When Mike Grella passed on the 2009 MLS draft, it was unclear where the Duke striker would test
the professional soccer waters. It appears his quest for a professional contract has landed him in
England.
Grella is on trial with Leeds United, and scored three goals in Leeds' reserve
match against Barnsley on Tuesday.
Photo by Zips Sports Photography
Call it a major mock draft shake-up.
Plenty has happened since the last SBI Mock Draft, from word that Ike Opara would be staying in
school to the latest news that Baggio Husidic would be available.
Photo by ISIphotos.com
by GIANFRANCO PANIZO
When American-born San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Arturo Alvarez stated his public desire
to play for the El Salvador National Team last week, it was upsetting news for USA
fans who considered him a viable left wing prospect and thought they were losing yet another
prospect to a foreign country.
Photo
by ISIphotos.com
Dos a Cero.
The score almost seemed inevitable in the latest installment of USA-Mexico after the U.
Photo by ISIphotos.com
When Marcus Tracy passed on Major League Soccer's last offer, and decided to skip the MLS
Combine and Draft for a chance at European soccer, he wasn't expected to wait too long to find
interest from abroad.
You already knew that The Special One was funny in I'm On Setanta Sports, and the debut of
Special 1 TV last week was a strong start, but none of that will prepare you for the absolute
hilarity that takes place in the second episode.
I can't do the episode just with my words, so just watch and enjoy:
"I was told the Gene Hackman was lacking in Quaresma, so I gave him some.
It was a cool night in Newark as a few hundred soccer enthusists (and a handful of college
coaches) converged on the campus of New Jersey Institute of Technology to catch a glimpse of the
future of American soccer, and the show was worth the trip.
No, there weren't tons of highlight-reel plays, but some good, tough soccer between the U.
Good morning everybody. As MLS teams begin to report for rookie training camp and full training
camp in the coming days and weeks, we here at SBI will try to keep you posted on any news and notes
that emerge from those camps.
Veris on trial with D.C. United
Former Los Angeles Galaxy defender Kyle Veris has joined with D.
Just when you thought The Special One was gone for good, now we get word that he could be back
and better than ever.
EPL Talk has revealed that I'm On Setanta Sports is coming backin its new form as a new show on
Setanta Sports called Special 1 TV. No word yet on when or how often the new show will air but
it is heading to the airwaves soon.
When a Mexican journalist asked Landon Donovan if he was disappointed that there were Mexican
fans but no American fans at Crew Stadium for Tuesday's final practices ahead of Wednesday's World
Cup qualifier, Donovan expressed confidence that American fans would make their presence known soon
enough.
A day after the word came out that the New York Red Bulls would not take part in the All-Stars
for Hope Charity Soccer Match at Giants Stadium on June 14th, now comes word that the event's
organizers have lined up a new club to take part.
Copa Libertadores champions and recent FIFA Club World Cup runners-up LDU Quito are set to take
part in the event, which is set to include such world stars as Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry,
Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.
The 2008 MLS Draft is just ten days away and the MLS Combine begins on Saturday, meaning the
Generation adidas draft class should be revealed very soon. Sources are telling me the list has
been all but finalized.
A total of nine players have been signed to Generation adidas contract, with a potential tenth
still being discussed.
Photo by ISIphotos.com
by GIANFRANCO PANIZO
The first day of the MLS Combine had its highlights and lowlights, but while some of the MLS
draft's top prospects struggled pretty badly, there were also players who helped increase their
stock.
Photo by Andy Mead/YCJ Photos
A central defender drafted by New York with a second round pick will be taking the field this
week when the New York Red Bulls begin training for rookies and non-roster invitees, but it won't
be the player you were expecting.
If you didn't happen to be one of the few people still in the ballroom at the St. Louis
Convention Center when the fourth and final round of the 2009 MLS Draft wound down, you probably
missed your chance to see one of the best speeches delivered in MLS draft history (or at the very
least, the best draft speech this year).
Photo
by ISIphotos.com
After two days of the MLS Combine two things are clear. This year's draft really is deep with
solid prospects and there will be more wheeling and dealing this week than perhaps any other draft
week in MLS history.
Photo by ISIphotos.com
And down the stretch they come.
We are exactly a week away from the 2009 MLS Draft and this weekend all 15 MLS teams will be in
Ft.
Photo by ISIphotos.com
by GIANFRANCO PANIZO
When American-born San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Arturo Alvarez stated his public desire
to play for the El Salvador National Team last week, it was upsetting news for USA
fans who considered him a viable left wing prospect and thought they were losing yet another
prospect to a foreign country.
Photo
by ISIphotos.net
Tim Howard, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Oguchi Onyewu were among the European-based
veterans called in to the U.
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inline"img alt="Frankie Hejduk 2 (Reuters)" class="at-xid-6a00e54ef2975b883301156e90db5f970c "
src="http://www.soccerbyives.net/.a/6a00e54ef2975b883301156e90db5f970c-500wi"/img/a /p pThe U.S.
national team's stirring 2-2 comeback draw had its share of drama, excitement and disappointment,
but it is clear the match as a whole was one that left many U.
pa href="http://www.soccerbyives.net/.a/6a00e54ef2975b883301156fcd5c31970b-pi" style="DISPLAY:
inline"img alt="Fredy Montero (ISIphotos.com)" class="at-xid-6a00e54ef2975b883301156fcd5c31970b "
height="459" src="http://www.soccerbyives.net/.a/6a00e54ef2975b883301156fcd5c31970b-500wi"
width="368"/img/a /p pSeattle Sounders star striker Fredy Montero a href="http://seattletimes.
With Manchester United already in the final, we will find out today whether the defending UEFA
Champions League titleholders will face FC Barcelona in a dream final, or face Chelsea in a rematch
of last year's final.
Chelsea and Barcelona square off today at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of their semifinal
series.
The Landon Donovan show continued for Bayern Munich on Monday as the U.S. national team star
came off the bench and scored a goal in Bayern's 2-0 win vs. Kaiserslautern on Monday.
Donovan came off the bench in the second half, replacing Miroslav Klose, and put the friendly
out of reach with his perfect header from close range.
by GIANFRANCO PANIZO
With most people (including those of us on SBI) focused on the MLS Draft and Landon Donovan's
performances with Bayern Munich last week, you might have missed the other American
player who beautifully scored for his German club side. The author of the fascinating
goal?
Photo by ISIphotos.com
You may not have realized it in your post New Year's Day haze but the 2009 MLS Draft is less
than two weeks away.
The upcoming MLS Draft was already stocked with talent, but that talent pool will be a little
deeper after Major League Soccer was able to sign one of its top targets.
University of Illinois-Chicago midfielder Baggio Husidic has signed a Generation adidas contract
and will be available in the 2009 MLS Draft on Jan.
Photo by ISIphotos.com
If you are a U.S. men's national team fan waiting anxiously for USA-Mexico World Cup
qualifying tickets to become available, the wait appears to be over.
Photo courtesy Duke University
BY DYLAN BUTLER
A few days removed from his lifelong dream becoming reality, Mike Grella returned to his
family's Glen Cove, L.
by GIANFRANCO PANIZO
If Jozy Altidore were to make a list of the best moments in his professional career then
his hat-trick performance in the United States' World Cup qualifying win over Trinidad & Tobago
last week would probably be at or near the top of the list.
American-born defender Edgar Castillo has been cleared by FIFA to play for the United States,
meaning the questions can begin about whether he will eventually be the answer for the team at left
back.
Jonathan Bornstein's disappointing showing vs. El Salvador served as a reminder of the lack of
options at left fullback, with captain Carlos Bocanegra looking like the most reliable option there
these days.
UNLV and U.S. Under-20 striker Daniel Cruz has become the ninth player to sign a Generation
adidas contract, making him available for the 2009 MLS Draft on Jan. 15, sources
confirmed to SBI on Tuesday
a sophomore at UNLV, Cruz has emerged as one of the most highly-regarded players in the U.
Saturday's World Cup qualifiers in the CONCACAF region were supposed to help clear things up in
the race to make the 2010 World Cup, but the results have only served to make it even tougher to
tell which teams will qualify and which will struggle.
Mexico's 3-0 romp in Costa Rica, coupled with Honduras' 4-1 thrashing of Trinidad & Tobago means
four teams are within a point of each other atop the CONCACAF standings.
If you're a U.S. national team fan hoping to catch a glimpse of midfielder Jermaine Jones, you
may soon get your chance.
Jones returned to practice for Schalke 04 on Tuesday, having finally recovered from a nagging
shin injury that has sidelined him for most of 2009. Jones ran through training exercises and some
ball work.
Everton's search for a striker has led them to none other than Jozy Altidore, but Villarreal
isn't interested.
According to Sky Sports, Everton has had an initial offer for Altidore turned down, with
Villarreal wanting the 18-year-old Altidore to settle in Spain.
Altidore has seen limited playing time for Villarreal, earning a pair of starts just before the
winter break only to return to the bench, but he told SBI just last month that he was happy in
Spain and enjoying his time with Villarreal.
Say it ain't so Joe-Say.
I'm On Setanta Sports aired its final episode on Saturday, ending a great run of comedy that may
never be repeated. Now, that's assuming this isn't just a ploy. Can it really be the end? I refuse
to believe it.
If it is the end, then here is the final episode of perhaps the funniest soccer skit ever, enjoy
it:
Apocalyptic!
Photo by ISIphotos.com
The curious case of Lider Marmol has come to an end in Chicago.
The Paraguayan defender/midfielder has been granted a release from his contract with the Chicago
Fire so that he can join a team in his native Paraguay, sources told SBI over the weekend.
Photo by
ISIphotos.net
By GIANFRANCO PANIZO
As frequently as the United States and Mexico face each other it is rare to see a wave of new
faces making their debut in this heated series, least of all in important games like World Cup
qualifiers.
New Jersey's Sky Blue FC announced the official firing of Head Coach/General Manager Ian
Sawyers on Thursday afternoon.
According to the SBFC CEO and President Thomas Hofstetter, "The dissagreements between the
coach, team, and management made it impossible to move forward successfully."
Hofstetter goes on to say that the club "needs to maintain the goals, and the atmosphere that is
most conducive for [the] team, and be able to focus on building the league.
With the New Year upon is, it is time to start thinking about which two lucky cities will be
granted MLS expansion franchises. While the FC Barcelona-backed Miami bid has
received plenty of attention in recent weeks, it isn't the bid that makes the most sense.
The bid that remains the best of the bunch is the St.
Jozy Altidore's loan move to Spanish second division leaders Deportivo Xerez is now official, a
source close to Altidore confirmed on Friday.
Altidore joined his new club today for the start of a half-season loan that should afford him
the opportunity for much more playing time than he has been receiving with Villarreal.
