Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Friday, July 26, 2013
San Jose ends Galaxy's hopes for a 3rd consecutive Super Cup
Gordon's brace leads the Quakes over Galaxy in thrilling California Clasico
(mlssoccer.com 6-29-13)
The Goonies put it all back together again against the team that started it all.
Shea Salinas and Alan Gordon scored in second-half injury time to give the 10-man San Jose Earthquakes a shocking 3-2 victory against the LA Galaxy at Stanford Stadium on Saturday night.
Salinas hammered home a loose rebound in the 92nd minute and Gordon nodded home an open header at the back post in the 93rd minute as the sellout crowd of 50,028 went bonkers. It was the second stunning comeback San Jose has mounted against the Galaxy at Stanford in as many seasons; the Quakes came from two goals down to beat LA 4-3 on June 30, 2012.
San Jose (5-7-6) improved to 2-1-0 under interim coach Mark Watson and, perhaps more importantly, rekindled memories of last season, when the Quakes had nine goals in second-half stoppage time, eight of which led to a win or draw.
Gordon had scored his first goal of the season in the 68th minute to draw San Jose to within a goal, but the Quakes’ chances looked dire after defender Victor Bernardez saw two yellow cards in the space of eight minutes and was sent off in the 77th minute.
Yet LA (7-7-3) could not make goals from Marcelo Sarvas in the 20th minute and Hector Jimenez in the 65th stand up and thus missed a chance to record just their second winning streak of the season.
Salinas pounced on a free ball after LA goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini was unable to corral a deflected flick header from San Jose rookie Adam Jahn.
Gordon found the game-winner moments later off a chipped cross from just inside LA’s penalty area by San Jose midfielder Sam Cronin.
Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane assisted on both LA goals, but the Galaxy were left to rue their missed chances at putting the game away – especially Jon Busch’s save on Jimenez in the 88th minute.
The game opened in fairly tight fashion until the Galaxy cut through San Jose’s defense with a couple of nifty volleys. Donovan floated a pass across the top of San Jose’s box, which Keane struck on the fly with his left foot. The ball found Sarvas open at 11 yards, where he cashed in with a right-footed volley of his own to the near post for his second goal this season.
Donovan and Keane teamed again to help Jimenez double LA’s advantage. Donovan beat Bernardez to shake himself free just inside San Jose’s offensive third, then fed an overlapping Keane in the left side of the Quakes’ penalty area. With a clot of defenders approaching, Keane fed the ball across the 6-yard box to the far post, where Jimenez slotted home into the open net for goal No. 2 of 2013.
Cudicini had to come up big in the 50th minute, when Chris Wondolowski’s header was not fully cleared, leaving a rebound for Marvin Chavez to hammer from 8 yards. But the shot went right into the body of a prone Cudicini.
Cudicini could not come up with the goods in the dying moments, however, and San Jose had found what the Quakes undoubtedly hope will be a turning point after gaining just 18 points from the first half of their MLS slate.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Real Salt Lake fans told to clean up language
(by Paul Nelson ksl.com 7-2-13)
Could Real Salt Lake and Major League Soccer issue sanctions against their own fan groups? It's a possibility if fans keep yelling a certain chant.
It's a chant that has been going around MLS for years.
The goalkeeper for the opposing team sets up a goal kick and the crowd yells, "You suck (expletive)."
"We think we're classier than that," said Trey Fitzgerald, communications director for RSL.
"Our fans are better than that."
The "YSA" chant didn't start in Utah, however. Fitzgerald said it can be heard in other states and other countries, but MLS has been trying to put an end to it for some time.
"It has been a constant dialogue amongst all the teams in all the stadiums for two years, at least, since the league started developing and enforcing this fan 'code of conduct,' " Fitzgerald said.
The last straw for MLS was when Rio Tinto Stadium hosted a World Cup qualifying match June 18.
Fitzgerald said the chant could be heard on national television in the U.S. and over 100 countries all over the world.
Many people voiced disappointment over social platforms, like Twitter, after hearing it. Following that, Fitzgerald said MLS stepped up their involvement in getting the chant banished. However, Salt Lake City isn't the only city being called out on this.
"The same thing is happening in New York and in Philadelphia," Fitzgerald said.
"It has happened in Seattle. It has happened in San Jose."
Fitzgerald said the chant, as minor as it may seem to some, has become a source of contention for fans. And whatever side RSL takes, some people are bound to be upset. Some parents have made it clear to RSL officials they don't want their kids hearing it.
At the same time, Fitzgerald believes it will be hard to regulate a fan's language.
"There are people that want to cancel their tickets over it," he said.
"There are other people that (might) cancel their tickets because we're trying to control what they view as free speech."
Supporters groups, like Section 26, have been sent a letter saying attempts to get the chant to stop have regressed since last season.
Supporter groups have until Aug. 11 to make improvements. If the group doesn't at least try to cooperate, a series of escalating sanctions may be levied against them.
"You're not being picked on; you're not being isolated," Fitzgerald said.
"You're being asked to be part of the solution; you're being asked to come up with something better."
--------------------
My take
Supporter groups that use this chant are wanna-be hooligans, and RSL has a lot of them. Even since the early days we had a lot of punks in the stands and some of them have gone off and made their own little supporter groups.
Give them a chance to fix the problem. The FO needs to go to them in person, talk to them and ask them to make the change. Let them know though if they don't they will be banned from the stadium.
If they keep doing it after the warning then ban them. RSL will survive without them and their childish chants.
Could Real Salt Lake and Major League Soccer issue sanctions against their own fan groups? It's a possibility if fans keep yelling a certain chant.
It's a chant that has been going around MLS for years.
The goalkeeper for the opposing team sets up a goal kick and the crowd yells, "You suck (expletive)."
"We think we're classier than that," said Trey Fitzgerald, communications director for RSL.
"Our fans are better than that."
The "YSA" chant didn't start in Utah, however. Fitzgerald said it can be heard in other states and other countries, but MLS has been trying to put an end to it for some time.
"It has been a constant dialogue amongst all the teams in all the stadiums for two years, at least, since the league started developing and enforcing this fan 'code of conduct,' " Fitzgerald said.
The last straw for MLS was when Rio Tinto Stadium hosted a World Cup qualifying match June 18.
Fitzgerald said the chant could be heard on national television in the U.S. and over 100 countries all over the world.
Many people voiced disappointment over social platforms, like Twitter, after hearing it. Following that, Fitzgerald said MLS stepped up their involvement in getting the chant banished. However, Salt Lake City isn't the only city being called out on this.
"The same thing is happening in New York and in Philadelphia," Fitzgerald said.
"It has happened in Seattle. It has happened in San Jose."
Fitzgerald said the chant, as minor as it may seem to some, has become a source of contention for fans. And whatever side RSL takes, some people are bound to be upset. Some parents have made it clear to RSL officials they don't want their kids hearing it.
At the same time, Fitzgerald believes it will be hard to regulate a fan's language.
"There are people that want to cancel their tickets over it," he said.
"There are other people that (might) cancel their tickets because we're trying to control what they view as free speech."
Supporters groups, like Section 26, have been sent a letter saying attempts to get the chant to stop have regressed since last season.
Supporter groups have until Aug. 11 to make improvements. If the group doesn't at least try to cooperate, a series of escalating sanctions may be levied against them.
"You're not being picked on; you're not being isolated," Fitzgerald said.
"You're being asked to be part of the solution; you're being asked to come up with something better."
--------------------
My take
Supporter groups that use this chant are wanna-be hooligans, and RSL has a lot of them. Even since the early days we had a lot of punks in the stands and some of them have gone off and made their own little supporter groups.
Give them a chance to fix the problem. The FO needs to go to them in person, talk to them and ask them to make the change. Let them know though if they don't they will be banned from the stadium.
If they keep doing it after the warning then ban them. RSL will survive without them and their childish chants.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)