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With January here, the winter transfer season is upon us and while the moves of big European stars will rule the headlines, there are a bunch of American players in dire need of loans or transfers this month.

You know it's not an ideal trend.

Edson Buddle finally broke his seven-game scoreless streak in grand fashion, pulling Ingolstadt even with area rivals 1860 Munich on Sunday afternoon with a jaw-dropping shot as the two teams each earned one point.

-Jason Davis
The Portland Timbers unveiled the returning Kenny Cooper, their highest profile signing to date, at a press conference yesterday. Cooper comes back to MLS after spending a predominantly disappointing season and a half on the books of 1860 Munich of the 2.Bundesliga. Although his European adventure didn't pan out, Cooper is a proven MLS goal-scorer, an asset worth the investment for the Timbers.

It has come to pass, then, that German football sees its first Arab investor with last week's announcement that Hasan Ismaik bought a 49% ownership stake in 1860 Munich. The thirty-four year old Jordanian reportedly signed away €18 million in order for the Bavarian club to avoid a calamitous descent from the 2.

It has come to pass, then, that German football sees its first Arab investor with last week's announcement that Hasan Ismaik bought a 49% ownership stake in 1860 Munich. The thirty-four year old Jordanian reportedly signed away €18 million in order for the Bavarian club to avoid a calamitous descent from the 2.

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Thomas Rongen has selected the 20 players for the United States Under-20 World Cup qualifying campaign that gets underway later this month.

Eight MLS players and 16 professionals in total highlight the roster, which includes the likes of Sebastian Lletget, Joseph Gyau, Conor Doyle and Omar Salgado but does not include Bayern Munich youth product Fabian Huerzeler.

TSV 1860 München, commonly known as 1860 Munich is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. The club's soccer team plays in the second tier of German soccer, the 2. Bundesliga, following relegation from the Bundesliga at the end of the 2003/04 season. TSV finished the 2010/11 season in 9th position in the [.

TSV 1860 München, commonly known as 1860 Munich is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. The club's soccer team plays in the second tier of German soccer, the 2. Bundesliga, following relegation from the Bundesliga at the end of the 2003/04 season. TSV finished the 2010/11 season in 9th position in the [.

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Former FC Dallas striker Kenny Cooper is on his way back to Major League Soccer, but he won't be returning to Texas.

According to German publication Kicker, Cooper is leaving 1860 Munich to join the Portland Timbers.

By FRANCO PANIZO

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - MLS coaches were probably wishing that Joe Gyau was entering the upcoming draft.

Gyau, who is under contract with German club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, enjoyed an impressive outing in the U.S. U-20 national team's intra-squad scrimmage on Sunday afternoon.

Forward Kenny Cooper is once again a member of Major League Soccer, joining the expansion Portland Timbers. Cooper left MLS after the 2009 season, signing with 2.Bundesliga club 1860 Munich. He spent the second half of the 2009-10 season on loan with Plymouth Argyle. Cooper missed time this Fall recovering from an ankle injury.

Berlin will no longer be the only major European capital without a top flight football team.

Hertha won promotion back to the Bundesliga with with three games left to play, after beating DFB-Pokal finalists Duisburg 1-0 in the 2. Bundesliga's Monday night match. Since this was an away match, Hertha had to postpone the big party until Friday, when they'll host 1860 Munich.

One of the best lines from that cinematic masterpiece Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby, is "If you ain't first, you're last." While not entirely apt, denizens at Maine Road and later Eastlands might have felt this way a bit as they witnessed Manchester United win league titles and trophies whilst City battled relegations and derby defeats.

One of the best lines from that cinematic masterpiece Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby, is "If you ain't first, you're last." While not entirely apt, denizens at Maine Road and later Eastlands might have felt this way a bit as they witnessed Manchester United win league titles and trophies whilst City battled relegations and derby defeats.

One of the best lines from that cinematic masterpiece Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby, is "If you ain't first, you're last." While not entirely apt, denizens at Maine Road and later Eastlands might have felt this way a bit as they witnessed Manchester United win league titles and trophies whilst City battled relegations and derby defeats.

One of the best lines from that cinematic masterpiece Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby, is "If you ain't first, you're last." While not entirely apt, denizens at Maine Road and later Eastlands might have felt this way a bit as they witnessed Manchester United win league titles and trophies whilst City battled relegations and derby defeats.

Dan Wiersema of The Free Beer Movement puts together a star-studded broadcasting panel

Class, class....class!

As American crafts its own soccer identity on the field and in the stands another front has opened as well in the broadcasting booth. Major League Soccer's first generation of players (Jamie Moreno, who retired in 2010, was the last player to have played in the league's inaugural 1996 season) has taken off their boots and several have made the move behind the mic.

Introducing The Real Stoffers.... You get to meet a few people in this game. We've have had the pleasure of raising a glass with quite a few "colleagues" from this football, travelling and writing business but few are as passionate and committed to the cause than Michael "Stoffers" Stoffl. A huge 1860 Munich fan both in terms of his size (Stoffers is the tallest man in Germany at 8 foot tall*),

P TIMES PG J V E D GM GS SG 1 SpVgg Greuther Fürth 12 5 4 0 1 11 3 8 2 Fortuna Düsseldorf 11 5 3 2 0 11 4 7 3 St. Pauli 10 4 3 1 0 8 3 5 4 Eintracht Braunschweig 10 5 3 1 1 9 6 3 5 1860 Munich 9 5 3 0 2 13 7 6 6 Energie Cottbus 9 4 3 0 1 6 7 -1 7 Eintracht Frankfurt 8 4 2 2 0 8 4 4 8 Union Berlin 7 5 2 1 2 6 10 -4 9 Karlsruher SC 6 4 2 0 2 7 7 0 10 Erzgebirge Aue 5 5 1 2 2 2 7 -5 11 Dynamo Dresden 4 4 1 1 2 6 4 2 12 Hansa Rostock 4 5 0 4 1 2 3 -1 13 Bochum 4 5 1 1 3 3 6 -3 14 SC Paderborn 07 4 4 1 1 2 3 6 -3 15 FSV Frankfurt 3 4 0 3 1 2 3 -1 16 MSV Duisburg 2 4 0 2 2 3 5 -2 17 Ingolstadt 04 2 5 0 2 3 2 10 -8 18 Alemannia Aachen 1 5 0 1 4 1 8 -7

P TIMES PG J V E D GM GS SG 1 SpVgg Greuther Fürth 15 6 5 0 1 15 4 11 2 St. Pauli 13 6 4 1 1 10 5 5 3 Fortuna Düsseldorf 12 6 3 3 0 11 4 7 4 Energie Cottbus 12 5 4 0 1 8 7 1 5 Eintracht Frankfurt 12 6 3 3 0 12 4 8 6 Eintracht Braunschweig 13 6 4 1 1 10 6 4 7 1860 Munich 12 6 4 0 2 16 8 8 8 SC Paderborn 07 8 6 2 2 2 5 7 -2 9 Union Berlin 7 6 2 1 3 7 13 -6 10 Karlsruher SC 6 6 2 0 4 7 13 -6 11 FSV Frankfurt 6 6 1 3 2 6 7 -1 12 MSV Duisburg 5 6 1 2 3 7 7 0 13 Erzgebirge Aue 5 5 1 2 2 2 7 -5 14 Ingolstadt 04 5 6 1 2 3 5 11 -6 15 Dynamo Dresden 4 6 1 1 4 7 9 -2 16 Hansa Rostock 4 6 0 4 2 3 6 -3 17 Bochum 4 6 1 1 4 4 10 -6 18 Alemannia Aachen 2 6 0 2 4 1 8 -7

Thirty-one players were called in for the combined U-20/U-23 training camp in Duisburg, Germany, from Nov. 7-16.

GOALKEEPERS David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes; Pleasanton, Calif.), Cody Cropper (Ipswich Town; Athens, Ga.), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire, Lilburn, Ga.

*Midfielder Jose Villarreal, a Leuzinger High product, and defender Zarek Valentin, who made 24 starts for the Goats this season, were among 31 players selected for the camp, which will run Monday through Nov. 16 in Germany under Claudio Reyna, U.S. youth technical director.

And check out all those German-based players on the full squad:

Goalkeepers: David Bingham (San Jose), Cody Cropper (Ipswich, England), Sean Johnson (Chicago), Jon Kempin (Sporting KC)

Defenders: Gale Agbossoumonde (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Anthony Brooks (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Sean Cunningham (Molde, Norway), Royal-Dominique Fennell (Stuttgarter Kickers, Germany), Greg Garza (no club), Perry Kitchen (D,C.

Inglostadt x 1860 Munich - Audi Arena - I didn't know it at the half-way point of my trip, but this would be my final match. Since I was in Munich on a Sunday, the odds of a lower divison side having a nearby match were good. I'm extremely lucky that Inglostadt, a city one hour North of Munich, was hosting TSV 1860 Munich.

The U.S. U-20 MNT played an intrasquad scrimmage in front of coaches and scouts from every MLS club, a slew of media and some fans at the Central Broward Regional Park – the same field as the MLS combine games.

Those in attendance were treated to an impressive display, with the game being played at a high pace – especially for an intrasquad.

Inglostadt x 1860 Munich - Audi Arena - I didn't know it at the half-way point of my trip, but this would be my final match. Since I was in Munich on a Sunday, the odds of a lower divison side having a nearby match were good. I'm extremely lucky that Inglostadt, a city one hour North of Munich, was hosting TSV 1860 Munich.

STARTERS
The USA has confirmed 2 more friendly matches - Sat Mar 26 v Argentina in the Meadowlands, and Tue Mar 29 v Paraguay in Nashville.
dN
The word around town is that Kenny Cooper been released by his club in Germany freeing him up to sign with Portland.

Kenny Cooper is returning to MLS with Portland.

After a couple weeks of speculation and rumors former FC Dallas striker Kenny Cooper has left German side TSV 1860 Munich to join the MLS expansion side Portland Timbers.

The 26-year old transferred to 2.Bundesliga (second division) side 1860 Munich in 2009 after four seasons in MLS with FC Dallas.

The Portland Timbers bolstered their attack at last week's MLS Draft with the selection of Akron striker Darlington Nagbe, and now the Timbers have officially added an ideal partner for Nagbe in former U.S. national team striker Kenny Cooper.

Portland announced the acquisition of Cooper on Monday, pending receipt of his international transfer certificate.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Forward Kenny Cooper has signed with Major League Soccer's Portland Timbers. The 26-year-old had 40 goals in 90 games for FC Dallas from 2006-09. Cooper then signed with 1860 Munich and scored three goals in 15 games in all competitions. He spent part of this year on loan at Plymouth as it [.

Lots happening over the last week or so it's time for Project 2010 to help you catch up:

The big move to report is Jermaine Jones to Blackburn. The American midfielder has joined the club on loan for the duration for the season, although Blackburn are supposedly saying they'd like to make the loan deal permanent at the end of the season.

-Jason Davis
After two and half years in Europe, Kenny Cooper is back in MLS as a member of the Portland Timbers. The Timbers get a proven MLS striker and something of a name; Cooper gets a chance to play regularly and return to the form that attracted so much European attention in the first place.

U.S. Under-20 national team striker Bobby Wood was one of the standouts of the recent U-20 camp, and his stellar form has helped earn him a place on the 1860 Munich first team.

Wood joins the first team just a week after 1860 Munich parted ways with another American striker, Kenny Cooper, who has signed with the Portland Timbers.

David Yelldell and MSV Duisburg fought back from a one-goal halftime deficit to earn a point one the road in the final minutes against 1860 Munich in a game which also saw American youngster Bobby Wood make his professional debut for the hosts as a second-half substitute.

For those wondering why the Fire weren't involved in talks to acquire either Charlies Davies or Kenny Cooper, here's a look at the current MLS allocation order. The current "roster rules" require that National Team players returning to or enteriing MLS be subjected to the allocation process.

"The allocation ranking is the mechanism used to determine which MLS club has first priority to acquire a U.

By JOSE M. ROMERO

Much of Kenny Cooper's soccer career, from the U.S. to Europe, has been defined by potential and promise that was deflated by injury.

But the big striker, still young at 26, had one very memorable season in MLS in 2008. He scored 18 goals and played in all 30 regular-season games for FC Dallas, winning Comeback Player of the Year, Best XI and All-Star honors.

In a match that was never close, the U.S. under-20 men's national soccer team dominated Suriname on the way to a 4-0 win in their opening game of the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Guatemala.

The Americans, whose starting eleven featured Zac MacMath and Amobi Okugo of the Philadelphia Union, came out playing an attractive, attacking style of soccer in their 4-3-3 formation and kept their foot on the pedal throughout the entire first half.

U.S. U-20 MNT forward Bobby Wood has lived the teenage soccer player's dream. Having a successful trial at 13 years old and moving to Europe at 14, Wood has made a home at 1860 Munich and graduated to the first team this season. He was called into a camp with U-20 coach Thomas Rongen in April 2010, and has been a mainstay ever since.

After picking up a knee injury in Guatemala with the US U-20 national team, 1860 Munich forward Bobby Wood will sit out the final two games of the 2.Bundesliga season.

Heading into this weekend's action we gave you some results to keep an eye on.
Oguchi Onyewu collected another medal as FC Twente charged back from a two-goal deficit to win 3-2 against Ajax in the Dutch Cup final. The teams will meet again this weekend at Ajax with the league title on the line.

All aboard the Football Express to Germany 1860 München 3-0 SpVgg Greuther Fürth (23:04:11)FC Augsburg 1-2 Alemannia Aachen (24:04:11) Rocco Cammisola waxes lyrical about his trip to Munich before colleague Matt Campbell picks up the baton and runs us through a day of watching football in Augsburg.