2016 – The March Report

I realize that month-old news isn’t exactly “news,” but since this blog only aspires to be timely when it’s the summer and I’m able to bang out the posts on Mondays, you’ll forgive me doing a first-month-of-the-season report.  Below, you’ll find a few statements about each team’s results in March, along with links to the pertinent game reports, as you have in the past, followed by a few words and some stats, if they played.

EVAN BUSH [Montreal Impact]  •  Bush played all 270 minutes in the Impact’s three contests, which resulted in two wins and one loss.  He made a total of 14 saves – eight of them in a 3-2 win over Vancouver – and he authored a 3-0 shut out of the Red Bulls.

CHRIS KORB [DC United]  •  Not a lot to report in March, as Korb continues to recover from the ACL injury he suffered late last season.  DC went 0-2-3 in March, got bumped out of the CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals by Mexican club Querétaro, and scored two goals while allowing nine.

JUSTIN MORROW & JOSH WILLIAMS [Toronto FC]  •  TFC earned four points in March, after a 1-1-1 string of results.  While Morrow started and played all of that trio of contests, Williams was an unused sub in a 2-0 victory over the Red Bulls, came on for the final minute of a 2-2 draw at NYCFC, and he started and played 86 minutes in a 1-0 loss at Sporting KC.

DARLINGTON NAGBE & BEN ZEMANSKI [Portland Timbers]  •  Like the Reds, Portland went 1-1-1 to start the season.  Nagbe started and played all of those games, while Zemanski was an unused sub in them.  Above and beyond that, Nagbe was named to the US Men’s National Team roster for two World Cup Qualifiers with Guatemala.  On 25 March in a 0-2 loss at Guatemala City, Nagbe subbed on at halftime for an ineffective Mix Diskerud and played the rest of the game.  Four days later in Columbus, he was an unused sub in the 4-0 win.

BRAD STUVER [Columbus Crew SC]  •  Not much to write about from a Stuver perspective here.  As the Crew took two points from its four games despite generally outplaying its opposition, Stuver was Steve Clark’s backup goalkeeper.  Too bad you don’t get points for possession.

2015 Playoffs – MLS Cup Report

If you’re a follower of this blog, that means you’re a fan of the league, which means you probably watched the game on Sunday.  Maybe you were there, like I was.  Assuming all of that, you know the score and how things went, so here are details from our Cleveland-centric point-of-view.

MLS Cup XX
COLUMBUS CREW SC  1-2  PORTLAND TIMBERS FC  •  @ MAPFRE Stadium
Brad Stuver [Twinsburg/Twinsburg] was the backup goalie for the Black and Gold and Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] did not dress.  On the winning side, Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] started and played all 90.  Michael Nanchoff [North Royalton/Walsh Jesuit] and Ben Zemanski [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] did not dress for the game.

Here are four thoughts I had while at the game and/or watching the game again once I got home and/or in the days following the game:

1.  Someone who doesn’t really know soccer might say that “Nagbe really didn’t do anything during the game.”  In truth he did a LOT.  We all know that stats don’t always tell the story in soccer, and when you look the fact he only took one shot, and he only attempted 37 passes – out of Portland’s 312 total – that’s not a lot for a guy with his ability to change a game.  But it was pretty clear that his role on the day was more about trying to keep Justin Meram quiet and he did such a good job of it that Meram was subbed out in the 78th minute.  The vision of him chasing down the fresh-legged Cedric Mabwati – who had a ten-yard head start – late in the second half to beat him to a through ball and win possession.  I’m not sure Nagbe gets enough credit for the work he does defensively, and his work was incredibly important and nearly perfect on Sunday.  That’s sometimes harder to notice than the goals he creates.
2. Our seats were in the corner of MAPFRE Stadium, just above the tunnel.  The Timbers who didn’t dress for the game were in a tent up above us on the concourse.  You should have seen those guys laughing and celebrating and partying after that first goal went in.  Several of them had a look on their face that said, “OMG! We are going to win this game!”  That’s something I’ll never forget.
3. I’m going to take off my objective journalist hat for a second here…  It’s been over-discussed that the assistant ref made a mistake and should’ve called that ball out that began the Timbers’ second goal.  It’s also been over-discussed that “you don’t stop playing until the whistle,” and that the Crew made a bunch of errors from that point (Tchani stopped playing and didn’t chase Nagbe, Francis had taken a knock and didn’t close down the cross from Melano, Wallace went right by Afful to head home, some jerks in the Nordecke threw stuff onto the field).  As a Crew fan, it’s hard to stomach “giving the title” to Portland like that on two horrible errors.  It was hard to watch the team that we all loved to watch all season when they were at their attacking best, find itself lacking in ideas and unable to break down the Timbers’ nine-behind-the-ball blockade.  Don’t get me wrong, I coach HS soccer and this past season, we had two teams do that to us and my boys got frustrated and yelled at each other and eventually ended up winning both games, so I know how hard it can be to find a crack in a team that’s so well-disciplined defensively.  Portland led the league with 13 regular-season shutouts for a reason.  My hat is off to them for, as their TIFO put it, coming to Columbus to “do what they say can’t be done.”  (Thank you very much, Jerry Reed.)  And while I’m extremely happy for our three guys who are going to get sized for MLS Cup Championship rings, but at the same time – from this blog’s point-of-view and also from a Crew SC fan point-of-view – I’m soooooooooo bummed for our two who came so close.  
4. A friend of mine who is a Timbers season ticket holder made the trip in for the game.  We met up pregame to chat a bit and one thing he said stood out to me, “I think the wood-work is going to play a role today.  It’s been a part of every big game for us so far on this playoff run.”  Turns out he was right!  In the second half, the Timbers – AND THE CREW – hit Steve Clark’s posts and crossbar at least three times.  The wood-work didn’t decide the outcome of the contest, but it kept it from turning into a blow out.  I dunno… maybe that’s a stretch.

The next post will deal with MLS and NASL and USL free agency and where our boys stand.  Then we’ll do some season-review posts just before Christmas.  It’s crazy, but preseason training will be upon us before we know it.

2015 Playoffs – Conference Finals Report

Wow… what a set of Conference Finals these were.  Not only because we had horses in each race, but I can’t recall a better, more exciting pair of pairs of games.  Yes, a pair of pairs.  Best thing is – we end up with our dream scenario… the maximum number of Clevelanders involved in the 2015 MLS Cup!!!  (Now if only all five of them could get to play in the game somehow…)

Stuver is top left in green… obviously.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
#2 COLUMBUS CREW SC  v  #1 New York Red Bulls  •  CCSC advance 2-1 aggregate
*  Leg 1  @ MAPFRE Stadium –  W 2-0  •  Leg 2  @ Red Bull Arena –  L 0-1  *
Which was more important, getting that second goal in the final few minutes of the home leg or keeping the Red Bulls scoreless in that contest?  We wouldn’t find out the answer until the dying moments of the away leg, but the answer was… BOTH!  While this series lacked the goals of its counterpart, it was no less exciting.  The Crew SC got a goal nine seconds into the series and another moments before “halftime” and surrendered a goal late in the “second half” before one final heart-attack-of-a-ball-off-the-post with seconds left to play, before emerging victorious.  Brad Stuver [Twinsburg/Twinsburg] was the backup goalie in both contests, as usual, and Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] did not dress for either one.

Nagbe is hidden behind the guy behind Diego Valeri (kissing the trophy) and Nanchoff is second from right edge

WESTERN CONFERENCE
#3 PORTLAND TIMBERS  v  #1 FC Dallas  •  PTFC advance 5-3 aggregate
*  Leg 1  @ Providence Park –  W 3-1  •  Leg 2  @ Toyota Stadium –  D 2-2  *
The Timbers really were in control of this series from start to finish, despite a few nervy moments in the second half of the second game, but an impressive bit of skill provided the final margin.  Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] played all of both legs and took 12 corner kicks and suffered eight fouls, for whatever that’s worth.  Michael Nanchoff [North Royalton/Walsh Jesuit] was an unused sub in both matches.  Ben Zemanski [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] is still out injured, recovering from a torn ACL in the preseason.

The Timbers advance to MLS Cup for the first time and Crew SC will play for its second league title.  Back in July, Portland beat Columbus 2-1 at MAPFRE Stadium, but that isn’t going to matter on Sunday.

2015 Playoffs – Conference Semifinals Report

From our perspective, we got the best possible outcome from the two conference semis.  Maybe not from the playing time p.o.v., but Crew SC does have two of our guys on its roster and the Timbers have three, while Montreal only have one (same for DC), so there you go.  Here are the details:

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
#2 COLUMBUS CREW SC  v  #3 MONTREAL IMPACT
– Leg 1 @ Stade Saputo  –  L 1-2 •  Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] didn’t have that much to do while helping Montreal jump out to an early advantage in the series, though it was Crew SC that jumped out in front with an invaluable away goal.  Bush made two saves on the night.  Brad Stuver [Twinsburg/Twinsburg] was the backup goalie for Crew SC and Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was not in the team.
– Leg 2 @ MAPFRE Stadium  –  W 3-1  •  As Crew SC needed to win by two clear goals to advance, this one was shaping up to be a track meet, and Bush was a lot busier in the return leg in Columbus.  Both goalies were constantly under assault, as the two teams ripped off a combined total of 44 shots, with a whopping 20 of them on target.  Bush’s numbers were six saves, four punches and two corners caught in the 130 minutes that it took to settle things.  Same deal for Stuver and Speas.  At the end of regulation, the score was 2-1 Crew SC, which sent the contest into overtime.  Six minutes into the second overtime period, Kei Kamara sent the Black and Gold fans (including me) home happy with the game-winner/series-ender that pushed Columbus into the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2008.

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
#3 PORTLAND TIMBERS  v  #2 Vancouver Whitecaps
– Leg 1 @ Providence Park  –  D 0-0  •  The best thing about the first leg for the Timbers was that they didn’t give up a goal to the Whitecaps.  That meant there was everything to play for a week later up in Canada.  Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] played all 90 in a variety of attacking positions.  Michael Nanchoff [North Royalton/Walsh Jesuit] was not in the team.
– Leg 2 @ BC Place  –  W 2-0  •  A goal in the 31st minute was all the Timbers really needed to move on the the Western Conference Finals for the first time ever.  Just for good measure, they got a second goal in second-half injury time  Nagbe played 90 in this one, too.  Same deal for Nanchoff.

After the international break this week, the Conference Finals will see Columbus play the New York Red Bulls and Portland face FC Dallas.  Leg 1 will be in Columbus and Portland on 22 November, with Leg 2 taking place the following Sunday at NYRB and FCD, respectively.

PHOTO CREDIT – Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers

2015 Week 32 Post

The pending International Break made for a light schedule this week (and it gave me a little more time to finish the post before I fall behind on the next week’s report).  There’ll be so few games that we’ll double-up on next week’s post.  Anyways, here’s how things went the weekend of 3 October, plus:

TORONTO FC  W 3-1  Philadelphia Union  •  Our dynamic defensive duo of Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] and Justin Morrow [Shaker Heights/St. Ignatius] have really meant a lot to TFC’s playoff push.  Maybe not as much as Sebastian Giovinco’s goals, but still, they’ve put in some solid performances recently that have helped the Reds climb up towards the postseason.  They each played 90 in this win.

COLUMBUS CREW SC  L 1-2  New York Red Bulls  •  The Crew may not slide out of the playoff picture, but they’re certainly not making their run into the postseason comfortable.  The Black and Gold could’ve wrapped up a berth by winning on Saturday night, but they’ll have to wait until after the International Break to finalize things, including – hopefully – a direct pass into the Eastern Conference semifinals.  Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] didn’t dress and Brad Stuver [Twinsburg/Twinsburg] was the backup keeper.

MONTREAL IMPACT  L 1-2  @ Orlando City SC  •  OCSC ended the Impact’s three-game winning streak and, most amazingly, kept Didier Drogba off the scoresheet.  Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] made two saves in the match, which was an entertaining, back-and-forth tussle that the home side won with ten minutes remaining.

PORTLAND TIMBERS  L 0-1  Sporting Kansas City  •  If you’re going to get beaten by the goal of the year – and in my mind, this one is it – then you take your hat off to the guy who scored it and regroup for the next game.  Wow.  Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] played 90 and took four shots, three of which forced Sporting’s goalie to make saves.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY  D 1-1  @ Seattle Sounders  •  Kenney Walker [Wickliffe/Wickliffe] was not in the team for this road draw, which woulda’/shoulda’/coulda’ been three road points for LA, if not for a last-second goal from former Galaxian Chad Barrett.

MONTREAL  L 1-2  @ New York Red Bulls  •  Drogba did score in this game, and busted out some pretty annoying shenanigans on a Red Bulls PK, but the top team in the Eastern Conference showed its quality in winning, forcing Bush to make five saves.

MONTREAL  W 1-0  @ Colorado  •  Drogba.  Free kick.  Ballgame.  Bush made three saves in what was a pretty easy night for him.

Next Week’s Matches
~ Thursday, 14 October
TFC  v  NYRB, 7pm
RSL  v  PORTLAND, 930pm
~ Saturday, 17 October
TFC  v  COLUMBUS, 2pm
New England  v  MONTREAL, 730pm
~ Sunday, 18 October
LA  v  PORTLAND, 7pm – live on Fox Sports 1

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Here’s how things went over the past couple game weeks for our NASL guys:

OTTAWA FURY FC  W 2-0  FC Edmonton (3 Oct); D 1-1 @ Tampa Bay Rowdies (10 Oct)  •  Wow.  I’m not sure any one of our guys is ballin’ harder than Sinisa Ubiparipovic [Mentor/Mentor] is right now.  He scored both goals in the win against FC Ed, which clinched the first-ever NASL playoff berth for Ottawa and he also got on the NASL TOTW… AGAIN!!  AGAIN!!!  Three weeks in a row, again!  He started and played 90 in both games and is the engine that is driving Ottawa towards a deep postseason run and maybe even a league crown.  (He did not make TOTW after the Rowdies game, however.)  First things first, though, and that would be this weekend’s game with San Antonio on Sunday at 3pm.  There are a lot of different scenarios going on regarding the open playoff spots, but if Ottawa keeps winning, they will earn the overall top seed in the playoffs and home field advantage for the semifinals.

INDY ELEVEN  D 1-1  @ Jacksonville Armada FC (3 Oct);  L 1-2  San Antonio Scorpions (10 Oct)  •  Kyle Hyland [Bay Village/Bay] started and played 90 in that Armada draw, but was not a part of the loss to the Scorpions.  Judson McKinney [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was not a part of either game.  Indy is playing for pride and to be the spoiler at this point, as they’re in last place.  If they could beat Minnesota this Saturday at 730pm, it’d certainly help out Ottawa.

ATLANTA SILVERBACKS  D 1-1 @ New York Cosmos (4 Oct);  L 0-3 New York Cosmos (7 Oct)  •  Matt Horth [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] subbed on in the 79th minute of the loss, but did not feature in the draw three days earlier.  The Silvers are close to a playoff berth, and they need to start winning if they want to get in.  They host Tampa Bay on Saturday at 730pm.

PHOTO CREDIT:  I don’t know… it was with an article from the Daily Mail of England, but there was no credit with it.  Sorry, to whomever the photog was.

2015 Week 31 Report

Just a few games this weekend.  Here’s how things went for our guys’ teams:

LOS ANGELES GALAXY  D 1-1  @ Central FC  •  Kenney Walker [Wickliffe/Wickliffe] started as a central mid and played 90.  He was on corner kick duty and put in five, as this draw was enough to give LA a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals for the fourth year in a row.  Walker picked up a yellow card in the 61st minute for “unsporting behavior.”  Gotta’ love that vague term.

TORONTO FC  W 3-2  Chicago Fire  •  The Fire tried and tried to give the game away, as they twice squandered one-goal leads.  TFC was more than happy to accept such generosity from their visitors.  Justin Morrow [Shaker Heights/St. Ignatius] and Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] both started at the back and played 90.

MONTREAL IMPACT  W 2-0  DC United  •  I guess you gotta’ give it up for Didier Drogba.  He has really turned things around in Montreal.  They can’t stop scoring goals and they won’t stop gaining ground on all those Eastern Conference teams above them in the standings, thanks to all those games they have in hand.  Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] made three saves in the win.

PORTLAND TIMBERS  W 2-1  COLUMBUS CREW •  A week after being in first place for the first time in three years, the Crew SC got bumped back into the middle of the playoff pack after this loss.  Portland continues its climb towards the postseason, bound and determined not to finish on the outside like it did last year.  Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] was a menace to his home-state side throughout his 90-minute stint.  He carved up a beautiful assist on the Timbers’ first goal.  Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was not in the team and Brad Stuver [Twinsburg/Twinsburg] was the backup goalie for the home side.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY  W 3-2  FC Dallas  •  This was an entertaining match to watch, played between two of the sides that really can get after it when they have the ball.  There was never any chance that the match was going to end 0-0.  Walker was not in the LA gameday XVIII.

Next Week’s Matches
~ Saturday, 3 October
Philadelphia  @  TFC, 7pm
NYRB  @ COLUMBUS, 730pm
MONTREAL  @ OCSC, 8pm
Sporting KC  @ PORTLAND, 1030pm
~ Sunday, 4 October
LA  @ Seattle, 930pm – live on Fox Sports 1

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And now for the report on our one USL playoff team:

PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS  L 2-4 aet  New York Red Bulls II  •  LOTS of action in this contest, and most of it came late.  Pittsburgh opened the scoring in the 15th minute and the home side equalized in the 62nd, but that was all the scoring in regulation, which sent the game into overtime.  The guests again scored first, seven minutes in, but the home side bagged three before all was said and done, to advance to the USL Eastern Conference Semifinals.  Mike Green [Strongsville/Strongville] subbed on in the 71st minute as a midfielder/defender.

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And here’s how our NASL dudes did last week:

ATLANTA SILVERBACKS  D 3-3  San Antonio Scorpions  •  Matt Horth [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was not in the team for this slugfest that Atlanta thought they had won until surrendering two goals in the final 12 minutes to end up splitting the points.  Next up for the ‘Backs is two games in four days with the New York Cosmos – away on Sunday, 4 October and back at home the following Wednesday.

INDY ELEVEN  D 1-1  @ Tampa Bay Rowdies  •  Neither Kyle Hyland [Bay Village/Bay] nor Judson McKinney [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] were in the Eleven gameday XVIII for this road draw.  Next up for Indy is a 730pm game on Saturday in Jacksonville with the Armada FC.

OTTAWA FURY FC  W 3-1  @ Carolina RailHawks  •  This win, Ottawa’s sixth on the road in a row, keeps them firmly entrenched in first place in the NASL’s Fall Season.  Sinisa Ubiparipovic [Mentor/Mentor] started and played 85 minutes before subbing out.  Who needs 90 minutes when you can get on the league’s Team of the Week while playing less than the maximum minutes allowed?  Not Ubiparipovic!!  He has nearly spent more time on the TOTW than he has off it – this is appearance number four for him, coming on the heels of last week’s POTW performance!  The guy has been ballin’ out in the month of September!!  Next up for the Fury is a 3pm Saturday game with FC Edmonton.

PHOTO CREDIT:  Matt Ellis/Columbus Underground

 

2015 Week 30 Report

Did you notice that prior to this weekend’s games, just eleven points separate the team that’s currently in the final MLS Playoff spot (TFC, 37) and the team in the lead for the Supporters’ Shield race (Vancouver, 48)?  If the playoffs were to begin today, five of our guys’ teams would be in.  Over the next month, we’re going to see some crazy stuff and it’s a safe bet the table won’t look like it looks right now (1pm, 19 Sept).  Here’s how our fellas’ teams did this weekend:

TORONTO FC  L 0-2  @ New York City FC  •  Our defensive duo of Justin Morrow [Shaker Heights/St. Ignatius] and Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] started and played 90 in what was a pretty disappointing performance on the road for a playoff contender.

MONTREAL IMPACT  D 1-1  @ San Jose Earthquakes  •  This would qualify as a “good point” for Montreal, as it was earned after the visitors were down a goal after 35 minutes and down a man after 49 minutes.  Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] was not in the travel team, as he remains home with his wife and newborn baby.

TORONTO FC  W 3-1  Colorado Rapids  •  These three points helped TFC dig into that fifth Eastern Conference playoff spot.  Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] and Justin Morrow [Shaker Heights/St. Ignatius] both started and played 90.

COLUMBUS CREW SC  W 2-1  @ DC United  •  A massive road win put the Crew in first place… for about 18 hours or so.  But even after the conclusion of the weekend, the Black and Gold are second in the East and fifth overall.  They should be able to clinch a playoff berth next weekend.  Brad Stuver [Twinsburg/Twinsburg] was the backup keeper and Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was not in the gameday XVIII.

MONTREAL IMPACT  W 3-0  New England Revolution  •  Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] was back in goal after a couple weeks off, and he made three saves in the shutout to help Montreal get a foothold on the sixth playoff spot in the East.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY  L 0-3  @ Real Salt Lake  •  Sheesh!  Just when it looked like LA was going to run away with everything and there was no need to even have playoffs this year, these last two games happened.  Kenney Walker [Wickliffe/Wickliffe] was not in the team.

PORTLAND TIMBERS  L 0-2  New York Red Bulls  •  During and after this one, there was a lot of talk on Twitter about the reality of the notion/perception that the teams in the Western Conference were far superior than those in the Eastern Conference.  Well… here’s one of the arguments against.  Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] started and went 90.  Michael Nanchoff [North Royalton/Walsh Jesuit] was not in the team.

Next Week’s Matches
~ Wednesday, 23 September
Central FC  v  LOS ANGELES, 8pm – CCL Group H
~ Saturday, 26 September
TFC  v  Chicago, 2pm
MONTREAL  v  DC, 5pm
COLUMBUS  v  PORTLAND, 730pm
~ Sunday, 27 September
LOS ANGELES  v  FC Dallas, 930pm – live on Fox Sports 1

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The USL Regular Season is all done and dusted and we now know who the 12 participants in the Playoffs are.

PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS  D 1-1  Rochester Rhinos;  W 2-1  @ Harrisburg Islanders  •  INSKI!  After a midweek draw left them with a win-and-you’re-in deal for Saturday, that’s just what the Riverhounds did – and they took home the 2015 Keystone Cup in the process.  Mike Green [Strongsville/Strongsville] started at the back on Wednesday and played all 90, then on Saturday, he subbed on in the 68th minute to help close up shop and preserve the win.  Mission accomplished.  Pittsburgh will now play at New York Red Bulls II next Saturday at 5pm.

CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE  L 1-3  @ Charleston Battery  •  It’s disappointing that the Independence’s inaugural season ends just one point shy of the playoffs.  The loss also gave the Battery, the Eastern Conference’s number-three seed in the playoffs, a 2-1-1 advantage in the series with their new northern neighbors.  Jack Thompson [Hudson/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] did not feature in the gameday 18.

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The NASL Fall Season has a several more weeks to go.  Here’s how those boys and their teams did this weekend:

OTTAWA FURY FC  W 2-0  @ Fort Lauderdale Strikers  •  Sinisa Ubiparipovic [Mentor/Mentor] had a goal and an assist in his 90-minute shift to help keep the Fury on top of the NASL in the Fall Season – 28 points from 13 games.  Good enough to get him the NASL Player of the Week!  Next up is a Tuesday showdown with second-place New York at their place for a 730pm kickoff, followed by a Saturday game at Carolina at 730pm.

ATLANTA SILVERBACKS  W 2-1  Carolina RailHawks  •  Atlanta recovered from allowing a goal in the first minute of the game to take the points on Saturday night.  Matt Horth [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was not in the team.  Next up is a Saturday trip to San Antonio for a 830pm contest.

INDY ELEVEN  L 0-2  FC Edmonton  •  A pair of second-half goals from the visitors handed the Eleven their eighth loss of the Fall Season, which puts them tenth in the league on 12 points from 14 games played.  Kyle Hyland [Bay Village/Bay] started and played 90 at left back.  Judson McKinney [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] was not in the gameday 18.  Next up is a Wednesday game at 730pm in Tampa Bay against the Rowdies.

PHOTO CREDIT: nasl.com

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

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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

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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

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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