MLS Major League Soccer

This Week in MLS

Published on May 17, 2011 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


Week 10 match schedule

(Home team listed first; all times Eastern)

Wednesday, May 18

Nutrilite Canadian Championship (final, first leg): Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Toronto FC, 10 p.m.

Saturday, May 21

Philadelphia Union vs. Chicago Fire, 8 p.m. (Galavision)

Houston Dynamo vs. New York Red Bulls, 8:30 p.m.

Chivas USA vs. LA Galaxy, 10 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPN Deportes/ESPN3.com)

Seattle Sounders FC vs. Sporting Kansas City, 10 p.m.

San Jose Earthquakes vs. New England Revolution, 10:30 p.m.

Portland Timbers vs. Columbus Crew, 11 p.m.

Sunday, May 22

FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake, 7 p.m.

Colorado Rapids vs. Toronto FC, 7 p.m.

By The Numbers: In-house rivals meet in SuperClásico on ESPN2/Deportes

.739 - LA Galaxy's all-time winning percentage against its roommate, Chivas USA, who joined MLS and moved into The Home Depot Center in 2005. Including two MLS Cup Playoff games and one Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match, LA holds a 14-3-6 record against the Rojiblancos.

3 - Chivas USA's all-time victories against the Galaxy (one in 2006, two in 2007).

7 - Combined goals scored by the two clubs in their most recent games.

8 - Players that have appeared at least one SuperClásico for each side (Current Chivas USA players Tristan Bowen, Ante Jazic, and Paulo Nagamura; plus Alecko Eskandarian, Alan Gordon, Mike Muñoz, Marcelo Saragosa, and Michael Umaña). Another nine players wore the Galaxy's shirt prior to 2005 and later played for Chivas USA.

10 - Shutouts by the Galaxy against Chivas USA in 22 encounters (MLS regular season and playoffs).

17 - Games played and combined goals (9) and assists (8) for Landon Donovan in the SuperClásico rivalry.

108 - Feet between the doors of Chivas USA and LA Galaxy front offices at The Home Depot Center.

450 - Minutes Chivas USA went without scoring vs. LA in league play, from Aug. 14, 2009 to Alan Gordon's goal in the second meeting last year.

1,342 - Days since Chivas USA last defeated the Galaxy (3-0 on Sept. 13, 2007). By Saturday, it will have been 1,346 days.

27,998 - Average attendance for 20 regular season SuperClásicos.

Toronto and Vancouver duel for Champions League berth

Vancouver Whitecaps FC host Toronto FC on Wednesday at Empire Field (7 p.m. PT) in the first leg of the final of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship. The winner of the two-game, aggregate-goal series will earn a place in the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League.

Toronto FC won the Voyageurs Cup emblematic of the Canadian Championship each of the past two seasons. The Reds are coming off a weekend draw at home against the Chicago Fire. Whitecaps FC played a reserve-filled side in their 1-0 loss at New England, looking ahead to the NCC final.

"That's our immediate goal right now, to win the Nutrilite [Canadian Championship]," said goalkeeper Jay Nolly. "It's two games, home and away. If we win that, that'll be huge for our mentality going into the rest of the season."

The second leg will be played Wednesday, May 23 at BMO Field in Toronto (8 p.m. ET).

Quotables

"There was a misunderstanding, evidently, between the two front offices. [The chainsaw] is an emblem of celebration and love. It has nothing to do with violence, but we're going to comply with their order."

-- Portland Timbers mascot Timber Joey, to the Seattle Times, after the signature chain saw was not allowed into Qwest Field for Saturday's game

"I came out without knowing when I was going to be able to see them ever again."

-- Seattle Sounders midfielder Osvaldo Alonso after playing in front of his parents, who were allowed to leave Cuba to see him play because they are older than 65 years of age.

"Tonight was certainly his coming out party."

-- Chivas USA head coach Robin Fraser, about striker Justin Braun, who scored the first hat trick in club history vs. New York

"We're going to have to answer questions about who's going to be the integral figure creating chances. Can other guys get a little more involved and precise in the attacking third? That's just something that's going to take time."

-- Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis, after his club's first game without Javier Morales, a scoreless draw with Houston

"Everyone wants to see [Juan] Agudelo play. He's the young, up-and-coming face of America ... so I've got to be at the top of my game, because there's always fans who are going to say, 'Oh, you've got to play Agudelo!' and I know that. I'm not stupid."

-- New York Red Bulls forward Luke Rodgers, who has been starting in front of Agudelo recently

Sweet Tweets

@mayormcginn - May 13

Wager w/ @mayorsamadams on 2 matches between @soundersfc & @timbersfc: losing Mayor's staff 2 wear winning team's scarf 4 a day. Not worried

@joshuamayers - May 14

Sounders FC midfielder Osvaldo Alonso's grandparents are at the game. Allowed to leave Cuba because they're over 65 years old.

@GrantWahl - May 14

Seattle's average attendance (36K+) would be 9th in Premier League, 6th in La Liga, 2nd in Ligue 1, 4th in Serie A.

@THEREALSWIZZZ (Swizz Beatz) - May 15

Sunday Game time out with the boys #Henry14letsgo http://yfrog.com/h42t7xej

@robstoneespn - May 15

Love jersey sponsors for both @cdchivasusa & @NewYorkRedBulls . When i own my @MLS team i'm going after #jack daniels and 2 bite cupcakes

@alexilalas22 - May 16

Sod from Silverdome USA '94 was planted on Belle Isle in Detroit. I'm standing on it 17 years later. http://yfrog.com/h7xn3rsj

According to the Elias Sports Bureau: Philly really can rally

When Danny Mwanga scored in the 85th minute last Wednesday, earning Philadelphia a draw with the LA Galaxy, it was the third time this season that Union gained points on a goal in the final 15 minutes of play. Philadelphia leads MLS in that category, having gained a total of five points this season on goals in the 76th minute or later-one more than FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake, two more than Houston and New England.

Union also led the league in 2010, with 12 points on goals in the last 15 minutes of play (four of them on a pair of goals by Mwanga). Last season's runner-up was Seattle (10), and RSL ranked third (9).

Week 10 match previews: May 21-22, 2011 (all times ET)

Saturday, May 21

Philadelphia Union vs. Chicago Fire, 8 p.m. (Galavision)

- The Fire drawn four consecutive opponents, one shy of the most in a row within a single season in MLS history, set four times previously (including by the Fire from April 11-May 9, 2009).

- Union allowed more than one goal in a game for the first time this season in the loss at FC Dallas.

- Union coach Peter Nowak, in a successful bid to overturn the two-goal deficit in Dallas, started the second half with five attackers: Carlos Ruiz and Jack McInerney came on to join Roger Torres, Danny Mwanga and Sebastien Le Toux.

- The teams split their meetings in Union's first season, each winning on their home ground. Union won 1-0 at PPL Park on Sept. 11.

Houston Dynamo vs. New York Red Bulls, 8:30 p.m.

- The Red Bulls have scored 11 goals in their past five games; Thierry Henry has five of them.

- The Red Bulls had allowed just three goals total through their first eight games - a total that was matched in one night by Chivas USA, who ended the Red Bulls' unbeaten streak at four.

- The Dynamo were shut out for the first time since the season opener, but still came away from Real Salt Lake with a point in their scoreless draw.

- The Dynamo are unbeaten at Robertson Stadium in league play vs. New York, with two wins and three draws. The Red Bulls, however, won the second leg of their 2008 conference semifinal series, 3-0, in Houston, on their way to MLS Cup.

Chivas USA vs. LA Galaxy, 10 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPN Deportes/ESPN3.com)

- Landon Donovan took over the lead for the MLS Golden Boot with two goals vs. Sporting KC, giving him seven - all in the last five games (since April 23). Donovan also moved into fourth on the MLS all-time list with 110 career goals, passing Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis.

Along with Donovan, Juan Pablo Angel scored his first goal since March 26 and David Beckham scored his first of the season and his 10th of his MLS career. It was the first time in League history that three Designated Players scored in one game.

- Starting in place of suspended Marcos Mondaini, Justin Braun scored his first career hat trick and the first in Chivas USA club history in the 3-2 win at New York.

- Chivas USA haven't defeated the Galaxy since the 2007 season, when they won the final two league meetings that season. The Galaxy have won five of the eight meetings since (with three draws), including both last season.

Seattle Sounders FC vs. Sporting Kansas City, 10 p.m.

- Sounders FC designated player Alvaro Fernandez has scored three goals since April 9 - his third coming against Portland. He has started the last four games in the Seattle midfield.

- Roger Levesque, whose goal 48 seconds into a 2009 U.S. Open Cup game against Seattle earned him the ire of Timbers fans and giant pregame banner, is one of Coach Sigi Schmid's dwindling options in a midfield plagued by injuries.

- With three games left before Livestrong Sporting Park opens on June 9, Kansas City has lost four games in a row and is now 1-5-1. In a similar circumstance to start the 2006 season, the Chicago Fire went 2-3-4 on the road. Last year, Philadelphia began the season 1-5-1, with the lone home game and win coming at Lincoln Financial Field.

- Sounders FC have won the last three meetings between the teams in league play, four in a row when adding a U.S. Open Cup encounter. Kansas City's only win all-time against Seattle came in 2009 at Qwest Field.

San Jose Earthquakes vs. New England Revolution, 10:30 p.m.

- Chris Wondolowski moved into a tie for third place in the MLS Golden Boot race with his fifth goal of the season against Columbus - his third game in a row with a goal.

- The Earthquakes' win against Columbus was their first at Buck Shaw Stadium this season, previously the only team in MLS without a home win (Sporting Kansas City has yet to play at home).

- Shalrie Joseph scored his fourth goal of the season - his second from a penalty kick - to give the Revolution the win against Vancouver. The four goals already match his league total from last season, after he scored a career-high eight in 2009.

- After going eight games without a shutout, the Revolution defense has now blanked consecutive opponents and not allowed a goal in 222 minutes.

Portland Timbers vs. Columbus Crew, 11 p.m.

- Defender Mamadou "Futty" Danso scored for a second consecutive week to give the Timbers a 1-1 draw at Cascadia rivals Seattle Sounders FC.

- It was a third game in a row with an assist for Portland midfielder Jack Jewsbury, who has four for the season (in five games). It was also the fifth goal (of 12 total) scored from a set piece by Portland.

- The loss in San Jose to start their two-game Western swing ended the Crew's seven-game unbeaten streak (3-0-4), and the three goals scored by the Earthquakes matched the total conceded by Columbus in those seven games.

- With four wins in four games, the Timbers are the only team remaining in MLS with a perfect home record.

Sunday, May 22

FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake, 7 p.m.

- Colombian youth international Fabian Castillo scored his second goal since playmaker David Ferreira went down with a fractured ankle; Castillo also had an assist in the 2-0 win against Philadelphia. Including the game in Vancouver when Ferreira was injured, FC Dallas are unbeaten in five games (4-0-1).

- In their first game without injured playmaker Javier Morales, Collen Warner was given the attacking midfield role in the scoreless draw against Houston. RSL was shutout for the second time in three games.

- FC Dallas have won all nine meetings at home all-time against Real Salt Lake in league and MLS Cup play, outscoring RSL 20-6.

- FC Dallas eliminated Real Salt Lake from the 2010 MLS Cup Playoffs, winning the first leg 2-1 at home, then advancing after a 1-1 draw at Rio Tinto Stadium. They split their two regular-season meetings.

Colorado Rapids vs. Toronto FC, 7 p.m.

- The Rapids concluded a three-game Eastern Conference swing unbeaten with the 1-1 draw at D.C. United; they defeated Houston 2-1 before playing to a scoreless draw at New England.

- The Colorado goal in D.C. was scored by Drew Moor, his first goal since June 5 of last year and the second in three games scored by a Rapids defender. But Colorado striker Conor Casey played for the first time in more than a month, coming off the bench for 30 minutes against United.

- Joao Plata scored a goal and added an assist for the second time in three games in the 2-2 home draw with Chicago last weekend. Both performances have come since Plata moved into Aron Winter's starting lineup.

- In eight all-time meetings between the clubs, the home side has won just once - a 1-0 win by Toronto FC at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in 2008. TFC and the Rapids have never played to a draw.

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