The San Jose Earthquakes sang an old, familiar tune as they fought to yet another draw (the sixth this season). This time the goonie goal came in the 78th minute, courtesy of a beautiful Marvin Chavez free kick. This equalized the game following the goal scored by Colorado’s Nathan Sturgis in the 26th minute.

Marvin Chavez

San Jose fans are by now well-accustomed to falling behind early on in games. It is getting a little old, to say the least. While everyone loves a good comeback, it would be nice if it were the exception, not the rule. However, the blessing (or perhaps the bane) of sports fans is that they are ever hopeful. While there is no doubt frustration among Quakes fans, most of them leave the stadium at the end of the night with an optimistic smile and a “We’ll get them next time!”

Last night’s drama was enhanced by a red card given to Colorado’s Shane O’Neill in the 90th minute for denying Chris Wondolowski a clear goal scoring opportunity just outside the penalty box. Unfortunately, the resulting free kick did not provide the go-ahead goal the team–and indeed the whole stadium–was waiting for. Even the 5 minutes of injury time, which the Quakes have been known to do mind-blowing things with, was not enough for the boys in black to find the game-winner.

Despite the flatness of another 1-1 tie, I find that I too retain that hopeful spirit and my heart echoes the refrain of “next time!” Sadly, I will be rooting San Jose on from my living room, as a four-game road stretch begins next Saturday. The Earthquakes will not be playing in the area until the much-anticipated California Clasico that will take place at Stanford Stadium on June 29th.

In conclusion, friends, keep the faith! Goonies never say die!

Photo courtesy of San Jose Earthquakes Facebook page–John Todd/isiphotos.com

The clash of the two MLS powerhouses is usually nothing short of entertaining. Every time these two teams meet the stars align and things fit perfectly. You would think since this is the only meeting of these teams this season it would be exciting. Except today; today’s game was kind of boring. From LA Galaxy’s perspective today’s game was a tough one; they had to play without their driving force Mike Magee. Magee is suffering from an ankle sprain that kept him out of the lineup. LA had a chance to win it, and looked like they would until New York Red Bulls’ Tim Cahill took it away. At least Cahill is on my fantasy team…

First half was interesting. In the 10th minute LA Galaxy’s Juninho had to be subbed out because he had a right shin injury. This plus the absence of Magee proved to be a difficult challenge for the midfield. They could not serve the ball into the box or make the critical passes that needed to be made. New York started breaking LA down piece by piece.

In the 28th minute NY strung together a string of passes that put LA in a hole, and Cudicini tried to save the day but FAILED, and as all hope was being lost AJ DeLaGarza came to the rescue and cleared the ball off the goal line. This is not the first time Cudicini has made a mistake like that, in the first two games he was off his line every two seconds. I thought he had moved passed that stage, but apparently he hasn’t. Even though NY had most of the possession LA still had a great chance on goal in the 40th minute.

Robbie Keane took a free kick that people deemed “David Beckham worthy”, it was good but NY’s keeper made the save to keep the score level 0-0 as the teams headed into the half.

Second half LA opened up their play, and took control of the game. In the 61st minute Donovan had a crack at goal, but shot it just over the bar. LA had shot after shot, but just could not finish. In the 87th minute Robbie Keane had a chance to take it home for LA, but his header was just wide. As time was winding down and three minutes of stoppage time were added, I was feeling good about LA coming away with a draw. Then, low and behold in the 91st minute Tim Cahill gave New York the goal they needed to steal the three points.

I can’t explain to you how annoying it is when the keeper yells at the other players like it is their fault. Cudicini did just that to Marcelo Sarvas, and it wasn’t even Sarvas’ fault! The ball was in the 6-yard box, which everyone knows is the keeper’s box and the keeper should get ANY ball that comes that close to goal… but no, Cudicini just stood there and gave away three points. Annoyed was an understatement. It was ridiculous, and something that hadn’t happened to LA in four games. UGGGHHH. As the final whistle blew NY had topped LA 1-0, and came away with the three points. On this three game road trip LA only came away with three points, disappointing but still not as bad as zero points in three games!

LA’s next game will be May 26th against Seattle.

In other LA Galaxy news, it was announced earlier this week that Frank Lampard was staying at Chelsea. This opened up tons of questions on who would be LA’s third DP. Many think they should get a midfielder who has a service that is near the accuracy of Beckham’s, because LA has been missing that. Other people think the third DP should go to Omar Gonzalez because if not, then LA could lose him next year. All of this is just speculation on things to come; I’ll keep you guys updated as things progress!

Well, it didn’t take long for the top scorer in the MLS to notch  another goal under his belt against the Chicago Fire.  With only 3 minutes into the match, Philadelphia Union’s Jack McInerney  headed in his righth goal of the year and beat the Fire 1-0.

Photo courtesy of Chicago Fire official Facebook page.

With zero goals and zero points in the last two games, the Fire need to find a line-up that can produce.  Chicago Fire Head Coach Frank Klopas is scratching is head and wondering what has happened to his team.  I am doing the same.  The Big Red is seeing red;  they are at the bottom of  The Eastern Conference with only seven points.  If they can’t get it together soon, they will be in jeopardy of missing the playoffs.

The Fire will have another week off until they play the lonely DC United.  The only team in the Eastern conference who has less points (4) than The Fire.  It will be the battle of last place.  At least Chicago will be at home for this match.  Home games seem to be a good omen for The Fire,  they are the only two games they have won this season.   Chicago really need this win to have an outside chance to make a run for those playoffs.  We’ll have to wait and see.

Congratulations to Atlético Madrid for winning the 2013 Copa del Rey!! They beat Real Madrid 2-1 after a chaotic game and 30 minutes of extra time. This marks the first time Atleti have beaten Real Madrid since 1999. Atlético also ended Real Madrid’s 2 year home unbeaten streak (about 40+ games). At the end of this season Atleti will have claimed 3rd place in La Liga, qualified for next year’s Champions League, and won the Copa del Rey. Congratulations!

Atlético Madrid win 2013 Copa del Rey

On the flip side, this was a terrible ending to a terrible season for Real Madrid. They’ll finish 2nd in La Liga, 10 points behind champions Barcelona. They failed to come back against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semifinals and were subsequently eliminated. I don’t even want to talk about all the drama surrounding the club this season. And they just lost what looked to be their best shot at winning some silverware this season.

For the past two hours (and most of this season, really) my reaction to Real Madrid’s game looked something like this: 

It’s hard to blame any one party for the way this season has gone and, if we’re being honest, finger-pointing usually goes badly. However, I’m going to ask you to give me a little bit of leeway because I’m hurting pretty badly after this loss.

The main target of my anger is the ref, Clos Gomez. He did make some good decisions every now and then, but he was inconsistent and clearly lost control of the game. By the final whistle, he had handed out 7 yellow cards to Real Madrid, six yellow cards to Atlético Madrid, and a red card each. I’m not even entirely sure why Gabi was sent off for Atleti. Half the time Gomez carded a player on their first offense; the other half of the time he waited until the 5th or 6th foul to show them a card.

He’s as appalled as I was.

The one sending off that really rubbed me wrong was José Mourinho. As far as I could see, it was the first time Mou had gotten up from his seat to yell at the pitch whereas Diego Simeone had spent the entire game standing! I guess Mou had to have said something terrible to warrant the sending off, but there’s no way Gomez would’ve heard it from where he was standing.

I kinda loathe myself for saying this but…Cristiano Ronaldo deserved his red card. The idiot kicked his opponent in the nose.

Above all else, pure luck was against Real Madrid. Los blancos should have easily won this game with as many shots as they had hit the post. That plus Thibaut Courtois’s phenomenal goalkeeping display stopped about 4 or 5 of Real Madrid’s closest chances. There was one period of a couple minutes where Real kept pinging the ball towards the net and it looked like a force field was over the line flinging the ball straight back. Unbelievable.

Now all we can do is wait. Wait to see if Mourinho goes or stays (my bet is he returns to England). Wait to see which players leave Real Madrid (unfortunately I think quite a few are on the way out). Wait to see if Atlético can hold onto Radamel Falcao (probably not). And wait for the start of next season which will hopefully wash away the remnants of a shoddy season for Real Madrid.

And now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to bury myself in comfort food.

Photos courtesy of www.ligabbva.com, www.guardian.co.uk, and tumblr.com. Check in with @AerysSoccer every day for the latest news on La Liga, the EPL, and MLS.

As everyone knows by now, David Beckham announced his retirement from soccer yesterday morning. At the end of the season Becks will hang up his cleats. We all knew this was coming, but not this soon. Even though he is 38, I expected he would have at least another year under his belt.. But that is not the case. Here at Aerys we love David Beckham and all that he has done for MLS. So today it is ALL about Beckham!

Even before he stepped on the field for Man United, Beckham was a part of a FA Youth club and he helped them win the FA Youth Cup in May of 1992. That same year he made his first team debut for Manchester United, and shortly after he signed his first professional soccer contract. From then on it was Beckham’s world, he was called up to the England National team (He has 115 caps and 17 goals for England) and everything was perfect… Until that monumental summer day in 1998. England was playing Argentina in a World Cup Qualifying round when things were getting chippy and Becks made a huge mistake- he was lying on the ground and kicked at Diego Simeone. This ultimately cost England their World Cup place. You can watch the whole thing over here.

All of this brought on a controversial time for Becks, and the next year he made all of the haters drink their haterade and shut their mouths. It was arguably the best season of his career, helping Man United win the Champions League Final. The World was back in the palm of Beckham’s hand. He left Man United in 2003 and played for Real Madrid where he won yet another trophy. After spending four years with Madrid Beckham made a decision that helped put American soccer on the map, he signed a deal with LA Galaxy. Not only has Beckham made a name for himself, he helped MLS soccer out tremendously. People around the World know about MLS teams, before Beckham hardly anyone knew! It is an amazing thing.

You can watch Beckham’s interview about his retirement over here. He talks about his decision, and why he feels it is the right time to retire… and do it while he is on top.

Let’s get to his trophy cabinet, because that thing is SPECTACULAR. He has won four championships in four different countries. The talent of this man knows no bounds, and it shows.

Manchester United
Premier League – 1996, 1997, 1999, 200, 2001, 2003
Champions League – 1999
FA Cup – 1996, 1999
Community Shield – 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997
Intercontinental Cup – 1999
FA Youth Cup – 1992

Beckham with the Premier League Trophy (Man United)

Real Madrid
La Liga  - 2007
Spanish Super Cup – 2003

Beckham with the Spanish Cup (Real Madrid)

LA Galaxy
MLS Cup – 2011, 2012

Beckham with the 2012 MLS Cup trophy. (LA Galaxy)

Paris Saint-Germain
Ligue 1 - 2013

PSG hasn’t received their trophy yet, so here’s Becks in his last game with them… receiving a red card.

Personally Becks turned me on to the MLS. Sure I watched the USMNT play but it wasn’t until 2008 that I actually sat down and watched a MLS game. From then on I was hooked, and I have not missed a LA Galaxy game to this day. In 2009 I had the opportunity to go to DC and see LA play. It was the greatest day of my life. Not only was I watching my favorite team live for the first time, I was watching the Demi-God of soccer make incredible passes and take breathtaking corners. At one point I almost cried because I was in such awe at Becks, then it happened. At the end of the game he pointed right at me and waved. I will never forget it, ever.

Some people might be thinking that is weird but to me it was like he had asked for my hand in marriage. It meant that much, and it still does. So I would just like to thank Becks for everything, and he has an open invitation to stay at my house if he ever comes to North Carolina! I’m still crossing my fingers he’ll pull a Brett Favre and when next season rolls around he’ll announce his un-retirement. You never know…

Everyone here at Aerys wishes Becks the best of luck in whatever his next adventure is. We all love him no matter what he does, as long as he keeps making the shirtless commercials.

Going into tonight’s game, both LA Galaxy and the Philadelphia Union were in the middle of a three game stretch in eight days. Keane and Dunivant were back in the starting XI, while Sean Franklin was out of the starting lineup. Both teams were looking for a win, and LA pulled out all the stops in order to secure the three points.

First half started off perfectly for LA. In the 3rd minute LA Galaxy made a play that resulted in a corner, Donovan sent the ball in and it seemed as though the ball went off of Omar’s head and into the goal. But that was not the case, the ball went off of Philadelphia’s keeper Zac MacMath’s head and into the goal, resulting in an own goal for Philadelphia. But hey, anyway LA can get it goal, I’ll take it! From then on it was an interesting game from both ends of the field.

courtesy MLS Facebook

In the 10th minute, Robbie Keane got passed two defenders and was about to take a shot on goal when he saw AJ DeLeGarza running in the box. AJ ALMOST had a goal but MacMath made a good save that resulted in a corner. At this point LA was beginning to lose their footing and started making the same mistakes they made last week. In the 23rd minute it happened, Okugo evened the game and put Philadelphia back in the game.

This season the guys have had a tough time marking corner kicks, and that is exactly what happened tonight. Villaarreal lost his Okugo in the box and he ended up scoring… It was terrible. Union then gained control for the majority of time remaining, taking eight shots to LA’s two. In the 44th minute LA had a chance, and the ball went in the back of the net but Keane was “apparently” offside. Who knows. The first 45 ended 1-1.

The second half was all about some LA Galaxy. It took them about 20 minutes to get going, but when they did it was phenomenal. In the 71st minute, Robbie Keane proved he was back as he slid the ball into the back of the net to give LA the 2-1 lead. From then on LA looked like they were back into the swing of things. In the 80th minute Hector Jimenez brought it home for LA, he put the ball into the back of the net and made it 3-1. Just as you were thinking the game was over, the main man Landon Donovan proved why he should be called up to USMNT camp. He beat two defenders and it was GAME OVER as he made it 4-1.

This was a nice change for LA from the last two weeks. Having Keane and Dunivant back made a difference, and Landon Donovan also had something to prove to Jurgen. All of this made for a good game on LA’s behalf, not a [erfect game… but it was close enough!
LA’s next game will be May 19th against New York! It’s an early game; 1 p.m. EST/ 10 a.m. PST.

Okay … Saturday was rough for the Columbus Crew in the match against the Colorado Rapids. Almost like a repeat of last weekend when the Crew took on the New York Red Bulls. And I honestly have no idea what is going on with this team. And let’s admit it, it’s a pretty damn curious case. It’s getting to be pretty excruciating to watch this team play. The talent is there, the want is there, but what is missing from this set up that head coach Robert Warzycha is playing? The goals!!!! Where the hell are the goals?!?!?!?!?!?!

Photo courtesy of Columbus Crew’s official Facebook.

It’s absolutely driving me nuts! Watching the match and looking at the stats sheet, I could scream. Because it’s clear the Crew are doing things right, … right? They hold the majority of the possession. They get lots of shots on goal to pressure opposing defenses. The midfield is funneling balls through. But they just cannot finish for anything.

The word frustrating comes to mind at this point, but I’m not even sure if that can cover it completely. I know Arrietta would probably agree with me at least. A lot of Crew fans would too. It seems like the team has what is needed. There is a potential in the attacking force. There is a promise in the defense. Things should be adding up. But they just aren’t.

The call from some now is that it is time for Warzycha to be replaced. He’s been coaching the Crew since Sigi Schmid’s departure in 2008 and, admittedly, it’s been a rough road for Columbus. I think several fans – including myself – thought maybe this year, we would finally see some stability in the team. We were hoping to see an unbeaten streak at Crew Stadium well into the latter parts of the season. We wanted goals. So many goals we wouldn’t know what to do with them.

So would getting rid of Warzycha solve the problem? I can’t say that for sure. I admit, over the years, I’ve been ready to see him replaced and get new ideas into the Crew. But it’s easy to think a coach replacement would solve all a team’s problems.

And really, what problems exist for the Crew? The fact the team relies heavily on Federico Higuain to create things all over the pitch? That Dominic Oduro isn’t entirely consistent in his play up front? That Jairo Arrietta seems to always be off sides when headed toward goal? Chad Marshall’s fading physical presence in the back?

I can’t say a coaching change at this point would fix those and other ailments. But something needs fixing and fast. I want to see the Crew get past the first round of playoffs. Hell, I want to see them make a run to be in the final. I don’t think it’s too ambitious for them either. They just have to find the goals and find the rhythm as a team.

Crew players are touted as the hardest working team in MLS. I’ve always believed that for many reasons. Now they need to show it. They have to push for that missing piece right now at this point in the season. Because not only do I want to start believing in their playoff chances …. I want to start writing about them scoring a hell of a lot of goals.

It’s that time again! Humpday…Not Friday!…Middle of the week….Slumpday. I know, I feel you and well, to be honest it does feel like today is lagging a bit. But never fear – your best pal, Danielle is here to bring you the goods. I’m like a shirtless footballer dealer.

I’m sure you saw the headline and thought, “where is she going with this?” It seems our little Bayern Munich post was quite popular (Mario Gomez; that will do it). So I decided, hey, let’s do it again! But with my favorites; Arsenal’s goal scorers Lukas Podolski (11th minute), Theo Walcott (63rd minute), Podolski (68th minute) and Aaron Ramsay (71st minute). That impressive win Tuesday took the Gunners a step closer to the Champions’ League spot but sadly relegated Wigan Athletic, who not for lack of trying did get a goal in but it wasn’t enough to save them. So long, Wigan. We will pour one out for you, but in the meantime…we will celebrate the winners.

When I think of a “Life Ruiner,” I don’t think of Lukas Podolski because this German footballer is just so sweet to look at. But, that was my first mistake. You see, this former Bayern Munich player knows when to turn on the charm. He’s stealth, that’s for sure!

See what I mean? And if you didn’t know, here’s a little trivia. Lukas had the option of playing for Poland or Germany’s National Team but chose to play for the German National team which earned him trips to the World Cup (2006 and 2010). He has had 108 appearances and some equally impressive goals to match.

Here is Lukas putting one past Wigan’s keeper in yesterday’s match. Somehow, I think Arsenal’s photographer knew the right moment to capture this.

You don’t even need to ask him to remove his shirt because it naturally does not cover his abs.

Now, if you think I was going to leave you like that…no way! I couldn’t possibly do that to you. Because I still have Theo and Aaron in my back pocket….No really, they are there.

Don’t let that smile fool you. If Lionel Messi has called him, “one of the most dangerous players I have ever played against,” you know Theo means business! The 24-year-old Arsenal forward was really born to play football. Representing England, he has gone to the World Cup twice (with a controversial decision at the last minute by Fabio Capello that left him off the squad for one of the final matches that had even Lionel Messi saying “I must say that at the time I thought it was a bad decision to leave Theo Walcott at home, and I think that has been proved right.”) Whatever the case…I hear Brazil is around the corner and Theo will definitely be wanted.

 Calculating Theo…

 Thanking the supporters after the match against Wigan.

 Now, I consider Aaron Ramsey to be a Baby Baller. Why’s that, you ask? Well, he was born in the 90s which was not so long ago, but I won’t bring up the conversation that Trista and I had about things that were just 16 years ago but they seem like yesterday! I wonder if how I feel about Abba will be how my children will feel about Robin Thicke…don’t answer that. Instead, let’s look at this handsome Welsh player.

 Aaron’s goal celebration against Wigan was cute but I found a gif that I think you all will enjoy even more!

 Pretty fantastic, if you ask me.

In the words of Stanley Tucci from Devil Wears Prada, gird you loins! Ok, that sounded funnier in my head but I’m having feels over this photo and they are not PG-13, guys!

I’m well aware that we lacked in abs this week but come on…I gave you a smoldering Podolski, dangerously sweet Walcott and Ramsey looking like he’s auditioning for 50 Shades, ya’ll. Yeah, I think this post totally did it for you and me and our fearless leader, Trista. I am well aware that I may need to make a post for Manchester United in the near future but…maybe I’ll leave that one to her, haha

Until next time!

All hail the champions!! Barcelona have now won their 4th league title in five years. It’s absolutely incredible! This season may have been a bit weird for them, what with Tito Vilanova spending most of the season in New York for cancer treatment and the team suffering countless injuries. Nevertheless, Barça started the season strong and out paced the rest of the league by miles. Real Madrid, the defending title holders, barely put up a fight. On Saturday, Madrid’s feeble 1-1 draw with Espanyol sealed the deal for Barcelona and left a 10 point gap between 1st and 2nd place.

Tito Vilanova celebrates Barcelona’s 22nd League title in the city parade

It was pretty evident in the first half of the season that they would win the league when Barça reached the point where they were 16 points ahead of 2nd place (Atlético Madrid at the time). However, the Catalans had to wait until this weekend to celebrate. They deserved to win. There is no doubt about that. But something feels off. 

Yes, they made it to the semifinals of the Champions League for a record 6th year in a row. Yes, Lionel Messi produced more magic to score against every team in consecutive games. Yes, Barcelona will equal the 100 point record mark set by Real Madrid last season.

But the champions have a lot of questions to answer in the offseason. They were absolutely steamrolled by Bayern Munich in the Champions League semis on an aggregate 7-0. Throughout the whole season their defense never seemed as solid as it should’ve been. Last season the question was “can Real Madrid feel satisfied in their League title if they never beat Barcelona?” (They eventually did.) This season Barça managed to draw 2-2 and lose 3-1 to Madrid in the Camp Nou in the League and the Copa del Rey, respectively. At the Santiago Bernabéu, Barça drew 1-1 in the Copa del Rey and lost 2-1 in the League.

Anyways, a huge congratulations to Barcelona on their 22nd League title!

In other news around the league, Real Sociedad and Valencia are tied for the last Champions League place, both with 59 points. Right now la Real just edges Valencia out of the spot on goal differential. With three games left, both teams are going to have to fight tooth and nail for that last golden spot. At the far end of the table, Mallorca, Celta Vigo, and Deportivo La Coruña are still stuck in the relegation zone (and Celta has already played an extra game). Real Zaragoza sits barely in safety just two points clear of danger. Here are the full results from the weekend:

Barça’s prize

Wednesday:
Celta Vigo 1-3 Atlético Madrid
Real Madrid 6-2 Málaga

Friday:
Levante 0-0 Real Zaragoza

Saturday:
Athletic Bilbao 2-1 Mallorca
Valladolid 1-0 Deportivo La Coruña
Osasuna 1-0 Getafe
Espanyol 1-1 Real Madrid

Sunday:
Rayo Vallecano 0-4 Valencia
Real Betis 1-0 Celta Vigo
Atlético Madrid 1-2 Barcelona
Málaga 0-0 Sevilla

Monday:
Real Sociedad 2-2 Granada

The Copa del Rey final is scheduled for this weekend at the Santiago Bernabéu between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. The Madrid teams played Málaga and Celta Vigo, respectively, on Wednesday to clear their schedules this weekend for the Madrid derby with silverware on the line. This is the only chance for either team to win a trophy this season, so the match promises to be very enticing! Be sure to catch it on Friday at 3:30 pm ET!

Photos courtesy of www.fcbarcelona.com. Check in with @AerysSoccer everyday for news on the world of soccer!

Topps and Major League Soccer have signed an exclusive trading card deal with product rolling out July 15, 2013. Topps brand manager Jeff Heckman was quoted as saying, “I just think it’s a league that is really on the rise,” Heckman said. “Soccer is an interesting place for us right now. As far as professional leagues, it’s always a bit slower. But with fan support and adoption, I think you have seen it grow in the last five to 10 years.”

Topps has been known to market other leagues from Europe but noted that with MLS growth also comes interest for collectibles. We’ve all become familiar with “bobblehead” night at recent LA Galaxy games so why not a trading card?

Beckett Media got a first preview of the player cards and let’s just say they are very impressive. Each hobby box will have 24 packs with 10 cards in each pack. In addition, there will be two autographs and three relic cards in every box. Autographs will include players from the MLS SuperDraft and top stars from the league on cards called MLS Maestros Autographs. Each autograph will feature four different parallels, including a Golazo parallel numbered 1-of-1. Other autographs include Golden Boot Die-Cut Autographs with current and former goal scorers.

Something to note, Heckman mentioned that Topps was looking to create a brand of collectible cards. So, the Landon Donovan card could be worth something later on…maybe the decks with Thierry Henry or Tim Cahill will fetch a good amount of dough one day in the future.

Chris Pontius’ DC United trading card

Graham Zusi’s Sporting Kansas City trading card

Now, I know it is slightly disappointing when we have mini images but I can say they are very nicely done and will definitely be something to grab when they hit the store shelves. I, for one will be collecting all the Dax McCarty cards and I’m sure players will no doubt love signing cards for fans and supporters alike.