Landon Donovan was named the 2009 MLS Most Valuable Player on Thursday, and while it is tough to argue against awarding the U.S. national team star for his performance this season, the MVP results still raised a glaring question.

What about Shalrie Joseph?

It isn't a question so much about choosing between Joseph and Donovan, which is a subjective debate that has supporters on both sides.

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Landon Donovan was named the 2009 MLS Most Valuable Player on Thursday, and while it is tough to argue against awarding the U.S. national team star for his performance this season, the MVP results still raised a glaring question.

What about Shalrie Joseph?

It isn't a question so much about choosing between Joseph and Donovan, which is a subjective debate that has supporters on both sides.

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Didn't watch this game because I was on a plane. Not happy about the loss, but it happens.

Good strike by Cunningham! It will be interesting to see how he does in January if he gets called in for that USMNT camp. Do you think he could fill the Charlie Davies role?

JM

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Landon Donovan won his first MLS MVP award yesterday, beating out fellow finalists Shalrie Joseph and Jeff Cunningham. Donovan's win is hardly surprising, and while he was not MFUSA's pick, to say...

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Amidst all the drama with the Ireland vs France match and earlier the Egypt vs Algeria showdown, the USA played a friendly with Denmark. Bob Bradley started Jeff Cunningham and I am happy to say, it turned out well because he scored his first international goal and nearly set up Altidore with another.

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The Major League Soccer 2009 Season is almost to an end and the major award, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) was named on Thursday, November 19, 2009. Landon Donovan of the Los Angeles Galaxy was named MVP as he had 12 goals, 5 assists, and helped lead his club to the MLS Cup Final. Jeff Cunningham and Shalrie Joseph were the other two finalists for the award.

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MLS announced this afternoon that L.A. Galaxy forward Landon Donovan has been named league MVP. The honor, which is the first MVP trophy in the 29-year-old's 9-year career, comes as a precursor to Sunday night's MLS Cup Final -- when Donovan and L.A. will take on Real Salt Lake.

Donovan, who had 12 goals and 6 assists in 25 games this year, beat out finalists Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution) and Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas) for the award.

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Landon Donovan was named the 2009 MLS MVP. (LA Galaxy)

The 2009 Major League Soccer MVP was announced today and the result isn't going to shock most of you as LA Galaxy star Landon Donovan takes home the award.

For the first time in his career, Donovan took home the league's highest honors by beating out New England's Shalrie Joseph and Dallas' Jeff Cunningham.

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The final postseason award was announced today, and to no surprise Landon Donovan was named the league's Most Valuable Player for the 2009 season.

For Donovan, it's the very first time in his MLS career that he's been selected as the top player in the league. This despite the fact he's been around since 2001 with the San Jose Earthquakes.

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The final postseason award was announced today, and to no surprise Landon Donovan was named the league's Most Valuable Player for the 2009 season.

For Donovan, it's the very first time in his MLS career that he's been selected as the top player in the league. This despite the fact he's been around since 2001 with the San Jose Earthquakes.

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Not much of a surprise there. It was just announced on ESPNews.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is this is the first time that Landon Donovan, a five-time Honda Player of the Year and two-time U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year, has won the MLS award.

Said Donovan:

"Well, from a statistical standpoint it wasn't my best year, but what is important to me, and I think the reason we're being recognized, is that our team was very good this year.

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The less said about this match, the better. It was painful to watch at moments. I think that this is one of those matches that we're supposed to learn from. So, what did we learn?

-Landon Donovan is even more integral to this team than we could have imagined. We knew he was the driving force, but the team looks completely lost without him.

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It was a triple killing -- three goals in eight minutes that easily saw off the U.S. challenge in Aarhus. Friendlies tend to spawn more overreactions than calm, logical analysis simply because most American soccer fans expect to be better than they really are.

From the distant perspective of a TV screen carrying the international feed, the defensive collapse was a frustrating exercise that you'd rather not see.

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The United States played two tough European opponents and were defeated in both matches. But we certainly learned something from both games, and thus this European Adventure has been useful for Bob Bradley.

• The US has its style: tactically Bob Bradley is modeling his team after what Carlo Ancelotti did at AC Milan.

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I was pleasantly surprised to see the U.S. beating Denmark 1-0 at the half when I was able to tune in yesterday.
Jeff Cunningham with the goal? That was hard to comprehend too.
I must have been a bad luck charm because right after a starting watching, Denmark couldn't stop scoring and the Danes eventually pulled out the 3-1 win. Click to continue reading...

Denmark notched three unanswered second half goals to come back from 0-1 down against the United States in Aarhus yesterday. Â FC Dallas stirker Jeff Cunningham had given the Yanks the a surprise lead in the 26th following a Danish defensive error. The match also saw the United States debut of former Mexican international Edgar Castillo. Click to continue reading...

Jimmy Conrad got his 27th cap earlier today coming on for Jonathan Spector in the 70th minute of the United States 3-1 loss to Denmark. The US led 1-0 at the half thanks to a Jeff Cunningham goal, but struggled right out of the game in the second half, giving up 3 goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Click to continue reading...

Jeff Cunningham scored his first international goal, but three second half goals saw the United States lose to Denmark.

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Six teams qualified for next year's World Cup in South Africa today, finalizing the field that will compete in the first World Cup in African soil.

France, Slovenia, Uruguay, Portugal, Greece and Algeria advanced to the finals ending the dreams of Ireland, Russia, Costa Rica, Ukraine and Egypt in the process.

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The United States traveled to play Denmark for their second friendly of the international break. They lost to Slovakia 0-1 on Saturday and were looking to get a result on Wednesday's match. Here's a recap of the match along with video highlights.

Denmark beats the United States 3-1 Video Highlights

The United States did not come out strong as Denmark had most of the possession and chances early.

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The United States got a first-half goal that stood into halftime, but couldn't hold up over the second 45, losing 3-1 to Denmark on Wednesday in Aarhus. Jeff Cunningham scored from the top of the arc in the 26th-minute for the opener. For Denmark, the story of the game was making three changes to start the second-half, Johan Absalonsen got too much space in the US box and scored a 47th-minute equalizer - 70 seconds. Click to continue reading...

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The final match of the year is set to kick off today for the U.S. men's national team as the Americans take on Denmark (2:30pm, ESPN Classic/Galavision/ESPN2 after Ukraine-Greece) on the last international matchday of the year.

The United States will be playing its 24th match of the year and this match is an important one as head coach Bob Bradley looks to learn more about the depth of his squad.

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The final match of the year is set to kick off today for the U.S. men's national team as the Americans take on Denmark (2:30pm, ESPN Classic/Galavision/ESPN2 after Ukraine-Greece) on the last international matchday of the year.

The United States will be playing its 24th match of the year and this match is an important one as head coach Bob Bradley looks to learn more about the depth of his squad.

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2 - Jonathan Spector 3 - Carlos Bocanegra 4 - Michael Bradley 5 - Benny Feilhaber 7 - Stuart Holden 12 - Jonathan Bornstein 13 - Ricardo Clark 15 - Jimmy Conrad 17 - Jozy Altidore 18 - Brad Guzan 19 - Robbie Rogers 22 - Frankie Hejduk 25 - Clarence Goodson 28 - Dax McCarty 32 - Jeff Cunningham 33 - Edgar Castillo 35 - Marcus Hahnemann 36 - Eddie Johnson Click to continue reading...

The U.S. men's national team plays its final match of a busy and memorable 2009 today when it takes on Denmark in Aarhus (2:30pm, ESPN Classic/Galavision/ESPN2 after Ukraine-Greece).

Both teams will be missing several key players, with the Americans playing without Landon Donovan, Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey (as well as injured regulars Oguchi Onyewu, Jay DeMerit and Charlie Davies).

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The USMNT meet Denmark, today at NRGi Park, Aarhus, 8:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. ET), and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic at 2:25 p.m.

There maybe a reason for Bob Bradley's faith in Jonathan Bornstein. They both began their national careers on 20 January, 2007 against Denmark and Bornstein repaid his coach's faith by scoring the game winner.

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Major League Soccer announced its all-star team today and a certain England midfielder was missing from the lineup.

The MLS all-stars (Best XI) are chosen by the media, MLS players, MLS coaches and general managers.

Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton earned his second career Best XI nod.

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First the list, then the thought.

Goalkeeper: Zach Thornton, Chivas USA.
Defenders: Geoff Cameron, Houston; Wilman Conde, Chicago; Chad Marshall, Columbus.
Midfielders: Dwayne De Rosario, Toronto FC; Landon Donovan, Los Angeles; Stuart Holden, Houston; Shalrie Joseph, New England; Freddie Ljungberg, Seattle.

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How does this look for a best XI lineup. Â This is the group that was named to the MLS best XI for this 2009 season. Â Only a single player from the best XI will be represented in the MLS Cup this Sunday. Â That is of course Landon Donovan US player of the decade.

Conor Casey Jeff Cunningham

Dwayne De Rosario Landon Donovan Stuart Holden Shalrie Joseph Freddie Ljungberg

Geoff Cameron Wilman Conde Chad Marshall

Zach Thornton

So what do you think, is this a good lineup?

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Press release from the Rapids today. Good to see further recognition of Casey's talents. Does anybody else think that having only three defenders nominated is a bit weird?
MLS Commissioner Don Garber today announced that Colorado Rapids forward Conor Casey has been named to the 2009 MLS Best XI during his annual State of the League address. Click to continue reading...

FC Dallas striker Jeff Cunningham has been named to the MLS Best XI for the third time in his career. Cunningham scored 17 goals to lead all of MLS, 16 of which came over the last half of the season after the sale of Kenny Cooper. Cooper was named MLS Bext XI last season.

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Garber gave an earlier and less formal state of the league address than he has in years past in a teleconference with reporters today.

Garber announced the MLS Best XI during the call, which includes one player apiece from the Galaxy and Chivas USA:

goalkeeper - Zach Thornton
defenders - Chad Marshall, William Conde, Geoff Cameron
midfielders - Dwayne DeRosario, Landon Donovan, Stuart Holden, Shalrie Joseph, Freddie Ljungberg
forwards - Conor Casey, Jeff Cunningham

Other major talking points included:
*A reiteration MLS is looking to become a 20-team league.

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Who will Dallas protect this year? (Getty Images)

With the expansion draft being next week I have to pull in some two-a-days for my expansion draft lists. Earlier today we looked at DC United's roster and who could be protected or not not this afternoon I want to turn our attention to FC Dallas.

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Major League Soccer announced its Best XI on Monday, with no real surprises among the selections.

MVP finalists Landon Donovan, Shalrie Joseph and Jeff Cunningham headed the group, while MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Zach Thornton also got the nod.

Here is the MLS Best XI

GOALKEEPER- Zach Thornton

DEFENDERS- Chad Marshall, Wilman Conde, Geoff Cameron

MIDFIELDERS- Landon Donovan, Shalrie Joseph, Stuart Holden, Freddie Ljungberg, Dwayne DeRosario

FORWARDS- Jeff Cunningham, Conor Casey

What's our take?

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Photo by ISIphotos.com

Major League Soccer announced its Best XI on Monday, with no real surprises among the selections.

MVP finalists Landon Donovan, Shalrie Joseph and Jeff Cunningham headed the group, while MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Zach Thornton also got the nod.

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