There has been plenty of press following the clash between the Seattle Sounders and expansion franchise Philadelphia Union from the weekend. The match was a physical encounter which the Sounders won 2-0 but both sides were critical of the way each other played.

Union head coach Peter Nowak said the Sounders players tried to dive and get free-kicks whenever possible whilst the Sounders, led by Freddie Ljungberg, believed the new MLS club went away from what is normal sportsmanlike behaviour.

The ex-Arsenal star admitted he was treated poorly by Union players, suffering a back injury that he likened to an 'NFL injury'.

"I personally got a knee straight in my spine from behind shouldn't happen that you can knee someone that high up when the ball is 3 yards away on the ground (Straight after the game we went to the ER to get my spine x-rayed as I couldn't and still cant sit or lay on my back," Ljungberg wrote on his blog.

"Luckily no fractures. Only bone bruising. The doctor compared the injury with an NFL injury when someone uses their helmet to crash it into someone's spine. Hopefully ill recover quickly)."