Bridgeview, Ill.: Nov. 14, 2009

You can sum up the Chicago Fire's season in this one game. You can sum up the team's history, excluding year one, in this one game.

The summary is this: outstanding defense, underachieving offense, overall game domination, tantalizing fans by getting within reach of greatness only to find a way, sooner or later, to betray them...and themselves.

After win streaks and losing streaks, the usual Fire roller-coaster ride throughout the season, this season looked as if it might be different, as if whatever curse constrains Chicago might have been broken.

After all, they beat the Revolution for a change, and found themselves playing in a Conference final.

Their opponent, Real Salt Lake (whose presence in the Eastern Conference made them geographically out of synch in addition to being, statistically at least, the underdog in the match) was a club the Fire should have been able to scorch.

It seemed that an appearance in another MLS Cup match might be in the cards. Not necessarily a victory, but at least an appearance, and even an appearance would be progress relative to Chicago's recent history.

Home field advantage wouldn't hurt either. The Fire enjoyed yet another sellout crowd of 21,730, a crowd that was easily creating a noise level worthy of twice their number. The mostly red-clad partisans seldom lowered the volume and seldom stopped moving.

One couldn't help observe the spectacle and not feel good about the future of MLS. What was on vivid display in the Chicago suburb was an established tradition, a passionate obsession, an entrenched soccer community.

It was the kind of game that people who don't get soccer love to loathe. There was no score whatsoever. Not in the 90 minutes of regulation time, and not in the 30 minutes of extra time.

Despite the double zeroes on the scoreboard, however, it was not an uneventful match. It was also not an evenly played match. Chicago came at their opponents relentlessly.

The Fire set up play after play, moving the ball downfield with speed, with precision passing, with expert footwork.

Salt Lake put together an occasional good run, actually penetrated the defense with more efficiency than the Chicago side when they did get down to the offensive end, but each of the few open doors they enjoyed was slammed hard in their faces by Chicago keeper Jon Busch.

As good as Chicago's defense played overall, there were a couple of lapses that could have, no doubt should have cost the Fire a goal, but Busch nailed the hatch closed, and with each shot, he threw another chair in front of the door, just in case the salt-white army from Salt Lake managed to break through the rest of the barricades.  

With the heroics Busch had demonstrated throughout the match and the assumed advantage in firepower that Chicago possessed, there was a sense in Toyota Park that the eventual exchange of penalty kicks would settle the matter in Chicago's favor.

After Salt Lake's Javier Morales was the first from either club to miss, shooting high, a sense of imminent triumph gripped the house.

And just as quickly, this sense of destiny deflated when John Thorington was the first for Chicago to have his shot saved. Another Salt Lake miss and Chicago had the advantage again.

But then it was all Salt Lake. After succeeding by going high on Salt Lake keeper Nick Rimando, Fire shooters kept going low and to the keeper's right, while Salt Lake blew two successive shots past Busch, and the match was over.

Before the players or the crowd could adjust, MLS Commissioner Don Garber was out on the midfield line presenting the Conference trophy to the visiting team.

And so it goes. Once again in Chicago, the Fire over promised and under-delivered. Once again, they had a roster that appeared as talented as any in the league, but had difficulty with point production all season, with the exception of a couple of hot streaks.

Other than Chicago's inaugural season, when they shocked the city and the league, as an expansion team, by winning not only the MLS Cup in an upset over the club that had been until then the class of the league (DC United) but also won the US Open Cup, for a double.

Since then, the Fire has finished strong every season but one, but with the exception of their debut year, they have failed to capture the MLS Cup. With a very few exceptions, they have failed even to contest for it.

And so, just as the Eastern Conference Championship match became a metaphor for a season, and a decade of seasons of Chicago soccer, the PK contest became a micro metaphor in itself. Beginning strong, taking the lead, then collapsing when it counts. 

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

It's G to be a G. As in Good to be a Galaxy Supporter.

The Los Angeles Galaxy are now one victory away from hoisting their third MLS Cup with a 2-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

With the win, the Galaxy win the MLS Western Conference double-the regular season and playoff championships-both over the same opponent.

Not even two delays due to bad lighting and the perceived Friday the 13th superstition behind the controls could stop Bruce Arena's club from silencing the men of Dominic Kinnear.

In the 104th minute, a set piece from David Beckham saw Gregg Berhalter break the deadlock inside the penalty box off a series of deflections. But Landon Donovan's 17th playoff goal, a penalty in the 109th minute, sealed the deal.

Houston's Ricardo Clark fouled Alan Gordan inside the box, and Major League Soccer's all-time playoff leading scorer got Dynamo keeper Pat Onstad to go the wrong way.

The Dynamo will rue the wasted chances in the second half of regulation. In the 48th minute, Andrew Hainault's attempt from 30 yards out was denied by Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts. Ricketts also broke up a shot by Bryan Ching in the 79th minute.

Los Angeles had a chance to go on top early in the first half, but Stuart Holden cleared a chance for Donovan in the 25th minute of play.

The Dynamo conceded seven offsides in the contest. Houston won more corners than Los Angeles (nine to four), but were unable to capitalize on their chances.

The Galaxy will await the winner of the Eastern Conference Final between the Chicago Fire and Real Salt Lake. Kickoff for MLS Cup 2009 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington is scheduled for November 22, 2009 at 8:30PM EST/5:30PM PST. ESPN will televise the match in English and Galavisión in Spanish.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Over the summer, I was at a friend’s house and turned on an MLS game. Usually this would be cause for ridicule, but that night was different. It was different because it was a game being played in Seattle.

My friends noticed the packed stadium and the excitement displayed on the supporters’ faces. They heard the band playing. They saw the entertaining and proficient play on the pitch. One noted that this is the type of soccer that would get him watching MLS, and it did.

Whenever the Sounders were on TV, he put on the game. He learned the names of a number of the players on the squad. Now he wants to go to the game when Seattle travels to my home state of New Jersey to play the Red Bulls in their new stadium.

Another friend of mine, this one an avid futbol and MLS follower, said “(Seattle is) what all teams in the country should be.”

The Sounders have captured the attention of not only the city of Seattle, but the whole nation, footie fans and soccer simpletons alike.

Although they fell short of becoming the first expansion team to win the MLS Cup since the Chicago Fire did so back in 1998, the club was successful in so many ways.

Seattle finished its inaugural season with a 12-7-11 record and made the playoffs. Since 2005, no MLS expansion team has made the playoffs in its first season, excluding the Houston Dynamo (while considered an expansion team, Houston was really a relocation of the San Jose Earthquake that was rebranded, history and all).

In fact, Toronto F.C. and the San Jose Earthquakes, the two previous expansion franchises, have yet to qualify for postseason play.

The Sounders may also be the single most popular club in MLS, even more so than David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The city has enjoyed a rich history in soccer, dating back to the NASL and even more recently in the USL. That support has carried over in large numbers to the MLS team.

According to ESPN.com, the Sounders finished first in both total attendance and average of fans per game, 499,262 and 31,203 respectively. They were just under 11,000 fans per game ahead of the second-place Galaxy.

The team sold out every home game in the regular season, their one playoff game against Houston, and even their four U.S. Open Cup matches.

While the team was unable to play for the MLS Cup, they did win the U.S. Open Cup , a tournament played amongst all the professional soccer clubs based in the United States of America.

They were the first first-year franchise to win it since the Chicago Fire did so in 1998.

One of the toughest and unique aspects of MLS is talent evaluation. In other leagues across the globe, there is no salary cap. A team can just go buy the best talent it can put together.

However, with MLS’ small spending limit for each team, clubs must be shrewd in how they collect talent. They cannot just go and buy the best player available, and the best players will not just come over to play for what they feel are demeaning wages.

The Sounders had four players named to the MLS All-Star team —Kasey Keller, Freddie Ljungberg, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, and Fredy Montero. Keller was nominated for Goalkeeper of the Year and the Fair Play Award; Hurtado was nominated for Defender of the Year; and all three of the Newcomer of the Year Award nominees were Sounders—Keller, Montero, and Ljungberg, with Montero taking home the trophy .

Arguably the biggest accomplishment the team had this season was restoring a sense of pride in Seattle sports fans.

The city of Seattle had every reason to be fed up with professional sports.
The Mariners have finished above third place in the American League only one time since 2002 and the last time they were in the playoffs was 2001.

The Seahawks missed the postseason for the first team in the past six seasons in 2008 with a measly 4-12 record, and things don’t look more optimistic this year with a less than stellar record of 3-5.

The biggest crime was having their NBA franchise, the Seattle SuperSonics, relocated to Oklahoma City. The team had been a part of Seattle since it was founded in 1967, but due to an arena dispute, new ownership moved the team, depriving the city of their beloved basketball franchise.

The Sounders gave the city a team to be excited about. They came, they got the city of Seattle involved; for example, the Seattle FC Alliance allows members (season-ticket holders and paying non-season ticket holders) to vote on a number of club decisions, including whether or not to remove the General Manager.

The Sounders also won. It’s a great combination that has rejuvenated the city’s fan base and made them proud again.

Fans were rewarded for their passion by getting to watch the Sounders take on world powers Chelsea and F.C. Barcelona in exhibition matches and Qwest Field, the Sounders home, will host this season's MLS Cup championship match.

Things are only going to get more exciting as well.

Washington native Keller has said he plans on returning to the team next season and in 2011, the league will expand to Vancouver and Portland, creating natural geographic rivalries (or reestablishing old rivalries from the NASL and USL) in the Pacific Northwest.

Even though it was only its inaugural season, Seattle proved they are the best-run franchise in MLS (for worst see: Red Bull New York—a member since the league’s inaugural year and they still can’t get it right).

With an invested ownership group, good decision makers and talent evaluators, talented players, and the strongest fan base in American soccer, Seattle is clearly the class of MLS and what every other team in the league should strive to be like.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

The United States Men's National Team has two friendlies scheduled in Europe against Slovakia (Nov. 14) and Denmark (Nov. 18) making those MLS players whose clubs advanced this weekend unavailable for national team duty. Time with the national team is precious to those players fighting to earn their spot on the roster heading to South Africa next summer for the World Cup.

Success with their MLS teams won't be ignored by USMNT head coach Bob Bradley, but those American players will miss out on the irreplaceable opportunity of making an impression in person. Below is a breakdown of the players who might have been called up for the friendlies in Europe, but were unavailable because of the MLS Cup Conference Finals.

Real Salt Lake

Robbie Findley —The speedy forward would have likely gotten a call up for the friendlies, but he will be busy next weekend playing in the MLS Cup Western Conference Finals. Many soccer analysts have highlighted Findley's as a possible replacement on the national team for Sochaux forward Charlie Davies who was injured in a car accident last month. The 24-year-old striker had a career year scoring 12 goals this season in MLS.

Kyle Beckerman —RSL's dread locked captain also had a decent shot of being called up after playing well for the US in the summer's Gold Cup. The US is very deep in quality central midfielders with the likes of Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, and Jermaine Jones all playing in Europe. However, with Edu and Jones both injured Beckerman could have made his case with Bradley in Slovakia and Denmark.

Chicago Fire

Chris Rolfe —Had Chicago not pulled out a victory on Saturday night against the Revs it would have been Rolfe’s last game in a Fire uniform as the 26-year-old signed a contract with Danish club Aalborg BK in September. Instead the former University of Dayton Flyer will get one more chance to wear red and white in front of Fire fans. In his four seasons with the Fire Rolfe has been one of the club’s most consistent players scoring 36 goals in 123 appearances.

Rolfe has a creative ability with the ball in the final third that is very rare in the American player pool. The US could have used his attacking abilities in the 2009 Gold Cup where they ran out of answers in the final against Mexico.

It would have been interesting to see Rolfe get called in had the Fire lost, but if he can find some success next season in Europe he could earn some serious consideration for next summer.

Logan Pause —For the last six years patrolling the Fire’s midfield Pause has earned a reputation as solid MLS professional. The Hillsborough, North Carolina product was a third round draft pick in 2003, but Pause grew into the role that Chris Armas left when he retired from the Fire in 2007. Pause’s hard work paid off this summer when he was called in for this summer’s CONCAF Gold Cup.

With Beckerman and Clark unavailable Pause really would have had a good chance of being called in had the Fire lost. The 28-year-old would've had two matches to make his case with Bob Bradley, but I’m sure he’s happy about advancing in the playoffs. Pause also won the 2009 Humanitarian of the Year Award along with Kansas City Wizard defender Jimmy Conrad this past week for his many charitable works he’s involved with. Pause is a real long shot for the World Cup, but it’s hard not to root for this guy.

John Thorrington —On Saturday night the 30-year-old professional was all over the field for the Fire and scored the first goal in front of a sellout crowd in Bridgeview. Thorrington was probably not going to be called anyway having not played recently due to injuries, but he was a real difference maker for the Fire.

The veteran player can play in the midfield or at right back (where Bob Bradley has used him before). Playing well for the Fire in the playoffs will help his stock rise as a fringe USMNT player. Don’t be surprised if Thorrington gets a call up the January camp. Also I enjoyed his interviewing skills with this Chicago Tribune feature he did with Logan Pause.

Jon Busch —One of the best goal keepers in MLS over his seven years in the league, Jon Busch should be at least considered for national team duty. Busch doesn’t have a great shot at making the World Cup roster with Tim Howard a lock for the starting position, but you never know what could happen before next summer. Although Brad Guzan has been the back up on the national team the past few years, if Howard should get hurt before the World Cup I don’t know if Bradley would be comfortable putting the 25 year old in net for the US. There are a number of other American keepers in Europe, but solid MLS goalies like Busch should be considered too if a crisis does arise. Busch has one cap with the national team and has been called into US camps previously.

After the game Saturday night the Fire keeper was visibly pumped up in a post match interview with Fox Soccer Channel calling out ESPN analyst Alexi Lalas for saying prior to the game that the Fire had no heart. You gotta love awkward television!

Houston Dynamo

Stuart Holden —The creative midfielder was touted by many as the US’s best performer this summer in the Gold Cup. This year also so Holden become a MLS All Star, a  substitute against Mexico in Estadio Azteca, and a starter replacing an injured Clint Dempsey in the final two World Cup Qualifiers. Holden made everyone forget about Dwayne De Rosario in Houston leading the Dynamo to the playoffs and a second place finish in the Western Conference.

Holden’s extended service to the US in the Gold Cup and World Cup Qualifying has him well positioned to make the World Cup roster. It appears likely that Holden will be heading to Europe once the season is over, but he will need to find a club where he can earn consistent playing time if he wants to keep knocking on the door to USMNT's starting lineup.

Ricardo Clark —A favorite of Bob Bradley, the defensive midfielder had a surreal summer in South Africa with the national team upsetting Spain and almost winning the Confederations Cup over Brazil. Clark has been for the past year the first choice of Bob Bradley to pair with his son, Michael Bradley, in central midfield.

Clark’s play at the Confederations Cup and during World Cup Qualifying earned him some attention from European clubs, but rumors have died down since the summer of a move to Europe. Clark looked pretty banged up on Sunday, but with all the competition in the US midfield he can use every opportunity he gets to solidify his place on the national team.

When Jermaine Jones gets healthy many have the Schalke 04 talisman penciled in to replace Clark, but if Clark continues to play well he certainly will be in the mix for South Africa.

Brian Ching —Though the Hawaiian striker often drives a large contingent of US fans crazy, the two time MLS champion is a consistent target forward. Ching may not score goals like it’s going out of fashion, but his overtime winner in Houston on Sunday was truly inspiring. You could see how bad he wanted that goal. Though he won’t win any popularity contests with US Soccer fanatics, Ching will be in the battle for a spot on the trip to South Africa all the way up to next summer.

Bobby Boswel —It amazes me how unheralded Boswell has been over his career as he’s won two Supporter’s Shields and a MLS Defender of the Year Award with DC United and anchored Houston’s solid backline the past two seasons. He almost signed with a Turkish club after the 2008 season, but he ended signing a new four year deal with Houston.

Boswell has been off the US radar for awhile, but he really should be considered being one of the best center back s in MLS. Boswell should be in the mix for making the USMNT along with Jimmy Conrad and Chad Marshall. Now all he has to worry about is keeping Landon Donovan and David Beckham at bay next Friday night in LA.  

Brad Davis —Am I a nerd for thinking this guy look like he could have been a hobbit in Lord of the Rings? Ok, I’m definitely a nerd, but Hobbit or not Davis can play. The midfielder just makes things happen on the field for the Dynamo. The Dynamo have been one of the top teams in the league without a goal scoring machine striker much in part to the play of the 27-year-old.

The service Brad Davis provides his teammates is among the best in MLS this side of David Beckham. At the 2009 MLS All Star Game, Davis played wonderfully scoring the All Stars’ only goal in the 1-1 loss to Everton on penalties. After being snubbed by Bradley for the Gold Cup, I would have really liked to see Davis back in the USMNT picture, but the Dynamo will continue to battle for another MLS Cup.

Geoff Cameron —The second year man has been great in his roles both as a central defender in both the midfield and the back line for the Dynamo. After a excellent 2009 season that saw Cameron start the All Star Game, many had the former University of Rhode Island Ram fast tracked for national team duty.

Cameron would have been a nice addition to the Slovakia/Denmark friendlies because of his versatility in both the midfield and defense. Keep your eye on this kid in the years to come.

LA Galaxy

Landon Donovan —There really was no reason for the US's best player to be involved in the upcoming friendlies. Then again whenever the national team suits up US fans want a victory and having Donovan on the pitch makes a huge difference. The Galaxy are playing well and the Beckham experiment is finally showing some positive results. Let Landon enjoy it after enduring the darkness of the previous two seasons in LA.

Todd Dunivant —The Galaxy left back has been solid this year for Bruce Arena on a backline that was one of the best in MLS in 2009. Borenstein's play towards the end of World Cup Qualifying has the Chivas USA star the front runner for the left back job with the national team, but the position battle is far from over. Edgar Castillo has been pumped up by many as Borenstein's main competitor, but the former Mexican international has yet to play for the United States.

Dunivant is not a track star going forward, but he might be a better defender than Borenstein and Castillo. Castillo has admitted that his defending needs work and Borenstein has made several blunders that have cost the national team in the past. Dunivant's solid defending, experience (two MLS Cups), and consistency should put him in the mix for the left back job.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

With the final whistle last night, the defending MLS Champion Columbus Crew had their chances at defending that title cut short, thanks to the horrific playoff system the MLS continues to institute.

Let me be clear, I know that the MLS is trying to grow and is constantly trying to evolve into a league that is respected around the world. I understand what they are trying to accomplish, and for the most part, they are succeeding.

I also understand that a playoff system was necessary back in the early years of the MLS, when it had just the original 10 teams. It's certainly hard to get a real sense of who's the best when you only have 10 squads.

The MLS now has 15 and will quickly be adding more franchises in its ever-growing league. As new teams arrive, the league gets bigger, the fan base gets broader, the MLS has to lose the playoff system.

I'm sure there are multiple reasons for a playoff system that still stand to justify its status as "THE" thing to do. When the league began, it was influenced by Lamar Hunt and Robert Kraft, along with a few other football owners who happened to enjoy the game of soccer. To them, the playoffs were what had to happen.

With last night's loss, the Columbus Crew are a shining example of why the current system is both illogical and unfair.

Soccer is not like football or basketball. Typically, in those sports, the margin of error in every game is so small due to the sheer athleticism and skill of each player on every team. This is why it's common to see a 6-10 team beat an 11-5 team in the NFL and it's the same reason (at least partially) why the NBA plays 82 games.

Now I will concede that if you look at the MLS tables (divided into conferences, another horrible idea), just a few points separate the leagues better teams. So perhaps the margin of error isn't as large as it is in many European leagues. However, how does the MLS benefit from having its best team not be rewarded?

The eighth best team beat the best team, and based on the format alone, it can be considered fair. Columbus didn't do enough, and they were punished. So why then even play the 30 games the league has them play?

I get what a playoff system means, and call me a soccer snob who only follows the Premier League, but until the MLS goes to a full table, no playoff system, it will always be a poor man's soccer league.

How can you not see a league's mediocrity when potentially its eighth best team can win the cup? How is the MLS's mediocrity not seen when over half of it's league gets to play for the cup in the first place?

Soccer, as a sport, traditionally rewards a leagues best team. Most soccer leagues don't give prizes out to its eighth best team. Until the MLS can be comfortable with having every team play each other twice, and let that be the end of it, it will never attain the status I at least think it wants to attain.

Now I know there are several factors aside from tradition that go into the playoff idea. TV and revenue being at the forefront. However, this will continue to be a problem regardless of whether or not there happens to be a playoff system in place.

While soccer continues to grow in the US, we are far from a country that watches soccer to the extent of following the MLS on TV. ESPN shows one game a week (sometimes none) and Fox Soccer Channel might show two games.  

The MLS is up against it geographically as well. It's hard to showcase two of the better teams in a matchup like Columbus at Los Angeles when kickoff comes around 10:30pm in Columbus.

Now I don't want to come off as dogging the MLS. I like the MLS, and while I'm not a supporter of any team, I always monitor the league itself. I have no problem with the MLS as an institution.

The push to get its franchises "soccer-only" stadiums is very admirable as well as necessary if soccer is to truly gain a foothold in the US. The leagues outreach and push to expand the league is also a great thing.

I only have a problem with the league's current format, its playoff system, and its knack for rewarding "the underdog."

I believe that anyone who whines about something as much as I just have should have a plan to change what they are whining about. So here is mine.

Step One. I would propose that the league dissolve its current "division" and lump all 16 teams into the same table. Since the league already doesn't require four teams from each division to make it into the playoffs, this shouldn't be that big of change to begin with.

A full table of 16 would also bring new league rivalries. Sure, the current rivalries based on either geography or competitive history will be there, but a full table opens the door for future rivalries we have yet to see.

Finally, a full table would bring the type of open competition the league hasn't seen in its 13 seasons.

Step Two. I would do away with the playoff system entirely. The fact that Columbus can't defend its title because it was unable to perform in two games out of the 32 it played is extremely wrong. A season of great achievement has now been punished, and all the Crew players and fans are left with is anxiety for next year.

The playoff system is thought of as "goofy" among most World Football circles, and while the MLS is starting to get some star studded talent despite those players being in the sunset of their careers, the league format really cancels their presence out.

Let's let the whole season be a playoff. Everyone played 30 games this season and the winner only managed to scrape 49 points out of 30 matches, the eighth best team was just three wins shy of that mark. There is enough parity in the league already, a playoff system can only serve to punish the better teams.

Step Thre. If the MLS has a desire to create a playoff atmosphere, do it, but keep it mutually exclusive from the league itself.

I would like to see a league cup. Begin the league cup in late May, you can even call it the MLS Cup, and keep the same trophy (which has changed designs more times than I can count—also illustrating the league's ineptness to establish tradition).

It would resemble just about every league tournament around the world. You'd have a draw, drawing the eight home teams first, and then pairing them up with the eight remaining teams.

The format would be single elimination; however, should the two teams draw, a replay would happen the following week at the second team's home field. The Cup Final could be kept in American tradition of a moving venue.

It would fit nicely with the US Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League cup tournaments. It would also provide some of the young players and managers the competitive experience a cup tournament usually produces.

The MLS needs a change to its playoff system that rewards hot teams, punishes teams who managed to navigate a 30-game season successfully. Until it does, the league will be steeped in mediocrity and unfairness.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

The US Under-17s are out of the Fifa U-17 World Cup after a tough loss to Italy.   I saw less of their World Cup play than I wanted, but a few thoughts remain hard to shake.

Maturity is over-rated—at least in soccer.   The game against the UAE reminded me most why watching the occasional youth game is so refreshing: even in a pressure situation the "kids" tend to play with an offense-first mindset and a penchant for flair that will very likely (and sadly) be taught out of them in the pro ranks.  

Our challenge is finding a way to add the professionalism, strength, speed of play/thought that is required to make the next step without squelching the joy of the game.  Not many countries have acheived this.

Possession soccer is not out of our reach.   Again, the UAE game was my primary taste of the U-17s this time around, but the way in which they controlled the ball—and thus the game—was impressive, even if the result was closer than it should have been with better finishing.  

Luis Gil appears to be the real deal (as much as an almost 16 year old can be) and was able to add stability and an smart attacking mindset. The full National team doesn’t have a pure center mid with those qualities—really Claudio Reyna (though often deeper sitting) was the last player that really was close to this at the senior level. It will be interesting to see if we can add more of this to our game given our current roster.

Unfinished business. At all levels, we seem to struggle to find a consistent list of “finishers.” If the amount of opportunities that could have  turn into goals—but didn’t—for the U-17s in this tournament show us anything—we may not have the answers coming soon. 

At the senior team level, Charlie Davies shows a nose for the goal (and is now facing a long recovery from his terrible accident) and Jozy Altidore has the potential, but not the playing time.

Most of our other talented forwards seem to be stuck in that perpetual midfield/forward dilemma—Landon, Dempsey, Adu, etc., or not making the mark we need them to make—Cooper, Johnson (who?), etc.   Given that, it’s not a surprise Conor Casey got time, maybe Robbie Findley is next?

What next for our talented youth?   Luis Gil is getting most of the attention, and (from my limited viewing) rightly so. But for Luis and other talented players—the question becomes “what now?” Luis had a trial with Arsenal, suggests MLS could be an option (what else would you say?) and has ignited a debate over what is best for helping a young star reach his potential.

While it’s hard to imagine there is a “right” answer...the idea of playing at Arsenal’s youth development system sure is appealing. The style they play, their tendency to throw youth in the mix and their strong youth development all make strong arguments. The question revolves around the demand (especially for a creative midfielder) for those roles—which will feature some cut throat competition.  

If you are to believe that an American has the odds stacked a bit against them going in in a European team—would a smaller club offer more opportunities for success?   

For slightly older players coming into the pro-ranks (Dempsey, Parkhurst, etc.), I think MLS is a good option—but without a developmental league, and with minimal development of the youth teams, it just like an option for some of the U-17s but too early for the very best of these players. 

We'd best start to get more creative...could be a large Mexican (or other Latin) team play a role—Luis (as this example goes) has a Mexican heritage, and some teams have very well established development systems. If only there was a Mexican team that also had an American connection...hmmm. We need to get over our fixation on just a few leagues being worth the attention of our youth.

Wilmer Cabrera deserves some credit. Coaches can help build confidence (we made it to the second round and won twice in a row when we needed it, and were within a missed penalty of a better Italian result) and style (see possession commentary)...but cannot take the field and put many of those wasted opportunities in the net. 

Perhaps the refrain we hear so frequently that “American coaches” are needed for our US teams is true.  Maybe they don’t always have to be just North American.

Well, Wilmer’s (and my) team is out...but his home country (Colombia) is still there. I know who I am rooting for.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

On October 23, it was reported by Spanish paper that FC Barcelona and French star Thierry Henry wants to move to MLS to play for the New York Red Bulls next summer.

Currently at the age of 32, Henry's contract ends after the 2010 season, and has previously stated that he wants to play his football in America, where his fellow countryman and friend NBA star Tony Parker plays.

Henry's current club FC Barcelona, have already stated that they will not resign Henry after his contract ends at the end of the season, and already attempted to sign five different players during last summer's transfer window.

Henry has always been fond of New York, and wants to help spread football further in the United States.

However, he will not be the first famous footballer to try to help spread football to play for a New York football franchise, as Pelé famously came to New York to play for the New York Cosmos from 1975-1977.

The team that Henry is rumored to join, the New York Red Bulls, finished last in Major League Soccer this season with 21 points in 30 matches and failed to win a single match away from Giants Stadium.

However, the Red Bulls will be moving into Red Bull Arena next year, and a player such as Henry will help the club become stronger in the New York sports market.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

For the first time in 11 years, an expansion MLS team is making the playoffs. Seattle couldn't be happier. After securing a berth with a 3-2 win on the road against Kansas City, the team gets to come home and bask in the home confines of Qwest Field as they play against Dallas FC.

It wasn't an easy game, as the Sounders had to overcome a 2-1 deficit early in the second half. But plugs by Roger Levesque and (ugh) Nate Jaqua sent them to their second tournament in a matter of months (after winning the US Open Cup in September).

It's about time the city had something to celebrate, after 2008 culminated in utter disaster for the Seattle region. The Seahawks had their first losing season in over a decade while missing the playoffs for the first time in five years, the Mariners became the first team to lose 100 games with a payroll of over 100 million, and the Huskies went winless.

Worst of all, the NBA packed up and left on the way to Oklahoma city, removing the only major pro sports title since the defunct Seattle Metropolitans Hockey team won the original Stanley Cup.

Thankfully, 2009 seems to be a year of rebirth for the city. The Mariners rebound to compete for a playoff spot, the Seahawks are in the race once again despite another bunch of injured players, the Huskies were ranked earlier this year after knocking off USC, and now it has all culminated in a playoff spot for the expansion Sounders.

The team has overcome injuries, flopping, and a rash of red cards earlier in the season to be tied for second in points in the league, all while setting records for attendence in MLS. The 30,000+ they've drawn per game would rank high even in the EPL.

Now the hope is that the team can make it to the MLS cup. They'll have to survive a few weeks of playoffs, but the final game will be held in Seattle regardless of their participation. With their performance in the Open Cup earlier in the year, it's not out of the realm of likelyhood that they could be playing in front of 67,000 on November 22nd.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Team USA secured their sixth World Cup Finals appearance in a row after defender Jonathan Bornstein scored a headed equalizer deep into injury time to give the Stars and Stripes a deserved 2-2 draw against Costa Rica. The goal will be richly remembered for the way the US fans held aloft the number nine after striker Charlie Davies was ruled out for the forseeable after being injured in a fatal car crash on the eve of the match.

On Oct. 14, 2009, the United States national team took to the pitch at RFK Stadium in Washington DC to take on Costa Rica, who were looking to clinch the final automatic CONCACAF World Cup birth.

The day before the match, United States striker Charlie Davies got severely injured in a car accident that took the life of fellow passenger Ashley J. Roberta, and injured the driver of the car.

After the accident, it was revealed that Davies had a broken leg, a lacerated spleen, a broken elbow and multiple facial fractures. With this injury, it appears that Davies will not be able to participate in next year's World Cup.

However, Costa Rica came into this match needing either a win or a Honduras loss to clinch a birth in the 2010 World Cup.

As the teams assembled onto the field, United States fans started chants for Davies, and held up cards with Davies' No. 9 on them.

As the match began, the United States initially got several chances, none better than Conor Casey's one-on-one with Costa Rican keeper K Navas, where Casey's shot went clear over the bar.

Shortly after the miss, Costa Rica went onto the attack, including several shots that tested United States keeper Tim Howard, but the game remained scoreless.

As the game entered the ninth minute, United States fans started to chant for Charlie Davies for the entire minute in honor of his No. 9.

In the 20th minute, Costa Rica's Bryan Ruiz powered past U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu and had a close one-on-one with Howard, and the Costa Rican striker was able to bury into the back of the net to give Costa Rica a 1-0 lead.

But Ruiz wasn't done, as just four minutes later he was able to nail a shot into the far left corner from about 20 yards away, doubling Costa Rica's lead to 2-0.

After the goal, the United States continued to be on the attack and had several chances to get a goal back, but the Costa Rican defense and Navas were able to prevent the Americans from getting onto the board. At the end of the first half, the score was 2-0 in favor of Costa Rica.

After the half was over, the United States continued their attack on the Costa Rican goal, but they still weren't able to score.

After several more failed chances, substitute Robbie Rogers was able to send in a cross to Landon Donovan, who glanced a shot off of Navas. U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley recovered and drove it home, bringing the score to 2-1 in the 71st minute.

However, the great feeling of the goal left the US after a corner in the 82nd minute, wen Onyewu went up for a header but landed awkwardly on the wet grass, and immediately needed medical attention.

After the match, Onyewu was diagnosed with a torn patellar tendon, which will keep Oneywu out of play for the next three to four months.

But U.S. coach Bob Bradley had already used all three of his substitutes, so once Onyewu left the pitch for good, the United States was down to ten men.

Things started to fall apart for Costa Rica in the 88th minute, as new coach Luis Arnaez and assistant Rene Simoes both got red-carded over the timing of a substitution, which put Costa Rica's strength and conditioning coach Marcelo Tulbovitz in charge of the team until the end of the match.

But due to the substitutions, the injury, and the Costa Rican coaching incident, five minutes of stoppage time were added on to the match.

After failing to score on a corner and with very little time left in stoppage time, the United States were able to draw a corner, and defender Jonathan Bornstein was able to head the pass into the back of the net with about 20 seconds of stoppage time remaining, tying the game at two on the final play of the match.

After the game ended, Costa Rica learned that Honduras won in El Salvador 1-0, clinching Honduras their first World Cup birth in 28 years and sending Costa Rica into the CONCACAF/COMMEBOL playoff, where they will have to face Uruguay.

But, Costa Rica won't know if Arnaez will be able to manage during the first leg of the playoff due to the red card.

Also after the end of the match, the United States also learned that Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago tied at two, which meant that the United States are the winners of the CONCACAF qualifying cycle.

After the match ended, the United States squad went to the fans and celebrated the result with them, and gathered together with a banner that resembled the cards that the fans had with them that had Davies over his No. 9.

Also, several members of the United States squad said several words to the fans thanking them for their support, and telling Charlie Davies they played that game for him.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

There's never a dull moment when Total 90 is involved! We've got retirements, transfers, injury news and Kanye West—no, not really.

Toronto FC striker Danny Dichio, who bears more than a slight resemblance to Beldar from The Coneheads, has officially retired from football with six matches remaining in the MLS season. Dichio had originally intended to retire at the end of the season, but has decided to hang up his boots a little early.

Dichio scored the first goal in Toronto FC history, and has been immortalized in song by the club's fans, who sing in his honor during the 24th minute of every match. No, that isn't a joke; it's a wonderful gesture of devotion by a proud bunch of Canadians.

Just as Toronto says goodbye to a fan favorite, they welcome another. Canadian international Julian De Guzman has signed with the club after spending four seasons in Spain with Deportivo La Coruna.

De Guzman's contract at Deportivo ended on June 30, and Toronto has snapped up the free agent. He and his afro will be eligible to play for Toronto this weekend, pending international clearance.

US international defender and popular target of fan abuse Heath Pearce has signed with FC Dallas. Prior to the move, Pearce had been relegated to the Hansa Rostock reserve squad, and hasn't been able to crack the lineup for any of the US National Team's recent matches.

Darren Huckerby's season in San Jose has ground to an unceremonious halt. He has only made 14 appearances for the club in 2009, and underwent hip surgery last Friday, officially putting an end to his 2009 campaign. The fan favorite might even be done with MLS for good, with his contract up in December and a possible return to Norwich on the books.

We've said it before, and will surely say it again—MLS teams need to turn to young talent from this hemisphere rather than giving aging European players one last shot at trophies.

Jermaine Jones, the Schalke midfielder slated to join the U.S. National Team pool in the near future, has suffered an injury setback. Jones underwent surgery for a shin injury in June, but has continued to feel pain. Schalke's metrosexual manager Felix Magath has announced that player and club will decide on a course of action later this week.

While Jones may be going under the knife soon, a key cog in the US defense is returning from injury. Jay DeMerit, who made a massive impact at the Confederations Cup, will be returning to action in the Coca-Cola Championship for Watford this week. DeMerit picked up an unfortunate groin injury while training for the recent US matches against El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago. Needless to say, he was sorely missed, pun intended.

MLS Stat of the Week

In a desperate, shameless attempt to broaden the appeal of this second-rate football rag, we've decided to pander to the statisticians among us. You're welcome.

This week's stat comes to us from the Los Angeles-Dallas match on September 12th.

Los Angeles 3-6 FC Dallas

There have been 366 matches played in MLS so far this season. During those matches, 474 goals have been scored, for an anemic average of 1.29 goals per match.

Ouch.

This match obliterated that average. The teams combined for nine goals, nearly eight better than the league average. That's a pretty impressive output, and the fans surely appreciated the pyrotechnics.

What's more, this match featured two pairs of goals scored in consecutive minutes. Dallas took a 2-0 lead thanks to a Jeff Cunningham goal in the 25th minute, but LA equalized in the 26th through a Jair Benitez own goal. In the 82nd minute, Dallas went up 4-2 through Atiba Harris, and extended the lead in the 83rd minute thanks to David Ferreira.

Where did this offensive explosion come from?

It's also worth noting that this hasn't been the first goal-fest that Dallas was involved in this season. Earlier in the summer, Total 90 was present at the Dallas-Real Salt Lake match that ended 4-2 after a second half hat-trick by super-sub Yura Movsisyan.

With performances like these, it's no wonder that Dallas is tied for the league lead in goals scored, and has the second-worst defensive record as well.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here