Fit-again Rodgers returns to training for New York

UPPER MONTCLAIR, N.J. — After missing the Red Bulls’ last three league games and their US Open Cup win last week due to a heel injury, forward Luke Rodgers was on the training ground with the first team on Tuesday preparing for Wednesday night’s match against Toronto FC (8 pm ET, watch LIVE online). It was the first time in three weeks that the Englishman has been able to train with the team and Rodgers, the team’s second leading scorer, looked fit, showing no real hesitation in possession games and tactical training. "[It’s] just been a nightmare, an absolute nightmare really, that’s all I can say about it," Rodgers told MLSsoccer.com of his prolonged absence. "If you have a hamstring injury, you can do something about it, get treatment. With a heel injury, what can you do? Just rest. It’s a pain, a real pain." Rodgers’ hard-charging ways have prompted Red Bulls head coach Hans Backe to call the striker "a pain" for defenders. The Red Bulls are hoping that a healthy Rodgers can help put more pressure on opposing backlines and open up the field for the rest of the team, including fellow forward Thierry Henry. "That’s the kind of guy you want around," Henry said of his strike partner. "He moves around, he gets in [the opponent’s] face." After training on Tuesday at Montclair State University, Rodgers took anti-inflammatory shots to help manage the pain. Backe maintains that Rodgers is "ready to get involved," but the forward is a tad bit more reserved than his coach in giving a prognosis. "I’m not sure yet," Rodgers said. "Have to wait and see how I respond but today wasn’t bad. It’s been a nightmare and I just hope it’s over, really. I hope that I am ready to go at it and give it a go for Toronto and go out there and help us get three points." Cup Dream A team that had Supporters' Shield ambitions in the preseason seems to be more focused on another piece of silverware. New York endured a rough stretch in May and June when the team lost five regulars to the Gold Cup and others to injuries, and the Red Bulls aren’t expecting to find themselves atop the table at the end of the season. That means that they won’t press the panic button just yet. "It would be nice to get a win, of course, but I don’t think we need to pressure the guys," Backe said. "I want to be No. 1 in December." And the MLS Cup now seems to be the Red Bulls ultimate goal. "The only thing that matters here is the playoffs," Henry said. "That’s the beauty of it. Three Points Over the course of their last 11 games during that tough stretch in May and June, New York have won just once, churning out eight draws in the process. The vultures aren’t circling overhead yet; the Red Bulls sit just three points outside the top of the Eastern Conference. But a win is needed, if only for this team’s psyche. "Draws are not getting us too far, we need to start winning and start finishing games," midfielder Teemu Tainio told MLSsoccer.com. "Every home game is a must-win game. Draws don’t do us any good anymore." The pressure is there for two wins this week as New York hosts both Toronto and D.C. United at Red Bull Arena "We all know we need a win – a win right now is massive," Rodgers said. "A lot of draws. We know we need a win, no one needs to tell us that."

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Monday NY Gaffer: Four-game road swing finally over

This week’s Monday Gaffer looks at yet another tie, Saturday night’s 2-2 draw against San Jose. The splitting of the points on the road ends New York’s four-game road trip through Portland, Seattle, Chicago and finally, this past weekend in Northern California. Fit to be Tied – It’s better than losses, but the Red Bulls seem to be racking up nothing but ties. Eight times in the last 11 games, New York has earned a draw. The good news is that the vast majority of these results came on the road and with a number of regulars away with their national teams for the Gold Cup. Although Rafa Márquez will miss at least two more weeks due to his hamstring injury, the Red Bulls should see Thierry Henry (flu) and Luke Rodgers (plantar fasciitis) return to the field this Wednesday against Toronto. "We have to be realistic," assistant head coach Jan Halvorsen said. "We played four games on the road. As long as we get points." Bulls Get Tripped Up – Head coach Hans Backe calls them "individual mistakes" and the Red Bulls succumbed to them twice against San Jose. In the first half, goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul did well to corral a corner kick in the area, only to drop the service, allowing Khari Stephenson to equalize. Then in the second half, Steven Lenhart split the centerback duo of Carlos Mendes and Tim Ream to powerfully head home a cross into the area, leaving Coundoul no chance to stop the effort. The Red Bulls have been victimized by lapses of concentration and after dominating the first half, midfielder Dax McCarty said the team should have had a halftime lead. "I don’t think San Jose could come close to us," McCarty said. But for the individual mistakes, New York could have had three points. McCarty’s Debut – Acquired last Monday in a trade that sent Dwayne De Rosario to D.C. United, McCarty played an inspired first game for his new club. Having already played a critical role in FC Dallas advancing to the MLS Cup final last year, McCarty is a young player in his prime who can provide a good presence on the field, capable of winning balls and starting the counterattack.  "I think it’s going to be a great fit for myself," McCarty said. "Hopefully I can prove to the fans and the coaches and my teammates that I deserve to be here and I can help them win." It’s Over – After four straight league away games, the team now returns to the confines of Red Bull Arena for matches this week against Toronto FC and D.C. United. With the chance to play before the atmosphere of the South Ward and defend their home turf, six points has to be on the minds of New York. This was a tough road trip for the Red Bulls mentally, physically and emotionally and now they can set things right at home and begin making a push for the top of the Eastern Conference. "I think all the players look forward to that," Halvorsen said. With a near full roster available again, there are no excuses this week for the Red Bulls.

Sounders still trying to break through against Galaxy

TUKWILA, Wash. - Injury-free Seattle hopes to finally break through against the LA Galaxy Monday night (10:30 pm ET, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN3.com). Winners of three straight, the surging Sounders are set to try to reverse the historical tide of the series. Landon Donovan and Co. own a perfect 5-0-0 record over Seattle in the past two seasons. That includes a 1-0 Galaxy victory to start the 2011 season, a game that left goalkeeper Kasey Keller frustrated.  "We know we should have gotten something out of that game in the first game of the season," Keller said. Seattle’s confidence is high coming into the return leg, with the three-game winning streak under their belt and the expected return of striker Fredy Montero. Montero’s return is bolstered by the recent play of Mauro Rosales, who has started Seattle’s past five matches. On the opposite side of the ledger, David Beckham’s likely exclusion weakens the Galaxy lineup as the English midfielder deals with a stress fracture of his spine. Even with those factors in Seattle’s favor, Keller knows LA always present a difficult challenge. "They have the most points in the league, and they had the most points in the league last year, and so you have to give them a lot of credit because of that," Keller said. "They’ve consistently been winning more games than anybody else. We know we’ve got a tough task." The futility against the Galaxy weighs heavily on Keller and the Sounders franchise as Seattle-LA games have always been heated affairs. In the first meeting at then-Qwest Field, James Riley was sent off after an altercation with Mike Magee. In 2010, the Galaxy’s 4-0 shellacking of the Sounders induced management to offer season-ticket holders a refund for the price of that match. In the 2010 MLS Playoffs, Los Angeles strangled the life out of the Sounders attack to advance by a 3-1 aggregate score in the Western Conference semifinals.   While Schmid concedes that "It’s a rivalry that’s greatly in their favor right now," Keller hopes this Independence Day match will be the one that turns the tide. "This is a big game now," Keller said. "We’re obviously disappointed with the way we’ve played against them the last three or four times so we’re going to go down there and try to make that right."

Despite goal vs. Chivas, Oduro disappointed with himself

It was the same song with a different tune for the Chicago Fire on Saturday night.  Chicago tied their fourth game in a row, drawing Chivas USA 1-1 at the Home Depot Center. The Fire have now tied seven of their last eight league matches, compiling a total of 12 draws this year, which are two short of the MLS single-season record with 16 games left on their schedule. Unlike last week, when the Fire tied New York 1-1 at Toyota Park, Chicago took the early lead on Saturday. Attacker Dominic Oduro put the Fire ahead in the 26th minute, collecting a ball on the left wing before racing behind the Chivas defense and into the box, where he beat goalkeeper Dan Kennedy to the far post from a tight angle. WATCH: Full Highlights: CHV 1, CHI 1 But Oduro, who is now tied for the team lead in goals with five, also missed a pair of golden opportunities, botching two one-on-one chances with Kennedy that — if finished — could’ve given the Fire all three points. "I want to say that I’m really disappointed in myself," Oduro told MLSsoccer.com after the match. "I created a lot of chances and I probably could’ve done more in terms of putting balls in the back of the net." Oduro’s first miss came after eight minutes. Midfielder Baggio Husidic slipped the Ghanaian winger behind the Chivas back four on the right side, but Oduro couldn’t get his chip over Kennedy, who parried the ball away. He had another golden opportunity three minutes from halftime. Winger Patrick Nyarko played Oduro behind the back four on the left wing but, yet again, he couldn’t beat Kennedy, sending a rushed right-footer directly at the Chivas keeper.  "I think the goalie cut off the angle for me a little bit," Oduro said. "I just have to put the ball on frame, hopefully it goes in, but he made some great saves. He did a great job and I should’ve done a better job. … Again, he had some great saves so kudos to him, but I think I just need to work on some little stuff and that’s what I’m going to keep doing." Oduro’s misses came back to haunt the Fire in the 46th minute, when Chivas midfielder Nick LaBrocca equalized for the Goats. LaBrocca received a ball in the final third, turned and smashed a 25-yard half-volley, driving his left-footer off the bottom of the crossbar and into the net. Chicago didn’t close down LaBrocca on the play, allowing the veteran center midfielder all the time and space he needed to line up his strike. The Fire, who were playing their fourth match in 10 days on Saturday, return to Chicago fed up with drawing games. "We’re really frustrated right now," Oduro said. "I think we are doing so well defensively and offensively and right now we just want to win games. ... We’re not losing, but a win would be really nice."

Chivas USA's Fraser hails impact of catalyst LaBrocca

CARSON, Calif. — Chivas USA have been seeking a catalyst to help the club emerge from its recent doldrums. During the Rojiblancos’ 1-1 draw against the Chicago Fire on Saturday night, it was energetic midfielder Nick LaBrocca, who made the difference in bringing an end to the team’s three-game losing streak. LaBrocca was the engine for the Goats, consistently creating opportunities in attack throughout the match for himself and his teammates. His shot that struck the crossbar in the early stages was a precursor to Chivas USA’s lone goal less than a minute into the second half also on a long-distance shot. LaBrocca's laser from 20 yards out deflected off the crossbar and into the net for the 1-1 tie. The goal was his fourth of a season which has seen him make a steady rise into All-Star consideration. WATCH: Full Highlights: CHV 1, CHI 1 Following the match, Chivas head coach Robin Fraser admitted that the LaBrocca has carried his club this season. "Nick is such a talented player with a great soccer mind and when you put that together with a great engine and is a big part of when we play well, a part of our attack," Fraser told reporters after the match. "He’s very good at finding dangerous positions for himself and, obviously, he’s technically very good around the goal." After struggling to deal with Chicago’s pace during the first half, particularly the bursts of speed from goal scorer Dominic Oduro, it was up to the Rojiblancos’ energy guy to motivate his club. LaBrocca was able ignite his squad with the goal to open the second half, which clearly boosted Chivas. Following the comeback strike, Chivas USA appeared far more confident in front of net and appeared the more dangerous side in search of the potential go-ahead goal.  "We needed a high energy start and it was big for us to get that self-belief that we could take it to another level," LaBrocca said after the match. "But unfortunately, we were unable to get the winner." Although the Rojiblancos are still sitting on 18 points, the club has three home games left in the month of July to get back into the playoff chase. Chivas USA and LaBrocca will be forced to get right back to work with a short week and a date against the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday. For the spirited No. 10, Chivas USA remain a club that is not too far off from contending, especially based on their comeback on Saturday night. "Hopefully this is a good sign for us to turn the table a little bit and fix those final pieces that need some polishing," LaBrocca said after Saturday night’s draw. "I think all we need is a little hot streak and we’re right back in it and then no one will want to play us because we are a strong team. But we are still growing as a team and there are still things that we can get better at."

Burling's moment under the lights spoiled by Lindpere

STANFORD, Calif. — Growing up in Colorado, San Jose Earthquakes center back Bobby Burling always looked forward to his family’s tradition of watching the Rapids play on Fourth of July weekend and sticking around for the postgame fireworks show. He probably never imagined the kind of fireworks he’d provide in San Jose’s 2-2 tie with the New York Red Bulls before a franchise-record 41,028 at Stanford Stadium on Saturday. WATCH: FULL MATCH HIGHLIGHTS First, Burling was victimized by Joel Lindpere’s 85th-minute drive from just outside the penalty box, when his attempted clearance instead led to the ball zipping past goalkeeper Jon Busch for a late Red Bulls equalizer. Then, adding insult to injury, the fifth-year man earned a second yellow card in injury time, resulting in his first ejection in 55 career MLS appearances. "[We’re] disappointed to concede a late goal, but I guess the nature of a deflected shot is always hard to take," Quakes coach Frank Yallop said. "Jon’s going to save the shot and then it goes off Bobby’s head and goes in." Busch felt he had a good bead on the ball, but with the Quakes defense under siege — Busch had made superlative stops on Dane Richards and Lindpere in the previous 30 seconds — it was hard to fault Burling for trying to steer a third attempt wide of the net. Burling was gone by the time media members arrived in the Earthquakes locker room, but it was obviously not the way the 26-year-old wanted to finish a week that began with a vote of confidence; San Jose management felt comfortable enough with Burling’s body of work to sell off fellow center back Brandon McDonald to D.C. United on Monday in exchange for allocation money. "I thought that he actually had a really good game, just a couple of unlucky instances," Quakes star Chris Wondolowski said of Burling. "That’s one of the reasons why I don’t play defense: You mess up, and it costs [you] a goal. I mess up on offense, it’s alright. "It’s not even a mess-up. It’s just one of those things where it’s an unfortunate bounce for them. You can’t blame him." Steven Lenhart, whose 68th-minute goal had put San Jose (5-5-6) in position to take a second comeback win in less than a month, said that Burling has to stay the course despite the unwanted outcome. "Those things happen," Lenhart said. "You don’t dwell on them. You don’t change your game because of them. I think you have to go for that ball every time. ... We’re definitely going to miss him." Burling took his first card in the 80th minute after using a rough-and-tumble shoulder block to dispossess New York forward Juan Agudelo. He was sent off for making a lunging stab at the ball as the Quakes attempted to break out on the counterattack from a 91st-minute Red Bulls corner kick. New York midfielder Teemu Tainio just beat Burling to the ball, short-circuiting what could have been a promising break with numbers for the Quakes. Burling, who shot up immediately after referee Edvin Jurisevic blew his whistle, looked to have been impeded by New York defender Roy Miller just before the showdown with Tainio. That didn’t move Jurisevic, however, who swiftly showed Burling the gate. "I thought Bobby Burling was getting pulled back and we were on a three-on-one break," Yallop said. "It seemed a weird call for me." With McDonald gone and Ike Opara still injured, Yallop’s first two choices as a replacement are right back Chris Leitch and holding midfielder Brad Ring. The coach said he wouldn’t decide until San Jose reconvenes on Monday.