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This Week in MLS

August 23, 2011 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


MLS Cup Playoff race update: Galaxy can clinch spot with a win

If the LA Galaxy defeat the New York Red Bulls on Sunday evening at Red Bull Arena, they will become the first team to clinch a spot in the 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs this season. No other scenarios exist by which an MLS club can clinch or be eliminated from playoff contention this week.

Because schedules vary, MLS clubs have between seven and 11 games remaining in the regular season.

Qualification

The 10 playoff berths will be determined by points in the standings upon the completion of the 34-game regular season, as follows:

- The top three finishers in each conference (six automatic berths)

- The next best four clubs overall, irrespective of conference (four wild cards)

Format

- The four wild cards will play single elimination games against each other, with higher seeds hosting (1 vs. 4; 2 vs. 3). These play-in games are part of the MLS Cup Playoffs.

- After the two play-in games conclude, the lowest remaining seed will face the Supporters' Shield winner in the Conference Semifinals; the other will face the No. 1 seed in the opposite conference from the Supporters' Shield winner.

Sunday's NY-LA Game to be Broadcast in More Than 100 Countries

Every week MLS games are broadcast in numerous countries. This Sunday's game between the New York Red Bulls and the LA Galaxy at Red Bull Arena will be broadcast in more than 100 countries - the most international distribution of any regular season MLS game this year. Channels around the world carrying Sunday's game include: Canal+ in France and Spain, ESPN UK, ESPN Brasil, PCCW (Hong Kong), Setanta Africa, SportItalia and Al Jazeera Sport, as well as ESPN International throughout Latin America.

CONCACAF Champions League - Matchday 2

Major League Soccer teams went a perfect 5-for-5 when the group stage in the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League kicked off last week.

FC Dallas became the first MLS team ever to win a competitive match in Mexico, defeating Pumas UNAM 1-0. Toronto FC also came away from their travels with a 2-1 win in Panama against Tauro FC. The LA Galaxy defeated Motagua of Honduras 2-0, the Colorado Rapids knocked off El Salvador's Isidro Metapán 3-2, and Seattle Sounders FC rolled to a 4-1 win against Comunicaciones of Guatemala, all at home.

This week's schedule (all games broadcast on FOX Soccer; times ET):

Tuesday, August 23

CF Monterrey (MEX) vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 8 p.m.

Real CD España (HON) vs. Colorado Rapids, 10 p.m.

Wednesday, August 24

Toronto FC vs. FC Dallas, 8 p.m.

Thursday, August 25

LA Galaxy vs. LD Alajuelense (CRC), 10 p.m.

Quotables

"He stepped off a plane about 24 hours ago and he comes in and he won us a game. He's a different class. We all knew that anyway, but to see it live without any training, just getting off a plane, it's amazing."

-- LA Galaxy forward Mike Magee, to the Daily Breeze, after Robbie Keane scored in his MLS debut

"[Dominic Kinnear] definitely pushes me hard. It kind of gets frustrating at times, but I know it's for the best. I know he thinks well of me. You know, it all went out the door, so I went to celebrate with the boss."

-- Houston Dynamo Home Grown Player Alex Dixon, to the Houston Chronicle, after scoring his first professional goal

"We knew what to expect from them and played into their hands. They come at you, they punch you right in the face at the beginning, and if you're not prepared for it, they usually get a goal."

-- D.C. United head coach Ben Olsen, after his team's 1-0 loss at Sporting Kansas City

"He looked like a man amongst boys tonight. In my humble opinion, he looked like a Premier League player tonight."

-- Portland Timbers head coach John Spencer, on forward Diego Chara, who scored the opening goal against Vancouver

''Ties are good; wins are obviously better."

-- Chicago Fire head coach Frank Klopas after his team's 2-0 win against Toronto FC, three days after setting an MLS single-season record for ties in a season (15)

Sweet Tweets

@EdsonBuddle - August 16

Lol @chrisbirchall7 real team player http://t.co/1DNXypj

@SoccerInsider (Steve Goff) - August 17

Quality player, colorful character RT @ScottJFrench Chivas USA D Jimmy Conrad to announce Thurs he's retiring @JimmyConrad_com

@BrianStraus - August 18

Worth repeating: MLS already 9 wins in 11-12 CCL. Had 2 in 08-09, 7 in 09-10 & 16 in 10-11. Credit to RSL for setting tone. No more excuses.

@dunord - August 19

Week 1 of the CCL ends w/ MLS going 5-0 & Dallas getting first ever win in Mexico by an American team. That is a HUGE accomplishment.

@JimmyConrad_com - August 19

I want to thank everyone who participated in the roast of the fastest & most skilled player in MLS history. I bow down to your ruthlessness.

@troybardy - August 19

@LAGalaxy treating the press w/ corned beef, cabbage & Guinness for Robbie #Keane introduction lockerz.com/s/131126963

According to the Elias Sports Bureau: Comebacks more frequent as season unfolds

Over the first five weeks of the season, teams scoring the game's first goal were undefeated (31-0-12), winning 72 percent of those matches. But since then, teams scoring first have gained a victory only 58 percent of the time and have suffered 18 losses (92-18-50).

For the season as a whole, teams scoring first have won only 61 percent of those games. That would be the lowest such average in MLS history and a sharp reversal from last season's rate (73%), which was the highest since the tie-breaking shootout was eliminated in 2000.

Week 24 match previews: Aug. 24-28, 2011 (all times ET)

Wednesday, August 24

Portland Timbers vs. Chivas USA, 11 p.m.

- The game completes a month-long five-game road swing for Chivas USA. They have a win, a loss and two draws thus far, including a 2-2 tie with Colorado last Saturday.

- In his first game after crossing the hallway at The Home Depot Center, Juan Pablo Ángel scored his first goal for Chivas USA. Ángel became the ninth player to play for both Chivas USA and the LA Galaxy since 2005.

- Jack Jewsbury extended his streak to three games with either a goal or an assist - all since returning to the lineup after missing two games with a hamstring injury - in the Timbers' 2-1 win against Vancouver.

- In the first meeting between the clubs, June 4 at The Home Depot Center. a Marcos Mondaini goal in the 70th minute gave Chivas USA a 1-0 victory.

Saturday, August 27

Seattle Sounders FC vs. Columbus Crew, 4 p.m.

- Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid has not lost to the Crew since moving to Seattle. Sounders FC are unbeaten in six meetings with the Crew - five in league play, and a victory in last year's U.S. Open Cup Final.

- Mauro Rosales has goals in three of the last five league games - and three assists in the last six - after scoring the game's only goal in Seattle's 1-0 win at FC Dallas last weekend.

- After scoring four goals in three games April 23-May 7, Emilio Rentería went more than three months before scoring Aug. 13 vs. New England - he now has goals in consecutive games.

- On May 7 at Crew Stadium, Rentería's second-half penalty kick canceled out an early Fredy Montero strike as the teams played to a 1-1 draw.

Toronto FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 7 p.m.

- The Earthquakes have not won since a June 11 victory vs. D.C. United; their current 12-game winless streak is a club record.

- Toronto FC remained one of three teams still winless on the road in league play (along with Vancouver and Houston) after the 2-0 defeat in Chicago - though they have won four times this year away from home in other competitions (twice in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship, twice in the CONCACAF Champions League).

- Now with San Jose, Alan Gordon scored for Toronto FC in the first meeting with the Quakes; Simon Dawkins also scored in the first half as the teams ended in a 1-1 draw on April 9.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Houston Dynamo, 7 p.m. (TSN2)

- The Dynamo won for a third consecutive game at Robertson Stadium - and extended their unbeaten streak to five games - with the 3-2 comeback victory against Real Salt Lake.

- Brad Davis extended his lead in the MLS assists race with a pair of helpers in the win against RSL. With four assists in the last five games, Davis now has 13 assists this season.

- In the 2-1 loss at Portland, Camilo scored his third goal in six games for Whitecaps FC. With eight goals, he is two behind team leader Eric Hassli, who is tied for third in the MLS Golden Boot race.

- On April 10 at Robertson Stadium, Cam Weaver, Bobby Boswell and Will Bruin all scored as the Dynamo eased to a 3-1 win.

D.C. United vs. Portland Timbers, 7:30 p.m.

- United saw their four-game unbeaten streak end in a 1-0 loss at Sporting Kansas City on Sunday. United had gone seven away games without defeat (3-0-4).

- Returning to the lineup after a three-month absence due to a concussion, Santino Quaranta recorded assists in three consecutive games before the streak was snapped in Kansas City.

- Timbers Designated Player Diego Chara scored his first MLS goal in the 2-1 win against Vancouver over the weekend.

- In the clubs' first meeting, May 29 at Jeld-Wen Field. Josh Wolff's 85th-minute goal proved to be the difference as D.C. United held off a late Timbers rally for a wild 3-2 victory.

Sporting Kansas City vs. FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

- Kei Kamara scored for the fourth time in the last six games as Sporting Kansas City defeated D.C. Untied 1-0, moving into second place in the Eastern Conference.

- When Sporting KC began their extended home stretch, they were in a tie for seventh place in the East with 17 points, just three points ahead of last place overall. Since, they've gone 4-1-4 in nine games (eight at Livestrong Sporting Park), with three more games before they again play on the road.

- FC Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman became the all-time appearance leader in MLS history in the loss to Seattle, playing in his 379th regular season game and surpassing the total of current Houston Dynamo assistant coach Steve Ralston.

- Graham Zusi scored a pair of goals for the first time this season as Sporting exploded for a 4-1 victory against FC Dallas on June 12 at Pizza Hut Park in the first meeting this season.

Chicago Fire vs. Colorado Rapids, 8:30 p.m.

- The Fire put an end to a 10-game winless streak in Sunday's 2-0 win against Toronto FC. It was the second winless run of 10 games or more this season, after going a club-record 11 games without a victory April 9-June 9.

- Caleb Folan scored for a second consecutive game in the 2-2 draw with Chivas USA. He has four of his six goals this season in his last six games; he had gone more than three months between scoring.

- For the 68th consecutive game, Drew Moor played every minute vs. Chivas USA - setting an MLS record for field players. Moor has played every minute for Colorado since his trade from FC Dallas in 2009, where his ironman streak began.

- In their first meeting, April 30 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Chicago's Marco Pappa and Colorado's Andre Akpan scored on either side of halftime as the teams ended in a 1-1 draw.

Chivas USA vs. Real Salt Lake, 10:30 p.m. (FOX Soccer)

- Real's 17-year-old playmaker, Luis Gil, scored for a second time in three games - all starts - opened his MLS account in RSL's 3-0 win over New York on August 6 at Rio Tinto Stadium.

- Real Salt Lake have lost four times in the last five games, the club's most losses in a five-game stretch since midway through the 2007 season. Real still have yet to ever win in the state of Texas.

- Beginning with the RSL game, six of Chivas USA's final eight games are at The Home Depot Center - including a "road" game with the LA Galaxy.

- In the first meeting with Chivas this season, May 7 at Rio Tinto Stadium, Will Johnson scored the game's only goal in the 87th minute to lead Real Salt Lake to victory.

Sunday, August 28

New York Red Bulls vs. LA Galaxy, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

- Making his MLS debut, Irish international striker Robbie Keane scored his first league goal to send the Galaxy on their way to a 2-0 win against San Jose.

- David Beckham recorded the assist on Keane's goal, his 11th of the season, two behind Houston's Brad Davis for the league lead. Beckham has four assists in his last five games; his 11 assists are a new single-season high for his MLS career.

- A week after recording the first two-assist game of his career, New York's Dane Richards hit for two goals in a game for the first time in MLS with his brace vs. New England.

- On May 7 at The Home Depot Center, a Landon Donovan goal just before halftime canceled out an early Thierry Henry goal as the clubs reached a 1-1 draw.

Philadelphia Union vs. New England Revolution, 7 p.m. (Galavision)

- Making his fourth consecutive appearance in the starting lineup, New England Designated Player Milton Caraglio scored for the first time in MLS, hitting for two goals in the 2-2 home draw with New York.

- When Kenny Mansally was sent off against New York, it was the ninth red card received this season by the Revolution. The MLS record is 11 in a season, set by the MetroStars in 2000.

- Union are winless in their last five games, their longest stretch without a victory this season. Their last victory came in the first meeting with New England.

- On July 17 at Gillette Stadium, Carlos Ruiz, Carlos Valdes and Sheanon Williams all scored as Union rolled to a 3-0 win against the Revolution.

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Major League Soccer Stories from August 23, 2011


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