Vancouver Whitecaps started their MLS career with a very well deserved 4-2 win over Toronto at the weekend. And it was designated player Eric Hassli who got the first-ever goal for the club. Hassli netted the Whitecaps’ first-ever goal, poaching home in the 15th minute against Toronto and sending the crowd of 22,592 into a frenzy. Then for good measure, he closed out the scoring in the 74th minute with an easy tap-in from a Wes Knight pass.
Posts tagged MLS
Hassli Scores First Vancouver MLS Goal
John Rooney Drafted to New York Red Bulls
John Rooney, brother of Manchester United striker Wayne, was drafted to the MLS by New York Red Bull. 20-year old Rooney has stated he wants to step out of his older brothers shadows an make a name for himself – New York might just be the ideal spot for him.
Below is the goal Rooney scored at the MLS Combine last week.
Anelka Wants To Finish Career in MLS
Chelsea and French Shamed striker Nicolas Anelkahas made it clear he wants to finish his career in the States when his current Chelsea contract expires n the Summer of 2012. The 31 year old dreams of playing his final Pro days in the MLS like former team-mate Thierry Henry.
Sporting Kansas City is Born
There will be a new name to watch out for in MLS next season, Sporting Kansas City!
The club, who have been playing as the Kansas City Wizards, released a fresh new look – with a new crest and colors – on Wednesday in a historic announcement held at KC Live! More than a thousand supporters were in attendance to check out the new Sporting Kansas home kit that was worn by Mexican icon Omar Bravo, who recently completed his loan to Chivas Guadalajara. It was Bravo’s first appearance in Kansas City since signing with the club in August as a Designated Player for the 2011 season.
“We acquired our team from the greatest entrepreneur in the history of American Sports,” Sporting Club President Robb Heineman said. “Moving forward, the vision of our brand is to continuously innovate and provide high-performance experiences for our members.”
Sporting Kansas City will enter the 2011 season, the 16th year of Major League Soccer in Kansas City since joining as an inaugural club in 1996, with not just a new name, but also a new $180 million, state-of-the-art stadium currently under construction in Village West in Kansas City, Kansas. The venue, scheduled to open in June 2011, will seat 18,500 soccer fans and features a roof canopy that will cover every section of the stadium. Fans can take a virtual tour of the stadium by visiting www.SportingKC.com/VirtualVenue.
Online Platforms:
• Official Blog: http://www.TheSportingWay.com
• Official Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SportingKC
• Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SportingKC
MLS Cup Conference Finals Warm Up
This weekend see’s the MLS Western and Eastern Conference Finals take place. To get warmed up, here is a great video of what has happened so far in the playoffs. Roll on this weekends games!
MLS Conference Finals This Weekend
This weekend we get to see the top 4 teams in Major League Soccer square off for a place in this years MLS final, which will be played at BMO field in Toronto on Sunday November 21st. There have definitely been some upsets in this years playoffs, but here are the details for this weekends games:
Sat Nov 13, 2010 – 9:30pm ET
Colorado vs San Jose Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
Sun Nov 14, 2010 – 9:00pm ET
Los Angeles vs FC Dallas Home Depot Center
Geovanni Nets Winner for San Jose
Former Hull City midfielder Geovanni (Deiberson) helped lift his new team, the San Jose Earthquakes, to an impressive 2-1 win over Houston Dynamo on Sunday. The little Brazilian is the first designated player to ever sign with San Jose, and he is already proving a hit with fans as he got an assist on the first goal while scoring the winning goal on 64 minutes.
Quakes coach Frank Yallop rolled the dice and handed Geovanni his first MLS start and the designated player made his impact felt immediately. In the 6th minute, the Brazilian playmaker received the ball near midfield and raced 35 yards past several Dynamo players. Near the edge of the box, he sent the ball to the penalty spot where Khari Stephenson slotted home calmly to put San Jose up 1-0.
In the 64th minute, against the run of play, the Quakes capitalized on a counterattack. Brandon McDonald fed the ball into the box, where Cornell Glen laid the ball back to Geovanni, who finished easily to put the Quakes ahead for good.
The win cements San Jose’s 6th place position, and leaves them in with a fighting chance to reach the playoffs. It will be interesting to see how much more of an impact Geovanni will have for the rest of the season and if he can lead the team to the 4th place position.
Landon Donovan Wants Permanent Move to EPL
LA Galaxy and U.S.A Captain Landon Donovan has admitted his desire for a permanent move to the EPL. Donovan who was on-loan at Everton last season says he would love to join Everton on a permanent basis but the Toffees face stiff opposition from big spenders Manchester City who also are looking to bring the striker to Eastlands.
Everton’s only stumbling block will be the £10m price tag on Donovan’s head, if they want to sign the U.S captain they will have to sell someone in the current squad to fund the deal and as we all no City have no such worries with the money side of things however Donovan may see more game time at Goodison Park.
If Donovan was to leave Galaxy for the EPL it would be a massive blow to the MLS as he is like Captain America to a sport that is competing against Popular organisation such as the NBA, MLB and NFL.
MLS All-Star Game Tickets
This summer has been without a doubt one of the most exciting for US soccer fans. From all the World Cup actions, to having teams like l Madrid, Manchester City and Totthenham Hotspurs playing against MLS teams, fans have a feast of football to watch. Well, this week we get to see a cracker of a game when the MLS All-star team play against one of the biggest clubs in the World – Manchester United.
The game takes place this Wednesday, July 28th at 7.30pm CT at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. Tickets are still available if you happen to be in Houston and are looking to see the best of the best in action! Check out an in-depth review of the MLS roster to see what stars will be on offer.
Steve Ralston Announces Professional Retirement
New England Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston is retiring from professional soccer after 15 very successful seasons in MLS. Ralston, who was one of two remaining “MLS Originals”, leaves Major League Soccer as the leader in assists (135), appearances (378), starts (372) and minutes (33,143).
Ralston began his career with the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 1996 after playing collegiately at Florida International. In 2002, the Revolution selected Ralston with the sixth overall selection in the Allocation Draft, after the Mutiny and Miami Fusion folded operations. He played with the Revolution from 2002 through the 2009 season, after which he signed with his hometown AC St. Louis of the second division after suffering a season-ending knee injury last September. In June, Ralston re-signed with New England, making one appearance – a brief substitute appearance against Brazilian power Cruzeiro.
I played along side Steve in 2007, when he scored four goals and led MLS with 14 assists. In my opinion, he is probably one of the best right midfielders to have ever played the game! He had the complete package; he worked hard, new how to whip a ball into the box and he found the back of the net on a regular basis. On top of that, he was a pure professional on and off the field. You can read more about the announcement on the Revs website.
I wish Steve every success in his future endeavors, and thank him for his influence on MLS and US soccer! PS – Who could forget the Cranky Donkey celebration?
