Relegation Fighters MLS : Super Sized Soccer

[Al Clark]

Texas Longhorns in US Open Cup 2006

Texas continued a fine vein of form by adding the Dewar Trophy to their cabinet. Playing against an upstart New Liskeard North side, it took a couple of the key Texas players to win the tie.

Goals from JP Garcia and Brzillian Legend and former FIFA World Player of the Year, Rivaldo to put the tie away. Rivaldo's 90th minute strike sealed the deal after a tense finish.

So the first domestic trophy of the year headed down to Texas.

Well done Ryan!

Official Result:

Texas Longhorns 2 : New Liskeard North 0

HT: 1:0

J.P Garcia, 12

Rivaldo, 90+

2006 US Open Cup Champions : Texas Longhorns [Ryan]

[Al Clark]

Texas Longhorns Win CONCACAF Champion's Cup!

Ryan Thompson won two trophies this year, along with the a second consecutive MLS Cup Final appearance.

Last year's MLS Cup runners up, went one (or perhpas two better) than winner's Alaska by continuing all the way through to the regions' premier continental competition - the CONCACAF Champion's Cup.

The competition, a minnow compared to the more illustrious Copa Liberatodores and UEFA Champion's League, still represents the best this region has to offer and included several tough teams, none more so than losing finalists Pumas. The Mexican powerhouse failed to overturn a 2-0 road loss in the first leg and the mighty Longhorns ran out Champs.

Best of all, the victory seals a place at FIFA's World Club Championships. Ryan Thompson must be the most indispensible manager in all of MLS ( to Texas Board).

Congratulations Ryan and good luck in the WCC's !

Official Result:

Texas Longhorns (USA) 2 : Pumas (MEX) 1 on Aggregate.

2006 CONCACAF Champion's Cup Winners : Texas Longhorns [Ryan]

[Al Clark]

Vancouver Lions : Supporter's Shield Winners 2006

Vancouver was the best team in the regular season for the second straight year. The finished a full 10 points ahead of Kentucky in 2nd place.

With an Allstar team now assembled in the PNW, some wonder if the Lion's strangehold will ever be broken?!

Could manager Roger Saint-Vil [Omer] turn regular season dominance into an MLS Cup victory? He certainly deserves it!

Well done Omer!

[

2006 Supporter's Shield Winners: Vancouver Lions [Omer]

[Al Clark]

[Al Clark]

MLS CUP 2006 CHAMPIONS : VANCOUVER LIONS [OMER]

So, form for once won the day. The Regular Season Champions, Vancouver, continued their total dominance of the 2006 league season all the way through the playoffs and underlined it with an emphatic 3-0 victory against Texas - despite playing most of the 2nd half with only 10.

"Ten Men didn't even stop them" cried one fan, "North Is Best" chanted another.

The euphoric Canucks cheered their team all the way to victory, but the score was very misleading. Texas, fresh from a brace of trophies in 2006, were invigorated by the new manager and his assman. The Longhorns bossed much of the play, but simply could not break down a stubborn Lion's rearguard. Kentucky Kaiser's coach, Al Clark, who was at the game said "what goes around comes around. Texas were lucky to be there, but their luck clearly ran out. No one can begrudge Roger and his boys the spoils after their season."

The sentiment seemed widely to be a consensus.

Clark had earlier blasted that the fans wanted to see Kentucky in the final but he conceded, "These were the two best teams of 2006. It was fitting they lined up in the final. Texas may have been 2nd best in the confernece through the season, but I can see that was because they were concentrating on the other tournaments. 2 Trophies, a final appearance and a trip booked to the World Club Championships says their gaffer played it just right."

So, with the second season of the new MLS now in the books, the players have gone on holiday, the managers have gone to their desks and the fans await - anxiously - the next installment in the new year.

Official Result:

Vancouver Lions 3 :

Texas Longhorns 0

HT 0:0

Scoring Summary:

1:0 Van : Kalle Ljungberg (48)

2:0 Van : Eddie Gaven (54)

3:0 Van : Felix Alexander Borja (77)

Red Card:

Van : Alpay Ozalan (57)

MVP:

Julian De Guzman (VAN)

[perpetua]

Our expert analysts have worked around the clock to sort all the available players and provide for us a mock draft for the 2007 MLS Superdraft complete with the profiles of the players expected to be picked in the first round.

1st pick - Boston- Adam Sims

2nd pick - Muskegon - Scott Powers

3rd pick - Nashville - Aaron Medina

4th pick - Alaska - Greg Kennedy

5th pick - Toronto - Rafael Machado

6th pick - Nerdington - Michael Roberts

7th pick - Marquette - Chris Dusosky

8th pick - New Liskeard - Mark Gomez

9th pick - Rochester - Angel Carreno :blink:

10th pick - Kentukcy - Dan Williams

11th pick - Texas - Matt Kennedy

12th pick - Vancouver - Emanuel

[perpetua]

Vancouver Fans Jubilant As Vancouver Lift the MLS Cup

Managing to keep healthy towards the end of the season gave Vancouver the ability to field a full team after last year's dissapointing first round loss at the hands of Rochester Kings in the Conference Semi Finals. This time things were different as the Vancouver frontline did not have to depend on 3rd and 4th choice strikers to carry them through the playoffs. It was the likes of Jorge Daniel Achucarro, the league MVP and Vancouver Lions top scorer this year and last year's MVP and top scorer Taylor Twellman did the trick to put Rochester out at the Conference finals. It was the second year in a row that the Kings lost the Conference finals and their coach Tristan Oberle is surely disappointed to come so close and not reach the final. They do however have a good group of professionals returning next year and few would be suprised to see them back in the MLS Cup hunt next season.

In the final, Vancouver met perhaps the most successful club in the new MLS history, Texas Longhorns who have a stronghold in the Western conference. Despite finishing the group stages in second place, they managed to masterfully get past Kentucky Kaisers to earn a second trip to the MLS Cup for the second time in as many years. Missing their talented manager Ryan Thompson II, Texas started the match strongly and looked to get an early goal. Vancouver was having to sustain much pressure from the new MLS superstar youngster Danny Powers and prolific striker Bruno. Vancouver were lucky to go into the break scoreless.

With Texas continuing to pile on the pressure in the second half and Vancouver strikers not on their day, striker-cum-midfielder Kalle Ljungberg opened the scoring early in the second half. Another midfielder Eddie Gaven scored another to put Vancouver up by two and looked to end the hopes of the Longhorns who had trouble getting clear chances but sustained pressure up front.

While the Vancouver defense looked comfortable, the moment that every single Vancouver fan as well as players and staff had feared for the last two seasons finally arrived on the 57th minute. Alpay was sent off with a direct red card for kicking out at an opponent following an on pitch argument and Vancouver were down to 10 men. Only the second red card in Vancouver Lions history and it came at the worst possible time.

Following the dismissal Vancouver boss decided to shore up the midfield by replacing team captain Jay Jay Okocha with Felix Alexander Borja and moved Emanuel Sarki in defense to replace Alpay. But with only 10 men, Texas started to get some clear chances but were not able to hit the back of the net with Julian de Guzman showing good composure in defense and starting many of Vancouver's counter attacks.

Substitute Felix Alexander Borja finally put the nail in the coffin, scoring the third Vancovuer goal of the evening and virtually ending any chance of a Texas comeback and Vancouver fans went wild coast to coast to celebrate the MLS Cup win.

It was back to business after the cup win for Vancouver as Vancouver was quick to target a player they had been looking to add to their squad for a while. Strong striker Conor Casey joins from Marquete for the next season as young striker Chad Barrett and defensive midfielder Marcel De Jong went the other way. "We got a good striker to help us in the continental competitions next year but had to give up a couple of players who will be quality starters in this league in the coming years. I hope it will be a good trade for both teams" Said Roger Saint-Vil.

Alpay was also given his marching orders as his behaviour and red card in the MLS cup final did not sit well with the Vancouver management. He joins Muskegon Mismatch for a low supplamental draft pick as Vancouver were eager to open his foreigner slot to bring in a replacement. The replacement has already been announced as Brazilian starley Vagner Leonardelli is set to join Vancouver at the start of the transfer period. He brings playmaking ability and youth to the Vancouver backline who looked to make many passing errors with the Goodson-Alpay pairing.

The future of Jay Jay Okocha is also undecided as the Nigerian playmaker had previously expressed his desire to move back to Europe and it is rumoured that he and Saint-Vil have an agreement to allow his transfer in January. Vancouver fans and Roger Saint-Vil certainly want team captain Okocha back for the next season but keeping him may not be an option if an offer for Okocha is made.

[Al Clark]

The Offseason Continues

Coach Clark does not move in mysterious ways. He's not cryptic, he's not cloak and dagger. His man-management 'style' is well know and he's apologizing to no one.

As the offseason continues into the new year and the annual SuperDraft, Clark had made mention of his desire to fatten the squad up. As usual, he;s drafted in a variety of trialists, youngsters from the reserve team, signed all his draft picks and acquired a couple of free agents. His squad is sitting at the maximum offseason limit of 35 players.

"Obviously there's going to be at least 7 guys who aren't going to be here next year. But no one is complaing here. All are grateful for a chance to impress. Think about - you're a young player trying to get on a team. We're a top team in this league and people are lining up for a chance to play here. Competition for places is great."

So, the revolving door continues to spin in the bluegrass. The arrivals of stature are Greg Vanney, Clint Mathis and Jovan Kirovski. The USMNT trifecta all wanted Kentucky so badly they signed near minimum wage deals ($48k each). All know their place - they're here for a place on the squad, a chance to fill in when there's an injury and reestablish themselves in the league. "If they pan out, great, if not, then well as free agent acquisitions we've not lost anything. I expect we'll see two of the three here come the opening day. Greg Vanney actually has a solid chance of making the DL berth his own. Jimmy Conrad is an excellent player, but he's been out of position there and his performances have been a little indifferent. 'JC', as we call him, is a superb defender and he'll fit a place on the team." Early signs are that the three are responding well in training and are clearly raising their game to get a place on the squad. "At those wages we'd be lucky to get a rookie. At over $100k like they were on I wouldn't have touched them."

Clark also rewarded Rookie of the Year, Brazillian live wire Leozinho with a huge payrise. "He had time left on his deal, but frankly he earned it. " He's reported to have increase his wages 6x up to $200k a year. " The increase in the cap helped us there."

Clark did not draft well. He tried to obtain a high pick to select a very promising young GK but there was nothing doing. 1st Rounder Dan Williams was the very player the pundits predicted Clark would select. The AM RC fits one of the needs on the team and he'll be given time to grow. All his picks were signed, but the Finnish winger has already been cut "Greg Andruilis picked him when I wasn't looking. Classic brain fart, and the final straw. I fired him on the spot. I should have done it a long time ago."

Clark added a Brazillian as the new AssMan, fitting given the legion of his countrymen now calling Kentucky home.

Clark has arranged a number of friendlies for both his first team and is even sending his reserves on a tour north of the border to help give the large squad plenty of playing time ahead of the roster confirmation day.

"I don't expect too much movement over last year's starting XI. As I've said before, Samuel will replace Ruiz up front. DMB will take a starting role on one of the wings and new DMC Biglia will push Reyna extremly hard for the starting berth in the middle alongside Leozinho. Claudio is the club Captain and has been since day 1 of this franchise. He's currently retraining to a DC, a smart move that will extend his career and enhance his value to this side. The more versatile you are the better in the MLS. Biglia is definitely Reyna's long term replacement, but just when he takes over the starting role will depend on the performance of othe Cap'n, it's his role to lose."

[ryanmt]

Interview with Ryan Thompson II

The Daily Texan recently sat down with the manager of the Texas Longhorns, Ryan Thompson II:

First off, we need to get something over with. There is a lot of talk that, along with a similar name, you look and sound a lot like Ryan Thompson I. Actually, there are some that say you are the same person... (*grins*) I have no comment on any of that, other than I think Thompson I is a great guy.

Texas lost in the MLS Final for the second straight year... You always want to win, but its so difficult just to reach the final. Vancouver had enjoyed a great season, and perhaps it was fitting that they finished with that victory. If we manage to get there again next season, we'll of course want to do better. We don't want to be the Buffalo Bills of MLS. Still, as I said, just getting there is an accomplishment and takes a lot of luck and hard work.

What sort of changes will the team see in the offseason? The core of this squad is very solid and does not require many changes. Continuity is important, even if its not as exciting for the media and fans. And for the most part, its still a young group of guys. People might forget that sometimes. Texas has also always been amongst the teams furthest under the salary cap, though maybe that will change this year.

Though Texas did just sign a new Swedish striker in Dahlberg, and by our math this puts you above your foreign limit, leading to a lot of speculation over Shovkovskyi and Rivaldo... This is true. We're excited to have added Dahlberg; we think with him and the development of some of our young forwards, like Bruno and Will John for example, we'll be dangerous in attack. As for the foreigner limit, something will be figured out. I don't want to say too much on that just yet.

And your tactical module? Thompson I built the team in a certain way and with certain characteristics, so I'd say there's a good chance I'll continue down that path with something similar.

You do realize that will just convince more people think you're really the same guy as Thompson I... Heh, no comment....

Last question. There are rumours that Toronto boss Ricky Lung thinks Europe is a country rather than a continent. Your thoughts? (*laughs*) Again, no comment...

[stuhopkins2003]

Atiba Hutchinson....discarded like so much garbage...

Atiba Hutchinson was dealt away from the New Liskeard North on the eve of the MLS Superdraft. He joins the sadsack Muskegon Mismatch for the new season.

The star midfielder had just recently voiced his dismay with the current setup at the Widowmaker, and may well have been surprised at the rapidnes of his departure.

"Primadonna,"sneered gaffer Stu Hopkins,"Anyone that doesn't want to be here...I don't want 'em here. It's a privelege to wear the Northmen shirt. Atiba will realise that when he's watching the playoffs at home, instead of participating in them with us."

New Liskeard fetched a pretty package for the disgruntled midfielder, including Muskegon's first two picks in the next year's draft, as well as ancient keeper Kasey Keller and young starlet Kenny Cooper.

In other news, the decisive manager released Clint Mathis and Greg Vanney from their contracts. Both players had been upset over lack of first team opportunities.

"Ungrateful so-and so's,"declared Stu,"They can go play in the wilds of Australia for all I care...if they can find anyone desperate enough to take 'em."

Eddie Robinson escapes Toronto...joins perennial powerhouse

New Liskeard gaffer Stu Hopkins was pleased to announce the capture of star defender Eddie Robinson from basement dwellers Toronto.

"Eddie rocks."said Hopkins.

Toronto will be sure to rue the day they let Robinson go as cheap as they did. A second rounder was all that was required to allow Eddie Robinson to take a big step up in the MLS world.

"I'm joining a team with direction."sad Eddie happily,"I'm so glad to get out of that rudderless ship in T.O."

[perpetua]

Interview with MLS Cup Winning Coach Roger Saint-Vil

Your team has been consistently winning games for the last two seasons. What do you attribute this success to?

First and foremost, I believe we were able to pick up players who suited our desired playing style. Intelligent Keepers, Strong centre backs, pacy full backs, midfielders who can open up the play and strikers who work hard and get goals. We may have made a few mistakes here and there in the draft but so did every other team. I happen to think we made a few less errors than the average and this allowed us to build on the core the last two seasons. Keeping players together for an extended time is always going to help the play on the pitch and we intend to continue doing so.

There are rumours that there are some players who are unhappy with their playing time. Do you intend to play them more?

Like who?

Danny Califf for one has publicly come out askinf for more playing time.

The way I see it is that for the last 2 seasons we carried three centre backs who could play at all times and some younger players. Danny played as many games as Alpay or Clarance so I really can't believe that Danny wanting to leave is anything more than fabrication by the media.

What about Okocha? He has handed in a transfer request.

Jay Jay is an influential player on the Vancouver squad and he is the type of guy you can build a team around. We hoped to do that at the inauguration draft and I think we did a pretty good job of it. If he still wants to return to Europe despite seeing the fans chant his name all last season, it's his decision not mine. He is always welcome on this team as an on and off the pitch inspiration to the younger players.

What about Jorge Daniel Achucarro? He won the MVP this year and scored many crucial goals.

He has suprised me quite a bit actually. At the start of the season, we had planned for a 3 man attack force with Kalle and Jorge on the sides of a lone striker Taylor Twellman. This is how we played most of our pre-season matches. But things just didn't click. We ended up being outmanned in the midfield and decided to move Kalle to midfield and I think he worked out great. I had intended to rotate Jorge with the other strikers who can play off Taylor but injuries and Jorge getting in a groove changed our plans. We started to let Jorge do his thing a little more rather than restricting him to rigidity of our tactic. He did well.

About your tactics. I bet most managers on here would love to get their hands on them.

I will be happy to have a conversation with anyone who is interested. I am in this for the love of the game and I always think back at matches and try to figure out what I did wrong. Even when we win. But football is not a complicated game. It requires the ability to anticipate what the other manager is likely to do before the match and paying attention during the match. If you do that, you just have to make sure that what you ask your team to do is coherent and they will do well.

What do you expect from your team for next season?

I hope we can go as far as we can in the continental competitions without any accidents. MLS will of course have to be a priority so that we don't blow up like Alaska did last season. I would have expeted them to make some moves to get some squad depth last year but I think their manager was high on the MLS cup glory and didn't get back to work until the mosses started to pile. We need to keep our players on their toes and bring in some fresh faces to ensure that we have players who are hungry for success.

And finally, There are rumours that Toronto boss Ricky Lung thinks Europe is a country rather than a continent. Your thoughts?

I'd rather not make a comment. This is between him and the his geography teacher..

[Ricky Lung]

THE 2007 CALENDAR IS AROUND THE CORNER

As we getting closer to the new calendar year and the Superdraft, the Toronto Syclones are exploring different options to improve their team for 2007. When the other teams keep bringing in players from foreign countries, the Syclones are sitting still, they have only acquired local players, since the start of the franchise, their biggest signing was a 80k cash for Nick Rimando.

During this current offseason, first of all, two players will not return as their contract coming to an end. Kerry Zavagnin and Javon Kirovski both are not interested in signing a new deal with the Syclones. With several key players, including Donovan and Guevara, questioning the progression of the team and demand a transfer, coach Lung has to find a way to convince them. Also, with the contract of Landon starting to count towards the cap next season, and all the rumours surrounding him, the team elects to keep him. Deportivo had offered an instalment worth of 8.25M US, and renegotiated a one time 8M payment, only backed down at the last second by the Syclones. They are not willing to let him walk away just yet.

In order to become competitive, the Syclones certainly need to bring in a few guys abroad. Coach Lung already has a quality list of players that he gathered throughout these two years. And with a few of them available on bosman transfer, the Syclones can really get some help without spend any money. Even if they need to splash some cash, they are more than capable of doing it, with a 8M transfer budget this coming year, and a 5M revenue from TV right, the Syclones now have over 23M US in the bank. They definitely want to use some of the money to bring a couple of guys in to boast their power.

Looking at their roster, they really don’t have any particular holes that need to be filled. They have quality starters, as well as some prospects and depth at each spot. The kids from last year’s draft have some serious potential. Perhaps the most problematic spot is the goalie, critics are heavy on Rimando, everyone is questioning his consistency. Reports said that coach Lung has spotted a prospect, who is currently under contract with a big Europe club, and is also available on bosman. Should Lung stick with Rimando or go with the young Italian?

On the other side of the field, with the lost of Kirovski, the Syclones need a striker to play behind Occean, Youngster Kelly, who scored 10 goals in the reserve division last season will be in the mix during the upcoming season, but he is not ready for a major backup role just yet.

[Ricky Lung]

SYCLONES NEWS

Right before the Superdraft, the Toronto Syclones traded away central back Eddie Robinson for only a second round draft choice. Some may question this decision.

Coach Lung responds to Hopkins’ comment, “I think he is trying to pick a fight here. I let Eddie goes doesn’t mean I don’t want him, I know what he can bring to the table, I know what his value is. I let him go as cheap as it appeared just because he doesn’t fit my system, and his team does not have anything that fit my team. His lucky from last two seasons is going to run out soon, with ancient Shearer’s ability dropping as fast as he can, his unbelievable consecutive playoff appearance will not happen again. I am sure the Arctic Wolves will bounce back after a disappointing season, and as we can see, the Northmen will be the odd one out.â€

Toronto draft choices

Despite anticipating a better draft class this year, it turns out that it is no better than a year before. The Syclones might as well think last year was even better. They drafted five players this year, but it is a long shot for them to make the final 28, it will need some serious camp performance to impress the coaching staff.

Transfer market

With 8 big US million transfer budget, the Syclones look to strengthen their team by bring in a couple of skilled players. They have added young Chilean starlet Leal on a loan contract, his contract is going to expire at the end of the calendar year, they planned to sign him on bosman later on, but now when the chance arise, they acquire his service and will have a good look on him during the season. The Syclones are hoping he will be the replacement of Guevara in a couple of year’s time.

Coach Lung also responds to the rumour saying that ‘Toronto boss Ricky Lung thinks Europe is a country rather than a continent.’, “I was laughing for almost a whole minute when I saw that on paper, did I really say that? You guys must have heard that wrong. I got A+ for Geography in high school.â€

[stuhopkins2003]

Starlet Sold!!

New Liskeard Northmen sold their prize right-back Michael Svec to the unhearalded Dinamo Moscow yesterday, for the paltry sum of $480,000.

The 19 year old defender had been an integeral part of the New Liskeard setup since his arrival in the original MLS expansion draft, two years ago at the age of 17. During his northern stay, he had impressed fan and foe alike with his soft touch and footballing acumen. "Svec is Genius' was a common banner seen displayed during his time at the Widowmaker.

How could the Stu Hopkins proclaimed, 'the quissential footballer of the past, present, and future', be allowed to leave so cheaply?

In a word? Betrayal.

The ungrateful Czech owed much of his success to his gaffer, New Liskeard boss Hopkins. While improving, he was still very much a work in progress. Great things were expected for his future, and as such he was given tremendous leeway in the present. For two years, he lived the high life as a regular for the high profile New Liskeard franchise. Then, with his contract coming up for renewal...he balked.

Svec said he wasn't interested in resigning with the club that had nurtured and groomed his talents...that had taken a shy 17 year old and made him a household name on the cusp of greatness...that had provided him a stage to perform despite his immaturities....that had created him!

Hopkins swallowed his anger and tried to swing the Czech's heart with a promise of a boatload of cash...to no avail. Svec could not be persuaded to resign.

The next day...Svec was gone.

Good riddance.

[stuhopkins2003]

New Liskeard Rocked by Boston in Opening Day Debacle

In what has become a season opener tradition, New Liskeard were trounced by their opponents. FC Boston put the boots to the Northmen in a display reminiscint of several recent lower level German laeague matches. With the ref firmly in their pocket, the homeside marched off 4-1 victors, exploiting the vast holes left by the remaining 8 New Liskeard players to finish the match.

The game started ominiously, with thunderclouds rumbling in the distance, threatening the very kickoff. It got worse from there.

Last season's lone Northmen all-star representative, DC Chad Marshall, went down with a broken arm, 13 minutes in. His replacement, the steady Pablo Mastreoni, lasted just twenty minutes before receiving his marching papers for a straight red. The dubious call gifted the Boston side a penalty, a goal, and the better part of sixty minutes against 10 men.

The ambitious New Liskeard manager refused to strike the flag, and continued on the offensive. Counterattacking FC Boston exploited the extra room left by the marauding Northmen wingbacks to strike for a second, and a 2 goal lead.

Shortly after the restart, New Liskeard lost their other starting DC, the newly acquired Eddie Robinson, on another 'penalty' and straight red. 3-0. The game 9 man New Liskeard side continued to press on the offensive, determined to shave the advantage.

Despite hemming in the FC Boston side, overcoming the overwhelming numerical disadvantage, it was Boston who took a fourth goal in yet another counterattack, off of yet another penalty kick...and straight red.

This time it was traitor Svec's replacement, some 27 year old south american whose name escapes me, that received his marching orders. Not the dreamt for debut.

In stoppage time, 8 man New Liskeard finally breached the DJ Contesses goal with a superb Ebbe Sand header that left the Boston keeper stranded.

Unfortunatley, time expired before New Liskeard could finish off their remarkable comeback. Fortunate indeed for the beleagured Boston side.

The ref could be very proud of his efforts, ensuring Boston the first three points of their MLS campaign.

[Al Clark]

Roundly Beaten in 2007 Season Opener

It wasn't a great start for Kentucky. 3-0, on the road to the Texas Longhorns.

"It would have been nice to avenge the playoff loss, but it wasn't our day. Texas has a pretty formidable side, and although the scoreline flattered them somewhat they look like they're going to be tough this season".

The bookies agreed. Texas were 2-1, Kentucky 20-1.

Ahead of the game, the roster deadline day presented no real surprises in the Bluegrass. Kirovski and Vanney won places on the squad and Mathis was sent packing. "He looks like a spent force. A shame, he was once a great player." Many of the youngsters remain, but Clark retained 9 of his 11 starters from 2006, so continuity should be a plus for the team this year.

So, "MLS First Kick" brought you an appetizing match up between the boys from Austin and the Kaisers. In reality, the game exploded for Texas with three goals in the first half. A missed pen before half time suggested it wasn't going to be the Kaiser's day. Despite some very strong play in the second half, Quentin Westberg's goal could not be breached. "Another Goalie MVP performance. Those get tired pretty quick."

Clark wasn't totally discouraged. The team is very balanced and so long as goals don't prove too hard to come by, the KK should be just fine. DMB patrolled the left wing on his debut and looked the part. Clark dropped Mapp to the bench, instead retaining Christian Gomez in the starting XI on the right. Those two will likely platoon on the right this season.

"A disappointing start - we're actually sitting bottom right now - but it's only been a game. If in a month we're still down there then I'll be both very surprised, and a little more worried."

[stuhopkins2003]

Your 2007 New Liskeard Northmen...

2007 has been designated as a term of rebuilding by the svengali of Canadian soccer, New Liskeard gaffer, Stu Hopkins. But such is the great man's prowess, noone would be surprised if New Liskeard found themselves in the playoffs yet again at the conclusion of the season. After all, Boston, Alaska, and Toronto still reside in the East, and there are fewer easy pickings than those three in the MLS world.

New Liskeard seems stuck between a team of young players still growing into themselves, and elder statesmen enjoying a final hurrah. A potent force for the future, but one whose future may still be a season or two away.

Several mainstays of the New Liskeard side were jettisoned in the offseason. Czech keeper Jaromir Blazek, sublime when healthy, was canned due to his inability to floss his teeth and simultaneously stay off of the injury reserve. Traitor Svec was sold for a can of beernuts. Unhappy Hutchinson gone too...by his choice. Vanney and Mathis released, before their cancer could rot the rest of the squad.

Keepers

Matt Pickins receives his final chance to seize control of his destiny. Long touted as the keeper of the future, he has done little but get himself injured the previous 2 campaigns.

Zach Wells remains in the mix, despite being perenially unhappy and (unrealistic), in his demands to be number one choice. He has proved capable in relief in the last two seasons, but far from earth shattering.

Kasey Keller joins the side from Muskegon. Hopefully the oldtimer will impart his wisdom from the bench...but more likely will be forced into service when Pickins gets hurt for the umpteenth time and Wells cries himself into the USL.

Central Defenders

Chad Marshall, has grown into the cornerstone that the team envisioned he would when he was drafted in the inaugural MLS expansion draft. All-star last season.

Geo Caicedo, is great too; and young.

Michael Parkhurst should step up this year into Marshall territory...makes a good right back too.

Eddie Robinson, stolen from Toronto. Provides a dependable elder statesman for the kids. And he won't complain when left to rot on the bench.

The Backs

Leroy Griffin anchors the left, he will hope to rebound from a subpar sophmore season.

That 27 year old S. American whose name I don't remember, his stats certainly appear to dwarf his predecessor's. Hopefully an upgrade.

Chris Williams...decent backup?

The Midfield Shield

Pablo Mastreoni, the gaffer keeps trying to replace him, but he keeps playing too well to be replaced. Also a very good DC replacement.

Danny O'Rourke, been crying for two years to get a chance. Here's his chance, arriving in his contract year. Excellent prospect...great things expected this year.

The Engine Room

Christian Pulhac has proved himself invaluable on the left flank the last two seasons.

Willian, the young Brazilian had a great rookie year, and should build on it this year.

Freddy Guarin, was hurt for prolonged periods last season, should benefit from extended minutes this campaign to place his stamp firmly on the team.

Danny Szetela, already a proven campaigner at twenty. Great in a holding role or on the right flank.

Freddy Adu, 17 and getting better everyday, this'll probably be his first year as a starter.

The Drawing Cards/Finishers

Ian Hume, tremendously exciting with the ball at his feet. Gets better every year.

Jamie Peters, a new Cdn recruit from the depths of the English leagues, (Ipswich), another ball wizard.

Jon De Guzman, ready to explode on the MLS. Merucial talent.

Alan Shearer, still a goal machine, but may have lost a step, and will find his minutes tempered by the arrival of...

Ebbe Sand, foolishly released by Rochester, should combine well with Shearer to enable them both to have enjoyable and productive swansongs this year...(before both joining the New Liskeard coaching staff at season's end.)

Tomasz Radzinski, injuries derailed his 2006 campaign after great start, expected to resume where he left off.

Jon Pittman, young US striker was liberated from Championship league football at Forest...still very much a project.

Kenny Cooper, new arrival from Muskegon, should do well with new surroundings.

There is a couple of prospects on the roster too. Last year's first pick, Middie Paul Williams who shows great skill in every area except decision making, (where he is worse than your average 3 year old), this will probably stop his ascension to New Liskeard. Gomez is a holding mid gleaned from this year's draft who has impressed with his determination.

[ryanmt]

Texas Cuts Ties with Rivaldo, Shovkovskyi

The Texas Longhorns released both Rivaldo and Olexandr Shovkovskyi from their respective contracts. Both veterans had occupied two of Texas' Senior International roster slots and their departures will give the team more flexibility for future moves.

Speaking about the transactions, Texas manager Ryan Thompson had this to say: "You never like to release players, especially two of this caliber. Everyone knows Rivaldo; he was a player of the highest quality in his prime. Unfortunately, he reached that certain age where you can't play at the level you were once capable. He may disagree with me, and I'd love to see him catch on elsewhere and do well for himself. He was essential for us in the first two years of our team's existence and helped our younger players. This move means more responsibility for our other midfielders like Juan Pablo Garcia, Thomas Prager, Danny Powers and others. I believe they'll be up to the task, but only they can prove this to be true. You all may also be aware that its because of this departure that we were able to sign Dahlberg.

"Shovkovskyi was always a true professional while he was here, but he took up one of our foreigner spots. I may not like it, but this is the system we have in place in this league and the rules by which we have to play. We have some younger keepers who I think can step in. As you all can guess by now, Quentin Westberg will be getting the first crack at being our top choice goalkeeper. He certainly has the natural talent; lets see if he can stay healthy and put it all together."

When asked if Texas had a player in mind to utitlize Shovkovksyi's vacated SI/YI spot, Thompson had no comment.

In other news, the Longhorns kicked off their new MLS season with a solid 3-0 home win over the Kentucky Kaisers. Though Texas took its foot off the pedal in the second half and perhaps should have been punished for it, the team will be encouraged by this start to the campaign. Speaking about the game, Thompson said, "the scoreline is a bit deceiving, though I'd say we were definitely the better side in the first half. But we could've easily given up three goals after the restart. Some of that is my fault, some of that is to the credit of Westberg. But its never a completely good thing when your keeper is the man of the match." Texas has also advanced to the semifinals in the North American Champions Cup.

[Ricky Lung]

SYCLONES OPENING DAY ROSTER

It is always tough to submit the final 28-men roster in MLS because of all the restrictions. The Toronto Syclones, heading into their third season, had cut a few prospects due to limitations. Being a franchise on Canadian soil, it is even tougher as the youth players who come out of the team’s academy are considered to be a youth international, and will count towards the seven foreigners rule. The Syclones had cut young versatile defender David Johnson, he is a very promising talent, who came out of the academy at the end of last season. They just cannot keep him because they have a load of young guns who are ready to play right now. They have also left out attacking midfield Thiago. Thiago has been with the team since the draft, but he was a disappointment, the Syclones expect much more than the number he had put up.

The Toronto Syclones went out and picked up two major pieces during the offseason. Francisco Leal, 19 years old Chilean, who had two caps with the national side already, will be the replacement of Guevara once he is done. Leal is an all around player, very similar to Guevara. He has all the tools already at his young age. He is also a very capable defender. Vitaliy Lysyts’kyi, an Ukraine defensive midfield, who is entering the prime of his career, will force Husain to play off the bench. Lysyts’kyi and Husain have the same style of play, Lysyts’kyi is a much better attacker. These two moves give the Syclones major upgrade at the middle and give them a better chance of challenging the Lions and the Kings for the north/east title.

Toronto Syclones Opening Day Roster

Goalkeeper

Nick Rimando – Giving the starting nod this year despite last year’s shaky performance.

Aaron Provan – Last year first round pick, will see action from time to time.

Defender

Nelson Akwari – Starting defender.

Adam Braz – The anchor of the defense.

Carlos Mendes – Very athletic defender, has lightning speed.

Ricardinho – Creative wing back.

Jack Jewsbury – Defensive minded wing back, lead the team in tackle last year.

Sergio Flores – Promoted from reserve, will be given some spot start throughout the year.

Ante Jazic – Backup wing back, will not see much action playing behind Ricardinho

Eddie Pope – Will not see much playing time, mainly to help out the youngster.

Kevin McKenna – Experienced defender, will play behind Braz.

Kevin Harmse – Young versatile defender, did not play much to show his stuff.

Midfielder

Vitaliy Lysyts’kyi – The heart and soul of the team, the link between the defender and attacker

Francisco Leal – Similar role compare to Lysyts’kyi, will play more up front.

Amado Guevara – Will share the time with Leal.

Ryan Jarvis – Attacking midfield partner of Donovan, wrap up with 10 assists last year, need to improve his decision making.

Landon Donovan – Creative player, can create individual chances or set his teamates up.

Claudio Husain – taken the starting job by Lysyts’kyi, will not see much action unless Lysyts’kyi goes down with injury.

Denys Dedechko – Talented attacking midfield, will come off the bench a lot like last couple of years.

Brian Bajek – a very capable defensive midfield, will play occasionally.

Striker

Brian Kelly – Young striker, given the backup duty after scoring 10 goals in reserve last year.

Oliver Occean – Starting striker, has been consistent last two years.

Recap of Season Opener

Toronto Syclones travelled to Alaska to face the Arctic Wolves for their season opener. The Wolves strike first shortly after the kickoff. Coach Lung let the team play through it, they found themselves leading 2-1 at the break with two quality possessions, Kelly and Donovan got on the scoresheet during the process.

The Syclones continued their pressure during the second half, Lysyts’kyi scored on his debut with a header from a freekick cross. Ricardinho added another one to make it 4-1. The game was pretty much over when the Wolves got a red trying to tackle from behind when Toronto was on a clear path. The Syclones won 4-2.

“…I am very pleased with the team display in the game. I hope they can do this in every game, we can be a major force if we can keep this up. Leal and Lysyts’kyi played well on their debut…â€

“…With the luck of the Northmen running out as former English star Alan Shearer getting closer to retirement, they put the killing shot on their team when they signed another ancient striker, Sand. With that, the Syclones are guarantee a playoff spot in October…â€

Up next is the Syclones' home opener against the defending champs Vancouver Lions.

[perpetua]

For full stats see the latest edition of MLS Gazette.

MLS Gazette - Tables, Rosters and Stats

[Al Clark]

Kaiser's Pick Up Form

[Taken from a recent Lexington Herald-Leader interview]

The Kentucky Kaisers, after just 7 games, find themselves happily atop of the East/South Conference. "This league is already wrapped up, the other teams might as well go home. .....you've not got the mic on yet have you?"

Indeed we did. But extravagant claims aside, it's been a very promising start to the third campaign for the Bluegrass Boys, and Clark is rightly proud of his team who picked themselves up after a bitterly disappointing opener against Texas to go 6 games unbeaten.

"It's clear that the South is the stronger conference. I'm not sure why, abd perhaps it's too early to say that, but early signs are that the South will be formidable this year. To think that Marquette are at the bottom is mind-blowing. This is clearly a division with strength throughout. There will be lots of 'upsets' this year as unfancied teams like Muskegon finally come good. We might be top now, but there's potential for us to finish bottom. It will likely be that close all year."

Early signs say Clark is correct. With Vancouver suffering a dose of the post Cup Hoodoo, just like Alaska before them, the North has been thrown wide open. "They wont be down there for long. I guarantee it."

"So far so good" said Clark, "We can't do any more than be top. We've just got to keep it going."

"I want to single out a couple of guys for praise, not something I do often; Kai has been outstanding this year and looks like he's ready to fill Carlos Ruiz's sizeable boots. His partnership with fellow Brazillian Soho has only started to blossom. Compatriot Leozinho has continued his MVP form and is clearly one of the top players in the league. Ricardo Clark has also been excellent this season playing in a few different positions. He's versatile and has chipped in 2 goals and 3 helpers."

Any news on the transfer front? It's seldom quite in Kentucky!

"Indeed, and it so happens we have sourced a new player. He's another Brazillian - given the success of the other four why not - called Francismar. He was the top rated player my scouts found over the last three years. We've chased him since then and to say his transfer has been signed off. He'll be here in August at the window. "

A foreigner? But you have no space?

"That's true. We will make room for him one way or another. I don't think you need a PhD in Soccer to know who the odd man out will be. We wouldn't have made this deal if Gomez had come out and showed us a 1st class player, but he's getting on a bit and has averaged below 7.00 since joining us. His 12 assists last term were excellent but he's drawn a blank in 5 starts this season and we see it as the beginning of the end for him. He's been a great player in MLS and the boy has said he'd like to hang around if he can get another gig. If not, he will likely head to his homeland to finish his career. I'm open to offers if someone else would like to pick him up. He's versatile (AM RLC), cheap ($60k a year) and not too old at 32. I'd take a late pick for him else they can put an offer in once he's been released."

Any other moves?

"Not that we're anticipating. Rumors Claudio Reyna's time is over are far from the truth. We're retraining him to play at DC and he's a great presence in the locker room as club Captain. His minutes will drop with Biglia stepping in, but his contibution transcends even the great work he does on the field. Everyone know's I'm a hockey man. Reyna is our Trevor Linden."

How are the youngsters and reserves shaping up?

"Juan Manuel Lucero [Luca] has been lighting itup in the reserve league with over 15 goals in a half dozen games - that's an average of almost a hattrick a game! Jacob Lensky has looked good, as has Tyrone Marshall. Knox Cameron continues to score and these four are really the first line of reserves for the squad. Others are doing okay, but the draft picks thus far haven't shown too much upside. We've still got 3 of them on the roster for now, this year's 1st Rounder, last years 1st Rounder and a GK who is the third string goalie. Luca has a goal for the senior side and he and Jovan Kirovski will have to fight it out for the starting role should either Kai or Soho get injured or suspended. The competition for places in our team continues to raise the bar."

[Al Clark]

SQUAD PROFILE:

GK:

Kentucky have always had a strong presence between the pipes since the new MLS kicked off. From Brad Freidel, Joe Cannon, Jon Busch and Kevin Hartman, all have represented the US national team. The current batch of Cannon, Busch and Martin is slightly weaker than previous campagins, but given Cannon helped lure DMB to town, no one in the Bluegrass is complaining!

#1 Kevin Hartman - it's been his job more or less since the first kick. After stepping in for an injured Friedel, the US's best ever keeper never got another sniff. He's seen of competition for the starting job from Big Joe Cannon and will likely do the same from ex-Crew player, Jon Busch.

#2 Jon Busch - a solid keeper, the KK have an abke back up. A starter for many teams in the league, he's player for the US and is still young enough to challenge Hartman.

#3 Mike Martin - picked up in the 2006 draft, he's developing, though most of the coaches agree that his prorgess has been inadequate. He's getting games for the reserves and is running out of time to convince Clark and the Kaiser's he has a future at this level. Unlikely to see MLS minutes in all but the most dire of circumstances.

DEFENCE:

With a masterclass of talent in the backline, Kentucky are truley spoiled for choice come match days. Once some cross-training is complete the depth will be mind blowing.

DR - Chris Albright. The USMNT regular is KY's #1 fullback. Attack minded, the converted striker is no slouch on 'D' either.

DL - Jimmy Conrad. Capable of playing literally any position in defence, JC has found himself platooning at DL. It only shows how good he is that he looks natural there. Full fitness will guarantee JC a starting spot somewhere in the rearguard.

DC - Oguchi Onyewu. The man-mountain. This hulking behemoth is a formidable presence at centre half and a match physically for any attacker. Seldom out of position, his speed and strength put him above most of his peers. A USMNT fixture.

DC - Gabrinho. The cultured Brazillian centre back gives KY an added dimension with the ability to play from the back. His technique is befitting a #10, and his assuredness in defence comes with a grace that only a Brazillian knows. Reportedly unhappy at his wages only 6 months after joining. A big pay day awaits him somewhere, even if his demands take him beyond the confines of mLS and Kentucky.

Reserves:

DLC - Greg Vanney. Has started and is a great fit in KY. Currently platoons with JC at DL. A veteran, he's slow, but wiley and reads the game well. Great on set pieces and has already scored for his new club. A great pick up.

DC - Tyrone Marshall. Once a top 3 defender in MLS, he's now a great fill in man. He knows his role and lets no one down. American 2nd nationality keeps him around. Jamiacan stalwart.

DRC - Frankie Simek. Recent found the DR starting role his after an injury to #1 Albright. Has recently retrained to cover DC and is now a young and versatile player on Clark's squad that was DR heavy. He;s going nowhere now.

D/WB/R - James Riley. Picked up in the offseason on a free, the ex-Revs and Boston wing back has struggled to settle in KY. His below-par performances for the reserves will likely see him "last man in, first man out' material should Clark need a roster spot.

DL - Richard Taylor - last years #1 pick, th efull back has made slow progress. Clark is still hopeful that he can fulfil his undoubted potential and realise the starting role in 2008 or 2009.

MIDFIELD:

AMR - Ricardo Clark. Not his preferred position but has played exceptionally well since moving there after Gomez let the position slip away from him. Scoring, creating and showing just how versatile the normal DMC can be.

AML - DeMarkus Beasley. A true superstar of the league, Clark is overjoyed to have the mercurial playmaker on the Kaiser's squad. Great left boot and craft.

AMC - Leozinho. Reigning Rookie of the Year, Kaiser's MVP and bona fide star. He has the complete package, but is best going forward. Creates and scores and is the true Brazillian #10. A credit to the shirt and all that preceded him.

DMC - Lucas Biglia. The Argie is one of the most technically complete players ever to grace MLS. If his performances can match the ability he will be the best player in the league - bar none. Currently keeping club captain out of the line-up, Biglia has all the tools to be game-winner for Kentucky.

Reserves:

MC - Claudio Reyna. He's got 127 caps for his country and has been the King of US Soccer for more than a decade. Will soon be a DC, extending his usefulness and tenure with the club. Overpaid, but worth it.

AMRLC - Christian Gomez. Versatile, cheap, and bags of abillity. Not playing well this year cost him the starting job. He'll be third in the pecking order once Francismar arrives. Good enough to start on most teams.

AMRL - Justin Mapp. Should be starting, but not everyone has to go up against DMB. Still developing, but a young star of the game in the US. Going nowhere but up int he world. Will get plenty of time in the 1st team.

AMRC - Jacob Lensky. Young Canadian has been on the team since 18. He's really developing. Clark knew he was a project but with so much upside the KK are staying the course inthe hope they unearthed one of the true gems of the re-insuguration draft.

AMC - Brian Mascarenhas. Young lefty creative mid is coming along nicely. Out of the Spurs academy, he's going to be given time to improve. Nice prospect.

AMR - Brian Mullan. Seemingly out of the plans of the gaffer, his reluctance to restructure his wages from $95k will soon see him depart. He may make the end of the year but his contract will not be renewed. Scored some vital goals over the last two years, which is exactly why he's still here.

ATTACK:

FC - Kai. The young Brazillian, now in his 3rd year with the club, is finally fulfilling his potential. Electric and finally finding consistency infront of goal, he's been the top player in the young 2007 season. Will have added competition once Francismar arrives, who can also play SC. Retraining as an AMR, he has a ton of speed and a boatload of tricks.

FC - Soho. Another Brazillian and new recruit for 2007. He was a big money move in the off season. Will it be $5.5m well spent? A pricey gamble but his beauty of a lob makes it clear he can produce. A goal ratio of 4/5 games in Brazil's top flight says it too

Reserves:

SC - Knox Cameron. Young American has filled out and scoring regularly in the reserves. Threatened to start this year but didn't have a great pre-season. Will be ready soon and will be a big time scorer in the league.

SC - Luca. The Argie is blazing hot for the B team, avaeraging almost 3 goals a game this year. Is on the verge of the 1st team, and is usually 1st off the bench. If his form continues Clark will have choice but to implement a rotation policy.

SC - Jovan Kirovski. The USMNT vet beat out several other players to get the last striking role. He played well in the preseason but has seen limited action so far. Greateful for another chance at the top level, he's cheap and great to have around.

[perpetua]

For full stats see the latest edition of MLS Gazette.

MLS Gazette - Tables, Rosters and Stats

[Al Clark]

Top Of The Heap, For Now....

All is going well for Kentucky so far in 2007. They hold the best overall record in points, wins, goal difference and joint best in defeats.

"It's especially pleasing as the conference we're in is very strong this year. Hopefully we won't do our usual and lead all the way into the playoffs before choking. I'd be the happiest man in the world if MLS moved to a single table championship!"

The team is playing well on all fronts, and Coach Clark is happy with the production from all areas. The team made a few minor roster changes, releasing the unhappy Tyrone Marshall, Brian Mullan and James Riley from the reserve squad. Christian Gomez was also released after failing to pick up his performances despite the imminent threat of Francismar's arrival in August. One arrival made his way to Commonwealth Stadium, as former Arsenal youngster Daniel Karbassiyoon arrived on a Bosman. It was Clark's first bosman signing in 3 years.

"Danny K is a gifted left footed player, and American too. Not many of those about. Because of his euro experience he commanded a hefty salary for his age and ability, but fortunately he'll be exempt for the next two years. If he can prove he's worth the $110k a year in that timeframe I'll be happy to pay him it. "

The cap was getting a little tight in the Bluegrass before the latest roster moves, and with both Onyewu and Beasley recently losing their GA contract eligibility, the cap took a $560k hit. Fortuntely, there was over $450k available, so the other moves have allowed Clark to retain his key players, without having to release club captain, Claudio Reyna. "It was never our intention to cut Reyna. His presence in the locker room and with the youngsters is priceless. Francismar is coming over on a decent deal, so we didn't have to cut too much. But we've got a couple of performers who will be loooking for raises in the not too distant future - Kai heads that que, and will have earned whatever raise he gets. If he can secure a green card he can practically write his own check as he'd get an exemption for a couple of years until he turned 25. Gabrinho is also angling for a raise, and he's turned up his performances on the field lately in order to make his point. If he continues that he'll be duly compensated."

So, whilst the first team remains unchanged at this point, the reserve team pack continues to be shuffled. Fans and personnel alike await the arrival of another Samba King, and if Francismar can emulate the success of Kai, Leozinho, Soho and Gabrinho then he will surely be a hit with the fans. He could even be enough to push Kentucky into a trophy winning season.

"Francismar was originally sought out for the AMR position, but with Ricky Clark playing so well there this term, I expect him to apply equal pressure on Soho, who has been solid but not exceptional. As always, I think competition will propell this team to greatness."

Soho's performance, averaging about a goal every other game, is fair. But two recent penalty misses have tarnished an otherwise excellent start to his time in MLS. "Yeah, thankfully, neither of those PK misses hurt us. Hopefully they're out of his system now. We've had real trouble converting from the spot in the last three seasons. I'm not sure why, we have an exceptionally gifted bunch of set piece players. Even old hand Claudio Reyna struggled with the duties before being replaced by Ruiz. Soho will be given more time for now."

So, onwards for Big Blue, the playoffs beckon and hopefully a decent cup run this season will give KK more than one option at silverware. "We've bailed out of the NA Cup early the last two seasons. I intend to give it a good go this year. Kirovski's 'trick in the first cup game showed our stregnth in depth. I intend to field a near full strength team the rest of the way."

[perpetua]

Marquette Manager talks about the future

Q: Overview of the year what has gone wrong

A: Well, the moment the decsicion was made to get rid of Roy, Conor and DaMarcus I realized that this year was going be a transitional year. I might regret Conor a little bit now but I think this has been a very valuable time for Sita, Greer and Chad. They have gotten valuable experience up front. It has especially helped Memo, he has made great strides this year and is starting to look like a franchise player for the team.

Q: You don’t seem to get many good players in the draft but you seem to do well getting players off Free Agency.

A: Well we find a lot of the diamonds in the rough. I commend my scouting department, we picked up Chris Jackson, who instantly got a spot on the first team. He is face with great ball handing and good skills. Best part is he is only 18 he is really going to be something in a very short time. We also picked up Aaron Media, who is just an amazingly good prospect. He plays the back line which we have been lacking him. I want to see him, Luke, Hunter and Robbie together. We also have Jeff Ellis coming in, surprisingly enough from the Australian league. He is American to be honest I was shocked when my scouts found him.

Q: Rumors have been circulating about some of your older players. Can you comment on any of them.

A: Well Kily has been having contract disputes with us and to be honest. I do not like his attitude in a position that right now he is a back up to one of our young stars. He seems to be slacking and to be honest he left us no choice. Than to look at other options he failed to negotiate a contract.

To be honest there are a lot of players that will be playing for there jobs. I have at least 5 or 6 that I want to see something out of. Or I will be looking at replacements in there postions.

Q: What should we expect out of the rest of the season?

A: Well I don’t see us making a run at the playoffs, Nerdington has done well and we are 13 points behind. While we are doing a lot better and have only lost once in our last few games. We are gelling together has a team. I think we can make a good stretch run maybe 5 or 6 wins out of our last 10 league games. The focus now is the NA cup, we want to make a good run and I feel we have the team for it. The team has impressed me as of late hopefully we can make something out of the end of the season.

[perpetua]

Vancouver Experience the Curse of the Cup

Last season Vancouver were virtually unbeatable, finishing off in style by winning against Texas in the MLS cup. This season has been a different story however as the opposition have now started to play Vancouver witch more intensity and determination and manager Roger Saint-Vil has failed to find the answer.

Vancouver squad still remains one of the most talented in the MLS certainly capable of making another run at the cup. But the team has looked a bit lost on the pitch recently having trouble opening up defenses and eventually conceding on counters often falling behind early in the match. The good news is that Okocha has put in an amazing performance thus far and in many matches made up for the inability of strikers to find space in opposing defenses.

With 12 matches left in the season, a shape up or ship out approach is expected from Roger Saint-Vil with several players underachieving should be shown the door at the end of the season.

[perpetua]

For full stats see the latest edition of MLS Gazette.

MLS Gazette - Tables, Rosters and Stats

[Ricky Lung]

SYCLONES UPDATE

- June 20, 2007

After struggling through the first two months of action, the Syclones are coming back to life, they played the last two games at a high level that they are capable of playing, and that’s what their fans are expecting. This is all started when Landon Donovan called for a team meeting after the lost against the Northmen.

“…we have to play as a team, we should follow our coach’s game plan every time we step out there, we should have trust in each other and work together. We definitely have the quality to compete with each and every team in this league, but the key here is chemistry and teamwork. No matter how many good pieces we have on the team, if we don’t work as a unit, we won’t have good results. Guys, lets turn this baby around. We are playing for ourselves as well as the fans, they are always on our backs, they support us no matter what the situation is. It is a character that we should be proud of, we have passionate fans. Like other Toronto sport teams, we should have the passion to win every single time. No matter where they are in the standing, they come out and play night in and night out…†- Landon Donovan

“…I am working hard with the coach staff, we are trying to sharpen our tactic, try to have better spacing on the field…†- Coach Ricky Lung

The players responded during the next two games, beating the Slingers 3-0 and breakeven with the Wolves at one apiece in Alaska. During the Wolves game, the Syclones showed some quality displays, they were playing evenly with the home team, it is a good sign as road games are a major concern for the team last season.

Up next, the Syclones are heading to Muskegon to face the rising Mismatch, they then come back home to face last year’s MLS Cup finalists, we will know by then what this refined Toronto team is all about.

- August 20, 2007

The Toronto Syclones keep on rolling as they won 7 of their last 11 league games with a total of 23 points during the span, beating top teams like Vancouver, Texas, and Kentucky. They are playing brilliant football at home all season, they are currently riding a 7-game winning streak at ACC. Their major concern is still their road performance, they have only won once away from Toronto so far this season. It will only be good if they can play all 32 games in Toronto, they are first in the east for home record, but dead last for road record.

Striker Oliver Occean has been coming on as of late, scoring in almost every game. He scored a hat-trick against the defending champs Vancouver a month ago. He is now back as the team leading goal scorer, a title which is written next to his name for the first two seasons. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando are also playing his best football as a Syclones, noting 5 clean sheets during the Syclones run. He went down during the game against the Northmen and will be on the shelf for two months. They are carrying only one goalie right now, will this come back and haunt them just like last season? Coach Lung had already sent one of his scouts around the U.S. trying to find an emergency goalkeeper. Second year Aaron Provan has to step up at this moment to keep the Syclones in the playoff.

The Toronto Syclones are sitting at the 4th spot in the east, and are 3 points ahead of the Kings. With only 8 games to go, every conference game counts as they affect not only the standing, but also head-to-head tiebreaker. They are having the advantage over the Northmen, tie with Vancouver, and losing out with the Kings, they still have one game left against each of these rivals.

As for the NA Cup, the Syclones are through to the semi, with win over Seattle and the Rangers. In the quarter-final, the Syclones took an early 2-0 lead, the Rangers had 2 chances at the spot before the half, and Provan denied one of them. The Syclones were withstanding a lot of pressure after the break, Provan came up big and kept his team on top until Guevara clinched it at the spot in the closing minutes. This is a big win for Toronto, not only they are through in the cup, but also a quality performance on the road, which will boast their confident level.

[perpetua]

[perpetua]

For full stats see the latest edition of MLS Gazette.

MLS Gazette - Tables, Rosters and Stats

[Ricky Lung]

READY FOR A SECOND STRAIGHT PLAYOFF APPEARANCE

Coach Lung is about the guide his Toronto Syclones to a second straight playoff appearance, something that he had never done before in his coaching career as a member of the RF Clan. With three games remaining, and a game with the outside looking in New Liskeard, the Syclones only need a point in their upcoming encounter to ensure a spot in the playoff. They are also through to the final of the NA Cup, they have a chance for the double, and no one has done that in the short history of this league.

With all the good news we are talking about, there is a bad news which can wipe out everything. The fact that they elect to carry only two keepers on their roster has come back to haunt them once again just like last year. Nick Rimando and Aaron Provan, both went down in the same month, and will be out for a few weeks. The lastest report on Rimando indicates that he will be out between 1 days and 3 weeks. The NA Cup Final is just around the corner, which means Nick is a no go in the game. It seems there is a curse that exists saying, “If you carry only two keepers, we will find a way to make them both injured in October.â€

“…The Northmen are fading away in the second half of the season. As I said during the preseason, their lucky is over this year, especially with a pair of ancient strikers. I was right, Sand was cut due to injuries, though Shearer still has 12 goals, his influence is no where near the level when he was a few years younger. They need a young athletic striker, if Coach Hopkins sticks with Shearer, the United is going to overtake them next season…I think I have to mind my own business now, we are playing real good football right now, we are very organized on both end of the field, but if we need to play an academic goalie in the big games, it will be a huge setback for us. It is hard to shut down some of the explosive offence in the league, we just have to try to limit their opportunities and take the pressure off the kid if we have to go that way...†- Coach Lung

The Syclones need to put up some results in the coming weeks, throughout the season, some of the key players show they want to move to a bigger club, and now a couple of youngsters are complaining their playing time. The Syclones need to win some trophies if they want to keep the core group together for a few more years.

The Syclones are now preparing for the NA Cup final against the Longhorns. We will have another update in a short while…

[ryanmt]

Texas on Fire...But Too Much, Too Early?

Including NA Cup matches, the Texas Longhorns have scored 25 goals in the last 7 contests. Texas is undefeated in its last 9 games and has won 8 in a row, making the Longhorns the hottest team in MLS. During that stretch, Texas has rocketed up to a tie with Vancouver for the league lead in goals scored. This is despite still not having any players amongst the league's individual scoring leaders, indicating a true goals-by-committee approach for the team. Midfielder Danny Powers, who has worn the captain's armband in recent weeks, has the most MLS tallies on the team. This is also evidence that the Longhorns are surviving the loss of Brazilian forward Bruno, who was injured for the season back in June. His absence has been offset partly by the solid play of first-year Longhorn Mikael Dahlberg and the more recent August addition of a new Brazilian playmaker, also named Bruno. To avoid confusion, Texas has listed the new signing as Bruno Ferraz in the team's media guide; the original Bruno is now listed as Bruno Luiz.

However, is Texas peaking too early with this winning streak? If one asks manager Ryan Thompson, this is a legitimate concern: "This is certainly a worry of mine. The playoffs are still a few weeks away and so much can happen between now and then. If someone had told me earlier in the season that I could push a button and the team would go on an 8 game winning streak, I'd definitely have waited till closer to the postseason to push it. That being said, I've enjoyed this run. Take our game against New Liskeard for example. I didn't think we ran the match as we have in other instances earlier in the season where we failed to win or even loss. Yet we came out 4-0 winners anyway. That's how you know when things are going well. My players are confident and in good spirit, and we hope to keep it this way for as long as possible. Still, you have to wonder if we're like a racehorse that has used its final burst too early." As the team that has fallen just short in each of the last two seasons by losing in the MLS Final, perhaps this is a concept that is too familiar with the Longhorns.

In other news, a source has reported that the capture of Bruno Ferraz cost Texas in the region of $7 million dollars, which would be the team's record transfer fee if accurate. It is believed that the addition of a new midfielder has prompted Austrian international and American-born Benny Feilhaber to request a transfer. Finally, it is rumoured that a potential blockbuster deal between Texas and Muskegon fell apart at the last moment.

[Al Clark]

Press Conference Cancelled : Double Training Order by Coach Clark

As stated in the title, KK'as gaffer Al Clark has seemingly reacted to his side's woeful form of late by cancelling the scheduled rest day for extra training. No wonder...a 3-1-4 record in the last 8 league games, coupled with a defeat in the cup have Kentucky reeling. Clark needs to steady the ship before the playoffs.

The Kaiser's were clearly the top team in MLS all season, until the 20 game mark. 8 points ahead of their nearest rival 2ith 12 games to go, the Supporter's Shield looked in the bag.

Injuries to key personnel - Biglia, Reyna, Gabrinho, Kai and others - has seen a weak side beaten 5 times in the the last 7 games. Disgraceful form. Injuries are no excuse, coach Clark has long boasted the strength in depth that tehe KK have - it's time for those on the fringes to qualify the faith placed in them. At one point, Kentucky were down by 9 roster spots. Biglia's broken leg was clearly the biggest blow, not just in the short term as he was ruled out for the season barely half way through, but also because it's hurt all his stats and one wonders if he's still going to be the top prospect we all knew he would be?

Indifferent form from some key veterans, none more so than Kevin Hartman in goal, has left the team insecure at the back. Albright, Conrad and Vanney have played poorly of late. INfact, only Onyewu has lived up to scratch in the last month. A keeper may be high on the wishlist of the coach should another early exist from the playoffs become a reality.

There are some encouraging signs; Francismar has played well (7.40, 2A) since he arrived at the transfer window, Kai is joint #1 in league scoring with 16 goals, and Leozinho and DMB are #1, #2 in league average. Leo continues to set a different standard in MLS, his 10 MVP votes are double the next best player. He's also T-1 in assists with DMB, with 12.

In more positive news, Claudio Reyna repaid Clark and the Kaiser's fans by resigning with the team after looking like he might be out the door. His refusal to discuss a contract was overcome and he agreed a workable $110k a year, well down on his $300k. This reflects his age (pushing 35) and his part time starting role. Retaining his experience was invaluable. Clark will likely now use the money to tender Ricardo Clark an improved contract. His namesake has been whining about his $60k a year wages, and although he has years to go, a pay rise has been earned and might just pay dividends with a happy player heading into the post-season.

So, with 3 games to go, Kentucky has only a 2 point lead in the race for the Supporter's Shield. If they are to retain their #1 seed for a third straight year, they'll have to hold off the resurgent Texas Longhorns who are only a win behind on 52 points. With the qualifiers in the Wes/South long since decided, the only question remains how the seeds will play out.

This reporter is hoping Kentucky can stay the course and find another gear before the playoffs start. This looked like Kentucky's year all season....if Coach Clark chokes again in the playoffs, especially if it were to current #3 seed and bitter rival Marquette, the needy Kentucky board could be forced to look elsewhere. Rumor has it that Al Clark II has been lined up in the event of playoff failure. What would constitute failure? Well, for the glory-hungry Kaiser ownership group, that's nothing less than taking home MLS Cup itself.

[ryanmt]

FC United of Boston's new manager finishes strong

After unveling the inexperienced and relatively unknown manager Nathan Gower, many fans were confused. After finishing the season's final three games with the team, the criticisms were hushed. After taking the poor formed, low scoring team to three straight wins, scoring twelve goals in the process, the fans can only hope he continues next season.

One fan was quoted as saying, "He did a great joob boosting their confidence and getting them to play to their potential, the only question is to see if he can do that next season. Three games isn't a season and it will be interesting to see what he does in the offseason."

Many speculate he will offload some veterans, Zach Thorton and Dennis Bergkamp being the biggest names being brought up, and replace them with high-potential draft picks. FC United have the 3rd pick and are looking for some defensive options.

A source that remains to be identified says he has heard of a trade-down being in the works, but the authenticity of this source has yet to have been confirmed. Clint Dempsey said in a recent interview, "He has really made us all fell a little better about ourselves and I don't believe he want's to trade down. I don't think it would be smart to get a veteran that could ruin our chemistry, but I don't really know him well enough to judge what he could do."

That same source also hinted at a possible sponsor change, but we can't confirm or deny that yet.

A dissapointing season that ended on a high leaves many questions of the 2008 MLS season, but thismay be the beginning of something beautiful in Boston.

[ryanmt]

The Hills are alive with the sounds of Samba

With our leading scorer sidelined for the playoffs, someone had to step up. Ze Eduardo recently nicknamed "Swiss Chocolate" due to his pending departure to Grasshopper Zurich is going out with a bang. His second half hat trick in the first leg STUNNED the Kaisers and left them reeling going into the second leg. Kudos also to Tim Howard, who has bounced back from injury in all star... dare I say... world class form including a HUGE penalty stop, to stem the Kaisers with an early 2-0 lead. He has to be on Arena's shortlist for the upcoming Gold Cup. But the true hero on leg 1... veteran Paolo Maldini... Against the team doctor's advice an exhausted... battered Maldini... stepped onto the field and gave 90 solid minutes as the defensive anchor...

Game two, Nerdington came in simply to Catenaccio the free flowing Kentucky attack... But first there were the mind games... Coach Al had plenty to say after the first game about the new Nerdington skipper... Nerdington took those quotes and taped them to the wall of their locker room and used them a a rallying force a common ground for a squad that had not been together too often during the year due to injury. Ze Eduardo added. "Não você conversa do desafio sobre nosso ônibus! " (Don't you dare talk about our coach, or maybe he said Don't you dare talk about our bus... but you get the idea. )

In game 2, Kentucky tried to match the physical style of Nerdington, viciously injuring Kyle Martino on an ugly tackle in the fourth minute. It would be no surprise if the league office wanted to review the tape of that tackle. Nerdington was forced to make an early sub and lineup shift, but the chain... the "Catenaccio" remained unbroken... until.. Lozihno, in a moment of individual brilliance scored a cracker from 25 m out to bring the Kaisers within 1 goal of a penalty kick shoot out.

Lozihno had been freed up in a seeming free role in a new diamond shaped midfield employed by Kentucky... Nerdington, made a keen tactical adujstment... and once again the game started flowing downhill towards the Kentucky goal...

Two Nerdington goals served as twin daggers to the left aorta and right ventricle of the heartbroken Kentucky manager, who say his once dream season fall into tatters under a cruel Kentucky sky.

One has got to wonder if tempermental superstars like Damarcus Beasley are going to look Europeward after this playoff disappointment. And if the KEntucky coach will be able to find the help he needs in the upcoming combine.

Meanwhile, the Jack Daniels (it was Kentucky) was flowing freely in the Nerdington locker room. People questioned why a playoff bound team would make a change so late in the season in order to play "more attractive soccer" and there were some serious doubts after the NA Cup semi-final disappointment and the 6 goal debacle in Texas.

But no more questions now fans are asking... has a fourth seed ever made it to the championship?? But the new staff is not looking past their next opponent, Texas, who has to be pretty confident perhaps overconfident having just thrown up a touchdown on Nerdington in their previous meeting.

[Al Clark]

Furious Clark Wields Axe

"A ****ing disgrace. No two ways about it."

What was Clark referring to? Take your pick...was it the 10 defeats in the final 15 games of the season, the back to back defeats to crash out of the playoffs, or the seeming lack of interest from his players? All of them.

"No professional team should accept performances like that. Sure we had a couple of injuries, but those who came in let both themselves and the team down. Worse than that, some of the veterans lost their heads and gave up on this season."

Ironically, the Kaiser's won the Supporter's Shield in 2007, thanks to a brilliant start and the poor form of some of their key rivals. "The SS is no compensation whatsoever for the way we finished this season. We might as well have missed the playoffs for the way we played."

As it happens, the home and home series against Nerdington wasn't what you might think. THe Kaiser's totally dominated both games, not just in possession, but peppered Tim Howards goal for 180 minutes. MLS top scorer Kai lost his way, and if it had not been for Leozinho - who tried, in vain, to carry the team on his back - Kentucky may never have scored. "Having more than 20 shots in a game and not coming away with a win is in explicable". Worse, the Kaiser's were 2-0 in the 1st leg, in Nerdington. A missed penalty and then three quick fire goals against after the half time interval saw Kentucky throw away the series and their chance at MLS Cup.

"No Continental competition for us. Again. We've had the best record, I think, over the last 3 seasons, have topped our conference each time and yet have flamed out in the playoffs without even an MLS Cup Final appearance. I'm sick of it."

Clark challenged a couple of the veterans to arrest the alarming slide - Kevin Hartman, the starting keeper for the past three years was singled out by both the manager and fans as having been AWOL the past two months. "He was gutless, a weak. I sacked him straight after the game. He was a discgrace to the shirt."

The lack of guaranteed contracts in MLS saw Clark cut away some other players he felt had let him down. Out : Jon Busch, Mark Martin, Greg Vanney and Jovan Kirovski. He also transfer listed whining Samba Star Gabrinho who had been asking for more money since the day he walked through the door.

This leaves the Kaiser's in the interesting position of having no recognised goalies on the squad.

Greg Vanney, whom Clark had nurtured back into a starting role at DL, really bombed at the end of the season. "He's experienced enough to know he let us down. It cost him his job with Kentucky. I hope he gets another shot, but he burned his bridges here. Kirovski was unsettled and never did anything to show me he was worth another season. He had ample opportunity after Soho, Cameron and Luca all got injured. In that time he failed to hit the net in 5+ games. Mark Martin? Who? That nomark had the cheek to demand 1st team action. He's a bordlerline USL D2 prospect. Good luck to him ever scoring another professional contract. What an idiot. He had no appreciate of his level of talent, or lack there of. Jon Busch was another whiner. He's hardly been a starter his whole life, and yet, when I gave him a chance he didn't take it. He wanted more money and more minutes and had neither the talent nor the performances to warrant it. He had to go as well as he was out of contract at the end of Decemeber."

So, Clark is angry. "I've never been moe ****ed off with this game in my life than after what I just witnessed. The collapse at the end of the season and then the joke of a semi-final has pushed me to the brink of resignation. But, I decided, it wasn't my short comings here that were the issue, the players are the ones on the field and I'm glad the board sees it that way too. We're going to have to rebuild, starting with the goalkeeping position, but we still have an excellent core of players. Both Kai and Leozinho have petitioned for a green card, we don't know if they'll get one yet or not. If not in 2008, maybe in 2009. Either way, they're the future of the franchise. Francismar really dropped off and Soho never really lit it up in 2007 like we hoped. I expect more from both of them in 2008."

So, with the squad sitting at 21 players, Clark has room to grow. The recent resigning of Reyna and Clark to new deals has eaten a lot of cap space, but the exist of the 5 players has freed up more than $300k in space. "If we get a couple of youngsters who are cap-exempt that will give us enough wiggle room to bring in a couple of other veterans and upcoming talents to bolster the squad. I really thought we had the perfect mix in Kentucky in 2007. I'm sorry I was wrong, but we'll be back and challenging again in 2008."

Eddie Pope, the former USMNT stalwart was signed after being released from Toronto. "He came cheap - just $40k a year. He's a perfect signing. Experience and he's still got something to bring to the table. At 34, he's looking at a back up role, but who knows, once Gabrinho has been sold there will be a starting berth available for Pope, Simek and Conrad to fight for. Maybe I'll end up platooning a couple of them, but options are nice to have."

With Vanney's release, there's also a starting spot at DL available. "We signed Danny Karbassiyoon this year with 2008 in mind. He's been pencilled in as 2008 starter since the day he arrived. That said, we don't know if he can cut it yet, and JC gives us an option at DL if we need it."

Clark has done well to retain some of his key players as they hit senior roster eligibility. Over a 12 month period, the Kaiser's had to absorb DMB ($280k), Onyewu ($280k) and Ricardo Clark's new deal ($180k) into the cap. "It wasn't easy, but those guys are the foundation of the team. We found a way to make them fit."

So a transition year for KK? "No Way. We'll be challenging. We've got enough talent to mount a series title shot already. We could put me in goal and we'd still be contenders. But one of these days we're going to need to come good on that talent, else we're going to br branded also-rans forever."

[ryanmt]

TEXAS TWO-STEP!!!

Season Wrap-Up

For the Texas Longhorns, a memorable finish to the campaign began with the absolute annihilation of the Toronto Syclones and their manager Ricky Lung in the NA Cup. Texas retained the trophy in style for the second straight year. The victory was part of an impressive late season run by the Longhorns, which even gave them a darkhorse chance at winning the Supporters' Shield, thought to be impossible a mere month before. Unfortunately, Texas needed to beat Toronto (of all teams) on the final matchday to pull if off. The Syclones, having evidently not forgotten the NA Cup disaster, inflicted on Texas its first defeat in weeks and handed the Shield to the Kentucky Kaisers.

The playoffs opened with Texas taking on Muskegon Mismatch and Frank Serafinski. Texas bulldozed Muskegon to a 5-0 victory in the first leg, then fielded many reserve players in the second game. This strategy proved very risky, as Muskegon fought to make things a little tighter than Texas would have liked, but in the end the Longhorns were through to the Western/Southern Conference Final. The opponent was the Nerdington Express, fresh off of taking out Shield winners Kentucky. It was simply not to be for Nerdington, whom Texas controlled during the match without too much difficulty.

"TEXAS....FIGHT!! TEXAS....FIGHT!! OU....SUCKS!!" While Texas fans could not resist taking a swipe at the rival Sooners, the Longhorns were not actually playing the University of Oklahoma. Instead, the MLS Cup final pitted Texas against the Rochester Kings, traditionally a tricky opponent for the Longhorns. Texas immediately took it to the Kings in the early minutes, though no goal came from it. Texas ran the action, but Rochester was proving to be very dangerous on the counter and it was they who perhaps had the best initial opportunity, with Jason Thompson failing to convert from close range. Texas forward Will John followed it up with his own incredible miss just minutes later. Texas continued to press and broke through in the 26th minute. Juan Pablo Garcia cut in from the left flank and moved the ball to Bruno Ferraz, who one touched it to Texas captain Danny Powers. Powers drew out the defender and found it easy to thread the ball into the box to an open Stephen Ademolu, who made no mistake with his clinical finish and beat Brad Friedel to give Texas the lead. Minutes later, the Horns were at it again. Rightback Indio intercepted a Rochester move, leading to a one-two between John O'Brien and Bruno Ferraz, before Juan Pablo Garcia received and proceeded to smash the ball home from 30 yards. 2-0 Texas after 33 minutes. Rochester were far from finished though and nearly pulled one back in the 39th. Nate Jaqua will have to be disappointed with his huge miss and should have done better. He nearly did in the 42nd when his header forced a point blank save from Texas netminder Quentin Westberg. The first half ended negatively for Texas due to the injury of Powers, who could not continue.

In a halftime interview, Vancouver supremo Roger Saint-Vil, as qualified an expert as anyone in MLS, commented that Rochester were struggling to get to loose balls due to the Longhorns' overall team quickness. Still, even the most casual fan knew Rochester boss Tristan Oberle was set to send all his troops charging forward to get back into the game. Orangeblood fans could only hope that their team had watched and learned from the King's unlikely comeback the previous week against Alaska. It was evident early on in the second half that Rochester had indeed turned up the heat. Sasha Victorine shot wide from an optimal position in the 60th minute. Texas remained composed and forced Rochester to stay honest at the back. It was Jason Thompson again in the 69th minute with the next chance, but the forward failed once more. After the miss, Texas immediately countered and punished Rochester. JP Garcia busted out with an impressive run, then delightfully fed Will John, and the young attacker finished with a precise long range volley past Friedel to make it 3-0. Never giving up, the Kings and Jason Thompson thought they had finally tallied when Thompson slotted past Westberg in the 77th minute. The goal was not allowed because of an offsides call, towards which Rochester fans were furious. Close inspection of the replay later on revealed that the correct call had been made. In added time, Jaqua received on the left from Wade Barrett and blasted home near post from long distance, giving Rochester a deserved consolation. Moments later though, it was Texas being crowned champions of MLS.

Postgame celebrations included the traditional lighting of the Tower, students (even those who had never attended a game) using the victory as an excuse to get drunk on 6th Street, and a visit to the White House.

It was not all positive though. Rumours in the press suggest that the Texas board are unsatisfied with manager Ryan Thompson III. It is believed that they will be looking to relieve Thompson if he gives them any reason at all, with Ryan Thompson IV being mentioned as a leading candidate to take over in such a scenario.

[perpetua]

Lions fall short of a repeat

Vancouver saw their dreams of a repeat fall short in the hands of Rochester Kings getting knocked out at the Conferece Semis for the second time in three years. "I am glad we got this far" said Roger Saint-Vil adding "We didn't look like a solid team this season and the team could not cope with the extra matches we had to play in the continental competitions."

It was champagne and caviar for the Lions last year, as a good mix of youth and experience put together a memorable performance to win the cup. The contraversial decision to move Alpay as well as season ending injuries to key players hurt Vancouver immensely towards the end of the season. Taylor Twellman has now ended two out of three seasons on the injured list, only playing in 5 matches all season while Julian De Guzman, last year's MLS Cup MVP suffered a broken leg to close the season.

With Okocha advancing in age and likely to leave in the offseason, Vancouver will be looking for quality replacements. In addition, injury plagued Kalle Ljungberg could also be shown the door in order to improve the defense.

The good news for the Lions is the performance of recent signings Chris Barrett, Steve Perez, Brad Jones and Tim Bradley. These youngsters have exhibited much growth over the last season and especially Barrett will be making a very strong claim to make midfield position his own. Greg Robinson is also set to join from Alaksa after being traded to Vancouver days after the conlcusion of the draft. He looks to be an exciting prospect that will add to the squad depth.

There is also speculation that Vancouver are set to sign a Brazilian midfielder before the next season. While details have not been provided, he is expected to fill the Senior International slot which will be vacated by Jay-Jay Okocha.

[perpetua]

For full stats see the latest edition of MLS Gazette.

MLS Gazette - Tables, Rosters and Stats

[Ricky Lung]

A DISAPPOINTING FINISH

Playing in their second NA Cup final in team history, the result was different than the first time. Rimando and Provan were still out at kick-off, the Syclones put Dave Kindel, a goalie from their academy program, in from of the net. He provided no surprise as the Texas Longhorns dominated the game and en route to a 6-1 blowout.

The next two games saw the Syclones played the United and division rival New Liskeard. They lost both games and gave up a total of four penalties. Lucky enough, Aaron Provan returned to form in the finale of the regular season against the Longhorns. The team certainly didn’t forget the disaster in the NA Cup. Provan came up big during the whole game, and Toronto capitalized in one of their few chances and came away with a 1-0 win, a much needed victory going into the playoff.

The Syclones faced the first seed Arctic Wolves in the first round of the playoff. Playing at home for the first leg, they thought it will be a guarantee, but the Wolves hit them on the break in the closing minutes and handed the Syclones’ first lost at home since May 5. Many thought the Syclones were done given their poor performances on the road, yet the are able to grab a 2-0 mid way through the second leg thanks to a goal from Occean and a kick at the spot by Donovan. The Wolves then charging forward in the second half, and gave Toronto a tremendous amount of pressure. “I think I made a wrong decision of sitting back during the second half, I should have pushed the front line a bit forward and look for more opportunities on the breakaway.†said Coach Lung. Toronto cannot withstand the pressure and gave back 2 goals and lost 3-2 on aggregate.

The Syclones have improved again from a year before. They are looking to regroup and come back strong again next season.

[Al Clark]

[Al Clark]

Texas Longhorns in US Open Cup 2007

Texas continued a fine vein of form by adding the Dewar Trophy to their expanding trophycabinet. Playing against an outmatched Toronto side, the tie never looked in doubt.

A Mikael Dahlberg hattrick in a 6-1 blow out victory underlined Thompson III's credentials in MLS.

So the first domestic trophy of the year headed down to Texas, as the Longhorn's successfully defended their NA Cup Title.

Well done Ryan!

Official Result:

Texas Longhorns 6 : Toronto Syclones 1

HT: 5:0

Cory Gibbs (10) - Texas

Juan Pablo Garcia (18) - Texas

Bruno (pen 26) - Texas

Mikael Dahlberg (27, 36, 72) - Texas

Jack Jewsbury (90) - Toronto

Man of Match: Mikael Dahlberg - Texas

Venue: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro (MA)

Attendance: 67,971

2007 US Open Cup Champions : Texas Longhorns [Ryan]

[Al Clark]

Kentucky Kaisers : Supporter's Shield Winners 2007

Kentucky started 2007 on fire and it was the only reason they lifted the Supporter's Shield. They faded badly in the second half of the season and only the indifferent form of some of the other contenders in the final weeks gifted the Shield to Kentucky.

It was the first silverware of Coach Clark's MLS managerial career, after finishing the regular season top of the West/South three seasons in a row, hopefully he will convert this form into some playoff success.

[

2007 Supporter's Shield Winners: Kentucky Kaisers [Al]

[Al Clark]

MLS CUP 2007 CHAMPIONS : TEXAS LONGHORNS [RYAN]

Ryan Thompson, Thompson II and Thompson III can all take credit for the success seen by Texas over the last 18 months. Four trophys, 7 Final appearances and I think the tag 'Dynasty' is almost earned.

2007 finally saw Texas come good on an MLS Cup Championship. This was their third final in a row, and having lost to Alaska and Vancouver in the previous two finals there was going to be no denying them this time.

Even the Texas board (widely acknowledged as the most fickle in history) was jubilant after Thompson II wrapped up a League and Cup double.

Great work Ryan! et's try and not get sacked in 2008 eh?!

Official Result:

Texas Longhorns 3 :

Rochester Kings 1

HT 0:0

Scoring Summary:

1:0 Stephen Ademolu (26) - Texas

2:0 Juan Pablo Garcia (33) - Texas

3:0 Will John (70) - Texas

3:1 Nate Jacqua (90) - Rochester

Man of Match - Juan Pablo Garcia - Texas

Venue: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro (MA)

Attendance: 45,784

Referee: Kevin Scott

[perpetua]

Our expert analysts have worked around the clock to sort all the available players and provide for us a mock draft for the 2008 MLS Superdraft complete with the profiles of the players expected to be picked in the first and second rounds. Many high quality international players have declared for the draft but it remains unkown whether these players will actually strike the fancy of MLS managers.

1 - Nashville Guitar Slingers - Paolo De Ceglie

2 - United of Boston - Paul Smith

3 - Marquette Iron Rangers - Mauricio Quintanilla

4 - New Liskeard North FC - Claudio Maccarone

5 - Toronto Syclones - Greg Munoz

6 - Vancouver Lions - John Kraft

7 - New Liskeard North FC - Michael Miller

8 - Kentucky Kaisers - Joao

9 - Nerdington Express - Matthew Rodriguez

10 - Alaska Arctic Wolves - John Johnson

11 - Rochester Kings - Greg Vanney

12 - Texas Longhorns - Eric Sims

13 - Nashville Guitar Slingers - Carlos Eduardo Martinez

14 - United of Boston - Brian Freeman

15 - Marquette Iron Rangers - Brett Roberts

16 - New Liskeard North FC - Steve Casey

17 - Toronto Syclones - David Scott

18 - Vancouver Lions - Mark Thompson

19 - New Liskeard North FC - Joe Allen

20 - Kentucky Kaisers - Paul Schweitzer

21 - Nerdington Express - Chris Simpson

22 - Alaska Arctic Wolves - Keith Heasley

23 - Rochester Kings - Andrew Checketts

24 - Texas Longhorns - David Jones

[perpetua]

The changing face of Vancouver

The offseason saw many changes for the Lions as Roger Saint-Vil looked to improve upon last season's performances. The Vancouver squad will feature 9 newcomers in the new season. Here is the 28-man squad.

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan, Troy Perkins and Steve Cronin

Goalkeeper is a position that Vancouver has had little troubles and as such few changes are made in this area. Coach Saint-Vil has decided to go with three keepers this year in order to find room for draft picks.

Full Backs: Greg Victor, Ricardinho, Nick Garcia, Juilian De Guzman

Steven Cherundolo departed in the trade for Atiba Hutchinson with Muskegon as his performances for Vancouver had deteriorated recently and Greg Victor provides a better attacking option than Cherundolo. Newcomer Ricardinho will hopefully provide more attacking options from the left side. Nick Garcia and Julian De Guzman are talented and versatile players who could help out in the centre of defense or midfield respectively.

Centre Backs: Vagner Leonardelli, Clarence Goodson, Jason Di Tullio, Brad Jones, Steve Jordan

Leonardelli and Goodson had a rough first year playing together but one year under their belt, the centre of defense should be better for Vancouver. Di Tullio and Jones will get rotated from time to time while Steve Jordan is a project player who will see much time in the reserves.

Defensive Midfielders: Emanuel Sarki, Tomasz Sokolowski, Steve Perez, Brett Roberts

Sokolowski was acquired from Alaska for Kalle Ljungberg in a deal from which both managers hope big things. Sarki and Sokolowski are both hard working defensive midfielders with the ability to direct play from deep. Steve Perez has shown significant improvements over the last season and is a very capable backup. Brett Roberts is another project player who will mostly be in the reserves.

Attacking Midfielders: Eddie Gaven, Eduardo, Felix Alexander Borja, Atiba Hutchinson, Chris Barrett, Tim Bradley, Greg Robinson, Eric Sims.

A large core of players here with varying skills. With Okocha's departure in the offseason, the Brazilian Eduardo will take over the midfield general's role. His hard working attitude is something the Vancouver fans will like. Atiba Hutchinson is another newcomer and he will add creativity with work rate to the midfield position. Greg Robinson and Eric Sims are newcomers and the coaches expect much from these youngsters.

Forwards: Taylor Twellman, Jorge Daniel Achucarro, Conor Casey

Perhaps the weakest area in the Vancouver team despite having former scoring champions Twellman and Achucarro on the squad. Casey has not been as effective as desired and both the fans and coaches will be hoping that he improves his performances in his final contract year.

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January 20, 2008

AN INTERVIEW WITH COACH

Good evening everyone! Today, we have Ricky Lung here, the head coach of the Toronto Syclones, we will have a chat with him about the upcoming 08 season.

Interviewer: Good evening Ricky.

Lung: Good evening.

Interviewer: Last year, your team made the playoff for the second straight year, the defense had improved, the offense was much more organized. Are you satisfy with the performance of the team last year?

Lung: Well, I am happy that we made the playoff again last year, it is not an easy task in this league, all the teams are very competitive. Also, as you said, our defense is improving, our offense is running some organized plays, so yes, I am satisfied with the overall performance. But of cause we will not stop here, we will keep improving, our goal is to build a championship empire here in Toronto.

Interviewer: Leal and Lysyts’kyi had a solid debut season last year, what they have brought to the team?

Lung: I mean, they were amazing last year, they adjusted to the style of play here very quickly, they both are very versatile players, give us more options on both ends of the field. Francisco got the rookie of the year honour, it is the first individual award in our team history. He was on loan last year and we signed him to a permanent contract near the end of the season. I expect them to bring the same intensity and have a even better season this year.

Interviewer: How about Aaron Provan, he made a major jump last year.

Lung: Yes, he saw a lot of action in the second half of the season. He is a very good young kid. Coming out as the projected first overall pick in the 06 draft, Muskegon ended up passed on him, and we were more than happy to have him. He demands a lot from himself, he is always among the first to come to training every day, and his hard work pays off, his skills are sky rocking. Last year, he had a few games that he just put on a show, shutting down the opponent despite being pressured throughout the game, and gave us a few 1-0 wins.

Interviewer: There are many rumours surrounding the future of Donovan and Occean, your comment?

Lung: I know they want to play for a bigger club, we have talked about that, I really want them to stay and help this team to become a champion. And I said that I will watch very closely, if there is a deal that benefit both sides, I will consider it. They are very professional, though they are a bit upset not having a chance to play for a bigger club at this moment, as long as they are still a member of the Syclones, they give their 100% effort, not like some players that will stop coming to training.

Interviewer: You have brought in a couple of players, and selected 5 youngsters from the draft, are you going to make any more moves?

Lung: It really depends, we want to improve our team all the time, but you don’t want to make changes just for the sake of pleasing the fans, or bringing in top quality players to boast the look of the team. We have a system that we want to implement here, you don’t want to fill all 28 spots with above average players, you want a handful and guys who can play regularly, but on the other hand, you shouldn’t forget the young guys, we want to train our youngsters, they are they future of the country, that’s why I have more draft picks on my team than players that I have brought in from abroad over the past 3 seasons. So it is highly unlikely that we will have major changes before the season begins.

Interviewer: During the draft, you had a lot of negative comments on Coach Gower’s selections. Comments?

Lung: He is the one who tries to improve his ball club, it was his choice to pick those players, but honestly I won’t make those picks if I were in his position, those players will not bring him anywhere, and I think he will soon realise that, I am sure I won’t be wrong on that. He is going to have a huge test this season, although he did win all 3 games since he took over, but we cannot judge based on that, we will know this season what he is capable of.

Interviewer: Last question, what is your expectation this year?

Lung: I think we will be contending, I am sure we will improve our away record, we are going to make some slight adjustment when playing away for home. We will continue our form at home like we did last season. We are aiming for the Supporter Shield this season.

Interviewer: Thank you very much Coach Lung, we appreciate your time, we will talk again later in the season.

Lung: Alright, thanks for having me.

Ricky Lung is very optimistic about their chances this year, we are all looking forward to the first kick of the season. We will have the breakdown of their roster next time. Goodbye and have a good evening everyone.

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FC United prove critic's wrong in draft selections, but will it last?

Much speculation and criticism went into Nathan Gower's draft selections in the Superdraft, but after the 4-0 win on opening day, much of the speculation subsided.

The boss chose a relatively unknown and old (or at least by draft standards) first pick, which was viewed as a wasted pick by many, in Quantanilla. After his rock solid performance in center back, many people see why he made the choice he did.

Another solid performer was a young Brailian midfielder, which was more or less an unknown in the draft, which caused many to scramble for any information they could on him. After being named Man of the Match and assisting on a goal, wowing the Boston fans in the process, the criticism stopped.

In a brief interview with Nathan Gower, he had the following to say, "I never doubted my picks, and that is why I made them. It will be interesting to see how they fit in during the duration of the season. My biggest concern is Vancouver at the moment. Facing such a strong team with a nearly revamped squad will be tough, but I think we'll know in the first 15 minuites how the game will go."

A true test for the veteran center back Quantanilla will be given in the form of Quavas Kirk during the Vancouver match. Though we couldn't get an interview with him directly, some of his teammates have noticed his efforts to improve team chemistry, including a friendly match in the park after practice.

Though he has won his first four games in charge, managing an impressive goal scoring record, Coach Gower is only worried about the results through the rest of the season. "I don't care about last season, this is the season that matters. I believe a playoff spot is very likely, and I am aiming for 3rd place at the least. With Rossi's call ups and alack of a 3rd strikers, my biggest concern is on the bench and reserve squad. If we can stay healthy and the reserves can step up, then I think the Boston fans will finally see some success with their club."

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Vancouver boss comes to his senses

Carrying four defensive midfielders when only one is used is a luxury coach Saint-Vil realized quickly and he was also quick to do something about it. The three year MLS and Vancouver Lions veteran was cut prior to the season to make room for a creative attacker, something Vancouver missed sorely last season. Sarki had started every match he was available for Vancouver in last three years but the acquisition of a more defensively capable Tomasz Sokolowski from Alaska encouraged the Vancouver boss to chase down a long time target from Brazil.

The new Brazilian on the block, Nene comes in from Paulista after trying his luck briefly in Spain then returning to Brazil earlier in his career. He certainly looked difficult to contain in the season opener against Kentucky Kaisers as he managed to score on his debut to put Vancouver up 1-0. Vancouver stole the victory in the dying seconds of the match after Nene had departed for Jorge Daniel Achucarro.

There is also plenty of rumour coming out of Vancouver as USMNT striker Conor Casey has become surplus to requirements. Coach Saint-Vil is reported to be interested in a prospect or a draft pick for Casey.

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