Yanks Soccer

Pat Noonan left last year to make some coin, and hopefully a splash in Europe.  Only one of those two things happened.  Noonan’s salary tripled when he joined Aalesunds, but his playing time was almost non-existent.  He subsequently expressed the desire to rejoin MLS, and Columbus was one of the many teams vying for his services. Continue reading “Noonan Signed by New England and Traded to Columbus,”

FC Dallas has finally decided they care about scoring goals.  YS has learned that FC Dallas is very close to signing Ariel Ortega, a former Argentine International, and a current player at River Plate.  Ortega, who is 34, is a veteran of three World Cups and has over 90 caps for Argentina.  

John Ellinger, An assistant coach for FC Dallas had this to say.

“Our priority is to find a high-quality striker, who can play immediately and Ortega has these characteristics.  We want to sign a player who can make an impact, and who is also experienced, so that he can be complemented by Kenny Cooper. Although we understand that an international superstar like Ortega, who is as popular as Diego Maradona in Argentina, is costly.”

Continue reading “FC Dallas Closing in on Argentine Star, Ariel Ortega”

If anybody thought that Superliga was just a boring and time-wasting midseason event, you should tell them they missed a great group stage.  The second edition proved to be thrilling and always entertaining.  I personally watched many of the games and they never disappointed.  I’m going to hand out a few awards for the group stages and you can see what they are after the jump. Continue reading “Superliga Group Stages: Highlighting the Best”

Could this be the game that DC United goalkeeper Zach Wells records his first shutout of the year?  Most likely yes (I can’t believe I’m saying that).  Atlante looked very unorganized and just plain terrible, they made a mediocre Houston attack look like Didier Drogba on his best form.  With Luciano Emilio on the field tonight, Atlante is in for more of what they experienced against Houston.

DC United struggled at times against Chivas (Mex) and at times, it seemed they were playing a man down with Fred perfecting his Brazilian disappearing act.  However, with a much weaker opponent and the Barra Brava / Screaming Eagles backing United, it seems certain that DC will get their first victory of the Superliga campaign.

As for Atlante, I have no idea why they were chosen over teams such as Cruz Azul, America, or U.N.A.M, teams that would have made the tournament much more competitive and more interesting to watch.  Atlante has one solid player on their roster, it is Giancarlos Maldonado, the man who single handedly led Venezuela to a shock victory over Brazil.  So, if Atlante hopes to compete in this tournament, he will have to be in great form.  Atlante will need Maldonado to have a fantastic game.

My Final Prediction is DC winning 3-1, although it could be a much higher score.  Yes, that means Maldonado will figure a way around Zach Wells incredible goalkeeping skills.  Atlante will put up a fight in the first half, but the second half is where DC will finally shine.

San Jose, a proud and storied franchise;the proud owners of two MLS Cup trophies have not had the same fortune this year as they have had in the past.  San Jose’s prospects for the season weren’t great but not many expected it to be as bad as it is.  San Jose has mustered a lowly thirteen points in sixteen matches, and has one of the worst records in MLS history.  Is there anything positive coming out of the bay area?  Maybe there’s a small light at the end of the tunnel.  San Jose has shown they want to compete with their most recent transfers.  Continue reading “San Jose Making Moves: Will it Really Make them more Competitive?”

Fans proved they are never to be trusted with voting for MLS All Stars.  Anybody who watched MLS would know that David Beckham was worthy of a All star appearance, heck, even a starting spot, but he certainly wasn’t the best player in MLS.  David Beckham won the fan vote by a mile, proving that fans are not capable of identifying the best player and voting for him purely on merit.  Beckham’s name recognition and his multitude of sponsorships really do affect the public’s opinion of him.  Beckham however, is not the only person who made the all star team.  Big names such as Bad Boy Blanco and Landon Donovan also made the starting XI.   Continue reading “MLS All Star Selections (Fans are not to be Trusted)”

Pablo Mastroeni says he has “made his mind up” and he is ready to go to Europe to play.  Mastroeni who has been in MLS for the last ten years says he is finally “ready to go.”  Mastroeni has been in Colorado for the last six years.  His hard nosed midfield play has earned him league wide respect and his play for the National Team has earned him some world wide credibility.  Mastroeni says he “loves it [in Colorado]” but it appears he is ready for a new challenge.  Mastroeni, whose contract expires after the season is over will look for an opportunity to play in either Italy or Spain.

Continue reading “Pablo Mastroeni to leave MLS After Season, Michael Bradley to Monaco?”

There were six games spread over this holiday weekend culminating in an exciting double header.  Only DC and Toronto didn’t play, making the potential for a lot of movement.  We saw 9 out of 14 teams switch positions and with Superliga coming up, teams needed to make these last games count. Continue reading “MLS Power Rankings: Week 15″

Saturday’s theme was late goals.  Columbus scored in the 87th to tie the game and Chivas scored in the 88th to win the game.  First we venture to Columbus where one Eastern Conference power meets a former power turned struggler. Continue reading “MLS Saturday: Video Recap”

As we celebrate our independence, we watch our MLS as well.  Last night, there were three matches and all lived up the their billing.  We start with a journey to Frisco Texas to see a reeling Dallas play host to a stalling Kansas City.  After the jump are the highlights. Continue reading “July 4th MLS Roundup (Video Style)”