Major League Soccer: Looking Back at 17 Years of MLS

This league is just 17, if you know what I mean.But before I proceed to give you my most vain attempt at serenading/inundating you with Beatles classics hither and thither, I want to take this time to look back at Major League Soccer. It has grown in leaps and bounds. While the talent is still developing and has a ways yet to go before it reaches the level of the best leagues in the world, it is a reputable league in its own right.Last Friday marked the 17th anniversary of MLS's birth into the world. THe USA was several months away from successfully hosting association football's showcase event in the FIFA World Cup. In Las Vegas, a town that is known for dreaming big and bringing out the best in those who dream, a man by the name of Alan I. Rothenberg presented the framework for this league and unveiled its logo on Dec. 17.I was only 9 years old when this came out. Up until then, all I was used to seeing was the Big Four of Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League. I didn't know that Los Angeles ...

Los Angeles Galaxy Ins and Outs, Dec. 17, 2010

Edson Buddle gives it the ol' English tryLA Galaxy forward Edson Buddle was on trial with Blues of Premier League side Birmingham City. However, Los Angeles Galaxy manager Bruce Arena fancied the chances of signing Buddle to a new deal."We expect to sign Edson to a new contract,” Arena told MLSSoccer.com’s ExtraTime Radio on Thursday.And it's been there, trialed that for the American Pelé. The 29-year-old New York City-area native had serious interest from Norwegian side Frerikstad FK in 2006 while with Toronto FC. Buddle is expected to return to the States on Dec. 22.With the Galaxy landing Juan Pablo Ángel's rights, the possibility of Ángel and Buddle lining up as forwards could be a strong possibility, Arena notes.“We would anticipate Edson signing a new deal and I would have no problem playing those two players (Buddle and Ángel) together,” he told the show’s hosts. “I don’t see them being the same player. They are two potential target forwards, but I suspect those two will do quite well together.”Welcome back, JovanMidfielder Jovan Kirovski agreed to a one-year contract on Thursday that will see the former US international return to The Home Depot Center and head coach Bruce Arena for a ...

Escape from New York: Juan Pablo Angel Is Selected by the Los Angeles Galaxy

No longer wanted by the New York Red Bulls, Juan Pablo Angel will be moving to the West Coast. With the fourth pick in the 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft, the Los Angeles Galaxy made a serious statement when they selected the veteran forward.  “The reason we took him in the Re-Entry Draft is we think we can make it work,” Arena said during a media conference call on Wednesday. "I think Juan wants to make it work and we just have to get into some discussions this week and see if we can reach an agreement.” If both sides are able to reach an agreement, the Los Angeles Galaxy will have a team consisting of the scoring trio Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle and Juan Pablo Angel. Along with David Beckham, the 2011 Los Angeles Galaxy will automatically be considered a team that's capable of ousting current MLS Cup winners, the Colorado Rapids. In 2007, Juan Pablo Angel joined David Beckham and Cuauhtemoc Blanco as the MLS' first trio of Designated Players. While Beckham and Blanco received more attention, JPA was by far the most consistent player of the trio. In four seasons with the New York Red Bulls, JPA scored 58 ...

This Is The Los Angeles Galaxy: Frankie Hejduk

This is Part Two in a list of players that will be joining the Los Angeles Galaxy this season. Ever heard of that cheesy '80s song called "Relax"? The infectious chorus goes something along these lines. "Relax, don’t do itWhen you want to go to itRelax, don’t do itWhen you want to comeRelax, don’t do itWhen you want to sock it to itRelax ,don’t do itWhen you want to come..." Frankie Hejduk did. And he's going to Hollywood. Well, not exactly Hollywood; it's more like a town that's a just a short, little drive south of Hollywood. A town called Carson. A town where the Home Depot Center and the Los Angeles Galaxy reside. A town with a street called Victoria where he will be plying his trade next year. And Hejduk has plied his trade for quite some time now, playing the beautiful game. Now he returns back home to the Golden State for one more shot at adding to his accomplishments on the field and in Major League Soccer as a defender. Frankie Hejduk was born on Aug. 5, 1974 in La Mesa, California. This is a town of 54,749 (as of the 2000 Census) and a suburb of San Diego. La Mesa is known ...

This Is The Los Angeles Galaxy: Juan Pablo Ángel

This is Part One in a series of players that will be joining the Los Angeles Galaxy this season.When you walk into the hallowed grounds of Victoria Street and the Home Depot Center for a Los Angeles Galaxy home game, you will stumble upon three major groups of fans: the Los Ángeles Riot Squad, the Galaxians, and the Angel City Brigade.Of course, for the latter, the "A" in "Angel" may need to have an accent mark painted on top from now on. And its legions may probably have to pronounce themselves as the "Ahn-hell City Brigade."But why, do you ask? Why, oh why should there be changes such as this?Well, here's why: sunshine. It's because the Los Angeles Galaxy will have forward Juan Pablo Ángel roaming the pitch next season.Juan Pablo Ángel, you ask incredulously? The same Juan Pablo Ángel who used to be with the New York Red Bulls but didn't win much other than a conference crown and seasons of frustration?Yes, that Juan Pablo Ángel. And so this Colombian international comes to Los Ángeles on a mission: to help the Galaxy not only defend their Supporters' Shield, but win something bigger by season's end.Juan Pablo Ángel Arango was ...

Los Angeles Galaxy Ins and Outs, Dec. 16, 2010

So long, Tristan...The Los Angeles Galaxy parted ways with Tristan Bowen on Wednesday, shipping him to rival club Chivas USA. The received allocation money in the process to bring in players that will be mentioned later in this piece.“It’s a bit of a risk and a gamble on our part because we feel Tristan is a young player with great potential,” Galaxy coach Bruce Arena told MLSsoccer.com. “Given the issues with dealing with salary cap and improving our team in the short term, giving consideration to a third Designated Player, we had an opportunity to support that kind of thinking with receiving some allocation money in this trade.”Bowen was the first homegrown signing for Los Angeles, and in 17 appearances, he's scored two goals.Now his colors change from blue and gold...to red and white.“Tristan is a talented, explosive player, and we’re excited to bring him to the club,” Chivas USA interim general manager Jose Domene said in a statement. “He’s has a lot of experience at this level for a player of his age. We look forward to helping him develop into a top player alongside many of the other young, local players we have on our roster.""We’ve made a ...

Los Angeles Galaxy Ins and Outs, Dec. 10, 2010

Klein lays out blueprint for Galaxy Youth AcademyNow-retired Los Angeles Galaxy standout and current Senior Director of the LA Galaxy Academy Program and Special Projects Chris Klein wasted no time in making plans for the long-term development of the program over the week.“To be real honest, as I finished playing I became more and more excited about beginning the next chapter,” Klein told MLSsoccer.com. “I was really excited to get started and sink my teeth into this and learn and evaluate, to see how we can improve upon what has been a very good foundation.”On Klein's shoulders will be the task of developing local young talent who not only want to see their heroes in the strip, but will also be able to play for it as members of the Academy.“[It's about] How can we get players that grow up locally in Southern California to not only want to see the Galaxy, but to be able to play for the Galaxy,” Klein said. “The idea with our academy is getting players at a younger and younger age, to be able to develop them over a longer period of time."In this country, you’ve always had an issue where you look and find ...

Los Angeles Galaxy Ins and Outs, Dec. 8, 2010

Youth Academy UpdateThe Los Angeles Galaxy Youth Academy Under-18 and Under-16 teams were in action over the weekend at the USSF Development Academy Winter Showcase held at the Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix, Arizona.On Saturday, Dec. 4, the Galaxy U-18s and Under-16s took on Andromeda FC. The Under-18s were blown apart 4-2. Scoring for the Galaxy Under-18s were Eric Verso in the 45th minute and Angel Ayala in the 75th minute. The Under-16s fared better in their 2-0 shutout victory. Will Raygoza opened the scoring in the 41st minute before Chris Antunez made it the final margin in the 42nd minute.South Carolina United was an opponent the Under-18s could handle, aside from the Under-16s, on Monday, Dec. 6. Nat Schnitman broke open the scoring in the ninth minute, Dyllan Stevens doubled up the tally in the 16th and Neil Ignacio scored an insurance goal in the 74th minute of play to give Los Angeles a 3-0 shutout win. The match marked the debut of goalkeeper Vince Paldino, who maintained the clean sheet.As for the Under-16s, they went off to a fast start and never looked back. John McBean, one of the leading scorers on this year's Galaxy Under-16 side, ...

Major League Soccer: Should MLS Go To An NFL-Style Divisional Playoff System?

Is Major League Soccer's Conference system weakening the league's playoffs?  Should it be scrapped in favor of an NFL-style playoff system in which divisional games & rivalries are weighted more?  The Colorado Rapids, the overall No. 7 seed ended up winning the MLS Cup, after having defeated the No. 5 Columbus Crew in the quarterfinals, then the No. 8 San Jose Earthquakes in the semi-finals, before dispatching No. 4 FC Dallas 2-1 in the championship. These were the final standings in the MLS table at season's end: 1. Los Angeles Galaxy (59 pts.)  Western Conference 2. Real Salt Lake         (56 pts.)  Western Conference 3. New York Red Bulls (51 pts.)  Eastern Conference 4. FC Dallas                (50 pts.)  Western Conference 5. Columbus Crew        (50 pts.)  Eastern Conference 6. Seattle Sounders      (48 pts.)  Western Conference 7. Colorado Rapids        (46 pts.)  Western Conference 8. San Jose Earthquakes (46 pts.) Western Conference   Major League Soccer's playoff seeding system works as follows: There are two playoff brackets of four teams, one bracket per conference.  The brackets are seeded 1-4 within the conference.  However, if you look above, you'll note that there are six teams from the Western Conference in the top eight and only ...

New York Red Bulls Fans: Meet the Viking Army Supporters Club

One thing I wish Major League Soccer would do a better job of is provide better coverage of each team’s Supporters Club. Visibly seen at every MLS match, Supporter Clubs are the true investors and designated players of Major League Soccer. Not only are they investing their money towards their team, they’re creating a community which incorporates their specific MLS team into their lifestyle. Every MLS season, these loyal fans are willing to invest their time and money in creating signs, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, scarves, T-shirts and other supplies to match their Supporters Club and chosen team’s personality. In doing so, they can help create a positive atmosphere for their beloved team’s home while making it a difficult place for the opposition. One perfect example of the Supporters Club of which I’m talking about is from New Jersey. Utilizing Red Bull Arena as their vessel, this fraternity of loyal Red Bulls fans is often referred as “The Protectors of the Passaic.” With catch phrases of: "We got your Backe, Never Backe Down, Forza Red Bull, and Long Live the Beast from the East," this group of soccer warriors are hard to ignore and silence out. Their fearless leader is Red Bulls Head Coach ...