It's time once again to take the pulse of American soccer, and this month "State of the States" is all about "F" words. Lest you get the wrong idea, I'm not going to engage in any obscenity-laced criticism of my poor DC United's front office. Instead, we're going to talk Friendlies and Flagship Franchises.

Photo by Tony Quinn/ISIphotos.com

We will find out in about two hours who the MLS All-Star Team reserve and commissioner's pick selections are and while he's just 17 and on the worst team in MLS, Andy Najar should be one of those selections.

A little while back, in a late night ramble that may or may not have been ill-advised, I went off on those who reacted negatively to the possibility that MLS would't "allow" Landon Donovan to go back to Europe. I rejected the idea of valid indignation on the subject, and I talked at length about what we didn't know about Donovan's own wishes and the role that played in my response.

The All-Star Game is approaching and the worst kept secret in MLS is about to be released and ATL is back to cover it all. Scott and Brian guide the ship with Sarah at a haunted dorm in Alabama. We talk to correspondents from New York, LA, Houston, Seattle, Toronto, Columbus, Salt Lake, San Jose and Chivas USA.

Manchester United has released the 23-man roster for its upcoming North American tour that includes a stop at Reliant Stadium in Houston for the Major League Soccer All-Star game.

Wayne Rooney, not surprisingly, is not included in the squad, nor is Gary Neville, who suffered a calf injury in a recent training session.

By TRAVIS CLARK

The All-Star Game has come and gone, but its impact could be felt this weekend. With almost every team represented, tired legs might hamper some of the star players involved in Wednesday's game.

Overshadowing that is the likely MLS debut of New York Red Bull signing Thierry Henry, who could start against the Houston Dynamo.

Thierry Henry makes his league debut in Houston tomorrow. (Getty Images)

The league regular season slate is back on after a couple days off for the All-Star break. Is it really a break if clubs only get a couple days off? A debate for another time I guess. I feel as though this week is really the start of the second half of the year though, not because of the All-Star game but due to the fact that we're really going into the big stretch run of the year in August.

Old friends meet up in Chicago this weekend as Ljungberg and the Fire host Henry and the Red Bulls.

Forgive me for being a bit light today on the posting front. It took me some time to get to these weekend previews as today turned out to be busier than I anticipated for me at the day-job.

There have been rumblings for several months now that Manchester United will once again tour the U.S. this summer. Soccer By Ives and Sports Business Journal both report that Manchester United are close to agreeing to a four game summer North American tour.

During the tour United would headline the MLS All-Star Game at Houston's Reliant Stadium which will be played either July 29 or Aug.

Marco Pappa has been named to the first MLS All Star First XI that will take on Manchester United in Houston on July 28.

The remaining players named are Donovan Ricketts in goal, Chad Marshall, Omar Gonzalez, and Jamison Olave on defense, Dwayne DeRosario, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Kyle Beckerman, and Javier Morales in midfield with Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan at forward.

The Timbers face AC St Louis tomorrow, but while the match on the field is important for this years playoff race, something even more important for the Timbers future will happen on Wednesday. At halftime during the MLS All Stars vs. Manchester United game, a coin flip will determine the fates of Vancouver and Portland.

Manchester United will face the MLS All-Stars in this summer's MLS All-Star Game in Houston on July 28th, the league announced on Thursday.

The match will be part of a four-match tour of North America for Manchester United, which will also play exhibition matches in Toronto, Philadelphia and Kansas City.

The Red Devils are coming.

Major League Soccer announced today that Manchester United has been named as the opponent in the annual MLS All-Star Game on July 28 at Reliant Stadium.

"Manchester United are among the most recognized and successful clubs in the world, and we are pleased to have them compete against our All-Stars and two MLS clubs this summer," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said.

First, a devastating loss at the hands of the United States National Team. Then, seven weeks later, the MLS All-Stars absolutely punish Manchester United. Is this the summer English football dies?
After two such comprehensive beatings, what self-respecting fan would ever admit watching the Premiership?

I'm not against All Star Games as a general rule. Choosing the best players a league has to offer, bringing them together, and holding an exhibition game is an American institution stretching back to the birth of the baseball version in the 1930s. All of our major professional sports have such a game, and it makes sense that Major League Soccer would have one of their own.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

The 2010 MLS All-Star Game selections have been made, and as is the case every year, there are several deserving players who were left out.

This year we have one team that was left out in Seattle because the Sounders are playing a Champions League match the same day as the All-Star Game, so it's tough to call players such as Kasey Keller and Steve Zakuani snubs.

Endless possibilities: Jose Mourinho surveys the field on his first day as Real Madrid coach earlier this month ahead of their U.S. visit (AP Photo).

*As Real Madrid bade farewell to Raul and Guti, Coach Jose Mourinho granted a telephonic audience to two California journalists today (I wasn't one of them) to promote Real Madrid's games Aug.

Galaxy 1, Islanders 4. And if it weren't for a lucky bounce, LA wouldn't have scored.
What can you say? The best team in MLS, a side that with just two losses this season, a team that built its first half success on defensive strength, gives up four at home to a second division side in a competition they claimed they were taking seriously.

MLS All-Stars meet Manchester United in the All-Star Game (8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2).

There is reason for optimism in the MLS - the clubs are riding a wave of confidence with their performances against the likes of Man Utd, City, and Spurs.

The matches so far have seen and this is what one likes the best- a good deal of disciplined ball possession.

A big MLS event, which the All Star Game is, naturally leads to bits of "news" on various league business as filtered through mouthpiece/commissioner Don Garber. The assembled press asks (or someone holds a web chat) and The Don answers; responses are often vague and non-committal, but Garber knows when to say something substantial and when to dance around a topic.

The 2010 MLS All Star Game is tonight at 8:30pm ET (ESPN2), which will feature the best players from Major League Soccer versus Manchester United.

While I'll definitely watch the game, I'm honestly not that excited about it. Yes, I'd love to see a good game but as with all pre-season friendlies, the game is meaningless.

(Summary is not available.)

The first six seasons in the MLS' existence, the All Star game was mostly played in typical American style of the East verses the West with the exception of one season in which they played MLS USA VS the MLS World. But in 2003 the MLS began its shift towards playing a foreign squad every season and the first league team to ever play the All Stars was Mexican league's Guadalajara.

By: KURTIS LARSON

For Toronto, it's the story behind the MLS' 5-2 loss to Manchester United.

TFC head coach Preki let it be known Tuesday, following a CONCACAF Champions League match with Motagua, that under no circumstances should Dwayne De Rosario play in the MLS All-Star exhibition in Houston.

In the aftermath of MLS/Machester United before more than 70k at Reliant Stadium in Houston, we thought we take a quick look at some of the business stories floating around as the league moves forward for the next wekeend of games. After a few days of parties, charity events, races and more, some business stories got lost in the shuffle of the big event.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I'd been thinking about writing about this very topic and Sidereal basically sums it up well.

We didn't really pick up on this topic, as the Sounders faithful were paying closer attention to the game in El Salvador than to the All Star game festivities in Houston, but at a press conference during the break, this exchange occured:

Q.

It has been a while since we posted our most recent update of MLS sponsorships. We thought it would be worth revisiting the status of corporate MLS sponsors. Companies such as Dick's, Makita, Gatorade and others have been around for a while. VW, Panasonic and Pepsi are also prominent. In late September of last year, Degree for Men partnered with SUM on a seven figure deal.

The Fire usually announce their annual award winners during the pre game festivities of the first playoff match. There will be no such opportunity this year but the awards will be doled out anyway. Here's my take on the team's Rookie of the Year, Defender of the Year, and Most Valuable Player for the 2010 season.

After a weekend of playoff action we feel the time has come to comment on the finalists for MLS's annual awards, released last Wednesday. Here we have nominees, predictions, and comments.

Goalkeeper of the Year:
Kevin Hartman (FC Dallas)
Donovan Ricketts (LA Galaxy)
Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Crystal Ball Says: Ricketts all the way.

Four Dollar Beers!

The Rapids are really busting out some great ideas. Terraces, 4$ beer, 5$ food, ticketless entry.

But it isn't just Colorado who has decided that they are tired of losing money.

The Revolution are kicking their ticketing buzz up a bit too. They launched a referral program, with a hell of a peak prize - trip to the All Star Game.

BMO Field in Toronto; rewarded for its rockin' ways

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MLS Cup in Toronto, eh? Sign me up!

Major League Soccer made it official today after commish Don Garber pretty much let the cat out of the bag last week: Toronto will host MLS Cup 2010.

Major announcement from MLS tomorrow, LIVE from Toronto! Wonder what it could be!
....okay, it might be more than one thing. They might also announce that TFC, and other teams who so choose, can finally have their extra Designated Players, which will solve everything as well as making all the existing players better, just like it has in New York, Dallas and Los Angeles.

In honor of DeRo's brace last night, here's a mixtape of his greatest hits going all the way back to his days in the bay. With 4 MLS Cups, 2 Goals of the Year and game-winning goal in the All Star game against Chelsea, dude has to be considered one of the most accomplished players in MLS today.

Opening Day is special. It is a day of renewal. There is a sense of optimism that pervades every team. A sense that anything is possible and everyone is expected to be part of the festivities. It's an annual holiday for all teams. Not every team gets to host the All Star Game, not every team gets to play in the finals, but every team does get an Opening Day.

Straight Outta Craven

The Champions League is a big deal. And with such a hyperbolic name, it better be. But the Champions League is also one of the biggest culprits behind financial mess engulfing the footy world these days. A place is the Champions League is worth so much money that clubs deficit-spend like crazy in order to give themselves a chance to secure a spot in Europe's biggest money pit.

Today MLS opened up voting for this year's All Star game in Houston against Manchester United. There are plenty of options for Wizards fans to choose from, and the Wizards have some deserving candidates as well. Some of the guys for the Wizards that are on my list are Roger Espinoza, Stephane Auvray, and Jimmy Nielsen.

In an ongoing effort to grow the game of soccer in the Springfield and surrounding areas, the Springfield Soccer Club has moved its tryouts scheduled for Tuesday, June 22 to Thursday, June 24

Download the flyer for specific dates and times for each age groupSpringfield SC Tryout Flyer2010, Revised

The Southwest All-Star game has been scheduled for Tuesday evening as well.

In an ongoing effort to grow the game of soccer in the Springfield and surrounding areas, the Springfield Soccer Club has moved its tryouts scheduled for Tuesday, June 22 to Thursday, June 24

Download the flyer for specific dates and times for each age groupSpringfield SC Tryout Flyer2010, Revised

The Southwest All-Star game has been scheduled for Tuesday evening as well.

After the All-Star Game teams were picked by the team captains and coaches on Monday, Abby's Starting 11 in green and gray kits took on Marta's starting 11 in white and blue and gave the 4,610 fans at KSU Soccer Stadium, home of the Atlanta Beat, plenty of goals to celebrate in a final score of 5-2 to Team Marta on Wednesday night.

On Sunday, Torii Hunter was named to the American League All-Star team for the fourth time. He celebrated by helping his Los Angeles Angels destroy the Kansas City Royals. Thanks to Hunter's three hits, two homers and seven RBIs, the Angels won by a final count of 11-0.

Hunter hit a three run homer in the third inning, followed by a two run homer in the seventh and a two run single in the eighth.