STORY LINES
1. Monitoring the monitors » With 17 player ejections in just seven weeks, referees have been in the news far more often in 2009 than most soccer observers would prefer. But Jair Marrufo became the first official to get himself suspended for two weeks by U.S. Soccer, which administers officials in Major League Soccer, after accepting a jersey from Chicago Fire midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco following a match at Columbus on April 25. U.S. Soccer was even unsure about how to react, initially pulling Marrufo out of action last weekend unofficially before adding a week to his sentence and calling it a two-week suspension. The incident is a huge blemish for the 2008 MLS referee of the year, who is a candidate for the 2010 World Cup.
2. Dollar signs » Colorado billionaire Stan Kroenke increased his ownership stake in English Premier League club Arsenal to 28.3 percent, making him the club’s largest shareholder (former MLS deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis is Arsenal’s chief executive). Kroenke’s position as an American in the EPL isn’t unique, given American owners at Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa. What is more interesting, however, is that Kroenke also owns the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche, and, of course, the Colorado Rapids, one of MLS’ least supported and poorest performing teams. Perhaps Kroenke could spare some of his soccer dollars for a little domestic investment?
3. Hot seat » By this point last season D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn was the victim of undeserved speculation that his jobs was on the line. He’s in no such spot this season, but FC Dallas’ Schellas Hyndman, San Jose’s Frank Yallop, New York’s Juan Carlos Osorio, and even Los Angeles’ Bruce Arena are all under pressure to turn their teams around — that is, if you can call what is generated by the small platoon of American soccer pundits and writers, “pressure.”
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Stefan Frei, Toronto FC
This space might soon simply become MLS rookie of the week, too, considering the strength of this season’s first-year class and last week’s honoring of Seattle rookie Steve Zakuani. This week it’s Frei, the 23-year-old Swiss-born goalkeeper who played college ball at Berkeley, who had the best of his seven starts for Toronto last weekend vs. Columbus, a match in which he made seven saves to help preserve a 1-1 tie. The one allowed goal, unfortunately, ended Frei’s streak of 239 shutout minutes (second-longest in team history), including back-to-back 1-0 wins against Chivas and Kansas City that earned him the team’s player of the month award for April.
KEY GAME
San Jose at New York, Friday, 7:30 » In the battle of Who’s More Desperate for a Win, the Earthquakes have a pretty good argument, considering they haven’t won since March and are sitting on 256 minutes without a goal. The Red Bulls counter with three straight league losses and just five goals scored all season. Expect a ferocious battle at Giants Stadium.
HE SAID WHAT?
“The trainer wanted to look at it, and I opened up the glove and blood just started shooting out.”
– Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando, who suffered a middle finger laceration “down to the bone” vs. Colorado that could sideline him for 2-3 weeks.
