Aunque a muchos les cueste aceptar y digerir el partido que mas ampula saca entre los aficionados de la ciudad de México y miles mas en la republica mexicana es el partido de Pumas contra America, las aficiones son verdaderamente apasionadas, ya no los ha contado Mauricio Espejel quien ira a ciudad universitaria para visitar al enemigo.

It sounds like the USSF is tired of people like me and other bloggers beating the dead horse about the US Open Cup format. The Sporting News' Brian Straus is reporting that the USSF could propose a new format that does away with the current qualifying round for MLS clubs and it could see the end of the bidding process.

Obviously I've been strongly hinting at this opinion in my blogs throughout the summer, so I'll try not to restate everything I've already written. But I do have a few more points to make, and I want to sum up why I feel Arsenal needs a new manager. And the more I think about it, the more I feel that it's not even a close call either.

How does a 20-team MLS sound to you as a stopping point? Enough? Too many?

Either way, you might just need to formulate a personal opinion on this matter, because it looks like official MLS policy is leaning in on the big 2-0.

MLS commissioner Don Garber was in Dallas over the weekend for the Red Bulls-FCD contest.

On Wednesday night, bloggers from all over the SB Nation network came together to participate in a live MLS Mock Draft. Merwin Mixdorf and I represented your very own Hot Time In Old Town and played the role of Frank Klopas & company. Merwin is more familiar with the leading players in the draft so I let him lead the way.

The MLS Combine is nearly here as it will kick off later today down in Florida. The SuperDraft itself is a mere six days away and it seems like we're only just getting started here with all of this. Its been a busy week for me here with work and other draft related items. On Tuesday I helped provide commentary for SBNation's live mock draft.

I wasn't going to bother with the "news" that the New York Cosmos organization paraded a virtual Eric Cantona as Director of Soccer, but enough people have asked for my take that I agreed to discuss it. Specifically I was asked, if Seattle fans are supposed to be plastic, than what does that make Cosmos fans?

Before I get too engrossed in this post I will explain why I am not talking about the Wolves victory right now. My weekend work schedule means it is difficult to watch the games in their entirety, but the game will be watched believe you me.

Quite a few bloggers probably won't comment on the Cesc situation but I thought I'd make my point public.

I know, you've been listless the past few weeks. Something's missing in your life, maybe you're not eating enough protein? Haven't called your mother recently? Or maybe it's the lack of Bolton Wanderers. Well, fret not dear reader, as the Men in White have quite the busy summer planned. We've known for a while about the jaunt over the pond, and your beloved bloggers will even be attending the Houston match.

OK, just one more time, then I promise to leave it along.

If you cover soccer regularly, you have a right to use the word "choke" when you consider the U.S. women's performance in Sunday's final. I disagree. I think it's fair to talk about blowing a lead and the factors behind it.

Over the last month and a half I've been trying to sleep off the depression and exhaustion I've accumulated since who knows when. A few of the things bothering me were recent, relevant, and tangible - the demise of the Chicago Red Stars, the Qatar World Cup fiasco, the total lack of sunshine, the crappy writing in the soccersphere.

The MLS Combine is rolling along, in Florida and while I was unable to attend to provide first hand coverage, there are plenty of journalist and bloggers enjoying the annual showcase of new potential talent. So for this week's Monday Morning Centre Back, I'm going to provide a link round-up of all the news I could find from this weekend's events in Florida.

Thursday was the MLS SuperDraft, and as we did last year, we thought we would take a look at some of the business aspects of the proceedings. Before we explore the broadcast, a couple of notes on some of the coverage of the event. The Twitterverse was exploding with coverage of the draft. Journalists, fans, teams, players, bloggers and others drove the draft coverage to the top of the Twitter lists of trends.

Vive de una manera diferente la noche antes del Clásico en Internet. A la manera Invicto.

Mientras se juega el II Clásico entre Aficionados cortesía de InnovaSport, URO FC y Diario Deportivo Récord entre el representante de ZonaRayada.com y SoloTigres.com, nuestros bloggers e invitados especiales tendrán una mesa de debate donde hablarán del Clásico 93.

- Jason Davis
Within the American soccer bubble, the CONCACAF Champions League is a pretty big deal. Or rather, the idea that an MLS team needs to win the title in said lead is a pretty big deal. Don Garber talks about it constantly. American soccer fans, no matter which MLS team they support, bemoan the league's lack of success.

Keon Daniel made the trip to Greece with the Philadelphia Union, according to a report by the Trinidad Express.

The Trinidad newspaper says that the team "were interested enough to take Trinidad and Tobago midfielder Keon Daniel to Crete on a 16-day pre-season camp. But, there is some doubt whether the 24-year-old former Petrotrin and Caledonia AIA midfielder will make the final cut.

Am I a New England Revolution fan? A critic? Is is possible to be both?

Whether here on Soccer Soap Box, or via snarky Twitter commentary I think I have the critic thing pretty well down. Heck, the Revolution even know me for that too, and invited me and other bloggers in to offer support of our efforts and commendably, not offer recommendations on our opinions.

The media is a rapid changing landscape. We all know the reason why the paid hacks of the mainstream media keep going, but what about the bloggers? What is our motivation? In the first of a two-parter that originated on Twitter and ended up here, Gav Stone of Les Rosbifs explains his motivation for keeping going.

Adriano Galliani, Clarence Seedorf, Mark Van Bommel and representatives from Adidas as well as team sponsors from Fly Emirates were all present for this First Live Blog Event from Milan. Internet bloggers were encouraged to login and ask questions of the panel and players during the event, hope other Serie A clubs are taking notes and plan on doing the same in the future.

Remember that time last week when we had a poll as part of our move towards wrapping up the season? And then we had another and another and another? Well, no more polls this week, but what we will be having are the results of those polls, with commentary on the winners (and occasionally the losers) from all the bloggers and guest editors involved in order to give a bit of perspective on things.

I was recently interviewed for a Polish newspaper as part of a feature on FIFA ahead of the 1 June elections. The Q&A is below, but as part of the preamble it's important to point two things:

One, journalists and bloggers have very limited attention-spans, and seem incapable of stepping back looking at events in an historical context.

140 characters or less may have become the standard form of communication between football bloggers and supporters on the net, but our new Conversations with ... series looks to broaden and further the debates that so often begin on Giggs' nemesis, the website formerly known as Twitter. Honing in on the state of play at a particular club each time, these interview-type pieces between ourselves

By Dr. Raf Crowley Another close USMNT match against an inferior opponent; another litany of excuses from analysts, bloggers, and pundits alike. Yesterday, our own Andrew Villegas blamed our lackluster effort against Guadeloupe on fatigue. My friends, it isn't fatigue; it's the same thing I said the other day after our dismal performance against Panama.

So over the past couple of months, things have maybe gotten a bit hostile on the football blog scene.
I apparently played a part.
A while ago, a certain writer well known to most of you from the entertaining blog Surreal Football, wrote a piece on ESPN Soccernet about the new tactics snobbery.

Welcome LAG Confidential to the SB Nation family!

Here at SB Nation, we are constantly striving to bring fans of all sports the most conclusive coverage. This, of course, means blogs! Until today, the network has gone without an LA Galaxy blog to call its own, something I always found odd considering the popularity of the team down south.

OK, just one more time, then I promise to leave it alone.

If you cover soccer regularly, you have a right to use the word "choke" when you consider the U.S. women's performance in Sunday's final. I disagree. I think it's fair to talk about blowing a lead and the factors behind it. And I think it's fair to dissect some of the choices made on penalty kicks, by Pia Sundhage and by the players.

On occasion nascent bloggers will ask me questions about blogging. While I do not feel that I'm in any way the O.G., end-all-be-all authority on this game I have been in it both personally and professionally for more than a minute now so I'm always down to share what I know.
And this much I know, today: not everyone you think is down with you is your friend.

I went into a state of utter despondency at the end of this transfer window, even allowing for the entry into the Champions League stages failed to lift my spirits. The 8-2 thrashing by Manchester United rubbed salt into very big wounds. I took a break to reflect, the International Break helped in a sense, to enable common sense to dawn.

Written by Herb'sArmy

For most of us on AA, it is impossible to separate our emotions from our club, the two are intrinsically linked. It's probably fair to say that whilst both games caused a lot of pain, the Blackburn game probably wounded us deeper than the one at OT, if only because of the expectation.

What are the effects of "offering" free employment?

On Wednesday, one of Britain's longest running and highly respect newspapers, The Guardian, announced a new, bold idea for its sport section of its website, . The concept, the Guardian Sports Network, would basically establish a sort of partnership between Guardian Sport and a selected number of sport blogs (most of which are centered on soccer/football).

Now that we're at the halfway mark, it becomes the duty of Arsenal bloggers to write about how things have gone up to this point in the season, and how things are likely headed in the future. Since opinions are probably even more diverse than ever this year, I thought it would be fun to write two completely different midseason reviews.

Roll up! Roll up! The NUFCblog awayday is here! Well, not actually yet but it could be! The plan for this very first ever NUFCblog awayday is to get as many bloggers as possible to go to an away game and basically just have an ace time. If you are interested please read on... The plan [...]

Join a whole buttload of writers & reporters from all over the Philly soccer scene tomorrow, January 4th at 12 noon for a rollicking live chat! Participants will include esteemed contributors from MLSsoccer.com, CSNphilly.com, the Daily News, Philly.com, the Philly Soccer Page, and hopefully...you! PUT will also be joining the fun, provided certain bloggers can [.

The MLS draft won't officially take place until Jan. 13, but tonight you'll get a sneak peek. SB Nation will be conducting our first ever MLS Mock SuperDraft tonight at 6 p.m. (Pacific) with 18 different bloggers playing the roles of various general managers. In addition to each of the teams being represented, WV Hooligan's Drew Epperley will provide commentary and insight into each pick.

MLS Mock Draft: SB Nation Projects The First Two Rounds, Live

t 9 p.m. Eastern, 19 bloggers will congregate online to conduct what is believed to be the first ever live MLS mock draft. The 18 teams will be represented by bloggers who know their teams well, presumably better than any one national pundit possibly could.

MLS Mock Draft: SB Nation Projects The First Two Rounds, Live Tonight at 8:00 PM

Our own Tweed Thornton will be taking part in the SB Nation MLS Mock Draft tonight at 8:00 PM CST. Tune in to watch team bloggers from around the MLS/SB network make their picks and give their explanations for why they picked who they did.

Good afternoon all! A few things of note, from this past week, to discuss, so let's get it started:
The MLS Superdraft takes place next week and the candidates are down at the South Florida Combine, playing some games and trying to impress. Not knowing anything about those guys, I was very interested in the Overall Rankings list, from Pro Player Pipeline, of all the players on offer.

Sitting and fiddling with the code for this site this evening, in the back of my mind was a familiar old concern. What if I make an absolute hash of something on here mess it all up. It has happened before, and there are no words that can accurately describe that heart-in-the-throat sinking feeling that comes with the knowledge that something has gone horribly wrong which frantically pressing "Control" and "Z" can't rectify.

Does a "Goodbye, Blue Monday" joke work following a draw like yesterday's? Not really? Drat. Oh well, on with the show.

There was absolutely nothing, not even nothing. And then there was this great big bang. And that's where all this crap came from...

* It's charts and chalkboards over at OYB, as with the continuing lack of tangible results Liverpool bloggers everywhere are left to pick at any positive signs and hope it all comes together damn soon.

First of all we have Official Confirmation that the Sounders will be hosting a preseason Cascadia Summit which includes matches between the three teams. The matches are as follows:

Fri. March 4th: Sounders vs Timbers @ 7:30 pm

Sat. March 5th: Timbers vs. Whitecaps @ 5 pm

Sun.