By Mark Vincent Lincir
Big congratulations go out to Clint Dempsey for becoming the highest American single-season scorer in EPL history by scoring his 10th against Everton on Saturday. The electrifying Fulham striker/midfielder broke Brian McBride’s previously held record of nine goals which he also set while at Fulham. Dempsey will surely be lured away by a bigger club this summer. Which will be too bad, because they love him at Craven Cottage (I’ve been there and seen it, he even has his own chant and it’s funny too!).
How about the Galaxy’s Juninho? The kid can certainly hit a ball from outside the box. Last week he smoked one by Kasey Keller in the Galaxy’s season opening win in Seattle and Sunday night he crushed one past New England’s Matt Reis to help the Galaxy salvage a point and sit on 4 points after two games. Landon Donovan seems to have had a very ordinary start to the season despite all the time off everybody kept harping about. Remember, he’s getting older too, and once the pace he has to get by people in the open field goes away, he’s done.
Does David Beckham look slow and sluggish or is it just me? I know he’s getting older and coming off of an Achilles injury from last season, but he did train with Tottenham and should be a lot sharper than he looks. Don’t know about you, but I’m over the Beckham experiment. He does still serve a brilliant ball, but I’ve had enough of all the publicity. Sure the league (MLS) hasn’t yet though.
Chivas USA did not get off to the start it wanted, dropping a 3-2 tough one to Sporting Kansas City at the Home Depot Center on Saturday night. There will be a ton of pressure on new Coach Robin Fraser to win right away, because the club has to be sick of all the losing they did last season.
Rough start for expansion Portland Timbers…I was hoping they would be my side for this MLS season, but I need to have the playoffs in my sites and I don’t know if the Timbers will be able to achieve such. I know it’s very early, but I saw them in preseason and counting on Kenny Cooper might be asking a little too much.
Love that Vancouver won its opener at home beating TFC…but I am starting to get very worried about TFC. Come on guys, win something already would ya!
Bob Bradley will be asked to earn some of that $700,000 and change that he earns annually when the U.S. squares off against Argentina and Paraguay next week. I wonder if his son Michael Bradley will play all 180 minutes? Anybody care to wager with me? I’m betting that he does.
Can’t believe Arsenal shared the points with West Brom on Saturday. The gap widens and it looks like it’s Manchester United’s season once again. When is Johnny Evans coming to MLS? I will buy season tickets to heckle that guy.
On the home front, I ventured down to Casa Grande, Arizona with my soccer crew on Friday night to watch Edmonton paste Tucson FC 7-1. It was a lot of fun to have dinner at the Francisco Grande resort prior to kickoff and stand only feet from the sideline. Edmonton also never took their foot off the gas, which was refreshing to see after watching quite a few MLS preseason games that basically lulled me to sleep. So my message to you is this…round up your friends, get some tickets and get out to a game!
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