Quote: His season with the Result (highlight to reveal): Galaxy has been similar to Alex Rodriguez's with the Yankees — short on drama and long on performance. Here's a fun game for you. Who is Jere Longman referring to in this sentence? I'd provide a link to Longman's New York Times article, but the answer is given in the link. Click to continue reading...

Tom Soehn's term as Head Coach of DC United has come to a close Monday evening when he met with Kevin Payne and the rest of the head honchos in the DC United front office. Tom Soehn did not await the decision from Kevin Payne and left on his own terms.

Now the decision comes down to who is next to step up and be the new DC United Head Coach?

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It was beginning to look like, given the hemming and the hawing, the insults to league and to fans, followed by furious backpedalling, that Kevin Payne was going to drop the ball and hand Tommy the keys to season #4. But then a curious thing... Click to continue reading...

Former DC United Coach Tom Soehn

Earlier this morning came the news that DC United coach Tom Soehn would not seek to extend his current contract with the team. Set to expire at the end of this year, Soehn will instead leave the club he has been a part of for the past six seasons – three years as an assistant and three as the head coach.

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DC United has announced today that they will not be offering Tom Soehn a contract extension. The team was told this morning that Soehn was out and the search for a new manager would start.

"Tommy has done an outstanding job at D.C. United, first as an assistant and then as our head coach," said United President and CEO Kevin Payne.

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We'll soon officially announce that United's six-year relationship with Tom Soehn has ended. United's one-time Assistant Coach (2004-2006) and its Head Coach for the last three seasons (2007-2009) has removed his name from consideration for the club's head coaching position ahead of the expiration of his three-year contract at the end of the calendar year.

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The first round of River or Life with the DC United front office has gone pretty much as expected so far, with Tom Soehn just 0% Life, Dave Kasper over 50% but not convincingly, and Kevin Payne somewhere between 50 and 100. Now let's see where the forwards on the roster stand.
The thing about playing River or Life is that its somewhat up to the voter's discretion how you want to interpret the two choices, and I think that's going to come into play for a lot of us with some of these forwards. Click to continue reading...

Let's begin today's stroll about the intarwebs in the land of the vikings... I'm sure everybody has read all the Brit-hype and seen all the mobile phone videos of Brad Guzan walking on water, and that's all well and good--he's the #2 behind Timmy... Click to continue reading...

On this week's Match Fit USA Soccer Show, Jason and Zach talk about the MLS playoffs, cover the USL-TOA saga with David Fellerath of Triangle Offense, and debate the fine handed down to DC United's...

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Well, I'm at home for reasons that would bore the hell out of you, might as well fake liveblog it.
Preceding program - Who Killed the USFL? Fascinating. Probably not what an MLS fan wants to see.
Wow, a sellout! I mean, David Beckham. Not attendance. I talk a lot about how illegitimate Chivas USA is, how bad they are for MLS, how bad they are for soccer, and what a great day it will be when they finally dry up and blow away. Click to continue reading...

Eastern Conference Semifinals - First Leg
New England Revolution vs Chicago Fire
Sun., Nov. 1, Gillette Stadium (2 p.m. ET; FSC/FSE)

DF Chris Albright (L lateral meniscus tear); MF Steve Ralston (R ACL tear); FW Taylor Twellman (concussion)

That is pretty much the meats and bones of the team gone there.

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The Seattle Sounders vs Houston Dynamo playoffs got the MLS playoffs to a raucous start with their edge of the seat performances even it ended in a goalless draw. Seattle also boasts the highest home attendances in the MLS. It all looks promising.

Except as this article points out, there is enough deadwood in the MLS.

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Okay, so first things first...the MLS HQ troglodytes should be ashamed of themselves. Fining Payne $5k for criticizing other teams' style of play? Shameful...and predictable. Also predictable? Payne's apology. But what to make of this bit of... Click to continue reading...

With J Hutcherson -- Courtesy of Major League Soccer, we now have a price point for confirming the obvious. DC president Kevin Payne's $5,000 dollar fine should have been enough, but it had to be chased with an apology. Given that the fine was higher than the ones normally handed out for red cards or mouthing of at the ref, maybe it would've been fairer to have it either/or. Click to continue reading...

So once again, right here on the cusp of the playoffs, when we should all be feeling good about MLS and the competition and the soon-to-be champion, we get reality smacking us in the face that this is a league that is run by a bunch of marketing executives who think that selling toothpaste is the same as running a sports league. Click to continue reading...

There isn't much tonight for the evening links and thoughts. Got some USL-TOA talk and a brief thought about Kevin Payne's fine from the league earlier today.

But first there we gotta go back into the TOA-USL talk that we've been going around and around with for the last few weeks. Reports tonight suggest the TOA and their clubs could very well soon be forming their own league, even as soon as TOMORROW.

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There are a few things that have been detrimental to the image of MLS this week, including Alexi Lalas' face appearing every time I open the MLS homepage. High on my list would have been MLS moving the Fire's away playoff game at New England to Sunday from Saturday, just two days after they had scheduled it for the original date in the first place.

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I've written that Garber keeps his ideological cards close to his chest, but in fining DCU Prez Kevin Payne $5000 today for calling a spade a spade—that the onfield product in MLS is not good enough and won't draw in more fans until it is—means that the guy isn't hearing what needs to be heard.
This is really not good, especially in light of the fact Payne didn't even mention bringing better players with more money, everyone's favourite MLS bugbear. Click to continue reading...

Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber has fined D.C. United President Kevin Payne $5,000 for public comments about the Colorado Rapids, Real Salt Lake and the New England Revolution, which Garber deemed detrimental to the public image of the League.

Payne's comments appeared in the Soccer Insider blog by The Washington Post's Steven Goff:

"We don't want to play like Colorado or New England, which most of the season sat with eight or nine guys behind the ball.

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DC United president Kevin Payne was fined $5,000 dollars for telling the Washington Post's Steven Goff: "We don't want to play like Colorado or New England, which most of the season sat with eight or nine guys behind the ball. How many people go to watch Colorado or New England play? That's a problem for our league. Click to continue reading...

Salt Lake v. Chivas USA
Salt Lake OWES the Eastern Conference. And oh by the way, they've been playing better than anyone actually in the Eastern Conference. They didn't back in to the playoffs either, like last year's Western Conference champs. This isn't out of the realm of possibility. Click to continue reading...

As always, Mr. Unprecedented Access, Steve Goff, has a sit down with Kevin Payne and Tom Soehn over on his blog. Some big quotes...

"We don't want to play like Colorado or New England, which most of the season sat with eight or nine guys behind the ball. How many people go to watch Colorado or New England play?

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Stealing on old bit from the late Big O and Dukes Show, we will spend the next month or so playing "River or Life" with members of the DC United organization, starting with the front office, and then moving on to the players, by position. In an offseason that is bound to include multitudes of changes throughout the club, this will be a great way to show the team who we the fans want to see return next year. Click to continue reading...

Uh-oh! Someone isn't happy about missing the MLS playoffs.

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I've talked to DC United president Kevin Payne several times through the years.

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Seriously? "The problem in our league isn't who is or isn't in the playoffs; it's that not enough people want to watch our league yet, and we have to convince them that our league is worth watching. I don't think [playing conservatively] is the way... Click to continue reading...

Seriously? D.C. United has engaged in serious talks with a Virginia jurisdiction about a new stadium, club president Kevin Payne told the Insider. He declined to identify the city or county but said -- no surprise -- that the stadium site would be... Click to continue reading...

Seriously? "We have to determine whether we believe, for the immediate long term, if Tommy is the guy to lead the team," Payne said. "We don't go into this with our minds made up. We want to almost treat it like a blank slate."Ignoring the... Click to continue reading...

Big Story
DC United's club president Kevin Payne has never lacked for chutzpah, and after a season in which the team launched a website called "We Win Trophies" but have failed to make the playoffs for the second year in a row, arguing that DC had at least earned some kind of a moral victory for their style of play is quite something.

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Not seen out of frame, the past laurels Kevin Payne is resting on.
Kevin Payne decided to blow off some steam in an interview with the Washington Post's Steven Goff last night. Payne sounds a little bit flustered and more than a little bit defensive.
Quote: "We don't want to play like Colorado or New England, which most of the season sat with eight or nine guys behind the ball. Click to continue reading...

Gansler coaching the team during the 2001 season.
Former Wizards Head Coach and 2000 MLS Cup Champion Bob Gansler has been named to the 2010 Builder Ballot for the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Last season, Gansler finished second behind Bruce Arena on the Builder Ballot by one vote, with no one entering the Hall from the ballot. Click to continue reading...

ONEONTA, NY (October 19, 2009) – Four highly respected coaches and six nationally recognized administrators have been named to the Hall of Fame's Election 2010 Builder Ballot, the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum announced today. The ten finalists are:

Bruce Arena, current coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy
Chuck Blazer, FIFA Executive Committee Member General Secretary of CONCACAF
Dr.

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ONEONTA, NY (October 19, 2009) – Four highly respected coaches and six nationally recognized administrators have been named to the Hall of Fame's Election 2010 Builder Ballot, the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum announced today. The ten finalists are:

Bruce Arena, current coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy
Chuck Blazer, FIFA Executive Committee Member General Secretary of CONCACAF
Dr.

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By definition, the Freddy Award goes to the biggest story for DC United this year. This award should go to the individual who has created the biggest stir around DC this season. The award's namesake Freddy Adu wasn't only the biggest story in DC when he was on the team, he was also the biggest story in MLS. Click to continue reading...

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Tom Soehn's tenure as DC United manager has seen the Red and Black win the Supporters Shield, advance to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup and are on the doorstep of making the MLS playoffs and CONCACAF knock out rounds.

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But Soehn's player management have been from my vantage point, the absolute worst in the league since he took over as coach in the beginning of the 2007 season.

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Is Luciano Emilio the key to United turning around its season? Nope.
Did DC United turn around its season last night? Could it be that the team, and its oft-absent striker Luciano Emilio finally found what is missing against Marathon in the Champions League? Is this the beginning of DC's run into the MLS playoffs? Click to continue reading...