Balotelli's Showboat Fail

((HT: MLS on ESPN/youtube))

The HQ completely gets the idea put forth in this World Football Challenge.

Bring a bunch of teams from around the globe to the New World and show us all what we're missing... and, for the most part, it's been an education.

Sunday Man City and the LA Galaxy were going at it in Los Angeles when temperamental child-child prodigy Mario Balotelli decided to do a little showboating...


Man City head coach Roberto Mancini had seen enough in Balotelli's exhibition of exhibitionism and pulled him...

As he should have... and the fact that Balotelli didn't get why he was pulled means he still doesn't get why everyone on this or any other planet thinks he's a royal pain in the ass...

This isn't the UAE, son...

Goalie On Goalie Scoring In MLS

((HT: SanJoseEarthquakes))

This rarely happens, so the HQ figured it would be a good marker to show...

It's the time of year where the international squads make their summer tours to the states and West Bromwich Albion made their trek to San Jose to take on the Quakes...

The lesson here is: Keep your eyes on the goalie at all times...

Cue David Bingham...


It was Bingham's pro debut, and the Quakes won 2-1...

Has MLS Officiating Gotten THIS Bad...???

((HT: MLS/ESPN/youtube))

Yes, in a way, this is what summer brings to the HQ...

Soccer stories...

There's been a hue and cry these days about the officiating world wide it seems, and this is the most recent example. Real Salt Lake's Nat Borchers was whistled for a controversial breakaway foul on New England's Benny Feilhaber. Borchers was issued a red card for his trouble... and that was only the beginning...

Here's the first instance that put the game on its head...


From there RSL goes down 2-0, but comes back to tie 3-3...

But the officiating got so bad that at one point RSL head coach Jason Kreis even met up with Revs counterpart Steve Nicol about walking... in front of the officials.

The Revs would have their man advantage taken away in the 67th minute when a red was issued for the visitors... but Espindola scored goal six for the 3-3-ending...
((HT: MLS/ESPN))

Six Goal Outburst... In MLS...???

((HT: soccerclasico/MLS/GOLTV))

We normally don't show MLS highlights unless there's good hook...

How 'bout a second-year team embarrasing someone else in ther own barn...
By scoring six goals...

The Philadelphia Union destroyed Toronto FC 6-2 at BMO Field...
It's obviously a franchise worst in that department...

“That was a bad, bad performance by us,” said Toronto head coach Aron Winter.

Yeah...???

Here's the Union's invasion up north...

Now, Here's A Way To Debut A Franchise...

((HT: ESPN/MLS/901MLS))

The Portland Timbers rejoined professional soccer last night with a 4-2 home debut win over the Chicago Fire...

The Timbers Army packed "The House of Pain" for the game and got the game off to a rousing start...

Enjoy...


Welcome back... the Cascadia rivalry is renewed once and for all with Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland...
Sweet...

8-5 Honorary Member of Sporting KC

((HT: SportingKC/MLS))

Sporting Kansas City announced Chad Ochocinco has been named an "honorary member" of SKC after his six-day tryout. Ochocinco can duck back in and re-join the team for reserve training and workouts during the MLS season.

“This is a positive outcome for everyone involved,” Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes said. “It’s been great to have Chad here and we’ll welcome him back when he’s ready to return. He’s been a true professional throughout his tryout, he has fit right in with the other players and he has been a great presence in the locker room. He has definitely earned the right to be an honorary member of the squad.”

“I had a great six days here...just to be able to grace the pitch with these guys was awesome,” Ochocinco said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to play the game of soccer. Manager Vermes was kind enough to allow me to stay here at will to train with the reserves and continue to get myself in shape.”

Here's 8-5 talking to SKC's Dave Borchardt about his experience...
Chad Ochocinco Named Honorary Member of Sporting KC by SportingKC

And here's the reserve game highlights and post from Monday...
((HT: SportingKC their ownselves))

8-5 Staying In Kansas City

((HT: NBCActionnews.com/KSHB-TV))

It appears that Chad 8-5's stint with Major League Soccer will last a little longer.

The folks at Sporting KC are saying he gets to play in a reserve game Monday afternoon in his attempt to stick with a soccer franchise in the wake of an NFL lockout.

Here's a look back at Day Two of Ocho...
((HT: MLS/Sporting KC))


Here's Day One of Ocho-Football in KC...

Ochenta-Y-Cinco And The MLS...???

((HT: NBCActionnews.com/Kansas City))

Chad 8-5 has started his tryout with the Kansas City Wizards of the MLS.

He started his four-day tryout with more than three-dozen of us media types on hand to see how well he can kick it around. Chad got a lot of individual attention from assistant coach Zoran Savic.

There's a joke there somewhere...

Johnson/8-5 started playing soccer when he was 4 but quit in high school to focus on football. But with a lockout going on, he's looking for work...

Here's his entrance to KC...

Charlie Davies Return To MLS

((HT: MLS/CSwashington/youtube))

There's some synergy here...
The day after the sentencing for the woman who wrecked Charlie Davies' car and keep him out of soccer for two years, Davies returned to the pitch for DC United...

The results are below and couldn't be any better...

Regarding Henry: Is It Too Late To Go Back...?

((HT: Out of Bounds))

This is why some people are doing news, others are doing sports, and ne'er the twain shall meet... but sometimes they do, anyway...

We've all seen these hyper-cheery morning shows, where anchors look neatly pressed, primped, and primed, but some have no business asking questions about topics they know nothing about...

That doesn't stop them from asking since they have time aplenty to fill...

Our most recent example comes form New York City and their newest Red Bull, Thierry Henry. This is wrong on so many levels, we feel like there should be a quiz later on in the show...

Watch in abject horror...
((HT: MyFoxNY))


The HQ is quite sure that Henry is thinking this thought about right now...


Yes, we know he played at Arsenal... but the Bangles didn't do that song...

"I'm going down to Holloway, North London to do nothing" doesn't have the same ring to it, does it...?

Carry on...

Wizards Suffer From Bad Kamara...???

((HT: BigLead))

The HQ doesn't normally show Major League Soccer highlights, but we will show Major League Soccer lowlights...

The Kansas City Wizards have a gimme against the LA Galaxy...
Except for one thing...

Kei Kamara trying to slip, fall away from the ball, and throw it in the net...

((HT: KCWE/MLS))


Priceless...

Beckham Tears Achilles

So much for that whole "playing in the World Cup" thing for his country...

David Beckham tears his Achilles' tendon in the 88th minute of AC Milan's game against Chievo. It seems somewhat freaky in its origin- almost reminiscent of Dan Marino's injury.

His World Cup career, at the age of 34, is probably over. His international career is in question, and his timetable for returning to either Milan or the LA Galaxy is set for six months or so ((if you believe AC's Vice President Adriano Galliani)).

What do you wanna bet both MLS Commisioner Don Garber and Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena are really pissed right now- considering Beckham is in the middle of a five-year, $32.5-million deal...???

Here's the injury...

You Wanna Buy A Silverdome...???

((HT: MyFoxDetroit))

A Canadian company did, at auction, for US$583,000...
When the Pontiac Silverdome was completed in 1975, it's final cost was US$55-million... not a bad deal if you can get it...

Some Pontiac politicians are pissed that the proposed buyer's name hasn't been made public yet, and that the group got the property for a little over one percent of the construction price... the process may take up to 45 days...

You can see why the group that offered US$20-million might be chapped...

The people that have purchased the building, for now anyway, want to turn the place into an MLS facility. MLS Commisioner Don Garber has already said that he sees the league at 20 teams with Montreal being in that mix somewhere...

Detroit hasn't even entered the picture of any talks Garber has had on the matter...

So, even if it was an idea it couldn't be accomplished until 2013 at the earliest- with league approval...

Here's how Bill Gallagher of FoxDetroit covered the story...


The duo of Barnas and Bull have the story from the Free Press side of things... and they catch up with the guy who was interested in bringing a franchise to Detroit seven years ago- he was just as surprised as anyone about the pricetag and the intentions...

But those of us at OSG HQ just view this is a property flip and a boondoggle by the Pontiac city government until further notice...

Landon Donovan's New ID Number: H1N1

((HT: LA Times/Grahame Jones))

One day after playing a World Cup qualifier for the United States against Mexico in Mexico City, Galaxy forward Landon Donovan ((pictured, thanks Jed Jacobsohn/Getty)) said Thursday he tested positive for the H1N1 flu virus, or the "swine flu."

"Donovan is believed to have contracted the virus from two Galaxy staff members who came down with it during last weekend's Galaxy game against the New England Revolution in Foxborough, Mass., said Bruce Arena, Galaxy coach and general manager.

"Sunday night when I got into Miami I started feeling a little congestion and just not feeling great, but it wasn't terrible," he said. "I didn't think too much of it. I thought maybe it was just changing climate, the heat and humidity and all that. "Monday, it got a little bit worse. I was coughing a little.

Tuesday [when the U.S. team traveled to Mexico City] I was coughing a little, and when I woke up Wednesday I felt a little tired, but I just assumed it was the altitude." Donovan said he had not considered pulling out of the game against Mexico. "I didn't assume there was anything really that wrong," he said."

Donovan bonked in the 2-1 loss to Mexico. He felt crappy afterwards, took his temperature, and registered a rockin' 100.7. Doctors did their standard poking and prodding and came up with a swine flu diagnosis.

The first 48 hours of the flu is its contagious stage. LA Galaxy coach and GM Bruce Arena is of the thought that Donovan has passed that point and is not contagious to others. The next game for the Galaxy is Saturday against Seattle.

No one knows if Donovan will play, but it's not looking likely.
Ya think...???

Garber: MLS Targeting Montreal For Expansion...

((HT: Canwest News Service))

Montreal is at the top of Major League Soccer’s list for potential expansion cities MLS commissioner Don Garber told Forbes.com in a recent interview.

Speaking last week, Garber told the website MLS ((TFC and New England are pictured, thanks, Brian Snyder/Reuters)) would like to expand to 20 teams at some point in the future and he appears to be pencilling in Montreal for one of the two available spots.

“Montreal is one of those. We’re pretty focused on that 19th team,” he said. “We’ve been in discussions with Montreal.”

Montreal was on the short list during the last round of expansion but withdrew its bid before the final selection process was complete. Vancouver and Portland got the two spots and will begin play in 2011.

The Montreal Impact currently play in the United Soccer Leagues First Division.

“We’ve had great success in Canada,” Garber told the website. “Toronto FC plays in a new stadium in downtown Toronto, every game is sold out with 15,000 people on the waiting list for season tickets. Montreal will probably be a market that looks like that.”

Montreal appears close to nailing down the 19th spot, but Garber said the 20th team is still up for grabs.

“We’re looking at St. Louis, Miami, Atlanta, perhaps a second team in New York,” he said.

Beckham Has Another Run-In With Fan

And this time the fan was running smack about Beck's wife, Posh...

Sorry, we mean "Victoria..."

This time in Kansas City as the Wizards hosted the LA Galaxy over the weekend...

Beckham ((pictured with Landon Donovan, thanks Allison Long/Kansas City Star)) confronted a fan wearing an England shirt during Galaxy's 1-1 draw away to Kansas City Wizards on Saturday.

Beckham shook hands with the fan after speaking to him, but later called him a "disgrace" for comments he made about his wife Victoria.

"He shouldn't actually be wearing that shirt because what he was saying about my wife was a disgrace," Beckham told reporters.

Last week, the "Riot Squad" section at the Galaxy's home stadium went after the MLS part-timer last week. Beckham was fined a whole $1,000 for his charging the crowd.

Beckham and Landon Donovan's appearance in KC was to a standing-room only crowd, but much like every other game in the MLS, it ended in a 1-1 sister-kisser...

Thanks to our friends at ITN for a very pleasant-sounding VO package...

Becks Fined Pocket Change For Outburst In LA

((HT: ESPN))

David Beckham was fined $1,000 by Major League Soccer, which said his gestures toward taunting fans suggested that they leave their seats and come on the field.

The fine by MLS commissioner Don Garber on Friday came five days after the English star confronted Los Angeles Galaxy fans in a group called the L.A. Riot Squad. The Galaxy and AC Milan played to a 2-2 tie in an exhibition game. Beckham played with AC Milan this year and was booed through much of the game.

"We support our players interacting with fans, whether it is at clinics, charity events or by high-fiving their supporters in the stands while celebrating a goal," Garber said. "However, our players should never engage in conduct that can be interpreted as encouraging fans to come out of the stands and onto the field, regardless of the reason."

At halftime, Beckham walked toward the group while shouting and pointing. He challenged fans to meet him on the field and tried to lift himself over advertising boards before security intervened. Police arrested a fan who left the stands.

Then after a second-half corner kick in front of the Riot Squad's section, Beckham immediately turned to those fans, put his index finger to his lips, shrugged his shoulders and blew them a kiss. The kick resulted in a goal.

Beckham has been unapologetic about his actions.

"At the end of the day, I play my game," Beckham said Thursday. "If it's not good enough for some people, as long as it's good enough for myself and the team, nothing else matters."

The Riot Squad blamed Beckham for agitating the situation in a statement on the group's Web site Thursday.

"Had David responded differently on Sunday, the booing and the chanting probably would have ended at halftime," the statement said. "We don't believe questioning Beckham's commitment to our team is over the line, but it's clear that David feels otherwise."

So, as a public service, we show you the story again from our friends at ITN News that is proof that the part-timer did, indeed, piss some folks off...

Becks Gets Booed, Part Deux...

Okay, a lot of you know it happened over in the "Riot Squad" Section in the LA Galaxy's friendly against AC Milan...

Here's your proof...Carole Erskine reports...
((HT: Press Association))


((Insert divine being here)) forbid, you should anger a part-timer who paid to extend his own loan to a squad overseas...

The LA Times Helene Elliott has a great piece on it here...

And, by far, the picture, of the day comes from Kevork Djansezian of the Times...


By the way... note to Becks... Carson is a bad part of town to pick a fight, esse...

Becks is Booed

It seems as though Major League Soccer's savior might need to be saved...from the league's fans. David Beckham's return to the MLS playing field in a friendly game against the team he's been playing for AC Milan was not quite received the way that most would have expected

The story from the Daily News here .

((Galaxy fans share there feelings/Courtesy: Djansazien/Getty Images))

Beckham was recently called out by teammate Landon Donovan in a book recently released about the Britsh Soccer legend's first season in the "States" for being a poor captain and generally not much of a teammate. The two have supposedly "kissed and made up", however it does not appear that the L.A. Galaxy fans are being quite so forgiving.

More from our friends at ITN News/You Tube:

Brian Ching Fined $500 For Twitter Outburst

((HT: Washington Post/Steven Goff))

Houston Dynamo star Brian Ching has been fined $500 by MLS for an entry on his Twitter account during Saturday's controversial match at Seattle. His Tweet: "Ref in seattle just cheated the dynamo. What a joke. Not even close. Ref is a cheat"

Ching didn't play in the game. In fact, he wasn't even with the Dynamo. Because of U.S. national team duty, he was on the other side of the country in Foxborough, Mass., for a Gold Cup match and watched on TV/laptop.

The next morning, he wrote on Twitter: "I apologize for the comment which i made in the heat of the moment. Everyone tries their best and mistakes happen."

With 1,800 Twitter followers, Ching's comments weren't exactly public criticism. (Ashton Kutcher has 2.8 million.)

Here's the full chain that got him in trouble, thanks to his own Twitter account

Ref in seattle just cheated the dynamo. What a joke. Not even close. Ref is a cheat4:41 PM Jul 11th from txt

Look i made a rash comment yesterday. I dont know who the ref was. I didnt understand how someone could all a goal when it wasnt 100% clear10:09 AM Jul 12th from txt

I apologize for the comment which i made in the heat of the moment. Everyone tries their best and mistakes happen.10:25 AM Jul 12th from txt

Here's the play in question...thanks to our friends at MLS