MLS Friday July 4th, 2014

Five matches on to celebrate America's independence. We begin in...

Houston, as the Dynamo host the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Tally Hall are the keepers. Houston began with a Giles Barnes goal in the first minute, coming off of Kofi Sarkodie and Ricardo Clark. New York tied it in the thirteenth minute as Bradley Wright-Phillips scored, via Eric Alexander. The Dynamo's A.J. Cochran was given a yellow card in the fiftieth minute for a foul. The Red Bulls gained the lead as Wright-Phillips scored again in the seventy-second minute, with the help of Ambroise Oyongo Bitolo. Houston tied it as Brad Davis converted a penalty kick in the eighty-second minute. New York picked up a yellow card on a Jonathan Steele foul in the sixth minute of stoppage time, but the score held. The final was 2-2, and the man of the match was Wright-Phillips with his brace.

Up north a bit, FC Dallas welcomes the Philadelphia Union. Zac MacMath and Chris Seitz make the starts in goal. Dallas opened in the twenty-sixth minute as Tesho Akindele scored, assisted by Blas Perez. Philadelphia tied it in the forty-third minute on an Amobi Okugo goal, made possible by Cristian Maidana. Dallas retook the lead as the Union's Sheanon Williams put the ball in his own net for an own goal. Philadelphia was frequently in the referee's book after this, with Conor Casey getting a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-fifth minute, followed by Sebastien Le Toux getting a yellow card in the sixty-eighth minute for dissent. In the seventy-second minute, Seitz had to come out of the game, replaced by Raul Fernandez. The Union's rough night was capped off by a Maurice Edu red card in the eighty-ninth minute, and the final was 2-1. The man of the match was Akindele.

Northwest to Colorado, as the Rapids host the Columbus Crew. Steve Clark and Clint Irwin are in the six-yard boxes. Colorado had the game's first yellow card as Drew Moor committed a foul in the thirtieth minute. The Rapids were also first to score, although not by their own doing, as Columbus' Eric Gehrig put the ball in his own net for an own goal. The Crew overcame this error with an Ethan Finlay goal in the seventy-sixth minute, an unassisted goal. Colorado picked up two more yellow cards in the seventy-ninth minute for a Vicente Sanchez foul, and again in the first minute of stoppage time for a foul by Shane O'Neill. The final was 1-1, and Irwin's seven saves, preserving the draw, earned him honors as man of the match.

Over in Salt Lake, Real brings in the New England Revolution. Bobby Shuttleworth and Nick Rimando are guarding the nets. The teams traded yellow cards for fouls in the first half, as Chris Wingert had one in the nineteenth minute for Salt Lake, followed by Lee Nguyen getting one in the thirty-second minute for New England. Real started the scoring in the thirty-fifth minute as Javier Morales converted a penalty kick, but he soon followed up with a yellow card for a foul a minute later. The Revolution tied the score in the thirty-seventh minute on a Darrius Barnes goal, assisted by Chris Tierney. Tierney had a transgression in the sixty-fourth minute, a foul that earned him a yellow card, and led to a penalty kick goal by Real's Joao Plata. This was the game winner, with the final being 2-1. The man of the match was Plata.

Finally, in Los Angeles, the Galaxy host the Portland Timbers. Donovan Ricketts and Jaime Penedo are protecting the nets. Portland's Diego Valeri got a yellow card in the twelfth minute for a foul. Los Angeles had the next yellow card as Dan Gargan fouled in the fortieth minute to get the referee involved. The Galazy led off in the sixty-fifth minute with a goal by Marcelo Sarvas, assisted by Landon Donovan. Portland answered in the sixty-seventh minute as Valeri put the ball in the net to tie the game. The Timbers gained the lead in the seventieth minute on a Jorge Villafana goal, an unassisted effort. Portland took another yellow card in the seventy-sixth minute as Diego Chara committed a foul. The Galaxy got one back as the Timbers' Rauwshan McKenzie put an own goal into his team's net, tying the game. This was the final event, leaving the score even at 2. The man of the match was Valeri for offensive effort and a goal.

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MLS Wednesday July 2nd, 2014

Two matches tonight, beginning in...

Chicago, as the Fire host Toronto FC. Joe Bendik and Sean Johnson are the goalies. Toronto did not start well, as Luke Moore was sent off in the twenty-ninth minute with a straight red card for a serious foul. Toronto bounced back in the forty-second minute with a Jackson goal, made possible by Jermain Defoe. Chicago's Quincy Amarikwa picked up a yellow card in the second minute of first half stoppage time for a foul. Toronto had a yellow card of their own issued to Steven Caldwell in the fifty-third minute for a handball. The Fire tied the score in the fifty-sixth minute on a Harrison Shipp goal, via Mike Magee. Chicago was booked again in the eighty-seventh minute for a foul by Lovel Palmer. The final score was 1-1, with the man of the match being Bendik for his five saves to preserve a tie.

The other game is in San Jose, as the Earthquakes host Chivas USA. Dan Kennedy and Jon Busch are the keepers. San Jose was the first team to receive a yellow card for a foul by Jordan Stewart in the twenty-first minute. Chivas answered with a forty-second minute yellow card to Donny Toia for a yellow card. Chivas began the scoring in the fifty-third minute as Erick Torres put away a goal. The Earthquakes picked up another yellow card in the sixty-second minute when Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi was booked for a foul. Chivas lacked discipline late in the match, as Mauro Rosales in the seventy-sixth minute, Tony Lochhead in the eighty-second minute, and Bobby Burling in the second minute of stoppage time all picked up yellow cards for fouls. This didn't affect the final, which favored Chivas 1-0. The man of the match was Torres for his goal.

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MLS Sunday June 29th, 2014

Two games on today, the first a make-up of yesterday's postponed game in...

Columbus, as the Crew host FC Dallas. Chris Seitz and Steve Clark are in goal, and they did a good job today. Seitz made two saves while Clark batted away one shot on goal to preserve clean sheets for both sides in a 0-0 draw. The teams also played a clean game, drawing no cards from the referee (and only thirteen total fouls overall), making this a fairly calm game. Prayers go out to the supporter that was struck by lightning yesterday before the match's originally scheduled time.

The other game is from Montreal, where the Impact host the Houston Dynamo. Tally Hall and Troy Perkins are the keepers. The teams traded yellow cards early in the first half, as Houston's A.J. Cochran and Montreal's Maxim Tissot both were booked for fouls, in the sixteenth and twenty-second minutes, respectively. The Impact got on the board with a Jack McInerney goal in the forty-first minute, assisted by Eric Miller. The Dynamo had another yellow card in the fifty-second minute on a foul by Will Bruin. Montreal added on with McInerney's second of the game in the seventy-fifth minute, made possible by Justin Mapp. The Impact extended the lead in the seventy-ninth minute on an unassisted goal by Marco Di Vaio. This made it 3-0, a final, with McInerney's brace earning him the man of the match honors.

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MLS Saturday June 28th, 2014

Five games on tonight, as inclement weather in the Columbus area postponed the Crew's game against FC Dallas. The first game of the night was...

DC United hosting the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Bill Hamid are in goal. Seattle was first to see a yellow card, shown to Osvaldo Alonso in the twentieth minute for a foul. The Sounders also opened the scoring with a goal in the thirty-ninth minute by Chad Barrett, assisted by Gonzalo Pineda. Pineda picked up an unfortunate late yellow card in the eighty-ninth minute for time wasting, but Seattle held on for a 1-0 win. Barrett was the man of the match.

Up in New England, the Revolution welcome the Philadelphia Union. Zac MacMath and Brad Knighton are in the six-yard boxes. Philadelphia started in the forty-second minute with an unassisted goal by Sebastien Le Toux. The Union added on in the sixty-ninth minute as Danny Cruz scored, with the help of Michael Lahoud. New England got one back in the seventy-third minute on a Saer Sene goal, via Kelyn Rowe and Andy Dorman, but Sene also picked up a yellow card for excessive celebration in the process. Philadelphia shot back with Le Toux's second of the game, coming off of Andrew Wenger in the seventy-eighth minute. The yellow cards started flying after this, as Wenger got one for time wasting in the eightieth minute, while Dorman was shown one for a foul in the eighty-fifth minute. The Revolution had another yellow card for a stoppage time foul by Jose Gonçalves. The Union won 3-1, with Le Toux being the man of the match for his brace.

Out west, the Colorado Rapids host the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Clint Irwin are the keepers. Colorado led off in the twentieth minute on an unassisted Dillon Powers goal. The Rapids added on as Vicente Sanchez converted a penalty kick in the thirty-sixth minute. Vancouver was given the first yellow card of the game in the fifty-fourth minute on a Nigel Reo-Coker foul. Colorado matched it in the eighty-seventh minute as Nick LaBrocca did not retreat. The Rapids held on for a 2-0 win, with the man of the match being Powers for his opening goal.

Into California, where the San Jose Earthquakes host their rivals from the south, the Los Angeles Galaxy. Jaime Penedo and Jon Busch protect the nets. Los Angeles opened in the sixty-first minute with a Gyasi Zardes goal, via Marcelo Sarvas and Robbie Keane. The Galaxy were shown a yellow card as Dan Gargan committed a foul in the sixty-seventh minute. Los Angeles' Landon Donovan also got a yellow card for time wasting in the ninetieth minute, but the final score was unchanged at 1-0. Zardes was the man of the match.

Also in California, our last game of the day sees Chivas USA bring in Real Salt Lake. Jeff Attinella and Dan Kennedy man the nets. Salt Lake got off to a very bad start, as Luke Mulholland was shown a red card in just the ninth minute for a serious foul, leaving his team at ten men for most of the match. Chivas' Tony Lochhead was shown a yellow card in the nineteenth minute for a handball. He made up for this fundamental mistake by assisting on Chivas' first goal in the thirty-fifth minute, scored by Erick Torres. Chivas had another yellow card in the forty-seventh minute for a Mauro Rosales foul, followed by another yellow card-worthy foul in the fiftieth minute from Donny Toia. Real had the next yellow card in the seventy-second minute on a John Stertzer foul. The final was 1-0, with the man of the match being Torres for his goal.

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MLS Friday June 27th, 2014

MLS is returning to action over the course of the weekend. We have two games on tonight, beginning in...

New York, as the Red Bulls host Toronto FC. Joe Bendik and Luis Robles are in goal. Toronto picked up a yellow card in the eleventh minute on a Justin Morrow foul. New York opened the scoring with a thirty-sixth minute goal by Peguy Luyindula, assisted by Ambroise Oyongo Bitolo and Thierry Henry. Toronto tied it in the fifty-fifth minute as Jermain Defoe scored, thanks to Dominic Oduro and Jonathan Osorio. Toronto took the lead with a seventy-second minute goal by Gilberto, going in unassisted. The Red Bulls salvaged a tie three minutes into stoppage time as Bradley Wright-Phillips scored, with the help of Tim Cahill and Matt Miazga. The man of the match was Wright-Phillips for his late equalizer, making it a 2-2 final.

Out west, the other match is the Portland Timbers hosting Sporting Kansas City. Eric Kronberg and Donovan Ricketts are the keepers. Kansas City was first to score in the twenty-fourth minute on a goal by Lawrence Olum, set up by Kevin Ellis and Seth Sinovic. Sinovic also found himself in the book in the thirty-sixth minute for an off the ball foul, Sporting's first yellow card of the game. Kansas City had another yellow card in the sixty-fifth minute for a foul by Ellis. The teams traded yellow cards in stoppage time, with Paulo Nagamura getting one for time wasting for Sporting, while Portland got one for a Will Johnson foul. Kansas City picked up another yellow card after that as Dominic Dwyer committed a foul. The final stood at 1-0, with Kronberg being the man of the match for a clean sheet with three saves.

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Vancouver Whitecaps VS. Montreal Impact (6/25/14)

MLS action is back tonight, with a battle north of the border. The Vancouver Whitecaps host the Montreal Impact. Troy Perkins and David Ousted are the keepers. Montreal had a pair of yellow cards in the first half, as Maxim Tissot and Andres Romero committed fouls in the tenth and thirty-third minutes respectively. The two teams traded yellow cards in the second half, as Gorka Larrea of the Impact had a foul in the seventy-fourth minute, followed by a foul from Carlyle Mitchell in the eighty-second minute for Vancouver. The Whitecaps' Gershon Koffie picked up the last yellow card of the game for his foul in the third minute of stoppage time. The game ended in a scoreless draw, with the man of the match being Perkins for a clean sheet with four saves.

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STANLEY CUP FINALS: Los Angeles Kings VS. New York Rangers

This post is a reference for the above referenced series, so check back here for each game.

Game 1: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. In goal: Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick. New York started in the first period with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his fourth of the postseason, going in unassisted. The Rangers added on as Slava Voynov kicked a puck into his own net, which gave Carl Hagelin his seventh of the playoffs, officially a shorthanded goal set up by Brian Boyle and Ryan McDonagh. Los Angeles got on the board when Kyle Clifford scored, thanks to Jeff Carter. The Kings tied it on a second period Drew Doughty goal, his fifth of the postseason, assisted by Justin Williams and Clifford. Los Angeles won with a Williams overtime goal, his eighth of the playoffs, an unassisted goal. The three stars were Williams, Clifford, and Doughty. Los Angeles has a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. In goal: Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick. New York began in the first period with a Ryan McDonagh goal, his fourth of the postseason, passed from Dominic Moore. The Rangers added on with a Mats Zuccarello goal, his fifth of the playoffs, guided in by McDonagh and Derick Brassard. Los Angeles got on the board in the second period with a Jarret Stoll goal, his third of the postseason, via Justin Williams and Dwight King. New York shot back with a Martin St. Louis power play goal, his seventh of the playoffs, powered by Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider. The Kings pulled back with a Willie Mitchell power play goal, courtesy of Slava Voynov and Williams. The Rangers replied with a Brassard goal, his sixth of the postseason, made possible by Zuccarello. Los Angeles chipped back in the third period with a King goal, his third of the playoffs, fueled by Matt Greene and Williams, the latter getting a sock trick. The Kings tied it on a Marian Gaborik goal, his thirteenth of the postseason, going in unassisted. Los Angeles won on Mitchell's second goal of the game in the second overtime, assisted by Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. The three stars were Mitchell, McDonagh, and Zuccarello, while Brassard, Williams, and King get honorable mentions. The Kings lead the series 2-0 as they head on the road.

Game 3: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York. In goal: Jonathan Quick and Henrik Lundqvist. Los Angeles opened in the first period with a Jeff Carter goal, his tenth of the postseason, fueled by Justin Williams and Slava Voynov. The Kings added on in the second period with a Jake Muzzin power play goal, his sixth of the playoffs, powered by Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik. Los Angeles extended the lead as Mike Richards scored his third of the postseason, thanks to Kyle Clifford. The final was 3-0, with the three stars being Quick (32 save shutout), Carter, and Richards. The Kings are on the brink of the Stanley Cup with a 3-0 series lead.

Game 4: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York. In goal: Jonathan Quick and Henrik Lundqvist. New York led off in the first period with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his fifth of the postseason, guided in by John Moore and Derick Brassard. The Rangers added on in the second period as Martin St. Louis scored his eighth of the playoffs, thanks to Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan. Los Angeles got on the board with a Dustin Brown goal, his sixth of the postseason, going in unassisted. This was as close as it got, with the final being 2-1. The three stars were Lundqvist (40 for 41 in saves), St. Louis, and Pouliot. The Rangers staved off elimination, but still trail 3-1 in the series.  

Game 5: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. In goal: Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick. Los Angeles struck first in the first period on a Justin Williams goal, his ninth of the postseason, via Dwight King and Jarret Stoll. New York tied it on a power play goal by Chris Kreider in the second period, his fifth of the playoffs, powered by Ryan McDonagh and Brad Richards. The Rangers took the lead with a shorthanded goal by Brian Boyle, his third of the postseason, with a lone assist by Carl Hagelin. The Kings retied it in the third period on a Marian Gaborik power play goal, his fourteenth of the playoffs, made possible by Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter. Los Angeles won in the second overtime with an Alec Martinez goal, his fifth of the postseason, assisted by Tyler Toffoli and Kyle Clifford. The Conn Smythe winner for playoff MVP was Justin Williams, and the Kings won the series 4-1 with a final score in Game 5 of 3-2.

As this season has drawn to a close, I am planning on taking this blog in a new direction. Obviously, my goal of working on baseball again did not pan out this year, and I will not attempt it again. I am still planning on returning to my third season of the KHL in September, and a month later a fourth season of the NHL. However, I have my doubts as to whether I will attempt another NFL season. I have found a stronger attachment to MLS Soccer, and would like to take it on as my third league, but it is an intensive weekend sport that would interfere with my ability to succeed with the NFL. As such, I will keep you all, my readers, up to date on my status for the NFL season as it approaches. Until then, I will be back in a couple of weeks to resume MLS after the World Cup, and into a very thin summer. We are approaching 25,000 views, and should get there in under four years, so that's very exciting for me. Thank you for your continued support and I will see you hockey fans in the fall.