Opinions vary on this week’s best MLS goal | Soccer By Ives

In a league where the quality of goals is improving on a regular basis, it is pretty much unheard of to everfind a complete consensus on MLS Goal of the Week. This week, after seeing three magical goals scored, the debate is stronger than any goal award debate since the Nagbe or Hassli Goal of the Year debate in 2011.

Thierry Henry, Julian deGuzman and Fredy Montero all scored special goals over the weekend, and if you ask fans of their respective teams, chances are they might tell you that youre clinically insane for not voting for their players goal as Goal of the Week (and apologies to San Jose fans, but as impressive as Alan Gordons team goal was, passing through an opponent that has looked like traffic cones for the past month isnt quite as impressive as these other goals).

In case you missed them, or want to see them again, here areHenrys goal, deGuzmans goal and Monteros goal.

As you know, Henrys goal was named SBI MLS Goal of the Week. And no, it wasnt because that was the one of the three aforementioned goals I saw in person. It was the pick because Henrys goal was a special goal, something you almost never, if ever see (no, I dont simply mean an Olympico, since we have seen those before, but rather an Olympico hit perfectly over the goalkeeper and off the back post). A goal you could show anybody, soccer fan or not, and chances are theyll say Wow (I know because I spent part of Saturday night in New York City showing people this goal on my phone and Wow was the general response).

Folks in the Pacific Northwest and in Texas had other ideas, which I found out afternaming Henrys goal SBIs pick. DeGuzmans dramatic last-minute volley blast could have easily been the pick because of the skill and importance of the goal, and Monteros outstanding finish came in an intense derby (and earned me double fantasy points). Both might have earned Goal of the Week in my book in most week.

Just not this week.

In an effort to get a better sense of which goal really was the most impressive, I decided to survey some MLS players. I asked six players (none of which either play with or played against either Henry, Montero or DeGuzman last week) which goal they thought was the best and the voting was unanimous. All six picked Henrys goal, with all but one choosing DeGuzmans goal second. Why the overwhelming support for Henrys goal among players? I would say it is because none of them questioned whether Henry meant to perfectly strike a corner kick off the top of the far post and over Columbus goalkeeper Matt Lampson. Plenty of fans, and some media, refuse to believe he meant it (something Henry had to know when he adamantly insisted he meant it after the match).

So now I ask you, SBI readers, to chime in. Which goal did you think was best, and why? You can cast your vote after the jump (though as we know, polls are too easily manipulated to ever truly be trusted as a fair measure of popular consensus). Im more interested in hearing peoples opinions (and feel free to let us know where you are chiming in from).

Share your thoughts (and your vote) below:

poll by twiigs.com

SBI MLS Save of the Week: Tally Hall | Soccer By Ives

http://p.mlssoccer.com/SAu5a/video/1164124/mls_2012-09-14-213124.640hq.mp4

Red Bulls and Sporting KC set for crucial Eastern Conference tilt at Red Bull Arena | Soccer By Ives

First place in the Eastern Conference is on the line tonight at Red Bull Arena as first-place Sporting Kansas City looks to become the first visiting MLS team to post a victory in the home of the New York Red Bulls.

Sporting KC enters the match with the best road record in the league, but they face a Red Bulls squad that is coming into the match as healthy and deep as they have been all season. The Red Bulls have rattled off five straight victories at home, with the most recent being a 3-1 win against Columbus that came on the strength of Thierry Henrys latest virtuoso performance.

For Sporting KC, containing Henry is a top priority, and centerbacks Matt Besler and Aurelien Collin are going to have to work together to ensure that the Frenchman doesnt weave more magic. The Red Bulls will need whoever starts at forward alongside Henry (be it Kenny Cooper, Sebastien LeToux or even Tim Cahill) to do enough to keep KC from keeping numbers around Henry.

The battle to watch will be in midfield, where Dax McCarty and Rafa Marquez will face off against Graham Zusi and Roger Espinoza. battle in the middle the last time these teams met was an impressive one, with neither side yielding much in a 1-1 draw at Livestrong Sporting Park on Aug. 26th.

For Sporting KC, it will be imperative to get C.J. Sapong involved and try to get him matched up against Red Bulls defender Markus Holgersson. Sapong doesnt necessarily have the kind of speed that has proven to cause Holgersson trouble, but he showed last week against Houston that he is in good form and will cause problems for the big Swede.

The Red Bulls will need Heath Pearce to provide cover for both Holgersson, and for left back Wilman Conde, who is sure to have his hands full against Graham Zusi.

Zusi is enjoying a stellar run of form and will cause problems with his movement and deadly passing eye. Zusis recent shift to the right wing will make him even tougher for the Red Bulls to deal with, and will mean Heath Pearce having to help out Wilman Conde.

If Kei Kamara is deployed on the left flank, then it will likely set up an intriguing match-up with Connor Lade. The rookie right back has stood up well against big forwards, such as Macoumba Kandji, and he is physical enough to frustrate Kamara, who is one of the keys to Sporting KCs attacking success.

Sporting KC has enjoyed success on the road because of their defensive discipline and their ability to make the most of the few chances they create. They will find chances against New York because of the Red Bulls penchant for slow starts. The key for KC having success tonight will be containing Henry and pressuring the flanks in order to limit the options Henry and Cahill will have on the attack.

As important as Henry is to the Red Bulls attack, they will need Cahill to be effective tonight. Not only in terms of putting in the work in midfield, and helping win that battle, but also by being a threat getting forward and putting pressure on the area between the Sporting KC back-line and midfield.

How do you see tonights match going? Think the Red Bulls keep their home winning streak going, or do you see Sporting KC having the defensive discipline to leave New Jersey with a point or three?

Share your thoughts below.

Mid-Day Ticker: Mancini rips Hart, Benitez open to Milan move, and more | Soccer By Ives

photo by ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart may have been right, but head coach Roberto Mancini does not want to see him publicly criticizing the team again.

A day after suffering a demoralizing 3-2 loss to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League group stage, City manager Roberto Mancini said he does not want to hear Hart being critical of the team and that he is the only judge for how the defending Premiership champions play.Hart criticized the team after the los at the Bernabeu Stadium, stating that the players had only themselves to blame after relinquishing a 2-1 lead late in the match.

Manchester City took two leads against the Spanish heavyweights, but two goals in the final four minutes saw Real Madrid come out on top. The loss means Man City are now in need of points in a tough Group D in order to avoid falling into a big hole in the standings.

Here are more stories to help keep your day going:

BENITEZ NOT OPPOSED TO COACHING AC MILAN

Rafa Benitez has shot down reports claiming AC Milan have approached him about taking over at the club, but that does not mean he is opposed to coaching the Italian heavyweights. Benitezs agent revealed that the former Liverpool manager would be open to listening to an offer from AC Milan if they ever were interested in him, but that the club has not reached out to Benitez as of yet. Benitez, who has been out of coaching since December 2010, has been linked with a move to Milan due to the clubs poor start to the season under current head coach Massimiliano Allegri.

AGUERO ADMITS HE WOULD HAVE JOINED MADRID OVER MAN CITY

Sergio Agueros latest comments are unlikely to do him any favors with Manchester City fans. Aguero revealed that he would have joined Real Madrid instead of Man City had the Spanish giants made a bid for him in 2011. Aguero, who is currently nursing an injury, made the comments to refute a report that said he would never play for Real Madrid. The Argentine striker joined Manchester City last summer on a $61.1 million deal from Atletico Madrid in what proved to be the English clubs most expensive acquisition of that transfer window.

FOREST LOOKING TO LOAN OUT FINDLEY

Robbie Findley has yet to make an appearance this season for Nottingham Forest and it appears he will soon be shipped out in order to find minutes. A number ofChampionship and League One clubs are reportedtly looking into acquiring the 27-year-old forwardon loan, though there is no word yet as to which teams are interested. Findley scored six goals last season but has not dressed at all this campaign.

What do you think of Mancini telling Hart to stop criticizing the team? Should Milan go after Benitez if their poor start continues? Where would you like to see Findley go?

Share your thoughts below.

UEFA Champions League: Your Running Commentary | Soccer By Ives

Reigning champions Chelsea will begin their defense of the UEFA Champions League title today in one of the best match-ups of the group stage as they play host to Italian champions Juventus.

The Blues have gotten off to a strong start to the season in England and will look to halt a Juve side coming off an unbeaten season in Serie A last season. Juventus is playing without suspended manager Antonio Conte, who is serving a suspension for his alleged role in a match-fixing scandal (his role being to have alledgedly failed to inform authorities of being offered a bribe to fix a match). Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard should put on a good battle of ageless midfield stars.

Manchester United will be looking to erase the bad memories of last years failed Champions League run when they open their new campaign at home against Turkish giant Galatasaray. Returning Champions League finalists also faces a tough opening match, with a home date against Spanish side Valencia.

U.S. national team defender Michael Parkhurst and Danish champions Norsdjaelland face a difficult opening group match against high-flying Shakhtar Donetsk. It is a match-up that should test Parkhursts defensive skills and allow him to showcase his recent impressive form.

If you will be watching todays UEFA Champions League action, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (Todays UEFA Champions League schedule is after the jump):

TODAYS UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SCHEDULE

2:45pm-Fox Soccer Channel- Chelsea vs. Juventus

2:45pm- Fox Soccer Plus- Manchester United vs. Galatasaray

2:45pm- MSG Plus- Barcelona vs. Spartak Moscow

2:45pm- DirecTV- Bayern Munich vs. Valencia

2:45pm- DirecTV- Braga vs. CFR Cluj

2:45pm- DirecTV- Celtic vs. Benfica

2:45pm- DirecTV- Lille vs. BATE Borisov

2:45pm- DirecTV- Shakhtar Donetsk vs. FC Nordsjaelland

Red Bulls vs. Sporting Kansas City: Match Night Commentary | Soccer By Ives

First place in the Eastern Conference is on the line tonight as the New York Red Bulls play host to first-place Sporting Kansas City at Red Bull Arena (7pm, MSG).

The Red Bulls are in third place, two points behind Sporting KC and enter with a five-match home winning streak. They havent lost at home all season and enter with some momentum after a 3-1 victory against Columbus last Saturday.

Sporting KC enters the match with the best road record in the league, and have won four of their past five road games. Their defense has been especially stingy, having posted three straight road shutouts.

Another shutout wont be easy tonight against a Thierry Henry-led Red Bulls attack. Henry and Tim Cahill will have the task of spear-heading an offense that will give Sporting KC their toughest test in a while.

SBI will be providing live commentary on tonights match so please feel free to join us. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action (tonights match commentary is after the jump):

Sporting KC continue road dominance, hand RBNY first home loss of the season | Soccer By Ives

Sporting Kansas City has one of the most beautiful stadiums in the league, and one of the best home-field advantages, but lately they sure to seem to enjoy playing on the road.

The Eastern Conference leaders went to Red Bull Arena looking to become the first visiting team to beat the Red Bulls, and it took them all of 12 minutes to put the slow-starting Red Bulls into a hole theyd never climb out of. First-half goals from C.J. Sapong and Kei Kamara were more than enough to lead to hold off a mis-firing Red Bulls side. Sporting KC held on for a 2-0 victory that extended their lead atop the East to four points.

Sapong finished a 12th-minute chance after Graham Zusi rocketed a free kick off the crossbar. The rebound fell to Matt Besler, who found Sapong for the finish. Kamara added KCs second in the 19th minute when he beat Wilman Conde to a Graham Zusi corner kick and headed home the goal.

The Red Bulls were a disjointed bunch for much of the night, never really mounting much of a consistent threat. Hans Backe went with a central midfield tandem of Rafa Marquez and Teemu Tainio, deploying Dax McCarty on the right wing, and the lineup left the Red Bulls lacking for creativity or real contributions from the wings.

The victory extends Sporting KCs lead on second-place Chicago to four points, and their lead on the Red Bulls to five points. New York will look to rebound on Saturday when they visit struggling New England. Sporting KC returns to action on Saturday with a visit to Canada to take on the Montreal Impact.

What did you think of the match? See Sporting KC holding onto first place in the East? Starting to wonder if the Red Bulls have the chemstry to mount a serious challenge come playoff time?

Share your thoughts below.

Meram’s late winner lifts Crew to vital victory vs. Chivas USA | Soccer By Ives

The Columbus Crew have little margin for error if they want to remain in the Eastern Conference playoff race after a pair of recent losses, and on Wednesday night they needed almost every one of the 90 minutes to register a sorely-needed victory.

Second-half substitute Justin Meram converted a Jairo Arrieta pass into a game-winning goal in the 89th minute to help lift the Crew to a 1-0 victory at Crew Stadium.

Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum was the star on the night, posting the shutout and saving the three points with a crucial late save on an Oswaldo Minda chance in stoppage time.

The victory moved the Crew back into playoff position, jumping them a point ahead of D.C. United for the fifth and final playoff spot in the East.

Columbus will face a much tougher test on Saturday when they take on the streaking Chicago Fire.

Here are the match highlights:

http://p.mlssoccer.com/SAu5a/video/1171648/1171648_2012-09-19-214848.640hq.mp4

What did you think of the match? See the Crew making the playoffs?

Share your thoughts below.

Wondolowski pulls off stoppage-time magic again as Earthquakes tie Timbers | Soccer By Ives

When Danny Mwanga scored his second of two goals in the 62nd minute of the Portland Timbers visit to San Jose on Wednesday night, the league-leading Earthquakes looked like they might just be ready to finally fall at home after 13 straight matches without a loss.

Then Chris Wondolowski showed up and the Earthquakes pulled off yet another comeback.

Playing in the rare role of second-half substitute, Wondolowski came off the bench and scored two goals, including a stoppage-header for the equalizer, as the Earthquakes rallied for a 2-2 draw at Buck Shaw Field on Wednesday night.

The comeback spoiled a special night for Mwanga, who enjoyed his best performance as a Timbers player since joining Portland via trade from the Philadelphia Union earlier in the season. Mwanga worked a give-and-go with Rodney Wallace before scoring his first goal just before halftime.

Mwanga made it 2-0 in the 62nd minute when he unleashed a 23-yard blast past Jon Busch to quiet the crowd in San Jose.

The Earthquakes didnt crumble though. They simply proceeded to pull off yet another comeback, with Wondolowski making it 2-1 in the 72nd minute with a slotted low shot past Joe Bendik off a pass from Steven Lenhart. Wondolowski delivered the equalizer in the 92nd minute when he headed home a cross deflected into his path by Portlands Hanyer Mosquera.

The win pushed San Jose three points clear of Sporting Kansas City in the race for the Supporters Shield, and nine points ahead of the Seattle Sounders for first place in the West.

Here are the match highlights:

http://p.mlssoccer.com/SAu5a/video/1171854/1171854_2012-09-20-005454.640hq.mp4

What did you think of the match? Can you believe how many times San Jose has come back late in games this season? See some bright spots in the recent play of the Timbers? Wondering whether Timbers head coach Gavin Wilkinson was to blame for the teams collapse on Wednesday night?

Share your thoughts below.

CCL Rewind: Sounders clinch spot, Galaxy play to scoreless draw | Soccer By Ives

photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

The first team to book its spot in the knockout round of the CONCACAF Champions League did so on Wednesday night in wild fashion.

That team was the Seattle Sounders.

The Sounders became the first team to clinch a first-place finish in the group stage, as they went into Honduras and defeated Maraton, 3-2, courtesy of a late strike from Brad Evans.

Seattle, now on nine points through three games in Group 4, took two seperate leads in the game but Marathon was able to pull level each time. There was no response, however, to Evans tally in the 78th minute off a pass from fellow substitute Osvaldo Alonso that secured the Sounders advancement in the competition.

The Los Angeles Galaxy also took to the road with a chance to clinch their spot in the next round, but they were forced to settle for a scoreless draw with the Puerto Rico Islanders. The Galaxy fielded a reserve lineup and they needed goalkeeper Brian Perk to come up with three big saves in order to prevent a loss that could have made things trickier for them in Group 5.

The result eliminated the Islanders and leaves Los Angeles poised to advance after going 2-0-1 in their first three matches. The Galaxy close out group play with a match against Isidro Metapan on October 25, but they could be qualified for the next round by then if the Salvadorian club fails to beat the Islanders next week.

What do you think of the Sounders 3-2 win over Honduras? Surprised the Galaxy reserves could not beat Puerto Rico? Which of these two MLS clubs do you think has a better shot at making a run in this competition?

Share your thoughts below.