The talent that has come and gone through Major League Soccer could probably fill two All-Time MLS Best XI teams.

However, narrowing down the league's best talent of all time to just 11 guys is definitely part of the fun in compiling a list like this one.

In my opinion, players that deserve a nod in this All-Time Best XI are those that have dedicated their life and career to MLS. You will not see players on this list that have used the league as a stepping stone to better things.

So if you're hoping to see players like Clint Dempsey, David Beckham or Tim Howard, look elsewhere.

Enjoy the list, and let the comments fly...

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Another day, another defeat for LA

Opinion/analysis time. My take on soccer can be boiled down to one simple sentence: if you don't know how to finish, and you don't know how to defend, you don't deserve to win the game.

Such is the case with Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy—most specifically, Juninho, who gifted a pass in the 82nd minute to give the New England Revolution a 3-2 victory tonight at the Desert Diamond Cup in Tucson.

Now this will not have any impact on Week 1 of the Power Rankings, but this is a result that will drop LA a few places if this took place in the regular season.

To their credit, Edson Buddle and Mike Magee each finished at least one of their chances.The problem is that this took place in the first half, and scoring goals will not mean much if you allow them as well.

The defense was a liability at times last year, and it was more of the same from an opponent that I don't have high expectations for in Jay Heaps' New England Revolution.

Tommy Meyer is being groomed as the next Omar Gonzalez. It was apparently with his start today that he is tipped to replace the injured Gonzo at center back. But he has a ways to go with his positioning and his ability to clear opposing sequences is far from the finished product.

said Galaxy U-18 Head Coach Eddie Soto to LAGalaxy.com. "Mario had a good week of practice. He made good runs and got himself into position to score a couple of times. I'm not surprised he had a good game."

Rodriguez leads the Under-18s in scoring with four goals in U.S. Soccer Development Academy play.

Both sides' Under-16 teams also played to a 1-1 draw. Kevin Labastida scored for LA in that contest.

Up next for the Galaxy Youth Academy is a match with Pateadores at the Home Depot Center's Field 5 on Saturday, February 25. Kickoff for the Under-18s is scheduled for 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET, while the Under-16s kickoff at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET.

In defense of Juninho

Even though Juninho was responsible for gifting New England's 3-2 victory in Desert Diamond Cup play, the fact that the Sao Paulo native is even back with the Galaxy is reason to smile.

“He’s come right back and fit in,” Arena told LAGalaxy.com's Larry Morgan, “the second he walked into the building. It’s good to have him back. We’ll do our best to get him moving with the group and back on the field.

“I think he’ll get himself up to speed in the next couple of weeks.”

And the player himself is just happy to be back playing with the club he helped lead to success in 2011.

“I’m very happy to be back and help make the team stronger," hesaid.

Now if only Juninho can avoid making it a habit to give up ball in their own half...

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After having a 2011 campaign that excited Sporting Kansas City supporters across the board—one that took them to the Eastern Conference Championship Game—Sporting are ready to put it all in the rear view and get started on 2012.

Their 2012 preseason has already generated some talk after first-round draft pick Don Dwyer scored a hat trick in their last preseason game at FC Tuscon.

But now it's time to gear up for MLS-level competition, and the first matter at hand for their unofficial games will be playing their opponent from the Conference Championship Game, the Houston Dynamo.

Despite topping the East division point-wise, Sporting weren't able to take care of Houston and keep their success riding through to the MLS Cup.

But Houston are coming with a new and improved look for 2012.

The Dynamo are riding high after securing the services of their former striker, Brian Ching. Add Ching into the mix, and what MLS fans can expect this season will be some solid matches between Kansas City and Houston.

After playing the Dynamo on Friday, Sporting will face the newest MLS expansion, the Montreal Impact on Sunday 26th.

The 2012 Disney Pro Soccer Classic will conclude on Wednesday 29th against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Games can be seen on MLSSoccer.com, and ESPN3.com.

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Who will be the next world football star to join the MLS? It is one question that many people would like the answer too.

David Beckham has reignited a trend that dates back to the NASL days with Pele and the New York Cosmos and many other players.

Thierry Henry, Rafa Marquez and Robbie Keane have all followed suit, and there will certainly be more to come.

While some fans may snicker that the MLS is more of a retirement ground for some players, if they play productively and win, as Beckham just did with the LA Galaxy, interest may continue to rise.

Here are 10 big-name foreign players who could end up in the MLS.

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New Boss in Charge—At the Front Office

Last Friday was a day of changes ahead of the Los Angeles Galaxy's preseason trip to Arizona. The major change: 38-year-old Chris McGowan is now the club's Chief Operating Officer (COO), and will take over all day-to-day operations of the Galaxy.

"Chris has been a part of our organization for 16 years and has done an outstanding job with the business side of the Kings to where there is now a lot of enthusiasm and expectations, and he will do the same with the Galaxy,” said AEG CEO Tim Leiweke. “With our recent MLS Cup Championship, the return of David Beckham and our outstanding roster heading into this season, the Galaxy will continue their rapid growth in this marketplace under Chris’ leadership.”

"I am looking forward to working in Major League Soccer and I am honored to be joining a championship organization that has a rich history of success both on and off the field,” said McGowan on Friday.  “I am very passionate about the sport of soccer and am excited to work alongside the rest of the front office staff to provide our fans with an organization they can be proud to represent.”

McGowan brings five years of experience running the Los Angeles Kings, another AEG-owned club. In addition, McGowan managed the Premium Seating (Luxury Suite and Club Seat) sales efforts for all of AEG’s venues in Southern California including STAPLES Center, Home Depot Center and NOKIA Theater as well as sales and marketing efforts for AEG’s other Southern Californian properties.

McGowan replaces Galaxy President of Business Operations Tom Payne, who leaves the club after nine seasons.

Meanwhile, Bruce Almighty Looks on with Keen Interest

Manager Bruce Arena was quietly preparing the first team for the Desert Diamond Cup in Tucson, the finale to the Galaxy's preseason junket. Central defender Tommy Meyer has been groomed to take over for Omar Gonzalez in the back line.

“I think everything is going as expected,” Arena told Larry Morgan of LAGalaxy.com. “I think we’re getting close to understanding our group. Getting the soccer a little sharper will be the challenge for the last half of the preseason, for sure.”

Indeed, Los Angeles have been anything but sharp, recording two victories and three consecutive defeats at the Home Depot Center.

An inspired, improved performance at the Desert Diamond Cup is what LA should strive for ahead of the first serious test on March 7 against Toronto FC. Team captain Landon Donovan is expected to play after a second successful stint at Everton FC.

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 This is one of the reasons that soccer will never be respected in this country.  

The Rochester Lancers of MISL (Major Indoor Soccer League) have offered Allen Iverson a professional contract playing a sport that he has probably never played before. As if it is just that easy to pick up a ball and become a star. The contract would have Iverson paid $20,000 a game plus a $5,000 per goal bonus (actual players make a fraction of that).

There are indoor athletes who work their entire lives just for a few minutes on the field and a paycheck that is comparable to minimum wage, and Iverson receives this offer:

Rich Randall, vice president of the Rochester Lancers said, "Allen Iverson is one of the premier athletes of our time.With his athleticism and competitive hunger, I think he can be a great fit with our team and fans as we make an important playoff push, while also driving interest to an exciting, growing sport."

Are you kidding me?

Hopefully this is a publicity stunt. Hopefully Iverson laughs the deal off and moves on to his next attempt at a comeback.

Even if this turns out to be a publicity stunt or joke, it is one still of the most disgraceful and disrespectful things that one team could do to the sport that they play. To basically say that just because Iverson is a great athlete (and he is) that he could pick up a ball with little to no preparation or as far as we know knowledge of indoor soccer (which is very different than outdoor 11 vs 11) and help this team in its playoff bid is ludicrous. The Lancers front office should be ashamed. What is next Billy Crystal playing for the Yankees....oh, wait.

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It has been a long wait for MLS fans to see their clubs back out on the pitch. With the offseason coming to an end and all clubs back training, it is time to assess Toronto's side in preparation for next season. 

Like a few other MLS sides, Toronto's season starts extremely early this year. The first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Quarter Final against the LA Galaxy will be played in Toronto on March 7, 2012. This will certainly be an extremely difficult fixture, as LA has retained all the big pieces from its MLS Cup winning team this past year.

Depth and Breadth 

Despite lacking the star power that other teams possess, it is clearly evident that Toronto finally possess something they have lacked since their young beginnings: depth. Toronto has quality and proven depth in nearly every position on the pitch.

They also have two very capable designated players in Frings and Koevermans and a wild-card third in De Guzman. Frings and Koevermans both proved their value in the later stages of last season. Frings provided leadership and the ability to control the pace of the game, and Koevermans saw immediate success in front of goal.

Keeper Dilemma 

The goalie situation in Toronto is certainly a luxury to have. Currently, both Stefan Frei and Milos Kocic are vying for the starting job. Fans will certainly be content with whoever wins this role. The goalie "problem" is simply that Toronto has two keepers that should be starting in this league. Look for one of these keepers to be used as trade bait if Toronto feels they have a missing piece.

Frei too has long been rumored to move overseas. If this at all a possibility, this might be the perfect year to cash in on Frei's talent.

New Faces

Toronto has a few new faces in training camp this winter, drafted, purchased and traded to enhance this side. There has been a great deal of hype around Toronto's first-round draft pick, midfielder Luis Silva. Silva, if anything, brings more youth and depth to an already crowded TFC midfield. Silva made an impressive start for Toronto in the preseason friendly against the University of South Florida, scoring a brace and two assists to help Toronto win 5-1.  

Hopefully, Silva can develop to become the centerpiece for the future. With the likes of Oscar Cardon and Matt Stinson showing promise last season, Toronto's future looks certain to be already a part of this team.  

Toronto also brought in Bermudian winger Reggie Lambe. Lambe has been dubbed a carbon copy of Joao Plata—if Lambe does pan out like Plata did, then Toronto should have two very speedy wingers to complement their attack.  

Defense is another area that Aron Winter has addressed. With Cann and Williams still question marks in terms of health, a number of defensive options have been acquired to provide help. Geovanny Caicedo, Aaron Maund, Jeremy Hall and Miguel Aceval have all been brought in to secure Toronto's obvious defensive problems.  

Toronto has a number of new faces to the squad; however, unlike the past five seasons, Toronto has secured its core group. Consistency is important and I am sure both the players and fans are thrilled that there have not been wholesale changes to this side.

Toronto will look to improve upon another dismal MLS season. Fans will be poised to achieve a playoff birth, whatever the outcome this side looks built to compete with any MLS club on any night. While there are still some glaring question marks in the center of defense, hopefully one of the many listed names can earn a spot and perform. 

Winter has systematically addressed needs and filled them this offseason. It will interesting to have an early look at the product against the reigning champs this March. 

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After a four-year sojourn in Europe and Mexico, former US international Eddie Johnson has returned to MLS. 

Johnson signed with the league on Feb. 17, and was allocated to Montreal Impact. In an attempt to remedy their own striker needs, the Impact sent Johnson to Seattle Sounders for Mike Fucito and Lamar Neagle. 

Seattle finally has a strike partner for last season’s top scorer, Fredy Montero, and a player with experience in MLS and Europe.

The Sounders haven’t had a quality partner for Montero since the signing of Swiss international Blaise Nkufo. However, Nkufo only appeared in 11 matches and decided to hang-up his boots in March 2011.

Johnson joined MLS as a teenager in 2001. His early years were marked by inconsistency, something that has plagued his career. In seven MLS seasons, Johnson tallied 41 goals for Dallas Burn (FC Dallas) and Kansas City Wizards (Sporting KC). 

Johnson’s inconsistency followed him to the US national team as well. Though he had success at youth levels, he could not hold down a place in the senior team. Johnson’s international form was much like his club form, one good match followed by a series of poor performances. 

Johnson’s overall form improved in 2007, when he scored 14 goals for the Wizards, allegedly thanks to the help of a sports psychiatrist. Johnson called time on his first MLS experience following that season, and accepted a move to American-friendly Fulham.

What followed was four years of sitting on the sidelines, inconsistent form and constant loan moves. Johnson only made 18 appearances for Fulham, and most of those were as a substitute. 

In 2008-09, he was loaned to English Championship-side Cardiff City, where he appeared in 30 matches. Johnson’s form was so up and down he was regularly the focus of the supporters’ ire. In one instance, he was substituted in the second half after coming on as a substitute earlier in the same half.

A slightly successful loan move to Greece in 2010 gave many hope; however, that hope faded as Fulham again loaned Johnson out in 2011, this time to Preston North End. His luck didn’t change as he featured in 16 matches, scored zero goals and Preston was relegated to League One.

Johnson’s strange career had one more stop off before returning to MLS. Reports from Mexico stated he had signed for Primera side Puebla but was released only days later due to fitness issues. 

Johnson now finds himself with the three-time US Open Cup-winning Sounders, a club with fervent support and a desire to improve on and off the pitch. The club finished last season with the second best points total in MLS, but failed to impress in the playoffs for a third consecutive year. 

Last season Alvaro Fernandez, Mauro Rosales, Brad Evans and Osvaldo Alonso attributed for 23 goals from midfield. This equaled the output of strikers Montero, Roger Levesque, O’Brian White and Lamar Neagle.

Meanwhile, former target-man Nate Jacqua failed to find the back of the net, and was subsequently not re-signed by the club. Johnson is now tasked with the role of target man. 

Johnson must rediscover the form he showed in his last season with Kansas City, rather than the form he displayed while in Europe.

After starting his professional career in MLS at an early age, Johnson is headed down the same rocky road as Freddy Adu and Danny Szetela: a promising talent that hasn’t fully flourished.  

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Tis but a flesh wound, Omar argues

An optimistic mindset was on the face of Los Angeles Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez, who was sidelined with a torn ACL. The unexpected optimism surprised even the journalists on hand to watch the most recent training session for involving Bruce Arena's club.

“Everything has been pretty easy actually,” Gonzalez told MLSSoccer.com's Luis Bueno. “I’m keeping my spirits up and just thinking of it as if it happened for a reason.

“I’m thinking more of a long-term career thing here, I’m not thinking about just this season. If I’m back sooner than that, great. If I’m not, it’s going to be for the best. I’m not really trying to put too much pressure on myself.”

Preseason slump over as Galaxy outlast Chivas 3-2

The young guns for LA shined as Los Angeles ended a three-game losing streak in preseason action, defeating Chivas USA 3-2.

Pat Noonan opened the scoring in the 21st minute. Adam Cristman made it 2-0 10 minutes later and Dan Keat recorded the game-winner in the 39th minute of play. The Galaxy had to hold on for the victory.

 “There was a sense of urgency,” Galaxy rookie Bryan Gaul told Bueno. “You could tell the first 15 minutes when we came out, we were pressuring really hard, we were working as a team and we were working really hard as a unit.”

Noonan, a veteran with experience, understands that the team's performance was lacking in their losing streak.

“We’re at the point now where we’re around three weeks away from the first game in Toronto [in the CONCACAF Champions League],“ Noonan said. “We need to start getting results, we need to start getting sharper and more focused both in trainings and in games.”

”We’ve got a lot to learn but it was a good building block for us,” Keat added. ”The result’s really not what’s important in preseason, but you take a win over Chivas every day.”

Stephens called up to U.S. Under-23s

Michael Stephens is one of 15 MLS players that will be on the U.S. Under-23 men's national team roster.

The Under-23s will take on Mexico on Feb. 29 at FC Dallas Stadium (10 pm ET/7 pm PT, Univision), while CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying begins on March 22.

This is the roster for the U.S. Under-23 men's national team.

GOALKEEPERS (2): Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire)

DEFENDERS (7): Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Perry Kitchen (D.C. United), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin), Ike Opara (San Jose Earthquakes), Kofi Sarkodie (Houston Dynamo), Zarek Valentin (Montreal Impact), Jorge Villafaña (Chivas USA)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Mikkel Diskerud (Gent), Dilly Duka (Columbus Crew), Jared Jeffrey (Mainz), Amobi Okugo (Philadelphia Union), Michael Stephens (LA Galaxy)

FORWARDS (8): Freddy Adu (Philadelphia Union), Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City), Joe Gyau (Hoffenheim), Jack McInerney (Philadelphia Union), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Tony Taylor (Estoril Praia)

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Major League Soccer will kick off its 17th season on the weekend of March 10. As always, MLS teams have been busy in the offseason, shuffling rosters to make their squads more competitive and to fit within the league’s salary cap structure. 

Another expansion team, Impact de Montreal, have joined the league, pushing MLS to 19 teams and an unbalanced schedule. The playoffs have again been revamped by the league, and this year’s league schedule will be the longest yet. 

Now, with less than a month to go before the season kicks off, here are 10 players that should make their teams contenders for the MLS playoffs—or at least close enough, in a league in which over half the teams make the postseason. 

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