If you thought I had lost my mind when I said that we haven't seen the worst from the backline of Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy, I suppose you may have to get your head on straight.

With that being said, I have come up with two conclusions: either I am hexing this backline for their inability to deliver in the clutch, or the culprits are hexing themselves for failing to deliver in the clutch.

For the sake of argument, let's go with the latter.

On Sunday, the Galaxy's defense of Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, Gregg Berhalter, and Todd Dunivant set a new low (if not all-time) for themselves by giving up two goals in as many minutes (to Marco Pappa and Collins John) in the first five minutes of play.

I am confident this defense is playing like they want to get walloped by Real Madrid in Pasadena on Sunday. Actually, they probably will anyway. See my preview on that match later this week.

But it seems as if the Fire looked at the game tape from the debacle against Puerto Rico, and saw the weaknesses in the backline. And it shouldn't surprise anyone that Carlos De Los Cobos's club knew which holes to exploit.

Never mind that the shot selection, and passing by the Galaxy  was worth several head scratches on numerous occasions. And has Edson Buddle lost his scoring touch?

The No. 14 had a plethora of opportunities to get on the sheet, but for some reason unbeknownst to this pundit, he's lost his form. It's not a pleasant sight, and I am sure he knows it.

With the transfer window still open, if I am Bruce Arena, I have to look at getting someone who can bolster this back line, and end the dry spell they are putting on themselves.

The away leg to Bayamon is a suicide mission, and the friendly with Real Madrid is all but a foregone conclusion.

The Los Angeles Galaxy's defensive backline need to get their form back, and go back to the fundamentals ad nauseum. Otherwise, by the time the G's find their wheels en route to the postseason, it will be too late.

Youth Academy Update

Oh, the futility! Apparently the first-teamers weren't the only Galaxy side struggling on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Galaxy Under-20 did the rounds at the United Soccer League Super-20 North American Championships, but lacked the capability to finish where it mattered most.

For group play, the Galaxy were placed in Group C for this tournament.

Against the Brooklyn Knights, goals by Eder Arreola, Markus Dickerson and Andre Turoldo combined with a scintillating performance by Dickerson in goal gave the Galaxy a 3-2 victory over the Brooklyn Knights.

On Friday, they pitched a 3-0 shutout against Triangle FC through an Evan Raynr brace to go with an insurance goal from Ruben Valencia.

On Saturday, a goal from Arreola was enough for the Galaxy end group play unbeaten with a 1-1 draw against Cincinnati United Premier. That set up a semifinal date with the hosts Chicago Fire. The Galaxy bounced back with a 2-1 victory over the tournament hosts through goals from Raynr and Mario Alvarez.

The Young G's wrapped up tournament play against Columbus Crew Juniors Gold, the Crew's premier youth development side. A goal from Gyasi Zardes was not enough as goals from the Crew's Ben Speas, and Travis Wall deal the Galaxy a 2-1 defeat.



Well, this team can beat Puerto Rico in their sleep!


Real Madrid arrived in Los Angeles on Friday to prepare for the August 7 encounter with the Galaxy in Pasadena. The team is managed by Jose Mourinho, the same Jose Mourinho that helped lead Inter Milan to the UEFA Champions League crown.

“Mourinho is a winner,” said Cristiano Ronaldo. “His training sessions are spectacular. They have great intensity. We are all very happy to have him.

“We are very excited and working very hard. We have to keep this level of excitement up in order to win titles.”

Real Madrid will play against Club America on August 4 in San Francisco before their August 7 friendly with LA.


Chicken thief number seven: Marco Pappa

This was the spark behind the Fire's hot start. He sliced apart the back line in the fourth minute of play. You know, I'm starting to wonder if the match fitness of this defense is starting show its wear and tear.

Marco Pappa proved that the Puerto Rico loss was no joke. He preached it to the choir of nonbelievers on Victoria Street like a burly ordained minister selling salvation in his hands.

Testify, chicken thief.


A toast...to parity!

It's not very often that the best team in West is not the best team in the West, and the worst team in the West plays well enough in the manner of the best team in the West to topple the best team in the East.

Even more rare, the worst team in the West is Chivas USA, the Galaxy's shared tenants. With their 3-1 victory over the Columbus Crew, Major League Soccer preached another word over the weekend: Parity.

Ladies and gentlemen, a news flash: this MLS Supporters' Shield race is a long ways away from being decided. Case in point: this weekend.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Flushing Meadows Corona Park, New York - During the halftime of the Copa NYC final match between Poland and Jamaica, Brazilian great Pele made a rare appearance to announce the return of the once NASL five-time powerhouse champion, the New York Cosmos.

As the Cosmos Honorary President, Pele made it clear to the thousands of fans in attendance that the goal of this Cosmos organization is to develop a Youth Program that will develop world-class players.

As stated in their Press Release:

"The New York Cosmos have already agreed to a unique partnership with Queens-based youth club BW Gottschee, who has 60 years of experience, passion and success at a local and national level.

"The Cosmos Academy, as they will be known, will field teams from U12-U18 and participate in the US Soccer Development Academy."

"Furthermore, The New York Cosmos have acquired the Copa NYC tournament, and beyond running it every year in New York, they will be looking to expand it both domestically and internationally in order to engage more local communities to participate in the ‘global game’ at a grassroots level."

Along with this announcement, New York Cosmos are aspiring to becoming the second New York team for Major League Soccer.

A date hasn't been set when it will actually happen. For more information, please visit www.nycosmos.com

On the day the New York Cosmos announced their return, Poland defeated Jamaica 5-4 in penalties to win the 2010 Copa NYC when former Red Bulls forward, Chris Karcz converted his penalty kick.

Cesar Diaz is the Soccer Editor 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

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

T-180 minutes to kickoff: Man, what the heck just happened on Tuesday? Bruce Arena must have rounded up a bunch of imposters posing as the Los Angeles Galaxy to go out on Tuesday at the Home Depot Center against the Puerto Rico Islanders. The lack of form could be a problem this afternoon against the Chicago Fire.

T-170: I almost typed "Chicago Red Stars" by mistake on the previous paragraph. That's WPS. I am used to writing that phrase rather than "Chicago Fire" because I first got my big break on Bleacher Report writing on Women's Professional Soccer. (And how about FC Gold Pride? They are running away with the regular season crown right about now.)

T-160: The Los Angeles Galaxy are still at the top of the 2010 Major League Soccer standings, but they sure aren't playing like they deserve to be at the top, having had a string of poor performances in the past several matches. You know, this was the dry spell that I was hinting at in my preview of the D.C. United contest, and whether or not the Galaxy will snap out of their funk starting today remains to be seen.

T-150: The Chicago Fire are not out of a playoff spot by any stretch of the imagination. They have a number of matches in hand over the Galaxy, and wins in all of them will put them in the hunt for the playoffs. Currently, Chicago has a 4-5-5 record (17 points).

T-140: This little history lesson on the Fire is brought to you by Yours Truly Incorporated, unofficial sponsor of the View from Victoria Street.

The Chicago Fire Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois that participates in Major League Soccer. The team was founded on October 8, 1997, on the 126th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the event in fact gave the team its name.

In 1998, their inaugural league season, the Fire won the MLS Cup as well as the U.S. Open Cup (the "double"). They have also won the 2000, 2003, and 2006 U.S. Open Cups.

T-130: The Fire feature a complete developmental system consisting of the Chicago Fire Premier (a Premier Development League team and a Super-20 League team), the Chicago Fire Development Academy, and the Chicago Fire Juniors youth teams. The club also administers a charitable community organization, the Chicago Fire Foundation (formerly the FireWorks for Kids Foundation).

The official club colors are red and white. Over its history, the Fire have also employed navy blue, sky blue, and black as alternate or accent colors.

T-120: A couple hours to kickoff at Victoria Street. Lineups:

Silviu Petrescu is our head match official today. Fabio Tovar and Adam Garner are the linesmen and Baldomero Toledo is our fourth official this afternoon.

T-110: There is something about the atmosphere at Toyota Park at Bridgeview which makes it one of a kind: allowing the stuff of tifosi that normally would not be allowed at the HDC, which is a drag.

Supporters groups and ultras groups occupy a standing area directly behind the north goal in the Harlem End of Toyota Park (Sections 117 and 118) that is referred to as Section 8. This term originates in the numbering of their section at Soldier Field, as well as the American military designation of soldiers declared mentally unfit. 

Section 8 Chicago, the Independent Supporters' Association for the Fire, oversees the activities of the many groups. Though incorporating a variety of support styles from both Chicago and throughout the world, groups as part of Section 8 are allied and generally fall under the ultras' designation. The Section 8 Chicago ISA is also a non-profit organization recognized by the state of Illinois.

T-100: Aside from the supporters' groups, the club is well known for its stadium-wide vocal and visual support, particularly for matches of great competitive importance. Call-and-response cheering amongst the crowd is commonplace. Fans at Toyota Park for Fire matches periodically engage in acts of tifo to show their pride and inspire the players on the field, one of the few American environments to do so.

T-90: We are an hour and a half away from kickoff, and I wanted to go ahead and talk a little bit more about Toyota Park. This is a 20,000-seat facility located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview. Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $100 million and opened on June 11, 2006.

Toyota Park also hosts the Chicago Machine of Major League Lacrosse and the Chicago Red Stars of Women's Professional Soccer. Only the stadium's east end stands are used for these events.

The stadium hosted its first competitive international with a 2010 World Cup qualifying match on September 10, 2008 between USA and Trinidad and Tobago.

T-80: Designed to incorporate traditional stadium features from both American and European facilities, Toyota Park includes mostly covered seating, a brick facade and stone entry archway, and first rows that are less than three yards from the field. It also includes 42 executive suites, six larger party suites, the Illinois Soccer Hall of Fame, and the Fire club offices, as well as a large stadium club/banquet room measuring over 9,000 square feet (840 m2).

T-70: A practice facility with two fields (one natural grass, one artificial turf) for the Fire club and its youth programs is adjacent to the stadium. The stadium's design is expandable to 30,000 seats without great cost for future growth. The natural grass stadium field includes a $1.7 million turf management system including full heating, drainage, and aeration capabilities and measures 120 yards (110 m) long by 75 yards (69 m) wide.

A permanent stage was incorporated into the stadium design to not only facilitate hosting concerts but also to be able to quickly change from stage configuration to soccer configuration and vice-versa. At Toyota Park, a typical conversion takes less than 18 hours to complete, and an additional 8,000 chairback seats can be accommodated on the field for concerts and other stage events.

I will be posting a play-by-play of the action from Toyota Park between these two sides on September 4.

T-60: An hour remaining to kickoff, and the hope here from the Galaxy camp is for a rebound to form. I personally can't wait to take a glimpse of the 2009-10 Real Madrid side on August 7.

Edson Buddle put the hellish month that was July in perspective. “It puts you in check,” Buddle said during training last week. “The game always does that to you when you get a little relaxed or you get a tough game or you lose at home. Those [tough stretches] kind of put things in perspective for you.

“You need that, especially at this time. It could have happened later on in the season, but to happen at midseason is probably a good thing.”

We'll see if Buddle's prognostication (which echoes my thoughts mentioned at T-160) is on the money.

T-50: In other MLS action, the Philadelphia Union and New England Revolution drew 1-1, the Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas also drew 1-1, the Houston Dynamo drew 2-2 with the New York Red Bulls, the Kansas City Wizards defeated Toronto FC, Real Salt Lake routed D.C. United 3-0, the Seattle Sounders shut out the San Jose Earthquakes 1-0 and in the shocker of the week, Chivas USA took out the Columbus Crew 3-1.

T-45: Both teams go through warm-ups.

T-40: “It’s the biggest game of the year,” said Chicago Fire winger Patrick Nyarko on the match. "We just need to worry about ourselves and prepare ourselves mentally. 

"We know we’re a good team. On any day, we can beat anyone if we play that total 90-minute game we know we can play.”

T-30: A half-hour to go. The Galaxy lead the all-time series at 15-14-3. The Fire acquired Freddie Ljungberg over the past week. I wonder how he will spice things up today. By the way, Nery Castillo is not playing today; heck, he's not on the bench, either. Oh well.

T-20: U.S. Army Pvt. Jair DeJesus Garcia was a brother of Los Angeles Riot Squad founder Eddie "Gunner" Garcia, and was killed in action two years ago in Afghanistan. Jair was a season ticket holder for the G's, and today marks the two-year anniversary of his death.

The View from Victoria Street offers its condolences, and my heart goes out to the Garcia family and the good friends from the Riot Squad.

T-15: The Fire will have added incentive to beat the Galaxy, as some sort of payback for their 2-1 semifinal exit in the Super-20 League semis on Saturday night in Rockford, Illinois at the hands of the Young G's.

Both teams conclude warm-ups. Some porristas from Cal State Dominguez Hills and the local high schools are on the premises. I personally prefer cheerleaders in shorts rather than skirts, but that's just me.

T-10: A few more tidbits to run you through here: Donovan needs one goal to earn his 100th in MLS. Will today be the day? You can only hope the Fire are foolish enough to force a penalty...

“You hear all this stuff about the best defense and the best defense, and maybe you start believing it,” Galaxy defender Gregg Berhalter said prior to the match today. “And once you start believing it, you’re in trouble.

“You always need to work. You always need to want to improve and want to get better and that’s where we’re at right now. We have to go back to the drawing board and [figure out] what got us here, what made us successful, and then start finding some of that again.”

T-5: This is match No. 19 for the G's in league play, while it will be No. 15 for the Fire.

T-0: National anthem by Shar Jackson.

FIRST HALF START: 4:36 P.M. PT

1' - Let's get this started, shall we? And who will steal the chickens from Chicago, if applicable? Throw-in for the Galaxy. The Fire's Sean Johnson with the grab.

2' - The Big Cat from Montego Bay, Donovan Ricketts. Now back come the Galaxy. Now how did Edson Buddle botch that shot? Here they go again, running on kryptonite...

3' - Tristan Bowen should have done better. Here come the Fire. Omar Gonzalez on sweep duty.

4' - GOAL! Chicago Fire 16 Marco Pappa
What is going on with this team. Even with the full house they can't defend their way out of a wet paper bag. Pappa steals the chickens...

5' - GOAL! Chicago 15 Collins John
...with Collins John as his accomplice. And this is just unacceptable. Two goals in as many minutes? The Chicago Fire must have been looking at the tape from the Puerto Rico match, and must have seen some type of weakness in this side.

6' - Well ladies and gentlemen, the question now is

8' - That corner went nowhere, and fast. Buddle should have done better.

10' - Gregg Berhalter has to be kicking himself, but so should the Galaxy forwards. They are playing on kryptonite.

11' - Eleven minutes in and it's 2-0 Chicago. Terrible corner from Landon Donovan.

12' - Lousy shot from Birchall.

13' - Back come the G's. Not a smartly taken free kick.

14' - This forward attack from the G's continues to disappoint. I don't know who is playing a terrible game: the Galaxy forwards or the back line.

15' - Buddlvan connection was off on the timing.

16' - Too forward a ball. This side is living and dying by the long ball, and that's not going to work against these side.

Not again; they let Collins John get too much space in the middle.

18' - Omar Gonzales with the cleared chance by Patrick Nyarko.

19' - GOAL! Chicago Fire 18 Mike Banner
This is becoming a rout. And if you ask me, this team is going to be doomed on Wednesday.

21' - Corner for the Fire. I think we're gonna need a calculator by the time this game is over.

22' - You know, I feel bad for the fans here. They could use a refund a la Seattle.

23' - Here is Todd Dunivant. And Tristan Bowen gets carded for the sliding challenge.

Yellow card 17 Tristan Bowen
Los Angeles Galaxy

24' - Good dispossession by Krzystof Krol.

Poor shot from Edson Buddle, and that has been the epitome of the Galaxy attack today.

26' - Carlos De Los Cobos's Fire have figured this team out with this 4-5-1 formation, and they didn't even need Freddie Ljungberg or Nery Castillo here.

27' - 27 minutes in, and you are not in the Twilight Zone when reading this scoreline; it's 3-0 Chicago.

28' - Back come the Fire on the attack. 

29' - Not a good feed from Birchall to Bowen, and that is easy pickings for Sean Johnson.

31' - Here's Dunivant with the throw-in. Lamentable shot from Omar Gonzalez.

32' - It's been a rough year for Chris Birchall, and he is shaken up. 

33' - Sean Franklin setting things up, and Birchall is just not getting any room. Free kick to the Fire.

34' - There you go, Donovan Ricketts. Throw-in for the Fire's Dasan RObinson.

35' - Can these guys do anything right? Another blown finish for Buddle. I think that is in the running for "Blown Finish of the Century."

36' - And here comes a chance for Landon to earn Number 100...

Yellow card 14 Patrick Nyarko
Chicago Fire.

37' - GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 10 Landon Donovan
...and there it is. But they have a long ways yet to go.

38' - Robinson is fouled and is shaken up.

40' - Donovan gave it a go from that angle, but the timing didn't seem to be there on the connections.

41' - The Galaxy midfielders need to use their feet as brooms.

42' - Solid tackle from Logan Pause. A textbook challenge on Tristan Bowen.

43' - Corner for the Galaxy. The Fire will need to crank up the defense for the rest of the match.

44' - Sean Johnson with the punchout. Back come the Fire, and now the backline will be scheduled to be chewed up in the change rooms at the break.

45' - How many minutes, Mr. Baldomero Toledo? Two minutes of stoppage time.

Yellow card 9 Jovan Kirovski
Los Angeles Galaxy

45 + 2' - Terrible header by Kirovski. We're heading to the break, and the fans are not liking this. 3-1, Chicago.

Halftime Stats:

Shots
Chicago Fire 4
Los Angeles Galaxy 10

Shots on Goal
Chicago Fire 4
Los Angeles Galaxy 10

Saves
Chicago Fire 2
Los Angeles Galaxy 1

Fouls
Chicago Fire 6
Los Angeles Galaxy 4

Corner Kicks
Chicago Fire 1
Los Angeles Galaxy 3

Offsides
Chicago Fire 4
Los Angeles Galaxy 1

SECOND HALF START: 5:40 P.M. PT

46' - Halftime's over, time to go back to the grind. So far this match echoes the Puerto Rico match in a lot of ways. The Fire have taken a page out of the Islanders' playbook and struck with precision, using their team speed to break through the porous Galaxy back line.

Los Angeles will be searching for answers as we get this half underway. Sean Johnson resets for the Fire.

47' - Here's Sean Franklin, trying to get help from the midfielders. Foul on the Fire.

48' - Ambitious shot from Gonzalez.

49' - Back come the Fire. And Michael Stephens exhibits his frustration. Franklin's touches have been on par; can't say the same for the rest of the white shirts.

50' - That's Johnson's best save of the day. Not a lot of mustard on that hot dog for Buddle. He has been struggling as of late.

51' - Free kick for the Galaxy after the Krol foul. Donovan to take. And Sean Johnson can save that in his sleep. This is wonderful goalkeeping from the Chicago keeper.

53' - 53 minutes in, and it's 3-1 Chicago Fire here at the Home Depot Center. 

54' - Yellow card 11 Chris Birchall
Los Angeles Galaxy

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 8 Dema Kovalenko
OUT 11 Chris Birchall

55' - Petrescu, for the most part, is calling a good game. The Galaxy have been playing a poor game.

56' - It may be too soon to say, but we may be having an upset weekend of the worst kind: the top sides in both conferences falling.

57' - Michael Stephens, you have to take a chance, young man. Wasted opportunity.

IN 8 Freddie Ljungberg
OUT 16 Marco Pappa

58' - Heeeeeeere's...Freddie! That was my worst Ed McMahon impersonation right there.

59' - More horrid passing from the Galaxy, and solid defending from the Fire. It's a tale of two cities, and a tale of two teams. Goal kick, Sean Johnson.

60' - The Galaxy are playing with empty eyes right now, and it's showing today.

61' - 61 minutes in, and it's still 3-1 Chicago.

62' - Los Angeles is not playing the team that ran off to a fast start. It seems the opposition has already figured them out already.

63' - And Dunivant would be wise to just stick to defending because that shot was atrocious. Sean Johnson hasn't had to do much work today.

64' - And it's pretty easy to see why: Chicago's back line is better than LA's today.

65' - Substitution Chicago Fire
IN 13 Deris Umanzon
OUT 14 Patrick Nyarko

66' - Yellow card 8 Dema Kovalenko
Los Angeles Galaxy

Frustration foul on Krzysztof Krol. He walks with a limp.

68' - 68 minutes in, and if we see any goals, the fans will like to see it come from the men in white.

Yellow card 2 Todd Dunivant
Los Angeles Galaxy

All right, looks like Petrescu is cracking.

69' - Horrid touch from Sean Franklin. Goal kick Fire. This should be all gravy now for the visitors.

71' Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 21 Alan Gordon
OUT 26 Michael Stephens

And I think Bruce Arena just threw in the towel with that sub, but we'll have to wait and see.

72' - Bowen nearly pulled off the Keystone Kops on that ball...even though in all fairness, the Kops were here since the fourth minute of play.

73' - Bad shot from Bowen. 

74' - Another bad one from Bowen, this time in Sean Johnson's direction.

75' - We are 75 in, and the boo birds have come out to greet Baggio Husidic. 

76' - Substitution Chicago Fire
IN 28 Steven Kinney
OUT 9 Baggio Husidic

77' - Another shot in the direction of Sean Johnson, this time in from Sean Franklin. At least now know which Sean is better.

78' - Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 88 Alex Cazumba
OUT 16 Gregg Berhalter

79' - Corner for the G's. Penalty after that was wrecked. Cazumba was fouled.

81' - GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 10 Landon Donovan
That's a brace for Landon.

82' - The Galaxy can still salvage a draw, but they have to work quickly.

83' - That throw-in was wasted.

84' - Horrid! You space in the open, you have to capitalize. The G's didn't do that. 

85' - No foul called by Silvio Petruscu when it it was obvious that one of the Galaxy players was impeded.

86' - 86 minutes in, and it's 3-2 Chicago.

88' - Here's a corner for Los Angeles. High header from Edson Buddle, and boy, hasn't he struggled?

89' - Here's Freddie Ljungberg, and that will be a goal kick.

90' - And Fire will let that one go out of bounds. Goal kick, Sean Johnson.

90' + 1' - Four minutes of stoppage time. The passing has been out of sync today.

90' + 2' - Neutralized. And golly me, what is Edson Buddle doing? 

90' + 3' - Yellow card 25 Sean Johnson
Chicago Fire

90' + 4' - Wasted free kick, and that just adds to the misery that was today. Well, this was certainly not the best way to begin the month of August, and the slump continues.

Attendance for this match: 20,348.

Stay tuned for my take on this contest on The View from Victoria Street and Bleacher Report.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

A major reason why soccer has been called “the beautiful game” is its international dimension, the idea of bringing people together from various cultures and life experiences throughout the world.

Steve Zakuani’s story falls into that dimension, a young man with international roots who followed his dream and is now one of the quickest and most productive strikers in Major League Soccer.

The Seattle Sounders star was born in Kinshasa in what was then Zaire and is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“We moved to London when I was 4,” Zakuani revealed following a Sounders training session. “It was 1992. London is so international and there are so many Africans there that I became friends with many of them, as did my family members. In fact, some of my first soccer games were with African friends in London.”

Perhaps Zakuani was destined by the stars to become a soccer player. The family, after all, was based in North London. Steve grew up near White Hart Lane and the famous stadium that the Tottenham Spurs of England’s Premier League call home.

As events emerged, however, Zakuani was destined to forge an important link with another famous North London club, that being Arsenal. Those roots launched the beginning of Zakuani’s soccer career that would ultimately reach the professional ranks with the Seattle Sounders.

There is a reason why so many young stars are developed for the English Premier League. The talent watch begins from the time that youngsters begin playing in parks and at school.

Arsenal liked what it saw in the quick, smooth movements of the speedy young Zakuani and before long he was given a pivotal opportunity that forged the player MLS fans see today.

“When I was 9 I was contacted and given the chance to play on the Arsenal youth team,” Zakuani related. “They taught me the Arsenal way. These are the rules and lessons that I have followed ever since.”

What lesson has been sturdily etched into Zakuani’s mind and is being followed by him today?

“The big thing is that Arsenal taught you to be creative, to be positive,” Zakuani enthused.

One element instilled in Zakuani has distinctly followed him into his career.

“What Arsenal taught you was to have fun, to enjoy yourself playing soccer,” Zakuani enthusiastically noted. “When you attacked and moved the ball toward the goal you were told to move with style and grace and in a way where you were always enjoying yourself.”

When Steve became involved in the Arsenal youth program he became a fan of the English Premier League club. While he was rooting for Arsenal he watched one famous player that he would later meet as a teammate.

“My father and I would go to the Arsenal matches and I would enjoy watching all their great players,” Zakuani said. “I loved watching Freddie Ljungberg play. Later when he was a teammate of mine with the Sounders I told him about being in the stands and cheering for him.”

Zakuani participated in the Tilburg Tournament in Holland in 2002. He played at the Independent Football Academy from 2004 to 2007.

At that point a pivotal event occurred as Zakuani came to America to play for the University of Akron. As with the Arsenal youth team earlier, Zakuani proved to be a quick and effective learner. In his sophomore season he led the nation in scoring with 20 goals and seven assists.

He finished as a runner-up for the Herman Trophy awarded to the nation’s best soccer player.

Sufficiently alerted to Zakuani’s prowess, the Seattle Sounders made him their first choice, and initial selection overall, in the MLS 2009 Super Draft on January 15, 2009.

A sought after Zakuani had two offers to weigh, that of the Sounders along with one from a club in his home country of England with Preston North End. He chose Seattle and has performed there with distinction ever since.

Steve was a finalist in the Rookie of the Year balloting. He led all MLS rookies in scoring with four goals and that same number of assists. Coach Sigi Schmid said, “Steve’s a dangerous dribbler, comfortable on either side of the field with good speed.“

Zakuani’s momentum from that first season has continued to the present. In 2010 he has thus far scored seven goals and three assists. On May 1 at home against the Columbus Crew Zakuani recorded the earliest goal in franchise history with a strike in the fourth minute.

In one of the most important matches of the season for the Sounders, as they sought to build points for a playoff spot, Zakuani was at his peak against the Colorado Rapids July 25 before a capacity throng of the Seattle home faithful.

The determined striker set a blistering pace, scoring two first half goals in a 2-1 Sounders victory. He guided the ball with swift determination goal ward on each occasion.

The impressive performance gained Zakuani MLS Player of the Week honors, the first time that a Seattle player was selected during the 2010 campaign.

Since the interview with Zakuani had been conducted Friday following the team’s final workout of the week on the same field where the match was played that Sunday evening, and considering that the talented striker was feeling so optimistic, the natural question to ask after his triumph was whether it was something he anticipated.

“I felt good and the team had a great week of practice,” Zakuani smiled. “I thought that we would do well.”

Steve is not the only Zakuani to achieve professional soccer ranks. His older brother Gabriel is a defensive star with Peterborough United in England. Having played earlier for Fulham and Stoke City, the transfer signing fee to make Zakuani’s move to Peterborough United permanent was estimated to be over the 500,000 pound record signing fee that the club had paid earlier for Joe Lewis.

Along with flashing a smile of optimism over having the opportunity to fulfill his goal of playing professional soccer as a Sounder, Zakuani, who plays with an aggressive style and favors wide open play, is happy about current trends he sees in the game.

“People enjoy watching goals being scored and I think that the trend today is for more

open play,” Zakuani declared. “That was what I saw in the World Cup. Both Spain and the Netherlands like to attack. I expect to see more of this in soccer all over the world.”

As a Major League Soccer player Zakuani watched with interest the series of friendlies occurring with top professional clubs from the United Kingdom and Europe.

“Before when teams would come over here it was some team like Barcelona or Real Madrid and the scores would be something like 4-1,” Zakuani said. “But those were the leading teams and when we see the MLS teams go up against some of the others you can see that it is very close. The MLS is catching up. There is a high talent level in this league.”

Zakuani demonstrated his humanitarian side after revealing that at Akron University his major was Sports Management. How would he like to put his knowledge in that area to use?

“I would like some day to go home to London and start an organization” he revealed. “You know, I was very fortunate to get the breaks and receive the chance to develop my talents and go into professional soccer. Some of my friends who had plenty of talent did not get the right breaks.

"What I would like to do is to have an organization so I could be a part of helping young people get the chance to develop their talents to go as far as those talents can take them.”

Steve Zakuani not only impresses with his soccer playing talents. He also wins plaudits for his humanitarian outlook and desire to help others.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Fredy Montero continued his red hot streak Saturday night in a crucial MLS Western Conference showdown with an adroitly executed header to give visiting Seattle Sounders FC a 1-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes before 10,351 at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara.

The Montero goal, the only score of a fiercely contested defensive struggle, came in the 26th minute as the speedy Colombian striker took a cross from Sanna Nyassi in front of the goal and headed it past San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch.

The blazing streak of Montero continued with the game clincher against the Earthquakes.  He has been involved in a score through a goal or assist over eight consecutive MLS games with four goals and five assists.  On the season Montero has seven goals and eight assists.

Montero’s scoring impetus carried into the international realm as well.  Last Wednesday at home against El Salvador’s Metapan in Champions League play Montero came off the bench in the second half to drill home a textbook perfect 40-yard missile to produce the only score of the game in another 1-0 Sounders success.

Since Sana Nyassi has become a regular, he has also been productive in the assist capacity after using his speed on the flank to push the Sounders into the scoring area.  Nyassi has now recorded an assist in three consecutive matches.  This productivity dates back to his first career assist on July 10.  All three have led to game winning goals.

Eyes were squarely focused on the two newly arrived designated players on the Seattle roster, recent World Cup players Blaise Nkufo and Alvaro Fernandez, who performed for Switzerland and Uruguay respectively.

Nkufo started at forward and played into the 86th minute before being replaced by Nate Jaqua, showing that the Dutch League record-setter has neared the point of returning to availability for the full 90 minutes of action.

While Nkufo was unable to break into the scoring column, he came close with two superbly placed shots.  The first was a header in the 2nd minute.  In the 63rd minute he took a pass in the middle of the field and engaged in some shifty footwork before delivering a left-footed drive that almost reached the net.  Both efforts were stopped on timely saves by Busch.

In addition to the near-miss goal efforts, Nkufo displayed solid field generalship.  His dribbling and passing demonstrated the sound technique of a veteran ball handler.

One excellent trait Nkufo evidenced was passing up long low percentage shots to instead pass and keep the ball in play for the Sounders.  He is a player who operates well in the center of the field and promotes goal activity for others when he is not taking shots himself.

Recent arrival Fernandez, acquired July 29, saw his first action in Sounders uniform after replacing Steve Zakuani in the 69th minute.  There was much for Sounders Coach Sigi Schmid to be positive about concerning Fernandez’ effort.

The tall, slender Uruguayan combined quickness and adroit technique in his ball handling, aiding the effort to hang onto the ball and run out the clock for a victory.  His smooth footwork demonstrated skill toward producing future Seattle goals.

There was one Seattle casualty, however.  Jeff Parke sustained a head injury in a collision in front of the Sounders’ goal near the end of the first half.  He was replaced for the entire second half by veteran Jamaican defender Tyrone Marshall, who stopped one San Jose goal effort with a dazzling header, receiving a grateful pat on the back from goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

On the subject of Keller, the former U.S. national team veteran and current MLS All-Star recorded his sixth clean sheet of the season.  He recorded two saves.

The visitors held a 9-8 advantage in total shots, a figure revealing the closeness of the hard fought match.  The breakdown reveals how the contest went as the Sounders held a 7-2 edge on goal shots while the Quakes had a narrow 6-5 advantage on corners.

The set piece game is a staple of San Jose Coach Frank Yallop’s attack.  It is led by former U.S. national team player and current All-Star left winger Bobby Convey.  All night Convey had the Sounders on edge with neatly placed corner shots that produced scoring opportunities near the Seattle goal.

With the win the Sounders stand in MLS play at 7-8-4 with 25 points.  They have won their last three league matches.  Seattle on the strength of the San Jose victory jumped from sixth in the West to fourth.

It was just a short time ago that many skeptics were writing off Seattle playoff chances for 2010 when the team stood at 4-8-4.  Aided by the return of previously injured players, Seattle appears to be in its best shape of the season and is playing its best soccer during the playoff stretch run.

The loss dropped San Jose to 6-5-5.  The Quakes have 23 points.  This was the first San Jose loss since the World Cup break, resulting in a fall to sixth place in the Western Conference.  In an earlier trip to Seattle this season San Jose had edged the Sounders by the identical 1-0 score by which they lost Saturday night.

Right after the match the Sounders departed for San Salvador and a Tuesday match against Metapan.  The teams are vying for a spot in the Champions League group stage.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

On Wednesday, the city of Houston played host to the Major League Soccer All-Stars.

Tonight, the Houston Dynamo will host the biggest star in the MLS today, who was ineligible for the “showcase” against Manchester United days earlier. Thierry Henry, the French International, will make his New York Red Bulls and MLS regular season debut.

On the heels of a World Cup that received a lot of attention, Henry has attracted a lot of focus to the Red Bulls and the league. Much like David Beckham in 2007, the high-profile star Henry will bring in a lot of money from jersey sales and extra fans to the games. He’ll also make a big difference on the field.

Henry played in two Red Bulls exhibition matches last week against English Premier League sides Tottenham and Manchester City and he impressed. He scored in the 25th minute of his debut against Tottenham and in both matches, showed creativity and a great vision with dangerous passes that sprung forth a strong attack.

In both those games, Henry only played the first 45 minutes. Against Houston, however, he will see increased time.

But what makes his MLS debut more special is that it will be the first pairing of him and New York captain Juan Pablo Angel.

Angel, another Designated Player with EPL experience, is the Red Bull’s all-time career goals leader (even though he has only played in three and a half seasons with the club). He is a quality finisher who the team has heavily depended on.

However, they have yet to find a strike-partner for him. The team has paired him with ten different players—Jozy Altidore, John Wolyniec, Salou Ibrahim, Macoumba Kandji, Dominic Oduro, Dane Richards, Francis Doe, Oscar Echeverry, Mike Magee, and Clint Mathis—before landing Henry.

The pairing could easily be the most potent in all of MLS. Henry played on the wing for much of the beginning of his career which has helped him become a great passer and crosser.

They are both dangerous scorers so defenses will not be able to key on one and double him. They will have to respect both forwards which should create more space than either is used to as well as open the field for their teammates, especially the wings like Richards, Jeremy Hall, and Danleigh Borman, who all have good speed.

Henry also has good pace and is able to get behind the defense. All of those skills should help the two players find each other and wreck havoc on their opposition. The opponent in their first game together could help expedite the process.

Houston—in seventh place in the eight-team Western Conference—has given up 25 goals, tied for most in the Western Conference, and will be further weakened.

Veteran goalkeeper Pat Onstad missed practice on Thursday and is not expected to start. Central defender Bobby Boswell will also miss the game due to a suspension he must serve for receiving a red card in the Dynamo’s previous game against Columbus.

If Henry and Angel can capitalize on the opportunity of playing together and against a vulnerable defense, the team can gain some much-needed momentum as they head into the end of the season pushing for a playoff spot.

Not only will a successful Henry/Angel tandem generate plenty of buzz for the league and the team off the field, but it may also finally bring home a trophy.

What once was a dream—not only landing Henry, but also winning the championship—becomes, at least partly, a reality tonight.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Massimo Allegri who is the coach for the Italian Team AC Milan announced that he believes David Beckham "will not return to AC Milan for the third time."

David Beckham played for Manchester United and Real Madrid before playing for LA Galaxy.

Beckham was loaned by the LA Galaxy to A.C. Milan with the intention of keeping him in shape during the off-season of Major League Soccer. Mr. Allegri also insinuated that Beckham may not return since he is recuperating from an injury of the Achille's Tendon which sidelined him in the 2010 World Cup.

While Beckham was present in the pre-season game between A.C. Milan and Arsenal, which ended in a draw, many people have expressed doubts about the future of the football/soccer astro.

The US Latin Station Univision has conducted a survey about whether or not Beckham is able to recuperate his style if he also decided to return to the MLS. I would like to ask the readers about their opinion on the future of Beckham.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

The news has been swirling for weeks about Freddie Ljungberg and now, there is solid information to report concerning his status.

Seattle Sounders FC announced Friday that the Swedish international star has been traded to the Chicago Fire in exchange for a selection in the 2011 or 2012 Super Draft.

Ljungberg, 33, a two time MLS All-Star selection for the Sounders, led Seattle and finished fourth in in the league with nine assists in 2009. He was named the MLS October Player of the Month after assisting on the team's final four goals of the regular season, helping the Sounders reach the MLS Cup Playoffs in the club's inaugural season.

Ljungberg was also a finalist for MLS Newcomer of the Year.

"Freddie is a tremendous individual and an exceptional player who contributed greatly to the huge success of Sounders FC, both on and off the field, in the past year and a half," said Adrian Hanauer, general manager.

"Freddie, along with Kasey Keller, gave this club immediate stature in the world's game, and we are grateful for his service. We wish him all the best in Chicago."

"I want to start off by saying how proud I am to have been part of the most successful new franchise in MLS history, the Seattle Sounders FC. I didn't know exactly what to expect when I first came to Seattle but I have to say that how the city and the fans have embraced me has gone beyond my wildest dreams and for that I am forever grateful. I also want to thank my teammates who are absolutely great on and off the pitch. I have made some very close friends who I know I will be in contact with forever," said Ljungberg.

Ljungberg was signed as Seattle's first Designated Player on October 28, 2008. He came to Seattle after 10 seasons in the English Premier League. In his nine years with Arsenal, he was a member of teams that won two EPL titles, three FA Cups and a UEFA Champions League final appearance.  Ljungberg was recently selected in an Internet poll as one of the most popular players in Arsenal’s celebrated history.

This season, Ljungberg played in each of the first 15 Sounders games while starting 14 and contributing three assists. Altogether, over the two seasons with Seattle, he played in 37 matches, starting 35, scoring two goals and adding 12 assists.

In a related move that comes as anything but a surprise, the Sounders have added midfielder Alvaro Fernandez, 24, to the active roster. Fernandez, a member of the Uruguay National Team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, was acquired on Thursday and has received his International Transfer Certificate.

This makes Fernandez eligible to play Saturday night against the San Jose Earthquakes in a clash that was already replete with many interesting dimensions.  The Sounders will enter play at Buck Shaw Stadium in the San Jose suburb of Santa Clara for the 7 p.m. PDT match just one point behind the host Earthquakes. 

While Seattle stands at 6-8-4 with 22 points, the host team coached by Frank Yallop and led by former U.S. World Cup player Bobby Convey has a 6-4-5 mark and 23 points.

Saturday's Bay Area match affords an opportunity for Seattle to jump from sixth to fourth in the Western Conference. San Jose enters the week tied for the fourth and final playoff slot. The Quakes have been idle since drawing, 2-2, at Los Angeles July 22. They are undefeated in four games with a 1-0-3 mark since June 5.

The teams are even in the overall series at 2-2.  In their last meeting at Qwest Field May 22, San Jose won a tough defensive battle 1-0.

Following the San Jose match the Sounders are off for El Salvador.  On Tuesday Champions League play resumes as Metapán and Seattle vie for a spot in the group stage. Sounders FC defeated Metapán 1-0 in the first leg at home behind a 40-yard blast from Fredy Montero just seconds after entering the game as a reserve.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here

On Thursday, the Seattle Sounders FC acquired Uruguay National Team midfielder Alvaro Fernandez. The 24-year-old Fernandez played in four matches for semifinalist Uruguay during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Fernandez qualifies as the club's third Designated Player. His signing will be finalized upon receipt of his International Transfer Certificate. Fernandez has not yet been added to the active roster. Per Major League Soccer and club policy, terms were not disclosed.

Fernandez started for Uruguay in the quarterfinal against Ghana, and was a substitute in wins over South Africa, Mexico, and South Korea. La Celeste took fourth in South Africa, its best finish since 1970.  He has been capped 11 times by Uruguay, including appearances in six qualifiers-since his debut in 2008.

"I'm very excited to be playing in the U.S. because the football has grown a lot in the last few years and keeps getting better," said Fernandez. "Seattle is beautiful and I think it's the ideal place to be with my family. All these things helped in making my decision."

Sounders Coach Sigi Schmid said:

"Alvaro is a versatile player who can play in a number of midfield positions. He brings good energy to the game as well as World Cup experience. He can score and also set up others."

Fernandez played the 2010 season for Chile's Universidad. Located in Santiago, Universidad finished second in the Primera Division.  The team is currently in the semi-final stage of the Copa Libertadores, the South American club championship.

"My goals are always the same whenever I join a team, to try to help, on and off the field,” Fernandez said, “to help the club achieve its goals and, obviously, win championships. I believe I can contribute through my experience. I describe myself as a fast, smooth player, who can play on either flank. I am strong in the air, and I work very hard."

Fernandez earned his first selection by the Uruguay National Team while playing for Nacional.

In addition to national team play, Fernandez has top-flight experience in Uruguay, Mexico, Portugal, and Chile. In 2009 Nacional won the Uruguayan Primeria Division and reached the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores.

"Alvaro is experienced internationally and he has demonstrated a tremendous work rate and great tactical awareness," Chris Henderson, Sounders technical director, said. "He likes to connect passes, possesses good pace, and moves well off the ball."

“We have been tracking Alvaro for a while,” Sounders General Manager Adrian Hanauer revealed.  “Versatility, quality, character, a lot of the same attributes that we have been interested in all along. Alvaro is a player who has a very good pace. He is good in the air. Versatility, he can play anywhere across the midfield. Again, we just felt like another quality player was necessary to continue to build on what we have got and certainly to make a run for the playoffs.”

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here