A month by month look back at the year that was for Toronto FC and why last season's upheaval is finally starting to show dividends.
Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

There was only one thing DC United fans knew for sure going into the 2011 season, and that was this season couldn't be any worse than the previous one. After setting the standard for futility, the team not only climbed ...
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com for the rest of the story.

My last ever post about the DeRo vs TFC debate.
Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

My last ever post about the DeRo vs TFC debate.
Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

Ladies, gentlemen, we have now entered the last 24 hours of the 2011 MLS Season. It's been a good one, perhaps one of the best, and, as we prepare for the final in LA, I'm sure we all have our bets on which team will take the cup. But first, let's catch up on the results of MLS's annual awards.

The 2011 Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player was always going to be controversial. There have been many arguments for and against the Canadian winning the MVP award. In 2011 he played for 3 teams, Toronto FC, New York and D.C. United. The bulk of his season was spent with D.C. United and it was there that his case for MVP was made.

I ask in this post season look back of the season that was for Toronto FC, what might have been if MLSE had not wasted most of "the hundred days" between firing Mo Johnston and hiring Aron Winter.
Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

Happy Monday to you. With the MLS season concluded, we now have a clear picture of the playoffs and are able to look back on the season with retrospective eyes. Here are a few things bouncing around my head as we enter the second season of MLS action.
No Wondo, No DeRo: How remarkable is it that the Golden Boot winner and his main competition are done for the season?

Sporting KC close out the regular season tomorrow night in DC when they take on DC United at RFK Stadium. It's a huge game for Sporting KC as a win can see the Wizards clinch first place in the Eastern Conference. DC saw their playoff hopes ended on Wednesday when they drew 1-1 with Portland thanks to a goal from Dwayne De Rosario.

Why a loss Tuesday for Toronto FC in the Champions League Tuesday will be a disappointment but not enough of one to forget all the goods things that have happened for the team since the summer.
Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

I don't think this is what Hart had in mind...
It was a nice night out at BMO, but deja vu was in the air. The last time a team in red played a team from the not-quite-a-U.S.-state, it was a group-stage clincher-type set-up where the visitors put 8 defenders in front of their goal and got the result needed to wreck everything.

The DeRo for Dax trade was one of the biggest in 2011. (Getty Images)

Each year I do season predictions and nearly every year I boldly state that a trade will shake up the season (take that with a hint of sarcasm if you will). Well, this season is just like many of the past where teams wheel and deal in hopes of bettering their playoff hopes.

Alexi Lalas MLS blog: Brek Shea gets my nod for 2011′s MVP who gets yours?

Welcome to MirrorFootball's new MLS blog, brought to you in conjunction with ESPN. Every week USA legend Alexi Lalas will be on hand to bring you the latest news from the States, and you'll also be able to watch the week's best goals and highlights.

In this post, on the anniversary of "cut me a cheque", former Red Dwayne de Rosario makes a bid for the MLS MVP Award and why I feel that this should not give any TFC supporter reason to doubt that he still had to leave Toronto.
Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

Did you see The DeRo Show? The ratings may not be all that but it is critically acclaimed. Seriously, this was the best show on television Saturday night not to feature Alec Baldwin and Radiohead.

Did you see The DeRo Show? The ratings may not be all that but it is critically acclaimed. Seriously, this was the best show on television Saturday night not to feature Alec Baldwin and Radiohead.

Woot! Woot!

All aboard! And away we go.... (yes, you'll see this image a few more times this year.)

All aboard the Perlaza MEGABUS!

Three matches all with playoff implication.

FC Vollkswagen vs. FC Corona as Charlie Davies, DeRo and friends (minus Pontius) hope that games-in-hand are a blessing not a curse down the stretch.

One of the best things about a highlight package after a 3-nil win is that the rare down moments don't exist. The beauty of the Seattle Sounders attack is featured. The passing, off-ball movement and penchant to threaten the keeper in Saturday's game was the team working at near perfection. Mauro Rosales and Fredy Montero were able to pick apart the DC United defense.

My post game video blog with comments on Toronto FC's loss to Dallas at home in a Champions League replay.
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

A video look back at Gargan's goal & celebration Sunday in Chicago, the 3-4-3, Frings at the back and will Dallas bring their 'A' game this week in the Champions League
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Stephane Auvray and Thierry Henry are now teammates. (Getty Images)

In search of some midfield depth, the New York Red Bulls have gone out and made a deal today. The club has sent a 2nd round pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft to Sporting Kansas City for Guadeloupe defensive midfielder Stephane Auvray.

In this post game video blog I lament having only roughly sixty seconds to enjoy the thoughts of a Toronto FC road victory in DC against United before it is cruelly snatched away and turns into a less than satisfying 3-3 draw.
Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

In this post game video blog I celebrate Toronto FC's away victory Tuesday night in Nicaragua that secured passage into the group stages of the CONCACAF Champions League.
Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

Seattle Sounders Defensive Midfielder Osvaldo Alonso earns recognition as an MLS All-Star after the player vote for the final six named he and five non-Sounders. As an inactive All-Star he is under no requirement to be at the game, but Alonso will get a bonus (hitting next year's cap) and the resume bullet-point as well.

The New England Revolution ended a nine-game winless streak as goalkeeper Matt Reis stymied D.C. United with a string a super saves.

It was the Revs' (4-9-7, 19 pts.) first win since a 1-0 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps on May 14, while it was their first triumph away from home in 2011 after going 0-6-3 in nine previous road games.

Why I think TFC supporters might regret the day that Tony Tchani left Toronto.
Rating: 3.0/5 (2 votes cast)

22,200 fans came to The Cathedral of Football on Saturday night to see what should have been a classic derby match. With the rich history between RBNY and DC United, a 4-0 thrashing by the Bulls at RFK earlier this season, and the midweek 5-0 destruction of Toronto FC, the potential for an entertaining, dynamic 90 minutes was in the air.

The Atlantic Cup rivalry renews at Red Bull Arena this weekend. (Getty Images)

A nearly full weekend schedule of games waits us as MLS goes into week 17′s weekend portion. All but two clubs (New England and Columbus) are in action this weekend. Not sure how those two got the weekend off here.

The Philly Soccer Page " Match report: DC United 2-2 Union
With Danny Mwanga in fine form and completely healthy, Peter Nowak made the Mwagic Man his only change to the lineup that lost the first half to Chivas last week.

Union Notes: A fond farewell for Fred - delcotimes.com

WASHINGTON – A black banner with silver script was draped across the boards in RFK Stadium's lower-level seats.

Another great episode of this, the original RBNY-themed podcast. This week, Mark and Dave have a supersized 68 minute episode for us, where they discuss the loss @Seattle, the draw @ Chicago, the DeRo/McCarty shocker, the Open Cup victory vs FCNY and preview tomorrow's away fixture @San Jose.

Matin Shatzer, of SB Nation's DC United blog Black and Red United and SBN DC, and I exchanged three questions a piece ahead of today's Philadelphia Union-United match at RFK Stadium.

tBG: Does the addition of Dwayne De Rosario provide enough offense to make up for the loss of Dax McCarty's control of the midfield?

Img: Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

Returning to the site of their worst 2010 performance, the Philadelphia Union meet a mercurial DC United team looking for their first win in over a month.

Trouble in the back

To call DC United the opposite of the Union is a bit of a stretch.

It's a super-sized Seeing Red for an amazing week for the Red Bulls. Dave and Mark talk about the Seattle loss, the Chicago draw, and the US Open Cup win v FCNY. Then they tackle the imposing July schedule and the DeRo for Dax trade. THEN they talk with San Jose's GK Jon Busch and have a mid-season review with Dan of MetroFanatic.

Could This Be Us, Finally?Derby Day has finally arrived for New York soccer fans. For years, we've been hearing how a second pro soccer team would miraculously lift the profile of the sport in the Big Apple. Tonight, the third round of the US Open Cup will put that logic to the test, as the Red Bulls host FC New York of the USL PRO League.

Who got the better of the DeRo-Dax trade?

Dwayne De Rosario was supposed to be the final piece of the puzzle in New York. The team and its fans had wanted someone to play at the "point" of the diamond midfield head coach Hans Backe has desired, and De Ro seemed a natural fit since that was the spot at which he won two MLS Cups with the Houston Dynamo.

McCarty: The Red Bulls' Latest AdditionThis has to rank as the most shocking trade of the MLS season thus far. Late this afternoon the Red Bulls moved Dwayne De Rosario - who they had just acquired on April Fools Day - to hated rivals DC United in exchange for midfielder Dax McCarty. On the face of it, this would appear to be a very one-sided deal in DC's favor.

Dax McCarty is on the move yet again. (Getty Images)

Yes, this is indeed real. Dwayne De Rosario has been traded from the New York Red Bulls to D.C. United in exchange for Dax McCarty.

Let that one sink in for a moment. DeRo for Dax. Straight up.

De Rosario began the 2011 MLS season with Toronto FC, registering one goal and one assist in two matches before being dealt to the New York Red Bulls on April 1.

Photo credit: ArtBrom
Good Afternoon! It's a dreary one here in RBNY Land. No matter, as the Red Bulls are in the land where the sun (almost) never shines (Seattle) for a massive, massive league tilt against the Sounders (10:00pm ET, ESPN2). The Sounders are opening all of the seats, of their just-renamed stadium, for this one so the atmosphere should be insane.

We were fortunate enough to have a group of "Friends of the Nest" on the ground in Portland this past Sunday. Tom Faust did us the favor of capturing some video footage, including a pre-game predictions from the Thirsty Lion, half time comments and even the equalizing penalty by DeRo. In addition to the video, which you can view above, Tom took some shots around the ground and from his vantage point close to the Timbers Army.

Solér: Pulling No PunchesAs the Red Bulls prepare for Thursday's nationally televised game against the Sounders at Seattle's newly-christened CenturyLink Field, they face a real dilemma at the forward position. Deprived of Luke Rodgers - the victim of an ongoing plantar fasciitis condition that will keep him out for at least several more games - and the suspended Thierry Henry (more on him below) - it appears that Hans Backe will opt for a Dwayne De Rosario/Dane Richards partnership up top.