Major League Soccer

[EPJr]

2010 MLS Allstar starting XI


Galaxy manager Bruce Arena will be joined by a league-high four members from his club on July 28 in Houston, where the MLS All-Stars will face legendary English club Manchester United in the 2010 AT&T MLS All-Star Game (ESPN2 and Telefutura at 8:30 p.m. ET).

GOALKEEPER (1):
Donovan Ricketts (LA Galaxy)

DEFENDERS (3):
Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Jamison Olave (Real Salt Lake)

MIDFIELDERS (5):
Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Dwayne De Rosario (Toronto FC), Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake), Marco Pappa (Chicago Fire)

FORWARDS (2):
Edson Buddle (LA Galaxy), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy)

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/mlssoccercom-reveals-2010-mls-all-star-first-xi

Arena named the following players to his squad

goalkeeper:
Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake);

defenders:
 Kevin Alston (New England Revolution), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Wilman Conde (Chicago Fire) and Heath Pearce (FC Dallas);

midfielders:
Sebastien Le Toux (Philadelphia Union), David Ferreira (FC Dallas), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution) and Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids);

forward:
 Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls). 

Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman has been forced to withdraw from the event due to injury and has been replaced on the roster.  Arena and his coaching staff will have the freedom to determine the starting lineup based on tactical considerations from the following 23-man roster

[EPJr]

Perovic buries winner, Revs through in first


FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England clinched top spot in SuperLiga Group B with a 1-0 victory over Monarcas Morelia at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday night.

Marko Perovic collected his third match-winner in four outings by volleying home after 62 minutes to separate the two teams and help New England to their seventh consecutive win over Mexican opposition in SuperLiga play

Morelia enjoyed the better of the play in the early stages as they pressed forward looking for the win that would help them snatch first place away from New England.

The visitors found possession easy to maintain with New England captain Shalrie Joseph resting with an eye on maintaining his availability for the semifinals, but they struggled to carve open a Revs back four that has yet to concede in the tournament

http://www.superliga2010.com/content/perovic-buries-winner-revs-through-first

Fire beat Pumas to rescue SuperLiga appearance


BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Fire defender Wilman Conde scored in the 35th minute and Chicago made the lead stand up, defeating Mexican club Pumas UNAM 1-0 in SuperLiga action.

Pumas needed to win to have a shot at advancing. But rather than looking like a club bent on earning the victory at all cost, they instead seemed like an unmotivated bunch.

Chicago took advantage of Pumas' lackadaisical attitude and struck the only goal of the encounter. The Fire’s two All-Stars, Marco Pappa and Conde, connected to give Chicago the lead in the 35th minute. First XI winger Pappa curled a corner in from the right side and a completely unmarked Conde got on the end of it, heading the ball home from five yards out.

Pumas nearly equalized just five minutes later. Forward Juan Carlos Cacho rolled a cross in from the right side of the area towards strike partner Juan Francisco Palencia in the six-yard box. It looked as if Palencia was going to get a foot to the ball, but he missed on a diving lunge and the ball rolled out for a goal kick

http://www.superliga2010.com/content/fire-beat-pumas-rescue-superliga-appearance

[EPJr]

Red Hot
Philadelphia Union battle hard, but Manchester United edge hosts, 1-0   

[EPJr]

Transcript: MLS commissioner Don Garber took your queries


 With two franchises, Portland and Vancouver, joining MLS in 2011, the league will retain a conference system and move two teams from the West to the East. A 19th team, Montreal, will enter in 2012.

• MLS hopes to add a 20th franchise, which most likely would not begin play until 2013 at the earliest. Beyond 20 teams, the league remains interested in these markets: Atlanta, San Antonio, San Diego, Detroit and Miami.

• Success in the CONCACAF Champions League is a top priority for MLS, thus L.A. Galaxy, Toronto FC and Sounders players with games this week are for the most part relieved of their All-Star obligations.

• There are no plans to adjust MLS' calendar to conform with European leagues.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/mls/2010-07-24-commissioner-don-garber-chat_N.htm

[Bison 4 Life]

KC Wizards beat my Reds the other day.

[EPJr]

ESPN2 to air expansion coin flip at All-Star

Portland and Vancouver to find out who picks No. 1 in SuperDraft

HOUSTON -- The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps may be several months away from officially joining MLS, but the expansion clubs will be right in the middle of the action at the All-Star Game festivities on Wednesday -- during halftime of the match between the MLS All-Stars and Manchester United.

That's when a coin toss will take place to determine which of the two clubs gets the first pick among eight different MLS player acquisition procedures.

ESPN2 will carry the coin toss during halftime of its All-Star coverage. Timbers head coach and general manager Gavin Wilkinson and Whitecaps director of professional teams Greg Anderson will join MLS Executive Vice President Todd Durbin for the event.

On August 11, the two clubs will then take turns picking among the eight player mechanisms below, with each team claiming the No. 1 ranking in the specific player acquisition method they select. The winner of Wednesday's coin toss goes first. 

■First pick in the Expansion Draft
■First pick in the MLS SuperDraft
■USL Player Priority on opening of signing period
■Allocation Ranking
■Designated Player Ranking
■Discovery Ranking
■Lottery Ranking
■Waiver/Re-entry Draft Ranking

[EPJr]

New group acquires Cosmos, hopes to be part of MLS


NEW YORK (AP) -- A new group has acquired the name of the old Cosmos soccer team of the North American Soccer League and made Pele its honorary president.

The Cosmos said Sunday they have acquired the Copa NYC tournament and said their goal is to re-establish the team as "a part of Major League Soccer."

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/soccer/08/01/cosmos.ap/index.html#ixzz0vUdebiQo



http://www.nycosmos.com/announcement/

[EPJr]

MLS intrigued by expansion push from NY Cosmos

League interested in hearing more about group's plans

NEW YORK – The ambitions of the group behind the relaunch of the New York Cosmos soccer club are not just rhetoric.

On Sunday the executives at the helm of the project outlined details of their step-by-step plan and unveiled their end goal of having the Cosmos become an expansion club in Major League Soccer.

The league on Monday acknowledged that there have been conversations.

“We remain focused on securing a 20th team for Major League Soccer in New York,” said MLS President Mark Abbott on Monday. “We have met with the group that owns the rights to the Cosmos name and look forward to learning more about their plans.”

Those plans begin at the youth level, with the formation of the Cosmos Academy in partnership with Queens-based youth club BW Gottschee. The youth side will participate in the US Soccer Development Academy.

The Cosmos have even kicked off a grassroots initiative by acquiring the rights to locally run Copa NYC tournament.

The chairman of the new Cosmos is former Tottenham Hotspur executive Paul Kemsley and the honorary president is none other than former Cosmos legend, Pelé.

“Our plan has several phases, but if you fast-forward, it’s our aspiration to play at the highest level in this country and that’s MLS,” executive director Joe Fraga told The New York Times. “And we are serious.”

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/mls-intrigued-expansion-push-ny-cosmos

[EPJr]

David Beckham Has Key Link to New York Cosmos MLS Bid

 The principals behind the Cosmos are English. Chairman Paul Kemsley is an investment banker and former director at Tottenham who engineered the purchase of the Cosmos name and logo from G. Peppe Pinton, the former general manager of the NASL incarnation. CEO Carl Johnson runs a marketing and advertising company with offices in London and on Broadway. Cosmos director of soccer Terry Byrne held back-room positions with both Chelsea and the England national team in the 1990s.

-- Byrne is one of David Beckham's best friends and played a key role in Beckham's move to the Galaxy and several key decisions once the famous midfielder arrived, such as the hiring of Ruud Gullit as coach and the inheritance of the captaincy from Landon Donovan. In his book "The Beckham Experiment," Grant Wahl described Byrne as Beckham's "personal manager" and "the unidentified figure who was almost always in Beckham's immediate orbit." Beckham apparently arranged for Byrne to work for the Galaxy as a "paid consultant." Byrne's actual high-level pro soccer experience has been limited to roles as a physical therapist and equipment manager.

-- Beckham's contract with the Galaxy, which will pay him $6.5 million this season, expires at the end of 2011. The deal includes a provision allowing Beckham to be an investor/owner in an MLS franchise once he's done playing. "I still want to be involved. I want to be an ambassador of the league," he said last year. "There's a deal in place where I can purchase an MLS team or start a franchise. It's something I am definitely interested in, or I wouldn't have it in my contract."

http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/08/03/david-beckham-has-key-link-to-new-york-cosmos-mls-bid/

[EPJr]

Mets Interested in MLS at Citi Field


A club spokesman told The Post, "We've had good dialogue previously with commissioner Garber, and look forward to continuing that in the future."

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/soccer/interest_in_mls_at_citi_934YGINfvgmgurbxLiXCNO

[EPJr]

Marquez relishes MLS challenge


HARRISON, N.J. -- Why now? Why would 31-year-old Rafael Márquez --captain of Mexico, Barcelona veteran, a player who can still compete at the highest level -- turn down interest from clubs all over Europe to join MLS's New York Red Bulls? That was the question I put to Márquez on Tuesday during a quiet moment after his presentation as the newest member of MLS's most upwardly mobile team.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/grant_wahl/08/04/marquez.mls/index.html#ixzz0vkSTmU7a

[EPJr]

The rumors finally became reality on Tuesday as the Portland Timbers named former Houston Dynamo assistant John Spencer as their new manager ahead of their first MLS expansion season in 2011. He will be officially introduced at a press event on Wednesday.

His first order of business will come in a couple of weeks as he works with Timbers technical director Gavin Wilkinson to select the MLS player-selection mechanisms in which the club will seek priority over fellow expansion club Vancouver Whitecaps.

The 39-year-old former Scotland international is keenly familiar with MLS after playing four seasons with the Colorado Rapids. Spencer, an ex-MLS All-Star, then joined the Dynamo in 2006 as an assistant and helped the club to back-to-back MLS Cup titles in 2006 and 2007.

Before arriving in MLS, Spencer played 14 seasons of professional soccer in Scotland and England with clubs like Chelsea, Everton and Rangers.

Spencer left the Dynamo on July 13 with rumors swirling that he was set to be named Portland’s first MLS head coach. In the meantime, his post with the Dynamo was assumed by MLS veteran Steve Ralston.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/portland-timbers-name-spencer-head-coach

[EPJr]

USSF D2 Update; New Standards Set for League, Current and Future Owners



The much anticipated USSF D2 meeting on Monday took place in New York without much fanfare or negotiations according to sources involved with teams that participated. The meeting was in general amicable and US Soccer did allow discourse.

Those attending the meeting from the federation were Sunil Gulati, Dan Flynn, and Brian Remedi. Team owners attending were: Austin Aztex owner Phil Rawlins, Carolina Railhawks owner’s Bob Young and Selby Wellman and his son Brian, Crystal Palace Baltimore’s Pete Med, FC Edmonton owner Tom Faph, Miami FC/Traffic US president Aaron Davidson, Montreal Impact owner Joey Saputo, NSC Stars GM Kris Bjerkness, Rochester Rhinos owner Rob Clark, FC Tampa Bay majority owner Andrew Nestor and Vancouver Whitecaps president Greg Kerfoot and USL owner Rob Hoskins. Those not present were Jeff Cooper of AC St. Louis, representatives from Puerto Rico who were said to be frustrated and felt that they most likely will not meet the new USSF standards and the Portland Timbers who will be moving on to MLS next season. Vancouver and Montreal have been actively involved with these discussion because the Whitecaps and the Impact would like to discuss the possibility of keeping a team in the D2 league for developmental purposes. Atlanta’s Silverbacks Boris Jerkunica was not in attendance either which may be telling with his involvement with the league in the near future.

http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/

[EPJr]

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=122265357800001

2010 Timbers TV Spot [HD]
by Portland Timbers

Check out our 2010 Timbers TV ad .
Enjoy!

[EPJr]

ESPN2 to air expansion coin flip at All-Star

Portland and Vancouver to find out who picks No. 1 in SuperDraft

HOUSTON -- The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps may be several months away from officially joining MLS, but the expansion clubs will be right in the middle of the action at the All-Star Game festivities on Wednesday -- during halftime of the match between the MLS All-Stars and Manchester United.

That's when a coin toss will take place to determine which of the two clubs gets the first pick among eight different MLS player acquisition procedures.

ESPN2 will carry the coin toss during halftime of its All-Star coverage. Timbers head coach and general manager Gavin Wilkinson and Whitecaps director of professional teams Greg Anderson will join MLS Executive Vice President Todd Durbin for the event.

On August 11, the two clubs will then take turns picking among the eight player mechanisms below, with each team claiming the No. 1 ranking in the specific player acquisition method they select. The winner of Wednesday's coin toss goes first.

The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps took part in an Expansion Priority Draft on Monday and the result saw the Whitecaps choose the option of having the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 MLS Draft.

Portland will pick second in the MLS Draft and will have the second pick in each round of the draft while the Whitecaps will have the top pick.

Vancouver chose having the top pick in the 2011 draft over a variety of other roster building mechanisms, including having the top pick in the MLS expansion draft.  The Portland Timbers will have that distinction, giving Timbers head coach John Spencer the first crack at players left available by the existing 16 MLS teams.

VANCOUVER- First pick in the MLS SuperDraft
PORTLAND- First pick in the Expansion Draft
VANCOUVER- USSF Division- 2 Pro Player Priority on opening of signing period
PORTLAND- Designated Player Ranking
VANCOUVER- Allocation Ranking
PORTLAND- Discovery Ranking
VANCOUVER- Waiver/Re-entry Draft Ranking
PORTLAND- Lottery Ranking