The following is a note from Evan Mundine's mother Frieda that she felt compelled to share after
the article went live. Feel free to send Evan well wishes on Twitter @BilzyTo All,
We are a true working class family. When our Ev was injured it meant me leaving my part-time job to
care for him and my husband became our full support.
There are some stories in life and sports that force us to re-evaluate what is important. This is
one of those stories. It is the story of a young man whose courage, determination and heart has
touched the lives of professional athletes from all over Major League Soccer and beyond. Evan
Mundine, a 13 year old boy from Texas has found a way to connect with athletes in the best ways
possible.
Amid the controversy surrounding the Jose Moreno fiasco, an interesting piece of news came to
light on Thursday. After he was waived - rather surprisingly - by DC United on February 3rd,
second-year forward Blake Brettschneider tweeted today that he would be joining the New England
Revolution for a trial on Sunday.
Coop Didn't Take Long to Get His FirstThe New York Red Bulls prevailed in the first of their
2012 preseason friendly matches, defeating FC Dallas 2-0, thanks to a first half goal by Kenny
Cooper and a late penalty from Corey Hertzog. Despite Dallas striking the woodwork three times,
RBNY goalkeepers Ryan Meara and Jeremy Vuolo combined to keep a clean sheet.
Coop Didn't Take Long to Get His FirstThe New York Red Bulls prevailed in the first of their
2012 preseason friendly matches, defeating FC Dallas 2-0, thanks to a first half goal by Kenny
Cooper and a late penalty from Corey Hertzog. Despite Dallas striking the woodwork three times,
RBNY goalkeepers Ryan Meara and Jeremy Vuolo combined to keep a clean sheet.
Kenny Cooper opened his New York Red Bulls account on Tuesday, doing so against his former club in
the process.
Cooper scored the opening goal in the Red Bulls' 2-0 preseason victory over FC Dallas in Cancun,
Mexico, a game that was postponed from Monday because of field conditions.
When the 2012 preseason opened for the New York Red Bulls, there were a lot of questions that had
to be answered. No one knew the club's plans after a season that looked disjointed and at times
looked disgraceful – ...
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com for the rest of the story.
Looks like Mr. Backe has some decisions to make come opening day in Dallas. With a surplus of
forwards and central midfielders, it'll be interesting to see what formation and personnel makeup
the starting XI. With so many options and possible configurations at his disposal, how will Backe
manage his depth?
The international transfer window close a couple days ago. This doesn't mean too much, but it is
a milestone in that MLS teams can no longer actively seek in-contract trades with other teams
outside MLS. Still, the roster freeze date isn't until March 1st so we may yet still see more moves
made, even if it isn't Juan David Duque (Franck Songo'o?
Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
By DAVE MARTINEZ
New York Red Bulls manager Hans Backe will be able to count on Luke Rodgers after all.
After suffering a lapse in his U.S. visa status that left his future with the Red Bulls up in
the air, the English striker is no longer a question mark entering the 2012 MLS season after having
his visa approved and renewed.
On Monday, the Portland Timbers announced the signing of Scottish striker Kris Boyd, the
all-time leading scorer of the Scottish Premier League, with 164 goals in 296 matches.
The deal was completed pending the completion of a team physical and receipt of his visa.
The 28-year old forward appeared for Kilmarnock FC from 2000-05 before joining Rangers FC midway
through the 2005-06 season.
The Portland Timbers were looking for a strong target forward to help fill the role that Kenny
Cooper never could quite fill, and they have turned to a proven goal-scorer to do the job.
The Timbers have signed Scottish striker Kris Boyd as a Designated Player, the team announced on
Monday.
Apparently I'm "soccer historian," which I'll take. Though there are others (like Colin
Jose, Dave Litterer, Roger Allaway and Steve Holroyd).
Anyway, Milwaukee Wave head coach Keith Tozer won his 700th indoor game Sunday
as the Wave beat Rochester 26-10.
By DAVE MARTINEZ
Though the New York Red Bulls were once considered clear-cut favorites to win the 2011 MLS
Eastern Conference crown, the team imploded with a host of problems on the field, and in the locker
room.
The defense became a porous mess that forced head coach Hans Backe to retool tactically in the
final quarter of the season with a crude system he dubbed "cynical soccer" in order to stay
competitive.
Is Conde Worth the Price?Late yesterday evening, Big Apple Soccer's Michael Lewis broke the
news that the Red Bulls had purchased the MLS rights of Wilman Conde from Chicago Fire. Lewis'
story, citing an anonymous source, indicated that the Red Bulls would be sending a draft pick
Chicago's way in return.
Ted and Chris return to talk about the Kenny Cooper trade to the New York Red Bulls and have
special guest Travis Clark from MLSSoccer.com to break down the 2012 MLS Superdraft. Also, we go
through some big changes coming to America's oldest running soccer tournament, the U.S. Open
Cup.
Philadelphia Union have figured out the formula to the MLS amateur draft:
Be patient, wait for other teams to screw up, and draft the best player available. When in doubt
late, take a guy who played for Reading United.
The Union did it again this year, so let's talk about it with the proverbial Five Observations
About .
Most surprising on the day of the MLS SuperDraft were the opening words spoken by Don Garber as he
greeted the viewers and public... in French. His words were spoken in order to honor MLS newcomers
and first to pick in the draft, the Montreal Impact. Beyond the initial surprise of that, the
remainder of the draft left little in the way of talking points.
The most intriguing pick-up in the 2012 MLS Superdraft was the one not made in Kansas City. The
Portland Timbers traded forward Kenny Cooper to the New York Red Bulls for the team's 2013 first
round Superdraft pick and conditional ...
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com for the rest of the story.
The most intriguing pick-up in the 2012 MLS Superdraft was the one not made in Kansas City. The
Portland Timbers traded forward Kenny Cooper to the New York Red Bulls for the team's 2013 first
round Superdraft pick and conditional ...
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com for the rest of the story.
As we near the beginning of the second MLS campaign in Portland Timbers history, we find
ourselves saying goodbye to one of the most unintentionally polarizing players from our first
season in MLS: Kenny "F-ing" Cooper.
Please use this thread to share your memories, both positive and negative, of Coop's time in
Portland.
By AVI CREDITOR
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The New York Red Bulls turned some heads by trading a 2013 first-round pick
and allocation money to the Portland Timbers for veteran striker Kenny Cooper, a move intriguing
for a number of reasons, none more than the fact that New York already has a full stable of
first-team strikers in Thierry Henry, Luke Rodgers and Juan Agudelo.
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.
Kenny Cooper: Jersey-BoundOn what most people expected to be a relatively quiet 2012 MLS
Draft day for the New York Red Bulls, Erik Solér and company made a surprising amount of noise.
First, even before the draft began, the team confirmed the signing of defender Markus Holgersson
from Swedish club Helsingborgs IF.
Kenny Cooper: Jersey-BoundOn what most people expected to be a relatively quiet 2012 MLS
Draft day for the New York Red Bulls, Erik Solér and company made a surprising amount of noise.
First, even before the draft began, the team confirmed the signing of defender Markus Holgersson
from Swedish club Helsingborgs IF.
photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
The New York Red Bulls' forward corps just got a little deeper.
The Red Bulls acquired Kenny Cooper from the Portland Timbers in exchange for a 2013 first round
MLS SuperDraft pick and allocation money. Cooper joins the Red Bulls after a return season to MLS
that saw him score eight goals and have two assists in 34 league games.
Fox Sports has kicked off the Timbers' draft day with a bang, reporting that the Portland
Timbers have traded star striker Kenny Cooper to the New York Red Bulls for a reportedly large
amount of allocation money and a 2013 first round draft pick.
Timbers fans have had mixed feelings about the former US International, as he played below
expectations for much of the season, especially in terms of the number of goals he scored in a
Timbers kit, when compared to his performance with FC Dallas.
Kenny Cooper is moving east to New York. (Getty Images)
The draft day is here and the trades are starting to come in. This one, thanks to Fox Soccer,
says that the Portland Timbers and the New York Red Bulls have struck a deal.
New York will acquire Portland Timbers forward Kenny Cooper.
Kenny Cooper is moving east to New York. (Getty Images)
The draft day is here and the trades are starting to come in. This one, thanks to Fox Soccer,
says that the Portland Timbers and the New York Red Bulls have struck a deal.
New York will acquire Portland Timbers forward Kenny Cooper.
Ah new year, new MLS season. I've said that ad nauseam now, but it's true. And with a new season
comes, well, new everything! We'll see new players, new tactics, new matches, new business
partnerships... really the door is wide open.
As such, I've decided to compile a list of 2012 predictions.
First I just want to wish everybody a happy New Year and I hope everybody got home safe last
night. If you're reading this now then I'm also happy you're not suffering from a severe hang over.
Seriously, kudos! I managed to escape one myself!
In any case, with 2011 now officially over I thought it might be a good time to relive some of
the year's more interesting moments.
The "expansion" Portland Timbers had a debut MLS season to remember. The team quickly became the
darling of the TV networks with their passionate and creative fans, the team played an exciting
brand of soccer, and the resurgence of Jack ...
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com for the rest of the story.
One on One with Kenny Cooper
Great interview with Kenny Cooper on MLSreserves.com.
The votes are in and this is what we came up with:
- Kalif Alhassan
- Eric Alexander
- Eric Brunner
- Futty Danso
- Diego Chara
- Sal Zizzo
- Jake Gleeson
- Jorge Perlaza
- Kenny Cooper
- Jack Jewsbury
- Troy Perkins
More after the jump
Here are the actual numbers:
Player Yes No Rank On the list Eric Alexander 13 3 2 Yes Kalif Alhassan 22 4 1 Yes Freddie Braun 0
10 20 No Adin Brown 0 11 20 No Chris Taylor 2 8 14 No Kevin Goldthwaite 0 10 20 No Spencer Thomspon
0 10 20 No Brian Umony 0 7 20 No Rodrigo Lopez 0 7 20 No Peter Lowry 0 7 20 No Ryan Pore 0 9 20 No
Eddie Johnson 1 8 18 No Steve Purdy 1 8 18 No Eric Brunner 7 0 6 Yes Futty Danso 7 0 6 Yes David
Horst 2 5 14 No Mike Chabala 3 4 13 No Rodney Wallace 2 5 14 No Lovel Palmer 2 5 14 No Diego Chara
8 0 3 Yes Jack Jewsbury 5 3 10 Yes Sal Zizzo 5 3 10 Yes Jorge Perlaza 8 0 3 Yes Kenny Cooper 6 2 9
Yes Bright Dike 5 3 10 No Troy Perkins 8 0 3 Yes Jake Gleeson 7 1 6 Yes Editors Picks
Here are the rest of the editors picks
Player Will's List To Protect Ryan's List To Protect Andy's List To Protect William's List To
Protect Troy Perkins Yes Yes Yes Yes Kevin Goldthwaite No No No No Mike Chabala No Yes No No Eric
Brunner Yes Yes Yes Yes Darlington Nagbe Auto Auto auto Auto Sal Zizzo No Yes No No Peter Lowry No
No No no Bright Dike No No No no Eddie Johnson No No No no Kalif Alhassan Yes No Yes Yes David
Horst Yes Yes Yes Yes Jack Jewsbury Yes Yes Yes Yes James Marcelin Yes No Yes no Jorge Perlaza No
Yes Yes Yes Eric Alexander Yes No No no Rodrigo Lopez No No No no Jake Gleeson Yes Yes Yes Yes
Diego Chara Yes Yes Yes Yes Rodney Wallace No No No no Ryan Pore No No No no Adin Brown No No No no
Steve Purdy No No No no Brian Umony No No No no Chris Taylor No No No no Freddie Braun No No No no
Lovel Palmer no No No no Spencer Thompson No No No no Kenny Cooper Yes Yes Yes Yes Futty Danso Yes
Yes Yes Yes
Well it's now official. Yesterday was the very last day of the Timbers training for the year.
The guys are now officially on vacation until late January when they have to report to training.
Just about two months worth of time off... I'm not even sure I would know what to do with that time
off.
Anyway, I'm keeping it short this morning as the US-Slovenia game is going on right now.
Kenny Cooper returned to MLS this past season after a frustrating stint overseas. First with 1860
Munich where injuries and circumstance kept him out of the first team, then a challenging loan to
Plymouth Argyle. With each team failing to be a positive match for Cooper, he returned to MLS. He
did so with great success.
Kenny Cooper returned to MLS this past season after a frustrating stint overseas. First with 1860
Munich where injuries and circumstance kept him out of the first team, then a challenging loan to
Plymouth Argyle. With each team failing to be a positive match for Cooper, he returned to MLS. He
did so with great success.
Here is our last opportunity to vote.
How it works
- Vote by posting a Yes (to Protect) or No (don't Protect) in the subject of a comment, then
explain why in the message
- We (the editors) will keep track of all the yes/no votes for each player
- At the end of the whole roster we will total up the results and post the community's Protected
list
- Your list will be compared to the list of each contributing editor
- The only player we will not be voting on is Darlington Nagbe as he is automatically protected
based on his Generations Adidas Status.
Sorry for the break in your usual Timbers Tid Bits. Apparently Google decided to update their
Google Reader RSS feed which, as it so happens, completely borked my browser make it impossible for
me to read my own news. Since I get most of my news from my Google Reader feed it put a damper on
my ability to find and share the news with you guys.
The Portland Timbers offense started out red hot, rattling off consecutive four goal games in
the team's first two home fixtures before beginning to struggle down the stretch.
Here is part three of our final grades for the Timbers. Part 1, the midfielders, is here and
part 2, the defenders, is here.
