If Los Angeles Galaxy supporters needed an extra confidence boost ahead of Sunday’s MLS Cup final against the Houston Dynamo, here’s an interesting tidbit, which ESPN analysts happened to mention before I could:

At both of David Beckham’s previous permanent homes, Manchester United and Real Madrid, he won a league title in his last season.

Given that Sunday will more than likely mark the end of Becks’ stay with the Galaxy and in MLS, and that the Galaxy are favored to claim the crown, it’s a piece of information that merits a mention. It would be quite fitting for him to mark his final MLS campaign, and his best one at that, by continuing that trend and help lead the Galaxy to their first title since 2005, wouldn’t it?

Of course, even if the Galaxy are tangling for the title in the very, very friendly confines of their very own Home Depot Center, it’s premature to put their name on the trophy already, as the Dynamo, even without their biggest threat, will be raring and ready to upset the odds and end their own title drought.

PAST AND PRESENT

The Galaxy are making a record seventh MLS Cup final appearance, with their most recent appearance coming in 2009, when they lost to Real Salt Lake on penalties. A win would give them their third title, following their triumphs in 2002 and 2005. On both of those occasions, they outlasted the New England Revolution 1-0 in extra time.

Last season, the Galaxy claimed the Supporters’ Shield (given to the team with the league’s best regular season record) only to get trounced 3-0 by Dallas at the Home Depot Center in the Western Conference final. But this season, they finished ahead of Real Salt Lake in the competitive Western Conference and won a record-tying fourth Supporters’ Shield, and they’ve carried that fine form into their playoff run, which saw them dispatch the New York Red Bulls 3-1 on aggregate in the Western Conference semifinals and top Real Salt Lake 3-1 in the Western Conference final.

As for the Dynamo, this is their third MLS Cup final appearance, and they’re looking to make it three wins in three trips, following up on their wins over New England (always a bridesmaid…) in 2006 and 2007.

After a disappointing 2010 season in which they missed the post-season for the first time in their history, the Dynamo made the move from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference to accommodate the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps, and it’s a move that paid immediate dividends for the Dynamo.

By virtue of getting hot down the stretch, the Dynamo finished second in the East, two points behind Sporting Kansas City, which booked them an automatic place in the conference semifinals. In the Eastern Conference semis, they defeated the Philadelphia Union 3-1 on aggregate, and they followed that by stunning Sporting 2-0 on the road in the Eastern Conference final.

TEAM BREAKDOWN

Los Angeles Galaxy

When you look at LA’s squad, it’s hard for three names not to stick out, given that they’re three of the most well-known and gifted talents currently playing in MLS.

Beckham, Landon Donovan, and August acquisition Robbie Keane are certainly key to the Galaxy’s run to this point and will be once again on Sunday.

Becks notched 15 assists in 26 appearances in the regular season, and he’s picked up an assist in each of the Galaxy’s three playoff matches. Donovan has been ever-present this season as well, scoring from the spot in the last two matches after finding the target a dozen times in the regular season. And Keane, who was sidelined by an adductor injury for a few weeks in October, was the best player on the pitch in the Western Conference final, as he scored once and should have had a few more with it.

But you can only accomplish so much without the right supporting cast, and the most notable member of the Galaxy’s supporting cast is forward Mike Magee. It might be easy to lose track of Magee with other threats to tend to, but he’s shown in the playoffs that he should be far from an afterthought, as he’s been on the receiving end of each of Beckham’s three playoff assists.

And as formidable as they might be expected to be in attack, the Galaxy posted the league’s best defensive record in the regular season. They allowed only 28 goals in 34 matches, which made them the only team in the league to allow an average of less than one goal per game. Their tightness is at the back is thanks in no small part to having continuity at the back, with the quartet of Todd Dunivant, Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, and A.J. DeLaGarza all with more than 30 appearances this season.

Even the best back line is prone to the occasional error, so the keeper has to be counted on to step up in crunch time as well, and Josh Saunders is coming off of a fantastic performance against Real Salt Lake. Josh Saunders stepped in when Donovan Ricketts was injured against San Jose in June, and he kept his place in the starting XI even after the Jamaican, who had been L.A.’s #1 keeper for two-plus seasons and was named the top keeper in MLS just last season, returned to fitness.

There is some bad news on the injury front, however. Striker Chad Barrett, who has seven goals and five assists this season, will miss the final after dislocating his right ankle in training last Thursday. With Barrett out, Bruce Arena will likely partner Keane with Adam Cristman, who scored one goal in 11 appearances in the regular season.

Houston Dynamo

While LA are dealing with the loss of a key starter, Houston head into the final with a much more significant injury blow.

Brad Davis was Houston’s top creative force this season, notching four goals and a league-leading 16 assists in the regular season and picking up an assist in each leg of the East semi against Philadelphia. However, he suffered a torn quadriceps in the first half of the East final and won’t be on the pitch against the Galaxy.

That’s big, big blow for Houston’s chances, but to write them off would be a mistake.

While there aren’t the same marquee names on the Dynamo’s roster as there are on L.A.’s, this bunch is hot at the right time, and that counts for a lot. Houston lost only twice in their last 13 regular season games, and they finished the regular season an unbeaten 4-2-0 in their last six, including a 3-1 home win over the Galaxy in their regular season finale. They’ve stayed hot in the playoffs, and after winning in Kansas City, they’ll feel confident about their chances of winning in the Galaxy’s home stadium, even without Davis.

Without their star playmaker, Houston will need to stand tall at the back. That’s been a big part of their unbeaten run, as they’ve allowed only six goals in those nine matches and haven’t surrendered more than one in any of the last eight. With the firepower that they have, the Galaxy will have no shortage of chances, but the Dynamo defense must ensure that few of those chances are clear-cut ones, and keeper Tally Hall, who’s wrapping up his first season as a starter, will have to be at his best.

It won’t be easy to keep the Galaxy off of the scoreboard, but they are prone to defensive lapses, and Houston will have to take advantage of those opportunities. Their chances in attack might not be as plentiful without Davis in there, so they’ll have to make the most of the chances they do get.

The Dynamo don’t have the kind of threats that the Galaxy do, but they’ve gotten production from many sources this season. Their leading scorer is Brian Ching, who had five goals in the regular season and has one in the playoffs, but midfielder Geoff Cameron, defender Bobby Boswell, and forward Will Bruin each hit five in the regular season. And in the playoffs, their five goals have been scored by four players, and their top scorer is defender Andrew Hainault, who struck in the away leg against Philadelphia and notched the opener in the East final.

So, this team knows how to get it done, and with an experienced coach in Dominic Kinnear, who led the Dynamo to their back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007, they’ll undoubtedly be prepared for the challenge that awaits on Sunday.

MATCH PREDICTION

Why Los Angeles will win: They’re the better team, plain and simple, and they’d be favorites even if Houston had Davis’ services.

And though the Dynamo will certainly have their share of supporters in the stands, this does amount to a glorified home game for the Galaxy. That’s something that can’t be discounted, especially considering that they’re unbeaten at the Home Depot Center this season.

And after the disappointments of the last two seasons, they’re not only due, but it looks like it’s all come together this season, both in terms of talent and in terms of intangibles.

Why Houston will win: Often enough, getting hot at the right time can lead to glory, and the Dynamo are certainly hot at the right time.

Confidence and resiliency can often trump talent, especially when a title is on the line, and even without their best player, Houston will believe they can win. They successfully navigated 50-plus minutes without Davis in a hostile environment in Kansas City, and already knowing that they won’t have him on Sunday means that they’ll have time to prepare mentally and tactically. His loss is a huge blow for the Dynamo, but they’ll be ready.

For what it’s worth, winning the Supporters’ Shield has rarely translated into playoff success. Of the previous 15 MLS champions, only five had won the Supporters’ Shield that season, and the only team who’s done the Supporters’ Shield/MLS Cup double since 2002 is Columbus, who accomplished the feat in 2008.

However, of the six times that the Supporters’ Shield winner has been in the MLS Cup final, they’ve won it five times, with the only loss being Chicago’s 4-2 defeat to San Jose – led by Landon Donovan, with Dominic Kinnear as an assistant coach – in 2003.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The MLS 2010 season came to a close with Colorado Rapids winning the MLS Cup and LA Galaxy winning the Supporters’ Shield. Now that league and cup competitions are approaching their climax, Major League Soccer has gone on a break and waiting for the 16th season to start on March 15th, 2011.

Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC will make their MLS debut – taking the total number of clubs to 18. Both the Timbers and the Whitecaps will join the Western Conference and Houston Dynamo will move into the Eastern Conference.

As far as the kits are concerned, adidas is the lone supplier of the kits for all the clubs playing in the league. Because of that, questions are raised about the amount of involvement by the club in the final decision of the kits. For example, when Seattle Sounders’ third kit for 2011 was unveiled, fans and media personnel wondered whether the Sounders actually opted for electric yellow or was it forced upon them.

The general consensus is that, clubs do have a final nod in the decision of the kits they will wear. So yes, Seattle Sounders did opt for electric yellow as their third color only after joining MLS in November 2007.

You can see the 2011 MLS jerseys here for all the 18 clubs participating.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

As the World Cup approaches, Americans have reason to be nervous.

I could tell you why in a few short sentences, but I have opted instead for a hypothetical, reverse-chronological narrative that reads like an episode of Lost.

June 23, 2010

It’s just before 6 a.m. in California.  I should be groggy at this early hour, but I’ve been awake most of the night.  The truth is, I haven’t slept well in days.

After a narrow loss to England and a disappointing draw with Slovenia, the U.S. Men’s National Team (US MNT) faces a must-win match against Algeria to have a chance at advancing to the knockout round.  What’s worse is that we have lost key players to injury and suspension.

It is the nightmare that we thought to be no longer possible.  We have already equaled our 2006 showing, having taken a point from the Slovenians, but our expectations were so much higher – perhaps unreasonably so.

With the coffee brewing, I turn on the television and flip open my MacBook.  Who will Bob Bradley select to start this critical tie?  Who will stretch the Algerians and fight to the final whistle?  Who will spearhead our attack?

I scan the lineup and see many familiar faces – a capable midfield sandwiched between a leaky backline and an unpredictable, ever-changing attack.  And then, I see it.

Brian Ching.

May 8, 2010

I check my email over breakfast.  My friend Victor sent me an email late last night.  It is entitled, “Ching!?!?”  My stomach churns as I read it.

“The fact that Bradley selected Ching tells me there was no one else.  He is a filler at best.  He’s the guy you and three buddies call when you want to have a poker night and no one else can make it.  You just need someone – anyone – to sit at the table.  That said, there is someone else. There has to be.  I’d rather have a no-name forward from the under-20 squad than Ching because I would have hope – hope in the unknown.  Oh well, at least he will make watching games in Spanish a lot more fun.”

May 7, 2010

It’s late-morning on the West Coast and I am perusing the latest soccer news in between meetings.  The discussion in recent weeks has centered on Charlie Davies, whose rapid recovery from multiple fractures to his leg, elbow and face surprised everyone.

Having made two appearances as a substitute for FC Sochaux, the American striker’s return to action presents Bob Bradley with a precarious choice.  Does he take Davies to South Africa? Granted, the 23 year-old played a key role in the US MNT’s stunning Confederations Cup performance the previous summer.  However, he is at least a few weeks from being match fit and there is no guarantee that his form will ever be as good as it once was.

Suddenly, I see the headline.  “U.S. World Cup Roster Set.”  Nervous, I click on the link.

Jozy Altidore.  Not surprisingly, Bradley selects Davies as well.  The third choice would have shocked people a few months ago, but, after an impressive spell at Aris Thessaloniki, Eddie Johnson became a much more attractive choice than the alternatives.

Finally, as I suspected, Bradley could not resist.  The fourth slot was reserved for a familiar face.  He was on the 2006 World Cup roster, but didn’t make a single appearance.  He has had a good career in Major League Soccer, but never played abroad.  Regardless of the fixture, his inclusion seems to turn on which tall, slow forward appears to be in better form.  Ultimately, he offers nothing more and nothing less than Conor Casey and Kenny Cooper, yet Bradley’s man-crush just won’t go away.

Brian Ching.

February 25, 2010

I read that Sacha Kljestan, the inconsistent American midfielder who is still praying for selection, thinks that there is someone on the US MNT that makes everyone around him better.

“He must be talking about Landon Donovan.” I mutter.  “It could be Charlie Davies too.”

The US MNT played a friendly match against El Salvador the previous night.  Even though the Americans fielded a reserve squad, commentators couldn’t resist speculating as to whose stock was rising and whose was falling.  It was expected – considering the uncertainty surrounding Charlie Davies’ health and a slough of other injured players – that pundits would ponder such things.

According to them, one person in particular stood out from the rest.

It was a player who has scored only eight times for the US MNT in competitive matches dating back to 2003.  Who were the teams who fell victim to a forward lacking speed, agility, creativity, vision and positioning?  Jamaica, El Salvador, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Cuba, and Honduras – not exactly the most difficult teams to crack.

So when well known soccer commentators use words like “awesome” to describe his performances, I wonder whether they are really paying attention.  This is a forward without the instincts and experience to be considered a dangerous poacher.  He appears to get in the way of quicker, more creative teammates, which breaks down attack after attack.  He is the same guy that Kljestan thinks makes everyone around him better.

Brian Ching.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Anybody casually tuning in to Major League Soccer’s Week 32 action and teetering over the great lake of MLS fandom will have jumped right in. The final week of the regular season began with a cluster of teams fighting it out to take up the final three playoff spots. The results and their impact on the playoff bracket were hugely surprising and entirely unpredictable as slip-ups and upsets allowed an unfancied team to leap into the post-season from outside everyone’s assumed candidates.

Chicago Fire confirmed their spot in midweek, defeating Chivas USA in a match which in turn confirmed Columbus Crew as winners of the Supporters Shield. Toronto FC somehow contrived to throw away their strong pre-game position by getting beaten 5-0 by New York Red Bulls. The result was a great send-off for Giants Stadium as the clubs prepares to kick off next season at the newly-built Red Bull Arena.

DC United and FC Dallas failed to take advantage. Tom Soehn’s men were 2-1 up at Kansas City and heading for the post-season when Fred handled the ball on the line, getting himself sent off and conceding the penalty which – when all the confusing permutations had been played out – ultimately doomed DC’s quest to failure. Dallas were beaten in Seattle to end their fantastic run through the second half of the season, while New England went to Crew Stadium, held their nerve, and booked a date with Chicago in the playoffs.

The chokers of the weekend were Colorado Rapids, who missed out on a very favourable opportunity by slumping to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Real Salt Lake, the weekend’s main beneficiaries. Thanks to Toronto, DC and Dallas all failing, RSL’s win sent them into a playoff spot which as recently as last week seemed almost impossible. Just goes to show – when you’re mathematically still alive, keep going until you’re not.

With the regular season done and dusted, it’s time for the top eight to get down to business. The playoffs begin tonight (Thursday) in Seattle and ending in the same stadium with MLS Cup Final on 22nd November. Here is your Soccerlens preview.

West: LA Galaxy v Chivas USA

This is exactly the kind of match MLS needs to continue to raise its profile. LA Galaxy are the highest profile team in the league, at least overseas, and the Superclasico is quickly developing into a worthy derby. This is surely helped by the fact that the two teams both play at Home Depot Center, a superb soccer-specific facility, and have been known to trade players across the lobby. Chivas is a young club which has defied the doubters to become a solid MLS concern, playing superbly in the early part of the 2009 season and improving late on to make a last-ditch push for the top of the table.

The Galaxy have taken the league by storm. A draw-riddled unbeaten streak characterised the first half of the season but by the time David Beckham returned from AC Milan the wins were beginning to flow. Folding Beckham back into the side and introducing Chris Birchall has given the side an extra creative edge, relieving some of the burden on the in-form Landon Donovan and allowing him to thrive alongside his English colleague. Their relationship, so fractious in the wake of 19 Entertainment’s alleged shadow takeover of the Galaxy and Grant Wahl’s book, The Beckham Experiment, appears to have developed into something much more productive.

The same appears to be true of Beckham’s relationship with the Galaxy supporters, who will no doubt appreciate the team’s first playoff qualification since Beckham’s arrival in 2007 and finishing first in the West.

West: Houston Dynamo v Seattle Sounders FC

For much of the 2009 season, Seattle have dominated the headlines. Large crowds have accentuated the feeling that the city was a market ready to adopt a top-level football club. Other sports have been suffering in Seattle and the Sounders name has plenty of history behind it.

The club has been marketed well all year and Drew Carey’s habit of appearing on national television draped in rave green can do no harm at all. On the field, Kasey Keller has been a solid backstop for a team which has for several months now struggled to score at home. Despite this, Fredy Montero is the most naturally gifted player in the league and is ably supported by designated player Freddie Ljungberg, former Arsenal youth player Steve Zakuani and target man Nate Jaqua.

However, Houston Dynamo are very reliable. A consistent team coached by Dominic Kinnear, possibly Major League Soccer’s finest, the Dynamo’s efficiency is the club’s biggest advantage. They are superb from set pieces and play confident, clever football on the floor too. The team’s superstar is Stuart Holden, an effervescent Scottish-born US international whose superb box-to-box midfield play has been a highlight for both the Dynamo and the US Men’s National Team this season. A big move surely awaits.

In Andrew Hainault, Juan Luis Landin, Ricardo Clark, Brian Ching, Geoff Cameron and others, the Dynamo have enough quality to make things very difficult for Seattle. Injuries to Landin and Clark could slow their progress but Houston should be consistent enough to see off the Sounders, though you just never know in football.

East: Columbus Crew v Real Salt Lake

In the East, Columbus Crew already have a 2009 title to their name. The Supporters Shield winners were crowned thanks to Chicago’s win over Chivas and go into the playoffs brimming with confidence. They know how to win MLS Cup (reigning champions, no less) and have looked unstoppable for large chunks of the 2009 season. Their squad depth is remarkable for MLS, demonstrated by Steven Lenhart and Jason Garey chipping in with crucial goals while Guillermo Barros Schelotto was out with an injury. Their excellent home record and depth of quality will make them many pundits’ favourites for a second consecutive win.

Their semi-final opponents Real Salt Lake did the business on the final day, defeating Colorado to take advantage of teams collapsing elsewhere. They grabbed an unexpected wildcard slot and will face a very difficult challenge against the Crew. Yura Movsisyan will want to sign off on a high before moving to Randers in Denmark, Robbie Findley has a sharp eye for goal and Kyle Beckerman is one of the finest midfielders in MLS. On their day, they can give anyone a run for their money.

East: Chicago Fire v New England Revolution

Also in the East, New England Revolution pounced on DC and FCD’s last-gasp inadequacy to grab a berth by winning the last game of the regular season. Having qualified in the absence of Taylor Twellman, the Revs are likely to be high on confidence despite one or two notable injuries. Shalrie Joseph, as ever this season, could be the key man. Kheli Dube must also be firing for the Revolution to succeed.

Their opponents may be hamstrung by their lack of consistency and questionable home form. Chicago Fire draw too many matches on their own pitch and the Revs’ gritty football may give the Fire some problems breaking them down. They will be relying on Blanco to unlock the Revs, and he is certainly capable of doing so. The two sides have been inseparable in league play in 2009, but the Fire triumphed in a Superliga tie in July.

The two winners from each Conference will play in the Conference finals in the middle of November before the final showdown in Seattle. So which team will be crowned champions? Columbus Crew’s squad depth is a huge asset because it provides options and flexibility, both ideal for cup football. Houston are also solid and are excellent from set pieces, which could help them dominate the key moments against Seattle. For their part the Sounders will have fantastic support and the confidence of a successful first season. I fancy them to upset the Dynamo.

But for me the favourites are LA Galaxy. It is said by English football supporters that momentum is essential for a playoff campaign, and if that holds true then the Galaxy hold the cards. They have big name players in David Beckham and Landon Donovan, both of whom possess immense quality, a winning attitude and, it appears, a new-found respect for one another. The pair are on form and, with a reliable defence behind them and worthy support acts elsewhere, they could lead LA to a title win before the former England captain heads back to Milan.

Chris Nee writes at twofootedtackle and co-hosts the twofootedtackle Podcast.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

MLS Cup, the USA’s flagship football championship, is awarded not to the team which finishes with the most points after the regular season but to the team that prevails after a short knockout tournament played by Major League Soccer’s top eight clubs.

Now in its 14th season, MLS has been won no fewer than four times by DC United (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004). Los Angeles Galaxy (2002 and 2005) and San Jose Earthquakes (2001 and 2003) have two titles under their respective belts, and Chicago Fire (1998), Kansas City Wizards (2000) and current holders Columbus Crew have each won once.

The Earthquakes moved to Houston before the 2006 season and Houston Dynamo came thundering out of the blocks to win MLS Cup twice on the bounce, defeating New England Revolution at Pizza Hut Park in ’06 and again at RFK Stadium in ’07. The Revs had also been beaten in the final in 2005, taking them to the unenviable record of four losing finals in just six years.

But it was New York Red Bulls who fell short last season, as Sigi Schmid led the Crew to a 3-1 MLS Cup final victory at the Home Depot Center. Schmid’s excellent coaching, now in evidence in Seattle, played a huge part as Columbus won the Supporters’ Shield (awarded to the team that would be “league” champions) and then successfully saw out the post-season. But much of the credit went to Argentine striker Guillermo Barros Schelotto – the current top scorer in MLS with ten so far in 2009 – who sealed his MLS Most Valuable Player accolade by creating all three cup winning goals.

2009: the story so far

The 2009 season has, in its first 14 weeks, been one of stumbling pace-setters. Everybody was impressed by the rampant start made by this season’s expansion club, Seattle Sounders FC. Boasting a menacing attack featuring former Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg, burgeoning Colombian talent Fredy Montero and former Dynamo forward Nate Jaqua, Seattle demolished New York in their first ever MLS game and followed up by beating Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC. Despite defeat to Seattle, TFC were also an early form team and – initially at least – shrugged off the loss of coach John Carver to maintain a decent start. Both then fell away.

Chivas USA and Chicago Fire then took the baton. The Californian club, led by free-scoring Mexican Eduardo Lillingston, showed great early season promise and sit just one point off top spot despite becoming less prolific in recent weeks. Before the two met in Week 11, Chicago had for a time gone blow for blow with Preki’s men. Cuauhtemoc Blanco’s 96th minute penalty that night put an end to Chivas’ excellent run but the Fire haven’t fared much better since.

DC United currently sit atop the Eastern Standings after a run of form characteristically defined by determination, a never-say-die attitude and a fair slice of luck. The form of Josh Wicks in goal and rookie Chris Pontius in a variety of positions have, for me, been vital to United’s run of relative success. It all came unstuck for United on Saturday, suffering from tiredness and failing to adjust to altitude as Omar Cummings ran them ragged to help Colorado Rapids to a 3-0 win. United’s form has been overshadowed only by a fantastic winning run by the Dynamo, now leaders of MLS, during which they came from almost nowhere and rose to the summit thanks to Brian Ching, Andrew Hainault and, in particular, Stuart Holden.

Playoff qualification

The qualification process for MLS Cup playoffs is very simple. The top two teams from the East and the top two teams from the West qualify and are seeded one and two in their respective East and West playoff brackets. The remainder of the illustrious eight consists of the next four teams (on points scored) regardless of their conference. If this means more than four teams on either side of the playoff brackets, the lowest teams move over. These teams play two-legged conference-specific semi-finals and the winners play single game East and West conference finals. The Eastern winners then play the Western winners for MLS Cup.

So, with the MLS schedule haphazardly rolling its way to the mid-way point of the 2009 season, which teams will now be believing they have a realistic shot at glory?

Eastern candidates

DC United head a batch of hopefuls in the East. Tommy Soehn’s side benefit from a blend of youth and experience. Rookies Rodney Wallace and Chris Pontius have surprised many with their excellent contributions, and the wiles of Jaime Moreno, Christian Gomez and the returning Ben Olsen have enabled United to pick up several late goals on their journey to the top of the standings. Chicago Fire and Toronto also have experienced frontmen in Brian McBride and Dwayne DeRosario, and have shown their ability to put together a run of results – a vital attribute for knockout football. Of the two, I’d say the Fire are more likely candidates.

Columbus Crew have quietly come up on the rails and now sit just four points behind DC United, though to qualify from the East it may be necessary to finish in the top three as a minimum given the higher tallies at the top of the West. Kansas City Wizards also have 19 points but have been somewhat less convincing. Josh Wolff, Davy Arnaud and Claudio Lopez have been putting in the goals for the Wizards to give them a decent chance of qualifying. Realistically the rest of the conference will now struggle to make it through to the post-season, though you can never rule teams out at this relatively early stage.

Western candidates

Given their breathtaking form, a third MLS Cup for Houston Dynamo must be considered a real possibility. So many of their players have stood up to be counted recently, not least new signing Cam Weaver. The teams at the top of the West have found it easier so far to pile on the points, and despite slipping over the last few weeks Chivas USA and Seattle Sounders only need a strong period each, say nine or ten games unbeaten, to guarantee playoff qualification.

Behind them, Colorado Rapids have two potent weapons in their arsenal. Conor Casey, spending a couple of happy weeks in South Africa at the moment with the US Men’s National Team, has netted an impressive eight goals from ten games this season and acts as a robust focal point for the Rapids attack. Omar Cummings, with six goals and six assists, combines lightning pace and a sharp football brain to great effect. This was best demonstrated last Saturday when he single-handedly tore apart the DC United defence, helping himself to two goals and setting up new national team recruit Colin Clark to kill the game off with a third.

Given the unpredictable nature of the game it would be churlish at this stage to make too bold a prediction, but I’d be staggered if Dynamo, Chivas and United didn’t walk into the playoffs long before the end of the season. It would be surprising too if Chicago and Seattle didn’t follow them into the last eight.

Even taking into account the apparent strength of Houston, it’s impossible at this stage to make a prediction as to which team will eventually come out on top. Knockout football is a strange beast, requiring momentum, character and luck. DC United fit that bill best at the moment, but lack the consistency of several other teams in the league. However, a Houston v DC final is not out of the question.

Chris Nee writes at twofootedtackle and co-hosts the twofootedtackle podcast.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

After taking a few weeks of the 2009 Major League Soccer season to get going, Houston Dynamo rose to the top of the table last weekend as their remarkable run of good form continued. Chivas USA, Toronto FC and Chicago Fire have all impressed for periods, but Dynamo have quietly put together a superb run and put themselves in a position to fly past the stumbling pace-setters.

Ominously for Houston’s rivals, the club appears likely to improve still further. Dynamo were already on a long unbeaten streak before acting in the transfer market earlier this month to bring San Jose Earthquakes striker Cam Weaver to Texas, trading him for Chris Wondolowski in order to provide cover for Brian Ching. While Wondolowski settles back home in California, Weaver’s blistering start in Dynamo orange will have Houston’s playoff rivals worried.

As the visit of Real Salt Lake approaches, the Dynamo are in confident mood. Are they now a certainty for the playoffs?

The way from San Jose

Houston Dynamo are a real powerhouse of American soccer over the last few years. In 2006, the club snared MLS Cup, repeating the feat in 2007. Winning back to back titles was no small achievement for a club which suffered relocation in 2005. The franchise was moved due to its inability to find a soccer-specific stadium. The previous holders of the Earthquakes name in San Jose (revived in California in 2007), Houston debuted in Major League Soccer in the 2006 season, the Quakes’ players remaining under the guidance of coach Dominic Kinnear. One name change (1836 to Dynamo) and two titles later, Kinnear is still in post and the Dynamo are on fire again.

They have earned a reputation for efficient, physical football. Strikers Kei Kamara and Brian Ching lead the line strongly and ensure that the Dynamo are always a threat from set pieces. US international Ching in particular is consistently dangerous from corners, contributing headed goals for fun. Kinnear has continued this burgeoning tradition by securing the signature of strong English forward Ade Akinbiyi (capped for Nigeria), a fixture in the Football League since 1993. 34-year-old Akinbiyi now has eight Dynamo appearances to his name but is yet to find the back of the net.

Houston’s start to the 2009 season was a little untidy as the side took a few weeks to really get going. They kicked off with draws at home to Columbus Crew and New York Red Bulls and defeats at San Jose Earthquakes and DC United. Two points from those games represented a dismal start, given Crew’s equally slow start and the now obvious lack of quality offered by RBNY and the Earthquakes.

Dynamo’s winning streak

We needn’t have worried. Now in Week 14, Houston Dynamo sit proudly atop MLS, looking down on the season’s early form teams. Chicago Fire and Chivas USA looked the real deal, but the Dynamo juggernaut has methodically hauled them in and eased past. They are currently sitting on a ten-game unbeaten streak which now boasts eight wins in the last nine games, including five wins not out since revenge against the Earthquakes in May.

After seeing off Colorado Rapids, New England Revolution, FC Dallas and San Jose, the Dynamo’s last four victories were impressive. Far from taking advantage of cannon fodder as they gunned down Chivas, Houston beat previously excellent Toronto FC, in-form Chicago Fire and closest challengers Chivas before picking off a slightly improved FCD at Pizza Hut Park last weekend. Six points in Week 13 saw the Dynamo move within range of Chivas and then join them on 27 points. This Saturday they host Real Salt Lake at Robertson Stadium and will be confident of extending their winning run to six against a side with one win and five defeats from seven road games this term.

Holden goals

Houston’s success at this relatively early stage of the season is largely down to the fact that their big players are stepping up and doing exactly what has been asked of them. Striker Brian Ching has played well and chipped in with four goals and an assist in his eight MLS appearances. Kei Kamara has three goals to his name, while at the other end Pat Onstad has been keeping Dynamo’s opponents out. The 41-year-old goalkeeper has defied his advancing years to put in some excellent performances during Houston’s unbeaten run.

In front of Onstad, Bobby Boswell and Geoff Cameron have been consistent starters in defence and have ably protected their goalkeeper along with Richard Mulrooney, whose rasping goal on Saturday doubled Houston’s lead in an eventual 3-1 win over Texan neighbours FC Dallas.

Brad Davis (7 assists) and Andrew Hainault (2) have developed a knack of loading the forwards just at the right time, a trait which won’t have gone unnoticed by their colleagues. Sitting on top of the Dynamo scoring chart alongside Ching is Houston’s man of the moment, Stuart Holden. Born in Scotland but raised in Houston, Holden spent time on the books of Sunderland before returning to Texas to join the Dynamo for the 2006 season. He has four goals to his name this season, including crucial winners against Chicago and Chivas, with a lovely calm finish last week.

The recipe at Robertson Stadium is an impressive one: a good goalkeeper, strong defenders, a physical and efficient forward line and players scoring from all over the team.

Weaver inspires Dynamo confidence

Unsurprisingly the mood in Houston is radiant. Dynamo communications manager Jonathan Yardley told me that all is well in Orange world: “The atmosphere around the club is terrific. The players and coaches are usually a loose, confident group, but everyone is very focused when they step on the field, whether it’s to practice or play. That hasn’t changed a bit. The players expect to win every game, home or away, but know they need to be diligent and maintain their form to do it, because every team in Major League Soccer can be dangerous.”

In such fine form, and with the season really gaining momentum, one could be forgiven for thinking the Dynamo are a shoe-in for the playoffs. But other commitments are on the way, and there is plenty of time to slip up. Yardley remains cautiously optimistic, and insists that Houston are aiming for the top:

“The playoffs are a long way off, obviously, because we still have more than half the season to play. First place is where the team expects to be, as everyone at the club has high expectations, so hopefully we can stay there ahead of some very good teams. We will begin group play in the Champions League in August, so there could be times this fall when there is a bit of a balancing act, but I think the coaches and players have confidence in the entire roster to achieve the results they need. Last year, we did everything we wanted to right up until the home playoff loss to New York, so the hope is to finish in first place again in the regular season and hopefully make a run to the championship as we did in 2006 and 2007.”

Enhancing that atmosphere of optimism is the thundering start to Houston life made by new signing Cam Weaver. Traded from San Jose earlier this month, Weaver started the Dynamo’s two matches in Week 13. On debut, he put the ball on a plate for Holden to net the winner against Chivas USA. But in his second appearance in orange it was Weaver who took centre stage. After just 13 minutes of Dynamo’s win at PHP, Weaver, who played for Seattle Sounders in USL-1, bagged his first goal for the club. He later added a second to make it 3-0, rendering Drew Moor’s goal nothing more than a consolation.

With momentum on their side, Dynamo are a formidable force at the moment and look a certainty for the playoffs. But achieving Jonathan Yardley’s ambition of going one better and regaining MLS Cup is a much tougher task.

Chris Nee writes at twofootedtackle and co-hosts the twofootedtackle podcast.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Is the MLS the most balanced football league in the world? Why does the Galaxy insist on building teams around a single player? Will Seattle recover their grove? All this and more in our MLS weekly review.

1.) Parity like no other league

I cannot think of one league in the world that has the level of parity of MLS.  The salary cap keeps teams in check, and for it, on any given day, event he worst team in the league can win a game nobody would expect them to win.  We saw that this week.  

Winless in four, FC Dallas laid into Toronto, and on the back of the do it all Kenny Cooper, grabbed a win.  The win saw them climb out of the basement of the Western Conference, one point ahead of LA.  Houston, also collected their first win of the campaign topping an inform Colorado side to move from seventh to fifth in the standings.  

In the eastern conference, New York finally got in the win column by thoroughly dismantling a strong Real Salt Lake side.  If you’re planning on placing a bet, I’d peg New York to have a good stretch coming up.  Mac Kandji and Juan Pablo Angel are finally hitting their stride.

This just goes to show that disparity between any two teams is negligent.  It’s just about which team can consistently grind out results, and put fill up the win and draw columns in the standings.

2.) Where oh where is David Beckham?

Those who said the league did not need Beckham were right and wrong.  The league didn’t need him to add to the quality of play, but they sure do need him for his media presence and the butts he puts in the seats.  The average attendance this week was 11,019, and that does not even factor in the unannounced attendance in Dallas.  Based on what I saw in the broadcast, I would say there were no more than 5,000 fans in attendance.  Yikes!  

3.) Seattle learns why MLS is so tough

Seattle jumped off to a 3-0 start, but since has lost two in a row.  They fought an uphill battle courageously after Kasey Keller was red carded last week for a hand ball outside the box, and lost on a late goal, 1-0.  This week, they faced first place Chivas USA on the road and were beaten 2-0.  They didn’t play particularly poorly, but were not the same team that dominated their opponents in the first three games.  Kasey Keller will return this week from a one game suspension, and I’m sure they will welcome him back with open arms.

4.) I’ve heard this before

I initially thought the hiring of Bruce Arena was a good move, and in all honesty, Bruce is a great coach, but the guys he has to work with are dross.  Last year the team was carried by two players, David Beckham and Landon Donovan.  This year, the team is being carried by one player, Landon Donovan.  He’s scored two and assisted on three for a grand total of five goals that he has been involved in.  That’s great production, but the LA Galaxy have only scored six goals on the season.  Credit to the man after returning from a less than inspiring stint in Germany, but really, get him some help LA!

5.) 41 and counting…

Pat Onstad came up big again this weekend.  He pulled off a miraculous penalty save with his trailing hand against Conor Casey, then had the where with all to get up and make an instinctual save on the subsequent header.  Bravo!  Not to mention he was kicked in the face by Omar Cummings as well.  At 41, you begin to wonder how long Pat can go?  I’d bet that he’ll stay in the game until Vancouver enters in 2011, and try to play his final season in his home town.  

That’s about it for the weekend’s news and notes.  Share your thoughts and comments below.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Our last column, inspired at 2AM, carefully selected winners for MLS season openers. Some were slightly off, and today we discuss why these results went topsy and what to expect down the road.

1) NY Red Bulls @ Seattle Sounders

Result: Seattle 3-0 New York
Prediction: New York 3-2 Seattle
Excuse: Seattle is a strong team, Sigi Schmid a champion coach, the fans passionate, the owners pulled the stops, but this result was better than chemistry. Hot young striker Fredy Montero triggered the magic and joyfully scored two goals and an assist. Even the glib announcers were blinded by the polish in this playoff bound team. They ate New York for lunch.

There is no excuse for New York. This was appalling. New Yorkers are heartless and largely responsible for the global economic collapse, borne of greed and corruption. They deserve this hopeless team. Learn from it.

2) Columbus Crew @ Houston Dynamo

Result: 1-1
Prediction: Columbus 3-1 Houston
Excuse: Loss of faith in virtue (see above). In a well-played game, it came down to the classic battle of two kings facing off. Brian Ching scored for Dynamo, Guillermo Barros Schelloto for Columbus. See them both in the playoffs.

2) Chicago Fire @ FC Dallas

Result: Chicago 3-1 Dallas
Prediction: 2-2
Excuse: 2AM, tequila. Cuautehmoc Blanco and Brian McBride are older, but not heading to pasture anytime soon. They both scored, Blanco ten minutes after entering the field at 79 minutes. Justin Mapp left his mark, Chris Rolfe will, and Chicago will be in the playoffs.

Dallas will struggle again this year, but Kenny Cooper’s blast from 60 yards distinguishes him from other MLS players – he’s the #1 reason to watch Dallas play. It might have been only one goal, but it was worth two.

3) Toronto FC @ Kansas City Wizards

Result: Toronto 3—2 Kansas City
Prediction: Toronto 3-1 Kansas City
Excuse: None, pretty much called it. Amado Guevara scored 2, Jim Brennan the other, and Toronto won its first season opener in its three-year history and it’s fifth away win. Expect to see more and their first trip to the playoffs. As predicted, the Wizard’s Davy Arnoud made the difference with two goals, but wins will be few and far between for KC.

4) New England Revolution @ San Jose Earthquakes

Result: New England 1-0 San Jose
Prediction: San Jose 2-1 New England
Excuse: Quakes were disorganized and should have done better, unable to tally even though three of the four Revs defenders were rookies. The replacements kept it simple and persevered, but their future depends on the fitness of sidelined Steve Ralston, Taylor Twellman, Gabriel Badilla, Mauricio Castro, and two incoming players from Ghana. That’s a lot of X factors for the Revs and a thumbs-down for the Quakes.

5) Colorado Rapids @ Chivas USA

Result: Chivas USA 2-1 Colorado
Prediction: Colorado 2-0 Chivas
Excuse: Paulo Nagamura not on radar. He is now, after scoring two second-half goals for Chivas in an ugly, physical match. Omar Cummings scored for the Rapids, but both these teams must improve to reach sea level.

6) DC United @ LA Galaxy

Results: 2-2
Prediction: Galaxy 3-2 United
Excuse: None. Donovan comes from behind with a header and a penalty. LA will prosper this year, DC will not. See LA in the playoffs with David Beckham. Put money on it.

7) Real Salt Lake @ Seattle Sounders — to be played March 28

New Prediction: Sounders 3-1 Salt Lake
Old Prediction: Salt Lake 2-1 Sounders
Excuse: See above. Still looking forward to the Javi and Kyle show.

USL-1 Puerto Rico Islanders blow past MLS in CONCACAF tournament.

March 17, the USL-1 Puerto Rico Islanders trounced five-time CONCACAF champion Cruz Azul 2-0 in the CONCACAF semifinals with goals by Nicholas Addlery and Sandy Gbandi and clutch saves by Bill Gaudette. The Islanders face Santos Laguna (2-1 Atlante) April 28 in the return leg and could earn a berth in the FIFA World Championship.

They USL-1 Islanders danced past last MLS hold-out Houston Dynamo (3-0 loss to Atlante) and long outlived New England Revolution, DC United, and Chivas USA in the tournament. USL-1 Montreal Impact, cut down in the semi-finals, also went beyond every MLS squad but Houston.

How did this happen? How did these players fly under MLS radar? Coach Colin Clarke previously coached FC Dallas, keeper Bill Gaudette played for Columbus Crew, and striker Nicholas Addlery was a DC United reject. How did two teams from a lower league accomplish this with so little fanfare?

Revolution coach and former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol shared his thoughts with us.

LE: How do you explain how USL went beyond MLS in the CONCACAF tournament?

Nicol: I think it’s a fantastic result. For them to be where there are and get the results they are, it’s fantastic. The coach they have in [Colin] Clark — he’s been around, he was smart as a player and he’s smart as a coach, he has them well organized. Clearly their opponents are better paid, supposedly better qualified to win matches, but it shows you that some heart and good organization — and some ability as well — can take you a long way.

LE: Did the packed schedule hold MLS back last year or are Montreal and the Islanders really talented?

Nicol: I don’t think the MLS schedule had anything to do with it. They did well in their own right, shown that they’ve got ability, they’re well-organized and they’ve got heart. You put all these things together and it takes some beating.

MLS awards franchises to Vancouver and Portland in 2011, promises two more in 2012

After awarding contenders Vancouver, British Columbia and Portland, Oregon MLS franchises, MLS Commissioner Don Garber promised two more clubs in 2012, mentioning St. Louis and Ottawa by name.

The proximity and fanbase of these northwest cities may have played into the decision, but more likely the deep pockets of investors and the likelihood of soccer specific stadiums in uncertain financial times factored heavily in the equation.

The Vancouver Whitecaps investors are by Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett, and Steve Nash. Nash is a two-time NBA MVP and like Mallet, (former president of Yahoo!) is an investor in Women’s Professional Soccer. Vancouver is hosting the 2010 winter Olympics and contracted to renovate the BC Place stadium from 60,000 to a 20,000 seat soccer specific stadium at a cost of $360 milion for the event. The stadium will have a retractable roof and a centrally hung scoreboard, the first in MLS.

Montreal was favored over Vancouver earlier this winter, but Montreal proposed the 13,000 seat Stade Saputo, which doesn’t line-up with the more ambitious MLS plans. The Vancouver deal went through at $35 million, not the $40 million fee. Saturday the Whitecaps sold four thousand season tickets out of 16,500 in just three hours.

Portland agreed to renovate PGE Park to the satisfaction of MLS, and has the wherewithal to do it. Owner Merritt Paulson and his father former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, that currently own USL Timbers, are well-heeled and have the background. Merritt Paulson was previously the Senior Director of Marketing and Business Development at NBA Entertainment.

“The Portland City Council’s recent approval of the framework for the renovations of PGE Park was a key factor in Portland becoming our 18th team,” said Commissioner Garber.

Photo Credits: Traynor, KB Hall via Flickr.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The MLS season opens with fireworks Thursday night for the Seattle Sounders inaugural game at Qwest field against New York Red Bulls.

The Seattle Sounders management did everything right to create a model club, including stealing 2008 MLS Cup Champion coach Sigi Schmid from Columbus Crew.

The supporters group, FC Alliance can vote out the general manager, currently Adrian Hanauer, every four years if 20% of the members sign a petition, an idea lifted from Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Comedian/owner Drew Carey put full media spin behind the club, which sold 22,000 season tickets and 32,400 seats for the opening game. “We’ll have this big drunken march down to the stadium before the game begins,” said Carey.

The inevitable and highly suspect predictions:

In a league where parity is king, it’s pointless to discuss MLS Cup at this point, so without further ado, here are the predictions for the season openers:

Thursday, March 19

New York Red Bulls @ Seattle Sounders
Prediction: Red Bulls 3-2

The Sounders have Kasey Keller in net, but designated player Freddie Ljungberg, recovering from hip surgery, might not take the field. Young Columbian Fredy Montero and Nate Jaqua are the strike force, and with central defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, this team could be a threat on short notice.

Juan Carlos Osorio reinvented the Red Bulls with 15 foreign-born players to support Juan Pablo Angel, the top MLS goal scorer (14), who is fit and re-signed. Dynamic midfielder Dane Richards will be assisted by 33 year-old Albert Celades, former Barca and Real Madrid midfielder.

Danny Cepero, who scored the first goal by an MLS goalkeeper in his very first game, will continue his own fairy tale by substituting for Jon Conway, still suspended. The Bulls won their last preseason match 2-0 with Crystal Palace, with goals by Khano Smith and Mathew Mboto.

Saturday, March 21

Columbus Crew @ Houston Dynamo
Prediction: Columbus Crew 3-1

The Crew remain intact with 2008 MLS assist leader (19) and league MVP Guillermo Barros Schelloto, Robbie Rogers, and defenders Frankie Hejduk and Gino Padula.

Although Houston coach Dominic Kinnear still has national team striker Brian Ching, he lost goal scorer Dwayne DeRosario, recently suffered a humiliating defeat in CONCACAF, and striker Kai Kamara was just suspended for the first two matches for inappropriate comments. Midfielder Stuart Holden is expected to make miracles happen.

Chicago Fire @ FC Dallas
Prediction 2-2

The Chicago Fire will succeed as expected with Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Brian McBride and Chris Rolfe, but the individual efforts of Dallas Kenny Cooper, Dave van den Bergh, and Dax McCarty will throw off their game.

Toronto FC @ Kansas City Wizards
Prediction: Toronto 3-1

Toronto has a team set on scoring and Captain Jim Brennan and Dwayne DeRosario will make it happen along with Pablo Vitti, Chad Barrett and Danny Dichio. The fans want goals and the fans will get goals with this roster.

Jimmy Conrad, Davy Arnoud, and the rest of Kansas City will be hard pressed to keep TFC from running up the score.

New England Revolution @ San Jose Earthquakes
Prediction: San Jose 2-1

San Jose has a versatile midfield of Bobby Convey, Arturo Alvarez, Darren Huckerby, and Ramiro Coralles, and Cam Weaver can tally goals.

The Revolution lost three big players over the winter and replaced them with untested rookies while dealing with serious injuries to goal scorers Steve Ralston and Taylor Twellman. Shalrie Joseph, Jay Heaps and Chris Albright will control the back, but this team needs attacking players. Although the Revolution have troubles, they keep their spirits up by humiliating their coaches.

Colorado Rapids @ Chivas USA
Prediction: Rapids 2-0

Jason Kreis kept the Rapids intact with linchpins Omar Cummings, Conor Casey, Colin Clark, and Pablo Mastroeni, and beat the Sounders in preseason. Sasha Kljestan, Jonathan Bornstein, and Ante Razov will toil for Chivas but it may not be enough.

Sunday, March 22

DC United @ LA Galaxy
Prediction LA 3-2

LA will come off solid, thanks to Bruce Arena, who shook the team up top to bottom. Edson Buddle, Landon Donovan, and Dema Kovalenko will score goals without David Beckham, but still need to solidify a backline, particularly with the absence of new keeper Donovan Ricketts due to injury. DC also may be handicapped by the absence of their keeper Louis Crayton due to injury, but Francis Doe, Thabiso Khumalo, and Santino Quaranta will provide a show in the top half of the field.

Saturday, March 28

Real Salt Lake @ Seattle Sounders
Prediction: Real Salt Lake 2-1

Javier Morales, Yura Movsisyan, and Kyle Beckerman give Real Salt Lake the stability and creativity to challenge the new Seattle Sounders, while still producing episodes of the Kyle and Javi show.

National teams drop in the clutch

The women’s national team failed to win their third straight Algarve Cup, handing it over to Sweden in penalty kicks after the 1-1 tie. Shannon Boxx scored for the US in the 90th minute.

The men’s U-20s fell 3-0 to Costa Rica in the CONCACAF Championship final, but secured a spot in the U-20 World Cup in Egypt with their 2-0 win over El Salvador.

FC Barca resurfaces near 2010 Philadelphia franchise

A few days before bowing out of the proposed Barca Miami franchise, Barca president Joan Laporta toured the site of the stadium being constructed for the approved 2010 Philadephia MLS franchise. Don Garber told Sports Business Journal, “the team has secured more than 6,000 season ticket deposits and two sponsors a year before kicking off,” but Philadephia is looking for partners. MLS Philadelphia CEO Nick Sakiewicz said that Delaware County and Pennsylvannia put up $77 million and expects Jay Sugarman, the majority owner-operator, and his fellow investors to produce the $38 million balance.

“FC Barcelona has expressed for some time an interest in Major League Soccer financially and strategically,” said Don Garber. “They spent a great deal of time with us looking at Miami and are continuing to look at opportunities around the league.”

Photo Credits: W. Jarrett Campbell/Triangle Soccer Fanatics

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

A picture says a thousand words, a video says more. Debate even flared at the Washington Post about the skirt controversy.

Arena recharges Galaxy roster to fly with or without Beckham

Whether David Beckham stays or goes, the LA Galaxy will stagger on. Forging ahead, this week Bruce Arena jettisoned five (and more on the way out) young players from last season’s squad to make room for journeymen – keeper Donovan Ricketts, midfielder Dema Kovalenko, forwards Mike Magee and Jovan Kirovski, defender Tony Sanneh and rookies Omar Gonzalez and A.J. DeLaGarza.

Bayern Munich apparently purchased the ticket for Landon Donovan’s flight back, so after ruffled feathers are smoothed, say June, July, the Galaxy could be a competitive team.

The Milan/Galaxy ruckus is a bonus to MLS. Beckham is doing exactly what he’s supposed to do — spotlight soccer in the slick center stage of American sports. Now he’s found someone more attractive. The public can pretend they don’t care, do the “we’re growing as individuals” thing, but they’ve been jilted and feeling a little miffed.

Don’t underestimate indignation. It’s sailed ships.

So how should MLS deal with Beckham if he comes back to the circus that is the LA Galaxy?

Select one:

a) make contracts optional
b) raise the salary cap proportionate to the national debt
c) restrict cannabis from the locker room
d) socialize MLS wages

MLS reserves slashed – opportunities cut for young players

The shortage of capable young American players that afflicted the Galaxy is partly due to excessive NCAA restrictions on college programs and now exacerbated by the November 2008 MLS decision to guillotine reserve squads throughout the league.

That decision was spurred by the lack of funds for salary and staff to the extent squads rostered office staff and volunteers for reserve games. The decision reduced rosters from 28 to 24, with first team squads increasing from 18 to 20 with four developmental players.

We spoke with Jay Heaps about the cutting of the reserve squad. Heaps, Duke graduate and defender for the New England Revolution, took the Revs to four MLS Cups, played every minute of all 30 matches in 2008, and is team representative to the MLS Players Union.

LE: How does cutting the reserves benefit training and team operations?

Heaps: It doesn’t affect the day-to-day that much. Obviously, you’re going to miss out on some players. It would be great if we could have 28 players and have a reserve league, but I don’t think it’s financially viable right now. Last year we were signing players for one game and flying them into a trip and that’s it. It wasn’t the intended goal the league had when it set out — which is the right thing. I think the reserve league will be something they look to, but right now it’s a little premature in that we just don’t have enough numbers right now. Once we get to a position where we have the financial stability that we have 29, 30 guys on a roster you can create two teams and really do well.

LE: How do you feel about that decision?

Heaps: It’s better how it is now but in the same breath, there’s going to be a couple players lost that may have been that 25th guy, 26th guy that takes a little bit more than a couple months training to make a team. Like Jeff Larentowicz — he’s a perfect example — or Chris Rolfe, guys that were on developmental contracts that may not have been around if there wasn’t a reserve league. It would be a real shame if there were a couple of those guys that fall through the cracks.

LE: So it’s a bit of a loss.

Heaps: It’s a bit of a loss, but at the time we weren’t doing it the right way. Taking a year off from it and getting back to what makes it work and creating that is what we need to do.

Preseason games define starting 11

The preseason is on in MLS with scores running up and down in friendlies with NCAA, Mexican, Argentine, Chinese, USL, PDL, and other MLS teams as the coaches jockey players in various positions.

Under coach Jason Kreis, Real Salt Lake is undefeated in four preseason games and has yet to allow a goal, splitting time in net between Nick Rimando and Chris Seitz against NCAA, PDL, and Chinese Shandong Luneng Taishan, embarrassed 8-0.

The New York Red Bulls beat River Plate 2-1, with the go ahead goal scored by Dane Richards. Red Bulls unlikely trialist Aklie Edwards equalized with an own goal and Andrew Boyens made it right in the 73rd minute with a left-footed blast. River Plate was led by former DC United Marcello Gallardo, but largely fielded by reserves. Juan Pablo Angel rested for this match but signed an extension with the Red Bulls through 2012, when he turns 36. In the last two years, Angel scored more regular season goals than any other MLS player.

The regular season starts March 19 with the Red Bulls test-driving the upstart Seattle Sounders at home. Seattle sold over 20,000 season tickets and brags it can sell 15,000 more at the door. Nate Jaqua and Fredy Montero found chemistry and together scored 12 goals in six preseason games. More and more, the Sounders – with Kasey Keller, Freddy Ljundberg, Sanna Nyassi, and central defender John Kennedy Hurtado – are looking like contenders.

The Sounders will host Chelsea July 18 at Quest Field. This is Chelsea’s fourth visit to Seattle, the first in 1967 and last in 2004 when they defeated Celtic 4-2.

Last remaining MLS squad struggles to remain in CONCACAF tournament

Houston Dynamo will be fighting for survival in the away leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals March 3 in Cancun after their 1-1 result at home with Atlante. In the 34th minute, Bobby Boswell flicked in the header that left the Dynamo ahead and overconfident until Gabriel Pereyra evened the score with an away goal in the 83rd minute.

Barca waffles on Miami bid, Claure confident

FC Barcelona made statements backing away from it’s bid for a Miami franchise, citing the risk of a $40 million price tag in a shaky economy. But co-investor Mauricio Claure reportedly returned to Barcelona to celebrate with his partners when MLS awards the franchise, possibly by next week.

In response, Montreal and Portland (Oregon) restated they’re ready and eager to establish an MLS franchise should Barca back out.

Houston stadium deal looking up

Boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya, co-owner of the Houston Dynamo, announced they’re on the verge of securing a downtown Houston soccer specific stadium.

“We’re very, very close,” said De La Hoya. “So close that we can taste it, that’s how close we are. I am very optimistic that we can have, hopefully, a stadium within the next two years ready to go.”

Results:

CONCACAF: Houston Dynamo 1-1 Atlante

WPS and PUMA Uniform Unveiling

From Soccerlens.com - Football News