Major League Soccer Breakdown

Jaime Moreno: Best MLS Career Ever?

2009-04-21T21:56:00.004-04:00

ARTICLE ON FOX SPORTS.

Article on bleacher report. b/r.

With little or no argument, any Major League Soccer fan includes Jaime Moreno in their top ten, top five, maybe top three for biggest impact in the history of MLS. But where does he stand right now?

On Saturday, Jaime Moreno assisted DC United's game-tying goal by Ben Olsen, raising his assist total to 100.

He now is the only player ever in Major League Soccer to reach the 100 goal, 100 assist mark. He currently leads all-time scoring with 122 goals.

Not only does he lead DC United, the most trophied and historic franchise in MLS, in almost every category, he sits in the top ten in almost every MLS stat.

First in goals. Fifth in assists. Seventh in games played. Tenthin minutes played. Fifthin game-winners. First in penalty kick goals. Fifth in multi-goal games.

And most of these he will move up in, even if he decides 2009 is his last season.

Moreno has recorded ten goals and ten assists in four seasons, tied with Preki for most ever.

What I love so much about these records is that he has done it almost all in one place, with a rotating cast of players since 1996.

Jaime Moreno has become the face of DC United soccer. Should he be the face of Major League Soccer?

We will probably see this accomplished again, but no current player even sits above 75 in both goals and assists. Who is next?

Landon Donovan currently has 86 goals, 72 assists. Ante Razov is 34 assists away, but has not played yet in his 14th MLS season. Steve Ralston also in his 14th season, needs 30 goals. Jeff Cunningham needs 40 more assists.

One hundred, one hundred is difficult.

Congratulations Jaime Moreno, you are in an elite class of Major League Soccer players. And currently the most elite.

Chivas USA, LA Galaxy: Cards Ruin The SuperClasico

2009-04-13T17:34:00.001-04:00

My article on Bleacher Report.

Any fan of soccer understands the importance of a yellow card and the necessity of a red card. But the display by Tim Weyland in the SuperClasico was outrageous and unnecessary.

A referee should never be noticed during a game of soccer.

The fact his name was mentioned by Alexi Lalas and John Harkes on ESPN Saturday night more times than any single player, is an embarrassment.

The match between the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA was a derby. A rivalry. A game for the city of Los Angeles. For pride. Of course we expect players to be chippy, a little excited to open the game. That is what the fans and the coaches want.

Two fouls were obvious cards; The Galaxy's Gregg Berhalter deserved a red card for halting a scoring chance and Chivas' Paulo Nagamura's second yellow was deserving.

How were nine cards thrown?

A card every 10 minutes. As many cards as shots on goal. This destroys the flow of the beautiful game.

No doubt, most were fouls. But cards change a game and ruin the excitement of the only derby in Major League Soccer.

Longest time between cards: 23 minutes. Totals: 31 fouls, 9 cards, 0 goals. 19 players on the field at the end of the match.

Let us hope the next SuperClasico allows Chivas USA and the LA Galaxy the chance to put on the show we all expect from their derby.

Tim Weyland can watch from home.

Seattle Sounders FC: Succeeding On and Off The Pitch

2009-04-09T23:18:00.002-04:00

Article on b/r.

Seattle Sounders FC are winning on-the-pitch, and winning big off-the-pitch.

The Sounders announced today that their next two home matches, the Quakes on the 25th and the Galaxy on May 10th, have sold out. Their May 30th game against the Champion Columbus Crew has just about 1,000 tickets remaining.

Seattle has now sold out its first five matches at Qwest Field. There has been some outcry by Sounders' fans asking for Qwest Field to be opened up beyond the 27,000 limit put on Sounders' games.

I understand the complaint, but completely agree with Seattle's choice to cap at 27,000. This is the intimate setting Don Garber envisioned when he took over as Commissioner of Major League Soccer.

I sat high up at RFK stadium for LA Galaxy at DC United two summers ago, David Beckham's first MLS match appearance. And as great of a time I had, my times in Columbus, inches from the pitch in every seat, part of the Hudson Street Hooligans and Crew Union, is the feeling I want everyone to take home from an MLS match.

It is great to see the demand high in Seattle, a supply and demand scenario only seen elsewhere in Toronto.

This only excites me more for MLS Cup 2009 at Qwest Field, although I think I will have a tough time finding tickets this year.

Seattle Sounders FC: Fastest Expansion Start in MLS History

2009-04-07T16:55:00.001-04:00

Article on Bleacher Report

Chicago Fire has long held claim to best start by an expansion team. After the Fire's amazingstart in 1998, the Fire traveled all the way to Pasadena, CA and take home the MLS Cup. Is there any reason to doubt this is the fate of the Seattle Sounders? Or even to think they are more deserving? The Seattle Sounders have become a framework (along with TFC) of what an MLS expansionside should be. There is no doubt Philadelphia, Vancouver, and Portland are all taking notes from the 2009 Seattle Sounders FC. The most season ticket sales, a Designated Player, a US legend, USL Sounders players, and young talent.

Seattle, now tied for first place in the West with three wins, a perfect start, looks to repeat the expansion success of the Fire. Even more surprising is the play of the Sounders defense and former US keeper Kasey Keller. Keller is the big-name hometown player (born in Olympia, Washington) that every team looks for. He is an aging legend, who has been successful throughout the world and representing the States, leading a new, youth-filled Sounders club.

And who can leave out the two-game success of Fredy Montero: in two games, he has scored three goals and provided the fans with the young, energized, highlight making player to represent the Sounders. When he missed game three, the big-name Ljunberg stepped up early scoring in Toronto at BMO Field (one of the toughest places to play) reminding both fans and other teams that this Designated Player is here to win.

Seattle prepares for Week four, where they get to host the one-win Kansas City Wizards at Qwest Field. A win in Seattle for the Sounders, not only solidifies them as the best expansion start of all-time, but could place the Sounders in a group of elite teams who have opened the season with such dominance, reminiscent of the Crew last year (who did lose early on, but started 6-1-1). Regardless of this week's outcome, the Western Conference knows that Sounders are one of teams to beat in '09.

SuperClasico Round One

2009-04-06T23:50:00.001-04:00

My first article on The Bleacher Report

The 2009 battle for Soccer dominance in Los Angeles begins this Saturday. As Chivas USA has gradually emerged as MLS Cup contenders over the past few years, the Galaxy have shifted in the opposite direction. Regardless of the records every year, the battle between Chivas USA and the LA Galaxy to claim possession of the SuperClasico is passionate and exciting.

The Galaxy, come into the match with 1 point, a two-goal performance by Donovan saved a point in Week 1. A two-assist performance by Donovan in Week 3 kept the Galaxy just short of controlling Conor Casey's hat trick. As Berhalter gets set to join the Galaxy and strengthen the back line alongside the fast-maturing Franklin, the Galaxy search for the first win in a series usually dominated by the Galacticos.

Chivas USA sits atop the league coming into Week 4, as one of two teams rolling with 9 points. After knocking off former Supporter's Shield and MLS Cup bearing Columbus Crew, it appears that Chivas is a team to beat in the West. Even when plagued by injuries, newcomers have stepped up to give the Goats the edge in the past weeks.

ESPN2 is taking coverage of the game for the first Saturday night game on ESPN this year. The first of many to not be titled, Thursday Night Primetime - a move that hopes to increase viewership. Seeing a sold-out crowd in LA on a Saturday night looks better than 11,000 somewhere on a Thursday. The Galaxy open their US Open Cup journey Tuesday night facing Colorado for the second time in 3 days. Two games in one week has long plagued teams in MLS, most recently shown last week when the Crew lost both Thursday and Sunday.

As Chivas USA looks to strengthen their place as a annual force in the West, the Galaxy look to re-establish themselves as the marquee Western Conference franchise. Both teams know that the road to MLS success comes through Los Angeles. And the battle for LA pride begins Saturday night in the SuperClasico.

Galaxy sign former USA defender Berhalter

2009-04-03T14:54:00.003-04:00

Eddie Lewis, Landon Donovan, Gregg Berhalter, Edson Buddle, 1/2 David Beckham, Bruce Arena. The Los Angeles Galaxy have to do something this year. This is one of the best groups of players, mainly US players, to play together in MLS this season.

Can't leave out that Sean Franklin, 2008 rookie of the year, will now learn from one of the great US defenders. LA is definitely a team to watch out for this season and bring back memories of '05 possibly for the LA Riot Squad.

Columbus Crew at Real Salt Lake Post-game Thoughts

2009-04-02T21:29:00.005-04:00

1. Hesmer's fault for both of Findley's goals, unacceptable in MLS. Nothing good can come out of a 4 meter rebound or 6 meter pass to the other team. Findley was composed on both goals for RSL and deservedly earned his hat-trick. Findley almost had a 4th and an assist. Does the Galaxy regret giving him up yet?
2. Rio Tinto looked empty, and sounded empty most of the game. A home-opener! 50 degrees is too cold? Hesmer's mistakes were one of the only things that made the fans loud. Fans or altitude bigger advantage for RSL?
3. Clint Mathis is playing like young Mathis. His vision was spot-on in the first half, added an assist in the 2nd.
4. Columbus missed Moreno's and Hejduk's energy. Moreno's late sub was not enough.
5. ESPN's announcers were weak and at most times very boring to listen to. Let Stone and Lalas do it. Idiotic in the 2nd half talking about Donovan returning back to Chivas from USA and the Crew having to defend him on Sunday, just completely wrong. Allen Hopkins can stay.
6. Marshall's beastness in-the-air resulted in another goal for Columbus.
7. Interesting note: 1st goal this season in MLS from a corner kick.
8. Far different performance from Salt Lake than last week in their loss to expansion Seattle. RSL was exciting to watch up front.
9. Columbus looking more like '07 than '08.

Player of the Game: Robbie Findley, no surprise there. Give thanks to Hesmer.

Noted: Week 2

2009-04-01T15:50:00.004-04:00

1. Freddy Montero may easily be the winner of Newcomer of the Year. You read it here first, the kid is the fire player any expansion team needs, led by one of the best coaches in MLS history. With possibly the best fans the league has seen.
2. DC United, two blown leads in two weeks.
3. Another set of awesome goals for Goal of the Week in Week 2.
4. TFC goes home in Week 3 after going undefeated away from home. Something odd for the Reds. (see 9)
5. Chivas is still a top team when they aren't plagued by injuries. But two new boys stepped in when they needed them.
6. Welcome home Berhalter, some teams that need you: the Revs, RSL, Kansas City, NY, Dallas.
7. Nigerian forward Akinyibi coming to Dallas... as a sub? Ching is in for sure, who is out - can you sit Wondo after he scores?
8. What the hell was the USA doing in El Savador? Thanks to Columbus' Hejduk for some late game heroics. Even if they play that bad, they should still beat TT tonight.
9. Crew, everything went wrong to not get that win against TFC. Post-save-save in 20 seconds and an own goal from a near flawless defender.
10. I didn't notice Ljunberg in his 30 minutes. I am not hating on him yet.

Player of the Week: Arturo Alvarez, goal and an assist in a 2 minute span to put the game out of reach. Well it should have, at least it led to a win. What an exciting 6 minutes of soccer/football.

Team of the Week: Seattle. Last time an expansion team opened with two wins, they lost in Week 3 and went on to win the MLS Cup.

RSL, rough opening to your season to fall to expansion club. Maybe coming home will fix that... but to face the Cup and Shield bearers.

Sorry I have been on a delay writing, I just finished up a 50 page composition on Major League Soccer - I hope to have it up on here sometime in the future.

Noted: Week 1

2009-03-23T19:34:00.004-04:00

1. Seattle Sounders FC look like the real deal. And welcome some great fans to MLS.
2. 5 braces! Wow. Donovan, Montero, Guevera, Arnaud, and Nagamura. How many of these were not expected? No hangover from Landon. A new young guy in Seattle. Guevera a second wind. And Nagamura! Only 4 goals prior to this in his career.
3. The East on the road - 3 wins in the opening week, 5 teams from the East again this year?
4. Blown leads. DC late, Houston late, Dallas early, Colorado. All meant exciting games for us.
5. Averaging a little over 3 goals per game in a league constantly producing top goalkeepers.
6. Vancouver and Portland, welcome. Vancouver sold all 5,000 first rush season-ticket deposits in 24 hours!

Team of the Week: Seattle. 2nd expansion team in history to win opening game, looked dominating, dominated the score, fans were awesome.

Player of Week 1: Nagamura. Way to step up and produce game-tying goal, and then the game-tying goal. Did it with charisma for a non-goalscorer.

New York looked the worst in Week 1. MLS Cup '08 finalist dominated by '09 expansion team?

Monday Quickies

2009-01-26T17:00:00.003-05:00

1. Huge signing for Houston Dynamo, inking Bobby Boswell to a long-term deal. A former Defender of the Year and part of an incredible backline in Houston last season. Many (including myself) thought we would see him leave this January, because he was extremely underpaid. Glad to see will be sporting Golden Boy's black and orange.

2. In keeping Boswell, Seattle picked up Patrick Ianni from them. Can't hurt Seattle, especially as expansion teams look to build up any experienced guys to begin the season. Ianni had no reason to stay in Houston and be a 12th or 13th man from the bench.

3. Sacha Kljestan's performance for the United States was very impressive in their win over Sweden. Even more impressive is another solid performance by a majority of MLS players. And a good lead into next month's qualifier against rival Mexico. Glad to see it is in Columbus, USA is 2-0 there when playing Mexico. Huge qualifying step if they start with a win against another team favored to qualify.

4. Sad to see we are going to wait another year to see Red Bull Arena open. Biggest market in the United States and will have to play at a stadium no soccer team deserves to play in.

5. DeRo big deal in Toronto. TFC locked him down for 4 years. No surprise there.

Little long for my new style, but still quick for you I hope.
Peace.

What the Draft was Missing

2009-01-20T15:44:00.003-05:00

1. Trades. The 2008 draft watched players and picks move around throughout the 1st round making the draft exciting to watch as every team was looking to make a move that could help them hoist the MLS Cup. The 2009 draft? Predictable. Even Alexi Lalas called most of the picks before Garber even approached the stage.

2. Young Superstar(s). All the big picks, all the Generation Adidas players were all college players. While this may be a good sign for the design of the American game, finally developing their crop of players through the college system, it lacked the excitement of seeing a 14-year old Freddy Adu hold up a DC United jersey.

#1 pick Zakuani, forward out of Akron, went to Seattle Sounders FC.

Philadelphia Name?

2009-01-13T16:24:00.002-05:00

Supposedly 4 leaders, with voting to begin soon and name announced in February. Here are the rumored options:

Philadelphia SC
AC Philadelphia
Philadelphia City
Philadelphia Union

I guess I like the first two the best. At least the one acknowledges that the league is MLS and not MLF, like some of the recent expansion teams. Athletic Club has a nice touch that is not present in the league, along with city but I don't think people will get "city". Union is stupid. A union of what?

van den Bergh to FC Dallas; Oduro to NY

2009-01-13T16:06:00.003-05:00

What it is: Dave van den Bergh will suit up in Hoops now in Dallas, and Oduro in Red Bulls attire after today's trade.

Details: They also exchanged 1st round draft picks for this Thursday's draft, and the Bulls acquired Dallas' 2nd round pick.

My Take: Good for NY. Great for Dallas. Van den Bergh was outstanding in the MLS Cup and a huge part of NY's run through the playoffs. However, Oduro is young and can be a nice compliment for NY and fill the void that has existed since Altidore left.

Lopez Returns to Wizards, Not as DP

2009-01-11T13:35:00.004-05:00

What it is: Kansas City Wizard's 2008 Designated Player, Claudio Lopez will return for the 2009 season. However, he will return as a salary-cap player, much lower than his near $1 million DP salary from 2008.

Details: El Piojo in his first season contributed 6 goals and 7 assists, over 25 games.

My Take: Huge re-signing for a team that has struggled to score goals since the departure of Eddie Johnson. This can allow KC to search for a striker to work with Lopez, and the flexibility of this striker being a DP - the likes of Juan Pablo Angel in KC? That would be huge for the Wizards.

Columbus Moves

2009-01-10T18:27:00.003-05:00

1. Ezra Hendrickson retires from the Columbus Crew. Great player winning 3 MLS Cups and was a factor in helping the Crew win their first MLS Cup in 2008.
2. The Los Angeles Galaxy acquired midfielder Stefani Miglioranzi from the Columbus Crew for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.

Blanco's Back

2009-01-10T18:14:00.003-05:00

What it is: Chicago midfielder and Mexico International Cuauhtemoc Blanco, has signed a one-year extension to remain with the Fire during 2009.

Details: 18 goals and 11 assists over two seasons (more like one and a half) with the Fire.

My Take: Smart signing from all angles. Keeps Hispanic fan base. Keeps a leader on the field with the Fire. Keeps a recognizable face in MLS. And he still could have a lot to give. Turning 36 this month, but what he does on the ball is what he is great at. Along with free kicks. He hit a little lull in in the summer last year, but he knows this now. Last year was his first full MLS season so he can come prepared for the duration of the season and amount of games.

Beckham is on the Galaxy for 2009

2009-01-10T18:08:00.002-05:00

I have had enough of reading the rumors. David Beckham is contracted in 2009 with MLS and the LA Galaxy. He has said numerous times he will be there in March. Who cares what Alexi Lalas is saying? He is not even associated in any way with the Galaxy or MLS. Someday he will be back somewhere, then you can start to believe him again - about that team, his team. Not all this speculation.

Hopefully Becks time at Milan will prepare him for a good season with the Galaxy. And not force him to slump in the summer months of the season. Or worse, show up injured.

2009 Generation Adidas Players

2009-01-07T15:14:00.003-05:00

These players are usually seen as the year's best undergraduate talent, and also picked very early in the draft because they do not effect the salary cap. With the drop of the reserve team and the addition of two roster spots, I expect all 9 of these players to be drafted in the 1st round of the SuperDraft - The SuperDraft takes place Thursday, January 15th on ESPN2.

2009 Generation Adidas Class:

Kevin Alston, D, Indiana
Danny Cruz, M, Nevada Las Vegas
Stefan Frei, GK, California
Omar Gonzalez, D, Maryland
Jeremy Hall, M, Maryland
Baggio Husidic, M, University of Illinois-Chicago
Peri Marosevic, F, Michigan
Rodney Wallace, M, Maryland
Steve Zakuani, F, Akron

Houston Rumblings

2009-01-06T13:09:00.003-05:00

From the Houston Chronicle: Bobby Boswell may be close to leaving, but Joseph Ngwenya has a chance of returning. Boswell may be heading to Turkish side Antalyaspor. Ngwenya would be returning from there and Houston still holds his MLS rights.

Seattle Sounders FC Add Chris Eylander

2009-01-06T12:53:00.004-05:00

What it is: Former goalkeeper, Chris Eylander, of USL Seattle Sounders joins the new MLS Seattle Sounders FC to backup Kasey Keller.

Details: Eylander is a Seattle native, went to school at Washington, and played for the Seattle USL side.

My Take: Played well in USL, leading the league in saves. Learning from Keller at just age 24 could be huge for Eylander and lead him to a successful career in Seattle. Always nice to add a hometown guy to the team also when starting like TFC did with Brennan.

Extra: Didn't know it was still up in the air since I reported it a month ago, but Landon Donovan confirms and announces his loan to Munich until March.

MLS Heavy Roster for Sweden

2008-12-31T15:18:00.003-05:00

What it is: Bob Bradley released his roster for the USA's upcoming friendly against Sweden January 24th. Mostly made up of MLS players because of the offseason.

Roster: MLS players in Bold.

GOALKEEPERS: Jon Busch (Chicago Fire), Will Hesmer (Columbus Crew), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF), Matt Pickens (out of contract)
DEFENDERS: Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland), Sean Franklin (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cory Gibbs (Colorado Rapids), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Chris Wingert (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)
MIDFIELDERS: Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Brian Carroll (Columbus Crew), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Jack Jewsbury (Kansas City Wizards), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), John Thorrington (Chicago Fire)
FORWARDS: Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire)

My Take: For some of these guys it is just a reward for a strong campaign in Major League Soccer during 2008. For others it will be a proving ground to see who can be influential both in arriving in South Africa and who will be a part of South Africa 2010. Brian Ching needs to prove throughout 2009 he is necessary for SA '10. What is Ricardo Clark's role in a USA jersey? Rogers too young? Cooper's time arrived? Chad Marshall ready? There are some things to watch even if it is just an early '09 friendly.

Bruce Arena: Speaking about Galaxy's 2 Designated Players

2008-12-29T15:29:00.005-05:00

"There's no reason in the world for me to believe that having Landon Donovan and David Beckham on your team is a handicap. However, we've disproved that notion and it's my job to turn that around in 2009."

The Galaxy have 4 picks in the SuperDraft - 1 in each of the first rounds and 2 in the 4th: "I still like to believe we can get players in the third and fourth round who can help us."

"I don't think our shortcomings are attributable to the fact that, in terms of the salary cap, we have two Designated Players. That's not why we haven't been successful. We need to improve our roster, and we need to get the players who are here better, and we need to make the players here a better team. There's a lot of things we need to do that doesn't point a finger at the fact we have two designated players."

More in depth SoccerAmerica.com article.

Marshall Stays in Columbus

2008-12-26T20:21:00.003-05:00

What it is: Defender of the Year Chad Marshall re-signed with the Columbus Crew on a multi-year contract.

Details: Injured in 2007, but the best in 2008.

My Take: Huge signing for the Crew and MLS. Bringing back the player who was rumored to be the most sought after defender by foreign clubs. Keeps a Defender of the Year and young US talent in the States. Huge signings by the Crew so far this offseason with Schmid leaving, keeping GBS, and appointing former assistant coach.

United States Goals of 2008

2008-12-26T14:43:00.001-05:00

Good video showcasing the Men's US National team goals of 2008.

Donovan Ricketts to the Galaxy

2008-12-24T16:42:00.003-05:00

What it is: A Christmas eve eve signing for the Galaxy, picking up Jamaican international Donovan Ricketts. Two Donovan's in LA now.

My Take: A good signing. Probably a relatively cheap, great keeper for a team that desperately needs to build up its defensive end. Lots of international caps, and time in England playing some footy. The first step for LA and Arena to bring the Galaxy back up from the bottom of the table.

Warzycha, Head Coach of Columbus Crew

2008-12-22T16:36:00.004-05:00

What it is: Former assistant coach, Robert Warzycha takes over as head coach of the Columbus Crew after the departure of Sigi to Seattle.

Details: 5th Crew coach in history. He has been part of the Crew since 1996 both as a player and coach.

My Take: Good choice, smart choice. Leaves the MLS champions pretty much the same after Schmid's leave - no groundbreaking personnel change. Warzycha knows the league and Crew as well as anyone, both playing and coaching every year since the inception of the league. Also brings experience from EPL and knows how to win learning from Sigi for the past few years.

Ljungberg's Surgery

2008-12-20T17:05:00.004-05:00

What it is: Seattle Sounders Designated Player, Freddie Ljungberg had hip surgery a few days ago and is currently recovering. He will miss 10-12 weeks.

Details: Will miss much of preseason and probably return early March, hurting a team who should look at him as one of their leaders or captains.

My Take: Critics of the Ljungberg signing said he was a liability to play with his recent injuries, and they might be right. It hurts a new team to be without who salary-wise is expected to be their top performer. Similar to the situation with Beckham in LA, these two west coast teams will be without their Captains during the preseason which will crush chemistry that other teams are developing.

Rojas: Speaking of MLS

2008-12-18T20:35:00.004-05:00

Some interesting quotes from Jorge Rojas about MLS, speaking to a Venezuelan paper:

“Over there it's faster, physical. They try to be very precise. [The Venezuelan league] has another rhythm, more touch, less physical, slower. There are a lot of differences.”

“They focus on a player's well-being, nothing is overlooked, you don't have to worry about whether they will pay salaries, or if there's clothing you need for different weather conditions. They're dedicated to those things so that all a player has to focus on is playing. That's the way it should be and that's how they treat us."

“I hope 2009 is my year in MLS. I like the league and the way they play and how they treat me.”

More in depth Goal.com article.

Major League Soccer Attendance 2008

2008-12-16T19:14:00.004-05:00

I have been getting a lot of people coming here looking for 2008's attendance figures only to find that I have 2007's posted on an old post. So here is Major League Soccer Attendance 2008, by team and league total.

Each team had 15 home games during the regular season - these are those average totals per game:

Chicago Fire: 17,035
Chivas USA: 15,145
Colorado Rapids: 13,660
Columbus Crew: 14,620
FC Dallas: 13,025
DC United: 19,835
Houston Dynamo: 16,940
Kansas City Wizards: 10,685**
LA Galaxy: 26,010
New England Revolution: 17,580
NY Red Bulls: 15,930
Real Salt Lake: 16,180
San Jose Earthquakes: 13,715**
Toronto FC: 20,120
League Average: 16,460*

Due to stadium restrictions, Kansas City and San Jose attendance figures are near capacity. This is why the league total is actually a little lower than in the past. Without those included league attendance is 17,170 average per game.

Sigi Schmid to Seattle

2008-12-15T19:44:00.003-05:00

What it is: A follow up to Sigi Schmid to Seattle?. It is expected Seattle will announce the signing tomorrow December 16th.

My Take: Seattle keeps adding pieces to their team to be surprisingly successful. Easily one of the most successful MLS coaches of all time, yeah I know that time is just 13 years but I will say the same thing in 10 years. Read more in the old post.

De Rosario to Toronto FC

2008-12-13T11:23:00.005-05:00

What it is: Long-been rumored move to TFC, trade sends De Rosario to Toronto in exchange for young defender Julius James.

My Take: Huge salary dump for the Dynamo, leaving nearly 300k in salary room. Possible DP in the works with that money? It has long been said DeRo wanted to play in his hometown and native country since they joined the league. TFC gets a constant Best XI nominee and one of the top players in the league over the past years, whether in Houston or San Jose. Also brings MLS Cup experience they are lacking. Dynamo gets a young, solid defender - at 1/6 the cost of DeRo. Defense is everything in Houston. If TFC didn't already pack the BMO Field, here comes another reason to watch the Red.

Sigi Schmid to Seattle?

2008-12-10T02:08:00.004-05:00

What it is: Sigi Schmid is not returning to Columbus next year after winning the Supporter's Shield and MLS Cup in 2008.

Details: He is in 'talks' with expansion club Seattle Sounders FC.

My Take: Could he now hold the MLS Cup with a third team? Easily would put him into a league of his own. Odd they did not work something out in Columbus after he completely turned the organization around in 3 years.

Extra: They were talking immediately after the MLS Cup. I expect him to be signed in Teal and Turquoise by Monday.

Parkhurst to Denmark in January

2008-12-10T02:01:00.005-05:00

What it is: Michael Parkhurst is leaving the New England Revolution in January for Denmark in Janurary on a free transfer.

Details: Parkurst's initial 4-year contract expires at the end of 2008.

My Take: Losing one of the best defenders in MLS (and young talented American) to play in a league where most US fans will not even be able to watch him. This may just be the beginning of a long streak of MLS defenders leaving during this January's transfer window. Chad Marshall or Bobby Boswell could be next - that would be 2 (or 3) defenders of the year gone within weeks of one another.

Extra: Who will take over the role as the cleanest defender in the league? Parkhurst has not even committed 20 fouls total in the past 2 years.

Jaime Moreno's Surgery

2008-12-08T16:44:00.003-05:00

What it is: DC United player and all-time MLS leading scorer underwent a quick and successful hernia surgery on December 6th.

Details: Announced by DC United he will be ready for the 2009 opening. Moreno recorded 10 goals and 10 assists in 2008, leaving him one assist shy of 100 and an MLS leading 122 goals.

Galaxy Friendly in Auckland

2008-12-07T15:50:00.003-05:00

What it is: Galaxy win friendly match 3-0, new addition Pirovski scores along with Gordon and Brandon Macdonald. All within the first 35 minutes.

My Take: The highlights tell the tale, it was all about Beckham being there - not the Galaxy, or Oceania.

Davino Departs Dallas

2008-12-04T18:40:00.003-05:00

What it is: FC Dallas and Mexican defender Duilio Davino mutually agree to end his contract with the league.

Details: Davino played in 23 games, 22 starts and was a strong role in the Dallas backline.

My Take: It was good to have him in the league for a year, but probably best for Dallas to not keep him any longer. He brought experience that the young Dallas defense lacked, and probably passed some unteachable skills along. But he is past his prime and not a top defender in the league.

Picture of Davino sliding in on Donovan.

Blanco's Impact on Loan

2008-12-03T17:21:00.003-05:00

What it is: Blanco is on loan for the offseason with Santos Laguna during their playoff push.

Details: Blanco scored on a penalty kick and added a secondary-assist to help Santos win their second game of a two-leg series 2-1.

My Take: Good exposure for MLS showing that Blanco can still play in other leagues like he does in MLS. After watching him for a couple years in a Fire jersey, looks weird seeing him with 100 advertisements on his Santos jersey.

Extra: Plays the first game in the semifinal tomorrow, Thursday against Toluca.

Schelotto Stays in Columbus

2008-12-02T17:09:00.005-05:00

What it is: GBS has signed to stay with the Columbus Crew becoming the team's first Designated Player.

My Take: Huge for the Crew to sign back the league and MLS Cup MVP. Great for the league to retain its top talent from 2008. Helps spread MLS and Columbus throughout the world still as Argentina (especially Boca fans) followed Schelotto throughout the year.

Extra: Leaked that Columbus will open at Houston on March 21.

2009 Opener

2008-12-02T14:50:00.005-05:00

What it is: The new Seattle Sounders will open the 2009 season on a Thursday ESPN game against the New York Red Bulls.

Details: MLS is showcasing their newest addition to the league, 2 DPs, Qwest Field, MLS Cup runner-up, but most importantly the team with the most season-ticket deposits of any team yet.

My Take: Good choice to show off a new team and a very popular soccer-city. Seattle has shown a new strategy of viral marketing a team and making it a team for the fans. Hopefully, the broadcast will be focused on the game, the two teams, the outlook of the season, and nothing to do with shitty stories about one-man shows. You all know what I mean if you watched an ESPN telecast lately.

Extra: This should be announced within the next week along with the first week schedule, then followed in January/February with the whole schedule.

Groundbreaking in Chester

2008-12-01T16:44:00.005-05:00

What it is: Philadelphia broke ground on MLS's 16th franchise stadium this afternoon.

Details: Over 100 million dollar project that will hold 18,500 people in Chester, Pennsylvania.

My Take: Great to see the 16th team will play its first game in a soccer-specific stadium. A great sign for the league, and will guarantee over half of the league will play in soccer built stadiums.

Extra: Rumored that Philly will announce a team name in February.

Dynamo Representin'

2008-11-28T18:49:00.003-05:00

What it is: Houston has advanced to the CONCACAF quarterfinals.

Details: Brian Ching put a header away for Houston to win 1-0 and finish 2nd in their group of 4, qualifying them for the next home-and-away leg series. No other MLS teams advanced. DC United put up a pitiful attempt.

My Take: Great for the league to be exposed, but better for the Dynamo. While everyone else in the offseason, Houston continues to play and line up on the pitch against some good clubs. Good luck Dynamo.

Extra: Here are the highlights.

Seattle Sounders FC Expansion Draft

2008-11-26T15:59:00.004-05:00

What it is: Seattle selected 10 players from other MLS clubs to add to their roster today, bringing their total now to 14.

Details: Here are the selections.

1. Nate Jaqua (Houston Dynamo) 2. Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake) 3. Jeff Parke (New York Red Bulls) 4. Jarrod Smith (Toronto FC) 5. Khano Smith (New England Revolution) 6. Peter Vagenas (Los Angeles Galaxy) 7. Tyson Wahl (Kansas City Wizards)8. James Riley (San Jose Earthquakes)9. Stephen King (Chicago Fire) 10. Brad Evans (Columbus Crew)

My Take: Jaqua gives them a starting forward who knows how to score. Sturgis is solid. Parke will have to finish his suspension, but has been a solid contributor in MLS. Jarrod Smith, probably will be used to trade if anything like the past 2 expansion teams. Khano Smith, another tradeable starter. Vagenas is no longer the longest-tenured player in LA, more turnover for Galaxy fans. Brad Evans was a quiet factor for the best team in MLS.

Extra: No picks from Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, and DC United.

Again, Fans in California

2008-11-24T17:46:00.003-05:00

I was impressed by the crowds from both teams traveling across the country (and mentioned it a day ago). But here is a first-hand look from Greg Lalas.

My favorite part - Frankie Hejduk drank beers with the fans in Columbus during his suspension. How can't fans, I mean supporters, continue to cheer for someone who wanted to befriend them? And above all the captain of the best team in MLS.

MLS Cup 2008 Highlights

2008-11-23T23:25:00.001-05:00

Kind of blurry, but a decent video.

Sunday still?

2008-11-23T20:30:00.003-05:00

What it is: MLS Cup was played a Sunday afternoon, again.

My Take: I couldn't care in the least, I will watch it anytime - it can be on at 3 AM on a Tuesday. I have watched World Cup matches at that time. But for everyone to watch? Probably not a Sunday afternoon, casual fans will still lean towards watching their hometown NFL team.

My Suggestion: A Tuesday night on ABC? Or a Friday night? Friday night would be a good time, I think I have watched every MLS game I have ever watched with other people. Friday night MLS Cup Party sounds good. I'll be the first to throw a party.

Crowd in Carson

2008-11-23T20:22:00.003-05:00

The crowds in Cali for the MLS Cup were pretty solid. The Crew and Red Bulls were well represented. I thought it might have been too far for even die-hard fans to travel (and too costly). But props to the Hooligans from Columbus and the section of red, white, and blue cheering for the Red Bulls.

Advantage? The Crew fans... looked like they took the Nordecke and moved it to California for a day.

25 in 31

2008-11-23T19:21:00.004-05:00

What it is: Schelotto had 19 assists in 27 league games. And then added another 6 in 4 playoff games.

My Take: 25 assists in 31 games is unbelievable. No one thought anyone could come close to touching the assist-ness of Carlos Valderamma. GBS may be his match, or at least the modern day version. 3 assists in the MLS Cup! He will get lots of praise for his MVP, MLS Cup MVP, Best XI selection... all necessary. But if one number needs to be looked at, it is just the number 25. He probably will not come close to 25 assists next season, and no one else will either.

Extra: Dane Richards diced people up all day long, and that was against one of the top defenses in the league. Going against Padula, Hejduk, O'Rourke, and Marshall all day should be near impossible. Dane Richards may have shown the best one-on-one attack against the Crew all year. The result? 1 assist. Some days that may be enough.

Volkswagon Road to the Cup

2008-11-21T19:15:00.003-05:00

What it is: VW made a miniseries following the travel of the MLS Cup to LA.

Details: Lots of MLS player cameos, that chick from Mad TV, and you will actually laugh a few times. Yep, I didn't think so either.

My Take: Surprisingly entertaining. Each one is only a minute or two long so you can watch the whole series in 15 minutes.

Extra: If you only watch one, watch "Sleepover". The last one, #6, comes out today sometime.

Smart Moves

2008-11-20T19:24:00.004-05:00

What it is: Donovan, Beckham, and Blanco loaned out during the MLS offseason.

Details: Beckham is heading to AC Milan. Donovan to Bayern Munich. Blanco to a Mexican club for the playoffs.

My Take: What a better way to show MLS talent than on loan deals. It exposes the world to the class of players playing in Major League Soccer, gets the MLS money, and could bring some new fans in who enjoy seeing these players play during their loan periods.

Extra: I am glad to see they are loans, so MLS is committed to making profits, while retaining great players in the league. One of the best decisions done yet by MLS.

1986

2008-11-17T16:13:00.003-05:00

What it is: New York Red Bulls take on the Columbus Crew at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA this Sunday. For the MLS Cup.

Details: Two East teams in the final in one of the most Western cities. 1986 miles is about the shortest distance it will take for a fan to travel from their city to Chivas/Galaxy-ville.

My Take: This will be the furthest any team has from home-field advantage ever in the MLS Cup. The chance that two Eastern teams ever reach the final again in a West city is very, very unlikely. Just as unlikely would be two West sides playing in the East. Think about what must happen: rotation of East/West has to be right (50% chance), both wildcards must come from the same side opposite the host city (25% chance), and then the 2nd wildcard (worst team in playoffs) must win one series and one game they are favored to lose (even if its equal liklihood they'd win, best odds of winning both 25%). Even with these favorable odds, its barely above a 3% chance. Then the Cup has to be this far away again also.

Extra: This may not be that big of deal, but no two teams will ever play in further away place, making it more neutral. So NY is in a situation that will lack the Hudson Street Hooligans of Columbus - at home Columbus is near flawless. A NY win will be the worst-team ever to win the MLS Cup and they could never lose that title. Starting next year, and getting more difficult the next three years, it would be very unlikely a sub .500 team finds their way to the playoffs. Let alone fighting for the Championship.

Crew: Where They Should Be

2008-11-14T15:05:00.005-05:00

What it is: Columbus Crew, MLS Cup virgins, advanced to the 2008 MLS Cup last night defeating the Chicago Fire 2-1 in front of an excited (and larger) group of Columbus fans.

Details: Columbus has never been to the MLS Cup. The Crew advance after winning the Supporter's Shield. Coach of the Year goes to the MLS Cup. Defender of the Year goes to the MLS Cup. Probable MVP, GBS advances to the MLS Cup.

My take: So many reasons why the Crew should be there: MLS original, first soccer stadium in the US, by far the most consistent team in league in 2008. Sigi came in and said he could not fix the team in 1 year (and wouldn't try to), he was right. It took 3. On display for the nation will be the league's best team, best defender, MVP (my pick, anyways), top goalie finalist, exciting young US players, and one of the best US defenders.

Extra: More proof that the DP rule needs tweaked a little. Columbus has none, Chicago arguably had 2 on the field. McBride almost ruined his former team's dream on his first visit back to Columbus with an early goal. Last time, Sigi Schmid won the Supporter's Shield, he won the MLS Cup. With LA's constant coach rollover, how bad of a decision did they make letting him leave for Ohio?

Sean Franklin: 2008 Rookie of the Year

2008-11-13T14:07:00.003-05:00

What it is: Sean Franklin, of the Los Angeles Galaxy picks up the Rookie of the Year award, following in the footsteps of last year's winner Maurice Edu.

My Take: Franklin was the only consistent defensive player on the worst defensive team in the league. I do like Espinoza also, but Franklin is well deserving - he played more minutes than any other rookie, and for good reason. Without drafting Franklin, the Galaxy defense would have been worse. Yes, somehow that is possible.

Extra: Greg Vanney retired a few days ago from the Galaxy. Vanney has been a good player in MLS and posted a solid career. Franklin will have an even larger role next year as they look to fill Vanney's spot.

Best Goals 2008

2008-11-12T19:49:00.005-05:00

A great video from climbingtheladder, one of my personal favorites on YouTube.

Donovan: 2008 Honda US Player of the Year

2008-11-12T15:58:00.003-05:00

What it is: Landon Donovan of the LA Galaxy was named for a record 5th time the US Honda Soccer Player of the Year.

Details: Donovan beat out Dempsey and Tim Howard. Donovan posted his best MLS season and notched 3 goals for the US, 2 during WC qualifiers.

My Take: Arguably his best year yet in his career, so if he has won 4 times before, not a big surprise to win again. This year showed his needed presence for the US - when Donovan was not on the field, the States lacked a solid attack and urgency/threat factor.

Extra: Donovan was not present to receive the award, but commented during his training stint with Bayern Munich.

Say Goodbye to Hollywood

2008-11-11T14:47:00.003-05:00

What it is: Landon Donovan, current Golden Boot winner, possible MVP, former MVP, and leading US goal scorer is training for 10 days with Bayern Munich.

Details: Glad my Crew jersey is blank. I might have to hang my Donovan Galaxy jersey on the wall until it is a throwback.

My Take: One of the top 3 players in the league and top 10 all-time. I would love to see him stay in MLS, but MLS is not the top league in the world and it would be nice to see him play with Bayern. He is at a peak in his career, coming off his best season in MLS - imagine if he would have played on a good team, or in every game. But the MLS should see benefits from this also - it exposes the talent that is in MLS and a big transfer fee will probably come, like it did with EJ and Jozy.

Extra: He has to play. He can't leave for Germany and sit on the bench, Donovan has developed too much in the past 2 years to have that progress halted. Is a bench player on Bayern Munich better than a starter in other leagues? I think not. Remember how bad EJ played against England in May after sitting on the bench for awhile? I was there, he may have not started on a D2 college team with that first-touch he displayed.

MLS Cup 2008: Marketing Dream or Disaster

2008-11-11T14:38:00.003-05:00

What it is: Thanks to an interesting playoff berth format, MLS could see 2 East opponents face off in Los Angeles.

Details: Four scenarios: Crew vs. RSL, Crew vs. NYRB, Fire vs. RSL, and Fire vs. NYRB.

My Take: It can be either a marketing dream: Chicago Fire vs. New York Red Bulls. Or a marketing disaster: Real Salt Lake vs. Columbus Crew. Which teams are more deserving and more likely to win? The disasters statistically. Who are MLS officials secretly rooting for? Blanco, McBride, and Angel. Die-hard fans like myself will love just as much to see any of the 4 possible scenarios. But everyone else, including many of my friends, would prefer to see Fire and Red Bull.

Extra: Blanco brings Hispanics to watch. Angel brings European fans. McBride brings US fans. New York and Danny Cepero bring underdog supporters. If New York wins (East #5) over Columbus (East #1, League #1), something will have to be changed in the playoff format.

Wizards at Crew

2008-11-11T14:34:00.005-05:00

What it is: Crew win 2nd leg 2-0 and earn their first playoff victory since 2001. Will the Supporter's Shield and newly renamed MLS Cup both reside in Columbus? I hope so.

My Take: Thanks to some other Crew Supporters, I made it into a video.

Freddie Ljunberg to Seattle

2008-11-11T14:22:00.004-05:00

What it is: After displaying an interest in playing for NY or LA, Freddie has signed to begin play with the Sounders in 2009. He signed as their Designated Player at somewhere between $3-5 million per year.

Details: Good player, has had some injuries lately, but feels he is still at the peak of his game and wanted to come at his peak, not after. Becomes the 4th player on the Sounders joining Kasey Keller as a 2nd big name to promote an already very popular team.

My Take: Early favorite to take home the Newcomer of the Year Award in 2009. Congratulations to Huckerby for winning this year in a very shallow pool of selections. If Ljunberg does anything close to what Huckerby has (he better at 5x the cost), the Sounders have made a good decision.

Extra: He is not a better signing than Blanco in 2007. Sounders' owners have put him up there with only Beckham on important signings to the league. As a sex symbol, yes, he was CK model.

Back For Good

2008-11-11T14:19:00.003-05:00

Call me Jay-Z cuz I am back out of retirement again, with a little different approach that is more user-friendly. I know if you come here, you come to see what is going on around the league, you want to see it quick, and know what a fan's perspective is. Well, that is all I will be giving now. Many posts as long as this one I am writing right now.

-Peace

Arena In, Edu Out

2008-08-18T21:57:00.003-04:00

Well, is a swap for one of the best coaches in MLS history and US Soccer history worth losing a young US talent with lots of potential? On the surface, this may not be the easiest question to answer. Edu is loaded with talent, but he truly is not a superstar of the league. Will his recent signing with the Rangers help him? That is the better question and something to ponder for all US fans.

He is signed with the Rangers until age 27, that is Donovan's current age. Can he develop well enough there? Beasley has not gotten any better by playing there, but having Beasley already there will help Edu adjust to a different style of game. Every league has its differences. But Edu will also face some awful teams. With some openings from injuries in Glasgow, Edu has the opportunity to immediately make an impact. Like his quick adjustment to MLS, no Rangers fans should expect anything different. Edu should do well, and hopefully it helps the US national team in the long-run. Remember this is why MLS was created - to develop US players. It is doing that, and more.

Arena coming back to MLS at the front of the Galaxy, like I said before, is the perfect fit. Welcome back. Now go put the league's marquee team into the playoffs. If anyone can do it, we should expect Mister Bruce Arena to. And if this swap of Arena back in and Edu out puts the Galaxy and Donovan and Becks into the playoffs, the league has won on this. And the $5 million transfer fee is not too shabby either.

-Respect

Columbus Never Disappoints

2008-08-17T19:23:00.003-04:00

I have been to lots of sporting events throughout the years, but in my second visit to Crew Stadium, the Hudson Street Hooligans once again put attending a Crew game at the top of the list. From the constant chants, to the black and yellow filled stadium, the Geeeeaiiiirrrrrmooo chants on each free kick, and the flood of streamers to hit the Dallas corner kicks. And seeing them win again is of course a plus. And every HSH girl is a dime, not sure how you guys recruit... but well done.

Thanks to Ruby Tuesday's once again for their hospitality and the random Hooligan who took me to his tailgate just to give me a buy-one-get-one-free coupon. Between those two things, being a member of the HSH is something different that you do not see in many places or with many other sporting teams. Everyone is friendly. Everyone wants to help out. Everyone is united by one simple thing, cheering for the Crew (and alcohol).

Congratulations to Jeff Cunningham becoming just the 4th MLS player to reach the century mark of career goals. Cooper continues to be a beast up top for Dallas and looks enormous in person.

Number 4 Pedula should be cut from the Crew or at least sent back to the bench to cheer on his teammates. He simply is unable to cover any of the top forwards in the league.

Columbus - FC Dallas highlights.

Every team is still in the race for the eight playoff spots. The West's weakness has allowed San Jose to survive more than half the season. Now with a couple recent wins, the 'Quakes are just two games away from a playoff spot. With their recent additions (especially Scott Sealy) and O'Briens recent surge back to peak form, SJ looks to be in the race as an expansion team. What has happened to the Revs recently since their SuperLiga victory? Losing this week both in the Open Cup and allowing the worst team in the league to beat the best. Did they peak too early to make a run at the Cup?

-Cheers

Americans back to America II

2008-08-17T16:52:00.002-04:00

Not sure how or why I left this guy out...

Clint Mathis - After making a brief stint with LA in their preseason travels, Mathis headed abroad to try out his luck. Well now this American is back in the MLS with one of the best teams in the West, Real Salt Lake. How many years does he have left to play, and where can he play? He began to revitalize himself a little in NY, but it never became the consistent, dominating Mathis we knew of six years back.

Americans back to America

2008-08-15T22:19:00.002-04:00

With the McBride deal finally going through and hooking Chicago up pretty nicely towards the end of the transfer window, there is no better time to talk about all the Americans' buzz going around the MLS right now.

Brian McBride - Play in Chi-town or not play at all. Well every team probably won't be too happy to see him line up opposite themselves, but we should all be happy to see him play again. After a great run with Fulham and the national team, it will be nice to see BM end his career in Chicago.

Cory Gibbs - Rumors went around for awhile that he would join up with Donovan and Becks in LA, but not this year at least. He will be a member of the Western conference leaders, Real Salt Lake. Did I just write that? Western. Conference. Leaders. No longer the joke of the West, they are leaving the constant comedy game to the spectacle that is the Galaxy.

Pat Noonan - The Revs hated to see him leave. As a fan I hated to see him leave. But tomorrow night in Columbus I can watch him suit back up in the MLS in yellow and black. Maybe the final push the Crew need to jump back up into the Eastern conference lead.

Eddie Lewis - Heading to LA? Only a little bit more time will tell as the transfer window gets closer and closer to closing. After dropping Xavier's money, and maybe soon Ruiz's large salary, Lewis would be a good fit to a weak, weak defense.

Kasey Keller - One of the best US goalies in history will debut with Seattle in their inaugural year. Is that as big as a signing we will see from Seattle? Probably not, but it's a good start to showing they want big players and they want to win. We have seen how bad a team can get without a solid goalkeeper - not a bad place to start, and definitely not a bad person to start with.

Bruce Arena - The most successful US coach in history: Will he be the next move in LA? He almost seems like a perfect fit, which makes it more unlikely. But Donovan knows him, Becks respects him, the league respects him, he knows the league, he knows the players, he knows the system, and he feels he still has something to prove after NY. So what is stopping this signing? He showed up in LA for the SuperClasico final, but just for talks. Yeah I travel to LA just for talks too.

Cooper, Cunningham, Noonan, Rogers, and Moreno in a 3-2 Crew win tomorrow.

SuperClasico Preview

2008-08-14T12:39:00.002-04:00

Even though both the Galaxy and Chivas USA have been struggling lately, the derby of LA rarely lacks excitement. From the 7-goal thriller early on, or Jesse Marsch taking out Beckham in his first Clasico game. But how much does the game mean on the larger scale? Approaching the 2/3 mark of a season (this is when LA decided to play last year, the last 7 games) if the season ended right now, neither Hollywood team would be represented in the playoffs. This is good for the other teams since there is no chance of some home-pitch advantage in the Cup.

So how will Cobi adjust to his first game as head coach? Can players like Landon Donovan and David Beckham respect him as a head coach? Donovan played beside him for years as a teammate, so did Beckham last year, but Cobi has as much head coaching experience as both of them. Can Buddle continue his career season without Gullit? Buddle has struggled every year in the MLS until now. Maybe it was Gullit's coaching, or Beckham's perfect passes, or being combined up top with the best US forward in history. Only time will tell.

Will Sacha Kljestan be back from Beijing? As much as USA fans wanted to see the team make a run at the gold, I doubt Chivas USA got too upset knowing they get the return of their key playmaker. On a quick flight and some jetlag, Sacha may play tonight. Even at 75% he makes Chivas a much better team. And with his next another yellow card, Kljestan will have to watch another game from the sidelines, just as his fans watch their playoff hopes get further away.

This week's ESPN Primetime match has more importance than just a city rivalry. Both teams looking to rebound off poor games. But both teams, and even Becks said it, know this is a must-win game tonight in LA.

Cobi Jones goes 1-0 as head coach in 3-1 victory at the Home Depot Center.

Quick Notes

2008-08-11T16:31:00.003-04:00

Back again, here are my thoughts on some recent things:

1. Is it Cup time for the Revs? Last year they finally got a trophy in the US Open Cup and already picked up one trophy this year in the Superliga. Could they be the first team to set the standard for a US treble? Superliga down, Semifinals of Open Cup on the way, and the best team in MLS thus far on the way to third Cup final in a row. New England has the chance to solidify its name as one of the best MLS teams in league history. And all after losing players like Clint Dempsey and Pat Noonan along the way.

2. New faces in LA. Gullit's big name is no longer a powerful name in LA, and the head clown himself Alexi Lalas is out, too. Was it all their fault? Lalas has taken his last risk it appears. What if one of those risks had paid off? He would be looked up to throughout the league, instead he is now an example of what not-to-do. This does not sit well - the atmosphere and risks he has taken in LA should be an example of how to run a business. Remember MLS is a business and half the world would not know it existed if it was not for Lalas. So yeah sometimes you're a goof and a laughing stock, but other times you're an ambassador and innovator. So from The Breakdown, thanks Alexi. And best of luck to Cobi on continuing to build his MLS legacy.

3. Cunningham back in the hunt? I love seeing little, fast Jeff Cunningham run through defenses and make messes of slow, tentative defenses. Can he compliment Kenny Cooper to a new offensive level in Dallas? Maybe this is the new Beckham, Donovan, Buddle threat of the West. I will just be happy to see him back on the field, hopefully he plays in Columbus this weekend when I am there.

4. USA Olympic team is exceeding expectations. An MLS led team is surprising all the critics thus far. If it was not for a slight drop-off in extra-time, we would already see a top 8 finish in Beijing. Nigeria always shows up hard in big competitions, but I expect the Yankees to slide through to the quarters in a nice 2-1 fashion to break out of their tough group.

5. I am glad to see some new faces mixing it up in the league standings. In a league with a salary cap, you hope your team has a chance to make it far at the beginning of every season. Well almost every team has something to cheer for already this year. And looks like Sigi is on his way to staying in Columbus, rather than being fired as the early talks were. And TFC is showing by example what expansion teams can do over the next few years as a few join the league.

-Strength and Honor

WNBA!?

2008-06-26T21:53:00.002-04:00

Why the hell does the WNBA have preference over MLS Primetime on ESPN? MLS needs to pick up another TV contract with a station no one expects to cover soccer. Why not TBS? or Versus? or FX? or USA? It has worked for the NBA and NHL. Fox Soccer already has a game of the week, FX picking up a midweek game may be something simple to add-on and give FOX whole control of American Soccer.

I wanted to see the Texas showdown tonight, but instead I have checked back to ESPN to see some basketball game where it will be impossible for me to find someone who watched a minute of it tomorrow. How can ESPN claim to be the US's main provider of soccer and include MLS Primetime in their ads? Well the game is halfway over now and no one has seen a minute of it. Even people in Houston and Dallas may not have seen it if ESPN had the only rights. I do not know if they did, but I would be a pretty pissed member of the Texian Army if I missed a half of my team's game.

Week 6 Notes

2008-05-04T20:30:00.002-04:00

How different one year can make in a league with a salary cap...

1. Perennial powerhouses sink. About 20% into the season you can start to judge teams: an opening slump or hot streak has probably settled and teams are beginning to appear how we should expect. And that leaves DC United and Houston Dynamo at the bottom of their respective divisions. Back-to-back-to-back does not appear likely for either of these teams. Emilio has hit the MLS sophomore slump harder than anyone could have predicted after dominating the season awards just a year ago. Houston looks to have their trademark defense, but cannot find a way to score. Guzan was playing well Saturday, though. But no one could have thought Houston would stay winless through 6. They both head home, but facing two teams coming off pretty impressive wins.

2. Golden Boy. Oscar, well done. In Oscar De La Hoya's fight this weekend, he sported the Houston Black and Orange along with a Houston Dynamo logo on his shorts. Good for the Dynamo. Good for the league. It will be cool to see De La Hoya in one box and Drew Carey in another in a couple years. And with Kobe Bryant and Tom Cruise showing up in LA, some true star power from fans may be coming to the league.

3. Crew Stadium. Name a place that is harder to play at right now. Yeah yeah, you can argue Toronto because they are playing well. But with decent fans in Columbus (not as good as TFC or DC yet) and the best team in MLS right now, who is going to go to CC Stadium and win? And as I have noticed, the Hudson Street Hooligans seem to slowly be growing in size.

4. Rapids roll. Colorado got back on track by dominating the play against DC United. Gomez showed why he was once an MVP and why he was brought in for Colorado, posting 2 assists. It had to feel good to take down his former team (who wouldn't pay him) and set up 2 goals. Jaime could use another assist man in DC.

5. Becks. Finally MLS fans got to see David Beckham's patented free-kick skills in a league match. And his vision which is always on, posted another goal. The stars continue to dominate ('align' I guess I should say, right Alexi?) in LA. Beckham and Donovan have been involved in almost every goal still. I will be the first to say Beckham gets Player of the Week and LA takes its 4th POTW in just 6 weeks. Beckham's and Donovan's presence right now leave any game winnable, regardless of score or time remaining.

6. 'Quakes D. San Jose has not really found the go-to-guy to score yet, but Yallop's idea of building from the back up and securing a strong defense has looked pretty well so far. Another shutout. As soon as someone steps up as a striker, San Jose will look less like an expansion team, and more like the old 'Quakes.

7. On Fire. Along with the Crew, Chicago has put themselves at the top of the league. Without Blanco (not saying he did not contribute otherwise) three different Fire players found the back of the net. Two posting their first goal of the season, and Thorrington scoring his 3rd in the past 2 weeks. Fantasy Tip: Pick up Jon Busch - he is cheap, making saves, and with this team should pick up a lot more wins the rest of the way.

8. The Reds. TFC has extended its unbeaten streak to 4 games. NE should have put one away in the first 20, but TFC capitalized on their opportunity to take the lead. But what I really want to mention is the amazing Claudio Reyna sign in Section 109 (right?). Amazing. And covering him with streamers while that hung behind him looked great on TV. Keep it up in TFC - TFC fans are setting a MLS standard for what fans can/should/will do.

-Respect

Power Rankings: April 29

2008-04-29T21:07:00.007-04:00

1. Columbus Crew (2) - Black and Gold is on fire. Moreno found a way to hit the back of the net again in a scramble where once again he just outworked the defensive attempt at a clearance. And another game at home this week against a Kansas City team that does not seem to be as strong on the road as at home (but neither does the rest of the league).

2. Chicago Fire (4) - Another scoring threat in Thorrington? The game should have been put away after his second, but Chicago seemed to play flat after going up 2-0.

3. New England Revolution (6) - Looking like the consistent team we have all come to know over the past 6 years. Every week they find someone new to put the ball away in the absence of Twellman. Left Dallas hang around with a one-goal lead when they should have been up two or three.

4. FC Dallas (1) - The offense did not show up on Thursday and they were the only home team to lose. The Cooper-Alvarez duo should bounce back. FC Dallas was last to record a loss, however, in a game they should have lost by a few.

5. Toronto FC (8) - Found ways to win three in a row. This is the longest win streak in Reds history. It is now a struggle to go into Toronto and win - best fans and a team to match. Guevera is back.

6. LA Galaxy (9) - Donovan is ridiculous right now (I just left that from last week since he played even better this week). If Alan Gordon is a scoring threat now, this will be the most dangerous attacking team to play. Don't expect them to be involved in many low-scoring games, no defense really comes with their potent offense.

7. Kansas City Wizards (3) - It's tough to play in Toronto, but when TFC is good it is much harder to get a point.

8. New York Red Bulls (10) - Altidore stepped it up in Angel's absence to create a PK and Magee took it in Angel's place. It was only SJ, but they were coming off their first win.

9. Colorado Rapids (5) - Two losses in a row now. Who knows what team to expect for the season? Are they a threat in the West or back to the Colorado normalcy of last year?

10. Real Salt Lake (7) - Look shaky two weeks in a row. Maybe the decent opening was just a fluke. You can't expect to win many games that you give up two penalty-kicks in.

11. DC United (14) - Revenge against RSL. And this team looks a little more like what we expect to see all season long. How about Emilio's slump?

12. Chivas USA (11) - Lost the first round of the SuperClasico hard at the hands of Donovan and Gordon. Sacha had a nice goal in his return. Guzan got offered 4 million to leave, right? Maybe they would have been better. At least 1 (probably 2) were preventable.

13. San Jose Earthquakes (12) - Back to normal. Defense still looks promising.

14. Houston Dynamo (13) - Really, no win yet? What is going on in Houston? Columbus may be the best team right now, but the Cup still must go through Houston.

-Peace

Week 5 Goals

2008-04-29T18:42:00.002-04:00

As I promised... and as I said before, this is the best week of goals so far this season.

All Week 5 goals.

Goal of the Week Nominees.

-Enjoy

Power Rankings on their way.

Week 5 Notes

2008-04-27T19:19:00.004-04:00

1. And then there were none. FC Dallas finally goes down after being the only team through four games without loss. Every other home team won this weekend as the home dominance continues throughout the league. And Kenny Cooper's goal streak comes to an end. New England completely shut down all of Dallas' offense, while producing a ton of their own. New England has looked solid the past two weeks - they should have beat Dallas by at least another goal (or three).

2. Still winless. Back-to-back MLS Cup Champions Houston remain winless. Luckily they are in the West rather than the East and sit just a few games behind. The East has five teams with at least 3 wins; the West is yet to have a team with 3 wins.

3. 30 goals? Could Landon Donovan break the MLS single-season goals record? He sits with 8 goals in 5 games (along with 2 assists) and is unstoppable right now. If Alan Gordon can become another scoring threat, it will open even more chances for Donovan. Ruiz returns soon and could turn the Galaxy into the most threatening attack in the league. Hands down Donovan is playing the best soccer in the league.

4. DC erupts some revenge. After losing 4-0 at Real Salt Lake earlier in the season, DC came out firing at home and took down Salt Lake 4-1. Maybe the hangover is done and the offense we all expected is ready for the season. All four goals came without a contribution from Emilio though so there still is more power in DC's roster yet to explode. And what a cheeky first PK.

5. Goals, Goals, Goals. The scoring average is up per game and at its highest average in many years. This week saw 21 goals (3 per game). And this week's goals were much better than any other week thus far. I could name 20 to watch, but I will just post a link to them all within a day or two.

6. Record setting. TFC won their third game in a row for the first time in team history. It is also their first winning record ever. Guevara proved his ability to the TFC fans this week posting 2 goals and showing he can still be a MLS threat.

7. The Black and Gold. The Columbus Crew are the best team in the league right now. And congratulations to Coach Sigi for his 100th career win. Moreno continues to be on fire (moving into a second-place tie for goals) and driving his team just like LD in LA.

8. No Angels, No worries. A new face converted a game-winning PK in the absence of striker Juan Pablo Angel. Altidore was big again, both setting up the PK and finishing the 'Quakes off late into stoppage time.

The HDNet coverage of the Colorado at Chicago game was top-notch.
-Peace

Power Rankings: April 22

2008-04-22T11:18:00.004-04:00

Week 4 Goals

1. FC Dallas (3) - Tough choice, but the only undefeated team left in MLS. Cooper has 4 in 4 games and Alvarez notched another assist.

2. Columbus Crew (4) - Crew easily could sit in the one spot after a very convincing road win, but DC looks to be playing at the level of the worst in the league. Moreno played at an energy level above everyone else on the field. And Crew fans, my apologies, I saw you were even in DC.

3. Kansas City Wizards (5) - Lead the league in points and took down a solid Chicago team. Two things keep them at third: an extra game played and Chicago's 19 shots.

4. Chicago Fire (1) - Let Jewsbury slip in early and looked shaky for a half of play. Only 5 of 19 shots on frame? Between Blanco, Barrett, Rolfe, Mapp, and Frankowski you should expect better.

5. Colorado Rapids (2) - Gave the expansion 'Quakes their first goal and first win.

6. New England Revolution (7) - Scoring 10 minutes after going down 10 men shows why this team has found its way to the top of the East for so many years.

7. Real Salt Lake (6) - What was the wall doing on Robert's free kick? They gave Toronto a gift for their home opener.

8. Toronto FC (11) - Found ways to win two in a row. Could this be the longest win streak in Reds history?

9. LA Galaxy (10) - Donovan is ridiculous right now. Beckham is doin' what he do. Who else is on the team again? Nice way by those two to fight back after being down twice and grab a point. Beckham to Donovan header was the nicest goal of the season so far.

10. New York Red Bulls (9) - How do you give up a lead after Castro handed the game over in the 46th? Altidore took advantage of a lucky bounce, with a sick strike.

11. Chivas USA (8) - Missing SK definitely didn't help, but letting Cooper score 5 minutes in didn't do much to help their cause either. Back-to-back losses now.

12. San Jose Earthquakes (14) - Now everyone can stop thinking about the first goal and first win. Good win against a team that has been playing pretty well so far. SJ looks more like the Chicago expansion team of '98 than the TFC expansion team of '07.

13. Houston Dynamo (12) - Who could have guessed Houston would be the last team to strike the win column? It better come soon.

14. DC United (13) - A loss at home? To the Crew? The league looks different this year.

-Peace

Commissioner's New Blog

2008-04-22T11:06:00.003-04:00

I love the idea of the Boss having a new blog and expressing some of his thoughts, in addition to annual State of the League. But why just every two weeks? If I can find something to say weekly (or more often), so should he, and people would much rather see what he has to say than what I have to say.

Check it out here.

One of my favorite lines from the first blog: "I just received a research report on last weekend’s top 50 sports programs among Hispanic men. You might be interested to know that the TeleFutura MLS game was more popular than the Lakers/Spurs NBA game, the Yankees/Red Sox game on ESPN and the Masters on CBS." These are three huge events in their respective sports. As America grows in diversity, so does the nation's passion for sports.

Props to the new blog.

My Drunk Predictions: April 19-20

2008-04-18T17:47:00.002-04:00

So I have drank too much already on this Friday, but there is a lot to drink yet this night and I expect my predictions for the weekend will get a little worse as I drink more. Of course since they have not been that good, 3-4, so far anyways. Well first off before the predictions: Columbus looks straight up nasty and Moreno up top, Schelotto in the middle, and Hejduk in the back looked really fuckin' solid on Thursday. DC on the other hand does not look like the same team/dynasty/excellence program they have called themselves for 10 years. CC is real. And now for my predictions:

Saturday's games:
Real Salt Lake at Toronto FC: RSL 2-1 - Toronto got a lucky win and RSL have been playing like a new team. The only huge downfalls: TFC brings some of the best crowds at home, and two they will be coming big since TFC took down the league show in LA. This game will be a good show. It is the first game at BMO.

New England Revolution at New York Red Bulls: NY 2-0 - Which Revs team will show up? Angel and Altidore may be too much for the lack of defense shown this far by Parkhurst and friends. Maybe NE will throw one home from their surprise Gambians thus far, but it won't be enough. Matt Reis better be ready to save 15 for a win. NE has dominated this series in the past ten games.

San Jose Earthquakes at Colorado Rapids: Colorado 1-0 - How can't you pick the hottest team in the West? And against an expansion team that has missed open nets thus far.

Houston Dynamo at LA Galaxy: LA 1-0 - Donovan is on a rampage so far, Beckham is too good on the outsides against Houston. But Houston is still a better team and looking to show it thus far into the season - they will breakout sometime, maybe in week 4... (CC's pick to watch)

Sunday's games:
Kansas City Wizards at Chicago Fire: Chicago 3-1 - Chicago pulled a lucky win out last week. They'll show why they are on of the top in the east against KC. Blanco, Barret, and Frankowski should rip KC apart if they are without Conrad.

FC Dallas at Chivas USA: Chivas 2-1 - Chivas off a tough loss will bounce back at home. Dallas will find some gaps though since Kljestan is missing and Cooper and Alvarez have looked amazing thus far. (CC's pick to watch)

Thus far: 3-4
-Keep it real

Columbus Crew at DC United: April 17

2008-04-17T16:00:00.002-04:00

ESPN2 8 PM Eastern time
Since the Gallardo-Schelotto matchup is being over-hyped everywhere else, I will point out a few other things to look at:

1. Columbus has 2 wins already. Last year their second win did not come until June 20 and they still were just a game out of the playoffs.

2. DC United is off to a very slow start. Again. But after their slow start last year, they still won their second Supporter's Shield in a row. They cannot stay at the bottom for too long with the talent found in their starting lineup, if they are able to finally all play together now. Expect them to because the CONCACAF hangover days should be gone and they are only focused on the season now.

3. Robbie Rogers was left off the U-23 roster and seemed to be playing pissed off last week. When at the top of his game, he is huge threat to his opponent's defense. If Schelotto or Carroll can find him on some runs, he should be able to get behind the lack-of-defense DC has shown so far.

4. A lot of noise has been made about Emilio's lack of goals so far. Remember he is in year 2 now and some defenses should be better equipped to defend him. But he is also on pace for double digits in goals still. Chivas put up 3 in Columbus and DC has the firepower on offense just as good or better than Chivas.

5. The fans will play a huge part tonight. DC is dominant at home and the fans are a big reason. DC also went undefeated on ESPN Primetime last year. Columbus barely got air time.

My prediction: DC United 3-1
Season record: 3-3

Power Rankings: April 15

2008-04-15T14:49:00.002-04:00

1. Chicago Fire - But San Jose could have and should have beat them. Well, at least tied. If an expansion team can find a way in week 3, don't expect them to be first for long.

2. Colorado Rapids - A loss in a game they could have at least tied. Gomez, Cooke, and Junior are setting a new standard in Colorado.

3. FC Dallas - Let a win slip away, but rebounded nicely to a 2-0 victory. Alvarez and Cooper look really solid so far - 5 goals.

4. Columbus Crew - Tough fought victory at home. 7 goals and 10 cards, but found a way to the net the final goal when they needed it. Where was the Crew Union and HSH this week though?

5. Kansas City Wizards - 7 points in 4 at home and now a little road trip. Let's see how they play outside of their new home in Kansas City.

6. Real Salt Lake - Looked dominating and impressive against DC. It had been a long time (2005, I believe) since RSL posted 4 in a game.

7. New England Revolution - Which offense will show up without Twellman? The 3 goals on Thursday or the 0 goals on Saturday.

8. Chivas USA - Can they play without Kljestan this week? A tough loss in Columbus, but they get 8 days rest and a return home to the HDC.

9. New York Red Bulls - We have seen a different team in each game so far. At home against the Revs should us more about the Bulls.

10. LA Galaxy - Should have beat TFC 7-3. Donovan and Beckham better stay healthy. And why so much money coming off the bench?

11. Toronto FC - A first win (a game that should have been a loss) much earlier than last season. BMO will be tough to play at on Saturday. The midfield looks like a professional midfield finally.

12. Houston Dynamo - Back-to-back-to-back - Where are the goals going to come from? Just 3 in 5 games (3 MLS, 2 CONCACAF).

13. DC United - How do you come back against Pachuca and then not show up for RSL? They may give up their Supporter's Shield (which has been bad luck anyways) if their key foreigners don't start producing some goals.

14. San Jose Earthquakes - How do you miss an open net from 3 yards away? Yallop is probably dumbfounded that they did not get a point in their home opener.

Weekend Notes

2008-04-14T16:28:00.004-04:00

An interesting Weekend number 3 in MLS, here are a few interesting things to note from the past weekend:

Here are this week's goals.

1. Only two teams are left without a win after three weeks. No surprise in San Jose, that seems to be the trend with expansion teams. But what is going on in Houston? Defense has been what has led them to back-to-back championships, and thankfully they have gotten two ties from their defense and late game heroics. After 3 games, Houston has posted just 3 goals (all in one game). Maybe they should have held onto Jaqua and Ngwenya. And not only are they winless in 3, but they also lost 2 more in CONCACAF without posting a goal.

2. Perennial losers Real Salt Lake, Colorado Rapids, and Columbus Crew all would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. Perennial winners Houston Dynamo and DC United would be out. Maybe this is due to the CONCACAF tournament, but the old losers seem to be making some big victories early on - Rapids 4-0, RSL 4-0, Columbus 4-3 in a card filled battle against the former Western champs.

3. Maybe Ruiz's departure from Dallas was not too big of a deal. Cooper (tied with Ruiz's new teammate Donovan) leads the league in goals with 3, and teammate Alvarez is right behind with 2 and looks like one of the best players on the field every game he plays in.

4. Speaking of Donovan's Golden Boot lead: After Sunday's game Donovan could easily be sitting with 5 or even 6 goals. Credit to Toronto's Sutton for making a few saves on Landon, but Landon could have had a hat-trick plus 1 or 2 on Sunday. It is not like him to miss that many, so maybe LA has finally found their scoring threat between Beckham, Donovan, and company. Gullit should be upset with the loss, but something he has done has shown a new team from last year and Week 1 the past two games. Now just to solve the still poor defensive problems that exist.

5. Who would have guessed RSL would post 4 goals and the offensive power of DC to post none? Jason Kreis' Real Salt Lake is the best they have looked since joining the league. Maybe Kreis really did just need a whole season to turn the team around.

6. New England's offense is nothing without Taylor Twellman. Revs fans, start counting down the days until he returns. The team was smart in not letting him go to Derby, this could be a long, long season without TT.

7. Chivas will not be as good with Sacha Kljestan (red carded Saturday at Columbus). He has been dominant thus far into the season. And Chivas is lucky Galindo is not sitting out with him after shoving the referee - Preki better get his team to settle down a little bit.

8. Guevera made a nice return for Toronto setting up a goal and almost another. And TFC recorded its first win of the season - much earlier into the season than last year.

9. Where were the fans in Columbus? The lowest attendance in Crew history at Crew Stadium and it was easily one of the most exciting games of the weekend and of the first few weeks of the season. I would have tried to make it down to that game if I could have (I have never seen Chivas play), but I had some soccer of my own to play.

10. I heard Henry is on Seattle's list of players to sign to open their first season. Supposedly they may look to offer him 150,000 pounds a week which is more than his current contract. Henry would be a nice player to see in the league and of course bring a new group of fans along with him.

April 12-13 Predictions

2008-04-12T16:41:00.003-04:00

My season long predictions, ties are a push.

Saturday's games:
Chicago Fire at San Jose Earthquakes - Chicago 2-1: San Jose struggles again, but finds the back of the net at home finally in their home opener. (CC's Game to Watch)

Chivas USA at Columbus Crew - Chivas USA 1-0: Hesmer lets in another weak goal from long distance, and the away teams start to find some wins in Week 3.

Colorado Rapids at New England Revolution - NE 3-0: Both teams started off the season a little bit different than their seasons will pan out. Reis continues his dominance in goal and NE grabs their second win of the week, without TT.

Houston Dynamo at Kansas City Wizards - Houston 2-1: Probably the toughest pick of the week, but the back-to-back champs have to get in the win column by game 3 right?

NY Red Bulls at FC Dallas - Dallas 1-0: Without Angel the NY offense does not show up and Kenny Cooper grabs the lead for the Golden Boot.

DC United at Real Salt Lake - RSL 3-2: Can another away team win you ask? Probably not. DC is showing its fire power now but will struggle a little coming off another CONCACAF game (but a game in which they took down Mexican side Pachucha).

Sunday's game:
Toronto FC at LA Galaxy - LA 2-1: Playing in front of the HDC crowd will help Donovan and Beckham keep the most talented tandem in the league on fire. But the arrival of Guevera and Robert should spark some new life into TFC.

Season Record: 0-0

Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back.

2008-04-10T20:54:00.007-04:00

Sorry about my long hiatus from writing. It has been so long since I have written for the Breakdown that I could easily list fifty interesting things and my take on them. Why I left for so long: No one was coming to the site and no one really was interested in what I was writing even though I had been putting in the time. So I had been checking my stats lately and all of sudden people are coming in growing numbers. So I first say thank you to my new readers and visitors, I am glad you found something on here you enjoy reading.

Well it has been just about 2 weeks into MLS 2008 and here are my fifteen takes on the recent action:

1. Welcome the Sons of Ben. Philadelphia, Philly, City of Brotherly Love will be joining MLS in 2010 and I have to congratulate the SOBs, you were a big part in bringing a team and its great to see the league reward the fans...

2. And speaking of the fans, it took until the first game of Week 3 for a home team lose. That is what the fans should be doing, creating an advantage for the players. That is one of the best things about soccer and its great to see how its grown in MLS over the past few years. TFC and DC have some competition coming for the crown of best fans in the league.

3. TFC fans, great job showing up in Columbus. I made it to that game, First Kick, and it was an amazing atmosphere. From the Hudson Street Hooligans to the Crew Union, the TFC fans showed up and made the Crew fans show up with them. Well done by both, that was a great game to be at. Thanks to my boy BC for hooking me up with a 4th row ticket.

4. And to the HSH, thanks for making me a part of the action and taking me in at Ruby Tuesday's. That was one of the best pregame and sporting events I have ever been to. If you are a Crew fan, talk to the Hooligans.

5. Syassi of the Revolution may be the most undervalued player in the league. His salary probably puts him in poverty in NE and he has already posted 2 goals and shown his blazing speed and ball control.

6. And the biggest overpaid player is possibly becoming the Portuguese Abel Xavier of the Galaxy. Sean Franklin stepped up in big ways in Xavier's absence and showed the Galaxy they may not need Xavier. He would be quite expensive to have sitting on the bench, maybe the Galaxy have found another high salary to drop and find someone else to fill some other holes - mainly at their lack of depth.

7. Kansas City Wizards just lost but who would have guessed they'd be the first team to two wins? And playing in Kansas City will not be a fun trip for any incoming team.

8. Donovan Beckham combination. Two of the top players in the league and two top internationals combining for more goals will be making highlight reels throughout the world. I want to see it, the league wants to see it, maybe San Jose and Chivas fans would prefer not to though.

9. Seattle Sounders FC. I am happy to see the Sounders name and tradition carried on into America's top league, but FC again? Really another FC? Maybe go SC and be different or nothing at all would have worked. The other teams with FC, Toronto and Dallas at least have it because of a lack of a team-designated name. Maybe Drew Carey can drop that one in the next 350 days, they are the 'team of the fans'.

10. There has been a lot of talk about the recent release of salary news, but this could not have been a surprise to anyone. At least the average salaries increased by about 12%, but maybe instead of two more expansion teams in 2011 and 2012, the league could distribute their salary cap and money across the league. It would not be huge, but it would be at least two more increases league wide.

11. Kobe Bryant at the Galaxy game. As much as you hate Kobe or celebrities, it sure helps the league profile when he shows up on ESPN at the Home Depot Center.

12. It sucked to see Carlos Ruiz and Taylor Twellman hurt so early in the season. Two marquee players in the league and two guys who can make absurd goals happen anytime. At least they will be back for Superliga, Open Cup, and of course MLS Playoffs.

13. Where is the Houston defense? The backbone of their back-to-back MLS Cups better be found soon. Maybe once Defender of the Year Boswell is not the best answer. And maybe allowing Cochrane into the Expansion Draft looks worse now than it did a few months ago.

14. Is Edu pacing himself for a sophomore slump? Better question may be: Is TFC pacing Edu for a sophomore slump? Hopefully the addition of Guevera pays off, he was a hell of a player to watch in NY. Too bad him and Preki's fight caused him to leave the league for awhile.

15. Why West Ham? I will talk about this more soon.

Well I am back and I will keep writing as long as you keep coming. Anything you want me to talk about? Just let me know...

-Cheers

Looking Back at 2007

2007-12-28T12:26:00.000-05:00

This year has been the best year ever for Major League Soccer. Since the year is coming to an end, I thought it was a good time to look back at all the greats of 2007. I will make my MLS resolutions after the new year has begun. For now let me focus on the good of '07:

1. Beckham, Angel, Blanco - The three studs of the Designated Player Rule who arrived in 2007 - just over a year ago in '06, we could not have even talked about these guys joining MLS clubs. But all three were top players in the league in '07. Beckham, we have not seen his playing ability at full yet, but glimpses were shown in the semi-final of the Superliga and in one of the best games in history when LA was in NY. Beckham has the league exposed though and even if people are not following every move, they know the league exists and that some solid players are in MLS. Angel joined as a big name goalscorer and that is what he did in 2007. His biggest contribution may have came in the All-Star game, when he scored and was MVP, in an MLS dominated game against Celtic which many, many people saw worldwide. Blanco brought what Beckham did from Europe, but Blanco brought it from south of the USA in Mexico. He also added Hispanic fans throughout the US who showed up in support of the Chicago Fire and Blanco the whole second half of the season.

2. San Jose, Seattle - In 2007, the league grew (in announcement) by 15% and will see the addition of San Jose in 2008 and Seattle in 2009. It was also announced that they are possibly adding another team in 2009 (heavily favored is Philadelphia or St. Louis, possible Florida team) and that the league could be up to 18 teams by 2010. This may be quick expansion in a league that is so young, but the cost to buy a team has increased by about $10 million for each additional team that has joined. So people are interested in buying expansion rights at the higher cost, they must be buying for a reason. San Jose will be the return of a once fairly-loved team who only moved to Houston because of stadium issues. Although, this has worked out great for the league as Houston draws big attendance numbers. Seattle's ownership team seems pretty interesting and ticket sales are already booming. Too bad they are playing at Qwest Field, but they should still be a great addition to the league with a huge fan base.

3. Restrictions cut - With the addition of two new teams, MLS officials saw the need to add another foreign player spot to each team and drop the 'youth' and 'senior' titles of international players. The majority of the league will still be American talent, but with all the progress the league has made in 2007 it was good to see them try to do something to make sure they do not take steps backward. One player extra on each team will not make the teams completely foreign, although it does give an opportunity to a team if they would like to try and make a complete starting lineup of foreign players. We probably won't see this happen since it failed for Chivas in the early years of their existence, and the two teams in the final this year were almost completely filled with US players.

4. Superliga - The inaugural tournament was a success. It happened so long ago that many may have forgotten all about it already. The MLS teams fared well against their Mexican club rivals and this tournament should be great to watch and help build to the US/Mexico rivalry. The championship game between Pachuca and LA was a great first final as an extra-time bicycle sent it into overtime and it was decided by penalty kicks. Great decision by both leagues to do this tournament. The MLS needs to pay the players more of the prize money though - 20% or less of the total money they earn going to players is a shame. If the money all went to players it could potentially double some players' salaries. That would be intense soccer then.

5. USA versus Brazil - Even though the game was in Chicago, there were still a ton of fans for Brazil in attendance, but the US showed they can share the field with the current best team in the world. The US lost 4-2, a cheap frustration goal late it was more like a 3-2 game. Although Ronaldhino's free kick was disgusting, there may have not actually been a foul on the play and most people recognized that when watching. Realistically, this could have been a tie game. It did not turn out to be one, but the US played well enough to show the world they are a team to look out for.

6. Toja, Scheletto, Emilio - A few foreign guys like this under the salary cap added depth and excitement to the league. There are many US players in the league similar to these two, but it was nice to add a couple of foreign players like that this year. All were obvious helps to their clubs. Toja quickly became a fan favorite and 5,000 fans even sported his wig one night at a game in Dallas. GBS controlled games for the Crew and as they switched players around to find something that worked, he remained and continued to do his part. Emilio does not need much to be said: MVP, Golden Boot, Best XI, Newcomer of the Year.

7. Pan-Pacific - Another tournament for MLS teams to show their skills against foreign competition. Although it may have been made because of Beckham, that is good that he added this. Hopefully it will be a success and continued after Beckham departs the league. And hopefully it will not be held in Hawaii every year. But thank you to the league for adding the Houston Dynamo for this year's competition. The Dynamo, along with DC, should be representing the MLS since they have been the top two teams over the past two seasons.

8. Stadiums - Dick's Sporting Goods Park opened. Red Bull Park seems to be coming together. Salt Lake is getting a stadium. Kansas City's awesome plans just got approved.

9. Toronto FC - Brand new team. Brand new BMO Field. Sold-out games. Toronto already is looking forward to another great year in 2008.

2007 has been a great year for Major League Soccer. I am sure I may have missed some great moments of '07 along the way here, but we can only hope that 2008 brings as many great things as this year did.

Best to you all in the new year.

Recent Rule Changes

2007-12-24T00:08:00.000-05:00

A lot of people are quick to criticize Major League Soccer for switching rules whenever they want to, but in just the past couple weeks they have switched the rules for the betterment of the league. Obviously they are not a group of leaders who we should hang and trust on every word out of their mouth. Which is great. If they had stuck to their word, Donovan, Ruiz, and Johnson would either be on the free agent list, possibly exiting the league or filling up three more Designated Players' spots, one of which LA does not have (and Landon is not looking to leave his wife behind in LA anytime soon). So then we would have never heard about KC being in talks with Borgetti, or LA in talks with Ronaldo, or Dallas dropping Denilson and regaining their DP slot. Yes, this may be accommodating to just these teams, or as many see it, just LA, but fans need to deal with this and see the positives in a league that is just 12 years young. So what if it didn't work out with Borgetti, the names were thrown around, and it may the first time MLS teams' names hit some of those Mexican papers. And yeah Ronaldo may not come in January, but the fact we are talking about it makes grandfathering Donovan until 2009 acceptable. These names keep US talent abroad and open the doors for foreign talent which means league exposure.

And people were quick to criticize that MLS officials accepted Seattle as a franchise even though they would play at Qwest Field. Damn, they really messed up there and misread that market completely. Seattle has more season tickets reserved than most teams in the league and none of those fans will see their Sounders play until 2009. We should be thanking league officials for having the ability to recognize when a rule needs to be overlooked for the success of the league. No one thought a team would work in Canada either, but I think FC fans and Toronto officials would have something to say to those of you now.

No one should be so quick to criticize anything the league does. The league was supposed to fail, but the league is here to stay and has survived off of its tactical risk taking. The league has no trouble fixing it's mistakes either - if these players do not perform, they won't be around and if Seattle fails (like Florida teams have) they will be removed.

Merry Christmas Footballers.

December 2007 MLS News

2007-12-20T17:38:00.000-05:00

Sorry for my long hiatus from writing. Since I have written, over a week ago, a lot of names have been heard in rumors, a coach has been moved, another who left may be on his way to another national team, and a few players have switched teams. But this is the off season and all of these things are expected. So let me see how many names I can cover in just a small amount of space.

Bruce Arena (1) after leaving New York has been replaced officially by Juan Carlos Osorio (2) who has departed Chicago. Reports have it now that Bruce Arena is pursuing the Scottish National team head coach position. A guy who could not take the talented Red Bulls out of the first-round of the playoffs, like almost every coach before him, definitely deserves a chance on the global stage again, right? Hope the Scots did not watch the '06 World Cup. Chicago could be filling their head coach vacancy with assistant coach Denis Hamlett (3) who was passed over before Osorio. Osorio has said he always wanted to be back in NY and it was a goal of his to return to NY someday, he just did not think the opportunity would come so quick.

Shevchenko (4) is supposedly looking for a move to the States. The problem: Who will pay his huge transfer fee, around 10 million? Probably no one, and that is why you will not be seeing him here real soon. He is not enjoying his time in Chelsea too much and was looking for an MLS offer - probably only LA and NY would and could show real interest in 'Chenko, but I would not expect it to happen soon. LA would have a difficult time finding another DP slot without losing the only other few good players surrounding Donovan and Beckham. NY on the other hand may be saying goodbye to Reyna (5) and could see their second DP slot open up. The only thing in NY is that they do not really need another forward so their money could be better spent elsewhere. Yeah, Altidore, Angel, and Shevchenko would be a nasty forward crew, but Altidore and Angel will be enough for the Red Bulls unless they decide to throw a lot of money at another DP and play with a really underpaid defense.

Juan Sebastian Veron (6) was almost completely finalized with DC United and set to make a press conference a week ago, but at the last second things fell through. DC should not be too upset about this at all, though. DC has been the best team over the past two seasons and bringing in Veron may have helped, but it would not have made the team chemistry improve at all. How do you explain to Emilio next season when he scores 2 times as many goals as Veron that his 1/6 salary is justified to Veron's? DC is a solid team and does not need another offensive minded player. With Boswell (7) now gone and Troy Perkins (8) possibly departing, DC probably will need to focus on fixing their defense and finding a way to keep their trio of stars up front from leaving - it is almost certain that one will be gone, whether it be Gomez or Moreno.

Ronaldo (9), not Cristiano - we could only wish - is rumored once again to be heading to Major League Soccer. His name constantly comes up also being linked to LA and NY, mainly because he would prefer to live in one of these cities. He could not leave his current club, AC Milan, until next month, but this could end up being the biggest signing of the year. January may become the month of big signings if Beckham in '07 and Ronaldo in '08 happens. It would also bring another worldwide name to the league. In that sense, I would want him to go somewhere other than LA or NY because they have big names of their own already. If Ronaldo could come and put another team on the global watch, that would be amazing. Although, with all the games LA is going to play throughout the world they could use another big name player to help with the attention and to make the team look better, which in turn shows well for the league. I think the rest of the world quickly forgets or ignores the fact that the LA Galaxy were not the best team in MLS and still probably are not amongst the top 3 regardless of what words come out of Alexi Lalas' mouth.

Out of Mexico may come one of their biggest stars, Jared Borgetti (10) who could easily bring the attention Blanco brought to Chicago. And thankfully, he is in talks with both Kansas City and Colorado - two teams who have not had much attention, but could bring another team into the profile status of LA, NY, and Chicago. Borgetti is currently with Cruz Azul and his goal-scoring ability has dropped slightly, but he has expressed interest to play once again in the 2010 World Cup.

Beckham (11) will probably train with Arsenal before the MLS season starts. Mainly to stay fit and hopefully earn his 100th international cap during February.

Harris (12) has also gone from RSL to Chivas USA. Maurice Edu (13) and Jozy Altidore (14) both have been flooded with interest from other clubs abroad, but we should see both of them return to their respective clubs for the 2008 season. Denilson (15) will probably not return to MLS next season, not as if he will be missed anyways.

And Wake Forest's junior forward Marcus Tracy (16) should be on a lot of MLS teams radar in the next year. He looked above most of the players on the field during the College Cup - congratulations to WF, OSU may win a title in something someday.

Congratulations again to Seattle who now have over 10,000 season ticket positions reserved still over a year away from the first game.

2008 MLS Opening Weekend

2007-12-07T13:51:00.000-05:00

The Major League Soccer season will start a little earlier next season, March 29, which is great for the players who have a bunch of additional tournaments now, but is it good for the fans or the league? Will the crowds show up for the opening weekend? For some games, of course they will, they always do, but other match-ups make you wonder what the league office was thinking this week.

Houston Dynamo at New England Revolution - March 29, opening game - I love how these two teams have the opportunity to play again and open another season that could find these two in the final match for the third straight year. They are two of the best teams in the league and will probably put on a show that will start the season off correctly. I know NE draws slightly better numbers than Houston in attendance, but why play this game in New England in March? This game should have been in Houston and even if its not for the simple weather factor that more people will show up when its nice out, but how about a Cup presentation before the opening game in front of their home fans? And this celebration will obviously piss the NE players off a little, but that's what you want on opening day. Let New England come out and prove on the road, playing with the silver ball in Houston, that they deserve some credit. Knock the champs off early or let Houston establish their presence to the league quickly - still the champs until someone proves otherwise.

Toronto FC at Columbus Crew - I like it. It is much better than playing in Toronto and this lets two teams who seem to be ready to succeed in '08 have the opportunity to start with a win. I wrote about why I think so for Toronto FC, and the Crew were a solid team all year just barely missing the playoffs. Toronto does not have a home game for almost three weeks, so even though Columbus draws decent attendance numbers, they usually sell-out opening day, it wouldn't be surprising to see a bunch of red shirts make the trip down to Crew Stadium.

Chicago Fire at Real Salt Lake - Another good match pick by the league. Real Salt Lake always draws a pretty good crowd even though they have been pretty terrible the past few years. Add in the Blanco effect which seems to sell a few extra thousand tickets to new Chicago fans wherever he goes and it should be a great crowd for the game.

DC United at Kansas City Wizards - Why? This is not a rivalry and KC struggles drawing fans. Let DC open at home in reward for winning the Supporter's Shield since there is not much of any other reward for winning. And the league knows that DC would draw over 20,000 for the season-opener in DC regardless of the weather. Maybe this way KC could open a couple away games with wins and head home 2-0 and draw more fans than normal. I would take the possibility of drawing bandwagon fans to their games instead of the normal 10,000 they get.

LA Galaxy at Colorado Rapids - Beckham in Colorado will be a sell-out with ease. He was not able to play last year there so even if its snowing in Colorado 18,000 seats will be filled including 1,000 Beckham jerseys.

Chivas USA at FC Dallas - March 30 - With LA out of the city for the weekend I would have liked to have seen Dallas travel to Chivas. Chivas has had a difficult time drawing fans in LA - even when they are winning, people go to the Galaxy games a lot more. So let all the people in LA who have been waiting to go to a soccer game for five months attend Chivas USA's opening game. Regardless of when LA plays, they will sell-out (or close to) every game in the HDC, but when LA comes home and starts playing a bunch of games Chivas will become LA's #2 team even if they are ahead of them in the standings again.

Major League Soccer Attendance 2007

2007-12-05T15:05:00.001-05:00

A lot of people are finding their way to Major League Soccer Breakdown looking for Major League Soccer's attendance figures for 2007. I have mentioned some in different articles like the DP Grades, but I will take a little time to put together everything I know about attendance in 2007 for MLS league games. These are probably not perfect, but in every case should be relatively close - I used a couple of other sites to try and bring it all together, so hopefully this helps out the group of you who keep searching for these numbers. Each number is an average per game for the home team (listed highest average first):

Regular Season 2007:
LA Galaxy - 24,250
DC United - 20,950
Toronto FC - 20,100
New England Revolution - 16,800
Chicago Fire - 16,500
Red Bull NY - 16,500
Real Salt Lake - 15,900
Houston Dynamo - 15,800
Columbus Crew - 15,200
FC Dallas - 15,100
Colorado Rapids - 14,750
Chivas USA - 14,300
Kansas City - 11,550

MLS Playoffs 2007:
MLS Cup in DC - 39,800
Houston Dynamo - 30,500
Chivas USA - 19,700
DC United - 19,400
Chicago Fire - 17,800
Red Bull NY - 14,150
FC Dallas - 12,500
Kansas City Wizards - 12,400
New England Revolution - 10,200

It is important to note that although some of these numbers are lower than others like LA and DC, some of the soccer-specific facilities built for MLS teams do not even hold 24,250 and some others like Toronto's BMO Field (20,250 capacity), Dick's Sporting Goods Park (18,100 capacity) in Colorado, and Chicago's Toyota Park (20,000) do not even hold the 20,950 that DC United drew throughout the year. There are currently six soccer-specific stadiums (used by seven teams) and should be an additional two more in the next two years.

There were also two big competitions which were opposites in attendance numbers. The SuperLiga in its first year drew pretty good attendance numbers, but the Open Cup even with Denilson making his debut during a game did not draw numbers similar to the regular season numbers. This also is related to the size of some US Open Cup venues used by lower division teams, which can be extremely small just holding 3,000 or 4,000 people.

Any more attendance questions, just let me know.

Toronto FC Ready for 2008

2007-12-03T15:27:00.000-05:00

If you look at the success of Houston Dynamo, Toronto FC is a similar team and a team that is built off of great fans, a great coach, and a solid set of core players like Houston. I had intended to break down each section of these, but an article came out today that brings up enough about the fans that I will let that part to Steve Davis and focus more on the other two. Toronto FC without the injuries that hurt them pretty badly in '07 is ready to be a new Eastern Conference threat.

1. The Fans - Refer to Davis, but the two most successful teams in league history, DC United and the Dynamo (old 'Quakes) have the top fans in the league. DC's fans were cheering for them at the Cup and the team was not even on the pitch. And in back-to-back years the Texian Army has traveled to see their team in the final, but more impressively were their two home playoff sellouts of 30,000 plus. Now, Toronto the worst team in the league this year sold out every home game, posting 5 wins as opposed to 1 on the road, showing the importance of their fans. Toronto was a nightmare to play at, covered with streamers and regardless of the game it was red-out in the stands - something other teams have to promote to achieve. In October alone, while other teams were pushing for the playoffs, the Reds beat NY (East #3) and tied New England (East #2) at home.

2. Mo Johnston - Just like Dominic Kinnear and Steve Nicol, Mo has a lot of experience in MLS. Usually successful coaches in MLS come from inside MLS, or have been around for a few years learning about the players or playing against some of them. Mo played six years in MLS so he knows the style and also served coaching roles for another four. He has seen what has worked and what has failed. Even without many players throughout the year, Mo found a way to keep his team competitive. With a healthy Dichio, Cunningham, and O'Brien, other coaches should be worried about the product Johnson will put on the field in 20o8.

3. The Players - The attacking trio of Dichio, Edu, and Cunningham at full health will be something great to watch this year. Dichio, the team's leading scorer and fan-favorite only played 17 games but still put up 6 goals for a team that struggled to score all year. Although he is older, he can still create a lot and is a team leader on the field, similar to the aging Blanco in Chicago. Edu is the complete opposite age wise and is coming off his first year in MLS as the Rookie of the Year and is already becoming a name talked about a lot in regards to the US national team. Edu sitting under Cunningham should be really dangerous, think Ngwenya and Jaqua or DeRo and Ching for Houston. Cunningham was hurt for 2007, but has consistently been a double-digit scoring threat since entering MLS both for Columbus and Salt Lake - both teams that did not have the support he will find in Toronto for 2008, when he put up big numbers. The Defense is the shakiest part for 2008, but we have seen MLS teams build strong defenses around a core of just 2 or 3 really good defenders. Jim Brennan, we know is one of the best defenders in the league and another fan-loved FC player, but the important thing is that Marvell Wynne (two years ago first overall pick) finally looks content and played settled strong defense at the end of the season for Toronto. Houston and New England who have become two top teams every year for the past 5 years, with a consistent 3 defenders each year. If Tyrone Marshall can show his LA form once again for a full season, that is just as solid a D as most teams in Major League Soccer.

Toronto FC is built to succeed and in their first year developed into a team that showed no signs of just joining the league. In 2008, they won't be out of the playoff hunt early again and if they make the playoffs, regardless of the seed, I feel bad for the team who will travel to Toronto for their away leg in the opening round. It just reads Kansas City over Chivas all again, but it won't be because of injuries this time around.

If you missed the Galaxy games in the past week, like most people did since they were on more televisions throughout the world than in the US or Canada, here are a few links to some good highlights. Beckham had a sick free kick goal against Sydney and the Galaxy looked really good in Wellington for not playing in a month, but Galaxy's goalies looked awful in Sydney.

Galaxy at Sydney (5-3 Sydney)
Galaxy at Wellington (4-1 Galaxy)

Peace.

New Pan-Pacific Championship

2007-11-29T16:28:00.000-05:00

Major League Soccer has found another way to capitalize on David Beckham and his success in Australia thus far. But this time the league made a correct move and will also display the Houston Dynamo dynasty to the world. In February, these two teams will face off against a top Japan J. League team and a top Australian A-League team in Hawaii. I understand that Hawaii is relatively close to the center of all these leagues, but why would the leagues agree to Hawaii? No one even goes to the NFL All-star game there. If the tournament is intended for more than one year, the location should have rotated between the three countries, each serving as a host one year. This would have given each league more revenue and a chance to show off players who are not in their league. How many people will become fans of MLS in Hawaii by going to a few games? Probably none, but since these other leagues run on a different cycle than Major League Soccer, the league may have been able to attract off-season fans from Australia and Japan. MLS teams will have a difficult time winning since this tournament is at the dead center of the MLS off-season, but that is okay if it can generate some interest. However, they cannot show up and get crushed which we have seen happen in some off-season competition against Mexican clubs. The Dynamo will be on a global stage, which is what the league needs. As I wrote about the Beckham Effect, this needs to be done more often. Every time David Beckham makes a move, that move should be for the league and not just the Galaxy. Although this tournament is in Hawaii, its a move that the league can benefit off of. Remember to take a bunch of Dynamo jerseys (especially Ching, born in Hawaii) to the tournament because they win everything and recognition worldwide of a team other than LA is the best thing that can happen for MLS.

Utlilize the Beckham Effect

2007-11-28T16:25:00.000-05:00

In Sydney, the Galaxy drew a record crowd of over 80,000 and supposedly the Galaxy sold 20,000 jerseys, probably all Beckham because that is the only jersey they have been carrying everywhere. The Galaxy and MLS need to take advantage of the exposure they are gaining from Beckham. Throughout the US, Dick's and The Sporting Authority stores have been filled with Galaxy gear, all labeled with David Beckham. Why not include another Galaxy player or another team? The MLS and Adidas should force stores to carry other teams and other players jerseys if they want to sell Beckham gear. It is a win-win for both and seems like an obvious thing to do for the league. In a few years when the Beckham hype has passed by, the league will still be growing. When 200 Beckham jerseys sit in a store, they should be sitting next to a Blanco jersey, DeRo warmup, and a Twellman jersey. A person may only buy the jersey or t-shirt because they like the design, but why does it matter? When Beckham retires, Twellman, Donovan, Eddie Johnson (all US players) will still be around and in the league. If a person has their jersey or their team gear (or at least seen it next to their Beckham items in the store) they may still be interested in that team. And there are always those people who will buy it to go against the popular Beckham jersey and root against their friends. When the Galaxy were in Sydney selling thousands of Beckham jerseys in the stadium, those jerseys should have been right next to Buddle, Donovan, and Mathis jerseys (along with a few other teams). This is Adidas' chance to capitalize on many people seeing a bunch of new soccer players - maybe a player will catch their eye on that night. And little kids may just point to a jersey that looks good to them; if you can catch some young fans they may become fans for 40 years. In the next five years, Beckham and the Galaxy will be in the spotlight and MLS should be trailing that spotlight trying to catch a reflection for the other 13 (14, 15, 16, 17) teams.

Donovan, Johnson, Ruiz stay put for 2008

2007-11-27T17:41:00.000-05:00

At the end of the regular season, we all knew that 3 teams would have to make a decision on what to do with their "grandfathered" players: LA's Donovan, KC's Johnson, and Dallas' Ruiz. But after a vote by the Board of Governors, the three will be "grandfathered" again in 2008. This simply means that their DP-like salary will not count as a Designated Player (DP 2007 Grades) slot and they can remain on their teams even at their higher salary, without affecting the salary cap once again. Kyle McCarthy, a writer for Goal.com, thinks this rule was simply put into place to favor one player, Landon Donovan. McCarthy thinks this situation should have been handled differently, using the 2 DP slots in Dallas and Kansas City and force LA to either trade for one or use all of its allocation money towards Donovan. I disagree...

Donovan said it best, "Neither Dallas, Kansas City nor the Galaxy should be punished for getting players early and then suddenly having the rule put them at a disadvantage. Other teams might have different opinions, though." Donovan is exactly right - these are the teams who acquired these players before the league was even attracting big-salary players. Let them reap the benefits, they are the ones who took the risk of sacrificing 20% of their team's salary for these marquee players.

Even if the rule is only for Donovan, it should be. The team that is going to bring MLS the most attention in the next few years will be the LA Galaxy. Countries around the world will be watching Beckham and Donovan together (who both scored in their 5-3 loss to Sydney last night), and hopefully it is a great show to watch because the league will gain respect throughout the world. And if it is not a Galaxy show to watch, it only shows how deep the other teams are in the league. Let's assume the Galaxy go out and lose 3-2 to Toronto FC - Edu has two goals, Dichio another while Beckham and Donovan score for LA. This shows that Donovan and Beckham are great players, but it also shows the league is full of talent (and competitive). If a team with an England superstar and US superstar cannot dominate another MLS opponent, that opponent has some talent. And for the league, if Edu is seen scoring two goals against LA on television throughout the world, someone is going to be ringing the league office phone offering cash for the young American talent - one of the reasons the league was made 12 years ago, to develop and sell American talent for the benefit of US soccer.

Rivalry. Beckham is one of the most loved English footballers of all time, but he is a walking target in the MLS. Every single team, every player will be trying to show how they compete with Beckham. The addition of Donovan only shows their skill level even more. When the Revs' Parkhurst marks Donovan and Joseph marks Beckham, that is a matchup every MLS fan wants to see. And Donovan is already hated by Chivas fans, who the Galaxy played an absurd amount of times this year. He is one hated player, alongside Beckham who in his first game against Chivas almost erupted a fight. Don't you think Chivas (or any other side) will be a little pissed when their home game has 10,000 Galaxy jerseys in the stands? They will probably be a little more fired up to play. Then there is always San Jose which brings Yallop back to battle his former team and the 'Quakes fans who once loved Donovan now must cheer against him. Its yet another great rivalry in California.

Donovan came back to the league and wanted to play in LA. He should be allowed to play there - he is the US Soccer Player of the Year 4 times, and was already a member of the All-time MLS Best XI. His wife works in LA and if he leaves LA, he might as well go anywhere, since Chivas does not have a DP - why wouldn't he try overseas again if the money is right? MLS does not want its former marquee player to leave because when Beckham is turning 37, Donovan will still be a fresh 30 breaking all kinds of MLS and International records.

LA was bad enough last year and if they had to drop a bunch of players or a bunch of money to keep Donovan by acquiring another DP, they would be in trouble. Beckham and Donovan surrounded by a bunch of rookies and MLS scrubs will not get the job done and will poorly represent the true talent of the MLS to the rest of the world. And even US fans who are not fans of the Galaxy, should want to see one of the best through ball players of all-time hooking up with the USA's all-time leading goalscorer. LA's 2008 highlight tape has the potential to be a masterpiece, but remember even with technically 2 DPs, LA still needs to find a way to get through the Houston dynasty, overcome their Chivas rivals to reclaim LA, and find their way into a playoff picture that will be even tougher this year with San Jose in the mix. You definitely cannot hold it against the league for making the smart decision, remember MLS is a business.

Another player who should stay where he is in 2008 in Jozy Altidore. He should play a season next to Angel and Reyna, learn some more before he goes and sits on Real Madrid's bench and gets lost. Madrid has the ability to throw money at new players so if Altidore goes and messes up a few times, he is done, and this would only crush the progress he has made towards becoming a contributor for the US national team.

Congratulations again to Seattle who has now received over 8,000 season ticket deposits in just a few weeks.

Beckham, Donovan, Galaxy head overseas

2007-11-25T19:09:00.000-05:00

In a two-game trip to Australia and New Zealand, both Ruud Gullit and the Aussies will be learning something. It is a time for the LA players, who may not play too many more games for LA, to prove something to Gullit and other MLS sides. And the Galaxy will be able to show the world, at least part of it, how far the league has come and how it compares with their own leagues. Lalas can begin to back up his claims: "Make no mistake, we are hellbent with the vision of being the first MLS soccer team to emerge as a SuperClub. I think what we've done in the past year has certainly established ourselves as a global brand in that there are people now that wake up and, when they think about American soccer, they think about the Galaxy." Lalas' first displays worldwide since the Chelsea game, when a injury-plagued Galaxy faced a end-of-preseason Chelsea, will start Tuesday night in Sydney. But once again, the Galaxy will be injury-plagued, but they will have the likes of a healthy Beckham, slightly healthy Donovan, and healthy Cannon. So shine away Stars, but there will be other people on the Galaxy side looking to prove themselves even more. Here are a few who need these games most:

Carlos Pavon: 18 games, 3 goals - $140,000
Pavon was another player brought in to help deal with the Beckham spotlight in LA, but other than one solid game in NY Pavon greatly underachieved what he came to do. He came as a proven international goal-scorer, but lacked the ability to create goal-scoring chances for himself. He is solid out of the air and with both Beckham and Donovan on the pitch, he may be able to take more balls off his head and find the back of the net. Edson Buddle is sitting with a similar salary, and it is doubtful both will be able to start in 2008 or both salaries will be kept. One has to show in Sydney or NZ and put some goals away.

Clint Mathis: from New York
As it is every one's first few games with Gullit, this will be Mathis' first trip with the team and first time with the new coach. Donovan spoke about how the new type of play under Gullit may fit perfectly for Mathis, which could open up a spot for him next to Beckham and Donovan if he shows the flashes he did early on this season in NY and the stamina. If not for a whole game, he is a fan-loved spark off the Galaxy bench, but he needs to show he has something to offer before he is put too far down Gullit's depth chart.

Goalies: Steve Cronin, Lance Friesz
For only taking 19 men, the Galaxy selected to take 3 goalies. Maybe Cannon will start both and the other two may see a half each in the two games. Either way they are competing to back Cannon up in 2008 and possibly be his replacement in 2009.

Josh Tudela: 9 games, 1 assist, $17,700
Tudela finished the season strong and should see a big increase in salary this season (or next) off of the Developmental roster. Now is his time to show Gullit that injuries are not the only reason he should be shown time. Even against Chicago late in the season, Yallop chose to sub Vagenas out over Tudela, which showed a lot about his play during the last half-dozen games. This also means its a big trip for Vagenas who could see Tudela's youth push him out of some time and possibly the roster in 2008.

Donovan has come out and said that he feels the core of the team is strong and without injuries they will succeed in 2008, but Lalas is not known to sit around and wait. He takes risks and acts more on impulse than knowledge. Along with Beckham and Donovan, Sydney also has some big players to watch (Is this game on US TV?) in a league similar to MLS: Juninho of Brazil and Popovic of the Australian national team.

Designated Players' Grades 2007

2007-11-23T23:05:00.000-05:00

Happy late Thanksgiving. As we all know, after the 2006 season, MLS initiated a completely different rule to the league. Each team was given a Designated Player slot that could be used to acquire one player whose salary would exceed the salary cap, but only count as $400,000 towards the cap. A DP slot was transferable, but a team could hold no more than two. David Beckham was signed first by the Los Angeles Galaxy, and the New York Red Bulls are the only team with two slots, acquiring Juan Pablo Angel and Claudio Reyna. Chivas USA is the lone team without a DP slot now. The other two signings were Cuauhtemoc Blanco to the Chicago Fire and Denilson to FC Dallas. So how well did the players do, how big was their impact to the league, and how would you grade them? Here is my take on year one's Designated Player signings, in alphabetical order:

Juan Pablo Angel - New York Red Bull, Colombia
$1.5 million - 2007 Final Stats: 24 games, 19 goals, 5 assists

Easily the biggest impact on the field out of all DP signings, sorry Blanco but maybe when you have a chance at a full season also. He ended up finishing second in MVP voting (without his attacking NYRB may have missed the playoffs), but did take home the 2007 All-star MVP award and once again helped show the world how far MLS has come in just 12 years. As for his impact off the field, it did not seem as noticeable as some of the other DPs. Attendance did rise by around 2,000 per game for the Red Bulls from 2006 to 2007, but is offset some by Beckham's game which drew over 60,000 (and Reyna's presence also). His strong play was noticed outside of the US in his home of Colombia as all writers and fans had him selected to the qualifying roster (who needed help scoring), but somehow he was overlooked and that decision, if Colombia does not score soon may see their head coach on his way out and Angel, hopefully, back in. B

David Beckham - Los Angeles Galaxy, England
$5.5 million - 2007 Final Stats: 5 games, 2 assists

Beckham will get the nod for best off-field contributions: increased attendance league wide for LA games (up 4,000 in LA), league recognition to tough US sports market, tons of Beckham jersey sales, and advertisers joining up on jerseys. He will have to look to make his on-field impact in 2008, although he did have a beautiful free-kick goal in the Superliga and an assist to Donovan. Everyone is waiting to see Beckham's MLS season next year and still in England as a substitute a few days ago, the crowd roared at him entering the game. He is here for a few years at least, so if his on-field impact was not too great this year, his off-field did the job for the league. He has also brought overseas interest to MLS, both players and coaches. Five years ago there would not be rumors of Henry, Ronaldo, or 'Chenko joining an MLS side. And now the Galaxy are on a tour to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand - with a few wins or just great play, the interest will grow towards the league even more. The Galaxy would probably be home relaxing if it were not for Becks' fan base worldwide. B

Cuauhtemoc Blanco - Chicago Fire, Mexico
$2.5 million - 2007 Final Stats: 14 games, 4 goals, 7 assists

In a short period of time, he did the most. He turned the Fire around and quickly become a leader on the field who produced the stats to back it up. Off the field he created Fire fan sections at away games and sold a decent amount of Blanco jerseys. Chicago's attendance went up 2,000 over the year, where he only played half. He also did not become the locker room problem many expected. At age 34, the Fire were criticized at first for their signing, but after Blanco only played 14 games he was a nominee for the 2007 MVP. His touch on the ball and ability to draw fouls made Chicago a much better attacking team even without Mapp and Rolfe for some of that time. Simply, he was fun to watch and drew on the Hispanic fans of the US. Chicago fans should be excited to see a full season worth of Blanco leading the likes of Mapp and Rolfe. A-

Denilson De Oliveira - FC Dallas, Brazil
$870,000 - 2007 Final Stats: 8 games, 1 goal

Will he be around in 2008? He did almost nothing on the field or off the field and even at 29 (Emilio is 28) showed almost none of the form that he had while winning a World Cup. On a few occasions he showed sparks of who he can be, but was never consistent at all. Maybe just another case of a foreign player unable to adjust to the MLS and early on he was given this benefit, saying he just needed a few games to break into the team chemistry. Well he never broke in and should know no longer be breaking Dallas' budget. Hopefully Ruiz will sign for under 400,000 as he was just over this year (grandfather rule), but if not Dallas should pass their DP along to Ruiz and send Denilson on to the K-League or back to Brazil to watch highlight tapes of the 1998 and 2002 World Cup. His grade is not lower only because for a week he created a lot of buzz about the MLS worldwide and attendance was up 200, the team's highest in history. D-

Claudio Reyna - New York Red Bull, USA
$1 million - 2007 Final Stats: 21 games, 3 assists

It was nice to see a DP used on a big US player and Claudio did alright with it. His on field performance was never consistent, but some games he showed why he deserved the DP slot. Unfortunately, his other DP out-shined him and the Red Bulls may have overspent on Reyna. Now that his boy, Arena, is gone, we might not see Reyna back next year especially if he cannot get to full health which has been a struggle throughout his career. Red Bull has the money so if Reyna leaves it may not be a bad thing - New York is the center of the world and many international stars have showed interest in coming to play in NY sometime. With Reyna possibly gone, maybe we will see star sooner than we expected. Not too take away from Reyna though, it did seem like his captaincy helped lead the team if nothing else. From what I have read, his presence in the locker room is tough to beat by anyone and he obviously has helped Altidore by being present throughout the year. C+

Overall, the addition of the Designated Player Rule has been a success in MLS: attendance is up, TV ratings are up, sales are up, and Internet hits are up. The second year will be interesting with DPs as other teams both see how successful they have been in marketing (but not in team success - look DC, Houston, NE, Chivas) and have some important decisions to make about keeping players like Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan.

LA Galaxy Update

2007-11-21T15:37:00.000-05:00

In the past couple days a few things have gone down in the home of where The Stars Align:

Clint Mathis - He makes his return to LA, but is then put on the players available for San Jose to draft. Not that he should be selected with Vagenas, Xavier, and Glinton all available from the Galaxy, but if he is selected it has to be one of the worst trades of the season and will just continue LA's run of questionable trades behind Lalas. The result if Mathis gets selected to San Jose is the free gift of third round selection to the Red Bulls, while the Galaxy will not lose a player from their end-of-season roster. But this roster is expected to be dumped anyways which already started with Yallop's departure to San Jose. I hope Mathis gets selected just so we can all smirk a little at the event, but I think LA can start saying goodbye to Glinton.

MLS Cup 2008 - The Home Depot Center will serve as host of the 2008 MLS Cup. We all knew it would head west and it was probably pretty easy to guess California (Beckham's hood) would once again host the MLS Cup. Hopefully the league can show off Donovan and Beckham in their final next year. And who knows who else the Galaxy will have to show off by then. But now with 3 teams right there, and a SJ fan base that still travels to support the Dynamo, there is a good chance of an enormous Cali crowd and home-field advantage for the 'Quakes, Chivas, or the Galaxy.

But the worst part of the '08 Cup is that once again it will be on a Sunday afternoon. Please Mr. Garber, one year give the final a chance to showcase itself the US sports market, the fans who are not die-hards and do not watch every Thursday night game. But it was nice to see that 39 states were represented at MLS Cup '07 and the TV ratings increased 25% from 2006 to 2007.

Landon Donovan - It looks as though Landon will be staying in LA. He was not given as a free gift to San Jose and Yallop by remaining on LA's protected list. Donovan also is among Joe Cannon and David Beckham in the Galaxy's 2008 season ticket promotions. So it appears as though these 3 will at least be remaining in a Galaxy uniform.

MLS Cup Weekend 2007 Notes

2007-11-19T13:31:00.000-05:00

Washington DC? Amazing. MLS Cup 2007? Amazing. The weekend started with the annual State of the League, continued with the announcement of more awards and the Best XI, and ended with the presentation of the MLS Cup 2007 to the Houston Dynamo once again. In a weekend so big for the MLS, there were tons of things that happened and lots of things we learned about the league. In no particular order, here are some of my notes:

Seattle Franchise - In just 3 days, Seattle is now sitting with over 5,000 deposits for season tickets. The team still will not play for a whole season, so you have to assume season tickets will break 10,000 in the next few months similar to Toronto and possibly reach 15,000 or 20,000 before the first game at Qwest Field. This is a great thing for the league and for a league that is looking for...

Further Expansion - The league is looking into becoming an 18-team league by 2011. Some front runners in these next 3 teams include Philadelphia, St. Louis, Atlanta, Portland, New York #2, and another Canadian franchise. Philadelphia's plan sounds the best to me with a 140 million stadium on the water in Chester County. And with the success of Toronto, the MLS should bring another Canadian team and build a huge MLS rivalry.

No Ching - Without last year's Cup MVP, Brian Ching, the Dynamo found a way to win a second MLS Cup in two years showing us both that the Houston Dynamo are truly one of the best teams in the league, but also emphasizing the continuous growth of depth on MLS teams. Look no further than their opponent who lost Dempsey in the off-season, who is considered on of the best US players, but they still found a way to return to the MLS Cup again.

DC United fans - Easily one of the best in the league and after watching them cheer during the MLS Cup for a team that was not even in the game or cheering against both teams, you have to wonder how there can even be a possibility that this team may leave DC. The fans showed up big with huge signs asking the mayor to keep the United in DC. Anyone close to DC can help out by petitioning.

Houston / Revs fans - I do not want to take anything away from either of these fans by mentioning the United fans. Both traveled well and had pretty huge fan sections in the corners buffered by the United fan section. Thanks to Houston's first goal, there was a 3 minute span where I could not see a single play on the field thanks to an orange and white smoke bomb that I thought would never end. And to the Revs' fans at the game I have to give you the Revs chant (and the arm motions in person are really cool to see) made the Dynamo fans sound silent.

Horrible Timing - Even though the passion of the MLS was on display at the MLS Cup, many non-die-hard fans probably never got to see it. If they watched the first half, they may have switched to American Football in the second which dominates the US sports market a one o'clock on Sundays. Why not Saturday night at RFK? The MLS Cup was a great show for the MLS, the fans, the players, but it needs to be shown to those who may not give US soccer more than a glimpse. I understand a Sunday helps fans travel, so a Monday or Tuesday wouldn't work but there is no reason why the Saturday night before would not have been just as accommodating.

Earthquake fans - Continuing with the discussion of fans... Earthquake fans were there again showing their support for the Dynamo. Next year with the return of San Jose, who are the fans going to root for? Either staying loyal to their city or to their new/old team.

Washington DC - An amazing city. From Friday night until Sunday afternoon, DC, my friends, and the MLS Cup definitely made this one of the best weekends of my life. Please give them a stadium so in ten years I can do it again.

Will the Revs ever win? - Twellman takes the lead again and history just repeats itself. With an Open Cup trophy this year, many thought the huge monkey-on-their-back had been removed, but it seems it has now only grown bigger. Even if they make it next year, it is sure to be more of an away game unless there is some Eastern 5th team who upsets its way to the final to play against the Revs again. What are the Revs missing? Probably just a bounce to go their way, right...

Pat Onstad - His save was one of the biggest in league history and saved the title for the Dynamo. The Revs dominated the first half, but when Houston scored the whole atmosphere of the game changed. Had Onstad let Larentowicz's header pass by, the Revs would have regained their momentum and taken home the MLS Cup on Sunday.

Jimmy Eat World - It was nice to get a somewhat big name band for halftime, but they only played two songs and the first one's audio quality seemed really bad. At least they played 'Sweetness' because its probably the only song people actually knew.

Taylor Twellman - I said he was the #1 player to watch at the Cup, but the way the Revs played you could not have missed him in his yellow shoes. Every ball went to Twellman and if it was not perfect (like his goal), there was not much he could do around three orange shirts. The Revs need to find a way to include some other offensive weapons more.

Luciano Emilio - It will be difficult for Emilio to match his superb season next year as he dominated league awards this year (Newcomer, MVP, Golden Boot, Best XI). It was good that he was from DC because for the Cup he was present beforehand to sign autographs and meet fans. He was real nice and had solid English for learning it in just 7 months. I also got to meet DC United's Bryan Namoff and Chicago Fire's Diego Gutierrez - both real friendly also.

Big contract questions - Some of the biggest contracts in the league did not make the MLS Best XI and leaves some teams with huge questions for the off-season. Landon Donovan was missing on the Best XI, even though he was US Player of the Year and some of his US teammates found their way onto the Best XI. The Galaxy should find a way to acquire another DP and keep Donovan. Eddie Johnson could not have missed by much but is in a similar situation to Landon next year. If KC is smart they will use their DP and keep one of the best strikers in the league in a Wizards jersey. Carlos Ruiz will be in a situation just like those two also, which probably means we have seen Denilson's last game in Dallas (and MLS) - give the DP to The Fish.

Thanks a lot Tad for another great time in DC.

MLS Cup 2007: Ten Players to Watch

2007-11-15T19:43:00.000-05:00

The Houston Dynamo and New England Revolution are full of lots of talent - the reason they made it this far - but some players to watch you may not know too much about and others are some of the best ever in MLS.

11. Brian Ching - He gets the number eleven spot because he may not be playing, but if he does play he makes a huge difference for the Dynamo. He was the '06 Cup MVP with a game-tying goal and clutch penalty-kick to make the Dynamo MLS Cup Champions. This year he has led the Dynamo in scoring and he also was a member of the '06 US World Cup team, but did not get into a match.

10. Adam Cristman / Wells Thompson - The two young guns for New England that just joined the league. Thompson is speedy and creative down the side, filled in for injuries in the beginning of the year establishing himself as a good replacement to the exited Dempsey. Cristman is the offensive spark off the bench for the Revs, which may be what Ching becomes too, so if his spark can just equal that of Ching's in the 70th minute he served the Revs well.

9. Steve Ralston - He has been setting up Twellman for years now and during his MLS career has easily established himself as one of the best crossers in the league - he now holds the all-time MLS record for assists.

8. Pat Onstad / Matt Reis - Matt Reis because it is supposed to be cold and he will have a ridiculous NE beanie on again - I have never seen a goalie wear something like that during a real game, let alone last week's Eastern Conference Championship. Pat Onstad has quietly put up absurd goalkeeping numbers this year behind the Dynamo, who have let up the fewest amount of goals all season until the playoffs. The Revs and Reis have yet to concede a goal this playoff run.

7. Joseph Ngwenya - From the second he arrived from the Crew he has shown the kind of force he can be out of the midfield or filling in up front. Look no further than his goal in the final five for Goal of the Year and that was on MLS Primetime - the spotlight will be on again and the Dynamo know how to show up on national TV.

6. Stuart Holden - Another force out of the midfield for the Dynamo and another one who shows up on MLS Primetime. Ngwenya and Holden were the highlight reels of a couple of those mid-summer 4-0 rapings. This guy took home Man of the Match twice from Primetime games. He is a young kid and shows it with his enthusiasm, but holds the composure of league veteran.

5. Michael Parkhurst - Who is going to stop all of the Dynamo's weapons? Parkhurst will have to prove his Defender of the Year award against a bunch of different attacking styles - Ngwenya's quickness, Jaqua's height, and De Rosario's power. Parkhurst is the most consistent defender in the league without a doubt.

4. Shalrie Joseph - Sitting right in front of Parkhurst is the best defensive midfielder in the league, Joseph. I have said it before, but he does not get the recognition he deserves for constantly being the toughest defensive force in any center midfield throughout the league. He will be facing one of the best attacking center midfielders in the league...

3. Nate Jaqua - His goal last week is even more proof that he has settled down in Houston, as opposed to LA. Now with Ching probably sidelined, Jaqua will have to be even more dangerous and find a way to fight through Parkhurst in the flow of play and Joseph during restarts.

2. Dwayne De Rosario - One of the best attacking center midfielders in MLS who has a really fast release and the ability to strike a 70 MPH ball on a laser to any corner anywhere within 40 yards. He has been a Best XI player for a few years and one of the most dangerous midfielders in the league.

1. Taylor Twellman - So many reasons to watch. One of the best attackers in the league since he entered, constantly in the run for the Golden Boot, and he knows how to score in the playoffs (9 goals in 20 games). And if you already forgot his absurd goal last week to win the Eastern final, a bicycle kick in between two defenders.

Countin' down to RFK.

Seattle: Represent.

2007-11-15T01:29:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Seattle who in just two days have already had deposits for over 3,000 season tickets for the 2009 season. This is a great sign for the growth of the MLS as they expand to another city and are quickly met with acceptance and fan excitement. Similar events occurred when Toronto FC first took names for season tickets and FC fans quickly became one of the best crowds and atmospheres in the league - from the streamers covering Landon Donovan (and other corner kick takers) to the flood of red and white jerseys throughout the stands. I hope Seattle (and San Jose next year) follow this pattern and show how passionate the MLS fans can be. Imagine a league with a dozen teams supported by fans rivaling the passion of DC United, Toronto FC, or Dynamo fans. With the response in Seattle we may be coming to that and with soccer-specific stadiums or built-for-soccer (like Qwest) stadiums, these fans will be on top of the players demonstrating why home-field is truly an advantage in soccer and the MLS.

Adidas better get on top of producing a song for Seattle, something that mixes nicely with their marching band - maybe some old school 90s ska? Will they be the Sounders? San Jose after going with the Clash for a few years eventually made the switch back to their previous USL name the Earthquakes, so maybe Seattle should go safe and start with the Sounders. If the fans hate it, they can vote against it anyways.

And I do not want to leave out a compliment for the New England orginazation. Well done offering free bus rides to the fans - they show support and now you show them some support. I still do not expect it to be a home game for NE though, Dynamo orange will be all over the place just like last year even if it is a few hundred more miles.

Heal quicker Brian Ching, I want to see you in person.

First Take: Drew Carey

2007-11-13T15:01:00.000-05:00

Just one day after joining the investment team for the 15th MLS Club, Seattle, Drew Carey is showing why he is capable of being more than just a great fan of soccer. Over the past years, we have seen Carey show up at many Galaxy games and thankfully tell ESPN (Galaxy vs. Chelsea) that they should be focusing on the game and not interviewing him during the game, that is a true soccer fan, because he knew what other soccer fans wanted to see even if they like Carey who is very easily liked. Now he will join an investment team in Seattle and in just over a year will change his cheers to the Seattle franchise. But in just one day it is the two things he has added to the MLS that deserve to be complimented.

First, he has announced that Seattle will be the first professional sports team with a marching band. At first this seems pretty odd, but in a league where home-field advantage has been really vital, even at times when attendance figures were low, this is an awesome idea for the Seattle players. It gives the Seattle players an edge, it makes other players have to think about playing while a marching band is blasting, and it gives Seattle fans something to help get pumped up and initiate fan songs. Even the current USL Sounders have a decent following, so expect a big fan section in Seattle along with hopefully an obnoxious and energetic band.

Secondly, he has brought in an idea from the likes of Barcelona (where he is a member) and Real Madrid known as fan membership. If you do not like something that is going on with the team, you have the ability to vote out the GM and change up what is going on. How can a fan not love this? And this will also be the only professional sports team in the US with fan membership too.

Carey's Announcement at Seattle Bar - Pretty cool, sweet chants.

So Carey in just a day has already shown the league his innovation and creativity. Seattle does not even play for about 500 days, but I am already excited to see what happens up there at Qwest Field.

Cobi Jones' Legacy Continues

2007-11-12T16:40:00.000-05:00

With the recent signing of Ruud Gullit as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy, not too much attention has been made for the simultaneous signing of their Assistant Coach. Cobi Jones as the Assitant Coach of the Galaxy is awesome for Cobi, the league, and AEG. First, Cobi is the only player to play all 12 seasons on the same team. Now that he is retired as a player, he will still be part of the Galaxy family as a coach. Cobi brings that experience to his coaching role now to assist Gullit. AEG has made some interesting decisions with the Galaxy, but the signing of Cobi Jones to assist Ruud Gullit is one of the best. Gullit brings a great history as a player and a minor career as a coach thus far, but foreign coaches have not done too well in the MLS, other than Steve Nicol who returns to the MLS Cup for his fourth time in six years. Gullit now will be helped in this transition by a former player who has more experience in MLS than anyone, and more experience with the LA Galaxy than anyone. Smart move. And he is still a fan favorite, leader on the Galaxy, and one of the best US Soccer players ever. Welcome to your new role as Assistant Coach Cobi, and hopefully it will be met with as much success you had as a player.

MLS Cup 2007 Represents the MLS

2007-11-12T00:23:00.000-05:00

You can easily find hundreds of articles that will discuss the upcoming final on Sunday in DC between New England Revolution and Houston Dynamo, but why this game clearly displays the skill level and growth of the MLS in the past 12 years is an even more important thing to understand. It is a repeat of one of the most exciting MLS Cups in history and the only one to be decided on penalty kicks. New England looks to finally take a Cup home to Boston after losing 3 times previously and returning to the Eastern final for the sixth year in a row. These two teams are the definition of consistency. Six years in a row to the Eastern final for the Revs and (counting the 'Quakes stats) this will be the opportunity to take home a 4th cup in 7 years.

It is important to note that neither team has taken advantage of acquiring a Designated Player, only proving that the league is deep and a DP is not a necessity, nor will dominate the league. They have done it with solid play makers and people who have found important roles for each side. Wells Thompson, a rookie this year, for NE has found a way to take the 'spark' role that once was held by Dempsey. Ralston, Noonan, Twellman, Joseph, Reis, and Parkhurst have all been around and established under Steve Nicol the most consistent and one of the best tactical teams in the league. They finally took a trophy home this year in the Open Cup and look to make it a second this week. Twellman's bicycle in the Eastern final was just of pure beauty and he is one of the most dangerous forwards in the box at anytime, even with his back to goal. Joseph had interest to play overseas, but now is on a contract extension until 2010 (another great sign for the league) - he deservedly should be considered for MVP every year, but does not put up the numbers of other contenders. He easily makes my Best XI.

Houston on the other hand is just really deep. Ching may not even play this weekend and Clark is out on suspension, but they are still with Jaqua, Rosario, Mulrooney, Holden, Ngwenya, Onstad, and Davis. I could keep going but that is a hell of a list right there, so even without two huge contributors in last year's final they still do not have to worry. Jaqua unfortunately could not do anything for the Galaxy, but has quickly made an impact in Houston. And Columbus would obviously like to have Ngwenya back, but he took no time to adapt in Houston. Speaking of Twellman's sick goal, how about Ngwenya's back on MLS Primetime this summer? That was something to see also.

The game will show off some of the best players in the MLS, offensively, defensively, and in goal. I can't wait to be at RFK in a week watching the MLS Cup 2007 and there are many reasons everyone else should be excited to watch also. Hopefully a repeat of last year's final includes all of the excitement of last year too.

My prediction:
New England Revolution 2 - Houston Dynamo 1

If you have not checked out the MLS Represent Adidas site yet, you need to. Don't miss out on hearing Mike Jones' "Houston Dynamo (Don't Play)" or the other 12 songs for your favorite teams. Some of them are a little disappointing, but the fact they are artists from the teams' cities is pretty cool and they bring a nice beat to tailgate to before entering the stadiums.

Liverpool wins 8-0 in Champions League

2007-11-07T13:34:00.000-05:00

I do not write usually at all on any other leagues, but the MLS because, as I follow all leagues and know what is going on, I do not know as much about them as I do the MLS, nor do I have the passion for the other leagues like I have for Major League Soccer. But in this case I will make mention of two points that I think are interesting and deserve some attention regarding MLS play.

1. Competition. We all know Alexi Lalas came out and said that the MLS is the most competitive league in the world. It may not be the best league, but in the context of competitiveness he is probably correct. In the MLS, on any pitch, any game day, each team comes in knowing they have both the players, coaches, staff, and facilities to win the game. In the MLS playoffs (more to playoffs in one second), we have never seen a margin of victory of 8 goals and we probably never will. I personally think this is a great thing and gives fans of MLS teams (like NFL fans, unlike MLB or foreign soccer leagues) the opportunity to come to every game knowing their team is capable of winning. Look no further than Toronto FC and their fans. And if the season does not put your team in the playoffs (Kansas City last year out, in this year) or the run for the Supporter's Shield (Chivas USA second this year), qualifying for the Open Cup, or the Superliga (New England in next year). It can truly be said that next year your team can make it to all of them - everyone is on a level playing field and its who uses what they have and what they can get that succeeds in the MLS. Just look back at some of the turnarounds in MLS history, almost one significant per year.

2. Playoffs. A lot of criticism goes at the MLS for having a playoff system decide the champion of the league and it is said that the MLS is just conforming to American culture. So what if that is the reason? But I don't think it is the whole reason. Look at the Champions League itself, it is pretty much a playoff system for European clubs. Either way, a team is recognized as the Supporter's Shield winners and then there are still playoffs. And MLS Playoff games are exciting, how about the second leg of DC United and Chicago Fire? One of the best games I have watched.

If you want one other thing to show the competitiveness of the MLS, just look at how many different winners there have been in just twelve seasons of the Supporter's Shield (8), and how many different teams have been crowned MLS Cup Champions (6, 4 different past 4 years).

Frank Yallop to San Jose?

2007-11-04T22:59:00.000-05:00

ESPN has recently released an article that sources say Frank Yallop will be leaving the Los Angeles Galaxy for the expansion (reborn) side San Jose Earthquakes. Yallop started out in San Jose and won two MLS Cups for the 'Quakes. Lots of questions come to mind upon hearing this move:

1. Was the Galaxy going to release Yallop anyways? Rumors have spread all season long that he was on his way out, but with the injuries and difficult arrival of David Beckham many thought he would be given one more year as the coach since he has a great MLS record. Since it is said he was only traded for a late draft pick, he was probably going to be fired anyways.

2. Who will head the Galaxy? Someone who can handle the new attention of the Galaxy and rebuild a team almost from the bottom up. I had heard the former German national coach has an interest in the LA franchise and AEG has the money, needs someone to handle the spotlight, and obviously is looking for someone better than Yallop.

3. What is Beckham's say? He liked Yallop a lot and met with him many times before signing to the Galaxy. Now he may have a hand in deciding since he is one of the few players we know will be around for a few years in LA.

4. Will Donovan head to San Jose? The Galaxy do not have another DP, but need one to keep Donovan. He played well in San Jose, it is relatively close for his wife, and he was always positive towards Yallop. I hope he stays in LA because to watch him and Beckham at full strength will be something in 2008, but that may never happen now. Maybe Donovan wants the go-to-guy role back and in an expansion side as DP, he will surely be the number one guy. Oh and San Jose fans loved him, even a commercial I saw recently for the 'Quakes had a dog dressed in a Donovan Earthquakes jersey - maybe they know something we do not.

5. Is Lalas next out? He says whats on his mind and goes off impulse - both good and bad things, but many have criticized him for terrible GM work in the past couple years. He was a better player than GM thus far, but he did help to bring Beckham to LA.

6. How good will the 'Quakes be? They will have great fans, a great coach, and possibly the greatest US soccer player of all time. They probably have learned a few things from Toronto this year too. Yallop has seen most of the players who will be in the expansion draft play over the past 6 years - something that Mo Johnston did not have the advantage of during his draft.

7. Can the Galaxy get any worse? Two playoff-less seasons in a row was enough to send Yallop out. They are one of the most consistent franchises in league history, without the two past seasons. With all the changes this year, maybe Yallop leaving was finally the last huge change needed. Randolph, Harden, Donovan, Cannon, and Klein all began to click at the season's end. Throw in a healthy Beckham and a probable increase in salary cap room with the release of Xavier and Pavon and the Galaxy may make the trip to the playoffs once again. Don't forget about a normal schedule and at least one less tournament (Superliga) next year.

MLS 2007 Awards Part 2

2007-11-01T15:10:00.000-04:00

Rookie of the Year
Finalists: Adam Cristman, Maurice Edu, Dane Richards

My prediction:
Dane Richards - It looked midway through the season that Maurice Edu was locking this award up, but as a forward and being part of the team with the longest scoreless streak in MLS history you have to pass the award to Dane Richards. Richards has been quick and dangerous up top for the Red Bulls all along and filled in for Altidore extremely well while he was away for the U-20s. And remember Richards is still playing, and may still have a huge impact this weekend in New England.

Coach of the Year
Finalists: Dominic Kinnear, Preki, Tom Soehn

My prediction:
Preki - In just one year Preki has transformed this team into a Supporter's Shield runner-up, one seed in the West, and the most difficult team to play on the road (regardless of the number of fans who show up). The other two coaches had the teams already in place, both as Champions (Dynamo) and Supporter's Shield (United) winners in 2006 - Preki made huge strides to put his Chivas side in the running for both of these titles in 2007.

Most Valuable Player
Finalists: Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Juan Pablo Angel, Luciano Emilio

My prediction:
Juan Pablo Angel - If Blanco had been here a whole year, he may have had just as big an impact since his Fire are the hottest team in the league right now. And Emilio joined a team that had won the Supporter's Shield in 2006, so he scored a bunch of goals, but they are in a similar position to where they were in 2006. Angel's value is shown by his class on the field - he is a leader, a goalscorer, and is developing Altidore and Richards into what should be one of the toughest front lines to stop in the MLS Cup playoffs.

Newcomer of the Year
Finalists: Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Juan Pablo Angel, Luciano Emilio

My prediction:
Luciano Emilio - Same thing for Blanco again, just too few games to give him this award. Emilio is not a DP, but plays like one and joined the United (an already powerful scoring team) and took home the Golden Boot. Emilio has some of the most impressive goals and watching the pace he plays at live in DC is just amazing. Also he is just 28 and should play a few years longer than these other two.

MLS 2007 Awards Part 1

2007-10-30T15:47:00.000-04:00

Goalkeeper of the Year
Finalists: Brad Guzan, Pat Onstad, Matt Reis

My prediction:
Brad Guzan - Great goals against average, second only to Onstad. He has proven to be the future goalie of the US team and is improving game after game for Chivas, just as they are. (Although I do think that Joe Cannon behind the shaky Galaxy defense has made the most incredible saves all season long and kept the team alive down the stretch until the last game of the year.)

Fair Play Award
Finalists: Eddie Pope, Cobi Jones, Michael Parkhurst

My prediction:
Michael Parkhurst - One of the best defenders in the MLS and does it cleanly. But I would actually like to see the award split between the other two finalists, Jones and Pope, who have done so much for American soccer and the MLS in the last 10-15 years - they deserve to be awarded in some way during their final season.

Comeback Player of the Year
Finalists: Frankie Hejduk, Eddie Johnson, Pat Noonan

My prediction:
Eddie Johnson - How can he not win? (Other than Pat Noonan's amazing return also.) Eddie has reemerged as one of the most dangerous finishers in the league and sparked the Wizards back into the postseason heading into the second leg at Chivas up a goal.

Defender of the Year
Finalists: Michael Parkhurst, Eddie Robinson, Claudio Suarez

My prediction:
Michael Parkhurst - This is where he deserves his recognition, leave the Fair Play Award for two USA soccer legends. Parkhurst has held down the backline of New England all year and does it better than anyone else in the league every year.