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LA Galaxy’s Edson Buddle Steals New York Red Bulls’ Wings in 1-0 Victory

August 15th, 2010

The energy drink Red Bull, based off a Thai formula of the same name, is known for its slogan, "Red Bull gives you wings."

Unfortunately for the New York Red Bulls, it was the Los Angeles Galaxy's Edson Buddle who stole the wings and helped the visitors fly away from Harrison, New Jersey's Red Bull Arena to the tune of a 1-0 victory.

Finally, Los Angeles supporters can breathe easily. The best team in Major League Soccer is playing like the best team in Major League Soccer.

And lo and behold, speak of the pink cow: the Galaxy backline did something right for once. The 25,000 who came out to the Red Bull Arena on Saturday can't say that they didn't see this one coming: the defense ending its slump of poor form and horrid results.

Never mind that Thierry Henry, Rafa Marquez and Juan Pablo Angel underimpressed against their distinguished guests. Bad breaks off the volleys combined with a plethora of offside calls made this nothing short of a miserable night out.

This is a Red Bull side that was hoping to utilize Henry as a boost to New York's chances. Ultimately, it was nothing more than a sad foil to Buddle's 13th goal of the season.

I don't believe Buddle will catch Roy Lassiter's career mark for the most goals this season (and once again, I blame Bob Bradley and the FIFA World Cup for this), but he may get second-most all-time, so we'll have to wait and see.

But this is a game where I have to tip my hat to the Galaxy backline without a doubt.

After matches upon matches of inepititude and poor form, the combo of Sean Franklin, A.J. De La Garza, Omar Gonzalez and Gregg Berhalter pulled it all together. I was very impressed with Gonzalez's dispossessions.

Chris Birchall will also get some plus points from yours truly with his defensive abilities and clearance skills. Perhaps this is why he's still in the lineup as a central defending midfielder. Hah. I see what you did there, Bruce.

By the way, Arena was not on the sidelines due to recovery from a viral infection, but he did speak to the players at the break. That's recovery right there. More on Bruce Almighty later on the ins-and-outs.

The Galaxy had their best chance to break open the scoring early in the second half, when Buddle whiffed on an easy tap from Landon Donovan in the 50th minute.

Six minutes later, the Galaxy were stumbling on the pitch and had a golden opportunity to get a second past Bouna Coundoul.

And in the 77th, Buddle was just a fraction offsides. This is a team that is improving on their perfection of the offsides trap, but it needs a bit more polishing.

Needless to say, the Galaxy needed this victory. I can't stress this any further. With the likes of the Columbus Crew and Real Salt Lake pressuring the G's, it was important that the defense awaken, and that's what this backline did.

And for their efforts, three points and a successful Red Bull wing heist courtesy of the wingman donning the No. 14 of the Los Angeles Galaxy.

 

INS AND OUTS:

 

Streaker on the field

What would a sporting event be without a streaker running down the field unannounced in the 89th minute of play? But that's exactly what happened down at the Red Bull Arena.

I wouldn't be surprised the least bit if his facebook profile is inundated with requests to add [insert random flack's name] to his Friends list.

Well done earning you fifteen seconds of shame, young man...

 

The Next Three Matches

I will take this time first to apologize for not posting this in my recent Play-By-Play. It's customary for me to indicate the next three matches involving the Galaxy and their opposition. So here it goes.

The Galaxy will conclude their recent road sojourn with the second leg of the 2010 California Clasico against the San Jose Earthquakes at Buck Shaw Stadium on August 21. They will then return to the Home Depot Center for an August 28 contest with the Kansas City Wizards before a September 4 trip to Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois to face the Chicago Fire.

As for the Red Bulls, they will travel to BMO Field to face Toronto FC next Saturday, host the San Jose Earthquakes on August 28 and hit the road against Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium on September 4.

 

Call him "Bruce Hall of Fame Almighty"

Galaxy manager Bruce Arena was named on Tuesday to the National Soccer Hall of Fame at the New Meadowlands Stadium.

Arena was named to the Hall of Fame alongside Kyle Rote, Jr., Thomas Dooley and Predrag "Preki" Radosavljevic. Paul Gardner of Soccer America earned the Coline Jose Media Award for his work as a columnist.

Preki's U.S. career included the game-winning goal against Brazil in the 1998 Gold Cup semifinals only months he represented the USA at the World Cup in France.

Dooley was a Bundesliga standout when he joined the U.S. national team in 1992. He played every minute of the USA’s four matches as a midfielder at the 1994 World Cup and captained the USA four years later in France.

Rote was the only American-born player to lead the NASL in scoring. He won the made-for-television ABC Wide World of Sports Superstars competition in three out of the four years he competed, making soccer relevant in the eyes of many during the heyday of the NASL.

“I’m very appreciative of the recognition," said Arena on Tuesday. "It’s a diverse class, for sure. Kyle Rote and I are about the same age and we grew up actually with similar backgrounds.

"We started in the game so late and then you have Preki and Dooley who obviously learned their trade in other countries and have come here to help build the game. So it’s really a diverse and unique class and a class I’m proud to be a part of."

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Posted in Juan Pablo Angel, Landon Donovan, MLS, New York, Opinion, Soccer, Thierry Henry, World Football, los angeles galaxy

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Rogers Cup Presented by National Bank: Women’s Draw Preview and Analysis

August 15th, 2010

Rogers Cup—Montreal, Canada

After gauging and tweaking their hard-court skills during the Cincinnati event in Ohio, the ladies of the WTA Tour will make their yearly trek to Rogers Cup in Montreal.

With the US Open rapidly approaching, the Montreal event will once again become a pivotal indicator toward choosing the favorites for the year's final Grand Slam. With both Williams sisters sidelined due to injury, the 56-player field will be carried by Jelena Jankovic, and No. 2 seed Caroline Wozniacki.

While the top-seeded Serb exited Cincinnati after a disappointing quarterfinal exit to Akgul Amanmuradova, Wozinacki was bounced from the event in the third round (in convincing fashion no less) by Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli. The dynamic top two seeds will descend to Montreal with the intention of reaching the weekend's festivities, and gain ideal preparation for the US Open.

Canadian representation will also be out in full force in Montreal. Led by Canada's top-ranked player Alexandra Wozniak, the field will also include Valerie Tetreault and Stephanie Dubois. Wozniak will be returning to action from an injured wrist, and the world No. 53 will face Swiss player Timea Bacsinszky in her opening hurdle. Tetreault and Dubois will also have stern opening round matches against No. 17 seed Bartoli and Klara Zakopalova, respectively.

With $350,000 in prize money, and 900 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour points on the line, let's now take a look at the top and bottom halves of the 56-women field.

 

Top Half

Tumbling out of Cincinnati earlier than she would have liked, top seed Jankovic was given a difficult quarter to say the least. Starting off against either Sara Errani or a qualifier, Jankovic could face either Nadia Petrova or No. 17 seed Bartoli in the third round.

Struggling to win her first match in Cincinnati over Vera Dushevina, Jankovic was out-aced and out-gunned by Akgul Amanmuradova in the round of 16. Jankovic has been inconsistent off of her serve as of late, and that has resulted in a lack of confidence in her groundstrokes.

Other dangerous players in Jankovic's quarter will include Victoria Azarenka, Maria Kirilenko, and Na Li.

Azarenka began her summer with a much needed win in California, while Kirilenko and Li will attempt to recapture the form that they obtained at the Australian Open in January.

Azarenka did suffer a first-round loss to Ana Ivanovic in Ohio, and could have a tough first-round tussle against Kateryna Bondarenko. If anything, Kateryna's plans of advancing deep in the tournament were given a roadblock with a potential third-round match against her sister Alona.

Kirilenko will enter Montreal off of two straight second-round losses, while Li will look to improve on her 12-9 hard-court record on the season. The flamboyant Chinese woman has never been afraid to express herself, either through body art or her wrecking ball backhand. Coming in as the No. 9 seed, Li could find herself in the final weekend based on her hard-court proficiency.

Reigning US Open champ Kim Clijsters returned to action in Cincinnati last week in resounding form. Using her off-the-rise ball-striking to advance to the weekend's festivities, Clijsters' hard-court dominance should continue in Montreal. The Belgium was granted a relatively smooth road to the semifinals, with struggling American Melanie Oudin as a potential second-round opponent.

Oudin stole the hearts of everyone in New York last year by reaching the quarterfinals of the US Open, but she hasn't made it past the second round of a Tour event since April. Her flat-hit forehand still provides a level of concern for her opponents, but there's no question that her confidence is subpar at the moment.

Shahar Peer and Yanina Wichmayer also lurk as potential adversaries for Clijsters, but No. 8 seed Vera Zvonareva remains the Belgium's toughest opponent in this quarter.

The Wimbledon finalist was ousted from the third round of Cincinnati by Flavia Penneta, but should round into form on the quicker hard courts in Montreal.

In a truly loaded top half, where upsets can take place in any round, Na Li and Zvonareva should have enough in the tank to persevere through the field.

With that being said, Zvonareva could be ready to make some serious noise heading into the US Open based on her willingness to win and clean-ball striking.

Holding entertainment value to the fullest, look for the temperamental Russian to become the surprise of the week.

Pick: Zvonareva

 

Bottom Half

No one ever said that playing in Montreal would be easy. No. 2 seed Wozniacki could find that out the hard way with the draw she was dealt. Facing either a qualifier or French veteran Virginie Razzano in the second round, Wozniacki would bump heads with either Daniela Hantuchova, Alisa Kleybanova, or Pennetta in the third round.

Pennetta became one the hottest players entering the US Open last year, showcasing her wily Italian flair on the hard courts of North America. Pennetta hasn't provided that same kind of form during this year's US Open Series, but she still remains a formidable foe for the top players.

Hantuchova has arguably plateaued in her talents, but that does not negate the fact the she still provides enough reach and pop on her shots to become a factor. Hantuchova does have three career hard-court titles to her name, and will face Pennetta in the first round.

Currently ranked No. 27 in the world, Kleybanova will look to inflict her devastating ground game on the watchful field. Reaching the semifinals in Toronto last year, Kleybanova proved that her fitness was in check by battling through a grueling three-hour win over Jankovic in the quarterfinals.

Holding a distinctive head snap as she hits her forehand, Kleybanova possesses more than enough firepower to advance deep in Montreal.

Maria Sharapova, Francesca Schiavone, and Dinara Safina will also highlight Wozniacki's quarter.

Sharapova, who has been playing better as of late, battles Tomas Berdych's girlfriend Lucie Safarova in the first round. Fighting through a multitude of injuries throughout the years, Sharapova finally appears healthy on her beloved hard courts.

However, the same cannot be said for Schiavone and Safina. Both players have enjoyed great success throughout their careers—most notably Schiavone's shocking French Open victory this year—but both players have struggled to gain any sort of momentum on the hard courts this season. Safina hasn't advanced past the second round of any tour event since April, while Schiavone has only captured one match win since Roland Garros.

I think it's safe to that Safina and Schiavone's struggles will continue in Montreal.

The top quarter of this half will feature No. 7 seed Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 11 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, No. 16 seed Aravane Rezai, and No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva.

Radwanska was defeated in the third round of Cincinnati last week, and would likely face Anabel Medina Garrigues in the second round. Radwanska possesses a lot of fire power for her relatively light frame, and backed up her power quotient by reaching the finals of the Mercury Insurance Open.

Kuzentsova suffered a crushing defeat to Sharapova last week, and the two-time Grand Slam champ will be keen on holding her own in Montreal. Winning one title this year, the 25-year-old Russian faces Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in her first hurdle.

Rezai will feel at home in the French speaking city, and her intense and well-versed game could be in line for a deep showing. Slated to meet Dementieva in the third round, Rezai would likely have to defeat Petra Kvitova, and Jie Zheng to set up that encounter.

Dementieva, who was ousted early in Cincinnati, arrives in Montreal as the defending champ. Defeating Sharapova in last year's final, Dementieva has captured one title in 2010. The Russian's serve as improved vastly over the past 12 months, and her forehand and backhand groundstrokes are some of the best in the business.

Dementieva has looked a little shaky in recent weeks, and missed Wimbledon due to injury. Taking her recent lack of match play into account, I'd say that a title defense will be difficult to achieve.

In saying that, Wozniacki is exactly the type of player that knows how to take advantage of an inconsistent and fatigued field. With Sharapova and Clijsters reaching the weekend in Cincinnati, their success in back-to-back weeks will be tough to duplicate.

Wozniacki, though, is in need of a good showing heading into New York. The flashy Dane remains adamant on proving that her finals march at Flushing Meadows last year was the real deal, and she'll be eager to get that train started in Montreal.

Expect a lot upsets along the way, but Wozniacki's unbreakable groundstrokes should last until the final Sunday.

Pick: Wozniacki

Champion: Wozniacki



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Posted in Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Jankovic, Kim Clijsters, Preview/Prediction, Tennis, US Open (Tennis)

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Should Reggie Bush Have Apologized to USC?

August 14th, 2010

New Orleans Saints running back, and former USC standout, Reggie Bush issued an apology to new Athletic Director Pat Haden.

Well, sort of.

Even though reports have circulated that Bush issued an apology, according to Haden he didn’t receive one.  During the 15 minute phone conversation with Bush, Haden said he was contrite but not apologetic.  Haden issued the following statement to the LA Times, "Never did he say I'm sorry or I apologize. Never did he say, 'I lied to the NCAA or I took stuff.'"

Haden continued: "I would say it was conversation of him being contrite, but not an apology."

Here’s what Bush had to say about shaming the university, "Obviously, it does, but at the end of the day it is what it is," Bush said. "All I can really do now is focus on the New Orleans Saints and just try to move on. It bothers me and it sucks. The whole situation is terrible and nobody feels worse about it than I do."

Bush continued: "But, at the same time, I can't dwell on the negatives because I do have a job to do and I have a whole organization and a city riding on my back, not necessarily my back, but the team's back."

There’s more. 

Apparently, Bush isn’t allowed back on the campus where he displayed his greatness.  Haden stated, "I wish I could ask Reggie to come talk to our football team. I can't. He's not allowed on the campus. But I think he would tell them what a big mistake he made and how sorry he is."

We know Bush was on the take at USC in 2004 and 2005.  It was revealed he pocketed over $300,000 and received a lavish car.  Bush’s parents were living in a $700,000 home and received money to travel to his away games.

What Bush did is cited as the reason why USC got popped with four years of probation and a two year bowl ban, among other things.

Should Bush have apologized to Haden?

Apologized for what?

If I were Bush, instead of apologizing, I would have been a man and put my name on it.  I would have said what many athletes are afraid to say, that student athletes should be paid. 

Bush should have issued the following, “Yeah, I was on the take. Now what?  It wasn’t fair to me, being the big man on campus, generating millions, and I couldn’t get any of it."

He should have concluded with, “I was on the take because my family needed it. I was on the take because the NCAA, my coach, and the university were getting their pockets lined.  I got tired of seeing my jerseys all over California, and not seeing a cent from that merchandising revenue.  In essence the system forced me to take the money.”

USC was getting rich off of Bush’s talents, the head coach had a huge contract, and fans were wearing his jersey.  Meanwhile Bush had a scholarship for an opportunity to receive an education.

Who was getting the better end of the deal here?

This isn’t about Bush taking money.  This is about everyone around Bush profiting from his ability to play football except him.  It’s about college athletes all over the country getting treated like modern day slaves. 

It’s about coaches like Rick Pitino having sex outside his marriage and embarrassing the University of Louisville, yet not getting disciplined by the campus president.

It’s about the likes of John Calipari, who has two Final Four appearances wiped off the books, in 1996 at UMass and 2007 at Memphis, cashing big checks at Kentucky. Despite these blatant violations, he was not disciplined by the NCAA for his actions.

You have players like Bush who took money being blasted by the media.  Then the big bad NCAA suspends Dez Bryant last season for having a meal with former NFL star Deion Sanders.

Give me a break.

Let’s be real.  Bush was playing in front of 100,000 strong at the Coliseum.  He trots on the field to see tons of No. 5 jerseys of which he cannot reap any rewards from.  He’s being coached by a man who is making millions of dollars.  He’s driving around in a beat up car and his parents are struggling.

If athletes are responsible for creating huge sums of revenue, they should have access to some of the dough.  Athletes should receive a stipend that acknowledges their efforts. 

No longer can the NCAA ignore this problem and blame everyone except themselves.  For a non profit entity, it’s sure rolling in the dough.  Yet the NCAA continually upholds and enforces archaic legislation that prohibits athletes from getting a piece of the pie.

Meanwhile everyone is quick to point the finger at Bush. 

What about Pete Carroll? 

Carroll saw what was about to go down at USC.  That’s why he bolted up north to coach in the NFL.  He’s smiling and still earning millions of dollars, yet the media is hammering Bush.  If the media wants to hammer Bush that’s fine, but sock it to Carroll as well. 

Blast the guy who was in charge of the program.  Ask him the tough questions about what was going on and induce him to apologize as well.

Bottom line: The system needs to be changed. Pay the players so they won’t have to apologize for being on the take.

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Posted in College Football, Opinion, Reggie Bush, USC Football

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Tiffany Removed From Smackdown Openning: On the Brink of Being Released?

August 14th, 2010

Hello Buzzers, Buzz is back with some major news.

I'm sure by now, you're all aware that WWE Diva Tiffany (Taryn Terrell) has been suspended by WWE due to a domestic issue with her real-life husband, Drew McIntyre (Drew Galloway).

After checking various sources, I was able to gather the following info:

Tiffany was arrested at 8:00 AM on Sunday, 8/8 in West Los Angeles, California, after being charged with a misdemeanor against her husband, Drew McIntyre. She was released on $20,000 bail at 4:55 PM later that afternoon.

Tiffany is scheduled for a hearing on September 2 at LA Municipal Court, Division 141.

Her lawyers believe she will be cleared of all charges.

After this incident, WWE suspended Tiffany, and many believe the suspension will remain until she is officially cleared.

However, it seems that this is not over yet.

I recently learned that all her images were removed from the Smackdown opening video and replaced by shots of Michelle McCool and MVP.

I'm not trying to anticipate events, but one may definitely think that this might be a sign to an inevitable release, which would only leave us with three active divas (Michelle McCool, Layla, Kelly Kelly), two valets (Serena, Rosa Mendes) and one inactive diva due to injury (Beth Phoenix).

Say whatever you want about her, but Tiffany was looking decent in the ring. She seems to know the basics of wrestling and only needed some practice. Her matches against Layla and McCool were better than Kelly's matches. Furthermore, we all witnessed her mic skills during her time as the GM of the now defunct ECW.

Of course, I'm not saying that she's great compared to other talented divas, but I think her suspension will harm the already damaged Smackdown Divas' Division.

So what do you think? Are we about to witness Tiffany's release? Or will she return with her Smackdown shots once officially cleared from all charges?

Only time will tell us.

Sources: lordsofpain.net, pwinsider.com, diva-dirt.com, 411mania.com, wrestlezone.com

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Posted in Beth Phoenix, Breaking News, Layla, Michelle McCool, Opinion, Preview/Prediction, Pro Wrestling, WWE, kelly kelly

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Fat Los Angeles Fighter Chris Arreola Will Win By Third KO Tonight

August 14th, 2010

"Nightmare" Cristobl Arreola will fight Manuel "El Torro" Quezada tonight for the vacant WBC FECOMBOX heavyweight title at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. 

Arreola, (28-2, 25 KOs) a resident of nearby Riverside and an absolutely disgusting physical specimen, will battle Quezada (29-5, 18 KOs) on ESPN2 "Friday Night Fights" program at 10 PM EST.

Arreola, 31, last fought on April 24th when he was defeated by Poland's Tomasz Adamek by majority decision for the IBF international heavyweight title at the same venue. 
Arreola possesses solid ring skills and frightening power in both of his fists.
Sadly, instead of honing his natural gifts and using them wisely, Arreola has pathetically allowed his physique to resemble "Fat Joe's" and he has happily squandered the bulk of his potential as a prizefighter.
"It infuriates me when I see a pro athlete look like Arreola," said Brad Sherwood, 30, a resident of South Boston who is a personal trainer at Gold's Gym in Medford. "He gets paid to workout!"
To realize how much Arreola's stock has plummeted in only a year, remember that just last September he was undefeated and challenging Vitali Klitschko for the WBC heavyweight title.
Now 11 months later, he is competing on ESPN2 for the coveted (pun intended) WBC FECOMBOX crown.
If Arrreola had any determination or work ethic whatsoever, he could be a legitimate force as a prizefighter.
Sadly, he doesn't and he is a disgrace to all professional athletes.
Nevertheless, despite his hideous build and utter indifference, Arreola will easily emerge victorious over Quezada by knockout within three rounds in a few hours strictly due to his talents.

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Posted in Boxing, Opinion

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