Wizards make road debut at Qwest Field

KC looks to foil Sounders at home for second straight year

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After two wins and six points in the bag after two matches at home, the Kansas City Wizards aren’t exactly being eased into life on the road.

More than 30,000 Sounders fans packed into Qwest Field Saturday afternoon will likely have something to say about that. And the Sounders themselves are on a bit of a mission, looking to avenge a 1-0 loss at the hands of Kansas City in Seattle almost exactly a year ago.

But rather than be intimidated by their surroundings, the Wizards are betting that -- like a year ago -- the fans and the occasion will only heighten their play.

“The atmosphere just makes you play better,” left back Roger Espinoza said. “It’s 30,000-plus in the stadium, and we are looking forward to that. It makes you feel like you are a professional soccer player there.”

Last season Kansas City took advantage of an early red card to Kasey Keller and a late Davy Arnaud strike to put their names among the three sides -- Chelsea and the New England Revolution being the others -- that found a way to collect three points at Qwest in 2009.

The New York Red Bulls pulled off the same feat a few weeks ago, but with another season to build the squad, coach Sigi Schmid and the Sounders figure to be an even stiffer test at home this time around.

“It’s definitely going to be a very big measuring stick for us,” Wizards coach Peter Vermes said. “We have quite a few down the road. Lots of teams with new stadiums, different environments that a lot of our guys have never even seen before.”

The team flew to Seattle on Thursday, a 1,500-mile flight that was more than likely a new experience for most of the team’s 10 new additions. This weekend represents their first chance to acclimate themselves to what they can expect on the road for the rest of the season.

Thus far Kansas City has held court on their home turf, posting two shutouts while playing two distinctly different styles of teams in D.C. United and Colorado. In the Sounders, the Wizards will face a team built in a similar vein.

Both teams prefer to possess the ball on the ground, and both are attacking sides with dynamic players going forward to compliment stout defense cores. Each even boasts a speedy English winger on the left flank in K.C.’s Ryan Smith and Seattle’s Steve Zakuani.

But perhaps the biggest difference between the two is the presence of Freddie Ljungberg, who Vermes called the “motor” for the hosts, and Freddy Montero, who burst onto the MLS scene one year ago.

“We know full well that they’ll try drive the game, and we’ll have to absorb some pressure at times,” Vermes said.

Another interesting twist for the Wizards is that they didn’t seem entirely comfortable on turf in a 2-1 defeat to the Colorado Rapids on Tuesday in a U.S. Open Cup play-in match.

The Wizards trained on the turf field at their Swope Park training complex most of the week, but the transition from grass to turf -- even with time to prepare -- isn’t always a smooth process.

“For some reason on turf, you have to put that extra focus in because most of the bounces are not going to come your way,” forward Kei Kamara said. “It’s just a lot faster.”

That speed should benefit both sides, something Vermes has been reminding his team this week. In Josh Wolff, Kamara Smith and Arnaud, Kansas City has plenty of on-form talent to matchup with Seattle's potent lineup.

And although snatching another three points in the Emerald City won’t be easy, the Wizards know they can’t afford to focus too much on what they’re up against.

“They’re a good team, no doubt,” Vermes said. “But we can’t make any mistakes in thinking we don’t have weapons as well.”

Rapids' Thompson still fighting for top spotPrimera Liga round-up

Busch: 'Maybe Real Salt Lake are my daddy'

Quakes keeper felled by PKs, this time in U.S. Open Cup

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Anyone on the San Jose roster admitted disappointment Wednesday at not being able to complete the transformation of a two-goal deficit into a victory against Real Salt Lake in their U.S. Open Cup qualifying match.

But for goalkeeper Jon Busch, losing to RSL in a penalty-kick shootout hurt on a more personal, visceral level.

“It’s like Groundhog Day for me,” Busch said after giving up goals to all five RSL shooters in a 5-3 PK loss. “Just a few months ago, it feels like, you know? As [former Red Sox pitcher] Pedro Martinez said back in the day, the Yankees were his daddy. Maybe Salt Lake’s my daddy on penalty kicks.”

Busch’s sense of déjà vu stemmed from his last MLS appearance, in the 2009 Eastern Conference championship. Real Salt Lake won that match in PKs, too, topping the Fire 5-4 and bouncing them from the postseason at Toyota Park.

Busch, who made three top-notch saves just to get the Fire into OT, couldn’t come up with another stop during the shootout. RSL missed twice, but both shots were off frame.

The same held true Wednesday. Busch was unable to prevent Will Johnson, Kyle Beckerman, Robbie Findley, Robbie Russell and Andy Williams from converting.

“I read the first two well, I just couldn’t get close enough to them,” Busch said. “I had a little info from [Earthquakes goalkeeper coach Jason] Batty on where [Beckerman] went last time, which was to the keeper’s right. Unfortunately, he went to my left this time. When I went through this in the semifinals against them, I knew a couple of them wanted to go up the middle, so I made it a point not to go early this time, thinking that they may try it again. But they took them well.

“It’s a tough situation," he continued. "Sometimes you get lucky and you get close enough to them and other times you don’t.”

Busch made his Quakes debut after signing with the team two weeks ago; San Jose snapped him up on the cheap after Chicago released him on the eve of the season. But it wasn’t the result Busch was seeking.

“Unfortunately, we made three mistakes and they punished us three times,” Busch said. “We’ve got to be better and cut those mistakes out, because offensively, we’re a good team. We’re going to get our goals. You get three goals, you should win a game, bottom line.”

Busch is expected to be back on the bench Saturday, giving way to regular No. 1 Joe Cannon as the Quakes return to their MLS schedule and host New England.

Geoff Lepper covers the Earthquakes for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached at sanjosequakes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @sjquakes.

Magee, Galaxy set for rematch with RSLOn Revista…

Chivas USA still tinkering with formation

Vásquez still hasn't settled on ideal lineup heading to Houston

CARSON, Calif. — In nearly every game of the 2009 season, Chivas USA played in a 4-4-2 formation. Four defenders, four midfielders and two strikers seemed to be then head coach Preki’s cup of tea.

This year, however, discerning the Red-and-White’s go-to formation has been difficult, primarily because the team has yet to decide on one.

Chivas USA have experimented with a number of different lineups in both practices and games so far in 2010, and the team will likely continue tinkering with its formation over the course of the next few weeks.

“We have to look at our best XI,” said current head coach Martín Vásquez. “If it’s playing with five defenders, four midfielders and one forward, we’ll do that. If we play with five midfielders, four defenders and one forward, then we’ll do that, and try to get numbers forward in the box. The main thing is that you are looking for the best XI to get a good result."

While nailing down a solid formation may be a big step in the right direction for many teams, Chivas USA are happy to be versatile in their approach to on-field lineups.

“It’s good that we know how to play in a 4-5-1, a 4-4-2, a 4-2-3-1 or whatever else we may be asked,” said Jonathan Bornstein. “With soccer, it’s constantly changing. The game might ask for something else. So it’s good to work on our formations so that if the game calls on it, you’re able to switch on the fly.”

Bornstein has been an important part of Chivas USA’s shifting formations so far in 2010. The Red-and-White co-captain has already spent minutes at center back and left back, and was most recently at left midfield for the game against New York.

“They moved me up for the 4-4-2 formation, and my role was to attack and create,” said Bornstein. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do it for very long, but I thought that at least I set the right tone for the other players and continue to do that a lot more.”

Bornstein’s time in the midfield was cut short by a knee injury to left back Ante Jazic in the 39th minute. Jazic’s injury, combined with the arrival of natural center back Darío Delgado, will likely push Bornstein back into the left-back position for a while, a move about which he is excited.

“It will be good to get back at left back,” he said. “That’s where I’ve been playing with the national team and it will be good to get back at that position and hone those skills.”

As Chivas USA prepare to face Houston on Saturday, the team’s formation is still shrouded in mystery.

“We have to look at the best thing that we can put out on the field against Houston,” said Vásquez. “Playing away is different than playing at home. You have to consider what kind of key players they have, what kind of formation they use, and how they compete.”

No matter how the Red-and-White line up against the Dynamo, one thing is certain: the Goats will be ready to fight on Saturday.

“You have to go in there expecting it to be a rough game,” said Bornstein of the match. “They’re one of those teams that, when they play at home, they’re physical. They’ve always been pretty good at home over the number of years that I’ve been in the league.”

Abidal ready for big weekGalaxy look to keep shutdown magic doing

Rapids' Thompson still fighting for top spot

Former Revs regular piques interest after Open Cup peformance

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Wells Thompson still doesn’t know if his performance Tuesday in the Rapids’ U.S. Open Cup victory over Kansas City will be enough to get him a starting spot against Toronto on Sunday.

Signed from the New England Revolution along with Jeff Larentowicz in the preseason, Thompson has played a bit part in all three of the Rapids’ league games so far, coming on as an impact player off the bench around the hour or so mark each time.

On Tuesday, he scored both goals in Kansas City as the Rapids progressed to the next pla-in round of the Open Cup.

“Colin (Clark), Mehdi (Ballouchy), Jamie (Smith) – there’s a lot of different guys,” Thompson said of the various wide players the Rapids could use. “I know my time will come; I have to be patient and wait for my opportunities.”

Tuesday’s victory was vital to the team, Thompson said. After a promising start to the season in the first two games followed by the frustrating loss Saturday, the squad didn’t want to come back from Kansas with nothing to show for the trip.

“It was such a blessing to win the game the other night,” Thompson said. “The team really came together. Our Tuesday win was huge -- a big morale booster.”

And Thompson’s own morale should certainly be boosted after his two goals took the team through. In the club’s 1-0 loss to Kansas City last Saturday too, he made a great run into the penalty area and played well after coming on, a move which led to the disputed disallowed goal that could have equalized for Colorado.

Kansas is now a thing of the past, and the squad is looking forward to the Sunday game against a struggling Toronto side at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

“I think it’s important to look at every game as a must win,” he said. “We know Toronto has been struggling, and we would like to get them while they are down.”

Whether coach Gary Smith picks Thompson to start or not this weekend, the 26 year-old North Carolina native said he’s happy to be in his locale in Denver.

“I’m getting some time, I was hoping for change. The guys are awesome, phenomenal,” Thompson said. “The coaching staff is great and I think they believe in me.”

Abidal ready for big weekFCD rookie Loyd pleased with his debut

Magee, Galaxy set for rematch with RSL

Los Angeles midfielder downplays goal scored in MLS Cup loss

CARSON, Calif. — Galaxy fans might remember perhaps the biggest goal of Mike Magee’s career even better than he does.

The goal in question -- a remarkably cool finish off a Galaxy buildup that gave Los Angeles a 1-0 lead at the half of the 2009 MLS Cup -- isn’t even one Magee remembers with great clarity now, just six months removed from that historic night in Seattle.

“It was a cool moment," Magee recalled. "I vaguely remember it. If we would have won, it would have been a lot greater. If we won, you get to keep thinking about it and relishing it. But if you lose, the goal doesn't really matter as much.”

RSL went on to beat the Galaxy in last year’s MLS Cup on penalties after a 1-1 draw, as Yura Movsisyan equalized and made Magee’s goal a mere footnote in MLS Cup history.

Magee and the Galaxy are looking to enact some revenge Saturday night, when they play host to RSL at the Home Depot Center.

Playing Real Salt Lake in the fourth game of the season carries with it considerably less weight than playing RSL with the league title at stake, but a win this week would be meaningful nonetheless.

“There’s a bad taste in our mouth from last season because they’re the team that beat us,” Magee said. “This is a new year and we have a goal to win it this year, and obviously they're a really good team and a team that's going to stand in our way. If we can get three points against them, it would be a little bit of revenge, but more so getting points for this year.”

Magee has yet to score a goal for the Galaxy, thanks in large part to the 2010 Edson Buddle Show. Buddle has scored all five of the Galaxy’s goals, and the defense has responded with three shutouts as the Galaxy are a spotless 3-0-0.

“If [Buddle] keeps scoring like that, no,” Magee said about feeling pressure to score. “We don't care where the goals come from. Landon [Donovan] hasn’t even scored yet, so obviously I don’t feel too much pressure on myself. We've won two games two-nil and the first game we had every chance in the world to make it two-nil. There is no pressure from anyone anywhere.”

Magee has played in the midfield and floated up top during games, and was involved on the play that set up Buddle’s second goal in a 2-0 win at Houston last week.

With a healthy Buddle cleaning up in front of the net, the rest of the team’s task is easier.

“Last year he wasn't healthy at all,” Magee said. “Even when he was playing, there were a lot of nagging injuries and he never really got a chance to get fit. This year he has a new mentality and fit and he's going to keep scoring goals.”

If Buddle scores 100 percent of the team’s goals but the Galaxy continue winning, that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.

“This is a group that's been together," Magee said. "Everyone knows their role, and we'll take wins however we can get them.”

La Liga round-upGalaxy look to keep shutdown magic doing

Galaxy look to keep shutdown magic doing

LA defense is in rare air, opening season with three shutouts

CARSON, Calif. — Three games, three shutouts, nine points.

For the Los Angeles Galaxy, things have been fairly straightforward this season as the Western Conference champions’ 2010 campaign has gotten off to a picture-perfect start.

While the nine points from three games is impressive, how the club has gone about doing so has also raised eyebrows. Only three other times in league history has a team started the season out with at least three shutouts.

And even though the club features the hottest striker in the league, attacking is not first on the team’s mindset entering games.

“We’ve just been going out there and having a good time, just trying to stay connected and try to play defense first and worry about the offense second,” Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez said.

With Gonzalez and Leonardo teaming together, the Galaxy’s central defense has been rock-solid. Outside backs Todd Dunivant, Sean Franklin and A.J. DeLaGarza have also filled in admirably in the back, providing goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts with ample support.

However, Gonzalez was quick to point out that the Galaxy’s strong defensive effort was due to more than just the back four and ‘keeper.

“The whole team has been great, not just the back four,” Gonzalez said. “Everyone has been involved in these shutouts and it’s been a really good team defense.”

Often times during games, Landon Donovan has tracked back to mark players. The midfield has seen three different looks to start games, but whether it’s been Dema Kovalenko, Chris Birchall or Juninho playing directly in front of the defenders, opposing offenses haven't had much time or space to shoot.

Houston had a scant few opportunities while Chivas USA didn't threaten the Galaxy goal much at all. In fact, it was New England who put the most pressure on the Galaxy’s back line, but was unable to break through. In their two subsequent games, the Revs have won games by 2-0 and 4-1.

A cohesive unit, a product of the continuity the club has enjoyed from last season to now, has paved the way for early success.

“Everyone’s been working for the same goal," Gonzalez said. "Landon always comes up to me before games and says, ‘Let’s get this win. Let’s get this shutout. Let’s just keep it going.’ I relay that message to the other guys, so we’ve all been on the same page.”

Up next for the Galaxy is Real Salt Lake, who will visit Home Depot Center on Saturday. RSL feature several dangerous players, including newcomer Álvaro Saborío, a longtime standout with the Costa Rican national team.

Ex-Galaxy forward Robbie Findley and Fabián Espíndola are also in the mix, but RSL’s Javier Morales might not be able to play due to a groin injury.

For Gonzalez, the task of keeping RSL off the score sheet is twofold. First, it would help the Galaxy pick up another victory, another shutout and another three points. But also, a victory would help bring a small bit of retribution for what happened last November, when RSL beat the Galaxy in MLS Cup ’09 on penalty kicks.

“It’s a new year," said Gonzalez, "so we definitely want to beat them to just prove that we’re a better team.”

Alvarez takes Sevilla reinsThe Sideline: Is threat of terrorist attack on South Africa for real?

The Sideline: Is threat of terrorist attack on South Africa for real?

World Cup cameos may include President Obama, Roberto Carlos

Terrorist attacks in South Africa?

The Internet was buzzing this week after an apparent World Cup bomb threat was posted on a militant jihadist website. A contributor to the online magazine Yearners For Paradise said in a post “how beautiful” it would be if a bomb went off during the United States vs. England game on June 1.

Although several reports sounded alarm bells, the threat does not seem to have raised concerns among local security officials. On Tuesday, South Africa’s police minister stated that threats “cannot be ignored,” but that this particular threat “holds no water.” FIFA secretary general Jérôme Valcke declined to comment on any specifics, but suggested that authorities would not be changing their preparations in any way as a result of this threat.

Meanwhile, a visiting German politician stated that he was very impressed by the level of security and readiness in South Africa.

“The South Africans have every reason to be confident, given their preparations,” Frank Hofmann stated. He noted that cooperation with security forces from participating countries and international forces has been encouraging, but added that security success at any large event depends to a large extent on “luck.”

Thanks for that final bit of reassurance.

Barack Obama to attend opening ceremony?

In a possibly related note, President Obama is now being mentioned as “probably” attending the World Cup opening ceremony on June 11, joining such luminaries as Nelson Mandela, Pelé and Eusébio. The event will celebrate Africa and the unifying power of the beautiful game.

The presence of the first African American president—the son of a Kenyan immigrant—would certainly add to the event. After all, if he can make time to fill out an NCAA basketball bracket and follow that little tournament, it seems like he could squeeze in a trip to Johannesburg for the biggest sporting event on earth.

Literally speaking, the whole world will be watching.

Full 3D TV Lineup Announced

FIFA has released the full list of games to be broadcast in 3D, and it includes the tournament opener on June 11th and the World Cup Final on July 11th. A total of 25 games in five stadiums will be shown as part of the first-ever global, live 3D event. Here’s the full listing.

Currently, ESPN and Sogecable (in Spain) are the only networks offering 3D, but FIFA’s TV director said he expects more partnerships in many countries to be announced soon. Games will also be shown at select cinemas and stadiums around the world.

Note to viewers: 3D broadcasts require a 3D-compatible television. The glasses are not magic!

Old, Overweight Brazilians

Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos turned 37 years old this week and, to commemorate the event, announced his desire to play for the Brazil in South Africa. After a run of good form in the Brazilian top flight, Roberto Carlos has been tabbed by journalists as a possible left-back selection.

“I thank the media for their recognition of my good play,” he told reporters. “If the news arrives at my doorstep, I will immediately do a summersault with joy.”

Ronaldo, his good friend and teammate at Corinthians, offered a heartfelt endorsement of Roberto Carlos while simultaneously announcing that he himself was not a candidate.

It would be exciting to see the charismatic left back close out his career on the world stage. But he’ll have to make sure he doesn’t pull another stunt like he did against France in 2006, when he was seen standing with his hands on his knees during a free kick, which Thierry Henry volleyed home for the only goal of the quarterfinal game.

A similar performance might see him doing even more summersaults—to avoid hurled objects from enraged Brazilian fans.

Soldado suffers injury setback