Chicago Fire original CJ Brown played in his last professional soccer game on October 23, 2010. Both Brown and teammate Brian McBride had announced their retirements days earlier. Chicago was already eliminated from the playoffs going into the game. Prior to kick-off the players knew it was going to be only the second time in the club's history that the Fire did not make the playoffs.

Back when I posted about my 2012 Wishes, one of the wishes was wanting to get the 2000 MLS Cup back. For those that missed it, or don't know, the 2000 MLS Cup is not in Kansas City. The cup that teams get to keep after winning MLS Cup is in Dallas at the Hunt Sports Group Headquarters in Dallas.
Since that point, I've not said much about the the trophy or built off of that comment regarding getting the trophy back.

BY ADAM SERRANO

Friday's scrimmage between the Houston Dynamo and the Los Angeles Galaxy may have been a rematch of the 2011 MLS Cup, but last November's match was far from the minds of all involved.

The Dynamo defeated the Galaxy 1-0 after Nathan Sturgis scored the lone goal of the match on a header from a looping cross from Josue Soto in the 68th minute.

Photo by Tony Quinn/ISIphotos.com

By THOMAS FLOYD

WASHINGTON -- This past fall, when D.C. United general manager Dave Kasper contemplated his goals heading into the offseason, two of the first priorities that came to mind were adding veteran leadership and strengthening his team's back line.

Hans Backe wants to go for it all. (Getty Images)

File this under "we've heard this before".

New York Red Bulls manager Hans Backe made a sweeping declaration yesterday to reporters while in Mexico. He plans to go all-in this season.

"I say we should go for it all: the Open Cup, the Shield, the MLS Cup," Backe told reporters in a conference call on Thursday from Mexico, where the Red Bulls are training.

photo by ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

Real Salt Lake are looking to the future just as much as they are hoping to win an MLS Cup title in 2012.

Real Salt Lake announced four moves on Thursday, including the re-signings of Fabian Espindola and Ned Grabavoy.

United States National Team player Chris Wondolowski has signed a new deal with the San Jose Earthquakes. "I'm grateful to the organization for giving me a new contract for a second straight year and look forward to helping the Earthquakes get back to the MLS Cup Playoffs," Wondolowski said. "I think we have a great team heading into this season and I know I'm looking forward to that home opener on March 10th against New.

Photo by Tony Quinn/ISIphotos.com

The Houston Dynamo are still actively trying to improve their forward options, and they took a step in that direction by swinging a trade Wednesday night.

The Dynamo traded a conditional 2014 draft pick to the Colorado Rapids for Macoumba Kandji, adding the athletic, Senegalese striker to a stable that currently has Calen Carr, Will Bruin, Cam Weaver and rookie Colin Rolfe.

The Dynamo have added another forward/midfielder to the roster, trading a conditional draft pick to the Colorado Rapids for Macoumba Kandji. Kandji is a tall, atheltic forward with good quickness, but he's had his injury struggles the last couple seasons.

It's an inexpensive move for Kinnear to make and makes good sense as Kandji has experience in the league and has shown the ability to score goals and create chances for teammates in the past.

Earlier today MLSSoccer.com reported that the reason Mac Kandji wasn't in camp right away is that he was looking for a team in Europe. This afternoon the Rapids announced that Kandji had been traded to Houston for a conditional 3rd round draft pick in 2014. Probably a fair trade for a guy who's had 0 goals and 3 assists in 16 games.

Juninho proved to be a handful for most MLS sides in 2011. (Getty Images)

I said a few weeks (or maybe just a couple weeks) back that the biggest thing that the LA Galaxy needed to replace this winter was Juninho.

Well, what better way to replace him than with him.

The LA Galaxy announced on Tuesday that the club has reached an agreement with Brazilian club São Paulo FC that will allow midfielder Juninho to return to the Galaxy on loan for the 2012 MLS season.

The Los Angeles Galaxy's search for Juninho's replacement has ended with Juninho himself.

The Sao Paulo central midfielder is on his way back to Los Angeles for another loan spell with the Galaxy. Multiple reports out of Brazil say that Sao Paulo manager Emerson Leao had no plans to use the 23-year-old Juninho, who signed a new three-year deal with Sao Paulo during the MLS offseason.

Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIPhotos.com

BY ADAM SERRANO

CARSON, Calif. -- Fresh off his year and a half long stint in Germany, Edson Buddle does not feel like the same player that departed the Los Angeles Galaxy after a stellar 2010 season.

He believes that he's even better.

As the preseason gets into full swing and rosters begin to stabilize, it's time to take a look at the men who pull the strings and have the greatest impact on the team itself. The modern manager is part tactician, ...
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com for the rest of the story.

For a team that has lost (Brian Ching, Danny Cruz, Hunter Freeman, Carlo Costly) more than it has gained (Nathan Sturgis, draft picks, trialists) over the offseason, the Houston Dynamo might just find itself in an improved position once the 2012 season begins where the 2011 ended. And that would be without a single major offseason acquisition.

Photo Credit: Alfonso Jimenez via Wikimedia Commons
Ever since Amado Guevara was shown the door, I've been clamoring for an actual #10 Creative Midfielder for our team - to absolutely no avail. That genius Bruce Arena (besides destroying our pretty good backline in 2007) saddled us with the perenially injured Claudio Reyna, who (as a defensive midfielder) was absolutely not the creative player we needed.

photo by JN Santos/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

The man responsible for the tumultuous offseason the Colorado Rapids endured is prolonging his stay with the club.

Technical Director Paul Bravo signed a new three-year deal with the Rapids on Wednesday, extending a stay that began in 2009.

After spending a year in Germany playing for FC Ingolstadt of the German 2. Bundesliga, United States striker Edson Buddle is returning to the Galaxy after signing a free transfer.

The Galaxy garnered suspicion early Wednesday when they posted a picture of a blank #14 jersey on their official Twitter account, asking fans whose name they would like to see on the jersey.

As if the defending MLS Champions needed any more offensive firepower, the LA Galaxy announced today that Edson Buddle would be rejoining the Galaxy after terminating his contract with FC Ingolstadt by mutual consent.

Buddle's addition gives LA the league's best forward tandem, as he and Robbie Keane will lead a line that should feast on the service provided by Landon Donovan and David Beckham.

Edson Buddle's European venture has come to a screeching halt.

Despite Buddle scoring six goals for FC Ingolstadt this season, the club released him from his contract Tuesday for unspecified reasons. Buddle had been sent away from the team prior to the 2. Bundesliga's winter break, the first indication that his time in Germany may have been coming to a premature close.

Yesterday's Fire news was firmly in the "not good" category. In case you haven't heard, Josip Mikulic is not with the team as he attends to personal issues. He may never return to the club. Combine this with Yamith Cuesta suddenly being gone (loan ended; Fire opted not to buy) the back line is suddenly very, very thin.

Forward Calen Carr, who played a key role in the run to the MLS Cup final, has been limited this week while rehabbing from the left knee surgery he underwent late last month. "I had to get a little work done on my knee," he said. "It was nothing major. Just cleaned up some things." [...]

Leeds United have signed MLS star Robbie Rogers on an 18-month contract from Columbus Crew.
The 24-year agreed personal terms on January 10 but had to wait for his work permit to be approved before he could become officially part of the squad at Elland Road.
Rogers was given a taste of football in England in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Newcastle last week but was unable to feature for the reserves because not all of his paperwork had been completed.

Former Colorado Rapids coach Gary Smith has a new job. After battling with Rapids management over decision-making, the club announced that they wouldn't offer Smith a new contract. The 2010 MLS Cup winner is instead the new manager at Stevenage, currently 6th in England's League One. He is expected to name his Colorado assistant Steve Guppy as his assistant with Stevenage.

One of the most hotly debated roster topics this off season has been whether the Seattle Sounders need to upgrade or add tactical depth to the roster at the more attack-oriented central midfield position. The discussion has often gotten bogged down in traditional soccer semantics. Many of us have expressed our desire for a more creative player by suggesting that perhaps the team needs to find a CAM.

Gary Smith is the new Stevenage manager. It doesn't come as any surprise that Smith has been appointed as he has been the favourite for the position over the last week or so. He was even in the main stand watching his new side beat play-off rivals MK Dons 4-2 earlier tonight. News of his appointment broke soon after and the Harlow born coach is set to be the man given the task of replacing Graham Westley and continuing Boro's promotion push.

It seems like just yesterday the Dynamo played for the MLS Cup in Los Angeles, in fact it was only 66 days ago, but time waits for no one and the new season must get underway. Yesterday at the team's training facilities, the Dynamo did just that, kicking off the 2012 season with the opening of pre-season camp.

Philadelphia Union

Sebastien Le Toux tweeted this morning, "I spent a great week at BWFC. Great club with great people. Now back in Philly." We are waiting for confirmation on this from the Union on this and if this means there will be no transfer to Bolton.

Following the successful appeal to secure Tim Ream the UK work permit necessary to complete the defender's move to the Wanderers, Owen Coyle tells The Bolton News that he plans to "add one or two more to take us on to the second half of the season" before the close of the transfer window on January 31.

Follow the yellow brick road, and there might be a powerful wizard at the end able to grant you whatever your heart desires. Or, as so often we find, after having stumbled through the many potholes on that road you come to the end of it only to be met by an eccentric myth of a person capable only of offering up false promises and trinkets.

Why have the Philadelphia Union added a scrimmage against Florida Gulf Coast University, of all places, to their preseason warm-up tour? With approximately 12,000 students including post-grads and a "noteable alumni" list that consists of a professional monster trucker and Don Carman (retired Philadelphia Phillies pitcher from the 80's), what put the FGCU Eagles on the radar?

It wasn't that long ago that Providence product Michael Parkhurst and Attleboro native Geoff Cameron were just two local talents hoping to play their way from the grassy fields of southeastern New England onto the big stage.

Cue the big stage.

On Saturday, the defending duo both of whom played club soccer for Rhode Island-based Bayside FC found themselves paired together in the center of the United States defense for the first time during the squad's 1-0 shutout of Venezuela.

First the good.
In acquiring Danny Cruz, United looks to have settled the flank depth question, initially addressed by the drafting of Nick DeLeon as Pontius' backup. A regular starter for the MLS Cup finalists from Houston, Cruz provides excellent cover for Najar, who will likely be away for Olympic and possibly World Cup duty with Honduras and may even attract interest from abroad this summer.

Portland's pre-season foes were added too. The Timbers will play Montreal, Houston, LA and Chicago during there 12 day stay in LA.

Here is information from the Portland Timbers:

The Portland Timbers today announced match details for the club's preseason camp in Carson, Calif.

The Dynamo announced today that midfielder/winger Danny Cruz has been traded to DC United for allocation money. The trade was announced around 2:45pm CT.

Cruz graduated from Generation adidias in the off-season and the Dynamo declined his contract option. The team had made attempts to re-sign Cruz but apparently a deal could not be reached.

David Beckham has joined LA Galaxy owner Tim Leiweke in hoping that the invaluable Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard considers signing for LA Galaxy in the future.

Lampard, 33, has been linked to the MLS Cup winners in recent weeks but having rubbished all reports of an exit from Stamford Bridge, the midfielder looks set to continue his impressive form for the West Londoners.

Geoff Cameron has been a standout for the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer, and has not only lead the Dynamo into the MLS Cup this past season, but also received a recent call-up to the US National team.
His play is worthy of national team consideration, but it's his presence and positive attitude that have been key components in his success.

David Beckham will finish his playing career in America after signing a new two-year deal with LA Galaxy.
The soccer betting in the US had linked the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan star with a move to Paris St Germain after his Galaxy contract expired at the end of December.

Chalk up another win for the Los Angeles Galaxy

Only this one wasn't just for them, it perhaps was an important win for MLS as well. Despite massive offers from numerous European clubs, David Beckham officially chose to remain in the United States, agreeing to new multi-year contract with the Galaxy that keeps the famed midfielder in Los Angeles through the 2013 MLS season.

Photo by David Bernal/ISIPhotos.com

BY ADAM SERRANO

LOS ANGELES --It is official, David Beckham will be returning to MLS and it appears that he may be staying for quite some time.

The Los Angeles Galaxy presented Beckham before a group of reporters on Thursday to announce his new two-year-deal with the club.

At the end of the 2011 MLS season, one of Major League Soccer's veterans retired. After 14 years in the league, Andy Williams chose to hang up his boots and pick up a clipboard as he joined the RealSaltLake technical staff. After winning an MLS Cup, representing his national team and building a life in Utah, the Jamaican is able to look back on his career with pride.