Give the Islanders credit. They got up for the LA leg and built an insurmountable lead; MLS teams would be smart to take a few cues from Colin Clarke and Co. The Islanders success, 2010 being the third consecutive year they've advanced from the preliminary round, is no fluke. Puerto Rico isn't tearing it up in USSF D2, but they clearly know how to handle themselves in cup competitions.
Barring a shock bid from out of nowhere from a club he's is comfortable moving to, it doesn't look like Donovan is going anywhere this summer. If LA is keeping the band together, with the possible return of David Beckham looming, it would have been nice to see them in the CCL's group phase taking on the likes of Toluca. The Galaxy were one of the better MLS hopes considering their dominant (up until the last few weeks) league form and the quality of players like Donovan and Buddle. It's a shame then that they lost their focus at the wrong time, hit a rough patch that was bound to come eventually, and ran into a side that takes care of business in the CONCACAF Champions League.
So the league has four teams in the group stages as opposed to five. I don't suspect anyone believed all three of the clubs with preliminary match-ups would make it through, and while who did and who didn't is a mild surprise, the league is still well-represented.
Now to see a few of them can get out of the groups.
Meanwhile, I'll be rooting for the Islanders to make another deep run into the tournament. If MLS teams continue to struggle to break the Mexican monopoly, it makes sense to pull for a club playing in the Canadian/American second division.
