Major League Soccer has become a popular destination for international superstars to land to further their careers in the last six years.

It all started with David Beckham in 2007, and since then, the likes of Thierry Henry, Tim Cahill and Federico Higuain have moved to the United States.

Now, with the 2014 season rapidly approaching, there are some new names being linked with a few of the 19 MLS teams. 

Here is a look at five of the biggest names rumored to be moving to America in the next year.

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Eddie Johnson finally made his move from the Seattle Sounders to D.C. United, but what about the other MLS rumors that are yet to come to fruition?

MLS Golden Boot winner Camilo Sanvezzo appears to be nearing a move to Liga Bancomer MX. Sporting Kansas City striker Dom Dwyer has finally been spotted training overseas. Is an impending loan with an option to buy in the cards for Charlton Athletic? 

Then, there's Chivas USA. 

The club is still in search of a manager for 2014. Especially with Curt Onalfo removing himself as a candidate.

Read on for all the details.

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After finishing dead last in the Eastern Conference with a lowly 16 points and just three wins in 34 games, D.C. United needed plenty of change.

Luckily for soccer fans inside the Beltway, the club has done just that in the young offseason by bringing in a few experienced veterans and a future designated player. 

It all started on Dec. 10 when United acquired Davy Arnaud from Montreal in exchange for an international roster spot.

Two days later, Ben Olsen's side snatched two veterans in the first stage of the Re-Entry Draft. The 2013 U.S. Open Cup winners strengthened their defense by adding Sean Franklin and Bobby Boswell during the re-entry process.

D.C. continued to make waves this week as they brought in a disgruntled Eddie Johnson from Seattle in a trade that sent allocation money back to the Pacific Northwest.

Then came the second stage of the Re-Entry Draft where the Black and Red added Fabian Espindola and Nana Attakora with their two selections. 

With six new players now in the squad, Olsen and his staff have plenty to work with during the final few months of the offseason.

Franklin and Boswell will anchor a defense setup that was ravaged by 59 goals in 2013, a total that was second-worst in the league behind Chivas USA's 67.

The duo will likely be paired with Chris Korb and Dejan Jakovic to form a back four that on paper already looks better than the 2013 version of the back line in front of goalkeeper Bill Hamid. 

Attakora will also challenge for a spot in the back four on a consistent basis, which gives Olsen some experienced depth to work with heading into 2014. 

Arnaud and Espindola add a bit of flair to the midfield, which already contains some strong talent in Chris Pontius and Perry Kitchen. 

While all of the new acquisitions mentioned above will gain some traction with fans, the biggest name is Johnson, who needs to be in prime goalscoring form ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Unlike in Seattle, Johnson will be the go-to guy in D.C., and all of the pressure will be on his shoulders to score for the prestigious Eastern Conference club. 

Johnson can have an attitude at times, but what forward doesn't carry an edge with him in today's game? 

The 29-year-old United States international revived his career in Seattle after a disappointing time in England with Fulham, and he has made himself a constant fixture on the international level again. 

Whether you agree with it or not, Johnson's status as a designated player is warranted, and in due time, he will receive that designation as a part of his move to the nation's capital. 

On top of all the offseason moves they have already made, D.C. also contains the No. 1 pick in the MLS SuperDraft in January.

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Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders have officially traded forward Eddie Johnson to D.C. United, the team announced:

OFFICIAL: The #Sounders trade Eddie Johnson to @DCUnited in exchange for allocation money. http://t.co/gM3TP4HRY1

Good luck to @eddie_johnson7 as he continues his career with @dcunited. Thanks for two great seasons!

SI.com's Brian Straus initially reported the deal and said Johnson was dealt for exchange for a "large amount of allocation money."

Straus adds that Johnson is expected to sign a new contract with United that will pay him more than the estimated $156,333 he earned last season in the Pacific Northwest. 

Seattle fans will certainly be sad to see the 29-year-old go, but his surging production and the arrival of Clint Dempsey in August has left the franchise between a rock and hard place. Dempsey's salary demands, "roughly 30 times greater than Johnson's," according to Straus, made the front office's decision that much easier and United are sure to benefit as a result.    

Johnson, who spent several years in the Premier League with Fulham, is an elite goal scorer, recording 29 goals in all competitions during two seasons with the Sounders.

Former Sounders teammate Steve Zakuani praised Johnson's remarkable turnaround on Twitter shortly after the trade was reported: 

Sometimes you have to put personal opinions aside & respect what he did on the pitch & how he turned his career around @eddie_johnson7

United will definitely welcome the talented striker with opon arms as they finished dead last in the Eastern Conference last season, scoring just 22 goals in 34 regular-season games.

The United States Men's National Team star has also reemerged as an international stud, starring for the Americans at last summer's 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup and netting five goals in 15 appearances for the USMNT this past year.

D.C. fans will have to wait until March 8 to see Johnson in action in a United uniform for the first time, when the Black-and-Red kick off the 2014 MLS regular season at home against the Columbus Crew.   

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter. 

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David Beckham's playing days may be over but the next chapter of his career in football is about to begin, as the owner of a Major League Soccer side. 

Official announcements have not yet been made, but it looks like Miami will play home to the latest incarnation of "Brand Beckham."  

But why South Florida, when will this happen and is LeBron James really involved? Over the following slides, we answer these questions and give you the lowdown on Becks' proposed franchise. 

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Some unexpected fireworks were created on Thursday during Stage One of the Major League Soccer Re-Entry Draft. 

The first stage of the re-entry process featured 57 eligible players with D.C. United containing the first pick.

However, it was not D.C. that sent shock waves throughout the league with their pick, as that job was done by the Portland Timbers. 

Just before the re-entry draft began at 3 p.m. ET, the Timbers traded defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste and the No. 17 pick in the re-entry draft to Chivas USA for the No. 2 pick and Jorge Villafana. 

After the deal was announced, the Timbers got down to business and opted to choose former Seattle Sounders midfielder Steve Zakuani with their pick.

The pick of Zakuani, who has not been the same player since breaking his leg in 2011, thickened the plot of one of the biggest rivalries in North America just a bit more.

Zakuani's selection was later deemed a necessity by most as it was revealed that Rodney Wallace had undergone surgery for a torn ACL that was suffered in the playoffs against Real Salt Lake. 

Zakuani will be able to fill the void left open by Wallace in midfield, and he will look to attain the success he had at Akron during his collegiate days as he will link up with his former collegiate head coach Caleb Porter in the Rose City. 

D.C. left the first stage of the process with two new players as they selected defender Sean Franklin with the first pick and another defender, Bobby Boswell, with the 20th overall pick.

Only two other selections were made in the first stage of the re-entry draft, a stage that is usually very quiet.

Philadelphia selected Corben Bone, a midfielder who played with Chicago last season, with the sixth pick, and Colorado took defender Marc Burch, previously of the Sounders, with the 13th pick. 

The second stage of the process will be held via conference call on Wednesday, and the folks at MLSSoccer.com do a great job of detailing the entire process in this article. 

With the selection of the five players on Thursday, 52 players will be eligible for selection on Wednesday with the same order being in tact for the second stage. 

Follow me on Twitter @JTansey90

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Stage One of the MLS Re-Entry Draft saw an unusual amount of activity this year. Since the draft was created in 2010, the first stage of the draft rarely saw more than a couple picks. This year, a total of five selections were made.

Before the draft began, a few big names were pulled out of the pool of players who were eligible for the Re-Entry Process. Toronto FC's Bobby Convey, FC Dallas' Kenny Cooper and New England Revolution's Kevin Alston were removed from the draft. The full list of eligible players was cut down to 57.

With the first pick of the draft, D.C. United selected former LA Galaxy defender Sean Franklin. The 2008 MLS Rookie of the Year and two-time MLS Cup champion will enter his seventh year in MLS with a D.C. team that is hoping to rebound after one of the worst seasons in team history. 

D.C. also selected former Houston Dynamo defender Bobby Boswell in the second round of the draft. All of a sudden Ben Olsen's back line already looks much better than last year's woeful defense that allowed 59 goals.

Chivas USA had the second overall pick in the draft but traded it to the Portland Timbers. The Timbers moved up in the draft while sending 21-year-old defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste to Chivas USA and receiving utility man Jorge Villafaña in return.

With the second pick the Timbers selected Steve Zakuani. The former Seattle Sounders speedster has yet to return to his pre-injury form, though he should fit in well with Portland's fast-paced and dynamic offense.

The two other selections in the draft were made by the Philadelphia Union and the Colorado Rapids. Philly picked up former Chicago Fire midfielder Corben Bone, while the Rapids shored up their defense by selecting Marc Burch.

With Stage One of the draft over, teams are now getting ready for Stage Two which will be held on December 18.

News on the players who were pulled out of the draft should come soon.

With plenty of big names left such as Dwayne De Rosario, David Ferreira and Fabian Espindola, there's plenty more action and excitement to come in this first part of the offseason.

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It has been customary for a team of MLS All-Stars to face a top team from Europe in the MLS All-Star Game on a yearly basis, but it can be argued that the MLS will face its toughest test yet in the summer of 2014. According to the Portland Timbers' official Twitter account, the All-Stars will take on Bayern Munich.

The 2014 MLS All-Star Game will be held at Jeld-Wen Field in Portland, Ore., next summer, and the fans will certainly be in for a treat.

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge initially announced on Dec. 8 that his team would be involved in the MLS All-Star Game, according to Tim Polzer of SI.com via SportBild.

We were the first German club (to receive) an invitation to the MLS All-Star Game. We have accepted the invitation. We are discussing plans to go for a week in the U.S. and to play two matches. The DFL (German Football League) has great interest that we travel to the U.S.

The talent level has increased significantly in MLS over the past several years as the sport continues to gain traction in the United States. With that said, Bayern Munich are arguably the best team in the world right now, so the MLS may be biting off more than it can chew.   

According to OptaJack, Bayern are currently in the midst of an incredible Bundesliga unbeaten streak.

In addition to that impressive statistic, FCB became the first German team to win the treble in 2012-2013 as they took the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and UEFA Champions League titles.

Bayern have a stacked roster featuring stars such as Manuel Neuer, Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Mueller, Bastian Schweinsteiger and many others. If nothing else, it will be great for soccer to have such a star-studded team playing a match in the United States.

It's possible that Bayern will only use their stars sparingly, but even a match against Bayern's reserves would be a massive challenge for the MLS All-Stars.

Even though the odds of beating Bayern look bleak right now, the MLS has a history of success in the All-Star Game. According to OptaJack, the MLS All-Stars have a 5-4 record in All-Star Games against international opponents since 2005.

The MLS All-Stars have dropped four of their past five with their only win coming against Chelsea in 2012; however, they will undoubtedly be up for match against Bayern.

Regardless of the result, bringing in an elite team like Bayern Munich is a major coup for the MLS and American soccer as a whole.   

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

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The best action of the 2013 MLS Cup final was highlighted by Jimmy Nielsen and Kyle Beckerman, but what about the worst?

Plenty of candidates met the criteria in Sporting Kansas City's shootout victory over Real Salt Lake. Mother Nature intervened. Referee Hilario Grajeda continued the farcical trend of poor officiating in MLS. Both clubs failed to deliver the quality of play worthy of a cup final. 

Read on for all the beautiful and painful details. 

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 On Saturday night, Sporting KC defeated Real Salt Lake in the MLS Cup final. After 120 minutes, the teams remained tied at 1-1 and Sporting outlasted RSL 7-6 in 10 rounds of penalties to claim the title.

Sporting KC is one of the class organizations of Major League Soccer. They have a terrific stadium, a terrific fanbase, one of the best coaches in the league and a bevy of top-class players. But, were they lucky to win the title on Saturday night?

Should Aurelien Collin Even Have Been on the Field for His Goal?

On Saturday, with Sporting KC trailing 1-0 in the 76th minute, Sporting center-back Aurelien Collin scored the tying goal, forcing the game into extra time.

Collin was huge for Sporting throughout their playoff run, scoring three goals in their five playoff games. But, should he even have been on the field to score his goal against RSL?

All match long, Collin was engaged in a battle with RSL forward Robbie Findley. Findley’s pace caused Collin problems, which Collin handled on multiple occasions by simply taking Findley out.

In the 22nd minute, Collin tackled Findley hard and from behind, but there was no call on the play. The only possible explanation was that center official Hilario Grajeda thought Collin got the ball on the play, but replays clearly showed Collin caught Findley’s ankle.

In the 35th minute, Collin fouled Findley again, this time as Findley pushed the ball past Collin. Although Collin wasn’t technically the last defender—center-back Matt Besler was half a step behind Collin—Findley would have been in on goal. This time, Collin was called for the foul and cautioned.

Then in the 69th minute, just seven minutes before Collin would score his game-tying goal, he fouled Findley again when he stabbed for the ball as Findley pushed past him in Sporting’s defensive third. It was clearly a foul and took away a good opportunity for RSL to open up Sporting’s defense. While it wasn’t what one what typically call a “professional foul”—meaning it didn’t look to be on purpose—it was certainly the type of foul that can draw a caution.

Instead, Grajeda, apparently not wanting his call to have such a large impact on the match, did not issue a second caution to Collin, but simply talked to him as Collin angelically put his hands together begging for mercy. After the game, Findley commented, “I definitely thought it was a second yellow.”

One has to respect Grajeda’s desire to let the players decide the game on the field, however, the combination of his earlier missed call and his decision not to book Collin on this second foul, left Collin on the field to help decide the game.

In fact, not only did Collin score the game-tying goal, but it was his penalty in the shootout that sealed the victory for Kansas City.

RSL Was Inches Away from Four Other Goals

Jimmy Nielsen, Sporting KC’s goalkeeper, was absolutely abysmal on Saturday night. Throughout the match, Nielsen looked terrible, moving slowly and struggling to handle back passes and balls served into his area. It appeared the combination of cold weather and Nielsen’s age had turned his blood into molasses (after the game it was revealed he was playing with broken ribs).

In the 29th minute, Nielsen punched a service straight into the air, where it fell to Findley who found himself all alone on the back post. Findley somehow missed the empty-netter, putting it off the post and Nielsen collected the rebound.

Then, in the 73rd minute, just moments before Sporting would equalize, a chip by Javier Morales went past Nielsen and somehow went off the post, across the face of the net and out of bounds. It was the second time RSL hit the post with Kyle Beckerman smashing one off the opposite post from distance just 10 minutes earlier in the 62nd minute.

Finally, in the 105th minute of play, RSL striker Alvaro Saborio scored what looked to be his second goal of the game and the potential match-winner, before he was adjudged to be offsides (replays showed he was just behind the last defender when the ball was served).

So, Did Sporting KC Get Lucky?

Regardless of the result, games like the 2013 MLS Cup, full of close calls, brilliant goals and missed chances are what lead fans to love the game as they do. Those moments, whether they benefit or hurt the club one is cheering for, are exactly what make the game exciting.

After the match, despite the bitter loss and controversy involved, even RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando was full of class, Tweeting his congratulations to Sporting KC.

One adage that fully applies to games like this is “You make your own luck.” While RSL can certainly feel aggrieved about the missed call(s) on Collin, it is part of the game. So is hitting the post. And it’s tough to take anything away from Sporting KC, who has been one of the best teams in Major League Soccer for each of the past three seasons. They didn’t get to the MLS Cup because they are lucky. They got there because they are full of class—throughout their entire organization.

In the end, while both teams would have been worthy champions, Sporting KC found a way to win—and that’s all that matters.

Follow me on Twitter @JohnDHalloran

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