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Photo by ISIphotos.comÂ

By TRAVIS CLARK

After a lengthy wait, Kevin Hartman finally has a new home. One of the longest tenured players in MLS, Hartman found himself out of contract with Kansas City and unable to find a new club.

That all changed Monday when Hartman's rights were traded to FC Dallas The move comes amid rumors that FC Dallas is looking to upgrade from returning starter Dario Sala.

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Photo by ISIphotos.comÂ

By TRAVIS CLARK

After a lengthy wait, Kevin Hartman finally has a new home. One of the longest tenured players in MLS, Hartman found himself out of contract with Kansas City and unable to find a new club.

That all changed Monday when Hartman's rights were traded to FC Dallas The move comes amid rumors that FC Dallas is looking to upgrade from returning starter Dario Sala.

By TRAVIS CLARK

Jackson, Mississippi was the backdrop for a friendly between FC Dallas and Chicago Fire Sunday afternoon.

Amidst the CBA uncertainty and pushed back roster deadlines, Chicago and Dallas both fielded strong starting lineups as the preseason dwindles away and the start of the 2010 season approaches.

Good afternoon everyone. We're here in Orlando, Florida for the Walt Disney Soccer Classic consolation match between FC Dallas and the Houston Dynamo.

This is Franco Panizo and I will be providing commentary throughout the match so please feel free to follow along here. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.

Good afternoon everyone. We're here in Orlando, Florida for the Walt Disney Soccer Classic consolation match between FC Dallas and the Houston Dynamo.

This is Franco Panizo and I will be providing commentary throughout the match so please feel free to follow along here. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.

photo by ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

Heath Pearce looked to be the solution to the U.

By TRAVIS CLARK

Fresh off the heels of a 1-0 loss to Florida International University on Sunday, Dallas was ready to bounce back in the next preseason friendly.

They managed just that in a Tuesday win over the New England Revolution, scoring twice and keeping a cleansheet in Orlando, Florida.

By TRAVIS CLARK

The Seattle Sounders opened up the La Manga Cup preseason competition with a 3-0 loss to Rosenborg BK on Thursday.

Seattle came out with a fairly strong first XI that included Fredy Montero, Kasey Keller and Freddie Ljungberg. Proceedings got off to a bad start, however, when Rosenborg opened the scoring inside two minutes of the match.

By TRAVIS CLARK

The Seattle Sounders opened up the La Manga Cup preseason competition with a 3-0 loss to Rosenborg BK on Thursday.

Seattle came out with a fairly strong first XI that included Fredy Montero, Kasey Keller and Freddie Ljungberg. Proceedings got off to a bad start, however, when Rosenborg opened the scoring inside two minutes of the match.

The Philadelphia Union's first organized match got the expansion club off to a flying start as three different players scored in a 5-0 exhibition romp over the University of North Carolina in Greensboro on Saturday night.

Sebastien LeToux scored a first-half hat-trick while Shea Salinas and Jack McInerney added second-half strikes to give Union head coach Peter Nowak his first victory as Philly head coach.

The Philadelphia Union's first organized match got the expansion club off to a flying start as three different players scored in a 5-0 exhibition romp over the University of North Carolina in Greensboro on Saturday night.

Sebastien LeToux scored a first-half hat-trick while Shea Salinas and Jack McInerney added second-half strikes to give Union head coach Peter Nowak his first victory as Philly head coach.

While Charlie Davies and Oguchi Onyewu are making quality progress toward recovery from serious injuries, one potential U.S. World Cup player is not.

Jermaine Jones is still on the sidelines for Schalke 04 and there is still no timetable on his exact return. Schalke 04 press officer Thomas Spiegel told ESPN.

The New York Red Bulls, Houston Dynamo, FC Dallas and Toronto FC will compete in the inaugural Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic on Feb. 25-27 at the ESPN Wide World of Sport complex outside Orlando.

The Red Bulls will face the Houston Dynamo in one semifinal, with TFC and FC Dallas playing in the other semifinal, both on Feb.

When FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman told SBI earlier this week that he was open to offers for midfielder Dave Van Den Bergh, the news came as no surprise to MLS teams. However, when he said that the team's assist leader was still in Dallas' plans, that statement came as news to one person.

When FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman told SBI earlier this week that he was open to offers for midfielder Dave Van Den Bergh, the news came as no surprise to MLS teams. However, when he said that the team's assist leader was still in Dallas' plans, that statement came as news to one person.

With the 2010 MLS Draft just days away it is becoming increasingly clear that FC Dallas will be one of the key controllers of the action at Saturday's draft.

FC Dallas currently holds the No. 5 and No. 6 picks in the draft, and with a roster that is already one of the youngest in MLS, Dallas is poised to be the target of teams interested in moving up in the draft.

With the 2010 MLS Draft just days away it is becoming increasingly clear that FC Dallas will be one of the key controllers of the action at Saturday's draft.

FC Dallas currently holds the No. 5 and No. 6 picks in the draft, and with a roster that is already one of the youngest in MLS, Dallas is poised to be the target of teams interested in moving up in the draft.

FC Dallas has spent a good part of this off-season completing new deals and exercising contract options on most of the key figures that helped push the club to the brink of the playoffs.

The key word being most.

SBI has learned that FC Dallas declined to pick up the option on midfielder Dave Van Den Bergh's contract and has been actively shopping the Dutch midfielder around the league.

FC Dallas has spent a good part of this off-season completing new deals and exercising contract options on most of the key figures that helped push the club to the brink of the playoffs.

The key word being most.

SBI has learned that FC Dallas declined to pick up the option on midfielder Dave Van Den Bergh's contract and has been actively shopping the Dutch midfielder around the league.

Good morning all. It is a slow Tuesday in the soccer world and while there aren't a ton of major stories making the rounds today, there is still plenty to think about if you are an American soccer fan.

In MLS, you still have three teams still looking for head coaches. D.C. United is down to two candidates in Akron's Caleb Porter and former KC head coach Curt Onalfo (our money is on Porter being the pick).

Good morning all. It is a slow Tuesday in the soccer world and while there aren't a ton of major stories making the rounds today, there is still plenty to think about if you are an American soccer fan.

In MLS, you still have three teams still looking for head coaches. D.C. United is down to two candidates in Akron's Caleb Porter and former KC head coach Curt Onalfo (our money is on Porter being the pick).

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Hannover 96 and German national team goalkeeper Robert Enke has died of an apparent suicide after being hit by a train.

A recent member of the German national team, Enke had reportedly struggled to cope with the death of his two-year old daughter, who died from a heart ailment in 2006.

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Hannover 96 and German national team goalkeeper Robert Enke has died of an apparent suicide after being hit by a train.

A recent member of the German national team, Enke had reportedly struggled to cope with the death of his two-year old daughter, who died from a heart ailment in 2006.

With seven teams now finished the regular season and now playoffs to plan for, the attention turns to 2010. That can include a myriad of things -- from a new stadium to a brand new coach. FC Dallas, who ended the season one win away from the playoffs, didn't do enough to save General Manager Michael Hithcock's job, as the club parted ways with him today.

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                                                Photo by ISIphotos.com

Jeff Cunningham can't stop scoring goals and it is time to start asking the question: Is he now the MLS MVP front-runner?

No, FC Dallas still hasn't qualified for the playoffs, and it still has plenty of work to do, but the fact that FCD has rattled off four wins in five matches to pull within striking distance of the post-season is a direct product of Cunningham's goal-scoring hot streak.

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                                                Photo by ISIphotos.com

Jeff Cunningham can't stop scoring goals and it is time to start asking the question: Is he now the MLS MVP front-runner?

No, FC Dallas still hasn't qualified for the playoffs, and it still has plenty of work to do, but the fact that FCD has rattled off four wins in five matches to pull within striking distance of the post-season is a direct product of Cunningham's goal-scoring hot streak.

It will likely end up being too little too late, but FC Dallas continues to show that it has plenty of fight left in it. Counted out all season with a poor start to 2009, the amazing turnaround continued last night against a San Jose team that played hard but came up short, losing Dallas by a 2-1 scoreline.

It will likely end up being too little too late, but FC Dallas continues to show that it has plenty of fight left in it. Counted out all season with a poor start to 2009, the amazing turnaround continued last night against a San Jose team that played hard but came up short to Dallas, 2-1.

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The MLS playoffs don't begin for another three weeks but tonight will offer us an elimination game with some playoff-like drama.

FC Dallas visits San Jose tonight (10pm, Direct Kick) in a match both teams need to win in order to maintain any realistic chance in the MLS playoff race.

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The MLS playoffs don't begin for another three weeks but tonight will offer us an elimination game with some playoff-like drama.

FC Dallas visits San Jose tonight (10pm, Direct Kick) in a match both teams need to win in order to maintain any realistic chance in the MLS playoff race.

FC Dallas forward Jeff Cunningham was voted MLS player of the month for September after his seven goals and three assists helped FC Dallas post a 3-1-1 record during the month.

Cunningham edged out a group of players including Shalrie Joseph, Josh Wolff and Eddie Gaven.

The award is the second player of the month honor of Cunningham's career.

FC Dallas forward Jeff Cunningham was voted MLS player of the month for September after his seven goals and three assists helped FC Dallas post a 3-1-1 record during the month.

Cunningham edged out a group of players including Shalrie Joseph, Josh Wolff and Eddie Gaven.

The award is the second player of the month honor of Cunningham's career.

FC Dallas' slim playoff hopes gained more steam on Wednesday night after a Jeff Cunningham goal helped give Dallas a 1-0 victory against New England at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

Cunningham headed home a Jair Benitez cross in the 71st minute to give FC Dallas its third win in four matches and move the Texas club closer to the playoff pack with three matches remaining.

FC Dallas' slim playoff hopes gained more steam on Wednesday night after a Jeff Cunningham goal helped give Dallas a 1-0 victory against New England at the Cotton Bowl.

Cunningham headed home a Jair Benitez cross in the 71st minute to give FC Dallas its third win in four matches and move the Texas club closer to the playoff pack with three matches remaining.

It's Friday and it is time to start a new series, which is more like the old series.

Every Friday, I will touch on some of the week's popular subjects being discussed by readers, as well astouch on news stories SBI may have missed.

The first subject today is Jermaine Jones.

It's Friday and it is time to start a new series, which is more like the old series.

Every Friday, I will touch on some of the week's popular subjects being discussed by readers, as well astouch on news stories SBI may have missed. We've called these types of posts Musings and TGIF before, but now we'll be going with Friday Free Kicks and plan to make it a weekly series.

Say what you want about the first team, they keep bringing in young and talented players. After sending five players to the U-20 World Cup, yesterday FC Dallas announced their first ever Academy signing of midfielder Bryan Leyva yesterday.

A 17-year-old who was born in Mexico, Leyva has been a part of the Dallas Academy for over a year, joining in June 2008.

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                                             Photo by ISIphotos.com

Jeff Cunningham led the charge in FC Dallas' 6-3 drubbing of the Los Angeles Galaxy, and was honored with his 12th career MLS Player of the Week award for his efforts.

The Los Angeles Galaxy had spent much of the current MLS season playing stingy defense and establishing itself as a legitimate MLS title contender.

At least before last night.

FC Dallas walked into Home Depot Center on Saturday and proceeded to dismantle Bruce Arena's squad as a combination of speed, impeccable service and defensive breakdowns by LA turned last night's Western Conference clash into a 6-3 blowout.

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                                                                              Photo by ISIphotos.com

Just a week after looking like he would be playing in Turkey, Heath Pearce is headed to MLS to play for a turkey of a team.