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This Weekend in MLS

Published on July 28, 2011 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


2011 AT&T MLS All-Star Game rewind

Manchester United FC defeated the MLS All-Stars 4-0 in the 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star Game before a sellout crowd of 26,760 at Red Bull Arena. Wayne Rooney set up goals by Anderson, in the 20th minute, and by Dimitar Berbatov, in the 54th. Park Ji-Sung, named the Volkswagen All-Star Game MVP, scored United's second goal in the 45th minute; Danny Welbeck completed the scoring in the 68th minute.

MLS W.O.R.K.S. Community MVPs honored; grand prize winner announced

MLS W.O.R.K.S., Major League Soccer's community outreach initiative, and The Home Depot recognized 18 Community MVPs - one for each club - at halftime of the 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star. These fans were chosen for their outstanding dedication and commitment to making a difference and improving their local communities.

Winners received a $500 gift card provided by The Home Depot and a trip to last night's game, including round-trip coach airfare from American Airlines and lodging courtesy of Four Points by Sheraton.

Through an online voting process, Robert Uvanoviæ (New York Red Bulls) was named the grand prize winner and received a $10,000 donation in his name for his charity of choice - America SCORES New York.

2011 MLS W.O.R.K.S./The Home Depot Community MVPs

Chicago Fire - Robert Kellam

Chivas USA - Eddi Ortiz

Colorado Rapids - Andrea Viarrial

Columbus Crew - Nellie Krumlauf

D.C. United - David Stellitano

FC Dallas - Sam Overton

Houston Dynamo - Nancy Shaddock

LA Galaxy - Matt McDonagh

New England Revolution - Holly John

New York Red Bulls - Robert Uvanoviæ

Philadelphia Union - Beth Stefanacci

Portland Timbers - Jill Dayton

Real Salt Lake - Kevin Bardsley

San Jose Earthquakes - Stuart Berman

Seattle Sounders FC - Lisa Drake

Sporting Kansas City - Nancy Simons

Toronto FC - Jennifer Weber

Vancouver Whitecaps FC - Gavin Hollett

Quotables

"As I said to the players, normally you could be really upset to say losing four-nil, but I must say I liked the performance. I am quite happy with our 90 minutes."

-- MLS All-Star head coach Hans Backe (New York Red Bulls)

"I think it was a tighter game than the score line showed for the first half. I think the MLS team was more dangerous than us."

-- Manchester United FC manager Sir Alex Ferguson

"The problem is with me, it doesn't matter how old I am, once I am on the field, I don't want to come off, and I'll always be like that."

-- MLS All-Star David Beckham (LA Galaxy), after playing 90 minutes in the All-Star Game, the only player to do so.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau: Goals heat up with the weather

As temperatures soared across the country last weekend, so did the goal-scoring rate in Major League Soccer with 22 goals in six matches on Saturday. A coincidence? Maybe not. Here are the facts.

Last Saturday's average of 3.7 goals per game was the second highest on any weekend of the 2011 season. That's consistent with a clear correlation in recent years between goals and game-time temperature. Over the past nine seasons, the MLS per-game average is 2.55 goals with temperatures below 60 degrees, 2.61 with temps from 60 to 79, 2.70 from 80 to 89, and 2.85 in games played at or above 90 degrees.

Week 20 match previews: July 29-31, 2011 (all times ET)

Friday, July 29

Philadelphia Union vs. Colorado Rapids, 7:30 p.m. (FOX Soccer)

- Union are undefeated in five league games, and have played two friendlies since their last league match, a 2-1 loss to Real Madrid and a 1-0 win against Everton FC.

- Carlos Ruiz has scored three goals in the last four games for Philadelphia.

- The teams are meeting for the second time this year. Conor Casey and Danny Mwanga traded goals midway through the second half as the teams ended in a 1-1 draw June 4 in Commerce City.

Saturday, July 30

Sporting Kansas City vs. New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m.

- Sporting extended their league unbeaten streak to 12 games in last weekend's 4-2 win against Toronto FC, matching the club record set in the club's MLS Cup-winning year of 2000.

- The Revolution are completing a three-game road trip in KC, after a win at D.C. United and a draw vs. Colorado.

- Rajko Lekic scored in the 83rd minute to give the Revolution a 3-2 victory in the first meeting between the teams, April 23 at Gillette Stadium.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. LA Galaxy, 7:30 p.m. (FOX Soccer)

The Galaxy are 7-0-6 in their last 13 games, the longest unbeaten streak this season in MLS. The streak is the third longest unbeaten streak in Galaxy history.

Vancouver's Eric Hassli scored two goals in a game for the third time this season last weekend in San Jose, also hitting for two in the opening match of the year, vs. FC Dallas, and June 11 vs. Seattle.

David Beckham, who played the full 90 minutes in the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday, will be suspended for the Galaxy's first visit to Vancouver.

Houston Dynamo vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 8:30 p.m.

Fredy Montero has scored three goals and set up another in the last two league matches, after Sounders FC's 4-3 win against Colorado on July 20.

Sounders FC opened their CONCACAF Champions League campaign with a 1-0 loss Tuesday in the first leg of their preliminary round series against San Francisco FC of Panama.

- The teams played to a 1-1 draw in their first meeting this season, March 25 at Qwest Field; the Dynamo have never lost to Seattle at Robertson Stadium.

Real Salt Lake vs. Columbus Crew, 9 p.m.

- RSL extending their unbeaten streak to seven games (3-0-4) by defeating San Jose 4-0 last week,

- Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum played in a league game for the first time since Aug. 30, 2009 last weekend, in his club's 1-0 home win against Portland.

- Goals from Andres Mendoza and Josh Gardner six minutes apart late in the second half gave Columbus a 2-1 win in the first meeting between the teams, June 8 at Crew Stadium.

San Jose Earthquakes vs. D.C. United, 10:30 p.m.

United were shut out for a second consecutive match in last week's 1-0 loss to New England, their first back-to-back games without a goal this season after setting an MLS record with 17 shutouts last year.

- The Earthquakes saw their winless streak extended to eight games, allowing a season-high four goals in last weekend's loss to Real Salt Lake. Their last win came against D.C. United.

- Steven Lenhart netted a hat trick as the Earthquakes came away from RFK Stadium with a 4-2 victory in the first meeting of the season between the clubs, June 11.

Portland Timbers vs. Toronto FC, 11 p.m.

- Toronto FC saw their goalless streak stretched to 356 minutes, the longest in MLS this season, before scoring in their 4-2 loss at Kansas City last week.

- TFC began their CONCACAF Champions League participation with a 2-1 victory against Nicaragua's Real Estelí on Wednesday, the first leg of their preliminary round series.

- While Portland lost 1-0 at Columbus last weekend, the Timbers defeated CA Independiente of Argentina 2-0 on Tuesday at Jeld-Wen Field.

Sunday, July 31

FC Dallas vs. Chivas USA, 7 p.m. (Galavision)

- FC Dallas kick off their CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round series against Alianza FC in El Salvador on Thursday, a third consecutive road games in three different countries.

- Marvín Chavez scored his first two-goal game since coming to MLS in FCD's 2-2 draw at the New York Red Bulls last Saturday.

- Justin Braun scored his second hat trick of the season in the 3-0 win vs. Houston, becoming the 14th player to score two or more hat tricks in one season in MLS (the record is three, set three times).

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Major League Soccer Stories from July 28, 2011


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