MLS Clubs Looking For CL Breakthrough

Will this be the week when a Major League Soccer club finally experiences a victory in the CONCACAF Champions League? Both D.C. United and the Houston Dynamo will have a crack at restoring some of the league's credibility in the group stage, though a lot of damage has been done already.
First up, Houston will go on the road Tuesday night to face Pumas in Mexico City. Coach Dominic Kinnear has opted to bring a mix of young players and veterans into the high altitude for the game, and will likely do the same for Saturday's league match against Colorado (also at altitude), in an attempt to have some fresh legs available for both matches. Houston has only played one match in the group stage, forging a 0-0 tie against San Francisco FC; Pumas is 1-0-1 in group play.

On Wednesday, a road-weary and injury-depleted United squad hosts Cruz Azul, another match that is expected to end in disappointment. Having seen themselves slip out of the final MLS playoff spot, D.C. has also gotten off to a blistering 0-2-0 start in the Champions League, while Cruz Azul is 1-1-0 in group play.

Combined, Major League Soccer's record in the inaugural edition of the CCL is a woeful 0-5-2. Making things worse at the same time, USL clubs have stolen the spotlight, with the Puerto Rico Islanders and Montreal Impact both currently leading their respective division.

Casey Named Player of the Week

Colorado Rapids midfielder Conor Casey has been named MLS Player of the Week for Week 27 after bagging a hat trick against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, including the game-winning goal in second-half stoppage time. In winning the honor, Casey's offensive outburst overshadowed other sensational individual performances by the likes of Yura Movsisyan and Darren Huckerby, who scored two goals each over the weekend.
"It's probably been a while since I scored a goal, so it feels really good," said Casey. "It gives me a lot of confidence, but the main thing is the way the team performed entirely and the result we showed. It was an up and back game and we just kept fighting and the last month or so, we really made some new strides. It feels really good where we are headed."

It is the first MLS POW award for Casey, making him the second Rapids player to earn the honor this season, joining Terry Cooke (Week 1). The former FSV Mainz striker has now scored eight goals in 18 appearances this season, and 10 total since joining Colorado last year.

*photo courtesy ISI Photos

Investment Group Interested In Columbus

The group of investors previously committed to bringing an MLS expansion club to Las Vegas is now in discussions to buy a portion of the Columbus Crew franchise from Hunt Sports Group, according to a SportsBusiness Journal article. Hunt Sports Group President John Wagner has confirmed that there have been discussions with the group over a potential minority investment, but stressed that no agreements have been reached and talks are ongoing.
Columbus is one of two franchises owned by Hunt Sports Group, who also own and operate FC Dallas, making them the only group that still owns and operates two separate MLS clubs. Any potential sale of a share of the Crew would likely be similar to the deal struck between Anschutz Entertainment Group and Oscar De La Hoya earlier this year for the Houston Dynamo, as AEG still owns 50% of the back-to-back MLS Champions.

Fronted by California businessman Mark Noorzai, the group also boasts former Columbus Crew and U.S. defensive midfielder Paul Caligiuri among its ranks. Caligiuri spent the inaugural MLS season playing in Columbus before moving on to the Los Angeles Galaxy from 1997 - 2001.

"It's pretty close to being in the final stages," said Caligiuri of the Crew discussions, also disclosing that they would not seek to relocate the team and HSG would continue to operate the club.

Prior to their interest in Columbus, Noorzai's group - the Las Vegas Sports & Entertainment Group - had been lobbying for an expansion franchise of their own to play in Sin City. Last year, they proposed a $500-million, retractable-roof stadium as the centerpiece of the project, coupled with an adjacent hotel and casino.

Caligiuri added that the group still wants to field their own expansion team in Vegas, saying: "[The group] is still interested in moving forward in that area."

Monday Morning MLS Playoff Glance

Week 27 of Major League Soccer's regular season is now in the books, but the playoff picture is not much clearer now than it was before the weekend began. For the first time in weeks, four teams from the Western Conference would make the postseason if it started today.
* Columbus has now moved eight points clear in the race for the Supporters Shield and could clinch the trophy given to the team with the regular season's best record as soon as this weekend if a host of other results fall their way.

* DC United has lost their hold on the final playoff spot after getting run out of Pizza Hut Park on Sunday afternoon.

* Real Salt Lake has temporarily moved into the eighth spot, but the bottom six teams are all still within six points of the last playoff position.

East:
(1) Columbus Crew vs. (4) New York Red Bulls
(2) New England Revolution vs. (3) Chicago Fire

West:
(1) Houston Dynamo vs. (4) Real Salt Lake
(2) Chivas USA vs. (3) Colorado Rapids

Update: Rio Tinto Stadium

Update: Reported here earlier this week, Real Salt Lake's new stadium will officially be known as Rio Tinto Stadium, confirmed by a story in the Salt Lake Tribune. A press conference to announce the naming-rights deal is scheduled for Monday.

As part of the agreement, the Rio Tinto Group will pay $1.5 - $2 million per year over the course of the 15-year deal, putting the figure toward the upper-end of similar agreements that have been struck in recent years.

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Just days before the first official game is played at Real Salt Lake's newly-constructed stadium, a diligent RSL fan has apparently uncovered the specifics of a naming-rights deal that has been hinted at in recent weeks. The leading candidate appears to be Rio Tinto, a multinational mining and resources group founded in 1873. Named after a river in southern Spain, Rio Tinto ('Red River') owns the Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation, a local mining and land development company with corporate headquarters in Magna, Utah.
On the soccer-focused message board community known as BigSoccer, a poster by the name of 'aosthed' first uncovered the smoking gun: RioTintoField.com and RioTintoStadium.com domain names were registered in late August to the marketing director of Real Salt Lake.

An announcement on naming rights should be forthcoming next week, with the first official game in the new facility set for October 9th against the New York Red Bulls.

MLSD Match Report: KC @ Chivas USA

Needing a win to keep pace with their closest Western Conference rivals, Chivas USA got strikes from a player returning from injury and a new acquisition in the first half and then held on for a 2-1 victory on Saturday night. The win keeps Chivas in second place in the Western Conference, closing their gap with the Houston Dynamo to four points.
Alecko Eskandarian continued his blistering form since returning from injury, tallying the opening goal of the match, while new acquisition Sasha Victorine – who played for Kansas City three weeks ago before being traded – tucked away the game-winner against his former team in first-half stoppage time. Kansas City’s Josh Wolff provided an acrobatic finish inside the box to bring Kansas City back into the game late in the second half, but that was a close as they would get.

Both sides would have opportunities in the opening stages of the match. Chivas nearly converted their first opportunity, as Eskandarian tried to connect with Ante Razov on a run at the top of the box. Defender Jimmy Conrad appeared to be in better position to deal with the threat, but Razov alertly poked the ball away from between Conrad’s legs, sending it toward the Wizards goal. Fortunately for Kansas City, goalkeeper Kevin Hartman was able to get just enough of the ball to keep it in front of him, ending the threat.

In the tenth minute, Herculez Gomez looked for the opportunistic strike on the other end, beating flu-stricken defender Francisco Mendoza to a ball over the top and quickly lacing a half-volley towards goal from 25 yards out. It didn’t miss by much, sailing just over the head of Chivas keeper Dan Kennedy and out of play.

Ten minutes later, Chivas was knocking on the door again through Eskandarian’s breakout run down the middle of the pitch. Seeing Sacha Kljestan to his left in a 4-on-3 opportunity, Eskandarian slotted the ball off to the US International, but Kljestan lacked judgment, rushing a curled shot to the far post, where Hartman easily made the save.

The game’s first goal came in the 26th minute, as Razov chipped a ball into space down the left side of the field for Victorine. Dribbling toward the endline, the midfielder alertly passed to a wide-open Eskandarian in the box, setting up the one-time MLS Cup MVP to easily convert the left-footed chance, propelling the home side into the lead with his fourth goal of the year.

“It was just another sequence,” said Eskandarian. “I was just trying to get myself in a good spot to finish the sequence. Sure enough, Sasha ended up down the line… put a perfect ball across the box and all I had to do was just finish it.”

Kansas City has a good opportunity to equalize before the half when Kennedy came well off his line to punch away an incoming cross from the right side. The ball squirted back out to Roger Espinoza on the left, allowing the winger to get a quick shot off with the keeper out of position that ended up just missing high.

Minutes later, Victorine made his homecoming worth remembering as he seared a shot past Kevin Hartman and into the top corner in first-half stoppage time to stake the Goats to a 2-0 lead at halftime. It was his second goal of the season, and his first since the trade that sent him from Kansas City to Chivas.

“I hit three of those shots in the warmup and missed them, so hopefully that was the one I saved for the game,” said Victorine. “[Preki] came up to me before the game and he said, ‘You don’t have anything to prove tonight,’ and I think that made me relax a little bit,” Victorine said. “Obviously, you’ve got a lot of emotion when you go out there and play against your old team.”

Victorine’s former coach Curt Onalfo echoed those sentiments in his assessment of the game: “Anytime there’s a trade, the first time that player plays against his former team they have a little extra bounce in their step,” Onalfo said. “He had a good performance.”

At the start of the second half, it was again Gomez threatening to draw one back for the visitors, but his well-struck free kick in the 50th minute failed to trouble Kennedy, again flying over the bar and out.

Herculez would again be a menace to the defense in the 68th minute, flicking a header toward goal from the top of the box, but right at a waiting Kennedy. As action traveled down to the other end, Eskandarian had a similar opportunity, but got similar results, redirecting his shot straight at Hartman.

The Wizards would get a much-needed goal in the 70th minute in the form of a highlight-reel strike from Josh Wolff. The American star, who had been plying his trade in Germany with 1860 Munich, successfully attempted a bicycle kick from inside the box, sneaking the ball just inside the far post and past a diving Kennedy.
“The ball came loose and I just tried a little kick and it went in,” admitted Wolff. “The goal gave us hope and energy and we had plenty of time but we didn’t do enough. We didn’t pull off the final pass or the final play at the right moment.”

The goal shifted momentum in the match, as Kansas City charged down the field with renewed energy. It looked as though the Wizards had drawn even just three minutes later, with Wolff winning a one-on-one battle with Mendoza before finding Davy Arnaud in the box, who finished the attempt, but the goal was waved off as the assistant referee had whistled for a foul against Wolff for jersey-tugging just seconds before the tally.

With time winding down, the visitors had one last good scoring opportunity, coming off the foot of second-half substitution Claudio Lopez. But like several most of Kansas City’s other attempts on the night, Dan Kennedy was able to watch the ball go over his head one final time, allowing Chivas to claim maximum points on the evening and hold on to their tentative playoff position.

“There were a lot of new faces again from last week and we had to scramble and make adjustments,” said Preki. “I give my guys incredible amount of credit because they fought, and they’re still fighting. The whole year, it’s been the same and they deserve what they’re getting.”

Scoring Summary:
CHV – Alecko Eskandarian 4 (Sasha Victorine, Ante Razov) 26’
CHV – Sasha Victorine 2 (Atiba Harris, Sacha Kljestan) 46’+
KC – Josh Wolff 3 (unassisted) 70’

Lineups:
CHV – Dan Kennedy, Claudio Suarez, Shavar Thomas, Francisco Mendoza, Alecko Eskandarian (Maykel Galindo 77’), Ante Razov (Justin Braun 30’), Jesse Marsch, Sacha Kljestan, Sasha Victorine, Alex Zotinca (Bobby Burling 67’), Atiba Harris

KC – Kevin Hartman, Michael Harrington, Abe Thompson (Kevin Souter 56’), Kurt Morsink, Jimmy Conrad, Josh Wolff, Roger Espinoza (Carlos Marinelli 73’), Tyson Wahl (Claudio Lopez 46’), Herculez Gomez, Davy Arnoud, Jonathan Leathers

Attendance – 14,783

Italian, Spanish Clubs Courting Mastroeni

Overseas interest in Colorado Rapids midfielder Pablo Mastroeni is at an all-time high right now, with two possible countries emerging as his most likely destination for next year: Spain and Italy.Mastroeni has always spoken of his desire to ply his trade in Europe before he calls it a career. Italian club Cagliari has expressed interest in the US international midfielder in the past, as have several Serie B clubs, but the newest teams to enter the hunt are reportedly Spain's Malaga and Real Betis.

"We are just keeping the doors open and seeing what comes at the end of November," Mastroeni recently told local blog wewantrapidman. "I think it's going to be a question of five possibilities and picking what we think is right."

Mastroeni, 32, is an 11-year veteran of MLS, breaking into the league in 1998 with the now-defunct Miami Fusion as the 13th overall draft selection that year. After 100 appearances in south Florida, he joined the Rapids in 2002 and has gone on to make 127 appearances for the club since then. His MLS résumé also includes 23 postseason appearances and five selections to the All-Star team, including in each of the past two seasons.

"There's a level of comfort playing in the MLS," Mastroeni continued. "The pressure is not there to win or lose. You can go to the supermarkets, hang out at the park, enjoy your Sundays playing Frisbee with your friends. If you go to Europe, it's not like that. Everything is cutthroat. If you're not winning, you better be focusing on the next opportunity. Soccer is so much more part of everyday life."

Internationally, Mastroeni has earned over 60 caps for the US Men's National Team. He was part of the surprising 2002 squad that reached the quarterfinals, and memorably got sent off in the 2006 World Cup in the United States' 1-1 tie against Italy.

Carver Says TFC Playing For His Job

Toronto FC head coach John Carver has placed himself in front of the firing squad, saying that he doesn't deserve his job next season if TFC can't make a respectable showing in their final five games of the season.
The second-year franchise started the season off well, using solid player acquisitions and strong play at home to beat everyone's early expectations. But since the All-Star Break, TFC is a miserable 1-6-2, practically rolling over and played dead in last weekend's road game against Kansas City, where they failed to muster a single shot on goal.

"So much was at stake and so little was given," said Carver over his team's effort in the 2-0 loss to KC. "If we can't play any better than that over the final five games, I don't deserve to be kept on. I wouldn't blame the fellows upstairs if they replaced me under those circumstances."

Toronto currently sits six points adrift of the final playoff spot and will have no easy task in handling the Western Conference-leading Houston Dynamo this weekend at BMO Field. Following that, three of the club's final four regular season games are on the road.

"I told them that I don't want anyone on the team who thinks the season is over," continued Carver. "If anyone thinks that they should leave now. My head is on the block and every player in that room has his head on the block as well."

Rolfe, Blanco Burn Galaxy

Five days after breaking out of a 12-game winless streak in stunning fashion, the Los Angeles Galaxy again reverted back to their old form, allowing the Chicago Fire to capitalize on sloppy play and mental breakdowns on their way to a 3-1 victory on Thursday night.

Chris Rolfe, who had found himself riding the pine lately under Fire head coach Denis Hamlett, was injected back into the starting lineup and took full advantage of the opportunity, scoring once in each half. His first multi-goal game in three years, Rolfe's strikes came sandwiched around a goal from Cuauhtemoc Blanco that ultimately proved to be the game-winner."Anytime you are not in the top XI, you are disappointed," said Rolfe after the game. "Did it have an influence on my play tonight? Probably not - every time you are on the field you just want to do your best to help the team and I'm glad I was able to help the team tonight."

Rolfe wasted little time getting on the scoresheet, pushing Chicago in front after just 13 minutes after a less-than-pretty run down the middle of the field. With the ball getting away from him several times, Rolfe managed to gain control, shake off his defenders and cut back at the top of the box, leaving him in position to unleash a curling left-footed shot that beat Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Wicks at the far post.

"I was pretty happy with the goal and glad that I could keep my composure with the ball," Rolfe said. "I had the time during the play, I actually stepped on the ball and got my head up which helped frame the shot."

On the other side of the field, the league's best defense kept the Galaxy offense in check most of the night, shutting down David Beckham and Landon Donovan for large spells of the match. The one chink in Chicago's armor came before halftime, when Eddie Lewis got on the end of a cross from Chris Klein, flicking the ball past Jon Busch for his first MLS goal since 1999 - when he was a member of the San Jose Clash.

The second half started out as bad as the first for Los Angeles, and a nightmarish two-minute spell near the hour-mark completely did them in.

First, it was Blanco who wrestled the lead back for the Fire, showing uncharacteristic speed in the 57th minute to beat defender Troy Roberts to a through ball deep in the Galaxy zone. Wicks had come far off his line to deal with the ball, but Blanco smartly pushed the ball out in front of him at the same time as Wicks and Roberts collided, allowing Cuauhtemoc to slot the ball into an empty net for his first goal in 17 games.

The game's final goal would be tallied just two minutes later, as Rolfe collected a long pass from Gonzalo Segares and sprinted in toward goal, opting to shoot while just outside the box. Wicks initially got his hand to the ball, but could only turn around and watch helplessly as it trickled into the net to cement the 3-1 scoreline on the night.

*photo courtesy ISIPhotos.com

Battle For The Rio Grande Plate

FC Dallas has announced that the return leg of the Rio Grande Plate will be held at Pizza Hut Park on Tuesday, October 14th. The friendly home-and-away series against Mexican club Tigres UANL started between the two clubs in 2006, with FCD prevailing in penalty kicks that year after the clubs ended regulation tied 2-2 on-aggregate.

Tigres responded in 2007 with a 3-0 victory on-aggregate to take the plate back to Monterrey. In this year's edition, it was Tigres who got off to a good start in the first leg, winning their home match by a score of 2-1 back in February.FC Dallas has had a loaded schedule of friendlies this year, winning three out of those five exhibitions so far. Two of their victories were earned against Atletico Paranaense, including one at Kyocera Arena in Curtiba, Brazil; the other win came when the Hoops defeated Club America earlier this month. Besides losing to Tigres in February, FCD has also dropped a 2-1 result to Chivas Guadalajara in June.

Growing Diversity In MLS

Major League Soccer's diversity grades for the past year improved in an annual American diversity study that was released on Wednesday. The report, put together by the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, points to the league's increase of international players on the field and more women in its corporate offices as reasons why MLS improved in the study over the last 12 months.

The league received a C+ in the study for gender hiring practices., up from last year's D+ score. Overall, MLS earned a B+, which study author and institute director Richard Lapchick credited to initiatives to improve diversity and high numbers of racial minorities in executive positions.

The percentage of international players jumped 10 points from 2006 to 2007, from 21% to 31% of all MLS players. There were 201 white players in 2007, one more than the previous year, but the number of black players increased from 57 to 74.

The league also increased its percentage of minorities in the league office from 31% to 43%, and 42% of its employees were women - 16-point increase from the last report.

Free Designated Players For Everyone

Tim Leiweke, the mastermind behind the Designated Player rule, is lobbying for Major League Soccer to change its rulebook once again in the offseason, this time to allow DP signings to be exempt from the league's salary cap altogether.

Leiweke, the president and CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group, says that by making a designated player signing count for $400,000 against a salary cap of just over $2 million, owners are being penalized for taking a big risk. If he had his way, they would count for nothing. He perceives the big hit towards the cap as part of the reason there are only six DPs spread out among the 14 teams and believes that making them free - essentially - would create more of an incentive for teams to go out and sign big-name players.
"Within our structure as a league, are we penalized for going out and taking the risk we took on David? I think we are," Leiweke recently told SI.com in an interview. "And so that's something that we as a league are going to have to deal with, is the ditch that we find ourselves in the day we announce David Beckham based on the cap.

It would not be the first time that league owners have passed a ruling to help out the Galaxy in a time of need. Last year, it was agreed upon that Landon Donovan and his $900,000 salary would not make him a DP, grandfathering in such players who already made more than the maximum salary. Still, the Galaxy must take on $400,000 of his salary as well, meaning Beckham & Donovan alone combine for about 35% of the team's cap.

"There are some in the league who argue, 'Yeah, but you're spending the same amount of money on the rest of your team that some of the other teams are spending on their entire team. So you made some bad personnel decisions.' I think we probably did," Leiweke admitted. "I'm not an expert, but I think we spent some money and brought some guys in that ultimately aren't very good. So they are right: We've made some bad decisions.

"That said, why does David count against the cap when you see the impact that David has created for everybody else in the league? Every team should have the ability, I think, of pulling in a Designated Player and making a decision to pay that player outside the cap, and it shouldn't have an impact on the cap."

Leiweke will have a lot of convincing to do when the MLS Board of Governors convenes their next meeting over MLS Cup weekend in late November.

Morales Signs New RSL Contract

Real Salt Lake announced Wednesday that the club has reached an agreement on a contract extension with Javier Morales, a deal that will keep the Argentinean midfielder in Utah through 2012. As part of the deal, RSL has purchased Morales' contract rights from UD Vecindario, a team in the Spanish Segunda Division B.

Morales, 28, has made 31 appearances since signing with RSL in August of last year, racking up five goals and 12 assists over that period. With ten assists this season alone, he is among the league-leaders in the category, training only Columbus' Guillermo Barros Schelotto.
Prior to his MLS arrival, Morales played for storied Argentinean clubs Lanus, Newell's Old Boys and Arsenal de Sarandi, but his most productive moments on the field have come as a member of Real Salt Lake.

"It was a concerning factor for us going into next year that we could possibly lose him," said RSL coach Jason Kreis. "To have that deal all signed, sealed and delivered is a very good thing for Real Salt Lake.

"We're very happy with Javier," Kreis continued. "We're happy with the work he put in over the offseason. We're happy with how dedicated he's shown himself to be to our club."

Guzan Makes Villa Debut In Loss

Former Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan made his official debut with Aston Villa on Wednesday, starting between the pipe's in the English club's disappointing 1-0 loss to Queens Park Rangers in the third round of Carling Cup action.The 2007 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, Guzan made four saves on the day for the Villains but was beaten decisively by a Damion Stewart header at the hour-mark. Villa had many chances to score on the offensive end, but were unable to do so, culminating in their exit from the competition.

Guzan's transfer to Aston Villa was formally announced in mid-July, ending a four-year run with Chivas. From 2005-2008, he compiled a regular season record of 26-33-19 and a 1.41 GAA, as well as 24 clean sheets.

His breakout year came in 2007, when "El Guzano" put up a 14-6-7 record, with 13 shutouts and a 0.93 GAA en route to leading Chivas to the Western Conference championship - though the club was subsequently dumped from the MLS playoffs in the first round by Kansas City.

Myers Suffering From Mono

Kansas City Wizards rookie defender Chance Myers has been battling a bout of mononucleosis for the last 6-8 weeks, the club revealed on Tuesday.
Myers, who was selected first overall by Kansas City in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, has made 10 appearances this season despite his illness (7 starts), but has been sidelined for the past week with a bout of Strep throat, a side-effect from having a weakened immune system.

About mono:
Infectious mononucleosis, also known as mono or 'the kissing disease,' occurs most commonly in adolescents and young adults, where it is characterized by fever, sore throat, muscle soreness and fatigue.

Rest is recommended during the acute phase of the infection, but activity should be resumed once acute symptoms have resolved. Nevertheless, heavy physical activity and contact sports should be avoided to abrogate the risk of splenic rupture, for at least one month following initial infection and until splenomegaly has resolved, as determined by ultrasound scan.

TFC's Ruiz Needs MRI

Did the Los Angeles Galaxy sell damaged goods to Toronto FC? That's how it is starting to look as the Canadian club revealed that striker Carlos Ruiz has been hobbled by a recurring knee injury and will undergo an MRI to reveal the complete extent of the damage. The Guatemalan forward missed a day of training last week in order to get the troublesome knee drained, and was held out of practice again on Tuesday, prompting the need for further evaluation.
Ruiz first suffered the injury while playing for the Galaxy in their season-opener, the victim of a reckless challenge from behind by the Colorado Rapids' Ciaran O'Brien. After being diagnosed with a torn medial meniscus, Ruiz missed several months of action trying to get back to health, only to find that Edson Buddle had emerged as that other offensive weapon in his place. Playing a few minutes here and there over the summer, Ruiz was perceived to be healthy enough to trade for, in Toronto's opinion, and has even started in three games for his new club despite apparently being hampered by a bum knee.

"Sometimes my knee is good, but other days it isn't," said Ruiz. "In my first game with L.A. this season, I got injured and was out for two months. My recovery was good, but since I have come here and also when I was playing with the national team, I have been feeling something wrong with my knee. This is a recurring problem. I know my body and I know when something is wrong. I just need to find out what the problem is."

Head coach John Carver expressed concern over Ruiz's status for this weekend's home game against the Houston Dynamo and disappointment over not knowing the full extent of the situation when he opted to start the injured forward in last weekend's 2-0 loss to the Kansas City Wizards.

"I don't think Carlos will be right [for Saturday]," said Carver. "I've only just found out that he had a slight niggle before the game last weekend. He has been trying to play even though his knee is not right."

Study Lends Support For DCU Relocation

Maryland's Prince George's County would benefit greatly from becoming the home of a new soccer-specific stadium built for D.C. United, according to a study released Tuesday.

The report, commissioned by a group called the Maryland Stadium Authority, estimates that a roughly 25,000-seat stadium would generate as much as $31 million in earnings through as many as 63 events each year, including 15 D.C. United home games. In addition, over $6 million of annual tax revenue would flow into the county and state and between 1,080 and 1,320 new jobs would be created.

"The comprehensive report, compiled on behalf of the MSA, substantiates what D.C. United has always believed: our new stadium will be a strong economic catalyst providing significant benefits - which will promote and enliven additional mixed-use development around the county," read an official statement from United.
Arguably the most successful franchise in Major League Soccer history, D.C. has been battling with local officials to get a soccer-specific stadium of their own built somewhere in the District of Columbia, with Poplar Point being the most-discussed possible location. Each time a deal seems close, somebody balks and the whole process starts over again. In recent months, team officials have hinted that the franchise would be willing to locate to Maryland or northern Virginia if a deal could not be reached. In the meantime, the rapidly-deteriorating RFK Stadium has been serving as the club's home field.

"We haven't had a chance to look at any numbers yet," said Sean Madigan, a spokesman for Neil Albert, deputy mayor for planning and economic development in D.C. "We would really like to see United stay in the city and we're waiting to see if the D.C. Council takes the lead by putting forth legislation."

Council member Marion Barry has been the most fervent supporter of getting the stadium built and has denounced Mayor Adrian Fenty's lackadaisical efforts to keep United from moving.

"He won't do anything with [the plan]," said Barry. "If we lose them to Maryland, it's going to be a major issue in this town."

Donovan Named Player of the Week

Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan has been chosen as MLS Player of the Week for week 26, in honor of his three-goal, one-assist performance in the Galaxy's 5-2 win over D.C. United this past Saturday. It is the fourth time this season and the ninth time in his career that Donovan has captured the award. He has also been nominated for the Sierra Mist Goal of the Week.Donovan's stellar performance propelled the Galaxy to a much-needed victory - the first of Bruce Arena's tenure with the club - that helps keep LA in the hunt for the eighth and final playoff spot. It also helped break a 12-game winless streak that the Galaxy had suffered through since the middle of June.

The trio of strikes brought Donovan's season total up to 19, putting him on the cusp of becoming the first MLS player to score 20 goals in a season since Carlos Ruiz accomplished the feat as a member of the Galaxy in 2002. In addition, Donovan is also averaging 0.95 goals per game this season, putting him only behind Trinidadian and former Columbus Crew player Stern John's all-time record pace of 0.96 goals per game. John finished the 1998 season with 26 goals in 27 appearances.

Donovan, David Beckham and the LA Galaxy will next be in action this Thursday, as they take on Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Brian McBride and the Chicago Fire in ESPN2's Primetime Thursday matchup.

MLS Playoff Race Analysis

As the MLS regular season winds down and we find out who the real contenders are, the parity of the league has never been more obvious. All 14 teams are still in contention for a playoff spot while only one - the Columbus Crew - has absolutely clinched a spot in the postseason.Below is a breakdown of each team's remaining games, as well as the percentage of available points they have taken both at home and on the road so far this year.

Columbus Crew (14-6-5) - 1st in East
Home games (2): vs. LA Galaxy, vs. DC United - (74.35%)
Away games (3): @ New England, @ Chicago, @ New York - (50.00%)

The only team that is guaranteed a spot in the MLS playoffs, Columbus has been flying high as of late - despite the absence of MVP candidate Guillermo Barros Schelotto. But a quick look at their remaining schedule proves that the Crew's chances of securing the Supporters Shield for the second time in club history remain unclear because of three tough games on the road against strong Eastern Conference opponents.

New England Revolution (12-7-6) - 2nd in East
Home games (3): vs. Columbus, vs. Real Salt Lake, vs. Kansas City Wizards - (58.33%)
Away games (2): @ Kansas City, @ DC United - (53.85%)

Bob Kraft's club has plateaued lately, but could still make a run at the Supporters Shield, based on their two upcoming meetings with Kansas City and a road game against road-weary United. If Columbus falters, Steve Nicol will have his squad ready to swoop in for the kill.

Chicago Fire (11-9-5) - 3rd in East
Home games (3): vs. LA Galaxy, vs. Columbus, vs. New York - (47.22%)
Away games (2): @ Kansas City, @ Toronto FC - (53.85%)

Not that he is the reason for Chicago's recent lack of results, but the Fire are a mediocre 2-4-0 since Brian McBride made his debut with the club. Coach Denis Hamlett has been forced to tinker with the lineup, leaving two national team pool players to a role coming off the bench (Chris Rolfe, Justin Mapp).

New York Red Bulls (9-8-8) - 4th in East
Home games (3): vs. Colorado, vs. Toronto FC, vs. Columbus - (75.00%)
Away games (2): @ Real Salt Lake, @ Chicago - (20.51%)

Perhaps no team has benefited from having a subpar playing surface more than the Red Bulls, who have taken three out of every four points up for grabs at home this season. This should bode well for New York down the stretch, as they will host lowly Toronto FC and the Colorado Rapids in the coming weeks.

DC United (10-12-3) - 5th in East
Home games (2): vs. Chivas USA, vs. New England - (66.67%)
Away games (3): @ FC Dallas, @ Houston, @ Columbus - (19.44%)

Looking more and more likely to miss the playoffs with each week that goes by, D.C. United is clearly worn down by their inclusion in the CONCACAF Champions League. Add to the mix injuries to their Designated Player (Marcelo Gallardo) and MLS all-time leading scorer (Jaime Moreno), and it seems unrealistic to believe that United will win more than a single game for the rest of the season.

Kansas City Wizards (8-9-8) - 6th in East
Home games (3): vs. Chicago, vs. New England, vs. San Jose - (66.67%)
Away games (2): @ Chivas USA, @ New England - (20.51%)

Recent acquisitions and prominent veteran leadership have kept the Wizards in the hunt while other teams in the East have dropped like a stone. Still, Kansas City has a pair of meetings with the Revolution in the future, and will also have to square off against red-hot San Jose and a close-to-full-strength Chivas USA.

Toronto FC (7-12-6) - 7th in East
Home games (2): vs. Houston, vs. Chicago - (53.85%)
Away games (3): @ New York, @ FC Dallas, @ San Jose - (16.67%)

At least Toronto fans have next season and a Designated Player signing to look forward to, right? This club needs to get better playing on the road; TFC has secured just one out of every six points available in away games this season.

-------------

Houston Dynamo (10-5-9) - 1st in West
Home games (3): vs. DC United, vs. San Jose, vs. LA Galaxy - (75.00%)
Away games (3): @ Toronto FC, @ Colorado, @ Chivas USA - (33.33%)

The cream eventually rises to the top, as evidenced by Houston's steady plod up the Western Conference standings in 2008. Looking good with a game in hand over most of the league, Houston is almost a certain-lock to enter the playoffs as the #1 seed in the West.

Chivas USA (9-10-6) - 2nd in West
Home games (3): vs. Kansas City, vs. Colorado, vs. Houston - (58.33%)
Away games (2): @ DC United, @ San Jose - (30.77%)

While Cuban sensation Maykel Galindo remains disappointingly out of action for the Goats, the returns to health of Alecko Eskandarian, Ante Razov, Claudio Suarez and Jesse Marsch have the red-and-white in prime position to capitalize on the weak West. Making it to MLS Cup in their home stadium would be the ultimate in-your-face by Chivas to the rival Galaxy.

Colorado Rapids (9-12-4) - 3rd in West
Home games (2): vs. Houston, vs. Real Salt Lake - (58.97%)
Away games (3): @ New York, @ LA Galaxy, @ Chivas USA - (22.22%)

Despite benching their biggest off-season acquisition, the Rapids have surprised everyone by pulling themselves into a tie for the last playoff spot at the moment. If only the fans in Colorado would take notice.

Real Salt Lake (8-10-7) - 3rd in West
Home games (2): vs. New York, vs. FC Dallas - (66.67%)
Away games (3): @ San Jose, @ New England, @ Colorado - (13.89%)

After over-achieving for much of the season, Jason Kreis' club is now entrenched in a dogfight for that last playoff spot when it looked like they were in the running for a solid runner-up finish in the West just a few weeks ago. A series of defensive blunders has left RSL in a precarious position with three dreaded road games left to play.

FC Dallas (7-9-9) - 5th in West
Home games (3): vs. DC United, vs. San Jose, vs. Toronto FC - (44.44%)
Away games (2): @ Real Salt Lake, @ LA Galaxy - (35.90%)

Last weekend's dismantling of the Chicago Fire has served as notice that FC Dallas is still a dangerous club to face; mid-season acquisition Jeff Cunningham scored twice in that game, and could have had several others. Younger players such as Bruno Guardo, Andre Rocha and Eric Avila are emerging as stars for the Hoops and their play could propel Dallas into a last-second swoop for the final playoff spot.

Los Angeles Galaxy (7-10-8) - 6th in West
Home games (2): vs. Colorado, vs. FC Dallas - (48.72%)
Away games (3): @ Chicago, @ Columbus, @ Houston - (27.78%)

Finally breaking a 12-game winless streak over the weekend, Los Angeles has no room left for error if they are to make the postseason for the first time in three years. It won't be easy - Donovan, Beckham & co. have to make trips to the leaders of both conferences and outplay at home two other West teams fighting for their playoff lives.

San Jose Earthquakes (7-9-8) - 7th in West
Home games (3): vs. Real Salt Lake, vs. Chivas USA, vs. Toronto FC - (52.78%)
Away games (3): @ FC Dallas, @ Houston, @ Kansas City - (27.78%)

Some Quakes fans are worried that last weekend's postponement of their league match against Houston blunted the expansion team's momentum. But as long as Darren Huckerby continues outplaying David Beckham and the San Jose defense holds strong, San Jose has a real shot at booking their ticket to the posteason. Only one of their remaining six games is against a bona fide contender (Houston).

Gullit Speaks Out On Beckham, MLS

Ruud Gullit has kept his silence for the most part since leaving his post as head coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy on August 11th, but is now speaking out about David Beckham and Major League Soccer among other things. The former AC Milan and Oranje star took over the reins of the "Jewel of MLS" in the most recent offseason, but left L.A. as the club was in the midst of a 7-game winless streak and had plummeted from league leaders to bottom feeders in the course of six weeks.
"The football is different [in MLS], and the salary cap prevents the league from attracting the very top players," said Gullit in an interview with England's Mail Online. "But the standard is higher than people think. It's unfair to make comparisons with football in this country. For a start, they play in the summer and that means it can be 90 degrees and 80% humidity. You just can't play high-tempo football. Then there's the travelling. If you're in LA and you've got a game in New York, you're talking about a six- or seven-hour flight.

"I'd liken it more to the leagues in Holland, Belgium and Norway," he continued. "The players can play. I watched the All-Stars against West Ham in the summer and the All-Stars outplayed them."

Gullit leveled some criticism at the league, however, especially when the topic turned to scheduling.

"We could have a game the day after a round of international matches; that was ridiculous and so was the draft system. I could have players I wanted to promote from the under 21s but they were no use to me because they weren't actually mine - they could go into the draft system and end up elsewhere. It all became very frustrating and it has to change."

On the subject of David Beckham and the superstar's role with the current England squad, Gullit offered nothing but support for the 33-year-old Galaxy midfielder to continue being called up by Fabio Capello.

"Beckham has already proved he can do it. His crossing and dead ball delivery is still important to England. Sometimes decisive. It's only become a discussion now because of the sudden emergence of Theo Walcott. But Beckham can remain an international footballer while playing there."

Mexican Club Courting Blanco

San Luis FC - a club in the Mexican Primera Division - is admitting their plans to launch a coup in hopes of landing Cuauhtemoc Blanco from the Chicago Fire by the start of next year's Clausura tournament.

"We'll try to sign Blanco with the help of several sponsors and persuade him to come to San Luis," said Payan Latuff, owner of the team's stadium, Estadio Alfonso Lastras Ramirez in San Luis Potosi. "For the next tournament we'll make an effort to bring Blanco, who is an idol here in Mexico, to the club. We'd be delighted. I will speak to club president Eduardo Del Villar and Emilio Azcarraga, who owns his rights."
It seems unlikely that Blanco will be suiting up for San Luis at any point in the future, however, as San Luis would have to buy out his current contract from MLS, who would be less-than-willing to let one of their biggest stars leave the league. Further, Blanco recently retired from the Mexican National Team and stated his desire to play in the United States for a while longer before returning to Club America to end his career.

San Luis currently sits atop Group 3 in the Apertura 2008 tournament with a 6-1-2 record, currently best in the league. Many American fans may also know of San Luis as the club for which current American youth international Michael Orozco plays.

Donovan Hat-Trick Lifts Galaxy

Winless for more than three months and in dire need of maximum points to avoid falling out of the playoff race altogether, the Los Angeles Galaxy cruised to a 5-2 victory over D.C. United on Saturday night - capped by a Landon Donovan hattrick - and instantly vaulted themselves back into postseason contention.
Donovan, linked with a winter move to Bayern Munich in recent days, increased his goal-scoring total to 19 on the season, far surpassing his previous best year in MLS. The USMNT star also showed deft touch in assisting on the game's fourth goal, lofting a perfectly-weighted ball into the path of an onrushing Peter Vagenas, who chipped over Louis Crayton for a sure Sierra Mist Goal of the Week nominee. Alan Gordon also tallied for Los Angeles, while D.C.'s pair of goals were scored by Devon McTavish and new signing Thabiso Khumalo.

Things got chippy between the two sides late in the game, in part due to referee Terry Vaughn's inability to control large chunks of the game and also a result of both teams' urgency to pick up points. United defender Marc Burch was sent off in the 63rd minute after getting tangled up with David Beckham on the sidelines, sending the former Man U player crashing into the advertising boards. A brief skirmish ensued between both clubs before Burch gave way and hit the showers.

Brief: Becks Immortalized In Lego

...and this version can't score via free-kick anymore either. Former England and current Los Angeles Galaxy captain David Beckham has been immortalized as a Lego figure in honor of the company's 30th anniversary of the minifigure.
Beckham and wife Victoria were just two of the celebrities who got the plastic makeover, joining several other people of whom England should be proud: Madonna, Amy Winehouse and Simon Cowell, among others.

Columbus Steals Show In Primetime

The Columbus Crew continued their recent run of red-hot play, scoring three unanswered goals to dispatch of the New York Red Bulls at Crew Stadium on Thursday night by a score of 3-1. The victory moves Columbus six points clear of 2nd place New England as the 2008 regular season enters its final stages.

Juan Pablo Angel notched his 10th goal of the season on a sensational free kick to open the scoring in the 21st minute, but New York was unable to hold the lead into halftime. Columbus rode goals from Frankie Hejduk, Robbie Rogers and Eddie Gaven to their 14th win of the season, an impressive tally for a club that has failed to make the playoffs every year since 2004.

Highlights:

0:55 - Angel's beautiful free kick.

2:00 - Hejduk fakes out a defender before chipping the keeper.

2:50 - Rogers' long-distance strike (Goal of the Week material).

4:15 - Gaven tacks on an insurance goal.

4:50 - Kevin Goldthwaite exhibits his take on "defending" and rightfully gets sent to the showers.

Brek Shea Undergoes Surgery

FC Dallas rookie Brek Shea has undergone surgery for a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, the club announced on Thursday, and is expected to be sideline for 3-4 months in recovery.

Shea, 18, was the second-overall pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, but has seen very little playing time in his first MLS season, making two appearances on the year for a scant 17 minutes. The Generation Adidas player has also played in eight of the club's reserve games.The Bryan High School alum was part of the U-17 Men's National Team Residency Program in Bradenton, Fl., and has also seen time with the U-20 national team. Bob Bradley has had his eye on Shea this season, going so far as to call up the youngster for the second leg of the USMNT's World Cup Qualifier against Barbados in June, though Shea did not see any time in that game with the senior squad.

Toja Makes UEFA Champions League Debut

Former FC Dallas midfielder Juan Toja started and played 77 minutes of UEFA Champions League action for Steaua Bucuresti in the Romanian club's 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich in their opening match of group stage play on Wednesday. Toja had a relatively quiet game, only showing up on the stat sheet with one foul suffered and one foul committed.
Toja joined the Hoops in 2007 on loan from Independiente Santa Fe and immediately became a critical part of Dallas' lineup. Earning All-Star Game selections in each of his two seasons in MLS, Toja left the league on August 1st, to pursue a move overseas in hopes of becoming more visible for selection to the Colombian national team. He recorded 8 goals and 3 assists in 43 regular-season appearances for Dallas.

Up next for Toja and Steaua is Italian side Fiorentina on September 30th. French giants Lyon are the other team drawn into Group F.

Houston Asks Dynamo To Postpone Game

Still trying to recover from the effects of Hurricane Ike, the city of Houston has asked the Dynamo to postpone this weekend's home game against the San Jose Earthquakes and the team has complied, moving the fixture to Wednesday, October 15th. All tickets for this weekend's game will be honored at the later date, or they can be exchanged for tickets to an upcoming Dynamo game by e-mailing info@houstondynamo.com .

Houston was in the direct path of Ike, which made landfall in Galveston, Texas, early last Saturday morning. In its aftermath, many of the city's residents have been left without power for an extended period of time and residents have been urged to boil tap water before drinking. In downtown Houston, many windows were blown out of skyscrapers by the storm's 100+ mph winds and parts of the region are still under several feet of water.
Houston Police Department chief Harold Hurtt has advised that all major events in the city should be put off until Monday at the earliest, while basic infrastructure services such as street lights are restored.

"Officials from the city approached us this morning and requested that we not move forward with Saturday's game in the interest of public safety," said Dynamo president and general manager Oliver Luck. "Although this is not an ideal situation for our organization, we feel it is the right thing to do for the region, give the circumstances. We'd like to thank officials from the city and from the university for their help."

The Dynamo's next home game is scheduled for October 7th, when they will square off against San Francisco FC in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Nyazamba Signs With Crew

The Richmond Kickers of USL-2 have announced that Zimbabwe-born midfielder Stanley Nyazamba has signed a developmental contract with the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer, making him the 22nd player in Kickers history to move on to MLS. Nyazamba, 25, was named USL-2 Rookie of the Year this past season after posting eight goals and two assists in his first season with the Kickers.

"It was evident from day one that Stanley was an extremely talented individual," said Kickers head coach Leigh Cowlishaw. "We sincerely hope that playing professional soccer with the Kickers for five months will provide him with the foundation needed to secure a long-term contract with MLS."
Nyazamba joined the Kickers upon graduating from Lee University of the NAIA Conference last spring. Adding 12 goals and 20 assists his senior year, the 6'1" midfielder finished with 28 goals and 44 points over three seasons, eclipsing the all-time assists leader at Lee University with 60 assists overall.

RSL's Beltran Sidelined By Hernia

Real Salt Lake rookie defender Tony Beltran has undergone a successful operation for a sports hernia in Munich, Germany, the club announced today. He has missed RSL's last five league matches due to the injury, but will return to Salt Lake City tonight and should be ready to return in 2-3 weeks.

"We are pleased that Tony's surgery was successful, and we look forward to Tony fighting his way back into our back-line rotation and contributing down the stretch," said Real Salt Lake GM Garth Lagerwey.

Beltran, 20, was selected by the club with the 3rd overall pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. The UCLA standout has made 14 appearances for the club in their surprising run toward the playoffs (10 starts), and has recorded one assist on the season.

Ralston Named Player Of The Week

Like a fine wine, Steve Ralston just seems to get better with age. The 34-year-old New England Revolution midfielder picked up MLS Player of the Week honors in week 25 for his goal and two-assist performance against Chivas USA last Thursday in the Revs' 4-0 victory. It was Ralston's first game back in the lineup after missing three straight matches with back spasms.
It marks the second time this season that the MLS "Iron Man" has earned POW honors, with the first coming back in week 14. Now in his 13th MLS season - and seventh with New England - Ralston has logged 31,313 minutes in the regular season, amassing 68 goals and 128 assists in his storied career. In 2008, he has recorded 7 goals and 7 assists, leading his team in both categories.

Ralston and New England will be back in action this Saturday, travelling to Dick's Sporting Goods Park to take on the Colorado Rapids. The Revolution currently sit 2nd in the Eastern Conference, trailing the league-leading Columbus Crew by three points with half a dozen games remaining to play.

FCD Gambles On Rowland

FC Dallas has announced the acquisition of forward Jeff Rowland, who signed a senior developmental deal with the club prior to Monday's roster freeze deadline.Rowland, 24, was selected second overall in the 2006 MLS Supplemental Draft by Real Salt Lake, but never played a game for them after tearing his right ACL in preseason. After sitting out the entire '06 season, Rowland looked ready for a return in Utah the following year, only to experience the same injury once again, causing him to miss all of the '07 campaign.

"It was a tough experience at first because you go down," said Rowland. "I wanted to be in MLS and had to go down. It was really hard, the rehab was just two straight years of rehab. Mentally, it was tough at times and draining.

"When you're off for that long, you realize how much you love the game and how much it means to you to be out there, compete, work your hardest day-in and day-out to get those opportunities."

Rowland was released by RSL in February of this year and joined up with the Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL Second Division, where he scored five goals in 18 games with the club. His performance there earned him a tryout with FCD, and coach Schellas Hyndman apparently liked what he saw, signing the striker to a contract.

"He was a very good player at New Mexico," said Hyndman. "He's a solid post-up striker, very strong. He's a good finisher and is something we don't really have now, somebody who can hold the ball in the penalty box and lay balls off. I thought that with where we are right now in our year, this is a great opportunity to look at him. Instead of looking at him when he's out of shape, let's look at him when he comes right off a season."

* photo courtesy WilmingtonHammerheads.com

CCL Woes Continue For MLS

Following a horrendous display in the Preliminary Round, MLS clubs continue to be outclassed by their CONCACAF opponents in Champions League play, as D.C. United became the latest to suffer defeat, 2-0 at the hands of Deportivo Saprissa on Tuesday night.

Saprissa struck on each side of halftime, with Walter Centeno opening the scoring in the 32nd minute. Alejandro Alpizar and Devon McTavish had been doing battle inside D.C.'s area for the ball, with McTavish dispossesing the Saprissa player, only to see Alpizar alertly pokeing the ball away from his position on the ground to a waiting Centeno, who placed his shot low and at the far post to beat United keeper Zach Wells.

Facing a one-goal deficit, things took a turn for the worse just minutes later when McTavish was shown a straight red card for a late challenge on Alexander Robinson in the 35th minute.

"I felt I was already in the tackle when the whistle blew," said McTavish. "I wasn't expecting a red card. It was a little shocking."

D.C.'s chances of finding an equalizing goal were dashed early in the second half when the Costa Rican club doubled their advantage in the 52nd minute through a strike from Jairo Arrieta. The back-breaking goal was made possible by United defender Marc Burch's inability to completely clear an incoming cross, as his touch put the ball directly into the path of Arrieta, who laced a left-footed shot past Wells at the far post.The game would finish at 2-0, D.C. United becoming the latest MLS team to make a poor showing in the CCL.

"I thought we could have played with them and pulled out a win," said Burch. "But when you lose a man, you are chasing the game. And you are also down a goal, so you are chasing it for two reasons."

In other CCL action:
San Francisco FC 1
Pumas UNAM 1
-----------------------------
Puerto Rico Islanders 2
Tauro FC 1

The Houston Dynamo's first game of the group stage - originally scheduled for Wednesday night - has been pushed back until September 23rd due to logistics complications caused by Hurricane Ike, which passed through the Houston area recently.

*photo courtesy ISI Photos

Designated Player Next For Toronto?

Toronto FC head coach John Carver has guaranteed the club's fans that a Designated Player will call BMO Field home by the start of next season, adding that the team has already "earmarked a couple of players." Carver says he has talked to general manager Mo Johnston about how to improve the team in the near-term, and both agree that a designated player is the best way to go about achieving further success.

"I'll guarantee you that this will definitely happen by the start of next season," said Carver. "I'm guaranteeing it. We've already started planning for it. We are now thinking about what we're going to do next year. How can we take this on to another level. The conversation we've had, without going into detail, is that it's going to happen. The time is right now to bring in at least one DP, if not two."Carver stressed that the players Toronto is looking at signing are not in the twilight of their career, but rather international superstars who would instantly take the club's reputation - and quality of play - to another level.

"We have to bring in a top-quality striker. We have to bring in a top-quality midfield player and we need to bring in a leader at center-back," Carver continued. "I'm not looking for a DP who's at the end of his career. I don't want guys who are only going to be here for one or two years, I want them to be here for a while. I'm thinking long-term for the club."

While laying out the club's future plans, Carver also emphasized his commitment to getting TFC into the playoffs this season, despite long odds. Toronto currently sits at foot of the Eastern Conference on 27 points, six points behind D.C. United for the last postseason spot.

"It would be wrong for me not to be thinking about next season, but my priority right now is this season and not giving up on the situation. Players are coming to me and telling me that we can still do it; they haven't given up on it, and they won't until it's mathematically impossible to get into the playoffs."

Deadline Deals Announced

Major League Soccer rosters were frozen in place today, meaning today was the last chance for those teams with sputtering playoff ambitions to add new talent or throw dead weight overboard. Several teams took advantage of the last-minute deals available throughout the league, so here's a rundown of the latest transactions.

* D.C. United picked up Ryan Miller, a 23-year-old who was drafted in the third round of the 2008 MLS SuperDraft by the Columbus Crew. Miller played four seasons at the University of Notre Dame, where he was named to the NSCAA All-America second team, the All-Big East first team and the Big-East All-Tournament Team as a senior in 2007. He did not see any action with the first team in Columbus before being waived earlier today.

"We are pleased to have picked up Ryan off of waivers," said United GM Dave Kasper. "He has very good athletic qualities and he will provide us with cover in the midfield and at the back."

* The New York Red Bulls made a pair of moves today, finally signing forward Senegalese forward Macoumba Kandji to a contract on loan from the USL's Atlanta Silverbacks, while also penning goalkeeper Terry Boss to a senior contract.
The Red Bulls pursuit of Kandji has been well-documented, with league officials fervently denying reports that they had killed a potential move for Kandji because of an inflated asking price by Atlanta. Kandji made 21 appearances for the Silverbacks, notching 11 goals and adding five assists.

Major League Soccer now has the option to transfer his rights permanently to the Red Bulls on or before 12/15/2008.

Boss, 27, spent 2008 with the Charlotte Eagles of USL-2, earning Goalkeeper of the Year honors by posting 11 wins and nine shutouts in 16 appearances. He has also been capped four times by the Puerto Rico National Team, including in recent World Cup Qualifying.

"Terry has been training with us over the past few weeks and we were impressed with what he brings to the table," said Sporting Director Jeff Agoos. "We want to take the remainder of the season to evaluate him as an option for next year."

* Chivas USA also boasted a pair of new acquisitions on Monday, trading allocation money to the Kansas City Wizards in exchange for midfielder Sasha Victorine. The red-and-white also announced the signing of Brazilian midfielder Dejair Ferreira this afternoon.

At the same time, the club made room for the duo by placing Raphael Wicky (ankle surgery), Lawson Vaughn (left ankle) and Eric Ebert (right knee) on the season-ending injury list.

Victorine, 30, is in his ninth MLS season, after spending 2000-2004 with the Los Angeles Galaxy and 2005-2008 in Kansas City. He has made 227 regular-season appearances (205 starts), tallying 30 goals and 39 assists in over 18,000 minutes logged.

Dejair, 30, is a product of the Botafogo youth system. The attacking midfielder Dejair joins Chivas USA from Brazilian club ABC FC of Natal, which he led to the 2008 Rio Grande do Norte state championship, according to a press release from the club's media relations department.

"As we enter the last six weeks of the season, we are pleased to be adding some additional depth to our midfield in the face of injury and international call-ups," said Chivas USA head coach Preki. "We hope both Sasha and Dejair will make important contributions to Chivas USA as we continue our push toward the playoffs."

Gallardo Struggling With Injury

Clinging to the final MLS playoff spot with six games to go, DC United has received word that designated player Marcelo Gallardo will be out of action for at least two more weeks due to complications from sports hernia surgery. The former River Plate man has decided to return home to Argentina to begin rehabbing the injury, which was operated on back in mid-July."We had a lot of discussions and, at this time, that is what he felt was going to help him," said United head coach Tom Soehn. "We have exhausted all resources to try and get him back. That is the next step."

Though the initial diagnosis called for a 2-3 week period of recovery, Gallardo has largely been unavailable over the summer, logging less than 100 minutes in league play and making only a brief cameo in a U.S. Open Cup game since late June. At $1.9 million, he is United's highest-paid player in team history, but has been limited to 14 appearances for the club.

"He has been in some big clubs and no one ever diagnosed him with a sports hernia," continued Soehn. "Whether it was the grind of this season or he came with it, that's unclear but it doesn't change the fact that he is not available right now. That's the real issue."

D.C.'s record of 10-11-3 has them fifth in the Eastern Conference, sitting on 33 points. That doesn't give them much breathing room heading down the stretch, as the six MLS clubs currently outside of a playoff spot are all within seven points of United.

The schedule is also doing DCU no favors, as the club is set to begin play in Group A of the CONCACAF Champions League on Tuesday against visiting Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica. United will also have to make trips to Costa Rica, Honduras and Mexico over the next six weeks as CD Marathon and Cruz Azul are in their group.

MLS Roster Deadline Upon Us

Time is running out for MLS teams to make changes to their rosters this season; after 5:00 p.m., they will no longer be able to do so until MLS Cup has been played. With today being the 'deadline day,' should you expect to hear about any significant trades going down? Probably not, but names like Hunter Freeman, Abe Thompson and Herculez Gomez have all been on the move in the past week, showing that there are still teams out there willing to make a move at the last minute.

Still, it has been a busy year for Major League Soccer in the transfer market, with many solid contributors coming into the league. There were a few big losses, as well, but three out of the 17 players that transferred elsewhere earlier this year have already returned to the league (Nate Jaqua, Clint Mathis, Pat Noonan).

MLS has compiled and distributed a list of this year's incoming and outgoing transfers:

------------------Incoming transfers-------------------
Tomasz Frankowski, Chicago Fire - previous team: CD Tenerife (Spain)
Lider Marmol, Chicago Fire - previous team: Hercules CF (Spain)
Brian McBride, Chicago Fire - previous team: Fulham FC (England)
Marco Pappa, Chicago Fire - previous team: CSD Municipal (Guatemala)
Roberto Nurse, Chivas USA - previous team: Queretaro (Mexico)
Raphael Wicky, Chivas USA - previous team: FC Sion (Switzerland)
Greg Dalby, Colorado Rapids - previous team: Charleroi SC (Belgium)
Cory Gibbs, Colorado Rapids - previous team: Charlton Athletic (England)
Tom McManus, Colorado Rapids - previous team: Dunfermine Ath. (Scotland)
Emmanuel Ekpo, Columbus Crew - previous team: Enyimba International (Nigeria)
Pat Noonan, Columbus Crew - previous team: Aalesunds FK (Norway)
Gino Padula, Columbus Crew - previous team: Montpellier HSC (France)
Louis Crayton, D.C. United - previous team: FC Basel (Switzerland)
Marcelo Gallardo, D.C. United - previous team: Paris-Saint Germain (France)
Gonzalo Martinez, D.C. United - previous team: Millonarios (Colombia)
Gonzalo Peralta, D.C. United - previous team: Almirante Brown (Argentina)
Duilio Davino, FC Dallas - previous team: Club America (Mexico)
Andre Rocha, FC Dallas - previous team: Atletico Paranaense (Brazil)
Victor Sikora, FC Dallas - previous team: NAC Breda (Netherlands)
Tony Caig, Houston Dynamo - previous team: Gretna (Scotland)
Nate Jaqua, Houston Dynamo - previous team: SC Rheindorf Altach (Austria)
Claudio Lopez, Kansas City Wizards - previous team: Club America (Mexico)
Ivan Trujillo, Kansas City Wizards - previous team: La Equidad (Colombia)
Josh Wolff, Kansas City Wizards - previous team: 1860 Munich (Germany)
Eduardo Dominguez, Los Angeles Galaxy - previous team: Huracan (Argentina)
Eddie Lewis, Los Angeles Galaxy - previous team: Derby County (England)
Alvaro Pires, Los Angeles Galaxy - previous team: Spartak Nalchik (Brazil)
Gabriel Badilla, New England Revolution - previous team: Saprissa (Costa Rica)
Mauricio Castro, New England Revolution - previous team: Olimpia (Honduras)
Oscar Echeverry, New York Red Bulls - previous team: Atletico Nacional (Colombia)
Gabriel Cichero, New York Red Bulls - previous team: Deportivo Italia (Venezuela)
Diego Jimenez, New York Red Bulls - previous team: UAG Tecos (Mexico)
Juan Pietravallo, New York Red Bulls - previous team: A.S. Veria (Greece)
Jorge Rojas, New York Red Bulls - previous team: UA Maracaibo (Venezuela
Nat Borchers, Real Salt Lake - previous team: Odd Grenland (Norway)
Kenny Deuchar, Real Salt Lake - previous team: Gretna (Scotland)
Will Johnson, Real Salt Lake - previous team: SC Heerenveen (Netherlands)
Ian Joy, Real Salt Lake - previous team: St. Pauli FC (Germany)
Clint Mathis, Real Salt Lake - previous team: Ergotelis FC (Greece)
Jamison Olave, Real Salt Lake - previous team: Deportivo Cali (Colombia)
Robbie Russell, Real Salt Lake - previous team: Viborg FF (Norway
Mikel Arce, San Jose Earthquakes - previous team: CD Lourdes (Spain)
Ramiro Corrales, San Jose Earthquakes - previous team: SK Brann (Norway)
Darren Huckerby, San Jose Earthquakes - previous team: Norwich City (England)
Francisco Lima, San Jose Earthquakes - previous team: Brescia Calcio (Italy)
Kasey Keller, Seattle Sounders FC - previous team: Fulham FC (England)
Amado Guevara, Toronto FC - previous team: CD Montagua (Honduras)
Rohan Ricketts, Toronto FC - previous team: Barnsley (England)
Tyler Rosenlund, Toronto FC - previous team: Atvidaberg (Sweden)
Johann Smith, Toronto FC - previous team: Bolton Wanderers (England)
Jarrod Smith, Toronto FC - previous team: Hawke’s Bay Utd (New Zealand)
Marco Velez, Toronto FC - previous team: Puerto Rico Islanders (Puerto Rico)
-----------------Outgoing transfers-------------------------
Matt Pickens, QPR (England) - previous team: Chicago Fire
Brad Guzan, Aston Villa (England) - previous team: Chivas USA
Marcos Gonzalez, Universidad Catolica (Chile) - previous team: Columbus Crew
Bryan Arguez, Hertha Berlin (Germany) - previous team: D.C. United
Troy Perkins, Valerenga (Norway) - previous team: D.C. United
Chris Gbandi, FK Haugesand (Norway) - previous team: FC Dallas
Clarence Goodson, IK Start (Norway) - previous team: FC Dallas
Juan Carlos Toja, Steaua Bucuresti (Romania) - previous team: FC Dallas
Joseph Ngwenya, SK Austria Karten (Austria) - previous team: Houston Dynamo
Will John, Randers FC (Denmark) - previous team: Kansas City Wizards
Eddie Johnson, Fulham (England) - previous team: Kansas City Wizards
Andy Dorman, St. Mirren FC (Scotland) - previous team: New England Revolution
Jozy Altidore, Villarreal CF (Spain) - previous team: New York Red Bulls
Maurice Edu, Rangers FC (Scotland) - previous team: Toronto FC

Ottawa Readies MLS Expansion Plan

As Toronto FC continues to thrive in Major League Soccer, another Ontario city wants to join the MLS expansion fray. Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday morning likely to announce their bid to win one of the next MLS expansion teams.
The main proponent of the plan appears to be Eugene Melnyk, the owner, governor and chairman of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. The founder and former CEO of Biovail Corporation, Melynk's net worth is estimated at a cool $1.4 billion, which certainly fits the mold of rich prospective investors that the league is looking for. The owner of Senators Sports and Entertainment, Melnyk met with MLS officials earlier this year, presumably to discuss his options to land a MLS franchise.

As part of the plan, a new soccer-specific stadium would be constructed in Ottawa, with capacity in excess of 20,000. Toronto's BMO Field seats just a shade over that number and has sold out every home game in their nearly two full years of existance. Though the exact location of the potential stadium is not yet known, a spokesperson said that they already have a location in mind.

Ottawa is the fourth-largest municipality in Canada, with a metropolitan population estimated at 1,190,982. Geographically, the city lies between Toronto and Montreal, another city that is hoping to make the move to MLS in the near-future.

Trade: Hunter Freeman To Toronto

In what has to be considered one of the more-complicated MLS trades in recent memory, Toronto FC has acquired defender Hunter Freeman from the New York Red Bulls until the end of the next season in exchange for third- and fourth-round draft picks in the 2009 MLS Supplemental Draft, a move club officials announced on Friday.It’s not so bizarre that Toronto would want to add Freeman, a solid 23-year-old defender who has featured on the United States Men’s National Team at various youth levels. What makes the deal fascinating is that Freeman has already signed a pre-contract with IK Start of Norway and will report to the club beginning in January of next year.

Note: IK Start is the same club that former FC Dallas defender Clarence Goodson left MLS for in January of this year.

As part of the deal, if Freeman returns from Norway to play in for TFC at any point in 2009, Toronto must also give New York a 2nd-round pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. At the end of next year, Freeman’s rights will revert back to New York, who will have the first option to sign him to a new contract or trade his rights beginning in 2010.

“We’re very happy to have him join us,” said TFC director of soccer Mo Johnston in a statement. “He’s a talented and versatile player that can play in numerous positions. We are aware that his plan is to play in Europe next season, but he will provide great cover for us as we push toward the playoffs.”

Freeman has split his four MLS seasons between the Colorado Rapids and Red Bulls, making 77 appearances over that span. He started in both of New York’s playoff games last season and was also a member of the US U-23 squad as they successfully qualified for the Olympics earlier this year.

Schelotto Likely Out This Weekend

While the Columbus Crew has been the biggest surprise of the 2008 MLS season thus far, this weekend's clash with Toronto FC will be a true test of whether they are MLS Cup contenders or pretenders. That's because it is looking increasingly likely that the Crew will be without their star playmaker and leading MVP candidate Guillermo Barros Schelotto, as the Argentine missed his second straight day of training because of a left hamstring strain.
The reigning MLS Player of the Week - an honor that Schelotto has earned four times in 2008 - he suffered the injury during Tuesday's practice session. According to the Columbus Dispatch's Shawn Mitchell, the injury isn't so serious that Guille couldn't suit up and play if it was absolutely necessary, but the Crew's 5-point lead in the Eastern Conference and the hard playing surface at BMO Field will likely keep GBS from seeing any playing time.

"Sometimes, if you have someone with a little knock or injury, you hold them off the turf," said head coach Sigi Schmid.

Schelotto has started all 23 of Columbus' games this season and has led the club to a league-best 43 points (13-6-4). He is the far-and-away leader in the assists category; his 18 helpers are the most in a single-season since New England's Steve Ralston posted 19 in 2002. At one point this season, Schelotto had either scored or assisted on 10 straight Columbus goals.

* photo courtesy ISI Photos

New York Mets FC?

The New York Mets are looking to branch out in the sports world and are interested in securing their own Major League Soccer club as soon as next season, according to David Howard, the club's executive vice president for business.

Speaking in an interview on Bloomberg Radio's "On the Ball" program, Howard proclaimed: "Before even Citi Field is completed, we're looking to see what might be next for us. Our vision is not to be just a successful baseball team, but to be a world-class sports and media entertainment company. We're a lot closer to that goal that we were five years ago."
Citi Field, which cost $610 million to construct, is scheduled to open in April of 2009. Howard also noted that a Mets-owned MLS franchise would not share Citi Field and would have its own soccer-specific stadium, in line with the league's requirements for expansion teams.

Despite lackluster attendance for Major League's Soccer's current franchise bearing the New York name, a second team in the Big Apple has frequently been discussed by league officials, in hopes of creating a rivalry similar to that between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA. In addition, the lure of a move to New York City might serve up interest in several top-name foreign stars, including Thierry Henry, who visited the city in June to play in a charity match with several other celebrities.

"A second team in New York would provide a true local rivalry for the Red Bulls and increase the overall popularity of the league in the area and nationally," said Dan Courtemanche, MLS senior vice president for communications and marketing. "We've had preliminary discussions."

The league has set a deadline of October 15 for applications from groups interested in purchasing the next two Major League Soccer franchises. The winners of the process will be unveiled by early next year, so that work on new stadiums can begin in time to be ready for the 2011 season. Along with New York, several other cities are thought to be vying for an MLS club, among them: Atlanta, Vancouver, Portland (Oregon), St. Louis, Las Vegas, Miami, Montreal.