In case you haven’t noticed, there’s been a strong Gallic accent present in Major League Soccer recently. Philadelphia’s Sebastien Le Toux has been ripping apart defenses, charging up the scoring table, and recently made the all-star roster. At the same time, a team in New Jersey is trying to buy legitimacy and win over a famously eurosnobbish fanbase by signing superstar Thierry Henry.

Henry and Le Toux have followed two very different paths to Major League Soccer. Henry, all-time leading scorer for Arsenal and the French national team, has won just about everything you can win at every level. The list of his gongs and cups reads like someone has had a bit too much time on Championship manager.

With Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal, and Barcelona, Henry won 1 World Cup, 1 European Championship, 1 Confederations Cup, 1 Ligue 1 Title, 2 Premiership Titles, 3 FA Cups, 2 La Liga Titles, 1 Copa Del Rey, 1 Champions League Title, 1 European Super Cup, 1 FIFA Club World Championship. Add in his ridiculously long list of individual awards, and begin to get an idea of just how respected and talented Henry was in his prime.

A product of the legendary Clairefontaine youth academy, Henry developed into a talented winger at Monaco. In 1999, Henry was bought by Italian giants Juventus but stagnated in the rigorous tactics of Serie A. Just eight months after signing with Juventus, Henry was reunited with his manager at Monaco, Arsene Wenger, who had taken charge at Arsenal. Under Wenger’s tutelage, Henry blossomed into one of the finest players in the history of the game. After seven glory-filled seasons with the North London side, where he had risen to the post of club captain, Henry was sold to Spanish team FC Barcelona. After three seasons with Barcelona, Henry found himself out of favor due to the emergence of younger stars, and moved to MLS side New York Red Bulls following the 2010 World Cup.

Le Toux, on the other hand, had a much more modest route to America’s top division. He came through the youth system at Stade Rennes, and spent a brief spell with Ligue 2 side FC Lorient before crossing the Atlantic. After an unsuccessful trial with FC Dallas, Le Toux signed with the Seattle Sounders, then playing in USL.

It was in the Flanel City that Le Toux made his mark, and his name. His trademark style (Dangerous pace, great touch, 90 minutes of suicidal running everywhere, scoring, assisting, general brilliance) won him many fans and cult hero status as he scored 24 goals in 54 games in USL. It was no shock then, when the Sounders made him their very first signing for their move to MLS.

After a frustrating first MLS season with the Sounders, often used as a substitute or out of position (although he did have the winning assist in the 2009 US Open Cup Final), Le Toux was left unprotected in the 2009 MLS expansion draft and picked up by Philadelphia Union manager Peter Nowak to spearhead the Union attack.

In his few months with the Union, Le Toux has rediscovered and surpassed the form that made him such a favorite in Seattle. In just 12 games, he’s found the net a team-leading 7 times, and created as many assists. His contributions are even more impressive in context; The Union is, on average, the youngest team in the league, and an expansion side still finding its feet.

Despite the fact that they play for rival teams, Le Toux, who was just 14 when Henry was part of France’s World Cup winning side in 1998, is excited at the prospect of seeing his compatriot strutting his stuff in MLS. He recently told MLSsoccer.com “He is one of the best French strikers of all-time, and for me it’s really nice to see him come here.”

For now though, the title of “Best Frenchman in MLS” is up for grabs.

Yesterday, shortly before 4 PM Eastern Time, MLS named names.


11 of them.


A celebrated, honored collection of players, excellent footballers to a man, comprising the “First XI” of the 2010 All-Star Game. But tragically absent from their number was an unassuming Frenchman who has been in electric form this season. Cast off by last year’s expansion team, he has found a home with, and a special place in the heart of, this year’s MLS new boys. And though he thoroughly deserves to be counted amongst this elite corps of players, his name, exalted on both coasts of this nation, was not named.


Ladies and Gentlemen, Sebastien Le Toux was snubbed.


The argument for his inclusion goes beyond throwing the new kids a bone. It is not about marketing a new team, or creating parity between conferences. The simple fact is, Seba Le Toux has been one of the most effective players in the league this season.


In the course of the 990 minutes he has played for the Union, he’s scored six goals and tallied six assists. Only two other players in the league have created as much offense, Edson Buddle (10 goals, 2 assists in 11 games) and Fredy Montero (6 goals, 6 assists in 16 games). His production is made even more impressive by the fact that the Union, who sit last overall in Major League Soccer, have played the fewest matches of any MLS team.


His importance to the Union cannot be underestimated. He’s the main attacking threat, as evidenced by his league-leading 23 shots on goal and tied-for-team-lead six goals. A full 75% of Philadelphia’s goals directly involved him. By comparison, Edson Buddle was involved in 48% of LA’s, Dwaybe De Rosario in 64.7% of Toronto’s and Marco Pappa in 55.5% of Chicago’s.


His work rate, prodigious for a midfielder but ridiculously lung-bursting for a striker, makes him incredibly difficult to mark, and is a godsend for the other Union attackers; it’s no coincidence that alongside Le Toux, rookie Danny Mwanga has picked up 5 goals and 2 assists in just 506 minutes of play.


Few players use their time on the field as effectively as Le Toux does. He creates a goal or assist every 82.5 minutes. Only Danny Mwanga (72.82) and Edson Buddle (75.75) have a higher minutes-to-offense ratio. Attacking players who made the 11 with worse numbers include Landon Donovan (88.1), Dwayne De Rosario (93.9), Javier Morales (103.9), Marco Pappa (114.5) and Guillermo Barros Schelotto (129.63).


Le Toux’s success is even more remarkable considering his situation. Philadelphia, as an expansion team, had only a few short months together to prepare for the 2010 season. Being new, many of the players were second-hand, considered expendable by other clubs, and several were fresh-faced rookies without a professional minute to their names. Coming into the 2010 season, only 5 of the 22 Union players currently on the roster had ever played at least 50 top flight games. It’s hardly a surprise they find themselves propping up the table.


And yet despite the turmoil that always surrounds an expansion club, Le Toux has thrived. Unlike Edson Buddle or Javier Morales, he doesn’t have an experienced partner like Landon Donovan or Alvaro Saborio to carry his slack. Alejandro Moreno is a fine water-carrier, but he’s yet to score in Union colors. Danny Mwanga may be showing signs of developing into an elite player, but he’s still just a teenager, and shouldn’t yet be relied on to shoulder the burden of a team’s offensive output.


It seems ridiculous and outrageous to me that a player could put up such stellar stats in a team still trying to find itself and be ignored for the first XI. It’s a crime against soccer. Of course, you’ll never hear Sebastien Le Toux complain about it. That’s just not his style.

I was one of the forty or so brave and loyal souls (read: obsessive nutters) who made the almost 500 mile trek from Philadelphia to Greensboro, North Carolina for the Philadelphia Union's first game in front of fans, against the UNC Tar Heels, who made last year's NCAA final four. Here are some of my impressions, observations, and predictions about the trip and the Union:

• People below the Mason/Dixon Line can't handle their snow, but the firearm maintenance tips and romantic comedy reviews on the local news more than made up for it.
  
• Carolina Dynamo must have the nicest stadium in PDL.
  
• The Union started slow, but after ten minutes, it was pretty apparent which team was getting paid and had been in intensive training camp for two weeks, and which team had been studying for mid-terms on a diet of pizza and Natty Light.
  
• Piotr Nowak is laying down the law, and imprinting his ethos on the team. Rumors reached us of hard practices and strict curfews, and the Union players were not given real Union jerseys, shirt numbers, or their names on their backs, instead playing in blank practice gear. The goalkeepers wore orange mesh tops over their training tops. It seems like every player is having to earn his place.
• Sebastian Le Toux is one man who shouldn't have to worry about his spot. Already known for his work-rate, his first half hat-trick will have done no harm to his bid for a starting spot. (See his penalty goal here)
  
• Speaking of starting spots, neither Brad Knighton nor Chris Seitz did anything to make Piotr Nowak's job easier. Not that either keeper was really troubled, but both were tidy and composed when called upon. Hope Brian Perk likes his clipboard.
• I will be very surprised if Danny Califf isn't wearing an armband in Seattle. He lined up as captain, and was impressive throughout, reading play and shutting down attacks before they got going.
  
• Toni Stahl was the most impressive of the Draft picks, playing in defense and being about as penetrable as the Korean DMZ. Easily the most MLS-ready rookie.
  
• Amobi Okugo showed plenty of energy and willingness to go after the ball, but he needs to work on his decision making and first touch. Too many times, he gave away the ball in situations which better (professional) teams might have turned into scoring chances. But his attitude and work-rate must be praised.
  
• Danny Mwanga's left foot could have had cobwebs, it was used so sparingly. Despite his lethargy, he nearly redeemed himself with a shot from outside the box which only just went over the bar. He's got plenty of talent, and if Nowak can get more out of him, he could have a real impact from the bench this season and in as a starter the future.
  
• Jack McInerny is a player. Full of energy, constantly on the attack and willing to run with the ball, the Union's youngest player bagged the most spectacular goal of the match, catching the keeper off his line from midfield. But even without the goal, Jackie Mac was impressive, and with time and experience, he could become a force to be reckoned with. (McInerny almost scores on a breakaway here)
  
• The last time I saw Fred live, he was playing in the Open Cup with the DC reserves, getting schooled by a USL-2 defender. That was not the case Saturday. He played with confidence, and generally asserted himself well, picking up an assist on one of Le Toux's goals.
• We should see plenty of Shea Salinas next season. Defenders will see plenty of his heels.
  
• There were plenty of trialists on the Union bench, and considering that their names weren't announced or printed on their shirts, it was difficult to tell who was who, but I can confirm that former Drexel player Dan Zajac and recent Temple grad J.T. Noone, both from Pennsylvania, were there.
• Piotr Nowak is known for grit, determination, and hard work, and all those qualities were present, but there was plenty of possession football and individual flair on display. The purists can breathe easy now.

And finally...

Chant of the night: UNC's a safety school/You couldn't get into Duke.