Their Words "We wanted to take the players out of their comfort zone and give them a different experience." US National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Other Sources Juergen Klinsmann puts U.S. soccer on fast track - from The LA Times' Kevin Baxter: "There is still a lot of catching up to do." Tougher challenge awaits United States - from FoxSoccer's Ives Galarcep: The atmosphere will be a unique national team experience for most of the.

Their Words "We wanted to take the players out of their comfort zone and give them a different experience." US National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Other Sources Juergen Klinsmann puts U.S. soccer on fast track - from The LA Times' Kevin Baxter: "There is still a lot of catching up to do." Tougher challenge awaits United States - from FoxSoccer's Ives Galarcep: The atmosphere will be a unique national team experience for most of the.

Osi for the Giants...

When the New York Giants take on the the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday, it will be a battle of the defensive ends that is a key to determining the outcome, positively or negatively, for both teams.

For the Giants, a return of a healthy Osi Umenyori to support Jason Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul on the outside means that the Giants can consistently collapse the pocket from the flank, contain lateral runs, and basically wreak havoc.

Former Chicago Fire defender Wilman Conde wants back in Major League Soccer. This isn't news. It has been floating around for awhile now. What has changed is it now appears that a Major League Soccer team wants him back in the league as well. In fact, the New York Red Bulls have reportedly purchased his rights.

Yes, Brucio is still away. Sources say he's exploring restaurant franchise opportunities in Newfoundland. Please be patient with me. I am an amateur.
So how did everybody fare in Thursday's MLS SuperDraft?
Over at No Short Corners, Will Parchman is apoplectic that Enzo Martinez fell all the way to 17th, where Salt Lake scooped him up.

Happy Thursday, everyone. Joe the Curmudgeon here, holding down the fort today as Dear Leader El Brucio is in Kansas City for the MLS SuperDraft and probably cleaning Oklahoma Joe's out of every last scrap of meat... Just a bit of news for today...
MLS SUPERDRAFT
...And with the First Pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, Impact Montréal select Andrew Wenger D/F from Duke.

Featured image: Nicolae Stoian

We'll have updates of today's SuperDraft throughout the day as well as reaction to the Union's selection. On to the news...

Philadelphia Union

Ives Galarcep's mock draft at Fox Soccer has this to say: "The Union are believed to be shopping forward Danny Mwanga, and even with the recent addition of young Costa Rican forward Josue Martinez, Philadelphia can use some depth up top.

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Happy New Year from all of us at the Philly Soccer Page. The Union's first kick is only 70 days away.

Some New Year Tweets

Philadelphia Union: Happy New Year everyone! Thanks for a memorable 2011...see you in 2012! #DOOP

Philadelphia Independence: Have a safe and wonderful New Year Independence fans, WPS fans, Soccer fans!

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Philadelphia Union

Ives Galarcep reports at Fox Soccer that Freddy Adu is heading to with Spanish side Rayo Vallecano for a two-week training stint. The report notes, "Rayo Vallecano is also a club that had been in talks with Adu about signing him last summer before Adu settled on a return to MLS.

Women's soccer

Abby Wambach is the AP's 2011 Female Athlete of the Year. Come on, WPS. Capitalize on this!

The USWNT will face Denmark, Norway and World Champions Japan in the 2012 Algarve Cup, which runs Feb. 29-March 7 in Portugal.

THE Val Henderson has a great article up on ESPN-W about Joanna Lohman and Lianne Sanderson traveling to India to start a clinic and mentoring program.

The 2012 MLS SuperDraft just got a little better. Fox Soccer's Ives Galarcep is reporting that the league has secured deals with two of the top prospects in this year's draft in Akron striker Darren Mattocks and Duke midfielder/defender Andrew Wenger.

Mattocks was rumored to go to Europe over the last couple weeks.

TEAM USA - EL EQUIPO DE TODOS
SPECIAL NOTE: Soccer By Ives uncovered info from Panama that the USA will play a friendly in Panama City on Wed Jan 25.
-You can also expect to see another friendly match to be scheduled for Sat Jan 21 on USA soil.
dN
Today is Slovenia and what on paper should be an easier game than last Friday in Paris.

Their Words It takes time to shake the tree until all bad apples have fallen to the ground. Even if some of them refuse to fall at first. FIFA president Sepp Blatter. Other Sources LA, Houston coaches earn their corn - from FoxSoccer.com's Ives Galarcep: The second half was a completely different story.

Their Words I think that would be one thing that would be great for us, if we could have a longer-term view of what our schedule looks like as opposed to what we do today. We scramble and push our schedule out relatively late, which makes it a bit difficult on fans sometimes. Sporting Kansas City president Robb Heineman.

Fox Soccer 2012 MLS Draft Board

Ives Galarcep has started in with the coverage of the 2012 MLS Superdraft already. Check out his top 25 prospects for next year here.

Their Words We all agreed a change of direction was needed to reverse the trend of the past couple of years. New England Revolution investor/operator Jonathan Kraft. Other Sources Red Bulls coach Hans Backe confident Thierry Henry, Rafa Marquez will help carry team in MLS playoffs - from The Newark Star-Ledger's Frank Giase: Henry, however, didn't agree.

Their Words They have plans for me, it's just that it's not something that is going to be immediate. Jeff Larentowicz, on his future with the US National Team. Other Sources TFC needs win to stay alive - from The Toronto Sun's Kurtis Larson: "Big games like this is why you play," Dunfield said. Red Bulls, United search for answers - from FoxSoccer.

Their Words WPS is comprised of the best female soccer players in the world and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be affiliated with these extremely talented women. new Women's Professional Soccer commissioner Jennifer O'Sullivan. Other Sources De Rosario part of wide open race, Part 1 - from FoxSoccer.

Their Words We were taken apart. Colorado midfielder Brian Mullan. Other Sources LA drops a CONCACAF match to Morelia - from The Press-Enterprise's Luis Bueno: Mistakes are what cost the Galaxy the victory. Davies, Bunbury pushing for NT notice - from FoxSoccer.com's Ives Galarcep: That didn't take away from the fact that Klinsmann had taken notice of his return to form.

With 2011 in its final stretch, and the MLS Playoffs nearly in our midsts, it's definitely a funny time to be talking about beginnings. But for most high schoolers, such as your truly, the new year doesn't start so much on the first day of January as it does on the first day of school, and now that we've entered 2011-2012, it's time to lay down the law for the MLS Offside.

Soccer By Ives Creator and Editor Ives Galarcep has mentioned today via his Twitter page @SoccerByIves that Virginia native and ESPN annalyst John Harkes has interviewed for the open postion of...
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If you haven't heard already there's some heartbreaking news out of Dallas this morning: FC Dallas announcer & former player Bobby Rhine passed away yesterday after suffering a heart attack. He was 35 years-old.
My introduction to MLS was a Dallas Burn – Tampa Bay Mutiny match at the Cotton Bowl during my college years in 1998.

Comin' atcha with a special early post due to the game time here in the USA. 1:30pm CT kickoff
TEAM USA - EL EQUIPO DE TODOS
International friendly.
Match & Score:
-Tue Sep 6
Belgium v USA - 1:30pm CT on ESPN and ESPN3.com
Venue: King Baudouin Stadium - Brussels
US Soccer with a detailed preview of today's game in Belgium.

Photo courtesy of Greg Carroccio and the Philadelphia Union

Union

The newest edition of the Philly Soccer Show, co-hosted by KYW's Greg Orlandini and PSP's Eli Pearlman-Storch, features an interview with Freddy Adu.

Ives Galarcep has an informative piece on Adu loaded with great quotes.

EJ juggled himself through Europe, now back to the States.

Eddie Johnson, back to MLS and will be allocated by the league.

Ives Galarcep got the scoop earlier today.

Johnson returns after a foray overseas that saw him yo-yo in and out of Fulham's reserve squad and some time in the 18, with a jaunts to the Championship and to Aris with Freddy Adu.

Photo by Fergal of Claddagh

The Los Angeles Galaxy, looking at its rivals for the MLS Cup and seeing them focus more on acquiring American players overseas and trading amongst themselves, decided to make the big-named signing by acquiring Irish international Robbie Keane from Tottenham.

A league source has told the Brotherly Game that Freddy Adu negotiated a salary of around $425,000 with MLS.

The 22-year-old has had plenty of speculation regarding his contract status, with multiple reporters citing sources saying that Adu either is or isn't a designated player.

Soccer By Ives and Fox Soccer's Ives Galarcep originally reported that one of his sources indicated Adu would be the Union's first ever designated player, but then Galarcep later tweeted that another source had a differing opinion on the matter.

Freddy Adu & Pele

According to Ives Galarcep, Freddy Adu will return to Major League Soccer after signing with the Philadelphia Union.

Soccer By Ives claims that Chivas USA management were unwilling to support the signing of Adu to a designated player deal.

Will add details as they become available.

STARTERS
MLS, US Soccer & NBC announce broadcasting partnership! Wow. Starting in 2012 and continuing through the 2014 season NBC properties will broadcast MLS and USA games. Breakdown for each of the 3 seasons:
-NBC will have 2 regular season MLS games, 2 playoff games and 2 USA games.

SoccerByIves Ives Galarcep
Losing Aurelien Collin for six weeks a big blow for Sporting KC, but with eight straight home games looming, KC is still in good shape.

All I have to say is: Karma is a You Know What

Soccer by Ives -- Twitter

Well, it's finally here. It's All-Star Game day! ...What? What do you mean you don't really care, because, rather remarkably, the top team in the league's Eastern Conference only has one representative? Oh. Okay then. Fair enough. Your open discussion thread for all things Union, soccer, and unfair snubs (including Jerry Meals).

Latest from the PSP: We had match reports from the Everton and Real Madrid friendlies. Earl Gardner put together stunning photo essays from the Everton match, the Madrid match and a special set from the Everton U-17 game. Ed has a stat chat from the Madrid game that proves Michael Farfan is a $100 million player.

With coaching changes made in Major League Soccer this past weekend with both Teitur Thordarson (Vancouver) and Carlos de los Cobos (Chicago), Ives Galarcep looks at the moves by both teams.

The 2011 season started off with so much promise for both the Vancouver Whitecaps and Chicago Fire, two teams who came into the season with question marks and coaches who seemed like prime candidates to be replaced if things didn't go well.

It's time, folks. The Revolution are set to take on the San Jose Earthquakes tonight in a clash involving two teams who appear to be rounding into form.

But first, let's have some musket rounds.

[Boston.com]
Frank Dell'Apa previews tonight's clash against the Earthquakes. He is quick to point out that West Coast road trips have been less than successful for the Revs so far this season.

A fantastic 50th episode of this always great RBNY themed podcast. This week, Mark and Dave discuss the dissapointing home loss against Chivas USA and preview this weekend's game against Houston. A great lineup of guests this week, as Ives Galarcep, Shep Messing and RBNY/USMNT defender Tim Ream all make an appearance.

Truth be told, the current Timbers squad could be even better than the '09 Sounders, which reached the playoffs and won a U.S. Open Cup title. Portland's collection of forwards are better, and we haven't really seen the best of rookie Darlington Nagbe yet. Throw in newly-arrived Colombian playmaker Diego Chara, who is still adapting to his new home, and you have a Portland attack well-equipped to avoid the late-season offensive struggles of the '09 Sounders.

For a long time I felt guilty for not liking Run of Play, and more specifically, the writing of Brian Phillips. Of all the writers in the soccersphere, Phillips is probably the best example of one who can arrange words in a way the grammar nazis intended. Other writers I respect (and have in the past secretly aspired to be, although the Ives Galarcep references have mostly cured that by now) read and quote Phillips.

STARTERS
Heeeeeeeeeeeeere, weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, goooooooooooooo, here we go, here we go. Here we go, here we go, here we goooooo-ooooooo. Here we go, here we go, here we go. Here we goooo-oooo. Here we go!
MLS FIRST KICK 2011
This is the day, your life will surely change.