BREAKING NEWS: Dax McCarty Traded from Portland Timbers to D.C. United

Well that was quick. Earlier today, the buzz around American soccer was Dax McCarty being the first pick in the MLS Expansion Draft, surrounded by talk as to why FC Dallas would ever not protect McCarty. In the blink of an eye, the redhead has moved from the Pacific Northwest to the nation's capital. McCarty, was traded to D.C. United from Portland for a pair of fourth-round picks in next year's Super Draft, and in exchange for United's Rodney Wallace.  In ways it seems fair. Solid defender for solid midfielder and the United with a need for a young mid with control, toughness and a controlling mentality.  Then again, they're in need of a defense. However, the question is whether or not the United can make up for that in the off-season with trading, signings or new transfers by the time the window closes on New Year's Day? Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

2010 MLS Expansion Draft: Pick-By-Pick

This afternoon, or this morning depending on where you are, Major League Soccer will be having its 2010 MLS Expansion Draft. The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC will be selecting 10 players each from the field of available candidates. I'm your host Tyler Walter, and I will be covering each pick selection live:  PORTLAND ROUND VANCOUVER Dax McCarty 1 Sanna Nyassi Eric Brunner  2 Atiba Harris  Adam Moffat  3 Nathan Sturgis  Anthony Wallace  4 Shea Salinas  David Horst  5 Alan Gordon  Robbie Findley  6 O'Brian White  Peter Lowery  7 Alejandro Moreno  Jonathan Bornstien  8 Joe Cannon  Jordan Graye  9 Jonathan Leathers  Arturo Alvarez  10 Joe Thorrington    3:15 PM: That will do it for live commentary on the MLS Expansion Draft. Thanks for tuning in! 3:06 PM: In my opinion, I would say Vancouver won in this expansion draft. Primarily because Portland has selected players that are likely to stay abroad for some time. They did select a strong midfield, but that does no good if you lack a defense and offense. If I were to predict the final standings right now, I would say Portland finishes just shy of the playoffs, while Vancouver could potentially be a wildcard in next year's playoffs. Vancouver will be praising Garber if that happens... 2:54 PM: Houston, LA, New York and New England escape the draft without anyone stolen. Flustering if you're a Revs fan. 2:53 PM: Vancouver on the clock for their final ...

Los Angeles Galaxy Protect Players Ahead of Expansion Draft

In anticipation of the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft, the Los Angeles Galaxy announced their players on their protected list. The players are as follows: David Beckham – Midfielder (International Player) Chris Birchall – Midfielder (International Player) Edson Buddle – Forward A.J. DeLaGarza – Defender Landon Donovan – Forward Todd Dunivant – Defender Sean Franklin – Defender Omar Gonzalez – Defender Juninho – Midfielder (International Player) Donovan Ricketts – Goalkeeper (International Player) Michael Stephens – Midfielder As a member of Generation Adidas, forward Tristan Bowen was automatically protected. Bowen did not graduate from the program and will be classified as a Generation Adidas player for the 2011 season. The Galaxy's unprotected players are: Gregg Berhalter – Defender Alex Cazumba – Midfielder (International Player) Bryan Jordan – Forward Jovan Kirovski – Midfielder Chris Klein – Midfielder Dema Kovalenko – Midfielder Leonardo – Defender (International Player) Eddie Lewis – Midfielder Mike Magee – Forward Yohance Marshall – Defender (International Player) Brian Perk – Goalkeeper Josh Saunders – Goalkeeper The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps will be the 17th and 18th clubs to join Major League Soccer when they begin play in 2011. Both expansion clubs will select 10 players from the list of unprotected players supplied by the other 16 MLS clubs, though no current team can lose more than two players in the Expansion Draft. The draft will ...

2010 MLS Expansion Draft: One Player Each Team Will Definitely Lose

Now that the 2010 season is over, two new teams—the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps—have officially joined MLS. They’ll get to build their teams through the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft on Wednesday. The list of unprotected players has been released and there is a lot of talent on this list. Designated Players Juan Pablo Angel and Geovanni are on it, as is former MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Those players are making max money however, and expansion teams usually lean towards cheaper and much younger options. With two teams picking players this year, some MLS clubs may lose two players. But here is a list of one player from each team most likely to get selected.Begin Slideshow

2010 MLS Expansion Draft: Are The Philadelphia Union Taking a Gamble on Goalies?

Philadelphia Union has revealed their list of 11 players that will be ineligible for selection during MLS Expansion Draft 2010 on Wednesday, November 24, 2010.  Additionally, Union’s youngsters Jack McInerney, Danny Mwanga and Amobi Okugo will also be left out of the unprotected list as Generation Adidas players cannot be drafted.  Interesting to note that the team has left both goal keepers, Chris Seitz and Brad Knighton unprotected in addition to fan favorite Fred. Also, the team has added newly acquired mid-fielder Brian Carroll to their protective list. Philadelphia Union’s Protective Players: 1 Danny Califf DF 2 Brian Carroll MF 3 Juan Gonzalez DF 4 Jordan Harvey DF 5 Sebastien Le Toux FW 6 Justin Mapp MF 7 Kyle Nakazawa MF 8 Michael Orozco Fiscal DF 9 Toni Stahl MF 10 Roger Torres MF 11 Sheanon Williams DF Generation adidas Players (exempted from selection): 1 Jack McInerney FW 2 Danny Mwanga FW 3 Amobi Okugo MF Unprotected Players: 1 Cristian Arrieta DF 2 Eduardo Coudet MF 3 Fred MF 4 Andrew Jacobson MF 5 Brad Knighton GK 6 Stefani Miglioranzi MF 7 Alejandro Moreno FW 8 J.T.Noone DF 9 Shea Salinas MF 10 Chris Seitz GK 11 Nick Zimmerman FW Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

2010 MLS Expansion Draft: The Best 11 Available

Earlier today, the 16 MLS clubs announced their protected players from being selected by Portland Timbers or Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft. One thing I noticed from the list was the mass of talent that could be not only a playoff-bound club, but a club finishing inside the top five. At least...I believe it's possible.After analyzing the list, I have come to a best starting XI combination of available players using a 4-4-2 formation (a goalie, four defenders, four midfielders, and two strikers).We will start out with the goalie which would be...Begin Slideshow

Why Expanding MLS Cup to 10 Clubs Is a Step Backwards for the League

If there's anything Don Garber seems to create, it's outrage among the hardcore American soccer fans, more eager than ever to Europeanize Major League Soccer. This season Garber's been chewed out by the public for his reluctance and snarky statements regarding the "need" for conferences and the unwillingness to progress to a single table. His latest decision is to increase the playoff pool from eight clubs to 10, a move Garber most likely hopes can garner money from fans in the "wild card" round and grab TV contracts. The price he's paying is a field of less competitive teams (10 clubs qualify, eight don't), plus giving numerous markets the false hope they have a good soccer club so that they will give some interest. There's even more emphasis on playoff play, something that needs to be lightened—and eventually removed entirely. However, Garber has done many great things for the league to progress in the right direction: He has found the right, medium-sized markets that have embraced their clubs, and he saved the league when it was at the cusp of bankruptcy (and learned Florida hates sports—period). Although it's modest, over the past two or so years, he's begun to press for some minor interest in competitions including the ...

Colorado Rapids Win First MLS Cup Ever

TORONTO—In their typical scrappy fashion, the Colorado Rapids clawed their way to a 2-1 win in extra time to claim their first MLS Cup. On Sunday night at BMO Field in Toronto, the Rapids encapsulated their entire season in one physical, gutsy performance that brought the MLS Cup to Colorado. Early, the game looked as though it would go the way of a pre-written MLS script.  Recently named league MVP, David Ferreira, scored on a well-timed cross from Dallas midfielder Marvin Chavez.  With a win, Dallas would also claim their first MLS Cup with the MVP in tow.  Chavez would of course be named finals MVP, and Colorado would probably look into changing their logo or colors again.Read MoreRead more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

MLS Cup: Five Things We Learned From Sunday’s Title Tilt

The 2010 version of the MLS Cup may not have been glamorous, but it was certainly thrilling to the end. The Colorado Rapids came from behind to beat FC Dallas in overtime 2-1, and Rapids forward Conor Casey was named the game’s MVP. Don Garber spoke during halftime and MLS fans learned some things that the league will change next year (number of playoff teams) and will think about changing in the future (going with the official FIFA calendar). It was intriguing and will certainly be hot topics for debate. That being said, there were also some things done on the field that are worth talking about. Here are five things we learned from the MLS Cup.Begin Slideshow

MLS Cup 2010, Colorado 2-1 FC Dallas; Recap, Play-by-Play, Analysis

This is it, folks. The 2010 Major League Soccer Cup is here, fresh, live, and direct from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. One of two teams will earn their very first star to put on their crest. Who will it be? Will it be FC Dallas? Or the Colorado Rapids? Bleacher Report will give you all the action from a word's-eye view live from BMO Field as we close the door on another successful season in MLS.Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com