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MLS Major League Soccer

This Week in MLS - April 12

April 12, 2011 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


Week 5 match schedule

(Home team listed first; all times Eastern)

Wednesday, April 13

Toronto FC vs. LA Galaxy, 8 p.m.

Real Salt Lake vs. Colorado Rapids, 9 p.m.

Thursday, April 14

Portland Timbers vs. Chicago Fire, 11 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPN Deportes/ESPN3.com)

Saturday, April 16

Philadelphia Union vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 4 p.m.

Toronto FC vs. D.C. United, 7 p.m. (FOX Soccer)

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Chivas USA, 7 p.m.

Columbus Crew vs. Sporting Kansas City, 7:30 p.m.

New York Red Bulls vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 17

Chicago Fire vs. LA Galaxy, 4 p.m. (TeleFutura)

Portland Timbers vs. FC Dallas, 6 p.m.

Houston Dynamo vs. New England Revolution, 7 p.m.

MLS W.O.R.K.S. Greener Goals Week begins Saturday

For one week, all the electricity used during matches at MLS stadiums will be offset by the purchase of enough renewable wind energy to power more than 135 homes for a year. Major League Soccer has partnered with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Bonneville Environmental Foundation to enact tangible ways such as this to reduce our environmental footprint and help raise awareness throughout the soccer community. More details on the MLS W.O.R.K.S Greener Goals Week (April 16-23), including activation by MLS corporate partner Continental Tire, team-specific efforts, and educational giveaways for fans, will be announced this Thursday.

Reserve League season underway

Most MLS clubs have played at least one Reserve League game. Recent notables include:

- D.C. United and FC Dallas are the only two clubs with two Reserve League victories thus far. United has scored seven goals (Blake Brettschneider has three), while FC Dallas has yet to concede one.

- John Rooney, the younger brother of Manchester United star Wayne Rooney, scored for the New York Red Bulls reserves, but Jack McInerney and Chris Agorsor netted to give the Philadelphia Union a 2-1 victory.

- Maykel Galindo, recently acquired from Chivas USA, scored the game's lone goal for FC Dallas in their reserve victory against Colorado.

The MLS Reserve League provides essential developmental opportunities to players and is made possible by the growth of first team rosters from 24 in 2010 to 30 players in 2011. For schedules, scores, recaps, standings and more on the MLS Reserve League, click here.

Quotables

"That was world class. That was Kasey Keller from his prime. As you finish out a career, to be able to manage and put out performances like that is a tremendous tribute to the work that he does on a daily basis. Those three saves were big time."

-- Seattle Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid about 41-year-old Kasey Keller, after the 2-1 win vs. Chicago

"My day was ruined around 1 o'clock. I also found out around that time that Landon [Donovan] wasn't coming, so it was about a wash."

-- D.C. United head coach Ben Olsen after finding out rookie Perry Kitchen would be out for the 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy

"With the power and strength we have in our attack, we should score more, definitely. We should at least able to score twice a game as an average."

-- New York Red Bulls coach Hans Backe after the 1-0 loss to Philadelphia Union

"I'm very, very pleased with all of them. We really put the question to them and put the challenge to them to rise to this occasion, to step out and step up, to make a statement for themselves, to us and to everybody else in the league about what kind of players they are."

-- Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis after making nine changes to his starting lineup and defeating New England 2-0

Sweet Tweets

@landondonovan-- April 5 (During CCL semifinal)

Come on Salt Lake!!! Am I really rooting for RSL???

@alexilalas22 - April 5

Today I'll be wearing my @RealSaltLake shorts and teaching my kids how to properly pronounce Álvaro Saborío. #CCL

@NickRimando -- April 6

Only 4 mini purple flashlights, 5 lighter, and 1 bag of sand thrown at me. Not bad.... Can someone throw me a beer now?

@3dimes - April 6

Amazing crowd last night. Got bombarded with so much foul language, I almost felt important #MLS4RSL http://twitpic.com/4hmdv6

@BrianStraus - April 7

#RSL/CCL #s to ponder: MLS record v Mexican clubs in CONCACAF play - 13-29-10. Overall v Mex - 32-47-20 (SuperLiga, etc).In Mex - 0-21-3.

@Landondonovan - April 10

I got @CharlieDavies9 some gear incase he decides to dive again. Couldn't find a scuba mask though http://plixi.com/p/91312139

@GrantWahl- April 11

The place to be in US soccer this week is Portland, Oregon, where the Timbers make their home MLS debut Thursday vs Chicago. Should be fun.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau: Newcomers keep scoring

After four weeks, newcomers dominate the MLS goal-scoring leaders. Among the five players with three or more goals, four are in their first season in the league: Charlie Davies (4), Diego Chaves (3), Camilo (3), and Eric Hassli (3). Among the top five, only second-year player Teal Bunbury (3) has previously played in MLS.

With the exception of the league's first year, there has been one season in which even three newcomers finished among the top five in goals: Luciano Emilio (1st), Juan Pablo Angel (2nd) and Maykel Galindo (5th) in 2007. In fact, over the three seasons since then (2008-2010), only one player in his first season in MLS ranked in the top five: Fredy Montero, who tied for third in 2009.

Week 5 match previews: April 13-17, 2011 (home team listed first; all times ET)

Wednesday, April 13

Toronto FC vs. LA Galaxy, 8 p.m.

- David Beckham recorded an assist for the third consecutive match in the 1-1 draw at D.C. United; Landon Donovan, suffering from a bruised knee, did not make the trip.

- Toronto FC Designated Player Julian de Guzman was able to come on at halftime for his longest shift of the season in the 1-1 draw at San Jose, and received praise for turning around the game.

- Toronto FC striker Alan Gordon, who spent more than five seasons with the Galaxy, has now scored goals in back-to-back games. Acquired from Chivas USA late in the preseason, Gordon scored just two goals combined last year with the Galaxy and Chivas, his lowest output since becoming a regular in 2006.

- Toronto FC have not scored a goal against the Galaxy in 296 minutes, since a 2-1 LA victory, June 6, 2009. The teams played to a pair of scoreless draws last season.

Real Salt Lake vs. Colorado Rapids, 9 p.m.

- Coming off the historic midweek success in the CONCACAF Champions League - and now facing a huge challenge in the final - RSL coach Jason Kreis rested nine regulars for the match in New England. Real still came away 2-0 winners.

- After the victory and Colorado's loss at FC Dallas, Real Salt Lake is the final team standing with an unblemished record, nine points from three games this season. They have not lost in 17 league games, the third-longest streak in MLS history.

- The Rapids could be without influential veteran midfielder Pablo Mastroeni due to a calf injury that kept him out of the 3-0 loss at FC Dallas.

- For two consecutive seasons, the final meeting of the season between the Rocky Mountain rivals led to the Rapids being eliminated from playoff contention (2008 and '09). Last year, the clubs played to draws in both encounters, including a 2-2 result in the season's final weekend.

Thursday, April 14

Portland Timbers vs. Chicago Fire, 11 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPN Deportes/ESPN3.com)

- A sellout crowd will be on hand as Portland's newly renovated Jeld-Wen Field plays host to its first MLS game. The Fire are appearing as the guest of a stadium opening for the second consecutive year, falling 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls in the league inauguration of Red Bull Arena last season.

- The Timbers come into their first MLS home game after recording their first point in MLS play last time out, Jack Jewsbury's second-half goal giving them a 1-1 draw at New England on April 3.

- Diego Cháves has scored goals in each of the Fire's first three games, becoming the first player in club history to score goals in his first three appearances.

- While the Timbers come into their home opener looking for their first league victory, they won for the first time as an MLS club March 29, defeating Chivas USA 2-0 in a U.S. Open Cup play-in match.

Saturday, April 16

Philadelphia Union vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 4 p.m.

- All three Union victories this season have come by 1-0 scorelines. Last season, Philadelphia recorded two shutouts all year.

- With Fredy Montero still out following wrist surgery, O'Brian White has grabbed the starting striker role for Sounders FC to great success, with two goals and an assist in the last two matches.

- A trio of second-half saves from 41-year-old goalkeeper Kasey Keller ensured Sounders FC won their first game of 2011, in front of another sellout crowd at Qwest Field.

- After recording six assists in his first MLS campaign last season, 19-year-old Colombian midfielder Roger Torres scored his first goal for Philadelphia, the difference in the 1-0 win against New York.

- Union defeated Sounders FC 3-1 on June 27 last year, the opening game at PPL Park. The teams split their meetings in Union's inaugural campaign last year.

Toronto FC vs. D.C. United, 7 p.m. (FOX Soccer)

- Charlie Davies took over the lead in the MLS Golden Boot standings with his fourth goal of the season, scoring his third penalty kick for the dramatic equalizer against the LA Galaxy. Davies has come off the bench for each of his three MLS appearances.

- D.C. United became the first team in MLS history to feature three Homegrown Players on the field at the same time. Goalkeeper Bill Hamid and defender Ethan White, who made his first MLS start, were in Ben Olsen's starting lineup; 2010 MLS Rookie of the Year Andy Najar came on as a second-half substitute.

- The visit by D.C. United is the second of three home games in a row for Toronto FC and the fourth in a stretch of five home games out of six from March 26-April 23.

- D.C. United won on their first two trips to BMO Field, both in Toronto FC's inaugural season of 2007, then did not win again on the shores of Lake Ontario until a 1-0 win last September.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Chivas USA, 7 p.m.

- Omar Salgado, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 SuperDraft, made his professional debut for Whitecaps FC, coming on in the 84th minute of the 3-1 loss at Houston. Salgado, from El Paso, Texas, saw his first action in front of a number of family and friends.

- Camilo pulled even with Eric Hassli for the Whitecaps FC team lead with his goal at Houston; the Swiss striker was suspended after receiving his second red card of the year.

- After missing three consecutive games, U.S. international center back Jay DeMerit was able to return to the lineup in Houston. But he played only the first half, re-aggravating a groin injury suffered on national team duty.

- Making his second start of the season, Dan Kennedy recorded the shutout in Chivas USA's scoreless draw with Columbus. It was Kennedy's first shutout since Oct. 11, 2008.

Columbus Crew vs. Sporting Kansas City, 7:30 p.m.

- William Hesmer has not allowed a goal in three games and 283 minutes for the Crew, 90 minutes shy of the club record.The Crew played to their second scoreless draw in three games in the tie at Chivas USA.

- After their remarkable 3-3 tie at Vancouver in their last match, Sporting Kansas City lead MLS in both average goals scored per game - and allowed - with 2.67 each after three games.

- Mexican international Omar Bravo, who scored twice in his MLS debut, will be out 3-6 weeks after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia injury.

- The road team won both meetings between the clubs last season. Kansas City won for the first time in Columbus since 2006; the Crew have won their last three league games at Kansas City.

New York Red Bulls vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 7:30 p.m.

- The game is a rematch of a remarkable conference semifinal series a year ago. The Red Bulls won the first leg, 1-0 in Santa Clara, but the Quakes overturned that result with a 3-1 win at Red Bull Arena to advance.

- The Red Bulls were unable to take advantage of numerous opportunities in their 1-0 loss at Philadelphia. After firing 29 total shots (11 on target) and scoring just once vs. Columbus and Houston, New York had 12 against Union - including two off the woodwork from Juan Agudelo.

- San Jose's Simon Dawkins scored for the second time in as many weeks, scoring the equalizer for the 1-1 draw vs. Toronto FC.

- In winning the MLS Golden Boot in 2010, Chris Wondolowski had just one assist in 2,308 minutes of play. Playing a lone striker role vs. Toronto, he contributed his first this season in the San Jose goal.

Sunday, April 17

Chicago Fire vs. LA Galaxy, 4 p.m. (TeleFutura)

- The game at Toyota Park concludes a three-game Eastern road swing for the Galaxy, which started with the 1-1 draw at D.C. United, followed by the midweek game at Toronto FC. A year ago, LA lost just once in eight games at Eastern Conference foes.

- The Fire's all-Uruguayan strike pair, Gastón Puerari (1 goal, 1 assist) and Diego Cháves (3 goals) has factored on the score sheet for four of Chicago's first five league goals this season.

- The teams had a wild meeting last Aug. 1, the Fire scoring three goals in the first 19 minutes and the Galaxy getting two penalty kick goals from Landon Donovan in a 3-2 Chicago win.

Portland Timbers vs. FC Dallas, 6 p.m.

- David Ferreira scored his first two goals of 2011 in the 3-0 win against Colorado, celebrating the first by pulling out a pacifier, and the second by mimicking rocking a baby. Ferreira and his wife are expecting another child.

- After going winless and scoring just a single goal in their first three games, FC Dallas busted out in the rematch of MLS Cup 2010, with the victory against the Rapids.

- In his first 135 minutes, after replacing the injured Troy Perkins, 20-year-old goalkeeper Jake Gleeson allowed just two goals for Portland, also backstopping the first draw in the club's MLS history. Perkins is aiming to be available for this week's matches, coming off a knee injury.

- Darlington Nagbe, winner of the 2010 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy as the top college player in the U.S. and the Timbers' first-round pick in the MLS SuperDraft, made his MLS debut in the 1-1 draw at New England, playing 24 minutes.

Houston Dynamo vs. New England Revolution, 7 p.m.

- Brad Davis recorded his first career 3-assist game, involved in all three goals in the 3-1 win against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The feat tied the Dynamo club record, set twice previously (Dwayne De Rosario, 2006; Corey Ashe, 2007).

- With Brian Ching again out to an injury after a collision in New York, rookie Will Bruin scored his first professional goal, sealing the 3-1 win against Vancouver.

- Revolution coach Steve Nicol will face some real lineup concerns for the Houston match, after midfielders Shalrie Joseph and Pat Phelan were both sent off in the 2-0 loss at Real Salt Lake. The pair has combined for two goals and two assists on New England's five goals this season.

- The Revolution have won in their last four trips to Robertson Stadium, including a 2-1 win in Houston last Oct. 10. The Dynamo's goal snapped a string of three consecutive home shutouts vs. New England.

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