The MLS is a league that is on the rise in World Football.

This is not to say that the league will be on par with the likes of Serie A, La Liga or the Premier League anytime soon, but there are signs that the MLS is becoming a better league in general.

Whether it's the number of talent within the league, or the growing popularity of the sport in the country in general, the MLS is getting better.

Here are seven signs the MLS is on the rise.

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Wholesale changes were in order throughout Tuesday night’s friendly between San Jose Earthquakes and Swansea City, with both Frank Yallop (San Jose) and Michael Laudrup (Swansea) clearing out their substitutes’ benches.

By the time the final whistle had gone on a 2-2 draw, Laudrup had used 21 players in total to Yallop’s 19. Both managers used the word “pleased” in their post-game press conferences when asked to describe their reaction to the result, played out in front of 9,239 at Buck Shaw Stadium.

“It was very useful, what I saw tonight,” said Laudrup, who took over the Swansea managerial post on June 15 after Brendan Rodgers left for Liverpool FC. “I think the first half, the first 60, 65 minutes we did well. It’s getting much better everyday, you can see that. We scored a couple of goals, and we could have scored a couple more.”

“But in the last 20 to 25 minutes we forgot the ball, we forgot to play,” Laudrup continued. “We gave it away too soon. That’s difficult for our team if we don’t have the ball, because then of course we have to run and it becomes difficult for us.”

During his two seasons at the helm of Swansea City, Rodgers had built upon the system of fluid passing and incisive movement begun by Roberto Martinez in 2007.

Stubborn in the vein of Arsene Wenger or Ian Holloway, managers of Arsenal and Blackpool, Rodgers was resolute in his desire to see his side play their passing game, no matter the circumstances surrounding the match.

Swansea became one of the greatest stories of the 2011-12 Premier League season, showing no nerves about being the first Welsh side to crack the English top flight during the league’s modern era.

Aided by some inspired work in the transfer market (namely, Gylfi Sigurdsson), the Swans rode their fluid system of football to an 11th-place finish, claiming some impressive results along the way.

Victories over Arsenal and Liverpool at the Liberty Stadium were highlights, but it was Swansea’s ability to obtain results when they needed that most contributed to their impressive final placement.

The Laudrup Era Shows Early Promise

Fast-forward to the final day in July. The Swansea side that Laudrup brought with him is already showing some indications of its new manager’s presence.

Michu and Chico, signed earlier this summer, joined Jonathan de Guzman in the starting lineup. Laudrup coached De Guzman, a central midfielder with a creative bent, at Mallorca in 2010-11 and has brought his former charge in on loan from Villarreal for the upcoming season.

After leaving Mallorca on less-than-cordial terms in late September 2011 (almost four years to the day from when Jose Mourinho left Chelsea under similar circumstances), Laudrup could have had his pick of the litter when it came to top European clubs.

A transcendent player in his day—in Christian Mohr Boisen's book Et Fodbolddynasti, German legend Franz Beckenbauer called him the best player of the 1990s and Andres Iniesta hailed him as the greatest of all time—Laudrup has already enjoyed some impressive spells of success in his relatively brief managerial career.

Still just 47, the former attacking midfielder led Danish side Brondby, with whom he had played as a youngster, to a league and cup double in 2005, a feat for which he earned Danish Manager of the Year.

His sides have a penchant for playing attractive football, and Laudrup was attracted to Swansea City in part because of their renowned style. His signing sent shockwaves throughout Wales, where Swansea fans who had been reeling from Rodgers’s departure perked up and hailed the inspired arrival of one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Laudrup departs from his predecessor in some very particular areas, however. He has noted that Swansea will not sneak up on anybody this season, a luxury they were afforded during their maiden Premiership voyage last season. Thus, they must have alternative styles in order should the fluid passing fail to fire.

“All the other teams in the Premier League know how Swansea is playing, and they will try to adapt to that, to find the weak points in our play,” Laudrup said. “That’s why we have to, we need some alternatives to the way we play normally, if it’s not working.”

A Mix of the Old and New Open the Scoring for Swansea

His side certainly started off well against San Jose, bossing possession for much of the first half. The inevitable jitters and lapses in concentration, so frequently seen during preseason fixtures, were also on display, but as the half progressed, the starting XI began to play some very good football.

Michu, Chico and De Guzman all started for Swansea, and holdover first-teamers Michel Vorm, Ashley Williams, Luke Moore, Leon Britton and Danny Graham rounded out Laudrup's lineup to start the game.

They met a San Jose side with nine changes made to the team that had started Saturday night’s enthralling 1-1 draw with Chicago Fire.

Forward Steven Lenhart, who had played the role of savior against the Fire by way of a spectacular volleyed equalizer in the 98th minute—the latest goal ever scored in Earthquakes club history—was on the bench, as were Chris Wondolowski, Rafael Baca, Shea Salinas and Alan Gordon.

Thirty-three-year-old Ramiro Corrales, named to last week's All-Star game, was in the starting lineup at left back.

Swansea started on stronger footing—Yallop attributed that to the makeshift lineup he sent out—with Luke Moore and Danny Graham both seeing early chances go begging for the visitors.

San Jose mounted their first real attack in the 23rd minute, when Corrales picked out a wide-open Sam Garza at the edge of the penalty area. Garza took a touch to settle before firing a fierce drive that had eyes for goal. But Vorm, excellent last season for Swansea, was able to palm the effort over the bar.

After beginning the game somewhat disjointed, often electing to play over the top for Graham and attacking midfielder Michu when passing lanes closed down, Swansea finally began to settle and play their neat, triangular passing game that had so captivated the Premier League a season ago.

'Quakes right-back Jed Zayner managed to pick out forward Cesar Pizarro with a good cross in the 31st minute, but Pizarro could only head over into the top netting. Swansea surged thereafter, embarking upon a steady acceleration that would last until the end of the half.

A poor back-pass from Mehdi Ballouchy, whose trade from New York Red Bulls was only finalized on Monday morning, saw a poor back pass picked out in the 36th minute. The ball fell to Graham, whose left-footed drive sizzled just past keeper David Bingham’s far post.

Wayne Routledge then found Michu at the top of the box in the 39th minute, but the man who tallied an impressive 15 goals for Rayo Vallecano last season could only fire wide of Bingham’s right post.

Michu was excellent on the night, providing the sort of attacking dynamism that will surely be needed in the upcoming season.

Swansea would open the scoring just two minutes later.

Swans left-back Ben Davies sent a searching cross-field ball for Routledge that Corrales easily picked out, but the defender’s volley, intended as a back pass for Bingham, fell woefully short.

Ever alert to that sort of danger, Graham raced onto the loose pass and, after touching past the onrushing Bingham, coaxed his right-footed shot into the back of the net to put his side up 1-0.

Swansea would continue their vein of pressure to start the second half, and in the 60th minute, Williams sent in a curling cross from the right edge of the penalty area.

It fell perfectly for his fellow central defender Chico, who rose highest and headed down past Bingham’s right to make it two goals to none for his side.

A Timely Trio Turn the Tide for San Jose

Both Laudrup and Yallop began sending on substitutes in rapid succession after the second goal, but it was the latter’s inspired introductions of Lenhart, Shea Salinas and Simon Dawkins in the 62nd minute that turned the match on its head.

The diaspora of key Swansea players headed for the sidelines was met by a number of the 'Quakes' top players entering the game. It was a disparity that would change the match's complexion entirely.

“We brought in the ‘reinforcements,' if you like, Yallop said. “Those guys who are really game sharp, and you notice a big difference when they come on, they can change the game.”

Whereas San Jose had appeared to be on the back foot for most of the game, they suddenly pushed into the ascendancy.

Dawkins, as he'd done so adroitly on Saturday in a performance that had earned him the top spot in the weekly Castrol rankings the strings, tucked into an attacking midfield position (he excels when he is able to cut in from his starting assignment on the wing).

Salinas, who had been superb at both right wing and right-back against Chicago, quickly began wrecking havoc on the left for San Jose.

It didn’t take the winger long to put Swansea left-back Ashley Richards, brought on for starter Angel Rangel, under pressure.

Slipped in behind the defense by Guvenisik, Salinas ghosted past Richards to the endline before cutting his cross back across goal, where it went untouched.

San Jose had turned the tide, however, and in the 74th minute Rafael Baca, substituted just minutes earlier, took a quick free kick, sending a lofted ball cross field to Salinas.

The winger collected with ease before picking out Chris Wondolowski, brought on alongside keeper Evan Newton and Baca in the 71st minute.

Normally metronomic with his consistency in front of goal, Wondolowski’s powerful header blazed past Vorm’s near post.

But Salinas was far from finished with his industrious work.

A bit of inspired vision from the 24-year-old Dawkins picked out Salinas on the left wing in the 80th minute.

Darting past Richards on the left wing, Salinas sent his cross toward the arriving Lenhart, who could do nothing else but side-foot his close-range effort past Vorm and into the back of the net to bring the ‘Quakes to within a goal.

The crowd, ominously silent for much of the game (much to the chagrin of the 1906 Ultras, San Jose's boisterous band of Ultras), began making their voices heard.

Channeling San Jose’s Goonies mentality might have seemed a bit bizarre for a friendly, but make no doubt about it—the 'Quakes' never-say-die attitude was on full display from the time Lenhart found the mark.

Another superb sequence from the Earthquakes in the 82nd minute saw Wondolowski nod down a header for Dawkins, whose first-time ball split a seam on that vulnerable Swansea right flank and found Corrales, who sent in a good, hard cross that was headed clear for a corner.

After Salinas fired wide in the 83rd minute—a rare shot on goal for him, and one that he looked like he’d have liked to have back—Dawkins again played the role of creator, this time in the 85th minute.

After a neat bit of dribbling, Dawkins picked out Baca on the right wing. The central midfielder's inch-perfect cross missed Wondolowski by a whisker, but who else than Lenhart rose to meet it. The forward's powerful header coursed past a helpless Vorm's left to even up the game at two.

Swansea substitute striker Leroy Lita had two chances to seal the game for his side but was unable to show the same sort of accuracy his opposite number Lenhart displayed.

Yallop Impressed by Ballouchy’s Debut

San Jose finalized a trade on Monday that sent an international spot and a conditional draft pick, both from 2013, to New York Red Bulls for Bay Area product Mehdi Ballouchy.

A graduate of Gunn High School in San Jose and a two-year player at Santa Clara University (he will have remembered Buck Shaw well from his collegiate days), Ballouchy had little time to adapt to the new time zone or his new teammates before taking the field against a very good Premiership side.

“Ballouchy was a little tired, you know, he traveled all day yesterday,” Yallop said. “I think he probably would have enjoyed playing a bit more late on, but just in general, I thought he was good on the ball, he keeps it well.

Like Dawkins, Ballouchy loves to cut infield and enjoyed his best spells in central midfield.

The midfielder particularly impressed with his ability to retain possession in tight spaces, showing the sort of ingenuity that is often a requisite to pick apart teams of Swansea’s stature.

His poor back pass aside, which almost led to a Swansea goal in the first half, it was an impressive display from the newest Earthquake.

“He’ll get up to speed for the way we play, quicker and what we try to do is really move it as quick as we can, and don’t let it settle,” Yallop said. “Once he gets used to the speed of that, it’ll be really good.”

Asked which of the other Earthquakes impressed him on the night, Yallop noted Ike Opara in central defense as well as the striker pairing of Guvenisik and Pizarro , who started the game.

He credited both forwards for “looking pretty good together,” once they shook off the rust of the game's opening moments.

Tuesday’s friendly marked the third consecutive summer that San Jose have played an English Premiership side, each time at Buck Shaw. After drawing 0-0 against Tottenham in 2010, the ‘Quakes defeated West Bromwich Albion 2-1 in 2011 before Tuesday night’s 2-2 draw.

Finished with their three-game tour of the United States (Swansea lost 2-1 to Colorado Rapids before defeating Ventura County Fusion 1-0 ahead of Tuesday’s game), Laudrup’s side now fly back to Wales. A friendly against Blackpool awaits next Tuesday, before Swansea bring their preseason to a close with a friendly against Stuttgart.

San Jose now enjoy a 10-day respite before their Aug. 11 game against Seattle Sounders at Buck Shaw.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes used in this article were gathered on site.

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The San Jose Earthquakes used a package deal of a 2013 international player spot and a conditional draft pick from that same year to entice New York Red Bulls to send along midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy, San Jose's official website reported Monday morning.

Ballouchy, a seven-year MLS veteran who had been traded to New York from the Colorado Rapids in September 2010, started 10 times for Red Bulls this season (16 total appearances), providing a goal and two assists.

The native of Morocco moved to Denver with his brother as a teenager, spending his junior year attending South High School. The two then moved to Palo Alto, where Ballouchy attended Gunn High School for his senior year.

He committed to Creighton University and spent his freshman year at the Nebraska school, but then transferred to Santa Clara University. Playing for coach Cam Rast, Ballouchy thrived in his new school's sunny, palm-tree laden climes.

By the time his second season at SCU had come to a close in 2005, Ballouchy had been named a Soccer America and NSCAA/adidas First Team All-American while leading the Broncos to a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

His production caught the eye of talent evaluators, and was soon included in one of Generation Adidas' maiden programs. The project is aimed at improving the talent level of players in the United States, and helps players like Ballouchy enter MLS without the prerequisite of four years in college.

The equipment manufacturer took the reins of the program in 2005 from Nike, who had previously called the venture "Project-40," according to US Soccer Players.

Many of the best players currently involved in the national team set-up emanated from the program and its predecessor, including Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley.

The move paid dividends for Ballouchy, who was made the No. 2 overall pick by Real Salt Lake in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft. He appeared in a career-high 32 games that season.

He has since filtered through Colorado (by way of a trade that sent Kyle Beckerman to RSL) and then New York, before finally returning to the Bay Area.

The midfielder has compiled 13 goals and 24 assists during his seven years in MLS, production that has Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop excited to see his newest player take the field.

"I’ve admired his play over the seven years he’s been in the league," Yallop told the club's official site. "He’s steadily improved since joining MLS. Mehdi’s a good player, a great addition to our team and we’re looking forward to having him here in San Jose."

It was not apparent whether Ballouchy would be included in the 'Quakes' team sheet for Tuesday night's (July 31) friendly against Swansea City.

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With two games down in the Olympic group play, there are a few subplots that have dominated news so far.

None is more striking than the demise of Spain.

With its emphatic 4-0 win in the final of Euro 2012, Spain had gone from strength to strength, winning three major international tournaments in a row.

And while its Olympic squad was mostly a 23-and-under roster, it still shocked the soccer world that one of the favorites will make an ignominious first-round departure.

The Man Who Fired the Shot Heard Around the Soccer World

Spain’s demise came at the hands of a Honduran team that proved equal parts tough and resilient, characteristic attributes of a team pulling an upset.

One man was of particular note, though, embodying the lonely nature of his underdog team, written off as it was surely was by the experts.

Jerry Bengtson, recently signed by the New England Revolution, took up the solemn duty as the lone striker in Honduras’ lineup.

And though a majority of his afternoon was spent in the thankless role of the sole player Honduran defenders and midfielders hoofed it to downfield, he had one very bright moment.

Seizing a driven cross, Bengtson hopped in front of his distinguished Spanish counterparts and headed the ball in, giving the Central Americans a shocking lead.

He continued his work rate until eventually being subbed, his job done.

Flying Under the Radar

Bengtson was not heralded much when he signed with the Revs. Certainly, most fans took notice, but with Saer Sene doing well, the Honduran wasn’t given much attention.

Of course, on his debut, Bengtson got a goal against New York, helping the team to a 2-0 win.

Even at the Olympics, he (much like his team) wasn’t really given that much attention before the Spain result.

And yet now, looking at the individual scoring statistics, it is not Giovani Dos Santos, nor Neymar or Oscar who are the leading the field.

It’s Jerry Bengtson. Tied with Moussa Konate of Senegal with three goals, Bengtson has been efficient in his finishing and relentless in his work for the team.

Going Forward

Following the Olympics (however they turn out for Honduras), Bengtson will return to New England for the lead-up to the playoffs.

Adding a striker with the quality of Bengtson could be the addition that manager Jay Heaps has been looking for.

Whether or not Bengtson and Sene can form an effective partnership remains to be seen. They’re both powerful forwards, so it could be a case of redundancy.

Also, will Heaps want to use two strikers or will he want to deploy more of a 4-2-3-1 with Sene or Bengtson working as the focal point of attacking midfielders?

In any event, it’s a refreshingly “good” problem for Revs fans to confront, as they seem to have quite the weapon waiting in the wings for post-Olympic play.

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There are a lot of big-name players who are set to end their playing careers in the MLS.

Players like Thierry Henry and Alessandro Nesta have had major careers in Europe and are now strutting their stuff in America.

Since we are looking at players who will end their career in the MLS as supposed to players who could, we'll be drawing from the stars currently in the league, and there are quite a few.

Considering certain factors, mainly their age, it seems clear that these player will be finishing their career in the USA.

Here are 10 big-name players who will end their career in the MLS.

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Flushed from the excitement of San Jose Earthquakes’ dramatic come-from-behind 3-2 victory over rivals Los Angeles Galaxy on May 23, forward Steven Lenhart summed up his side’s resolute approach by exclaiming, “Goonies never say die!”

It was an apt reference to the popular 1980s movie about a ragtag group of kids who continually defy the odds, and it would grow to define an entire season.

The Goonies moniker perfectly encapsulated the Earthquakes’ penchant for finding ways to snatch points from the jaws of defeat. The players have made it their own, with team captain Chris Wondolowski even wearing a shirt emblazoned with the motto after some games.

While 2012 has been a watershed season for comebacks, San Jose are hardly new to that game. Wondolowski, currently leading the league in scoring with 17 goals through 21 games, topped Major League Soccer with nine game-winning goals in 2010, tying Carlos Ruiz for the single-season league record.

Entering Saturday’s game against Chicago Fire, San Jose led the league with 26 goals scored from the 61st minute onward. Their 4-3-3 record after conceding first was also tops.

So when Fire winger Chris Rolfe caught ‘Quakes keeper Jon Busch off his line and sent his side ahead 1-0 in the 37th minute with a terrific looping effort from the edge of the penalty area, the 10,000-plus faithful fans assembled at Santa Clara University’s Buck Shaw Stadium had little reason to furrow their brows in worry.

Earthquakes manager Frank Yallop said he kept it pretty simple with his halftime dressing talk.

"I told them to keep going," Yallop said. "We were playing well, and I thought we did a great job of recognizing their dangerous players and stopping them on the counterattack. I kept telling our guys, if we kept pressing on offense—if we get good quality service in, we will score goals."

San Jose had seen several terrific chances go begging in the first half, as Fire keeper Sean Johnson produced what Yallop called the best performance he’d seen from a goalie in "a long, long time."

Johnson seemed particularly preoccupied with keeping San Jose midfielder Simon Dawkins off the score sheet during that first half, producing spectacular saves from the Englishman off (in following order), a right-footed curling volley, a point-blank sliding effort, a long-range drive and finally a left-footed volley at the far post.

Lenhart Helps Kick the 'Quakes into Gear

The Earthquakes came out rather flat to start the second half, but the 59th-minute introduction of Lenhart changed that listlessness in a hurry.

Coming on for ineffective midfielder Rafael Baca, Lenhart made his first appearance since July 3 at Portland, when he had succumbed to a concussion at Jeld-Wen field.

The residual effects had kept him out of training and games until the day before Saturday’s match, and the crowd on hand greeted their hero with a rousing reception as he ambled onto the field.

San Jose had not delved into "Goonies" comeback lore since a 5-3 victory over (again) the Galaxy on June 30, a game in which Lenhart had opened the scoring. It did not seem like a coincidence that the team's late-game heroics had stagnated while Lenhart recuperated.

The tall forward—whose distinctive blond mane of hair inspired Saturday’s "Lenhart Wig Night" promotion at Buck Shaw, where the first 2,500 fans received the wig—didn't look like he'd missed more than three weeks of play, immediately inserting himself into the fixture.

With vestigial imprints of his unmistakeable likeness watching him from around the stadium, Lenhart’s introduction sparked the Earthquakes into life. Combining with fellow forwards Alan Gordon and Chris Wondolowski, Lenhart provided an added physical threat in the penalty box that the ‘Quakes began taking advantage of with relish.

"When you see Gordon, Lenny and Wondo in the box, all you think is just, ‘Kick it in there,’ and one of them are gonna get to it," winger Shea Salinas said after the game. "That’s all I was thinking about; just get the ball in there and let them do the rest. Not really trying to pick anyone out."

Lenhart’s 70th-minute acrobatic effort from just inside 18 yards certainly added a wrinkle of individualistic bravado to the attack—one that had, quite simply, been sorely missing.

Despite San Jose’s best efforts to push for a winner—there were shouts for a handball in dangerous areas on at least three occasions, including twice in the final 20 minutes—Gordon was sent off for a second yellow card in what was initially set as five minutes of stoppage time for a two-footed lunge at Fire left-back Dan Gargan. Gargan went down in a heap from the crunching tackle, and Gordon received his marching orders.

But not before Yallop had his say. Visibly furious with the call, the manager heaved a Gatorade carrying case onto the field—an action that, after embattled referee Chris Penso had consulted with fourth official Alejandro Mariscal, resulted in Yallop being ejected from the game.

"I just don’t know…(Gordon’s) trying to poke the ball toward goal, and he gets to it first, and kind of misses the ball, but he’s not trying to injure the guy who’s playing it," Yallop said.

"He’s just trying to score, and I haven’t seen that again, but it’s just frustrating. I wouldn’t say there were three handballs, but there were three handballs…that we didn’t get. I think my frustration kind of got the better of me tonight, and, you know, I just wanted to see if Shea (Salinas) wanted a drink, and made sure he got some hydration tonight."

Down to 10 men, with seconds tick-tocking away into eventual nothingness, San Jose somehow, someway found their equalizer just seconds from time.

Wondolowski chested down Salinas’s lofted free kick, sending a cushioned pass bouncing to the edge of the penalty area, and right into the path of Lenhart, who caught the half-volley in perfect rhythm, unleashing a thunderous low drive into the left corner of the goal to make it 1-1.

His teammates, particularly captain Wondolowski, who had been seething with some of the decisions rendered in the final moments, mobbed their golden-haired savior in celebration. It was all they could do, after all, when presented with a moment of pure 'Goonies' lore.

And even given the immense quality of the goal, Lenhart’s celebration might have been even better.

Dashing over to the right corner of the field, the tall striker vaulted into the air, going parallel with the ground before turning his body just so to avoid a belly flop as he came thundering down onto the turf. Then he asked for, and received, one of the ceremonious wigs in his likeness, and with Salinas joining him in the idea, the two rushed to midfield, blond polyester manes flowing (sort of) behind them.

It would prove to be the final kick of the game.

Lenhart was a bit more subdued in the post-game locker room than he had been on May 23, but he still echoed the philosophy that has coursed through the Earthquakes’ 2012 season. "We never think we’re going to lose," he said. "We weren’t thinking that at all."

"We got a point that we really deserved tonight," Yallop said. "Other than goals, I thought it was one of our better performances (this season), to be honest. I thought we moved the ball well and created a ton of chances. If we keep playing like that, we're going to be really tough to handle."

Perhaps more important than the goal, which was San Jose’s 45th on the season, was Wondolowski’s assist—his fifth of the season—which made it 49 in that department for the Earthquakes in 2012.

For Johnson, it was yet another stupendous performance dampened somewhat by a fantastic volleyed finish. Against New York Red Bulls on July 18, the Fire keeper had been bested by a sublime left-footed volley from Thierry Henry that won the game 1-0.

That certainly didn’t take away anything from Johnson’s performance from the perspective of his opposite number. Speaking after the game, Busch echoed his ongoing belief once again that Johnson is “the future (US) national team keeper.”

Given the saves he produced on Saturday night for the Fire, and with men's national team No. 1 keeper Tim Howard edging into his 30s, it would be difficult to contradict Busch.

Salinas Provides a Performance That Would Make miCoach Proud

Just days after Adidas, the official equipment supplier of MLS, had introduced its groundbreaking miCoach technology, set to be introduced league-wide next season, which tracks the total running endeavor of each player on the field through a microchip planted into their compression shirt beneath the jersey, Shea Salinas put in the kind of game that would surely have qualified for a record had he been wearing a chip.

The winger, finally enjoying uninterrupted time on the field after a devastating tackle from New York Red Bulls enforcer Rafa Marquez on April 14 resulted in the 25-year-old breaking his clavicle, an injury that forced him to the sideline for 10 weeks, according to Yallop.

But against Chicago—and in particular when facing left-back Dan Gargan, the winger showed why, when he’s at his best, there are few who can rival him for endeavor in space.

Gargan endured a hapless 90 minutes of Salinas twisting him this way and that on the right flank.

"He’s back to his running best," Yallop said. "It took a little while—obviously he’s been out for a long time. Now, only three weeks or so into his comeback, I thought he looked great tonight."

Salinas was frequently used as an outlet during the game’s opening moments, providing an interesting alternative to the more tucked-in play of “left-winger” Simon Dawkins, who is exceptional when he’s embodying the No. 10 he wears.

Tucking in just behind a striker (or two) is Dawkins' preferred positioning on the field, rather than getting out wide. But Salinas feels that change of pace ignites San Jose's attack rather than impairs it.

"Dawkins is great on the ball, he’s got an unbelievable vision, and he brings the ball inside and rarely loses it," Salinas said. "He counters what Marvin (Chavez) and I do—we like running at guys, and he likes tucking in a bit more."

With Chavez, the usual starter at left wing, out with a slight hamstring pull, Dawkins and Salinas made for a bit of an unorthodox, but wildly effective, pairing.

Dawkins would slot into a wider position on the left flank while defending, but when the ‘Quakes launched forward in attack, he quickly showcased his ability to navigate dribbling in tight spaces—which, as Salinas so rightly mentioned, is a specialty of sorts for the 24-year-old, currently on loan from Tottenham Hotspur for a second consecutive season.

With Chicago’s three-man central midfield—particularly the deeper-lying pairing of captain Logan Pause and Pavel Pardo—helping choke out San Jose’s own central midfield duo of Sam Cronin and Rafael Baca, Dawkins and Salinas’s industry took on added importance.

Dawkins is adept when granted space to run at defenders, but Salinas seems tailor-made for that part of play. When he is able to push the ball onto his favored right foot and dart into pockets of green on the wing, there are few who can keep up with him, as Gargan found out all too well, again and again.

But Salinas is no one-trick pony. So versatile is he that Yallop pushed him to right-back when he brought on Sam Garza for Jed Zayner late in the game as he pushed for an equalizer. Zayner, signed on June 20, was making his Earthquakes league debut on the evening.

Salinas won his first duel at right-back against the goal-scorer Chris Rolfe, and soon thereafter provided the aforementioned pass that set up the ‘Quakes’ equalizer.

By the final minutes, Salinas was visibly tiring, as he had every right to be. It was a shift that wasn’t lost on anybody, not least his manager.

"(Salinas) did a nice job at both positions, and you know, you can’t say enough for his work rate, and his endeavor, and his desire to do well for the team,” Yallop said. “He’s a great teammate for the guys, and a great kid to coach. He did well tonight."

"I like running at anybody," Salinas said. "I got the best of Gargan a few times, and Frank (Yallop) just told me to keep going at him. I just did the best I could, and tried to get by Gargan and into the box."

Two Full Debuts During the Match

Apart from Jed Zayner making his first appearance for the Earthquakes at right-back—the 27-year-old acquitted himself quite well in defense, and showed a real desire to get forward on several occasions—Chicago Fire introduced their newest Designated Player (DP), Dutch forward Sherjill MacDonald, acquired just this past week from Belgian club Germinal Beerschot.

The Amsterdam native came on in the 64th minute for Dominic Oduro, and immediately showed the physical ability Fire manager Frank Klopas had raved about after his signing was made official.

MacDonald promises to be a key member of the Fire’s push toward the MLS playoffs, a feat that is very much within their reach after 21 games played.

Chicago owns a 9-7-5 record on the season, good enough for fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings (the top five teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs).

Despite the dramatic nature of Saturday night’s finish, Klopas will certainly be happy with a point at what is one of the toughest places to play in the league. MacDonald was a muted presence at Buck Shaw, but one thinks he’ll soon unleash the kind of quality that saw him nab 15 goals during his nearly four years with Beerschot.

A Much-Needed Respite for Tired Legs

The Earthquakes have endured a torrid stretch of games since mid-June, and for Chris Wondolowski and Justin Morrow, both starters against Chicago Fire, playing in Wednesday’s All-Star game, combined with the taxing flights to and from Philadelphia, must have only compounded their fatigue.

Tired legs certainly rang true as a theme on Saturday night, with Wondolowski professing after the final whistle, to Morrow no less, that he was “so dead.”

Luckily, a break in the schedule will allow the Earthquakes to regain some of their strength. With their next league game not until Aug. 11, at home against Seattle Sounders, it will be a chance for rest.

San Jose does play a friendly on Tuesday, July 31, against English Premiership side Swansea City, but it should be an occasion where starters will likley be rested in favor of less-utilized players.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes in this article came from interviews collected on-site after Saturday's match.

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Eddie Johnson and Kenny Cooper are two names that have fluttered in and out of the US national team over the last five or so years.

Both players were deemed to have outgrown MLS when they left for pastures new, more precisely Europe back in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

Both however suffered the same fate in Europe struggling to make an impact and falling off the radar in terms of the national team.

Johnson made the move to Fulham where he failed to score a goal. Loan spells at Cardiff City, Greek side Aris Thessaloniki and Preston North End didn’t prove to be any more successful.

A very short stay in Mexico, with Puebla, proved to be just as unsuccessful and he rejoined the MLS in February 2012 initially joining Montreal Impact before being traded to the Seattle Sounders in exchange for two players.

Cooper’s jaunt to Europe was equally poor, a move to German side 1860 Munich in Germany’s second tier, where he scored just two goals during his stay.

After failing to establish himself with the German side he was loaned out to English team Plymouth Argyle in January 2010, the team were then based in the Championship.

Cooper, however, managed only to play in seven games for Argyle and an option to make the move permanent was not taken up.

A return to MLS with the Portland Timbers took place in January 2011, an average season with the Timbers followed and it was a surprise when New York Red Bulls acquired him for the 2012 season.

So that was both players’ stories of relative failure up until this season.

The rest though is a tale of success.

Upon their return to MLS, both strikers have proved just how good they can be at this level when they have their confidence restored.

Cooper has had a superb season with the Red Bulls, netting 13 goals in just 21 appearances. He has formed an excellent partnership with Thierry Henry and with the recent signing of Sebastian Le Toux, more goals look to be on the way.

Cooper has won 10 caps for the national team, scoring four goals in the process. If his current form continues then he could soon find himself back in contention for Jurgen Kilnsmann’s side.

Johnson has also enjoyed a stellar season upon his return to MLS; he has scored eight goals in 17 games for the Sounders as he has overcome fitness problems to return to his best.

This culminated on Wednesday night when he scored an injury time winner for the MLS all stars in a win against Champions League holders Chelsea.

This capped a good six month spell for Johnson who looks back to his best and—like Cooper—he could also see a return to action for the national side if he continues his rich vein of form.

It just goes to show that if you return to a league that you're familiar with, and you regain your confidence, you can rebuild your career.

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Bill Hamid is, in many ways, a glimpse into American soccer’s future.

As a 21-year-old goalkeeper playing in MLS, he plays a position which the United States has made its own in the past decades.

Continuing the tradition of talented American keepers, Hamid became the youngest goalie in MLS history to win a league game as a 19-year-old in 2010, beating the previous record holder (some guy named Tim Howard).

Hamid’s fast ascent towards success is rooted in his unique position as a player. He was the first D.C. United player to sign with the main team from their academy.

Opting not to go the college route, he went professional early (enrolling at United’s academy in January of 2007) and it has paid off.

“It depends on what you want,” noted Hamid. “Certain players want to get their education under their belt, but other guys just want to jump in the game and start learning as fast as possible, and I decided to take that route. It’s on another level from college, because it’s year-round and the training is fast.”

At a more broad level, Hamid seemed to agree that the academies are another step in building American soccer, saying that “it’s an important step. No knock on the college game, but academies are definitely something that’s going to help the league down the road, the national team as well.”

United’s academy, in particular, has yielded good development (with players like Hamid and Andy Najar).

United Rebuilt

This has aided a resurgent D.C. team, which has gone from not qualifying for the playoffs last season to being very much in the hunt in 2012 (United currently have 10 wins to seven losses, with three ties. They also have the second-best goal difference in the Eastern Conference).

“I just feel like we’re all on the same page this year,” said a clearly more confident Hamid. “You know, from players to staff to training staff, everyone is just on the same page, knowing the game plans.

Everything is more focused and professional. And that’s worked out so far this season and we’ve gotten some nice results.”

Indeed, Hamid is the top goalie in the Castrol Index (which tracks and ranks MLS players).

He acknowledged this (and an apparent liking for the ranking system) by saying about Castrol that “It’s important, you want to know how well you stack up against other goalkeepers in the league.

And to have a statistic above the Dan Kennedys and Joe Cannons is pretty cool.”

The National Team and Dealing with Being “Next”

One thing Hamid has already had to deal with is the label of being the so-called “next great American goalie.”

It’s obviously no secret to even the most casual soccer fan that American goalies have always been a source of pride and strength for American soccer. Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel and Tim Howard (plus many, many others) have all succeeded at the very highest levels.

So, obviously, Hamid, as an extremely gifted 21-year-old keeper, has faced scrutiny and pressure.

He tries to keep it in perspective though.

“I’m thankful for those words and compliments,” says Hamid, “but I don’t really pay attention to it because it’s just talk. It’s kind of like the Jeremy Lin thing, you know? With the whole Linsanity and attention, it gets you off-focus and off-track and I don’t want that to happen.”

He also added that “It’s the hard work that really matters, coming in and grinding and doing your job the right way.”

And on that note, he discussed his time with the U.S. National Team (Hamid first made the senior roster a year ago against Mexico, and made his debut earlier in January against Venezuela).

“I’m very thankful for that opportunity because those guys are top notch. Being among guys like Carlos Bocanegra, and Landon as well, they’re a little bit older than me so just to see how they practice and how they interact with each other off the field. They’re all cool guys to be around and they look out for the young guys as well, so I’m grateful to train with them.”

Dealing with Olympic Disappointment

Yet his time with the U.S. team hasn’t been all good news. With the Olympics kicking off in London, there’s a decidedly empty spot in Team USA: the men’s soccer team, which failed to qualify.

Hamid, a part of the U.S. team which didn’t make it, tries to find the silver lining in his obvious disappointment.

“I’m more of a guy that uses disappointment as motivation, you know I’ll do a couple extra sets in the gym or a couple extra drills on the field, because you just don’t want that feeling of disappointment anymore. And you learn from it. It makes you work harder and it makes you a better person.”

And while he may not be playing against Olympic opponents in England, Hamid will certainly have his hands full when United take on Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, July 28.

“It’s pretty cool to play against guys like that,” said Hamid. “And for us to be playing against PSG, they have all the money in the world now and it’s going to be a good experience.”

Future Ambitions?

And with star-studded European squads in the U.S. for their preseason tours, it’s not lost on Hamid that eventually that’s where he might want to end up.

“I have my dream of playing in Europe one day and following the top American keepers,” said the D.C. keeper, “but I’m just going to leave that to fate.”

“I’m going to work hard every day and if that’s where I’m meant to be than that’s where I’ll go.”

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Bruce Arena’s Los Angeles Galaxy will be without the services of Landon Donovan and David Beckham when they travel to FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco, Texas to face Schellas Hyndman’s FC Dallas on Saturday.

The Galaxy currently sport a 9-10-3 record (30 points) and sit in fifth place in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference. As for FC Dallas, they have had an even tougher year. The Hoops have a record of 5-10-7 (22 points) and a loss could potentially cost Hyndman his job as manager.

Robbie Keane will look to lead the charge for Los Angeles. The Irish international has a team-high nine goals this season and will be needed to finish in the blistering East Texas heat. Meanwhile, FC Dallas will look to help from Blas Perez and Brek Shea to push them forward.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and will be televised by NBC Sports Network.

Keep it right here on Bleacher Report for continuing coverage of the 2012 Major League Soccer season, the Olympics and all things world football.

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David Beckham was in Philadelphia for just over 12 hours, give or take the amount of time it takes for an airplane to taxi on the runway, as the MLS All-Stars played against Chelsea at PPL Park on Wednesday night.

Beckham had hoped to be a part of the Olympic squad for Great Britain at the Summer Olympics in London, but despite not being selected to represent his country on the field, the ageless star is playing the role of international ambassador for England this week.

He's doing everything he can possibly do for his home country during the Olympics, while still managing to fulfill his responsibilities with MLS for the All-Star Game.

Much to the surprise of nearly everyone at the All-Star game, including other players, the L.A. Galaxy star did more than just fulfill a responsibility on Wednesday night in Chester, Pa., just 10 miles down the road from Philadelphia International Airport. One has to wonder if Beckham stretched on the plane, because when he stepped on the field, he was one of the best players on either side.

Beckham landed in Philadelphia, had one light training session during the day with a host of players he had never competed with before, and played 73 wonderful minutes controlling the pace of play for the MLS All-Stars as they defeated Chelsea 3-2. 

Frank Lampard was Beckham's opponent on Wednesday night, but showed the utmost respect for his compatriot's effort.

"It's brilliant," Lampard told reporters after the match. "David has such a responsibility back in our country, how he behaves, the statesman he's become.

"He is an ambassador. He made the Olympics come to London–he was a huge part of the team that brought the Olympics to London. That's why he's playing such a big part in that back home for us.

"To fly back and forth and back and forth and play like he did tonight, he's a machine. He's 37 or 38 years of age and he's fit, can play balls in the midfield like he did (in the MLS All-Star game), it shows everything about him."

Beckham did show a tiny bit of rust early in the match as he tried to hook up with Thierry Henry—another international icon playing for the MLS All-Stars—but couldn't find the striker on a through ball. Henry looked frustrated initially, but the more the two played together and the more time Beckham logged with everyone on the MLS side, the more comfortable he seemed.

Henry echoed the sentiments of Lampard, lauding the effort of Beckham and talking about how great players with as much experience as they have don't often need a lot of time to get on the same page.

"It's not easy, Henry admitted. "I mean, Becks didn't even train–one light training session. I thought at times we looked like we've been playing together for a very long time. 

"I guess if you play with some guys who have kind of the same football IQ then that's what you get. You can win or lose this game at the end of the day, because it's a friendly, but I hope that everybody enjoyed it, and we were happy with the way we played.

"I thought at times, we played some great stuff." 

I had hoped to ask Beckham these questions after the match as well, to get a sense of the whirlwind week he's having flying back and forth across the Atlantic in a day—he may have as many as four trans-Atlantic treks in a week—but by the time reporters got to the mixed zone, he was gone, sneaking out the back door of PPL Park on his way to the airport.

He will have seven hours to sleep on the plane, give or take the time the amount of time it takes for an airplane to taxi on the runway.

When Beckham wakes up, he'll put on another smile as one of the prominent faces of the Olympic Games—an event in which he's not even competing—fresh off a fantastic performance in the MLS All-Star game an ocean away.

Lampard was right. The man is a machine.

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