23Nov/140
Missed Chances Will Come Back to Haunt New York in Eastern Conference Final
It looks like the playoff magic the New York Red Bulls used to advance to the Eastern Conference Final is beginning to wear off. In the 2-1 loss to the New England Revolution to begin the two-leg series, both sides missed solid opportunities in front of goal. But it was the host Red Bulls who squandered the best chances of the match. Everything looked to be headed in the right direction for New York in the 27th minute, when Bradley Wright-Phillips cleaned up a Peguy Luyindula shot off the post to equalize the match at a goal apiece. Luyindula was praised for keeping the play alive, as he took a shot from the ground so Wright-Phillips could have the chance to hit the ball into the net. The lone goal scored by the Red Bulls would end up being one of the few attacking chances the team converted in front of the home crowd at Red Bull Arena. Wright-Phillips found himself in the spotlight again right before the halftime whistle. The Golden Boot winner had a terrific opportunity to hand the Red Bulls all of the momentum heading into the locker room. But instead of finishing off a Thierry Henry cross with ease, he ...23Nov/140
New York vs. New England: Winners and Losers from MLS Game
New England Revolution were outplayed in Harrison, New Jersey, but bookended the first leg of their Eastern Conference final with goals from Teal Bunbury and Jermaine Jones en route to a 2-1 win over the New York Red Bulls. Bradley Wright-Phillips notched the lone tally for the hosts, who will now go into the return match trailing on aggregate. Referee Allen Chapman presented 10 yellow cards in what was a tempestuous afternoon at Red Bull Arena, and with his booking in the 60th minute, Wright-Phillips, who led Major League Soccer in goalscoring during the regular season, will be suspended for Saturday's showdown in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Overall, there were a handful of standout performances on Sunday as well as a few underwhelming displays, and over the following slideshow we'll look at examples from both categories. Here are the individual winners and losers from this contest.Begin Slideshow23Nov/140
New York vs. New England: Score, Grades and Reaction from MLS Game
New York 1-2 New England Jermaine Jones gave New England a crucial advantage in the chase for the MLS Cup as his late winner left the New York Red Bulls to regret a host of wasted opportunities. Teal Bunbury had given the visitors a 17th-minute lead at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, but Bradley Wright-Phillips levelled 10 minutes later. However, the New York striker and his team-mates were guilty of missing a number of chances to win the match before Jones slotted home an 85th-minute winner. To add insult to injury, Wright-Phillips received a foolish yellow card for needlessly blocking New England goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth and will now miss the second leg at the Gillette Arena next weekend. Jones almost gave the Revolution a fourth-minute lead with a powerful close-range header, but Luis Robles was able to palm the ball away. At the other end of the field, Lloyd Sam broke clear and forced a good save from New England goalkeeper Shuttleworth. Wright-Phillips was looking for a 16th-minute penalty, but Kelyn Rowe's challenge on the New York striker was deemed legal. One minute later, though, New England went ahead. A Jones run to the right allowed Bunbury to pick up the ball, and he cut inside ...23Nov/140
Los Angeles vs. Seattle: Live Score, Highlights from MLS Game
MLS Cup Playoffs—StubHub Center LOS ANGELES GALAXY 1-0 SEATTLE SOUNDERS (52' Sarvas) Aggregate: 1-0 Referee: Kevin Stott Lineups Los Angeles Galaxy: Penedo, DeLaGarza, Gonzalez, Meyer, Rogers, Ishizaki, Sarvas, Juninho, Donovan, Keane, Zardes Seattle Sounders: Frei, Yedlin, Marshall, Scott, Gonzalez, Evans, Pineda, Azira, Pappa, Dempsey, Martins Follow @jerradpetersRead more MLS news on BleacherReport.com23Nov/140
New York vs. New England: Live Score, Highlights from MLS Game
MLS Cup Playoffs—Red Bull Arena NEW YORK RED BULLS 1-2 NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (27' Wright-Phillips; 17' Bunbury, 86' Jones) Aggregate: 1-2 Referee: Allen Chapman Lineups New York Red Bulls: Robles, Eckersley, Olave, Sekagaya, Oyongo, McCarty, Alexander, Sam, Luyindula, Henry, Wright Phillips New England Revolution: Shuttleworth, Tierney, Goncalves, Soares, Farrell, Caldwell, Jones, Rowe, Nguyen, Bunbury, Davies Follow @jerradpetersRead more MLS news on BleacherReport.com22Nov/140
Landon Donovan and LA Galaxy Have a Shot at Redemption vs. Seattle Sounders
The Los Angeles Galaxy and Seattle Sounders faced one another for the Supporters' Shield in the regular-season finale. Marco Pappa netted a brace late in the second half to give the Sounders a 2-0 win and the Shield in the process. Now, the two teams meet again in the MLS Western Conference final. “We were kind of hoping for this,” forward Alan Gordon told MLSSoccer.com. “It's going to be a good series, similar to what we saw a couple weeks back, and may the better team win.” LA actually had a chance to claim the Shield at the StubHub Center in the penultimate regular-season match. However, they blew a 2-0 lead over the Sounders and drew 2-2. This meeting between the league's two best sides is a dream matchup for the teams' supporters, the MLS offices and neutrals across North America. The Galaxy and Sounders had the best attacks in the regular season, and LA conceded the joint-fewest amount of goals. The chance for the Galaxy to make up for a crushing defeat at CenturyLink Field is just one of the many enticing storylines surrounding the match. Landon's Last Hurrah? Landon Donovan could potentially play his last games in this two-legged affair. This phrase was uttered in the conference semifinals ...21Nov/140
6 Bold Predictions for MLS Conference Championship Games
Major League Soccer kicks back into action this weekend with the first legs of the conference finals. Plenty of stars will take the pitch at the Red Bull Arena and the StubHub Center Sunday, but only a select few will be able to put their name in the spotlight. In our six bold predictions for the conference finals, we take a look at a few individuals on both sides of the ball who could have big games for their respective clubs. Begin Slideshow21Nov/140
LA Galaxy vs. Seattle: Key Issues and Decisions That Will Shape MLS Game
The Seattle Sounders and LA Galaxy will face each other for the third time in quick succession Sunday in the first leg of the Western Conference Final. Sigi Schmid's Sounders earned a road draw and a win at home to clinch the Supporters' Shield at the end of the regular season. But the Galaxy did dominate Seattle in the Pacific Northwest back in July. Everywhere you look on the pitch Sunday at StubHub Center, you will see one of the best players in Major League Soccer at their position. The spotlight will focus on Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Robbie Keane and Obafemi Martins to begin with. But as we saw with Marco Pappa in the regular season, anyone can steal the headlines. Here's a look at the key issues and managerial decisions that will decide the outcome of the first leg. Begin Slideshow21Nov/140
New York vs. New England: Key Issues and Decisions That Will Shape MLS Game
The two-legged MLS Eastern Conference Final begins Sunday afternoon at Red Bull Arena, as the fourth-seeded Red Bulls host No. 2 seed New England. New York bounced Sporting Kansas City and D.C. United from the MLS Cup playoffs to reach this stage, while the Revolution dispensed of Columbus easily in the Eastern Conference semifinal. Mike Petke's Red Bulls won both of the regular-season meetings between the two teams, the last of which came on August 2 at Red Bull Arena. Here's a look at the key issues and managerial decisions that will decide the result of the first leg. Begin Slideshow20Nov/140