Danny Mwanga is starting to shine in Philadelphia. (Getty Images)
Its been a little over a month since last I dived into any real rookie discussion on here. Over
the last month a few rookies have begun stepping out in front of the pack just like we normally see
from season to season.
This year's rookie class may not be as strong right now as last years but there are a lot of
quality players in this mix.
LA's Michael Stephens leads the rookie class right now. (Getty Images)
For several clubs this is the midway point of the season. The rest are one or two games away
from being halfway home for the year with one exception in Philadelphia who are three games away
from that mark.
The last month and a half since my last update have seen some shifts in the rookie watch list as
a few guys are really positioning themselves as real Rookie of the Year candidates.
So after a few weeks of doing this mock draft it is time for the fifth and final one. Weeks of
speculation have come to this as tomorrow the league will hold its annual draft. I've gone back and
forth for weeks over how teams will pick tomorrow and there is a chance I may be right about a few
of them.
Sacha Kljestan is one of the key players for Chivas who needs to step up in 2010. (Getty
Images
Its a new week and a new month. Last week we started a new series that looks at the current
state of each Major League Soccer club. First we took a gander at the expansion club in
Philadelphia and then we began a look at the rest of the league starting with the Chicago Fire.
Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com
BY ADAM SERRANO
After the departure of veteran midfielders Jesse Marsch and Paulo Nagumura, Chivas USA was in
dire need of a pair of strong midfielders to fortify the club in the middle of the park.
The Philadelphia Union earned a point at Chivas USA Saturday night, pulling into a 3-way tie for
last place (or a 3-way tie for 6th place, depending on your perspective). While the Union will be
happy to grab a needed point on the road, the team has to be disappointed not to win after they
started strong and saw number one pick Danny Mwanga continue his emergence with a icy cold finish
in the 21st minute.
Just Football is delighted to welcome Robert Hunter, the
latest addition to our writing team. In a new weekly column, Robert will be bringing you the latest
football news Stateside as our chief MLS and North/Central American correspondent.
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Major League Soccer has always been a league to do things it's own way compared to most around
the world, from shootouts to the current playoff system that determines the MLS Champion.
Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com
BY ADAM SERRANO
After the departure of veteran midfielders Jesse Marsch and Paulo Nagumura, Chivas USA was in
dire need of a pair of strong midfielders to fortify the club in the middle of the park.
Game time: Saturday, 10:30 p.m.
TV: Fox Soccer Channel
Philadelphia Union travels to Los Angeles to play Chivas USA in a Saturday night battle between
last place teams potentially heading in different directions.
The Union (3-7-1) come in off a big win at their new stadium to remain unbeaten in three home
games interspersed in a long road trip to start the year.
In his first act as the Brazilian manager, newly appointed Mano Menezes has included only four
participants from his disappointing World Cup side in the group that will face the United States at
the New Meadowlands Stadium next Tuesday, August 10. With a squad heavily weighted towards players
who compete in Brazil and those who were previously shunned for this summer's tournament, such as
Milan's Alexandre Pato, Menezes is actively kicking the tires of his new team, trying to learn the
depth of the program and prepare for the path ahead.
