MLS Transfer Rumors: Cudicini, Dunne Headed for America. Cahill to EPL on Loan?

With the January transfer window just a day away from opening, two Major League Soccer clubs have already found new players to bring in from the English Premier League.On Monday afternoon, the Los Angeles Galaxy brought in goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini from Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer. The Galaxy confirmed the move via their Twitter account on Monday: OFFICIAL: @lagalaxy sign goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini (@capitancarloc) --> ow.ly/gs8tv— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) December 31, 2012  The 39-year-old Cudicini joined Spurs from Chelsea in 2009 and has only made 20 appearances for the North London club due to the club's depth at the position.Cudicini began as the backup to Heurelho Gomes before Brad Friedel and Hugo Lloris were brought in to become the first-choice keepers over the Italian. After his move was made official, Cudicini took to Twitter to thank the Tottenham fans for their support during his time at the club: I'd like to thank THFC and the supporters for the 3 years we spent together.Your support has been incredible.I wish you all the very best.— Carlo Cudicini (@Capitancarloc) December 31, 2012  ESPN soccer analyst Taylor Twellman also chimed in on Cudicini's signing by stating that the move will help the Galaxy lure Chelsea's Frank Lampard ...

Improving Officiating Needs to Be Among MLS’s New Year’s Resolutions

Now that it is New Year's Eve, people around the world are making resolutions to improve their behavior for 2013. Losing weight, quitting smoking or reading more books, people take this opportunity to set some goals for the next 12 months.Like individuals, leagues need to set goals for their organizations for their upcoming season. Major League Soccer should be no exception.In the spirit of cooperation and giving that this time of year seems to foster in people, I would like to offer the following suggestions for things MLS needs to work on in 2013. 1. Improve OfficiatingIf there is one thing that hacks me off more than anything else, it s the quality of the officiating in MLS. I often ask myself, "What game is this guy watching?"Do not get me wrong, I ask that question about calls going both for and against Sporting Kansas City. Sometimes, I will look at some of the other people up in the press box at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park the same way your dog looks at you when you say something stupid.If MLS truly wants to be taken seriously as a good league around the world, they cannot continue to use the same substandard officials ...

Sepp Blatter Levels Cutting Criticism of MLS and Its Development

When it comes to inserting one's metaphorical foot in their mouth, FIFA president Sepp Blatter is in a class of his own.Blatter has stirred quite a few controversies during his 14-year tenure as the head of the soccer world's governing body. After a knockout match between Portugal and the Netherlands at the 2006 World Cup, Blatter lambasted official Valentin Ivanov's performance, a move that would typically get a football official into hot water. Further, the president found himself at the end of quite a few condemnations last year when he said that racism was not a problem in football.Now, Blatter has decided to make another comment that will be sure to anger members of the footballing world.In an interview with Al Jazeera, Blatter took a few shots at Major League Soccer, the United States' biggest football league, claiming that it has yet to catch on as a legitimate professional league.The FIFA president went on to say: The problem in the United States is a little bit different. Soccer, as they call football there, is the most popular game in the youth. It’s not American football or baseball, it is soccer. But there is no very strong professional league, they have just the ...

MLS: Houston Dynamo President Organizes ‘Soccer Night in Newtown’

Once the initial shock of the tragic events two weeks ago at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut wore off, many Americans began wondering what they could do to help. Chris Canetti, President of MLS’ Houston Dynamo, is doing his part by organizing an event called “Soccer Night in Newtown." Canetti, who is a 1992 graduate of nearby Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut and whose hometown is Guilford, Connecticut, hopes the January 7 event will serve two purposes.First, according to an interview he gave to Fox 26 in Houston, Canetti wants the event to provide a night of fun and diversion for the people of Newtown. It'll be fan-festival type of event, taking photos, signing autographs. The idea is to give kids a chance to come out, have some fun, have some memories and take a diversion from the difficult realities that they're facing right now.The second purpose, according to the Fox 26 story, is to raise money to help both the survivors and victims' families. “Canetti said the Dynamo franchise has also established a charitable auction with proceeds going to the United Way Sandy Hook fund, which is helping pay for counselors and funerals and things like that.” ...

MLS: Why Omar Gonzalez Was the Defining MLS Player of 2012

MLS defender Omar Gonzalez, the American-born talent with a championship pedigree, defines what the MLS has become in 2012. Gonzalez does not boast the marketable name of a Thierry Henry, the stupefying statistics of a Chris Wondolowski or even the standing of a Landon Donovan, but his inspiring play in 2012 did more than propel the Los Angeles Galaxy to its fourth MLS title—it encapsulated MLS’s upward trend. The center back spits in the face of everything MLS is perceived to be amongst the iconoclastic, football elitists of the world.The be-all and end-all to those unfamiliar with MLS is the designated player. Currently, two of the more prominent designated players are Henry and Robbie Keane.  The two have been stellar since joining MLS, combining for 49 goals and 29 assists since their departure from the Premier League. Nonetheless, they no longer define what the league has evolved from.  MLS is beyond the imported, aging star. Wondolowski was named the 2012 MLS MVP. His 27-goal performance tied the league record set by Roy Lassiter in 1996—but America celebrates champions, and that is what Wondo failed to deliver in 2012. The same does not hold true for the 24-year-old defender. It is ...

Todd Dunivant’s Goal for the Galaxy Defined MLS for 2012

Todd Dunivant's goal from a header in the 61st minute of the Los Angeles Galaxy's June 17 match with the Portland Timbers was a defining moment for the MLS in 2012.You're probably wondering why I would pick a goal that wasn't in a playoff game or that wasn't a long-distance bomb (which I'm a big fan of).Coming into the match, the Galaxy were 3-8-2 and in ninth place in the Western Conference. They hadn't won a match since April 14th, a seven-match span in which they went 0-5-2.How hot did the Galaxy get after this match? Including this match, they went 13-4-4 the rest of the season, 43 of their 54 points coming during that stretch.It's not a stretch to say the Galaxy needed something to kick-start their season. They had already gotten knocked out of the U.S. Open Cup and wouldn't start in the CONCACAF Champions League until late August.Now, Scott French wrote on MLSsoccer.com that the Galaxy's "best moment of the year" was probably Omar Gonzalez's equalizer in the MLS Cup. The thing is, not that I'm totally disagreeing with Scott, but if Dunivant's goal doesn't happen, it's that much harder for the Galaxy to make the playoffs, ...

MLS Powers San Jose and Los Angeles Just Maybe Could Hang in the EPL

Could San Jose and Los Angeles, the last two MLS Supporters' Shield winners, avoid EPL relegation? It would be close, but just maybe they could. The annual MLS Cup has led to another round of annual questions about what this soccer league means and its place in the larger football world. American soccer fans tend to fall into one of two groups. One refuses to acknowledge MLS exists, because the cool kids only talk about England and Europe. The other continues to believe MLS is improving and sees the American league (prematurely) knocking on the door of premier status. Neither view is wholly defensible. Proving MLS exists, however, is a little easier than comparing the American league to its overseas counterparts. The Supporters' Shield was the selection vehicle for MLS teams. English clubs place greater emphasis on league tables than FA Cup runs, and tables dictate promotion and relegation. The Supporters’ Shield is awarded to the team with the most points in the MLS regular season. The last two teams to win the Supporters’ Shield are the San Jose Earthquakes and the Los Angeles Galaxy (the latter of which also has won the last two MLS Cups). Americans love championship ...

New York Red Bulls to Sign Paris Saint-Germain Striker

Reports out of France have the New York Red Bulls signing little used PSG striker, Peguy Luyindula. If these reports are true, then it will be the second major signing of the week for the Red Bulls.Luyindula has seen little time with PSG this season as he has only logged 11 minutes in a league cup game. With his contract set to expire, the 33 year old has not been a part of the PSG project that is in progress.During the early part of his career, Luyindula was one of the hottest prospects in French football. His potential caught the eye of Lyon.Luyindula saw his best seasons while with Olympique Lyon during the early years of their championship run. There he was teammates with Red Bulls' latest signing, Juninho. After producing 33 goals in 91 appearances for Lyon, the striker was sold to Marseille for financial reasons.After bouncing around France and Spain the next few years, Luyindula found a home at PSG in 2007. It was during his early years in Paris that he worked his way back onto the French National team for a few appearances.It is during his short time with Les Blues that Peguy befriended current Red Bull designated ...

Why MLS Signing Mix Diskerud Would Be a Watershed Moment for the League

Last Thursday, reports emerged that the Portland Timbers were preparing to sign young USMNT prospect Mix Diskerud.Diskerud, at 22 years old, has already made three appearances with the senior national team and has some impressive highlights with the team. In his first cap, earned in a November 2010 away friendly against South Africa, Diskerud showed an incredible amount of composure on the ball in assisting Juan Agudelo’s game-winner in the 85th minute of the game.Then, in only his third cap for the national team, Diskerud scored the game-tying goal in last month’s 2-2 away draw with Russia.Diskerud, who’s contract with Norway’s Rosenborg expires at the end of this month, also has familiarity with incoming Portland Timbers manager Caleb Porter, having played for Porter with the U.S. U-23s this past spring. Regardless of whether or not the move is a good one for Diskerud or the USMNT, if Diskerud does sign with Major League Soccer, the move will represent a potentially historic moment in the league’s history. Traditionally, MLS essentially has four types of American players. First, there are the young up-and-comers just starting to get their feet wet in professional football. These are players who are looking to use the ...

Major League Soccer: 2013 Home Openers Announced for Each Club

Major League Soccer announced the home openers for each of the 19 MLS clubs on Tuesday. The 2013 season will start on the weekend of March 2-3, with nine clubs each hosting their first game. On Saturday, March 2, there will be six matches on the schedule. The Philadelphia Union will host defending Eastern Conference champions, Sporting Kansas City, at PPL Park in a clash between two clubs who finished at opposite ends of the Eastern conference table last season. A rematch of the Eastern Conference final is also slated for March 2, as the Houston Dynamo welcome DC United to BBVA Compass Stadium. Two of the three Canadian clubs in MLS will square off at BC Place when the Vancouver Whitecaps host Toronto FC, who were the worst club in MLS last season. The worst team in the Western Conference last season, Chivas USA, will host the Columbus Crew at the Home Depot Center. Just one day later, the Los Angeles Galaxy will take to the same pitch and open their first season without David Beckham since 2006, against the Chicago Fire. The marquee match of the opening weekend in MLS, though, will take place on March 3 at Buck Shaw Stadium, between the San Jose Earthquakes ...