Soccer By Ives

SBI MLS Fantasy Corner

Admit it, the month of April was a rough one for your MLS fantasy team. I mean sure, you might be one of the lucky few who adjusted to all the rules changes and got off to a flying start, but chances are you like most of us, wondering what is wrong with Luciano Emilio and trying to decide whether to hold on to Juan Pablo Angel or cut bait.

SBI Fantasy Correspondent Stephen Zaffuto can help you climb out of those April doldrums (at least he hopes so). Here are his MLS fantasy tips for week six:

Liverpool at Chelsea: Your Running Commentary

The Champions League semifinals kick off today with Chelsea facing Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of their home-and-home series. The first leg finished 1-1 courtesy of John Arne Riise's amazingly awful own goal, which means Liverpool must win today or tie 2-2 or greater to advance while Chelsea can reach the Champions League final with a victory or 0-0 tie.

If you will be following the match and will be online, please feel free to follow the match here. Share your thoughts, opinions and some play by play in the comments section below

Enjoy the match.

Oh Canada (Greetings from the land of maple syrup, hockey and the customs department from heck)

Good afternoon everybody. I'm writing you from the Toronto airport, where I just went through easily the worst customs process I've ever dealt with (and that's having gone to a dozen countries). No, I didn't get any Midnight Express treatment, it just took way longer, and had more steps, than any process before it).

I definitely won't hold this against the fine city of Toronto, which I have been looking forward to visiting for some time. My hopes of catching the Champions League semifinal between Chelsea and Liverpool at a local pub look dim. I still have to check into my hotel and I think I'll just do a running commentary before meeting up with some friends in this fine city.

Thanks to all of you who gave me some suggestions on places to visit while in Toronto. I will definitely be checking out some of those spots.

I will check back in for the Chelsea-Liverpool game so look out for that running commentary, eh.

SBI heading to Toronto

Good morning all. Apologies in advance for a shortage of posts this morning. I will be heading to Toronto today ahead of Thursday night's Eastern Conference showdown between Toronto FC and the Red Bulls.

It is my first trip to Toronto so I am definitely looking forward to the trip. I know there are a good number of SBI readers from Toronto so I will ask what I usually ask when I go on an unfamiliar road trip. What are the best places to go in Toronto? What's the best place to watch Chelsea-Liverpool today? How about the best place to grab a few beers? Let me know Toronto readers, I'm sure there are other readers who are curious about these same things as they make plans to visit Toronto this year.

I will be checking back in shortly so stay tuned.

Red Bulls 2, Earthquakes 0: A Supporter's View

Is a win still a win if nobody is there to see it? The answer is yes.

Okay, so saying there was nobody at Giants Stadium on Sunday is a bit much, but the small crowd in attendance to see the Red Bulls' 2-0 win against San Jose was still a bit disconcerting. There were die-hard fans in the crowd who did get to see John Wolyniec and Jozy Altidore combine for a pair of crucial plays, but plenty of fans stayed home either because of the weather or Sunday responsibilities.

San Jose is probably glad there weren't that many witnesses to the Earthquakes latest lackluster performance. A week after a promising win against Colorado, the Earthquakes reverted to looking like an expansion team as their offense sputtered and defense broke down.

SBI Correspondents Andrew Keh and Kevin Matthiessen watched the match and give us their takes on the 2-1 Red Bulls victory.

Paul Scholes blast lifts Manchester United to Champions League final

Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes delivered a clutch long-range bomb of a goal to help Man U top Barcelona, 1-0, in the second leg of their semifinal series, earning the Red Devils a place in the UEFA Champions League final for the first time since the club won the treble in 1999.

In what was a fast-paced match throughout, Man U weathered an early onslaught by Barcelona before taking control of the match after a Gianluca Zambrotta turnover left Scholes with a clear shot from 25 yards out. Long known for his long-range shooting prowess, Scholes didn't disappoint, blasting a right-footed laser into the top right corner of goal.

Here is the goal for those of you who haven't seen it (or those of you who simply want to see it again):

D.C. United 4, Real Salt Lake 1: A Supporter's View

When D.C. United walked off the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium two weeks ago, the sting of a 4-0 blowout loss to Real Salt Lake was only tempered by the knowledge that the chance for revenge would come very soon.

That chance came on Saturday and D.C. took full advantage, riding two penalty kicks and two stunning strikes to earn a 4-1 victory at RFK Stadium. The victory was complete, entertaining and above all, healing for a D.C. club in desperate need of some proof that it was as good as the pre-season hype.

The vibe isn't as good for Real Salt Lake, which is once again struggling with the prospects of being a losing team. Despite all the new talent on the roster, RSL is struggling once again.

SBI Correspondents Joel Sanderson and Scott McAllister watched the D.C. United-RSL match and give us their takes on the match:

Manchester United vs. Barcelona: Running Commentary

The game we've all been waiting for is finally here. Manchester United vs. Barcelona. Winner goes to the Champions League final. It doesn't get much better than that.

Manchester United plays host to Barcelona needing a win to clinch the Champions League final berth, or a 0-0 tie to force overtime in this home-and-home series. The match is set to begin at 2:45 p.m. on ESPN2.

I will be doing a live commentary on the match so feel free to follow the match here. Even if you're watching the match yourself, if you happen to be online please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions on the match in the comments section below. I have a feeling today's match will be far more exciting than the first leg between these teams.

Enjoy the match.

Lider Marmol signs with the Chicago Fire

The Chicago Fire signed Paraguayan defender Lider Marmol, the team announced on Tuesday. The signing ends a three-month long saga that saw Marmol train with the Red Bulls for two months before eventually joining the Fire and agreeing to terms.

"We are excited to hae Lider join our organization," Fire technical director Frank Klopas said. "He is a good young player that is going to make our team stronger."

Fire 2, Rapids 1: A Supporter's View

After weeks of hearing how the Chicago Fire was in desperate need of a legit right winger, John Thorrington stepped up and made a good case for being that very player. His two goals lifted the Fire to a 2-1 victory against Colorado and kept the Fire near the top of the East standings.

The loss dropped the Rapids to 2-3 in the West and raised more concerns about a team that was coming off an embarrassing home loss to San Jose a week earlier. Colorado played better against Chicago, but still didn't leave Toyota Park with any points.

SBI Correspondents Stephen Wattles and Craig de Aragon watched the match and provide their views on the Fire's 2-1 win against Colorado after the jump:

(The rest of) Your Questions Answered

Good afternoon folks (and good morning on the West Coast). Well, it took a little while to finish off the last part of the most recent Q&A, but it is finally done. Here are the answers to the remaining questions from last week's Q&A.

Enjoy.

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SQUARD- With Honduras in the Olympics, What are the chances that Guevara will be one of their three "over 23" players?

IVES- I can see Honduras wanting Guevara, I just wonder if he will want to leave Toronto for a month to play in the Olympics.

Morning Ticker: Brazil to tour USA, Barca sets Ronnie price and Ronaldo's nightmare

Good morning all. Today is the big day for Champions League fans as Manchester United faces Barcelona in a winner-take-all semifinal second leg today.

I will be writing about that match shortly. For now, here are some soccer news tidbits to get the day started:

Brazil to tour United States, play Canada in Seattle

The Brazilian national team will play matches against Canada and Venezuela in the United States this summer. Brazil will face Canada in Seattle on May 31 before playing Venezuela in Boston (well, Foxboro) on June 6 as part of preparations for World Cup qualifying. This is great news for the Canadian national team, which has been starving for just these kinds of matches. Brazil will also play at Gillette Stadium for the second straight year after playing Mexico in a friendly last summer.

Barcelona sets Ronaldinho price at 40M Euros

Barcelona president Joan LaPorte doesn't believe in bargains, at least not in selling off top players at bargain prices. LaPorte has stated that he won't sell Ronaldinho for anything less than 40 million Euros. Is that a reasonable price tag or is LaPorte simply trying to send the message that Ronaldinho is not for sale? AC Milan is certainly interested, but with all its other needs could Milan really afford to splurge that much on a player who isn't even necessarily a need?

Revolution 1, FC Dallas 0: A Supporter's View

One look at the New England Revolution starting lineup last Thursday and most observers would have penciled in the Revs match at FC Dallas as a blowout loss. Missing six starters, the Revs fielded an inexperienced squad with plenty of new faces against a Hoops squad that went into the match unbeaten.

So much for predictable outcomes. New England shut down the FC Dallas offense and Khano Smith delivered a moment of brilliance to give the Revs the precious goal it needed to escape Pizza Hut Park with an unexpected victory.

SBI Correspondents Andrew Karl and Casey Corcoran took in the match and share their takes with us:

Matt Kassel called in to U.S. Under-20 camp in England

Red Bulls youth prospect Matt Kassel was one of 18 players selected to take part in a U.S. Under-20 national team camp in Manchester, England next week. The U.S. team will play friendlies against the reserve teams from Bolton (May 7), Manchester United (May 8) and Liverpool (May 10).

Also on the squad are former U.S. Under-17 standout and New Jersey native Billy Schuler, U.S. Under-20 World Cup reserve goalkeeper Brian Perk as well as Wake Forest standout defender Ike Opara.

Here is the rest of the roster for the U.S. Under-20 camp:

Los Angeles Galaxy 5, Chivas USA 2: A Supporter's View

It had the makings of a tightly-contested rivalry match. The LA Galaxy and Chivas USA were tied 2-2 late in the second half in a match that looked destined to be a tie.

At least before the Chivas USA imploded, Brad Guzan reverted to his awful rookie form and Alan Gordon did his best Bizarro Alan Gordon impression.

Three unanswered goals helped the Galaxy post a 5-2 victory and left Chivas USA searching for answers as to why this year's version of the Goats is so much worse than the 2007 edition.

The Galaxy's masterful performance was marred by some ugly scenes in the Home Depot Center stands, where some Chivas USA fans (if you want to call them fans) did their best wannabe hooligan impressions.

SBI Correspondents Nathan Henderson-James and John Sandate were at Home Depot Center and took in the action. Here are there accounts of the match:

SBI MLS Player of the Week/Weak

It is rare to find a performance so thoroughly dominant that it overshadows the kind of games we saw this weekend, but Landon Donovan had that sort of performance.

The Los Angeles Galaxy forward had THREE goals and an assist in the Galaxy's 5-2 thrashing of Chivas USA on Saturday, upping his goal total to eight (which according to Max Bretos puts Donovan on pace for 225 career goals).

Donovan earns MLS Player of the Week honors in a week where there were a half-dozen deserving candidates. Among them were Toronto midfielder Amado Guevara, for his two-goal effort against Kansas City, Chicago midfielder John Thorrington for his brace against Colorado, and Crew goalkeeper Wil Hesmer for his stellar performance against Houston.

Choosing Player of the WEAK was much tougher this week. One team stood out above all others, with one player continuing what has been a nightmarish start to the season.

Americans Abroad: Weekend Rewind

                                                          Photo by ISI Photos

Fulham is still alive. Yes, you read that right, the Cottagers' hopes of avoiding relegation stayed alive for another week courtesy of a 3-2 win against Manchester City. That means the five Americans who play for Fulham were given another chance to survive, at least one more game with something on the line.

Kasey Keller and company still needs two wins in its final two matches AND some help to avoid relegation, but things will get really interesting if they can beat Birmingham at home this weekend (especially if Reading and/or Bolton loses).

While Fulham's win was a bright spot for Americans Abroad, Reading tying Wigan didn't exactly help the Royals and Marcus Hahnemann (and Bobby Convey) breathe any easier. Reading is still in relegation danger with two games to go.

There was good news in other parts of Europe, including Italy, where Danny Szetela earned a start for Brescia, and Austria, where Nate Jaqua scored the equalizer against Red Bull Salzburg.

Toronto FC 2, Wizards 0: A Supporter's View

With one beautiful free kick goal, Amado Guevara helped secure the three points for Toronto FC and helped TFC extend its winning streak to three matches.

Is this really the same team that started the season so poorly? The easy answer is no, not with newcomers Guevara, Laurent Robert and Rohan Ricketts turning the Toronto midfield into one of the best in MLS.

Kansas City might be asking similar questions about whether this is the same team that started the season. The Wizards got out of the gate quickly, going 2-0, but just one win in the next four matches has KC wondering what the problem is.

SBI Correspondents Duane Rollins and Mike Cross took in the action on Saturday and provide us with their takes on Toronto's 2-0 victory:

SBI MLS Best XI: Week Five

Week five of the MLS season feature some truly standout individual performances that made it extremely difficult to select a Best XI for the week.

Some picks were easy, like Landon Donovan, who netted a hat-trick AND an assist in the Galaxy's 5-2 mauling of Chivas USA, but some others were tough to make.

This week's MLS Best XI is heavy on goals, with five players who registered at least two goals.

Here is this week's MLS Best XI for Week Five:

SBI MLS Power Rankings: Week Five

What a weekend.

MLS fans were treated to goals galore and some pretty tightly-contested matches this weekend. From Chicago and New England scoring second-half game-winners to Columbus holding on for its own 1-0 victory, there was plenty of drama in the last weekend in April.

There were blowouts too, including the highly-entertaining romp by Los Angeles against Chivas USA. You also had D.C. United exacting revenge against Real Salt Lake by posting a 4-1 victory just two weeks after being pummeled, 4-0, by the same team.

The most impressive aspect of the weekend may have been how the Eastern Conference dominated the West. East teams swept the intra-conference battles 5-0, outscoring their West counterparts 12-2 in the process. For those keeping track at home, the East now boasts an 11-3-2 edge against the West this year.

That domination is reflected in the latest SBI MLS Power Rankings, where East teams occupy seven of the top eight spots. Only FC Dallas was able to crack the top eight.

Here are this week's MLS Power Rankings: