By Tony Edwards - San Jose, CA (Apr 10, 2012) US Soccer Players -- In today's edition, Tony looks at MLS teams winning three in a row convincingly, Chivas' home attendance, Colorado's tactical shift, the opening of the NASL season, and Carlos Bocanegra's view on Rangers' future.
How many MLS teams have won three consecutive games by three or more goals?
Your New York Red Bulls. I was one who thought the situation in Harrison would become untenable quickly this season, but the combination of great form by Thierry Henry and a forgiving run of schedule has the Red Bulls looking like legitimate contenders in the East. San Jose this weekend will be an interesting test, for both teams.
How did Oscar Pareja's shift of Drew Moor into midfield work on Saturday against RSL?
Not so well. Echoing Owen Coyle's shift of Tim Ream into a defensive midfield spot soon after Ream arrived in Bolton, Pareja fell into the inexperienced coach's trap of making too many adjustments. What's lost in the discussion about Pareja's move is that theoretically, it made sense.
A while back, former Revolution coach Steve Nicol said what a benefit it had been to him that he coached in the minor leagues for a while, so he could make mistakes without (essentially) anyone noticing. Pareja doesn't have that luxury, but he'll learn from this situation.
How did former MLS stars Alex Pineda Chacon and Manny Lagos' teams do in the first NASL games of the 2012 season?
Draws. Lagos' defending champion Minnesota Stars had 22 shots, but no goals, as they drew with the Carolina Railhawks, while Chacon's Atlanta Silverbacks also drew 0-0 with the expansion San Antonio Scorpions.
What is the capacity of the Home Depot Center for a CD Chivas USA home game?
Management has tarped off the upper deck, making capacity a cozy 18,800. As ESPN LA's Scott French reports, Seattle draws more in one home game than the announced attendance for all of Chivas' home games so far this season.
According to the Chivas website, the least expensive full priced ticket for the game against Philadelphia is $21 (including ticket fees and taxes). Yes, there are ways to get less expensive tickets, but once you add parking and concessions, that's a decent outlay of cash for a team that hasn't exactly impressed.
Is US National Team Captain Carlos Bocanegra bullish on the future of his club team, Rangers FC?
He is. “Rangers come into the same category as the big English clubs under American ownership, definitely. It's a huge brand, a global brand,” he told the Daily Record. Though the comments section of that article beg to disagree, Bocanegra has a point when talking about the US market. Pick a city, and there's likely an organized Rangers supporter club. The same can't be said for most of the big name clubs in Europe. As for Bocanegra, he's played the second-most minutes of any defender on the club, contributing two goals and the same number of assists.
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