Thierry Henry Makes Debut in Regular Season and With Juan Pablo Angel

On Wednesday, the city of Houston played host to the Major League Soccer All-Stars. Tonight, the Houston Dynamo will host the biggest star in the MLS today, who was ineligible for the “showcase” against Manchester United days earlier. Thierry Henry, the French International, will make his New York Red Bulls and MLS regular season debut. On the heels of a World Cup that received a lot of attention, Henry has attracted a lot of focus to the Red Bulls and the league. Much like David Beckham in 2007, the high-profile star Henry will bring in a lot of money from jersey sales and extra fans to the games. He’ll also make a big difference on the field. Henry played in two Red Bulls exhibition matches last week against English Premier League sides Tottenham and Manchester City and he impressed. He scored in the 25th minute of his debut against Tottenham and in both matches, showed creativity and a great vision with dangerous passes that sprung forth a strong attack. In both those games, Henry only played the first 45 minutes. Against Houston, however, he will see increased time. But what makes his MLS debut more special is that it will be the first pairing of ...

Beckham May Not Return to A.C.Milan

Massimo Allegri who is the coach for the Italian Team AC Milan announced that he believes David Beckham "will not return to AC Milan for the third time." David Beckham played for Manchester United and Real Madrid before playing for LA Galaxy. Beckham was loaned by the LA Galaxy to A.C. Milan with the intention of keeping him in shape during the off-season of Major League Soccer. Mr. Allegri also insinuated that Beckham may not return since he is recuperating from an injury of the Achille's Tendon which sidelined him in the 2010 World Cup. While Beckham was present in the pre-season game between A.C. Milan and Arsenal, which ended in a draw, many people have expressed doubts about the future of the football/soccer astro. The US Latin Station Univision has conducted a survey about whether or not Beckham is able to recuperate his style if he also decided to return to the MLS. I would like to ask the readers about their opinion on the future of Beckham.Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Freddie Ljungberg Traded, Seattle Sounders To Face San Jose

The news has been swirling for weeks about Freddie Ljungberg and now, there is solid information to report concerning his status. Seattle Sounders FC announced Friday that the Swedish international star has been traded to the Chicago Fire in exchange for a selection in the 2011 or 2012 Super Draft. Ljungberg, 33, a two time MLS All-Star selection for the Sounders, led Seattle and finished fourth in in the league with nine assists in 2009. He was named the MLS October Player of the Month after assisting on the team's final four goals of the regular season, helping the Sounders reach the MLS Cup Playoffs in the club's inaugural season. Ljungberg was also a finalist for MLS Newcomer of the Year. "Freddie is a tremendous individual and an exceptional player who contributed greatly to the huge success of Sounders FC, both on and off the field, in the past year and a half," said Adrian Hanauer, general manager. "Freddie, along with Kasey Keller, gave this club immediate stature in the world's game, and we are grateful for his service. We wish him all the best in Chicago." "I want to start off by saying how proud I am to have been part of the most successful ...

It’s Not The End Of The World: 10 Things That Wont Happen By 2012

So, apparently the world is going to end in 2012. The Mayans predict it in their long-count calendar. Countless theories have been written about the end of time, and with good reason. Talk about the payday you'd get for being right about 2012! Wait. What good does a huge, one-day payday do? I smell rip-off. I think I can see Tony Little, Chuck Norris or Billy Mays' soul trying to sell me infomercial gear in the post-apocalypse. Speaking of something not happening before the end of the world, the idea hit me: What, in sports, might be cut short by the supposed 2012 end of times? Well, I'll give you a clue. Brett Favre made another B/R list, folks. So sit back, sip your coffee, clutch the rosary, and find out what the end of the world in 2012 will mean in sports.Begin Slideshow

Seattle Sounders Acquire Uruguayan National Alvaro Fernandez

On Thursday, the Seattle Sounders FC acquired Uruguay National Team midfielder Alvaro Fernandez. The 24-year-old Fernandez played in four matches for semifinalist Uruguay during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Fernandez qualifies as the club's third Designated Player. His signing will be finalized upon receipt of his International Transfer Certificate. Fernandez has not yet been added to the active roster. Per Major League Soccer and club policy, terms were not disclosed. Fernandez started for Uruguay in the quarterfinal against Ghana, and was a substitute in wins over South Africa, Mexico, and South Korea. La Celeste took fourth in South Africa, its best finish since 1970.  He has been capped 11 times by Uruguay, including appearances in six qualifiers-since his debut in 2008. "I'm very excited to be playing in the U.S. because the football has grown a lot in the last few years and keeps getting better," said Fernandez. "Seattle is beautiful and I think it's the ideal place to be with my family. All these things helped in making my decision." Sounders Coach Sigi Schmid said: "Alvaro is a versatile player who can play in a number of midfield positions. He brings good energy to the game as well as World Cup experience. He can ...

MLS: The Minor League of World Soccer

Soccer announcers have been fawning over the myriad successes and near-successes that MLS teams have had in their battles with European clubs, yet one must wonder if the victories have any meaning. The culmination of these friendlies (The MLS All Star Game) sheds the most light on the fledgling position of the MLS in the footballing world. Unlike the rest of the major American sports leagues, which showcase a match of their best star players in competition with each other, MLS chooses to field a team of its best players against a major European club. Moreover, the European clubs in both the All-Star Game and the friendlies are in preseason form, with their best players watching from the stands. The MLS All-Star Game is akin to a preseason match between the New York Yankees and the best that the Japanese baseball league has to offer. Even if the underdog wins, the victory is attributed to the incomplete, preseason form of the favorite. While Manchester United was praised for its 5-2 thrashing of the MLS All-Stars, had the result gone the other way, Manchester’s poor performance would have been blamed on the absence of Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic, and the club’s other top stars. Consequently, the most that ...

Five Ways the MLS Got Its All-Star Game Right

The MLS isn't the most successful league out there, but it does have one thing right: its All-Star game. Last night's matchup between the MLS All-Stars and Manchester United didn't turn out the way the league hoped, but they can't be upset with more than 70,000 fans jamming into Reliant Stadium to watch the match. Attendees got to catch a glimpse of the league's most talented players, such as Landon Donovan, and also saw one of the world's most famous clubs, Manchester United. Not bad for an American soccer match. Without further delay, here are five things the MLS has right with its All-Star Game.Begin Slideshow

Fredy Montero Blast Gives Seattle Sounders 1-0 Win Over Metapan

Seattle striker Fredy Montero answered the call once more to give the Sounders one more dramatic win at a time of nervous deadlock. The Sounders pulled out a 1-0 triumph over El Salvador’s AD Isidro Metapan before 17,228 fans at the Xbox Pitch of Qwest Field in the first leg of CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round series Wednesday night. The game was moving into the final half hour and the Seattle Sounders had been unable to score despite numerous efforts and a stifling defense that kept the visitors at bay. An element of urgency was present for good reason.  With this the home leg and a rematch set for San Salvador on August 3 the Sounders could fall into a big hole with a draw and the road test beckoning. Montero had been kept on the bench until the 60th minute.  Seattle’s other speedy striker Steve Zakuani had come in during the 57th minute.  The stage was set and the booming leg of Montero, who was recently named to the MLS All-Star team for the second year in a row, was prepared for the occasion. After trotting onto the pitch to replace Nate Jaqua, Montero scored on his first touch within seconds of entering the ...

CONCACAF Champions League: Seattle Sounders 1-0 Isidro Metapan

Seattle Sounders managed to defeat the visiting team of Isidro Metapan of El Salvador by one goal. Freddy Montero of Sounders was able to score within 60 minutes with a 40 meter center kick that surprised the Isidro Metapan goalkeeper Misael Alfaro who allowed the ball to go into his net. Freddy Montero scored his sixth goal for the Sounders in the 2010 Season with this goal after replacing Nate Jacqua. The game itself was intense, with the Sounders dominating from the beginning with their consistency and discipline. The Sounders also had the hometown advantage against one of the most powerful teams in El Salvador. Reagrdless of such advantages, there were failed attempts at scoring a goal before Montero. James Riley who is the fullback to the Sounders was able to strike through the right flank and play the ball to Nyassi. Nyassi was then able to connect with Montano who then allowed the ball to go off the intended target. Osvaldo Alonso was able to take a free kick from the 18 yard box edge after a dangerous kick by Eirck Prado who is the defender for Metapan but it was deflected. Roger Levesque and Michael Seamon attempted another kick which was also deflected. Misael ...

Houston Dynamo’s Brian Ching Scores, Assists at 2010 MLS All Star Game

L ocal soccer fans in attendance at the 2010 MLS All Star Game in Houston got a reason to cheer as they saw a local player get into the game and score a goal. Houston Dynamo's forward Brian Ching came into the game in the 46th minute as a replacement for Juan Pablo Angel. The orange clad Dynamo fans in the stands came to their feet when he headed a free kick from David Ferreira past Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. His goal came in the 64th minute, taking the score to 2-1, cutting the Red Devil's lead to one. He came back with an assist in the 90th minute on Dwayne De Rosario's goal. The goals by Ching and De Rosario are all the MLS All Stars could put on the scoreboard. Ching was added to the All Star roster by Commissioner Don Garber as one of his two exclusive picks. "It was really amazing to do that in front of all those fans. It was an incredible atmosphere, and I will always remember that moment," Ching stated in the post-game press conference. He also said, "This was a good night for the MLS. It showed how far the MLS has come. Soccer is the top youth sport out there, ...