Soccer By Ives

MLS Cup: Shaking the MLS grapevine

Good morning folks. It is the day after the 2008 MLS Cup and, as always, the MLS Cup weekend provided a great environment for stories to emerge, rumors to surface and the future plans of MLS teams to take shape.

Here are some of the highlights of what I heard from Major League Soccer's movers and shakers during the past five days in Los Angeles:

Chad Marshall is looking like a good bet to move abroad. The 2008 MLS defender of the year and Columbus Crew playoff hero is out of contact and European clubs have already expressed interest. The Crew would be hard-pressed to pay Marshall a salary that would make him pass on the golden opportunity to enter the European market as a free agent. For those of you who haven't seen it, here is my story on Marshall for ESPN.com.

After Sunday's MLS Cup final victory, Columbus owner Clark Hunt said he believes the Crew will be able to re-sign Sigi Schmid as head coach this off-season. While that is certainly a possibility, Columbus will have to show Schmid the money in order to keep him from taking the Seattle Sounders FC job, which Schmid is a candidate for.

Even if Schmid stays in Columbus, Seattle has a very good candidate in New England assistant Paul Mariner, who sources tell me had a good interview with the expansion group.

MLS Cup: Post-Game thoughts

   
                                                   Photo by ISIphotos.com

Good evening folks. It is the evening after the 2008 MLS Cup and while I will offer more analysis on Monday, I wanted to share some more thoughts on the match for the East Coast night owls and the West Coast members of the SBI Mafia. Here are some of my thoughts on the match:

The scene in the Columbus locker room after the final was unforgettable. You could certainly tell there was more emotion than usual, in no small part because of the fact that the Crew hadn't even been in the playoffs for three straight years, let alone won a title.

Seeing the celebration, which included Guillermo Barros Schelotto getting some of his hair shaved off by Duncan Oughton (and vice versa) illustrated just how close the squad became during this unforgettable season.

One note I found ironic about Sunday's final is that in the same year the league changes the name of the MLS Cup to honor Phil Anschutz, the trophy is won by a team coached by  a coach fired by Anschutz's team. While I know the Galaxy won an MLS Cup title after Schmid was fired, nobody can argue that the Galaxy hasn't been in terrible shape since Schmid left.

Crew wins 2008 MLS Cup

 

                                                           Photo by ISIphotos.com

After 13 years of waiting, Columbus Crew fans can finally celebrate an MLS Cup title.

The Crew capped a dream season with a solid championship performance, beating a game New York Red Bulls squad, 3-1, in the 2008 MLS Cup final.

Guillermo Barros Schelotto tallied three assists, an MLS Cup record, to earn game MVP honors while defender Chad Marshall capped his own dream season with a game-winning goal (check ESPN.com later on for my feature on him).

While the Crew walked away deserving champions, the Red Bulls certainly put in a strong performance and played better than most would have thought they could. The Red Bulls attacked early and often, outplaying the Crew in the first half only to have poor finishing, and an Alejandro Moreno strike leave them down a goal at halftime.

In the end, the Red Bulls and Crew reversed roles, or at least the roles most would have expected. The Red Bulls attacked and attacked and passed the ball well while the Crew relied on the counterattack and set pieces to pull out the victory.

I will offer a more detailed breakdown of the match. For now, feel free to share your own thoughts on the match in the comments section below.

MLS Cup: New York Red Bulls vs. Columbus Crew (Live Commentary)

After a dozen years of waiting, the long and difficult path to a championship match has finally found a destination for two of Major League Soccer's original teams. The New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew will meet today in the 2008 MLS Cup Final (3:30pm, ABC/Telefutura), the first MLS Cup final for both teams.

I will be providing commentary throughout the day so feel free to follow along before, during and after the match. As always, feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions on the match in the comments section below.

Let's get started (Commentary after the jump):

SBI MLS Cup Ticket contest: And the winner is...

Congratulations to Erik Abarca for winning the SBI MLS Cup tickets contest, sponsored by SBI and  VW Road to MLS Cup

Erik won two tickets Sunday's MLS Cup final for his great entry which, I will admit, broke the 25-word limit in submissions, but did so in a compelling way that just couldn't be ignored. Erik, who is one of the hundreds of Red Bulls fans making the trek to Los Angeles this weekend, will receive two tickets to Sunday's MLS Cup final between the New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew (3:30pm, ABC/Telefutura).

Here is Erik's contest entry, along with the latest video from VW Road to MLS Cup:

MLS Cup Notes

Good afternoon folks. Apologies for the lack of posts but driving around LA to get to all the events doesn't always allow for the best flow of posting.

Let's get started with notes from today's training sessions:

Juan Pablo Angel sustained a left arm injury and rib injury in training after colliding with goalkeeper Danny Cepero. He isn't expected to keep him from playing.

"It was just a collision but hopefully everything should be fine for Sunday," Angel said.

Altidore discusses the Red Bulls and Villarreal

  

                                                                                         Photo by ISIphotos.com

Call it coincidence, or true twist of fate, but it is at least pretty interesting that in the same week that the New York Red Bulls are heading to the West Coast to play in their first MLS Cup final, one of their former young stars was also be shining in the Western part of the United States.

U.S. national team striker Jozy Altidore spent Wednesday night impressing observers with his ever-improving skill and the progress he has enjoyed since making his $10 million move from the Red Bulls to Villarreal. Just a day later, the Red Bulls were on a charter flight West, heading for Los Angeles and an MLS Cup final few could have imagined being in, especially without Altidore.

The 19-year-old striker won't be playing for the Red Bulls on Sunday, but he will be rooting for them. Altidore spoke with SBI correspondent Sulaiman Folarin after the U.S. team's 2-0 win against Guatemala. He spoke about his time at Villarreal and how he has kept in touch with his former MLS club:

Your chance to win tickets to MLS Cup

 

As MLS fans from Ohio, New York and New Jersey converge on the Los Angeles area this weekend for Sunday's MLS Cup final between the New York Red Bulls and the Columbus Crew, we will see hundreds of fans realizing a more than decade long dream of seeing their team play in Major League Soccer's championship game in person.

Whether you are one of those fans, or just an MLS fan who really wants to be at MLS Cup, we here at SBI want to help at least two such fans realize that dream. SBI, in conjunction with VW Road to MLS Cup, is holding a contest that will award two tickets to fans making their way to California this weekend for the match.

SBI is heading to LA (It's Q&A Time)

Good afternoon folks. I am on the plane and getting ready to leave for Los Angeles. SBI senior writer Dylan Butler will be keeping you all informed on the news of the day while I make my way to California ahead of Sunday's MLS Cup final.

While I'm flying I figured I could post a new Q&A session. You know the drill. Please feel free to ask your soccer (and other) questions in the comments section below and I will be sure to try and answer them in a prompt manner.

Fire away, and for some of you, see you in LA.

Where will you be watching MLS Cup?

Columbus Crew and New York Red Bulls fans will be experience something 13 years in the making this weekend when they finally see their respective teams square off in the 2008 MLS Cup final on Sunday.

While hundreds of lucky fans will make the pilgrimage to Home Depot Center to see their home teams in the final, there will be thousands more who can't make the trip and will be watching the event back home. Here's my question to you Crew and Red Bulls fans: Where will you be watching?

Will you be in your home, wearing your faded Stern John or Roberto Donadoni jersey? Will you be at your favorite soccer bar? Will you be hiding under a bed with a radio and headphones, figuring the world must be set to end if these two teams were finally able to reach the final?

This is for those Crew and Red Bulls who aren't making the trip (a post for those who are making the cross-country trip will come later). For those who are staying home, share with us where you will be watching on Sunday in the comments section below.

MLS Cup 2008: Red Bulls, Crew make opening remarks

It isn't quite like Super Bowl hype, but the long week of MLS Cup talk started on Monday with a pair of media conference calls featuring the coaches and a select player from both the New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew.

On the Red Bulls side was Juan Carlos Osorio and wunderkind Danny Cepero, while the Crew was represented by Sigi the Scarf and the ageless wonder, Frankie Hejduk.

Nothing spectacular happened, no bulletin board material (that's probably the only part of Dane Richards' call-up to the Jamaican National Team that makes Juan Carlos Osorio happy). But there were a few highlights and we've got them here.

Schmid was particularly engaging, cracking a few jokes during the Crew's call.

On his return triumphant return to Los Angeles

For me, personally, there's for sure a special feeling with the game being played at the Home Depot Center. I can't deny that. Being able to come back to Los Angeles is also great. In that regard, that means that I've got to come up with a lot of tickets for a lot of people.