First things first: the Galaxy's Alecko Eskandarian is on Drew Carey's "The Price is Right at 10 a.m. on CBS (sorry for the late notice).

In other momentous MLS Cup related news:

*Seattle introduces - the Galaxy dog.

*Former Galaxy midfielder Ned Grabavoy is a hero in Salt Lake City after scoring the PK that put them through to the final - but may not play Sunday against his former team.

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Mayor Bill White has proclaimed today as Dynamo Day. Are you wearing orange?

Mayor Bill White today proclaimed that Friday, November 6th, will be recognized as "Dynamo Day" in Houston. In observance of the day, the mayor encourages Houstonians to wear orange, the color of the Dynamo.

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Columbus & Salt Lake square off in the 2nd leg of their first round playoff series. The winner advances to the Semifinals.
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6 teams have already secured their spot in the Round of 16 knock out stage - Chelsea, Porto & Sevilla, Bordeaux, Lyon & Manchester United. Click to continue reading...

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Got this note yesterday from a great reader named Anthony who lives in Glasgow: Have you heard of any fans making the trip to Bratislava for the Nov 14 game? I haven't heard anything and US Soccer hasn't even released info about tickets, but I got a cheap flight from Edinburgh to Bratislava so I'm going for the weekend in hopes I can get a ticket there and looking to meet up w any other US fans before the game to march and sing to the stadium together. Click to continue reading...

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DC United announced that head coach Tom Soehn has resigned, so the team now join New York, Kansas City and Toronto in the hunt for a new leader.
MLS PLAYOFF NEWS
It was great to see that New England had scrubbed their field of all football lines for Sunday's game. Click to continue reading...

The playoff numbers look like this...

5 year comparison Conference Semifinals 1st Leg  Avg +/- Home Teams  2005  12,147 NA  Chicago  NY  Colorado  Los Angeles  2006  9,533  -21.52%  Chicago  NY  Colorado  Chivas USA  2007  14,245  49. Click to continue reading...

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What does Dan Loney thing of the LA v Chivas playoff series: "Ideally, this would be a Loser Leaves Town match. If the Galaxy wins, Chivas moves. If CUSA wins, Beckham never returns. I could handle that." Read the whole thing here. Pure genius.
MLS PLAYOFF NEWS
I cocked this one up pretty bad - I woke up this morning and realized that I had forgot to link to the only MLS Playoff Preview you need to read - from Paul Demko at Bunky County. Click to continue reading...

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The USA U17 team gets a win, 1-0 over Malaei, at the World Cup giving them 3 points from 2 games. Last group stage game is Sunday against the United Arab Emirates.
MLS PLAYOFF NEWS
Don Ruiz of the Tacoma News Tribune writes about the Sounders experienced players who will need to lead this team in the playoffs. Click to continue reading...

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STARTERS
American goalkeeper Brad Guzan had an absolutely HUGE game for Aston Villa last night in the English League Cup. He saved a Penalty Kick during regulation time, then saved 3 more during the PK Shoot Out to decide the winner! Click to continue reading...

Great feature over at The Seattle Times website the other day. Seattle Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid took questions online from fans.
He's such a unique character that I recommend reading the whole thing, but here are some highlights:

[Comment From Chris]
Who is the biggest prankster on the team?

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Sigi Schmid has been a tremendous role model for coaches to follow, both on and off the field. José Miguel Romero of the Seattle Times sheds some insight into the man behind the success in Seattle.
For Sigi Schmid, life has been a series of challenges.
The Sounders FC coach faced each hurdle like a soccer opponent to be studied, dissected and conquered. Click to continue reading...

Sigi Schmid has created a tremendous culture within the Seattle Sounders FC, and his players buy into what he is preaching.
A great example of this is Brad Evans - after returning from a stint with the US National team at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, he found himself out of the lineup after Peter Vagenas had stepped into his role. Click to continue reading...

Look at Andy Murray, showing up the talent at Everton practice.
The way the Toffees have been playing of late, they might want to sign him up.
I hear he's got an excellent volley.
To the links:

• Chelsea chief exec. Peter Kenyon leaving. [Daily Mail]
  
• Quotes o' the week.

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We all know the stakes for this one. Just ten days after Seattle came to RFK and won the U.S. Open cup in United's home, the expansion side returns to DC for a hugely important League match. Both teams are in the midst of a fight to make the playoffs, with every point gained important.

Seattle will be without Freddie Ljungberg who is serving a suspension for yellow card accumulation, while DC will again be without Marc Burch (ankle surgery) and Dejan Jakovic (bi-lateral hernia repair).

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Seattle went on the road to DC and captured the US Open Cup! Congratulations to the Sounders! (Even though as a Minnesota Thunder fan it burns my fingers just to type those words.)
LAMAR HUNT US OPEN CUP
The game for the Cup!
FINAL
Match & Score:
-Wed Sep 2
DC United 1-2 Seattle Sounders FC - DCU goal by Clyde Simms. Click to continue reading...

For the record, I had nothing to do with this story in the Seattle Times. Neither did Creepy Jose.

Here's a predictable tale of woe for you: Last weekend, four men decided to hire three prostitutes from Craigslist. But instead of doing the jobs they were hired to do, the three women made off with about $400.

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Huge shout out to Brian & Stephanie Pederson on their wedding! Brian is a member of the PDL team Rochester Thunder, and a very cool guy! Congrats!
-We nicknamed Brian "The Farmer" years ago, but its all been in good fun, and he embraced us as fans!
LAMAR HUNT US OPEN CUP
Final Match:
-Wed Sep 2
DC United v Seattle Sounders FC
Venue: RFK Stadium - Washington DC
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Jose Romero of the Seattle Times on the feud between the teams on who should host the final. Click to continue reading...

Tonight, nothing else matters but the two teams who will face off on the field.

After weeks of build-up, plenty of back-and-forth between Seattle and DC, marketing campaigns, fan stunts, trash talk, and general chatter, tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET, at RFK Stadium, D.C. United will take on Seattle Sounders FC in the U.

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Fredy Montero leads Seattle tonight against New England. (Getty Images)

As mentioned yesterday, this week is loaded with MLS action. Tonight we get another primetime clash on ESPN2 as the Seattle Sounders FC host the New England Revolution.

This is a big match for both sides, New England is looking to prove to the rest of the eastern conference and the league for the matter that they are a playoff worthy club.

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MLS returns to the Northwest as the New England Revolution visit Qwest Field to face the Seattle Sounders tonight. The game will be carried live on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. EST, making it back-to-back nights that ESPN has carried an MLS match.

It's a vital matchup for both sides, as Seattle try to keep pace with the Galaxy side they soundly beat at the Home Depot Center last Saturday.

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Just in case you wanted to know what it looks like.
Certainly not hard to see why he might want a move there.
Let's link it:

• When not to bug Alan Gordon. [HHR]
  
• 5 EPL youngsters to watch. [EPL Talk]
  
• Steve Zakuani diary, talking Chelsea. [ESPN]
  
• Argentina league making progress?

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Montero and Hurtado look to be staying put as a part of MLS for a little while longer.
According to Jose Romero at the Seattle Times (click here for his interpretation of the Enlajugada.com article with the original translated by Google here), Deportivo Cali has sold the remaining portion of Fredy Montero's rights to MLS. Click to continue reading...

By TRAVIS CLARK

With Wednesday's qualifier behind us—and most U.S. fans want to move on as soon as possible—it's important to remember that the MLS season is in full season and the playoff race is just starting to heat up.

Add to that the start of the CONCACAF Champions League next week and it's going to be a trying time for Columbus, Houston, and D.

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By TRAVIS CLARK

With Wednesday's qualifier behind us—and most U.S. fans want to move on as soon as possible—it's important to remember that the MLS season is in full season and the playoff race is just starting to heat up.

Add to that the start of the CONCACAF Champions League next week and it's going to be a trying time for Columbus, Houston, and D.

Click to continue reading...

Filling in for Bruce today is Chrös; I did the honors when Brucio was gone at the MLS Cup last fall as well. Let's not try to kid anyone and pretend that you are here for my thoughts. I've compiled some basic reading about the big game today, and I'll be back this afternoon with an MLS roundup as well. Click to continue reading...

What a performance from the best team in the world.
The offensive display by Messi, Xavi, Henry and Co. in the first half was just phenomenal. A world class effort that was a treat to watch.
Certainly the highlight of my journalistic career was looking Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola in the eye and asking him a question about the Seattle crowd after the game (and getting a response, plus the eye contact back). Click to continue reading...

From the Seattle Times's Jose Romero:

The Moroccan national was indeed at training today at Starfire. The midfielder/attacking wing is in the middle of this photo wearing orange.
Date of Birth: 3 September 1985
Height:(5'9" feet) Citizenship: Morocco
Age: 23 Weight: (150lbs)
Languages: French /Arabic
Position: Central Midfield
Moroccan U23 National Team (2007 - present)
Wydad Athletic Casablanca (2005 - present)
http://www.

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While David Beckman may tell us all it's Sunshine, Puppies and Roses in LA, he tells the AC Milan website something slightly different: DAVID BECKHAM: "I hope to come back to Milan. They stayed in my heart and sincerely I am confident we can see each other again in November. Click to continue reading...

From Jose Romero of the Seattle Times:
Fredy spoke to reporters after the match last night. He was asked if he was frustrated about not putting in earlier chances.
"Of course," Montero said in Spanish. "I'm always looking to score in every game. Well, today I couldn't score but I did draw the penalty to send us the semifinals. Click to continue reading...

LAMAR HUNT US OPEN CUP
3 MLS teams and 1 USL First Division team advanced to the Semifinals with wins last night.
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Quarterfinal Matches:
-Tue Jul 7
DC United 2-1 Harrisburg City Islanders - DCU goals by Boyzzz Khumalo & Andrew Jacobson. Click to continue reading...

Great stuff over at a weekend junk pile over at The Offside.
A riot police officer in Argentina -- one of the many jobs I never want to have.
On to the links:

• Rooney hospitalized? [Daily Mail]
• Talking with the W.C. bid committee dude. [Seattle Times]
• An anti-racism award to Balotelli.

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                                       Photo by ISIphotos.com

Seattle Sounders forward Nate Jaqua has been slapped with a civil lawsuit accusing him of sexually assaulting a college student two years ago.

The $10 million lawsuit was filed on Tuesday, almost two years to the day when the accuser says Jaqua raped her in a cemetary.

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                                       Photo by ISIphotos.com

Seattle Sounders forward Nate Jaqua has been slapped with a civil lawsuit accusing him of sexually assaulting a college student in Portland two years ago.

The $10 million lawsuit was filed on Tuesday, almost two years to the day when the accuser says Jaqua raped her in a cemetary.

Click to continue reading...

Seattle FC striker Nate Jaqua's attorney, David Angeli, issued a statement late Friday afternoon in which he called a allegations against his client "baseless" and said Jaqua was "shocked" to hear of them.
The statement continued: "The complaint -- which has not even been served on Nate -- is baseless. Click to continue reading...

Americans Abroad / USMNT
Okay Okay, You've Been Patient - No Short Corners
Conference Call With Gulati And Bradley - The MNT Blog
Bradley Speaks - Soccer Insider
Major League Soccer Talk #95 - MLS Talk
Generation Next: American Center Backs - Soccer Academics
Pearce Interest Spreading - Soccer365
Clint Dempsey Transfer Rumors - Match Fit USA
Know Your Gold Cup History - Climbing The Ladder
Transfer Rumors Abuzz As Interest In Americans Grows - Soccer By Ives
Less Mistakes Was Key For US Confederations Cup Run - Soccer Academics
Sounders FC's Brad Evans Getting Some National Team Experince - Sounders FC Blog (Seattle Times)
Zizzo On Verge Of Loan Deal - Yanks Abroad
Why Does America Hate Soccer? Click to continue reading...