By "The Other 87 Minutes" / Senior Unemployed English Major CorrespondentsMake every time a good time. We love to see you smile. Have you had your break today? Foods, folks, and fun. Over the years, the marketing team at McDonald's has produced some of America's most recognizable campaigns.

Any number of products try and connect with soccer fans through official partnerships, event activation and commercial spots. Typically, soccer related marketing is part of a much larger general interest campaign. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Sports energy drink Golazo bucks that trend by focusing on the game of soccer.

The bench-bound scoring "siren"....

John Nyen on the enigma that is Sir Carlos Tevez

The man on the keyboards pounds out the rhythms to the beat as the two brothers swap verses.

Of the two front men, one is a skinnier kid, while the other is dressed in a soccer kit.

While Landon Donovan has shined in the spotlight as the premier US men's soccer player, Clint Dempsey is quickly stealing the show, most recently with his hat trick against in... Read more »

On Tuesday, the United States Soccer Federation announced that Richie Williams has been named coach of the Under-17 National Team. Williams - a former National Team and Major League Soccer player who also served as an MLS assistant coach - had been coaching the U-18 team. The U-17 coach is a fulltime role.

First the good.
In acquiring Danny Cruz, United looks to have settled the flank depth question, initially addressed by the drafting of Nick DeLeon as Pontius' backup. A regular starter for the MLS Cup finalists from Houston, Cruz provides excellent cover for Najar, who will likely be away for Olympic and possibly World Cup duty with Honduras and may even attract interest from abroad this summer.

Thursday's big event at Quaker Plaza, 555 W. Monroe, Chicago, IL marked the first live presentation of the partnership between Quaker Oats and the Chicago Fire. Chicago Fire Soccer Club owner Andrew Hauptman, Chicago Fire players, Quaker Foods and Snacks North America president Jose Luis Prado and Quaker Oats Company employees were all on hand in addition to some other civic leaders, curious fans, and members of the media.

guest writer Juan Arango Peruvian side Universitario de Deportes announced that 17-year-old Andy Polo has packed his bags and will take a huge step in his career. Polo was recommended by Fiorentina man Juan Vargas and Genoa president Enrico Preziosi said he was willing to pay the money for the Peruvian phenom.

Levi Houapeu, Morgan Langley, Ryan Richter and Joe Tait will not be with the Philadelphia Union in 2012 after the group's contract options were declined by the team. Only Langley saw action in MLS regular season play last year, with Houapeu hurt most of the year, Richter learning how to play a brand new position (fullback) and Tait a late signing for center back depth.

George Mason University and the New York Red Bulls announced this week that former Mason soccer player Jonathan Borraja has signed with the MLS club:
gomason.com: Former Mason Men's Soccer Player Borrajo Signs With NY Red Bulls
newyorkredbulls.

This really shouldn't come as much of a surprise, but the Seattle Sounders are close to hiring Kasey Keller to be their color commentator for the 2012 MLS season, according to Joshua Mayers. A color commentator spot seemed to be Keller's most likely role with the team ever since he retired and made it clear that he he hoped to remain with the Sounders in some capacity.

It may be hard to believe, but a young man who's been setting state high school records and turning the heads of more than a few soccer coaches has been playing with a disability for over three years. In fact Elliot Cassutt, the 16-year-old Minneapolis high school soccer player who now plays with the Minnesota [.

Peruvian-born, Miami, Florida based midfielder Fabrizio Pittaluga traveled over 1,300 miles and emerged from a group of 160 players to capture the Chicago Fire's annual Open Tryout. Pittaluga will join the Fire for the first phase of preseason training camp in Ave Maria, Florida, located less than 120 miles away from his hometown of Miami.

Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

Philadelphia Union

Tim Ream's giveaway to Danny Mwanga that resulted in the Roger Torres game winning goal when New York played the Union at PPL in April has been named the Gaffe of the Year by MLSsoccer.com. Yeah, it was pretty gaffable.

An AP report at ESPN begins, "Major League Soccer player Freddy Adu will train with Rayo Vallecano and may join the Spanish club.

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.

As most of the regular readers know that read this site, I am a pretty big international soccer/USMNT fan. Other than posting the odd lineup here or there for a friendly in the past few months, I haven't had a real USMNT piece up in a while. The holiday break doesn't exactly make for a news-making period.

Ralph Akale isn't the first soccer player – turned coach – turned father – to have a son whom they've guided along in hopes of someday attaining greatness as a soccer player. Some coaches kids lose interest in the game. Others show talent and are "good-enough" players. Then there are others. Others like 14-year-old Mukwelle [.

Winner Wambach: The South Bay resident, seen here posing today at Home Depot Center where the U.S. Women's National Team is currently training, becomes the first soccer player - male or female - to win a national AP award. See the full story below (AP Photo). *There was no column

For the first time ever the Associated Press has named a soccer player as their Athlete of the year. U.S. Women's National Team player Abby Wambach was announced today as the winner of this years award voted on by a panel of writers. The 31-year-old received 65 of the 214 votes cast, while teammate Hope [.

Photo by Thomas Eisenhuth/ISIphotos.com

Abby Wambach's penchant for coming up big in the FIFA Women's World Cup this past summer has earned her more individual acclaim six months later.

Wambach was named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year Tuesday, becoming the first soccer player -- male or female -- to win an individual year-end award from the AP.

Abby Wambach is the first ever individual soccer player to win AP's Athlete of the Year.
Abby Wambach has just made history, as she became the first individual soccer player in the history of the award (since it began in 1931) to win the Associated Press's Female Athlete of the Year.

One of the big weekend stories involves America's most well known soccer player, Landon Donovan, and his decision to accept a short term loan deal to English side Everton. Though not a business story in the traditional sense, Donovan's temporary move has the added benefit of shining a global light upon Major League Soccer and bringing attention to the league.

On the USA's day off from training on Friday, U.S. defender Meghan Klingenberg spent several hours at the The Home Depot Center offices taking the final exam of her college career. The test was proctored by U.S. GM Tim Ryder, and Kling made short work of the Business Analytical Applications exam. Not.

Nicolas Anelka will soon be playing professional soccer in China. This is surprising because Nicolas Anelka is still a talented, effective soccer player who would help all but about 10 teams in the world. This is not surprising because Nicolas Anelka is going to a place where they'll pay him an exponent of a number it'd take me years to count to.

Three players with state ties are on the initial list of players invited to participate in next month's Major League Soccer Player Combine.

UW-Green Bay midfielder Tony Walls (Wauwatosa East), Marquette midfielder Calum Mallace and Creighton forward Ethan Finlay (Marshfield) are among the 52 college seniors selected to attend the combine, which is Jan.

Each year Major League Soccer holds it's Player Combine leading up to the MLS Draft to give coaches and scouts an up close look at possible draft picks.
This year two players from the University of Virginia where invited to the MLS Player Combine.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Virginia seniors Hunter Jumper (Plano, Texas) and Brian Ownby (Glen Allen, Va.

Perhaps Clint Dempsey, the man known as "Deuce," is the greatest American soccer player of all time. The Texan had an enormous impact on me as a child growing up in the Boston area. Dempsey's scrappy goals and occasional appearances ...
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Just four guys. Having a bunch of skyward moments together.What's a Major League Soccer player to do now that it's the off-season? Well if Jurgen's not sending you abroad then you've got some time to kill.
For the Philadelphia Union's Danny Califf and Sebastian Le Toux it was hanging out with the other football's Eagles and their punter and kicker for "Eagle's Confidential".

Their Words As a soccer player, you're expected to push it until you're 33, 34 years old. That's not me. This is it. My gut and heart were telling me, and I'm at peace with it. Santino Quaranta, speaking to The Washington Post's Steven Goff about his retirement announcement. Other Sources Tijuana want to be SoCal's team - from MLSsoccer.

Is your little soccer player hoping to grow up and go to the World Cup – not as a spectator but as a player? If so, nutrition is important. Because soccer is a high-endurance sport, it is essential that you and your child learn as much as you can about proper nutrition, and how best to fuel up before the big game.

Is your little soccer player hoping to grow up and go to the World Cup – not as a spectator but as a player? If so, nutrition is important. Because soccer is a high-endurance sport, it is essential that you and your child learn as much as you can about proper nutrition, and how best to fuel up before the big game.

(Photo: Nicolae Stoian)

Editor's note: At the end of the 2010 season, we posted a series of raves "Raves" about our favorite Philadelphia players. They need not be the team's best players, but they're guys and gals we like. Over the next two weeks, we continue the series again with some of the PSP writers and contributors favorite players of 2011.

For the first time in too long, the best team in Major League Soccer won the MLS Cup.

That's great for MLS.

Sure, nobody likes to root for Goliath to beat down David, but there were lots of reasons to hope and be happy Los Angeles won last night. Now that they've set Houston aside with a 1-0 victory (which would've been 2-0 if Robbie Keane had not been wrongly called offside on his goal), you don't have to think about some team that played as ugly as Colorado getting hot for a few weeks and then parading around for a year as your league champs.

Only one women soccer player with ties to Minnesota remains in the NCAA D1 Women's soccer tournament after this past weekend. Kassey Kallmans' (Woodbury, Minn., Woodbury HS) FSU will advance to the final 8 teams in the country who are vying for the national NCAA Championship after defeating the University of Louisville on Sunday, 2-0 as [.

Arie w/Brad Friedel at SpursMcLean Youth Soccer player Arie Ammann has been selected to play in the U.S. Soccer 2011 Development Academy Winter Showcase and Nike International Friendlies . The Academy Winter Showcase is for the top players in the Academy Program and an opportunity for the national coaching staff to watch the players closer.

STARTERS
That was better from the USA! And beyond getting a 3-2 win in Ljubljana they entertained us. The game was wide open end to end fun from both teams for 90 minutes. Thank you boys.
dN
The world's 3 biggest friendlies ended like this:
Costa Rica 2-2 Spain
Germany 3-0 Netherlands
Italy 0-1 Uruguay
-Sure they are only exhibitions, but those are all big results.

Grades. Is there anything more cruel? An entire semester of work, and a little symbol reflects your homework, your exams, your term papers, and maybe your participation. Naturally, I can understand why some people in the soccersphere have objected to the application of "grades" to soccer player performances.

Philadelphia Union

Sebastien Le Toux hopes there won't be the same roster turnover there was last year, because it was difficult to adjust to.

U.S. France

Recaps from yesterday's U.S.-France match:

• Associated Press
• The New York Times
• Goal.com
• MLSsoccer.

And so it begins. With Gavin Wilkinson flying all over the world and John Spencer herding in a new set of trialists I think it's safe to say, at this point, the Timbers office is 100% focused on 2012. Not that I would have expected anything else, mind you.

First up it looks like the Timbers will host tryouts, once again, in January.

I have found over the past couple of years that the top coaches and managers of young men are not only able to prepare them to play in a match that week, but to also have the foresight to be able to prepare them for their future beyond soccer.
Being able to relate the lessons learned in training or in games to a bigger picture is essential for a coach to be successful, because the reality is that where they may be a soccer player for 90 minutes, they are a young man, student-athlete, and aspiring husband or father for the other 22 1/2 hours of the day.