28Aug/110
FC Dallas vs. Sporting Kansas City: Analysis and Review
FC Dallas rookie Bobby Warshaw was the hero as the Hoops came back from what was an almost insurmountable 2-0 hole to beat Sporting Kansas City, 3-2.Dallas looked pitiful through the first half and well into the second, and Kansas City fans were probably feeling quite confident that Sporting's stellar record of 10-7-5 against Dallas would see another tally in the win column.The first goal of the night came off of a defensive miscue between Ugo Ihemelu and Bruno Guarda, which resulted in Kei Kamara coolly slotting a shot past Kevin Hartman to the far post. Dallas' defense continued to look bad through most of the match, allowing Kansas City many chances on goal.After the half ended, play continued much like it had for the first half of the match, with Dallas seemingly always on their heels, never able to put together a strong, concentrated attack. Chances were few and far between and possession was practically gifted to Kansas City all night long, resulting in Kansas City's second goal of the night in the 68th minute of play.Dallas would soon respond though as Ihemelu pulled one back for the visiting side in the 70th minute. After that goal, play seemed ...28Aug/110
FC Dallas vs. Sporting Kansas City: What FC Dallas Needs to Do to Win the Match
FC Dallas takes on Sporting Kansas City tonight in the Hoops' first visit to Livestrong Park. Dallas will definitely be looking to replicate their recent CONCACAF Champion's League play in an attempt to get the three points tonight as the last match between these two sides found the Hoops losing 4-1 at home to a Kansas City side that looked much stronger and organized overall.Dallas is coming off of yet another CONCACAF Champion's League victory over Toronto FC, a 1-0 victory at BMO Field that was originally postponed at the half due to inclement weather. Dallas would go on to win the replay the next day 1-0 on a goal from newcomer Jack Stewart.Dallas' recent league play leaves much to be desired though.Sitting in third place in the Western Conference, Dallas has won only two matches out of their last five, against Toronto and Chivas USA. Their current three game streak saw them barely pull out a tie against a Philadelphia Union side who benefited greatly from the ejection of George John, whose highly touted move to Blackburn Rovers still has yet to come.Many would contribute the recent dropping of points to the loss of George John, and this very ...20Aug/110
Texas Soccer: Galveston Pirates Prepare for Kickoff Battle in Cup Final
The Galveston Pirates are edging closer to the start of the their new HFA journey in a few weeks but first they have the small task of winning their home based trophy, the Galveston Cup in Saturdays final match against Kickoff FC. With new captain R.J McNair at the helm, the players of the good ship Galveston Pirate SC, found themselves in some stormy waters as they headed towards this tournament. Even the ever optimistic head coach and owner of the team Brendan Keyes must have had a pessimistic feeling about his side's chances in the inaugural tournament in his adopted city. Sometimes boasting the youngest squad in the tournament can be a good thing, but on this occasion Coach Keyes only had a short time to merge the players together. The roster of players was mostly unproven at this level, so doubts were high on the agenda on how well they would play. Brendan need not have worried though as the youthful squad showed not only talent but prowess in front of goal enabling the side to progress to the final after ...19Aug/110
MLS: Winners and Losers of the Summer Transfer Window
The transfer window is over and it is time to recap some of the highs and lows of the summer opening.Last year we saw big names like Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez come to the states to pave the way for some more big European names. From Torsten Frings to Robbie Keane, a recap of the last two months is below for you to observe. Enjoy!Begin Slideshow19Aug/110
San Antonio Scorpions FC: Building a Team the Community Wants
The November 2010 Issue of the soccer magazine FourFourTwo, which featured Pelé on the cover, had an interesting article titled the The Fall and Rise of Chester FC. Thanks to the club's supporters, the now-supporter-owned team was able to successfully relaunch in 2010. The one section I will always remember about the Chester FC article is the small section titled How to Relaunch a Football Club in Five Easy Steps. The section can be applied to any ownership group who wishes to launch a professional soccer club in North America.The five steps were: (1) Get the Media Onside, (2) Get Local Business Involved, (3) Get Advice from Other Clubs, (4) Get a Manger Who's in the Know and (5) Get Former Players Involved.One club that comes to mind that has successfully followed this model are the San Antonio Scorpions FC. They are a team who will make their professional debut in 2012 when they play their first game for the North American Soccer League (NASL).I'm fully aware that I can go into detail and educate you how the Scorpions have implemented the five steps and have kept their fans engaged, but I won't. I want you to go to ...19Aug/110
Los Angeles Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes Live Blog, Play-by-Play Analysis
Republic of Ireland team captain Robbie Keane makes his Major League Soccer debut on Saturday, Aug. 20 for Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy, who will take on the San Jose Earthquakes at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.The Galaxy are currently 13-3-9 (48 points) and will need a result against the Earthquakes if they stand any chance of defending their MLS Supporters' Shield (given to the team with the best regular season record.)Frank Yallop's Earthquakes are 5-9-10 (25 points), but San Jose have had the upper hand over Los Angeles recently. It is a tall order to stop the Galaxy, who with the addition of Keane have cemented themselves as the odds-on favorite to win the MLS Cup, but the Earthquakes should provide a good test Saturday.Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Sports Prime Ticket.The Live Blog will begin at approximately 5:40 p.m. PT/8:40 p.m. ET.Keep it here on Bleacher Report for continuing coverage of the 2011 Major League Soccer season.Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com18Aug/110
This Is the Los Angeles Galaxy: Robbie Keane
This is Part 13 in a series of articles on players who will play for the Los Angeles Galaxy this season. One can only be great in Europe for so long. But once a player has done all he can for a club he has been a part of for a while, there comes a time where he has to move on and continue his footballing journey elsewhere. Such is the case with Los Angeles Galaxy forward Robbie Keane. Known to his friends and his fans simply as "Keano," the 31-year-old captain of the Republic of Ireland National Team ventures across the pond after leaving a legacy of scoring in the Premier League. While it is too soon to say that Bruce Arena's Galaxy have found a solution to their scoring problems in spite of leading Major League Soccer as of this article date, the answer might come in the form of team's new No. 14.Keane was born on July 8, 1980, in Tallaght, the largest town in South Dublin County, Ireland. At a young age, Keane began playing football for youth side Crumlin United. The promise he brought as a forward won the attention of Liverpool F.C. and Wolverhampton ...18Aug/110
Los Angeles Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Can Robbie Keane Deliver for LA?
With a breakout performance in the form of a 2-0 victory over CD Motagua in the CONCACAF Champions League, one would believe that Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy are looking to finally turn the tables on Frank Yallop's San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. With Robbie Keane available for duty on Saturday night against the Quakes, one would believe that the Galaxy will take no prisoners. Sounds like a plan. In the meantime, the Galaxy (13-3-9, 48 points, 1st in MLS Western Conference) parted ways with Juan Pablo Angel as they shipped him to the club's main rival/co-tenant, Chivas USA. “He’s been a great professional for our team. He made us a better team, he really did,” Arena told MLSSoccer.com's Luis Bueno. “I love him as a person and a player. He’s a first-class individual. I don’t know what more to say. I have nothing but the greatest respect for him.” “Juan is a first-class guy,” Galaxy defender Gregg Berhalter said. “He set the standard that a lot of the older people on the team have established in this team, and that’s ‘You work hard no matter who you are.’ He came ...17Aug/110
Los Angeles Galaxy Get Down to Business, Shut Motagua Down, 2-0
Finally. Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy are taking this CONCACAF Champions League seriously after all. However, to be fair, the same suspect finishing in the attacking third and lack of crisp passing that had been prevalent so far this season carried over on Tuesday night against Ramon Maradiaga's CD Motagua. Still, thanks to a 13th-minute strike from Adam Cristman, a 60th-minute volley from captain Landon Donovan and a couple of clutch saves late by goalkeeper Josh Saunders maintained a 2-0 victory over the Blue Eagles at the Home Depot Center before a crowd of over 8,000. It's a weeknight game. Obviously the stands would not be packed. But for the majority of those who did show up, they were treated to the possibilities that awaited the home side. “I think it was a good win against a very good team," Arena told the press after the match. "I think [if] we do a little bit better in the last 15 minutes, we put ourselves in an even better position. This competition is going to be difficult. "There are five more tough games in group play. I think our group is an outstanding group. Every game…every goal…every minute in this competition ...16Aug/110