The biggest news of the moment comes to us from Canada, where Toronto FC are reportedly on the verge of signing Juergen Klinsmann as a consultant.  Klinsmann and his California-based company, Soccer Solutions, will advise Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment on everything from the club's next GM down to playing style and academy setup.

FIFA wrapped up their planned Executive Committee meetings today with a press conference in Zurich, where it was announced that the December 2 vote on World Cup bids for 2018 and 2022 would go ahead as scheduled. Despite a barrage of questions as to the fairness of the vote, and though he admitted that combining the voting on 2018 and 2022 was a mistake in retrospect, Sepp Blatter and FIFA did little to assuage fears of corruption.

Over the past couple of weeks Major League Soccer has been collecting the ballots for the various regular season awards that will be announced over the next few weeks. The list included major awards like the Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, and Goalkeeper of the Year, along with lesser known awards like Referee of the Year and Public Relations Staff of the Year. Since the polls closed this past Monday afternoon, MLS has released the finalists in each award category and media members have revealed their first choices. For me, the most interesting of the categories is that of MVP.

Columbus and Colorado kick off the MLS playoff season tonight at Dick's Sporting Good Park.  Eight teams, one Cup, all the pomp, pageantry (such as MLS can produce for conference semifinals), and more cliches than you can shake a stick at.

Japan is regarded as a long shot to win the 2022 World Cup bid, in part because they were joint hosts with South Korea (another 2022 bidder) only eight years ago. If FIFA can be swayed by promises of advanced technology, however, they're chances might be better than conventional wisdom believes.

Standing up and taking one's medicine on predictions gone wrong is a humbling experience.  Not that there's any real shame in failing to nail down a league rife with parity and year-to-year shifts; MLS is a harsh mistress, and those trying to tame her nothing but gluttons for punishment.

With the MLS season coming to a close, and with the January window rapidly approaching, steam is building behind another winter loan for Landon Donovan.  Everton are the most vocal bidders, of course, and Donovan has regularly expressed his desire to return to Goodison since leaving England in the spring.  Newcastle is also rumored to be interested in the Galaxy attacker.

What was rumor is now fact; the Austin Aztex are no more, having been uprooted from Texas and moved to Florida to continue life as Orlando City Soccer Club. Phil Rawlins is the man responsible, and while he's saying all the right things about bringing professional soccer to Orlando, it's impossible to ignore the broken hearts he left behind in Austin.

The net for potential USMNT players is cast necessarily wide in the hope that anyone with American ties can be brought into the fold.  While Germany (Jermaine Jones, possibly Daniel Williams) and Mexico (a plethora of young players) are the focus at the moment, there's reason to cast an interested eye towards Russia.

Before I dive headfirst into the concrete-bottomed shallow end of the bracket, I'd like to take a moment to say something about an issue that's been bugging me. I don't follow the second division that closely, because it's not on TV, and there's even less money in writing about USL and NASL than there is in writing about MLS, but the move of the Austin Aztex to Florida is disappointing, if only for Austin soccer fans. I hate the notion that supporters can be left high and dry whenever the Front Office wants to chase a fresh dollar or two. Looks like there's two Mickey Mouse organizations in Orlando now.

And while I realize that emotions are running high, I don't quite get the hate for the name "Orlando City SC." Is it kinda clunky and an obvious bit of europosing? Sure, but it could have been worse. It could have been Lokomotiv Orlando. Orlando Albion. Bayern Orlando FK. CD Chivas USA.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system like so much bad Taco Bell, let's talk playoffs. Or as it will be known in the next round, the Western Conference Cup. Because right now, I have very little confidence in the two East teams. Columbus has played quite a lot of matches with a squad boasting an average age of seventy eight, winning just one of their last seven games (Against nothing to play for Philly, so it barely counts), and to top it off, Will Hesmer is out for the season with a Danny Califf'd shoulder. Against the physical presence of USMNT rejects like Pablo Mastroeni and Conor Casey, I don't see the Crew playing going beyond two.

Interesting side note, the other keeper besides Hesmer to score a goal in MLS? Danny Cepero, against Hesmer's backup and now, Crew starter for the playoffs, Andy Gruenebaum. Stay strong, Nordecke.

As for the other team from the Rust Belt, it's not that the Red Bulls aren't good, it's that they're playing against Chris Wondolowski, who has ten goals in his last eight games. That's not just "hot." Five goals in eight games is "hot." Ten? Tim Ream better bring plenty pf SPF50 if he doesn't want to end up like a ginger in Phoenix.*

Looking to the West, the most difficult team to predict is obviously the Galaxy. I wouldn't be surprised to see them steamroll everyone and romp their way to a third MLS Cup. I also wouldn't be surprised if they rolled over and meekly went two-and-out against Seattle.

The Sounders themselves are a bit of an enigma, too. Over their last fourteen games, the boys in rave green have posted a 10-2-2 record with 22 for and 11 against. On the flip side, they've also been outscored 7-1 by LA this season, and the vaunted home crowd advantage they have at Qwest wasn't much help when the Galaxy put four past Kasey Keller in May.

That just leaves Real Salt Lake against FC Dallas left to cover. If MLS used a single table, Dallas would be playing the dead-men-walking Columbus Crew. Instead, they get to play the reigning champs. Who haven't lost a home game since May. Of last year.

My picks:

San Jose defeats New York

Colorado defeats Columbus

Los Angeles defeats Seattle

Salt Lake defeats Dallas

San Jose defeats Colorado

Salt Lake defeats Los Angeles

Salt Lake defeats San Jose

*That is, burnt beyond recognition.

Two weeks or so ago, I started to write a piece on the new New York Cosmos and their "efforts" to this point in their nascent existence. In light of the release of their Umbro line of gear (which I posted about at the time) and because so much of what they've done to this point seemed...shady, I intended to tear the Cosmos apart as a fake team scamming the world in a bid to sell jerseys.

The Return of the Ginge brings Sepp Blatter audio on the FIFA corruption scandal, talk about all those MLSers retiring this year, the structure of the MLS playoffs and what the league's format will be in years to come. Did I mention Sepp audio?

In this space on Friday, Robert Jonas discussed the nature of modern sports and the lack of "clubs" in MLS, boiling down the fan-team relationship into one of pure economics.  Teams have owners who sell a product.  Fans, or supporters if you like, either buy that product or they don't.  When the team is struggling on the field or management fails to address the problems, fans only recourse is to not buy tickets.  The word "club" is not applicable to MLS franchises because they fail to meet the basic definition.

So that's it then - the 2011 MLS regular season has come to a close.  It's been quite a ride, starting way back in the frosty days of March, included a first-ever break for a World Cup, an infusion of high-dollar talent in the summer, the initially dominant Galaxy come back to the pack before hanging on for a point title, and a shock Golden Boot winner in Chris Wondolowski. Other things happened, too, but they're too numerous to name. 2010 was a whirlwind year.

As Major League Soccer nears the conclusion of its sixteenth season, the organization is making the transition from a struggling fringe league to an important part of the American sporting landscape. Attention from the classic and on-line media and the availability of games both in live venues and on television have never been higher in this country.

Ah, the business of soccer in America. Just when a club (I use that word ironically, despite treating it as a synonym for "franchise" in an American context) begins to take root, just when the fan base is growing and just when a supporters groups see success in building their numbers, it's all taken away.

The competitive structure of MLS rarely stays the same for very long.  Between teams coming (and going), the white knuckle determination of league to hold onto its conference setup, and regular concerns over schedule congestion and travel, the people in charge of such things are constantly tinkering.  The number of scheduled games fluctuates regularly, as it will again next year when each teams plays 34 times, a four game increase over 2010.

And now, a message from MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

"(TFC supporters) helped teach Americans how to be soccer fans, travelling, being passionate about Champions League and international games. It’s unfortunate that they haven’t been rewarded with a successful team."

Uh. Ok.

FIFA's ethics committee addressed the recent vote-selling scandal publicly yesterday, announcing that the two executive members caught on tape by The Sunday Times offering to sell their votes, Amos Adamu of Nigeria and Reynald Temarii of Tahiti, are provisionally suspended pending a further investigation.  A final hearing will take place next month.

San Jose Earthquakes - 2
Chivas USA - 1

New York Red Bulls - 1
New England Revolution - 1

Houston Dynamo - 0
Seattle Sounders FC - 1

DC United - 1
Toronto FC - 1

Kansas City Wizards - 1
San Jose Earthquakes - 0

Colorado Rapids - 2
Real Salt Lake - 0

Chivas USA - 2
Chicago Fire - 5

Columbus Crew - 2
Philadelphia Union - 3

LA Galaxy - 2
FC Dallas - 1

Martin Hansson was the referee on that fateful night in Paris when Thierry Henry's handball saved the French and sparked an international incident. This documentary chronicles Hansson's quest to realize his dream of refereeing in the World Cup and the non-decision that derailed it.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Real Salt Lake, the defending MLS Cup champions and overall second place team during the 2010 regular season, is their depth.  RSL's big names are well known as major drivers of their recent succss;  Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Alvaro Saborio and Jamison Olave all come to mind as all-league type players.  But RSL also features "lesser" names that contribute to their overall success; these players fill defined roles, operate under the radar, and come off the bench when needed to fit perfectly into the greater team concept.  That depth and across-the-board quality are true testaments to the what Garth Lagerwey and Jason Kreis' have built in the Utah desert.

The internet has exploded recently with the revelation that this decade's "Savior of English Football™," Wayne Rooney, is intent on leaving the favorite team of that friend of yours who also likes the Yankees, Cowboys, and Lakers. Cue wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Landon Donovan might be headed back to England and Everton in January, and the chances that it will be permanent just got a lot better.

In this episode of potential US National Teamers-who-are-not-yet-eligible ("The Inbetweeners"?), two exciting prospects of African origin but with American stories have contact with their birth-nation's soccer federation, throwing their international futures in to doubt and giving the red, white and blue clad faithful reason to worry that they're set to lose out on yet more promising young soccer talent. 

There's a bit of jockeying to be done, but the MLS Cup playoff field is set.  Playoffs are what Americans do; be you a traditionalist or not, it's hard to argue that this particular playoff season isn't setting up to be a barn burner.    The "best" team over the course of the season might not win (though we don't know who that is quite yet), but that the price we pay for heightened excitement.

In Major League Soccer, hope springs eternal. Even in October.


Toronto FC has just one league match left of their schedule, a road date with DC United on Saturday. Having already lost to United at home last month (which effectively ended their playoff hopes), the only thing left for TFC to play for is avoiding the ignominy of being swept by the league's worst team. 2010 is over. Time to look ahead.

In perhaps the least surprising development since Tom Hicks' idiotic comments on the end of his Liverpool tenure, members of the FIFA executive committee, the body responsible for handing out the two World Cup bids for 2018 and 2022, have been caught offering to sell their votes.

We're No-Ginge for one more week, so this episode features the thoughts of Brian Straus from Soccer Fanhouse on USA-Colombia before Jared DuBois (find him on Twitter, listen to his podcast) returns to break down that game and consider bribery allegations in the World Cup bidding process.

In separate moves no doubt related to one another, the United States has dropped its 2018 World Cup bid while England have done the same for 2022.  The implication here is that by choosing to bow out of the consideration for 2018, the US got something in return; Sunil Gulati has been adamant in recent weeks that the Americans would only limit themselves to one bid if it brought an advantage.  With this news coming down today, we can assume that something has been promised to the US bid organizers.

During the height of their protests against owners Tom Hicks and George Gillet, Liverpool fans burned American flags as a intentionally provocative sign of their hatred.  "Yanks Out" was a consistent refrain, echoing across Merseyside as the two American billionaires took the club further and further into debt.  With the deadline for the Royal Bank of Scotland to seize the club and take it into administration approaching, the roar of anti-American disdain became deafening.  Though the vitriol was specifically directed at Hicks and  Gillet, the nationality of the owners became a significant element in the way fans expressed their anger.

Snub a reporter, risk a ripping. Oguchi Onyewu learned that lesson this week after his first match as captain for the USMNT in Philadelphia. After a refusing to speak with the media during training camp for the Americans' two October friendlies, Onyewu carried over the policy to the aftermath of the Colombia game in Philadelphia. Simon Borg relates Onyewu walking through the mixed zone and wagging a finger in the direction of the assembled reporters.

Turn on your radio or television and you can’t miss them — campaign advertisements for politicians and propositions hoping to earn your vote ahead of state and local elections in early November. Most of these ads end up being of the mudslinging variety, but some try to focus in on the positive attributes politicians support and the promises they hope to bring forth if elected. Discussions and debates rage on between supporters on either side of each race and issue, while those few left in the middle and undecided try to weigh the merits of the opposing campaigns. In a few weeks’ time, all the fuss, all the arguments, all the vitriol will give way to a slate of winning candidates and new laws, and the losers will soon be forgotten.

Brian "Buster" Phillips of Run of Play has a new post up extrapolating some of the "cultural shadow" (my phrase) discussion on Ian Darke and the influence the English have on American soccer into a wider musing on cultural cross-pollination.  The thrust of his piece is that perhaps English and American soccer cultures are beginning to blend and fuse as a greater number of Americans throw themselves into the game, English outfits looks to learn American marketing techniques, clubs are passing into American hands and the Internet puts us all into a rolling shared-language conversation on all of the preceding and more.  Brian reasons that as time moves along, the language and the growing involvement of Americans will only pull us closer to our cousins across the pond when it comes to this game.  That's the nature of globalization, and soccer isn't immune.

Why all the hate of the 4-3-3? Yes, it turned into a 4-1-4-1. Yes, it looked uncomfortable. Yes, it produced no shots on goal. Well, I guess with these factors going against it, I can understand the hate. But, I find myself in counterpoint again to a vocal portion of the US fan base. Here’s what I saw in these two games that gives me hope.

The fan base has been clamoring for a change to a more attacking, possession based formation. They got what they wanted in the 4-3-3.

And it wasn’t effective.

This was particularly the case on the front line. So, let’s break down that line in this formation. Jozy isn’t yet to the level that he can be effective as a single striker. Holden is much better passing the ball than making runs at defenders. Shea, while skill-wise is a good fit for that wing position, received his first cap and showed the accompanying nerves. With this the case, it should not be that surprising that the US struggled to create opportunities. Contrary to popular belief, there is a reason that the US has played a 4-4-2; its players are currently best suited for a 4-4-2.

Transitioning to a possession oriented, attacking team is not going to be pretty. Too many of the traits and tactics that made the 4-4-2 effective for the US are counterproductive in an alternative formation. For example, the dump pass into the deep corner works great in the 4-4-2. Either the side midfielder receives the ball and has two targets in the box or one of the central forwards peels out and the side midfielder makes a diagonal run into the space left by the forward. We’ve seen this second tactic consistently in US games over the last couple years. Long ball down the side, Altidore peels off, receives the ball, makes a move, passes to the diagonal run of Dempsey or Donovan.

In the 4-3-3, this tactic doesn’t work if it is the striker receiving the ball in the corner. If Altidore receives the ball in the corner. There is not another striker in the middle to create space for the diagonal run. Leaving a cross or back pass as the only options. The cross is not a solid option because only the opposite winger is in a good position in the box. This leaves the attack killing backpass as the best option. Too often, Altidore was on the receiving end of long balls into the corners because the wingers weren't there.

The wingers weren't there because, there are tactics that don’t work in the counterattacking 4-4-2 style that are essential to an effective 4-3-3. In the 4-3-3, more of the width needs to be provided by the side backs. This allows the three midfielders to stay central and dominate possession and the two wingers to stay forward. This didn’t happen last night. With Spector rarely getting forward, Holden was forced to check down. The experience on the left side was similar, but to a lesser extent. With the wingers checking down to provide the width, the formation changes into a 4-1-4-1 which is why it was Jozy chasing down the balls in the corner.

For the side backs to provide width, they need time to get forward. This time can be created by the interaction of the central defenders and the central midfield. A ball turned over played into the central midfield, back to the central defenders, then back up to the central midfield gives the side backs time to enter the attack from their defensive positions. On the second possession by the central midfield, the passing options should have developed; internal passing among the central midfield, passes outside to the sidebacks, diagonal balls to the wingers, and the through or over the top ball to the striker. The time necessary to get into these positions, of course, stymies the counterattack and deep long ball on which the US has survived. But if the goal is possession, the counterattack should not be the primary option after a turnover.

This summer, I discussed at length where I thought the US should be heading based on the projected talent pool in 2014. These past two matches has done little to change my opinion. Jermaine Jones looks capable of playing any of the three central midfield positions. Eric Lichaj looked very good going forward and his defending was solid for a first cap. Outside of blown clearances, the defense was solid, even without Onyewu being match fit. While playing in the 4-4-2, the offense had rhythm even without Donovan.

If the US is to use a possession oriented formation, its going to have to sacrifice results. Villarreal generally plays with two up top. So for Jozy to develop into a player capable of playing as a single striker, he is going to have to get that experience (and the poor offensive performances that come with this) with the national team. For the side backs to find the right balance, they are going to get caught out occasionally. For the central midfielders to find their short passing rhythm, there are going to be bad turnovers that lead to breakaways.

Effectively playing a possession oriented formation will require growth from the players in the talent pool. With that growth, there will be growing pains. The US is not in a position where it can seamlessly transition from one style to another. If we really want to see the US become a team that can hold possession and work an offense, its going to require time and patience.

Let's pretend.  You're the coach of a national team, which means your opportunities to run your charges through their paces are limited, and your pool of players is fluid and unpredictable.  Your team has issues with depth in central defense, and an overabundance (quite suddenly) of defensive-minded central midfielders.  You have friendlies on the schedule and the mandate to push the envelope.  What do you do?

Chicago Fire - 1
Kansas City Wizards - 1

Seattle Sounders FC - 3
Chivas USA - 1

Chicago Fire - 2
DC United - 2

Toronto FC - 2
Columbus Crew - 0

Philadelphia Union - 2
New York Red Bulls - 2

New England Revolution - 1
Kansas City Wizards - 2

Real Salt Lake - 1
FC Dallas - 0

San Jose Earthquakes - 2
Houston Dynamo - 1

LA Galaxy - 2
Colorado Rapids - 2

The idea that MLS is headed down a dangerous path with increasing investment in players like David Beckham and Thierry Henry is not a new one.  Nor is the inflammatory notion that doing so will create NASL redux, a repeat of history that will inevitably lead to the league's collapse.

Sochaux president Alexandre Lacombe told a French newspaper yesterday that it will be at least six months before it's clear whether Charlie Davies will be a top-flight player again.

"According to doctors, it will take at least 18 months from the date of the accident to hope for real progress and know more. It's a miracle he's still alive and doing well. Right now, Charlie isn't a Ligue 1-level player, that's for sure, but he continues to work hard ..."

The Portland Timbers, USSF Division 2 version, were knocked out of the playoffs last night by the Vancouver Whitecaps when they won 1-0 but lost the two-legged series 1-2 on aggregate. While the Whitecaps will continue on in search of one final second division title, the Timbers have played their last game as a minor league outfit.

The new show is up in all of the places it can possibly be up, so get your fill.  The Ginge is off on a tour of the Southeastern United States, so Jared DuBois of jrodius twitter fame and the Corner of the Galaxy podcast sits in to help me weave my way through USA-Poland thoughts, CD9's vehicle-related mistakes, and the value of the US Open Cup in light of the Sounders repeat.

The United States is bidding to host a World Cup - possibly in eight years, but more likely in twelve.  As time ticks down on the pony show bidding process, it wouldn't be wrong to say that each and every little thing matters. The charisma of the men charged with selling the bids, the number of signatures on electronic petitions to promises of extraordinary profits; it is all meant to make the bids in question look as mouth-watering as possible to the FIFA committee.  Appearances matter.

Uneven, inconsistent, somewhat encouraging while at the the same time eminently maddening; the United States' performance on Saturday night against Poland was all of those things.  But what most stuck out for fans and analysts alike was the strong performance by the team's long-awaited addition, American-German Jermaine Jones.

Here we go with Bob Bradley Version 2.0 - USA v Poland tonight in Chicago (7:30 PM EDT, Fox Soccer Channel). 


There are several questions to which we'll have answers come game time, including whether or not Bob Bradley intends to move away from his tried and true 4-4-2. The looks of the roster seems to indicate a change is coming.

Let's throw the curtain aside for a moment, shall we?  Though the business of blogging isn't of interest to everyone (that old axiom about sausage comes to mind), enough of you might care that a discussion of some recent developments seems appropriate.

New York Red Bulls - 2
Real Salt Lake - 1

FC Dallas - 2
Coloroado Rapids - 0

DC United - 1
San Jose Earthquakes - 3

Kansas City Wizards - 1
Seattle Sounders FC - 1

Chivas USA - 1
Toronto FC - 3

Houston Dynamo - 2
New England Revolution - 1

If it wasn't Friday and work wasn't hell, I would have had this up earlier.  In fact, I debated whether to post it at all.  Alas, it's gone uber-wide at this point, so it's likely you've already heard, and there are some ramifications to consider.   Charlie Davies was caught going 125 mph (or whatever that is in kilometers) at some point this past weekend.

As the MLS regular season enters its final fortnight, the top eight teams in the current league table are virtually assured qualification to the post-season MLS Cup tournament. The bottom three of those eight — Seattle Sounders FC, the Colorado Rapids, and the San Jose Earthquakes — now face an interesting choice as to where they target their playoff seedings.

"The diminutive director of US Soccer does come across as arrogant at times..."

The 2018 and 2022 World Cups are set to be handed out in roughly two months, and the men in charge of hyping their respective nations' worthiness to host one or the other are buzzing around like caffeinated bees. They're desperate to convince the watching football world that they've got it all.