David Beckham May Have To Stay on Holiday Following Alexi Lalas’ BBC Interview

Harry Redknapp’s loan ranger master plan was in tatters last night after former LA Galaxy manager Alexi Lalas poured cold water on David Beckham’s chances of appearing in a Tottenham shirt later this month. Lalas, in charge of Beckham’s MLS club from 2006-2008, told BBC Radio 5 live: "Soccer fans in the US say David Beckham has given a lot, but he's also taken a tremendous amount out of Major League Soccer. "The reason David Beckham went over to Milan was to prepare, in theory for the World Cup. "I think that was commendable and understandable to a certain extent but now it is happening once again." Redknapp has been most vocal in his interest in taking Becks, England’s most capped outfield player, on loan, though Newcastle and Blackburn have also expressed an interest this week. Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy’s second-most famous player, has already rejected the chance to go out on loan as he did so successfully with Everton before the World Cup. And American fans remain furious over the six-month Achilles tendon injury 35-year-old Beckham suffered playing on loan for AC Milan against Chievo in March. That put him out of ...

Los Angeles Galaxy Ins and Outs, Jan. 4, 2011

Frankie Comes To [Bring Glory For] HollywoodIt seems imminent that Frankie Hejduk will close out his storied career in Major League Soccer as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy. Stints in Germany, Switzerland and a couple of World Cups with the US men's national team are just the bonus to a decade and a half of playing the world's game on America's stage.The Galaxy signed Hejduk to a one-year contract. The Galaxy acquired the rights to Hejduk earlier this month in a trade with Sporting Kansas City, who had selected him in the first round of Stage 2 of the MLS Re-Entry Process, in exchange for the rights to midfielder Luke Sassano.“We’re very pleased to be able to come to terms with Frankie Hejduk,” said manager Bruce Arena. “I believe he will be a great addition to our team and will give us added depth and experience to our backline.”"I'm going back to my roots, where it all began,” Hejduk told MLSSoccer.com earlier last week. “What a great opportunity to get to play in front of my friends and family.“I’m happy that everything worked out the way it did and very excited to join a great organization and team ...

Freddy Adu Will Be Back: The First Of Eleven Predictions For 2011

Here’s an old prediction, now recast for 2011:  This will be Freddy Adu’s comeback year. His critics insist Adu is finished, barely a journeyman, and his latest gig is proof.  He has been practicing, without a contract, with FB Randers, now in 10th place out of 12 teams in the Danish super liga.   Of course you could argue that at 21 Adu is still a hugely successful soccer player.  He’s made millions from big time sponsors, including Nike; he’s played for great teams, including the US National team; he’s scored deciding goals; been a reliable playmaker, and last year had a good run with Aris Salonika FC, the leading club in Greece’s second largest city, Thessaloniki. But in an age when success is a hangman’s scaffold and anyone who gets to the top must come down the trap door, Adu is portrayed as the prodigy who didn’t deliver on a promise. For those who don’t know the promise here’s a recap.   Adu comes from the Ghanaian port city of Tema, a teeming suburb of Accra. It’s here that four-year-old Fredua Koranteng becomes a sassy street star.  He might have remained invisible but his mother wins the Green Card Lottery, moves to America. At 12, he’s allowed to skip ...

Colorado Rapids: Is a Supporters’ Shield and Champions League Run Possible?

Regardless of how much we disapprove the 2010 MLS Cup outcome, the fact of the matter is that the Colorado Rapids won the Cup and are arguably the defending league champions going into their 2011 campaign.  While no club has won a consecutive MLS Cup title since the Houston Dynamo in 2007, there's evidently a myriad of things that the Rapids will need to live up to in 2011. Recent defending MLS Cup champions have had success in qualifying for the quarterfinals in the CONCACAF Champions League and either winning or falling short of winning the MLS Supporters' Shield, an award for the best regular season record.  The question that roams is, can Colorado be capable of doing that much? Do they have the potential to make a namesake for themselves in Champions League play and dominate the league simultaneously?  We can look back on Real Salt Lake's impressive 2010 campaign and say that it's very possible to even likely. However, the Rapids' cross-mountain rivals had much more attacking depth than they themselves have had.  Their depth will inevitably be thrown into question starting with offseason loans and maybe even transfers. One of their most dangerous attacking weapons, Mr. Omar Cummings, may be on is way to donning an ...