Eastern Conference, New York City FC, Team Updates

The End of a Vieira in New York

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Keira Smith - NYCFC/mlsfemale
Official NYCFC Reporter

By Keira Smith // @keiramunsmith

A lot has been going down in the soccer ‘hood in the past week. It seems like every hour news is breaking in both the MLS world and internationally.  It’s been hard to catch your breath before something else happens.  Hot off the press is the big news that the joint bid for the FIFA 2026 World Cup by the US, Canada and Mexico was successful.  

The other news is the departure of head coach Patrick Vieira for OGC Nice and the subsequent announcement of the appointment of his replacement Domenec Torrent.  It’s been rumored for weeks that Vieira would be leaving and despite his denials, the club made its official announcement on Monday.  Not only did Vieira leave his contract mid-season but he took much of his supporting team with him including Christian Lattanzio,  Kristian Wilson and Matt Cook. I was not quite pleased.

New head coach Domènec Torrent brings a plethora of experience working under Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola as well as an endorsement from fellow Spaniard David Villa.  Fans expressed their optimism about Torrent over social media. 

Angela Singh, an active member of The City Celestes supporters group, wrote: “I personally am looking forward to seeing him and his style. He’s got AMAZING credentials (including being the former assistant coach for both FC Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona), and thus won a total of 21 trophies with both teams, the former head coach for Girona FC, and he helped Manchester City as they became the #Centurions and won the Premier League Cup this year!! I’m pleasantly surprised and completely sold – this guy seems like the one who will lead the “Boys in Blue” to the 2018 MLS Cup!”   

Dominic Torrent, Head Coach NYCFC
Domenec Torrent

The first game with Coach Torrent at the helm will be on June 24th when we host Toronto FC. 

Before we completely close the book on the Vieira Era, it’s important to reflect on his last game with New York City.  Hosting Atlanta United on Saturday June 9th had most fans both excited and nervous.  It was Military Appreciation day and featured the US Military Academy parachute team making an aerial entrance onto the pitch.  Atlanta fans were representing all over the stadium along with the anticipated packed and enthusiastic visiting supporters’ section. 

I have to mention our supporters’ section was in especially fine voice.

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NYCFC Supporters’ section filling in pre-game.

New York started with a 3-4-3 lineup which seemed to work extremely well against Atlanta, who have the league’s leading scorer in Josef Martinez.  Although Martinez did score against us, our defense especially Alexander Callens and Sebastien Ibeagha contained him well and made his job much more difficult.

Both Miguel Almiron and Ezequiel Barco were basically non-issues.  Sean Johnson only had one save and claimed one cross. I was surprised at how well NYCFC moved the ball aggressively throughout the field and at the same time were able to apply many layers of defense on Atlanta.  I was expecting the team to be shaken by the rumors of their coach’s imminent departure as well as the lack of consistency in the starting lineup but I was wrong. 

Alexander Callens steals the ball from Josef Martinez.

We had chance after chance to score in this game with a vice of pressure applied to Atlanta’s defense however Brad Guzan was equal to the task making one incredible save after the other with 10 in total.  NY’s shot after shot were repeatedly hitting the posts and crossbar. Until the 77th minute when David Villa perfectly crossed the ball to Callens who finished it with a low, swift diving header that Guzan couldn’t touch. 

With all the chances by New York City, the score stayed even at 1-1, the same ending as when we visited Atlanta in April.  Although it’s hard to come away with only one point, it felt like a bigger picture win to see our Boys in Blue play so well against a strong team.

Atlanta United visiting supporters’ section looks on as Miguel Almiron goes down at Alex Ring’s feet.

Our difficult home stretch has seen us get 4 out of 6 points against two Eastern Conference playoff rivals.  All eyes will be on our new gaffer as we face our nemesis Toronto FC.  I’m optimistic.

All images: nycfc.com

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Features, Team Updates, World Cup 2018

What’s not to like about “Socceroos”?

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Bridget McDowell - Minnesota United FC/mlsfemale
Official Minnesota United FC Reporter

By Bridget McDowell // @BCMcDowell

Australia’s national squad doesn’t get much press on this side of the globe, probably because they are not flashy or expensive and don’t have much international tournament history. But the Socceroos do have a history. And they do have some players you will want to keep an eye on.

The large continent made a bold mark in FIFA history by delivering a final scoreline that caused the organization to add preliminary rounds to the Oceanic zone’s qualification process. The change was made after a match in 2001, a qualifier for the 2002 World Cup, in which Australia defeated American Samoa 31-0, a world record margin which even Australia’s coach thought was unfair to all involved. That match also spurred the nation’s move out of the Oceanic Football Confederation and into the Asia Football Confederation, where it could pick on countries its own size.

Unfortunately, the Socceroos faced better teams than American Samoa later on so they did not reach the tournament, but they have made it to every World Cup since (2006, 2010 and 2014). This Cup will be the nation’s fifth (the first was 1974) and while it is doubtful they will score even a fourth of that record-breaking 31 goals against France, Peru and Denmark in Group C, the Socceroos should be worth watching.

There are plenty of talented players on Bert van Marwijk’s squad (Of course there are; he’s Dutch so the Socceroos are total footballers now.) and they span two generations of experience and talent. Scrolling through their profiles and stats, two players stand out for me.

Historical excitement could be delivered by 39 year old forward Tim Cahill, formerly of Everton and New York Red Bulls. He needs just one goal in the 2018 tournament to join Pele, Uwe Deeler and Miroslav Klose as the fourth player to score in four straight World Cups.

Cahill could also be the first Australian player to appear in 10 World Cup matches if he plays in two this year (he currently sits at eight behind retired midfielder Mark Bresciano with nine). Cahill spent most of the tune-up matches on the bench while the next generation took their turn on the pitch.

Midfielder Daniel Arzani, a 19 year old currently playing for Melbourne City, received his first senior call-up for this tournament. While his stats tab on the national team’s site pulls up ‘No Data Found,’ he has been putting in minutes for City and has a 78.5 passing percentage.

Arzani subbed into the final friendly against Hungary on Saturday and scored the first goal of that match which Australia won 2-1. Whether he’ll get tournament minutes is unclear, but Arzani has the potential to deliver some quality chances and/or goals if he does.

Can Australia outscore the likes of Giroud, Dembele and Pogba, when they face France on Saturday? Maybe (probably) not, but the Socceroos should be fun to watch.

And isn’t that what the World Cup is all about?

Featured image: mlsfemale

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Eastern Conference, Orlando City SC, Team Updates

Orlando City Suffers Terrible Loss at Vancouver

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Shae Beaudoin - Orlando City/mlsfemale
Official Orlando City Reporter

By Shae Beaudoin // @ShaeEliz

Saturday, June 9: 5-2 Loss

On Saturday, the Lions traveled north to Vancouver in their first 2018 meeting. Vancouver Whitecaps is now home to two former Orlando City players, Brek Shea and Jose Aja. But the family reunion was pretty bittersweet, with the final score of Vancouver 5, Orlando 2.

Now I’m not exactly sure if this qualifies as our worst defeat ever, but it’s definitely up there. I mean, we fell to Houston Dynamo in 2017 4-0. At least this time we put some goals on the board. This marks the 5th straight loss since Atlanta United ended our winning streak back in May.

Just to recap here, Orlando City broke it’s winning streak record this season with 6 straight wins. We were on top of the world! And then the Fire Nation attacked…

Not exactly, but here we are, in a position all too familiar to Orlando City fans. We call it our Summer Slump. The beginning of the season looks so good and so promising, and then summer comes and well. You know what happens.

Shockingly enough, we’re still clinging to our #6 spot in the playoff standings. Chicago Fire and Philadelphia Union are just one point behind us so this week’s games will determine if we can hold on to our spot or not.

A win against Montreal Impact on Wednesday, June 13th, would guarantee us a few more days of safety. A draw or a loss would mean we’d have to watch what Chicago does against Colorado Rapids (also on Wednesday) and how Philadelphia does against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday.

To catch you up on our player news:

Midfielder Yoshimar Yotún has been named to the Peru National Team’s roster for the 2018 World Cup! We’re wishing him the best but that means for now, we’ve got no Yoshi available.

Defender Amro Tarek has returned to Orlando after being turned down from the Egyptian National Team. Obviously a hard pill to swallow but we’re happy to have him back, especially with our Captain Jonathan Spector still uncertain.

Spector has missed the past few weeks of games due to concussion protocols. He has returned to full training and played in our U.S. Open match against Miami, so we should be seeing him return to our main roster very soon.

Now these next few weeks of MLS are a little messy— we’ve got games and gaps all over the place due to the World Cup break, so bear with us here at MLSFemale while we have recaps going up on all different days of the week. Plus, we’ve got U.S. Open Cup games going on in this mix too. Who’s ready to keep up with ALL of the soccer?!

Next up for Orlando City: Away at Montreal on June 13th (MLS Regular Season), Away at D.C. United on June 20th (U.S. Open Cup), and Home on June 23rd against Montreal (MLS Regular Season).

And in case you were looking for more of my wit and humor, I’ll also be doing World Cup coverage for Portugal and Egypt right here on MLSFemale.

Featured image: @OrlandoCitySC

49 rainbow seats to honor the memory of Pulse victims

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Features, Team Updates, World Cup 2018

Denmark has the nicest supporters in the world

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Liz Panucci - Co-Founder/mlsfemale
Editor

By Liz Panucci // @PanucciLiz

What’s the opposite of unruly fans? Supporters of team Denmark! I can, personally, account for this as my heritage hails from this Scandinavian country. We don’t get too excited about anything and go through life in a placid sort of way enjoying food and drink with others.

Recently, us reporters decided that since neither the US Men’s National Team or the Canadian team qualified for the World Cup 2018 in Russia, we would write about other teams. Many chose teams via their heritage, some because of their MLS connection and others just because they like the country.

The World Cup starts June 14 with Denmark’s first match on June 16. There are 32 countries divided into 8 groups, A-H. Denmark is in Group C along with Peru, Australia and France. Denmark missed the last World Cup but have high hopes to come out on top of this group, even against heavyweight Team France.

World Cup Schedule/mlsfemale

DENMARK: 23-man squad — Nicklas Bendtner has been left out of Denmark’s 23-man World Cup squad due to a groin injury that he sustained playing for his club side.

Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City), Frederik Ronnow (Brondby IF), Jonas Lossl (Huddersfield Town)

Defenders: Henrik Dalsgaard (Brentford), Simon Kjaer (Sevilla), Jens Stryger Larsen (Udinese), Mathias Jorgensen (Huddersfield Town), Jannik Vestergaard (Borussia Monchengladbach), Andreas Christensen (Chelsea), Jonas Knudsen (Ipswich Town)

Midfielders: William Kvist (FC Kobenhavn), Thomas Delaney (Werder Bremen), Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur), Lukas Lerager (Bordeaux), Michael Krohn-Dehli (Deportivo), Lasse Schone (Ajax), Pione Sisto (Celta Vigo)

Forwards: Nicolai Jørgensen (Feyenoord), Yussuf Poulsen (RB Leipzig), Viktor Fischer (FC Kobenhavn), Kasper Dolberg (Ajax), Andreas Cornelius (Atalanta), Martin Braithwaite (Bordeaux)

Liz Panucci - Denmark/mlsfemale
On our way. Image: Nicolai Jørgensen @njorgensen9

According to the FIFA World Rankings, Denmark is currently tied with England for 12th going into the tournament. They have moved up 7 spots in the past 9 months. If the team can continue to gel, they can ride this wave of momentum and kickoff Moscow on a winning note.

Featured image: mlsfemale

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Eastern Conference, New York Red Bulls, Team Updates

New York Red Bulls Are My Jam

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Sylvana Budesheim - NY Red Bulls/mlsfemale
Official NY Red Bulls Reporter

By Sylvana Budesheim // @WhiteZinWench

Saturday, June 9th: 1-1 Draw

It was too perfect.

The New York Red Bulls are the Boys in Red. Yellow is Columbus Crew‘s signature color.

It didn’t take long for the dream I didn’t know I had to be realized:

SECRET FAMILY RECIPE: This is the first Red Bull/ Crew matchup since Mike Grella was traded to Columbus. A healthy Grella is a dangerous Grella, and he was looking quite stong against his former team. This is also the first game back from injury for RB goalkeeper Luis Robles. He took a cleat to the chest in the first half, which did not look pretty. But the Ironman played on, with five saves on the day.

HOT SAUCE: Apparently mid-day in June is pretty flipping hot in Columbus. Eighty-seven degrees, but felt like ninety-one.  A hydration break was imposed in the 32nd minute. Players were dripping with sweat and dousing themselves with their water bottles. The sky in the second half grew overcast and the wind increased as a summer storm brewed and threatened the end of the game.

SAUERKRAUT: Ugh. The Crew’s Gyasi Zardes scored in the 26th minute. It was the result of a strong effort from Harrison Afful and Federico Higuain. Combined with a momentary lapse from the Red Bulls defense, “Mustard United” pulled ahead.  Bradley Wright-Phillips was called offside on his goal in the 39th minute. So while the first half wasn’t terrible, it isn’t something I’d want regularly.

RELISH: In just his second start of the season, homegrown midfielder Alex Muyl scored a header off a Sean Davis free kick. This was also his second goal of the season. But rather than cup his ears to hear the fans, this time he plugged his ears and closed his eyes. He doesn’t want to hear the noise. Critics have been saying plenty, smug when he is not in the Starting XI, flippant when his chances yield no results. But when he came through, after 57 minutes of putting the pressure on, he took a moment for himself.

A quick trip home to host the Seattle Sounders, then a jaunt down I-95 for the next round of the Open Cup against the Philadelphia Union. I’ve gotta get the hot dogs and burgers ready.

Featured image of Alex Muyl: Sylvana’s Media

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Columbus Crew SC, Eastern Conference, Team Updates

Crew SC Open Cup: Round 1

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Hilary - Columbus Crew/mlsfemale
Official Columbus Crew Reporter

By Hilary // @hils4crew

Wednesday, June 6: 2(9)-2(10)

Columbus Crew SC took on the Chicago Fire Wednesday night in the first round of the US Open Cup.  Due to having three MLS games in twelve days, Crew SC rolled out a lot of reserve players.  But, I felt very confident that these reserve players could get a result.

Cristian Martinez opened the scoring up in the 10’ after receiving a beautiful pass from Niko Hansen.  While Crew SC didn’t dominate the half, it looked likely they would go in at halftime with the lead.  Nemanja Nikolic of the Chicago Fire had a different idea though and redirected a ball into the goal on a Rafael Ramos cross.  However, if Nikolic hadn’t finished it, Diego Campos was making a backdoor run unmarked and would’ve finished it instead.

Ending regulation time with a 1-1 tie, the game went into two fifteen-minute halves.  In the 109’, Nikolic struck again.  Aleksandar Katai chipped it over Crew SC keeper Logan Ketterer who got his hand on the ball but volleyed it behind him.  It was an easy finish for Nikolic who was waiting on the other side of the keeper. 

In the 114’, Adam Jahn leveled the score when Luis Argudo sent a short corner to Cristian Martinez.  Martinez sent a nice cross into the box that Adam Jahn headed into the net.

After extra time, the game went into penalty kicks.  I’ve seen my team’s playoff run ended by penalty kicks, and I’ve seen them advance on them as well.  But personally, I have never seen a game where penalty kicks go through the whole team and end up with the keepers taking PKs. 

Nemanja Nikolic who scored both of the Fire’s goals during the game clanged the crossbar to miss the first PK of the night.  Hector Jimenez took Crew SC’s second PK of the night, which was saved.  It continued with all other players making their PKs until it was down to Chicago’s keeper Richard Sanchez and Columbus’s keeper Logan Ketterer.  Ketterer’s shot wasn’t quite hard enough and was saved while Sanchez finished his shot to allow Chicago to advance in the Open Cup with a score of 2 (9)- 2 (10). 

A couple of thoughts about the match:

It was great to see Gaston Sauro on the pitch as this was his first game back at home since October 2016.  He has been recovering from injury and surgery which could have ended his soccer career.  I continue to look forward to Sauro making his way back into the starting lineup for Crew SC.

After Eduardo Sosa’s Crew SC debut as a substitute in last Saturday’s game against Toronto FC, he got the start and played the whole game in this match.  I continue to marvel at Gregg Berhalter’s ability to find young talent.  Between Argudo, Sosa, Valenzuela, and Opoku, Berhalter has a lot of young talented players that will make this Crew SC team a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

In all honesty, while I love the Open Cup, I also loathe it.  During the 2013 Open Cup, Eddie Gaven, my favorite Crew SC player, was injured and retired shortly after the 2013 season.  I still wonder to this day what might have been had he not been injured in this tournament. 

So, I am incredibly thrilled that none of our guys got hurt in the match and look forward to Crew SC’s upcoming MLS matches.

Featured image: @ColumbusCrewSC

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Columbus Crew SC, Eastern Conference, Team Updates

Karma…works in Columbus Crew’s favor

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Hilary - Columbus Crew/mlsfemale
Official Columbus Crew Reporter

By Hilary // @hils4crew

Saturday, June 2: 3-3 Draw

On Saturday, Columbus Crew SC took on Toronto FC for the Trillium Cup.  With Wil Trapp and Zach Steffen away on International duty, Jonathan Mensah and Pedro Santos out with injury, and Cristian Martinez out for disciplinary issues, Crew SC had Mike Grella and Niko Hansen start out on the wings, Ricardo Clark play in Wil Trapp’s spot, and Jon Kempin fill in for Steffen. 

Crew SC did not play a strong first 60 minutes.  Due to a foul in the 17’, Toronto earned a PK that Victor Vazquez buried.  Tosaint Ricketts, a first-half sub for Toronto, scored a goal in the 38’, and Sebastian Giovinco buried a free kick in the 57’.   Down 3-0, it didn’t look great for the black and gold, but this team has proven time and time again that it shouldn’t be counted out.

Last November during the playoffs against Toronto, Michael Bradley commented on the Crew’s possible move to Austin essentially saying that Columbus hasn’t kept up with the league.  Apparently, karma can come back to get you as Michael Bradley struggled in the last thirty minutes of the game resulting in a 3-3 tie and the Trillium Cup being given to Columbus.

The first goal came off a corner kick earned when Michael Bradley deflected a ball from Eduardo Sosa for a Crew SC corner.  Frederico Higuain sent in a ball that Gyasi Zardes headed into the goal.  Then, Crew SC earned a free kick that Higuain sent in, Josh Williams headed it across the goal.  Bradley brought it down, but Homegrown player Alex Crognale stepped up on the ball and shot it into the bottom corner of the net.  Then near the end of the game, Bradley hit the back of Zardes leg in the box—resulting in a PK that Higuain buried to tie the game in the 90’. 

Some thoughts about the game:

In the 62’, Gregg Berhalter decided to make all his substitutions at once sending in Eduardo Sosa for Hansen, Luis Argudo for Grella, and Alex Crognale for Abubakar.  I don’t know if I have ever seen this before, but all three subs definitely impacted the game in positive ways.

This was Sosa’s MLS debut, and I’ll be excited to see what the Higuain heir-apparent does with more minutes and more development.

If I haven’t said it before, I’m a huge fan of veteran Ricardo Clark.  This was a great offseason pickup by Gregg Berhalter. 

This Saturday, Crew SC face the New York Red Bulls.  Let’s see if Gregg Berhalter and his team can continue their unbeaten streak to nine games.

Featured image: Hilary

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Los Angeles FC, Team Updates, Western Conference

LAFC advances to the Round of 16 in 2-0 victory over Fresno

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Araceli Villanueva - LAFC/mlsfemale
Official LAFC Reporter

By Araceli Villanueva // @Aracelv1

Wednesday, June 6: 2-0 Win

Los Angeles Football Club advances to the Round of 16 of the U.S. Open Cup for the first time in club history in a 2-0 victory over Fresno FC at Banc at California Stadium on Wednesday. Diego Rossi and Latif Blessing scored the lone goals of the night.

The first half saw a battle of strong defense from both sides, however LAFC managed to create multiple chances around the 27th minute with chances from Calum Mallace and Walker Zimmerman. Despite their attempts, the game went into halftime scoreless.

The Foxes were close to opening up the scoring in the 49th minute when Danny Barrera whips a cross into the box, however, the ball landed in front of Agustin Cazarez who could not convert the chance.

Moments after Rossi replaced Adama Diomande, after leaving in extra time for a blow to the head – he gets the final touch and it trickles across the goal line to open the scoring in the 53rd minute. Just four minutes later, Blessing secured LAFC’s ticket to the Round of 16 after burying a loose ball in the box and doubling the score.

The Foxes continued to look for their first goal throughout the remainder of the half. In the 84th minute, Barrera sent a strike from 30 yards out but Tyler Miller was quick to deny Barrera giving the black and gold their first-ever U.S. Open Cup victory.

LAFC will host Sacramento Republic FC on Wednesday, June 20.

Featured image: @LAFC

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Eastern Conference, New York Red Bulls, Team Updates

New York Red Bulls Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop

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Sylvana Budesheim - NY Red Bulls/mlsfemale
Official NY Red Bulls Reporter

By Sylvana Budesheim // @WhiteZinWench

Wednesday, June 6th: 4-0 Win (Lamar Hunt Open Cup, 4th round, RBNY advances)

It was Deja Vu all over again* when the New York Red Bulls hosted New York City FC in the 4th round of the Lamar Hunt Open Cup.

IT’S OUR PARTY: Last year, the New York Red Bulls defeated NYCFC 1-0, with Daniel Royer scoring the only goal in the 67th minute. There were cheers and jeers, the usual banter, and a hilarious halftime takedown of a pitch invader. So when the cup draw was announced, making for the fourth Hudson River Derby of 2018, the reaction was mixed. RBNY did fine in the last meeting, but they were missing key pieces this time around.

WE CAN DO WHAT WE WANT: It didn’t take long for the scoring to begin. In just the second minute, midfielder Vincent Bezecourt blasted the ball past backup goalkeeper Brad Stuver. From my vantage point, I could see coach Jesse Marsch tell the bench not to get too excited.  A clever combination of moves from Derrick Etienne Jr., Alex Muyl, and Royer (9′) saw nearly a second goal by Danny’s heel flick. But Stuver was able to grab the ball.

Later in the half, a messy and violent advance up the field for RBNY ends with Muyl sending the ball way over the crossbar (28′). The crowd cried out in pain, but Alex was definitely the one feeling it most of all.

That second goal had to wait until the 2nd half. A corner kick from Marc Rzatkowski found Aaron Long‘s head, and then the back of the net (52′). While a 2-0 lead was plenty good for RBNY to advance, Royer was able to really finish off the game with not one but TWO goals at the end of the second half (84′ & 89’).

WE RUN THINGS: For as much as I talk soccer, I’m still kind of new at the lingo… a lot has changed since I was playing. But I have learned about assessing a player’s workrate. It’s kind of an intangible– not like passing accuracy or shots on frame. It’s something you feel as you watch them play.

Not having watched Red Bulls II (I know, shame on me), I was previously unaware of Hassan Ndam‘s or Ethan Kutler‘s workrate. But they are thoroughly impressive. It’s the best testament to the Red Bulls system: slot in any piece and the team is still a cohesive unit. Not bad for their first time out with the first team.

WE CAME TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN NOW: Even Marc Rzatkowski, coming halfway around the world from Red Bull Salzburg, plays as if he grew up across the street from Tyler Adams. Both on and off the field, his ease with his teammates makes for a positive experience. When asked about his effect on the team, Royer said, “You can see he’s a great soccer player. Without the ball, he’s so aggressive he can win a lot of balls…and then with the ball he’s so smooth and creative.”

RBNY travels to Columbus for league play against (Save) the Crew this Saturday, and then to Chester, PA for the next Open Cup round against the Philadelphia Union. Don’t stop now, you boys in Red.

*That’s a Yogi Berra saying. He played for the Yankees. What– you thought the South Ward singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in the 70th minute is the only baseball dig we can come up with?

Featured image: @NewYorkRedBulls

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LA Galaxy, Team Updates, Western Conference

Player Profile: LA Galaxy’s Keeper David Bingham

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Michelle Huitink - LA Galaxy/mlsfemale
Official LA Galaxy Reporter

By Michelle Huitink // @mchuitink

David Bingham was the man of the match after making 9 saves for the Los Angeles Galaxy on the Saturday June 2nd match against the Portland Timbers at Providence Park, which ended in a 1-1 draw, effectively stopping the opponents from winning a seventh match in a row. He made a major save on Portland’s David Guzman off a free kick in the 84th minute. Initially, during warmups, it looked like he might not start due to an injury, but clearly he bounced back.

Here’s a look from the first half of that match:

#1 has been saving us with his heroics. The Galaxy are doing so bad again this season (even with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ola Kamara) that friends and students alike offer me condolences when talking about my team. But, it would be a lot worse if not for LAG’s goalkeeper.

Sure, he wouldn’t have to work so hard if the defense was doing its job. But, rather than write about all the changes of the starting XI and recap the negatives since there are enough articles and podcasts focusing on all that, I’ll highlight David Bingham.

Most of Bingham’s saves took place in the first half, which put him as third most saves in a first half of any keeper this MLS season. It’s also the most saves of his career!
When you get a chance, check out his saves for yourself here.

There’s so many just from this season, but I will give only a couple more examples. He’s been consistent in back to back games, making acrobatic saves for LA by denying five Montreal Impact goals on May 21st. 

In the meantime look at the save of the month here in CaliClasico from May 25th against the San Jose Earthquakes:

Most of his goalkeeping experience is for Californian teams. Born in Castro Valley and raised in Pleasanton, he signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy on December 18, 2017 after a “break-up” with the Earthquakes, which was also the team he supported from childhood. He’d been on their roster since 2011.

Remarkably, he also made his international debut on February 5, 2016 for the United States national team where he played the entire match and kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win against Canada. The USMNT is looking for younger talent since he’s 28 years old, but if Bingham continues to do well in his club, I’m sure he’ll get recognized and be called up again.

I’m proud and relieved that he is the starting keeper for the Galaxy. 

Featured image: @lagalaxy

Follow and chat with me on Twitter // @mchuitink

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