No team wins an MLS Cup without players cast off, dropped or ignored by other teams, and the 2009 champions are no exception. Several important contributors to Real Salt Lake's MLS Cup title arrived in Utah from other teams, and controversy accompanied a few of them -- most notably captain Kyle Beckerman, who was swapped by Colorado for Mehdi Ballouchy in July '07, not long after Jason Kreis had taken over the coaching duties at RSL from John Ellinger.
SEATTLE -- Bring up all the clichés you want: David over Goliath. Substance over style. Team over individual. They all fit Real Salt Lake, which outlasted the heavily favored Los Angeles Galaxy on penalty kicks Sunday night after a 1-1 draw and 120 minutes of last-man-standing soccer (RECAP).
Real Salt Lake sealed an upset win over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday night with a 5-4 penalty victory, after extra-time in the Major League Soccer Cup final that ended with the score at 1-1.
CARSON, Calif. -- When the Los Angeles Galaxy needed a deciding goal last Friday to send them to a sixth MLS Cup final appearance, neither of the team's biggest stars -- David Beckham nor Landon Donovan -- scored the winner in overtime against Houston.
David Beckham has pledged his future to the Los Angeles Galaxy and says that victory in Sunday's MLS Cup final against Real Salt Lake would rank alongside other career achievements such as winning the Champions League with Manchester United.
SEATTLE -- Still dubious David Beckham is making an impact in this country? More than 40,000 tickets have been sold for Sunday's MLS Cup final between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Salt Lake at Qwest Field (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Galavisión), with another 2,000 made available late in the week. That would mark the biggest crowd for MLS' season-capper in seven years and the third-biggest ever for a game not featuring the local team.
SEATTLE -- As the reborn Los Angeles Galaxy prepare to take on Real Salt Lake in the MLS Cup final on Sunday (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Galavisión), I can't help but think back to a scene in Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 13, 2008.
SEATTLE -- The Los Angeles Galaxy meet Real Salt Lake in the 14th MLS Cup final here on Sunday (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Galavisión), and I started the day off by meeting MLS commissioner Don Garber for breakfast in his hotel suite. The 52-year-old Garber, a former NFL executive, has been the MLS commish since 1999 and is widely expected to sign a contract extension in the next few weeks.
In ever-evolving Major League Soccer, the league's history could be split almost evenly in half. There was the first stage, from 1996 to 2004, when MLS was a fledgling, young and small league. Then, from '05 through the present -- the Expansion Era might be an appropriate name -- the league has gotten some solid footing and grown a bit.
If sources monitoring the Chicago situation are right, Denis Hamlett will soon join Preki in the unemployment line. Maybe if the Fire had reached the MLS Cup final, majority owner Andrew Hauptman would have been reluctant to cut him loose.
No team wins an MLS Cup without players cast off, dropped or ignored by other teams, and the 2009 champions are no exception. Several important contributors to Real Salt Lake's MLS Cup title arrived in Utah from other teams, and controversy accompanied a few of them -- most notably captain Kyle Beckerman, who was swapped by Colorado for Mehdi Ballouchy in July '07, not long after Jason Kreis had taken over the coaching duties at RSL from John Ellinger.
SEATTLE -- Bring up all the clichés you want: David over Goliath. Substance over style. Team over individual. They all fit Real Salt Lake, which outlasted the heavily favored Los Angeles Galaxy on penalty kicks Sunday night after a 1-1 draw and 120 minutes of last-man-standing soccer (RECAP).
Real Salt Lake sealed an upset win over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday night with a 5-4 penalty victory, after extra-time in the Major League Soccer Cup final that ended with the score at 1-1.
CARSON, Calif. -- When the Los Angeles Galaxy needed a deciding goal last Friday to send them to a sixth MLS Cup final appearance, neither of the team's biggest stars -- David Beckham nor Landon Donovan -- scored the winner in overtime against Houston.
David Beckham has pledged his future to the Los Angeles Galaxy and says that victory in Sunday's MLS Cup final against Real Salt Lake would rank alongside other career achievements such as winning the Champions League with Manchester United.
SEATTLE -- Still dubious David Beckham is making an impact in this country? More than 40,000 tickets have been sold for Sunday's MLS Cup final between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Salt Lake at Qwest Field (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Galavisión), with another 2,000 made available late in the week. That would mark the biggest crowd for MLS' season-capper in seven years and the third-biggest ever for a game not featuring the local team.
SEATTLE -- As the reborn Los Angeles Galaxy prepare to take on Real Salt Lake in the MLS Cup final on Sunday (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Galavisión), I can't help but think back to a scene in Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 13, 2008.
SEATTLE -- The Los Angeles Galaxy meet Real Salt Lake in the 14th MLS Cup final here on Sunday (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Galavisión), and I started the day off by meeting MLS commissioner Don Garber for breakfast in his hotel suite. The 52-year-old Garber, a former NFL executive, has been the MLS commish since 1999 and is widely expected to sign a contract extension in the next few weeks.
In ever-evolving Major League Soccer, the league's history could be split almost evenly in half. There was the first stage, from 1996 to 2004, when MLS was a fledgling, young and small league. Then, from '05 through the present -- the Expansion Era might be an appropriate name -- the league has gotten some solid footing and grown a bit.
If sources monitoring the Chicago situation are right, Denis Hamlett will soon join Preki in the unemployment line. Maybe if the Fire had reached the MLS Cup final, majority owner Andrew Hauptman would have been reluctant to cut him loose.
David Beckham believes the furore that followed his return to the LA Galaxy from his loan spell with AC Milan earlier this year has galvanized the team.
CHICAGO -- There are certain indubitable truths I believe in. For example, I believe peanut butter should be crunchy, ATM fees are crimes against humanity and Van Hagar never existed.
David Beckham's commitments with Los Angeles Galaxy have forced him to withdraw from the England squad to face Brazil in a friendly in Qatar.
Having ties to a rich and powerful foreign club seemed like a built-in advantage for Chivas USA. The ability to acquire and develop young Mexican talent and having strong financial backing seemed like a great opportunity for the Southern California-based team to build a powerhouse in a relatively short amount of time.
When a popular and successful head coach moves on, the simple choice can be complicated for the replacement.
Two key players in the MLS playoffs were instrumental in helping their teams in the first leg of their respective aggregate-score series this past weekend. Despite their contributions, though, they and their teammates know full well that come January, they won't return to their current clubs for the preseason, but instead will be with other teams in other countries.
With one playoff series underway (Houston and Seattle drew 0-0 Thursday night), we break down the remaining three series, all of which kick off this weekend:
For just the second time in MLS history, a team won the Supporters' Shield while compiling less than 50 points during the regular season. Columbus' 13-7-10 record was good enough to lock down the league's best regular-season record, but such a mark doesn't exactly compare well to previous Supporters' Shield winners.
One of Major League Soccer's most exciting playoff races in the league's 14-year history concluded last weekend as New England waited 79 minutes before a Jeff Larentowicz free kick broke the tie in Columbus and sent the Revs to their eighth straight postseason. With all playoff-bound teams accounted for, Free Kicks decided to do one final power rankings with a special bonus: input from one player per team in which he offers his best pitch why MLS fans should root for his club in the playoffs.
Four teams could have been into the playoffs with a victory; four came up short. It's too easy to cite a team's failures on the final weekend of the regular season as primary reasons it missed out on playoff action. So instead, here's a look on what transpired on the previous 31 weeks to create those no-tomorrow scenarios:
If you had told me before this past weekend that, of the six teams gunning for the final two MLS playoff spots, Real Salt Lake and New England would emerge as winners, I would've responded, "Yeah, and I have a date lined up with Keira Knightley on Tuesday."
The group stage of the 2009-10 CONCACAF Champions League is over, and there are a handful of strange lingering sensations. The tournament won't resume until next year, and there's a sense of longing and impatience with that. It was an enjoyable spectacle for fans throughout CONCACAF; that the quarterfinals won't get underway until March is a bit disappointing.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Whether or not Major League Soccer has let a potentially great head coach slip away with the departure of longtime New England Revolution assistant Paul Mariner back to his native England is open to debate, but what the league and this country have lost is a good chunk of institutional knowledge.
It has been an excellent year for rookies in Major League Soccer. Expansion has meant increased opportunities for young players. With smaller rosters, most teams demand more from their college products then they've done in the past. How did so many rookies get so much playing time in MLS this year?
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
CARSON, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Galaxy weren't celebrating Friday's big victory too much, perhaps taking a cue from their coach, Bruce Arena.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Back in 2007, a developmental milestone seemed to have been reached with respect to Major League Soccer's contribution to the U.S. soccer federation's progress. More than half of the 21 players named to the 2007 United States' U-20 World Cup roster came from the ranks of MLS. There were 11 in all based in the domestic league. Three more players were professionals with other teams overseas, making pro players a clear majority on the squad.
Unlike many foreign players who have come to America and promised much but delivered little, Darren Huckerby gave everything: his zealous commitment to team, his unquenchable daring to scorch opponents, his indomitable spirit, his puckish humor and ultimately, his health.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
David Beckham has hinted for the first time that he may not see out his lucrative five-year contract with American MLS club Los Angeles Galaxy.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
NEW YORK -- Stop the presses! The New York Red Bulls have won two games in a row. The last time they won consecutive games was in last season's playoffs, when they thumped Houston in the second leg of the quarterfinals and then snuck past Real Salt Lake in the semis to reach their first MLS Cup final.
It seemed if any Major League Soccer club were poised to claim the league's first victory aganst a Mexican club on Mexican soil in a competitive match, it was the Columbus Crew.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
"I would like to think that I can be up there with the best players [in MLS], but who knows? ... That's what I'll be hoping for: not just to be the best player in the league, but to be one of the best teams in the league." -- David Beckham, May 2007
CARSON, Calif. -- For Jesús Padilla, life in Mexico was splendid. Since joining Chivas de Guadalajara as a 14-year-old, he said he was well-liked and got along great with everyone.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Here comes another round of international competition for three MLS teams, all of which aspire to lift the league trophy in November. Four-time MLS champion D.C. United and defending champ Columbus Crew open CONCACAF Champions League group play Tuesday against Honduran club Marathón and USL-1 upstart Puerto Rico Islanders, respectively. Houston, MLS Cup winner in 2006 and '07, plays Isidro Metapán of El Salvador Wednesday.
David Beckham's time at the Los Angeles Galaxy continues to grow sour as he was sent off in Saturday's 2-0 Major League Soccer defeat to Seattle Sounders.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
The day was Oct. 23, 2008. Los Angeles Galaxy forward Landon Donovan was sitting across from me as we ate lunch at Petros, a yuppified Greek restaurant in Manhattan Beach, Calif. With the cold-blooded confidence of a man who knew exactly what he was saying, Donovan was in the midst of calmly eviscerating his teammate, David Beckham, for what Donovan saw as Beckham's lack of leadership and commitment at the end of the 2008 MLS season.
David Beckham says he is still fully committed to the Los Angeles Galaxy but will not give up on his dream of playing for England in the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
CARSON, Calif. -- Depending on your criteria, this is the second or third attempt to fit David Beckham into a club and league where, for two years, success has eluded everyone involved. The puzzle has proved more complicated than anyone -- perhaps most of all, Beckham himself -- ever expected. Can it finally work?
Monday was the first day David Beckham trained with the Los Angeles Galaxy since leaving on his self-created, long-term loan deal to AC Milan, and already he's playing the victim.
To: David Beckham From: Couch Slouch Re: To live and die in L.A.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
This article appears in the July 6, 2009, issue of Sports Illustrated magazine.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Contrary to popular belief, there's a very good reason for U.S. coach Bob Bradley not to rely on every MLS player who might be playing well when it comes to assembling a squad for Hexagonal qualifiers. In many cases, they don't measure up.
Not quite one-third of the way through the season, yet with a busy summer of international competitions and call-ups on the horizon, here are a few impressions about MLS:
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
How can a team that has missed the playoffs the past three years and won just one of eight games this season be construed as on the right track, more or less?
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
You can't blame coach Bruce Arena, Los Angeles Galaxy players and the rest of the organization if they'd rather not talk about David Beckham. No doubt they've got plenty of problems dealing with the here and now rather than what happens later. But rather soon that deal will come around.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
In the first two weeks of the MLS season, there were no red cards. I remember thinking this was strange and noteworthy, as if MLS were suddenly becoming a graceful collection of polite swing dancers.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Our weekly dose of Major League Soccer quick takes, plotlines to watch and Power Rankings.
Landon Donovan is back in Major League Soccer, and he had a message on Sunday for anyone who thinks that he failed in Germany for a third time: There will be no Euro hangover this year. He picked up where he left off last season, scoring two goals against D.C. United and making it clear that he intends to shake off any disappointment from not getting a contract offer from Bayern Munich, where he was on loan for three months.
NEW YORK -- Juan Carlos Osorio didn't pay much attention to the opening remarks given at the New York Red Bulls media day earlier this week. He kept glancing around to see who was around, shook the extended hands of a few meandering journos and half-heartedly watched the 2008 retrospective video played.
While Major League Soccer's most high-profile player will be playing in Europe instead of trying to restore his MLS club to its previous glory, the league's 14th season will go off without a hitch. The focus is finally back on soccer and the product on the field instead of loan deals gone awry.
A big stadium of synthetic turf likely to be marred by football lines once the NFL season starts. Rainy weather at times. That's about it.
CARSON, Calif. -- It's MLS preseason here in Southern California, and there are several things to report:
A year-and-a-half ago, Juan Sebastián Verón got cold feet and backed out of a deal that would have made him one of the biggest stars ever to join Major League Soccer. Could the Argentine international be ready to try again?
I don't believe any of the financials being bandied about in the wake of David Beckham's extended loan deal. But I never really believed he would, or could, earn $250 million during his original five-year MLS deal, either.
The sigh of relief at the resolution of the David Beckham loan drama may only be temporary. That's because the deal to have Beckham return to Major League Soccer to play with the Los Angeles Galaxy at the conclusion of the Serie A season seems like nothing other than a perfunctory stint to tie up a few loose sponsorship ends.
David Beckham is a man who knows his own mind and has the courage of his convictions.
At a family function over the weekend -- the xxth birthday of my mom's best friend (I am forbidden to supply specifics) -- I got a few questions to the effect of, "So, what are you writing about in the soccer world?"
I hope not just the executives and officials of MLS, but the fans and journalists who follow the league, are paying close attention to the offseason goings-on regarding Designated Players as the high-priced option comes into its third season of existence.
"I've said I want to stay here," he said in Italy as he awaits outcome of contract talks
David Beckham will rejoin LA Galaxy after his bid to remain with AC Milan fell over, according to a statement on the U.S. side's Web site.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Los Angeles Galaxy and AC Milan have until Friday to finalize a transfer agreement for David Beckham, or Major League Soccer will not sign off on any deal, league commissioner Don Garber told reporters on Wednesday.
Are we about to witness the fourth coming of David Beckham? Last week, the iconic midfielder said he wanted to extend his stay at AC Milan, possibly making it a permanent move. If he is able to stay, it could again, at age 33, mark another renaissance of a career often previously written off.
David Beckham will have to return to the Los Angeles Galaxy next month unless AC Milan raise their bid for the England midfielder -- the LA Times have reported.
David Beckham says he wants to stay with AC Milan and end his much-publicized spell in Major League Soccer with Los Angeles Galaxy.
Like his Galaxy teammate David Beckham, Landon Donovan says he wants to stay in Europe permanently after his loan deal expires. The question: Should MLS and the Galaxy fulfill his wish? The answer: Not just yet.
Watching Sacha Kljestan take apart Sweden on Saturday at the Home Depot Center could convince anyone he's primed and ready for a move overseas. Yet success isn't preordained for young Americans going to top-flight teams.
Ty Harden is set to return to Major League Soccer action after a year away to pursue philanthropic work.
With a week to go before the start of the Mexican Clausura 2009 season, Chivas de Guadalajara won InterLiga, earning a berth in the Copa Libertadores and suddenly creating a massive need for depth with a busy year ahead.
Names are swirling about as MLS coaches and executives finish their duties at the annual Player Combine in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and prepare for the 2009 SuperDraft next Thursday in St. Louis. Before future stars are drafted, however, there are plenty of current -- and foreign -- players heating up the hot stove.
One of my New Year's resolutions was to shed some of my soccer geekiness. No more whole Saturdays spent watching the English Premier League in the morning, Spain's La Liga in the afternoon, MLS at night. No more work e-mails ignored in favor of reading the du Nord blog. No more surfing YouTube for videos of goals interred in my memory.
When Guillermo Barros Schelotto arrived in Major League Soccer in 2007, most were unsure what kind of impact the Argentine legend would have on the league. Sure, he was a proven champion, having won a host of titles during 10 successful years at South American powerhouse Boca Juniors. But in less than two years in MLS, his achievements have surpassed all expectations.
Police have pleaded for peace, fines have been meted out and sanctions issued. Enough controversy has been generated by outspoken coaches in Europe to make any fan long for similar drama in Major League Soccer. But sadly, it's unlikely to happen.
With the college season concluded and the MLS Combine and 2009 SuperDraft just a few weeks away, the time is ripe for the league to revise its policies regarding college players.
On Saturday, Barcelona and Real Madrid will renew their bitter rivalry in a match that, as usual, has captivated the world's attention. Poor form, league standings or injuries can't take any interest away from the game.
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