For the seventh consecutive year, I'm one of the voters for the National Soccer Hall of Fame, and it's a responsibility I take very seriously. I've made each of my previous six ballots and the rationales behind them public, so there's no need to change now.

There are 12 newcomers on the 31-player ballot for 2012.

What was essentially a Galaxy reserves team - seldom used players who saw action Sunday in the meaningless 3-1 loss to Houston included the likes of Dan Keat, Hector Jiminez, Jovan Kirovski, Gregg Berhalter and 16-year-old Jack McBean - rounded out the season with a game that won't linger long in the memories of most observers.

I noticed a couple of errors yesterday relating to the LA Galaxy's games in the 2000 CONCACAF Champions Cup (played in January 2001, but still called the 2000 edition). They've been fixed, and the corrected version can be downloaded here (stats through 2010).
Brian Kelly & Zak Ibsen were each listed with two sub appearances.

Chivas USA continued its roster transformation on Friday, sending forward Alan Gordon to Toronto FC for midfielder Nick LaBrocca.

The acquisition of LaBrocca is the latest addition of a quality MLS veteran to Robin Fraser's Chivas USA side. The Rojiblancos have also added Jimmy Conrad and Heath Pearce, while also drafting Zarek Valentin and bringing in Seth Owusu on loan.

It was a case of "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue" for Chivas USA as the club opened preseason training today in Carson under the new coaching staff of Robin Fraser and Greg Vanney.

The old was Francisco "Panchito" Mendoza, a Chivas USA original who played more minutes for the club than any other player before heading back to the mothership in 2009.

Reasons to smile: Robin Fraser is back in Southern California and installed in his first head coaching job (Photo courtesy Chivas USA).

For an MLS team such as Chivas USA that saw in just one year the foundation carefully laid by former coaches Bob Bradley and Preki ripped asunder, stability is what's needed more than anything else.

Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America writes about the relationship between Chivas USA Head Coach Robin Fraser and former teammate and assistant coach Greg Vanney.
Though Robin Fraser is the man in charge of Chivas USA, he's quick to point out that his former Galaxy teammate Greg Vanney will be performing vital duties as an assistant coach.

Former US National Team player Greg Vanney will be joining Robin Fraser at Chivas USA. The club announced Vanney will be an assistant, returning to Major League Soccer after retiring as a player at the end of the 2008 season.

SANDY, Ut Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA announced Tuesday that RSL Assistant Coach Robin Fraser has departed the 2009 MLS Cup champions after three-and-a-half seasons on the Utah club's sideline to take over the head coaching duties at the Southern California side, effective immediately. The recently turned 44-year-old Fraser becomes the sixth coach [.

(Photos by Jose M. Romero)

By JOSE M. ROMERO

PHOENIX -- In the desert between Phoenix and Tucson lies a place that is right now developing potential MLS players for Real Salt Lake, and for the immediate future, developing college soccer prospects.

Chivas USA will announce Robin Fraser as its new head coach on Tuesday, according to the Salt Lake Tribune and ESPN Deportes. The 44-year-old has spent the last four years as an assistant with Real Salt Lake, where he has helped Jason Kreis build one of the more dominant sides in Major League Soccer.

Story here

Fraser played more than 260 MLS games over 10 seasons including the league's first five seasons with the Galaxy when he was virtually ever-present in defense. He was the team's first draft pick.

He also played for Columbus and Colorado. Fraser is frequently mentioned as a prospective MLS head coach.