Yanks At Home:Week 9

BY BRIAN MANGAN

The Superclassico as they call it in LA has been a bit of a one sided affair for a while now, but Saturday's game proved to be a back and forth affair with Americans shining through for each side. Seeing as Justin Braun had just taken down the favorite in the East in New York it was assumed he could have an equally big day against the Western Conference equivalent. Needless to say he did not. Braun only played two thirds of the game before being pulled. He almost put a Heath Pearce free kick in the back of the net but couldn't quite finish it. Pearce on the other hand played great defense containing a talented LA attack (minus Becks visiting his friends at Old Trafford rather than play in a league game against an in city rival). As a matter of fact the Chivas defense might have been the most impressive line of Americans as both Pearce and the 19 year old Zarek Valentin put in impressive performances. Valentin was playing in place of the injured Mike Lahoud and easily fit into the gap, proving a stable replacement and getting on his way to earning the longterm job.

Also I don't pretend to know exactly how the MLS schedule works and how some teams have played 5 more games than others this early into the season, but I've decided that if this is going to be a weekly thing it has to be based in a weekly schedule. I assume it makes most sense to put this information up after the weekend so I'll be trying to get it up by Monday morning every week and it will cover the past seven days covering from Sunday to Sunday (of course today is a Thursday and next weekend is Memorial Day so I might not even post before Tuesday but "rules are meant to be broken.") So this article should be back-dated to Monday, meaning the 3 games played Wednesday night won't be included but anything played Sunday will. Sorry about that and here goes for what I am somewhat arbitrarily declaring week 9 as I really can't figure out why the MLS schedule works the way it does.

Juan Agudelo F (New York)
Started 79 Mins 1 Shot, 1 on Goal 2 Fouls vs HOU (2-2)

Eric Alexander M (Dallas)
Started 77 Mins 2 Shot, 1 on Goal 1 Fouls vs RSl (0-0)

Justin Braun F (Chivas)
Started 66 Mins 1 Shot, 0 on Goald, 1 Fouls vs LA (1-0 L)

Teal Bunbury F (Kansas City)
Started 73 Mins 0 Shots, 3 Fouls vs SEA (1-0 L)

Sam Cronin M (San Jose)
Unused Sub vs NE (2-1 W)

Charlie Davies F (DC)
No Games
Injured Hamstring, will miss "a couple of weeks"

Bryan De La Fuente M (Chivas)
Unused Sub vs LA (1-0 L)

AJ De La Garza D (LA)
Started 90 Mins vs CHV (1-0 W)

Jay Demerit D (Vancouver)
Started 90 Mins 2 Shots 0 on Goal, 1 Foul vs Toronto (1-1)

Landon Donovan M (LA)
Started 90 Mins, 2 Fouls vs CHV (1-0 W)

Sean Franklin D (LA)
Started 90 Mins, 2 Fouls vs CHV (1-0 W)

Moises Hernandez D (Dallas)
Unused Sub vs RSL (0-0)

Sacir Hot D (New York)
Unused Sub vs COL (2-2)

Ugo Ihemelu D (Dallas)
Started 90 Mins 2 Fouls vs RSL (0-0)

Sean Johnson GK (Chicago)
Unused Sub vs PHI (1-2 L)
Right Quad Injury

Jon Kempin GK (Kansas City)
Unused Sub vs SEA (0-1 L)

Perry Kitchen D (DC)
No Games

Jeff Larentowicz M (Colorado)
Started 90 Mins 1 Shots, 2 Fouls vs TOR (0-0)

Zach Loyd M (Dallas)
Started 90 Mins, 1 Foul vs RSL (0-0)

Zac MacMath GK (Philadelphia)
Unused Sub vs CHI (2-1 W)

Dax McCarty M (DC)
No Games

Jack McInerney F (Philadelphia)
Unused Sub vs CHI (2-1 W)

Amobi Okugo M (Philadelphia)
Started 5 Mins vs CHI (2-1 W)

Out 3 weeks with high ankle sprain

Heath Pearce D (Chivas)

Started 90 Mins 1 Shot, 1 Foul vs LA (1-0 L)

Matt Pickens GK (Colorado)
Started 90 Mins 3 Shots on Goal, 3 Saves, vs COL (0-0)

Tim Ream D (NY)
Started 90 Mins vs Hous (2-2)

Nick Rimando GK (Salt Lake)
Started 90 Mins, 3 Shots, 3 Saves vs DAL (0-0)

Robbie Rogers M (Columbus)
Started 90 Mins, 2 Shots vs POR (1-0 L)

Kofi Sarkodie D (Houston)
Unused Sub vs NYR (2-2)

Conor Shanosky M (DC)
No Games

Brek Shea D (Dallas)
Started 90 Mins, 1 Shot vs RSL (0-0)

Zarek Valentin D (Chivas)
Started 90 Mins, 2 Fouls vs LA (1-0 L)

Korey Veeder M (Columbus)
Unused Sub vs POR (1-0 L)

Anthony Wallace D (Colorado)
Started 90 Mins, 1 Shot 1 Foul vs TOR (0-0)

Ethan White D (DC)
No Games

Chris Wondolowski F (San Jose)
Started 9 Mins, 1 Assist, 2 Shots, 0 on Goal, 2 Foul vs NE (2-1 W)

Marvell Wynne D (Colorado)
Started 90 Mins, 1 Foul vs TOR (0-0)