Clint Mathis, one of the most memorable and beloved soccer players of his generation, retired after starting Saturday’s Los Angeles Galaxy-Real Madrid exhibition match.

With a career spanning 13 professional seasons, Mathis was successful at the college, club, country, and international club levels. He had a nose for goal and carried along an iconic personality.

Mathis was a star for four years at the University of South Carolina. He scored 53 goals and added 15 assists in 58 total games; he was a two-time All-American and set the school record as a sophomore with 25 goals in one season, leading his team to the NCAA tournament all four years.

His goal scoring prowess really progressed in Mathis’ time with Major League Soccer.

After being a first round draft pick of the Los Angeles Galaxy in 1998, Mathis finished his rookie season with five goals and 10 assists, establishing himself as a rising talent.

In 2000, he was traded to the MetroStars where he quickly solidified his presence as one of the best playmakers America has produced.

The MetroStars had a dismal 1999 season, but were instantly uplifted with Mathis’ arrival. He scored 13 goals and 13 assists in 21 games with the team that season, including an MLS-record five goals in one game against the Dallas Burn, en route to leading the team to the MLS Cup semi-finals.

The following season, he won the MLS Goal of the Year (which would later be nominated for Goal of the Decade) for his incredible 60-yard run through defenders and bottom corner finish.

While Mathis was a member of the team through 2003, because of injury, national team duties, and transfers overseas and within MLS, Mathis would not make a significant return to the MetroStars (renamed the Red Bulls) until 2007. His last goal with the club came in a thrilling 5-4 win over the David Beckham-led Galaxy in front of 80,000 fans at Giants Stadium. It also broke the franchise-record for goals scored in all competitions with 45 (Juan Pablo Angel later broke Mathis’ record).

Mathis would finally win an MLS Cup championship with Real Salt Lake in 2009. His role was heavily reduced with the team, appearing as a substitute, but he would play a key role in winning the championship match. With the score tied 1-1 after overtime, Mathis was selected to take the first penalty kick in the shootout and converted.

In 11 MLS seasons, Mathis scored 67 total MLS-competition goals with the Galaxy, Red Bulls/MetroStars, Real Salt Lake, and Colorado Rapids.

He also made an impact overseas, acting as a goal scoring threat with Hanover 96 in the German Bundesliga and for Ergotolis in Greece. Mathis scored in his debut for both clubs and he scored four goals in his first five games with Hanover.

Mathis’ biggest goal of his career came in the 2002 World Cup. Representing the U.S., Mathis started the second game of the group stage against host-nation South Korea and scored after collecting a ball from the air and slotting it into the bottom corner, to give the United States a 1-0 lead and eventually a 1-1 draw.

Mathis’ goal scoring abilities absolutely captured the attention and imagination of soccer fans in the States, but it wasn’t the only thing they loved about him. Mathis had a personality that really made him remarkable.

In fact, it was a second personality that endeared him to fans.

Mathis adopted an on-field personality known as Cletus. Cletus was brash, honest, and had flair. He would help Clint celebrate his success, but would also cause him to make some poor decisions. All in all, they made Clint recognizable.

After Mathis scored his first goal with the MetroStars, he lifted his jersey to reveal an “I Love New York” t-shirt, expressing his dissatisfaction that the Galaxy got rid of him,  as making New York his new home and earning credit with the home fans.

Not only did Clint score in the 2002 World Cup, but he also sported a Mohawk that scored him instant recognition.

As for Cletus’ bad influence, he reared his ugly head while Clint was with Hanover.

In his second season with the German club, a coaching change and new manager kept Mathis on the bench. One game, Mathis was used as a substitute in the last few minutes of play and almost immediately scored the game-winning goal. As for his celebration, Mathis ran to the sidelines in front of his bench and tapped his wrist, referring to a watch, how late he entered the game, and what he could have done with more time.

Mathis started the next game, but never played for the team again afterwards.

All things considered, Clint or Cletus, goals or benchings, Mathis was a special individual. He had talent galore and was an entertaining character.

MLS and American soccer in general will miss a man that made such an impact on the game and an impression on its loyal fans.

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There is a strange feeling hovering around the New England Revolution’s most ardent fanbase right now.  And it is hard to describe.

The Steve Ralston retirement debacle was the last in a series of “Can you do anything right?” moments.  (Yes, I know “it was the league office’s fault," but please, he’s a Revolution player, the Revolution promoted the game as his retirement send-off, and fans expect the Revolution front office talks to the league more than they do. It was sad.)

However, over the last few weeks odd things have been happening on and off the field.  Good things.  And it’s not clear the fans are at all sure how to deal with good news.  And maybe rightly.

What’s been going on?

Well, for one, the Revolution have been winning some games.  They might not be beautiful, they might mostly be SuperLiga and not MLS games, but they are not losing. That’s a start.

In fact, they are even heading to the final of the odd, but nonetheless interesting, SuperLiga competition.   It’s a great showing by the team, and something every supporter is happy to see.

Second, the Revolution front office decided that in 2011 there would be seating on both sides of the field for MLS matches.  (Why it was called “Full Bowl” seating when not all sections are open is, however, a mystery.)

Now let’s be clear.  This is not the stop-the-presses good news.  But it is a sign of intent to create a better atmosphere from a front office often criticized for a lack of such intent.

While that interim solution was announced, news continues to be slowly leaked out about potential soccer specific stadium locations, a clear admission that Gillette Stadium is not a perfect solution.  If you do not understand why, please come to a rainy midweek game.  Then it will be clear.

Lastly, and maybe most importantly, the Revolution added some much-needed reinforcements to its attack.   Newcomers Roberto Linck and Ilija Stolica are welcome additions to an injured, over-matched front line.

But this is where we return to why the New England fans are having such trouble feeling good.   There’s a sneaking suspicion that in MLS, “good” isn’t good enough anymore.

These new players?  Probably good.

The new seating?  A good step.

The recent string of results?  Good indeed.

But then the fans look around.  And they get antsy all over again.

The Revolution’s closest (geographic) rivals add Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez on top of Juan Pablo Angel and a brand new soccer specific stadium.  That just hurts.

The Red Bulls might be the Revs' theoretical closest rivals. But for watchers of this team, playoff battles against the Chicago Fire probably stand out as much more of what a rivalry is made up of.

The real issue struck me about a week ago, as the Chicago Fire was up 3-0 against the Los Angeles Galaxy.  It wasn’t the fact that Chicago (already an MLS Cup winner who plays in a soccer-specific stadium) was beating up the “best” team in MLS. It was that at 3-0, Brian McBride and Freddie Ljundberg had not even entered the match and Nery Castillo was still waiting to join the team.

That’s when it struck me that “good” may not be good enough in MLS anymore.   So while the team needs to continue the “good," and a win would certainly help, the fans will still be looking for more.

There is a need for some “great” to be sprinkled in as well.  And that’s going to be a bit harder to do.

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Many skeptics had already written off the Seattle Sounders several weeks ago for the 2010 season, convinced that the team could never make the playoffs in its second season of MLS existence.

Instead Coach Sigi Schmid’s team, bolstered by the return of some injured players along with foreign acquisitions Blaise Nkufo and Alvaro Fernandez, is now in comfortable playoff striking range as well as faring successfully in non-league competition.

Seattle Sounders FC hopes to continue its current surge as the Rave Green returns from 3,000 miles away in San Salvador to the friendly confines of Qwest Field for a match against the Houston Dynamo. Seattle can further climb up the Western Conference of MLS when it hosts the Dynamo on Sunday night at 8 p.m. PT.

Undefeated in its last four MLS matches and in seven games over all competitions, Sounders FC at a current 7-8-4 and 25 points has vaulted from seventh to fourth in the West, two points behind FC Dallas.

Seattle has won three straight and has not lost in its last four MLS starts dating back to July 11. The seven-game unbeaten run of 5-0-2 in all competitions began with a 2-0 win over the L.A. Galaxy in a July 7 U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal.

Tuesday night Seattle advanced by way of aggregate goals scored to the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League with a 1-1 draw in San Salvador. Sounders FC had defeated Metapán, 1-0, in the first leg of the preliminary series, played on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field last week. The team then won an MLS contest at San Jose 1-0 before continuing its journey to San Salvador.

Seattle and Houston, which currently stands 5-8-5 with 20 points in MLS competition, are sowing the seeds of a true rivalry. The sides have already met five times with some memorable outcomes.

Houston is coming off its fourth draw in its last five matches.  Its last competition was a 2-2 result at home against the New York Red Bulls. Houston is winless since May 22.

Sunday night’s match will be the first meeting since the Dynamo eliminated Sounders FC from the MLS Cup Playoffs last November. The two-game postseason series was extended to extra time after the second leg at Robertson Stadium in Texas.

Earlier in 2009 Seattle had beaten Houston 2-1 after extra time in the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Rave Green won at home and drew on the road in two regular season matches with the Dynamo.

Sigi Schmid after Friday’s final workout at Qwest Field commented on the challenge that Houston represents.

“Houston is going to be a very dangerous team because it is a team that has traditionally, over the past period of time in MLS, been at the top of the league,” Schmid said.  “They have a lot of proud players. They are not really comfortable being in the position they are in so they are going to fight and they’re going to bite and they’re going to scratch.

“They will do everything they can because they are a very proud team. And anytime you have players like [Brian] Ching and [Brian] Mullan and Brad Davis on the offensive side of the ball you are a team that’s got to be reckoned with.”

The Sounders coach also commented on the significance of the intense rivalry that has developed between the two teams.

“Last year we played them a number of times, between the Open Cup, the two league games and the first round of the playoffs,” Schmid recalled.  “When you play a team that often you sort of build a little bit of an edge.

“Also (Houston Coach) Dominic (Kinnear) and I are friends and as I have said before you never really want to lose to friends because you hear about it for a long time. His teams are competitive. I think my teams are competitive. We had tight games last year, every game was a tight game, some overtime games in there as well. It will be the same this year.”

On the subject of Sounder team fitness, Schmid said:

“We will see how guys came through training today. Most of the guys felt alright. We were a little cautious with Jeff Parke just because they wanted to give him one more day but he was able to deal with everything well so if he is fine tomorrow he can definitely be a go as well for Sunday. We feel pretty good about where we are at right now.”

Schmid had positive words about the team’s newest arrival, Uruguay World Cup player Alvaro Fernandez.  He commented also on the key goal Fernandez achieved to insure the 1-1 tie and aggregate 2-1 win over Metapan.

“He came in and did what he does (best),” Schmid said.  “He helps move the ball for us and got into the box at the right time and obviously made a great header. That was a very timely goal.”

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Schellas Hyndman and Kasey Keller, two accomplished people within the Major League Soccer fraternity, had interesting points to make recently about parity.

When Hyndman met the media following a recent 1-1 tie that his FC Dallas team achieved in Seattle it was with the buoyant optimism one associates with a victory.

The Dallas management was fortunate to see that there was a gigantic soccer legend within their city and made a successful move to sign Hyndman after he had posted an awesome 466-122-49 figure at Southern Methodist.

If there is one thing that such an eye-popping college record reveals about Hyndman it is that he knows the ways to win.  He is currently being discussed as a serious Coach of the Year candidate in the MLS after leading the team upward from lesser accomplishments before he took over as coach  to a current glossy 6-2-9 mark.

The nine tie record is interesting.  It reveals a shrewd knowledge of what it takes to achieve success in the MLS, as Hyndman revealed that night following the hard fought 1-1 draw with the Seattle Sounders.

“This is a tough place to come in and get a win given the big crowd factor supporting the home team,” Hyndman acknowledged.  “We feel fortunate in getting a tie and one point.”

At this juncture Hyndman moved into the realm of parity discussion.

“This league is so balanced that to earn a point on the road can be a big plus, especially in a tough city to play in like Seattle,” Hyndman said. “With this much balance you can accomplish a lot by getting one point on the road and concentrate on getting three points when you play at home.”

Hyndman hit on a fundamental point of compilation toward later potential playoff activity.  While he would prefer a win anytime, it is comforting to note that a tie will achieve one point and put a team in a good position to cop three points at greater clips before the home folks.  Momentum is not impaired as long as road losses are avoided and one point can be posted.

After his team’s recent 1-0 home win at the Xbox Pitch of Qwest field against the Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Kasey Keller was asked about parity and balance within the MLS.

Keller, like Hyndman, is another voice of experience, a U.S. team member in World Cup competition and an international goalkeeper of great distinction in England and Germany before signing with the newly created Seattle Sounders last season.

“What keeps this league at a balanced level is the salary cap,” Keller said.  “As long as that remains then things will remain at the level where they are now.”

Keller then addressed the subject of dynasty.

“Here is what this salary cup that this league has in force has accomplished,” Keller revealed.  “In this league you will not see anything like what has been seen in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees.”

Hyndman and Keller addressed the same point from different perspectives.  Last season’s result bore strongly on their revelations.

Real Salt Lake was a team that barely gnawed its way into the MLS Playoffs.  When all was said and done it was Real Salt Lake that copped the MLS Cup.

The Los Angeles Galaxy jumped off to a big point edge at the beginning of this season but as the campaign progresses a tightening process has been clearly visible.

This is the first season.  The second season begins with the playoffs.  Will fans be in for the same kind of surprise as emerged last season with Real Salt Lake achieving its surprise win?

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And the rich get richer.

Already sporting the best frontline tandem in Major League Soccer in the form of Juan Pablo Angel and his fellow designated player, Thierry Henry, the New York Red Bulls have added Henry's former Barcelona teammate Rafael Marquez.

Getting a mega-watt star like Thierry Henry was a big deal—he's a global brand, and he's a scorer. Adding a player like Marquez, the captain of the Mexican national team, might be an even bigger deal.

Rafa, a central defender for Barcelona, plays defensive midfielder for his national team. The Red Bulls plan to use him in that midfielder role as well. In addition to choking off the opponents attacking runs, Marquez will excel at turning defense into offense and be the primary link between the two. Just picture a Marquez to Henry to Angel counterattack—scary stuff.

Like Henry, Marquez is just 31 years old. Like Henry, he does not consider MLS a retirement home. Neither player is that far removed from his prime and both are here to add to their glory (win titles), not bask in it.

While not hugely popular with fans of the U.S. national team (his flying head butt of Cobi Jones during the 2002 World Cup won't soon be forgotten), he will be a huge hit with the sizable Mexican population in New York and around the country. This is especially important given Cuauhtemoc Blanco's decision to not return to the Chicago Fire this season.

The Red Bulls have become the first MLS team to take advantage of a recent rule change that allows teams to sign up to three designated players whose salary does not count against the salary cap ($350,000 counts toward the cap and is paid by the league, the remainder is paid by the team's owners). New York now has the highest payroll in MLS history.

Like their baseball counterpart, the New York Yankees, the talent and payroll level of the Red Bulls has raised expectations significantly. Already sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference (fourth overall), New York quite simply needs to win their first MLS Cup to validate their spending. Anything less will be a major disappointment for fans of both the Red Bulls and MLS.

If New York is able to import its way to a title, two results could follow: other MLS teams (are you listening New England!?) will have to open the wallets if they want to compete, and more elite-level talent could come to view MLS as an attractive resume builder.

MLS has done a fantastic job growing the league over the last 15 years, but it is obvious that the talent level needs to increase if the league is to flourish. There could be no greater PR campaign than seeing the L.A. Galaxy squaring off against the Red Bulls in the finals.

Marquez is slated to make his Red Bulls debut on Sunday against the Chicago Fire. He is expected to start in what is being billed as a "DP Showdown." The Fire have two designated players of their own (and are looking to obtain a third) in Mexican forward Nerry Castillo and Swedish midfielder Freddy Ljungberg. The game is at 9PM (ET) and will be shown on ESPN2.

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The outcome for the Los Angeles Galaxy's exhibition with Real Madrid might as well be decided long before the match even begins at the Rose Bowl.

Bruce Arena's Galaxy will be limping into the Rose Bowl with a string of defeats to the Chicago Fire in MLS play and the Puerto Rico Islanders on aggregate in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Whereas for Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid Club de Futbol, they are primed for a shot at hoisting some hardware in La Liga.

Real Madrid are a side that have hoisted their share of hardware. They won La Liga in the 1931–32, 1932–33, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1994–95, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, and 2007–08 seasons.

During the 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1917, 1933–34, 1935–36, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1961–62, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1988–89 and 1992–93 campaigns, Real Madrid won the Copa Del Rey.

Then there is the UEFA Champions League. Real Madrid were the first winners of this major competition and won the 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1965–66, 1997–98, 1999–2000 and 2001–02 editions. Finally, Los Blancos won the FIFA Club World Cup in 1960, 1998 and 2002.

Last year, Real Madrid finished three points behind Barcelona for first place in La Liga and exited the Champions League in the first knockout round 2-1 to Olympique Lyonnais on aggregate. In the Copa del Rey, Los Blancos finished in the round of 32.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina's Gonzalo Higuain form Real Madrid's scoring nucleus. Ronaldo, the face of Portuguese football, scored 26 goals in La Liga to go with seven in UEFA Champions League play. Higuain leads the team in most goals scored in La Liga with 27.

Cristiano Ronaldo played with an abbreviated side against Club America on Aug. 4 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco and scored a decisive free kick to help Los Blancos to a 3-2 victory.

The rest of the team took part in a special training session at UCLA, where 200 supporters took plenty of shots of Kaka and Casillas warming up, among others.

“MLS is a very, very good league," Casillas said after training. "Obviously, people like Rafa Marquez and Thierry Henry are here, so something must be great about this league. Landon Donovan is, no doubt, a very good player [and] I expect when we play them on Saturday, we will have a great match."

Flattering statements from Real's keeper, to say the least.

But I'll be honest with you all: Real Madrid will not be doing any justice to themselves or their hosts if they don't blow the Galaxy out of the water.

This is a side that should go off to a fast start this season, and Los Angeles will get a firsthand glance as to why Real Madrid deserves the pedigree they have.

This won't be close, it will be a massacre in the making.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT and will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español.

Next up for the Buddlevan Connection...Brazil

Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle have been called up to the U.S. National Team for a friendly with Brazil on Tuesday, Aug. 10 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Some superlatives to run you through for the Galaxy's No. 10 and 14: Donovan will go into next week’s game against Brazil as the all-time leader in goals for the U.S. with 45 in 127 appearances for his country.

Three of those goals came this summer in South Africa, with the Galaxy captain scoring against Slovenia, Algeria and Ghana. 

Donovan, who is also the National Team’s all-time leader with 45 career assists, leads MLS with 11 assists on the season, while adding five goals in 13 games.

On Sunday against Chicago, He became the sixth player in MLS history to reach 100 career regular season goals by converting a first-half penalty kick.

Of his 100 goals, 69 have come as a member of the Galaxy, leaving him one goal shy of Cobi Jones’ club record of 70 regular season goals.

As for Edson Buddle, he has made five appearances for the U.S., including two at the World Cup in South Africa.

The 29-year-old has two goals in those five games, with both tallies coming in a 3-1 friendly win over Australia on June 5 in Roodepoort, South Africa.

The leading scorer in MLS this season with 12 goals in 14 games, Buddle had been capped by the U.S. just once prior to being included in the initial preliminary World Cup roster which was announced in mid-May.

These are the players called up to the national team for the friendly.

GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton)

DEFENDERS (6): Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Étienne), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Jermaine Jones (Schalke), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht)

FORWARDS (3): Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Pachuca)

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The Webster's dictionary defines a Pyrrhic victory as "A very costly victory, wherein the considerable losses outweigh the gain, so as to render the struggle not worth the cost."

In a sense, Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy ended their CONCACAF Champions League run with a 2-1 victory over the Puerto Rico Islanders at Bayamon's Juan Roman Loubriel Stadium that can be seen as such. It can also be seen as a meaningless victory because the Colin Clarke's Islanders advance 5-3 on aggregate.

This is the price Arena must pay for not fielding his entire starting eleven. Then again, after the starting eleven's backline collapsed against the Chicago Fire on Sunday, it may not have made much difference in the long run.

This is a Galaxy team that needs to get its priorities set, and set straight. Los Angeles clearly took this tournament lightly after their patchwork lineup became an over-the-hill babyshambles last Wednesday at the Home Depot Center.

Are they that obsessed with the "dream match" (which probably looks to be nothing more than a Pasadena massacre) against Real Madrid? To play against Cristiano Ronaldo, Iker Casillas, Gonzalo Higuain and his ilk? I'm starting to doubt if they will hoist the Supporters' Shield, let alone the Anschutz Trophy by season's end.

Los Angeles let their frustrations get the better of them, although in all honesty Trevor Taylor looked to be biased towards to home side. And I can't blame him.

I mean, if I was in his shoes, I would do the same thing and make this a mere formality from the first whistle. This was not a Champions League run the Galaxy will want to remember.

A lottery approach when finding the net.

The lack of intestinal fortitude to outmuscle eight or nine defenders in the box.

Atrocious passing and and shot selection.

A back line that would be a mere afterthought to any shrewd fantasy football manager at the maximum.

And a regrettable decision to sit Donovan Ricketts and Omar Gonzalez in the first leg.

When you combine all of these elements together, what do you get? A first round exit at the hands of La Tropa Naranja, who should have a newly anointed nickname: Los Asesinos De Los Gigantes. The Giant Killers.

If Bruce Arena's seat isn't getting hot at the point, sweet mercy, someone please light a match.

Clint Mathis...we hardly knew ye

To add insult to injury, Clint Mathis will retire from soccer after the Real Madrid exhibition on Saturday.

Mathis, a 33-year-old midfielder, played 11 years in Major League Soccer and had stints in Germany and Greece. He also made 46 appearances for the United States national team.

"In his prime he was as good a goal scorer as our country has ever produced," Arena said on Mathis's retirement. "We will miss Clint and are indebted to his contributions to MLS and U.S. soccer."

"It has been an amazing and exciting ride, full of moments and people that will stay with me forever," Mathis said during a press conference earlier this week. "I cannot thank everyone who has been a part of this journey with me enough for all that you have done to help me enjoy such a fulfilling life in the sport of soccer."

Well, there's always coaching, Clint. There's always coaching.

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T-60: It's going to take an Act of God to allow the Los Angeles Galaxy to advance here in the second leg of the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round against the Puerto Rico Islanders.

Bruce Arena's side are a team out of form, and have no one but themselves to blame for this torrid meltdown.

T-45: Lineups:

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The Superliga 2010 Semifinals between the New England Revolution and Puebla FC was a classic clash of the football/soccer titans of North America. The result was a 1-1 tie between the two teams in regular time with the game determined by penalty kicks.

The first goal was scored by Mansally for the Revs at 55 minutes with a left-foot kick into the left lateral area of the net. The response of Puebla was fast with Olivera scoring an equalizer with a right-footed kick from distance toward the center of the goal.

Before the goals, the game was lacking in excitement as both teams measured their strength. Afterward, the game was then a struggle for possession of the game between the two teams as they attempted to score another goal.

It was not to be as the game went into penalties with both teams scoring goals until Lugo failed to score for Puebla. Mansally finally scored the winning goal with another left-footed kick into the goal and New England made Superliga 2010 history by advancing to the finals.

New England will face either the winner of the Houston Dynamos and Morelia Monarcas in the finals.

New England Revolution 1 (5) - 1 (3) Puebla FC on Penalty kicks

Gillette Stadium Foxboro, Massachusetts

Mansally is the most valued player

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