2013 UEFA Champions League Final - Predictions

Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League Final

An incredible 2012/2013 Champions league season is coming to a close with the Final set for Saturday, May 25th 2013.

The two teams who will compete in the final are Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.

Bayern was last years runner up, they lost to Chelsea in the final so they will certainly want to change that this year.

Dortmund have had a stellar Champions League campaign taking down one high ranking opponent after another. To reach the final, they had to beat Real Madrid in the Semis.

But the question is, who will win in the final, and claim the top prize in club soccer?

Predictions for 2013 Champions league Final

Dortmund vs Bayern

Bayern has clearly had the stronger season with a dominating performance not only in their home league, the Bundesliga, but also in the Champions League.

They put together one of the best performances over two legs ever seen in Champions League history, beating Barcelona 7-0 over two games. It was an astounding performance that put them immediately as the favorite.

Dortmund have also done very well in the Champions League, showcasing a young team that has plenty of attacking power and fast pace. Unfortunately  they will be missing at least one key player in the final, Gotze, who has a strained hamstring.

with all this information, it seems easy to predict that Bayern will have the advantage in the Final. But lets also look at Bayern's two key players on the wing; Robben and Ribery.

Both players have been very hungry, and appear to want to win more than ever before. Their combined performance against Barcelona boosted Bayern into another level.

One cannot discount Robert Lewandowski when talking about performances. He scored all 4 goals in Dortmund's 1st leg win over Real Madrid, which turned out to be all the goals they needed to reach the final.

With these high quality attacking players on both sides, it seems likely that each team will score. But I would predict Bayer to score more, with a final score of 3-1.

Prediction: Bayern 3-1 Dortmund

Leave a comment with your thoughts and predictions, and also check out our World Cup 2014 page.

Bayern vs Dortmund 2013 Champions League Final

The 2013 UEFA Champions League Final is Set

On May 25th 2013 Bayern Munich will face Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League Final.

The 2013 Champions League competition has been an exciting series of high stakes games for the top clubs in Europe.

It will now be an all German club final, with Dortmund and Bayern taking out the Spanish competition in the semifinal. Let's look a little closer at how the teams reached the final.

Reaching the Champions League Final

Bayern Munich faced Barcelona, and Dortmund played Real Madrid in the Semifinal, over a two leg competition.

The first game between Barcelona and Bayern Munich ended in a surprise 4-0 rout of Barcelona by Bayern Munich, and the second game followed in the same path, with Bayern winning 3-0 to go 7-0 on aggregate.

While some expected or predicted Bayern to win in the semi's, no one would have expected them to post such a high score over the two games. Their emphatic wins make them the favorite to win in the final on May 25th.

Dortmund, the other German club in the semifinals, had to face Real Madrid. Many thought Madrid would conquer Dortmund, simply because of their superior talent and experience. But the young Dortmund team surprised everyone with a massive 4-1 win in the first leg.

It proved just enough, as Madrid gave it a go and won the second leg 2-0 at home, but ended up losing the two leg competition 3-4 on aggregate.

Dortmund and Bayern Munich will now face each other in an all German club final that puts the Bundesliga's #1 team against the #2 team for the biggest price in Europe.

If this season is any indication of how the game will turn out, then Bayern should be the clear winner, already the German league winner with weeks to go in the season.

But, this may be Dortmund's chance to throw some dirt on Bayern's shiny season, and take the price for themselves.

In the end, 90 minutes will determine who is the Champions of Europe.

The match will take place on May 25th 2013 at Wembly stadium in London England. It will be live on Fox in the USA starting at 2pm Eastern time.

You don't want to miss this match.

Union Face Neighbors DC United on April 21st Live on ESPN2

The Philadelphia Union Face Nearby Rivals DC United in a Sunday Showdown

The game, which will be live on ESPN2, takes place at RFK Stadium in DC at a time when they really need points.

DC United currently sits in last place in the eastern conference with only one win, and one tie this season. They have been defeated 4 times already.

The Union are in the middle of the Eastern conference at 6th place with 8 points. This  is much better than last season already, and they have shown good signs of improvement.

What makes this game exciting is that it will not only be available on ESPN2 at 5pm E on Sunday April 21st, it is also a fast growing rivalry that will surly have some sparks, and perhaps more.

DC is often better known for its longer lasting rivalry with New York. But the fact that Philadelphia sits in the middle, makes them an instant rival for both teams.



This game will certainly be exciting and full of entertainment and drama.

World Cup Qualifying News - USA Gets Valuable Points

The USMNT Win at Home, Get Draw on the Road

The US Men's National Team gained four valuable points in their last two games of World Cup Qualifiers against Costa Rica and Mexico.

The qualification process in the Caribbean and North/Central American region consists of one group of six teams, where the top three advance to the world cup after a series of games between every team.

USA played Costa Rica on March 22nd 2013, at home in Denver and won 1-0 in blizzard conditions. Grounds people worked throughout the entire game at keeping lines clear so the game could go on. At every stoppage of play, workers ran onto the field with snow shovels to clear the important lines. It was a game to remember because of the incredible conditions.

If you missed that game, you can still watch the highlights of America's snowy win over Costa Rica on YouTube.

After that crucial home win over Costa Rica, The Americans had the difficult task of going to Mexico and trying to get points against the very good Mexican national team. To put it into perspective, in all the World Cup qualifying matches USA had played in Mexico, they had never won, and only even tied Mexico once!

But in that now historic game played on March 26th, 2013, the US Men's National Team got a wonderful 0-0 tie, grabbing a valuable road point.

Current Standings for the USA and others after Three Games

This puts the USMNT in 3rd place in a very tight table. But four points in three games is not bad as long as they continue to win at home, and get points here and there on the road. The US will play next in June, so look forward to those games in the future on the road to World Cup 2014!

USMNT Head Into World Cup Qualifiers Minus Key Starters

The USMNT Will Be Missing Several Important Players for their Upcoming Games
As two big World Cup Qualification games loom just days away, the US team is forced to go without several key players.

The US will take on Costa Rica on Friday, Match 22, and Mexico on Tuesday, March 26th in two key games for World Cup 2014 qualifications.

Unfortunately for the US, they will be without a handful of their usual starters, including Carlos Bocanegra and Goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Howard, who has been a vital part of the USMNT for several years and a major reason for several of their recent big wins, suffered a back injury but is expected to return for his club, Everton, in early April.

This leaves a gap between the goal posts for US coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who choose Brad Guzan as the replacement.

Guzan is an easy pick to replace the missing Howard, as his high level of play have been on display at Aston Villa, where he is the starting 'keeper, and gaining a fair amount of positive attention.

But the question will remain as the US takes on Costa Rica and Mexico, is there enough depth to get points out of these games, especially the must win against Costa Rica?

The USMNT will play Costa Rica on Friday, March 22nd at 10:30 EST Live on ESPN.

Don't miss out on cheering them on!

World Cup 2014 - First Hexagonal Matches Played

USMNT Losses in First Hexagonal Match for World Cup 2014 Qualification 

The Caribbean, North and Central American qualification group for World Cup 2014 has been narrowed down to just 6 teams who will battle it out to qualify for the upcoming World Cup.

On February 6th, 2013, the first match in this final stage of qualification was played as the US went south to play Honduras.

Honduras came back from a goal down to beat the US 2-1 and gain 3 valuable points in the group.

Clint Dempsey got his 31st career goal for the USMNT in the first half, giving the Americans a 1-0 lead. But that lasted only minutes as Honduras tied the game just before halftime. 

In the second half, Honduras managed to grab another goal, which proved enough to win the game for them.

Although this was not a good start for World Cup Qualifications, this was only the first of a number of games to be played over the next 6 months to determine who will advance from the group.

World Cup 2014 Qualification Standings after Match 1 for the Hexagonal:

Standings for Hexagonal World Cup Qualifiers 

While the USA does sit at the bottom with zero points, they are fortunate that both Mexico vs Jamaica, and Panama vs Costa Rica ended in draws, leaving only Honduras with a full 3 points.

The US will play Costa Rica next at the end of Match, followed by a game against Mexico a week later.

With a their first game ending in a disappointing loss, the US will have to work very hard to win their next few matches or else face an even more dismal situation; not qualifying for World Cup 2014.

New Women's League to Start in US

A New Women's League will Start in March or April of this Year

After a year with no women's league in the USA, it is coming back stronger than ever.

Many people are concerned that a women's soccer league will fail yet again, this is the third attempt after all. But changes in the new league lead me to believe it will gain a foothold in a burgeoning US soccer market and fill a niche for young female athletes.

The MLS is showing signs of slow, but powerful growth in its fan-base and attendance to games. And with the popularity of US Women's national team, it is probable that fans will attend the games and support the league.

But the new women's league will also serve a much higher purpose.

A Domestic Soccer League is Vital for National Team Success

Impressively, the US Women's soccer team has won many of their games and major tournaments over the last few years despite the loss of the domestic league in 2011.

The countries that have seen the biggest improvement in the their female soccer teams are countries with domestic women's soccer leagues. Japan, Sweden and Germany are three great examples of teams that are, and will, challenge the US Women.

In order for the US Women to continue to dominate their sport, they must have a developmental domestic league to bring up new talent. And that is exactly what the new league will do for not only the US, but Mexico and Canada.

So with the US, Mexican, and Canadian soccer organizations invested in the new women's league, it appears to have the best chance to become a strong, self supporting league for the future.

I shall certainly be supporting them in the coming season, and especially when Philadelphia gets a team.

MLS News for 2013 Season

Transfers News and Schedule for 2013 Season

As most players enjoy a break from soccer, the coaches are still hard at work negotiating and navigating the tricky transfer market.

One of the biggest news stories this off season is the return of Sébastien Le Toux to the Philadelphia Union. In an odd situation last year Le Toux was traded away from the Union despite being the teams highest scorer over the last two season.

After a season playing for Vancouver and then New York, the Union fired their head coach Peter Novak, and brought in John Hackworth who started the wheels turning to get Le Toux back.

The Union had a rather dismal 2012 season which saw them add several good players, but lack a center forward. Bringing Sébastien Le Toux back to the team not only makes the fans happy, it also gives the Union a target center forward with a goal scoring track record.

Home Game Openers for 2013 Announced

The schedule, and more importantly the home game openers for next season, have been announced by the MLS.

All teams will play at home no later than week 4, with most teams getting their home opener in the first or second week.

The Philadelphia Union will have their home opener on March 2nd, one of the first games of the 2013 season. They will face Sporting KC in what will certainly be a test to see if the Union have made improvements since last year.

While waiting for the 2013 season to get underway, many may be interested in the Preseason schedule

More MLS News coming soon!.

The MLS Cup 2012 - Last game for Beckham

Beckham confirms that the MLS Cup 2012 will be his Last at the Galaxy

Super soccer star David Beckham has had a great run in the MLS while playing for LA. Several seasons of hard work culminated last year when the Galaxy won the 2011 MLS Cup. Some thought Beckham would hang up his boots then, after accomplishing one of his major goals - winning the Cup. 

But Beckham returned in 2012 and LA are in the final yet again. It was not as easy to get to the final, and Beckham has decided it will be his last game as a player for LA. 

I am sure his teammates and all the Galaxy fans hope Beckham s final game ends in a win.

What has Beckham done for the MLS?

Beckham has done quite a bit to help Major League Soccer reach where it is today. He was one of the first big soccer superstars to come to the MLS (other than Pele years ago) and opened the door for people such as Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane to follow. 

He also helped to lift the level of play by presenting an example of what quality free-kicks should be like. How many different MLS players have now had a chance to see a world class set-piece taker whip a ball into the box? Nearly all of them.

Looking to the Future of the MLS

With Beckham on his way out, there is a space left open, not only on the Galaxy, but in the MLS for a new superstar to fill. It is hard to tell who or how many world class players may be attracted to the MLS and where they might end up, but it is clear the MLS is becoming more and more of a world class soccer league. 

The MLS Cup 2012 - LA Vs. Houston

The MLS Cup 2012 is set to be a rematch of last year's Cup

The LA Galaxy defeated Seattle 4-2 in a two game series to advance to the MLS Cup while Houston beat DC United 4-2 as well, over a two game series.

The Houston Dynamo will play the Galaxy in LA at the Home Depot Center on December 1st to see who will win the MLS Cup 2012.

A Flashback to the 2011 MLS Cup

LA played Houston last year for the MLS Cup and got the win after a tremendous season in which they won the Supporters Shield (most points during the regular season).

Beckham Holds 2011 MLS Cup

It was a sweet victory for LA as stars David Beckham and Landon Donovan as they had played exceptionally over the entire season.

It was the Galaxy's first Championship win since signing Beckham several seasons earlier.

The final score for the 2011 MLS Cup was LA Galaxy 1, Houston 0. What can we expect for this year?

Reaching the 2012 MLS Cup - Houston and LA

Both Houston's and LA's path to the MLS Cup was anything but pretty.

LA Struggled for the first third of the season, losing games both at home and on the road. They looked nothing like the unstoppable force they had been the year before.

However, after the Euro Cup in the summer, International Star Robbie Keane came back to the Galaxy on a scoring rampage. He ended the season with 16 goals and propelled LA into the playoffs, although they finished a slightly humiliating 8th place overall.

Houston also had some struggles during the regular season losing many of their road games. But, with a strong home record (and a new stadium), they did just enough to reach the playoffs in 9th place overall, and last in the Eastern Conference.

Once LA and Houston reached the 2012 MLS Playoffs, they turned into totally different teams, each defeating the top team in their conference and powering through the rest of the competition, leading to a repeat of the 2011 MLS Cup Final.

What to Expect in the 2012 MLS Cup Final

In 2011, the game ended in a tight, 1-0 victory for the Galaxy. I would expect with the Galaxy playing at home again, and the likes of Robbie Keane playing up front, they come out hard against Houston and try to score early and often.

Houston is a veteran playoff team with MLS Cup wins in 2006 and 2007, not to mention last year's near win. They will hold their defensive lines and try to take advantage of set pieces and bursts of possession.

It is shaping up to be an exciting game and will be live on ESPN on December 1st. Don't miss out!

MLS News- Final Games of the 2012 Season

2012 MLS Season Concludes this Weekend

Major League Soccer wraps up it's 34 game season this weekend with no teams unsure about their playoff positions.

For some, such as the Philadelphia Union, their playoff hopes were shattered weeks ago. All 10 playoff spots are already secured with five teams from each conference. 

While it may seem like an anticlimactic ending to the season, I see it more as a calm before the playoff storm.

2012 MLS Playoff Standings

Here are the standings from each conference:

Western Conference

• San Jose
• Seattle
• Salt Lake
• LA
• Vancouver

Eastern Conference

• Kansas City
• D.C.
• Chicago
• New York
• Houston 

While some jostling of playoff positions could take place this weekend, for teams like the Union it is more about pride, and building for next season.

The MLS Playoffs will come quickly once the season ends, so keep an eye out for many exciting games before the MLS takes it's winter break.

International Break - World Cup Qualification

This weekend, October 12th-16th, is an International Break for club soccer teams in order for national teams to play two games in World Cup Qualification for Rio 2014.

Club Soccer, including the English Premier League and Major League Soccer will return next week.

While the European World Cup Qualification games usually get most of the press, the USA in CONCACAF qualifying are trying to make some good news for themselves.

They are currently in a three way tie with Guatemala and Jamaica, each with 7 points.

Only the winner will advance, with the 2nd place in the group going into a playoff with the second place teams from the other groups.

The USMNT plays Antigua and Barbuda on October 12th away from home, and will then play at home in Kansas, against Guatemala on Tuesday the 16th. (USA v Guatemala will be live on ESPN2, and ESPN3.com)

The US will be hoping, and expecting to win both games, but as the last Olympic qualification process showed us, nothing is secure, with the US failing to qualify for London 2012.

There are quite a few European Qualification Games going on. These usually consist of huge mismatches between soccer sharks and minnows. But the games can have surprises, and almost always present an entertaining game.

ESPN3.com offers many of these games streamed live online for free. Visit espn.go.com/watchespn to view all available games.

Coming up on Tuesday, October 16th at 2:55 ET, France will play Spain in an unusual match up of two fantastic national soccer teams challenging for top spot in their qualification group.

More to come soon on the USMNT World Cup Qualification results.

Union Win with Two Goals from Freddy Adu

The Philadelphia Union ended an 8 game win-less streak in their home game against the Houston Dynamo.

The Union have been struggling with goals recently, scoring only 2 goals in the last 5 games. But they got three goals in their 3-1 win over Houston at PPL Park.

Freddy Adu scored two goals to put his season total at five.

His first goal came from a cross by rookie Ray Gladdis, who sent the ball into the box and eventually to the feet of Adu who put it in the back of the net.

Adu's second goal came from a PK, which he converted.

Unfortunately, the night ended for Freddy Adu with a possible injury.

The Union needed all three points if to keep any hopes of reaching the playoffs alive. Mathematically they could still make the playoffs, but it is long shot.

The Union's next MLS game is against a surging Columbus Crew who are striving to reach the playoffs. Can the Union be a speed bump in their path? We will have to wait and see in next week's game.

Highlights of the Union's 3-1 win over Houston:

MLS Action Heats up as Playoffs Draw Near

With just weeks left in the MLS regular season, games are starting to really heat up with playoff spots on the line.

Only 10 points separate 3rd place Chicago Fire from 11th place Montreal Impact, who have a total of 40 points.

While San Jose Earthquakes and Sporting KC appear to be battling it out on their own for the Supporters Shield, they are only 7 and 5 points respectively, ahead of Chicago.

For many teams now, a win can mean reaching the playoffs, and a tie or loss might mean missing out on any chance of winning the MLS Cup.

Toronto FC, Philadelphia Union, Portland, New England, Chivas USA and Colorado Rapids may already be out of playoff contention as these teams all have less than 30 points. They are now playing for pride, and develop a better team for next season.

As I watch the EPL with their relegation system, I can't help but wonder how much harder the bottom teams would play at the end of the season in the MLS if they knew the last 3 would be dropped from the league.

I think the MLS needs to become a little stronger before that occurs, but it does make for great entertainment.

Be sure to follow the MLS as it reaches the last weeks of the season, and team compete for playoffs and the MLS Cup.

USA Beat Jamaica in World Cup Qualifying

The US Men's National Team were able to get three points with a home win over Jamaica in the World Cup 2014 Qualifying group stage on September 11th ,2012. 

The game was played in the Columbus crew stadium in Columbus Ohio with a huge crowed in support of the Americans. 

The US dominated from the fist minute of play and looked like they would score multiple goals in the first half but nothing went in despite several fantastic shots.

Two screaming shots hit the post in the first half, and one deflection was tipped by the goalkeeper into the post. 

The US got close in the first half, but could not find the back of the net.

In the 55th minute they were finally rewarded for their impressive performance up to that point.

Jamica conceded a free-kick about 30-35 yards from goal and Gomez took the opportunity to curl a shot on goal.

The Jamaica goalkeeper got two hands to the ball in a diving save, but was unable to alter the trajectory, and the ball landed in the back of the net.

The rest of the game was a bit disappointing for the US who seemed to take their foot off the gas, and relinquish possession to Jamaica who had several efforts on goal.

It was a nervous final 30 minutes but USA finished the game 1-0.

This result leaves the World Cup Qualifying group in a three way tie for first with Jamaica, Guatemala and USA each on 7 points.  USA leads the group, however, on goal difference.

Several more qualifying games will occur before the top two teams advance to the next stage of World Cup 2014 Qualification.

International Break for FIFA World Cup 2014 Quealifications

This past weekend (September 7-11th) is an international break from club soccer for national teams to have an opportunity to play a few games in the group stage of the World Cup 2014 qualification.

For many European teams, these are some of the first national team games since the Euro Cup in which Spain put on a dominating performance in the final winning it 4-0 over Italy.

There are quite a few interesting match-ups in World Cup 2014 qualification where teams are placed in groups, and the top two usually advance from the group.

Often the games are David and Goliath battles, with large soccer countries taking on much smaller countries. But the Davids rarely win.

A few of the notable games already played include:

England 5-0 Moldova
Germany 3-0 Faroe Islands
Italy 2-2 Bulgaria
Netherlands 2-0 Turkey
Jamaica 2-1 USA

Visit the FIFA Website for more on World Cup Qualification Games.

USA Loses to Jamaica 2-1

In a surprising game in Jamaica, USA lost to Jamaica 2-1 in World Cup Qualifying.

After an early goal by Clint Dempsey, Jamaica scored two beautiful free-kicks to win the game.

Clint Dempsey's goal was scored in the 1st minute of play, and set a new record for fastest goal scored by the US in World Cup play.

The Jamaicans responded with two free-kicks, one in each half, that beat Tim Howard and gave Jamaica a valuable 5 points.

This leaves USA in a must win situation when the play Jamaica again on September 11th. This game will be played at home for the US and they will look to get the full three points as they strive to get to the top of their group.

USA's World Cup Qualifications Current Standings (9/11/12)

Jamaica is the surprise leader of the group after 3 games played.

• Jamaica - 7 Points
• Quatermala - 4 Points
• USA - 4 Points
• Antigua and Barbuda - 1 Point

With only the top two teams advancing, the US will have to start winning if it wants to avoid serious abuse from fans for not qualifying for the World Cup 2014.

Tonight (9/11), the US will have an opportunity to get three points as it plays Jamaica at home in Columbus Ohio. The game will be live at 8pm on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com.

Be sure to watch and cheer on the USMNT!

The Champions League Groups Announced for 2012/13

The Champions League, arguably the best league in the world, announced the groups for its group stage in the 2012-13 season starting September 15th.

The UEFA Champions League invites the top soccer teams from many of the leagues in Europe to play together in one league with the goal of winning the title, champions of Europe.  In this league, 32 teams from top leagues such as La Liga, Serie A, EPL, and many others, are placed in eight groups with four teams in each.

During the group stage of the Champions League, each of the four teams in a group play against each other, and the two teams with the best results (most points) advance to a knockout playoff format competition.

To view the complete list of groups, read this article on the Analysis and Predictions for the Champions League 2012-13

This year, one group stands out as being particularly interesting and nicknamed the 'group of death'.

Group D: The Group of Death

In group D are: Manchester City, Real Madrid, Ajax, and Dortmund. At first glance, Manchester and Madrid stand out as the favorites to win it. But once you take a closer look and realize that each club in this group won their home league last season, you realize this is a group packed with talent. 

Although it still seems likely Manchester and Madrid will advance, Dortmund and Ajax will fight hard to survive past the group stage and one slip up could lead to an early exit for any of the four.

The likes of Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea and Bayern Munich are also scattered throughout the various groups. It will be exciting as the games unfold to see who might challenge the defending champions, Chelsea, and try to take the title Champions of Europe.

Philly Union News and the Origin of the Word 'Soccer'

PPL Park - Source:  Something Original

The Philadelphia Union grabbed a valuable point on the road when they played DC United to a 1-1 ties on August 19th, 2012.

The Union Had a handful of chances in the first half but only managed to get up by one goal. DC United came back in the second half to score a goal making the game 1-1. There was significant late drama at the end of the game including three red cards, and a missed penalty by DC United. With the penalty miss, the Union happily took the one point as they strive to earn enough points to reach the playoffs this season.

The Union are currently in 8th place out of 10 teams in the Eastern Conference of the MLS. DC United is sitting in the last playoff spot at 5th place. The union have had several encouraging wins in their last five games, but the last two have been small stumbles from a team that must get points if it wants to make the playoffs.

Catch the highlights to the Union's drama filled tie vs DC United from MLSSoccer.com

And current MLS Standings for the Union

The Origin of the Word 'Soccer'

I recently discovered that the word 'soccer' was not created by Americans who wanted to spite the English by making up a new name for European football. In fact, the word actually came about as a nickname for football that was created by a university student in England.

Read my full article on the Origin of the Word 'Soccer' to find all the details.

Because of my discovery that soccer is as English as calling the sport football, I will proudly refer to the game as soccer, whether I am in America or a pub in England. I hope not to upset anyone with this, but how can anyone be upset if Englishmen created the word soccer, and used it for nearly one hundred years before it caught on in America?

My biggest question is why soccer is not still used in England today. It is simply a nickname for the sport, which has become unpopular to use because, as far as I can tell, it is used in America.

Anyway, I hope this will give a few people a moments hesitation the next time they try to correct someone for calling football, soccer, and soccer, football.

What Does the MLS All-Star Game mean to Major League Soccer?

Tonight, (Wednesday, July 25th, 2012) The MLS All-Stars will play the European Champions, Chelsea in a friendly at PPL Park in Philadelphia, PA.

The question that tends to come up each year around this game is, what does this game mean? Well, depending how you look at it, this game can mean a lot of things, or very little.

Most MLS fans see this game as a yardstick comparing the MLS to other clubs around the world. In past games, the MLS All-Stars have had mixed results. Sometimes they win, other times they lose. But this game does seem to have some extra expectations. Maybe because Chelsea are European Champions., Or perhaps it is because more and more stars from around the world are playing in the MLS. Either way, the result of the MLS All-Star game will have reverberations around the league, and even the world.

The MLS All-Stars do have a challenge on their hands. Although they are a team made up of the best players in the league, they have little experience playing with each other. Chelsea, on the other hand, has much more experience playing together and even though they might not have all their players, they have a formidable lineup.

In the end, if the All-Stars lose, I don't think much will be said about it. After all, Chelsea did win the Champions League. But if the MLS All-Stars win, I think it will be one step closer to bringing Major League Soccer up to par with the rest of the world, as well as gaining a little respect.

The MLS All-Star game will be live on ESPN and ESPN3.com at 8:30pm Wednesday, July 25th.

Union Future Looking Bright with Three Game Winning Streak

PPL Park Home of the Philadelphia Union 
courtesy Philadelphia Union 

The Philadelphia Union are on a three game winning streak at the midpoint of the MLS season.  In each of their wins the Union displayed good passing and possession and most importantly, goals, which brought them each win.

In the Union's Major league Soccer game against Toronto FC on July 8th 2012, they recorded an impressive 3-0 victory over their opposition. Although the Union are just one place ahead of last place Toronto, in their last meeting Toronto was the victor.

The Union played well throughout the game against Toronto and goals by Adu, McInerney, and Farfan sealed the victory. This was the Union's second win in a row, after surprisingly beating the Galaxy 2-1 the week before.

While the Union's victory over Toronto was complete, they faced a more difficult challenge in the form of the Montreal Impact, who they played on July 14th 2012 at PPL Park.

Goalkeepers Zac MacMath for the Union, and Donovan Ricketts for Montreal each made invaluable saves during the first 80 minutes which kept this MLS game scoreless. But in the 82nd minute, Lionard Pajoy broke the deadlock and knocked a lose ball into the back of the Impact's net.

But Montreal came level just minutes later when an Impact corner kick was curled in at the Union goal, deflected off a player, and ended up in the back of the net. A 1-1 tie was not what the Philadelphia Union wanted or needed as they try to salvage their season and win games. So in extra time, defender Carlos Valdez took it into his hands and grabbed a late game winning goal (his first of the season), to give the Union the full 3 points they need.

Watch full match highlights of the Union's 2-1 win over Montreal.

The Union seem to have found the scoring ability they lacked for most of the season. If they can continue to win games, they are likely to make the playoffs, and have a chance for the Cup.

Philadelphia will play Aston Villa in a friendly on Wednesday, but return to MLS play on Saturday as they take on the New York Red Bulls. The game against New York will be broadcast live on ESPN at 2:30 PM EST July 21st.