LA Galaxy star David Beckham is targeting a return to European football next month as he looks to work his way back into the England squad.

The former England captain missed the chance to appear at his fourth World Cup in South Africa this summer when he picked up an injury on loan at Italian side AC Milan; he has not played for England since.

And the ex-Real Madrid star, who has joined AC Milan in the last two winters' transfer windows, has ruled out a move to the Premier League—unless he returns to Manchester United.

Speaking as he accepted a Life Time achievement award from the BBC in Birmingham, he said:

"I won't be going back to AC Milan this time because is not possible to go onto the roster for such a short length of time.

"But I will be going back somewhere as I want to keep myself fit and keep myself in with a chance of getting called up for England again. To do that, I have to be somewhere. so fingers crossed I can sort something out."

However he admits his chances of a return the Premier League are slim despite training with Arsenal in the past.

Beckham said: "I have always missed playing in the Premier League since I left it almost eight years ago.

"It is a great league and one of the most competitive in the world. Maybe one day I will come back here, but I have always said that it will only be for Manchester United. I am not holding my breath on that one, but we will have to wait and see.

"But definitely not Preston [where he played on loan as a teenager]...it's too cold up there!"

The former Three Lions No. 7, who has persistently ruled himself out as being a future England manager, may find it hard to return to Manchester after his exit in 2003.

Beckham left Old Trafford after a series of run-ins with Sir Alex Ferguson, who famously kicked a boot off his head during a heated dressing-room bust-up.

Sir Alex also rarely takes back former players, though the signings of Henrik Larsson and Laurent Blanc, both aging players when they arrived at Old Trafford, will give Beckham hope.

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LA Galaxy star David Beckham is targeting a return to European football next month as he looks to work his way back into the England squad.

The former England captain missed the chance to appear at his fourth World Cup in South Africa in summer when he picked up an injury on loan at Italian side AC Milan and he has not played for England since his injury in March.

And the former Real Madrid star, who has joined AC Milan in the last two winters' transfer windows, has ruled out a move to the Premier League...unless he returns to Manchester United.

Speaking as he accepted a Life Time achievement award from the BBC in Birmingham, he said:

"I won't be going back to AC Milan this time because is not possible to go onto the roster for such a short length of time.

"But I will be going back somewhere as I want to keep myself fit and keep myself in with a chance of getting called up for England again. To do that, I have to be somewhere. so fingers crossed I can sort something out.

However he admits his chances of a return the Premier League are slim...despite training with Arsenal in the past.

Beckham said: "I have always missed playing in the Premier League since I left it almost eight years ago.

"It is a great league and one of the most competitive in the world. Maybe one day I will come back here, but I have always said that it will only be for Manchester United. I am not holding my breath on that one, but we will have to wait and see.

"But definitely not Preston [where he played on loan as a teenager]...it's too cold up there!"

The former Three Lions No. 7, who has persistently ruled himself out as being a future England manager, may find it hard to return to Manchester after his exit in 2003.

Beckham left Old Trafford after a series of run-in's with Sir Alex Ferguson, who famously kicked a boot off his head during a heated dressing-room bust-up.

Sir Alex also rarely takes back former players, though the signings of Henrik Larsson and Laurent Blanc, both aging players when they arrived at Old Trafford, will give Beckham hope.

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I’ve almost come to peace with the fact that this blog sits idle for long periods of time (especially in the offseason), but am always happy when a thought creeps in that feels worth sharing.

Like many others, I face a pesky day job that must come first and can take a fairly significant amount of time from my whole soccer alter-ego.   But for once, the day job has offered me a relevant theme for a Soccer Soap Box post. What it offered was the better part of a week spent in 2011 marketing planning—something the Revolution is certainly in the midst of as well.

Well, if I’m honest, it was a combination of the day job and some recent news out of the New England Revolution. The primary thing that the Revs did which caught my attention was the recent outreach by the Revolution communications team to the blogger community and its requests for input on content and its social media outreach.

Which got me thinking… shouldn’t I have something relevant to say? It’s been a while… And this is when the 2011 work planning and the Revolution outreach came together.

You see, a couple of topics of work planning were extremely relevant to Revolution planning. I work in marketing at a large technology company and we were looking at our strategy, budgets and many other organizational and directional constructs. Of the many topics that resonated with me two stood out as relevant in a Revs context: improving our company’s focus on our social media exposure and leverage and becoming more agile.

We will revisit the theme of agility in the next blog post, but today, let’s talk about the online marketing theme. The Revolution need a bit more work on this side than my employer.

You know this when one of the most common posts the team needs to make on Facebook says something like, “fans, please watch your language and be respectful.”  Typically, happy fans are not cursing, disrespectful ones.

The team has already made some steps. On the team’s blog, the Revolution’s marketing “digital department” asked their audience for feedback on its content, structure and activity. The team’s marketing and communications department then followed up by looking to identify and promote “bloggers and independent media” that focus on the Revolution. (For full disclosure, yes, I sent in Soccer Soap Box as such a site.)

The marketing and communications groups for the Revolution cannot control the results, the players selected or the decisions made by management or coaches, but they can create and disseminate content about the team. To that end, there are some positive signs… the content is typically pretty good, with Jeff Lemieux becoming the social media “face of the team” in many ways.  And that is a good thing.

When thinking more broadly into the coverage and online content, there is one thing that tended to trouble me—the lack of an independent voice. Local coverage of the Revolution is fairly limited, but of all the journalists Kyle McCarthy is by far the most active. In fact, Kyle is so active and close with the team that he often seems to be part of the Revolution communications staff. Don’t misunderstand my point, I like Kyle and read his work near religiously, as any Revolution fan likely does. But he hardly seems  likely to create a pointed critique of the team direction or management.

And this leaves a situation where the blogosphere often appears more “honest,” even if that honesty is driven by the infatuation and depression cycles of a fan more than the third-party dissonance of a “real” journalist. The blogosphere tends not to be particularly kind to a losing team or a team that they feel is not doing all they can to be the league’s best. This describes the relationship with the Revolution and the majority of their blogging corps today.  Some of that angst is probably fair (and seen here on Soccer Soap Box) and some is probably not (and that’s probably seen here from time to time as well.)

So, the Revolution have made a smart choice. Embrace the bloggers and independents that cover the team, which will allow them to generate some online buzz based on work that is getting done anyway—even if some of that buzz is tinged with latent negativity. Fans love to be happy, but they also need to complain whether they admit it or not.  Harnessing this energy may be more important than positive story lines—relevance is key in a crowded market, even if there’s a risk that the relevance is not all blatant positivity.

If nothing else, this will provide a better-balanced perspective in news coverage about the team.   Debate spurs interest and attachment to the team and differing opinions can spur debate.

However, this also enables the team to embrace the community and provide closely managed-glimpses of the inside workings of the team. Oh, and it provides some better access and the occasional freebies. Given that some of the frustration with the team is about this perceived lack of transparency, and in its worst incarnation a lack of interest and drive to make the team the best it can be, whatever can be done to show a better perspective would likely help.  And hey, bloggers love to feel important, now don’t we?

To engage, and even promote, independent opinions on the team while providing greater access and appreciation for the blogger community, while checking the relevance of current content, is probably a wise play.

Will it work? That largely depends on the stated goals. Can it drive increased exposure to “free” coverage? Probably.

Can it covertly help change views and opinions about the team? I’m not so sure. But it is probably worth over-sharing a bit with the community, just in case.

If Soccer Soap Box seems happy-go-lucky and skin deep in six months, we will know something happened.  

And that I need to be smacked a couple of times.

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This league is just 17, if you know what I mean.

But before I proceed to give you my most vain attempt at serenading/inundating you with Beatles classics hither and thither, I want to take this time to look back at Major League Soccer. It has grown in leaps and bounds. While the talent is still developing and has a ways yet to go before it reaches the level of the best leagues in the world, it is a reputable league in its own right.

Last Friday marked the 17th anniversary of MLS's birth into the world. THe USA was several months away from successfully hosting association football's showcase event in the FIFA World Cup. In Las Vegas, a town that is known for dreaming big and bringing out the best in those who dream, a man by the name of Alan I. Rothenberg presented the framework for this league and unveiled its logo on Dec. 17.

I was only 9 years old when this came out. Up until then, all I was used to seeing was the Big Four of Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League. I didn't know that Los Angeles would have its very own team.

But it would in the Los Angeles Galaxy. I remember opening the paper, and lo and behold, it announced on the sports page the launch of this league. Interesting.

“It was a very exciting time,” said MLS President Mark Abbott, who was a senior vice president for business development at the time.

“There was a FIFA executive committee meeting where Alan presented the basic business plan for what became MLS. And immediately after that, we went into a press conference where Alan announced that FIFA had reviewed and approved the plan that we had put in place for what ultimately would become the league."

Design firms were commissioned to submit 15 to 20 logos each before the group was whittled down to a handful of finalists.  “The one I liked is ultimately what became the logo, but Alan was leaning towards a different one,” Abbott said. “Alan’s wife also liked the winning logo and that may have played a part in the final decision.”

At first,  FIFA was reluctant to give the USA the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Sepp Blatter, Joao Havelange and the rest of the Executive Committee were asking, "Wait a sec, you Yanks; don't you have a league or something?" If it wasn't for the formation of MLS, fans wouldn't have seen record attendances for matches held at American football stadiums.

This isn't a joke, peoples. The reason why the 1994 FIFA World Cup was a smash hit was because of MLS being born in Sin City. Now, there were 22 cities that applied to have an MLS club, but only 10 teams could be had.

Those teams were the Columbus Crew, D.C. United, the New England Revolution, the NY/NJ MetroStars (now New York Red Bulls), the Tampa Bay Mutiny (who folded a few years later), the Colorado Rapids, the Dallas Burn (now FC Dallas), the Kansas City Wiz (now Sporting Kansas City), the Los Angeles Galaxy and the San Jose Clash (now Houston Dynamo after relocation, though a new team was established in San Jose soon after).

A young has to go through growing pains if it wants to become strong and viable. 1998 was a year of transition for MLS. After declining attendance to go with an embarassing performance at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, outgoing commissioner Doug Logan was replaced by current MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who made sweeping changes to the face of the league.

Now the league shifted its focus towards developing local talent while constructing soccer-specific stadiums for its clubs, the first being Columbus Crew Stadium in 1999. The development of American stars like DaMarcus Beasley, Tim Howard and Landon Donovan set the stage for a resounding performance at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

The 2006 season was another year of transition for MLS, as many American players signed contracts abroad. Along the same lines, new teams such as Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake began play with the league's expansion.

Now there are teams in Toronto, Seattle (which originally applied to have its own club during the league's launch), Portland, Philadelphia and Vancouver, with Montreal and perhaps one more city waiting in the wings.

The following year, the Designated Player Rule was introduced as part of MLS's efforts to internationalize the league and raise its level of play. The rule was nickhamed the "Beckham Rule" as the Galaxy's David Beckham was the first player signed under this rule.

Today, MLS operates under a single-entity structure in which teams are centrally controlled, though not owned, by the league. In order to keep costs under control, revenues are shared throughout the league, player contracts are negotiated by the league, and ultimately players are contracted not with individual teams but with the league itself.

As a result of these measures, new ownership groups like Red Bull GmbH have added more dollars and cents into the league, taking slack off it in the process.

"The sale [of the MetroStars to Red Bull] was part of a plan to have [the Anschutz Entertainment Group] decrease its holdings in MLS," Garber said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "We're pushing Hunt Sports to do the same thing."

Hunt Sports owns the Crew and FC Dallas, while AEG owns the Galaxy and Dynamo. All in all, the league now has 17 owners for 19 clubs

In the future, as MLS reaches adulthood and profitability, you can expect each club to have its own owner. The perks? All owners will have the rights to a certain number of players they develop through their club's academy system each year, sharing the profits of Soccer United Marketing, and being able to sell individual club jersey sponsorships.

And speaking of academies, according to the rules, every team in the league must have a youth development program. If every clubs in MLS is able sign up to two of its own youth players to the senior team each year, all teams will have an incentive to improve the quality of the league's talent in an organic way that will also benefit the league through transfer fees for outgoing players.

Every major club around the world has some sort of football acaqdemy, and it is apparent MLS is following the lead.

Mmmmm. Organic.

Never mind that U.S. Soccer has hired the first full-time professional referees in league history, along with the fact that the league has its own anthem. It has similar symphonic blends as that from, say, a certain competition involving some of the most storied clubs from all over Europe.

But this is all proof that Major League Soccer is maturing as it turns 17. Here's to MLS completing two decades of providing some of the best association football the USA can offer...and beyond.

Cheers.

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Edson Buddle gives it the ol' English try


LA Galaxy forward Edson Buddle was on trial with Blues of Premier League side Birmingham City. However, Los Angeles Galaxy manager Bruce Arena fancied the chances of signing Buddle to a new deal.

"We expect to sign Edson to a new contract,” Arena told MLSSoccer.com’s ExtraTime Radio on Thursday.

And it's been there, trialed that for the American Pelé. The 29-year-old New York City-area native had serious interest from Norwegian side Frerikstad FK in 2006 while with Toronto FC. Buddle is expected to return to the States on Dec. 22.

With the Galaxy landing Juan Pablo Ángel's rights, the possibility of Ángel and Buddle lining up as forwards could be a strong possibility, Arena notes.

“We would anticipate Edson signing a new deal and I would have no problem playing those two players (Buddle and Ángel) together,” he told the show’s hosts. “I don’t see them being the same player. They are two potential target forwards, but I suspect those two will do quite well together.”



Welcome back, Jovan


Midfielder Jovan Kirovski agreed to a one-year contract on Thursday that will see the former US international return to The Home Depot Center and head coach Bruce Arena for a third consecutive season donning the strip of the Galaxy.

“I love being part of the club,” Kirovski said. “We have a great group of players. It’s a very good team that’s always competing for a title. And with Bruce around, it makes for a great environment.”

The 34-year-old Kirovski scored four goals in 2010 – good for third on the team – in 932 minutes of play. When the 2011 preseason starts, the Escondido, Calif., native will battle for playing time in what should be a very deep front line.

With the acquisition of the rights to Ángel and Frankie Hejduk, Kirovski fancied that club's chances of doing pretty big things down the road next year.

“Those are two fantastic players,” Kirovski said. “If we can sign them, they’ll be very good to our squad. With Ángel, the quality speaks for itself. The goals he’s scored, that’s something we lacked and it’s important for our team. Frankie’s a veteran player. I’ve known him a long time and he’ll fit in perfectly.”

2011, the veteran said, will be about redemption, redemption, redemption.

“[Losing the Western Conference Championship to FC Dallas] was a big disappointment, especially for us,” Kirovski added. “When we go in, we want to win a championship. Anything else is a disappointment. The year before, we were very close. Last year we had a very good team. That’s all part of it.

"That’s what motivates me and most of the guys – we want to win.”



Victoria Street hosts the CONCACAF Gold Cup


Back for another run at hosting matches in the CONCACAF Gold Cup is the Home Depot Center, which will host games on Jun. 6, 2010.

New Meadowlands Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.), Ford Field (Detroit), Raymond James Stadium (Tampa) and Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte) will welcome the Gold Cup for the first time. And the Rose Bowl will host the final.

This is the schedule for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup matches.

First Round
June 5 – Cowboys Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
June 6 – The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.)
June 7 – Ford Field (Detroit)
June 9 – Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte)
June 10 – FIU Stadium (Miami)
June 11 – Raymond James Stadium (Tampa)
June 12 – Soldier Field (Chicago)
June 13 – Red Bull Arena (Harrison, N.J.)
June 14 – KC Soccer Stadium (Kansas City, Kan.)

Quarterfinals
June 18 – New Meadowlands Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.)
June 19 – Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium (Washington)

Semifinals
June 22 – Reliant Stadium (Houston)

Final
June 25 – Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.)

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No longer wanted by the New York Red Bulls, Juan Pablo Angel will be moving to the West Coast. With the fourth pick in the 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft, the Los Angeles Galaxy made a serious statement when they selected the veteran forward. 

“The reason we took him in the Re-Entry Draft is we think we can make it work,” Arena said during a media conference call on Wednesday. "I think Juan wants to make it work and we just have to get into some discussions this week and see if we can reach an agreement.”

If both sides are able to reach an agreement, the Los Angeles Galaxy will have a team consisting of the scoring trio Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle and Juan Pablo Angel. Along with David Beckham, the 2011 Los Angeles Galaxy will automatically be considered a team that's capable of ousting current MLS Cup winners, the Colorado Rapids.

In 2007, Juan Pablo Angel joined David Beckham and Cuauhtemoc Blanco as the MLS' first trio of Designated Players. While Beckham and Blanco received more attention, JPA was by far the most consistent player of the trio.

In four seasons with the New York Red Bulls, JPA scored 58 goals in 102 regular season games. Despite turning 35 years old this season, JPA didn't miss a regular season for the first time in his illustrious career as a Red Bull. In 30 games, he scored a team-leading 13 goals.

In the four years that he was a Red Bull, the team made it to the postseason in three out of his four years. In 2008, JPA helped lead the Red Bulls to MLS Cup where they eventually fell to the Columbus Crew 3-1. Following a disastrous 2009 campaign, the Red Bulls returned to the playoffs in 2010 while winning the Eastern Conference during the regular season.

Despite the acquisitions of Joel Lindpere, Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez, the New York Red Bulls were eliminated as they lost 3-1 to the San Jose Earthquakes in Red Bull Arena. Playing his final game as a Red Bull, JPA didn't disappoint the fans as he scored his final goal in a losing effort.

As both the New York Red Bulls and Juan Pablo Angel move forward separately towards the 2011 MLS season, it'll be interesting to see how both sides turn out. Who knows? Maybe both teams will meet in the 2011 MLS Cup.

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for Latino Sports. You can him on Facebook and Twitter at @CoveringSoccer and @LatinoSports143. Please email Cesar your comments and questions to cesar@latinosports.

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This is Part Two in a list of players that will be joining the Los Angeles Galaxy this season.

Ever heard of that cheesy '80s song called "Relax"? The infectious chorus goes something along these lines.

"Relax, don’t do it
When you want to go to it
Relax, don’t do it
When you want to come
Relax, don’t do it
When you want to sock it to it
Relax ,don’t do it
When you want to come..."

Frankie Hejduk did. And he's going to Hollywood.

Well, not exactly Hollywood; it's more like a town that's a just a short, little drive south of Hollywood. A town called Carson. A town where the Home Depot Center and the Los Angeles Galaxy reside. A town with a street called Victoria where he will be plying his trade next year.

And Hejduk has plied his trade for quite some time now, playing the beautiful game. Now he returns back home to the Golden State for one more shot at adding to his accomplishments on the field and in Major League Soccer as a defender.

Frankie Hejduk was born on Aug. 5, 1974 in La Mesa, California. This is a town of 54,749 (as of the 2000 Census) and a suburb of San Diego.

La Mesa is known far and wide for its Oktoberfest, where 200,000 people descend on the town for three nights of music, food, drinking and revelry. La Mesa is also the hometown of NBA player Bill Walton, football stars Reggie Bush and Alex Smith, actor Dennis Hopper, singer of rock band Pearl Jam Eddie Vedder and thrash metal band Megadeth founder and guitarist/singer Dave Mustaine.

Interestingly, Hejduk is a surfing ace. At Encinitas's San Dieguito Academy, Hejduk won a state and national championship for the Mustangs, while winning the 1988 National Junior High School Surfing Championship and he also qualified for the 1989 U.S. Amateur Surfing Team by finishing 10th overall.

But it was the round ball that was his first love. Hejduk played youth soccer for the La Jolla Nomads, leading them to California state youth titles in 1989, 1990 and 1991 while playing high school soccer at San Dieguito. His skills caught the eyes of Westwood, and soon enough, Hejduk was playing for the UCLA Bruins.

Hejduk spent three seasons on defense for UCLA from 1992-1994 and was the second-leading scorer in 1994 with six goals. He was also named an NCAA second-team All-American that same season.

Hejduk is a bona fide MLS original, having been selected in the seventh round—and 67th overall—by the now-defunct Tampa Bay Mutiny in the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft. Even though his commitments to the Olympic team during the 1996 Summer Olympics limited his playing time as a rookie, Hejduk proceeded to be an enforcer in the back line, making 22 appearances while recording a goal and six assists in 1997. In 1998, Hejduk followed that up with three goals and an assist in 18 appearances with Tampa Bay. Overall, Hejduk scored five goals in 57 matches for the Mutiny.

His first major break as an international player came in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Hejduk went on to make 85 appearances for the national team (to go with nine appearances for the Under-23s), scoring seven goals along the way. As a member of the national team, he led the USA to the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2002, 2005 and 2007.

After the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Hejduk spent four seasons with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. During the 1998-99 season, he helped lead Die Werkself to qualification for the UEFA Champions League and also earned playing time during their campaign in that competition.

A shoulder injury in 2001, combined with reduced playing time, meant that Hejduk was reduced to one goal in 19 appearances for Bayer before the club sold his contract to FC St. Gallen of the Swiss Super League. Hejduk only managed seven appearances for Espen, and it was clear that he needed to return to the states.

That's when the Columbus Crew came calling.

In his first season, Hejduk started 23 games for the Crew, assisting on four goals. In 2004, he played in the right back and right midfield positions, starting another 19 matches and scoring two goals while leading the club to the Supporters' Shield.

And the beat went on. Hejduk would appear in 147 matches for Columbus, scoring seven goals as a right back.

A family man, Hejduk has been married to Elissa Zurcher since 2005 and has two sons, Frankie Nesta (born 2/25/98) and Coasten Daniel (born 1/2/2008).

When the 2010 MLS season concluded, the Crew declined Hejduk's contract option. He was initially selected by Sporting Kansas City in Stage 2 of the Re-Entry Draft, but they traded him for Luke Sassano shortly thereafter.

So there you have it. You can relax and do it, Frankie Hejduk. You're going to Hollywood...and to Victoria Street, where the Galaxy await your arrival. No pun intended.

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This is Part One in a series of players that will be joining the Los Angeles Galaxy this season.

When you walk into the hallowed grounds of Victoria Street, and the Home Depot Center for a Los Angeles Galaxy home game, you will stumble upon three major groups of fans: the Los Ángeles Riot Squad, the Galaxians, and the Angel City Brigade.

Of course, for the latter, the "A" in "Angel" may need to have an accent mark painted on top from now on. And its legions may probably have to pronounce themselves as the "Ahn-hell City Brigade."

But why, do you ask? Why, oh why should there be changes such as this?

Well here's why, sunshine. It's because the Los Angeles Galaxy will have forward Juan Pablo Ángel roaming the pitch next season.

Juan Pablo Ángel, you ask incredulously? The same Juan Pablo Ángel who used to be with the New York Red Bulls but didn't win much other than a conference crown and seasons of frustration?

Yes. That Juan Pablo Ángel. And so this Colombian international comes to Los Ángeles on a mission: to help the Galaxy not only defend their Supporters' Shield, but win something bigger by season's end.

Juan Pablo Ángel Arango was born on October 24, 1975 in Medellín, Colombia. Ah, Colombia. A land that was tainted not too long ago by one of its national players paying the price for an own goal with his life in Andres Escobar. And Medellín is not exactly the safest of places to live in, with drug cartels and violence all around, although December is a good time to visit the city.

Ángel, at the time of Escobar's slaying, was just beginning his footballing career with local giants Atlético Nacional. He played with Los Verdolagas from 1993 to 1997, scoring 45 goals in 147 appearances. That same year, in 1994, Ángel led Atlético Nacional to the league title with a game-winner over rival Independiente Medellín. The following season, Atlético Nacional won the Copa Interamericana.

After his four-year stint was over, Ángel took his skills to Argentine powerhouse club River Plate, where he played from 1998 to 2000.

During his time with Los Millonarios, Ángel scored 62 goals in 132 appearances as its fans donned wings at El Monumental to show their collective support. Ángel was a key part of River's Copa Libertadores efforts, with 16 goals in 25 matches. He also led the club to the 1997 Apertura, 1999 Apertura and 2000 Clausura crowns.

As the 2001 season began, Ángel turned to England, and the Villans of Birmingham's very own Aston Villa Football Club. The 2003-04 season was Ángel's most productive season to date with the Villans, scored 23 goals.

Ángel is the most recent player to score 20 in a season with the burgundy and blue. A fan favorite, he played for Aston Villa from 2001 to 2007, scoring 74 goals in 205 appearances. the second-most for the past two decades (Dwight Yorke tallied 97 goals in 288  career appearances).

On Apr. 17, 2007, the New York Red Bulls gave Ángel his first break in Major League Soccer. He would make his club debut on May 8, which ended up as a 3-1 defeat to what would later be his current club, the Los Ángeles Galaxy.

11 days later, Ángel scored his first MLS goal and assist in New York's 4-0 rout of the Columbus Crew. Ángel was voted MLS Player of the Month for May 2007, the first Red Bull to score in six straight games.

A selection for the 2007 MLS All-Star Game, he was named MVP of the Match for scoring the first goal of the MLS All-Stars' 2-0 rout of Celtic F.C. Ángel ended 2007 with a franchise-record 19 goals and five assists in 24 league matches (20 goals in 27 matches in all official competitions).

In spite of his nagging hamstring injuries, Ángel scored 14 goals in 23 league matches (16 goals in 28 matches in official competitions) during the 2008 season, which saw New York clinch the Western Conference Championship and participate in the MLS Cup, where they lost to the Columbus Crew.

2009 proved to be a trying year for Ángel, as the club's playoff hopes and CONCACAF Champions League aspirations went up in smoke. Nonetheless, on Sep. 26, 2009, his equalizer against Chivas USA made him the most prolific scorer in club history. Once again, he led the team in scoring with 12 goals in 25 league matches.

2010 was Juan Pablo Ángel's final season in New York, which saw the Red Bulls open their new stadium and earn the 2010 Eastern Conference regular season crown. That year, he finished as the team's top scorer with 13 goals in 30 regular season matches.

After the season was over, the club announced on Nov. 11 that Ángel would not be returning to the Red Bulls for the 2011 MLS season.

As a result of the club declining his contract option, Ángel participated in the 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft. He would be picked fifth on Dec. 15, 2010 by the Los Ángeles Galaxy.

Now, as Juan Pablo Ángel prepares for his first season in Los Angeles, he will look to give the club its wings and soar to MLS Cup glory in 2011.

Juan Pablo Ángel. Los Angeles Galaxy. Maybe it does makes sense after all.

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So long, Tristan...

The Los Angeles Galaxy parted ways with Tristan Bowen on Wednesday, shipping him to rival club Chivas USA. The received allocation money in the process to bring in players that will be mentioned later in this piece.

“It’s a bit of a risk and a gamble on our part because we feel Tristan is a young player with great potential,” Galaxy coach Bruce Arena told MLSsoccer.com. “Given the issues with dealing with salary cap and improving our team in the short term, giving consideration to a third Designated Player, we had an opportunity to support that kind of thinking with receiving some allocation money in this trade.”

Bowen was the first homegrown signing for Los Angeles, and in 17 appearances, he's scored two goals.

Now his colors change from blue and gold...to red and white.

“Tristan is a talented, explosive player, and we’re excited to bring him to the club,” Chivas USA interim general manager Jose Domene said in a statement. “He’s has a lot of experience at this level for a player of his age. We look forward to helping him develop into a top player alongside many of the other young, local players we have on our roster."

"We’ve made a move which we think could help us in the short term realizing that, obviously, this is a young player with a lot of potential,” Arena said. “There is a give and take to all of this stuff. Trades are not one-sided and this certainly is not. There’s an upside in this trade certainly for Chivas and hopefully there’s an upside in this trade for the Galaxy.

To duplicate that kind of performance is not going to be easy and, you know, it never is in this league. Things are sometimes short-term and realizing that we want to at least be able to inject ourselves for a few more resources for the short term.”


...hello, Juan Pablo!? And Frankie goes to Hollywood!

The allocation money received was used to bring in from the New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew Juan Pablo Angel and Frankie Hejduk, respectively.

Angel was picked fifth in the first round of Stage 2 of the Re-Entry Draft. Hejduk was acquired from Sporting Kansas City, who picked him eighth. Luke Sassano was picked 14th by the G's before they traded him to Kansas City.

Ángel is the Red Bulls all-time leading scorer, tallying 61 goals for the club in all competitions, including 58 in the regular season. A native of Medellin, Colombia, Ángel joined the Red Bulls in 2007, when they were coached by current Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, and was a finalist for the MLS MVP award that season, scoring 19 goals, which were the second most in MLS.

One year later, Ángel led the Red Bulls to the Western Conference Championship and a berth in MLS Cup for the first time in club history, scoring twice in a 4-1 aggregate goal win over Houston in their Western Conference Semifinal Series. A three-time All-Star, Ángel appeared in all 30 of the Red Bulls’ games in 2010, scoring a team-best 13 goals and helping them finish in first place in the Eastern Conference.

Ángel began his career in his native Colombia with Nacional Medellin before joining River Plate in Argentina in 1997. He moved to England in January 2001, joining Aston Villa of the Premier League.

Hejduk is an MLS original, having debuted for the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 1996. Primarily an outside back, the 36-year-old former UCLA star spent three seasons with the Mutiny before moving to Germany with Bayer Leverkusen following the 1998 FIFA World Cup. After four years in Germany, Hejduk joined FC St. Gallen in Switzerland in September 2002.

He returned to MLS in 2003, joining the Columbus Crew, with whom he has spent the last eight seasons, serving as the club’s captain for the last five years. In that time, he appeared in more than 150 regular season and postseason games for the club, helping the Crew win their first MLS Cup championship in 2008.

He started all four of the club’s postseason games that year and scored his team’s third and final goal as they defeated New York 3-1 at The Home Depot Center. In 197 career MLS regular season appearances, Hejduk has scored 12 goals and added 25 assists.

A veteran of the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, as well as the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games, Hejduk has made 85 appearances with the U.S. National Team since debuting in 1996.

In addition to playing at two World Cups, appearing in seven of the eight games that the U.S. played in France and Japan/Korea, Hejduk also helped his country qualify for the 2006 World Cup, for which he was named to the squad but was forced to withdraw because of a knee injury, and the 2010 World Cup.

A member of the U.S.’s CONCACAF Gold Cup winning teams in 2002, 2005 and 2007, Hejduk scored the first of his seven international goals in December 1996, tallying in a 2-2 draw with Guatemala in a World Cup Qualifier. His last goal for the U.S. also came in a World Cup Qualifier, heading home a late equalizer, after setting up his team’s opening goal, as the U.S. earned a 2-2 draw with El Salvador in March 2009.

“The reason we took [Angel] in the Re-Entry Draft is we think we can make it work,” Arena said in a media conference call on Wednesday. "I think Juan wants to make it work and we just have to get into some discussions this week and see if we can reach an agreement.

“We’re not going to be acquiring Juan to play five years for the LA Galaxy. We know that. I think Juan has two or three years left in him. Juan played in every game last year for New York. We think he’s a fit player and his fitness has been a big reason for his success over the years. He’s a very good professional and takes very good care of himself.”

Angel will look to form a potent scoring tandem with Edson Buddle.

"He can score goals," Arena said of the Red Bulls' all-time leading scorer. "He’s very good in front of the goal. He can hold the ball up and I think, although Edson is similar, I still think they’ll be a good duo if we can get them both on the field together.”

When asked of Angel being listed as a DP, Arena noted that it would be a possible conclusion. “I would think there’s a chance he's certainly going to be a Designated Player," Arena said. "We haven’t gotten into those discussions. There are other mechanisms in the league that allow for a player not to be a Designated Player. My guess is if we sign him, he’ll likely have that designation.”

These are the results of the Stage 2 Re-Entry Draft.

Round 1

Round 2

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

So long, Tristan...

The Los Angeles Galaxy parted ways with Tristan Bowen on Wednesday, shipping him to rival club Chivas USA. The received allocation money in the process to bring in players that will be mentioned later in this piece.

“It’s a bit of a risk and a gamble on our part because we feel Tristan is a young player with great potential,” Galaxy coach Bruce Arena told MLSsoccer.com. “Given the issues with dealing with salary cap and improving our team in the short term, giving consideration to a third Designated Player, we had an opportunity to support that kind of thinking with receiving some allocation money in this trade.”

Bowen was the first homegrown signing for Los Angeles, and in 17 appearances, he's scored two goals.

Now his colors change from blue and gold...to red and white.

“Tristan is a talented, explosive player, and we’re excited to bring him to the club,” Chivas USA interim general manager Jose Domene said in a statement. “He’s has a lot of experience at this level for a player of his age. We look forward to helping him develop into a top player alongside many of the other young, local players we have on our roster."

"We’ve made a move which we think could help us in the short term realizing that, obviously, this is a young player with a lot of potential,” Arena said. “There is a give and take to all of this stuff. Trades are not one-sided and this certainly is not. There’s an upside in this trade certainly for Chivas and hopefully there’s an upside in this trade for the Galaxy.

To duplicate that kind of performance is not going to be easy and, you know, it never is in this league. Things are sometimes short-term and realizing that we want to at least be able to inject ourselves for a few more resources for the short term.”


...hello, Juan Pablo!? And Frankie goes to Hollywood!

The allocation money received was used to bring in from the New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew Juan Pablo Angel and Frankie Hejduk, respectively.

Angel was picked fifth in the first round of Stage 2 of the Re-Entry Draft. Hejduk was acquired from Sporting Kansas City, who picked him eighth. Luke Sassano was picked 14th by the G's before they traded him to Kansas City.

Ángel is the Red Bulls all-time leading scorer, tallying 61 goals for the club in all competitions, including 58 in the regular season. A native of Medellin, Colombia, Ángel joined the Red Bulls in 2007, when they were coached by current Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, and was a finalist for the MLS MVP award that season, scoring 19 goals, which were the second most in MLS.

One year later, Ángel led the Red Bulls to the Western Conference Championship and a berth in MLS Cup for the first time in club history, scoring twice in a 4-1 aggregate goal win over Houston in their Western Conference Semifinal Series. A three-time All-Star, Ángel appeared in all 30 of the Red Bulls’ games in 2010, scoring a team-best 13 goals and helping them finish in first place in the Eastern Conference.

Ángel began his career in his native Colombia with Nacional Medellin before joining River Plate in Argentina in 1997. He moved to England in January 2001, joining Aston Villa of the Premier League.

Hejduk is an MLS original, having debuted for the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 1996. Primarily an outside back, the 36-year-old former UCLA star spent three seasons with the Mutiny before moving to Germany with Bayer Leverkusen following the 1998 FIFA World Cup. After four years in Germany, Hejduk joined FC St. Gallen in Switzerland in September 2002.

He returned to MLS in 2003, joining the Columbus Crew, with whom he has spent the last eight seasons, serving as the club’s captain for the last five years. In that time, he appeared in more than 150 regular season and postseason games for the club, helping the Crew win their first MLS Cup championship in 2008.

He started all four of the club’s postseason games that year and scored his team’s third and final goal as they defeated New York 3-1 at The Home Depot Center. In 197 career MLS regular season appearances, Hejduk has scored 12 goals and added 25 assists.

A veteran of the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, as well as the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games, Hejduk has made 85 appearances with the U.S. National Team since debuting in 1996.

In addition to playing at two World Cups, appearing in seven of the eight games that the U.S. played in France and Japan/Korea, Hejduk also helped his country qualify for the 2006 World Cup, for which he was named to the squad but was forced to withdraw because of a knee injury, and the 2010 World Cup.

A member of the U.S.’s CONCACAF Gold Cup winning teams in 2002, 2005 and 2007, Hejduk scored the first of his seven international goals in December 1996, tallying in a 2-2 draw with Guatemala in a World Cup Qualifier. His last goal for the U.S. also came in a World Cup Qualifier, heading home a late equalizer, after setting up his team’s opening goal, as the U.S. earned a 2-2 draw with El Salvador in March 2009.

“The reason we took [Angel] in the Re-Entry Draft is we think we can make it work,” Arena said in a media conference call on Wednesday. "I think Juan wants to make it work and we just have to get into some discussions this week and see if we can reach an agreement.

“We’re not going to be acquiring Juan to play five years for the LA Galaxy. We know that. I think Juan has two or three years left in him. Juan played in every game last year for New York. We think he’s a fit player and his fitness has been a big reason for his success over the years. He’s a very good professional and takes very good care of himself.”

Angel will look to form a potent scoring tandem with Edson Buddle.

"He can score goals," Arena said of the Red Bulls' all-time leading scorer. "He’s very good in front of the goal. He can hold the ball up and I think, although Edson is similar, I still think they’ll be a good duo if we can get them both on the field together.”

When asked of Angel being listed as a DP, Arena noted that it would be a possible conclusion. “I would think there’s a chance he's certainly going to be a Designated Player," Arena said. "We haven’t gotten into those discussions. There are other mechanisms in the league that allow for a player not to be a Designated Player. My guess is if we sign him, he’ll likely have that designation.”

These are the results of the Stage 2 Re-Entry Draft.

Round 1

Round 2

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here