By Ridge Mahoney (@ridgemax) Doing the math for the Hexagonal can be intriguing, since 30 games played by six teams offer up a vastvariety of permutations, but so dire is the U.S. situation there’s little reason to look past its third game. There will still be 21 points on offer when the final whistle blowsFriday […]
clint dempsey
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Talking Points: Praise for Dempsey
The Seattle Sounders celebrated their improbable 2016 MLS Cup championship one more time on Sunday. The MLS trophy was paraded through downtown Seattle before the match and championship bannerwas unveiled in the south stands of CenturyLink Field. And then the Sounders went out and beat the New York Red Bulls, 3-1, showing that even with a […]
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MLS Power Rankings: Red Bulls hold top spot
The New York Red Bulls edged past Colorado, 1-0, in their home opener, one of several played in sub-freezing temperatures. Forecasts of severe weather prompted MLS to postpone the New England-OrlandoCity game. Portland knocked off the LA Galaxy, 1-0 at StubHub Center, and San Jose and Houston leaped into the top 10 by doubling up […]
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Bruce Arena: 'We're caught up to speed' on USMNT pool
Former U.S. national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann was notorious for waiting until the last minute to make decisions. His successor, Bruce Arena, is expected to announce onWednesday his squad for the critical World Cup 2018 qualifiers against Honduras and Panama. The first qualifiers of the year in the Hexagonal always pose a challenge for the […]
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MLS Power Rankings: Red Bulls' rally takes them to top
A spectacular opening weekend to the 22nd MLS season featured a sellout crowd of more than 55,000 in Atlanta, where the Red Bulls came back from a 1-0 deficit to disappoint the huge crowd. FC Dallas moved into second place with a calm, composed defeat of the Galaxy at StubHub Center, and Portland rattled in […]
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MLS: Clint Dempsey cleared to play again
Clint Dempsey returned to practice in January after being sidelined for five months. Now, he says he ready to play with the Seattle Sounders when the MLS season opens the firstweekend of March. Dempsey spokewith reporters for the first time but would not go into specifics of the heart condition that forced him to the […]
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MLS Camp Chatter: Dempsey returns to action
Clint Dempsey started and played for the first time since late August in the Seattle Sounders’ 1-1 with the Portland Timbers on Saturday in a preseason friendly in Tucson, Ariz. Fanendo Adi scored in the 17th minute to put the Timbers ahead. The Sounders equalized in the 71st minute on Harry Shipp‘s penalty kick. — […]
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MLS 2017: How Western Conference teams look on the eve of the SuperDraft
By Ridge Mahoney (@ridgemax) No more Robbie Keane or Bruce Arena in L.A., a coaching change inHouston, and a new champion in the Northwest cast the Western Conference in a very different light than in past years. Here are how the Western teams look on the eve of theSuperDraft, listed in order of 2016 finish: FC […]
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USMNT: Arena on Dempsey and other omissions
One notable omission from the U.S. roster for the January camp that opens Tuesday inCarson, California, is Clint Dempsey, who scored four goals in 10 games in 2016 before being diagnosed with a heart ailment. U.S. coach Bruce Arena is hopeful that Dempsey, one of fourplayers from his 2006 U.S, World Cup who were still […]
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MLS Positional Rankings: Wright-Phillips, Giovinco take top spots up front
By Ridge Mahoney (@ridgemax) In classifying players up top, we distinguish between strikers and second forwards even thoughmany teams line up with just one true forward in a 4-2-3-1 formation or variation thereof. We list Giovani Dos Santos as a forward because he often plays close to goal and hispartnership with Robbie Keane, or lack […]