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Product reviews are the thoughts, experiences, and recommendations shared by our most important critics: owners of Canon products. In addition, each review includes an overall rating based on a 1 to 5 star rating system with 5 being the most favorable. Your feedback on Canon products provides valuable insight for other consumers looking to make a purchase. You can also read the various reviews posted by others to help you determine which product is the right choice for you.
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Women's Cotton Cable-Knit Knee Socks
Cotton-Knit Knee Socks—Comfort You Can Count On in Two Sizes
Women's Cotton Cable-Knit Knee Socks
Cotton-Knit Knee Socks—Comfort You Can Count On in Two Sizes
Our soft and stretchy cotton-blend knee socks, with an attractive cable-knit design, stay comfortable all day long and will not sag. Available in regular and plus sizes. Regular size is medium weight, making them comfortable under dress shoes and for all-day wear. Plus size is proportioned to fit larger sizes—wider at top, roomier in the foot, and with a longer leg than regular size. 97% cotton, 3% Lycra® spandex. Fit women's shoe sizes 6-10. Machine wash and dry. USA.
- Attractive cable knit
- Will not sag
- Regular size can be worn comfortably with dress shoes
- Plus size is proportioned to fit larger sizes
- Made in USA
There's a reason for our cable-knit knee socks' long-time popularity: they stay up and are just plain comfy.
What Our Customers Are Saying about Our Women's Cotton Cable-Knit Knee Socks …
"Hi! I have got many pairs of your cotton white cable knee high socks and I love them. They stay up very well and look great. I will be buying more soon." - Paul Young, Hollis Center, ME

subset: commoncrawl


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Godsmack Unleash New Single '1000hp'
After teasing a snippet of the song last week, Godsmack have now unveiled their new single in its entirety. The tune, '1000hp,' also serves as the title track to the band's upcoming album, which is expected to arrive in August.
After the track revs up, the song's verses are autobiographical in nature, as frontman Sully Erna sings about the early struggles and ultimate rise of the band. The chorus, meanwhile, is a scorcher, with Erna bellowing, "Turn that s–t up louder / Make it all go faster / Play it through the witching hour / Take it to 1000 horsepower."
Check out '1000hp' in the player above and tell us what you think in the comments section.


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Create Now World Tour – Creative Cloud recap.
This is your short Adobe Creative Cloud Tour. Creative Cloud is much more than just access to all of Adobe's creative applications. Your membership includes also for example storage space to sync and share files, and Behance, a worldwide community of creatives. Find out how Creative Cloud lets you work more efficiently than ever before.
Michael Chaize
Senior Creative Cloud Evangelist
Rufus Deuchler
Senior Worldwide Design Evangelist Creative Cloud


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Hello fellas,
played Q3A from '99 till '04 w/o any problems.
Atm I'm playing Q3A on a 10.6.8 (Safari 5.1.7) Macbook black 2006 w/o any problems.
When it comes to QL, I got the "Awaiting Snapshot" freeze at startup.
Practice vs bots or mp - no difference.
I installed Firefox too, but the same effect.
The firewall at OSX is disabled, the tcp (5222to5222) and udp (27000to27999) ist open and allows to forward to my ip.
So you see, I tried everything. I cant try windows since my wife and I only got mac.
QLPrism is for Linux/Win only
Thanks and sorry for my bad english,


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Two-Tier Raised Bed
Customers Also Bought
Two-Tier Bed Assembles in MinutesNo Tools Required
We love this bed because it's so easy to assemble and provides lots of growing space. Use the 12" deep upper tier for tomatoes, potatoes or root crops; use the 6" deep lower level for lettuce, herbs, beans and peppers. Double-thick sidewalls add extra strength and help insulate plant roots. Plastic row cover hoops are included to support bird netting or season-extending garden fabric. Easy, no-tool assembly.
There are no special shipping restrictions or charges associated with this item. For detailed information about our delivery methods and charges, click here.
We're proud of the fact that this item is shipped to you directly from our warehouse in Vermont, by one of our 250 employee-owners. In-stock items are packed with care and shipped within the next business day to ensure prompt delivery to your home and garden!


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Problem Areas: Right Tackle
We're going to do a quick series of posts on the top areas of concern for the team … of course … topping the list? Right Tackle.
Situation: Wayne Hunter had a rough time last year and for whatever reason, the Jets so far have chosen not to directly address the Right Tackle spot this spring. The spot was an issue the majority of last season and it's only going to get more difficult for the team's RT this fall facing off against Mario Williams twice during the course of the season. Will the Jets open the competition during camp? Offensive Linemen are creatures of habit, and crave consistency and chemistry with their fellow starters. With this in mind, most Offensive Lines prefer to know who the starting unit is as early as possible in training camp to properly prepare for the coming season.
Factors: The team's lack of an experienced blocking Tight End could play into this decision. They might feel like they need to go with whoever provides the best productivity at present, no matter how bad that productivity might be. Also, time is going to be of the essence. Unless it's announced before or at the start of camp that there will be a competition for the Right Tackle spot … I doubt the Jets will then open up the matter later down the road.
Questions: Did Sparano indicate he thinks he can work with Hunter? Could Vlad actually contend for the job this summer? Might Austin Howard or either of the veterans (Stephon Heyer, Ray Willis) the team brought in this spring contend?


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Tully and Manlius
Celebrating Smiles!
At the office of Mark A. Paciorek, in Camillus NY, we provide excellent care for our patients and their families in the Cicero area! We know a beautiful, healthy smile boosts self-esteem and confidence. Our patients are always satisfied with the results they receive and know that every visit is going to be comfortable and fun experience!
- We offer traditional braces in metal and ceramic for all of our patients and Invisalign® for our adult patients.
- Our facility is state-of-the-art, using iCAT® 3-D cone beam imaging to provide an accurate picture of your dental health.
- Getting braces can be fun! We have contests, theme weeks, and a huge annual party to celebrate our patients.
- We are a trusted part of the community with a well-known reputation for excellence.
Contact our office today to schedule your complimentary consultation. Our friendly staff is waiting to answer any of your questions and start you on a path to a great smile.
For more information about Dr. Mark Paciorek, our team and the orthodontics services please visit our blog.


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Members of the public filled Bath City Hall Wednesday night to discuss the City Council's pending decision on whether to grant millions more dollars in tax breaks to Bath Iron Works. The mid-coast shipyard builds, among other things, hi-tech destroyers for the U.S. Navy, and is seeking further tax incentives from the city of Bath to make improvements to its facility. But the proposal is meeting some opposition. Tom Porter reports.
Wednesday night's meeting was organized by a group called Bath Citizens for Responsible TIF Action, which opposes granting any more so-called tax increment financing - or TIF - deals to BIW.
The group's Jerry Provencher says the forum was organized to give area residents more information about the process prior to a public hearing before the City Council next week.
"We wanted to provide an opportunity for citizens to be able to ask questions of knowledgeable people and hopefully get a response," Provencher says.
Among those experts was University of Maine Law Professor Emeritus Orlando DeLogu, who told the meeting he is not a fan of TIFs because they don't do the fundamental thing that they are expected to do, "which is to increase employment and/or to maintain a level of employment over a future period of time."
He points out that when BIW, which is owned by General Dynamics, entered into a TIF agreement with the city back in 1997, it employed about 7,700 workers. Today, the workforce is around 5,000.
Jerry Provencher, of Bath Citizens for Responsible TIF Action, says this amounts to corporate welfare which brings little benefit to the city of Bath. In the last 13 years, he says, the city has given BIW more than $50 million back in tax subsidies.
"And in that same time, our infrastructure, our roads, are crumbling, the local high school is in fear of losing their accreditation because it's in terrible shape," Provencher says. "We just took out $7.5 million in bond issues to repair our roads and repair our high school."
Furthermore, he says, BIW is one of only two shipyards of its kind in the country, and as such will remain in business regardless of whether it gets municipal tax incentives.
In its latest proposal, BIW wants a tax break totalling more than $6 million over 25 years to help it carry out what it says is important modernization work.
Whether you love corporate tax breaks or hate them, they're a fact of commercial life, says Joel Johnson. He's an economist with the Maine Center for Economic Policy, and another one of the panelists in Wednesday night's forum. Johnson made a case that TIF agreements can benefit a community, under certain conditions.
"The best that I can offer is that you get as much information as possible, and you advocate for public policies that require the maximum amount of disclosure, accountability and clawback provisions with any sort of tax subsidy like this," Johnson said.
BIW declined an invitation to take part in Wednesday night's forum. But company counsel Jon Fitzgerald told MPBN that tax incentives are an essential part of staying competitive. "We rise or fall here in Bath based on our ability to win competitions," he says.
Fitzgerald says the Navy is ordering half the number of ships that it was a decade ago. "So every bit of work that we don't win translates to the number of people that don't go to work here in Bath."
The Bath City Council is expected to vote on the proposed tax incentives after a public meeting next Wednesday, Nov. 20.


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Question for any programmer and cat lover working from his home office. So many times my keyboard is taken over violently by my two cats who think it's the right place for a sleep - and almost every time when they do this i'm was in this precious 100% concentration phases before i get interrupted.
I tried it with a burning anti- mosquito coil under the desk but they got used to the smell pretty fast.
EDIT: And no i don't want to keep them completey away from my room.


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Miami Heat v Charlotte Bobcats
Chris Andersen of the Miami Heat shoots against Tyrus Thomas of the... News PhotoBasketball - NBA Pro,Basketball - Sport,Charlotte - North Carolina,Charlotte Bobcats,Chris Andersen - Basketball Player,Miami Heat - Basketball Team,North Carolina - US State,Shooting Baskets,Sport,Taking a Shot - Sport,Time Warner Cable Arena,Tyrus Thomas,USA,VerticalPhotographer Kent SmithCollection: National Basketball Association 2013 NBAECHARLOTTE, NC - APRIL 5: Chris Andersen #11 of the Miami Heat shoots against Tyrus Thomas #12 of the Charlotte Bobcats at the Time Warner Cable Arena on April 5, 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)


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HANCOCK – The Apothecary pharmacies delivery area now includes Chassell and Painesdale.The total delivery area ranges from Calumet and Lake Linden to Chassell and Painesdale.
"We're committed to providing quality service for our customers," said Jason Evans, pharmacy director. "Adding service to our neighbors south of Houghton is just another step forward for us." The next-day delivery service includes any medication available at the apothecaries, which are located in Houghton at the Portage Health–University Center and at Portage Health's main campus in Hancock."This has always been a popular service we provide," said Evans. "Not all of our customers are able to get out and drive on a daily basis, and in the winter many of them don't want to leave their homes."The move became especially important with the construction at the University Center location temporarily closing the area's only drive-through window. "We needed to make sure patients were still going to get their medication in a comfortable way," Evans said. Portage Health has added an additional delivery vehicle as well as an additional driver to prepare for the additional routes. For more information on our free delivery service or to order your prescription call Apothecary-Houghton at 483-1818 or Apothecary-Hancock, which is open seven days a week, at 483-1919.
500 Campus DriveHancock, MI 49930(906) 483-1000
921 W. Sharon AvenueHoughton, MI 49931(906) 483-1777
945 Ninth StreetLake Linden, MI 49945(906) 483-1030
751 S. Seventh StreetOntonagon, MI 49953(906) 884-4120
600 MacInnes DriveHoughton, MI 49931(906) 483-1860


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Re: 6 volt coil in 12 volt system ?????
TMJOH: To safely use a 6 volt coil in a 12 volt system is rather simple. Measure the resistance of the coil. Match that with a resistor of the same value and go. Most 6 volt H-D coils I have worked with were around 12 to 15 ohms. All after market by the way. That is it . Have fun. Steve
Steve H


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Silk crepe de chine blouse featuring a deep V neck with a flounce trim.
Long sleeves and relaxed fit.
100% Silk
Dry clean only
True to size with a relaxed fit.
Model measures 178 cm/5'10" tall, 93 cm hips, 61 cm waist and 85 cm bust.
She is wearing an Italian size 40.


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tribeca chambray sandal
by STEVEN ALAN X DR SCHOLLS
Women's Size Chart
Product Details
We teamed up with Dr Scholls to create a capsule collection of easy summer sandals using some of their original designs. The Tribeca sandal features buckled cotton chambray straps and a low wood platform heel with treadded rubber sole.
• 1.5" heel, 0.75" platform
• antique silver buckle, studs & eyelets
• imported


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|Over 70,000 Turn out for MerleFest 2009
|Written by Adam Hicks
|Sunday, 26 April 2009 13:46
Despite the economy's pinch on everyone's wallet, over 70,000 fans turned out for the 2009 installment of MerleFest.
Artists like Travis Tritt, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Emmylou Harris, Cadillac Sky, and the legendary Doc Watson performed at the various stages on campus at Wilkes Community College.
In a released statement, MerleFest Director, Ted Hagaman, said, "We have had an incredible weekend, with so many dedicated fans taking advantage of the beautiful weather and enjoying a wide range of musical performances. Reports from surveys and interviews with fans tell us that our attendees took advantage of the entertainment value that we take pride in offering every year. With over 95 artists performing on 15 stages over the four days of the festival, in addition to a variety of activities and shopping, there was truly something for everyone. We're grateful to the folks of Wilkes County, to everyone who works here at the college, to all of our volunteers, and of course the fans, for making our 22nd festival another one worthy of the history books."
Over 75 sponsored helped power the event. Several High Country Radio stations and GoBlueRidge.net were involved in distributing tickets to listeners and viewers.
The event ran from Thursday until Sunday. The yearly celebration of mountain music is held in honor of Doc Watson's son, and accomplished musician, Merle Watson.
|Share This Article:


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Does anyone know whether the script actually logs any interactions to a logfile somewhere or does it just round file it and keep only the block or blackholed ip's?
It does log, I think to var/log/messages. IT also supports ulog, which I don't know much about. Check thru here to see the method of logging. I think it's just thru iptables LOG parameter.


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A 2012 graduate of Borger High School, Max Lusk, has been named to the Dean's Honor Roll for Seward County Community College with a 3.63 GPA. Max is studying towards a Physical Therapy Degree.
Lusk is also a member of the Seward County Saints baseball team and finished the fall baseball season with the highest batting average on the team, hitting .385. He is a freshman outfielder for the Saints. They will start their spring season on February 2nd.
Proud parents are Danny Ray and Karen Lusk.


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Extreme lifestyle, extreme phone, extreme case. It isn't often we talk about Sonim on the Pure Mobile blog, and yes, the mobile phone maker is kind of a black sheep in the industry. But Sonim deserves credit for some of the toughest devices out there. And today's pure mobile accessory of the week, the Sonim Rugged Utility Case is a perfect fit for this brand that's made for extremes.
A little background first. Sonim is probably the only mobile device maker solely focused on making phones for extreme conditions. Their ad campaigns usually get this message across by featuring apocalyptic images wherein only the phone survives, or by showing the kinds of crazy conditions and professions their phones are built for – firefighters, construction workers, mountain climbers.
All Sonim phones are built with rugged performance standards to resist the most intense conditions. They feature extra-long battery life, extra-loud speakers, an accessible keypad, even if you're wearing gloves. They're waterproof and resist punctures, oils and chemicals, shocks and vibrations, extreme temperatures and extreme pressure, and protect against drops and microparticles.
WIth all that intense protection built right in, you may be wondering why a Sonim phone needs a case at all. But the Sonim Rugged Utility Case does indeed have its purpose.
With a pouch-like design, the Sonim Rugged Utility Case doesn't need to completely cover your phone, since Sonim handsets don't need protection from liquids. Rather, this über tough carrying case offers a convenient way to carry your device so it'll be accessible, even if you're geared up in mountain climbing equipment or similarly bulky gear.
Made from ballistic nylon, it features 1mm stainless steel hardware, including a belt clip that rotates 180 degrees so you can easily insert and remove the pouch, wherever you are. It's basically just as tough as the phone itself.
Sonim's probably the most macho phone maker in the entire industry, focusing all their attention on devices for people who like to live to the extreme. And with the Sonim Rugged Utility Case, you get exactly what you'd expect from Sonim – an accessory designed to go the distance, whether it's to the construction site, the oil rig, or the mountain peak.


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Information about selecting and implementing the right electronic health record (EHR) for your practice.
An overview of EHR technology, including common terms used when discussing EHR technology and implementation, and potential benefits of an EHR.
Learn how setting a goal to be paperless is essential in planning your EHR implementation, the characteristics of a successful implementation, and how e-prescribing can boost your productivity.
Learn the most common EHR pricing structures, the necessary components of researching an EHR, and information on return on investment (ROI) calculations.
What are the must-have features of an EHR? Also learn about studying your current workflow and envisioning new workflow options for the EHR.
Become familiar with basic terms and functions related to electronic hardware, how components in a computer network function, and the differences between desktops, laptops, and tablet PCs.
Identify priorities, colleague interest, and become familiar with common issues and techniques related to transitioning old records.
Learn about the different products available, discussion boards for networking with other EHR doctors, and how site visits and office demonstrations can help in the selection process.
Learn the keys to successfully redesigning the workflow in your practice, how to analyze and enhance patient flow, and how the flow of information affects your overall workflow.
Learn the different stages of implementation, including how to manage each stage and becoming familiar with issues you will face after your launch.
Learn about the various methods for migrating your old paper charts to your new EHR.
The physicians and staff in these family practices have successfully implemented EHRs. Read their stories and get inspired.
The AAFP has become the newest member of a collaboration known as AmericanEHR Partners.
The collaboration includes 20 other professional medical organizations and Cientis Technologies, and means that family physicians shopping for an electronic health record (EHR) system now have access to resources that include clinician-provided comments and ratings.
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Practice Management
EHR Product Select & Implement


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iHerb Customer Reviews
Customer Ratings
Reviews 3-star
Sort By
effective but not long lasting
1 person found the following review helpful
Posted by 5487451674102813476 on Feb 16, 2014
effective but not long lasting
Was this review helpful to you?
Note: iHerb does not imply any medical claims from this review. Disclaimer.


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My name's Kristin and I've lived in and around Iowa for the better part of 20+ years. While it may get a boring rap, Iowa's a fabulous place to live! Great food can be found locally which lets me eat well, trails are abundant which allows me to run free, and the cost of living is low which encourages me to travel far.
Subscribe to my Weekly Update >
My Philosophy
Eat Well
Eating well is tough, isn't it? Eating well with a major sweet tooth, plus a curiosity to try everything, is reallytough!
I love to cook, and I love to eat even more. I am always up for trying something new (except if it contains mushrooms, bell peppers, or cooked carrots!) and feel the absolute best when I eat nutritious and healthy meals. That said, I am a self-proclaimed junk food junkie. Give me a bag of Doritos and Thin Mints, and a happy girl you will find.
Obviously junk food does notdo a body good, so I try and live by the 80/20 rule: 80% clean and healthy eating, 20% sanity-keeping splurges. Some days it's more like 60/40 – but, hey, we do the best we can!
On this blog you'll find easy recipes, healthy recipes, family-friendly recipes, and in-season recipes. As of February 2014, all recipes posted are gluten-free due to my Celiac Disease diagnosis. Most nights you'll find me in the kitchen whipping up a tasty meal for my husband, baby, and me – always leaving room for dessert, of course!
Check out my Recipes >
Run Often
I "became" a runner when I moved to Minneapolis after graduating college, and was able to take advantage of the incredible trails and lakes that Minnesota has to offer. They don't call it the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" for nothing! It was on these trails that I was able to slowly increase my mileage from barely one mile at a time, to more than six.
After moving back to Iowa, I continued running on the trails near my home and eventually took those runs from six miles to 13 miles. All my training culminated in the Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon in September 2008…on the rainiest day in Chicago's history. Finishing that race gave me one of the biggest feelings of accomplishments I've ever had, and is something that I'll remember for the rest of my life.
I absolutely love the feeling that running gives me, and I am proof positive that if you stick with something – it will get easier!
Check out my Treadmill Workouts >
Travel Far
I've got the travel bug and it cannot be cured!
Some people work to get the latest and greatest gadgets and gizmos, I work so I can travel. I absolutely love exploring new and unfamiliar places – learning the history and mystery behind every new discovery.
Whether it's poking around European churches that are hundreds of years old or trying to figure out the intricacies of the mysterious Japanese culture, I want to do and see it all. Every place I go I consider a "favorite", but my favorites among favorites include Japan, the Amalfi Coast, New York City, and ALL of California.
Destinations on my must see list include: Greece, Morocco, Alaska and India!
Check out my Travel Reviews >


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Narrow your search
While it may not be the best-sounding headphone for the money, the Bose Freestyle's superior design and comfort level make it a go-to choice for anyone seeking a sporty and stylish in-ear model.
Whether you're out listening to your MP3 player or out at home with your high-end stereo, your headphone choice is critical. Here we've picked our five favorites across every style and category, but if you already know which type of headphones you want, use the links at the left to get more options.
The NHT SuperBuds are are a good value at $100 and well worth a long look, particularly if you're someone who listens to a lot of bass-centric music.
The Bose SoundLink Bluetooth On-Ear is pricey, but it's also one of the best -- if not the best -- on-ear wireless headphones to date.
Sennheiser's new RF-based wireless headphone system is easy to set up and delivers strong performance for both movie watching and music listening.
The combination of an improved design and better performance makes the Marshall Major II a strong on-ear contender for around $100 USD.
The Monster 24K Headphones are a solid purchase for DJs looking to add flashiness to their gear without sacrificing sound quality, but they won't fit everyone so be sure to try them on before buying.
The Bose SoundTrue On-Ear is a very comfortable everyday-use headphone that sounds good and collapses into a very compact carrying case.
The SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphone II mixes a strong blend of comfort and performance in attractively designed wireless headphone.
A smooth tonal balance and an extra-comfy fit distinguish the Focal Sphear in-ear headphones from the competition.
Monoprice's Noise Canceling Headphones are about 70 percent as good as the Bose QC15s for a little more than a third of the price.


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DKSH appointed by Evonik to distribute coating products in parts of SE Asia
Published October 25, 2012
DKSH's Business Unit Performance Materials has expanded the partnership in the field of coatings and additives with Evonik Industries. DKSH has been appointed to distribute Evonik's Tego products in Indonesia and Thailand. DKSH will also distribute Evonik's coatings and adhesives resins product portfolio in Indonesia and Vietnam. These products are used in a variety of paint, coatings, inks and adhesives applications.
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Legal Resources
Use the filters to find legal resources like cases, reports, staff opinions, and events. You can sort by topic, type or industry.
Displaying 251 - 300 of 1895
An overview of the FTC's enforcement, policy initiatives, and consumer outreach and business guidance in the areas of privacy and data security, from January 2013-March 2014.
Public Statement: MiMedx Group, Inc. (EpiFix and EpiFix Micronized wound care products)
Type of Public Statement:
Staff Letter
Closing Letter: Intermax USA, Inc. (Bosom Max and GluteoMax)
June 17, 2014
Closing Letter: Blue California, Inc.
June 4, 2014
Closing Letter: SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics Clearblue Pregnancy Test
May 29, 2014
Case: GoLoansOnline.com, Inc.
Public Statement: Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical, Inc. (Salonpas Pain Relief Patch, Salonpas Arthritis Pain Patch, and Salonpas Gel Patch Hot)
Type of Public Statement:
Commission Letter
May 7, 2014
On May 7, 2014, the Federal Trade Commission staff hosted a seminar on Consumer Generated and Controlled Health Data. The seminar addressed the increasing role consumers are taking in managing and generating their own health data. For example, consumers are researching their health conditions and...
WARNING: Don't be fooled by companies that promise, in return for paying them a fee, that you will collect a share of a money judgment entered in a case brought by the Federal Trade Commission. When the Commission successfully collects money that is to be returned to consumers, it does not require...
Case: Payday Financial, LLC
Case: I Works, Inc., et al.
Press Release: FTC to Examine Effects of Big Data on Low Income and Underserved Consumers at September Workshop
The Federal Trade Commission will host a public workshop entitled "Big Data: A Tool for Inclusion or Exclusion?" in Washington on Sept. 15, 2014, to further explore the use of "big data" and its impact on American consumers, including low income and underserved consumers. "A growing number of...
Closing Letter: Shinn Fu Company of America, Inc.
April 10, 2014
Public Statement: Letter From Jessica L. Rich, Director of the Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection, to Erin Egan, Chief Privacy Officer, Facebook, and to Anne Hoge, General Counsel, WhatsApp Inc.
Type of Public Statement:
Staff Letter
Case: Instant Checkmate, Inc.
Closing Letter: Summers Laboratories (Triple Paste)
March 31, 2014
Public Event: Care Labeling Rule - An FTC Roundtable
March 28, 2014
The roundtable, which was free and open to the public, examined the Commission's proposed amendments to the Rule set forth in its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published on September 20, 2012. The roundtable focused on the proposed amendment permitting a wetcleaning instruction and comments...
Closing Letter: Cole Haan, Inc.
March 20, 2014
Public Event: Spring Privacy Series: Alternative Scoring Products
March 19, 2014
On March 19, 2014, the Federal Trade Commission staff hosted a seminar on Alternative Scoring Products. The speakers described a variety of predictive analytics products offered by many data brokers to predict trends and consumer behavior in a variety of contexts, ranging from identity verification...


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George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
2800 North Terminal Road, Houston, Texas 77032, United States
(281) 230 3100.
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GMT Central Standard Time: GMT/UTC -6 (GMT/UTC -5 from 9 March to 2 November 2014)
Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport is located 37km (23 miles) north of Houston.
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Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport has been upgraded to accommodate Airbus A380 services, the first of which landed in August 2012.
Transfer between terminals
A free underground inter-terminal train runs between all terminals and the airport hotel. The Terminal Link, an over-ground automated people mover, provides an airside connection between Terminals B, C and E.
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Access to the airport is via Interstate 45, Highway 59, the Hardy Toll Road and the Sam Houston Tollway (Beltway 8). There are two main entrances to the airport terminal complex, either via John F. Kennedy Boulevard from the Sam Houston Tollway (Beltway 8) and the Hardy Toll Road (Intercontinental exit), or via Will Clayton Parkway from Highway 59.
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Car hire operators Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty are all represented at the airport. Car hire is serviced at a rental car centre five minutes away by shuttle bus.
Public transport and taxis
Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority's (tel: (713) 635 4000;
) bus 102 from Terminal C to central Houston (journey time: 50 minutes; fare: US$1.25).
SuperShuttle (tel: (713) 523 8888;
) runs shared-ride transportation between the airport and city centre destinations (journey time: 30-45 minutes; fare: around US$23). There are also a number of courtesy shuttle buses operated by the various hotels near the airport.
Taxis are available outside each terminal and are hailed by airport ground transportation staff. Taxis are charged at a fixed zonal rate: the 30-45-minute trip to central Houston costs around US$52.
Car parking
There are more than 25,000 parking spaces at the airport. An additional 5,600 spaces are available in the multi-storey car park between Terminals A and B, and a further 2,500 are located between Terminals D and E. Terminal C covered parking and valet parking is also available.The airport also operates an economy car park that provides parking at the corner of Greens Road and John F. Kennedy Boulevard, with a free shuttle service connecting to the terminals. In addition to the economy car park, passengers can also choose from a number of off-site car parking facilities with courtesy shuttles to the terminals.
Information and help desks
Visitor/airport information is provided at the staffed visitor information centres, located on the baggage claim level of terminals A, B and C, as well as outside US Customs in Terminal D. Multilingual special service representatives are available to help throughout the airport.
Airport Facilities
ATMs are located throughout the airport. Bureaux de change can be found in Terminals B, C, D and E.
There are 24-hour postal facilities in Terminals A, B, C and D. Public telephones are available throughout. Time-limited free Wi-Fi is available.
There is a wide choice of restaurants, cafés, fast-food outlets and bars throughout the airport. Among the options are sports bars in Terminals A, D and E and a New Orleans-style Cajun restaurant in Terminal C.
There are many shops at the airport, including newsagents and souvenir shops in each terminal, a watch shop in Terminal B, and a golf accessories retailer in Terminal C. Duty-free shopping is mainly located in Terminal D.
Trolleys are available at various locations throughout the airport for a small charge. Due to security concerns, lockers are no longer available at the airport. Lost property is located on the lower level of Terminal A.
Other facilities:
Baby changing facilities can be found in the ladies' toilets; shoeshine services are present in all terminals, while interfaith chapels are located in Terminals C and D. A spa is available in Terminal D for those seeking some pampering before their flight.
Conference and business facilities
There are a number of executive lounges throughout the airport for business- and first-class passengers with certain airlines.The Houston Airport Marriott at George Bush Intercontinental (tel: (281) 443 2310;
) is located in the centre of the terminal complex and provides a complimentary underground train service to/from the terminals. This hotel houses a business centre with a choice of 39 meeting rooms and full office facilities.
Disabled facilities
Visually or hearing-impaired passengers can request assistance or information (tel: (281) 233 3000 or TDD tel: (281) 230 3089). There are disabled toilets and TDD telephones in the terminals and car parking spaces are reserved for disabled passengers in the airport's car parks. White courtesy telephones are located throughout each terminal for assistance.
Airport hotels
A number of hotels are located in the vicinity of the airport. Many of the hotels operate courtesy buses to/from the terminals: these can be booked by contacting the hotel concerned via courtesy telephones in the baggage reclaim area. The airport's website has a complete listing of nearby hotels.Our Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport guide includes the following hotels:
Houston Airport Marriott at George Bush Intercontinental
Located in a handy position between Terminals B and C, the Marriott is the closest hotel to the terminals – it is connected by a complimentary underground tram service direct to the airport complex. This luxury hotel offers a business centre with a choice of 39 meeting rooms and full office facilities as well as on-site dining and leisure facilities.
Houston, 18700 John F. Kennedy Boulevard
Texas 77032, United States
Tel: (281) 443 2310.
Best Western Plus Intercontinental Airport Inn
Connected to the terminals by a free transfer service, the Best Western Plus Intercontinental Airport offers complimentary breakfast and boasts fitness and meeting facilities.
Humble, 7114 Will Clayton Parkway
Texas 77338, United States
Tel: (281) 548 1402.
Comfort Suites Bush Intercontinental Airport
Comfort Suites Bush Intercontinental Airport is located at the entrance to the airport site – it is linked to the terminals via a complimentary shuttle service. The hotel is also near a water park, shopping centre and Houston's business district.
Houston, 15555 John F. Kennedy Boulevard
Texas 77032, United States
Tel: (281) 442 0600.
Sheraton North Houston
Boasting a swimming pool, extensive fitness facilities and business services, the recently renovated Sheraton North Houston is located close to George Bush Intercontinental Airport's south entrance, off John F. Kennedy Boulevard. A free shuttle service is provided for guests.
Houston, 15700 John F. Kennedy Boulevard
Texas 77032, United States
Tel: (281) 442 5100.
La Quinta Inn & Suites Houston Bush International Airport
La Quinta Inn is located near the east entrance to George Bush Intercontinental Airport, off Will Clayton Parkway. Like many hotels in the area, a shuttle service is offered, and there are also business and fitness facilities for use by guests.
Humble, 18201 Kenswick Drive
Texas 77338, United States
Tel: (281) 446 1300.
Full airport name
Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport
United States of America
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text:
Alumni Messenger
Saybrook University Alumna Dr. Hilarie Cash Asks, Should Internet Obsession be Considered an Addiction Disorder?
Saybrook University Psychology Alumna Dr. Hilarie Cash (Ph.D. '89) co-founded reSTART: Internet Addiction Recovery Program, the first and only residential treatment program for adults suffering from Internet and Video Game Addiction (www.netaddictionrecovery.com). Dr. Cash began her pioneering work in this new field in the mid 90's, and by 1999 she co-founded an outpatient clinic called Internet/Computer Addiction Services in Redmond, WA (home of Microsoft). In 2008, Hilarie co-authored a book now being released in its second edition called Video Games and Your Kids: How Parents Stay in Control. These ongoing endeavors have brought Dr. Cash recognition as one of the nation's leading experts in the growing field of Internet Addiction.
Dr. Cash began her counseling career in Hawaii, where she specialized in Women's Issues. When she moved to the Seattle area with her family, and started a new practice, she found more and more clients presenting with problems related to some aspect of the Internet. She was intrigued, but found that few therapists were paying attention to the things she was noticing. Her curiosity, concern, and clinical experience led her to develop a growing understanding of, and expertise in, this intriguing subject.
Today, there is a growing world wide recognition of problems associated with overuse of digital technology. S. Korea and China have named it their #1 public health threat. The US has been slow to recognize the problem as a legitimate mental health concern, and Internet Addiction Disorder is not likely to be listed in the new DSM-V. However, there has been progress with the addition of a new DSM category for non-substance addictions. With time and the accumulation of research, it is likely to be added to the roster of behavioral addictions that are finally being recognized, in the same way that gambling is today.
Posted at 08:45 AM in


text:
Sporting Kansas City
Chicago Fire at Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Park – Kansas City, Kan.
MLS Regular Season
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Chicago Fire Head Coach and Director of Soccer Frank Yallop
On a 1-1 draw against Sporting KC…
"First off, I thought we played well—an even game. I think we moved the ball well. It had been physical in the first 20 minutes of the match. We had a game plan to come in and try to do that and find little pockets and little holes and play in between the lines. I thought we did a great job, we just ran out of steam. We had a couple injuries. Alex was off at halftime, and Jhon (Kennedy Hurtado)'s got dizzy spells. So late in the game, when you want to make your subs make a difference, we couldn't do that. Credit to Kansas City, they really pushed and in the end could have won it, but I was proud of the way we hung in there. So we could win a few more games, but we can tie them for sure."
On the impact of the weather…
"It's huge. The thing for me is that we don't quit…and we didn't. We kept going and tried to do the right things and moved the ball well. I thought Harry Ship was good today. He finds the pocket and finds good spaces. But in general, I thought we did OK. We have tied a lot of games and it's frustrating when that's probably one of the games that Kansas City probably deserved to win. But a lot of other times we pretty much were on the verge of winning the match. So it's a close thing for us right now. Today was a good fight and spirit, with injuries and with stuff that went on. To get a point here, as you guys know, it is very difficult."
Chicago Fire midfielder Logan Pause
On a 1-1 draw against Sporting KC…
"This is a tough place to play against a good team with a great crowd. But at the end of the day, not many people can come here and get a draw out of it. It's a good point or us."
On using U.S. Open Cup results to build momentum…
"We know we have a lot of work to do, but I think we've gotten some good results in the Open Cup that have given us a little momentum and a push. So we are excited to keep that going."
On Mike Magee's goal…
"When Mike [Magee] gets in those types of situations, he is clinical. He does a fantastic job running off defenders shoulders. It was a fantastic job by Chris Ritter to put him in behind."
On preparing for another midweek game…
"We are going to have some tired legs, so it will be up to the staff, but hopefully we can take some momentum into Wednesday. We have a big Cup game and then it's back to League play over the weekend."
Chicago Fire forward Harry Shipp
On a 1-1 draw against Sporting KC…
"It was hot. I think the first half we did a pretty good job defending and countering when they turned it over. In the second half, they were a little better on the ball. In the last 30 minutes they wore us down, running in the heat, and shuttling back and forth took its toll on us. It was tough for us to connect passes in the last 30 minutes."
On using Open Cup success to build momentum…
"Any time you get a win, especially when we struggle to get wins in the League, it's imperative for us. It hasn't turned into a League victory today, but hopefully in the next couple weeks it will turn into a couple wins."
On a demanding July with MLS play and the U.S. Open Cup…
"We have a busy month. We have a mid-week game and a weekend game almost every week. It's important to keep our bodies rested and fresh when we aren't playing."
Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes
On Sporting KC's 1-1 draw against Chicago…
"Look, we obviously gave a goal away. And they had one other chance besides that. We lost a ball, a very easy ball right at the beginning of the final third. We lose the ball and we're a little stretched out and they get an easy tap-in at the end of the day. So we give that up, then obviously we drove the game, in and around their box quite a bit. I like to think that in the second half we made some really, really good opportunities at goal. We had some really good chances (where) we should have scored a second goal, no doubt in my mind. We just didn't have enough people in the box. I do think that these games, when you play at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, in this kind of weather…it makes for a tough game for both teams. And I think it changes the way the game is played. Its not an excuse…My point is that when you play these games at night in the summertime, they have a different feel for both teams—and they should from their entertainment value. But again, we had enough chances around the goal, and we should have scored a second goal."
On his decision to use Graham Zusi as a second half substitute but keep Matt Besler out of the matchday squad…
"Zusi felt good to go in and play, and Matt felt he needed a couple more days (to rest). Really simple."
On Chicago's first half pressure leading to their equalizing goal…
"I don't know if they really pressured high up the field. I don't think they really did. But I thought what really happened was that as we were building out, I don think we were moving the ball quick enough. So it allowed them to just hold their ground. We didn't expect anything different. I don't think they were high up the field to be honest with you. I just think that our circulation with the ball in the first half was very slow, and I think the second half was much better. And I also thought that they tried to isolate a couple of our guys with the ball. We made adjustments in the second half and that changed everything."
Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber
On returning from a shoulder injury to play his first game in a month…
"I felt pretty good for the most part, but got tired there at the end. It was obviously a tough environment to play in—really hot and humid today. We did some good things and almost got the second goal a couple times in the second half. I thought our second half performance was a lot more composed. We had the ball a lot in their end. Whenever we lost the ball, our transition was good, and we created some decent opportunities. It's always going to be tough when they put 10 guys behind the ball. Overall, it was a decent game. I just need to keep building endurance game-by-game."
On splitting the points with a defensive Chicago Fire…
"It's important to get points throughout the season, so a draw is okay. At the end of the year, every single point is going to count, whether you're getting them home or away. It's tough not getting three points at home, but we'll take this result and focus on next week in Montreal."
On how Sporting KC's great fan support makes it tough on Matt Besler and Graham Zusi to decide whether to pursue a move to Europe or stay in MLS…
"There's no doubt that everyone (on our team) wants to be here, or else Peter (Vermes) wouldn't keep them here. And it's easy to see why we want to stay here. I've only been in Kansas City for a year and a half, but there's no place I'd rather be. The fans that are out there every single weekend, the way we play…our entire setup here is fantastic. It's a class organization. I'm sure Besler and Zusi both have some decisions to make regarding whether they leave or not, but it won't be an easy one. Sometimes opting to go elsewhere is something you have to do develop your football career, but it's never an easy decision when you're leaving a place you really love. They'll take their time with the decision, and if they decide to stay, we're going to be thankful."
Sporting KC forward Dom Dwyer
On his showy goal celebration in the first half…
"(The celebration) was set up. It was mentioned earlier today before the game, and it sounded like quite a cool idea. It was a good bit of fun, but I got a yellow (card) for it. I was lucky I didn't get another yellow, or else I would have been in big trouble."
On whether his first half yellow card changed the way he played the rest of the game…
"It was on my mind after that, but it didn't change how I played. Obviously I wasn't going to go hard into a 50-50 (challenge), and luckily that opportunity didn't come."
On Sporting KC's 1-1 draw against Chicago…
"I'd rather have three points, but it's nice to get on the score sheet. I was more excited that I cleared one off the line, to be honest. I really wanted to keep a clean sheet today and was gutted when we allowed one. I thought we defended well throughout the whole game, so I'm a little disappointed there."
On scoring his 12th goal of the season…
"I just stayed calm. I remember the defender got a bad ball and he didn't take the best touch. He kind of panicked because I was coming at him quick. He kind of stumbled over the ball and I nicked it from him. I was going to shoot across the keeper's body, but I saw (Sean Johnson) take a little step to the middle. So I hit it early and slid it past him. Normally you'd go around him, but he's a big goalie. I just saw a little gap and slid it in there."
On exchanging goals with defending MLS MVP Mike Magee…
"I have huge respect for him. I think he's a fantastic player and a great guy, too. He's sent me messages of encouragement and givent me some good advice. He's a veteran, a very good player and a former MVP of the League. Obviously I'd like to follow in his footsteps. We're different players, but we both score goals. That's a good similarity to have."
On Sunday's playing conditions…
"It was stupidly hot. A 2 p.m. game is not fun with that weather. I understand it's T.V. time, but those were very tough conditions. It was bad at the end there, I was cramping up. But that's part of football."
Select shots from the Fire's draw with SKC presented by MiAllstate
Chicago Fire Head Coach and Director of Soccer Frank Yallop
On the Fire's first win at Toyota Park this season
"Well obviously, last time I saw you guys, it wasn't a pretty sight with the game we had before. But today, we come away with three points against a good side – it's obviously the aim before the match. We got it done; we're unbeaten in two games, which is always a good thing. We dug through and got the result that we needed. We should have shut them off with a couple of chances late in the game, but didn't; and you have to give credit to Kansas City, they kept going, created some chances late with ten men. But it's great to get that win; I feel good that we saw it through. But obviously, there's room for improvement on any performance, and there's no difference for this one."
On the lack of shutouts
"We won the game, would have loved to get the shutout; winning is everything. If we win 3-2, 2-1, whatever it is, we'll take it. Obviously, it's nice defensively if we can get a shutout. But as you know, it wasn't a defensive back four error; it was someone not picking up someone on a set play, so that's a team thing. We're working on stuff all the time; it's brand new, with 10 games in, I'm happy with only losing two games in this league with a group that's been put together a little bit. We've had our ups and downs; we should've won more games for sure. We had two home games that you saw had penalty kicks; we could be on four wins right now. It has me going, "well, that's not bad," so it's give and take. I don't get carried away with winning games; I don't get carried away with losing or tying games. I think, right now, we're in a good spot, we've got a chance to now get going. These next four games are tough; we've got a tough schedule, but it's something that I'm looking forward to, to see and test the character of the boys. They're up for the fight, and we saw this game through, which is important to me, so they're going to feel good about it. We did the same in New York, no matter how the manner is. I got a little bit of gray hair; it could've been silver by the end of the game. But we got the win, and that's all that matters at this point."
On the revamped back line
"It's pretty good; and again, it's a work in progress the whole time, it's a team defensive type of thing. I thought Patrick [Ianni] had a good, solid game again; Jhon [Kennedy Hurtado] again, I thought, was solid in the middle, the two outside backs at times. Kansas City moved the ball well; they get you overloaded at times, they pull you around. In general, they had a couple of good chances; but I thought we had the better chances, to be honest. Dilly [Duka] had a breakaway, Mike [Magee] had a chance to go around a keeper and slot it. I know it was a tough game late in the match, but we could've come away with four or five goals today. The way I'm trying to set the team up is to obviously try to outscore the opponent, and try to make sure that we're going forward, but we're just trying to be solid and defensively sound at the back. The balance at the moment is a little bit wavering; we've gone forward okay, but I think the defensive side of things is not quite right yet; and again, it's not just the back four, it's the whole thing. We watched a lot of DVD last week, we're going to watch it again this week, and see if we can get the balance where we can just be in good spots. And I just think, as a team, we sat back a little bit again in this game. We have to slide up the field and keep the ball, especially against ten men.
On who is taking penalty kicks
"I actually had a chat with a few press guys a few weeks ago, and I decided Jeff [Larentowicz] was going to take them. But Mike [Magee] and Jeff were talking, and Jeff felt that Mike was the guy to do it. He missed the last two for us; last season [against Montreal], then the first one against Philly. To score two in the same game is tough, so you have to hand it to Mike that he stepped up and buried those two chances and won the match for us; it was great."
On facing a 3-5-2 formation
"I have not seen that for a while, actually; that was old school MLS stuff, the 3-5-2. But looking at [Kansas City head coach Peter Vermes'] team, it was depleted a little bit at the back, so he decided to play that. It was a little bit different; for us, I'm sure where they're going to play and who's going to play, just make sure we're ready to do it, and step the guys and do our thing. For a good seventy minutes, I felt we were comfortable, and then it got a little hair-raising at the end. But you have to hand it to Peter and his team, they're a good side; they're not champions for nothing. They proved it today; they really came up to fight, especially with 10 men."
On the thought process behind the Fire's double substitution
"I just thought the momentum was getting away from us a little bit, so I just decided that double is always good. One is not always the impact that you want, so I wanted to do two at the same time, and make two positions freshened up. All in all, I thought it was good; I think Logan [Pause] did a good job, and Dilly looked good when he came on. He has not played for a while, so it was good to get him some minutes and get him running around. All in all, you decide what you want to do; I talked to the coaches, but ultimately, it was my decision. I felt it was the time to do it."
Jeff Larentowicz, Chicago Fire Midfielder
On not being able to score to put the game away:
"We want to, it's not something we're afraid of. It's just not happening. We come close, we have opportunities, but they make the defensive plays and good saves, but it will come. A win is a win and it's good that we can be picky in this circumstance."
Sean Johnson, Chicago Fire goalkeeper
On the defensive performance:
"We needed to learn how to control a game and we are. I think tonight that the effort defensively was fantastic. We limited shots, limited chances and there were not many shots on target at all. I think we'll look to build on that going forward, but I'm really happy with the performance tonight.
On the learning curve:
"I think we've learned a lot. The most important thing we've learned is that we can't sit back and wait for the game to come to us. No matter what the result is – regardless if we're tied or we're up we need to keep playing our game and be confident that we can dictate the way the game goes, close out games and get results."
On building momentum:
"Back-to-back wins are huge for us. Now we know what it feels like to win. We know how to win and now it's a matter of focusing on the little things and getting it right so that every game we give ourselves a chance to win and put ourselves in a position to go on and push for three points."
Mike Magee, Chicago Fire forward:
On the first win a home:
"We needed a win badly; however, if that's how we're going to win games, I probably only have a couple games left in my career. We'll take it, it was deserved. It was a very funky game, but we'll take wins however we can get them at this point."
On the end of the game:
"That's kind of been our M.O. We get up in games, play well in spurts then kind of take our foot off the gas. That happened again tonight. We created a couple chances, I even had a couple of good ones, but for whatever reason we're letting teams hang in games, and teams like K.C. usually make you pay."
Harry Shipp, Chicago Fire midfielder
On playing K.C. with missing starters and a man-up in the second half:
"The players they subbed in for them are still really good players. A championship team isn't 11 guys it's 18 guys. When you slide guys into the midfield and up front they are still going to be dangerous. I think they were good keeping the ball in the attacking half, but once we were able to break that pressure we did a good job of slipping balls in – getting Quincy and Mike behind for some penalty calls in the first half."
The Fourth Round draw for the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup occurred Friday morning at Soccer House in downtown Chicago and with MLS teams entering at this stage, the process was much more elaborate than the straight forward flips from last week's Third Round draw.
Before I lay out how it unfolded, a few bullets to keep in mind…
- I was incorrect in my earlier tweets and statements that a USL PRO affiliate could not be matched with its partner MLS club. I'm a busy guy and sometimes you just have to admit you're not perfect, sorry!
- The only affiliate relationship that needed to be separated for this draw was that of the LA Galaxy and LA Galaxy II who are both owned by the same party.
- USL PRO side Orlando City and their PDL side Orlando City U-23s, are both in the tournament but could not be matched up at this stage as MLS teams must be matched with a lower league pairing.
- Chivas USA was the only MLS club to not apply to host a Fourth Round Open Cup match.
With those done, I will underscore that the most important principle to keep in mind for how pairings are determined comes from Page 7 of the 2014 U.S. Open Cup Handbook. It states:
"After each Third Round pairing has been determined, each Division I (MLS) team entering in the Fourth Round will be matched geographically to play the winner of a specific Third Round pairing. Instances where a logical geographic fit doesn't exist will be resolved by random selection."
As all business as a selfie can be prior to walking into Soccer House...
Upon arrival to Soccer House, Competition Secretary Paul Marstaller handed me a sheet of paper with four geographic groupings, plus a wild card pool. The most straightforward grouping was the top table which featured eight Third Round matchups across from eight MLS teams that made "a logical geographic fit" with those lower league pairings.
The pairings with the result of the coin flip are below. Teams that are not bolded either did not have a suitable home venue or didn't apply to host (U.S. Soccer did not distinguish the reason on this sheet).
|Brooklyn Italians SC (NPSL)/New York Cosmos (NASL)
|New York Red Bulls (MLS)
|Dayton Dutch Lions (USLP)/Indy Eleven (NASL)
|Columbus Crew (MLS)
|RWB Adria (USASA)/Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USLP)
|Chicago Fire (MLS)
|Minnesota United FC (NASL)/Des Moines Menace (USASA
|Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
|Laredo Heat (PDL)/Ft. Lauderdale Strikers (NASL)
|Houston Dynamo (MLS)
|NTX Rayados (USASA)/San Antonio Scorpions (NASL)
|FC Dallas (MLS)
|Arizona United SC (USLP)/Oklahoma City Energy FC (USLP)
|LA Galaxy (MLS)
|Fresno Fuego (PDL)/Sacramento Republic (USLP)
|San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
For the local Fire fans, I was able to take OFFICIAL VIDEO documenting the Fire's winning coin flip:
The second grouping of matchups pooled three Northeast MLS sides with three lower league pairings. Of note here, Marstaller said that because the Harrisburg City Islanders and Baltimore Bohemians are about equidistant to D.C. United and Philadelphia Union, a flip off between the two sides would be done to determine which club would host the winner of that Third Round Matchup.
Based on alphabet, D.C. United was assigned heads and Philadelphia tails, with the Union winning. Because neither Harrisburg or Baltimore applied to host, no flip was necessary as hosting rights defaulted to the Union.
|Harrisburg City Islanders (USLP)/Baltimore Bohemians (PDL)
D.C. United
Philadelphia Union
United's loss on their first flip resulted in them moving down to the next pairing of two lower league matchups where a similar flip had to occur between New York Greek American Atlas/Richmond Kickers and Reading United AC/Rochester Rhinos to determind who would be D.C.'s opponent.
New York Greek American Atlas (USASA)/Richmond Kickers (USLP)
Reading United AC (PDL)/Rochester Rhinos (USLP)
|D.C. United
Again, determined by alphabet, the New York/Richmond matchup was assigned heads while the other was assigned tails and the coin again flipped to tails matching D.C. United with Reading/Rochester.
This moved New York/Richmond down to a matchup with the New England Revolution and then flips were done to determine the hosting rights for those two matchups with both lower league matchups winning with heads. For the purpose of clarity, here is how that final grouping looked:
|Harrisburg City Islanders (USLP)/Baltimore Bohemians (PDL)
|Philadelphia Union
|Reading United AC (PDL)/Rochester Rhinos (USLP)
|D.C. United
|New York Greek American Atlas (USASA)/Richmond Kickers (USLP)
|New England Revolution
The third grouping was a product of Chivas USA being the only MLS club not to apply for hosting rights. Because of this, Marstaller needed to pair them with lower league matchups in which both clubs applied to host, of which there were two: Atlanta Silverbacks/Chattanooga FC (heads) and Charlotte Eagles/Carolina Railhawks (tails).
A coin flip was done to see who would host Chivas and landed tails giving Charlotte/Carolina the hosting rights. This pushed Atlanta/Chattanooga down to the very ending "Wild Card Pool".
Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL)/Chattanooga FC (NPSL)
Charlotte Eagles (USLP)/Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
|Chivas USA
The fourth pool featured the PSA Elite/LA Galaxy II matchup paired against four MLS teams that were within geographical proximity. While both lower-league teams are based in Southern California, because PSA Elite also did not apply to host, Chivas USA could not be thrown into this group.
The most interesting part of the process Friday was the flip-off between four MLS clubs to determine who would play Galaxy II/PSA Elite.
Again determined by alphabet, Colorado/Portland and Real Salt Lake/Seattle Sounders did a preliminary flip. Both losers in that round (Portland & Real Salt Lake) were moved into the final Wild Card pairing, then Colorado and Seattle did a final flip, with Seattle winning again (which should keep Sigi Schmid somewhat happy) and Colorado also falling to the Wild Card group.
|PSA Elite (USASA)/LA Galaxy II (USLP)
Colorado Rapids
Portland Timbers
Real Salt Lake
Seattle Sounders
One final flip was done to determine the hosting rights for that match with Galaxy II/PSA Elite winning and presumably, since PSA Elite did not apply to host, Sigi will be their biggest fan.
|PSA Elite (USASA)/LA Galaxy II (USLP)
|Seattle Sounders
After all the flips above were done, the Wild Card pool looked like the below table, with MLS clubs placed on the right according to alphabetical order. Because of the odd number of matchups, coin flips could not be used to determine who would play each other so Marstaller placed three slips of paper marked "A", "B" and "C" into plain envelopes. As the matchup moved down from the initial Chivas USA grouping, Atlanta/Chattanooga was assigned "C" while the other two lower-league pairings were assigned "A" and "B" based on alphabetic order.
Orlando City U23s (PDL)/Charleston Battery (USLP)
Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL)/Orlando City (USLP)
Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL)/Chattanooga FC (NPSL)
Colorado Rapids
Portland Timbers
Real Salt Lake
Marstaller then went down the alphabetic list of MLS sides and drew the slips of paper from the envelopes. When all three matchups had been finalized, final flips for hosting rights occurred, concluding the fourth round Open Cup draw. You can see how the envelopes were drawn and the winner of the flips below:
|Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL)/Orlando City (USLP)
|Colorado Rapids
|Orlando City U23s (PDL)/Charleston Battery (USLP)
|Portland Timbers
|Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL)/Chattanooga FC (NPSL)
|Real Salt Lake
Following the draw, Marstaller said the published fourth round scenarios would not be accompanied Friday by match dates yet. This is because the Fourth Round has three possible match dates over an eight-day span. With USL PRO and the PDL, along with amateur sides having league games between the June 10-18 Fourth Round window, all clubs that have the potential to host a Fourth Round match will have the weekend to give their preferred hosting date before U.S. Soccer balances the already scheduled league games. Because of the logistical process, hosting dates are expected to be announced sometime next week.
A comprehensive list of who won hosting coin flips can be found below.
|Brooklyn Italians SC (NPSL)/New York Cosmos (NASL)
|New York Red Bulls (MLS)
|Dayton Dutch Lions (USLP)/Indy Eleven (NASL)
|Columbus Crew (MLS)
|RWB Adria (USASA)/Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USLP)
|Chicago Fire (MLS)
|Minnesota United FC (NASL)/Des Moines Menace (USASA
|Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
|Laredo Heat (PDL)/Ft. Lauderdale Strikers (NASL)
|Houston Dynamo (MLS)
|NTX Rayados (USASA)/San Antonio Scorpions (NASL)
|FC Dallas (MLS)
|Arizona United SC (USLP)/Oklahoma City Energy FC (USLP)
|LA Galaxy (MLS)
|Fresno Fuego (PDL)/Sacramento Republic (USLP)
|San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
|Harrisburg City Islanders (USLP)/Baltimore Bohemians (PDL)
|Philadelphia Union
|Reading United AC (PDL)/Rochester Rhinos (USLP)
|D.C. United
|New York Greek American Atlas (USASA)/Richmond Kickers (USLP)
|New England Revolution
|Charlotte Eagles (USLP)/Carolina RailHawks (NASL)
|Chivas USA
|PSA Elite (USASA)/LA Galaxy II (USLP)
|Seattle Sounders
|Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL)/Orlando City (USLP)
|Colorado Rapids
|Orlando City U23s (PDL)/Charleston Battery (USLP)
|Portland Timbers
|Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL)/Chattanooga FC (NPSL)
|Real Salt Lake
Thanks again to the U.S. Soccer staff for being great hosts once again!
The Fire finally picked up three points last week in dramatic fashion with a 5-4 win over Red Bull in New Jersey and will look to make it two on the trot when they welcome defending MLS Cup champs Sporting Kansas City to Toyota Park on Sunday (2pm CT My50/TWCSC-WI/UniMas).
Sporting brings a depleted squad to Chicago but their first loss at home in some time at the hands of the Union on Wednesday night means they come to town with a bad taste in their mouth. Here are some things to look out for from a tactical perspective.
Taking advantage of a depleted SKC defense – testing the makeshift back line
On Sunday, Kansas City will take the field without either member of their famed center backs – Aurelien Collin (injury) and Matt Besler (international duty). Right back Chance Myers is also a doubt. On the outside, Seth Sinovic could be the only regular starter in the back four to play on Sunday while Brazilian Igor Julião had a solid debut in Wednesday's match against Philly.
In the past, SKC have dealt with the loss of Besler due to national team commitments but losing both center backs is a large blow. SKC's patched up defense must have Mike Magee and Quincy Amarikwa licking their lips. Last week we saw Harry Shipp play an absolutely brilliant defense-splitting pass to put Mike Magee in 1v1 with Red Bull 'keeper Luis Robles.
Against SKC, Shipp and whoever plays in the center of midfield alongside Jeff Larentowicz should be looking to play those types of passes in behind the SKC defense to the onrushing Magee or Amarikwa.
Repeating last week's second half tactic on Sunday – putting high pressure on SKC
Amarikwa described Frank Yallop's tactical switch at halftime of the New York game the best. When asked, he said, "We came in at half time and knew we were sitting in too much. We were giving New York too much respect to play and we know we can score goals. That's what we've done consistently this year. So, we said in the second half we're just going to high press, what do we have to lose, and I think it really caught them off guard."
The exact same tactic should be in place from the first whistle against SKC. In Wednesday's match against the Union, Sporting gave up the ball on far too many occasions, many times with minimal pressure applied by the opposition. The Union sat back and used the counter attack to their advantage but for the Fire, forcing a new-look SKC into mistakes will be critical.
If Benji Joya gets the start again in the center of the park, I expect to see more from him in this regard. Joya is slowly but surely improving the defensive side of his game but against a team like SKC, I expect him to take a page out of the Dax McCarty playbook and not allow the SKC players any time on the ball.
Joya has the comfort of Jeff Larentowicz behind him so taking a few risks and pressing higher up the field could reap rewards
Providing more support to the outside backs – wing backs exposed again against NYRB last week
As I discussed last week, a lot of the problems for the Fire defensively stem from attacks coming from the wide areas. That was again the case against the Red Bulls in Saturday's game. It was obvious that NYRB coach Mike Petke told his team to try and isolate Greg Cochrane on the left hand side. During the first half, the Red Bulls attacked almost exclusively down the Fire left. Cochrane certainly held his own but he lacked support from Harry Shipp who was playing in front of him.
On the other side, Lovel Palmer had a tough game in New York. The Red Bulls were again allowed space and time to put in crosses and it really hurt the Fire. Case in point being the Red Bulls first goal, where Eric Alexander was given yards of space to pick out a cross and he duly found the head of Tim Cahill, the best header of a ball in the league.
Against a team like Sporting KC, who put an emphasis on getting their full backs forward to support the outside attackers, the Fire need to try and minimize the amount of 1v1 situations between our outside backs and the SKC wide men.
Prediction: The Fire are hitting KC at the right time: 2-1 Fire with goals from Mike Magee and Benji Joya.
Stephen Piggott is a contributor to Chicago-Fire.com. Follow him on Twitter @Irish_Steve.
WATCH: No cardiac arrest after 5-4 win in New York
Whether you like having just a few libations with some of the club's most ardent supporters, enjoy the beautiful landscapes of rural Indiana, Michigan and Missouri, or just really like seeing the Chicago Fire play away from home, Section 8 On Tour Bus Trips (#S8OT) have something for everyone.
Returning this year, the Independent Supporters Association is offering all Fire supporters an away season ticket, which guarantees round trip bus fare and match tickets for this season's Fire away games in Columbus (May 24), Kansas City (July 6) and Toronto (August 23) for just $200.
While the execution of an Away Season Ticket isn't something new to Section 8 Chicago, it does return for the first time in a number of years because of the way the MLS schedule fell for the club's three closest away trips according to ISA Chairman Jeff Marinacci.
"The stars aligned for us," he told Chicago-Fire.com this week. "When we saw the schedule, having Toronto on a summer weekend makes it an easy sell. Though Columbus or Kansas City are good road games, Toronto just offers so much more, the trip is worth doing outside of just going to watch a match."
- PURCHASE: 2014 Section 8 Chicago Away Trip Ticket
Toronto nightlife no doubt has more to offer than Kansas City or Columbus but what Marinacci is referring to is the fact that the past few seasons, the team has played away in Toronto at midweek in September, making it difficult to coordinate a strong contingent of Fire supporters to travel by bus.
This year the Columbus and Toronto trips both fall on Saturdays, while the Kansas City trip falls on the Sunday of Independence Day weekend making the travel much easier all around.
As they do on all buses, Section 8 Chicago is subsidizing an additional $35 per person on the 2014 Away Season Ticket on top of the $50 subsidy provided for individual bus travel to these matches.
"Our commitment to spending our money is to support the guys on the field home and away," he said.
A great deal no doubt, not what if someone buying can only make it on one or two of the trips instead of the full complement of three? Marinacci said that while there is no partial away season ticket (and no refunds), the ISA will accommodate ticket transfers as coordinated through firstname.lastname@example.com.
Now through mid-May (when bus tickets for the Columbus trip will cut off), Section 8 Chicago is in a heavy push to sell the Away Season Ticket for the year. As part of that push, the ISA will be raffling one off during Saturday's Watch Party at A.J. Hudsons.
Next Saturday, the ISA will raffle off a second Away Season Ticket, purchased by the Club, at their tailgate in the north lot prior to the Chicago Fire/New England Revolution match.
If you'd rather just support a great initiative to get more Fire fans out on the road this season, go ahead and buy your Away Season Ticket by clicking here.
A third round pick in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft, Chicago Fire midfielder Logan Pause had already capped off a decade with the Men in Red last year before extending his deal to come back for a 12th season with the club in 2014 on Friday.
Logan's longevity got me thinking about players that held the longest consecutive tenures in terms of both years and games played ith one MLS club. After some research, I found that Fire legend and new assistant coach C.J. Brown holds the record for consecutive seasons with one team at 13, while Logan will tie Cobi Jones (LA Galaxy) and Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids) when he makes his first appearance for the Fire in 2014.
A look at the Top 10 players with the most consecutive seasons at one MLS club...
|Consecutive Seasons
|Games Played
|C.J. Brown
|Chicago Fire
|Cobi Jones
|LA Galaxy
|Pablo Mastroeni
|Colorado Rapids
|Logan Pause
|Chicago Fire
|Shalrie Joseph
|New England Revolution
|Davy Arnaud
|Sporting KC
|Jason Kreis
|Dallas Burn
|Kerry Zavagnin
|Kansas City Wizards
|Landon Donovan
|LA Galaxy
|Jay Heaps
|New England Revolution
*-denotes active MLS player
You may be wondering where are Jaime Moreno and Ramiro Corrales? Good question. Moreno holds the MLS record for most seasons with one club, spending 14 years with D.C. United but he did have one stint with the MetroStars that broke up his two long stints in the nation's capital.
In Corrales' case, while he never played for another MLS club other than San Jose after being traded back to the Quakes in 2001, he did spend a few years abroad in Norway with HamKam that keep him out of the consecutive seasons count. Corrales spent a total of 12 seasons in San Jose over three stints (1996-97, 2001-04, 2008-13)
Just for fun, a look at the record number for consecutive appearances for MLS club is below too:
|Consecutive Games Played
|Cobi Jones
|LA Galaxy
|C.J. Brown
|Chicago Fire
|Logan Pause
|Chicago Fire
|Shalrie Joseph
|New England Revolution
|Jason Kreis
|Dallas Burn
|Kerry Zavagnin
|Kansas City Wizards
|Jay Heaps
|New England Revolution
|Ramiro Corrales
|San Jose Earthquakes
|Nick Garcia
|Kansas City Wizards
|Davy Arnaud
|Sporting KC
*-denotes active MLS player
One of my favorite days of the year is the day the MLS schedule is released.
For many fans, this announcement means compiling a list of blackout days where the Fire are playing at Toyota Park. For Fire fans not residing in the Chicagoland area, it means finding out when the Men in Red will be visiting your nearest MLS team. But for someone like me who has been on quite a few road trips (over 50 but not as many as this guy), the schedule release day means not only looking at the home fixtures but also the away ones.
Questions I asked myself earlier today: Does Toronto away fall on weekend instead of a Wednesday night? How much does it cost to fly to Portland in March? These important questions get answered on this special day.
With that in mind, let's take a look at five exciting dates in the 2014 Fire calendar:
Week 2 – Portland away – Saturday, March 15
Ever since Portland came into the league in 2011, the Fire supporters umbrella, Section 8 Chicago, has had a very good relationship with the Timbers Army, Portland's main supporters group. The relationship is based on mutual respect and a shared "dislike" of all things Seattle.
Fire fans are always treated well in Portland and it's not uncommon for Fire and Timbers fans to hang out before and after the games, something you would never see Fire fans doing in Columbus or Kansas City.
The atmosphere at JELD-Wen Field is also second to none. Though is certainly isn't going to be the easiest away trip on the field or the lightest on the wallet, I think we will see quite a few Fire fans making the trip to Portland in Week 2 instead of traveling to LA to watch the Fire face Chivas in the season opener.
Week 6 & 22 – Montreal away – Saturday, April 12 and Sunday, August 16
The Fire were the Montreal Impact's opponents in the Canadian club's first home MLS back in 2012 and I was lucky enough to be at the game and had a great time.
That game was played indoors at the Olympic Stadium with a less than favorable playing surface – something many of the Fire fans observed firsthand the day before the game when we were invited to watch the team train (see photo above).
Now the Impact have Saputo Stadium refurbished, which provides another incentive for traveling Fire fans who may not have gotten there earlier this year.
Montreal is also a unique MLS city for a number of reasons. I can't think of another MLS city where fans can brush up on their French by talking to the locals or take in the spectacular Notre-Dame basilica while eating some amazing poutine!
Montreal can be quite cold in April, but luckily for Fire fans, the April date is only the first time the Men in Red visit The City of Saints. I hear the weather is a lot nicer in mid-August, when the Fire visit for the second time.
Week 11 – Columbus away – Saturday, May 24
Columbus or Fire House East as many Fire fans call it is the closest away trip of the season distance wise. Due to this fact, the number of Fire fans attending this match is exponentially bigger than most other away games.
In 2001, Fire fans went to Crew Stadium in their hundreds, even when the Fire was not playing! The Fire had been knocked out in the Conference Semifinals by the Los Angeles Galaxy and many fans turned up to cheer against LA (and for the then Frank Yallop-led San Jose Earthquakes) at MLS Cup.
There have been many highs experienced in Columbus, such as Paulo Wanchope's winning goal in a 2007 match after the game was delayed due to a torrential downpour. Fire fans were also 45 minutes away from MLS Cup in 2008 but for a Crew comeback in the second half which left Fire fans, including myself, devastated. There's also the 2012 invasion which saw 600 Fire supporters make the trek.
The Fire only play once at Fire House East this season and I expect to see a lot of red behind the goal on May 24.
Week 16 & 32 Kansas City away –Sunday, July 6 & Friday, October 10
Kansas City is another road trip that fans have attended in large numbers throughout the years. My first trip to Kansas City was a disappointing one, with the Fire losing to the Kansas City Wizards in the final of the U.S. Open Cup in 2004.
Since then, the Kansas franchise has a new name and a soccer specific stadium. You can no longer play the count the crowd game that we often did when the Wizards played at Arrowhead Stadium.
- DOWNLOAD: 2014 Home Regular Season Schedule (PDF)
Most fans travel to this game by bus thus skipping the "delights" of downtown Kansas City and the bus ride does offer one cool treat – a visit to the world's largest truck stop in Iowa.
Though SKC are not really a Fire rival (despite efforts made by the KC front office to make it into something bigger) there is certainly a dislike between the players and fans on both sides.
With the October 11 game coming so late in the season, it may be a pivotal one in terms of Playoff positioning.
Week 23 – Toronto away – Saturday, August 23
By far my favorite MLS city to travel to is Toronto. It's roughly the same distance from Chicago as Kansas City and again many fans travel to Canada on supporter's buses.
Each visit, Fire fans shack up at a great hostel where we run into soccer fans from all over the world. Toronto itself is a great city aside from the prohibitive drinking laws on weekends (who doesn't want to have a pint at 10am while watching the Premier League the next morning?).
BMO Field is located right on the shores of Lake Ontario and is thus left exposed and is often windy and chilly but the warm pies served at some of the concessions stands are an excellent halftime treat.
On the field, the Fire have had some good success against a TFC team that has languished near the bottom of the MLS table since starting in 2007. Thankfully, this match is on a Saturday in August so I expect a much larger contingent of Fire fans to attend.
Stephen Piggott is a contributor to Chicago-Fire.com. Follow him on Twitter @Irish_Steve.
I'm not going to bog you down with a bunch of math, it is Sunday afterall.
Following New York's 3-0 win today at Houston, the Eastern Conference playoff picture has become very clear heading into the final week of the season.
First I give you the updated table via MLSsoccer.com:
Now, the remaining Eastern Conference fixture list...
Saturday, October 26
Philadephia Union vs. Sporting KC - 2pm CT (NBC Sports Network)
Toronto FC vs. Montreal Impact - 3pm CT (MLS Live)
Sunday, October 27
D.C. United vs. Houston Dynamo - 12:30pm CT (NBC)
Columbus Crew vs. New England Revolution - 3:00pm CT (MLS Live)
New York Red Bulls vs. Chicago Fire - 4:00pm CT (My50/Time Warner Sports WI)
The Chicago Fire can qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs the following ways...
- Draw at New York AND Montreal lose at Toronto
- Win at New York AND Toronto FC win/draw vs. Montreal
- Draw at New York AND Montreal loses at Toronto FC AND New England draws/loses at Columbus AND Houston draws/loses at D.C.
Bet you didn't see that title coming two weeks ago did you?
While much of MLS sat idle this weekend, teams in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race nearly played a full slate with perhaps the Fire coming away as the biggest winners from the weekend's results.
A look at where the race stands heading into the final two weeks of the season...
x - 1) New York Red Bulls
Current Points: 53 (15-9-8)
Games Remaining: 2 (1 home / 1 away)
Last 5 Games: DDWWW (11pts)
2013 Home/Away Record: 10-2-4 / 5-7-4
Maximum Possible Pts: 59
Average Opponents Pts: 47.0
Remaining Schedule: 10/20 @ HOU, 10/27 vs. CHI
Rundown: New York sat idle this weekend, letting the rest of the Eastern Conference catch up to them on games played. Already qualified for the playoffs, Red Bull will be watching the Cascadia clash between Seattle and Portland closely Sunday night as it will have significant implications on the Supporters Shield race.
Red Bull will certainly be in the mix for their first true silverware the last two weeks of the season but with so many teams still in contention for the hardware, Fire fans shouldn't expect New York to put out a weaker lineup on the last day of the season.
A win this week vs. Houston would at the very least lock up a top two finish in the East for New York while a loss would make things very interesting…
x - 2) Sporting KC
Current Points: 52 (15-10-7)
Games Remaining: 2 (1 home / 1 away)
Last 5: DWLWW (10pts)
2013 Home/Away Record: 8-5-3 / 7-5-4
Maximum Possible Pts: 58
Average Opponents Pts: 31
Remaining Schedule: 10/18 vs. D.C., 10/23 vs. OLI**, 10/26 @ PHI
Rundown: Sporting KC could have controlled their own destiny for the top spot in the East if they would have won out but Wednesday's draw at Houston means they've relinquished that opportunity to New York.
Still, Sporting welcomes D.C. United this weekend and will no doubt be in the equation for both that top spot and potentially the Supporters Shield race on the final day of the season.
By virtue of the draw between Philadelphia and D.C. United Saturday, they also locked down a playoff berth. A win Saturday vs. D.C. and Sporting will lock in a top two finish in the East.
3) Houston Dynamo
Current Points: 48 (13-10-9)
Games Remaining: 1 (1 home / 1 away)
Last 5 Games: DWWWL (10pts)
2013 Home/Away Record: 9-3-4 / 4-6-4
Maximum Possible Points: 56
Average Opponents Pts: 34.5
Remaining Schedule: 10/20 vs. NY, 10/24 @ AU**, 10/27 @ D.C.
Rundown: The midweek draw vs. Sporting KC cooled off the Dynamo's hot streak just a bit, leaving them exposed to a potential drop in the standings at the weekend. Fortunately for Houston, Montreal fell to New England and the Dynamo are still in with a small chance for a top of the East finish.
With three games in eight days to end the season, the Dynamo have a huge week ahead of them beginning Saturday vs. New York.
How the qualify this week: A win over New York combined with a Philadelphia loss or draw to Montreal or a win over New York combined with a Philadelphia draw/win and a Chicago loss or draw to Toronto FC.
4) Montreal Impact
Current Points: 46 (13-11-7)
Games Remaining: 3 (1 home/ 2 away)
Last 5 Games: LLDLL (1pts)
2013 Home/Away Record: 9-4-3 / 4-7-4
Maximum Possible Pts: 56
Average Opponents Pts: 39
Remaining Schedule: 10/16 @ LA, 10/19 vs. PHI, 10/26 @ TFC
Rundown: Oh how the mighty have fallen. Long holders of the Eastern Conference top spot the first half of the season, Montreal are now winless in their last five following Saturday's 1-0 defeat to New England.
Montreal still hold a game in hand over the rest of the East but make that up with a tough midweek match Wednesday at LA. In that game the Impact will be down two starters in Matteo Ferrari and Davy Arnaud due to yellow card accumulation while Landon Donovan returns to the Galaxy from U.S. Men's National Team duty.
A loss in that match and Montreal will officially be in the dog fight for one of the knockout playoff spots and will have to recover quickly as they'll host fellow contender Philadelphia three days later.
How they qualify this week: Two wins vs. LA and Philadelphia is the simplest way but a combined four points with the win coming against Philadelphia along with either a New England loss/draw to Columbus or a Fire loss to Toronto FC.
5) Chicago Fire
Current Points: 46 (13-12-7)
Games Remaining: 2 (1 home / 1 away)
Last 5 Games: WWDLW (10pts)
2013 Home / Away Record: 9-4-3 / 4-7-4
Maximum Possible Pts: 52
Average Opponents Pts: 39.5
Remaining Schedule: 10/19 vs. TFC, 10/27 @ NY
Rundown: Following the disappointing 2-2 draw to Montreal on September 28, naysayers said the Fire should give up on the season and "play the kids" with only home game remaining out of their final four.
Two weeks later, they've won two straight MLS games for the first time since early July and both of them came on the road. Naysayers…
Now above the red line and tied on points with Montreal (and Philadelphia), the Fire are actually in a position where they could clinch a playoff berth this weekend and still have the possibility to finish in the East's top three spots, something that would have been unthinkable back in mid-May.
With two games left, the Fire control their own playoff destiny and after two confidence boosting victories, have a very winnable game in Saturday's home finale vs. Toronto FC.
How they qualify this week: A Chicago win over Toronto FC combined with a Philadelphia loss vs. Montreal and a New England loss or draw vs. Columbus.
With the Chicago and Philadelphia even on points, how would this work you ask? If the Fire won and Union lost, couldn't they still catch the Fire on points? Yes, but they would only tie Chicago and the Fire would already have a two-game edge in the first tie breaker which is total wins.
With both Montreal/Philadelphia and New England/Columbus ending before the Fire/TFC game, Saturday could be a very special night at Toyota Park. Get your tickets!
6) Philadelphia Union
Current Points: 46 (12-10-10)
Games Remaining: 2 (1 home / 1 away)
Last 5 Games: DWWLL (7pts)
2013 Home/Away Record: 7-4-5 / 5-6-5
Maximum Possible Points: 52
Average Opponents Pts: 49
Remaining Schedule: 10/19 @ MTL, 10/26 vs. SKC
Rundown: For two weeks in a row, Philadelphia have needed a very late goal to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot. On Saturday though Jack McInerney's strike was only good enough to equalize with lowly D.C. United, meaning the Union missed out on a huge opportunity to gain crucial points ahead of what will be two tough matches at Montreal and vs. Sporting KC to end the season.
How they qualify this week: Even if Philadelphia beats Montreal (and the Impact have lost to LA at midweek) and the Fire and Revolution both lose to Toronto and Columbus respectively, Philly would still need to get a point in the final week against Sporting KC.
7) New England Revolution
Current Points: 45 (12-11-9)
Games Remaining: 2 (1 home / 1 away)
Last 5 Games: WDDWL (8pts)
2013 Home/Away Record: 7-5-4 / 5-7-4
Maximum Possible Points: 51
Average Opponents Pts: 41
Remaining Schedule: 10/19 vs. CLB, 10/27 @ CLB
Rundown: New England bounced back well from a disappointing 2-2 draw last week at New York, earning a valuable 1-0 away win in Montreal but still find themselves in a difficult spot after the Fire win in Dallas and Philly's last gasp draw in D.C.
An odd home-and-home series with Columbus (who are now all but out of the playoff race) will help determine their playoff fate but even if they win both matches to close the season, they'll need help in the form of two teams above them dropping points. With Montreal, Chicago and Philadelphia all just one point ahead and the Impact and Union facing each other this week, New England still has plenty to play for.
8) Columbus Crew
Current Points: 41 (12-15-5)
Games Remaining: 2 (1 home / 1 away)
Last 5 Games: LWWWL (9pts)
2013 Home / Away Record: 7-6-3 / 5-9-2
Maximum Possible Points: 47
Average Opponents Pts: 42
Remaining Schedule: 10/19 @ NE, 10/27 vs. NE
Rundown: The Revolution and Fire wins as well as the Union draw pretty much put to bed the Crew's hopes for the postseason. It's not that they're mathematically out, it's just that it's damn near improbable that all the results that would need to go Columbus' way would.
It's not even worth getting into with two weeks left but if they can play a little spoiler and win at New England this weekend and are still in the hunt on the final day, I'll explain it next week.