Atlanta Silverbacks are off to the Great White North to take on Montreal Impact tonight in a match that should help the Backs push closer to securing a playoff spot.

Impact will be looking to play spoiler though on their home field and could use a win to help them climb out of 9th position in the table. Click to continue reading...

First off, permit me to apologize for over 3 days of none posting - a record for this blogging nerd. I will have pictures of what the hell I have been up to soon. In the meanwhile, I figure a good old "All The Bull" should bring everyone up to speed on things. Again, my sincerest apologies.

Riding the high of the DC game, alot of interesting and odd ball news has been popping up left and right.

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I guess we can't count this New York club out just yet here this season. Juan Carlos Osorio didn't make many moves before the season but he sure is making up for it this summer. With a slew of new players already on board, Osorio has recently put in offers for three different strikers. New York [...] Click to continue reading...

From Behind the Badge comes video of DC United's 3-1 defeat of the Revolution last night at RFK. Since there was no TV broadcast --as is Open Cup custom-- this is pretty much the definitive document of the evening, which was something of a shock defeat for New England.

On the other side of the Open Cup table, Seattle lost to Charleston on PK's so the final will be an all Southeast affair (if you consider DC southeastern) at RFK. Click to continue reading...

You think the Sounders are pumped? They rested all their starters in the last USL game and flew out early to Charleston to stay fresh.

And if they win, they host the final!

And you can watch for free on USLlive.com.

Oh yeah, New England and D.C. play too.

'Cept I'll be working like a crazy person because of the Olympics. Click to continue reading...

Almost forgot to put this up for those who care about the oldest soccer tournament in the US. But there is some US Open Cup semifinal action tonight! DC United plays host to New England first at 7:30pm ET at RFK Stadium and will only be broadcast via two radio streams (available at www.USOpenCup.com). Click to continue reading...

Who: New England Revolution at D.C. United
What: U.S. Open Cup Semifinal
Where: RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
When: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. (Audio: RevolutionSoccer.net)

The New England Revolution used line-ups made up mostly made of reserves to win their first two U.

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That was supposed to be a play on Manifest Destiny. You know, with the expansion and all?

MLS Rumors got the hot tip on which two cities are looking to be added by 2011:

My sources are adamant that the expansion teams have already been determined. Atlanta missed out. No word on Portland.

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The Seattle Sounders organization has sent out e-mails to their season ticket holders informing them that the second Sounders player for the 2009 season will be revealed on Thursday, August 14th, in a press conference at Qwest Field.

"You're invited to join Seattle Sounders FC in a special player announcement on Thursday, August 14th at Qwest Field. Click to continue reading...

According to this email we just received that would be the case:
Hello,I have some potential news regarding MLS' next round ofexpansion. This isn't a lot of new information, per se, but maybe you can keepit mind if you hear other stories. Click to continue reading...

It's over. Dunzo. Outta here like last year. And to put it in the most eloquent way I can think of...it totally sucks. The oldest existent soccer rivalry in the country has gone the way of the dodo and even though I'm not a supporter of either club --at least not officially, but I do have my preferences-- I have to say I'm kinda bummed for a few different reasons. Click to continue reading...

What? You thought I forgot there was a little three decade-long grudge match tonight? Blogger please. I will not rest until I get a call from FSC's Mitch Peacock himself saying "you can stop now, we really don't have the bandwidth for an audience this size." Until then, I'm going to keep reminding you to do whatever you have to do to watch the game on FSC at 11pmEST. Click to continue reading...

It sure appears to be the case. I just got word about the possible championship scenarios for the 2008 US Open Cup today. Under three of four possible scenarios, either Seattle or Charleston from the USL-1 will host the title game next month. The only MLS side that could host is DC, that is if D.C. [. Click to continue reading...

But not much, since they video does most of the talking in this post. Here's a bit more on the Timbers Army from Portland Now; it's not A Current Affair, but it's a nicely produced primer on the "mental, barmy Timbers Army".

Regardless of what club you follow, you have to love it. Click to continue reading...

The Atlanta Silverbacks continued their climb out of the middle of the table last night with a solid victory over league leading Vancouver Whitecaps. 1,941 brave fans faced the humid, 90+ degree temps to cheer on the Backs as the streaking home town boys did not disappoint.

The Silverbacks started the affair in the hole by giving up the first goal to Vancouver in the 31st minute on a Luca Bellisomo header, but perhaps that was the wake up call they needed as they equalized six minutes later with a Tony McManus strike. Click to continue reading...

In my ongoing, and possibly ill-fated quest to personally affect the viewership of this week's final USL showdown between Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders on FSC this Thursday I'd like to big up the PDX players from Above The Clouds. They do Hypebeast-caliber custom designs for sneakers and trainers that are just about flawless. Click to continue reading...

This report comes a freelancer to ESPN, who talked to Atlanta Silverbacks coach Jason Smith.

Funny how the two success stories referenced making the USL to MLS switch are ex-Sounders: Brian Ching and Maykel Galindo.

Sebastian Le Toux, striker, Seattle (Wash.

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We haven't talked USL around here in while have we? Typically I try to watch FSC's game of the week with some consistency but for whatever reason it hasn't grabbed me this season. This Thursday though is the most-anticipated USL match if the season; the final Portland v. Seattle match of the season and --with Seattle leaving USL-- perhaps ever. Click to continue reading...

Pali Blues completed a run of fourteen consecutive wins to lift the USL W-League title. They beat... Click to continue reading...

The W-League expansion Pali Blues were surely taking the competition seriously, bringing coach Charlie Naimo across the country from New Jersey and signing fringe national team players like India Trotter. They've capped an unbeaten season with a championship, but it wasn't easy -- a comeback effort in the final against FC Indiana followed a titanic battle with the defending champion (and WPS-bound) Washington Freedom in the semis.

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Many RailHawks' supporters showed up at Friday's match stunned, and even a little bewildered, by the news that the RailHawks' leading goal scorer Connally Edozien had been traded away to Miami FC for a young reserve defender. For the merits, it's hard to argue that in a lineup so fully stocked with talented forwards and struggling defensively that a trade switching a striker who saw little playing time and was clearly out of favor in the coach's rotation for a young up-and-coming defender is a bad thing. Click to continue reading...

With the news that Malaysia's top domestic league will close its doors to foreign players, a trio of CONCACAF-based players will have to look for work elsewhere. Jamaican striker Scott Lawson plays for Penang FA, and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines' Marlon James and Cornelius Huggings play for the champions Kedah FA. Click to continue reading...

The squads for the Football Tournament at the Beijing Olympics was finalized today. The following EPL players are in the competition: Javier Mascerano/Liverpool/ Argentina Adam Leijer/Fulham/Australia Solomon Kalou/Chelsea/Ivory Coast Gianni Zuiverloon/West Brom/Holland Ryan Babel/Liverpool/Holland Brad Guzan/Aston Villa/USA (Pending work permit) Victor Anichebe/Everton/Nigeria Andreson/Manchester United/Brazil Lucas/Liverpool/Brazil Jo/Manchester City/Brazil Dong Fangzuho/ Manchester United/China Ryan Nelson/Blackburn/New Zealand Simon Elliot/Fulham/New Zealand Alexandre Song/Arsenal/Cameroon Franck Songo'o/Portsmouth/Cameroon Hendry Thomas/Wigan/Honduras The full  list of American/Canadian based players (MLS/USL/NCAA) in [. Click to continue reading...

Olympic squads were finalized today. Here are the MLS, USL and NCAA based players as well a list of former MLS players particpating. Michael Boxall/New Zealand Craig Henderson/New Zealand Chris Seitz/USA Mo Edu/USA Marvell Wynne/USA Patrick Ianni/USA Michael Parkhurst/USA Stuart Holden/USA Robbie Rogers/USA Sacha Kljestan/USA Dax McCarty/USA Brian McBride/USA Emanuel Ekpo/Nigeria  FORMER MLS PLAYERS Ramon Nunez/Honduras Carlos Pavon/Honduras Ryan Nelson/New Zealand Simon Elliot/New Zealand Samuel Caballero/Honduras Freddy Adu/USA Michael Bradley/USA Danny Szetela/USA Jozy Altidore/USA Bookmark to: Click to continue reading...

It was recently announced that MLS hopes to bring two more new teams to the league in 2011. Seattle is coming on next season and Philadelphia the following year. Now all the talk of expansion teams is in Canada. I do still think that St. Louis will probably get one and likely Vancouver could get the other.

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