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| Friday, July 19, 2002 19:03 EST |
MLS Soccer Saturday
[ESPN.com news services]
N.E. Revolution at MetroStars, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN2
All-time Head-to-Head: MetroStars leads series 13-11-1 (MetroStars lead 49-38 on aggregate goals)
Did you know?: The MetroStars are 4-0-0 when televised nationally on ESPN2 this season.
Key players out: New England: D Brian Kamler (strained MCL-R), D Rusty Pierce (strained groin-L), F Diego Serna (torn ACL & meniscus-L);
MetroStars: D Marcelo Balboa (knee bone bruise-R), M/F Clint Mathis (torn meniscus & sprained MCL-R), M Tab Ramos (torn hamstring-L)
Notes: With just four points separating the MetroStars (23pts) at the top of the Eastern Conference and the New England Revolution (19pts) at the bottom, this is a match which could potentially further tighten the conference standings ... Both teams will be seeking some consistency, which has been difficult for any MLS team to achieve this season ... Both teams are 3-3-0 during their last six games ... The game also offers another opportunity to further measure the results of the biggest trade in MLS history, which occurred on May 24 between the two clubs ... So far the six-player deal has mostly benefited the MetroStars with Mamadou Diallo and Andy Williams figuring prominently in the offense ... An intriguing battle looms between the two MLS All-Star defensive starters on the Metros - Tim Howard and Mike Petke - and the offensive All-Star duo of the Revolution: the St. Louis connection of Taylor Twellman and Steve Ralston, who will also start the Aug. 3 match ... In a rare occurrence, Twellman, who is MLS' leading scorer (13 goals), did not have much success against Howard and the MetroStars in their last match on June 29 in a 2-0 loss ... Saturday's game is the first of a doubleheader which features Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers and the renowned Brazilian club Santos.
Colorado Rapids at Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m. ET
All-time Head-to-Head: Colorado leads series 9-3-2 (Rapids lead 27-20 on aggregate goals)
Did you know?: Three of Colorado's four starting defenders (Fraser, Titus,
Stewart) sit on the verge of suspensions for caution point accumulation.
Key players out: Colorado: F John Spencer (disciplinary suspension);
Columbus: none to report
Notes: Without captain John Spencer, Colorado's primary concern will be generating pressure on what has been a suspect Crew defense ... Columbus attacked with speed and numbers last weekend in D.C., with wingers Brian West and Eric Denton applying pressure and quality service to Brian McBride ... McBride carries a three-game goalscoring streak into the match, and will likely draw the attention of both Robin Fraser and Rick Titus ... Veteran Rapids midfielders Chris Henderson and Mark Chung must support the Rapids offense while being mindful of their defensive responsibilities ... In the center of the field, Colombians Carlos Valderamma and John Wilmar Perez will go head-to-head in order to establish possession for their team ... Including U.S. Open Cup play on Wednesday, Columbus has netted six goals in its last two games, while Colorado managed only two during that same stretch with Spencer netting the lone marker in Wednesday's overtime win against the Charleston Battery ... The addition of Guatemalan Freddy Garcia adds one more flashy offensive threat to a Crew roster already overloaded with goalscorers.
D.C. United at Chicago Fire, 8:30 p.m. ET
All-time Head-to-Head: Series is tied at 5-5-0 (United lead 20-18 on aggregate goals)
Did you know?: D.C. is looking for its first win on the road in over a year, with its last travel triumph coming 14 games ago against New England on July 14 of last year.
Key players out: D.C.: GK Mike Ammann (elbow surgery), M Ben Olsen (ankle surgery); D Eddie Pope (patella tendonitis-L); Chicago: M Chris Armas (torn ACL-R), M Sergi Daniv (turf toe-R), M Peter Nowak (sprained MCL-L), F Hristo Stoitchkov (sprained MCL-R), D Evan Whitfield (torn ACL-L)
Notes: D.C. United will be looking to end a seven-game road losing streak to start the season against a Chicago Fire team which has the second worst home record in MLS (2-3-2) ... The Fire will hope to extend their winning streak by one more game, which would make injury-plagued Chicago the first MLS team to win three in a row this year ... Despite all the injuries that have struck the Fire, the team will still take the field with four All-Stars in Josh Wolff, Dema Kovalenko, Carlos Bocanegra and DaMarcus Beasley ... The Fire's recent two-game winning streak coincides with the return of Wolff, the reigning MLS Player of the Week, who has three goals and two assists in three games since returning from the World Cup ... With United defender Eddie Pope already missing due to injury, D.C. will welcome back New Zealander Ryan Nelsen with open arms after his three goals helped his country capture the Oceania Nations Cup ... It was Nelsen, who played midfield for the "All Whites," who scored the game-winning goal against rivals Australia in the final ... United could use Nelsen's scoring touch as they have just scored five goals in the last six games and may be missing Santino Quaranta (questionable with a strained groin) ... Published reports on an imminent move for 19-year-old Salvadoran striker Eliseo Quintanilla will gain momentum after D.C. waived Orlando Perez on Thursday ... D.C. United, which despite its recent drop in form is just four points from the top of the Eastern Conference, has been practicing on George Washington University's synthetic turf to adapt to the footing on a synthetic surface at Cardinal Stadium.
Dallas Burn at San Jose Earthquakes, 10 p.m. ET
All-time Head-to-Head: Dallas leads series 12-10-0 (Earthquakes lead 30-28 on aggregate goals)
Did you know?: Last Saturday's victory over San Jose marked the first time all season that the Burn have won a game in which Jason Kreis failed to score. He had scored at least one goal in the previous seven Burn victories.
Key players out: Dallas: M Oscar Pareja (strained hamstring-R); San Jose: D Jeff Agoos (strained calf-R), D Jimmy Conrad (disciplinary suspension), D Troy Dayak (strained groin-L), M Ian Russell (strained calf-R)
Notes: This Western Conference clash has everything on the line, as the Earthquakes hold a slim two-point lead over the Burn at the top of the playoff table ... Dallas defeated San Jose last Saturday in a 2-1 thriller on a Ronnie O'Brien game-winner in the 88th minute ... While Landon Donovan showed that he could find opportunities by running past the Burn defense, he must receive some help on the wings and in the midfield in order for San Jose to avenge last week's loss ... With San Jose missing three of its four starting defenders due to injury or suspension, Dallas can look to take advantage of the lack of defensive depth with the speed of Jason Kreis, Bobby Rhine and Ronnie O'Brien ... Kreis is one assist shy of joining Preki in the 60-60 club (goals-assists) ... San Jose is perfect at home this season with a record of 8-0-0 ... To beat the Quakes at home Dallas must establish a strong midfield presence ... With the absence of M Oscar Pareja, this may be a tough task with the likes of Ronnie Ekelund, Manny Lagos and recently named All-Star Richard Mulrooney patrolling the middle of the field for San Jose.
Kansas City Wizards at Los Angeles Galaxy, 10 p.m. ET
All-time Head-to-Head: Los Angeles leads series 14-10-2 (Galaxy lead 43-28 on aggregate goals)
Did you know?: Kansas City has the second fewest losses in the league this season with five. Only the Dallas Burn (three losses) have suffered fewer defeats.
Key players out: Kansas City: D Peter Vermes (fractured rib-R); Los
Angeles: none to report
Notes: Los Angeles and Kansas City split their two previous meetings this season, with each team claiming a 2-1 victory at Arrowhead Stadium ... Preki has scored in both games this season and will return to Kansas City's lineup after missing last weekend's victory in New England to visit an ailing family member in Yugoslavia ... A dramatic come-from-behind 3-2 overtime win at Rochester during Open Cup play on Wednesday should give Kansas City a spark ... What had been an inconsistent Galaxy attack seems to be reaching its potential as other players have provided offensive support for Carlos Ruiz ...The Galaxy scored four times Wednesday in their U.S. Open Cup win against Minnesota, with Chris Albright finding the net twice ... Quick passes and movement off the ball from Wizards forwards Dario Fabbro and Igor Simutenkov will test a Galaxy defense that lacks speed ... The sideline pace and skill of midfielders Chris Klein and Stephen Armstrong also fuels a diverse Wizards attack.
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