2015 Week 29 Report

Just a few games this week, as everyone gets going again on the back end of the international break.  Here’s how things went:

PORTLAND TIMBERS  D 0-0  Sporting Kansas City  •  I’m not sure anyone would’ve expected a goalless draw when these two teams meet up, but that’s what they got last Wednesday night in the Rose City.  Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] played 90 as an attacking mid.  Michael Nanchoff [North Royalton/Walsh Jesuit] was an unused sub.

COLUMBUS CREW SC  W 2-1  @ Philadelphia Union  •  The visiting Crew got two goals five minutes apart in the first half and did the rest with defense to take an important three points in Philly.  Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was not in the team, but Brad Stuver [Twinsburg/Twinsburg] was the backup goalie.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY  D 0-0  MONTREAL IMPACT  •  Are the blue & white Canadian teams the Galaxy’s kryptonite?  Vancouver and Montreal went a combined 2-0-1 against LA Head Coach Bruce Arena and his boys, and they did not concede a single goal.  The Galaxy better hope they end up on the other side of the Whitecaps in the playoff bracket.  Kenney Walker [Wickliffe/Wickliffe] was not in the team.  Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] was good for four saves in earning the shutout for Montreal.

TORONTO FC  L 1-3  New England Revolution  •  Our TFC backline bros, Justin Morrow [Shaker Heights/St. Ignatius] and Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] both started and played 90.  Morrow assisted on the Reds’ lone score on the night, with a fine cross that Robbie Findley headed home.

Next Week’s Matches
~ Wednesday, 16 September
NYCFC  v  TFC, 730pm – live on ESPN2
Vancouver  v  MONTREAL, 1030pm
~ Saturday, 19 September
TFC  v  Colorado, 2pm
DC  v  COLUMBUS, 7pm
MONTREAL  v  New England, 8pm
RSL  v  LOS ANGELES, 930pm
~ Sunday, 20 September
PORTLAND  v  NYRB, 5pm – live on ESPN

---

USL’s regular season is winding down as the playoffs are about to get cooking.  The NASL still has about a month more to go.  Here’s how our fellas did last week:

PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS  D 1-1  Wilmington Hammerheads FC  •  Down a man and seeing their playoff hopes slipping through their hands, the ‘Hounds needed a 70th minute strike from a sub to rescue a point.  Mike Green [Strongsville/Strongsville] was not in the team.  Pittsburgh’s final two regular season game will be Wednesday night at 7pm against Rochester and on Saturday at Harrisburg for a 7pm contest.  Win both, and they should be in for sure.  Anything else will require some math and help from the other playoff candidates.  Five points separate six teams vying for the final four Eastern Conference spots.

CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE  W 4-1  TFC II;  L 0-2  @ St. Louis FC  •  The Independence is one of those six teams I just mentioned.  They won their home finale in convincing fashion against the TFC JV last Wednesday, but then had their 12-match unbeaten run ended in St. Louis.  Jack Thompson [Hudson/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] scored once in 30 minutes of sub work against the Little Reds, and then he subbed on and played 29 minutes.  Charlotte’s regular season finale is this Saturday at 730pm against Charleston.  Much like Pittsburgh, it’ll be win and in for the CTL, currently ‘IN’ while occupying the sixth spot with 40 points.  The Riverhounds are in eighth with 38.  Should be an interesting Saturday night in the USL!!!

OTTAWA FURY FC  D 0-0  Fort Lauderdale Strikers  •  The front end of a home-and-away with the Strikers ended scoreless and Sinisa Ubiparipovic [Mentor/Mentor] started at attacking mid and played 90.  The points keeps the Fury on top of the league this Fall Season, but they’re now tied with Minnesota United FC on 25 points from 13 games.  The two teams will face off on Saturday down in the stifling FLA heat and humidity at 730pm.

INDY ELEVEN  L 0-2  @ San Antonio Scorpions  •  No Kyle Hyland [Bay Village Bay] in the travel team for this one, as he was nursing an injury suffered in the previous game.  The loss leaves Indy ninth in the NASL with 12 points from 13 contests.  Next up is a visit from FC Edmonton on Saturday night for a 730pm affair.

ATLANTA SILVERBACKS  L 1-2  Minnesota United FC  •  The Silverbacks suffered a red-card in just the fourth minute, and it was uphill sledding from there.  Despite that, they actually went up 1-0 five minutes later, but the other MUFC scored twice in the first half and did the rest with defense (and numerical superiority).  Matt Horth [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was not in the team.  Atlanta remains in shouting distance of the playoffs, with 18 points from 13 matches, just two points off the pace.  They host Carolina on Saturday at 730pm.

PHOTO CREDIT:  couldn’t find it on the website where I got the photo… sorry to whoever took it!!

2015 Week 28 Report

This is the smallest slate of the season, with only three games involving three of our boys’ teams.  Just one of them won.  Here’s how they all did:

MONTREAL IMPACT  W 4-3  Chicago Fire  •  Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] made four saves and got a great view of Didier Drogba’s MLS debut and hat trick.  The home side impressively fought back from a two-goal deficit in the 59th minute to get the victory. 

TORONTO FC  L 1-2  @ Seattle Sounders  •  TFC went punch-for-punch with the Sounders without their talisman Sebastian Giovinco, but gave up the winner with 13 minutes to go.  Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] started at center back and played 90, while Justin Morrow [Shaker Heights/St. Ignatius] was not in the team.

COLUMBUS CREW  L 0-3  FC Dallas  •  Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] started at left mid and went 58 minutes before subbing out with the Crew SC trailing 1-0.  Brad Stuver [Twinsburg/Twinsburg] was an unused sub as backup goalie.  The home side dominated most of the match, but got hit thrice on the counterattack to make for another frustrating national television appearance (Columbus drew 2-2 with Chicago on a Friday night back in May).

Next Week’s Matches
~ Wednesday, 9 September
PORTLAND  v  Sporting KC, 1030pm
~ Saturday, 12 September
Philadelphia  v  COLUMBUS, 7pm
LOS ANGELES  v  MONTREAL, 1030pm
~ Sunday, 13 September
TFC  v  New England, 5pm – live on ESPN2

---

And now for the news on our NASL and USL guys:

INDY ELEVEN  L 0-1  @ Minnesota United FC;  W 3-0  Jacksonville Armada FC  •  Three points from two games is always better than zero.  Indy is now in ninth place with 12 points.  Kyle Hyland [Bay Village/Bay] was an unused sub at the other MUFC and then he played all 90 against Jax.  Judson McKinney [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was not in the team for either match.  Next up is a trip to San Antonio for a Saturday night 830pm match.

OTTAWA FURY  W 1-0  @ San Antonio Scorpions  •  Sinisa Ubiparipovic [Mentor/Mentor] started and played 90 at attacking mid as the Fury bumped their lead at the top of the NASL Fall Season to five points over New York.  Next up is a Saturday home match with Fort Lauderdale at 3pm.

ATLANTA SILVERBACKS  L 0-2  @ Carolina RailHawks  •  Goals in the 24th and 28th minute were all the home side needed to defeat Atlanta, who now are fifth in the Fall standings with 18 points.  Matt Horth [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was an unused sub.  Next up are two home games – Minnesota United FC on Tuesday and Carolina on Saturday.  Both are 730pm kicks.

PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS  D 1-1  Charleston Battery  •  Mike Green [Strongsville/Strongsville] started up top and played 74 minutes before subbing out.  This loss bumped Pitt back to seventh place in the Eastern Conference with another important game looming next Saturday in Wilmington against the Hammerheads at 730pm.

CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE  W 1-0  @ Wilmington Hammerheads FC;  D 2-2  Wilmington Hammerheads FC  •  Jack Thompson [Hudson/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] started in the win and played 89 minutes before subbing out.  In the draw, he was not a part of the gameday team.  Next up for the Independence is another two-match week, as they host TFC II on Wednesday at 7pm and then they’ll travel to St. Louis for an 830pm match on Saturday.

PHOTO CREDIT:  Sy Bean/The Seattle Times

2015 Week 27 Report

Now that one of our guys has joined another and now that one of our guys is done for the season with an injury, these reports seem to be getting shorter.  With just three games NEXT week, that one’s going to be really short!  Anyways, here’s how everyone did this past week:

MONTREAL IMPACT  L 0-2  @ Vancouver Whitecaps  •  The Whitecaps won their first-ever Voyageurs Cup Trophy last Wednesday, thanks to a 4-2 aggregate scoreline in the 2015 Amway Canadian Championship (which will also earn them a berth in the 2016 CONCACAF Champions League).  Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] was not in the travel team, as he was with his wife back home, awaiting the birth of their child.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY  L 0-1  @ San Jose Earthquakes  •  Are the ‘Quakes LA’s bogey team?  Maybe.  They love nothing more than to stymie their southern neighbors in each and every CaliClásico.  Kenney Walker [Wickliffe/Wickliffe] was an unused sub.

COLUMBUS CREW SC  W 2-1  @ New York City FC  •  The Black and Gold picked up three huge points on their first trip to Yankee Stadium’s teeny-tiny pitch, coming from behind to do it.  Brad Stuver [Twinsburg/Twinsburg] was the backup goalie and Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] did not travel to NYC.

TORONTO FC  W 2-1  @ MONTREAL IMPACT  •  While this scoreline is also representative of the number of Clevelanders on the two teams’ rosters, that would not have applied on Saturday evening, as Montreal’s Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] was back at home with his wife and their newborn baby.  Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] and Justin Morrow [Shaker Heights/St. Ignatius] started on the TFC backline.

PORTLAND TIMBERS  L 1-2  @ Seattle Sounders  •  After this loss, there’s no way the Timbers can win the 2015 Cascadia Cup.  It’s the Sounders’ to lose and all they have to do is beat or tie Vancouver when the two teams meet on 19 Sept.  Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] started and played 90.  Michael Nanchoff [North Royalton/Walsh Jesuit] was an unused sub.

Next Week’s Matches
~ Saturday, 5 September
MONTREAL  v  Chicago, 8pm
Seattle  v  TFC, 10pm
~ Sunday, 6 September
COLUMBUS  v  FC Dallas, 7pm – live on Fox Sports 1

---

Our fellas in the lower divisions are racing towards the playoffs and don’t have too many games left on their schedules to cement their places.  Here’s how things went this past weekend:

OTTAWA FURY  D 2-2  Tampa Bay Rowdies  •  Sinisa Ubiparipovic [Mentor/Mentor] subbed on up top in the 60th minute.  The home side had a 2-0 lead in the 31st minute, but the guests chipped away to steal a point.  Ottawa is still in first, but with just a two-point lead of the New York Cosmos and a three-point lead on Atlanta.  Next up for the Fury is a trip to San Antonio next Saturday for an 830pm kickoff.

ATLANTA SILVERBACKS  W 1-0  FC Edmonton  •  Matt Horth [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was an unused sub as Atlanta won an important match to keep themselves in the playoff hunt.  The Silverbacks are in 3rd place in the Fall Season, and travel to Carolina on Friday night for a 730pm match.

INDY ELEVEN  L 1-7  @ Fort Lauderdale Strikers  •  Kyle Hyland [Bay Village/Bay] started and played all 90 of this one, which was only 3-1 before the Eleven had a man sent off in the 50th minute.  Then, things really went south.  Judson McKinney [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was not in the team.  Good for Indy that they can quickly get over that loss with two games this week – one on Wednesday at Minnesota United FC (8pm) and one on Saturday at home to Jacksonville Armada FC (730pm).

PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS  W 1-0  @ Louisville City  •  Mike Green [Strongsville/Strongsville] started up top and played 76 minutes before subbing off, in a much-needed victory that bumped the ‘Hounds back up into a playoff spot in the USL Eastern Conference.  Next weekend, they’ll back at home to entertain the Charleston Battery at 730pm.

CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE  W 1-0  @ FC Montreal;  D 2-2  @ TFC II  •  Jack Thompson [Hudson/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] didn’t play on Wednesday, but went 45 minutes as a second-half sub on Sunday.  Getting four points from the two games was probably an acceptable outcome for the Independence, as they sit just two points (35-33) and two spots (6th/8th) below Pittsburgh in that final playoff spot, and they have a game in hand on the Riverhounds.  Next up for Charlotte is another two-match week – Thursday at Wilmington for a 7pm game and Saturday at home against TFC II at 7pm.

PHOTO CREDIT:  torontofc.ca

2015 Week 24 Report

It was a busy few days for our boys last weekend, featuring two teams playing twice and a mess of goals all across the board.  Here’s how their teams did last week:

MONTREAL IMPACT  D 1-1  New York Red Bulls  •  On Wednesday night, Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] gave up a goal in the second half and made one save in his 90 minutes.  Montreal scored in the first half, but could not keep their visitors quiet – but to their credit, they kept things tight for the last 11 minutes after having a man sent off.

TORONTO FC  W 4-1  Orlando City SC  •  Too much Giovinco – that was the story in this one, as the little man scored three goals and was constantly a threat to the OCSC backline.  Justin Morrow [Shaker Heights/St. Ignatius] started at right back and played all 90 for TFC.  New Red Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] was not in the team.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY  W 5-1  Central FC  •  The Angelinos opened up their 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League season the best way possible, by hammering an outmanned bunch from Trinidad & Tobago in the teams’ Group D lid-lifter.  Kenney Walker [Wickliffe/Wickliffe] started as a holding mid and played all 90.

PORTLAND TIMBERS  W 1-0  Chicago Fire  •  On Friday night in the Rose City, the Timbers scored once after the break to earn the three points.  Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] started and played 90 at attacking mid.  Michael Nanchoff [North Royalton/Walsh Jesuit] was not in the gameday XVIII.

TORONTO FC  L 1-3  Sporting Kansas City  •  Morrow subbed on for the final 21 minutes of this one, in hopes that his offensive leanings would get the game back to level (TFC trailed 2-1 at the time), but the final nail in the coffin came with three minutes to play.  Unlike midweek, the Reds suffered from too little Giovinco… though he did assist on the goal and generally speaking, Sporting is a lot better defensively than Orlando City.  No Williams in this one either.

MONTREAL IMPACT  L 0-1  DC UNITED  •  One shot, one goal, three points.  DC did the most with the least in this one, becoming the only team in league history to ever achieve that feat.  Chris Korb [Gates Mills/University School] played all 90 for the victors.  Bush did too, but all he got for his efforts were bumps in his Goals Against Average and Save Percentage stats.

COLUMBUS CREW SC  W 2-1  @ Colorado Rapids  •  There’s been a lot of talk about the diminutive fella in Toronto, but the leading goal scorer in MLS is Kei Kamara of Columbus.  He bagged both in this win, the Crew SC’s first in Denver since 2009.  Brad Stuver [Twinsburg/Twinsburg] was the backup keeper.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY  W 2-1  Seattle Sounders  •  Despite allowing a goal in the first couple minutes of the match, the Galaxy rebounded to defeat the Sounders at home on Sunday.  Walker was an unused sub.

Next Week’s Matches
~ Wednesday, 12 August
MONTREAL  v  Vancouver, 730pm – Amway Canadian Championship, leg 1
~ Thursday, 13 August
NYCFC  v  DC, 730pm
~ Saturday, 15 August
NYRB  v  TFC, 7pm
FC Dallas  v  LOS ANGELES, 9pm
RSL  v  PORTLAND, 10pm

---

Here are the details on how our USL and NASL guys did last week:

CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE  D 2-2  New York Red Bulls II  •  Those two teams each scored in each half – with the Red Bulls’ JV opening and closing the scoring.  Jack Thompson [Hudson/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] subbed in for the final four minutes.  Up next for Charlotte is the return leg of the NYRB home-and-home on Wednesday, 12 August for a 730pm kickoff, followed by a Saturday contest at 7pm in Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS  W 3-1  @ Toronto FC II  •  Mike Green [Strongsville/Strongsville] started up top and played 86 minutes of this road win that moves the Hounds up into the Eastern Conference top four.  Up next for Pitt is the visit from Charlotte on Saturday.

OTTAWA FURY FC  W 4-1  @ INDY ELEVEN  •  Sinisa Ubiparipovic [Mentor/Mentor] got the party started with a goal in the fourth minute, as the Fall Season league leaders dominated from start to finish.  His work that night earned him a spot on the NASL Team of the Week.  For Indy, Kyle Hyland [Bay Village/Bay] played all 90 at left back and Judson McKinney [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was an unused sub.  The Fury hosts Minnesota United FC on Saturday at 7pm, while Indy will host the Tampa Bay Rowdies at 730pm on the 19th.  Earlier in the week, Indy lost 2-0 to FC Edmonton and in that match, Hyland and McKinney flipped roles. 

ATLANTA SILVERBACKS  W 2-1  Fort Lauderdale Strikers;  D 3-3  San Antonio Scorpions  •  It’s not often you see one team getting three guys sent off in the same game, but that’s what happened to the Strikers in Atlanta last Wednesday.  Yes, the outcome was already in hand by the time the cards started flying, but going 11-v-8 didn’t hurt Atlanta’s efforts.  On Saturday, it was goals galore as the home side squandered a 3-1 lead in the 57th minute to end up with one point.  Matt Horth [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] subbed on up top in second-half extra time on Wednesday and on the weekend, he got in for the final four minutes plus stoppage.  Up next for Atlanta is a 730pm game on Saturday in Jacksonville with Armada FC.

PHOTO CREDIT:  lagalaxy.com; Matt Schlotzhauer

2015 Week 22 Report

Lots of goals this weekend in our boys’ games.  You know the old adage about the weather heating up and the scoring going up.  Makes sense.  Here’s what our fellas’ teams did this past Saturday and Sunday:

COLUMBUS CREW SC  D 3-3  TORONTO FC  •  If I’m truly being fair and balanced, I’d want all of our head-to-head matches to end as draws with our boys scoring lots of goals… or 0-0 if it’s the two keepers facing off.  But I’ve been a Crew SC fan since 1996, so this one was disappointing, to say the least.  With the Black & Gold up 3-0 just moments into the second half, things were looking good.  But… yeah.  Brad Stuver [Twinsburg/Twinsburg] was the backup keeper for Columbus and Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was not in the gameday XVIII.  For the Reds, Justin Morrow [Shaker Heights/St. Ignatius] did his usual 90 minutes at right back.

MONTREAL IMPACT  W 1-0  Seattle Sounders  •  Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] started and played all 90 minutes, but turned in a completely clean stat line.  No saves, no punches, no shots faced… nada.  That doesn’t mean he just sat back there and ate a sandwich while his teammates did the rest, but it does reflect upon a solid team shutout.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY  L 0-3  @ Houston Dynamo  •  It seems like Houston is just a tough place for LA to play.  The Galaxy’s all-time record there is 3-6-2 now, and the boys in orange have scored 16 goals in those contests.  Kenney Walker [Wickliffe/Wickliffe] started as holding mid and played 71 minutes.

PORTLAND TIMBERS  L 1-4  @ FC Dallas  •  The Timbers can’t always beat Dallas and Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] can’t always score against them.  Though recent history has favored the PTFC gang, this Saturday night contest proved that there are few absolutes in MLS.  Nagbe started as an attacking mid and played 78 minutes.

NEW YORK CITY FC  W 5-3  Orlando City  •  If you hate defensive stalemates, this match was for you.  Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] didn’t get in the team.

DC UNITED  W 3-2  Philadelphia Union  •  Down 2-0 after four minutes, the home side came all the way back and got their winner with 11 minutes to go.  Chris Korb [Gates Mills/University School] played all 90 and served up two assists to help earn him a spot on the Team of the Week.  If two dimes from an outside back won’t do that, I’m not sure what will.  Be sure to check out the highlights.

Next Week’s Matches
~ Saturday, 1 August
NYCFC  v  Montreal, 2pm
DC  v  RSL, 7pm
New England  v TFC, 730pm
OCSC  v  COLUMBUS, 730pm
Colorado  v  LOS ANGELES, 1030pm
~ Sunday, 2 August
San Jose  v  PORTLAND, 5pm

---

Here’s what was up with our non-MLS guys last week:

OTTAWA FURY  W 2-1  Atlanta Silverbacks;  W 2-1  Carolina RailHawks  •  Well, look who’s all alone atop the NASL Fall Season table!  Two wins in a week by the same scoreline made it a reality for the worst-to-first bunch.  Sinisa Ubiparipovic [Mentor/Mentor] subbed on in the 69th minute against Atlanta to help provide some spark as the Fury looked to break a 1-1 tie.  On Sunday, he was an unused sub.  Next up for Ottawa is a Sunday afternoon match at FC Edmonton.

PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS  L 3-4  @ Harrisburg City Islanders  •  Versatility is a good thing when you’re an athlete, don’t you think?  A week after playing almost all 90 as a forward, Mike Green [Strongsville/Strongsville] returned to right back for this thriller.  Three matches between these two teams have given their fans a total of 25 goals!  It took three goals in the final 20 minutes in order for the ten-man home side to get their first taste of victory in those Keystone Derby contests.  Next up for Pitt is a Saturday night visit from the Wilmington Hammerheads and a 7pm kickoff.

CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE  W 2-0  FC Montreal  •  A goal in each half on Friday night did the deal for Charlotte, as Jack Thompson [Hudson/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] subbed on for the final two minutes of this win.  Next up for the ‘Pendence is a visit from unbeaten and league-leading Rochester on Saturday for a 7pm kick.

INDY ELEVEN  D 1-1  New York Cosmos  •  These two teams had as many players ejected as they did goals in an eventful draw – their third 1-1 tie in as many meetings this year.  Kyle Hyland [Bay Village/Bay] started at left back and played all 90.  Judson McKinney [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was an unused sub.  Next up for the Eleven is a Saturday night visit from Atlanta and a 730pm kickoff.

ATLANTA SILVERBACKS  W 3-1  FC Edmonton  •  The Silverbacks put the midweek loss behind them on a sunny Sunday afternoon in the land of peaches, when the home side had the run of play and did all its scoring after the halftime interval.  Matt Horth [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was not in the team for either match this week.

 

2015 Week 21 Report

Before we get to the weekend’s MLS action, we had a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinal earlier in the week.  It went, unfortunately, just like last year’s one octavos de final matchup went for one of our fellas’ teams.  Here’s how everything went since our last posting:

LOS ANGELES GALAXY  L 0-1  @ Real Salt Lake  •  On Tuesday night, RSL knocked the Galaxy out of the Cup by the narrowest of margins.  Kenney Walker [Wickliffe/Wickliffe] started in the middle and played 77 minutes before subbing out in favor of a forward as the visitors chased the game to no avail.

COLUMBUS CREW SC  W 1-0  @ Chicago Fire  •  FINALLY!!!  It only took ten games, but Crew SC got its first road win of the season on Wednesday night.  Despite dominating the match, it was the narrowest of margins that earned the three points.  Brad Stuver [Twinsburg/Twinsburg] was the backup goalie on the night, but Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] did not make the trip to Chi-town.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY  W 5-2  San Jose Earthquakes  •  Walker started and played 82 minutes of this contest that continued LA’s recent roll through the MLS regular season schedule.  It’s now 20 goals in five games and four victories in those games.

TORONTO FC  W 2-1  @ Philadelphia Union  •  TFC can really put on some brilliant performances when they’re in the mood.  It sure helps when midseason MVP candidate Sebastian Giovinco is doing what he has been doing lately.  The Reds were in control from the get-go and are firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff chase.  Justin Morrow [Shaker Heights/St. Ignatius] started at right back and played all 90.

NEW YORK CITY FC  L 0-1  @ New England Revolution  •  The hosts scored early and did the rest with defense.  Still no Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] who is out injured.

MONTREAL IMPACT  L 1-2  @ Sporting Kansas City  •  Sporting hasn’t been beaten at home this calendar year.  The Impact put up a good fight, but weren’t strong enough to end the streak.  Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] made a couple saves and had to deal with three other dangerous shots/crosses.

DC UNITED  L 1-2  @ FC Dallas  •  Chris Korb [Gates Mills/University School] started at right back and then was subbed out at halftime for a forward.  DC Head Coach Ben Olsen must’ve seen something he didn’t like that called for the formation change.  Despite that, FCD scored first and then DC equalized before the home side got its winner in extra time.

PORTLAND TIMBERS  D 1-1  Vancouver Whitecaps  •  The two sides split the goals, one in each half, and they also split the points.  Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] started and played 83 minutes.  Michael Nanchoff [North Royalton/Walsh Jesuit] was not in the gameday XVIII.  The Timbers currently find themselves in last place in this season’s Cascadia Cup standings.  It wouldn’t be impossible for them to end up on top, but they’ll need to win their 30 August match at Seattle and then hope the Whitecaps and Sounders tie in their two upcoming games.

COLUMBUS CREW SC  W 3-1  Chicago Fire  •  While the Crew didn’t dominate on Sunday like they did earlier in the week, they were aided by a Fire red card in the second half.  The win was convincing and the three points were well-deserved.  Same roles for Stuver and Speas as on Wednesday.

Next Week’s Matches:
~ Saturday, 25 July
COLUMBUS  v  TFC, 730pm
MONTREAL  v  Seattle, 8pm
Houston  v  LA, 9pm
Dallas  v  PORTLAND, 9pm
~ Sunday, 26 July
NYCFC  v  Orlando, 230pm – live on Fox Sports 1
DC  v  Philadelphia, 5pm – live on ESPN2

---

ATLANTA SILVERBACKS  D 2-2  @ Fort Lauderdale Strikers  •  A road point is better than a loss, no?  Even if you’re winning 2-1 until the 90th minute, when a PK for the home side levels things?  I dunno… Matt Horth [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was not in the team for this match.  Next up, the ‘Backs travel to Ottawa for a 7pm kickoff on Wednesday.

CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE  D 0-0  @ Rochester Ragin’ Rhinos  •  Jack Thompson [Hudson/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] subbed on and played 14 minutes.  Next up for Charlotte is a home game on Saturday with FC Montreal at 730pm.

OTTAWA FURY  W 4-2  INDY ELEVEN  •  Sinisa Ubiparipovic [Mentor/Mentor] did his normal 90 minutes at attacking mid and he created the opening goal for the home side with a free kick that Rafael Alves headed home.  Indy’s Kyle Hyland [Bay Village/Bay] started at left back and played 90.  Judson McKinney [Cuyahoga Falls/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] subbed on in the 77th minute and scored a consolation goal in the 90th minute.  Next up for Ottawa is the Atlanta game on Wednesday, while Indy hosts New York Saturday at 730pm.

PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS  L 1-2  Louisville City FC  •  The teams traded goals in the first half before the visitors got their winner in the second half.  Mike Green [Strongsville/Strongsville] started at forward and played 83 minutes.  Next up is a Keystone Derby trip to Harrisburg on Saturday for a 630pm match.

2015 Week 20 Report

It was a small MLS schedule, but a full NASL and USL schedule for our fellas.  Look up top for the MLS guys, down below for the others.

PORTLAND TIMBERS  L 0-3  @ Philadelphia Union  •  This result ended Philly’s winless streak against Portland (0-3-2 all-time).  Michael Nanchoff [North Royalton/Walsh Jesuit] subbed on and played the final seven minutes of the match. Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] did not play, nor did he make the trip, as he recovers from a shoulder injury.

MONTREAL IMPACT  W 3-0  COLUMBUS CREW SC  •  What were the takeaways from this one?  The Impact picked up just its second win in its past six games and Crew SC’s up-and-down season continued (6 wins, 7 losses, 6 draws) with yet another non-win on the road.  Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] made five saves in the shutout, his third of the season.  He’s now fifth in the league in saves with 61.  Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] and Brad Stuver [Twinsburg/Twinsburg] were both unused subs for Crew SC.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY  W 2-1  Club América  •  Kenney Walker [Wickliffe/Wickliffe] played the second half at holding mid.  If you haven’t seen the highlights, do check them out to watch Robbie Keane’s goal.  It’s something else.

NEW YORK CITY FC  D 4-4  TORONTO FC  •  Much like last weekend’s NYCFC match, the DP’s in this one did not disappoint… well, except for when David Villa and Sebastian Giovinco each missed penalty kicks for their respective teams, I guess.  But the little Italian scored a hat trick in nine minutes and the little – but comparatively larger – Spaniard added two goals of his own.  Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] is still out injured.  Justin Morrow [Shaker Heights/St. Ignatius] played all 90 at right back for TFC and picked up a yellow card late in the match for a foul.

Next Week’s Matches:
~ Wednesday, 15 July
Chicago  v  COLUMBUS, 830pm
~ Friday, 17 July
LOS ANGELES  v  San Jose, 11pm – live on UniMas
~ Saturday, 18 July
Philadelphia  v  TORONTO, 4pm
Sporting KC  v  MONTREAL, 830pm
Dallas  v  DC, 9pm
PORTLAND  v  Vancouver, 1030pm
~ Sunday, 19 July
COLUMBUS  v  Chicago, 5pm – live on ESPN2

---

ATLANTA SILVERBACKS  W 1-0  v Jacksonville Armada FC  –  Matt Horth [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] subbed on in the 83rd minute of Atlanta’s first home victory of this calendar year.  Next up for the ‘Backs is a trip to Fort Lauderdale for a 730pm kickoff on Saturday night.

CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE  L 0-1  @ Louisville City FC  –  Jack Thompson [Hudson/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] subbed on and played 28 minutes.  Next up for the Independence is a trip to league-leaders Rochester for a 705pm on Saturday.

INDY ELEVEN  W 2-1  v Carolina RailHawks  –  Kyle Hyland [Bay Village/Bay] started at left back and assisted on the Eleven’s first goal – please see the highlights for the simple cross to header tally.  Judson McKinney [Cuyahoga Falls/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was an unused sub.  Next up for Indy is a trip to Ottawa for a 3pm Saturday tilt.

OTTAWA FURY  D 1-1  @ Minnesota United FC  –  Sinisa Ubiparipovic [Mentor/Mentor] started as usual, but went off injured in the 43rd minute.  If that guy didn’t have bad luck with injuries, he wouldn’t have no luck at all.  Despite the loss of their midfield maestro, the Fury was able to fight back from down 1-0 to get the road draw with a PK in the 75th minute.

PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS  W 2-0  @ TFC II; L 2-4  v FC Montreal  –  Mike Green [Strongsville/Strongsville] started and played 90 minutes, but I’m not exactly sure at which position.  As you should know, the first player listed is the goalkeeper, then the defenders are sometimes separated from him by a semi-colon or a dash, same for the mids and the forwards.  Well, Green is the second name listed.  Was he a forward/striker last Wednesday up in Ontario?  Can’t tell.  On Saturday, up the road a piece at FC Montreal, he subbed on in the 86th minute for the third guy listed.  So… outside mid?  Third forward?  Again, I’m unsure.  Anyways, Pittsburgh is now fifth in the Eastern Conference on 25 points (7-6-4) and will host Louisville City FC on Saturday at 7pm.

 

2015 Week 19 Report

We had two head-to-heads over the USA Birthday Weekend, a weekend that two of our guys will want to put in their rearview mirror ASAP.  Check out the highlights to see what I mean.  Here’s how it all went down:

DC UNITED  L 0-1  @ Seattle Sounders  •  A late goal for the home side sent the visitors flying back across the country lamenting missed chances and the poorly-dealt-with corner kick that led to their demise.  Chris Korb [Gates Mills/University School] played all 90 at right back for DC.

COLUMBUS CREW SC  W 2-1  New York Red Bulls  •  A goal in each half gave the Black and Gold all three points.  Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] and Brad Stuver [Twinsburg/Twinsburg] were unused subs for Crew SC.

MONTREAL IMPACT  L 1-2  NEW YORK CITY FC  •  The visitors’ Designated Player, David Villa, scored twice to give his team all three points.  The second goal came on a free kick that went past Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] and just inside his left-hand post.  Bush made one save in the loss for Montreal.  Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] is still out with an adductor strain.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY  W 4-0  TORONTO FC  •  And yet again, the reigning MLS Champs pounded their opponent on their home turf.  Kenney Walker [Wickliffe/Wickliffe] subbed on for the final four minutes of the victory for his Galaxy.  Justin Morrow [Shaker Heights/St. Ignatius] played 90 at right back for TFC.

PORTLAND TIMBERS  W 1-0  San Jose Earthquakes  •  PTFC got a late, late goal from Jack Jewsbury that was a bit of a goof – he literally closed his eyes, stuck his foot out and hoped for the best – to earn all three points.  Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] played 84 minutes of this contest before subbing out.  He’s still not 100% after a shoulder injury he suffered the week before at Los Angeles.  Michael Nanchoff [North Royalton/Walsh Jesuit] was an unused sub.

Next Weekend’s Matches:
~ Saturday, 11 July
Philadelphia  v  PORTLAND, 7pm
MONTREAL  v  COLUMBUS, 8pm
LOS ANGELES  v  Club América, 11pm – International Champions Cup, live on Fox Sports 1 (or 2)
~ Sunday, 12 July
NYCFC  v  TFC, 3pm – live on ESPN2

---

NASL’s Fall Season got underway this past weekend and the USL campaign kept on rolling.  Here’s what those dudes were up to in their games:

ATLANTA SILVERBACKS  L 1-2  @ Tampa Bay Rowdies  –  Matt Horth [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] started up top and played all 90 as these two teams traded own goals.  Next up for the ATL is its home opener against Jacksonville Armada FC, Saturday at 730pm.

CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE  L 2-1  v St. Louis FC  –  Jack Thompson [Hudson/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] subbed on at halftime.  Next up for Charlotte is a trip to Louisville to for a 730pm contest next Saturday.

INDY ELEVEN  D 0-0  v Monarcas Morelia;  D 1-1  @ New York Cosmos  –  Kyle Hyland [Bay Village/Bay] subbed on in the 59th minute of the Eleven’s international friendly against Liga MX club Monarcas.  He started at left back and played all 90 of the draw at the Cosmos.  Judson McKinney [Cuyahoga Falls/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] played the second half against the Mexicans and was an unused sub at New York.  Next up for Indy is a 730pm Saturday visit from the Carolina RailHawks.

OTTAWA FURY  W 2-0  Jacksonville Armada FC  –  Sinisa Ubiparipovic [Mentor/Mentor] started at attacking mid and subbed out after 86 minutes.  Next up for the Fury is a visit from Minnesota United FC on Saturday at 730pm.

PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS  W 3-0  v NYRB II  –  Mike Green [Strongsville/Strongsville] started at right back and played all 90.  The ‘Hounds have two games next week, starting with a Wednesday trip to Canada to play TFC II at 8, followed by Saturday’s home game against other Canadians when FC Montreal shows up at 4pm.

PHOTO CREDIT – mlssoccer.com

2015 Week 16 Report

Okay, so since we broke up the reports by giving the midweek U.S. Open Cup matches their own deal, we only have a few games to talk about.  Almost everyone is in action next Wednesday, in addition to the following weekend, so we might have to split up those reports.  We’ll see.  Anyways, here’s how our fellas did this past weekend:

TORONTO FC  L 0-2  NEW YORK CITY FC  •  NYCFC got a goal in each half from David Villa and kept on keepin’ on to get the win, though Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] remained on the shelf with a strained left adductor.  Justin Morrow [Shaker Heights/St. Ignatius] started at right back and played all 90 for TFC.

MONTREAL IMPACT  W 2-0  ORLANDO CITY SC  •  Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] earned his first MLS shutout of the season by making three saves in the Impact’s win.  He also picked up a yellow card late in the match for time wasting, but at the time, Montreal only led 1-0, so that’s forgivable.

PORTLAND TIMBERS  W 2-0  Houston Dynamo  •  A goal in each half from two different Argentinians drove the Timbers to their fifth straight win across two different competitions.  Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] started and played 86 minutes before subbing out.  Michael Nanchoff [North Royalton/Walsh Jesuit] was an unused sub.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY  W 5-1  Philadelphia Union  •  The Galaxy have scored 11 goals in two games this week.  Not too bad.  Kenney Walker [Wickliffe/Wickliffe] was an unused sub.

DC UNITED  W 2-1  New England Revolution  •  Two goals from Ohioan Chris Rolfe in the final 20 minutes of the match propelled DC into first place in the Eastern Conference.  Chris Korb [Gates Mills/University School] started at right back and played all 90.

Next Week’s Matches
~ Wednesday, 24 June
COLUMBUS  v  New England, 730pm
TFC  v  MONTREAL, 8pm
Chicago  v  DC, 830pm
LOS ANGELES  v  PORTLAND, 11pm
~ Saturday, 27 June
TFC  v  DC, 5pm
Philadelphia  v  MONTREAL, 7pm
Real Salt Lake  v  COLUMBUS, 10pm
San Jose  v  LOS ANGELES, 1030pm
~ Sunday, 28 June
NYCFC  v  NYRB, 5pm – live on ESPN2
PORTLAND  v  Seattle, 730pm – live on Fox Sports 1

---

Now that the NASL is on its break between seasons, we only have our USL guys to discuss here:

PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS  W 1-0  FC Montreal  •  It only took 13 games, but the Riverhounds finally got their first shutout of the season.  So much nicer that it was a win, too.  Mike Green [Strongsville/Strongsville] started at outside mid, it looks like from how the names are listed, and played all 90.  Pittsburgh has 19 points from those 13 contests, which places them fifth in the Eastern Conference.  It still leads the league in goals scored (28)… and is one away from leading the league in goals allowed (23).  Next weekend, the Hounds travel to Rochester to take on the conference leaders and yet-to-be-beaten Rhinos at 730pm on Saturday night.

CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE  W 2-1  Charleston Battery  •  Now seems like as good a time as any to start talking about the exploits of Jack Thompson [Hudson/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] down in Charlotte, who this season became the fourth CVCA grad to log time in MLS.  To date, he’s appeared in every game and started nine times, contributing a goal and an assist.  Charlotte currently sits eighth in the Eastern Conference, with 15 points from 11 games.  On Saturday night, he subbed on, but the league website isn’t clear about how many minutes he played.  Next Friday night, the Independence will host Richmond at 730pm.

PHOTO CREDIT:  Bush/Montreal Impact Facebook page, Thompson/charlotteindependence.com