Newest hero Gordon may already be lost to Earthquakes

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It’s sadly representative of the San Jose Earthquakes’ luck this season that new acquisition Alan Gordon would score his first goal with the team just two days before a doctor’s appointment that could lead to surgery with a month-long recovery time. Winless in their last 10 matches, the Quakes (5-8-10) need offense from anyplace they can find it. And Gordon, who now has five goals this season in 738 minutes between Toronto FC and San Jose, could be a huge boon, as proven by his sharply snapped header in the 67th minute of the Quakes’ 1-1 tie against Portland on Saturday. WATCH: FULL MATCH HIGHLIGHTS But the seventh-year veteran has been playing hurt since arriving in San Jose on July 14, and he’s scheduled Monday to receive a second opinion regarding an injury that the Quakes have been describing as a strained right quadriceps. Gordon said it wasn’t a thigh problem at all, but a double-abdominal hernia he suffered three months ago, a situation he feels was "misdiagnosed" by Toronto FC’s medical staff. The target man could go under the knife as early as Tuesday, although a team spokesman stressed that no firm decision has been made yet between rest, rehabilitation or surgery. "That’s just been our season in a nutshell, right there," Quakes forward Chris Wondolowski said. "Get a glimpse, dude does well and then an injury or something happens that puts him on the shelf for a while. I don’t even know what it is, but I don’t think we’ve put the same lineup down all year in back-to-back games. It’s tough." Gordon was brought in to provide depth behind target man Steven Lenhart, and possibly serve as a replacement if Lenhart, who is out of contract after this year, does not return to San Jose. And with Lenhart away on an indefinite family leave of absence, the door is wide open for Gordon to make a mark with the Quakes. He took enough advantage to tally a point-saving goal for the Quakes, cutting inside of Portland center back Eric Brunner to reach Steven Beitashour’s looping pass and whipping a 14-yard header to the back post past Timbers goalkeeper Troy Perkins. The goal broke San Jose’s scoreless streak at 283 minutes, just shy of their season-high but still eighth on the list of MLS’ longest droughts this year. "I tried to play through it as long as I can, just to get us through this rough patch, but it’s something that needs to be fixed so I can be 100 percent and help this club," Gordon said. "It was pretty painful out there, but I did the best I could." It’s painful for the Quakes, as well, not having Gordon at full strength exactly when they most need him. "We made the trade with Toronto, and he played 90 minutes [against Houston on July 9] and seemed fine," Quakes coach Frank Yallop said. "And obviously you can’t talk to the player, you just get the all clear from their side. And then when we were getting him in, it seemed like he was worse than he [originally] seemed." Gordon said he was disappointed he can’t contribute more to the Quakes after spending so long trying to play through pain. "I have a double hernia, and all the tests I went through at TFC, they were telling me nothing was wrong," Gordon said. "As soon as I came here, it’s a clear case. ... I could have had this taken care of a long time ago. It’s frustrating coming into a club that you want to play for, but I’m not in a position to." Gordon put a three-to-five week timetable on his recovery if surgery is required, with "three being optimistic." "I’m going to try to get back as fast as possible," Gordon said. "I don’t want to miss any more games than I have [already] this year, and I want to get back on the field and continue to play for this club."

Recap: Rapids stay hot with big 2-0 win over Columbus

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — A spectacular goal from Brian Mullan — his first ever for the Colorado Rapids — and another Omar Cummings and Sanna Nyassi combination proved enough for the home team to record a 2-0 victory over the visiting Columbus Crew on Friday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Man of the Match Mullan picked up the ball from a Wells Thompson pass outside the penalty area in the 55th minute and crushed it with his right foot high into the upper-90 of William Hesmer’s net. Just after the hour, he tried to do it again from a similar position but the ball sailed over the bar. Meanwhile, Nyassi and Cummings had been combining well all night long, the Jamaican trying time and time again to put Nyassi in behind the defense as he had done in last week’s game against Philadelphia. The Rapids had to wait until the 79th minute for the duo’s efforts to finally pay off, as it was Nyassi this time who played in Cummings. The Jamaican coolly finished from inside the penalty area for his first goal in four months. The Rapids did enjoy the bulk of the possession during the game but the Crew also found themselves with some of the best chances of the match. Andrés Mendoza twice found himself in a great position to score, once in the second half when Matt Pickens pulled off an excellent save in the 74th minute. The best early chance of the game came in the 18th minute when the Peruvian striker failed to turn in a close range flick from a Robbie Rogers cross after a sweet build-up from the Crew. Apart from that, though, the Crew failed to produce much danger, especially in the second half where they looked to be running out of gas as the Rapids killed the game off. Both teams suffered unfortunate injuries during the game. The Crew lost pivotal midfielder Eddie Gaven very early in the game as he went off in the seventh minute following a challenge on Jeff Larentowicz. Anthony Wallace, making a first Rapids appearance in several games as a late substitute, survived only about a minute before he had to go off with an injury in a season plagued by knocks. The Rapids (9-6-10, 37 points), who now have won four of their last six games, will next play the San Jose Earthquakes on the road on August 13. Columbus (9-7-7, 34 points) will host the New England Revolution the same day. Scoring Summary: COL - Brian Mullan 1 (Wells Thompson 2) 55 COL - Omar Cummings 3 (Sanna Nyassi 2) 79 Misconduct Summary: CLB -- Dejan Rusmir (Caution; Persistent infringement) 52 Lineups: COLORADO RAPIDS -- Matt Pickens; Drew Moor, Tyrone Marshall, Marvell Wynne, Kosuke Kimura (Anthony Wallace 87, Scott Palguta 89); Jeff Larentowicz, Pablo Mastroeni (Joseph Nane, 83), Brian Mullan, Wells Thompson; Sanna Nyassi, Omar Cummings

Jarju to miss Whitecaps' Sunday evening clash with Fire

VANCOUVER, B.C. — The Whitecaps square up against the Chicago Fire on Sunday at Empire Field (7 pm ET, Galavisión), but they’re going to have to do it without recently signed Designated Player Mustapha Jarju. The forward has received a call-up to play for Gambia in an international friendly with the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Aug. 10 as his country prepares for September’s qualifying match for the African Cup of Nations against Namibia. "It’s a bit difficult," Jarju told MLSsoccer.com after practice on Friday. "I tried everything to play Sunday’s game and then after to go back. But they couldn’t find a flight. If I stayed, then I would arrive in Banjul [Gambia’s capital] on Wednesday, the day of the game. They didn’t want to take that risk, and yesterday I talked with the coach about it, and it was decided he would let me go and then I will play against D.C. [United when I return]." With only two MLS matches under his belt, the timing isn’t ideal for a player trying to become more familiar with a new country, a new team and a new league. "Everybody loves to play for their nation," Jarju said. "I love my country, but I love playing for the Whitecaps. I want to be present. Any player wants to be settled before playing for the national team, but I don’t have a choice; I need to play for my national team." Jarju misses his chance As for the rest of the team, their focus now turns to the Chicago Fire, currently languishing in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 19 points. Last time the teams met, they played to a 0-0 draw at Toyota Park in May. "It was kind of a boring game," said starting goalkeeper Joe Cannon. "I think they had a couple of early chances they squandered — they hit the post and then went over [the net with a close shot]. "In the second, we had a nice breakaway with Eric [Hassli], and our whole city thought he would put the game away, but he hit it at the goalie. It was a game of very few chances, so they’re going to come in and probably do the same thing. Both teams need three points, it’s going to be a dogfight." For midfielder John Thorrington, it’s a clash with a club where he played six seasons. He’s back training with the full team for certain drills now after a series of injuries, and is also going through specialized treatment with newly hired physiotherapist consultant Rick Celebrini. "It’s a very different team from when I was there," Thorrington said about his former club. "It’s a lot of new blood. They’ve brought in [Sebastián Grazzini] and then [Pável] Pardo, who we’ve seen for Mexico many times. For me, on your home field especially, you evaluate teams, you analyze them, but you really just have to go out and play and impose yourselves on the visitors, and that’s what I think we’ll try to do." Thorrington looks close to a return in training, but said, "It’s totally up to the coaches, but we have to be wary of the injury cycle I’ve been on. But now I’m in a position where they’re more and more confident each day in my body holding up, and that’s the key. It’s up to the coaches now and I’ll push the guys who are playing and compete for my spot." Practice Notes • Captain Jay DeMerit told reporters on Friday that it’s "not very likely" he’ll play on Sunday as he continues his recovery from a series of groin injuries. • When informed by one reporter that he hasn’t scored a goal yet for the Whitecaps, Jarju replied, "Next week when I go up against DC, I’ll start scoring, OK? That’s a promise!"

Former Philadelphia players prepare to face off in NASL

As the Philadelphia Union take on the Houston Dynamo this Saturday at PPL Park (8 pm ET, watch LIVE online), a handful of former Union players will be playing in a game of their own more than 1,000 miles away. The talent level isn’t the same, and the stadium doesn’t seat nearly as many fans — but such is life in the second-tier North American Soccer League where ex-Unioners Brad Knighton (above), Nick Zimmerman, Eduardo Coudet, Toni Stahl and Cristian Arrieta all currently make their living. On Saturday, for the second time this season, Knighton and Zimmerman’s Carolina RailHawks take on a Fort Lauderdale Strikers squad that includes Coudet, Stahl and Arrieta — although Coudet, one of the NASL’s leading goal-scorers, will miss the contest at Fort Lauderdale's Lockhart Stadium because of a suspension. "We were a good family in Philly," Knighton told MLSsoccer.com. "It’s crazy all of us are playing on the same field against each other." All five players came to the NASL after being waived by the Union at different points in the preseason, and all have enjoyed varying degrees of success. No one, though, has performed as well as Knighton, who is arguably the best goalkeeper in the NASL, leading the league in goals-against average (0.84) and shutouts (6) while helping the first-place Railhawks to a blistering 14-2-2 record. Knighton hopes to take the same path as ex-RailHawk standouts Daniel Paladini (Chicago Fire), Josh Gardner (Columbus Crew) and Tom Heinemann (Columbus Crew), whose NASL success vaulted them back into MLS this year. "Everything’s been good," Knighton said. "Getting released when I did, I didn’t have much of a chance to find another team in MLS. I was given an opportunity by Carolina coach Martin Rennie, and I can’t thank him enough. I needed games under my belt and I needed to develop. Hopefully it will lead to better things next year." Knighton admits that he was taken a bit by surprise that he was not in the Union plans for 2011 after earning two shutouts in eight starts last season and acting as a stabilizer in net after Chris Seitz was benched. But the Union coaches decided to wipe the slate clean in the offseason, signing veteran Faryd Mondragón to start and drafting Zac MacMath to back him up. That left no room for Knighton, who felt like he was ready to be an MLS starter after backing up Matt Reis for three years in New England and then Seitz for most of the 2010 campaign in Philly. "The writing was on the wall that there wasn’t a place for me there," said Knighton, who still watches most Union games and stays in touch with the Union’s largest supporters’ group, the Sons of Ben. "I was surprised to see that because I put a good string of games together. But I’m happy where I’m at right now. You can get knocked down but you can bounce back." Knighton has certainly bounced back. The North Carolina native, who went to college at UNC Wilmington, is now playing near many of his and his wife's family members, is living with his good friend Zimmerman (who he urged the Railhawks to sign) and is the leader on a powerhouse team that he legitimately believes could be in the middle of the MLS table. "It’s crazy how things work out," said Knighton, two days before the Union reunion in Fort Lauderdale. "In the offseason, I was considering going back to school and nixing the whole soccer thing and finishing my degree. But a couple of people were telling me that I could still play and make a name for myself. I’m glad I did that."

MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week: Week 20

The LA Galaxy, Colorado Rapids and Houston Dynamo registered three of the most important results from the weekend and their standout players were recognized for their efforts with a total of seven players from the three squads elected to the latest edition of the Team of the Week. Also on this week's squad is one of Toronto's Designated Players, two revelation wingers from Portland and Columbus and the MLS Player of the Week.

WFC: Adriano slams Brazilian nat'l team, praises Barcelona

MIAMI — FC Barcelona’s South American contingent is set to rejoin the club on August 8, but one player went out of his way to get a head start. After failing to see a minute of action for Brazil in a disastrous Copa América tournament, which saw the eternal favorites eliminated in the quarterfinals, fullback Adriano decided to join Barcelona a week earlier and get a jump on his preseason. "I cut short my vacation because I didn’t play in the Copa América and I wanted to be with the team," Adriano said after his first preseason practice on Tuesday morning at the University of Miami’s Cobb Field. "This week that I can gain here is going to be important for me. And although I’ve stopped playing for two weeks, the truth is that I’m fine because I worked hard with the national team even though I didn’t play [in the Copa América]. I think I get here in good shape. "I’m going little by little but I hope to be available even earlier for the manager." The 26-year-old, who last played in Miami with the Brazil Under-23 national team that ousted the USA in the Gold Cup semis back in 2003, was critical of his national team and their Copa América elimination at the hands of Paraguay in a penalty-kick shootout. He says he saw the warning signs well before the start of the South American tournament for national teams. "The team wasn’t doing well before the Copa América," Adriano said. "We played two friendlies and we tied them [0-0 tie vs. the Netherlands and 1-0 win vs. Romania in Ronaldo's farewell]. There was more pressure after the friendlies. But now we need to start getting things to work. … We wanted to get to the final but we were eliminated." Adriano’s words will not do anything to help the cause of Brazilian manager Mario Menezes, who has been on the job for a year generally collecting unconvincing results. But the picture is a rosy one with Adriano's club team. A player who can feature at either right back or left back for the

FCD Notebook: Luna shines, team passes July test

FRISCO, Texas — When FC Dallas’ starting lineup took the field on Sunday against Chivas USA, the importance of Wednesday’s return leg of the CONCACAF Champions League play-in match against Alianza FC was blatantly noticeable. Head coach Schellas Hyndman gave key players such as captain Daniel Hernandez and Jackson the opportunity to rest, citing fatigue and recoveries from injuries as his reasoning. While Jackson entered the match in the second half, it was the supporting cast that put their stamp on the match — especially reserve forward Ruben Luna. In the 26th minute, the Home Grown product tracked down a Brek Shea cross and rolled a clean pass to Marvin Chávez, who blasted the ball for his fourth goal of the season. It marked Luna’s first career assist. WATCH: Luna assists Chávez for goal "I’m so excited," Luna told a flurry of reporters after the game. "I’m motivated and I think the team’s been playing awesome. They all push me to get better and I’m so happy to be apart of this team with such character." Hyndman was duly impressed as well. "I thought Ruben Luna had a really good game, holding the ball, laying balls off, [and] creating some opportunities for himself," said the 2010 Coach of the Year. Hyndman said his decision to start Luna for the second time this season came mere hours before kickoff. "The reason of going with Ruben was I know that he was fresh and I knew that the heat would not be as much of an issue for him as it would be for Jackson or Chávez being the lone striker," said Hyndman. EIGHT-GAME JULY IN THE BOOKS There was much talk throughout July as to how FC Dallas would handle the constant travel for games and three straight weeks of midweek matches. But the second-place team in the Western Conference passed it all with flying colors, their lone blip on the radar last month coming in a 2-0 loss at Real Salt Lake. "When you look at the whole month of July, we are 5-1-2," acknowledged Hyndman. "I think any coach in the league would take a 5-1-2 record in the month of July and, again, we always talk about talent isn’t everything. Talent will win you games, but talent plus teamwork will win, and I thought that’s what we’ve had this month." TWO EXTRA DAYS IN EL SALVADOR FC Dallas were stranded in El Salvador last week following their CCL preliminary first leg last week thanks to a miscommunication with the airline that had them scheduled to fly back Saturday morning and not Friday. But things seemed to work out OK, noted Kevin Hartman. "I think a lot of times we get things right and we don’t really have to struggle with our schedule very often," said goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, "and that’s a lot of credit to [director of team administration] Bobby Hammond.  ... So we decided to stay down at the Princess Hilton in San Salvador, which is actually really, really, really nice."