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 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

2011 MLS Power Rankings: Final Edition

The 2011 Major League Soccer season has finally drawn to a close and the Los Angeles Galaxy have been anointed champions for a third time in the league's 16-year history.As a result, they are at the top of this year's final MLS Power Rankings here on Bleacher Report, which sees the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps finish dead last and three of the five top spots occupied by the stronger MLS Western Conference.Let us take one more look at what has been a solid year in MLS.Begin Slideshow

MLS Cup 2011 Live Blog: Play-by-Play Analysis, Reaction and More

This is it. The finale to the 2011 Major League Soccer season: MLS Cup 2011, live from the Home Depot Center in Carson, California on Sunday, Nov. 20. Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy, the champions of the MLS Western Conference, take on Dominic Kinnear's Houston Dynamo, the kings of the MLS Eastern Conference, in front of a sold-out crowd of 27,000 strong in Victoria Street.Bleacher Report's Jo-Ryan Salazar brings you a special all-day blog of all the action, including pregame buildup, the history of this event, as well as the road each of the two teams took to get here.Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN, Galavision and TSN 2. The live blog is scheduled to begin at 6 a.m. PT/9 a.m. ET.As always, keep it right here on Bleacher Report for all things world football, including Major League Soccer.Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

2011 MLS Western Conference Final Live Blog: Play-by-Play Analysis, Reaction

Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy take on Jason Kreis's Real Salt Lake in the 2011 Major League Soccer Western Conference Final on Sunday, Nov. 6 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.This is the rubber match for both teams. In the first meeting this season, Real Salt Lake prevailed 4-1, while in the second leg, LA rallied for a 2-1 victory at Victoria Street. In the Western Conference Semifinals, Real Salt Lake defeated the Seattle Sounders 3-2 on aggregate, while Los Angeles won 3-1 on aggregate against the New York Red Bulls. The winner of this match will take on either Sporting Kansas City or the Houston Dynamo in MLS Cup 2011.Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN and ESPN Deportes. The live blog will begin at approximately 3:30 p.m. PT/6:30 p.m. ET.Keep it right here on Bleacher Report for continuing coverage of the 2011 MLS season and the 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs.Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

New York Red Bulls vs. Los Angeles Galaxy Live Blog: Play-by-Play Analysis

Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy take on Hans Backe's New York Red Bulls in the second leg of the 2011 Major League Soccer Western Conference Semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 3 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.The Galaxy currently lead the series by a precarious 1-0 aggregate scoreline and need to win out or draw in order to progress to the Conference Final, which they would host on Sunday against either the Seattle Sounders or Real Salt Lake.Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. The Live Blog will begin at approximately 6:15 p.m. PT/9:15 p.m. ET.Keep it right here on Bleacher Report for continuing coverage of the 2011 Major League Soccer season and the MLS Cup Playoffs.Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Los Angeles Galaxy: Ins and Outs, November 1, 2011

Galaxy aim to ease up on the swagger Bruce Arena's Los Angeles have a monumental task on their hands when they host the second leg of the 2011 MLS Western Conference Semifinals against the New York Red Bulls (kickoff: 8 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes). For LA, the confidence can be there, but it must be in moderation in order for the Galaxy to secure a spot in the Conference Final against the Seattle Sounders or Real Salt Lake, who currently lead Seattle 3-0 heading into that second leg. “We learned a ton from that game (against FC Dallas), unfortunately,” forward Mike Magee told MLSSoccer.com's Jonah Freedman. “Just wearing an LA Galaxy jersey isn’t going to win you games and, I think on that day, we just came out with no energy and we kind of thought we were going to the MLS Cup and we had written FC Dallas off. "We’re not going to make that mistake again.” The loss of Juninho due to a post-match red card raises a red flag for LA's prospects. Clearly playing direct is going to be the plan for Hans Backe's Red Bulls, and defender Todd Dunivant expects the side ...

Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Red Bull New York: Analysis, Reaction and More

At long last, it’s playoff football time for Bruce Arena’s Los Angeles Galaxy, who take on Hans Backe’s New York Red Bulls in the first leg of the 2011 Major League Soccer Western Conference semifinals at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. The Galaxy finished the regular season with a record of 19-5-10 (67 points) in defending their Major League Soccer Supporters’ Shield.As for the Red Bulls, they finished fifth in the MLS Eastern Conference with a record of 10-8-16 (46 points) and qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs on the final week of the regular season against the Philadelphia Union. This is the marquee match of the four conference semifinal legs, which feature Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez of New York taking on Landon Donovan, David Beckham and Robbie Keane of Los Angeles. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. Keep it right here on Bleacher Report for continuing coverage of the 2011 Major League Soccer season.Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

MLS Cup Playoffs 2011: Championship Odds for Each Playoff Team

Here in North America, we are coming down to the wire in the Major League Soccer season, with the Philip J. Anschutz Trophy on everyone's mind.With the Columbus Crew and FC Dallas eliminated in the wild-card round of the MLS Cup Playoffs, only eight teams remain in the hunt, including the defending cup holders, the Colorado Rapids.Let's take a look at the teams that are still alive and gauge their chances of lifting the MLS Cup at the Home Depot Center in November.Begin Slideshow