MLS Weekend September 5-7, 2014

Friday has just one game of the nine this weekend, and it's in...

Los Angeles, as the Galaxy host the Colorado Rapids. Brian Rowe and Joe Nasco get the starts in goal. Nasco didn't last long, as he received a straight red card for a professional foul in the very first minute of the game. In corresponding moves, Dillon Serna was subbed out for goalie Clint Irwin, and Colorado had to play almost the entire game at ten men. Also resulting from the play was a penalty kick by Landon Donovan, putting Los Angeles on the board first. The Galaxy added on in the thirtieth minute with a Baggio Husidic goal, passed from Alan Gordon and Marcelo Sarvas. After the goal, Husidic got a garbage yellow card for excessive celebration. The celebration here was in honor of teammate A.J. DeLaGarza's recently deceased newborn child, Luca. There should have been a yellow card on the referee for insensitivity in this case. In the second minute of first half stoppage time, Gyasi Zardes extended the Los Angeles lead with a goal, set up by Donovan and Husidic. The Galaxy padded the lead as Donovan deposited another penalty kick goal in the forty-seventh minute. Los Angeles' Stefan Ishizaki took a yellow card for a fiftieth minute foul. The Rapids also had a yellow card, given to Marc Burch in the fifty-seventh minute for a foul, followed by a yellow card for Thomas Piermayr in the seventieth minute, also for a foul. The Galaxy kept going in the seventy-fifth minute with another Zardes goal, fueled by Ishizaki. Colorado was booked again with an eighty-fourth minute foul by Marlon Hairston that brought out another yellow card. Los Angeles iced it at 6-0 with Husidic's second of the game, via Donovan and Sarvas. The man of the match was Husidic for his brace and heartfelt tribute to Luca DeLaGarza.

On Saturday, the games begin in the afternoon in Toronto, as Toronto FC welcomes the Philadelphia Union. Zac MacMath and Joe Bendik are in the six-yard boxes. Philadelphia began in the eighth minute on a Conor Casey goal, with an assist by Sheanon Williams. Toronto took a yellow card in the twenty-eighth minute for a foul by Doneil Henry. The Union added on in the forty-fourth minute with an Andrew Wenger goal, helped along by Williams. This was it for the game, with Philadelphia winning 2-0. Williams was the man of the match for setting up both goals.

Down in the States, the New York Red Bulls bring in Sporting Kansas City. Andy Gruenebaum and Luis Robles are the goalies. New York struck first in the eleventh minute on a Bradley Wright-Phillips penalty kick conversion. The Red Bulls took a yellow card for unsporting behavior in the fourth minute of stoppage time by Ibrahim Sekagya. New York added on in the fifty-second minute with a Thierry Henry goal, guided in by Lloyd Sam. Kansas City got on the board with a Dominic Dwyer goal in the fifty-fourth minute, passed from Seth Sinovic and Graham Zusi. Sporting saw Igor Juliao get booked for a foul in the fifty-seventh minute, giving him a yellow card. Kansas City took another yellow card in the sixty-second minute for a Zusi foul. Sporting was visited by the referee again in the sixty-eighth minute for a foul by Lawrence Olum. This was it for the game, with the final being 2-1. Henry's goal made him the man of the match.

South to Houston, as the Dynamo host the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Tyler Deric protect the nets. Houston led off in the thirtieth minute with an unassisted goal by Giles Barnes. Montreal tied it in the fortieth minute with a Dilly Duka goal, set up by Felipe Martins. The Impact took the lead in the fifty-fifth minute on an Ignacio Piatti goal, courtesy of Marco Di Vaio. The Dynamo retied it with a sixty-second minute Barnes goal, coming off of Omar Cummings. Houston took the lead in the sixty-fifth minute on a goal by Ricardo Clark, made possible by David Horst and Brad Davis. Montreal's Martins took a yellow card in the seventy-first minute for a foul. The final was 3-2, and Barnes was the man of the match for his brace.

Up in Canada again, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC welcome DC United. Bill Hamid and David Ousted are the solid goalies. DC's Bobby Boswell was given a yellow card for a foul in the eighteenth minute. This was the only action in the 0-0 draw, with the man of the match being Hamid for his three save clean sheet to earn a point for United.

Closing out Saturday, Real Salt Lake brings in FC Dallas. Raul Fernandez and Nick Rimando are the keepers. Salt Lake struck first in the thirty-first minute with a Robbie Findley goal, going in unassisted. Dallas was given a yellow card in the fifty-fourth minute for a Zach Loyd foul. Dallas tied the game on a sixty-second minute goal by Michel. Real took the lead in the seventy-seventh minute on an Alvaro Saborio goal, via Javier Morales. Salt Lake's Tony Beltran was given a yellow card for an eighty-fifth minute foul. The final was 2-1, and the man of the match was Saborio for his decisive goal.

For starters on Sunday, we have the Columbus Crew hosting Chivas USA. Dan Kennedy and Steve Clark will protect the nets. Chivas was first to be visited by the referee in the fortieth minute for an Andrew Jean-Baptiste foul, giving him a yellow card. Columbus struck first with a fifty-second minute Justin Meram goal, via Waylon Francis. The Crew added on as Meram scored an unassisted goal in the fifty-ninth minute. Columbus took a yellow card for a sixty-ninth minute foul by Eric Gehrig. The Crew extended their lead in the eightieth minute on a Bernardo Anor goal, made possible by Hector Jimenez. This made it 3-0, the final, and Meram was the man of the match.

Out west, the Portland Timbers welcome the San Jose Earthquakes. Jon Busch and Donovan Ricketts are the keepers. San Jose, despite an early flurry in front of their net, struck first in the twenty-first minute with a Chris Wondolowski goal, going in unassisted. The Earthquakes added on with a Cordell Cato goal in the forty-eighth minute, passed from Wondolowski. Portland got on the board with a fifty-fourth minute goal by Alvas Powell, set up by Diego Valeri. The Timbers took a yellow card for dissent by Will Johnson in the fifty-seventh minute. Portland pulled even in the seventy-fourth minute as Liam Ridgewell scored, with a helper from Valeri. San Jose took a yellow card for a seventy-sixth minute Shaun Francis foul, followed by another yellow card going to Shea Salinas in the eighty-first minute for time wasting. The Earthquakes pulled ahead in the eighty-fifth minute as Wondolowski scored his second of the game, with the help of ol' lazy bones, Salinas. The Timbers equalized in the eighty-sixth minute on a Kalif Alhassan goal, assisted by Powell and Valeri. Portland's Powell was given a yellow card in the eighty-eighth minute for a foul. San Jose had another pair of yellow cards in stoppage time, going to Victor Bernardez for a foul in the first added minute, and to Wondolowski for a foul a minute later. After the late flurry of activity, the final stood at 3-3, and the man of the match was Busch with his ten out of thirteen save performance. Without him, the Earthquakes would have lost handily.

Finally, the New England Revolution bring in the Chicago Fire. Sean Johnson and Bobby Shuttleworth are the gloved men. Chicago struck first in the twenty-eighth minute with a Sanna Nyassi goal, assisted by Quincy Amarikwa. The Fire took two yellow cards for fouls, with Lovel Palmer getting one in the thirty-sixth minute and Razvan Cocis getting the other in the thirty-ninth minute. New England tied it in the forty-first minute on a Diego Fagundez goal, courtesy of Lee Nguyen and Jose Goncalves. Chicago got a yellow card in the fifty-eighth minute for a Bakary Soumare foul. The Revolution took the lead in the sixtieth minute on a goal by Charles Davies, helped along by Jermaine Jones. In the seventy-fourth minute, New England was given a yellow card for an argument by Barnes. The Revolution were booked twice in the seventy-eighth minute, with yellow cards going to Scott Caldwell for a foul and Jones for dissent. This was it for the game, with the final being 2-1, and the man of the match was Davies for the winning goal.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL September 6th, 2014

Twelve games on today, making it quite a busy day for the KHL. We begin with...

Avangard Omsk hosting Admiral Vladivostok. Ari Ahonen and Konstantin Barulin are in goal. Omsk was first to score in the first period with a power play goal by Vladimir Pervushin, assisted by Denis Kulyash. Vladivostok tied it in the second period with a Richard Gynge goal, fueled by Konstantin Makarov and Denis Kuzmin. Avangard pulled ahead again with a Denis Parshin power play goal, powered by Kirill Lyamin and Alexander Popov. Omsk added on with a Nikita Pivtsakin goal, passed from Kulyash. Admiral got one back in the third period on an Enver Lisin goal, guided in by Jan Kolar. Avangard iced it at 4-2 with a Sergei Shirokov goal, coming off of Lyamin. The three stars were Kulyash, Lyamin, and Pivtsakin.

To the east, Sibir Novosibirsk welcomes Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Andrei Kareyev and Mikko Koskinen are the masked men. Novosibirsk opened in the first period on an Andreas Thuresson goal, via Dmitry Monya. Sibir added on with a Patrik Hersley power play goal, powered by Thuresson. Novosibirsk extended the lead as Monya scored an unassisted power play goal. Sibir padded the lead on a second period Thuresson power play goal, guided in by Jonas Enlund and Monya. Novokuznetsk got on the board with an Ansel Galimov power play goal, passed from Vladimir Malinovsky and Alexander Komaristy. Novosibirsk replied on an Alexei Kopeikin goal,with a lone helper by Dmitry Kugryshev. Sibir finished it at 6-1 in the third period as Kopeikin scored another goal, coming on the power play with the help of Kugryshev and Jarno Koskiranta. The three stars were Thuresson, Monya, and Kopeikin, while Kugryshev gets an honorable mention.

Backtracking to Magnitogorsk, as Metallurg brings in Slovan Bratislava. Johan Backlund and Vasily Koshechking tend the twines. Magnitogorsk led off in the first period with a Jan Kovar power play goal, powered by Chris Lee and Sergei Mozyakin. Bratislava tied it with a Vaclav Nedorost power play goal, assisted by Matt Murley and Ladislav Nagy. Slovan took the lead with a Milan Bartovic goal, fueled by Murley and Rok Ticar. Metallurg tied it in the second period on an Evgeny Grigorenko goal, guided in by Yaroslav Kosov. Bratislava took the lead back in the third period on a Nagy power play goal, made possible by Ivan Baranka and Ziga Jeglic. This was all they needed to win 3-2, with the three stars being Nagy, Murley, and Bartovic.

Up in Ufa, Salavat Yulaev hosts Vityaz Podolsk. Harri Sateri and Vladimir Sokhatsky are the new KHL goalies. Podolsk began in the first period with a Mario Kempe power play goal, powered by Dmitry Tsyganov and Denis Grebeshkov. Ufa tied it on a power play goal by Ivan Vishnevsky, coming off of Alexei Kaigorodov. Salavat Yulaev took the lead on an unassisted power play goal by Kirill Koltsov. Ufa added on in the third period with a Kaigorodov goal, made possible by Antti Pihlstrom. Salavat Yulaev extended the lead with a goal by Dmitry Makarov, going in unassisted. Ufa padded the lead with an Ilkka Heikkinen goal, with assists provided by Anton Slepyshev and Alexei Vasilevsky. Salavat Yulaev finished it at 6-1 with another Makarov goal, coming on the power play with the help of Arturs Kulda and Teemu Hartikainen. The three stars were Kaigorodov, Makarov, and Koltsov.

Down into Kazakhstan, where Barys Astana welcomes Amur Khabarovsk. Sergei Borisov and Jan Laco are in the blue paint. Astana started in the first period with a Roman Starchenko goal, fueled by Nikolai Antropov on the power play. Khabarovsk tied it in the second period on a power play goal by Dmitry Tarasov, powered by Tommi Taimi and Rastislav Spirko. Barys retook the lead on an unassisted goal by Mike Lundin. Amur evened the score again as Ruslan Bashkirov scored an unassisted goal. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Khabarovsk got a goal from Marcel Hascak, but Astana answered with tallies by Starchenko and Nigel Dawes for a 3-2 win. The three stars were Starchenko, Lundin, and Dawes.

Back in Russia, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg brings in Medvescak Zagreb. Barry Brust and Jakub Kovar guard the cages. Zagreb struck first in the first period with an unassisted power play goal by Anthony Stewart. Medvescak added on in the second period as Pascal Pelletier scored, thanks to Mark Flood. Yekaterinburg got on the board with a Jakub Petruzalek goal, going in unassisted. Avtomobilist tied it on an Anton Lazarev goal, fueled by Petruzalek. Late in the third period, Yekaterinburg took the lead on an Igor Yemeleyev goal, passed from Eduard Lewandowski and Evgeny Lapenkov. This held up for a 3-2 win, and Yemeleyev, Petruzalek, and Lazarev were the three stars.

To the west, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod hosts Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov and Ivan Kasutin are given the starting nods. Nizhny Novgorod was first to score in the first period with a Juuso Hietanen goal, with a lone assist by Jarkko Immonen. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it in the second period on an Andrei Sergeyev goal, coming off of Nikita Gusev on the power play. Yugra took the lead on a Sergei Lesnukhin goal in the third period, with a lone helper by Ben Maxwell. Khanty-Mansiysk iced it at 3-1 with a Maxwell empty net goal, set up by Lukas Kaspar. The three stars went to Maxwell, Lesnukhin, and Biryukov (33 for 34 in saves).

Further west to St. Petersburg, as SKA welcomes the Sochi Leopards. Tomas Popperle and Alexander Salak man the creases. Sochi opened with a first period power play goal by Andrei Pervyshin, powered by Mark Olver and Pavel Koledov. St. Petersburg tied it in the second period on an Anton Belov goal, fueled by Patrick Thoresen and Tony Martensson. SKA took the lead with an Artemy Panarin power play goal, assisted by Evgeny Dadonov and Vadim Shipachyov. The Leopards retied it in the third period on an Ilya Krikunov goal, coming off of Alexei Krutov and Igor Ignatushkin. St. Petersburg pulled ahead again on another Belov goal, guided in by Shipachyov and Panarin. This held up for a 3-2 win. The three stars were Belov, Panarin, and Shipachyov.

Back to Cherepovets, where Severstal brings in Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vladislav Fokin and Jakub Stepanek are between the pipes. Cherepovets started in the first period on a Pavel Buchnevich goal, guided in by Gennady Stolyarov and Marek Kvapil. Chelyabinsk tied it on a Nikita Khlystov goal, passed from Anton Glinkin and Andrei Popov. Severstal took the lead back with a Kvapil goal, fueled by Buchnevich. Traktor tied it again as Popov scored, thanks to Semyon Kokuyov. Chelyabinsk took the lead in the third period on a Denis Abdullin goal, made possible by Popov and Andrei Kondratyev. The three stars were Popov, Kvapil, and Buchnevich.

Down in Kazan, Ak Bars hosts Atlant Mytishchi. Atte Engren and Anders Nilsson protect the nets. Mytishchi struck first in the first period on an Andreas Engqvist power play goal, powered by Matthew Gilroy. Atlant added on in the second period as Gilroy scored a power play goal, thanks to Nikita Soshnikov and Roman Rukavishnikov. Mytishchi extended the lead in the third period on a Vyacheslav Kozlov power play goal, with assists by Ondrej Nemec and Soshnikov. Kazan got on the board as Oscar Moller scored, via Igor Mirnov and Evgeny Medvedev on the power play. Atlant replied with a Nemec empty net goal to make it a 4-1 final, going in unassisted. The three stars were Gilroy, Soshnikov, and Nemec.

North to Finland, where Jokerit Helsinki welcomes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Riku Helenius will try to stop the puck. Helsinki led off in the first period with a Niklas Hagman goal, fueled by Ville Lajunen and Niko Kapanen on the power play. Yaroslavl tied it with a Jiri Novotny goal, with a lone assist by Staffan Kronwall on the power play. Jokerit took the lead back in the second period on another Hagman power play goal, powered by Juhamatti Aaltonen and Ryan Gunderson. Helsinki added on with a Linus Omark goal, with a lone helper by Petr Koukal on the power play. Lokomotiv got one back in the third period as Sergei Plotnikov scored an unassisted goal. They failed to tie it, losing 3-2, with the three stars being Hagman, Omark, and Helenius (36 for 38 in saves).

Finally, in Latvia, Dinamo Riga brings in the similarly named Dinamo Minsk. Lars Haugen and Edgars Masalskis occupy the creases. Minsk began with a shorthanded and unassisted Jonathan Cheechoo goal. Riga tied it in the second period with a Krisjanis Redlihs power play goal, powered by Lauris Darzins and Miks Indrasis. Riga took the lead in the third period on a power play goal by Pyotr Schastlivy, guided in by Marcel Hossa and Charles Genoway. Riga added on with an Oskars Cibulskis goal, passed from Indrasis and Redlihs on the power play. Riga extended the lead as Roberts Bukarts scored, thanks to Gunars Skvorcovs and Schastlivy. Minsk got one back with a Paul Szczechura power play goal, assisted by Charles Linglet and Cheechoo. This was as close as it got, with the final being 4-2. The three stars went to Schastlivy, Redlihs, and Indrasis, while Cheechoo gets an honorable mention.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL September 5th, 2014

Just another single-game day, as Dynamo Moscow hosts crosstown rivals CSKA Moscow. Stanislav Galimov and Alexander Yeryomenko tend the twines. Dynamo opened with a first period power play goal by Nikolai Zherdev, powered by Konstantin Glazachev. CSKA tied it with an Igor Grigorenko goal, fueled by Alexander Radulov. CSKA took the lead with a Stephane Da Costa goal, coming off of Grigorenko and Radulov. CSKA added on in the second period as Da Costa scored again, going in unassisted. CSKA extended the lead in the third period on a Nikita Zaitsev goal, passed from Grigorenko and Radulov, the latter getting a sock trick. This made it 4-1, a final, with the three stars going to Da Costa, Grigorenko, and Radulov.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL September 4th, 2014

The new season begins in earnest today, as ten games are on the schedule. The first is from...

Khabarovsk, as Amur hosts Admiral Vladivostok. Ari Ahonen and Alexei Murygin play goal. Vladivostok was first to score with an unassisted power play goal by Niclas Bergfors in the first period. Admiral added on as Alexander Gorshkov scored an unassisted goal. Khabarovsk got on the board with a Rastislav Spirko goal, fueled by Dmitry Tarasov on the power play. Sergei Borisov relieved Murygin late in the first period. Amur tied the game in the second period with a Jesse Niinimaki power play goal, powered by Alexander Loginov and Michel Miklik. Khabarovsk took the lead as Miklik scored, with the help of Loginov. Vladivostok tied it again with a Logan Pyett goal, passed from Gorshkov. Amur pulled ahead in the third period on a power play goal by Vyacheslav Litovchenko, guided in by Ruslan Bashkirov and Mikhail Zheleznov. Khabarovsk extended the lead with a Bashkirov goal, made possible by Kirill Safronov and Tommi Taimi on the power play. Admiral got one back with a Jan Kolar power play goal, set up by Enver Lisin. The final stood at 5-4 in favor of Amur, and the three stars were Bashkirov, Miklik, and Loginov, while Gorshkov gets an honorable mention.

To the west, Avangard Omsk welcomes Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Ilya Sorokin and Konstantin Barulin are in the creases. Novokuznetsk dented the scoreboard in the second period on an Alexander Komaristy goal, via Artyom Garifullin. This was it for the scoring in the game. Metallurg won 1-0, and the three stars were Sorokin (37 save shutout), Komaristy, and Barulin (18 for 19 in saves).

Down in Kazakhstan, Barys Astana brings in Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Vitaly Koval and Jan Laco receive the starting nods. Astana opened in the first period with a Nigel Dawes power play goal, powered by Kevin Dallman and Brandon Bochenski. Barys added on with a Dustin Boyd goal, with a lone assist by Dawes. Astana extended the lead as Dawes scored again, thanks to Boyd and Bochenski. Vladimir Sokhatsky came on in relief of Koval at this time. Ufa got on the board in the second period as Antti Pihlstrom scored, with the help of Andrei Zubarev and Alexei Kaigorodov. Salavat Yulaev pulled closer on another Pihlstrom goal, assisted by Kirill Koltsov. Ufa tied it on a Yegor Dubrovsky goal, fueled by Ivan Lekomtsev. Salavat Yulaev took the lead when Pihlstrom completed his hat trick with a power play goal made possible by Kaigorodov. Barys retied it in the third period on a Dallman power play goal, with a lone helper by Dawes. With just a second left in regulation, Dawes completed his hat trick on an unassisted power play goal, giving Astana a 5-4 victory. The three stars were Dawes, Pihlstrom, and Dallman, while Bochenski, Boyd, and Kaigorodov receive the honorable mentions.

Up in Nizhnekamsk, Neftekhimik hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk. Vladislav Fokin and Alexander Sudnitsin are between the pipes. Nizhnekamsk struck first in the first period with a Tim Stapleton goal, assisted by Teemu Eronen and Dan Sexton. Neftekhimik added on with an Andrei Stepanov goal, courtesy of Maxim Berezin and Pyotr Khokhryakov on the power play. Nizhnekamsk extended the lead in the second period with a power play goal by Berezin, powered by Josh Hennessy and Yegor Antropov. Chelyabinsk got one back in the third period on a Stanislav Chistov goal, guided in by Deron Quint and Kyle Wilson on the power play. Neftekhimik iced it at 4-1 with an empty net goal by Sexton, set up by Mikhail Zhukov and Yegor Milovzorov. The three stars were Berezin, Sexton, and Sudnitsin (31 for 32 in saves).

A little west to Cherepovets, as Severstal welcomes Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Ivan Kasutin and Jakub Stepanek man the nets. Nizhny Novgorod got going in the third period on a Dmitry Kazionov goal, assisted by Viktor Drugov and Vyacheslav Kulyomin. Torpedo finished it at 2-0 with a power play goal into an empty net by Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev, set up by Vladimir Galuzin and Juuso Hietanen. The three stars were Kasutin (29 save shutout), Kazionov, and Stepanek (32 for 33 in saves).

Along to a new city for me, as Lada Togliatti brings in Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Stepan Goryachevskikh and Jeff Glass guard the cages. Togliatti began in the first period with an unassisted Peter Podhradsky goal. Khanty-Mansiysk tied it with an Igor Magogin power play goal, powered by Alexei Pepelyaev. Yugra took the lead in the second period on a Toni Rajala goal, fueled by Ben Maxwell. Khanty-Mansiysk added on in the third period as Nikita Gusev scored, with the help of Andrei Sergeyev and Pavel Medvedev. Yugra extended the lead on a Sergei Lesnukhin goal, via Sergeyev and Kirill Knyazev. Lada got one back with a Martin Zatovic goal, coming off of Dmitry Vorobyov on the power play. Khanty-Mansiysk went on to win 5-2 after a shorthanded empty net goal by Ivan Yatsenko, going in unassisted. The three stars were Sergeyev, Gusev, and Podhradsky.

Into the mountains, as Ak Bars Kazan hosts Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Jakub Kovar and Anders Nilsson protect the nets. Kazan dented the scoreboard with a second period Vladimir Tkachyov goal, coming off of Kirill Petrov and Oscar Moller on the power play. Yekaterinburg tied it with a power play goal by Alexander Bumagin, powered by Filipp Metlyuk and Anton Krysanov. Ak Bars retook the lead on a power play goal by Ilya Nikulin, passed from Justin Azevedo and Moller. Kazan added on with a Janne Pesonen goal, fueled by Mikhail Varnakov and Alexander Burmistrov. Avtomobilist got one back in the third period on an Alexei Simakov goal, with helpers provided by Sami Lepisto and Anton Lazarev. They failed to tie it, losing 3-2, with the three stars being Pesonen, Moller, and Nilsson (23 for 25 in saves).

North to Finland, where Jokerit Helsinki welcomes Dinamo Minsk. Lars Haugen and Henrik Karlsson are between the pipes. Helsinki started in the first period with a Niklas Hagman goal, fueled by Niko Kapanen and Juhamatti Aaltonen on the power play. Minsk tied it with a power play goal by Jonathan Cheechoo, powered by Matt Ellison and Ryan Vesce. Jokerit took the lead back in the second period on a Ryan Gunderson goal, guided in by Riku Hahl and Semir Ben-Amor. Dinamo retied it with a Charles Linglet goal, with a lone assist by Cheechoo on the power play. Minsk retook the lead as Cheechoo scored another goal, courtesy of Linglet and Ellison on the power play. Helsinki retied it with a Petr Koukal goal, via Linus Omark and Daine Todd. Dinamo took the lead back as Cheechoo finished his hat trick with an unassisted goal. Jokerit pulled even again on a Steve Moses goal, made possible by Koukal and Todd. Minsk won it with a power play goal in overtime for a 5-4 decision, scored by Ellison with assists by Vesce and Cheechoo. The three stars were Cheechoo, Ellison, and Todd, while Vesce, Linglet, and Koukal get the honorable mentions.

Back in Russia again, as SKA St. Petersburg brings in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Curtis Sanford and Alexander Salak draw the starts. St. Petersburg led off with a first period goal by Jimmie Ericsson, going in unassisted. SKA added on with a Yury Alexandrov power play goal, powered by Ilya Kovalchuk and Artemy Panarin. Yaroslavl got on the board as Kirill Kapustin scored an unassisted goal. Lokomotiv tied it on a Geoff Platt goal, assisted by Janis Sprukts. St. Petersburg retook the lead on a second period Evgeny Dadonov power play goal, guided in by Alexandrov and Vadim Shipachyov. Yaroslavl pulled even again on a Martin Thornberg goal, helped along by Sprukts on the power play. SKA pulled ahead again with a Kovalchuk goal, with a lone assist by Viktor Tikhonov. St. Petersburg iced it at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Kovalchuk. The three stars were Kovalchuk, Alexandrov, and Sprukts.

Finally, in Bratislava, Slovan hosts Medvescak Zagreb. Mark Dekanich and Johan Backlund are the masked men. Bratislava began in the first period with a Ladislav Nagy power play goal, powered by Vaclav Nedorost. Slovan added on as Nagy scored a shorthanded goal, set up by Milan Bartovic. Zagreb got on the board in the second period with a Matt Anderson goal, fueled by Darren Haydar. Bratislava got it back with a Michal Sersen power play goal, guided in by Ziga Jeglic. Medvescak replied with a Martin St. Pierre goal in the third period, assisted by Pascal Pelletier and Mathieu Carle. Slovan shot back with a power play goal by Libor Hudacek, with a helpers from Tomas Netik and Tomas Surovy. Bratislava won 5-2 when Nagy finished his hat trick with an empty net goal, via Michal Vondrka. The three stars were Nagy, Sersen, and Hudacek.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

MLS Wednesday September 3rd, 2014

Three games on tonight, beginning with...

The Philadelphia Union hosting Toronto FC. Joe Bendik and Zac MacMath are set to start in goal. Philadelphia had the first yellow card for a thirty-third minute handball by Maurice Edu. The Union opened the scoring the fifty-fifth minute on a Conor Casey goal, coming off of Sebastien Le Toux and Cristian Maidana. Toronto went down to ten men in the seventy-seventh minute as Ashtone Morgan was given a straight red card for a professional foul, followed by an eighty-fourth minute yellow card to Michael Bradley for a foul. In stoppage time, Doneil Henry of Toronto was booked on a yellow card for a foul. The game ended 1-0, and MacMath was the man of the match for his three-save clean sheet.

Up in New England, the Revolution welcome Sporting Kansas City. Andy Gruenebaum and Bobby Shuttleworth are the goalies with long last names. Kansas City struck first in the ninth minute with a Soony Saad goal, going in unassisted. New England took a yellow card in the twenty-second minute for a foul by Daigo Kobayashi. The Revolution saw Teal Bunbury booked in the twenty-ninth minute for a foul as well, giving him a yellow card. Sporting was the next with a yellow card, given to Mikey Lopez in the thirty-fifth minute for a foul. Kansas City' Seth Sinovic had the next yellow card in the thirty-ninth minute, also for a foul. New England tied it in the forty-fifth minute on a Bunbury goal, set up by Jermaine Jones. The Revolution took the lead in the forty-eighth minute as Lee Nguyen scored, thanks to Kelyn Rowe. Sporting was booked again for a foul by Graham Zusi in the eighty-fourth minute, which brought about a yellow card, but New England's Rowe also had a yellow card for a foul. The Revolution iced it at 3-1 in stoppage time with a Nguyen goal, made possible by Patrick Mullins. Nguyen was the man of the match for his brace.

The last game comes from California, as Chivas USA brings in the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Dan Kennedy man the nets. Seattle struck first with an eleventh minute goal by Obafemi Martins, via Chad Marshall and Brad Evans. The Sounders added on in the sixteenth minute as Martins scored again, thanks to Lamar Neagle and Clint Dempsey. Seattle extended their lead in the thirty-eighth minute on an Andy Rose goal, fueled by Evans. The Sounders padded the lead in the forty-second minute when Rose put another Evans pass in the back of the net. Chivas' first appearance in the box score was not for a positive reason, as Bobby Burling took a yellow card for his forty-ninth minute foul. Chivas did get on the board in the fifty-first minute as Marco Delgado scored, with the help of Eric Avila. Chivas chipped closer in the sixtieth minute as Ryan Finley converted a penalty kick. Chivas took another yellow card for a seventy-second minute foul by Oswaldo Minda. The final stood at 4-2, and Evans was the man of the match for setting up three of the four Sounders goals.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL September 3rd, 2014 (Season Premiere)

There's just one KHL game for today, but it pits the last two league champions against each other in...

Magnitogorsk, where Metallurg hosts Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Yeryomenko and Vasily Koshechkin get the starting nods. Moscow opened with a first period power play goal by Filip Novak, powered by Alexei Tereshchenko. Magnitogorsk quickly tied it on a Sergei Mozyakin goal, fueled by Danis Zaripov and Jan Kovar. Metallurg took the lead with a Zaripov power play goal, coming off of Chris Lee and Mozyakin. Magnitogorsk added on as Mozyakin scored his second of the game, a power play goal made possible by Lee and Kovar. Alexander Lazushin relieved Yeryomenko at this time. Metallurg extended the lead in the second period with a Yaroslav Kosov goal, which was unassisted. Magnitogorsk padded the lead when Mozyakin scored on a penalty shot to complete his hat trick. He got this free opportunity because Martin Karsums held him during a scoring attempt. Metallurg struck again with a Lee goal in the third period, guided in by Zaripov and Kovar, the latter getting a sock trick (three assists). This produced the 6-1 final, with the three stars going to Mozyakin, Zaripov, and Kovar, while Lee is an honorable mention.

Bigger slate tomorrow. Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLS Weekend August 29-31, 2014

We begin with a single Friday game, from...

Kansas City, as Sporting hosts the Houston Dynamo. Tally Hall and Jon Kempin are in goal. After a weather delay, Houston got things going in the thirty-fifth minute with a Will Bruin goal. Closing out the half were three yellow cards, given to Kansas City's Dominic Dwyer in the forty-fifth minute for an argument, and then one to each team in the forty-fourth minute as Sporting's Benny Feilhaber and Dynamo's Kofi Sarkodie also had an argument. Houston took another yellow card for a fiftieth minute foul by Ricardo Clark. Kansas City tied the game in the fifty-fourth minute as Dwyer scored, with the help of Feilhaber. The Dyanmo gained the lead in the sixty-second minute on a David Horst goal, assisted by Brad Davis. Houston added on as Clark scored in the sixty-seventh minute, and Davis provided the assist again. The Dynamo took a yellow card in stoppage time for Oscar Garcia's time wasting, but they still won 3-1. Davis' assists on the winning and insurance goals earned him man of the match honors.

On Saturday, the Seattle Sounders FC got things going by welcoming the Colorado Rapids. Joe Nasco and Stefan Frei man the nets. In the fortieth minute, Brad Evans of Seattle took a yellow card for his foul. The Sounders began in the fifty-second minute on a Clint Dempsey goal, set up by Marco Pappa. Seattle took another yellow card for a sixty-second minute foul by Zach Scott. Colorado's Deshorn Brown got a yellow card for his eighty-fourth minute foul. The Sounders held on for a 1-0 win, and the man of the match was Dempsey for his clutch goal.

Up in Canada, Toronto FC brings in the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Joe Bendik are the keepers. New England struck first with a second minute goal by Lee Nguyen. In the fourth minute, Teal Bunbury of the Revolution was given a yellow card for a foul. New England added on in the twenty-first minute with a Kelyn Rowe goal, made possible by Nguyen. Rowe also took the Revolution's next yellow card for his thirty-sixth minute foul. New England was booked again in the forty-seventh minute for a Scott Caldwell foul, earning him a yellow card. The Revolution extended their lead with a Bunbury goal in the fifty-eighth minute, fueled by Charlie Davies and Rowe. Toronto's Gilberto was shown a yellow card in the eighty-second minute for a foul. The final stood at 3-0, and Nguyen was the man of the match for his quick game-winner.

Staying in Canada, the Montreal Impact host the Columbus Crew. Steve Clark and Evan Bush will play goal. The teams exchanged yellow cards in the first half, with Montreal's Ignacio Piatti getting one in the thirty-second minute, followed by Tony Tchani of Columbus being booked in the thirty-fourth minute, both for fouls. The Impact struck first in the fortieth minute as Piatta made up for his card by scoring, thanks to Felipe Martins. Montreal's Hassoun Camara was booked in the sixty-fourth minute for a foul. The Impact saw another yellow card come their way in the sixty-ninth minute, as Bush was given one for time wasting. The Crew saw Wil Trapp booked in the eighty-first minute for a foul. In the eighty-fifth minute, Waylon Francis of Columbus was given a yellow card for a foul. Piatti doubled the Montreal lead in the fifth minute of stoppage time, and the final stood at 2-0. Piatti was the man of the match for his brace.

Back stateside, the Chicago Fire welcome FC Dallas. Raul Fernandez and Sean Johnson protect the woodwork. Chicago took a yellow card for a tenth minute foul by Grant Ward. The Fire took another yellow card as Bakary Soumare was booked for a foul in the fifty-second minute. Chicago finally broke the scoring open in the eighty-third minute with a Robert Earnshaw goal, via Jeff Larentowicz. The Fire's Matt Watson closed out the game with a yellow card for a foul in stoppage time, but the team still won 1-0. The man of the match was Earnshaw, scoring the only goal off the bench.

Into Canada once more, as the Vancouver Whitecaps FC bring in the Portland Timbers for a Cascadia Cup clash. Donovan Ricketts and David Ousted are the keepers. Portland was first to score in the fifty-first minute with an Alvas Powell goal, via Diego Valeri. The Timbers saw a yellow card given to Diego Chara in the sixty-sixth minute for his foul. Portland added on in the seventy-fifth minute with a Maximiliano Urruti goal, set up by Michael Harrington. The Timbers extended their lead with a Rodney Wallace goal in the seventy-ninth minute, via Darlington Nagbe, but Wallace was also hit with a yellow card for excessive celebration. This made it a 3-0 final, with the man of the match being Ricketts for his clean sheet with three saves.

Finally, the San Jose Earthquakes host Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Jon Busch are the veteran goalies. San Jose began in the fourteenth minute on a Sam Cronin goal, set up by Chris Wondolowski. Salt Lake tied it in the thirty-sixth minute as Javier Morales buried a penalty kick. The Earthquakes took a pair of yellow cards in the second half, going to Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi in the sixty-first minute for dissent and Jason Hernandez in the sixty-eighth minute for a foul. The final held steady at 1-1, and the man of the match was Cronin for his goal.

On Sunday, the first game saw DC United welcome the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Bill Hamid are the goalies. DC opened with a fifty-seventh minute Luis Silva goal, assisted by Fabian Espindola and the keeper Hamid. In stoppage time, United extended their lead with an Eddie Johnson goal, set up by Perry Kitchen. This was good for a 2-0 win, with the man of the match being Hamid for his clean sheet with five saves as New York had the majority of the shots.

Finally, stadium-mates Chivas USA and the Los Angeles Galaxy wrap up the weekend. Jaime Penedo and Dan Kennedy are the usual keepers. Chivas took the first yellow card in the twenty-second minute for a foul by Andrew Jena-Baptiste. Los Angeles also saw a booking on a yellow card for Baggio Husidic's foul in the thirty-fifth minute. The Galaxy were first to score with a forty-first minute goal by Gyasi Zardes, thanks to Landon Donovan. Los Angeles added on in the sixty-eighth minute as Robbie Keane scored, thanks to Marcelo Sarvas. The Galaxy poured it on in the seventy-first minute with another goal by Zardes, made possible by Donovan and Keane. Things got worse for Chivas as their leading scorer, Erick Torres, was shown a straight red card for his seventy-fifth minute foul. The final stood to favor the Galaxy 3-0, and Zardes was the man of the match for his brace.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.