Tom Soehn will not be back as head coach of D.C. United after removing his name from consideration to be retained upon the conclusion of his current contract at the end of the calendar year.

D.C. United failed to make the playoffs for a second straight season, but it did enjoy success under Soehn, who helped guide the team to a Supporters Shield in 2007 and U.

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Tom Soehn will not be back as head coach of D.C. United after removing his name from consideration to be retained upon the conclusion of his current contract at the end of the calendar year.

D.C. United failed to make the playoffs for a second straight season, but it did enjoy success under Soehn, who helped guide the team to a Supporters Shield in 2007 and U.

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So OK, let's get this one out of the way up front:
Does Onstad throw his shoulder at Montero? Obviously yes.
Does Montero drop to the ground like he just took a .50 cal round to the head? Obviously yes.
Does Onstand then do the "I'm checking to see if my face is bleeding" act like he's Chuck Wepner or something? Click to continue reading...

Isn't awful how work always gets in the way of TV viewing? Bastards...We start this week with MOTD2's "2 Good 2 Bad" - a little later than usual, but it still counts.Our ESPN friends run down their Top 10 MLS Goals of the Season, and then John Harkes answers JPD's burning questions about the playoffs. Click to continue reading...

By definition, the Harkesy Award should go to the DC United player who has been the strongest leader for our team this season. On-field leadership is important, but for this award, it isn't everything. And that would be evidenced by the fact that Ben Olsen won the award last year after playing only 15 minutes. Click to continue reading...

The 2-0 first-half deficit made it seem unlikely, but the US were able to battle back to match points with Mexico, and therefore, win the group. Well done, boys! Here are some thoughts from the game:

-It was great to see the US create so many chances. You'd like to see us finish more of those (obviously), but on another day, it could have easily been 5-2.

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My issue here isn't with Ike Opara's new haircut. I think it looks pretty sharp. My problem is with the blond joker who's sporting the John-Harkes-circa-1990 hairdo. Is that cool now? I feel like I'm back on my U-12 team.

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Imagine the array of emotions for Ryan Johnson on Friday night. The San Jose Earthquakes striker scored his team's only goal in the eighth minute of a 1-1 tie against the Colorado Rapids. Then the 24-year-old committed the foul deep into extra time that produced a penalty kick for Colorado and the Rapids' only goal.

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It's always encouraging when you field a bad team and win on the road. It took some luck — Cornell Glenn hitting the crossbar, Ricardo Clark turning into Steven Gerrard for a split second — but the United States beating Trinidad and Tobago 1-0, is a result the Americans probably had to get.

But let me reiterate, this team Bob Bradley selected was bad.

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Before I delve into my analysis of the US Men's National Team's win over El Salvador in last Saturday's World Cup Qualifier, let me first address an issue that annoyed me throughout the game. No, I am not talking about John Harkes' color commentary. I am talking about the fact that 70% of the fans at Rio Tinto Stadium in freaking Utah were rooting for the Yanks' opponents.

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"Candidly, if we can't beat El Salvador at home, we don't deserve to go to the World Cup." - Landon, more or less, I'm working from memory
YAY! We deserve to go to the World Cup! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!
I had the perfect title in case of a loss - "SLC Punked." Or did I use that last year for the Red Bulls playoff game? Click to continue reading...

Chicago Magic Soccer Club Technical Director Raul Diaz Arce, formerly of D.C. United, will be inducted to the MLS organization's Hall of Tradition on Sept. 12. The team made the announcement earlier this week.
Diaz Arce led D.C. to MLS Cup trophies in 1996 and '97, a U.S. Open Cup title in '96 and the Supporters' Shield trophy in '97. Click to continue reading...

MLS teams were busy at the league's transfer deadline as several clubs added reinforcements for the stretch run of the season.

The signings had a definite Latin flavor as five clubs have added Latin American players to the fold. The Columbus Crew added to its already potent attack by signing Venezuelan striker Emilio Renteria, while FC Dallas signed another attacker in Honduran playmaker Marvin Chavez.

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MLS teams were busy at the league's transfer deadline as several clubs added reinforcements for the stretch run of the season.

The signings had a definite Latin flavor as five clubs have added Latin American players to the fold. The Columbus Crew added to its already potent attack by signing Venezuelan striker Emilio Renteria, while FC Dallas signed another attacker in Honduran playmaker Marvin Chavez.

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Filling in for Bruce today is Chrös; I did the honors when Brucio was gone at the MLS Cup last fall as well. Let's not try to kid anyone and pretend that you are here for my thoughts. I've compiled some basic reading about the big game today, and I'll be back this afternoon with an MLS roundup as well. Click to continue reading...

Courtesy of our friends at parter ESPN:
"ESPN networks will provide comprehensive studio news and information coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match featuring the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team vs. Mexico, Wednesday, Aug. 12, from Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The "game around the game" coverage will be highlighted by a 30-minute SportsCenter 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Special on ESPN, Aug. Click to continue reading...

Only a couple links for you tonight of note. Today has been a fairly slow news day around the league and elsewhere.

US-Mexico SportsCenter Special

So check out this bit of info from the World Wide Leader:

"ESPN networks will provide comprehensive studio news and information coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match featuring the U.

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AND
Today we see of the first real fruits of ESPN's push for USA soccer on their networks leading up the World Cup next summer.
First of all, we get word that they are doing a lot of pre and post game coverage of the qualifier next Wed in Mexico City, even though they are not the ones broadcasting the game. Click to continue reading...

Watching the MLS Allstar pre-game, I found it amazing that the analysts, paid by MLS I assume, are speculating about why Beckham got into the altercation with the Galaxy fan last week.

Rob Stone starts it off asking John Harkes "whats gotten into Beckham that he is showing such thin skin?", and Harkes goes on to say that Beckham started off on a bad foot by wanting to stay at AC Milan and shouldn't be surprised at the negative reception from some L.

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| INCOMING <--------------------------> OUTGOING |
Longtime, loyal readers of MLSR saw the dismissal of FSC's Fox Football Fone-In host Steve Cohen a mile away. Back in May we published the following:
REPORT: World Soccer Daily's Steve Cohen in Hot Water as Sponsors Abandon Ship
Today we learn from that Eric Wynalda, will replace him
Wynald is a controversial figure himself. Click to continue reading...

Last time around it was John Harkes (right), now it's Alexi Lalas (left). For some ready Getty doesn't allow this full file to be downloaded, but I think this preview image gets the point across. This shot was taken after the 1999 season, which was Lalas' only year here in Kansas City. He will be back tomorrow night, serving as the color commentator to play-by-play man Rob Stone on ESPN2's broadcast of the 8 p. Click to continue reading...

The old-look ESPN2.
Oh yeah, and the wild and crazy John Harkes and Eric Wynalda -- remember that guy? Click to continue reading...

I found this gem posted on The Offside Rules, where the always-entertaining Shawn Francis unearthed a highlight video from 1997 MLS. What makes this great are three things: the first, that John Harkes and Eric Wynalda are introducing it, the second, that they seem like they're on something, and the third is that Steve Ralston is involved in one of the highlights.

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An international conspiracy:

John Harkes in the Brazil vs USA final said at one point that US defenders will have to be careful with their tackles given how the referees have been carding them. The Italy match got the ball rolling on that controversy. Thereafter, it was a cumulative process as the US picked up their share of yellows and reds generating a buzz that FIFA did not want to see the US succeed against the bigger teams.

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I can only shake my head at what we can expect from Brazil in the 2010 World Cup. That really should be what we take back home. We know their talent but today showed a team that would not go away. Hats off to the USA for pushing them to the limits but if the meme pushed by Alexi Lalas and John Harkes is "we let one get away" then I am sorry, that really is the wrong message.

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From Goal.com article
They are matches in which people, both those who viewed it and those who played in it, look back on and think, "Nothing was ever the same after that."
The question is whether or not the United States stands on the threshold of such a watershed moment. Click to continue reading...

John O'Brien's goal started the 2002 World Cup run

Sunday will make the first tournament final ever in a non CONCACAF event for the United States. However, the US has made deep runs in major tournaments before. Let's take a quick look at these tournaments.

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Outside of the World Cup, the United States' 2-0 victory over Spain Wednesday was its most impressive victory ever.

Torres, Villa, Xavi, Fabergas, Puyol, Pique, Casillas — these aren't very good players, they're the best in the world. Even with the loss, the reigning European Champions and No.

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They didn't play like green-eyed soldiers of beauty, but this wasn't Chelsea taking tire irons to Barcelona, either. Especially in the first half, before the fatigue and stress started plinking their way up the keyboard, they had some attacking intent. I'd assumed the tactical thinking would be that the easiest way not to lose to the world's best midfield would be to avoid the midfield entirely, but during the great 25-odd-minute spell leading up to Altidore's goal, they somehow found space to exploit, kept possession, and actually dribbled at Spain rather than rainbowing rockets over them.

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"I could explain the scenario to you, on how the United States could make into the semifinals, but we would be on television longer than Jerry Lewis on Labor Day."

A pretty weak joke by ESPN's Recce Davis before the U.S.'s Confederations Cup match against Egypt Sunday. In reality, it wasn't too complicated.

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Brazil beating the United States 3-0 isn't what made Thursday's performance disgraceful. Brazil is one of the best teams in the world and, in short, the U.S. isn't. But not showing up, playing scared, stupid mistakes, puzzling tactics and a lack of passion made the U.S.'s loss one of its most embarrassing in modern history.

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In 1997, FIFA confirmed the Confederations Cup as the second biggest event on the organizations calendar. But the Confederations Cup has had an identity crisis thanks to shifting from every two years to every four years and the lack of interest in the English language media because England has never qualified.

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Here are My Thoughts from the game:
-First of all, I had a great weekend staying in Chinatown and seeing two soccer matches - Chicago 0-1 Houston and USA 2-1 Honduras.
-I got to see loads of people I know, but didn't meet nearly enough new people due to the insane chaos that surrounded the "Honduras home game". Click to continue reading...

The United States participated in two Confederations Cups under Bruce Arena. The 1999 tournament saw the United States reach the semifinals with a mixture of young experimental squad featuring the likes of Benny Olsen and CJ Brown and some veterans Arena reached back to call up such as John Harkes and Marcelo Balboa to provide leadership.

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So the US dug themselves an early hole and then displayed some determination to eek out a win thanks to another Landon Donovan penalty kick (with that ridiculous routine of his, he is going to look like an idiot when he misses one) and a truly spectacular diving header from Carlos Bocanegra. Along the way, the US failed to dominate an inferior opponent. Click to continue reading...