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MLS Preview: LA Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids

By Kirsten SchlewitzSep 7, 2013, 7:55 AM EDT
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  • The LA Galaxy have won three games in a row and are now tied with the Seattle Sounders for second place in the Western Conference. Both teams are five points behind Real Salt Lake, although RSL has played two games more than the Galaxy and three more than the Sounders.
  • Prior to last weekend, when they lost 2-1 to Sporting Kansas City, the Colorado Rapids were unbeaten in their last nine games. That brings them to fourth in the West, even with the Portland Timbers.
  • LA are without Robbie Keane (Ireland), Jaime Penedo (Panama), Landon Donovan, and Omar Gonzalez (USA), all on international duty, while  Gabriel Torres (Panama) is on international duty and Diego Calderón injured for Colorado.

The Colorado Rapids pay a visit to the StubHub Center to take on the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday. After snapping their nine-game unbeaten run last week in Kansas City, the Rapids hope to take some of the shine off LA, who beat their northern neighbors the San Jose Earthquakes 3-0 last weekend.

There’s no denying that things are heating up in the West. Colorado’s long spell of success has them in prime position for a playoff spot, but last week’s loss to Kansas City may have shaken up the Rapids just a bit. The visitors will have to dig deep and find a way to get a result. Their 39 points have them even with Portland and two points above the Vancouver Whitecaps and FC Dallas, but Colorado has played an additional game more than their competitors. Another stumble and the Rapids could find themselves below the dreaded red line.

But the visitors have had a tough time of it in Los Angeles, with just six wins from 30 meetings on the Galaxy’s home turf. The two sides have met twice already this season, with the Galaxy winning 1-0 in LA back in March, and the Rapids clinching a 2-0 victory in Colorado in July. Overall, Colorado have three wins, five losses and five ties while on the road — perhaps not very encouraging for a team about to embark on a six game road trip.

Colorado may find a bit of comfort in looking at LA’s absences, however. Landon Donovan scored the first and Robbie Keane added a brace against San Jose last week, but both players are away on international duty. The Galaxy are also without Jaime Penedo, who has started the last three matches in goal, and defensive stalwart Omar Gonzalez. Colorado, for their part, are missing Gabriel Torres up front, but with Edson Buddle coming off the bench to score two goals in two consecutive matches, the Rapids are likely not too worried.

What They’re Saying

Colorado Rapids defender Chris Klute on end-of-season matches: “Now these games are for playoff points. The beginning of the season doesn’t even matter anyone because everyone’s pretty much even on the points and we know that…It’s a different ball game so we need to change our game up a little bit.”

Prediction

Colorado could surprise there. The Galaxy are facing some significant absences, and the visitors could certainly take advantage of a weakened defense to put in at least one goal. The Rapids are well aware that just one misstep could leave them scrambling for a playoff spot, and they’ll want to take advantage of an LA side missing some of its best players.

 

Chicharito says Mexican team “always feels welcome” in the United States

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By Kyle BonnMay 25, 2018, 9:39 PM EDT
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Mexico will take on Wales on Monday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA as they warm up for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Playing in the United States is nothing new for the USMNT’s southern neighbors, and it doesn’t phase them. In fact, they love it.

Star striker Chicharito told reporters that he and the rest of the squad is more than happy playing north of the border, because according to him, apart from a pair of venues, they can’t even tell they’re on the road.

“We always feel welcome here,” Chicharito said. “It’s like our second country, if we can say that, apart from Columbus [Ohio] and apart from the stadium in Miami when we played Colombia…those two stadiums, that’s the only time I’ve felt that we were the away team.”

Chicharito knows that the high population of his countrymen and women in the United States helps the Mexican team feel close to home when they play over the border. He’s all for the melting pot of the US.

“We feel at home [in the United States],” Chicharito said. “We have plenty of Mexicans here, so I don’t know what else to tell you, we feel welcome, we feel glad, happy to be in touch with those people here. They are sacrificing a lot of things, and they are all enjoying their lives that they decide to live in the USA…it’s great. It’s great when you come to another country and you feel like you are home. You see all the stadium green, shouting and screaming your names, screaming your goals, so yeah, it’s great.”

Mexico will play Wales on Monday at 9:00 p.m. ET, and will return home to take on Scotland at Azteca on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET.

England international Delph expecting child in middle of World Cup

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By Kyle BonnMay 25, 2018, 7:48 PM EDT
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England international Fabian Delph could face quite the dilemma if England advances past the group stage of the World Cup.

Delph’s wife Natalie is expecting the couple’s third child on June 30, which is two days after their pivotal group stage match against Belgium, and two days before the squad would take the field July 1 for its Round of 16 game should they win Group G. If they finish second in the group, they would play their Round of 16 game on July 3.

When asked what his plans are, Delph joked that his wife would manage on her own. “She’s tough, she’s a Yorkshire lass so she’ll deal with it,” Delph said with a smile.

He then coughed up the truth: they’re not quite sure what the plan is.

“We’re not 100% certain, with a game on the 28th there might be an opportunity to fly back and then get back fast,” he said. “[England manager] Gareth [Southgate] has been fantastic. There’s nothing more important than family to me – family always comes first and always will.”

There’s another dilemma that Southgate must navigate involving Delph. The 28-year-old is a natural winger, but played wing-back in Pep Guardiola‘s title-winning system for much of the year and saw a massive uptick in form in the new role, playing in place of the injured Benjamin Mendy. Southgate must decide where he wants to deploy Delph – if at all – and if he wishes to fit his formation and tactics to mold Delph’s season under Guardiola.

Authorities drop assault charges against Hope Solo

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Associated PressMay 25, 2018, 7:03 PM EDT
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KIRKLAND, Wash. (AP) — Prosecutors in Washington state have dropped domestic violence charges against former U.S. national team star goalkeeper Hope Solo.

Solo was charged with two counts of fourth-degree assault in 2014 after police said she assaulted two family members at a home in Kirkland, east of Seattle. The case was delayed by appeals.

KING-TV reports that city prosecutors dropped the charges Wednesday, saying the witnesses in the case wanted to move on with their lives and did not want to participate in a trial. An attorney for Kirkland, Melissa Osman, wrote in court documents that the circumstances were unlikely to be repeated.

The longtime national team goalkeeper and two-time Olympic gold medalist recently ran unsuccessfully for president of the U.S. Soccer Federation. She has called for equal pay and equal treatment for the U.S. women’s team.

Mark Hughes signs new long-term contract at Southampton

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By Kyle BonnMay 25, 2018, 6:09 PM EDT
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Mark Hughes has gone from Stoke City outcast to Southampton savior in little under six months time.

The Welsh boss was let go from Stoke City with the Potters 18th in the table and headed towards eventual relegation, but he was picked up by fellow relegation candidates Southampton after the departure of Mauricio Pellegrino. He steered the club to safety, finishing three points above the drop in 17th.

With the Saints in the top flight for another season, the club has announced the signing of Hughes to a new three-year contract.

“Mark, Eddie and I are thrilled to have signed long-term contracts with the club. It was the only option we considered, having spent the last eight weeks with the club,” Hughes said of himself and his assistant coaches Mark Bowen and Eddie Niedzwiecki. “Now it is vital that we take the unbelievable support we received from the fans during the last few games into next season. The staff and the players will work hard every day to deliver the success this club deserves, and with everyone pulling together we will achieve our goals.”

Hughes guided Stoke City to three consecutive ninth-placed finishes, the highest the club had ever finished in the English top flight, but they finished 13th last year and regressed even further this campaign. The sale of playmaker Marko Arnautovic was particularly damaging, and the club scored just 35 goals in 38 games as a result.

At Southampton, Hughes took over a club that sat in 17th with just eight matches to go. He lost three Premier League games in a row to start his tenure and only won two league matches with Saints the rest of the way, but managed to keep the club barely afloat.