MLS Week 2 Summary

RSL Game Summary:
The game started on a bad note. This ref was making terrible calls and RSL was not playing how they did last week. Columbus was clearly controlling the game, but thanks to RSL's defense, we stayed in the game. Then the half came, and I was hoping that RSL would come out firing. They did, but still not at the standard they had set last week. Cunningham got a pretty good chance at one point, but was saved by Gruenbaum. RSL "won" the second half, but we still walked out of the stadium feeling grim about the game, and wondering if we have a chance against Chivas next week.

RSL Game Report:
Real Salt Lake : Columbus Crew 0 : 0 (0 : 0)

Goal Summary

Real Salt Lake
No Goals Scored

Columbus Crew
No Goals Scored

Card Summary

Real Salt Lake
Yellow - Talley (30')
Yellow - Torres (70')
Yellow - Stewart (88')

Columbus Crew
Yellow - O'Rourke (88')
Yellow - Herron (90+')

Around the MLS:
(1-0-1/4/1 West) COL 1 : 1 CHI (1-0-1/4/2 East)
(0-1-1/1/6 West) LA 1 : 2 DAL (1-1-1/4/3 West)
(0-2-0/0/6 East) DC 2 : 4 KC (1-0-0/3/4 East)
(1-1-0/3/3 East) NE 4 : 0 TOR (0-2-0/0/7 East)
(1-0-1/4/2 West) HOU 1 : 0 CHV (1-1-0/3/4 West)
(1-0-1/4/1 East) NY 3 : 0 DAL (1-1-1/4/3 West)

My Fantasy Team Update:
This was a decent week. Craig Waibel and Kelly Gray of the Dynamo won me 29 pts apiece for their playing time plus wins plus clean sheets. For some reason the cRapids are favoring Bouna Coundoul over the much more expensive Zach Thornton, and so I received no points from him. Other than that, nothing all that significant.

GK Zach Thornton (COL) : 0 Points
DF Kevin Goldthwaite (HOU) : 0 Points
DF Craig Waibel (HOU) : 29 Points (9 pts Playing Time, 10 pts Clean Sheet, 10 pts Team Win)
DF Marvell Wynne (NY) : 0 Points
DF Kelly Gray (HOU) : 29 Points (9 pts Playing Time, 10 pts Clean Sheet, 10 pts Team Win)
MF Quavas Kirk (LA) : 0 Points
MF Mehdi Ballouchy (RSL) : 9 Points (9 pts Playing Time)
MF Seth Stammler (NY) : 19 Points (9 pts Playing Time, 10 pts Team Win)
MF Freddy Adu (RSL) : 9 Points (9 pts Playing Time)
(C) FW Jeff Cunningham (RSL) : 18 Points (9 pts Playing Time, x2 Captainage)
FW Pat Noonan (NE) : 22 Points (2 pts Playing Time, 10 pts Assist, 10 pts Team Win)

League Scoreboard
rslnerd: 324 pts, #3764 overall (-2526 places)
Jeppson United FC: 260 pts, #7280 overall (-2945 places)

Next Week's Fantasy Team:
GK Bouna Coundoul (COL)
DF Lawson Vaughn (CHV)
DF Craig Waibel (HOU)
DF Marvell Wynne (NY)
DF Kelly Gray (HOU)
MF Pablo Mastroeni (COL)
MF Mehdi Ballouchy (RSL)
MF Freddy Adu (RSL)
MF Fred (DC)
(C) FW Jeff Cunningham (RSL)
FW Josmer Altidore (NY)

My Pick 'Em (Game Prediction) Update:
I did pretty darn well this week. Picking HOU-LA correctly won me three, while JUFC missed it. Hey missed his money game of DC-KC, while I got result plus one score on mine of TOR-NE. This week, rslnerd 6, JUFC -4.

After 2 weeks:
rslnerd: 7 point
Jeppson United FC: -8 points

Playoff Picture:
Top Two East : New York, Chicago
Top Two West : Colorado, Houston
Four "Wild Card" : Dallas, New England, Kansas City, Chivas USA

MLS Performance Factors:
1. Kansas City - 3002004
2. New York - 2001502
3. Colorado - 2000502
4. Chicago - 2000501
4. Houston - 2000501
6. New England - 1501502
7. Chivas USA - 1500501
8. FC Dallas - 1332668
9. Salt Lake - 1000001
10. Columbus - 1000000
11. Los Angeles - 499501
12. DC United - (-1499)
13. Toronto FC - (-3000)

MLS Goal Leaders:
Jeff Cunningham (RSL) - 2
Kenny Cooper (DAL) - 2
Luciano Emilio (DC) - 2
Carlos Ruiz (DAL) - 2
Herculez Gomez (COL) - 2
Taylor Twellman (NE) - 2
17 Players with 1 Goal

Top MLS Point Leaders:
Carlos Ruiz (DAL) - 5
Jeff Cunningham (RSL) - 4
Kenny Cooper (DAL) - 4
Luciano Emilio (DC) - 4
Herculez Gomez (COL) - 4
Taylor Twellman (NE) - 4

Next for RSL:
vs. Chivas, 4/21/07, Home Depot Center, Carson CA
Chivas played a good game against expansion side Toronto first game, but lost to Houston in a defensive battle this week. RSL looks to capitalize on this.


Next Week's Games:
4/19
NE @ CLB
4/14
RSL @ CHV
KC @ CHI
HOU @ NY
4/15
COL @ DAL


RSL Schedule:
4/7 vs. Dallas T 2-2 (0-0-1/1/T3 West)
4/14 vs. Columbus T 0-0 (0-0-2/2/5 West)
4/21 @ Chivas USA
4/30 vs. Colorado
5/5 vs. New York
5/10 @ Colorado
5/20 @ Dallas
5/27 @ Chicago
6/2 @ New England
6/14 vs. Dallas
6/17 @ Los Angeles
6/23 vs. DC United
7/4 vs. Toronto
7/7 @ Columbus
7/14 @ Kansas City
7/28 vs. New England
8/4 vs. Houston
8/18 vs. Chicago
8/26 @ Chivas USA
8/29 vs. Kansas City
9/1 @ Los Angeles
9/8 @ Houston
9/15 @ Toronto
9/19 vs. Los Angeles
9/22 vs. Colorado
9/26 @ D.C. United
9/29 @ New York
10/6 vs. Chivas USA
10/13 vs. Houston
10/20 @ Colorado