MLS NEWS
Soumare, Joseph among MLS' Best XI
GOALKEEPER (1): Jon Busch (Chicago Fire)
LOS ANGELES -- Columbus Crew midfielder Guillermo Barros Schelotto received Major League Soccer's top individual award when he was named the Volkswagen Most Valuable Player on Thursday afternoon.
Schelotto, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, led the Crew to a League best 17-7-6 record and 57 points capturing the Supporters' Shield trophy and the number one seed in the 2008 MLS Cup playoffs. The midfield maestro led the League with 19 assists, tied for the second highest single season total in League history, and scored seven goals. Only Carlos Valderrama's single season record of 26 assists in 2000 eclipses Schelotto's 2008 total.
Schelotto helped lead the charge in turning a team that finished 9-11-10 with 37 points in 2007 into one with the League's best record and its first MLS Cup appearance in club history. The Crew's offense ranked second in the League in 2008 with 50 goals. His field vision and ball striking ability were second to none this season.
His five game-winning assists speak to his uncanny ability to find an open teammate in timely and dangerous attacking situations. Heading into MLS Cup, Schelotto has three assists in three playoff games and has contributed on all but two of the Crew's postseason goals. Schelotto was the MLS Player of the Week three times in 2008 and was named Player of the Month for August. He was a member of the 2007 Best XI team and becomes the second Argentine player to win the League's Most Valuable Player award (Christian Gomez, 2006).
SANDY, Utah -- The New York Red Bulls might have backed into the playoffs, but they sauntered into the first MLS Cup Final in club history, defeating host Real Salt Lake 1-0 in the Western Conference Championship at a sold-out Rio Tinto Stadium Saturday night.
The Red Bulls will face the Columbus Crew in next Sunday's MLS Cup 2008 at The Home Depot Center. Neither team has ever won the MLS Cup -- much less played in the league's championship match.
Dave van den Bergh scored the game's lone goal, tapping in a John Wolyniec cross that deflected off Nick Rimando's hand in the 28th minute. The Dutch midfielder actually started the play, springing Wolyniec down the left side.
RSL defender Jamison Olave mistimed his slide tackle and Wolyniec ran free down the left sideline, sending in a cross at the edge of the six-yard box. Van den Bergh completed his long run by scoring at the far post.
Real Salt Lake battered the Red Bulls defense over the final hour, getting 19 of their 24 total shots in that span, forcing New York goalkeeper Danny Cepero into four of his seven saves, and hitting the woodwork on three separate occasions. But RSL just couldn't find a way to get the ball to the back of the net.
Red Bulls boss Juan Carlos Osorio made one change to his starting XI that played both legs against the Houston Dynamo, starting Carlos Mendes in the center of defense for Andrew Boyens, who suffered a fractured forearm late in the second leg against Houston last Sunday.
Sinisa Ubiparipovic passed a late fitness test after sustaining a left hamstring strain in training Friday, but was substituted after 23 minutes as Venezuelan international Jorge Rojas came on.
Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis didn't make a change from the side that defeated Chivas USA last weekend.
The hosts pressed from the opening kickoff and had a scoring chance in the third minute, as Movsisyan got around Mendes and crossed the ball in front to Clint Mathis, whose shot was blocked by a Red Bulls defender.
Four minutes later, Kevin Goldthwaite played Wolyniec behind the Real Salt Lake defense and the veteran striker, who scored the final goal against Houston last Sunday, unleashed a shot from eight yards out that Rimando parried away for a corner kick.
In the 24th minute, Movsisiyan had time and space near the left corner of the 18-yard box, but his well-struck shot from 16 yards out was saved by Cepero, who dived to his right to knock it out for a corner kick.
The Red Bulls plan was clearly to make it as difficult as possible on RSL playmaker Javier Morales, who was chopped down by Mendes in the 37th minute. Morales played the ensuing free kick off the far post, just missing Mathis, who made a diagonal run.
In the 45th minute, Kevin Goldthwaite was the first in referee Jair Marrufo's book for fouling Morales from behind.
Real Salt Lake pressed for the equalizer for the entire second half and New York's defense bent, but didn't break.
RSL nearly had the equalizer in the 56th minute, but Cepero made an acrobatic save on a shot by Robbie Russell. Ten minutes later, Olave found himself open in front of goal after a nice passing sequence, but he fired well over the bar from 12 yards out.
COLUMBUS -- Quick goals from Chad Marshall and Eddie Gaven early in the second half overcame a goal by Brian McBride and carried the Columbus Crew to a 2-1 Eastern Conference Championship victory Thursday against the Chicago Fire and the first MLS Cup berth in club history.
Marshall scored off a header in the 49th minute and Gaven scored six minutes later. Guillermo Barros Schelotto assisted on both. The Crew will play in MLS Cup 2008 on Nov. 23 at The Home Depot Center against the winner of Saturday's New York Red Bulls at Real Salt Lake match.
McBride, a former member of the Crew, scored on a header in the 29th minute for the Fire lead, but he was beaten on the tying goal by defender Marshall 20 minutes later.
The Crew have never been afraid of falling behind. No other team had as many points after giving up the first goal. Columbus has forged at least a tie 11 of 18 times after trailing 1-0.
A hard tone was set 15 seconds in when Marshall tackled Cuauhtemoc Blanco along the right touchline without a foul being called. Chicago produced the first chance in the eighth minute when Mapp dribbled through several Crew defenders and fired from 25 yards. Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer had no trouble making the save.
Fire defender Bakary Soumare was issued a yellow card in the 22nd minute for tackling Gaven to stop his run down the left flank in the final third. The ensuing free kick nearly put the Crew ahead but Marshall's glancing header went just left of the goal. Schelotto followed three minutes later with a strike from 28 yards that pinged the crossbar at the left corner.
McBride then stunned the Crew in the 29th minute with a patented header that Columbus fans had seen so many times throughout his career.
A quick throw-in by Blanco in front of the Crew bench allowed Justin Mapp to go unabated toward the left flag. He sent a floater into the box where McBride got behind defender Danny O'Rourke for a looping header that left Hesmer grasping for a ball that was already by him.
McBride left the Crew before the 2004 season for Fulham of the English Premier League. His 62 goals for the Black and Gold are tied for the team career high with Jeff Cunningham. McBride returned from England in August to play for his hometown Fire.
This was McBride's first game in Columbus as an MLS opponent although he played for Fulham in the 2005 MLS All-Star Game. He scored twice for the Fire on Oct. 12 in the home tie against the Crew.
Any thoughts of a warm homecoming were quickly dispelled when he was greeted by a banner that read "Wanted. McBride. Treason" and chants of "Traitor' when he was introduced. He was booed every time he touched the ball.
Frustration continued after the goal for the Crew. Schelotto went along the left goal line and feathered the ball in front of goal but Alejandro Moreno made was unable to make anything of it.
But the Crew pulled level just four minutes after the second half kickoff. The tying sequence started with a free kick on the right wing after Gaven had drawn a foul and a yellow card on Gonzalo Segares.
Schelotto then whipped the free kick to the 6-4 Marshall, who had position on McBride at the top of the goal area. Marshall headed in his fifth restart goal this season, his first in the postseason.
Momentum was with the Crew and so was the lead in the 55th minute, thanks to some aerial work. Moreno headed the ball to Schelotto 25 yards away from goal. He headed it back to Moreno and Gaven sprung free and received Moreno's header in full stride inside the right side of the penalty area.
Gaven slotted the ball past a charging Jon Busch and it rolled into the left netting for his first career playoff goal, in his sixth season in the league.
Busch preserved a one-goal game with a chest save on Robbie Rogers in the 59th minute.
It was Hesmer's turn to shine in the 73rd when McBride redirected a Blanco service from four yards but the 'keeper was in the right spot. Chicago substitute Marco Pappa had two chances after entering in the 90th minute but Hesmer stopped the first and the second was off target.
Chicago had more success in the league semifinals with three wins in 10 previous appearances. It won MLS Cup in its inaugural 1998 season and lost to Kansas City in 2000 and San Jose on '03. Columbus reached the three-game Eastern Conference finals from 1997-99 but lost to D.C. United each time. It also lost a semifinal series to New England in 2002.
NEW YORK -- Major League Soccer has announced that Los Angeles Galaxy defender Sean Franklin has been named the 2008 Gatorade Rookie of the Year. Franklin started 26 out of 27 games he played and recorded one assist.
The 23-year-old native of Palmdale, Calif., and 2008 graduate of Cal State Northridge was the Galaxy's first pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft and the fourth overall selection, making him the Galaxy's highest draft pick since 2003. He is the first Los Angeles Galaxy player to win Rookie of the Year honors.
Franklin was a consistent presence on the field this year, logging 2,385 minutes, second on the Galaxy to defender Chris Klein. Showing positional sense and poise beyond his years, Franklin used an aggressive but clean style of play, committing just 22 fouls and receiving just three cautions during the season.
Franklin made his MLS debut on April 3 in the Galaxy's home 2-0 home win against the San Jose Earthquakes. He was a consistent starter for the Galaxy, missing only two games due to a knee injury in the summer. His reliability on defense helped keep the team's playoff hopes alive through Week 30 of the MLS season. The Galaxy named Franklin their team defender of the year and he has received praise from Head Coach Bruce Arena for his growth as a player throughout the season.
MLS PLAYOFFS
Conference Finals
Columbus Crew 2 (Marshall 49' Gaven 55')
First Round-Leg 2
Chivas USA 2 (Klejstan 30'pk Braun 83')
Crew 2 (Evans 7' Rogers 58')
Fire 3 (Rolfe 45+2' Conde 49' Segares 74)
First Round-Leg 1
RBNY 1 (Angel 48')
Real Salt Lake 1 (Movsisyan 90')
KC Wizards 1 (Arnaud 53')
DEFENDERS (3): Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), BAKARY SOUMARE (Chicago Fire), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Chicago Fire), Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), SHALRIE JOSEPH (New England Revolution), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA)
FORWARDS (2): Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Soumare and Joseph are amongst MLS' Best XI (mlsnet)(cnn)
Barros-Schelotto: MVP
Your MVP (cnn)
Golnoir sez: After watching this guy play for Boca Juniors for so many years, to see him come here and do the business is brilliant....
NY POST!!! RBNY saved by the posts, top RSL and will play for MLS Cup:
R. Salt Lake 0, RBNY 1
It's all over for Jamison Olave and RSL as
Dane Richards and RBNY are headed to the final (ap)
Finally! Columbus storms back and passes to Chicago on its way to MLS Cup:
Columbus 2, Chicago 1
Chad Marshall (c) outduels Brian McBride for
the equalizing goal (AP)
LA's Sean Franklin named MLS Rookie of the Year
SCOREBOARD/STANDINGS
R. Salt Lake 0
RBNY 1 (Van de Bergh 28')
Chicago Fire 1 (McBride 55')
Dynamo 0
RBNY 3 (RICHARDS 25' Angel 36'pk Wolyniec 81')
RBNY advances 4-1 on aggregate
R. Salt Lake 2 (Kovalenko 39' Morales 77')
R. Salt Lake advances 3-2 on aggregate
Wizards 0
Crew advances 3-1 on aggregate
Revolution 0
Fire advances 3-0 on aggregate
Revolution 0
Fire 0
Houston Dynamo 1 (KAMARA 85')
Chivas USA 0
Columbus Crew 1 (Lenhart 90+2')
SCHEDULE/FIXTURES
MLS CUP 2008
Date
Eastern Conf. Champ.
Western Conf. Champ.
Time
TV
11/23/08
Columbus Crew
RBNY
3:30pm
ABC, Telefutura
