photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com

Conmebol's Copa America is the oldest international continental tournament in soccer, and 2016 will mark its 100th birthday.

That could also be the year that many American soccer fans have a dream come true.

According to Mexican outlet mediotiempo.

photo by Rick Osentoski/ISIphotos.com

It appears U.S. men's national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann is making a concentrated effort to get to know CONCACAF teams prior to World Cup qualifying.

According to a report, the United States will travel to Canada to take on its northern rival in a friendly before World Cup qualifying begins in June.

@MerrittPaulson

@SoccerInsider field size? A FIFA regulation field size would keep a USMNT game from pdx?! Baloney. We will have a gold cup game next time

From MP's Twitter account. Looks like Jeld Wen will be hosting a Gold Cup Game!

The U.S. men's national team plays its second game in a week, and second of 2011 in Panama City tonight against CONCACAF foe Panama (8:30pm, Galavision/ESPN3.com).

The United States is coming off a 1-0 victory against Venezuela, but tonight should offer a much tougher test as the Americans face the Panama side that beat the Americans in the Gold Cup group stages before losing a 1-0 decision in the Gold Cup semifinals.

Will Jones sport the armband again? Will he have a better first touch?

When we last met out protagonist the USMNT it was doing battle north of the border, putting out a tiny skirmish, so to speak, that was attempting to be kindled by Venezuela.

The States controlled "the battle" and at the death put the South American foe to the proverbial sword, 1-0 after a dominating display especially in midfield against an overmatched opponent.

The last time the United States and Panama met was the 2011 Gold Cup. The US lost the June 11th group stage game in Tampa Bay 2-1. Trailing from the 19th minute, the US was down two goals after giving up a 36th-minute penalty. Clarence Goodson pulled a goal back in the 68th, but the USA was unable to come up with an equalizer.

January is treating TSG like Gio Dos Santos doing the US at the 2011 Gold Cup. Unmercifully. Ouch.

Parkhurst gets his shot?

Thanks for baring with us.

On to what you came here for.

The US attempts to break down Venezuela at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona Saturday night 6pm PT.

Qualifying starts. Maura Gladys has you covered.

Morgan looking to excel--in a new role?--as winter closes...

The last time the U.S. Women's National Team competed in a CONCACAF qualifying tournament, they almost missed the cut for the 2011 Women's World Cup.

Smiles mandatory, umlauts optional.
"You want it to be one way ... but it's the other way." -- Marlo Stanfield.
Back in the spring of 2010, during my epic, streets of Bodymore, Muderland-tinged World Cup preview, that quote was used to describe a lingering sentiment hanging around certain corners of the U.

There are very few players who are capable of becoming an instant fan favorite within short span of time that Javier Hernandez managed to do so with the Old Trafford faithful.In his first season at the club he earned rave reviews from fans and the press alike, he had earned himself the title of Solksjaer's heir apparent.

"It would be an amazing opportunity to be able to stay here at Rayo."

Freddy Adu has been in Spain for what seems like five minutes, but already he views it as his future if chances open to him. Therein lies the problem with Adu: his ambition to play in Europe will once again be detrimental to both his current team and to his soccer career.

2011 was a pretty incredible years in a lot of ways. Here are a few of my impressions:
dN
My beloved Minnesota Stars won the re-inaugural NASL championship! I know most of you don't follow the 2nd division of soccer in North America, but it was a great year for many of the teams. The play on the field was arguably the best ever, and when your team goes on one hell of run and eventually wins it all, there is nothing better!

Last week Brian Straus made it known that the USWNT got off too light. He said that if the women didn't choke in the World Cup final, well, then they "folded":

In the aftermath of the U.S. women's national team's heartbreaking penalty kick shootout loss to Japan in the Women's World Cup final, usage of the word "choke" was frowned upon.

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

Philadelphia Union

Reaction to the release of the 2012 schedule:

The Goalkeeper notes that the Union is hosting New York and DC twice. "This strikes me as unfair from a competitive balance standpoint...As such, it would seem to me to make more sense to have each team host one team once and one team twice.

Was there really any doubt that Clint Dempsey wasn't going to run away with this award?
As some of our commentors pointed out during the voting, it seemed a bit one-sided. Not just because of their own qualifications, but the over-whelming case that could be made for Sir Deuce.
With nearly 40 goals for Fulham in the English Premier League and counting Clint Dempsey has made the biggest splash of any American aboard, ever.

Phoenix native Brad Evans will be at Tim Finnegan's Irish Pub on Friday night
U.S. Men's National Team midfielder Brad Evans is experienceing quite the whirlwind this week, returning to his native Phoenix on Wednesday after receiving the call from Jurgen Klinsmann to join the January Camp.

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Editor's note: At the end of the 2010 season, we posted a series of season reviews of every Philadelphia Union player. Over the next several weeks PSP continues with a review of the 2011 season.

The Freddy Adu redemption narrative began this year the same way such stories typically begin: At rock bottom.

If this is the apocalypse, gimme some It's been almost five months since I've posted something fresh to my blog. That's downright apocalyptic, which is apropos given it's after all 2012. Kinda sad for footie fans if the Mayans are right. After all, we're stuck with 2010 as the last World Cup--aside from Spain establishing itself as the best national team in a generation, the Mundial didn't give us much more.

With it being New Year's Eve, I figured it was time to take a look back at the 2011 wishes that I'd posted at the end of last year.
1. Return to the Playoffs - This was filled 100%, not only did KC qualify for the playoffs again, but the team won the regular season Eastern Conference crown and had home field advantage.

Benny Feilhaber has to feel relieved.

Since Jurgen Klinsmann's appointment as U.S. Men's National Team manager in July, the Revolution midfielder had inexplicably failed to make it onto any of the new coach's call up lists. Until Thursday.

With a pair of friendlies slotted for late-January, Klinsmann finally called in Feilhaber for National Team camp, which is scheduled to start on Jan.

The Philadelphia Union announced on Wednesday that they have signed Panamanian international Gabriel "Gavilan" Gomez.

The press release says "the central midfielder will be eligible to join the Union upon receiving his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate. Per MLS and Club policy, terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

Philadelphia Union

Kerith Gabriel reports that the Philadelphia Union will announce a "blockbuster deal" with Panamanian international Gabriel Gomez. Gabriel says that Gomez is the "the same box-to-box defender/midfielder that was a beast in Panama's 2-0 win over the United States in the group stage of this summer's Gold Cup.

Well at least we'll be able to watch one Timber this off season as it looks like Rodney Wallace is off to represent Costa Rica once again. Both matches are international friendlies, but any national time he can get the better, in my opinion.

The first match will be against Cuba in Cuba... not many Americans can say they've been there.

File Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

Philadelphia Union

In Thursday's press conference, Peter Nowak reiterated a theme that he has stressed since the end of the season: he is looking to create competition among positions within the squad. "The more guys we have in [camp] being involved with the team and the team-mentality is better and will help us to have better results.

Here is what we don't need. In the summer the CONCACAF region was right in the midst of the Mohammed Bin Hammam scandal after Chuck Blazer revealed a money for votes rigging scheme that involved officials of the Caribbean Football Union receiving wads of cash from Bin Hammam for their support to replace Sepp Blatter as FIFA president.

STARTERS
You can now go buy your own copy of the movie Rise & Shine: The Jay DeMerit Story on DVD.
dN
The whole city of Manchester has been dark for over 24 hours now. Pitch black. Are they all dead. They probably want to be as both United and City were bounced from the Champions League yesterday.

Took a little while for me to get this post out due to all the stuff that's been going on since Sporting KC's season ended. But here's a look at my post season grades.
Korede Aiyegbusi - INC - Only played 94 minutes for KC in league play this year, not enough to warrent a grade.
Davy Arnaud - C+ - Missed quite a bit of time after having hernia surgery, and once back found himself as a back up to the midfield trio of Cesar, Espinoza, and Zusi.

Tough to answer. Many people will be upset to see a Mexican goal against the U.S. in a championship as goal of the year and possible best goal ever, but it is what it is. It's controversial to say, but, there is an argument to be made.

The US National Team will play Venezuela and Panama in January. (Getty Images)

The usual pair of January friendlies for the US Men's National team have been announced today by the USSF. Jurgen Klinsmann will lead his team against Venezuela in Phoenix on January 21 and then again on January 25 against in Panama City against Panama.

photo courtesy Jarred Donalson
Sporting KC made 4 more roster moves today, waiving four players before today's waiver draft. KC waived Jeferson, Craig Rocastle, Milos Stojcev, and Scott Lorenz. Jeferson Rocastle, and Stojcev all three take up international spots that are now open to be used next year.

During today's expansion draft I just about thought that Sporting KC would get out of the draft without losing a player. Montreal made 9 picks and a Sporting KC player had not been selected. Then with the 10th and final pick the Impact ripped the hearts out of many Sporting KC fans by selecting Seth Sinovic.

It was the best of times... it was the only times
A hectic day in MLS continued after the Expansion Draft ended, with clubs announcing what players they had waived from their 2011 rosters. Only Columbus, Dallas, Philadelphia and Salt Lake had no names to add to a waiver list that now includes players like John Rooney and Jefferson Goncalves.

Just a quick one before we get all Monday Night Football up in yo' grills. London nightclub frequenter and occasional footballer for Tottenham Hotspur, Giovani Dos Santos, has got himself on the shortlist for the Puskas Award. Or in plain-speak: FIFA's Most Bestest Most Super Cool Goals of the Year award.

The U.S. men's national team's 3-2 victory over Slovenia broke down into two parts. The exciting and encouraging offensive display in the first half and the shaky and discouraging debacle in the second half.

It was an important win for Jurgen Klinsmann, who ends his first year in charge of the United States on a winning note, and an encouraging note after an otherwise lackluster start.

James Grossi gets us back into the swing of things by rewinding and pressing play on what happened in this year's MLS playoffs and the lead-up.

The first twelve matches of the 2011 MLS playoffs have been played; one remains to determine who will take the honours as Champions.

While Jurgen Klinsmann struggles to find wins or goals with the U.S. men's national team, the man he replaced is ready to begin his latest coaching adventure.

Bob Bradley will coach his first game as head coach of the Egyptian National Team, which takes on Brazil today (Noon, ESPN3.

The US men's soccer team has had an up and down time over the past few years. There have been highs and lows and the sacking of their coach. Hopefully this time will be a learning curve for the players and staff so that they can go to greater heights in the next four or five years.

The World Cup of 2010 was certainly a positive.

Mexico vs Serbia Score Highlights 2-0 Goals Salcido Chicharito Video Friendly 2011 is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

Mexico vs Serbia Score Highlights 2-0 Goals Salcido Chicharito Video Friendly 2011 is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter Mexico vs Serbia 2011 ( Mexico vs Serbia soccer friendly video below) Final score and result:- Mexico vs Serbia 2-0 ( Carlos Salcido, Javier Chicharito Hernandez) Estadio La Corregidora- 11 November, 2011- [.

By Tony Edwards - San Jose, CA (Nov 10, 2011) US Soccer Players -- In this edition, Tony asks the obvious question about the Red Bulls, looks at the MLS Cup coaching match-up, and has a bracket prediction for the knockout stage of the CONCACAF Champions League. What international calendar for 2011 were the Red Bulls looking at?

By Justin Shaffer - SEATTLE, WA (Nov 10, 2011) US Soccer Players -- With the United States embarking on a new path following the loss to Mexico in the Gold Cup final and the hiring of coach Jurgen Klinsmann, most fans expected one thing to change. Klinsmann was expected to part company with the bunker and counter strategy that constantly left the USA trailing early in games.