Morgan Freeman joins the fray for World Cup 2022 push

Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010 will mark the day that will determine if the United States of America gets to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Los Angeles Galaxy's Landon Donovan will be making a presentation with the USA Bid Committee, and Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman will be in person to help state its case.

The USA will be the fourth of the five bids to present on Wednesday in the hope of landing the 2022 World Cup. The FIFA Executive Committee will then conduct its final vote on Thursday at FIFA House (8 a.m. ET/5 a.m. PT), followed by the formal public announcement of the winning bid at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT.

Freeman, who is already a member of the US Bid Committee’s Board of Directors, will be joined for the presentation by US President Bill Clinton, US Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati and Los Angeles Galaxy and American soccer star Landon Donovan. The presentations of each of the bidding nations will be streamed live on FIFA.com.

The official unveiling of the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be televised live on Thursday in the United States via ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Fox Soccer Channel, Univisión and CNN International (10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT).


Some Superlatives from the 2-1 defeat to Newcastle...

Bowen, USA Under-20s struggle in Torneo de Las Americas

The USA Under-20 national team struggled in the Torneo de Las Americas in Kennessaw, Georgia, losing in penalty kicks to Colombia (3-1) and Mexico (4-2).

The Galaxy's Tristan Bowen was involved in the only goal for the USA against Colombia, who teamed up with Sebastian Lletget to give the Stars and Stripes an early 1-0 lead before Colombia equalized in the 86th minute.

Bowen was an unused sub in the match against Mexico, which also went 1-1 through regulation.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Until an earlier announcement from the local media, there was much conversation across MLS as to whom would become the head coach for D.C. United next year.

Given the fact that Kevin Payne even said that Ben Olsen, the interim head coach at the time, was not going to be taking the full reins next year, there was even more question as to who would become the Black-and-Red's seventh head coach.

When the news broke that Olsen was going to be the new coach, it even surprised Olsen, himself.

“I was surprised; I was,” he said. “I had my mind fully prepared to go back into an assistant coach role and resume learning the trade."

That all changed when the United not only announced that Olsen signed a three-year contract as head coach, but when Payne said that he was the best fit for the job based on their knowledge of not only the game, but of the D.C. community in general.

“It just became more and more apparent to us that Ben Olsen fit that bill better than any of the other candidates with whom we were speaking,” Payne said when describing why the United hired Olsen. 

Ready or not, the United will begin their rebuilding season with Olsen on the bench leading the team. 

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

“The Cosmos are back in the field again and hopefully this is the base of what is going to go in the future.” – Giovanni Savarese; Director of the Cosmos Academy East

While the New York Cosmos expect to join Major League Soccer for the 2013 season, Cosmos fans have the opportunity to see the Cosmos Academy in action. For the first time in 25 years, the New York Cosmos fielded a team that wasn’t playing an anniversary game.

Making their debut, the Cosmos Academy U-18 team kicked off its season and demonstrated they are the New York Cosmos as they defeated Branford, Connecticut’s own South Central Premier Soccer Club, 3-2 at the Floyd Bennett Field.

On a November Saturday where the weather was cold but the enthusiasm caliente, Cosmos fans witnessed the next generation of Cosmos players razzle-dazzle both the crowd and their opponents with their 4-3-3 style of play.

For many parents in attendance, seeing their son in a New York Cosmos kit was evidence enough that the Cosmos have already arrived. While I covered the game from the stands, I had the privilege to meet Ozzie Torres’ parents, Osvaldo and Elizabeth.

Both are from Paraguay, and thanks to the Paraguayan duo of Roberto Cabanas and Julio Cesar Romero, they are lifelong Cosmos fans. To see Ozzie in a Cosmos uniform was very moving for the both of them.

“Ozzie comes from a proud line of soccer players in his family. Through his father’s side, he is related to Paraguay’s symbolic footballer, goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert, who played in the 1998 and 2002 World Cup,” explained Elizabeth.

Currently a senior at White Plains High School, Ozzie plays left defender for the Cosmos Academy East. Along with his responsibilities as a student, he trains with the Cosmos Academy three to four times a week.

“Today is a day that we were all waiting for. Now we can say that our son has joined Roberto Cabanas and Julio Cesar Romero as Paraguayans who have played for the New York Cosmos,” expressed Osvaldo.

Along with the Torreses, I met and talked with other parents and current Cosmos Academy players. Interacting with them was wonderful because they provided the lowdown on the players who were out in the pitch while discussing tactics with me.

In addition, the younger Cosmos Academy players proudly talked about their scrimmage game earlier today. Despite losing 6-5, the players felt they played a good game and look forward to their next one. From the expression in their faces, they appeared to be enjoying their experience.

While many Cosmos fans are waiting for 2013 to arrive, I recommend they support the Cosmos Academy and attend a few games. Not only will you have the opportunity to cheer for a Cosmos team, you’re getting the opportunity to meet the players’ parents in the stands.

If you’re a Supporters Club, what better atmosphere will you have to practice your chants and recruit new members?

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

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Two words: utterly tragic.

Even though this was just an international friendly for Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy, this was a lamentable ending to a season that otherwise had a lion's share of success.

There was just no way a team that is eighth in a league of 11 in Australia should defeat a side that finished at the top in its own league of 16 (soon to be 18), right?

But it happened. History was made in New South Wales' Hunter Region.

Before a crowd of over 23,000 at EnergyAustralia Stadium in Newcastle, the Galaxy ended their year with a 2-1 loss to the host Newcastle United Jets FC.

It was an unimpressive effort from Los Angeles that saw a goal by Juninho disallowed in the first half. That allowed Newcastle's Labinot Haliti to score a decisive strike in the 57th minute.

I still have to wonder why this match did not end in a 2-2 draw. Clearly the goal by Juninho was legit because it passed the line. Unfortunately, the A-League's officiating has made MLS's counterparts look solid.

I will have to say that the Jets put on a dazzling performance defensively, winning possession and frustrating the attack.

But Los Angeles didn't take this match seriously. Perhaps they could have if they had defeated FC Dallas and went on to win the MLS Cup.

I think the Galaxy made the biggest mistake of disregarding these international friendlies, dismissing them as buck-passers.

Everyone wanted to see what David Beckham could do. But what about Landon Donovan, Omar Gonzalez, Donovan Ricketts, Edson Buddle and the rest of the LA Galaxy first team? Shouldn't they treat this game like they are in it to win it?

They weren't.

Case in point: bad finishes, suspect passing and lax defending. In short, the same inept play that plagued them on Nov. 7 and their many other setbacks this year in their competitions.

It's as if the Galaxy said to the Jets and Branko Culina, "OK, we'll let you win this one because our season is done. We're not going to take this match seriously because we feel this is nothing more than a meaningless friendly with no bearing on the competitions that really matter."

That is the mindset I saw on the pitch tonight.

And it was an embarrassment to the organization, an embarrassment to Los Angeles, an embarrassment to Major League Soccer and (aside from the linesmen at the match) an utter disgrace to the game.

When next season begins, one can only hope that the Los Angeles Galaxy takes every match seriously. Including "meaningless friendlies."

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

It's one last hurrah this year for Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy as they take on the Newcastle United Jets FC in the Qantas Challenge, live from EnergyAustralia Stadium in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.

Follow the action live on Bleacher Report as Landon Donovan, David Beckham and the rest of the Los Angeles Galaxy take on Branko Culina's Jets of the Hyundai A-League!

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Los Angeles Galaxy captain Landon Donovan is apparently considering whether to play on loan or not prior to the club's Nov. 27 friendly match with the Newcastle United Jets.

“My plan is to rest over the next few weeks and get in a mental place where I can make a proper decision,” Donovan said. “If you ask me today, I’d probably say no because my body is exhausted."

“If you ask me in two months, I’d probably say yes because I’d be excited again. Once I come down from all this, see how my body feels, then I can figure it out.”

Donovan's previous loan was to Premier League side Everton for 10 weeks and proved to be successful in his ventures with the Toffees.

After rejoining Bruce Arena's Galaxy in March, the possibility of bringing back Donovan has gained more than just a mere footing.

Aside from his club efforts, which saw him notch seven goals and an MLS-leading 16 assists, Donovan scored three goals for the USA men's national team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The schedule left Donovan very fatigued.

“It’s our job. That’s what we do. A lot of players do it around the world,” Donovan admitted. “The way the game is now with different tournament—FIFA always seem like they’re trying to add games and tournaments—it’s part of what we deal with. You hope that you don’t break down physically and are available throughout the year. I’ve been fortunate to be relatively healthy.”

Of course, there is the possibility that Everton will elect to look elsewhere. As for Donovan himself, the No. 10 elected to take the process all in stride.

“It does play into it, not only being in demand or not but I also realize that I only have so many more years to play in general and to have a real opportunity to do this. That comes into it,” Donovan said. “I’m certainly going to have to think that through a lot, no question.”

Kickoff between the Galaxy and Jets at EnergyAustralia Stadium in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia is scheduled for 12:30 a.m. PT/3:30 a.m. ET/7:30 p.m. AEST and will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel.

Another whirlwind runaround for the G's

It was not too long ago that a certain Spanish club by the name of Real Madrid Club de Futbol (yes, the Jose Mourinho-coached side Real Madrid) was on a whirlwind tour of California, culminating with an entertaining 3-2 victory over the Galaxy.

This weekend, it's Los Angeles that are the center of attention, albeit the hoopla is on the other side of the Pacific. The warmer side of the Pacific; the Southern Hemisphere.

After arriving in Sydney via the Flying Kangaroo, a.k.a. QANTAS (the former Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services), Arena, Donovan and David Beckham fielded the usual questions from the press regarding the Qantas Challenge against Newcastle.

Following the press conference, the team boarded a smaller QANTAS jet for a 30-minute flight to Newcastle, where fans and media awaited. One ambitious Galaxy supporter hoisted a banner that said, "David Who? Landon Donovan Rules!"

Well done, that man.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Earlier today, the San Jose Earthquakes released their first ever Designated Player, Geovanni.

The ex-Hull City striker was released because of his high expenses and his lack of scoring, according to San Jose Earthquakes staff.

The Brazilian was a critical factor in the Earthquakes' late-season push for the playoffs, which was highlighted by a semifinal run before bowing out to the eventual MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids.

He came in midseason and made an immediate impact in the club's midfield, tallying a goal and three assists in his debut season. 

This has become a more commonplace trend, as clubs begin to emphasize building a core team of inexpensive, hard-working individuals that fit within a club's salary cap, which is currently $2.55 million.

MLS is currently the one of the few premier soccer leagues in the world that implements a salary cap on its clubs. Another notable league is Australia's A-League.

Ever since the DP rule was introduced in 2007, only one club with a DP has won the MLS Cup, the Columbus Crew in 2008. However, 2009 was the only year a club won the MLS Supporters' Shield without a DP. 

Perhaps those statistics of clubs with cheaper rosters and success are what San Jose is trying to mimic next season.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Yesterday afternoon, Goal.com reported that the recent television ratings for the MLS Cup final were lower—much lower—than the previous year.

They were the lowest ratings in over a decade.

The 2010 MLS Cup drew a nation-wide audience of about 1.1 million viewers, resulting in a 0.5 TV rating, down from last year's 0.9.

We can look at these depressing statistics and presume that's the result a few things: unpopular teams playing in the final; it was prime-time on a Sunday; the American Music Awards were on; or there was an National (American) Football League match-up between Philadelphia and New York.

However, Major League Soccer cannot use these excuses for their cup final; the match that's supposed to be the flagship of the league, to show the league's best, drew weaker ratings than regular season matches.

MLS needs to accept the unfortunate realities of the American mainstream.

Sunday Night and MLS Don't Mix Well

If there's an NFL game on TV and Major League Soccer teams playing, odds are most people would pick NFL over MLS.  Even the World Cup final drew twice as fewer ratings than last season's Super Bowl (28.5 and 53.0 respectively). 

It's not to say that MLS should not have their cup final on that date; however, they should play the game when there isn't going to be a lot of coexisting sporting events that could hinder the league's ratings.

The best way to maximize the number of viewers is to host the match on a week-day evening. That way, MLS doesn't run the risk of interfering with NFL match-ups or marquee college, NBA and NHL games.

It is something MLS needs to realize when scheduling their Cup final for 2011.

They shouldn't even consider going up against any NFL matches until they have a cup final that draws crowds just as high, if not higher than NFL games.

The MLS Playoffs Badly Need an Overhaul

No, this doesn't mean adding teams, but rather, a complete reconstruction of the playoffs.

It sounds ridiculous to say that a club from the Rocky Mountains and the California Valley are playing each other for the Eastern Conference title.

The league (Don Garber) is so drilled into this belief that the playoffs must feature conference semifinals and conference finals rather than quarterfinals and semifinals, that it wrecks the credibility of the league and poses unfair advantages for clubs that seem to be rewarded for having a weaker regular season.

Does it sound right for the team to go into the final match of the season thinking "if we win this match...we have a tougher opponent in the playoff...let's tie or lose guys!"  

No.

It results in lousy, unattractive football, which is exactly what we saw through the dwindling days of MLS; boring, lazy matches for no meaning. 

The playoffs themselves are not necessarily a problem; leagues across the globe use them (Greece and Mexico), but what's the difference?

These leagues seed their teams based on how they performed overall, not how they did in a conference. If that means three of the top four seeds are from the West Coast, so be it. 

Because of this, there has been too many fluky results and undeserving champions of the Cup, which has caused dissent towards the cup and more recognition to the Supporters' Shield.

For a league that likes to emphasize the MLS Cup and consider the Supporters' Shield its consolation prize, ironically the SS is getting more credibility from fans and even CONCACAF. 

MLS should still keep its playoff system, but the best way to convey the playoffs next year is dock the conferences and give the top eight teams seeds, regardless of "conference".

This would be fair since the league is retaining the balanced schedule for next season. 

Take Risks with the Playoffs

The reason MLS has this East v. West set up, is the hope two large markets from the East and West coast duel each other in the cup finals, in effort to maximize television ratings.

When the maximum is not cracking 1.0, then it's not the conferences problem, or the dark horse who caused outrage.  Thanks to Garber's parity philosophy, it might just be the fact you're emphasizing conferences. 

The worry behind docking conferences and using a 1-8 seed in the playoffs, is that it will not appeal to the "casual sports fan".  The casual sports fan only cares about the sport when it involves bandwagon clubs, or household player names.

The result of trying too hard to appeal to this demographic, is alienation of the true soccer fans in the nation. Can't even think of where to start when it comes to their sneering at the league; not because of its inferior play, but because of its corny structure. 

Of course, creating a 1-8 seed based on a single table will not instantly make every hardcore fan attracted to the league, but I highly doubt it was cause casual sports fans to find MLS anymore unappealing than they already find it.

There's nothing to lose in trying this format for the playoffs, because when you're attracting about 500,000 households in a nation of 300 million, you can only improve.

Sign of Stark Things

Assessing the record crowds that watched the World Cup final, of those 26-28 million, there's bound to be a good deal of soccer fans in the group.

The trick is appealing to them your league.

American eyes see it as an international sport with its own set of guidelines in structuring itself.

They love playoffs, but not playoffs where the underdog either wins or makes it to the final.

Structuring the league like almost every other league in the World will show the nation that MLS is a serious league, and not a league trying to be a cheesy spoof of the NFL, NBA or NHL. 

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

No players were selected from Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft, which saw FC Dallas's Atiba Harris to the Vancouver Whitecaps and Dax McCarty to the Portland Timbers.

Other key players selected included the Seattle Sounders's Sanna Nyassi, picked by the Whitecaps; Real Salt Lake Robbie Findley, who was picked by the Timbers; and former Galaxy/Chivas striker Alan Gordon, picked by Vancouver.

These are the results of the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft, as it happened.


Round 1
POR: Dax McCarty (DAL; Daniel Hernandez protected)
VAN: Sanna Nyassi (SEA; Patrick Ianni protected)

Round 2
POR: Eric Brunner (CLB; Kevin Burns protected)
VAN:Atiba Harris (DAL; Dallas removed from draft)

Round 3
POR: Adam Moffat (CLB; Columbus removed from draft)
VAN: Nathan Sturgis (SEA; Seattle removed from draft)

Round 4
POR: Anthony Wallace (COL; Wells Thompson protected)
VAN: Shea Salinas (PHI; Chris Seitz protected)

Round 5
POR: David Horst (RSL; Collen Warner protected)
VAN: Alan Gordon (CHV; Mariano Trujillo protected)

Round 6
POR: Robbie Findley (RSL; Salt Lake removed from draft)
VAN: O'Brian White (TOR; Julian de Guzman protected)

Round 7
POR: Peter Lowry (CHI; Dasan Robinson protected)
VAN: Alejandro Moreno (PHI; Philadelphia removed from draft)

Round 8
POR: Jonathan Bornstein (CHV; Chivas removed from draft)
VAN: Joe Cannon (SJ; Tim Ward protected)

Round 9
POR: Jordan Graye (DC; Kurt Morsink protected)
VAN: Jonathan Leathers (KC; Eric Kronberg protected)

Round 10
POR: Arturo Alvarez (SJ; San Jose removed from draft)
VAN: John Thorrington (CHI)

Meanwhile, the Galaxy made a trade with the Timbers on Monday, acquiring allocation money from the expansion Portland Timbers in exchange for an international player roster slot. Portland will receive one of the Galaxy’s eight international player slots for the 2011 and 2012 MLS seasons in exchange for the allocation money. After the 2012 season, the roster spot will revert back to Los Angeles.

The Galaxy will be facing Newcastle United Jets FC on Saturday, Nov. 27 at 12:30 a.m. PT/3:30 a.m. ET/7:30 p.m. AEST. Fox Soccer Channel will provide coverage of the contest from EnergyAustralia Stadium in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.'

10 teams for the playoffs...and an international calendar in the works

In 2011, the MLS Cup Playoffs will expand to 10 teams, and the league is exploring the possibility of aligning with a majority of the leagues in Europe, South America and elsewhere with an international calendar. That is, a season that starts in August or September and ends in April of the following year.

Alternatively, the league could begin in August or September, take a break during December and January, resume in February and conclude in April or May.

"The bottom line is we're telling the world we're going to begin taking a very serious look at this whole issue and what kinds of things we need to do to determine if it makes sense for us," MLS Commissioner Don Garber told reporters in Toronto earlier last week.

Garber noted that it will not be easy pitting the best teams to compete against each other for the Philip J. Anschutz Trophy.

"We've got to figure what that mechanism is," Garber told ESPN's Max Bretos and Alexi Lalas at halftime of the 2010 MLS Cup. "We have to find a way to solve that for next year."

The 2011 season will also be balanced, with a 34-game schedule and each of the 18 teams facing each other home and away. This will not be a certainty with Montreal entering the league in 2012 and a possible 20th franchise (with the revived New York Cosmos among the interested consortia) entering in 2013.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Well that was quick. Earlier today, the buzz around American soccer was Dax McCarty being the first pick in the MLS Expansion Draft, surrounded by talk as to why FC Dallas would ever not protect McCarty.

In the blink of an eye, the redhead has moved from the Pacific Northwest to the nation's capital. McCarty, was traded to D.C. United from Portland for a pair of fourth-round picks in next year's Super Draft, and in exchange for United's Rodney Wallace. 

In ways it seems fair. Solid defender for solid midfielder and the United with a need for a young mid with control, toughness and a controlling mentality. 

Then again, they're in need of a defense. However, the question is whether or not the United can make up for that in the off-season with trading, signings or new transfers by the time the window closes on New Year's Day? 

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here