Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

Nice, do you see yourself staying with the MLS for a while, because was thinking about doing a Union career although I already have a Norwich lined up

I don't know yet. I'm just starting the playoffs on this one, but it does seem like my player is starting to outgrow the MLS. You'll just have to stay tuned and see what happens in the January transfer market, haha.

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

Oct 20, 2012 - Chicago Fire vs New England Revolution
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
Chicago Fire (19-7-6)	2	1	3
New England Revolution (8-10-14)	0	0	0

Team Stats Comparison
Chicago Fire		New England Revolution
3	Goals	0
8	Shots	4
6	Shots on Target	2
0	Tackles	10
0	Fouls	0
0	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0
0	Injuries	0
75%	Shot Accuracy	50%
94%	Passing Percentage	82%

Summary:
Silence was all that could be heard in New England as the Fire trounced the hapless Revolution. The Chicago Fire have been on a roll at the right time, with only a couple games left until the playoffs start. The goals began early, as in the 26' MVP candidate Alvin Allen sent in a rocket header from the cross by Thompson. Alex would contribute to the MVP campaign, sending in a crisp pass out of the reach of all defenders that Allen stuck home for his second goal. As the second half began, everyone in the stadium knew Allen would be on a quest to complete the hat trick. In the 56' Thompson would cut through the Revolution back line and sent a back heel kick to Allen that surprised everyone. Allen would put this shot into the back of the net as the keeper just stood and watched. Hat trick completed, Allen would be pulled to rest for the final match of the season against DC United. The game would end with the Fire winning another one, 3-0.

Notable Allen statistics:
Rating 9.7
5 shots on target
Goals: 26' 37' 53'
Man of Match

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

Oct 20, 2012 - DC United vs Chicago Fire
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
DC United (16-6-11)	3	1	4
Chicago Fire (20-7-6)	0	2	2

Team Stats Comparison
DC United		Chicago Fire
2	Goals	4
4	Shots	12
3	Shots on Target	8
4	Tackles	5
0	Fouls	0
0	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0
0	Injuries	0
75%	Shot Accuracy	66%
94%	Passing Percentage	92%

Summary:
The Chicago Fire would finish their last regular season home game in style with a win over the much hated DC United. Allen had arguably his best game as a pro. It started early again with a quick 20' one timer goal from Segares that the keeper wasn't prepared for. Shortly after in the 26', Allen went on a run down the left side off the counter attack by the Fire. He sent in a cross that found Alex for the header into the corner. In the 30' Alex returned the favor with a lobbed through pass that put Allen on the break. A finesse right footed shot curled just out of reach of the keeper as Allen got his second goal. DC would try to mount a comeback in the second half with goals in the 57' and 70' by Salihi, but the game was ulitmately put out of reach by a goal by Fernandez late in the contest. The Fire win this game, 4-2, and will begin the MLS playoffs with the number 1 seed in the East.

Notable Allen statistics:
9.7 Rating
Goals: 20' 36'
1 Assist
3 Key Passes
Man of the Match

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)



Final Regular Season Standings
by Dave Seville

Final Regular Season Standings- East
TEAM	GP	W	D	L	PTS
Chicago Fire	34	21	7	6	70
Houston Dynamo	34	19	6	9	63
Columbus Crew	34	15	11	8	56
DC United	34	16	6	12	54
Sporting KC	34	15	8	11	53
Toronto FC	34	15	6	13	51
New York Red Bulls	34	12	12	10	48
New England Revolution	34	9	10	15	37
Montreal Impact	34	4	11	19	23
Philadelphia Union	34	2	7	25	13

Final Regular Season Standings- West
TEAM	GP	W	D	L	PTS
Seattle Sounders	34	20	8	6	68
Real Salt Lake	34	19	9	6	66
LA Galaxy	34	15	11	8	56
San Jose Earthquakes	34	11	13	10	46
Chivas USA	34	12	9	13	45
FC Dallas	34	10	13	11	43
Colorado Rapids	34	9	12	13	39
Vancouver Whitecaps	34	8	5	21	29
Portland Timbers	34	6	6	21	24

[bhurst99]

Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

Looking forward to playoffs. I don't think I've ever read a MLS dynasty that made it as far as the playoffs. Good luck.

[Fedal180]

Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

YEAH UNION

lol

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)



MLS Cup Playoffs
by Dave Seville

Opening round play in game:

DC United 1 - 2 Sporting KC

San Jose Earthquakes 1 - 0 Chivas USA

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

Eastern Conference Semifinals
First Leg

Sporting Park Kansas City, Kansas was filled to capacity to watch their hometown team face the hated Chicago Fire. Sporting had already dispatched a scrappy DC United team in the opening round, and they were looking to exact a little revenge for some of the early disappointments against Chicago.

The early surprise of the game found Bunbury starting at striker instead of team USA member Sapong. The whistle blew and Allen kicked a boneheaded ball right to the eager Bunbury. He sent it wide to Convey, who dribbled left past a vigilant Berry. Friedrich pulled back to help against the attacking Convey, but he sent in an early cross that found Bunbury wide open in front of the net. He would put the volley home out of midair for a quick goal in the 4'. Kansas City was up 1-0.

Alex started the re-kick to Allen, who kicked it back to his midfield. The Fire would slowly begin their attack, passing the ball around the penalty area with grace and finesse. The back line opened up, and Allen sent a cracking shot out of the reach of the keeper Nielsen, but also just wide of the net.

It was Sporting KC's turn up as they pressed against the Fire's back line with ease. CB Berry held his team strong. All the goal scoring machine Allen could do was stay put at the center line and watch his defense as the whistle sounded for the half.

Round two of this boxing match was soon under way. The Fire were on the defensive again as Zusi and Convey continued to control the midfield. A through pass found Bunbury in the box, but a strong save by Johnson prevented the goal. Johnson rolled the ball out to Berry, but Berry misjudged the ball and mistimed the pass. The ball bounced off his heel into the waiting feet of Bunbury, who buried this gift into the right corner. KC 2-0.

It was at this point in the match where one could clearly see the Fire begin to panic. The manager put the Fire into an all out attack push that left them dangerously wide open on the back side. Wild shots came in from Allen, Alex, and Thompson. Soon the 90' had came and went. The home crowd began to celebrate their victory. The Fire would begin their one last push for a goal. Alex sent in a cross that was headed away by the KC backline. Then, miraculously, a Zusi clearance found a subbed in Sapong with no one left to beat. He was one on one with the keeper and sent it in past Johnson for the late goal. The Sporting side went crazy. The final whistle sounded and all the Fire could do was hang their heads as Sporting KC took the first leg in a dominant victory at home 3-0 over the Fire.

Nov 7, 2012 - Chicago Fire vs Sporting KC
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
Chicago Fire (East #1)	0	0	0
Sporting KC (East #5)	1	2	3

Team Stats Comparison
Chicago Fire		Sporting KC
0	Goals	3
5	Shots	4
0	Shots on Target	3
2	Tackles	7
1	Fouls	1
0	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0
0	Injuries	0
0%	Shot Accuracy	75%
91%	Passing Percentage	86%

Goals:
Bunbury 4'
Bunbury 48'
Sapong 90'

Notable Allen statistics:
Rating 5.9
2 shots off target
0 Key Passes
0 1 on 1 victories

Other Matches
East
Columbus Crew 1 - 0 Houston Dynamo

West
LA Galaxy 2 - 2 Real Salt Lake
San Jose Earthquakes 2 - 1 Seattle Sounders

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

Eastern Conference Semifinals
Second Leg

The Chicago Fire were looking for answers after their pathetic showing in Kansas City 10 days ago. They were out-worked, out hustled, and outplayed against the red hot Sporting KC squad that have their sites set on Eastern Conference Finals spot.

Nursing that 3-0 lead, Sporting took the kickoff and began to play keep away. Their message to the Fire was "come get it if you want to win". The Fire obliged, with a quick Allen steal from Zusi coupled with a spin move, then a shot that just sailed wide of the net. It looked as if the Fire were motivated to get an early goal to narrow the gap.

Alex would follow up Allen's early shot with a bit of flair on his own. He took a Thompson pass wide to the right up the wing, faked the cross, and cut into the box. He left it off for a cutting Pardo who hit a perfect strike, only to have it knocked away on a diving save by Nielsen. He came up pumping his fist, ready for anything the Fire could throw at him.

And throw at him they did, as the Fire sent more blistering shots at the keeper. The half would come and go, but neither teams strategy changed. KC continued to play keep away, and the Fire continued to press forward. The score was still 0-0 in the 80' and Chicago knew they must get a goal soon or all hope was lost. Alex was tackled cleanly outside the box, and the ensuing break for KC fell against a Fire line that was spread too thin. A 4 on 2 break was on, and Sapong dribbled past Jumper and sent in a curling finesse shot that was out of the reach of Johnson. The stunned crowd at Toyota Park knew with that late away goal that their hopes were dashed.

Allen would show the fans one last bit of beautiful ball by dribbling through the KC back line and scoring a goal on his own in the 88', but it was obviously to little to late. The Chicago Fire, Supporters Shield Champions, were upset by Sporting KC 1-1 (4-1 agg.).

Nov 17, 2012 - Sporting KC vs Chicago Fire
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
Sporting KC (East #5)	0	1	1
Chicago Fire (East #1)	0	1	1

Team Stats Comparison
Sporting KC		Chicago Fire
1	Goals	1
4	Shots	8
2	Shots on Target	6
8	Tackles	12
0	Fouls	0
0	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0
0	Injuries	0
50%	Shot Accuracy	75%
91%	Passing Percentage	90%

Goals:
84' Sapong
88' Allen

Notable Allen statistics:
6.8 Rating
4 shots/3 on target
1 Key Pass
4 1 on 1 victories

Other Matches
East
Houston Dynamo 0 - 1 Columbus Crew

West
Real Salt Lake 3 - 2 LA Galaxy
Seattle Sounders 1 - 1 San Jose Earthquakes

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)



Top Seeds Take a Tumble
by Dave Seville


Coach Frank Klopas answering post game questions

It looks like the magic ran out for both number one seeds, as the US Open Cup Champion Seattle Sounders and the Supporters' Shield Champion Chicago Fire lost to San Jose and Sporting KC respectively. Some would say that both teams were overconfident. Both teams played with an uncharacteristic slowness, and the lower seeded teams rallied from their opening round victories. We shall see how the playoffs will unfold now that both favorites are out of the race. The race for the MLS Cup is wide open. Who will step up and take the prize?

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)



MLS Cup Playoffs

Western Conference Finals 1st Leg
San Jose Earthquakes 1 - 1 Real Salt Lake

Eastern Conference Finals 1st Leg
Sporting KC 0 - 2 Columbus Crew

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)



MLS Cup Playoffs

Western Conference Finals 2nd Leg
Real Salt Lake 2 - 0 San Jose Earthquakes

Eastern Conference Finals 2nd Leg
Columbus Crew 1 - 0 Sporting KC

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)



Real Salt Lake named MLS Cup Champions
by Dave Seville


Real Salt Lake have been named the MLS Cup Champions. They won in a riveting match over the Columbus Crew 2-1. Real Salt Lake's journey was that of the underdog, trailing behind the Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference all year. However, when the Sounders were unexpectedly out of the tournament, it gave RSL all the motivation they needed to pull off the victories they needed to take home the title. Congratulations on a job well done.

Announcements on the final season awards will be given tomorrow.

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)



Allen Makes His Presence Known With Big Awards
by Dave Seville



Alvin Allen wins the Most Valuable Player award in his rookie season. Allen also takes home the Golden Boot award for most goals in the MLS season. The MVP race was a hotly contested battle between Allen and Convey, but in the end it was Allen's goal scoring ability that ultimately put him over the top to win it.

Rumors are already swirling that the Fire will look to cash in on the young prospect with a transfer with a big time club. American soccer fans want to keep this player in the states, but as of now it looks like the big clubs have taken notice of the striker and will look to put in a big offer to get him to move when the January transfer market takes place.

Other Final League Leaders Below:

Soccer Leaders - Updated: Dec 2, 2012
Goals		Assists
1. Allen - Chicago Fire	29	1. Convey - Sporting KC	10
2. Convey - Sporting KC	19	2. Allen - Chicago Fire	8
3. Wondolowski - San Jose	17	3. Pardo - Chicago Fire	8
4. Johnson - Seattle Sounders	15	4. Sapong - Sporting KC	8
5. Saborio - Real Salt Lake	14	5. McCarty- NY Red Bulls	7
Clean Sheets		Bookings
1. Gruenbaum - Columbus Crew	15	1. Rochat - Vancouver	9
2. Hall - Houston Dynamo	14	2. Gonzalez - LA Galaxy	9
3. Rimando - Real Salt Lake	13	3. Clark - Houston Dynamo	8
4. Tornaghi - Chicago Fire	11	4. Palmer - Real Salt Lake	8
5. Kennedy - Chivas USA	8	5. Garcia - Houston Dynamo	8

[bhurst99]

Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

Holy cow! What a disaster that first leg was! I don't think you lost 3-0 all season.

Congrats anyway on finishing your first season.