Sprinkles: The Return

Chicago: Marcelo Salas, El Matador, might be on trial with the Fire. The Chilean legend hasn't played since December, when he was dropped from his club Universidad de Chile when they went into bankruptcy. However, the team has been bought and Salas said he would return. Either way, he's pretty injury prone at this point. I don't think he's really the answer for the Fire.

Meanwhile, here's Cuau's last goal for America over the weekend. The MexBecks?

Salt Lake: The Goff is reporting that it looks like Kasey Keller will be joining RSL soon. Well, not really soon because he'll be at the Gold Cup, but you know what I mean. I guess this means Rimando will be leaving town and Keller will be the mentor to Seitz. So who's going to end up traded more times this season, Nicky or Esky?

Oh yeah, they also signed Richie Kotschau. Contain your excitement...

Los Angeles: Landon Donovan cries while watching American Idol. Take a minute to make your own jokes...

Kansas City: The Wiz will have Idan Shriki on trial with them starting next week. He's a forward from FC Ashdod in Israel.

New York: Former Metro Chris Leitch is in camp due to all the injuries to the defense. He nearly signed before the season, but was injured himself.

US Open Cup draw revealed

I guess it was a good thing I took a nap. I knew the draw came out today, I just didn't think it would take this long.

The bracket can be found here. Game information, with home teams, can be found here.

If you haven't noticed, things have changed slightly this year. Instead of having the tiered entrances for the USL First Division and MLS in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, all non-MLS teams who qualified enter in the 1st round.

The remaining MLS teams (all 8 of them), enter automatically in the third round.

Don't forget the Beckham "lottery". That's what they'd call it in Spain when a lower-division team would play Barcelona or Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey. It also usually meant an insane hike in ticket costs.

A few talking points:

- At least 2 non-USL-1 teams are guaranteed of meeting an MLS team. I'd love to see the Richmond Kickers become one of those teams, they're dominating USL-2 and always play MLS teams tough.

- California's going down in the 1st round. They play at the PDL BYU Cougars.

- I'm not too convinced about the Silverbacks' chances in the 1st or 2nd rounds. Even though the game is at home, Dallas Azzurri is always one of the top USASA teams. But if they do pull it out and Charlotte wins as well, that makes another easy game to catch, regardless of where it's played.

- A Seattle-Portland matchup in the 2nd round would be gold.

Like I told Shoe a few weeks ago, USL Live needs to jump on this. They could really up their number of subscribers if they carried these games, as some of the results are always difficult to find.

Cupcakes of the Week

Eddie Johnson: Eddie almost seems like he's back to GAM Eddie. Almost. A hat-trick is a nice way to show Coach Bradley that you deserve some national team time.

Juan Pablo Angel: I think we just keep sending him cupcakes until otherwise noted. Two awesome goals against Chicago, and an assist for good measure. The guy is pretty damn good.

Christian Gomez: A goal and an assist might mean that Christian is back to his past form. I don't want to jinx it, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Jim Brennan: He gets a treat for his free-kick goal alone. What a strike!

Andy Herron: Two goals in a little over half an hour, not too shabby for your first game back after suspension. Shame he had to leave early with an injury...

Maykel Galindo: Awesome goal to win the game for Chivas. Razov might deserve the frosting for his goal at the end, but I'll give the cupcake to Galindo. Easily becoming one of my favorite players in the league...

Memorial Day Reruns

It seems to be the thing to do, so here a few of Cupcakes' best:

• The news breaks on Cuau to the Fire. I know my opinion has changed a bit after watching the performances he was putting in with the Aguilas. Awesome free kick goal last night in a losing effort in the final against Pachuca.
  
• DC's new Brazilian Fred has PERFORMANCE ENHANCING UNDERWEAR. I guess that's not against the rules in MLS.
  
• The MLS All-Hair Team, we might have to revisit this later this season.
  
• Landon Donovan is upset.
  
• Tony Meola is still unemployed, and it makes me sad.
  
• El Güero breaks down the Silverbacks home opener.
  
• Soccer and 'rasslin?!? Who would've thunk it?
  
• I think the threat worked, DC is playing much better these days.
  
• Posh calls the shots for the Gals.
  
• Some thoughts on the American Goats and their lack of home support...
  

USL First Division Power Rankings

Another week and a few surprise results, but things have relatively stayed the same at the top and bottom. It's the middle of the table that's going to give us rankers trouble all season long. Last week's rank in parentheses. You know how we roll.

1. Montreal Impact (+1) - Still solid, and now the only undefeated team in the league. Two wins through two of their six-game homestand. Friday's match against Vancouver is the early game of the season and will probably determine next week's #1 team in the rankings.

2. Vancouver Whitecaps (-1) - Their 16-game unbeaten streak going back to last year ended shockingly at home to Carolina. Not a good result with a trip to Montreal coming up, but I'm still certain they can give the Impact a good game. Pretty soon, we at Cupcakes will be issuing an APB for Jason McLaughlin. Use him or lose him, Whitecaps.

3. Carolina RailHawks (+2) - I'm really starting to hate this team, not because of their style of play, but because on paper, they shouldn't be this good. But they pulled off the upset of the season so far, winning in Vancouver. They just keep hanging around, picking up points, and now they don't leave Cary for the entire month of June.

4. Rochester Raging Rhinos (+3) - The reason I'm moving this team up is because I looked at their schedule. Look closely, only 2 of their first 12 games are at home, and the Rhinos have managed to keep it together. I could look like a fool as they have the tricky Miami/Puerto Rico trip on the books this weekend.

5. Portland Timbers (-1) - I'm still not sold on this team, mainly because they've played 5 of their 6 games at home. And beating California is nothing to stop the presses for. The Montreal/Rochester trip (on consecutive days, nonetheless) doesn't bode well for them.

6. Seattle Sounders (+4) - Hey, two wins are two wins. Granted, one was against California, but they figured out Carolina and held on despite Eylander's momentary loss of composure. I've done the same before, and my team hung on to win also. Come to think of it, maybe I should lose my cool, start yelling at the other team and get a yellow card more often.

7. Charleston Battery (+4) - I can't justify keeping them behind Atlanta, even though I think Atlanta is still the better team. They took it to the Silverbacks and took advantage of a night off for the 'Backs. I really don't want them to pick up two results against California and Minnesota this week, as that will throw the middle of the table into more disarray.

8. Atlanta Silverbacks (-5) - A disastrous game in Charleston on Saturday. I'm not dropping them this far because I'm upset for the way they played after making the long trip out there, I'm dropping them because they looked terrible. They looked like they had no heart and after Jarun lost Alvarez and let in the first goal, they just died. They better take care of Miami on Saturday or they're in trouble.

9. Puerto Rico Islanders (-1) - Got their revenge in Minnesota on Saturday, avenging their loss at home to the Thunder the previous weekend. This Islander team just isn't as good as last year's team, but the up and down nature of the middle of the table could see them into the playoffs again. I'd love to see them take out Rochester on the island on Sunday.

10. Miami FC (-4) - Nearly pulled out a result in Montreal on Friday but looked dead against Rochester on Sunday. I can't figure this team out for the life of me, they're capable of winning some games, but sometimes look mediocre.

11. Minnesota Thunder (-2) - Yuck. Come on guys, give the home fans something to cheer about. How 'bout a win over Charleston this weekend?

12. California Victory (-) - Sigh. Ryan Suarez is not the answer.

I guess they needed to summon someone from the stands...

I'm starting to realize that on the weekends, my moods are determined by how well my teams play. It's not a good trait to have, but there's nothing I can do about it. I've accepted it, even though I was warned about it months ago.

I stopped seeing a girl because she didn't like me going to the Brewhouse and said that she didn't want to be around me after any Arsenal loss. I don't mind the second one, but the first one is a complete dealbreaker.

So Saturday was one of those days, because I had spent all day Friday dreaming about 3 teams from Atlanta playing in the US Open Cup and looking forward to getting another 3 points in Charleston.

Despite the warm hospitality shown to us by our hosts before, during and after the game, the play on the field ruined it for me. I saw nothing out of the Silverbacks that makes me believe this team can contend for the title.

Perhaps they needed to look a few rows up from where we were sitting and call down El Pibe. Yep, Carlos Valderrama was at the game, as he's playing in a local tournament with an O-40 team.

Hey, I wouldn't believe it either. I didn't notice him, but there is photographic evidence. It's not as hard as Where's Waldo, so you can find him.

I had been waiting all day to find out how the Silverbacks U-23's did, as they needed a victory in North Carolina to advance to the US Open Cup.

About the time we hit Columbia, Shoe calls me to tell me they drew 0-0. A good result for the Baby Backs, but considering that a win was all I wanted, it's a disappointment. Central Florida takes the spot, as only a draw, not a victory from either team, was the result they needed.

I had hoped for another miracle in Browns Summit, a la the 3rd round of the 2004 Cup courtesy of the senior team, but it was not to be.

I did get a little bit of good news, as I was woken on the ride home by Shoe to tell me that Chivas USA played very well and picked up the 2-0 win at home over FC Dallas. A small consolation on a day of disappointment.


And today? Well, mi Motril picked up the fourth and final classification spot for the promotion playoffs in the Spanish Fourth Division by beating 3rd place Poli Ejido B 2-0 this morning. For those who don't know, this is the team from my hometown in Spain, where I lived for 8 months and attended over 20 games. They were one game away from being promoted to the Segunda B last season before falling to Villanovense.

And Sevilla has just defeated Zaragoza 3-1 to keep their title chances alive. A much better Sunday than Saturday.

Chivas USA: The melting pot

Americans, Mexicans, a Romanian, a Cuban, a Jamaican, a Frenchman, a Brazilian, a Colombian, an Englishman makes for quite a roster. Add in the coaching/technical staff that includes a Yugoslavian, a few Mexicans, a Brazilian, an Egyptian, a Dutchman, and some Americans and you have a great representation of what American soccer should be. Shouldn't this be America's Team?

Sadly no, it's barely even Los Angeles' team at this point. The American Goats drew just a little over 8K last night for their match with FC Dallas. There was no competition from the mother ship in Guadalajara, they're out of the Mexican playoffs. The Galaxy were on the road in Colorado, I doubt there's much overlap in the fan base. I don't know what the excuse is at this point.

When Chivas USA began in 2005, there was much talk about making them in the mirror image of the parent club in Guadalajara. Club Deportivo Guadalajara, a.k.a. Chivas, is known for two things. They have won the most championships in Mexican history with titles, and they have done this by only fielding Mexican-born players. Chivas USA wasn't able to do this exactly, but made it very clear that they were going to cater to Hispanic players and fans. With guys like Isaac Romo, Ryan Suarez, and Thiago Martins featuring in 2005, the fans didn't care what their heritage was. They just knew that the team was awful.

The ownership knew this as well, and brought in Bob Bradley to right the ship in '06. He took the team to the playoffs, and brought in MLS veterans like Jesse Marsch, Tim Regan, and Ante Razov to help him. They easily could've made the Western Conference final if not for some interesting officiating in Houston. Bradley took the US national team coaching job in the offseason, leaving his rebuilding task in the hands of his assistant, Preki.

The team has had some issues this season, but have been consistently fun to watch. The trade of a DP slot for Amado Guevara failed miserably, but the team is still trying to get something out of it by dealing Guevara. Maykel Galindo has been a joy to watch, he's been one of the best players in the league in the early going. The team is committed to an attacking style, if not necessarily a Mexican one.

The marketing side of things has been pretty tough due to all the changes. First, you have to compete with the Galaxy. They've been in the market since 1996, and have the casual soccer fans locked down, especially now after signing David Beckham. Chivas USA seemed to ignore the Anglo market completely in the early going, expecting the fans of Guadalajara to come out to support the new initiative. However, once fans saw the product on the field, they stopped coming in large numbers.

Did switching the roster focus from a completely Hispanic one cause problems in 2006? It's hard to tell, but I would hope not because the quality of the team increased a great deal. Chivas tried to reach out to the Hispanic community this preseason with the Sueño MLS contest on Republica Deportiva. However, now that the team represents a true mix of nationalities, the fan base doesn't for the most part. This approach needs to change.

There are opportunities. The Galaxy have unsurprisingly jacked up ticket prices with the arrival of Beckham. I can't blame them, people want to pay that price to see the Yellow and Gold (or black, navy, gold, yellow, sky blue, or whatever they rebrand themselves with) and #7 (or #23, or whatever he ends up with). If the Galaxy wants to become the SuperClub with the high-dollar fans, let them. Chivas should make themselves into the team of the people. Chivas USA can become the Boca Juniors to the Galaxy's River Plate. Keep tickets reasonable, reach out to groups of youth and adult soccer players, show them the style and passion on the field, and you will make fans of them.

I'd like to think that American soccer has matured enough for American-born fans to support a team with a Spanish-language name. There's also the large number of immigrants in LA that can relate to a team with players from all over the globe.

Thoughts?

Goats-Hoops LIVE BLOG

Dallas' Nunez is wearing the long sleeves, is he related to Beckham or something?

Yi heads a corner over the top for Dallas, El Guzano is not happy with Lawson Vaughn and his marking.

Not a great crowd for the American Goats, they deserve better.

Dallas needs to watch out for Panchito and Kljestan out wide, I don't know if they'll be able to handle them effectively with this formation they're playing (sort of a 4-3-3, although FSC displayed it as a 4-3-1-2). The Hoops are trying to play through the middle, while Chivas is trying to bring everything out wide.

Cooper keeps drifting out wide and he's finding a ton of space on the right. What's Bornstein doing out there?

You might be able to play this wacky type of midfield if you have a guy with the class of Toja. He's everywhere.

Galindo almost scored a wonder goal, hitting the corner of the goal. He ran right by Yi and beat Sala to a long clearance and flicked it on goal. He hit the upper corner. Galindo will run right by the Dallas backs, they just have to find him.

Quick pace to this one, I don't know if it can be sustained all night. Break out the oxygen tanks!

Sullivan loves him some Ricchetti. He does form a pretty dynamic duo with the Lizard King, I must admit.

Speaking of Toja, nice quick shot but it's right at Guzan. He really is a dangerous player.

The hype begins for the England-Brazil game on Friday WITH THE RETURN OF DAVID BECKHAM!!! OMG, I CAN'T WAIT!!!

These Dallas back passes need to be on point, Galindo is chasing everything and causing problems.

Dario Sala makes a huge save to keep things scoreless, Galindo keeps causing problems, and Sala bails out the Hoops again. Shaka Hislop is crying on the sideline because he knows he won't be playing anymore this season, unless Dario goes on a punching spree.

Sullivan talks about Bornstein and pants being pulled down and I'm horrified. I think I'm going to switch to FSE. Besides, they should play the Kinky song going into the halftime break.

The more I look at the FC Dallas gray uniforms, the more I hate them. For some reason, they look like pajamas to me.

Good crowds in DC and Colorado tonight, small ones in New England and Columbus. I'm guessing around 11-12K here at the HDC.

Toja and Cooper almost combine for something, but Cooper loses the ball in the box.

Halftime, and we're scoreless. It's an entertaining scoreless draw though.

Holy crap, what a golazo by Jim Brennan to tie the game for Toronto! Christian Gomez had a nice free kick goal as well for DC. Ay yi yi, I love the Chiva Girls on FSE. However, the FREEZEHOT Reduce commercials scare the crap out of me.

Goodson has to give away a corner at the start of the second half and then cries like a Pink Panda about it.

Nice possession around the Dallas penalty area, but the Goats can't find a shot.

MAYKEL GALINDO, EL CUBANO!!! What a goal, a right footed blast from about 25 yards out into the far corner. Nothing Sala could do, El Cubano wasn't going to be denied. Goats up 1-0.

Gbandi is the Dallas captain?!? Wasn't he suspended once or twice last year for trash talking the coach? I'm confused about the Hoops.

The Dallas backs just keep underestimating Galindo's speed, you think they'd figure it out by now. Dude's fast...

Cooper just had a golden chance at the back post, but he blew it. Bob Bradley just laughed.

Toja has been quiet in the second half.

Another nice build-up by Chivas, but Panchito can't get much on the shot. Sala saves rather easily.

I'm starting to think Toja looks less like Jim Morrison and more like a young Tommy Lee.

Kenny Cooper: Not a free kick specialist. He just put a ball into the 15th or 20th row over the goal.

Foul on El Cubano and Goodson talks some trash about it. The Pink Panda is at it again. Galindo has a few choice comments back for him and other players keep them separated.

Dr. Feelgood takes Razov down with no foul, but nothing comes of it. Chivas is starting to look a little unsettled as Dallas goes for a goal to tie this up.

Nagamura is taken down by Ricchetti in one of the more blatant intentional fouls to break up a breakaway that I've ever seen. Ricchetti, like a good prankster, acts like he's hurt to try to avoid the card. And it works, he's a clever one...

Oduro is starting to look dangerous on the right for Dallas. Cooper is also starting to find space up front. Chivas has some problems to solve.

Cunliffe in for El Cubano?!? What's Preki smoking on the sidelines? Go ahead and bring in Le Croissant while you're at it.

Toja sets up Nunez, but he misses wide. Why did he go for an outside of the foot shot with his right foot instead of a left footed blast? Dr. Feelgood is busting his ass again for the Hoops, he's playing about 3 positions all over the field.

Cunliffe had Razov through on a breakaway, but gave him a poor pass. Razov sent it back to him, but the shot was blocked. Short corner, and great possession by the Goats to kill the game off.

Dallas piles on the pressure at the end. Suarez blocks a shot with his face. Sala collects the ball at midfield on the right and sends in a long ball. It's cleared up field to Razov, who scores from the center circle. Nice finish to the game for the Goats. I think it was the tactics that hurt Dallas this time around.

Goal 2: The Grown-Ass Man Goes Off (a.k.a. Saturday wrap)

Lots of goals in MLS today. KC rode an Eddie Johnson hat trick to a win at the Razor, which is a little surprising. Columbus and Toronto scored 2 each to draw in Ohio. DC kept the winning streak rolling, and kept Houston in their funk, with a 2-1 win. The Rapids defeated a 10-man Galaxy for a 1-0 win, way to let the team down Martino.

The Silverbacks looked really flat on the road in Charleston, losing 2-0 to the Battery. It wasn't the best of games to watch, the Battery controlled the play for the most part and Atlanta just couldn't ever find a way into it.

The American Goats are trying to send Ramon Ramirez (I almost forgot he was even still with the team) off into retirement with a win. Dallas provides the opposition, and Dave Johnson provides the play-by-play on FSC. Where's Max Bretos?!? Did he have a WWE gig or something?

MLS Weekend Preview

SATURDAY
New England-Kansas City, 6:30 ET (DK)
The Revs are on a seven game unbeaten run, and I don't see it ending at the Razor against the Wiz. KC had scored a solid draw at the Big Dick last weekend, but will be missing Jimmy Conrad and Scott Sealy due to injury this week. Taylor Twellman (and probably Waldo too) is licking his lips.
New England 2, KC 0

Columbus-Toronto, 7:30 (DK)
The Crew were shockingly blown out in the Swamp last weekend, while Toronto's winning streak was ended by DC United. I felt bad for Sigi and the Village People, they really didn't play too badly against the Red Bulls. They owned the first half, with the exception of the great scoring sequence by NY. Columbus just needs somebody to start putting the ball in the net, I think everything else is there for success. As for the Reds, they traded for Jeff Cunningham this week. I wonder how he'll pair with Danny Dichio, I'm not so sure it will work.
Columbus 1, Toronto 0

DC-Houston, 7:30 (HDNet)
DC actually looked like DC for long periods last weekend in Toronto. Houston is still trying to figure out what happened against the Revs last week. I thought the Colorado win a couple of weeks ago had snapped the Dynamo out of their funk, but I was wrong. Two losses last week were tough for the Orange Crush, and then CONMEBOL decided to invite DC to the Sudamericana instead of Houston. It could be an angry bunch of Tangerines at RFK this weekend. United will be without Jaime Moreno, as he's with the Bolivian national team for their friendly against Ireland. The impressive rookie Guy Roland-Kpene will start in his place.
DC 2, Houston 2

Colorado-LA, 8:30 (DK)
The Gals have only won one game this year?!? I've heard so much about them all year that I had totally forgotten their sorry record. Becks can't show up soon enough. The Rapids surprised me by only drawing with KC last weekend. I'm still impressed with them though, I think their wide midfielders could give LA fits.
Colorado 2, LA 1

Chivas USA-Dallas, 10:30 (FSC)
The Goats got a point out of their Clasico with LA last weekend, while the Hoops won two last week. They're on top of the Western table, but I'm not sold on Dallas yet. The Lizard King and his other Riders on the Storm will have a tough one on the road this week, Chivas has only lost once at the Home Depot Center this year (and that was as the road team in the first SuperClasico). I don't know if Dallas has anyone on the backline who can hang with Maykel Galindo's speed.
Chivas 3, Dallas 1

SUNDAY
Chicago-Salt Lake, 5:00 (TeleFutura)
The Fire don't have long to shake off a miserable loss in New York, they'll be back in action on two days rest. Salt Lake lost a heartbreaker in Dallas last weekend, and are still looking for their first win under Jason Kreis. I'm guessing it was Kreis who masterminded the trade for Alecko Eskandarian, I'm sure he could relate to Esky's scrappy style of play. Maybe that's what RSL needs, I'm not sure. A new goalkeeper sure wouldn't hurt too. Could they be clearing cap space (Kreis' retirement, shipping Tejada out of town, trading Cunningham's larger contract) for a run at Kasey Keller?
Chicago 1, RSL 1

Friday's Dust

"I wonder if there's an opening for the Colombia NT coaching job?"

- Juan Pablo Angel is a bad man. In just three games, he's becoming the MVP of the league. 3 goals and 2 assists have him racing up the Golden Boot standings. And if you count their 3-1 loss in the US Open Cup, he's still averaging a goal a game with the Toros Rojos. I think he's earned a spot on Colombia's Copa America team.

- Arena should ship Reyna to Real Salt Lake. He's a waste of space, and as the last two games have shown, they don't need him. I know they'd waste one of their DP spots, but his salary and what they're getting from him in return makes any kind of deal worth it.

- Unfortunately we couldn't catch the game live last night so I had to check the highlights this morning. Shoe and I headed over to Silverbacks Park for some PDL action last night.

- The Silverbacks U-23s played a great game last night as they beat Bradenton 3-1, leaving them just one win away from the US Open Cup. If Central Florida beats Cocoa this afternoon at 5, the Mini-Backs will need a win at Carolina tomorrow. If Central Florida can't pull out the victory, all Atlanta will need is a tie in Browns Summit. (Browns Summit is just north of Greensboro, and yes, I've been there before.)

- We really enjoyed watching last night's game, it was quite a difference in style and tactics from the senior team. The boys had some great buildups and really looked like a team, as opposed to the senior team just lobbing balls over the top.

- This was the 2nd PDL game I'd seen as I also made it out to a game last season. For those who don't know anything, I've really enjoyed watching these games. And in the two times the Silverbacks senior team has taken on PDL teams in the Open Cup, they got killed in one and were taken to extra time in the other.

- I'd love to go up to Browns Summit tomorrow, but I'm off to Charleston for the Silverbacks-Battery game. I'll miss MLS Saturday action as well, hopefully the trip will be worth it.

Galaxy players are going to great lengths

Ty Harden, rookie defender for the Gals, has a pool cleaning service to add to his income. Two questions:

• How will Becks feel when he gets to LA to find one of his teammates hired by Posh to be the cabana boy?
  
• Is Claudio Reyna jealous? I thought he was the only pool boy in MLS.
  

So Ty cleans pools and Troy Perkins has worked part-time at a sporting goods store and at a bank. What other part-time jobs do MLS players have?

(thanks to Ashaman112 and BigSoccer for the heads up)

Sol to Chivas USA?

According to Medio Tiempo, the house cleaning is about to take place in Guadalajara, as Chivas owner Jorge Vergara is unhappy with the team's exit in the semifinals of the Clausura.

What does this mean for MLS? Well, Vice President Nestor de la Torre has admitted that the team is close to shipping midfielder Manuel Sol to Chivas USA. (For those who don't recognize him, he's the one to the left of a very flamante Bofo Bautista, the red-haired freak.)

de la Torre says that Sol is "taking the news well" and that talks are going well. At 33 years old, it would be a nice move for Sol, and I think he'd fit in well with Sacha and Marsch, plus give the team another link back to its parent club, something missing since Francisco Palencia returned to Mexico after last season.

Thursday Prediction

I predict that the Red Bulls will have over 10,000 fans in the stands, although probably a high percentage of them are taking the club up on their free ticket offer. This was sent to season ticket holders from the club:

• We would like to extend to all our season ticket holders an offer that gives you four free tickets to Thursday’s game. Give us a call or email with a friend or family member’s name who wants to experience a game, and we will give them tickets for Thursday - it’s that simple.
  

I predict that Claudio Reyna won't play. Why? Because he's Claudio Reyna, that's why. He also probably has to tutor Kenny Arena for his Sally Struthers Degree-by-Mail program.

I predict that Juan Pablo Angel will be impressive.

I predict that New York takes the win, 2-0, over Chicago. It's not so much that I'm buying into the New York hype as that I think Chicago is pretty weak.

Inside the LA Galaxy Locker Room...

Alexi Lalas: Thank you for coming to this meeting. I wanted to announce to you that the Galaxy will be playing a friendly in Miami later this season and it will be hosted by Miami FC. Our opponent will be announced at a later date.
Joe Cannon: You've got to be kidding me, boss. We're already playing Rangers tonight, we're going to Minnesota, Chelsea and Tigres in some tournament here, the SuperLiga, we're going to Vancouver...

Alexi Lalas: You just reminded me, we're also going to play in a tournament in Australia once the MLS season is over. Stupid playoffs...
Kyle Martino: I think that's Joe's point, boss. There's no way we'll worth anything in the playoffs playing this many games.

Alexi Lalas: Martino, that's about enough out of you. Do you always have to whine about everything? I can have your ass shipped back to Columbus in a heartbeat. I rescued you from the Village People, and you want to cry about playing some extra games? WE ARE A SUPERCLUB, DAMN IT!!!Landon Donovan: Just as long as we don't play in Europe, that place scares me...

Alexi Lalas: I know Landon, it's okay. Don't go into the fetal position now. I make no guarantees though. If the price is right...Peter Vagenas: Speaking of which, what kind of a bonus are we getting for playing in all these friendlies. It's bad enough that Beckham is going to be making so much more than us.
Posh Spice: Did I hear my David's name mentioned?

Alexi Lalas: Well hello Mrs. Beckham, thanks for joining us today.

Posh Spice: Did that little goofy looking chap just complain about my husband? I want him gone.

Alexi Lalas: Peter, clean out your locker. I'm loaning you to the California Victory. Adios.

Posh Spice: Alexi, I wanted to let you know that I've booked another match for your boys. How's Japan on November 17 sound? I have some shopping to do and didn't want David to get bored.Cobi Jones: MLS Cup is on November 18, Mrs. Beckham.

Alexi Lalas: Well, we'll just have to book the Concorde, won't we? WE ARE A SUPERCLUB, WE CAN DO ANYTHING!!! I MUST GO SIGN ZIZOU AND SHEVA NOW!!!

Cupcakes of the Week

Sorry these are a little late, it's been a bit of a hectic week...

Tom Soehn: The first coach Cupcake, but it's well deserved in my book. After sitting through a dreadful FA Cup Final on Saturday morning, with Alex Ferguson doing everything to hold on to a 0-0 draw and go for penalties, it was great to see Soehn go for the win in Toronto. After DC scored to level the game, Soehn pulled a defender to go for the win. Guy Roland-Kpene was excellent after coming on, freeing up Moreno and Gomez to roam and make things happen. Soehn saw that the game was there for the taking, and he went for it. Great to see for once...

Jaime Moreno: He wasn't mind-blowing on Saturday, but tying Kreis for the all-time goal lead is worth a treat.

Alecko Eskandarian: He scored his first goal of the year, but I think Esky just needs a pick-me-up after getting traded again.

Juan Toja: The best player on the field in Thursday's game, the Lizard King scored his second goal in as many games.

Juan Pablo Angel: He had a hand in all four Red Bull goals, that's what they're paying him for.

The insanity continues...

Now we have an RSL blog telling us that Jeff Cunningham is being traded to Toronto. So if Esky is heading to Salt Lake, is this just a straight up deal? What purpose does that really serve? Who is the SUPER-CLUB going to get instead? WHAT IS GOING ON?!?!?

UPDATE: Alecko is going, check out this post of somebody reading his Facebook page. He hasn't updated his MySpace page, so I don't know. Poor Esky, he just keeps getting traded like he's John Wolyniec or something...

FURTHER UPDATE: Goff spoke with Esky, he's gone. Still no official word on Cunningham though...

EVEN FURTHER UPDATE: As Bob linked to in the comments, it's Cunningham for Esky. Toronto has also included a first round pick in the deal in '08.

NEXT DAY UPDATE: MLS Underground is reporting that the 1st round pick is going to Toronto, not RSL. That means Toronto will have FOUR first round picks next year.

Bring on the Goats (again)

DCU will be playing Chivas again this year, this time in the Copa Sudamericana round of 16.

I don't understand the whining, "Oh, we've already played them, can we back out?" I'm glad DC gets another shot at the Goats in a meaningful set of games. DC could've won in the CONCACAF semi, and now they get a chance to correct that in the Sudamericana.

Going to the Sudamericana is an honor, and DC is the only MLS team to ever be invited. Of course, you shake CONMEBOL's hand, say thank you, and ask when game time is.

The games will be played between 9/11 and 10/4. The winner goes on to play the winner of a series between an Argentine and a Brazilian club.

What in the BLUE HELL is going on around here?

BigSoccer is jumping so far today. There's rumors on the RSL side of things that Jeff Cunningham has been dealt to LA. Now, it's coming out on the Toronto boards that Alecko Eskandarian is headed to Salt Lake. The Toronto fans are hoping that the move is a precursor to Thomas Radzinski coming to Canada to play for the Reds.

Even better, Dallas fans are complaining that the Hoops didn't get into Copa Sudamericana instead of DC. "It appears that DC has figured out how the “game” is played by CONMEBOL." Making it to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, that's how the "game" is played. It's really not that difficult to figure out. Why would a team that lost to Colorado in the Western Conference semis get a bid to the Sudamericana over either of the MLS teams in the CONCACAF Champions Cup? It makes my head hurt to try to figure out how anyone (other than Houston fans) could be upset about this...

DC United to Sudamericana

This article was sent on the wires just over an hour ago, so this is pretty official.

Now we have a whopping 4 teams from CONCACAF in the Sudamericana, as DC will join Chivas, América and defending champions Pachuca, all from Mexico.

I think it's great that an MLS team will be returning to this competition, but I don't understand CONMEBOL's rationale in determining how DC made it in and Houston didn't. How can you say that DC finished third in the CONCACAF Champions Cup?

USL First Division Power Rankings - I'm Moving To Canada

Without a doubt, the Canadian teams remain the class of the league right now, as both Vancouver and Montreal are pulling away from the field. Those teams that proudly fly the Stars and Stripes are muddled in the pack with up and down results, making this one of the most difficult editions of your Power Rankings.

1. Vancouver Whitecaps - Two games, two wins, both by 3-1 margins. That's what good teams do (Silverbacks, are you paying attention?), they win the road games they're supposed to. Granted, it was California, but heading back north on Sunday they owned Rochester again.

2. Montreal Impact - It's turning into a two-team race early on, and this is despite the fact that the Impact have only played one home game. I've got to hand it to the Impact fans, who turned out in droves despite the rain on Sunday. They grinded out a 2-0 win over Seattle, something that is reminiscent of the strong Impact teams of the past.

3. Atlanta Silverbacks - Do they deserve to be this high? No, it's just that the rest of the league isn't playing well at the moment. When we were all ready to sing their praises after coming from behind twice to pull out a 3-2 victory at Puerto Rico on Friday, they have to break our hearts in front of 17 people in the Orange Bowl on Sunday. They move on the Charleston on Saturday in a game that a win will be necessary to stay close to the league leaders.

4. Portland Timbers - They didn't play this weekend, and that might have been the best thing for them, considering the way everyone else keeps getting stuck in the mud. Two home games this weekend against Carolina and California will go a long way in telling if this team is for real.

5. Carolina RailHawks - It's two-straight wins for the expansion side, as the ground out a 1-0 victory over Charleston at home, thanks to a penalty kick. Another week, another fight for the RailHawks, as they're quickly becoming the most hated team in the league. Then again, with fans like this, it's kind of easy to see why.

6. Miami FC - Two games, two wins. I'm still not happy about putting this team so high, and with the team in general. They're not that good and this franchise stinks all around. I DO like the GolTV ads on the jerseys, but I really wish this team would fold. It seriously didn't look like there were even 50 people in the Orange Bowl on Sunday. Does this team have a future and how do they have the money to keep operating?

7. Rochester Raging Rhinos - Yikes. I really wish this team wasn't as bad as this, and I'm not really used to it. One point in their last three matches, and only 5 out of their last 5, all on the road. They get Miami in a home and away in the next two weeks, let's see who comes out the better in this series.

8. Puerto Rico Islanders - Ugh. This is where things get bad. The once formidable Juan Ramon Loubriel is no longer so, as Atlanta and a very bad Minnesota team both went down there and won this weekend. If you would have told me that they'd get just 1 point from three-straight home games, I wouldn't have believed you. Especially when that point came against Montreal.

9. Minnesota Thunder - They're only this high because they won on Sunday. I'm not seeing anything to separate the last 4-5 teams in the league. They're all pretty bad. But you've got to give the Thunder credit, pulling out a win away from home being a man down. Now they host two games in a row, two games they need results in to make any noise this season.

10. Seattle Sounders - They need something after tieing Rochester at home and losing at Montreal. How has this team fallen so far after winning the championship just two seasons ago? Games against Carolina at home and California away are two games they need results from. Come on Sounders, you're better than this.

11. Charleston Battery - And Charleston is better than this too. But they didn't do anything to move up this weekend, losing 1-0 at Carolina. I like the Battery, I think they deserve much better. It's always a big game when Atlanta comes to town, and this one is just as big, even if it's not a Southern Derby match. I hope to make it to Charleston on Saturday for this one.

12. California Victory - I wish the USL First Division would just move to 10 teams. Fold Miami and California. Sure, they're two markets that deserve to have some kind of soccer, but not this way. I really can't see this team doing much this season, something that won't help attendance and getting the team's name out there. Even though they've only played 3 games, they're still the only winless team in the league. A back-to-back home and away awaits them as they travel to Portland on Friday before hosting Seattle on Saturday.

Just terrible

Every time I think the Silverbacks are taking a step forward, they just fall flat on their faces.

There's no way they should have lost this game. I just don't understand how you take Millwood on the trip with you and he doesn't get into either game. You need a goal and you don't bring him on.

I'm speechless. I just don't know what to say anymore.

FC Dallas leads Real Salt Lake 1-0 at the half, Chivas-America 0-0 at the half.

SuperClasico Dos

The real Clasico is going on right now, the Mexican League semifinal between América and Chivas. We're 30 minutes in, and we already have a red card to Chivas and a non-PK call that the Aguilas are rightly upset about.

This game could get out of control.

The red card was one of the dumber things I've seen in a long time. Pineda for Chivas pulled off a silly mule (or Goat, in this case) backward kick to lands his cleats in an América player's stomach when they went up for a header. Completely intentional, and completely cheap and stupid. Why do you resort to that sort of crap when you're a goal down?

Why is Bofo not wearing his stupid doo rag?

EDIT: Well, Chivas had a few good chances, but couldn't get one by Ochoa. He made one unbelievable save late on a Bravo header. América scored in the 76th minute and that was all she wrote.

Interesting that both Cuau and Becks have a chance to win championships on their way into MLS.

Attn: East Coast readers

Someone please back me up and tell me that I wasn't seeing things, that TeleFutura actually left the broadcast with a minute left in stoppage time to go to "Objetivo Fama".

I wonder if MLS is happy about this. Univision's American Idol takes preference over their product. And it's not like this is the only "American Idol-like" competition, Azteca America's "La Nacademia" is much better.

Or maybe as Shoe suggested, they wanted people to turn over to Univision's Chivas-America game.

Speaking of that game, it's hour #8 of the all-day soccer marathon, with the score 0-0 and Gonzalo Pineda for Chivas getting an early red card.

And over on USL Live, Miami is now up 2-1 on Atlanta. I didn't see the Zinho goal, I went out to get some beverages from QT. (No, not those kind of beverages, we live in Georgia, the most ass-backwards state in the country. Yes, we can't buy alcohol on Sunday, unless it's at a bar or restaurant.)

I did catch Fraser's goal, terrible defending and goalkeeping, it looked like Quintero didn't go all out to get that cross.

DID THEY JUST DO THAT?

THEY JUST LEFT THE BROADCAST AND THE GAME'S NOT OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!

FUCK YOU TELEFUTURA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get your ass up

Merlin comes in, goes in alone on Cannon, tries to round him and flops to try and draw a penalty. Thanks, you know, you could have SHOT THE FUCKING BALL!!!!!!

MARIETTA gets a shoutout from the TeleFutura crew!

I like the Comex sponsor on the front, it blends in really well. I just wish MLSgear sold the replica jerseys with the sponsors on the front. Nobody gets them, not Toronto, Los Angeles, Real Salt Lake. Weak. And we're still waiting for the Crew cowboy hat to be made available.

Halftime in Miami, Silverbacks up 1-0. Apart from the aforementioned chance, Miami hasn't really shown much. Cross your fingers, folks.

Three feet equals how many millimeters?

Miami's best chance comes from Nacho Calcagno, who goes into the left side of the box and shoots wide to the far post. The announcer says it went "MILLIMETERS WIDE!" even though it was a few feet well wide. Nice try buddy.

Buete has a long-range volley barely tipped over the bar, good save from the keeper.

HUH? Soccer Locker sponsors Miami FC? Those wily Iranians...

Up in Baltimore, Cupcakes amigo Jay is pulling his hair out because the Islanders have blown another lead, as they now trail Minnesota 2-1.

I fucking hate that Landon Donovan guy

It wouldn't be that bad if Cobi scored, I wouldn't mind as much if Jaqua scored, but not this fucker.

Silverbacks take an early 1-0 lead on a header from Antoniuk off a corner from Rios. All 13 people at the Orange Bowl are crushed.

Hey announcer: We can see that there's nobody there. Don't try to say that "the fans are getting behind THE Miami FC!"

Honda Superclasico plus USL Live action

She's happy, and so am I. Galindo breaks the offside trap and puts the Goats ahead 1-0.

I'm trying to watch 3 games at once, with the TV on TeleFutura and Montreal-Seattle and Puerto Rico-Minnesota on separate USL Live windows.

Thankfully the Spanish league is over for the day, as this morning's Sevilla and Real Madrid games kept my attention. Definitely worth waking up early for.

At the Home Depot Center, the Galaxy has had a couple of good chances on counters, with Guzan coming up with a big save on Donovan early. It's taken some effort for Chivas to come up with something that troubles Cannon, but Galindo's 4th should hopefully open the game up a little more.

In Montreal, the Impact are being the Impact. They're up 2-0 late in the 2nd half and have a great crowd despite the rain. I must say that their USL Live broadcast is also top notch, I'm enjoying the replays, something that most teams don't have. This team is first class and I'm glad they're in the league.

On the island, Puerto Rico took an early lead through..............and Minnesota tied it up a little later on a goal from...............I'm not sure the announcers even know who scored. 1-1 at halftime, hopefully the announcers come down with a case of diarrhea so we don't have to listen to them anymore.

Silverbacks coming up in less than 10 minutes, be sure to check back here.

Saturday MLS thoughts

As I sit and watch 3 crucial La Liga games in a row (thanks GolTV!), I wanted to reflect on what Saturday's MLS action:

DC finally played like DC, winning 2-1 in Toronto. I'll admit, I thought that Esky's goal was going to be a sign of a bad things to come. Great free kick early in the second half to force the own goal, and then Coach Soehn went for the win. I love a coach who will do that, bringing a defender off to add more to the attack. DC went back to their 3-man backline, but this time with Gros there instead of Erpen. It took some time, and lots of possession, but United finally broke through and Emilio forced the PK call on Wynne. Kpene was exceptional for DC, this kid is really earning his playing time right now.

The Crew were really unlucky last night. I know, it's hard to talk about luck when you lose 4-0, but go back and watch the game. The Village People OWNED the first half, except for one Red Bull counter. It was a brilliant counter, with Angel, Dane Richards, and Woly combined for a beautiful goal. The Crew continued to control the play early on the second half, but then the goals started flying in. Other than the goals, I don't think New York really did all that much, they just didn't have much of the play. Can't complain too much when you score four, but the scoreline really didn't reflect the game.

I didn't get to see much of the Dynamo-Crew game, or any of the Rapids-Wiz game. Shalrie Joseph finished well on a bad clearance from the Dynamo. Houston pushed hard for an equalizer, but never could find it. I know it doesn't count for much, but I liked the all orange look from Houston. I'm surprised the Rapids could only draw at home with Kansas City, maybe KC is stronger than I thought.

Okay, back to La Liga. Sevilla barely pulled out their win to take first place (for now). Madrid is up 1-0 on Recreativo at the half, on a Robinho goal. Beckham had the assist, and even a Becks-hater like Ray Hudson is singing his praises. The Galaxy should be very happy with the form Beckham has been showing over the last couple of months.

EDIT: Ouch, Madrid has blown a 2-0 lead late and are now in trouble in the title race. High drama in Spain...

2ND EDIT: Holy crap! Roberto Carlos, of all people, scores in injury time on a counter for Madrid and they're back in front in La Liga. Roberto was one of the defenders involved in falling asleep on Recreativo's tying goal. He made up for it though, didn't he? Great ball by Fernando Gago (who I haven't been a fan of at all) to Carlos for the goal. Ray Hudson called the goal "orgasmic jubilation", and he might be right this time.

Monkey Madness

Very, very impressive win tonight by the Silverbacks. A few quick thoughts:

• Great workrate up top by Hassim in his first start. The two goals were very good, but his effort was even better. His hustle was causing a lot of mistakes by the Puerto Rico backs. He was easily my Man of the Match. Shame he had to come off...
• That said, good choices on the substitutions. Queeley came on for an ineffective Justin Moore on the right side of midfield. O'Brien came on for a gassed Hassim. Liendo came into the center to neutralize Villegas for PR (who was killing Atlanta after he came in). The last couple of subs were just for guys who were gassed (Rios and Jarun).
• Great winning goal, that started from a smart ball by Rios back across the grain. Antoniuk flicked the ball through perfectly for O'Brien, who finished well under the sliding keeper. It was nice to see something not originate from a long ball for once.
  
• When they used it, the build-up play was nice. There was still too much long ball in the first half. PR was smart and marked Antoniuk out of the game for the most part. They were not ready for Hassim though, and didn't really know what to do with him. When teams man mark Antoniuk, I'd really like to see play come though Rivillo and Buete in the middle a little more.
  
• All in all, a great performance tonight by Atlanta. They could be for real after all. Let's see how they finish out the road trip in Miami on Sunday.

If y'all think I'm negative, check this match report out. You're welcome.

Long John Silver's...

or better yet, more El Pescadito news. Allen Hopkins was on ESPN today and said that the rumored Ruiz trade is now a Three Way Dance. The Fish would go to Columbus, the Crew would send Eddie Gaven to Chivas, and the Goats would send Amado Guevara to Dallas.

For Dallas, it would be tough luck for Nunez. He's looked pretty good in the Hoops games I've seen. I guess you could go with two a-mids and keep Toja behind him, but then you drop Ricchetti. Maybe Nunez (or Guevara) goes up top to play behind Cooper, I'm not sure.

The Crew would get real dangerous, making a Guille/Ruiz combination could be a bad thing for the rest of the Eastern Conference. It would be like Voltron uniting all of their lions.

The Goats would just be happy to get somebody for Guevara at this point. I've been really impressed with Gaven, starting with the U20 qualifiers back at the beginning of the year. He's really matured into a classy two-way midfielder. I don't think he's going to produce the stats some people expected, but he's going to be a very high quality professional for some time.

Let's see if this gets done...

MLS Weekend Preview

SATURDAY
Toronto-DC, 3:30 ET (DK)
The Reds are riding high these days, after two straight wins and seat cushion throwing madness. DC is coming off another week off, which has to make things a little difficult to get a rhythm. Heading into the craziness of BMO Field will be difficult for United, but it could shake them out of the early season funk as well.
Toronto 2, DC 2

New York-Columbus, 7:30 ET (DK)
Just when you think New York is fully turning the corner, they drop a disappointing game at home to Colorado. The Crew have been tough to beat this year, only losing once. With Guille starting to get comfortable, I think the Crew will only improve.
New York 1, Columbus 2

Houston-New England, 8:30 ET (FSC)
Houston put things together against Colorado, but that was 2 weeks ago. They host the Revs this weekend, who are coming off an impressive win in LA last weekend. FSC is excited to have the MLS Cup rematch, and they should be. I'm expecting a good one here, but one that will see the Orange Crush prevail.
Houston 1, New England 0

Colorado-Kansas City, 9:00 ET (HDNet)
Colorado is the most dangerous team in the league at home. Kansas City is not ready to deal with them. Sorry Wiz...
Colorado 2, Kansas City 0

SUNDAY
Chivas USA-LA, 5:00 ET (TeleFutura)
Wasn't the last SuperClasico just a few weeks ago? The Goats were pretty pathetic in that one, let's see if they can improve this time around. Galindo is starting to look much more dangerous for them in the attack, his speed should put the Gals defenders under pressure. Donovan is always up for this match, so someone will have to try to contain him.
Chivas 1, LA 1

Dallas-Salt Lake, 7:00 ET (DK)
How worn out will Dallas be after their win last night in Chicago? Salt Lake should be licking their chops about this one, their attack and their speed should be very difficult to deal with for the Hoops. I'm expecting a surprise in this one.
Dallas 0, Salt Lake 2

Must See TV

Good night of soccer on TV tonight. Besides the ESPN MLS match, the first legs of both semis in Mexico are also being played. Boca Juniors is also in action in the Libertadores.

Pachuca is up 2-1 on Cruz Azul at halftime, Los Tuzos are my pick to win it all in Mexico this year. If they keep that team together, I think they could be a handful at the World Club Cup at the end of the year.

Points to Rob Stone for comparing El Pescadito to El Pigpen from Peanuts.

I'm already sick of the Altidore adidas commercial, can we get another one? Show the Messi one with subtitles, make one with Peter Vagenas, I don't care, just show something different.

I see Waldo likes Juan Carlos Toja as much as me.

Stoner doesn't wait too long to bring up the Ruiz trade rumors. I guess LA is still a possibility, but it doesn't look like they're going to deal Albright. I don't know what they could really give up to make it worth Dallas' while.

No Rolfe, No Ruiz, No Gutierrez, lots of missing pieces here tonight.

The Chilango Fire are anxiously awaiting Cuau. Of course, Waldo thinks Blanco will have a hard time. We all know how much Waldo hates Mexico. He probably doesn't even drink Corona, just on principle. Great, Waldo just made a Spanglish comment talking about how Sarachan and Blanco would communicate. At least Tommy Smyth defends him, saying "You don't forget how to score goals just because you change leagues." Look, Cuau has been playing really well with America these days. He seems pretty motivated to come here and do well, and the Mexican fans in Chicago seem excited to see him. Everything is in place for it to be a success.

Will there be more than 5000 fans in New York next week? Will Reyna drag his broken body out to play in prime time? Will Cleetus be sober? So many questions...

Smyth likes Calen Carr's hair, Waldo hates the headband. WHAT WILL THEY SAY ABOUT BECKS, OMG!!!

Pachuca scores again, they're up 3-1 on Cruz Azul now. I would say they're in a good position to reach the final.

Kenny Cooper earns himself a PK after Pickens crashes into him. Waldo says Cooper had lost the ball (which he had), so it shouldn't have been a PK. Smyth says that it was a foul in the box, so it's a PK. Waldo says it was a dive. It doesn't matter, the Hoops are up 1-0 after Cooper converts.

Waldo complains about a forward (Calen Carr) wearing number 3. I'm glad he doesn't do our games, he'd hate me. I don't hit enough driven corners, and I wear number 3 as a forward.

Mapp's crosses are awful tonight.

Waldo complains about the floated corners at the 31 minute mark, I'm shocked it took him that long. Dasan Robinson almost scored on a nice overhead flick, but it hit the crossbar.

Hopkins tells us that Ruiz is aware of the trade rumors to Columbus, but doesn't know where the LA rumors came from. El Pescadito with the CREW?!? Ruiz and Schelotto could be a dangerous combination.

Waldo gets mad because Stoner and Smyth think he's dumb. Poor fella...

Mapp finally gets a nice cross in, and Carr blows it. Calen is not good with his head, maybe he's worried about messing up his sweet 'do.

Dirty tackle by Segares on Drew Moor, that should be an automatic yellow card at the least. Foul called, but no card.

Waldo makes a great point about how Bradley needs to make being on the national team special again, to not make it an open tryout. Nice dig at The Bruce there Waldo. I fully agree. Smyth chimes in by saying that Bob will be measured by his performance AT the World Cup, not the road he takes to get there.

1-0 to the Hoops at the half.

Waldo is still crying about the PK. When it happened, he said the touch was why it shouldn't have been a PK. Now he's saying Cooper took a dive. C'mon Waldo, stop being difficult. The heel shouldn't look this stupid.

Justin Mapp will be a star with the national team THIS YEAR. He's come so far since the beginning of last season. Waldo makes a good comparison: Preki.

Awesome ball through to Thompson, who blows it.

Wow, can we end the tongue bath for the Toronto fans? They throw some seat cushions and now they're the greatest thing to ever happen to the sport as we know it.

Cooper blasts a drive off the crossbar from about thirty yards out. Chicago is really struggling to get anything going.

58 minutes, zero shots on goal for Chicago. Possession and corners really don't do much for you if you can't get any shots on goal...

Awesome sliding tackle by Toja on Mapp, it was textbook. The change of possession leads to a Hoops goal. After a bit of possession, Thompson leaves a ball off for Toja outside the box. His blast takes a slight deflection and it past Pickens, he had no chance.

Toja is a fan of Led Zeppelin and The Doors. We need an interview with this guy, like immediately. I might have to start calling him the Lizard King.

Hey Calen, you might want to kick the ball when it's passed to you inside the six yard box. Just a thought...

Well it took a few more chances, but Carr finally gets his goal. Waldo's just happy he took his headband off during the celebration. Good combination between Thiago, Barrett, and Carr. Nice subs by Sarachan.

I wasn't very impressed with Dax McCarty tonight, he looked like he was in over his head all night. He has the skill, he just needs more confidence to really hang at this level.

The subs have really helped Chicago put things together, they look much more dangerous up top now. Mapp's corners still suck though. Thiago puts a header off the post on the second cross from Mapp. His corners are all over the place, but he still has a blind confidence in being able to hit the right ball the next time. I like it.

Waldo gives the Red Bulls fans a red card, and I agree. Where are you people? The team has started to do everything you wanted, I know it took a while, but c'mon...

Dario Sala is the time-wasting master.

Waldo says Drew Moor has "limited skill". I guess I can't really argue against that too much.

Dasan Robinson just got up and shoved the Lizard King down for a foul, he's lucky he didn't get a red. Robinson's lost his cool now, awful throw, and then a stupid foul. Grow up Dasan, you're costing your team any chance they might have had to tie the game.

Toja gets a yellow with a retaliation foul of sorts in the offensive half. Pretty smart foul, as it stopped a Chicago counter.

FCD gets the win on the road, good match. I'd give the Cupcake of the Match to Toja. ESPN disagrees and they give it to Cooper.

All-Star Voting starts NOW

We're a month in, and the ballots are already out. At least we don't to put up with any stupid debates in this election, although a Pablo Mastroeni v. Dario Sala debate could be fun...

My ballot, as of May 16, would be like this:

GK- Andy Gruenebaum
D- Todd Dunivant
D- Ezra Hendrickson
D- Eddie Robinson
M- Andy Dorman
M- Steve Ralston
M- Terry Cooke
M- Ramon Nunez
F- Taylor Twellman
F- Maykel Galindo
F- Chris Rolfe

It's way too early to be doing this sort of thing...

I'm begging you Fox Sports...

From the Manchester United-West Ham game over the weekend...



We need Bambino Pons for MLS! At least have him teach his tricks, can you imagine Max Bretos breaking into song on FSC? Rob Stone wouldn't be able to do it, Waldo would keep breaking in and trying to sing over him.

Here's a second one, just for fun...

Mid-week MLS predictions

Should be a good one tonight, Toronto is coming off their first ever win while Houston had the week off. The Dynamo really seemed to regain their form before their break, the second half in Colorado might have brought them out of their funk. Their rust, mixed in with Toronto still being on a high, should result in a decent match. I'll go with a 2-2 draw.

Tomorrow night sees Dallas travel to Chicago. I'm not so excited about this one, neither of these teams really gets me very excited. I think Dallas is the better team, but I still think their formation and style doesn't suit their talent. The Fire are in desperate need of Cuau el Explorador. I'll go with the Hoops pulling out the road win, 1-0.

Kinky and MLS: Can life get any better?

Alright, we've found the video for Kinky's MLS song for Fox Sports en Español. We HIGHLY recommend you check this band out, as they're one of our favorites here in the Cupcakes bakery.



And for those who need a proper introduction, here's another video of theirs, for "¿Adónde Van Los Muertos?" from their latest album Reina.



Remember, if you live in LA and aren't going to the June 2nd game between the Galaxy and DC United to see their pregame concert, well, you're no longer welcome here. Hell, I hate the Galaxy, and even I'd be first in line for this game.

Cupcakes of the Week

Taylor Twellman: We'll let Waldo personally deliver the ceremonial cupcake. Great game for him in LA, he looks to be firing on all cylinders right now.

Maurice Edu: Best player on the field in Toronto on Saturday, the goal was well deserved.

Ante Razov: He deserves a cupcake just for the brilliant free kick he scored on. No one saw it coming, except for Ante.

Dario Sala: Welcome back Dario. Now don't slam your cupcake into someone else's face, please.

MLS Power Rankings

EDITOR's NOTE: I'll step in for the busy Blondie and post his Power Rankings, with a couple of my thoughts thrown in for good measure...

Eastern Conference

1. New England Revolution: Great win in LA over the weekend, they might be better than I thought.
2. Kansas City Wizards: I'm still not sold on these guys.
3. Chicago Fire: I think the slide has begun, can Cuau save them? He's trying to save his current team right now, and doing a pretty damn good job of it.
4. Red Bull New York: Paper tigers, or bulls. Old Captain America needed a game off, and they stunk. It is hard to get up for a match when all you see are empty seats though.
5. Columbus Crew: They will rise higher, I'd actually bump them up already. Guille will do wonders for them.
6. DC United: I'm still not sold on these guys either, and they're my team. Hopefully, we'll see something new this weekend.
7. Toronto FC: Great win for the Reds, it will take more strong play to rise up the rankings though.

Western Conference

1. Houston Dynamo: We saw the Dynamo of old against Colorado, can they keep doing it? The DDR haircut seems to have done the trick.
2. FC Dallas: The Hoops are all over the place, I think they're a little high here.
3. Colorado Rapids: I would hate to play this team. They're my sleeper MLS Cup 07 Champs right now.
4. Los Angeles Galaxy: Still waiting on Becks, they need to start getting focused on the task at hand.
5. Chivas USA: They should be better, that Guevara mess might be hurting them off the field.
6. Real Salt Lake: Getting rid of Ellinger was a great move, Kreis at least seems to motivate them. Now, some wins would be nice...

USL Power Rankings - Canadian Domination

Our second edition of the Power Rankings finds the two teams north of the border the clear leaders and top teams in the league. Maybe MLS needs to put teams there so that they can quit terrorizing the rest of the league.

1. Vancouver Whitecaps - One of two undefeated teams, the Whitecaps dominated Seattle on Saturday, coming from behind to win 3-1 at Qwest Field. They vault into the top spot thanks to that performance, and could make it 6 points this weekend with a back-to-back at California before hosting Rochester.

2. Montreal Impact - It wasn't a great game, but they pulled out a 1-1 draw in Puerto Rico. Coupled with their 2-2 draw at Atlanta earlier in the season, it seems the Impact hasn't lost a step, as they continue to annoy the rest of the league with their hard-fought results. After 4 games on the road to open the season, they'll have 6 in a row at home now. I can see this team unbeaten in their first 10.

3. Portland Timbers - For me, it's a big drop off after the first two. The Timbers might be higher than they should, but I was really impressed in their 2-0 victory over Rochester on Sunday. They get a week off before hosting California and Carolina, two games which should help their place in the standings.

4. Atlanta Silverbacks - The same old Silverbacks showed their faces on Saturday night in a game that they had no business losing. Read Shoe's report here. They needed the three points before heading to Puerto Rico and Miami this weekend. If they can get 3 or 4 points, maybe this team can save itself from another season of great promises and lackluster results.

5. Rochester Raging Rhinos - I was all ready to put the Rhinos in 3rd, that is until looking awful against Portland on Sunday. They just weren't in it. Sorry guys, but you can't play California every day. Rochester stays out west this weekend as they travel to Seattle and Vancouver for two big games.

6. Puerto Rico Islanders - You can't blame Mauricio Salles for this one. The Islanders just looked flat and clawed out a 1-1 draw at home to Montreal on Friday. I know the Islanders are a better team than this, but after an opening day win, three draws and a loss don't look too good. They'll entertain both Atlanta and Minnesota this weekend, as I'm sure they'll recommend the nearest casino.

7. Charleston Battery - Low and behold, the Battery win! Granted, Miami isn't that great, but the Battery hasn't looked that great either. I'll be highly interested in Saturday's match at Carolina to see if Charleston is as bad as I think they are....

8. Carolina RailHawks - And to see if Carolina can capitalize on last Saturday's 2-1 win in Atlanta. It looks like the win over the Chivas USA B-team (plus Sacha Kljestan) helped. Nah, it was the terrible coaching by Jason Smith of the Silverbacks that was the main factor on Saturday. Either way, they're currently in 1st place in the Southern Derby, with their 2nd game coming on Saturday.

9. Seattle Sounders - Ouch. I'm glad I'm not a Sounders fan, or I'd be highly pissed at the team for looking so bad against Vancouver. And at home to boot. It's all going wrong for the Sounders, as alumni Maykel Galindo is currently injured and Preston Burpo was beaten 2-0 by a USL team in Carolina. A strange weekend ahead for the Sounders, as they host Rochester on Friday before heading to Montreal on Sunday.

10. Miami FC - If anyone is interested in the FSC game on Friday against Minnesota, raise your hand. Didn't think so. This team is bad, and they're going to look worse on TV with 200 people there. Unfortunately someone is going to get points on Friday.

11. Minnesota Thunder - See above. At least Minnesota didn't play this week to lose again. I hate to call it a must-win on Friday this early in the season, but something needs to change for the Thunder.

12. California Victory - I guess the Vancouver tie was an anomaly, as they looked terrible against Rochester on Saturday. One of two teams without a win, I don't look for them to get their first when they host Vancouver on Saturday.

Monkey Business

The Silverbacks lost their first game of the season last night, 2-1 to their new rivals from Carolina. Let's see what comes of this:

• We didn't find out for sure until after the match, but missing Machel Millwood was a HUGE problem for the team. Partly because he's a valuable part of the team, and partly because there wasn't a good plan to play without him.
  
• The team came out in a 4-5-1 formation, which didn't work at all. I don't think the Silverbacks have the right type of central midfielder for that formation. Maybe Rivillo could be that guy, but Rodrigo just isn't. He plays better from a deeper position in midfield in my opinion. The team just never looked in sync. Antoniuk was left by himself far too often, the gap between him and the midfield was just too much.
  
• Why change the formation up when you have a draw and a win against this team over the last 2 weeks? Just insert someone else in Millwood's position and play the same way. If you don't have a 3rd forward who can do it, then that's a problem that should've been addressed in the preseason. I think Ukah was at least worthy of the chance, he has been around long enough.
  
• The PK call was unlucky for Atlanta, but the ball rolled down a defender's arm. The ref had to call it.
• Carolina definitely made adjustments from last week. Instead of sending long, high balls into the box all night, they forced Bobo and Jarun to play with their feet. It's an area that will need to be improved.
  
• A poor clearance/deflection led to the second Carolina goal. It was opportunistic, but Carolina was seeing a lot of the ball early on.
  
• Antoniuk hustled and fought hard up top, but was just too isolated to really be dangerous. He did a great job to set up Moore for the Atlanta goal right before the half. Moore finished well, but Antoniuk did most of the dirty work.
  
• Other than that, Moore was mostly invisible on the night. He's not active enough to play in the midfield, and seems scared to get involved in the play. Three plays stood out to me about him: 1) Before his goal, Antoniuk played another ball out to him and he side footed a cross inside the six yard box instead of taking a shot. At least he changed this on the goal..., 2) McManus overlapped him to send in a cross deep in Carolina's half. The cross was cleared and Carolina broke away on a counter. Moore was just wandering around midfield on the sideline when McManus ran past him to cover on defense. 3) Buete nearly got into it with Worthen of Carolina. Every player on both teams, including the goalkeepers, were in the middle of the pushing and shoving. Every player, except for Moore.
  
• Dayton O'Brien looked good in his first start on the left side. I think he adds more to the team out wide than Rodrigo, but that's mainly because I think Rodrigo is more comfortable in the middle. I really liked the fact that O'Brien was always up for taking people on 1v1. I think he tired late, but he was effective most of the night.
  
• With a goal right before the half, we figured that Atlanta would have the momentum to start the second half. I also figured that changes would be made, because it was pretty obvious that the 4-5-1 wasn't working as well as hoped. Neither happened, the first 15 minutes of the second half were fairly uneventful.
  
• That changed with the red card to David Stokes. He had it coming, two yellow cards in ten minutes is a bit of a problem.
  
• Again, we thought it was time for changes. The Railhawks immediately brought in an extra defender and sacrificed a forward. Atlanta stuck with four in the back against one forward.
  
• Then in the 70th minute, the Silverbacks brought on Kevin Barrow (signed from the PDL team last year and the local amateur league) for McManus. Bringing on a second forward was a good move, Antoniuk needed the help. The problem was that Moore dropped back to cover McManus' right back position, leaving no one at right midfield. No one seemed to know where they were supposed to be. It could've been a 4-4-2, except O'Brien was on the left and Rivillo, Buete, and Rios stayed in the middle. It could've been a 4-3-3 with O'Brien going up front on the left, but he stayed well behind the forwards.
  
• After six minutes of weirdness, Rivillo was pulled for John Queeley. Queeley did play the missing right midfield spot, with stabilized the formation. Unfortunately, the only thing Queeley really added was his great ability at running into people. He just doesn't seem to have the technical skills to play wide in midfield.
  
• It was nearly impossible to tell Atlanta had a man advantage for about thirty minutes.
  
• Waldo would've flipped out about the looping corners Atlanta kept taking. With giants like Jarun, Bobo, and Antoniuk up there, I think driven crosses would work better in those situations. It's worked for the majority of the season.
  
• Finally, in the 89th minute, a third forward was added. It wasn't a sub though, it was Jarun going up top from his center back position. At least they finally went to three in the back against the lone forward Carolina used, but it only lasted for about four minutes of playing time.
  
• Jarun playing up top didn't work last year against Rochester in a must-win game, and it didn't work this time either.
• A quick word about Carolina. I think they will keep getting themselves into trouble with their constant whining and bitching on the field. I was closer to the field last week and heard their colorful language up close. I don't think they're a dirty team, but they cause unnecessary problems for themselves by bitching so much.
  

Right now, I think the biggest problem for the Silverbacks is that they don't have a Plan B. From what I can tell, their main strategy is to play long balls to Antoniuk's head. He seems to have worked out a pretty good partnership with Millwood, and they've looked dangerous at times. I'd rather see a little more build-up through the midfield, but it has been pretty effective. When teams figure this out (Montreal in the 2nd half) or when Millwood isn't available (Carolina loss), there's no alternative to get a result. Defensively, the team has looked pretty good. However, both Montreal and Carolina showed that you can attack the center of the backline on the ground.

The schedule has been kind up to this point, but the challenges are coming. This weekend's road trip to Puerto Rico and Miami will test the quality of the team (Friday night in P.R.) and the depth of the roster (Sunday night in Miami). I think we'll have a better idea about this team's chances in the league after the trip.