Are the 2011 L.A. Galaxy the best team in the history of MLS?
Is David Beckham's MLS career over?
Those seem to be the questions everyone's contemplating after last night's 1-0 MLS Cup victory.
(Along with this lesser one: Did you ever think a player could be so awful that you'd pine for Chad Barrett?

STARTERS
Rumors began pouring out this afternoon that Chuck Blazer would step down as General Secratary of CONCACAF at years end. Confirmation came a short while later. It will be interesting if we hear any story behind this move.-Bill Archer at Big Soccer with the story.
-Blazer will NOT step down from his FIFA executive committee post though.

Thanks to Bill Archer and a very special guest star.- Greg Seltzer

Regular readers of this site will be all too aware of the recent problems that have beset Plymouth Argyle Football Club. Plymouth's supporters, in conjunction with whose of Brighton & Hove Albion, are now planning a protest on the twenty-fourth of September to which supporters of all clubs will be welcome.

Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Tottenham Hotspur 3 - Friendly - Official Opening of Stadium


Brighton is located on the south coast of England, and together with its immediate neighbour Hove forms the city of Brighton and Hove. Brighthelmston dates from before the Domesday Book (1086), but it emerged as an important health resort during the 18th century and became a popular destination for day-trippers after the arrival of the railway in 1841.

Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Tottenham Hotspur 3 - Friendly - Official Opening of Stadium
Brighton is located on the south coast of England, and together with its immediate neighbour Hove forms the city of Brighton and Hove. Brighthelmston dates from before the Domesday Book (1086), but it emerged as an important health resort during the 18th century and became a popular destination for day-trippers after the arrival of the railway in 1841.

Juergen Klinsmann is the new head coach of the United States Men's National Team. I'll let Bill Archer as Fake Ives Galarcep pose today's topic for discussion:

So what do you guys think of this hiring? Will the US be a better team now? Will we be able to beat Mexico once again? Do these pants make my ass look fat?

In a story sure to warm the cockles of Bill Archer's heart, Joey Saputo is delaying the renovation of the stadium that bears his last name, presumably because he doesn't want to be responsible for any costs that the government won't pay for:

So what's actually happened is the province put up $23 million for the stadium expansion, but nobody was willing to actually do the job for that price.

Today's entry in this on-running series comes from Mark Chalcraft, who can otherwise be found at the very splendid 2nd Yellow football site. His subject is one that is rather close to one or two of us that already write for Twohundredpercent Brighton & Hove Albion's Goldstone Ground.

STARTERS
Barcelona are the 2010/11 Spanish Primera champions!!! Huge congrats to them. Hooray sangria.
STORY OF THE DAY
Evidence was presented yesterday to the British Parliament that Qatar used bribes to secure the votes to host the 2022 World Cup.

STARTERS
You guys remember American prodigy Danny Szetela? I wonder what he's been up to lately?
CHARLIE DAVIES
CD is now a player for DC United in Major League Soccer.
-The Washington Post with details on the loan deal.
-Official story from the team.

Bill Archer lays out the awesome committee maneuvering the USSF had to engage in to come to the result of granting the NASL "provisional" sanctioning in 2011:

So it's fair to say that in this process Gulati violated both the spirit and the letter of the USSF Bylaws in two ways:
1) The Board voted to approve an application despite the fact that the Bylaws clearly state that they may not do so in the face of a negative committee report.

The Professor returns with a long diatribe on sexism in soccer and the sorts of problems it causes. Compare and contrast with Bill Archer's podcast on being caustic and coming down off that high once you meet people. One of the Professor's main questions is about the caustic nature of comments one receives, how they're objectifying, of a sexual nature, demeaning, etc.

Nice little podcast at BigSoccer with Bill Archer talking about the New York Cosmos shenanigans. As succinct a summation of the issues in debate format as you'll find.

-FS

Bill Archer has the best take on the latest example of soccer business planning gone wrong:

It's clear that the place was in serious trouble literally from day one, and was finally shut down in the Spring of 2009. The staff was fired and the players sent on their way, and it's been sitting there still smelling of new paint ever since, being used only as an occasional rental facility for camps and tournaments.

Just how damaging will it ultimately be for the game of soccer in the United States that we won't get a front row seat to the corruption circus of FIFA almost 12 years from now? Not all that much. I know that MLS and the USSF were looking forward to pounding the mainstream with the World Cup promotional bludgeon for the next twelve years, but I'm glad they won't get to do that for a couple of reasons.