Week Nineteen Preview

The same bunch from last weekend is in action this holiday week.  Just for the heck of it, I’ve included each team’s Power Ranking (in parenthesis) and also each player’s Castrol Index Rating.  In order of gametimes, here are the previews.

Wednesday, 3 July

Toronto FC  v  MONTREAL IMPACT (#3), 7pm

This will be the first time these two teams have seen each other since their semifinal matchup in the
Amway Canadian Championship back in April/May, which the Impact won 6-2 on aggregate.  Toronto will for sure want to get a win here, especially since it has never lost to Montreal at BMO Field.  The Reds also want to win given their place in the league table at the moment (9th Eastern Conference, 17th overall) in relation to the Impact’s (1st East, 4th overall).  Here is the match preview from impactmontreal.com/en and also the partner piece from mlssoccer.com.  CASTROL RANKINGS: Sinisa Ubiparipovic (#419 overall/#23 on team); Evan Bush (no ranking)

Chicago Fire  v  SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (#15), 830pm

Which of these natural disasters is more fearsome?  Earthquakes sometimes end up starting fires, but not vice versa, so I think that’s the answer.  But fires happen much more frequently, so maybe that’s the answer.  Regardless, neither one of these teams has had the type of season that it had hoped for to this point, but if a season is going to get turned around, it has to start with a win.  Here is the sjearthquakes.com’s Fan Guide for the ‘Quakes’ trip to Chi-town, along with the match preview from mlssoccer.com.  CASTROL RANKINGS: Justin Morrow (#245 overall/#15 on team)

Seattle Sounders  v  DC UNITED (#18), 10pm

It’s a matchup between the two franchises that duked it out in the U.S. Open Cup Final of 2009, which the Sounders won on DC’s home turf.  A lot has happened since then, with Seattle winning two more Open Cups and DC struggling to find the form that made it the envy of all other clubs back in the league’s first decade.  Here is dcunited.com’s Tale of the Tape for this one, along with the match preview from mlssoccer.com.  CASTROL RANKINGS: Chris Korb (#173 overall/#8 on team)

Thursday, 4 July

LOS ANGELES GALAXY (# 10)  v  COLUMBUS CREW (#17), 1030pm

The weary Crew head west to take on the defending MLS Cup champs, reeling from two straight disappointing defeats.  The Galaxy will be cranky hosts on Independence Day, having won just one of five games in the month of June.  Here are three match previews [not ready as of press time, but I’ll update this post later] – one from lagalaxy.com, the Match Day Preview from thecrew.com and the final one from mlssoccer.com.  CASTROL RANKINGS: Josh Williams (#45 overall/#2 on team); Ben Speas (#166 overall/#8 on team); Kyle Hyland (no ranking; Kenney Walker (no ranking)

PORTLAND TIMBERS – Do not have a league match midweek, but they do host Monarcas Morelia from the Liga MX in what has become a tradition out there in Stumptown.  Each summer, the Timbers host a Mexican First Division team and call the match La Copa Verde.    CASTROL RANKINGS: Darlington Nagbe (#30 overall/#4 on team); Ben Zemanski (#320 overall/#16 on team); Michael Nanchoff (no ranking)

PHOTO CREDIT: adidas (I guess?)

Week Twelve Preview

This week’s preview will feature the respective MLS Power Rankings of each of our boys’ teams, as well as the guys’ individual Castrol Index Rankings, which you’ll see in parenthesis next to the team names and player names, respectively.  Some of our teams and players have been dropping recently, but we do have two boys in the Top 25 of the Castrol!  That’s not too shabby!  So let’s hope that now that the temps are rising across the country, so will these boys’ rankings!  No match for Montreal this weekend.  Reviews are listed in order of gametimes.

Toronto FC  v  COLUMBUS CREW (#13), Saturday, 18 May, 5pm  

After losing two straight at home, the Crew have plummeted from a season-high of #4 in the MLS Power Rankings after Week 4.  They’ll be hoping that this weekend’s Trillium Cup match at Toronto FC on Saturday will help them springboard back up the rankings.  Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] is #23 in the Castrol Rankings to lead the team and Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] is #80 overall, which places him fourth.  Here’s a look ahead from thecrew.com and also the match preview from mlssoccer.com.

Vancouver Whitecaps  v  PORTLAND TIMBERS (#4), Saturday, 18 May, 7pm

Portland, the second-place team in the Western Conference, heads up north to start defense of its 2012 Cascadia Cup crown.  Vancouver, tied for second-bottom in the Western Conference but #14 in the Power Rankings, are coming off its first-ever win over Los Angeles last weekend.  Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] is #22 in the Castrol Rankings and Ben Zemanski [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] is #292 overall and fifteenth on the team.  Here’s the match preview from mlssoccer.com (with a Timbers bent on it) and the Matchday Preview from portlandtimbers.com

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (#12)  v  Colorado Rapids, Saturday, 18 May, 1030pm

(**Understatement Warning!!**) The ‘Quakes dropped a disappointing match last week up in Seattle and will look to get their ship headed in the right direction this Saturday with a Western Conference clash.  It seems odd that these two teams are now flipped in terms of their positions this season as compared to last – in fact, they swapped spots in the Power Rankings after last week’s games – but San Jose has been dealing with a variety of injuries and suspensions of  late.  The team should be at full strength when they host Colorado.  Justin Morrow [Cleveland/St. Ignatius] is #181 overall in the Castrol Rankings and that puts him twelfth on the team.  Here’s the match preview from mlssoccer.com and the Fan Guide from sjearthquakes.com.

New York Red Bulls  v  LOS ANGELES GALAXY (#7), Sunday, 19 May, 1pm – ESPN2

The sexiest matchup of the weekend gets the national TV audience, and both teams are capable of playing some seriously attractive football when they’re on their game.  Can we hope for another 5-4 thriller like these two teams turned out in David Beckham’s first trip to NYC with the Galaxy back in 2007?  With the attacking talent on both teams, it’s not impossible.  Kenney Walker [Wickliffe/Wickliffe] probably won’t be a part of this one, but here’s the match preview from mlssoccer.com and the Three Points feature from lagalaxy.com.

DC UNITED (#19)  v  Sporting Kansas City, Sunday, 19 May, 5pm

DC has lost five games in a row and will look to end that streak at home against a Sporting KC side that has been a little up-and-down recently.  They could be ripe for an upset.  Chris Korb [Gates Mills/University School] has played steadily throughout the team’s struggles, leading the team in minutes played with 900 and is ranked # 241 in the league and ninth on the team in Castrol Ranking.  Here’s the preview from mlssoccer.com and the Tale of the Tape from dcunited.com.

** PHOTO CREDIT – Columbus Crew

Week Nine Preview

This week’s preview will feature the respective MLS Power Rankings of each of our boys’ teams, as well as the guys’ individual Castrol Index Rankings, which you’ll see in parenthesis next to the team names and player names, respectively.  We’ll start off the Preview with a Review, though, since the Montreal Impact had a mid-week game.  As usual, the previews are listed in order of gametimes.  

MONTREAL IMPACT (#4)  v  Chicago Fire, Saturday, 27 April, 4pm

The 2013 Amway Canadian Championship kicked off on Wednesday night, and after the first leg of their tie with the team from Ontario, the Impact found themselves on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline at the hands of a TFC side that came alive in the second half to start off the semifinal series in the best possible way.  Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] got the call in goal for the visitors and made four saves on the night.  But heading into the weekend’s league match with the Fire, optimism is high as the Impact casts an eye towards the second half of the tie.  Given that Montreal rested several starters on Wednesday and the second leg is at their place, it’s not impossible to see them turning things around at home next Wednesday to advance to the ACC Final, but it will take some doing.  This Saturday, when Chicago comes calling, the boys in blue will be looking to  continue their good run of form that sees them second in the Eastern Conference with 13 points from six matches.  Last year, Montreal didn’t get to 13 points until the 14th match of the season.  Here’s the match preview from mlssoccer.com.

COLUMBUS CREW (#10)  v  DC UNITED (#18), Saturday, 27 April, 730pm  (Fox Sports Ohio)  

It’s yet another head-to-head battle featuring Greater Cleveland’s finest as United’s Chris Korb [Gates Mills/University School] (#185 Castrol overall, #7 on the team) will look to keep the Crew’s Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] (#74 overall, #7 on the team) quiet.  Korb may not get near his long-time buddy Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] (#20 overall, #1 on the team) unless he’s marking him on a dead-ball, but the goal will be the same for the men in black.  They need to get right and start a winning streak in the worst way.  The men in yellow have an 11-match home unbeaten streak that they’ll be looking to continue.  Here is the match preview from mlssoccer.com along with some series scoring stats from thecrew.com and a look from dcunited.com at the ties that bind players from both teams.  Ummm, and pardon us, but it would seem that the story’s author, Rich Burfield, missed a connection.  Maybe I’ll tweet at him.

Sporting Kansas City  v  PORTLAND TIMBERS (#7), Saturday, 27 April, 830pm

Portland is unbeaten in its last five games after going W-D in a back-to-back with San Jose the past two Sundays.  Sitting fourth in the Western Conference on nine points, the Timbers announced something neat this past Tuesday.  This summer, they’ll play the first of many annual friendlies with a Mexican First Division team and they’re going to call it the Copa Verde.  Our Timbers boys’ Castrol Rankings find Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] at #49 overall, fifth on the team and Ben Zemanski [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] at #253 overall and thirteenth on the team.  Here is the match preview from mlssoccer.com and the match preview from portlandtimbers.com.

Real Salt Lake  v  LOS ANGELES GALAXY (#3), Saturday, 27 April, 9pm

There’s a lot of dislike going around when these teams meet, which makes for an exciting contest.  Hopefully, this match will hold to form and not turn into a hackfest.  Doubtful that Kenney Walker [Wickliffe/Wickliffe] will get a look in tonight’s main attraction, but probably in the Reserve Game tomorrow.  Here is the match preview from mlssoccer.com along with some notes from the Galaxy Insider blog.

Chivas USA  v  SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (#11), Saturday, 27 April, 1030pm

If all goes as it usually does, Justin Morrow [Cleveland/St. Ignatius] (#129 overall, #8 on the team) will start his 50th career MLS contest tonight.  That’s a nice milestone, but I’m sure he’d trade that mark for the team’s third win of the season.  Here is the match preview from mlssoccer.com, and also the Earthquakes’ weekly Fan Guide.

** PHOTO CREDIT – Charles-William Pelletier/Montreal Impact

Week Seven Preview

We have two head-to-head match-ups tomorrow, but based on recent matches, only one of them seems likely to feature our guys in opposition of each other.  Also included in the ‘graphs below are the boys’ respective Castrol Index rankings.  One thing – with all due apologies to Misters Walker, Bush, Ubiparipovic and Nanchoff, if a guy hasn’t played in a league match yet, he doesn’t yet have a ranking.  In order of gametimes (with the exception of the first game, which was changed due to terrible weather), here are this weekend’s previews:

MONTREAL IMPACT  v  COLUMBUS CREW, Sunday, 14 April, 12pm (Fox Sports Ohio)  

Though Montreal has already played games at home in Olympic Stadium, fans of the Impact will have to wait one more day for this season’s home opener at the team’s true home park, Stade Saputo.  Dreadful weather – snow, wind, freezing cold – caused the match to be moved from Saturday at 2pm.  This could turn out to be an important match later in the season, given the two teams’ aspirations towards the Eastern Conference title.  Mid-week you might have seen some retweets of an article about Ben Speas and his ascent from local boy to starter.  Here’s the link to that article if you weren’t able to visit it.  •  Castrol Index:  Josh Williams (#9 overall, #1 on the team, score of 816); Ben Speas (#46 overall, #5 on the team, score of 607)    Here is the preview from mlssoccer.com and here’s a preview from thecrew.com, and in the interest of equal time, here’s the preview from impactmontreal.com/en

DC UNITED  v  New York Red Bulls, Saturday, 13 April, 7pm

Something’s gotta’ give, right?  The hosts DC United have scored just two goals in their first five games this season and have earned just four points.  The visitors NYRB have allowed ten goals in their first six games and have gained five points.  Both teams would be out of the playoffs, if they started today [Don’t you love when people make that point, as if it were important, especially in the second month of the season?  HA!]  •  Castrol Index:  Chris Korb (#194 overall, #7 on the team, score of 376)    Here is the preview from mlssoccer.com, coupled with that site’s “The Daily” dedicated to this second leg of the Atlantic Cup and here’s the Tale of the Tape from dcunited.com

FC Dallas  v  LOS ANGELES GALAXY, Saturday, 13 April, 730pm

The defending MLS champs will look to rebound from their CONCACAF Champions League exit mid-week by attempting to get max points at the home of the league leaders.  While Kenney Walker is still getting back to good after his foot surgery, the team is attempting to assimilate Landon Donovan back into the fold and to bring back some other guys who were previously injured players.  Here is the preview from mlssoccer.com and here is Three Points from lagalaxy.com.

PORTLAND TIMBERS  v  SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES, Sunday, 14 April, 1030pm (NBC Sports Network) 

First off, here’s a really cool story about some Timbers planning a get-together in a few weeks to play a pick-up match with a Portland youth and his team as a part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  Really cool what they’re planning to do out there.  I wish I could go.  As far as Sunday’s game goes, I don’t know if you saw my tweet to this link, but the folks at mlssoccer.com featured the Timbers’ second goal last Saturday in their “Anatomy of a Goal” segment.  Ryan Johnson scored it, Diego Chará assisted it and Darlington Nagbe got it started.  Here’s the link.  •  Castrol Index: Darlington Nagbe (#29 overall, #2 on the team, score of 652); Ben Zemanski (#219 overall, #12 on the team, score of 329); Justin Morrow (#126 overall, #6 on the team, score of 463)    Here is the match preview from mlssoccer.com, along with the site’s The Scouting Report dedicated to the match and also the week seven fan guide from sjearthquakes.com

** PHOTO CREDIT – Speas/crewture.com

End-of-School Report

Here’s a look at our guys’ stats to this point in the season, along with a look at where they stand in the Castrol Player Index and also where their teams are in the Power Rankings.

• Sinisa Ubiparipovic  [Mentor/Mentor] — Montreal Impact •  #283;  Ubiparipovic has been Mr. Efficiency so far this season, making the most of his time on the field.  He’s played in five and started two, scoring two goals and picking up a yellow card in just 186 minutes for a team that has been a little bit up and down in its first season in MLS.  The Impact is eighth in the East with 12 points from 13 games.

• Chris Korb  [Gates Mills/University School] – DC United •  #250;  The second-year player out of the University of Akron has played in 10 games and he started seven of those, notching an assist and one yellow card in his 680 minutes, spent mostly at right back, but also at left back.  His steady play has resulted in five straight starting assignments and that has coincided with DC United’s climb to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, with 27 points from 15 games.

• Justin Morrow [Cleveland/St. Ignatius] — San Jose Earthquakes •  #95;  Has started all 14 games for the Earthquakes and got a goal – the first of his MLS career – in a 5-3 win over DC United back on 2 May.  Morrow has played very steadily at center back and has only committed seven fouls and has not received a card.  He’s a part of the Quakes’ strong first third of the season, as they’re currently second in the Western Conference, with 27 points from 14 games.

• Darlington Nagbe  [Lakewood/St. Edward] – Portland Timbers •  #165;  Got off to a hot start, scoring three goals in the Timbers’ first four matches, but has yet to find the net since.  Still, Nagbe has started ten of 12 matches for Portland, which finds itself seventh (tied with FC Dallas) in the Western Conference on 13 points from 12 games.

• Josh Williams  [Copley/Copley] — Columbus Crew •  #163;  One of the surprises of the season for the Crew (well, maybe not for the most savvy of supporters), Williams sat out the opener, but then got time late in two victories before sitting out two more Crew losses.  However, he was pressed into the lineup as a result of several injuries to the presumed starting center back pairing of Chad Marshall and Carlos Mendes.  He has started seven games in a row now, and the Crew have climbed up the standings to fourth on 18 points from 12 games.  In addition to his steady play, Williams has been a constant threat on set pieces, coming thisclose to scoring at least three goals.

• Ben Zemanski  [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] — Chivas USA • #313;  It’s been a bit of a tough go for Zemanski, who started three and appeared in four of the first six games of the campaign, but then tweaked his knee and hasn’t played since.  He’s back now and should help Chivas turn things around, as they won one of the seven matches he has missed and sit sixth in the West on 15 from 13.

• Michael Nanchoff  [North Royalton/Walsh Jesuit] – Vancouver Whitecaps • #NR;  Has yet to make a league appearance this season for the ‘Caps and spent the majority of the first two months of the season injured.  He’s healthy now and we’ll look forward to his first action sometime in July, as the ‘Caps, currently fifth in the Western Conference (19 from 12) continue their improvement this season.

• Evan Bush  [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] — Montreal Impact •  #NR;  Has yet to see MLS action this season but has a handful of reserve games under his belt.  Heck, Bush has two international goalkeepers in front of him, so you can be sure that he’s learning a ton in every training session from Donovan Ricketts (Jamaica) and Greg Sutton (Canada).

• Ben Speas  [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] — Columbus Crew •  #NR;  Still on the mend from sports hernia surgery, Speas hasn’t played any soccer since the season began.  He’s close though.  Look for him to get in some reserve games in July.

• Kenney Walker  [Wickliffe/Wickliffe] — Los Angeles Galaxy •   #NR;  Walker has been healthy, but can’t break into the Galaxy’s talented midfield, despite their struggles this season.  You’d think that Head Coach Bruce Arena would throw him in there in a “let’s see what the kid can do/can’t be any worse than what’s been going on up to this point” type of move.  I’d give him a chance, but I’m not managing the last-place team in the Western Conference (11 from 13).