US Soccer has released their evaluations of the US Soccer Development Academy clubs for the 2010-2011 season and one MLS club was rated as the top club in the country out of the 78 clubs that participated.

My pal Daniel over at BigDSoccer pulled this all together earlier and found out that FC Dallas had the top rated academy in the country during the 2010-11 season.

We talked to Development Academy Technical Advisor Tim Regan as he gears up for the 2011-12 Development Academy season during a recent swing through the Chicago office. Regan is the Technical Advisor for the Frontier Division as well as a few teams in the Great Lakes Division (BTW he watches about 50 games during the year, not including Playoffs and Finals Week!

RSL needs three points tomorrow in Seattle. (Getty Images)

The lovely Labor Day weekend is over for the 18 MLS clubs. All of them are in action this weekend, with eight games being played tomorrow. It is a full weekend of soccer indeed.

Naturally most of the games this weekend have huge playoff implications surrounding them.

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Tomorrow - Wed Sep 15 is the last day MLS teams can make any roster moves for this season. Thats it.
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The rumor is that the USA will schedule two more friendlies this calendar year - Approx Fri Nov 11 and Tue Nov 15, both in Europe.
2011-12 CONCACACHAMPIONS
Matchday 3
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Scott French of ESPN writes about LA headed to Morelia and the wave of negativity headed toward Landon Donovan.

Last night was a rough night for MLS in the CONCACAF Champion's League. Both the LA Galaxy and the Colorado Rapids both fell to Mexican opposition in almost embarrassing fashion.
The Galaxy went up 1-0 over a dominating Morelia side who responded with two unanswered goals. The match was rife with controversy though.

Last night was a rough night for MLS in the CONCACAF Champion's League. Both the LA Galaxy and the Colorado Rapids both fell to Mexican opposition in almost embarrassing fashion.
The Galaxy went up 1-0 over a dominating Morelia side who responded with two unanswered goals. The match was rife with controversy though.

By JASON MITCHELL

What a difference a year, and some experience, is making for the Seattle Sounders.

The Sounders scrounged a meager three points from six group-stage matches last summer and fall, their first foray into CONCACAF Champions League.

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Bob Bradley has officially been hired as head coach of Egypt. El Badil with the story.
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Jozy Altidore got the first goal for AZ in a Europa League win today.
STORY OF THE DAY
ESPN has the story of Richard Sanchez who was born and raised in the USA but played goalkeeper for the Mexican national team this summer when they won the U17 World Cup.

TEAM USA - EL EQUIPO DE TODOS
In case you missed it last week, Jose Torres has suffered a broken bone in his left foot and after surgery he will be on the shelf until some time in January or the beginning of February.
STORY OF THE DAY
This story has popped up in every city where a club team from the US Soccer development academy has told their players to make a choice between the club that plays in a national league or their high school team.

Photo by David Bernal/ISIphotos.com

The Colorado Rapids could advance to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League by winning both of their last two group matches. Even so, it looks like club is throwing in the towel on its tournament run.

Colorado sent a reserve-heavy squad to face Isidro Metapan in El Salvador for Wednesday's match, and head coach Gary Smith didn't make the trip, either, instead leaving assistant coach Steve Guppy to handle the team.

We looked at the long odds of the Chicago Fire making the playoffs just three weeks ago and things were looking very bleak. The enthusiasm balloon for playoffs became even more deflated when a lifeless Fire squad lost to the San Jose Earthquakes 2-0. Thanks to three straight victories and form that suggests the San Jose game was just a blip on the radar, the Fire find themselves in a decent spot to be like Mary Tyler Moore and make it after all.

I'm not really sure I have a firm answer to that question, and this blog will be based on a lot of speculation on my part. To be honest, I don't know what exactly happens behind the scenes, in terms of who's controlling the purse strings and making major decisions about financial issues. But what's interesting to me is the fact that when people complain about what's going on at Arsenal (especially during the transfer window), almost all of the comments pertain to either the board or to Wenger.

Steve Cherundolo will join the team in Brussels
It was a long day of travel but the U.S. MNT is on the ground in Belgium. The team flew overnight from Los Angeles to Frankfurt before getting on the short transfer to Brussels. A long night on the plane to be sure but the team is settled in the hotel and looking forward to the next day and a half leading into Tuesday's game.

Larentowicz and Dempsey with Revs teammates in 2006

Two former New England Revolution midfielders met up for the first time in nearly five years as Clint Dempsey and Jeff Larentowicz are in camp together here in Brussels.
The two were teammates for two years in 2005 and 2006, Larentowicz signing up as a rookie in the first year and Dempsey departing for Fulham following the second.

If the Chicago Fire's playoff hopes were an actual fire, they would be down to a couple of glowing embers after a night's sleep. Things don't look good but the light isn't out just yet. Sebastian Grazzini and Pavel Pardo have added a flicker of hope here and there. As the team hits the last stretch of games in the 2011 season, we will find out if we are just dealing with some fast lighting newspaper or have some real burning going on.

Real Salt Lake could be a wild card team this post season. (Getty Images)

It seems as each season goes in Major League Soccer, the wild card positions in the playoffs seem to be the ones with the most to gain and the least to lose.

Just taking a gander at the teams who have won a MLS Cup over the last couple of seasons and it was easy to figure out why the wildcard spots are so valuable these days.

LA Galaxy and the Colorado Rapids battle Friday night. (Getty Images)

Ah, that sound you may here is the sound of a full Major League Soccer slate this weekend. All 18 MLS clubs are involved in Week 26 action with eight of the games being Saturday evening. Most clubs had last weekend off and you can bet they are all geared up for the big playoff push here this weekend.

BY ADAM SERRANO

Chivas USA are looking to qualify for the playoffs, but they'll have to be without their star defender Heath Pearce for at least a month.

Pearce pulled his left hamstring in the club's August 27th defeat to Real Salt Lake while running in the open field.

La próxima semana tendremos partidos de Concachampions, les presento la posición actual de los grupos y los partidos a jugarse esta semana.
Grupo A Pts PJ PG PE PP GF GC Dif LA Galaxy 6 2 2 0 0 4 0 4 Morelia 3 2 1 0 1 4 1 3 Alajuelense 3 2 1 0 1 1 2 -1 Motagua 0 2 0 0 2 0 6 -6
Grupo B Pts PJ PG PE PP GF GC Dif Colorado Rapids 4 2 1 1 0 4 3 1 Isidro Metapán 3 2 1 0 1 4 3 1 Santos 3 2 1 0 1 3 4 -1 Real España 1 2 0 1 1 3 4 -1
Grupo C Pts PJ PG PE PP GF GC Dif FC Dallas 6 2 2 0 0 2 0 2 Toronto FC 3 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 Tauro FC 1 2 0 1 1 1 2 -1 Pumas 1 2 0 1 1 0 1 -1
Grupo D Pts PJ PG PE PP GF GC Dif Seattle Sounders FC 6 2 2 0 0 5 1 4 Monterrey 3 2 1 0 1 5 1 4 Comunicaciones 3 2 1 0 1 3 4 -1 Herediano 0 2 0 0 2 0 7 -7
Martes 13 de Septiembre de 2011
Morelia vs Los Angeles Galaxy 19:00 hrs
Real España vs Metapán 21:00 hrs
Colorado Rapids vs Santos Laguna 21:00 hrs
Miércoles 14 de Septiembre de 2011
Dallas vs Tauro 19:00 hrs
Pumas vs Toronto 19:00 hrs
Herediano vs Seattle Sounders 21:00 hrs
Comunicaciones vs Monterrey 21:00 hrs
Jueves 15 de Septiembre de 2011
Motagua vs Alajuelense 21:00 hrs
Gracias por tu visita Estadísticas de Fútbol

Fortunately, now that the strikes are over, we finally have a full slate of action in world football, featuring the return of the Italian Serie A to the television stage. At this point, for the first time in a long time, all of the major domestic leagues in the world are in action at the same time.

Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIphotos.com

By THOMAS FLOYD

After a Labor Day weekend dominated by international fixtures and a schedule watered down by Hurricane Irene the week before, MLS is finally back in full swing this weekend with a packed slate of matches.

I feel like I've written 'this is the Sounders hardest X game left this season' a lot in the last few weeks, where X is 'road' or 'home' or 'group stage' or whatever. It's a sign that the difficulty of the Seattle regular season peaked in a brutal July and August stretch that featured two games against a dangerous FC Dallas, a match in Monterrey, and matchups with the Colorado Rapids, the LA Galaxy, and a Cascadia derby match at Jeld-Wen field.

And down the stretch they come! As the playoffs get closer, games matter more. The LA Galaxy, leaders in the Supporters' Shield race, take on the reigning MLS Cup Champions - the Colorado Rapids.
1 - Cardozo sizzles a shot wide - opportunistic, but off-target.
3 - Kyle's Keys for the game don't include any inside dirt from his days as a Galaxy player.

And down the stretch they come! As the playoffs get closer, games matter more. The LA Galaxy, leaders in the Supporters' Shield race, take on the reigning MLS Cup Champions - the Colorado Rapids.
1 - Cardozo sizzles a shot wide - opportunistic, but off-target.
3 - Kyle's Keys for the game don't include any inside dirt from his days as a Galaxy player.

And down the stretch they come! As the playoffs get closer, games matter more. The LA Galaxy, leaders in the Supporters' Shield race, take on the reigning MLS Cup Champions - the Colorado Rapids.
1 - Cardozo sizzles a shot wide - opportunistic, but off-target.
3 - Kyle's Keys for the game don't include any inside dirt from his days as a Galaxy player.

And down the stretch they come! As the playoffs get closer, games matter more. The LA Galaxy, leaders in the Supporters' Shield race, take on the reigning MLS Cup Champions - the Colorado Rapids.
1 - Cardozo sizzles a shot wide - opportunistic, but off-target.
3 - Kyle's Keys for the game don't include any inside dirt from his days as a Galaxy player.

The Los Angeles Galaxy have held the best record in MLS for months, but will need to beat a strong Colorado side tonight (11pm, Fox Soccer Channel) to maintain their lead on a chasing pack that includes red-hot Seattle, streaking Real Salt Lake and dangerous FC Dallas.

The Galaxy come in off a somewhat disappointing 2-2 tie against Sporting Kansas City, but return home to the Home Depot Center, where they have been one of the toughest home teams in the league.

PHOTO BY ISIPHOTOS.COM

BY ADAM SERRANO

The Los Angeles Galaxy were able to check off their first box in their "to-do" list for the 2011 MLS season on Saturday night with a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids.

Landon Donovan scored in the 36th minute as Los Angeles was able to clinch the league's first playoff berth.

Landon Donovan makes the most of his play against the Rapids, and he did it again on Friday night, delivering the lone goal in the LA Galaxy's home win over Colorado.

This time, the goal came in the 36th minute as Donovan was unmarked when receiving a pass from Sean Franklin. Unlike his miss against Costa Rico on the same field in a USA friendly a week early, Donovan was clinical.

Over the years, the Colorado Rapids had enjoyed success against the Los Angeles Galaxy at the Home Depot Center.

The Rapids had beaten the Galaxy in its last three visits to the stadium, with one of them being a US Open Cup match, which Colorado won in a penalty shootout. This time however, LA made sure the result was to their liking.

Galaxy 1 Colorado Rapids 0

It's not me, it's you: Landon Donovan acknowledges the teammates who set up a finely worked move he ended with a confidently taken finish for the win over Colorado Saturday in Carson (AP Photo).

*Notable: With the win the first place Galaxy became the first MLS team to clinch a playoff spot.

Landon Donovan's goal gave Los Angeles a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids and made the Galaxy the first Major League Soccer team to clinch a playoff berth.

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ALL UEFA Champions League games are shown live on Direct TV.
TEAM USA - EL EQUIPO DE TODOS
A second October friendly is now official - Tue Oct 11 v Ecuador at Red Bull Arena in Harrison NJ.
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US Soccer gives us a recap of part of Jurgen Klinsmanns recent European scouting trip.

Charlie Davies scored a hat trick, Real Salt Lake won on the road in a 10 vs 10 matchup and the Galaxy cemented their case for best team in MLS. Here's your week 26 recap from Pedro Gomes.
Philadelphia Union 4, New England Revolution 4
The New England Revolution went into PPL looking to get the win against an always boisterous 16,148 fans.

Reality came crashing in this weekend. The amazing August run by the Seattle Sounders ended with a 2-1 home loss to Real Salt Lake. All the Sounders luck looked spent as Kasey Keller made a 1 in a 1,000 error and the normally steady Mauro Rosales missed a penalty kick wide. The Sounders website has match highlights and photos.

The Philadelphia Union represent one fourth of the MLSsoccer.com fan voted 24 under 24 list of Major League Soccer (MLS) players.

Freddy Adu, Danny Mwanga, Roger Torres, Jack McInerney, Michael Farfan and Gabriel Farfan all made the fan voted list of the 24 best players in MLS under the age of 24.

I love the NFL and I'm happy that its back and that my beloved Bengals are amazingly 1-0, but the real show is tomorrow on Fox Soccer Channel, where the stakes top Week 1 in the NFL!
CONCACAF Champions League Showdown: USA V. Mexico
8PM EST - The Galaxy travel to Morelia to try to keep MLS perfect record in Mexico entact (I have to use it while we got it!

"El Maestro" fue parte del equipo santista que se coronó por primera vez en el Invierno 1996. Además es Guerrero de Honor de la institución albiverde, cosechando una importante experiencia como entrenador luego de su paso por cuatro equipos y más de 100 partidos dirigidos en Primera División.

PHOTO BY Michael Janosz/ISIPhotos.com

BY ADAM SERRANO

MORELIA, MEXICO -- The Los Angeles Galaxy have arrived in Mexico with a target on their back.

The Galaxy sit on top of their CONCACAF Champions League Group with six points after a pair of wins against Alajuelense and Club Motagua at home.

With Week 26 action coming to close with a bang, we have a new slate of matches to look forward to. Up tonight we have CONCACAF Champions League action. The Galaxy travel to Morelia to take on the feisty Mexican side. I take issue though with a few of Arena's comments though. In particular he suggests that without the success of Seattle and Dallas, Morelia would have fielded a weakened side.