Five years ago today, my most famous (infamous??) play-by-play call. Deadspin theatrically headlined it "goal causes announcer to orgasm on air."
Well, no, but it's certainly one of the most fun moments I've had the pleasure to call. The original YouTube clip is a great quick hit, but to really appreciate why I lost it and just how completely I lost it, take 5 minutes and watch/listen to the whole thing:
This was a local radio broadcast, I had been covering Dixon since he was a high school junior, and even though it was only August, it felt like the Dynamo HAD to win the game (at the time, they had not won a road game all year, and they only had three home games left).
Ultimately, the additional two points in the standings meant Houston got home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, helping the Dynamo reach that year's MLS Cup final in a playoff run that was a great end to my full-time tenure with the club.
This call is a bit of a lightning rod: People either absolutely love it or can barely hide their disgust. As somebody who can't stand homer announcers, I understand some of those issues. If I could do it again, would I add the 'hoo' to my original plan of a loud 'woo' to punctuate the call? Probably not. Even as a club employee, I don't find it kosher to openly cheer on the air.
But the joy of a last-minute winner, when I had basically given up on Houston winning the game, is what I, and anybody with Dynamo sympathies, was feeling at that moment. With approximately 99% of my listeners in Houston, I'll always be proud that my reaction brought so much energy, emotion, passion … and fun!
Happy five years to Dix and everybody from that Dynamo team; this always brings a slightly embarrassed smile to my face.
Showing posts with label Real Salt Lake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Real Salt Lake. Show all posts
20 August 2016
24 July 2014
The moment Real Salt Lake decided to sign 17-year-old Sebastian Saucedo
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| MLSsoccer.com |
I was tweeting. Oops.
It was at the Generation adidas Cup - the MLS U-17 championship - in Frisco, Texas, on April 17. I was covering the tournament for MLSsoccer.com, calling three group games, the semifinals and the final and writing daily recaps from the tournament.
So on the final day of group games, Real Salt Lake was playing its biggest rival in Development Academy play, the LA Galaxy, with the winner advancing to the semifinals. The teams were battling for the division lead, so it was a can't-miss game. As I arrived at the field, I noticed more people than usual near the RSL bench. I recognized a few faces I knew from the front office and was mildly surprised they had found their way to a youth game, given that the first team was nowhere near Texas at the time.
Then I saw a face that shocked me. The club's owner, Dell Loy Hansen, was laughing with general manager Garth Lagerwey and co. At a youth tournament. It seemed absolutely crazy to me. It turns out Hansen had used his own plane to fly a group of staffers in for the game.
Seriously, RSL's owner and GM flew in specifically for this Academy game and to meet with their coaches. Has to be an MLS first.
— Jonathan Yardley (@jtyardley) April 17, 2014
I don't know how much money fuel for private planes costs, but it seems like they may have gotten their money's worth on this night. Real Salt Lake blitzed LA with three goals in the first 10 minutes, the final goal a spectacular left-footed volleyed lob from 25 yards that brought the house down. I missed it, too busy tweeting about the second goal, but I saw enough. (Still hoping we can dig it out of MLS archives this week.)Real Salt Lake added two more goals to go up 5-0 in the first 26 minutes, with Saucedo setting up the fourth and scoring the fifth. The man everybody at RSL calls, "Mr. Hansen" was intrigued. You could tell he was peppering those around him with questions about this kid.
Sebastian Saucedo scored 25-yard lefty lob to make it 3-0. Lagerwey and Hansen almost signed him on the spot.
— Jonathan Yardley (@jtyardley) April 17, 2014
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| This is the moment |
Sebastian Saucedo subbed out. Dell Loy Hansen summons him for conversation. Think they're discussing that senior year of high school?
— Jonathan Yardley (@jtyardley) April 18, 2014
Obviously a lot more went into it than Hansen's opinion and that one play (Saucedo has been consistently outstanding for RSL and was named USSDA Western Conference Player of the Year, although the Galaxy did get revenge by beating RSL in the national title game earlier this month).I'm sure head coach Jeff Cassar and GM Lagerwey were the most influential people in the decision.
But that moment in Frisco sure didn't hurt.
The next night, Saucedo scored with another spectacular chip, and this time I wasn't going to miss it. I even got to call it. This is what RSL's newest signing is capable of:
16 April 2014
Day 2 broadcast comes through with smiles, jubilation in dramatic finish
After a brutally cold first day and a 0-0 game (albeit an entertaining one), we got great weather on Tuesday and a remarkable game to broadcast. Here's my Day 2 recap for MLSsoccer.com.
Real Salt Lake and Stoke City had been two of the more impressive teams on the opening day of the tournament, and they were pitted against each other on Tuesday. Stoke, however, only had 13 players (which meant only one field-player substitute) due to a red-card suspension. Real Salt Lake, meanwhile, had vocal support in the crowd from a Layton, Utah-based youth club that has produced several players on the RSL Academy roster.
Stoke scored early, but Real Salt Lake controlled much of the first half. RSL head coach Martín Vásquez told his players at halftime that they were affording Stoke too much space, and RSL came out possessed in the second half. They tied the score and dominated the entire half, but when Stoke scored following a free kick in the final minute of regulation, it looked like curtains.
There were several minutes of stoppage time, however, and Salt Lake scored a dramatic tying goal with what turned out to be the last kick of regulation in the third minute of stoppage time! The goal really saved their chances of winning the tournament; otherwise Stoke City would have controlled its own path to the final.
Instead, Real Salt Lake won the shootout to earn an extra point in the standings and provide a memorable ending to our broadcast! After we had tearful injuries on Monday's show, I hoped we would get some jubilation on our next broadcast, and we certainly did.
Here's the full archive of the game -- the frantic finish starts around the 1:24:55 mark:
Real Salt Lake and Stoke City had been two of the more impressive teams on the opening day of the tournament, and they were pitted against each other on Tuesday. Stoke, however, only had 13 players (which meant only one field-player substitute) due to a red-card suspension. Real Salt Lake, meanwhile, had vocal support in the crowd from a Layton, Utah-based youth club that has produced several players on the RSL Academy roster.
Stoke scored early, but Real Salt Lake controlled much of the first half. RSL head coach Martín Vásquez told his players at halftime that they were affording Stoke too much space, and RSL came out possessed in the second half. They tied the score and dominated the entire half, but when Stoke scored following a free kick in the final minute of regulation, it looked like curtains.
There were several minutes of stoppage time, however, and Salt Lake scored a dramatic tying goal with what turned out to be the last kick of regulation in the third minute of stoppage time! The goal really saved their chances of winning the tournament; otherwise Stoke City would have controlled its own path to the final.
Instead, Real Salt Lake won the shootout to earn an extra point in the standings and provide a memorable ending to our broadcast! After we had tearful injuries on Monday's show, I hoped we would get some jubilation on our next broadcast, and we certainly did.
Here's the full archive of the game -- the frantic finish starts around the 1:24:55 mark:
12 August 2013
My Salt Lake trip in photos
My trip to Salt Lake City to call Saturday's RSL-Houston game felt like a bit of a whirlwind -- mostly because I flew out on a red-eye the night after the game. But I managed to find time to snap a few photos of the Salt Lake City scenery and the pre-broadcast preparation. Here's a look:
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| View from the plane of the Great Salt Lake. |
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| I walked by the Salt Lake City and County Building on Saturday morning. |
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| I also happened by the Matheson Courthouse. |
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| My first time entering Rio Tinto Stadium through the main entrance. |
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| One of the league's most dramatic backdrops ... |
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| ... and the broadcast truck preparing to highlight those Wasatch Mountains. |
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| With Sebastian and Eddie ... can't wear an orange tie EVERY game! |
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| Almost ready for real kickoff ... |
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| ... but the show is already off and running. |
05 August 2013
RSL-Houston thoughts: More late drama or another scoreless draw?
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| Jason Kreis is hoping to avoid a third consecutive stoppage-time defeat against Houston. |
It’s not a rivalry game in the traditional sense (no geographic ties or playoff matchups), but I’ve been at nine of the last 10 games between these teams, and they’ve all been intense. The reason, to me, is a simple one: Even among MLS head coaches, who have to be competitive by nature, head coaches Dominic Kinnear and Jason Kreis stand out as two of the most intensely competitive personalities in American soccer. Their teams are skilled, but physical, and games between these two have always been closely contested – out of 16 head-to-head contests, 14 have been decided by one goal or less.
Here are some early thoughts on the game:
Despite Houston’s dominance in the all-time series (8-3-5 all-time, 6-1-4 since August 2007), Salt Lake has to be considered the favorite on Saturday. RSL is tied for the Supporters’ Shield lead (38 points from 23 games), leads the league in goals per game (1.65), and has the league’s goals against average leader in Nick Rimando (0.89). More importantly, the game is in Utah, where RSL has a 3-1-4 all-time edge. Three of the last four games between the teams in Utah have finished 0-0 (2008, 2009, 2011), and the other was a resounding RSL win. For an idea of Houston’s perspective, the 2009 game was the very rare instance I can recall of Kinnear playing for a draw almost from the start (started in a 4-5-1 formation with Kei Kamara at right midfield).
On the other hand, Salt Lake might be vulnerable at the moment. It will be RSL’s third game in eight days, and if media quotes are to be believed, Wednesday’s Open Cup semifinal against Portland is considered a higher priority. Salt Lake's last two home games have seen them collect just one point, with a player ejected each time. And after an 11-game unbeaten run in all competitions, RSL is winless in its last three games, including two gutting stoppage-time losses.
Hmm, stoppage-time losses. Sounds familiar. Houston has beaten Salt Lake in their last two head-to-head meetings on goals in the 93rd and 94th minutes, respectively. After last year's Colin Clark PK, Jason Kreis had that classic, stone-faced, I-can't-believe-that-just-happened look, and we saw it again when RSL lost to New York on Saturday. But both teams actually have a flair for the dramatic. In the final 15 minutes of games this year, RSL leads MLS with 15 goals scored, but has allowed 9 goals (+6 goal differential). Houston is second-best in MLS with only 3 goals allowed and has scored 10 of its own (+7 goal differential). So we could see some dramatics on Saturday night. After all, the last time I called a Houston-Real Salt Lake game, this happened:
22 July 2013
How Matthew Foerster got stoppage time correct in the RSL-KC game
I didn’t watch the Real Salt Lake-Sporting Kansas City game on Saturday night. But when I got ready to turn in for the night, my Twitter feed told me the game was still 1-1 in stoppage time, with RSL down a man, and I figured I’d check out the climax.
What I got, of course, was one of the latest, most dramatic goals of the year, as Kansas City’s Ike Opara headed in a corner kick in the seventh minute of stoppage time to give Sporting the win. Much of the post-game controversy surrounded the referee, Matthew Foerster, including both his performance throughout the game and why 5 minutes of stoppage time had been announced, but 7 minutes and 20 seconds were played.
Having not watched the game, I cannot speak to Foerster’s performance in terms of fouls and cards. But having watched (and now re-watched, with a stopwatch) stoppage time, I can tell you his assessment of stoppage time was spot-on.
Stoppage time exists because the referee stops the game clock (either literally, via his watch, or mentally, by noting the time) at certain points during the game. These stoppages can be for injuries, goals, cards, substitutions, excessive time-wasting, and the like. Every game has stoppage time, so most of these are not unusual. The amount of stoppage time announced by the fourth official (in this case, a big ‘5’ was displayed to the stadium) is a minimum, and is announced as such in the stadium by the public address announcer.
So why were RSL and KC still playing in the eighth minute of stoppage time on Saturday? Because there were stoppages during stoppage time. By my calculation, in terms of actual playing time, Saturday’s game had 4 minutes and 58 seconds of stoppage time. Right on the money.
Here’s how I figured it:
In the 92nd minute, Real Salt Lake midfielder Javier Morales was fouled and fell to the ground. Shortly afterward, he grabbed his knee and rolled over. I stopped my watch at 91:14, when he first rolled over. The referee, Foerster, came over to Morales without blowing his whistle, so I can’t say for sure when he stopped the game clock, but I know that Foerster re-blew his whistle at 92:05, calling for the game to resume. That’s 51 seconds.
In the 96th minute on the television clock (about 94:24 on mine), Foerster breaks up a scuffle between players from both teams in the penalty area. He blows his whistle to stop play at 95:15 and restarts play at 95:58. That’s 43 seconds.
So while the game clock read 95:58, and Real Salt Lake fans were thinking the game should have been over a minute earlier, the amount of stoppage time played was well under five minutes. In fact, Graham Zusi struck the corner kick at 4:46 on my watch, and Opara’s header found the back of the net at 4:49.
I stopped my watch for another 45 seconds during the Kansas City celebration, although we cannot be sure for how long Foerster stopped his, which leads us to our final total of 7:17 on the television clock, but 4:59 on the actual clock.
So everyone is entitled to have their say about Foerster's decisions and game management, but I hope they will re-consider their criticism of the amount of stoppage time. Five minutes was announced, and five minutes was played.
Here’s a spreadsheet summarizing the stoppage time played:
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| Sporting Kansas City had just enough time to score the winning goal. |
Having not watched the game, I cannot speak to Foerster’s performance in terms of fouls and cards. But having watched (and now re-watched, with a stopwatch) stoppage time, I can tell you his assessment of stoppage time was spot-on.
Stoppage time exists because the referee stops the game clock (either literally, via his watch, or mentally, by noting the time) at certain points during the game. These stoppages can be for injuries, goals, cards, substitutions, excessive time-wasting, and the like. Every game has stoppage time, so most of these are not unusual. The amount of stoppage time announced by the fourth official (in this case, a big ‘5’ was displayed to the stadium) is a minimum, and is announced as such in the stadium by the public address announcer.
So why were RSL and KC still playing in the eighth minute of stoppage time on Saturday? Because there were stoppages during stoppage time. By my calculation, in terms of actual playing time, Saturday’s game had 4 minutes and 58 seconds of stoppage time. Right on the money.
Here’s how I figured it:
In the 92nd minute, Real Salt Lake midfielder Javier Morales was fouled and fell to the ground. Shortly afterward, he grabbed his knee and rolled over. I stopped my watch at 91:14, when he first rolled over. The referee, Foerster, came over to Morales without blowing his whistle, so I can’t say for sure when he stopped the game clock, but I know that Foerster re-blew his whistle at 92:05, calling for the game to resume. That’s 51 seconds.
In the 96th minute on the television clock (about 94:24 on mine), Foerster breaks up a scuffle between players from both teams in the penalty area. He blows his whistle to stop play at 95:15 and restarts play at 95:58. That’s 43 seconds.
So while the game clock read 95:58, and Real Salt Lake fans were thinking the game should have been over a minute earlier, the amount of stoppage time played was well under five minutes. In fact, Graham Zusi struck the corner kick at 4:46 on my watch, and Opara’s header found the back of the net at 4:49.
I stopped my watch for another 45 seconds during the Kansas City celebration, although we cannot be sure for how long Foerster stopped his, which leads us to our final total of 7:17 on the television clock, but 4:59 on the actual clock.
So everyone is entitled to have their say about Foerster's decisions and game management, but I hope they will re-consider their criticism of the amount of stoppage time. Five minutes was announced, and five minutes was played.
Here’s a spreadsheet summarizing the stoppage time played:
| Start time | End time | Elapsed |
| 90:00 | 91:14 | 1:14 |
| 92:05 | 95:15 | 3:10 |
| 95:58 | 96:23 | 0:25 |
| 97:08 | 97:17 | 0:09 |
| 4:58 |
05 April 2013
'Sabo'-metric look at scoring stat
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| Courtesy Real Salt Lake |
There
are a lot of statistics in soccer these days, and most of the time, I’m all for
it. Finding numbers to illustrate key points or tracking long-running streaks can
provide great talking points. But I get really frustrated when statistics are
quoted out of context.
One
such statistic caught my eye in this week’s MLSsoccer.com piece by Simon Borg,
a friend and colleague with whom I love to argue and debate. In writing about Real
Salt Lake forward Alvaro Saborío, Simon passed on a couple of statistics cited by
Real Salt Lake GM Garth Lagerwey, presumably to indicate that Saborío is a clutch
goalscorer and essential to his team’s success. The big statistic?
Real Salt Lake is 31-5-6 in
all competitions when Saborío scores.
I
have seen this stat used before in game notes, on television broadcasts, and in
articles. But I have never found it to be particularly enlightening. After all,
soccer is a low-scoring game. Isn’t it pretty obvious that a player scoring a
goal is going to increase his team’s chances of winning? Don’t most teams have
a high winning percentage when scoring at least one goal? Even if a team’s
record when an individual scores is better than the team’s record when anybody
scores, is it really because that player
scored or is it perhaps because the team happened to play better defense in
those games?
I
asked Simon for his thoughts on the statistic, and he thought it was useful
because it illustrated “the sense of Lagerwey and [head coach Jason] Kreis that
[Saborío] is a clutch scorer. … There are plenty of scorers out there; not all
of them show up when it counts.”
That’s
certainly fair enough. I rate Saborío very highly and definitely consider him a
key ingredient of Real Salt Lake’s success. I have enjoyed my conversations with both Lagerwey and Kreis, and I have an excellent relationship with the RSL communications staff. But I remained unconvinced that the
statistic itself is all that indicative. I expected that most teams would have
a winning record when their leading scorer found the net. I had no proof,
however, so I set out to look at a few cases to test my theory.
In
MLS last year, 13 players scored at least 10 goals. For each player, I went
through his game-by-game log (thank you, Peter Hirdt and Elias Sports Bureau) and totaled his
team’s record when he scores. I then looked up each team’s regular-season record
when it scored at least one goal.
The
win percentages based on individual scoring ranged from .500 (Will Bruin) to .857
(Steven Lenhart), with an average of .751 and a median of .773. Most of the
numbers clustered between .750 and .789, and most players’ teams had suffered
at least two losses when they scored.
The
team numbers were, across the board, lower than the individual numbers, ranging
from .500 (New England) to .818 (Real Salt Lake) and averaging .705.
Next,
the crux of the issue: the difference between a team’s winning percentage when
scoring any goal and its winning percentage when a particular individual
scores. The average difference was .046, meaning a team wins 4.6% more of its
games when its 10-goal striker scores than when just anybody scores. The
highest number belonged to Steven Lenhart (.857 when he scored vs. 719 when any
Earthquake scored), while the lowest number belonged to Will Bruin (.500 when
he scored vs. .667 when any Dynamo player scored).
| Player - 2012 season | Ind% | Tm% | Diff. |
| Steven Lenhart, SJ | .857 (5-0-2) | .719 (19-5-8) | +.138 |
| Kenny Cooper, NY | .846 (10-1-2) | .714 (16-4-8) | +.132 |
| Saer Sene, NE | .611 (4-2-3) | .500 (9-9-5) | +.111 |
| Robbie Keane, LA | .750 (8-2-2) | .655 (16-7-6) | +.095 |
| Thierry Henry, NY | .800 (8-2-0) | .714 (16-4-8) | +.086 |
| Chris Pontius, DC | .833 (7-1-1) | .750 (17-4-5) | +.083 |
| Chris Wondolowski, SJ | .789 (13-2-4) | .719 (19-5-8) | +.071 |
| Eddie Johnson, SEA | .750 (8-2-2) | .704 (15-4-8) | +.046 |
| Fredy Montero, SEA | .750 (6-1-3) | .704 (15-4-8) | +.046 |
| Alan Gordon, SJ | .708 (7-2-3) | .719 (19-5-8) | -.010 |
| Kei Kamara, KC | .773 (8-2-1) | .788 (18-3-5) | -.016 |
| Alvaro Saborio, RSL | .800 (8-2-0) | .818 (17-3-2) | -.018 |
| Will Bruin, HOU | .500 (2-2-6) | .667 (14-5-8) | -.167 |
Nine
of the 13 individuals had helped their team to a better win percentage when
scoring, but Saborío (RSL was 8-2 when he scored) was actually one of the four
who did not, along with Bruin, Alan Gordon, and Kei Kamara. Ironically, RSL was
7-0 in the 2012 regular season when since-traded forward Fabian Espindola
scored.
Interestingly,
a team’s defense might make it harder for a forward to steal the show. Of the
seven players with the highest difference in the above table, all seven
played for teams that allowed at least 43 goals. In the bottom six, only one
(Gordon) played for a team that allowed at least 43 goals.
I would like to see Elias or Opta take a crack at these numbers and consider a
much wider range of players and teams. But the data so far does not give me any
reason to change my conclusion: Real Salt Lake does have a better chance of
winning if Saborío scores, but not a significantly better chance than if anybody else scores.
14 February 2013
More Tucson videos
A quick hello from Tucson, where I've been staying busy with MLS broadcast meetings (networking, networking, networking), the opening games of the Desert Diamond Cup (frigid night, but entertaining games), and sit-down interviews with players from both Real Salt Lake and the New York Red Bulls (really interesting and enjoyable.)
The interviews - Nat Borchers, Jason Kreis, and Dax McCarty were my favorites - will air later in the year as part of packages on MLSsoccer.com, but highlights from Wednesday's games are available now:
Seattle Sounders 2, New England Revolution 0 - a preseason game with the equivalent of four ejections!
Real Salt Lake 2, New York Red Bulls 2 - RSL scored two goals in the first three minutes, but New York rallied
and as a little bonus, video of me with broadcast partner and MLSsoccer.com editor-in-chief Greg Lalas doing an ice-cold post-game report from Tucson:
The interviews - Nat Borchers, Jason Kreis, and Dax McCarty were my favorites - will air later in the year as part of packages on MLSsoccer.com, but highlights from Wednesday's games are available now:
Seattle Sounders 2, New England Revolution 0 - a preseason game with the equivalent of four ejections!
Real Salt Lake 2, New York Red Bulls 2 - RSL scored two goals in the first three minutes, but New York rallied
and as a little bonus, video of me with broadcast partner and MLSsoccer.com editor-in-chief Greg Lalas doing an ice-cold post-game report from Tucson:
23 January 2013
Preseason invitees 2013 - Western Conference
The MLS preseason is inevitably a blur of players coming and going as teams try to fill out their rosters. Here is an attempt to keep track of who's under contract, who's in camp with whom, and which teams are keeping spots open for the summer.
Information is unofficial, acquired to the best of my ability via team and media reports.
Western Conference:
Information is unofficial, acquired to the best of my ability via team and media reports.
Western Conference:
| Chivas USA (7-18-9, 9th West) -- 'Chelís' Sánchez Solá | Signed: 28 / Open: 2 | |||
| 2013 Newcomers: MF Carlos Alvarez (draft, 1990, UConn), MF Eric Avila (trade, Toronto via Colorado), DF Steve Purdy (1985, Portland), MF Carlos Borja (1988, former Chivas, LA Blues), MF Edgar Mejia (1988, Chivas Guadalajara, Mexico), FW Giovani Casillas (1994, Chivas Guadalajara, Mexico), DF Mario De Luna (1988, Chivas Guadalajara, Mexico), DF Joaquin Velasquez (1975, Puebla 2010, Mexico), DF Walter Vilchez (1982, Sporting Cristal, Peru), MF Josue Soto (1989, Houston / San Antonio Scorpions loan), DF Emilio Orozco (1992, Tigres, Fort Lauderdale Strikers loan), MF Daniel Antunez (1986, Inter Turku), FW Jose Manuel Rivera (1986, Chivas Guadalajara, Mexico), Julio Morales (1993, Chivas Guadalajara) | ||||
| Draft: Alvarez, DF Jose Diaz (1991, UC Riverside), FW Paul Islas (1991, Fresno Pacific), DF Joe Franco (1990, Cal State Northridge) | ||||
| Trial: MF Rodrigo Lopez (1987, Orlando City), FW Leopoldo Morales (1990, Fort Lauderdale Strikers) | ||||
| Rumored via Chivas de Guadalajara: Juan Pablo Ocegueda (1993) Not with Team: Ante Jazic |
||||
09 November 2012
MLS Cup Playoffs Best 11 (+7) so far
My apologies for the lack of posts - I've doing some mix of working and procrastinating, and I'll leave you to determine which has won out. I've also been watching as much of the MLS Cup playoffs as possible and have enjoyed the ridiculous drama, even though I'm often watching on delay and could simply open a new tab to find out who won.
Rather than a whole, long, drawn-out, "I told you so," I'll just point out that one team will have a huge competitive advantage in the MLS Cup final (home field) based on a difference of five points or fewer over its opponent, one which may have played a more difficult regular-season schedule. As long as that schedule is unbalanced and the final is a single game, I believe it must be played at a neutral site, purely for competitive reasons.
But I digress.
Today, just for fun, I'm picking a Best 11 from the first 10 playoff games of 2012. Why? Because I want to inspire an official all-tournament team for the MLS Cup Playoffs. It's gotta start somewhere, right? Unlike most Best 11s, I will use the Arabic numeral 11, rather than the Roman numeral XI. And unlike most Best 11s, I will choose a starting lineup with players in their actual positions. Groundbreaking, I know. OK, here we go:
MLS Cup Playoffs Best 11 (+7) (conference semifinals and knockout round games only)
GK - Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake - I'm actually not a huge Rimando fan, because I prefer a 6-foot-plus goalkeeper who can control the penalty area, but a shutout with a broken nose and that exceptional save on Brad Evans early in the second half Thursday night make him a must-choose. Honorable mention to Michael Gspurning and Tally Hall.
RB - Robbie Russell, D.C. United - I know he only played one game, but it was a great game, and all the other right backs who played both games did very little. Seriously, count them. Sarkodie, Myers, Franklin, Beitashour, Lade, Johansson, Beltran. I really like some of those players, but Russell's 90 minutes stood out more than their 180.
CB - Omar Gonzalez, LA Galaxy - This guy is a giant. Not only that, he's really good. If LA wins the title, people will complain about how low a seed they were, but LA was 7-2-3 during the regular season when Gonzalez started, and he was excellent against Wondo and Lenhart. How many center backs were secretly pleased when he elbowed Lenhart in the face?
CB - Jeff Parke, Seattle Sounders - The Sounders didn't allow a goal in 180 minutes against a very good team, and while some of that is on RSL's pathetic execution in the final third (they finished the year being shut out in their last five games), Seattle's defense has to get credit, and Parke's the man for that. Honorable, honorable mention to Bobby Boswell.
LB - Seth Sinovic, Sporting KC - I know, I know, you think I'm picking a defender just because he scored a goal, but really I'm going with Sinovic because Boniek Garcia was relatively quiet in both legs for Houston, none of the Dynamo goals came on Sinovic's side, AND he was the only KC player to find the net. With a diving header. Hard to beat. Honorable mention to Corey Ashe, who was outstanding in the knockout round against Chicago.
RM - Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy - This is tricky, because he did play forward in this series, but I thought this was the best spot for him. He silenced a lot of doubts with a two-assist performance on Wednesday, and I never pick against Landon in the playoffs.
CM - Osvaldo Alonso, Seattle Sounders - This guy works his butt off, and even though it seemed like he was fouling Javier Morales every five minutes in last night's game, the Sounders rarely got pulled out of position against RSL's very tough midfield, and he deserves a lot of the credit. Honorable mention to his partner in crime, Brad Evans.
CM - Ricardo Clark, Houston Dynamo - He has been everywhere in the Dynamo's three playoff games, sliding to break up a play and set up the game-winning goal against Chicago before frustrating Roger Espinoza in Houston last week. His range has reminded everybody of why Dom Kinnear's 4-4-2 was so successful from 2005-09.
LM - Mike Magee, LA Galaxy - All he does is score big playoff goals. And occasionally play goalkeeper really well. But really, it's the clinical playoff goals that put him here. Honorable mention to Nick DeLeon.
FW - Robbie Keane, LA Galaxy - Duh. I enjoy disagreeing with statements made by Bruce Arena (he wants you to disagree with most of them), but when he praises Keane as the best player in the league this year, you can't really argue. Especially when Thierry Henry won't take a last-minute free kick with his team down a goal in a playoff series.
FW - Will Bruin, Houston Dynamo - Clinical, clinical finishes. Three of them. Two of which are not the type usually scored by Houston forward. Easy choice here. Honorable mention to his wingman, Calen Carr.
Bench (these players were actually used as replacements in the postseason)
GK - Joe Willis, D.C. United - If he can come off the bench and save a PK, it's good enough for me. Might be better than Bill Hamid right now anyway. He's definitely more composed.
CB - Andre Hainault, Houston Dynamo - He had really struggled in the second half of the year (and he was on the field for Honduras 8-1 Canada), but he looked confident and competent when called upon against KC.
CB - Tommy Meyer, LA Galaxy - I'm cheating a bit here, but the guy had only started 4 MLS games since May, so I don't consider him a full-time starter.
DF/MF - Lewis Neal, D.C. United - Surprise under-the-radar pick-up who helped Orlando City to USL title last year. Makes you want to promote them straight to MLS, doesn't it?
MF - Oriol Rosell, Sporting KC - He got to play with lower-than-usual pressure because of the situation, but I was impressed with his composure and ability to keep things simple from that deep-lying midfield slot.
MF - Mario Martinez, Seattle Sounders - Yes, I'm picking him just because of his one, series-winning shot. It was that good.
FW - Alan Gordon, San Jose Earthquakes - Goonies never say die. Even when they sprain an ankle.
Rather than a whole, long, drawn-out, "I told you so," I'll just point out that one team will have a huge competitive advantage in the MLS Cup final (home field) based on a difference of five points or fewer over its opponent, one which may have played a more difficult regular-season schedule. As long as that schedule is unbalanced and the final is a single game, I believe it must be played at a neutral site, purely for competitive reasons.
But I digress.
Today, just for fun, I'm picking a Best 11 from the first 10 playoff games of 2012. Why? Because I want to inspire an official all-tournament team for the MLS Cup Playoffs. It's gotta start somewhere, right? Unlike most Best 11s, I will use the Arabic numeral 11, rather than the Roman numeral XI. And unlike most Best 11s, I will choose a starting lineup with players in their actual positions. Groundbreaking, I know. OK, here we go:
MLS Cup Playoffs Best 11 (+7) (conference semifinals and knockout round games only)
GK - Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake - I'm actually not a huge Rimando fan, because I prefer a 6-foot-plus goalkeeper who can control the penalty area, but a shutout with a broken nose and that exceptional save on Brad Evans early in the second half Thursday night make him a must-choose. Honorable mention to Michael Gspurning and Tally Hall.
RB - Robbie Russell, D.C. United - I know he only played one game, but it was a great game, and all the other right backs who played both games did very little. Seriously, count them. Sarkodie, Myers, Franklin, Beitashour, Lade, Johansson, Beltran. I really like some of those players, but Russell's 90 minutes stood out more than their 180.
CB - Omar Gonzalez, LA Galaxy - This guy is a giant. Not only that, he's really good. If LA wins the title, people will complain about how low a seed they were, but LA was 7-2-3 during the regular season when Gonzalez started, and he was excellent against Wondo and Lenhart. How many center backs were secretly pleased when he elbowed Lenhart in the face?
CB - Jeff Parke, Seattle Sounders - The Sounders didn't allow a goal in 180 minutes against a very good team, and while some of that is on RSL's pathetic execution in the final third (they finished the year being shut out in their last five games), Seattle's defense has to get credit, and Parke's the man for that. Honorable, honorable mention to Bobby Boswell.
LB - Seth Sinovic, Sporting KC - I know, I know, you think I'm picking a defender just because he scored a goal, but really I'm going with Sinovic because Boniek Garcia was relatively quiet in both legs for Houston, none of the Dynamo goals came on Sinovic's side, AND he was the only KC player to find the net. With a diving header. Hard to beat. Honorable mention to Corey Ashe, who was outstanding in the knockout round against Chicago.
RM - Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy - This is tricky, because he did play forward in this series, but I thought this was the best spot for him. He silenced a lot of doubts with a two-assist performance on Wednesday, and I never pick against Landon in the playoffs.
CM - Osvaldo Alonso, Seattle Sounders - This guy works his butt off, and even though it seemed like he was fouling Javier Morales every five minutes in last night's game, the Sounders rarely got pulled out of position against RSL's very tough midfield, and he deserves a lot of the credit. Honorable mention to his partner in crime, Brad Evans.
CM - Ricardo Clark, Houston Dynamo - He has been everywhere in the Dynamo's three playoff games, sliding to break up a play and set up the game-winning goal against Chicago before frustrating Roger Espinoza in Houston last week. His range has reminded everybody of why Dom Kinnear's 4-4-2 was so successful from 2005-09.
LM - Mike Magee, LA Galaxy - All he does is score big playoff goals. And occasionally play goalkeeper really well. But really, it's the clinical playoff goals that put him here. Honorable mention to Nick DeLeon.
FW - Robbie Keane, LA Galaxy - Duh. I enjoy disagreeing with statements made by Bruce Arena (he wants you to disagree with most of them), but when he praises Keane as the best player in the league this year, you can't really argue. Especially when Thierry Henry won't take a last-minute free kick with his team down a goal in a playoff series.
FW - Will Bruin, Houston Dynamo - Clinical, clinical finishes. Three of them. Two of which are not the type usually scored by Houston forward. Easy choice here. Honorable mention to his wingman, Calen Carr.
Bench (these players were actually used as replacements in the postseason)
GK - Joe Willis, D.C. United - If he can come off the bench and save a PK, it's good enough for me. Might be better than Bill Hamid right now anyway. He's definitely more composed.
CB - Andre Hainault, Houston Dynamo - He had really struggled in the second half of the year (and he was on the field for Honduras 8-1 Canada), but he looked confident and competent when called upon against KC.
CB - Tommy Meyer, LA Galaxy - I'm cheating a bit here, but the guy had only started 4 MLS games since May, so I don't consider him a full-time starter.
DF/MF - Lewis Neal, D.C. United - Surprise under-the-radar pick-up who helped Orlando City to USL title last year. Makes you want to promote them straight to MLS, doesn't it?
MF - Oriol Rosell, Sporting KC - He got to play with lower-than-usual pressure because of the situation, but I was impressed with his composure and ability to keep things simple from that deep-lying midfield slot.
MF - Mario Martinez, Seattle Sounders - Yes, I'm picking him just because of his one, series-winning shot. It was that good.
FW - Alan Gordon, San Jose Earthquakes - Goonies never say die. Even when they sprain an ankle.
28 September 2012
Why all of the final CCL matches matter
 |
| Houston could play the second leg of a quarterfinal at BBVA Compass Stadium, depending on goal differential |
One of the changes to the competition is that matchups in the quarterfinals (and beyond) are now determined by performance in the group stage, rather than by random draw. This is an underrated move by CONCACAF, in my opinion. Yes, the teams are being compared against unequal opponents; is it really fair to reward teams that go 4-0 against a group that included a Caribbean or weak Central American opponent? But the move is worth that question because (a) it legitimizes a competition that sometimes seemed to be fixed to get at least one American team to the semifinals and (b) it makes every minute of the group stage count.
Seeding in the knockout round is very important, because the higher seed gets the second leg at home, usually a big advantage. This is far from the only reason Mexican clubs have dominated American ones in head-to-head competition, but the second leg has been in Mexico more often than not. This time, they'll have to earn it.
So here's how the race for home-field advantage in the elimination round shapes up. Projected seeds are how I think the teams will finish, not their current spot:
| Proj Seed | Team | Record | GD | Last Game |
| (Almost) clinched | ||||
| 1 | Santos Laguna | 3-0 | +11 | 10/24 vs. Toronto |
| OR | Toronto FC | 2-1 | +5 | 10/24 at Santos Laguna |
| 2 | Monterrey | 3-0 | +9 | 10/23 at Chorrillo |
| 3 | Seattle Sounders | 3-0 | +5 | 10/24 vs. Marathon |
| 4 | LA Galaxy | 2-0-1 | +7 | 10/25 at Metapan |
| Battling it out | ||||
| 5 | Houston Dynamo | 2-0-1 | +6 | 10/23 vs. Olimpia |
| OR | Olimpia | 1-1-1 | +2 | 10/23 at Houston |
| 6 | Real Salt Lake | 2-1 | +2 | 10/23 vs. Herediano |
| OR | Herediano | 3-0 | +3 | 10/23 at Real Salt Lake |
| 7 | Tigres | 1-0-2 | +4 | 10/24 vs. Alajuelense |
| OR | Alajuelense | 2-0-1 | +4 | 10/24 at Tigres |
| 8 | Chivas | 1-1-1 | +3 | 10/25 vs. Xelaju |
| OR | Xelaju | 2-0-1 | +2 | 10/25 at Chivas |
Head-to-head matchups will determine the final five spots (CONCACAF may have a history of corruption, but the people running do not miss a chance for drama, pairing two powers in the final match of each group), but you can see where this is going. If the home teams prevail with the results they need, we'll get the Mexican/U.S. quarterfinals, but the matchups would play out to something like this:
1. Santos Laguna vs. 8 Chivas Guadalajara
2. Monterrey vs. 7 Tigres
3. Seattle Sounders vs. 6 Real Salt Lake
4. LA Galaxy vs. 5 Houston Dynamo
Of course, that's taking a lot for granted. Five teams still need to take care of business just to advance. But the point is that they need to focus not just on doing enough to advance; they need to be worried about their quarterfinal seed. Santos cannot afford to tie Toronto at home; a win would secure them the top seed. Seattle cannot afford to be on cruise control against Marathon; they have an outside chance of catching Monterrey for the all-important No. 2 seed, which could give them a home game in the semifinals.
Real Salt Lake, Tigres, and Chivas will all be trying just to get the win that will send them to the quarterfinals (RSL needs to win 1-0 or by multiple goals), and Houston needs just a tie at home against Olimpia. Given its precarious MLS playoff position, the Dynamo will probably put out a mixed squad, but winning and tacking on a few goals should still be a priority in an attempt to wrest the second leg of a potential quarterfinal matchup away from recent rival LA. After all, Houston's last two playoff outings have ended at The Home Depot Center.
The new format of the Champions League has its positives and negatives, but there is something to play for in all eight of the final matches, and we could be in store for the most storied quarterfinalists in the tournament's short history.
02 May 2012
Looking back: April 25 Dallas-RSL broadcast
Last week I called three games in eight days for FC Dallas.
I have three more games coming up in May, including two in the next nine days,
but I want to recap the April games one by one. I started with the Dallas-Vancouver match, and now we turn to the mid-week Dallas-RSL game.
April 25 – FS Southwest
Plus / CW30 / ESPN 700 AM – FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake
I think these combined broadcasts have a lot of potential, because a good announcing team will know and represent the perspective of both teams, and an on-site production should be able to put together a very good show for home fans, away fans, and neutrals watching online. The focus will be overall storylines of both teams, not just the local perspective. At the moment, the biggest challenge of combined broadcasts, in my opinion, is not the announcers or the production, but the sponsor inventory. It’s simple enough to have the FC Dallas lineup presented by Dr Pepper and the Real Salt Lake lineup presented by Xango, but a lot of the other promotional reads didn’t seem to have the same flow (RSL offers for a fried chicken establishment, for example, don't carry over to North Texas), and I think they slowed us down and congested the broadcast just a bit. In this case, we were also being simulcast on radio in Salt Lake City, so I had to talk a little more than I usually would on a TV broadcast and give the time and score a little more often. It's never enough for a radio listener, I know, but hopefully it helped a bit.
It was my first time working with Brian Dunseth, although we had met several times previously from his work with FOX Soccer. I think it took us a little bit to find our rhythm of who talked when and who covered what aspects of a play (plus, how do you react when somebody says "flying taco" on air?), but I thought we got a lot more comfortable as the game went on, which bodes well for our next game together on Sunday. It's great to have Brian next to you because he sees the game so well and is so entrenched in the league.
Although we saw a nasty arm injury to Carlos Rodriguez and a first MLS goal from Emiliano Bonfigli to tie the game for RSL, the big talking point was the penalty kick awarded to Dallas just before halftime. First of all, the play was an awkward one to call, because I definitely had to wait a second to be sure the referee was calling a penalty kick, and even when it happened, I wasn't entirely sure what the call was for. Secondly, both Brian and I had separately noted in our own research that the referee, Geoff Gamble, had a history of awarding penalty kicks, so that immediately kicked into both of our minds, and Brian went directly to that point on-air. Third, it's eventually a judgment call as to what constitutes a handball in the box. I don't know that either Brian or I saw the need to make the call, but having worked for teams on both sides of those decisions, I think we were able to point out RSL's outrage (especially given the calls against them the week before) and the Dallas sentiment of: "It clearly hit his hand, and we deserved that call after controlling the last 30 minutes." Of course, saying each perspective leaves fans of the other team more than a little frustrated, but isn't that what soccer's all about?
At any rate, as in so many ties, I would have liked a few more late dramatics, but the closest we came was Chris Seitz diving at the feet of Alvaro Saborío in the 77th minute to preserve the 1-1 score. Full highlights from our broadcast available here.
After the game, we had the awkward sign-off of, “FC
Dallas fans, good night to you; Real Salt Lake fans, stay tuned for the
post-game show.” That left us with 30 minutes to talk Real Salt Lake in the
first post-game show I’ve done on television, although I’ve certainly done more
than my share on radio over the years. That meant more on-camera time at a
point in the night where we’re usually pretty tired of being ‘on.’ I actually enjoyed
the post-game show, though, talking over some of the key moments both with Brian and
with Jason Kreis and Will Johnson from RSL. All in all, I hope my latest foray
into the RSL market left folks feeling better than my last one, and it was a
fun game to call.
The Wednesday game was a different animal altogether.
Aside from being able to actually watch Dallas train in person and talk with RSL
head coach Jason Kreis in person as part of my research, and aside from
actually being in the stadium, the big difference was that we were taking on a combined broadcast that was
seen in both Dallas and Salt Lake City.
I think these combined broadcasts have a lot of potential, because a good announcing team will know and represent the perspective of both teams, and an on-site production should be able to put together a very good show for home fans, away fans, and neutrals watching online. The focus will be overall storylines of both teams, not just the local perspective. At the moment, the biggest challenge of combined broadcasts, in my opinion, is not the announcers or the production, but the sponsor inventory. It’s simple enough to have the FC Dallas lineup presented by Dr Pepper and the Real Salt Lake lineup presented by Xango, but a lot of the other promotional reads didn’t seem to have the same flow (RSL offers for a fried chicken establishment, for example, don't carry over to North Texas), and I think they slowed us down and congested the broadcast just a bit. In this case, we were also being simulcast on radio in Salt Lake City, so I had to talk a little more than I usually would on a TV broadcast and give the time and score a little more often. It's never enough for a radio listener, I know, but hopefully it helped a bit.
It was my first time working with Brian Dunseth, although we had met several times previously from his work with FOX Soccer. I think it took us a little bit to find our rhythm of who talked when and who covered what aspects of a play (plus, how do you react when somebody says "flying taco" on air?), but I thought we got a lot more comfortable as the game went on, which bodes well for our next game together on Sunday. It's great to have Brian next to you because he sees the game so well and is so entrenched in the league.
Although we saw a nasty arm injury to Carlos Rodriguez and a first MLS goal from Emiliano Bonfigli to tie the game for RSL, the big talking point was the penalty kick awarded to Dallas just before halftime. First of all, the play was an awkward one to call, because I definitely had to wait a second to be sure the referee was calling a penalty kick, and even when it happened, I wasn't entirely sure what the call was for. Secondly, both Brian and I had separately noted in our own research that the referee, Geoff Gamble, had a history of awarding penalty kicks, so that immediately kicked into both of our minds, and Brian went directly to that point on-air. Third, it's eventually a judgment call as to what constitutes a handball in the box. I don't know that either Brian or I saw the need to make the call, but having worked for teams on both sides of those decisions, I think we were able to point out RSL's outrage (especially given the calls against them the week before) and the Dallas sentiment of: "It clearly hit his hand, and we deserved that call after controlling the last 30 minutes." Of course, saying each perspective leaves fans of the other team more than a little frustrated, but isn't that what soccer's all about?
At any rate, as in so many ties, I would have liked a few more late dramatics, but the closest we came was Chris Seitz diving at the feet of Alvaro Saborío in the 77th minute to preserve the 1-1 score. Full highlights from our broadcast available here.
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