This could be me! I'm just a little older and whiter...

What could possibly break up a monotonous day better than receiving an email wherein you're given, in exchange for a nominal fee of course, the opportunity to go on trial with a professional club in England, Holland, Belgium, or France?


Nothing, that's what.


That's right - yours truly, who hasn't kicked a ball competitively in more years than I'd like to admit, was approached, via email, by someone claiming to be an agent with an amazing and life-changing opportunity. Pay a £350 registration fee, and I could be whisked to Europe with the chance to earn myself a 3-year contract as a professional player.


There are so many great aspects to this email that I hardly know where to begin. That being the case, I'm just going to reproduce the email here, and have at it.



***

Hello Player (You flatter me. Maybe in my single days...)

How are you doing today? (I'm okay. My bum knee is acting up...) Hope you are fine, I am [this dude's name], and a soccer scout based in United Kingdom I am currently recruiting players for clubs in England, and Germany soccer team. I saw your profile on soccer agent (Um...okay.) and I can see it will fit in to clubs in England and rest of Europe (Seriously? That's amazing considering I don't actually play professionally). I am now using this medium to ask you if you will be interested in a trial out in soccer clubs. (Sure, I could have some fun at a trial out in soccer clubs.)

If interested, Kindly forward to me your previous playing experience and your CV (resume) having a look at it and sending it to some clubs in European soccer league. (Hmm...this could be a problem.)

NOTE: ACCOMMODATION WILL BE TAKEN CARE OFF BY THE CLUB EXCEPT THE MEDICAL INSURANCE WHICH WILL COME ALONG WITH THE INVITATION LETTER, PLAYER'S REGISTRATION WILL BE BORED BY YOU.(ABOUT 350 British Pounds) (Is this a catch? £350 isn't too bad, but what about medical insurance? I'm guessing it won't be cheap.) THE TRIAL PERIOD IS FROM June 25th to July 25 2010. (You know you sent this too me on the 21st right?) You should understand that at present we have only.

1. Oldham Football Club (England).
2. Gent Fc of Belgium
3. Rbc Rosendha Fc of Holland
4. Olympique Marseille
5. Sparta Rotherdam
6. Barnsley FC (England).
7. Southend Fc (England).

(Okay, okay, okay, WHAT? Marseille? Wow! Wait. Are these names all a little weird?)

Send the CV and reply to: [this dude's email address]

You can check me out at FIFA WEBSITE TO CONFIRM MY REGISTRATION

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/administration/playersagents/association=eng.html

(I looked. You're not there. Does that mean you're lying, confused, or just a shady bastard? If you're scamming me, why not use a name that's actually on the list?)

Entry requirements for interested players:

(1.) Players must be male and aged 17 to 28. (Oops. I wish I was 28 again.)
(2.) Players must hold a valid national passport; the passport must be valid for a minimum of three months. (Check!)
(3.) Players must pay a registration fee of 350 British Pounds per Each player. (Maybe I can take up a collection.)

N.B: Please note that this fee covers the player's registration and invitation letter along with medical Insurance only. Your travel tickets, hotel accommodation (all inclusive), trial kits, venue hire, match officials, and water/refreshment is funded by clubs sponsors and free for all registered players. (Sweet! Oh right, I'm too old.)

4. Scanned copies of international passport or national I.D Card data page and passport photograph should be scanned and sent through Email attachment for identification purposes including your CV. (Promise my picture won't end up on a dating site and it's a deal.)

5. Please know that this is only a trial program, it is in no way an assurance of a place in the team and each player will be judged by his skills, techniques and ability with the ball on the field of play by the coach and the entire technical department of the team. (Time to go pop in that tricks video.)

The player that impresses the coaches would be drafted to the reserve team and must sign a compulsory 3 years contract with the listed clubs. (Cha-ching.)

However, dropped players will be compensated and they will return to their home countries with their return tickets, we also don't want people to abuse this medium and use it as an opportunity. (God forbid anyone takes advantage of an opportunity.)


Regards,
[this dude's name again]

***

Well, it doesn't look like I'll be going on trial this year. The period is over in three days, I don't meet the age requirements, and £350 is a little too rich for my blood. It's too bad too, because I really thought, suddenly, as soon as I read this email and despite never having considered it before because I'm not a footballer by any stretch of the imagination, that this might be my year to catch on somewhere.


Oh well. Maybe next year. And to think I could have been the real-life Santiago Muñez...


Alright, gotta go - some guy in Nigeria says there's a $3 million bank account with my name on it!

For those who missed it, the beautiful game was played at one of our nation's most iconic stadiums last night, with Sporting and Celtic playing a friendly at Fenway Park. Above is video of Celtic's opening goal, with some nice views of the stadium and crowd as well.

The game looked pretty awesome, for lack of a more eloquent phrase, in front of the old grandstands and the Green Monster, with unique sight-lines and a near sellout crowd in attendance.  At times, the stands and proximity of the seating were reminiscent of an old English ground; that is, until a foul pole or warning track came into the picture.

The last time a soccer game was played at Fenway, LBJ was still in office (not LeBron James, for you confused youngsters out there), with Pele and Santos taking on the short-lived Boston Beacons of the NASL. And while this friendly might not have had the same star power or American presence, it was still a spectacle nonetheless, as for a couple of hours, soccer and a century of mainstream American sporting tradition co-mingled.  We certainly don't get the chance to say that everyday.

25 points are up for grabs this week and the leaderboard is fairly crowded. Break out the crystal ball and get crackin'!

Los Angeles Galaxy - 2
San Jose Earthquakes - 1

Toronto FC - 1
FC Dallas - 1

Columbus Crew - 1
Houston Dynamo - 1

Real Salt Lake - 1
Chivas USA - 1

Seattle Sounders FC - 1
Colorado Rapids - 0

And that's just about all we can confirm right now on the Donovan-to-Manchester City rumors that exploded yesterday. In New York for the "Barclay's Football New York Challenge and Burlesque Review" (okay, maybe I added that last part), Man City manager Roberto Mancini was apparently asked about Landon Donovan. This would seem reasonable considering Donovan's name has already been linked to City; whichever reporter brought it up wasn't trying to start rumors that didn't exist before.


In response, Mancini said, "Donovan is a good player. Could be possible."


That's hardly a declaration that City is "swooping" for Donovan, or reason for the Interwebs to explode with six million stories announcing that he is now on their shopping list. But that's the silly season, and with Donovan's rep at an all-time high and transfer rumors a magnet for traffic, everyone just runs with the story.


It was even suggested by one English journo on Twitter that Mancini was just being polite to his American hosts and that Man City has no interest in signing Donovan. Alright...


We'll find out soon enough if Donovan is headed back to England this summer or if he'll wait until January. I'm still not clear on his own aspirations, and while I know he makes noises of wanting to go back for the right situation, I get the feeling it wouldn't bother him a bit to stay with the Galaxy.


But if the City rumors, and Mancini's "interest", are legitimate, the question becomes whether that would be a good move for Donovan. On the surface, it doesn't seem so; City's midfielder is crowded and a starting spot might be hard to come by. Initially, I was against Donovan-to-City, and mostly for this reason.


The more that I think about it, though, the more I'm coming around. Donovan is 28 and may never get another chance to join a club with the profile of City. Even if he's fighting for playing time, the risk is worth the reward; should he break into the lineup, and he's certainly capable, it would be a boon both for him professionally and for American soccer's rep abroad. Because, let's face it - it doesn't matter where or how much Landon Donovan is playing, he'll always be a part of the USMNT. It would be nice to have him playing regularly and on top of his game when the Gold Cup rolls around next year, but I'm not sure anyone is going to endure sleepless nights because Donovan isn't starting in England. As for World Cup qualifying, things could always change again for LD before anything serious comes up for the National Team.


By the time it will really matter if Donovan is starting with whatever club he's with, the problem of him sitting on the bench at Man City in 2010-2011 might not be a problem anymore.


If Donovan wants to go and City is paying the price, he should go. Can't be afraid of failure in this situation.


It doesn't matter though, because Mancini was just being polite.

by Vlad Bouchouev

We’re barely halfway through the year and we can already say that 2010 was a big year for US soccer. In the past six months we have seen the construction of two more soccer-specific stadiums, the arrival of five more designated players, and the addition of yet another MLS franchise along with the announcement of a 19th MLS team. Add on the “success” of the US national team in this past World Cup, and the USSF can now give themselves a pat on the back. All US soccer needs to do now is win the 2018/2022 World Cup bid and this year will go in the books as one of the most important in their history. Oh, and a just a minor detail, a new collective bargaining agreement was signed between the owners and players of MLS. Let’s not forget, six months ago we didn’t even know if we were going to have an MLS or USL season in 2010.


So there you go Jim Rome and all you other US soccer haters/doubters: US soccer is growing, whether you like it or not.


All of this is great news, but I am beginning to wonder what the ultimate goal of the MLS really is. Obviously for the USSF the goal is to bring in another World Cup and have the USMNT win one at some point. But what can we expect from the MLS?


Right now the MLS is growing at a great pace. The league has only been around for 15 years old, yet we already have plenty of world-class players and the fact that more soccer infrastructure is going up in the States almost guarantees that the league will not fold like the NASL. But where exactly are we going with this? From what it seems, we ultimately would like to become a premier professional sports league, not just in the US, but in the entire world. The MLS constantly talks about growth and how it would eventually would hope to surpass the MLB. And it doesn’t stop there. Soccer connoisseurs in the US often preface their arguments by explaining that the “league is still young”, but what exactly to do we subconsciously mean by that? Do we really think that one day we’re going to be competing with Europe for the signatures of the world’s best players in their prime? It feels like in order to appease the American sports fan, the MLS has no choice but to at least claim that’s their goal.


But let’s first take a giant step back. Organized soccer has been played around the world for more than a century. Early on, Europe took the initiative in becoming the center for soccer. Partially because they had money, partially because the soccer was good, but mainly because soccer had its roots there. Anyone who has ever dreamed of becoming a premier soccer player (with a few exceptions I suppose) understood that it was in there best interest to end up in Europe. Europe is in their own “league” (no pun), and the MLS should use the Brazilian, Argentine, and Mexican leagues as a template for what they are trying to achieve and focus on them as their biggest competition. Despite being world-class leagues, even they find it difficult to keep their players from going to Europe.


The problem is that the American sports fan puts so much pressure on the MLS that they have no choice but to go out and to at least make it seem like they are trying to compete with Europe. At this point I am going to say that realistically MLS understands that South America is their biggest competition. If only Europe bordered the US, then we could join in on the Champions League action. And I am certain if that was the case, that MLS teams would play in sold-out football stadiums.


Who knows? Maybe somewhere deep in the mind of Don Garber he believes that the MLS is capable of shifting the center of world soccer to North America and be the best in the world. It would take at least another 100 years for that to happen. But until then, we should be happy with where we’re going. And in order to follow suit on the South American leagues, the MLS should continue to build its league with the world’s biggest stars, but they should not forget that the core of the league, just like anywhere else in the world, comes from their own country. There’s more than one way to bringing quality to the league – you can bring it from abroad, or we can grow it ourselves. Just like we did with baseball, just like we did with basketball, and just like we did with football.

Remember Anton Peterlin? The Ventura County Fusion midfielder plucked out of obscurity when Premier League stalwarts Everton signed him out of the seeming blue? Peterlin's story caught everyone's imagination at this time last year, leading to a spate of commentary on what his signing meant for MLS, American soccer, and our top-flight league's ability to find talent right here in the United States.


The conclusion was naturally drawn immediately and categorically: MLS missed on Peterlin. Whether and of the clubs in Peterlin's home state of California or the league as a whole, indictments rained down. If Everton thought he was good enough, why didn't anyone in MLS?


I wrote at the time that Everton's money and situation allowed them to sign Peterlin simply based on his potential. Without salary caps or roster restrictions and operating on a much bigger budget than anyone here, manager David Moyes could bring Peterlin over after an 8-day trial because he had the luxury. No such thing was possible in our domestic league, where every roster spot is precious and money is tightly watched. It's very possible one or more MLS coaches thought highly of Peterlin. They just weren't in a position to sign him if he wasn't ready to play right away.


That is a problem to be tackled, of course, though I suspect things will slowly get better over time. But any criticism of the individual teams and their ability to spot talent should be tempered now, with the news that Peterlin is no longer with Everton and is on the verge of signing with Plymouth.


Plymouth. Late the club of Kenny Cooper and former Revs coach Paul Mariner who "helped" them to relegation last season (I know that's a bit harsh...sorry), Plymouth will play the upcoming season in League One.


I don't know about you, but I find it hard to get too worked up over MLS missing out on a player who might get his first first-team minutes in the third tier of English football at the age of 23.


Again, I'm not glossing over the issues facing American soccer when it comes to scouting and development. By all rights, Peterlin should have been in a system somewhere six years ago, developing his game. If he turned into a quality player, he'd presumably already be in MLS, a homegrown talent brought into the professional ranks by a proper setup run by a club.


The system may have failed with Peterlin, but the coaches and front office staff themselves did not. It looks to me like David Moyes took a shot and missed. That is not a first, it won't be a last, and it happens regularly. Everton can afford to fire wildly in an effort to hit one target. MLS clubs have much less ammunition.


It was easy to go apoplectic last year when it looked like our league had overlooked real talent in its own back yard. David Moyes and Everton seemed to expose all of Major League Soccer's problems in one fell swoop. But the problem wasn't the evaluators of talent on MLS club payrolls, but the system they relied on to bring them players. The league is moving in the right direction in that regard, and while it's easy for the rest of us to spend their money, we should give credit where credit is due.


Maybe Anton Peterlin could have been Tristen Bowen or Andy Najar. Or maybe he was always destined to end up on a League One level. Hindsight and all that.

I have a problem with Nery Castillo. No, it's not because he's a Mexico National Teamer or because his unibrow appears as though it will leap off his face and attack small children at any moment; no, my problem with Nery Castillo is that Chicago has signed him as a Designated Player, and I'm not sure he should be one.


The word that most easily comes to mind to describe Castillo is "disappointment." Yes, he had some nice moments with El Tri, and he certainly cost a lot of money for Shakhtar Donetsk; but other than that, Castillo has almost always played short of his perceived talents. Chicago is essentially his last resort and MLS his last hope of proving he can play a little bit and perhaps get Shakhtar to give him a run out or sell him elsewhere.


Is this what the DP Rule is meant to do? Bring in a player with a scant resume but a big money transfer in his past? I realize Castillo is not being paid close to what Beckham and Henry are getting, but his DP status naturally has me questioning whether or not he deserves it.


Castillo is younger (26) than most of the DPs MLS typically brings in. This is the saving grace, the one thing that makes his marquee status palatable. Houston tried something similar with Luis Angel Landin, a player with even less of a resume than Castillo. I applauded the Dynamo's approach at the time, happy to see a club use the extra wiggle room that the DP slot gave them to bring in a promising player who cost just a little bit too much.


Castillo seems different to me, both because he's slightly older and because his recent history is so poor. Nery hasn't scored a goal for any club he's played for since 2007.


The marketing element of this is obvious, and I'd be a fool not to realize that Castillo is a smart signing for the Fire for reasons that have nothing to do with how he plays. Signing DPs, short of Thierry Henry, is about finding a balance; is the player worth the money both for what he can contribute to the team's play and to the club's bottom line?


In Landin's case, his DP status had little to do with how much he made directly. His salary ($120,000 this year per the MLSPU) was just part of the total he counted towards the salary budget because the Dynamo paid his Mexican club a fee for his services. The Dynamo were taking a chance on a young player in need of playing time and thought it worth the risk. If they had no intention of looking for a more traditional DP rule-worthy player, than signing Landin made some sense.


The fact that they got it wrong in the end doesn't change my certainty that their approach was commendable. If Chicago is doing the same, more power to them. I suppose the DP tag might be justified in that case. Maybe Castillo will only make $200,000/year.


But Castillo has had ample opportunity to score goals and realize his potential. The window on his chances to finally figure it out is rapidly closing, and it's hard to imagine that Chicago's return will match their Castillo-as-DP investment in terms of goals. Unless that's not the point.


Castillo might put more butts in the seats at Toyota Park. I suppose that's a good thing. But I can hardly picture him being much better than, just to use an example, Real Salt Lake's Alvaro Saborio. Saborio has certainly scored more goals than Castillo in the last three years.


For the record, Saborio makes $120,000/year.

Whether you're a USMNT fan or a DC United fan, you're likely a little scared when it comes to Andy Najar. You're scared that the teenage talent, full of potential even as he stars for a bad team in DC, might slip through your fingers. In one case, it's Honduras that might steal him away, robbing the US of a true creative talent when they are so rare. In the other it's a plethora of foreign clubs, most likely in Europe, ready to snatch up a young talent and whisk him away to their academy/reserve team in hopes he'll grow into a top flight contributor.


When it comes to the former, it's just a waiting game. Honduras holds all the cards, and though Najar claims to be solely focused on his club career, the questions are coming fast and furious. There's even some confusion over whether the teenager has been contacted by Honduras' U-20 team. Americans are filling up blog comments, message boards, and Twitter with exhortations to "Cap him now!" Hondurans are nervous. Everyone with a stake in Najar's choice is crossing their fingers as hard as they can.


For Americans, the problem is simply that Najar is not eligible for the US. At least not yet. Najar has lived in the country since coming here at 13, and is still the better part of a year away from his 18th birthday. That being the case, he cannot even apply for citizenship until he has reached his majority; the green card his family holds should means he has already met the length of residency requirement (I'm just a little fuzzy on this). Should he decide to become an American citizen, the process begins next year. If he beings that process before being capped by Honduras, the intrigue will increase considerably.


The new FIFA eligibility rules mean that Najar could appear for a Honduran youth team and still switch to the United States at a later date. This is the rule change that allowed Edgar Castillo and Jermaine Jones to become US players; both wore the colors of other nations in youth setups, but neither played in what is deemed a competitive match for the senior side. Unfortunately for the "Cap him now" crowd, Honduras could end the speculation if Najar is called up and appears for the senior team any time between now and when (and if) Najar gets American citizenship. UNCAF, the union of Central American soccer federations, will hold their semiannual tournament prior to the Gold Cup in 2011; the tournament will both crown a champion of the region and serve as qualifier for the confederation tournament later. As far as I can tell, this is the only thing on the Honduran schedule at the moment. It might be the end of the Najar speculation should he be successfully wooed by the Honduran federation between now and then.


The US won't play until the Gold Cup itself, and I'm not sure if Najar's citizenship process will have run its course by then; barring a bit of wheel greasing, my guess is it won't.


If Honduras, for whom Najar is eligible right now, presses him hard to play for the nation of his birth and any possibility of representing the US would have to wait, it's hard to imagine that time is on US Soccer's side. It's not a forgone conclusion that Najar will play for Honduras, but it's hard to imagine he'll hold out that long. He has strong connections to Honduras. It would be unfair to blame him for choosing Los Catrachos.


Word is that DC United has told Najar not to discuss his international future, apparently for fear that it would be distraction. Najar, for his part, has deflected questions about his intentions when asked. This means fans of both countries are left in the dark, left to hope.


On the club front, rumors are flying the Arsenal (yes that Arsenal) will take Najar on trial at the end of the MLS season. The name of the foreign club in question may be slightly surprising, but the interest is not. Najar is young, talented, teachable, and intelligent; it would be more notable had there not been a few rumors sooner rather than later. Unfortunately for United fans, it will be difficult for the club to hold on to Najar should he want to go. This is very much an enjoy-him-while-you-can situation, and there's not much to be done. Even calling for MLS/United to reject any bids that might result from this trial and any future interest would be ridiculous. Who would begrudge Najar the chance to go elsewhere and turn into a much bigger star than MLS could ever make him?


Not that anything is certain. Najar could very well spend another year or two in MLS should he decide it better suits his personal development. He seems to be having fun with United despite their struggles, and it's clear he is comfortable in the environment. Nevertheless, Najar moving on to bigger things seems inevitable. It's only a matter of time.


Everyone, USMNT fans and United fans alike, just keep yours fingers crossed.


*UPDATE*

Okay, so Ives got some info on that Arsenal rumor. Seems it's not true, per Najar's agent. Regardless, the points stands; if Najar continues to impress, he's not long for United and MLS.

Steve Ralston is the Major League Soccer all-time leader in starts, appearances, assists, and minutes played. After beginning his MLS career with the Tampa Bay Mutiny, he moved to the Revolution when the Florida team was contracted. Over the course of the last eight years, Ralston's status as Revs and MLS legend solidified through his tireless midfield work, poise, and leadership.


After such a distinguished career, this was not the way he should have gone out.


Ralston retired yesterday. The Revolution beat Monarcos Morelia 1-0 in SuperLiga play, a match that was supposed to be Ralston's swansong in New England colors. Ralston watched from the sidelines, however, because league paperwork made him ineligible. It was a unfitting send-off for one of the club's greatest players.


The end of Ralston's playing career yesterday caps a tumultuous 2010 that saw the midfielder leave his MLS club of the last eight years after a contract impasse, return to his hometown of St. Louis to help jump start that city's new Division II franchise, return to the Revs when AC St. Louis' finances fell apart, then ultimately decide to retire in part because of injury.


A timeline of Ralston's year:

• January 29 - Coming off a knew injury in 2009, Ralston leaves the Revs, presumably over contract issues. 

• February 1 - Ralston joins AC St. Louis as their first ever signing, returning to his hometown to play.  Ralston was on the American Soccer Show to talk about his move a week later. Interview starts at the 35:00 mark.

• May 22 - Finally healthy enough to play, Ralston makes his first appearance for AC St. Louis as a sub. He start his first and only match the next weekend.

• June 8 - After parting ways with a struggling AC St. Louis, Ralston returns to the Revolution.

• June 13th - In his first minute of his first game back with the Revs, a friendly against Brazilian club Cruzerio, Ralston dislocates his elbow.

• July 20 - Ralston announces his retirement.

The end may have been disappointing, but Ralston's career speaks for itself. In addition to his MLS achievements, Ralston also appeared 34 times for the United States, scoring four times. Perhaps his best moment in a USA shirt was the goal he scored against Mexico in the 2005 edition of Dos a Cero, a win that put the Americans through to Germany 2006.


Next up for Ralston is an assistant coaching gig with the Houston Dynamo. Ralston had made it clear that coaching would be next for him, and the opportunity to take a player/coach role was factor in his decision to head to St. Louis back in February.


Considering all he's given the club, it was fitting that Ralston's retirement came while he was on the books with the Revs. It's just unfortunate he didn't get one more run out in the jersey.

Hey, look what we found in Jack Warner's trash...

SUPER SECRET FIFA INTERNAL MEMO

This document has been created for the purpose of identifying and assisting the FIFA executive committee in addressing any and concerns that may have risen during the recent FIFA World Cup in South Africa. FIFA is committed to creating the most enjoyable and profitable experience possible for its sponsors, corporate partners, and executives. All concerns will be addressed issue by issue.

National Football League fans will know what I mean when I say 2011 could be a very interesting year. With the country's most popular sports league showing all the signs of heading for a lockout, the possibility exists that there will be no fall Sundays spent watching enormous men battle it out on the gridiron.


Should a lockout happen, a massive sports void will open in the American calendar. From August (when NFL training camp and preseason games begin) until the end of the MLS season in November, the behemoth will be absent. Baseball (through the beginning of November), hockey (starting early October) and basketball (beginning in late October) will have the run of the sports landscape without the dominating and attention-hording presence of the NFL. While baseball still holds a special place in the hearts of many Americans, NFL fans won't be sated by it alone. Meanwhile, hockey is a niche sport that won't capture most casual fans until their playoffs, and early season basketball carries little drama.


The situation seems perfect for a certain American soccer league to step into the void.


As the "other" professional sports competition going on during the early portion of potential lost NFL year, perhaps MLS is in a position to benefit. The league won't convert millions of gridiron fans looking for a stand-in sports product overnight, but it's very possible they can pick up a few more eyeballs. A lack of NFL news might even garner Major League Soccer more time on the prominent sports news shows; without the week of review/preview for each and every NFL game to fill the usual amount of airtime, ESPN and SportsCenter will be scrambling for content. Soccer (MLS included, with all hope) is a natural temporary replacement.


Much of it would be out of the league's hands. They certainly can't make sports fans watch their product, and converting the entrenched anti-soccer crowd is near impossible and hardly worth the effort. Much of the American soccer fan base are also fans of the NFL; the cancelling of a gridiron season won't change their viewing habits anyway, though Euro-focused fans might be swayed to give the domestic game a chance based simply on time zones. When EPL and La Liga matches are over for the day and there is no NFL to watch as they normally would, maybe MLS grabs them.


What the league can control is placing matches in the usual NFL windows on Sunday afternoons during the fall of 2011. This would require a deviation from the norm for those few months, since the majority of the schedule takes place on Saturdays; but a few NFL-less SundayS in September and October are simply be too good to pass up. After years of fall Sundays spent sitting in front of a television watching sports on TV at 1 and 4, 12 and 3, 11 and 2, and 10 and 1 (not to mention the night game), will Americans simply change their habits because there's no NFL?


Most will. There should be no delusion about massive numbers deciding to watch to Fire v. Galaxy because the Cowboys and Giants aren't on. But even a small number represents a net gain for MLS, so switching a few schedules around should be an obvious step to take. Simply moving a handful of Saturday dates to Sunday (allowing for the usual stadium availability and local concerns), would provide Americans with alternate sports viewing in place of the NFL. Getting those games nationally televised in every case might be more difficult, but with contracts up (hello, Versus) and ESPN in a position to utilize a property they already have, it's not beyond the realm of possibility. A clever marketing campaign or two could be enormously effective.


There's a long way to go before we'll know if any of the 2011 NFL season will be lost. The tough talk emanating from both sides now might fade away before the situation comes to a head, and one side or the other may back down in the face of lost revenue and salaries. But this wouldn't be the first time labor strife has hit the NFL, and with the league playing the 2010 season without a salary cap because of the ongoing impasse, several signs point to an "inevitable" lockout. MLS would be remiss if they didn't attempt to put themselves in position to capitalize on wayward sports fans desperately searching for something to watch on their Sunday afternoons come Fall 2011.


The window is short, and it's debatable how much effort MLS should put into trying to leverage the NFL's potential lockout. It would take money and resources to produce a campaign to draw in disillusioned and aimless NFL fans, and there's no guarantee that it would have any effect or that the cost could be justified. Still, MLS isn't in a position to let any opportunity pass, and relying on hope and wishes to turn a few football fans into futbol fans would be just that - Letting an opportunity pass.


It's easy for me to say that no NFL in 2011 could be Major League Soccer's gain, and I'm admittedly way out in front of something that is more than a year away. But if you were running MLS, a league that must press every advantage it has to improve its penetration into a crowded sports market, wouldn't you be considering a strategic plan even now?

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.