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May 13, 2009
MLS INFORMER
News and notes from around the league
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Despite taking his share of hard knocks in goal for the KC Wizards, Kevin Hartman has set a new MLS record with 8,190 consecutive minutes played.
Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images |
GETTING HIS MINUTES
Kansas City Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman recently added another MLS record to his already impressive resume. Hartman has played every minute in goal for the Wizards since he joined the team prior to the 2007 season.
Including the latter part of 2006 while with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Hartman has not missed a minute of play in his last 91 MLS matches. Hartman’s streak of 8190 consecutive minutes surpasses the previous mark of 7,920 minutes, set by New England goalkeeper Matt Reis (2005-2008). Hartman also is nearing his own career highs in consecutive games started and consecutive games played, set with the Galaxy between 2002 and 2005, both of which are the second-longest streaks in MLS history.
GETTING ON THE BOARD
Shalrie Joseph’s 49th-minute goal in the 1-1 draw with Chicago on Saturday night ended the fourth-longest scoreless streak in Revolution history at 269 minutes. The goal also prevented New England from being shut out for the third consecutive game, something that has only happened once before in team history - during the club’s record 361-minute scoreless streak (May 1-29, 1999). Prior to Joseph’s game-tying strike, the Revolution hadn’t scored since the 50th minute of a 1-1 draw with D.C. United on April 17, and had since been shut out by Real Salt Lake (April 25) and Houston (May 3).
RECORD OUTBURST
The New York Red Bulls’ four goal outburst in the opening 45 minutes of last Friday’s 4-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes set a club record for most goals scored in the first half. The previous record was three, which was accomplished 11 times – most recently in a 5-4 loss to the Colorado Rapids on Sept. 27, 2008 at Giants Stadium.
The most goals a New York team has scored in a half are six, set on Aug. 26, 2006 in a 6-0 win over Real Salt Lake at Giants Stadium. Every goal was scored in the second half.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
New York Red Bulls forward Macoumba Kandji was voted Major League Soccer’s Player of the Week for Week 8 of the 2009 season. Kandji recorded a goal and added two assists as the Red Bulls beat the San Jose Earthquakes 4-1 last Friday night at Giants Stadium.
Kandji, 23, from Dakar, Senegal, is in his first full MLS season. The 6-foot-4-inch forward attended Georgia Military College before making his professional debut with the USL’s Atlanta Silverbacks. Kandji made his MLS debut while on loan from the Silverbacks on September 27, 2008. The Red Bulls purchased Kandji’s rights during the offseason and placed him on their Senior Roster. This is Kandji’s first Player of the Week award, and the first for a Red Bull player since Juan Pablo Angel received the honor in Week 20 of the 2008 season.
KEEPING THE SHEETS CLEAN
Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton tops MLS with six shutouts so far in 2009, making two saves in a 1-0 victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday to earn another clean sheet. Thornton now leads MLS in shutouts, saves, wins, and has a goals-against average (GAA) of just 0.33, good for second in the league behind Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller. Saturday’s clean sheet was the 64th of Thornton’s career, pulling the veteran to within one of Joe Cannon for second place on MLS’ all-time shutout list, behind Kevin Hartman (80).
FULL HOUSE
Seattle Sounders FC has sold out its next four MLS home games, through June 28. Average attendance through five home dates is 29,536, making the club the first in MLS history to have 28,000 or more fans at five consecutive games.
Each of the first five games has been a sellout, including 32,523 to watch the inaugural home match versus New York on March 19. The Mother’s Day match with the Galaxy was the second-largest to date, 29,025.
Due to heavy ticket demand, the Sounders will open up seating in the south end zone of the stadium’s lower bowl beginning June 28, expanding capacity at the downsized Qwest Field to 32,000. The team will utilize the full stadium capacity of 67,000 for friendlies against Chelsea and FC Barcelona.
YOU CAN QUOTE ME
Sounders FC goalkeeper Kasey Keller on red cards:
“If a guy does something nasty and punches somebody or repeatedly is kicking people and trying to hurt people, okay, send them off. But little handballs and little ticky-tacky things, that’s not what the game is about.”
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