Yesterday we learned the rules for this year's expansion draft, where the Philadelphia Union will select 10 players from the 15 current MLS teams to help to begin their process for building their roster. The Wizards are allowed to protect 11 players and 3 of the team's 4 international players will have to be protected. Click to continue reading...

In my EPL Talk piece yesterday, I discussed all of the reasons that Ireland's potential qualification was better for World Football than France's would be. Much of this thought process centered on the importance of American market to the success of the World Cup.

But alas, Giovanni Trapattoni's side was defeated at the hands of Thierry Henry's France.

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Next week, the Philadelphia Union will have their pick of the current MLS teams' unprotected roster players, today we learned the rules that those teams will use to choose the players that they will protect. The rules are very similar to the rules that were used last year for the Seattle Sounders FC draft. Click to continue reading...

CONCACAF held its draw for the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday and the draw will pit defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew against Mexican League power Toluca.

Columbus was eliminated from the MLS playoffs by Real Salt Lake in the first round, but will kick off 2010 in March with a home-and-home quarterfinal series against Toluca.

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With the Don's latest state of the league comments about the importance of the Concacaf Champions League (CCL) and the extra load that it puts on teams that do well in the MLS standings, I've been thinking about what the league could do. Let's start out with the commissioner's problem description:

We need to prove that we can be among the best teams in the region, and that means beating Mexico.

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MLS Commissioner Don Garber gave his annual State of the League Address on Monday and covered a wide range of topics, from expansion to the Collective Bargaining Agreement to the Designated Player rule.

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To all you self loathing Seattle fans waiting for my mea culpa after the Houston game? No, I don't want to deal with the loss either. Shit, did you see what I had to say to Creepy Jose Romero yesterday?

Right now I'm not anxious to watch MLS games. I don't want to go the Home Depot and watch the Galaxy game.

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For much more on this subject, see the original MLS team ages post. It includes the average age of every MLS team in league history.
Age Breakdown
First, I wanted to look at the leaguewide distribution of ages. The percentages here are based on the total number of minutes played in MLS history by every player, using on the age of players on July 1st of each season (the midway point). Click to continue reading...

Yesterday the first news from the MLS collective bargaining negotiations leaked out, courtesy of Tripp Mickle. Sport Business Journal put the news behind the paywall, but thankfully Jason Davis scaled it so I don't have to:

Though the league has proposed a salary cap increase, the players have labelled it a "joke".

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The top two teams in England face off today, while four MLS teams battle to see which two will play in the Western Conference final in MLS.

Manchester United travels to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea, while the Home Depot Center Clasico and Seattle-Houston fill out the MLS portion of today's action.

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Last night, the Chicago Fire took on the incarnation of evil, otherwise known as the New England Revolution, in the second leg of the first round of the MLS playoffs. The Fire were down 2-1 from the first leg after a tough away loss at Gillette Stadium in front of a pitiful crowd of 7,416.

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Standing on a rooftop overlooking the site of the Philadelphia Union's future stadium, I couldn't help but see the pieces being put into place for a club that should help revitalize soccer on the East Coast.

As cranes lowered ten-ton cement blocks into place to piece together the Union's stadium, you could stand inside the unfinished building and see the vision.

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The most highly-anticipated match of the English Premier League season is upon us, and so are some truly can't-miss MLS playoff series deciders.

Chelsea plays host to Manchester United on Sunday with a chance to open up a five-point lead atop the EPL standings, while six MLS teams head into action knowing that defending MLS champions Columbus has been eliminated from the post-season.

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The most highly-anticipated match of the English Premier League season is upon us, and so are some truly can't-miss MLS playoff series deciders.

Chelsea plays host to Manchester United on Sunday with a chance to open up a five-point lead atop the EPL standings, while six MLS teams head into action knowing that defending MLS champions Columbus has been eliminated from the post-season.

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Perhaps not remembering what happened to Duane the last time someone wanted to move the Columbus Crew, Jason Davis over at MatchFit USA decides he wants to take a crack at getting rid of the team everyone loves to hate now that they win a lot.

Last night, only 10,109 could be bothered to watch the men in yellow go down to Real Salt Lake.

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When posting the 2009 ADRs earlier this week, I asked what jumped out at you. Well here's some questions that jumped out at me:
1. Is Dejan Jakovic really all that good? The biggest surprise for me on the whole was Jakovic's even 3.00 rating. After winning three Benny Awards, you would have thought his rating would be among the best on the team. Click to continue reading...

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Photo by ISIphotos.com

When it comes to conversations about the most dysfunctional clubs in Major League Soccer, the New York Red Bulls often tend to dominate the conversations, but one club that needs to start being discussed is the Colorado Rapids.

The Rapids downright imploded in the final six weeks of the MLS season to miss out on the playoffs for a third straight year.

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Photo by ISIphotos.com

When it comes to conversations about the most dysfunctional clubs in Major League Soccer, the New York Red Bulls often tend to dominate the conversations, but one club that needs to start being discussed is the Colorado Rapids.

The Rapids downright imploded in the final six weeks of the MLS season to miss out on the playoffs for a third straight year.

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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 won't put it on the main page because it's such a long post, so check it out here:
All Time Best & Worst MLS Teams (single season & multiple)
How do this year's teams stack up?

• Columbus lost three of their last four, which means that they ended up tied for the worst Supporters Shield winners ever with the 2004 Crew.

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The end of the regular season has put me in a contemplative mood. Not only because I am left trying to figure out how the San Jose Earthquakes missed the postseason again, but because I am asked to fill out my 2009 MLS Awards Ballot. Following the Quakes as closely as I do, I enjoy access to players and coaches from all MLS teams as they make their way through Buck Shaw Stadium.

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Am I watching my two favorite MLS teams go at it tonight at 7pm? Chivas USA vs Chicago Fire on ESPN2.

Or will there ve games locally? Update us here via the comments!

16:00 – New Covenant vs Central New Covenant Academy
16:00 – Hillcrest vs West Plains Hillcrest
16:00 – Parkview vs Glendale PHS Field
16:30 – Marshfield vs Greenwood Marshfield HS
17:00 – Carl Junction vs Aurora
18:00 – Joplin vs Carthage JOPLIN
18:00 – Willard vs Catholic Willard
18:00 – Monett vs Neosho Monett South Park
18:00 – Bolivar vs.

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Marshfield Blue Jays,

Am I watching my two favorite MLS teams go at it tonight at 7pm? Chivas USA vs Chicago Fire on ESPN2.

Greenwood Blue Jays 7
Marshfield Blue Jays 0

5:30 pm – Bolivar vs. Ozark @ Ozark, varsity only
6:30 pm Joplin vs Carthage moved to Junge Stadium, 5:30 pm JV start

CANCELLATIONS
Rolla at Kickapoo has been postponed to 10/28/2009
Catholic at Willard is canceled because of field conditions
Glendale at Parkview has been postponed until 3:15pm on Friday.

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Voting for the 2009 MLS Year End Awards is underway. I've learned some interesting things about this season's voting process:
1) For the Best XI, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Landon Donovan are listed as midfielders this year, while Guillermo Barros Schelotto is listed as a forward. You may remember the unfortunate situation from two years ago, where Blanco was a finalist for the MVP award yet missing from the Best XI. Click to continue reading...

A year after every MLS team failed to reach the knockout round of the CONCACAF Champions League, the defending MLS champion Columbus Crew has stepped up to make sure Major League Soccer will be represented in the current Champions League Tournament.

The Crew tied the Puerto Rico Islanders, 1-1, on Tuesday night to lock up a quarterfinal berth.

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A year after all but one MLS team failed to reach the knockout round of the CONCACAF Champions League, the defending MLS champion Columbus Crew has become the first Major League Soccer team to earn a place in the quarterfinals.

The Crew tied the Puerto Rico Islanders, 1-1, on Tuesday night to lock up a quarterfinal berth.

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Two must-win games are on the slate tonight for MLS teams still involved in the CONCACAF Champions League. D.C. United is in Mexico, and takes on Toluca down in Mexico (8pm, FSC/Telefutura). Meanwhile in Puerto Rico, the Crew are out to ensure their passage to the third round (2am, FSC).

It's been a dramatic turnaround for the Black-and-Red in Group B.

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Earlier this morning, none other than Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber tweeted the following:
Great games last night. Tightest MLS Playoff race ever. 7 MLS teams vying for last 3 playoff spots!
I love MLS. I've watched it since the beginning. I've gone to games since the very first year - even driving through the remnants of a hurricane to get to one in '96. Click to continue reading...

Big Story
After years of torturous ownership from the insulting and patronising Halls to the clueless and inept Mike Ashley it would seem no wonder that Newcastle fans would be interested in attempting to assert some control on the destiny of their club, especially given their huge numbers and seemingly endless willingness to pump cash in through ticket sales and merchandise.

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There will never be promotion and relegation in Major League Soccer. At least not in the traditional, European sense. The franchise fees are too high to risk what would be perceived by American audiences as a demotion to a minor league. No, there will never be promotion and relegation in the MLS in the traditional sense.

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With one round to go in the group stage, all three remaining MLS teams still have a chance to advance. In my eyes, one is a shoe-in, one is a tossup and one needs a well-placed outbreak of swine flu among their rivals to advance.
Houston
Houston is currently in third place, but they hold the tiebreaker with Arabe Unido. Click to continue reading...

Tomorrow is the Chicago Fire's birthday, and to mark the occasion the team and Section 8 Chicago, the Independent Supporters' Association, are co-hosting a birthday party at Toyota Park. Major League Soccer's first venture into expansion (along with its dead fraternal twin Miami) turns 12 on the 138th anniversary of the great conflagration that made the city, the Great Chicago Fire.

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Week #5 of the CONCACAF Champions League saw all three MLS participants playing at home looking to gain maximum points in their groups. For DC United, it was mission accomplished, as the Black-and-Red punished San Juan Jabloteh 5-1 at RFK Stadium. The disappointed Columbus Crew, who had a chance to clinch a berth in the quarterfinals, leaked a stoppage time goal to group rivals Saprissa in a 1-1 draw.

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The tough are apparently getting going. Remember when the season started, and the Crew neglected to beat anyone until May? Remember when the Crew ran into a Mexican cement truck at the end of August, then made a starring role in Richie Williams' audition tape?
The Crew's September schedule consisted of the other three top MLS teams, Cruz Azul, and Saprissa. Click to continue reading...

English defender Sol Campbell quit a high-paying gig with Notts County due to what he claimed was a lack of fitness. That isn't stopping teams on both sides of the Atlantic from lining up to try and sign up the former Tottenham and Arsenal star.

According to the Daily Mail, the Los Angeles Galaxy and New York Red Bulls are among the teams interested in signing Campbell this winter.

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