Commerce City – Call-ups for the CONCACAF Gold Cup began affecting MLS teams this week, with players leaving for national team training camps. The tournament will be held June 6-24.
Fortunately for the Rapids, Pablo Mastroeni’s red card in last summer’s World Cup means he has to sit out two national team games, and that makes him available for the next two Rapids games. That’s fine with Mastroeni.
“Now that I have the opportunity to play both in Toronto and Houston, the Colorado Rapids is my No. 1 focus,” Mastroeni said. “Once you join the U.S. National Team in camp, it takes on another shape. You have a tournament to play, and your mind changes that way.
“It’s an honor to represent your country, but at the same time these (Rapids players) are your brothers you battle with every day in the trenches.”
The Rapids have lost striker Roberto Brown to Panama’s national team, however.
Toronto hit hard
Colorado’s opponent Saturday, expansion Toronto FC, was hit hard by call-ups to the Canadian national team. Goalkeeper Greg Sutton, who has played every minute for Toronto this season, will be one of three players missing Saturday. The others are defenders Adam Braz and Marco Reda.
Toronto lost its first four games but has lost once in its past four. It acquired Real Salt Lake forward Jeff Cunningham on May 22 in exchange for Alecko Eskandarian and a 2008 first-round draft pick.
Johnson’s big game
Kansas City’s Eddie Johnson had a remarkable performance Saturday against one of the league’s hottest teams. After his team fell behind the streaking New England Revolution 2-0, Johnson ripped off a hat trick and led the Wizards to a 4-3 win on the road. The outburst doubled his goal output for the season and won him MLS player of the week honors. It was his first career hat trick.
Benefit for Mooch
Comedian Drew Carey will play five players from both the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams in FIFA Soccer 07 on the Xbox 360 on Tuesday. For every game he loses, Carey will donate $10,000 to the Mooch Myernick Memorial Fund in honor of Glenn “Mooch” Myernick. In the final, Carey will play Landon Donovan with $50,000 at stake.
Myernick, a former Rapids coach, died of a heart attack in October at age 51.
