On a much more serious note, my condolences and empathies (is that even a word? it is now!) go out to those who were killed, injured, and/or lost friends, family members, and possessions in the earthquakes and tsunamis. My heart truly aches for you in your pain and loss. You are in my prayers. Not to be trite, but God deeply loves you. Look to God for the answers to your questions. He is the only One capable of comforting you.

News and Views

News from the world of MLS:

View from the Cheap Seats: All I want You really need to read this article! These are the "Christmas wishes" from various people around MLS. All I'm saying is that they're funny. If you want to know more, you have to check out this article for yourself!

The Clean Sheet: Poetic injustice

News and Views

If you ever find yourself taking your broadband connection (on a computer running Win XP) for granted, try using a 56K dialup (on a computer running Win 98). Believe me, there is nothing like that to cure a lack of gratitude. It is also a very good way to kill your desire to blog. After all, even computer techies like me don't want to spend lots of time surfing and blogging on a slow connection. Still, I can't help myself and feel an overwhelming desire to blog. (Just don't expect loads of links - after all, I do have my limits!) So, here goes...

First XI: Most intriguing Eric Wynalda made the list. Interesting. Bruce Arena, too - and he isn't even affiliated with MLS! (OK, I'll give you his controversial comment earlier in the year. However, this article doesn't even reference that. Go figure).

Connolly: Keep feeling fascination Same idea as the previous article, and he, too, mentions Arena. Can somebody tell me what is up with these guys? Arena is no longer a part of MLS!

Full slate to mark start of 2005 season

Torres: We're all getting adjusted

News and Views

The Cheap Seats: Pizza is best served Cold

Connolly: A no-win situation

News and Views

It's a slow day in the MLS world, but here's what I've pulled up on the web:

Mathis set to return to MLS from Germany Too bad it didn't work out. However, this just goes to show that MLS is still not among the top pro leagues in the world.

Fans and players left hanging: Kansas City sale shock comes out of the Blue This isn't news, but it is another perspective on what I blogged about yesterday.

Christmas Countdown

Days until Christmas: 13

News and Views

The Clean Sheet: Disappearing act?

Agoos season opens for MetroStars

The Cheap Seats: Off-and-on-season Believe me, if what Lalas says about the Chivagirls is correct, you do not want to see my wrath! One, it is very demeaning to women (women are more than eye candy!), and two, this is MLS, not the NFL! Stop trying to be like the NFL! *Glares.*

MLS News

The things I miss when I'm too busy to blog...

Ellinger remembers Fitzgerald fondly

Expansion Causes Shift In MLS

MLS Realign Conferences & Annouce Playoff Structure

A positive outlook on college players

European experience suits Wells

CD Chivas USA players train in Mexico

Christmas Countdown

Days until Christmas: 22

Christmas Countdown

Please pardon my temporary deviation from MLS-related blogging, but I want to do this. Don't worry; it's for less than a month!

Days until Christmas: 23

News and Views

Young talent to show skills at combine The article starts out: The cream of the college soccer crop... *Winces* No offense, but that is a rather pathetic pun! Anyways, read this article; some of these guys may be the future stars of MLS and interntional soccer. I am rooting for four of them, simply because they played at schools in my home state or in the state where I now live.

Cheap Seats: Taking down the nets The only remedy for offseason-itis is to play the actual game. I'll play anytime, anywhere. I couldn't have said it better myself! Come to think of it, I've said the same thing (in my own words, of course) many times before! Nothing cures football (soccer) fever better than, well, actually playing the game! For that matter, playing is a far better "remedy" than simply watching, discussing, and blogging. Now where did I put that ball? Oh wait - I have how many papers to finish writing? I guess I'll have to wait for now.

The Worldwide Passion - The American Dream Insightful article about the state of soccer (including MLS) in the US.

Whether you prefer to call it Soccer’s Siberia or the Land that Football Forgot, the United States of America has long been football’s last frontier. Meanwhile fans in the U.S. have a dream that the game will become mainstream in their country.

Unfortunately, this is true.

Media coverage or lack thereof is perhaps one of the greatest obstacles that football faces in the new millennium.

Ditto my last comment!

The Clean Sheet: Stoking the Fire Fire fans won't like this article, but fans of any other teams will!

Chicago Fire Scarf contest This isn't official news or views, but I found it a bit interesting, though I must say that entry #AA04 is the lousiest entry!

News and Views

Fire break ground in Bridgeview More info on the groundbreaking.

D.C. United Holds Holiday Toy Drive

MLS CONFIDENTIAL: Two Rev imports won’t be missed; Interliga set

News and Views

Sampson heads to South and Central America: Scouting trips to bolster roster will include stops at River Plate and Sao Paulo So far, Sampson has failed to redeem himself in the eyes of MLS fans. (OK, so I guess I should not speak for everyone, but he has yet to redeem himself in the eyes of this blogger.) However, the latter half of this past season did actually worsen my opinion of his coaching skills. I believe in giving people second...and third...and fourth chances, but this guy is running out of chances! Maybe he'll make some good changes for next year, but, frankly, I still don't understand why he was brought in while the Galaxy were doing so well!

Fire, AEG and Village of Bridgeview Celebrate Historic Day

After announcing plans for the construction of a world-class stadium for soccer, concerts and special events earlier this year, the Chicago Fire, its parent company, AEG, and the Village of Bridgeview today held the ceremonial groundbreaking for Bridgeview's new $70 million, 20,000-seat sports and entertainment stadium. The venue will house the Major League Soccer team permanently in Chicago's Southland region starting in the Spring of 2006.

Yea for Chicago! I may not be a fan of the Fire, but I remember my excitement when Crew Stadium was built, and as a soccer fan, I see the need for more soccer-specific stadiums in MLS! For more information, see Fire break ground on new stadium complex and Chicago Fire's New Stadium Breaks Ground

Decision obvious for Donovan Good luck to Donovan! I hope that this experience in Germany will be good for him and for American soccer.

News and Views

Connolly: Into the Great Unknown This is about Landon Donovan's move to Germany (finally!). Frankly, I expected to see him playing overseas within a year of the 2002 World Cup! I think the move will be good for him; no offense, but even though the quality of play in MLS is improving, it is still higher in Germany than it is in the USA!

The Clean Sheet: Turkey and me

MLS Expansion Draft: Fire set to lose Ring

The things you learn on road trips...

I saw something today that I don't know if I have ever seen before: a billboard (actually, there were two, if I remember correctly) for a pro soccer team! Granted, it was for indoor soccer, but I'll take what I can get! The billboard(s) is/are on I70 in St. Louis, Missouri. Apparently, St. Louis has a Major Indoor Soccer League team, named the Steamers. What a name! (Thank Google for that info - I had completely forgotten about the existence of MISL!).

News and Views

Yes, your AWOL blogger is back (for now, anyways). As you probably already know, my pick for the Cup (KC) lost to DC. Anyways, here is your MLS news:

View from the Cheap Seats: Draft this! This certainly is a unique view of the draft!

Torres, Williams first picks in 2004 expansion draft

Wynalda: Pins and needles

What a way to end the season

News and Views

2004 MLS Award Nominees Go vote for the Goal of the Year.

Revs still proud: Nicol finds positives in loss

Twellman: Booting painful Ouch. Poor guy!

Major Work Lies Ahead at RFK for New Team

News and Views

D.C. wins thrilling MLS final

United boot New England from MLS playoffs

In a Thriller, United Prevails

Wizards have plenty left in the tank

And the MLS Cup will be between...

DC and KC. (The Cup will be on the 14th.) My pick is KC for three rather shallow reasons: 1) I've kind of rooted for KC ever since they started a season really badly some years ago; 2) I rememember "The Curse" (when it took Columbus a few years to actually when against DC United at RFK); and 3) KC, geographically, is the MLS city closest to where I now live. My loyalties still lie with Columbus, but I'll be rooting for KC in the Cup (just don't expect me to root for KC when they play the Crew next year!).

News and Views

View from the Cheap Seats: Streakshow

To hear New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis explain it, you'd think playing goalkeeper in the playoffs and stopping penalty kicks in all-or-nothing matches is as easy as throwing dice.

"Well, they weren't the greatest PKs, and I think both [Ross] Paule and [Tony] Sanneh would admit that," Reis said the other day about the two penalties he saved last week against the Columbus Crew. "I just kind of read their body language and went with it."

Now, you and I know this is just after-the-fact bull, because you and I have tried to save penalty kicks before and failed miserably. Furthermore, we've tried to read body language before and ended up with a drink in our face.

I have yet to meet a goalkeeper who actually enjoys defending against PKs and whose ability to block PKs relies on more than mere luck. Read their body language? Pul-leaze! I have yet to meet a goalkeeper (myself included) who actually enjoys defending against PKs and who relies on more than luck to do so!

The Clean Sheet: Poll positions Good article.

Checking out the foliage

The Cup is coming...

and, figures, life has kept me very busy lately! It also figures that my Crew would have to get out! NNNNNNNooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! OK, I'm kind of over it now. At least KC will be in the Cup, so I can kind of root for them! Columbus will go to the Cup one of these years...I hope. As for the two teams remaining in the Eastern Conference, I don't particulary like either one of them. New England destroyed the Crew's hopes for this year, and, well, I still remember "The Curse" (the Crew went through the first several seasons of the league without winning a single match at RFK Stadium in DC). That said, I'll cheer for KC in the match, although my cheering will be mixed with disappointment. Columbus came close...so close...sigh.

News and Views

Naturally, my life would have to get really busy during the playoffs! I haven't been able to keep up with them, let alone watch any of the games! Unfortunately, it's not going to get any less busy for a while. Well, here goes your MLS news and views (for now).

It's down to eight teams, and Columbus is one of them! Yea! I just hope that, for once, they will be able to hold on and make it to the Cup. Ultimately, I want them to win the Cup this year, but I will be happy if they just make it there. With their strong finish this year, they proved a lot of people wrong. Personally, I can think of no better finish for them than to finish the season with the Cup in their hands!

Standings: So far, the Eastern Conference leaders are the Revs and DC, and the Western Conference leaders are San Jose and Colorado.

MLS Cup History

Controversial call nets D.C. a win vs. Metros

Donovan leads nominees for soccer player of the year

News and Views

Fitz-Gerald joins ReAL Salt Lake

MLS Cup Playoffs This isn't an article; it's MLS's playoff page.

Crew focused on continuing success

Major League Soccer's Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals Start Friday on Fox Sports World

News and Views

First XI: Every game counts Good quote:

Remember a few weeks back when U.S. national team manager Bruce Arena said that MLS regular season games were not meaningful enough? You have to wonder how Arena would feel about those comments were he coaching one of the 10 MLS teams this past season. When you think about it, what team in the league has ever felt completely at ease this year, so confident that his team would, one, make the playoffs and, two, get home field for the playoffs?...Truth be told, it's been a season full of meaningful games and this week's First XI will go by team by team to illustrate.

Well said.

Good news for United: United Will Bring Nowak Back as Coach

The Clean Sheet: Alive and kicking

Knowing how to make it count

Wynalda: That's more like it

Soccer: Wynalda always one to look ahead

With everything that has been going on in my life lately, I probably will not be posting much, if at all, this week. I hope to resume regular posting by next week.

Columbus at Metrostars: postgame commentary

Oy. It was a close, and, therefore an exciting game (ok, so I think any soccer game is exciting, but this one was more exciting than usual), but...Columbus needs to work on finishing and tightening up that defense. The Metrostars had way too many shots on goal; Columbus didn't have nearly enough. The Metrostars definitely played better than Columbus. I don't think anyone can argue that. I just hope that Columbus was having a bad day. I hope they got it out of their system and will be able to play much better during the remainder of the season/postseason. Ideally, the Crew's postseason run will take them to the Cup! On the positive side, Columbus did maintain their loss-less streak. I just wish that wasn't the only thing they did right tonight!

Columbus at Metrostars: final score

Columbus 1 : Metrostars 1

Columbus at Metrostars (continued)

I said it before, and, unfortunately, I must say it again: Columbus needs to step up their defense! Then again, the old adage also holds true here: the best defense is a good offense. Come on, Crew!

Columbus at Metrostars (continued)

For those who may not be familiar with the rules of soccer, if a player, while near his/her own goal (in the penalty box), commits a foul against the other team, the other team gets a penalty kick (PK). In a PK, a player from the team that was fouled gets to take a shot on goal from 9 yards from the goal. The goalie cannot move until the kicker's foot has touched the goal. Needless to say, a team who is awarded a PK scores the bulk of the time. That's what I was bemoaning.

Columbus at Metrostars (continued)

How stupid can you be? The last thing you want to do in a soccer match is trip an opposing player in your own box! Thanks to a certain nameless player *glares at the screen*, the Metrostars scored! *Glares.*

Columbus at Metrostars: halftime score

Columbus 1 : Metrostars 0

Columbus at Metrostars (continued)

Whew! The Metrostars have had quite a few close chances at goal in the last several minutes! Columbus had better step up their defense befeore their luck runs out!

Columbus at Metrostars (continued)

YYYYYYYYeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Columbus scored! Whoo-hoo!

Columbus at Metrostars (continued)

It's kind of sad: I still think of the Metrostars as New York/New Jersey. Come to think of it, I also sometimes refer to San Jose as the Clash. On another note, I forgot how frustrating it can be for a fan to watch a soccer game played on a football field! Those yellow lines are hard to see!

Columbus at Metrostars

Once again you get to see my running commentary as I watch a match live! Anyways, here goes.

Yikes...I pity the Metrostars, who have to play on a converted football field! I've had to do that; it's not fun!

Introducing Utah's team: Real Salt Lake

The speculation is over; Salt Lake has chosen a name for its team. Real Salt Lake. I like it.

Standings

1. Columbus
2. KC
3. Colorado and LA
4. Metrostars
5. DC and San Jose
6. Dallas
7. Chicago
8. New England

I love these rankings! Go Columbus!

News and Views

Wynalda: Every game matters Update on what Wynalda said earlier this year:

For me, what the Columbus Crew have accomplished this year has been an amazing feat. I said at the beginning of the year that I was very curious to see how Andrulis would manage the most talented team in Major League Soccer, and he got off to a very rocky start. I'm not going to give Andrulis all of the credit for the turnaround, but he did do several things necessary for success in this league: he let his players play, and he let them be the stars, and he let them play to their strengths. He kept his team happy and healthy, and he made tough decisions -- like sitting Jeff Cunningham and moving Kyle Martino up front -- which impresses me.

Weekend MLS Previews

Combinations vital to Wizards

Wynalda might get last shot: Soccer Hall inductee could play in MLS exhibition Monday

Dante Washington rejoins Crew

Earthquakes re-sign U.S. striker Ching

Coming Back to Haunt Us

News and Views

TCS: Nightmare on Victoria Street? I must have been spending too much time studying and not enough time sleeping, because I found this statement really funny: Apparently this new MLS-adidas deal really is all-encompassing: my sources tell me the apparel company will even be producing a bed linen line called The Clean Sheets. Nice. That aside, the rest of the column basically consists of Palace bemoaning the fact that Chicago made it to the playoffs and the Revs didn't.

Crew runnin' down a dream Yea Crew!!!!!!!!!

Salt Lake tabs Ellinger to be coach

Galaxy's Hong announces retirement

Crew to host playoff game Oct. 31

News and Views

Salt Lake set to announce name, logo

Crew, Fire to reshuffle lineups The tension builds...

Columbus Crew look to make MLS history on Wednesday night The Columbus Crew will look to make Major League Soccer history on Wednesday night as they attempt to set the longest unbeaten streak in MLS history against the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field.

Tales From The Pitch: Fire get the key draw on Saturday, but in dire straits on Wednesday

First XI: The debates

Adidas signs 10-year deal with MLS to become official athletic sponsor

Adidas locks up MLS in 10-year sponsorship deal

MLS playoff picture still cloudy

Tony's take: History repeating

News and Views

Herron makes history with weekly nod

Crew's Cunningham ends droughts

MLS Roundup: Week 27

Just Win, Baby!

Gulati: Arena is sorry Arena's comments are still making headlines!

News and Views

Crew takes 15-game unbeaten streak into Wednesday's road contest in Chicago I wonder how long their streak will last.

Conrad's Corner: MLS supporters take a crack at the top issues facing the league I like his "disclaimer" of sorts (there probably is a better word for it, but, unfortunately, I can't think of it at the moment!):

I, Jimmy Conrad, pledge to be a fair and balanced moderator with no bias attached to any issue I open up for debate. Any jabs directed toward me will incur my wrath, thus inspiring my team, the Kansas City Wizards, to beat the team you support in the playoffs. Understood? Good.

I guess I'd better not e-mail any critical comments towards him. ;) I'm not going to quote anything else from the article (I'd end up quoting most of it!), but if you have some time on your hands, I definitely recommend that you read it. It fits under the "views" category of my blog. I need to start reading this guy's columns weekly! Maybe I've just spent way too much time this past weekend studying, but I found it hilarious!

Why Bruce had to drop his bomb If you're sick of the hornet's nest that Arena stirred up, go ahead and skip this and the next link.

`lack of respect' in MLS timetable

Cavs hope veterans bring more credibility I know that the Cavs are a basketball team, but if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you'll see something about MLS. In case you don't feel like scrolling, I'll just post the whole thing here:

Don Garber slipped into town recently to meet with Force President Paul Garofolo and relatives of late former team owner Bart Wolstein about a possible MLS franchise in Cleveland beginning in 2006.

Herron, Cunningham put on a show

News and Views

Rapids clinch MLS playoff berth

MLS: Chicago 3, Columbus 3 I like the opening sentence: The Columbus Crew tied the record for the longest unbeaten streak in Major League Soccer history Saturday in a 3-3 tie with the Chicago Fire.

Crew tie Fire 3-3 to remain unbeaten I think I like the opening sentence of this article better than the previous one: The Columbus Crew extended their unbeaten streak to a league-record 15 games with a 3-3 tie against the Chicago Fire on Saturday night.

MLS: New England 2, Dallas 0


Adu's lessons kick in I finally found an article that does not sing the praises of Adu! A year older and certainly wiser, D.C. United's Freddy Adu realizes his first pro season could have been better. Even better: MLS overhyped Adu, promoting a player like it never had before. Then again, this one is pretty good, too: Called the league's savior, Adu hasn't lived up to expectations, at least not yet, although he made a major impact on attendance. Yea! I'm not the only one who thinks that is true!

News and Views

It's good to be king Basically, Wynalda takes issue with stuff ath Arena said in his highly public diatribe.

Twelve MLS players in U.S. qualifier

Arena apologizes for controversial comments Apology probably isn't the right term. After all, Arena only apologized for his "tone," not the content of what he said. This reminds me of what Wynalda said: My problem with Arena is not what he said, or the points he made. It was the process.

Arena clarifies his remarks I think this title is a little more descriptive than the last one about what happened!

Arena: 'The Tone Was Wrong... The Content Was Not'

Key MLS weekend with playoffs ahead

Nelson Fined by MLS

News and View

The Clean Sheet: Forward thinking I like the opening sentence of the article: Reason No. 473 why Major League Soccer is better than politics: the presidential debate has a format where the two guys aren't even allowed to talk to each other, while Saturday night in MLS is going to be a 10-team battle royal for playoff positioning. Am I the only one who thinks that the presidential debates are nothing more than a chance for two people to lie and exaggerate on national television, while taking a momentary break from the "normal" mudslinging? I may be a supporter of democracy, but way that political races are conducted makes me both apathetic and angry at the same time. I have zero respect for a politician who participates in mudslinging. I digress. Maybe I need to start a political blog! Moving back to MLS news and views...The Crew winning the Supporters Shield? The team that lost like 17 games to start the season is going to finish with the best record in MLS? Yeah, right. Next you're gonna tell me Mount St. Helens is gonna blow. Yea for Columbus! I love surprises during the season. (That does include the times when Columbus starts out well and finishes badly, although I must say that I tend to view those times as more interesting than exciting.)

View from the Cheap Seats: East-West, West-East This article, too, has a good opening sentence: Originally, I was going to pull a Bruce Arena today and rip into everything and everyone in the U.S. soccer world. Ain't that the truth...now onto the rest of the column. Lalas, you heretic! How dare you call the Detroit Red Wings the best sports team ever; you're a soccer columnist! I don't care if you call them the best hockey team ever: just don't call them the best sports team ever.

Club America drops another MLS hint [Sarcastic] Yea, just what we need: more rumors! [/Sarcastic]

United Won't Be Alone Any More As a Columbus fan who used to have to watch the Crew play in Horseshoe Stadium (OSU's football stadium), I can certainly empathize with DC. Furthermore, as a soccer player who remembers playing an away game on a soccer field that doubled as a baseball field, whose dirt infield overlapped onto the pitch, I can really feel United's pain! (That said, it still wasn't as bad as the game played on the fairground/grass parking lot turned soccer field.)

News and Views

Right moves at the right time I think Connolly gets the Understatement of the Year Award for this statement: It's also no secret that Columbus has been rewarded for their patience, and is the team in the East that upgraded the most. There is a lot of good information packed into this article about the league as a whole. (The rest just does not make the Understatement of the Year category!)

Teams enter final phase of season This article is Sigi Schmid's view on the four stages of the season.

Martino: The best is yet to come Basically, the Crew has come together really well as a team. Let's hope that their team attitude takes them all the way to the Cup!

MLS CONFIDENTIAL: Bruce Arena’s options

Olsen gains sophistication with age

Adu mixes youthful energy with savvy of an older game *Rolls eyes.* Why I'm even taking the time to link to this story is beyond me! I guess I just believe in presenting all viewpoints, even ones that I don't agree with.

Colorado relying on "positive energy"

Washington Eyed By United The title refers to Washington the soccer player, not the city. (I wonder if that title was intentional.)

News and Views

First XI: Promotion and relegation

Cup qualifiers to deplete MLS

Arena miffed at MLS games during World Cup qualifying

Herron Named Player of Week

S.L. may buy land for pro soccer park

If you MLS Cup were to be played today...

it would be between KC and Columbus, who are one point apart.

Standings

1. KC
2. Columbus
3. Colorado, LA, and Metrostars
4. Dallas and San Jose
5. DC
6. Chicago
7. New England

News and Views

Herron garners first MLS honor

The U.S. Coach Sounds Off This is Arena's take on MLS issues. Some of it relates to stuff I have blogged about recently.
1. For the league to play games during World Cup qualifying is insane," Arena said yesterday in a telephone interview. "It shows a lack of respect for the national team." I recall blogging on this subject very recently! It's nice to see other people who agree - especially if one of those people is Arena himself!
2. ALL-STAR GAME "A complete waste of time." Right on, Arena.
3. U.S. OPEN CUP "Debatable it makes any sense" for M.L.S. teams to participate. Uh, why not? If you can think of any good reasons either way, please add them to the comments section at the end of this post!
4. I like his comments under EXPECTATIONS OF U.S. WINNING THE WORLD CUP.

News and Views

Wizards win and now they're in

U.S. players are better than you think This article is definitely interesting and thought-provoking. Point in case: In the USA, soccer is struggling to be the fifth most important sport in our country. Well, I've got news for you: The U.S. is not necessarily the best at any of those other sports, either. Wynalda goes on to prove his point, and I agree with him. All professional sports in the USA, and, for that matter, all professional sports in the world, have their share of problems. I like Wynalda's conclusion: This is where we should all remind ourselves the secret is steady growth, and that is something we don't have to worry about. Where they can only hope to get better or keep things where they are, soccer in USA is getting better every day. Yes, growth is the key. My one problem with the article is this: according to the current official FIFA world rankings, the US is ranked tenth in the world. That aside, 10th is an improvement over where the US has been in the past decade. (Need I mention France '98, where the US placed 32nd?)

Thrill of the chases for Revolution

Some in MLS aren't drinking up Chivas USA

News and Views

Q&A with Thomas Rongen

The Clean Sheet: Dutch retreat

Goal of the Week: Esky ... again

RONGEN?!?!? This is from a blog and fits under the "Views" category. It is good stuff.

It happened again!

Remember a little while ago when I posted this? It happened again, this time while I was actually clicking a link! Very strange...

News and Views

MLS MVP Preki Undergoes Ankle Surgery

Fire Eye Fourth Lamar Hunt Crown

News and Views

First XI: Everybody in!: All 10 teams have a shot to advance to the MLS Cup Final Bottom line: Bradley believes that we should look for a Kansas City-D.C. United final. Personally, I favor any final with Columbus in it, but, then again, I'm a little biased!

Where does the Crew's streak rank?

If the MLS Cup was played today...

it would be between KC and Columbus, which are only one point apart.

Standings

1. KC
2. Columbus (Just one point behind KC! Yea!)
3. Colorado
4. LA
5. Metrostars
6. Dallas
7. San Jose
8. DC
9. Chicago
10. New England

News and Views: Weekend Reports

Buddle Punches Crew Ticket My favorite quote of the article is: Columbus Crew twice overcame deficits before becoming the first team to clinch a place in the MLS Cup Playoffs thanks to a 4-2 victory against the MetroStars at Crew Stadium on Saturday night. Yea!

MLS Capsules

Fire add Herron to senior roster

Pierce longs for old days

Hejduk returns to deep Crew

It's that time of the year This article made me think of a game I played several years ago. It was an away game on what had to have been one of my least favorite fields I've had to play on. (The fact that the field doubled as a grass parking lot, where it was evident that some rather large trucks had parked rather recently, should tell you something. Also, you know how a soccer ball either slows down considerably or comes to a complete stop when it hits a mud puddle during a rainy game? The same thing happens when the balls lands in some grass that literally just so happens to be tall enough to cover the ball. I'm not joking!) Anyways, this field just so happened to be right next to a football field (American football), where a game was in progress. At one point, someone kicked the soccer ball out of bounds, over the fence, and onto the football field. We cracked up and commented to each other about what a statement that was, with a real football (soccer ball) landing on an American football field! (Yeah, so maybe you had to be there, but it was funny at the time!)

View of the Crew: Healthy Crew prepare for first place battle with the MetroStars Interesting but (painfully) true statement: Columbus has always struggled with Bradley-coached teams.

AEG trying to sell United

If the MLS Cup were to be played now...

it would be between Columbus and Colorado, who have a mere two points between each other.

News and Views

Major League Soccer Awards Tracker -- Week 24 This is the first time I have linked to the awards tracker, and now I am wondering why I never bothered to do so before!

(Un)balancing act working for Rapids

The Cheap Seats: Immodest proposal Good article...except I am not a San Jose fan, and though I am not a starving artist (yet), I am a college student. (Do you have any idea how much things like tuition and textbooks cost? I got lucky this semester - my most expensive textbook (paperback, at that!) cost a mere $70 (US). But enough of that.) Anyways, I think that putting the team "up for sale" is a good idea, provided that there are people who have big enough hearts and pocketbooks to do so.

The Clean Sheet: Who's in first? What's in second...wait a sec; that's baseball, not soccer! Anyways, Drew Carey is fond of saying "Cleveland rocks!" I'll put my own little spin on it: "Columbus rocks!" :D Yes, Tino Palace, the Crew are top in the Eastern conference. They were finally able to break out of their ugly trend of starting well and finishing poorly. Still, the season is not yet over, so of course that can change at any time. Let's just hope that Columbus does not screw up between now and the playoffs! That aside, the rest of the article is also worth reading. This article gets my recommendation!

MLS should pay more heed to international dates The U.S. is of course unlike any other soccer market in the world, and sometimes things have to be done in this country that are a bit different so as to attract the biggest possible audience; both in stadium and on television. What a way to state the obvious! This article is the kind that I like - i.e., it is written by a soccer purist, who does a fine job of critiquing MLS! Regarding playing MLS matches at the same time as US FIFA matches, I like this statement: As hard-core soccer fans, we are all global thinkers, and follow the world game as passionately as the domestic one. Why then make people choose between one soccer match over another? Why pit MLS versus the World Cup? Excellent point! I am still trying to figure out why MLS does not pause for the World Cup! After all, the World Cup is the pinnacle of world soccer and happens only once every four years!

Chicago Fire shifting soccer stadium plans

News and Views

Salt Lake names Pastorino first GM

Internationals want shot at MLS

Sanneh nets Goal of the Week honor

MLS News and Views

Welcome back: Fire acquire Thornton Yea! I've been a Thornton fan for quite a few years, and am therefore glad to see him back - even if he is playing for the Fire!

First XI: Barroom Brawl I love articles like this one! Here are some of my comments (you knew they were coming!):
8. I agree.
7. Bottom line here on the target: Go after soccer people, be they grown up or adolescent. Ignore the haters. Good statement. I think that MLS should target everyone, although they should concentrate most of their efforts after those who play and otherwise enjoy soccer. However, a small bit of effort should go towards those who don't like the game. You never know; they just might be "converted!" As for the statement about kids needing to see "real" soccer, I totally agree. Personally, being able to watch and study professional and international soccer really boosted both my skills and my love of the game. I grew to respect good, skillful playing; good, dedicated fans (if you don't know what I mean, watch the European leagues!); and finally, I was able to see how the soccer, at its highest level, is played, and incorporate that knowledge into my playing. Bottom line: I wholeheartedly agree that MLS should target those who play and otherwise already enjoy soccer. As for those who hate soccer, I think that those who are dedicated soccer fans are the best candidates for making soccer lovers (or, at the very least, soccer appreciators) out of those who hate the game.
2. I think that the quality of play has definitely improved over the years. Part of that is due to the abolition of those dreadful rules (e.g. the tie-breaking shootouts). However, the improved quality of play is, in my opinion, due mostly to the fact that MLS has given players a chance to play on a top level - a chance that was not as widely available in the past. If you don't believe me, look at how well the US has done in the World Cup over the decades. You would have to be pretty dense to not see the improvements.

Hartman Sets All-Time Win Mark Congrats, Hartman!

Ruiz returns, clears up confusion Sampson's policy is: Every player has to rejoin his team 24 hours after playing with their respective national team. Interesting article if you're a Galaxy fan, a Sampson doubter/hater, or a Sampson fan.

Late wins having a big impact for Fire

Could Detroit join MLS in 2006?

News and Views

Heron Reports To Fire: Costa Rican still waiting for clearance to make league debut Saturday

Editorial: Much Adu About Something Is it just me, or are sportswriters overdoing the ado/Adu play on words? To switch subjects, I am linking to this article for those who wish to have a wide perspective of things in the news.

Standings

1. Colorado
2. KC and LA
3. Columbus
4. Metrostars
5. San Jose
6. Dallas
7. DC
8. Chicago
9. New England

Galaxy Earn First Victory of the Steve Sampson Era In Front of Sellout Crowd Although I have never coached on the professional level, which hardly puts me in the position to criticize - it took Sampson long enough! I still think they shouldn't have yanked Sigi. At the very least, Galaxy management would have been wise to keep him until the end of the season. Granted, I don't know what went on behind the scenes, so this is only the opinion of a soccer fan.

Revolution lose grip: They blow two-goal lead vs. MetroStars

With Ruiz injured, Galaxy sign Gordon Time will tell just how well he will play. I know what you're thinking: "Deep thoughts, Crew Fan." However, as obvious as that statment may seem, the overhyping of Adu should tell you that it is not such an obvious statement after all!

Coaches try to instill love of game: Area mentors provide positives at an early age Good stuff!

MLS News and Views

Llamosa on track for return That's a name I haven't heard in a while!

MetroStars Overcome Two-Goal Deficit to Beat Revolution

Rapids Wrest Perch From K.C.

Strange...

The past several times I've visited MLSnet.com, the page has reloaded and updated on me when I was reading it. Do you think it's a sign? *Cue Twilight Zone music.* (Not that I know what that music sounds like; believe it or not, I've never seen the show!) Well, let's get onto some more serious subjects.

MLS News and Views

United at a crossroads

Better to be lucky than good

Fire Keep Thornton

Galaxy sign forward Alan Gordon from Portland

Slow, Slower, Slowest... And An Interview With Matt Reis.

Nelsen: It felt great to be back On a personal note, this article reminds me of how much I sometimes miss playing!

Wizards' Zotinca fined, suspended

NavBar

If you have not yet tried the NavBar at the top of the page, you really ought to do so. In my opinion, clicking from blog to blog is highly addictive. Furthermore, I have found some blogs that I really enjoy reading! Click Next Blog at the top right corner of the page to start your blog surfing journey!

Site update

If you've visited this site before, you may have noticed that I, once again, have made some changes! This blog was in dire need of a facelift. My philosophy is that variety is the spice of life. Personally, I like the new site much better. Also, the links in the sidebar are working. Happy reading! :)

News and Views

The Clean Sheet: Got the point

View from the Cheap Seats: Back in the saddle Gotta love this quote: Furthermore, the Crew's success means I have to eat a little crow, an experience I don't mind now and then. If you'll remember, I lambasted Columbus and coach Greg Andrulis back in May. Let's just hope that the Crew can keep it all together and win the Cup!

First XI: First Year XI

Loss to national duty overrated

Q&A with Nowak, Moreno, Lawson

No time to waste for Quakes

Revs try to sort out lineup, earn points

Group in Detroit pushing for MLS team

Wolff Wins Goal Of The Week

Ankle Trouble Again For Preki

News and Views

First XI: First Year XI

Crew's Paule named MLS Player of the Week

Galaxy defender doubtful for Saturday game

Ching Finds His Stride With Quakes

Dallas Burn Weekly Update

Rapids Can Move Into 1st Place Friday

Ankle Op To End Preki's Term *Winces.* That has to stink!

Spector makes presence felt for Manchester United Contrary to what you may suppose from the title, much of the article is indeed MLS-related.

Fire has a future star on display - and his name is Mapp I like reading about and seeing up and coming players, but, please, do not overhype them!

News and Views

It's been a long week and weekend, so I'll make this short.

Crew's rise a taste of what's to come

Burn's Johnson opening eyes

Inside Soccer: Balance of power shifting in Europe. You're going to have to scroll down to "GET A CLUE," roughly halfway down the page, for the MLS news, but the workout on your mouse, arrow keys, or Page Down button is worth it.

If the MLS Cup would be played right now...

We're going by my criteria, not MLS criteria. :) My criteria is that the top team from each conference will play each other, though that will never happen in real life. Let's just say that these two teams are the best bet for right now, although anything can still happen over the next several weeks.

Columbus v. KC

Standings

1. KC
2. Colorado
3. LA
4. Columbus and San Jose
5. Metrostars
6. Dallas
7. Chicago
8. DC
9. New England

MLS News

Q&A with L.A.'s Steve Sampson

The Clean Sheet: Cannon fodder

Interview: Eddie Gaven

Martino: We're getting good results

D.C. United wary of shorthanded Fire

Fire midfielder Armas has knee surgery

MLS Fines MetroStars' Guevara $2,000 I didn't see the match, so I can't say for sure what happened, but, seriously, grow up! Refs do make mistakes, but you can at least be mature about it!

Convey makes change for the better

MLS plans for expansion and reserve league

San Antonio mulls building soccer stadium

On a totally random note, am I the only one who hates laugh tracks on TV shows? They are annoying and insulting! Seriously, I know when to laugh; I do not need a laugh track to tell me that!

MLS News

Time is right to make a deal Interesting.

Sham: Quakes a part of San Jose Very interesting! I like it when athletes, and, really, people in any profession, are in it because they love it - not just for the money!

Lack of domestic players makes it tough for national soccer team, says coach This article isn't strictly about MLS, but I feel it belongs here anyways. The article contains an interesting statement: "We need to look ahead and get the most out of players playing in Canada or the U.S., whether it means A-League or MLS. We could get together more and play a lot more games." Read the rest of the article; it proves that having a good, pro league in one's country is very beneficial to the country's national program.

Conrad's Corner: Point/Counterpoint on the key issues facing Major League Soccer This article deserves some applause, if for no other reason than its format. Format aside, the content is pretty good, too. Go read.

MLS CONFIDENTIAL: What Sigi would have done

Wizards Look to Extend Lead in West

Galaxy sends Lewis to Rapids

MLS News

Fire obtain services of promising Costa Rican

Arena has faith in young MLS stars. MLS is a league that Arena watches very intently, and he obviously puts a lot of stock in how players are performing at home. The league is producing quality young talent and giving Arena the pleasure of being forced to make difficult decisions. Interesting statement. I guess I still do not consider MLS to be among the top leagues of the world, although the number 8 spot that the US men occupied during Korea/Japan '02 is a pretty good indication that MLS does produce some quality players.

First XI: Deal with it. On a totally random note, when Utah and Chivas USA fully join the league, will Bradley change the name of his column to First XIII or something? Yeah, I know that was random. :)

View from the Booth: Beautiful vs. ugly

Goalkeeper's Log: Ask Pat anything. This article is pretty shallow, but, Earthquake fans, read away! (Note: I am not saying that Earthquake fans are shallow; I am simply saying that this article is shallow!)

Wizards boss busy mixing right potion

Klein undergoes successful knee surgery

Adu Cuts Back Public Appearances. This article is for you Adu fans - and for those of you who think that Adu has been way over-hyped.

Armas keeps getting hurt at worst possible times

Standings

1. KC and LA
2. Colorado and the Metrostars
3. Dallas
4. Columbus and San Jose
5. DC
6. New England
7. Chicago

Observation

I just found out that if you click on the # before the words posted by Crew Fan at the bottom of each post, you will be taken to a page with just that posting on it, and, furthermore, on that page, you have the option of posting your comments! (Even though I personally enabled the comments function, but I was not sure, until now, how it worked!) So, comment away!

I have checked and updated the links on my sidebar (on the left). Happy surfing!

Clarification: in the third article I linked to in my last posting, when I said I find it interesting that Pavon refers to defender Perez as a fullback, I meant that I find it interesting that the term "fullback" was used, as opposed to the far more commonly used term "defender." After posting it, I realized that my wording may cause some confusion.

MLS News

Sigi speaks out. Sigi Schmid's view on his firing. As always, I like to see both sides of the story, so this article is a must-read!

Ten MLS stars called in for qualifiers OK, so this is more about the men's national team, but oh well.

Pavon: O'Brien building his name on U.S. stage. On a very minor note, I find it interesting that Pavon refers to defender Perez as a fullback (the sentence following PEREZ LEFT HANGING?.

The Emergence of a Prodigy Yeah, yeah, I know. This is yet another article about Adu. This one is somewhat worth reading, though I do not highly recommend it. Still, it is MLS news, and therefore I am linking to it.

Dallas' O'Brien named MLS Player of the Week

Crew Can't Close Gap On MetroStars

MLS News

Rapids, Quakes each get a point

Quakes can't solve ex-keeper

Saturday's MLS Capsules

Heat, woodwork leave United, Revs tied

Land of the braveheart. This article is certainly worth the effort to read. It is about John Spencer. Here are some interesting quotes:
1. Though critical of some of the packaging of US football, he is quick to defend the content. "The ability levels here are actually very good. It’s true that the pace of the game is a lot slower, but because of the heat, humidity and altitude you simply couldn’t play at the same tempo as in Britain. You’d be breathing out of your backside."
2. About Freddy Adu: "I’ve played against Adu a couple of times now, and had a chance to look at him up close on a few other occasions. He’s a good young player, yes. But I’ve been around a long time and seen a lot of very talented 14-year-olds who have disappeared by 16....to turn round and say he’s the new Pele is ridiculous. You’ve got to remember that the USA has the best promoters in the world, and they are hyping him to high heaven....Personally, I think he’d be much better in a youth system at a European club, away from the limelight."

MLS News

Q&A with Columbus' Tony Sanneh

United, Revs fighting to the finish

View of the Crew: It all comes down to perspective

Nowak has a good problem: Too many strong midfielders leave him with options

Summer of 72. This article is not strictly about MLS; it isn't even strictly about soccer. However, there are a few comments worth quoting:
1) After watching a lot of European soccer and just as many MLS games, it becomes apparent that we still have a long way to go.
2) Had we not gone to war in Iraq, would we still have embraced their Olympic soccer team? Interesting thought...

MLS News

Cheap Seats: Call him mellow 'Celo

College players have just what it takes. Interesting article. I have nothing against college soccer, even though it isn't the way things are done overseas. Actually, I have nothing against watching or participating in soccer games, regardless of which level!

Metros host Crew in first place battle

Revs Finalize Howey Acquisition

The Clean Sheet: A cover story

Flamboyant Lalas goes corporate

First XI: Nobody asked me, but ...
8) I certainly have no problem with "traditional" soccer names. After all, they help set soccer apart from other American sports. Do you know of any NFL or NBA teams with names like "Real LA" or "BC New York" (Basketball Club)? However, although I am a purist when it comes to other aspects of the game, I don't see the big deal about team names.
4) Yeah, I occasionally pop by the message boards to see what the cult thinks of my work, I admit it. Is he calling people like me who talk about soccer on the Net a cult? *Glares.* Bradley does the same exact thing, except he gets to post his rantings, thoughts, and opinions on an official board. OK, so maybe he is right about us, but I still resent the term. But enough of the nitpicking...
1) In the East, the Crew haven't lost in more than a month and are about to add a guy who's got a couple rings already in Tony Sanneh. D.C. United's capable of anything. Columbus rocks! :)

Fire last in MLS, but still conducting one title search

Stadium construction roadblock for Burn

Olympic News

Men

Final match: Argentina v. Paraguay
3rd place match: Iraq v. Italy

My picks:
Final match: Argentina
3rd place match: Iraq

Just because I was totally wrong with my last picks, doesn't mean that I will be wrong this time around!

Iraq's success in this year's Olympic games is strongly reminiscient of Croatia's success in France 98 (World Cup - Croatia got 3rd place).

Women

Final match: Brazil v. USA
3rd place match: Germany v. Sweden

My picks:
Final match: This will be one close game. I'll be rooting for the US, but I will not be terribly disappointed if Brazil wins. In fact, it will be good to see a different country up on the medal stand.
3rd place match: Again, this is a tough choice, but I'll go with Germany.

I did much better with my picks for the women!

Goalkeeper's log: Cross your fingers

Adu eyeing spot in English club. That certainly isn't a shocker.

Behind the Badge: A Husky reunion

MLS Average Attendance Ahead of Argentina and Holland. Interesting, if it is true.

Donovan lays out conditions

U.S. market has shown considerable growth since 1994

MLS Rankings

1. KC
1. LA
2. Colorado
2. Metrostars
3. Columbus
3. San Jose
4. Dallas
5. DC
6. Chicago
6. New England

MLS News

Sanneh set to join Crew defense

Martino earns player of the week

Sampson gets a closer look at L.A.

MLS News and Views

Sampson era opens in L.A. vs. Fire

Red-hot Crew welcome United, Adu Adu is a part of United! The fact that DC is playing implies that Adu will be there! He is no more important than anyone else on the team! Duh! Soccer is a team sport!

Wynalda: The buzz in Los Angeles

Gaven getting wired: Busy week

First XI: Taking a stand. One more comment on this article:
11) Closeness of teams in the rankings means that the teams are evenly matched. Evenly matched teams make for way more exciting soccer. Hey, I'm just thankful that the horrible tie-breaking shootouts have been finally done away with!

San Antonio's soccer dreams: The city's mayor wants his legacy to be the addition of a MLS team

D.C. United falls apart on the road

Q&A with Wizards midfielder Preki

Olympic News

Men's Leader: Argentina
Women's Leader: USA

MLS News and Views

When Costa Rican eyes are smiling. Apparently, I am not the only MLS writer talking about the Olympics on a MLS forum. :)

The Clean Sheet: As the Planet turns. Good article. I like what he says about Sampson, and although he did succeed in getting the US to France 98, I was horribly unimpressed with the US's ability to finish well the the Cup that year. Let's just say that I am glad he is not coaching for the Crew! I believe that all coaches, players, and people in general deserve second chances; this is his second chance. Everyone makes mistakes, both small and big. Some of them cause embarrassment to the US men's national soccer program, until the US was able to save face in Korea 02. What Sampson does with his second chance is up to him. He has a whole lot of pressure on him to do well; die-hard soccer fans can be very unforgiving. Sampson, good luck. You have a tough job ahead of you, but it is possible to redeem yourself. (Just don't coach the Crew!)

First XI: Taking a stand. Very good article.
10) Interesting point.
8) Exactly!
7) Duh! The way I see it, American media has given MLS less credit as the seasons have passed.
2) Interesting.

Galaxy Appoints New Coach

US warms to the world game. Fascinating article on the status of US pro soccer.

Crew Unbeaten Streak Reaches 8. Go Crew! :D

MLS News

Crew host Wizards in midweek affair

CONCACAF qualifying semis kick off

Kinnear tries to keep players focused

Fire Signs Haitian International Alexandre Boucicaut

Moreno nets second Player of the Week honor

Ching to play for U.S. national team

Weekly Standings

1. LA
2. KC
2. Metrostars
3. Colorado
3. Dallas
4. San Jose
5. Columbus
6. DC
7. New England
8. Chicago

First-place Galaxy relieve Schmid. Just say he was fired, for crying out loud! By the way, why on earth would you fire a coach this late in the season - a coach who is doing pretty well! I wonder what the real reason for the firing is.

Earthquakes To Wear NASL "Retro" Uniforms On Aug. 21 As Club Hosts Thirty-Year Celebration Night

NASL Quakes to return Saturday

Schmid Axed By Galaxy. I am linking to this article, mainly because of its creative title. Yes, I am pathetic.

League-leading Galaxy fires coach. The title actually says it, and there is additional info in it.

Gap grows closer on conference leaders

MLS News

Iraq continues its run, defeats Costa Rica 2-0. It refers to MLS in the ninth paragraph. :P

ACL injury ends Klein's year. Ouch. That stinks!

Late goal ties up United

As much as I keep up with world news (which is a lot), I was just thinking how shallow it is for me to be blogging about soccer when there are far more important things going on in the world. I thought of starting a news blog, but, yikes, I may as well just link to all the major and minor news sites I visit every day. I guess it is just better to keep with a more narrowly focused blog. End of philosophical meanderings for now. ;)

Olympic news (Hey, it comes only once every four years. Cut me some slack.)

Iraqis a new dream team. It would be great if they won. Maybe I have another favorite! :)

United States 2, Brazil 0

Men's leaders: Argentina and Iraq
Women's leader: USA

Well, at least one of my favorites is doing well (two, if you count my new favorite, Iraq.)

Irrelevant post: Olympic soccer

I forgot that the US men's soccer team is not in the Olympics this year (neither is Brazil, for that matter!), although, of course, the American women are.

My picks for the men:
Gold medal: Mali
Team I will be rooting for: Japan

My picks for the women:
Gold medal: 1st pick: USA; 2nd pick: Germany or China
Teams I will be rooting for: USA, Japan, Nigeria, and Brazil

Let's see how I do with my picks. :)

I added a link to the sidebar. Happy surfing! :)

Donovan makes good on challenge

Alejandro Moreno Q&A

Adu finds place with United. Adu does seem to be playing well. That said, I still do not think that he is "the savior of American soccer."

Earthquakes, Wizards figuring it out

Texas makeover: FC Dallas unveiled. Cool.

The Clean Sheet: You're my boy, Tex. Sweet article. Go read. Good quote: But following in the footsteps of D.C. United, we have another "traditional" soccer name. Soccer bashers may have a field day with it, and mainstream sports fans and media may give a collective "huh?" -- and that's exactly why I like it. I've always said that MLS needs to focus first and foremost every day on converting and catering to American soccer fans, and this is another step in that direction. Yeah, I'm a soccer junkie, too. Maybe that is why I really dig the new name. Anyway, now the fun part begins for the Dallas fans: the "unofficial" name the team aspect. We gotta call them something, so what's it gonna be? *Big grin.* So what if I am not a Dallas fan; I am a blogger, which means that I have an opinion, whether merited or not. I will post one if (when) I think of one. Funny quote: So what do you think the "FC" stands for in FC Dallas?...If you want to go old school, it could be "Football Club." If you want to talk about the Burn's chances for winning a title this season, it's starting to look like "Fat Chance." *Another big grin.*

The Cheap Seats: European viewing. Good article, except for this one, shall we say, misstep: I don't miss watching the Columbus Crew play. *Glares.* Yeah, yeah, I know. If I can crack on Dallas, I should be able to take a crack on Columbus. Reading Lalas' comments on his lack of ability to follow MLS in Greece almost made me start on how I have it just as bad, here in the US this whole summer, but I will spare you that for now. Dig around my archives, and I am sure you will come across a spill of mine on that very subject.

Dallas Burn To Be Called FC Dallas. More on the name change, this time from the international soccer press.

Surgery looms for Chicago's Razov

New MLS team searching for coach, nickname

Sarachan, others wondering why Fire struggling this year

That is all for now, folks. :)

MLS weekly rankings:

1. LA
2. KC
2. Metrostars
3. Colorado
3. Dallas
4. Columbus
5. San Jose
6. DC
7. Chicago
7. New England

East leader: Metrostars (32)
West leader: LA (33)

MLS Week 19 in review

News in the MLS world is slow today.

MLS: Columbus 2, New England 2

Penalty woes are tough to kick: Revolution not taking advantage

U.S. league sending its stars to Europe. Good article.

View of the Crew: Danny in, Sanneh maybe, Players healing, Andrulis optimistic

Guess who has been forgetting to post weekly standings? :) It is time to change that, at least for this week!

1. LA
2. KC
3. Metrostars
4. Colorado
5. Columbus
6. Dallas
7. DC
7. San Jose
8. Chicago
9. New England

Newsworthy tidbits from the world of MLS (and my views on them!)

Donovan suspended for dissent

MLS main course has arrived. Interesting article on what to expect for the duration of the season.

Rochester's Cup Run Ends. OK, so this isn't MLS news. However, if you have read much of my previous posts, you probably know how I feel about Rochester. As far as I am concerned, anything on Rochester is fair game for this blog! :)

MLS Fines 5, Suspends 1. More info on the first article mentioned in this post.

Soccer on Home Plates: D.C. United seeks representation on Va. cars. Interesting. Enough said.

What a great way to start your day. MLS players on cereal boxes. Sweet deal! (Sorry; that was lame. *ducks flying objects*) It is about time that MLS got this level of recognition! Now if they can only put MLS players on boxes of Wheaties...

The Clean Sheet: What do I know?

United visits Donovan-less Quakes

One more thing: I can only guarantee that links will be correctly linked at the time that I publish my blog. I make all efforts to ensure that all links are correct, but if webmasters make changes to their sites after I publish, that is out of my control.

Guess who finally got around to checking the links on the left of the page! I updated nearly all of them. I apologize for not checking them recently; most of them were outdated! At any rate, they should all work now.

Optimism, questions for new club
Vergara: You Can't Franchise A Heart. Good article about Chivas USA.

First XI: Commish for a day. This article is a must-read. It is highly opinionated and full of good thoughts for league improvements. Now for my commentary on the article (you knew it was coming!):
11) Excellent idea! After all, soccer is a team sport and MLS teams (and most "mainstream" pro sports) certainly need more motivation to play good soccer and win!
10) This one is a no-brainer. The championship match should be just that: a championship! The top teams should be the ones competing!
9) It might be a good idea, but I do not see it as necessary.
8) Same as my comment on #9.
7) Uh, what about the A-League?
6) Not bad.
5) Moving on...
4) Good idea, but I still think that Rochester should have an MLS team!
3) The only good thing about the All-Star game is that it is one of the few games actually broadcast on "regular" TV. MLS needs the publicity! If they get rid of the All-Star match, they had better get a contract with ABC or someone else to broadcast more matches, just like in the "good old days." Oh, and baseball does not have good All-Star games.
2) Sweet deal!
1) Good idea to broaden the home team support base.

I think that goes down as my longest and most detailed commentary yet! :)

Crew's Buddle earns Player of Week

The news is now official: the twelth MLS expansion team will be in LA. I am sure that they have done all of their market research, but I really hope that they are not shooting themselves in the foot. That is, is LA really capable of supporting two MLS teams? In addition, I would imagine that most people in LA who care about soccer are already Galaxy fans. Are they really willing to switch loyalties? I guess that time will tell!

News and Views of the Day:

The Clean Sheet: All-Star performance

East notes: No place like home. Commentary on the All-Star game

Guess who got to watch the All-Star match, live, today!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 :) (The answer, in case the exclamation marks and smiley face did not give it away, is me.) I took notes. Say it. I know you are thinking it: CrewFan is pathetic. Oh, well. After all, that is what sports writers do, and I am a sports, er, blogger! My pick to win the match was the West, mainly because the top two teams in the league are in the West. That said, as a die-hard Crew fan, I was rooting for the East. The East, in case you did not get to watch the match, won. This was one of those rare times that I was glad to be wrong! :) (Hey, if those MLSnet.com columnists can make bad picks, so can I!) I also predicted that it would be a goalfest. Thankfully, again, I was wrong! The match was surprisingly good. The East won 3-2, which is a decent score for any match. In about the 20th minute, I thought to myself, "Nobody's scored yet. I wonder if there will be any goals going into the match." Guevara (East) scored less than a minute later. A minute or two after that, he scored again, that time on a PK (penalty kick). That got me thinking - penalty kicks are abbreviated to PKs, but why aren't corner kicks abbreviated to CKs, goal kicks to GKs, etc.? Hmm, maybe I should start something. Then again, people in different areas of the world might already abbreviate them as such. Anyways, back to the game. Seeing Landon Donovan (West) playing, I thought that it is still a surprise to me that he is still in MLS. After all the attention he received in Japan/Korea '02, I thought that he would have been off to Europe the following season, but I was wrong. Poor Jeff Agoos. Every time I see him play, I think back to when he scored an own goal in the World Cup ('02, I do believe). I think that most of us have done that at one time or another, so it is sad that I think of that when I think of him. I think that is enough of my commentary for now. Maybe I will post more on the match at a later time.