There are some stories in life and sports that force us to re-evaluate what is important. This is one of those stories. It is the story of a young man whose courage, determination and heart has touched the lives of professional athletes from all over Major League Soccer and beyond. Evan Mundine, a 13 year old boy from Texas has found a way to connect with athletes in the best ways possible.

At the end of the 2011 MLS season, one of Major League Soccer's veterans retired. After 14 years in the league, Andy Williams chose to hang up his boots and pick up a clipboard as he joined the RealSaltLake technical staff. After winning an MLS Cup, representing his national team and building a life in Utah, the Jamaican is able to look back on his career with pride.

At the end of the 2011 MLS season, one of Major League Soccer's veterans retired. After 14 years in the league, Andy Williams chose to hang up his boots and pick up a clipboard as he joined the RealSaltLake technical staff. After winning an MLS Cup, representing his national team and building a life in Utah, the Jamaican is able to look back on his career with pride.

Andy Williams, the last remaining original member of the expansion Real Salt Lake's inaugural 2004 season, announced his retirement today. The 14-year veteran will join RSL as a member of its technical staff.
From MLSoccer.com:

Williams, 34, was the last remaining member of the original RSL team, joining the club with the first pick of the 2004 MLS Expansion Draft and spending the rest of his playing days representing the Claret and Cobalt.

Andy Williams, the last remaining original member of the expansion Real Salt Lake's inaugural 2004 season, announced his retirement today. The 14-year veteran will join RSL as a member of its technical staff.
From MLSoccer.com:

Williams, 34, was the last remaining member of the original RSL team, joining the club with the first pick of the 2004 MLS Expansion Draft and spending the rest of his playing days representing the Claret and Cobalt.

Photo by/ISIphotos.com

Another longtime MLS standout is hanging up his cleats.

Real Salt Lake's Andy Williams announced his retirement Monday night, ending a productive 14-year playing career. The skillful Jamaican midfielder won't be straying far from the game at all, though, as he will join the Real Salt Lake techinical staff as a scout.

Chivas USA made the biggest move in Monday's short first stage of the 2011 MLS Re-Entry Draft by using its fourth overall selection to pick former Real Salt Lake midfielder Arturo Alvarez.

Two other teams made selections, as the New England Revolution used the second overall pick on former Toronto FC fullback Danleigh Borman, and the Columbus Crew used the ninth overall pick to add former New York Red Bulls defender Carlos Mendes.

Major League Soccer has revealed the names of the players who will be made available in the upcoming MLS Re-Entry Draft.

Bobby Boswell, Bobby Convey, Joe Cannon and Andy Williams are just some of the veterans left exposed by their MLS teams in the Re-Entry Draft, which will be held on Dec.

Wednesday's MLS Expansion Draft provides the Montreal Impact a chance to build the foundation for its MLS roster, and the club will have some decisions to make based on how much it wants to spend and which direction it wants to go off the bat.

Designated Players Julian de Guzman, Andres Mendoza, Mustapha Jarju, Branko Boskovic, Frank Rost, Milton Caraglio, Omar Bravo and Jeferson are all free for the taking (although Rost is likely to return to Germany after a few-month stay with New York), giving the Impact the option to make a major investment immediately.

Every now and again, fans of sports get to witness those special games that remind them what they love about it. That was the case last night in the Western Conference Final as the LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake went toe to toe at the Home Depot Center. The result was 3-1 in favor of the Galaxy, but the score does little to tell the tale of intensity and composure by both teams.

A trio of Galaxy goalscorers ensured that the Supporters' Shield winners would get the benefit of home cooking for the MLS Cup Final as L.A. beat Real Salt Lake 3-1 Sunday night at the Home Depot Center.

Landon Donovan (23′), Mike Magee (58′), and Robbie Keane (68′) all scored for the home squad as the Galaxy will return to their home park for MLS Cup, which, coincidentally, is being held at the Home Depot Center on November 20th.

BY ADAM SERRANO

The Los Angeles Galaxy continued their methodical push to the MLS Cup as they advanced to the league championship with a 3-1 victory over Real Salt Lake at the Home Depot Center.

The victory put the Galaxy in their second final in three years as they will take on the Houston Dynamo on their home soil on November 20th.

Real Salt Lake carried a three goal lead into the second leg against the Seattle Sounders and they would need the whole thing before the end of the night. Seattle attacked from the first whistle and kept pressure on RSL until the final whistle. The home team controlled the game and almost all of the possession but were held back by some early injuries.

RSL Celebrates, RBNY Engages in Finger-Pointing (Photo by Dan Dickinson)"Get behind the boys tonight and drive them onto victory. COYRB!" That's how I concluded my match preview yesterday. How naive! Hours later, I would find myself alongside thousands of other fans booing the Red Bulls off the pitch at halftime as they went to the locker room trailing 3-0 early to Real Salt Lake, victims of their own ineptitude.

By MIKE NASTRI

HARRISON, N.J. -- The New York Red Bulls are a sinking ship.

New York, after a gutsy win in Dallas on Saturday, had a chance to strengthen its playoff hold. Real Salt Lake was without suspended midfield rock Kyle Beckerman and traveled cross country after a hard-fought win against Sporting KC.

In their first away game in about two months, Sporting KC looked strong against one of the strongest home teams in the league, but couldn't capitalize on their possession and ended up falling to RSL 1-0 at Rio Tinto. KC tried to set the tempo for the game early on wiht much of the early play taking place in RSL's half of the field.

In a match-up that could wind up being an MLS Cup Final preview, Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City played a physical match that left little doubt about two things.

There isn't that much separating two of the best teams in MLS, and those two teams really don't like each other.

There was a lot not to like about the game Saturday afternoon. Not just because of the loss to a Western Conference rival, but because there were opportunities for much more than happened. Real Salt Lake takes that win and now has a better chance at the Supporters Shield than the Seattle Sounders, and even moves into 2nd by PPM, although barely.

Justin Mapp was active, involved and positive. Sebastien Le Toux scored a fine open-play goal. Zac MacMath played 45 minutes of shutout ball and saved a breakaway.

And the Union still lost.

No shots, but who to blame?

An indifferent opening half-hour turned into a desperate chase for a tying goal.

Have you ever stood in line at your local bodega or 7-11 clutching your 32oz. dose of high-fructose corn syrup while staring at the scratch offs and day-dreaming about the day that you could purchase your very own soccer-specific lotto tickets? I know. I have too.
MDI Entertainment has reached an agreement with MLS "to make logos and trademarks associated with MLS and its teams available to lotteries for instant games.

- By Ethan Gomberg Sandy, Utah - It was a windy night in the Wasatch Mountains when two of the best clubs in the league met up to do battle. Although the momentum was with Dallas coming in tonight, self-searching Real Salt Lake made a statement win by controlling the game tonight and defeating FC Dallas 2-0.

By CALEB SONNELAND

Real Salt Lake is back to its winning ways after it ousted a red-hot FC Dallas 2-0 on Saturday thanks to second-half strikes from Andy Williams and Fabian Espindola.

The deadlock was broken almost immediately after halftime when Kevin Hartman couldn't hold onto an Andy Williams free kick when the keeper got behind the ball but couldn't hold onto it as it trickled across the line to earn the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Real Salt Lake and New England engaged in an absurd match featuring referee howlers, two red cards, two penalties, six goals and ultimately, a draw. Instead of an analysis of the multitude of formations and tactics each coach used due to the circumstances, this breakdown focuses on the trends each manager used.

The New England Revolution surrendered two leads and was largely outplayed despite holding a man advantage for most of the match as they drew 3-3 with Real Salt Lake. The Revs inability to take advantage of the fantastic position handed to them was overshadowed only by the controversial calls of referee Yader Reyes.

The New England Revolution broke one streak while continuing another as they fought to an eventful 3-3 draw with Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto on Independence Day. The Revs are still winless on the road, but were able to break their funk in Sandy, Utah after losing the previous two meetings by a combined 11-0.

Charlie "Diver" Davies in a familiar pose - spending more time on the ground than his feet - in an April game against the Galaxy (Photo by Getty Images).

MLS announced today that the D.C. United striker was fined $1,000 for "putting the game into disrepute" in the 83rd minute of the contest against Real Salt Lake last weekend with a dive that earned him a penalty kick.

After losing to Monterrey at home in the final leg of the CONCACAF Champion's League Final on April 27 Real Salt Lake has not looked like the same team that was considered to be the class of MLS by many observers at the beginning of the season, myself included. A bit of a let down could be expected after the loss to Monterrey and it did come in the form of a 1-0 loss to the Portland Timbers on the road.

By JOSE M. ROMERO

The Philadelphia Union were flying high at halftime, up by a goal in front of another sellout crowd at PPL Park on a warm day.

But it will look back on an offisde call and a number of missed chances in re-hashing the Union's 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake Saturday afternoon.

Any questions about who the best team in Major League Soccer were put to rest by Real Salt Lake, which didn't seem fazed by missing several of its top players.

RSL put on a clinic on Saturday night, dismantling the Los Angeles Galaxy, 4-1, on Saturday night at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Real Salt Lake badly needed a convincing victory in its CONCACAF Champions League semifinal first leg against Deportivo Saprissa on Tuesday, and that's what Jason Kreis' squad delivered as RSL posted a 2-0 victory against Saprissa.

Fabian Espindola was the star of the show, setting up Alvario Saborio's goal before scoring his own to send Real Salt Lake to Costa Rica for the second leg on April 5th with a two-goal cushion.

STARTERS
ESPN puts new person in charge of soccer production - Meet Amy Rosenfeld.
dN
We will finally get some details on the Gold Cup but not until next week now. Probably Tuesday.
STORY OF THE DAY
The Barclays Premier League sends out an amazingly in depth preview of every weekend's matches.