Two of Major League Soccer's most historically successful franchises won't be competing for a title
this season. The Houston Dynamo, back-to-back MLS Cup winners in 2006 and 2007, and the team they
beat for those two titles, the New England Revolution, will play out their regular season schedule
and begin to focus on 2011 after being mathematically eliminated from the playoff race.
When Matt Leinart was drafted, he had big expectations. After starring at USC, Leinart appeared
destined for NFL stardom. His shaky start with the Arizona Cardinals opened the door for Kurt
Warner to take over ... and Warner didn't disappoint. However, with Warner now retired, the door
opened back up for Leinart on the Cardinals.
Editor's note: Three weeks ago, Earl began this series as a chronicle of his quest to find
the Premier League team that connects with his spirit as a fledgling soccer fan from afar.
Between the Euro 2012 qualifying weekend (where I found myself happy for Wayne Rooney to
overcome his personal distractions) and a weekend trip to see my favorite American football team,
the Buffalo Bills, I didn't catch much Premier League action the last two weeks.
