Why isn't Colin Clarke back on some club's radar? (USLSoccer)
Its hard to believe that three clubs are still without a head coach this evening. Well one has
an interim head coach but two big time clubs in Major League Soccer end the day without a lead
boss, which could be setting them back a bit for the upcoming month with the transfer window
opening up and the SuperDraft.
Forgive me for the slow day, I've honestly just needed a little time away from the keyboard to
focus on other things today. Blame the holidays if you will but sometimes a guy just needs a day
off. Anyways, I did find one thing tonight that caught my eye and as you all know I love a good MLS
expansion topic.
Erik Soler seems confident but will he actually get New York back on the map in MLS? (RBNY)
Erik Soler was formally introduced as the new general manager and sporting director for the New
York Red Bulls today and while the hire on paper seems okay I still wonder where this club is
actually going.
So the news came down today that the TOA league would be dubbed the new North American Soccer
League. Yes the return of the NASL is possibly more about the name than the actual league here. The
TOA group went for name recognition right away with this choice.
The league has nine clubs now that Tampa and Baltimore have jumped ship and they could look to
add a tenth with the possibility of Rochester leaving the USL after 2010.
Consider this the Evening Links and Thoughts for the night. I'm a bit busy at work at the moment
so things just didn't come together like I wanted today. Plus I'm still in shock over the Henry
handball from the France-Ireland game earlier.
Evening Links and Thoughts appear on WVHooligan typically each day (Monday –
Friday).
By now we've all seen the lovely quote from MLS commissioner Don Garber yesterday about future
league expansion.
"We've had productive conversations with Montreal to be our 19th team," said Garber.
With all the issues going on with the USL/TOA crap you have to think that Montreal owner Joey
Saputo is trying to figure out the best way to get his club into the top-tier league instead of a
new breakaway league.
I've spent a good portion of the day collecting my thoughts on a couple subjects and then it
happen to be the same day that MLS commish Don Garber had his State of the League address. Yeah,
let's just say some of his comments just made my head go nuts (and your's too judging by some
emails).
Today has been a day to say the very least. The news from the TOA group that they are forming
their own league certainly took over a lot of folks reading and writing today. I know it did for me
as I am still going to be talking about it tonight and maybe more for the coming days. I have some
more thoughts about it as well as some other items to discuss.
I won't lie to you all, I've had a case of the Mondays. As much as I want to post a big long
edition of things tonight I just for the life of me don't have the time to do so tonight. Instead I
have a couple links with very short comments on them.
McCarty Re-signs with FCD (link) Good stuff by Dallas to get one of their
better midfielders back for next year.
Will we see more of Conor Casey with the US National Team? (Getty Images)
Good evening folks, I hope everyone is having a good day. Now that we are in the evening it is
time once again for some links and thoughts. I only have two items tonight and really only one
link.
My first thought of the night centers around the US Men's National team and their upcoming
friendlies this month in Europe.
As mentioned earlier on my Twitter feed today has been a slow day due to some bad headaches on
my end. I won't go into it much but I am feeling a little better after some medicine kicked in here
(thanks to the few who asked). I didn't have much planned for tonight but I did want to get into
the coaching carousel that is going on in Major League Soccer.
Empty stands were a common sight at Pizza Hut Park this year. (Getty Images)
I hope everyone is getting use to the longer days again after the time change this weekend.
Nothing like getting darker a bit earlier again here but that's just how it goes. I have a few
goodies to discuss tonight leading off with a big time look at something former Chicago Fire GM
Peter Wilt sent Alexi Lalas a few years back.
There isn't much tonight for the evening links and thoughts. Got some USL-TOA talk and a brief
thought about Kevin Payne's fine from the league earlier today.
But first there we gotta go back into the TOA-USL talk that we've been going around and around
with for the last few weeks. Reports tonight suggest the TOA and their clubs could very well soon
be forming their own league, even as soon as TOMORROW.
Don't you just love it when you begin something and think you are close to finishing when you
realize you are better off starting all over again? I've had that happen here with what I thought
was going to be a new look for this place. I had spent a couple weeks on a new design when I just
basically hit a wall with it and couldn't get myself to go any further with it.
Nothing is in store for tonight's evening links and thoughts. Its been a busy day around these
parts and I felt like taking the night off. I'll be back tomorrow with more season recaps and a few
other things!
Can the Crew repeat yet again in 2009? (Getty Images)
The four first round series are set for the 2009 edition of the MLS Cup Playoffs. All four
series should be really good ones. For the second straight season the wild card positions have
benefited one of the conferences over the other as Real Salt Lake got into the playoffs as an
eastern conference club.
Its a pretty full night here at WVHooligan as far as the links and thoughts go. I have a couple
stories that kind of make my head spin, a couple surrounding the US national team and a brief
discussion on a rule that could really help some young players out with the NCAA.
First up is a post I saw earlier today that I felt needed to be held off until today.
Its that time of the year, the season is nearly complete and the league has handed out it's
ballots for voting for their season awards. Yes today I received an email with a link to my online
ballot for voting this year. I have to admit I wasn't expecting it to come this week but since the
season ends this weekend it makes sense.
I know today has been a little light from me. I've had a super busy day at my normal day job so
posting items on here kind of went out of the door. I came close to posting an updated MLS playoff
scenario chart but I will be honest there are so many damn tiebreakers that could happen it will
make your head spin.
Could Preki be on the move after this season? (Getty Images)
I must say today has been full of good stuff. From MLS playoff scenarios to U-17 World Cup
rosters to other items it has been a full day. Needless to say if you have missed some of these
items you are in luck as I have saved some of the best links of the day to discuss here
tonight.
It's weird to say that its been another quick week for me here but it has, this week has flown
by. Tonight's links and thoughts may end up being a quickie. I had some things planned for the day
and for the week for that matter but I never got around to some of them. Blame it on time getting
away from me and my normal day job.
Could the US make waves in South Africa next year? (Getty Images)
Its a US men's national team theme tonight for the evening links and thoughts. Not that there
isn't some good MLS stuff out there right now (more on that tomorrow) but there just happened to be
a couple really interesting topics surrounding the US national team that I wanted to touch base on
tonight.
Darrius Barnes is currently leading the way for the rookies. (Getty Images)
Its finally Friday, though I will admit this week has flown by for me due to it being a four-day
work week and things being fairly steady on both the regular job front and this place. I had
planned to do more than what had been posted today but I blame the weird rainy weather here in
Dallas for me not getting around to some of it.
It has been quite a full day for some, others are left catching up on all the twitter messages
that were lost today. There are plenty of good links to discuss so let's not waste any more time
with the formalities.
First up is the lovely discussion that will be on going for the next 20 or 30 years with Major
League Soccer.
Tonight's links and thoughts are brought to you by the letter N...as in naked. Okay I know that
was a bit cheesy but seeing the naked athlete photos today all over really well leaves someone like
me at a loss for words.
If you haven't by now seen the group of DC United players baring it all for ESPN Magazine's
photo shoot you should do yourself a favor (I guess?
It's been a fairly busy day around these parts. From catching up to things, to getting back to
the daily grind at my normal job, and to getting back to work on things with this site. I wanted to
kick off with a couple items that a few of your have emailed me and commented on recently here. Its
mostly end of year items and seeing how we are towards the end of the season it is fitting to
revisit some of these things.
First of all, sorry about last night and not having anything to discuss here. I honestly wasn't
feeling it and furthermore just wanted to relax and watch some of the games that were on. But I am
back tonight with a couple interesting items.
The first got me really thinking. Steve Davis, the Dallas writing genius that he is posted this
little diddy about the best stadiums in the league 2010 style.
I won't lie to ya, I don't have much tonight for the evening links and thoughts. Tomorrow it
will return with hopefully a good look at the playoff scenarios that are out there for this
weekend's games.
I think in all honesty I'm just wanting to watch the US-Costa Rica game tonight and not write
anything until its over.
Well today has been a long day for most US Soccer fans. We all know that US striker Charlie Davies
was involved in a car accident early this morning with two other people, one unfortunately died in
the incident. The AP is reporting that Davies is listed in serious condition after emerging from
surgery.
I wanted to post about the expansion draft but since Turkey Day is tomorrow I am going to just
hold off until Friday to do it. Not to mention my normal day job has been killing me with work this
week so time hasn't quiet been there.
Also, I had been hoping to show off the new design that I've been working on here for a while
now but that looks to be on hold until at least the end of this week.