MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

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THE REBRANDING OF THE WIZARDS


Kansas City franchise announced on Wednesday their new identity, including a new name, new crest, new colors, and a totally new look to go along with the new stadium that will open in 2011:

The Kansas City Wizards are now Sporting Kansas City.

Check out the new website: http://www.SportingKC.com

“We acquired our team from the greatest entrepreneur in the history of American sports,” Sporting President Robb Heineman said in a statement released by the club, referring to previous owner Lamar Hunt. “Moving forward, the vision of our brand is to continuously innovate and provide high-performance experiences for our members.”

More than 1,000 supporters attended the official unveiling in Kansas City. And Sporting's recently signed designated player, Mexican striker Omar Bravo, was also on handing, making his first appearance in town since signing.

“Our mission is to connect Kansas City to the premier professional sports experiences in the Midwest,” Heineman said. “We look forward to sharing more exciting news about future events and to hosting all our great fans in our new home upon its opening in June.”

The club's new crest has several elements, including boasting the upside-down teardrop shape of the original Wiz shield. The 11 stripes represent the 11 players on a field, and the right edge of the lines forms the angled shape of the Missouri-Kansas stateline. The crest's designers took inspiration from Greek mythology and art, including the rod of the Greek god Asclepius and the statue Winged Victory, and from Spanish architecture, a major part of Kansas City's Country Club Plaza district.

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USA World Cup star Jay DeMerit becomes first Whitecaps FC MLS signing

DeMerit joins Whitecaps FC

VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced today the signing of American international and former Watford FC captain Jay DeMerit - pending his international transfer certificate. DeMerit becomes the first player named to the Whitecaps FC Major League Soccer roster. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

"Jay is a quality individual and leader - both on and off the pitch - and is the type of player we are looking to build our team with," said Bob Lenarduzzi, Whitecaps FC president. "He has excelled both at the club and international levels, and we are thrilled that Jay has joined Whitecaps FC as our first Major League Soccer player signing."

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WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - MY FRIEND!
Rapids ride own goal, survive wild finish to win MLS Cup

TORONTO – Colorado Rapids, welcome to Major League Soccer royalty.

After 15 seasons spent watching other league original franchises carve their identities with success and silverware, Denver’s team is finally a league champion.

The Rapids used a scrappy goal from Conor Casey and a game-winning own goal deep into stoppage time to claw their way to a chilly, chippy and ultimately cathartic 2-1 win over FC Dallas in the MLS Cup on Sunday night at BMO Field.

The title is the first in franchise history for Colorado, who’ve overhauled nearly everything except their team name since their only other MLS Cup appearance in 1997. But whether it was the team logo (they’ve had three), the coach (they’re on their fifth), or their team colors (from green and blue then to burgundy and sky blue now), nothing seemed to finally do the trick until Sunday night.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter-re ... in-mls-cup" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Slightly more than two months ago, the Colorado Rapids lost 3-1 to New York in what appeared to be a relatively comfortable win for the Red Bulls and their famous Designated Players.

Yet after the game, it was the Rapids and their coach, Gary Smith, who were talking tough, insisting the game was closer than the score suggested, and saying how much they’d love another crack at a New York team that was then in ascendancy.

At the time, it seemed like hollow posturing. When the teams announced a trade the following day, with Colorado sending midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy to New York in exchange for Macoumba Kandji, most observers agreed that Ballouchy’s season, not Kandji’s, would trend upward after the move.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/m ... n-flourish" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS - MY FRIEND!
Rapids ride own goal, survive wild finish to win MLS Cup

TORONTO – Colorado Rapids, welcome to Major League Soccer royalty.

After 15 seasons spent watching other league original franchises carve their identities with success and silverware, Denver’s team is finally a league champion.

The Rapids used a scrappy goal from Conor Casey and a game-winning own goal deep into stoppage time to claw their way to a chilly, chippy and ultimately cathartic 2-1 win over FC Dallas in the MLS Cup on Sunday night at BMO Field.

The title is the first in franchise history for Colorado, who’ve overhauled nearly everything except their team name since their only other MLS Cup appearance in 1997. But whether it was the team logo (they’ve had three), the coach (they’re on their fifth), or their team colors (from green and blue then to burgundy and sky blue now), nothing seemed to finally do the trick until Sunday night.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter-re ... in-mls-cup" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Slightly more than two months ago, the Colorado Rapids lost 3-1 to New York in what appeared to be a relatively comfortable win for the Red Bulls and their famous Designated Players.

Yet after the game, it was the Rapids and their coach, Gary Smith, who were talking tough, insisting the game was closer than the score suggested, and saying how much they’d love another crack at a New York team that was then in ascendancy.

At the time, it seemed like hollow posturing. When the teams announced a trade the following day, with Colorado sending midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy to New York in exchange for Macoumba Kandji, most observers agreed that Ballouchy’s season, not Kandji’s, would trend upward after the move.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/m ... n-flourish" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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MLS releases unprotected list for Expansion Draft

All the players available to Portland and Vancouver on Wednesday

The list of unprotected players available in the draft was released by MLS on Monday afternoon:

The Expansion Draft takes place at 2 pm ET on Wednesday.
MLSsoccer.com will have complete coverage, including a live edition of ExtraTime Radio broadcasting the draft teleconference among the teams, starting at 1:45 pm ET.

Chivas USA
■Borja, Carlos
■Bornstein, Jonathan
■Chijundu, Chukwudi
■Espinoza, Rodolfo
■Galindo, Maykel
■Gordon, Alan
■Kennedy, Dan
■Lillington, E.
■Maldonado, Giancarlo
■Mayen, Gerson
■Padilla, Jesus
■Romero, Osael
■Saragosa, Marcelo
■Trujillo, Mariano
■Zotinca, Alex

Chicago Fire
■Castillo, Nery
■Dykstra, Andrew
■John, Collins
■Krol, Krzysztof
■Ljungberg, Freddie
■Lowry, Peter
■Robinson, Dasan
■Thorrington, John
■Umanzor, Deris

Colorado Rapids
■Akpan, Andre
■Amarikwa, Quincy
■Ceus, Steward
■Joyce, Ian
■LaBauex, Ross
■Lopez, Claudio
■O'Brien, Ciaran
■Palguta, Scott
■Schunk, Ross
■Thompson, Wells
■Vagenas, Peter
■Wallace, Anthony

Columbus Crew
■Brunner, Eric
■Burns, Kevin
■Garey, Jason
■Griffit, Leandre
■Gruenebaum, Andy
■Hejduk, Frankie
■Moffat, Adam
■Oughton, Duncan
■Padula, Gino
■Schelotto, Guillermo Barros
■Williams, Joshua

FC Dallas
■Avila, Eric
■Cunningham, Jeff
■Davies, Kyle
■Edward, Edson
■Guarda, Bruno
■Harris, Atiba
■Hernandez, Daniel
■McCarty, Dax
■Rodriguez, Milton
■Sala, Dario
■Yeisley, Jason

D.C. United
■Allsopp, Daniel
■Barklage, Brandon
■Cristman, Adam
■Graye, Jordan
■Hernandez, Pablo
■McTavish, Devon
■Morsink, Kurt
■Pena, Juan
■Perkins, Troy
■Rice, Barry
■Varela, Carlos

Houston Dynamo
■Appiah, Samuel
■Ashe, Corey
■Cochrane, Ryan
■Mulrooney, Richard
■Ngwenya, Joseph
■Obodai, Anthony
■Oduro, Dominic
■Onstad, Pat
■Robinson, Eddie

Sporting Kansas City
■Aiyegbusi, Korede
■Beasley, Jamar
■Chhetri, Sunil
■Conrad, Jimmy
■Diop, Birahim
■Hercegfalvi, Zoltan
■Hohlbein, Aaron
■Kounenakis, Nick
■Kronberg, Eric
■Leathers, Jonathan
■Myers, Chance
■Thomas, Shavar
■Wolff, Josh

LA Galaxy
■Berhalter, Gregg
■Cazumba, Alex
■da Silva, L.
■Jordan, Bryan
■Kirovski, Jovan
■Kovalenko, Dema
■Magee, Mike
■Marshall, Yohance
■Perk, Brian
■Saunders, Josh

New England Revolution
■Boggs, Zak
■Burpo, Preston
■Colaluca, Nico
■Dube, Kheli
■Gibbs, Cory
■Griffiths, Jason
■Linck, Roberto
■Murray, Tim
■Phelan, Pat
■Sinovic, Seth
■Smith, Khano
■Stolica, Ilija

New York Red Bulls
■Angel, Juan Pablo
■Boyens, Andrew
■Chinn, Conor
■da Luz, Austin
■Garcia, Irving
■Nielsen, Brian
■Robinson, Carl
■Salou, Ibrahim
■Sassano, Luke
■Sutton, Greg
■Talley, Carey
■Ubiparipovic, Sinisa

Philadelphia Union
■Arrieta, Cristian
■Coudet, E.
■Fred
■Jacobson, Andrew
■Knighton, Brad
■Miglioranzi, Stefani
■Moreno, Alejandro
■Noone, Joseph
■Salinas, Shea
■Seitz, Chris
■Zimmerman, Nick

Real Salt Lake
■Alexandre, Jean
■Campos, Pablo
■Findley, Robbie
■Gonzalez, Nelson
■Grabavoy, Ned
■Horst, David
■McKenzie, Rauwshan
■Melia, Timothy
■Nimo, Alex
■Reynish, Kyle
■Russell, Robbie
■Schuler, Chris
■Warner, Collen
■Williams, Andy

San Jose Earthquakes
■Alvarez, Arturo
■Beitashour, Steve
■Burling, Bobby
■Cannon, Joe
■Corrales, Ramiro
■Eduado
■Geovanni
■Glen, Cornell
■Leitch, Chris
■Andre Luiz
■Morrow, Justin
■Ring, Brad
■Ward, Tim

Seattle Sounders FC
■Baudet, Julien
■Boss, Terry
■Earls, Danny
■Estrada, David
■Gonzalez, L.
■Graham, Taylor
■Ianni, Patrick
■Levesque, Roger
■Marshall, Tyrone
■Montano, Miguel
■Nkufo, Blaise
■Noonan, Pat
■Nyassi, Sanna
■Scott, Zacharias
■Seamon, Michael
■Sturgis, Nathan
■Wahl, Tyson

Toronto FC
■Barrett, Chad
■de Guzman, Julian
■Gala, Gabe
■Garcia, Nick
■Hscanovics, Raivis
■Ibrahim, Fuad
■Kocic, Milos
■Martinez, Miguel Angel Ferrer
■Nane, Joseph
■Sanyang, Amadou
■Saric, Martin
■Usanov, Maxim
■White, O'Brian

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PORTLAND TIMBERS
1. FC Dallas MF Dax McCarty
(FCD protects MF Daniel Hernandez)
2. Columbus D Eric Brunner
(Crew protects MF Kevin Burns)
3. Columbus MF Adam Moffat
(Crew no longer subject to selections)
4. Colorado D Anthony Wallace
(Rapids protect MF Wells Thompson)
5. Real Salt Lake D David Horst
(RSL protects MF Collen Warner)
6. Real Salt Lake F Robbie Findley*
(RSL no longer subject to selections)
7. Chicago MF Peter Lowry
(Fire protects D Dasan Robinson)
8. Chivas USA D Jonathan Bornstein*
(Chivas no longer subject to selections)
9. D.C. United D Jordan Graye
(United protects MF Kurt Morsink)
10. San Jose MF Arturo Alvarez
(Earthquakes no longer subject to selections)

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
1. Seattle MF Sanna Nyassi
(Sounders protect D Patrick Ianni)
2. Dallas F Atiba Harris
(FCD no longer subject to selections)
3. Seattle MF Nathan Sturgis
(Sounders no longer subject to selections)
4. Philadelphia MF Shea Salinas
(Union protects GK Chris Seitz)
5. Chivas USA F Alan Gordon
(Chivas protects D Mariano Trujillo)
6. Toronto F O'Brian White
(TFC protects MF Julian de Guzman)
7. Philadelphia F Alejandro Moreno
(Union no longer subject to selections)
8. San Jose GK Joe Cannon
(Earthquakes protect D Tim Ward)
9. Kansas City D Jonathan Leathers
(Wizards protect GK Eric Kronberg)
10. Chicago MF John Thorrington

*Findley is looking to sign with a club outside of MLS. Bornstein is headed to Tigres in Mexico. Portland will maintain their MLS rights.

Graye, 23, has been affiliated with United since 2001, when he joined the youth academy. He started at the University of North Carolina and was D.C.'s fourth-round draft pick last winter. Beset by injuries, United used him at left and right back for 20 starts. His 1,662 minutes were fifth most on the club.

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PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland Timbers coach John Spencer and general manager Gavin Wilkinson were all smiles following Wednesday’s MLS Expansion Draft. The Timbers spent the day acquiring young, talented primarily defensive-minded players with careers still on the upswing.

The expansion club used the No. 1 pick to select midfielder Dax McCarty, who played in Sunday’s MLS Cup for FC Dallas. Within hours, they traded him away to D.C. United for 22-year-old defender Rodney Wallace and a fourth-round SuperDraft choice.

Following that selection, Portland picked up young, talented players Eric Brunner (Columbus Crew), Adam Moffat (Columbus Crew), Anthony Wallace (Colorado Rapids) and David Horst (Real Salt Lake). Brunner, Wallace and Horst are all back line players while Moffat is a midfielder. (Wallace was traded back to Colorado.)

“We came out of the expansion draft like, in our eyes, there was only one team in it,” Spencer said. “We got the guys that we wanted. It’s not pie-in-the-sky. It’s not a smokescreen. We got the guys we were looking to get.”


BURNABY, British Columbia — The Vancouver Whitecaps leaned into the attack when selecting 10 players in the MLS Expansion Draft on Wednesday.

“I think getting the right blend of experience and youth and leveraging deals to come was important,” said Whitecaps FC Director of Soccer Operations Tom Soehn. “I think in the categories we had laid out, we checked them off today.”

The Whitecaps opened their selections with young winger Sanna Nyassi of the Seattle Sounders. He was then traded to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for an international spot.

Nyassi was one of two Sounders players snagged by Vancouver, joined by central midfielder Nathan Sturgis, who earned a regular starter's role in the second half of the 2010 season.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/

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'Caps still wheeling and dealing


VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps' inaugural MLS roster continued to take shape on Friday with the club announcing the signings of Philippe Davies, Wes Knight and Jay Nolly from their USSF-D2 roster.

Davies becomes the club’s first ever homegrown player. The 19-year-old midfielder was part of the Whitecaps FC Residency Program from 2007 to 2009 before being called up to the Whitecaps’ USSF-D2 first team last season. The native of Longueuil, Quebec, also recently participated in a training camp for Canada’s U-23 national team.

Fans will be happy to see Knight join the MLS roster after the defender won the club’s "Fan Favorite" award in 2010. The native of Easley, S.C., became a staple of the team’s back line the past two seasons, starting 69 of his 72 appearances. He was also a finalist for USL-1 Rookie of the Year in 2009 after registering a league-leading eight assists.

Nolly will be looking to translate three productive seasons in the second division into a starting role in MLS next season. The 28-year-old backstopped the Whitecaps to the 2008 USL-1 championship, followed by a return to the finals in 2009, and this past season he was named USSF-D2 Goalkeeper of the Year. The native of Littleton, Colo., holds the club record for consecutive matches played with 78, and is second in career shutouts with 41.

The trio join Jay DeMerit, Joe Cannon, Atiba Harris, Jonathan Leathers, Shea Salinas and John Thorrington on the Whitecaps FC 2011 MLS roster.

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United realize their man was there all along

DC name Olsen permanent coach in nod to tradition, history

WASHINGTON – D.C. United capped a four-month-long search for their next head coach on Monday morning, awarding the job to interim boss Ben Olsen in a dramatic about-face from repeated assertions that the club’s longtime midfielder would not be considered for the position on a permanent basis.

From the moment the club dismissed former coach Curt Onalfo in August, United president Kevin Payne and general manager Dave Kasper were steadfast in their declarations that Olsen would serve as a temporary leader only, citing his lack of experience.
Payne said they held formal interviews with six candidates for the position and casual talks with many others. But over the past month, the charismatic Olsen rose to the top of the club’s list by virtue of his long history with United, his adroit player management over the final stages of the 2010 season and his ideas for the roster-rebuilding process that is already well underway at RFK Stadium.

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List of 35 players include big names like Angel, Schelotto, Wolff

NEW YORK -- Major League Soccer has released the list of 35 players eligible for the first ever Re-Entry Draft, which will be held over two stages on Dec. 8 and Dec. 15.

The following players were required to meet age and service requirements to participate as stipulated by the terms of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

RE-ENTRY DRAFT PLAYER LIST

Chivas USA: Marcelo Saragosa (option declined), Alex Zotinca (option declined)

Colorado Rapids: Claudio Lopez (option declined), Ciaran O'Brien (option declined), Peter Vagenas (option declined)

Columbus Crew: Frankie Hejduk (option declined), Duncan Oughton (option declined), Gino Padula (option declined), Guillermo Barros Schelotto (option declined)

FC Dallas: Jeff Cunningham (option declined), Dario Sala (option declined)

D.C. United: Jaime Moreno (option declined)

Houston Dynamo: Ryan Cochrane (option declined), Richard Mulrooney (option declined), Joseph Ngwenya (option declined), Pat Onstad (option declined), Adrian Serioux (option declined)

Los Angeles Galaxy: Jovan Kirovski (option declined), Dema Kovalenko (option declined)

New England Revolution: Preston Burpo (option declined), Nico Colaluca (option declined), Cory Gibbs (option declined), Khano Smith (option declined)

New York Red Bulls: Juan Pablo Angel (option declined), Luke Sassano (option declined), Carey Talley (option declined)

Philadelphia Union: Fred Carreiro (out of contract), Chris Seitz (option declined)

San Jose Earthquakes: Khari Stephenson (option declined)

Seattle Sounders: Tyrone Marshall (option declined)

Sporting Kansas City: Jimmy Conrad (out of contract), Aaron Hohlbein (out of contract), Josh Wolff (option declined)

Toronto FC: Nick Garcia (option declined)

League Pool Goalkeeper: Chris Sharpe (option declined)

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/m ... ntry-draft

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Point Of Re-Entry
Toronto FC: We're not afraid to go big in Draft


TORONTO – Toronto FC interim GM Earl Cochrane isn’t sure how Wednesday’s Re-Entry Draft will play out. Seeing that it’s the first time MLS has held the draft, all he can do is speculate – but he's not afraid to jump in head first.

“We kind of thought it would be a case of experienced guys that are generally a little expensive and that’s what you find here,” he told MLSsoccer.com from his office Friday afternoon.

The full list of available players was released by the league on Friday and contained some notable names, such as former MLS MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Jeff Cunningham, Juan Pablo Angel and Jimmy Conrad. Despite the star power available, Cochrane says he expects most of the action to involve lesser-known names.

“It will likely be those mid-level guys that are willing to come down [in salary] that will be most valuable to teams,” he said. The stars might generate interest, he added, but only in specific situations where the fit is perfect.

Although Cochrane was tight-lipped about TFC’s plans for the draft, he did say that the club is always looking to address the areas that need improvement. If the right player is available, Toronto won’t hesitate to grab him.

“We’re looking at several key components that anyone that knows our roster will understand,” Cochrane says. “There are maybe six key starting-11 type players we are after. The rest is about filling out our roster.”

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/t ... ntry-draft

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Timbers, Alaska Airlines Unveil 2011 Jerseys


PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Timbers and Alaska Airlines, official jersey partner of the MLS club, today unveiled the team’s official uniforms, training wear and apparel line that will be featured during the Timbers’ inaugural Major League Soccer (MLS) season in 2011.

Dubbed “Runway on the Runway,” the event was held in the 64,000-square-foot hangar of Alaska Airlines’ sister carrier, Horizon Air, at Portland International Airport. Timbers players and Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air employees revealed the team’s official look to some 1,000 fans and supporters. To further mark the occasion, Alaska Airlines unveiled a specially themed Boeing 737-700 emblazoned with “Proud Jersey Sponsor” alongside the team logo and iconic green, yellow and white Timbers scarf.

The team’s primary jersey, produced by adidas, the official athletic sponsor and product supplier of MLS since the league’s inception in 1996, features a Ponderosa green that pays tribute to the Timbers’ rich history and exciting future in MLS. The body fabric, which prominently displays the Alaska Airlines logo and Timbers primary logo, is specially engineered with the Timbers signature chevron repeating down the middle, tying together the two shades of green that make up the body of the shirt. The classic look reflects the diversity of color one would see in a lush Oregon forest.

http://www.portlandmls2011.com/news/201 ... ay-runway-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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With the MLS SuperDraft just a month away, MLS announced on Thursday morning the initial list of college seniors who have been invited to the 2011 adidas MLS Player Combine.

The 54 college seniors named come from 36 Division I schools. They were selected by a panel of Division I coaches in conjunction with MLS coaches.

The list boasts many college standouts, including nine players from the four teams competing in this coming weekend's College Cup: J.T. Murray (Louisville); Justin Meram (Michigan); Anthony Ampaipitakwong (pictured above) and Christopher Korb (Akron); and Eddie Ababio, Jalil Anibaba, Michael Farfan, Stephen McCarthy and Dustin McCarty (UNC).

This is just the initial list of invitees. More players, including those from the Generation adidas program, Division II and II schools, and NAIA schools, will be added in the coming weeks.

The combine is set to take place in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Jan. 7-11. wwww.MLSsoccer.com will have full coverage of the combine games and profiles of many of the players.

Adidas MLS Player Combine list by position

GOALKEEPERS (5):
Bryan Meredith (Monmouth); Jeff Attinella (University of South Florida); Jimmy Maurer (South Carolina); Joe Willis (University of Denver); Josh Ford (UConn)

DEFENDERS (17):
A.J. Soares (California); Bilal Duckett (Notre Dame); Bobby Warshaw (Stanford); Christopher Korb (Akron); Colin Givens (Michigan State); Curtis Ushedo (UAB); Demitrius Omphroy (California); Eddie Ababio (UNC); Greg Klazura (Notre Dame); Greg King (UConn); Indy Smith (UNC Wilmington); Jalil Anibaba (UNC); J.T. Murray (Louisville); Juan Cruz (SMU); Michael Boxall (UCSB); Rich Balchan (Indiana); Tyler Lassiter (North Carolina State)

MIDFIELDERS (21):
Anthony Ampaipitakwong (Akron); Blake Brettschneider (South Carolina); Cole Grossman (Duke); Daniel Keat (Dartmouth); Dustin McCarty (UNC); Ernesto Carranza (Sacramento State); Guillermo Cortes (Maryland); Hector Jimenez (California); Jimmy Banks (Green Bay); John "Jeb" Brovsky (Notre Dame); Jon Okafor (Brown); Josue Soto (SMU); Karl Reddick (Boston College); Konrad Warzycha (Ohio State); Lebogang Pila (St. Peter's College); Matheus Braga (Penn State); Matt Gold (Ohio State); Michael Farfan (UNC); Servando Carrasco (California); Stephen McCarthy (UNC); Tommy Drake (Clemson)

FORWARDS (11):
Amani Walker (UCI); Ashley McInnes (Tulsa); Brayan Martinez (Seton Hall University); CJ Sapong (James madison); Davis Paul (California); Efrain Burgos (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo), Jason Herrick (Maryland); Justin Meram (Michigan); Levi Houapeu (UMBC); Philip Bannister (Loyola University Maryland); Steven Perry (Notre Dame)

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/m ... e-invitees

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Whitecaps FC add Canadian international
and
2010 USSF D-2 Defender of the Year



VANCOUVER, BC –Following the completion of their six-week offseason training camp this week, Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced today the signings of midfielder Terry Dunfield and centre back Greg Janicki to the club's Major League Soccer roster. Per club policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

Both Dunfield and Janicki were members of Whitecaps FC during the club's final season at the North American second division level in 2010. The pair joins goalkeeper Jay Nolly, right fullback Wes Knight, and midfielder Philippe Davies in making the transition from Vancouver's United States Soccer Federation Division-2 Professional League (USSF D-2) team to their MLS squad for the 2011 season

http://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/2010/12 ... ender-year

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The Portland Timbers and Alaska Airlines joined together Thursday to reveal the soccer team's new uniforms and clothing line at a fan and media event in a Horizon Airlines maintenance hangar at Portland International Airport. To begin the event, an Alaska 737 jet, complete with Timbers' logo.

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TFC exec. confirms tourney likely to switch to knock-out format


TORONTO – The format for the Nutrilite Canadian Championship is likely to change in 2011, Toronto FC business director Paul Beirne confirmed.

In the past TFC, Vancouver and the NASL’s Montreal Impact competed in a home-and-home round-robin tournament. The club with the most points at the end was crowned champion, took home the Voyagers Cup and advanced to the CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round.

With the addition of NASL expansion club FC Edmonton for the 2011 season, however, the format necessitated a change. With the MLS clubs facing a 34-game regular season next year – two more than in 2010 – there was a general consensus that a four-team round-robin wouldn’t work.

A rumor surfaced last week that suggested that the tournament would move towards a knock-out format. Reached for comment Sunday, Beirne confirmed that discussions have taken place to move the NCC in that direction.

“We were leaning toward a one-vs.-four and two-vs.-three [semi-final], and then a one-game final,” said Beirne.

Such a format would see 2010 defending champion Toronto play newcomers Edmonton, while Vancouver and Montreal would face each other in a re-match of the 2009 USL championship game. The semi-final would be a two-leg aggregate affair, and the final would be hosted by the highest seed.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/f ... may-change

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Timbers Sign English Defender Kerrea Gilbert

Defender joins from Arsenal

PORTLAND, Ore.— The Portland Timbers have signed English defender Kerrea (KAIR-ree) Gilbert, it was announced today. Gilbert joins the Timbers for their Major League Soccer debut in 2011 from English club Arsenal FC. Timbers general manager/technical director Gavin Wilkinson made the announcement.

Additionally, the Timbers today acquired a natural fourth-round pick from the Houston Dynamo in the 2014 SuperDraft in exchange for defender Jordan Graye.

Gilbert, 23, was a member of Arsenal’s first team for five seasons from 2005-10; he was a product of the English Premier League club’s youth system. Gilbert played in 12 matches for Arsenal, including a pair of UEFA Champions League fixtures, and spent time on loan with English clubs Cardiff City FC (2006-07), Southend United FC (2007-08), Leicester City FC (2008-09) and Peterborough United FC (2009-10). In total, he appeared in 92 matches, registering a goal and an assist during his career in England.

“Kerrea is an experienced, young player who has competed at the highest levels in England,” said Wilkinson. “The Timbers are committed to building an athletic, talented and hard-working squad, and we feel that he will be a great fit for our organization.”

http://portlandtimbers.com/news/2010/12 ... ea-gilbert

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RE-ENTRY STAGE 2 DRAFT PLAYER LIST

Chivas USA: Marcelo Saragosa, Alex Zotinca
Colorado Rapids: Claudio Lopez, Ciaran O'Brien, Peter Vagenas
Columbus Crew: Frankie Hejduk, Duncan Oughton, Gino Padula, Guillermo Barros Schelotto
FC Dallas: Jeff Cunningham, Dario Sala
D.C. United: Jaime Moreno
Houston Dynamo: Ryan Cochrane, Richard Mulrooney, Pat Onstad, Adrian Serioux
Los Angeles Galaxy: Dema Kovalenko
New England Revolution: Preston Burpo, Nico Colaluca, Cory Gibbs, Khano Smith
New York Red Bulls: Juan Pablo Angel, Luke Sassano, Carey Talley
Philadelphia Union: Fred, Chris Seitz
San Jose Earthquakes: Khari Stephenson
Seattle Sounders: Tyrone Marshall
Sporting Kansas City: Jimmy Conrad, Josh Wolff
Toronto FC: Nick Garcia
League Pool Goalkeeper: Chris Sharpe

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MLS expands international scouting network

League adds rep from Asia to foster growth between MLS, AFC


NEW YORK – Colorado Rapids right back Kosuke Kimura became the first and only Japanese player to win an MLS Cup title last month, and it generated significant media interest in his home country.

The San Jose Earthquakes will hope to find the next Kimura on Tuesday at the start of the J.League player combine. Head coach Frank Yallop and his assistant, Mark Watson, will both be in attendance to scout 150 J.League free agents in an event organized by the Japanese players' union.

The participation of the Quakes coaching staff is a direct result of the league’s expanding international scouting network. The latest addition is MLS Asian scouting coordinator Takehiko Nakamura, who will be looking to open a bigger door for players from the Asian Football Confederation to come through to ply their trade in MLS.

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Galaxy grabs Angel in busy MLS Re-Entry Draft


If you thought Wednesday's MLS Re-Entry Draft would be boring, you thought wrong.

MLS teams were extremely busy in the second phase of the MLS Re-Entry Draft, with eight players being taken. Juan Pablo Angel was the biggest name among the selections, being taken by Bruce Arena and the Los Angeles Galaxy. Arena was New York's head coach when Angel first signed with the Red Bulls.

The Galaxy moved up in the Re-Entry Draft order by trading with the Houston Dynamo to move up to the fifth pick. When Philadelphia passed on taking Angel, it cleared the way for Arena to take the forward he helped bring to MLS from England.

D.C. United made Josh Wolff the first player taken in the Re-Entry Draft and has reportedly already signed Wolff to a new contract.

Here are Wednesday's Re-Entry Draft Picks:

2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft (Part Two)
D.C. United- Josh Wolff

Chivas USA- Jimmy Conrad

New England Revolution- Ryan Cochrane

Los Angeles Galaxy- Juan Pablo Angel

Chicago Fire- Cory Gibbs

Sporting KC- Frankie Hejduk

Seattle Sounders- Chris Seitz

Columbus Crew- Jeff Cunningham

Los Angeles Galaxy- Luke Sassano

Colorado Rapids- Tyrone Marshall

New England Revolution- Fred

Teams must negotiate new contracts with the players chosen in Wednesday's Re-Entry Draft, meaning they don't become a part of their teams until a new deal is reached. D.C. United has reportedly already come to terms with Wolff.

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For Seattle fans, away ticket plan "a good start"

Plan allocates 500 tickets for traveling fans in Cascadia matches


Five hundred tickets will not meet the demand, but it’s a good start.

That was the general reaction in Seattle to Wednesday's announcement that 500 tickets will be set aside for traveling fans during 2011 MLS matches between Seattle, Portland and Vancouver.

As anticipation builds for the Cascadia rivalry, many had hoped for more. However, a large majority of fans posting on message boards and fan sites considered it to be a good starting point.

“I would have liked to see more seats allocated for away fans, but 500 is better than 150,” wrote one commenter on the website Prost Amerika, echoing the comments of many Seattle-based supporters on message boards and comment threads.

Optimistically, some fans were hoping 5 percent of each stadium’s capacity — which is the amount recommended by FIFA — to be set aside for away support.

The news, which was announced nearly simultaneously by all three clubs, falls short of that mark, although it should be noted that 500 tickets represents a much larger ratio in Portland’s PGE Park and Vancouver’s temporary Empire Fields than it does in Seattle’s higher-capacity Qwest Field.

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Timbers swap Cronin for DC stalwart Perkins

Former Goalkeeper of the Year set to man nets in Portland

The Portland Timbers made a dynamic move to shore up their position in goal for 2011 on Friday, trading current netminder Steve Cronin to D.C. United for former MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Troy Perkins.

Perkins, who was named the league’s top goalkeeper in 2006 and won back-to-back Supporters’ Shields with DC in 2006 and 2007, also spent two seasons in Norway, where he helped lead Valerenga IF to the 2008 Norwegian Cup. He also won an MLS Cup with D.C. United in 2004, starting 16 games during the regular season that year.

“Today, we’ve acquired one of the best American goalkeepers in MLS,” Timbers head coach John Spencer said in a statement. “With his valuable MLS experience and proven leadership, Troy has the ability and character to make a huge impact in Portland. I am delighted to have him on board with us, and we feel we’ve taken another step in the right direction with our plans to build a very competitive group that can compete with the best in MLS in 2011.”

Timbers swap Cronin for DC stalwart Perkins | Major League Soccer

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Fans, start making plans for the middle of March.

Major League Soccer revealed the schedule for "First Kick 2011" — the entire opening week of the 2011 season. In fact, all home openers have been set.

"First Kick 2011" will feature a week of action among an unprecedented 18 clubs as expansion franchises in Portland and Vancouver join the fold. This coming season, all clubs will play a 34-game balanced scheduled in which every team will face every other team twice, home and away. Ten teams will qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs


Tuesday, March 15
Seattle Sounders FC vs. LA Galaxy, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Saturday, March 19
Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Toronto FC, time TBD
D.C. United vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
New York Red Bulls vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 7:30 p.m.
FC Dallas vs. Chicago Fire, 8:30 p.m.
Houston Dynamo vs. Philadelphia Union, 8:30pm
Colorado Rapids vs. Portland Timbers, 9 p.m.
Chivas USA vs. Sporting Kansas City, 10:30 p.m.
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake, 10:30 p.m.

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[EPJr]

NEW YORK — One of the principles of sports has always been that meaning is conferred, not created. By point of example: It is the mutual loathing, or dislike, or even polite dismissal of various fan groups that tend to create the best sports rivalries.

Narrow it down from “sports” to “soccer,” and the direct-line correlation becomes even clearer. Just Google “soccer tribalism” and you’ll get nearly 300,000 hits, the first of which is a piece from CNN pondering whether “a Cosmos comeback” could spark soccer tribalism here in North America.

The author had obviously never been to The Home Depot Center on the day of the LA Superclasico. Or to the Pacific Northwest during a Cascadia Cup match. If he had, he would’ve known that soccer tribalism is here already. And it’s here to stay.

Over the course of the past decade, various rivalries, some expected, some not, have pushed MLS slowly away from the “Big 4” professional sports model, where the regular season is, frankly, watered down, and toward the NCAA football model, where it’s an annual ritual to circle rivalry games on the calendar months ahead of time.

With that in mind, here are five feuds I’m greatly looking forward to come March: http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/a ... rward-2011