(My brother told me referencing a printing press for invites is a stretch…so we’ve thrown out the old title, “Dust Off the Gutenberg: Camp Cupcake Invites?” and now have a new one….)

No better time to start pontificating on who should be present in the customary January 2009 camp….an invitation is the ultimate stocking stuffer.

Last year, the camp was essentially MLS pre-season with more than 80% of the players under contract in America’s soccer league. With the Scandinavian leagues the only other major leagues out of session, expect 95% of the players to come from nordic lands or America proper. Note, the Mexican league is in training so potential midfielder invitees JFT and Edgar Castillo are out. (You like how I keep hyping Castillo as a halfback….)

Given Bradley’s latest friendly roster selections, specifically MLSers Dax McCarty and Jeff Cunningham, it’s easily confirmed through selection that Bradley has an affinity players where he’s either run them out on the pitch before or coached against them on multiple occasions. There are exceptions of course, Charlie of Hammerby making the journey overseas last year–though remember CD9 barely factored until the Confederation Cup.

One odd note from Cupcake 2009, the Chicago Fire had a host of  invitees last year  (John Thorrington, Chris Rolfe, Jon Busch), but none of that crew got any run after 2009’s first trimester. Who will be this year’s MLS team du jour? RSL? Galaxy?

So with the camp less than one month away, let’s just break down the elementary questions:

• What’s BB’s mix? Last year, Coach USA brough a mix of veterans and rooks; expect just a slightly different tweak on that from Bradley.

There is no reason to look beyond 2010 at this point. The USMNT number one priority is to compete in the 2010 World Cup as of qualification this past October. Coach B will use the camp to solidify the two or three remaining roster spots up in the air for a trip to South Africa if possible. Expect to see two types of player vying for those roles–those with the resume to suggest they belong (Beckerman, even Dax) and those that contribute a wrinkle to the roster complexion, be it oustanding pace, service or ability to knock a header on goal (Tracy, Findley, etc.)

Lastly, the presence of a Jimmy Conrad, Frankie Hedjuk and Brian Ching (and all will probably be in training), does not necessarily signify they are making the roster next year so much as Bradley relying on veterans to provide stability and know-how in camp to set the tone for the youngsters. There is good chance that Conrad in particular is purely serving as mentor as he’s active in the MLS labor situation and likely for that to be his primary focus.

• Striker! Striker! Striker! Yes, CD9 replacement. Yes, Conor Casey’s chops are being highly questioned. Last year we saw a mix of Brian Ching, Kenny Cooper, Chuck Deezer and Chris Rolfe? All of those later saw USMNT senior team pitch time, with only Rolfe, due to injury and play, falling off the map. Will we see even more strikers added this year as it is clearly a position of deficiency?

Will this be Tracy's first time donning the kit?

° Here are some possible invites: Jeff Cunningham, Chris Pontius, Marcus Tracy, Robbie Findley, Nate Jaqua, Conor Casey, Brian Ching

° Here are some unlikely candidates: Chris Rolfe, (Kenny Cooper-not coming), Mike Grella, Eddie Johnson

° Redux:

Chris Rolfe will be interesting. Rolfe goes overseas on transfer to Danishland. He’s most likely out as he makes that move, but there is probably a 5% or so shot he gets a call.

Kenny Cooper, who didn’t get any more calls after the Gold Cup and is nursing an injury is likely not in play–not now and not next year until he gets back to his goal scoring ways in Germany. It’s not hard to see Coops is not invited to Coach Bradley’s card games either.

Brian Ching? Ching should be there. Is this a big moment for the Ching-Casey battle for the target man role? Has Ching already lost it? Has Casey already won it?.

Speaking of target man, can we give Nate Jaqua a shot. With the Big Aloha aging and Conor Casey really not showing much over in Friendlyville, should Coach B be at least snooping around some other options for the holdup role? Jaqua, in particular,  provides height, has a decent amount of speed and can play more than one position–we know Coach USA likes versatility. The 6′0′ Chris Pontius also fits the versatile, target man role and he’s more attack minded to boot. TSG is willing to wager that Pontius is in camp; Jaqua, not.

Marcus Tracy, another question, as recent form dictates an invite, but oddly he’s never been in the national team system–will Tracy’s move to the starting rotation at Aalborg and his Wake Forest pedigree be enough to get him to California? Yup.

EJ and Grella are still committed for the winter term to overseas club in session and won’t be released–no matter how little playing time they are currently seeing.

Shh….he didn’t mention it above, but an outside chance puts Brek Shea in camp. TSG is not in that corner.

• Midfield: If there is any place that has an abundance of senior team talent all around the same level, it’s the USMNT midfield. We learned that during the WCQ trials after learning it in the Gold Cup as well. Gold Cup alumni (and camp vets from 2008) Stu Holden and Robbie Rogers graduated from the Gold Cup rosters to the qualifiers’ rosters. So what is the USMNT looking for in the midfield? My guess is that Bob Bradley will really test out the wing positions as only Stu Holden, Clint and obviously Landon are shoo-ins for RSA still and their back-ups have not been set.

° Here are some possible invites: Dax McCarty, Sam Cronin, Alejandro Bedoya, Robbie Rogers, Sacha Kljestan, Kyle Beckerman, Benny Feilhaber

° Here are some unlikely candidates: Ricardo Clark, Stu Holden, Jose Francisco Torres

° Redux:

Coach B will want to have a little bit of experience in camp. Last year’s camp found the quadrumvirate of Kljestan, Holden, Rogers and Clark. Kljestan lives in the area and will be in the fold, though Clark is probably brushing up on his Italian with the rumored move to Serie A side Livorno still in the offing; he’ll be absent. Rogers is there.

Will Coach USA be able to capture a little Charlie-In-A-Bottle with Bedoya? For those not familiar with Bedoya, here’s the best available clip on him. The two-time Hermann trophy MVP candidate missed a shot at the Beijing Olympics and promptly headed overseas to Swedish top division club Örebro SK where he netted twice in 13 games in 2009.

We originally had our man Benny Exclamation off the list, but given it appears Coach B is trying him out at a few pitch locations, might Benny make the 230 hour journey from Denmark?

Stu Holden might be wearing a kilt before the new year to go along with a new contract overseas.  The TSG fave we think is out though there are rumblings that the MLS is trying desperately to keep him at the Dynamo.

• Defense: In the summer of this year, TSG would have said Coach Sweatpants looks to the future here as the World Cup roster has been crystalized, but with injuries galore along the backline, the VIP list here is all over the board.

Gonzalez: He's earned his shot...

° Here are some possible invites: Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, Geoff Cameron, Clarence Goodson, Chad Marshall (assuming he’s fully fit), Heath Pearce,  Kevin Alston, Jonathan Bornstein, Jimmy Conrad, Frankie Hedjuk

° Here are some unlikely candidates: Chris Wingert, Eric Lichaj

° On the fence in the far corner of the ranch: Marvell Wynne, Patrick Ianni

° Redux:

TSG will go on the record and say watch out for MLS 2008 Rookie of the Year Sean Franklin who’s a little bit like Cherundolo…with increased speed at the wingfull. An injury robbed Franklin of most of his 2009 MLS campaign, but in our mind the youngster–who started to come on for the Galaxy at the end of the year–should be back for his second camp.

Can we please get this Lichaj guy a shot? I’ve never seen him play but the Interwebs are alive with songs of his praise. Alas, he’s committed for January.

We’re putting Geoff Cameron in defense, but he could easily move up the pitch. Watch to see where he plays in camp, it might tell you a lot about Bob’s first team and second team thinking on the left and right back roles.

Alston and Gonzales, both are green and both should be looking comfortably at a shot at the roster….in 2014.

Heath Pearce’s last stand? Frankie trying to sing another Redemption Song?

After an injury plagued 2009, any chance that Coach USA gives speedy Marvell Wynne another shot? Is he even close to fit enough? Not likely. Similarly, there a chance 24-year-old Seattle Sounder Patrick Ianni gets a phoner from Bradley? Again a near definite no, but TSG wanted to throw his name out there.

• Goalie: Not much to add here. Big T mans the pipes with Guz backing him up and Hanhneman likely earning the 3rd nod as he picks it up for Wolverhampton (MH shutout Tottenham on Saturday). That’s as stone as it gets.

° Here are some possible invites: Troy Perkins, Jon Busch, Luis Robles, Will Hesmer, Matt Pickens

° Here are some unlikely guaranteed non-candidates: Marcus Hahnemann

° Redux:

Hahnemann is starting to play now at Woverhampton. No plane ticket, invite for him obviously.

Not much else to add here, I’d wager on any other keeps coming from the MLS. Maybe Nick Rimando gets a reward for his MLS Cup play?

Who’d we miss? Who’s the next Charlie-In-A-Bottle? Our best shot at getting in Bob Bradley’s head?: (Note, we’ve moved up Geoff Cameron to midfield and slotted Pontius back into it and are aware that Frankie Excitement can play there in scrimmages)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Troy Perkins, Luis Robles, Will Hesmer
DEFENDERS (9): Jonathan Bornstein, Sean Franklin, Chad Marshall, Jimmy Conrad, Clarence Goodson, Frankie Hedjuk, Omar Gonzalez, Heath Pearce, Kevin Alston
MIDFIELDERS (8): Geoff Cameron, Kyle Beckerman, Sacha Kljestan, Dax McCarty, Alejandro Bedoya, Robbie Rogers, Chris Pontius, Benny Feilhaber
FORWARDS (5): Brian Ching, Conor Casey, Marcus Tracy, Jeff Cunningham, Robbie Findley

Thursday night the Dynamo went up to Seattle to start the 20009 MLS Playoffs against the Seattle Sounders. The game was supposed to be a defensive struggle considering the teams both tied for best in the league with .97 goals surrendered per game in the regular season including 10 shutouts each. The Dynamo had been shutout 5 times in their last 11 games so it really wasn’t looking like they would score much if anything. A lot of people would assume that would make for a boring game but it was an edge-of-your-seat thriller from beginning to end, literally. In the 3rd minute Stuart Holden got the action started with a corner kick wide to Andrew Hainault for a header that was struck well but just wide of the goal. The Sounders answered with a run by Steve Zakuani up the left flank but Pat Onstad was able to make the save. The Dynamo came right back in the 7th minute with a set-piece almost ended up finding Brian Ching alone in front but goalie Kasey Keller arrived just in time to thwart Chings aerial attempt. Brad Davis, on the other hand, was not interfered with by any defender on his header a few minutes later from just outside the box; he just missed it poorly and the game remained scoreless.

The play of the game came on Seattle’s 3rd corner kick of the game (14th minute) that found Patrick Ianni on the far side and his header eluded Onstad and seemed to be headed for the goal. Houston had Brian Mullan in the perfect spot though and he headed the ball off the line and out of danger. With both teams having quality chances and coming up empty, naturally, tempers started to flare and play became really physical.

Onstad was angered by something and bumped Fredy Montero roughly to the ground and leaned over him emphatically. Both sides converged in the box but the ref was able to split the teams up and only had to issue yellow cards to Onnstad and Montero. In the 25th minute Ching came in with a late, hard tackle and should’ve been given a yellow card but the referee let it slide. A minute later Ching had a header that he struck nicely off a cross from Dominic Oduro but Keller was able to save it over the goal and out of play.

The physical played continued as Ricardo Clark’s foot connected with Nate Jaqua’s face. Jacqua had to come out of the game twice to get his head wrapped but he stayed in and was probably the most effective player on the field.

Seattle had a chance on a cross in the 31st minute and Houston had another corner kick come up just short in the 41st. Neither of these chances was quite as dangerous though as a free kick off the foot of Freddie Ljungberg that found Ianni in front for another try. His header beat Onstad but was barely too high and hit the crossbar. Seattle continued to push forward as the half ended but they couldn’t come up with anything significant.

0 – 0 at the half.

In the 48th minute Oduro sent another beautiful cross through the box and it was headed for Ching but the Sounders defense arrived just in time to tip the pass out of bounds for a Houston corner. The corner was threatening but Seattle was able to deflect it just enough. 3 minutes later Seattle returned the favor with a corner that found Montero but Clark was draped all over and he missed the ball as it passed by his back leg.

If the save of the game was not the one made by Mullan then it had to be the save by Keller in the 55th minute. A turnover by the Sounders led to great action by the Dynamo; Holden brought the ball from left to right to find Oduro in the box. Oduro turned to fire but his shot was deflected. The deflection popped out to Brad Davis all alone from 35 meters and he released a left-footed laser for the far post. Keller lounged and got just enough of the ball to send it wide for a Dynamo corner. The corner was unsuccessful but Houston controlled play for the next several minutes and Davis got another try in the 58th minute that was also saved by Keller.

Seattle would not be pusghed back though and they went on the attack led by Jaqua. Jacqua made a tremendous run up the right side and somehow found Montero in the box but Montero missed the goal by about 2 feet to the left.

Frustration boiled over as Osvaldo Alonso, Brad Evans Mike Chabala and Brad Smith all got yellows in the 2nd period. Evans’ fouls though was a brilliant, veteran move as Oduro was on the attack on a counter-run with only one defender to beat. The Dynamo threatened again in the 68th with a corner kick that popped up in the air right in front of the goal. Keller had to come flying in, hands high, to stop Houston from getting an easy chance.

Action went back the other way and Jaqua led the charge again but Geoff Cameron got a toe on a pass intended for Jaqua in the middle on a fantastic run. Jaqua did get his shot though in the 74th minute off a corner set-piece but Onstad was in perfect position and got a hand on it to send it harmlessly over the goal. Seattle and Jaqua kept the pressure up and Jaqua even outworked 2 Dynamo defenders and found the back of the net but the goal was negated because the whistle had been blown for a foul at midfield.

The Dynamo answered back by pushing forward themselves. Holden had Davis sprinting through in the 83d but just put it out of his reach. Holden’s aggression almost cost Houston in extra time when he turned it over at midfield and Seattle threatened. They ended up earning a free kick and that led to a corner. The corner found the newly-inserted, Roger Levesque, but his header went right of the goal and the scored remained unchanged.

0 – 0 Final Score.

A draw is not the preferred outcome but it is one the Dynamo will gladly take. Now the 2-game series heads back to Houston for the 2nd leg on November 8th at 3:00. It will be broadcast on TeleFutura so tune in if you’re not able to make it out to the game. All thhe Dynamo need is a victory to move on, no matter how that victory comes.

TSG is officially 1 for 1 on MLS playoffs observations. It’s all downhill from here for us. Yikes.

Seattle vs. Houston can best best characterized as good individual efforts with team efforts lacking a bit.

Here’s some random comments that you will probably take us to task for (note, if you’re an avid MLS fan, you might find the commentary rudimentary or please feel free to elaborate on things):

• The game was like a continual ping pong rally with the ball moving from counter attack to counter attack. I found it surprising that the Sounders playing at home didn’t try to really build their offense. They did–I surmise–a few times through Ljundberg but what I remember about the Swede when playing on that dynamite Arsenal midfield line is that he was an interior slasher, not a guy you really relied on for a lot of linkage.

Is he the best Seattle has in that vain?

• TSG liked the movement of Nate Jaqua on the field. The 6′3” central midfielder–playing as a bit of top of the offensive third target man–seemed to have a good sense of how to attack the Dynamo defense from his positioning on runs to his pass selection. He also did a good job of sealing off defenders for the most part and opening the pass he wanted. Haven’t really watched the guy before, but very impressive.

• Following up on the first point, I saw a lot of good moving in pairs and triples, but not a lot of good recognition of team. Many times, a switch field run or pass was not made that would have opened up some offense.

• Was, overall, disappointing in the finishing.

• If I had to use one word to describe the collective play over the last 20 minutes, I would say “immature.” Both teams either started resorting to chippiness or played the foul or apparent foul instead of the play. As a fan, I was disappointed in this.

• Impressed by the touches of Freddie Montero, but his game needs overall seasoning.

• Not impressed with Ricardo Clark. I would think that the midfield man–though I guess he was carrying a knock?–would have a better feel for his teammates at the club level. I didn’t see that. With Clark, I see a collection of skills, not a complete player. Having said that, Clark’s ability to track a man do and his on-man defense is more than solid.

• While it is clear that USMNTer Stuie “The Iceman” Holden is one of the best players on the field, I thought he really needed to take control of the game this evening. He darted into available positions on offense–and maybe this is the Dynamo’s offense–but I wanted to see a man of his skills dictate the play more.

• I liked the play of Patrick Ianni–I believe he called upon at the last minute for Marshall, correct?

In general, I saw a decent game of American soccer, but was longing for a lot better team play and recognition. I didn’t see any concerted effort to attack a weakness or dictate tempo by either team. Maybe that’s because good defense is favored by both teams.

Please weight in as TSG is a MLS playoff newbie.

Have a good one.

Oh, and lest I don’t mention it, as a player and fan, I have a contrarian view on the Onstad-Montero scrap. I don’t know many veteran goalies that actively look to challenge an outfield player unless there was a transgression. Montero embellished the bump as well. Onstad is more guilty of poor judgment rather than anything else.

Brad Evans scores a late goal to give Sounders FC their first home win since July. (Photo: AP)

Note: These are live tweets made during the game from our @RallyBlues Twitter account. Accompanying them are some tweets made by other fans watching the game using the hashtag #Sounders (I’ve marked those in italics).

FT – A great cap to an incredible regular season for Seattle. Crowd is just bouncing. Too bad LA couldn’t lose.

89′ – Seattle needs to watch Brek Shea. He’s one of the best guys on our #U20MNT.

83′ – Beautiful. After a game of looking really unsure of himself at midfield, Evans gets a goal! [SEA 2:1 DAL]

82′ – @theshums: Come on you #sounders! Win one for the Claret-and-Cobalt! #RSL

80′ – Zakuani hits it over the net and finally we have a sub: Levesque.

77′ – Again, Freddie needs to shoot that far in.

71′ – @biglew8: I have a good feeling that Fredy Montero will kick in the game winning goal tonight for the #Sounders!

69′ – Fantastic passing and good build up by Seattle right now, but again, they need to shoot more near the box.

66′ – Some really shaky defense from Seattle after the goal scoring opportunity.

64′ – Another nice chance on the corner. Almost 2-1 there. Been really impressed with their set pieces lately.

62′ – Wow! The one time an extra pass hasn’t killed us in front of the net. Montero finds Jaqua and we’re level. [SEA 1:1 DAL]

56′ – Ljungberg cussing out the linesman now. Can’t say I blame him. He’s taken 3 cheap shots on the knee tonight.

55′ – Swarming but just having some rotten luck. Alonso again with the shot.

54′ – @soundersASN: Alonso! Second time he has barely missed a goal tonight!

48′ – Montero’s work ethic is awesome tonight. Has to pay off sooner or later.

HT – @Xanlythe: Come on #Sounders! Break that home scoring drought!

HT – Well, Seattle has really owned this game, but they have no goals and very few shots to show for it. [SEA 0:1 DAL]

42′ – LA has gone up 1:0 on SJ. Seattle may not win the West even if they do get a win.

40′ – Alonso has the right idea blasting a low drive wide of the far post. Still, we need shots to score.

38′ – Harris was already being booed after the goal. Worse now after the Yellow Card.

35′ – Brilliant pass by Zakuani blown by Jaqua over the net.

34′ – Just saw my friends @Tesson and @DaisyCor3 on the simulcast during the injury break.

25′ – @jamie_starr: I think we should put in Levesque.

25′ – I’d love to see Ljungberg hit some distance shots every now and then.

22′ – @glynnjamin: Boy the ball is fast tonight with the wet turf. Sheesh. Get Jaqua out of there. He’ll never catch up!

20′ – Riley outran Cunningham. Won’t see that too often. Must be the cold.

16′ – For once, the Sounders get a handball call *for* them at home.

15′ – @TheHills1992: Defenders have to step up and close that space. Easy goal against the Sounders.

14′ – Damn. Harris just blasted that. Poor marking by the Sounders and they’re down early. [SEA 0:1 DAL]

11′ – Can’t believe DCU let KC tie them. Could’ve just killed their playoff chances.

9′ – Fantastic to see the support for @CharlieDavies9.

9′ – Wow. FC Dallas are really coming out flat here. For a team trying to make the playoffs, they don’t look hungry.

6′ – After calling back the Evans goal, that linesman might not make it out of Qwest alive.

5′ – Finally, the Sounders’ defense plays a decent offsides trap.

2′ – Somehow the “Seattle” “Sounders” Call-and-Response chant is louder now than I’ve ever heard it.

PG – This game is going to be wide open. Dallas can’t afford to sit back and defend with their season on the line.

Rally Man of the Match:

James Riley (1)

Based on some requests that we have received, we thought we would dig a bit deeper into the recently filed civil allegations against Nate Jaqua of the Seattle Sounders. The primary cause of action against Jaqua sounds in “battery”.  Under Oregon law, a battery is simply described as a “voluntary act that is intended to cause the resulting harmful or offensive contact”.

We touched briefly yesterday on the vicarious liability portion of the complaint (i.e. the allegations against MLS and the various teams).  In part, such a cause of action requires a showing that the primary actor performed the alleged battery in the scope of his employment.  In a recent juvenile sexual assault case, the Oregon Court of Appeals found that a priest who had been alleged to committ certain sexual acts during the course of working with a youth did not commit those acts within the confines of his employment.  The Court found that simply assisting the claimant with a knee injury was not sufficient to rise to the pastoral duties required under the priest’s job description.

While the facts in the Jaqua matter are still emerging, it is difficult to see how the complaint sets forth sufficient facts to show that he was acting in the scope of his employment.  Using the analysis from the Archdiocese case above, it seems that plaintiff faces a difficult hurdle in relating the alleged battery to Jaqua’s soccer career.

One interesting procedural issue may arise because of the potential jurisdictional issues raised in the Complaint.  The plaintiff resides in Canada, MLS is located in New York, the Galaxy in California and Houston in Texas.  The defendants may seek to “remove” this case to Federal Court because of this diverse citizenship, thereby taking the matter from Oregon State Courts.  As a practical matter, this would likely have the impact of moving the case more efficiently, as Federal Courts tend to move faster than their state counterparts.  Perhaps more importantly, Federal Court judges (who have a lifetime appointment), are usually far more receptive to motions aimed dimissing the complaint prior to trial.  Such a tactic may especially benefit the teams and the league, because the of the difficulty in proving the vicarious liability portion of this case.

We will hopefully return to the world of soccer and business tomorrow, but will certainly keep our eye on this case.

So I had an intense soccer overload this past weekend. After spending the week watching the US barely squeak into the knockout stages, then watching them demolish Spain, I went into the weekend with the Confederation Cup and the Sounders game overlapping each other, and not knowing what to do with myself. The Sounders were good enough to solve the problem for me, by showing the Confederation Cup on the big screens at Qwest Field before and after the Sounders game.

First the USMNT. Man did they look good against Spain. The passes were crisp, the energy was high, pace was great, and although they gave up about a billion shots on goal, the defense was always there to block the shot. Even if the shot got though, Howard was playing out of his mind. Absolutely amazing game to witness. I thought the game was an abboration, and could never be replicated. I was only half right. They started with the same pace and vigor as the Spain game, scoring 2 goals in the first half from Dempsey on a redirection and Donovan (or Landycakes as we call him in the Great Northwest) with a strong finish on a 2 on 1 counter. The defense was great also as they were in the Spain game. But it somehow all unraveled during the half time break. Brazil also came out looking like a different team immediately. They scored in the following 40 second from break and never looked back. The two teams had switched personalities entirely, with Brazil doing nothing but attacking at will, and the US always back on their heels never seeming to regain any control of the game. Brazil scored 3 in the second half to take the title. It was a great game to watch even though we lost, and we look like we belong in that competition by the end of it all. You couldn’t say during the group stages. Kudos USMNT.

Clint Dempsey who scored 3 goals in 3 games through the final.

For the Sounders game, they played lights out on Sunday for a 3-0 win over the Colorado Rapids. It was rough going in the first 35 minutes or so, with the teams looking pretty even. The Sounders scored the first goal and it looked like Colorado was going to answer right back when Alonzo was called for a hand ball inside the box. Cumming went to size up the shot and somehow missed, hitting the upper right corner of the goal post. After that, it was all Sounders, with Jaqua playing his most impressive game to date. His skills on the ball were unlike I’ve seen before out of him, with the close in passing setting himself up for his first goal, and the second was an impressive strike to finish with 2 goals. Montero also deserves a lot of praise, as he is moving with and without the ball very well compared to early in the year, and it looks like the players up front are finally starting to see a rhythm and gel together to work as a unit. Montero was the one who provided the first goal, with a corner going to Jaqua’s head, and down to Montero’s head for the finish. He then was the one who fed Jaqua with both him goal opportunities. A wall pass from Jaqua and back to Jaqua for the first goal, and then a nice pass from Le Toux, to Montero who dropped the ball to Jaqua for the strong finish for his second assist. It was a great game to watch all around, if you’re a Sounders fan.

The header from Jaqua to Montero for the first goal

All in all, a great weekend for soccer in my neck of the woods. It’s going to continue it’s frantic pace for the coming weeks as well, as next weekend is the Gold Cup for the USMNT to play at Qwest Field against Grenada, and I get to watch the Haiti vs Honduras matchup as well. in the following weeks we get 3 Sounders MLS home games, as well as the friendly against Chelsea mixed in. It’s going to be a lot of soccer, and a lot of fun.

O jogador Nate Jaqua do Seattle Sounders FC foi eleito o Player of the Week da Major League Soccer. Jaqua foi peça fundamental na vitória por 3×0 do Sounders diante do Rapids no domingo. Além de fazer dois gols, o jogador deu assitência para outro.

Jaqua jogou já pelo Chicago Fire, Los Angeles Galaxy e Houston Dynamo (onde conquistou a MLS em 2007).

Semanas anteriores:

WEEK 1: Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders FC)
WEEK 2: Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders FC)
WEEK 3: Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids)
WEEK 4: Donovan Ricketts (Los Angeles Galaxy)
WEEK 5: Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)
WEEK 6: Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake)
WEEK 7: Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)
WEEK 8: Macoumba Kandji (New York Red Bulls)
WEEK 9: Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)
WEEK 10: Amado Guevara (Toronto FC)
WEEK 11: Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids)
WEEK 12: Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)
WEEK 13: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew)
WEEK 14: Omar Cummings (Colorado Rapids)

Los Angeles Galaxy x Houston Dynamo: neste domingo o Home Depot Center viu uma grande surpresa, a equipe do Galaxy bateu o líder da Conferência Oeste por 1×0 e somou mais 3 pontos na competição. A equipe de Los Angeles não vencia uma partida diante da sua torcida desde 2 de Maio – veja os melhores momentos

Seattle Sounders FC x Colorado Rapids: a equipe do Sounders segue fazendo vítimas dentro de seu estádio. Neste domingo foi a vez do Rapids que levou 3 gols. Fredy Montero e Nate Jaqua foram os grandes destaques da partida marcando gols e assistências. Com esse resultado o Seattle volta a sonhar na ponta da Conferência Oeste.

The Sounders FC went on their first road trip. They played in Toronto against Toronto FC.

This was a very windy match, the wind being a factor all game long. Both teams had to play on the ground, because long balls in the air got carried away.

The Sounders did better at this, as shown by Freddie Ljungberg’s give and go combination with Nate Jaqua in the 15th minute, resulting in the first goal of the match. The second goal came after it had bounced around in the box and Zakuani reacted faster to the ball than TFC keeper, Sutton, and knocked one in for a two-nil lead going into halftime.

The sounders outplayed TFC in a very physical game, despite not having Freddy Montero with them. They head back home with three wins under their belt and not a single goal let up. It looks like the Sounders are one of the top teams in the MLS.

They face Kansas City next.

The United States has never seen a young soccer phenom like Freddy Adu before. As a young boy in the African country of Ghana, he learned to play with a soccer ball and make amazing fakes and tricks look easy. When he was eleven, he was scoring against thirteen- and fourteen-year-olds. When he was fourteen, he was a star on the Under-17 U.S. boys soccer team. At fourteen, he graduated from high school and became a professional soccer player. Now, he is one of the players who draws the biggest crowds to soccer stadiums all over the U.S. Freddy hopes to be one of the best soccer players in the world. He just might do it.

Freddy Adu: young Soccer Super Star (Robbie Readers) is available at Amazon for $25.70. To Order click here
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A few days ago, Houston sent 30 year-old midfielder and face of the club Dwayne de Rosario back to his hometown, with Toronto FC surrendering young defender Julius James and cash.

The winner in the deal?  Who knows?  Toronto gets a three-time Canadian player of the year and someone who has won 4 MLS Cups.  However, de Rosario’s production slowed down considerably last season and he is on record saying that he does not like Toronto’s turf.  The veteran will sell jerseys and tickets, and returning to his hometown team has to be great for Dwayne, but if he doesn’t come out of his slump, this could be just another in a long line of failed high-profile moves by Toronto FC Manager Mo Johnston.

Houston, on the other hand, got some much needed cash and a young defender who spent most of his rookie season injured.  When he did play, James showed some offensive capability in the air, as well as potential in central defense and the right wing.  James ended the year as a bench player, so he may not be an immediate upgrade for Houston, but the T&T National and UCONN grad still has plenty of upside.

The Dynamo also received cash considerations.  In combination with offloading de Rosario’s salary, this will help the Orange out considerably as they seek to find a backup keeper, a replacement for DDR in the midfield and someone to fill departed Nate Jaqua’s shoes.  Houston will also need to find some immediate depth if they want to have any chance of extending their run in the Champions League.

Oh and they need to find a new face for their franchise.  Throughout Houston’s run at the top, de Rosario was one of Houston and MLS’s marketable players.

Sounds like a busy winter for the Dynamo.

The San Jose Earthquakes are suddenly very competitive, and Darren Huckerby is a huge reason for the team's resurgence. (Getty Images)

Major League Soccer teams are lucky that the summer transfer window happens to fall right in the middle of the season. Most teams enjoy the luxury of the January window doing the same thing, but it’s been my observation that more and bigger moves happen in the summer, not winter. MLS sides are also lucky that the league’s single-entity system allows players to change teams outside the FIFA transfer calendar. So good moves are comparitively easier for MLS teams than they are for international sides. Here’s a look at my top five moves made after this MLS season kicked off.

5. Nate Jaqua re-signs with the Houston Dynamo

Jaqua’s stint in Austria didn’t pan out, and Houston was quick to bring him back. In nine games, Jaqua has four goals and three assists, and Houston has made a charge from the middle of the pack to the top of the Western Conference. Jaqua also added a goal for Houston in the final of the Superliga.

4. Kei Kamara from the San Jose Earthquakes to the Houston Dynamo

Kei Kamara hadn’t had the best time in San Jose. He wasted a lot of chances for an offense that desperately needed goals (two goals on 28 shots in 12 games), and I thought Houston got the short end of the stick when they signed him. Eight games later, Kamara has exceeded that output in league play, striking twice and adding two assists. He also scored in the Superliga final and has two goals so far in Houston’s CONCACAF Champions League campaign.

3. Arturo Alvarez from FC Dallas to the San Jose Earthquakes

Alvarez is a great midfielder and was a great pick up for San Jose. He’s a big part of the Earthquakes charge the past couple months, during which time the team has grown an offense to supplement its defense. In seven games for San Jose, Alvarez has three goals and two assists, which is only one assist shy of his 16 game output for FC Dallas before returning to the city where he launched his MLS career in 2003.

2. Jeff Cunningham from Toronto FC to FC Dallas

Jeff Cunningham is somewhat of an enigma in MLS: He’s a great goal scorer, but no one seems to want his services. His attitude apparently played a big role in ending his stays in Salt Lake and Toronto (where he allegedly had a separate dressing room), so FCD took a huge risk signing him. To say it has paid off would be a huge understatement. In his troubled stay in Toronto, Cunningham scored two goals in 16 appearances, only seven of which were starts. In seven games—all starts—in Dallas, Cunningham has five goals and two assists, and more importantly, he seems to be genuinely enjoying his playing time. It was a high risk, high reward signing by Michael Hitchcock and Schellas Hyndman. So far, it’s paid off big time, giving the Hoops a second threat up top to complement Kenny Cooper.

1. Darren Huckerby joins the San Jose Earthquakes

Had Huckerby played the whole season for San Jose, I’m pretty sure I could safely say two things: First, San Jose would be in the top three in a weak Western Conference and on the brink of wrapping up a playoff spot. Second, Columbus’ Guillermo Barros Schelotto would be the only player challenging the Englishman for the league’s MVP honors. In only nine games with the Earthquakes, Huckerby has six goals and four assists. More importantly, in those nine games, San Jose is 4-1-4 and has given itself a fighting chance down the stretch to sneak into the playoffs.

Also, it’s too early to say, but I think Herculez Gomez’s move from the Colorado Rapids to the Kansas City Wizards may prove to be a great one. Gomez so far has given the Wizards a new dimension attacking on the wings, and he’s not afraid to shoot. For the offensively challenged Wizards, that’s definitely not a bad thing. Still, he’s only made four appearances so far, but the Wizards have been much more entertaining to watch since completing the move and now find themselves within striking distance of a playoff spot.

Here’s an excellent recap of last night’s Dynamo victory over RSL from the front office over at Forever Orange.

Gameday: Final – Dynamo win, 4-3: “

That was about as wild a game as you’ll see from the Dynamo in MLS play, but they came out on top of the Western Conference after a crazy 4-3 win. Yura Movsisyan’s third-minute goal and Javier Morales’ 25th-minute goal were sucker punches, but the Dynamo rolled with them and found a way back. Brian Mullan, Brian Ching, Brad Davis, and Craig Waibel all made major contributions to the scoring summary, but the shot of the game was Ricardo Clark’s 35-yard bomb in the 35th minute that gave the Dynamo the lead for good.

Here are some notes from tonight’s game:

· It is the first time in the Dynamo’s three-year history that the team has scored four goals in one half.

· Houston’s come-from-behind win was the first for Houston this year. The Dynamo improved to 1-6-2 in all competitions (1-4-1 MLS) when allowing the first goal.

· Yura Movsisyan’s third-minute goal was only the second goal this season the Dynamo have allowed in the first 15 minutes of a match. The other came June 12 in a 2-0 loss to New England. It was not, however, the earliest goal allowed in Dynamo history. That came June 10, 2006, when the New York Red Bulls scored in the second minute in a game at Giants Stadium.

· Houston midfielder Brian Mullan tied the game in the 16th minute after a visionary pass from Brad Davis found Mullan’s run from deep. The goal gave Mullan a goal or an assist in five of the Dynamo’s last eight games in all competitions, dating back to his goal on July 12.

· The Dynamo’s Brian Ching re-tied the game with a goal in the 29th minute, scoring his ninth goal in his last 11 MLS games. Ching also earned his fourth MLS assist of the season in the 42nd minute, setting up Nate Jaqua for his first MLS goal with the Dynamo this season.

· Midfielder Ricardo Clark scored the go-ahead goal in the 35th minute with a 35-yard blast that beat Nick Rimando to top the left corner. It was Clark’s first MLS goal of the year and his second overall goal; his first came July 19 against D.C. United in SuperLiga play.

Houston is back in action at Robertson Stadium Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. against Western Conference rival Chivas USA. Don’t miss it!

“

(Via Forever Orange.)

Two goals: Davis with a brilliant shot, Ching with a simple goal (but they count just as much!). Columbus: nil and clearly being dominated. Having a great game: Jaqua and Mullan; having a PHENOMENAL game: Geoff Cemeron!
I’m expecting half-time subs to rest some of our guys up for Tuesday.The subs came later in the second half, later than I would have expected.
GeoTagged, [N29.72238, E95.34890]

Time to check around the league, to make sure the movement has generally been normal and regular.

- May as well start with the problem: the blockage keeping Taylor Twellman from leaving the New England Revolution for England’s Preston North End. And, here I was, all set to bang out a “Free Taylor” post, only to discover that someone else – namely, Longshoe over at Who Ate All the Cupcakes – beat me to it. To his further credit, he even laid out a more thorough argument than I would have. But, to add to the excellent point that the time to rebuild in New England is now, here’s something else: I’d argue that Major League Soccer (MLS) has maxed out Twellman’s marketing potential; worse, barring some changes to the Revs make up – and none seem upcoming – the odds for Twellman doing something eye-catching (e.g. win MLS Cup) any time soon don’t look so hot. Given that, all the Revs (and, to whatever extent, MLS) are doing now is pissing off Twellman and giving future talents reasons against signing a long-term contract with New England.

Right. The rest of these are rumors and trades-in-progress to varying degrees. I’ll start with those filed under “outgoing” and conclude with “incoming”…which is where the real stretches lurk.

- Memo to foreign coaches: Finish the job. With Nate Jaqua heading over to Austria (and a little club called SCR Altach), you guys have only forward from the Houston Dynamo roster left to pick up: Brian Ching. I hear he’s the best anyway, so scoop him up before it’s too late! Hurry!!

- Chivas USA ‘keeper Brad Guzan picked up a suitor: Aston Villa. Chivas really needs to get cracking on that ‘keeper situation…

- Whither DC United’s Christian Gomez? Ives Galarcep has the latest…and it’s not looking so pretty for the midfielder. If I had to pick a destination for Gomez, I’d recommend the Colorado Rapids…but that could be because I’ve volunteered myself for watching them this year. I’d also like to wish him a happy future – he seems awful damn nice – but don’t know if that’s on the cards anywhere Fernando Clavijo coaches.

And now, the incoming – and a couple of these (the Toronto FC stuff) seem downright implausible:

- (English striker/winger) Darren Huckerby and Italian midfielder (and a good one) Stefano Fiore to Toronto FC. I can believe the first, but not the second. That said, I’d be OK with both happening. Y’know. Why not? But I must stress, these are rumors – e.g. things people talk about, sometimes just to kill time.

- This one seems more plausible, mainly because San Jose has to start adding someone to their friggin’ roster. So why not former New England forward Willie Sims and Guatemalan d-mid Freddy Thompson? Again, this is a rumor, but warm bodies – preferably athletic ones with decent feet – are definitely needed in SJ.

- And, finally, a rumor that didn’t come from MLS Rumors (at least not that I know of): somewhere in the middle of an update on all things Red Bull and New York you’ll find talk about a guy named Martin Liguera being connected to MLS’s New York club.

Welcome to this, my last MLS Cup preview, where I’ll turn my (divided) attention to how the Houston Dynamo’s offense matches up with the New England Revolution defense.  I’m burning out ever so slightly on this project, less because it doesn’t interest me than it only feels like more blah-blah-blahing as we get closer to the point where all the talk becomes immediately irrelevant – e.g. kick off.  On the upside, this will be my shortest selection…I hope.

Before getting into my copy, I want to flag Allen Hopkins’ (exceedingly lazy) column for ESPN, the one where he turns over his space to an anonymous player and coach and has them breakdown the game (nice work if you can find it).  At any rate, that both seem to favor New England is only the most curious part of an interesting read.

But that’s there stuff.  Here mine…which, not surprisingly low-balls the Revs’ chances:

I’ve already gone into how Houston likes to attack – e.g. down the flanks through Brad Davis and Brian Mullan, thereby opening space for Dwayne DeRosario in the middle, blah, blah, blah.  What I haven’t yet acknowledged is that they’re quite adept at making this work, especially when they compact the field just inside the half and get into the quick rhythm passing that discombobulates the defense ahead of penultimate ball that leads to the final ball, etc.  When it works, it’s damned hard to stop.

I think New England is fairly well equipped to cope with that, though only from a strictly defensive point of view.  By that I mean, if the Revs wind up laying back – whether by choice or circumstance – I’m highly confident they could contain Houston through a couple games.  On the flanks, Smith can certainly keep up with Mullan and having Avery John behind him only makes this easier; while I’m admittedly more worried about Wade Barrett and Brad Davis versus Wells Thompson and Jay Heaps, my worries would fly out the window if Thompson and Heaps lay back.  That said, I’d rather have my worries than (half-) secretly loathe my team for playing like a six-pack of chickenshits.

If there’s one part of the field I don’t worry about regardless of the Revs’ posture (e.g. attacking, defensive, etc.) it’s the middle of the field.  To put it bluntly, there be dragons (e.g. Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz).  Perhaps I’d feel differently if Dwayne DeRosario wasn’t having such a tepid year.  In the grand scheme, so long as the Revs get set and organized, Houston’s going to have a hard, hard time.  They haven’t faced a defense this sound throughout the post-season and, let’s face it, the Dynamo’s several scoreless stretches say something.

Turning to the forwards, most everyone thinks Brian Ching won’t start, or that he might not play at all (against that, the Houston Chronicle has some video of an optimistic Ching).  Assuming he does not play – or assuming that, if he does play, he’ll be limited – the focus belongs on Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya.  As much as I like Jaqua – and I’ve been pulling for him since his University of Portland days – I can’t shake the feeling that he hasn’t yet figured out how to get the best out of himself.  Without elaborating on that, let’s just say that, while Jaqua is far from useless, he’s not the one I worry about.  That’d be Ngwenya.  If there’s a stock in low supply in the Revs’ back line it’s fleetness of foot.  A ball over the top – perhaps one sent with the Revs pushed up in the attack – has a fair chance of being lethal.

Even assuming a set-and-ready Revs’ defense, I think it’s quick movement and running that makes me most nervous.  Between DeRosario, Ngwenya, and Mullan, the Dynamo have the players to make the Revs’ defenders dizzy.  This plays into one of my chief perceptions of the Revolution back-line: it’s essentially cardiac nature.  I don’t know whether it’s the three-defender set up, or using ‘keeper Matt Reis as a “’keeper-sweeper,” but watching the Revs defend makes me nucking futs.  Huge, horrible gaps seem ever-present, holes that open and close as frenetic defenders throw themselves from one to the one they just plugged; these gaps only need someone fleet enough to slip and score…and yet…and yet…Reis always seem to be there clutching the ball when the dust clears.  I don’t know how it happens, but it seems to – and reliably.  Put another way, I view the Revs defense with something akin to faith: I have no idea how it works, it just does.

So, what’s the point of all that?  I worry that DeRosario, Ngwenya, or Mullan will be that “someone fleet enough” come Sunday.  Failing that, I worry about Jaqua accidentally pairing up against Michael Parkhurst on a corner or free-kick.  In short, dangers abound – more so if the Revs play to win…as opposed to playing not to lose.

To move to a larger point, the Revs should play to win.  The longer Houston lurks near the Revs’ area, the likelier a fluky piece of work – oh, like Ching’s equalizer in the 2006 Cup – steals a goal for the Dynamo.  And the Dynamo is good enough that giving them any help is the wrong way to go.

Up next, my prediction for the final.