The halftime show will be spectacular!"50,000 fans". This was the mantra repeated ad nauseam during TFC's Dutch Breakfast Extravaganza on Friday regarding the CCL Quarterfinal at SkyDome. There is a great expectation from the club's owners as well as many supporters that the fixture versus LA Galaxy will equal, if not eclipse, Montreal's memorable CCL Big O filler of a few years back.

It's Friday! Grab a drink! While you're downing a beer or two you can also sip on a few of the week's best stories we've stumbled upon.


* The Shin Guardian - A Treatise: The State of U.S. Soccer

"It is no secret that the US youth system has struggled to produce genuine global superstars in the sport and a team that can truly compete for the World Cup.

I'm going to refrain from talking about last night's game in today's link round up because, well, you're probably hearing enough about that. Instead, I'm gonna talk about Rafa Marquez...

As many of you can now read from the links gathered below, Rafa Marquez (the third highest paid player in MLS) has gone completely nuts.

Major League Soccer -- Move over, soccer moms, the league's hard-core fan groups are here to stay - ESPN

That said, standing in the River End during a game, you can't help but be optimistic that MLS is veering toward an organic and testosterone-driven experience. That is perhaps the biggest sign of soccer's growth in this country.

What a game. An unbelievable second half marked by a great Captain Jack goal followed almost immediately by Kevin Goldthwaite getting his first notch on the score sheet and then, as if an angel graced the field, Stephen Keel, former Portland Timbers defender, netted an own goal against the New York Red Bulls to put the Timbers up 3-1.

Anne Peterson of the USA Today writes of how soccer has become the thing to do in the Pacific Northwest.
Fans in the Pacific Northwest have done something for Major League Soccer that David Beckham and a million soccer moms couldn't. They've made MLS cool.
Young urbanites in a region that gave America grunge music and Starbucks are flocking to see the Seattle Sounders, the Portland Timbers and the Vancouver Whitecaps — and the marketing departments for all three teams are wisely tapping into that demographic.

By Puck Ladies and Gentlemen, For those of you paying attention, and if you haven't you certainly should be, the USWNT Roster was released earlier in the week. Before hitting you with my quick thoughts, we should take a look at who made the squad. Forwards: Amy Rodriguez, Lauren Cheney, Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach.

Let's see BMO Field security pat that down
TORONTO FC (13th) VS. COLUMBUS CREW (7th)
　
BMO FIELD - SATURDAY 4PM ET
TV: GOLTV RADIO: FAN 590
　
The Trillium Cup, Major League Soccer's originally lame attempt to create a "rivalry" between Toronto FC and Columbus will never be mistaken for Glasgow's "Old Firm" derby.

During this downtime while the team prepares for the season and there is little action to discuss, I thought I'd bring up a deeper topic that I've pontificated on from time to time. Specifically, the purpose of the MLS. I'm not talking about the profit motive that exists in MLS just as it does in any business.

Another MLS season is just a few weeks away and the league is hoping that attendance will continue to grow in 2011. Back in 2009, we took a look at how teams were looking to increase the amount of fans coming out to the stadiums. Part 2 of that series focused on families and their importance to the league's efforts to grow attendance.

TSG's Nick Sindt with verbiage on MLS fan support

Swearing in MLS Stadia

Posh Spice is a trollop,

Posh Spice is a whore,

When she's shagging Davey Beckham,

She thinks of Joe-Max Moore

- Chant told to Dan (FBM) and I by a New England Revolution supporter at a Chicago Fire game

Earmuffs!