President Obama Welcomes LA Galaxy to White House, Zings David Beckham

Barack Obama: President, statesman, world leader… joker?David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane and a bunch of other, less famous dudes visited the White House on Tuesday per the traditional arrangement in which American sports champions are congratulated by the sitting President.The reigning MLS champs are the Los Angeles Galaxy, the sitting President is Barack Obama and the meeting produced a few funny moments.First, Obama called the Galaxy "the Miami Heat of soccer."Uh, OK. Does that make Robbie Keane the Galaxy's version of Chris Bosh?Then, Obama, 50, went to work on the 37-year-old Beckham, whom he jokingly called a "young up-and-comer."USA Today reports: "We also have a young up-and-comer on the team, a guy named David Beckham," Obama said. "I have to say I gave David a hard time—I said half his teammates could be his kids." He then turned to the midfielder. "We're getting old, David." Obama did take the time to praise Beckham, who came back from a spinal fracture midway through the season and a hamstring injury the week before the MLS Cup final. "He is tough," Obama said. "In fact, it is a rare man who can be that tough on the ...

Alessandro Nesta Leaving AC Milan: Italian Defender Hints at MLS Move

Add Alessandro Nesta to the growing list of prominent Europe-based players being linked with Major League Soccer.Last month it was Spanish striker Raul. This week it's Emmanuel Adebayor. And at various times this season, former German international Michael Ballack has been linked with the American top-flight.On Thursday, Nesta fueled the MLS speculation during a press conference in which he announced he will leave Italian giants AC Milan at the end of the current season.From the Associated Press (via The Washington Post): Alessandro Nesta says he will leave AC Milan at the end of the season and consider a move to Major League Soccer. Nesta has spent 10 years at Milan but, at age 36, says “the high pace of the Italian league, the Champions League and the Italian Cup means that I can’t play all the time. And I’m not one to sit and wait on the bench.” Nesta insists he has not signed with any club but adds that he would “very happily” join the MLS. Nesta helped Milan to two Serie A titles and two Champions League trophies. The defender also won the World Cup with Italy in 2006. He spent nine seasons with ...

Raul Leaving Schalke: Should MLS Sign Spanish Legend?

Reports out of Germany today say Raul Gonzalez, the UEFA Champions League's all-time leading goalscorer, will leave Schalke 04 at the end of the season.Raul, 34, is also Real Madrid's all-time leading scorer. His contract with Schalke runs out at the end of the season, and he has reportedly told the club he will leave.From Eurosport-Yahoo!: "He will explain his reasons for the move...and his plans for the future in due course," the club said in a statement. German media reported that Raul could continue his career in Qatar. "My future lies outside Europe in a league that is not so strong in playing terms as the Bundesliga," the player told reporters. "It was not an easy decision to make. I have had two wonderful years and will always have a place for Schalke in my heart." Qatar, eh?Admittedly, Qatar would fit Raul's wish for "a league that is not so strong in playing terms as the Bundesliga." But so would Major League Soccer (sorry, MLS fanboys, but it's true).Raul and MLS flirted late in 2009, and some more in early 2010. Back then, several clubs were mentioned as possible destinations, from the Philadelphia Union to the Seattle Sounders to the Los ...

2012 MLS SuperDraft: Recap and Analysis of First 10 Picks

Major League Soccer's home-grown stars of tomorrow were on display Thursday.The league's 19 teams selected 38 players in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. Here we'll be covering the top 10 picks in depth.The expansion Montreal Impact took Duke University's Andrew Wenger with the No. 1 overall selection. Wenger will hope to join other big names like Maurice Edu (2007) and Brek Shea (2008) as successful alumni of the event.Nine of the 38 players selected were part of the Generation Adidas project, meaning their salaries wouldn't count against their teams' salary caps this year. We've noted those guys where applicable.The season begins March 10, so let's get right to the picks.Begin Slideshow

Ranking the Top 10 Designated Players in the MLS

In Major League Soccer, designated players are the most famous, most recognizable players on their respective teams. So which one is the best?That's what this list is here to figure out. First, though, a little background.More than any other development, the Designated Player Rule transformed the MLS. By allowing teams to bring in big-name players for big-time salaries without breaking the salary cap, the rule brought an unprecedented level of star power to the league.David Beckham was the first. Now, with each team allowed two designated players, there are more than 20.That meant making a top 10 list was both easy and difficult. For every success story like Fredy Montero of the Seattle Sounders, there are also major busts and big names with incomplete grades.Take Robbie Keane for example. The Republic of Ireland forward played well in his four appearances in 2011 for the Los Angeles Galaxy, scoring twice. But four appearances is not a big enough sample size to draw reasonable conclusions.So we left him off this list, for now. Who did we include? For this list, we tried to combine the players' 2011 form with their overall accomplishments and reputation.It made for what we're sure you'll agree were ...

Alessandro Del Piero and 20 Aging Stars Who Should Play For MLS

Major League Soccer a.k.a. retirement home for the aging European superstar.Check out the names—David Beckham, Thierry Henry, er…Robbie Keane. Hey! You know what we're talking about!Since its inception 15 years ago, MLS has evolved from a fragile start-up into a developing league full of young talent and aging stars.That's no knock on the league, it's just the way it is.First it was David Beckham and Thierry Henry. Now it could be Alessandro Del Piero.Who's next? We're glad you asked.If we ran world football, the aging stars on this list are who we'd want to bring to America.Begin Slideshow

David Beckham Transfer Rumours: 10 Bold Predictions for Beckham’s Future

The speculation over David Beckham's future is getting more intense daily.With the MLS season nearing its end, Beckham is inching closer to the end of his contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy.And he is rumoured to be headed back to Europe after the MLS season.France's Paris St. Germain and England's Queens Park Rangers are the two clubs that have been linked most with a move for the former England captain.They're not the only ones, though.Apparently, Beckham has received 15 offers from clubs around the world, from England and France, to Brazil and the Middle East.But this isn't a news piece. We're not going to round up all the rumours for you here.Instead, this is going to be a rundown of 10 possible destinations for Beckham, ranked in order of how likely we think each scenario is.Some might seem obvious. Some might seem impossible.But as you already know, nothing is too crazy for the world football transfer market.Begin Slideshow