My Soccer Blog

Repurposing condoms as soccer socks

2008-07-24T14:17:00.000-05:00

Every now and then I read an article that catches me off guard and this is one such piece.

I turns out that the big soccer fashion trend in Cape Town, South Africa, these days is to wear condoms on your feet to keep your socks up.

The need for such an innovated way of using these prophylactics is the result of a lack of proper soccer gear, such as socks with elastic to hold them in place. Since condoms are distributed for free in order to help curb the spreading of HIV, it all makes sense.

Sivuyile Nqawe of the Lingelethu Football Association in Khayelitsha said it was to "ease matters for those who cannot afford expensive brands of football kit on their mission to sharpen their skills to become future soccer stars".

"It is just a creative method and it works to alleviate the situation. You just break a condom packet, grab and stretch it. Then you put it on your leg," Nqawe said.

"You will find that in most instances players bring a box of condoms to a match and share them among teammates for the same purpose."

Another example of necessity being the mother of invention.

FC Dallas might lose Toja to Europe

2008-07-24T13:56:00.003-05:00

Is Juan Toja about to play his final match as a MLS player?

Rumor has it that the longhair midfielder will fly to Romania tonight, after the All-Star match, to finish a deal with Romanian powerhouse Steaua Bucharest.

Then again, it is just a rumor. Accord to FCD coach Schellas Hyndman, "I expect him here to play against LA (on Sunday)."

Although this season has not been as strong as the first half of last year, Toja is still a vital part of Dallas's attack. If he does decide to move on to Europe, FCD will have a difficult time replacing him.

Then there is the ongoing speculation that teammate Kenny Cooper might also be soon to fly across the Atlantic. Those rumors have died down of late, but if both of these ended up being true, it is hard to see a way for Dallas to finish the season in a commanding fashion.

Is the face of FC Dallas about to change in a major way? We'll know within a week.

Brad Friedel sold by Blackburn

2008-07-23T15:09:00.000-05:00

US keeper Brad Friedel has been sold, on condition, to an undisclosed EPL club for £2 million. The deal will only go through if the Rovers land another goalkeeper.

Aston Villa is thought to be the undisclosed team, which also happens to be the club linked with fellow American Brad Guzan. Could Villa be an all American stop shop soon or will Stuart Taylor clam a top spot?

Should be fun to watch.

MLS expansion - 24 teams by 2013?

2008-07-23T15:03:00.000-05:00

Canada's sports network TSN reports that "MLS Commissioner Don Garber will lift the original ceiling of 18 franchises and announce Thursday a new expansion plan of not less than 20 and up to 24 franchises by 2013-2014."

They add that, "Vancouver and Montreal are considered expansion priorities for Garber in 2011."

This is not the first time that similar rumors have jumped up, but let's say it is true that tomorrow will see a big announcement concerning expansion, what does it mean?

First off, if the league targets 20-24 teams in the next six years, they must do something concerning the player pool. What this means is more international players and an increase in the salary cap, but that starts bringing in thoughts of NASL. MLS has tried hard to stay away from any such comparisons but if this is their realistic goal, they will need to address it soon (quick note, MLS is in a much better financial state today then NASL ever was).

Next up, the schedule. Is the East/West divide soon to be gone in favor of a single table or might they break into two different leagues and never play each other except for in cup competitions (think old school baseball rules)? Also, how does Superliga fit into this? If clubs are playing 38-46 league games*, plus US Open Cup, plus Concacaf, plus MLS Cup matches, they could easy end up with almost 60 meaningful matches in a season so throwing on 3-5 more for Superliga would be asking a great deal. Is MLS ready to kill off a moneymaker?

Finally, there is the issue of television deals. The current broadcasts are a huge improvement over a few years ago, however it is time to push for more airing over non-cable channels. The fact that most games are not available for a large (perhaps majority) portion of the country hurts the development of a stronger fan base. What casual fan is going to go hunting for HDNet or Fox Soccer Channel, if they even have it on their cable system? If they can get a game or two a week on over-the-air, national networks, the perception of the sport will begin to change. Remember, if it wasn't on TV, it didn't happen.

I know, I'm really jumping ahead of everything here, but if this is to be the path for the league, they need to make sure it is a success and these are the big three issues as I see them.

On the plus side, 24 teams means just about every large urban area in the US and Canada will have a team. Also, if they broke the FIFA limit for 24, what would stop them from going higher and adding smaller markets that show an ability to support teams.

* this assumes that teams play each other twice

Montreal Impact best team in Canada

2008-07-23T08:34:00.000-05:00

Toronto FC's slump continued last night as they only managed a 1-1 tie against the USL's Montreal Impact. With the point, the Impact won the Nutrilite Canadian Championship and earned a trip to the CONCACAF Champions League Cup, which begins next month.

Now the question is will this win have an effect on a possible move to MLS by Montreal? Impact head coach John Limniatis thinks it does.

The platform (for entering MLS) was already set...

I think, obviously, this helps. This just shows we're capable of competing ... From what I understand, we're aiming for the start of the 2011 season to be in the MLS.

The Impact organization has a lot going for it (stadium, rich owners, good fan base) and adding solid play against top-tier teams will only help them in their quest to land in MLS.

However, this failure by Toronto as well as the defeats suffered by MLS teams in the US Open Cup points to a very different issue, player salaries. With just around $2.5m to spend on a full squad MLS teams are very limited in the depth that they can bring in, thus the difference between the two divisions is not as pronounced as it should be. If MLS did up their pay level to around $5m a year, it helps elevate this issue.

Some might think that it is not a big thing that MLS teams often get toppled by USL clubs, however I disagree. League officials are usually quick to claim MLS as a world-class league, however what fan is going to believe them if top-level teams are consistently dropping games to lower-level opposition? In the perception race, these upsets need to become a rare bread.

Donovan still interested in EPL

2008-07-22T15:05:00.000-05:00

Yanks Abroad reports that Landon Donovan's agent failed to deny a Sky Sports report concerning a possible move by the American to the EPL.

They then report this:

Donovan was recently quoted by the English media giant as saying, "The older I get and the more I play, the more I'm yearning for that highest level I can play at."

"I think the Premiership would be the best place the play."

Sounds pretty exciting and it has caused a bit of a buzz on the internet, however, the quote is actually almost a year old.

There is another part from the interview last year that was missed this time around: "At the moment I'm happy here (LA), at least for the next few years with Dave (Beckham) here. I want to be a part of this too. Not many people get to be a part of this, so I want to live it."

I bring up the fact that this is an old quote not because it means it is no longer valid or that a move will not happen, just to give it a context.

So what will happen with Donovan?

Well he is in a bit of a bind. LA doesn't want to let him go because they want a championship this year and without him, it probably is not going to happen. That would seem to suggest a delay in any move till December, however that means coming in halfway through the EPL season, which will make starts even harder to obtain, which could effect his build up to 2010 (not to mention his availability for qualifiers).

That said, it is time for him to return to Europe and see what he can accomplish. His work over the past six-months has been some of his best and if he is ever to reach the heights we all want him to, he needs to move.

DC-Houston game postponed again

2008-07-22T14:25:00.000-05:00

DC United vs Houston Dynamo
~~4 June~~
~~22 July~~
23 July?

Why is it that these two clubs can't get this game played? Last month is was rain that canceled it and tonight it is a lack of power. For the second time in about a week, RFK is having power issues and according to the Dynamo's blog, it will prevent the game from taking place tonight.

Instead, the two teams will try to get this game out of the way tomorrow evening, the night before the All-Star game.

I do not see any official report over this, so perhaps the Dynamo front office is wrong or maybe jumping the gun. Anyway, with the game suppose to start in about 4 hours, United better act fast to get the word out or else they might have some upset fans in the parking lot.

US Olympic roster - Guzan, McBride and Parkhurst overage Olympians

2008-07-17T15:08:00.001-05:00

Peter Nowak has released his 18 man roster for Beijing and there are not a lot of surprises. As expected, Nowak went with Bad Guzan in goal and McBride up top. Both will give the team much needed depth in their positions with McBride providing a little bit more then Guzan.

The overage selection that could benefit the most from this experience is New England's Michael Parkhurst. Since the US's backline is probably going to have a lot put up against it, especially if they advance to the knockout stage (hello Argentina), a solid showing by Parkhurst could get some European suitors.

Overall this roster represents the best the US has to offer in the under 23 group at this moment.

As far as MLS teams go, they account for 10 of the 18 with the Houston Dynamo, Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC each losing two players for the games.

Here is the full roster:

GK (2): Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake)

D (5): Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)

M (7): Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Danny Szetela (Brescia Calcio)

F (4): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Brian McBride (out of contract), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

Columbus wants to improve team but MLS's hurt feelings might get in the way

2008-07-03T15:34:00.000-05:00

The Columbus Crew want to improve their team by bringing in a quality player from Norway's first division. So what's the problem? The player is Pat Noonan.

Noonan left the New England Revolution after the team decided not to offer him a respectable contract extension at the end of last season (they offered him less money then he made in 2007). Because he was out of contract, Noonan was able to move to Norway without a transfer fee, which means the Revs retained his MLS rights.

For their part, the Crew are willing to pay Noonan a salary similar to what he was earning previously in the US, plus pay a transfer fee to his current club and give the Revs something for his rights, however MLS is not happy. Why? Coach Sigi Schmid has the answer:

"A player that can turn down an offer from the league, go overseas on their own volition and then we as a league have to buy them back," Schmid said. "That's bad business and MLS doesn't want to be in the habit of doing bad business. That's completely understandable."

Schmid is playing the good sport here because really the only thing bad about this whole situation is that New England tried to hardball him in the first place (they would not trade him, thus he had to take their deal or get out of the country).

Noonan is a quality American striker who wants to be treated with respect. The fact that the league and the Revolution failed to do so should not be held against him or the Crew.

Instead the league should get past the hurt feelings caused by someone calling their bluff and do what is best for the sport.

The idea that a team can hold back a player that they no longer have under contract is one that must change or we can expect to see more young American players skip over their domestic league in favor of third tier competition overseas.

Jaqua might return to Houston, at least for a little while

2008-07-03T15:19:00.001-05:00

It looks like the Dynamo might be about to solve some of their offensive problems as Nate Jaqua has been offered a contract to return to Houston.

Jaqua left Houston during the off season for a spell in Austria, where he put up some great numbers (5 goals in 10 apperiences). Even with these quality results on the pitch, his club decided not to offer him a new contract.

Houston has been chasing him for awhile now, but it looked unlikely until they added a little twist to the offer. As part of this deal, Houston will promise to trade him to Seattle FC for the 2009 season.

Jaqua is from Eugene, Oregon, and very much wants to play in the Northwest.

It is not clear if this trade will be part of the expansion draft.

This is a smart move by Houston as they need another striker. Sure it will hurt losing him to Seattle, however they will have seven months to find a replacement. Who knows, maybe by then Caraccio might be ready to show something.

It is even a smarter deal if this will count towards the expansion draft as then they will not have to worry about losing any other players.

Ngwenya on trial with Bayern Munich, was Klinsmann rumor true?

2008-07-03T14:54:00.003-05:00

Former Houston Dynamo and Zimbabwe international striker Joseph Ngwenya is on a three week trial with Bayern Munich, which seems to prove a rumor that circulated back in January when Ngwenya moved to Austrian side Kärnten. The rumor had Jurgen Klinsmann 'hiding' Ngwenya in Austria until he took over as manager of Bayern.

If this all pans out, this could prove to be a brilliant move by Klinsmann. Then again, if Ngwenya fails to perform, it might all be for not.

By the way, Klinsmann noticed Ngwenya while watching him train with the LA Galaxy back in 2005.

Kansas City Wizards hit with sexual harassment lawsuit

2008-07-02T12:48:00.000-05:00

The good news that has surround the Wizards over the past week (late win against, and by, Real; comeback win in US Open Cup; re-signing of Josh Wolff) looks to be at an end as the team's management has been accused of “pervasive and regular” sexual harassment.

Kathryn Carver filed the lawsuit on Monday against the Wizards' ownership group OnGoal as well as 'Greg Cotton, executive vice president and general counsel for OnGoal, and Robert Thomson Jr, the company’s vice president for marketing and communications.'

The suit alleges, amongst other things, that:

•Cotton and Thomson would review the Facebook and MySpace sites of prospective female employees to determine whether they were “hot enough” to be hired.

•Cotton allegedly said of one employee, “She is the dumbest person I have ever met, but she is worth keeping around for the scenery.”

•Male employees held “drafts” of young female employees with whom they would want to have sex.

•During a team-sponsored trip to Las Vegas, Thomson told Carver she was “hot,” complimented her physical attributes and said he wanted to have sex with her, she alleged.

It is far to early to figure out if these charges are true or not, but it is worth watching, especially as the Wizards move forward on their stadium development.

Obviously, if these accusations prove to be accurate, Cotton and Thomson need to be dismissed and a major restructuring of the whole OnGoal organization must happen. In addition, the league would need to figure out punishments, such as the loss of allocation money, that they can place on the team.

Bad times in Kansas City.

2008 US Open Cup - Third Round sees three MLS teams go down

2008-07-02T12:30:00.000-05:00

Last night is the perfect example of why I enjoy the US Open Cup so much. Seeing all these underweight teams try to out punch MLS sides really is enjoyable. Sure, the MLS teams see this as little more then a reserves match, but it is still good fun.

As bad as it is that MLS teams dropped three of the eight games last night, it is actually much better then last season when five top teams fell. The biggest surprise of the night took place in Maryland where Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL-2) bounced the Red Bulls out of the Open, even though they played down a man for an hour.

Ranking just below on the shock level was the Dynamo losing on kicks to the Charleston Battery (USL-1), even though Houston played up a man for 50 minutes and up 2 men for 15. Really, the defending MLS Champions were up two men for 15-minutes and could not find a way to get a goal. Not only that but the Battery's Osvaldo Alonso was still giving the Dynamo fits in the second period of overtime (Alonso must be on Kinnear's radar after last night). I think Dynamo forward Franco Caraccio summed up the whole night for his club when he collapsed to the pitch in shame after having his penalty kick stopped, thus giving the Battery the win.

The only other lose came in Seattle where the Sounders showed Chivas USA the exit. The goats have not won a USOC match since beating the Charlotte Eagles (USL-2) on 13 July 2005. This streak includes a defeat by Roma FC of the USASA.

There was almost something big in Dallas, however FCD was able to get a late stoppage time goal to take Miami 2-1.

Kansas City also needed a little rally as they were down 2-0 in the 67' minute before coming back to tie and send it to extra time where they piled on two more goals for the win.

DC United needed two goals via free kicks from Marc Burch to take down the Rhinos of Rochester. Both New England (last year's USOC champ) and the Fire (perennial USOC powerhouse) easily saw off their foes for the evening.

Here is the full list of results:
FC Dallas (MLS) 2-1 Miami FC (USL-1)
Charleston (USL-1) 1(4-3)1 Houston (MLS)
DC United (MLS) 2-0 Rochester (USL-1)
Carolina (USL-1) 2-4 Kansas City (MLS)

CP Baltimore (USL-2) 2-0 New York (MLS)
New England (MLS) 3-0 Richmond (USL-2)
Chicago (MLS) 4-1 Cleveland (USL-2)
Seattle (USL-1) 2-0 Chivas USA (MLS)

These results move the numbers a bit when it comes to higher versus lower ranked teams. Before last night, it stood at 19-2 (90.5%) for those higher ranked, but now is at 24-5 (82.75%).

It does look like home field advantage was reinstated. During the second round, home sides only went 3-5, but yesterday saw only one visitor walk away with a win.

Here is the schedule for next Tuesday night's round of eight:
Chicago Fire at DC United (Boyds, Md)
Crystal Palace (USL2) at New England (New Britain, Conn)
Charleston (USL1) at FC Dallas
Kansas City at Seattle Sounders (USL1)

Can Crystal Palace bring down two giants? Will the Battery take out both teams from the Lone Star state? Will Seattle give another MLS team an introduction to soccer in the Northwest? Can DC finally beat Chicago in a playoff situation? It will be fun to find out.

Houston 1-1 FC Dallas - Bad call by ref still doesn't excuse all the missed chances

2008-06-27T12:22:00.000-05:00

Houston Dynamo 1-1 FC Dallas

In ESPN's continuing effort to deprive soccer fans of the chance to actually watch scheduled events, the sports network pre-emptied the first half of last nights outing due to an overtime basketball game. I understand the need to show the basketball game, but why not throw the MLS match over to ESPN Classic or is the viewing audience for a 15 year old, middle-weight boxing match really so great that it would be a crime to do such a thing?

Anyway, to the game itself. Houston spent most of the first half looking like the team that won the last two MLS Cups with Stuart Holden and Bobby Boswell both having a standout game. The team caused trouble for Dallas all over the pitch, but they could not get that final touch till Brian Ching got on the end of a perfect Craig Waibel cross. Still, with the way FCD played in the first half, Houston has no excuse for not being up by two or more.

The second half saw FCD switch from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2, which closed down a lot of Houston's attack, at least for a little while, and allowed Toja more freedom and created open spaces, which Kenny Cooper exploited for his excellent goal in the 62'.

Then came a call so horrible it really killed the excitement of the game for me. Holden broke loss and was running right at Dallas's goal when Pablo Ricchetti brought him down from behind. Let's see, Ricchetti was the last defender, it was a scoring opportunity and Ricchetti did not come anywhere near playing the ball. This is the easiest red card to give but Kevin Stott failed to deliver. Had Stott gone by what the rules say, the final 15-minutes of this game probably would have been very different.

Even though the Dynamo were cheated, they still cannot blame this one mistake for their failure to earn all three points as they had at least two easy chances early in the second half that should have put the game out of reach.

By the way, I'm sure FCD fans will point to the failure of Stott to call another foul later as an excuse for his earlier blown call. Late in the game (I think it was the 90'), Boswell appeared to clip Dominic Oduro from behind under similar circumstance to Holden's event (except Boswell was actually trying to play the ball). The only problem with this argument is if Stott had made the red card call earlier, this play probably would not have happened. That said, Stott should have called a foul, but did not, probably as a makeup call.

This tie means the Western Conference continues to live in chaos with just 5 points separating first from sixth. It also means Houston now has seven ties, which is the same amount that had all of last season.

Goals:
HD: Brian Ching (6) 21'
FCD: Kenny Cooper (8) 62'
Att: 16,933 (including about 30 FCD fans)
Video Highlights

Asain 2010 World Cup Qualifying final group draw

2008-06-27T08:58:00.000-05:00

The two groups have been drawn for Asia's final round of World Cup Qualification. Each group has five teams with the top two from each group advancing to South Africa. The third place teams in the groups will meet in a two-legged playoff with the winner playing the champion of Oceania.

Here are the two groups:
Group A
Australia
Japan
Bahrain
Uzbekistan
Qatar

Group B
South Korea
Iran
Saudi Arabia
North Korea
UAE

Although both groups have their difficulties, it looks to me like Group B is the tougher one since three of the teams made it to Germany in 2006 (S Korea, Iran & Saudi Arabia), plus North Korea is always capable of a surprise.

Group A seems designed perfectly for Australia and Japan to make it through.

Group play starts on 6 Sept and runs through 17 June 2009.

Former FIFA president says World Cups were fixed

2008-06-27T08:40:00.000-05:00

Joao Havelange, president of FIFA from 1974-1998 claims the 1966 and 1974 World Cups were fixed and produced the exact results his predecessor to the job, England's Sir Stanley Rous, wanted.

Havelange, who is Brazilian, claims that during both finals, the referees made decisions that allowed European nations to advance and help the host country win the cup (1966 England, 1974 West Germany).

In the 1966 semifinal between England and Argentina, a ref gave Argentina's captain Antonio Rattin a direct red for arguing. England won the match 1-0. In 1974 he points to missed calls that resulted in Pele getting injured and Brazil losing their chance to play Germany in the final.

There are been theories for years that some sort of fixing happened but there has never been an official as high ranking as Havelange to back them. So is this true or is this just the talk of a proud South American?

As far as I can see, he doesn't offer any sort of proof other then the 'isn't it strange this happened' kind. The fact that calls seemed to go to the home country more often then not is no surprise. The additional fact that it was European refs that made a number of the calls against South American nations just adds fuel to the speculation, but without any proof, there really is nothing to this story.

2008 US Open Cup - Second Round results

2008-06-25T12:34:00.003-05:00

The second round of the US Open Cup is in the books and yet again the biggest factor is which team is in the higher division. During the first round, only one lower division team pulled off an upset, resulting in a 15-1 run for higher level clubs. Last night saw the higher division squad take 4 and lose 1, while 3 games involved clubs of the same level. That means that 86% of all games are won by the team higher up on the US Soccer pyrimid.

The Minnesota Thunder (USL-1) join the Portland Timbers (USL-1) as the only teams to lose to a lower division team as they lost 0-2 to the Cleveland City Stars (USL-2).

Here are the full results:
Harrisburg (USL-2) 2(1-3)2 CP Baltimore (USL-2)
Western Mass (USL-2) 1-2 Richmond (USL-2)
Rochester (USL-1) 3-0 Pittsburgh (USL-2)
Charleston (USL-1) 2-1 Charlotte (USL-2)

Carolina (USL-1) 1-0 Real Maryland (USL-2)
Minnesota (USL-1) 0-2 Cleveland (USL-2)
Miami (USL-1) 1-0 Atlanta (USL-1)
Seattle (USL-1) 6-0 Hollywood United (USASA)

The winners move on to round three where they will face a MLS team. If the 86% number holds, it means one MLS side will lose in round three. Who could it be?

Here is the schedule:
Houston Dynamo (MLS) at Charleston Battery (USL-1)
Blackbaud Stadium, Charleston, S.C., 7:30 PM

New York Red Bulls (MLS) at Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL-2)
UMBC, Catonsville, Md., 7:30 PM

Kansas City Wizards (MLS) at Carolina Railhawks (USL-1)
WakeMed Soccer Park - Cary, N.C., 7:30 PM

Rochester Rhinos (USL-1) at DC United (MLS)
Maryland SoccerPlex, Boyds, Md., 7:30 PM
Broadcast: English/Spanish Radio (DCU)

Richmond Kickers (USL-2) at New England Revolution (MLS)
Veterans Stadium - New Britain, Conn., Time TBD

Cleveland City Stars (USL-2) at Chicago Fire (MLS)
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Ill., 8:30 PM

Miami FC (USL-1) at FC Dallas (MLS)
Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas, 8:30 PM

Chivas USA (MLS) at Seattle Sounders (USL-1)
Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila, Wash. - 10:00 PM

By the way, home pitch advantage is limited as home sides went 10-6 in round 1 and 3-5 in round two. In matches were the teams were in the same division, home teams only went 1 for 3.

FIFA - Even though Qatar cheated, they still get to advance

2008-06-25T12:25:00.000-05:00

FIFA has denied Iraq's appeal to disqualify Qatar from World Cup Qualifying even though it admits Qatar did not play by the rules.

This Sunday saw Qatar beat Iraq 1-0 to advance to the final round of Asian WCQ, however one of their players was not eligible to play for Qatar.

Marcio Passos De Albuquerque, know as Emerson, was born in Brazil and represented Brazil at youth level, thus he was ineligible. In addition, he 'was also reported to have been detained by Brazilian police back in 2006 for falsifying his age on his birth certificate.'

FIFA's response: 'The player is not eligible to play for Qatar and cannot play any further matches for the representative team of Qatar.'

The loss to Qatar resulted in Iraq placing third in their group, thus missing the final round by just one point. Emerson did not play in this match, however he did play in the earlier game on 6 Feb, which Qatar won 2-0. This was the only group match in which Emerson played.

FIFA says that Iraq waited to long to file their complaint.

It seems to me that if FIFA knew that an illegal player was used in a match, the team should be forced to forfeit the game, even if their FA didn't know the player was ineligible. A team should not be able to prosper from illegal activities in the past.

US WNT - Olympic roster has Hope but no Scurry

2008-06-23T16:33:00.003-05:00

Hope Solo is returning to China while Briana Scurry is staying home.

Less then a year after coach Greg Ryan set off a goalkeeper firestorm by benching Solo ahead of their World Cup semifinal match against Brazil in favor of Scurry, Hope will finally get her chance to win a big tournament in China.

New coach Pia Sundhage has decided that Solo is the better keeper at this time and will likely be her number one between the posts in August. Sundhage said that Scurry's national team duty might not be finished depending on how she does in the new Women's Pro League.

Nicole Barnhart will act as backup keeper.

The full roster is:

GK: Nicole Barnhart, Hope Solo

D: Rachel Buehler, Lori Chalupny, Stephanie Cox, Kate Markgraf, Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone

M: Shannon Boxx, Tobin Heath, Angela Hucles, Carli Lloyd, Heather O'Reilly, Lindsay Tarpley, Aly Wagner

F: Natasha Kai, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach

Half these players were on the 2004 squad that took gold in Athens.

Even Pele gets robbed in Brazil

2008-06-23T16:26:00.003-05:00

Pele, the soccer legend himself, was robbed by an armed gang earlier this month. Pele was the passenger in a car that was stuck in traffic when a gang of 10 armed men surrounded his vehicle. The men took his gold necklace, a mobile phone and a watch.

His driver was also robbed, however when the gang recognized Pele, they returned items to the driver but not to the super star.

"Pele, who is said to have remained calm during the robbery, apparently believed the men were high on drugs."

Police say these types of robberies are common in Brazil, which I'm sure is not what FIFA wants to hear ahead of the 2014 World Cup.

US 1-0 Barbados - US advances

2008-06-23T09:46:00.000-05:00

US 1-0 Barbados

In a game that saw the favorites look tired and even more defensive minded then normal, the underdogs had their chance to run the game. But unlike the Italy-Spain Euro match, the US was able to see their opposition out of the competition.

Yesterday's game was a flashback for me as right from the opening moments, it reminded me of some late-80's games due to the horrible video production. Combine that with the frustration of the US to break through a Caribbean nation's backline and a crowd that was less then present and it was just like the old days (except the broadcast wasn't on some UHF channel that I didn't even know I got nor was the game tape delayed to 3am nor was it dubbed in Spanish).

The good news, unlike the old days, the team on the pitch was not our A-team and that was probably the biggest lesson of the day.

This is the type of match the US men are going to see a lot of over the next 16-months as we begin the full World Cup Qualifying run. The 'lesser' teams of Concacaf are all going to adopt a similar structure to Barbados and play heavy defense while hoping for something on the counter. This is nothing new, but it still gives the US problems.

Overall, it was a boring game that saw Barbados have the better run of play for most of the second half. A few players looked good (Szetela, Lewis, Pearce, Adu), some had their moments (DeMerit, Califf) and some looked a bit under focused (Bradley, Guzan, Beasley, Moor). Nothing came out of this game that is going to cause major changes to Bradley's future lineups (with the possible exception of getting Kenny Cooper on to the pitch).

The US senior men are off till August 20th, when they travel to Guatemala to take on Carlos Ruiz and La Azul y Blanco.

One last thing, great idea by the USL-1 teams to sponsor all the boards during this match.

US starting lineup for Barbados World Cup Qualifier leg 2

2008-06-22T13:11:00.003-05:00

US vs. Barbados
2:55p ET/ 11:55A PT
TV: ESPN classic, Galavision

Less then an hour to go till the US plays their second leg World Cup Qualifier against Barbados and Bob Bradley has released his lineup.

----------------Guzan---------------

Moor--DeMerit--Califf---Pearce

Kljestan-Bradley-Szetela-Lewis (c)

---------Adu---------Beasley--------

This is a very different lineup from last week with only four players starting both games (and only three are in the same position). With DeMerit and Califf taking over the center back and Moor out on the right, Pearce is now the experienced member of the defensive line.

The US will win this game, but expect Guzan to have a little more to do today.

Adu will have a lot of opportunities to open up on the offense front, but will he be able to turn his fancy footwork into goals?

By the way, this is the Word Cup Qualifying debut for Moor, DeMerit, Califf, Klejstan and Szetela.

Clint Dempsey gives back to his Nacogdoches roots

2008-06-20T22:15:00.000-05:00

US international Clint Dempsey, who is back home in Nacogdoches, Texas, played a friendly game of soccer at the Stephen F. Austin State University intramural field Wednesday.

This is a class move by Dempsey and a great way to help move soccer forward in the US. Nacodoches is a city of just 30,000 in East Texas, so Dempsey coming to play is big news.

Hopefully while in town, he can take it easy before he heads back to pre-season training with Fulham in July.

Bradley names his roster for Barbados World Cup Qualifier

2008-06-20T14:15:00.000-05:00

USA vs. Barbados
Sunday - 2:55p ET/11:55a PT
TV: ESPN Classic & Galavision (Spanish)

Bob Bradley has released his 18-man roster for the second leg of the US-Barbados World Cup Qualifier. With the US up 8-0, the starting lineup is likely to include a number of younger players.

Here is the full roster:

GK (3): Dominic Cervi, Brad Guzan, Chris Seitz

D (6): Carlos Bocanegra, Dan Califf, Jay DeMerit, Drew Moor, Oguchi Onyewu, Heath Pearce

M(6): DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Sacha Kljestan, Eddie Lewis, Danny Szetela, John Thorrington

F (3): Freddy Adu, Chad Barrett, Chris Rolfe

The big thing I notice is the lack of Tim Howard and Eddie Johnson from the list as they were not players he released earlier in the week. The Howard move makes sense since he has a minor injury and Guzan (who got called back into camp) needs the international cap. The lack of Johnson is good since we need to find some other forward options, although Barbados is not much of a test.

Some people might wonder why Lewis is in there, but it makes sense since the experience of most of the players is limited. Good to have some old timers in to bring the experience.

Here is my guess at a starting lineup:

GK: Guzan
D: Moor, Califf, Bocanegra, Pearce
M: Kljestan, Bradley, Lewis, Beasley
F: Adu, Barrett

Jack Warner in another money fight - Wants T&T to play all home games abroad

2008-06-20T12:25:00.000-05:00

Can FIFA VP and Concacaf President Jack Warner have any aspect of his life not surround buy chaos? If not, could the chaos at least not have anything to do with money just once?

Mr. Warner has asked FIFA to allow T&T to play all future home fixtures abroad because he is unhappy with the fees the T&T Ministry of Sport change the team to play at Hasely Crawford Stadium.

This fight over stadium costs almost lead to the cancellation of England's 'remember this visit come 2018 voting time' match earlier this month. In that case, a court ruled the ministry could not charge 10% of gate receipts as a fee. Instead, the court ordered a lump sum payment of $24,000.

Warner liked that idea then but when the ministry asked for the same rent for last weekend's match against Bermuda, he wasn't so thrilled saying it is 'ludicrous' to charge the same fee for Bermuda as for England. Perhaps the 10% plan might have worked out a little better.

So let's see, Warner is fighting with T&T's best players because he doesn't want to pay them the money he promised them ahead of the 2006 World Cup and know he is fighting with the T&T government over rent for the stadium. And let's not even bring up the issue of 2006 World Cup tickets. Awesome.

In the end, this might all be for nothing as T&T are down 2-1 going into their second World Cup qualifying leg in Bermuda.

Carlos Bocanegra is off to France

2008-06-20T12:02:00.002-05:00

US center back Carlos Bocanegra is no longer without a club as he has signed a three-year contract with French side Rennes. This move means Portsmouth defender Djimi Traore will not be part of the club next season.

Rennes are a good French side, but not one the of the best. They have made it to the UEFA Cup twice in the last 3 years, however both times they failed to get out of the group phase.

The good side of this is he will get a lot of playing time. The bad side, the French league doesn't have the same top-quality players as the EPL or the other top leagues in Europe.

Still, congratulations to Bocanegra and good luck learning French. By the way, Rennes is about 210 miles west of Paris.

MLS Expansion - NFL's Atlanta Falcons owner still interested in MLS side

2008-06-20T11:10:00.003-05:00

Although Atlanta is seldom mentioned as one of the front-runners for a MLS side, Arthur Blank, the owner of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, is still very interested in bringing a team to the city. It would also seem that the league is just as interested, calling Atlanta 'a "tremendous" potential market that would expand the league's footprint into the Southeast.'

But just like so many other expansion cities, before Blank can see another professional team into Atlanta, he needs to come up with a stadium plan. His group has looked at 'about six' metro-Atlanta counties as possible home sites, however they have not narrowed it down. Another possible way of reading this is that no city has stepped up to offer the group a good public-private funding plan for a stadium.

As far as what the group would like to see in a complex, they would like "an 80-acre to 100-acre site could contain an MLS stadium, parking lots and soccer fields for local leagues and regional tournaments." This description points to a suburban stadium instead of something closer to downtown. They also imagine that the earliest such a complex could open in 2012.

So what does MLS think of Atlanta? They like it:

"We believe Atlanta can be a tremendous market for a Major League Soccer team," said Dan Courtemanche, the league's senior vice president of marketing and communications. "First and foremost, it's a very diverse market ... and clearly a strong market for soccer participation. ... And Arthur Blank's group is a tremendous group, no question there. We think they would be a perfect group to expand the MLS presence south of Washington, D.C."

Having a team in the Deep South is something that needs to happen and Atlanta is the obvious choice. However, any team playing there will need to do something about the heat, both during the games and during practice (look how hard Dallas gets hit every August for more on this).

One other interesting point, when talking about other possible expansion cities, Courtemanche names the regular crew however he places a little disclaimer in front of Miami, saying that the city is interested "to a lesser degree" then others. I guess they still cannot find a good ownership group for the area.

So where to place Atlanta is the list of possible expansion city? I would say that at this point, they are below the likes of St. Louis, Vancouver, Portland and New York, on par with Montreal and above Las Vegas, Ottawa, San Diego and Miami.

Canadian men's team wants Montreal to be home pitch

2008-06-20T08:25:00.001-05:00

The Canadian men's team wants to make their first world cup appearance since 1986 and they think playing at Montreal's Saputo Stadium is the way to do it.

Tonight sees them take to the Saputo grass pitch for the first time as they try to finish off St Vincent & the Grenadines in the return leg of a two-game series and many players think this field will give them what they need to win.

"Everyone has agreed this is the best pitch there is in Canada, but the CSA (Canadian Soccer Association) and whoever works for the CSA want us to play in (Toronto's) BMO Field and Edmonton as well," midfielder Julian de Guzman said Thursday. "Stuff like that will affect us immensely going toward the World Cup. We feel very comfortable right here."

So, what seems to be the problem? The players feel they play better on the real grass and like the facility. Well it turns out the CSA has a deal with BMO field to play at least six national team-related games there every year. Also, the CSA refers to BMO as 'Canada's national soccer stadium.' The good news, those six games 'are not limited to the national senior men's squad' and as far as BMO's label, what's really in a name?

This is just the latest in the back-and-forth between national team players and often tone-deft CSA. Hopefully someone in management will listen to their players and the coach and not force them to play the biggest games on a synthetic surface.

US beats Italy; face Canada in the Championship

2008-06-19T15:48:00.000-05:00

Congratulations the US Women's team who beat Italy 2-0 today to win their group and a spot in the Peace Queen Cup finals on Saturday.

The win mean the women took all three-group games, including a 1-0 win against Brazil (a little better then their World Cup result from last year). Also, their offense seems to be back as they out scored their opposition 5-1.

The final will be a rematch of 2006 as America's neighbor to the north will try to extract their revenge. The Canadians walk out of their group as undisputed masters as they took all 9 points with a +9 goal difference (10-1). As impressive as this is, it must be noted that the US faced the number 4,12 & 13 teams in the world while Canada faced off against the 23,24 and 27th.

This is the fourth final the US women have played in this year and the second involving Canada. So far the US is 3-0.

Bradley adds players to Barbados roster

2008-06-19T15:33:00.000-05:00

A couple days slimming his roster down to 12, it looks like US coach Bob Bradley is about to fatten things up with the addition of a bunch of MLSers.

Various reports have Bradley calling Drew Moor (FC Dallas), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake), John Thorrington (Chicago Fire), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire) and Chad Barrett (Chicago Fire).

There is one domestic player getting a look as Danny Szetela (Brescia Calcio - Italy) will also join the team.

With the Fire playing tonight, it is no surprise that a number of their guys get the call, while Seitz is Real's backup keeper so no harm. However, Drew Moor is a bit of a knock for his club as he has started 12 of FCD's 13 games.

As far as play, looking at the competition they will face, I'm sure these players will do fine.

MLS Expansion - Ottawa enters the running

2008-06-19T13:11:00.000-05:00

The line for a MLS expansion team just got a little longer as Eugene Melnyk, owner of the NHL's Ottawa Senators, has meet with league officials to discuss a move to Canada's capital.

The report says Melnyk and MLS met last Thursday. Although no specifics are known, Melnyk does bring with him a $1.4 billion fortune to back up any bid. Also, Frank Clair Stadium, which was used during last summer's U-20 World Cup and seats just under 27,000, is all ready built, however it is in need of some renovation.

Ottawa currently has an USL-PDL side, the Ottawa Fury, but Melnyk is not involved in the ownership of the team.

I would place Ottawa towards the back of the pack at the moment since other cities seem to be further along on talks. Still, with some big money possibly behind this bid, it could easily move up if Vancouver can't figure out their stadium situation or St. Louis fails to find more investors.

Beckham to jump out of bus at Olympics

2008-06-19T08:44:00.000-05:00

It looks like David Beckham will make it to the 2008 Olympic Games as he will be part of the big 'London in eight-minutes' performance during the closing ceremony (London hosts the next Olympic games).

It appears 'Beckham will enter the stage in a double-decker bus and jump off the bus.'

Wow! Let's just hope he doesn't tweak his knee as he jumps.

The good news is it doesn't look like he will miss any matches to make his leap as LA plays on 21 and 30 Aug and the closing ceremony will take place on the 24th.

Tampa gets pro team; Houston Dynamo expand into Texas Rio Grande Valley

2008-06-19T08:30:00.000-05:00

Seven years after MLS folded the Tampa Bay Mutiny, a move that caused many to predict the sudden demise of the league, professional soccer is returning thanks to a new USL First Division squad. The new team will begin play next season.

This announcement comes one day after 'Hillsborough County commissioners gave limited approval to building a $15 million soccer complex and stadium at a site to be determined' but a spokesperson for the team says the two are unrelated as the owners want to build their own stadium in northwest Tampa. The proposed new stadium would seat between 6-7,000 and be expandable.

By joining the league now, the new owners were able to pay the current expansion fee of $350,000. After 15 August, the fee will increase to $750,000.

The new Tampa club will join the Austin Aztexs as an expansion USL-1 team next season.

This all sounds like a great move for the league and soccer in southern Florida, especially since the stadium project is not looking for public money. With a good place to call home and a stable financial situation, this new Tampa Bay club will have a much easier time then the Mutiny.

In other expansion news, it looks like the Houston Dynamo will expand into the Texas Rio Grande Valley. According to this report, after seeing the talent in the area through team sponsored youth academies, they feel a professional team could do well here and hope to bring a USL-PDL team in the area in the next 18-months.

It comes as no surprise that there are quality soccer players along the Texas-Mexico border. What is a surprise is that the no one else has stepped up to make this happen earlier.

If this does happen, there could be an interesting twist as the Houston area has a team in the PDL, the Houston Leons, however they are not affiliated with the Dynamo.

Bob Bradley sends 10 players home

2008-06-18T08:45:00.000-05:00

US coach Bob Bradley has released 10 players from camp ahead of their second leg match against Barbados. Most of the players are MLS based, so this is not much of a surprise, however I kind of thought he would keep Guzan around in case Howard is still having back issues (plus if Guzan still wants to move to England, he needs more international caps).

Here is the list:
Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Steve Cherundulo (Hannover 96), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids) and Matt Reis (New England Revolution)

So the players still in camp are:
GK: Dominic Cervi, Tim Howard
D: Carlos Bocanegra, Dan Califf, Jay DeMerit, Oguchi Onyewu, Heath Pearce
M: Freddy Adu, DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Eddie Lewis
F: Eddie Johnson

Unless Bradley is really confident, it looks like he will need to call a few more folks in. Some players that I wouldn't mind see added to his roster are Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Edson Buddle (LA Galaxy), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Chad Barrett (Chicago Fire), Sal Zizzo (Hannover 96), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake) or Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC).

These are many attacking players, which makes sense as it is the US's weakest area. Then again, evaluating their play against a team like Barbados is not going to give you much.

2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage Schedule

2008-06-17T15:10:00.001-05:00

Yesterday saw the draw for the first ever Concacaf Champions League group stage. The two seeded MLS sides, DC United and Houston Dynamo, were drawn into groups A & B respectively.

As far as the other MLS clubs, if New England beat Joe Public FC in their preliminary playoff, they will move into group C along with Atlante FC. Chivas USA faces a possible date with Club Santos Laguna in the Group D.

MLS will likely have a fifth team in the group due to Canada getting one spot. If TFC does make it, they will join the Revolution in Group C.

The top two teams in each group advance to the knockout phase.

Since over half of the teams in the group phase are not known at this time, it is difficult to point to who has the toughest group, but it does look like Group A could turn into a very difficult one if Cruz Azul and Olimpia both advance (although Marathon is not much better).

After the playoff runs take place (26 Aug - 4 Sept), we'll be able to see who has, on paper, the hardest road to the knockout phase.

Group A
DC United (USA)
Deportivo Saprissa (CRC)
Winner: Cruz Azul or Hankook Verdes
Winner: Isidro Metapan or Marathon

Home Team Listed First (All times Eastern)
16 Sept D.C. United – Deportivo Saprissa (8p)
17 Sept Isidro Metapan or Marathon – Cruz Azul or Hankook Verdes (10p)

23 Sept Cruz Azul or Hankook Verdes – Deportivo Saprissa (TBD)
24 Sept Isidro Metapan or Marathon – D.C. United (10p)

30 Sept Deportivo Saprissa – Isidro Metapan or Marathon (10p)
01 Oct D.C. United – Cruz Azul or Hankook Verdes (8p)

07 Oct Cruz Azul or Hankook Verdes – Isidro Metapan or Marathon (8p)
09 Oct Deportivo Saprissa – D.C. United (10p)

21 Oct Cruz Azul or Hankook Verdes – D.C. United (10p)
23 Oct Isidro Metapan or Marathon – Deportivo Saprissa (8p)

29 Oct D.C. United – Isidro Metapan or Marathon (8p)
29 Oct Deportivo Saprissa – Cruz Azul or Hankook Verdes (8p)

Group B
Houston Dynamo(USA)
CD Luis Angel Firpo (SLV)
Winner: Jalapa or San Francisco FC
Winner: Harbour View FC or Pumas UNAM

Home Team Listed First (All times Eastern)
16 Sept Jalapa or San Francisco – Harbour View or Pumas (TBD)
17 Sept Houston Dynamo – CD Luis Angel Firpo (10p)

23 Sept Jalapa or San Francisco – Houston Dynamo (TBD)
24 Sept Harbour View or Pumas – CD Luis Angel Firpo (TBD)

30 Sept Harbour View or Pumas – Houston Dynamo (TBD)
02 Oct CD Luis Angel Firpo – Jalapa or San Francisco (8p)

08 Oct Houston Dynamo – Jalapa or San Francisco (10p)
09 Oct CD Luis Angel Firpo – Harbour View or Pumas (10p)

22 Oct Houston Dynamo – Harbour View or Pumas (10p)
22 Oct Jalapa or San Francisco – CD Luis Angel Firpo (TBD)

28 Oct CD Luis Angel Firpo – Houston Dynamo (10p)
29 Oct Harbour View or Pumas – Jalapa or San Francisco (TBD)

Group C
Atlante FC (MEX)
CD Olímpia or CD Marathon (HON)
Winner: Joe Public FC or New England Revolution
Winner: Montreal Impact or Real Esteli

Home Team Listed First (All times Eastern)
17 Sept Montreal or Esteli – Joe Public FC or New England Revolution (TBD)
18 Sept Atlante – HON1 (10p)

24 Sept Joe Public FC or New England Revolution – HON1 (8p)
24 Sept Montreal or Esteli – Atlante (TBD)

30 Sept Atlante – Joe Public FC or New England Revolution (8p)
02 Oct HON1 – Montreal or Esteli (10p)

08 Oct Joe Public FC or New England Revolution – Montreal or Esteli (8p)
08 Oct HON1 – Atlante (10p)

21 Oct Montreal or Esteli – HON1 (TBD)
21 Oct Joe Public FC or New England Revolution – Atlante (8p)

28 Oct HON1 – Joe Public FC or New England Revolution (8p)
28 Oct Atlante – Montreal or Esteli (10p)

Group D
Club Santos Laguna
CSD Municipal or Deportivo Jalapa
Winner: LD Alajuelense or Puerto Rico Islanders
Winner: Chivas USA or Tauro FC

Home Team Listed First (All times Eastern)
16 Sept LD Alajuelense or Puerto Rico Islanders – Chivas USA or Tauro (TBD)
17 Sept Club Santos Laguna – GUA1 (8p)

23 Sept Chivas USA or Tauro – GUA1 (TBD)
25 Sept LD Alajuelense or Puerto Rico Islanders – Club Santos Laguna (TBD)

01 Oct GUA1 – LD Alajuelense or Puerto Rico Islanders (8p)
01 Oct Chivas USA or Tauro – Club Santos Laguna (TBD)

07 Oct GUA1 – Chivas USA or Tauro (10p)
08 Oct Club Santos Laguna – LD Alajuelense or Puerto Rico Islanders (8p)

22 Oct Club Santos Laguna – Chivas USA or Tauro (8p)
23 Oct LD Alajuelense or Puerto Rico Islanders – GUA1 (TBD)

29 Oct Chivas USA or Tauro – LD Alajuelense or Puerto Rico Islanders (TBD)
30 Oct GUA1 – Club Santos Laguna (10p)

FC Dallas hires Hyndman as coach

2008-06-17T08:48:00.001-05:00

After years of talk, SMU's Schellas Hyndman is the new coach of FC Dallas. Hyndman is the fifth coach for the Dallas franchise and was the college coach of FCD owner Clark Hunt. Hyndman had 24 solid years at SMU, however he never reached the NCAA soccer finals.

This move comes at a time when FCD is playing below their talent level. With the exception of Kenny Cooper, few players have been consistent threw the first half of the season and their defense is still prone to weakness (but then again, so are most in the West).

Hyndman will need to figure out many things quickly including how to make FCD's midfield competitive, but his biggest short-term test might be surviving August. With three of the team's four games on the road and with Dallas's history of faltering during the month, Hyndman will need to work fast. The good news for him, the club has a very light July (only three games) and all are in Frisco.

I'm still concerned that Hyndman doesn't bring the influence needed to change the system in Dallas, but I do hope I am wrong. Perhaps the Dallas soccer icon can make it finally happen for FCD.

Ronaldinho rejects LA Galaxy move

2008-06-17T08:28:00.001-05:00

Ronaldinho still believes he can play at the top level in Europe so he will not be moving to LA. And with these words, Ronaldinho's representatives kill Alexi Lalas's dream of a modern day Cosmos franchise (original Spanish article).

It appears the Galaxy offered the Brazilian €32m of $50m-per-year, with half coming from salary and the other half from image rights. These numbers would have put him on par with Beckham. They also offered Barcelona €26m or $40m as a transfer fee.

Now the bigger question here is, if this report is correct, how could LA actually have signed Ronaldinho? They are already riding hard against the salary cap with three players taking up about half of the team's paycheck. Would the league have allowed LA to acquire another designated player slot even though it already has three players that fit the requirements for such slots (although only one actually is)?

As much fun as it would be to have Ronaldinho playing meaning matches on US soil, it would have been very disturbing if MLS let it happen in LA. If the league wants to be taken seriously, they need to apply the rules equally to all teams and not grant exceptions just because it would be really cool.

That being said, I do like the idea of teams going after stars still in their prime, so kudos to LA on that front.

MLS Expansion - Could NBA's Steve Nash bring a MLS team to Vancouver?

2008-06-16T14:07:00.004-05:00

There are three facts that no one can argue. One, the NBA's Steve Nash is a huge soccer fan. Two, the USL's Vancouver Whitecaps would love to move to MLS. Three, MLS has been more then just a little impressed with the results out of Toronto, thus is very open to the idea of another team in Canada. So the question is, can these three facts turn into a top-league team for Vancouver?

According to Steve's brother, Martin Nash, the basketball star is interested in helping bring MLS to Vancouver. It should be noted that Martin happens to play for Vancouver.

"He's trying to get involved. I don't think he's very involved yet but he wants to get involved. He just wants to give the game of soccer a higher profile in Canada...

Soccer is our first-love sport. We grew up playing it and my dad played it and still plays it, so it's just something embedded into us."

So could there be something to this? Might Nash be the man that helps push Vancouver into MLS?

According to league officials, um, we don't know:

MLS commissioner Don Garber met Steve Nash in May and wrote on the league Web site that the two-time NBA MVP may be interested in getting involved as part of an ownership group trying to bring a team to Canada.

Mark Abbott, the president of MLS, said the league is hesitant to speculate further.

"Steve Nash is obviously interested in soccer in Canada and what his role is ... I don't know how to say it, he would have to say what his role is with respect to that," said Abbott, who is the league's spokesperson on expansion issues.

Nash is already involved in the new Women's professional league, so this doesn't just appear to be idle talk. My guess is if Whitecaps owner Greg Kerfoot could figure out the stadium issue, Nash would join up in an Oscar De La Hoya style move.

Santino Quaranta - There weren't enough pills in the world for me

2008-06-16T12:12:00.000-05:00

Before Freddy Adu or Jozy Altidore, there was Santino Quaranta, the great young hope for American soccer. He had loads of talent and looked to be a player around which a team could be built, so at age 16, DC United signed him to a pro-contract. All started out fine, but soon the pressure and loneliness of a child in an adult's world would get the better of him.

In a must read interview from this past weekend, Quaranta tells his tale, which includes addiction to painkillers, cocaine and alcohol. Even though you've hear this story before, young rising star turns to the party life only to see everything else crash around him, it is still worth a read.

Thankfully DC United recognized that they, in part, failed too and offered Quaranta a second chance. The fact that he looks to be making the most out of this chance is excellent.

Other Concacaf World Cup Qualifer results

2008-06-16T08:53:00.003-05:00

As much fun as it is to only focus on the great show the US put on yesterday, there were ten other Concacaf Qualifiers over the weekend. So how did they turn out? Most of them went as expected, but there were a couple shocks.

Trinidad and Tobago 1-2 Bermuda - T&T get shocked at home by Bermuda. Could the team's dream of back-to-back World Cups crash out next weekend? If so, will Jack Warner get any heat for the way he destroyed the team?

Haiti 0-0 Netherlands Antilles - Haiti are the reigning Caribbean champions and Antilles held them on the road. Not as big an upset as T&T, but still something to watch.

Suriname 1-0 Guyana - The battle of the South American members of Concacaf ended in a minor surprise as Suriname beat the seeded Guyanese. The return leg is going to be fun.

Grenada 2-2 Costa Rica - This was a much tougher start then Costa Rica wanted. On the plus side, they did come back from two goals down to get the tie, but will this be enough for coach Hernán Medford to keep his job?

Panama 1-0 El Salvador - Panama has to be worried going into their second leg. The rains slowed this game down, which worked for El Salvador.

Belize 0-2 Mexico - Mexico continued their tradition of under performing against teams they do not respect. This match was never in question as Belize pretty much just sat 10 players behind the ball, but it is still a poor game by El Tri.

Guatemala 6-0 Saint Lucia - Looks like the US will have to deal with the little fish again as Carlos Ruiz netted four in this one.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0-3 Canada - Ali Gerba was the hero for Canada as he netted two. Canada should have an easy time at home this Friday.

Jamaica 7-0 Bahamas - The Reggae Boys just smashed their way into group play. Six different players, including Andy Williams, scored so this was an all over effort.

Puerto Rico 2-2 Honduras - This result means Honduras advances to the first group phase with a 6-2 aggregate win. Puerto Rico went down a goal in the 22', but tied is a few minutes later. They then went up one right before the half, but it was not meant to be as Wigan Athletic midfielder Wilson Palacios knotted it up in the 52'.

Cuba and Antigua and Barbuda play their first leg tomorrow.

US 8-0 Barbados - Player Grades

2008-06-16T07:54:00.003-05:00

US 8-0 Barbados

Anyway you look at this, it was a great way for the US to start their World Cup run. This was the expected result and the team lived up to it, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. With that in mind, here are the player grades:

Starting XI
Brad Guzan (GK) - What a boring way to up your international appearance numbers. With shots two shots, Guzan wasn't tested even once, so I will have to reward him for not falling asleep. A

Steve Cherundolo (D) - The entire defense had the easiest day possible, so full mistakes. Found his place and made some good starting passes. A-

Oguchi Onyewu (D) - Had it easy but his yellow card is a bit disturbing. The minnows of Concacaf know they can't beat the US out right, so they look for ways of changing the game, such as getting a player sent off. The Gooch didn't need to get a card at that point, but he fell for their trap. B+

Carlos Bocanegra (D) - Fantastic pass to Dempsey to get things started. Held strong in the middle and was at the start of a lot of the action. A

Heath Pearce (D) - He was actually beat a couple times during the first half and was missing the ball control he showed in the three warm-ups. B+

Landon Donovan (M) - Was big in the first 30-minutes and his finally 30, but he still seems afraid of taking the shot. His free kick was smart play and his passes are looking sharp but when you have space 18 yards out, take the shot. A-

Michael Bradley (M) - His passing was off for most of the first half and he seemed out of place in the midfield. He improved as the game moved along, but still not looking like himself. B

Pablo Mastroeni (M) - Poor Pablo, bulls his glut and gets robbed of his goal. He was looking solid, hopefully the injury is nothing serious. A

DaMarcus Beasley (M) - The fact that Beasley couldn't beat the keeper to the ball and get the shot on the wide open goal tells us that DaMarcus still has some recovery in front of him. Still, at 85%, he was causing trouble down the wing. B+

Brian Ching (F) - The luckiest brace you will ever see. Ching started slow but picked up as the game went along. He started working himself into better spots and getting chances. His ball control wasn't as strong as normal but he does seem willing to shoot. B

Clint Dempsey (F) - Stepped it up for this one and was having fun doing it. He didn't need much flash, instead he just pushed his way into place. Passes were sharp and speed was good. A+

Subs
Freddy Adu (M) - On for Mastroeni in the 26'. I didn't think his game was very solid. His passing wasn't that great and his creative touch was lacking for his first 30-minutes. It almost seemed like he was thrown off by the weakness of Barbados. B+

Eddie Lewis (F) - On for Dempsey in the 72'. I actually forgot he came on till I looked back over some notes. He did setup the own goal, but didn't really stand out. B-

Eddie Jonson (F) - On for Donovan in the 81'. Bob Bradley put him in for one reason, get a goal. The fact that he did it with his head on his first touch of the match is pretty cool. I just hope this doesn't start the 'he's back' talk, because he still has a lot to prove. A

Bob Bradley (Coach) - He wanted as many goals as possible and his team lived up to it. He now has the freedom to experiment a bit next weekend. A

So the US has their largest victory ever, it's just a shame that less then 11,500 people were there to see it.

Goals:
Clint Dempsey (Carlos Bocanegra) 1'
Michael Bradley 12'
Brian Ching (Pablo Mastroeni) 20'
Landon Donovan 59'
Clint Dempsey 63'
Eddie Johnson (Heath Pearce) 82'
Own goal (Daryl Ferguson) 86'
Brian Ching (Steve Cherundolo) 89'

US starting lineup for 2010 World Cup Qualifer against Barbados

2008-06-15T15:23:00.000-05:00

US vs. Barbados
5p ET/2p PT
TV: ESPN2
Internet: ESPN360
Text call: Matchtracker

The US is less then an hour away from starting their long road to South Africa and Bob Bradley has released his lineup. Needless to say, there are a couple surprises. First of all, Guzan will start in goal instead of Tim Howard. Howard suffered a lower back strain in training on Friday.

Another little surprise, Ching is starting up top with Dempsey instead of Johnson. This is a good move, but I thought Bradley would give Johnson yet another chance to get things going. Instead, Ching has his opening to prove that he should get a full more calls. In addition, his ability to play balls in the air give the US something that they've been lacking for a while now.

It looks like Pearce has won the left side back spot with his outstanding play over the last three matches. It also looks like Mastroeni's unjustified red card against Argentina hasn't hurt him in Bradley's eyes.

Anyway, here is the lineup:

----------------------Guzan------------------------

Cherundolo--Onyewu--Bocanegra(c)--Pearce

------------Bradley---------Mastroeni-----------

-------Donovan---------------------Beasley------

-------------Ching-----------Dempsey------------

This is a lineup that should dominate Barbados. If they fail to win by three goals, it will be viewed as a loss.

Is Chivas USA getting ready to move to Santa Ana?

2008-06-13T22:20:00.003-05:00

The city of Santa Ana is in discussion with Chivas USA to build youth fields on a piece of land currently used as a golf course. The team is looking at building 'as many as seven soccer fields and a 2,000 to 3,000-seat stadium' on the 102-acre site.

However, youth fields might just be the start of things as the team as not ruled out building a permanent home on the site.

"We're only talking right now about the youth, we haven't thought about moving the team... We're open to possibilities, but not in the short term."

Chivas USA has not had much luck attracting fans to the Home Depot Center, so with their lease coming to an end after next season, a move could be in the works.

Santa Ana is about 10-miles east of Carson in has a large Latino population. If Chivas wants to keep a team in MLS, this could be a wonderful place to relocate.

Concacaf 2010 World Cup Qualifying schedule - Second Round

2008-06-13T09:23:00.005-05:00

The second leg of Concacaf World Cup Qualifying swings into full gear this weekend as 24 teams look to advance to the first group phase. Although there are strong favorites in just about every one of these contests, the constant possibility of an upset will be present. Who knows, an early surprise goal or red card could kill a team's dream.

America will take on Barbados in their opening match at the Home Depot Center. The red, white and blue are coming off a strong tie against Argentina in front of almost 80,000 at Giants Stadium. There are still tickets available for Sunday's match.

Anyway, here is the full schedule of second round matches:

First Leg

Home	Score	Visitor
USA	8-0	Barbados
Guatemala	6-0	Saint Lucia
Trinidad and Tobago	1-2	Bermuda
Antigua and Barbuda	3-4	Cuba
Belize	0-2	Mexico
Jamaica	7-0	Bahamas
Honduras	4-0	Puerto Rico
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	0-3	Canada
Grenada	2-2	Costa Rica
Suriname	1-0	Guyana
Panama	1-0	El Salvador
Haiti	0-0	Netherlands Antilles

Second Leg

Home	Score	Visitor
Barbados	0-1	USA
Saint Lucia	1-3	Guatemala
Bermuda	0-2	Trinidad and Tobago
Cuba	4-0	Antigua and Barbuda
Mexico	7-0	Belize
Bahamas	0-6	Jamaica
Puerto Rico	2-2	Honduras
Canada	4-1	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Costa Rica	3-0	Grenada
Guyana	1-2	Suriname
El Salvador	3-1	Panama
Netherlands Antilles	0-1	Haiti

USA advances to group A in Concacaf first group phase with 9-0 aggregate win over Barbados.
Guatemala advances to group A with 9-1 aggregate win over Saint Lucia.
Trinidad and Tobago advances to group A with 3-2 aggregate win over Bermuda.
Cuba advances to group A with 8-3 aggregate win over Antigua and Barbuda.

Honduras advances to group B in the first group phase with a 6-2 aggregate win over Puerto Rico.
Jamaica advances to group B with a 13-0 aggregate win over Bahamas.
Canada advances to group B with a 7-1 aggregate win over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Mexico advances to group B with a 9-0 aggregate win over Belize.

Costa Rica advances to group C with a 5-2 aggregate win over Gernada.
Suriname advances to group C with a 3-1 aggregate win over Guyana.
El Salvador advances to group C with a 3-2 aggregate win over Panama.
Haiti advances to group C with a 1-0 aggregate win over Netherlands Antilles.

FC Dallas has three finalists for coaching job

2008-06-13T08:23:00.000-05:00

Now that Luiz Felipe Scolari has taken his name out of the running, FC Dallas has narrowed their search for a new head coach to three. They are current SMU college coach Schellas Hyndman, former Dallas player Oscar Pareja and former Chicago Fire coach Dave Sarachan. If rumors are true, Hyndman is the favorite.

General manager Michael Hitchcock says the team is in the final stages of negotiations and expects to name a new boss early next week.

In what could just be bigger news, Hitchcock also said that the new hire would only serve as coach as they will also hire a technical director. Hitchcock's reason, "You need a different perspective, different set of eyes, different skill set or otherwise it would be no different that what we've done in the past."

It is a smart move to divide the duties, however I still wonder about their final coaching candidates as none of them really strike me as people who can turn the team into champions. Sarachan has the most experience and had some quality time with Chicago, but the Fire never looked like a force during his tenure. Pareja was a wonderful player for Dallas, but his coaching experience is very limited. As far as Hyndman, like I said last week, I don't know if he brings the respect needed to succeed at the top level.

Anyway, it looks like this Sunday's match against Chicago will be interim coach Marco Ferruzzi's last one.

US defender Cat Whitehill to miss Olympics

2008-06-12T08:52:00.000-05:00

The US Women's team suffered another injury blow this week as defender Catherine Whitehill was diagnosed with a torn ACL. This injury will prevent her from heading to China in an attempt to win back-to-back gold medals.

Whitehill played every minute of the 2007 World Cup and held her own under very strong attacks. She is a key player in the US backfield and will be very difficult to replace.

This news comes three-weeks after midfielder Leslie Osborne was also ruled out of the Olympics due to an ACL tear.

With two similar injuries in less then a month, one has to wonder if training is to blame. Whitehill's father Phillip Reddick seems to suggest this might be the case:

They've really been working them hard," he said.

Whitehill tweaked the knee prior to the team's trip to South Korea for the Peace Queen Cup.

"They thought it was fine," Reddick said. "Yesterday (Tuesday) morning at practice, the knee buckled and it looks like it's a torn ACL.

This is a very serious situation and one the coach Pia Sundhage should be looking into.

Whitehill is expected to take 8-months to recover from this injury.

Canada names World Cup Qualifier roster

2008-06-12T08:23:00.002-05:00

Canadian men's soccer coach Dale Mitchell has named the 19-players he will use for their 2010 World Cup qualifying matches against Saint Vincent & the Grenadines. The Canadians are looking to reach the finals for the first time since 1986.

Here is their roster:

GK (2): Greg Sutton (Toronto FC), Pat Onstad (Houston Dynamo)

D (6): Jim Brennan (Toronto FC), Mike Klukowski(Club Brugge KV), André Hainault (Sparta Praha), Ugo Ihemelu (Colorado Rapids), Adrian Cann (Vancouver Whitecaps), Richard Hastings(Inverness CT)

M (7): Adrian Serioux (FC Dallas), Julian de Guzman (Deportivo La Coruna),Paul Stalteri (Fulham FC),Marcel de Jong (Roda JC), Issey Nakajima-Farran (FC Nordsjælland), Atiba Hutchinson (FC København), Patrice Bernier (FC Kaiserslautern)

F (4): Tomasz Radzinski (Skoda Xanthi), Dwayne De Rosario (Houston Dynamo), Ali Gerba (FC Ingolstadt), Rob Friend (Borussia Mönchengladbach)

The Canadians play in Kingston this Sunday and then head home to Montreal for the second leg next Friday (20 June).

It will be interesting to see if Toronto FC coach John Carver complains about these call ups.

2008-09 Concacaf Champions League preliminary round schedule

2008-06-11T18:42:00.005-05:00

Sixteen teams now know their opponents for the preliminary two-leg round of the first ever CONCACAF Champions League. Come August, these teams will fight it out to win a spot in the group phase, which starts play in September.

As far as the preliminary round, first leg matches will take place sometime between 26-28 August with the second leg to follow the following week (2-4 Sept). Exact fixture dates will be announced soon.

As far as the MLS sides are concerned, New England will take on Joe Public, the best team name in the tournament. Public is a difficult Trinidad and Tobago side that I believe has caused problems for MLS teams before.

Chivas USA drew Panama's Tauro FC. Although they are the best Panama has to offer, they have not been a big international team.

There is also a very good chance Toronto FC will enter the tournament as the “Canadian Champion". If so, MLS will have the most teams in the competition.

Anyway, here is the full draw:

Home team first leg	Home team second leg
Deportivo Jalapa (GUA)	San Francisco FC (PAN)
Joe Public FC (TNT)	New England Revolution (USA)
LD Alajuelense (CRC)	Puerto Rico Islanders (PRC)
Cruz Azul (MEX)	Hankook Verdes (BLZ)
Harbour View FC (JAM)	Pumas UNAM (MEX)
Tauro FC (PAN)	Chivas USA (USA)
Montreal Impact (CAN)	Real Esteli (NIC)
CD Isidro Metapan (SLV)	CD Marathon (HON)

2008 US Open Cup - First Round results

2008-06-11T13:11:00.000-05:00

The first round is all but done (one game was rained out) and things pretty much went as expected as the team in the tougher league won every match except one. So what underdog sunk a higher division side? None other then Hollywood United (USASA) who dropped the Portland Timbers (USL-1) in Portland.

There were two other matches that came close to being an upsets as the Austin Aztex's (USL-PDL) pushed Atlanta Silverbacks (USL-1) all the way to penalty kicks and the USASA's RWB Adria forced Rochester (USL-1) to overtime. Atlanta won by converting all their pks and Austin missing one of their's while Rochester got a goal by Tiger Fitzpatrick in the first overtime period.

Although not technically a US Open Cup match, the Chicago Fire and Columbus played last night for the final MLS spot in the tournament and the Crew lost again.

In all, a great night of soccer in America.

Here are the results:

Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2) 5-1 Yakima Reds (USL-PDL)

Charlotte Eagles (USL-2) 5-2 Clearwater Galactics (USASA)

Minnesota Thunder (USL-1) 4-1 St. Louis Lions (USL-PDL)

Western Mass Pioneers (USL-2) 2-0 Boston Olympiakos (USASA)

Michigan Bucks (USL-PDL) 1-2 Cleveland City Stars (USL-2)

Rochester Rhinos (USL-1) 2-1 RWB Adria (USASA)

Charleston Battery (USL-1) 3-0. ASC New Stars (USASA)

Carolina Railhawks (USL-1) 1-0 Brooklyn Knights (USL-PDL)

Real Maryland Monarchs (USL-2) vs. NY Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA)
Postponed due to rain

Miami FC Blues (USL-1) 4-2 Bradenton Academics (USL-PDL)

Richmond Kickers (USL-2) 3-0 Fredericksburg Gunners (USL-PDL)

Austin Aztex (USL-PDL) 1(4)-(5)1 Atlanta Silverbacks (USL-1)

AAC Eagles (USASA) 0-4 Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL-2)

Portland Timbers (USL-1) 2-3 Hollywood United (USASA)

LA Legends (USL-PDL) 1-2 Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL-2)

Arizona Sahuaros (USASA) 0-1 Seattle Sounders (USL-1)

Chicago Fire (MLS) 3-2 Columbus Crew (MLS)

The second round will take place in two weeks on 24 June. The eight MLS teams join the tournament in the third round (1 July).
Here is the schedule (home team listed first):

Carolina Railhawks (USL-1) vs. Real Maryland Monarchs (USL-2)/NY Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA) winner
Richmond Kickers (USL-2) vs. Western Mass Pioneers (USL-2)
Minnesota Thunder (USL-1) vs. Cleveland City Stars (USL-2)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL-2) vs. Rochester Rhinos (USL-1)

Atlanta Silverbacks (USL-1) vs. Miami FC Blues (USL-1)
Charlotte Eagles (USL-2) vs. Charleston Battery (USL-1)
Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL-2) vs. Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2)
Seattle Sounders (USL-1) vs. Hollywood United (USASA)

US roster for Sunday's 2010 World Cup Qualifier named

2008-06-11T08:05:00.003-05:00

US vs. Barbados
Sunday 5pET/2pPT
Home Depot Center, Carson, Ca.
Tickets (Great for Father's Day)

Bob Bradley released his 21-man roster for this Sunday's World Cup Qualifier against Barbados. There are no huge surprises, as just about everyone on the list saw minutes during warm up games. The one major exception, the Houston Dynamo's Brian Ching.

Ching was named to the preliminary roster for the three friendly matches the US played over the last couple weeks, but he did not make the final cut. Oddly enough, during this same time Ching came into his own in MLS play earning 3 goals and two assists over his last three matches. The addition of Ching gives the US a greater threat in the air and an alternative on set pieces to Onyewu.

A name not on the forward list is Nate Jaqua. I don't think he is injured so I'm a little surprise that with all the US's problems in attack, he was not given more of a chance in the warm up games as he had a great year with both Houston and Austrian side Altach. Perhaps he is trying out for club teams or maybe Bradley didn't like what he saw in camp.

Jozy Altidore is also not on the list, but this is nowhere near a surprise. With his move to Spain in the final stages and his likely call up for the Olympic team looming, Bradley doesn't want to hinder the relationship with Villarreal.

One name that is pleasing to see is Frankie Hejduk. He is a workhorse who can bring some needed experience to the squad during these early qualifiers.

Here is the full roster:

GK (3): Dominic Cervi, Brad Guzan, Tim Howard

D (7): Carlos Bocanegra, Dan Califf, Steve Cherundolo, Jay DeMerit, Frankie Hejduk, Oguchi Onyewu, Heath Pearce

M (7): Freddy Adu, DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Sacha
Kljestan, Eddie Lewis, Pablo Mastroeni

F (4): Brian Ching, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson

My guess for Bradley's starting lineup is very similar to what he put out during the Argentina match, except Bocanegra will replace Califf. The position that I could see changing is Edu in for Mastroeni.

---------------------Howard-------------------

Cherundolo--Bocanegra--Onyewu--Pearce

-Dempsey--Bradley--Mastroeni--Beasley-

-----------Johnson------Donovan------------

2008 US Open Cup - The best night in US club soccer is here

2008-06-10T08:55:00.000-05:00

The longest running club cup competition in American soccer roars back to life again tonight as the first round of the US Open Cup kicks off. Thirty-two teams from across the county have earned the right to play in this opening night. These teams range from the rag-tag best of the adult leagues to the, "hay we are only one level below MLS" USL First Division. In addition to these teams, two MLS sides will also face off for the final MLS spot in the tournament.

These first round matches are always fun to watch as they are usually full of surprise winners, especially if the higher division team is the visitor. If you live near any of these games, they are well worth going to see.

Here is a rundown of tonight's games (updated scores):

Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2) vs. Yakima Reds (USL-PDL)
Skyline Sports Complex, Harrisburg, Pa. - 7pm ET
With the Reds traveling to Pennsylvania from Washington state, this one will probably go to the Islanders.

Charlotte Eagles (USL-2) vs. Clearwater Galactics (USASA)
Charlotte Chrisitian School, Charlotte, N.C. - 7pm ET
Much like the Reds, a long trip from Florida will probably hurt the Galactics chances, however this has a slight smell of upset on it.

Minnesota Thunder (USL-1) vs. St. Louis Lions (USL-PDL)
National Sports Center, Blaine, Minn. - 7pm ET
St. Louis's hopes hinge on Tommy Heinemann and Jarius Holmes. If these two can link up early, the Thunder might not rumble.

Western Mass Pioneers (USL-2) vs. Boston Olympiakos (USASA)
Lusitano Stadium, Ludlow, Mass. - 7:30p ET
This should be one of the better matches of the night. Boston Olympiakos is a very solid amateur club playing against in-state Western Mass. The Pioneers have been good in league play and will turn to Neil Krause to get them past Olympiakos, but the amateurs are going to bring a lot.

Michigan Bucks (USL-PDL) vs. Cleveland City Stars (USL-2)
Ultimate Soccer Arena, Pontiac, Mich. - 7:30p ET
Both these teams are playing some of the best soccer in their respective leagues. The Stars made it into the second round last year, but the Bucks have a long history in the cup. Since the Stars are on the road, the Bucks have the upper hand.

Rochester Rhinos (USL-1) vs. RWB Adria (USASA)
PAETEC Park, Rochester, NY - 7:30p ET (free video)
As odd as it sounds, this might just be the make or break game to the Rhinos season as they are off to a horrible start in league play. If Adria can exploit their nerves, they might sneak out with a victory.

Charleston Battery (USL-1) vs. ASC New Stars (USASA)
Blackbaud Stadium, Charleston, SC - 7:30p ET (free video)
The New Stars will travel from Houston for this one and they will have their hands full. The Battery have a good season going and love to play in the Open Cup.

Carolina Railhawks (USL-1) vs. Brooklyn Knights (USL-PDL)
WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, N.C. - 7:30p ET
The Railhawks have some weakness and since you never count out an amateur team from New York, there could be something here. The Knights don't get tons of goals, but they also don't give up many.

Real Maryland Monarchs (USL-2) vs. NY Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA)
Maryland SoccerPlex, Germantown, Md. - 8p ET
The Monarchs have not been making it happen in league play and, as noted above, you don't ever count out amateur teams from New York, this could be close.

Miami FC Blues (USL-1) vs. Bradenton Academics (USL-PDL)
Tropical Park Stadium, Miami, Fla. - 8p ET
The Blues have never really jelled. If the Academics can shutdown Alex Afonso, they have a shot.

Richmond Kickers (USL-2) vs. Fredericksburg Gunners (USL-PDL)
SportsBackers Stadium, Richmond, Va. - 8p ET
The Kickers will need to find the net to win this one and they have not proven so great at doing so.

Austin Aztex (USL-PDL) vs. Atlanta Silverbacks (USL-1)
Dragon Stadium, Round Rock, Texas - 8:30p ET
This will probably be the best game of the night as the soon to be USL-1 Austin Aztex see if they can expand their winning ways against the 'no so great on the road' Silverbacks.

AAC Eagles (USASA) vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL-2)
Redmond Park, Bensenville, Ill. - 9p ET
Both of these sides normally lose their opening USOC match, so it is good to know one will advance. With the Riverhounds playing for poor, look for an Eagles victory.

Portland Timbers (USL-1) vs. Hollywood United (USASA)
PGE Park, Portland, Ore. - 10p ET (free video)
Finally a west coast game. Will Alexi Lalas and Allan Hopkins take the pitch for United? If so, they have a chance. If not, the Timbers will probably see them out.

LA Legends (USL-PDL) vs. Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL-2)
Cougar Athletic Stadium, Glendora, Cal. - 10:30p ET
There is not much in terms of offense going for LA, but they have some solid keepers and with Baltimore making the long trip, the Legends have the upper hand.

Arizona Sahuaros (USASA) vs. Seattle Sounders (USL-1)
Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, Ariz. - 10:30p ET
The Sounders will be looking for a repeat of last year when they topped USASA side Banat Arsenal to start their fantastic run to the semifinals. The Sahuaros are a great example of what lowest level clubs can become, but they will need to play well above their level to take this one.

Chicago Fire (MLS) vs. Columbus Crew (MLS)
Shea Stadium, Peoria, Ill. - 8p ET
This is a MLS play in match. My guess is the Crew will take it a little more serious then the Fire. With Columbus thrashing in MLS play, they need something to restart the team and a victory against Chicago could do it. That said, the Fire are one of the best USOC teams ever, so even if they play second string, they are the favorites.

US 0-0 Argentina - Player grades

2008-06-09T09:42:00.005-05:00

US 0-0 Argentina

Let's see, amazing showing by a goalkeeper, horrible calls from the ref, an engaged, pro-USA crowd and Mastroeni walks off with a red, if only Brian McBride showed up bleeding from his face, it would have been World Cup 2006 against Italy all over again.

Sunday night was a great night for the US men as they played their best match since 2006 in front of almost 80,000 passionate fans. Argentina pressed and pressed, but the US was able to hold thanks in huge part to goalkeeper Tim Howard. The fact that he went 1 on 1 with Julio Cruz on four occasions and won every one of them is proof to his talent.

But the Americans did not just sit back and bunker down, instead they actually put together some good combinations that saw them open up the field and push towards goal. The bad news, when it came to the final third, the red, white and blue were still lacking.

As great as the play on the pitch was, the two biggest moments of the game were due to referee Joel Aguilar Chicas channeling his inner Jorge Larrionda and blowing calls. One, the missed penalty kick call against Tim Howard when he took down the on rushing Sergio Aguero in the 52'. Howard didn't get a single finger on the ball and took our Aguero's legs, it should have been a pk. Two, the phantom second yellow card to Pablo Mastroeni in the 71'. For once Pablo was completely innocent of anything as he wasn't even involved in the play that resulted in the foul. The reason given was unsporting behavior, but to earn a second yellow, in a friendly no less, Mastroeni must have said something really awful.

Both of these missed calls changed the flow of the game. The US was just starting to gain momentum when the Aguero mistake was made. Had the proper call be given, the game would have opened up for both teams. The Mastroeni red changed the entire mindset of the squad as they went from trying for a win to hoping for a tie.

In the end, this was a good way to end their three games of death. It showed us the weaknesses that still exist (forwards) and the strengths that we have (goalkeeping, defending).

Now the team moves on to the real matches as World Cup Qualifying starts next Sunday.

Here are the player grades:

Starting XI
Tim Howard (GK) - If anyone had any questions as to our number one in the nets, he shut them down last night. He was lucky with the pk call, but that still doesn't take away from his first half heroics. A+
Steve Cherundolo (D) - Beat a lot by Messi, but could hold his own with others. B-
Oguchi Onyewu (D) - He covered the mistakes of others and provided us with the best scoring opportunity of the night (which is also kind of sad). Still, he missed his marks a couple times. A-
Danny Califf (D) - Slow start but picked up as the game moved along. Held his spots and blocked a bunch of centering passes. He deserves more looks. B+
Heath Pearce (D) - This was his breakout night. He kept the left flank tamed and pushed the ball forward. I think we have our left back. A
Michael Bradley (M) - Bad night for the little Bradley. Wasn't controlling the ball or supply. Maybe a couple weeks off will do him good. C+
Pablo Mastroeni (M) - Up to the red, he was looking good. Provides coverage for defenders and placed some good balls forward. B
Clint Dempsey (M) - The most consistent attacking presence, but passed instead of shot a few too many times. Has good ball control and helped in defense, but needs to take the shot. B+
DaMarcus Beasley (M) - Nice speed along the side that surprised Argentina more then a few times. His crossing is still in need of some help. B
Landon Donovan (F) - Not a bad 100th cap, but nothing spectacular. He wasn't given many balls to run onto, but still caused some trouble. Getting better with corners and passing. B+
Eddie Johnson (F) - Time to move EJ to the sub list. Three starts and nothing from them. Last night saw more of the same. He's good at getting in but he doesn't know how to take a shot. C-

Subs
Maurice Edu (M) - On for Bradley in the 46'. Held his own and started a number of the second half attacks. B+
Jay DeMerit (D) - On for Onyewu in the 61'. Looked good and make some smart plays while his team was down a man. B
Freddy Adu (M) - On for Dempsey in the 61'. Did not take over the game like he did in Spain but gave the US some sort of push, especially late. Wasn't the best technical decision to go 1 on 4 while trying to kill the clock but I like his effort. A-
Sacha Kljestan (F) - On for Johnson in the 74'. The fact that this change only seemed to happen because Johnson get an injury is frustrating. Kljestan gave the side energy and make some good passes. Would have liked to see more then 20 minutes form him. B+
Eddie Lewis (D) - On for Pearce in the 78'. He still has something, which is good to know if the injury bug comes along. B
Frankie Hejduk (M) - On for Beasley in the 91'. Ran down the balls in his few minutes on the grass. Much like Lewis, he can bring some experience and calm to the side. No grade.
Sub not used: Brad Guzan

Bob Bradley (Coach) - Other then starting Eddie Johnson and then not subbing him out earlier and not giving Adu a bit more time, it was a good night. When Mastroeni was sent off, his changes to the team's setup proved capable of holding off the number one team in the world. Still needs to figure out the offensive problems. B+

So the US comes out on a high note, even without a goal in any of the three games. Hopefully this drought will end next weekend.

US starting lineup against Argintina

2008-06-08T17:44:00.002-05:00

Here is the official starting lineup:

-----------------Howard---------------

Cherundolo--Califf--Onyewu--Pearce

Dempsey--Bradley--Mastroeni--Beasley

-----Johnson------Donovan (c)---------

Looks like Landon Donovan will get his 100th cap and do it as captain.

My concern with this lineup is the lack of creativity in the midfield. With Michael Bradley playing below his level the last couple matches, he will need to turn it on in order to give Johnson and Donovan something to work with.

On the defensive side of things, Mastroneni could win his way back onto the squad if he plays tough without crap fouls in the midfield while Califf has the chance of a lifetime to make Bob Bradley think about changing his center back duo.

US-Argentina preview - Who needs to perform?

2008-06-08T15:56:00.002-05:00

US vs. Argentina
7:30p ET/4:30p PT
TV: ESPN Classic and Galavision
Internet: ESPN 360
Text call at Matchtracker

The final game of the US’s triple crown takes place in just a feel hours with a great deal on the line. Since this is the final match before World Cup Qualifying starts, the US men need a good outing not only to gain confidence, but to give US fans a reason to hopefully about things to come.

Bob Bradley has not called Jozy Altidore in for this match, which means the forward spots are wide open. Look for Eddie Johnson to get one more look to finally make it happen, but Kenny Cooper could be a second half sub.

In midfield, all eyes will be on Freddy Adu as we see if he can continue his strong showing from Spain. But his big question is can he work well with Donovan.

Finally, the backline looks to get figured out tonight. With Bocanegra off the roster, the center spot with Onyewu is open.

Argentina has most of their first team in for this one and after dismissing Mexico 4-1 on Wednesday night, they are looking to take down the other CONCACAF big weight.

There really is no way the US can win this game, but if they can pull off a tie and control stretches of the game, it will be big for the team.

Here are the players that need to perform:

High Pressure
Dominic Cervi (GK) – If he sees time, it will be due to an injury to Guzan or Howard. He will need to prove that he’s got something good.
Dan Califf (D) – With a center position open, this game could go a long way to deciding his story with the senior side.
Jay DeMerit (D) – He has everything in common today with Califf.
Heath Pearce (D) – He has placed his claim on the left side, but can he hold it?
Drew Moor (D) – With Pearce looking strong, Moor will need to give Bob Bradley a reason to look his way more often.
Freddy Adu (M) – He was the creativity against Spain, but can he do it again? If he can and if he can be the person that frees Donovan with quality passes, it will be hard to deny him more starts.
Michael Bradley (M) – Not his best over the last two. Where is the control, where is the smart pass and where has his first touch gone?
Maurice Edu (M) - Bradley needs a new Reyna to control things, might Edu become that player?
Sacha Kljestan (M) – Needs to give some versatility so earn more caps.
Pablo Mastroeni (M) – Looked good against Spain. Another positive night and he might just be past the World Cup red card.
Landon Donovan (F) – Mister Century Mark could silence his critics today with a performance against the top team in the world.
Eddie Johnson (F) – He has looked much better in creating chances, but a striker needs to be able to strike. So many opportunities against Spain, but no danger, that must change.
Kenny Cooper (F) – The US is dieing for someone to come in and give them a point man up top. Cooper has the size and pace, but does he have the killer finish?

Medium Pressure
Brad Guzan (GK) – He was better against England then Spain, will need to control his backline better.
Steve Cherundolo (D) – Can he control against explosive talent?
Frankie Hejduk (D) – Old-timer has looked very solid. Keep it up and he might get a chance at another Cup.
Oguchi Onyewu (D) – The best defender so far. He is controlling his size better and not giving up many cheap fouls, but there have been communication failures.
DaMarcus Beasley (M) – His spark is still off. Needs to give an option done the side.
Eddie Lewis (M) – Might his age be the reason to keep him? If he can bring a calm to the side, he might have more caps coming.
Clint Dempsey (F) – Clint is exhausted and has been absent for most of the last two games. If he wants to be part of this month’s qualifiers he needs to give something.

Low Pressure
Tim Howard (GK) – This is the kind of match that can make him into a folk hero of US Soccer (see Keller vs. Brazil 1998 for reference)

MLS Expansion - Philadelphia stadium good, grocery store better

2008-06-07T16:47:00.002-05:00

When Philadelphia won their expansion club in February, the residents of Chester (the site of their new stadium) were happy, but the biggest reward might not be the team. Instead, the community of 36,000 might finally get a grocery store of their own thanks to the new soccer club.

Turns out the city has not had their own grocery store since 2001, causing residents to either shop at mini-marts or travel large distances (including crossing over to Delaware) to get their food. Some believe this has made it harder for those in Chester to stay healthy.

"'There's a correlation between food access and public health,' said John Talmage, head of Social Compact, a Washington coalition that promotes inner-city investment."

A grocery chain still needs to be found for the project, but if the Philadelphia group makes this happen, it will be one of the most positive results possible and a great way to sure their commitment to the community.

I know, not the most soccer related post ever, but it is events like this that can have a long reaching effect on the future of the game.

US roster for Argentina

2008-06-06T17:57:00.003-05:00

US vs. Argentina
Sunday, 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT
TV: ESPN Classic and Galavision

Bob Bradley has released his list of 19 for Sunday's friendly against Argentina and there are a couple surprises.

Carlos Bocanegra is not on it, meaning Jay DeMerit or Dan Califf is going to get a good look over. Also missing is Jozy Altidore, Nate Jaqua, Josh Wolff and just about every other MLS player that might have been called in as a forward.

One MLSer that is back on the list is Landon Donovan so he might get his 100th cap against the number one in the world. Also, Sacha Kljestan has made the final roster.

Overall, it is good, but it will take more then good to handle Argentina (see Mexico's result).

Here is the full roster:

Goalkeepers: Dominic Cervi (no team), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton)

Defenders: Dan Califf (Midtjylland), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock)

Midfielders: Freddy Adu (Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Eddie Lewis (Derby), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado)

Forwards: Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Eddie Johnson (Fulham)

FC Dallas interviews SMU's Hyndman for coaching job

2008-06-05T08:41:00.004-05:00

What would a FC Dallas search for a new coach be without Schellas Hyndman? Hyndman has coached SMU's men's soccer team since 1984 and is highly respected in the Dallas area as well as college soccer, thus the reason FCD always look his way when the top job is vacant.

He was previously linked to club after the Jeffries dismissal (2003) and the Clarke toss (2006), so is the third time the charm?

In his 24 years at SMU, the team has never had a losing season and are constantly one of the better college sides, however they have never won or even played for a national championship. Hyndman would bring with him a good knowledge of the up and coming college players as well as a divine love of the 4-4-2 formation, but is that enough for MLS?

With the league's hirer profile and bigger names, I'm not sure giving the controls to someone without professional level management experience is the best idea (for a explanation of this, look no further then Steve Morrow).

The next manager of FCD needs to be someone that can come in and command respect from the players, but I'm not sure Hyndman, for all his positives, is the person who can do that.

By the way, former FCD manager and current Puerto Rican national team coach Colin Clarke saw his side fall 4-0 to Honduras last night in World Cup Qualifying. The second leg will take place on the 14th in Puerto Rico.

US starting lineup for Spain

2008-06-04T14:16:00.003-05:00

Here is the starting lineup for the US Men:

-------------------Howard--------------------

-Cherundolo--Onyewu--Bocanegra--Pearce-

---Dempsey-----Edu----Bradley-----Lewis---

----------Johnson--------------Adu-----------

Subs: DaMarcus Beasley, Frankie Hejduk, Brad Guzan, Josh Wolff, Pablo Mastroeni, Jay DeMerit, Dan Califf

The combination of Johnson and Adu up top will be interesting to see. With Nate Jaqua dropped from the game roster, the only other forward is Josh Wolff.

Edu is going to have his hands full in the center. Lewis must have really impressed Bob Bradley to get the start. Let's just hope he is not the only player that can hold the ball this time around.

Spanish club Villareal close to deal for Altidore

2008-06-04T12:29:00.002-05:00

Spanish side Villareal and MLS have reached an initial agreement on Jozy Altidore. The transfer fee amount is unknown at this point, but MLS had been seeking $10m for the teenager.

If Jozy moves to Villareal, he will join a club that finished second in La Liga last season, thus has a guaranteed ticket into the Champions League group stage. That is good news and it gets even better as the club is in a bit of a need for offensive talent having scored the fewest number of goals of any club in Spain's top 5.

Jozy's Haitian heritage might also end up playing a role in his move since Spain has very tight restrictions on non-EU players. As an American, he would count against their non-EU limit, however since Haiti has signed the Cotonou Agreement, he might be able to use dual-citizenship to get around the rule.

All and all, this could be the perfect fit for Altidore.

By the way, New Jersey born Giuseppe Rossi also plays for the Yellow Submarine that is Villareal. Rossi is the striker who rejected Bruce Arena's invited into the US camp ahead of 2006. Rossi instead hopes to be part of Italy's senior squad at some point. Maybe Jozy could convince him to get America instead.

What will Eriksson do to Mexico?

2008-06-04T11:56:00.003-05:00

As strange as it sounds, Sven-Goran Eriksson is Mexico's new coach. After failing to convince Javier Aguirre or Luiz Felipe Scolari to take the job, the Mexican federation went for the Swede to replace Hugo Sanchez.

Eriksson has about three months to learn his team and get them ready for World Cup Qualifying.

"Obviously, I don't have a deep knowledge of Mexican football but that is something I'm going to change quickly....Like any coach who changes country, I will have to work and that doesn't bother me."

As if that was not enough, he also needs to deal with a number of players who are not happy with this move such as striker Jared Borgetti who called it 'a big mistake.'

But all this could be a huge positive for the team. Eriksson comes in as a complete outsider, meaning he doesn't have loyalties or feuds with any of the players or various elements in the federation. Sure some of the players are upset at this moment, but that might have more to do with their loyalty to interim coach Jesus Ramirez. If Ramirez can convince them to give Sven a chance, the final piece of the Mexican puzzle might come together and Mexico could finally move up to the top tier of international football.

Then again, the Mexican Football Association has an interesting habit of shooting themselves in the foot, so who knows.

Ramirez is in charge of the team through their initial World Cup Qualifiers against Belize, but Eriksson will probably loom over the team.

One last thing, with Eriksson at the helm, it means Europe (especially England) will pay a little more attention to Mexico's, and in extension CONCACAF's, results.

US-Spain preview – Which players need to perform?

2008-06-04T09:12:00.000-05:00

US vs. Spain
4p ET/1p PT
Internet: Espn360.com (live)
Text updates at MatchTracker (live)
TV: ESPN2 (5:30p ET)
Galavision (7p)

Can the US redeem themselves tonight? That is the question. After the washout at Wembley, the US men are in desperate need of a good showing. That doesn't mean they need to walk out of Estadio El Sardinero with a win, but it does mean they need to look like they could win.

Against England, the side, to put it kindly, had trouble possessing the ball, thus giving the three lions plenty of time to do what they wanted to do. The bad news for the red, white and blue, Spain is even better at the possession game then England.

If the US is to contain forwards Fernando Torres and David Villa, they will need to do a lot better in the midfield, but that means besting the likes of Andres Iniesta , Xavi and Xabi Alonso. Not an easy task.

So how can the US do it? First they must realize that they will only get a handful of chances in the game and second they must do something with those chances (amazing idea, right). Also, they need to use the Spanish desire to play beautiful soccer against them. If they can push the game and make it as physical as possible, Spain will have to change their tactics.

But the biggest thing that needs to happen for America is an awakening of the forwards. The US has scored 7 goals in 2008, but only one has been by a forward, while defenders have netted four. No striker threat means defenders can push up and take a bigger role in the attack.

The forwards are not the only folks to blame in this as the midfield hasn't been the best at providing chances, so a key to the situation up top will probably have to be found in the middle.

With that in mind, here is my take on who needs to perform:

High Pressure
Dominic Cervi (GK) - He is very unlikely to see a minute of playing time, but if he does, he needs to show what he can do.

Dan Califf (D) - He has looked great in Denmark and might just find an opening if others don't play well.

Heath Pearce (D) - After a good game against England, another solid outing against Spain could make him America's number one on in left back.

Jay DeMerit (D) - Is he finally going to get his chance after the injury spell to show he should still be part of the US strategy? If so, he needs to make something of it.

Carlos Bocanegra (D) - Off his mark and rusty. With other central backs starting to push for his spot, he needs to rebound.

Freddy Adu (M) - He looked alright against England, but how much was that due to being a late sub. The US needs some creativity in the middle. If he can combine that with good ball control and service to the forwards, he might just get some starts.

Maurice Edu (M) - At some point Edu will be part of the US senior plans and today might just make that day come sooner then expected.

Eddie Lewis (M) - Gave some late lift to the US in England and was able to actually hold the ball. If the US starts to sink, Lewis could show his value by doing the same in Spain.

Pablo Mastroeni (M) - Mastroeni has a chance to get back in the US good graces. If he can be an enforcer without giving up cheap fouls or getting cards, he might just become Bradley's go to defensive mid.

Nate Jaqua (F) - With the forward spots wide open, Jaqua could get a bunch more looks if he has a good night. Hopefully he'll get more then three minutes to display his skill.

Eddie Johnson (F) - Actually showed a little against England, but it was not enough to wash away the last three years of bad. Needs to use his speed to keep Spain's backline in retreat.

Josh Wolff (F) - If he doesn't give something big, there really isn't a reason to keep calling him back.

Medium Pressure
Brad Guzan (GK) - Has the number two spot pretty much locked up, but needs another good 45' to completely put his bad MLS start to rest.

Oguchi Onyewu (D) - He has regained his form but with the onslaught that he will probably face tonight, he needs to keep it up under pressure. Also, needs to prove that he can best players faster then himself.

Steve Cherundolo (D) - Got to keep his marks tonight. The right back is still his to loose.

Frankie Hejduk (D) - He is still a long, long, long shot for 2010, but his experience combined with his decent play a week ago might just get him some more calls.

DaMarcus Beasley (M) - Still not over the injury, so he needs to display a good form and an outside option to feed the forwards.

Michael Bradley (M) - Did nothing to help with the attack in England, that obviously needs to change. The team needs a leader in the midfield but will Michael take this chance to be that leader?

Clint Dempsey (F) - Time for the deuce to step it up. He's obviously tired from the long EPL season, but his lack of creativity for the US team is starting to hurt. He's not losing his spot, but he needs to show why he earned it in the first place.

Low Pressure
Tim Howard (GK) - The only player that has no big worries. He is the number one for club and country. If he plays even an average game, it will be good.

The other person under a lot of pressure tonight is coach Bob Bradley. Last week's dump in England can be excused in part due to the late scratch of Donovan. However, with a week to prepare for this one, Bradley needs to show he can make the changes in his lineup and strategy to assure a good 90 minutes by his side.

My thought is Spain will win this one, but the US should be able to hold their own. To do so, they need to show that they can learn and adapt. Spain presents their hardest challenge so far in 2008, but this team is good enough to make it competitive. Anything less then a quality match, especially after last week, will put a very gray cloud over US soccer.

Concacaf President Warner wants England to host 2018 World Cup and USA to get 2022

2008-06-03T12:45:00.000-05:00

Concacaf President and Fifa Vice-President Jack Warner hopes to convince the USA to abandon their bid for the 2018 finals in order to clear the way for England.

"My message to the USA - and they don't have to listen - is to try to make a deal for 2022 and I'm quite sure that would have universal support."

Although it is painful to say, Warner does make a strong point. The 2018 World Cup is all but assured to be held in Europe and England is by far the front-runner. That said, the US has a major advantage that could trump the somewhat emotional desire to give England only their second final and that is money.

With over 20 stadiums currently able to hold 70,000+ fans and a large diverse population already built in the US, a repeat of the 1994 event (in terms of tickets sold) is very likely. These tickets along with corporate sponsorship deals would likely make FIFA a huge sum of money, even by FIFA standards.

Then again, all that will still be there for 2022.

If there is any message to take from this, it is a warning to the US Soccer Federation that you can bid on 2018, but don't expect your region's president to strong-arm people to vote for you. Warner will stay with the US during the bidding process but he will not do the heavy lifting needed to win the event.

So what should the US do? The 2018 and 2022 cups will be awarded at the same time, so the bidding process is the same time frame. Should they try to reach a deal to obtain England and other European votes or take the risk?

My thought is go for 2022.

On another note of interest, at no point does Warner point to any other CONCACAF countries as possible hosts, which suggests both Mexico and Canada are out in the cold on this one.

Does Toronto really want McBride? How about the Chicago players?

2008-05-30T11:01:00.001-05:00

Brian McBride is coming back to MLS, that much we know. The question now seems to be where will he land.

Early indications seem to be that he wants to play for Chicago, his hometown team, but first he would need to get Toronto to let go of his rights. So does Toronto really want McBride?

TFC general manager Mo Johnston is being coy about it saying the team 'needs another striker' but also pointing out that they are, 'sitting on a little pot of gold here.' So is Mo just trying to get the offers up or might TFC be serious?

Meanwhile in Chicago, at least one player is a little concerned about the addition of McBride to their roster.

"If [McBride] is asking for designated player money ($400,000 or more), players might get moved or traded or dropped," Fire forward Chad Barrett said. "There's a good chance he would take my spot, but I think I've gotten off to a good start and am contributing. The coaching staff knows that."

With the way the Fire have played this season, a change might not be the best idea. Then again, I think most people would pick a McBride over a Barrett any day (no offense).

But there is another factor in this move that needs to be resolved. If McBride is going for designated player money, Chicago will need to pickup another DP slot* as they are using their slot for Blanco. So not only would the Fire need to give something to Toronto for McBride's rights, they would also need to give up something else to get the second DP spot. That's a lot to surrender, but maybe we now know why coach Denis Hamlett packed his team with forwards during the off season.

As far as salary cap space, Toronto looks to be close to their limit, so they would probably need to clear about $300k to make space for the $400k portion of McBride's DP salary, while Chicago would only need to free up about $100k. (Allocation money might make these numbers a little different)

My guess is the MLS really wants McBride and McBride really wants Chicago, so the league will find a way to make this happen. Just think how much the MLS brass would love to promote the Blanco-McBride connection. Two legends from the US-Mexico national teams coming together in Chicago.

* Under MLS rules are teams received one designated player slot that they can use to sign a player for more then a $400k a year salary or trade to any other club. Only the first $400k of the player’s salary counts towards the team’s salary cap. No team can have more then two designated players.

MLS Expansion – Philadelphia 'will draw very well’; Increased stadium size?

2008-05-29T12:35:00.000-05:00

New Director of Operations Rob Smith thinks his Philadelphia side will be a huge draw come 2010.

"I believe the new team will draw very well," said Smith, who has no plans to give up his coaching duties at Downingtown West. "I think the attraction to the sport has grown tremendously. There are a lot of passionate soccer fans throughout the area . . . people who have gotten to know the sport by playing it or watching their kids play it."

But the most interesting news from this article is not that the person in charge of getting people to the stadium thinks that people will come to the stadium. Instead, it is the possible typo concerning the stadium size.

"A new, 32,000-seat stadium on the Delaware River is scheduled to be ready for the team when it begins play in 2010."

Last I heard, they were planning on a 20,000-seater. I'm guessing this is just a mistake, but if it is true, wow, Smith must really think people are ready to turn out. At 32,000, the field in Chester would be the largest soccer first stadium in MLS, 5,000 more then the Depot that LA and Chivas call home.

Houston steals a point from FC Dallas

2008-05-29T11:44:00.000-05:00

Houston 2-2 FC Dallas

For the second time this season, the Houston Dynamo have stolen a point from FC Dallas with a stoppage time goal. Back in April, it was Geoff Cameron getting the goal in the 91'. Last night, it was Dwayne De Rosario collected a rebound off the post in the 93'.

The point was much deserved by Houston as they controlled the majority of the game, especially the second half. However, this game comes at a cost for them as Eddie Robinson earned a red card for pushing Marcelo Saragosa (who moments early smack him in the back of his head with his cast). Combine this with other injures and the loss of De Ro and Pat Onstad to international duty and the Dynamo are looking at a touch much against New York on Saturday.

But back to Dallas, Kenny Cooper put in a beautiful bending ball goal after catching defender Craig Waibel out of place. Houston regroup at the half and came out fighting. Sure enough, they created havoc in the Dallas defense and Cory Ashe got his first goal of the season thanks to an assist from Brian Ching.

Drew Moor put Dallas back on top against the run of play, but De Ro would not let it stand. The Dynamo put everything forward and caused the FCD backline to fall all over themselves, thus allowing the tying goal.

Overall, it was a good game, too bad less then 9,000 made it out to see it (and at least 50 of them where Houston fans that traveled).

Dallas still looks to be a team that lacks for so much in the middle and defense, although they know how to attack. If they could hold the ball in the middle, they could win the West.

For the Dynamo, they seem to be able to pull out just enough to get results, but no matter how you cut it, this team needs some help. Yes, they started slow last year and picked up, but a big difference is the quality of their defense. With injuries and suspensions a regular, they are looking mighty porous.

Goals:
FCD: Kenny Cooper (6) 35', Drew Moor (1) 69'
HD: Corey Ashe (1) 59', Dwayne De Rosario (3) 93'

Att: 8,541

US disgraced by England - Players grades

2008-05-29T10:35:00.005-05:00

US 0-2 England

Yes, it was only a friendly but it still stings. What the US men showed yesterday at Wembley was one of their worst performances since the World Cup. With the exception of a couple players, no one had a decent night.

So what can we take from this? First of all, no matter how frustrating it can be at times, the US team is based on Donovan. Without him in the lineup, they are missing a huge part of their game. That said, the US should still be far better without Landon then they were yesterday.

Next, we need technical skills. The number of times players missed their runs or just passed the ball directly to an English player was disgusting and don't even get me started on first touches.

Finally, players cannot just stand around waiting for the ball, they need to go make the play happen. The few times that we created any danger in front of the box were a direct result of Eddie Johnson or Clint Dempsey running at defenders.

I can say one positive thing, they didn't go into a full bunker state at any point during the match. They came close for parts of the first half, but they were still looking for a counter to get things going.

So what about grades? Here they are:

Starting XI
Tim Howard (GK) - Made some good saves and really had no change at the goal he let in. A-
Steve Cherundolo (D) - Looked tired and missed his marks. C
Oguchi Onyewu (D) - Best field player by far. Killed threats, held his marks, covered for others and overall, was a quality enforcer. Still needs to work on his speed. A
Carlos Bocanegra (D) - A little rusty and it showed. Didn't cover well and let England turn him a few too many times. C+
Heath Pearce (D) - Was able to hold the left side alright and cut down on the center balls and provided some help in attack. A-
Clint Dempsey (M) - He was the one marking John Terry on the first goal and disappeared for most of the first hour. Late in the second he started showing his skills and causing some trouble for England, but by then his side had given up. B-
Ricardo Clark (M) - I like Clark but he was over matched yesterday and his frustration lead to some stupid fouls including the one that Beckham used to serve up the first goal. C-
Michael Bradley (M) - He was forced to play much more defensively then he likes and it interrupted his game. His passing was not very strong but he did get some good tackles in. Still, if he was suppose to be the provider to the forwards, he failed. C+
DaMarcus Beasley (M) - There were moments but it was obvious that he is not fully recovered from injury. He was the main person moving the ball forward in the first half, but in the end he is not yet match fit. B-
Eddie Johnson (F) - This was EJ's best match in over a year. He was actually getting some great touches, making space, playing the ball well and drawing fouls. His quick turn kick shot in the second half was the highlight of the match for the US (that's not saying much). If only the midfield had provided better service, he might have made something of it. B+
Josh Wolff (F) - Josh, thanks for the time but we are just going in a different direction. C-

Subs
Brad Guzan (GK) (in for Howard 46') - He made some fantastic saves and kept the US from losing by a couple more goals. A
Frankie Hejduk (D) (in for Cherundolo 46') - He's old but he held to England better then Cherundolo. Brought something to the right side. B
Eddie Lewis (M) (in for Beasley in the 68') - Moved the ball better then most in the middle. His center after beating Joe Cole was wonderful. Perhaps his age is not as much of a negative as I thought. B+
Freddy Adu (M) (in for Wolff 68') - Had some creativity but still sent some balls to nowhere land. Should have been in earlier. B
Maurice Edu (M) (in for Clark 78') - He didn't have much time to do anything but he didn't look as out of place as Clark. That said, England was just killing time by the 78'. B
Nate Jaqua (F) (in for Johnson 89') - He came on for the cap. Why Bob Bradley didn't but him in earlier, I'll never know. No Grade

Bob Bradley (Coach) - The late scratch of Donovan threw him a huge curve ball, but still could have done better. With Clark not performing why not give Edu a chance at the half? Also, why did he stick with Wolff for so long? Why not give Jaqua a chance to pair with Johnson for more then just stoppage time? His team was looking flat by the 30' minute but he really didn't bring on the players to change that till after the second goal. C

Brian McBride coming home to MLS

2008-05-28T16:15:00.000-05:00

Brian McBride has decided to leave England and return stateside. Fulham hoped McBride would stick around for another season, but he decided now was the best time. He made over 150 appearances for the Cottagers and netted 40 goals.

"After much consideration with my family, we have decided to leave Fulham after four and a half fantastic years," the 35-year-old forward said in a statement Wednesday on the club's Web site. "I have always stated my intention to return to America at some stage and this seems like the right moment in my career to move on."
...
"I take great pride in the fact that my last appearance for Fulham saw the club maintain its Premier League status," McBride said. "I leave with some wonderful memories from my time at Fulham, and the club will always be in my heart."

As I said a couple weeks ago, I would have preferred he stay in England because he was a constant bright spot for American's aboard, however that is a very selfish reason. McBride is an outstanding player and a wonderful person who has more then earned all the praise that comes his way. His desire to return home to give his final quality years to his nation's league speaks volumes.

As far as his future home in the MLS, who knows where he might end up. Toronto has his rights, but Chicago is often mentioned as his landing spot (he grew up in the area). I'm sure ever Fire fan would love McBride teaming up with Blanco, but as a commenter said, 'in the grand scheme of what is right and wrong, his place is in Columbus.' It would be very strange to see him in MLS and not in a Crew uniform. Still, if he wants to play for his hometown club, I think even the hardest Crew supporter would understand.

So welcome home McBride, I, like thousands of other US soccer fans, look forward to watching you play.

Seattle sings $4m jersey deal with Microsoft

2008-05-28T12:53:00.000-05:00

They are still 10 months away from their first MLS kickoff, but the Sounders just got a large investor. Microsoft has signed on to be the official jersey sponsor of the new Sounders, however don't expect to see the four-color floating paper. Instead, 'Xbox 360 LIVE' will appear on the front of the kit. The five year deal is worth $4m annually.

This is not a huge surprise as one of the main investors in the club is Paul Allen, i.e. the Chairman of Microsoft, but it is still a big move for the club. The $4m figure places them on the upper end of MLS jersey deals (only LA's deal appears to be worth more). It also means that their entire MLS salary is covered with about $1.7m left over. That's some good starting money for a designated player.

"We all felt the best place to start in Seattle was Microsoft," co-owner Joe Roth said. "It's an international company but also a local company, which is what soccer should be."

With 16,000 season tickets already sold, a solid shirt sponsor and the ability to take some players from their USL side, Seattle might just break the expansion team curse.

Philadelphia gets WPS expansion team

2008-05-28T12:34:00.003-05:00

Just a few months ago, Philadelphia won the MLS expansion lottery, but they will not be the only top-league team in the area as they have also captured an expansion side in the new Women's Professional Soccer league.

"Since signing on the dotted line with our initial seven investor groups in September of last year, we've had our sights set on adding an eighth team to the league," said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. "In Philadelphia, we have the perfect foundation for success, combining a strong operating group with the city's recent acquisition of an MLS team to create a prime market for women's soccer.

It is expected that the new WPS team will play at the same stadium as the MLS side, however the teams will have different owners.

Congrats to Philadelphia. Looks like 2010 will be a huge year for soccer in the city of brotherly love.

US-England preview – Which players need to perform?

2008-05-28T09:15:00.006-05:00

US vs. England
3p ET/12p PT
TV: ESPN Classic
Internet: ESPN360.com
Text updates at MatchTracker

At long last the match at Wembley is here. The US come into the game on a role while England are still trying to recover from their Euro flop.

In his first two matches as manager Fabio Capello has not won the respect of the English public, but most of them expect that to change today. So how can the US and Bob Bradley keep Capello from celebrating?

First up, they need to withstand the opening 15-minutes. Nerves for the US will be high as the take the pitch, so they must start solid. A string of quality passes and some positive possession will cool things down.

After the first 15, they need to open up the field and find the weakness in the English midfield. I’m not sure who it will be, but there is always one weak link in England’s middle. As an added bonus, they should start working Rooney, trying to get him angry.

But the biggest thing the US needs to do is take the shot. England is not a side that will be confused by endless passing in the box, as they will just intercept and counter. The US must remember that the weakest spot on the whole English roster is in goal, so for the love of all things holy, take the shot and force the keeper to make the save.

If the US can ride the game and keep England from finding net for the first 60-minutes, the crowd will start to turn on their team, which s when the US needs to turn to some speed on the wings to force fouls thus earning dead ball situations.

Then comes the final quarter hour. If the US are still in it, they need to hold tight on defense but they cannot bunker down. England has way too much offensive talent to let them fire shot after shot. Get the ball to Donovan, Dempsey or Adu and let them run with it as chances are good that they will either create something or get fouled in the process.

In the end, England should win this match, but the US has a chance of pulling off a minor miracle match. Either way, the US should challenge for the full 90 and under no circumstances should they get dominated. If they do not look like a time that could win the game, it will be a failure.

So there is the full game plan, how about the individual players? Every time a professional steps into a game, they feel the need to perform, but some are under more pressure then others to make it happen. Below is my take on who needs to make it happen tonight in London.

High Pressure
Dominic Cervi (GK) – He is very unlikely to see a minute of playing time, but if he does, it will be his biggest interview possible to land a club spot.

Michael Orozco (D) – He is having a very solid season with San Luis and did some good things in Olympic Qualification, but has not shown it with the full team. With a possible opening coming in the central back, a good show might force some pressure on Bradley to take a risk.

Jay DeMerit (D) – After a long break due to injury, DeMerit needs a good night (or at least a good camp) to argue that he is still a factor in the US’s future.

Dan Califf (D) – There might finally be an opening for Califf to punch through. He has looked great in Denmark, but hasn’t had his time to shine with the senor squad.

Ricardo Clark (M) – Pushing his way into the over populated US midfield is going to be a struggle. He has done a good job so far, but he hasn’t stood out.

Freddy Adu (M) – His move to Benfica has not turned out that way he wanted. Three coaches and no playing time is not the way to develop. He has shown what he can do on the youth teams, but if he wants to move clubs, he needs to show with the big boys.

Landon Donovan (F) – Donovan’s 100th cap sees him as a lock for 2010, but there is still the issue of not being able to get it done outside of the US or in high pressure situations. Against Poland he showed what he could do, but he must prove it wasn’t a fluke. Plus, if there is any truth to the ‘he wants to try Europe again’ rumors, a showing against England makes it a lot easier.

Nate Jaqua (F) – Even with the light pool the US has in forward, many our wondering why Jaqua? He had an excellent past year with Houston and his Austrian club, so the nod is deserved, but he needs to show internationally.

Eddie Johnson (F) – With every game that passes by, Johnson looks less and less like the go to guy for the US. His bad time with Fulham combined with the pressure from Jozy Altidore means EJ needs to produce because his chances are running out.

Medium Pressure
Brad Guzan (GK) – He still looks good for a move to Europe, however if he gets minutes in this game, he needs to show that his bad start to the MLS season is just a hiccup.

Carlos Bocanegra (D) – Dumped by his club after riding the bench for months is not the way to keep your spot. With Orozco and Califf coming on strong, Boc needs to show he still has it.

Heath Pearce (D) – The left side is wide open because nobody has made it their own. Pearce is getting his chance.

Jonathan Spector (D) – Looks like he with have limited minutes if any, but if he does take the pitch, Spector we need to show his versatility in the backline.

DaMarcus Beasley (M) – After being out so long due to injury, Beasley needs to show that he is ready for competitive matches. Oh, and he needs to not re-injure himself.

Maurice Edu (M) – A late add of a young player probably means no minutes, but if he does get in, he needs to give Bradley a reason to call him in that does not involve an injury to another player.

Josh Wolff (F) – No contract and getting up there in age, Wolff is a long shot for 2010, but if no one else steps up as a quality forward, he might find his way to South Africa.

Low Pressure
Tim Howard (GK) – Even with all the quality competition between the posts, the big gloves of the US are Howard’s. Add to it his work at Everton and he’s got nothing to worry about.

Oguchi Onyewu (D) – His time in Belgium has served him well. He is looking smart in the back and not committing many dumb fouls. Now if only he could work on his speed.

Frankie Hejduk (D) – Unless some really strange things happen, Frankie is not going to be in South Africa in 2010 and he’s not looking to change clubs, so he has no pressure.

Steve Cherundolo (D) – Had a good season in Germany and no one else is really breathing down his neck at right back, so enjoy this one.

Michael Bradley (M) – After the season he has had with Heerenveen, there is no question that he will be a key part of the 2010 US run. With a move to England likely this summer, this game is a perfect place to introduce himself to the EPL fans.

Eddie Lewis (M) – Much like Hejduk, Lewis is not going to be part of 2010. He should bring a calm to the team in the middle.

Clint Dempsey (F) – A lock for club and country, but he has not looked so great this calendar year. His first full English campaign has taken it out of him, but he needs to show he can still be creative even when tired.

John Terry named England's captain for US match

2008-05-27T10:28:00.004-05:00

US vs. England
Wednesday, 3pm ET/12pm PT
TV: ESPN Classic, Galavision (delayed 7pm ET)

England's coach Fabio Capello has named John Terry as captain for tomorrow's match against the USA at Wembley. Terry becomes Capello's third English captain in as many games.

Capello said: "I told him he'll be the captain and he was very, very happy. It's very important to be a leader and John Terry is a leader."

It seems this game will take place a week after Terry missed some sort of penalty kick. Anyone know anything about this?

Snark aside, Capello hopes to have the full-time captain position decided before England's World Cup Qualifying matches begin in September.

On another note, I didn't realize this until just a few moments ago but every player on England's roster plays in the EPL, except one. The one is David Beckham. So does this mean English players can't make it outside of their own county? Okay, too much snark.

In US roster news, Maurice Edu has been called to London by Bob Bradley after Benny Feilhaber suffered a knee injury in last week's Toulon Tournament while Frankie Hejduk is making the trip to possibly cover for Jonathan Spector who has been experiencing hip joint irritation.

Fulham drops Carlos Bocanegra

2008-05-23T12:43:00.003-05:00

Fulham has reduced their American contingency by one as they dropped Carlos Bocanegra today. It is no big surprise that Bocanegra got the boot as manager Roy Hodgson had pretty much benched him for the last three months.

Bocanegra, who will likely be a starter for the US against England on Wednesday, is now looking for a new home. PSV Eindhoven has been mentioned as a possible landing spot. PSV was a good spot for DaMarcus Beasley as few years back and might be the change Bocanegra needs. If it works out, he might even get some Champions League action.

This move is a big one for Bocanegra as he needs to find playing time or else his spot on the national team will be less then assured.

Fulham also let go of Jari Litmanen, Philippe Christanval, Simon Elliott, Ian Pearce, Michael Timlin, Ismael Ehui, and Bjorn Runstrom. Looks like Eddie Johnson will get a little more time to make his mark.

Now the question is will Kasey Keller stick around?

Trinidad and Tobago finally paid for 2006 World Cup

2008-05-21T13:05:00.000-05:00

CONCACAF president and FIFA vice president Jack Warner tried to keep the players of Trinidad and Tobago's 2006 World Cup squad from their rightful payday, but in the end a London arbitrator, like most judges do, ruled against Warner.

At issue was the complete disregarded for law that the T&T FA and Warner showed for the players. In a contract signed before the 2006 World Cup and negotiated in part by Warner, the players were to get a 50-50 split on all money from licensing and endorsement deals made with the federation. In the end, the FA received $28 million in gross profit from the World Cup, but each of the 23 players only collect $5,000. Somebody's calculator is broken.

Although the judge ruled in the players' favor, the exact amount each one will get will not be known till June, presumably after England plays their 'hay, why not vote for us to host the 2018 World Cup' match in T&T on June 1.

Warner has said that if the T&T FA disagrees with the ruling, they will pursue justice in some other way. Any guess as to what that way will be.

Bradley names 22-man roster for England match

2008-05-21T09:55:00.000-05:00

US vs. England
May 38 - 3p ET/12p PT
TV: ESPN Classic, Galavision (tape delayed till 7p ET)

US Men's National team coach Bob Bradley has narrowed his roster down to 22 players with just one week to go till they clash with England at Wembley Stadium. As expected, the list is made up mostly of European based players.

Here is the full list:

Goalkeepers (3): Dominic Cervi (Out of Contract), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton FC)

Defenders (8): Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Dan Califf (FC Midtjylland), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

Midfielders (6): Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Eddie Lewis (Derby County).

Forwards (5): Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Nate Jaqua (out of contract), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC), Josh Wolff (out of contract)

Guzan, Clark and Donovan are the only MLS based players to earn a call up.

The obvious name absent from this list is Jozy Altidore. As much as I would love to see Jozy on the pitch for England and Spain, with the Olympics and World Cup Qualifiers coming up, Bradley is probably wants to limit the time he is away from the Red Bulls. Also, if Jozy is suffering from fatigue as Juan Carlos Osorio suggested a few weeks ago, giving him a break now will make things easier later this summer and into next year (especially is he does end up moving to Europe).

That said, there is a strong argument to be made for Jozy playing in England and Spain instead of some of the World Cup Qualifiers as these two games plus Argentina are more likely to reflect what the US will face in 2010 then games this fall.

The name that sticks out the most from this list is Michael Orozco from Mexico's San Luis. He has quickly becoming a challenger for one of the center back positions, but with Onyewu coming off a solid season, Bocanegra is most likely to lose his spot.

I've noticed that some people are surprised by Nate Jaqua's call up but I don't see why. In his 10 games with Altach, he netted five goals and was one of the main reasons the team was not relegated. It is true that Austria is not be a big league but results like that deserve some recognition (not to mention what he did with Houston last year). Add to it the lack of offensive depth for the US men and Bradley's choice makes sense.

As far as surprises, there are not many, but Eddie Lewis is the biggest (and it is not that big). Although he has little chance of being in the mix come 2010, I'm guessing Bradley selected him to bring some experience to the team. Also, if he took Maurice Edu or Sacha Kljestan away from their teams while leaving Jozy with New York, it would have looked a little off.

All and all, this is a pretty A-list roster for the US.

Here is my guess at the starting lineup:

-----------------Howard-----------------

Cherundolo---Gooch----Boca---Pearce

--Donovan---Bradley-Clark--Beasley--

----------Johnson----Dempsey----------

Of all of these, Beasley is the one I'm least sure about due to his recent return from injury. If Beasley doesn't get the start, my guess is Wolff will take it.

After 5-1 defeat to LA, FC Dallas fire Morrow

2008-05-20T15:45:00.000-05:00

Less then 48-hours after one of the worst results in club history, FC Dallas have sacked head coach Steve Morrow. Morrow took over Dallas after the team fired Colin Clarke in 2006. His MLS record stands at 15-17-8.

Assistant coach Marco Feruzzi will take over till a perminant replacement is found.

Although Dallas got off to a decent start during the first couple weeks of their 2008 campaign, they have only managed 1 point from their last four matches. Combine that with the bad taste from 2007 (including the Denilson debacle, even though that was more of managements design) and you have all the reasons Morrow is looking for a new job.

During his year and a half in change, Morrow never really figured out the FC Dallas back line problem. Also, even though he showed some strength in benching Ruiz for parts of last season, he never seemed to be in control of the club.

As far as replacements, SMU coach Schellas Hyndman will be in the mix, like he always is whenever Dallas looks for a new manager, but he probably will not bit yet again. That should open things up. My guess is it will be someone with limited to little head coaching history.

As far as Morrow, maybe he can still get the job at Walsall.

Toronto's ref dispute investigated by MLS

2008-05-20T08:59:00.000-05:00

The league is looking into allegations that Toronto FC was treated in a disrespectful manner by the fourth official during Saturday's match against Columbus. Coach John Carver said referee Mauricio Navarro's attitude towards TFC was premeditated after the league sent around a DVD featuring bad behavior by coaches. Carver was featured in the DVD.

The league is now looking into the issue, but since the refs used for TFC matches are all from the Canadian Soccer Association, any disciplinary action against Navarro will come from them.

It does seem that the referees are starting to get more attention then in the past. As MLS grows and becomes more competitive, bad calls only stand out that much more. I don't know if Navarro did anything wrong on Saturday, but I do like that MLS is looking into it.

As far as Carver is concerned, he stresses that he is a passionate guy when it comes to the game and that his reactions are not meant to be aggressive.

"I'm a passionate guy, we miss a shot, I put my hands on my head," he said. "We don't get a free kick, I put my hands on my head and that's why they don't want that. ... They don't want passionate people."

MLS Expansion - Garber hints at more then 18 teams for MLS

2008-05-20T08:28:00.000-05:00

MLS commissioner Don Garber thinks the league could grow beyond the 18 teams saying, "our sense is that we could have quite a few more than that." This is the most direct indication yet as to the future expansion plans for the league.

Originally it appeared like MLS would hold off on expanded past 16 teams in order to allow the local (US & Canada) talent pool to grow. However, with the relaxing of rules on foreign-born players and the ever increasing interest in investing in the league, Garber seems to be heading in a new direction.

This is good news for soccer fans in St. Louis, Portland, Vancouver, Las Vegas, Montreal, New York City, Atlanta and Miami as it looks like they will not have to fight it out for the final two spots. However, it could be bad for the overall quality of the league unless this increased expansion also corresponds to a large increase in player salaries. Simple put, there are not enough solid players out there willing to earn less then $100,000 to make a league of 22+ teams worth watching.

By the way, it is worth noting that Garber made these comments in Montreal at the inaugural game of Saputo Stadium, the new home of the Montreal Impact.

Australia hopes 2009 & 2010 Club World Cup will lead to 2018 World Cup

2008-05-19T09:53:00.000-05:00

Australia hopes their bid for the 2009 & 2010 Club World Cup will help them land the 2018 World Cup.

Their football association's chief executive Ben Buckley said:

"We want to be a strong and positive contributor to the world of football in as many ways as possible," he added.

"Next week's FIFA Congress is part of that strategy, as is the 2015 Asian Cup, bidding for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and also the 2009 and 2010 Club World Cup."

With FIFA meeting in Sydney next week to make the decision on the Club World Cup, chances are very strong Australia will get the nod, but will this actually give them a strong chance at landing the big prize in 2018?

With Europe all but a lock on 2018, and England the obvious front-runner, hosting a relatively small event such as this probably will not change the balance. However, if they can combine this event with a successful 2015 Asian Cup (which has yet to be awarded) and a solid 2018 bid, they might actually position themselves well for 2022.

Should McBride stay in England or come home? - Poll

2008-05-19T09:29:00.001-05:00

As one of, if not the most successful US field players ever in England, Brian McBride has been a solid source of pride for American fans, however those days might be about to come to an end. The soon to be 36 year old is weighing his options and might decide to leave the top-level English league in order to return to MLS.

McBride's contract with Fulham ends next month, meaning MLS would not have to pay a transfer fee, however the Cottagers have offered him a deal for the 2008-09 season. So what should McBride do?

This past season was a very difficult one due to injury, however it did end on a very positive note as he was a key part of Fulham's escape from relegation. His end of season form suggests that he still has the ability to play in the EPL, but if he did stick around, what would Fulham accomplish? Is it worth the pounding his body will take if they end up just fighting, yet again, to stay up? And even if things did go fantastic and they were able to win a spot in European competition, he probably would not be around for 09-10 to enjoy it, so why stay?

If he came back to the US, he would probably have two or three good years left in him that he could use to push the sport in loves in his home country and have a good chance, no matter where he lands, of winning a MLS Cup.

From my own standpoint, it would be great to see McBride stay in England because he is a constant high note for American players in Europe, but that is pretty selfish on my part.

So what do you think?

MLS Expansion - Is Vancouver's MLS dream over?

2008-05-16T12:58:00.000-05:00

MLS Commissioner Don Garber has made it clear, if Vancouver wants to be the second Canadian team in the league, they need a stadium. Greg Kerfoot, owner of the Vancouver Whitecaps, has been trying to make it happen for five years, but no it looks like he has given up as the soccer club will permanently move into the 60,000-seat BC Place in 2011.

BC Place will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympic games. After the games, the air-supported roof will be removed and replaced with a retractable roof. Once that is done, the Whitecaps will move in.

If this is indeed a permanent move, it looks like MLS will not be in Vancouver anytime soon. However, the team is still negotiation with officials regarding the stadium, so who knows, the dream might still become reality.

Home for the Dynamo

2008-05-16T12:30:00.000-05:00

There is a new group getting into the fight for a downtown stadium in Houston, but this one is neither a boxing legend nor a university. Instead this new group is made up of fans that want to do something other then just complain about the situation.

Thus enters Home for the Dynamo.

Although their goal is to raise money towards building the new home of the back-to-back MLS Cup champions, they are under no delusions about their ability to bring in millions. Instead, they hope to be the epicenter of fan support for the stadium.

Several loyal and passionate fans of the team have gotten together to build this site in the hopes of doing more than just letting off steam or complaining. We are dedicated to supporting the fight for a stadium with our checkbooks. Money is the issue at hand and we have chosen to try and raise as much money as possible for this cause.

The purpose is to make it known to all who are involved that WE are going to act while THEY negotiate. No we dont [sic] think we will raise millions of dollars. That isnt [sic] the point. DOING SOMETHING instead of just talking IS THE POINT. We invite all soccer fans everywhere to join us in this cause. A soccer stadium in downtown Houston is a must as we progress into this millineum [sic].

Having a location for information is fantastic, but will people be motivated enough to actually due anything with it? If they do and their numbers grow, this group might end up playing a role in landing a stadium.

If you are interested in helping them out, they are asking for a donation of $5, which will get you a bumper sticker.

Houston's John Spencer doesn't regret passing Chicago Fire coaching job

2008-05-14T22:23:00.001-05:00

Back in January, John Spencer was a few thousand dollars in salary away from accepting the top job in Chicago, but it was not to be. Instead he returned to Houston to spend another season with the MLS Champions.

This Saturday, Spencer returns to Chicago for the first time since he rejected the job however it is Chicago that is looking like the champions. So does Spencer have any hard feelings over his choice?

"I don't regret it," Spencer said this week as his team prepared for Saturday's visit to Toyota Park.

At the time, many people, myself included, thought the Fire's lack of interest in spending money on a coach was the sign of bad things to come, however, so far we have been wrong. The Fire currently sit two points behind Columbus for top spot in the league while Houston only achieved their first victory this past weekend. All in all, the front office in Fire land must be happy with their loss.

Concacaf Champions League field reveald

2008-05-14T21:42:00.001-05:00

Little, old Concacaf is soon to have a Champions League of our own and now we know just who is going to take part within it. In all, 24 teams will take part in this year's Champions League, with four of them coming from the US.

Eight teams will advance directly to the group stage (two clubs each from the United States and Mexico and one club each from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras), with the others taking part in a two leg playoff.

Here is the full list of teams:

USA (4 teams): Houston Dynamo (2007 Major League Soccer champion); D.C. United (2007 Major League Soccer regular-season winner); New England Revolution (2007 MLS Cup runner-up); Chivas USA (2007 MLS regular season runner-up)

MEXICO (4 teams): Atlante FC (2007 Torneo Apertura champion); Pumas UNAM (2007 Torneo Apertura Runner-up); 2 teams to be determined (2008 Torneo Clausura champion and runner-up)

COSTA RICA (2 teams): Deportivo Saprissa (Torneo Invierno winner); 1 team to be determined (Torneo Verano winner, or second place team in Torneo Verano if same champion for both Invierno and Verano)

EL SALVADOR (2 teams): CD Luis Angel Firpo (Liga Mayor Apertura winner); 1 team to be determined (Torneo Clausura winner, or second place team in Torneo Clausura if same champion for both Apertura and Clausura)

GUATEMALA (2 teams): Deportivo Jalapa (Torneo Apertura winner); 1 team to be determined (Torneo Clausura winner, or second place team in Torneo Clausura if same champion for both Apertura and Clausura)

HONDURAS (2 teams): CD Marathon (Torneo Apertura 2007 winner); 1 team to be determined (Torneo Clausura winner, or second place team in Torneo Clausura if same champion for both Apertura and Clausura)

PANAMA (2 teams): San Francisco FC (ANAPROF Apertura winner); 1 team to be determined (Torneo Clausura winner, or second place team in Torneo Clausura if same champion for both Apertura and Clausura)

BELIZE (1 team): Hankook Verdes (2007-08 BPFL/RFG Insurance Cup Champions)

NICARAGUA (1 team): to be determined; Winner of playoff between Apertura winner (Real Estelí FC) and winner of Clausura.

CANADA (1 team): to be determined; Winner of three-way qualifying series between Toronto FC, Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps.

CARIBBEAN (3 teams): Harbour View FC (Jamaica); Joe Public FC (Trinidad & Tobago); winner of playoff between Puerto Rico Islanders and San Juan Jabloteh (Trinidad & Tobago)

The schedule has the group qualifying or preliminary round going from 26 August to 4 September. The six match group stage starts 16 September and ends by 30 October. The knockout phase does not take place till late February of next year with the final take place the last two weeks of April.

The winner will advance to the Fifa Club World Cup in December 2009.

US World Cup Qualifying tickets go on sale Sunday; Brazil-Venezuela tickets tomorrow

2008-05-08T15:45:00.000-05:00

Tickets for the US Men's first 2010 World Cup Qualifier go on sale this Sunday (happy Mother's day) at 3pm ET/12pm PT. The red, white and blue start their race to South Africa on 15 June at the The Home Depot Center in Carson, Ca. against Barbados.

Tickets prices range from $18 to $65 and can be purchased at ussoccer.com, by phone (213-480-3232 in L.A.; 714-740-2000 in Orange County; 619-220-8497 in San Diego), and at all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout Southern California (including Macy’s, Wherehouse Music, FYE and Ritmo Latino).

This match represents the first ever World Cup Qualifier at the Home Depot Center, so hopefully a full house will come out.

On the other side of the country, tickets for the Brazil-Venezuela friendly on 6 June go on sale tomorrow (9 May). The game is a doubleheader with the New England Revolution and FC Dallas facing off in the second match.

Tickets for the two games rage from $30 to $110 and can be purchased by calling 1-877-GET-REVS or Ticketmaster at (617) 931-2222.

Two great nights of soccer on the coasts.

University wants to team up with Dynamo in stadium deal; De Rosario kicks like a horse

2008-05-08T11:27:00.001-05:00

It is looking more and more likely that if the Dynamo want a stadium in downtown Houston, they are going to need Texas Southern University's backing. Good news for the Dynamo, TSU's new athletic direct Charles McClelland is very interested in such a venture.

"My understanding of the proposal is that the Houston Dynamo and Texas Southern University would share the use of the stadium, including some signage, so it would be the home of Texas Southern University athletics and football program," McClelland said Wednesday, two days after meeting with a city official involved in the stadium negotiations. "We're interested and understand that there has to be a financial commitment from the university, but we are very pleased with the direction of the talks and hope to be able to come to a resolution in the near future."

While McClelland declined to disclose the size or range of the financial commitment because of the ongoing nature of the talks, he is confident the range that has been discussed is "within the capability of the university."

If the two teamed up, the Dynamo would get a stadium, but come fall, it would also be used for American football, so the question is how bad do they want a stadium?

The always entertaining to read Dave Rossman of the Houston Chronicle has his spot on take concerning the situation. To sum him up, the Dynamo need TSU more then TSU need the Dynamo. Why?

It's about the political capital a public institution of higher learning such as TSU brings into the equation.

Even then, while not ready to disclose figures, McClelland believes what the Dynamo and the city are asking is within reach.

Hooray, the Dynamo say. An added bonus. Suddenly, city money being committed to such a project no longer solely finances a private sports enterprise that may or may not generate the tax revenue or jobs it promises to deliver long-term.

Now, it also benefits one of the largest historically black colleges in the nation — one that has played a key role in the advancement of Houston for more than 60 years.

Don't think for a second the city isn't crossing its fingers for TSU to join in the negotiations.

Short of AEG or Golden Boy Promotions covering the ever growing construction cost on their own (something neither is willing to do), going in with TSU is the Dynamo's best chance of getting their stadium anytime in the next four years. Yes, it will suck to see the gridiron lines (although I think the damage done to the pitch by American football is far more offensive), but if the other option is another suburban stadium that makes it more difficult for fans, a few additional lines on the grass are worth it.

In other Houston Dynamo related news, it's official, midfielder Dwayne De Rosario kicks like a horse.

During their match on Saturday De Rosario shattered Chivas defender Lawson Vaughn's nose while attempting a bicycle kick in the box. Sadly, Vaughn will require three surgeries to repair his nose and other facial injuries. When asked about it, Vaughn's agent Ron Waxman said, "I was told it was as if he had gotten kicked in the face by a horse." Ouch.

Hopefully Vaughn will make a full recovery. He is expected to be out for four to six weeks.

The MLS disciplinary committee ruled that De Rosario would not face suspension or fines beyond the already awarded yellow card for the play.

To close out the Houston news, the club signed former DC United forward Guy-Roland Kpene to a developmental contract on Wednesday. His time with United didn't yield much, but with the Dynamo hurting on attack, he might get a better chance in Houston to show what he can do.

English club interested in FC Dallas manager Steve Morrow

2008-05-08T09:30:00.000-05:00

"According to England's Daily Star, Ex-Arsenal midfielder (and current FC Dallas manager) Steve Morrow is a contender to be Walsall boss."

Walsall resides in the English League One (which is the third tier of English football) and recently finished mid-table, 12-points out of the playoffs for promotion. The team's most recent manager, Richard Money, resigned his post after failing to reach the promotion playoffs, thus an opening became available.

Looking past the obvious questions about the source (tabloids have been known to be wrong before), what to make out of this? Would Steve Morrow leave FC Dallas, a team that seems to be just on the edge of becoming something really good, for a chance to lead a third division side in England? Does his contract even have a clause that would allow him to make such a move?

My guess is Morrow would pass on this offer. Morrow has done some quality work scouting and training his FC Dallas team and I don't think he would want to leave before any of the it really paid off. Although a chance to manage in England is probably tempting, I don't think this offer is enough to pull a second year coach away.

MLS Expansion - Seattle signs their first player

2008-05-08T08:21:00.003-05:00

After what I'm sure was a very difficult negotiation session, the MLS's Seattle Sounders FC signed Sébastien LeToux away from the USL's Seattle Sounders. As part of the deal, SSFC will loan him out to SS for the remainder of the USL season*. Makes sense.

Sébastien LeToux proved himself to be a quality player last year after netting 10 goals for the Sounders and propelling them to the league championship. He is one of the main reasons the MLS group argued hard to get permission to sign players directly from the USL club without going through the normal discovery allocation or other MLS hoops, and according to Sounders Coach Brian Schmetzer we shouldn't expect him to be the only player that moves up to the big league.

"(LeToux) is an exceptional soccer player," Schmetzer said. "We've developed him on the USL level; now, he's made the jump to Seattle Sounders FC. We hope to do that with six, eight, 10 of (the USL Sounders) and hopefully we can have a good nucleus of the team for '09. ... The top half of our roster, I truly believe, is better than the bottom half of some of the MLS teams."

The ability for the new MLS Sounders to draw from an established team gives them a leg up that no other expansion team has had.

LeToux alone will not give the team enough offense to make a huge splash in MLS, but he is an excellent start. It is worth noting that he did manage to score three goals during the Sounders three 2007 US Open Cup matches against MLS teams.

LeToux's contract is worth $96,000 a year.

* For those that don't know, the owner of the USL's Sounders Adrian Hanauer is also one of the owners of the new MLS Sounders who will begin play in 2009.

2008 MLS Week 6 recap - We got ties

2008-05-05T16:53:00.000-05:00

This past weekend of play saw a drop in goals and a huge increase in ties as only three matches saw more then two goals while four out of the seven ended tied up.

Attendance numbers also dropped a bit over the weekend, however every team broke the 10,000 mark. Real Salt Lake did the best at 25,571, while Houston came in second with 20,058. On the short side of things, Columbus only had 10,447 make it out while San Jose brought in 10,515. Although the San Jose number might seem small, it actually represents a sellout at Buck Shaw Stadium.

All the other numbers held pretty steady:

Week 6

	Season (42)	Week 6 (7)
Attendance	656,967	110,582
Att per game	15,642	15,797
Beckham Att	142,111	25,571
Beckham Avg Att (6)	23,685	25,571
Goals	117	14
Goals per game	2.8	2
Fouls	1,022	166
Fouls per game	24.3	23.7
Cards (red)	130 (10)	21 (2)
Inter-conference	East 11-1-4	West 1-0-0
Visitors	9-10-23	1-4-2
Ties	9 (21.4%)	4 (57.1%)

Chicago Fire 3-0 New England Revolution
Good news for the Fire, even with Blanco doing next to nothing, they can make things happen if Rolfe and Mapp stay healthy. The bad news, the only team the Fire seem to be able to score a bunch against is New England (7 goals in their two matches this year).

Over on the Revs side of the ball, Twellman can't get back soon enough. They are still creating chances but they have nobody to finish as they have now gone four games without scoring more then one goal in a game.

Goals: CF: Chris Rolfe (1) 29', John Thorrington (3) 50', Stephen King (1) 76'
Att: 10,858

Kansas City Wizards 1-2 Columbus Crew
How hot does the Crew need to get before the good people of Columbus will come see them? Thanks to the amazing midfield work of Adam Moffat and the skill of Robbie Rogers, the Crew looks to be a real horse in this race. Now they just need Danny O'Rourke to stop giving away penalty kicks and who knows what could be.
Goals: CC: Adam Moffatt (2) 4', Robbie Rogers (3) 34'
KC: Claudio Lopez pk (2) 79'
Att: 10,447

Chivas USA 0-0 Houston Dynamo
The first sign that this game was going to be ugly came just as the players were getting ready to step on the pitch as the fireworks went off early hitting the pyrotechnics guy in the face (let's hope he is alright). Anyway, this match got bloody fast as Dwayne DeRosario broke Lawson Vaughn's nose with a high kick in the 9'. Many more reckless fouls followed. In total nine cards were handed out including a direct red on Chivas's Claudio Suarez for pulling down the final player. Needless to say, referee Jozef Batko lost control of this one.

As far as the play, Chivas was playing as many behind the ball as possible while Houston tried to get their offense started. However, Ching is still not in step (his running is off and he couldn't find a ball in the air to save his life) while Franco Caraccio is still not ready for the big time. The good news, once Corey Ashe came in, it opened up the left side of play for Houston and provided for the best soccer of the night. Good news, their defense was looking better, even Boswell, but the final third is still a huge issue.
Att: 20,058

Los Angeles Galaxy 2-2 Real Salt Lake
Note to all defenses, don't give Beckham 10 yards of space. Real had three points in their pocket as they shot ahead 2-0 in the first 20 minutes but poor defended let Beckham carry his team right back into it. Beckerman continued to look good for Real while the main stand out for LA on the night (other then Becks) was Joe Franchino. He did the messy stuff in the middle that lead to the good stuff up top. By the way, LA looked better without Abel Xavier on the pitch.

One last thing, how did Donovan get an assist on the first Beckham goal? It wasn't a quick 1-2 pass situation. I just don't get it.
Goals: RSL: Fabian Espindola (2) 6', Kenny Deuchar (2) 18'
LA: David Beckham (2) 36', (3) 40'
Att: 25,571

FC Dallas 0-0 San Jose Earthquakes
Ronnie O'Brien was again the key for the 'Quakes as he caused pain in the Adrian Serioux free FC Dallas backline, but San Jose couldn't finish. FCD continued their weak offensive still they showed off last Thursday, thus giving Joe Cannon an easy day of it. Overall, Dallas looks off their stride while San Jose and their offside trap are playing better then expected.

By the way, little Buck Shaw Stadium looked great and the crowd was wonderful. Let's hope it stays this way till they get their own home.
Att: 10,515

DC United 0-2 Colorado Rapids
The first test of Marcelo Gallardo versus Christian Gomez is over and Gomez won hands down (even if Simms tied him up most of the match). United lost it in the middle while the Rapids couldn't find a ball they didn't want to shoot. In the end, it was a lackluster day for DC while Colorado finally showed the spark from their first match of the season.
Goals: CR: Jacob Peterson (1) 53', Facundo Erpen (1) 72'
Att: 13,115

Clint Dempsey sticking with Fulham

2008-05-05T08:45:00.006-05:00

US international Clint Dempsey has decided to stay with the Cottagers after signing a contract extension that will keep him in West London through 2010. It had been rumored that if Fulham failed to stay in the Premier League, Dempsey would move along to another top-flight club, but this move seems to kill such talk.

Fulham beat Birmingham City over the weekend to move out of the bottom three for the first time in months, however they are still dangerously close to the drop zone. Since Dempsey signed even though the team might get relegated seems to suggest that he enjoys the club and that they plan on making him a key part of their future plans.

If Fulham do stay up, I'm think the only American that will leave is Bocanegra. If they don't, I see Eddie Johnson and Dempsey sticking around and possibly McBride.

Eric Wynalda returns to the pitch

2008-05-02T08:37:00.000-05:00

Former US international and ESPN broadcaster Eric Wynalda is returning to the pitch after being cleared to play for the Premier Development League's Ventura County Fusion.

It has been seven years since he hung up his cleats, but Wynalda feels ready for this challenge thanks in large part to a fruit drink.

He credits this "comeback" to the fruit drink Monavie, which is based on the South American acai berry.

"My life since I retired was the managing pain from 11 surgeries," said Wynalda. "Ever since I've been drinking that stuff, I haven't taken one Advil.

"I've been playing all weekend for a year and a half now."

I smell a jersey sponsorship deal.

With the PDL three levels below MLS, Wynalda should still be able to shine, but I wonder how much juice he will need to drink in order to deal with the pain of playing on high school quality field turf?

So if you live in Southern California and want to see a US soccer legend playing meaningful matches, you now have a good, cheap option.

VW backs DC and MLS in $4-6 million deal

2008-05-01T12:35:00.000-05:00

The rumor is now official, DC United has a jersey sponsor.

Volkswagen has signed a multi-year deal with United that will be worth as much as $3.7million annually for the club. By Vee Dub's commitment to the top-level US league does not end with one shirt as they have also become the official automotive partner of MLS. This partnership will give the league an additional $1-2m annually.

A final official announcement is expected next week.

It will be interesting to see how VW runs with their MLS partnership. Will they use any footage or players in commercials/billboards or are they just interested in having their logo behind Beckham and the rest during press conferences?

For DC, like I said yesterday, this is a good get and at almost $4m a year, it is sure to make their bottom line a lot nicer. Also, having a well known, European based company on a MLS jersey is a very good idea.

This deal makes DC the ninth MLS side with a jersey sponsor. It is also the second biggest sponsorship after LA's $3.5-$5m a year deal with Herbalife.

2008 US Open Cup - Real smash 'Quakes

2008-05-01T08:58:00.000-05:00

San Jose Earthquakes 0-4 Real Salt Lake

Last night's US Open Cup Qualifier was nothing short of a complete disaster for San Jose. From the get go it was obvious coach Frank Yallop wasn't ready to risk his best for the match as Ronnie O'Brien didn't even suit up for the game. Without their top play maker in the mix, the Earthquakes only real chance was an outstanding defensive performance, but this notion was dismissed early when defenders Jay Ayres and Ryan Cochrane collided resulting in a double sub in the first 15 minutes. From that point on, San Jose was dead in the water.

Real's Beckerman scored six minutes later. Done 1-0, the 'Quakes looked to be in trouble, however the true knockout blows didn't come till the 33rd minute when Salt Lake scored twice in less then a minute.

From then on, it was just a matter of killing the clock.

With the win, Real advances to the second round of qualifying where they will take on the Columbus Crew on May 27th.

Mexico's Pachuca are Champions of Concacaf

2008-05-01T08:34:00.003-05:00

For the second year in a row, Mexican side Pachuca are kings of Concacaf. They retained this honor last night by dropping Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa 2-1 in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup final. Pachuca won the series 3-2 on aggregate.

With the victory, Pachuca earns a spot in the Fifa Club World Cup finals this December in Japan.

Congratulations to Pachuca for winner the last ever Concacaf Champions Cup.

2008 US Open Cup - MLS teams get into the mix

2008-04-30T12:52:00.000-05:00

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake
7pm MT - Rice Eccles Stadium
Tickets

With just 118 days to go till the final match, the MLS is about to start their US Open Cup Qualifiers. Tonight sees the worst American team by record from 2007 take on the newest top-level side. At stake, the chance to meet the Columbus Crew in the second round of qualification on May 27th.

If Real is to make it to the Cup officially, they will need to do two things. First, they will have to beat a MLS side in a US Open Cup related competition, something they have never done, and second, they will have to win three games in a row, something else I do not think they have done. The good news for them is San Jose should allow them to get off to a great start.

The Earthquakes have impressed me so far this season, but only because they are an expansion side. The fact that they are not getting blown apart shows good for the coaching staff, but in the end, they really don't have what it takes to become a big contender.

This should give Real the opening they need to get into the second round of qualification. With the season so young and no other tournaments on the schedule, my guess is coach Jason Kreis will put his best foot forward. That means they will be pressuring the 'Quakes with their surprisingly strong attack. As far as defense, even if they wilt like they did against DC, with just two goals from four games, I don't think San Jose has the firepower to exploit the issue.

At the end of the day, this should be a victory for the royals from Utah.

Sadly, this game will not be televised anywhere. It might end up on one of these three radio stations, but I'm not sure: English - KALL 700am (Salt Lake), Spanish - KTUB 1600am (Salt Lake), KLOK 1170am (San Jose)

MLS Expansion - Vancouver's soccer future tied to railroad past

2008-04-30T10:41:00.001-05:00

The future of a waterfront soccer stadium that could lead to a MLS team for the city of Vancouver hinges on the resolution of railroad issues. Vancouver Whitecap owner Greg Kerfoot has proposed building a $90m stadium with his own money, but he doesn't have enough land to make it happen. That's where the Vancouver Port Authority (VPA) comes in.

The VPA owns the strip of land Kerfoot needs to complete his stadium, however to get at it, the VPA wants rights over the part of the rail yard Kerfoot owns. Kerfoot is not in a hurry to give up his property, although he has given Canadian Pacific right-of-way to the rails in perpetuity.

So what is the big deal? Well the reason Kerfoot doesn't want to hand over the land or rights to another group has to do with his other plans for the site as he wants to build three condo towers around the stadium, which would defer a lot of the cost of the stadium (hello DC and San Jose).

Part of these towers will stand over the current rail lines, meaning he will need to place some serious support pillars into the area. This engineering work will probably require altering the path of the rails in some way. Needless to say, the more people involved in this means the less direct control Kerfoot has over the site.

For their part, the VPA fears that any drop in railway capacity will hinder the ability of their shipping port to handle all the traffic in the future.

Thus enters Canadian Senator and former Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell.

"Maybe it takes someone to sit down and say: 'Okay, boys and girls, is this going to happen?' " Campbell said Monday afternoon. "I don't know if anyone would consider me an honest broker, but I've taken mediation.

"From a politician's point of view, this [project] is a win-win."

Now it is up to Campbell to see if he can make the two sides agree. If he does, Vancouver becomes a top-tier MLS target.

As far as a backup plan, if it will help them land a MLS team, the Whitecaps owners are open to the idea of playing at a revamped B.C. Place Stadium, but only on an interim basis. The MLS is open to the idea but only if a stadium deal was assured of taking place.

MLS Expansion - If Portland doesn't act fast, owner might be priced out of MLS

2008-04-30T09:40:00.000-05:00

Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson would love to bring Major League Soccer to town, but he is concerned that the ever increasing expansion fee (now sitting at $40 million +) might price him out of consideration.

Still the dream of top-level soccer in the city is moving forward as Paulson plans on presenting his full proposal for a MLS team to the city as early as June. It is very much expected that he will ask for a public-private partnership that could cost the city more then $55 million.

Portland's bid hinges on Paulson and the city agreeing to a public-private partnership. Paulson said he is willing to absorb the league's $40 million expansion fee. The city would be on the hook for the rest, Paulson said, which probably would amount to more than $55 million.

A breakdown of the city's cost sees at least $20m going to the renovation of the Timbers current home PGE Park, which needs 'grandstand seating on the stadium's vacant east side, plus more restrooms and concessions.' The other $35m would go to the construction of a new, 9,000-seat baseball stadium for the Portland Beavers. The Beavers currently play at PGE Park but with the improvements mentioned above, would no longer be able to call it home. Paulson also owns the Beavers.

I guess the biggest question I have about the Portland situation has to do with the ownership group. Paulson is not a poor man but he is not the billionaire type the league has been looking for of late. This makes the Portland situation seem a lot like the St. Louis situation. If the city approves the funding request, both cities will have rich but not mega-rich owners with solid public backing.

One big difference, unlike Paulson, St. Louis owner Jeff Cooper is not the son of the current US Secretary of the Treasury.

Anyway, the question I have for Paulson is how much he is willing to invest in a future team beyond the roughly $40m expansion fee and does he have other owners setup to take part in the project (his pop is partial owner in the sports teams)?

If Paulson is not ready to invest the big money needed to make Portland a success, I find it hard to see the league moving in.

DC United and VW in jersey sponsor deal?

2008-04-30T08:24:00.001-05:00

Is a new jersey sponsor about to join the MLS ranks? It seems so as the Examiner reports the sighting of a DC United player in RFK wearing a team jersey with the Volkswagen logo. No official word has come out of the front office but it is no secrete that the team has been looking hard for a shirt companion.

If completed, the arrangement would make United the ninth of 14 Major League Soccer teams to sell the front of its jersey to a corporate sponsor. The Los Angeles Galaxy currently has the league’s top deal, reportedly earning between $3.5 million and $5 million a year from Herbalife through 2011.

Volkswagen of America recently strengthened its ties to the Washington area, announcing in September that it was moving its headquarters from Detroit to Herndon. It has announced major sales targets increases in North America over the next 10 years.

Since DC released their 2008 shirt earlier this year, speculation has been ripe that a shirt deal was on the way as the entire front of the jersey had little on it.

If United land VW, it will be a very solid get as they are a well-known international company with a good history in the sport. Also, as you can see in my mock-up of the jersey, their logo would not clash with a DC jersey.

Oscar de la Hoya to wear Dynamo orange at Saturday night fight, Tony Meola becomes an elementary school principal

2008-04-29T17:10:00.001-05:00

While his team is taking on Chivas USA in Houston, Oscar de la Hoya will wear Dynamo orange as he fights Steve Forbes at the Home Depot Center near LA.

"Since this is my first fight as part owner of the Dynamo, I thought it would be fitting to represent the team by wearing their 'forever orange' color as a part of my ring outfit Saturday night," said De La Hoya, who will also be wearing a Dynamo team patch on his shorts. "They are actually playing the same night I am fighting and I have a great feeling we will both come out victorious."

For De La Hoya's sake, he might what to show a better attack then the Dynamo have this season.

But joke comment aside, hopefully this will be mentioned before and during the fight. One of the pluses of having someone lake De La Hoya as an owner is the cross promotion that should happen.

In other news, former US goalkeeper Tony Meola has a new job, principal of Rafael Hernandez Performing Arts Elementary School. Starting this Friday, Meola will decide who gets detention, what is proper school attire and how to stop the outbreak of gum chewing.

Okay, I might be going a bit overboard as Meola will only hold the position for a few hours while taking part in the Newark Public Schools System's 12th Annual Principal for a Day Program.

Rumor has it that he turned down a request by Bruce Arena to serve Sloppy Joes at lunch.

2008 MLS Power Ratings - Week 5 and Columbus rules

2008-04-29T11:44:00.000-05:00

Is the West even worth talking about? Of course they are, but the way they are playing at the moment, it doesn’t look good. The fact that all five bottom spots are held by Western teams is a bad omen for things to come.

That said, this upcoming weekend should see some movement in both conferences as there is only one match between the two.

So here are the ratings:

1. Columbus Crew (Last week 3) - The Crew are on top! The Crew are on top! They managed to eek out a victory even though they gave Houston lots of time to take it away. Smart play if they could pull their midfield together a bit more, they might be able to hold this spot for a little while. Congrats to Sigi on his 100th MLS win.

2. Chicago Fire (4) - The problem is still the same, they need to find more goal scorers but with a defense that is near the top in the league, they are a contender.

3. New England Revolution (5) - Way to match into Texas and take what you want. They still lack power in the final third and their defense makes Reis work for it, but still looking good.

4. Toronto FC (7) - Another game where they let the other side control large parts of the game, which is bad, yet they still came out a winner. It is a dangerous style but the Leafs seem to make it work.

5. FC Dallas (1) - Just when FCD started to have me convince that they we solid in all areas, they play like they did Thursday night. Nothing on offense, confusion in the middle and mismatch in the back. The good news? That still might be enough to win the West this year.

6. Kansas City Wizards (2) - In many ways the better team against Toronto but not on the scoreboard. The fact that they could not finish anything might just be a horrible sign of things to come.

7. New York Red Bull (8) - How could it take them so long to put away San Jose. Jozy again saved the Bulls but even few teams with give them so much time to make it happen.

8. Colorado Rapids (6) - It took going down a goal to get this team going, yet they still couldn't keep Mapp under control. Biggest worry, where are the goals going to come from. They are the only team in the league without a two or more goal scorer so far this season.

9. DC United (14) - Got a small gift against Real but over all it didn't matter. The team was finally hitting the feet with their passes and creating mischief in front of goal.

10. Los Angeles Galaxy (11) - Finally Donovan is playing like everyone wants and expects him to. This gives them an option up top, even when Beckham shuts down for large stretches of the match. Still, any decent offense would have converted three more goals from all the galactic defensive errors.

11. Real Salt Lake (9) - They got cheated on one of the penalty calls, but there is still no reason for the beating they took in DC. They lost their patience and their game fell apart.

12. Chivas USA (10) - What was that? Giving away balls, letting Donovan have space and failing to convert all but one of the many defensive mistakes LA gave them. Even with Razov back in the lineup, the goats looked mighty weak.

13. San Jose Earthquakes (12) - The good news is they held off a better New York team for most of the match. The bad news is if Ronnie O'Brien is having an off night, San Jose has no offense.

14. Houston Dynamo (13) - They had their best game of the season and still came up short. They created plenty of, as DeRo called it, 'half-chances', but without an added threat up top, it was not enough. Good news is their defense only made one major mistake on the night. Bad news, it cost them a goal.

And that's the week as I knew it.

2008 MLS Week 5 recap - None of the best are in the West

2008-04-28T09:59:00.003-05:00

Only five weeks in and the East looks to be the class of the league this year as they won all five matches between the conferences. If there is any piece of good news the West can take from this weeks games it is that in all but one of the five, the Western side was the visitor. I'm guessing that is cold comfort for the clubs.

As far as the number go, total attendance numbers rose this week to a bit over 17,000 with LA taking gold with 27,000 followed by DC with 23,269 and Toronto with 20,045. Every match had at least 10,000 spectators except for the Red Bulls who could only pull 9,053 against San Jose. FC Dallas was second worse with 10,453. It is a shame that the two games that were most easily accessible to a national television audience also happened to be the two worst attended.

This week's other numbers of interest saw the league go without a tie or a red card while maintaining the roughly 24 fouls per match average. So here are all the numbers for the week:
Week 5

	Season (35)	Week 1 (7)
Attendance	546,387	119,342
Att per game	15,611	17,049
Beckham Att	116,540	27,000
Beckham Avg Att (5)	23,308	27,000
Goals	103	21
Goals per game	2.9	3
Fouls	856	171
Fouls per game	24.5	24.4
Cards (red)	109 (8)	27 (0)
Inter-conference	East 11-1-3	East 5-0-0
Visitors	8-6-21	1-0-6
Ties	5 (13.9%)	0 (0.0%)

Kansas City Wizards 0-2 Toronto FCA bad call was behind Amado Guevara's first goal in his re-re-re-return to MLS as he was in an offside position when the ball was played, but if the ref don't notice then there is nothing to talk about. KC held their own for large stretches of the game as they kept TFC at bay, however the Wizards had no extended period of attack (except for a few minutes in the first half). Toronto fans are no doubt happy with Guevara, but they should still be concerned with the lack of finishing in the final third. With just nine shots on goal, they still have much room for improvement. That said, Guevara's free kick strike was fantastic.
Goals - Guevara (1) 56, (2) 77
Att: 20,045

Houston Dynamo 0-1 Columbus CrewFor the first time this season, the Dynamo defense looked tough again. Sure their one big mistake resulted in a goal, but overall they looked much better (although Boswell again was the weak link), which allowed their midfield to control the game (Ricardo Clark was fantastic). Sadly for the defending champs, their offense could not make the most of their chances making Houston the only team to still have a zero in the victory column. By the way, oddity of the game, hand ball by Ostad in the box after a pass back resulting in an indirect kick.
Goal - CC: Alejandro Moreno (4) 22
Att: 15,271

Real Salt Lake 1-4 DC United
After losing in Real a few weeks back, DC went into a huge funk. After Saturday's match in DC, I'm guessing the funk is over. Marcelo Gallardo's amazing 80th minute goal should be enough by itself to inspire the team to a few more wins. Still, United started flat and, oddly enough, didn't really get going till Marc Burch came on for an injured Fred. Also, the first pk should not have been as it was an accidental hand ball. Still, the second 45' were owned by the team in black.
Goals - DC: Jaime Moreno pk (2) 31, pk (3) 52, Santino Quaranta (2) 67, Marcelo Gallardo (2) 80
RSL: Carey Talley (1) 77
Att: 23,269

Colorado Rapids 1-2 Chicago Fire
The Rapids played the Fire pretty even on the night, but couldn't find anything until it was too late. For the Fire, their offense did improve, although they are still far from dominating teams. Justin Mapp has a solid game, giving Chicago an addition option to moving the ball up field, however Blanco was off on the night. Overall, this game was a little tiring to watch.
Goals - CF: John Thorrington (1) 53, (2) 84
CR: Tom McManus (1) 86
Att: 14,251

Chivas USA 2-5 LA GalaxyI've never seen so many clearance balls out of the box go straight up in the air. The strange thing was it happened much more often to LA, but Chivas couldn't make anything out of it. Another oddity, Backham disappeared for large stretches of the match while Donovan showed just how angry he is by gloating in front of the goat's bench. Anyway, both these defenses are something nutty to watch, but with Razov coming back, Chivas should finally improve.
Goals - LA: Donovan (6) 18, (7) 59, Alan Gordon (1) 76, Donvan (8) 78, Gordon (2) 84
Chivas: Sacha Kljestan (3) 38, Ante Razov (1) 62
Att: 27,000

San Jose Earthquakes 0-2 New York Red Bulls
Jozy Altidore was the reason for both goals as he forced a trip in the box to earn his team a pk and then finished big in extra time. This was the first time San Jose has been squashed this season as the Bulls controlled pretty much the entire match. Claudio Reyna had a good night and almost got his first goal for New York, but it was cleared off the line. The biggest worry for the Reds coming out of this one has to be their inability to put the game away. They were the far better team but they could not find net untill the final minutes of the match. Other teams will not give them so much time.
Goals - NY: Mike Magee pk (1) 79, Jozy Altidore (2) 95'
Att: 9,053