After their 3-1 playoff win over the New York Red Bulls on Thursday, San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch hailed his team’s fighting spirit, even coining a new nickname for the Quakes: “Blue-Collar Boys.”
Soccer America’s columnist says that no one should consider the Quakes’ second leg victory a surprise, especially given how the Red Bulls had been playing of late.
RBNY rookie defender Tim Ream, who let Bobby Convey slip by for the Quakes’ second goal of the night, blames the playoff elimination on his attacking teammates: They failed to finish.
Let the second-guessing begin in New York, starting with Thierry Henry and whether the Frenchman should have made his MLS Cup Playoffs debut much earlier in the match. He says he doesn’t know what the coach was thinking.
RBNY manager Hans Backe says he felt his team could have gone all the way. Red Bulls goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul compared the game to standing in quicksand.
If there’s one thing that Red Bulls fans can be happy about from the playoff ouster, it’s that 17-year-old Juan Agudelo showed he has true star power. His veteran teammates were dishing out the praise after a second standout performance in the postseason.
In the other MLS Cup Playoff matchups, FC Dallas midfielder Eric Avila says his team wants to “stop all that talk” about Real Salt Lake’s undefeated streak at Rio Tinto and become the first ones to win there this year.
For the sixth straight day, RSL have had to answer questions about how they will make do without their best player, suspended Javier Morales. They feel they can manage just fine against FC Dallas on Saturday.
The Columbus Crew will be another home team on the search for goals on Saturday as they welcome the Colorado Rapids. Like RSL, Robert Warzycha’s side are also brimming with confidence that they can overturn the one-goal deficit from the first leg.
The Crew’s talismanic midfielder, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, does not deny that the report in the Argentine press could very well be true and that Saturday could mark his final game in professional soccer.
Along with Schelotto, another star player seeking to play one more year before retiring is Juan Pablo Ángel, who played his final match with the Red Bulls on Thursday.
Young internationals are also targeting MLS. A 22-year-old defender who played in Italy’s Serie A is in training with the New England Revolution.
The announcements keep coming out of Vancouver. On Thursday it was the unveiling of the season-ticket prices and it did not come without controversy.
Meanwhile, Whitecaps summer signing Cody Arnoux will not be able to play for the club in MLS in 2011 after the league ruled that he must be included in the SuperDraft or weighted lottery.
In Mexico, they are discussing restructuring their top-flight Primera División by adopting ideas from Major League Socer.
Manchester United will also be looking towards the USA for help, sending striker Wayne Rooney to America for a week in an attempt to get him back to full fitness.
In the TV world, Kyle Martino should be getting involved in more match broadcasts for Fox Soccer Channel after the cancellation of Soccer Talk Live.
There is another report of a US billionaire investing in an English soccer club. But this one is distant from the English Premier League.
Lastly, a 30-minute halftime for professional soccer matches? That’s what will be happening in China this weekend. FIFA is yet to speak on the matter.
MLSsoccer.com Must-Reads:
Chris Wondolowski gets redemption in New York with game-winning goal
Thierry Henry closes first MLS season with a quiet performance
San Jose Earthquakes on top of the world after upset of New York Red Bulls
Despite the loss, Juan Agudelo emerges as rising star for Red Bulls
