Crew Stadium was on fire tonight. No, literally. It was on fire. As I sat down to start up my live stream to watch Columbus Crew take on Eastern Conference rivals D.C. United at home, I didn’t expect to see news reports of the scoreboard on fire! It was insane! Players, who had come out to the field for their warm ups, were taken back into the locker rooms and the Columbus Fire Department was called in to extinguish the flames.

Luckily, no one was injured in the incident and it seemed to mark the beginning of a pretty crazy night for the Crew.

Crew defender Josh Williams celebrates with fans after his goal tonight against D.C. United.

The black and gold have been winless thus far this season at Crew Stadium, so I was very eager to see them exert some dominance over a struggling D.C. United. And they did not disappoint. First of all, we got a line up change. Finally, FINALLY, Jairo Arrieta got the starting nod as the lone striker. I have been anxiously waiting for this because I think – while Dominic Oduro has been fantastic for the Crew and deserves his starts – Arrieta and Federico Higuain have a great partnership. I’ve been dying to see how that could come to play this season with Oduro in the mix.

This game proved that I would not be disappointed. The game ended 3-0 for the Crew. 3-0! That’s pretty awesome. And no, in case you are wondering, D.C. United weren’t like a lame duck out on the pitch. Their defense line was great at tracking back and Dwayne De Rosario made a little noise now and again in front of the Crew goal.

But it never materialized for them. It did for the Crew. The first goal was fantastic play between Higuain, Arrieta and Oduro. In the 15th minute, Higuain had a fabulous ball to Arrieta up front, who stayed with the ball and provided nice service across goal to the feet of speedy Oduro. United’s keeper Bill Hamid tried to get a hand on the shot, but it slipped past his fingers into the net.

Soon after, D.C. woke up a little bit and charged toward the Crew goal. Pajoy even headed the ball into the net, but the fourth official ruled two D.C. players offside. Pajoy wasn’t one of those players, which begs the question if the goal should have been disallowed. A similar debate occurred in the previous game between the two teams. One might wonder if that goal would have given D.C. a bit more confidence, but we’ll never know.

At the 26th minute, defender Josh Williams would notch his third goal of the season. Higuain took a corner kick which Williams hit hard at the left corner of goal. Again, Hamid could do nothing to stop it. It was awesome to see Josh score another goal and in front of the Nordecke – the supporters section of Crew stadium.

2-0 is always a shaky score line, but I was fairly happy to go into half time with it. But that wouldn’t be the case. During stoppage time, United’s McDonald took Arrieta down in the box and the ref awarded Crew the penalty. Higuain smashed it into the back, getting himself on the score sheet and giving Crew a 3-0 lead going into half time.

The second half was pretty much as you were, without the goals. D.C. were clearly getting frustrated with the situation, but they weren’t going down quietly. De Rosario and Pajoy both had shots on goal and even Korb had a hell of shot toward goal, which went wide. Rafael had his own try at keeper Andy Gruenebaum, but it was for not.

It was a great win for the Crew at home. The team was very solid and had a great energy in their play. It wasn’t easy for them – United had several challenges as I said, they didn’t give up a lot of kicks or fouls to the Crew either and continued to press the defense. But the damage in the first half was too much.

I liked this. I liked this a lot. Next week, the Crew will take on New York Red Bulls and I feel the boys have a great chance. Especially if head coach Robert Warzycha goes with the line up he chose tonight. I’m not sure why Arrieta hasn’t been starting as long as he has – I don’t pretend to know what goes on in Warzycha’s mind – but he definitely proved tonight he deserves the go-ahead. With Higuain and Oduro behind him, it could flourish more into a solid offensive force.

And hey Tyson Wahl, Eddie Gaven, Danny O’Rourke and Josh Williams – keep doing what you guys are doing. These four were fantastic for the Crew in the midfield and back line.

Several might have wondered what the fire at the beginning of the night boded for the team, but it turns out, it wasn’t anything. Or… .maybe it was. Regardless, this Crew fan got to see the dominance she wanted and Columbus got their first win at home.

There was a phrase that was often repeated last night by the commentators during the D.C. United v. New York Red Bulls match. As the teams squared off in the first leg of their playoff match up, it was D.C. United that came looking for blood, wanting to make a statement. The pressure came frequently and early from Ben Olsen’s side, which prompted one commentator to remark, “This is like a D.C. team of old. From the glory days.”

And while I think he was over zealous and used the phrases freely throughout the crazy 90-minute match, he had a very good point. As most of you know, I’m a Crew fan, however, I’ve always had a respect for D.C. United. They are one of the oldest, and most decorated teams in Major League Soccer. But the team has had some rough seasons as of late. They’ve struggled, fought and not really been up to par to the teams before them.

But this season has been different. Since Ben Olsen has went from D.C. player to D.C. coach, the team has seen an upswing. Add in acquisitions like Dwayne De Rosario, Perry Kitchen and Nick DeLeon, plus the coming of age for Chris Pontius, and D.C. United truly have looked like a team of old. I’ve been scared to see the Crew go up against them because of what they have been capable of.  They’ve put teams like New York in their place before.

To me, it’s seemed like this season has been one of redemption for Oslen’s Army. And they played like that Saturday night. New York should very well count their lucky stars. Not because they didn’t play well; New York showed a calm and cool approach to the game and players like Henry remind us why they are a sleeping giant waiting to strike.  But mostly they are lucky because if it were not for a few key mistakes and missed goals by D.C., New York would find themselves behind in the series.

D.C. struck first blood with a goal from DeLeon, D.C. pressed high all night and all of the running and service Pontius was providing was deadly. Absolutely deadly. And Lionard Pajoy’s runs were promising, making himself a nuisance for the NY back line.

Things might have not gone their way in the second half. And the ridiculous series of events that lead to Andy Nejar’s red card didn’t help matters either. But the 10-man D.C. United was just as worrisome as the 11-man one. New York might have held their own but it was D.C. United who were great to watch. And if you don’t believe that, then you obviously didn’t notice RFK Stadium, which was absolutely pulsing with the excitement and support from the home crowd, which, as their tifo proclaimed, had the team’s back.

The play wasn’t always pretty, but the heart and want they showed was spectacular.

D.C. are hunting the glory days this post season. And I think they are well on their way to reclaiming those.

Cheer up, kid. You can still get home field advantage.  / Photo posted by Fire fan Gloria M. Futan on the Chicago Fire Facebook page.

The Chicago Fire came into the weekend as one of only two teams in the conference already assured a spot in the playoffs, but with a chance to move into a tie atop the East if they could pull out a road win against New England and Sporting KC lost to the Red Bulls.

Neither happened, as the Fire fell 1-0 to the Revs behind a lackluster, low-energy performance, and Kansas City played New York to a scoreless draw.

The Revolution found the only strike of the match in the 17^th minute as Fagundez latched onto a feed from Kelyn Rowe in the middle of the park. The Uruguayan-born, Massachusetts-bred forward dribbled into space and lashed a driven shot that beat Sean Johnson at the far post to give the Revs a 1-0 advantage over the Men in Red.

New England nearly doubled its lead in the 20^th minute as a corner kick bounced around the 18-yard box before rookie Fire defender Austin Berry cleared the ball from danger.

The Fire went into the break trailing 1-0 and emerged from the locker room in search of an equalizer. The Fire found an opportunity in the 60^th minute on the counter when Flaco Fernandez picked up a loose ball in the middle of the park. The Uruguayan midfielder sprinted into space and fed Rolfe on his left, however, the Revs recovered and knocked the ball out for a Fire corner kick.

In the 72^nd minute the Fire nearly found the elusive goal. Fernandez played a simple through ball to Segares inside the 18-yard box. The Costa Rican defender was in on goal but his left-footed shot sprayed wide of frame.

The result, combined with D.C. United’s stoppage time go-ahead goal over the Crew, pushed Chicago down to third place in the standings with United leapfrogging them by a point into second, at least for one week.

The stage is now set for a showdown in next Saturday’s regular season finale between the Fire and United for that coveted second seed. But with only four points separating 2-5 in the standings, seeding is totally up for grabs as the final weekend looms.

One thing is clear: the Fire control their own destiny. United, unbeaten in its last 6 matches, will be a tough task coming off a flat performance and disappointing loss, but the Fire have only lost three at home this season and the stakes are high. A win will move them back into second with home field advantage in the semifinals. A draw will at least keep them out of the bottom two and the opening knockout round of the playoffs.

This quote from Logan Pause sums it up from here on out:

“The rest of the games now are going to be a dogfight. Sometimes it’s not the prettiest soccer, but you’ve got to fight and claw and know that every point. Every possession matters, every point matters, and you know it’s going to be no different next Saturday against D.C.”

Follow @AerysSoccer on Twitter for more commentary on the final week of the MLS regular season, and me at @dwag29 if you also revel in Chicago sports masochism.  

Red Bull Arena is sold out tonight for RBNY’s potential playoff-clincher against #1 Sporting KC. Photo via newyorkredbulls on Facebook.

We only have two more weekends in MLS and the race to the Cup is at its boiling point.

Three of today’s six matches have major playoff implications in the Eastern Conference, as the Red Bulls, Dynamo and Crew all look to clinch their spots. Sporting KC and Chicago Fire can rest a little more comfortably in their matches with the Red Bulls and Revs, knowing they’re already in. But SKC doesn’t want to relinquish that top spot and the Fire can catch up to them with three points tonight. Can you feel the heat?

The only issue with tonight’s action? It’s all on at the same time! If only MLS had its version of NFL RedZone.

Not only that, but the U.S. Women’s National Team resumes their Olympic Victory Tour at 6:30pm ET with a friendly against Germany, ranked #2 in the world. And as your resident USWNT writer, you know I’m not missing that one. My DVR will be on overdrive. Here’s what I’ll be watching and my predictions:

New York Red Bulls vs Sporting KC. – 7:00pm ET, Red Bull Arena (MSG+ NY)

The Red Bulls are home, in front of a sellout crowd, facing the #1 team in the conference. Win and they’re in. Piece of cake, right?

RBNY spent the season aggressively acquiring new talent — Sebastian Le Toux, Heath Pearce, Tim Cahill – to make sure they’re still standing on December 1. The Red Bulls have only lost 2 games at home this season, so the chances that they pull out 3 points in this one are pretty high. Then again, who was their first home loss to? Oh, right. Sporting KC.

Now, even if they lose, RBNY can still get in with a Crew loss at D.C. United today, but this team doesn’t want to leave their playoff chances in anyone else’s hands, especially their rivals down I-95. If they draw against KC, they can still get in with a Dynamo loss to Philadelphia (not likely) or a draw between the Crew and United.

My pick: Red Bulls 2 – 1 Sporting KC

U.S. Women’s National Team vs Germany - 6:30pm ET, Toyota Park (FOX Soccer Channel)

While the Chicago Fire are on the road at New England, their home turf will be occupied by the two top women’s soccer teams in the world: USA and Germany. Yes, it’s only a friendly and there’s no major international tournament in sight until the 2015 World Cup, but there’s something different about this one. It’s the U.S’s first match in five years without Pia Sundhage at the helm. USWNT Development Director, Jill Ellis, will step in as interim head coach.

But it’s not just about a new head coach. This is the beginning of a new era for the U.S. Women. It’s unlikely that the U.S.’s lower spine, Christie Rampone and Shannon Boxx, will return for the 2015 World Cup. Abby Wambach will be 35. Youth is on the rise. Becky Sauerbrunn will likely anchor the center of the backfield, but the rest of the defense is up for grabs. Will Olympic heroine Carli Lloyd keep her role as the attacking central midfielder, or will Lauren Cheney or even Tobin Heath supplant her? We’re going to see more of Sydney Leroux, for sure. But will Olympic alternate Christen Press get in the fold? This may be a Fan Tribute Tour for their Olympic victory, and in this match we’ll see the familiar faces, but everything is changing.  The competition for 2015 starts now.

My pick: USA 3- 2 GER

Follow @AerysSoccer on Twitter for MLS and U.S. Soccer commentary throughout the weekend. You can also follow me at @dwag29 if you can put up with my during commentary Notre Dame and Chicago Bears football games. 

Branko Boskovic is Man of the Match by scoring DC United’s game winning goal against Chivas USA

Now tied with the New York Red Bulls for third place, D.C. United continue to defy all odds by winning their third game in a row since losing Dwayne De Rosario.

In a 1 – 0 win over Chivas USA Sunday night, the only goal came from an unlikely suspect. Branko Boscovic scored his first MLS goal in 39 appearances and since arriving at the club 2 years ago. Boscovic’s contribution continues to reinforce Coach Ben Olsen’s request for all players to step up and give a little more.  He’s been challenging his players since first receiving the news of De Rosario’s season-ending injury and it seems to be working.

The coach also asked his team to pick up nine points in three games.  At the time, it seemed an unrealistic goal, but his team has come through and are  now only five points away from front-runners  Sporting Kansas City.   Olsen was pleased with the points and followed up Sunday’s game saying “we put ourselves in a good position”.

They may be in store for an even better position looking ahead.  Over the next few weeks, United will be on the road to face Portland and Toronto, both with losing records this season.  Continuing their current winning streak and racking up extra points can only put D.C. United in a more comfortable position as they look to face playoff hopefuls Columbus and Chicago in October.

Captain Chris Pontius crosses to Lionard Pajoy who volleys in the game winning goal for D.C. United

D.C. United is on a roll!  They are far from being considered title contenders at this point, but they are moving in the right direction with two wins in a row since losing 2011 MLS MVP Dwayne De Rosario to a knee injury last week.

Last night’s 1 – 0 win over the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park, finally broke United’s three month away losing streak.  The last time the team won on the road was June 16. Ouch! And it was a huge win too, after rivals Columbus Crew stole three points from Chivas USA Wednesday night and took fifth place in the East, moving one point above D.C.

It’s a tight race in the Eastern Conference.  D.C. (14-10-5) are now in the number four position with 47 points, only two points behind the New York Red Bulls.  The Houston Dynamo is right on DC’s tail with 48 points and the Columbus Crew has 49.  The top five teams qualify for the postseason playoffs.

Lionard Pajoy, who scored five goals with Philadelphia before a mid-season trade to United, missed his first opportunity early in the second half, but thankfully made up for it later.

Substitute Macon Santos created the play for DC with a cross to newly named skipper Chris Pontius on the right.  Union goalkeeper Zac McMath came well off his line as Pontius made his way into the area and chalked up his fourth assist with a cross to Pajoy.  The composed Columbian forward chested the ball down and half-volleyed from eleven yards outside the box.  It was all over – ball in the net – before McMath could recover.  Check out his goal.

While D.C. was good enough offensively, the defense was a little shaky as goalkeeper Bill Hamid was put to the test.  But to his credit, he stopped six shots and notched his sixth shut out so not too shabby.

As I said, a good enough performance from D.C. United, who were pretty much dismissed as a playoff possibility only two wins ago.  Keep up the good work boys!

On Sunday, tune in as D.C. United host Chivas USA and Houston will travel to PPL Park to take on Philadelphia.

Man, it seems like all we talk about anymore is transfers, am I right? Yeah, I know. “What do you expect, it’s the transfer window!” This is true, but still. All the headlines! If you missed any of the transfers today – and trust me, there were quite a few – we’ve got the headlines, PLUS the Champion’s League group draws. It’s your Daily Kick Around!

Transfers, Transfers and more Transfers

I could separate these out by league, but goodness, why don’t I just get to it. First up, the sudden and quick move of Marco Pappa. Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire announced today the Guatemalan midfielder was headed to SC Heerenveen – effective immediately! It was originally reported he wouldn’t make the move until the end of the Fire’s season.

And yes, my Liverpool friends, what you feared was going to happen has indeed happened. LFC announced this afternoon Andy Carroll will be making a season-long loan move to West Ham. The club aren’t saying if West Ham can buy the striker after the season, but the general feel is if they wanted him, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers would be willing to part with him.

Welp, Dimitar Berbatov is finally done jetting around Europe. After a rather whirl-wind week, Fulham have made a bid and United accepted. The Bulgarian striker will head to Fulham on a 5 million pound deal. With this transfer sealed, one has to wonder if Clint Dempsey is FINALLY close to being able to pack his bags up and head out to a new club.

The transfer that I was the most shocked about today came from Real Madrid. I admit, I haven’t been following the transfer news out of the league too closely, but the one that I was waiting on was Kaka. Not Esteban Granero! Imagine my surprise when I read the Spanish midfielder had signed for Queens Park Rangers! Interesting, indeed!

Major League Soccer

Another little jaw-dropping tid bit of information today was from MLS’ Chivas USA. Early this afternoon, the club released a statement confirming general manager Jose Domene. This announcement comes about 24 hours after Jorge Vergara and Angélica Fuentes acquired complete ownership of Chivas USA.

Also raising some eyebrows in the American league this week was former D.C. United player Bryan Namoff, who is suing the club, former coach Thomas Soehn and others for not properly treating him after he suffered a concussion that would go on to end his career.

Champion’s League

Well I can’t believe I’m typing this, but it’s already time to start talking about the Champion’s League!! The group draw was today and offered up some surprises. Check out the group lists and more here! 

Photo courtesy of sportinglife.com.

We’ve got lots of international soccer news for you today, and a couple soccer stars bare it all.  Oh, and we make a visit to Sesame Street.  It’s all here in today’s DKA!

Hirings and Firings

D.C. United introduced their new investors today at a press conference.  United fans will be happy to know that their first priority is finding the team a new home.

Diego Maradona (or as I like to call him, Prima Donna) was fired from his position as coach for the Dubai club Al Wasl, despite having signed a two-year deal in May 2011.  His team finished 8th in the 12 team league.

U.S. Soccer

In case you haven’t heard, Abby Wambach and Carlos Bocanegra were both featured in ESPN Magazine’s body issue.  Check out the shots here and here.

Speaking of Captain America, he took some time out from making life-decisions to play some softball.  He even scored a home run during Major League Baseball’s All-Star celebrity softball game.  Way to represent, Los!

World Football Challenge 2012

For all you fans of international soccer, make sure you don’t miss a single match of the WFC.  Check out the full TV schedule here.  Its not often you get to see your favorite MLSers take the field with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and John Terry.

MLS

Guess which midfielder made an appearance on Sesame Street?  I’ll give you a hint: his favorite song is “Mama” by the Spice Girls.

Image courtesy of mlssoccer.com

Wow… this Monday has been insane, guys! I couldn’t keep track of all the stories that broke today. From Hope Solo’s brush with USADA, John Terry’s trial starting, transfer rumors, managers fired and everything in between, my head is spinning a bit. But I love it, as I’m sure all of you do. As you wind down your Monday, check out all the headlines in today’s Daily Kick Around!

U.S. Women’s National Team

Probably topping all headlines today was the startling news that the U.S. Anti-Doping Association issued a public warning to USWNT keeper Hope Solo after a non-competition drug test revealed she had the banned substance Canrenone in her system. Of course, news and media jumped on the story immediately – Kick TV even had this rude meme on their tumblr with the words “Dope Solo.”

However, Solo was not “doping” up – on the contrary, the Canrenone unfortunately was a part of some pre-menstrual medicine Solo’s personal doctor prescribed her.

“I took a medication prescribed by my personal doctor for pre-menstrual purposes that I did not know contained a diuretic,” Solo said in a statement. “Once informed of this fact, I immediately cooperated with USADA and shared with them everything they needed to properly conclude that I made an honest mistake, and that the medication did not enhance my performance in any way.”

Solo is still cleared to play with the team in this year’s Olympic games.

Major League Soccer

D.C. United will have some new ownership at the helm this week, but you won’t be able to find out who until after a media-only press conference tomorrow afternoon. However, fans and supporters can submit questions to the owners through the club’s official Web site.

Huge news came from Portland today as the club announced long-time manager John Spencer was released from his duties as head coach of the MLS team.

“Obviously, this is a tough announcement,” Paulson said. “I want to thank John Spencer for his significant contributions to the Timbers. Our focus now is on improving the team and finding the right long-term head coach.”

Spencer has been with the club since it’s first season in the United Soccer League back in 2001. Tough, tough call.

Do you like wine? How about the San Jose Earthquakes? Then you are in great luck my friends! I’ve seen and heard of some really cool things MLS players and teams have done to stir up interest in the league, but San Jose has a pretty classy one here. In September, fans can attend a wine tasting and dinner with eight Earthquake players. Pretty cool!

English Premier League

I don’t know about other Manchester United fans, but I was a little sad today when I heard the news that Ji-Sung Park was released by the Red Devils and signed a two-year contract with Queens Park Rangers. Ji-Sung has been with United for seven years, and I, for one, am very sorry to see him leave Old Trafford. Good luck, Ji-Sung!

The big John Terry trial started today folks, and it’s already looking pretty interesting. ESPN Soccernet tweeted out today that an expert lip reader was brought in to review match footage to see if she could read what John Terry said that fateful day. Hmmm… The trial resumes tomorrow morning.

Welp, Manchester City bit the bullet today and signed a new five-year contract with manager Robert Mancini. After he lead the Blues to a EPL title, I’m sure City fans are thrilled by this. I think it will be interesting to see if Mancini will keep the steam at City going.

Okay, so I think it’s save to say the biggest news coming out of the EPL this afternoon was the wild-fire rumor that Liverpool zoned in on Fulham and USMNT forward Clint Dempsey — and signed him. Nothing official has been released yet, but Twitter and several UK papers are buzzing with the rumor. 

Scottish Premier League

MLS fans are probably teaming as USMNT captain and Glasgow Rangers Carlos Bocanegra admitted he’s “100 percent” considering a move back to the States after the disastrous events at Rangers. It’s been no secret that Jay Heaps and the New England Revolution – who are a top of the MLS allocation list – are very interested in the defender.

U.S. Men’s National Team

Do you know your U.S. Soccer history? Even if you are a new fan or a life-time die hard, you’ve got to check out Andrew Lewellen’s article on a very pivotal moment in U.S. Soccer history and how a nation started to wake up to the beautiful game.

Photo via @SoccerInsider

Red Bulls fans came in to Red Bull Arena with vengeance on their minds. After getting destroyed 4-1 by D.C. United at RFK Stadium back in April for their first loss of the season, it was payback time.

And that they did.

D.C.’s Chris Pontius stunned the sold-out crowd before they even had time to take a sip of beer, with a header 30 seconds into the match on a beautiful cross from Danny Cruz. But the Red Bulls would storm back behind two goals from former-D.C. right back Brandon Barklage, an eye-popping volley in the 20th minute and another soaring strike just before halftime for his first two career goals.

Pontius would tally his second goal of the night in the 66th, but it wasn’t enough for D.C. and the Red Bulls maintained their perfect record at home this season. Jan Gunnar Solli added a third goal for the Red Bulls in the 55th.

It’s been an exhausting day of soccer, between the Euro quarterfinal between England and Italy and the Portland-Seattle Cascadia Cup, so rather than a full match recap, I’ll just show you highlights so you can watch yourself.

Full match reports at newyorkredbulls.com and dcunited.com.

On Wednesday we’ve got Spain and Portugal in the Euro semis, and anther MLS Western Conference clash between San Jose and Seattle. I’m not sure if I’ll still be alive by Thursday.