NY's Rost and Rodgers days away from full recovery

UPPER MONTCLAIR, N.J. — It’s only a matter of days before the New York Red Bulls expect to finally get two of their regulars back in the starting lineup, as goalkeeper Frank Rost and forward Luke Rodgers near a return to full health. While Rodgers may even see some minutes against Vancouver on Saturday, both are targeting the Sept. 17 match at FC Dallas. Rost, who suffered a quadriceps injury following the Emirates Cup in July, took to the practice field for the second time this week. The German Designated Player has not played since being subbed out of an Aug. 6 match at Real Salt Lake. Rodgers, who has battled a heel injury since the spring, may make his first appearance since July 6 when the Whitecaps visit Red Bull Arena on Saturday. "I’d say Dallas," manager Hans Backe said regarding the timeline for Rodgers’ return. "I’d be very happy if he can play some minutes on Saturday [vs. Vancouver]." While he might give Rodgers some playing time against Vancouver, Backe is expected to once again use backup goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul, who is back with the squad after representing Senegal in African Cup of Nations qualifying. "I can do everything, but the problem is [getting to] 100 percent kicking," the 38-year-old Rost said of his recovery. "The last five percent, I have to wait, be patient." Injuries have generally not been a concern for Rost, who has played at least 30 games in each of his last four seasons, all with Bundesliga club Hamburg. He has played no less than 24 matches in his previous 13 years of soccer in Germany, so missing a third straight match this weekend is something to which Rost is largely unaccustomed. "I’ve never experienced this kind of an injury," he said. "For me, the only thing is that I come back to the team, practice with the team and hopefully we win some matches." In addition to Rost and Rodgers, the other starter that Backe has to replace in the lineup is midfielder Teemu Tainio, who is still waiting to serve his red card suspension which dates back to an Aug. 20 match against the Revolution. There are a number of options to replace Tainio in the center of the field. "Stéphane [Auvray] is one of those guys," Backe said. "We also have the option of [Rafa] Márquez there, with [Carlos] Mendes as a center back." After playing for Mexico last week, Márquez flew back to New York on Tuesday evening and Backe expects to have the player for training on Thursday morning. Jan Gunnar Solli is also back from injury and he told MLSsoccer.com on Monday that he expects to be in the midfield this weekend, a change from his usual right back position. A former Norwegian international who has played nearly his entire career as a box-to-box midfielder, Solli could also make for a good fit alongside Dax McCarty in the starting XI.

Whitecaps co-owner, NBA star Nash trains with first team

VANCOUVER, B.C. — Watch out, Michael Nanchoff. There was a new No. 13 at Swangard Stadium during a Whitecaps training session on Tuesday, but the face was a familiar one. Whitecaps co-owner and basketball star Steve Nash suited up with the first team to stay fit during the NBA offseason — one that could be extended due to the ongoing labor dispute in that league. "It was good, it was a lot of fun," Nash told MLSsoccer.com following Tuesday’s training session. "For me, it’s a great opportunity not just to meet the players as a fan — it’s fun to get to meet them and know them — but as an owner, it’s also fun to get the temperature of the club and how the guys’ spirits are." Nash played as a striker and midfielder in his hometown of Victoria, B.C., during his time in youth soccer before eventually deciding to focus on basketball. "Everyone knows he’s a big soccer fan and plays the game himself," captain Jay DeMerit said. "To not play for a long time and step in with this group of guys shows the quality he has." While the 37-year-old looked fit and didn’t look too out of place, he’s not ready to quit his day job just yet. "By the way I played today, they’re not going to have me come back for a while!" Nash joked with reporters. "But we should all be really excited. There’s a lot of positives — we’ve got a lot of good players, a great residency program, and on top of that, we’re moving into a new stadium. We’ve got the third-highest attendance in the league, so everyone should be really proud of the efforts this year." The former NBA Most Valuable Player also provided insight into the level of his involvement with key decisions the club has made this season, such as the two coaching changes. "I leave it up to the guys who are working on this day in and day out," Nash explained. "For me to come in and add value where I can is my benefit at this point. [The club is] in good hands — they don’t need to call on me for every decision, but I’m here as a resource [if needed]." WATCH: Nash trains with Whitecaps    

Kick Off: Donovan sounds warning ahead of match vs. KC

A stretch of nine matches in 30 days couldn’t start against a tougher opponent. The LA Galaxy get set to kick off the most congested part of their schedule with their first match at the new Livestrong Sporting Park against Sporting Kansas City tonight (6 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer — pregame at 5:30 p.m. ET) and LA midfielder Landon Donovan has already sounded a warning to his teammates: "You could argue they're as good as any team in the league at this time." Looks like Donovan has more belief in Kansas City than even Kansas City does. At the end of its preview for tonight’s match, the

Mondragón injury could harm Philly’s playoff hopes

The Philadelphia Union came into Saturday’s game at Rio Tinto Stadium a little bit shorthanded. Then they got even more shorthanded when starting goalkeeper Faryd Mondragón – the club’s captain and only 2011 All-Star – hurt his finger and came out at halftime in a 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake. Backup Zac MacMath, making his MLS debut, didn’t allow a goal in the second half, but Mondragón’s injury could be a serious detriment in Philly’s playoff chase, which took a hit with the defeat. A couple of reports indicated Mondragón broke his finger, but Union manager Peter Nowak did not offer any specifics about the injury after the game. "We’ll see," Nowak said. "I don’t know. I’m not a doctor. We’ll go back home and see what his status will be." Before Mondragón came out, the Union suffered through some defensive struggles, due in large part to the absences of defensive midfielder Brian Carroll (right foot contusion) and central back Carlos Valdés (suspension). WATCH: Mondragón denies Espíndola Back on their heels for much of the first half, Philly allowed two RSL goals through the first 26 minutes, both of which came from poor marking off corner kicks. And the damage could have even been worse if not for a brilliant save from Mondragón in the 25th minute on RSL’s Fabián Espíndola and some critical clearances from Danny Califf and Stefani Miglioranzi later in the game. The Union, which posted four shutouts through their first six games, have now surrendered two goals in each of their past three games and are winless in their last six contests. Snapping that skid will be even more difficult if Mondragón misses any more time, but the Union feel they are fortunate to have a very capable backup in MacMath, a highly-touted rookie who made three saves in the second half Saturday. "I think Zac MacMath came in and he was calm and very secure," Nowak said. "I was pleased with the game from him. We’ll see what the status is for Faryd, who is a very important piece to this team." If Mondragón is sidelined, the Union will also miss the captain’s vocal leadership, which has been a vital component to the club’s success this season. The Union, however, also say they are stocked with capable replacements in that department as well. "Faryd is our captain," said Sébastien Le Toux, who on Saturday scored his first goal from the run of play this season. "But Danny Califf, myself, Miglioranzi – we are also leaders of this team."

Grueling stretch for LA starts with trip to Kansas City

CARSON, Calif. — Beginning Monday, the LA Galaxy will play nine games in a 30-day stretch. It is perhaps fitting that the club will kick off that grueling slate with what has become one of the league’s most difficult challenges. The Galaxy will visit Sporting KC on Monday (6 pm ET, Fox Soccer) in a match that was originally scheduled for Aug. 13. In their first trip to Livestrong Sporting Park, LA will face a squad that has been on a tear since June. PREVIEW: Galaxy come calling on Sporting "They’re the most confident team in the league right now, from some of their statements," Galaxy defender Todd Dunivant said. "That’s good. They’re flying high, doing well in their new stadium and feeling good about themselves." Sporting KC started out the season with a dismal 1-6-1 record but have lost just twice since then. Part of the turnaround is their new stadium, which has been the talk of the league since it opened on June 9. "They have an amazing new stadium, great atmosphere and they’ve been fantastic at home, so we’ve got to make sure we don’t underestimate them," Galaxy midfielder Mike Magee said. Playing before packed crowds always bodes well for the home side and an electric atmosphere gives the players something extra to look forward to. "There’s a little bit of excitement," Magee said. "We’ve heard some amazing things about the stadium. Always when you play in a good atmosphere it brings out the best in players." Sporting KC and the Galaxy have already met once this year. LA beat SKC 4-1 in May at the Home Depot Center, and while it may seem logical to draw comparisons from that match to Monday’s encounter, Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena has all but tossed that game out the window. "That’s been completely forgotten and that has nothing to do with this game to be honest," Arena said. "What we need to do is to continue to move forward as a team and play well." Sporting have been strong at home, posting a 6-2-4 mark at their new stadium. However, their two losses came against Seattle and FC Dallas, the two sides just behind the Galaxy in the Western Conference race. In each loss, KC conceded two late goals to reverse what had looked like sure wins. The most recent defeat, last week’s 3-2 setback against Dallas, may bode well for the Galaxy as it gave LA a possible blueprint on how to attack their rivals. KC allowed a goal on a set piece and two more on crosses from the left flank. "Wide play is going to be very important in the game because they do have three forwards generally and you’d rather them play with five midfielders than three forwards," Dunivant said. "If we can get their two high guys pinned back and have us pushing on and them defending us, that’s certainly an advantage for us. If it’s the other way then we’re suddenly pinned back and things are a lot more difficult." Another factor in favor for the Galaxy is the status of their captain. Landon Donovan was originally slated to miss the match due to national team duty but he will skip the US match at Belgium on Sept. 6 in order to remain with LA. "It’s certainly a bonus," Arena said. "Landon is one of our better players and one of the better players in the league."

Fantasy Forecast: Pick carefully on a light week for MLS

Just two league games scheduled in MLS. While the rest of your fantasy league heads to the lake for a little R&R, look to the Western Conference heavyweights to start making up some ground in the final weeks of the regular season. In particular, the Forecast likes RSL over Philadelphia and LA over Sporting Kansas City. Let’s get to the picks. Start 'em Nick Rimando, G, Real Salt Lake: A 10-man RSL pulled together to record a shutout last week. It was a big confidence-booster, and of the four goalkeepers going this weekend, the RSL backstop looks to be in the best form. Sean Franklin, D, LA Galaxy: The Galaxy keep rolling along, with four consecutive two-goal victories. Franklin remains a great choice as a marking back who can get forward when his team keeps possession. He can get on the scoresheet – two goals this season – while the Galaxy defense is the league’s second-best. Start Franklin with confidence. Graham Zusi, M, Sporting Kansas City: With Teal Bunbury and Kei Kamara on international duty, the SKC goal-scoring burden falls to Zusi. He’s shown himself capable of doing damage offensively with five goals and four assists in 18 starts. With Davy Arnaud and Jéferson possibly returning for SKC, they could make things difficult against LA after a poor showing in the teams’ first two meetings. Landon Donovan, M, LA Galaxy: Donovan will play with the US national team on Friday evening, but should be ready to play a role during Monday’s game at Sporting. Watch his minutes against Costa Rica before making a decision to plug him in Monday. Kyle Beckerman, M, Real Salt Lake: With Will Johnson (Canada), Álvaro Saborío (Costa Rica), Jean Alexandre (Haiti) and Arturo Alvarez (El Salvador) all on international duty, the other RSL players must to pick up the scoring slack. Beckerman, who will play 90 minutes barring injury, should get some chances to get forward against a Philly midfield lacking confidence. Veljko Paunović, M, Philadelphia Union: The 34-year-old has been one of Philly’s most dangerous scoring options since joining the team this summer: two goals in his last four games. If the Union are to break their five-match winless streak, they’ll need a little magic from Paunović. Sit 'em Matt Besler, D, Sporting Kansas City: Besler faces a tough task against the Galaxy’s attack, especially with SKC’s defensive confidence reeling. Sporting have given up late leads against Seattle and Dallas in recent weeks – and now they face MLS’ top team. Nat Borchers, D, Real Salt Lake: Borchers picked up a red card for Real Salt Lake early in their match against Chivas USA, ruling him out for this weekend’s tilt. Teal Bunbury, F, Sporting Kansas City: Like Borchers, Bunbury saw red this past weekend. He’ll have to serve that suspension when he gets back from national team duty, so now would be a good time to drop him if he’s on your roster. Kei Kamara, F, Sporting Kansas City: As mentioned previously, Kamara will miss this weekend’s match against LA on international duty. Accountability Those of you who sat Borchers last week did the right thing – the center back picked up his second red card of the season and must now sit out against RSL. The Forecast’s predictions for Portland and Chivas USA fizzled, with Portland getting rained out of their second match by Hurricane Irene and Chivas USA failing to score against RSL or Portland.

Saborío among MLSers on Costa Rica roster vs. US

Four players from Major League Soccer highlight the 24-man roster for Costa Rica’s international friendly against the United States at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., on Friday (11 pm ET; ESPN2, Galavisión, ESPN3.com). Real Salt Lake striker Álvaro Saborío is once again in the mix with