Is it any surprise? For the second time this season, New York Red Bulls captain Thierry Henry earned MLS Goal of the Week honors.

We supplied you with the traditional view shortly after the notch. NewYorkRedBulls.com offered a view from four camera angles.

But here is the best view in the house – from the South Ward. Give, as Shep Messing put it, “The Goal of the Year … Goal of the Decade” one more view.

(Hat tip to the great Facebook Vipers Nest crew)

The Newtown Parent Connection, Inc. (NPC), along with the New York Cosmos, the New England Revolution and the Real Boston Rams of USLPro have organized a soccer doubleheader fundraiser dubbed “Soccer Revolution” at Veterans Memorial Stadium in New Britain, Conn., on Tuesday, June 18.

New England will kick off the action against the Boston Rams in the first match while the reformed New York Cosmos will the Newtown Pride of the Connecticut Soccer League to close the show.

“The New York Cosmos are honored to help support the Newtown Parent Connection and the entire community of Newtown,” New York Cosmos Chief Operating Officer Erik Stover said. “This is going to be a wonderful event to benefit a great cause. We’re proud to partner with the Newtown Pride, the Boston Rams and the New England Revolution to assist the community in any way we can.”

“We’re honored to participate in Soccer Revolution and help raise awareness of the work the Newtown Parent Connection is doing,” New England Revolution president Brian Bilello said. “We’re proud to be New England’s team, and we want to do everything we can to assist members of our community. When we were first invited to Newtown in January for Soccer Night in Newtown, members of our team and many other representatives from around MLS saw how tight-knit and proud this community is. The work of the Newtown Parent Connection is vital to help its community recover, grow and thrive, and we’re excited to be part of the process with Soccer Revolution with the Rams, Cosmos and Pride.”

The action begins at 6 p.m. with the Revs-Rams match, followed by the Cosmos-Pride match at 7:30 p.m. Gates will open at 5 p.m.

Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased at newtownparentconnection.org or by calling 866-722-8953. Fans who purchase tickets before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11, will receive discounts: individual tickets will be $13, while group tickets (for parties of 20 or more) will be $10 each.

All proceeds from Soccer Revolution, including ticket sales and proceeds from a silent auction held that evening, will go to the Newtown Parent Connection.

Portland, Oregon (May 16, 2013) - Super-sub Taylor Lytle scored the only goal of the game to give visiting Sky Blue FC a 1-0 victory over the previously undefeated Portland Thorns FC. The three points from the victory tie the team with Portland atop the NWSL standings with 13 points each. Portland still owns first place due to goal differential.

Lytle, the former Texas Tech all-time assist leader (27 assists) and Las Cruces, New Mexico native, came on in the 79th minute for Kendall Johnson. A minute later, she cracked a shot from 30 yards that sailed over the extended right arm of Portland keeper Karina LeBlanc and into the net.

Despite a counter attack by a desperate Portland, Sky Blue FC held off the home team in the waning minutes of the game.

A festive atmosphere and chanting crowd of 11,055 greeted the visiting Sky Blue FC. The rain stopped in time for the game, and 60-degree temperatures welcomed the New Jersey side, including the team’s returning U. of Portland alumni and starters Kendall Johnson and Sophie Schmidt, and Corvallis, Oregon native Madeleine Thompson, who came on as a sub for Danesha Adams in the final minutes of the game.

Sky Blue FC changed its line-up to meet the first place Thorns, putting Kelley O’Hara, who had been playing at forward, back in defense, where she plays for the U.S. National Team. The first half opened with dominant possession and an early attack by Portland, spearheaded by Christine Sinclair, who had a shot in the first minute. Three corner kicks by the Thorns were indications of a tested Sky Blue FC side. But the balance shifted midway into the first half, when in the 24th minute Danesha Adams and then Katy Freels both had threatening shots on goal. By the end of the half, Sky Blue FC was knocking on the door, testing keeper LeBlanc with a great chance again by Freels, and earning its first corner in the 43rd minute. Nonetheless, the first half ended scoreless.

The second half featured more of the same. Yet while Sinclair managed to threaten, as did substitute Danielle Foxhoven, Sky Blue FC captain Christie Rampone neutralized a frustrated Alex Morgan. Danesha Adams and Lisa De Vanna were also effective for Sky Blue FC up top, giving the visitors chances in the final third.

Sky Blue FC’s next game takes place this Sunday, May 19th, when the team heads to nearby Seattle for a rematch with the Seattle Reign FC. The team defeated the Reign 2-0 in their first match-up on May 11th in New Jersey.

Portland Thorns FC (4-1-1, 13pts) vs. Sky Blue FC (4-1-1, 13pts)
May 16, 2013 – JELD-WEN Field (Portland, Ore.)

Goals by Half 1 2 F
SKY 0 1 1
POR 0 0 0

Scoring Summary
SKY – Lytle (Goodson) 80

Misconduct Summary
POR – Sinclair (caution) 79

Lineups & Stats
POR: GK Karina LeBlanc; D Marian Dougherty, D Rachel Buehler, D Kathryn Williamson, D Nikki Marshall, M Becky Edwards, M Allie Long, M Meleana Shim (Danielle Foxhoven, 63), M Nikki Washington (Angie Kerr, 84), F Christine Sinclair (capt.), F Alex Morgan

Substitutes Not Used: GK Adelaide Gay, D Jazmyne Avant, M Elizabeth Guess, M Courtney Wetzel, F Jessica Shufelt

TOTAL SHOTS: 11 (Morgan, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Morgan/Sinclair, 2); FOULS: 5 (Morgan, 2); OFFSIDES: 8; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: 5

SKY: GK Brittany Cameron, D Christie Rampone (capt.), D Kelley O’Hara, D Caitlin Foord, D Courtney Goodson, M Manya Makoski, M Sophie Schmidt, M Katy Freels, F Danesha Adams (Maddie Thompson, 90)

If New York Red Bulls head coach Mike Petke asked Dax McCarty to run off of his couch and into the Montreal Impact match 10 days ago, he would have jumped at the chance.

“I was dying to get into Montreal,” McCarty joked.

It has been over two years since the Red Bulls’ midfielder was forced to sit out a match with injuries and the wait has proven a burden. The good news is he has fully participated in training this week and aims to be ready for the LA Galaxy match. However, while the quad injury is slowly becoming a thing of the past, other nagging issues have arisen that prevent McCarty from saying he is 100% ready for the field.

“I feel alright. Certainly not my normal self,” he admits. “My quad feels great – that’s the main thing. My quad has felt good for a few weeks now. It’s just other parts of my body that haven’t come along yet. I think that has to do with rehab, with being out for a while. Just little aches and pains.”

Those little aches and pains forced head coach Petke into a difficult decision; sitting out perhaps his most reliable midfielder.

“I am a little frustrated with not feeling like my fully fit self yet but certainly no major issues to complain about,” McCarty said. “I felt from a stand point of my quad injury, I felt like I was at least ready to be on the bench against Montreal and we waited. We waited another game and I was obviously disappointed not to play against New England. It was a good chance for me to get some minutes and contribute to the team. That was disappointing but for me, I need to make sure my body is definitely right.

“I know my quad is right,” he reiterated. “My back is certainly not feeling like it should. That’s something I need to take care of. I have a little bit of tightness in other muscles that don’t worry me too much. It’s just one of those things that you have to deal with as a player. For me, it’s a little frustrating but at the same time, I am training and I am hoping to get through a week of training without any problems. That’s the goal. If I have to play with a couple of casts on or whatever may be, I am going to do it.”

Having suffered a similar injury in 2010, McCarty knows what would happen if he attempted to push through the pain. He sat out two months with FC Dallas after making a hasty decision to return to the field.

Now, a matured and measured player, he is biding his time for the right moment – and so is Petke.

“I’m pretty sure he will be in the 18,” Petke said. “Whether what role he is going to play is going to be determined by this week; how he feels, how he looks. If he feels like he is game ready, if we feel like he is ready for a full 90, the last thing we want to do is to start a player that we are certain will not play 90 minutes. If that is the case, I’d rather have him come off the bench. I need players that can play 90 in case things happen.”

Will his time come against the LA Galaxy? That is yet to be determined.

“I know what it feels like when (the quad) is not right and it feels like it’s fully recovered,” McCarty said. “Now it’s a matter of getting all the little aches and pains away. Maybe it happens with some game time. I don’t know. I’m not sure what the ailments are.

“Someone said once no player is ever really playing 100% fit all the time. You will get 98, 99% but you will always have a little minor ailment. For me, it’s a matter of getting mentally past that and trying to contribute to the team as much as I can.”

Jurgen Klinsmann called in 29 players in preparation for the United States Men’s National Team’s World Cup Qualifiers and coming Centennial friendlies with few surprises to report.

Of course, Landon Donovan was left off of the roster which was first reported by Grant Wahl on SI.com earlier this week. Alongside Tim Howard and Brad Guzan, Klinsmann is bringing on board four other keepers to rotate throughout May and June.

“We have some excellent backup keepers starting with Nick Rimando, who’s playing an outstanding season for Real Salt Lake and has done great with us every time he’s come into our program,” he noted. “We’re also excited about the goalkeepers who come after him: Bill Hamid, Sean Johnson and Tally Hall. It’s exciting that we can rotate them a bit in these upcoming couple of weeks because we don’t want the MLS goalies to miss too many of their games.”

“We are very excited about the group we have put together,” he continued. “The players understand more how we’re working, what we’re looking for, the way we want to play and the way we want to challenge big nations eye-to-eye. As we go into this stretch of two friendly games against Belgium and Germany and three big World Cup Qualifiers, we want to see more consistent performances. There is a huge opportunity to pick up a lot of points and put ourselves in a good position to qualify for Brazil.”

The full roster is available after the jump:

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION – DETAILED ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (6) :Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tally Hall (Houston Dynamo), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Tim Howard (Everton), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (8) : DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Edgar Castillo (Club Tijuana), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Michael Parkhurst (Augsburg)
MIDFIELDERS (10) : Michael Bradley (Roma), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Maurice Edu (Bursaspor), Stuart Holden (Bolton), Jermaine Jones (Schalke), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Brek Shea (Stoke City), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (5) : Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur), Herculez Gomez (Santos), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders FC)

- With this call-up, Damarcus Beasley follows his success in the last round of qualifiers and is now in line to earn his 100th cap with the National Team. He is one game shy of reaching the centennial mark. “He is just such a positive personality, he lights up a room as soon as he walks in,” Klinsmann said of his versatile defender. “He’s a pure giver – he says ‘coach, whatever role you have for me I’ll take it,’ so it’s just a blessing for us having someone like Beas be a part of our program and to know that whenever we need him he’s right there. With those two performances he had against Costa Rica and also at Azteca, he made a very strong case for himself going forward.”

- Beasley is one of eight players carrying yellow cards into the next round of qualifiers. Michael Bradley, Matt Besler, Brad Davis, Clint Dempsey, Maurice Edu, Fabian Johnson and Graham Zusi can all suffer a one-match suspension with their next infraction.

- Out of form defender Carlos Bocanegra once again failed to make the roster, but Klinsmann indicated he would indeed be in the team’s plans. “He knows that if anything happens to one of those center backs that he’ll get called in right away, but I think we are blessed with our center back position. We keep having players come through the ranks and it can only get better from now on.”

- Steve Cherundolo (knee) and Timmy Chandler (knee) were unavailable due to injury.

- Meanwhile, Stuart Holden returns to the U.S. for the first time since October of 2010. He will serve both in this roster as well as the Gold Cup roster.

- While always stressing the need for in-game action, Klinsmann raised eyebrows by selecting Danny Williams, Brek Shea and Michael Parkhurst – all of whom have played few matches on the club level. This addition only highlighted the exclusion of Landon Donovan’s absence.

- The US is currently second place in the Hexagonal stage.

While many wonder how a healthy New York Red Bulls trio of Dax McCarty,Tim Cahill and Juninho will fit into the starting eleven, the team’s role players are wondering where their minutes will come in an increasingly crowded midfield.

Jonny Steele, Eric Alexander and Lloyd Sam have played crucial roles over the past several weeks, adding width and stability to what was an otherwise narrow and predictable offense. Regardless of their contributions, one cannot deny that playing time will soon be at a premium and each will have to carve out their own home.

“Everyone is healthy now, actually, so I … it’s a difficult question to answer,” Lloyd Sam tells EOS. “I would want to be on the right side of midfield playing but obviously that’s the manager’s choice. If he calls upon me, obviously I’ll be ready to play.”

Sam, who scored a crucial game tying goal against New England last week, has been on a season-long quest for starting minutes. Steadily, he has been proving his worth in limited time with the club. “I mean ya, it has been a long road but obviously me scoring is a step in the right direction and hopefully more minutes come,” he said. “I want to be starting every game.”

Whether that will be enough to garner time is another question entirely.

Meanwhile, Jonny Steele has become a lockerroom favorite and a vital piece to the left sided attack. His aggression on the wing has added a needed dimension in the final third. Further, he makes a clear distinction between his game and that of his central minded companions.

“I’m going to do what I do every day,” he said. “So far this season, I’ve been involved as much as Mike (Petke) has let me in there. At the end of the day, they are central midfielders, I’m a left winger.

“If I am busting my balls everyday and I am putting the work and games in,” he continued, “I don’t see a reason why I can’t be on the team.”

As true as that may be, it is hard to ignore the burden of riches this team has accumulated. Even Eric Alexander has been vital in his limited time, earning strong praise from teammate Tim Cahill for his skill and ability.

Like Cahill, Sam realizes that flexibility will be key if one hopes to be a part of the starting squad. “I can play (forward),” he said. “I can play that role. I can play other roles. I can play on the left, I can play other roles, as long as I am on the pitch, I am happy.

“I think what our team obviously needs on attack, I wouldn’t say I am the only player that can do it, but I definitely think I can add that to the team,” he continued. “Whenever I am needed, whenever I am called upon, I’ll do my best.”

As for Steele, he will continue to let his play do the talking.

“I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t think I can play,” he said. “I am not going to come at 27 and say I am going to sit on the bench and be happy to sit on the bench and I got to play football. I know wherever I go, I can put myself in the pitch with any manager because number one, my work rate will show the manager I am going to bust everyday at practice and give him a little decision here and there to make. I take it step by step.

“First ten games of the season, I think I’ve done well. Next ten games, I need to improve on that and I’ll be happy.”

Red Bulls forward Fabian Espindola began his career in New York with a bang, scoring a brace against Portland in the season opener. Since then, he has managed a single goal through 10 appearances.

While not discouraged by his form, the Argentine striker certainly isn’t happy about the level of his production.

“When games pass by and I don’t score, it’s frustrating,” he tells EOS, “especially for a striker, which is usually the only thing people see, but like I said, you have to take your opportunities when you have them.”

Espindola has quickly earned a reputation within the team as a striker with a non-stop workrate. Head coach Mike Petke has mentioned several times the need to rein him in at times from pushing too far. His slashing runs make him an ideal partner for Thierry Henry who has thrived with similar partnerships in the past.

“I think I am doing a good job, you know? I just have to take advantage of my opportunities – more so if they are few,” he said. “Everytime I have a chance, I have to put it in. There isn’t much more to say. It’s just streaks. Once you start putting them in, you start putting them in.

“It’s not that I am erring, either,” he continued. “It’s just that I haven’t had many huge opportunities. The ones I have had, I’ve put in.”

McCARTY FOCUSING ON RED BULLS OVER USMNT

Earlier this year, EOS broke news that Dax McCarty was on Jurgen Klinsmann’s radar with the US Men’s National Team.

A Connor Lade call-up in January told a different story.

Determined to achieve his goal, McCarty decided to put his head down and play for his club team in hopes of earning a spot. While currently working his way back from injury, that plan has not changed.

“I think for me the main focus has to be New York and making sure I am ready for the next couple of games with these guys,” he noted. “At this point, I can only do what I’ve done on the field and hopefully continue to improve.

“If something happens with the National Team, great, if not, I can’t lose sleep over it.”

There will be greater opportunities for American talent to shine this June with the USMNT competing in both the Gold Cup tournament and World Cup Qualifiers. While hopes were high for McCarty to start the year, he has leveled expectations and will, as previously stated, let his play do the talking.

“At this point, it’s not the most important thing,” he said. “The most important thing is the Red Bulls. If other things come along with that, great. If not, I’ll keep plugging away and try to contribute and help this team. Ultimately, your club play is going to get you to the next level. Just try to keep playing my best. Maybe one day it will happen. If it doesn’t, I can’t lose sleep over it.”

NEWS AND NOTES

- McCarty participated in his second day of full training after suffering a quad strain. He is being evaluated for participation in the LA Galaxy encounter.

- Coming off of his first start in New York, Andre Akpan was taken off of field Wednesday after suffering a pulled hamstring. He is under evaluation

- Likewise, Ruben Bover has what the team is calling a “lower back strain.” Petke said he hopes to have a “better understanding … in the next week or so” to see just how serious it is.

- Meanwhile, Peguy Luyindula continues his rehab, which Petke labeled to be in the “beginning to middle stages of getting fully fit and healed.”

- A recent Jonny Steele interview with the BBC has cast the eyes of Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neil upon the Red Bulls midfielder. While the team Boss says he will monitor Steele’s progress, the midfielder stresses his concentration will be on league play. “Any soccer player wants that; they want the dream of representing their country,” he said. “It’s where you come from, it’s a pride thing, it’s a goal you set in life when you are young and you want to be a professional and you want to represent your country. I did that in every level up until 21. Obviously it would be a dream come true but I’ll just continue working here.

“I’ll continue to work for the Red Bulls; that’s who pays my wages. If the call comes, the call comes. If not, I’ll continue to do what I’m doing. here.”

U.S. Soccer announced that the New York Red Bulls will host their third round Cup match at Red Bull Arena on May 29th at 7:30pm.

Like every other Major League Soccer team, the Red Bulls bypass the first two rounds of the competition. They will face the winner of the second round fixture between the Harrisburg City Islanders of USLPro and PDL side Reading United AC. Their match takes place next Tuesday, May 21st in Reading, PA.

The Harrisburg City Islanders have a history of beating back the Red Bulls in this traditionally sour competition for the MLS side. They beat the Red Bulls in 2010 by the score of 1-0 in the round of 16. They would do the same in 2012, advancing to the quarterfinals with a decisive 3-1 win over New York. Gambian striker Sainey Touray, who scored two on the Red Bulls last year, continues to feature with the team. Another player to look out for is Andrew Ribeiro. If that name rings a bell, it should; he is a now-former 2013 Supplemental Pick for New York.

Harrisburg are currently second in USLPro competition trailing only Orlando City.

New York has never faced Reading United.

Ticket information for the Red Bulls Open Cup match will be released at a later date.

BY PATRICK MacDONALD
Staff Writer

The Landon Donovan saga continues.

With the Galaxy star back to playing soccer after his journey towards finding himself, the upcoming U.S. National Team dates were circled on everyone’s calendar to see how his standing with Klinsmann and company played out.

Well, word has been leaked that he will not be a part of the late spring qualifiers.

And guess what … he shouldn’t be.

Back in March, Pedro Gomes and Pete Huryk discussed that the United States Men’s National team was missing something in the attack on my podcast, Red Bull Rant. That something was Landon Donovan. However, the Landon Donovan lining up for the Galaxy today, while a fine MLS player, is a shadow of the difference maker that lead the U.S. to a group win in the 2010 World Cup. As Steve Davis over at Pro Soccer Talk has pointed out, Graham Zusi has been a game changer for Sporting Kansas City, plus a mainstay on the national team for some time and Donovan has done nothing to earn his spot back and unseat Zusi.

Donovan likely isn’t done with the Nats; in fact, he may still get a shot to earn his spot back at this summer’s Gold Cup with the B team. But for now, he’s on the outside looking in, and deservedly so.

NEWS AND NOTES

* Word out of Germany is that Steve Cherundolo is once again healthy.

That’s great news considering the injury that recently put Timothy Chandler out of action. Though Cherundolo is getting up there in age, he’s the best possible replacement for Chandler at the moment, with years of experience and plenty of ability left in the tank.

That being said, the plan should still be to get someone younger up to speed for Brazil in 2014.

* Carlos Bocanegra’s failed loan to Racing de Santander is coming to an end as the team faces relegation from Spain’s second tier. At the moment, Bocanegra will be sent back to the Rangers of Glasgow as the team prepares to take on the Scottish second tier.

More than likely, Bocanegra will not remain in Scotland, but he also shouldn’t remain in Europe. It’s been time for the former national team captain, who turns 34 in ten days, to finish out his career in MLS. Out of respect alone, he’s guaranteed playing time and more than likely, he’ll be called into the Gold Cup for perhaps his Nat team swan song.

The Racing loan proved one thing and one thing only; pride grounded Bocanegra’s career to a premature halt.

It’s time to come home.