I am fond of February. It is the first month of the off-season when you can finally say 'TFC game next month". That, and the signs that days are getting just a little longer, are important to me.
Now since I blogged that TFC was using the pre-season stage to shed some players, they turned around and signed two defenders.

Let's get the obvious out of the way up front, shall we? There is not currently, nor has there ever been, a full, traditional system of on-field-merit-based promotion and relegation in any American pro soccer endeavor that I'm aware of[1].

With that said, the essence of promotion and relegation, the ability to move between levels of a nebulous pyramid, does exist, and has for more than a decade[2].

The day after U.S. soccer fans celebrated the women's CONCACAF win and their Olympic qualification comes word that the WPS is on ice for the 2012 season.

Word began to filter out via players and bloggers on social networks like Twitter Monday morning, and the league officially made the announcement midday.

Featured image: Bobby Moore, Gerry Francis and Pele before the Team America vs. England game at JFK

The news that PPL Park will be host the 2012 MLS All-Star Game means that Philadelphia will be the host of a major pro sport All-Star event for the first time since the NBA came to town in 2002.

In a shocking move, the SAISD (San Antonio Independent School District) board voted on Tuesday evening to ditch their plans for SS&E (Spurs Sports and Entertainment) to use Alamo Stadium for professional soccer. SS&E had hoped to bring a USL PRO soccer franchise to San Antonio with hopes of someday rolling them into a 3rd [.

Houston Amateur Sports Park via www.houstondynamo.com

You won't have long to wait before you get a chance to see the Houston Dynamo in action. Twelve days from today, to be exact, until the first team has their initial scrimmage, against the Dynamo Academy. Remember that scrimmage dates have a way of being changed, so before you make any plans, remember to check back here or over at HoustonDynamo.

This Friday the Portland Timbers will officially convene back here in Portland to begin their training for the 2012 season. With the SuperDraft behind us and a few weeks left open in the international transfer window there's a lot expected to go on, but the beginning of the training is probably the most exciting for the simple fact that it means.

I love to see the MLS passion pouring in from these new ports of call. Devoted fans from Toronto, Portland, Vancouver, Seattle and, going a little further back, Salt Lake City, have done wonders to energize Major League Soccer, now going into its 17th season.

And plenty of new fans from older markets are adding more air to the MLS baloon, too.

PSC Soccer Academy - News
Pro Soccer Consulting (PSC) is proud to announce that they will be hosting a professional soccer combine for the Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL Pro League in March 2012 at the Maryland Soccerplex in Boyds, MD.
PSC has already hosted three combines for top college and professional players during the last quarter for clubs within the USL Pro, Norwegian Premier League and Norwegian Second Division.

Couple of pieces I found on the web.

First, our friends at New England Soccer Today reports that Milton Caraglio has signed with a Chilean club, C. S. D. Rangers. Here is the link: http://nesoccertoday.com/?p=8201

This is a definite weakening of an area which was not a strong point last year.

Good article on MLSsoccer.com about Gavin Wilkinson and his travels abroad. I think we all already knew this, but he pretty much spelled it out that we're going to see a couple new faces this off season from abroad which shouldn't be surprising given the amount of scouting he's been doing in recent months.

Earlier this month IMS reported on yet another page of the ongoing story of two organizations attempting to bring pro soccer to San Antonio. Gordon Hartman's San Antonio Scorpions set to start play this spring in the NASL and Spurs Sports and Entertainment (SS&E) who have only postulated they would like to start a team with ULS [.

Today Sporting Kansas City announced a portion of their preseason schedule. As expected, the team will be making a return Arizona, but as announced previously will not be competing in the Desert Cup, instead they'll also spend part of preseason in Orlando for the Disney Pro Soccer Classic.
Preseason kicks off on January 19th, a week after the MLS SuperDraft, and 2 days after the Supplemental draft, where the team has a combined seven draft picks, with physicals.

The Dynamo will travel back to Orlando to once again participate in the Disney Pro Soccer Classic. This year's edition features an expanded field of teams in which the Dynamo will play at least three matches. If you're looking for a vacation destination in late February, there are certainly worst places than Central Florida.

The case of San Antonio having two possible pro soccer teams has been a back in the news again the past week. The San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) has been looking at a proposal to tear the track out of Alamo Stadium. Alamo is the stadium of choice for the NBA San Antonio Spurs [...]

Orlando City owner Phil Rawlins has no desire to pay the second division North American Soccer Leagues franchise fees (last check-$750k). He's content to continue his partnership with United Soccer Leagues, the third division of pro Soccer in the U.

Women's Pro Soccer may not be failing, but it is in danger. Their sanction is in doubt as there are only five teams in the league for 2012. There is a lawsuit against WPS from a former team owner. While attendance was significantly up after the Women's World Cup there is an issue about revenue not being greater than costs.

• Cameron's switch to center back becomes official [MLS Soccer]
• Houston Dynamo shockingly places Bobby Boswell in MLS re-entry draft [Sporting News]
• Dynamo's Boswell, others in re-entry draft [Houston Chronicle]
• Boswell makes buzz in re-entry draft [Houston Chronicle]
• Academy teams to compete in Winter Showcase [Houston Dynamo]
• New Dynamo Stadium to open on May 12, 2012 [Houston Dynamo]
• From Jose Ortiz's Twitter: "@ChrisCanetti told Sports Authority the Dynamo is close to announcing 10-year naming rights deal for new stadium.

In the wake of the recent suicide of Wales manager and long time English soccer star Gary Speed, there is growing attention paid to the plight of pro soccer players dealing with depression.

MLS is not immune to this, as former Real Salt Lake defender Ian Joy revealed in a recent story by Prost Amerika.

Umbro has unveiled the much-anticipated GT II Pro soccer boot. Here are the details on the second iteration of the UK-based firm's speed boot from the Umbro website along with a look at the shoe's white / orange popsicle / black colorway. Soon to be seen on the feet of stars such as Spurs and [...]

Disney today announced the other teams and the format for the Disney Pro Soccer Classic this coming preseason. Sporting KC and Orlando City SC had already been announced as competing, but the other 6 teams were announced today. Joining those two in Orlando in January are the Houston Dynamo, Vancouver Whitecaps, Montreal Impact, Toronto FC, FC Dallas, and BK Hacken out of Sweden.

By Sharon Hom
The greater Kansas City area is fortunate to have 3 different teams providing year-round professional soccer in the metropolitan area. The Kansas City Wizards were a founding member of Major League Soccer (MLS) and won the 2000 MLS Cup. Now known as Sporting Kansas City, the team has advanced to the 2011 MLS playoffs.

By Sharon Hom
The greater Kansas City area is fortunate to have 3 different teams providing year-round professional soccer in the metropolitan area. The Kansas City Wizards were a founding member of Major League Soccer (MLS) and won the 2000 MLS Cup. Now known as Sporting Kansas City, the team has advanced to the 2011 MLS playoffs.

In a sport desperate for stars, the two biggest, Beckham and Donovan, play on the same team. They get their second chance at a first title on November 20th at home (They lost their first MLS final to Real Salt Lake two seasons ago).
This match will likely exceed expectations on all fronts; ratings, coverage and sales of paraphernalia.

Was David Beckham leading us on over the last 4+ seasons? Did he plan things this way?
He, Donovan, Keane and the others win at home for his last match of his old contract to win MLS Cup for his first time.

Orlando City and MLS club Sporting Kansas City are two of the eight teams that will compete at next year's Disney's Pro Soccer Classic from February 24 to March 3.

Sporting KC is still alive in the MLS playoffs while Orlando City were champions in their first season in USL.

The rest of the field is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The Jay Demerit Story will be showing in Theaters across the country Thursday November 3, 2011. You can see it in Miami at AMC Sunset Place - 5701 Sunset Drive South Miami, FL 33143 (305) 740-8904 – RSVP
Following is a brief description:

Rise & Shine: The Jay DeMerit Story
The true story of a young American's impossible journey – a journey never experienced or heard of in the soccer world.

The Norfolk SharX have announced two more player signings.

Defender Brady Bryant, 29, and midfielder Miguel Ferrer, who both played for the USL PRO's Charlotte Eagles this past spring, were signed following the SharX's first open tryouts on Sept. 9-10. They join Brandon Massie, who was announced as the team's first signing last week.

The Norfolk SharX have announced two more player signings.

Defender Brady Bryant, 29, and midfielder Miguel Ferrer, who both played for the USL PRO's Charlotte Eagles this past spring, were signed following the SharX's first open tryouts on Sept. 9-10. They join Brandon Massie, who was announced as the team's first signing last week.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. –Although he may have to wait until next season to make his MLS debut, rookie center back Otto Loewy is already a lucky man.

While many of us may have watched our childhood dreams- whether it was becoming a movie star, race car driver, or superhero fade as we enter adulthood, Loewy is one of the rare few that has already realized his: becoming a professional soccer player.

Coming soon to a theater near you in St Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, Jefferson City, Liberty and Leawood, KS (sorry Springfield) is Rise & Shine: The Jay DeMerit Story.

The movie is the true story of a young American's impossible journey a journey never experienced or heard of in the soccer world.

In February 2008, Philadelphia was officially awarded a MLS franchise. Only a few months earlier, the Philadelphia Eagles had finished at the bottom of their division. The Phillies were still licking their wounds after being unceremoniously swept out of the MLB playoffs by a surging Rockies team that would make it to the World Series before crumbling.

All of us came to soccer in remarkably different ways. Since most of us are American, soccer has never been a sport that's been shoved down our throats - at least not until recently. Maybe we played the sport when we were younger, maybe we got sucked into the 1996 World Cup, or maybe we travelled abroad and were taken by the spirit and passion of a side like Arsenal or Barcelona.

Athletes usually fare pretty well on "Dancing with the Stars" but Ron Artest one of the most popular NBA players – failed to impress during Monday's night's season 13 premiere. Artest, aka Metta World Peace, only scored 14 out of 30 points after completing his cha cha with partner Peta Murgatroyd.

The women's national soccer team is back on the field this week, getting ready to play a friendly against Canada. It's their first training session since the FIFA Women's World Cup and they're excited to play at Livestrong Stadium, home of the MLS' Sporting Kansas City.

There are lots of soccer fans in KC and one super fan appears to be striker C.

The Philly Soccer Page " Preview: Union v Columbus
Eight league games without a win. While positivity continues to pour out of the Union locker room, the team-and the fans-need a win soon or hope will turn into anxious fatalism. Columbus comes to town knowing that anything less than three points could see them drop within striking distance of the Union and Dynamo, a dangerous place to be as the season winds down.

Hope Solo & Maksim Chmerkovsky stop by the set of The View to talk about dancing and more.

The Rowdies have now scored 18 goals in their last 9 games and are heading into the playoffs on a tear. Mike Ambersley may look young but the FC Tampa Bay player is a weathered veteran who's been around pro soccer since 2006. He was drafted by FC Dallas in the SuperDraft. But life as [...]

Lebron made it chic. Will Vick follow in his footsteps?
Since Lebron's deal to become part owner of Liverpool FC, any pro athlete must be wondering what's the deal with owning a Soccer club. African-American U.

With last night's win the Portland Timbers have proven that they're still very much interested in getting into the play offs this year. A couple weeks ago I had (almost) counted them out entirely. I don't think I've ever been happier to be proven wrong. Of course, the race isn't over yet. The Timbers have a lot of fighting left to do to actually secure a spot.