DeGraff Eyes Wizards Tryouts

When the Kansas City Wizards hold open tryouts in March of next year, not all of the participants will be amateurs; Bermuda international Devaun (Sammy) DeGraff has confirmed that he was invited to and will participate in the open trial, set for March 7-8, just two weeks prior to the start of the MLS regular season.

Players hoping to be noticed by Wizards staff must first fork over a $200 registration fee. The A similar event last year drew over 200 players from 15 different countries and eventually led to the signings of two participants – Nelson Pizarro and Kevin Souter – the latter of whom started the club’s final four games of the regular season, helping Kansas City make the 2008 MLS playoffs.

DeGraff, 27, has had several call-ups to the Bermuda national team recently, including both legs of the country’s second-round victory over the Cayman Islands in 2010 World Cup Qualifying. He has spent the past two seasons with the Bermuda Hogges of the USL Second Division, the third tier of American Soccer.

“I sent my résumé to a number of MLS clubs including New England Revolution and thankfully Kansas City Wizards got back to me,” said Degraff. “I plan to attend an open trial in March and it’s another opportunity for me to win a contract. I know it’s going to be a tough trial and I expect there to be many other players in the same boat as me looking to realize their dreams of becoming a professional footballer.”

DeGraff reportedly turned down an offer to join Brazilian team São José Esporte Clube for pre-season training next year because of finanicial reasons. He is currently playing for North Village Community Club in his native Bermuda in hopes of getting competitive games under his belt before coming to America next year.

Positive Step For Houston Stadium

Harris County Commissioners El Franco Lee and Sylvia Garcia have finally relented and cautiously agreed to provide $10 million in public funding toward a new stadium for the Houston Dynamo, as long as the team and city adhere to a list of conditions set forth on Tuesday.

- Funds need to be used for the construction of public amenities and infrastructure serving the stadium, not the physical stadium itself.
- Allow Texas Southern University to play home games at the new stadium, provided the dates do not conflict with soccer events.
- Provide guarantee that 15% of the seats won’t ever be sold for more than the average price of a movie ticket.
- Allow Harris County a reasonable number of dates to use the stadium and receive all of the related revenue.

The club’s owners, Anschutz Entertainment Group, have vowed to put forth the other $60 million necessary to build the stadium and the city of Houston has already spent $15 million of public money to buy a tract of land in the downtown area that could serve as a potential stadium site. Getting this shot of funding from both the county and the city was seen as one of the last remaining hurdles to getting the project underway. The proposal will now go to Commissioners Court, where Garcia and Lee will have to formally sign off on the funding.

The $10 million from each entity would be generated through a ‘tax increment reinvestment zone’, or TIRZ, that freezes property tax revenues generated at a particular property. As development springs up and property values rise, the tax revenue above the frozen level would be channeled back into the property to help increase further growth. By agreeing to the deal, both governments will give back $10 million of their share of the revenues, money that will be put into building the stadium.

“After doing due diligence to protect the interests of the Harris County taxpayer, we have indicated to the City of Houston that we will participate in TIRZ 15, which will assist in the financing of the stadium, if certain conditions are met,” said Garcia. “We outlined those conditions and now it is up to the City of Houston if they will decide to meet those conditions.”

Morelia Rebuffs Dynamo Offer For Landin

The Houston Dynamo have dropped out of the running for young Mexican star Luis Angel Landin after the player’s current club – Monarcas Morelia – opted to send the striker to Cruz Azul on a two-season loan instead. The two-time MLS Champions had been hoping to secure Landin’s services for a one-year loan, though Morelia was primarily interested in a trade or sale situation.

“We’re out of the running,” admitted Chris Canetti, the Dynamo’s chief operating officer. “[The offer] was 100-percent formal and official. We went for it… we’re disappointed by the outcome.”

His arrival would have filled a hole left by the departure of forward Nate Jaqua, who was selected by Seattle Sounders FC in the recent expansion draft. At 23, Landin is considered one of the rising talents in the Mexican league and has been capped four times for the Mexican national team, including a pair of appearances in Copa America 2007. Before joining Morelia in 2007, Landin made 81 appearances for Pachuca, scoring 19 goals in that span.

Bradley Calls 25 To Carson

US Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has named 25 MLS- and Scandinavian-based players to a training camp that will commence in Carson, California, on January 4th, in preparation for the Nats’ upcoming friendly with Sweden. Set to take place on January 24th at the Home Depot Center, the game will be aired live on Fox Soccer Channel starting at 5:30 p.m. PT.

“This is the beginning of a big year for the national team, and it is important that we get started off heading in the right direction,” said Bradley. “This is another great opportunity to reinforce the principles of how this team operates both on and off the field, as well as getting players ready for the match against Sweden and the first World Cup qualifier this year against Mexico in February.”

Five players from the MLS Cup-winning Columbus Crew were selected, the most from any team. Nine of the 25 players are in search of their first-ever cap, with a total of 19 players on the roster having earned 10 caps or less.

Name	Position	Club	Caps/G
Busch, Jon	GK	Chicago Fire (MLS)	1/0
Hesmer, Will	GK	Columbus Crew (MLS)	0/0
Perkins, Troy	GK	Valerenga IF (Norway)	0/0
Pickens, Matt	GK	out of contract	0/0
Bornstein, Jonathan	D	Chivas USA (MLS)	13/1
Califf, Danny	D	FC Midtjylland (Denmark)	21/1
Franklin, Sean	D	Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)	0/0
Gibbs, Cory	D	Colorado Rapids (MLS)	19/0
Goodson, Clarence	D	IK Start (Norway)	2/0
Marshall, Chad	D	Columbus Crew (MLS)	4/1
Wingert, Chris	D	Chicago Fire (MLS)	0/0
Wynne, Marvell	D	Toronto FC (MLS)	1/0
Cameron, Geoff	M	Houston Dynamo (MLS)	0/0
Carroll, Brian	M	Columbus Crew (MLS)	6/0
Clark, Ricardo	M	Houston Dynamo (MLS)	16/1
Gaven, Eddie	M	Columbus Crew (MLS)	5/0
Holden, Stuart	M	Houston Dynamo (MLS)	0/0
Jewsbury, Jack	M	Kansas City Wizards (MLS)	0/0
Kljestan, Sacha	M	Chivas USA (MLS)	12/0
Rogers, Robbie	M	Columbus Crew (MLS)	0/0
Thorrington, John	M	Chicago Fire (MLS)	3/0
Ching, Brian	F	Houston Dynamo (MLS)	32/9
Cooper, Kenny	F	FC Dallas (MLS)	3/2
Davies, Charlie	F	Hammarby IF (Sweden)	4/1
Rolfe, Chris	F	Chicago Fire (MLS)	9/0

Revs Sign Elusive Videira

The New England Revolution have finally been able to get ’08 draft pick Michael Videira to put pen to paper, announcing that the midfielder has signed a senior contract with the club.

Videira, 22, was the Revolution’s second-round draft pick (18th overall) in January, but the Duke product opted to try his hand overseas. Landing in the Scottish Premier League with Hamilton Academical over the summer, Videira was released this month after an injury-plagued stay that saw him fail to register an appearance with the first-team.

“When we drafted Michael last year, we were aware of his desire to play abroad,” admitted Michael Burns, Revolution vice president of player personnel. “However, we’re pleased to add him to our roster now that he’s joined Major League Soccer.”

A three-time semifinalist for the Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy (’05, ’06, ’07), Videira racked up 17 goals and 15 assists in 80 career games for the Blue Devils. He was also a National Soccer Coaches Association of America third-team All-America selection in ’06 and ’07.

Galaxy Officially Add Ricketts

In an attempt to improve upon last season's dreadful goalkeeping display, the Los Angeles Galaxy have announced the signing of Jamaican international Donovan Ricketts, who will be officially added to the team’s roster pending the receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Clearance (ITC).

“I have known Donovan for a number of years as a goalkeeper with the Jamaican National Team and have always been impressed with his physical qualities,” said Galaxy GM and head coach Bruce Arena. “After a closer examination of the player, I am absolutely amazed with his abilities both on and off the field. It is a position that we felt the need to improve and believe that he will be a great addition to our team and has the potential to be one of the best goalkeepers in MLS.”

Ricketts, 31, has made 67 appearances for the Reggae Boyz since 1998, and was part of the country’s 1998 World Cup roster, though he did not receive any playing time. He also played in all of his country’s qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup, though Jamaica was eliminated in the recently-concluded third round on goal differential after tying Mexico for the last spot in Group 2.

His club career peaked at Bradford City, with Ricketts making 104 appearances from 2004-2008 for the English club in League One (third division) and then League Two (fourth division) competition. Following the 07-08 season, he returned to Jamaica for a short stint with his first club, Village United, before opting to sign with the Galaxy.

Seattle Coaching Staff Takes Shape

Having successfully locked up Sigi Schmid as their first-ever head coach, Seattle Sounders FC is quickly moving through the process of rounding out their coaching staff, naming Brian Schmetzer the top assistant and Tom Dutra the goalkeeping coach within the past seven days.

Schmetzer, 46, joins the expansion club following a seven-year stint as head coach of the USL incarnation of the Sounders, during which time he led the club to six playoff appearances and two championships. In each of the past two seasons, Schmetzer also steered the Sounders into the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup competition, knocking off Chivas USA and the Colorado Rapids in ’07 and besting the Kansas City Wizards and Chivas again in ’08. He was also considered a contender for the vacant head coaching position before Schmid left the Columbus Crew to take the job.

“Having been born and raised in Seattle, and having lived most of my life here, I love this city and I couldn’t have scripted a more perfect career path,” said Schmetzer. “I feel lucky, first to have been chosen to coach the USL Sounders, then to be considered along with Sigi and some other outstanding candidates for the MLS head coaching job. Now, I’m working with a great coach in Sigi, in my home city for what is rapidly becoming the best club in the business. It seems everything is falling into place.”

Dutra, 36, served under Schmetzer with the Sounders for two seasons and has also conducted 1-on-1 training sessions with incoming Sounders FC keeper Kasey Keller since 2002 to help prepare the netminder for his return to Europe each year. A native of Olympia, Dutra played four seasons in the A-League, including a stint backing up Marcus Hahnemann during the Sounders championship season in 1996.

“It’s a massive honor to be part of the first staff for Sounders FC,” said Dutra. “It’s also a privilege to work with such quality coaches and people like Sigi and Brian, not to mention our management, Adrian [Hanauer] and Chris [Henderson].”

Beckham Ditches Pepsi

Part of David Beckham’s endorsement fortune is set to evaporate: Soft-drink maker Pepsi has announced that their 10-year relationship with the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder will soon be coming to an end.

“David’s football legacy will live on and everyone at Pepsi will continue to be as passionate about his success as we have been over the last 10 years,” said a statement from the company. “We wish David well with the many projects he is pursuing and look forward to the possibility of partnering together with him again someday.”

The deal had been worth an estimated $3.5-4 million per year, with ads featuring Becks alongside celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce, as well as stints being a cowboy, gladiator, and surfer. It is believed that Beckham opted to not renew his contract in order to concentrate on other endorsement deals in his portfolio.

“I have nothing but good memories of my association with Pepsi,” said Beckham. “I hope everyone who has seen the work enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed making it.”

Crew Re-Signs Marshall

The Columbus Crew have successfully retained another major part of their 2008 MLS Cup-winning side, having announced the re-signing of star defender Chad Marshall earlier this week. Per league policy, terms of the new deal were not disclosed.

“We as a club went out on a limb, committed significant resources, in order to get Chad done,” said Crew technical director Brian Bliss. “It shows the level of commitment we have as a team to try and take another run at it. We knew we were going to lose somebody but the goal was to retain, within the salary cap obviously, as many guys as we could. We were able to retain 10 of 11 and a few others that were vital parts.”

Marshall, 24, is coming off his strongest season yet in Major League Soccer, having started 29 games while playing 2,485 minutes in ‘08, contributing offensively with four goals and two assists. Following the regular season, he was named MLS Defender of the Year and earned a spot on the MLS Best XI and topped the year off by scoring the Crew’s second goal in their 3-1 MLS Cup victory over the New York Red Bulls. In recent weeks, he had been on trial with German club FSV Mainz, leading some to speculate that he would be gone for good, making his re-signing that much sweeter to Crew fans.

“Chad was the anchor of our defense,” attested Crew president and general manager Mark McCullers. “I am a believer, although we scored a lot of goals this year, that defense wins championships and we were very good defensively in large part due to Chad. It’s great we’re going to keep our backline together. We’re going to keep the spine of our team together with the exception of [Brad] Evans. I feel awfully good about it in terms of keeping this team together and giving us the best chance to repeat.”

* photo courtesy ISI Photos

Warzycha Tapped To Lead Crew

Long-time Columbus Crew player and assistant Robert Warzycha has been named the new head coach of the team, filling the vacancy created when Sigi Schmid left to sign with the expansion Seattle Sounders FC last week. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, per league policy.

"I would like to thank the Hunt Family and [Crew President & GM] Mark McCullers for this opportunity," said Warzycha. "My family and I have been with the Crew and called central Ohio home for the last 12 1/2 years and I am looking forward to this next chapter, leading the club as its head coach. I am proud to have been with the Crew since the first season and that I will have the opportunity to lead it into its 14th as MLS Cup champions."

Warzycha, 45, played for the Crew from 1996-2002, scoring 19 goals in 160 appearances in his MLS career, and still holds the club record for assists (61). Before coming to America, Warzycha had a three-year stint in England with Everton and also played at the highest level in his native Poland, with Gornik Walbrzych and Gornik Zabrze, respectively. He stayed on with the club as an assistant coach following his retirement in 2002 and was the interim head coach after Greg Andrulis' firing midway through the 2005 season. During that time, Warzycha led the Crew to a respectable 7-6-3 record.

"There was significant interest in our head coaching position and we considered several candidates, but none of them brought more soccer expertise, experience or potential to lead our club than Robert Warzycha," said McCullers. "And certainly, none approached the commitment and loyalty to the Crew that he possesses.

"He was influential in building our program and understands what has made us successful, but he also has the vision to put his stamp on this team with his own brand of soccer. He is one of the most knowledgeable soccer minds in our league and he's ready to assume the head coaching responsibilities of our club."

Beckham Begins Milan Stay

Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham was formally introduced as the newest member of AC Milan this past weekend. The midfielder, in Italy for a short-term loan, was in attendance at the San Siro for the club’s 5-1 drubbing of Udinese on Sunday, addressing the crowd before the game with his No. 32 shirt and saying, “Ciao, Milano, forza Milan!”

The England international’s loan to Milan is set to officially commence on January 1st and will run through March 15th, ending in time to allow Beckham to return to the Galaxy ahead of the opening game of the 2009 MLS regular season. He will earn about $140,000 per month during the loan spell, while also sharing in the revenues from his merchandising rights.

“I’ve already fall in love with this club,” Beckham proclaimed. “I love history behind big teams. AC Milan’s got structure and believes in players, even if they are old. Fashion had nothing to do with my choice to come to Milan. The black and red shirt and the history of the club are the only reason.”

There has been speculation that Milan might attempt to extend Beckham’s stay by purchasing the rest of his contract from Major League Soccer. Though the player continues to reassert his commitment to the Galaxy, statements made to the media by Milan officials in recent days indicate that they are not opposed to making Beckham’s move permanent.

“Certainly there is a place for him because he is a great player,” said head coach Carlo Ancelotti. “He is very well-prepared tactically and he can give a contribution to this team. He is in good condition and if he is one of the 11 names on the team sheet, then it is because he deserves to be there.

“I met with him this morning and he has been welcomed very well. We are all delighted to have him here. We are all happy because what we have got is a great professional.”

Guadalajara Calls Mendoza In

Chivas USA midfielder Francisco “Panchito” Mendoza will spend part of the current MLS offseason training with parent club Chivas de Guadalajara, the club announced on Sunday. He is expected to join up with the 11-time Mexican champions this week at their preseason camp in Guadalajara.

Mendoza, 23, has been with Chivas USA since the club began play, and is the only remaining member of the original roster that took the field back in 2005. He has made 111 appearances over the past four years, scoring five goals with 16 assists in that time. He has also started six of six playoff games in franchise history, playing all but nine minutes in the postseason.

Chivas de Guadalajara is currently preparing for the upcoming InterLiga tournament in the United States, in which Mendoza could potentially see action for the Mexican club. After facing Atlas and Club America in Texas, Guadalajara is scheduled to play Tigres UANL on Jan. 9th at the Home Depot Center in the final doubleheader of the tournament’s opening round.

* photo courtesy ISI Photos

Ljungberg May Miss Sounders Opener

Seattle Sounders FC designated player Freddie Ljungberg has suffered a recurrence of a previous hamstring problem and opted to undergo surgery this past week, according to a statement from the club. The surgery, performed by Dr. Marc Philippon of the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colorado, was considered successful and requires 10-12 weeks of recovery time. With that timetable, the former Swedish international will be in a race against time to be healthy for the start of the regular season, and will miss most or all of the preseason.

“Freddie Ljungberg is a player that we value for the long term,” said Sounders FC General Manager Adrian Hanauer. “As Freddie increased his training regimen for the upcoming season, we wanted to make sure that he was firing on all cylinders for the next two years and beyond.

“As he increased his training intensity, he suffered a mild re-occurrence of the hamstring problems that have occasionally hampered him over the past two years. At that point, Freddie and the club wanted to be proactive and we decided to have him see the best hip and hamstring specialists in the country.

“It was ultimately determined that the best course of action was to repair a slightly torn labrum, and to shave a very small amount of bone where the hip meets the femur. The objective of this surgery is to eliminate the nagging injuries and to ensure that Freddie has the explosiveness necessary to be a major contributor for Sounders FC every time he steps on the pitch.”

Seattle Sounders FC will kick off the 2009 regular season on Thursday, March 19th at home against the New York Red Bulls in a game that will be shown nationally on ESPN2.

DP For Cooper Not An Option

With European suitors beating down the door, Kenny Cooper’s future in Major League Soccer is uncertain at best, but one thing we do know for sure: FC Dallas will not be making the forward their Designated Player in 2009. This development has come to light following an interview with FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman where the gaffer admitted that the club has already made Cooper their best offer.

“If the league were to agree to make Kenny a Designated Player, Taylor Twellman is going to show up, Shalrie Joseph is going to show up, Landon Donovan is going to show up and Brian Ching is going to show up,” said Hyndman. “It’s going to be, ‘You gave it to Kenny Cooper, why not to me?’ We went to the league on this and we want to keep him. We’ve done everything we possibly can with (investor-operator) Clark (Hunt’s) blessing and the league has come back and said no.”

Cooper, the second-leading goalscorer in MLS last season, has been pursued by a host of European countries, most vociferously Cardiff City (England), Rosenborg (Norway), and Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany). He made $83,000 guaranteed last season, a paltry sum compared to what he could make by moving overseas, though the most recent offer from Dallas was reportedly in the $375,000/year range.

“I think what’s going to end up happening, my feeling is, it may come to a point where the team comes first and it’s, ‘Kenny, you’re here no matter what. You’ve had this opportunity, but this has gone on a little too long. We don’t want to lose you, but we’ve given you that chance to find something else and it hasn’t worked out.’”

* photo courtesy ISI Photos

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MLS Supplemental Draft A Goner

According to the always-reliable Soccer By Ives blog, Major League Soccer has decided to do away with the annual MLS Supplemental Draft, a move that makes sense following the recent banishment of the reserve league and reduction in overall roster spots for each club from 28 to 24.

The Supplemental Draft has been held every year since 2005, with teams given four rounds to select players remaining in the pool who had not been drafted in the preceding MLS SuperDraft.

There are a handful of players who were taken in the Supplemental Draft and have gone on to become regular contributors in the league. Here's a partial list:

2005:
- Jason Hernandez, 6th pick (New York), now starts for San Jose Earthquakes as a defender.
- Dan Kennedy, 38th pick (Chivas USA), regular starter in goal for Chivas USA.
- Jeff Larentowicz, 45th pick (New England), has become a key cog in the Revolution midfield, starting 28 games in both 2007 and 2008.

2006:
- Lawson Vaughn, 25th pick (Chivas USA), another regular starter for Chivas USA, has been plagued with injuries lately.
- Devon McTavish, 43rd pick (DC United), started 25 games for United in '08, adding one goal and four assists.

2007:
- Kosuke Kimura, 35th pick (Colorado), the first Japanese-born player in MLS history, Kimura made 17 starts for the Rapids in '08.
- Danny Cepero, 46th pick (New York), the first goalkeeper ever to score a goal in MLS, Cepero also led his team to their first MLS Cup appearance this past season.

2008:
- Kheli Dube, 8th pick (New England), named finalist for Rookie of the Year after scoring four goals and four assists.

Revs Pursuing Somerville Site For Stadium

The New England Revolution are moving forward with their search for a new home, with the northern suburb of Somerville mentioned as a possibility to host a soccer-specific stadium for the club.

City officials presented several development plans on Wednesday night, including one that calls for the construction of a major sports facility in the Inner Belt and Brickbottom commercial district (pictured). In that plan, a potential home stadium for the Revolution would be constructed on top of a Green Line maintenance facility that is set to be completed by 2014.

Local authorities are eager to jump-start lagging revitalization efforts in the area, so much so that they recently conducted a study on the potential economic impact a new stadium would have on the area after hearing that Bob Kraft - owner of the Revolution - was interested in the city as a possible new home for the team.

"We agreed that something like a sports facility can really capitalize this area and in fact kick start the identity for this area," said Kishore Varanasi of CBT, the firm that conducted the study.

But not everybody is convinced that the stadium would have as big of an impact as the study projects. Lee Auspitz, member of the Davis Square Task Force, lashed out at the legality of the report, claiming that the Kraft Group donated 95% of the funding needed for the study as a charitable loan, a potential conflict of interest since they would likely benefit from such a plan moving forward.

"None of us is elevated by being a party to the abuse of charitable organizations," said Auspitz. "Everybody knows the difference between giving to charity and giving to yourself, and the Kraft Group has given to itself."

Dallas Out, Perth In For Sikora

Victor Sikora will not be returning to FC Dallas next season, as the club announced that it has decided against picking up its option on the former Dutch international for the upcoming 2009 MLS season.

“We did not pick up Sikora’s option because we just didn’t see enough,” said Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman. “Sikora is a player we brought in for Arturo Alvarez, but we never got Victor on the field ‘til the end and it was just one game. Even though he did okay in that game and scored a goal, I just didn’t see enough.”

Sikora, 30, made five appearances for FCD last season, scoring a lone goal in 274 minutes of action. His time on the pitch was severely limited by a torn meniscus in his right knee that required a nearly two-month recovery period just as the Hoops were slowly falling out of playoff contention.

The former Ajax player has wasted no time in finding a new club, with the Perth Glory of Australia’s A-League announcing the signing of Sikora on Thursday. He will replace Amaral, the Brazilian who was placed on the team’s long-term injury list after season-ending hamstring surgery. Perth is currently seventh out of the A-League’s eight teams, eight points off leading Adelaide United FC.

“We have been proactive in our efforts to find quality players and there was an opportunity to bring Victor over and we’re delighted that it has worked out for everyone involved,” said Glory coach Dave Mitchell. “Victor is someone who will definitely bring something to our squad.”

US Climbs In Latest FIFA Rankings

The United States Men’s National Team continues to lead the way for CONCACAF, moving up two spots to 22nd in the December edition of FIFA’s world rankings that were released this week. The Americans are the highest-ranked country from the region, followed by rivals Mexico (26th); the two sides will meet on February 11th in Columbus, Ohio, the first game of the final qualifying round for South Africa 2010. Overall, European champion Spain maintains their stranglehold on the top spot, while Germany, Netherlands, Italy and Brazil round out the top five. Other notables include Argentina (6th), England (8th), France (t-11th) and Portugal (t-11th).

CONCACAF Ranking (overall):
1. USA (22nd, +2)
2. Mexico (26th, -1)
3. Honduras (40th, +6)
4. Costa Rica (53rd, +4)
5. Jamaica* (65th, +18)
6. Trinidad and Tobago (77th, +1)
7. Cuba* (79th, -6)
8. Panama* (88th, +1)
9. Canada* (90th, -9)
10. Haiti* (102nd, +3)
11. Guatemala* (109th, -1)
12. El Salvador (111th, -2)

* Country did not advance to the Hexagonal.

Crew Stadium To Host USA-MEX

The United States Soccer Federation announced today that it has chosen Crew Stadium in Columbus, OH, to host the coveted February 11th matchup between the United States and Mexico, kicking off the final phase of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying. It marks the third consecutive time that Columbus will play host to the heated rivalry during the final round of qualifying.

"We are thrilled to welcome the U.S. Men's National Team back to the friendly confines of Crew Stadium for what will be the highest profile soccer event in the country next year," said Crew President & General Manager Mark McCullers. "We eagerly look forward to hosting this prestigious and important match for the third straight World Cup qualifying cycle and to once again providing the U.S. a tremendous home-field advantage."

The USMNT has an undefeated record in qualifiers played at Crew Stadium, going 3-0-2 all-time at the home of the current MLS Cup champions. In both of their previous Columbus meetings, the United States claimed 2-0 victories over Mexico, including the win that booked their ticket to the finals in 2005.

“We are very excited about returning to Columbus,” said Bradley. “The national team has enjoyed a great history there and the team has always appreciated the fantastic support from the fans. We are looking forward to an incredible atmosphere as we continue the difficult task of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.”

Other sites that had been mentioned as possible candidates to host the USA-MEX game included Seattle and Salt Lake City. Smart money is on Rio Tinto Stadium to get the next qualifying game, an April 1st matchup against Trinidad and Tobago.

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Sounders FC Introduces Head Coach

Just three weeks since winning MLS Cup as the head coach of the Columbus Crew, Sigi Schmid was unveiled as the first coach in Seattle Sounders FC history at a press conference earlier this afternoon. The formal announcement was anti-climactic, as Schmid had been linked with the job continuously over the past several weeks while no other serious candidate for the job ever emerged.

"We believe Sigi is a perfect fit for what Sounders FC sought in hiring its first head coach," said Joe Roth, Sounders FC Majority Owner. "Sigi is a proven champion in this league and beyond, with an extensive and impressive coaching résumé and a track record for getting the most out of his teams."

Schmid is the second-most winningest coach in MLS history; his 113 career victories trail only current U.S. national team head coach Bob Bradley's 124. He has also served as US U-20 on two separate occasions and was an assistant coach for the senior team during the 1994 World Cup run.

“There are many reasons for me wanting to come to Seattle,” said Schmid. “First, I feel very comfortable working with our management team, with Joe, Adrian [Hanauer] and Chris [Henderson]. I believe we all want to play an entertaining, successful brand of soccer, and to make this a world-class club. Everything I’ve seen and heard since I interviewed here shows this franchise has backed-up their pledge to the fans to make this a very, very special team. I’m excited to be part of that. I couldn’t ask for a better situation, a better challenge for me at this point in my life. This job was attractive to me because this franchise is doing everything at a level of the highest quality.”

Labor Laws Violated By MLS?

Top U.S. labor lawyers are ratcheting up the pressure on Major League Soccer officials over a newly-created policy that they say pushes the boundaries of the country’s antitrust and labor laws.

At issue is a provision that was passed unanimously at the MLS Board of Governors meeting last month that prohibits agents from simultaneously representing players and coaches. Then-Deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis alerted agents of the new guidelines in a memo sent out shortly after MLS Cup, stating: “the Board believes that simultaneous representation of both a player and an MLS coach/team management employee by the same agent results in a conflict of interest that is damaging to the integrity of MLS.”

Though the NBA and NHL Players Associations have a similar rule on the books, the current MLS attempt to control the agent pool with which they negotiate is believed to be the first attempt by a league to take such measures. Agents who represent a current player and coach in the league – not an uncommon situation in the league at this moment - would be forced to choose which party they would continue to represent, while having to break off business with the other party. For instance, Los Angeles Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena and midfielder/forward Landon Donovan are both represented by Richard Motzkin of Wasserman Media Group.

“It is patently unfair to attempt to deny my clients the right to retain me, and it is unfair to try to deny me the opportunity to represent clients who I have advised for over one decade,” said Motzkin in SportsBusiness Journal. “In addition to being misguided, I believe the policy is of dubious legal validity and likely will have to be readdressed by the MLS Board of Governors in the near future.”

Labor attorneys agree that the policy is unjust and illegal, and could give the MLS Players Union grounds to file a grievance against the league for imposing unfair labor practices.

“It is apparent that the owners of MLS teams are agreeing with one another that they won’t deal with a certain group of people – that being agents who represent players when they deal with MLS coaches,” said Richard Berthelsen, acting NFLPA executive director and general counsel. “That to me is an illegal boycott under antitrust laws.”

Schmid Unveiling Set For Tuesday

Having settled tampering charges with the Columbus Crew earlier in the week, Seattle Sounders FC is set to unveil Sigi Schmid as their first-ever head coach at a press conference this Tuesday at 11 a.m. PT. The move has been expected for weeks but was delayed while Major League Soccer officials looked into charges by the MLS Cup-winning Crew that Seattle commenced negotiating with Schmid before his contract in Columbus had lapsed. If you live in the area, FSN will be televising the press conference live from Qwest Field and will also be airing a special edition of "In My Own Words," featuring the first sit-down interview with the new skipper at 10:30 PT.

Few other candidates for the job ever emerged; Brian Schmetzer, the coach of the USL Sounders, was the only man besides Schmid to be interviewed for the job. There had also been rumblings that Chivas USA head coach Preki might be interested in the job, but nothing ever materialized on that front.

Schmid’s opening objective will be to guide the franchise through their first MLS SuperDraft, set for January 15th in St. Louis. As an expansion team, Seattle will get to choose first in each of the draft’s four rounds (1, 16, 31, 46 overall). In last year’s SuperDraft, the then-expansion San Jose Earthquakes opted to trade the first overall pick to the Kansas City Wizards in exchange for defender Nick Garcia.

* photo courtesy ISI Photos

2009 Golden Boot - Five Players To Watch

As Major League Soccer’s top two goalscorers from the past season ponder taking flight, the potential departure of Landon Donovan and Kenny Cooper over the winter opens the door for a new group of players to set the league on fire next year. Here are my top five (maybe unexpected) contenders to win the Budweiser Golden Boot in 2009.


1. Chad Barrett – Toronto FC
Coming off his strongest season yet, Barrett should benefit from TFC’s recent acquisition of dangerous playmaker Dwayne De Rosario. The 23-year-old looked inspired following his trade to the Great White North as part of the Brian McBride saga, scoring four times in 13 appearances for the Reds. Also helping his case, Toronto’s other option at forward is the older, injury-prone Danny Dichio, who played less than 1,500 minutes in ’08.

2008 Production: 9 goals in 29 appearances

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2. Nate Jaqua – Seattle Sounders FC
For an expansion team, the new Seattle franchise is stacked offensively, having Freddie Ljungberg, Sebastian Le Toux and Nate Jaqua on the roster for their opening season. Of the three, however, only Jaqua is familiar with Major League Soccer, having bounced around the league over the past few seasons. A brief spell with Austrian club SCR Altach earlier this year helped Jaqua polish his game further, looking sharp upon his return to the Dynamo.

2008 Production: 4 goals in 14 appearances

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3. Luciano Emilio – DC United
Following his 20-goal season in 2007, Emilio was the recipient of a big pay raise, elevating his salary to DP levels. His follow-up season was slowed by injury, but the Brazilian still managed to find the back of the net 11 times. With a refocused squad around him and his fitness back to 100%, Emilio should be on track for another outstanding campaign, with 20 goals again not out of the question.

2008 Production: 11 goals in 27 appearances

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4. Brian McBride – Chicago Fire
Surrounded by talent with the Fire, McBride has quickly re-emerged as one of the top forwards in MLS. Scoring five times in just 10 games after returning to the league this past summer, the same production next season would put him on pace for 15+ goals.

2008 Production: 5 goals in 10 appearances

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5. Alan Gordon – Los Angeles Galaxy
Probably the longest long-shot on my list to lead the league in goals, I have a feeling that 2009 will be Gordon’s breakout season if the big man can put all the tools together week-in and week-out. With David Beckham and Eddie Lewis serving crosses in from the wings ad nauseum, Gordon’s 6’3” frame gives him an advantage over Bryan Jordan, the other forward battling to join Edson Buddle in the starting lineup (Jordan is just 5’8”). Despite a disadvantage in playing time last year, Gordon’s ’08 stats look similar to those of #23:

Gordon: 5 goals, 7 assists in 1,314 minutes
Beckham: 5 goals, 10 assists in 2,248 minutes

2008 Production: 5 goals in 26 appearances

* Photos courtesy ISI Photos

Earthquakes Announce Tryout Tour

The San Jose Earthquakes announced today the club will hold open tryouts in three cities across the Bay Area this winter: San Francisco, Danville and Santa Clara. The tour will start on January 17 and will finish on January 24. The tryout tour will give hundreds of people the opportunity of a lifetime, to try out for a professional soccer team.

Each tryout will last from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will be overseen by the Earthquakes coaching staff. A maximum of 200 participants will be allowed to try out in each city. The tryout fee has been reduced this year to $100 per person. In addition to the tryout, the participant will also receive an Adidas sack pack, a ticket to see an Earthquakes game, a water bottle and a tryout t-shirt.

Registration will begin on Monday, December 15th, and will be available through the Earthquakes website at sjearthquakes.com or by calling (408) 556-7700. Financial assistance will be given to people that qualify. Participants must be 16 years or older and must not be eligible to participate in any high school soccer league during the time of the tryout tour.

The schedule for the tryout tour is as follows:

January 17, 2009 (9 a.m. - 3 p.m.)
San Francisco, CA - Crocker Amazon Fields

January 18, 2009 (9 a.m. - 3 p.m.)
Danville, CA - MTV Fields

January 24, 2009 (9 a.m. - 3 p.m.)
Santa Clara, CA - Stanton Field at Santa Clara University

Interest In Kljestan Growing

Nearly a dozen European teams have Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan on their radar, according to a report out of England that lists SPL giants Celtic as the latest club to throw their hat into the ring. Along with the Hoops, interest in the U.S. international is peaking with the following clubs:

- AS Monaco (Monaco)
- SC Heerenveen (Netherlands)
- FC Twente (Netherlands)
- Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
- FC Schalke 04 (Germany)
- Wolfsburg (Germany)
- Olympiacos (Greece)
- Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia)

Kljestan, 23, has been capped 11 times with the senior US Men’s National Team, and also featured on the U-23 squad that participated in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. He spoke of his desire to play in Europe in an LA Times article earlier this summer:

“I’ve been working hard every day to make it to that level,” said Kljestan. “I want to be in Europe soon; I would really enjoy Spain or Italy or Germany. I think those three are not only top-flight leagues with some great teams but also fit my style of play. I feel like in Spain my technical ability would help a lot. In Germany, there are some really good players and it’s a really strong league from top to bottom, so that’s cool. Italy is obviously a very strong league as well.”

Taken fifth in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft, Kljestan has been one of the driving forces behind the transition of Chivas USA from one of the worst teams in the league to a perennial postseason contender. He has made 79 appearances over the past three seasons, scoring 9 goals and dishing out 27 assists over that span. The southern California native was also named to MLS Best XI this past season and was selected as a starter for the 2008 MLS All-Star Game, but missed the match while with the U-23 squad at the Olympics.

* photo courtesy ISI Photos

Galaxy Searching For Donovan Replacement?

Brazilian club Internacional has confirmed that the side rejected a $10 million offer in November for Argentinean midfielder Andres D’Alessandro from the Los Angeles Galaxy. The attempted move has raised eyebrows in MLS, as it would seem to indicate that the club is actively searching for a replacement for U.S. star Landon Donovan, who has one foot out the door to either Bayern Munich or Everton, depending on which day of the week it is.

“The offer came from the Los Angeles Galaxy of the United States. I didn’t even want to listen to the details,” said Fernando Carvalho, the club’s VP and former president. “The offer was for more money than we paid for D’Alessandro, who arrived here for five million euros, but we want to keep the Argentinean.”

D’Alessandro, 27, is an Argentinean attacking midfielder who started his career with River Plate and has made stops in England, Germany and Spain during his career. His personal achievements include helping Internacional to their first Copa Sudamericana title earlier this year and being capped 26 times for the Albicelestes since 2001.

Former Fire Duo Looking For Work

Two former Chicago Fire players are struggling to find new clubs after leaving the MLS outfit in recent months - former Polish international Tomasz Frankowski and American Matt Pickens.

Frankowski was released by the team in late November after publicly criticizing head coach Denis Hamlett over his lack of playing time with the first team. Since then, the former Wisla Krakow standout has returned home to Poland in search of his next club, but is finding it hard to catch on. Recent interest from Polonia Warszawa has waned considerably, to say the least.

“This is no longer a subject for us,” a team official told sports daily Przeglad Sportowy. “Of course, if Tomasz presented himself in the same form that he once showed with Wisla, he would have been a great strong addition for us. But he hasn’t shown that kind of form for several years.”

Frankowski, now 34, scored two goals and two assists in 17 appearances for Chicago in ’08, but only logged a total of 628 minutes, falling out of favor with coach Hamlett, who preferred mid-summer addition Brian McBride as his first-choice forward in the second half of the season.

Another former Fire player who is looking for work is goalkeeper Matt Pickens, who was most recently with Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship. Pickens, 26, was a second-round selection of the Fire in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft and enjoyed a breakout season in 2007, amassing a record of 9-8-10 with a 1.15 GAA and 10 shutouts to his credit. He left MLS following the ’07 season and signed a short-term deal with QPR, but never made an appearance for the club.

Pickens recently completed a two-day trial with Falkirk of the Scottish Premier League, but left the coaching staff unimpressed: “Matt was with us for a couple of days,” said Falkirk Director of Operations Keith Hogg. “We had received good reports about him and decided to invite him up to have a look for ourselves. Our head coach has the final decision on all new signings and, although Matt put in a solid display, it has been decided not to offer him a contract.”

There have been rumblings in MLS circles recently that Pickens could be drawing interest from the Los Angeles Galaxy. LA is not hiding the fact that they are looking at all options on the table to replace current No. 1 netminder Steve Cronin, who was unsteady at best before breaking his hand on Taylor Twellman’s cranium late in the season.

* photos courtesy ISI Photos.

Beckham To Arrive In Milan Next Week

Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham confirmed through his website on Friday that he will officially be joining up with AC Milan on December 29th, while reiterating his commitment to return to the Los Angeles Galaxy in March.

“David will join up with his new AC Milan teammates later this month for their Emirates Winter Training Camp in Dubai. He’ll arrive in the United Arab Emirates along with the rest of the Milan squad, including Ronaldinho, Kaka and Andriy Shevchenko on December 29th before beginning training the following day.

“While in the UAE, AC Milan will also compete against Hamburg SV in the Government of Dubai’s Tourism Department-sponsored event, the Dubai Football Challenge, on January 6th, before concluding their tour. David will stay with Milan until March, when he will return to LA Galaxy in time to begin the 2009 MLS season.”

Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani says Beckham will arrive in Milan a week from today for a medical and news conference and will be unveiled to the club’s fans a day later, during Milan’s home game against Udinese.

His short-term loan is due to end on March 15th, a week before the Los Angeles Galaxy kick off their 2009 campaign.

De Rosario Going Home To Canada

In a stunning but not unexpected move, Toronto FC has acquired Canadian midfielder Dwayne De Rosario from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for defender Julius James and allocation money, the team announced this afternoon. A native of nearby Scarborough, Ontario, rumors of a DeRo move to TFC have been floated ever since Major League Soccer placed a team north of the border in 2007.

"Playing in front of family and friends is always an experience that you cherish," said De Rosario. "Growing up as a kid I never had that luxury of playing professional soccer in Canada. To know that your energy on the field can really have an impact on the people watching is a rewarding feeling and a humbling one."

De Rosario, 30, is one of the most accomplished players of this decade, having won the MLS Cup four times in the new millennium ('01, '03, '06, '07). He has scored 51 goals and added 42 assists in 186 career regular season appearances, has scored five goals with five assists in 23 career postseason games. He is also a two-time winner of MLS Cup MVP and Sierra Mist Goal of the Year awards.

"Dwayne is a player we've admired for quite some time," said TFC director of soccer Mo Johnston. "When the chance came to work with Houston to get this deal, we were obviously very happy. He's a wonderful talent and I hope all of our supporters are as excited as we are that Dwayne is now a member of Toronto FC."

Heading south in the trade in young defender Julius James. The 24-year-old Trinidadian was selected ninth overall in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft by the Reds and went on to appear in 13 games for Toronto last season. James scored his first career goal against the Los Angeles Galaxy in late May and logged 899 minutes in TFC's backline. He is expected to help solidify the Dynamo defense should veteran Bobby Boswell depart for Europe this offseason.

* photo courtesy ISI Photos

Schmid Tampering Rift Resolved

The ongoing saga between Seattle Sounders FC and the Columbus Crew over head coach Sigi Schmid is apparently coming to a conclusion this afternoon, with a statement from the league reading as follows:

Major League Soccer announced today that the Columbus Crew and Seattle Sounders FC resolved a potential contractual issue regarding former Crew coach Sigi Schmid. Columbus acquired allocation money and cash from Seattle, thus releasing Schmid from contractual obligations and allowing him to proceed with his contract negotiations with Seattle. In connection with this matter, Major League Soccer found no evidence of tampering by Seattle Sounders FC.

Columbus had filed a claim with the league office shortly after MLS Cup, alleging that Sounders FC had begun negotiations with Schmid before he was officially out of contract with the Crew. It is all but certain that Schmid will now be unveiled as the first head coach of the MLS incarnation of Sounders FC.

Two Western Cities Vying For USA-MEX

Two cities west of the Mississippi River are in the running to host the United States’ first World Cup qualifying match of the Hexagonal stage - an all-important clash against CONCACAF rivals Mexico - and they might not be the first two that come to mind. No, it’s not Los Angeles and Phoenix, but rather Seattle and Salt Lake City that are the pair of finalists battling for rights to the biggest USMNT home game of the final round, according to a report by ESPN Deportes.

With MLS welcoming Seattle Sounders FC into the fold in March of 2009, league officials could be looking to boost the region’s interest in the sport ahead of the club’s launch by having the game placed in Seattle. The city’s best option for a venue is Qwest Field – home to the NFL’s Seahawks and soon-to-be home of Sounders FC – with a seating capacity of 67,000, which would match the forecasted demand for tickets to a game of its level. While the pitch is made of FieldTurf, natural grass has been laid down for most of the soccer matches played in recent years, including group stage games of the 2005 Gold Cup and a friendly in early 2008 between Canada and Brazil that left the Brazilian coach shaking his head at the quality of the pitch, blaming the surface for his side's slow start in the game.

Salt Lake City offers a much smaller and more intimate setting for the game: Rio Tinto Stadium, home of Real Salt Lake. The facility, which only officially opened for business two months ago, boasts a modest capacity of 20,008 and a natural grass surface. An average February high temperature of 43-degrees may also bode well for the region’s chances to host the game, as a cold and snowy setting could be seen as an advantage for the Americans.

“This is the reason we built this stadium - to host big events,” said RSL president Bill Manning. “For our size, I’d say we stack up favorably with any venue in the country.”

The USSF has until December 15th to inform the FMF as to where the February 11th game will take place. Which city would you prefer to see host the first game of the last stage of qualifying?

poll by twiigs.com

TFC Season Seats Sold Out

Though the club has failed to reach the playoffs – or even gotten off the foot of the Eastern Conference - in each of its first two seasons in Major League Soccer, Toronto FC continues to do bang-up business in the stands. The club announced Thursday that it has sold out its entire allotment of season tickets for the upcoming 2009 season - 16,000 season seats in all – with a renewal rate of 95% from last season. In addition, over 400 full season seats were sold to those on a long waiting list, translating into 200 “graduates” for the upcoming season.

“We’re amazed at the support by our fans,” said Paul Beirne, TFC Senior Director of Business Operations. “Having these ‘graduates’ become season set holders is exciting for us too. It’s about welcoming and engaging new supporters for the upcoming season, who will now be able to experience the exciting atmosphere and not miss a minute of game-day at BMO Field.”

Toronto FC will kick off their 2009 campaign with back-to-back road games (Kansas City, Columbus) before coming home for a match against the expansion Seattle Sounders on Saturday, April 4th.

2009 Attendance: ??,???
2008 Attendance: 20,119
2007 Attendance: 20,134

Quakes Coaches Arrive At Tottenham

The newly-struck partnership between the San Jose Earthquakes and Tottenham Hotspur is already bringing benefits to the MLS side as the Quakes' coaching staff has arrived in England for a visit with the Premier League side.

Head coach Frank Yallop, assistant coach Ian Russell, goalkeeping coach Jason Batty and general manager John Doyle are all part of the delegation that will make the seven-day visit. Coincidentally, Yallop was already in the country, having lead a team of Generation Adidas players on an exhibition tour this past week."Tottenham Hotspur has a wealth of experience in the game," said Yallop. "This visit is all about providing an opportunity to see how a Premier League football club functions from academy level through to the first team. This is the first part of the exchange program we have in place and we hope that our relationship with Spurs will continue to grow."

Tottenham coach Clive Allen echoed Yallop's sentiments, saying, "This is the first step of what will be a long-standing partnership between Tottenham Hotspur and the San Jose Earthquakes. The aim of the visit is to provide their coaching team with some exposure of our training techniques as well as an insight into the club's infrastructure, especially at academy level. It will be a good opportunity to share ideas and look to see what we can all learn from each other."

Ricketts, Galaxy In Talks

The search for a reliable goalkeeper has apparently led the Los Angeles Galaxy to the island of Jamaica, with the club in ongoing negotiations with international goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, writes 100 Percent Soccer’s Nick Green.
Ricketts, 31, currently plays for Village United of the Jamaican National Premier League following his release by League Two (England’s fourth-tier) side Bradford City AFC at the end of last season. He has been capped by Jamaica nearly 60 times since 1998, and was a member of the country’s World Cup squad that year, though he didn’t see any playing time.

Los Angeles is in search of a steady goalkeeper after three different netminders failed to step up during the ’08 season, combining to allow a franchise-high 62 goals in 30 games – though a few can certainly be blamed on the team's porous defense.

- Steve Cronin (6-9-6, 2.05 GAA)
- Josh Wicks (1-2-3, 2.18 GAA)
- Josh Saunders (1-1-1, 2.00 GAA)

Garber Endorses Portland Expansion Bid

Preparing to rule on the six bids submitted for the next round of expansion, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber publicly lent his support to the Portland proposal during a meeting of the city task force on Tuesday evening. At the same time, Garber and Merritt Paulson – the leader of the Portland proposal – fired a warning to city to not let this chance pass them by because it could be their last.

“Portland’s got a very good shot of coming into our league if they can complete this process with the city,” said Garber. “We need to make a decision by March… we want one of the teams to be in Portland. It’s a city we want to be in, a city we think will be very successful.”

Paulson, the son of current U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, has pledged to cover the $40 million expansion fee, but is hoping to get the city of Portland to financially cover the cost (through city-backed bonds) of renovations to PGE Park in order make the stadium a closer fit to league specifications, as well as $35 million to build a new home for the Portland Beavers, the city’s minor-league baseball team that shares PGE Park with the USL’s Timbers.

“If we miss the opportunity this round, it is unlikely that MLS will ever come to Portland,” implored Paulson. “We’re working with the city on a plan that works for the Beavers and Timbers, works for the city and works for the taxpayers. I feel great about the fact that the city is taking a hard look at this. It’s a big opportunity, and hopefully one that makes sense.”

League officials are expected to reveal by March of next year which two cities have been granted expansion teams for the 2011 season.

Burling Undergoes Ankle Surgery

Chivas USA defender Bobby Burling has undergone successful ankle surgery and is expected to be out 6-8 weeks during recovery, the team announced this week. The procedure, done to remove bone spurs from Burling’s left ankle, was performed at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute in Van Nuys by Dr. Rick Ferkel and should allow Burling to return to full-strength by the time the club starts pre-season activities in February.Burling, 24, is coming off a breakthrough season with Chivas. Originally drafted in the fourth round (45th overall) of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft by the Los Angeles Galaxy, the 24-year-old Burling signed a developmental contract with Chivas in April of 2007, but failed to make an appearance in his rookie season. In 2008, the Loyola Marymount product burst into the starting lineup, making 20 appearances for the club (18 starts) and logging 1,659 minutes while helping Chivas make the playoffs for the third-straight season.

* photo courtesy ISI Photos

Chivas USA Announces Open Tryouts

On Friday, Dec. 12, Chivas USA will host its final Youth Team Tryouts, as well as a round of Open Tryouts, at the Rancho Santa Susana Fields in Simi Valley, California. The Youth Team Tryouts are for the Chivas USA U-16 and U-18 Teams that participate in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, and are open to players born between 1991-1995.
The Open Tryouts will be open to players aged 18 and over. Both events start at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12, on Fields 2 & 3 at the Rancho Santa Susana Park, 5005 Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley. The cost is 30 dollars for either tryout, and players can register online at the Youth Soccer section of cdchivasusa.com. More information can also be found by e-mailing jcano@cdchivasusa.com or calling 1-310-630-4564.

Dynamo Draw Atlante In CCL

The Houston Dynamo now know who they will be facing in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League after drawing Mexican club Atlante on Wednesday. It will mark the second time in eight months that the two sides will face off - Houston defeated Los Potros by a score of 4-0 in their first meeting back in July, a group stage matchup in SuperLiga 2008.Both teams will have plenty of time to study the opposition for the two-leg series; the first leg is tentatively scheduled for February 24-26 in Houston, with the Dynamo traveling to Mexico for the second leg between March 3-5.

Here are the other quarterfinal matchups:

- UNAM Pumas (MEX) vs. Cruz Azul (MEX)
- Montreal Impact (CAN) vs. Santos Laguna (MEX
- Puerto Rico Islanders (PR) vs. Marathon (HON)

Galaxy Match Leaves NZ At A Loss

The Auckland Regional Council is facing heat from locals in the wake of last week's exhibition between the Oceania All-Stars and the Los Angeles Galaxy, as the match is now projected to have cost hundreds of thousands of ratepayers' dollars, according to a report in the New Zealand Herald today.

According to the story, the country's Auditor-General will be setting up a review of the event, aimed at making sure the same mistake doesn't happen again.

ARC chairman Mike Lee blamed the losses on the poor turnout for the game, which drew just 16,600 fans to Mt. Smart Stadium last Saturday, despite a late two-for-one ticket offer in hopes of boosting attendance. According to the group, they would have needed to sell 19,000 tickets to break even.

"I don't know where it all went wrong," said a disappointed Lee. "It will all come out. It won't be swept under the carpet."

The ARC reportedly put $115,000 into making the event happen - $35,000 to bring 6,500 schoolchildren to the team's training session a day before the game and $80,000 towards bringing the team to Auckland.

Breaking: Schmid Leaves Columbus

In a statement sent to MLS Daily this evening, the Columbus Crew have confirmed that Sigi Schmid has declined their final offer on a new contract and will not be returning as head coach of the reigning MLS Cup champions.

“Sigi Schmid has formally declined our last contract offer and will not be returning as head coach of the Columbus Crew. Sigi was the ideal person to turn around our competitive program and create a championship mentality within our club. As a result, we are well-positioned moving forward and toward continued success. We respect his desire to seek the next challenge and wish him nothing but the best.”
Schmid leaves after three seasons, compiling a 34-33-25 record over that span and bringing home the MLS Cup last month in what was widely speculated as his last game in charge of the Crew. Schmid's assistant coach Robert Warzycha, who played for the Crew from 1996-2002, is considered the front-runner to fill the vacancy. Known as the Polish Rifle during his playing days, Warzycha has led the team once before - he was named interim head coach of the club after the firing of Greg Andrulis in the middle of the 2005 season, leading Columbus to a respectable 7-6-3 record down the stretch.

* photo courtesy ISI Photos

Parkhurst Is Nordsjaelland-Bound

New England Revolution defender Michael Parkhurst has signed a contract with Dutch first-division team FC Nordsjaelland and is expected to be unveiled later today at a press conference, ending weeks of speculation that he would be leaving Major League Soccer.

"We've known for a while that Michael wanted to try to play in Europe," said Michael Burns, Revolution VP of Player Personnel. "That said, Michael has been a true professional during this process and was fully committed to helping the Revolution succeed on the field."

Parkhurst, 24, was selected by New England with the ninth overall pick in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft and started every game in his first season on his way to earning MLS Rookie of the Year honors. He has gone on to make 115 appearances for the Revs and earned other hardware along the way:

- 2005 Rookie of the Year
- 2006 Humanitarian of the Year
- 2007 Defender of the Year
- 2007 MLS Fair Play Award
- 2008 MLS Fair Play Award

Parkhurst's new club - FC Nordsjaelland - is located in the Dutch town of Farum (population 18,105) and plays in Farum Park (capacity 10,000). Currently in the off-season, FCN finished 9th out of 12 teams in the 2007-08 Danish Superliga, a full 23 points from relegation. They were also recently eliminated from the first round of the UEFA Cup following a 7-0 aggregate loss to Greek team Olympiacos.

Barcelona To MLS: Meet Our Demands

Thought to be one of the leading contenders for expansion in 2011, FC Barcelona's efforts to land a team in Miami have become exceedingly brash, arrogant, and uncompromising in recent days. This past week, FCB club president Juan Laporta even handed down an ultimatum to the league, saying that Major League Soccer officials should allow their new club to begin play a year early in 2010 or risk losing the offer forever."It's now or never," said Laporta. "We're not interested in waiting two years when we can have the stadium ready tomorrow."

Those sentiments were echoed by Marcelo Claure, the Bolivian businessman who is partnering up with Barcelona in an attempt to bring MLS back to southern Florida for the first time since 2001.

"We have the No. 1 soccer brand in the world, we have the money, we have a stadium ready to go that is comfortable for what we need," Claure suggested. "I will be very disappointed if they don't give us a chance. I feel confident in this bid, and I am acting and planning as if we are going to have a team in 2010."

Claure has another meeting scheduled with league officials later this month, with the focus on convincing commissioner Don Garber and other MLS owners that a professional American soccer club can be successful in a city like Miami, which saw the Fusion fold back in 2001, in part due to low attendance and interest.

"No, Miami is not like Chicago, where people support the team whether they are in first place or last, but if you put a good show on, people in Miami will come," stated Claure. "They put Cirque du Soleil in Miami for $150 a ticket, and they had to add additional shows. Miami people are very picky, but if there's a first-class product, they'll pay, and there is no better style of soccer than what Barcelona plays. We will be their sister team, and we will be entertaining."

Cannon A Free Agent, For Now

The San Jose Earthquakes have decided not to pick up the 2009 option on goalkeeper Joe Cannon's contract, according to league sources. At the same time, both sides are expressing hope that a deal can still be reached before the end of the year at a reduced price.

"My heart has always been in San Jose no matter where I've played," said Cannon. "It's a goal of mine to finish my career and play in front of my fans."

Cannon, 33, spent made 101 appearances for the club from 1999 - 2002, including the team's championship run in 2001 when he posted a 13-6-6 record with a 1.09 GAA. He re-signed with the team prior to the 2008 season and went on to play every minute of every game this past season - one of only a handful of players to accomplish the feat in '08.

The two-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year has declared his loyalty to the team and the region endlessly, but his club thanked him by declining next year's option on his contract. The move was primarily made in hopes of re-signing the netminder at a lower salary than what the current option would have paid him - roughly $250,000, which would have made him the second-highest paid goalkeeper in the league behind incoming Seattle Sounders FC's Kasey Keller - but there is also reportedly interest in Cannon's services from a Norwegian team, leaving the door open for a Troy Perkins-esque move to the Arctic Circle.

* photo courtesy ISI Photos

Galaxy End Year With Win

The Los Angeles Galaxy’s one-game tour of New Zealand went off successfully, with David Beckham and the traveling MLS side securing a 3-0 result over a rag-tag group of Oceania All-Stars (and Dutch guest player Edgar Davids) in Auckland on Saturday morning. The second-straight year that the Galaxy have visited the island nation, the response was more subdued the second time around, as a crowd of only 16,600 showed up to see the exhibition.Just two minutes in, it looked as if Beckham would score the game’s first goal as a defender headed the ball to the feet of Beckham, who laced a crushing shot toward the upper corner from outside the box, only to see former Manchester United goalkeeper Mark Bosnich swat it away at the last second.

A minute later, a similar shot from new addition Jovan Kirovski put the Galaxy out front when forward Alan Gordon battled for a loose ball inside the box, heading it back to Kirovski. Another one-time Man U product, Kirovski one-timed the ball past Bosnich at the near post to give Los Angeles a 1-0 lead.

It would be Gordon who was next to get on the scoring sheet, striking in the 14th minute to double the Galaxy’s advantage. Eddie Lewis, taking on a defender on the left side, whipped a perfectly-placed cross into the box to Gordon’s position, where the big man redirected the ball into the back of the net.

The game’s final goal was scored just after the half-hour mark when horrible marking by the All-Stars led to Brandon McDonald being completely unguarded on a Beckham corner kick. With all kinds of space to himself, McDonald calmly headed the ball past a stunned Bosnich to cement the scoreline, 3-0 Galaxy.