Crew not worried by Rogers' drought

COLUMBUS -- Columbus Crew second-year forward Robbie Rogers would rather take the sum of his season's work and not his current goalless streak in MLS play that has reached eight games.

Apparently so do the fans, media, coaches and general managers who voted him to the Pepsi MLS All-Star Game First XI this week.

"I'm a midfielder. I have five goals midway through the season. I'll take that in a year," said Rogers, who had three goals in 10 games as a rookie. "I haven't scored in the last few games but we've been playing pretty well. If we keep getting points I don't care."

Neither does his coach, who likes the way the former University of Maryland standout has created scoring chances for others with his speed and deft dribbling on the left flank.

"I'm not worried about him as long as he continues to play with a forward mind, continue to go at forwards and create things," said Schmid. "You look at the game against LA (June 21) where he draws a penalty kick and sets up the goal off the free kick. Those are as valuable as goals."

Schmid also noted that Rogers has scored in non-league matches, most recently Wednesday against Independiente of Argentina.

"He also had one against Salt Lake in an Open Cup game. In England they like to count all competitions so based upon that he's done all right," the coach said. "If he's a wide midfielder and he's getting somewhere between eight and 12 goals in a season it's going to be very good. We expect to get five more goals from him in the second half even if it's going to be shortened possibly a little bit if he's on the Olympic team."

The Crew start the second half of the season Saturday at Real Salt Lake, riding a 2-0-2 stretch in which they have scored 10 goals. They might have to do without Rogers for long periods if he is named next week to the U.S. Olympic team that will compete in China in August.

"I've put a lot of work into it. To represent my country in the Olympics would be an amazing feeling. We'll see how it goes," he said.

No one could accuse him of not being ready for the rigors of the tournament if he's selected.

While Crew forwards Alejandro Moreno and Guillermo Barros Schelotto are tied for the league lead in fouls suffered with 40, Rogers is not far behind at 36.

"At first I was getting frustrated but I've experienced that now and it's not affecting me as much. I try to prepare for it, too, if it does happen," Rogers said.

Some of the fouls are his own doing because his quickness forces defenders to grab at him from behind. Others are meant to send a message.

"Sometimes the teams are playing against him in a much more aggressive manner," Schmid said. "In the Chicago game he got fouled twice within 30 seconds so you've got to feel that's a little bit of an intimidation tactic.

"He responded well to that. He's been able to deal with tackles, continue to play. It hasn't taken away his appetite for the game. That's important. It's a sign of respect and as the other teams focus more and more on him it opens up space for other people."

Moreno, who leads the club with six goals, knows the value of having Rogers involved in the attack.

"If he gets fouls around the box in dangerous situations then it's useful for us. What's important for us is he's not getting contact around the middle of the field; that does nothing for us," Moreno said. "But if he is threatening and getting behind the defenders and forcing the defenders to make decisions around the box or in the box then it's going to put them in difficult situations.

"The more he does that to press the issue the better off he is and the better off we are as a team. When he's running in the box and forcing defenders to chase him and make decisions it frees up me and Guillermo. Even if he doesn't get a shot, even if he gets a cross off that extra step Guillermo or I might get could allow us to get the ball into the back of the net."

Still, the Crew need Rogers to score in MLS action again.

"It's also important that he is scoring goals because it also allows us another goal-scoring threat and allows for me and Guillermo to have more space and it really makes us a more dynamic team," Moreno said.

Rogers is trying. He is third in the league in shots (46) and tied for fourth with 24 shots on goal.

"He's doing OK. Goals come and go," said Moreno. "For a while it seemed like they were coming in spurts for him. It's a matter of continuing to do what he is doing and he will continue to get chances. A couple of games ago against Colorado if perhaps he made better decisions he scores a couple of goals, but if he continues to get in those situations I'm confident enough he'll score." He may get some chances Saturday because the Rice-Eccles Stadium artificial turf has no give. Rogers could use his speed to get on the end of some quick through balls out of the midfield. Salt Lake has used the field to its advantage for a 4-0-5 home record.

"It's a really tough field; fast, hard turf," he said. "They're used to it so it really benefits them. We got a tie there last year. We're sure hoping to be the first team to beat them there. We have to go in with the same attitude -- positive with a lot of energy."

For the second week in a row the Crew will be involved in match that does not include the head coach. On July 5, Crew assistant Robert Warzycha was in charge against Chicago while Schmid attended his daughter's wedding.

Saturday, Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis starts a two-game suspension for his comments about the officiating. Assistant Robin Fraser, who played for Schmid in Los Angeles before being trade to Columbus in 2004, will help guide the team.

"It's just like when Robert coached," Schmid said. "I'm sure Jason is setting the game plan and put everything in place. They're at home so he'll be there in the locker room all the way up to the game. He just can't shout out while the game is going on."

Revs start SuperLiga with win

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Revolution captured their first-ever SuperLiga game with a 1-0 victory against 10-man Santos Laguna on Sunday evening at Gillette Stadium.

Juan Pablo Rodriguez's elbow to Sainey Nyassi's head late in the first half gave the Revs a numerical advantage. It took until the 70th minute for Kheli Dube to give New England the lead on the scoreboard after Nyassi cut down the byeline and pulled his pass back for the Zimbabwean striker to tuck inside the far post.

The Revolution earned their win by pressing the tempo early and utilizing Nyassi's pace down the right side to unsettle the Mexican champions. The win marked the Revs' first competitive victory against a foreign opponent at Gillette Stadium and extended the team's unbeaten streak to five matches in all competitions.

Revolution head coach Steve Nicol named a first-choice starting 11, but lost Taylor Twellman (hip flexor) and Mauricio Castro (groin) to injury. The injuries, and Santos' attacking fullbacks, meant the Revs lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with Amaechi Igwe playing left back and Kheli Dube starting alongside Kenny Mansally at forward.

Santos Laguna selected a 4-4-2 formation designed to allow its fullbacks to surge up into the attack. Fernando Arce anchored the midfield, while veteran 'keeper Oswaldo Sanchez captained the side. Former Manchester City striker Matias Vuoso and Oribe Peralta comprised the strike force; Ecuadorian forward Christian Benitez was named among the substitutes.

The home side started on the front foot, perhaps catching the Mexican champions off guard with their pace on the flanks. Composed midfield passing at pace ruled in midfield as the Revs sought to dictate the tempo. Shalrie Joseph's blast over the bar, after a surging run from Steve Ralston, served to note New England's attacking intent.

Angel scores in first start since June

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Ninety minutes. Ninety minutes was what New York Red Bulls striker Juan Pablo Angel wanted out of the match against the Kansas City Wizards. He got that and more.

Angel started for the first time since June 5, a span of five games, which also the last time he scored a goal. Angel scored the lone goal for the Red Bulls, but despite some intense pressure in the final minutes, they couldn't get a second as the Wizards claimed a 2-1 win.

"I feel a little better today," Angel said. "I'm just trying to get my match quickness back. It was good to get have ninety minutes under my belt."

Despite the loss, Angel's return, not only to the lineup, but also the scoresheet, is a positive foundation to build on for the club over the second half of the season, although the Red Bulls now sit in a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with the Wizards.

"I think it's good to see Juan is scoring," Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio said. "For the first time in the whole season Juan looked like himself today. Hopefully that's a very positive sign also. With him in good form plus the new players we'll be in good form."

Angel powerfully headed home his third goal of the year in the 71st minute, off a Dane Richards cross from the right flanks. He was just waiting for an opportunity on the attacking end.

"To be honest, we had a lot of crosses today," Angel said. "I was just begging to get on the end of one of those."

Angel's goal set the stage for a wild final 20 minutes that nearly saw the Red Bulls get a late tying goal. Angel looked dangerous to the end, despite his continued recovery from a hamstring injury.

"I think we fought today. It was a pretty scrappy game towards the end," Angel said.

It came down to inches for the Red Bulls at the end. A rocket of a shot by John Wolyniec bounded off the post. A header from Dave van den Bergh just missed, flying over the crossbar after an acrobatic tip by goalkeeper Kevin Hartman. "I think they tried to just defend in their end and try to counterattack," said Osorio. "I was pleased with the effort."

Coming off the 4-0 loss in Colorado last weekend, the Red Bulls again fell behind quickly, as Jimmy Conrad put them in a hole when he headed home a corner after just 11 minutes. The pregame talk specifically mentioned defending on set pieces.

"Obviously the first goal was off a set piece," said midfielder Seth Stammler. "That's something we talked about before the game. You hate to get burned on something you were well aware of and had been cautioned right before the game."

A new beginning is now in the offing for the club with a number of new additions to the squad. A few bounces of the ball going the Red Bulls way would help too.

"I was just saying to the guys that it doesn't seem we're getting any breaks now," Osorio said. "At the moment, we don't get any breaks from the game itself. Hopefully, we'll get all those legs when we need them the most. I think it will turn around at some point."

United edged in SuperLiga opener

WASHINGTON -- D.C. United and CD Guadalajara resumed their budding rivalry in the 2008 SuperLiga opener on Saturday night and once again the two tradition-laden clubs did not disappoint, producing a robust encounter that was edged by the Mexican side's opportunistic finishing -- and good fortune -- for a 2-1 Chivas victory in front of a passionate throng at RFK Stadium.

Omar Arellano and Gonzalo Pineda scored on either side of halftime before Luciano Emilio snatched a goal back -- as United missed a potential equalizing penalty kick and also hit the post twice.

The home side, missing injured Argentineans Marcelo Gallardo and Gonzalo Peralta, ran out a hybrid starting lineup featuring erstwhile reserves Rod Dyachenko and Craig Thompson in midfield, while Marc Burch took over Peralta's center back spot after performing well there during U.S. Open Cup action.

After chesting the ball down to his feet at the top of the D.C. penalty box, Chivas frontrunner Sergio Santana tested Zach Wells with a low right-footed drive in the fourth minute, but the United goalkeeper dropped to his right to make the save. Seconds later, a nice passing combination allowed Dyachenko to play Jaime Moreno into the Chivas box, only for the Bolivian to be denied by a last-ditch slide tackle. Eight minutes in, Moreno's gorgeous pass into space set up Emilio with a one-on-one against Jonny Magallon and the Brazilian made space with a hesitation move before lashing a left-footed shot past netminder Luis Ernesto Michel at the near post, only to watch the drive clang off the woodwork.

With their attacking-minded 3-4-3 alignment, the Mexicans were surging forward at every opportunity, even when it left space behind them -- and United looked willing to play their game, though it before long it got them into trouble, as Chivas caught them on a quick counterattack to grab a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute.

United had pushed well into their attacking end when the ball popped loose near the center circle, and Devon McTavish's premature slide tackle on Arellano allowed the Chivas forward to combine with Ramon Morales, leaving Clyde Simms behind the play as Arellano sprinted forward to latch on to his captain's return pass.

Another D.C. defender made a questionable decision as Bryan Namoff left his feet too early in his attempt to cut out the pass, leaving Arellano to walk in alone on Wells -- and the former CF Pachuca man coolly finished the chance, cutting past the United 'keeper and stroking home from a tight angle to give his team an early advantage.

The Guadalajara club's system thrives on the turnovers created by constant pressure on the opponent's rearguard, and on this occasion that approach had created something out of virtually nothing thanks to quick passing and intelligent movement off the ball.

Though the visitors continued to threaten as the half wore on, D.C. boss Tom Soehn decided to move McTavish alongside Simms in an effort to win more of the midfield battles, leaving Burch at the center of a three-man back line. Meanwhile, up top, Dyachenko had effectively ceded the playmaking duties to Moreno and pushed into a striker's role.

But the Russian-born 24-year-old would not get much of a chance to prove himself there as Soehn pulled him off at halftime in favor of the fleet-footed Francis Doe. On the other side, Chivas sat back in a surprisingly defensive posture for the second half, perhaps in recognizance of their MLS counterparts' superior fitness at this stage of the season.

Fred's gesticulating along the D.C. left hinted at United's growing urgency, and in the 56th minute the creative Brazilian combined with Moreno to begin a long string of passes that led to another great chance for the Black-and-Red.

A switch of play to the right side saw Emilio receiving the ball at the top of the Chivas box with his back to goal, and his flick to McTavish took a fortuitous deflection behind Magallon and sat up ideally for the West Virginia University graduate. But he, too, was denied by the post as his shot beat Michel but clipped off the inside of the upright, leaving a stunned McTavish holding his head.

Barely a minute later, Santana took an outlet pass at midfield and, seeing a moment of confusion between Burch and McTavish, surged past them with a burst of pace and aimed a shot for the top corner. Wells was ready with a sharp reaction save, though, parrying the effort away with his right paw.

The crowd's cheers turned to jeers just shy of the hour mark, however, as most of RFK's floodlights suddenly shut off, leaving the field in semi-darkness and forcing a 19-minute delay as the old stadium's lighting system powered back up again.

The match took on a more cagey tone when play resumed, though Chivas were too cagey for Costa Rican referee Walter Quesada's liking in the 67th minute. Santana looked to have picked Martinez's pocket at the top of the box, nipping in to steal possession and rip a thunderous finish past Wells -- but the 28-year-old had used his hand to win the ball and was swiftly carded by the man in the middle.

More controversy erupted in the 69th minute when the Mexican giants doubled their lead after a questionable foul was called on Simms when Arellano toppled over his leg some 25 yards out from the United goal. On the ensuing set piece, Gonzalo Pineda stepped up to whip a curling, dipping left-footed blast over the wall and into the net, with Wells unable to fling his right hand up to get a touch in time.

The Red-and-White fans in attendance went wild, but their MLS hosts responded with a superb solo effort from Emilio in the 76th minute. With his side probing around the Chivas box, the Brazilian muscled his way into position on Jose Antonio Olvera and took a pass from Namoff, then adeptly spun past his mark and stroked a shot between Michel's legs to cut the deficit to 2-1.

The contest took another intriguing turn within moments as Emilio used his strength to get the better of Olvera again, prompting the Chivas defender to tug him down as he ran onto Moreno's angled pass into the box. Quesada immediately pointed to the spot as the United fans took their turn to cheer, confident in the knowledge that all-time MLS scoring leader Jaime Moreno would step up to bury the penalty kick as usual.

But Michel guessed correctly, shuffling to his left to palm Moreno's bid away from the net and shock the RFK faithful, preserving Chivas' precarious lead and sparking chants of "portero!" from his team's partisans.

United would dominate possession in the final minutes, throwing everything they had at Michel's goal, but his Chivas teammates persevered despite tired legs and escaped with a 2-1 victory to maintain their advantage in the cross-border rivalry.

RSL to host 2009 MLS All-Star game

SALT LAKE CITY -- Real Salt Lake will have a chance to break in their new soccer stadium in style a season from now.

Major League Soccer president Mark Abbott announced on Wednesday that RSL will play host to the 2009 MLS All-Star Game in its soon to be completed stadium in Sandy. It will be the 14th all-star game for the league and its first in Utah.

A host of dignitaries were on hand for the announcement, including Real owner Dave Checketts and Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr.

For RSL and its supporters, hosting an MLS All-Star Game so quickly seems like a perfect cherry to top the often-turbulent efforts to fund and construct the stadium.

Huntsman, an ardent supporter in getting RSL public funds for its stadium early on, sees an event like this raising Utah's profile across the sporting landscape.

"From a sports promotion standpoint, this is another step up in proving the point we are in fact a world-class destination," Huntsman said.

Checketts had lobbied to host an all-star game since RSL began MLS play in 2005. A deciding factor in finally landing the bid, besides the new stadium, was the extensive fan support RSL has enjoyed in Utah.

"We chose to have the game here for a number of reasons," Abbott said. "One is the tremendously strong fan base that is in the Salt Lake area and in Utah. We've seen that in the years we've had the team here and we wanted to reward that fan base by having one of our jewel events in this community."

Jeff Robins, president of the Utah Sports Commission, estimates that hosting the MLS All-Star game will be worth $2 million to 4 million in economic impact alone for the state and pull in another $2 million in media value.

As the league has done for the past several seasons, the 2009 All-Star Game will match a team composed of the top MLS players against an elite international club. Which club will travel to Utah is still undetermined and an agreement will likely not be finalized until sometime early next year.

Checketts told reporters after the press conference that Real Madrid is a possibility for the MLS All-Star game based on their long-standing relationship with RSL. It isn't a sure thing, however, given that the club pulled out of an exhibition match originally scheduled for August 9 at Rice-Eccles Stadium earlier this summer.

A demanding schedule could make bringing Real Madrid to Utah in 2009 a long shot at best.

"That would be the first choice," Checketts said. "Those guys are so hard (to bring in). Their schedule and the things they do, that's going to be tough. It's a big wish."

Checketts is confident that the new stadium will prove a nice asset for RSL as it negotiates to bring higher profile international clubs to Utah for exhibition matches in the future.

"The one problem we have consistently at Rice-Eccles is people don't want to play on turf," Checketts said. "We'll have an easier time getting friendlies and getting big clubs here."

The All-Star Game will be broadcast on ESPN and Univision when it is held in either late July or early August next year. Soccer fans in nearly 100 countries are expected to tune in for the match when it is held.

MLS announces All-Star game First XI

Hoping to extend Major League Soccer's unbeaten run in All-Star games, MLS Deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis announced the First XI for this year's competition, which will feature the best of MLS against English Premier League side West Ham United at a sold-out BMO Field in Toronto on July 24.

"The league's pride is at stake," Gazidis said at the announcement, which was made in Toronto. "We see that in the way that our players approach this game. It's not approached simply as an opportunity to have fun. They want to win this game. It's been an important part of developing our U.S. player pool."

Making up the First XI, who were voted on by fans, players, coaches/general managers and the media are six players with all-star game experience and five first-year players, including Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham, who was the leading vote-getter among the fans, players and media. He was second only to teammate Landon Donovan in the overall vote.

Donovan, who is the MLS leading scorer with 11 goals, will be making his seventh MLS All-Star Game appearance.

"It's going to be sweet. I can't wait. I can't remember being this excited for an all-star game," Donovan said in a taped video response played after the selection. "A good team we're playing against, a very good team and I'm hoping, knock on wood. ... I want to play this year and I want to play with some of these guys around the league I watch and analyze."

The New England Revolution, which has a league-best 10-4-3 record, has the most First XI picks, with goalkeeper Matt Reis, defender Michael Parkhurst and midfielder Shalrie Joseph selected.

Reis, who has a 1.18 goals against average and five clean sheets, is making his fourth consecutive MLS All-Star Game appearance. It will be the third for Parkhurst, who was the MLS Defender of the Year in 2007.

The 24-year-old, who was the leading overall vote-getter among defenders, also scored one of the greatest goals of 2007 at BMO Field when he caught Toronto FC goalkeeper Kenny Stamatopoulos off his line and lofted a shot from before the halfway line.

Joseph, who has again been selected as the top defensive midfielder in MLS by his peers, was selected for his fifth consecutive All-Star Game. After Beckham, the Grenadian international out of Brooklyn, N.Y. received the second most votes from coaches/general managers.

The Columbus Crew, who currently sit in the second place in the Eastern Conference, had two players selected. Veteran right back Frankie Hejduk, who was the fans' leading vote-getter among defenders, was selected for his sixth All-Star Game in his eighth MLS season while midfielder Robbie Rogers, the youngest player selected at age 21, will get his first taste of the MLS All-Star Game.

"Toronto's an amazing place to play," said Rogers, who is second on Columbus with five goals. "It's always sold out. I played there during the [FIFA Under-20] World Cup and there were some great crowds. Playing there is always a joy."

Chicago Fire star Cuauhtémoc Blanco will also be making his first All-Star Game appearance. The former Mexican international, who was fourth overall in the voting, has four goals and is among the league leaders with seven assists.

Rounding out the defenders is another veteran as Jimmy Conrad, who is a big reason why Kansas City has league-best six shutouts, has been selected for the fifth consecutive year. The U.S. international has also matched his season-high with three goals.

Chivas USA's lone selection in the First XI is Sacha Kljestan, a rising star on the U.S. national team. In his third MLS season, the creative midfielder has a team-high five goals and will be making his first MLS All-Star Game appearance.

Joining Donovan up front is FC Dallas forward Kenny Cooper, who has bounced back from a broken leg in 2007 to score eight goals, good for fourth in MLS this season. This will be Cooper's first MLS All-Star Game.

The First XI is a diverse mix featuring three players who have captained their national teams in Beckham (England), Blanco (Mexico) and Joseph (Grenada) and ranges in age from 21 (Rogers) to 35 (Blanco).

The First XI is not necessarily the starting XI. That decision will be made by New England Revolution coach Steve Nicol, who will coach the MLS All-Stars for a second consecutive year. Nicol will choose from a pool that consists of the First XI, five players of his choosing and two selected by MLS Commissioner Don Garber. That announcement will be made July 15.

Among the players bidding to be selected are D.C. United forward Luciano Emilio, who is tied for second in the league with 10 goals and was the third favorite forward among the voters, Chicago goalkeeper Jon Busch, who has the best goals against average (0.93) in the league, Fire teammates Gonzalo Segares and Bakary Soumare, who were runners-up among defenders and a host of creative midfielders, including Canadian international Dwayne De Rosario from Houston, New England veteran Steve Ralston, Argentinean Guillermo Schelotto from Columbus and Toronto FC's Maurice Edu.

Fire eager to get off long slide

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- It was late May, and the Chicago Fire had just beaten the New York Red Bulls 5-1.

They were riding high, and were considered the most dangerous offensive team and the best defensive team in Major League Soccer. Fire coach Denis Hamlett was enjoying an embarrassment of riches on his roster, trying to find playing time for his deserving reserves when the starters were playing so well he couldn't find a reason to move them.

Then came June.

The Fire play their first MLS game of July on Saturday, when they face the Columbus Crew at Crew Stadium riding a 333-minute scoreless streak and a four-game winless streak (0-3-1) that has pushed them down into fifth place in the Eastern Conference, in a tie with the New York Red Bulls at 20 points. At 6-5-2, they are desperately close to falling out of the top eight spots in MLS and the playoff picture.

Their last two positive results have come in Open Cup play, and included a 3-2 overtime win against Columbus July 10 in Peoria, on the campus of Bradley University. They also won their round-of-16 match last Tuesday, 4-1 against the Cleveland City Stars of USL2.

Where one month ago Hamlett was talking about his deep roster and wondering how he was going to use all of his available talent, now he is talking about his deep roster as he tries to find someone who can put the ball in the back of the net in a league game.

The Fire's problem has not so much been on the defensive side, where they still stand as the league's best defense by a large margin, with 11 goals given up in 13 games (Kansas City has given up 16 in 13 games, the second best total.)

The problem has been on the offensive end, where they have not scored in a league game since losing 2-1 to D.C. United back on June 7.

"Things aren't going well," Fire midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco said. "We've got to look ahead."

In an attempt to shake things up against San Jose in their last MLS game, Hamlett put Andy Herron and Tomasz Frankowski on top in place of Chad Barrett, returning to a pair of strikers. Herron suffered a concussion after a failed bicycle kick and left the game after 16 minutes (Barrett substituted for him) and Chris Rolfe, who had been playing mainly wide on the right, came in at 65 minutes for Frankowski.

In Tuesday's Open Cup game, Rolfe and Barrett both started, but were eventually came off for Frankowski and rookie Patrick Nyarko. Herron is out for Saturday, as is midfielder Logan Pause (hip injury), and defenders Dasan Robinson (ankle injury) and C.J. Brown (hamstring injury). Hamlett's search for answers could bring him to start Calen Carr at forward, while Rolfe is likely to start while Pause is out.

Adding a complication for Hamlett is the schedule, which includes an Open Cup quarterfinal match against D.C. United on Tuesday. That is followed by a home game against Toronto FC next Saturday, and a home game against Real Salt Lake the following Saturday.

But, as Hamlett was quick to point out after Tuesday's Open Cup win, this is why a team wants depth at every position.

"We have a very good roster," Hamlett said. "This will be a test of our depth."