Some last minute articles and posts from around the web...

• 2009 Final MLS SuperDraft Forward Rankings - 3rd Degree
• 2009 Final MLS SuperDraft Midfield Rankings - 3rd Degree
• 2009 Final MLS SuperDraft Defender Rankings - 3rd Degree
• 2009 Final Goalkeeping Prospects Rankings - 3rd Degree
• MLS Combine Wrap Up - 3rd Degree
• 2009 MLS Final Draft Rankings - Pro Player Pipeline
• The Spirit in St.

Soccer City FC as interviewed several of the players competing at this year's MLS Combine which begins on January 9th. We will post the interviews as they become available here or elsewhere. Stay tuned.

• Collegiate Corner: Tosaint Ricketts (2/22/2008)
  

Here are five from the crystal ball. Let's check back next fall and see how right or wrong we were.
1. Wake Forest's Lyle Adams will be a finalist for Rookie of the Year
2. Six first rounders will appear in at least 20 games. Last season there were two - Sean Franklin and Roger Espinoza.

Indiana University midfielder Brad Ring is one of top prospects available for tomorrow's 2009 MLS SuperDraft. Analyst Buzz Carrick has the holding mid listed as his number 11 prospect in the entire player pool. Soccer City FC recently spoke with the player prior to the MLS Combine which he was unable to attend due to injury.

I took a look at roster security for several of the players interviewed prior to the draft over at SI.com's FanNation. Have a look: Reality Check

Received this via Behind the Badge - D.C. United's Official Blog.
Ben Olsen, Bryan Namoff, Santino Quaranta, Chris Pontius and Rodney Wallace helped create a video showcasing the history of D.C. United rookie pranks.

Kartik Krishnaiyer at MLS Talk with an excellent piece on the need for MLS to refocus on domestic priorities -- Read On -- MLS Needs to Refocus on the Domestic Game

By: Michael Paar -- Owner of The Business of US Soccer
Ever since the fall of 2006, when Major League Soccer first announced the new initiative, teams in the young league have been allowed to put advertisers' brands on the front of their jerseys. While this was a new thing in the world of major sport in the United States, it brought MLS more in line with the rest of the world, especially the older, more established leagues.

Read about Goal.com's team -- Goal.com's MLS Team Of The Week: Round 7
I really have enjoyed watching and reading about Chivas USA this season. Also, happy to see Colorado doing well. But when will FC Dallas turn the season around? Is the team really this poor?

Here is my write up at The Touchline. Is it time to start thinking MLS Network?

• MLS Network

With Major League Soccer's talent evaluators increasingly looking to Africa for players, Soccer City FC provides a look at the week's top performers from the African continent.br /br /strongChicago Fire/strongbr /br /- Defender Bakary Soumare (Mali): 90 minutes in win at FC Dallasbr /br /- Forward Patrick Nyarko (Ghana): 73 minutes, one assist, in victory at FC Dallasbr /br /strongColorado Rapids/strongbr /br /- Defender Ugo Ihemelu (US, of Nigerian descent): 90 minutes, one shot on goal, at Chivas USAbr /br /strongColumbus Crew/strongbr /br /- Midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo (Nigeria): 90 minutes played in tie at Houstonbr /br /strongD.

Let's not forget that Soccer City FC's team of writers enjoy reading about the beautiful game up in Toronto. Well the a href="http://www.24thminute.com/"The 24th Minute/a, an upper echelon Toronto FC/MLS blog, has put together a rather nice review of the match... a href="http://www.24thminute.com/2009/03/sober-second-thoughts-result-to.

On Wednesday 23rd April, Espanyol asserted their intention of survival in the Spanish Primera Division by overcoming fellow relegation-threatened Sporting Gijon to rise within one point of the safe haven which is 17th position. Across the Atlantic, Toronto FC defeated New York Red Bulls to secure their second victory of the Major League Soccer season.

Photo Credit: University of Washington Athletic Communications
On Saturday, midfielder Raphael Cox, starting for the first time this season, played 67 minutes against Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center.
Cox made his way into the lineup mainly due to RSL's decision to switch up formations.

MLS Daily really has a diligent crew working over there. Each day a wonderful list of links dealing with individual clubs, general MLS discussion, and the USMNT can be found at the site.
Soccer City FC's MLS Jersey Sponsorship article made today's edition -- Around The League - 06.22.2009
Check 'em out -- MLS Daily

We will have some up in the next 72 hours or so... Drop back in for the fun.

Some great recent interviews out at a href="http://www.mls-daily.com/"MLS Daily/a.br /br /Last Friday there was the a href="http://www.mls-daily.com/2009/03/q-herculez-gomez.html"Qamp;A: Herculez Gomez/a and each week RSL's Will Johnson has a post known as em"Growing up on the KOP"/embr /br /Check out the latest edition.

Via D.C. United/Behind The Badge -- Here are video and photos from today's March (May 9, 2009), in which nearly 1,000 United supporters gathered at Lincoln Park in D.C. and marched a mile to RFK Stadium as a sign of support for the club and its desire for a new stadium.
Click here for Video and Photos.

RSL's Behind the Shield is one of the many "official" MLS blogs. A recent post at the blog has a great photo of the team up in the hinterlands enjoying a snowshoeing adventure.
Check the post out - More Arrivals

Los Angeles with the weekly update -- Read On -- Weekly Update: Galaxy return home
Five of note from the update:
1. L.A. scored three and conceded three in the two games played.
2. Three players accounted for the three goals -- of course, Landon Donovan was involved.
3.

Logo via Match Fit USA
Jason Davis of Match Fit USA kindly took some time to talk about the U.S. men's national team and the state of MLS. We also spoke about his site, which Soccer City FC highly recommends if you are looking for insightful pieces on the state of U.S. soccer.
Q.

Rookie defender Matt Besler, the Kansas City Wizards first pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft, is penning a weekly blog post at MLS Daily. Great work by the site editor to bring Matt in to offer up the "inside look" at the MLS experience.
Read on -- Across The Midwest Pitch - #1