Soccer By Ives

MLS rule changes: a closer look

Guten Morgen everybody. There is plenty to get to on the American soccer news front this morning. The Juan Carlos Osorio press conference took up most of my afternoon on Tuesday and therefore kept me from blogging on two other newsworthy developments.

I will get to the U.S. Under-23 team's Olympic qualifying draw later this morning but for right now I wanted to talk about Major League Soccer's announcement of changes to its roster guidelines. For those of you who missed it, MLS revealed that it has changed the number of international players team can have. Now, instead of being limited to four senior international players, MLS teams will start out with as many as eight slots that can be used on international players, a number that teams can increase via trade.

Yes, you read that right. Not only can teams have up to eight foreign players, they can trade for other team's foreign slots. So in theory, a team could field a starting 11 made up entirely of foreign players. A scary thought? Not really. It is actually a necessary evil brought on by the league's rapid expansion.

Spencer, Mariner the latest to interview for Fire post

Houston Dynamo assistant John Spencer and New England assistant Paul Mariner have interviewed for the Chicago Fire's vacant head coaching position, sources in Chicago have told SBI.

Spencer and Mariner join Fire assistant Denis Hamlett and long-time Chicago soccer star Frank Klopas on the list of candidates to be interviewed by Fire president John Guppy. There is no word yet on who is left on the list of potential replacements for Juan Carlos Osorio, who was introduced as Red Bulls head coach on Tuesday. If I had to rate their chances right now I'd set the order as: Hamlett, Mariner, Klopas, Spencer. That's not the order that I think they should be considered. That's the order I think they stand.

What do you think Fire fans? Do these candidates make you more optimistic than the first two? Do you think Hamlett deserves to be the front-runner? Are you still not buying that he is a serious candidate? Are you still holding out hope that Hristo Stoitchkov emerges from the woodwork to take the job? Share your thoughts below.

Fire interviews Klopas and Hamlett

Chicago Fire fans, if you have gotten over Juan Carlos Osorio's departure and are now focused on who will replace him, you should have your new coach soon.

According to sources in Chicago, Fire president John Guppy held/is holding interviews with leading candidates Frank Klopas and Denis Hamlett today. Guppy should make a decision very soon and the early favorite is Hamlett.

Why Hamlett? The way he handled being passed over when Osorio was hired during the summer was very impressive and he has certainly paid his dues with a club he has been with since year one in 1998. He has the respect of the current squad and his hire will help make for a smooth transition from Osorio.

So why is Guppy going through an interview process if Hamlett is a front-runner? It's a little thing called due diligence. Guppy must put together a list of candidates and go through the interview process to make sure the club isn't missing out on a very good candidate. I also can't imagine that the club's new owners would be keen on just handing over the coaching job to an assistant without a thorough coaching search taking place beforehand.

Anyone hoping for a search as quick as the last one shouldn't hold their breath. The reason the last Fire coaching search was so short was because Guppy basically had his man before he even fired former coach Dave Sarachan. That doesn't mean this search will be a long one, just not super-quick.

What say you Chicago fans (or anybody else)? Would you like to see Hamlett hired? Are you still holding out hope for Peter Nowak (It isn't happening). Do you like Frank Klopas as a head coach? Would you like to see Cuauhtemoc Blanco as a player-coach (okay, I'm kidding). Tell us what you think.

Veron says no to DC United

Juan Veron's On again, Off again courtship with DC United has apparently ended in OFF mode.

According to a report out of Argentina, Veron has decided to stay with Argentine club Estudiantes rather than accept a lucrative offer from D.C. united that would have made him the club's Designated Player.

Marcelo Sottile of Argentina's Ole broke the story, getting the words straight from Veron (thanks to reader Christian Reyes for passing this story along this morning).

"I stay for the people and for my teammates," Veron said. "The truth is Friday was a bad day. I could not say good goodbye. The request of the boys for me to stay was very important."

If Veron has, in fact, turned down D.C. United, it leaves D.C. looking for other alternatives, potentially Claudio Lopez. That still won't offer much consolation considering how close the four-time MLS Cup champions came to landing a quality player in Veron.

Share your thoughts on this turn of events below.

MLS selects seniors for MLS Combine

Major League Soccer announced the 54 college seniors who will take part in the MLS Combine in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida from Jan. 11-15.

Here they are (Players to watch in bold):

2008 ADIDAS MLS PLAYER COMBINE LIST BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (5): Dominic Cervi (University of Tulsa); Brian Edwards (Wake Forest University); Andrew Kartunen (Stanford University); Casey Latchem (Ohio State University); Steve Sandbo (Southern Methodist University);

DEFENDERS (19): Scott Bolkan (Stanford University); Matthew Britner (Brown University); Eric Brunner (Ohio State University); Adrian Chevannes (Southern Methodist University); Sean Franklin (California State University Northridge); Matt Hatzke (Santa Clara University); David Horst (Old Dominion University); Andy Iro (University of California - Santa Barbara); Julius James (University of Connecticut); Jonathan Leathers (Furman University); Rauwshan McKenzie (Michigan State University); Ryan Miller (University of Notre Dame); Brandon Owens (University of California - Los Angeles); Andre Sherard (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill); Julian Valentin (Wake Forest University); Yomby William (Old Dominion University); David Worthen (University of North Carolina - Greensboro); Mike Zaher (University of Tulsa); Geoff Cameron (University of Rhode Island);

MIDFIELDERS (23): Jeremy Barlow (University of Virginia); Eric Burkholder (University of Tulsa); El Hadj Cisse (North Carolina State University); Hugh Cronin (North Carolina State University); Pavle Dundjer  (University of Illinois - Chicago); Joe Germanese (Duke University); Brian Grazier (Saint Louis University); Pat Healy (Towson University); Andrew Jacobson (University of California); George Josten (Gonzaga University); Stephen King (University of Maryland); AJ Kulp (Old Dominion University); Peter Lowry (Santa Clara University); Ryan Maduro (Providence College); Pat Phelan (Wake Forest University); David Roth (Northwestern University); Shea Salinas (Furman University); Luke Sassano (University of California); Ben Shuleva (Southern Methodist University); Dan Stratford (West Virginia University); Michael Videira (Duke University); Andy Wright (University of West Virginia); Cesar Zambrano (University of Illinois -Chicago);

FORWARDS (7): Ely Allen (University of Washington); Xavier Balc (Ohio State University); Ryan Cordeiro (University of Connecticut); Kevin Forrest (University of Washington); Joseph Lapira (University of Notre Dame); Sherron Manswell (Boston College); Lukasz Turnicz (University of Rhode Island)

What do you think of this group? Share your thoughts below.

DC trades Boswell to Houston for Wells

It looks like D.C. United has a new goalkeeper and the Houston Dynamo has a new all-star blogger.

The Washington Post's Steve Goff is reporting that D.C. United has traded Bobby Boswell to the Houston Dynamo for Zach Wells and a future draft pick.

The deal isn't a complete surprise given the imminent sale of Troy Perkins and D.C. United's willingness to part ways with Boswell, who went from 2006 MLS defender of the year to benchwarmer and playoff goat in one year's time.

Wells' departure also isn't a surprise. Sources told SBI in November that the Dynamo were ready to part ways with Wells and the defending MLS Cup champions were in talks with San Jose to deal Wells to the Earthquakes before San Jose settled on Chivas USA back-up Preston Burpo.

If Boswell can regain his all-star form, he should step in for the departed Ryan Cochrane, though Patrick Ianni will be difficult to keep off the field come 2008.

Wells is a solid goalkeeper who should just be entering his prime. I really don't see a dropoff from Perkins to Wells, but I was never a big Perkins fan to begin with.

The deal should also end any speculation about Pat Onstad either retiring or leaving Houston to go to Toronto. He looks to have a few more years with the Dynamo ahead of him.

What do you think of the trade? Should the Dynamo have been forced to include a blogger to balance out United's loss of Boswell? Might we see Zachwells.com in the near future? Will D.C. United fans accept a former MetroStar as their starting goalkeeper? Share your thoughts below.

Morning Ticker: MLS hot stove, Osorio limbo and Galaxy targets strikers

Ohayo everybody. The MLS season has been over for a month, and the next season isn't for four more months, but the winter fireworks are well under way.

Here are some MLS-related nuggets (and one world soccer update) to go over this morning:

Juan Carlos Osorio is STILL NOT the new Red Bulls head coach. Despite some published reports and the Chicago Fire's outrageously premature press release on Monday evening, Osorio has not signed a contract with the Red Bulls. He is still negotiating with the club.

Seattle MLS fans, keep an eye on the Sounders

If you were wondering why Seattle MLS co-owner Adrian Hanauer decided to have the USL Seattle Sounders play in 2008 after it was initially believed that the team wouldn't play next year, you can credit a shrewd bit of negotiating on Hanauer's part.

According to sources, Hanauer, who also owns the Sounders, basically told MLS that if the new Seattle MLS team would not be able to retain the rights of any of the Sounders players then he was going to disband the reigning USL champions after the 2007 season. MLS, wanting there to be a soccer presence in the city the year before MLS Seattle started in 2009, relented and now Seattle MLS will be granted the rights to between five and eight players from the Sounders 2008 roster. The league is still working out the final number of players, but MLS Seattle will have Sounders players without having to use discovery options to acquire them.

Hanauer did make mention of the development in this Seattle Post-Intelligencer story. In essence, the 2008 Seattle Sounders will work as a feeder team for Seattle MLS, a factor that will suddenly make the USL club a more attractive proposition for young prospects looking to break into MLS, and a benefit that should help make Seattle stronger than your typical expansion team once it begins play in 2009. It is safe to say that Hanauer is already off to a good start as the expansion MLS team's general manager/co-owner.

What do you think of this development? Share your thoughts below.

Who is next for the Fire?

With Juan Carlos Osorio on his way to the Red Bulls, the Chicago Fire is once again in need of a head coach. Fire fans are up in arms about Osorio's departure but the focus should be on who will be chosen to continue the work Osorio began.

With the MLS Draft five weeks away, and European transfer window three weeks away, Chicago needs to hire a head coach ASAP. Who will president John Guppy turn to? Put your money on Guppy hiring an MLS coach, be it an assistant or head coach.

Why? Hiring a coach without MLS and U.S. Soccer ties this close to the draft would be a bit disastrous, and the track record of coaches with no prior playing or coaching experience in the league is well documented.

With that said, here are the top coaches Guppy should be looking to, and a few he may consider, as he begins his search:

MoJo: I'm staying as head coach

You have probably heard the rumors by now. Toronto FC was supposed to gearing up for a major shakeup involving head coach Mo Johnston moving into a front office position, with either New England head coach Steve Nicol or Revs assistant Paul Mariner taking over.

The rumor was just that, a rumor. According to Johnson, the rumors linking Nicol and Mariner to TFC are false.

"There's nothing there," Johnston told SBI on Friday. "That's just talk for message boards. I'm not going anywhere."

Monday Morning Centerback: Americans Abroad and MLS

Ahn nyeong haseyo everybody. It is Morning morning and even though ice storms are covering large parts of the country, it is still soccer season.

There will be plenty to blog about today, from the U.S. Under-17 team's exploits this past weekend to updates on Toronto FC and the expansion Seattle MLS franchise. You also had Michael Bradley's derby day hat-trick for Heerenveen as well as Bobb Convey's stellar performance for Reading against Liverpool.

Before we get to all of that, I wanted to start the day discussing my weekend column on ESPN.com. In case you missed it, I wrote a column with the premise being 'What if MLS could bring back some of the talented American players currently struggling for playing time in Europe.'

There may have been some confusion about the point of the column so here is some clarification.

Red Bulls to open 2008 season at San Jose

(Seen First on SBI)

Red Bulls fans, you can start making your plans for the start of the 2008 MLS season. The Red Bulls will open the season on the road against the expansion San Jose Earthquakes on March 29th at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The match will be the Red Bulls' first chance to see former teammate Joe Vide, who is projecting to be a starting central midfielder for San Jose.

Since NO Red Bulls fans will be making that road trip (Okay, make that some since at least a few Red Bulls fans go everywhere), those who can't get to San Jose will only have to wait a week to see the Red Bulls in person. The Red Bulls will play host to the Columbus Crew at Giants Stadium on April 5th.

The rest of the league's opening schedule will be released on Tuesday so check back here tomorrow for more information.

If you were MLS commissioner for a day

Good morning folks. It is a slow news cycle in the soccer world so I started wondering about random issues pertaining to Major League Soccer. A reader asked what I considered a league issue that MLS needs to address and I thought about the reserve division and how it needs to be revamped.

That got me to wondering about what I would do if I could be MLS commissioner for a day and could actually implement some rules or changes that would be adopted by the league permanently. I really don't have an answer for that yet but I want to ask you, the SBI readers, what one change would you make to the league if you had that magical power to change things? Increase the cap? Increase the number of foreigners? Fire most of the refereres? Put a team in Philly? Put a team in St. Louis?

Fire away. I want to hear from you. Remember, you can only make one change to the league as commish for a day. What would it be?

Altidore, Edu, Seitz chosen for Under-23 training camp

Red Bulls Jozy Altidore and Hunter Freeman are two of 22 players selected to the first U.S. Under-23 national team camp under U.S. Under-23 national team head coach Peter Nowak. The camp is being held in preparation of a two-match tour in China in December.

The team will train for a week at Home Depot Center beginning on Dec. 1 before departing for China on Dec. 8. The Americans will face the Chinese Under-23 national team on Dec. 13 and Dec. 16.

Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan, Robbie Findley, Christ Seitz and Eddie Gaven highlight a roster made up of 20 pros and seven players who made the U.S. senior national team debuts in 2007.

Here is the full roster:

Generation adidas kicks off tour of Spain

   

The MLS season ended 11 days ago at MLS Cup but some of the league's best young talents are still busy playing. A 16-player Generation adidas squad is in Madrid, Spain for a two-week training tour that includes matches against some La Liga reserve teams.

Current Red Bull Hunter Freeman, former Red Bulls Marvell Wynne and David Arvizu, and former MetroStar Tim Ward are part of the squad while retired Red Bull Mark Lisi, who now works for adidas, organized the tour. Red Bulls equipment manager Craig Chmeil is the team's kit man, so the Red Bulls are well represented on this trip. (Jozy Altidore was originally going to go on this trip but missed it due to other commitments. Needless to say, it would have been a media circus in Madrid if he had made the trip.)

The Generation adidas squad, coached by Houston head coach Dom Kinnear and assistant John Spencer, won its first match on Tuesday, beating Rayo Vallecano's reserves, 1-0, in a testy match that saw Hunter Freeman and Marvell Wynne issued red cards. Real Salt Lake defender Nathan Sturgis provided the goal while Chris Seitz was in net for the shutout.

Here is the breakdown of who played (and more info on their tour):

Trade Analysis: Carroll for Kamara

The Columbus Crew shipped forward Kei Kamara to San Jose for midfielder Brian Carroll today.

Who wins in this deal? From a talent standpoint, I'll go with Columbus, which lands a solid defensive midfielder whose stock is low but upside is high. The Crew already has Danny O'Rourke in defensive midfield, but pairing them together would give Columbus a pretty tough tandem to provide defensive cover behind midfielders Eddie Gaven and Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

As for San Jose, you had to see them dealing Carroll, whose contract is a little bigger than you'd like ($115K in 2007). Kamara has scored some goals in MLS, and is a bargain at the $33K he made in 2007, but I have never really rated him as someone who can be a productive starter. Will he need to start for the Earthquakes? You hope for San Jose fans that he won't. I can't help but wonder if San Jose couldn't have gotten more for Carroll. Then again, that contract might have scared some teams off.

What do you think of this trade? Did the Crew make out or did Yallop move one step closer to bringing MLS Cup back to San Jose? Share your thoughts below.

Good morning San Jose

Here's a question to ponder for the San Jose Earthquakes fans who are just logging on to their computers this morning. With American forward Kamani Hill and Derby manager Billy Davies looking for work, is it that far-fetched to consider a scenario where Hill and Derby winger Eddie Lewis wind up with the Earthquakes?

Hill, the former UCLA standout who was recently waived by German club Wolfsburg, is from Berkely while Lewis was an original member of the MLS San Jose Clash and a former teammate of current Earthquakes GM John Doyle.

San Jose definitely needs forwards and Hill needs to go somewhere he is actually going to play regularly. The Quakes did acquire left winger Ivan Guerrero in the expansion draft but there is no guarantee they will keep him. Besides, if Eddie Lewis is ready to come back then you have to sign him. Yes, he's 33 but he's still a quality player. The real question is whether Lewis is ready to bail on Derby. Wouldn't you want to jump off that sinking ship if you could? The fact that Davies just got the boot has to leave Lewis wondering whether he wants to stick around much longer.

San Jose also made its first post-expansion draft trade today, sending midfielder Brian Carroll to the Columbus Crew for forward Kei Kamara. The deal is good news for Kamara as well as for former Red Bull Joe Vide, who just said goodbye to his stiffest competition for San Jose's starting defensive midfield spot (for now).

What say you Quakes fans (and another other MLS fans)? Share your thoughts on Hill and Lewis being 'Quakes, as well as today's trade, below.

Where are they now: Mamadou Diallo

So I was going through my TIVO the other day, trying to get through all the shows I've missed in recent weeks, and I stumble on some Futbol Mundial episodes. One of them focuses on the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup when I see a familiar face in one of the clips.

It was none other than former MetroStars striker (and Mike Ammann hacker) Mamadou Diallo. He was the captain of Senegal's beach soccer national team. He was red carded during his team's quarterfinal loss to France after he attempted to turn and volley a shot only to kick an opponent in the face. Some things don't change apparently.

It was an interesting blast from the past to say the least.

The MLS Dream Designated Player Game

Good afternoon folks. If you've just gotten back from battling fellow shoppers for that $200 HDTV or $20 digital camera, here's something for you to ponder (If you're an MLS fan that is.)

You are suddenly the president of your favorite MLS team. The January transfer window is upon you and you have a bottomless bag of cash to buy ANY player in the world you want. Let's pretend your team has an available DP slot (this is for Red Bulls, Fire and Galaxy fans). What player would you sign?

Since I'm sure far too many of you would say the usual suspects I am excluding the following players from consideration: Ronaldinho, Kaka, Messi, C. Ronaldo and Cesc Fabregas.

That leaves anybody else in the world. You can sign them to a four-year contact. Try to make it a player at a position your team actually needs. You can consider all the intangibles, such as ability to sell tickets, presence in the locker room, would the player actually enjoy playing in your team's market, etc., etc.

Name your favorite MLS team, what player you would sign, and why.

Fire away.

Coundoul makes Senegal's African Cup of Nations roster

(SBI EXCLUSIVE)

The Senegal national team has chosen Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul to be on its roster for the upcoming African Cup of Nations in Ghana starting January 20.

Coundoul was with Senegal for two recent friendlies in Paris, France, and he made his Senegalese national team debut last weekend in a 3-2 win against Mali. He played 45 minutes. He impressed enough in training and against Mali to take one of the three goalkeeper spots for the African Cup of Nations Tournament.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving folks. It is a slow day in the soccer world (thankfully), which will give us all a chance to relax and think about the past week's events in the soccer world.

As you know (or maybe not), Thanksgiving isn't a holiday in England, but this date will go down as The Day After Hell. As expected, England fired Steve McClaren as manager. The list of candidates to replace him is growing by the second. If only England's problems were isolated to the choice of manager.

Here are some other tidbits you may have missed:

Dane Richards played 70 minutes and looked pretty good playing a left wing role for Jamaica in its friendly win against Guatemala on Wednesday. No, he still can't shoot or cross, but he runs at defenders well and makes things happen.

Bouna Coundoul played a half for Senegal in its 3-0 win against Mali last weekend. He is vying for the third goalkeepers slot on Senegal's African Cup of Nations squad.

That's all for now. I wasn't planning to blog much today but you never know when inspiration may strike.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving folks and, as always, thanks for continuing to support Soccer By Ives.

New Earthquakes select first 10 players

The expansion San Jose Earthquakes took their first steps toward fielding a team on Wednesday after selecting 10 players in the MLS expansion draft.

Here are the selections:

Player, former club

• Ivan Guerrero- Chicago
• Jason Hernandez - Chivas USA
• Chris Pozniak-Toronto FC
• Ned Grabavoy- Columbus
• Brian Carroll - DC United
• Clarence Goodson -FC Dallas
• Ryan Cochrane- Houston
• Gavin Glinton- Los Angeles
• Joe Vide- NY Red Bulls
• James Riley - NE Revolution

Not too many real surprises on this list. Jason Hernandez was a bit surprising but he is an underrated player who provides steady defense at a good price. I am still trying to figure out why FC Dallas left Clarence Goodson exposed. I thought it might be because he's out of contract but for San Jose to select him tells me they expect him to stick around. I thought he was FC Dallas' best defender for a chunk of the season. I wonder what happened there.

Red Bulls fans will be sad to see Joe Vide go, and they should be. He was a tenacious defensive midfielder who had his flaws but will still be a good value for San Jose next year.

I will offer my detailed breakdown of these picks later. For now, share your thoughts on these picks below. What pick surprised you the most? What pick hurt the most? What pick made you laugh?

Fire way.

Michael Parkhurst: Will he stay or will he go? (UPDATED)

One of the more intriguing rumors to surface at MLS Cup was word that New England defender Michael Parkhurst was set to make a move to Fulham, making him the fifth American on the books at the London club.

So is he leaving or not? None of the Boston papers have reported anything substantial and neither have any of the reputable papers in England. The closest thing to confirmation at this point is the fact that someone (an overzealous Fulham fan perhaps) has already changed Michael Parkhurst's Wikipedia page to read that he's now a Fulham player (at least that's what it said before some childish individual changed it shortly after my post).

It makes sense that Parkhurst would go now, with one year remaining on his current MLS contract. If New England keeps him another year they would lose him for nothing after the 2008 season. Selling him now would at least bring the club some revenue (although it probably wouldn't be enough to offset the huge loss Parkhurst would be to a Revs defense that would be lost without him).

Dodging the Designated Player Rule

Amidst all the festivities of MLS Cup weekend, there were a few announcements that did not get the attention they deserved. The first was word from MLS that it was grandfathering the contracts of Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson and Carlos Ruiz so that their teams would not need to make them Designated Players to keep them.

I don't think I'm alone in believing that this decision was an absolute joke.

MLS Cup Weekend: A look back

Okay, I know some of you have asked me what the MLS Cup weekend in DC was like. Well, I have decided to post a diary of my experience at weekend's activities. The diary is LONG so I hope you have some time to kill. That's assuming you don't fall asleep while reading it.

Here it is, my diary of the MLS Cup Weekend:

List of players for the MLS Expansion Draft is set

Good morning folks. For those of you wondering what players the San Jose Earthquakes would have to choose from in Wednesday's expansion draft, wonder no more. Here are the players who will be available:

MLS Cup is going back to Cali (Carson to be exact)

Get your suntan lotion and dressy outfits ready, MLS Cup is going back to California in 2008 as the title game returns to the Home Depot Center after a three year hiatus from the jewel of Carson, California.

Khano Smith's 'headbutt'

If you watched the MLS Cup Final on Sunday one play that certainly stood out was when Khano Smith appeared to headbutt Houston defender Craig Waibel in the second half. Referee Alex Prus only gave Smith a yellow card though, so what gives?

According to Smith, he hit Waibel with his shoulder and not his head and insisted that Waibel dove to try and get him thrown out. As much as Smith's behavior on Sunday (his constant whining and his pushing of Joseph Ngwenya to get him off the field as he was subbing out) made him the target for fan boos, the video angles of the incident don't prove conclusively that Smith connected on the head butt motion. You could argue intent but Prus was right there and determined that Smith struck Waibel with his shoulder.

What say you? Should Smith have been sent off? Should Alex Prus be fitted for thick glasses? Should Chuck Liddell stunt double Craig Waibel go down in a heap so easily? Share your thoughts below.

Jose Angulo close to choosing MLS

Former high school All-American and St. Benedict's Prep standout Jose Angulo is very close to deciding on signing with Major League Soccer ahead of the 2008 MLS Draft in January.

According to sources close to Angulo, the left-footed striker has received strong interest from a top team in Italy but concerns about his citizenship status in MLS have Angulo leaning toward signing with MLS.

Monday Morning Center Back: The day after

Good morning folks. It is the day after one busy weekend of soccer action. You had MLS Cup, the US national team playing its last game and European championship and South American World Cup qualifiers going on. It truly was a soccer fan's paradise.

Here is a look back at some of the weekend's highlights:

Red Bulls denied permission to interview Juan Carlos Osorio

The Red Bulls' search for a head coach to replace Bruce Arena has led them to Chicago head coach Juan Carlos Osorio. Sources have told SBI that the Red Bulls asked for permission to speak with Osorio about their vacant head coaching position. Chicago turned down the Red Bulls request but there is still a possibility that the Fire will grant the Red Bulls permission to speak to Osorio.

If the scenario sounds familar to Fire and Red Bulls fans, it should since it was five years ago when the MetroStars hired away then-Fire coach Bob Bradley to become the Metros head coach.

MLS Cup XII: New England vs. Houston (Running Commentary)

Good morning folks. I'm coming to you from RFK Stadium and we are about an hour away from MLS Cup XII.

I'm writing you from the computer of Dallas-based writer and ESPN.com teammate Steve Davis because the wireless connection isn't working for everybody. Hopefully it gets hashed out or else you might be subjected to Soccer By Steve.

I will be doing a running commentary during the match (as soon as my computer gets a connection). For now you folks can start talking about today's final between Houston and New England. For those of you who missed my prediction, I'm going with the Revs in a 2-1 victory.

Enjoy the match and share your comments below:

MLS Cup Notes

Good afternoon folks. I'm back from watching the USA-South Africa match, which was definitely entertaining (Not the match, but going to Summer's to watch it). It has been a very interesting weekend in DC with last night's Commissioner's Party serving as the high point of the weekend. A veritable who's who of American soccer converged on Park at 14th and the information was flowing.

Here are some nuggets from the festivities:

MLS Cup Notes

It is still a little early in the weekend but here are some nuggets to pass along from the MLS Cup festivities:

MLS Cup XII: New England vs. Houston (Who will win?)

Good afternoon folks. It's been a crazy day of running around DC, but I have settled in at RFK Stadium and remembered that I needed to ask you all who you liked in this weekend's MLS Cup final.

Will it be Houston in a repeat or will New England break its MLS Cup jinx?

I liked Houston for a while but am now going to go with New England. The vibe coming out of the Revs camp is one of confidence. More importantly, Shalrie Joseph is fully healthy for the first time in three MLS Cups. With him operating at full strength I see the Revs pulling out a 2-1 result. Now, if Ching somehow starts then I might have to reconsider, but with the Flyin Hawaiian very doubtful for the match I'm sticking with New England as the pick.

What do you think? Share your pick and your thoughts on MLS Cup below.

Mourinho is in town

The world's most famous unemployed soccer coach is in Washington D.C. this weekend. No, not Greg Ryan, Jose Mourinho.

The former Chelsea manager is in town as a guest of Major League Soccer. He has been spotted around the nation's capitol and sources say he will attend MLS Cup.

As for whether he's being lined up to coach an MLS team? Don't bet on it.

Greetings from DC (Emilio wins MVP)

Good evening folks. Apologies for the lengthy blackout but I drove to down to DC today and took in the festivities at the ESPN Zone.

As you know by now, Luciano Emilio won the MVP Award, beating out Juan Pablo Angel. As SBI readers know, I felt Angel should win the award. I still feel that way, and feel like I made a pretty strong and clear argument for Angel, but I won't argue about Emilio winning it. He also had a tremendous season and is a worthy recipient. Now, if Cuauhtemoc Blanco would have won it there would have been some issues.

If Red Bulls fans want to complain about Angel being robbed you could consider it the final repayment for Amado Guevara stealing the MVP award from Jaime Moreno in 2004. I'm still trying to figure out how a guy who disappeared for the final two months of the 2004 season still won MVP.

SBI heads to MLS Cup

 

Good morning folks. Today I head to our nation's capitol for the 12th installment of the MLS Cup title game and for those of you who don't know, MLS Cup weekend consists of far more than just the game.

Cup weekend is also when officials from all of the league's teams converge in one place, creating a great atmosphere to gather information and meet people you have written about during the year. Of course that can lead to some interesting meetings (like when you end up in an elevator with someone you have ripped repeatedly).

This will be my sixth straight trip to MLS Cup and there have been some truly memorable moments during those trips. Here are some moments I can recall.

MLS Expansion Draft Lists (You Decide)

Apologies for the lack of posts this morning. I started doing the European Club Top 25 as well as a CONCACAF BEST XI and time just flew by. Those will come later.

For now, let's focus on MLS. The MLS Expansion Draft for San Jose is a week away, which means it isn't too early to start considering what players the league's 13 teams will protect.

Teams are allowed to protect 11 players and can leave only one senior international unprotected. Generation Adidas players don't count toward the protected list (unless they were graduated from the program, which most who played a good amount in 2007 will be.)

With these guidelines in place, I want to hear from you on who you think your team will (and should) protect.

Here is my stab at the Red Bulls protected list:

Monday Morning Center Back: Seattle is in, now who's next for MLS Expansion?

Good morning all. It has been a pretty active past few days in MLS.

After a year that saw an infusion of new talent, a crop of new coaches and even one new team (Toronto), we went through an entire season to wind up with the exact same two teams playing for the MLS Cup as last year, Houston and New England. Admit it, you were hoping for something less predictable.

There was also finally official word from MLS that Seattle will follow San Jose as the league's next expansion city.

As first reported on Soccer By Ives in late September, Seattle is expected to join the league in 2009.

MLS Playoffs: Kansas City at Houston (Your Running Commentary)

Good evening folks. In a few short hours we will find out who the second MLS Cup participant will be. Will it be defending champion Houston, or underdog Kansas City? We will find out at 8:30pm on Fox Soccer Channel.

WHo do I see winning? I can't see Kansas City knocking off the Dynamo under any circumstances. I mean hey, it's soccer, the best team doesn't always, but in this instance I'll take the battle-tested champions over the club that moonwalked its way into the playoffs.

I won't be doing a running commentary tonight but you are more than welcome to share your thoughts on the match below in the comments section, both before, during and after the match.

Enjoy the match.

This weekend's soccer on TV

 

No, there are no Manchester United-Arsenal type matches this weekend but if you are looking for entertaining match-ups, this weekend has its share.

Defending MLS champion Houston faces Kansas City with an MLS Cup berth on the line on Saturday night. On the European front, Manchester United plays host to Blackburn and Sevilla faces Villarreal in the best game on TV this weekend.

Here is the rest of this weekend's soccer games on TV (Feel free to add your own games to this list):

Gullit and Seau: Separated at birth?

If seeing pictures of Ruud Gullit has made you feel like you have seen that face somewhere before, it is because you have. The new LA Galaxy coach is a dead ringer for NFL linebacker Junior Seau:

   

Just a thought.

Oh, and Gullit is the one on the left.

TGIF- Will they ever learn?

Good morning all. One of the crazier weeks in recent memory is almost over and the news just keeps on coming in the soccer world.

The Los Angeles Galaxy is set to introduce Dutch legend Ruud Gullit as its next head coach today and I can't help but think about the vast array of high-profile foreign coaches who have come to MLS and failed to work the magic most expected of them.

There is little denying that Gullit is a charasmatic figure who should serve as a great spokesman for the Galaxy, and he is someone who should be able to handle the glare of the Beckham media circus, but will he get the job done on the sidelines? For all his exploits as a player, his coaching career has been filled with as many disappointments as successes.

What do you think? Do you see Gullit's hire as a genius move or another dumb attempt by Alexi Lalas to turn the Galaxy into some sort of glamour club?

Share your thoughts below.

MLS PLAYOFFS: Chicago Fire at New England Revolution (Running Commentary)

Good evening folks. We will find out the first qualifier for the MLS Cup final tonight when Chicago faces New England in the Eastern Conference Final. I will be doing a running commentary on the match and you can follow along and add your comments here.

Let's have some fun. Fire away.

MLS Rookie of the Year: Maurice Edu

Toronto FC midfielder Maurice Edu was named MLS Rookie of the Year today. Edu beat out Red Bulls midfielder Dane Richards and New England forward Adam Cristman (as well as RSL's Robbie Findley, who should have made the final three).

Edu was a rock for Toronto FC all season, showing vision, strength, athleticism and courage in central midfield. He scored four goals and showed enough quality to earn a U.S. national team call-up and start against Switzerland last month.

As you know, I voted for Richards but there is little doubting that Edu was the most talented rookie in this year's crop.

What do you think of Edu's honor? Share your thoughts on him and the rest of this year's MLS rookies below.

MLS Eastern Conference Final: Chicago at New England (Who will win?)

Okay folks, enough Red Bulls talk. The Eastern Conference final is set for Thursday night and it is time to start focusing on that match.

For those of you needing a primer on this match-up, here is my preview for ESPN.com. To sum it up, Chicago is riding a wave of confidence and playing quality soccer. The Revs, eh, not so much. They stumbled down the stretch of the regular season and didn't exactly look convincing in knocking off the Red Bulls. Could it be a U.S. Open Cup hangover or are the Revs just not that good?

I see a very tough game that Chicago pulls out. I just don't think New England's attack will create enough good chances. Chris Rolfe scores again and the Fire books its place in the final.

How do you see the East final going? Share your thoughts on the match below.

Monday Morning Center Back: The top seeds fall

Good morning all. It was a crazy weekend in Major League Soccer as the two best teams during the regular season, DC United and Chivas USA, both lost their first-round playoff series. The shakeup means Chicago and Kansas City, which both needed late-season wins just to make the MLS playoffs, are one win away from an MLS Cup final berth.

Last year's MLS Cup participants, Houston and New England, advanced with some help. FC Dallas lost its best defender, Clarence Goodson, to a stomach virus before the match, then saw midfielder Arturo Alvarez lose his mind and earn a red card after kicking Houston's Brad Davis in the groin. New England advanced with the help of a fluke concussion suffered by Red Bulls star Juan Pablo Angel (and a world-class pass by Shalrie Joseph that set up New England's game winner.)

Here are some other observations from the first round.

Yallop leaves LA, will coach San Jose

The inevitable has happened. Frank Yallop's tumultuous tenure with the Los Angeles Galaxy has ended. He reached an agreement on a buyout with the Galaxy and is set to coach the San Jose Earthquakes, which are set to return to MLS as an expansion team in 2008.

Yallop was always the front-runner to coach the Earthquakes after leading San Jose to a pair of MLS Cup titles during the club's first incarnation. His days in LA were also numbered after missing the playoffs for a second straight season.

Now that Yallop is heading back to San Jose the obvious question is who will the Galaxy turn to as its next coach. Who will lead the circus? Will LA look for a high-profile European coach or will the Galaxy hire an American coach?

What do you think of this news? Who do you see the Galaxy hiring to replace Yallop? Share your thoughts below.

Coundoul called up to Senegalese National Team

Call MLS the league of the goalkeeper. You already know about former MLS goalkeepers Brad Friedel, Tim Howard and Marcus Hahnemann plying their trades in the English Premier league, and now you've heard about Brad Guzan being scouted by Arsenal. Now, Colorado goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul is starting to gain international attention.

Soccer By Ives has learned that Coundoul has been called up to the Senegalese national team for upcoming friendlies against Mali ion Nov. 17 and Morocco on Nov. 21. Both friendlies will be played in Paris, France. The call-up is Coundoul's first.

MLS PLAYOFFS: Red Bulls at New England (The Pregame)

Good afternoon folks. I'm at Gillette Stadium and it is MISERABLE here. The combination of rain, cold and wind should make for an ugly game tonight (at least it isn't snowing like game two in 2005). On the bright side the football lines have been erased for the game.

Here are some updates for tonight's game:

Francis Doe is nursing an abdominal strain and is questionable for tonight's match.

No decision yet on Dave Van Den Bergh. He did make the trip but is a game-time decision. The team doesn't get here for another hour but when I get word on his status I will pass it along.

Also no word on the goalkeeper situation. If I had to guess I would expect Arena to stick with Conway.

Pat Noonan is questionable for the match. He has left training early the past few days and could be replaced by rookie Adam Cristman.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more updates as they become available.

MLS PLAYOFFS- Who wins in the West?

If you are still in some shock after seeing the No. 1 seed in the East go down on Thursday night, get ready. You may be in for another surprise.

The Kansas City Wizards are on the verge of knocking off West No. 1 seed Chivas USA in their playoff series. Chivas USA, which came into the playoffs without Ante Razov, will now face life without Maykel Galindo, who is expected to miss game two with a groin injury. KC won the first game 1-0 and has a very good chance of knocking off the Goats.

This weekend's soccer on TV

Admit it. When you heard Manchester United-Arsenal wasn't going to be on basic cable you almost cried? Now you will have to head over to an overcrowded soccer bar in the AM to see the can't-miss clash.

Want a consolation prize? How about Juve-Inter? Or Atletico Madrid-Villarreal? Is Real Madrid-Sevilla more your liking?

The point is there will be plenty of high-level clashes on TV this weekend for those of you who won't pay the pay-per-view cost or hit a soccer bar for Arsenal-Man U.

Here it is, this weekend's soccer TV schedule: