The future of American soccer appears to be the past of American soccer.

It's being reported that the new breakaway league consisting of several former USL clubs has registered the name North American Soccer League, apparently with the intent of using it at launch next spring.

There are those of us old enough to remember the original NASL (if you're not, go here).

Click to continue reading...

The Montreal Impact felt like they were duped when they withdrew their bid for a MLS franchise after finding out that the MLS is charging a $40 million expansion fee. The Impact could have been playing in the MLS by 2011 had they followed through with the deal. However, not all is lost for the Canadian soccer team.

Click to continue reading...

Well so far this season it has been current Real Madrid president Florentino Perez that has made several headlines with his aggressive tactics in landing many of the games greatest stars and his desire for a new Super league, but this last week it was former president Lorenzo Sanz who made all the gossip columns, but for all the wrong reasons.

Click to continue reading...

In a little over a year, Bruce Arena transformed one of the worst teams in the league into a contender for the 2009 MLS Cup. As a result of the remarkable turnaround, Arena was named as the 2009 Coach of the Year.

Hired to replace Ruud Guillt on August 18, 2008, Arena looked to change a Galaxy squad seen by many as in disarray.

Click to continue reading...

In a little over a year, Bruce Arena transformed one of the worst teams in the league into a contender for the 2009 MLS Cup. As a result of the remarkable turnaround, Arena was named as the 2009 Coach of the Year.

Hired to replace Ruud Guillt on August 18, 2008, Arena looked to change a Galaxy squad in disarray.

Click to continue reading...

EDIT - BREAKING NEWS! Preki re-nominated for Hall of Fame! Feel free to factor in his performance over the weekend. (Yes, I know you're not supposed to.)
Now that I've got my head out of the oven, let's warm up with some trivia.
Depending on what happens Friday night, one bit of statistical weirdness will fall. Click to continue reading...

Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 has been out in the UK for a couple of weeks now. It comes out in the United States on today. Given the ups and downs of the Pro Evo franchise over the past few years, we usually take a look at reviews from users before dropping cash on a non-returnable [...] Click to continue reading...

D.C. United coach Tom Soehn will not be back next season.
He's resigning. Or opting not to sign a new contact. Or something like that.
The Post has the goods on the story.

"My family and I have spent a lot of time in reaching this very difficult decision," Soehn said in a written statement.

Click to continue reading...

For as bad a stadium as The Swamp could be, Giants Stadium was the backdrop for a few of the most outlandish goals you'll ever see. Mathis' marathon goal against Dallas, Woly's infamous upper 90 banger, and Youri Djorkaeff and Juan Pablo Angel's zero-angle game-winners were all set in that soccer purgatory in East Rutherford. Click to continue reading...

Tom Anselmi defended his decision to extend Mo Johnston's contract by saying, and I quote: "Our expectation was to not make the playoffs the first three years. We didn't think we would."
Bra. Vo.
Not expecting Toronto FC to qualify for the playoffs? In a league where half the teams move on to the post season? Click to continue reading...

When Don Garber finally assented to allowing the Chivas USA franchise to call Los Angeles its home in 2004, it was a sacrifice. The MLS cares about geographic expansion, and was looking to grow into Canada, the Northwest, and back into Florida. Adding a team into a well-established market, and have that team plant itself at the Home Depot Center was not part of the long-term plan.

Click to continue reading...

Â

Of all the decisions to be made on head coaching positions in Major League Soccer this off-season, perhaps none is being watched more carefully than the New York Red Bulls' decision on whether to keep Richie Williams as head coach.

Hiring Williams would seem like a no-brainer for a club that watched him take a hopeless team and transform it into a respectable one that posted more points in eight matches (11) than it posted in its first 22 (10).

Click to continue reading...

Â

Of all the decisions to be made on head coaching positions in Major League Soccer this off-season, perhaps none is being watched more carefully than the New York Red Bulls' decision on whether to keep Richie Williams as head coach.

Hiring Williams would seem like a no-brainer for a club that watched him take a hopeless team and transform it into a respectable one that posted more points in eight matches (11) than it posted in its first 22 (10).

Click to continue reading...

No surprise there, then: in a tanking economy where even the nation's most popular league, the NFL, has had trouble selling tickets and Major League Baseball's attendance fell 6.9%, it's not a shock to learn that as Soccer America reports, MLS' attendance fell overall by 2.9% in the regular season just concluded, falling from 16,460 in 2008 to 16,037.

Click to continue reading...

Though the rain may have followed it's way over from Giants Stadium to Red Bull Arena, and the sky was as gray as ever, it could not dampen nor cast a shadow on today's accomplishment. Ladies and Gentlemen, say goodbye to plastic turf; the final piece of sod is in place, and the Red Bulls Kentucky Blue Grass pitch is finally complete.

Click to continue reading...

Does Wells Thompson still live in a dorm? Kinda looks like it. I bet his roommate --who is probably named Bodie-- made his website for him between games of hackey sack and trying to look deep while reading Bukowski on The Quad. Which was real nice of him so Wells should probably get him Dave Matthews tickets or something to say thanks. Click to continue reading...

We haven't had one of these in while have we? Seems like it's been an entire season since we last saw JP and Johnny Boy's Q+A franchise. Oh well, nice to have 'em back and going around the league on an award tour like their names were Q-Tip and Phife Dog. Click to continue reading...

How many times have you heard a sports journo or commentator use the phrase "That kid's got heart!" It is one of those cliches that stands the test of time, much like the classic "he gives one hundred and ten percent every play," and the ever so popular "he never takes a play off. He is always competing!

Click to continue reading...

1. can Brisbane be competitive this year (competitive = top 4)?
2. if they aren't, how big will the crowd be by year's end?
(note that Brisbane had the 2nd biggest crowd last week and Gold Coast with Culina and Smeltz only had 4,500).
3. Where will they play next year? Click to continue reading...

Just picked this article up from USSoccerPlayers.com from the pitchinvasion.net twitter feed, and it's an interesting read. The opening line certainly corroborates what I've been sensing in my recent foray into the cultural side of North America's professional league:
"In August, Major League Soccer ticket sales dipped over 4% overall and dropped double digits up to 34% for six franchises while nationwide sales for international matches skyrocketed. Click to continue reading...

Once again MiamiSoccerFan.com seems to be the site that gets all the exclusives concerning Soccer in Miami. The site lead by "El Presidente" Pieter Brown of the Miami Ultras has scored yet another interview with Brightstar owner Marcelo Claure who lead the failed Barcelona Miami MLS bid.
Claure graciously answers questions and gives South Florida hope as to its future with MLS and soccer in general. Click to continue reading...

I have said it before and I will say it again. Lionel Messi is flat out the best player in all of the world. End of the discussion.Â

Messi brought home the first ever treble for Spain's La Liga and the forward won the Champions League Player & Forward of the Year awards and also the LLTO Player of the Year to name a few of the most coveted trophies in his case at home.

Click to continue reading...

Sounds like you have finally count Vancouver's MLS expansion plan in for good as BC Place will officially be fitted with a retractable roof after the conclusion of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

According to the reports, the roof should still be finished in time for the start of the 2011 season for the Whitecaps.

Click to continue reading...

FIFA 10 for PS3 has been out in the UK for a few days now. It comes out in the US on October 20th. Given the ups and downs of the FIFA franchise over the years, we usually take a look at reviews from users before dropping cash on a non-returnable game. We've found that [...] Click to continue reading...

We are way behind on posting this, but since the last question answered has become more relevant after the events of the past couple days, it still make sense to post this.
The TBR Mailbag is a bi-weekly feature brought to you by the TBR front office to allow you, the fans, to write in and ask questions about the team, organization, and the return of professional soccer to Tampa Bay. Click to continue reading...

On Friday, Steve Davis at his excellent blog, Daily Soccer Fix, wants to atone for the ripping he delivered to the FC Dallas organization for their adventure in re-branding the Dallas MLS franchise circa 2004. In the original post he was discussing the name change from Dallas Burn to FC Dallas, and he made a number of interesting points regarding the fate of the franchise since that decision was made. Click to continue reading...

Sometimes I wish I was Juan Pablo Angel. I would be rich. I would be handsome. I would wear fashionable quasi-Western, semi-flannel shirts. And I would score goals like a motherf*cker.
You might have been too busy laughing at RBNY's misfortune this season to notice but last week at Chivas USA, JPA broke the franchise scoring record previously held by Clint Mathis. Click to continue reading...

Robert R Luker writes:

The MLS and Football in general is going in the right direction in North America. Because of this, MLS needs two things. First, they need to figure out what their goals are. I'm sure Don Garber has them written down, I would just like them to be more transparent to the public.

Click to continue reading...

One of the arguments used against Major League Soccer expansion markets is that they already have a USL-1 team that draws poorly. Now that the Seattle Sounders have jumped ship, there are two franchises we can examine to see if this critique is fair.

• Before Toronto FC came into existence in 2007, the Lynx represented that city in USL-1.

Click to continue reading...

With J Hutcherson -- For those of you not overly interested in the National Hockey League, their season starts tonight amid the biggest franchise issue to hit pro sports since the last time hockey had problems. In the contemporary era of big money and everything in and around sports for sale, it's normally hockey giving us a look at how it could go badly. Click to continue reading...

It seems things are finally clear.
Although the whole process has made the FFA look both clumsy and devious, the ultimate decision to delay entry for a Western Sydney team is undoubtedly the correct one. 2010/11 will give the national body a chance to see how the two-teams-per-city dynamic will work in Melbourne, where the market is similar, though not exactly identical, to Sydney's. Click to continue reading...

TORONTO - PistolasFC.com is ecstatic to announce a new partnership with one of the most trusted names in Sports; Bwin.com.
Famous for gracing the shirts of A.C. Milan and Real Madrid, bwin.com offers players an exciting place to place their bets - even up until the final whistle!
"We've been looking forward to this for quite some time, and are very happy to be a new affiliate of bwin. Click to continue reading...

This weekend, Washington Capitals owners Ted Leonsis made a series of "pledges" to Caps fans on his personal blog. Here they are:
Quote:

• We will always operate the team as if it is a public trust. It is our job and responsibility to hold a mirror up to our community and be a reflection of the best of our fan base;
• We will always strive to be transparent and open and communicate often and honestly with our fan base;
• We will be interactive and high tech/high touch as an organization;
• We will always remain humble and hungry and sweat all of the details;
• We will be first class in all of our efforts.

Click to continue reading...

Richie Williams side showed a ton of heart this weekend, and could have taken the win, had it not been for a horrendous non call in the box, when New England's leg breaker, Osei, nearly took off Wolyniec's legs with a drop kick of epic proportions.

Click to continue reading...

Now why would you think I am worried about RSL making the playoffs?

But sometimes, you have to face reality. Real looked awful out of the blocks in Houston. It was as if RSL was still working at fifty percent effort at the start of the game while the Houston Dynamo was playing at high tempo.

Click to continue reading...