I didn't get to this yesterday, forgive me I was a bit under the weather. I talked last week about how Montreal Impact forward Brian Ching was doing with his stay in MLS's newest city. So far it seemed okay until yesterday took a turn for the...well...expected.

PRESEASON: Brian Ching has asked the club to leave training camp for a few days due to personal reasons #IMFC #MLSabout 23 hours ago via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite@impactmontrealImpact de Montréal

Yes, personal reasons.

I didn't get to this yesterday, forgive me I was a bit under the weather. I talked last week about how Montreal Impact forward Brian Ching was doing with his stay in MLS's newest city. So far it seemed okay until yesterday took a turn for the...well...expected.

PRESEASON: Brian Ching has asked the club to leave training camp for a few days due to personal reasons #IMFC #MLSabout 23 hours ago via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite@impactmontrealImpact de Montréal

Yes, personal reasons.

Now that the Brian Ching saga is over and done with we can now look back on what the Montreal Impact probably should have done instead of playing the hardball game with Ching and the Houston Dynamo.

Obviously getting just a conditional draft pick* isn't bad but for the most part it wasn't what Montreal and their fans would have expected in return for a player like Ching.

Now that the Brian Ching saga is over and done with we can now look back on what the Montreal Impact probably should have done instead of playing the hardball game with Ching and the Houston Dynamo.

Obviously getting just a conditional draft pick* isn't bad but for the most part it wasn't what Montreal and their fans would have expected in return for a player like Ching.

via fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net

This release came from the Houston Dynamo at 10:30 a.m., about the same time he walked out to practice, probably the first and last time he'll be the last guy out to the field. Someone on Twitter said it best. All Dynamo newbies are about to get an object lesson on what it means to train and play the Dynamo Way.

The Dynamo continued their undefeated preseason (for what that's worse) with a 2-0 victory over the Montreal Impact. This was the first MLS competition Houston has faced this preseason and it's fitting it was against Brian Ching and Le Impact. Colin Clark and Cam Weaver both scored for the Dynamo.

Photo: Courtesy of Philadelphia Union

Philadelphia Union

A few minutes before the Union was to play University of Central Florida in a scrimmage on Wednesday, a message appeared on the club's Twitter account indicating that goal updates would be tweeted. A few minutes after that, the tweet was removed.

Brian Ching is back. It took months for the deal to happen, but the Montreal Impact and Houston Dynamo have finally come to terms that will allow league legend Brian Ching to return home to Houston. This allows the veteran to play with the Orange in the opening of their new stadium. It is a story that has been talked to death, but finally has a resolution.

Brian Ching is back. It took months for the deal to happen, but the Montreal Impact and Houston Dynamo have finally come to terms that will allow league legend Brian Ching to return home to Houston. This allows the veteran to play with the Orange in the opening of their new stadium. It is a story that has been talked to death, but finally has a resolution.

For a team that has lost (Brian Ching, Danny Cruz, Hunter Freeman, Carlo Costly) more than it has gained (Nathan Sturgis, draft picks, trialists) over the offseason, the Houston Dynamo might just find itself in an improved position once the 2012 season begins where the 2011 ended. And that would be without a single major offseason acquisition.

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.

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.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

The storyline that has been at the forefront of the MLS offseason appears to be on its way to reaching its resolution.

According to reports out of Houston, the Houston Dynamo are engaged in advanced talks with the Montreal Impact for a deal that would send former Dynamo captain and forward Brian Ching back to Houston.

According to JdJO's sources, a deal between the Impact and Dynamo has been reached to send Forward Brian Ching back to the Houston Dynamo. And exactly what did the Houston Dynamo give up to get him back? Was it Andre Hainault and a forward to be named later? Perhaps they gave up the newly acquired Kandji?

In trades, people often wonder which team got the better end of the deal. Heck, a Montreal radio reporter just asked me that question for his show. He didn't seem to like my answer. I said it was a win-win-win situation. He argued that fans in Montreal won't think the Impact won. I told him [...]

Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com

The Montreal Impact tried their hand at picking a forward and getting trade value in return once again.

After picking Brian Ching from Houston in the expansion draft only to deal him back to the Dynamo for a draft pick, the Impact used their place atop the MLS allocation order to select Eddie Johnson before promptly dealing him to the Seattle Sounders.

We review Barcelona's 5-1 win over Valencia, paying special attention to Cesc Fabregas: Can he replace Xavi? If so, why was Pep so mad at him? We also debate Arsene Wenger's situation: Is it time he left? We go over the MLS trade-a-thon that was Brian Ching and Eddie Johnson's non-committal stay in Montreal, and we close out the show with a dramatic round of The Wikipedia Game.

Houston Dynamo past and present has been on parade over the last week. On the same day the reigning MLS MVP Dwayne De Rosario inked a new deal with DC United, the person those of us with an Orange persuasion consider the real 2011 MVP is back at work.

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that Brad Davis has been cleared by doctors for "all soccer activities.

Name: Houston Dynamo Head Coach: Dominic Kinnear 2011 Record: 12-9-13, 2nd Eastern Conference, 7th overall Twitter Hashtag: #HoustonDynamo The Dynamo are the defending Eastern Conference champions, but all the talk this offseason has been about other teams. That's not to say ...
Visit http://www.

COUNTDOWN TO MLS 2012 - SEASON 17
STARTERS
Its the worst case scenario for Oguchi Onyewu. He left Sporting's game over the weekend with a knee injury and today it was announced that he has a ruptured ligament and torn meniscus and that will require surgery and around 8 weeks of rehab to recover from.

Power Rankings are nothing more than good fun, particularly in the pre-season. Taking fan support, previous season rankings, player movement and the SuperDraft into account, I took a shot.That said, here's how I see the Eastern Conference playing out.
1. Sporting Kansas City: This squad has done nothing but get better.

Brian Ching, the man who built BBVA Compass Stadium, is set to see his former Dynamo teammates today for the first time since the Montreal Impact picked him in the expansion draft last November. The Dynamo and Impact will play today at a practice field at Home Depot Center. I was in contact with Ching [.

Brian Ching, the man who built BBVA Compass Stadium, is set to see his former Dynamo teammates today for the first time since the Montreal Impact picked him in the expansion draft last November. The Dynamo and Impact will play today at a practice field at Home Depot Center. I was in contact with Ching [.

By ADAM SERRANO

CARSON, Calif. -- For months, people have awaited Brian Ching's first match against the Houston Dynamo.

After being left unprotected by Houston in the expansion draft, Ching threatened retirement before eventually being selected by the Montreal Impact.

Ching squared off against his old club yesterday. (Photo via Montreal Impact)

As bad as it was back in November, both Brian Ching and the Houston Dynamo are ready to move past the whole expansion draft fiasco.

Ching now a member of the Montreal Impact played the Dynamo yesterday in a preseason scrimmage.

Ching squared off against his old club yesterday. (Photo via Montreal Impact)

As bad as it was back in November, both Brian Ching and the Houston Dynamo are ready to move past the whole expansion draft fiasco.

Ching now a member of the Montreal Impact played the Dynamo yesterday in a preseason scrimmage.

Dominic Kinnear was predicitably asked after the match about former Dynamo capatain Brian Ching and he made a slightly surprising comment:

"I think in the beginning, we were a little bit liberal with what we were saying," Kinnear said. "I think it was a little bit rude, and I apologize for that, back when Brian first got selected by Montreal in the Expansion Draft.

STARTERS
Medio Tiempo with an article saying CONMEBOL is making a huge proposal to CONCACAF for the 100th Anniversary of CONMEBOL in 2016 - scrap the Copa America, scrap the Gold Cup and hold 1 joint tournament in the United States with 10 CONMEBOL teams and 8 CONCACAF teams!

Sacre bleu! And that's enough stereotypical French speak for now... In any case, it appears that today's pre-season friendly against the Montreal Impact was not quite as fruitful as their previous game against the LA Galaxy earlier this week when they won 4-1 against the former MLS Champs.
In any case, as with the previous game we don't have too much information to go on for this match since we weren't there to actually cover it.

Unless Montreal has a tremendous change of heart and things deteriorate tremendously, Brian Ching will be in Orange by late this week. The Dynamo's all-time leading scorer wants to play in Houston as much today as when he told me a day before the expansion draft last November that he would retire rather than play [.

Unless Montreal has a tremendous change of heart and things deteriorate tremendously, Brian Ching will be in Orange by late this week. The Dynamo's all-time leading scorer wants to play in Houston as much today as when he told me a day before the expansion draft last November that he would retire rather than play [.

It's been an interesting day in which a lot and basically nothing has happened at the same time. Here's the details.

First came this tweet from the official Montreal Impact twitter feed:

PRESEASON: Brian Ching has asked the club to leave training camp for a few days due to personal reasons #IMFC #MLS

- Impact de Montréal (@impactmontreal) February 13, 2012

Next, there was this tweet from FOX26's (Houston's FOX affiliate) Sports Director Mark Berman:

MLS sources tell FOX26 Sports the Dynamo are in advanced talks with Montreal that would send the rights to Brian Ching back to Houston

- Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) February 13, 2012

Finally, a full article posted on FOX26's website:

League sources also told FOX 26 the Dynamo are in the advance stages of contract negotiations with Ching that would enable the Dynamo to bring him back to Houston.

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Philadelphia Union

Michael Farfan talks about his training stint with Sunderland, most of which was spent with the Sunderland reserves. "I don't think it was any change of play compared to here," Marfan says. "It was a good level and I held my own.

Marfan says players were interested to learn more about MLS.

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

Several months of posturing have led to a compromise in the tug-of-war between the Montreal Impact and Houston Dynamo in the battle for Brian Ching.

According to the Houston Chronicle, the Impact are dealing Ching to the Dynamo for a conditional draft pick.

Here's a little look at some of the reaction after Jesus Ortiz made known the news that the Dynamo had worked out the deal they'd been eyeing since the MLS Expansion Draft: Getting Brian Ching back in orange in time for opening day at BBVA Compass Stadium. [View the story "Brian Ching's return to the [.

Here's a little look at some of the reaction after Jesus Ortiz made known the news that the Dynamo had worked out the deal they'd been eyeing since the MLS Expansion Draft: Getting Brian Ching back in orange in time for opening day at BBVA Compass Stadium. [View the story "Brian Ching's return to the [.

A nice video while we await word on the completion of the deal to bring Captain Kamehameha back home where he belongs.

And if the first five seconds doesn't bring a smile to your face, then I don't know what will.

"I'm Brian Ching from the Houston Dynamo, and this is My Houston.

Brian Ching is back in a Dynamo uniform. (Getty Images)

The Brian Ching saga is over.

The Houston Dynamo have reacquired Ching from the Montreal Impact in exchange for a conditional draft pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft.

Yes, just for a conditional draft pick. The Impact end up being the big losers on this deal after playing hardball back in November.

Brian Ching is back in a Dynamo uniform. (Getty Images)

The Brian Ching saga is over.

The Houston Dynamo have reacquired Ching from the Montreal Impact in exchange for a conditional draft pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft.

Yes, just for a conditional draft pick. The Impact end up being the big losers on this deal after playing hardball back in November.

Brian Ching is once again a member of the Houston Dynamo, with the club completing a trade with Montreal. In return, the Impact get a conditional draft pick. Ching was left unprotected in the expansion draft, where he was selected first overall after publicly saying he wouldn't play for Montreal. He later agreed to join the club and was with them in training camp.