The massive clash at Stamford Bridge this weekend could see Chelsea put out a back-four with two new starters Ryan Bertrand at LB and Gary Cahill at CB. They could be joined by two of Luiz, Ivanovic, and/or Bosingwa ... Continue reading →

The Fire have had a tremendous offseason so far. We have fortified our midfield, improved our defense in the SuperDraft, and even added some forwards to the mix. The Fire midfield is certainly the most populated on the team, and one I would definitely consider it a strength. It's credit to the front office for taking what was considered a big weakness last year and turning it into one of our strong points.

Surprised? No. Disappointed? Of course.

Watching that match was painful, and I'm sure most of you caught the match. I will describe the match in laconic detail, in order to spare us the pain:

First Half: We were dire. Really, really dire. We couldn't get out of own half for most of the half, as United, who weren't so hot themselves, probed for an opener.

Thursday morning marks the beginning of training camp for the Seattle Sounders. Training camp is the MLS version of musical chairs. While the music is playing every one at the party gets to play. But once the music stops, some of these men are going to find themselves without a seat. The current roster of 28 players will be augmented in camp by 7 draftees and a collection of trialists.

With the 30th pick, KC selected defender, Cyprian Hedrick. Hedrick is a 6 foot center back from Costal Carolina University. Like Dom Dwyer, he is a junior college transfer to CCU. He is the CB depth that I thought we needed.

With the 15th pick in the MLS SuperDraft Seattle Sounders FC went with Creighton University's Andrew Duran. Duran a versatile defender played at the Combine as a rightback, centerback and right midfield. The senior player was rated as a top 10 defender by Maureci.

Duran is one of three Creighton players at the MLS Combine.

Featured image: Nicolae Stoian

We'll have updates of today's SuperDraft throughout the day as well as reaction to the Union's selection. On to the news...

Philadelphia Union

Ives Galarcep's mock draft at Fox Soccer has this to say: "The Union are believed to be shopping forward Danny Mwanga, and even with the recent addition of young Costa Rican forward Josue Martinez, Philadelphia can use some depth up top.

Aceval in the hole?The rumours are boiling out of Chile today that The Reds are about to add a new defender to their ranks. If the Santiago media are to be trusted, then 28-year old centre-left back Miguel Aceval has already agreed on a contract with TFC and the paperwork is in the midst of being finalized by Major League Soccer.

Part 3 of the review, coming right at you.

Aaron Ramsey
Stats: 22 appearances (3 sub appearances), 6.71 average rating, 2 goals, 6 assists, 2 yellow cards.

On his first full season since coming back from the Shawcross Special, Ramsey found himself as our main playmaker with Wilshere's injury and Cesc's and Nasri's exits.

What a couple of days of football! Who could have predicted such calamity for the top 4 teams? Can we take advantage tonight?

Fulham showed how good they can be a few weeks ago at THOF, a game we dominated but were relieved to get a point. Of course, the man who scored both goals will be missing and he leaves a big hole.

Welcome to The Yorkies' regular off-season rumour roundup - "The Rumoumeter". Too busy to keep your TFC ear to the ground every week? Just stop by the site and we will quickly show you what rumours are hot - and which ones have hit the back burner. Some of the rumours have weight - others little more than whispers; we take their temperature with.

Newcastle's superb start to the season has been down to their organized back four and the goalkeeping of Tim Krul. Well, that's all about to change. Alan Pardew's European hopes have suffered a major blow as CB Steven Taylor has ... Continue reading →

Speaking at his weekly presser ahead of the Norwich game Wenger was asked whether or not he believed there was adequate cover in the full-back areas following the fresh injuries to Gibbs and Jenkinson, he responded with a resounding "frankly speaking NO"

A stress fracture to the lower back and a hernia operation for the pair respectively, means there is a very good chance neither player will be in first team action again in 2011.

After my colleague, Gadsby, put together a piece concerning Italy's forward options, I thought I'd do something similar/completely rip him off by writing a piece looking at our backline, traditionally the corner stone of our successes, now looks somewhat confusing. With debates ongoing about our best CB partnership, who to put [read more]

After my colleague, Gadsby, put together a piece concerning Italy's forward options, I thought I'd do something similar/completely rip him off by writing a piece looking at our backline, traditionally the corner stone of our successes, now looks somewhat confusing. With debates ongoing about our best CB partnership, who to put [read more]

After getting the offer of some tickets late Friday, I went to the Emirates expecting a win, confidence in the team is getting stronger, especially with WBA not quite been the attacking enigma that they were last season when we managed to lose 2-3.

Robin "Assists from the lads were Insane"

Pre-match, Robin "One Man Team" Van Persie received his awards for a spectacular October, which was capped off in devastating fashion at the Bridge as Arsenal swept Chelsea aside.

Well, I'm speechless to think up even an introduction. From beating Arsenal 8-2 to getting run over 6-1 by City how things change. So let us just fast forward to the five things I observed from the humiliation this evening. Apologies in case you find your knees jerking after reading this.

1.

There are plenty of teams with better chances for a clean sheet this weekend but I'm going out on a limb and selecting Arsenal's CB Laurent Koscielny as this week's Funny Feeling Friday despite all of the injuries to Arsenal's ... Continue reading →

Via a really well written Jason Quick piece. I wish he would write Timbers more often. In addition to this stuff, there's some quality stuff on Paulson himself. Great article. Juicy article.

There has been some fairly scary (to me, anyway) financial talk in the past, but Paulson sounds really ambitious in this article:

"We are already looking at three to four guys who will be big, big additions in this offseason.

Out and about yesterday.

Here, our sentiments on the 22 players that Jurgen Klinsmann is bringing in to USMNT camp.

The big man sheds the "too old, too injured" label...

• Merit to the CB Madness?

Perhaps the player who generated the most buzz yesterday with his selection was Michael Orozco Fiscal.

After each match the contributors to New England Soccer Today will rate the performances of the New England Revolution players who made an appearance on a 1 to 10 scale (1 horrendous, 5 average, 10 perfection). This week Sean Donahue and Brian O'Connell contributed ratings for the New England Revolution's 3-2 loss to the Chicago Fire on Sunday.

Well, here I am, once again reeling from another disappointment, trying to figure out just how to sum up yet the latest uninspired performance by New York. I swear, with all the talk of how great this team is better on paper, I propose we so all go out and cover RBA in 8 ½ x 11's on Saturday...

Well, I'm glad I tempered my expectations for this one. I went into this one pretty sure we wouldn't be walking away with 3 points. So, I can't say I was terribly disappointed with the result, since I was ready for it. I was, however, pretty disappointed with the way we played. Just when you think that maybe we've learned, we go and commit the same old stupid mistakes that we've been committing all season.

Jason Le Blanc (@outsidemid) is a contributor at Two Hundred Percent, Tottenham blog Yankee Yiddos, Unprofessional Foul and Bundesliga Lounge. Le Blanc watched Joe Tait play multiple times during the defender's 2010 USL PDL Defender of the Year season, and while with the Dayton Dutch Lions.

It can be difficult at times becoming overly enthused over a new player signing, especially someone whom you have heard little about and seen in action even less, if at all.

Did Quaranta used to play CB or something?

Drop your game comments here so we can read them and pretend we're smart.

Thanks kindly,

The Management.

Did Quaranta used to play CB or something?

Drop your game comments here so we can read them and pretend we're smart.

Thanks kindly,

The Management.

4 Trialists featured, Darryl Roberts, a T&T striker with decent pedigree (Dutch league) currently plying his trade in Turkey whose been in camp this week, Koffi Chrysostome, a CB, played a year at Metz in Ligue 1 (France) and Benin's captain, also plying his trade in Turkey (same club as Roberts), Dillon Barna, another CB, currently playing with Ventura County Fusion in the PDL, but played last year with FC St.

With today's announcement that former Toronto FC player Amadou Sanyang has signed with the Seattle Sounders the team makes its first entry into the transfer market since Mauro Rosales. Sanyang started play with the Toronto FC Academy and in his two years as a professional with the Reds started 15 matches with 5 other appearances.

"What the hell do I do with that thing?!"The Dan Gargan mystery was put to rest this morning with the affable defender's trade to Chicago Fire. It was widely reported, and accepted, that Gargan had received an outright release by TFC earlier this week but the club never made an official announcement.

United States Drops Heartbreaker to Japan in Final

Writer Jerrod Roh has provided coverage, analysis, and opinion for the 2011 Women's World Cup for IMSoccer News. He has attended the last 3 men's World Cups in South Korea, Germany, and South Africa as well as the 2003 Women's World Cup in the U.

United States Drops Heartbreaker to Japan in Final

Writer Jerrod Roh has provided coverage, analysis, and opinion for the 2011 Women's World Cup for IMSoccer News. He has attended the last 3 men's World Cups in South Korea, Germany, and South Africa as well as the 2003 Women's World Cup in the U.

Word out of Trinidad today is that Sporting KC has a new central defender. Long time target Daneil Cyrus is on his way to KC on a loan deal from his Trinidad club, Santa Rosa FC apparently. Cyrus had impressed during the preseason and the team had tried to work out a deal, but back in March word from Cyrus' club was that the offer was too low.

Writer Jerrod Roh will provide coverage, analysis, and opinion for the 2011 Women's World Cup for IMSoccer News. He has attended the last 3 men's World Cups in South Korea, Germany, and South Africa as well as the 2003 Women's World Cup in the U.S. He is a self-described fan, student, and teacher of the game.

Writer Jerrod Roh will provide coverage, analysis, and opinion for the 2011 Women's World Cup for IMSoccer News. He has attended the last 3 men's World Cups in South Korea, Germany, and South Africa as well as the 2003 Women's World Cup in the U.S. He is a self-described fan, student, and teacher of the game.

Writer Jerrod Roh will provide coverage, analysis, and opinion for the 2011 Women's World Cup for IMSoccer News. He has attended the last 3 men's World Cups in South Korea, Germany, and South Africa as well as the 2003 Women's World Cup in the U.S. He is a self-described fan, student, and teacher of the game.

Wes Brown, the ultimate professional, has left Manchester United. The 31 year old played 361 times for United but saw himself fall behind the pecking order of Vidic / Ferdinand / Smalling and Evans at CB. Brown also plays RB, ... Continue reading →

Liverpool Seal Charlie Adam Switch - SBNation.comWe've known it was coming for a while and now it appears to be official according to people all over the world wide webs. The mysterious Liverpool summer in which they stockpile central midfielders and fail to address their core needs (LB, CB, and both wings).

Written by London

Clichy to City, I am flabbergasted, why would a club with unlimited funds, a club who could afford any left back in the world want to sign an error prone, erratic crosser? So convinced was I that this wouldn't happen I think I went as far as saying that I would eat my red and white scarf if the deal went ahead (and I like my scarf).

Think you know where MLS, NASL, and USL-Pro teams play? Well, prove it! I got bored during my lunch break and came up with this. It's also available in Facebook, if that's your thing. -CB The Traveler IQ challenge ranks geographic knowledge of cities such as: Marrakech, Leon or Baltimore by comparing results against 7,151,258 other travelers.

Player ratings for the United States 2-0 win over Jamaica.

(Scale is 1 to 10, with 1 being horrible and 10 being world class)

(GK) Tim Howard: 6.5
Made a great early save that kept the score line even, if not, who knows what the outcome would have been. After that, was pretty lonely with not much to do.