The 2009 MLS season kicks off (get it?) with last year's suprise contender, the NY Red Bull, against this year's publicity darling, the expansion franchise Seattle Sounders FC. The latter are under the direction of new gaffer Sigi Schmid, who lead the Columbus Crew to the MLS title last year. They make their entrance in a big way tonight, with a sold-out Qwest Field and a highlighted match on ESPN2 (available in HD!). Unfortunately, this match also goes up against 4 first-round matchups from March Madness (although odds are good that 2 of those games will be done before kick-off). Loopy from too much basketball today? Join in down below!
Seattle come into this match with a bit of uncertainty about their squad. Vagenas (stop giggling) is out, while Ljunberg and Zakuani are questionable. Luckily for them, Montero is back from South America after clearing up his visa issues. NY, on the other hand, come into the match at full strength, minus back-up keeper Conway due to his suspension for a substance abuse violation which keeps him out until April 11th.
The expected line-up for Seattle is:
GK - Keller
DEF - Riley; Ianni; Marshall; Sturgis
MID - King; Evans; Alonso
ST - Montero; Jaqua; Le Toux
The expected line-up for NY is:
GK - Cepero
DEF - Goldthwaite; Petke; Mendes
MID - Hall; Ubiparipovic; Sassano; Richards; Rojas
ST - Kandji; Angel
20 minutes until kick-off, and neither ESPN nor MSLnet have the actual starting line-ups. Glad to see that they are on the ball.
O/U on Drew Carey appearances: 7
O/U on Drew Magary appearances: 1
So, given his recent smack-talk, what is the projected beatdown that the Galaxy put on the Sounder in their first match?
5 minutes until kick-off, and ESPN and MLSnet still don't have the starting line-ups. Way to promote the game!
Everyone hold on - I am going to liveblog this match on Facebook, using Twitter, through my cell phone.
So, if this NIT game goes to overtime, the MLS match gets screwed, right?
Audio cut to Stoner, who tells the NIT game to Hurry The Fuck Up!
OK, we officially have:
Red Bull NY
1 - Danny Cepero (GK)
2 - Kevin Goldthwaite
4 - Carlos Mendes
8 - Sinisa Ubiparipovic
9 - Juan Pablo Angel
10 - Macoumba Kandji
12 - Mike Petke
13 - Jorge Rojas
19 - Dane Richards
23 - Juan Pietravallo
27 - Andrew Boyens
Seattle Sounders:
18 - Kasey Keller (GK)
3 - Brad Evans
6 - Osvaldo Alonso
7 - James Riley
9 - Sebastien Le Toux
14 - Tyrone Marshall
17 - Fredy Montero
20 - Zach Scott
21 - Nate Jaqua
23 - Sanna Nyassi
34 - Jhon Kennedy Hurtado
00:00 - Buckle up, kids!
00:00 - First Drew Carey appearance. And, whoa, that's a lot of bright green.
00:00 - Light banter between Stoner and Alexi Lalas, who just doesn't look right with short hair.
00:00 - Oh, good. Let's talk about Beckham some more.
00:01 - And we're off! Finally.
00:40 - Red Bull dominating possession. All 1 minute of it! Ubiparivpovic (Ubi from now on) goes down, but no call. Seattle throw leads to nothing.
02:20 - It has been noted (rightly) that Seattle's kits provide perfect camoflage against the pitch. Perhaps that is why they are missing each other with their passes?
03:20 - Alonso runs over Rojas, who looks like someone just kicked his dog. The resulting free-kick is wasted.
04:30 - First good touch from Montero is well-taken, and he is fouled. This kid could definitely be something special. Ball eventually comes into Cepero, who collects it easily.
06:10 - A Stooge-like pass from Seattle goes out for a NY throw. The ball goes up the line to absolutely nobody. Sloppy on both sides, but Nyassi eventually gets off a shot that Cepero takes easily.
07:20 - Ball comes into to the box to Montero and Petke muffs the first clearance, but manages to get a boot on it and put it out.
08:25 - Ball into Angel, but he is offsides. We travel to the other end where Montero tries to get onto the end of long pass but Petke ushers the ball out for a goal kick.
11:00 - GOAL! Seattle 1-0 Red Bull. The Sounders work the ball well around the top of the box and Montero puts the ball across the goal to the far post. Cepero looked a little lost in goal. Assist from Le Toux.
12:00 - Alonso picks up a YC as he trips Angel at the top of the box. The resulting kick is well over the bar.
14:00 - The ball squirts down the touchline to Nyassi (as the Red Bull defender falls over), but Jaqua puts the shot just wide of the goal.
15:40 - Defensively, NY are looking a little overwhelmed. Their marking is poor, but on the positive side their passing is...poor?
17:20 - NY get a corner kick after Scott (who is looking a little lost himself) can't keep the ball inbounds. The kick goes to the far post and Nyassi puts it out for a throw. The next ball comes into the box but is headed clear.
19:50 - As Nyassi runs past Goldthwaite, the latter reaches out and grabs him for a YC.
21:20 - Kandji, who looks a bit like Drogba, is fouled by Hurtado. The free-kick comes out to Richards who dribbles into the box and then puts it over the endline.
22:00 - Drew Carey sighting #2!
22:35 - Nyassi abuses Goldthwaite again, and gets off a shot, but it is stopped by Cepero.
23:00 - A ball over the top from Le Toux is well-take by Cepero at the edge of the box for the clearance. The ball comes back again and Montero shoots wide.
24:30 - GOAL! Seattle 2-0 Red Bull. Cepero is absolutely abused like a rented mule as Evans receives the ball in the box and nutmegs him.
26:30 - Alonso wins a free-kick after some mild contact and a Pederson-like dive. The kick comes into the box where Cepero takes it after muffing his first touch.
28:40 - Riley receives a ball over the top in the box, but his centering pass is cleared. Seattle is absolutely running roughshod over the Red Bull.
30:06 - Le Toux gets off a shot that is deflected up into Cepero's arms. Surprisingly, he holds on to it.
31:30 - After some extremely poor passing from NY, they luck when the ball hits Murtado in the arm. He gets a YC and the Red Bull get a free-kick at the top of the box. Rojas puts it into the wall.
33:30 - It's Richard Alpert v. John Legend on the pitch!
35:30 - Nyassi is played through and is barely offside. Lucky for Cepero, because the keeper grabbed Nyassi as he shot past him. Oh, and we had Drew Carey sighting #3.
37:20 - Richards goes down as he tries to cross and the ball comes back into his face.
39:00 - I saw better passing last night in the game before mine in my rec league. It was a U-10 girls match.
40:00 - John Harkes says it was a "probing, teasing, ball." He must have spent last night with Lance Armstrong.
41:01 - Corner kick for Seattle taken by Le Toux. He doesn't get it up high enough, and Angel puts it out for a throw. The next ball is cleared out to midfield.
42:30 - Shot from Le Toux goes over the bar. The Frenchman, last year's USL MVP, is looking more comfortable as the match progresses.
43:50 - Throw in deep for NY, and the ball comes in to the box only to be cleared by Le Toux.
44:50 - I do believe that Harkes' favorite word is "suspect", as he has now referred to the passing in this match as "suspect" at least 8 times.
HALF-TIME - Seattle 2-0 Red Bull. NY started well for the first 5-10 minutes, but then the Sounders started to exert control. 3 Drew Carey sightings, and from the look and sound of things, I do believe that "Green Street Hooligans" was given to each member of the crowd as a model for their scarf-wearing, chanting behavior.
Stoner asks Garber his impresison of the first half. Response - "it's what I hoped soccer could be in this country." I hope he's talking about the fan support in Seattle, because the product on the pitch is shite.
Garber's promised revelation doesn't come, as he doesn't specifically state who is getting the next franchise. They promptly show a shot of Portland as Garber says he is moving south for the announcement. Smooth. What a well-kept secret.
SIDE NOTE: I believe that Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey have a serious gambling addiction.
QUESTION: Why doesn't the women's NCAA tournament have a play-in game between #64 and #65?
45:00 - Borman on for Ubiporipovic (NY). Boyens had come on for Hall at some point in the first half, but I was napping.
46:30 - A Delap-like throw from Goldthwaite causes some minor confusion, but Seattle clear.
47:50 - Corner from Rojas for NY gets pushed to the top of the box. Shot goes wide.
51:10 - Ball into the box for Seattle and Cepero comes out well for it.
52:38 - some nice work gets the ball to Angel at the top of the box, but Seattle clear all the way out to Le Toux, who was in alone but gets stopped by Hall.
53:30 - Wait! Nate Jaqua is white?
55:05 - Harkes wants Seattle to "tease NY before penetrating." Sick bastard.
57:00 - Oh good. The Sounders fans have started the generic "Ole. Ole, Ole, Ole." chant.
59:20 - Yet another ball into the box for Seattle. It's cleared down the line and the Red Bull force a corner on the counter-attack. The ball is played in to the 6, and Keller takes it easily.
SIDE NOTE: As a GK, I have never once worn long pants. Thus, Kasey Keller is a nancy.
60:30 - Angel plays a nice through-ball, but Kandji is offsides.
62:00 - A very nasty tackle on Angel by Scott, but he gets away without a card. Studs up nasty. The free-kick is cleared by Nyassi.
64:30 - Good work from Seattle, but the ball bounces around in the box and Le Toux gets caught offside.
SIDE NOTE: Bigus would like everyone to know that Harkes is talking out his ass, as he stated that Ljunberg has played as a second striker throughout his career, which Bigus maintains is false.
67:00 - Another YC for the match. I missed who it was to, as I was following Bigus' directions.
67:45 - #1 draft choice Zakuani in for Nyassi.
68:00 - Kandji in on goal and Keller absolutely stones him.
70:00 - A nice ball to the back post from Richards to Angel comes back across the goal and is cleared. The ball eventually winds up to Rojas who gets off a great shot, which Keller barely tips over the bar. The following corner is taken easily by Keller.
71:00 - A Seattle counter leads to Zakuani getting the ball near the spot, but Cepero comes up big to deny him. The corner is taken by Le Toux, but Cepero grabs it.
72:30 - Richards leads with the elbow in going up for a header and Keller takes the resulting free-kick, which goes over the opposite touchline for a goal kick.
SIDE NOTE: u75 also wore pants in goal. He is also nancy.
74:22 - GOAL! Seattle 3-0 Red Bull. Montero gets a brace as he walks the ball up to the top of the box after dispossessing Petke and faking out Cepero.
76:35 - We have to assume that Montero is now on pace to score 132 goals this season.
78:22 - A long pass into the box for Angel is cleared by Riley. The throw goes back down the line and winds up played out by Seattle. Montero gets taken down on the counter, but it's only a throw, rather than a free-kick. Sigi Schmid complains to the 4th official about the tackle, and the center ref comes over to admonish him.
81:00 - The passing from NY has been atrocious throughout most of this match. Goldthwaite and Jaqua get tangled up and roll around on the floor. Harkes informs us that they are fine. WHEW!
81:00 - A nice ball from Le Toux is wasted, as neither Jaqua nor Alonso can get on to the end of it.
83:50 - Richards gets in to the box and then goes down like a geriatric hooker around Wayne Rooney. No PK is given, and he looks dejected.
85:00 - Seattle get even more pressure at the top of the box, and NY are unable to clear. The ball finally trickles out for a Red Bull throw.
87:20 - Another ball into the box from Le Toux, and Cepero does well to get a hand on it and push it clear of danger.
89:00 - Rojas dribbles through half of the Seattle midfield and then crosses wide. NY again fail to do anything with their work and are forced to retreat to midfield.
90:30 - Montero off to a standing ovation for his brace. Levesque comes on in his place.
91:50 - Alonso takes a shot that is well over the crossbar, which Harkes says "is not a bad strike." It's the last touch of the match.
FULL-TIME: Seattle 3-0 Red Bull. Impressive brace from Montero, and Seattle is off to a good start. NY, on the other hand, are shite.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
NY Red Bull v. Seattle Sounders: Your MLS Liveblog
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131 comments:
I guess this makes me a d*&% to think of it this way, but ...
If a back-up keeper is getting paid enough to maintain a substance habit - that has to be a good sign for the financial health of the league.
No?
Okay the 20k season tickets is probably a better indicator, you're right.
well, he might just be an alcoholic. That's not too expensive
I predict that Drew Carey will make at least one appearance in the broadcast booth.
Ljunberg is hurt already?
Freddie pulled a groin stretching for an underwear ad.
/might be true
Man....Espn could give a rats about the MLS. They may have to now...
Wow, NIT tourney > MLS
Well there's a plug for the MLS match. But how much you want to bet this college basketball game goes to overtime??
Phew! Game ended. Well done, Notre Dame (only time I'll ever say that in my life).
Damn it, I had to watch Notre Dame win for this
Boy those latte sipping hipsters really like the green eh?
Thank G-d ND won! (1st and last time in my life I will say that...)
Oh, and my favorite quote of the day I've been wanting to comment on since I was at work:
Michael Owen: "I'm not injury prone".
jjf3: "I'm not beer-drinking prone".
Let's just say Owen is stiff competition in the "Liar, Liar" category...
We've been had.... I thought the game would start at 9pm. But no, it's the pregame show first. And a discussion about Beckham at that!! Zzzzzzzzz.
gives me a chance to get in a pee-break before I have to start liveblogging
David Beck-ham? Who's that? (haha to be fair nice dis of Alexi Lalas.)
Oh boy Don Garber with teh announcement of the last MLS expansion city... Wonder if it'll be Portland??
Oh and guess what Alexi, David Beckham doesn't give two shits what you think?
jjf3: there's always room for more. On MLS's biggest opening day, they're talking about the satanic shit-eater who turned his back.
He's dominating by his absence. HATE
Alexi Lalas yakking about David Beckham makes me want to kill myself.
DEAR GOD MAKE IT STOP! MLS acts like a jilted girlfriend whose man left her for someone much hotter.
I heard that at halftime Don Garber is going to announce that FSC won the Champions League rights.
Are they done with Beckham yet? It's gotten to the point where there's nothing interesting going on in basketball.
Jesus Christ, who the fuck runs MLS's marketing??? Like I joked yesterday, monks in Belgium? This is a huge opportunity to sell the sport in the US, and they open on March Madness Thursday, and then allow ESPN to ruin the single greatest moment MLS will ever have to show the media/public how much passion for football there is in the US, and they spend too much time on Becks, without properly spinning it?? WTF even let Lalas in the coverage, whatsoever?? My G-d, I'm not a PR expert, but I could do a better job while shit-faced than MLS is doing...
Well look at that Sounders have a dance crew!!
Silly me, I thought that the 9:00 start was the same as a 9:00 kickoff. Whoops!
The green may be a little garish, but I really do like Seattle's kits. They also have the best sponsor since Arsenal had those sweet Dreamcast kits.
Is this game gonna start, or what?
Re: Sounders kits
They look like GK shirts.
The all green on a green pitch is like camouflage. I can't see Ljungberg!
Oh, wait...
And the field turf claims its first victim.
Does anyone else find the preponderance of scarves to be a little too corporate and manufactured?
smart way to save money. Unless I've forgotten someone (quite possible), those kits should play anywhere...
This game could use some hobbled Ljunberg
MH,
while I haven't watched footie in Seattle, even a decade or so ago it would not have surprised me if that city jumped on the more traditional/English aspects of fandom...
Do they really need the somewhat hypnotic 360 ads on the side boards?
They've got the weather part down, that's for sure.
Totally unrelated, but there's a guy whose last name is Frye playing for Portland against Cleveland, and I had a moment of silence for Charlie Frye when his name came up. Kid sucked, but he had a good heart.
As usual, MLS gameplay is somewhere between League One and Rec League.... punt, mis-hit ball, pass, turnover, out of bounds.... repeat.
"The delivery...give it harder"
That is amazing commentary
Well well well, way to flood the box and overwhelm the crappy Red Bull defense.
They gave it plenty hard to...whoever that guy was.
Cepero really should've saved that goal
"Montero was acquired by the Sounders in January of 2009 on loan from Deportivo Cali, despite interest from Spanish side Real Betis."
Nice bit of business there by Seattle...
He's only 21 perhaps La Liga will come soon enough..
The way the Sounders missed that open net, I thought maybe I missed them signing Bendtner.
Ok, what's with the band?
Red Bulls' back four are Stoke-esque
Jeez, that goal was just kinda sad
Oh boy...megged
Juan Pablo Angel looks like Richard Alpert.
John Legend is wearing no 7 for Seattle tonight. Good first half performance from Legend, this.
Bigus has reported that he's enjoying this MLS match... But he's watching in bed and can't be arsed to post himself.
I admit to not paying much attention to the MLS, but how the hell did New York end up in the final last year?
Nooo. Not Dane Richards.
Nice that Seattle has already learned the nuances of football... booing Dane Richards after he took a deflection off his face.
@Teeknuts: Very good and lucky run through the playoffs, and Cepero was actually on fire. It looks like whatever flashes of brilliance Cepero showed were a total mirage, though.
Teek, quick answer:
two words: Dane Richards
he fucking flew, flew, by LW's last year in the playoffs, and that surprised a few teams...
I find this match oddly enjoyable. I may have to give this "American Soccerball" a chance.
@Teeknuts:
and, yes, Cepero could have stopped Jesus from scoring for about 3 games as well...
Oh joy halftime analysis from Alexi Lalas!!! I bet he brings up Beckham again.
Has Keller even touched the ball this game??
What can Alexi Lalas tell me about soccer that I don't already know? Or will he offer a mea culpa over this Beckham fiasco?
So, does the green on green look better in HD? Because when the camera pans, I can't pick out players.
LATTE AND A SCARF! ROB STONE MADE A FUNNY!!
Dear MLS:
If you ever look at this blog, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, make sure that Alexei Lalas NEVER comments on the MLS ever again. EVERY American fan KNOWS that he is THE single WORST GM in MLS history. THE WORST. Yet, you allow ESPN to put him on the air repeatedly...you deserve the ratings you get. I WANT MLS to succeed...WHY do you try to ruin the game here? WHY? WHY?
Is this Montero guy the missing Colombian?
Rob Stone makes the obligatory "latte" joke. The follows it up with the lede of asking Garber about Beckham. Fuck ESPN.
Pokerstars.net ads > Proactiv ads
Yep, there's definitely gonna be more Beckham. Time to watch Duke destroy whatever crap team they're playing
Damn it, 'Tator, stealing my observations.
@Andrew - yes, Montero is the missing child in question. He returned this past weekend from clearing up his visa troubles in South America.
Don Garber looks like he should be in the Octobox on CNBC.
At least Don Garber knows how to pronounce "derby."
+1 to Garber for pronouncing "derbies" correctly.
Yeah. The "missing" thing was a misunderstanding that got cleared up the next day the club. We corrected it the next night.
David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham David Beckham
@Andrew: Winnar!!
Uh..... So what was the big news at halftime? That there's going to be a big announcement in Portland? Okaythanks.
How many Americans could name Lionel Messi in the PESoccer ad?
Is is just me or were there homoerotic undertones to that women's basketball commercial?
@Andrew - 91,459
It is a PACKED house at that bar
@NYK: Hmm. A bit high.
Ok, Dellacamera and Harkes need to shut up and let the action speak for themselves.
He really needs to stop saying service so much
Sounders backline is showing signs of weakness. Must be the latte, right Rob Stone? RIGHT?
Is Ljungberg playing yet?
306,043,178 people in the US. 91,459 represents .03% of the population. I stand by my estimate.
JP and John sound bored... Or maybe it's just that I'm starting to get sleepy.
Well, I'm not one to argue with determined statistics.
Soccernet has sunk to new depths, with the tagline 'Given saved Man City's bacon.' There's your homoeroticism, Teeknuts.
Wow an Ole Ole Ole chant. Well done, Seattle. Well done!
And here comes the "Ole" chant. 1998 called . . .
Are you two in a competition or something?
I think the Sounders supporters should sing Mudhoney songs.
If we are, Specs up 3-nil.
@Andrew: AND STILL CHAMPION!!
RBNY pressing well, penning Sounders back. A RBNY goal here would make the match significantly more interesting.
NOT AS MANY CLUBS AS JACK NICKLAUS! JOHN HARKES MADE A FUNNY!
Sorry for the all caps, just trying to keep things lively
Oh, Andrew. We at UF have the non-tape-delayed feed. He's just playing with you.
Anyone else think Harkes would give it up to Keller after the game?
So, just to cover: Studs up into Angel's ankle well after the ball is gone--no card. Hard tackle through the man and ball--yellow card.
To be fair, those sweatpants Keller is wearing are pretty sexy.
Hey it's UF Facebook friend--Steve Zakuani!
Thanks, Umlaut, for that Harkes-Keller mental image. And I suspected as much with the non-tape delayed feed.
@ΓΌ75: I know. Harkes spent 2 minutes explaining how great it was that Keller didn't leave his line when a ball came in. Whoopee! And then they misse the shot on goal while yakking about Zakuani.
Ok, this game got a lot more exicting
Who was the keeper in the EPL a couple years back (not Paddy Kenny) who always wore the gray sweats? He was Hungarian or something. Anyway Keller does pull the look off much better now. Still not sexy, but sexy enough for John "Powerbottom" Harkes
Well, Harkes is definitely grabbing ankle after that Keller save.
@Teeknuts: Agreed. Much more exciting.
Montero is a pretty nice player
@PR-I wore pants occasionally. The pitches I played on were much worse than anything Keller has seen as an adult.
Let's go Sounders (clap clap clapclapclap). How drole.
3.
Best team ever.
Is Claudio Reyna back playing in the backline for RBNY?
That's a little francais for you, NYK.
Montero with a nice goal.
And it's Seattle
Seattle Sounders FC
You're by far the greatest team
The world has ever seen
"To score 43 goals in 64 games is quite good."
Understatement of the year award nominee.
This is officially a rout.... But I think it's more because Red Bulls are absolute pants.
Occasionally. I was occasionally a nancy.
How long until Montero is injured long-term?
Cali let him go? For real? WTF kind of deal did Seattle come up with? And why did they allow him to walk away, or what kind of sell-up-deals did they take a cut of??
And why can't the Dynamo bring an actual Latino player here???
Michael Owen doesn't believe injuries will affect Montero.
Both teams getting snippy. I like the passion, the emotion. No John Harkes.
No Drew Carey sightings for a while, eh? Wonder if he got stuck in the toilet or something.
Le Toux almost gave Montero le three.
Your welcome.
I don't know about their depth, but SSFC have some pretty damn good individual players out there.
Excuse me, Mr. Dane Richards? You are not Andrey Arshavin.
"You rarely see Kasey Keller roll the ball on the pitch" You would like to see that, wouldn't you?
Sounders playing some very nice football. I'm impressed.
Le Toux's crosses are dangerous. Between him and Montero, Sounders have some good talent. Just like Umlaut said.
Sounders have a player with the unfortunate name of Peter Vagenas. I'm 13.
That was fun! Now it's time to watch Bruce on the Daily Show.
Seattle was pretty good, I might have to keep an eye on them.
I enjoyed that. Thanks NYK for the liveblog.
@Andrew - you're welcome.
I'm exhausted.
RE: Goalie in pants
It was Gabor Kiraly. O'Neill loaned him in from Palace during his first year at Villa after Sorensen and Taylor both got injured. That was the year Chris Sutton was our top striking threat.
Memories. . .
That's him. Bet NYK wouldn't call that beast a nancy.
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