Toronto - Rafa Marquez scored his first MLS goal in the 35th minute to ignite the New York Red Bulls to a 4-1 victory over Toronto FC.

Killing two birds with one stone, the Red Bulls ended Toronto's 17 game unbeaten streak at the BMO Field while silencing their home crowd of 22,108.

By winning their 10th game of the season, the Red Bulls doubled last year's win total and remain in second place in the Eastern Conference.

Today's four-goal performance by the Red Bulls demonstrated the offensive potential this team has when they're running on all cylinders and attacking the net.

Goals by Rafa (35th), Juan Pablo Angel (61st, PK), Carl Robinson (77th) and Toronto's Joseph Nane (44th, own goal) help end the Red Bulls three-game scoring drought in which they were only able to produce one goal while allowing the opposition to score one goal too.

Along with the goals, the defense was simply superb. Red Bulls Goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul has been playing well as off late and the tandem of Tim Ream and Carlos Mendes consistently helped him whenever Toronto was in position to take a shot on goal.

For Thierry Henry, he's yet to produce a score but he came so close in the 56th minute when he fired his shot after beautifully beating his defender. Playing 57 minutes today, Henry continues to play well and it's a matter of time in which he's going to go on a scoring binge.

For Toronto, despite their valiant effort and a beautiful goal by Dwanye De Rosario (49th) in which he nutmegged Goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul to reduce their two-goal deficit to one, the Reds had the misfortune of not being able to muster up any more goals.

In addition to the loss, they've positioned themselves with the possibility of not reaching the postseason. Despite their third place standing in the Eastern Conference, there's six teams in the Western Conference with better records.

With an opportunity to avenge their 4-0 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes, the Red Bulls return to Red Bull Arena next Saturday, August 28th to face them. With nine games remaining in the regular season, the Red Bulls need to win as many games as they can in order to secure a postseason berth.

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for Latino Sports. Please send him your questions and comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy needed to get continuity from their 1-0 victory against the New York Red Bulls last week as they took on the San Jose Earthquakes.

Instead, they saw their wheels fall off as they left Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus on Santa Clara University.

A 1-0 defeat came as a result of the one main culprit that has plagued their season as a whole: the defensive back line.

It was another atrocious performance that made you wonder, hey, this team may not win the Supporters Shield and could burn out in the MLS Cup Playoffs. It's been that bad.

And just as bad was the tandem of Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle. Even with just one game per week these two are struggling to get their finishing touch.

Landon and Edson, I'm gonna let you know this: in this league, running on kryptonite is the last thing that you want to do, and yet you do it anyway against your NorCal rivals. Where is the touch? Where is the consistency?

Aside from that, I wanted to go ahead and call out a few more while I'm at it:

Michael Stephens has not been much of a contributor to the team. Ever since the match against the Columbus Crew on May 29, I can't think of a single time where he has made a key contribution to Los Angeles.

A.J. De La Garza should have done better marking Chris Wondolowski in the fourth minute, but Donovan Ricketts clearly blew up his chance to make a key save. Instead he goes off his line and leaves himself vulnerable.

Finally, Mike Magee shattered the chances of LA getting back into this game. He had two opportunities to not only tie the score, but give Los Angeles a lead if he had made the first. And they were from close distance.

I believe it's supposed to be textbook finishing. You're supposed to bury those. How Magee, Donovan, and Buddle failed to bury their shots is beyond me. It makes me doubt if they will hold off the likes of the Columbus Crew or Real Salt Lake in the ongoing race for the Shield.

So there you have it. Horrid back line defense and non-existent finishing. You know, this is becoming the story of the Galaxy's setbacks this season. For all of what this team has accomplished, it's a broken record. They just haven't figured out how to be more crisp in their passing and touches in the attacking third. The backline feels as if they haven't gelled yet, and we are in the home stretch of the season.

But to put this loss in perspective, the Los Angeles Galaxy made two critical mistakes as a team: they underestimated their opponent and they underestimated the importance of beating their opponent.

And the fact that they lost the California Clasico in this fashion just proves my point: on Saturday, the Los Angeles Galaxy lost their wheels on the way back from San Jose.

Better call some taxis to bring the boys back home while you still can, Bruce. They need all the help they can get when the Kansas City Wizards come to town. And you won't find those wheels anywhere in sight. No, sir.

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T-180 minutes to kickoff: Prior to the move to Santa Clara University, the San Jose Earthquakes played their matches at Spartan Stadium on the campus of San Jose State University. When the Earthquakes were revived from their hiatus, they began play at Buck Shaw Stadium, named after football coach Lawrence T. "Buck" Shaw, beginning in 2008.

Buck Shaw used to be the home of the Santa Clara Broncos football team until the cheeky admins decided to shut it down (no wonder I don't go to church that often). Still though, it's the home of the Santa Clara Broncos soccer teams, and they are good. One of the best programs in the West Coast Conference.

T-170: With a seating capacity of 10,300, Buck Shaw is one of the smaller stadiums in Major League Soccer. This was a 2001 increase in seating capacity from 6,800. It holds the distinction of being the training ground for the Brazil national team at the 1994 FIFA World Cup while holding the current record for highest attendance at a women's outdoor collegiate sporting event: sellout crowds of 8,800 for the 1996 NCAA Women's College Cup.

T-160: Buck Shaw also used to host Broncos baseball matches until 2005, when they got their own ball park. They have held their undergraduate commencement ceremonies here since 2001, weather permitting.

As part of the $4,000,000 in improvements to the stadium, drainage improvements, a new video scoreboard, additional concession and merchandising stands, and modernized/improved facilities such as new lighting, a TV press box, new sound system and a grandstand on the stadium's west side were on the cards at Buck Shaw.

T-150: Today, Buck Shaw is where the second leg of the California Clasico will take place between Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy and Frank Yallop's San Jose Earthquakes. Both teams are deadlocked in a 2-2 draw heading into this decisive leg.

T-140: The scenario is as follows:
* If the score ends in a scoreless draw, a 1-1 draw or a San Jose victory, the Quakes will win the California Clasico.
* If the score ends in a 2-2 draw, a draw higher than 2-2, or a Los Angeles victory, the Galaxy will win the California Clasico.
It's a straightforward deal.

T-130: The arrival of Geovanni will be key to San Jose's fortunes, but where he will be on the field will be critical.

“I had a lot of offers in different places,” said Geovanni during a press conference earlier this week. “The most important thing was I spoke to André [Luiz, the Quakes’ veteran midfielder] and André said it was a great place to live. I talked to John and John treated me very well.

"I thought it would be a great place to come. I’m excited to be here.”

As for the Galaxy, this is chance for them to continue their form.

"[The result at New York] was important because I think for a few weeks now we haven't played to our capabilities and we wanted to get back on form," L.A. midfielder Chris Birchall said in an interview with mlssoccer.com. "We had some heavy defeats, Chicago, even though we got back into the game, it was a hazy 20 minutes where we conceded three and Puerto Rico at home. 
"We knew we could play, and when we play like that as a team, and everyone is on form, we're a very good team."

T-120: We are two hours away from kickoff, and here are the line-ups.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY

Manager: Bruce Arena

Formation: 4-4-2 Diamond

Colors: White tops with blue and gold accents, white shorts, white socks

1 Donovan Ricketts

28 Sean Franklin ---- 22 Leonardo ---- 4 Omar Gonzalez ---- 20 A.J. De La Garza

11 Chris Birchall

26 Michael Stephens ---- 10 Landon Donovan (C)

19 Juninho

18 Mike Magee ---- 14 Edson Buddle

Substitutes:

12 Josh Saunders GK

27 Bryan Jordan DEF

6 Eddie Lewis MID

7 Chris Klein MID

8 Dema Kovalenko MID

9 Jovan Kirovski MID

88 Alex Cazumba MID

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

Manager: Frank Yallop

Formation: 4-4-2

Colors: Blue tops with black accents, blue shorts, blue socks

18 Jon Busch

20 Cornell Ward ---- 14 Brandon McDonald ---- 2 Bobby Burling ---- 11 Bobby Convey (C)

10 Arturo Alvarez ---- 7 Khari Stephenson ----4 Sam Croning ---- 17 Joey Gjertsen ----

8 Chris Wondolowski ---- 13 Cornell Glen

Substitutes:

24 Alex Horwath GK

15 Justin Morrow DEF

5 Brad Ring MID

22 Omar Jasseh MID

77 Geovanni MID

9 Scott Sealy FWD

19 Ryan Johnson FWD

T-110: CONCACAF Champions League results: Real Salt Lake defeated Arabe Unido 2-1, Columbus Crew shut out CSD Muncipal 1-0 and the Seattle Sounders fell to Marathon 2-1. The biggest surprise win had to come from Toronto FC, who pulled off a 2-1 upset win over Cruz Azul.

T-100: In other MLS play this week, the Chicago Fire defeated the New England Revolution 2-1.

T-90: We have a full slate of MLS action today. TFC takes on the New York Red Bulls, the Crew face the Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas takes on Chivas USA, the Kansas City Wizards take on the New England Revolution, and the Houston Dynamo host the Chicago Fire. Tomorrow, laggards D.C. United face the Philadelphia Union in the pillow fight of the week.

T-80: Just wanted to share with you some info on their mascot, Q, a.k.a. Quakesaurus.

Q was a 26 year old human male who fell into a radioactive fissure in the Earth's crust during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. He eventually emerged from the fissure as an ageless furry blue "creature" with a shock of silver hair and was soon afterward taken in by a family in nearby San José.

No longer having a craving for food, he instead developed a craving for fully caffeinated coffee which caused him to shake and have unlimited energy, leading to constant dancing, running and having an overall great time around large groups of people.

T-70: As longtime Earthquakes season ticket holders, his adopted family took him to a game where he fell in love with the sport and the team, after which the team's ownership hired him and named him Quakesaurus.

Q loves to have his picture taken with fans and enjoys meeting new friends at the games, especially the children who share his love of soccer.

One more tidbit to share here: Q has a similarly furry blue father named Andreas who was publicly introduced at an Earthquakes home game in 2005 just prior to Father's Day. Named after the San Andreas Fault. Clever.

T-60: One hour to kickoff here at Buck Shaw Stadium. It's 73 degrees down on the pitch. Not bad conditions. It's a whole lot better than the dry heat in Southern California.

T-45: The Earthquakes are looking to get a new stadium located west of the San Jose International Airport that will seat 15,000-18,000 spectators. This will be given the new nickname, "The Epicenter." Of course, this is the name of a Rancho Cucamonga ballpark with a similar team name, but that's a totally different story.

T-30: Also earlier today, the New York Red Bull bounced back with a 4-1 win over Toronto FC.

T-15: LA's next three games include an August 28 home stand against Kansas City, a September 4 road trip to Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois to face the Chicago Fire and the first of a four-game home stand on September 11 against the Columbus Crew.

As for the Quakes, they take on the New York Red Bulls at Harrison, New Jersey's Red Bull Arena on August 28; clash with the Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium on September 5 and return to Buck Shaw on September 11 for a match with FC Dallas.

FIRST HALF START: 1:06 P.M. PT

1' - Alrighty then. We are underway. Terry Vaughn is our match official today.

2' - Service goes out for a Galaxy throw-in.

3' - Some ball movement is in order. Here comes San Jose.

4' - GOAL! San Jose Earthquakes 8 Chris Wondolowski Assist 11 Bobby Convey
Oh dear. Now this is just an amateur mistake by a professional keeper. What a horrid blown assignment by Donovan Ricketts early in the game. He should know better than that.

5' - Completely inexcusable effort by the back line, too. Something has to be done about this. This was not the start they wanted.

6' - Corner kick for the Galaxy. Pathetic header. Take two.

7' - Back come the Quakes, and Chris Birchall is again exhibiting his chronic poor form.

8' - Free kick to the Galaxy. Donovan to take. Another atrocious header.

9' - And Birchall butcher yet again. You know, this might be a chronic habit today for LA. They must snap out of this.

10' - Here is A.J. De La Garza. He is paying the price for letting Wondo get open on the right side. If he earned his stripes last week, it doesn't like he is this week.

11' - Busch with the save.

12' - Predictable set of looks from the Galaxy. Excellent anticipation from San Jose, and here they go on the counter.

13' - Foul on Juninho. This will be a free kick. And let's hope is Ricketts is ready this time. And the back line too...

14' - Good awareness by the back line of the Quakes. Leonardo will need to be careful.

15' - Here's a free kick for the QUakes, and it's blocked. Cornell Glen is called back for offsides.

16' - So here were go again with the back line performing like they did for the lion's share of July and early August, trailing 1-0 to San Jose. Shot for Wondolowski from the same angle wide left.

17' - That shot from Mike Magee had as much creativity as a blank piece of paper.

18' - The Big Cat from Montego Bay, Donovan Ricketts, licks his wounds with this free kick. Sean Frankling with the throw-in.

19' - The passing at the front isn't working well for Juninho, and he is displeased with the foul not turning out in his favor.

20' - Bruce Arena must be think, "Here we go again..." As he should.

21' - 21 minutes into the game, and it's 1-0 San Jose. Birchall dispossesses. Tim Ward with the throw-in for the Earthquakes.

22' - Too long a pass from Leonardo to Michael Stephens.

23' - Vaughn plays advantage, San Jose. Now he blows the whistle and calls the foul. Interesting.

24' - Geovanni, the new addition to the San Jose lineup, looks on in the blazing NorCal heat, and he has to be pleased with the outcome so far.

25' - The G's now go through their next sequence. Please. That was too forward a run from Landon Donovan. Gotta do some passing in the attacking third, No. 10.

26' - Ugh, treachery, Mike Magee! Treachery! How dare you fail to finish that from inside the six-yard box! That's criminal, I say!

27' - And boom, goes the dynamite. Back to action.

28' - Here's Sean Franklin. And Edson is called back for offsides.

29' - Shameful ineptitude on both sides of the ball by the visitors has made this a 1-0 lead to the San Jose Earthquakes.

30' - Now where was Wondolowski passing that to? Goal kick Ricketts. LA resets for their next sequence.

31' - Terrible pace from the Galaxy attack, and Vaughn calls the foul.

32' - This is not good passing from Los Angeles today. And the Earthquakes' Khari Stephenson is a bit shaken up. He's fine, though.

33' - Back to play, and here comes San Jose with the free kick. Throw-in to Ricketts.

34' - And that was a terrible pass from Donovan. This sloppy play since the fourth minute seems to be a terrible habit. More horrid passing. It's a nightmare of offensive ineptitude.

35' - Goal kick Busch. Geovanni looks on, and I think he should have brought his shades with him.

36' - 36 minutes in and it's 1-0 San Jose.

37' - Back comes Los Angeles. And Brandon McDonald, the hero for San Jose the last time, forces a corner.

38' - Sean Franklin wishes he has that one back. That was a terrible header.

39' - And another corner. Donovan is not being creative enough with his shot selection. And that corner goes wide. What the devil is going on with Los Angeles today? Hellish first half.

40' - Here's De La Garza, and Donovan cannot keep that ball in bounds.

41' - There's another shot from Wondolowski that is saved by Donovan Ricketts. Glen is called offsides. Bad free kick from Omar Gonzalez.

42' - Here's a free kick for San Jose that doesn't amount to much.

43' - Well, the back line did their part of the work, but Mike Magee, for a second straight time, didn't. Oh, the tragedy.

44' - 44 minutes, it's still 1-0 Earthquakes.

45' - All right, Abbey Okulaja. How many minutes of stoppage time? One, he says. Busch goes off his line to save that chance for Edson Buddle.

45' + 1' - Speculative shot from Cornell Glen. Halftime, and this was one for them to forget.

HALFTIME

Los Angeles Galaxy 0

San Jose Earthquakes 1

Chris Wondolowski 4'

SECOND HALF START: 2:08 P.M. PT

46' - The second half begins. Los Angeles must figure out how to rally back from this, or their hold on the California Clasico is a done deal. Cannot stress this any further. They have shot themselves in the foot with their back line, particularly A.J. De La Garza, failing to mark trigger man Chris Wondolowski. Can they do it? Let's find out.

Juninho is fouled, and here is a free kick.

47' - Header by Buddle saved by Busch. Pathetic. One would expect better creativity than that from MLS's leading scorer.

48' - They aren't doing themselves any favors with these poor looks, the Galaxy aren't.

Yellow card 4 Omar Gonzalez
Los Angeles Galaxy

Gonzalez has been in heaps of trouble with the cards, and here it is again. And Wondolowski should have made it 2-0 Quakes. This is bad finishing from both sides.

50' - Cornell Glen with the handball. Speculative pass down field.

51' - Stephenson is going to feel that one in the morning from Buddle. Franklin had to make that clearance.

52' - Back come the Quakes. This back line is showing LA how it's done.

53' - Sam Cronin butchered that pass in the front. That pass went a bit too long.

54' - Yellow card 10 Arturo Alvarez
San Jose Earthquakes

Now that was a rash challenge, and it will be a free kick for dissent.

55' - Bruce Arena, a note: do not let Juninho do free kicks ever again.

56' - Franklin with another clearance, but the Quakes surround.

57' - We are 57 minutes in the contest, and it's 1-0 San Jose (3-2 on aggregate) thanks to Wondo's wonder goal. Goal kick, Jon Busch.

58' - Some good passing in the back; too bad they can't replicate that in the middle or the front.

59' - Here's another goal kick for Busch. 

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 6 Eddie Lewis
OUT 18 Mike Magee

61' - Good delivery from Sean Franklin, but no one was in the vicinity. It's hard to be consistent when you can't finish.

62' - The G's are going to have to figure something out at this juncture of the match. 

63' - Gee whizniks, Vaughn decided to play advantage to San Jose again. NorCal bias in the works.

64' - Busch takes his time as he delivers this goal kick.

65' - San Jose will have this back in possession. They have a 1-0 lead and will look to consolidate.

66' - Unbelievable lack of communication in the front, and Ricketts nearly got carded as per the DOGSO rule.

67' - The LA supporters who made the trip aren't pleased with this. They shouldn't be.

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 88 Alex Cazumba
OUT 26 Michael Stephens

68' - Cornell Glen missed his marker, but Donovan Ricketts watches that go for a goal kick. This backline is making "sleeping" an art form. It's uncanny.

69' - Alex Cazumba, with the clearance. And Bobby Burling clears the chance for Donovan. Corner. Blown apart. 

70' - Another save from Jon Busch. And another one off the shot bey Gonzalez. Los Angeles is the paying the price for not being creative enough in the attacking third. Where is the intensity/ Where is the pace? And to make matters worse...here comes Geovanni.

72' - Substitution San Jose Earthquakes
IN 77 Geovanni
OUT 13 Cornell Glen 

It's not like he will need to do too much at this point. 

74' - Another save by Busch on Donovan? This LA Galaxy team is running on kryptonite right now, and teams running on kryptonite rarely win matches, if ever.

75' - Ricketts had to dive for that one. 

76' - Lousy delivery in the front. Here's Geovanni.

77' - And he had space in the front. This Los Angeles Galaxy back line continues to pay the price for melting in the back.

Well, they almost did there.

Substitution San Jose Earthquakes
IN 19 Ryan Johnson
OUT 10 Arturo Alvarez

78' - To be honest with you, Long Beach State's women's soccer team are off to a start from hell, and they can pass better than the Galaxy are today.

79' - Corner, Los Angeles. Donovan to take. Busch with another tip. And another poor corner, this time from Eddie Lewis. 

80' - I'm telling this right now: Landon Donovan is not himself today. He is not himself today. Bad form, bad touch, bad shooting, bad everything. And that's putting it nicely. 

81' - Arturo Alvarez looks on, thinking, "My job's done here for today."

82' - Goal kick Jon Busch.

83' - Another foul on the Quakes.

84' - Edson Buddle butchered that shot. Now he is not feeling like himself.

85' - Service from Bobby Convey is cleared for a throw-in. I must admit this: Alex Cazumba needs to get better cleats. He's not getting his footing right.

86' - Ryan Johnson misses his marker, but fails to hit the mark.

87' - 87 minutes in, and San Jose is close to winning, for the first time since 2005, the California Clasico. Corner cleared by Busch.

88' - Here's another. And this is another Jon Busch save.

89' - Ryan Johnson is not doing himself any favors with 
his latest miss. It will be a corner.

90' - Geovanni should have converted that.

91' - Four minutes of stoppage time. Buddle is shaken up a little. And they were not set up on that sequence. 

93' - Another miss from Eddie Lewis. This sums up how bad the Los Angeles Galaxy have played today.

94' - And that is a wrap.

FINAL

LOS ANGELES GALAXY 0

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES 1

Chris Wondolowski 4'

After a long period of dominance by the Galaxy, the Earthquakes finally one-up their rivals. Stay tuned for my take on the match on the View from Victoria Street and on Bleacher Report.

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Designated Players can bring a lot of short-term things to the franchises that sign them.

There are the headlines, the extra revenue generated from an increase in tickets and merchandise, and the experience from years of playing the sport in the world’s top league with the top teams and teammates.

The New York Red Bulls are learning that what they won’t necessarily bring, right away at least, is wins.

Since July 15, the Red Bulls have signed former Barcelona stars Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez to go along with their first Designated Player, Juan Pablo Angel.

In the four league games Henry has played in, the team has gone 1-1-2 and has been shut out twice, scoring a total of only three goals—two against the Houston Dynamo in a game that they blew a 2-1 lead in the final minutes of the match.

In the two games Marquez has played, the team has not scored or won.

It’s not an encouraging sign for a team that many are jumping on the bandwagon as serious MLS Cup contenders.

However, it is not time yet for the long-suffering New York fans to go into a panic.

Henry and Marquez are just beginning to get their feet wet in MLS. They are transitioning to a new team, a new league, and a new city to live in. For the two stars, it is simply an adjustment period.

Henry has already showed what he is capable of. He assisted on all three goals the team has scored in his four matches. He is linking up with Angel extremely well, and he himself is attacking the goal strong but is just unlucky in the finishing department.

Marquez, a defensive-minded player, has been a major part in why the Red Bulls have only given up one goal in his two games. He helped anchor the defense in holding the Chicago Fire, with Designated Players Freddie Ljungberg and Nery Castillo, scoreless, and surrendered only one goal against the Los Angeles Galaxy, the league’s top team and second-highest scoring team.

While the Red Bulls cannot afford to let up, they are in a good position with the tiniest bit of leeway, enough to win some points and let their superstars get comfortable.

What the fans need is patience.

Had this been last year, who knows what former coach Juan Carlos Osorio would have done. The never-happy, constant-tinkering could have delayed the progress of the team gelling and the players getting comfortable.

But Hans Backe is different. He generally keeps the lineup and formation consistent, and he rides the hot hand. Backe knows the stars the team has acquired and fully understands there is necessary adjustment time. And he will give them that time.

A franchise long infamous for bad luck and silly decisions finally has some hope. There is the second place standing after last season’s debacle, the new stadium, and the commitment to winning bringing in an additional two Designated Players. There is plenty for Red Bull fans to be optimistic about.

Rough patches happen. Some fans may be thinking, “Same old Red Bulls.” But there is plenty of reason to keep hope.

Henry and Marquez will get it together sooner rather than later, and the team will certainly be a dominant force when it does happen.

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The Seattle Sounders were deadlocked 1-1 with host CD Marathon in the group stage opener of CONCACAF Champions League play Thursday night at Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula, Honduras when the deciding play of the evening occurred in the 45th minute.   

Sounders veteran defender Tyrone Marshall had been tenaciously battling Marathon’s Nicolas Cardozo all evening when the two players collided on the Sounders edge of the pitch.  Marshall sought to clear the area with a kick.

What followed was Marshall receiving a yellow card and Cardozo coolly delivering a penalty kick from the box that gave the home team a hard fought 2-1 victory.

The most experienced player on the field, Sounders two time All-Star goalkeeper Kasey Keller, sized up his view of the collision with the expertise of an international professional soccer veteran of 40:

"The ball came over the top and it took a bad bounce. I didn't expect it to bounce that way. I called for Tyrone [Marshall] to head it to me but it didn't get there. I don't know how it was a penalty.”

The seasoned veteran then tackled the essence of the issue, stating, “ I haven't seen the tape but it didn't look like a penalty to me. It looked like two guys swing and kick each others' legs and next thing you know the ball is in my hands and he [the referee] is signaling a foul. I don't know what he saw. It may have been good play by the striker but I don't know. That was frustrating.”

The initial reaction by Marshall was stunned silence.  Meanwhile, his teammates rushed to the scene and protested the call.

The penalty call illustrated once more the issue discussed frequently during recent World Cup television coverage by commentators and experts.  Officials can only expect to see so much.  In bygone days, it was recognized that this was an imperfection that needed to be accepted since there was no viable alternative beyond officials’ spot decisions.

With the advent of video technology, a viable alternative is now present.  Thursday’s call further illustrates the need of reviewing plays with the benefit of video evidence.

The replay in this instance illustrated how and why an official would make such a call as well as the importance of having the camera’s all-seeing eye to review action.  In this case, Marshall’s leg was in motion.  He did make contact with the oncoming player, but it appeared as if his leg was already in motion.

This begs the following question.  Wasn’t this a play like one of those many instances in the National Football League where two players are going for the ball?  In American football the prevalent rule is “Both players have an equal right to pursue the ball.”  In such instances, given that acceptance, no penalty is called.

In the game of soccer, this was a similar circumstance and the same result should obtain.  The only reason, based on review of video evidence, why Marshall made contact was due to the rushing of the Marathon player to the scene.  This contact occurred due to both players making a play for the ball, as Kasey Keller noted.

The official, therefore, seeing Marshall making contact with an opposing player could easily make a penalty call absent the advantage of seeing the play clearly through video technology.  This would have put the issue in a different context.

Sounders Coach Sigi Schmid was tactful, but obviously disappointed by the call that resulted in the evening’s deciding goal.  “The penalty, I thought, was a harsh call,” Schmid said, “but it is what it is.”

Schmid thought that his team performed better in the second half, warming up in the humid evening to the task at hand.  Statistics bear him out in the shot department as Seattle, bolstered by a stronger second half effort, ended the match with a 15-10 overall advantage.

Schmid’s post game comment underscored his belief that the Sounders improved as the game progressed:

"I think our effort in the game (was that) we didn't do well at the outset with [Carlos] Palacios on the one side and [Randy] Diamond on the other side. I think we were disjointed offensively. The last 20 minutes, 25 minutes of the game I thought we had very good energy. In the beginning of the game we didn't have good energy and we didn't see an awful lot of the ball. If you want to see the ball a lot you need to play hard. We need to be better next time."

Despite Sounders difficulties in getting untracked early, one of the most beautifully executed goals of the season occurred in the 17th minute culminating with a score by Roger Levesque, whose last previous goal had been the game winner at D.C. United in the 89th minute July 18.

Levesque was put in a position to deliver a goal producer based on two superb assists.  The first came on a cross from right to left by the irrepressible Fredy Montero, who has provided yeoman duty as the season has progressed both as a scorer and score generator as an assist master.

The assist was the Colombia Comet’s 10th of the season.  This means that he has achieved his earlier stated goal to provide 10 assists this campaign.

Montero’s well orchestrated cross moved into the middle, the territory of Seattle’s veteran midfielder Blaise Nkufo.  A less experienced player may well have either let the ball go or given it a harder kick that would have driven it beyond Levesque.

Levesque needed help to have a shot at a goal, but of just the right kind, which Nkufo provided.  With his body facing forward, Nkufo delivered a gentle swipe with the back of his foot.  The ball accordingly landed at Levesque’s feet, he drove the ball into the back post, and the Sounders were on the scoreboard with a 1-0 lead.

The equalizer was provided in the 27th minute as Orvin Paz took a pass from Randy Diamond and touched it once before driving a low scoring shot to the near post.

The controversial penalty kick of Nicolas Cardozo in the 45th minute closed out not only first half scoring but that of the remainder of the game, but that does not mean that the equally hard fought second half was devoid of thrills and scoring opportunities.

Two Sounders opportunities stand out, both coming near the end of the match.  Nathan Sturgis' corner in the 78th minute found a darting Michael Seamon near the 6-yard box.  Seamon’s resulting header hit the crossbar.

Montero nearly scored in the 89th minute.  He struck a bouncing ball in the box with just the right light touch.  Fate was not on Seattle’s side as Montero’s effort rolled just wide of the far post.

Keller commented afterward about the Seattle opportunities that failed to connect with the net.

“We had multiple chances at the end of the game to get something out of this,” Keller acknowledged.  “Once again, usually you would put in nine of 10 of them but it was just one of those days when it just wasn't going to happen. And that was probably the most frustrating. We know we were better and we should have done better."

The 2-1 setback generates added pressure on the Sounders to defeat CF Monterrey of Mexico in the next round of action, which resumes August 25 on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.

League play will resume August 28 with Freddie Ljungberg and the Chicago Fire visiting Qwest Field.  After that the Sounders face Chivas USA in a U.S. Open Cup semifinal September 1 at Starfire Sports Stadium in Tukwila.

Team Captain Keller summarized Thursday night’s action along with Seattle’s ongoing participation in CONCACAF Champions League activity philosophically:

Team Captain Keller summarized Thursday night’s action along with Seattle’s ongoing participation in CONCACAF Champions League activity philosophically:

“We thought we had changed it already but our energy in the first 20 minutes was a bit more selective. We have got to get more pressure on them. We all learn from experiences. It's a long trip. It's hot, humid, we are on a very slow pitch and we just couldn't figure it out. We have got five more games left in this competition and there's nothing to fear playing these teams. We can line up with these teams quite comfortably."

Seattle stands at 10-9-7 overall this season.  Its unbeaten streak of nine matches (6-0-3) over all competitions has ended.

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The Seattle Sounders FC lost to Marathon in the CONCACAF Champions League, after they began the game with a goal by Roger Levesque within the first 17 minutes.

Freddy Montero took advantage of an error by one of the Marathon defenders to pass the ball to Roger Levesque, who made a right foot kick into the left side of the net.

The Sounders then started to feel relaxed during the game which was a mistake.

Orvin Paz of Marathon took advantage of an opening in the goal post to score an equalizer with a right foot kick into the left edge corner in 27 minutes.

Nicolas Cardozo applied the final nail to the hopes of the Seattle Sounders by scoring the second goal for Marathon on the basis of a penalty.

Marathon appeared dominant at home at their stadium, Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano, in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. They were consistent and united throughout the match.

The Seattle Sounders appeared to be clueless as to what was happening and were disorganized in defense and passing the ball.

The end result saw Marathon receive three points in Group C of the CONCACAF Champions League. Monterrey received the same points in the same group.

The Sounders ended their nine game winning streak with their first loss outside of the MLS. 

The most valued player of the game was Orvin Paz for his equalizer.

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The San Jose Earthquakes signed their first designated player, Brazilian midfielder Deiberson Mauricio, on Monday. 

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Geovanni is known as a versatile and creative attacking midfielder who can score. He started playing professionally in Brazil when he was 18. Since then, his career has spanned from Portugal to Spain to England.

Last year he played a crucial role in helping Hull City avoid relegation during the 2008-2009 season. Geovanni scored 13 goals in 65 games with the Tigers during his two year stint there, including a Goal of the Month strike in 2-1 victory against Arsenal.

San Jose is currently in sixth place in the Western Conference with 26 points and have played fewer games every team they trail. They are in ninth place overall, meaning they are the first team out of a playoff spot.

The main question is where he will play as San Jose now have a number of options going forward. These include Khari Stephenson who debuted with an assist and well talked about performance against Kansas City last week.

Despite a season ending injury to Andre Luiz, San Jose is deep going forward, with Arturo Alvarez, Bobby Convey, Sam Cronin, and Chris Wondolowski among others. Each has his own unique strengths and plays a different role in the offense.

There is some speculation about how Frank Yallop will deal with his new embarrassment of riches. One hint is that Bobby Convery started at left back last week, helping to shore up a sore defense.

The 30-year old Brazilian international may not have the name recognition of Thierry Henry or Rafael Marquez, but he might make the biggest MLS wide impact in the shortest amount of time. San Jose need to make a playoff push while the Red Bulls appear to be sitting pretty in fourth place overall.

Only time will tell how the latest foreign star adapts to the confines and quirks of Major League Soccer.

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The San Jose Earthquakes signed their first designated player, Brazilian midfielder Deiberson Mauricio, on Monday. 

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Geovanni is known as a versatile and creative attacking midfielder who can score. He started playing professionally in Brazil when he was 18. Since then, his career has spanned from Portugal to Spain to England.

Last year he played a crucial role in helping Hull City avoid relegation during the 2008-2009 season. Geovanni scored 13 goals in 65 games with the Tigers during his two year stint there, including a Goal of the Month strike in 2-1 victory against Arsenal.

San Jose is currently in sixth place in the Western Conference with 26 points and have played fewer games every team they trail. They are in ninth place overall, meaning they are the first team out of a playoff spot.

The main question is where he will play as San Jose now have a number of options going forward. These include Khari Stephenson who debuted with an assist and well talked about performance against Kansas City last week.

Geovanni has been capped once by Brazil and is 30.

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Blackburn Rovers are set to become the latest team in the Premier League to receive new ownership as part of a big money takeover.

Indian Ahsan Ali Syed is poised to become the new owner of the Blackburn Rovers—one of only four teams to be crowned Premier League Champions—at a cost of an estimated £300 million.

Syed is said to be pledging £80-£100 million into a transfer fund for new players, and he has personally announced that he would “love to take Beckham” to Blackburn.

David Beckham will surely be glad to hear that his services are coveted by Blackburn, as he is still coming to grips with the announcement of England manager Fabio Capello that he was no longer an international option.

Beckham turned 35 last May and is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon in his left foot. There is no doubting his talent but there are questions over the productivity that he could offer to a team.

David Beckham is a global brand. He is an icon of the sport and he is the most widely recognizable and associated football player in the world. Blackburn will most definitely reap the commercial benefit that Beckham carries with him.

But it will not be anywhere close to the extent that Real Madrid or L.A Galaxy received. He will shine some light on Blackburn in other countries. but the financial benefits would not be as vast as once before.

The idea that Beckham could be used as bait to try and lure other players to Ewood Park is plausible, but how much pulling power would Beckham really have with other professionals?

On the pitch Beckham has his uses, and for both club and country Beckham has found a niche for himself to fit his lack of pace, which has further diminished over the years.

He is one of the best crossers of the ball in the game. He is also a dead-ball specialist and one of the finest passers in the game.

With that said, his fitness must be questioned after yet another foot injury and Beckham does not really fit the Blackburn or manager Sam Allardyce’s system.

Blackburn Rovers are a nitty-gritty type of team. They are built with players who are expected to get into hard tackles and fight tooth and nail for each and every challenge. Beckham is a competitor and has a great passion for the game but he does not tick any of the above boxes.

Blackburn’s midfield is a key area for the team and the warrior mentality is a must for Blackburn to strive in the system that Allardyce has implemented. David Beckham is not that type of player.

It was also hinted at that Beckham is a perfect “closer” for teams to have. He can be brought on to control games and to use possession wisely and advantageously. Blackburn are not the type of team that would ever be so dominating that they would need to just dwindle down the time.

David Beckham looks appealing from afar, but up close he really has very little to offer Blackburn Rovers or their fans.

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Harrison, NJ—After 20 matches in the 2010 MLS season, the New York Red Bulls are in second place of the Eastern Conference with a 9-7-4 record. Despite the recent signings of Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez, the Red Bulls have gone 1-2-2 in their last five games. With 10 matches remaining in the season, are the Red Bulls syncing or sinking?

The Red Bulls Are Syncing

Despite Saturday's 1-0 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy, the Red Bulls fought the best team in MLS and were in position to tie the game on numerous occasions. Fans and critics alike have to remember that this was the second match in which recently signed Thierry Henry, and Rafa Maraquez have played together with the rest of team.

Take into consideration that this is a transition period for both players. Prior to joining the MLS, their seasons began around this time of the year. While the entire team is in MLS form, Henry and Marquez are going to need a few more games to adjust.

On a positive note, Thierry Henry has been attacking the net aggressively and has contributed three assists in four regular season matches.

Along with the physical conditioning, there's also the mental aspect of it. Both players are still learning to communicate with their new teammates. Off the pitch, they are still adjusting to life in the NY/NJ area.

Whether fans and critics want to hear it or not, these players are humans. Like any one of us who begins a new job or moves to a new location, there's a period of adjustment we've all had to endure.

In matches featuring both players, the Red Bulls faced off against the scrappy Chicago Fire and MLS Best the Los Angeles Galaxy. Against both teams, the team only allowed one goal.

Along with the consistent play of Joel Lindpere and Tim Ream, Tony Tchani has been demonstrating why he was second overall pick in the MLS Superdraft. In addition, the bench has been providing valuable minutes. With their recent elevation, the Red Bulls will have one of the deepest bench in the postseason should they continue to play in the way that they are. 

With 10 matches remaining, there's enough time for entire team to adjust to the playing styles of Marquez and Henry. In addition, there's been moments that when the time are in sync and passing the ball, opposing teams are having a difficult time of stopping them.

When it's said and done, the Red Bulls have been the dominant team in their last four matches. The reason they've been 1-1-2 instead of 4-0-0 is because the team hasn't been able to produce goals.

As Henry and Marquez are adjusting to the team, Juan Pablo Angel and Macoumba Kandji have been playing better as of late. Granted they're missed numerous opportunities for goals but there will come a time when they're not missing those opportunities. 

The Red Bulls are Sinking

The Red Bulls final 10 matches are against teams with a combined record of 68-55-49. Out those 10 matches, the Red Bulls face off twice against Real Salt Lake. With a record of 11-4-6, Real is the second best team in MLS.

If it wasn't enough, the Red Bulls have four difficult road matches against four playoff contenders: the Los Angeles Galaxy, FC Dallas, Toronto FC, and Real Salt Lake.

In addition to facing those teams, the team faces off against playoff contenders the Colorado Rapids and the San Jose Earthquakes at Red Bull Arena. In layman terms, the Red Bulls play seven out of their last 10 matches against playoff contenders.

The biggest concern facing the Red Bulls is whether they're capable of attacking the net successfully. The team has proven that they're capable of moving the ball but they've also demonstrated their inability to finish as evidenced by the number of offsides calls against them and missed scoring opportunities. 

Defensively, are the Red Bulls capable of defending their net? Bouna Koundal has played well this season but he's also had disastrous games in which gave up four goals against San Jose and three goals against rival Columbus Crew. Is he going to play well for the remainder of the season or is he going to suffer a meltdown?

Along with Koundoul's potential meltdown, will he joined by Kandji, Ream and Lindpere. Both have played play and have been the most consistent players on the team but it's a wonder if fatigue will play a factor. As for Kandji, he's either hot or cold so we'll see.

Another concern for the Red Bulls whether 10 matches is enough time for both Marquez and Henry to adjust to the physical style of MLS competition. Will Henry be able to accept that fouls aren't going to be called the way he's accustomed too in Europe?

Overall, will the team be able to produce a postseason appearance or will fans be disappointed for the second consectitive year? Is Manager Hans Backe capable of pulling the team together in time for a postseason run?

The only way to know is to simply watch the games.

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for Latino Sports. Please send him your questions and comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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