Interesting chat with Columbus Crew coach Sigi Schmid. While I am frequently critical of MLS, there is nothing like the Crew fan base. Crew Stadium will someday be remembered as the Plymouth Rock of a real soccer culture in this country. Walking to a game, you watch the fans tailgate and juggle in loose circles all around the stadium.

Part 1 -- Agreement: Interestingly astute comments from Ivan Gazidis regarding the influx of South American talent being the story of MLS this year, rather than the league becoming Beckham League Soccer. I find this very encouraging. Throwing US monies at aging international stars? We've seen that story and know how it ends.

Houston over the Revs in a hard fought, but hardly scintillating MLS Cup final. You have to feel bad for Steve Ralston, who looked just emotionally crushed sitting on the bench. But there really is such a thing as a "big game"player--someone who seems energized and focused by the pressure of a cup final--and, as Steve Davis points out, Dwayne De Rosario is that kind of footballer.

Quote by Louis L'Amour, surely foreseeing the grave and noble duty of voting the the 2007 Best of US Soccer Awards. My heretofore sporadic posting or just a general aptitude for assessing quality has led the Academy to overlook Futbol-USA, but there are a number of fine candidates available for the best US Soccer blog. Ives Galarcep is one of the best soccer writers in the US, and you can't

Certainly it was a win on foreign soil, but this was a very poor effort from a young US side. Though they didn't get much possession or many opportunities in the first quarter of the game, the US players were patient and executed a good game plan against an athletic team at altitude. The goal was against the run of play but very well taken from a difficult angle, and the US played much better

Hmm. Does this startling finding come from the scientific think tank that discovered that men like attractive women? They plan to follow this study with an inquiry to uncover which type of jelly goes best with peanut butter. Not a surprise to people who enjoy playing the sport, but its nice to see some press of this for the general public.

Admit it. You thought Arsene Wenger was tilting at windmills. His notion of maintaining a team with a few veterans and a core of youngsters was the folly of someone who was mailing it in--already certain he was following Thierry Henry to greener pastures. Wenger has spent the past few years racked with criticism over personnel and transfer decisions.

Tonight, Jose Mourinho has shocked the footballing world by quitting Chelsea. Certainly, given disappointing early results, rumors of a bust-up with owner Roman Abramovich, and the Special One's increasing frustration with the club, the question of whether this was a resignation or a sacking will be a sure topic for debate. While one might resent the way Mourinho alternated between

Jozy Altidore wrote a New York Times blog piece about US Soccer fans' impatience with young players. It is very well written and incredibly insightful. A must read.

Analysis is bulletized below--first an observation: Every American soccer fan has had this experience: you're alone watching the television, and in a moment of high drama, your team scores a crucial goal. In the ritual, communal experience of being a sports spectator, we're used to leaping, screaming, and generally losing control in with a crowd of fellow fans.

Due to spending vacation time with the family and out in the great outdoors, I didn't get to see most of the Copa America action and so I won't attempt to extensively blog commentary about something about which I can't actually provide original insight. Nonetheless, I've absorbed the various reports and highlights and real-time blogs and I think Jack Bell's piece (found via du Nord) sums up

I have a sneaking suspicion that while the mainstream sports media met the Gold Cup victory with a gaping yawn, US soccer stalwarts may hear about this result tomorrow. The phrase "without most of its regular starters" may be omitted from those references to the US Team. I had a 9:00 PM EST conference call for my job, so I followed along with Ives Galarcep's hilarious running commentary.

DaMarcus Beasley is staying in the UK by signing today with Rangers F.C. While it is good to see Beasley playing Champion's League football next year, but I have reservations about the move. Some will remember that pundits on both sides of the Atlantic questioned Claudio Reyna's switch to Ibrox due to his susceptibility to injury. While that has always been a concern for Claudio, commentators

It is done and dusted and Arsenal's talisman is gone. Thank goodness for the thrilling Gold Cup final and the US result or this may have been a truly depressing weekend. 16 million quid seems a pittance for the man I unequivocally insist is the world's best striker. I had hoped for getting Etoo as part of the package, but alas, it is cash on the barrel head only.

The USMNT will get 3 nights to bask in the glow of their supremacy over CONCACAF (in your face, Guadalupe) before they face a whole new ball game in the Copa America. Many supporters (including yours truly) wanted the US to take on the Copa America challenge so that our top players could get experience in significant international competition. What I had in mind, of course, was making sure