Topic: MLS 2011

[Chris1987]

Yeah if there's real cold weather which looks as if its definitely the case and maybe a bit of snow that will definitely favour the more physical team, conditions will be much more favourable to them compared to a small, quicker team who like to pass the ball much more and playing fancier football in Dallas. Also the cold conditions Colarado are definitely going to be more used to compared to Dallas and their location.

[Babblelot]

Beautiful team goal finished by league MVP David Ferriera.

Dallas 1-0  35'

[Babblelot]

Sure enough, big, strong Conor Casey muscles through with the equalizer

1-1  55'

[Babblelot]

Chris, why do some penalties result in direct (free) kicks and others indirect?

[Babblelot]

Overtime

[Babblelot]

:grabbing head:

Own goal in the second half of OT.

Colorado 2-1  105'

[Babblelot]

Furious, exciting finish as Colorado had to play the final 15 minutes with 10 men and Dallas ran sortie after sortie at the goal.

Colorado   2-1 Dallas

[Chris1987]

Good job by Colarado to win the Cup and those weather conditions it did seem helped them as the match went on.

Babble on the Indirect and Direct free kick rules:
An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team when a player commits a foul other than a penalty foul (e.g. dangerous play) or infringes certain technical requirements of the laws (e.g. touching the ball a second time following a restart, or the keeper touching the ball with his hands when a teammate has used his foot to pass it back to the keeper). An indirect free kick is also awarded to the opposing team when play is stopped to caution or send-off a player when no specific foul has occurred (e.g. when play is stopped to caution a player for dissenting the decision of the referee). The most common cause is the offside offence.

Unlike a direct free kick, an offence punishable by an indirect free kick does not result in a penalty kick when it occurs in the penalty area, rather it continues to be taken as an indirect free kick

A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team when a player commits a penalty foul. For example, pushing or tripping an opponent. However, if the offence was committed by the defending team within their own penalty area, the kick becomes a penalty kick.

[Babblelot]

Good job by Colarado to win the Cup and those weather conditions it did seem helped them as the match went on.

Babble on the Indirect and Direct free kick rules:
An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team when a player commits a foul other than a penalty foul (e.g. dangerous play) or infringes certain technical requirements of the laws (e.g. touching the ball a second time following a restart, or the keeper touching the ball with his hands when a teammate has used his foot to pass it back to the keeper). An indirect free kick is also awarded to the opposing team when play is stopped to caution or send-off a player when no specific foul has occurred (e.g. when play is stopped to caution a player for dissenting the decision of the referee). The most common cause is the offside offence.

Unlike a direct free kick, an offence punishable by an indirect free kick does not result in a penalty kick when it occurs in the penalty area, rather it continues to be taken as an indirect free kick

A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team when a player commits a penalty foul. For example, pushing or tripping an opponent. However, if the offence was committed by the defending team within their own penalty area, the kick becomes a penalty kick.

Okay, so I see both kinds from the same distance, about 25 yards out. One is a direct kick and the other is an indirect kick. I can assume that the direct kick was awarded because the foul was more egregious?

[Chris1987]

Good job by Colarado to win the Cup and those weather conditions it did seem helped them as the match went on.

Babble on the Indirect and Direct free kick rules:
An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team when a player commits a foul other than a penalty foul (e.g. dangerous play) or infringes certain technical requirements of the laws (e.g. touching the ball a second time following a restart, or the keeper touching the ball with his hands when a teammate has used his foot to pass it back to the keeper). An indirect free kick is also awarded to the opposing team when play is stopped to caution or send-off a player when no specific foul has occurred (e.g. when play is stopped to caution a player for dissenting the decision of the referee). The most common cause is the offside offence.

Unlike a direct free kick, an offence punishable by an indirect free kick does not result in a penalty kick when it occurs in the penalty area, rather it continues to be taken as an indirect free kick

A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team when a player commits a penalty foul. For example, pushing or tripping an opponent. However, if the offence was committed by the defending team within their own penalty area, the kick becomes a penalty kick.

Okay, so I see both kinds from the same distance, about 25 yards out. One is a direct kick and the other is an indirect kick. I can assume that the direct kick was awarded because the foul was more egregious?

Yeah you'll see an indirect given for a lesser thing or a more technical aspect of the game.

[Babblelot]

Cool. I'll start paying closer attention. I'm always puzzled when an indirect kick is given.

[Chris1987]

Cool. I'll start paying closer attention. I'm always puzzled when an indirect kick is given.

Its not something you really see much of so it kind of gets forgotten when you do see one given the odd time.

[Babblelot]

Cool. I'll start paying closer attention. I'm always puzzled when an indirect kick is given.

Its not something you really see much of so it kind of gets forgotten when you do see one given the odd time.

I seem to see it a lot

[Chris1987]

Cool. I'll start paying closer attention. I'm always puzzled when an indirect kick is given.

Its not something you really see much of so it kind of gets forgotten when you do see one given the odd time.

I seem to see it a lot

That's strange then as the games I see I really rarely see an indirect free kick given.

[Babblelot]

MLS is now 18 teams, adding Vancouver and Portland to the West this year, Philly to the East in 2010, and Seattle to the West in 2009. 4 clubs in 3 years!

Very young Fire let a 1-0 HT lead get away at MLS Cup Champion Colorado Rapids. 1-1 F

 Eastern Conference Standings
    GP   W   L   T   Pts   GF   GA   Home   Road   Streak    L10
 New York   7   4   1   2   14   10   2   3-0-1   1-1-1   Won 3    4-1-2
 Philadelphia   6   4   1   1   13   5   2   3-0-1   1-1-0   Won 1    4-1-1
 Houston   7   3   1   3   12   11   6   3-1-0   0-0-3   Won 1    3-1-3
 Columbus   7   3   1   3   12   7   5   3-0-1   0-1-2   Won 1    3-1-3
 New England   7   2   2   3   9   8   9   2-1-1   0-1-2   Won 1    2-2-3
 DC United   7   2   4   1   7   10   16   1-1-1   1-3-0   Lost 2    2-4-1
 Toronto FC   7   1   2   4   7   7   10   1-1-3   0-1-1   Tied 1    1-2-4
 Chicago   7   1   3   3   6   10   13   1-1-1   0-2-2   Tied 2    1-3-3
 Sporting KC   6   1   4   1   4   10   13   0-0-0   1-4-1   Lost 3    1-4-1


 Western Conference Standings
    GP   W   L   T   Pts   GF   GA   Home   Road   Streak    L10
 Los Angeles   8   4   1   3   15   10   7   2-0-1   2-1-2   Won 2    4-1-3
 Real Salt Lake   4   4   0   0   12   8   1   2-0-0   2-0-0   Won 4    4-0-0
Colorado   7   3   3   1   10   9   8   2-1-1   1-2-0   Tied 1    3-3-1 
Seattle   7   2   2   3   9   7   7   1-1-1   1-1-2   Won 1    2-2-3
 Portland   6   2   3   1   7   9   13   2-0-0   0-3-1   Lost 1    2-3-1
 FC Dallas   6   2   3   1   7   8   9   1-1-1   1-2-0   Won 1    2-3-1
 Chivas USA   6   1   2   3   6   5   6   0-2-1   1-0-2   Won 1    1-2-3
 Vancouver   8   1   4   3   6   11   14   1-1-3   0-3-0   Lost 2    1-4-3
 San Jose   7   1   4   2   5   6   10   0-2-2   1-2-0   Lost 3    1-4-2

[Chris1987]

That's pretty nice going to now have 18 teams, I like it 

Good to see nice starts from New York and LA again, they just need to learn how to play playoff football better this year!

[Babblelot]

Chris! really big game tonight as the top two clubs square off in LA.

Go Henry! Go Red Bulls!!!

I don't know if you were aware of this, but another Arsenal great from the Henry team was in the league for a few years. Freddie Ljungberg played with the expansion Seattle Sounders in 2009 for 1 1/2 years and finished the 2nd year with Chicago. But he returned to Europe after the 2010 season. He's now playing for Celtic in the Scottish PL.

[Babblelot]

Henry scores in 4'

NY 1-0

[Babblelot]

Becks finds Donovan off a corner and it's 1-1  41'

[Babblelot]

You won't see a more bizarre sequence in a long time. Donovan has a 1 v 1 with the keeper and beats him, then softly flicks the ball from about 12 yrds out toward the empty net and turns away as if it's going in. But a Red Bull defender flies in from behind the play and slides managing to clear the ball *off the goal line* before it crosses. He was going at such pace he slid from about a yard out to the back of the net. He had no angle, and yet somehow he drilled the ball clear.

Wow, today saw the 2nd broken ankle to top MLS stars already this season.