Soccer By Ives

FC Barcelona to play in San Francisco

Reigning European Champions League winners FC Barcelona will be heading to the Bay Area this summer as Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Co. converge on San Francisco for a friendly sure to excite northern California soccer fans.

Barcelona will take on Chivas de Guadalajara at Candlestick Park on Aug. 8 in the club's first visit to the Bay Area. The match will be part of a doubleheader with an MLS match between the San Jose Earthquakes and defending MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew.

Tickets will go on sale on June 22nd. Tickets can be purchased through the San Jose Earthquakes website, or by calling (800) 225-2277.

Barcelona's match vs. Chivas is the third of three in the United States. Barca faces the Los Angeles Galaxy at the Rose Bowl on Aug. 1st, and also will play the Seattle Sounders at Qwest Field on Aug. 5th.

What do you think of Barcelona heading to Northern California? Excited? Ready to buy your tickets immediately? Are you an Earthquakes fan who is relieved to finally hear some good news?

Share your thoughts below.

San Jose firesale continues: Garcia shipped to Toronto FC, which also lands rights to Gerba

The San Jose Earthquakes continued their roster reconstruction by sending veteran defender Nick Garcia and the discovery rights to Canadian national team striker Ali Gerba to Toronto FC for a third-round pick in the 2010 MLS Draft.

Why did the Earthquakes just trade the veteran leader of their defense? Well, they did it because he has been absolutely awful this year and has been to blame for countless goals allowed by San Jose's awful back-line. His salary, close to $200,000 for 2009 after signing a new contract before the season, was also a factor in his departure.

So why did Toronto FC just bring in Garcia considering the year he's having?

San Jose deals Weaver to Houston for Wondolowski and draft pick

 

                                                      Photo by ISIphotos.com

The Houston Dynamo has added yet another forward, bringing in Cam Weaver from the San Jose Earthquakes in a trade completed Tuesday that sends Chris Wondolowski to the Earthquakes, along with a conditional draft pick.

Weaver becomes the third new forward added by the Dynamo during the season, along with Ade Akinbiyi and Dominic Oduro.

Morning Ticker: Crew top Quakes, Hejduk not ruled out vs. Costa Rica and Libertadores quarters begin

 

                                                                               Photo by ISIphotos.com

Goals from Eddie Gaven and Guillermo Barros Schelotto helped the Columbus fight back from an early deficit to top the San Jose Earthquakes, 2-1, on Wednesday night at Crew Stadium.

The victory helps the Crew edge out of its tie for last place in the East with the Red Bulls and moved past New England into fifth place in the conference.

Here are some other stories from this morning and Wednesday to get your day going:

Hejduk not ruled out vs. Costa Rica

According to a U.S. national team source, defender Frankie Hejduk has NOT been ruled out for next week's World Cup qualifier vs. Costa Rica because of the groin injury that kept him out of the Crew's win vs. San Jose.

A television report during the Crew's victory against the Earthquakes stated that Hejduk would miss the Costa Rica match, but Hejduk is expected to be re-evaluated by U.S. national team doctors before a decision is made on his availability for Wednesday. (UPDATE- Hejduk will remain in Columbus, where his progress will be tracked by the Crew medical staff and where a decision will be made on whether he can actually join the national team, be it in Miami or San Jose. So no, Hejduk hasn't been ruled out yet.)

If Hejduk cannot play, Jonathan Spector or Marvell Wynne would be expected to fill in for him.

SBI's Mid-Day Musings (Notes on the U.S. Open Cup, Red Bulls and other MLS moves)

Today is one of those days where you watch the clock and count the minutes until game-time, making almost everything else you do in that time just a tad bit more difficult to do.

It's okay, we are all in that boat. I am trying to finish up the Bext XI, Worst XI, Team of the Week this afternoon, but am having a hard time getting it done. I will knock it out before 2pm for those of you who haven't abandoned your computers for a watch party by then.

If you're struggling to get through the day, here are some news, notes and soccer thoughts for you:

The Seattle Sounders defeated the Colorado Rapids, 1-0, in U.S. Open Cup play-in action in Washington. The victory helped the Sounders join D.C. United, Columbus, Chicago, Houston, New England, Chivas USA and Kansas City in the full U.S. Open Cup field. Kevin Forrest scored the lone goal for Seattle. The schedule and opponents for the eight MLS teams should be released today.

Leitch suspended for knee to Ching's face

 

                                                                     Photo by ISIPhotos.com

As if things couldn't get any worse for the last-place San Jose Earthquakes, now comes word that defender Chris Leitch has been suspended for the Earthquakes' match vs. Columbus on Wednesday night for striking Houston's Brian Ching in the face with a knee during San Jose's 3-1 loss to Houston on Saturday.

The MLS Disciplinary Committee ruled quickly late on Tuesday with the Wednesday match looming, and chose to suspend Leitch on a play that didn't even draw a yellow card from referee Alex Prus. Leitch has been one of the few bright spots for the Earthquakes this season, having recorded a team-high and career-best four assists since joining the Earthquakes from New York in the off-season. The suspension is the first in Leitch's eight-year MLS career. He has never been issued a red card in MLS.

Here is a replay of the incident in question:

What do you think of the decision? Was the league right to suspend Leitch for a game, or do you think MLS overreacted on this one?

Share your thoughts below.

Mid-Day Musings (Notes on Philly Union, Eddie Lewis and Zak Whitbread)

   

                                                                 Photo by ISIphotos.com

Good afternoon all. It was another exciting week of soccer action, both in MLS and abroad, and there are plenty of topics to discuss, so here are a few I wanted to touch on:

As we head stand almost a third of the way through the MLS season, these are the playoff match-ups if the season ended today:

• Chicago vs. Toronto FC

• D.C. United vs. Kansas City

• Chivas USA vs. Colorado

• Seattle vs. Houston

Folks, if you're team isn't listed above, you can take heart in the knowledge that five of the seven teams currently on the outside of the playoffs looking in are just three points away from a playoff spot. If you're a fan of FC Dallas or San Jose I'd say take heart in knowing you will have a good chance at the No. 2 pick in the 2009 MLS Draft (Yes, Philly will have the first pick, darn expansion team).

Offensive explosion a perfect storm for Red Bulls

                                     Photo by ISIphotos.com

BY DYLAN BUTLER

Desperate for a win and needing to jump start an anemic attack, the New York Red Bulls found the perfect elixir on Friday night -- the woeful San Jose Earthquakes. As it turned out, the Red Bulls' 4-1 victory was the perfect storm. New York was facing an injury-riddled Quakes team with one win in seven games in the first of four consecutive home games.

What followed next was shocking. A Red Bulls team that scored a league-low five goals in 720 minutes scorched the net four times in 40 minutes. Jorge Rojas scored his first two MLS goals inside of 20 minutes. Juan Pablo Angel added a third in the 22nd minute and Mac Kandji made it 4-0 five minutes from halftime.

Red Bulls vs. Earthquakes (Match Night Commentary)

   

Call it Must-Win May for the New York Red Bulls, who begin a four-game home stand tonight against the struggling San Jose Earthquakes.

The Red Bulls are in last place in the Eastern Conference and need three points tonight to snap a three-match winless streak. Let's face it, the Red Bulls need a handful of wins, and need to start that streak tonight.

i will be providing commentary throughout the match. Please feel free to follow along here and, as always, feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action:

MLS Notes: Morales suspended, Rimando sidelined and Leitch suffers concussion

 

                                                                              Photo by ISIphotos.com

What a difference a week makes.

Last week, Javier Morales spent his Monday being honored as MLS player of the week for his performance in Real Salt Lake's 6-0 destruction of New England. This Monday, Morales spent the day being suspended by Major League Soccer for elbowing Pablo Mastroeni during Real Salt Lake's 2-0 loss to Colorado on Saturday.

Morales was not punished for the infraction during the match, but the MLS disciplinary committee decided that Morales' actions warranted a suspension. The suspension means that Real Salt Lake will be without Morales, defender Jamison Olave (red card suspension) and Nick Rimando (finger laceration) for the team's match against Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Here are some other MLS notes to get your day going:

U.S. Open Cup: New York at San Jose (Match Night Commentary)

By SEAN RUBIO

The New York Red Bulls and San Jose Earthquakes begin their U.S. Open Cup campaigns tonight in a play-in match at Buck Shaw Stadium in San Jose.

A rest for many starters on both sides seems to be on tap tonight as the two MLS strugglers look to rest key players for crucial league matches this weekend.

I will be providing running 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.

U.S. Open Cup: Red Bulls at Earthquakes (The Pre-Game)

 

The New York Red Bulls are in San Jose today for tonight's U.S. Open Cup play-in match vs. the Earthquakes (10:30pm). The Red Bulls will be looking to erase the memory of Sunday's awful 3-2 loss to D.C. United, while also looking to improve on their 2008 Open Cup performance, which saw the Red Bulls bounced out by USL-2 side Crystal Palace Baltimore.

Tonight's U.S. Open Cup match won't be televised, but fear not, SBI will be providing live commentary from the match. SBI correspondent Sean Rubio will be at Buck Shaw Stadium tonight to keep you informed on all the action.

So what should we expect tonight? Don't expect to see full-strength teams. With both squads struggling in MLS play, you can bet that the Red Bulls and Earthquakes will be fielding plenty of reserves. So why should you still care about the match? Considering the struggles for both teams this season, tonight's match might help provide some insight into what reserve players may be ready to step up for bigger roles. The U.S. Open Cup might also be the best hope either team has for winning a trophy this season.

Here are some things to look for tonight:

The SBI Questions: Joe Cannon Answers (Part Two)

 

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Whether it's making acrobatic saves on the field, or friending thousands of people on Facebook off the field, Joe Cannon likes to go all out in everything he does.

The 34-year old is easily one of the best goalkeepers in Major League Soccer and has no plans of slowing down. He still thinks about a future with the U.S. national team and is also glad to be back in San Jose, where he plans to end his career, an ending he doesn't see coming for at least three or four more years. Things are going pretty well for a player who boasts an MLS title (2001) and two MLS Goalkeeper of the Year awards (2002 and 2004) to his credit.

In the second installment of Cannon's edition of The SBI Questions, Cannon discusses, among other things, whether his full head of hair cost him national team chances, his Canadian roots, what his favorite bands are and the controversial handling of his contract situation by San Jose this past off-season.

Here are the rest of Joe Cannon's answer:

The SBI Questions: Joe Cannon Answers (Part 1)

                                                                                    Photo by ISIphotos.com

Along with being one of the best goalkeepers in Major League Soccer, Joe Cannon has always had a reputation for being one of the league's most outgoing and free-spirited players. The San Jose goalkeeper has never been afraid to speak his mind or voice an opinion, and that free-wheeling approach carries over into his play on the field.

Having played for the Colorado Rapids, Los Angeles Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes, Cannon has starred for three different fan-bases and won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honors with two different clubs. A spell at RC Lens in the French first division has been Cannon's only time away from Major League Soccer, where he has established himself as arguably the best American goalkeeper in the world with a full head of hair.

Cannon shared his experiences and offered some insight into his career and development as a player in the latest episode of the SBI Questions. Never one to be short on something to say, Cannon provided enough insight to have his session split up into two parts (The other will run on Thursday).

In this installment, Cannon discusses his time in France, his favorite drink, his favorite goalkeepers growing up and his time in Los Angeles with the Galaxy (with some answers sure to cause a stir).

The SBI Questions: Ask Joe Cannon

 

                                                                         Photo by ISIphotos.com

After having three representatives of the Eastern Conference take part in The SBI Questions, and three head coaches/technical directors to boot, it was time to find a West Coast-based player to participate. We found just the right man for the job.

San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind and he has agree to take part in The SBI Questions. For those of you unfamiliar, SBI readers are given the opportunity to submit questions to the subject, SBI selects the best questions and has the subject answer them in an interview. The anwers will then be posted later in the week.

Want to ask Cannon about his time with the Galaxy? His three years with Colorado? The time he spent with French club Lens? Post your questions for Cannon in the comments section below and we will select the best and ask Cannon to give his answers, which will be posted later this week.

Submit your questions below.

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.