The LA Galaxy have known for months that they would have to find a way to get Chad Barrett off
their payroll in order to fit all the salaries they had compiled on their roster for 2012, and on
Monday it appears they have finally found a way to make that move happen.
The Galaxy have sent Barrett on loan to Valarenga for the remainder of the 2012 MLS season,Â
Galaxy writer Adam Serrano confirmed on Monday night.
When Robbie Keane returned to MLS from Ireland's failed run at Euro 2012, there was no emotional
letdown or fatigue factor whatsoever. Instead, the Irish captain has turned in his most prolific
stretch of play since coming to MLS last summer.
On the heels of a couple of strong games to close out June, Keane scored five goals and assisted
on four others in a standout month of July to help lead the resurgent Los Angeles Galaxy to a 4-1-1
record and win SBI MLS Player of the Month honors.
When Colombia's Lady Andrade punched U.S. Women's national team forward Abby Wambach during the
39th minute of Saturday's Olympic game, the referee didn't notice. Andrade could have received a
red card, but went unpunished and played the entire game, which the USA went on to win.
While some of the more well-known rookies continued to impress this past weekend, it was one who
many do not know much about that claimed SBI's MLS Rookie of the Week award.
Los Angeles Galaxy left back Bryan Gaul claimed this week's honors after helping the Galaxy
blank FC Dallas, 1-0, on Saturday.
Having missed out on Euro 2012 due to manager Roy Hodgson electing John Terry over him,
Ferdinand is now being chagred by the English Football Association over remarks he made on Twitter
following the conclusion of Terry's recent trial.
With the arrival of Tim Cahill giving the New York Red Bulls a plethora of attacking options,
midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy suddenly became expendable, and on Monday the Moroccan was sent
packing.
The Red Bulls traded Ballouchy to San Jose for an international roster slot in 2013 and a
conditional 2013 draft pick, both teams announced on Monday.
The New York Red Bulls went to Montreal in first place in the East, and having put together a
strong run of defensive results. That didn't stop the Montreal Impact from putting a beating on the
Red Bulls and serving notice that they plan on making a playoff run.
The Impact posted a 3-1 victory over the Red Bulls on Saturday that not only drew them closer to
a playoff spot, it also earned them SBI MLS Team of the Week honors.
There is a bittersweet feeling in the air at Red Bull Arena. Though today's press conference
to officially announce the signing of Tim Cahill will surely nab headlines, a disappointing loss in
Montreal will undoubtedly bubble beneath the surface.
The Columbus Crew offense has struggled to generate goals on a regular basis, a problem the team
has had going back to last year, but Robert Warzycha's side may have found the answer to that
problem in the form of Costa Rican striker Jairo Arrieta.
The newly-signed forward showed just what he can do this past weekend, scoring a pair of quality
goals, including this long-range strike, to help the Crew post a vital 2-1 victory over Sporting
Kansas City at Livestrong Sporting Park.
There's winning in style and then there is what the San Antonio Scorpions just did to the
Carolina RailHawks.
The Scorpions recorded the biggest rout of the season on Saturday, humiliating the RailHawks,
8-0, at Heroes Stadium. San Antonio jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 15 minutes of the game,
but it was the six-goal second half that really pleased the 7,186 fans in attendance.
Honduras pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Olympic soccer history on Sunday, riding an
early goal from New England Revolution striker Jerry Bengtson on their way to a 1-0 victory against
Spain. A defeat that eliminated Spain from the Olympics.
The Hondurans rode tenacious and organized defense, outstanding goalkeeping, and a healthy
amount of luck to hold off a Spain side widely regarded as a favorite to reach the gold medal
game.
For more than 90 minutes on Saturday night, Sean Johnson was a wall the San jose Earthquakes
simply couldn't get past. The Chicago Fire goalkeeper was enjoying a dream game and looked like he
was on his way to another shutout win.
An inordinate amount of stoppage time, and San Jose's penchant for late goals spoiled the night
for Johnson and the Fire.
CHESTER, Pa. -- Even though it's still July, the Philadelphia Union and New England Revolution
are already scrapping to remain in the playoff race. On Sunday, one team earned the win they
needed, while the other was left wondering what could have been.
DaMarcus Beasley had one of the better performances this weekend, but even he endured a bit of a
topsy-turvy outing in a subpar weekend for the Americans Abroad.
Playing a week after suffering an injury, Beasley started and went the distance in Puebla's 3-1
defeat to Toluca on Sunday.
Brazil's quest for a first gold medal in men's soccer will take its next step today as the
Brazilians take on Belarus in group stage action in the United Kingdom.
The Brazilians opened Olympic play with a 3-2 victory against Egypt, and can secure a place in
the quarterfinals with a victory today.
The Colorado Rapids continued their losing ways on Saturday night, and even a home game at
Dick's Sporting Goods Park could stop the bleeding.
The Seattle Sounders pushed Colorado's losing skid to six matches after Osvaldo Alonso scored a
second-half winner to lead the Sounders to a 2-1 victory.
FRISCO, TX -- The Los Angeles Galaxy were able to escape both the heat and FC Dallas Stadium with a
victory on Saturday night in front of a stadium record 22,565 in attendance. After notching five
goals against Portland a week ago, FC Dallas was unable to make a dent on the scoreboard this time
around, as they fell to the surging Galaxy, 1-0.
The Montreal Impact continue their Jeckyll and Hyde ways, looking terrible on the road but
extremely solid at home.
The Impact were at home in Montreal on Saturday night and tore apart a New York Red Bulls
defense that came in on a strong run of form. You wouldn't know it on Saturday as the Impact rolled
to a 3-1 victory.
The Houston Dynamo have already shown they can dominate at BBVA Compass Stadium, but success
outside Houston has been much tougher to come by.
The Dynamo showed on Saturday that their fortunes on the road may be turning, as a pair of goals
set up by Brad Davis helped Houston post a 2-0 victory over Toronto FC at BMO Field on Saturday
afternoon.
Thierry Henry and Alessandro Nesta have done battle on the international stage many times, but
they will meet for the first time in MLS play when Henry's New York Red Bulls take on Nesta's
Montreal Impact.
Nesta will make his first MLS start for the Impact tonight, and he will be trying to slow down
the dangerous forward tandem of Henry and Kenny Cooper.
Less than two hours after the U.S. Women's National team rolled to a 3-0 victory against
Colombia in Olympic action, U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo took to Twitter for a surprising barrage of
critical tweets aimed at former U.S. Women's national team defender and NBC color TV analyst Brandi
Chastain.
The U.S. Women's national team punched their ticket to the Olympic quarterfinals after winning
their second consecutive preliminary match, with a 3-0 win over Colombia on Saturday.
Unlike like their first preliminary match against France on Wednesday, which saw the United States
women have to overcome a slow start, there was no such struggle against Colombia.
If the Women's Olympic Soccer Tournament is your thing, today is going to be a great day of
action.
Along with the U.S. Women's National team taking on underdog Colombia, we will see the best
group stage match of the Olympics that doesn't involve the USA when reigning World Cup champion
Japan takes on Sweden.
Real Salt Lake moved a step closer to first-place San Jose in the Western Conference standings
after posting a 2-1 victory against the Vancouver Whitecaps at Rio Tinto Stadium on Friday
night.
Costa Rican striker Alvaro Saborio headed home a Ned Grabavoy cross in the 58th minute, just six
minutes after Whitecaps rookie Darren Mattocks equalized for the Whitecaps.
The men's and women's Olympic soccer tournaments kicked off this week, and they will take center
stage over the weekend with the second games of the group stage taking place.
On the women's side, the U.S. national team has a date with Colombia and can take one step
closer to the knockout stage with a win.
New York Red Bulls fans may be days away from seeing the team's latest Designated Player, Tim
Cahill, in action.
Though he won't be used against the Montreal Impact on Saturday, the former Everton star will
likely be debuting much in the same manner like his New York DP predecessor Thierry Henry did just
two years ago; in a friendly against Tottenham.
With the signing of Designated Player and FC Kaiserslautern midfielder Christian Tiffert, the
Seattle Sounders needed to create a DP opening on their roster. With the trade of Alvaro Fernandez
to the Chicago Fire, they've done just that.Â
The Sounders sent Fernandez to Chicago in exchange for an undisclosed amount of allocation money
Friday, making way for Tiffert and sending a DP to Chicago for the second time in two years.
This time, the U.S. women's national team will hope for 90 minutes of domination, not just
76.
After falling behind to France 2-0 in the opening 14 minutes of their Olympic run, the U.S.
women straightened things out behind the explosive front line of Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan, the
flank play of Megan Rapinoe and a rocket of a shot by Carli Lloyd.
If you thought the John Terry-Anton Ferdinand saga was over, think again.
Two weeks after Terry was found not guilty of racially abusing the Queens Park Rangers defender
by an English court, the FA has charged Terry with racial abuse just hours before England is set
to officially open the Olympic Games with the opening ceremonies in London.
The Seattle Sounders are not sitting silently as the race for postseason berths in the MLS
Western Conference intensifies.
The club signed FC Kaiserslautern midfielder Christian Tiffert to a Designated Player deal
Friday, according to his representatives. Kaiserslautern's website says that Tiffert's deal with
MLS is for three years.
The summer MLS transfer window has been marked by some serious acquisitions, with Designated
Players like Houston's Oscar Boniek Garcia, Vancouver's Barry Robson and Kenny Miller, Montreal's
Marco Di Vaio, New England's Jerry Bengtson, Chicago's Sherjill MacDonald and New York's Tim Cahill
among the new crop of stars joining the league.
The U.S. Under-20 men's national team settled for fourth place at the Milk Cup in Northern
Ireland, falling to Chile 4-3 in the third-place game Thursday.
Furman University centerback Walker Zimmerman scored in the first minute, Santos Laguna's Benji
Joya scored and assisted on a goal, and Chicago Fire Homegrown Player Victor Pineda scored his
second goal of the tournament to spearhead the U.
It will be at least three international matches before Samir Nasri represents France again.
The Manchester City star was suspended there games, and French teammate Jeremey Menez was
suspended one for their conduct at Euro 2012. Nasri was punished for his comments made after the
team's ouster at the hands of Spain, going into a curse-laden tirade at journalists.
Much like Spain's quest for the 2010 World Cup, the opening match resulted in a shocking
one-goal defeat.
Japan stunned Spain in their Olympic Group D opener Thursday, making a 34th-minute goal by
Borussia Monchengladbach's Yuki Otsu stand up in a 1-0 result at Hampden Park in Glasgow,
Scotland.
Fresh off of winning the Belgian Super Cup, Sacha Kljestan and RSC Anderlecht have set their
sights towards their next mission: defending their Pro League title.
Kljestan and Anderlecht will kick off their quest for a 32nd league title this Saturday when
they visit Kortrijk.
CHESTER, Pa. -- At the start of 2012, many people had written Eddie Johnson off. After all, he
had languished for several years in Europe, moving from club to club.
But after returning to MLS with the Seattle Sounders, Johnson has found his form once again, and
he proved that Wednesday night when he delivered a stoppage time winner as the MLS All-Stars
defeated European champions Chelsea, 3-2, at PPL Park.
After days of dodging speculation regarding the transfer of Tim Cahill to MLS, the New York Red
Bulls made it official: The Australian international and former Everton star attacker is the club's
third Designated Player.
The Red Bulls announced the signing of Cahill Thursday after he trained with the club for the
first time.
CHESTER, Pa. -- The plan was never for Jay DeMerit to go the distance against Chelsea. No, the
plan MLS All-Stars head coach Ben Olsen originally had drawn up included replacing DeMerit at
halftime so as to limit his minutes ahead of he and the Vancouver Whitecaps' visit to Real Salt
Lake on Friday.
Sporting Kansas City centerback and MLS All-Star starter Aurelien Collin will miss the next
1-to-2 weeks after suffering a facial fracture at PPL Park Wednesday night.
Collin suffered the injury in the first half of the All-Star Game after a clash with Chelsea's
Michael Essien in the center circle.
CHESTER, Pa. -- Carlos Valdes and Michael Farfan are used to playing at PPL Park, but they had
never played in a game quite like last night, when each of them made their All-Star debuts in front
of their home crowd.
When Aurelien Collin went down with a fractured cheekbone in the 36th minute, All-Star coach Ben
Olsen called upon Valdes to fill in and play the rest of the match.
From the season opener to the present day, the Red Bulls have been steadily fighting (and
overcoming) injuries all year long. Saturday's match against the Union continued that trend as
comeback player Brandon Barklage fell with a hamstring injury despite New York's victory.
PHILADELPHIA -- It may have come in part because of a fortuitous deflection, but the MLS
All-Stars pulled out a win for the first time in four years.
With penalty kicks looming, the MLS All-Stars grabbed a 3-2 victory over UEFA Champions League
winners Chelsea thanks to a stoppage time finish from substitute Eddie Johnson.
UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea take on the MLS All-Stars tonight at the 2012 MLS All-Star
Game (8:30pm, ESPN2).
The MLS All-Stars will be trotting out a star-studded lineup featuring Thierry Henry, David
Beckham and Landon Donovan, while Chelsea's starting lineup for the match will feature standouts
such as Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and John Terry.
Only one step remains before Geoff Cameron's transfer to Stoke City is done and dusted.
Cameron told the Houston Chronicle that he has agreed to personal terms with the Premier League
side and is joining the club in Orlando, where it is continuing its preseason tour of North America
with a friendly against Orlando City SC on Saturday.
The details of the Philadelphia Union's defense against Peter Nowak have emerged in the ongoing
lawsuit between the two parties, and the Union's claims shed light on some disturbing
behind-the-scenes happenings under his watch.
As part of the Union's list of reasons for dismissal, the details of which were uncovered by
Philly.
The U.S. women's national team's Olympic campaign could not have started any worse, but after 14
nightmare minutes, the two-time reigning gold medalists restored order and opened group play with
three points.
Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach scored to eliminate an early 2-0 deficit, and early substitute
Carli Lloyd scored the game-winner on a long-range rocket to help the U.
As Geoff Cameron gets set to depart MLS for Stoke City, he'll do so as an All-Star.Â
Cameron was named as one of 13 inactive MLS All-Stars Wednesday, joining teammate Brad Davis as
those earning the player-voted honor. The league's collective bargaining agreement stipulates that
at least 32 players earn All-Star distinction, and with the injury substitution of Justin Morrow
for Heath Pearce and the late addition of Michael Farfan, the players' selections round out a
33-man squad.
Â
Gareth Bale raised more than a few eyebrows when the midfielder, who denied a call up to Great
Britain's Olympic team due to injury, took the field for Tottenham against the LA Galaxy on
Tuesday. Now the authorities are beginning to ask questions.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter added to the controversy this morning when he said Bale could be
banned for the duration of the Olympics should the Football Association lodge a formal
complaint.
The U.S. Women's National team takes on France today in the opening match of the Women's Olympic
Tournament, and arguably the best match of the group stage (Noon, NBC Sports).
The Americans enter the tournament having won the past two Olympic titles, but the lingering
disappointment of last year's World Cup Final defeat is serving as motivation for a team considered
the favorites to win gold again.
The New York Red Bulls have taken MLS by storm with a recent spree of moves that have landed
them Sebastien LeToux and most recently Australian star Tim Cahill, but there is an even bigger
star who the club apparently had its sights on.
Reports out of Spain have linked the Red Bulls with a move for Brazilian star Kaka.
Robbie Keane's former team and current team battled to a stalemate.
David Junior Lopes cancelled out Gareth Bale's goal to give the Los Angeles Galaxy a 1-1 draw
with Tottenham at the Home Depot Center in a meeting that touched on a couple of career stops for
Keane, the only one of the Galaxy's three Designated Players to feature in the match.
PHILADELPHIA -- San Jose Earthquakes fullbacks Steven Beitashour and Justin Morrow are rarely
far apart from one another, whether it's during games shutting down opposing wingers, while running
laps during training sessions or while on team road trips venturing into new cities.
PHILADELPHIA -- Thierry Henry's looming future teammate is one of Landon Donovan's former
teammates, and as the two MLS standouts prepare for the MLS All-Star Game against Chelsea, they
took the time to address Tim Cahill's pending arrival in the league.
Everton announced Monday that Cahill has been transferred to MLS, where he will play with
Henry's New York Red Bulls, and while the club has yet to confirm his capture, Henry is intrigued
at the possibility of adding him to the club's attacking arsenal.
The 2012 MLS All-Star Game will kick off on Wednesday night with a strong team of MLS standouts
taking on a Chelsea side that will certainly be dangerous despite the fact they are working their
way through pre-season.
MLS All-Star coach Ben Olsen has a variety of options to choose from when picking his team, and
the quality selections he made will make it that much of a more interesting process for him to
settle on his starting lineup.
The Chicago Fire have added some punch to their attack, signing a Designated Player from Europe
that is joining the club after spending the last three seasons in Belgium.
The Fire announced Tuesday that they signed Dutch forward Sherjill MacDonald from Belgian Pro
League side Germinal Beerschot AC.
The New York Red Bulls have long been on the hunt for an attacking midfielder. The last steady
offensive distributor for the team left in 2006. His name? Amado Guevara.
Since the Honduran's departure, many have attempted to fill in the role for New York with little
success to show for it.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. --Â The MLS All-Star game provides players from all across the league the rare
opportunity to spend a few days and enjoy some banter with the others selected who would normally
be considered their opposition.
Don't look now, but here come the MLS Cup finalists.
After spending much of the season in the middle of the SBI MLS Power Rankings pack, the Houston
Dynamo and Los Angeles Galaxy have ridden unbeaten runs to the fifth and sixth positions,
respectively, in this week's poll.
Houston, undefeated in six and on a three-game winning streak, now sits third in the Eastern
Conference.
The Philadelphia Union will have more of a presence as the MLS All-Star Game's host team after
all.
Midfielder Michael Farfan was added to the MLS roster by Ben Olsen Tuesday, joining Union
captain Carlos Valdes as All-Star members from the host team. Farfan is not replacing anybody on
the roster, but is instead increasing the number of players on the matchday roster to 19.
Peter Nowak was supposed to be coaching the MLS All-Stars this week. Instead, he is reportedly
taking the Philadelphia Union to court.
According to Philly.com, Nowak is suing the club for wrongful termination and unpaid severance
money. Court documents stipulate that Nowak was given an option to sign a separation agreement and
general release that would have seen him get paid his salary through the end of the year but not
through the end of his contract, which ran until after the 2015 season.
PHILADELPHIA -- The last time Dwayne De Rosario took the field against Chelsea, he was an MVP.
It's only fitting that the D.C. United star captains the MLS side going up against the Blues in
Wednesday night's MLS All-Star Game.
De Rosario was given captain's honors by MLS and D.
The New York Red Bulls' big summer acquisition appears to be Everton attacker Tim Cahill.
Everton announced the transfer of the Australian international to the MLS club on their website
Monday, a move that bolsters the Red Bulls' attack even more after the recent acquisition of
Sebastien Le Toux.
The U.S. Under-20 men's national team's trip to Northern Ireland started off with a stumble, but
the Americans recovered nicely Monday to save some face at the Milk Cup.
The U-20s followed up Saturday's 1-0 loss to Denmark with a 1-0 victory over Turkey on Monday in
their second match of the tournament.
When Thierry Henry called rookie Connor Lade one of the New York Red Bulls' players of the
season more than a week ago, the high praise seemed a bit generous. Last Saturday, Lade showed just
why Henry and his teammates are so high on the St. John's product.
Lade turned in a Man of the Match-caliber effort in providing two assists in the Red Bulls' 2-0
victory against the Philadelphia Union.
Zak Whitbread will be staying in England after all. Just not in the Premiership.
The free agent American centerback is reportedly set to sign with Championship club Leicester
City, ending weeks of speculation as to where his future lied.
The Atlanta Silverbacks have undergone a resurgence under interim head coach Eric Wynalda, but
they suffered a big setback at home this weekend thanks to FC Edmonton.
The Eddies jumped out of the basement and threw the Silverbacks back in with a 2-1 victory at
Atlanta Silverbacks Park.
Philadelphia Union head coach John Hackworth took some time out from helping coach the MLS
All-Star Team to address some internet rumors making the rounds that had the Union dealing Freddy
Adu.
Adu's absence from Philadelphia's 2-0 loss to New York, and the Union's subsequent refusal to
provide details as to why he was absent (saying only that it was an internal matter) helped spark
some imaginations and led to the creation of some internet trade rumors, with the most popular
being that the Union was going to trade Adu to FC Dallas for Brek Shea, who is out of favor in
Dallas after a very public blow-up with head coach Schellas Hyndman.
Frank Lampard isn't ruling out a move across the Atlantic.
The Chelsea midfielder refused to deny a potential move to the MLS when asked about the
possibility after Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Paris St. Germain on Sunday. Lampard has repeatedly said
that he would prefer to end his career at the English club, where he has played since arriving from
West Ham in 2001, but that the decision isn't his.
The Houston Dynamo have adjusted quite well to their new home, BBVA Compass Stadium, and
opposing teams are finding out rather quickly just how tough a place it is to play for visiting
teams.
Sporting Kansas City and the Montreal Impact found that out last week, with the Dynamo defeating
both Eastern Conference foes in a week that saw them move up to third place in the Eastern
Conference.
The LA Galaxy are on a roll and one of the keys to their recent run of outstanding form has been
the play of David Beckham.
The English superstar was at his signature best this past week, helping the Galaxy earn four
points from two matches by delivering a goal and three assists.
Heading into their Sunday game, the San Jose Earthquakes were riding a three-game unbeaten
streak in which they scored seven goals while only giving up one.
No one told the Vancouver Whitecaps that.
Barry Robson scored a second-half penalty kick and Dane Richards netted in the first half, as
the Whitecaps picked up a surprise 2-1 win over the Earthquakes at BC Place on Sunday.
American fans hoping to catch Luka Modric during Tottenham's preseason tour are going to miss
out.
The Croatian playmaker, who has said he wants to join Real Madrid, failed to report to the team
for training Friday and did not join it for its flight Saturday to Los Angeles. The 26-year-old
with four years left on his Spurs contract will likely be fined two weeks' pay.
HARRISON, New Jersey-- Connor Lade is very aware of his size.
He understands that, more often than not, each time he steps onto the field he will be the
shortest one out there. It's been this way his entire life, and now that he's midway into his
rookie season with the Red Bulls, he knows things aren't about to change.
NEW YORK -- Yankee Stadium looked more like Stamford Bridge on Sunday, but even that could not
help lift Chelsea to victory.
The Champions League winners settled for a 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain in their 2012 World
Football Challenge match on Sunday, and they needed a late goal from Lucas Piazon to make that
happen.
Herculez Gomez has picked up right where left off last season.
The U.S. men's national team striker started his Apertura season with Santos Laguna by scoring
the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Michael Orozco Fiscal and San Luis. Gomez opened his season
account after he made a good run in behind the defense, brought the ball down well and rifled home
a well-placed, right-footed effort in the second half.
Toronto FC held Liverpool to a draw in their friendly on Saturday, and it was the Canadian
club's newest player who helped make that result possible.
Hours after being officially acquired by Toronto FC, Quincy Amarikwa scored the opener in the
second half of their 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Rogers Centre.
If you have been wondering when you would get your first chance to watch Michael Bradley play in
a Roma uniform, wonder no more.
American fans can watch Bradley for the first time as a Roma player on American television when
Roma takes on Polish side Zaglebie Lubin in a friendly on Fox Soccer Channel this afternoon.
In a match that didn't see much separating the two sides, a pair of bad defensive blunder
ultimately paved the way for Real Salt Lake to rebound well from their most embarrassing loss of
the season.
Fabian Espindola intercepted a bad back-pass from Marvell Wynne to help set up an Alvaro Saborio
tap-in on the way to a 2-0 RSL victory against the Colorado Rapids at Rio Tinto on Saturday
night.
The Houston Dynamo winning at home is not a new development, but scoring goals with regularity
sure is.
That is what the Dynamo are doing these days, and the latest example of Houston's new-found
attacking prowess came on Saturday, as a pair of Mac Kandji goals propelled the Dynamo to a 3-0
victory over the Montreal Impact at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday night.
Sporting Kansas City came back from a three-game road trip to a stadium full of fans, but they
couldn't deliver those fans any goals.
New England goalkeeper Matt Reis made six saves to help the Revs earn a valuable road point in a
0-0 draw against Sporting KC at Livestrong Sporting Park on Saturday night.
The Portland Timbers and FC Dallas went into their Western Conference clash on Saturday regarded
as two of the worst teams in MLS, but after Saturday one team looked primed for a turnaround while
another was hitting rock bottom.
FC Dallas rattled off five unanswered goals, to deliver a 5-0 humbling of the Timbers, which
surrendered five goals for the second straight match.
CARSON, Calif.-- Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan stole the show at the Home Depot Center on
Saturday night, leading the LA Galaxy in their 3-1 win over Chivas USA in the second Super Clasico
of the 2012 season.
The duo was crucial in each of the three goals, and realistically the Galaxy score line
could—and probably should—have been much higher.
The Columbus Crew had been losers of three of their past four matches, but they scored a
sorely-needed victory just before the all-star break to boost their chances of catching the playoff
pack in the East.
Midfielder Chris Birchall raced onto a Jairo Arrieta pass just after halftime and beat the
D.
If Terrence Boyd was hoping to enjoy a solid performance in his professional debut at the club
level, he did just that. And then some.
Boyd delivered a Man of the Match-worthy performance in Rapid Vienna's season-opening 4-0
victory over Wacker Innsbruck on Saturday, scoring twice and setting up another goal in the
rout.
Kenny Cooper had gone seven matches without scoring a goal, but he picked a perfect time to end
his recent drought.
Cooper headed home crosses from Connor Lade and Thierry Henry to push his season goal total to
13 and help the Red Bulls deliver a 2-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union at Red Bull Arena on
Saturday.
The New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union renew their I-95 rivalry today at Red Bull Arena
(2:30pm, ESPN2).
The Red Bulls are riding high off a big mid-week victory against the Chicago Fire, and they take
on an improving Union side that has won four of five matches under interim head coach John
Hackworth.
A day after making a big blockbuster trade to land French striker Eric Hassli from the Vancouver
Whitecaps, Toronto FC added some more depth at forward with the addition of Quincy Amarikwa.
TFC acquired Amarikwa in a trade from the New York Red Bulls, who picked him up off waivers
after he was let go by the Colorado Rapids.
With the Mexican League season getting into full swing this weekend, and a plethora of
friendlies taking place, today will offer up plenty of viewing options for fans looking for a
soccer fix.
Herculez Gomez and Santos Laguna begin their defense of their Mexican League title today with a
match against San Luis, while the morning's action is kicked off with some more Mexican soccer as
'El Tri's Olympic team takes on Japan.
Toronto FC were in desperate need of a proven striker and the Vancouver Whitecaps just happened
to be looking to get rid of one.
The result was the second straight Friday blockbuster trade for the Whitecaps, who sent French
forward Eric Hassli to Toronto FC for a first-round draft pick in 2014 and an international player
slot through the 2013 season.
New York Red Bulls Designated Player Rafa Marquez will once again be designated to the injured
list.
Red Bulls head coach Hans Backe said a scan of his calf revealed another injury, forcing the
former Mexican captain out of the team's next several games.
Good aftenoon everybody. Though late Friday afternoons are not usually when we have SBI Live Q&A
sessions, it has been so long since we've had one that this seemed as good a time as any to get
back in the swing of things.
If you are powering through your final hour at work on the East Coast, or just preparing for
your afternoon on the West Coast, feel free to join me as we talk all things soccer.
The U.S. Under-23 men's national team may have failed to qualify for the Olympics, but a U.S.
youth national team will still get exposure to an international tournament this summer.Â
The 2012 Milk Cup kicks off in Northern Ireland Saturday, with the U.S. Under-20 men's national
team opening play against defending champion Denmark.
The Los Angeles Galaxy will be out for a dose of SuperClasico revenge this weekend.
Chivas USA grabbed its first win in the Home Depot Center rivalry since 2007 with a 1-0 triumph
in May. Come Saturday, the Galaxy will look to even the season series and widen their narrow lead
over Chivas for the fifth and final Western Conference playoff slot.
Two months after Santos Laguna lifted the trophy for winning the Mexican Clausura championship,
the club's championship defense begins with the start of the Mexican Apertura season.
A full slate of action is on tap this weekend in Mexico, where U.S. men's national team forward
Herculez Gomez and Santos Laguna play San Luis to open their campaign.
Euro 2012 is almost three weeks in the rear-view mirror, but punishment is still being handed
down for remarks made during the tournament.
Italy forward Antonio Cassano was fined €15,000 by UEFA for his anti-gay remarks. Cassano's
comments were made when answering questions of whether he thought he had any gay teammates on the
Italian national team.
Brek Shea's season could not be straying any further from how most thought it would unfold.
After a year full of U.S. men's national team appearances and an offseason filled with European
transfer speculation and a training stint at Arsenal, Shea has struggled to meet the lofty
expectations bestowed upon him and has had his standing as a rising American star and transfer
candidate take a step back.
After scoring a highlight-reel goal in a friendly this week, Terrence Boyd will be looking to do
something he has yet to do in his budding career -- make a top-flight, first-team appearance in a
game that counts.
Despite already having four caps with the U.S. national team and following a season with
Borussia Dortmund's reserves in which he scored 20 goals, the 21-year-old Boyd eyes his pro debut
with Rapid Vienna this weekend as the Austrian Bundesliga season gets underway.
Jack Reyna, the son of former U.S. national team great and current U.S. Soccer youth technical
director Claudio Reyna, passed away Thursday after a battle with cancer. He was 13.
Reyna, his wife Danielle and their family issued a statement through U.S. Soccer on Friday:
"It is with a heavy heart that we confirm that Jack Reyna lost his battle with cancer
(Thursday).
Robin van Persie is a wanted man among Europe's top clubs, but Arsenal is maintaining their
ground before deciding to part ways with their star striker.
The Gunners have reportedly turned down a bid from Manchester United that is said to be not
close to one in the £20 million range that is being sought after for the 28-year-old Dutch
international.
 Justin Morrow will be going to the All-Star game after all.
One of the bigger initial snubs of this year's event, Morrow was added to the MLS All-Star
roster by head coach Ben Olsen on Thursday. The San Jose Earthquakes defender replaces New York Red
Bulls defender Heath Pearce, who is dealing with a hamstring injury.
Chris Korb's likely reintroduction to D.C. United's starting lineup could not come at a more
convenient time for the Ohio native.
With Robbie Russell suffering a foot injury at Houston Sunday and out for "somewhere in the
month-plus region," according to D.C. United coach Ben Olsen, Korb will be looked at to fill in at
right back starting with Saturday's match at the Columbus Crew.
UPPER MONTCLAIR, N.J. -- Eddie Johnson may seem like a confident player for the Seattle Sounders
these days, but that's only because of the belief his new team has had in him.
After spending eight months without a club and rejoining MLS this past winter, Johnson has
shaken off a rough start to the season by finding the scoring touch that made him one of the most
lethal forwards in MLS prior to his departure for Europe four years ago.
CHESTER, Pa. -- Brad Guzan has spent four years as a backup goalkeeper at Aston Villa. But this
year, as he and his club prepare for a new Premier League season, the starting spot could be within
reach.
Earlier this week, Guzan put pen to paper on a new contract that will keep him at Aston Villa
for at least the next three years.
The Qatari official Thursday won his appeal of a lifetime ban imposed by FIFA amid allegations
he bribed voters while running for president of the international body last year. The Court of
Arbitration for Sport, however, did not find him innocent of corruption, instead reversing the ban
because of a lack of conclusive evidence.
Geoff Cameron is one step closer to the English Premier League.
According to multiple reports out of England, Stoke City and Major League Soccer have agreed on
a $2.5 million transfer fee that would send the Houston defender abroad. Stoke are still
negotiating personal terms with the U.
The new faces of Chelsea were on full display Wednesday night as forward Romelu Lukaku scored
twice in a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Sounders to open Chelsea's American tour.
For the Sounders, the loss on the night was overshadowed by the retirement of Roger Levesque,
who made his final appearance for Seattle after an impressive career with the Sounders.
The San Jose Earthquakes looked well on their way to another home victory on Wednesday night
before a late FC Dallas rally threatened to spoil the party at Buck Shaw Stadium.
Dallas couldn't complete the comeback though. Defender Jair Benitez failed to make that happen
when he sent a stoppage time penalty kick over the crossbar, dooming FC Dallas to a 2-1 loss.
The Vancouver Whitecaps jumped all over the LA Galaxy early on in their Western Conference
showdown at BC Place, but a David Beckham-led comeback helped the Galaxy escape Canada with a
precious road point.
Beckham notched a goal and assist, including helping set up a dramatic equalizer from rookie
Jose Villarreal, in a 2-2 draw on Wednesday night.
Two of the more futile attacks in MLS hardly lit up the scoreboard at the Home Depot Center
Wednesday afternoon, but one did just enough to secure a massive three points, while the other
remains left searching for answers.
Miller Bolanos scored off a rebound in the 16th minute to carry Chivas USA to a 1-0 victory over
the Portland Timbers.
Sanna Nyassi has proven himself to be capable of individual moments of brilliance in past
seasons, and Wednesday night he did it again.Â
Nyassi got onto the end of a Justin Mapp cross and unleashed a ferocious first-time volley
inside the near post to break a tie in the 67th minute and give the Montreal Impact a 2-1 win over
the New England Revolution at Stade Saputo.
The acquisition of Andrew Wiedeman has paid immediate dividends for Toronto FC.Â
Wiedeman, sent to TFC from FC Dallas in exchange for Julian de Guzman last week, came off the
bench and scored the game-winning goal Wednesday night at BMO Field, lifting TFC to a 2-1 victory
over the floundering Colorado Rapids.
Calen Carr had not start for the Houston Dynamo in more than a month, but he made up for lost
time on Wednesday night, scoring both goals in another Dynamo victory at BBVA Compass Stadium.
Carr scored two goals, set up by Will Brian and Brad Davis, to topple Sporting Kansas City,
2-1.
CHESTER, Pa. -- The game may mean very little in the long run, but Aston Villa opened their
preseason on the right foot at PPL Park on Wednesday night, beating the Philadelphia Union,
1-0.
Nathan Delfouneso was left open on the edge of the penalty area and beat Zac MacMath with a
curling shot to give Aston Villa a lead in the 43rd minute.
Two games are already in the books on a busy day around MLS, but a full night of action still
awaits. In the headlining matches of the night, the Houston Dynamo host Sporting Kansas City in a
rematch of the 2011 Eastern Conference final; the Los Angeles Galaxy head to Vancouver to take on
the Whitecaps in a meeting between a pair of teams in playoff position out west; and San Jose
returns to action after a 5-0 thrashing of Real Salt Lake by taking on FC Dallas.
HARRISON, N.J. -- Thierry Henry's goal drought had been approaching three
months, with a combination of injuries and ineffective finishing accounting for 11 Red Bulls
matches without a goal from the star Frenchman.
Henry ended that drought in spectacular fashion on Wednesday, delivering a game-winning goal in
the process.
Josh Gatt's first foray into the UEFA Champions League was a rousing success.
Gatt's Molde FK topped Latvian side FK Ventspils 3-0 in the first leg of their second qualifying
round tie, taking a big advantage heading into next Tuesday's road leg.
Gatt, who scored his fourth league goal of the season over the weekend, started and went the
distance for Molde, which coasted courtesy of two goals by Davy Claude Agnan and a penalty kick
from Vegard Forren.
As Liverpool prepares for a few matches in North America, the club has made a public comment
about its pursuit for one of the continent's top players.
Plenty of reports have swirled about Liverpool's interest in Clint Dempsey, and while manager
Brendan Rodgers revealed that the club has looked into acquiring him, he stopped short of saying
that an official offer had been made.
Playing in torrid conditions, at an unusual time during a weekday and on short rest, Thierry
Henry still found a way to snap his scoring drought.
Henry chested down a cross-field pass from Sebastien Le Toux and volleyed a left-footed blast
from a tight angle off the far post and in at the 71st-minute mark for the only goal in the New
York Red Bulls' 1-0 victory over the Chicago Fire at Red Bull Arena Wednesday afternoon.
While braving summer temperatures and humidity at Red Bull Arena, the New York Red Bulls and
Chicago Fire will take to the field on short rest with much at stake.
if the teams do not play to a draw, then the winner will move ahead of D.C. United into second
place in the East behind Sporting Kansas City while having played one more game than D.
Michael Bradley started hearing whispers about clubs being interested in acquiring him from
Chievo Verona while with the U.S. men's national team earlier this summer. There were plenty of
options from both inside of Italy and out, but as soon as he learned Italian heavyweights AS Roma
were serious about signing him, he needed to hear nothing more.
Every MLS team except the Columbus Crew, D.C. United, Real Salt Lake is in action Wednesday, and
between league matches and friendlies, fans are in for a packed day of action around North
America.
Matches of great importance in the Eastern Conference take place in New York and Houston, as the
Red Bulls welcome the Chicago Fire in a battle of two teams jockeying for playoff positioning,
while the Dynamo host Sporting Kansas City in a rematch of the 2011 Eastern Conference finals.
A long list of summer friendlies that are being televised in North America kicks off Wednesday
night, when the Seattle Sounders take on UEFA Champions League winner Chelsea at CenturyLink Field
as part of the World Football Challenge.
In addition to the WFC, Manchester United's summer tour that includes a trip to South Africa and
matches against Barcelona and Didier Drogba's Shanghai Shenhua is also being televised for all to
see.
Clint Dempsey Watch has taken another unusual turn.
Despite a since-taken-down report on Fenway Sports Group's website Wednesday claiming that
Liverpool had signed Dempsey, Fulham have reportedly insisted that not only is Dempsey still a
member of the Cottagers, but that they have not received any bids for the U.
The Geoff Cameron negotiations between Stoke City and MLS have not always been smooth, but it
appears that a transfer deal for the Houston Dynamo star will be going through after all.
As of Friday, talks between the two sides hit a dead end, because they were far apart on
agreeing on the transfer fee, sources told SBI.
With the league's best record on the line, the San Jose Earthquakes came through Saturday in
spectacular fashion.
San Jose, the Supporters' Shield front-runner, rose to the challenge against second-place Real
Salt Lake on Saturday, cruising to a 5-0 win that secured a season sweep of RSL and a firm grasp on
the top spot in this SBI MLS Power Rankings.
Emilio Renteria's reaction to a hard challenge has cost him a game.
Renteria was suspended one game and fined an undisclosed amount by the MLS Disciplinary
Committee for delivering a headbutt to Sporting Kansas City midfielder Paulo Nagamura in the second
half of the Crew's 2-0 loss Saturday night.
There's good reason for why Los Angeles Galaxy striker Chad Barrett did not accompany the club
for its current trip to the Pacific Northwest.
Barrett is on trial with Norwegian club Valerenga this week, a club reportedly looking to fill
a hole at striker, and he will miss Wednesday's match against the Vancouver Whitecaps and
Saturday's battle with rival Chivas USA as he tries to make his case for a move to Europe.
Nothing can stop the Charlotte Eagles right now. Not even Mother Nature.
The Eagles extended their winning streak to five games this past Saturday by beating the
Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 2-0, on Saturday night amid wet conditions. Devon Grousis scored the winner
in the first half for Charlotte, and forward Chris Salvaggione came off the bench and added an
insurance goal in stoppage time of a match that extended the Eagles' streak of games without giving
up a goal to three.
Yes, it's only preseason, but U.S. national team forward Terrence Boyd's bicycle kick goal off a
rebound in Rapid Vienna's friendly against Michael Bradley's AS Roma Tuesday afternoon was a thing
of beauty. Not a bad way to make a good impression while hoping to earn a regular place in his new
team's starting lineup.
Days after adding centerback Thiago Silva, the club has finalized the purchase of mercurial
striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic from the Rossoneri, according to Italian publication Gazzetta Dello
Sport.
Current PSG sporting director and former AC Milan player and coach Leonardo told the outlet that
the signing, which has been in the works for the last week, is complete.
Ricardo Clark will be getting a fresh start at the end of this month.
Clark and Eintracht Frankfurt have agreed to terminate his contract, the club announced on
Tuesday. Clark has been on loan with last-place Stabaek in Norway, where he has received consistent
playing time, but that deal expires at the end of the month, upon which time Clark will be a free
agent.
The MLS Week 19 fireworks exploded late Saturday night, with some of the league's most
recognizable names putting forth the best performances of the week to earn SBI MLS Best XI
recognition.
David Beckham marked his top performance of the season with two highlight-reel goals in
Portland, and his goal tally was matched by fellow DP teammate Robbie Keane.
Jermaine Jones has earned the reputation of a hard-tackling destroyer in central midfield, play
that has made him a bit of a card magnet for both club and country.
More than a decade into his professional career and at age 30, Jones is setting out to clean up
his act.
According to reports from Germany, Jermaine Jones is making a bet with Schalke general manager
Horst Heldt that he won't get more than five yellow cards this upcoming season.
It happens every year. There are only so many spots to fill on the MLS All-Star team's matchday
roster, and as a result, a number of players deserving of participating in the league's mid-summer
classic miss out on the opportunity.Â
Players like Columbus Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum, New York Red Bulls forward Kenny Cooper
and San Jose Earthquakes winger Marvin Chavez have all stepped into new roles this season and
excelled, for example.
It was the longest of longshots that Carlos Bocanegra and Maurice Edu were going to stay at
Rangers and play in Scotland's fourth tier this upcoming season, but the two U.S. men's national
team starters have officially been granted the blessing of the club's new owner to seek new
teams.
Resurging Toronto FC have been dealt a big blow in their quest to get out of the basement in the
Eastern Conference, as striker Danny Koevermans has been ruled out for the remainder of the
season.
Toronto FC announced Monday that Koevermans will miss the rest of the year after suffering a
torn ACL in his left knee during the club's 1-0 loss to the New England Revolution on Saturday.
It didn't take long for Sebastian Le Toux to make an impact for the New York Red Bulls. His game
tying strike, and a steady performance from goalkeeper Bill Gaudette guided New York through brutal
heat en route to a 2-2 tie against the visiting Seattle Sounders.
Aston Villa have announced their traveling roster for their upcoming U.S. tour, and it includes
most of their key players as well as the two U.S. men's national team players.
Eric Lichaj and recently re-signed Brad Guzan are just two of the players on Aston Villa's
25-man roster for their tour of the United States, which starts off with a friendly match against
the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday and then has matches against the Chicago Fire and Portland
Timbers on July 21 and 24, respectively.
The past couple of weeks presented an unprecedented period of media attention for NASL, with
high-profile moves such as Eric Wynalda becoming the head coach of the Atlanta Silverbacks and the
New York Cosmos joining the league for the 2013 season being announced.
David Beckham had himself quite the performance in the Los Angeles Galaxy's 5-3 win against the
Portland Timbers, but his first goal was a thing of beauty worth watching over and over.
Beckham's splending curling strike from distance in the first half not only equalized things for
the Galaxy, it inspired them to a victory at JELD-WEN Field on Saturday.
Sporting Kansas City stayed in first place in the Eastern Conference after coming out victorious
in league play once again, but that was not the only area in which they enjoyed success this past
week.
Along with picking up a 2-0 triumph against the Columbus Crew at Crew Stadium on Saturday,
Sporting KC advanced to the U.
Fresh off of moving Davide Chiumiento and Sebastien Le Toux, the Vancouver Whitecaps added a
potent attacking weapon to their disposal by signing Scotland national team captain Kenny Miller on
Monday.
The Whitecaps signed Miller as their third Designated Player, and the 32-year-old striker will
provide another lethal scoring threat up top for head coach Martin Rennie.
Geoff Cameron has not hid his desire of playing in Europe, and Stoke City is still in the
process of trying to make that dream become a reality.
Stoke are still in negotiations with MLS over possibly acquiring Cameron from the Houston Dynamo
during the current transfer window, but recent reports have claimed the two sides were far apart on
a transfer fee.
Wondolowski upped his season total to 17 goals this past weekend, netting a hat-trick and
delivering an assist that inspired the San Jose Earthquakes to a 5-0 dismantling of Real Salt Lake
at Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday. Wondolowski's performance helped him surpass his goal-scoring
total from a year ago and has him one shy of his career best, and it is the reason he won SBI's MLS
Player of the Week award.
Luis Silva scored the first two goals of his professional career during the past week, and for
that he has won SBI's MLS Rookie of the Week award.
The Toronto FC rookie netted his first goal last Wednesday in the Reds' 3-2 victory over
Canadian rival, the Montreal Impact. And he followed that up by scoring the winner in this past
Sunday's 1-0 victory over the New England Revolution, a goal that capped a memorable week for the
young forward out of UC Santa Barbara.
The race for first place in NASL is heating up, and the Tampa Bay Rowdies are right in the thick
of things.
The Rowdies inched one step closer to the top spot in the league standings this past Sunday,
picking up a 1-0 victory over FC Edmonton that came courtesy of a late goal and despite them being
down to 10 men.
If Brad Guzan is going to permanently claim a starting goalkeeping spot in the near future, he
will have to do so at the club where he has struggled to breakthrough thus far.
After flirting with free agency, Guzan re-signed with Aston Villa on Monday, the Premiership
club announced on its website.
Geoff Cameron has been the subject of transfer rumors to Stoke City, but that's not stopping the
Houston Dynamo from deploying their star player.
Despite discussions and negotiations of a potential move to the Premier League, Cameron is in
the starting lineup for the Houston Dynamo as they face D.
Sebastien LeToux wasted no time getting acclimated to his new team, but the New York Red Bulls
continued their recent struggle in recording victories.
The Red Bulls dropped points for the sixth time in seven matches on Sunday afternoon, rallying
back from an early deficit on their way to a 2-2 draw against the Seattle Sounders at Red Bull
Arena.
Sporting Kansas City capped a productive and business-like road trip on Saturday night by
posting another shutout and another victory.
Just four days after beating the Philadelphia Union to book their place in the U.S. Open Cup
Final, Sporting KC went to Columbus and shut down the Crew.
FC Dallas had gone 13 matches without a win. A span of three miserable months that sucked the
life out of a season that began with so much promise. There was very little reason to think Dallas
would be able to go to Colorado and find that elusive victory in one of the tougher places to play
in MLS, but FC Dallas found a way to end their misery, if only for one night.
The 18 players who will go up against Chelsea at PPL Park in the MLS All-Star Game on July 25
are set, and the tops of the Eastern Conference and Western Conference tables are well
represented.
D.C. United and MLS All-Star coach Ben Olsen opted to select all 11 players voted into the
First XI by the fans while adding his own in-form attacker Chris Pontius; Seattle Sounders Osvaldo
Alonso and Eddie Johnson; Real Salt Lake captain Kyle Beckerman and Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan
Kennedy.
The Sebastien Le Toux era for the New York Red Bulls kicks off Sunday, with the new acquisition
taking on one of his former teams when the Red Bulls host the Seattle Sounders at Red Bull Arena (4
p.m., ESPN/ESPN3.com).
After being sent to New York from Vancouver on Friday night, Le Toux is in the starting lineup
for New York, as is new goalkeeper acquisition Bill Gaudette, who replaces injured rookie Ryan
Meara (hip).
For a second straight summer, Michael Bradley is changing clubs. But this time he is staying in
Italy and playing for one of the more prolific clubs in the world.
Bradley transferred to AS Roma from Chievo Verona on Sunday, Roma announced on its website. The
Italian heavyweight paid Chievo a transfer fee of $4.
BRIDGEVIEW, IL-Â Chicago rebounded from last week's shutout at the hands of LA
Galaxy to overcome a road-weary Vancouver Whitecaps on Pavel Pardo free kick, as the Fire improved
their overall record to 9-6-4, and drew even in the standings with New York Red Bulls with the 1-0
win.
Luis Silva continued a stellar week by scoring an early goal for Toronto FC on Saturday night,
then TFC goalkeeper Milos Kocic made that goal stand up with a virtuoso performance.
Silva scored in the 8th minute for his second goal in as many matches and Kocic recorded four
saves to lead Toronto to a 1-0 victory over the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium on
Saturday night.
If there were any lingering doubts about the San Jose Earthquakes and their legitimacy as MLS
title contenders, those doubts were erased on Saturday night by a dominating performance against
the team closest to them in the standings.
Chris Wondolowski scored a hat-trick, bringing his total to a league-best 17, to lead the
Earthquakes to a 5-0 thrashing of Real Salt Lake at Buck Shaw Stadium in San Jose.
Saturday night's match didn't start out the way the LA Galaxy would have wanted, but the rest of
the night could not have gone much better.
The Galaxy shook off an early Kris Boyd goal by rattling off four unanswered goals in just nine
minutes on their way to a 5-3 victory over the Portland Timbers at Jeld-Wen Field on Saturday
night.
CHESTER, Pa. -- For more than 80 minutes, the first-ever meeting between the Philadelphia Union
and the Montreal Impact left something to be desired. But in the last 15 minutes, that all
changed.
Philadelphia took the lead in the 82nd minute when Lionard Pajoy pounced on a loose ball in the
box, only for Montreal to answer moments later when the Union fell asleep on a corner kick and
conceded an own goal.
The top two teams in MLS square off tonight when the San Jose Earthquakes face Real Salt Lake in
the marquee battle of a loaded schedule.
The Earthquakes hold a one-point lead on RSL heading into the match, but the visitors will field
a strong team now that Jamison Olave has returned from injury to re-vamp the defense.
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A blend of professional, academy and collegiate talent accounts for the U.S. Under-20 men's
national team Milk Cup roster, a squad aiming to capture the United States' second tournament title
in three years and third since 2005.
Coach Tab Ramos will be taking 18 players to Northern Ireland, including 2011 U-17 World Cup
participants Alfred Koroma, Mario Rodriguez, Kendall McIntosh and Dillon Serna, Mexican-American
left back Juan Pablo Ocegueda and University of North Carolina standouts Mikey Lopez and Boyd
Okwuonu.
Paris St. Germain have finalized the first half of their jaw-dropping double swoop of AC Milan
stars on Saturday, completing the deal to land Brazilian centerback Thiago Silva.
PSG signed Silva to a five-year contract on Saturday after completing a 42 million-Euro transfer
for him.
UEFA Champions League title holders Chelsea will be hitting the United States soon, and they'll
be bringing their full-strength squad for American fans to see in person.
Chelsea announced the traveling roster for upcoming friendlies against the Seattle Sounders
(July 18th in Seattle), Paris St.
Things certainly change quickly in the world of the New York Red Bulls.
Earlier this week, Head Coach Hans Backe told gathered reporters about the team's "ongoing"
discussions with a potential Designated Player. By week's end, General Manager Erik Soler was
busy putting the brakes on any such talk.
With all the talk about who the New York Red Bulls might sign as a third designated player,
there had been no talk about what the team might do within MLS to help bolster their squad.
On Friday night we found out the Red Bulls were planning a blockbuster.
The Red Bulls acquired French forward Sebastien LeToux from the Vancouver Whitecaps on Friday
night in exchange for Jamaican winger Dane Richards and allocation money.
One of the Emerald City Supporters' favorite players is stepping away from the game.
Roger Levesque will retire after Wednesday's friendly against Chelsea, according to The Seattle
Times, ending a nine-year career spent mostly with the Sounders, both in USL and MLS.
Saturday provides another fresh start for Charlie Davies, one which he hopes is just the
beginning of the turning point that launches him back to his form of old.
A week after signing with Randers FC in Denmark, Davies, who has drawn the No. 8 jersey, has
been named to the 21-man squad that will travel to Sonderjyske for the club's season-opening game
in the Danish Superliga and could very well make his debut.
The New York Red Bulls added goalkeeping depth Friday, acquiring Los Angeles Galaxy backup Bill
Gaudette in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2014 MLS Supplemental Draft.Â
With rookie Ryan Meara as the entrenched starter in New York, Gaudette will fight Jeremy Vuolo
for backup duties while providing experienced insurance on the depth chart.
This weekend's soccer schedule is dominated by MLS, with some intriguing games highlighting the
slate including one with major implications atop the Supporters' Shield table.
The top two teams in the Western Conference and the league -- the San Jose Earthquakes and Real
Salt Lake -- square off for the third and final time during the regular season, with the
Earthquakes going for the season sweep at Buck Shaw Stadium.
Front-runner status in the Supporters' Shield race is at stake this weekend.
The MLS-leading San Jose Earthquakes will host a Real Salt Lake team sitting just one point back
in the Western Conference standings. With the top attack in MLS, Chris Wondolowski and the
Earthquakes will be eager to test themselves against Jamison Olave and Salt Lake's dependably
stingy back line.
The wheeling and dealing north of the border continues.
The Montreal Impact dealt defender Tyson Wahl to the Colorado Rapids Friday, acquiring an
international roster spot for the 2014 season. The Impact originally acquired Wahl from the
Seattle Sounders for allocation money on the day of the expansion draft.
The Paul Kemsley Era New York Cosmos left a sour taste in the mouth of New York-area soccer fans
hoping for a second MLS franchise to emerge in the region. Seemingly at every turn, where there was
promise, failure followed. A potentially great alliance with standout youth academy program BW
Gottchee was formed, only to deteriorate into a legal battle over unpaid wages.
Following four days of testimonies and arguments, England and Chelsea centerback John Terry was
found not guilty of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, putting end to a saga that has been carrying
on since the initial incident last October.
Terry was facing a maximum punishment of a £2,500 fine (along with the stigma of being found
guilty of racial abuse), but instead walks away a free man after not enough evidence was presented
to show that Terry purposefully abused the Queens Park Rangers defender.
Toronto FC's roster makeover continued late Thursday night, with the club pulling off a major
deal that could pave the way for some much-needed defensive help.
Toronto FC is preparing to trade away Canadian midfielder Julian DeGuzman to FC Dallas in a deal
that will free up the cap room and Designated Player slot the team needs to land a high-profile
central defender, sources told SBI on Thursday evening.
American soccer fans have grown to expect that the CONCACAF Gold Cup will be held on U.S. soil,
but that might not be a given going forward.
In an interview with Reuters, new CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb said that the organization is
going to explore options outside of the United States to host the regional tournament.
Rangers' climb back to the top of Scottish soccer will start at an unprecedented low.
After a vote conducted by 30 Scottish Football League clubs, Rangers will be playing in Division
Three -- the country's fourth tier -- as it starts its rebirth as a new company following the
financial turmoil that forced the club into administration and out of the Premier League.
The New York Cosmos made waves Thursday with the announcement that they will be participating in
NASL next season, the first tangible sign that the franchise will actually field a team after being
reborn in 2010 following a nearly 30-year hiatus.
Based on the Cosmos' statement from earlier in the day, the club maintains its sights on one day
becoming an MLS expansion franchise, and MLS commissioner Don Garber addressed the Cosmos'
integration into NASL and future aspirations, issuing the following statement:
"We welcome the Cosmos' entrance to the NASL," Garber said.
FC Dallas' academy has produced yet another first-team player.
FCD signed U.S. Under-18 midfielder Kellyn Acosta as its seventh Homegrown Player, matching
Toronto FC for the most in the league since the inception of the rule.Â
Paris-St. Germain's attempt to become a serious contender on the European soccer scene took a
giant step forward on Thursday.
According to Italian publication Gazzetta Dello Sport, AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi
confirmed the sales of striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and centerback Thiago Silva to PSG for a
reported €62 million in a move that nets the French club two of the biggest stars in the world
at their respective positions.
The Philadelphia Union's first run into the later rounds of the U.S. Open Cup in team history
came to an end Wednesday night, but manager John Hackworth thinks the 2-0 semifinal loss to
Sporting Kansas City is a great opportunity for his team to grow.
After all of the fanfare, VIP backing and posturing, the New York Cosmos will indeed take to the
field as a soccer team yet again.
The Cosmos announced Thursday that they will play in NASL starting in the 2013 season, joining
the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and Tampa Bay Rowdies as original NASL franchises playing in the
modern edition of the league.
On a night when Vancouver Whitecaps rookie Darren Mattocks served notice that he has every
intention of being the MLS Rookie of the Year this season, it was a seasoned veteran who stole the
show late.
Terry Dunfield punished the team that traded him away a year ago, scoring a stoppage-time winner
to give Toronto FC a 3-2 victory over the Whitecaps at BMO Field on Wednesday.
The former England manager who abruptly resigned in February, just months before he was to lead
the nation at Euro 2012, met with the Russian federation Thursday to discuss the national team's
coaching opening.
Capello is reportedly the front-runner to replace Dick Advocaat, who already had plans to leave
Russia for PSV Eindhoven even before his side failed to advance out of the group stage at Euro.
Tuesday night's U.S. Open Cup semifinals have set up a dream final between the three-time
defending Seattle Sounders and a strong Sporting Kansas City side that will be hosting the final on
Aug. 8th at Livestrong Sporting Park.
Sporting KC looked great defensively in shutting down the Philadelphia Union, while the Sounders
attack looked very effective in routing Chivas USA by a 4-1 margin.
French powerhouse Paris St. Germain has already spent big money this summer in landing Argentine
star Ezequiel Lavezzi from Napoli with a €26 million transfer, but the big spenders from Paris
have their sights set on even bigger targets.
Reports out of Italy have PSG making a combined €65 million transfer bid for AC Milan striker
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and defender Thiago Silva.
TUKWILA, Wash. - Thanks to a swarming 11-man effort, the brilliance of Osvaldo Alonso, and yet
another goal from the suddenly torrid Eddie Johnson, the Seattle Sounders have reached their fourth
consecutive Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final.
CHESTER, Pa. -- With a chance to host the US Open Cup final on the line, Sporting Kansas City
rose to the occasion and did what they had to do.
Sporting KC posted a 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Union in their Open Cup semifinal at PPL Park
on Wednesday night, earning the right to host the 2012 US Open Cup Final at Livestrong Sporting
Park against the winner of Wednesday night's semifinal between the Seattle Sounders and Chivas
USA.
The U.S. Open Cup semifinal round takes place tonight, with four teams vying for a spot in the
finals and a chance to play for the title and a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League.
In the opening Open Cup match of the night, Sporting Kansas City aims to avenge a 4-0 drubbing
at the hands of the Philadelphia Union just a few weeks ago when they take the field at PPL
Park.
As the Vancouver Whitecaps prepare for an all-Canadian battle with Toronto FC tonight, they'll
do so without one of their most inventive and creative players.
The Whitecaps sold Davide Chiumiento to FC Zurich for an undisclosed transfer fee, a move that
abruptly ends the playmaker's time in MLS.
Spain's dominance on the international stage is now four years and running, a period that began
with La Furia Roja's triumph at the 2008 European championship and one that was punctuated at the
beginning of this month, with their second consecutive continental title.Â
In between that, Spain had its greatest moment -- capturing the 2010 World Cup, an event that
happened two years ago today.
Another player who found himself struggling for minutes with the Montreal Impact is on the
move.
Forward Justin Braun was traded to his hometown Real Salt Lake in exchange for a conditional
2014 draft pick Wednesday, getting himself out of a situation that had become increasingly dire
north of the border.
The dust is just settling in the aftermath of John Spencer's dismissal as coach of the Portland
Timbers, with the second-year MLS club looking for a new candidate who will carry the team to new
heights.
Gavin Wilkinson, the club's general manager and former coach during the team's USL days, has
been given the interim reins for the remainder of the season while the club searches for its
long-term replacement.
With a little more than two weeks remaining until the close of the MLS summer transfer window,
the New York Red Bulls have a Designated Player in their sights.
According to head coach Hans Backe, the Red Bulls have targeted and are currently in
negotiations with a potential third DP to join the likes of Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez.
What has been expected for years was confirmed on Wednesday.
After a Swiss court ordered that FIFA could make the documents detailing business withÂ
marketing partner ISL public, the world's governing body of soccer did so, outing some of the
biggest names in the organization for taking kickbacks.
D.C. United's front-office brass spoke Tuesday about how the club had no financial restrictions
following the introduction of new owners Jason Levien and Erick Thohir. The club's latest valuation
would seem to corroborate that.
According to a report from Forbes, D.C.'s two new owners bought 60 percent of the club to boost
its value to $50 million, with the ownership deal being the most expensive in league history.
The U.S. Open Cup will be down to its final two teams by night's end.
Four MLS teams have fought through the tournament's new format to persevere to the semifinals,
with the Philadelphia Union, Sporting Kansas City, Seattle Sounders and Chivas USA emerging as the
final teams standing after a wild tournament marked by upsets, Cinderella stories and late-game
heroics.
The U.S. women's national team has touched down in England ready to defend its Olympic gold
medal.
The 2008 Olympic tournament champions arrived Wednesday to begin preparations for the upcoming
Olympic tournament, which begins later this month. The U.S. women will train in Middlesbrough for
six days before venturing to Glasgow, Scotland, to get acclimated for a week before the July 25
Olympic opener against France at Hampden Park.
Brad Friedel is aware that his playing days are winding down, and Tottenham is reportedly eyeing
a move that could accelerate his decline from his post as the club's No. 1 goalkeeper.
According to reports, Spurs are looking to sign Lyon and French national team goalkeeper Hugo
Lloris, a move that does not faze the veteran American goalkeeper, who is entering his second
season with Tottenham.
Eric Wynalda's Cal FC influence on the Atlanta Silverbacks is becoming a little more
noticeable.
Just a week after taking over as interim manager of the NASL club, Wynalda has brought three of
his stalwarts from Cal FC's U.S. Open Cup team along with him to Atlanta. The club announced the
signings of Danny Barrera, Pablo Cruz and Mike Randolph Tuesday in hopes of having that Cal FC
magic rub off on the last-place team over the course of the final 12 games of the season.
The Charleston Battery's quest to take first place became more difficult this past weekend, as
they suffered a pair of surprises losses to the rising Charlotte Eagles.
The Eagles first blanked the Battery, 2-0, on Friday courtesy of two goals in the second
half.
Kelyn Rowe is the latest to get the dreaded call from the MLS Disciplinary Committee.
The New England Revolution rookie was suspended a game and fined an undisclosed amount for
running through New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Ryan Meara and kicking him in the head during the
final minutes of the Revolution's victory over the Red Bulls on Sunday.
WASHINGTON -- Upon their first public remarks after becoming major investors in
D.C. United, the club's two newest owners wasted no time in addressing the one thing that the
club's supporters have been eagerly and patiently waiting to have resolved: A new stadium.
As we hit the mid-way point of the MLS season, it is time to look at the players who have
enjoyed the best seasons in the league.
There are plenty of worthy candidates for the Mid-Season MLS Best XI, including some no-brainer
selections like Chris Wondolowski and Dwayne DeRosario. Some positions are very tough to choose
from, like defensive midfield, where Kyle Beckerman and Osvaldo Alonso are both worthy
selections.
The television schedule for the 2012 World Football Challenge was released Tuesday, and ESPN2
and Fox Soccer Channel will be televising every one of the WFC games this summer in English. All
will be broadcasted live except for the D.C. United-Paris St. Germain match, which will be aired on
tape delay on FSC.
Jose Mourinho and Tito Vilanova will be going head-to-head in the Spanish Supercopa after
all.
The Spanish soccer federation lifted the bans for both coaches almost a year after their actions
in an altercation during last year's Supercopa between Real Madrid and Barcelona during which
Mourinho gouged Vilanova's eye only to have the then-Barcelona assistant retaliate with a slap to
Mourinho's face.
Week 18 in MLS was marked by some virtuoso attacking performances, and that much is reflected on
SBI's Best XI.
Hat-trick hero Alvaro Saborio and two-goal scorer Robbie Keane did the heavy lifting in weekend
wins for Real Salt Lake and the Los Angeles Galaxy, respectively, while the Philadelphia Union
continue their ascent from the bottom of the Eastern Conference and were carried to a pair of wins
by Freddy Adu and Michael Farfan.
After briefly falling on hard times, Real Salt Lake is back in familiar territory.
Dropped to a season-low position of No. 6 in last week's SBI MLS Power Rankings because of a
four-game winless drought, Salt Lake jumped back to third in the new poll thanks to a four-point
week highlighted by Alvaro Saborio's hat trick in a 3-0 triumph over the Portland Timbers on
Saturday.
Andy Rose might not have gotten on the score sheet this past week, but his contributions to a
four-point week for the Seattle Sounders -- most notably in the club's 2-1 victory over the
Colorado Rapids Saturday night -- did not go unnoticed.
After coming off the bench in a mid-week draw against Real Salt Lake, the rookie out of UCLA
helped the Sounders snap a nine-game winless stretch in a 90-minute performance, with his
influential play in central midfield disrupting the Rapids and earning him SBI MLS Rookie of the
Week honors.
Geoff Cameron's time in MLS appears to be rapidly coming to a close.
According to reports, Stoke City is nearing completion on a $2.7 million transfer for the
Houston Dynamo centerback, a move that could be completed as soon as this week. The Houston
Chronicle is reporting that the team is in full support of the move, with club president Chris
Canetti going as far to say, "The club is in favor of this transfer, and we are in support of it
happening.
Liverpool may not be competing in the UEFA Champions League next season, but that's not stopping
the Reds from emerging as a reported suitor for U.S. national team star Clint Dempsey.
Multiple reports from England claim that Liverpool is set for a transfer capture of Dempsey in
the £7.
Roberto Mancini helped give Manchester City the ultimate reward in English soccer this past
season by helping them lift the Premier League title.
Now, they are rewarding him.
Mancini signed a five-year deal worth an estimated $38.7 million with the wealthy club on
Monday, meaning the Italian's contract runs through the 2016-2017 season.
MLS has claimed its third head-coaching casualty of the year, and it is the Portland Timbers'
John Spencer.
Spencer has been shown the exit door in Portland after a disappointing first half of the 2012
season that has the 5-8-4 Timbers in second-to-last place in the Western Conferece.
The Philadelphia Union continued their resurgence this past week by picking up a pair of
victories that has brought them within striking distance of other teams in the Eastern Conference.
The Union first grabbed a surprise 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy at the Home Depot Center on
Independence Day before thoroughly beating Toronto FC, 3-0, at PPL Park on Sunday.
The San Jose Earthquakes shed some weight from their roster on Monday, transferring one player
while terminating the contract of another.
The Earthquakes announced Monday that midfielder Anthony Ampaipitakwong went to Buriram United
of the Thai Premier League on an undisclosed transfer and they released Colombian midfielder
Tressor Moreno after he expressed unhappiness with his lack of playing time this season.
Real Salt Lake broke out of their four-game winless streak this past weekend, and Alvaro Saborio
was the man largely responsible for that.
Saborio inspired RSL to a 3-0 victory over the Portland Timbers on Saturday, scoring a
second-half hat-trick that raised his goal total to 10 on the season.
Earlier this season, a decimated New York Red Bulls lineup managed to tie a club record for
consecutive victories with five wins in a row despite heavy losses to their starting eleven. Bench
players, newcomers and rookies all helped keep the Red Bulls' season afloat, securing three
shutouts while outscoring opponents, 8-3.
As expected, D.C. United officially announced they would introduce new members of the club's
ownership on Tuesday afternoon. Current owner Will Chang and club president and CEO Kevin Payne
will be on hand with the new members of the expanded group and they will all discuss the future of
the club, with the topic of a soccer-specific stadium surely to be addressed.
The man who last led France to international glory as a player is now in charge of doing the
same as a coach.
Former France captain Didier Deschamps was hired as manager of Les Bleus on Sunday, agreeing to
a deal that will see him take charge of one of the more troubled sides in international soccer.
The Montreal Impact left it until late, but Patrice Bernier converted an 89th-minute penalty
kick that completed a comeback for the expansion team.
Bernier scored from the spot in the final moments of the Impact's match with the Columbus Crew,
completing a rally that began with Zarek Valentin's first career goal to take a 2-1 win at Stade
Saputo on Sunday.
BRIDGEVIEW, IL.- Defending MLS Cup champs LA Galaxy used a brace from Robbie
Keane to shut out the Chicago Fire, 2-0, in front of a sold out crowd at Toyota Park on Sunday
afternoon.
The much-needed win helped LA avoid a three-game losing skid, after dropping consecutive matches
to San Jose and Philadelphia earlier in the week.
The days of Gillette Stadium being a place teams could come and grab easy road points appear to
be over for now. The New England Revolution are seeing to that with some of the best home form in
the league.
Riding goals from Lee Nguyen and newly-acquired forward Jerry Bengtson, the Revs dominated a
short-handed New York Red Bulls side on their way to a 2-0 victory on Sunday.
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen, defender Aurelien Collin and midfielder Graham
Zusi headlined the list of players chosen as part of Major League Soccer's All-Star First XI.
The selections, made by a combination of voting by fans on three different platforms: via the
league website, text voting and Twitter.
CHESTER, Pa. -- Less than a month into the tenure of interim manager John Hackworth, the
Philadelphia Union suddenly look like a whole new team.
Led by some outstanding attacking performances and a rock-solid defense, Philadelphia dominated
possession and dictated the tempo for the duration as they defeated last-place Toronto FC, 3-0, in
front of a near-sellout crowd at PPL Park on Sunday afternoon.
The San Jose Earthquakes and FC Dallas played to an entertaining draw on Saturday night, but it
was a scoreless one due to both sides failing to put away chances.
The Earthquakes and FC Dallas played to a goal-less draw at FC Dallas Stadium, a result that
extended Dallas' winless streak to 13 games and gave Western Conference leaders San Jose its first
cleansheet since March.
The red-hot Chicago Fire will look to push the LA Galaxy's losing streak to three matches today
in the day's most high-profile match-up on the MLS schedule.
Four games fill out the day, beginning with the Fire's clash with an LA side that had enjoyed a
nice run before suffering back-to-back defeats.
On a sweltering night in the midwest, goalkeepers Tally Hall and Jimmy Nielsen combined to keep
clean sheets in a defensive stalemate at Livestrong Sporting Park.
Hall made four saves while Nielsen made two saves as the Houston Dynamo earned a valuable road
point in a scoreless draw against the Kansas City Wizards.
SEATTLE, Wash. –Saturday night at CenturyLink Field saw three different players score goals,
but none of those players were the true star of a special evening.
The night beloned to Steve Zakuani.
The earliest hint the London-born midfielder might be back in the 18 for the first time since
June 20 and just the second time since breaking his leg in April of 2011 came via an
early-afternoon tweet from Zakuani: "Wake up on a high, and then I cross my heart and hope to fly,"
it read.
CARSON, Calif.-- After a solid win at Colorado on Wednesday, the Vancouver Whitecaps were
looking continue their road trip success. Chivas USA, back from their two week break in MLS action,
came into Saturday night's match at the Home Depot Center trying to pick up their third win at home
this season.
Real Salt Lake entered Saturday night looking to halt a four-match winless skid and looking to
reassert their place as an MLS Cup favorite and Western Conference title contender.
RSL accomplished all those things with one dominating display at Rio Tinto Stadium. Alvaro
Saborio notched a hat trick to help give Real Salt Lake a 3-0 victory against the Portland
Timbers.
On a night when the Seattle Sounders were looking for their first league win in nine matches,
the Sounders not only found a way to beat an opponent in league play. They also welcomed back a
player who had been sidelined for far too long.
Goals from Alvaro Fernandez and Eddie Johnson provided the difference in a 2-1 New England
victory at CenturyLink Field on Saturday night, but the story of the night was Steve Zakuani.
A quintet of intra-conference match-ups make up today's Major League Soccer action, led by the
Seattle Sounders taking on the Colorado Rapids.
The Sounders are winless in eight MLS matches, but return to CenturyLink Field feeling good
after a hard-earned point in a scoreless mid-week draw against Real Salt Lake.
Chivas USA added some quality defensive depth on Friday with the acquisition of the rights to
veteran MLS centerback Bobby Burling. The Goats landed Burling's rights from Montreal in exchange
for an international roster slot in 2013.
Burling returns to Chivas USA, where he played from 2007 to 2009.
The next manager to try and help the Netherlands finally meet expectations is a man who has
tried before.
Louis Van Gaal has replaced Bert van Marwijk as manager of the Dutch national team, taking the
same job he previously held from 2000 to 2001, when he led the Netherlands in a failed bid to
qualify for the 2002 World Cup.
Last November, Sporting Kansas City was exposed on its home field at the most inopportune of
times. This weekend, the club will look to right that wrong.
The Houston Dynamo will return to the site of their upset win over Kansas City in the Eastern
Conference final, visiting Livestrong Sporting Park on Saturday.
After leading the league in goals each of the past two seasons with 18 tallies in 2010 and 16
last year, Wondolowski has already found net 14 times in just 16 games for San Jose this season,
leading the Earthquakes to a league-best 11-4-3 record.
After an up-and-down rookie campaign, Will Bruin has found a rhythm in 2012.Â
The Houston Dynamo striker has scored nine goals in 17 appearances, claiming the up-for-grabs
starting job alongside Brian Ching with authority and emerging as one of the league's most
dangerous forwards.
"I don't think we ever played a game (this season) with the same team two games in a row," Hans
Backe lamented after Friday's training session.
It looks like this week won't be any different.Â
The New York Red Bulls will be missing up to six starters, including Designated Players Thierry
Henry and Rafa Marquez and teammates Jan Gunnar Solli, Markus Holgersson, Heath Pearce and Teemu
Tainio for this weekend's match against the New England Revolution.
American striker Charlie Davies is taking his search for regular playing time to Denmark.
Sources have confirmed to SBI that the 26-year-old has signed with Danish side Randers FC.
Davies had been with French club Sochaux since December, when his season-long loan deal with D.
If Kansas City can get past the Philadelphia Union, then the U.S. Open Cup final is coming to
Livestrong Sporting Park.
Sporting Kansas City has won the blind bidding to host the final, which means the club will host
the match Aug. 7 or 8 if it defeats the Union in Wednesday's semifinal at PPL Park.
Saer Sene was brought to the New England Revolution to do one thing: score goals. Halfway though
his first MLS season, it's mission accomplished.
The 25-year-old French striker and former Bayern Munich reserve has bagged eight goals in 15
appearances for the Revolution, providing a physically imposing presence for Jay Heaps' squad up
top.
Any hopes of Diego Forlan coming to MLS in the near future have been dashed.
The Golden Ball winner at the 2010 World Cup has signed with Brazilian club Internacional, the
team announced. The deal will keep the 33-year-old Uruguay veteran with the club through July
2015.
The striker had played with Inter Milan since transferring from Atletico Madrid in 2011.
A year after missing the playoffs, the San Jose Earthquakes boast the top record in Major
League Soccer. And veteran coach Frank Yallop, it's safe to say, deserves much of the credit.
Yallop has led the Earthquakes to an 11-4-3 record with a league-leading 36 goals scored. After
winning titles with San Jose in 2001 and 2003, the 48-year-old coach has his side in contention for
a third MLS Cup.
D.C. United are on the verge of a new era in ownership.
Philadelphia 76ers minority owners Erick Thohir and Jason Levien have reached an agreement to
become co-owners of United, according to sources cited by ESPN NBA writer Marc Stein. As part of
the deal, current United owner Will Chang will retain a stake in the club.
Real Madrid's newest Galactico appears to be Luka Modric.
The Croatian playmaker is reportedly set to leave Tottenham to sign a four-year deal with Madrid
for a transfer fee in the range of $45 million to $55 million.
According to the report, Modric has agreed to personal terms with Madrid on the contract, but
Madrid's compensation to Tottenham still needs to be resolved.
Tim Howard started his professional career in MLS 14 years ago, and for the first time in years
he sounds committed to coming back to the league where his outstanding career began.
In an extensive interview with FOX Soccer, Howard discusses MLS, his future after soccer,
returning to MLS, his decision to stay at Everton, and even his thoughts on U.
The Alessandro Nesta-to-MLS rumors have been swirling for weeks and months, and he finally has a
club in the league to call home.
The iconic Italian centerback signed with the Montreal Impact on Thursday, the club announced on
Thursday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but what was revealed was that Nesta will not be
counted as a Designated Player for the expansion Impact.
David Beckham's recent misbehaviour did not go unnoticed, and MLS has dropped the hammer on
him.
Beckham was fined an undisclosed amount and suspended one game by the MLS Disciplinary Committee
for his actions during and after the Los Angeles Galaxy's 4-3 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on
June 30, the league announced on Thursday.
The day so many soccer fans have been waiting for has arrived. Yes, goal-line technology has
been approved by FIFA.
The decision was made by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) during a meeting in
Zurich on Thursday, with two different systems getting the green light.
photo courtesy of Rob Kinnan/Carolina RailHawks/Atlanta Silverbacks
By FRANCO PANIZO
If Eric Wynalda learned one thing in his debut with the Atlanta Silverbacks, it is that he has
some work to do.
The Carolina RailHawks spoiled Wynalda's debut game in charge of the Silverbacks, as they picked
up a 2-1 victory at WakeMed Park in North Carolina on Tuesday.
Jamison Olave has been one of the most dominant defenders in MLS since joining Real Salt Lake in
2008, and this year has been no different.
Olave has enjoyed a strong start to the first half of the 2012 campaign, helping Real Salt Lake
contend for the top spot in the Western Conference with his physical style, aerial dominance and
ability on the ball.
The Portland Timbers have bolstered their defensive options, acquiring Kosuke Kimura in a trade
with the Colorado Rapids on Thursday.
The Timbers gave up allocation money and an international roster spot through the rest of the
season in the deal, but in return they got a seasoned MLS defender who can help fill a void at
right back.
There has been no shortage of standout goalkeepers during the first half of the season in MLS,
but the best of the litter to this point has been the Columbus Crew's Andy Gruenebaum.
Filling in for injured incumbent Will Hesmer, Gruenebaum has proven an integral part of Columbus
having the stingiest defense in the league (only 15 goals surrendered in 15 games) and that has
earned him SBI's Mid-season MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award.
The U.S. men's national team may have lost just once in their five early summer matches, but
that did not stop them from falling eight spots in the latest FIFA rankings.
The United States dropped to the 36th spot in the rankings after a few weeks span that included
a rout of Scotland, a lopsided defeat to Brazil, a scoreless tie with Canada, a narrow win over
Antigua and Barbuda to start World Cup qualifying and a draw on the road with Guatemala.
Arsenal have been left shaken by the news that Robin Van Persie does not intend to sign a new
deal with the club, and now they have a decision to make.
Van Persie's current deal runs through the end of next season, but Arsenal may want to cash in
on him now before he is able to leave on a free transfer next summer.
The New England Revolution have officially acquried Jerry Bengtson, but they have done so by
making him the second Designated Player in the club's history.
The 25-year-old Bengtson was officially introduced as a member of the Revolution on Thursday
morning, having agreed to a deal with New England that will see him play alongside fellow DP
Shalrie Joseph, Benny Feilhaber and Saer Sene.
Make that four games without a victory for Real Salt Lake and nine for the Seattle Sounders.
Both Western Conference teams' winless streaks were extended on Wednesday night, as they played
to a scoreless draw in front of a soldout crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium.
There may have been no goals in the match, but there was some controversy after a second-half
finish from Alvaro Saborio was whistled back for offside.
Juan Roman Riquelme always said he would like to retire in a Boca Juniors jersey, but last
night's 3-1 aggregate defeat in the Copa Libertadores final against Brazilian side Corinthians was
surely not the way he wanted to go.
Shortly after Boca's ouster, the 34-year-old attacking midfielder and former Argentine
international informed gathered reporters of his decision to leave the club effective
immediately.
An unlucky mistake by a veteran player proved costly for the Colorado Rapids.
Drew Moor committed a blunder towards the end of the first half, and that allowed for Vancouver
Whitecaps rookie Darren Mattocks to fire home the winner in their 1-0 victory over the Rapids at
Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Wednesday.
The long-discuscced special Copa America is no longer just a rumor.
New CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb revealed on Wednesday that the confederation is in talks
with CONMEBOL about a possible 2016 Copa America that would include teams from both regions.
If there was still doubt about Toronto FC being a different team under new head coach Paul
Mariner, they erased some of it on Wednesday.
Toronto FC went a fifth consecutive game without suffering defeat, tying FC Dallas 1-1 at a
soldout FC Dallas Stadium on Wednesday night courtesy of a goal from Danny Koevermans in the first
half.
The Montreal Impact were thinking upset after taking a lead against Sporting Kansas City, but
two penalty kicks helped change all that.
Kei Kamara and Graham Zusi converted spot kicks to spark a Sporting KC 3-1 comeback win over the
Impact at Stade Saputo on Wednesday night. Jacob Peterson accounted for the other Sporting KC goal
in a match that saw the Impact take the initial lead off a finish from Patrice Bernier.
CARSON, Calif. – Omar Gonzalez made his return to action, but the Los Angeles Galaxy were
unable to get a victory as a stoppage time goal by Michael Farfan gave the Philadelphia Union, a
2-1 victory over the Galaxy.
Making his first apperance for the Galay since tearing his ACL in January, Gonzalez was solid
throughout his 45 minutes of action, but ultimately could not stop the Union from stealing a
victory.
It is a busy 4th of July night in Major League Soccer, with more than half the league's teams in
action in matches across the country.
Struggling Real Salt Lake and Seattle face off in a match of highly-regarded but slumping
Western Conference powers. RSL has hit a three-match losing streak, but they will be the favorites
against a Seattle side that hasn't won in eight MLS matches.
It is the Fourth of July, the day to celebrate our country's independence, as well as to enjoy
a holiday.
As many of you enjoy your trips to the beach, the park and the grill, tonight will offer a good
slate of MLS matches to help satisfy those of you with soccer cravings.
We here at SBI are enjoying the holiday as well, and will be taking it easy today.
Two teams playing on short rest and in hot conditions was never going to be a formula for an
attractive match, and fans at BBVA Compass Stadium learned that the hard way on Tuesday night.
The Houston Dynamo and Chicago Fire played to a scoreless draw on Tuesday in a match that lacked
many quality chances and produced little in the way of quality soccer.
Just three days after what was arguably their worst game of the year, the Portland Timbers
responded to that disappointing show against Colorado by putting together the kind of victory has
just might spark a full-blown turnaround.
The Timbers scored goals in each half, including Danny Mwanga's first for Portland since joining
the team from Philadelphia, to earn a 2-1 victory against the San Jose Earthquakes on Tuesday
night.
The next step in Omar Gonzalez's recovery from a torn ACL is complete.
A day after testing his recovered left knee by playing 45 minutes in a scrimmage with the Los
Angeles Galaxy's reserve squad, Gonzalez was activated from the disabled list by the club. Gonzalez
is now eligible to make his season debut on Wednesday at the Home Depot Center against the
Philadelphia Union.
Befallen to a myriad of injuries this season, the New York Red Bulls will now have to find out
how to deal without Heath Pearce.
Pearce picked up a hamstring knock in the final minutes of the Red Bulls' 1-1 draw with Toronto
FC this past weekend, and he has been ruled out of the upcoming game against the New England
Revolution after undergoing a scan on Monday.
If the MLS season were to end today, few could argue that New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Ryan
Meara has been the top rookie of the 2012 class.
Meara has performed consistently well through the first half of his first year as a
professional, avoiding the type of blunders that are associated with young goalkeepers while
playing every minute for a Red Bulls team fighting for first place in the Eastern Conference.
On the strength of a three-game winning streak, capped by a gutsy 1-0 win at Sporting Kansas
City on Friday, the Fire have jumped to No. 4 in this week's SBI MLS Power Rankings.
Aside from the top-ranked San Jose Earthquakes, the top five teams all hail from the Eastern
Conference, perhaps signifying a shift in power in a league that in recent years has been dominated
by clubs from the West.
New York is getting another big summer game, and this one will have a bit of South American
flavor to it.
Conmebol World Cup qualifying leaders Chile and Ecuador are set to square off in an
international friendly on August 15 at Citi Field in Flushing, SUM announced on Tuesday. The match
falls on a FIFA fixture date, so top players like Chile's Alexis Sanchez and Ecuadorian winger
Antonio Valencia can be called in.
After searching for three weeks and considering several big names, Tottenham Hotspur have
finally found their man.
The Spurs inked former Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas to a three-year deal on Tuesday.
Villas-Boas replaces Harry Redknapp, who was fired in June after failing to lead Tottenham back to
the Champions League for next season.
The month of June could not have gone much better for the San Jose Earthquakes.
They had three matches against Western Conference rivals on the schedule, including two tough
road games, and not only did they manage to win all three, they won all three in dramatic
fashion.
Orlando City SC were forced to settle for a pair of somewhat disappointing draws in their two
games in two days this weekend, but the way in which they grabbed a result in the second match was
testament to the team's character.
AS Roma is coming to Red Bull Arena for a summer friendly, but it will not be against a club
team.
Roma is set to take on El Salvador's national team in a friendly at Red Bull Arena on July 27,
the New York Red Bulls announced on Monday. The match will be Roma's final exhibition in their
first preseason trip to the United States, while it will also serve as another tune-up for El
Salvador before World Cup qualifying resumes.
CARSON, Calif. -- Omar Gonzalez has every reason to be optimistic.
The 2011 MLS Defender of the Year's recovery process has been going well and Gonzalez has
trained fully with the club for the past two weeks. On Monday afternoon, Gonzalez bypassed yet
another hurdle as he went 45 minutes with a Galaxy reserve squad in a scrimmage against the club's
Under-18 side.
The month of June may have been a short one for Major League Soccer, but that didn't stop Chris
Wondolowski from turning in a month's worth of heroics.
After spending the first half of June with the U.S. national team, Wondolowski returned to the
San Jose Earthquakes and managed to deliver three game-winning goal to help San Jose post a perfect
3-0 month and move into first place in the Western Conference.
There were several quality team peformances in MLS this past week, but not many teams could say
they enjoyed as dominating a performance as the one put in by the Colorado Rapids.
The Rapids thoroughly dominated the Portland Timbers in every facet of the game on their way to
a comprehensive 3-0 victory on Saturday.
The Chicago Fire enjoyed an outstanding month of June and one of the key contributors was one of
the team's younger players.
Rookie centerback Austin Berry was a force in central defense for the Fire, establishing himself
as a rugged defender and poised presence on a Chicago side that finished June with a 3-1 record,
including three straight victories to finish out the month.
David Beckham lost his cool, and now we will find out just how much Major League Soccer is
willing to let its biggest star get away with.
In case you missed it, Beckham deliberately kicked not one, but two soccer balls at San Jose's
Sam Cronin as Cronin lay on the ground late in Saturday's LA Galaxy-Earthquake match.
If the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers are going to move up in the NASL standings and reach the playoffs
this season, it appears Mark Anderson will be the player to lead them there.
The Strikers forward netted two more goals on Saturday night at Lockhart Stadium to help Ft.
It isn't easy for a goalkeeper to stand out as the best player in MLS on any given week, but
Sean Johnson provided an example of how its done.
The Chicago Fire netminder made five outstanding saves to preserve a shutout and help the Fire
post a 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City last Friday at Livestrong Sporting Park.
Less than a month after cutting ties with former head coach Peter Nowak, the Philadelphia Union
have parted ways with director of scouting Diego Gutierrez and youth technical director Alecko
Eskandarian.
Gutierrez and the Union agreed to part ways on Friday after what sources told SBI were
philosophical differences between Gutierrez and interim head coach John Hackworth.
The summer transfer season is in full swing now and the inevitable stories reporting deals that
are done, and not done, are underway. Among the subjects in the rumor mill is U.S. national team
midfielder Michael Bradley, who has been linked with multiple Italians clubs, most recently with
Roma.
Eric Wynalda's quest to break into the professional American soccer coaching ranks has led him
to Atlanta, where he has been hired to be the new interim head coach of the NASL's Silverbacks.
Atlanta announced the hiring on Monday morning, with Wynalda taking over for fired head coach
Alex Pineda-Chacon.
If there was any remaining doubt about which team is the best in the world, least of all Europe,
Spain erased those by posting the most convincing victory in European Championship Final history on
Sunday.
First-half goals from David Silva and Jordi Alba put the Spaniards in control, and second-half
substitutes Fernando Torres and Juan Mata provided late scores against a short-handed Italy side as
Spain rolled to a 4-0 victory over Italy in Sunday's Euro final.
A month's worth of outstanding soccer in Poland and Ukraine will be capped today by the European
Championship final between defending champion Spain and rejuvenated Italy (2:45pm,
ESPN/ESPN3.com).
The two powers meet in a rematch of a group stage match that finished in a 1-1 draw.
New York Red Bulls captain Thierry Henry warned about overlooking Toronto FC. "I hope people
are not expecting us to go out there and kill them because it won't be an easy game, we all know
that," he told reporters after practice this week.
The Colorado Rapids' two-game losing streak is over, while the Portland Timbers' winless ways on
the road continue.
Jaime Castrillon, Conor Casey and Jamie Smith all scored as the Rapids ended their two-match
skid with a 3-0 victory over the Timbers at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday night.
If Real Salt Lake were planning to get out of the current funk that they are in versus the
Columbus Crew, they failed.
The Crew picked up a comfortable 2-0 win over RSL on Saturday night at Crew Stadium thanks to
first-half goals from Tony Tchani and Eddie Gaven.
Tchani knocked in his second in as many games with a low shot to the near post while Gaven hit a
left-footed effort from six yards out that smacked off the underside of the crossbar before
completely passing the goal line.
A hard-fought battle at BBVA Compass Stadium looked destined to end in a draw, but a
questionable penalty kick paved the way for Brian Ching to deliver a winner and score his first
goal at the Houston Dynamo's new stadium.
A penalty call against Philadelphia's Gabriel Farfan in the 81st minute for a collision with
Ching set up a decisive spot kick for Ching, who calmly converted to help give the Dynamo a 2-1
victory on Saturday night.
A week after coming back from a two-goal deficit to post a vital victory against Real Salt Lake,
the LA Galaxy found themselves on the wrong end of such a comeback, with the San Jose Earthquakes
finding yet another way to pull off a late-game result.
The Galaxy jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first-half of Saturday night's California Clasico,
but San Jose responded immediately to forge a comeback.
