Soccer Update

[Snaxx]

A shocking result for AJ and the Dynamo as the underdog NY Red Bulls won 3-0 in Houston to advance, in possibly the biggest upset in MLS history. The star of the match was the rookie goalkeeper, Danny Cepero, who replaced the drug-suspended Jon Conway. Looks like a bad afternoon in Houston as both the Texans and Dynamo were playing at home in their respective stadia. Houston had won the last two MLS cups and the NY Red Bulls/Metrostars had only advanced past the first round once in nine tries, and this season backed into the last playoff spot, being transferred to the Western Conference bracket. NY had won only once this season in 15 road matches and Houston had only lost once at home this season. (each had a few tie games)


So it is
Thursday 11/13 7:30 PM ET ESPN2
Chicago at Columbus, Eastern final, one game

Saturday night 11/15 9:30 PM ET Fox Soccer Channel:
NY Red Bulls at Salt Lake, Western final, one game.


If Columbus beats Chicago, the MLS Cup final this year will be between two teams that never made the finals until this year.

-edit to add times and TV which are now posted

[andrewjackson]

It was an awful, awful day.

That is all.

[silverscreenselect]

A shocking result for AJ and the Dynamo as the underdog NY Red Bulls won 3-0 in Houston to advance, in possibly the biggest upset in MLS history. The star of the match was the rookie goalkeeper, Danny Cepero, who replaced the drug-suspended Jon Conway.

Inquiring minds want to know. Did the suspended goalkeeper consume too much of his team's namesake product, which might have been the reason he flunked his drug test?

[andrewjackson]

A shocking result for AJ and the Dynamo as the underdog NY Red Bulls won 3-0 in Houston to advance, in possibly the biggest upset in MLS history. The star of the match was the rookie goalkeeper, Danny Cepero, who replaced the drug-suspended Jon Conway.

Inquiring minds want to know. Did the suspended goalkeeper consume too much of his team's namesake product, which might have been the reason he flunked his drug test?

No.

The goalkeeper and another players were suspended for having too much androstatriendione and boldenone metabolites in their systems. This was blamed on some over-the-counter supplements that the players had purchased and were taking.

I don't think there is anything in Red Bull that is banned.

[andrewjackson]

The MLS Eastern Conference champion is the Columbus Crew. Columbus had already won the MLS Supporters' Shield, emblematic of the best regular-season record. The Crew got a come from behind win against the Chicago Fire last night, 2-1, with two second half goals. Brian McBride, a former Crew player, has spent the last several years playing in England but returned to MLS this season. He chose to go to Chicago rather than his old team when returned. He got the first goal last night but had to watch his former team get the win.

This will be the first appearance for Columbus in the MLS Cup final.

This was also good news for Houston. If the criteria remains the same next year this result means that Houston will qualify for the CONCACAF Champions' League again. The CCL is a tournament with the top teams from leagues all over North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The U.S. soccer federation sent four teams to this tournament this year: the MLS Cup winner, the Supporters' Shield winner, the MLS Cup runner-up, and the U.S. Open Cup winner. If any team wins more than one of those the next team in line is the runner-up for the Supporters' Shield. Houston would not have any of those four after this season but Columbus has now wrapped up two of them so an opening is available. The Dynamo by virtue of finishing second in the Supporters' Shield race would be in line to take that opening.

The Western Conference final is Saturday night and then the MLS Cup final is on Sunday, Nov. 23 in L.A. I'm still going to the MLS Cup even though Houston is not.

[ulysses5019]

The MLS Eastern Conference champion is the Columbus Crew. Columbus had already won the MLS Supporters' Shield, emblematic of the best regular-season record. The Crew got a come from behind win against the Chicago Fire last night, 2-1, with two second half goals. Brian McBride, a former Crew player, has spent the last several years playing in England but returned to MLS this season. He chose to go to Chicago rather than his old team when returned. He got the first goal last night but had to watch his former team get the win.

This will be the first appearance for Columbus in the MLS Cup final.

This was also good news for Houston. If the criteria remains the same next year this result means that Houston will qualify for the CONCACAF Champions' League again. The CCL is a tournament with the top teams from leagues all over North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The U.S. soccer federation sent four teams to this tournament this year: the MLS Cup winner, the Supporters' Shield winner, the MLS Cup runner-up, and the U.S. Open Cup winner. If any team wins more than one of those the next team in line is the runner-up for the Supporters' Shield. Houston would not have any of those four after this season but Columbus has now wrapped up two of them so an opening is available. The Dynamo by virtue of finishing second in the Supporters' Shield race would be in line to take that opening.

The Western Conference final is Saturday night and then the MLS Cup final is on Sunday, Nov. 23 in L.A. I'm still going to the MLS Cup even though Houston is not.

When do you arrive? How long are you in LA?

[andrewjackson]

The MLS Eastern Conference champion is the Columbus Crew. Columbus had already won the MLS Supporters' Shield, emblematic of the best regular-season record. The Crew got a come from behind win against the Chicago Fire last night, 2-1, with two second half goals. Brian McBride, a former Crew player, has spent the last several years playing in England but returned to MLS this season. He chose to go to Chicago rather than his old team when returned. He got the first goal last night but had to watch his former team get the win.

This will be the first appearance for Columbus in the MLS Cup final.

This was also good news for Houston. If the criteria remains the same next year this result means that Houston will qualify for the CONCACAF Champions' League again. The CCL is a tournament with the top teams from leagues all over North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The U.S. soccer federation sent four teams to this tournament this year: the MLS Cup winner, the Supporters' Shield winner, the MLS Cup runner-up, and the U.S. Open Cup winner. If any team wins more than one of those the next team in line is the runner-up for the Supporters' Shield. Houston would not have any of those four after this season but Columbus has now wrapped up two of them so an opening is available. The Dynamo by virtue of finishing second in the Supporters' Shield race would be in line to take that opening.

The Western Conference final is Saturday night and then the MLS Cup final is on Sunday, Nov. 23 in L.A. I'm still going to the MLS Cup even though Houston is not.

When do you arrive? How long are you in LA?

We have a group of 25 Dynamo fans coming. Most of us, including me, arrive on Saturday and leave Sunday evening. We might be going to a supporter's party on Saturday night and we have the game on Sunday afternoon. I'm not sure of the rest of our schedule.

[andrewjackson]

Congrats to Snaxx and all the other Red Bull fans!

New York beats Real Salt Lake, 1-0, in front of a sold-out crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, UT. New York continued its amazing strategy of allowing the other team to repeatedly shoot at the goal but not actually score. RSL hit the post at least three times in the game including once in the final minute but, hey, whatever works. The Red Bulls got it done.

New York wins the Western Conference championship and goes on to face Columbus in the MLS Cup final next Sunday in Los Angeles. Both teams were charter members of the league back in 1996 but this is the first trip to the final for both teams.

It's even bigger for New York. MLS teams compete for all these awards:
MLS Cup (league champion)
Supporter's Shield (best regular season record)
U.S. Open Cup (tournament open to all U.S. soccer teams)
CONCACAF Champions' Cup and now CONCACAF Champions' League (the continental club championship)

New York in 13 seasons has never won any of them. They go for their first trophy next Sunday.

[clem21]

Congrats to Snaxx and all the other Red Bull fans!

New York beats Real Salt Lake, 1-0, in front of a sold-out crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, UT. New York continued its amazing strategy of allowing the other team to repeatedly shoot at the goal but not actually score. RSL hit the post at least three times in the game including once in the final minute but, hey, whatever works. The Red Bulls got it done.

New York wins the Western Conference championship and goes on to face Columbus in the MLS Cup final next Sunday in Los Angeles. Both teams were charter members of the league back in 1996 but this is the first trip to the final for both teams.

It's even bigger for New York. MLS teams compete for all these awards:
MLS Cup (league champion)
Supporter's Shield (best regular season record)
U.S. Open Cup (tournament open to all U.S. soccer teams)
CONCACAF Champions' Cup and now CONCACAF Champions' League (the continental club championship)

New York in 13 seasons has never won any of them. They go for their first trophy next Sunday.

I'm not a soccer fan at all but I decided to watch tonight's game because hey, it's never happened before.
The result was an absolutely absurd combination of blue smoking pyrotechnics, RSL players miraculously missing the easiest of shots, a fellow apparently nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman" saving the day. And New York, despite not playing very well in my amateur opinion, winning a game that by all rights they should've lost 4-1 making them the champions of the Western Conference despite being in the Eastern Conference and being based on the East Coast.

Soccer is weird.