I thought I would add one more post before the big game this evening and add a bunch of links for you to peruse at your leisure.

First, Diane added some insight into my posting from yesterday on the topic of who's really the underdog here.

I personally think that the Galaxy should be considered the underdog because the team is older, lacks depth after the 14th player, and will probably suffer on the turf.

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The Mexican League playoffs and the MLS Cup Final headline a busy day of soccer action around the world.

The LA Galaxy-Real Salt Lake MLS Cup Final should offer a great nightcap for a day of soccer that includes some EPL and Serie A action, and a Mexican League playoff showdown featuring Michael Orozco's San Luis against Toluca.

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Dear Seattle, it's been quite a year for you all up there. After all, an expansion team is not supposed to do what you all did. I have to give you "props' big-time! Seriously, out of the box the Seattle fans came out and supported a well-designed and well-staffed team, hammering all MLS attendance records.

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Landon Donovan is celebrating a personal victory this week as he was awarded the MVP for the 2009 MLS season. The MVP is the highest honour for any individual player. Well you can't say he didn't earn it. Donovan almost single handedly carried his the LA Galaxy to the MLS Finals this year, already winning for them the Western Conference Championship.

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The thought of writing this post after the opening day game against DC United never entered my head. That was a slightly improved version of the meltdown season of 2008 defensive breakdowns, not much stability in the middle and an attack that put two in the back of the net, but looked frustrating doing it.

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Thanks to MLSinsider for posting these videos. Check out that new blog by the league if you haven't already. SF from The Offside Rules does an excellent job of keeping us up to date with the latest news around the MLS Cup this weekend.

I hope to do some actual weekend posting for a change due to the Cup this weekend.

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Who are ya rooting for this weekend? We have the big-name LA Galaxy taking on small-market and workmanlike Real Salt Lake for the MLS Cup championship. The match takes place Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. CT from Qwest Field live on ESPN and ESPNHD. Make sure to tune in.
Former Wizards Chris Klein (Galaxy) and Yura Movsisyan (RSL) could play in the match. Click to continue reading...

Photo by ISIphotos.com

The 2009 MLS Cup will serve as the marquee match of a busy weekend of soccer on TV.

The LA Galaxy takes on Real Salt Lake on Sunday night in a match that should offer plenty of intrigue and attacking soccer.

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Photo by ISIphotos.com

The 2009 MLS Cup will serve as the marquee match of a busy weekend of soccer on TV.

The LA Galaxy takes on Real Salt Lake on Sunday night in a match that should offer plenty of intrigue and attacking soccer.

Click to continue reading...

Will David Beckham and Landon Donovan be celebrating on Sunday? (Getty Images)

This is a game I've gone back and forth with all week. Two western conference squads meeting in the league final is going to be interesting. Not many had picked both the LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake to make it this far back at the start of the season.

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I asked for a Beckham vs Blanco, LA Galaxy vs Chicago Fire MLS Cup 2009. But my request was denied when Real Salt Lake beat Fire on spot kicks in the Eastern Conference Final. Still, as MLS-based attention grabbing events go, an LA Galaxy vs Real Salt Lake MLS Cup 2009 is up there. I'll definitely [. Click to continue reading...

Thierry Henry has backed calls for a replay of the Ireland-Italy World Cup playoff he helped decide with his now infamous handball, even though FIFA has already rejected a request for a replay.

"Naturally I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who definitely deserve to be in South Africa," said Henry.

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Thierry Henry has backed calls for a replay of the Ireland-Italy World Cup playoff he helped decide with his now infamous handball, even though FIFA has already rejected a request for a replay.

"Naturally I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who definitely deserve to be in South Africa," said Henry.

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Remember that New Mexico womens soccer player Elizabeth Lambert that displayed some 'roid rage a couple weeks ago against BYU?
Well she got all dolled up for a New York Times story in response to that game.
Pretty interesting stuff.
Now the links:

• Don't fart in the refs face.

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Despite Conor Casey's franchise record of 16 goals in a season, an incredibly productive year for Omar Cummings (eight goals, 12 assists), and a full complement of attacking defenders who didn't send the ball into the stands every other play, the Colorado Rapids limped through the final games with insufficient ammunition when the stakes were highest. Click to continue reading...

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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After already winning the Honda MVP award for 2009's best US National Team player, Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan is now Major League Soccer's Most Valuable Player. This is Donovan's first MLS MVP Award, and the second time a member of the LA Galaxy has won. MLS Most Valuable Players 2009: Landon Donovan – LA Galaxy 2008: Guillermo Barros Schelotto – Columbus Crew 2007: Luciano Emilio – D. Click to continue reading...

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 LA Galaxy have pulled out of a post-season tour of Germany that would have seen them play friendlies against Kaiserslautern and Schalke. The Galaxy cancelled the tour due to "a lack of communication and performance" by the promoter IMC Group.

The club said in a statement:

"Unfortunately, IMC Group Inc has not performed their obligations of the agreement thus far, nor do we have faith that they will be able to do so in the future.

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A few weeks back it made the news that Shawn Francis, purveyor of "The Offside Rules" would be making the jump to MLS to act in an editorial role for their new digital media initiative. Earlier this week, the first public fruits of that hire were unveiled with the new MLS Insider blog.
I have to admit that I never found The Offside Rules all that interesting. Click to continue reading...

Nine months, 456 matches, and controversy aplenty. And it all comes down to to one game, one high-octane head-to-head for the title.

The fourteenth season of Major League Soccer is nearing its end and, while Seattle Sounders have skewed an otherwise worrying attendance picture, the action on the field has impressed.

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It is not just that Real Salt Lake's captain, Kyle Beckerman, has been working on his dreadlocks longer than the LA Galaxy's David Beckham has been coifed with an under-cut resembling a mullet with a racing-strip, that leads me to predict RSL as the 2009 MLS Cup winner. Rather, it is that RSL is peaking at the right time and relishes the underdog role.

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We know Steve Nicol stands to lose one quality player, who will it be? (Getty Images)

While the rest of the world is waiting for a couple World Cup qualifiers to finish up here we move forward here with our expansion draft coverage. Earlier in the day we discussed the LA Galaxy, now we take a gander at the New England Revolution.

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Los Angeles Galaxy forward Landon Donovan's goal against New England on August 8th was named Major League Soccer's Goal of the Year on Wednesday. This is the first time Donovan has won the award, decided by fans through online voting. Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad became the first Sane of the Year honoree for his stops against Dallas in Week 30. Click to continue reading...

We're down to only 2 former Wizards still playing in MLS, as Chris Klein and LA will meet Yura Movsisyan and Real Salt Lake Sunday in MLS Cup. Still there was more action around the world this week with FIFA international games being played. Two former Wizards competed with their respective national teams as both Shavar Thomas and Eddie Johnson played for Jamaica and the US respectively. Click to continue reading...

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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Real Salt Lake has been in this position before. Last year they won the MLS Eastern Conference but lost the final game. This year Real Salt Lake faces the Los Angeles Galaxy for the coveted MLS Cup. David Beckham has pledged to continue helping the Galaxy towards a victory despite Team England needing him for the World Cup Qualifiers.

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"I offered to shave off my beard and put on some make-up and then I'd have looked like my missus!"
Derby County's Robbie Savage after turning up at the airport with his wife's passport for a friendly in the Netherlands.

"I was joking on the sidelines saying 'You Americans have been dying to get it to four quarters and you finally got it! Click to continue reading...

Greetings, Dynamo fans. As we are all well aware, our beloved Orange fell short of the 2009 championship. It was a valiant effort against David Beckham and the LA Galaxy. Watching from Houston, the Dynamo played well on Friday night, but early Saturday was a different story.

As midnight passed, LA took advantage of two costly fouls by Ricardo Clark.

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Kyle Beckerman and RSL are going to MLS Cup 2009. (Getty Images)

Looking back on this past weekend that was the conference finals I must say the result isn't as shocking as it initially was. The thought of a LA Galaxy-Real Salt Lake MLS Cup final was something no one would have called back in March, hell or even back at the beginning of this very month.

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Becks has the X Factor David Beckham celebrated LA Galaxy's victory over Houston Dynamo in the Western Conference Championship by unveiling a new haircut, which appears to be in his team's colours. The brand new Beckham barnet also comes with optional bald patches. And it puts Beckham in contention to become the third member of controversial X [. Click to continue reading...

Big Story

While FIFA's decision to seed the European group playoff match-ups—basically a mulligan for underachieving powerhouses Portugal, France and Russia—worked according to plan, along came Egypt to remind us all why football is a sport like no other.

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No surprise, but the LA Galaxy makes four times as much as Real Salt Lake, when you include Beckham and Donvoan. Click to continue reading...

Nick Rimando saved three Chicago Fire penalty kicks to help Real Salt Lake win the Eastern Conference on a shootout after 120 minutes of soccer yielded no goals for either team. The victory puts RSL in its first-ever MLS Cup game where they will face the LA Galaxy, victors of a dramatic conference final of their own Friday, and completes a stunning late-season turnaround for the Salt Lake City side.

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The Major League Soccer 2009 Eastern Conference Final was on Saturday with Real Salt Lake traveling to face the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park. The winner would move onto the MLS Cup Final next Sunday against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Here's a recap of the match along with video highlights.

Real Salt Lake beats Chicago Fire 0-0 (5-4 on penalty kicks) Video Highlights

It was a close match on Saturday but Real Salt Lake found a way to advance and continue their improbable run to the MLS Cup Final.

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