Galaxy Prepare For New Zealand Exhibition

Despite their season ending more than a month ago, the Los Angeles Galaxy have been hard at work preparing for their final game of 2008, a friendly versus a group of select Oceania All-Stars in New Zealand on December 6th. While Landon Donovan will not be on the roster for the Galaxy (presumably packing his bags for his upcoming German adventure), the MLS side will be bringing most of their regulars – including David Beckham - for the exhibition at MT Smart Stadium.

“We were a little bit surprised [Donovan] is not coming, but contractually they’re not bound to bring him,” said Auckland Regional Council spokesperson Lance Vervoort. “The players who are coming are in their first-team roster so we are quite happy with the caliber of their side.”
The second time around in New Zealand, the Beckham circus has seemingly died down; as of Sunday evening, less that half of the available 32,000 tickets for the match had been scooped up. A year ago, the Galaxy’s exhibition against A-League side Wellingon Phoenix drew 31,800 at the 35,000-seat Westpac Stadium. Saturday’s game will be the last competitive match for Beckham with the Galaxy before his short-term loan to AC Milan begins.

The Oceania All-Stars side announced Sunday that former Dutch midfielder Edgar Davids will be joining the game as a guest player. He will suit up alongside former French World Cup winner Christian Karembeu and former Manchester United goalkeeper Mark Bosnich, among others. Of note, former Toronto FC forward and New Zealand national Jarrod Smith has also been named to the All Star squad; Smith was recently selected by the Seattle Sounders in the expansion draft.

Fox Soccer Channel will be carrying the game live on late Friday night in the United States (10:30 p.m. PST).

Here are the announced rosters for both sides:

Oceania All Stars
Mark Bosnich
Jacob Spoonley
Benjamin Longue
Nelson Sale
Steven Old
Fedy Vava
Ivan Vicelich
Raimana Lee Fung Kuee
Pierre Wajoka
Judd Molea
Francois Sakama
David Muta
Cole Peverley
Alick Maemae
Henry Faarodo
Christian Karembeu
Edgar Davids
Jarrod Smith
Esala Masinisau
Suele Soromon

Los Angeles Galaxy
Goalkeepers: Josh Saunders, Josh Wicks
Defenders: Sean Franklin, Michael Gavin, Leonard Griffin, Chris Klein, Mike Randolph, Troy Roberts, Julian Valentin
Midfielders: Ely Allen, David Beckham, Eddie Lewis, Brandon McDonald, Mike Munoz, Josh Tudela
Forwards: Tristan Bown, Alan Gordon, Bryan Jordan, Jovan Kirovski

Parkhurst To Denmark On Free Transfer

Another young talent is on the verge of leaving Major League Soccer for the playing fields of Europe, as New England Revolution defender Michael Parkhurst is reportedly set to move on a free transfer to an unnamed team in Denmark, according to Steven Goff.A Generation Adidas graduate, 24-year-old Parkhurst has already established himself as one of the league’s top defenders. The Wake Forest product took home the MLS Fair Play Award for the second straight year in 2008 and also has 2007 MLS Defender of the Year and 2006 U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year awards to his credit.

Selected by New England as the ninth overall pick in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, Parkhurst has made 115 regular season appearances and 14 postseason appearances for the Revs, having started no less than 25 games in every one of his four MLS seasons. His only career goal so far was a memorable 50-yard strike over the head of Toronto FC keeper Kenny Stamatopoulos in the final game of the 2007 regular season.

On the international side, Parkhurst was one of three “over-age” players selected to the U-23 squad that competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was also part of the winning U.S. roster for the 2007 Gold Cup. Overall, he has been capped three times at the senior level.

If Parkhurst completes his move to Denmark, he will join several other Americans playing in the country, including: Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus), Lee Nguyen (Randers), Tally Hall (Esbjerg), Jeremiah White (AGF Aarhus) and one-time DC United player Mira Mupier (Jetsmark IF).

* photo courtesy ISI Photos

Houston Advances To Final Eight

The Houston Dynamo became the only Major League Soccer team to reach the Knockout Round of the CONCACAF Champions League on Wednesday night, advancing after a 1-0 victory over El Salvadorian club CD Luis Angel Firpo at Robertson Stadium.

Knowing that anything less than a win would see them eliminated and Firpo advance in their place, the Dynamo came out firing and got the game’s only goal in the 13th minute when U.S. forward Brian Ching headed home a corner kick from Dwayne De Rosario. Goalkeeper Pat Onstad made five saves on the other end to make the goal stand up, while Eddie Robinson (straight red) and Firpo’s Carlos Calderon (second yellow) were both sent off late in the match.

With the victory, Houston assumes the last spot in the final eight, joining CD Marathon (Honduras), Cruz Azul (Mexico), Pumas UNAM (Mexico), Atlante (Mexico), the Montreal Impact (Canada), Santos Laguna (Mexico), and the Puerto Rico Islanders (Puerto Rico). The draw for the Knockout Rounds will be held on December 10th, with each series being played over two legs.

Remaining schedule
12.10.08: Draw for Knockout Rounds
02.24.09 – 02.26.09: Quarterfinals (first leg)
03.03.09 – 03.05.09: Quarterfinals (second leg)
03.17.09 – 03.19.09: Semifinals (first leg)
04.07.09 – 04.09.09: Semifinals (second leg)
04.21.09 – 04.23.09: Finals (first leg)
04.28.09 – 04.30.09: Finals (second leg)

Wizards Stadium Plan Advances

The Three Trails Redevelopment project - which would include a permanent home for the Kansas City Wizards - finally cleared a big hurdle recently when the Missouri Development Finance Board granted $30 million in tax credits to the partnership made up of Lane4 Property Group Inc. and OnGoal LLC. State approval had been expected by January 31, 2008, but was pushed back almost a full year.The proposal calls for 1.1 million square feet of retail, 1.6 million square feet of office, four hotels, an 18,500-seat soccer-specific stadium for the Wizards and 12 tournament-quality soccer fields on a 467-acre site on the southern end of Kansas City at an estimated cost of $1 billion.

Lane4 President Owen Buckley noted that state financing delays have caused the projected opening date of the Wizards' new stadium back a year, from 2010 to 2011, but Robb Heineman - OnGoal CEO and president of the Wizards - has stated that the team would be willing to call CommunityAmerica Ballpark home for an additional year, even though the team is losing money due to seating and sponsorship limitations at the minor-league stadium which seats 10,385.

"We are very appreciative of the Board coming to this conclusion," said Heineman. "Our goal would be to start demolition as soon as possible. Obviously our economic situation is improved in a new stadium, so we have every incentive to move the project forward."

Petke Rejoins Red Bulls

Having lost suspended defender Jeff Parke to the Seattle Sounders in the expansion draft held earlier in the day, the New York Red Bulls reacquired Mike Petke on Wednesday via the league’s waiver draft after he was waived by the Colorado Rapids.Petke, 32, appeared in 80 games for the Rapids from 2005-2008 and spent the previous two seasons with DC United, including their MLS Cup-winning campaign in 2004. He started his career with the Red Bulls franchise – then the MetroStars – back in 1998 as the eighth overall selection in the 1998 MLS College Draft. He played five seasons in New York, going on to become the franchise’s all-time leader in games played, games started and minutes played.

In other personnel moves, the Red Bulls waived defender Gabriel Cichero, midfielder Gordon Kljestan, and forward Sainey Touray.

Schmid To Leave Crew For Seattle?

Only a few days removed from becoming the first coach in league history to win MLS Cup with two different clubs, Columbus Crew chief Sigi Schmid could be on his way to a new club as the expansion Seattle Sounders FC have apparently made the coach an offer he can't refuse.
From Soccer By Ives:
Schmid is on the verge of accepting a deal to become the first head coach of Seattle Sounders FC, multiple sources within MLS told SBI on Tuesday. Schmid's current contract with the MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew expires on Sunday, meaning he could be introduced as Seattle's head coach as soon as Monday.

Schmid, recently named 2008 MLS Coach of the Year, is one of the most established and successful coaches in Major League Soccer history. I wouldn't be surprised if minority owner Drew Carey was the driving force behind the attempt to land Schmid - after all, Carey is a long-time season-ticketholder of the Los Angeles Galaxy, and saw first-hand as Schmid led the club to a championship before being notoriously canned in 2004 while the club was in first place.

Crew owner Clark Hunt has stated that the team is hopeful Schmid will stay on with the team, while the team has also filed a tampering charge with the league against Seattle for negotiating with Schmid while he is still under contract with Columbus.

Sounders Expansion Draft Selections

The roster for Seattle Sounders FC is beginning to take shape following the team's selection of ten players via an expansion draft on Wednesday afternoon.Here's a full list of the players selected:

- Brad Evans (M, Columbus Crew)
- Nate Jaqua (F, Houston Dynamo)
- Stephen King (M, Chicago Fire)
- Jeff Parke (D, New York Red Bulls)
- James Riley (D, San Jose Earthquakes)
- Khano Smith (M, New England Revolution)
- Jarrod Smith (F, Toronto FC)
- Nathan Sturgis (M, Real Salt Lake)
- Peter Vagenas (M, Los Angeles Galaxy)
- Tyson Wahl (D, Kansas City Wizards)

These ten players join the Sounders' four existing signings - Kasey Keller, Freddie Ljungberg, Sebastian Le Toux and Sanna Nyassi - in preparation for the 2009 MLS season.

RSL Purchases Olave, Cuts Three

Real Salt Lake has purchased the rights to defender Jamison Olave from Colombian club Deportivo Cali and signed him to a contract that extends through the 2012 season, according to a statement from the club. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, as per league policies.Olave, 27, started 23 games in defense for RSL this past season while also scoring two goals in 2,006 minutes played. He was a key contributor on a side that was one of just five to post a positive goal differential in 2008 (+1). The 39 goals allowed by RSL was the lowest season total in franchise history, and good enough for second-best in the Western Conference.

“We are excited to have re-signed Jamison,” said RSL GM Garth Lagerwey. “He was a key player in turning Real Salt Lake around this season and we are happy he has decided to make a long-term commitment to us. Retaining his physical presence in the center of our defense solidifies a key position as we look to build on the success of 2008 and have an even better 2009 season.”

Olave’s 2008 salary: $80,000

While announcing the signing of Olave, Real Salt Lake also made known several players who have been cut from their roster, including the club’s first-ever draft pick Nikolas Besagno, who was the second-youngest player in league history to be drafted, behind only Freddy Adu. Sadly, he never panned out, making only eight appearances over four years.

Also released were RSL original Kenny Cutler (47 appearances, 0 goals) and defender Dustin Kirby (2 appearances, 82 minutes played).

* photo courtesy ISI Photos

Poll - Landon Donovan In 2009

A new poll has been posted on the right side of our home page (and also below). Check it out, vote and feel free to express your reasoning in the 'comments' section of this thread.There has been a lot of discussion about the potential off-season destination of Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder/forward Landon Donovan. He has gone on the record as saying he would love a chance to play in England or Spain and is apparently being loaned to German club Bayern Munich for a short time. On the other hand, Major League Soccer says Donovan is under contract through next season and they have not entertained any overseas offers for him as of yet. The league is notoriously stingy when it comes to negotiating transfer fees for stars who want out (see Kenny Cooper, Taylor Twellman, Shalrie Joseph, etc...). So we are asking:

poll by twiigs.com

2008 Expansion Draft - The Unprotected

Below is the list of players who have been left unprotected for Wednesday's expansion draft. In the ten-round draft, Seattle Sounders FC may select one unprotected player from each team's list, which means that ten teams will lose one player, while four teams will remain untouched.

Chicago Fire
Andy Herron
Austin Washington
Brandon Prideaux
C.J. Brown
Calen Carr
Daniel Woolard
Kai Kasiguran
Lider Marmol
Marco Pappa
Mike Banner
Nick Noble
Peter Lowry
Stephen King
Tomasz Frankowski
Tyler Kettering

Chivas USA
Alex Zotinca
Ante Razov
Anthony Hamilton
Carey Talley
Claudio Suarez
Dan Kennedy
Daniel Paladini
Dejair Ferreira
Eric Ebert
Gerson Mayen
Jim Curtin
Jorge Flores
Keith Savage
Kraig Chiles
Lance Parker
Lawson Vaughn
Raphael Wicky
Roberto Nurse
Sasha Victorine
Zach Thornton

Colorado Rapids
Brian Grazier
Cesar Zambrano
Facundo Erpen
Greg Dalby
Kosuke Kimura
Kwame Sarkodie
John DiRaimondo
Jordan Harvey
Jose Burciaga
Justin Hughes
Mike Petke
Preston Burpo
Stephen Keel
Terry Cooke
Tim Ward
Tom McManus

Columbus Crew
Adam Moffat
Andrew Peterson
Andy Gruenebaum
Brad Evans
Brian Plotkin
Cory Elenio
Duncan Oughton
Eddie Gaven
George Josten
Kenny Schoeni
Kevin Burns
Jason Garey
Pat Noonan
Ricardo Pierre-Louis
Ryan Junge
Stanley Nyazamba
Stefani Miglioranzi
Steven Lenhart

D.C. United
Ben Olsen
Craig Thompson
Domenic Mediate
Francis Doe
Gonzalo Martinez
Gonzalo Peralta
Ibrahim Koroma
James Thorpe
Jeff Carroll
Joe Vide
Louis Crayton
Marcelo Gallardo
Michael Zaher
Pat Carroll
Quavas Kirk
Rod Dyachenko
Ryan Cordeiro
Ryan Miller
Zach Wells

FC Dallas
Aaron Pitchkolan
Andrew Daniels
Chase Wileman
David Wagenfuhr
Duilio Davino
Jamie Watson
Jeff Rowland
Michael Dello-Russo
Ray Burse
Spencer Wadsworth
Victor Sikora

Houston Dynamo
Chris Wondolowski
Corbin Waller
Corey Ashe
Craig Waibel
Erik Ustruck
John Michael Hayden
Johnny Alcarez
Kyle Brown
Michael Chabala
Nate Jaqua
Nick Hatzke
Pat Onstad
Patrick Ianni
Richard Mulrooney
Stephen Wondolowski
Tony Caig
Wade Barrett

Kansas City Wizards
Aaron Hohlbein
Abe Thompson
Boris Pardo
Eric Kronberg
Ivan Trujillo
Kevin Hartman
Kurt Morsink
Lance Watson
Matt Marquess
Michael Kraus
Nelson Pizarro
Rauwshan McKenzie
Ryan Pore
Tyson Wahl

Los Angeles Galaxy
Charles Alamo
Chris Klein
Eduardo Dominguez
Ely Allen
Jeremy Barlow
Joe Franchino
Josh Saunders
Josh Tudela
Josh Wicks
Jovan Kirovski
Julian Valentin
Michael Gavin
Michael Randolph
Mike Munoz
Peter Vagenas
Steve Cronin
Vardan Adzemian

New England Revolution
Argenis Fernandez Zapata
Brad Knighton
Brandon Tyler
Brandon Manzonelli
Chris Tierney
Doug Warren
Gabriel Badilla
Gary Flood
Khano Smith
Joe Germanese
Jose Angulo
Mauricio Matamoros
Pat Phelan
Samuel Brill
Wells Thompson

New York Red Bulls
Andongcho Mbuta
Caleb Patterson
Carlos Mendes
Chris Leitch
Danleigh Borman
David Roth
Diego Jimenez
Gordon Kljestan
Jeff Parke
John Gilkerson
John Wolyniec
Juan Pietravallo
Michael Palacio
Mike Magee
Oscar Echeverry
Sainey Touray

Real Salt Lake
Andy Williams
Brennan Tennelle
Clint Mathis
David Horst
Dema Kovalenko
Dustin Kirby
Ian Joy
Kenny Cutler
Kenny Deuchar
Kevin Reiman
Kyle Reynish
Nathan Sturgis
Nik Besagno
Tino Nunez

San Jose Earthquakes
Adam Smarte
Davide Somma
Eric Denton
Gavin Glinton
James Riley
Jamil Roberts
Jay Michael Ayres
John Cunliffe
Kelly Gray
Matt Hatzke
Michael Ghebru
Michael Gustavson
Miguel Arce
Ned Grabavoy
Ronnie O'Brien

Toronto FC
Carlos Ruiz
Derek Gaudet
Gabe Gala
Greg Sutton
Hunter Freeman
Jarrod Smith
Joey Melo
Johann Smith
Kilian Elkinson
Marco Velez
Nana Attakora-Gyan
Rohan Ricketts
Tyler Rosenlund

Galaxy Trade For Kirovski

The Los Angeles Galaxy have acquired forward Jovan Kirovski from the San Jose Earthquakes, according to the Washington Post’s Steven Goff. San Jose will receive a conditional pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft in the deal, but the Earthquakes will more than likely be glad just to get rid of Kirovski’s bloated $220,000 salary.
Kirovski, 32, started his career by becoming the first American to sign with Manchester United back in 1992. He led the reserves in scoring in 1996, but was still unable to break into the first team, prompting a move elsewhere. Over the last decade, Kirovski bounced around Germany, Portugal and England, spending two seasons in the Premiership with Birmingham City before deciding to play in America to keep alive his chances for selection on the US National Team. Kirovski was subsequently traded to the Colorado Rapids in 2005, making his way to San Jose for the ’08 season.

Kirovski’s time in San Jose was extremely unproductive with the forward making just nine appearances – one start – and failing to record a goal or an assist in 154 minutes of action. He also was able to muster just one lone shot in that time.

On the international side, Kirovski earned 62 caps with the US Men’s National Team from 1994-2004, scoring nine goals in his career. He was named to the 1996 Summer Olympics squad, as well as the ’99 and ’03 Confederations Cup rosters, though he would never be selected to a World Cup roster.

This will be Kirovski’s second stint with the Galaxy; he made 48 appearances for the club in 2004-05, with 12 goals and 6 assists to his credit. He has 24 career goals and 10 assists in 118 appearances in Major League Soccer.

* photo courtesy ISI Photos

Cristman Traded To Wizards

The Kansas City Wizards have acquired young forward Adam Cristman from the New England Revolution in exchange for allocation money and Kansas City’s natural third-round pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft, the teams announced this afternoon.Cristman, 23, was selected in the fourth round of the ’07 SuperDraft (48th overall) by New England and went on to break into the first team in his rookie season, scoring four goals and four assists on his way to being named a finalist for the 2007 Gatorade Rookie of the Year award. He followed that up with another solid campaign in ‘08, scoring six times and adding an assist, though his playing time was negatively impacted by injuries.

“There are a lot of good players on Kansas City’s roster,” said Cristman. “I look forward to learning the system, settling in and making an impact. I am from Virginia and I have always lived in coastal towns, but my wife and I look forward to experiencing new things in Kansas City.”

MLS Best XI Conspiracy?

Major League Soccer recently unveiled their 2008 MLS Best XI in conjunction with the MLS Cup final and, while I agree with most of the players chosen, a few of the selections leave me scratching my head. In fact, after thinking about the situation further, I believe there to be a conspiracy over why certain players were selected to the list while other, more-deserving players got no recognition.

First, the full 2008 MLS Best XI:

GK: Jon Busch
D: Jimmy Conrad
D: Chad Marshall
D: Bakary Soumare
M: Robbie Rogers
M: Guillermo Barros Schelotto
M: Cuauhtemoc Blanco
M: Shalrie Joseph
M: Sacha Kljestan
F: Kenny Cooper
F: Landon Donovan

Sure, most of those guys had a great season, but it is my belief that MLS put a handful of players on the Best XI – namely Rogers and Kljestan – just to drive up their values as much as possible on the transfer market ahead of their expected departures. Both had very solid seasons, but can anyone argue that Javier Morales, Darren Huckerby and Steve Ralston – among others - were less deserving to be on the list?

The omission of Morales is particularly glaring, as the Argentinean was also left out of the MLS All-Star Game and was also not named as a finalist in voting for the MLS MVP award. His contributions at Real Salt Lake made him a justifiable second choice to Schelotto for MVP in my eyes.

Name	Goals	Assists	Minutes Played
Robbie Rogers	6	3	2,334
Sacha Kljestan	5	7	1,941
Javier Morales	6	15	2,511
Darren Huckerby	6	4	1,211
Steve Ralston	8	7	1,715

Morales just recently signed a long-term deal with RSL, while Ralston and Huckerby are not likely to be on

the move in the offseason. On the other hand, Rogers and Kljestan have had teams inquiring about their services for some time now. By selecting them to Best XI, when overseas teams negotiate with MLS, the league can always say, “Your bid is too low; you are trying to take one of our Best XI away, after all…”

Gold Cup Victory For Fox Soccer Channel

Fox Soccer Channel announced this morning that it has landed exclusive English-only broadcast rights to the 2009 and 2011 editions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, including the rights to all matches played by the U.S. National Team in the tournament. All Fox Soccer Channel match telecasts will also be streamed live via foxsoccer.tv.

“The Gold Cup is the top prize for national teams in the CONCACAF region, and there is tremendous national pride at stake,” said David Sternberg, executive vice president and general manager of Fox Soccer Channel. “With the strength of soccer teams in the CONCACAF region at an all-time high, the next two Gold Cups promise to be exciting and hard-fought.”

By securing rights to the Gold Cup, Fox Soccer Channel has further expanded its growing list of exclusive properties, including England’s Barclays Premier League, the Italian Serie A, the Club World Cup, and the CONCACAF Champions League. The channel also has rights to broadcast a package of weekly live Major League Soccer matches through 2010, and has similar rights for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final.

“We are very pleased to extend our partnership with Fox Soccer Channel on the Gold Cup,” said CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer. “FSC is well suited to help grow viewership of the tournament in the United States.”

Crew Hoist MLS Cup 2008

The heavily-favored Columbus Crew lifted MLS Cup at the Home Depot Center on Sunday afternoon, using two second-half goals by defenders to overpower the New York Red Bulls by a score of 3-1. MLS MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto once again showed why he deserved the league's highest individual award, assisting on all three Columbus goals and picking up MLS Cup MVP honors as well.As the game got underway, sloppy play and missed chances marked the early minutes, with neither side putting together a solid attack. That would change at the half-hour mark when Schelotto stripped Juan Pablo Angel of the ball and sent a long pass to Alejandro Moreno down the right sideline. Using his speed in the one-on-one situation, Moreno shot by a defender on the inside as he entered the box and sent a shot across the mouth of goal, beating Danny Cepero just inside the far post, sending the hordes of Crew fans in attendance into celebration.

The Red Bulls would pull even in the 51st minute when Dane Richards drew triple-coverage at the top of the box but somehow managed to slot the ball through to John Wolyniec, the one-time Crew member who is now enjoying his third stint with the MetroStars/Red Bulls franchise. Getting the slightest of touches on the ball, Wolyniec managed to tap the ball around Columbus keeper Will Hesmer to even the game at 1-1.

New York's party would be cut short, however, as the Crew marched down the field and retook the lead less than two minutes later off a set-piece. It was again Schelotto who set up the goal by sending in a bending corner kick from the right that was met by the head of 2008 Defender of the Year Chad Marshall, finding the back of the net to make it 2-1.

Schelotto had a chance to score a goal of his own in the 77th minute, left unmarked at the top of the box. The former Boca hero steadied himself and sent a chip shot toward goal, beating Cepero but clattering off the crossbar before getting cleared away.

While New York pushed for an equalizer, it would be the Crew who scored last, as Southern California native Frankie Hejduk would put the final dagger in the Red Bulls. Schelotto lined up his third assist on the play by chipping the ball over the defense to the long-haired defender in a perfect position as the goalkeeper had to come off his line to try to deal with the ball. Hejduk's speed got him to the ball first, allowing him to head the ball over Cepero and into the empty net for Columbus' final goal.

"[Schelotto] had eyes in the back of his head," Hejduk said after the game. "I make that run all the time and a lot of people don't find me."

The victory was especially moving for Hejduk, who has been with Columbus since 2003. "To be honest, I can't wait to have a beer, hang out and party with my friends," said Hejduk after the game. "It's a little bit surreal right now."

Attendance - 27,000 (sellout)

* photo courtesy ISI Photos

Confederations Cup Draw: US In Group Of Death

The draw for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was held this morning, with the two groups coming out extremely uneven. The United States was drawn into Group B, along with world champion Italy, powerhouse Brazil and reigning African champion Egypt, while Group A consists of host South Africa, Iraq, New Zealand and Euro 2008 winners Spain.

United States group stage schedule:
06/15/2009 - vs. Italy (Pretoria, South Africa)
06/18/2009 - vs. Brazil (Pretoria, South Africa)
06/21/2009 - vs. Egypt (Rustenburg, South Africa)

The semifinals will be held on June 24th and 25th, with the final scheduled for June 28th in Johannesburg.

It will be the United States' fourth appearance in the now-quadrennial tournament, having compiled a 4-1-5 record overall in the competition. Their best showing has been a third-place finish, both in 1992 and 1999, while they were eliminated in the first round of the 2003 tournament. Only Brazil (6) and Mexico (5) have qualified for more Confederations Cups than the Americans.

Donovan Loaned To Bayern Munich

Major League Soccer is sending another of its stars outside the country on a loan spell this winter, as ESPN reports that Landon Donovan will be heading to Bayern Munich on a short-term loan with an option to potentially extend the deal with the German club. The loan is similar to the arrangement between AC Milan and David Beckham - Donovan's teammate at the Los Angeles Galaxy - which runs from January until March, allowing the player to return to the United States for the start of the MLS regular season."The goal will be to see if we can get him long-term, at least until the end of the season," said Bayern head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who was a consultant for the Galaxy in recent times. "He's made an excellent impression here, so we've agreed to open talks with the MLS about a loan spell starting January 1, 2009.

"It's a fantastic situation for me," Klinsmann continued. "It gives me a chance to start the second half of the season with four strikers. That's how we imagine things developing."

Donovan had been training with the club as part of a 10-day stint as a guest player, but it was widely reported that Klinsmann was keen to sign the 26-year-old American. Galaxy officials, however, have stressed that Donovan remains under contract with the league and as such, he is expected to continue being a member of the Galaxy through 2009.

Landon was announced as the runner-up in MLS MVP voting to Guillermo Barros Schelotto on Thursday afternoon on the strength of his 20-goal season. He will be in attendance at Sunday's MLS Cup final at the Home Depot Center where he will be presented with the US Player of the Year Award for the fifth time in his career.

United States Knocks Off Guatemala

The United States Men’s National Team ended the Semifinal Round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying on a high note Wednesday night, as an MLS-heavy squad knocked off Guatemala by a score of 2-0, finishing at the top of Group 1 with a 5-1-0 overall record.FC Dallas forward Kenny Cooper and former MLS star Freddy Adu provided the offense for the young and relatively inexperienced squad fielded by head coach Bob Bradley for the match, with both players finding the back of the net in the second half to propel the United States to victory. Former Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan also got in on the action, making three saves in the game to preserve a clean sheet.

“It’s a good way for us to finish up this round,” said Bradley following the match. “A successful run and now we focus on the challenge ahead. There was an opportunity tonight to see some different players and, as always, there were some things that were positive and some things that need work. All in all, it was a good night for us.”

One of the bright spots certainly had to be Cooper, who scored his second international goal in just three appearances when he volleyed a cross from Jozy Altidore between the legs of the Guatemalan goalkeeper in the 54th minute. His performance will certainly delight the throngs of supporters who had been calling for the former Manchester United reserve to see more time in Bradley’s group.

Freddy Adu also had a night to remember, notching his first international goal at the senior level in the 69th minute, roping an incredible free kick around the wall with his left foot to double the Americans’ advantage. Following the game, Adu spoke of the conversation he had with Sacha Kljestan while standing over the ball on the play.

“We were having a long conversation,” said Adu. “Sacha goes, ‘All right, I’m hitting this.’ I go, ‘From here? You crazy?’ He goes, ‘All right, if you score I won’t talk.”

On the negative side, Pablo Mastroeni played well in his home stadium, but picked up a yellow card in the 78th minute that will cause him to miss the first match of qualifying’s final round early next year.

“I think the way the game was going, it was a weak yellow,” said Mastroeni. “[The challenge] wasn’t from behind. My reputation precedes me a bit, that’s the way it goes.”

The Final Round draw will be held this Saturday, allowing the six countries that have advanced to learn their 10-game schedule. Besides the United States, the other countries to advance to the final round are: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras and Trinidad & Tobago.

Blanco Leaves Chicago For Mexico

Chicago Fire superstar Cuauhtemoc Blanco is prepared to make his return to Mexican futbol, having secured a short-term loan to play for Santos Laguna in the upcoming playoffs, according to a report in El Universal. Blanco, a legend for his success as a member of Club America, as well as the Mexican national team, was sought after by Santos to reinforce their attack following a serious injury to prominent goal-scorer Christian Benitez.

“It is a fact – Cuauhtemoc, he will be with us,” confirmed club president Alexander Irarragorri. “We considered that he has the characteristics of a warrior, has a great spirit and is integral to raise the emotions of our club.”
The news of Blanco’s temporary departure highlights a growing trend amongst international players of using short-term loans in the MLS off-season to maintain match fitness. Notoriously, David Beckham has also arranged such an agreement with AC Milan on a short-term basis, meaning Major League Soccer’s two highest-paid players will both be donning another club’s jersey in the coming months.

Blanco, 35, is coming off of his second season playing professionally in the United States and posted seven goals to go with 11 assists in 2008. Though the Fire were eliminated from playoff contention last week at the hands of the Columbus Crew, Blanco’s accomplishments throughout the year earned him consideration as one of three finalists for league MVP honors this season.

* photo courtesy ISI Photos

Baseball's Pujols Joins St. Louis Investment Group

The St. Louis bid to land a Major League Soccer franchise during the next round of expansion got a major boost today as it was announced that the city's ownership group - St. Louis Soccer United - has attracted a new investor: baseball superstar Albert Pujols. The St. Louis Cardinals slugger, who was named this past week as MVP of the National League for the second time in his career, has thrown his support behind the idea of professional soccer returning to the Gateway City and will now become the face of the region's effort to field an expansion team in the next three years.
"I am very proud and excited to join the effort to bring Major League Soccer to the St. Louis area," said Pujols in a statement released by the group today. "This means a lot to me and my family, as we all love soccer and we believe in the MLS.

"Plus, this is something that will be great for our community, especially our youth," he continued. "I strongly encourage St. Louis business leaders and sports fans to join me in this effort. St. Louis is an unbelievable sports town and we'll be a great city for Major League Soccer."

Lead investor Jeff Cooper has been trying for some time to organize a solid group of investors that will convince Major League Soccer to move into the area. Many thought that the city would be granted one of the two most recent expansion slots to be allocated, but those went to Seattle and Philadelphia, respectively, with commissioner Don Garber confessing that the league was hesitant to move into St. Louis because the group's investors didn't have deep enough pockets.

"Obviously, [Pujols'] involvement strengthens our bid," said Cooper. "It helps in every aspect, and obviously having Albert involved makes us deeper financially. It makes us more attractive as a group when you have someone of his stature that involved in the group. People are going to want to be a part of the business Albert is involved in."The group's plan to build a $400-million soccer, retail and entertainment complex in Collinsville, IL. has already been designed and approved, with the only thing holding up construction being the league giving the city a green light. Putting a soccer-specific stadium in such a location would follow the league's pattern of building in suburban areas that are relatively easy to reach to all people in the metropolitan area; Collinsville sits approximately 14 miles east-northeast of downtown.

"You can stand on the ground at our site and you have a beautiful view of downtown and the Arch," Cooper explained. "It is an easy place to get to. We are one of the closest stadiums to downtown in MLS, closer than Toyota Park in Chicago, or Home Depot Center, or Dick's Sporting Goods Park."

The group's bid is one of seven that were submitted to the league before last month's deadline; St. Louis is vying for one of the next two expansion slots against Miami, Vancouver, Portland, Ottawa, Montreal and Atlanta.

"We feel our bid stands above everyone else's," admitted Cooper. "That being said, the way soccer is going to break through, every great market (in North America) are phenomenal markets and great for soccer. I hope everybody gets a team eventually."

Frankowski Lashes Out Over Playing Time

Tomasz Frankowski will most likely not be returning to the Chicago Fire next year, according to comments published in the Chicago Tribune that highlight a rift between the Polish forward and the team’s coach, Denis Hamlett.Frankowski, 34, signed with the Eastern Conference club back in February, reportedly turning down a more lucrative offer with a club in Spain’s second division to come to America. The former Wisla Krakow standout went on to start the club’s first five games and returned the favor by scoring twice in Chicago’s second game of the season, but those would prove to be his only two strikes with the Fire, as he soon found himself riding the bench in favor of the newly acquired Brian McBride.

“Honestly, I have a lot of respect for the team but not the coach,” said Frankowski. “[Hamlett] wasn’t honest with me. I wanted to know why I wasn’t playing but he wouldn’t talk to me about it. He’s very closed off. I think we would have won the MLS Cup final with a different philosophy.”

Despite being under contract next season, Frankowski is planning to return to the Polish league. Coach Hamlett apparently won’t be sad to see him go, defending himself by saying, “I’ve been honest with him from day one. I told him my decision was in the best interest of the team.

“If he has stuff to say about me, that’s fine,” Hamlett concluded. “I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.”

Philly Groundbreaking Date Set

Major League Soccer officials have set a date for groundbreaking ceremonies at the site of the country's newest soccer-specific stadium in Chester, PA. Commissioner Don Garber and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell will be on hand, along with other team, local and state officials on December 1st at 2:30 p.m. to mark the occasion, as construction commences on the home of what will be the 16th team in MLS when Philadelphia joins the party in 2010.“It’s really exciting to have all the people responsible for this development to finally be able to schedule up for Dec. 1 and be out there. It’s going to be an exciting day,” gushed Nick Sakiewicz, CEO and operating partner of Keystone Sports, the team’s ownership group.

Residents of the community and supporters of the club are encouraged to attend the historic event. Supporters group Sons of Ben is asking all event attendees to bring canned food for its second annual “Help Kick Hunger” canned food drive benefitting Chester’s Bernardine Center. MLS Philadelphia will make a matching donation up to $500.

Bradley Reveals WCQ Roster

U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has announced his final roster of 20 players who will train in preparation for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifying tie against Guatemala on Wednesday from Commerce City, Colorado. Fourteen of the selected players have been culled from MLS rosters, giving some of the league’s younger stars a chance to establish themselves on the international level.
While the United States has already punched their ticket to the final phase of qualifying, Guatemala is on the outside looking in and will need a win against the U.S. combined with a Trinidad & Tobago loss to Cuba in order to advance.

“This match gives us an opportunity to test many of our players in what will be a very hard game,” said Bradley. “Guatemala will certainly be pressing for a victory, and we want to end this round on a positive note. Dick’s Sporting Goods Park is one of the finest soccer facilities in the country, and we are looking forward to our first appearance there.”

Three players will be vying for their first cap at the top level: defender Sean Franklin and goalkeepers Troy Perkins and Matt Pickens. Nine others have earned less than 10 caps with the senior team. Midfielder Pablo Mastroeni, who will be playing in his home stadium, leads all players on the roster with a total of 61 caps; forward Brian Ching is a distant second with 32 career appearances.

The game will air on Wednesday, November 19th, at 6 p.m. local time (8 p.m. EST, 5 p.m. PST) on ESPN Classic and Galavision.

Pos.	Player Name	Caps/Goals	Club
GK	Brad Guzan	10/0	Aston Villa
GK	Troy Perkins	0/0	Valerenga IF
GK	Matt Pickens	0/0	out of contract
D	Jonathan Bornstein	12/1	Chivas USA
D	Sean Franklin	0/0	LA Galaxy
D	Cory Gibbs	19/0	Colorado Rapids
D	Clarence Goodson	1/0	IK Start
D	Drew Moor	5/0	FC Dallas
D	Michael Parkhurst	3/0	New England Revolution
M	Freddy Adu	11/0	AS Monaco
M	Ricardo Clark	15/1	Houston Dynamo
M	Sacha Kljestan	11/0	Chivas USA
M	Pablo Mastroeni	61/0	Colorado Rapids
M	John Thorrington	2/0	Chicago Fire
F	Josmer Altidore	5/2	Villarreal C.F.
F	Davy Arnaud	1/0	Kansas City Wizards
F	Conor Casey	8/0	Colorado Rapids
F	Brian Ching	32/10	Houston Dynamo
F	Kenny Cooper	2/1	FC Dallas
F	Chris Rolfe	9/0	Chicago Fire

Galaxy's Franklin Captures Rookie Honors

Los Angeles Galaxy defender Sean Franklin has been named MLS Gatorade Rookie of the Year, the league announced Thursday. He appeared in 27 of the team's 30 games this past season, making 26 starts and recording one assist while logging 2,385 minutes on the field, second on the Galaxy only to veteran Chris Klein.

The Galaxy's Franklin stood out all season, despite the club's struggles. [ISI Photos]

"It has been a big week, a very exciting week for me and for my family," said Franklin. "I'm really excited about where I'm at right now.

"I just went out and just played every game hard, whether I was a rookie or not wasn't something that was on the back of my mind. As the year did go on I was getting more comfortable and used to playing."

Taken fourth overall in the 2008 MLS Superdraft out of CSU-Northridge, Franklin garnered immediate attention for his surprisingly solid play early in the season, proving to be the Galaxy's most reliable defender despite being played in the center instead of his normal position on the right. His rise to prominence marked the second straight year that Los Angeles looked to a rookie to lead their defensive efforts; Ty Harden had similar success with the G's in '07 before deciding to retire early to work for a charitable organization.

Despite being on a team that allowed the most goals in MLS in 2008, Franklin's skillful defending has lead to praise from former and current head coaches Ruud Gullit and Bruce Arena, and has most recently earned him a call-up into a training camp under USMNT head coach Bob Bradley. A possibility to play in Wednesday's World Cup qualifying match against Guatemala, Franklin will be vying for his first cap with the senior squad after having made several appearances at the youth level.

His selection as Gatorade Rookie of the Year marks the third time in four years that the award has gone to a defender, with Franklin following in the footsteps of Michael Parkhurst (2005) and Jonathan Bornstein (2006), two of the league's rising talents. Another defender who was named MLS Rookie of the Year - Carlos Bocanegra (2002) - has gone on to have a successful club career in Europe while simultaneously ascending to the captaincy of the USMNT.

Huckerby A Wanted Man

San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Darren Huckerby has revealed that several teams in England have approached him since the MLS season ended, all with offers for him to resume his playing career on the island, but he has respectfully declined all potential suitors out of loyalty to his former team, Norwich City.
The one-time Canary fan favorite has had instant success since landing upon America’s shores in July. Huckerby led the Earthquakes in scoring with six goals in only 14 appearances while fueling their late-season run that ultimately ended just short of a playoff spot, earning him a nomination for MLS Newcomer of the Year in the process.

“I have already had three or four phone calls from teams and nothing’s changed from what I said when I left,” said Huckerby. “I have been lucky that I have done all right over there and obviously people have noticed that, but nothing’s changed.

“We didn’t get to negotiating because when the answer is no that’s as far as it goes. My stance has been pretty clear from day one: I won’t play against Norwich.”

Back in England during the off-season, Huckerby also reflected on his stay so far in America.

“I was very lucky that the fans over there took to me straight away,” said Huckerby. “It was just like being at Norwich really. I think they liked the way I play – I was a little bit different because there aren’t that many players over there that like to run with the ball; it’s more pass, pass, pass.

“I think I settled there better than I thought I would, but football-wise I always believed in my ability so that wasn’t really a big problem. I knew that if I was fit I could still play a little bit so that wasn’t a big issue. I knew if I got myself fit I could contribute to the team.”

Huckerby also talked about crossing paths with another Englishman – David Beckham – and the overall level of play in Major League Soccer.

“We played against LA – he was playing right wing, I was playing left wing and we had a little chat before the second half started – we were lucky enough to win that game 3-2 and they were one of our biggest rivals, so it was kind of nice.

“There are some very good players over there,” Huckerby admitted. “There are the ones you hear about, like Beckham, but Beckham didn’t get in any of the top 10 voting – over there it is stat-driven with assists and goals and Beckham wasn’t in any of the top 10s. He is in the top 10 of getting paid, and he is a massive ambassador for the league, but I think that sometimes undermines how good some of the other players are.”

Moreno Undergoes Surgery

D.C. United midfielder Jaime Moreno has undergone successful knee surgery to clean articular cartilage and remove a meniscal defect, the team announced Wednesday. He is expected to be fully recovered from the operation in time for next year’s pre-season.Moreno, 34, is the all-time leading scorer in MLS history with 122 goals to his credit. In the recently-concluded 2008 season, the Bolivian international recorded 10 goals and 10 assists for the fourth time in his career, matching retired Jason Kreis for the most times to reach the 10+10 mark. No other player in MLS history has reached the milestone more than twice in their career.

Moreno is also one assist shy of the 100 mark in that category; if and when he records an assist next season, he will become only the fifth player to reach the century mark in assists and will be the first-ever to record 100 goals and 100 assists in his career.

Lalas Speaks Out On Galaxy, Beckham

Three months after being dismissed as the Los Angeles Galaxy’s president and general manager, Alexi Lalas chose a very public setting – ESPN2 - to describe exactly what he thinks is wrong with the franchise. Speaking with Rob Stone as part of the pre-game show for Thursday’s playoff clash between the Chicago Fire and New England Revolution, Lalas fielded a question from Rob Stone about the problems that plagued the Galaxy all season and what can be done to fix them.
“I’m a little hesitant to talk about it because I don’t want it to appear self-serving or bitter,” he began with a grin. “I believe in accountability and I believe in responsibility, and as the president and GM, regardless of what the circumstances were, I’m responsible for it. I paid the ultimate price and I accept that.

“I think that [Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena] needs to make one of those guys captain,” suggested Lalas. “You need to send a message that nobody is bigger than the club, whether you’re David Beckham or whether you’re Tristan Bowen, an 18-year-old coming into the club. Everybody has to understand that it’s the team first.

“If I regret anything, it’s that I recognized that early on and I probably didn’t do enough in order to correct that situation.”

Having accepted the bulk of the blame for the Galaxy’s recent downturn in results, Lalas went on to another hot topic, David Beckham and his recently-announced short-term loan to AC Milan.

“When you talk about David Beckham, it’s about so much more than what he is on the field, for better or worse. The reality is, he’s going to do whatever it takes to play with the [England] national team. That’s fine. I was a little disappointed with the way that it all came down with him and his folks. I mean, hello, a courtesy telephone call, a little bit of respect to call the coach so that [Arena] knows what’s going on, knows that you’re being shopped around. But sometimes the tail wags the dog.”

Fire Get Past Revs, Finally

New England Revolution 0 – Chicago Fire 3
* Chicago Fire advance 3-0 on aggregate

For the first time in four post-season meetings, the Chicago Fire have knocked the New England Revolution out of the playoffs, advancing by a score of 3-0 on a rainy Thursday night at Toyota Park. With the win, Chicago punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference Championship, led by another strong performance from “Mr. November” Chris Rolfe, who had a goal and an assist in the win. A pair of defenders - Wilman Conde and Gonzalo Segares - scored insurance goals in the second half and 2008 Goalkeeper of the Year Jon Busch posted a shutout.

Chicago will now have to wait until Saturday to find out who their next opponent will be, as they will face the winner of the Columbus Crew/Kansas City Wizards series, which is tied 1-1 after the first leg.

Scoring:
CHI – Chris Rolfe 1 (unassisted) 47’+
CHI – Wilman Conde 1 (Justin Mapp) 49’
CHI – Gonzalo Segares 1 (Chris Rolfe) 74’

Ejections:
NE - Chris Albright (second caution) 83’

11/06/2008
Toyota Park
Attendance: 17,312

Houston Faces Stadium Ultimatum

The Houston Dynamo are a virtual dynasty, having won championships in both of the seasons since the franchise was relocated from San Jose and are threatening to become the first three-peat championships in the league’s history. But team officials have sent a warning to the region’s political leaders that they too must do their part in helping secure a permanent home for the club; otherwise, the franchise could be on the move once again.“It almost has to [happen soon],” said Dynamo president/GM Oliver Luck at the team’s media day. “If it doesn’t happen by the end of the year – it’s the old saying, you know: A no is bad, a slow no is even worse. If there is no resolution by the end of the year, quite honestly we’ll have to go to plan B, whatever that is.”

While the city has spent $15 million to secure a six-block tract of land east of downtown meant for a 22,000-seat, $100+ million stadium, the Dynamo are looking for an additional $10 from the county to get things rolling. The club’s owners – Anschutz Entertainment Group – have offered to come up with the majority of the remaining finances needed, somewhere in the area of $70 million, but Hurricane Ike and the recent elections have slowed the process even further.

“We have a window now up until the end of the year, where we can get this thing done despite the economic challenges that exist in the market place,” Luck continued. “I’m pretty confident, and also because the elections are over; there isn’t any political grandstanding going on.”

Ze Roberto Reaffirms Dallas Interest

Rumors of a Ze Roberto move to MLS have been re-ignited as the Bayern Munich star recently told reporters he is seriously considering a move to America when his contract expires at the end of the current Bundesliga season.
“A move to America is very possible,” the midfielder told Suddeutsche Zeitung recently. “Dallas have already shown interest and my children could go to the international school there.

“My main topic is the family; they are now the No. 1 priority over my career. Already my wife would like it if we perhaps left and I am not so often the boss in the house.”

The 34-year-old Brazilian is still widely considered to be near the top of his game. He’s scored two goals and added two assists in the current season and has also notched a pair of goals in four UEFA Cup matches this year.

Ze Roberto made 84 appearances for the Brazilian national team between 1995-2007, with six goals to his credit. He was a member of the country’s World Cup roster in both 1998 and 2006 and has two Copa America titles (’97, ’99)and a pair of Confederations Cup successes (’97, ’05) to his credit.

Guzan Records UEFA Cup Win

Former Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan came up big in his second appearance with Aston Villa, recording a clean sheet in the club’s 1-0 victory over Slavia Prague on Thursday in UEFA Cup action.John Carew’s 26th minute goal was all that Guzan would need; the 2007 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year made nine big saves in the match in helping the Villans move a step closer to qualification for the UEFA Cup knockout stages.

“We did a great job in terms of commitment and defending as a unit,” said Guzan. “Every opportunity you get you want to prove yourself to the coaching staff and everyone else. Obviously, we want to go in (to the Zilina match) with the right mentality and get three points.”

Aston Villa – who also boast American Brad Friedel on their roster as their regular keeper - have now taken maximum points from their two group matches and sit at the head of Group F with six points. Their next match comes on December 4th against Zilina, the lowly Slovakian club which currently resides in the basement of Group F.

Marshall Honored As Defender Of The Year

Columbus Crew defender Chad Marshall was named Visa Defender of the Year on Thursday, beating out the Kansas City Wizards’ Jimmy Conrad and the Chicago Fire’s Bakary Soumare for the award.The 24-year-old Marshall started 29 games for the Supporters’ Shield winners, tallying four goals and two assists on top of his defensive duties. He played 2,485 minutes on the season, second only to Brian Carroll on the team, and lifted the Columbus defense to third-best in the league.

Chosen by Columbus as the second-overall pick in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft behind Freddy Adu, expectations were high for the Stanford product. After a solid start to his career, Marshall was sidelined throughout much of the 2007 campaign with post-concussion syndrome, limiting him to just 12 appearances last season.

“I was just hoping I could play this year,” Marshall admitted. “It’s tough to be sitting on the sidelines or up in the stands watching the game you wish you could play in. You definitely have a new appreciation for it. I love playing this game and want to play as long as I can.”

Soehn To Return With United

D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn will return for a third season, according to reports coming out of the Washington Post this morning.
Soehn’s return had been in doubt following a disastrous 2008 season that saw the club lead the league in losses (15) and miss the postseason for the first time since 2002, largely in part due to a slew of injuries and an overextended schedule. With U.S. Open Cup, Superliga, Champions Cup and Champions League games all on the slate between March and October, United played a total of 47 matches over 33 weeks, and would ultimately only find success in capturing the U.S. Open Cup.

Designated Player Marcelo Gallardo was healthy for slightly less than half of the season, missing 15 games with a multitude of injuries. Only one player – Clyde Simms – started every single game for the club, while star midfielder Ben Olsen played just 15 minutes in 2008, sidelined by a career-threatening ankle injury.

“We’re going to evaluate everything really hard,” said Soehn of the off-season after the club’s final game, a 4-2 Champions League loss to CD Marathon. “This year was a difficult year in so many ways. Obviously the amount of injuries we had, I don’t know the [amount of] games missed per man but this year was unbelievable from the so-called ‘starters’. It’s hard to overcome; we’ve had six or seven [injured players] throughout the year.

“I think we did a great job of getting some guys in that now we feel can be a very beneficial piece next year. So we’re going to have to evaluate and make sure that we don’t have as much turnover but we go in with the idea that we’re going to build on the progress we made towards the end of the season.”

Soehn’s two-year record as head coach is now 27-22-11.

Sealy Called On By T&T

San Jose Earthquakes forward Scott Sealy has been named to the roster for Trinidad & Tobago’s upcoming World Cup Qualifying and Digicel Cup Preliminary matches, the team announced Tuesday.
Trinidad & Tobago will take on St. Kitts & Nevis on November 7th and Guyana on November 9th in their first two matches of the Digicel Cup Preliminary round, the Caribbean's biannual tournament which sends four representatives to the Gold Cup, and will then face Cuba on Thursday, November 19th in their final World Cup qualifying match. The Soca Warriors need either a win or a tie to advance to the next stage of World Cup Qualifying.

Sealy has earned 12 caps with the Trinidad and Tobago National Team since his first appearance back in 2004, scoring two goals in that span. He was also part of the country’s successful World Cup Qualifying run in 2005, appearing in several key games down the stretch.

Traded to the Earthquakes by the Kansas City Wizards earlier this year, Sealy went on to score three goals and three assists in 14 appearances for the expansion franchise. He has scored 31 goals in his four-year MLS career, his best one-year total coming in 2006 when Sealy found the back of the net 10 times in 29 games.

Busch Named Best Goalkeeper

Chicago Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch has been named the 2008 Panasonic Goalkeeper of the Year, announced Tuesday by Major League Soccer. The award was voted on by MLS players, general managers, coaches, referees and members of the media. In winning the award, Busch beat out the Columbus Crew’s Will Hesmer and the San Jose Earthquake’s Joe Cannon.Busch played every minute of every game in 2008 for Chicago, compiling a 13-10-7 record and a 1.10 GAA. He posted ten shutouts on the year, tied for best in the league with Hesmer and Kansas City Wizards keeper Kevin Hartman, and helped lead his team into the playoffs as the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

“It’s exciting to win this award and a little bit of a shock,” said Busch. “I have to give all the credit to the guys in front of me all season. They did a tremendous job, and they deserve as much credit for this award as I do.”

Busch, 32, has had success before, named to the MLS All-Star team in 2004 as a member of the Columbus Crew. He went down to severe knee injuries in both the ’05 and ’06 seasons and was subsequently waived by the Crew. Chicago pickup up Busch in 2007, originally to serve as a backup to then-starting keeper Matt Pickens, but when Pickens left Chicago to play for Queens Park Rangers, Busch was tapped for the starting spot.

He will lead Chicago in the second leg of their first round playoff matchup against the New England Revolution on Thursday, after the first leg ended in a draw, 0-0.

“There’s really no advantage now,” Busch continued. “You can’t say it’s a home-field thing. Whichever team comes out and wants it more is going to get it.”

Dallas Re-Signs Moor, Sala

FC Dallas General Manager Michael Hitchcock has announced on Tuesday that the team has re-signed defender Drew Moor and goalkeeper Dario Sala. Terms of the deals were not released per team and league policy.Moor, 24, started 27 games for the Hoops in 2008, playing a total of 2,430 minutes in defense for the club. A former first round pick (sixth overall) in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, Moor has made 102 appearances in his four-year Dallas career, adding five goals and two assists over that span. He has also been capped five times for the United States Men’s National Team over the past two years, including playing in Copa America 2007 and a February 2008 friendly against Mexico where Moor started and recorded an assist on Jozy Altidore’s first international goal with the senior team.Sala, 34, played 28 games between the pipes for FCD in ’08, compiling an 8-8-12 record and a 1.32 GAA. He posted career-bests in minutes played (2,520) and shutouts (seven). His seven clean sheets are the most by a Dallas ‘keeper since Matt Jordan totaled nine in 2001. Sala’s solid play in goal helped the club to a +4 goal differential in the recently wrapped-up campaign, fourth-best in the league.

Parkhurst, Revs Receive Fair Play Awards

The 2008 MLS Awards season kicked off on Tuesday as New England Revolution defender Michael Parkhurst was named winner of the Fair Play Award, beating out Juan Pablo Angel (NY Red Bulls) and Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire). It marks the second-straight season that Parkhurst has taken home the hardware.

Parkhurst also won the Fair Play Award in 2007. [ISI Photos]

The winner of the Fair Play Award is determined by equal voting from the media, MLS players and MLS coaches and general managers. Parkhurst recorded just nine fouls in 28 games of MLS regular-season action this year, bringing his four-year career total to 32 fouls committed in 115 career games. He has also gone caution-less in MLS action since July 22, 2006 – a span of 71 games played.

“It’s an honor to be voted the winner of the Fair Play Award again,” said Parkhurst. “I try to play with as much respect for the game as I can, and it’s humbling to have that kind of effort recognized by people around the league.”

Parkhurst’s team also picked up an award as the New England Revolution were named winners of the Team Fair Play award for accumulating the fewest disciplinary points – 300 – during the 2008 season. The Revs finished the season with the fewest cautions (44) and the most clean games (7) among the league’s 14 teams.

MLS Daily Report Card: Three Months In

Just over three months into the existence of MLS Daily, I wanted to celebrate some numbers and statistics about the site, from overall traffic averages to the cities that boast the most frequent MLSD visitors. We pledge to continue to expand our offerings to you - the reader - over the off-season, through exclusive interviews with MLS players, establishing an MLS Fantasy League with cash prizes for 2009, creating a reward structure for attracting sources with inside knowledge, and other such projects.

If you have any suggestions as to something you'd like to see more/less of on MLS Daily, please contact me directly at MajorLeagueWriter@gmail.com. If you have inside knowledge that you'd like to share anonymously, contact the MLS Daily Tips Department.

Lastly, for those of you on Facebook, MLS Daily has its own page on the social networking site. Click here to join our group over there.

Once again, I'd like to offer a sincere thanks for making MLS Daily your choice for Major League Soccer news and I look forward to the bright future ahead for this site.


Overall Page Views:
August - Up 585%
September – Up 54%
October - Up 70%

Countries:
1. United States – 87%
2. Canada – 5%
3. United Kingdom – 2%
4. Austria – 1%
5. Sweden – 1%

Overall, MLS Daily has been seen by visitors in 65 countries since its inception, ranging from Zimbabwe to the Dominican Republic to South Korea.

- See the full list here. –

States:
1. California
2. Texas
3. New York
4. New Jersey
5. Colorado

Cities:
1. Los Angeles, CA
2. New York, NY
3. Claremont, CA
4. Toronto, ON
5. Mt. Laurel, NJ
6. Salt Lake City, UT
7. Fort Collins, CO
8. Dallas, TX
9. Columbus, OH
10. Irvine, CA

Other cities outside the Top 10:
13. Houston, TX
15. Seattle, WA
17. San Francisco, CA
19. Chicago, IL
21. Denver, CO
24. Miami, FL
26. Atlanta, GA
27. London, England
29. Las Vegas, NV
30. Honolulu, HI

Beckham Could Walk After '09 Season

Eighteen months into his five-year deal with Major League Soccer, Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl has revealed that David Beckham’s deal includes a so-called “exit clause” that would allow the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder to walk away from the league following the 2009 season and become a free agent, if he chose to do so.
Beckham has not hid his disappointment over the lack of success he has enjoyed since joining the “jewel of MLS” back in July 2007. After two straight seasons of missing the playoffs, some have suggested that Beckham’s temporary loan to AC Milan – a situation that Beckham went about crafting behind the league’s back - was the superstar’s way of keeping his options open. But despite all of the buzz over a possible permanent move back to Europe, Beckham insists he will be back with in Los Angeles for the MLS preseason and will fulfill his full commitment to the Galaxy.

“I’ve not enjoyed not having success with the Galaxy, but I’ve enjoyed having success with the sport in this country so far,” said Beckham recently. “But the thing that I will enjoy more is winning trophies with the Galaxy. That’s gone this season, and next season we have to put that right, and hopefully we’ll win something.”

For his part, David Beckham does have many reasons to return to Major League Soccer in 2009. He collects $5.5 million in salary annually for the Galaxy, while also getting a cut of the merchandise and ticket revenue of the club. He also has an option to purchase an MLS franchise at the conclusion of his five-year deal and remains a strong draw at the gate in every American market.

Spurned By Wait, Soumare Chooses Mali

Chicago Fire defender Bakary Soumare has opted to play for the national team of Mali, according to Ives Galarcep, ending months of speculation on whether or not he would suit up for the US Men’s National team.

Soumare, who turns 23 on Sunday, had been waiting until he received United States citizenship to make a decision, but was persuaded to make his choice after being informed that he may have to wait two more years for that to happen.

“I just had to ask myself, ‘Do I really want to wait two-and-a-half years to start playing national team soccer’,” Soumare told Galarcep. “Knowing that Mali has a good shot at (the 2010 World Cup), and knowing all the chances I could have playing for Mali, I decided to go for it.

“Sometimes things don’t go the way you want them to go,” continued Soumare. “In a perfect world I would be playing for the U.S. national team. Everything I am as a person and as a soccer player has been helped by America so I wanted to give back.”

Born in Mali but moving to the United States at a young age, Soumare was chosen by the Fire as the second-overall pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft, developing a reputation for being one of the top defenders in the league in just his second season. He made 28 appearances in ’08, all of them starts, and has also been nominated for Visa Defender of the Year.

Mali has been drawn into Group D in African World Cup Qualifying, a group that includes Ghana – the only African team to advance out of the first round in the 2006 World Cup – as well as Benin and Sudan. Only the group winners will advance to play in the finals in South Africa in 2010.

Angel Named October's Best

New York Red Bulls forward Juan Pablo Angel has been named MLS Player of the Month for the month of October. The former Aston Villa hitman tallied three goals and one assist during the month, helping the Red Bulls qualify for the MLS playoffs.

Juan Pablo Angel was named MLS Player of the Month for October. [ISI Photos]

It is the first time that Angel has received the honor this year, after having captured the award twice in 2007. The Colombian forward finished the season strong to lead the Red Bulls in scoring in 2008, marking the second straight season that he has done so. His 14 goals gave him the fourth-highest total in Major League Soccer this season.

Down the stretch, there has arguably been no better player on the field than Angel, with 10 of his 14 goals coming in the club’s 13 games after the All-Star Break. Angel continued his strong play in New York’s first leg playoff matchup against the Houston Dynamo, scoring the Red Bulls’ only goal in the 1-1 tie. The team will need him to lead their efforts in the second leg this Sunday if they are to advance out of the first round of the postseason for only the second time in franchise history.

2008 MLS Player of the Month Winners:
April – Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
May – Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Chicago Fire)
June – Luciano Emilio (DC United)
July – Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
August – Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew)
September – Darren Huckerby (San Jose Earthquakes)
October – Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls)

Brief: Beckham Versus The Mob?

Italian police are warning that the Ndragheta crime clan is planning to capitalize on David Beckham’s loan spell with AC Milan by manufacturing a large number of fake Beckham shirts and souvenirs.
According to the report, FBI agents in America passed along the tip after interrogating Giuseppe Collucio, a man said to be a senior underboss of the group, which operates out of the Calabria region of Italy. Collucio revealed that the Italian government’s war on the mob has caused racketeers to resort to less violent but more lucrative ventures, including merchandise piracy.

The Ndragheta has an annual revenue of roughly $50-60 billion, which amounts to approximately 3.5% of the GDP of Italy. This comes mostly from illegal drug trafficking, but also from ostensibly legal businesses such as construction, restaurants and supermarkets.

The Ndrangheta has recently expanded its activities to Northern Italy, mainly to sell drugs and to invest in legitimate businesses which can be used for money laundering. The mayor of Buccinasco was threatened when he tried to halt these investments. In May 2007, twenty members of Ndrangheta were arrested in Milan. - Wikipedia

Wizards Drop Season Ticket Prices

Showing that their fans’ happiness is a top priority, the Kansas City Wizards announced on Wednesday that they are cutting season ticket prices for the 2009 season in light of the difficult economic climate.
“We understand that these are tough economic times,” said Wizards President Robb Heineman. “We pride ourselves on offering high-performance, affordable entertainment that fans of all ages can enjoy. Our track record of offering free parking and having the best customer service in town is important to us. For this reason, we are lowering select season ticket prices next year for our ardent supporters.”

The Wizards currently call a minor-league baseball stadium home while the kinks are being worked out of a deal to build a soccer-specific stadium for the club. In the recently concluded 2008 regular season, Kansas City sold tickets for 92.28% of available seats, indicating that the demand was certainly enough to at least leave prices where they were.

MLS Announces Awards Finalists

Major League Soccer has announced the finalists for its 2008 year-end awards. Winners for each award will be announced in the coming weeks, beginning with the Panasonic Goalkeeper of the Year and Fair Play winners on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player announcement will air live on ESPNews on Thursday, Nov. 20.

The 2008 awards announcements culminate on Saturday, Nov. 22 with the unveiling of Major League Soccer's Best XI and the Comeback Player of the Year, which will both be announced at the MLS Awards Gala taking place in Los Angeles on the eve of MLS Cup 2008.

The finalists, listed in alphabetical order below for each award, earned the most votes in polling of MLS players, general managers, coaches, referees and members of the media. The U.S. Soccer Foundation & MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year will be determined by representatives from the U.S. Soccer Foundation and MLS W.O.R.K.S., and will be announced on Friday, Nov. 7.

MLS Daily's choices are in RED.

Panasonic Goalkeeper of the Year Finalists:
Jon Busch - Chicago Fire
William Hesmer - Columbus Crew
Matt Reis - New England Revolution

Fair Play Finalists - Individual:
Juan Pablo Angel - New York Red Bulls
Michael Parkhurst - New England Revolution
Chris Rolfe - Chicago Fire

MLS Comeback Player of the Year Finalists:
Jon Busch - Chicago Fire
Kenny Cooper - FC Dallas
Santino Quaranta - D.C. United

Visa Defender of the Year Finalists:
Jimmy Conrad - Kansas City Wizards
Chad Marshall - Columbus Crew
Bakary Soumare - Chicago Fire

adidas Referee of the Year Finalists:
Michael Kennedy
Jair Marrufo
Terry Vaughn

Gatorade Rookie of the Year Finalists:
Geoff Cameron - Houston Dynamo
Kheli Dube - New England Revolution
Sean Franklin - Los Angeles Galaxy

MLS Coach of the Year Finalists:
Dominic Kinnear - Houston Dynamo
Sigi Schmid - Columbus Crew
Frank Yallop - San Jose Earthquakes

Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player Finalists:
Cuauhtémoc Blanco - Chicago Fire
Landon Donovan - Los Angeles Galaxy
Guillermo Barros Schelotto - Columbus Crew

Newcomer of the Year:
Darren Huckerby - San Jose Earthquakes
Claudio Lopez - Kansas City Wizards
Andre Rocha - FC Dallas


Schedule of awards announcements:

Tuesday, November 4
Panasonic Goalkeeper of the Year
Fair Play Award Individual & Team

Thursday, November 6
Visa Defender of the Year
adidas Referee of the Year

Friday, November 7
US Soccer Foundation & MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year

Tuesday, November 11
MLS Newcomer of the Year
MLS Coach of the Year

Thursday, November 13
Gatorade Rookie of the Year

Wednesday, November 19
Sierra Mist Goal of the Year

Thursday, November 20
Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player

Saturday, November 22
MLS Best XI
MLS Comeback Player of the Year

Movsisyan Magic Boosts RSL

A week ago, Real Salt Lake was unsure if they were even going to be playing this weekend; now they stand 90 minutes away from advancing to the next round of the MLS playoffs following a 1-0 victory over Chivas USA on Saturday afternoon. It marks the first postseason win in franchise history for the fourth-year club, coming in their first playoff appearance at newly-built Rio Tinto Stadium.

The hero a week ago in their season-deciding match, RSL got another late tally from the red-hot Yura Movsisyan to give them the first-leg victory and a leg up in two-game series which will head back to southern California next weekend.

Dominating the match throughout, RSL boasted a 21-3 advantage in shots at the final whistle, but had to wait until the 90th minute to score when Movsisyan redirected a Javier Morales cross with an incredible backheel in front of goal, beating Chivas ‘keeper Zach Thornton for the game-winning goal. It was a goal made for the highlight reels, reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo's infamous backheel against Aston Villa earlier this year.

“Like I said to the guys, maybe we should start playing the last five minutes of every game and then the next 85,” Movsisyan joked after the match. “We just seem to get it done. We’ve got great guys in the locker room and everyone put the effort in, and I was able to score a lucky goal.”

YM14's backheel:


CR7's backheel:

Altidore Scores First La Liga Goal

Former New York Red Bulls striker Jozy Altidore has officially gotten on the scoresheet for the first time with his new club, notching Villareal’s final goal in a 4-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday just seconds after entering the game as a substitute.

Coming on in the 90th minute, it took the 18-year-old American just 18 seconds to find the back of the net, receiving a pass from Santi Cazorla and calmly pushing his effort past the opposing goalkeeper at the near post for his first-ever La Liga goal.

See the goal toward the end of this highlight compilation from the game:


Altidore is considered one of the United States’ brightest stars, featuring for his country at various youth levels, including the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He has become a favorite choice of Bob Bradley for selection to the senior squad in recent months, earning five caps and scoring twice, including a goal in his first World Cup Qualifying appearance in a 6-1 victory over Cuba last month.

Taken 17th overall in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft by New York, Altidore scored 15 goals in just 37 appearances for the club. His first goal came at the tender age of 16, making him the fourth-youngest player to score a goal in MLS. Making the move to Spain in June 2008, Jozy’s transfer fee was reported to be around $10 million, an MLS-record amount paid for any player.

MLS Attendance Report For 2008

Here are the final MLS attendance numbers for the 2008 regular season, ranked by team from highest to lowest. It should be noted that both the Kansas City Wizards and the San Jose Earthquakes are playing in temporary homes that only have a capacity of around 10,000. Hopefully both clubs will be playing in their own soccer-specific stadiums within the next five years, though such a move has seemingly not helped the Colorado Rapids or FC Dallas.

Note: For a team-by-team analysis of the 2008 season's attendance numbers, see the links on the right side of the site.

Team	Average Attendance
LA Galaxy	26,008.80
Toronto FC	20,119.53
DC United	19,835.40
NE Revolution	17,580.40
Chicago Fire	17,034.07
Houston Dynamo	16,938.87
Real Salt Lake	16,179.33
NY Red Bulls	15,928.33
Chivas USA	15,114.47
Columbus Crew	14,622.13
San Jose Earthquakes	13,713.00
Colorado Rapids	13,658.93
FC Dallas	13,023.73
KC Wizards	10,685.73

Year	Average Attendance
2008	16,460.19
2007	16,703.00
Change	-1.45%

Stammler Out 2-4 Months

Heading into the first leg of their playoff clash with the Houston Dynamo, the New York Red Bulls were handed a bit of bad news, as they learned that midfielder Seth Stammler needed to undergo surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee. He will need 2-4 months to recover from the operation, meaning he is now in a race against time to get back for the start of the 2009 MLS preseason, which begins early next year.

Stammler could be out until March. [ISI Photos]

“Since Seth’s injury, we have tried to manage it on a day-to-day basis,” said Sporting Director Jeff Agoos. “However, the pain became unmanageable and the decision from our medical staff was to immediately perform surgery.”

Stammler, 27, has made 26 appearances for New York in 2008 (all starts), recording one goal and four assists in 2,195 minutes. He has also played every single minute of the Red Bulls’ last six playoff games - dating back to 2005 - so the club will be missing his postseason experience as they prepare to do battle with Houston tonight.