Editor's Note: The 2013 Major League Soccer season is underway! You've read your season predictions, team-by-team capsules, and all sorts of talk on the state of American soccer. Season eighteen is an important benchmark as it passes the seventeen that the last attempt at professional soccer, the North American Soccer League (version 1.
Here we are on the edge of 2013. The final stage of World Cup Qualifying on the horizon, a post-David Beckham Major League Soccer, and what is sure to be another explosive year for craft beer. So much to look forward to.
How about one, quick look back at 2012? U.S. Soccer chose their male and female athletes of the year, MLS has run down their top stories, A Football Report published their "Best Writing of 2012" (which we're proud to have been named to!
Photo Credit: D.C. UnitedWhen most professional athletes (and European soccer players) can't suit
up for a game they're usually seen living the good life up in a luxury suite with the owner and/or
their wife/girlfriend, but not Major League Soccer players.
Photo Credit: D.C. UnitedIf you want more evidence of why American soccer is so great look no
further than scenes from last Saturday's D.
If the U.S. team needed any kind of lift following the defeat in Jamaica, they certainly found it
from the fans in Columbus during Sunday's public training session at Crew Stadium.
More than 3,000 supporters turned up to watch the 75-minute session, cheering loudly as the team
entered the field and keeping the energy level as the team went through a series of passing
exercises and small-sided games before concluding with a finishing exercise.
If the U.S. team needed any kind of lift following the defeat in Jamaica, they certainly found it from the fans in Columbus during Sunday's public training session at Crew Stadium. More than 3,000 supporters turned up to watch the 75-minute session, cheering loudly as the team entered the field and keeping the energy level as the team went through a series of passing exercises and small-sided games before concluding with a finishing exercise.
If the U.S. team needed any kind of lift following the defeat in Jamaica, they certainly found it from the fans in Columbus during Sunday's public training session at Crew Stadium. More than 3,000 supporters turned up to watch the 75-minute session, cheering loudly as the team entered the field and keeping the energy level as the team went through a series of passing exercises and small-sided games before concluding with a finishing exercise.
We linked to a tweet from Dave Zeitlin yesterday that indicated that, with Danny Califf doubtful
for Saturday's match against Chivas USA, Peter Nowak is likely to start the same back four that
played against Columbus, which means Garfan on the left, Gaddis on the right, with Valdes and
Williams in the middle.
The MLS July 1st guaranteed contract deadline is right around the corner, and teams are making
their moves to clear players off their roster. KC made their move today, waiving midfielder, Luke
Sassano. Sassano had been picked up by KC after the Re-Entry draft in a trade with the LA Galaxy
that sent the rights to Frankie Hejduk to LA.
The long-time U.S. national team defender and Columbus Crew captain retired on Thursday, ending
an impressive career that saw him play in multiple World Cups as well as in Europe.
Hejduk enjoyed a 16-year professional career that saw him play for the Tampa Bay Mutiny, Crew
and LA Galaxy in MLS, with a stint at German club Bayer Leverkusen.
United States National Team defender Frankie Hejduk officially announced his retirement on
Thursday. Hejduk won 85 caps with the National Team, playing in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups and
missing out on a third World Cup in '06 due to injury. Hejduk played for Tampa, Bayer Leverkusen,
St Gallen, Columbus, and Los Angeles.
In 2011, the Los Angeles Galaxy won it all. Now in 2012, the Galaxy appear even stronger than
the side that took the MLS Cup home in November.Â
During the offseason the Galaxy added forward Edson Buddle to pair with Robbie Keane and
returned both David Beckham and Juninho to the club's stacked midfield.
Sometimes items from Soccer America can be a total miss but check out today's MLS Confidential
on the Galaxy. For anyone out there that couldn't get how the LA Galaxy was able to squeeze in
Edson Buddle to their salary cap, check this article out.
By bringing back Edson Buddle into the fold, even if he costs slightly more
than the $178,488 salary he earned in 2010 before leaving for Germany, the Galaxy probably hasn't
crunched its salary cap to any great extent, because of player departures as well as amassing
allocation money.
With 2012 marking the beginning of the USA's FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign and the players
here hoping to make a big impression, we decided to look back at the January camp roster from this
time in the previous two cycles to see if there is any forecasting to be done on how many players
will actually reach the World Cup.
Marc Burch (left) was the first player selected in stage two of the Re-Entry Draft. (Getty
Images)
The second stage of the 2011 MLS Re-Entry Draft came and went with a flurry of picks from the
defending MLS Cup champions, LA Galaxy.
LA needed depth for the possibly 50ish games that they will play next year with the Champions
League knock-out stage in the spring, followed by the 2012/13 group stage in the fall.
And they were the busiest MLS team in the draft period. Two are their own re-signed players:
recently acquired defender Dasan Robinson and seldom used veteran Frankie Hejduk. The Galaxy also
picked up: Chivas USA defender Andrew Boyens, veteran defender Chris Leitch, veteran Pat Noonan and
veteran goalkeeper Jon Conway.
So Stage 2 of the Re-Entry Draft has just concluded. It was a bit more lively than Stage 1 but
still not hugely impactful. Most teams passed outright with the Los Angeles Galaxy taking a
starring role by adding four players and picking up two of their own players again.
Unsurprisingly the Portland Timbers passed on Stage 2 and also passed on selecting their own
players once again.
Although the majority of teams passed on the opportunity to add players in the second stage of
the MLS Re-Entry Draft, a few used Monday's exercise to stockpile depth ahead of the 2012
preseason.
Three teams took multiple players, spearheaded by the defending champion Los Angeles Galaxy, who
made four selections: defenders Andrew Boyens and Chris Leitch, veteran forward Pat Noonan and
veteran goalkeeper Jon Conway.
There was a time when I liked a couple players in the MLS Re-Entry Draft for the Seattle
Sounders to pick up in Stage Two and talk into less money. First Bobby Boswell renegotiated with
the Houston Dynamo and then Bobby Convey went to Sporting Kansas City at a cut rate (rumors say
200K$). Now the list of available players is absent of the really appealing names.
Clubs can protect 11 players ahead of the 10-round draft for the Montreal Impact, which will
join MLS next year.
A team can only lose one player.
Wonder if Impact Coach Jesse Marsch will take a player from his most recent former club, Chivas
USA? Will he bring home Canadian Ante Jazic, a solid addition to any expansion team's backline?
Here's another former SKC Wizards update. The MLS season is getting closer. Some of the names in
the unknown category will probably start to jump onto teams here in the near future. Here's the
rest of the update.
Active without a club or unknown
Stephane Auvray
Chris Brunt
Doug DeMartin
Mauro Fuzetti
AJ Godbolt
Willy Guadarrama
Santiago Hirsig
Eddie Johnson
Mike Jones
Chris Konopka
Michael Kraus
Jonathan Leathers
Scott Lorenz
Amir Lowry
Rauwshan McKenzie
Ryan McMahen
Michal Mravec
Anthony Noriega
Ryan Pore
Ofori Sarkodie
Sam Scales
Scott Sealy
Milos Stojcev
Ivan Trujillo
Lance Watson
Here's another week of former SKC Wizards updates. First, came word last week that Craig Rocastle
will not be playing for the Missouri Comets. Instead he has moved to Greece where he's joined his
former club, Thrasyvoulos Fylis FC, who is currently at the bottom of the second division in
Greece. In other news, Ryan Smith has come out with his side of what happened when he left KC.
Here's this week's former SKC Wizards update for you.
Active without a club or unknown
Stephane Auvray
Chris Brunt
Doug DeMartin
Mauro Fuzetti
AJ Godbolt
Willy Guadarrama
Santiago Hirsig
Eddie Johnson
Michael Kraus
Jonathan Leathers
Amir Lowry
Rauwshan McKenzie
Ryan McMahen
Michal Mravec
Anthony Noriega
Ryan Pore
Ofori Sarkodie
Sam Scales
Milos Stojcev
Shavar Thomas
Ivan Trujillo
Lance Watson
Another week of former SKC Wizards updates, some extra news this week as well. By now you've heard
about Craig Rocastle signing with the Missouri Comets, but there's other news as well. Eddie
Johnson's club career continues to spiral down for him, as he's already out at Puebla in Mexico.
Apparently the forward failed his physical and was not fit and was released basically 2 days after
showing up in Mexico.
An incredibly quiet week in former SKC Wizards news with the Christmas season in full affect. But
here is your update for this week.
Active without a club or unknown
Stephane Auvray
Chris Brunt
Doug DeMartin
Mauro Fuzetti
AJ Godbolt
Willy Guadarrama
Santiago Hirsig
Michael Kraus
Jonathan Leathers
Scott Lorenz
Rauwshan McKenzie
Ryan McMahen
Michal Mravec
Anthony Noriega
Ryan Pore
Craig Rocastle
Ofori Sarkodie
Sam Scales
Milos Stojcev
Shavar Thomas
Ivan Trujillo
Lance Watson
A day late on the former SKC Wizards update, but being a day late has given me a little extra news
to post. Word on the Twitter account for Mexican club, Puebla FC is that they are signing former
Wizards player, Eddie Johnson. Johnson would join the brother of another Wizard, as DaMarcus
Beasley also plays for Puebla FC.
Another former SKC Wizards Update, plenty of player movement this week. Jonathan Leathers, Rauwshan
McKenzie, and Ryan Pore are now without clubs after not being selected in the second stage of the
re-entry draft. They're joined by Shavar Thomas who also wasn't selected. Also looking for a new
club, is Stephane Auvray whose was let go by the Red Bulls.
Here is this week's former SKC Wizards update for you. No really big news this week when it comes
to former Wizards, so here's the update.
Active without a club or unknown
Chris Brunt
Doug DeMartin
Mauro Fuzetti
AJ Godbolt
Willy Guadarrama
Santiago Hirsig
Eddie Johnson
Michael Kraus
Ryan McMahen
Michal Mravec
JT Murray
Anthony Noriega
Ofori Sarkodie
Sam Scales
Ivan Trujillo
Lance Watson
Another week of former SKC Wizards updates. The MLS season is over, but there's been a lot of busy
stuff going on this week. Today the league announced the players entered into the Re-entry draft,
plenty of former players are available, including Adam, Cristman, Taylor Graham, Frankie Hejduk,
Jonathan Leathers, Rauwshan McKenzie, Kurt Morsink, Ryan Pore, and Scott Sealy.
Here's your former SKC Wizards update for this week. Lots of news, including 6 new former Wizards.
Jeferson, Scott Lorenz, Craig Rocastle, Seth Sinovic, Ryan Smith, and Milos Stojcev are all now
classified officially as former Wizards. Also in the news is the movement of Tyson Wahl, who was
traded from Seattle to Montreal for allocation money.
This week's former SKC Wizards is up for you. A couple former Wizards could be on the move. Sunil
Chhetri is apparently getting ready to go on trial with Scottish club Rangers. Chhetri's had trials
in England previously, but had been unable to earn a work permit. Not sure how that will change
this time.
Here's the full package of informationto get you prepped for USA-Costa Rica tonight. Meantime, a few highlights:
Clint Dempsey has six goals in World Cup Qualifying in this cycle and 11 overall. He is the only player to appear in all seven matches of this cycle. Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann named Dempsey as the USA's captainfor the upcoming qualifying matches against Costa Rica and Mexico.
As we await tonight's World Cup qualifer between the USA and Guatemala there are plenty of old
highlights from previous matchups to watch. The U.S. is 12-4-5 against Guatemala. Since the USA's
1-0 loss to Guatemala on Jan. 10, 1988, the team has posted a 17-game unbeaten streak (12-0-5).
First, check out the highlights from a friendly on March 11, 1999.
A soccer career which began as a boy in San Diego and saw two World Cups in has finally come to an
end. After playing professionally for 15 years, Frankie Hejduk hung up his boots in April.
Former US international Frankie Hejduk officially announced his retirement from soccer today and
accepted a job offer to work in the front office for the Columbus Crew.
Some quick bits of news on four Kansas City players from this past season. First, with regards to
the re-entry draft (more on the draft as a whole later). Kansas City has two players that have been
played into the draft, Luke Sassano and Shavar Thomas. Neither one is incredibly surprising. Thomas
was 100% expected after he wasn't waived, the Jamaican international made only 3 substitute
appearances in MLS play this past season.
1.  Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Jermaine Jones, and Kyle Beckerman will hold down theÂ
Sorry. Forgot who was coaching.  Jurgen Klinsmann (obviously influenced by our latest P2010
Index) cools it on Beckerman and gives the nod to Edu and Bradley in central midfield. The
back line will look a bit of a throwback, with Cherundolo,Onyewu, and Bocanegra all starting Â
Timmy Chandler will hold down left back.
