This is the last episode of the famous Best Soccer Show. Goodbye and godspeed.

Greg Berhalter has a mystery Yank wanting to come and play at Columbus Crew Stadium, and with the Crew having the number one spot of the allocation order they will be able to sign the unknown player.

"I don’t want to say names, but I got a call yesterday about a guy who wanted to specifically come to Columbus," Berhalter told Stars and Stripes FC. "A big national team player, and I thought that was interesting. All of a sudden we’re getting calls where people are coming to us."

With the mystery player interested in playing for the Crew and Berhalter keeping his name in the dark till further notice. The speculations of who this player is will begin, the possible list of players can be Juan Agudelo, Brek Shea, Jermaine Jones, Sacha Kljestan, Oguchi Onyewu, Mix Diskerud, and who knows maybe even Jozy Altidore. It doesn't matter what other players they have or what the Betfair odds are of CC winning anything this season. Remember since the Crew hold the number one spot of the allocation order, Berhalter can get anyone he pleases as long as they enter the allocation process.

“We can get anyone,” The former U.S. international told Soccer By Ives. “As long as ownership says, ‘Let’s do it,’ we can get anyone. We’re in the position. We play good enough football that anyone would want to come play with us. I think that spot is very valuable to us for that reason. To say that we’re just a placeholder in that, that’s not true.”

Well first we can count Jozy Altidore out since he seems determined to break through at Sunderland. Jermaine Jones has almost a secure deal with the Chicago Fire. Sacha Kljestan seems destined to be heading to the Los Angeles Galaxy, according to a Soccer By Ives source.

Now for players like Juan Agudelo who currently do not have a club, that could be a possibility of him coming to the Crew, but he would not fit the bill of a "big national team player." Plus Agudelo just left Major League Soccer less than a season ago, and his hunger for European soccer does not seem to be satisfied yet.

Now for the Brek Shea's, Oguchi Onyewu's and the Mix Diskerud's, there is a chance of these players coming to the Crew. However, with these players already belonging to clubs it will cost MLS some money to get the rights for their contracts to enter the allocation process. Of course it will not be an immense of money for Onyewu or Shea, since both players are struggling to break through their respective clubs. Also like Agudelo, Shea who recently left MLS is also doubtful of returning from Europe.

For Onyewu, a place like Columbus could be a potential new home for the 11-year journey man. Ever since the knee injury he suffered right before the 2010 World Cup in the final World Cup Qualification match against Costa Rica, where he would have to carried out of the game.  He has never truly found his dominating form since that injury, he has bounced around club to club in Europe since the injury, and Columbus can potentially become his new home. However, both Shea and Onyewu both do not fit the "big national team player" as well.

As for Diskerud, the Crew will have to give a good amount of money to get the USMNT creative midfielder from his club team Rosenborg BK is one problem. The other obstacle would be to convince Diskerud to come and play in Columbus, the Norwegian/American almost came to MLS a couple years ago. Portland Timbers Coach Caleb Porter almost recruited his former Under-23 U.S. Men's National team midfielder he coached in qualification to the 2012 London Olympics summer games. However, Diskerud was turned off how players could easily be traded to another club in the MLS, so to bring the creative midfielder to play in the state of Ohio, the Crew will have to draw up a special contract for him, which makes Diskerud coming to MLS a long shot.

With the Crew coach holding his cards close to him speculations can only be formed till the former U.S. international center back reveals who is this USMNT mystery man?

Jurgen Klinsmann's men go into their World Cup second round game with confidence at an all-time high, despite being on the receiving end of a defeat in their last game in Brazil. The USMNT were not expected by anyone to make it out of a group that contained Portugal and Germany, especially with the other side in Group G being the team who handed them their marching orders at the last two World Cups.

Vengeance over old foes

USA enjoyed sweet revenge over Ghana in their only victory of the group stages, setting their campaign off to a flying start within 32 seconds and then stealing a winner in the last ten minutes through John Brooks.

But the Ghana win was so nearly overshadowed when they almost earned 3 points against the FIFA Ranked #4 in the world; Portugal. After trailing for an hour, the USA rode a Portuguese storm and never gave up fighting, eventually getting back on even terms through a sensational strike from Jermaine Jones. The German-born midfielder, who now plays his club football at Turkish side Besiktas, has played exceptionally well in South America and has even outshone golden-boy, Michael Bradley, in the center of the US midfield.

Before the World Cup it was seen by most as either Jones or Beckerman alongside Bradley, but out in Brazil the 3 players have forged a partnership that doesn't fear anyone, not even the Germans!

USA morale

Jurgen Klinsmann has lit a fire under this group of players that is not going to be put out without a fight. They have bonded together stronger than anyone could've predicted, especially just a few weeks back when Landon Donovan was omitted and so many anticipated a collapse without the experience and reliability of the 57-goal legend.

DaMarcus Beasley has been electrifying in his record-breaking, fourth World Cup finals, providing that cool head under pressure in his latest role as part of the defensive line. Despite his advancing years, the 32-year-old still has pace and has been seen getting forward on the wings to great effect in Brazil.

Belgium may be without captain through groin strain

Les Diables Rouges may be without inspirational captain Vincent Kompany, and without his influence they will be missing a key element to their game. Kompany is the figure-head of the team with cool composure and exceptional vision.

MatchFitUSA prediction: Belgium 0-1 USA

The Stars and Stripes will have to weather a storm of unrelenting Belgian pressure, but they will again show their strength in defense as well as between the sticks. The European side have a wealth of quality in their squad, but this campaign has USA riding on the crest of a wave and that confidence and morale will carry them through. Expect Michael Bradley to finally find the net in this one.

Clint Dempsey moved from Fulham to London rivals Tottenham last summer, for a fee believed to be in the £6 million range. With the USA international on board, Spurs rallied to their highest ever points total in the Premier League, however still missed out on a top-four finish. With this in mind, was Dempsey's first campaign at White Hart Lane a success or not?

One of the standout features of Dempsey's play at Fulham was his ability to find the back of the net on regular occasion from an attacking midfield position or from wide. For all money it looked like Dempsey would move to Liverpool, with the exchange betting now showing that a switch to Anfield was on the cards. However, with the Reds arguing over a transfer fee, Spurs nipped in to pip their rivals to the attacker's signature, and make the most of his versatility.

Although Dempsey did not return as many goals last term as in previous campaigns with Fulham, his seven Premier League strikes came in as a benefit to a side that largely relied on Gareth Bale to hit the back of the net. The American scored in both games against Manchester United to see Spurs take four points off the eventual champions, and also contributed other important strikes both in the Premier League and in Europe. Spurs fans will hope that Dempsey can look to make it into double figures next season.

His versatility was also a key aspect for Spurs, with Andre Villas-Boas able to call on Dempsey to play on either flank or through the middle as a second striker if needed. With Aaron Lennon injured for parts of the campaign, Gylfi Sigurdsson taking time to find his feet and Lewis Holtby only joining in January, Dempsey's presence was one that was largely positive for Spurs. Dempsey has also added a direct approach and energy to the Tottenham attack, while the American also offers guile and good technique.

Although his debut season for Spurs will not go down as one of his career best, the signs are there that Dempsey can be a critical man in Tottenham's attempts to qualify for the Champions League next season.

Stoke City, with it's pair of Americans grabbing the attention of at least of few of their countrymen across the pond, head to Loftus Road on Saturday to battle QPR in a crucial game for both sides. Stoke's recent form leave them perilously close to the drop zone in 16th, just three points clear of 18th place Wigan. Tony Pulis is under pressure, Stoke's brutal style of play is starting to wear thin with frantic supporters, and only a win against Harry Redknapp's club will do anything to lighten the load.

The most pressing problem is that Stoke hardly score these days, and they've hardly scored away from the Britannia all year. Hence the word at Betfair, with Stoke a 3.65 wager to win. It wouldn't be in character for Pulis to let his charges loose against QPR, even if getting a goal that can bring three points is crucial. On the other side, Harry Redknapp will have every reason to take the game to Stoke at home in London. QPR's situation is dire with the club 10 points adrift of safety, and only a rampant run of form down the stretch of the season will keep the Hoops up for another year in the Premier League.

Of Stoke's American contingent, only the trusted Geoff Cameron will be expected to play a part. Whether due to lack of fitness or because of his liabilities on the defensive side of the ball, Tony Pulis hasn't yet seen fit to give former FC Dallas man Shea much of a look. This is the case enough though Stoke is without winger Matthew Etherington due to injury. Shea's move to Stoke remains a bit of a head-scratcher for that reason; if Pulis had no intention of using Shea (and his attacking abilities) this season, the transfer during the dying hours of the January window makes little sense. Nothing else has worked for Stoke lately--would it be so wrong to give the young American with the funny hair a run out against one of the league's worst teams?

Notes:

The chances of a set piece goal, for either side, are notable. Stoke is both the league leader in percentage of total goals scored from set pieces (57%) and conceded (46%). QPR's Loic Remy is hot, with goals in four of his last six Premier League appearances. Stoke City has just five points in 2013, and just one in their last seven games. Stoke hasn't picked up a point away from home in their last six trips. QPR has scored first a league low nine times this season, but when they do, they're good at protecting a lead.

Prediction:

Considering Stoke's trouble putting the ball in the net and QPR's greater comfort at home, Harry Redknapp's side looks like a winner, 1-0.

MLS presents a veritable smorgasbord of tasty match-ups this weekend as part of a day-long celebration of the league's best rivalries. On Saturday alone, rivals clash across a 10-hour block, starting with the Red Bulls v. D.C. United at Red Bull Arena and climaxing with Seattle v. Portland from a packed house in Seattle. NBC Sports will provide live look-ins at several games via a "whiparound" show called "The Breakaway."

Really, for those into who use things like Unibet to do something by the name of online betting, the crush of action, action, action is like a dream wrapped inside a fantasy covered in pixie dust. Even if you're not the type, nonstop American soccer action could be the high point of your month. I know it will be of mine. Do not judge my life.

But which game is the best of the lot from a competitive standpoint? Which game pits the most even teams against one another while also bringing the added element of heated (or, in some cases, lukewarm) rivalry? Which game rises above its rivals to become the rivalry of rivals? Ahem.

From my perspective, New York hosting D.C. United holds the most potential. Obviously the rivalry (and outside of Cascadia, it might be the league's fiercest) is part of what makes the game potential firecracker, but the talent on the field and the quality of the team's overall puts it above the rest of the slate. D.C. United comes in on the back of their first win of the season, a 1-0 defeat of Real Salt Lake in Washington. That win brought Ben Olsen's team their first points of the young season--they opened the campaign with a loss in Houston, a place they never win.

New York opens their home schedule after a West Coast trip they'd probably rather forget. Up two goals on the Timbers in their first game of the year, they left with only a point after failing to hold the lead. Last week in San Jose, it happened again--only this time, they took home no points after Roy Miller's epic meltdown in the final ten minutes (in less time than it takes to boil an egg, Miller lost his mark on the back post for the equalizer, committed a handball offense in the box, then encroached during the penalty so blatantly that it led to Chris Wondolowski getting a second chance to convert after his first show was saved--he did).

So one team is building off a win, while the other is looking to recover from a disastrous result. Let's see how this shakes out.

Key Players:

Thierry Henry (Red Bulls) - Yes, pointing to Henry is hardly difficult analysis, but the Frenchman sets the tone for the Red Bulls. If he comes out surly and disinterested, it could submarine New York's efforts from the start. Watch Henry closely; his body language tells half the story. The other half is in the lack of it when the mistakes start to flow. If he doesn't care, it will be up to Fabian Espindola and others to make goals happen.

Dwayne DeRosario (D.C. United) - Another obvious selection. But this one is different, mostly because DeRosario has yet to play in 2013 after a suspension stemming from a preseason headbutt. DeRo shouldn't have much trouble integrating to the team, and his presence will undoubtedly help wing threats Chris Pontius and Nick DeLeon.

Key Questions:

How good is United's defense?

Last week's performance gives United plenty of confidence heading into Red Bull Arena, but New York presents a stiffer challenge than Real Salt Lake. The Red Bulls should have Juninho Pernambucano back in their lineup after the Brazilian missed a week through injury, so United's defenders will have to careful not to give up any fouls in the general vicinity of their own goal. And by that, I mean within 30 yards. This means you, Perry Kitchen.

The Red Bull response

It's worth mentioning again--the Red Bulls loss to the Earthquakes on Sunday has the potential to derail their season before it gets started. United will certainly know that, and would be happy to send their chief rival spiraling into the abyss. New York can prove a lot to the league and themselves if they put in a god showing. Mike Petke can go a long way towards proving he's a different kind of Red Bulls coach.

Will Roy Miller start?

Because the boos. Oh the boos.

Prediction:

It's hard to picture the Red Bulls being fully recovered after the two trips out west in two weeks and the loss in San Jose, but they will be at home. United's strength lies in their defensive commitment and the threat of DeRosario and Pontius. New York has more weapons, and that's even if Thierry Henry isn't fully engaged. United...eh, that's enough. New York 2-1 United.

Back in the summer, when Clint Dempsey’s future hung in the balance of a transfer market that undervalued Americans (we were sure of it) and the future of American soccer (read: our World Cup hopes) hung with it, there wasn’t much concern that whatever happened wouldn’t work out for the Texan. He’s Clint Dempsey. “Badass” where you start with the descriptors, moving up from there.

Clint proved himself at Fulham. He deserved to move on to a bigger club in the Betfair Premier League. Naturally, he wanted Champions League soccer, and had said so many times, so the expectation was that he would garner interest from a team in the English top four. Until the drama had played itself out, however, we didn’t know that he’d land at the one club in the English top four not playing Champions League football. Good enough to qualify in any other year, Tottenham had the misfortune of finishing fourth just as Chelsea decided to win the European title with a decidedly underwhelming team.

Still, Tottenham. Not bad, right? Hardly a disappointment to be there and not say, Liverpool, who is not only not a Champions League club at the moment, but looks to have a hard road ahead back to their former lofty status. Spurs has a new coach in Andres Villas Boas, and Clint would have to prove he could play in a team featuring a significantly higher level of talent than he was used to at Craven Cottage, but he’s Clint, remember? “Badass” is his baseline. Badasses don’t ride the bench. Badasses get on the field, and badasses score goals.

Sitting here, a handful of months later, it looks like Clint is facing another battle to prove himself on all fronts. There are rumors that AVB didn’t necessarily want him, that the club panicked when other deadline deals fell through, and a club legend is questioning Dempsey’s talent. Clint’s still a badass, but the degree of his badassery has taken a hit or two. There is no grace period here; Tottenham has aspirations and spent a lot of money to turn near-misses into establishing themselves among the Premier League elite. Sitting fifth through just more than a quarter of the season, Spurs has much more work to do if they hope to challenge for a place in next year’s Champions League.

It is early. But Clint will find, along with his millions of American fans sitting here hoping for him to continue his uninterrupted run of year-over-year improvement in production since his move to England, that the clock moves faster at a bigger club. Fulham’s dreams mostly consisted of staying up, with any finish above 18th place a bonus. Mid-table is massive. A Europa League run is gravy. Clint’s goal-scoring was important at Fulham, but the microscope was much kinder to his flaws. That won’t be the case at White Hart Lane, where every player is open to rampant—and sometimes unfair—criticism because Tottenham’s goals are much bigger.

Dempsey has dealt with plenty of personal pressure over the course of his career. Constantly proving himself to manager is old hat at this point. But this kind of larger pressure, the kind that will follow him into the lineup as Spurs fans and the English media bear down on a new coach (with his history of failure at Chelsea) and a team from whom fifth place is failure, is new.

We don’t have any real reason to doubt that Clint can handle it. He’s badass, after all. But it might be a little rougher going than both he and his fans are used to for awhile.

Despite the pleasant moniker bestowed upon these contests by FIFA, international “friendlies” between the United States and Mexico are usually about as chummy as a night out with Drake and Chris Brown at a New York City night club… meaning you’re pretty much guaranteed to see more than the necessary share of testy exchanges and hostile attitudes.

In light of today's news that the revived New York Cosmos will be joining the NASL in 2013, it seems appropriate to repost this piece from November of 2010. In it, I attempt to capture some of the angst fell by Red Bulls fans as the Cosmos revival picks up steam and draws attention away from their club.

Originally posted November 4, 2010.

by Jason Davis

In the universe that is New York City's soccer culture, gravitational pull is not a matter of new stadiums, flashy signings, or success on the field.  It's a matter of history.

At one point, there was a half-assed plan to repost old posts, both in a transparent bid to keep MFUSA going, and because I honestly believe there are things worth revisiting in the archives. This is one of those, a post by Jason Kuenle about a USMNT fan base at odds with itself. It's more than relevant as Jurgen Klinsmann attempts to make a hard right turn with the team and program, so I present to you now.

This was originally published on June 16, 2011.


By Jason Kuenle

In two weeks time, we’ve seen opposite ends of the US fan base. We saw this piece by Chris Ballard on this site while nearly simultaneously seeing an uptick in the usual twitter vitriol as the US has struggled in the Gold Cup. Perspective is a funny thing.

I’m not going to pontificate on changing perspectives. People believe what they believe because of the values that they hold shaped by what they have experienced. Changing values is an exercise in futility and no person has experienced what another has. But the contrast between two opposite viewpoints deserves a bit of attention.

Those who have followed US soccer over the last twenty years have really only seen two true tournament failures in the US’ ascent in the footballing world, the 1998 and 2006 World Cups. Both of these instances were followed by coaching changes that coincided with the US “getting back on track” on their inevitable rise toward the top. Or at least that’s the narrative that is often told. The struggles here and elsewhere in Bob Bradley’s tenure make it easy to make his departure the beginning of the next upswing of the USMNT.

That narrative influenced part by increasing US success in soccer and part by general success of the US in everything else is a powerful one that rings true for most American fans. There is a manifest destiny aspect to it all; with the right player selection, the right tactics, and the right manager the US would have…choose your expected level of international success.

Contrast that with this quote from Chris’ post: “I had been keeping an eye out just to see how she was doing, but even though so far she’s not reached the levels of achievement as some, I just find that I have more fun with her than I ever did with you [England]. I see great potential, and I’d like to be along for the ride.”

But commonality may also be found in Chris’ words, “Every two or three years you say that you’re going to change; that this time it will be different, that this time you’ll repay my faith in you, but each time I’m let down badly. I don’t really think this is your fault – I’m sure you genuinely believe that this time, things will be different – but I feel like I need to protect myself from the constant disappointment.” He, of course, was talking about England, but two see those words from a US fan would not be out of place.

Results often determine the narrative. Opportunities taken or lost determine results. In a game as fickle as soccer, drastic swings in narrative can come from an inch here or there. In my perspective, almost all US successes and failures can be attributed that way. Without the right scorelines in matches that the US wasn’t even involved in, the knockout round successes in the 2002 World Cup and the 2009 Confederations Cup don’t happen. By finishing routine chances in the Gold Cup, the US could have drawn Panama 2-2 and beaten Guadeloupe 3-0 or 4-0. When those inches fall our way, the US does well, when they don't, red flags rise.

Potential is a dangerous thing. It presumes the ability to do great things, but without the guarantee or even probability of success. For those who see the US' potential but are unsure of when or how it will be fulfill, the first quote from Chris is most fitting, but for those that expect US success now, Chris’ second quote rings truer. The choice between the two is one of perspective.

The world loves to place a bet, with football being one of the biggest sports that people put bets on. It only makes sense that while there is no football to place a bet on many of these same people like to play at online slots at places like www.bellerockentertainment.com in order to get the same thrill of watching a game with money lying on it.

Despite the 2011-12 season just drawing to a close and Euro 2012 and the Olympics on the horizon, a raft of leading European teams are planning their warm up games for next term. With an increase in popularity in the game across in North America, it has been the trend for pre-season friendlies to be played in the United States and Canada, and this summer it will be no different. Despite the fact that Barcelona and Manchester United will not be heading stateside in the build up to the 2012-13 season (see the latest football odds), plenty of other European giants are.

Chelsea American chairman Bruce Buck will have had a say in deciding to take the Blues back across to North America this pre-season, and the Stamford Bridge club will play four games in USA in July. Starting on the west coast in a game against the Seattle Sounders, Chelsea will also play big-spending Ligue 1 outfit Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and the MLS All-Stars team.

• 18th July - Chelsea vs Seattle Sounders, CenturyLink Field, Seattle
• 22nd July - Chelsea vs Paris Saint-Germain, Yankee Stadium, New York
• 25th July - Chelsea vs MLS All-Stars, PPL PArk, Chester
• 28th July - Chelsea vs AC Milan, Sun Life Stadium, Miami

Aston Villa Again with an American chairman at the helm, Villa will play three games in the United States in a whirlwind trip stateside in July. Games against Philadelphia Union, Chicago Fire and Portland Timbers should test Alex McLeish's men.

• July 18th - Aston Villa vs Philadelphia Union, PPL Park, Chester
• July 21st - Aston Villa vs Chicago Fire, Toyota Park, Chicago
• July 24th - Aston Villa vs Portland Timbers, Jeld-Wen Field, Portland

Tottenham Spurs are set to go face-to-face with former striker Robbie Keane, David Beckham and former Arsenal forward Thierry Henry this summer. With Brad Friedel in the travelling contingent, the north London club will hope to use the trip to stoke up some additional support from fans stateside.

• July 24th - Tottenham vs LA Galaxy, The Home Depot Center, Carson
• July 28th - Tottenham vs Liverpool, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
• July 31st - Tottenham vs New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Arena, Harrison

Liverpool The Fenway Sports Group take their Anfield side across for a pre-season tour of Canada and United States this summer, with a glamour friendly against fellow American-owned side Roma one of the highlights.

• July 21st - Liverpool vs Toronto, Rogers Centre, Toronto
• July 25th - Liverpool vs Roma, Fenway Park, Boston
• July 28th - Liverpool vs Tottenham, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore

Real Madrid The newly-crowned La Liga champions will cross the Atlantic to test themselves in pre-season, and try to increase their popularity with American fans with Barcelona not travelling stateside this year.

• August 3rd - Real Madrid vs LA Galaxy, The Home Depot Center, Carson
• August 5th - Real Madrid vs Juventus, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas
• August 8th - Real Madrid vs AC Milan, Yankee Stadium, New York

Juventus The rejuvenated Turin giants are always a big draw for American crowds, and will once more return to the United States this summer. Their full plans are yet to be revealed, but the following friendlies have been confirmed.

• July 28th - Juventus vs DC United, RFK Stadium, Washington
• August 5th - Juventus vs Real Madrid, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas

AC Milan It will be a summer of rebuilding for AC Milan, as old heads Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Filippo Inzagi and Clarence Seedorf will leave the club, and American fans will be keen to see any new signings. Again, Milan's plans are still to be set in stone, but the following are confirmed.

• 28th July - AC Milan vs Chelsea, Sun Life Stadium, Miami
• Two games in Philadelphia - information yet to be released

The MLS has another chance to show its pedigree and monitor its progress when the division’s best take on English Premier League powerhouses Chelsea in the All-Star game on July 25.

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Here's a thing I've decided to do, despite the fact that MFUSA is no longer a viable soccer blog; re-blog things I've written in the distant past. Sometimes they'll be MFUSA pieces from the 3+ years of the site's existence, and sometimes they'll be things I wrote for other outlets. In this case, I'm posting a column I wrote for the defunct (and no longer extant, so there's not even a link) MLS Daily on the Sounders debut in March of 2009. Enjoy, or not. - Jason 
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For Major League Soccer, success is often measured in small victories. It’s a few teams in the black, able to claim they are no longer money-hemorrhaging ventures. It’s a player sold to a richer, stronger league for a relatively modest sum. It’s television ratings or attendance numbers that would be disappointing for other American sports products, but represent progress for a league struggling to gain mainstream traction. Often, success for MLS is barely viewed as such by those unwilling to believe that soccer has a future in the United States.

But last night, in a northwestern American city with a long and rich soccer history, success for Major League Soccer was undeniable. It was unqualified, unabashed, and unburdened by any of the usual caveats. The newly minted Seattle Sounders took to the pitch at Qwest Field in front of 33,000 singing, screaming, scarf-wielding fans, all eager to watch their hometown boys pull off a victory in their inaugural match. After weeks of ever-increasing buildup, expectation and talk, the Seattle Sounders and their supporters did something that is so rarely accomplished in American soccer circles: They lived up to the hype.

In the stands, the Sounders fans created a proper soccer atmosphere with a distinctly American feel. Loud, engaged, and enthusiastic, the crowd seemed less trend-following neophytes and more fully committed converts, ready to follow their new team wherever the journey might take them. While one game does not build a reputation, and the Sounders fans will need to prove themselves over the course of time, they have already shown that Qwest Field will have one of the most appealing stadium environments in all of MLS. Last night’s atmosphere, which was undoubtedly more impressive in person, added a palpable buzz to the television broadcast, an element that is so often missing from MLS matches.

On the pitch, the Sounders thrashed the New York Red Bulls, MLS Cup finalists only a season ago, by a score of 3-0 and did so in fully dominant fashion. Columbian wunderkind Freddy Montero put home two of those goals, a performance that is sure to set off wild speculation about the young striker’s potential haul in his rookie season. Ageless goalkeeper and hometown hero Kasey Keller kept a clean sheet, and youngsters like goal scorer Brad Evans and first overall draft pick Steve Zakuani played prominent roles. Everything went right for the boys in Rave Green, and the newest franchise in MLS got off to what can only be described as a "rousing" start.

The most important victory however, despite the Sounders resounding win, had nothing to do with the play on the field. The real triumph, the real parade worthy achievement that everyone should be talking about, belongs to Major League Soccer. Both as a professional sports competition and as a bankable entertainment product, MLS emerges from Seattle’s big night a more polished version of itself. Through innovative marketing, word of mouth, and a community-wide interest in the game that defies the typical American attitude, Seattle Sounders FC and the people of their city have set a new standard for soccer in the United States. Their success is now not only the new bar for the rest of the league's franchises, but also a public relations coup for MLS, a selling point for future endeavors, and a shining example of what can be achieved despite soccer's pauper status on the American sports scene.

Major League Soccer has chosen leverage its moderate success into rapid expansion, a strategy that could easily backfire in a faltering economy. Instead, Seattle’s big night seems to validate the league’s efforts, and only serves to heighten the anticipation that will build for each successive new entry into the league. Philadelphia, Vancouver, and Portland will benefit from the lessons learned and the success achieved in Seattle; if properly marketed as the Sounders were, we’ll be talking about similarly exciting nights in each of those cities when their big moments come. America’s first division soccer league can now move forward with a new pleat in its cape, a new mark in the win column that even the league’s most vocal doubters cannot ignore.

To be clear, last night’s victories, both in the stands and on the pitch, most properly belongs to the city of Seattle, an American city that has wholeheartedly embraced the world’s game on a scale rarely seen within these borders. Still, Major League Soccer, both as a league and as an enterprise, will quite rightly bask in the afterglow, ready to move into its future even more confident that soccer can succeed in America. If the doubters scoff, if the naysayers sneer, if the unconverted claim that the game will never make it and that Americans simple won’t pay to watch it, those of us in the know can point to Seattle’s big night and say, “See?”

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The first few months of the Jurgen Klinsmann era certainly had its ups and downs, but that should be expected. When a new coach is brought in, he needs time to see what he has to work with, to implement his philosophies, and to see what works and what doesn’t, and as impatient as some are to see instant results, that process is still very much in its infancy for Klinsmann.

But after ending 2011 with an away win against 2010 World Cup foe Slovenia, there is positive momentum, and with 2014 World Cup qualifying and a slate of friendlies that’s already set to include matches against Brazil and Italy, two ties that are sure to attract a lot of football betting, we’re going to learn a lot this year about where things are headed and who’s in Klinsmann’s plans for now and for the future.

The first few months of the Klinsmann era weren’t as successful as many might have hoped in terms of wins and losses, but after ending the 2011 calendar with a respectable 1-0 defeat in France and a solid 3-2 win in Slovenia, there’s definite positive momentum heading into 2012.

The slate for next year is far from finalized, but it will give fans an opportunity to gauge just how much progression is being made and who will play significant roles going forward, as along with multiple friendly matches, the U.S. will begin their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign in the summer.

- Jason Davis

There’s a piece of accepted truth in the blogging world, one of those bits of conventional wisdom impossible to verify, that the average blog’s lifespan is three years. I’m not sure if this is meant to apply to all blogs, sports blogs, or specifically to soccer blogs, but it’s a “fact” I’ve heard repeated more than a few times during the span of Match Fit USA’s existence, and by extension, the time I have been penning my overwrought missives on the state of American soccer.

Match Fit USA turns three years old today.

And it won’t live to see four.

This, in fact, is the final post here at Match Fit USA, as I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time to turn off the lights. There are many good reasons to do so, but it mostly comes down to a gnawing sense that I just can’t do the place justice anymore. The blog started out as a place for me to spew my obsessive ramblings about topics that I’ve come to think of since as the American soccer blogger’s introductory hobby kit. Topics like promotion and relegation, soccer’s struggles on TV, Eurosnobs and the battle for their hearts and minds, why Americans are hesitant to fully adopt the sport, etc. This blog was specifically started to address big picture items about which I had too many thoughts and no attractive outlet at which to pontificate about them. At the time, having only scratched the surface of soccer-related web content, I was naive enough to think I could do something good, completely on my own, and have it launch me into something approaching a “career” writing about the sport.

I started this blog for the same reasons anyone anywhere has started a blog, with allowances for my being in the smaller segment of people who one day hope to earn a bit of money doing something they love. There was a clear goal in mind, and the blog was simply a vehicle with which to reach it. MFUSA wasn’t intended to be the ends, but the means. I can honestly say that I’ve reached that goal by any reasonable measure, and it’s a significant reason for the blog’s end. When faced with a decision on how to spend the free time I have remaining in light of regular writing gigs and a twice-weekly podcast, there was never any doubt that I would defer to saving just a little bit for my family.

Perhaps if I was still single and didn’t have a toddler to pass my love of soccer on to, there would be time to continue updating the site. In a parallel universe, there’s probably a parallel unattached Jason Davis doing a podcast, writing for three outlets, and maintaining his original blog.

I never expected to become attached to something that has no physical existence. This and every blog is a nothing but a collection of ones and zeros interpreted by a computer and then displayed through the cunning use of excited electrons. It doesn’t have a smell, a texture, or a weight. If and when the blogging service that allows it to live ceases to exist, there will be nothing left for anyone to know it was ever here at all. Somehow though, it has a feel, because the people who used its structures to express themselves--be it as writers, commenters, or both--gave it one. That’s an amazing and humbling thing.

I was tempted to relive the past three years, reminiscing (as much as one can about something only three years old) over the ups and downs of MFUSA, the various directions and tones the blog took (inconsistency which is completely down to my own aimless search for what type of writer/blogging/whatever I wanted to be), and how posting here not only made me a better writer, but how being part of the soccer blogging community (both American and transatlantic) enriched my life in ways I could not have imagined when I tapped out my first nonsensical post on December 14, 2008.

Reliving it all would be naval-gazing of the highest order, would surely devolve into an examination of pained existential questions of interest to only me, and probably end up spoiling whatever good feelings you have for this blog or me, so I’ll spare you.

Instead, I’ll keep it brief and to the point and thank everyone that came here, everyone that wrote here, everyone that nominated the blog for awards it was never good enough to win, and everyone that thought of Match Fit USA--even if only for a brief moment in time--as an asset to soccer writing in America. I cannot begin to frame the sense of astonishment I still feel a ramshackle blog started by a blogging neophyte grew into something to which people paid attention.

This is the blog’s end as a living, breathing outlet for “Examining the State of American Soccer” (my admittedly pretentious mission statement-slash-tag line), but there’s no reason not to leave it up as an archive. All of my typo-laden wordiness will be here (not to mention the dead images - thanks a lot Picapp), waiting for the random Google search or a sudden pang of personal nostalgia. Many others did excellent work here (like Jason Kuenle, Chris Ballard, Keith Hickey, Kevin McCauley, Ben McCormick, et al), and it’s not my place to blink their contributions out of existence.

So that’s it. Find me doing things at KCKRS, writing for US Soccer Players, podcasting on The Best Soccer Show, and just generally bouncing around the world of America soccer internet tomfoolery.

RIP MFUSA. Let it be said that it lived an appropriate amount of time, served it's original purpose beautifully, and had a few insightful things to say about the sport of soccer in American. Can't do much better than that.

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-by Chris Ballard

You might remember that way back in March, Keith, Jason and myself all put forth some predictions regarding the 2011 MLS season. Usually when these things happen it becomes convenient to later forget to revisit them; because it invariably proves that we - as much as anybody else - know pretty much nothing. However, it makes sense to at least crow about the ones we did get right. Even if there aren't very many.

So let's begin.

- Jason Davis

I don't know whether to laugh or cry over the news that MLS sent out surveys looking for information on the strength of Baltimore as an MLS market. On the surface, which is the way 99.9% of the interested parties are viewing it, it looks like a clear sign that United is not long for DC. Should a move up I-95 come to pass, it would represent the biggest sin ever perpetrated against a group of MLS fans. Yes, people were undoubtedly crushed in Miami, Tampa, and San Jose when their teams were ripped away from them. Those situations pale in comparison to taking a team like DC United, with the history of support its has, out of Washington.

And for the uninitiated who might be suggesting that it's not a big deal, Baltimore isn't that far away, it's really not a relocation at all: wrong. Baltimore is not DC, nor should United fans be expected to simply trek up to the Charm City because MLS asks them to.

But there are still more questions than answers here, and the survey doesn't in and of itself confirm that DC definitely is moving to Baltimore. Those who have been paying attention should not be surprised by this news, unless the surprise comes from the rather obvious nature of the survey. Of course MLS knew fans would catch wind of it, because if they didn't, they're naive beyond any reasonable possibility. Here come the questions.

Knowing that dissemination of the survey would get back to DC supporters, did the league simply choose to absorb the negative reaction, or was observing and documenting that reaction part of the point? No one in DC's city leadership, beyond Marion Berry -- whose support for a stadium was about his constituency and not soccer or DC United itself -- has shown an interest in helping the club find a solution within the District. If the league asks fans to give their opinions about MLS in Baltimore and United's rabid fan base rise up to voice their displeasure, could it have a positive impact on the dialog between the city and club? There's an argument to be made that -- either through willful ignorance or unhealthy myopia -- that the city doesn't quite know what it has in United. Pushing aside the debates about public funding and the value of stadiums to a locality, if enough people make enough noise over the survey and its implications, it might give leaders food for thought on soccer's place in the city.

But probably not. While I think some effect is possible, more like this is what it looks like: DC is out of options, Will Chang (and the league itself) is hemorrhaging money, and there is real value in polling soccer fans in the Mid-Atlantic for their thoughts on an MLS team 40 miles north of DC. Whether it was wise to do so in the manner they chose, with the inevitability of it becoming a news item, is a separate can of worms.

The worst part of this, and why I don't begrudge United fans their (over)reaction, is that the fans are utterly powerless. Attendance for United games hasn't been at traditional levels recently, but as the club improves, there's no reason to think the numbers won't climb back into a very respectable range. This isn't FC Dallas. United fans are committed, for better or worse, and the quickest way to turn them against the league is to take their club away. Forty miles might as well be continents for most of them.

Here then, is the crux of the matter and why the survey is ultimately so troubling: we do not know if MLS is doing everything in their power to keep the team in DC. Even protestations to that effect by the club and the league won't assuage fears the MLS and United are anxious to take the path of least resistance and move up the interstate rather than explore each and every possibility in the nation's capital. From there, the questions get trickier, up to and including things like just how far out into the suburbs it would be okay for DC United to build a stadium if doing so enabled them to stay "DC" at least in spirit. Some of the locations bandied about in recent years are in the Dallas-to-Frisco distances, meaning they bring with them the very real possibility that fans in the city proper and the interior suburbs won't make the trek. DC is not Dallas insomuch as they've always been in one place and have always had good support, but that doesn't mean the same fate couldn't befall them.

Chang is looking for investors. If he finds them, does staying RFK become more tolerable? Is MLS helping him in the search, or is he on his own? How much influence does the single-entity all-for-one business model play into determining the threshold for when it becomes more attractive to go rather than stay? I would never assume to think MLS sees the United fan base as replaceable, but perhaps there are delusions about how much of the current fan base would make the drive to Baltimore for home games. DC-based Oriole fans did it for years before baseball returned to DC, so why wouldn't some here swallow the realities of the intransigent DC stadium situation and help fill the gap?

Everyone is trying to flesh out exactly what this thing means. If MLS thought they were muddying the waters by including five different clubs as choices for whom respondents would like to see moved to Baltimore, it was a rather transparent charade. It's inconceivable that the league would move any other team than United and risk cannibalizing the DC-Baltimore soccer fan base, leaving DC United to rot in RFK while FC Dallas or Columbus or the other of the other teams listed moved into new digs in Baltimore. To include Philadelphia and New York on the list is farcical.

Excuse the incomplete thoughts - I thought it important to post something on the survey, but am pressed for the time to spit them out in a more coherent form.

- Ben McCormick

Juergen Klinsmann came to the US National Team with some big ideas. He preached patience, saying he was going to need time to experiment with several different kinds of lineups, formations and tactics. If given time, he justified, he would find the right combination of players to play an attacking style of soccer that was uniquely American.

Then what’s all this “we don’t want to shake up the core structure of the team too much” crap?

Three matches into his USMNT managerial tenure, Klinsi has already found the core of his squad. Through five matches, Klinsmann has capped a total of 26 players with only Danny Williams earning his first ever cap for the US national team. Bob Bradley capped 37 different players in just his first four matches.

For someone who seemed to be preaching sweeping changes, a lot seems to be staying the same. While we continue to see many of the same old faces, young guns like Mix Diskerud, and Josh Gatt can’t even get a sniff of camp.

Logically, all three fit the Klinsmann call-up criteria: starting every week for their clubs at a respectable level. Josh Gatt is first XI for the soon-to-be Norwegian champions and Diskerud has amassed 75 appearances for Stabek in Norway since his first team career started in 2008, becoming one of Stabek’s most important cogs. Diskerud and Gatt also are rumored to have clubs in the very best European leagues after them

So what gives, Juergen? These players play at positions with anything but certainty when it comes to the USMNT, so why aren’t they getting their chance?

At first instinct, you might say Klinsmann doesn’t value youth. Not true. To the contrary, Klinsmann loves youth in his squads. 11 of Klinsmann’s German 23 man roster for the 2006  World Cup were age 25 or younger.  Also, on his scouting trip to Germany last month, he took time out to observe and talk to Joe Gyau and Charles Renken, two American youth players at Hoffenheim. Simply, he certainly does not shy away from young players.

When Klisnmann was hired, he said he would establish a new soccer culture. He’s European-ized things about the national team like assigning the starters numbers 1-11 or putting his initials on his coaching clothing. Aside from the fashion changes, though, the biggest change Klinsmann is trying to hard wire into the new American soccer culture is the vitality of the youth national team system.

It’s no secret Klinsmann spearheaded the effort to streamline and invest in the German youth national teams during his time as the German manager. Such efforts on his part resulted in players like Thomas Muller making near-seamless transitions into the full national team. Based on these successes, I pose he’s making a similar effort in the United States.

Skeptical? Wondering why he would spend so much time on the youth teams when the senior team is reeling? You’re in good company. Here’s my best attempt at justifying investing in youth.

The obvious first question to ask is, “why is investing in the youth system important to the full national team?” Let’s take Spain for example. Within 14 months, Spain won the World Cup, the U-21 EURO and U-19 EURO tournaments.  Needless to say, they’re a shining example of what a youth program should be about.

Having said all that, try and guess how many members of Spain’s World Cup winning squad never made an appearance for a youth national team. Go on, guess.

I give up. Zero. Not a single member of their World Cup winning squad went without making an appearance for a youth national team. In fact, the average number of youth national team levels represented by a player on Spain’s World Cup team was 3.5.  Andres Iniesta represented a team-high seven levels followed by Iker Casillas and Fernando Torres with six. Gerard Pique, Xavi Hernandez, Juan Mata and David Silva follow up with 5 and three others have represented four levels.

What’s the largest number of levels a 2010 US World Cup player represented? Three. Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, Jonathan Spector and Jozy Altidore played at the U-17, U-20 and U-23 levels. A quarter of the US roster never appeared for any youth national team. Putting that in perspective, only a quarter of Spain’s World Cup roster appeared at less than three youth levels. Four players represented one level and two represented two levels.

There are many excuses for this disparity. The size of the United States makes identifying top talent at the U-15 and U-17 levels extremely difficult. Additionally, Spain has eight total youth levels players can represent whereas the US only has five. It’s unreasonable to expect Klinsmann to establish new youth national team levels, but he can do our YNT system a big favor by synchronizing those levels. This means, ideally, once a player ages out of or becomes too talented for one level, they can transfer into the next level seamlessly.

All of Spain’s youth teams play a similar style, making that transition easier for players. This concept is severely lacking in the US. Since Bob Bradley was hired as national team manger (and arguably before that during the Bruce Arena era), the United States have played a defensive 4-4-2 style with the full national team, attempted Dutch total football at the U-20 level and played a Latin-American 4-3-3 style at the U-17 level, all at the same time.

Given Klinsmann’s sweeping changes to the playing style of the full national team, it’s easy to understand the attraction of calling up a young player who has already gone through the growing pains his new system rather than bringing in a new player who is entirely unfamiliar with it, making a synchronized youth system all the more alluring.

On that same note, the common denominator between the 2010 Spain and US World Cup rosters is the players who represented the most YNT levels appear to be among the best the national team has to offer. Sure, some players are late bloomers (Maurice Edu) or come out of nowhere (Jay DeMerit). Heck, David Villa played at just one level of the Spanish YNT system, but the point remains largely the same, exposure to the same system from an early age produces the best players. Remember, Iker Casillas, Fernando Torres and Andres Iniesta lead Spain in levels represented and Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore and DaMarcus Beasley lead the US.

With the rumors of Caleb Porter’s hiring as the U-23 manager and Tab Ramos as the U-20 manager with a possible U-18 appointment still on the way, Klinsmann appears to be starting the process of synchronizing the US Soccer system. Like Klinsmann, Ramos and Porter favor attacking styles with emphasis on possession.

Guys like Diskerud and Gatt may not be snubbed by Klinsmann at the full national team level because of lack of skill or whatever other excuse there is, but rather he wants talent at his youth levels. Give Gatt and Diskerud two or three camps at the U-23 level and watch them transition into the full national team like they’d been there the entire time.

With the full national team, Klinsmann is trying to teach an old dog new tricks, and he knows it. Trying to get players already in their mid-20s or early 30s to play a style unfamiliar to them is like pulling teeth. Where Klinsmann is likely to leave his indelible mark on US Soccer is in introducing the new system to players as early as possible in their careers through the youth national teams.

So instead of lumping Gatt and Diskerud in with the old guard, Klinsmann may well be saving them to learn the new system along with the other young, promising and talented Americans. Don’t be surprised to see guys like Juan Agudelo or in some cases Tim Chandler, Jozy Altidore and Brek Shea go to U-23 camps when there is a full national team camp going on. This way, he can bring the youth through all at once after the Olympics, all entrenched in the system and ready to contribute to his style.

All of this requires a tremendous amount of the patience Klinsmann asked for when he was named manager of the USMNT. Given the track record of success for those countries who commit to the youth national team system, I’ll grant him that patience.

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- Jason Davis

The world is abuzz this morning with the shocking revelation that "foreign" English Premier League owners would like to see an end to relegation. Among the league's foreign ownership are several Americans, most notably the Glazers at United, Randy Lerner at Aston Villa, and Fenway Sports Group at Liverpool.

I used the word "shocking" - as in its meaning of "surprising" - facetiously, of course, because rich businessmen acting as rich businessmen do proposing to do away with risk is perhaps the least shocking thing you'll hear about this day/week/month/year/decade/century/millennium/whatever is after millennium.

Once we accept that a push for the end of promotion/relegation will always be bandied about by people risking millions of dollars on a soccer club, the better we'll sleep at night. That's not a defense of the owners, or an indication that my personal opinion is that pro/rel should go away in England; quite the opposite, actually. The movement between divisions in English (European) soccer is one of the things that makes English soccer attractive. An end to pro/rel would be tantamount to throwing more than a century of history into the garbage, without regard for how the upward and downward mobility of clubs shaped not only the English game and the biggest clubs of the present day, but the way the sport is played and administrated the world over. Promotion and relegation are as much a part of English soccer as chronically rain-soaked fields, the Boxing Day schedule, or the FA Cup. Taking it away would be a crime.

Ownership in any sport is a risky proposition that is rarely a money-making endeavor. Buyers have an obligation to understand what it is they are buying, and the rules and limitations that will dictate their level of risk. When it comes to soccer in England, acknowledged acceptance that promotion and relegation are a part of the sport - and not just a rule to be changed because it is inconvenient - should be at the top of the fit and proper persons test. Pro/rel is and always will be more important than anyone who controls a club. Ownership is temporary.

The issue of the Premier League and the potential abolition of pro/rel affects me as an American soccer-first American in a couple of ways.

First, reconciling my strong disgust with this "news" (again, it's not shocking as in "surprising", but it is shocking as in "troubling") with the fact that Major League Soccer doesn't have pro/rel, probably won't have pro/rel, and - in my opinion - doesn't need pro/rel, at least not for the foreseeable future. What's good for the goose is not good for the gander, not because pro/rel isn't inherently fascinating and enthralling, but because the environments in which the two leagues operate is so different. That aforementioned history doesn't save English teams from dissolution, but it does allow the country to support more professional clubs in a nation of 50 million than the United States could ever hope to prop up, even ephemerally. Culturally speaking, soccer's footing in England is so solid that while the market may be saturated (to the detriment of small and non-League clubs), possible relegation is a fact of life, a storm to be navigated, and in some cases, an integral part of the character of certain clubs. Man City of 2011 has a different feel if they weren't in the Championship ten years ago. MLS has none of the safety nets, does not have character tied to a system built before communication changed the complexion of the sport globally, and exists in a country that has none of the ingrained sensibilities necessary to supporting pro/rel as a reality. If you're American and you love pro/rel, and you're convinced it wouldn't affect your interest in your club or the level of your support, you're the exception, not the rule.

England should have pro/rel, and America should not. That's a pragmatic determination, and does not mean that I would not want pro/rel in the US and Canada if conditions were different.

Second, the inevitable saddling of Americans with the leadership of the movement towards eliminating relegation from the Premier League, and the reflective shame that engenders in me. Yes, I'm the type that will see screeds against American ownership and their evil plans and feel the burn of flushed cheeks, simply because I happen to share a nationality with the men being castigated for their greed. It doesn't matter that I have more in common with the average English football fan than I do with the Henrys and Lerners of the world. Somehow, I'll still feel some minuscule inkling of responsibility, with the requisite knot in my gut reminding me that they villains in all of this are my countrymen. "Americanization" is a dirty word, and as I'm American, it refers to me.

Of course, it's not just Americans who would benefit from an end to the specter of relegation. Several clubs are owned by Asian concerns who could very easily be at the forefront of the push to change the rules. That won't sway most of the English-soccer loving public, English and American alike, from pinning blame on Yank owners. Fingers are being pointed this way. We've got franchises, Americans owners would no doubt love the business-first aspects of the franchise system to take hold in England, so the whole thing is an American plot to undermine proper football. Americans suck, don't know shit about soccer, and should just go back to their pointyball game.

Look at my straw man. Isn't it beautiful?

The grain of truth in all of that insanity is that Americans will be blamed, in large measure, if the Premier League locks down. I'm not positive how likely such a thing is in the near future, and I wonder about the fairness of which bottom-half teams gets a spot and who gets left out (will it be based simply on who is in the Prem at the time, or will there be some metric applied to deciding who gets a spot?), but it seems inevitable that the issue will remain in play as long as businessman are businessman, regardless of where they originate. The problem with the free market is that people without the proper respect for institutions like pro/rel are free to buy clubs.

From the AP story on today's shocking revelation is this from League Managers' Association chief executive Richard Bevan:

“If you look at sports all around the world and you lot at sports owners trying to work out how to invest to make money, you will find that most of them like the idea of franchises,” Bevan said. “If you take particularly American owners, without doubt, there have been a number of them looking at having more of a franchise situation and that would mean no promotion or relegation."

Talk of the end of promotion and relegation is enough to panic millions, and it comes in an American accent. I'm not too proud to admit this causes me distress, even as I believe the Premier League might have been headed in the same direction without any American influence.

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