Monthly Archives: November 2012

Chicago Soul debut with road win at Syracuse 13-8

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SYRAC– USE—The Chicago Soul burst into the MISL with a dazzling debut, defeating the hometown Syracuse Silver Knights 13-8. Carlos Munoz scored twice for the expansion franchise as they pulled away in the fourth quarter to take victory in their inaugural contest.The Silver Knights took the field to a raucous crowd of 3,412 onlookers and their furious pace of play clearly indicated that the team fed off the crowd’s energy. But the Knights were unable to capitalize on an onslaught of first quarter chances, and Cuitlahuac Meza put the visitors on top on the counter-attack with five minutes left in the first quarter.Syracuse responded with a blazing top corner goal from Nelson Santana just a minute later, tying the game at 2-2 heading into the second quarter. The Soul evened the flow of play in the second quarter, and answered with consecutive 2-point goals from Matthew Stewart and Bato Radoncic. Much like the first quarter, Syracuse was able to respond quickly, and Andre Berenzon reduced the deficit by converting on an outstanding individual effort. Berenzon took a pass from Santana into the attacking third, dribbled past two defenders, and blasted his finish past Soul goalkeeper Jeff Richey.It appeared as if the Knights would go into the locker room with a two point deficit, but Darren Toby was able to steal the ball from a Chicago defender and set up Daniel Stevens perfectly for a rocketing blast into the back of the net with just one second left before the halftime break, sending the teams to the locker rooms tied 6-6.After a scoreless third quarter, Munoz gave the Soul a four‐point cushion with a pair of 2‐point goals. The Soul fed off the momentum, but Bryan O’Quinn kept the Knights alive with a fantastic flurry of saves, finishing with 10 on the night.Syracuse pulled momentum back in their favor, but former Silver Knight Alex Megson put the game out of reach with a 3 point goal from midfield into an empty net as the Silver Knights pushed to get back into the game with under three minutes to play. Berenzon was able to pull a goal back for Syracuse with just over a minute left, but the five point deficit proved too much to overcome.

Cubs deal Marmol to Halos for Dan Haren

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Dan Haren is headed to the Cubs in exchange for Carlos Marmol. (US Presswire)

Dan Haren is headed to the Cubs in exchange for Carlos Marmol.The Angels shipped Ervin Santana to the Royals and have now found a taker for Dan Haren in the Cubs who will send reliever Carlos Marmol to Anaheim in exchange for Haren.Marmol confirmed the trade to a reporter in the Dominican Republic:

“I am very fond of the City of Chicago. It will always be in my heart. Now I look up to the challenge with Anaheim”,

The Angels held a $15.5-million club option on Haren and, like Santana, wanted to trade him instead of just letting him go in free agency. He had a $3.5 million buyout.Haren, 32, was 12-13 with a 4.33 ERA in 30 starts for the Angels this season.Marmol, 30, has 115 saves in his career, including 38 in 2010. Last season he had 20 saves and a 3.42 ERA. In 2010, his first season as the team’s closer, Marmol struck out 138 batters in 77 2/3 innings. Despite a high strikeout rate in his career, he’s struggled with walks. Last season he had 45 walks in 55 1/3 innings to go along with 72 strikeouts. Batters had just a .200 batting average against him in 2012, but a .352 on-base percentage thanks to his high walk numbers. He gave up more walks than hits (40). Marmol is in the final year of a three-year contract that will pay him $9.8 million in 2013.

NHL Cancel’s Winter Classic. Entire Season next?

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The NHL has put one of its signature events on ice.The Winter Classic, scheduled between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs for Jan. 1 at Michigan Stadium, became the latest casualty of the league’s lockout.

“The logistical demands for staging events of this magnitude made today’s decision unavoidable,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Friday. “We simply are out of time. We are extremely disappointed, for our fans and for all those affected, to have to cancel the Winter Classic and Hockeytown Winter Festival events.”

Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall was bummed out, too. He was looking forward to facing the Maple Leafs in a matchup of two Original Six teams in the home of college football’s winningest team.

“It’s obviously very sad,” Kronwall told the Associated Press. “The Winter Classic is one of the highlights of the year, and this is something everyone has been looking to because playing at the Big House would’ve been something very special.”

Don Fehr, the players union executive director, called the decision “unnecessary and unfortunate, as was the owners’ implementation of the lockout itself.”  The league said it would schedule the next Winter Classic at the stadium, which holds more than 100,000 people and had been expected to set a record for attendance at a hockey game. Among other things, the event called for a winter festival about 45 miles away in Detroit and the construction of two outdoor rinks for multiple college and youth teams.Some 400,000 people were expected in the area over the New Year’s weekend, filling hotel rooms, restaurants and bars.

NEXT, expect an announcement from Beavis Bettman that the enitre 2012-13 NHL Season will be cancelled! Too bad he won’t also be.

Fire bow out to Houston in MLS Knockout Round 2-1

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BROADVIEW—The Chicago Fire received an 83rd minute goal from Alex to rally late but it wasn’t enough to erase a two-goal deficit, eventually falling 2-1 to the Houston Dynamo in the 2012 MLS Eastern Conference Knockout Match Wednesday night at Toyota Park. With the defeat, the Fire are eliminated from the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs.

  • The visitors would have the first chance in the sixth minute when former Dynamo striker Calen Carr corralled a ball at midfield before hitting a low blast that knuckled, giving Fire ‘keeper Sean Johnson some trouble on the stop before Austin Berry cleared away.
    The Fire responded in the ninth minute when Houston defender Jermaine Taylor’s failed clearance fell for Arne Friedrich at the top of the box. The German defender laid off for Jalil Anibaba on the right before the second-year Fire defender cut inside and curled his left-footed effort just past the far post.

    The home side would come close one minute later when Sherjill MacDonald won the ball at midfield before laying off for Pavel Pardo in the center circle. The Mexican midfielder sprung Alvaro Fernandez into the box on the left, twisting Kofi Sarkodie before seeing his close shot stuffed by Tally Hall.

    Despite the back-to-back chances, the Dynamo would take the lead three minutes later. Brad Davis’ in-swinging corner kick picked out Bruin at the near post and the Dynamo forward squeezed his header past Johnson and inside the post for the 1-0 advantage on 13 minutes.

    The Fire nearly equalized in the 18th minute when Pardo sent in a free kick from 30 yards away that found Friedrich but the veteran defender’s flicked on header came straight to Hall.

    Houston came close to doubling their lead in the 42nd minute when Brad Davis’ corner kick picked out Bobby Boswell at the near post but the Dynamo defender nodded his header over Johnson’s goal taking the teams into the half with the Dynamo up 1-0.

    Fire head coach Frank Klopas made a signal for more in the attack with Alex’s entrance for Logan Pause at the half but the Fire would dig themselves a deeper hole less than 20 seconds in. Carr intercepted a ball on the right and slid it through for Bruin in stride as the Dynamo striker charged between the Fire backline and tucked his low shot inside the back post in the 46th minute.

    The Fire looked to cut into the lead in the 54th minute when Alex found Nyarko on the left. The Ghanaian winger penetrated forward, cutting back for the Brazilian at the top of the box before seeing his effort dip wide right of goal.

    Johnson would be called into action in the 62nd minute when a combination Davis took a pass from Corey Ashe on the left and centered for Ricardo Clark. The veteran Dynamo midfielder collected before hitting a low ball that Johnson did well to get down to.

    Seven minutes later, a looping ball over the top from Kofi Sarkodie saw Carr into space on the right but the former Fire striker saw his tight angle shot turned away by Johnson in the 69th minute.

    The Fire came close in the 71st when a cleared corner kick fell for Nyarko 25 yards from goal. The Fire’s 2012 assist leader chipped back in to the far post and saw the ball fall for MacDonald but his shot was deflected out from close range by Dynamo midfielder Adam Moffat.

    Nyarko would provide the danger again three minutes later when Alex found him at the top left corner of the box. The Ghanaian winger stepped inside before measuring a looping effort towards the far post but a completely outstretched Hall turned the effort out for a corner kick.

    The Fire would finally get on the board in the 83rd minute when Friedrich hit a long ball over the top for Nyarko on the left side. The Fire veteran held up before finding Alex in stride and the Brazilian rolled towards the end line before hitting a pinpoint shot to the back post and over the line.

    The Fire would find one last chance in the 94th minute when substitute forward Dominic Oduro was hauled down 25 yards from goal on the right. With nothing to lose, Johnson came forward before Midfielder Daniel Paladini swung in a whipping free kick to the penalty spot and saw his take headed away. The ball fell for Chris Rolfe just outside the penalty area but the team’s 2012 leading goal scorer’s follow-up deflected off a Fire player and out for a goal kick, effectively ending the match.

    NOTES—With the defeat, the Fire fall to 21-16-6 overall in postseason play….The loss marks the first home regulation defeat in Chicago Fire playoff history, moving the team’s all-time home postseason record to 16-2-3 and 4-1-1 at Toyota Park….Alex scored his first MLS Cup playoff goal, adding to the two strikes he supplied during the regular season….Patrick Nyarko tallied his second career assist in the MLS Cup playoffs on Alex’s 83rd minute strike….Goalkeeper Sean Johnson made four saves in his first MLS postseason appearance….The Fire’s 17-win, 57-point season is the best since 2000.