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 ...

MLS Schedule: Pros and Cons of MLS’ Unusual Schedule

The MLS schedule is always a topic of conversation upon its release. But forget Rivalry Week, adopting an international calendar seems to be the only matter worth discussion. For some, MLS has been justifiably scrutinized from this particular perspective: A series of unique decisions have impeded the league’s credibility internationally. There is no single table. A playoff system determines its champion, and all 19 teams must carefully operate under a salary cap. These are the decisions the football elitists have scoffed at for 17 years. The decision to operate from March to December—as opposed to August through May—is just the latest installment of tiresome vitriol aimed at MLS’ direction.  Now, the skeptics do provide rational consequences of a non-international calendar.  Fox Soccer analyst Eric Wynalda shared his position on MLS’ unique schedule at a National Soccer Coaches Association of America forum last year: “They made a big spiel, man. They said, ‘This is a business. Major League Soccer is a business.’ Okay, last summer, $2.2 billion dollars was spent in six weeks in the transfer market. Our inclusion in that was negative $11.4 [million], because our schedule doesn’t fit in with the rest of the world.”Of course, a non-international calendar has ...

MLS Transfers: Why MLS Needs to Bring Back Top American Players Like Tim Howard

MLS transfers create a stir when it surrounds the big-name, international star. But it befits MLS to try to bring back some of those iconic, top American players instead.With Landon Donovan’s possible retirement looming, MLS can ill afford to be without that elite American talent—one who has excelled at both the club and international level.  MLS has benefited from housing international stars. Thierry Henry, Robbie Keane and David Beckham have all helped elevate the standing of the league.  MLS has even been able to develop young American talent like Omar Gonzalez, Dax McCarty and Will Bruin to further increase its reputation. But there’s nothing like a “golden boy.”  Nothing imbues the American population more than an elite American talent dominating in front of an American crowd.That is what MLS had with Donovan. That is what MLS will lack if it fails to replace him (should he retire). Now, no credible journalist would suggest that Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey immediately depart Europe to rejoin MLS. That’s a risible proclamation.  Bradley and Dempsey have each spent part of their careers in MLS. But both are currently in a good run of form at top-flight European clubs. Dempsey currently finds himself in the first year ...

Bold Predictions for the 2013 MLS Season

This is not a bold prediction: The 2013 MLS season will be the finest season yet.But this is: It will be so without the services of America’s greatest player, Landon Donovan.Only 59 days separates MLS fans from the first whistle. Rosters are not fully formed. Coaches have not been hired (bravo, New York). But it is never too early to envisage what will transpire on the pitch come March 2. (It’s not like Chivas USA have done anything this offseason that warrants it a vote of confidence.)In 2012, MLS made history with attendance. In 2013, it must make history on the pitch. And it will.A new year breathes new life for MLS teams. The ball has dropped, so start your new year off right with these bold predictions for the 2013 MLS season.An MLS Team Will Win the CONCACAF Champions LeagueNo MLS team has ever won the CONCACAF Champions League. That will change in 2013.Three MLS teams remain standing headed into the quarterfinals of the CCL. The Los Angeles Galaxy, Seattle Sounders and Houston Dynamo are all in search of the league's first title in the competition. All are trying to punch a ticket as the first American team to reach the FIFA ...

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 ...

Landon Donovan: Why MLS Needs Him to Stick Around for Another Season

Landon Donovan's indefinite hiatus from soccer has been well documented. For the sake of MLS and its potential growth, it had better not overlap the 2013 regular season. With four titles and an opportunity to be the first MLS team to win the CONCACAF Champions League, the Los Angeles Galaxy are on the verge of becoming a “super club”—a distinguished entity in the world of soccer.But without the most decorated player in recent memory, the Galaxy lack the talent and notoriety to become the team MLS so desperately needs. MLB has the New York Yankees. The NBA has the Los Angeles Lakers. The NFL has the Dallas Cowboys. MLS needs the LA Galaxy. Fans maintain dynasties are to the detriment of sports. The television ratings state otherwise.  The 2012 NCAA Championship—which pitted basketball powerhouses Kentucky and Kansas against one another—earned a five-percent increase from the 2011 championship that saw Duke defeat an underdog Butler team. The last time the Yankees were in the World Series, the fall classic averaged 19.4 million viewers.  Compare that to the 12.7 million that watched the San Francisco Giants sweep the Detroit Tigers this year. An average of 18.1 million viewers watched the Lakers win ...

David Beckham: Why MLS Will Attract More International Stars Now That He’s Left

David Beckham was the first big-name, international star MLS was able to attract. But he won’t be the last. For some, Beckham represents the pinnacle—the brightest star MLS will ever be able to land.  They are wrong. MLS still possesses the infrastructure, talent and credibility to attract more international stars in the not-so-distant future. True, Beckham played a role in MLS’ recent growth—namely the change in salary cap restrictions and an immediate spike in MLS attendance.But Beckham was not the be-all and end-all to the development of soccer in the United States. The game has seen a rise in popularity since the United States hosted the World Cup in 1994. America transformed from a soccer-illiterate nation to one that pays $250 million for the rights to broadcast the English Premier League. Recent polls show that that popularity will continue to increase, so it should come as a surprise to no one when the next international star decides he wants to take his talents to MLS. For elite talents, there is an array of factors to consider when joining a new league. The most common are the compensation, level of play and the market. MLS does not possess these factors in spades. Not yet, but recent trends indicate it will. No one is ...

MLS Transfers: Recapping and Analyzing the New York Red Bulls’ Busy Week

After a frantic week of MLS transfers, the New York Red Bulls must ascertain whether Fabián Espíndola, Jámison Olave and Kosuke Kimura can help deliver the first title in franchise history.  With less than a month in office, new sporting director Andy Roxburgh has left his mark on the team. A multitude of trades have been completed in hopes of bringing the MLS Cup to New York.Even in the offseason, the Red Bulls manage to entertain.On Monday, New York traded allocation money to Real Salt Lake in exchange for defender Jámison Olave and forward Fabián Espíndola. On that same night, the Red Bulls traded allocation money and the homegrown rights for defender Bryan Gallego to the Portland Timbers in exchange for defender Kosuke Kimura and a second-round pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft. On Thursday, New York traded forward Sébastien Le Toux to the Philadelphia Union in exchange for forward Josué Martinez and allocation money. That’s three bold moves in the span of four days. Netting 57 points and clinching the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference is not enough. Roxburgh is determined to build a championship-caliber team. The question is: What do these trades mean for the 2013 version ...

MLS Transfers: 6 Big-Name Stars Who Could Become Designated Players in 2013

MLS transfers have carried a different connotation since David Beckham’s arrival in 2007.It is now commonplace to have world-class players the likes of Kaká and Luís Fabiano linked to a potential move stateside. Unless you are a dedicated, die-hard fanatic of the league, the trades of Jamison Olave and Fabian Espindola just won’t do it for you.As we have seen in previous narratives, it’s the big name that moves the needle in sports. In MLS, that movement is triggered by the acquisition of a designated player. Try as you might, the definitive implications of Beckham’s arrival to MLS cannot yet be determined. The perceived success or failure of his tenure will be debated for years to come.  But the Beckham experiment already succeeded in this regard: Big-name talent is no longer absent from MLS. Every transfer window presents the opportunity to add another marquee player, but more importantly, another marquee name. If Beckham taught us anything, it’s that the name of the player is just as important as the talent he bears.  So from least-likely to most-likely, here are six big-name stars who could become designated players in 2013.Ronaldinho Club: Atletico Mineiro The Ronaldinho-to-MLS rumors have run rampant every transfer ...

2012 MLS Cup: Bold Predictions for LA Galaxy vs. Houston Dynamo

The 2012 MLS Cup is 24 hours away. By now you have immersed yourself in previews, predictions and opinions from all angles. But not like this. Bold predictions are tricky (especially after the fact when you are embarrassingly wrong). But they are not solely based on a gut feeling. There is factual evidence that supports each claim. Accentuating these bold predictions is the false impression many have of this year's final: The Houston Dynamo stand no chance against the defending champion LA Galaxy.   The Las Vegas Hotel SuperBook has installed the Galaxy as a minus-240 favorite. For those who have never dabbled in gambling before, that paints the Dynamo as a significant underdog.  Twelve MLS pundits have shared their predictions with John Godfrey of Americansoccernow.com, and not a single one predicted a Dynamo victory. How does the general public feel? It is not the most scientific method, but a Twitter poll from Fox Soccer shows a resounding support for LA (92-8 percent in favor of the Galaxy). It is undeniable they side with the media and Vegas’ assessment.   With the coronation of the Galaxy underway, here are a few bold predictions for the 2012 MLS Cup.The LA Galaxy Will Come Out Flat ...