Sporting Kansas City Agrees to Loan Kei Kamara to Norwich City Through May 6

Sporting Kansas City and forward Kei Kamara have agreed to a loan deal with Norwich City of the Barclays English Premier League through May 6.The club's leading scorer for the last three seasons, Kamara put up 11 goals and added eight assists in the 2012 campaign.Among his many honors, Kamara was named an All-Star last season. He was also an MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year finalist for both of the last two years for his community work in Kansas City, as well as in his native Sierra Leone.In a statement released by the team, manager Peter Vermes said: Our club continues to get a lot of attention throughout Europe. As we do with all of our decisions, we always think about the long-term impact on our organization, as well as the short-term. Ultimately, this opportunity allows us to re-invest back into the club and solidify our core group of players. We understand that players are going to be sought after and that players aspire to fulfill personal and professional ambitions. We want to continue to help them achieve those goals and this helps us accomplish that objective, along with extending his contract. We ...

MLS Rookies Who Will Make the Biggest Impacts in 2013

Few MLS rookies are able to make an immediate impact. That won’t be the case for No. 1 overall pick Andrew Farrell and a few others taken in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft. History has shown that the draft is not an exact science. Not in MLS—or in any other sport for that matter.  For every Austin Berry, there is an Ike Opara. Teams cannot be sure whether they are drafting a potential Rookie of the Year or future trade bait for a low-end draft pick. But lackluster careers cannot only be attributed to a player’s inability to live up to potential. It takes the perfect combination of skill and opportunity for a successful rookie campaign—something not every home-grown signing or player taken in this year’s SuperDraft will be presented with this season. That lack of opportunity and playing time has led to an agreement between MLS and USL Pro to integrate the MLS Reserve League teams into the USL Pro Schedule.  As MLS executive vice president of player relations and competition Todd Durbin points out, it presents MLS teams with another opportunity properly develop its talent.  “This partnership represents the first step in a long-term alliance between MLS and USL Pro ...

MLS: A Crazy Week of Transfers and Trades

It’s been a busy week for Major League Soccer with plenty of trades, transfers and rumors to spice up the offseason. The players involved include some of MLS’ biggest names in Landon Donovan, Freddy Adu, Brek Shea and Juan Agudelo as well as one of world football's biggest names in Frank Lampard. Here’s a breakdown of the all the latest news.Begin Slideshow

Analyzing the Enigma That Is the New York Red Bulls’ Head Coaching Position

The New York Red Bulls are a team loaded with talent but no head coach. It is the perfect blueprint for yet another disappointing, trophy-less season.(Update: Mike Petke officially named head coach)  On-the-field preparations are already being made for the 2013 campaign. Cleats are laced. Fitness is being tested. Cohesion and team unity are carefully nurtured. Just not in New York. At least not in the traditional sense. The enigma that is New York's head coaching position has overshadowed what is—at least on paper—a championship roster.But games are not played on paper. They are played on the field. And there’s usually a head coach there, or so I’ve heard. Since the firing of Hans Backe last November, the Red Bulls have done a better job of being linked to potential head coaches than actually hiring one. Potential suitor No. 1 was Scotland’s own Gary McAllister. Following the appointment of Andy Roxburgh as Sporting Director, McAllister’s hire seemed inevitable. It fit the European model that New York has been synonymous with, and his connection with Roxburgh dated back to his days on the Scottish national team. But the hire never came to fruition. The Red Bulls never extended an offer to ...

New York Cosmos: Why Stadium Plan Would Be a Mistake for US Soccer

On January 16, the newly reincarnated New York Cosmos announced plans for a $400 million, privately financed stadium project, including retail, restaurants and a hotel. I've seen the artist renditions of what the project would look like, and while it's visually stimulating, it's also something else.A mistake.I'm already on record as saying that MLS shouldn't place a second team in New York. I think they should make sure there's demand for a second team, and I don't think there is. For justification, let's look at the attendance figures.Red Bull Arena seats 25,000, and yet it's rarely full. Of their 17 regular-season home games in 2012, 11 had an announced attendance of under 20,000.In fact, just for giggles, I used the attendance figures available in the match reports on MLSsoccer.com to figure the total attendance for the Red Bulls and Sporting KC, the team I'm most familiar with.I figured a team in New York would outdraw a team in Kansas City, considering the difference in population of the two cities and stadium size. Sporting Park has a seating capacity of 18,467. To be fair, I only counted league games, since Sporting KC hosted all but one of their Open Cup games ...

Landon Donovan Smart to Return for Another Year with Los Angeles Galaxy

The Los Angeles Galaxy may have lost the face of Major League Soccer with David Beckham's departure, but they will not be losing the face of their franchise. According to the Los Angeles Times' Jim Peltz, longtime Galaxy and Team USA star Landon Donovan will return for his ninth season with the outfit.Donovan had been considering retirement following a fantastic season that culminated in Los Angeles' second straight MLS Cup. It's unclear when Donovan will report to Galaxy camp, according to coach Bruce Arena, as he's still recovering from a grueling 2012 season. "He just needs a little bit more time off," Arena said (per the Los Angeles Times). "He's had a couple of years that have taken their toll."Obviously, this is a huge development for the Galaxy. Though most assumed that Donovan would ultimately return, his flirtation with retirement put the team's three-peat in big-time jeopardy. By returning, Donovan should help keep the worries about a post-championship nosedive to a minimum. But returning to the Galaxy will likely prove to be a great move for Donovan as well. First of all, Donovan still has a ton left in his 30-year-old tank. Even though he played through just about the entire 2012 calendar year, Donovan scored 11 goals and dished ...

Landon Donovan Reportedly Staying with LA Galaxy, but Should He?

Landon Donovan looks increasingly likely to spend 2013 with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Whether or not you agree with Donovan's decision, he's earned the right to do what he wants.Galaxy coach Bruce Arena on Monday said Donovan will "definitely" play for Los Angeles this season, seemingly ending months of speculation about the 30-year-old's future."We’ve given him a little more time off,” Arena said (via LAGalaxy.com). “He’s definitely playing this year, but we’re just working out a return date that makes sense for all of us—we’re working that out soon.”Donovan spoke about retirement in a May 2012 interview with Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl. At the time he spoke of being "excited to pass the torch" to the younger generation of American soccer players.In October, he told ESPN FC that he has "struggled with motivation" at times. In August, he spoke with Goal.com about his MLS contract expiring after the 2013 season. He spoke about his options after that, including retirement or a move abroad."Why wouldn't I (consider retirement)?" he said.To answer Donovan's question, he shouldn't consider retirement because he can still perform on the pitch. In 2012 he led the Galaxy as captain to their second straight MLS Cup ...

USMNT: 5 MLS Players Who Will Make an Impact in Friendly vs. Canada and Beyond

For some, the match pitting the US Men's National Team against Canada may be a "mere" friendly. But for the MLS talent featured in January’s camp, it's a potential stepping stone for 2014. Twenty-one of the 25 players selected for January’s camp call MLS their home. As many as eight may be selected to join the USMNT in Honduras on Feb. 6. By now, Klinsmann and the American faithful recognize the team’s glaring holes and need for added depth. That presents each player at California's camp with the opportunity to leave their mark ahead of the final round of qualifying. As Klinsmann told ussoccer.com in a recent sit down, “This isn’t a preseason camp, it’s a preparation camp.” That first step toward preparation and precision will take place on Jan. 29 against our neighbors from the North.  The formation and starting XI that will take the field at BBVA Compass Stadium is not yet known. But one thing is certain: The majority of the starting XI is sure to be comprised of MLS players.  There is ample opportunity for MLS stars to put their skills on display. There is no telling what a solid performance in Houston could produce.With the match ...

Landon Donovan’s Return Makes L.A. Galaxy Favorites to Win MLS Cup

Landon Donovan will be back in the MLS fold next season as his Los Angeles Galaxy look to defend their MLS Cup trophy and add more hardware. According to Goal.com, Donovan will not retire and will re-join his Galaxy teammates following an extended break.With Donovan returning to the club, the Galaxy will be favorites to win the MLS Cup once again this season. Bruce Arena confirmed the news in the report from Goal.com: "We've given him a little bit more time off. He's definitely playing this year, just working out a return date that makes sense for all of us.” The extended break will give Donovan time to get healthy and mentally prepare himself for another MLS season. The loss of David Beckham will be hard for the club to deal with both on and off the pitch. Adding a Donovan retirement announcement to that mix would have been a big blow. Instead, the club will look to re-load using Beckham's designated player slot either now or in the summer transfer window. Without Donovan, the team would still be considered one of the top clubs in the league heading into next season. With Donovan returning, they are clearly the favorite to win the MLS ...

Landon Donovan Will Return to LA Galaxy for 2013 Season

American soccer star Landon Donovan will return to the field for the Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS in 2013 according to team insider Adam Serrano (via Twitter) on Monday:  Bruce Arena on @lagalaxy capt. @landondonovan : "He's definitely playing this year...We're just working out the return date." #LAGalaxy #MLS— Adam Serrano (@LAGalaxyInsider) January 21, 2013 The 30-year-old Donovan had openly discussed the possibility of retiring from soccer altogether recently, but it seems he isn't quite finished with the game just yet.This was Donovan on the subject of his goals moving forward back in May 2012 (via Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl):From a career standpoint, ideally, I'd like to play a couple more years and hopefully get to the World Cup, assuming I'm still enjoying it and passionate about it, and then sort of reevaluate from there and see where I want to go.He, along with David Beckham, helped lead the Galaxy to another MLS Cup championship last November, the third during Donovan's time with the club.Donovan scored 11 goals and tallied 16 assists in 31 MLS appearances for L.A. in 2012.A California native, Donovan has been playing at a high level for a decade-plus now, excelling for various clubs as well as the United States ...