If you tuned into last night's live-stream of the Fire's 3-0 friendly win over Orlando City hoping to see how Mike Magee, Chris Rolfe and the other vets are rounding into form, you left disappointed. Coach Frank Yallop and his staff used last night's friendly to assess younger players; today, before flying back to Chicago, the first team is once again playing DC United.
Unlike last matchup with the Black and Red, this one is going to be played behind closed doors. Kickoff is at 9 a.m. CST, with the only coverage being Twitter updates by @ChiFireMatch. NEVER MIND THAT! At the last minute, the team announces streaming at this link! Big thanks to the Fire for the last-minute feed.
Fire, Red Stars announce doubleheader
"Let's play two!" is difficult to manage in soccer - even 30 minutes extra time pushes the players beyond the limit. The Fire and Red Stars will honor the spirit of Ernie Banks on April 19 at Toyota Park with a two-league doubleheader: The men will host New England in an MLS match at 3 p.m., followed by women facing off against Western New York at 5:45 p.m.
Galaxy fall in Mexico City
Los Angeles manager Bruce Arena called the 2-1 loss to Pumas in a closed-door scrimmage "a good training exercise." Kyle Venter with the consolation goal off a Marcelo Sarvas corner, for those following along at home.
MLS facing ref lockout?
Steven Goff is reporting that negotiations are still tense between the Professional Soccer Referees Association and PRO, the regulating organization for MLS and US Soccer referees; apparently workplace issues have been resolved, and the sticking point involves - wait for it - money! The refs say their compensation is unacceptable, while PRO characterizes it as "a fair deal." Less than a month until the season kicks off, the prospect of inexperienced, non-union refs manning the whistles seems at least a possibility now.
Remember when PRO was founded and Walton was hired, how MLS Commissioner Don Garber and US Soccer president Sunil Gulati described it as an effort to really throw resources at the problem of developing top-level officials in North America? Yeah, me neither.
Union in for Zat Knight?
Apparently, the Union have realized that letting Bakary Soumare walk leaves the ‘massive centerback with concentration issues' slot on their roster untenanted. Knight, currently of Bolton, would fill that hole like he was born to it, which - concentration issues being what they are - he likely was.
Free MLS Live for Dynamo season-ticket holders
Reasoning, one supposes, that educated fans are the best fans, Houston announced Monday a new spiff for season ticket holders: Complimentary access codes for MLS Live.
‘Haitian Xavi' out with mystery illness
Peterson Joseph, a key substitute for last year's MLS Cup-winning Sporting Kansas City side, has still not overcome the mysterious health issues which had him collapsing in practice in 2012. The midfielder, nicknamed ‘the Haitian Xavi,' is out indefinitely as doctors search for answers.