Photo Credit: John Todd / MLSTo say Eric Wynalda is opinionated does do him justice. The man has opinions about opinions! When we caught up with the former Men's National Team player and current Fox Soccer deskman he had just finished recording his podcast, "Sent Off", with fellow Fox man, Christian Miles.

By Dario Camacho - MIAMI, FL (Jan 30, 2011) US Soccer Players -- When we see the recent success of former and current Major League Soccer players in England, it has to feel good for fans of North American soccer. An ex-Revolution player outrunning a pair of defenders en route to a triplet of goals was a cathartic, ecstatic moment for those of us rooting for Fulham's Clint Dempsey.

As much as I was looking forward to the Houston Dynamo season getting underway, I was nearly as excited about the debut of MLS on the NBC Sports Channel. The league signed a new television deal with NBC Sports this off-season, leaving behind the chronic underachievers as FOX Soccer who treated MLS like a third-class citizen at best.

Buy low, sell high. It might be the oldest rule in business.

So if Philadelphia Union was ever going to sell Sebastien Le Toux, now's the time.

At 28, Le Toux is in his prime. He may never be worth more than he is right now.

Bolton has never needed to buy good players for bargain prices more than right now, as they desperately try to avoid a relegation that could devastate the club financially.

MLS attendance has soared at the start of this 2012 season, with a leaguewide average of 21,107 fans per match.
This number has been bolstered by the Montreal Impact's first MLS home game- which drew 58,912 to the Olympic Stadium- setting an attendance record for pro soccer in the Canadian city.

With MLS Week 3 behind us there are several things that were of note. Here's what stuck out in my head after a third week of MLS action.
The Houston Dynamo will be a team to watch all year. While they may have fallen to the Seattle Sounders at Century Link field, they came out swinging.

When even the Revolution are teasing swatches and releasing well-received jersey designs, it's obvious that MLS kits are seeing good days. Sales are up, sponsors are taking real estate away from awkward team names, badges are common, third kits are garish and beautiful, and little embellishments are actually adding soul to a league identity once formed from scratch by an apparel company's marketing division.

On the eve of the much-anticipated American Civil War between Everton and Fulham, American soccer fans are relishing the chance to see three of their best players take the pitch at the same time at the highest level of competition. ...
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News from across the pond this morning, as legendary club Glasgow Rangers FC have announced the imminent departure of up to eight first team players in an attempt slash payroll, two of them being USMNT players Carlos Bocangera and Alejandro Bedoya. The article from Express.co.uk writer Scott Burns seemed to imply that is was, in fact, Bedoya who was more likely to return to MLS stating, "It now means the likes of McCulloch, Neil Alexander, Sasa Papac, David Healy, Carlos Bocanegra and Alejandro Bedoya – if he doesn't agree a move to the MLS – look set to be amongst the first victims when the cuts are made.

Major League Soccer starts its 17th season this weekend, tying it with the original North American Soccer League for longevity among top-flight soccer leagues on these shores in the modern area. So, just for fun, here's a look at where each of the markets that had one or more NASL or MLS teams over the years rank in terms of average announced attendance.

Without letting idealism and false pretenses or perceptions of a golden age overwhelm my faculties responsible for reasoning, MLS is now too stable and too promising to ignore. While most of the European leagues end their respective seasons in about two months, this weekend brings us the First Kick for MLS' 17th season.

Article by Luke Lohr
Rob Stone is a veteran of American soccer. His voice has graced many a television tuned in to American soccer. The FOX Soccer analyst was kind enough to lend his time to answer questions across a wide range of topics affecting the American game at present. His credentials speak for themselves when you consider his time with ESPN beginning in 1992 and then sustainably with ESPN from 1997 through January of 2012.

Seven MLS sides stumbled on Tuesday in the third round of the 2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Some were shocking, others were surprising and a couple were kind of expected.

New England, LA, Chicago, Columbus, FC Dallas, Houston and Real Salt Lake all fell on Tuesday making this year's third round one of the more exciting rounds in USOC history.

(In its entirety)...FIFA.com caught up with Jurgen Klinsmann to discuss his first six months in charge of USA. A legendary former player who dazzled for Germany, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur, the 47-year-old spoke candidly about his hopes to transform American soccer from floor to ceiling.

Ha! Tim Ream's wife Kristen should know by now American soccer nuts are a skittish type.Here's the just-confirmed skinny: All agreements are in place for the move to Bolton. The frustration Mrs. Ream had yesterday was in regards to rescheduling her hubbie's UK work permit hearing. It would seem that Wanderers are trying to get approval before announcing anything.

Major League Soccer gets another boost in their profile as another organization reconfigures their tournament to aid their members. CONCACAF, the soccer sanctioning body for the North and Central American soccer playing clubs and nations in conjuction with FIFA, has dramatically altered the format of their Champions League tourney starting with the 2012 - 2013 edition.

photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com

Conmebol's Copa America is the oldest international continental tournament in soccer, and 2016 will mark its 100th birthday.

That could also be the year that many American soccer fans have a dream come true.

According to Mexican outlet mediotiempo.

The time has come for us to try and resurrect my old pet project, the Musket Rounds. Musket Rounds are a morning round-up of the important links in the world of the New England Revolution and American soccer in general. I draw these stories from my google reader, for the most part - if any of you read a publication that gets little love here, let me know in the comments and I'll RSS it for future consideration.

The stars don't seem to be aligning they way they used to for the New York Cosmos. In its heyday, the Cosmos didn't have any organizational problems. They were the class of the league. They were the most popular team of the North American Soccer League and Soccer's biggest selling point to sports fans in the U.

There isn't going to be a bigger story involving an American soccer player this summer than the one surrounding Clint Dempsey and his club future.

After tallying his 22nd goal in all competitions to rescue yet another point for Fulham against Chelsea on Monday, Dempsey's stock continues to grow in value as he heads toward the final year of his Fulham contract.

Last week we gave you our our take on the top business stories in the world of American soccer. Now it's time for you to cast your vote. Don't agree with our options? Vote "other" and drop a line in the comment space with your choice. If you want our take on the five finalists, read the summaries below the poll.

The Beckhams will not be setting up their French court much to the chagrin of Paris society.

The French elites had been predicting which side of the Seine the Court of Beckham would be established. Existentialists in cafes debated whether this important choice would determine whether he played in left or right midfield for Paris St.

Voting is closed and Sporting Kansas City's remarkable re-brand is the big winner of the American soccer business story of the year according to your votes. Sporting's win speaks volumes about the power of social media, as the team effectively used Facebook and Twitter to get out the vote. As we said in our posts about Sporting's remarkable transformation, the team managed its re-brand with great skill both on and off the field.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

Landon Donovan's return to Everton is the story of the day in American soccer, and he'll look to make an immediate impact when the Toffees host Bolton at Goodison Park. Donovan has secured a place in the starting lineup, as has goalkeeping stalwart Tim Howard, who is making his 250th Premier League appearance.

Tigres Triumph: Tigres' players, seen here celebrating their team's league title after beating Santos de Torreon Dec. 11, begin their championship defense this weekend as the Mexican league begins anew (AP Photo). If it isn't enough that American soccer fans will experience the longest MLS season ever this year, while

Was there really any doubt that Clint Dempsey wasn't going to run away with this award?
As some of our commentors pointed out during the voting, it seemed a bit one-sided. Not just because of their own qualifications, but the over-whelming case that could be made for Sir Deuce.
With nearly 40 goals for Fulham in the English Premier League and counting Clint Dempsey has made the biggest splash of any American aboard, ever.

By J Hutcherson - WASHINGTON, DC (Jan 6, 2012) US Soccer Players -- During its glory years in the late 1970's, the original North American Soccer League expanded from 18 to 24 teams, increasing the regular season schedule from 26 games to 30. By 1980, those 24 teams were playing 32 games. The number of regular season games stayed the same through 1982, even as the number of clubs dwindled to 14.

Ahh. I've finished my exams. I can say it's been a very long week, and I'll be getting my grades back tomorrow. Fingers crossed, people.

But, beside talking about me, I want to point out that this was an immensely significant week for American soccer, and one that really gives us a glimpse into where it'll be going in the near future.

On the latest edition of the Major League Soccer Talk Podcast : This Week in US Soccer, your hosts Chris Webb and Chris Riordan bring you discussion of the latest North American soccer happenings. The crew starts out going through ...
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The logo of Detroit City FC does not feature a cartoon soccer ball. In fact, it doesn't say or show soccer anywhere on it: instead, in grand but subdued tones of burgundy and gold, the badge is dominated by a classy representation of the statue below, the Spirit of Detroit in the city's downtown:

This is the identity that Detroit City FC have pinned themselves to.

The logo of Detroit City FC does not feature a cartoon soccer ball. In fact, it doesn't say or show soccer anywhere on it: instead, in grand but subdued tones of burgundy and gold, the badge is dominated by a classy representation of the statue below, the Spirit of Detroit in the city's downtown:

This is the identity that Detroit City FC have pinned themselves to.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey have shared plenty of moments throughout their careers as the top two attacking threats of the U.S. men's national team, but they will not be celebrating together on Friday.

The two American stars are set to face off for the first time since 2006 when Everton and Fulham do battle in the fourth round of the FA Cup (3pm, Fox Soccer Channel).

U.S. Soccer fans were dialed in to yesterdays' FA Cup fourth round clash between Everton and Fulham that featured Tim Howard, Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey. The home side walked out 2-1 winners, with Donovan serving up assists on both goals for the Toffees. The win was the first for Everton against Fulham in their FA Cup history.

As we discussed when commenting on the new MLS Spring destination in Arizona, preseason is a great opportunity to sell the sport and the league in a less formal setting. MLS seems to be making use of this opportunity and allowing fans to connect to players and teams in the off season. Over the weekend, the New York Times took a look at the league's relationship with the City of Tucson, where a number of MLS franchises are spending a portion of the preseason.

If you're a fan of the "wobble wobble" aka dubstep and American soccer you're going to love this new video by Jimmy Diebold playing with the lights at Century Link Field, the home stadium for Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders (and some silly NFL team, too).
Just splice some goal highlights, Kasey Keller saves, or some player running up-field making some ball moves to the music and you've got something even sexier.

One thing American soccer fans, especially MLS fans, obsess over is attendance statistics. In the general public we are a minority "niche" sport, casual Americans don't care, steeped in foreign-ness and all things immigrant. Never mind that high school participation has not seen a decrease since it was first tracked and soccer is the number 5 sport in high school for boys and girls (the girls are soon to take #4 away from softball).

We took in the United States Women's National Team international friendly against New Zealand in Frisco, Texas this past weekend. A pair of Alex Morgan late goals spared the Lady Nats blushes, but as always, when American soccer is on tap there's no question it was a good time.
We were joined at the tailgate by member several area chapters of the American Outlaws (Dallas-Forth Worth, Oklahoma City, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio)the San Antonio soccer supporters group, the Crocketteers (a NASL, the Scorpions starts play this season), and members of several FC Dallas supporters groups.

Saturday Everton - Blackpool 9:30am - Fox Soccer Landon Donovan's last game for Everton, with their schedule empty for the rest of the month after their Premier League game against Liverpool was postponed. Relegated from the Premier League last season, Blackpool are currently 4th in the Championship.

Inspired by the recent story at The Sporting News regarding Eric Wynalda, his engagements over Twitter and some small parallels between Kasey Keller and Wynalda as vocal players, Sounder at Heart conducted a 30-odd-minute conversation with the US Player of the Decade for the 1990s. It quickly became apparent that the topics would be far reaching, circling back and then shooting off in another direction.

One way to get your product introduced to a specific market is to hire a brand ambassador that is well known and carries a certian level of name recognition in the market you are targeting. That must explain the latest celebrity/athlete endorsement between former U.S. Soccer star Alexi Lalas and El Jimador Tequila.