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junker-town · 8 years ago

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MLS scores, Week 1: Atlanta United’s wild debut had plenty to love and hate

There was great soccer, a great environment ... and then a red card and fans misbehaving. Plus more from across the opening week in MLS.

This opening week was largely a huge success for MLS by almost every measure. The games were good, the ones on national TV were particularly exciting, a new stadium opened, and an expansion team played its home opener in front of a sellout crowd.

But sadly, there were also some naughty fans, so we’re going to have to talk about that.

Friday’s game

Portland Timbers 5-1 Minnesota United

Saturday’s games

Columbus Crew SC 1-1 Chicago Fire LA Galaxy 1-2 FC Dallas Real Salt Lake 0-0 Toronto FC Colorado Rapids 1-0 New England Revolution D.C. United 0-0 Sporting Kansas City Houston Dynamo 2-1 Seattle Sounders San Jose Earthquakes 1-0 Montreal Impact

Sunday’s games

Orlando City 1-0 New York City FC Atlanta United 1-2 New York Red Bulls Vancouver Whitecaps 0-0 Philadelphia Union

The Atlanta United experience certainly won’t be boring

55,000 fans descended on Bobby Dodd Stadium for Atlanta United’s first ever competitive match on Sunday night, and they got a show. The ending wasn’t what they were hoping for, but they can't say they weren’t entertained.

Unfortunately, a few of those fans have drawn some negative attention towards the club. Homophobic chanting was audible on the TV broadcast during Red Bulls' goal kicks, while referee Mark Geiger had more than a couple pieces of debris thrown in his direction.

But there were tens of thousands of great fans at the stadium on Sunday, plus plenty of things to like about the experience, so we’re not going to ignore it.

First, they had a ceremonial golden railroad spike banging with Yung Joc, while Monica sang a fantastic national anthem.

Atlanta United FC honorary guest is Young Joc. National anthem is being sung by Monica. @ATLUTD is for the culture ⚫️ #UniteAndConquer

— DatWay_Lei (@yngboss_Lei) March 6, 2017

While Minnesota United looked very much like an unsure of themselves expansion side on Friday might, Atlanta was nothing like that. They played fast and aggressive from kickoff, and didn’t take long to find their first ever goal, scored by Yamil Asad.

BOOM. @YamilAsad11 slots home the first goal in @ATLUTD history. #ATLvNY https://t.co/z1kW1QrsN6

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 6, 2017

The crowd went nuts, and uh...

Georgia Tech fans, look away . . . . . I'm pretty sure that's the loudest I've ever heard this stadium

— Devonta would've won (@JasonKirkSBN) March 6, 2017

Yeah, it was great.

But things went sour for Atlanta in the second half. They were the better team for 70 minutes, regularly frustrating the Red Bulls and looking like they were going to score a second goal, but came unglued at the end of the game.

Atlanta conceded on a set piece in the 76th minute, then lost defender Leandro González Pírez to an injury. Atlanta collapsed shortly afterward, with Anton Walkes scoring an own goal and Carlos Carmona getting himself sent off for some off-the-ball stupidity.

Yep. You can't do that. Red card for Carmona. Atlanta down to 10. http://pic.twitter.com/Oc7GoXNzn3

— Total MLS (@TotalMLS) March 6, 2017

Don’t expect to see Carmona for three games.

Despite the disappointment, Atlanta named a man of the match to start a new tradition. Asad got to follow Yung Joc in doing some railroad-spike pounding, and it appears that they’re going to have a piece of railroad track with all the man of the match spikes at the end of the season in tribute to Atlanta’s founding as an end-of-the-line railroad town (and their biggest supporters' group, Terminus Legion).

Your first ever Man of the Match, @YamilAsad11! #UniteAndConquer http://pic.twitter.com/z30tFESEvR

— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) March 6, 2017

This game was just ... so extra. And you know what? Maybe that’s good. MLS can get a little too professional-feeling sometimes — someone needs to be extra. A chunk of particularly stupid fans need to rein in their total stupidity, but otherwise, Atlanta looks like they’re going to be a fantastic addition to the league.

Some teams we thought might be bad looked very good — particularly San Jose

You’d be hard-pressed to find a pundit willing to predict that the Houston Dynamo, San Jose Earthquakes, or Chicago Fire would make the playoffs this season, but all three turned in very good performances in Week 1. The Dynamo’s performance was very solid — they beat last year’s MLS Cup winners, and did it with two top-quality goals.

But the Earthquakes’ game might have been even more impressive. Check out their shots for and against vs. Montreal, from Opta’s data on the MLS website.

That’s zero quality shots for the Impact and enough good ones for the Quakes that they should have scored more than once. And we have plenty of reasons to believe this is repeatable, too. They allowed fewer goals than Supporters’ Shield winners New York Red Bulls last season, they went undefeated in preseason with five shutouts, and Dominic Kinnear has been a very good defensive coach in MLS for more than a decade.

The Quakes have to figure out their attack, but their defense is definitely playoff-quality.

An NYCFC fan stole a seat!

We did a separate post on Sunday about the opening of Orlando City’s new stadium, which you should check out. Orlando City Stadium is the new gold standard for MLS grounds and should be the model for all new soccer-specific stadiums going forward.

But uh ... some dummy NYCFC hooligan tried to steal a seat.

Shoutout to this @NYCFC fan for trying to steal a LITERAL seat from our home. Have a nice night in the clink. http://pic.twitter.com/BRKtaqFIOa

— Orlando City Central (@OrlCty) March 6, 2017

I wonder why he’d do that ... OH!

trying to build a soccer specific stadium one stolen seat at a time https://t.co/1q8fgrljCt

— Gaby Kirschner (@gabykirschner) March 6, 2017

MLS Twitter is already in mid-season form.

Clint Dempsey is back!

During the USMNT’s January camp, Bruce Arena said that he would not be calling up Clint Dempsey for World Cup qualifying in late March. After this goal (and Dempsey’s solid 90-minute performance), Arena will be re-thinking his position.

First 2017 goal for the defending #MLSCup champs belongs to @clint_dempsey. Good to have you back, Deuce. #Sounders http://pic.twitter.com/UIHGckYPMG

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 5, 2017

It can’t be overstated how much the USMNT missed Dempsey in their losses to Mexico and Costa Rica. If he’s fully fit, he should be on the team. It’ll be up to Dempsey, Arena, and Brian Schmetzer to determine if he’s far enough along in his recovery from a heart problem to play in Hex matches.

MLS Live power rankings

This is not a ranking that has anything to do with how good a team is at soccer, which should be obvious from who’s checked in at No. 4. It's simply about how likely you are to be entertained if you choose to watch their game on MLS Live. Notably, none of these teams currently qualify as "unwatchable." They all had something to offer this weekend, or fun players that suggest they will soon.

Atlanta United

Portland Timbers

FC Dallas

Minnesota United

Seattle Sounders

LA Galaxy

Toronto FC

New York City FC

Houston Dynamo

New York Red Bulls

Orlando City

Vancouver Whitecaps

Colorado Rapids

Real Salt Lake

Sporting Kansas City

Chicago Fire

Columbus Crew

Montreal Impact

San Jose Earthquakes

Philadelphia Union

New England Revolution

D.C. United

Is Atlanta good? I have no idea, but they might be the most purely entertaining MLS team I’ve ever seen. The Timbers might not actually be as fun as they looked against a bad Minnesota team, but we’ll find out soon enough.

Montreal gets some benefit of the doubt due to Ignacio Piatti’s presence on their roster, plus their performances last season. They were the team that had the least to offer in Week 1. D.C. should get more fun when Luciano Acosta is fit and Ian Harkes is up to speed, but their current lineup leaves a lot to be desired. Philly is a competent soccer team with plenty of decent players, but of the teams near the bottom of the list, they seem like the least likely to become fun.

Here is a list of way-too-early takes that are not worthy of an entire column. You should argue with me about them.

The Red Bulls should not have traded Dax McCarty.

But since they did: Tyler Adams is better than Sean Davis and will be first choice quickly.

Last McCarty take, I promise: He was really good against Columbus, and the Fire will get better when they have Matt Polster or Juninho to pair with him.

Minnesota United will end this season with the worst record in MLS history.

Kellyn Acosta looks like a complete midfielder, and the Dallas star will become a USMNT mainstay shortly.

I am unalarmed by Toronto and Seattle’s starts. They’re still the best teams in the league.

Atlanta United is a good organization that will clean up the homophobic chanting and beer-throwing that marred the opener.

Here is a photo I love from this week’s games

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Have a great week!

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wandashifflett · 5 years ago

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Venezuelan, Cuban Refugees Call on Trump to Help Free Their Countries From Communism

Venezuelan and Cuban activists in Florida on July 10 urged President Donald Trump attending their roundtable on “Supporting the People of Venezuela,” to help people oppressed by socialist and communist regimes in Venezuela and Cuba to regain freedom and eliminate narco-terrorism and poverty.

Ernesto Ackerman, the president of civic group Independent Venezuelan-American Citizens, requested Trump at the roundtable held in Doral, Florida, to “eliminate the germs of socialism” from Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba, and other countries in the region and to “help the people of Venezuela to get rid of the narco-terrorists who have kidnapped our nation.”

Ackerman, born in Venezuela, is a son of a Venezuelan concentration camp survivor who still lives in Venezuela. He said that his organization has lobbied the U.S. Congress for over 18 years to impose sanctions on narco-terrorists in Venezuela.

Cubans line up outside a bakery in Havana, to buy bread on December 13, 2018. (Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images)

Dr. Orlando Gutierrez Boronat, Cuban-born co-founder and spokesperson for the Cuban Democratic Directorate and a leader of the Cuban exile community, said at the roundtable that there “should be a task force [in the United States] to educate Americans about socialism and communism.”

Gutierrez-Boronat shared key life experiences in communist Cuba helped him to understand the nature of socialism and communism.

He recalled that church services in Cuba were attended by very few people since churchgoers were persecuted and discriminated against by the communist regime for believing in God.

“Everywhere communism and socialism have come to, the first freedom they strike at is religious freedom,” Gutierrez-Boronat said, adding that this is the reason why the statues of Jesus are knocked down.

“The right to believe or not to believe, to have faith or not to have faith, that’s fundamental and that’s one of the first things communism in Cuba tried to eradicate. They tried to wipe out Christianity in Cuba,” Gutierrez-Boronat said.

The strategic sanctions imposed by the United States “aimed at the military and the intelligence and security sectors [in Cuba] have weakened them,” Gutierrez-Boronat said, adding that this is why protests erupted in Santa Clara, Cuba, in the past months.

Cuba was self-sufficient, its economy thriving, and it even exported food before the communists took over the country in 1959, he said, but “Cuba today cannot feed itself without U.S. donations of food.”

Gutierrez-Boronat criticized Hollywood and media outlets that spread false information about socialism, communism, and about what happened in Cuba.

Seven would-be Cuban emigres remain in a homemade boat moments before being arrested by Cuban military agents after their attempt to escape from the island nation was thwarted by the sea currents, on June 4, 2009 in Havana. (Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images)

He also urged Trump to consider indicting the Cuban regime for its 1996 killing of Cuban Americans who were helping people escape Cuba by rafts in international waters, and for other crimes against humanity that the Cuban regime committed.

Trump said the United States has imposed “historic sanctions” on the Venezuelan regime led by socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro and that it stands with “with the righteous and rightful leaders of Venezuela.”

Trump added that his administration indicted Maduro’s regime for narco-terrorism and imposed sanctions on Nicaragua for human rights violations.

He ended the Obama administration’s “pro-communist policies” that he said Joe Biden has pledged to reinstate.

Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) said that socialism and communism in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba is not only disastrous for people there but also poses a national security threat to the United States.

Venezuelan Communism Exposed

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, sitting at desk second from right, speaks with Supreme Court President Maikel Moreno at the Supreme Court before giving his annual presidential address in Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Ariana Cubillos/File/AP Photo)

Lourdes Ubieta, a Venezuelan-born activist who has been working for media in Venezuela and the United States for over 25 years, said that her Cuban parents living in exile in Venezuela fled Cuba to escape “Castro communist tyranny.”

Venezuela was a prosperous and generous country until 1999 when Hugo Chavez took power and imposed socialism on the country.

Almost two decades of socialist rule has devastated Venezuela, Ubieta said, bringing 75 percent of Venezuelan families into poverty where they even cannot even afford the “basic food basket.”

“Out of 7.8 million children in the country, 40 percent report difficulties to attend school for problems with water supplies, blackout, no food at home, lack of transport, or lack of teachers,” she said. The child mortality rate has also increased dramatically in Venezuela, she added.

The socialist regime has destroyed the country’s economy to the point that the food sector cannot produce enough food and the oil industry cannot produce enough gasoline, Ubieta said.

Venezuela generates most of its revenue from oil production as its oil reserves are one of the world’s largest. During the 1970s Venezuela’s oil industry was nationalized. In 1989 the oil prices plummeted worldwide causing the country’s oil-reliant economy to fall. Consumer prices including food and gas increased and people’s living conditions deteriorated.

Chavez’s socialist policies made the country even more dependent on oil export and his successor, Maduro, continued his policies.

An anti-Maduro protester is detained by security forces during clashes in Caracas on May 1, 2019. (FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images)

“Transnational organized crime controls Venezuela. Drug cartels, Colombian guerrillas, international mobs, and Iranian financed terrorists operate freely” under the Venezuelan regime “with the Cuban agenda,” Ubieta said, adding that Trump has been the only U.S. president “who has stood firm against these criminals.”

“I ask you [Mr. President] not to leave Venezuela. Each minute that passes is one of the greatest sufferings for Venezuelans,” Ubieta said.

“I will not forget what I heard today, it’s very moving, it’s a very tough situation and we’ve made a lot of progress as you probably have seen,” Trump said before concluding, “I have a feeling you won’t be disappointed.”

Democratic Party Roundtable

Earlier on the same day ahead of Trump’s visit, the Democratic Party organized a virtual roundtable on Facebook for Cuban and Venezuelan community leaders to condemn the Trump administration for “broken promises to Venezuelan and Cuban communities,” according to FloridaDems.org.

“He’s going to sit down today with Venezuelan migrants, I saw his agenda. Is he willing to grant Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans? … we have 150,000 people here in this country with a vulnerable migration status, Leopoldo Martinez Nucete, a Venezuelan Latino Victory board member, said at the Democratic roundtable, according to FloridaDems.org.

“Look beyond what says—and assess and evaluate what he has done. He has done nothing to resolve this pandemic. Pretty much like he has done nothing—just talk—about Venezuela. He doesn’t care about Venezuelans,” Nucete added.

Dr. Frank Mora, Cuban American, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Western Hemisphere said at the Democratic roundtable, “Why isn’t he granting TPS [Temporary Protected Status] for Venezuelans? Why increase the deportations of Cubans? Why are Cubans being detained without their cases being considered in Louisiana? Why are there so many Cubans in at the US-Mexico border without also having their cases heard?” reported FloridaDems.org.

The TPS Act for Venezuelans was passed by the House in July last year but has not been voted on by the Senate. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) explained that while the current situation in Venezuela is exactly the reason the temporary program was created, it is practically impossible to rescind it.

The Trump administration tried to rescind TPS designations for six countries in 2018-2019 but was blocked by judges each time.

from Rayfield Review News https://therayfield.com/venezuelan-cuban-refugees-call-on-trump-to-help-free-their-countries-from-communism from The Ray Field https://therayfieldreview.tumblr.com/post/623465142770958336

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therayfieldreview · 5 years ago

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Venezuelan, Cuban Refugees Call on Trump to Help Free Their Countries From Communism

Cubans line up outside a bakery in Havana, to buy bread on December 13, 2018. (Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images)

Gutierrez-Boronat shared key life experiences in communist Cuba helped him to understand the nature of socialism and communism.

He recalled that church services in Cuba were attended by very few people since churchgoers were persecuted and discriminated against by the communist regime for believing in God.

Gutierrez-Boronat criticized Hollywood and media outlets that spread false information about socialism, communism, and about what happened in Cuba.

Trump added that his administration indicted Maduro’s regime for narco-terrorism and imposed sanctions on Nicaragua for human rights violations.

He ended the Obama administration’s “pro-communist policies” that he said Joe Biden has pledged to reinstate.

Venezuelan Communism Exposed

Venezuela was a prosperous and generous country until 1999 when Hugo Chavez took power and imposed socialism on the country.

Almost two decades of socialist rule has devastated Venezuela, Ubieta said, bringing 75 percent of Venezuelan families into poverty where they even cannot even afford the “basic food basket.”

The socialist regime has destroyed the country’s economy to the point that the food sector cannot produce enough food and the oil industry cannot produce enough gasoline, Ubieta said.

Chavez’s socialist policies made the country even more dependent on oil export and his successor, Maduro, continued his policies.

An anti-Maduro protester is detained by security forces during clashes in Caracas on May 1, 2019. (FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/Getty Images)

“I ask you [Mr. President] not to leave Venezuela. Each minute that passes is one of the greatest sufferings for Venezuelans,” Ubieta said.

Democratic Party Roundtable

The Trump administration tried to rescind TPS designations for six countries in 2018-2019 but was blocked by judges each time.

from Rayfield Review News https://therayfield.com/venezuelan-cuban-refugees-call-on-trump-to-help-free-their-countries-from-communism

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csrgood · 5 years ago

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Meet the Reinventor: Yamilée Toussaint Beach, Founder of STEM from Dance

HP Inc. Garage blog

By Garage Staff

Yamilée Toussaint Beach is easily described as a polymath. Growing up on Long Island, she excelled in math and science in school, and after class dedicated herself to jazz, ballet, and modern dance.

“Pursuing engineering was just as possible for me as becoming a dancer or a writer or anything in the humanities,” she says. “I think a large part is the fact that both my parents have STEM-related (science, technology, engineering, and math) professions.” Now both retired, her father was a mechanical engineer, and her mother was a lab technician.

As she grew older, however, her outlook changed. As one of the few black women in her mechanical engineering courses at MIT, Toussaint Beach came to the stark realization that her experience had been unique. In the United States, black and Latina women are among the least represented groups in STEM occupations. After graduating from MIT, Toussaint Beach taught high school algebra through Teach for America, and witnessed firsthand how few girls of color were engaged in STEM subjects. She didn’t just want to know why. She wanted that to change.

In 2012, Toussaint Beach founded STEM from Dance, a New York-based nonprofit that offers underrepresented, often low-income girls ages 12 through 18 the opportunity to explore their own potential in STEM fields. During the program’s school residencies and summer camps, participants take a hands-on approach to hardware and coding with inspiration from their favorite pop stars. Girls program the light-up costumes and animated light shows for their own dance performances, often choreographed to music by the likes of Rihanna and Beyoncé. During the public recital at the program’s end, they get to go on stage and show off their work. As of 2018, more than 550 girls from 100 New York City schools and community-based programs had participated in STEM from Dance.

“This program is about taking something that’s been out of reach for students of color because of very clear barriers that they face,” Toussaint Beach says. “The lack of representation of girls of color is not due to ability. I do think that programs like STEM from Dance and others that exist all across the country will help us see a shift in the demographics.”

Toussaint Beach is the winner of AnitaB.org’s Educational Innovation Abie Award, which recognizes educators for developing new approaches to attracting female students to computing, engineering, and math in K-12 or undergraduate education. The award was presented at the annual Grace Hopper Celebration in Orlando — the world’s largest gathering of women technologists, held by AnitaB.org and sponsored in part by HP. Toussaint Beach recently spoke with the Garage about the powerful combination of engineering, dance, and opportunity in STEM from Dance.

Congratulations on your recent Abie Award. What does winning this mean for you?

Receiving the award is a tremendous honor. In a line of work that often goes unrecognized, it is a breath of fresh air to see how excited and supportive others are of STEM from Dance. I can't do this work alone, so it means a ton to have over 25,000 women cheering me on and partnering with me to see our vision come to fruition.

What inspired you to found STEM from Dance? What problems were you hoping to address?

The first day that I started studying engineering at MIT, it was very apparent how few women of color there were — it’s noticeable when you’re one or two out of 200. That lack of representation was one thing, and then when I was a teacher, I noticed this lack of coolness, or enjoyment taking place in math and science classes. There’s a sense of trepidation that a lot of people have, like “Oh, I’m not good at math.” To reverse that trend, I believe we have to really put our full effort in the positive direction.

How do you think exposure and representation in high school plays a role in increasing the numbers of black and Latina women in STEM careers?

When you look at the statistics at face value, some people believe that it’s due to a lack of ability, but it’s not. It’s about access. It’s about exposure and overcoming clear barriers. Growing up, I was not aware of girls being underrepresented in STEM fields. Fast forward to high school, I started to see that it was atypical for a girl of color to take AP (Advanced Placement, or college-level) physics. The further I went into these studies, the more I started to question, do I belong? Can I make it? Is this something I want to do? Those feelings have to do with who you see in the classroom around you.

What was the road to actually launching STEM from Dance? Were there any obstacles to getting off the ground?

I pitched the idea to the principal at the high school where I was teaching. It started with 10 or 15 students after school, dancing and working on their math homework, and it didn’t really capture the essence of what could happen when you bring the two together. It took a few years to really land on integration, not just the two side by side. I had a Eureka moment, seeing how in pop culture artists were using tech in their performances — these very elaborate stage designs and projections. That made me wonder how our students could recreate not just the dance aspect of it, but the tech that the artists were using. That's when we really found that spot where dance and STEM support one another.

Some of the images of STEM from Dance show girls installing lights in their shoes, and others dancing to light shows that they animated on the computer. Are these activities that you came up with?

A special part of the girls’ experience with STEM from Dance is being able to come up with the ideas themselves. We just really let them dream and see what matches with our resources. They’ve installed lights in their sneakers and on swing sets that appear on stage. Then they get the behind-the-scenes view of the tech. They make the circuits, solder the wires, add the sensors, and learn how to program it from there.

Very few, if any educational programs seem to include both dance and tech. How does STEM from Dance take a different approach?

When we talk about education, we try to separate these things. We say that STEM and dance come from different parts of the brain, and that different types of people can be good at them. But dance has always been a really, really huge part of my life. I would be in school during the day going to math club, and after school spend the rest of my time in the dance studio. I didn’t see that they were separate; I was just doing the things that I was interested in. Once I became a teacher, I saw that gap. What happens after girls participate in STEM from Dance? What impact have you seen?

We definitely have one recent alumna who’s declared a major in computer science. Going forward, we plan to ramp up the support that we provide to the students once they've gone through the program. We find that they finish with confidence and belief in their potential to do something in STEM, but because that's a newfound belief, you really have to work hard to maintain it. We might give them one encouraging message, but they might hear 10 more that are discouraging. We're concentrating our efforts on continuing that momentum, to keep encouraging them towards what they’re capable of.

Keep up with Yamilée Toussant Beach and STEM from Dance on Twitter, follow the organization on Facebook, and watch highlights of girls’ performances on YouTube.

Meet Mara Lecocq, the creative director helping girls create their own personalized tech adventure stories.

source: https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/43889-Meet-the-Reinventor-Yamil-e-Toussaint-Beach-Founder-of-STEM-from-Dance?tracking_source=rss

#CSR #corporate social responsibility #social good #philanthropy #employee engagement #workplace givi

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crossfitmdi · 7 years ago

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Thank you for believing in my vision, gym & coaching. Thank you for allowing my family in your life. Thank you for trusting me to help you become healthier & happier. To all my MDI community I thank you. I wanted to take the time to shout out all the peeps that have been with with over 3,4 & 5 years!!! I love you all. Anniversaries: Mathis Mir 9/2013 Stamatia Billis 9/2013 Yamil Bermudez 7/2014 Yolanda Cade 7/2014 Anny Gomez 5/2014 Angie Marrero 2/2015 Benjamin Thom 12/2014 Christina Ray 3/2015 Daisy Rivera 12/2014 Debbe Harte 5/2014 Edward Bernabe 5/2014 Jessica Rivera 11/2014 Jim Harte 5/2014 4 Jose Santiago 3/2014 Kelly Baumann 1/2015 Linda Rodriguez 7/2014 Mindy Candelaria 9/2015 Raul Ley Soto 2/10/14 Teisha Rosa 5/2015 Candice Lopez 9/2013 Michael Rodriguez 9/2013 Mindy Candelaria 9/2015 Maria Padilla 10/2014 Love, The MDI Team #liveasanexample #bestcommunityinOrlando #youwelcome #teammdi #godschild #crossfitmdi #cfmdi #crossfit #faith #blessed #health #happiness #fitness #motivation #dedication #inspiration #orlando #florida #nalgaprobs #spandexkillas #ptsmade #preservingthesexy #npti #animalkingdom #godsbox #family #peoplesbox (at Crossfit M.D.I "Motivation Dedication Inspiration") https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm5rpI3ARhc/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1lxaikmfn284z

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thetrumpdebacle · 7 years ago

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(0:01) A wonderful one-two between Luciano Acosta and Wayne Rooney leads to Acosta’s goal. (0:38) Yamil Asad sends the ball into the box and Acosta latches onto it and scores while getting flattened by Orlando City SC goalie Joe Bendik. It was originally ruled offsides, but it is ruled a goal upon video review. (1:28) Wayne Rooney hustles back on defense and his slide tackle surely saves a goal. He then gains possession of the ball and launches it into the box and Acosta rises to head the ball in to complete his hat trick and seal DC United’s win.

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More on ESPN.com: http://www.espn.com

via The Trump Debacle

#IFTTT #The Trump Debacle

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365footballorg-blog · 6 years ago

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Armchair Analyst: What's at stake across the league on Decision Day

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October 26, 20182:37PM EDT

And so here it is, the final weekend of the 2018 MLS regular season – the highest-scoring regular season in nearly 20 years. I like goals, so this has been a lot of fun for me.

What’s at stake during Decision Day presented by AT&T? The final playoff spot in each conference, the Supporters’ Shield, homefield advantage basically everywhere (but especially the top of the West), perhaps the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award, and the Valderrama Award (I just made that up but from now on that’s what I’m calling the single-season assist king. Please join me in pushing this and together we can make fetch happen).

Let’s dive in and go for one last swim around the league:

Chicago Fire vs. D.C. United 4:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

At Stake for Chicago: Pride and jobs. This, from Jose Luis Sanchez Pando’s look at the Fire this week in the Chicago Tribune, is pretty stark:

The cruel reality is that, aside from only four players (Richard Sanchez, Dax McCarty, Aleksandar Katai and Nemanja Nikolic), the rest of the roster and coaching staff will be out of a contract at the end of December and, given how poor the season has been, it would not be strange to see a complete clearing out of the squad with several departures.

That doesn’t mean those will be the only four guys who return, since the team has a ton of guys with contract options for 2019, but it speaks to just how hard a reboot might be coming this offseason. For everyone.

At Stake for D.C.: Their second-half run has been remarkable, and they finished the first job last weekend by once again taking three home points and officially qualifying for the playoffs.

What they haven’t had to do much of since July is leave home, and for a team with a 1-9-6 road record this year, that’s obviously a good thing. And that brings us to the second job: Win this one and they’ll get to play the Knockout Round game down at the Southwest Waterfront District. Lose, and they’re definitely going on the road on short rest. A draw means they have to get some help from NYCFC in order to get that home game.

United have been truly awesome to watch over the last four months, but it’s all come with a caveat. Win here and that caveat goes away at least a little bit.

By the way…

So I checked every season for every team on the #MLS website. So there’s a bit of a caveat here, but if Yamil Asad scores next weekend, #DCU will be the first team in which 4 players reached double digit regular season goals in one year.

— Steven Streff (@streffsoccer) October 22, 2018

This team is so much more than just the Wayne Rooney/Lucho Acosta show.

NYCFC vs. Philadelphia Union 4:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

At Stake for NYCFC: Homefield advantage, their identity, a proper farewell for David Villa (maybe), and… are those whispers about Dome’s job? Too soon for that, but the fanbase is really, really unhappy, and I get it.

This team, which was justifiably considered one of the league’s best at the start of the year, and spent the first five months of the season somewhere amongst the top three or four in the Shield race, has gone 2-6-4 since the end of July. Injuries have played a part, but just a part not the part. The fact is that NYCFC have come unglued in terms of how and where they press, what they do when they win the ball back, and how to even build from the back – the most crucial and definitive part of their identity under Patrick Vieira.

They look nothing like a contender in any sense of the word, and everything like a team that will get worked in the Knockout Round if they have to play anywhere but Yankee Stadium.

All they need to claim a home game is a point. Villa’s healthy and Yangel Herrera is back for probably 30 minutes, and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi’s good to go. No excuses here.

At Stake for Philly: Homefield advantage is the big one. If Philly win this they leapfrog NYCFC and finish in third place. It would be a testament to how well they’ve played since mid-May, and a validation of both head coach Jim Curtin’s trust in the kids as well as the organizational philosophy. And it’s clear that these kids are very, very good:

good morning to everyone that wants to see how modern centerback @markmckenzie4_ handled the best press in @MLS history. he’s just getting started, y’all.

and this is only from the first half. pic.twitter.com/QJ2G6TXVYm

— Adam Cann (@adamtcann) October 23, 2018

That kind of play out of the back is really useful on most fields. Beware of it in the Bronx, though.

Here’s the thing: Philly have played five truly big games in their last six outings. They started out with two excellent wins (at Seattle, and home to SKC). Then Houston put them in the blender in the U.S. Open Cup final. Then they came out of that and got a credible draw at Columbus. And then last week they played really well against RBNY… but found a way to lose.

The Union are good and talented and, as befitting a team with a lot of young players and no real match-winning goalscorer, still leave a lot of results on the table. Win this one and the narrative continues to nudge a little bit more in the direction they want.

By the way, the Valderrama Award will almost certainly be won by either United’s Acosta or the Union’s Borek Dockal, both of whom are on 17 assists for the season.

Toronto FC vs. Atlanta United 4:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

At Stake for Toronto FC: Nothing but pride, really. I’m pretty sure they don’t want to see the Five Stripes waltz into BMO Field and 1) break the single-season points record TFC set just last year, and 2) claim the Shield. That would, I imagine, feel pretty bad.

At Stake for Atlanta United: The Shield, and a good chunk of how we talk about the Tata Martino era. These Atlanta teams of the last two years are going to be remembered with real fondness – they played fun and fast and relatively flexible soccer, brought in some of the most exciting new talent anybody’s ever imported, and won a lot of games in style. But will they be remembered as champions?

Win the Shield (which is IMO the very best major trophy to win, because it means you gave your fans eight months of great soccer), and the answer is “yes.” Anything less than that here and suddenly the playoffs are that more pressure-packed. And it’s got to be said: Tata’s teams have a long and sad history of failing to take the last hurdle.

Atlanta are going to be without Miguel Almiron again in this one, which means they’re not going to be as explosive driving out of midfield with the ball on their foot. They’re going to have to be tidier and more creative in possession, and when they do use the ball well…

… they need better than that from Josef Martinez. The Golden Boot winner has scored in just one of his last seven games, and you could argue that the MVP award is on the line here. If he posts another zero, and Atlanta blow their 28-3 lead in the Shield race, and Zlatan leads the Galaxy into the playoffs, it’s at least a debate as to who the MVP is. Two month ago it wasn’t.

RBNY vs. Orlando City 4:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

At Stake for RBNY: Depending upon how the Atlanta games out, they’ve got a shot at their third Shield in six years. And if they win this (which they absolutely should), they’ve got at worst the second-highest single-season points total in league history.

Beyond that: Even in the playoffs I’d expect certain teams to bunker against this RBNY bunch, and why not? Bunkering has historically worked against them in two-legged series, and we have enough data points in that regard to be pretty sure this information is not flukey. So against an Orlando side that played a 3-6-1 (or maybe a 5-4-1) last week to claim just their second win since May, and will probably do the same again, and will do so deep in their own defensive end… this is good practice, right? This is something that the Red Bulls can use to shore up what’s been a traditional weak spot.

I wouldn’t be shocked if, at some point, Chris Armas brings on a second forward next to Bradley Wright-Phillips. Just to see.

At Stake for Orlando City: Jobs, certainly. You don’t go straight into the toilet for 70 percent of the season and not suffer some sort of professional comeuppance. Closing the year with two straight wins would potentially mitigate a bit of that.

There’s also the chance to inch further toward having some definable style or philosophy. The 3-6-1/5-4-1 they played last week is an inherently defensive formation (especially when trotting out multiple d-mids as is James O’Connor’s wont), but at times in the second half it looked a lot like an attacking 3-4-3.

Columbus Crew SC vs. Minnesota United 4:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

At Stake for Columbus: A trip to the playoffs. While they might get help from New England, they absolutely should not count on the Revs in any possible way. Crew SC need to treat this like a must-win game, and also as a should-win game. They’ve gone 2-4-3 in their last nine, nobody can score from open play, the defense has suddenly become a bit fragile, and the Gregg Berhalter-to-the-USMNT rumors are probably playing some sort of role re: focus and distractions.

You are still professionals. You are still playing a home game against an inferior team. If Columbus don’t make the playoffs it will be a choke job akin to FC Dallas last season.

At Stake for Minnesota: Nothing really – the Loons’ braintrust has made it clear that almost everybody’s going to be back next year – except maybe proof of concept:

Darwin Quintero’s output for #MNUFC this season, split before and after Christian Ramirez.

That’s a notable dip in xG+xA production. His raw chance numbers are also down, showing increased defensive focus. Ramirez did a lot of off-ball running to create space for Quintero. pic.twitter.com/juP2XjXrTq

— Jeff Rueter (@jeffrueter) October 23, 2018

Part of being smart about building a team is understanding that it’s not just a collection of talent, but rather a collection of partnerships. So far that really, really hasn’t worked out with MNUFC’s new Designated Players.

By the way, if MNUFC lose 2-0 they’ll finish this year with 36 points, 47 goals scored and 70 conceded. Last year they finished with 36 points, 47 goals scored and 70 conceded.

New England Revolution vs. Montreal Impact 4:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

At Stake for New England: Take it away, Brad Friedel:

“[This game is] important for a lot of reasons. Montreal has a lot to play for, so I think it’s only right we give maximum effort to make sure the final league standings are a true, accurate reading of what they should be.”

“I think the second reason is players are still playing for their positions next year, and playing for contracts next year. And performances, especially like that first half against Real Salt Lake, won’t help their chances.”

“That’s another thing. The players really need to put on a show for the fans. We were in a great position and came unstuck right after the LA Galaxy game, and that’s not something the fans deserve. They spend a lot of time and a lot of money coming out to watch us play, so I think it’s only fitting the players put in maximum effort and try to get three points.”

Friedel talks in bullet points and I respect the hell out of that. It also needs reiterating that, over the past two seasons, the Revs have spent more on their backline and defensive midfield than anyone outside of the Galaxy, and of the six big-budget players they’ve brought in, only one (Michael Mancienne) is currently a starter. And he’s not 100 percent looking the part.

So there’s a bunch of proof-of-concept stuff applying here, just as it is in Minnesota.

At Stake for Montreal: Potentially – if Columbus trip up – a playoff spot. And it wouldn’t be entirely undeserved, as Montreal have gone 11-5-4 in regular season play since the start of June. It took a while for Remi Garde to figure out what he was doing, but eventually he mashed the “bunker and counter!” button and it largely worked.

But there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to ride this into next season. Usually if a team discovers itself in the second half of Year A, then you can count on them coming out with that identity and riding it at the start of Year B. Even if they miss the playoffs I expect the Impact will try to do that in 2019 (I don’t think there will be a ton of turnover on the staff), but this is the league’s oldest team. Seven of the starters are over 30, two are over 35, and only one is under the age of 25. As individuals most of these guys are as good as they’re ever going to be, and are pretty firmly on the downslope.

That somehow doesn’t yet include Ignacio Piatti, who’s having his best year yet. But he turns 34 before next season kicks off, and eventually Father Time’s going to take a round from him.

If Montreal get the job done here, and get some luck courtesy of the Loons, and get into the playoffs, they are absolutely terrifying and potentially bracket-busting darkhorses. If not, 2019’s an open question.

Sporting KC vs. LAFC 4:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

At Stake for Sporting KC: The view from the top. We’ve beaten to death the fact that SKC have been eliminated on the road in the Knockout Round for four straight years, and that’s because SKC have been beaten to death on the road in the Knockout Round for four straight years. If you don’t want us to talk about it, don’t play in that game.

Well, they’re for sure not going on the road in the Knockout Round – last week’s results made that official. Now they can go one step further and, with a home win against a good team on the final day of the season, claim the No. 1 spot in the West and homefield advantage at least until MLS Cup (should they make it that far).

SKC had their best win of the season last week, pounding FC Dallas 3-0 in Dallas. Khiry Shelton was at the heart of it:

#SportingKC record when Shelton starts at CF:

8W-4D-2L (+14 GD)

Shelton, Russell, Salloi start together:

8W-3D-1L (+16 GD)

— Andy Edwards (@AndyEdMLS) October 21, 2018

Do it again and the starting No. 9 job is certainly his. Maybe it should be anyway.

This is not a given, though. SKC are a middling 5-6-4 against playoff teams (counting RSL and Columbus as in, with the Galaxy and Impact as out).

At Stake for LAFC: All of the above, more or less. LAFC have had a remarkable maiden voyage, winning with goals and style and possession and flair and set-pieces and overlapping fullbacks and wingers coming from every angle under the sun. It’s been fun.

They’ve also been sloppy and naive defending leads basically throughout the year, and have given squandered 15 points worth of results, including last week’s 2-0 lead over Vancouver that turned into a dispiriting 2-2 home draw. That should not happen if you’re a contender.

Even if things go super wrong they’re not going to drop below fourth place, as the goal differential between them and the Timbers is too great. Still… show us something here. Go gut out a result.

Colorado Rapids vs. FC Dallas 4:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

At Stake for Colorado: Jobs for the players, certainly. There’s going to be a bunch of roster turnover yet again, and at least Anthony Hudson has shown some foresight in finally getting the kids onto the field over the past month (Cole Bassett has looked unusually calm and competent at central midfield for a 17-year-old).

My guess is that, regardless of the final score here, Hudson and GM Padraig Smith are both probably safe. Closing the year with three straight results, though – a win at Minnesota, a draw at San Jose and then at least a point here – while playing the kids would be something tangible to build upon.

They need to do a better job with their offseason scouting this year, though.

At Stake for FC Dallas: They’re 6-6-4 in the second half of the season and they’ve scored one open play goal since September 1. At times they look pretty good, but then that last touch…

You’re totally justified in blaming the forwards and wingers for not finishing. But the underlying numbers aren’t great, either, as both expected goals and expected assists are down. They’re not creating as many chances, and they’re not finding as many chances, and they not finishing anything.

The defense has mostly carried the load, but we saw them start to break down last week. If they break down again this week (unlikely against the league’s worst attack), Dallas could drop all the way to fifth and find themselves opening the playoffs on short rest in Providence Park. Obviously that’s not what an ideal way to open the playoffs.

Bear all of the above in mind, but also: That lovely throughball in the highlight to start the break-out? That was from Santiago Mosquera. The DP winger has been working under the radar this season, but since earning his way into the lineup in late August he’s been mostly pretty good, a hell of a lot of fun, and an occasional match-winner.

Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Portland Timbers 4:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

At Stake for Vancouver: Two years ago on Decision Day Vancouver ruined Portland’s collective life, beating them 4-1 and knocking them out of the playoffs. In 2017 they went to Portland and lost 2-1, allowing their rivals to top the West. What will happen in Round 3?

Now, the Timbers can’t top the West, nor can they fall out of the playoffs. But at the very least Vancouver have a chance to inflict some misery here.

Beyond that, there are jobs on the line. We’ve already seen Carl Robinson part ways with the club, and a whole host of the players he’s brought in over the past few years have mostly underachieved. A bunch of them won’t be back.

Neither will Alphonso Davies, who definitely did not underachieve. ‘Caps fans should cheer and sing their heads off for him for the full 90, and he should get an 88th minute curtain call no matter what the scoreline is at the time.

At Stake for Portland: Homefield advantage if either Dallas or Seattle manage to biff it. The Timbers are a better road team than in recent years, but 11-2-5 (Providence Park) is a lot better than 4-7-5 (elsewhere). A win would at least give them a prayer of a home game in the Knockout Round, and would close their regular season slate with two straight away wins against decent teams.

Bigger picture: There’s some identity stuff at play here. Portland have performed better recently in the 4-2-3-1 Gio Savarese scrapped way back in March, and another positive data point would be useful heading into the postseason.

Biggest picture: Soccer has often been termed as a “weak link” game – i.e., the herd can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. Who’s the weak link for Portland? Most often this year it’s been the center forward and one of the wingers. Jeremy Ebobisse, who seems to have locked down the No. 9 role, was excellent with 1g/2a in the two wins over RSL. This is so nice:

Andy Polo, who’s been mostly on the right wing, has only really been “functional.” Getting just a little bit of danger out of the guy – he has 1g/2a in 1600 minutes – would be nice.

Seattle Sounders vs. San Jose Earthquakes 4:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

At Stake for Seattle: It would be at least a little bit hilarious if, after the best half-season in MLS history, the Sounders figured out how to lose to the Quakes on the final day, at home, and cost themselves a home game in the Knockout Round. Win and get some help elsewhere and they could even avoid the Knockout Round entirely.

Given their institutional knowledge, their individual quality, their recent performance and Nico Lodeiro’s all-around greatness (this is now unmistakably his team), Seattle should probably be considered no worse than co-favorites in the West no matter what the result is here. But at the same time, they haven’t exactly been facing down murderer’s row since July.

At Stake for San Jose: Another chance to impress Matias Almeyda, who will be on hand and taking the game in with interest, I’m sure.

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I really, really like a bunch of San Jose’s not-so-young-anymore attackers. They’re all playing regular minutes now, and moments like this hold more than just promise:

#WondoWatch is still alive and well, too. A single goal and he equals Landon Donovan’s career mark; a brace and he’s the new all-time goals king.

I will be shocked if he gets that brace this weekend, but Seattle have been sloppy defending restarts lately. Don’t be shocked if Wondo pinches one.

LA Galaxy vs. Houston Dynamo 4:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & streaming info

At Stake for LA: They are mad at Bobby Warshaw in Sweden because he doesn’t believe Zlatan should be anywhere near the MVP race.

Anything less than the full three points, and the discussion becomes moot – the Galaxy will have missed the playoffs and Zlatan’s first season, despite his great stats, will be considered an on-field failure. If he puts together yet another commanding performance (he has 7g/3a in his last seven games), and leads the Galaxy to a win, and thus into the playoffs, and if Josef and Atlanta fall short in the Shield race… then Zlatan’s got a real argument.

This is literally a must-win for Zlatan, and for the Galaxy, and for interim head coach Dom Kinnear (who’s done a nice job of simplifying the team shape and tipping some expensively sacred cows on that backline).

There are bound to be a bunch of changes this offseason regardless, but if Kinnear Schmetzers this team to an MLS Cup title, he’ll probably get that “interim” tag removed. Everything’s a final from here on out for the Galaxy.

At Stake for Houston: Nothing much, and they’ve been playing like it sine winning the Open Cup. This team’s core is going to be back next year – hopefully with some defensive reinforcements – and their next game will be in the Concacaf Champions League. Going out on a high note would be nice, but what would be nicer is making sure nobody gets injured and that they get through a game without a colossal defensive error.

One More Thing to Ponder

Go check out the Slow Mo Guys on Youtube.

Happy weekending, everybody.

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The Winning 11 Pick ‘Em’

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Armchair Analyst: What's at stake across the league on Decision Day was originally published on 365 Football

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