Tonight was game one of LA Galaxy’s three-game run away from home. They brought out the new blue kits, and boy did they look sharp. The four stars were as bright as diamonds! Not really, but they looked awesome. This was the ONLY positive thing from tonight’s game. Yes, the uniforms. The game from an LA fan’s perspective was something I never want to see again. Ughhhh.

The first half I enjoyed watching; it opened up early as Villarreal had a great header that put Vancouver’s keeper, Joe Cannon, on his toes. LA had great possession and the pace was quick. As the half went on Vancouver’s confidence began building, and they began attacking. In the 37th minute Gonzalez made an awkward clearance that had Cudicini making his best save of the night. Yes, Gonzalez had a “shot” on his own goal; it was a pretty one too, but at the wrong goal. Besides this one derp moment, neither team had a shot on goal that looked troubling. LA had five corner kicks in the first half, and couldn’t convert any. The half ended 0-0.

Second half was crazy, crazy, crazy. Around the 55th minute it started looking like last week’s game against Houston. LA gave Vancouver one too many chances, and it came back to bite them. In the 63rd minute Russell Teibert put Vancouver in the lead 1-0. This lit a fire under Vancouver, they kept pushing forward and they wanted the win. At this point LA’s whole team was not playing up to par; they were losing possession and just seemed to be all over the place. Something needed to change, and Bruce Arena apparently thought so too as he brought on Zardes for Sarvas in the 66th minute.

It was a fresh set of legs, but LA fell apart in the 76th minute as Teibert got his second goal of the night. LA had no energy; you could see the defeat on their faces. But in the 86th minute Zardes put on his big girl undies and put the ball in the back of the net to bring the score 2-1. With only four minutes left LA had a hope back in their eyes and pushed everyone up top. Just as you thought the game was over, Mattock scored the third goal and put the cherry on top for Vancouver. The final whistle blew and LA had lost 3-1 to Vancouver.

LA’s next game will be May 15th against Philadelphia Union.

Real Salt Lake bounced back from their loss at home last week in a big way as the team hosted Star Wars night against Vancouver Whitecaps at Rio Tinto Stadium.

RSL controlled possession in the first half, but the final pass and lethal finish wasn’t there, and both teams went into half time on level terms. With Alvaro Saborio and Robbie Findley out due to injury, the team really seemed to be struggling to find the back of the net. The attacking trio of Javier Morales, Devon Sandoval, and Joao Plata were making good passes and runs, but the finishing touch was missing. The most dangerous chance for RSL came in the 39th minute when a corner from Morales found the head of Schuler who failed to keep his shot on frame.

Photo credit to the Salt Lake Tribune

Jedi Master Jason Kreis must have given his team quite the pep talk at half time, because RSL came out of the gates fast. In the 47th minute, RSL goalkeeper, Nick Rimando, started the counter attack from a goal kick that found the path of a speedy Joao Plata. Plata took two touches before crossing the ball to an onrushing Luis Gil who, using the force, headed the ball in, giving RSL the lead! Gil unfortunately suffered a right ankle contusion and had to be subbed off after a few minutes.

Vancouver had a chance of their own after the goal. Cory Hertzog beat Nick Rimando and slid the ball past him. It looked as if the ball was going in until Nat Borchers heroically slid and cleared the ball off the goal line!

RSL weren’t done scoring, though. Joao Plata was once again involved in the attack as he craftily slipped the ball into Javier Morales. Javier kept his composure and cooly finished to the low left of Joe Cannon in the 72nd minute. The score would stay at 2-0 and the fans went home much happier than last week.

It should also be noted that Nick Rimando registered his 7th assist, and 4th game winning assist.

The first half of this game RSL’s play was similar to the first half of the Colorado Rapids game last week: Slow. They had the majority of the possession, but still only registered one shot, while Vancouver had 10. RSL is still trying to get their players back from injury, so I don’t think most of the fans were surprised. However, Javier Morales made his first start of the season, adding a much needed creative punch to the offense.

Nick Rimando very much kept his team in the game during the first half, making stellar saves as he consistently does. Luis Gil also greatly improved his performance from the previous week, linking up well with Javier Morales.

In the 56th minute, Olmes Garcia was subbed in for Joao Plata. Ten minutes later, he scored an absolute screamer, making his debut goal a memorable one. Garcia won a long ball, played a 1-2 with Javier Morales, and curving his shot into the upper right corner of the goal, beating a leaping Joe Cannon. The young Colombian celebrated by revealing an undershirt with a friend who had recently passed away, and received a yellow card for it.

The RSL players struggled with their footing on Vancouver’s less than ideal artificial surface. In the 84th minute, Nat Borchers slipped inside the penalty area while controlling the ball, and accidentally handled the ball, making the ref call a soft penalty against them that Camillo put past Nick Rimando.

RSL play their next game at home against Chivas USA at 7 PM MT.

In last night’s draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps, the San Jose Earthquakes redeemed themselves after last week’s lapse. Mostly.

They played well throughout most of the game and had several good chances–especially in the final minutes, when Sam Cronin’s shot went off the crossbar and Wondo’s follow-up was blocked by a defender. It was one of those sequences that causes you to hold your head and ask “HOW is that ball not going in?!”

However, there was one “what the heck?” moment that, unfortunately, cost the Quakes the win. In a somewhat inexplicable move, both Victor Bernardez and Alan Gordon came off the pitch to change their boots at the same time. According to statements made after the game, the players thought that they could be waved on by the ref as soon as they were ready. Naturally there was extreme frustration as Bernardez and Gordon were forced to wait helplessly on the sideline until the ball went out of play–which was not until Corey Hertzog, in his first start of the season, equalized for Vancouver.

Had San Jose been aware of Law 4 in FIFA’s Laws of the Game, they would have known that a player who leaves the field for an equipment change can only come back during a stoppage in play. It turns out that not many of those on the field knew about this rule. Even Whitecaps keeper–and former Quake–Joe Cannon admitted that it might be one of those moments when you see something you’ve never seen in your life. However, referee Fotis Bazakos was fully aware of Law 4, and the Quakes were left with a 2-man deficit which the Whitecaps were quick to take advantage of.

This incident deflated the whole stadium. The fans rallied in the closing minutes to try to push their team to a win; and indeed, as I mentioned above, it was almost achieved.

One thing is for sure: never again will two Quakes come off at the same time for any reason, much less to change boots.

On a more cheerful note, Steven Lenhart made his return to Buck Shaw last night, coming on as a sub in the 79th minute to loud cheers. Slowly but surely we are getting our team back, and it feels so good.

Photo courtesy of SJEarthquakes.com/John Todd – ISIPhotos.net

It’s almost time ladies and gents! We’re 2 days away from the 2013 MLS season! To get you geared up for an exciting weekend, it’s time to run through all of the new jerseys some of the MLS teams will be unveiling this season.

Let’s start things off with New York Red Bulls. Our NY writer, Dani has your complete coverage on the night over here.

Red Bulls Primary Jersey

Philadelphia Union decided to “kick it old school” with their new third kits. It’s a slick look that took more than two years to create. You can read more on how they came up with the new look over here.

Union 3rd Jersey

Colorado Rapids took it to a whole new level with their kits. In place of the hoops on their home jersey, the Rapids decided to put the names of their season ticket holders. Interesting, but pretty awesome. The Rapids also decided to pay homage to Colorado by using the state flag colors on their new second kits.

Rapids Home Jersey

Rapids Second Jersey

Houston Dynamo decided to keep things simple and clean. They are keeping the same third kit from last year, and adding the saying “Forever Orange” to their new kits. They also added the Texas state flag and a tape design after their new BBVA stadium.

Dynamo Primary Jersey

Keeping on the track of paying homage to their cities or states, Toronto FC is at the top of the list. With their new designs, the maple leaf stands out and the jersey is crisp and clean. TFC also added the saying “All For One” on the back of their jersey.

TFC Primary Jersey

Montreal Impact kept their jersey the “old style” and stayed traditional with the collar and buttons. It is a throwback style to their very first jersey they had in 1993. You can read more and watch a video over here.

Impact 3rd Jersey

Sporting KC showed off their primary jersey with a new style as they decided to pay tribute to Kansas and Missouri. They also have a new sponsor, Ivy Funds, which dominates most of the jersey with their logo.  SKC’s jersey also has two Sporting logos; one on the front and one on the back. Nice little details that make up a terrific jersey.

SKC Primary Jersey

Seattle Sounders went back to their signature “rave green” in their new Primary jersey. It features the space needle on the left side in a silver tone. For their secondary ones, they went opposite of their bright jersey, with a black one. It features lime green stripes that pop against the black and out of all the new 2013 jerseys, it’s a personal favorite for me.

Seattle Primary Jersey

Seattle Secondary Jersey

Vancouver Whitecaps kept it simple with their new primary kits. The cool white jersey is off set with the navy diagonal stripes. It’s a classic and crisp look. Simple, and to the point!

Whitecaps Primary Jersey

For LA Galaxy’s new second kit, talk about classy. To tie in with the Galaxy theme adidas decided to put the Quasar as apart of the shoulder and bottom detail. You can read my article on LA’s new kit, plus other things over here. 

LA Galaxy 2nd Jersey

Portland Timbers released their new jersey, and the look is crisp and clean. The kits feature the Timbers Army chant on the inside of the collar. Nice little addition to pay tribute to their loyal fans. You can read more on the new kits over here.

Timbers Primary Jersey

Timbers Secondary Jersey

There you have it! Look for the new kits as the teams take the field this weekend, and during the 2013 season. If you want to order any of them you can do so on MLSgear.com.

Don’t forget to follow @AerysSoccer on twitter to keep up with all of the latest news, and game highlights from First Kick!

Well this is it! We’re are days, just days away from First Kick 2013 in Major League Soccer! Already, the expectations are high and the ladies here at Aerys Soccer cannot wait for the teams to hit the pitches again.

As we gear up for this season, we’re still looking for some writers to cover teams in MLS. Do you love talking about your favorite team? Feel the need to write up a rant or gush about a new player? Need to call out your coach or sing the praises of your favorite forward? Check out the graphic below listing the teams we have openings for and if you’re interested, let us know!

Hmmm, some great MLS teams listed! If you’re a fan of one or of the league in general, shoot me an e-mail at trista.lutgring@gmail.com! We’d love to bring you on board!

And as always, make sure to follow us at @AerysSoccer as we dive into MLS 2013

  Playoff time is always nerve wracking. It’s win or go home… and nobody wants to go home in the first round. Tonight’s game was just that for LA. They were out to prove that they could be possible MLS Cup Champs again. If you think back to the beginning of the season, people were skeptical about LA’s chances of even making the playoffs, and now here they are fighting for their chance to win again. When LA Galaxy released the starting lineup for tonight’s game, people were on their toes, and many were surprised. Fans learned that Sean Franklin wouldn’t be apart of the 18, and neither would Christian Wilhelmmson. Franklin is out due to a left leg injury, and Christian has a right leg injury. This wouldn’t stop tonight’s game from being a wildly entertaining one.

Things got started early as the Whitecaps scored in the 4th minute. LA Galaxy’s rookie defenders made some mistakes that resulted in the goal. Shocking is an understatement on how LA fans felt. This was the start of how much LA Galaxy could take, and how much they could dish out. For most of the first half Vancouver sat back being comfortable with their 1-0 lead, but LA had several chances to even the score. It seemed as though everywhere LA tried to pass the ball a Vancouver player was there to intercept it. David Beckham showed a famous free-kick, but Vancouver’s keeper made a spectacular save. Robbie Keane also had a tremendous chance, but Vancouver’s keeper made another great save. Thus the half ended with Vancouver still leading LA Galaxy 1-0.

The second half started off much of the same for both teams. Vancouver played defensive minded, while LA kept attacking. No matter how hard LA tried to get a goal, nothing was falling their way. Even as Bruce Arena made a sub that stunned everyone, bringing Sarvas in for Hector Jimenez. Thus leaving Edson Buddle up top with Keane. When it looked like all hope was about to diminish for LA, Mike Magee became one of the heroes as he scored the equalizer in the 69th minute. Then in the 72nd minute Landon Donovan was brought down in the box and rewarded a PK, AND HE SCORED. LA took the lead in the 73rd minute 2-1 over Vancouver. This goal was extra special for LA Galaxy fans, after speculation that Donovan is retiring after this season, this goal was the kind of thing LA fans liked to see from their captain. Even though LA held the lead for the rest of the half, they did not let their foot off the gas. They kept most of the possession and kept firing off shots. LA came away with the win after one of the most entertaining knockout rounds MLS has ever seen.

LA Galaxy’s next game will be November 4th, against San Jose Earthquakes. LA haven’t won against SJ this season, but next week they are looking to change that.

STATS- Goals; Mike Magee (69′) Landon Donovan (PK 72′)

photo credit- MLS Facebook 

I don’t really want to repeat myself with this week’s MLS Preview, but let’s face it. The East is just more interesting again this week! Week 29 will break some hearts, if it hasn’t already. As we head into another busy weekend, we can only expect more possible upsets and twists and turns.

In the West, the lines have been drawn. As only the top five teams from each conference clinch playoff spots and there’s only this week and next left of games, there’s not too much that can change. San Jose are clear by almost 10 points, and while I don’t exactly expect them to sit back during their last two matches against Seattle and FC Dallas respectively, they really have nothing to worry about.

The ones to really watch in the next two weeks will be the Vancouver Whitecaps and FC Dallas. Currently Vancouver is sitting in fifth with 37 points and FC Dallas right behind them with 36 points. But really, Dallas has no real hope as Vancouver has a game in hand over them. But hey, if Vancouver lose both games this week and next and Dallas wins, then that would be the biggest shake up.

But to the big sha-bang. The East Coast. This top five changes with every game. And as most of them are playing each other in the next couple weeks it can only keep changing.

This weekend, watch the Philadelphia Union take on the Houston Dynamo on Sunday. The Union have no hope of getting into the playoffs this year. They can, however, still have a say in who does. The Dynamo are sitting on the bubble, one point above the Columbus Crew. If Philly can pull off a win, or hell even steal two points, Houston will be in a crunch.

But that depends on how the Crew fair. Now, I know this is going to sound bias, but this game will also be important. The Crew will be taking on their biggest rivals, the Chicago Fire. Surely, it will be a game that will not disappoint. The Fire are sitting second in the points, only three above the cut off line. So a loss on their part would mean a lot to the Crew in several different ways. And while the boys in Black and Gold are still a little shaky, they are fighting for a lot. I wouldn’t expect anything less than a great push from them to get the clutch win.

New England Revolution has a role like the Union – a chance to really mix things up. They aren’t in the playoff picture, but they will play third-place New York Red Bulls, who travel to Gillette Stadium without Thiery Henry. The Revs haven’t lost to the Red Bulls at Gillette since 2002 either, so if they can slay the giant, I’m sure D.C. United, Houston Dynamo and the Columbus Crew will be thankful.

Here’s your complete schedule for the weekend:

Saturday -
1 p.m Montreal v. Sporting KC
7:30 p.m. New England v. New York
8 p.m. Real Salt Lake v. Portland
8:30 p.m. Chicago v. Columbus
10:30 p.m. Seattle v. San Jose
10:30 p.m. LA Galaxy v. Toronto FC

Sunday -
4 p.m. Philadelphia v. Houston
7 p.m. D.C. United v. Chivas USA
7:30 p.m. Vancouver v. Colorado

Be sure to check back with the ladies of Aerys Soccer for your round ups and MLS news throughout the weekend!

As the Galaxy are coming off a CCL “revenge” win against PR Islanders it seems they want to keep their spirits high as they come away with a 2-0 win over Vancouver Whitecaps this past weekend. This is the third straight game that LA forward Landon Donovan has missed. This lead to some speculation among Galaxy fans that Donovan could be seeking opportunities in Europe. These fears were short lived as it seems all is safe, for now.

The first half started off slow with LA having plenty of chances on goal. Robbie Keane had an opportunity to score in the 27th minute when he pulled out some amazing acrobatics, but it just barely missed the net. He also had another chance in the 32nd minute but was called offsides.

Then, it all came together in the 41st minute when Juninho scored an incredible goal from 23 yards out. Robbie Keane was credited with the assist. The Brazilian midfielder has been on fire lately, he has scored 6 goals in his last 6 games.

In the 79th minute none other than David Beckham brought down the house with a classic free kick that slid into goal to make the score 2-0 over the Whitecaps. The Vancouver keeper was frozen on his line. It never gets old seeing that happen to keepers when Beckham is over the ball.

Everything came together perfectly in this game as LA pulls off a shutout win at home. After a tough start to the season, seems as though LA has found their stride.

If LA keep playing like they have in the last two weeks, there is no doubt they will be a contender for a playoff spot.

Another weekend, another full slate of matches to look forward to! Serie A and the Bundesliga are back in action, Premier League continues with Manchester United looking for one of their many strikers to put the ball in the net, and a huge MLS clash awaits Sunday night between Eastern Conference leaders Sporting KC and New York Red Bulls. Today’s DKA focuses on many of the top match previews, and as always at this time of year, more transfer news within EPL.

Serie A

Serie A kicks off a new season today, and Juventus are the clear favorites to repeat as champions. But will they be the same without Alessandro Del Piero? And what other clubs are condenters? Soccer by Ives offers a comprehensive preview of the season ahead.

English Premier League

Manchester United will look to get back to their winning ways against a Dempsey-less Fulham today, but don’t expect it to be “a walkover” for United, writes ESPN’s Mark Payne.

Liverpool meets Manchester City on Sunday and all eyes are on new signing Fabio Borini as Liverpool faces another tough test after their defeat at West Brom last week.

Chelsea signed two new players on Friday, Wigan striker Victor Moses and Marseille full back Cesar Azpilicueta.

Is Scott Sinclair’s switch from Swansea to Manchester City the right move for the young striker? SI’s Georgina Turner looks at his growth from bit player at Chelsea to everyday starter at Swansea and how this move could help him take the next step in his game.

 Major League Soccer

In a match nobody will be telling their grandkids about, Salt Lake and Philly finished with a scoreless draw last night as Real continued to struggle on the road, even with their new 4-1-4-1 formation.

Ignore the first five months. The time is now for F.C. Dallas, who now has hope of grabbing a postseason spot, thanks in large part to the return of  2010 MVP David Ferreira.

Ryan Meara’s season is over, after the rookie Red Bulls goalkeeper had arthroscopic surgery on his left hip yesterday.

The Vancouver Whitecaps’ digital media department has taken the rivalry of the Cascadia Cup clash with Portland to new heights in this video dubbed “Battle of the Hearts.” A must-watch for any MLS fan.

The top two teams in the Eastern Conference meet tomorrow night, with Sporting KC looking to hold their narrow lead atop the standings and extend their three game winning streak. The Red Bulls, who will be without captain and new dad Thierry Henry, look to extend their 2-game streak and return to the top of the conference.

Follow @AerysSoccer on Twitter for more of today’s top news and reactions to the weekend’s matches!