Recently in a Seattle Times comments discussion the question of how good MLS is and why players don't seem to want to come here to the USA in their prime. Simply, it isn't just about money, but also about the overall quality of the league. Currently, it is difficult to rank MLS in comparison to other leagues [.

On a night when the LA Galaxy despite a herculean effort from one David Beckham managed to embarrass themselves yet again and legitimately call into question the standard of play and development in the United States, the reigning league champion Houston Dynamo did to Sydney FC exactly what the Aussie club had done to the Galaxy a few months ago: humiliate them in the first half and in the process rescue some measure of pride for an embattled league.

So the inaugural Pan Pacific Championship is officially in the books. I must admit. I didn't watch a single game. Why, you ask? Well first off, because I don't have ESPN Classics. Secondly, being an east coaster, I just didn't feel like staying up that late to watch some preseason friendlies, because I'm just not [.

While not an instant hit with everyone, the Pan Pacific Championship held in late February in Hawaii brought in an estimated $8.4 Million to the local economy according to this report.
This would seem to suggest that the talk of other cities, countries bidding on the tourney may have some weight.

MP and Silva Were a Key Player In A Juventus Tour of China
More information about the landmark TV rights deal MLS struck with MP & Silva, a company which distributes English Premier League and Italian Serie-A matches continues to emerge. As we have always maintained that the Pan Pacific Championship was not going to go away, it looks increasingly secure.

You have likely seen the announcement that MLS, SoccerUnitedMarketing and ESPN sold the international rights for MLS to MP & SILVA for "Eight Figures." I'm going to assume that they aren't counting pennies and that would mean that the league gets an extra 10 Million+ dollars. In essence the new deal is like [.

According to soccer insider Glenn Davis, the upcoming Pan Pacific Championship tournament which takes place next month in Hawaii will be broadcast nationwide on ESPN Classic. We believe this is an excellent move by ESPN in showing their commitment to the game.

So says Sunil Gulati's Australian counterpart, Ben Buckley, Chief Executive of Football Federation Australia. Buckley is heading to a meeting of football top bosses at Stanford Bridge which US officials are not surprisingly absent from.
Here is an excerpt from the story:

"Buckley, meanwhile, has hosed down suggestions the Hawaii-based Pan-Pacific Championship - which involved Sydney FC early this year - has been scrapped after just one tournament.

On a night when the LA Galaxy despite a herculean effort from one David Beckham managed to embarrass themselves yet again and legitimately call into question the standard of play and development in the United States, the reigning league champion Houston Dynamo did to Sydney FC exactly what the Aussie club had done to the Galaxy a few months ago: humiliate them in the first half and in the process rescue some measure of pride for an embattled league.

Speaking on BBC's special 4-Hour World Football Phone In (3hr 13mins in), last night, Aidan Ormond, their Australia-Asia correspondent speaking with Bobby Gould in New Zealand stated that discussions are underway with MLS to expand the Pan Pacific Championship tournament next year to include Korean K-League and New Zealand Football Championship clubs in addition to Japan's J-League and Australia's A-League.

MLS has struck an international TV rights deal with a MP & Silva, a firm who counts among its clients the Barclay's Premier League, ESPN, Fox, the Netherland's RTL, Japan's Nippon Televison, Korea's KBS, and SuperSport South Africa.
Courtesy of the Sports Business Journal:

International sports media company, MP & Silva, signed a long-term, broad partnership with Major League Soccer (MLS), North America's top-flight professional soccer league.

Rating: 5 (Very good)
Great news for MLS and the Pan Pacific Championship. Onkyo, Japanese makers of fine home entertainment system products will be a sponsor of the Pan Pacific Championship.
Other sponsors of the February event in Honolulu, Hawaii, are Japan Air Lines, Hilton Hotels, Yamazaki-Nabisco and MLJ, an international communications company.

Thought the Pan Pacific Championship was all about the footy?
Well, maybe, but its also a good excuse to go surfing, as Houston Dynamo striker, Brian Ching demonstrated. I guess those surfing skills helped the Dynamo's ball handling skills as they downed a pretty tough CSD Municipal 3-1 last night in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

File this story under: "Beckham-mania Takes a Turn For The Worst in The Aloha State...""
This comes to us from CNN:
HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) -- It started with a generous gesture by David Beckham, who handed over his game-used soccer jersey to two young boys after a game at Aloha Stadium.