I Just Can't Get Enough

LOS ANGELES – Robbie Keane has never been all that interested in individual honors, but he was tickled to pick up Major League Soccer's 2014 Volkswagen MVP award Wednesday afternoon.

Now it's on to bigger business.

The 34-year-old Irish striker, a finalist for the honor last year, was fêted at the Ritz-Carlton at L.A. Live on Wednesday after scoring 19 goals with 14 assists to help the Galaxy to a dominant 17-7-10 regular season campaign.

Next he'll lead the Galaxy as they seek their third title in four years in Sunday's MLS Cup final against the New England Revolution at StubHub Center (3 pm ET, ESPN, UniMas, UDN, TSN1, RDS2).

“To be in the running the last few years, it just goes to show how consistent I have been, you know?” said Keane. “To win it, it's actually great to be recognized by your fellow professionals and the media. I'm delighted with the award, but I'd certainly trade it in for a championship on Sunday.”

Keane's scoring exploits are clear: He's netted 53 goals with 35 assists in 84 regular season games since joining LA in August 2011, plus another eight goals and six assists in 16 playoff matches and seven goals in 14 CONCACAF Champions League games. He's tallied 22 goals with 18 assists in all competitions this year.

But his game is far broader than the numbers suggest. He gives a master class in off-the-ball movement every time he steps on the field and plays the pivotal role in the Galaxy's interchange-heavy possession game.

“We think Robbie's spectacular,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said following the ceremony. “He's remarkable in the sense that his consistency year in and year out has been spectacular. And you don't see that typically of strikers. ...

“He sets the tone for our team each and every day. He's a great professional, he's good with our young players, he's fabulous in getting the team ready to play. Those things you don't see in the box score, for sure, but he's that guy with our team.”

Keane was at his best this year after undergoing surgeries on both of his Achilles' tendons last December.

“The last couple years I've been struggling really bad with Achilles' problems,” he said. “I was waking up in the mornings, and I could hardly walk. It took me ages to get going in training, so since the operation, I feel great.”

Keane's “desire and hunger” for the game, he says, makes all the difference.

“If you hate something that you do, you wake up every morning, you're not looking forward to going into work, whether that's football or a 9-to-5 job,” he said. “If you don't like what you do, then the battle is probably done already. For me, I wake up every morning looking forward to practice. I wake up every Saturday and Sunday desperate and can't wait to play the game.

“It's not about the money. I don't care about the money. For me, it's about playing. I'd play for free. When I finish playing football, I'll go back to Ireland, I'll be a manager or whatever, and I'll still play on Sunday with my mates. It's just the way I am.”

Calgary Stampeders: 2014 Grey Cup Champions

VANCOUVER -- The city of Calgary is finally getting the celebration it deserves.

The league’s most dominant regular season team claimed its first Grey Cup since 2008 on Sunday night in Vancouver, as the Stamps earned a 102nd Grey Cup victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 20-16.

It was an emotional night in Vancouver that ended in heartbreak for the Ticats, after a Brandon Banks punt return touchdown late in the fourth quarter that would have given them the lead was called back on a holding penalty inside the final minute.

Drew Tate ran for two touchdowns and Bo Levi Mitchell was a magician, as the CFL’s highest-scoring team was too much for the upstart Ticats to handle. The Stamps bolted out to a 17-0 first-half lead and never looked back.

While the centre of attention this week was leading rusher and New Westminster native Jon Cornish, Mitchell stole the show, throwing for 334 yards on 25-of-34 passing. His performance was one among the Grey Cup’s greatest, completing 22 of his first 25 passes while marking the third-highest completions streak in Grey Cup history with 10 in a row during the third quarter.

The Ticats roared back in the second half, led by a stingy defence that upped the pressure on Mitchell and forced a key fourth-quarter interception. But on offence they just couldn’t overcome Calgary’s stingy red zone defence, settling for three Justin Medlock field goals.

The loss marked the second straight Grey Cup appearance and loss for the Ticats, as the season ends on a disappointing note for the CFL’s youngest team and one that took a key step forward in its development.

After exchanging punts, the Stampeders took the early momentum on what appeared to be a routine second-and-short play just six minutes into the opening quarter. There to meet Grigsby behind the line of scrimmage was Deron Mayo, whose shoulder jarred the ball loose and put it on the turf.

The Ticats managed to recover and punt, but the big defensive play seemed to jolt a Stampeder offence that began the game with a two-and-out.

Standing comfortably behind the league’s top-ranked offensive line, Mitchell took his time and found an open Eric Rogers to his right for a 27-yard gain.

After moving the chains with a second-down completion to Tim St. Pierre, Mitchell went to Lewis on a slip screen up the middle and the Stamps’ veteran receiver really got the crowd roaring, bowling over defenders on the way to a 13-yard gain to the Hamilton goal line.

Finishing off the drive was the CFL’s regular-season rushing touchdowns leader, Tate with a 1-yard run to make it a 7-0 Calgary lead. The sneak capped off a five-play, 55-yard drive taking 3:00 off the clock.

A quick two-and-out by Calgary’s defence got Mitchell and co. back on the field quickly, and the Stamps’ highest-scoring offence went right back to work. With the ball at his own 44, Mitchell connected with Rogers for a 12-yard gain to get things started.

Cornish was stuffed on first down and the Stamps took two procedure penalties as the Ticats’ faithful turned up the volume, but Mitchell, poised and confident in the pocket, again outwaited Hamilton’s secondary before hooking up with Simon Charbonneau-Campeau for a 23-yard pickup.

That play could have been circled right away in the game summary, as the Stampeders looked to turn it into something bigger. Mitchell completed his next two passes to put Calgary on the doorstep, before a pass interference penalty on Brandon Stewart in the end zone moved the ball from the 11 to the one.

Finishing off the drive with his second touchdown of the game was Tate, capping off a 66-yard drive over 4:21 to make it 14-0 Calgary with 14:01 left in the game’s opening half.

With the most of three quarters still to play, the Ticats had plenty of time to get things around. Just in time they started to figure out that stingy Stampeder defence, as Collaros led the offence deep into scoring range after connecting with Banks for a 36-yard pickup on a play he made first with his legs.

But the Ticats couldn’t finish with seven, and that proved costly. The 26-yard field goal attempt by Justin Medlock was blocked by Demonte Bolden, and the Tabbies came away empty-handed.

The 24-year-old Mitchell stayed in tune, again moving the Stampeders into the red zone on a 43-yard completion to Rogers to kick-start the drive. A screen pass to Price got Calgary in nice and close, but the Ticat defence didn’t break this time, forcing an 11-yard chip shot by Rene Paredes to make it 17-0.

That stop for Hamilton’s defence was a big one, as the offence continued its forward momentum. After electing to start at the 35 instead of taking the kickoff, the Ticats quickly moved into scoring position. Then, after not finishing on the last drive, Collaros found Banks streaking in behind coverage for a 45-yard touchdown.

The fastest man on the field finished off a quick scoring drive and a busy first half, putting the Ticats down 17-7 after digging an early hole.

While Tate and his two touchdowns led the Stampede, the 24-year-old native of Katy, Texas was the star of the first half, completing 14-of-17 passes for 220 yards. Collaros meanwhile wasn’t totally outmatched, throwing for 155 yards and a touchdown on 9-of-13 passing.

With a 10-point lead at halftime, the Stampeder offence began chewing up the clock. Mitchell continued his completions streak to 10 straight with another six in a row, until finally an incompletion put an end to the drive.

Still, the Stampeders were able to melt 6:32 off the clock early in the third, extending their lead to 20-7 on a 19-yard field goal by Paredes.

The Ticats were able to cut the deficit to 20-10 early in the fourth quarter on a Medlock field goal, before a big play on defence provided an enormous opportunity to really get back in the game.

With Mitchell in a groove, the Ticats were able to get some pressure on the evasive scrambler. The gambler finally got himself into trouble, forcing a pass into coverage and eventually the hands of Delvin Breaux for the game’s first interception.

Hamilton’s drive stalled in goal-to-go when Grigsby was stuffed on a second-down run, but another Medlock field goal cut the Ticats’ deficit to 20-13 with just 5:35 remaining.

The Ticats’ hungry front-four seemed to apply more and more pressure as the game progressed, including late in the game when it mattered most. A Calgary two-and-out put the ball right back in the hands of the offence, which took over with 3:55 left in the game.

Collaros then scrambled and found Tasker for a 22-yard gain over the middle, before completions to Madu and Bakari Grant moved the Ticats to the Calgary 18 just inside the three-minute warning.

But a batted pass by Lemon and a sack by Corey Mace forced a third Medlock field goal, making it 20-16 with just over two minutes remaining.

Back on the field and needing a first down to ice the game, Mitchell was able to move the chains once on a completion to McDaniel before eventually being stopped short on a second-down completion.

The ensuing punt was a game-changer. The Ticats set up the wall and Banks broke containment, sprinting for what appeared to be a go-ahead touchdown along the right sideline. But the play was called back on a hold, forcing the Ticats to start at their own 12 with 35 seconds remaining.

Pinned in his own end, Collaros was sacked by Lemon -- the eventual back-breaker in a game the Stampeders would narrowly hold on to win, 20-16
.

Lick It Up

Don't wanna wait 'til you know me better

Let's just be glad for the time together

Life's such a treat and it's time you taste it

There ain't a reason on earth to waste it

It ain't a crime to be good to yourself

Lick it up, lick it up, it's only right now

Lick it up, lick it up, ooh yeah

Lick it up, lick it up, come on, come on

Lick it up, lick it up

Don't need to wait for an invitation

You gotta live like you're on vacation

There's something sweet you can't buy with money -

lick it up, lick it up

It's all you need, so believe me honey

It ain't a crime to be good to yourself

Lick it up, lick it up, it's only right now

Lick it up, lick it up, ooh yeah

Lick it up, lick it up, come on, come on

Lick it up, lick it up

Come on - it's only right now (it's only right now)

Ooh yeah (ooh yeah) ooh yeah (ooh yeah), yeah yeah...

Western Sydney Wanderers: 2014 AFC Champions League Champions

"The Western Sydney Wanderers!", they said!

They've changed the sporting landscape, they said! Their success in beating that team from Saudi Arabia to win the Asian Championship is the harbinger of a new age, they said, where football – yes, FOOTBALL, you knuckle-dragging Neanderthals – is finally going to rise up and take its place at the forefront of the Australian sporting codes!

By any measure, the success of the Wanderers, just a couple of years after being established, is staggering. 

I have one thing to say to all you smarty-pants who've been writing such emails to me, you narks, you sharks, you whingers, you whiners, you know-all blow-hards. Just one thing to say:

I think you might be right.

By any measure, the success of the Wanderers, just a couple of years after being established, is staggering.

Firstly, their success in the A-League. For who knew that that comp could be so successful? Not this little black duck, who has uttered sneers for years that soccer would never take off in this country. But you only had to see the crowds at A-League Wanderers matches – whole battalions of them standing on their seats, all in red, and seemingly allsmoking the same thing – to know that something fundamental has changed. Such enthusiasm! Such passion! So many of the boogers!

And then for them to be crowned the kings of all Asia?

A phenomenal achievement, and congratulations to them. Let the record show, the sleeping giant of Australian sport,  will likely soon be dancing for the pleasure of hundreds of thousands.

The question is, which other sports is this going to impact on?

My email inbox is filled with predictions that it will finish off rugby union – at least from those generous enough to acknowledge that rugby is not already dead.

I don't think so. Rugby has major problems right now, and it really is under threat from a variety of forces and factors – not least self-mutilation – but the growing of soccer doesn't show up on my radar as one of them. For that to be the case, there would need to have been a migration from the Waratahs and Wallaby support base to soccer and, anecdotally at least, I have no evidence of that. I further note that the one ace-in-the-hole that Australian rugby has is precisely the same one that Australian soccer is so demonstrably benefiting from – the growing global pull of their game. In that sense, soccer and rugby are allies not competitors. 

Rugby league then? A bit. The Wanderers are at their strongest in the very heartland of the Parramatta Eels, and though the A-League is a summer comp, it has been hard to miss the fact that Western Sydney seems to be right behind the Wanderers the way they used to be behind the Eels.

Ditto the Western Sydney Giants. In the competition to win the hearts and minds of the people, and turn those into bums on seats, there is no way around the fact that the Giants and Wanderers have come along at much the same time . . . and it is the Wanderers breaking all the records and getting all the headlines, all while the Swans have been making the running in the AFL all the way to the grand final.

But the sport that should be loosening its collar right now is, oddly enough, cricket. Both the A-League and cricket are on at much the same time, and are going after much the same people. Can I put it to you that if you like watching T-20 matches, it is not such a massive leap to go to a Wanderers or Sydney FC match instead, or even pay to watch it on the tube? And all this at a time when Australian cricket is struggling.

So we'll see. How it is all going to play out will become clearer as the summer progresses, but my pound to your peanut says that as the share price of soccer rises, so too will the share price of cricket drop. You heard it here first.

I haven't been wrong before, have I?

Oh, do shut up, Buddy.

Twitter: @Peter_Fitz 

Wanderers head into the unknown

Western Sydney goalkeeper Ante Covic has declared the Wanderers won’t be intimidated, even if Al-Hilal fans resort to dirty tricks on and off the field when the team arrives in Riyadh for the second leg of their Asian Champions League decider.

The Wanderers were subjected to disruptive and potentially dangerous behaviour in Guangzhou, China for their ACL quarter-final, when locals deliberately caused car crashes with the team bus and shined laser pointers into players’ faces during training and the match.

Covic had a laser shined directly at him when saving a penalty early in the tie-clinching match against Guangzhou Evergrande, and said he and the Wanderers are expecting similar shenanigans from the passionate Saudi Arabian supporters.

Laser pointers were first used at Saudi venues back in 2006, and King Fahd Stadium with its capacity of 65,000, is known for being a gauntlet for opposition supporters.

The veteran shot-stopper said if Al-Hilal try to disrupt the Wanderers, they will live to regret it.

“We’re not going to be intimidated,” said Covic.

“We’re not going to care what they’re going to throw at us.

“We were in China with 50,000-odd people throwing bottles and yelling at us. We couldn’t even walk off the field without security coming to get us, so that’s not going to faze us.

“They can do what they want.

“We’re going there with the mindset that something probably will happen.

“(But) if they’re thinking of throwing any tricks, they’re going to be doing it to the wrong team.”

In Guangzhou, the Wanderers say they were spurred on by the outrageous tactics of the locals.

From dogs being set loose during training sessions to intruders door-knocking and prank-calling the team hotel at 2am the morning of the match, the Wanderers thought they’d seen it all.

That was until the trip to the ground, where the team bus was hit from the front and rammed from the back, forcing the players to change vehicles.

Then within minutes, two cars suspiciously crashed into each other directly in front of the new bus, attempting to delay the Wanderers’ journey to the ground.

Western Sydney lost 2-1, but the away goal was enough to guarantee their path to the semi-finals.

“It was a very, very suss bus crash. The boys were looking at each other going, `alright, this is what you’ve got for us.’

“It really fired us up more than anything.

“That’s the nature of our team.

“Throw anything at us and we’ll come back at you twice as hard.”

Covic said one thing the players weren’t going to worry about was the officiating.

“That’s out of our hands,” he said.

“The only thing we can be worried about is what we can control.

“If they want to try little things like (50-50 calls going to Al-Hilal), that’s something we have to deal with in a professional manner.

“We’re going to be disciplined on the field and do everything we can do to win the game.”

Must Be The Victory Coming...

It was a fitting way to open the A-League’s 10th season. The biggest club in the land, Melbourne Victory, trouncing the new pretenders the Western Sydney Wanderers in front of 30,083 boisterous fans at Etihad Stadium.

Nine seasons ago, the match between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory was the talking point of round one as a new state-based rivalry was born. But as the Wanderers fans filed into the stadium to fill their allocation, there was a feeling that this fixture might become the biggest in the competition. The colour and the noise that these two clubs generate reverberates around the country.

The first goal came inside 10 minutes, the second within 20 and the third before the half-hour mark. Melbourne Victory, who haven’t won an opening game since 2006, could hardly have hoped for a better start.

With Matthew Spiranovic and Nikolai Topor-Stanley out of action for Wanderers, there was always going to be questions over the visitors’ threadbare back-line, and it was a horror start for the stand-in centre-half pairing of Antony Golec and Brendan Hammill. If the Wanderers are the masters at parking the bus, this was more reminiscent of Otto at the steering wheel after a few too many brekky bongs.

But while the Wanderers were awful, the Victory were clinical in front of goal with a new look front three featuring Kosta Barbarouses, Archie Thompson and marquee man Besart Berisha. On this evidence alone, Kevin Muscat looks to be onto a winner with his new formation.

Gui Finkler and Barbarouses combined well down the right, and the Wanderers stand-in left back Shannon Cole was under enormous pressure from the very start. Indeed the first goal came after just eight minutes after some tidy build up play between Finkler and Barberouses. New Victory signing Matthieu Delpierre found himself free just six yards out, and there was little Ante Covic could do in the Wanderers goal.

On 19 minutes, Golec handled the ball in the box, and up stepped Berisha. In his first A-League game for the Victory, he was never going to disappoint. A quick look up to pick his spot, a no nonsense run up and Berisha was soon saluting the fans.

Confidence was sky-high for the home side, and even the humble Leigh Broxham wanted to get in on the action. After a couple of attempts from range, Broxham popped up for the Victory’s third goal on 28 minutes. Again it was Barbarouses who bamboozled Cole down the right channel in the build up, and after his shot was blocked, Broxham blazed the ball through the crowded defence into the back of the net.

Mark Bridge pulled one back for the visitors before half-time, but it meant little in the context of the match. The Wanderers, who have built their game around defensive cohesion, looked dazed and confused.

Perhaps this was best summed up by Victory’s fourth and final goal. Under no pressure at all, Golec gave away possession cheaply, and with the defence woefully out of position, Berisha fed Thompson who made no mistake in front of goal.

The Wanderers might put this uncharacteristic performance down to missing players and the distraction of their Asian Champions League commitments, but regardless, the rest of the competition are on notice. This Victory side looks balanced, creative and menacing.

Who Do We Sing For!? We Sing For Wanderers!!!

Western Sydney Wanderers are going to great lengths to ensure their supporters can travel to Saudi Arabia for the final of the Asian Champions League but there is no guarantee female and Jewish supporters will be granted entry visas.

The Wanderers face Al-Hilal in Riyadh on November 1 in the second leg of the continental decider but a section of their supporters may be denied a chance to witness a potential Asian title due to their gender, race or religious background.

The club is in the process of arranging travel packages with the support of Al-Hilal and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation but it will not be known until the end of the week whether unaccompanied females and Jewish supporters will be able to travel due to the strict laws of the nation.

The club has received over 200 enquiries for away tickets and is finalising the travel package – which will cater for match tickets, travel, accommodation and visas – with the blessing of relevant authorities. It is hoped the tour will allow for female supporters to attend but there is still no indication it will be sufficient enough to allow entry for supporters of Jewish background.

Due to conservative legislation, women face difficulties in obtaining tourist visas for Saudi Arabia while those of Jewish heritage, Israelis or even those who have visited Israel, are not permitted entry.

While AFC regulations state a club's fans must be allowed access without prejudice, their stature does not overrule state legislation.

"There needs to be an invitation. We are working with the FFA [Football Federation of Australia], AFC [Asian Football Confederation], the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and Al-Hilal to obtain an invitation for our supporters to travel," a Wanderers spokesman said.

Single women must be in the company of a male relative or their husband and travel with marriage certificates to obtain a tourist visa, or must be escorted at all times as part of a supervised tourism group.

Saudi football has a long history of banning women from attending games. The nation allowed females to attend matches only last year, and under harsh restricitions.

Only selected stadiums cater for segregated sections, which prevent male and female supporters standing next to each other. Under pressure from international organisations, the Saudi Arabian domestic league allowed a number of women to attend the games in reserved sections of the stadium, as per the custom of many public events.

There are also concerns that should female Wanderers fans be granted visas, they will also be seggregated once within King Fahd Stadium. One of the proposed options for the tour is to station supporters in a nearby Gulf nation before the match and fly them into Riyadh for game day, to ensure a safe passage to and from the stadium and in and out of Saudi Arabia.

The club has not yet received any advice for homosexual Wanderers supporters wishing to travel to the second leg, but the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trading states: "Homosexual activity is illegal and penalties include the death penalty."

It is understood Wanderers are working with the AFC to arrange a way for their chairman, Paul Lederer to attend the match under arrangements often reserved for diplomats.

Lederer, who is Jewish, is understood to be keen to attend the match, but faces difficulty in obtaining a visa. 

The club hopes Lederer can bypass those laws under unspecified arrangements as an invited special guest of the AFC. Competition regulations state: "Hosting Club and its National Association must guarantee and ensure that access to the stadium will be granted to the AFC delegation, officials and players of the visiting club, sponsors, travelling fans and media without any discrimination of gender, race or nationality."