The Soccer Daily (Free subscription) | 11/15/2009
Real Salt Lake needed extra time and penalties to see off Chicago and win the Eastern Conference final Saturday night at Toyota Park. With both sides applying offensive pressure throughout the 120 minutes, Chicago keeper Jon Busch and his opposite number Nick Rimando held up and kept it scoreless. In penalties, RSL’s Javier Morales missed in the second round and Rimando saved John Thorrington’s...
Some People Are On The Pitch (Free subscription) | 11/09/2009
The second batch of Major League Soccer playoff games saw some tense football, great goals and short tempers. At the end of it, four teams progressed to the two conference finals. But did David Beckham and Cuauhtemoc Blanco make it? On the 5th November, the King was dead. Columbus Crew were behind 1-0 on aggregate against Real Salt Lake and, despite quickly setting about overturning the deficit, the...
Pitch Invasion (Free subscription) | 11/08/2009
Did the Fire's team, staff and supporters live up to the club's motto? Related posts: Photo Daily | November 12 | Chicago Fire Megabandera It’s the climax of the Major League Soccer season next Saturday, so this week we’ll be featuring MLS supporters all... The Ring of Fire The Chicago Fire celebrates its history, and your editor remembers why he's a Fire fan.... Happy Birthday to the Chicago...
The Soccer Daily (Free subscription) | 11/08/2009
After losing the first-leg 2-1, the Chicago Fire will be playing for the Eastern Conference title. Chicago beat New England 2-0 at Toyota Park on Saturday night, taking the series 3-2 on total goals. The Fire will now face Real Salt Lake for a spot in the 2009 MLS Cup. Chicago got a 35th-minute goal from John Thorrington to even the series. Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored the winner in the 83rd-minute. Jon...
MSNBC.com (Free subscription) | 11/08/2009
John Thorrington and Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored as the Chicago Fire advanced to the Eastern Conference final, beating the New England Revolution 2-0 Saturday night to win on 3-2 aggregate.
Seattle Times (Free subscription) | 11/08/2009
John Thorrington and Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored as the Chicago Fire advanced to the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference final with a 2-0 victory over the New England Revolution on Saturday night.
du Nord (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
STARTERS Got this note yesterday from a great reader named Anthony who lives in Glasgow: Have you heard of any fans making the trip to Bratislava for the Nov 14 game? I haven't heard anything and US Soccer hasn't even released info about tickets, but I got a cheap flight from Edinburgh to Bratislava so I'm going for the weekend in hopes I can get a ticket there and looking to meet up w any other US...
Pitch Invasion (Free subscription) | 10/30/2009
With both headed abroad and unlikely to return until late next season, will the league shift its marketing emphasis? Related posts: Who is the Richest of Them All? David Beckham, of course. It’s a funny old world when the sports league that probably gets laughed at and dismissed both in its own... John Thorrington Bests David Beckham: Chicago Fire Defeat L.A. Galaxy “You’re going...
Pitch Invasion (Free subscription) | 10/23/2009
The Chicago Fire celebrates his history, and your editor remembers why he's a Fire fan. Related posts: An Open Letter to Fire Ownership Happy Birthday to the Chicago Fire! John Thorrington Bests David Beckham: Chicago Fire Defeat L.A. Galaxy
Pitch Invasion (Free subscription) | 10/07/2009
Peter Wilt, the Chicago Fire's first employee, remembers the club's birth on October 8, 1997. Related posts: Photo Daily | November 12 | Chicago Fire Megabandera John Thorrington Bests David Beckham: Chicago Fire Defeat L.A. Galaxy Sweet Home Chicago: Red Stars Arrive
Climbing the Ladder (Free subscription) | 09/17/2009
Time to revisit my projections of who will be protected and who will be left available. What's changed in the past month? For last month's review, click here . A few days ago I posted about when players graduate from Generation Adidas status, which is highly relevant to this topic. Check out that post for further info. As of right now, I'm projecting nine players to graduate after the season: Alston,...
Climbing the Ladder (Free subscription) | 08/21/2009
Who will Peter Nowak and the Philadelphia Union take? Who will each team protect? I don't know, but I'll give it my best guess three months before everyone really starts focusing on it. You remember the rules, don't you? I'm assuming they'll stay the same as the past three years: 11 players can be protected, must protect three foreigners, GA players are exempt. Important links: 2008 draft results (&...
Smart Betting - Sports Betting Tips (Free subscription) | 08/02/2009
Very interesting match in MLS this night.The Chicago Fire and Real Salt Lake meet for the first time this season when the clubs face off at Toyota Park on Saturday evening. The Fire are unbeaten in their last four games, but now find themselves a point off the pace in the Eastern Conference after last weekend's scoreless draw in Seattle. Real Salt Lake came storming back for what they considered the...
Some People Are On The Pitch (Free subscription) | 07/30/2009
The American football psyche may have been dominated by the Gold Cup and the All-Star game lately, but the relentless march of Major League Soccer continues. Week 19 got underway at Rio Tinto on Friday, where FC Dallas gave their hosts a fright - briefly. Jeff Cunningham mugged Real Salt Lake 's Will Johnson on 20 yards and fired past Nick Rimando to put FCD ahead in the 13th minute. Eight minutes...
Fantasy Premier League (Free subscription) | 06/21/2009
Via Soccernet : Preliminary roster GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan, Marcus Hahnemann, Luis Robles, Troy Perkins, DEFENDERS: Jonathan Bornstein , Dan Califf, Steve Cherundolo, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson, Eric Lichaj, Chad Marshall, Michael Orozco, Heath Pearce, Michael Parkhurst, Marvell Wynne , MIDFIELDERS: Freddy Adu, Davy Arnaud , Ricardo Clark , Benny Feilhaber, Eddie Gaven , Stuart Holden , Pablo Mastroeni...
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