Soccer By Ives

MLS Notes: McBride has shoulder surgery, Harris traded to Dallas and more (UPDATED)

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The Chicago Fire is considered one of the deepest teams in Major League Soccer and will now have that depth tested as the Easter Conference power is forced to deal with the loss of star striker Brian McBride.

McBride is set to miss four to six weeks three to four months after undergoing shoulder surgery. Second-year forward Patrick Nyarko is expected to pick up the slack in McBride's absence. (UPDATE- McBride's initial prognosis was four to six weeks but the Fire announced on Friday evening that the damage to McBride's shoulder was worse than first thought.)

McBride leads the Fire in goals scored with six. He may now be out of action until September.

Here are some other MLS news items heading into the weekend:

Chivas USA ships Eskandarian to Galaxy

 

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The Los Angeles Galaxy was in the market for a forward and Chivas USA was trying hard to unload one of its surplus of forwards, so the Home Depot Center neighbors reached yet another deal, with Alecko Eskandarian heading to the Galaxy for allocation money.

Chivas USA had shopped Eskandarian to several teams, including the New York Red Bulls, but most teams were scared off by Eskandarian's high salary (more than $140,000 in 2009) and his inability to stay healthy. The Galaxy, in dire need of some goal-scoring help, decide the risk was worth it and made the deal for the former MLS Cup MVP.

Do you think Eskandarian can help the Galaxy make a successful playoff run? Think Chivas USA was wise to deal with a Western Conference rival (and supposed arch-rival)?

Share your thoughts below.

Chivas USA vs. Houston Dynamo: Your Running Commentary

The top two teams in Major League Soccer are set to meet tonight in a mid-week Western Conference clash. Chivas USA, holders of the best record in MLS (8-2-3), take on the Houston Dynamo (6-2-3), the hottest team in the league and riders of an eight match unbeaten streak.

There are plenty of great match-ups in this one, from Stuart Holden vs. Jesse Marsch, to Geoff Cameron vs. Eduardo Lillingston. Can the stingy Chivas USA defense contain Brad Davis and the suddenly surging Dynamo attack?

Tonight's match is being shown on ESPN2 at 8:30pm. If you will be watching tonight's match, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action.

Chicago's last-minute penalty vs. Chivas USA: Legit call or bad joke?

If you stayed up to watch the Chicago Fire-Chivas USA match you saw a match marred by a boat-load of yellow cards (ten to be exact), a red card and three penalty kicks, the last of which left many observers wondering just what Terry Vaughn was thinking.

If you haven't seen the replay of the penalty that helped Chicago pull out a 3-2 victory on Thursday night, here it is:

As you might imagine, Chivas USA head coach Preki wasn't too happy with that call (or the referee's performance in general).

Morning Ticker: Fire downs Chivas USA, Pachuca drops first leg and more

 

Cuauhtemoc Blanco converted the second of two penalty kicks in second-half stoppage time to help give the Chicago Fire an improbable 3-2 comeback victory against Chivas USA on Thursday night.

The match ended in controversy when referee Terry Vaughn awarded a questionable penalty on an apparent push of Brian McBride by Mariano Trujillo in the penalty area. Blanco stepped to the line and buried the game winner.

The Fire looked on its way to its first loss of the season before late substitute Patrick Nyarko equalized in the 89th minute. Chivas USA were forced to play the final 27 minutes a man down after Jesse Marsch was issued a red card.

Here are some other stories to get your day started:

Top two teams in MLS set to square off (and an American prepares for a championship)

The two best teams in Major League Soccer will square off tonight at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California when Chivas USA plays host to the Chicago Fire (10:30pm, ESPN2) in the season's best match-up today.

Chivas USA boasts the most points in the league, led by the midfield tandem of Jesse Marsch and Paolo Nagamura and rejuvenated goalkeeper Zach Thornton. The Fire come into the match undefeated for the season and having won two straight road games by a combined score of 3-0. Led by Brian McBride, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Wilman Conde, the Fire should pose the toughest test to date for the Goats.

That kickoff time might be a bit late for you East Coast soccer fans, but it isn't the only late-night viewing on tap. U.S. national team midfielder Jose Francisco Torres will help lead Pachuca against UNAM Pumas tonight in the first leg of the Mexican League championship (10pm, Telemundo).

Who do you see winning tonight's MLS showdown? Are you excited to see Torres gaining some championship experience? Will you be watching either match tonight, or will you find a way to watch both?

Share your thoughts below.

What has happened to Sacha Kljestan?

 

                                                                         Photo by ISIphotos.com

 

by GIANFRANCO PANIZO

The start of year couldn't have gone much better for Sacha Kljestan.

After being named the 2008 U.S. Soccer Young Male Athlete of the Year award, Kljestan trained with and drew interest from Scottish giants Celtic and then scored a hat-trick in a 3-2 win against Sweden in January at the Home Depot Center. He was riding high and looked poised for a breakout 2009.

Things haven't quite worked out that way.

In the three months since his hat-trick vs. Sweden, Kljestan has lost his starting job with the national team and gotten off to a sluggish start in MLS. He has yet to record a goal or assist for Chivas USA and last week he was benched during a Chivas USA match for what head coach Preki called a lack of sharpness.

Guevara goal leads Toronto FC past Chivas USA

 

Amado Guevara scored a first-half goal past old nemesis Zach Thornton to help Toronto FC snap a four-match winless streak and topple previously unbeaten Chivas USA, 1-0, on Wednesday night.

Rookie goalkeeper Stefan Frei posted the shutout for Toronto, which improved to 2-2-2 with the victory.

The setback halted Chivas USA's red-hot start to the season, with the shutout marking the second time in three matches that Chivas USA failed to score.

What did you think of Toronto FC's performance? Is that the team you thought you'd see when the season began? Did Chivas USA look past TFC?

Share your thoughts below.

Seattle Sounders vs. Kansas City Wizards: Match Night Commentary

The Seattle Sounders and their perfect record are on the line tonight against the visiting Kansas City Wizards. Not many folks outside of KC give the Wizards much of a chance, but you never know.

SBI readers voted to have the Chivas USA-LA match be tonight's SBI Match Commentary, but the voting was extremely close and given the circumstances of tonight's match, I have decided to switch.

I will be providing commentary throughout the match so feel free to follow along here. As always, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action.

Morning MLS Ticker: Seattle addresses Montero absence, Rapids top Sounders and more

Fredy Montero is on his way back to Seattle.

At least that's what Seattle Sounders FC general manager Adrian Haunauer was saying late on Thursday when asked about the Colombian striker's absence.

"Fredy Montero traveled to South America to complete some personal administrative details that required the player's attention prior to the start of the MLS season," Hanauer told the Seattle Times on Thursday. "The player's contract is finalized and there are no open issues.

Fredy is en route back to Seattle and we look forward to his participation in training later this week and on opening night."

Rapids top Sounders

The Seattle Sounders lost their final tuneup match ahead of next week's MLS season opener, falling to the Colorado Rapids, 1-0, in a closed-door match.

Conor Casey converted the penalty kick he drew after being taken down in the area by an unidentified Seattle defender.

The Sounders were without Colombian strker Fredy Montero and No. 1 overall pick Steve Zakuani.

MLS News & Notes

The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that the Columbus Crew is close to a deal with the New York Red Bulls for defender Eric Brunner, who the Red Bulls still have the MLS rights to. ... The Rapids added a defender on Thursday, signing former Rochester Rhinos left back Scott Palguta. A two-time trialist with the New York Red Bulls, Palguta is a left-footed defender who is more equipped to play in central defense in MLS than left back. ...Chivas USA added a striker on Thursday, signing Mexican forward Eduardo Lillingston, who had been with The Goats all of pre-season. ...D.C. United completed the signing of goalkeeper and 2009 MLS second-round draft pick Milos Kocic. ...The Kansas City Wizards are likely to start the 2009 season without forward Adam Cristman, who has been sidelined by a foot injury. The Wizards are also still awaiting the paperwork of Argentine midfielder Santiago Hirsig to go through before he can officially become part of the Wizards roster. ...

That's all for now. What do you think of these stories? Are you relieved to hear that Montero is expected back with Seattle soon? Will you believe it when he's actually on the field? As a Crew fan are you glad to see Eric Brunner potentially joining Columbus?

Share your thoughts below.

MLS Ticker: Conway allowed to train with Red Bulls, Suarez retires and RSL draws Seattle in Open Cup

 

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New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Jon Conway still has four games to serve from his 10-match suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, but at least he won't have to serve the remainder of that suspension on his own.

MLS commissioner Don Garber lifted the ban on Conway participating in training with the Red Bulls during his suspension. Conway stopped training with the team and essentially disappeared for the last two months of the 2008 season after his suspension was handed down.

Conway is eligible to return from suspension for the Red Bulls match vs. Real Salt Lake on April 18th.

Here are some other stories to get your day going:

MLS Pre-season- A look around the Western Conference

The 2009 MLS Season is now just two weeks away so it's time to start making the rounds in MLS for a sense of the happenings in MLS pre-season.

Here is a look at what the teams in the Western Conference have been up to in the past week:

Houston Dynamo

The Dynamo received some awful news on Wednesday when veteran defender Eddie Robinson was sidelined indefinitely after having knee surgery. The injury, which could keep him out up six week, likely means that newly-acquired defender Julius James will have to be thrust into the starting lineup alongside Bobby Boswell.

No Celtic for Kljestan

 

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Sacha Kljestan will not be heading to Celtic, at least not yet, and a winter transfer move is looking unlikely.

Kljestan's potential January move to the Scottish champions has been scrapped after Celtic decided that it could not afford the asking price for the U.S. national team midfielder, a package worth up to $3.5 million along with a sell-on clause, sources with knowledge of the negotiations told SBI on Friday.

The looming European transfer deadline is also making a move elsewhere in Europe unlikely for Kljestan despite interest from a handful of other clubs.

Mendoza leaves Chivas USA for Guadalajara

The Chivas USA midfield could wind up looking very different in 2009. While Sacha Kljestan is preparing a training stint/trial at Celtic, Francisco "Panchito" Mendoza has completed a move to Mexican power CD Guadalajara, the sister club if Chivas USA.

Mendoza departs after four seasons with Chivas USA, playing 111 matches over four seasons, the most ever played in MLS by a Mexican-born player.

What do you think of Mendoza's departure? Who do you see replacing him?

Share your thoughts below.

Kljestan heading to Celtic for trial

 

                                                                      Photo by ISIphotos.com

Sacha Kljestan could be the next MLS player heading for a transfer to Europe, but it could be contingent on him impressing one storied and interested club

According to sources, Kljestan has left U.S. national team camp to join Scottish champions Celtic on a trial that could lead to a sale of the Chivas USA midfielder. Sources tell SBI that MLS and Celtic have discussed a $3.5 million transfer that could go through if Kljestan impresses Celtic coaches in the coming weeks.

The move, and potential transfer could be one of the driving forces behind Chivas USA drafting Wake Forest midfielder Michael Lahoud rather than goalkeeper Stefan Frei in the 2009 MLS Draft.

Kljestan wouldn't be the only American at Celtic if he is sold. Goalkeeper Dominic Cervi is in the process of securing his Italian passport to complete his deal with Celtic. New York-based agent Ron Waxman told SBI that Cervi should have his deal completed very soon.

What do you think of Kljestan potentially signing with Celtic? Would it be a good club for him?

Share your thoughts below.

MLS Hot Stove: Seattle ready to deal, Revs eyeing Gomez and Red Bulls finalize more deals

Good morning folks. It is the day before the 2009 MLS Draft, which generally goes down as the busiest day of the year for transactions. With draft pick trades, and deals for veterans flying, the chances are very good that your team will look very different two days from now.

This is what we have been hearing in the past day or so:

Seattle is openly courting offers for the No. 1 overall pick. So who might be in play for the pick? Sources tell SBI that Toronto has already made an offer while D.C. United and FC Dallas are also interested.

D.C. could be the most intriguing of the potential trade partners for Seattle. Currently holding the 6th and 7th picks in the first round, as well as 21 and 26 in the second round. D.C. covets Omar Gonzalez and could be tempted to package the No. 6, No. 7 and No. 21 for No. 1 and No. 16.

FC Dallas can offer Seattle the no. 5 and any one of its several young prospects, including Dax McCarty.

Another team looking to move up is Chivas USA, which desperately wants California goalkeeper Stefan Frei. Chivas USA could be tempted to dangle fullback Jonathan Bornstein in order to secure a high enough pick to draft the best goalkeeper available. If and when Chivas USa does deal Bornstein, they could wind up dealing for LA's Ante Jazic or Toronto FC's Todd Dunivant as a replacement.

Now, onto some non-draft news: