wednesday. 1. It is official, these Canadians can play! I never thought I would live to see the day that a Canadian club would progress this far in the CONCACAF Champions League. Forget Isidro Metapan (assuming they hold off Pumas UNAM), Aron Winter's Toronto FC may come into the semifinals as a team of destiny. Not only do they fly the flag for Canada—a nation whose only relevance to world football lies in its women—but they also fly ...15Mar/120
Santos vs. Seattle: 6 Goal Blitz Knocks Sounders from CONCACAF Champions League
Seattle got the night's first chance, but Santos would prove far more lethal in the second match of their CONCACAF Champions League tie.The Sounders traveled to Mexico with a 2-1 advantage from the first leg. They looked likely to widen the margin in the eighth minute when a corner kick led to two headed chances in front of goal. First, Alvaro Fernandez saw his point blank header saved, then Brad Evans' follow-up found the gloves of Santos keeper Oswaldo Sanchez.At that promising early moment, Seattle fans couldn't have known what they were in for. Santos Grab the Game by Its ThroatChristian Suarez was superb for Santos all evening. He began the night on the left and just after Seattle's big moment in the eighth minute, the ball ended up at Suarez' feet outside the Seattle area.Suarez created space between three Seattle defenders and fired his shot in at the near post to open the night's scoring.Santos won the ball from the ensuing kick off, and a beautiful ball in behind Seattle's central defense found forward Oribe Peralta Morones.Despite having Seattle defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado draped all over him, Peralta managed to turn with the ball and slip it past goalkeeper Michael ...15Mar/120
CONCACAF Quarterfinals: Nervous Win for Toronto FC as They Defeat LA Galaxy
With the CONCACAF quarterfinals officially a rap, here are my initial reactions and comments on the LA Galaxy/Toronto FC game.It was a nerve-wracking CONCACAF quarterfinal second leg, and The LA Galaxy targeted the weak Toronto defense play after play. However, this was a very sloppy match overall for both sides. Toronto started with the same formation they used last Wednesday in Toronto for the first leg of the CONCACAF Quarter finals. With LA clinching a late 2-2 tie in Toronto, the pressure was on for a win. Unfortunately, this game wasn't a big draw in Los Angeles, and the stadium wasn't anywhere near its capacity of 47,000 fans. This ambivalence set the tone for the match.The game had a sluggish feel to it in the early minutes of the game. Toronto struck first, off the head of Ryan Johnson. LA quickly responded to the goal, challenging Toronto's very high defensive line play after play. Although a few questionable officiating calls went Toronto's way, the score remained 1-0 heading into the half. Despite being narrowly beaten on every long ball the Galaxy chipped over the slow and outnumbered Toronto defense, this same pattern continued into the second half. Landon Donovan beat his man to the ...14Mar/120
The Greatest Toronto FC Goals of All Time
Despite having a rather young history, there have been a number of world-class goals achieved at Toronto Football Club. Whether from set piece, penalty or in open action, all of these goals share something in common— greatness. Take a moment to view some of the best goals that have been achieved in the five-year history of Toronto FC.Begin Slideshow14Mar/120
Portland Timbers: 2012 Brings a New Beginning
There is no doubt about it. March is pretty special in a sports fan's mind. Not only do we begin the NCAA tournament, we also see MLB begin its hunt to the opening day. However, in Portland, the city begins its hunt for a MLS Cup championship. This is the second year that the Portland Timbers will look to make the playoffs as they missed out by a mere few points last season. Even with the excitement that brings the city to its feet and the Timbers Army singing for over 90-plus minutes, let's take a look at who graced the pitch for the first night of the 2012 season against the Philadelphia Union. Now by all means, this is my personal grade of each player through my own eyes—they are also squarely based on the game at hand, which was played in miserable rain-soaked conditions all night.Begin Slideshow14Mar/120
MLS Week 2: Predictions and Previews for the Week Ahead
After an interesting and exciting MLS First Kick, our tongues have just begun to taste the potential of what this season has to offer. Last week, we saw last minute winners, west coast dominance, and the official debut of MLS' new TV partner NBC Sports.All that being said, there will be plenty of great matchups and stories to watch as the MLS enters the second week of its 17th season in action. Check out the Week Two Preview here. Enjoy!Begin Slideshow13Mar/120
MLS: Can the Colombian Connection Take MLS to the Next Level?
Speed, skill and style are all attributes of the beautiful game that are attractive to fans. Major League Soccer has been trying to find players with these attributes to improve the product on the field and grow the fanbase off it. Since the beginning of the league, teams have been looking for high-value talent with a shoe-string budget. Over the last few years, several teams have been striking gold in Colombia with the capture of young talent. The influx of Colombian talent is nothing new to MLS. Carlos Valderrama and Juan Pablo Angel have both shown their skill in MLS, but both were well-known commodities before bringing their game to America. Valderrama may have had the most well-recognized hair in soccer history to go along with his all-world talent. Angel spent several years finding the back of the net across the Premier League before bringing his goal scoring touch to MLS. While both men brought a lot to MLS, it may be their brethren from their homeland that brings MLS closer to being a top league. Seattle’s Fredy Montero burst onto the scene in the Sounders' first season. Since pulling on the green jersey in 2009, Montero has been an offensive force ...13Mar/120
Toronto FC Sign 24-Year-Old Central Defender Logan Emory
With Toronto's defense still very weak due to the lengthy injuries of Adrian Cann and Dicoy Williams, manager Aron Winter has completed the signing of the young American center-back, Logan Emory.Emory has been on trial throughout the preseason, and has obviously impressed the Toronto staff. In an interview with TorontoFC.ca, Winter said of his new signing: “Logan is a strong young defender and he has many qualities we like to see in a player. "We were impressed with his work ethic during his trial period in Orlando and I felt he performed well against Vancouver in our final preseason match. Logan gives us another option in defence and fits in well with our team’s style of play.” Emory has played two seasons in USSF Division 2 with the Puerto Rico Islanders, and played a major role in his club's success in 2010. Puerto Rico reached the CONCACAF semi-finals, only to be beaten on penalties by Cruz Azul of Mexico. In 2011, Emory logged the most minutes of any Islander, becoming a mainstay in the center of defense.Undoubtedly, the MLS is a major step up from the USSF. However, hopefully Winter and company have found their help in the back with this young defender from Boise. His success ...13Mar/120