MLS Thread

just wondering if anyone has seen Kansas City play at all? Marinelli plays for them now, wondering if he's playing well, or if he's gone right down the shitter.

apparently he has only played for them twice but scored once

cheers, not bad then I suppose..in a way.

US midfielder eyes Everton move

Columbus Crew midfielder Danny Szetela craves a second chance with Everton but appears more likely to be heading for Italian football.

The USA Under-20 international rejected a move to Goodison as a 16-year-old.

Agent Shep Messing told BBC Sport: "Everton are probably his preferred destination, while Middlesbrough and Reading are also interested.

"But there's more interest from Serie A and we're closer to doing something in Italy, possibly in the next two weeks."

Lazio, Parma, Roma and Siena have all been in touch about a player who would be available for a small compensation fee of about £25,000 as his contract ends in December.

He could yet remain in the MLS with Columbus, but the 20-year-old's Polish parentage means an EU passport would ease his passage across the Atlantic.

Szetela returned to action after almost a year out through injury to score three times in five games for the USA in this summer's Under-20 World Cup in Canada.

Reports have suggested that those performances have also led to interest from Rangers, Galatasaray and Swiss outfit Sion.

"The UK would be his preference should he leave the US because of the English language," said Messing.

"So Rangers would be good, but I have heard nothing from them.

"He had the chance to go to Everton when he was 16, but he felt he was too young to leave his family and decided on the MLS.

"However, he was impressed by the club and the people there."

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Heard some good things about the player , has future potential .. could be a interesting move.

Is there a chance he move , most Americans who move to England seem to succeed if given a chance.

Raifael wrote:Is there a chance he move , most Americans who move to England seem to succeed if given a chance.

i dont see why not, but i dont know if he would get the chance to play just yet at everton which would be the problem. at least he'd have howard to bond with

It's not looking good for LA's investment. Some fans' signs during Dallas-LA match.

"David, welcome to America, where people like you get paid to do nothing."

"Bench it like Beckham."

It's not good when fans already lump Becks with the Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld kind of crowd.

This is only because of some idiots who don't understand that when a player is injured he can't play. How stupid are they, venting their anger over paying for tickets to take part in the hype by insulting Beckham. It also illustrates the desperation of LA Galaxy and the entire MLS that they've hyped up this situation to such an unbelievable extent.

kas wrote:This is only because of some idiots who don't understand that when a player is injured he can't play. How stupid are they, venting their anger over paying for tickets to take part in the hype by insulting Beckham. It also illustrates the desperation of LA Galaxy and the entire MLS that they've hyped up this situation to such an unbelievable extent.

I know kas, but I understand why many fans are pissed off already. They see a guy who's making all that dough for sitting on his ass. The timing is not good considering the state of the economy nowadays. The rich getting richer, and middle class America getting squashed.

LA was very smart in not paying Beck's wages. They're paying him peanuts. Oddly enough it's what they've got so far from him.

what do you mean they have got peanuts from him they sold 100,000 becks jersey in the first 48 hours. even if he doesnt play a single game for mls, beckham has done his job

Mexicanbecks wrote:what do you mean they have got peanuts from him they sold 100,000 becks jersey in the first 48 hours. even if he doesnt play a single game for mls, beckham has done his job

You're right Mexican! I forgot to include "on the pitch". Somehow I think Lalas never expected that much on the field contribution from him. Many fans here never bought the hype, that's all for the kids (and that's cool), but the knowledgeable fans know better. It's great business at any rate, much like at Real Madrid.

Puro wrote:

Mexicanbecks wrote:what do you mean they have got peanuts from him they sold 100,000 becks jersey in the first 48 hours. even if he doesnt play a single game for mls, beckham has done his job

You're right Mexican! I forgot to include "on the pitch". Somehow I think Lalas never expected that much on the field contribution from him. Many fans here never bought the hype, that's all for the kids (and that's cool), but the knowledgeable fans know better. It's great business at any rate, much like at Real Madrid.

Beckham played well for Madrid, at the start and end of his career there anyway. Obviously there is a greater interest in him because of his marketability but its ridiculous to ignore his skills as a footballer (when he is on form).

SteveOoO wrote:

Puro wrote:

Mexicanbecks wrote:what do you mean they have got peanuts from him they sold 100,000 becks jersey in the first 48 hours. even if he doesnt play a single game for mls, beckham has done his job

You're right Mexican! I forgot to include "on the pitch". Somehow I think Lalas never expected that much on the field contribution from him. Many fans here never bought the hype, that's all for the kids (and that's cool), but the knowledgeable fans know better. It's great business at any rate, much like at Real Madrid.

Beckham played well for Madrid, at the start and end of his career there anyway. Obviously there is a greater interest in him because of his marketability but its ridiculous to ignore his skills as a footballer (when he is on form).

Lalas is a genius, if MLS gets any recognition in Europe its because of him. not only does he poke at the europeans about how great MLS is, but than he raised the interest level with beckham. (lalas was a good defender as well for america ) if they wanted a skilled player they would get someone who would score goals/impress with skills... BECKHAM WONT DO THAT and he knows that, but it worked. now he is trying to get zidane out of retirement and said figo will be in MLS next year

Mexicanbecks wrote:

SteveOoO wrote:

Puro wrote:

Mexicanbecks wrote:what do you mean they have got peanuts from him they sold 100,000 becks jersey in the first 48 hours. even if he doesnt play a single game for mls, beckham has done his job

You're right Mexican! I forgot to include "on the pitch". Somehow I think Lalas never expected that much on the field contribution from him. Many fans here never bought the hype, that's all for the kids (and that's cool), but the knowledgeable fans know better. It's great business at any rate, much like at Real Madrid.

Beckham played well for Madrid, at the start and end of his career there anyway. Obviously there is a greater interest in him because of his marketability but its ridiculous to ignore his skills as a footballer (when he is on form).

Lalas is a genius, if MLS gets any recognition in Europe its because of him. not only does he poke at the europeans about how great MLS is, but than he raised the interest level with beckham. (lalas was a good defender as well for america ) if they wanted a skilled player they would get someone who would score goals/impress with skills... BECKHAM WONT DO THAT and he knows that, but it worked. now he is trying to get zidane out of retirement and said figo will be in MLS next year

Beckham will go because of his wife and his love for fame. The other figures of Beckham's stature are not so fame obsessed and don't have domineering wives. He isn't just a big name because of his fame though, obviously it's a huge factor, but his number of assists at Man U was ridiculously high. He is a game winning player even if he doesn't score much any more.

Is it just just me or is MLS on FSC a joke? While they show a guy who gets bumped down they miss showing a scoring opportunity. The video people are idiots, and the commentators are blind.

watching my first MLS match in months. LA goes down 1-0 by a nice freekick from angel. Dinho-esque with slotting it under the wall when they jump

beckham sends in a nice corner, glancing header from pavon goal

beckham gets a nasty tackle on him and there is a little scuffle between teams.

angel has been pretty active.

nice deep free kick from becks, goal pavon. similar to the terry one back from his expulsion

jsut noticed, angel and beckham are the captains.

Giving MLS more star power
By Martin Rogers, Yahoo! Sports
August 22, 2007

Martin Rogers
Yahoo! Sports

Every soccer fan has his or her own opinion on how Major League Soccer should go about trying to improve itself as a product. Some are in favour of scrapping the playoffs. Others believe the knockout format provides necessary end-of-season excitement.

The concept of a system of promotion and relegation also divides opinion, but one topic which all MLS followers have an interest is that of which overseas talent might follow David Beckham into the league.

Commissioner Don Garber insists his organization "wants" rather than "needs" big-name imports, and he is right in insisting that a haphazard approach to signing superstars would be dangerous and counter-productive.

Below is Yahoo! Sports' list of the 10 players who should be on the radar of Garber and the CEOs of MLS clubs.

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It has to be realistic, so the likes of Ronalidinho, Kaka, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are not mentioned. Their age and current contract situations mean there is no chance of seeing them playing regularly Stateside anytime soon.

The following players, however, could be gracing MLS stadiums within the next few years, and they would certainly add something positive to an improving product.

1. Ronaldo (age 30, AC Milan, Brazilian). Past his best? Yes. Weight problems? Well, coming to the States probably won't help his waistline. But if you had to choose someone to put away a scoring chance to save your life, there would be no one better. Perhaps the most natural pure finisher the game has ever seen – and that sort of ability is never completely lost.

According to reports, the New York Red Bulls were close to signing him before he agreed to a 12-month extension at Milan. However, he loves the U.S. and it would be no surprise to see him in MLS within the next year or two.

Possible destination: New York Red Bulls or a second New York franchise.

2. Zinedine Zidane (age 35, retired, French). He retired after the 2006 World Cup and his infamous head butt on Marco Materazzi, but seems to be getting itchy feet and is pencilled in to play against the Los Angeles Galaxy in an exhibition in Australia later this year.

Indications are that he could be tempted to pull on the boots for a couple more seasons and he won't want to play at a lower level in Europe. Just imagine him and Beckham both playing central midfield together. Ouch, watch out league.

Possible destination: Los Angeles Galaxy, San Jose Earthquakes (who return to MLS as an expansion team in 2008).

3. Claude Makelele (age 34, Chelsea, French). Anyone with even a vague interest in the English Premiership knows all about the famed Chelsea defense. In the first two seasons of Jose Mourinho's reign, the west London side conceded only 37 goals in 76 league matches.

John Terry rightly took much of the credit, but the unsung hero was Makelele, who created a formidable barrier by playing just in front of the back four. Makelele has talked about his wish to play in MLS but just signed a one-year extension to extend his Chelsea contract to 2009. Perhaps even more noteworthy: He has a hot partner – Noemie Lenoir, a supermodel turned actress who starred in "Rush Hour 3."

Likely destination: Houston Dynamo.

4. Rafael Marquez (age 28, Barcelona, Mexican). The Mexico defender signed a new contract at Barcelona after the last World Cup to keep him at the Nou Camp until 2010. By then he will be 31, and there are strong suggestions in Spain that he could be interested in a move to MLS at that stage of his career.

Cuauhtemoc Blanco has been superb since moving to Chicago and has some productive years ahead. But by 2010, he will be 37 and the Fire's fanatical Mexican supporters could be ready for a new cult hero.

Possible destination: Chicago Fire, Chivas USA.

5. Fabio Cannavaro (age 33, Real Madrid, Italian). Italy's legendary defender would add some steel to any MLS defense. He received some criticism following his move to Real Madrid following the 2006 World Cup, but he won over fans by the end of the season.

Two years still remain on his Madrid contract, but Cannavaro has always kept himself in phenomenal condition. Even at 35 in 2009, he would be an exemplary addition to the league.

Possible destination: Toronto FC.

6. Thierry Henry (age 30, Barcelona, French). The former Arsenal striker has just joined Barcelona and will not be leaving any time soon, but several factors point to a future move to MLS. The newly single Frenchman is close friends with NBA star Tony Parker and has often listed New York as his favorite vacation destination.

He even has some presence here, having been featured on Gillette television advertisements alongside Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. He would terrorize MLS defenses with his pace and ability.

Possible destination: New York Red Bulls, Houston Dynamo, FC Dallas.

7. Juan Sebastian Veron (age 32, Estudiantes, Argentinean). Veron is currently back with his hometown club Estudiantes in Argentina and recently rebuffed repeated efforts to bring him to D.C. United. But while the deal is on ice for now, it may not be completely dead, with D.C. desperate to get a big-name drawing card to add some spice to its impressively solid and well-drilled squad.

Veron has plenty of ability and while his work ethic has sometimes been questioned, he would certainly be effective in MLS.

Possible destination: D.C. United.

8. Ryan Giggs (age 33, Manchester United, Welsh). Giggs was the predecessor to David Beckham at Manchester United, becoming a teenage icon after breaking through as a 17-year-old. He subsequently took a step back from the high life, but continued to excel on the field and has won a record nine Premiership titles.

His United contract ends next year and he is expected to retire, but he could be tempted by a switch to MLS.

Possible destination: New England Revolution, Colorado Rapids.

9. Henrik Larsson (age 35, Helsingborgs, Swedish). Larsson may be impossible to get – after all, he turned down a contract extension at Barcelona to return to Swedish club Helsingborgs. However, there were suggestions that part of that was due to him wanting his children not to grow up in Spain.

He may not have similar reservations about the U.S. Larsson is so much more than just a goal scorer; he would be a gem for MLS.

Possible destination: San Jose Earthquakes.

10. Pierluigi Collina (age 47, retired, Italian). OK, I know it's cheating by choosing a referee as No. 10. But Collina is a cult figure and a truly sensational referee. Scandalously pensioned off in Italy due to his age, the greatest ref in history would be a brilliant addition to MLS and would help improve refereeing standards that are far from perfect.

i whole heartedly agree with most of the list, cept with giggs and cannavaro, i think every one else could possibly be in the mls within 3-6 years along with shevchenko

Mexicanbecks wrote:jsut noticed, angel and beckham are the captains.

Are you watching a re-run of the 5-4? Because the Chivas match doesn't start for a couple of hours.

yeah, its on ESPN classics.

HT. 0-0 of "el clasico" of MLS. Most of the chances coming from chivas, Joe Cannon is proving that he is the best goalkeeper in MLS by far. A bit of a scuffle a really late tackle from marsch into beckham causing a big fight. Chivas player head butted a galaxy player and both of them got sent off.

Final score 3-0 to Chivas after some extremely effective counter-attacking thanks to Xavier's adventures up the field (for the first two goals).


Beckham didn't look like an athlete fit to play a professional sport - he barely ran around during the match, and at the end he was limping again. What makes this whole saga even more farcical is that Landon Donovan (who played for the US against Sweden in Gothenburg also on Wednesday, but only for 60 mins) was only a 2nd half sub, but Beckham played the full 90 mins

All in all, a disastrously managed situation by the Galaxy, the player himself, and the world class idiot that is Steve McLaren.

Source: Brazilian Denilson headed to FC Dallas

Jogo Bonito, Finally.


The on again, off again agreement between FC Dallas and Brazilian World Cup winner Denilson is back on and finally for good.

Sources told ESPN.com that FC Dallas has finally agreed to a deal with the 29 year-old midfielder. The club is very hopeful Denilson will be available for his MLS debut Sept. 1 vs. D.C. United and for FC Dallas' U.S. Open Cup semifinal on Sept. 4 at the Seattle Sounders.

A month ago, a source close to the negotiations was "pessimistic" a deal would be reached after Denilson had decided to take some more time and explore other options. Negotiations were also delayed due to visa issues as Denilson's original tourist visa expired and he had to acquire a second visa to enter the U.S. The club expects the Brazilian will not have any issues receiving his P-1 visa.

To make room for Denilson, the club will have to create a roster space and currently has all of its four senior internationals slots filled (Adrian Serioux, Marcelo Saragosa, Carlos Ruiz and Pablo Ricchetti).

The source said, "Steve [Morrow] loves this group and that makes it hard. If it were up to him, he'd just keep adding to the roster."

The source also confirmed the major sticking point between the two sides was not the overall financial value of the offer but rather the length of years of the contract.

Denilson arrived back in Dallas Wednesday for the second time since beginning talks with the club earlier this summer. This time he had his team of lawyers and advisors in tow to sign the contract.

Denilson, who last played his club soccer in Saudi Arabia, was a key contributor to Brazil's 2002 World Cup win and becomes just the 4th player ever in MLS history to have won a World Cup. The Metrostars/New York Red Bulls have had the previous three with Branco, Lothar Matthaus and Youri Djorkaeff.

The winger has been keeping fit back in Brazil by training with the first team of Sao Paulo club Palmeiras and playing matches with their reserves. The club will officially present Denilson on Friday at Pizza Hut Park.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=456121&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines&cc=5739

Last month I read that an american(US) investment group made an offer to Boca for the rights of using our name for a U.S. franchise called "BOCA US" plus Boca would own 15% of the franchise without putting a single dollar in it.

Do these things actually happen in the MLS? can it be true? or is it all just page-filling Cr@p the press comes up with?

kas wrote:Final score 3-0 to Chivas after some extremely effective counter-attacking thanks to Xavier's adventures up the field (for the first two goals).


Beckham didn't look like an athlete fit to play a professional sport - he barely ran around during the match, and at the end he was limping again. What makes this whole saga even more farcical is that Landon Donovan (who played for the US against Sweden in Gothenburg also on Wednesday, but only for 60 mins) was only a 2nd half sub, but Beckham played the full 90 mins

All in all, a disastrously managed situation by the Galaxy, the player himself, and the world class idiot that is Steve McLaren.

i wouldnt blame LA so much, they are in the midst of an injury crisis. last game they had a whole makeshift back line and in this game they only had Xavier from their starting back line