Poor Romelu Lukaku. He's improved in training, he's done okay in matches. He's even eaten fewer hamburgers. What more can a man do?!

Just goes to show though, doesn't it? Teams can spend a lot of money on players then never use them. Chelsea can cover this sort of thing, but arguably, Fulham can't.

Poor Romelu Lukaku. He's improved in training, he's done okay in matches. He's even eaten fewer hamburgers. What more can a man do?!

Just goes to show though, doesn't it? Teams can spend a lot of money on players then never use them. Chelsea can cover this sort of thing, but arguably, Fulham can't.

Fire forward Dominic Oduro is one player the Revolution defense will have to keep tabs on come Saturday. (Photo: Chris Aduama/aduama.com)

(Editor's note: Prior to each Revolution match, New England Soccer Today will invite a reporter who covers the Revolution's upcoming opponent to provide greater insight on what to expect on gameday.

If we retain the precious third spot after next weekend, will we, as fans, really be celebrating?

I don't mean celebrating as if we won a cup, or the league. But will we really feel satisfaction or accomplishment? I know, that with about eight weeks left, looking at the run in for ourselves, Spurs, Newcastle and Chelsea, it was exciting.

If we retain the precious third spot after next weekend, will we, as fans, really be celebrating?

I don't mean celebrating as if we won a cup, or the league. But will we really feel satisfaction or accomplishment? I know, that with about eight weeks left, looking at the run in for ourselves, Spurs, Newcastle and Chelsea, it was exciting.

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

In 2011, the Union had scored only 5 goals in the first seven games but their record was 4–2–1 instead of 2–4–1 as it is now. The defensive solidity that marked 2011 was unexpected and proved decisive for the first half of the season as the Union struggled to find consistent goalscoring.

Click here to view the embedded video.

New kits are coming thick and fast, and while most are going with the standard 'cute boy in a clean shirt' approach, Leeds United are enticing their fans with something a little different.

Tell us, Kickettes: do you even buy replica shirts?

No team is as reliably almost-but-not-quite great as the Chicago Fire. After their MLS Cup winning expansion season in 1998 they made the playoffs in 10 of the next 11 seasons, but never won it again - a stretch that included 2 finals losses and a grueling 5-year run from 2005 to 2009 of losing in the conference finals 4 times.

David Gill has told Manchester United fans to expect an "interesting time" this summer ahead of the transfer window opening.

"The work goes on all year round but obviously intensifies as we come to the end of the season in terms of players," Gill said. "There's various contracts we've got to do, we'll look at some acquisitions and there will be some players who will leave.

Saer Sene (left) and Jose Moreno may give the Revolution a formidable one-two punch up top this season. (Photo of Sene: Joshua Pearson. Photo of Moreno: Chris Aduama/aduama.com)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. For the first time this season, the Revolution finally featured what could be considered a legitimate first-choice striking tandem on Saturday.

Liverpool have identified Celtic's chief scout John Park as a leading candidate to replace Damien Comolli as director of football, it has been claimed.
Comolli was relieved of his duties last Thursday following a number of failed signings, and with the Reds faltering in the Premier League.
The Frenchman was responsible for bringing the likes of Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing to Anfield for exorbitant fees, and paid the price for the failings of the pitch of his numerous expensive acquisitions.

Fenway Sports Group and Liverpool FC confirmed today that Director of Football Damien Comolli has left the Club by mutual consent.

Principal Owner John Henry said: "We are grateful for all of Damien's efforts on behalf of Liverpool and wish him all the best for the future."

Liverpool Chairman Tom Werner added: "The Club needs to move forward and we now have a huge game on Saturday.

Colorado has just announced that they've signed midfielder Harrison Henao on loan from Once Caldas of Colombia. No terms were released but reports in Colombia say its until December and almost all MLS loans include an option to buy. Henao is a 25 year old player who's been a pro since 2006. Early indications are that he's a defensive midfielder, which may not be a positive sign for Pablo's recovery.

BY DAVE MARTINEZ

Will reinforcements be joining the New York Red Bulls soon? As of now, it doesn't seem likely.

With the April 15th transfer deadline only days away, Coach Hans Backe remains skeptical about the options he may have available to join his side.

Dear potential investor (and possible massage enthusiast),

It is with the greatest satisfaction that I, Dr. Moschlavius Gumperteer, report that FutSail Online University has launched with nary a snag. At the onset, we believe that our principles, business model, and early acquisitions have laid a foundation for fantastic profit margins.

EXCLUSIVE: Al Jazeera Sports Network has won the US TV rights to La Liga, beginning with the 2012-13 season, according to a source.

The shocking news means that GolTV's flagship league will no longer be shown on the Miami-based network. Al Jazeera Sports Network's acquisition of La Liga rights comes hot on the heels of similar acquisitions by Al Jazeera Sports Network worldwide including winning the bid to show Ligue 1 in France from 2012-13 through 2018-18, as well as the rights to show UEFA Champions League in France from 2012-2015.

It's almost come as shock to some people that Arsenal are kicking into gear and are starting to fly like R. Kelly believes he can.
It doesn't surprise me though. Not at all. There is too much quality in the squad for us not to be.
Of course, this current group of players is arguably one of Arsene Wenger's weakest since he joined the club but that just shows the strength of the previous teams he has had.

It was a classic opening game. The fans came hoping to see signs of a rebirth with new acquisitions and a team style that had finally gelled. They went away disappointed as DC United remained mired in the same ineffective scoring rut that ended the 2011 season.

Kansas City was superior in possession and earned far more good shooting chances.

The Philadelphia Union continued their youth minded approach to player acquisitions today, officially signing academy star Cristhian Hernandez to a Home Grown Player contract. Details of the contract were not released to the public, per team and Major League Soccer (MLS) policies.

Hernandez will use up an international roster spot in 2012, as reported by the Brotherly Game last month.

Yep, it's our preseason MLS spines list, a series that was, believe it or not, the topic of the second ever post on NSC. I, of course, take into account all recent preseason acquisitions and reserve the right to pick through these depth charts. The spines lists usually unfairly penalize teams for concentrating talent out wide in 4-3-3's, so keep in mind that teams like SKC and TFC will not be

Photo: Nizar Khalfan

Philadelphia Union waived midfielder Nizar Khalfan just days after he sat out the club's preseason friendly in Orlando.

Khalfan, 23, joined the Union via the MLS waiver draft in November after Vancouver let him go following a 2011 season in which he recorded one goal and four assists in 22 games.

photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com

Tim Ream returned to England earlier this week with all the necessary paperwork completed for him to suit up for Bolton Wanderers, and he might not have to wait long at all to make his debut.

Bolton manager Owen Coyle told reporters on Thursday morning that Ream, and two of the other club's recent acquisitions, will be on the gameday squad that will take on Wigan Athletic in a match with relegation implications on Saturday.

While I'm relatively certain that most dedicated followers of MLS will know what United are getting with the likes of Maicon Santos and Danny Cruz, there's still an element of mystery surrounding the acquisitions from the mid-tier Euro-leagues. Most of us see precious little from Swiss or Austrian clubs outside of perhaps the odd Europa League highlight.

Glenn Davis on Dynamo Player Acquisitions and Trialists

Some interesting info from Glenn Davis. Most notable the name of one of the trialists (and intriguing fellow), and a quick poke at the Boniek Garcia rumors. Keep hope alive 2012!

Agudelo: One Foot Out the Door?When the New York Red Bulls' disappointing 2011 season drew to a close, both Hans Backe and Erik Solér assured fans that they had identified the team's main weaknesses and would be taking steps over the winter to address them. But with 2012 preseason training camp having opened this week, the RBNY roster is still a work in progress, with question marks hanging over the heads of several players and doubts remaining about key positions and bench depth.

Thursday morning marks the beginning of training camp for the Seattle Sounders. Training camp is the MLS version of musical chairs. While the music is playing every one at the party gets to play. But once the music stops, some of these men are going to find themselves without a seat. The current roster of 28 players will be augmented in camp by 7 draftees and a collection of trialists.

Last season a small tweetmeme of #TheTrialist started after Seattle Sounders FC reported non-drafted, non-contracted players as "trialist" in their reports of pre-season scrimmages. There were occasions when "Trialist 1" passed to "Trialist 4." Due to Major League Soccer's various player acquisition methods this was done to reduce the chances of said player being claimed prior to Seattle claiming the player as their own.

2012: Rise of the Chinese Football Empire? is a post from: Just Football

Following the arrival of Nicolas Anelka and Jean Tigana at Shanghai Shenhua, the Chinese Super League (CSL) has received more attention in a month than it has previously done in almost a decade.

The CSL itself is coming up to its ninth year as China's top league since it superseded the Jia-A League in 2003.

On Monday we held a the last live Q&A on the Brotherly Game for the 2011 year. Some of the formatting got screwed up by the conversion to SBN. Here's the transcript:

Hello everyone! Welcome to the Brotherly Game's last live Q&A of the 2011 year. Ask your questions as we head even closer to the 2012 MLS season.

Peter Nowak spoke to the press today, only hours after the Union announced Costa Rican left back Porfirio Lopez as the team's fifth offseason signing.

"Porfirio [Lopez] has a great capacity going back and forth and taking pride at defending, and that's a part we take a look at very closely," Nowak said.

Featured image: Paul Rudderow

Editor's note: At the end of the 2010 season, we posted a series of season reviews of every Philadelphia Union player. Over the next several weeks PSP continues with a review of the 2011 season.

A striker can go missing for long stretches, only to pop up and score with a single touch.

FC Dallas traded Honduran winger Marvin Chavez to the San Jose Earthquakes on Friday, securing an allocation in the process.

The deal sent Chavez, who enjoyed a standout season in Dallas, to San Jose, where he should slot right in as the team's starting right winger.

Chavez delivered six goals and four assists for FC Dallas, providing a perfect complement on the right wing to Brek Shea's forays from the left flank.

On Novara's synthetic surface, Roma had to dig deep, and dig they did, unearthing three much needed points thanks to a blend of persistence and vision. Against dogged and at times enterprising resistance, Roma looked to their new acquisitions as architects of an away day three points, rekindling the capital club's assault on Serie A but then came an unfortunately timed break for.

Behind the Axe looks at the offseason's key dates for the various MLS drafts and player acquisitions methods, including the Expansion Draft and Super Draft. The 2011 MLS Cup is previewed with all 10 participating clubs and the general schedule of matches.

Luis Suarez is confident that, under the stewardship of Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool can add some silverware to the Anfield trophy cabinet this season.
The Reds are without a notable trophy since the 2006 FA Cup final triumph over West Ham - and five years represents an unaccustomed period of time devoid of glory for a club with such a rich history.

Torino defender Angelo Ogbonna has attempted to distance himself from rumours linking him with a move to Liverpool.
Reports in recent weeks have suggested the Reds are pursuing the Italian centre-back and could make an offer for his services in January.
And, despite initially suggesting Liverpool would be a 'dream club' to play for, the 23-year-old now says he was unaware of Kenny Dalglish's alleged interest.

Liverpool owner John W Henry concedes he may have overspent on some players, but believes it was important to put down a marker.
Since completing a takeover at Anfield in October 2010, the Fenway Sports Group has pumped £110.5million into the pursuit of fresh faces.
The likes of Andy Carroll, Luis Suarez, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing have been snapped up for big money, with the Reds aware of the need to spend in order to compete.

Manchester City's Spanish forward David Silva slammed Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque for his biased team selection and claimed that the only reason he never featured regularly for his national team was because he was not a Barcelona or Real Madrid player.

City are indeed having a good season so far and many people are starting to take their title ambitions very seriously.

Spurs late summer looked a lot like the one experienced across North London at Arsenal. What the acquisitions lacked in romance and long term strategic benefit they more than made up for in being effective near-term band-aids. Spurs needed something new at forward and a deep-lying player to both win the ball and start the attack.

Right, so now as the dust settles on another tansfer window, where we made some great early progress with players such as Cabaye, Marveaux, Obertan, Abeid and Ba, and a couple of late window acquisitions in the shape of Elliot and Santon, we're all set for the next big game in the stop/start beginning to [.