MLS exhibition roundup -- Feb. 17
Real Salt Lake won a third consecutive game in their exhibition schedule, while Toronto FC, the New England Revolution and the Colorado Rapids won their first exhibiotn matches of 2008 to highlight a busy Saturday in MLS preseason action.
RSL looked to be off to a fast start this preseason as they rolled over Florida International University 3-1 to open the Florida portion of their spring camp in Sunrise, Fla. The Rapids began the Florida portion of their spring training with a win against Honduran club opposition, while the Revolution rolled to victory against the Bermuda national team.
Meanwhile TFC celebrated their first victory, thanks in large part to Maurice Edu's two goals, sealing a 2-0 win against the Kansas City Wizards, who fielded a split-squad over two scrimmages, also playing to a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire. The Crew cruised past the University of South Florida, while Chivas USA fell to the Japanese under-23 national team.
Real Salt Lake 3, Florida International Univ. 1
Goals from two newcomers highlighted RSL's third win in as many matches. The club received one goal from rookie striker Tino Nunez and a second from trialist forward Indra Sahdan Daud.
A challenged ball by an FIU defender slid past goalkeeper Kyle Reynish to put RSL up 1-0 early. Striker Kyle Brown eluded a sliding challenge before picking out Nunez near the top of the six-yard box. Nunez's lunging header at Brown's cross nestled into the far right netting to push the RSL advantage to 2-0.
But it was the international Indra who cushioned RSL's lead and eventual victory. He swooped into the penalty area unmarked to finish off a rebound chance off of a Nunez shot to increase the lead to three goals. Not even a last-ditch goal by FIU in the 81st minute could halt streaking RSL, who have scored 14 goals in their previous three preseason games.
RSL (first half): Chris Seitz; Craig Ziadie, Robin Fraser (Dustin Kirby 33), Matias Mantilla, Tony Beltran; Alex Nimo, Nathan Sturgis, Andy Williams, Kevin Reiman; Yura Movsisyan (Tino Nunez 33), Kyle Brown
RSL (second half): Kyle Reynish; Chris Wingert, Dustin Kirby, Carey Talley, Ian Joy; Salim Bullen, Kenny Cutler, Javier Morales, Matias Cordoba; Tino Nunez (Fabian Espíndola 65), Indra Sahdan Daud.
Toronto FC 2, Kansas City Wizards 0
Last season's Rookie of the Year showed no signs of stopping where he started, leading TFC to victory.
Maurice Edu got into a tangle in the box before picking himself up and firing a shot past goalkeeper Kevin Hartman. But, Edu did not cease after scoring his first goal of 2008. He launched another shot in the top corner past Hartman to clinch TFC's first victory of the preseason.
Edu's excellence overshadowed a powerful performance from TFC's defense. The Wizards were without a single shot on goal in the second half. Toronto is slated to play Sunday against the U.S. U-17 squad. Kickoff is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Toronto FC: Sutton, Jim Brennan, Marshall, James (Marco Velez 64), Wynne, Dunivant (Kiki Musampa 62), Robinson, Edu, O'Brien, Cunningham (Watson 77), Samuel.
Kansas City: Hartman -- Jewsbury (Leathers 77), Conrad, Wahl -- Zavagnin, Morsink -- Myers, Marinelli, Harrington -- Colombano, Sealy (Pore 46).
Chicago Fire 1, Kansas City Wizards 1 Ryan Pore gave the Wizards a first-half lead, finishing after Lance Watson dribbled several players in the box before laying the ball off after he was unable to work free for a shot. Pore coolly finished for the goal.
The Fire tied the game in the last seconds of the match as Stephen King scored in the 90th minute. Rookie midfielder Adrian Bumbut looked to turn home a cross from the left; the ball instead ricocheted to the feet of King who ripped a shot into the right side of the goal.
Kansas City: Kronberg (O'Hara 60) -- Leathers (William 46), Hohlbein, Marquess (McKenzie 46) -- Lowery, McMahen -- Raybould, Espinoza, Watson -- Pore (Kraus 46), Gray.
Chicago: Busch (Noble 30, James 60), Gutierrez (Plotkin 46), Woolard (Soumare 46), Bode (Washington 46), Regan (Menezes 46), Mapp (Mendoza 46), Lowry (Kasiguran 46, Bumbut 75), Pause (King 46), Ikedia (Pope 26, Thorrington 46, Conway 75), Carr (Barnett 46), Marlet (Barrett 46).
Columbus Crew 2, Univ. of South Florida 0
Columbus cruised throughout both halves of match play even after substituting their entire lineup at halftime. Duncan Oughton put the Crew up early in the first half. After the break, Tim Ward crossed the ball into the box in the 53rd minute and found George Josten's head. The rookie beat the USF goalkeeper, giving Columbus a two-goal lead that would remain for the rest of the match.
Crew (first half): Andy Gruenebaum, Frankie Hejduk, Danny O'Rourke, Andy Iro, Sandro Jose, Emmanuel Ekpo, Duncan Oughton, Brian Carroll, Eddie Gaven, Guilherme So, Alejandro Moreno
Crew (second half): Will Hesmer, Jed Zayner, Chad Marshall, Ezra Hendrickson, Tim Ward, Cory Elenio, Roman Friedli, Stefani Miglioranzi, Andrew Peterson, Brad Evans, George Josten
Colorado Rapids 3, Marathon (Honduras) 0
The Colorado Rapids won their first preseason game as they defeated Marathon of Honduras 3-0 in a shortened game in Sunrise, Fla.
The Rapids took the lead in the 17th minute of two 20-minute halves on a own goal when a Colin Clark cross was turned into his own net by a Marathon defender.
In the 36th minute another Clark cross found its way into the net an own goal. This time a Marathon defender nicked the cross and changed its path to the upper corner on the far post.
Colorado closed its account when Omar Cummings tapped a Jacob Peterson cross into an open goal in the 39th minute.
Colorado Rapids: Justin Hughes, Kosuke Kimura, Facundo Erpen, Stephen Keel, Jose Luis Burciaga Jr., Terry Cooke (Brandon Prideaux 29), Nick LaBrocca, John DiRaimondo (Jovan Kirovski 20), Colin Clark, Omar Cummings, Jacob Peterson
Chivas USA 0, Japan U-23 4
An injury-depleted Chivas USA fell to the Beijing-bound Japanese under-23 team at The Home Depot Center.
Two early goals by Hirayama Sota (7th minute) and Yamasaki Ryohei (18th) paved the way for the Japanese Olympic team's victory and the first preseason loss in three games for Chivas USA, who were missing 13 players due to injury.
Just before the end of the first half, Ryohei scored his second goal of the day at the 40th minute, and the visitors closed out the scoring five minutes into the second half when Morishige Masato, one of the 11 subs Japan had in the second half, headed home a corner kick.
Both teams made near-wholesale changes for the second half. Brad Guzan, Sasha Kljestan, Jesse Marsch and Alex Zotinca were the only Chivas USA first-team regulars from 2007 on the field at the start of the match.
Chivas USA (first half; 4-4-2): Brad Guzan, Omar Becerra, Alex Zotinca, Jorge Flores, Jim Curtin, Keith Savage, John Cunliffe, Jesse Marsch, Sasha Kljestan, Arnolfo Salazar, Atiba Harris.
(second half; 4-4-2): Brad Guzan, Omar Becerra, Gerson Mayen, Trey Lee, Darren Spicer, Chukwudi Chinjiju, Kraig Chiles, Dan Paladini, Steven Kaufman, Eric Ebert, Justin Braun.
New England Revolution 6, Bermuda national team 1
Kenny Mansally scored three goals, including his third of the night in the final minute of stoppage time, to help the New England Revolution post a 6-1 victory against the Bermuda national team on Saturday night in its first match of the preseason.
Spencer Wadsworth, Adam Cristman and Amaechi Igwe also added goals, and Revs winger -- and regular Bermuda international -- Khano Smith had two assists to help lead the Revs to the five-goal win.
New England Revolution: Matt Reis, Javier Delgado (Amaechi Igwe 60), Michael Parkhurst, Jay Heaps, Chris Albright (Gary Flood 46), Khano Smith (Sainey Nyassi 46), Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz (Joe Franchino 46), Steve Ralston, Spencer Wadsworth (Kenny Mansally 35), Adam Cristman
Andrew Shaffer is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
