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Impact bid scuttled by economic crisis?
By GARETH WHEELER
After being the odds-on favourite for an expansion franchise in 2011, MLS commissioner Don Garber announced Friday that Montreal was out of the running because of an incomplete bid.
The Montreal Impact claim it did not pull out of the running and will hold a press conference this morning to address the situation.
With a soccer-specific stadium and devout fan following already in place, Montreal was a logical fit.
One has to wonder whether the bid's reliance on the financial strength of George Gillett Jr. and his current financial woes contributed to the collapse of the bid.
Gillett and Tom Hicks have a Jan. 25 deadline to pay back the $664-million loan for their purchase of English Premier League club Liverpool.
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Too alive Crew
Columbus overpowers Red Bulls to hoist its first MLS Cup title
By GARETH WHEELER, SUN MEDIA
Columbus is used to national football championships with Ohio State, but now it has a football championship of another kind.
In a match featuring two of Major League Soccer's original teams, the boys from the Buckeye State, the Columbus Crew, collected a well-deserved 3-1 victory over the underdog New York Red Bulls in Carson, Calif., yesterday. It was the Crew's first MLS Cup in franchise history.
They opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a soft goal from Alejandro Moreno.
After a 40-yard run down the right side of the pitch, Moreno beat Red Bulls goalkeeper Danny Cepero from a bad angle. It was a calm and cool finish by Moreno, but clearly Cepero played the angle all wrong.
Hardly top-class goaltending, but the kind you might expect when you pay your 'keeper only $248 a week.
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SUNSHINE