I love how everyone acts like Bob Bradley has a tough job. Oh harsh... he has to narrow his squad
down to 23. Twenty three!!! The poor guy.Let's just see him try to distill the best of Michael,
George Michael, Buster, George Sr., GOB, Lucille, Lindsay, Tobias, Maeby and Franklin Delano
Roosevelt Bluth down to five choices.
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Man, this Top 5 AD Episodes list is harder to do than I figured it would be. There will be about 15
honorable mentions. I have two more eps to re-watch and I'll have it in the morning. Scout's honor
this time.- Greg Seltzer
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Let me be clear. I am not advocating a coup or even suggesting Bob Bradley will be out after this
cycle. It's a brain exercise, man.So without further ceremony, I give you the magnificent five...#5
- Frank RijkaardI'm not totally sure on this one, but part of me thinks he could maybe pull the
confidence of style out of the USMNT - make 'em play (gasp!
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I've been trying to think of a fun, narrow topic Top 5 List for today and these medicines are
really making me slow in the head.So... let's do this experiment again. Fire away with ideas for a
Top 5 List, I shall choose one and deliver it.Readysteadygo!- Greg Seltzer
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You'll remember this post from last year, but I changed things up a bit this time. If you can't
expect refinement over 12 months, then I'm just whack.First, I nudged this baby past the transfer
deadline to spare myself the indignity of guys listed being re-signed (e.g. Daniel van Buyten and
Louis Saha this week) or shipped away the window before their contracts expire.
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We continue to look forward to next Thursday's SuperDraft by counting down the greatest late round
heists in the previous 10 editions.Unlike yesterday's Top 5 List, I confined my pool of choices to
2000 and beyond. The reason for this was that the awkward split between College and Supplemental
drafts run before the first four MLS seasons makes it difficult to compare directly to the current
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Man, it's easy to get rusty having not played for three weeks at age 40. I mean, I usually don't
feel my age at all. But I am now. Yeah, go ahead and laugh, suckas. You're all next and I have
Nurse Distracter. Getting "old" isn't so bad after all.Seriously, shut up...#1 - I have completed
the promised feature for S365, my Top 5 MLS Draft Days of all-time.
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I've simply not been mentioning food enough, that's pretty clear. I've not talked grub or dropped
AD references enough, so I'm doing both today.For those planning a trip to Amsterdam for the March
3rd USMNT friendly, or for anyone who might visit any time really, I have for you the absolute top
food deals in town.
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It's very simple. Some clubs in Europe simply aren't getting the expected job done. I believe
Durham Bulls manager Joe Riggins said it best (with slight alterations by me):Skip: You guys. You
lollygag the ball around the midfield. You lollygag your way down the wing. You lollygag in and out
of the dugout.
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Instead of my usual big game prattle, I will do an impromptu quickie Top 5'er as my preview
presentation.--Top 5 MLS Cup KeysThese five are ranked based on a combined factor of importance and
"spectacularity".#5 - Watch your mouth, watch your challenges... just watch everything!With the way
that MLS refs have thrown about the red card in 2009, nobody wants to be the guy who puts him team
down a
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Yesterday, we had the good side of this coin go up at S365. Today, we flip it to the ugly side.
Yep, several MLS field players just didn't fit the billing in 2009 and now it's time to pick on
them. But just a little. I promise.And just as the "nice list" was made completely of playoff
participants, the "naughty list" is full of players watching 'em on TV like the rest of us.
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I'm in such a random mood. Why not share?#5 - If I was the manager of France, Greece, Portugal or
Russia, which UEFA WCQ playoff Pot B team would I be most hoping to avoid in the draw? Bosnia.
Frankly, the trio of Džeko, Misimović and Pjanić would give me nightmares.#4 - Just heard via
NSC pal Adam Spangler that an Italian report claims the Azzurri FA will petition to have U.
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As defined by NSC reader Mike, for our purposes, a "dark horse" is basically anyone outside the 23
guys that USMNT coach Bob Bradley would choose if the roster deadline was tomorrow.At this late
stage, he my well be right about that. However, it wasn't that long ago that a youngster came
seemingly from almost nowhere to win a World Cup place.
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I'm gonna riff a Top 5 List. Now, I just need to decide the topic. If you have a suggestion for
one, you know what to do. I'll let you know when I make the call.- Greg Seltzer
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With super-secretive MLS contract terms making the research for this a real bastard, I finally am
here to submit my picks for the players who look most set to head to Europe in the offseason.Yura
Movsisyan and Chris Rolfe have already signed pre-deals to hop the pond, and they won't be alone in
augmenting the MLS alum association.
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Programming note: this week's edition of the MLS Club Ladder will go up at S365 in a spell...#1 -
Don't get your hopes up for Jermaine Jones in Red, White & Blue any time soon - a recovery setback
may require additional surgery.As for his FIFA switch request, my last check with his agent
indicated they were still waiting patiently on the verdict.
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Quick improv change of plans: the MLS-related Top 5 List will now arrive on Monday because I came
up with one that is much more timely - as in if I don't post it now, many of these guys will get
snapped up.I've already lost several contenders today, including Julian De Guzman, Guille Franco,
Heath Pearce and Georgios Seitaridis, and a few others will be signing over the next few days.
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I decided to lower the bar for this edition, picking only players who cost their new clubs less
than €7 million. Boy, am I glad I did.It turns out there was an awful lot of fine bargain
shopping this summer - so much that I entirely ignored any and all loan players, including ones
with buy options.
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Yup, I'm feeling catty. And as badly as I wanted to somehow include Bolton's home jersey (how on
Earth can one mess up plain white that badly?), we will stick to the rules here.I feel this needs
no further introduction, so let's proceed with the hideous. The dishonorable mention: Borussia
Dortmund.#5 - EvertonI'm sorry.
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I started a new weekly bit over at S365 charting the weekend's tastiest match-ups around the globe,
complete with U.S. TV info and any possible Americans Abroad participation noted - a sort of a
regular, cousin Top 5 List, if you will. Saturday morning isn't just about cartoons anymore. Move
over, Heckle & Jeckle.
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With a view to an MLS playoff tourney that doesn't kick off for over two months, I have determined
the quintet of teams I feel have a legitimate chance to raise silver at Qwest Field on November
22nd.They may be current kings of the hill in possession of the crown or they may be a team of
struggle that I just feel has been through their worst already.
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Hampered a bit by the silly limit on Real Madrid player access (vive la mixed zone!), NSC
correspondent Alex Abnos has managed to mold his report from Sunday's friendly with D.C. United
into a swell Top 5 List...#5 - Manuel Pellegrini thinks he has more good defenders than he actually
does.Last year, Los Merengues gave up about 15 more goals Sevilla and Barcelona (a ka the other two
of the top
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I meant to have this up yesterday, but suddenly got rather ill after lunch. I think one of my
nibbles was unfriendly. In any event, here you all get to watch me go mad.Even though I would be
happy to nail three of these, today I would tell ya they're all in the bag with a nod. Ranked from
least to most certain, I give you five seemingly nutso, at least iffy forecasts for Americans
overseas this
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And I don't understand it. The silly season is well underway and these pieces of brilliance are
still with clubs in leagues below their level - some well below it.Each has had numerous suitors
come and go without a transfer taking place and each would be a bargain of well less than €10
million - in fact, our top three wouldn't require half that much money to pry loose.
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As promised, here is a Confederations Cup kickoff T5L to get you all set for tomorrow. I will be
doing a detailed LIVE so all you 9-to-5'ers won't miss a single shot, save or smarmy wisecrack.This
time around, I'm basically tabbing the most important positional showdowns that await for Monday's
World Cup 2006 rematch with Italy.
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We asked FC Midtjylland defender Danny Califf if he'd like to be the next guest Top 5 Lister, and
told him he could come up with any idea, soccer or non-soccer. I thought he might pick something to
do with surfing or tattoos or the best burrito in Cali - but instead, he quickly decided to talk
about his kids, Blake, Paige and Jude.
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It's very simple, really. Several guys across Europe have been allowed to enter the final six
months of their contracts, which means they are free to discuss a summer transfer with anyone.Some
notable players would have made a run at this ranking, were it not for recent extensions with their
club or an early pre-deal to switch shirts in summer.
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I had one, and now you get your chance.I want to have a contest. A Top 5 List contest. Being that
I've now come up with a fifth transfer series T5L idea (it's madness, I know), it is gonna soon be
time for you readers to pull some weight.Therefore, you can email me your own Top 5 List for the
next...
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As I mentioned, you can look forward to this one every February and September. With
"shrewd" being somewhat relative to budget, need, league strength and other variables, it
was easy to pick out several excellent January swoops. Before hitting the rest of the honorable
mentions, I'll send a special nod to MLS newcomers Seattle for plucking feisty young forward Fredy
Montero on loan from
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Sorry for the overnight delay, I was attacked by the headache monster and dozed off earlier than
planned without finishing. I'm back to rip five new ones in a historical context. Granted, the
explosion in transfer fees during this decade means this T5L won't be overly historical - the
earliest transaction here occurred in the summer of 1998.
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And a hybrid, no less. I'm so very green. I realize that I'm starting this transfer T5L mini-series
slightly tardy, but that illness just had me sleeping half the week. Now, I'm refreshed and ready
to drop the first of three rapid-fire lists related to the good, the bad and the ugly of transfers.
And that starts with a "T", which stands for "trouble".
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