According to www.chicago-fire.com, Fire midfielder Marco Pappa will throw out the first pitch for the White Sox in their game against the Indians today.

Pappa throwing out the ceremonial first pitch can generate more fan interest in the Fire as well as visibility for himself.

The Fire has a fan base. For instance, over 14,000 fans showed up at the Fire’s match against the Seattle Sounders. And despite the unseasonably cold weather, where the temperature dropped below 40 degrees, the fans stayed inside Toyota Park throughout the competitive match.

Fire coach Frank Klopas and defender Jalil Anibaba will both be suspended for the Friday match at Chivas USA according to team officials.

Klopas was suspended after he berated the referees during the game-ending brawl in last Saturday night’s match versus the Sounders. Anibaba received a red card during the confrontation that took about five minutes to break up.

There is still a possibility that more suspension may be forthcoming once MLS officials complete their investigation of the incident.  

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I'm still not sold on Andy Carroll.

For me, it's far too little far too late.

In the midst of transfer rumors—and even whisperings of Carroll leaving on loan—the tall Liverpool frontman has picked up his work rate, but like I said:

Far too little, far too late.

Kenny Dalglish has stood behind Carroll from the beginning, but many fans are fed up. Perhaps Dalglish should follow an increasingly popular trend in the Premier League: looking to MLS.

Stuart Holden, Eric Lichaj and Tim Ream are the most recent MLS products playing in the Premier League and have enjoyed relatively successful seasons. An MLS striker could well indeed be the answer to the problem that Andy Carroll has become—at the third of the price of someone like Edinson Cavani.

And before the commenters and football purists start ripping me apart, I am fully aware that MLS is light years behind the EPL in terms of talent.

This is written more for entertainment purposes. Enjoy!

Here are seven forwards in MLS that could replace Andy Carroll.

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Landon Donovan is, arguably, the best American player in the history of soccer, not only domestically, but internationally.

By way of a disclaimer, I only root for Donovan when he's wearing the red, white and blue. When he's playing for the L.A. Galaxy (and before that with the San Jose Earthquakes), Donovan always finds a way to be a thorn in my team's side.

That said, there's no denying the statistics Donovan has managed to pile up. These accomplishments are made all the more impressive by the fact that Donovan is not quite two months past his 30th birthday (March 4, 1982).

Domestic/League Play

Since Donovan entered the MLS in 2001, only Brian Mullan has been on more MLS Cup-winning teams (three of Jeff Agoos' titles came prior to 2001). Donovan has won the MLS Cup twice with the San Jose Earthquakes and the LA Galaxy, winning a title in his first year with both clubs.

Donovan is one of only two players to win two MLS Cup MVP awards. The other is current D.C. United midfielder Dwayne DeRosario.

On the MLS all-time scoring list, Donovan ranks third, but is first among active players with 117 goals. Donovan also ranks first among active players (sixth overall) in assists with 97.

Donovan was named MLS MVP in 2009 and was a finalist for the award in 2008. Only Preki (1997 and 2003) has won the award more than once.

International Play

Since making his first appearance for the U.S. national team in 2000, Donovan has tied or broken many team records.

Donovan ranks second in caps (or appearances) for the national team with 138, behind Cobi Jones' 164. Of his appearances, 124 of them have been starts, tied for most all-time with Agoos.

No one has scored more goals for the USMNT than Donovan's 46. The next highest total among active players is 25 by Clint Dempsey.

Donovan also has more assists than anybody. His 47 assists are more than double anyone else in the history of the national team (Jones has 22). The closest active player is DaMarcus Beasley with 13.

Counting goals as being worth two points and assists being worth one, Donovan's 139 points are also the most all-time. Eric Wynalda is a distant second with 84. The closest active player is Dempsey with 60.

Disappointments

No athletic career, no matter how stellar, is without its disappointments. One of the biggest for Donovan was probably his lack of success after signing with Bayer Leverkusen as a 17 year old.

According to his website, Donovan had a tough time adapting to the culture, a task made more difficult by not being able to speak the language as well as playing against players much older than him.

Another of the disappointments, at least in my opinion, had to be the performance of the national team at the World Cup in 2006. Building on the success in 2002, expectations for the team were high. The team crashed out in the group stage.

The team in general, and Donovan in particular, were heavily criticized for their performance, or lack thereof depending on how you want to look at it. Some American soccer fans put it down to a lack of heart on the part of the players, especially Donovan.

Bright Spots 

Donovan could have taken the criticism of his and the team's performance as an excuse to withdraw and give up on further success with the national team.

As we all know by now, that's not what he did. Donovan used the criticism as motivation to get better as a player and a team leader.

That work paid off in the team's performance at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The team never gave up and continued to fight back from early deficits, most notably coming back from two goals down to draw with Slovenia.

The most notable highlight for Donovan specifically was the goal in second-half stoppage time against Algeria. The strike sent the team through to the knockout stage as the group winner, something the US hadn't accomplished in 80 years, and at a time when the tournament was much smaller.

Conclusion

Based on the statistics and accolades that he has accumulated, Donovan is the best soccer player the United States has ever produced. In my opinion, it's not even close, and when the time comes several years from now, Donovan will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Agree? Disagree? I'd like to see some other opinions, even if I don't agree with them.

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1. San Jose Earthquakes (6-1-1, 19 pts.) - Depth and defense is what prevails in Major League Soccer. And San Jose has it. Going to Philadelphia isn't easy, but the 'Quakes were up to the task and continue to defy the odds. 

2. Sporting Kansas City (7-1-0, 21 pts.) - Sporting needed a week off. They got it. Now, will there be a hangover when Kansas City hosts the Impact?

3. Real Salt Lake (6-3-1, 19 pts.) - Dallas and Toronto proved worthy opponents for Salt Lake, but four points on a short week was expected from one of the league's best sides, and that's what they got.

4. Seattle Sounders (4-1-1, 13 pts.) - Seattle is playing under the radar right now, but that doesn't mean the Sounders aren't playing well. Another good road win this week, beating Chicago, 2-1.

5. New York Red Bulls (4-3-1, 13 pts.) - The Red Bulls hung on to beat the Revolution on Saturday, but Thierry Henry limped off injured in the first half. Henry was playing at a top level, and borderline unstoppable, until his hamstring went. New York is going to have to find some bodies and sign some players soon with all the injuries they have, but they could have coped as long as Henry was scoring. Now it will be up to Kenny Cooper to carry the load.

6. Vancouver Whitecaps (4-2-2, 14 pts.) - The Whitecaps don't score a lot, but they are also extremely stingy. Vancouver had another clean sheet this week, beating Columbus, 1-0.

7. D.C. United (4-2-3, 15 pts.) - D.C. continues to put up plenty of goals. Let's call the slow start what it was: early-season jitters.

8. Los Angeles Galaxy (3-3-1, 10 pts.) - There is still something missing from the Galaxy. A 1-1 draw with Dallas, who were playing their second game of the week, wasn't the kind of result Los Angeles was getting while on top of the league the last two years.

9. Colorado Rapids (3-4-0, 8 pts.) - Conor Casey got his first action—just a few minutes—and that spells trouble for the rest of MLS as he and Omar Cummings form one of the league's best striking partnerships.

10. FC Dallas (3-2-3, 13 pts.) - Holding both Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles in one week is a good result. If Dallas can ever get healthy they should be able to make a late-season push.

11. Houston Dynamo (2-2-2, 8 pts.) - Houston, like plenty of other MLS teams, has been bit with the injury bug and it's starting to show as the team is close, but not there yet.

12. Chivas USA (3-5-0, 9 pts.) - Getting pounded 4-0 by the Rapids showed just how much more work Chivas has before they become a true contender.

13. New England Revolution (2-5-0, 6 pts.) - New England is still searching for the magic combination and touch. The Revs should have left Red Bull Arena with at least one point, probably two, after Henry limped off the field. But poor finishing and passing held Jay Heaps' side down. Now it's a busy week with two games in four days this week.

14. Chicago Fire (2-2-2, 8 pts.) - Chicago's schedule is brutal these next few weeks. Can the Fire hang on?

15. Montreal Impact (2-4-1, 7 pts.) - Montreal got themselves out of the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a good win over Portland.

16. Columbus Crew (2-2-1, 7 pts.) - The Crew need to find a scoring touch. Vancouver is a tough nut to crack, but it doesn't look like the Columbus attack has evolved much since the start of the season.

17. Portland Timbers (2-5-1, 7 pts.) - Losing to a struggling expansion team is not what John Spencer wanted or expected. The Timbers have problems and there aren't any answers in sight right now.

18. Philadelphia Union (2-5-1, 7 pts.) - PPL Park was supposed to be a tough place to play. Instead, the Union seem all too welcoming of opponents. It happened again this weekend when San Jose's depth outweighed Philadelphia's starters. 

19. Toronto FC (0-5-0, 0 pts.) - What more to say? Another loss. More poor defense. Is the experiment dead?

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Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy continue their season on May 2 when they travel to CenturyLink Field in Seattle to take on Sigi Schmid's Seattle Sounders FC.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT and will be televised locally by KDOC and KWHY. Here are 10 bold predictions for Wednesday's midweek encounter.

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New York, NY - Lately much has been written about the New York Red Bulls marketing strategy and the attendance at Red Bull Arena.

While it's easy to question the accuracy of the number of fans in attendance or who the Red Bulls organization is trying to target in terms of fanbase, I believe there is an elephant in the room that's not being addressed. 

Although the Red Bulls may be considered an energy-drink club to many MLS followers, the one thing that cannot be denied is their financial investment. Along with building possibly the best soccer specific stadium (SSS), the organization has brought in world-class players such as Juan Pablo Angel, Thierry Henry, Joel Lindpere and Rafa Marquez.

In doing so, the expectations were that along with the Red Bulls being a competitive MLS club much like their West Coast counterpart, the Los Angeles Galaxy, the players brought in were to attract fans of diverse cultures.

However, for all their financial investments, the Red Bulls have been consistent in being a mediocre club. 

At the end of the day, it's not the marketing, the location of Red Bull Arena, lack of attendance or the players brought in that has failed the Red Bulls organization. It comes down to the front office's decision to keep Hans Backe as New York Red Bulls' manager. 

Here's a question for you, how many of you Red Bulls supporters believe that your club will win an MLS Cup under Hans Backe? While it must be noted that Backe was brilliant in reversing the Red Bulls' fortunes in his first year, the team has not lived up to the expectations since. 

By no means am I suggesting that he's like Blackburn Rovers' manager Steven Kean. I simply believe that he may have reached his plateau with the Red Bulls. If the club has any intentions of going forward, they may have to bring in an individual who is not only respected but has the credentials to attract both local and worldwide attention.

The Red Bulls need to make an effort to hire Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola. If the Red Bulls were able to sign both Rafa Marquez and Thierry Henry after their time with Barca, I believe they will be able to get a hold of Guardiola. 

Realistically, he's not going to manage another club anytime soon. But what if? Much like Phil Jackson, Guardiola is a manager who would be able to manage any club of talented superstars. If anyone dares to not fall in line, he'll have no reservation in offloading him.  

If anyone understands the time frame it takes to build a successful club, it's him because was also part of Barcelona's youth system who eventually played under Johan Cruyff and ultimately managed the club. 

He is a man who in four years has lead his club to two Champions Leagues, three Ligas, two Clubs World Cups, two European Supercups, one Copa del Rey and three Spanish Supercups. He is a man who understands the importance of player development as he guided many of his his former academy players to the first team. 

Guardiola took Johan Cruyff's innovative tiki-taka style of play to a new level as his club produced 2.5 goals per match and won 72 percent of their matches. Having Pep Guardiola as manager of the New York Red Bulls would not only attract fans, it would make the Red Bulls credible.

It would also give the South Ward a leader whom they would believe could lead them to the MLS promise land.

Unlike past players who joined the team passed their prime, Guardiola is a manager who has yet to enter his prime. He's proven that along with relating with his players, he's also a manager that many supporters believe in. 

With the opportunity for world class players who fit Guardiola's model to join the club, the academy development would be interesting to follow because Messi, Pique, Iniesta and Busquets proved that an academy with a foundation of players who are cohesive will one day have the opportunity to thrive in the professional ranks. 

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Managing Barcelona or Real Madrid is probably more demanding and stressful than managing any other club in the world. Coaching in MLS would not be as stressful for Pep, and he'll have the privacy of living in New York that he would never have in Barcelona. 

While this would be a nice scenario for the Red Bulls and MLS fans in general, it is unlikely that Pep Guardiola would sign with New York? But what if?

Cesar Diaz is a freelance writer for several online soccer publications. If there’s a soccer topic you believe needs to be written about, please feel free to contact him. Easily approachable, you may contact him at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  and @CesarDiazNYC.

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After this weekend's slate of games and now six weeks into this season's schedule, Major League Soccer's cream is beginning to rise to the top.

With most teams now a quarter of the way into their respective seasons, let's take a look at who makes the list for the ten hottest players in the league right now.

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Chicago Fire’s 2-1 loss to Seattle Sounders FC was a game marred by several moments of rough play, including a near brawl at the end of injury time in the second half.

Seattle’s physicality was allowed by the referees from the very beginning—physicality that continued throughout the match. It was dirty and at times unnecessary, yet it was effective.

What has been somewhat lost in the discussion of the Fire’s defeat was a disallowed goal in the 61st minute.

If given, it would have cancelled out a Sounders lead established six minutes before the break when David Estrada's effort was deflected off Arne Friedrich for an own goal.

However, striker Dominic Oduro was adjudged to have interfered with Seattle goalkeeper Michael Gspurning before Fire midfielder Marco Pappa netted from 18 yards.

Although Oduro did not appear to make contact with Gspurning, the officials felt otherwise. As a result, the call placed much of the Fire’s momentum on hold.

Dominic Oduro said after the game:

“Apparently I was in front of the goalie destructing the play. Again it’s the referee’s call. I’m just here to play.”

The Sounders did not waste much time by responding with a goal six minutes later by Eddie Johnson to make it 2-0.

Pappa narrowed the lead when he scored a fine curling effort from a corner kick in the 89th minute, but it was too little, too late.

During his postgame press conference interview, Chicago Fire coach Frank Kloppas said:

“The second goal took a lot out of us. We came. We scored the one goal which I didn’t think the goalie could have it (referring to Seattle goalkeeper Gspurning). And again, Dominic wasn’t there but I think that the second was the difficult one.”

The second goal scored by Seattle did indeed deflate the Fire, but Kloppas remained optimistic about his team’s performance by praising their ability to “create opportunities.”

Eventually those opportunities will turn into goals scored and more victories.   

Ernest Shepard is an Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained first-hand.

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Harrison, NJ - After last Sunday's disastrous 4-1 loss to D.C. United at RFK Stadium, the New York Bulls returned to Red Bull Arena and rebounded with a 1-0 win over the New England Revolution. 

The victory improved New York’s record to 4-3-1. As a result, New York is currently in second place in the Eastern Conference. Former Fordham University standout rookie goal keeper Ryan Meara played an excellent game and made some tremendous saves on Saturday. His performance was enough to earn himself Red Bulls Player of the Match.

While this was a much needed victory for the Red Bulls, who have gone 4-1-1 over their past six matches, it may have come at cost. Already playing without defenders Wilman Conde, Roy Miller, Jan Gunnar Solli, midfielder Teemu Tainio and forwards Juan Agudelo and Jose Angulo, the injury ridden Red Bulls will now have to add Thierry Henry to the list because. He suffered a hamstring injury in the first half. 

In addition to their injury woes, Rafa Marquez was serving the second game of a three-match suspension for his violent hit on San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Shea Salinas, which resulted in Salinas fracturing his clavicle in four places. Unlike Marquez who has been a liability to the Red Bulls, Thierry Henry has been the impact player which many Red Bulls supporters expect of him.

Living up to those expectations, Henry beautifully scored his MLS-leading ninth goal of the season in the seventh minute of the match. Accepting a pass from Red Bulls defender Connor Lade, Henry added the finishing touch as he chipped the ball over Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis to give the Red Bulls a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately for New York, Henry was soon on the ground in agony, as he injured his hamstring minutes later. 

Following his exit, the Red Bulls lost it's offensive rhythm and was unable to produce another goal. Defensively, New York was fortunate that Ryan Maera was playing a sensational game because in the second half he prevented New England from equalizing. 

With the Red Bulls struggling for the third straight match, one has to wonder how are they going to perform the next month without Thierry Henry. Even though Kenny Cooper has been a force for the Red Bulls, many will wonder if he's able to shoulder the offensive scoring load.

Will Dane Richards, Joel Lindpere, Medhi Ballouchy and Dax McCarty elevate their offensive output and help produce some goals? Will Red Bulls manager Hans Backe make more use of former FCNY standout Jhonny Atreaga?

Red Bulls fans will find out as soon as next Saturday, May 5, 2012 when New York squares off against the Los Angeles Galaxy over at the Home Depot Center. 

Other MLS Results from the Weekend

Montreal Impact won 2-0 over the Portland Timbers.

Philadelphia Union lost 2-1 to the San Jose Earthquakes.

Vancouver Whitecaps won 1-0 over the Columbus Crew.

D.C. United won 3-2 over the Houston Dynamo. 

Chicago Fire lost 2-1 to the Seattle Sounders. 

Colorado Rapids won 4-0 over Chivas USA. 

Real Salt Lake won 3-2 over Toronto FC.

Los Angeles Galaxy battled FC Dallas to a 1-1 draw. 

Cesar Diaz is a freelance writer for several online soccer publications. If there's a soccer topic you believe needs to be written about, please feel free to contact him. Easily approachable, you may contact him at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  and @CesarDiazNYC.

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Scenario time. Let's say I am Team Great Britain boss Stuart Pearce. I am looking through the list of 80 players that could potentially make up the Olympic roster for London. One of those players is David Beckham.

I look at Beckham's performance for the Los Angeles Galaxy against FC Dallas, expecting the type of play that will be worthy of the three slots allotted to experienced players. And I look at this, knowing that I have a flight to Seattle to watch Becks play ball against the Seattle Sounders.

I am canceling that flight, and cutting him immediately. And I'll tell you why. David Beckham is not Olympic material.

Team Great Britain will not have all the media attention it could have gotten with Becks on the roster, but if I am Pearce and I judge players based on merit, I don't give Beckham a chance.

David Beckham's set-piece deliveries and play were subpar against Dallas, and Team GB is actually going to be better off without Beckham on this team.

It's actually a win-win situation for Beckham because he remains with the Galaxy for the rest of the year, while the spot that could have gone to Beckham likely goes to some seasoned Premier League vet. (Wayne Rooney, Stuart's looking at you, sir...)

As for this columnist, this was not a performance that Beckham needed in order to be in contention for one of the three senior player berths. In fact, Beckham would be wasting his time playing in a competition meant for Under-23 players. It's like Pope Benedict XVI playing with a bunch of young seminarians. It doesn't make sense.

There's always the television, David Beckham. And, there's always the Galaxy.

Rating: 3/10

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