Chicago Fire manager Carlos de los Cobos has had enough and he’s letting his players know it ahead of tonight’s critical match against visiting Toronto FC (8:30 p.m. ET).
He says his players are not learning from their mistakes and he accuses them of not knowing how to mark players in the box.
Freddie Ljungberg is back for Chicago tonight although Marco Pappa will not be available after playing with the Guatemalan National Team.
Here are the early indications on the lineups for both clubs ahead of this decisive playoff showdown.
Defender Gonzalo Segares will not be with the Fire for at least two matches. The MLS Disciplinary Committee added a match to his automatic one-game red card suspension for last weekend's altercation with LA's Leonardo.
Another Eastern Conference team with its collective back to the wall is the New England Revolution. And they face an even more daunting task with a three-game road trip against Western Conference teams. The Revs have yet to win a game away from home against the West.
The Beckham watch will continue this week after the Galaxy’s DP targeted this weekend’s match against Columbus for his return from an Achilles injury. The early injury report is out and Beckham is on it.
Meanwhile, Crew technical director Brian Bliss says he expects the Crew’s new forward acquisition, Peruvian Andres Mendoza, to be a better fit in MLS than the last South American striker he signed.
Columbus talisman Guillermo Barros Schelotto will be one of the players who can show “El Condor” Mendoza the very best of Columbus given how much the Argentine enjoys the city.
There is probably no hotter forward in MLS than Colorado Rapids forward Omar Cummings. After his brace for the Rapids over the weekend, he scored again in Jamaica’s 2-1 loss to Peru in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Several other CONCACAF sides were in action on Tuesday.
In other matches around the world, Argentina’s resounding defeat of World Cup champs Spain, upset losses by Portugal and Russia, and Scotland’s scare against Leichenstein were some of the highlights.
There will soon be international intrigue surrounding D.C. United’s Andy Najar. The Honduras U-20 coach says he will call up the player and will force him into a decision about whether he wishes to represent his native country. (SPANISH)
More soccer stadium news in MLS with the San Jose Earthquakes bringing on a critical ally to fulfill their stadium dreams.
The Philadelphia Union made a hire of their own as a long-time high school soccer coach becomes the club’s newest vice president. Read about his role at the club here.
There is a debate as to whether fans at Rio Tinto Stadium crossed the line when Real Salt Lake welcomed the New York Red Bulls. A banner directed at Frenchman Thierry Henry is in question.
After visiting Red Bull Arena and the New Meadowlands Stadium, the FIFA inspection team that is reviewing the US bid for the 2022 World Cup, continues its tour with breakfast at the White House on Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, one writer wonders why FIFA still needs convincing that the USA is a country that has a passion for soccer.
Following the opening weekend in college soccer, we have the Top 25 national rankings by Soccer America and the NSCAA.
