Klein lays out blueprint for Galaxy Youth Academy


Now-retired Los Angeles Galaxy standout and current Senior Director of the LA Galaxy Academy Program and Special Projects Chris Klein wasted no time in making plans for the long-term development of the program over the week.

“To be real honest, as I finished playing I became more and more excited about beginning the next chapter,” Klein told MLSsoccer.com. “I was really excited to get started and sink my teeth into this and learn and evaluate, to see how we can improve upon what has been a very good foundation.”

On Klein's shoulders will be the task of developing local young talent who not only want to play for the strip, but will also be able to play for it.

“How can we get players that grow up locally in Southern California to not only want to see the Galaxy, but to be able to play for the Galaxy,” Klein said. “The idea with our academy is getting players at a younger and younger age, to be able to develop them over a longer period of time.

"In this country, you’ve always had an issue where you look and find the best players and you form a team. We want to take a different approach with the Galaxy. We want to find players early, work with them, invest in them and show that we can develop them over many years to prepare them to play the professional game.”

A key demographic that Klein intends to target are Hispanic players, and Mexican-American youth.

“The Mexican-American population is very strong here and it would be foolish for us not to look at that market,” Klein said. “It’s definitely part of our program now and will be part of our program going forward.”

But the important goal to take from all this, the former G's midfielder noted, is developing the players while having them stay local.

“We want to keep our players here,” Klein said. “We feel it’s the best way for our league to grow and for the LA Galaxy to continue to be not only the strongest brand in MLS but year after year the best team in MLS.”


Youth Academy Update


While the Los Angeles Galaxy Youth Academy sides finished a combined 5-1-0 at the Winter Showcase in Phoenix, Arizona, other MLS youth academies also did reasonably well.

Among the Under-18s, FC Dallas finished 3-0-0 while Real Salt Lake Arizona ended their run with a 2-0-1 record. D.C. United's Under-16 side also finished 3-0-0, while the Seattle Sounders were similarly successful with a 2-0-1 record.

Here are the MLS youth academy records from the Winter Showcase.

U-18 Records (W-L-T)
FC Dallas – 3-0-0
Real Salt Lake (AZ) – 2-0-1
New England Revolution – 2-1-0
LA Galaxy – 2-1-0
New York Red Bulls – 2-1-0
Chivas USA – 2-1-0
Crew Academy – 2-1-0
San Jose Earthquakes – 2-1-0
Seattle Sounders FC – 2-1-0
Houston Dynamo – 2-1-0
Chicago Fire – 1-1-1
Sporting Kansas City – 1-1-1
D.C. United – 0-2-1
Colorado Rapids – 0-2-1

U-16 Records (W-L-T)
D.C. United – 3-0-0
LA Galaxy – 3-0-0
Seattle Sounders FC – 2-0-1
Chivas USA – 2-1-0
Chicago Fire – 1-0-2
Real Salt Lake (AZ) – 1-0-2
Colorado Rapids – 1-1-1
Sporting Kansas City – 1-1-1
New England Revolution – 1-2-0
FC Dallas – 1-2-0
Houston Dynamo 1-2-0
New York Red Bulls – 0-1-2
San Jose Earthquakes – 0-2-1
Crew Academy – 0-2-1



Could Dema Kovalenko be on his way out?


Dema Kovalenko was mulling the possibility of playing in the Eastern Conference with D.C. United, the Philadelphia Union or Chicago Fire.

“When I had three years there [at D.C.], I was happy there. I knew people there,” Kovalenko said. “I think the fans like me there. It would be good for me.

“At this point in my career, I just don’t want to go to a place that’s something new to me and I have to change and again start from zero. If it happens, it happens... But I’d be more comfortable going somewhere where I was there before.

“I’ve always been realistic and reasonable, and I think it’s a reasonable salary. Hopefully somebody takes me, because I still have a couple years left to help a team. And I think everybody’s in the same position who’s on that list.”

Kovalenko was not selected on Wednesday in Stage 1.

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Youth Academy Update

The Los Angeles Galaxy Youth Academy Under-18 and Under-16 teams were in action over the weekend at the USSF Development Academy Winter Showcase held at the Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix, Arizona.

On Saturday, Dec. 4, the Galaxy U-18s and Under-16s took on Andromeda FC. The Under-18s were blown apart 4-2. Scoring for the Galaxy Under-18s were Eric Verso in the 45th minute and Angel Ayala in the 75th minute.

The Under-16s fared better in their 2-0 shutout victory. Will Raygoza opened the scoring in the 41st minute before Chris Antunez made it the final margin in the 42nd minute.

South Carolina United was an opponent the Under-18s could handle, aside from the Under-16s, on Monday, Dec. 6. Nat Schnitman broke open the scoring in the ninth minute, Dyllan Stevens doubled up the tally in the 16th and Neil Ignacio scored an insurance goal in the 74th minute of play to give Los Angeles a 3-0 shutout win. The match marked the debut of goalkeeper Vince Paldino, who maintained the clean sheet.

As for the Under-16s, they went off to a fast start and never looked back. John McBean, one of the leading scorers on this year's Galaxy Under-16 side, scored a hat trick in the 5-0 shellacking of South Carolina United. McBean scored goal in the third, 29th and 35th minute of play. Also on the scoresheet for these Young G's were Grady Howe in the 33rd minute and fellow scoring ace Sean Dhillon in the 49th minute of play.

The Galaxy Youth Academy wrapped up their Winter Showcase run with a couple of matches against Birmingham United on Tuesday, Dec. 7. Once again, both teams were victorious in their efforts. Cameron Souri scored the deciding goal for the Under-18s in the 76th minute of play to give Los Angeles a hard-fought 1-0 win. As for the Under-16s, they completed a perfect Winter Showcase campaign with a 3-1 win over Birmingham.

Justin Dhillon, who forms part of the triple scoring threat on the Under-16s with brother Sean and McBean, scored his own hat trick, with goals in the 38th, 53rd and 74th minutes of play.

With the 2010 leg of their 2010-11 season completed, the Galaxy Under-16s find themselves in a comfortable position with a 10-0-1 record (31 points), although they are four points off the pace set by the San Diego Surf and Nomads SC in the SoCal Division standings (both teams have seven division points; LA only has three).

The Under-18s will need to claw back from a modest start to the year with a 7-3-1 overall record (22 points), but no division points to show for it, when the 2011 leg begins.

The Galaxy Under-18s and Under-16s will be off until March 26, 2011, when they return to action against Pateadores at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California. Kickoff for the Under-18s is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. PT while the Under-16s kick off at 12:00 p.m. PT.

The Los Angeles Galaxy Youth Academy Under-14s defeated Cosmos Academy West 96 to win the L.A. Futbol Circuit 5-4. A hat trick from Steve Martinez combined with goals from Miguel Lorenzo and Alvaro Vargas was enough to give the Young G's the cup in an exciting festival of scoring at the Home Depot Center on Nov. 23.



"So long Trev, and thanks for all the fish!"

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Galaxy announced that assistant coach and Director of Player Development Trevor James has accepted the position of assistant coach with the Portland Timbers.

The longest tenured member of the coaching staff having joined the club in 2006, James served as an assistant coach for the club for the last four-and-a-half years, while also taking on the role of Director of Player Development since the start of the Galaxy Academy in 2007.

As the club’s Director of Player Development, James oversaw all aspects of the creation and growth of the Galaxy Academy, including developing the club’s first home-grown signing, forward Tristan Bowen.

Since beginning play in 2008, the Galaxy Academy has won a pair of USL Super-20 League division titles, reached the 2010 Super-20 National Championship, qualified for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs at both the U-16 and U-18 level, while also winning the LA Futbol Circuit championship last month in their inaugural season at the U-14 level.

“We are grateful to Trevor for all of his contributions to the Galaxy over the last four years assisting with the first team and developing our youth academy program,” Galaxy General Manager and Head Coach Bruce Arena said. “As a club, we would like to wish him the very best in all of his future endeavors.

"I have enjoyed my time here with the LA Galaxy and would like to thank the players, staff and fans as well as the academy staff, players and families for their support through the years,” James said on the move. “Although I am saddened to be leaving the Galaxy organization, I look forward to this exciting new opportunity with the Portland Timbers during their inaugural MLS season."

A native of Norwich, England, James has more than 10 years of international experience as a player, playing in England, Norway and the United States.

Following his retirement from professional soccer in 1985, James moved into the coaching ranks. He was initially hired as a youth academy coach at Ipswich Town of the Football League Championship, before moving to Colchester United as the club’s Reserve Team Manager.

After a stint at Football League One outfit Colchester United, James was hired by John Taylor in 2000-2001 to be his First Team Coach and Chief Scout at current non-League side Cambridge United.

James holds coaching licenses from U.S. Soccer, UEFA and the Football Association (The FA) where he was on the coaching education staff. James is also the founding director of School Of Soccer USA, a youth soccer coaching school based in La Verne, CA.

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Is Major League Soccer's Conference system weakening the league's playoffs?  Should it be scrapped in favor of an NFL-style playoff system in which divisional games & rivalries are weighted more? 

The Colorado Rapids, the overall No. 7 seed ended up winning the MLS Cup, after having defeated the No. 5 Columbus Crew in the quarterfinals, then the No. 8 San Jose Earthquakes in the semi-finals, before dispatching No. 4 FC Dallas 2-1 in the championship.

These were the final standings in the MLS table at season's end:

1. Los Angeles Galaxy (59 pts.)  Western Conference

2. Real Salt Lake         (56 pts.)  Western Conference

3. New York Red Bulls (51 pts.)  Eastern Conference

4. FC Dallas                (50 pts.)  Western Conference

5. Columbus Crew        (50 pts.)  Eastern Conference

6. Seattle Sounders      (48 pts.)  Western Conference

7. Colorado Rapids        (46 pts.)  Western Conference

8. San Jose Earthquakes (46 pts.) Western Conference

Major League Soccer's playoff seeding system works as follows:

There are two playoff brackets of four teams, one bracket per conference.  The brackets are seeded 1-4 within the conference.  However, if you look above, you'll note that there are six teams from the Western Conference in the top eight and only two from the Eastern Conference.  In this case, what MLS does is fill out the Eastern Conference bracket with the lowest ranked teams from the Western Conference, with all Eastern Conference teams being ranked higher than those Western Conference teams.  

The top two teams in each Conference are guaranteed playoff spots, so yes, it is possible for a Conference winner to finish outside the top 8 in the MLS table and still be seeded No. 1 in its playoff bracket.  

Because of the MLS Conference system, the playoff brackets were as follows:

Eastern Conference Playoff Bracket

3. New York Red Bulls vs. 8. San Jose Earthquakes

5. Columbus Crew vs. 7. Colorado Rapids

Western Conference Playoff Bracket

1. Los Angeles Galaxy vs. 6. Seattle Sounders

2. Real Salt Lake vs. 4. FC Dallas

As you can see, three out of the top four seeds are in the Western Conference bracket, while the eventual champion, No. 7 Colorado Rapids, faced no better than the number three seed in the Eastern Conference.

MLS is expanding to 18 teams in 2011, with the additions of the Portland TimbSuppers and Vancouver Whitecaps, and will play a balanced home and away schedule against each team for a total of 34 games per team.

As it is, the current MLS system of conferences, guaranteeing each conference two playoff slots, can weaken the playoff system as shown above when there's a dominant conference in any given period, see the AFL or the NBA West for the past 15 years.  

We know that MLS plans to expand to 20 teams, with the addition of the Montreal Impact in 2012, and an unnamed, probably New York based team in 2013.  

Suppose MLS were to shift to an NFL-style, unbalanced schedule with divisions?

Home and away balance in soccer is critical.  Witness the MLS Cup Champion Colorado Rapids' 8-2-5 record at home, but pedestrian 4-6-5 record on the road.  

Sports like basketball, hockey, and baseball, which, like soccer, can play more games than the NFL, have a hybrid balanced home and away schedule, as well as a divisional playoff system.  

Suppose MLS were to try four five-team divisions in two conferences, with each divisional winner being guaranteed a playoff spot, and then two wild card teams per division, creating an eight team playoff?

Based on the NFL system, where each team plays every team in its own division home and away, then every team in a rotating second division in its conference once, then every team in a rotating division in the opposite conference once, then one team from each of the remaining divisions in its own conference based on the previous season's record, we can organize MLS better, as follows.  

Let's take a look at what the schedule would look like for a 20 team league.  

Each team would play every team in its own division home and away for a total of 8 games.

Each team would play every team in the other division in their conference for a total of 10 games.

Each team would, on a rotating basis, play one full division in the other conference home and away for a total of 10 games.

Each team would play two teams out of the remaining non-conference division home and away for 4 games, matchups based on last season's finishes.    

This is a 32-game schedule, completely balanced home and away.  In any given year, teams would not play three teams from the opposite conference in the regular season.

(There is a minor mathematical discrepancy in the seeding of the matchups versus the division in the opposite conference in which one only plays two teams.  Can anyone spot it?)

So, suppose Major League Soccer was organized like this in 2010:

Western Conference:

Pacific Division:

Seattle Sounders

L.A. Galaxy

San Jose Earthquakes

Chivas USA

Mountain Division:

Colorado Rapids

Real Salt Lake

FC Dallas

Houston Dynamo

Eastern Conference:

Central Division:

Columbus Crew

Kansas City Wizards

Chicago Fire

Toronto FC

Eastern Division:

New York Red Bulls

New England Revolution

D.C. United

Philadelphia Union

What would the standings have looked like?

Western Conference

Pacific Division

L.A. Galaxy (59)

Seattle Sounders (48)

San Jose Earthquakes (46)

Chivas USA (28)

Mountain Division

Real Salt Lake (56)

FC Dallas (50)

Colorado Rapids (46)

Houston Dynamo (33)

Eastern Conference

Central Division

Columbus Crew (50)

Kansas City Wizards (39)

Chicago Fire (36)

Toronto FC (35)

Eastern Division

New York Red Bulls (52)

New England Revolution (32)

Philadelphia Union (31)

D.C. United (22)

This system would have resulted in the following playoff seedings:

Western Conference

1. L.A. Galaxy (Pacific Division & Conference Winners)

2. Real Salt Lake (Mountain Division Winners)

3. FC Dallas (Wild Card - 50 pts.)

4. Seattle Sounders (Wild Card - 48 pts.)  

Eastern Conference

1. New York Red Bulls (Eastern Division & Conference Winners)

2. Columbus Crew (Central Division Winners)

3. Kansas City Wizards (Wild Card Winners - 39 pts.)

4. Chicago Fire (Wild Card Winners - 36 pts.)

Maybe we don't want an NFL, NBA, etc. style divisional league.  Colorado and San Jose garnered more points than KC or Chicago. 

On the other hand, as MLS currently sits, conference-non-conference games don't have a meaningful distinction, whereas divisional games would, as in NFL football.

Suppose we had a single table, with no conferences, and the top eight teams make the playoffs and are seeded accordingly?

1. L.A. vs. 8. San Jose

2. Real Salt Lake vs. 7. Colorado

3. New York vs. 6. Seattle

4. FC Dallas vs. Columbus Crew

You pick. 

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One thing I wish Major League Soccer would do a better job of is provide better coverage of each team’s Supporters Club. Visibly seen at every MLS match, Supporter Clubs are the true investors and designated players of Major League Soccer.

Not only are they investing their money towards their team, they’re creating a community which incorporates their specific MLS team into their lifestyle. Every MLS season, these loyal fans are willing to invest their time and money in creating signs, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, scarves, T-shirts and other supplies to match their Supporters Club and chosen team’s personality.

In doing so, they can help create a positive atmosphere for their beloved team’s home while making it a difficult place for the opposition. One perfect example of the Supporters Club of which I’m talking about is from New Jersey.

Utilizing Red Bull Arena as their vessel, this fraternity of loyal Red Bulls fans is often referred as “The Protectors of the Passaic.” With catch phrases of: "We got your Backe, Never Backe Down, Forza Red Bull, and Long Live the Beast from the East," this group of soccer warriors are hard to ignore and silence out.

Their fearless leader is Red Bulls Head Coach Hans Backe. In honor of their Swedish head coach, they come out for every home game in their Viking horns and uniform to support their heroes, the New York Red Bulls.

Say hello to the Viking Army Supporters Club! Founded by their Warriors Three of Benny Lopez, Kevin Webster and Ralph Chupi Garcia, the Viking Army was born.

“Our mission is to create an epic match day experience for all of our members as well as enhance the experience for all the other fans in the Arena, making them want to come back each and every game,” proclaimed Benny.

“I started wearing the horns to the game. But it was me, Chupi and Kevin who are the original founders of the Facebook page, the Hans Backe Viking Army. From there it’s all history,” recalls Benny Lopez.

With 655 and counting members, the Viking Army SC has made themselves noticeable in the eyes of mortal fans at Red Bull Arena. In true Viking fashion, they like Starbucks along with the tactician skills that only Oden himself would approve, they have franchised themselves by cleverly creating Viking Outposts throughout the RBA.

Their Facebook battles with rival MLS team pages have been epic and enjoyable to read. This form of cyber pillaging is humorous and what soccer is all about amongst fans. Many of their other rivals understand that and are willing to partake in this action.

Whether some fans agree or not, Supporter Club rivalries are good for the MLS because it forces them to defend their team and territory while learning about the history of their rivals, so they use it as ammunition.

Recently, I had the privilege of meeting some members of the Viking Army. Thanks to generosity of the Red Bulls organization, we separately marched to Red Bull Arena for the FIFA World Cup 2018 & 2022 Host Nations Announcement.

Before their arrival, I was talking with Univision’s Daneida Polanco. She confided in me in that she knew nothing about soccer, but she wanted to interview some colorful characters for Univision’s television shows, Primer Impacto and Noticias Univision.

I told her not to worry and assured her that she’ll have the characters that she’s looking for. So I logged on to Facebook and immediately went to the their fan page and told them about their opportunity to be interviewed by Univision.

Like a batter accepting a fastball right down the middle, the members of the Viking Army immediately appeared and hit ball out of the park with their charming personalities. Not only was their presence appreciated, but also they were welcomed by other factions of the media.

The Viking Army members of Kristian Lolo, Hope McCarthy, Sebastian Ostolaza and Ralph Chupi Garcia took their designated posts and entertained the media with their sound bites and Viking celebration.

“Yes, we’re Vikings but we’re also blue collar fans who have families. We’re very family orientated and in time, we want to embark on goodwill projects,” said Kristian Lolo.

“We’re not hooligans. We’re a group of individuals who love and support the New York Red Bulls. We’re here to promote the MLS while encouraging fans to join our movement,” expressed Ralph Chupi Garcia.

If you are interested in following the Viking Army, you may do so by going to their Website and following them on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Trust me… they’ve got your Backe!

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

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Ever since FIFA awarded Qatar the right to host the 2022 World Cup, the nation has made the inevitable leap from grief to pointing the finger and creating United States Soccer Federation guilt by association.

Soccer purists have seen this as a golden opportunity to, once again, point out the flaws of Major League Soccer, claiming it could have even ruined the United States' chance to bring the World Cup back across the Atlantic.

Breaking it down, the only eminent flaws with American soccer (that FIFA has pointed out) have been the ways MLS is structured and how it consistently refuses to abide to FIFA's guidelines.

Though MLS takes a conservative approach in keeping everyone financially stable and maintaining parity, it is likely that type of organization has caused passive-aggressive action from FIFA.

Simply, FIFA is telling the USSF to abide by their rules, which is met by collective unwillingness from the MLS and USSF.

Certain comments include the season's format. The league does not abide to the FIFA calendar and runs from March to November. That is understandable since the MLS has just Major League Baseball as its sole competition for fan attention for most of the season, which MLS seems to be doing well in.

Additionally, the fans favorite topics, such as promotion/relegation, comes into play.

A closed-franchise system, the league takes an odd pride in the fact that they operate just like an American sports league, rather than every other soccer league on the planet.

With this system comes parity, players having to sign with the league instead of teams and a socialist system that makes sure everyone has equal finances.

Evidently, USSF will do whatever it takes to claim the reasons had nothing to do with MLS or the league's operations, even if MLS was the primary reason.

While one of the reasons could have been that FIFA wants to expand into uncharted territory, that may have been subordinate to the major reasons why the United States was not the ideal candidate.

Unfortunately, these could be the steps holding the MLS back from becoming a respectable league, as well as holding the United States back from having the chance to bring the World Cup back into the country.

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The negative reaction of Qatar winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup bid reminds me of when the United States was awarded the '94 FIFA World Cup bid on July 4, 1988.

For those of who were alive and can remember, the United States defeated Brazil and Morocco in order to secure the rights to host the World Cup on American soil.

In 1988, the United States didn't have a professional soccer league because the North American Soccer League no longer existed. And the last time the national team competed in the World Cup was in Brazil for the 1950 World Cup where they played the game of their lives in order to upset the powerful England national team 1-0.

Many in the media criticized FIFA for awarding the World Cup to a nation where soccer wasn't even popular amongst Americans. When FIFA awarded the United States the '94 World Cup, the argument made by the U.S. organizers was that the World Cup belongs to the world and every nation should be given the opportunity to host one. They also convinced FIFA that the United States was an untapped soccer resource that will generate millions and millions of dollars while establishing fresh, new fans.

As a result, the '94 World Cup became the most successful World Cup event in FIFA history by setting an attendance record of 3.5 millions. Sixteen years later, the United States has Major League Soccer and the Women's Professional Soccer League. While the U.S. women have won two World Cups in 1991 & 1999, the men's national team has competed in six consecutive World Cups.

Personally, I find it amazing how the United States has indeed become a true soccer nation. Unlike 1988, we have a diverse fanbase that is proud to wear the red, white and blue jersey. It's also marveling how the United States men's national team is no longer a laughing stock. The fact that they've become one of the best CONCACAF teams in 20 years simply demonstrates the quality of our team.

As an American, I would have loved it if the United States was awarded the 2022 World Cup. Realistically, it was a smart business move by FIFA officials. The reality is that the World Cup is a business and had FIFA given the United States the bid, they would have little leverage in securing additional funds.

By going with Qatar, not only is FIFA securing additional funds for their operations, they're also going to have more input in how the 2022 World Cup will be run.

When FIFA officials awarded the United States the '94 World Cup, we pleaded with the world to give us a chance and to visit our beautiful country. Now that Qatar is in the same situation that we were in 1988, I hope that we're willing to learn more about the Middle East.

When it's said and done, Qatar not only has the resources to give FIFA what they want, they also have 12 years to address any social issues the country is currently dealing with.

I'm aware a lot of Americans have pointed out the negative humane conditions of Qatar but if history serves me correctly, we're in no position to judge. If anything, we can use the 2022 World Cup as a vehicle to address the need for social change in Qatar.

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for Latino Sports. You can follow him on Facebook and Twitter. Please email him your questions and concerns to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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Kirovski and Kovalenko to Re-Entry Draft


On Friday, the Los Angeles Galaxy chose not to renew the contracts of midfielders Jovan Kirovski and Dema Kovalenko. As a result, both players are now eligible for the Stage 1 Draft of the MLS Re-Entry Process, which takes place on Wednesday, Dec. 8, at 2:00 p.m. ET.

The Stage 2 Draft will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 2:00 p.m. ET, also via teleconference. Both Stage 1 and Stage 2 Drafts will be conducted in the same order as the traditional Waiver Draft, with Vancouver selecting 17th and Portland selecting 18th. The Galaxy will have the 14th selection in both Stages of the Re-Entry Process.

Jovan Kirovski is in his second stint with the Galaxy, having originally played for the club from 2004-2005. He re-joined the club in November 2008 and appeared in 43 regular season games over the last two seasons, scoring six goals and adding three assists.

A native of Escondido, Calif., the 34-year-old midfielder finished third on the Galaxy this season with four goals, two of which came in the 4-1 win over the Houston Dynamo on June 5. Kirovski's first goal on that day was scored just 47 seconds into the game, making it the third fastest goal in club history.

Dema Kovalenko has been with the Galaxy for two years, joining the club in a trade with Real Salt Lake in January 2009. He appeared in 26 regular season games for the club in that time, scoring once and adding a pair of assists.

Kovalenko scored the first goal of his Galaxy career this season, tallying the eventual game-winning goal in the 3-1 win over Columbus on Sept. 11.

Despite missing significant time over the past two seasons with injury, the 33-year-old midfielder started six of the Galaxy’s seven postseason games in 2009 and 2010.

How does this work? Each MLS club may either select a player from the eligible player list, or pass.

Once a team has passed, they may no longer participate in that stage of the Re-Entry Process. Each stage will continue until all 18 clubs have passed on the available players.

Clubs must exercise the option for, or extend a Bona Fide Offer to, players selected in Stage 1. Players that were out of contract may either accept or reject the Bona Fide Offer.

Should a player reject the offer, the drafting club will hold the right of first refusal for that player in MLS. Players with option years left on their contract will automatically be added to the drafting club’s roster.

Clubs and players may not mutually renegotiate that price to a lower number until April 1, 2011. Clubs may not select their own players in Stage 1. Players will have the opportunity to negotiate contracts and sign with their previous clubs after Stage 1 is complete until 2:00 p.m. ET on Monday, Dec. 13.

In Stage 2, clubs may select from players that are under contract and those not under contract. If a player is not under contract, the drafting club will be required to make a genuine offer to the player within seven days.

In the event that an agreement cannot be reached between the drafting club and an out-of-contract player, the drafting club will hold the right of first refusal for that player in MLS.

Clubs may select their own players in Stage 2 only after all other clubs have declined to select those players.

If a player is not selected in either stage of the Re-Entry Process, that player will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis to all clubs.



Youth Academy Update

The Los Angeles Galaxy Youth Academy has announced its new Senior Director of the LA Galaxy Academy Program and Special Projects. His name? Chris Klein.

Yes, the same Chris Klein that retired from the game after the train wreck that was the Qantas Challenge against the Newcastle Jets several days ago.

“We are pleased that Chris will remain with the Galaxy and work with our Academy program,” Galaxy General Manager and Head Coach Bruce Arena said. “As a club, we are dedicated to growing our Academy and feel that Chris will be a great asset to both the Galaxy and AEG in this endeavor.”

“I am thankful and honored to be able to remain with the Galaxy and AEG in this new and exciting role,” Klein said. “With the league making great strides in the field of youth development, we all feel that it is essential to have a structure in place to help grow our Academy, not just in the present, but into the future as well.

"The long-term strength of our club will be predicated by the success of our Academy and I am grateful to be able to be a part of that and to be able to help shape the future of this great club.”

While Klein settled in his new role with the organization, the Under-16s and Under-18s were doing the business at the Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix, Ariz., for the USSF Development Academy's Winter Showcase.

A recap of the action from both sides will be available in the next installment of the Galaxy Ins and Outs.

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Sunil Gulati faces the music after USA 2022 loses to Qatar

14 votes to eight. In favor of the sheiks from Qatar.

That's the margin the USA lost to in their bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

After the fourth and final vote, and in spite of a spirit campaign that involved the Los Angeles Galaxy's Landon Donovan, Sunil Gulati was forced to to put on a brave face in what will go down as the biggest black eye of his tenure as US Soccer Federation president.

"We're disappointed," he said at the Messe Zürich. "There's no way to get around that. It's a very harsh disappointment. We worked very hard. The country's been behind us in a way frankly we haven't seen.

"I always viewed this as a huge pedal, and a World Cup hosted in the US would give us a foot down on that pedal and take us to a new trend line. So obviously, we're not going to have that.

Will that trend line still be positive? Yes. Will we still get to all of us, where Don [Garber], where I and others want to get? The answer is yes. It's going to take longer. It's going to be harder. This was a big part of the plan. There's no way around that."

Interestingly enough, Gulati was not surprised by the news.

"I'm not shocked," Gulati said. "[Qatar] put forth an aggressive campaign that was successful.

"Luckily for us, we've had a great team here. That's a great team from a professional level as well as some personal friends. It's been a lot of emotion, a lot of hard work. If there is a roller-coaster, this is the bottom of it."

The bid president was quick to second-guess himself at the press conference on Thursday.

"Maybe I should have told the FIFA Executive Committee yesterday that I'm not half the man that [South African Organizing Committee president] Danny [Jordaan] is," Gulati added, "because I can only do this once. He did it twice and I give him a lot of credit for having the stamina to do that."

"It's a tough process."

"Although we are all disappointed in FIFA’s decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar rather than the United States," MLS Commissioner Don Darber said in a letter to the fans of the league, "we will continue moving forward.

We remain as committed today as we have ever been to continuing our mission of growing the sport in North America and growing MLS into one of the best leagues in the world.

"Through the dedication and support of the US Bid Committee, MLS’ owners, Clubs and League staffs, US Soccer, and the cities and fans across the country that participated in the bid process, the United States prepared and submitted an outstanding proposal to host the World Cup.

"By every measure, the US bid was rated the highest by FIFA of all competing nations. In this, we should all take great pride."

Youth Academy Update

With the train wreck that was the USA 2022 bid now in their rear view mirror, the Los Angeles Galaxy Youth Academy prepared for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase to be held in Phoenix, Arizona.

Both the U-16 and U-18 teams will face Dallas-based club Andromeda, South Carolina United FC and Alabama’s Birmingham United during the four-day Showcase, which brings together all 78 of the clubs that compete in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.

The Galaxy will open their schedule against Andromeda on Saturday, December 4, with the U-18’s playing at 9 a.m. and the U-16’s following at 11:15 a.m.

They will be back in action two days later on Monday, December 6 when they face South Carolina United FC at 1:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.

The Galaxy will then round out their Showcase schedule a day later on Tuesday, December 7 with both teams taking on Birmingham United at 9 a.m.

The Galaxy U-18’s enter the Winter Showcase on a four game winning streak with a record of 5-2-1 on the season. Under the direction of head coach Matt Mennell, they are looking to return to the Development Academy Playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Juan Gutierrez leads the team with four goals on the season, while Neil Ignacio and Eric Verso each have three and Riley Wolfe has two.

The Galaxy U-16’s have been even better so far this season, tallying a 7-0-1 record through their first eight games of the season.

The U-16’s will be coached by Mike Stauber at the Showcase while their usual head coach, Kenny Arena, remains with his college team, UCLA, where he is an assistant coach, for the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.

The Galaxy have outscored opponents 22-6 on the season so far, with Jack McBean scoring a team-high six goals. Drew Murphy is close behind with five goals while Sean Dhillon has added four.

This is the third consecutive year in which the Galaxy Academy teams have participated in the Winter Showcase with the 2009 Showcase also being held in Phoenix at the Reach 11 Sports Complex.

The U-16’s are 4-1-1 all-time at the Winter Showcase, going a perfect 3-0-0 in 2008 and 1-1-1 last season.

The U-18’s are 2-1-3 all-time at the Winter Showcase, going 1-0-2 in 2008 and 1-1-1 in 2009.

Both teams have also participated in a pair of Spring Showcases, which take place each May in Florida, with the U-16’s going 4-1-1 and the U-18’s going 3-1-2.


Here are your LA Galaxy Under-16 and Under-18 rosters for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase.

LA Galaxy U-16 Roster for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase
GOALKEEPERS (2) – Grayson Cornwell, Josh McNeely
DEFENDERS (6) – Chris Antunez, Steve Copley, Cole Dimond, Sagar Jambusaria, Vincent Reyes, Ludwing Vargas
MIDFIELDERS (8) – Jose Avila, Sean Dhillon, Grady Howe, Kevin Labastida, Francisco Magallon, Axel Mendez, Drew Murphy, Ivan Vasquez
FORWARDS (3) – Justin Dhillon, Jack McBean, Willie Raygoza
COACHES – Mike Stauber, Adam Reeves

LA Galaxy U-18 Roster for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase
GOALKEEPERS (2) – Vince Paldino, Adam Zepeda
DEFENDERS (7) – Mathias Cuadrado, Ricardo Hernandez, Justin Kim, Jake LaPorte, Matt Mardesich, Gabriel Rivera, Derek Vog
MIDFIELDERS (7) – Angel Ayala, Brian Blumenfeld, Eric Gonzalez, Juan Mendoza, Nati Schnitman, Eric Verso, Riley Wolfe
FORWARDS (4) – Neil Ignacio, Dylan Seedman, Cameron Souri, Dyllan Stevens
COACHES – Matt Mennell, Todd Dunivant, Sal Diaz

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In less than 12 hours, millions and millions of soccer fans worldwide will be glued to their televisions anxiously waiting to find out which countries will host the 2018 & 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Throughout the United States millions of soccer fans will congregate to their local establishments and their Major League Soccer team’s host party in hopes that the United States beats out Qatar, Australia, South Korea and Japan for the rights to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

With U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati, President Bill Clinton, actor Morgan Freeman and United States standout player Landon Donovan making their final presentation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup bid, millions worldwide will now have to wait for the voting results.

"We are pleased we had this final opportunity to make our case to the FIFA Executive Committee and I'm extremely appreciative of the special efforts of President Clinton, Morgan Freeman and Landon Donovan in helping us make that case. We look forward to a decision tomorrow,” expressed Sunil Gulati.

The voting will take place at the Home of FIFA in Zurich on Thursday, Dec. 2, and the process will be as follows:

The 2018 vote will take place first, then the 2022 one. The vote will be by secret ballot and all eligible members of the FIFA Executive Committee can vote in both ballots. To win the right to host the competition, a bidder must obtain an absolute majority (50 percent plus one) of the votes of the FIFA Executive Committee members present.

In the event of a tie when only two bidders remain, the FIFA President will have the casting vote. For any voting round in which an absolute majority is not achieved, the bidder with the lowest number of votes will not progress to the next voting round.

If there is a tie for the lowest number of votes in any round, an intermediate voting round will be conducted to determine which of the tied bidders does not progress. When the final decision on the host has been taken, the result will be put in two envelopes and taken by the notary to the "Messe Zurich," where they will be handed over to the FIFA President for the announcements.

To be honest, I hope the United States wins the 2022 FIFA World Cup bid. When the United States was awarded the 1994 FIFA World Cup on July 4, 1988, many critics believed that the United States had no business to host the World Cup. At the time, the North American Soccer League no longer existed and Major League Soccer had yet to exist.

If that wasn’t embarrassing enough, the last time the United States Men’s National Team competed in the World Cup was in 1950 when that team played the game of their lives as they pulled possibly the greatest upset 1-0 win over the powerful English National Team.

When the 1994 FIFA World Cup took place in the United States, 3.5 million spectators filled the nine stadiums used nationwide. As a result, the ’94 World Cup remains the most successful event in FIFA History.

Sixteen years later, the United States has Major League Soccer, which completed its 15th season and has 18 teams for the 2011 season. Along with MLS, the Men’s National Team has become a powerhouse in CONCACAF where they constantly battle Mexico for CONCACAF supremacy.

While the U.S. Men’s team has been improving, the Women’s team has demonstrated to be one of the best teams in the planet as they won the World Cup in 1991 and 1999. Not only is soccer the most played sport in the United States, it’s beginning to catch up on the NBA and the NHL on attendance.

Winning the 2022 World Cup would be marvelous and a testament of how the United States has evolved into a Soccer Nation. Today you have citizens of different backgrounds that actually root for the National Team.

That wasn’t the case in 1994 but after the patriotism demonstrated in the 2010 World Cup, as evidenced that the United States purchased the most tickets for South Africa’s World Cup, perhaps the tide has turned. A World Cup here would bring in $400 million to $600 million to any hosting city.

I believe if the 2022 World Cup takes place in the United States, we will have a National Team capable of winning the Cup as well as a competitive Major League Soccer that this country’s citizens can be proud off. Before I continue to look that far ahead, I’m going to return to reality and await for the decision.

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

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Reports this morning claim LA Galaxy and England star David Beckham has been accused of an affair with an unnamed lingerie saleswoman.

The Daily Mail reports Bauer Media, who publish In Touch magazine, have alleged in secret court documents that Beckham slept with the LA-based woman several times.

Beckham is already suing Bauer for £16 million over claims he slept with Bosnian Irma Nici, and it appears the publisher is looking to add weight to their case.

But a Beckham source said the new claims were "completely unsubstantiated," and maintained the global superstar would go "full throttle" to clear his name.

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