Relegation Fighters MLS : Super Sized Soccer

[Al Clark]

[ryanmt]

Championship Heartbreak for Texas

The Longhorns enjoyed a good playoff run, but lost in the final against the Alaska Arctic Wolves. In the first round, Texas battled Nerdington in two closely contested games, with the only difference between the two sides being a Juan Pablo Garcia penalty in the first leg. The conference final with Marquette was an instant classic, with both teams firing on all cyllinders. Texas got goals from Bruno, Garcia, and Will John, but needed a dramatic penalty shootout to advance to the MLS final.

Playing at Foxboro, Russ' Alaska ran the match and were more than deserved 3-1 winners. Manager Ryan Thompson's midfield diamond proved to be a poor matchup against Russ' tactics, and Thompson's formation switch came too late, dooming the Longhorns in spite of a late Will John tally and a good effort from the team in general.

[Al Clark]

Crash And Burn

Out went the Southern Conference regular season leaders. Out in the first round. Out without a goal. Out to arch rivals Marquette.

How did it all go so wrong?

"We were in poor form approaching the playoffs...Big Kev Hartman got injured, and although Joe Cannon is a good keeper, he was thrown in somewhat at the deep end. The goals, what few we had mustered in the regualr season dried up, and sadly, the playoffs were probably lost the minute we conceded that first goal. We put up a hell of a battle in Game 1 at Marquette, but Oliver Kahn is one of the all time greats between the posts and he simply stoned us."

Clark continued..."Josh Wolff looked out of sorts in the second half of the season and never really recovered from an injury he picked up midseason. Pedro Junior - although one of the best raw talents in the league - simply has to start finding the net on a more regular basis."

The forward position certainly looked good on paper in 2005 - EJ, Wolff, Mullan, Ogi, Knox, Greer and Noel, but this young group never got firing and two of them have now departed. A striker is clearly the top priority for Clark's Kaisers in the off season.

Cap issues are afoot. In a move about nothing more than clearing wages, highly touted prospect Aaron Galindo was shipped to Mexican giant Toluca for $2m and futures. A great return on a player who never really hit stride last season and was picked up for a 4th Round Supplemental pick and the 12th Round KK pick in the inaugural draft. "We wish him well, but he didn;t adjust well to the MLS style of play. His fee and wages will be necessary this season if we are to improve on last years results."

DM stalwart and Canadian international Julian de Guzman will likely graduate from his cap-exempt deal, meaning $250,000 a year that Clark will have to squeeze under the cap. Galindo liberated $150k, and with the earlier move of Freidel to Rochester, Clark could pull it off. The only problem that remains is that it doesn't allow for a new striker. "Other bodies will have to go".

The first new arrival of the off season is Lucio Filomeno from DC United. The Argentine hit nearly 30 goals last season and if he sticks through preseason, will take up an SI spot - the first on the KK. His wages are a modest $60k a year, but still will be tough to accommodate under the cap.

*On the block this offseason are Christian Rodriguez (who wants a move and more money), Nick Garcia, Mirko Lomic (for the right deal), Liam Ridgewell, Will Hesmer, Ogi and possibly Brian Mullan and recent arrival Richard Mulrooney. Offers can be directed to my PM mailbox.

Frankly, with the exception of Cannon, Hartman, Onyewu, Reyna, Conrad, Greer and Knox I'm open to offers.

[perpetua]

Lions Fittingly Lose to Kings

During the regular season the Lions were a difficult team to face with the potent strike force of Taylor Twellman and Jay-Jay Okocha and formidable defending which led them to a league best +31 goal difference. Such things mean little in the playoffs however as Vancouver put together a woeful display in the Conference Semi Finals for three halves falling behind 2-0. Okocha grabbed one back ealy in the seond half of the return leg and despite dominating, the Lions could not score having lost striker Chad Barrett to injury earlier in the match.

"We peaked too early in the season" commented coach Saint-Vil. "We have a good team here that has the ability to beat anyone, but we didn't do it at the right times. Unfortunate injuries to Taylor and Eddie did certainly affect us but every team has injuries and we should be able to rebound from them."

Losing the league's top scorer Taylor Twellman and a potent attacking threat like Eddie Gaven is not something that many teams would have been able to overcome in this new league however. With each team in the new MLS supporting highly talented players, every match is like a final, there are no easy matches.

With the offseason under way, the Lions have a good chance of being a force in the MLS with much of the squad returning. Only one departure has so far been confirmed as Grigoris Georgatos will continue his career in Austria after he was kept as a reserve in the MLS playoffs. "Grigoris has been good for us and he has played well but we need to nurture our younger foreign players who are set to become SI's next year. I wish him the best of luck in the rest of his career." When asked whether many changes would be made in the squad Saint-Vil said "No. We believe in putting together a team, not a bunch of high profile individuals. Despite playing together for the first time this year, the players have showed signs of becoming a team and we will build on this."

The conservative approach by Saint-Vil is not likely to please fans who will be reading much transfer news coming from rivals Kentucky but only time will tell which manager's approach works well.

[stuhopkins2003]

Dumped at the altar

The New Liskeard North Football Club vaulted into second place in the East Conference standings at year-end, propelled by the trading deadline signing of Clint Mathis. The National team regular sniped four goals in five games, and the Northmen clinched second ahead of their personal doormat, the Alaska Arctic Wolves.

The playoffs started with New Liskeard hosting their personal whipping dogs, the Arctic Wolves. The series promised to be a mere formality as the Northmen had crushed their competitors in all 4 regular season meetings. The championship was all but in the bag.

"Absolute garbage,"ranted manager Stu Hopkins,"The Arctic Wolves are absolute garbage."

Two games later, he was singing a diferent tune.

"Heads will roll,"he ranted,"Heads will roll."

The surpirising Alaska side ripped the Northmen 4-1 in the first leg, leaving the second leg all but a formality. The second leg finished 2-2, despite the Northmen having recovered from their first leg demolishing, and heaping all sorts of pressure on their opponents.

Alaska went on to win the next two rounds, and hoist the inaugural championship.

"That was my trophy,"hissed Hopkins,"Mine."

New Liskeard's performance in big games is now highly suspect. They had previously dropped their cup semifinal match against b-level side Seattle, and had now contrived to choke when it mattered most...again.

"No heart, no talent, no good."ranted Hopkins when asked about his side."Bunch of sucky babies."

Too be fair, the New Liskeard side had been ravaged by injuries prior to the playoffs, with five regulars being scythed down in their regular season finale against Rochester. Regular defenders Griffin and Svec were unable to compete in the playoffs, and keeper Blazek was unfit to play, but did anyway.

"Who would have thought missing your DR and DL would have an effect on your team?"Hopkins asked rhetorically,"That's where the two lousy kids usually play growing up. DL is the fat kid, and DR is the kid with good wheels and no clue on how to play."

Changes are likely to be made in the near future at the Widowmaker. Chief among needs is a reliable DL, and a solid MC.

But the gaffer's unpredictable nature has already reared its ugly head again. Despite being stacked at DC and DR and DM, recent news out of Kentucky has piqued his interest.

"Ridgewell and Mulrooney?"Hopkins salivated,"They'd look great in green."

[Orksrule40k]

Arctic Wolves Win and Kovacs speaks

The Bosnian backed MLS franchise beat the odds of 1000-1 to take back to Anchorage the MLS crown. There was huge suspicion surrounding how these odds were calculated since they were considerably worse than the rest of the league's. Maybe it was due to the lack of a marquee player, most managers picked at least 1 star player but we selected solid team players instead. The team we built has a workman like ethic surrounding it's performance which was on display in the playoffs.

In the first round we faced New Liskeard North and we'd been dominated by them in the regular season. Yet, I knew that in those regular season meetings we controlled the game in the possesion stats and we're done in by Stu's long ball luck. The playoffs would be different, although they started out with a similar tune with a questionable pk, but we kept going and destroyed them. It was a typical Rob Friend performance, our talisman was in superb form and was unstoppable. Hopkins is gonna need more than a left back and midfielder to fix the problems he faces, he needs to go rethink his tactics.

Next we faced the intimidating Rochester Kings who are the defintion of a one man team. If you can stop Ebbe Sand you can usually beat them the problem is you can't stop Sand. It was a tough game against the Kings, both teams were extremely nervous and it was a very even affair. It could've gone either way but Norweigan International Tomasz Sokolowski was the difference and propelled us into the final. It's going to be interesting to see what changes Tristan makes to the Kings in the offseason because his side have potential, if healthy, to rival the great Roger Saint-Vil's Vancouver Lions.

In the Final we faced Ryan's Texas in a true battle of North vs. South. Ryan's team had dominated the South until a late season slump, but his team is usually spot on with tactics and is always a very tough opponent. The final was controlled by the Arctic Wolves but the Longhorns were never out of it and they created some great chances that drew some superb saves out of Antti Niemi. If Ryan's tactical changes came earlier we would had a different outcome since they made an immediate impact and caused the Arctic Wolves to be put under the kosh for the rest of the match.

Hungarian manager Gabor Kovacs has been reluctant to speak out since he's still new to the country and isn't at ease with life in Anchorage, as of yet. Now it's time for a holiday back to Hungary and to prepare for the next season. We've got our targets and we will be anxiously awaiting the MLS superdraft and we will be looking to make draft day trades with Mr. Lung. B)

[Al Clark]

EXCLUSIVE - CLARK IS BURNING

"Here we go Again"

It seems the usual shennigans have started up in MLS between two of the league's elder statesmen. Roger Saint Vil aka Omer has started the dance up again with his remarks about KK gaffer Al's transfer policies.

"Surprise, surprise", said Clark "I think he's just trying to get some heat off him in Vancouver for crashing out of the playoffs at the first hurdle. It's easier to pick a fight with me than focus on his managerial shortcomings."

Expected any time now is triumphant Alaska manager Gabor (Russ) to chime in on the subject.

"Each to their own. I've got my style, and I've always lived or died by it. It's not that I'm unloyal, not at all, but I will do everything I can to make my team as competitive as possible. Some players have earned the right to be here next year, some have not. Some will stake their claim in pre-season and other will not make it to my 28. That's the nature of the beast. MLS has one of the highest roster turnovers in all of professional soccer. The roster limits, cap and constant churning of players caused by the draft means that you have to start on top of your club. I've got about 8 new faces coming in via the draft....turnover is part of the job as a MLS manager."

"I notice he let his Greek boy go. Cap related? Sure it was. Galindo leaving was the same thing. I'm going to have to shuffle the deck a little more because of de Guzman's exemption ending, but I don't see the big deal. I have my core guys and the rest, well, is open to negotiation. Everyone has their price."

"My starting eleven is mostly set. I need a striker, I've said that, and I still need some help at Sweeper. I have some excellent young players, but Greer and Cameron are not ready yet for starting duties, not in a league this strong. Richard Mulrooney was brought in as stop gap, but he's a talented player. If he wishes to stay we can renegotiate his deal, else for cap purposes, should the right offer come along I'll move him. Likewise, I have the same issue with Nick Garcia, Josh Wolff and Brian Mullan. I want them all, but I can;t keep all of them. I've got a 1st and 2 2nd round picks, maybe I'll get some young, cap-exempt help and I'll get the breathing room I need to bag that striker. "

"In all seriousness, all the manager's in this league have my utmost respect, but I'm not going to stand by whilst some of them take cheap pot shots at me in the offseason."

[perpetua]

Saint-Vil Befuddled with Clark's Comments

Roger Saint-Vil responded to Kentucky manager Clark's comments in the media earlier by suggesting that he did not intend to take a crack at Clark's revolving door transfer policy. "I only talked about my own team. No one else." Saint-Vil said.

"I can not control how others react to news reports. I did not make a statement about the coach, the media did. Perhaps Clark should target the media rather than a fellow manager whose only concern is his own team"

Saint-Vil also commented about Clark's accusations behind the reason for letting Georgatos go.

"Cap? What do you mean cap issues? We are well under the cap and have been all season. In fact our 28 man roster had enough cap room to add $250,000 a year salary. With Grigoris leaving that brings our cap space to well over $500,000 with 27 players. Vancouver has absolutely no cap problems. In fact, we will be looking to award some core players with improved contracts."

"Grigoris left because Brent (Carelse) is going to count as an SI next year and after talking with Grigoris we thanked him for his services and informed him that we will be opting to keep Brent on the books as an SI. He took it well and decided to move to Europe to continue his career. He knew this was coming especially since we picked him in the last round of the draft."

"We are likely to make use of our open YI slot for the next season and we have made some agreements but the transfers are still pending the work permit so I won't talk about them just yet."

The war of words between these managers is likely to continue with some big changes expected in Kentucky after Clark admitted that he faces major salary cap problems before the new season.

[Ricky Lung]

SEASON REVIEW

With the regular season now officially ended, the Toronto Syclones’ season is over as well. The Syclones started off the season well with three straight victories. Then a few key players went down, and they started to stumble. They did not get back any rhythm until the last couple of months. They pulled within one point of the final playoff spot with six games left. But with the ‘Eddies’ out at a bad time, especially when they do not have much depth at the back, they lost four straight before winning the last two meaningless games. They finished the season with 37 points, they are last in the northern conference.

Despite the disappointment in the league, they did very well in the NA Cup, in fact, they lifted up the first piece of silverware of this restructured MLS. Though they did not have a tough time along the way, they did knock off three human teams (Kentucky, Boston, and Rochester respectively) to get to the final. The final was a no doubter. The Syclones are clearly a level higher than the Seattle team. They controlled most of the possession, and Occean netted two goals to bring the win. The trophy will give the fans something to cheer about during the offseason. The Board is pleased for winning the cup, though they are only satisfied for the overall performance.

The offense of the Syclones is pretty effective this season, they produced good chances when they had the ball. They score 50 goals in the regular season, which is more than 5 of the 6 teams in the southern conference. The firing power seems to come from the North with 5 out of 6 teams bagged more than 50. Oliver Occean, probably is the MVP of the team this season. Coming in as a backup to Jovan Kirovski, Occean made the most out of his opportunities when Kirovski went down for 6 months. He is the only other natural striker on the team, so he had given the everyday nod as their one-top. He scored 20 in 31 appearances, 16 goals in the league, which is fourth best. With Kirovski coming back strong after his injury, coach Lung has to make the decision, should he keeps his one-top formation, or should he adjust and try to fit Kirovski in the starting XI. The attacking players buy into the team concept, they love to play as a unit. Landon, Ryan, and Oliver each has close to ten assists.

They Syclones need to address the issue at the back during the offseason. They have to retune the concept at the back, they gave up the league most 60 goals, when they technically playing six players at the back in their formation. They need to find some quality backups to play behind the ‘Eddies’. That’s what hurt them down the stretch this season, they only have one natural backup center back, along with a young prospect, who is not ready to play significant minutes just yet.

Talking about a team located in Canada, we should pay some tribute to the Canadian on the team. All five canucks on the team are slowly become the core group of the National side. All of them have played as a starter in the last few national matchups.

They have another decision to make in this offseason. With a sub-par season by Nokopolidis, should the Syclones bring him back as a starter next season? He and backup Behonick had splitted the playing time this season, neither of them played with a consistency. They combine for less than five clean sheets the whole season.

With the SuperDraft coming up in a month, the Syclones should try to bring in the best defender, who is ready to contribute.

[Ricky Lung]

COACH LUNG GOING TO BE ON DRAFT DAY HEADLINE AGAIN?

Coach Lung is known for his draft day's action, he loves to pull out some big trade on draft day. We know that back in his Metros' years and last year with the Syclones. When approached by an interviewer on whether he will try to pull off a draft day trade again. He has something to say:

"...I think I am going to stay put in this draft, I am not gonna pull off anything big. Not that I am afraid to make a blockbuster, I love draft, thats the best part of US Sports in my opinion. As you all know, I like to trade up in the draft or get more picks in a draft, but it will be different this season. I am very pleased with my squad right now, I am not going to break this up, I don't know who I can put on the block if you ask me, I like them all..."

"...I may even part away my third overall if the right offer comes along, this sounds very un coach Lung like, but ya this is my approach this season, I am not going to gather a dozen of picks, I may even give them all out. I have a good group of young talents already, I don't really need anymore..."

"...regaring coach Clark's comment, I admit every player has a price, but i cannot agree you need to move him when the right offer comes along. No matter he is a role player or impact player, if he is good the team, you shouldn't move him, even the other team overpay and try to get him. As long as they are good to the team and they wanna stay, we should keep him, I don't care whether it is cap related issue or anything else..."

[Al Clark]

Toronto Triumph in US Open Cup

Canadian Powerhouse Toronto Syclones dispatched non-league Seattle Sounders in the Final of the older knockout competition in North America.

Fittingly a Canadian did the damage, with national team striker hitting the Sounders for a brace to secure the hardware.

One pundit commented on the progress manager Ricky Lung had made since the bad old days in the original MLS where he once finished a season with only a handful of points, no wins and a GD of -99 (or something like that!)

Kaiser's chief Al Clark had this to say "Well done on the trophy Ricky, hopefully that will keep the board off you're back for the crap MLS season. Shame you don't get into the continental tournaments with that win."

Official Result:

Toronto Syclones 2 : Seattle Sounders 0

HT: 2:0

Olivier Occean : 19, 42

2005 US Open Cup Champions : Toronto Syclones [Ricky]

[Al Clark]

MLS CUP 2005 CHAMPIONS : ALASKA ARTIC WOLVES [Russ]

The reinauguration season was duked out in a final placed at Pizza Hut Park in Dallas with the best of the North/East taking on the best of the South/West.

Manager's Gabor Kovacs [Russ} and Ryan went toe to toe to find out who would win the hardware.

Ultimately the Alaskan boys were made of harder stuff and prevailed, but it was a great game. That's what an Alaskan winter will do for you in the way of a training camp!

The Texas Longhorns were unable to replicate the national championship success that their namesake collegiate football team had enjoyed, as Gabor and his cronies put the game away thanks to goals from Rob Friend, Borut Semler and Shalrie Joseph.

Official Result:

Alaska Artic Wolves 3 :

Texas Longhorns 1

HT 1:0

[Al Clark]

MLS Annouces Award Winners for 2005 Season

Supporter's Shield Champions, Vancouver Lions, cleaned up in the player awards at today's annual awards gala at MLS HQ.

Taylor Twellman scooped the two most prestigious awards as the Budweiser Scoring Champ and MLS MVP. It only goes to show that in the playoffs anything can happen!!

See you all soon for MLS 2006!!

[perpetua]

Our expert analysts have worked around the clock to sort all the available players and provide for us a mock draft for the 2006 MLS Superdraft complete with the profiles of the players expected to be picked in the first round.

1st pick - Muskegon - Aaron Provan

2nd pick - Toronto - Mike Saunders

3rd pick - Nashville - Brian Taylor

4th pick - Boston - Ryan Flores

5th pick - Nerdington - Paul Johnson

6th pick - New Liskeard - Brad Jones

7th pick - Kentucky - Jason Stone

8th pick - Vancouver - Chris Moore

9th pick - Marquette - Michael Flores

10th pick - Rochester - Danny Glazer

11th pick - Texas - Mike Dombrowski

12th pick - Alaska - Troy Gibson

[stuhopkins2003]

Season Review

It was a tumoultous season for the New Liskeard North in the inaugural year of the new MLS. A group of players were thrown together, and a team was created out of nothing. All credit must go to that mastermind of tactics, that svengali of soccer, that sincere and modest guy, manager Stu Hopkins.

It was a year crippled by injuries as evidenced by no fewer than three keepers reaching double digits in games played in nets. Jarmoir Blazek, the seasoned SI, played exceptionally when healthy, but his constant absence must have been worrying for the Liskeard management team. Matt Pickins, the keeper of the future, performed adequatley, until he too was injured. Zach Wells, the third choice, insurance keeper, was steady.

DL

The fourth choice left back, Leroy Griffin, got a chance early in the year to seize the position and he did. Griffin, brought onboard solely as an insurance policy, played so well that he made the year-end MLS all-star team. Christian Pulhac had been the pre-season choice for the position, but early returns were not great and he was moved up to left midfield were he became irreplaceable. Phil Salyer and Chris Wingert were both handed chances to win the position before Griffin got his shot, but both wound up injured.

Griffin now has a stranglehold on the slot for next season, and all that remains is a search for a capable back-up for the all-star. Wingert and Salyer are probably both on their way out of the Widowmaker as they are both dissatisfied with their roles.

DR

Michael Svec, the young YI, was outstanding all year long in his preferred position until an injury late in the year. Chris Williams was brought in for cover at the trade deadline from Vancouver, (for a 3rd rd pick), and played great. Right back is set for the forseeable future with two solid pros.

DC

Central defense was in constant flux all season long. Youngsters Michael Parkhurst and Chad Marshall were handed the job early but faltered quickly, unable to stop the seasoned pros of the MLS. Capable pros Craig Waibel and Richie Kotschau were brought in to steady the defense and were solid if unspectacular until Waibel's subsequent season-ending injury and release. This forced holding mid Pablo Mastroeni to partner Kotschau and they formed another solid if undistinguished defence. Injury crisis among the midfielders forced Mastreoni back upfront and handed young YI, Geo Caicedo his chance at the position. He and Kotschau formed another solid albeit ordinary pairing.

The upcoming season brings with it many questions surrounding the Northmen's central defence. Management is hopeful that Parkhurst and Marshall are ready to accept the mantle and form a formidable youth triumvirate with Caicedo. No one wants another unsettled year of Kotschau and 'partner of the day'. Rumors are rife of the Northmen looking to bring in an experienced quality central defender.

DM

Pablo Mastroeni was capable although not as formidable as New Liskeard had hoped. A distinclty average season was a poor return on the big wages spent. Perhaps he was a victim of his constant position change. Happily, Danny Szetela came up huge when given his chance, and the 18 year-old may well have done enough to wrestle the starting job from the veteran. Danny O'Rourke, another youngster, is chomping at the bit to get minutes and may well be given his chance this year.

M

A treadbare position for the green and white, and when star performer Atiba Hutchinson went down to injury, the club was left scrambling for a replacement. Several players were auditioned but all looked out of place as they struggled under a foreign position. A new recruit for the Northmen is imperative heading into the new year.

ML

Christian Pulhac recovered quickly from his early season left back debacle and performed spectaculary. The young YI has earned the position over such luminaries as SI Darren Huckerby and starlet Freddy Adu. To be fair to Huckerby and Adu, neither are that comfortable as flat middies and perhaps the gaffer's tactics were ill-suited to them.

MR

The same could be said about the right side of the midfield as each of SI Karel Poborsky, Johnathon de Guzman and Iain Hume failed to have much impact. Poor planning by the gaffer blunted the impact of these fine wingers.

A right sided midfilder is a necessity for the upcoming season, and look for Poborsky and Huckerby to be sold to finance the acquisition of such a player.

Strikers

Old man river kept right on rolling. Alan Shearer started slow and tailed off badly, but did enough in the meat of the schedule to earn all-star status and finish second in goals. But...how much longer can he be expected to provide for the Northmen?

Tomasz Radzinski was a dispointment on the whole. He scored some spectacular goals but also went missing more often than not. The Canadian star will be expected to lift his game this year.

Clint Mathis was brought in at the transfer deadline and fired four goals in four starts and a sub appearance. The *****ly player has so far resisted the urge to disrupt the harmony at the Widowmaker, but the clock is surely ticking on that.

Players headed out?

Huckerby

Mastroeni

Poborsky

Sayler

Wingert

Needs

MR

DC

backup DL

backup MC

[Al Clark]

MLS II Kicks Off!!

The seemingly endless winter is over and the new season is here; MLS II awaits the 12 teams as the fight for supremacy starts over again.

Last year's champs, Alaska, will be the team to beat according to the bookies. Clark's Kaiser's were T-4th favourite at 33-1, well behind Alaska at 2-1.

"We're okay with that" said Clark, "We can play the role of dark horses this season, and perhaps that will actually help us".

For all the personnel moves in the offseason, Clark arrived at roster deadline day with a few spaces and a relatively unchanged first team squad. The new faces included some high profile signings - Justin Mapp (Vancouver), Christian Gomez (Rochester), Juan Pablo Lucero (Argentina) and Carlos Ruiz (Vancouver).

The opening day squad for the trip to rivals Vancouver featured just 4 new faces from 2005:

GK: Kevin Hartman

DR: Chris Albright

DC: Oguchi Onyewu

DC: Jimmy Conrad

DL: Marko Lomic

MR: Christian Gomez

MC: Claudio Reyna ©

MC: Leozinho

ML: Justin Mapp

FC: Pedro Junior

FC: Carlos Ruiz

On the Bench:

GK: Joe Cannon

DRC : Nick Garcia

DMRC: Richard Mulrooney

FC: Juan Pablo Lucero

FC: Josh Wolff

Clark seemed very happy with his pick up from Rochester "Gomez was a victim of the league's salary cap and Rochester had to cut him loose. That's our second excellent pick up off waivers from Rochester, following on from Joe Cannon. It's a pleasure doing business with them! Seriously though, it's always good to strengthen the team and Christian wanted to be a part of what is happening here...that was reflected in his wages as he signed for a very reasonable $55k a year. A player of his calibre could demand as much as 3x that if he wanted to leave MLS."

Gomez made the perfect start too - scoring inside of 30 seconds on his debut. He stealthed in from his AMR position to slot the ball past El Guzano in the Lions net.

But the game certainly didn't go all the way of the Kaisers "we've never had an easy game against a team with Omer at the helm, infact, seldom do we get anythign from those encounters. We hadn't forgotten the 3-0 and 3-2 (and we were 2-0 up in that one) defeats we suffered at their hands last term. Neither had the board. We needed a win."

The game was pretty evenly contested, Clark's reversion to his preferred 4-4-2 formation caught Roger Saint Vil slightly offguard. But as the game wore on it became clear a goal would not suffice. Sure enough, a penalty decision against Chris Albright provided the perfect platform for the home team. 1-1.

It would have been easy for Kentucky to fear the worst, and with their track record in these fictures who could blame them! A couple of subs for the tiring forwards in the KK team saw Mulrooney and Wolff thrown into the fray for Reyna and Ruiz. The departing players looked exhausted.

Wolff however, did not. He burst onto the pitch and notched a goal within minutes, connecting sweetly first time to drill past the diving Brad Guzan. 2-1. It was clear message to Clark who had started with Ruiz and Pedro Junior up front. Clark defended the decision saying "Josh Wolff was our joint top scorer last seaosn, there's no denying that, but he cooled off badly towards the end of the campaign and was AWOL during the playoffs. Pedro Junior had waited for his chance and had been great in our preseason. He earned the right to start. As for Ruiz, well, he's been a top 3 striker in theis league for 5 years and was a big piece of our major summer trade (Julian de Guzman for Mapp & Ruiz) and figured to start on most teams. We're not paying him $200k a year to ride the pine. A bit of competition up front is EXACTLY what we were missing last term".

The game wasn't over yet, as time wound down the Kaiser's won a corner. Inexplicably, time stood still whilst Lomic ran over to take it? Those seconds that were saved were enough for the Lions to charge up the field, and with the home striker looking like he was clean through, Richard Mulrooney hacked him down from behind, duly earning his marching orders. It was clearly a match saving foul. "I hate to say this, particularly as we had the lowest number of cards in the league last year, but that was a good foul to take. Frankly, the whistle should already have been blown, and we'd have been looking at a major controversy should a goal have resulted from that oversight". A goal was not forth coming, as the Lions' last charge resulted in a tame effort wide to the right of Hartman's far post. The whistle blew and you could see on Clark's face he felt he'd dodged a bullet at Queen Elizabeth stadium.

Recent signing from the minor leagues Lucio Filomeno was unable to hold down a place come the roster deadline, losing out to Christian Gomez, but Clark still has 6 strikers vying for a place up front. "In my mind, we've got 4 in the first team and 2 youngsters...that should only be good for our club."

So a win on the road to start the campaign away at 2005's Supprter's Shield winners, what more could the board ask for? Who knows, they stayed silent after this one......there's just no pleasing some folk.

[Ricky Lung]

SEASON II IS UNDERWAY

With a quiet offseason, which is unexpected from coach Lung, the Toronto Syclones are ready to get things going again.

"...Last year, we didn't do too well, despite grabbing a piece of silverware. We finished last in the conference, gave up too many goals, we need to tighten the defense this season. With the quality of the players, I definitely expect more..."

With the same group of players from last season, they sure will have a good chemistry.

The Syclones picked up 5 rookies from the draft. A couple of them have some upside, let see if coach Lung will give them some playing time at some point of the season. They are all in the reserve squad at this moment and will get to play regularly once the reserve league begins.

Just before the start of the new season, wing back Ricardinho and Occean both demanded transfer. Ricardinho agreed to stay and helps the team get to a higher level after a meeting with the coach. On the other hand, Occean does not buy into this idea, but the Sylcones are not ready to let him go just yet, they hope he can understand the situation and reconsider his option. Hope this will be a source of motivation instead of a disease in the locker room.

The Syclones get thing started with the Slingers at ACC, a few of them were not match fit due to a late preseason trainning week, Lung was forced to play a few reserves to start the game. They controlled the first half, but fail to create any close chances. They forced their way with a few long attempts. Lung brought in Occean and Donovan at the 70-minute mark. This made immediate impact, Occean passed to Jarvis then to Donovan and he buried it, thats why they were the Syclones triangle offense last season which combined for 30 goals and 30 assists. Guevara hit one later and the Syclones ran out with a comfortable win.

[perpetua]

2006 Vanouver Lions Squad

With offseason coming to an end, Vancouver have declared their 28-man roster for the 2006 season. Many players are returning especially in defense but midfield and attack has seen some changes which should give Vancouver more options down the stretch.

Goalkeeper: Brad Guzan, Troy Perkins, Dan Kennedy and Steve Cronin

Going with 4 keepers in the squad for the second year in a row Roger Saint-Vil will have the opportunity to pick from Guzan and Perkins as his top choices with both players looking comfortable as the first choice and both still among the youngest keepers in the league. Despite winning the goalkeeper of the year last season, Guzan is still being groomed into his position and will likely be rotated with Perkins.

Centre Back: Alpay Ozalan, Clarence Goodman, Danny Califf, Zak Whitbread and Jason Di Tullio

Alpay and Goodman will likely get the starting spots in most matches with Calff getting rotated. Whitbread and Di Tullio are still young but have the ability to step in during injuries.

Full Back: Steven Cheurndolo, Julian De Guzman, Greg Victor and Heath Pearce

Last year Steven Cherundolo had the joint lead in assists and won the defender of the year. A repeat performance would be fantastic but even with a drop in performance Cherundolo is still one of the best full backs in the league. While full back isn't De Guzman's natural position, his ability to put the ball in play will be a good addition to the Vancouver back line on the left side. Victor and Pearce are also capable players who could start on most teams in the league.

Defensive Midfield: Emanuel Sarki and Marcel De Jong

Despite his young age Sarki was phenomenal in his position last season, picking up the Rookie of the year. Comfortable with the ball at his feet, he is the rudder of the Vancouver Lions offense. De Jong is a flashy player who can deliver good balls from deep and is a capable player in the centre of the field.

Midfield: Jay-Jay Okocha, Eddie Gaven, Kalle Ljungberg, Felix Alexander Borja, Patricio Perez, Luke Kreamalmeyer, Arturo Alvarez and Chris Barrett

Plenty of talent here even if Jay-Jay Okocha's transfer demands are accepted by Saint-Vil. Despite missing the end of last season Gaven showed major improvement. Ljungberg and Borja are talented youngsters who can play in the midfield or attack and make an impact. Patricio Perez has also improved over the last season and his grooming to be the next midfield general for Vancouver appears to be well on track. Kreamalmeyer is also a very capable midfield man and can also fill in as a defensive midfielder or full back. Barrett was picked in the first round of the SuperDraft and looks to be technically capable but will need to improve in the reserves before he sees any action.

Attacker: Taylor Twellman, Jorge Daniel Achucarro, Chad Barrett, Abe Thompson and Alan Gordon

The league MVP Taylor Twellman is back with Vancouver after a season ending injury suffered against Marquette last season. Twellman finished as the joint top scorer in 2005 with Alan Shearer and if he can recover he looks to have many more goals in him. Achucarro is a hardworking forward who joined from Cerro Porteno this season. Whether he can complement Twellman is still a question to be answered. Chad Barrett showed his scoring abilities after Twellman's injury last season but his injury against Rochester in the first round defeat kept him and perhaps his team from progressing further in the playoffs. Able Thompson and Alan Gordon are players who are highly capable in the air though neither look like they will receive much playing time except performing niche duties.

[perpetua]

FC United of Boston Looking for a new Manager

The commissioner's office announced this morning that they have had it with Coach Lofurmento's holiday taking over the last several months and are looking to replace him with a manager with more stability.

The current team squad looks like this.

Interested parties should apply at the league web site here. The time commitments are Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday from 9pm to 12am EST.

[perpetua]

[perpetua]

For full stats see the latest edition of MLS Gazette.

MLS Gazette - Tables, Rosters and Stats

[Al Clark]

The Long and Winding Road....

After a blinding 3 game win streak to start the season, the schedule finally got the better of Clark's Kaiser's. A streak of four away games to start the season, and 6/7 was a tough start by anyones standards.

"I don't know who i upset at MLS HQ, but our fixture list read like an A List Horror movie. We had away games against Vancouver, Alaska, New Liskeard and Rochester with the only home game against Texas. No easy games there." Next up is Marquette away, another toughie.

"All in all, we should be pleased, I think", said Clark. We took 9/15 points on the road against some top teams, scoring 9 goals and going +3 in GD. That's pretty good. "

Rochester, who were top of the North at the time, were the first team to beat the Kaisers. A good showing by manager Tristan, saw former KK player EJ show up big time, grabbing a goal and MOM honours. "Barsteward" said Clark. A tough 1-0 loss away to reigning champs Alaska in a game where frankly no team deserved to win was the other defeat on the season. "We were beaten fair and square in Rochester, but the Alaska game probaly got away from us. We had more shots and the two teams barely mustered 4 shot OT in the whole game. I don't think either side did enough to take the 3pts, but hats off to Gabor - his side found a way to win and that's all that counts."

The poor streak coincided with the loss of a few key players - Carlos Ruiz, Justin Mapp, Juan Manuel Lucero from the 1st team squad. "That was a contributing factor, but we have enough strength in depoth that we should have been able to overcome those loses."

Josh WOlff has started hot again, scoring 4 goals in the first 6 games. The question will be whether he can get some scoring support this season. Pedro Junior - who in a gesture of his love for the club is now sporting the name "Kai" - has looked lively without finding his killer touch. His 7.50 average belies his inability to hit the back of the net, with only 1 goal on the season. His fitness has also been called in question and a regimen of stamina training combined with shooting looks likely.

Other standouts in thea early part of the season are Kevin Hartman (7.50), Leozinho (7.50) and Carlos Ruiz, wo was 2 goals in 2 games (8.00) before being struck down with a pulled hamstring.

There are a couple of minor roster moves to mention....Clark finally lost patience with Nick Garcia and his $120k salary. "He just wasn't earning that money and even when he got a chance in the team looked poor. I wish him well, but I expect he'll have to take a serious pay cut to get another deal in MLS." He was replaced by Tony Menezes, the Canadian international, who came in on loan and the signing of Tyrone Marshall, the Jamaican, from Montreal. The former LA Galaxy player was amongst the best defenders in the old MLS, and Clark hopes to have snagged a bargain. "Tyrone will be our 3rd DC, stepping in when Onyewu and Conrad are unavailalble. He's international class and signed a fair deal - in the $50's - which helped him. We've still got a little cash to spend and I'll consider those options as the season progresses."

"A little money" referred to wages, as the Kaiser's piggy bank is literally bursting with over $10m in the transfer kitty. "Using the money is the issue when you have a cap in place. But I'll let you into a secret, I've signed an Argentine U21 international for next season, hes a DMC and is one of the best prospects in the world at that position. The fans are just gonna love this one. His name is Biglia and we're only having to wait as he's out on loan. He'll be worth the wait though!"

Clark has been beaten out to a couple of other players, most notably Freddy Guarin. "I just have to keep at it." Clark's foreign allocations are full, but its common knowledge that Liam Ridgewell is looking for a new club after being told he was not in Clark's plans last term. So far there have been no takers for the England U21 international which has surprised many.

So, with Marquette up next, Clark will need to rally his troops after a disappointing 0-1-2 run if he is to take anything against his main divisional rival.

[ryanmt]

Texas Kicks-Off New Season

Having had plenty of time to swallow and digest the bitter pill prescribed by the Alaska Arctic Wolves and Dr. Russ (or Gabor Kovacs) in MLS Cup 2005, the Texas Longhorns enter the 2006 season with fresh hopes of another title run. Texas manager Ryan Thompson made very few changes to his '05 team, with all of his core players returning. The roster breakdown is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Ukranian Olexandr Shovkovskyi figures to be the mainstay within the posts once again. Talented, but inexperienced Quentin Westberg will likely be his primary understudy.

Defenders: In the center of the defense, Cory Gibbs and Jonathan Spector look set to resume their solid partnership. Ryan Cochrane has completely recovered from his serious injury, though whether or not he will successfully pass Tim Regan and Nelson Akwari to be the primary backup to Gibbs and Spector is unclear. Guarding the right flank will be Brazilian Indio; rumors of enquiries regarding Indio's services by Spanish giants Barcelona during the offseason remain unconfirmed. Regan, Akwari, Kelly Gray, and Antonio de la Torre are all candidates to to step in should Indio be unavailable. Opposite of Indio is likely to be his compatriot, the teenage leftback Avine. John O'Brien could also be in the mix there though, especially when he isn't needed in midfield.

Midfielders: Nik Besagno will almost certainly see a lot of action as the holding midfielder. Only 17 years old, Besagno has already been labeled by his manager, 'the best defensive midfielder in MLS.' Those are bold words of confidence for his youngster by Thompson, especially since the league also features the likes of Edgar Davids and 2005 Rookie of the Year Emanuel Sarki. Besagno's backup will be Kelly Gray. Usually playing in front of Besagno will be two of either John O'Brien, Thomas Prager, and the creative Juan Pablo Garcia. Benny Feilhaber should also be in consideration for selection. Veteran playmaker Rivaldo will be called on again to pull the strings of the attack while sitting behind the forwards, a role in which Garcia may also be used if necessary. Providing cover will be Craig Capano.

Forwards: Bruno is slowly emerging as Texas' top goal scoring threat. The Brazilian can also provide for his attackers, as evidenced by his numerous assists in the 2005 campaign. Bruno will compete with Will John, Stephen Ademolu, and Jemal Johnson for playing time up front.

Despite an opening loss to Rochester, the Longhorns have begun 2006 with good results overall and will strive to continue this in the upcoming weeks. After overpowering foreign sides Hardware Bandits and Harbour View, Texas has also done well to reach the final of the North American Champions Cup, where they meet Mexican side Pumas. The first leg will be played after the Longhorns' upcoming MLS encounter with Nerdington.

[perpetua]

For full stats see the latest edition of MLS Gazette.

MLS Gazette - Tables, Rosters and Stats

[perpetua]

Ignore the last one please.

For full stats see the latest edition of MLS Gazette.

MLS Gazette - Tables, Rosters and Stats

[SonicAD]

Three-peat! Muskegon Fury Win the Colonial Cup Again!!

Last night, the Muskegon Fury completed a sweep of the Danbury Trashers by winning 4-3 in the fifth overtime, thus brining home the Colonial Cup for the 3rd straight year. Robin Bouchard scored the game winner, assisted by the fact that Trashers goalie Sylvain Daigle (formerly of the Fury) had fallen asleep.

The entire squad of the local MLS team, the Muskegon Mismatch, were in attendance. It was surprising that they would show up for a hockey game, since they had yet to show up in MLS, being dead-last. We don't even know why we're telling you about this, since nobody here cares. Seriously, more people show up for a minor league hockey game than for a soccer league at the top level. We don't know why they bother. Reportedly, the Mismatch are attempting to relocate, but nobody wants them. We don't really care anymore, so we'll move on to something more exciting.

In other sports news, I went bowling with some friends last night...

[Al Clark]

Kaiser's on a Roll

"I'm pleased with how we have responded this season. Crashing out in the 1st Round of the Playoffs after scrapping all year, and ulitemately topping our Conference was hugely disappointing. We carreied a few guys ont he team last year and, frankly, the system I chose was a means to an end. We all know I'm a 4-4-2 guy, and now I have the personnel in place to place that system we're doing better."

Clark, never one to worry about swing the axe has shuffled the deck somewhat, and his most recent trade was a little surprising. He shipped Joh Wolff, who has lead the club in scoring both of the last two years to Nerdington. Clark explained...."Josh was a good finisher, an American - which in this league is important, and our main asset up front. He was also expensive - $170k, nearing the end of his contract and looking for a raise. As good as he was for us, this simply was a numbers decision. One, that I must add, that was made considerably less painful by the fact that we acquired startlet Ricardo Clark in retun. He's young, cheap and on a long term deal."

Of course, the trade was beneficial for both parties - Wolff is no chump - and Ricardo Clark causes something of a glut in the DM/M C position for the Kaiser's, but is seen as more of a medium-long term move.

"Clark is a future USMNT player, holding the center of the park hostage, or breaking down the right from an D/WB R position. He's going to work with our coaches to see if there's even any potential for him to play at the back. In a small league like this, versatility is paramount."

The decision to let Wolff go leaves the KK with a potential shortage of goals. But, fans at Commonwealth Stadium must admit, that the goals have been easier to come by throughout the team in 2006 and with a strong pack of strikers to choose from, Clark probably made the right decision.

"Knox Cameron, Kai and Chris Greer are superb young talents. I fully expect all three to dominate in this league and soon. Until they get there, we've got 'El Pescadito' [Carlos Ruiz], the leagues most prolific scorer over the last few years to help knock em in. New signing J.M Lucero is pretty handy too, and once he acclimitizes to the MLS game will be an impact player."

Christian Gomez, Leozinho and Brian Mullan have contributed 8 goals, and the midfield total is 10 on the season. "Having scorers from all over the pitch is vital. A few more goals from the back wouldn't hurt, and we'll be working on set pieces with the big center backs on that."

Clark's team has struggled a little with injuries, and this may be a blessing in disguise in some respects. Knocks to Albright, Mulrooney, Mullan, Conrad and Mapp kept them out of contention for the WC, with the Kaiser's losing the services of just 3 players - USMNT and KK Captain Claudio Reyna, Oguchi Oneywu and back up goalie Joe Cannon. "I'm glad they didn't take Kevin Hartman as well, that could have derailed our season in a hurry. He's been huge for us since the day he ousted Brad Friedel last season."

The Kaiser's policy of recruiting young foreign talent also appears to have helped, as most of their YI's are not yet in international contention for the full squad. "It's pretty hard to break in to the Brazillian or Argentine teams, even when you're as good as Leozinho and Kai. Maybe they'll get their chance in a couple of years. [KK has 2 Brazillians and 2 Argentines, with another coming in for 2007]" Other foreigners - Carlos Ruiz (DNQ, GUA) and Mirko Lomic (DNQ, SLO) did not have a chance to compete due to their teams failure to qualify. With the release of Mark Wilson, KK only currently have 6 foreigners on the squad. Clark has indicated he will continue his policy of buying young talent, including looking for depth at the drafts. He recently picked up two discarded youngsters from the 2006 draft - Mike Dombrowski (ML) and Chris Moore (DM), both of whom will have their chances to impress with both the reserve and senior teams. The former seems to work well in Clarks system and has been tearing up the reserve league. His form earned his a start and 3 sub appearances whilst Justin Mapp was out injured and he responded with 2 helpers. "Steals" said Clark of the rookies. "They need work but they've shown a great deal of potential and I'm glad to have em. Cheap too!"

The Kaiser's will hope international call-ups will hit harder for their rivals in the Southern Confernce so that they can try and put some distance between themselves and the pack. Presently, Nerdington are under a revial supreme thanks to the guidance and inspiration of new manager Jos3 C. But they've lost their starting 'G' and both of their top strikers. 'Now is the time" says Clark....

[perpetua]

Lions Honoured but Face a Big Mid-Season Battle

The World Cup has begin and a total of 9 Vancouver Lions players are taking part in this years competition. While this means more exposure for the Vancouver Lions, it also means a depleted squad for Roger Saint-Vil.

Vancouver players Clarance Goodson, Steven Cherundolo, Heath Pearce, Eddie Gaven and Taylor Twellman have all been included in the US World Cup squad following their excellent performances in 2005 and thus far in 2006.

Also travelling to Germany, Emanuel Sarki and Jay-Jay Okocha for Nigeria, Alpay Ozalan for Turkey and Félix Alexander Borja for Ecuador will be away from the team for at least three weeks.

"This is odd" Saint-Vil commented, "They will postpone matches because 3-4 players go on international duty but they won't do it when 9 players are gone. It just makes no sene whatsoever."

While the number of players leaving is a concern, Vancouver have built up a buffer of 11 points in front of second placed Rochester in the conference. That 11 point lead could easily diminish with 3 bad matches however. The players who have been on the fringes of first team football are happy about this news however as Jason di Tullio managed to get his frist start of the season against fierce rivals Alaska. Jason put together a solid match which ended 1-1 thanks to a late penalty goal by Luke Kreamalmayer. In the coming weeks, we should all be getting a chance to watch the likes of Zak Whitbread, Marcel De Jong and Arturo Alvarez suiting up for the Lions as Saint-Vil and his men look to secure a playoff berth for the second year in a row.

[Newcastle Fire]

Manager E.T. Allen filed his midseason report

So far this year we have been going back and forth between a dominating team and team is struggling to keep its head above water

Well Kahn was Kahn, pretty dominate but he got injured and since then Jon Busch has been pretty rocky for us. I really got to look at the future and wonder how much longer Kahn will be able to keep up this pace. He keeps getting better so I expect him to be around 2 or 3 more years but I wonder what the future holds for Jon. If he does not step up a bit more in key situations we might look elsewhere.

Defensively we have been playing well for the team that we have had. Robbie Russell and Reda have been often injured. Reda is not fully fit yet, we have had some let downs but I think a lot of that was adjusting to not having Kahn back there.

One of the big questions have been will DeMarcus stay beyond this year. So far things are not looking like it. He has told DeMarcus that he will look at the what the transfer market is for him next year. Allen says that he is looking at the cap for the future. Understanding that some of the younger stars have signed extensions and his hopes that eventually Hugo Colace can make a good right midfielder. Our strikers have went back and forth at the begging of the year Emad was untouchable it looked like it was going be his break out season he has cooled off and Conor who started off slow has now became hot as of late. Matt Nickell is a great 3rd option has a striker. We got to keep these 3 heathy when we had our big struggles was w hen both of them were injured

Overall right now we are on target for a playoff spot but we are really eying the home field advantage at the mid way point of the season with the injures we have had so far. I would consider the season a success. Hopefully the team gets fully healthy by the time we have 5 games left so we can make a playoff push.

[perpetua]

World Cup over. Lions return to form

Playing three matches without the nine players with their respective countries at the World Cup, Lions managed to pick up three draws, 1-1 at home against Alaska, 0-0 at Marquette and 1-1 at Kentucky. Missing so many players was certainly a challenge as many players had to play out of position and a more defensive approach was used in order to compensate for the depleted attacking foce. Despite only picking up 3 points out of 9, the Lions were happy with the outcome.

The players' return did not bring instant results however as the Lions played against division rivals Rochester and New Liskeard. With several internationals low on morale following their countries' World Cup exit, Vancouver managed a 3-3 draw against Rochester and lost 3-2 against New Liskeard after falling behind by three goals within the first 40 minutes and putting together an inspiring fightback.

Despite the loss, the second half performance was pleasing and the players certainly showed their improved morale by putting together a 3-0 win against Nerdington as Taylor Twellman scored his 5th and 6th goals in 7 matches this season and Vancouver are certainly looking forward to being able to field Twellman more regularly in the second half of the season.

[perpetua]

For full stats see the latest edition of MLS Gazette.

MLS Gazette - Tables, Rosters and Stats

[perpetua]

For full stats see the latest edition of MLS Gazette.

MLS Gazette - Tables, Rosters and Stats

[Al Clark]

Is just me or is it cold in here?

The Kaiser's impressive run of form ended with a crash - being dumped out of the Cup to mediocre North Liskeard and then being crushed 7-2 by a rampant and on-form Marquette.

"Well that sucked", said Clark after the demolition by rivals the Iron Rangers. "I'm not sure how the game got so far away from us, sure we were a man down but we only gave up 11 shots on goal the whole game. The defence and goalie need to ask questions of themselves. For the record, I thought the dismissal was a joke and I've filed an appeal. But I'm not going to hide behind that - we were already 4-1 down at that point. Big Joe Cannon was very poor, and I think he just handed the starting role back to Kevin Hartman. Joe had been whining about getting some starts and I gave him a chance, he really missed the opportunity here."

The defeat saw Marquette close to within a point as well as seriously damage Kentuckys good goal difference. Surprisingly, the board didn't react to the defeat, perhaps finally recognizing the good work Clark has done with the Kaiser's.

The hammering marked the end to a bad week for Kentucky. The Kaiser's were dumped out of the Open Cup by the Northmen after Clark left Greg Andrulis in charge. The former Crew Manager inexplicably failed to replace injured striker Kai in the 4th minute, playing the remaining 86 minutes with just 10 men. "Inexcusable" said Clark. "Greg dropped the ball - big time - and we're out of the Cup as a consequence. I don't think Greg gets it. I wont tolerate that kind of incompetence at the Major League Level. I told him to clear his desk."

So, with the impending firing of Assistant Manager Andrulis, Clark will need to find a new AssMan. "Frankly, I don't think we could do worse. Now I know why the Crew fans wanted him gone so badly. More fool me for giving him a chance."

"I had wanted to make New Liskeard eat their words in the Cup after their manager got smart in midweek. Now it's us with egg on our faces. I planned to base my Starting XI with players entirely comprised of 'lifers', namely those who've been with the team since we started the 1st game in the inaugural season. For all my transfer tweaks, the team has been pretty stable. It's the fringe players that have moved, for the most part. We still got Hartman, Albright, Conrad, Broome, Leozinho, Mullan, Reyna, Kai, Cameron, Lensky and Greer. That's 11 players. Sure we've made some trades - mainly cutting the foreigners who weren't working out, and we traded EJ and de Guzman two of our earlier [icks in the draft. but we got Onyewu, Mapp and Ruiz in return so I'm not going to apologize for those deals. I think our squad is the best in the league - it's versatile, affordable and young - we've got almost $400k in cap room and over $10m to spend on players should we need to bring in some new faces. Our starting XI is top 3 too, and once some of the youngester are broken in, then we'll be as good as anyone. That's why we're atop our conference again. "

"I wanted to express my delight at the way Leozinho has grown this season. He's really turned into a bigtime player for us. He's got 6 goals, 6 assists and 7 MoM awards. He's playing at an average of 7.67 and is really pulling the strings in midfield. He's on a low wage, and his good work will be rewarded this summer with a sizeable pay increase, even though he's got years left on his deal. He's earned a raise and I've been clearing cap space to allow us the opportunity to reward him."

"Carlos Ruiz has started to settle in the area, which looked unlikely for a while. He's been in good form the last month and has now hit 8 golas on the year. If Kai, or Luca could hit form then we would be formidable. Trading Josh Wolff was a gamble, but Ricky Clark is a star in the making, and Josh was just going to be too expensive to retain."

Clark has a couple of transfer deals set up, Biglia for 2007, but also has a Brazillian center half coming next week when the transfer window opens. "Yeah, I like the Brazillians" Clark said with a smile. "Lomic hadn't cut it and didn't seem to be improving. Metz made us a good offer so I let him go. It wasn't a hard decision. " The Kaiser's also released Tony Menezes after the Canadian failed to impress at Commonwealth Stadium. "He was capped by Canada and we gave him a half dozen games. He had a great debut, but sadly he couldn't maintain any consistency. I will him well." Clark also added the signature of young US prospect Frankie Simek. The former Arsenal youth player is coming across in a $300k deal from Sheffield Wednesday in England. "Frankie has real potential. He's young enough that we can see how he works out."

The move leaves Clark very deep at DR with Albright, Clark and Simek all capable of starting and Marshall and Conrad more than adequate cover. "We're looking at retraining a couple of our players to give us more vertaility, and cover at DC. We've got young Brian Taylor, a DL, who will hopefully justify his 1st Round selection over the next couple of years. We're pretty deep all over now."

With the players back from the World Cup, the Kaiser's team will settle down. Once the new defenders are on board Clark has vowed that he will likely not test the transfer waters again. Knowing Clark, this might not be true, but after the way the team stumbled into the playoffs, allowing the team to setlle before the knockout rounds would be a good idea. He didn't rule out trading away surplus players, and if that brings in a new face so be it.

Richard Mulrooney has failed to win a consistent starting berth despite obvious talent. "A high draft pick is desired.

[perpetua]

Vancouver inches closer to playoff berth

Now the least defeated team in the league, Vancouver continue their winning ways thanks to a potent attack force which has seen Jorge Daniel Achucarro become an important player alongside Taylor Twellman.

Vancouver certainly looked crisp against rivals Alaska in the 5-1 win where all 6 goals came in the first half of play and Achucarro scored three before being taken off for a broken arm.

"It was a careless challenge by the Alaska player which ended up injurying Jorge. We get these kinds of challenges from every team in the league. Rather than playing soccer against us, may teams resort to American football." Saint-Vill fumed.

"We had the same situation last season as Twellman closed the season as a result of a bad challenge. We weren't ready for it last year but this year we learned from our mistakes." Saint-Vil added.

Certainly Vancouver do have options up front. Youngster Chad Barrett has been useful whenever he played and Abe Thompson adds the aerial threat and a different dimension in the attack. Alejandro Moreno is also with the team on loan for the rest of the season and the seasoned striker can do a bit of everything to contribute. Felix Alexander Borja and Kalle Ljungberg are also capable of playing up front as is Eddie Gaven. So despite the injury to the joint top scorer Achucarro, Vancouver remain a very tough team to contain.

"With this style of play against us, we will be looking to rotate players a little bit more and give our younger players more chances in the coming weeks. They certianly earned the right to play with their performances while we missed several first team players during the World Cup." Saint-Vil hinted.

In other news, Kentucky Kaisers manager once again came out with uninspired commentary about his transfer dealings defending the numerous moves he makes every 3-4 weeks. Oddly enough, the 7-2 loss against Marquette and Chris Albright's scalding after the game by Clark in front of the media came only a few days after the Kaisers announced the signing of the 3rd right sided full back for their roster, Frankie Simek. "Typical" one Vancouver fan said. "It's typical of them to make such moves and completely ruin any harmony within the team. Maybe 3-4 years ago such things did not matter to players, but they certainly do now."

Alaska are facing a terrible run of form, especially after losing important players Tomasz Sokolowski and Dalibor Stevanovic, arguably the players that brought the Cup north last year. Their downward spiral has them in 5th place in the conference falling behind the underachiers Toronto. Coach Gabor Kovacs may need to make some moves once the transfer window reopens to ensure that his team get back on track for the playoffs.

[Al Clark]

Clark Answers Back

"Once again it seems my transfer policies have come under scrutiny. Aside from the fact that it's no-ones business but that of the Kaiser's Front Office, I'll remind Roger and the fans in Vancouver, that there's been plenty of activity north of the border too."

Responding to the remarks about Chris Albright, Clark said "Chris Albright is an international class player. He had been poor for the last couple of weeks and was well below the standards he sets for himself. Likewise Christian Gomez. Both were more than aware of their dip and that the arse-kicking was well earned. Their has to be repercussions after a game like Marquette., neither I nor the board will tolerate emarrasing the club in that way. They're big boys and Chris, in particular, has no fear of a little competition. Does Roger really think that having strong competition in every position is a bad thing for us? Frankie Simek was recommended to me by one of our scouts, he's a project and not likely to be displacing Chris anytime soon. Don't mistake a reprimand from giving up on a player. Chris just needed to know I expected better. The fans agreed with me, and there's no sign of a player revolt in the bluegrass. Vancouver might tiptoe around their issues, but in Kentucky we address our problems."

A fan outside Commonwealth Stadium said "I think their players are soft, they're forever getting hurt...good job, else old Roger wouldn't have any excuses for crashing out in the 1st round."

Clark continued, "Our team is largely settled, we've been playing the same back 5 for most of the last year or longer. Our midfield base is solid, with both Reyna and Leozinho inauguration draftees. Mullan is platooning with Ricky Clark on the right of midfield, and Kai is upfront. So, of our starting XI, eight are original signings and Onyewu has been around a year. The other players are earning the right to stay here - Gomez, Mapp, Ruiz have all had good seasons. So, our squad is very stable. As I've said before, most of these transactions are for fringe players, youngsters and reserves. Of course, it takes the sale or trade of players to allow us to add new ones, so there have been some departures.

[ryanmt]

Thompson in Trouble

Speculation continues to heat up regarding the safety of Ryan Thompson's job as manager of the Texas Longhorns. Despite guiding the team to the MLS final in 2005, and winning the NA Champions Cup, it is believed that the Texas board are looking for any reason at all to send Thompson packing. Some media reports even say that had Thompson lost any of the three previous games (Kentucky, Toronto, and Nerdingon), he would already be unemployed. The pressure is unlikely to subside in upcoming weeks either.

In transfer news, the Longhorns have confirmed that Barcelona's reserve Danny Powers will sign for Texas. The American midfielder's transfer is expected to be made official within the next week or two.

[Al Clark]

Clark goes to bat for Thompson

In an aside from the recent transfer policy hulaballoo, KK manager Al Clark took a brief moment to discuss the situation going on down the road in Texas.

"What's happening in Austin is a disgrace. What more could they ask for from the guy? He's assembled a helluva team, Danny Powers is one of the top US born prospects and his arrival is only going to make my job harder. "

"The board should be ashamed of themselves, heaping pressure on Ryan when he's safely aboard for the playoffs, has added a CONCACAF Cup trophy to the Texas Boardroom....and more importanly, has guaranteed that the Longhorns will represent our region in the World Club Championships. Oh, he also won the Southern Conference and was runner up in MLS CUp Final 2005."

"If Ryan's job is on the line then really every manager in MLS should have been fired by now. His board need to GET REAL. Losing a manager of Thompson's caliber, to be replaced by some Thompson II or another is only going to hold this team back."

"I think, when all is said and done, the board at Texas will see sense. If not, Ryan would be welcome to come work for me. Just not instead of me!"

"I wont do him any favors, as he saw at Commonwealth Stadium, but - as I saw at Commonwealth Stadium - I don't think he'll need any."

"And I though my board was fickle......"

[Al Clark]

Guitar Slingers Coach Feelin' the Blues

"So what if I turn up in a jedi robe and a football jersey? There's nowt wrong with that.."

The reporters looked at each other stunned. They were either bemused at his opening statement or just plainly couldn't understand the broad Geordie accent.

"Aye, our players have underperformed this season, there's no doubt about that. They know it too - I've had words with several of them telling them that they're playing for their place at this club next season. Its up to them to respond by performing on the pitch"

What about your absence for the majority of the season coach?

Listen, I don't doubt that my absence had a knock on effect that rubbed off on the players, and I aim to rectify that, but I don't have to answer you, him or the next two bit hack that asks me where I was. Thats water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned. Next.

How do you intend to rectify the clubs position?

Well, its going to come through hard graft and knuckling down and getting the job done. Make no mistake, I know what the fans are saying, and they're absolutely right. But the board has been patient with me and they understand what I'm trying to do here.

What's the clubs status chief?

The clubs status?? I'll tell you what, it was in a shoddy state of affairs when I took over. We had 4 left backs vying for one spot - thats 2 places on the roster that could have gone to players who could have made a difference this season.

[Ricky Lung]

Syclones Report

Despite grabbing a piece of silverware on a mediocre and less reputable competition last year, a lot of the players are not satisfied with the team finishing dead last in the North/ East conference. Since the beginning of the second year, many of them had expressed their concern publicly and some had cried for a transfer. All the requests were turned down by their head coach Ricky Lung. He is reluctant to let any of them leave yet, he wants to keep the team intact, and he has promised to bring the team to a higher level in order to match their ambitions.

In the US Cup, they fail to make a run and give themselves a chance to defend the title. They were knocked out in their first game. They were outclassed by Coach Thompson and his Longhorns.

With their early exit in the Cup, the Syclones are forced to produce in the league. With 10 games left in the season, the playoff race is heated up once again. The Syclones are hanging tough for the last playoff spot in the north/east. They are 2 points ahead of the Artic Wolves, with a 2-0-0 season series so far. The Syclones fail to perform on a consistent basis this season, they can put up a thrilled performance in one game and go to the other end of the spectrum in the very next game. They have to solve their problem at the back, they gave up a lot of goals again this season.

They had taken a step in trying to stop the bleeding, they cut Greece international Nikopolidis and replace him by US keeper Nick Rimando. He came out very strong, posting two clean sheets in his first two games, but fail to impress after that. He had a 6.17 rating after 6 games.

“…I think we made a good decision replacing Nikopolidis by Rimando, Rimando is a little younger and has more potential. We will try and work with him to improve his consistency. We also free up a foreigner spot, which we can use to pick up a more skilled outfield from South America. We have a few players in mind already, and we may bring them in once the window reopen…â€

“…We have a really solid group up front, we will get goals on a consistency basis, but we really need to some work at the back. Changing the keeper alone will not solve the problem at the back. With the scheme we are playing, we need to have quicker defenders, which we don’t have right now. The Eddies and Kevin are very capable defenders, but they just cannot keep up with speedy strikers. We get burnt in counter a lot this season, we gave up at least 10 goals in this situation...â€

“…We will try to bring in the suitable players as soon as possible, ideally some time shortly after the transfer window reopen, but we will not force the issue, we will have to wait till the offseason if nothing works out. We have big decisions to make this coming offseason, with Landon’s large salary going to count towards to cap next season, we have to decide whether to keep him and cut some of the high wages players; or we elect to let him go…â€

Stay tune for latest headlines.

[perpetua]

[Al Clark]

"NONSENSE"

"They fired the reigning MLS Cup winner? I've heard of fickle but that's beyond a joke. Sure, they've not been firing on all cyclinders this year thus far, but they're still in with a good shot of the playoffs, and that's really all that matters. The Alaska board need to get their heads of their collective arses. Apparently making MLS Cup Final hasn't helped either Thompson or Kovacs/White."

Having finished his rant, Clark went on to address the state of the Kaiser's who have been hot of late. "Hopefully we wont go cold right before the playoffs this year" said Clark, "we got what I perceive to be the final piece of the puzzle - Gabrinho, an accomplished Brazillian U21 DC. He's allowed me to move Jimmy Conrad into that troublesome DL position and it's working well so far."

The Kaiser's put together a decent W3, D1, L0 streak to bounce back from the mauling by Marquette. "Yeah I'm pleased with the run. Mapp, Kai and Onyewu are back from injury and with Gabrinho in the heart of the defence we've looked solid."

"Carlos Ruiz has looked hungry in front of goal and has certainly settled in now. He's hit more than 11 on the season. Young Knox Cameron is starting to look the part, and having Kai back gives us another dimension up front. "

Kaiser's fans have been drooling over the recent play of Leozinho, the starlet has been awesome and is clearly head and shoulder's above most in the league. "He's got it all" said on fan "When we drafted him we hoped he'd be good, and he's even better than I imagined. I've got #10 on my shirt, and the name says 'God'."

"I can't imagine that being popular in the Bible Belt" said a bemused Clark "but I get the sentiment. Leo has been another level lately and has been running out MVP in games more often than not. He's got an eye for goal and all of the trademark Brazillian flair. We're lucky to have him."

"As anticipated, the KK rebounded after a little hiccup last month and veterans Chris Albright and Christian Gomez in particular really set the record straight, just like I said they would. They redoubled their efforts in training and look good on the pitch as a result. Gomez has been a good supply line for the forwards, whether he's played on the right or left. Now Mapp is back, we've got two of the best wingers in the league giving us great symetry. We've got strength in ever position which makes us hard to play against. If you double up on someone, then you've just left a big gap elsewhere that we can exploit."

"Right now, we're looking good in the South, but I'm yet to see any discernable chink in the Vancouver armour. Rochester have looked pretty good this year and my own conference is very tight. We've got 4 strong teams, all contenders. And it seems that Muskegon and Nashville are improving. Kudos to Frank II, he's starting to exert his influence on the side with some new signings and tweaks and they've looked good recently. It might be too late for them for 2006, but there's a very solid foundation there for 2007."

After what was an uncharacteristically quiet session in terms of transfer activity, Clark was asked by the press if he had any transfer deadline deals in the works. "One or two, nothing that will affect our starting XI, but there's a couple of youngsters I've had my eye on that will improve our stregnth of depth and versatility. They may, or may not work out." As for departures...? "Richard Mulrooney will likely be dealt defore the deadline, we've had some interest in him which isn't surprising, he's a very solid player. We'll see what happens."

[perpetua]

For full stats see the latest edition of MLS Gazette.

MLS Gazette - Tables, Rosters and Stats

[Al Clark]

So Far So Good

After finishing out the regular season top of the South, and second only to the indomitable Vancouver Lions in the race for the Supporter's Shield, Kentucky found themselves drawn against Nerdington Express in the Conference Semi Finals.

Three key players were either out, or nursing knocks, not the way Clark would have wanted to prepare. Reyna was definitely out for the opening round and perhaps not might return unless the Kaiser's made MLS Cup Final. Carlos Ruiz, and Christain Gomez made up the rest of the walking wounded. "If they can walk they'll be on the pitch" said Clark.

Nerdington proved to be a little more stubborn than perhpas Clark and the KK fans anticipated. Despite the boost of an early red card to the Express' Jim Curtain in the 14th minute, the Kaiser's failed to turn their dominance into a 1st Leg lead, running out 1-1 after the initial 90 minutes. A Ruiz penalty was the only breach of Jay Nolly's goal, despite a strong performance all over the pitch by the Kaisers. A sucker punch by Agouda robbed the lead from KK, but really they had noone to blame but themselves.

So, the tie would be decided at Commonwealth Stadium, the home of the Kaisers. The two lame players came through a pre-game fitness test and continued in their starting roles.

The game again started well for Kentucky - racing out to a 2-0 lead thanks to another Ruiz penalty and a goal by Brazillian Kai. A couple of knocks, forced some substitutions, but with 70 minutesd gone the game, and thus the tie, looked safe. Safe to say that the enevitable comeback would hit with full force. The game was square at 2-2 within 7 minutes with some good counter attacking play.

Still, the Kaiser's continued to dominate all over the field. A total of 3 goals were ruled out for offside, and Clark must have been beginning to get the jitters after Agouda almost stole the vistory in the 88th minute. In injury time Kentucky looked like it wasn't going to be their day after they missed two successive open goals after great work by Mapp and Leozinho respectively.

So, the game went to OT, thanks to the absence of away goals in MLS. The stalemate continued, although Kentucky had another goal disallowed for offisde - taking the total to three (all by Kai) in the game. On another day he would have had a hattrick, but the Asst Referee must have been paid off by a rich Nerdington fan.

So, to penalties. The soccer equivalent of russian roulette. The crap shoot began with Carlos Ruiz, who had clearly been in fine spot kick form of late. 1-0 KY.

Nerdington equalized before Kai put them up again 2-1. Again the tie was equalled. 3-2 thanks to Gomez. A MISS! 4-2 thanks to Mulrooney. And when Bobby Convey stepped up, he knew nothing less than a goal would see the Express instantly out. MISS. Kentucky ran out 4-2 winners, after making surprisingly hard work of the Express - a team they had finished more than 20 points ahead of in the regualr season.

"I would have taken more pride in the result if Jos3 C had been here himself. The assman just isn't on his level."

So, Kentucky would meet the winner of bitter Rival Marquette and newly appointed Texas Manager Ryan Thimpson II, after his predecessor had been ruthlessly ousted prior to the playoffs.

As it turned out RT II's AssMan, guided them through depriving Clark with an opprtunity to exact revenge on Marquette for last season's ousting in the 1st Round. "I would have liked the opportunity to lock horns with the AssMan, but it seems Ryan II will be back in time for the Conference Final".

[perpetua]

[perpetua]

For full stats see the latest edition of MLS Gazette.

MLS Gazette - Tables, Rosters and Stats

[perpetua]

No Suprises as Vancouver Progress to the Conference Finals

Facing the Toronto squad which was depleted in net due to injuries, Vancouver calmly disposed of the Syclones 9-3 on aggregate. The matches were actually much closer than the scoreline but Toronto paid heavily for carrying only two keepers all season long and had to resort to playing a local highschool standout in net.

It all started well for Toronto actually as they jumped to a 2-0 lead early in the first tie. But Vancouver soon took control and the scoreline was quickly overturned. In the end Vancouver practically their progress into the next round with a 5-3 win in Toronto.

The second leg witnessed more shaky goalkeeping as experienced Vancouver strikers made few mistakes to win 4-0.

Vancouver are all set to face Rochester the team who dropped them out of the playoffs last season. Rochester were 2nd in the conference this season and have always givne trouble to the Lions. "Sand and EJ are good players but we don't plan to change our playingstyle drastically for them" said Roger Saint-Vil. With Alpay out injured, Vancouver will bring in Danny Califf to partner Clarance Goodson in defense while the rest of the Vancouver squad are expected to be fully fit against Rochester. Jorge Daniel Achucarro is especially on fire and should be a factor up front for Vancouver as super sub Felix Alexander Borja is once again expected to start the game on the sidelines.

[Ricky Lung]

COACH LUNG AND THE SYCLONES SURELY HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW

Coach Lung sure has improved his managing skills a lot, I think his peers will at least agree to a certain extend if not totally agree. By leading Pizzighettone to a promotion; and winning the NA Cup and making a playoff appearance in his second season with the Syclones; surely it is a much better accomplishment compare to the old days with the Metros. The most important thing is that they have shown they have the potential to be a good team, they have the personnel to become a major force in the league, instead of hanging tight and just hope to steal a point or two every time they step on the field.

With the season on the line, the Syclones showed they have determination to win, and they can play with composure. Trailing the Arctic Wolves by 5 points with only 2 games to play in the regular season, it was hard to believe they can come back and grab the last spot in the east/north, the only good news was that they still had a game left with the Wolves. The Syclones dominated the Wolves in their encounter, Guevara and Occean got on the scoresheet, and the Syclones ran out with a deserved 2-0 win.

With the win, they were holding the tiebreaker advantage over the Wolves. With one game remaining, the Syclones need the Slingers to hold out a draw against the Wolves. The Syclones hosted the Express in their last match of the season. The Syclones ran out of regular keepers after the game with the Wolves, rookie Provan went down and will be out at least a couple of months. After some serious consideration, Lung decided to stay with the “grey†goalies instead of getting an emergency keeper from another team. Black was given the nod to start the last game. Despite being the better side during the first half against the Express, they found themselves trailing a goal with just seconds away from the first half whistle. This was surely a dagger on them when they were trying so hard to win a game, and had to score at least a pair with only 45 minutes to play. Lung told the team during the break that they can still win it. The players responded during the second half, they started out strong but still cannot find the equalizer after 15 minutes. Lung then pulled out his favourite formation, he will tell you that it is a 3-5-2, but others will say it is more like a 3-2-5. He had great success with this formation during the regular season. After the switch, Jazic scored his first goal of the season and tied the game up. The Syclones had many chances after that, but just cannot put the ball in the net. They were deep in the injury time, down to their last possession with a throw in deep in their own area. The Syclones executed the possession perfectly, and Thiago scored in front of the goal, everyone on the bench jumped up. It was then all depend on the score at Nashville. The Slingers did hold out a draw after the final whistle, and the Syclones were in the playoff. It will be one of the best last match day comeback that you can get.

The Toronto Syclones played the Vancouver Lions in the first round. It surely looked like they had a chance after half an hour of play at Air Canada Centre. The Syclones were up 2-0 with a Guevara’s penalty and a 35-yard strike by Donovan, but the playoff pressure was just too much for the “grey†guy, especially against coach Saint-Vil. The Lions scored 4 times in 15 minutes, it was 4-2 at the break. The Syclones even the possession during the second half, but they lost 5-3 in the first leg. The Lions pounded in 4 more in the second leg, and they won 9-3 on aggregate.

“…I have a lot of respect on coach Saint-Vil, but I think we showed that we can play with the big boy, we definitely had a chance if we had a healthy keeper behind the net, or at least not a scoreline as ugly as this. I don’t think coach Saint-Vil can deny that either. It was our mistake to carry only two keepers after we cut both regular squad goalies in order to make room for Rimando. Overall, it was a great series, and I am looking forward to play Roger and his Lions again next season….â€

“…I think we are still underachieving. In terms of the plan for next season, we still need to work on our defense, I think I will switch my focus to more athletic defenders than technical ones. Pope, Robinson, and McKenna all are good defenders, but they seem to get beaten too easily with our style of play. Also, the young guys showed down the stretch that they have the ability to hold down a regular spot. We have to improve our road performance, it is definitely unacceptable with only 2 wins and 2 draws in 16 road games. There will be a lot of changes during the offseason, at least for backup players, I think we are not going to keep the high priced backups next season, we are leaning towards keeping Donovan and his max contract. Lucky the max cap for a player is $280,000, or else I think I have to surround Donovan with all rookies if we want to keep him…â€

“…the starters will probably be the same next season, they have been together for a couple of years now, and they have good chemistry. Just like last offseason, I doubt we will make any big moves…â€

[Al Clark]

"Profoundly Disappointed"

...those were the words from a dejected Kaiser's Head Coach. "Texas hadn't beaten us in 7 straight games. I had every reason to believe that we would have been challenging for MLS Cup Final against Vancouver."

Clark can't be accused of complacency, he took all the appropriate measures to ensure victory, but perhaps the omens were there when Carlos Ruiz, the teams leading scorer, was knocked out of the starting line up with a severly bruised toe. The shock injury happened when his french maid/concubine dropped a heavy steam iron on his toe during some kinky shennanigans after the 1st Round win against Nerdington. "Carlos was way out of line". Sitting at 64% fitness, it was simply not an option to start him. With Knox Cameron just returning from an injury himself, the Kaiser's looked a little lightweight upfront.

And so it proved. Despite some good creativity in midfield, the striekrs failed to hit the mark and a nice counter attack by Texas - and hitman Bruno - ended the Kaiser's Cup dreams prematurely.

"I can't help but think this was going to be our year. Sure, Vancouver proved to be formidable, but we did win against them last season and it would have been a hulluva game. I think the fans would have liked to see the two top teams from the regular season do battle. I guess that's the issue with the playoff format."

So it was a 1-2 for the Vancouver Lions as they locked up both the Supporter's Shield and MLS Cup. Texas scored a spot to defend their CONCACAF Champions Cup as a consequence, and Kentucky went home empty handed, with nothing to show for their solid season.

"Close, but no banana."

With the offseason upon him, Clark took a good look at his squad and surmised that a couple of tweaks would be necessary.

With this in mind he set up a trademark blockbuster with conference rival Marquette. Both teams had needs, both teams had issues and both managers walked away happy with the deal.

KK Inbound:

DeMarkus Beasley AM RL

Jon Busch GK

2nd Round Superdraft Pick (MARQ)

MARQ Inbound:

Joe Cannon GK

Chris Greer SC

Mike Dombrowski ML

3rd Round Superdraft Pick (KK)

DMB, a national team superstar, was unhappy at Marquette and had been looking to move. His contract is a lofty $800k a year, but the Kaiser's are in an excellent position with over $20m in the bank. The original 1st rounder will perhaps oust Justin Mapp from the team, or maybe Christian Gomez, should a need for a SI spot become a priority. Despite some solid scoring from the AMR position, Gomez was inconsistent all season and Clark would consider offers for the league vet. His contract (a manageable $60k) makes him a solid trade asset.

Jon Busch's addition, a GK capped by the USA, is to take over back up duties from Cannon who was anxious to find more regular starting work. "Big Joe is an excellent keeper, but Kev Hartman has done enough over the last two years to earn the starting role again in 2007. I wish Joe well - except when he plays us! Busch is a solid keeper, in the Top 10 American goalies in MLS. The competition should be good. He's also relatively affordable at $80k a year.

Clark's goalscoring issues weren't helped by the loss of the promising Chris Greer. The 18 year old clearly has a massive future. But this wasn't Clark's #1 issue in the short time since the season ended. Carlos Ruiz, upset by the lack of continental competition for 2007 after the early exit, stated his desire to leave and rebuffed several attempts by Clark to lock him up to an improved long term deal. "We offered him the max we could - $300k a year, a 50% pay rise, with a good sign on bonus and $1k a goal. Carlos wasn't interested."

Ruiz's stubborness backed Clark into a corner. "I wasn't interested in trading him to a rival MLS club who could use him to hurt me, so I had no choice but to sell him to a foreign club. Hanover made the player the best offer and he will move in January to Germany for $7m. Transfer money was the last thing we needed - we already had $15m in the bank for new players - but Ruiz's morale was very poor and with his contract out in a year, now was the time to move him. "

So, instead of looking for a third striekr to really push competition, Clark now had to find a #1 marksman for the team. "Having scouted Brazil for the last two years and having had some great success with the addition of Gabrinho, we have come to terms with a great looking young striker called Samuel. The fee? Could be as high as $6m depending on future performance. We have approached several top strikers in the Brazillian leagues, unfortunately, not qualifying for the CONCACAF Cup hurt our chances to add a couple of really excellent talents. Should they still be in Brazil next year, and if we can challenge again in 2007, I will try and pick up at least one of them to bolster the squad."

So, DMB on board and Samuel replacing Ruiz, it looks like the Kaiser's are showing a net gain in the 2007 preseason thus far. "Biglia will be in town soon, it seems like a lifetime since we agreed the deal with his Argentine club. He's going to have to really fight for a starting berth, with Reyna - the club captain - the current occupant of the holding role. Ricardo Clark is also in the fray. We certainly have strength throughout the team.

Clark was pressed as to what he might look for in the upcoming draft.

"We picked a DL in RD1 last year, and we're still a bit thin there. We also have a young goalie that is yet to convince us that he has a future here at COmmonwealth Stadium. I will be looking for an AM R, D LR and a striker, but chances are we will take the best available player. That goes for any free agents too. Our starting XI will again be very stable in 2007 with likely only DMB and Samuel moving in. The other 8 will return as we look to take another step."

Clark also confirmed the release of former USMNT vet Richard Mulrooney. "We tried to trade him after he made it known that warming the bench wasn't working for him. Despite obvious talent, he went untended and ended up signing with the Vancouver Whitecaps. A shame, because he's certainly better than that. His $170k contract - and his refusal to renegotiate it to something more appropriate for his status on the squad - forced his release. I guess he'll be back in MLS soon enough. He could help several teams in this league and being cut will likely have brought him back down to earth with a bump. I expect him to be very affordable at some point in the near future."

Kentucky Chairman Tubby Smith, who left the UK Wildcats to try something new, said that the baord were delighted with Clark, "He's proven that he can build a very strong squad, has finished top of his conference both the last 2 years, and some shrew transfer dealings has made this a very rich club. However, we were disappointed that we didn't make MLS Cup Final last year, and although we advanced further than 2005, anything less than a Final appearance (or the NA Cup) will be considered a failure. We've put our money where our mouth is, now it's time for Coach Clark to deliver."

Wowsers! Could Clark be the next high profile managerial casualty in MLS. 2006 showed no respect for reputation as both the manager of the MLS Cup Winner (Russ) and CONCACAF Cup Winner (Ryan) were axed. "The stakes are high in MLS" said Tubby, "but even I think the axing of Thompson was harsh. His silverware and the qualification for the World Club Championships is a credit to the whole of North America. Never before has an American side represented the continent. He did enough work on the squad to see that texas made two consecutive MLS Cup Finals. Coach Clark could do worse than emulate that success."

[Al Clark]

[Al Clark]

Iron Rangers end a season a possibly end a Era

The Marquette Iron Rangers sputtered when it came plaoff time losing the advantage of 2-1 in overtime to Texas. After a game which saw it end 2-1 at the end of extra time it was 3-3 then in the extra frame, Texas scored. One of the key losses though out the game was young MLS goal leader Emad Moteb who was injured toward the beginning of the game. It was disappointing I think when Emad went out we lost a bit of our will to play in the end I think that is what killed us. Emad has became a big part of the team. It did not help that 3rd in the team in goal scoring was already out.

The restructuring of the team

It has became apparent at the superior dome that major changes are about to happen to the team. As manager E.T. Acknowledge that this was the last time they could afford a run with the current team they have. One player that is being shopped around is United States striker Conor Casey. Casey who has been put on the back burner because of the recent rise of Conor Casey. The other one is DaMarcus Beasley who wants to go, The former #1 draft pick DaMarcus Beasley, he has became unhappy. Really I want to ship him some where else and let him be some one else’s problem. Another one that might go is Edgar Davids but I am unwilling to get rid of him unless the price is good. The other rumors might have to go is Ramiero Corrales. E.T. is unhappy with the performance of the players.

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