Union
Sebastien Le Toux needs a goal and an assist against DC United to become only the fourth player in the history of MLS to score ten goals and ten assists in his first 20 games of the season. Le Toux has been involved in 18 of the Union’s 23 goals.
Predictions about the result Sunday’s match between the Union and DC United are starting to come in. So far, Match Fit USA and Eat. Sleep. Soccer. tip the Union for a big win. Union assistant coach John Hackworth expects a difficult game.
Ever wonder about the music soundtrack for all those Union promotions? Tapeworks, the studio that produces them, talks about how they do it on their blog.
That, my friend, is a foul.
Before he joined the Union, JT Noone spent some time with the Ocean City Barons. Noone recalls his time there.
Many of us still don’t know what Terry Vaughn was thinking when he did not award the Union a penalty kick last Saturday when two Rapids defenders had fistfuls of Le Toux’s jersey in their hands before pulling him down in the box. Here’s a look at calling advantage on a shirt pull from a website for referees. The related article on awarding penalty kicks is also worth a read, particularly the part about the “4 D’s,” although you’ll probably just be even more angry. I was.
MLS
Viewership of MLS matches on ESPN2 is down 9.5% compared to last year.
The three-month loan of Omar Salgado to the Vancouver Whitecaps won’t come off after all, although the expansion side have just signed former Everton reserve player Cody Arnoux. Vancouver is trying to sign players to Division 2 contracts ahead of the MLS expansion draft. Fellow expansion team Portland Timbers say they have a different strategy.
CONCACAF Champions League
Columbus Crew beat Guatemala side Municipal 1–0.
Real Salt Lake beat Panama side Árabe Unido 2–1 in a match that saw one straight red card, one cumulative red, as well as eight additional yellow cards, no to mention a never ending succession of writhing, time wasting Panamanians on the pitch. Said RSL coach Jason Kreis, “I think tonight was a microcosm of everything that’s wrong with our game.”
Seattle Sounders are in Honduras to face Marathon tonight (10pm on FSC).
WPS
The Independence have a big obstacle in front of them in their pursuit of the WPS title. Namely, FC Gold Pride, the team in first place by a mile. Sports Illustrated takes a look at them, the only team the Independence have not been able to beat.
Here’s another look at the poor attendance record in WPS.
US
The US men’s national team will host Poland at Soldier Field in Chicago on October 9. FSC and Univision will show the match, scheduled to kickoff at 8pm EST.
Sacha Kljestan and Gale Agbossoumonde did not play in their respective club’s, Anderlecht and Sporting Braga, Champions League matches yesterday. Anderlecht drew away with Partizan Belgrade and Sporting Braga upset Sevilla in their first leg playoff matches.
Etc.
Internacional of Brazil defeated Chivas Guadalajara 3–2 (5–3 agg.) to win the Copa Libertadores. A Chivas player was punched by a Internacional supporter following the conclusion of the match, which led to a scuffle between the teams.
Arsenal may have just become my team in the Premiership after they offer supporters a chance to buy shares in the club. At present a single share costs £10,250, roughly $16,000. Through the Arsenal Supporters Trust program Arsenal Fanshare, supporters can by a portion of a single share for as little as £10 ($15.66) up to £1000 ($1,566). Those who buy just one hundredth of a share’s value “will become a Fanshare member, entitled to vote on club policy that requires shareholders’ approval, receive financial and corporate information and have a chance of attending the annual general meeting.” Now that’s what a supporters group can do!
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