 Kevin Payne: "Well I guess I will have to get another one." by Ted Meyer
Kansas City Wizards at Philadelphia Union
Saturday, 3:00 PM
TV: MLS Direct Kick, MatchDay Live, Local
Kansas City have been on a surprising run the past few weeks. They have only lost one in their last five and have been rocketing up the table. A large part of that success has been Davy Arnaud. After being constantly in the referee’s pocket earlier in the season and missing games as a result, he has kept himself out of trouble and the Wizards are starting to show signs of success. They only dark spot on the Wizards this week has been Peter Vermes’ DUI charge over the week. It is certainly a sad thing for a team that has finally gotten things together. While we are waiting to see what type of punishment MLS will levy on Vermes, the Wizards will have to focus as they are just outside the playoffs.
The Philadelphia Union got a big road win last week against the New England Revolution. However, they have a much stiffer test against a revitalized Kansas City team fighting for a playoff spot. Sitting in 15th place, the Union aren’t really thinking about the playoffs. Regardless, they will still want to get a win, especially at home. The key for the Union will be stopping Davy Arnaud and getting Danny Mwanga involved in the attack. Sebastian Le Toux is listed as questionable for the game, getting him on the field will be crucial as he has developed into a true leader of the team.
Los Angeles Galaxy at Chicago Fire
Saturday, 4:00 PM
TV: Telefutura
The quickly sagging Los Angeles Galaxy will play on the road against the Chicago Fire. The Los Angeles Galaxy have seen their once great lead in the league slip to just two points. Clearly, the Galaxy need to get a win. With the Crew visiting last place D.C. United, they could lose the top spot by the end of the night. The biggest problem for the Galaxy appears to be that there is no one to pair with Edson Buddle. When his goal production dips , the Galaxy appear to head in the same direction. With the Galaxy having nothing but the league to concern themselves with, losing the top spot in the league would be embarrassing.
The Chicago Fire get a home game as they try to revitalize their playoff hopes after dropping two straight road games. They have played the fewest games of any team in MLS right now, which means they are still very much in the race. It won’t come easy against a Galaxy team desperate for a win. All eyes will again be on Nery Castillo as the Fire will be looking for some form of offensive production out of him. With the schedule winding down, getting wins and developing a run will be key for the Fire to get into the playoffs.
Columbus Crew at D.C. United
Saturday, 7:30 PM
TV: Fox Soccer Channel
Columbus got a win over the D.C. United on the road to push themselves into the US Open Cup final. While, it isn’t the highest priority this season, they have to feel good about getting an opportunity to add a trophy before the season is over. As for this game, they have an excellent opportunity to get a win put themselves in first place in the league. There is no real excuse for the Crew not to come away with the three points. Pretty much everyone else in the league has done it. The Crew are the favorites and should win with no problem.
As for D.C. United, this season has passed on. This season is no more. It has ceased to be. It has expired and gone to meet its maker. It is a stiff, bereft of life, rests in peace. Kevin, if you hadn’t had screwed things up so bad, it wouldn’t be pushing daisies. Its’ metabolic processes are now history. It is off the twig. It has kicked the bucket. This is an ex-season!
Seattle Sounders at New England Revolution
Saturday, 7:30 PM
TV: MLS Direct Kick, MatchDay Live, Local
The Seattle Sounders play on the road to the New England Revolution, as they look to keep pace and stay in the playoff picture. During the week, the Sounders made it to their second straight U.S. Open Cup Final. It remains to be seen if they will play a full lineup against the Revolution, but I believe that they can get a result against a struggling Revolution team, even on the road. For Seattle, they will of course be looking to Alvaro Fernandez who has certainly helped the Sounders on this run to a playoff spot. Also, they will have to hope Freddy Montero can repeat his goal scoring performance from last week.
New England lost Cory Gibbs last week and it all seemed to unravel as they fell 2-1 to the Philadelphia Union. Against a surging Seattle team, they will be hard pressed to get any type of result. The one bright spot for the Revolution has been Ilija Stolica, who has helped New England’s offensive production. However they will need the rest of the team to step if they want any type of result out of this.
Toronto FC at FC Dallas
Saturday, 8:30 PM
TV: MLS Direct Kick, MatchDay Live, Local
Toronto FC are on a three game winless streak as they head into a road match against red hot FC Dallas. For Toronto , they have been stretched thin with the CONCACAF Champions League. They do have a little break from those games which means getting wins right now will be absolutely critical for their playoff chances. It won’t come easy against an FC Dallas team that is starting to make a case to not only be a strong playoff team, but serious MLS Cup contenders. While all the usual suspects, Dwyane De Rosario and Julian de Guzman have show up, Toronto will also need the supporting cast to show up as well. One of those players, Chad Barrett is still out with a strained right hamstring.
FC Dallas put their unbeaten streak on the line against Toronto FC. They sit just three points out of second place in the West. They have talent up and down the field, especially up top. If they can continue getting wins up into the playoffs, they may enter as the hottest team in the league. As we all know, going into the MLS Playoffs hot can make all the difference. I expect FC Dallas to get a win and further cement themselves as a true contender this year.
Chivas USA at Colorado Rapids
Saturday, 9:00 PM
TV: MLS Direct Kick, MatchDay Live, Local
Chivas USA got a win last week against D.C. United, but they face a much stiffer test against the Colorado Rapids. The key for Chivas USA will be to get Justin Braun in the attack and on the scoreboard. Against the Rapids, they face an off and on attack. The Rapids’ attack hasn’t been the most effective by far, but they can turn it on a moment’s notice, like they did against the Dynamo last week.
The Colorado Rapids got a big win against Houston last week to push themselves into seventh and get some breathing room in the playoff race. However, it is a big scrum in the middle and getting results, especially at home, will be key. Last week, they put on a goal scoring clinic against the Houston Dynamo as they rolled, 3-0. Now, they have to show that the game wasn’t just a fluke, as they try to keep their position in the playoff race. One slip up and they could find themselves out of the picture.
New York Red Bulls at Real Salt Lake
Saturday, 9:00 PM
TV: MLS Direct Kick, MatchDay Live, Local
This week’s marquee matchup sees Real Salt Lake host the New York Red Bulls. New York finally got a goal from Thierry Henry last week, and Dane Richards also looked very impressive. The Red Bulls have to hope that Henry’s goal last week was just the start of many as they look to close out the season strong. However, it won’t come easy against a very tough Real Salt Lake team.
Real Salt Lake played to a scoreless draw against Toronto FC. With the Los Angeles Galaxy slipping in the standings, now is the time for Real Salt Lake to pounce and try to take control of the West. They face an ever improving New York Red Bulls team. At home, Real Salt Lake should expect a win and should get it as their schedule is free of Champions League matches for at least the next couple of weeks.
San Jose Earthquakes at Houston Dynamo
Sunday, 8:30 PM
TV: MLS Direct Kick, MatchDay Live, Local
San Jose Earthquakes fell to New York away last week and sit just barely inside of the playoffs with the schedule tightening up. Getting wins and staying ahead of the pack will be critical if the team wants stay in the race. They get an excellent opportunity against a struggling Houston Dynamo team. Of course, a lot of pressure will fall on Geovanni to perform against the Dynamo and through the rest of the season if the team wants to get a win. Against the Dynamo, he gets an excellent opportunity to do just that.
The Houston Dynamo picked up their third loss in four games last week. It is clear that this year will most certainly not be the Dynamo’s year. Unless they have a major turnaround, Kinnear is most certainly starting to look toward next year. The big issue has been surprisingly on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having top defender, Bobby Boswell, the Dynamo let in three last week against Colorado. Dynamo fans have to hope for a better performance at home.
 BOOM HEADSHOT!!!!!11ONE1 by Melissa Wiley
I’m baaaaaaaaaaaaack! My dear readers, I’ve missed you so! You may have noticed, although I’m sure you managed to Soldier On, that I did not have a Fangirl post last Friday due to real life priorities getting in the way. At least I was kind enough to warn you on Wednesday night via drunk tweets that this was a possibility, even though I sent Kevin a short apology post past deadline that he ended up not posting… HOW RUDE! But a quick recap: I was in my bros wedding last weekend and from Tuesday-Friday, I was involved with all things associated, including but not limited to: A bachelorette party that ended in a minor medical emergency involving head trauma (she’s fine, and now considered a hero), the rehearsal dinner in which I met one, possibly two non-famous footy player loves of my life, and trying to figure out how to stuff my bra (an issue I NEVER have) and make it look natural (turns out this wasn’t even an issue, I just apparently cannot dress myself without assistance).
But I’m back and I promised to return with a BANG! Not that you could possibly know this as, again, Kevin didn’t post my “I’m Sorry I Let You Down” post. Now seeing as the transfer window closed Tuesday afternoon, there were a lot of players who could be worthy subjects this week. But alas, the few signings I wanted to happen didn’t, and one of the few I did like is being saved for another week, so really, there’s only one player that is worthy (and hasn’t already been fangirled of course) of being the subject of my epic comeback post. And he would have been my inaugural post but, you know… Cupcake! So, my dear readers, it is time to fangirl the sexiest of sexy beasts. GOLDENBALLS!!!
 The Man. The Legend. The Golden balls. A few months ago, David Beckham spent a weekend on a morale visit for British troops deployed in Afghanistan. Now, there are A LOT of jokes to be made about a boy playing with guns and stuff, but I’ll leave that to you my dear readers. There are other things to focus on here.
First up? The tattoos. You all know how I loooooove a man with tattoos when they are done right. Becks is a purrrrrfect example of how to rock a tattoo(s). He’s got the attitude to pull them off (although, let’s be honest, Becks has the attitude to pull of a tutu and make it look fierce). They also enhance his beauty versus making him look trashy. But they also look like they were done by a professional and not a kindergartener’s art project. Becks is also really fit and therefore his tattoos aren’t all stretched and disfigured. When he’s playing in footy match, I always hope he’s on the pitch when the final whistle blows so I can see the shirt come off and just pause my DVR and appreciate his beauty for a few hours… uh, I mean seconds. I’m very excited that he will be returning to the Galaxy soon, because not only do they need some excitement to re-spark their season, but Becks just adds so much pretty to that team.
Next up is the facial expression of the soldier sitting next to Becks while playing with guns. Now I know from several “mancrush” convos with @MarkWhyy and @jguesman, as well as some of my friends and even a few co-workers, not even the straightest of straight men are impervious to Beckham’s chiseled jaw line and come hither stare. And Becks in battle fatigues? Heaven! Soldier Boy’s face pretty much proves my point (although, I really hope someone is paying attention to where Davey Becks is pointing that gun). We could clone Becks, send him out into all of the unstable, war-torn areas of the world, and people would be so taken and stunned into awe by Becks, they’d forget why they were fighting in the first place! Or, more importantly, I would want to take him shopping. I don’t know if you’ve ever been up in Kohl’s, or the Coach outlet, during a sale, but you are taking your life into your own hands. Becks would make a most excellent diversion. Perhaps even for myself, which would be absolutely fantastical for my wallet. (FTR, if I was that close to Becks, I would not be sitting there staring longingly at him. Opportunities like that come along once in a lifetime and you would have to pry me off him… probably with the Jaws of Life.)
And now the hair. In a Cupcake Hairstyles post I wrote on my own blog (which I hope to return to soon), I wrote a little aside to Becksy Boo asking him to please stop experimenting with his hair, just shave it a la the Armani Underwear ads, and leave it be. HOWEVER, I also wholeheartedly approve this ‘do. It’s fashionable, it’s styled well, it doesn’t look like something died on his head (MLS Playoffs 2009 comes to mind), and it lets me believe that he just rolled out of bed, preferably mine
But all fun aside, let’s focus on what’s really important. The fact that Beckham probably spent more time flying to and from Afghanistan that he actually spent IN Afghanistan, says a lot about the kind of guy he is. Because I like to live in the Land of Fairies and Unicorns, I chose to ignore all past, present and future alleged affairs and focus on everything else. Being that he’s richer that Croesus, he does a lot to help those less fortunate than him, whether it’s starting footy academies or visiting troops. And I bet the above picture was the highlight of this lady’s life. I honestly don’t think there’s anything sexier than when any athlete (or sports organization a la Seattle Sounders) or celebrity of any kind does these types of charitable things. Well, unless, in addition to being charitable, he’s smart, funny, and good looking to boot. Not that I’m picky or anything…
 DILF. Of course, Becks is also a super hot family man, and probably my #2 DILF (althooooough, Xabi Alonso has the cutest accent, and can whisper sweet nothings in Espanol in my ear. Also, Melissa > Nagore, name wise, And you know, Totti’s kind of hot now that you mention it… hmmm I see a future post all about sexy daddies…). His boys are absolutely adorable and I kind of want to pull a Raising Arizona and kidnap the little one and raise him as my own. I’m kind of hoping that he will teach me to break dance and spin around on my head. But I also love, love, LOVE Victoria Beckham. Seriously, Victoria is Top 3 on my “WAGs I Wanna Be Like When I Grow Up” list. A) I want her hubs, B) I want her closet and (most importantly) C) She’s totally independent of David career wise. She is an entertainer and a designer, and a gazillionaire in her own right. You really got to respect her. Plus, she’s totes hilar. I don’t know about you, but I watched her coming to America special… 3 times. Yes, Davey Becks was in it for about 30 seconds, but watching her house hunt, and interrogate the lady applying to be her personal assistant/nanny when said lady mentioned Becks was “cute” was just epic. (Personally, I’d be more concerned about her thinking my super-smokin-ball-bending husband was only just “cute.” I’d wonder if she was mentally stable, not to mention I wouldn’t want my precious break dancing sons to get into a car with a woman who was obviously legally blind.) Also, Spice World is epic, and if you ever want to join me on my annual viewing, just let me know.
I will always hold a special place in my heart for David Beckham. He was one of the first players I paid attention to when I was getting into footy, and he’s just so lovely to look at (however, I usually mute his interviews. I like my men to sound like men.) I will be sad to see him go when he retires, but I’m sure there will be photo shoots galore. And I hope he coaches somewhere, whether it’s MLS, Europe, or a National Team. Mostly because he can work a suit like nobody’s business and the pitch is his runway.
 Fredy Montero's hot streak has propelled him into the MVP discussion by Ted Meyer
1. Real Salt Lake
Salt Lake was played to a scoreless draw in Toronto, which will probably disappoint fans as they had several opportunities to get the lead and the win. However they are still firmly in second place in the West after Dallas drew. They are in position to pull level with Los Angeles, especially with a win against New York at home on Saturday.
2. Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew got were unable to beat FC Dallas at home. After resting several key players in their CONCACAF Champions League match, they have to see this game as a missed opportunity. They sit at an interesting position, just two points behind Los Angeles.
3. FC Dallas
FC Dallas remain unbeaten on the road since April and unbeaten overall since May as they continue to pressure the top teams in the league. They were probably were looking for a better offensive performance, however we will probably see that against Toronto at home next week.
4. New York Red Bulls
New York got their first goal from Thierry Henry in front of the home crowd at Red Bull Arena. The Red Bulls have to hope that will be the first of many from their forward. They also got some great play from Dane Richards who scored a great goal and had a great assist on Henry’s goal.
5. Los Angeles Galaxy
Should Galaxy fans be panicking at all? The Galaxy suffered a home loss, and to make matters worse it came against the Kansas City Wizards. In August they have been 2-4. For that was unbeaten from March to June, it is pretty downright shocking. Also, their lead on everyone else in the league has all but vanished. They get a road match next week against Chicago, who beat them at home in the beginning of August.
6. Seattle Sounders
Despite a bad loss to Monterrey, Seattle showed that they can get it together for a league match as two goals from Fredy Montero pushed Seattle to victory. A great ball by Nathan Sturgis to Fredy Montero set up the game winner for Seattle in stunning last minute fashion. Last night, they defeated Chivas USA to advance to the U.S. Open Cup final, which should give them even more confidence going forward. After appearing to flat line earlier this season, the Sounders have rocketed up the table on a six game league unbeaten run to position themselves right in the playoffs.
7. Colorado Rapids
Whoa, where did that come from? A team that only averages about a goal a game pulls of three goal show with a big win over Houston. It gives the team some much needed breathing room in the playoff race. They will need to continue this run as the playoff race is tightening up.
8. San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose snapped a two game winning streak against New York. They still sit barely in the playoffs, but they need to pick up wins if they want to stay in that spot with Toronto right behind them. They get another road match this week against struggling Houston.
9. Chicago Fire
Chicago slips again with their second straight loss on the road. They were minutes away from picking up a road point and positive result in Freddie Ljungberg’s homecoming. However, an open Fredy Montero buried those hopes. Chicago will have to find some sort of form if they want to make the playoffs.
10. Toronto FC
Toronto failed to get three points at home, which keeps them outside the playoff picture. Despite coming close on several occasions, their inability to score appears to have cost them three critical points that could have made the difference between being in the playoffs and out. As the season winds down, Toronto will have start picking up points if they want to be in the playoffs this year.
11. Kansas City Wizards
Goals from Davy Arnaud and Jimmy Conrad led the Wizards to stun the Galaxy at home. Suddenly the Wizards shot themselves into playoff contention and sit just three points behind the Earthquakes. If they can continue this run, the Wizards just may make a somewhat surprising return to the playoffs.
12. Houston Dynamo
After finally getting back in the win column against Chicago, Houston go right back down after falling hard to the Colorado Rapids. The playoffs are starting to look like more and more unlikely with time running out.
13. Chivas USA
Chivas USA bent, but didn’t break against D.C. United. They got an early goal from Justin Braun and that was all they need. D.C. United did play a reserve lineup, but a league win is a league win. I’m sure Chivas USA will take as they look to get some momentum moving forward.
14. Philadelphia Union
Philadelphia looked very shaky and gave up a first half goal from a bad defensive play. Although, they got a bit of luck with a Cory Gibbs red card, they battle back thanks to goals Jack McInerney and Justin Mapp to get a big road win.
15. New England Revolution
Despite an early goal from Ilija Stolica , things seemed to be heading in the right direction for the Revs. However, after a red card from Cory Gibbs, it all seemed to unravel in the final as they fell to 2-1 to Philadelphia.
16. D.C. United
United throws out a reserve lineup and get an expected result. Troy Perkins looks like a rookie out there after he lets in a soft goal from Justin Braun. Najar did provide some offensive spark in the second half, but the team was clearly looking to Wednesday.
 Oh man, I should NOT have eaten the Tuna Surprise. by Kevin McCauley
This is a CFC re-post. The dudes over at SBN are slow, so that will be a real website God knows when.
Well, that came out of left field.
Real Madrid were apparently so desperate to get rid of Van der Vaart that they were willing to take £8m for him, or roughly 2/3 of what they paid for him in the first place. Supposedly, an £18m transfer for Bayern Munich had fallen through the day before deadline day, and as a result, VdV was available for a discount price. Despite not needing him, Harry Redknapp couldn’t resist getting a player of his quality for such a cheap price.
And really, Van der Vaart was cheap by just about anyone’s standards. He played 26 games for Real Madrid last season, scoring 6 goals and tallying 7 assists. He started in the World Cup and made 5 total appearances for the tournament runners-up. The midfielder has 16 goals in 83 international appearances and 92 goals in 249 top flight league appearances for Ajax, Hamburg SV, and Real Madrid.
So, Spurs fans might be wondering how Van der Vaart fits into Spurs’ regular setup. Truth be told…he doesn’t. Van der Vaart is used to playing higher up the pitch than Spurs’ central midfielders ever do. While he’s competent as a winger, he’s not good enough in that role to displace Bale or Lennon.
There are a few possibilities for fitting Rafael Van der Vaart into a Spurs’ starting lineup. Let’s give them a look:
1. He comes in for Ekotto. Bale shifts to left back and either Van der Vaart or Modric plays on the left with the other playing in the center. Against better teams with lots of attacking threats through the middle, VdV could play on the left with two of Sandro, Huddlestone, and Palacios in the middle.
2. We play only one of Huddlestone, Palacios, and Sandro, let VdV play the way he likes to play, and ask the defensive midfielder to do a lot of work. This is a role that does not suit the talented and intelligent, yet large and lead-footed Tom Huddlestone at all. The best man for this role is Palacios. Playing this way would be a really bad idea in Champions League. It could potentially be super effective against teams like Blackburn, Sunderland, Birmingham, and Stoke who do not have central midfielders who can pass or dribble worth a damn (slight exception for Riveros, there).
3. We *gasp* experiment with different tactics. We know it’s not Harry’s thing, but with Pavlyuchenko, Van der Vaart, and Sandro, we now have three players that are absolutely tailor made for the 4-2-3-1 setup that everyone and their mom is using these days. This setup is unlikely to have massive effects, positive or negative, on Aaron Lennon, Gareth Bale, Giovani dos Santos, Niko Kranjcar, Tom Huddlestone, or Wilson Palacios. Obviously, this formation renders Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe irrelevant or ineffective, most likely. Luka Modric is a bit of a wild card, as he could play as an attacking central midfielder, central midfielder, or on the left wing. His role would likely either be as a player who is thrown into one of those roles due to a specific matchup against an opponent or as a super sub.
So, if you were thinking that Rafael Van der Vaart was going to be plug and play somewhere, you were mistaken. How Redknapp uses VdV might reveal a lot about him as a manager. If he can’t make slight tactical adjustments to find room for a player of VdV’s quality, he truly is a rockhead. If he throws VdV into Spurs’ current setup with no adjustments and hopes it just works, he’s an even bigger rockhead. How VdV is utilized will go a long way towards whether or not Spurs reach their ambitions. Let’s just hope that he is used properly.
 If you look up "useless" in a dictionary... by Kevin McCauley
Juventus have a problem. In their Serie A opener, Juventus showed no improvement from their disappointing 2009-10 campaign. Big signings Simone Pepe, Milos Krasic, and Fabio Quagliarella looked lifeless. Juve’s supposedly improved defense had trouble dealing with the quick counter attack of Bari. That quick counter attack was allowed to occur in the first place because Pepe, Krasic, their replacements, and Alessandro Del Piero gave the ball away on a regular basis and Claudio Marchiso and Felipe Melo did little to win it back. If it wasn’t for the poor decision making and technique of Edgar Àlvarez, Bari could have won by four goals. It was a sorry display by Juventus and one that should leave their fans questioning whether all of the money that was spent this offseason is going to yield the same results.
Juve weren’t the only immensely disappointing side in Serie A this weekend. Udinese decided to carry their parade of suck from last season into the new campaign with a 1-0 loss at home to Genoa. Losing to a side with Genoa’s talent isn’t an embarrassing result in and of itself, but they way that they lost is. Genoa, to be blunt, were not very good. New signings Miguel Veloso and Rafinha looked fairly useless and Luca Toni was subbed off with an injury in the 39th minute. Despite the ineptitude of Veloso allowing Gökhan Inler and Kwadwo Asamoah to have free reign of the midfield, Udinese found ways to completely squander their chances and play generally inept football. By almost anyone’s standard, Genoa-Udinese was a bad game and Udinese put in a bad performance.
Last year, Udinese performed well below expectations. Last night on Inside the Six, Richard Farley called them a relegation candidate. I posed the question on twitter, how can a team with Samir Handanovic, Christian Zapata, Mauricio Isla, Gökhan Inler, Kwadwo Asamoah, Alexis Sanchez, and Antonio Di Natale be so awful? Unsurprisingly, no one had a good answer to that question. Every response I received was something along the lines of “I don’t get it either.” That’s because no one gets it. And the reason that no one gets it is that it doesn’t make any sense.
Of course, the Old Lady make even less sense. As bad as Udinese were, at least they put out a lineup that made sense. They sucked, but the concepts of what the players on the field were supposed to do were sound. What the hell were the players on the field for Juventus supposed to do? Was Marchiso actually expected to create anything? Was Del Piero expected to be a striker? Were Krasic and Pepe expected to put crosses in to him? What in the world was their lineup attempting to accomplish? Bari had 56% of the possession and 20 goal attempts while Juventus registered two shots on target. The teams played the exact same formation. The variation in tactics between the two teams was so minimal that I would be obnoxiously nerdy and nit-picky to even point them out. And yet, Juventus got straight up outplayed for 90 minutes. They looked like they didn’t give a shit. The Old Lady needs dentures, because she certainly doesn’t have any bite.
It’s impossible to make sense of either of these teams. On talent, Juventus are, in my opinion, the best team in Serie A. Udinese are possibly top four, certainly top seven. The only explanation that I can come up with is that both teams lack confidence, don’t care, or both. I’ve seen a lot of the Juve and Udinese players put in great performances for previous club teams and their national teams. I’ve seen them have flashes of brilliance for Udinese and Juve. That’s why these teams are so frustrating to me. Their talent is undeniable, and they just look dire. It would be one thing if I was making a kneejerk reaction based on one game, but this is just a continuation of last season. Udinese and Juve were expected to turn it around and what we got in week one was more of the same crap. Nothing has changed. Delneri and Guidolin do not appear to have changed a thing about the culture and attitude surrounding their clubs.
I refuse to believe that guys like Kwadwo Asamoah and Milos Krasic just aren’t that good. I’ve watched them play for Ghana and Serbia. That is false. Obviously, something about the atmosphere in those national sides and the relationship they have with their international teammates are completely different than what they are experiencing in club settings.
I’m undecided on whether I’d rather see these teams recover or play to their potential or if it would be amusing to watch both crash and burn. Regardless, I feel awful for fans of both clubs that obviously deserve better.
Last year, Sampdoria finished in fourth place, nicking the final spot in Champions League qualification in Italy. That same Sampdoria team opened their Serie A campaign with an impressive win over Lazio. When you look at Sampdoria’s roster, do you see anywhere near the talent that Juventus and Udinese have? Obviously they have some decent players. Antonio Cassano, Giampaolo Pazzini, and Angelo Palombo could find playing time in a lot of teams. Beyond that, do they have anyone approaching world class? I would say that they do not. Even looking at those three, would they be locks to start for Juventus or Udinese? Palombo doesn’t have the natural talent of Kwadwo Asamoah, Gökhan Inler, Felipe Melo, or Momo Sissoko. Pazzini isn’t necessarily better than Antonio Di Natale. Cassano is on a similar level to Fabio Quagliarella. With inferior talent, Sampdoria has managed to leave Juventus and Udinese in the dust.
Simply put, attitude is more important than talent. All of the truly great teams in history have had world class talent, but it’s nearly impossible for that world class talent to produce results if they don’t believe in themselves or respect their teammates or manager. With the hirings of Francesco Guidolin and Luigi Delneri, Udinese and Juventus appeared to have made the changes in culture that they needed to succeed. Obviously, their cultural problems run deeper than the gaffer.
 Even Rafa Benitez Can't Screw This Up, Can He? by Matt Conroy
Welcome to ATF’s inaugural Serie A preview. I’ll be your guide for all things calcio this year as Inter go for a record-breaking sixth consecutive scudetto, this time with Rafa Benitez at the helm. Roma, under Claudio Ranieri, ran Inter close last season but fell just short of overtaking Jose Mourinho’s men. The chasing pack also includes an aging AC Milan, who finished a dozen points behind the champions and Sampdoria, who grabbed a Champions League berth on the final day at Palermo’s expense. With Atalanta, Siena and Livorno having been relegated to Serie B, Brescia, Cesena and Lecce are the three newly promoted clubs. OK, let’s kick things off, shall we?…
Udinese v. Genoa
Saturday, August 28 12PM ET
Despite the scoring exploits of Antonio Di Natale, who led Serie A with 29 goals last season, Udinese slumped to a disappointing 14th place finish. Di Natale returns to lead the attack again, alongside Antonio Floro Flores and Chilean Alexis Sanchez. Striker German Denis, who never really lived up to expectations at Napoli, has also moved north to Friuli. The Udinese midfield features Swiss stalwart Gökhan Inler and Kwadwo Asamoah (the other Asamoah from Ghana’s World Cup run). Udinese should not have a problem scoring with the weapons they have at their disposal – it’s at the back where some questions might be asked. Slovenian National Team keeper Samir Handanovic could be a busy boy again. Though they kept things relatively tight through the early part of the 2009-2010 campaign, the Bianconeri leaked goals down the stretch. Francesco Guidolin, who took Parma back to Serie A and then guided them to a very respectable 8th place finish in their very first season back in the top flight, has taken the reins at Udinese.
Genoa also fell back several positions, to 9th after reaching 5th in 2008-2009. To get back in the European places Genoa have opened the checkbook this summer and spent more aggressively than perhaps any other team in Italy, with a number of high-profile reinforcements arriving, including Luca Toni, Franco Zuculini, Rafinha, and Miguel Veloso. Eduardo, who had a stellar World Cup for Portugal, has joined from Braga and will assume duties between the pipes for Genoa, who should be battling for European football. Genoa has also sent several players out on loan who conceivably could be recalled in an emergency, so their squad depth is outstanding. A score draw in this game seems likely, but with this revamped, supercharged Genoa you never know. They could even surprise a few people and get into the top four this season. Between Genoa and a recently revitalized Sampdoria, the Genoa derbies should be tasty affairs.
Roma vs. Cesena
Saturday, August 28 2:45PM ET
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Roma, who came tantalizingly close to overtaking Inter for the scudetto last season thanks to a 24 game unbeaten run, get just about the easiest possible opening fixture, as newly-promoted Cesena visit the Stadio Olimpico. Francesco Totti will need to stay healthy for Roma to challenge again this season, but Roma have additional veteran leadership in the person of Daniele De Rossi. Over the summer Roma nabbed Brazilian midfielder Fabio Simplicio from Palermo, who was a key player in bringing European football back to the Sicilian club. Another player, making his Serie A return after a productive period back home with Flamengo is Adriano. Assuming that Adriano has put his personal issues behind him (and that’s a massive assumption), he could be the major addition that puts Roma over the top. Ranieri is already reported to be butting heads with Adriano in training over his laziness and lack of concentration, so stay tuned. Philippe Mexes and new arrival Cicinho work at keeping things steady at the back, with Julio Sergio in goal. Over the summer Ranieri has been focused on bolstering his defense with the addition of Nicolas Burdisso from Inter, but may turn his attention elsewhere because of Inter’s financial demands. Diego Lugano of Fenerbahce, who featured for Uruguay in the World Cup, is one name that has been mentioned, but any move may be contingent on getting someone to take Julio Baptista’s salary off Roma’s hands.
Cesena, who have not been in Serie A since 1991, have brought in a few players, including journeyman Ghanaian Stephen Appiah from Bologna and Japanese World Cup defender Yuto Nagatomo from FC Tokyo. Liverpool’s former backup keeper, Brazilian Diego Cavalieri, has just been added as well to provide some solidity at the back. One to watch out for is young Italian U-21 international Ezequiel Schelotto, who has drawn comparisons to Mauro Camoranesi and can play as either a winger or full-back. Still, anything less than three points for the Giallorossi against the Seahorses, who should be fighting relegation all season, would be a major shocker.
Bari vs. Juventus
Sunday, August 29 12:00 PM ET
Bari were arguably the surprise package of Serie A last season, playing some really attractive attacking football, backed by a rock solid defense. Unfortunately, as so often happens, several major players have been poached by larger clubs, including both starting center backs, Andrea Ranocchia and Leonardo Bonucci, gone to Genoa and Juventus respectively (Ranocchia having been recalled from loan). Happily, Bari have a solid goalkeeper in Jean-Francois Gillet and have kept Brazilian Vitor Barreto to lead the attack, while adding Algerian striker Abdelkader Ghezzal. Honduran winger Edgar Alvarez is another one to watch out for, after a stellar campaign in 2009-2010 that saw him terrorizing defenders. Marco Rossi, who played well on loan at Sampdoria last season, has returned to help fill the void in defense. Even if the defending may not be quite as tidy this season as last, Bari should still be respectable, assuming that the losses at the back don’t kill them.
Juve, meanwhile, are coming off one of their worst seasons in history. The squad is still studded with some veterans close to retirement, but others have been sent packing. Diego, who flirted with a move back to Germany, now seems likely to stay. At least Fabio Cannavaro is gone, but it could take Bonucci some time to settle alongside Chiellini. Former Roma man Marco Motta has also come over on loan from Udinese with an option to buy, and he should provide quality on the right side of the defense, while wingers Milos Krasic and Jorge Martinez have arrived, from CSKA Moscow and Catania, respectively. It will be interesting to see what Del Neri does at right back, with Pepe and Camoranesi both possibilities. Could Camoranesi get sold? Juve have also landed Alberto Aquilani, out of favor after just one season at Liverpool. What his arrival means for the future of Felipe Melo is still unclear. If Aquilani can stay healthy (a big if), Liverpool could regret having given up on him so soon. With Amauri out to start the season and Trezeguet possibly on his way to Spain, Fabio Quagliarella has been loaned from Napoli, with an option to buy. Luigi Del Neri has already made quite a bit of progress in re-shaping the squad. There will be a lot of pressure on him to get Juve out of the gates strong after a horrid 2009-2010, but winning away at Bari is no piece of cake.
AC Milan vs. Lecce
Sunday, August 29 2:45PM ET
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It must be galling for Milan fans to look across the street and see city rivals Inter grabbing trophy after trophy while they continue to flounder, a result of the club’s failure to freshen its squad over the last several seasons. New manager Massimiliano Allegri, brought in from Cagliari, achieved decent results in Sardinia despite the loss of key players and is widely respected across Italy for his tactical skills. On the other hand, his resume is a litany of two year stints with smaller clubs across the country. The intense pressure at Milan is a different kettle of fish, as Leonardo discovered. Alexandre Pato looks sharp in preseason and is poised to have a strong year if he can avoid injuries. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has been a disappointment and could be moved on to another club, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic – out of favor at Barcelona – looks to have been added in time for Week 1. Despite rumors linking him with a move to Los Angeles Galaxy, Ronaldinho, who managed a respectable 15 goals in all competitions last season, remains an AC Milan player. On the whole, however, there has been very little notable transfer activity for Milan his summer, apart from the addition of old as dirt Mario Yepes from Chievo and the loan signing of Kevin Prince-Boateng from Genoa, so it will be up to Allegri to get the most out of aging stars such as Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo. The fact that AC Milan are now taking players on loan from Genoa should tell you something about their financial situation. Maybe Roma and Inter will regress and a managerial change will be all that’s required for AC Milan to get back stop the heap again, but I doubt it.
Lecce, the little club from the heel of Italy’s boot, have just been promoted as champions of Serie B and are being picked by many to go straight back down. Short on funds, manager Luigi De Canio has brought in a number of loanees, including full back Giulio Donato from Inter. Defender Souleymane Diamoutene has been also added from regional rivals Bari, while Uruguayan midfielder Carlos Grossmüller has been bought from Schalke. Fellow Uruguayan Javier Chevanton, who scored 48 times in 92 appearances for Lecce from 2001-2004 has been added from Sevilla before the season kicks off, while yet another Uruguayan, captain Guillermo Giacomazzi, will run the show in the middle of the park. If Catania, with all its Argentinians, could be mistaken for Buenos Aires, then Lecce, with its sizable contingent of Uruguayans, is almost Montevideo on the Adriatic. As far as youth goes, striker Daniele Corvia could pitch in with a few goals in De Canio’s 4-3-2-1 system. Still, I doubt Lecce has enough to pose a threat to Milan on opening day.
Chievo vs. Catania
Sunday, August 29 2:45PM ET
With Domenico Di Carlo having left for Sampdoria, Chievo has turned to veteran manager Stefano Pioli, who had a successful stint with Sassuolo in Serie B after crashing and burning at Parma. While the plucky Flying Donkeys managed to get back to Serie A after relegation in 2007, they have been consistently mediocre, flirting with relegation in 2008-2009 and again in 2009-2010 before finishing in the mid-teens. Remember, in the mid-nineties this was a team that – shockingly – played European football in successive seasons. Sergio Pellissier will once again lead the attack, as he creeps up on 100 goals with the club. Transfer speculation has linked a number of Chievo players to moves away from Verona, including goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino and defender Andrea Mantovani, but for now last season’s squad remains relatively intact. The only major departure has been veteran defender Mario Yepes, who left on a free transfer to Milan. Bostjan Cesar has joined from relegated French club Grenoble to take Yepes’ place. The key for Chievo is going to be getting production from sources other than Pellissier, including Uruguyan Pablo Granoche, who was a massive disappointment last season. European football returning to Verona is unlikely, with a mid to lower table finish more probable.
As I mentioned above, Catania’s squad features a boatload of Argentinian players – more than any other club in Europe. Perhaps none is more exciting than Maxi Lopez, who managed 11 goals in 17 games for the Elefanti last season. Production also came from Giuseppe Mascara and Takayuki Morimoto. Marco Biagianti remains a forceful presence in midfield, while Catania also boasts a strong defense, having allowed just 43 goals in 38 games last season. Another Argentine, winger Pablo Barrientos, endured an injury-plagued 2009-2010, but he could have a big impact this season if he can stay away from the doctors. With a bit of managerial stability, finally (hopefully), we could see the Sicilian club breaking into the top ten this season after a 13th place finish last year. One of Serie A’s more entertaining clubs to follow, I like Catania to take full points on opening day in Northern Italy.
Fiorentina vs. Napoli
Sunday, August 29 2:45PM ET
Why FSC has chosen to feature AC Milan vs. Lecce, when you have both this game and Sampdoria hosting Lazio on Sunday, is beyond me. Last season, Fiorentina ended up losing to Bayern Munich in the Champions League in very controversial circumstances when referee Tom Henning Ovrebo again showed how incompetent he was/is. In contrast to their strong European campaign, however, La Viola had a down year domestically, finishing 11th in the table. You’d expect them to have made some major moves over the summer, but apart from the additions of goalkeeper Artur Boruc from Celtic and midfielder Gaetano d’Agostino from Udinese, it’s been a fairly quiet summer for Fiorentina. That is unless you count the loss of Stevan Jovetic, who is now expected to miss most, if not all, of the upcoming season. With striker Adrian Mutu suspended due to a doping ban and continuing to fight a never-ending contract squabble with his former club Chelsea, there is ton of pressure on Alberto Gilardino to produce goals. Fiorentina may be in the market for a new striker, either via transfer or loan deal, just to get themselves through October. Assuming that no help arrives, new manager Sinisa Mihajlovic may start wondering why he ever left Catania.
For Napoli, the outlook is positive following a sixth place finish last season that takes them into Europe. In addition to retaining Marek Hamsik, who had been linked with a number of clubs, Napoli added Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani, formerly of Palermo. Fabio Quagliarella, however, has been sent off on loan to Juventus at the last minute. Argentine Ezequiel Lavezzi is another exciting player when he’s on his game. If manager Walter Mazzarri can get all three players firing and Hamsik can work his magic in midfield, this could be a great year in Naples. Algerian international Hassan Yebda has also joined on loan from Benfica to fortify the midfield, now that Luca Cigarini has moved on to Spain. None of the summer departures were terribly significant, so there is finally a measure of stability at one of Italy’s most historic clubs. Barring injuries Napoli should make some noise this season and could even slip into a Champions League place if everything breaks right. With all the issues facing Fiorentina I would not be shocked to see Napoli get a result away from home, though a draw seems more likely.
Palermo vs. Cagliari
Saturday, August 29 2:45PM ET
Palermo came within a hair’s breadth of securing a Champions League spot last year, and will now have to find a way to plug the holes left by the departures of three of their most influential players – Edinson Cavani, Simon Kjaer and Fabio Simplicio, all moved on for money. Influential Argentinian midfielder Javier Pastore is one player who has not been sold, despite strong interest from several Spanish clubs. His play in the center of midfield, where he linked up effectively with Cavani and captain Fabrizio Miccoli, was a big reason why Palermo charged up the table last season. With a World Cup and another year under his belt, Pastore is definitely a player to watch, assuming Palermo hold firm and do not sell him. Another Argentine, 19-year old Ezequiel Muñoz, has joined from Boca Juniors to fill Kjaer’s shoes (a tall order). Palermo has also added striker Mauricio Pinilla, whose career went off the rails after a sex scandal involving the wife of then Chilean national team captain Luis Antonio Jimenez in 2007. Pinilla has bags of talent, and returned from ignominy to light up Serie B last season with a jaw-dropping 24 goals in 24 appearances for Grosetto. Young Uruguayan Abel Hernandez could also chip in with 8-10 goals after netting 7 in his first season with the club. Palermo seem to have a knack for unearthing hidden gems in recent years, and it would be foolish to count them out this season, but it will take a lot to secure fifth place again.
For Cagliari, the biggest news of the summer was the loss of manager Massimiliano Allegri to Milan. Though they played some exciting attacking football at times last season, Cagliari were winless in their last 13 games and finished a disappointing 16th in the table. Pierpaolo Bisoli, the new manager, has so far managed to hold on to most of the core of last year’s young team, including goalkeeping sensation Federico Marchetti, winger Andrea Lazzari and striker Alessandro Matri. Cagliari has also added striker Robert Acquafresca on loan from Genoa. Acquafresca had a very positive spell in Sardinia from 2007-2009, banging in 24 goals over two seasons, and will be hoping to repeat the magic this season. Brazilian Nene is another option up front. Even with a new manager, Cagliari is probably a better team than their finish last season, but getting a result away at Palermo would be asking a lot.
Parma vs. Brescia
Sunday, August 29 2:45PM ET
In their first year back in Serie A following relegation, Parma did fantastically well. They were even in the running for a Europa League place for a time, before finishing just outside the top seven. This season they’ll look to build on that finish and establish some consistency following years of financial and managerial turmoil, hopefully re-establishing themselves among Italy’s elite clubs. Key to the resurgence will be diminutive maestro Sebastian Giovinco, one of Italy’s brightest young talents, still technically on loan from Juventus, though Parma have an option to purchase his rights. Add in the outright purchase of Valeri Bojinov from Manchester City, as well as the ageless Hernan Crespo, and you have the makings of pretty formidable attack. Parma also snapped up Portuguese U-19 star midfielder Danilo Pereira, a player than AC Milan was reportedly chasing and added former Fiorentina left back Massimo Gobbi, who was on Roma’s radar. Pasquale Marino, the former manager of Udinese, will be in charge, having swapped jobs with Francesco Guidolin in Italy’s never-ending game of managerial musical chairs.
New boys Brescia are back in the top flight after a five-year absence, having won a playoff against Torino to secure a promotion place. Manager Giuseppe Iachini hasn’t been given much material to work with, however. Veteran goalkeeper Matteo Sereni has been added and should have his hands full. Striker Andrea Caracciolo racked up an impressive 46 goals over two-plus seasons with Brescia in Serie B, but has never really produced consistently at the top level. Midfielder Alessandro Diamanti has come home to Italy after a spell at West Ham. Given their relative lack of transfer activity and paper thin squad composed of journeyman players, Brescia is my pre-season pick to take the wooden spoon unless they make some major changes. Eder, the Brazilian striker who scored 27 goals in 35 games for Serie B Empoli last season, has just been brought in to help up front, but Serie B production is no guarantee of success in the top flight. Parma should open with a comfortable home win.
Sampdoria vs. Lazio
Sunday, August 29 2:45PM ET
Thanks in large part to Antonio Cassano, Giampaolo Pazzini and Angelo Palombo, Sampdoria is experiencing the kind of success it hasn’t seen since the heyday of Roberto Mancini and Gianluca Vialli, having made it to the Champions League qualifying phase (where they unfortunately look poised to promptly crash out) and kept the core of its team together over the summer. Despite a relatively poor pre-season and few additions, Samp should be a dangerous team again this time around, even with a new manager – namely Domenico Di Carlo, formerly of Chievo. Goalkeeper Marco Storari left for Juventus with Luigi Del Neri and will be replaced by Gianluca Curci, newly arrived from relegated Siena. Keeping Cassano and Pazzini healthy will be key to domestic success. Were Sampdoria to lose one or both it could prove to be a very challenging season. I’m not sure they have the depth in quality to keep up both domestic and European campaigns should they get past Bremen.
This isn’t your father’s Lazio – the one that spent money like a drunken sailor. Aleksandar Kolarov was sold to Manchester City over the summer, with Javier Garrido coming the other way and likely assuming Kolarov’s place in Lazio’s preferred 3-5-2, a system he has not played in before *alarm bells*. On the other hand, Hernanes, one of the most exciting midfield players in the world, has been brought in from Sao Paulo in a $17.3 million transfer, and the signing of right winger Alvaro Gonzalez from Nacional of Uruguay should help. How long it takes both players to settle with the Biancocelesti is an open question. There could yet be another addition or two before the season begins. Mauro Zarate will be asked to supply goals alongside Sergio Floccari and Tommaso Rocchi – something he has done all too infrequently since his arrival in Italy from Birmingham. The veteran Rocchi has been mentioned in connection with Fiorentina, and could yet be moved before the transfer deadline arrives. The tall Czech striker Libor Kozak is probably Lazio’s most exciting young prospect and a scoring option off the bench after his return from a loan spell at Brescia. With a lot of question marks, this team could be up in the European places or battling in mid-table again. This is easily one of the most exciting games of the opening weekend.
Bologna vs. Internazionale
Monday, August 30 2:45PM ET
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The first week’s final game features treble-winning Inter traveling to Bologna, who just narrowly avoided relegation last season. Bologna, under new ownership, has been active on the transfer market, adding a host of young talent, including rising Slovenian star Rene Khrin, on loan from Inter, and Albin Ekdal, who impressed last season at Siena, on loan from Juventus. The exciting young striker Manu Gavilan, who had been linked with Liverpool this summer, has also joined from Real Betis. Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic is another who has been linked with a loan move to the Rossoblu. Youth is the order of the day at Bologna, though experienced striker Marco di Vaio is still around as captain and their main man up front. Riccardo Meggiorini, who racked up an impressive scoring record at Serie B Cittadella and then had a less successful stint at Bari, has been added to bolster the attack. Expect Bologna to improve on last season’s close shave. At least they’ll get their first meeting with the champions out of the way on opening day.
As for Inter, Mario Balotelli is gone to Manchester City, and with him a whole lot of drama. Likewise Jose Mourinho, who accomplished what he set out to do in Milan and has moved on to Madrid. Even so, the core of the team remains largely intact. Assuming that players such as Maicon, Sneijder and Eto’o stick around, you’d have to favor Inter to win a sixth consecutive scudetto, even with Rafa Benitez in charge. Zanetti, Lucio, Milito, Samuel, Pandev, Cambiasso, Muntari – there is a pretty staggering array of talent at the club. Even Benitez couldn’t manage to crash this Rolls Royce of a team, could he? Barring a spate of injuries or mismanagement on a BP scale, Inter should win another scudetto comfortably. French youngster Jonathan Biabany was purchased from Parma, one would assume to fill the void left by Balotelli’s departure. Tricky Brazilian midfielder Coutinho, who featured in Inter’s American pre-season warmups, has also been recalled from his loan at Vasco de Gama. And Benitez favorite Dirk Kuyt could also arrive at the San Siro, though as we go to press nothing has been finalized.
 A dark horse for MVP? by Ted Meyer
FC Dallas at Columbus Crew
Saturday, 4:00 PM ET
TV: Telefutura
This is probably the biggest match of the weekend with red hot FC Dallas taking on Eastern leaders Columbus Crew. FC Dallas have probably been the best team during the summer. They are been unbeaten since a May 20th loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy. Last week, Brek Shea scored a cracker of a goal to give FC Dallas a 1-0 win over Chivas USA. They will probably be hoping for something similar against the Crew on the road. With a prolific attack that includes Brek Shea and David Ferreira , I would say that a win is certainly not out of the question, even on the road. They will face a stiff test to keep their unbeaten streak alive. Fortunately for FC Dallas, they will be facing a team that played a road Champions League game in the middle of the week.
Columbus Crew have had a difficult week. After having a goal controversially disallowed in the Champions League match against Santos, they seemed close to walk away with a big road point. However, a 93rd minute goal shattered all of those hopes. They will have to regroup and recover to face a tough and motivated FC Dallas team. They did rest first team regulars Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Chad Marshall, Will Hesmer, and Danny O’Rourke for the tie against Santos. They should be well and rested for the game tomorrow, but I wouldn’t doubt that the Crew would be suffer a bit of emotional fatigue after the loss to Santos in the middle of the week. I expect Columbus to win at home, but if FC Dallas can get on the board first they can certainly lock the game down on the road.
Real Salt Lake at Toronto FC
Saturday, 7:00 PM ET
TV: MLS Direct Kick, MatchDay Live, Local
Both Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC look to regroup after disheartening Champions League losses. Real Salt Lake were 15 minutes away from pulling off a historic win for MLS by beating Curz Azul in Mexico. However, bad breakdowns cost them all three points as they fell 5-4. While the roster was shuffled a bit, most of the starters played in the match against Cruz Azul. After an emotional roller coaster ride for Real Salt Lake, the question has to be how much is left in the tank. My feeling is that we could certainly see a reserve lineup against Toronto FC, which doesn’t bode well for Salt Lake as they try to fight the Galaxy for the top spot in the West.
Toronto FC rested Dwayne De Rosario for a half, and Stephan Frei for the entire game in their match against Arabe Unido. Fortunately, they may just have the upper hand against Real Salt Lake, who played a lot of starters against Cruz Azul on Wednesday. Julián De Guzman played the entire game so he may be rested against RSL. Since Toronto lacks depth, I think we could see him get some time in this game; just having De Guzman out there makes Toronto a much better defensive team. Really, this game will come down to what lineups both coaches decide to throw out. Real Salt Lake certainly have more depth, but if they end up resting a lot of their star players I expect Toronto to have the advantage at home.
San Jose Earthquakes at New York Red Bulls
Saturday, 7:30 PM ET
TV: MLS Direct Kick, MatchDay Live, Local
It’s a battle of the Designated Players this week as Thierry Henry and the Red Bulls play host to Geovanni and the San Jose Earthquakes. Geovanni had a great debut for San Jose as they beat their conference rivals Los Angeles Galaxy. They get another titan in MLS at Red Bull Arena. It will interesting to see how much Geovanni sees the field against New York, and whether he can add to the Earthquakes attack. If he manages to link up quickly, it could be enough to push the Earthquakes back into the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
New York rolled Toronto FC in Canada last week to keep a firm grip on the second spot in the East. Now they will look to get back on track at home with a win against San Jose. Rafael Marquez had a cracking goal against Toronto and Juan Pablo Angel added the third goal. New York fans had to feel better about their team after the game against Toronto, which saw them launch an onslaught of goals. Against San Jose, fans will have to hope the attack can come with the same force.
Philadelphia Union at New England Revolution
Saturday, 7:30 PM ET
TV: MLS Direct Kick, MatchDay Live, Local
After both teams had a minor run, both suffered bad losses that knocked them right back to the bottom of the table. New England allowed a guy who came from a team that folded in Europe to score not one but two goals. Unfortunately for New England, several key players are listed as questionable for this week’s game. Marko Peovic and Zak Boggs have been crucial to the attack for the New England. When they play the Revolution are a better team.
Philadelphia Union looked like an expansion team against D.C. United as they fell 2-0 on the road. They get another road test to try and bounce back, but unless things drastically change I don’t see that happening. The key for Philadelphia is obviously one player: Sebastian Le Toux. When he is active in the attack, Philadelphia are usually very successful. Also, they will need Danny Mwanga to exploit the Revolution back line if Philadelphia wants any shot at this game.
Houston Dynamo at Colorado Rapids
Saturday, 9:30 PM ET
TV: Fox Soccer Channel
The sagging Colorado Rapids play host to the suddenly reenergized Houston Dynamo. Houston Dyanmo appeared to be playing themselves right out of playoff contention with no wins in league play since May. However thanks to hat trick display last week by Brian Ching, they secured the three points and the win. The only down side was that their defense was atrocious, letting Chicago find the net three times. Although the Dynamo look better, they can afford to let another defensive performance like that happen. However, facing a Colorado team that is struggling offensively may be just what they need.
Colorado suffered a bad loss to Columbus, but still hold on to the eighth playoff spot. However with the rest of the league catching up a result here will be crucial. Despite having two competent attackers in Conor Casey and Omar Cummings, Colorado only manages to get just barely average over one goal a game. Unless they find some miraculous help, Colorado will probably continue to struggle offensively. Against Houston if they can contain Brian Ching and keep him off the score sheet, they stand a chance. Otherwise Colorado could continue to sink in the playoff race.
Chicago Fire at Seattle Sounders
Saturday, 10:30 PM ET
TV: MLS Direct Kick, MatchDay Live, Local
Freddie Ljungberg makes his return to Seattle after departing for Chicago in the summer. It will be interesting to see how the fans will react to Ljungberg’s return. This is still a cracking match between two clubs trying to stay firm in the playoff race. Seattle suffered a bad loss to Monterry at home, and played some starters including Alvaro Fernandez. He is certainly a massive talent and the biggest X-factor that Seattle has. If he mixes well with the his Sounders teammates going forward, he could be a hugely important in getting the team to playoffs this year. While Seattle will be managing the minutes of the rest of the team, I can’t imagine them playing a reserve lineup. This match is just too important for their playoff chances.
Despite a loss on the road to the Dynamo last week, things are starting to come together for Chicago. Freddie Ljungberg has fit right in to the lineup and has racked up three assists in four games. Their goalkeeper situation, which appeared to be a big concern for the team, was solved as Sean Johnson has stepped up big time for Chicago. The only concern for Chicago is clearly Nery Castillo. He won’t make the trip due to fitness issues. As a Designated Player, Chicago can’t be happy about this. Getting him into the attack will be crucial for Chicago going forward the rest of the season.
Kansas City Wizards at Los Angeles Galaxy
Saturday, 10:30 PM ET
TV: MLS Direct Kick, MatchDay Live, Local
Kansas City fans had to be asking themselves this question last week: Just who the hell is Birahim Diop? Well after he racked up two goals, I don’t think Kansas City fans cared all that much. If he can continue to do the same against the Galaxy, Kansas City may have just found just unearthed the biggest gem of all. Still on the road, the Wizards face a stern test. Their defense will have to be nothing short of perfect to contain the Galaxy attack. Also they will need Kei Kamara to be on form against the punishing Galaxy defense. Fortunately for the Wizards, the Galaxy have showed signs of mortality in the past few weeks. The Wizards could catch them off guard and pull off a shock result.
The Galaxy suffered a bad loss to the San Jose Earthquakes last week. They are still ahead a top the table, but after a clear dip in form, Galaxy fans are a bit nervous. If they can get back to their dominating and winning ways against Kansas City, it could go a long way to securing a playoff spot and the Supporter’s Shield. Basically, if Los Angeles lose the Supporters’ Shield, it will be an embarrassing collapse. They have no excuse. The Crew and Real Salt Lake have the Champions League to concern themselves with and will constantly be juggling lineups. The Galaxy have nothing like that to concern themselves with other than the MLS season. I expect a confortable win for the Galaxy, and it would certainly be a welcome relief for Galaxy fans.
D.C. United at Chivas USA
Sunday, 10:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN 2, ESPN 3.com
ESPN strikes out again with this match as bottom feeders D.C. United and Chivas USA face off. D.C. United did bounce back against the Philadelphia Union with a win at home. While fans will probably want to see the team develop some sort of run in the league, they are also aware that they have probably the most important match of the season against Columbus in the Open Cup Semi-Final. A trophy, no matter what competition it is in, could salvage something from an otherwise miserable season. My feeling is that Ben Olsen will rest some of his big players, especially in the midfield.
Chivas USA suffered a tough loss on the road to FC Dallas on the road as they slipped to 14th in the league. As a result, Chivas are now suffering a three game winless streak. Against D.C. United, they will want a win to bounce back. With D.C. United potentially resting some of their starters, Chivas USA enter as the favorites to get the win. Justin Braun could be very useful on the wing especially in exploiting a disorganized backline like D.C. United. However, if they play Alan Gordon again up top, D.C. United fans may want to send a fruit basket to Martin Vasquez.
 It's time for Ashley Young to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and prove he's worth his £25m price tag by Kevin McCauley
Arsenal at Blackburn Rovers
Saturday, 7:45 am Eastern
TV: ESPN2, ESPN3.com
Arsenal’s 6-0 demolition of Blackpool last week isn’t much of an indicator of their quality, especially since Blackpool had 10 men for four of those goals (the second was scored on a PK that resulted from a red card offense). Their draw against Liverpool isn’t either, since Cesc Fabregas didn’t play. This week, they have to face an extremely negative, physical, and well-drilled Blackburn team on the road. Allardyce’s boys are tough to break down, but Fabregas should finally be available to play 90 minutes. I don’t think Blackburn are going to score unless Arsenal makes a massive mistake, but I don’t expect them to get battered either. 2-0 to the Arsenal in a game that is a bigger blowout than the score indicates.
Fulham at Blackpool
Saturday, 10 am
TV: FoxSoccer.tv (FSC on tape delay)
Both Fulham and Blackpool performed a few standard deviations from their mean performances last week. Fulham in the positive direction, Blackpool in the negative direction. Blackpool play at Bloomfield Road for the first time in the Premier League this week and will be looking to put in a much better performance against Fulham than they did last week against Arsenal. Fulham’s Simon Davies, Dickson Etuhu, and Danny Murphy performed better than they usually do in a 2-2 draw against Manchester United last week. Don’t expect all three of those players to put in top performances two weeks in a row. Despite Fulham likely falling off a bit this week and Blackpool likely improving a bit, Fulham are still a better team than Blackpool. The Bloomfield Road crowd might be the difference, but my gut says Fulham will win this match something like 2-1.
Stoke at Chelsea
Saturday, 10 am
TV: FS+, FoxSoccer.tv
Stoke are not off to a good start this season, while Chelsea have 12 goals from their first two matches. The Potters did have a good second half against Tottenham Hotspur, but they were unable to score and dropped all three points, just like they did the previous week against Wolves. Sadly, they will likely be on zero points next week as well, as they look hard pressed to get a result at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea won’t whoop up on Stoke like they did on West Brom and Wigan, but they should win comfortably. 3-0 to the Blues.
Wigan Athletic at Tottenham Hotspur
Saturday, 10 am
TV: FSC
Lawl. Could Wigan concede 90 goals this year? I think it’s entirely possible. With Spurs having multiple injury problems and other competitions to worry about, they might give it a rest once they get 2-0 up. With N’Zogbia set to depart for Birmingham, Wigan are hopeless. I’ll still call it 4-0 to Spurs.
Simply out of obligation to my readers and SBNation, there will be an extended preview of this game later at Cartilage Free Captain.
Newcastle at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Saturday, 10 am
TV: FoxSoccer.tv (FS+ on tape delay)
After Newcastle’s lifeless performance against Manchester United and their 6-0 destruction of Aston Villa, it’s very difficult to tell what kind of team Newcastle is and where they will finish this season. After a good win over Stoke and a hard fought draw against Everton, Wolves look to be a worthy opponent. Newcastle’s success is probably centered around how well they can supply the ball to Andy Carroll. Carroll is a decent striker and a good finisher, but he’s never going to create great chances for himself. Jonas, Barton, and Nolan have to be on their game for Newcastle to beat good opponents. Wolves should make it tough on them at Molineaux. Could Steven Fletcher and Kevin Doyle finally start together? Fletcher is hurt, but not listed as out for the game. If they’re playing together, Wolves could be dangerous. For now, I’ll say this game will be a 1-1 draw.
West Ham at Manchester United
Saturday, 12:30 pm
TV: FSC
Epic waste of time to break down. 4-0 Man United.
Birmingham at Bolton
Sunday, 8:30 am
TV: FS+, FoxSoccer.tv
For me, this might be the closest and most interesting matchup of the weekend. While it means nothing this early in the season, Bolton and Birmingham currently occupy the fifth and sixth positions in the table. Both teams are surprisingly deep and Birmingham are about to add Charles N’Zogbia from Wigan. At the end of the season, we might look back to this game as one that made a difference in the race for the 7th place and possibly the last spot in Europe. Both Birmingham and Bolton look like potential top half sides from what they have shown so far. Some of the other iffy top half candidates like Newcastle, Stoke, Sunderland, and Fulham have all shown more dents in their armor than Bolton and Birmingham so far. Both teams have players with extremely high ceilings and low floors in Stuart Holden and Nikola Zigic, and those players are likely the keys to their respective seasons. In this one, I’ll predict a 1-1 draw.
West Bromwich Albion at Liverpool
Sunday, 10 am
TV: FoxSoccer.tv (FS+ on tape delay)
Liverpool are off to a bad start. West Brom got creamed in their first game against Chelsea, but bounced back last week against Sunderland. Neither team has performed and what we would most likely call their mean performance level so far this season. West Brom were certainly above that last week while Liverpool were far below it. The impending sale of Javier Mascherano to Barcelona appears to be a heavy blow to the Merseyside club and Christian Poulsen has a massive task in front of him to fill those shoes. If both teams perform at their expected levels, Liverpool should win something like 3-1. However, I’ve got a feeling that we could see something wacky out of both sides and almost no result would shock me.
Manchester City at Sunderland
Sunday, 10 am
TV: FoxSoccer.tv (FS+ on tape delay)
Sunderland are, by almost any standards, off to a rotten start. They blew a 2-0 lead against Birmingham in week one and were poor in a 1-0 loss to West Brom last week. City, on the other hand, are on a high after defeating Liverpool 3-0. It was a great result for them after a 0-0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur where they were clearly outplayed. All signs point to a City win, but I can’t help but think that Sunderland are better than their start. If Steve Bruce can finally get 90 minutes of Lee Cattermole and Cristian Riveros in the center of midfield together, Sunderland should be better. Still, City might be a little too much. 2-1 City in a game that’s closer than the experts think.
Everton at Aston Villa
Sunday, 11 am
TV: FSC
Both Everton and Villa have had massive hiccups to start the season. Both were considered heavy favorites to finish in the top eight at the start of the season. In this match, we might see whether or not both teams deserved that distinction. It might be too early in the season to make a decision on a team’s fate, but Spurs did defeat Liverpool in the opening game of last season, so you never know. Aston Villa could be without Gabriel Agbonlahor, Richard Dunne, and John Carew. If all three players are out, a serious weight transitions to the shoulders of Emile Heskey, Ashley Young, and Carlos Cuellar. Also, it will be interesting to see if Interim Manager Kevin MacDonald adjusts his tactics to suit Stephen Ireland or if he tries to shove him into the same role that James Milner played. A mostly healthy Everton should bounce back this week, but Villa will be eager to show that their 6-0 loss to Newcastle was a fluke. An open 2-2 match would suit the neutrals just fine, and it’s exactly what I think is going to happen.
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