The LA Galaxy are #1 Again! Major League Soccer Power Rankings, Week 13, 6/13/11

The LA Galaxy are on Top for the 4th Week in a Row!

The Los Angeles Galaxy keeps the top spot this week giving them four #1's in a row, matching Real Salt Lake's run in my rankings earlier in the year.

Interesting week this week. I weight current form, road wins and home losses as part of my formula. With four teams getting road wins this week (San Jose, Colorado, Chicago and Sporting KC) along with San Jose's current run of  good form there are some significant changes in this week's rankings.

Biggest moves up the rankings this week? Chicago moved up 6 spots, Colorado moved up 5.

Biggest drops? Portland dropped 6 spots, Chivas dropped 5.

Who has the best current form? San Jose, The Galaxy and Philadelphia.

The worst? Portland and New England.

My Week 13 Major League Soccer Power Rankings (wins-losses-draws) UP or DOWN from last week:

1) LA Galaxy, Western Conference (8-2-7) 31 points

2) San Jose Earthquakes, Western Conference (5-4-4) 19 points UP

3) FC Dallas, Western Conference (7-4-4) 25 points DOWN

4) Philadelphia Union, Eastern Conference (6-3-4) 22 points DOWN

5) Colorado Rapids, Western Conference (5-3-7) 22 points UP

6) Seattle Sounders FC, Western Conference (5-4-7) 22 points DOWN

7) New York Red Bulls, Eastern Conference (5-2-7) 22 points UP

8) Real Salt Lake, Western Conference (6-3-3) 21 points DOWN

9) Chicago Fire, Eastern Conference (2-4-8) 14 points UP

10) D.C. United, Eastern Conference (4-5-4) 16 points DOWN

11) Houston Dynamo, Eastern Conference (4-5-6) 18 points UP

12) Columbus Crew, Eastern Conference (4-4-6) 18 points

13) Chivas USA, Western Conference (4-5-5) 17 points DOWN

14) Sporting Kansas City, Eastern Conference (2-6-4) 10 points UP

15) Portland Timbers, Western Conference (5-6-2) 17 points DOWN

16) Toronto FC, Eastern Conference (2-5-8) 14 points

17) Vancouver Whitecaps, Western Conference (1-6-8) 11 points

18) New England Revolution, Eastern Conference (3-7-4) 13 points DOWN

Winning the Battle with the Thurmanator!

I'm impressed by my brother Tim tonight!

He and his wife Cindy arrived early tonight in Columbus for my daughter Mallory's graduation from The Ohio State University on Sunday.

They were looking for someplace to eat, and my daughter and I recommended The Thurman Cafe, located in the German Village neighborhood in Columbus.

Highlighted on an episode of The Travel Channel's Man V. Food, The Thurman Cafe is known for a huge and delicious selection of burgers, the most famous being the Thurmanator. Here's the description straight from the menu:

The Thurmanator!

The THURMANATOR

Bottom bun, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickle, banana peppers, 12 ounce burger, bacon, cheddar, another 12 oz burger, sautéed mushrooms & onions, ham, mozzarella & American cheese, top bun served with fries 16.49

I did not witness Tim's battle, but with the photographic evidence below, and eyewitness accounts from Tim's wife Cindy and my daughter Mallory, I can announce that Tim defeated the Thurmanator at 10:16 PM Eastern Standard Time, June 10, 2011!

Tim and The Thurmanator-The Battle Begins!

A Premature Declaration of Victory-Tim Didn't Finish the Fries!

I Think He Licked the Plate Clean!

What Side of the (Andres) Mendoza Line Do You Fall On-Columbus Crew

I had a little time to mull over the controversy that occurred at last night's (6/8/11) Columbus Crew match versus Real Salt Lake.

A brief review. In the 74th minute, The Crew's Justin Meram drove into the Real Salt Lake penalty area and was tripped by a Real Salt Lake defender, drawing a penalty kick. Andres Mendoza, despite a request from fellow striker Jeff Cunningham to take the kick (with the potential of Cunningham becoming The Crew's all-time leading goal scorer and equaling the MLS career goal scoring mark) and protests from his teammates, stepped up and buried the shot.

The aftermath has been well documented today. (see the links below) The Crew ultimately won the match. Jeff Cunningham was gracious when asked about the incident. Andres Mendoza claimed he didn't realize the historical nature of a potential Jeff Cunningham goal. He also claimed he didn't realize that Cunningham had been designated to take PK's by Coach Robert Warzycha at the beginning of the match.

I stood when the PK was called, and the first thought I had was that Jeff Cunningham would take the shot. I was pissed when I saw Andres Mendoza lining up for the kick. I remember thinking, "this f**ker better make it."

And he did...

And I was happy! The Crew had tied the match, and of course ultimately scored the go-ahead goal a few minutes later to notch the victory.

So which side of the Mendoza line do I stand on?

Choice #1? Andres Mendoza is more trouble than he's worth:

He's The Crew's only Designated Player, therefore their highest paid player. I have high expectations of him. He has disappointed me more than impressed me to date. (Remember last week's match versus the New York Red Bulls?) Therefore I thought that after last night's antics I would be firmly on this side of the line-dump him!

Choice #2? Andres Mendoza has the talent and skill to help The Crew be successful:

He's The Crew's leading scorer. He has showed flashes of brilliance. Aren't most strikers egotistical prima donna's anyway (Jeff Cunningham?). Even with the horrible performance finishing against the New York Red Bulls last week, he put himself in position to finish. On form he is the Crew's best choice at striker, and can help the team win.

Reluctantly, I choose #2. I just wish he had a more endearing personality. If he scores goals, I'll be happy.

Although the point may be moot, as it turns out Mendoza suffered a fractured wrist in last night's match, making his status for Sunday's match versus the Chicago Fire questionable.

Links:

Shawn Mitchell, Columbus Dispatch-Covering the Crew

Chris LaMacchia-MassiveReport.com

Michael Arace-Columbus Dispatch

The Crew Win! Columbus Crew 2, Real Salt Lake 1, 6/8/11

Nothing better than Buck-a-Brat night at Crew Stadium! Except for Buck-a-Brat night and a Crew victory!

The Crew beat Real Salt Lake tonight, 2-1. After giving up another early goal (The 4th time in past six games The Crew has allowed a goal in first 10 minutes.), The Crew and Real Salt Lake played 67 minutes of scoreless soccer until Crew halftime sub Justin Meram drew a foul in the Real Salt Lake penalty area. Andres Mendoza converted the PK (more on that later) to tie the match in the 76th minute.

Seven minutes later, Crew defender Josh Gardner ripped a long distance shot that was deflected by a Real Salt Lake defender into the net to give The Crew a 2-1 victory. The Crew have temporarily moved into 3rd place in the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference.

Jeff Cunningham and Andres Mendoza

I was sitting in the North stands at Crew Stadium when the PK for The Crew was called at the South goal. I assumed that Jeff Cunningham (starting for the first time this season) would take the PK, and he actually walked to the spot. But Andres Mendoza waived him off. It looked like several Crew players, including Captain Chad Marshall, approached Mendoza about Cunningham taking the kick. But Mendoza stood firm, and converted it.

And who was the first person to reach Mendoza and congratulate him after scoring the goal? Jeff Cunningham!

It will be interesting to get the post match story on what actually happened on the PK.

So The Crew win on Buck-a-Brat night, sending home the 9,650 fans who attended the match both happy and well-fed.

And in case you were wondering, I only ate two brats.
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Terrelle Pryor Gone

Jim Tressel and Terrelle Pryor in the Good Ole Days

Terrelle Pryor will not play his senior season at Ohio State.

Here's the article from the Columbus Dispatch's website:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2011/06/07/pryor-skips-senior-year-ohio-state.html

Here's his statement:

"In the best interest of my teammates, I have made the decision to forego (sic) my senior year of football at The Ohio State University," Pryor said in a prepared statement read by his attorney Larry James.

Bottom line, Terrelle Pryor had lost the respect of his teammates. Buckeye Nation wasn't going to welcome him back.

He couldn't even get the name right when he announced that he would attend Ohio State University back in March of 2008. THE UNIVERSITY OF OHIO STATE?!?!

Here's the press conference from that fateful day:

Hmmmm....

As I write this, ESPN has reported that Terrelle Pryor made $20,000-$40,000 signing memorabilia for a Columbus Businessman at Ohio State.

Idiot. Good riddance.

Here's the report from ESPN.com:

Terrelle Pryor Signings Netted Thousands

The LA Galaxy Still On Top! Major League Soccer Power Rankings, Week 12, 6/7/11

The LA Galaxy Maintain the Top Spot for the 3rd Week in a ROW!

I write this as I'm watching the US Men's National Team play their CONCACAF Gold Cup opener versus Canada. (2-0 USMNT in the 74th minute).

The top three in my rankings (LA Galaxy, FC Dallas and Philadelphia Union) stay the same as last week, while the Galaxy maintain the top spot for the third week in a row. The CONCACAF Gold Cup started to have an impact this week on many Major League Soccer teams. It will be interesting to see what the impact will be over duration of the tournament.

Biggest jumps up this week? San Jose and Real Salt Lake each moved up three spots.

Biggest drop? The Portland Timbers dropped four spots.

My Week 12 Major League Soccer Power Rankings (wins-losses-draws) UP or DOWN from last week:

1)   LA Galaxy, Western Conference (8-2-6) 30 points

2)   FC Dallas, Western Conference (7-3-4) 25 points

3)   Philadelphia Union, Eastern Conference (6-3-3) 21 points

4)   San Jose Earthquakes, Western Conference (4-4-4) 16 points UP

5)   Seattle Sounders FC, Western Conference (5-4-6) 21 points DOWN

6)   D.C. United, Eastern Conference (4-4-4) 16 points

7)   Real Salt Lake, Western Conference (6-2-2) 20 points UP

8)   Chivas USA, Western Conference (4-4-5) 17 points UP

9)   Portland Timbers, Western Conference (5-5-2) 17 points DOWN

10)  Colorado Rapids, Western Conference (4-3-7) 19 points DOWN

11)   New York Red Bulls, Eastern Conference (4-2-7) 19 points UP

12)  Columbus Crew, Eastern Conference (3-3-6) 15 points DOWN

13)  Houston Dynamo, Eastern Conference (3-5-6) 15 points

14)  New England Revolution, Eastern Conference (3-6-4) 13 points UP

15)  Chicago Fire, Eastern Conference (1-4-7) 10 points UP

16)  Toronto FC, Eastern Conference (2-5-7) 13 points DOWN

17)  Vancouver Whitecaps, Western Conference (1-6-7) 10 points

18)  Sporting Kansas City, Eastern Conference (1-6-3) 6 points

Weight Watchers, Tracking My Progress 6/6/11

On April 28th I mentioned that I had started the Weight Watchers program again, and also remarked that I would post my progress from time to time. I think that by posting on my blog, it gives me another way to hold myself accountable.

Me 6/6/11

I have been on the program for 10 weeks now. When I started I weighed 285 pounds.

At today's meeting, I weighed in at 264.8 pounds for a total weight loss of 20.2 pounds.

I didn't take a picture of myself on the day I started, so the picture to the right is me as of today.

Most of my exercise to date has been daily brisk walks, and I walked every day this week a total distance of 16.5 miles.

Hooray me!

Columbus Crew Steal a Point at Red Bull Arena! 6/4/11

Rich Balchan Celebrates His Goal!

I usually only post my Crew game recaps if I actually attend the match, but I was pretty excited about last night's draw with the New York Red Bulls.

Briefly:

The Red Bulls fielded a relatively weak line-up against The Crew, with several of their starters out on National Team duties. The Crew were missing Robbie Rodgers who was called in to the US Men's National Team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup and yesterday's friendly versus Spain.

Side note: Robbie started against Spain last night and played the first half. Spain drubbed the US Men's team 4-0.

The Crew/Red Bulls match was a back and forth affair, with The Crew giving up a goal in the 9th minute to Mehdi Ballouchy. The Red Bulls had the better of the first half possession, but The Crew recovered in the second half and created several scoring opportunities for themselves in the second half. Andres Mendoza, who I thought had righted himself with his two goals last week against Chivas USA, right-footed a cross from his right wide of the goal and 8 minutes later headed a open-netter wide left. Back to his old form.

Justin Meram entered the match for The Crew in the 74th minute, and in extra-time received the ball on the left, crossed the ball on the ground into the box, which fellow rookie and Big Ten alumnus Rick Balchan finished to earn the draw.

Demoralizing for the Red Bulls, but just maybe the type of result that The Crew can build on.
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I Wish I Had Thought of This! Waving at the High School Bus!

Dad Dale http://waveatthebus.blogspot.com/

All the credit in the world to this Father, who as a practical joke/funny way to embarrass his high school son decided to wave to his son as he boarded the bus for the first day of school.

The second day he dressed up a bit. And then he decided to do it all year!

Here's an excerpt from his first blog post and the link:

http://waveatthebus.blogspot.com/2010/08/day-one.html

The high school bus route now goes down our street! Dale and I enjoyed standing on the front porch and waving at our son as the bus went by this morning. No better way to make your teenage son smile on his first day of school, right?

Check it out-it's hilarious! They posted pictures from the entire school year!

http://waveatthebus.blogspot.com/

Eating Alone, Written by Brian Sell

Every once in a while I like to drop a sample of my son Brian's writing. He is in New York City right now, so I thought I would post this small piece that he wrote for a New York University writing course he took in the Winter of 2010. What do you think?

Eating Alone

Eating alone is an intimidating idea.
By eating alone, I guess what I really mean is dining out alone. Not just eating alone, everyone does that once in a while in their homes and cars.

Walking into a restaurant alone, sitting down alone, ordering alone, eating alone, paying alone and leaving alone is not an attractive idea.

By restaurant, I guess what I really mean is a real eating establishment. One with menus, servers, a wait time, appetizers, desserts and a check. Not just the local fast food “restaurant.”

It is understandable why most people would not want to do this. Eating brings people together. It is something we do with people we love, people we want to love and people we fake that we love. Having to sit down in a nice restaurant to a meal alone means no conversation, no small talk. The only dialogue is the mind’s silent racing.

By most people, I guess what I really mean is me.

Alone in New York, so much to do, so much to see and so many restaurants that must be visited before I leave.

Yet, I am alone in New York.

That means, if I want to visit the foodie places I have to go to every time I’m in New York, I have to do it alone.

Scary proposition.

For more, check out Brian's blog: Sell Your Soul