Soccer By Ives

Wenger talks Shea, soccer in USA

Shea to join Arsenal for month-long training

photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com

You can add Brek Shea to the list of MLS players who will be training abroad this offseason.

Following the U.S. men's national team's upcoming friendlies against France and Slovenia, Shea will train with Arsenal of the English Premier League for a month, FC Dallas announced on Thursday.

The decision to have Shea train with the Gunners comes after U.S coach Jurgen Klinsmann said he wanted his MLS-based players to continue to train and play during the offseason, so as to remain fit and sharp.

"Brek matured as a player and as a leader on the field this past season. It was a career year for him," said FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman through a press realase. “He consolidated himself as one of the top players in MLS and solidified his role with the U.S. National Team. Affording Brek the opportunity to continue to work on improving his game and measure himself among the best players in the world is something we are all excited about. It’s a winning situation for Brek, FC Dallas and the U.S. team, as the extra training time will help push his game to the next level.”

Shea will return to Dallas in December.

What do you think of this development?

Share your thoughts below.

FC Dallas 0, New York 2: Match Highlights

Red Bulls eliminate FC Dallas, set up playoff showdown with Galaxy

The New York Red Bulls may have eked into the playoffs, but they're in a position to shake up the postseason picture in a big way after their latest performance.

Joel Lindpere finished a cross from substitute Mehdi Ballouchy in the 61st minute, and Thierry Henry scored an insurance goal in the final seconds of stoppage time to lift the Red Bulls to a 2-0 victory over FC Dallas in a single-elimination wild card match Wednesday night.

As a result, New York, the lowest remaining seed, gets a crack at the Supporters' Shield-champion Los Angeles Galaxy in the Western Conference semifinals, and FC Dallas' season is over. Sporting Kansas City awaits the winner of Thursday's Colorado-Columbus wild card match on the other side of the bracket.

New York will be shorthanded for the first leg against the Galaxy at Red Bull Arena on Sunday, as right back Jan Gunnar Solli was given a straight red card for a harsh challenge from behind on Daniel Hernandez after he lost the ball on a run forward. The statuses of Dax McCarty, who exited the match with what appeared to be an ankle injury, and Luke Rodgers, who missed the match with a knee injury, are unknown.

What did you think of the match? How do you feel about New York's chances against Los Angeles?

Share your thoughts below.

MLS Playoffs: FC Dallas vs. Red Bulls (Match Night Commentary)

  


The road to the 2011 MLS Cup Final begins tonight, with the New York Red Bulls taking on FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park in Major League Soccer's first wild card match (Fox Soccer Channel, 9pm).

FC Dallas enters the match as the highest-seeded wild card team, but a 2-5 finish to the regular season has Schellas Hyndman's club looking vulnerable against a New York Red Bulls side that finished the season strongly.

Dallas will be relying on the dynamic contributions of Brek Shea and Marvin Chavez to stretch New York's defense, and a defense led by George John and goalkeeper Kevin Hartman. The Red Bulls will be led by Thierry Henry, while once again turning to Dane Richards as a forward, this time to replace injured starter Luke Rodgers. Juan Agudelo is starting the match on the bench.

The Red Bulls are no strangers to success in Frisco, having posted a 3-0-1 record in their past four trips to Pizza Hut Park, with the most recent visit yielding a victory on Sept. 17th.

In case you missed it, here's my Fox Soccer preview on tonight's match, as well as Thursday's other MLS wild card match, between Colorado and Columbus.

SBI will be providing commentary on tonight's match, so please feel free to following along here. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Tonight's commentary is after the jump):

New York, Dallas kick off MLS postseason with high expectations

By AVI CREDITOR

The New York Red Bulls have seen what their low-seeded predecessors have accomplished, and despite falling short of regular-season expectations, the club is hoping to continue the MLS trend of recent years.

"I was thinking a little about that record," Red Bulls manager Hans Backe said. "Even our players have noted that the teams qualifying as No. 8 has won the cup. When you go into the playoffs it's totally open. It's like going into the World Cup -- you just have to have the perfect preparations for your games."

The preparations are just about complete for both New York and FC Dallas, who kick off the 2011 MLS postseason Wednesday night with a wildcard elimination match at Pizza Hut Park (9 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel).

FCD was on the wrong side of history in last season's MLS Cup final and to make a return appearance to the final it will look to avoid dropping out of the playoffs in a one-off round to a lower-seeded team for the second straight year. New York, meanwhile, will look to be inspired by the accomplishments of Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids, who set the bar for low-seeded teams to win MLS Cup the last two seasons.

Who do you think will win the MLS wild card matchups?

The first two games of the MLS postseason are set for Wednesday and Thursday night, with the new wild card format meaning that for two teams it's win and advance, and for two others it's lose and go home.

New York and Dallas open the MLS playoffs Wednesday night at Pizza Hut Park in a meeting of two teams that had serious title aspirations entering the season. The Red Bulls will have to cope without the injured Luke Rodgers, but Thierry Henry & Co. get a new lease on life after sneaking into the postseason as the 10th and final seed. Brek Shea-led Dallas, meanwhile, is setting out to return to the MLS Cup final after coming up short in the title game a season ago.

Colorado and Columbus meet Thursday night at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference semifinals, which the Rapids took in penalties after the two played to a 2-2 aggregate draw over two legs. The Rapids used that series to launch themselves to the MLS Cup title, while Columbus revamped its roster in the offseason only to make a return to the playoffs. Both will have to overcome central midfield absences as Colorado captain Pablo Mastroeni (concussion) and Columbus' Emmanuel Ekpo (suspension) won't be available.

Who do you think will win the wild card matchups? Cast your vote after the jump:

MLS Week 32: A Look Ahead

 Photo by Don Feria/ISIphotos.com

By THOMAS FLOYD

Well, the New York Red Bulls sure took the drama out of this weekend.

With New York's 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Union on Thursday, the 10th and final ticket to the postseason was booked, and the Portland Timbers and Chicago Fire were eliminated from playoff contention.

But not is all decided, as the seeding remains far from certain -- particularly in an Eastern Conference so wide open that the Houston Dynamo could finish the weekend in first place or fifth.

And in the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas enter their respective matches tied for third, meaning one team will secure automatic passage to the conference semifinals while the other will be forced into a wild-card match.

Here is a rundown of the full Week 32 slate:

Report: Everton, Wigan eyeing John

George John had to hold off on his dreams of a move to Europe this summer when a proposed transfer to Blackburn fell through in the final stages. Those events may ultimately lead John to wind up at a better club this winter, if reports are to be believed.

According to the UK Daily Mail, Everton and Wigan are both on the trail of the FC Dallas defender and are expected to make January bids for the big centerback. While the report doesn't exactly offer much in the way of detail, it shouldn't come as a surprise that smaller-spending English clubs would be interested in an inexpensive centerback option who also happens to hold a European passport.

A winter move away from MLS is all but inevitable now for John, who will be moving into the final year of his current MLS contract once the 2011 season ends. With that being the case, MLS will be more open to approving a transfer and FC Dallas is actually then put in a position where the league, and not the club, has final approval on a potential transfer.

What do you think of this development? Like the idea of George John heading to Everton? Still wondering when he'll get that first national team call-up?

Share your thoughts below. 

Plata leads Toronto FC past FC Dallas, earning place in CCL quarterfinals

With the MLS playoffs a dream that disappeared long ago, Toronto FC had one thing left to play for in 2011. They had a place in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals to try and win.

Standing in their way was FC Dallas, one of the better teams in MLS, a team that needed just a draw on Tuesday night at their home ground to reach the Champions League quarterfinals.

Instead of a win or a draw, FC Dallas was abused by TFC midfielder Joao Plata, who scored two goals and set up a third to lead Toronto to a historic 3-0 victory at Pizza Hut Park.

The win capped an incredible comeback for Toronto FC, which looked to be done in group play after a 4-0 thrashing by UNAM Pumas on Sept. 14 looked to take the life out of TFC's quarterfinal hopes. Toronto responded to that loss with a 2-0-1 run in its final three group matches, capped by Tuesday's convincing victory. 

FCD, TFC square off with CCL knockout berth on line; Seattle looks to wrap up 1st

Major League Soccer has taken some major strides during the 2011-2012 CONCACAF Champions League, but as the final games of group play approach, there is still work to be done before crowning this campaign as a great success.

Only one MLS team, Seattle, has clinched a place in the knockout stage so far, but that could all change Tuesday night. FC Dallas and Toronto FC square off in a crucial Group C battle in Frisco, Texas (8 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel), with the winner moving on to the knockout round and the loser going home.

TFC needs a win to advance, but Dallas could still move on with a win or draw. Both teams are level on seven points entering the match, and if the two teams play to a draw, Dallas would remain in front via tiebreaker. That wouldn't necessarily guarantee entry into the next round, though.

There is a scenario in which both teams would get eliminated if they draw and Tauro defeats Pumas UNAM along with a series of tiebreakers going against the MLS sides. Suffice it to say, both teams are operating under the "win-and-we're-in" mentality.

MLS Week 31: A Look Ahead

 Photo by Andrew Katsampes/ISIphotos.com

By THOMAS FLOYD

The MLS playoff race sure is heating up.

With just a handful of matches remaining, nine teams are still competing for six available postseason berths. A slate of influential weekend fixtures kicks off Friday with a critical clash in the wild-card race between the Houston Dynamo and Portland Timbers. Although Houston is currently tied with the New York Red Bulls for the final playoff berth, the Timbers can draw even on points with the Dynamo with a win at Jeld-Wen Field.

Saturday's docket includes a key match for Eastern Conference playoff positioning as Sporting Kansas City hosts the Red Bulls. Later, the Chicago Fire visits D.C. United in a match between playoff-chasing clubs that are both coming off a brutal midweek loss.

Here is a rundown of the Week 31 slate:

FC Dallas clinches playoff berth, Chicago in post-season jeopardy after home defeat

 

By DAVE GUBALA

BRIDGEVIEW, IL -- The Chicago Fire went into Wednesday night's match against FC Dallas knowing that anything short of a victory would all but erase their chances of reaching the playoffs. For FC Dallas, the match was about trying snap a losing streak and poor run of form.

Only one team got what it wanted, and it wasn't the home team.

FC Dallas broke out of their recent slump with a strong performance against Chicago, scoring two goals goals to post a 2-1 victory at Toyota Park. The win helped FC Dallas clinch the Brimstone Cup for a 10th consecutive year and it also put an end to a four-game losing streak for Dallas.

The defeat narrowed Chicago Fire's playoff hopes to nearly improbable with two league games yet to be played. The fire can only make the playoffs with two wins and two losses by the Houston Dynamo. The Fire will also need both D.C. United and Portland to stay below 43 points on the season.

Jackson and Daniel Cruz scored in the 41st and 53rd minutes respectively to give FC Dallas a 2-0 lead and while the Grazzini managed to pull one back late for the Fire in the 86th minute.

MLS playoff chase resumes with D.C., Chicago in action Wednesday night

Time is running short for D.C. United and the Chicago Fire, and an accelerated level of stress is put on each of the remaining regular season games for two teams with postseason aspirations.

As two of the three teams on the outside of the current playoff picture but within striking range, United and the Fire need to pile on the results beginning with tonight's matches against the Vancouver Whitecaps and FC Dallas, respectively. Chicago-Dallas is slated for an 8:30 p.m. first kick, while D.C.-Vancouver is set to start at 10 p.m. Both matches can be seen via MLS Direct Kick/MatchDay Live.

D.C. won't have the services of talisman Dwayne De Rosario, who played for Canada in a World Cup qualifier Tuesday night and didn't make the trip from Toronto to Vancouver. De Rosario and the injured Chris Pontius were key elements of United's 4-0 victory over the Whitecaps at RFK Stadium back in August, so the club will need to find a new formula to top a team that is coming off a pride-showing 3-0 home win over Real Salt Lake.

MLS West Notes: Jimenez makes most of chances, Kreis sick of losing and more

 

By ADAM SERRANO

Hector Jimenez has been living life under the radar in his rookie season, but when the midfielder from the University of California has had his chance to see action, he's grabbed a hold of it.  

Jimenez was instrumental in the Galaxy's 2-1 victory over Morelia in the CONCACAF Champions League, helping to create the winning goal. He also saw time last Tuesday during the Galaxy's 2-0 defeat at the hand of the New York Red Bulls. 

Despite seeing only limited minutes as of late, Jimenez has been a staple in Galaxy travel squads for their recent trips in the CCL and has earned praise from coaches and teammates alike for his dedication. With the Galaxy reserves likely to see extra minutes as the season wraps up, Jimenez admits that watching guys like David Beckham and Landon Donovan has done wonders for his own game. 

"Being able to watch some of the best players in the league perform at their best definitely helps me out a lot," said Jimenez. "To be able to watch how they do things, whether on the road or here, day-in and day-out helps you." 

Here are more notes from around the Western Conference:

In Reserve: Timbers repeat result over 'Caps, Amarikwa nets hat trick & more

Photo by Patricia Giobetti/ISIphotos.com

For the second straight day, the Portland Timbers got the better of the Vancouver Whitecaps by a 1-0 scoreline.

After the Timbers' first team accomplished that feat in the debut of BC Place on Sunday, the Portland reserves did the same on Monday on the strength of an 82nd-minute goal from Bryan Burke and a clean sheet by Jake Gleeson.

Burke capitalized on a rebound after Bright Dike's shot was saved by Jay Nolly, giving Portland (6-2-2) the edge in its final Reserve League game of the season.

Omar Salgado came off the bench at halftime for Vancouver (2-5-2), replacing Designated Player Mustapha Jarju.

Here are a few more weekend results from around the MLS Reserve League: