MLS: Lee Young-Pyo Signs Two-Year Deal with Vancouver Whitecaps

Asia is knocking on Major League Soccer's door yet again.Martin Rennie's Vancouver Whitecaps, who made history last season with the first-ever Chinese MLS player in Long Tan, have agreed terms with South Korean international Lee Young-Pyo on a two-year contract, according to 86 Forever.Lee, 34, has played for clubs such as Anyang LG Cheetahs, Borussia Dortmund and most recently Al-Hilal, but is most noted for his work in the back lines of PSV Eindhoven and Tottenham Hotspur.Lee made 75 Eredivisie appearances for PSV while recording another 70 league appearances for Spurs."He is an attacking full-back and is a big star in Korea having achieved so much success in Europe," former Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol said in a 2007 article for Soccerphile.As a member of the national team, Lee made 127 appearances as a left back, scoring five goals.South Korean internationals have competed in MLS before, the most notable being former Los Angeles Galaxy standout Hong Myung-Bo.However, the signing is seen by the 86 Forever report as a questionable move, given that Vancouver already have a couple of adept left backs in Alain Rochat and Jordan Harvey. Also, the Lee signing could mean trouble for emerging players like Mustapha Jarju.Read ...

Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Indonesian Select XI: Analysis, Reaction and More

Bruce Arena’s Los Angeles Galaxy, fresh off a successful 2011 Major League Soccer season, end their year with three international friendlies in Asia.The first of these friendlies is a match against a combined Indonesia/Indonesia Under-23 side at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Wednesday, Nov. 30. The Galaxy completed their 2011 MLS season with a 19-5-10 record (67 points), a Supporters' Shield defense and an MLS Cup, to go with a group victory in the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League. Los Angeles is led by Landon Donovan, David Beckham and Robbie Keane. Donovan scored 12 league goals this season, while Beckham added 15 assists. Keane, the captain of the Republic of Ireland national team, has added depth and experience up top for the Galaxy. Indonesia’s combined national team is led by team captain Bamband Pamungkas, who has recorded 37 goals in 83 appearances for the Garuda. The match will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel at 4 a.m.  PT/7 a.m. ET. Keep it right here on Bleacher Report for continuing coverage of the Los Angeles Galaxy as well as the Major League Soccer offseason.Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

MLS: Sporting Kansas City Acquires Paulo Nagamura from Chivas USA

Sporting Kansas City announced today that they have acquired Paulo Nagamura from Chivas USA. In return, the Goats will receive a first-round selection in the 2012 Supplemental Draft.Nagamura has appeared in 99 matches for Chivas USA over the last five years, scoring 11 goals. In return for the 28-year-old Brazilian, Chivas USA will receive the first-round pick in the Supplemental Draft that was originally sent to Sporting KC last week in a trade for midfielder Ryan Smith.Sporting KC retains their natural first-round selection in the Supplemental Draft, as well as the third-round pick in the Supplemental Draft, also acquired in the trade for Smith.“Paulo Nagamura is a player within the League that we have watched and targeted for a few years,” Sporting Kansas City manager Peter Vermes said in a press release. “We are happy that the timing has worked out, where we could acquire him from Chivas USA. His experience and leadership will be a valuable addition to Sporting Kansas City.”In the same release, Nagamura said he was looking forward to next season.“I am very excited to join Sporting Kansas City," Nagamura said. "I watched them the entire year during their run to the ...

Montreal Impact: 6 Reasons to Pay Attention to the MLS Expansion Club

It's officially the MLS offseason, and that means once again the addition of a new club to the league—ladies and gentlemen, give a warm welcome to the Montreal Impact. The Impact have been battling in North America's lower leagues for almost two decades, but they're now ready to take on the big boys of MLS in 2012.Expansion teams haven't had too much success in their debut seasons in MLS history, but after an exciting couple of weeks in their first MLS offseason, the Impact seem serious at making a statement next year.Why should you care? Here are six reasons to pay attention to this up-and-coming expansion team.Begin Slideshow

Sporting Kansas City: Arnaud Traded to Montreal for Sinovic and Allocation Money

In a somewhat surprising move, Sporting Kansas City traded team captain Davy Arnaud to the Montreal Impact. Sporting KC will receive defender Seth Sinovic and an undisclosed amount of allocation money.“After many discussions and considerations, both parties have come to an agreement,” Sporting Kansas City manager Peter Vermes said. “On behalf of Sporting, we would like to thank Davy for his service with the club and wish him nothing but success in his future endeavors.”The 31-year-old midfielder was acquired in the 2002 MLS SuperDraft from West Texas A&M. Arnaud made 240 regular season appearances for the club, the most in team history. Arnaud tallied 43 goals and added 35 assists, ranking second and third—most on the team's scoring charts.Arnaud also helped the club win the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and reach the MLS Cup final in 2004.“I am very thankful to Sporting Kansas City, the organization and the fans," Arnaud said. "I made this my home for 10 years and am so proud to have been a part of the great soccer growth in Kansas City. I look forward to my next challenge and playing in Montreal, but will never forget the wonderful ...

MLS: Yanks (Training) Abroad: Players Spending Their Offseasons in Europe

Every year, the complaints come pouring in that the MLS season needs to be longer. MLS players spend almost two months more idle than their European counterparts.However, a recent trend has seen more and more MLS-bsed Americans heading to Europe to train during the offseason.Some, like Landon Donovan and David Beckham in recent years, have gone out on loan, but these players are going for experience and to give European scouts a look at their skills.American fans should neither worry too much that all our best players are going to be scooped up, nor should we get our hopes up that these training stints will turn Brek Shea into Arsenal's new wunderkind.Instead, there is a more measured approach: MLS-based Yanks are only going to get better the broader and more intense their experiences are. Some might go on to more European pastures, but most will return with new eating habits and an extra step over.Here is a list of MLS-based Americans training in Europe during the offseason.Begin Slideshow

MLS Transfers: 10 Possible Designated Players for the 2012 Season

With the January transfer window looming, Major League Soccer's clubs are in the hunt for potential new designated players to bolster their chances of dethroning the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2012, while LA look to defend their MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield.Alessandro Del Piero leads the list of players that are set to make MLS their swan song, but there are other notable faces willing to help raise the profile of the competition, which now prepares for its 17seventeenth season.Bleacher Report takes a look at 10 players that could be making a move to MLS as DPs. Begin Slideshow

MLS 2012: 10 Superstars Who Could Become Designated Players

Despite continuing growth, soccer-specific stadiums and a fantastic MLS Cup final last weekend, Major League Soccer still faces some significant questions. For one, how did the MLS Cup final, chock full of superstars in Landon Donovan, David Beckham and Robbie Keane get beat in the ratings by a rerun of the Chelsea-Liverpool game? Another question is how will MLS keep the quality of play, already in question by many soccer fans, from dropping as it continues to expand? And perhaps most importantly, how will a post-Beckham era MLS raise its profile while losing its most famous player? The quickest, and easiest, answer is to bring in more superstars under the league’s designated player rule. But DP’s can be a double-edged sword especially if the high profile players a team brings in lack the quality they once had or become destructive to team chemistry. Both of these issues have recently been faced by the New York Red Bulls. The trick, of course, is to bring in players who still have the quality to bring a team to another level without becoming disruptive to the framework a team has already built. And finally, to enhance attendance and interest, the player must have ...

MLS: Freddy Adu, Omar Bravo Head List of Players Exposed in Expansion Draft

MLS released the protected lists for all 18 teams ahead of the Expansion Draft for the Montreal Impact on Wednesday. What was interesting was some of the names that were left off of those lists.What follows is my list of players that I might select if I were Montreal. I've chosen one player from each team. Not all of these players will be selected (the draft is only 10 rounds), and quite possibly, maybe none of them will be. I will try to give a pro and con for each of my selections.Begin Slideshow

7 MLS Players the Montreal Impact Should Choose in Expansion Draft

It has now become a yearly tradition in the week after MLS Cup to have an expansion draft held by MLS.On Wednesday, the league's 19th team—the Montreal Impact—will select up to 10 players to be on its roster for the squad's inaugural season in 2012.There are plenty of big names out on the market after the other 18 teams released the list of players they have chosen to protect.Here are seven players that the Impact should select in the expansion draft on Wednesday.Begin Slideshow