By now we all know the story pretty well: the defense was crap at the beginning of the season, but by the end it was one of the Portland Timbers' strengths. Individual players improved, as did communication amongst them, and the front office augmented that development with a shrewd mid-season trade.

This is Part II of TSG's discussion with Amsterdam-based Greg Seltzer of MLSSoccer.com and No Short Corners. You can find Part I, here.

Gatt and a legend...

Matthew: So who are the key Americans abroad that US fans should truly be excited by? So many times one goal is enough to chop a forest worth's of timber to power the hype machine.

Photo courtesy of Don Liebig/UCLA

By ADAM SERRANO

LOS ANGELES –- Chandler Hoffman is an opportunist.

His ability to get into the right place at the right time has helped him develop into one of the most feared attackers in college soccer, scoring 18 goals this season at UCLA.

The U-17ers moved as one on Sunday...

A surfing nod in that title.

As you become older, wiser and more experienced in surfing, you learn that Mother Ocean always wins. So when sets of 12-foot waves are hurdling towards you, you wait until the set of waves subside or you sort of stick-and-move your way out to the line-up, prodding for the little channel that way exist.

In spite of all the going on off the pitch at the moment I thought John Terry's performance against Newcastle was outstanding.
It can't be easy for him to concentrate on games at the moment with everything going on but he still gets out on that pitch and gives his everything for the win and a clean sheet.

It was a match that Liverpool should have won, if only they'd taken their chances. If only the officials hadn't overturned an offside Luis Suarez goal that wasn't. If only Kevin Friend hadn't given Jay Spearing a questionable red card or if only he had awarded a penalty and not a free-kick when Charlie Adam was felled as he entered the sixteen-yard box.

Despite admitting his admiration for new manager Martin O'Neill, Asamoah Gyan has outlined his reluctance to return to Sunderland, perhaps even after his loan spell with Middle Eastern outfit Al Ain has finished.
Ghanaian goalscorer Gyan – who has netted 27 times in 54 matches for the Black Stars – is in the United Arab Emirates as a result of a deal struck back in September and, although rumours to the contrary have circulated this week, the 26 year-old ruled out a return to Wearside this January.

You know what they are going to do. You don't like it and wouldn't play that way if it meant 80 points a season, but that's what they are going to throw at us and if we're not prepared, it's down to us.

I don't like it but I'm not going to go on about it because then I'll end up like Arsene Whinger, always complaining about injustices that his precious little angels have to face when they play those awful big boys from up north.

As Camp Junior Mint (U-23) gets underway in Florida this week, Jurgen Klinsmann should be shortly submitting his roster for who gets an Evite to the annual Camp Cupcake in Carson, CA.

This will of course be Klinsmann's first time selecting for the camp that normally sees predominant enrollment of fringe US and Nordic domestic league players.

Thanks to White Noise and Simon Peach on Twitter.

Interesting viewing. Talks about how the grass is always greener, which is undoubtedly true. Jol does look a bit defensive here (as is natural I suppose) but is a fairly eloquent speaker and gives decent answers to the questions put to him.

Things just keeping getting tougher for goalkeepers. The match balls continue to be more active and fly faster, attackers are stronger and smarter, and now the U-23 coaching staff has added a new challenge: the absence of light.
OK, it was just for one session and it wasn't actually planned that way, but it still made the training interesting.

Goals:
Bellamy 11'
Skrtel 15'
Winning with ease when not on top form is far more fun than frustrating draws or defeats when dominant. Still, if not for converting the first two corners within 15 minutes, Liverpool could well be ruing more missed chances and more effort rebounding off wider-than-normal goal posts.

10 attackers Liverpool could sign to score more goals: Torres, Shaqiri and Jelavic and more

Click the arrows to see which players could be on Kenny Dalglish's shopping list to get the Reds scoring more

View the full story here: Talksport

A news article on 2011-12-19 15:53:18 from: Talksport

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

To wrap things up with the "What I Want For Christmas" series, we'll begin with a bit of a tactical aside before prioritizing the shopping list...

(In case you missed the beginning of this discussion: Part I and Part II are available.)

Our likely man in the middle?

In all of this discussion, we've curiously ignored tactics for the most part.

Photo by Max Becherer/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. -- Bryan Arguez has a lot to be excited about these days.

In the past two months, Arguez has gone from playing in the NASL with the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, to getting signed by the Montreal Impact, to getting called into his first camp in years with the U.

Two sets of fairly gifted attackers: one set made space and moved the ball like lightning, the other kept on trying to walk the ball through the most crowded area of the pitch. The game finished 5-0.

We may feel aggrieved at the scoreline, which did flatter United slightly, but our attacking play, though exciting, was not very bright.

Of all Liverpool players, Stewart Downing was perhaps the most influential in Monday's draw with Blackburn Rovers. After the game, LFC supporters had plenty to say about the winger's performance.
To start, please don't mistake "influential" for a glowing review. It's more of a way of saying he was key to the outcome of the game.

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.

I saved Migs for my last player review of the season because really, what else is there to say?