It's funny how the English media mock the quality of Major League Soccer, but guess where Premier League teams turned to this month to help their sides? Yep, MLS.

First we had the Galaxy's Landon Donovan going back to Everton on loan and then the NYRB's Thierry Henry returned to Arsenal, where he promptly scored the winner in their FA Cup tie against Leeds.

As we near the beginning of the second MLS campaign in Portland Timbers history, we find ourselves saying goodbye to one of the most unintentionally polarizing players from our first season in MLS: Kenny "F-ing" Cooper.

Please use this thread to share your memories, both positive and negative, of Coop's time in Portland.

Happy Thursday, everyone. Joe the Curmudgeon here, holding down the fort today as Dear Leader El Brucio is in Kansas City for the MLS SuperDraft and probably cleaning Oklahoma Joe's out of every last scrap of meat... Just a bit of news for today...
MLS SUPERDRAFT
...And with the First Pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, Impact Montréal select Andrew Wenger D/F from Duke.

Four teams, two games and 16 days until MLS Cup 201 at Home Depot Center in Carson.

Staff Writer Phil Collin looks at the familiar foe the Galaxy will face Sunday (live at 6 p.m. on ESPN), while sister paper The Salt Lake Tribune plays up the underdog role for visiting Real Salt Lake. The Galaxy's opponent, by the way, still has injury doubts about its starting center backs, although I'm sure the Galaxy has unspoken worries of their own whenn it comes to David Beckham's status after his months-long back issue reappeared after that nasty challenge in the game against NYRB.

STARTERS
Barcelona has clinched their place in the knock out stage of the UCL. See details below.
dN
Just got an email from DirecTV saying that they reached an agreement to keep Fox Soccer on their system!!! Their deal ended today and they had been in a large disagreement.

Okay, so we didn't have proton packs. But But Bobby Brown's words otherwise ring true:

"So they packed up, regrouped, got a grip, camera quick.
Grabbed their proton packs on their backs and they split."

Maybe Thierry Henry is no Vigo, but there is something about our boys traveling to NY in 45 degree weather on a snow soaked field and bringing home a W that actually makes me want to sing Bobby Brown songs.

Okay, so we didn't have proton packs. But But Bobby Brown's words otherwise ring true:

"So they packed up, regrouped, got a grip, camera quick.
Grabbed their proton packs on their backs and they split."

Maybe Thierry Henry is no Vigo, but there is something about our boys traveling to NY in 45 degree weather on a snow soaked field and bringing home a W that actually makes me want to sing Bobby Brown songs.

STARTERS
After 9 league games Levante leads La Liga with 7 wins, 2 draws and 0 losses. Astonishing!
STORY OF THE DAY
Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press reports that Taylor Twellman told a conference on brain trauma and concussions that the New England Revolution doctors missed treated him, and even sent him back into a game even after he said he had a concussion.

Categories: Major League Soccer

Thoughts on the first half of the NYRB Union match; Teemu Tainio, when he is on top of his game as he is tonight is a force for the Red Bulls. He needs to be careful in the second half however and avoid a second yellow at all costs. Dax McCarty is playing his second consecutive [.

Despite a season that will most likely go down as one of the biggest disappointments in American sports history, the New York Red Bulls (NYRB) will have head coach Hans Backe stay for the 2012 MLS season, according to General Manager (GM) Eric Soler.

New York Daily News sports writer Stefan Bondy tweeted that Soler told him that Backe "will return next season regardless of if the team qualifies for the playoffs.

By Andrew Villegas Yeoman Dwayne De Rosario has one goal every 173 minutes this year. Sebastien Le Toux has one every 270. Rising Star Brek Shea? One every 241 minutes. And Charlie Davies, that death-defying, on-loan, one-time USMNT'er? He's scored one goal every 137 minutes, better than them all. Yet, there Davies is every week, [.

Four teams. One playoff spot.

That is where the 2011 MLS playoff race stands as we enter the final week of the regular season. Nine playoff berths have been clinched, and while there is still plenty to be figured out as far as match-ups and final places, the real drama will be the race to see who will be the last team to squeeze into the playoffs.

The MLS season is down to its final two weeks and while most of the playoff spots are locked up, there is still plenty to play for.

Today's matches will go a long way toward clearing up the playoff picture, particularly which ten teams will be in the post-season. Houston's win against Portland on Friday night pushed the Chicago Fire to the bring of elimination.

I've seen numerous eroneous reports today: 'United has to win the last three games to make the playoffs.' 'United is out with a NYRB win Saturday.'

Here's some insight into where United stands going into our last three games. Many permutations of results exist and it is almost impossible to play out each scenario.

Photo: Paul Rudderow

After Saturday's action, four points are all that separate the top six teams in the Eastern Conference.

Houston rose to first place when Geoff Cameron scored in the 87th. KC and Columbus are tied for second after the Crew lost to LA and KC tied the Union.

Hi Kids, Joe the Curmudgeon here again while Brucio is living the high life in NYC. I hope he's having a good time and will take a snapshot or two. Bruce is there to see the Portland Timbers visit to Red Bull Arena and their match against the New York Red Bulls. Perhaps he'll be seated next to Rafa Márquez.

The question I wrestled with in my head last night was this: if there were no playoffs or a playoffs with just four teams instead of 10, would this weekend be as exciting? Regardless of how you feel about the ...
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com for the rest of the story.

Dear leader Brucio is off to New York city and environs and will make his first match at Red Bull Arena in Harrion, NJ this weekend when the Portland Timbers make their visit. So, you're stuck with me, Joe the Curmudgeon, for a few days.
BOB BRADLEY TO COACH EGYPT NATIONAL TEAM.
At least, I think so.

By Andrew Villegas Take a second to look at the up-to-the-moment playoff standings for MLS. What strikes you? If you're anything like most people, it's that the New York Red Bulls – is it wrong that I automatically think to add "machine" to the end of NYRB whenever I refer to them? – find themselves teetering precariously [.

Restrepo was an NCAA champion at Virginia in 2009
Former U-17 goalkeeper Diego Restrepo has taken the next step in his professional career with America de Cali in his native Colombia. Since leaving residency, Restrepo has become an NCAA champion with Virginia before moving down to South America to try to break into the professional game.

Harrison, NJ - drink it in.IN THE TUNNEL:
A fine night at one of North America's finest football stadiums. Despite the excitement of playing in one of the world's greatest cities (well, it's bombed out post-apocalyptic suburb at least) TFC has rarely had a good time in the Big Apple's shadow.

"The Champagne of Football Clubs"NEW YORK (6TH) VS. TORONTO (16TH)
　
RED BULL ARENA - WEDNESDAY 8PM ET
TV: TSN
　
THE KICKABOUT:
- Can TFC extend the momentum from their Vancouver double into Red Bull Arena?

Waiting for the summer international transfer window to open in the middle of this Chicago Fire season has brought back the anxious feelings of the last off-season and pre-season. The combination of a continuously frustrating season and having far too much time on my hands at work has me scrutinizing rumor sites, blogs, and foreign newspapers for any hint of what might be in the works.

In the last 10 games the Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls have played this season, there has only been one loss. That would be New York's 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Seattle Sounders. Otherwise both teams can claim all sorts of 'unbeatenness'. Typical of the 2011 MLS season, only 2 of those 9 unbeaten marks have been wins.

Happy Friday everyone! The Sounders played yesterday against the mighty New York Red Bulls. At this point I would probably give you the scoreline, a comment or two about the game and highlights. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch the boys in green yesterday since I have a rather inconvenient business trip to Baltimore this weekend.

It was most certainly an interesting weekend in soccer for the Pacific Northwest. The Sounders managed to pull out a 1-0 win on the road against Toronto FC despite playing a man down for most of the 2nd half. Fredy Montero ended his most recent dry spell with an absolute wonder-strike off a free kick.

By Andrew Villegas The following is the fourth in a four part series comparing the 2011 Gold Cup rosters of the two "giants of CONCACAF." Forwards The Yanks: Jozy Altidore (Villarreal/Bursapor), Juan Agudelo (NYRB), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes) El Tri: Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez (Manchester United), Giovanni Dos Santos (Tottenham Hotspur/Racing de Santander), Aldo de [.

Photo by Dan Dickinson

The first time I heard Luke Rodgers was moving to New York Red Bulls was when it fell through. He was turned down for a visa due to an affray charge. The dream seemed all but over for the diminutive striker. This however was not my first memory of Birmingham born Rodgers.

ESPN's Major League Soccer fantasy league is broken into segments, and the first of those is over. Your rosters in our league are BLANK. Go adjust them, but not until you read the rest of this post. Because there are some things that segment one should have taught you, and some traps that segment two has for you.

... or, as Jet Age aerial ace Rocket J. Squirrel used to say: "Those two look familiar, Bullwinkle."

Or do they?

Through the first 11 games, I'm also a bit uneasy because it's clear that the team could have more points and be in a better position in the standings than they do and are, but let's take a quick look at history here to put things in some sort of context.

Latest results from US National Team players both home and abroad for the
weekend of May 20 22

Goalkeepers

Guzan, Brad (Aston Villa/BPL)
Did not dress in 1-0 win over Arsenal

Dominic Cervi (Celtic/SPL)
Season complete

Hahnemann, Marcus (Wolverhampton/BPL)
Dressed however did not play in 3-2 loss to Blackburn Rovers

Howard, Tim (Everton FC/BPL)
Started and played full 90 in 1-0 win over Chelsea

Rimando, Nick (Real Salt Lake/MLS)
Started and played full 90 in 0-0 draw with FC Dallas

Robles, Luis (Karlsruhe/Bundesliga 2)
Season complete

Yelldell, David (MSV Duisburg/Bundesliga 2)
Season complete

Defenders

Bocanegra, Carlos (St Etienne/Ligue 1)
Started and played full 90 in 2-1 loss to Sochaux

Bornstein, Jonathan (Tigres/Primera Division)
Season complete

Chandler, Timmy (Nuremberg/Bundesliga)
Season complete

Cherundolo, Steve (Hannover 96/Bundesliga)
Season complete

DeMerit, Jay (Vancouver/MLS)
Next game Wednesday May 25th vs.

Chivas USA's Justin Braun has accomplished what even New York's Thierry Henry could not.

The American forward became the first player to net a hat trick at Red Bull Arena on Sunday night and the performance earned him his second career Player of the Week honors for Week 9 of the MLS regular season as voted by the North American Soccer Reporters.

Real Salt Lake's bad week continued as they lost to the expansion Timbers while the NYRB and Philadelphia Union continued their run with good wins.

Portland Timbers 1 Real Salt Lake 0
Kenny Cooper goal in the 22nd minute from a Kalif Alhassan cross was enough as the Portland Timbers hand Real Salt Lake its first Major League Soccer loss of the season.

It's been nine months on the making, but MLS fans are finally starting to see a healthy and fit Thierry Henry and that is bad news for the rest of Major League Soccer.

Henry was hampered by injuries last season and managed two goals in his first year in MLS. That is a total he matched against D.

Woooha I got you all in check. The lop-sided scoreline aside... damn.Video: MLS
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New York heads down I-95 to PPL Park to take on the (shockingly) first-place Union tomorrow. Most teams heading on the road will usually be looking to take a point, let alone when facing a team that's at the top of the conference. But the Red Bulls aren't most teams. With the amount of talent on this team, and against a bitter rival, you'd be believe New York will be looking to send a message to the Union, and the rest of the league for that matter, by taking all three points in Chester.

The Sounders played on the road this week against the San Jose Earthquakes. It was a tight game between the two sides this weekend and a 2-2 draw on the road is a positive result for the Seattle Sounders. The team has played some tough teams to start the year, but will need to get some wins soon if they want to stay competitive in the brutal Western Conference.

So apparently, April 1 is some kind of international holiday that has produced the following football-related posts:

Soccer by Ives: Teal Bunbury to renounce US MNT and play for Canada in surprise switch

Free Beer Movement: Deriding the whole notion of April Fools as "a day where the un-funny try their damnedest to be funny" nevertheless offers the following: "We thought about selling out to Budweiser for the day, but, eh, it would've been so obvious that it was fake.

Looking Back at the 2007 U20 FIFA World Cup
Vein of Form recently lashed out at the development (or lack thereof) of the youth players in the US Soccer system. There is a serious cause for concern when you look at the current squad and see very few young, exciting and talented players working their way into the squad.

Happy Friday everyone. The Seattle Sounders are back in action today at the stadium formerly know as Qwest field as they attempt to stop an early slide to the 2011 season. The Houston Dynamo are not the same side that defeated the Sounders in the 2009 playoffs. The Dynamo are in a rebuilding year having brought in new players to replace those lost to contracts overseas.