SJ Earthquakes
The MLS 500 Club – Houston(formerly San Jose)
The charter clubs of MLS are crossing the 500 regular season ‘games played threshold’ this season. This is the ninth and final entry in this series that presents all-time records in league play.
Now I know some of you might bring up the issue that San Jose, the new expansion San Jose, has retained the records and history of the original San Jose MLS franchise(similar to the Browns in the NFL). Not me. I’m old school on this. The team of Eddie Robinson, Richard Mulrooney, Dwayne De Rosario, Brian Mullan, Pat Onstad, and Brian Ching, among others, that migrated to Houston in 2006 is a 4 time MLS Cup winner. Nothing makes me as batty as hearing some announcer discuss the 2 MLS Cups San Jose has won, referring to the current incarnation of the team.
OK, so now you know my stance and why I present the all-time record of the Houston/San Jose franchise, having played their 500th league match in their brand new ballpark, in Houston. Oh the irony.
Friday Football Potpourri
Starter Fun
- Special1 TV: Conspiracy at the Nou Camp
MLS
- Sporting KC: Tactical Thinking: Searching for the right pair
Interesting Reads
- FIFA: FIFA alarmed by global match-fixing threat
- Duncan White: of the Telegraph(via Sanford’s Soccer Net describes how match-fixing gangs make money out of football
- Ben McCormick: posting at MatchFit USA comments on Reyna’s Big Step for Youth Development in the USA
Tourneys
- UEFA Champions League: Barca, Man U in Final
- Copa Libertadores: Copa Lib Update – Santos draw gains quarterfinals, defending champ Internacional out
- US Open Cup: Opara Late Extra Time Goal Send Quakes Through
- Robert Jonas: The value of the U.S. Open Cup – A good read by a guy that I follow for his informative posts.
- Nutralite Canadian Championship: Toronto, Vancouver to Meet in Final
- Europa League: Porto v Braga in all Portuguese Final
Around the World
- ESPNSoccerNet: Liverpool hoping for Asian tonic
- Backwards Pass: The article above came to me by way of … Why Asian Football Is So Delicate
US Development Academy Winter Showcase Pics
This post has some pics of the San Jose Earthquakes, Andromeda v Crossfire and a few miscellaneous shots.
Nike Int’l and US Development Academy Winter Showcase Pics
More pics from Phoenix on the last day of Nike Internationals. Two more days remain for the US Development Academy Winter Showcase. I expect to have more pics for you of some of the academy teams I’ve yet to cover.
US Development Academy Winter Showcase Pics
Some random picks from this terrific event in Phoenix.
MLS Tactics, La Liga TV Money, Player Stories, MLS Draft Info
MLS
- San Jose: How the Quakes Beat RBNY
- Rapids: How the Rapids Exploit Weakness
- Dallas: FCD Uses Harris to Befuddle Galaxy
- Locker room leadership; how it counts in MLS playoffs
- MLS Drafts Explained for a British Audience
- Timeline for Drafts(excluding SuperDraft)
- Jason Davis: On Ending Restrictions on Academy Signings
- Steve Davis: Cup Final Preview
- Jeff Carlisle: Cup Final Preview
Interesting Reads
- Kyle Martino: “Can you Play”, Don’t Ask the Athlete
- Gale Agbossoumonde: Regrets signing with Traffic
- The Run of Play: On talent and using it
- Jacob Steinberg: A terrific read about Jose Antonio Reyes
Around the World
- Brasileirao: 3 way race for Campeonato with 3 left to play
The Business of Soccer
- La Liga: TV Rights Deal Threatens Split
Playoff Brouhaha
Oh the whines and cries of so many folks as the West dominates the MLS standings heading into the playoffs.
It’s not a bad argument to want the playoffs to be seeded as in a single table format. We in the US are accustomed to that and it makes logical sense as the best chance to end up with the two best teams, at least based on seeding, in the final.
Now here is the reality of the potential matchups.
First, with the current standings, the matchups would be …
LA v Seattle – LA won both league matches
RSL v Dallas – The teams split their two matches
RBNY v San Jose – The teams split their two matches
Columbus v Colorado - The teams split their two matches
If higher seeds win …
LA v RSL – The teams split their two matches
RBNY v Columbus – Columbus won both matches
LA v RBNY – The teams split their two matches
NOTE -
#2 RSL won and drew v #5 RBNY, RSL and #6 Columbus split their matches
#3 Dallas lost and drews v #5 RBNY, Dallas #6 Columbus drew their matches
#4 Seattle and #5 RBNY split their two matches, Seattle won and drew v #6 Columbus
Where is the dominance of the higher seeds? They won 4, lost 3 and drew 5 vs lower seeds from the east.
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Now if the playoffs were based on seeding 1-8 …
LA v San Jose – San Jose won 1 and 1 draw
Seattle v RBNY – The teams split their two matches
RSL v Colorado – They drew once and play this weekend
Dallas v Columbus – Two draws
If higher seeds win …
LA v Seattle – LA won both league matches
RSL v Dallas - The teams split their two matches
LA v RSL - The teams split their two matches
News and Views from Tues Aug 18
MLS
- Week 20 attendance report and more
- MLS Hires Consultant Known for Launching Channels
- Chicago: Fire sign first home grown player
- Chicago: 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 ?
- San Jose: Keeper Cannon breaks ankle
- Toronto: Toronto over Cruz Azul in CCL group stage opener
Around the World
- Jonathan Wilson: Strategy in the EPL on opening weekend
- So you want to be a soccer writer
- If you like stats, bookmark this
Club Tournaments
- CONCACAF: Champions League Results – TFC, Monterrey win, Puerto Rico draws in group phase openers
- UEFA: Champions League Results
- UEFA: Europa League Results
Player Moves
- Juventus loan Tiago back to Atletico
- Manchester City agree deal to sign James Milner from Aston Villa
- Craig Bellamy agrees to join Cardiff City on loan from Manchester City
- Birmingham Sign Matt Derbyshire On Loan
- Real Madrid sign Mesut Ozil from Werder Bremen
The Business of Soccer
After a long Weekend Aug 14-16
MLS
- Week 20 attendance report and more
- Footiebusiness on Gillette Stadium
- The West holds 6 of the 8 playoff spots after the weekend
- Seattle plays 2 CONCACAF Champions League matches before resuming league play. They’re only 3 points into the playoffs with all chasers having games in hand
- The Rapids and DCU sign home grown players. I’m one who thinks that the academy system, begun by dicate for most teams in 2007, is the best thing to happen in MLS for player development.
- Vancouver, already renowned for their development program have hinted at fielding a D2 team in 2011. Great idea and in keeping with their program.
- MLS Remaining Strength of Schedule
- Thierry Henry on soccer in the US
- San Jose: San Jose add MF Geovanni as first-ever DP
- Andrea Canales: Big foreign stars are now coming to MLS, but what about talent that got away?
- Jason Davis: MLS Academies Now Producing
- Steve Davis: Dear MLS coaches: You’re doing it wrong – A call for shorter preseason, which may have its positives, but selfish me wants to see as much MLS in Arizona as possible next preseason
- Aaron Stollar: How September 2010 could shape the future of professional soccer in DC and Baltimore
Around the World
- USSF D2 week in review
- Ligue 1: Bordeaux and Lyon still winless after 2 weeks
- Portugal: Benfica lose opener
- Everton lose and Liverpool draw on keeper gaffes
- It may not last long, but Blackpool’s 4-0 win was fun to read about
- Barcelona loses 1st leg of Spanish Super Cup
- Olympique de Marseille’s Mamadou Niang to Fenerbahce
- Matt Derbyshire joins Birmingham on one-year loan
The Business of Soccer
- The World’s biggest soccer sponsors
- UEFA’s financial fair play
- Celtic loses money after missing Champions League