That's right, Sporting Kansas City (formerly the Kansas City Wizards) has decided they would like to give some deserving talent a shot at a contract, and who is more deserving than Cincinnati Bengals' wide receiver, Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson?

Tt]he newly rebranded side will be giving Ochocinco a four-day trial starting next Tuesday.  If he somehow impresses, they'll extend the period and move on from there.

There are no timeouts in soccer

Look, I thought it was cute when he joked about playing soccer last year, but this is ridiculous.  He may be an incredible athlete, however, he has been training his body to withstand the rigors of the National Football League for the last 10 years.

Soccer at any professional level is all about maintaining the balance between skill and stamina.  I'm pretty sure Mr. Ochocinco doesn't have much of either right now.  He has been on the decline for the last few NFL seasons and will be shopped around by the Bengals right up until the NFL trading deadline, lockout or no lockout.

If the Kansas City Wizards, whoops, I mean Sporting Kansas City bring him in for anything besides a publicity stunt, they really are destroying what little integrity the MLS has built up over the last 15 years.  Chad may have been a good soccer player when he was a kid, but that was at least 14 or 15 years ago. 

Does he know how to mark?

Does he know how to run at defenders?

Will he know how to position himself? 

Will he be able to strike the ball at goal under any kind of pressure?

It's safe to assume he'd be nothing more than a striker, maybe a winger, but these are all questions that should've crossed KC management's mind if they are being serious.  He'd be a liability on the field, the same way an inexperienced youth would be a liability at the top level in any professional league.

There is no way they can ingrain a lifetime of training and experience into the period of a few weeks if they ever handed the guy a real contract. 

David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Chad Ochocinco

One of these is not like the other.  Now you could argue that the Beckham experiment is a bust, while Henry is past his prime, but at least those two are credible internationals with more trophies than any NFL player right now.

Chad Ochocinco will go down in history as an overrated wide receiver who spent more time grinding the NFL commissioner's gears than producing consistent performances on the field.  I'm sorry, but a few Pro Bowl appearances are nothing in comparison to the resumés of Beckham or Henry.

He is not Beckham.

He is not Henry.

He is not even Marcelo Gallardo.

Ochocinco would be even more embarrassing to watch on a soccer field than watching Michael Jordan swing a baseball bat. (Not saying he is anywhere near Jordan's level, though).

Well it's just the MLS

Someone could argue that it's just the MLS, but at the end of the day, Major League Soccer is a credible, professional club soccer league recognized by soccer's governing body, FIFA.

The league prides itself in being a stage for young American talent to display their skills alongside experienced internationals in a professional and competitive setting.

However, bringing in an obnoxious talent like Ochocinco contradicts the league's current mission statement.

I'm not saying the guy doesn't deserve a chance, but the MLS has 18 clubs with only so many spots to fill on their roster at the moment. The fact that they're giving a shot to a wide receiver who is essentially just bored and looking for something to do is a disgrace.

The league is already frowned upon by the international soccer viewing community as well as fans stateside.  The simple act of handing Ochocinco a trial is not going to tear die-hard soccer fans away from European league play any time soon.

Hopefully, it'll be nothing more than an innocent publicity stunt when it is all said and done. If Ochocinco is serious about soccer, he should look into giving Sjarnan FC a call.

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Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy will open up the home portion of their 2011 Major League Soccer season Sunday against the New England Revolution. The importance of keeping both feet on the ground could not be any more stressed, nor could the desire to avenge a 2-0 defeat to the Revs on July 10, 2010 in Foxborough, Mass.

Still, the Galaxy's 1-0 victory over the Seattle Sounders came with great difficulty, according to team captain Landon Donovan.

"There's not another team in this league who would go without their two starting center backs, their starting goalkeeper and one of their Designated Players and get a win here," Donovan said. "We're very proud of that."

Center backs Gregg Berhalter and Omar Gonzalez, goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts and forward Juan Pablo Angel were battling illness and injury, while the team braved a tough environment—literally and figuratively.

"We relish this," Donovan said. "If they want to open the upper deck and add more people to the stands, we would love it. We love this atmosphere, we love this environment, we love playing here."

Despite a partisan sellout crowd of 36,433 and torrents of rain, the Galaxy's Juninho scored the first league goal of the year off a delivery from Todd Dunivant.

He couldn't do it alone, though. Goalkeeper Josh Saunders made stop after stop, and the back line got right for one, clamping down on Fredy Montero, Steve Zakuani, Alvaro Fernandez, O'Brian White and Company. His goalkeeping heroics could put LA in good hands for the first few months if he keeps this up.

"I prepared like it was any other day, but it was a good night for me," Saunders, who made six saves on Tuesday, said. "Look at our back line, and you can see our depth. You look at our back line, and you've got guys who've played in MLS Cup finals all the way through. They saved me a couple of times."

"Our back line is very good," Arena admitted. "I thought Leonardo and DeLaGarza had quite a good game, and Saunders had a good game in goal. For the night, it was a pretty steady performance by everyone."

"It’s not easy to play here. But it doesn't mean you can't win."

"Sure, Omar and Gregg weren't there," defender Sean Franklin said. "But the whole team stepped in. It shows Bruce has built a team where anyone can step in and play well."

New England has some capable players returning to the fold for the Revs.

Marko Perovic scored six goals to lead New England, while Zack Schilawski added five and long-time team favorite Shalrie Joseph scored four. Joseph and Kheli Dubs were the club's leading providers in 2010, chalking up five assists apiece, while Chris Tierney added four.

Perovic can finish when he has the ball and was instrumental in the Revs' victory over Los Angeles in July. They will need to break up the Galaxy's passing patterns, which were a complete mess on Tuesday.

Goalkeeper Matt Reis is expected to start Sunday for New England. He finished 2010 with a 1.79 goals against average, but had a 4-7-3 record; a big turnaround will need to be in order if the Revolution are to come out victorious.

As for the Galaxy, they had numerous chances to finish off their set pieces and had a few would-be goals sail wide. In fact, Chris Birchall nearly opened the scoring proceedings in the first minute against Seattle, so fans should know how capable this Galaxy side really is.

Prediction:  Los Angeles Galaxy 2, New England Revolution 1

After getting right for once, the hunt for consistency begins in earnest. Omar Gonzalez and Juan Pablo Angel need to get healthy. If they are ready to play Sunday, it will add another element to an attack that has potential.

Better passing and communication, more of the same from Saunders and the back line and playing a tight game overall as a team will all be crucial in order for the Galaxy to secure their first win streak of the season.

Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. PT/8:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by Galavision and Fox Sports Prime Ticket on tape delay.

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Harrison, NJ—With the New York Red Bulls home opener against the Seattle Sounders only a few days away, the team held their annual Media Day. It's an event where the Press has access to watch the team practice as well as interview the players, coaches and staff about the upcoming season. 

During the event, VP of Communications and Community Relations Jurgen Mainka announced the launching of the "New York's Got Wings" campaign. For every goal the Red Bulls score this season, $1000 in equipment and clinics will be donated to NYC Parks Youth Programs and NY Soccer Programs.

"Programs like New York's Got Wings that utilize soccer as a means to integrate youth, promote health and give back to the community are very important to me," said New York Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry. "As someone that has received so much from this sport since I was growing up, I feel a responsibility to constantly use soccer as a tool of positive social change."

"Parks & Recreation is thrilled to partner with the New York Red Bulls, the region's only professional soccer team, to bring soccer clinics and equipment to our Summer Camps sports programing," said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "Together we can help introduce children to the sport, while encouraging our professional team."

Nancy Barthold, Assistant Commissioner Recreation & Programming agrees, as she pointed out that it the was the New York Red Bulls who initially contacted the NYC Parks Dept. and informed them that they wanted to get involved with the city's summer programs. 

"Along with our current summer camp programs, it's fantastic that the New York Red Bulls has offered to help enhance the quality of our services by providing the children we serve the opportunity to learn and play soccer," said Nancy.

In addition to commitment to the NYC Parks, “New York’s Got Wings” will also donate new soccer equipment to New York youth soccer programs throughout the five boroughs. In an act of good faith and the New York Red Bulls' commitment to each borough in New York, voting will take place throughout the season. Fans will have the opportunity to place their vote for a specific youth soccer club to receive the prize.

The soccer club voting for each borough will take place over a seven game block starting with Queens (3/19-4/30), Brooklyn (5/7-6/11), Staten Island (6/19-7/16), Bronx (7/20-9/10) and Manhattan (9/17-10/20).

"I am thrilled to be part of the New York's Got Wings Program," Red Bulls midfielder Rafa Marquez said. "I think it is extremely important to develop youth soccer programs in the Tri-State area and I am willing to help out in any way I can."

Also taking part of this initiative is Adidas as they've committed to donate 1,000 soccer balls at the beginning of the 2011 MLS Season. In addition, Adidas will donate an additional ball for every Red Bull jersey purchased at the Adidas Sport Performance store in New York and this commitment will last throughout the season.

With the cutbacks that New York City has been suffering throughout the years, it's fantastic to see that the New York Red Bulls is vocally telling New Yorkers that they're committed to the children of the city.

For all the misconception that the New York Red Bulls is a corporate team, they have done a lot for the Tri-State area that often gets ignored.

Over the years, the Red Bulls have generously donated tickets various non-profit organizations. In addition, they have a "Breaking Borders" program with the NYPD where they host a soccer clinic while donating equipment to the children in South America. Last year, they conducted a couple of soccer clinics for the NYC Department of Juvenile Justice.

While many Red Bull fans want to see their beloved team hoist the 2011 MLS Cup trophy, they now have another reason to hope they score more goals during the season.

Fans will have the opportunity to follow this campaign on opening day by going to @NYGotWings and www.redbullusa.com/newyorksgotwings.

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for Latino Sports. You may follow him on Facebook at Covering Soccer and at Twitter at @CoveringSoccer and @LatinoSports143. Please email your questions and comments to Cesar at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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Chad Ochocinco (Cincinnati Bengals Wide Receiver) is going to try out for Sporting Kansas City. 

If things go well during his four-day invite, it is expected that the tryout will be extended. While many people are thinking that this is a publicity stunt in response to the NFL Labor problems, I tend to disagree.

My reasons are the following:

Chad Ochocinco grew up around soccer during his childhood in Miami Florida. He even played it in high school before opting to play American Football.

Ochocinco is friends with Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho. He also visited Spain where he met with Real Madrid greats such as Jose Mourinho, Kaka, and Ronaldo.

We also have examples of people who excel in many sports and have a tendency to participate during a certain period. One of the notable example is Brian Jordan who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in baseball and as a safety for the NFL Team Buffalo Bills.

Who can forget Charlie Ward who was able to balance basketball, baseball, and American Football? The more a person is an expert in different sports, the more he or she can use their talent.

My recommendation is to let Chad Ochocinco be Chad Ochocinco.

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Chad Ochocinco (Cincinnati Bengals Wide Receiver) is going to try out for Sporting Kansas City. 

If things go well during his four-day invite, it is expected that the tryout will be extended. While many people are thinking that this is a publicity stunt in response to the NFL Labor problems, I tend to disagree.

My reasons are the following:

Chad Ochocinco grew up around soccer during his childhood in Miami Florida. He even played it in high school before opting to play American Football.

Ochocinco is friends with Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho. He also visited Spain where he met with Real Madrid greats such as Jose Mourinho, Kaka, and Ronaldo.

We also have examples of people who excel in many sports and have a tendency to participate during a certain period. One of the notable example is Brian Jordan who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in baseball and as a safety for the NFL Team Buffalo Bills.

Who can forget Charlie Ward who was able to balance basketball, baseball, and American Football? The more a person is an expert in different sports, the more he or she can use their talent.

My recommendation is to let Chad Ochocinco be Chad Ochocinco.

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Maybe it was the timing for Blaise Nkufo getting the boot one hour before kickoff. Maybe it was the fact that it was a rainy night on a rainy surface in one of the rainiest cities in America.

Maybe it was the fact that Seattle blew all their chances to send one through the net.

Or maybe it was the fact that Josh Saunders and Juninho delivered in the clutch for Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy, who shut out the Seattle Sounders 1-0 before a hostile sellout crowd at Qwest Field in MLS FirstKick.

You know what? I'll go ahead and do a favor for you lot here on Bleacher Report and the View. I'll take Saunders and Juninho delivering over the other two.

First, let's talk about Saunders. After Donovan Ricketts went down with an injury in their club friendly with Club Tijuana, Saunders was thrust into the limelight once again.

In front of one of the most hostile environments in the league, Saunders was ready and made stop after stop after stop. Of course, it did help that some of the shots he couldn't parry missed the net anyway.

That leads us to Juninho. Can somebody from Sao Paolo FC just do the right thing and give the Galaxy the rights to Juninho and Leonardo already?

Todd Dunivant found the streaking Brazilian in the middle of Seattle's defensive third and caught the Sounders' back line napping for a wonder strike with good pace past Kasey Keller in the 58th minute.

Juninho could have made it a brace later on in the second half, but his next opportunity went high off the mark.

O'Brian White, Fredy Montero, Steve Zakuani and Alvaro Fernandez had numerous chances to convert. All failed.

There is no conspiracy, no "Curse of Blaise Nkufo", no hoodoo mumbo jumbo: The Sounders just could not finish, plain and simple.

That isn't to say the Galaxy were fluid offensively. On the contrary, David Beckham was off on his set pieces, though the wet conditions may have something to do with that.

Whenever there is rain, rain and more rain, you have to rely on your defense to get the job done.

The Galaxy back line of Sean Franklin, A.J. DeLaGarza (filling in for Omar Gonzalez), Leonardo and Todd Dunivant could have used their skill at dispossessing the attack last season. Thankfully, they were able to exorcise the demons from last year and end a three-game losing streak which included defeats to FC Dallas, Newcastle Jets and Club Tijuana.

It was almost clockwork, the way the midfielders and the backline took away possession. This Galaxy team is far from reaching midseason form—well, it IS the first game of the season, after all—but the shades of it are beginning to sprout for Bruce Arena's club.

The interesting thing now for the G's is that they get a short turnaround before they open up their home campaign against the New England Revolution on Sunday, March 20.

Building on the production they got from Juninho will be a priority, with many ready to open up their scoring accounts on Victoria Street.

Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. PT/8:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by Galavision and Prime Ticket on tape delay.

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Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy take on the Sigi Schmid's Seattle Sounders in MLS FirstKick, scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.

The Los Angeles Galaxy look to begin the long road back to redemption, after seeing their 2010 MLS Cup campaign end at the hands of FC Dallas. Meanwhile, Seattle has not been having their way against the Galaxy and saw their hopes for the Cup end up in smoke.

Los Angeles is hoping that the acquisitions of Juan Pablo Angel, Adam Cristman and Chad Barrett will help in starting their 2011 Major League Soccer campaign on the winning track. The Galaxy are ranked first in MLSSoccer.com's preseason Power Rankings and third in Bleacher Report's MLS Power Rankings.

Seattle will need a breakout year from Colombian international Fredy Montero and midfielder Steve Zakuani.

Bleacher Report will provide live updates on all the action from Qwest Field in Seattle.

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All eyes will be on the New York Red Bulls in 2011. A worst-to-first season in 2010, a great stadium and big-name foreign players to go with promising young Americans have everyone talking about the possibilities for this team.

But this squad is far from a lock to win it all.

Consistency has always been an issue for this club. While soccer seems to have more player movement compared to other sports in the country, the Red Bulls—going back to when they were the MetroStars—have had a constantly revolving door of players and coaches.

Born in 1996, current head coach Hans Backe is the 12th man to lead the club. No coach has lasted more than three seasons, and only two have done that. So while Backe gets another crack at things, assistant coaches Richie Williams—who had been with the team since 2006—and Des McAleenan—the goalkeepers coach since 2002—were fired.

The two have been with the club for long periods of time and have been through it all. Williams, for the past couple of years, has been a hot commodity for a head coaching position in the league. To fire those two only a few weeks before the season begins is a perplexing move and could be indicative of larger issues within the club.

Also not returning is the franchise’s all-time leading goal scorer Juan Pablo Angel. In four seasons with the team he scored 61 goals in all competitions. His contract expired, however, and the team decided to go in another direction.

As peculiar as it was for the team to so easily get rid of one of its best players ever, there is some consolation in that the expected forward tandem could be the most-hyped duo in the league: Thierry Henry and Juan Agudelo.

Henry was the marquee designated player signing last summer for the Red Bulls. There was a lot of excitement about him coming to MLS after the FIFA World Cup, yet his performance didn’t match it. He scored only two goals in only 11 league games, missing three of the team’s final four games—including the first leg of the playoffs—and coming on as a late sub in the match that eliminated them from the playoffs.

Henry trained with Arsenal over the winter in order to regain fitness and health. If he can stay healthy, his first full season in the league should be noteworthy.

Agudelo has rocketed to the forefront of the American soccer scene. A rising prospect, Agudelo didn’t actually play in MLS until October and only played in four games (two regular season and two playoff matches). However, that was enough to make USMNT coach Bob Bradley bring him in for a friendly, in which Agudelo came off the bench and scored the game-winning goal.

With no Angel in New York, Agudelo should get a lot more playing time this season. Also, with no real established forward in the national team pool (with the exception, possibly, of Jozy Altidore), many USA fans will have a close eye on the development of Agudelo.

The team has a similar situation on the back line as well. DP Rafa Marquez will team with 2010 Rookie of the Year candidate and rising national team player Tim Ream.

Marquez brought a lot of presence and patience to the Red Bulls lineup and could be even better moving from defensive midfield to his preferred position of center back. Ream enjoyed a great rookie campaign, showcasing his poise and technical ability on the ball. These two will anchor an otherwise shaky defense.

Left fullback may be the biggest weakness on the club right now. Roy Miller is the incumbent starter, but after a good first half of the season his form dipped drastically towards the end, and he was especially rough in the playoffs. If he cannot regain his form, he could very well lose his position to Danleigh Borman.

On the right side, Chris Albright had a solid season, but he is 32 years old with a strong injury history, and the club is worried about his durability in the short and long terms.

The goalie position is still unsettled as well. Last year’s starter Bouna Coundoul had a career year, starting all but three games (which he missed because of national team duty) and setting the franchise record for shutouts (11). However, he sometimes loses focus and makes ridiculous mistakes, and he could be in the doghouse for spending January with his national team of Senegal rather than with the Red Bulls.

Greg Sutton has been seeing a lot of first-team action in preseason. He has solid fundamentals, but last time he was the first-choice goalkeeper, he had a disastrous season.

Linking the suspect defense with a growing offense is the midfield, a solid group. Joel Lindpere leads the way after having a wonderful season with the team, scoring three times, assisting on a team-best six goals and displaying a tireless work effort. He is joined by Dane Richards, the Jamaican speedster who scored five goals last season (second-best on the team) and seemed to be a revived player with the arrivals of Henry and Marquez.

New to the unit will be international transfers Jan Gunnar Solli and Teemu Tainio. Tainio, a Finish International player, has played at extremely high levels of soccer his entire career, playing for clubs like Auxerre, Tottenham and Ajax. Solli, a member of the Norway National Team, can play the wing and was very successful at SK Brann.

Red Bulls management hopes that these two under-the-radar signings can be just as fruitful as the Lindpere one was last season.

This Red Bulls team is one with a lot of talent, a seemingly high amount of offensive potential and the ability to be one of the best teams in the league.

They will be the favorites to win the East and reach the MLS Cup final.

The franchise, though, has a tough history of not meeting expectations, and with some instability, especially in the coaching ranks and on defense, the threat of another lost season still looms over the club.

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So what's their motivation?

The desire to meet high standards are a mantra for Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy, who made final preparations before the season opener against the Seattle Sounders.

“We are clearly driven to win a championship this year,” Arena said. “No question about it.”

When asked the question, midfielder David Beckham echoed the same sentiments.

“It’s something that we’re always passionate about,” Beckham said. “Everyone wants to be successful. Going into this season, it’s no different than going into every other season. You have to be up for it. You have to want to win."

“Not every team has the talent we have and our ability to win a championship every year," said team captain Landon Donovan. "So we want to take advantage of it.”

“It’s almost one of those things that doesn’t need to be said,” defender Todd Dunivant said. “To be honest, it hasn’t been much different the last couple of years.”

Case in point: the 2009 MLS Cup defeat to Real Salt Lake. Another case in point, the 2010 Western Conference Final defeat to FC Dallas.

“It was such a disappointing end,” Dunivant said, “sort of a shocking end last year, to let the season get away like that. Without a doubt we’re more focused and more resolved.

“[High expectations] come with being on the Galaxy. This is a team that is expected to win. We have turned it around the last two years, and now it’s time to put the final touches on.

“That doesn’t happen today. It happens throughout the season. It’s a mentality we have to have all year…that’s our goal. When we get to the playoffs we have to push through and finally win it."

Newcomer Frankie Hejduk, familiar with success as a member of the Columbus Crew, knew all too well that the pressure and the will to win would be critical to LA's 2011 campaign.

“Anything less than a championship would be a disappointment, to be honest,” Hejduk said. “That should be the goal of every team you’re on every year. If you go into a year not thinking you’re going to win a championship, you shouldn’t be out here.

“Yeah, there are high expectations, but as a player that’s what you want. You want to play at the highest level in the toughest environment week in and week out. It’s intense around here, and that’s going to make us better.”


Josh Saunders, a.k.a. Mr. Reliable

So what happens if Donovan Ricketts is unavailable to play for the G's on Tuesday night?

Well, you call in the Galaxy's No. 12, Josh Saunders, to fill in that role. Or...maybe not.

“We don’t know what our lineup is on Tuesday,” Arena said. “[Ricketts] just took a knock. He’ll be fine…It’s not serious. He’s doing well.”

Ricketts was injured in the team's preseason friendly with Club Tijuana on Mar. 2, and Saunders replaced him. He also was in goal during the Galaxy's 2-1 victory over UCLA.

Still, Saunders was not hasty in jumping to conclusions.

“It’s still a bit too early,” Saunders said on the goalkeeper situation. “We don’t know but it’s one of those things as a backup where I’m always going to be prepared because that’s my job. Regardless, I’ll be ready whether I play or not.

“Even if I know I’m not playing, I go in with the same mentality—like I am playing. It’s the same preparation. It’s more of a mental exercise than anything. It’s your preparation mentally for the game, so you don’t want to prepare differently whether you are playing or not. I’m going to go into it thinking it either way."

But after the match with UCLA, the possibility was there.

“It’s more of a mental exercise than physical, for me at least,” Saunders said. “I could tell I was lagging a little in the last 20 minutes...but overall it was a good exercise.”


And what of the Beckham effect?

Last week, Mia Hamm was quick to note that the Beckham effect had lost its luster the past few years.

"It's still evolving, he's still there," Hamm told The Associated Press on Thursday. "I don't think the David Beckham chapter is quite finished yet. Maybe we'll need to evaluate it in five years.

"He definitely created a buzz. But playing for your country also means a certain amount of time. When he came to Los Angeles, it looked like his days in England were over. But there was a huge push by his teammates to bring him back.

"As a competitor, you understand why there was this transition back to Europe. As a fan, I was excited he was playing for the Galaxy and I could see him in my own backyard.

"As a teammate, I'm sure they also understand. It's difficult."

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One thing about Soccer and its History is that its always gone hand-in-hand with Politics. Since the time Benito Mussolini used Soccer to promote the Italian Fascist Party to the infamous “Soccer War” between Honduras and El Salvador, soccer was involved.

In the relationship between Soccer and Politics, players have used Soccer as a vehicle to show their disapproval of the government. One famous incident involved Holland’s great footballer, Johan Cruyff. He made the decision to play for Barcelona FC over Real Madrid because he couldn’t play for a club associated with Spanish Dictator Francisco Franco.

Throughout decades, soccer has been utilized as a vehicle to address Social, Political, Economic, and Religious conditions & struggles in other parts of the world. While all those issues may have been addressed, in the end...was soccer powerful enough to inspire the necessary Social, Political, Economic, and Religious change?

In the case of the United States of America, is soccer powerful enough to create new employment opportunities in order to help restore the economy? While it maybe possible in other countries, is it possible in the United States where the NBA, NFL, and MLB are more popular than Major League Soccer?

One man believes so and his name is Kalman Menyhart. Prior to moving to the United States in 2002, Kalman had played professionally for almost 20 years as a goalkeeper for the Hungarian Football Federation and Belgian Football League from 1974-1992.

Following his retirement from soccer, Kalman obtained a Soccer Coach diploma from the Belgian Royal Union of Football Association where he studied in the Federal Soccer School in Brussels. With his coaching credentials, Kalman helped manage Austrian club VSE St. Polten.  

Now living in California, Kalman believes soccer will help reduce the country's unemployment, foreclosures and the increase of poverty. In an excerpt from his 800-page proposal titled "Reforms, Investments in the US Soccer Guarantee New Employment Opportunities in the USA," Kalman states:

I've been living here for 8 years and was able to get to know the structure of the US Soccer, from the MLS ( Major League Soccer) to the POL (Premier Development League) and also the Private Leagues for adults and kids. I saw many trainings and games and got an idea of what the real level of soccer is in the USA. I was very proud that the US National soccer team made it to the South African World Cup and I was very impressed by the Women's National Soccer team's results.

In the last years, I tried to get the positive and also the negative sides of the US Soccer by comparing it to the European level and other countries from the rest of the world. There has been some growth in the past 8 years but the US Soccer is in need of serious reforms and investments in order to guarantee the future and the growth of this sport and come close to the European level.

He believes that his 800-page proposal: (1) can create 9.5 (plus an additional 5 million) million new jobs in 2011/12/13, (2) can make the case for a new US National Soccer League (with thousands of new soccer clubs) for millions of young Americans and (3) can help shape the definitive future of the US Soccer.

While some may find his proposal to appear outlandish, Kalman is more than willing to defend his position in an open discussion. He is willing to explain how the money borrowed to make his proposal a reality is able to be paid off in 2-3 years while stimulating the United States economy.

I've read his proposal and I will admit that it's interesting. Can it be done? Is it realistic? If you wish to find out more, please contact me and I will gladly forward your information to Kalman. I am sure that he'll contact you and any questions you have for him will be answered.

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for Latino Sports. You may follow him on Facebook at Covering Soccer and at Twitter at @CoveringSoccer and @LatinoSports143. Please email your questions and comments to Cesar at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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