After years of charging an exorbitant price for its broadband product, the second flight of American Football, USL-1 has now made their broadband product free. Coming on the heels of the great runs in CONCACAF by the Puerto Rico Islanders and Montreal Impact, the league wisely realized it needed to become more accessible. Thus USL Live is now free and available for live and on demand telecasts of all USL games not shown on Fox Soccer Channel. The stream is a decent 650k as compared to MLS Live TV’s 800k.

The CONCACAF runs of those two clubs bought USL a credibility it never could have developed through years of marketing and advertising. Since concerns about the quality of MLS and the inability of the top flight of American football to adequately prepare young players for international competition continue to persist, many are turning to USL as a localized league for player development purposes and also entertainment.

USL seems decidedly minor league from a marketing and setup perspective when compared to the MLS. But truthfully, the football isn’t much different, and now USL is free to watch from any computer on the globe. My honest recommendation is to sign up for USL Live and skip the $19.95 charged by MLS.

MLS places three matches a week on national TV and that’s enough free football, of a mediocre quality to not have to waste money on more. (I should state that I have subscribed to MLS Live TV for many years and still do. I also subscribed to USL Live when it was a pay service when Miami got a team in 2006, and am thankful it is now free.) Expansion has increased the number of MLS games each week, but diluted the talent level and the disbanding of the reserve league coupled with CONCACAF success make USL and its free product very compelling.

USL Live, United Soccer Leagues - 1,456 Comments »

USL-1 season begins in two weeks and thanks to Brian Quarstad of Inside Minnesota Soccer for compiling this preview of USL-1. I was honored to have written the capsules on  my local team Miami FC and the Puerto Rico Islanders, who had the deepest run of any MLS or USL based club in the region’s Champions League Tournament.
For the record I believe the top three teams in USL-1 this season will be Puerto Rico, Carolina and Montreal.
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by Brian Quarstad/Inside Minnesota Soccer
USL 1 Preview Less that a week before the season opener, Inside Minnesota Soccer is proud to bring you the 2009 USL-1 Preview. IMS solicited the help of USL-1 team experts from around the country and edited and compiled those previews. A special thanks to Allison Andrews, Steven Beauregard, Mikey Buytas, Jarrett Campbell, Chris Grayson, Kartik Krishnaiyer, James Weise and Ed Zelaski for their cooperation in sharing their team knowledge.

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2009 ULS-1 Team Previews

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2009 USL 1 PreviewAustin Aztex by Chris Grayson
The Aztex joined USL-1 this year. Owner Phil Rawlins, a Stoke City FC board member, brings not only a partnership with that EPL club, but also a lifelong love of the sport and a wealth of sports-business experience. Head coach Adrian Heath has his own impressive football history, having played or managed at Stoke, Everton, Espanyol and Burnley FC. The groundwork of this club was laid last year, with the Aztex U23 team’s impressive debut in the PDL. Coach (and former NASL star) Wolfgang Suhnholz led the team to U.S. Open Cup qualification, then on to the conference final. As the Texas saying goes, this ain’t these fellas’ first rodeo.

The Aztex USL-1 roster features several standouts from last year’s PDL squad: Miguel Gallardo (2008 PDL Goalkeeper of the Year), Kieron Bernard, AJ Godbolt and Zach Pope. These are joined by promising international prospects, such as English forwards Gifton Noel-Williams and Eddie Johnson, Brazilian forward Sullivan Silva, English midfielder Alex Tapp and Welsh defender Gareth Evans.

With these players, Coach Heath plans to “develop a system of play that will be pleasing on the eye and, more importantly, produce attacking winning football.”

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2009 USL 1 PreviewCarolina Railhawks by Jarrett Campbell
After their inaugural two seasons struggling to make the playoffs, big changes are in store for Carolina. Founder Chris Economides in now in the USL front office and coach Scott Schweitzer has been replaced by two-time USL-2 Coach of the Year Martin Rennie. The new RailHawks gaffer wasted no time in overhauling the roster that finished next to last in the league in goal differential in 2008.

Only 4 players remain from last season, notably team MVP Matt Watson and leading scorer Hamed Diallo. The incoming cast is a mix of players experienced at the highest level of international football – Marcelo Romero (La Liga) and Paul Ritchie (English Premier League), proven USL contributors – Aaron King (Charleston), Josh Gardner (Seattle), Mark Schulte (Cleveland), and Salleiu Bundu (Cleveland) and former MLS Reserves players – Brian Plotkin (Columbus), Daniel Paladini (Chivas USA), and Amir Lowery (San Jose). RailHawks fans will notice the changes immediately as is gone Schweitzer’s conservative 4-3-2-1 formation replaced by the much more aggressive 4-3-3 Rennie employs.

Fans should expect a focus on possession, width, and speed of play – a change that was evident as the RailHawks opened their pre-season with a 1-0 victory over the New England Revolution.
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charleston 2009 USL 1 Preview Charleston Battery by Mikey Buytas
The Charleston Battery looks like it is putting to together a solid team for the 2009 season.

With the return of 11 players from last season, Charleston retains a good core of players. Off-season signings of Frankie Sanfilippo and Jamaician International O’Brian Woodbine, along with a rumored addition of Matt Bobo, should shore up the defense alongside stalwarts John Wilson and Nelson Akwari. Battery new boys Kenji Treschuk from Seattle and Tyler Hemming from Toronto FC, will have some big shoes to fill in the midfield after USL’s Rookie of the Year, Osvaldo Alonso, transferred to Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders. Another rumored addition to the midfield is Tsuyoshi Yoshitake of Japan’s J-League. His speed and pinpoint crosses could cause problems for many opponents this year.

If the play from the preseason tournament is any indication, the Battery should be solid in the back and dangerous going forward, a combination that should take them deep in the post-season and the US Open Cup once again.

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clevelandcitystars 2009 USL 1 Preview
Cleveland City Stars by Ed Zelaski and Brian Quarstad
After coming off a great season in 2008, the Cleveland City Stars have reinvented themselves in 2009. The defending USL-2 champions moved up to United Soccer Leagues First Division, hired Rod Underwood as the new head coach, and moved from the smaller Krenzler Field to the 5,000 seat Middlefield Cheese Stadium in Bedford.

Cleveland lost coach Martin Rennie, standout keeper Eric Reid and 2 time USL-2 player of the year, Mark Shulte, all moving to the Carolina Railhawks. Only a few players remain from last season’s USL-2 team Musa Otieno, Anthony Stovall, Jason Hotchkin, Ryan Stewart, and newly named team captain Godfrey Tenoff. Veteran USL player Leo Gibson will join the stars after 3 seasons with the Thunder, where he scored nine goals and five assists. Some incoming players have MLS experiance (Gordon Kljestan, Ricardo Pierre-Louis, Troy Roberts, Arsene Oka) and others have played in leagues around world (Warren Kanu, Tehteh Bangura, Paul Ballard, Terrence McAllister, Max Cream). Fans should expect to see the team move from the 4-3-3 formation former coach Martin Rennie used.The team will play in the classic 4-4-2.

The City Stars are a bit of an unknown. Getting into the playoffs would be a successful season for the league newcomers.

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2009 USL 1 Preview Miami FC by Kartik Krishnaiyer
Miami FC caused quite a splash with cleverly placed advertisements on the side of the field during El Salvador-United States World Cup qualifier in late March. Now the question is does Miami FC have the bite to back up that bark in 2009? Since the future of the club was in limbo for many months partly due to poor attendance and partly due to MLS flirtation with returning to the Miami market, the Blues are getting a late start.

Cristiano Dias and Walter Ramirez are the only returning contract players of note. Given the fickle nature of the South Florida market it’s critical that Miami FC regain its first season form of 2006. That season international stars like Romario and “El Loco” Rodriguez led the club to the playoffs. The last two seasons however have been less successful. Before the April 18th opener, Miami FC must settle on several more players to fill out its roster. The Blues have tried out several non-contract players including former Miami Fusion and LA Galaxy standout Diego Serna. If signed, Serna would help add credibility to Miami FC’s efforts to reach the core soccer fan in South Florida.

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Minnesota ThunderMinnesota Thunder by Brian Quarstad
Don Gramenz, former Thunder player, will be coaching the team after replacing Amos Magee mid-season of 2008. He found success and guided the team into the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Gramenz played a 3-5-2, but with speedy Stephen deRoux transferred to Montreal, the team most likely will fall back to a traditional 4-4-2.

Most of last year’s team was under contract for another season, but that didn’t stop the Thunder from acquiring several former MLS players. The additions of DC United’s Quavas Kirk and Rod Dyachenko at midfield are sure to strengthen the overall production. Nick Platter, one of the better keepers in the league, will again be between the sticks after coming very close to being signed by DC United. Free kick specialist Ricardo Sanchez will be back at midfield after scoring 10 goals and improving his overall play under Gramenz. Melvin Tarley, a consistent scorer in the league also had 10 goals but could have had far more with a better finishing touch. Also returning are two key players, captain and holding midfielder Jeremiah Bass and defender Jon Greenfield.

Playoffs should be expected this year but defense will be the key to progressing beyond the first round.

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montreal impact 2009 USL 1 PreviewMontreal Impact by Steven Beauregard
The 2008 season was an extremely successful one for the Montreal Impact both on and off the field. It started with the opening of the 13,000 seat Saputo Stadium, leading up to the Canadian championship victory over MLS side Toronto FC and closing with a berth in the Concacaf champions league quarter-finals. Expectations are very high for the 2009 USL-1 campaign as fans are expecting nothing less then another berth in the CCL and the club’s 1st league title since 2004.

Technical director Nick De Santis managed to keep all of the Impact’s key players most notably resigning goalkeeper Matt Jordan, despite receiving multiple offers from several MLS teams, and midfield general Sandro Grande to multi-year contracts. If you add in the additions of forward Eduardo Sebrango, who was a vital part of the Vancouver Whitecaps 2008 championship team, and 2008 USL-1 first team all-star Stephen deRoux from Minnesota, the Impact lineup has depth at every position and has no visible weaknesses.

Given the experience and talent of this squad, expect the Impact to be near the top of the USL-1 table and having had a taste of international competition, they will once again do everything they can to prevail in the Canadian championship and represent Canada in the CCL. Allez Montréal!

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timberslogo 2009 USL 1 PreviewPortland Timbers by Allison Andrews
After finishing at the bottom of the table in 2008, major changes would be expected for the Portland Timbers, and that turns out to be an understatement as it will be almost a completely new team that takes to the field in 2009.

The only likely returning starters from the 2008 squad are defenders Scot Thompson and Cameron Knowles, along with forward Takayuki Suzuki. Former LA Galaxy keeper Steve Cronin will be in goal with former Colorado Rapids defenseman Stephen Keel and former Defender of the Year David Hayes, who comes over from the Atlanta Silverbacks, likely to fill out the defensive line. The midfield is loaded with new players, with Johan Claesson (Sweden), Tony McManus (Atlanta), Keith Savage (Chivas USA), Alex Nimo (Real Salt Lake), and Ryan Pore (KC Wizards) likely competing for the midfield spots. Suzuki will look to improve on a disappointing 2008 season with Mandjou Keita (Guinea), Jason McLaughlin (Atlanta) and Antouman Jallow (Sweden) also competing for starting spots.

The defense is likely to be among the league’s best in 2009, but it will be up to coach Gavin Wilkinson to find some chemistry among all of the new midfielders and forwards in order to climb the table in 2009.

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2009 USL 1 PreviewPuerto Rico Islanders by Kartik Krishnaiyer
The Puerto Rico Islanders have raised the profile of USL-1 immensely with a remarkable run in the CONCACAF Champions League. Not only have the Islanders advanced further than any MLS club but they now stand on the brink of a trip to the finals. Regardless of what happens in Mexico City on April 7th, the Islanders have a USL campaign to focus on.

Manager Colin Clarke aka the General has upgraded his squad by bringing in Nicholas Addlery from Vancouver as well as former Galaxy starter Kyle Veris who returns from Norway. Jonny Steele, the league MVP returns, as does defender of the year Christian Arrieta. Bill Gaudette remains one of the top keepers in the league, while Noah Delgado provides critical link up play. Kendall Jagdeosingh is a counter attacking threat late in matches and keep an eye on useful withdrawn forward Josh Hansen this season. Clarke likes Hansen’s game and he could be a key ingredient.

Given the Islanders depth, quality, experience and coaching it’s hard to imagine this team not contending for the title again this season. CONCACAF comes first but after that is done, expect a fierce run at another Commissioners’ Cup from this squad.

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2009 USL 1 PreviewRochester Rhinos by James Weise
The 2008 season started out in chaos for the Rhinos as a new owner (Rob
Clark) and a new head coach (former Rhinos player Darren Tilley) came on board late in the off-season. The team gathered steam as 2008 moved along and the season ended with loss late in stoppage time in Puerto Rico during the USL 1st Division Semifinals.

This season the Rhinos have their head coach and 12 players back and they have the benefit of a full pre-season to get everyone on the same page. The big losses for the club will be player/ assistant coach Steve Guppy (assistant coach in Colorado), defender Scott Palguta (Colorado Rapids), defender Ross Smith (heart surgery), and midfielder Luke Kreamalmayer (Carolina RailHawks). The Rhinos have added Brent Sancho (Atlanta) and Kwame Sarkodie (Cleveland) on defense and Tai Atieno (Puerto Rico) up top to try and shore up some areas of need.

As always, the team will look to add some hardware to the trophy case. The two areas of concern will be consistent production from their forwards and whether the team has enough defensive depth to withstand any potential injuries along the way.

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2009 USL 1 PreviewVancouver Whitecaps by Brian Quarstad
The Vancouver Whitecaps not only finished 2nd place in 2008 league play with 53 points, only one behind table leading Puerto Rico, but went on to defeat all opponents in the playoffs, including the Islanders in an exciting 2-1 win at a packed Swangard Stadium — their second trophy in two years. However, in typical USL fashion, the 2009 roster will look very different.

Teitur Thordarson will again be at the helm for the Caps. However, the team has lost veterans Jeff Clarke, Steve Kindell, and Alfredo Valente. Also gone are team leading scorers Nicholas Addlery and Eduardo Sebrango. Charles Gbeke will be looked upon to pick up the slack. Veteran USL winger and forward Ansu Torre, a new signing for the team, could also be a solution to find goals if the player were to find his scoring touch. He had 6 for both Minnesota and Atlanta. Journeyman midfielder Martin Nash’s leadership will be called upon to sync the team on and off the field. With the recent acquisition of 27-year-old veteran MLS centerback Jeff Parke and the return of goalkeeper Jay Nolly, the backline should be solid.

The key to success will be making up for the loss of the Caps proven goal scorers.

United Soccer Leagues - 32 Comments »

Well it’s happened again. The United States has been drawn into a virtual group of death at the U-20 World Cup. This time it isn’t Brazil or Argentina the US is drawn in with, but Germany along with Cameroon and South Korea (again).

The U-20 World Cup is in September this year, and is being held in Egypt.

Here is the full Group C Schedule:

Date Match-up Venue Kickoff (Local/ET)
Sept. 26 USA vs. Germany Mubarak Stadium; Suez 4 p.m. / 10 a.m.
Sept. 26 Korea Republic vs. Cameroon Mubarak Stadium; Suez 6:45 p.m. / 12:45 p.m.
Sept. 29 Germany vs. Korea Republic Mubarak Stadium; Suez 4 p.m. / 10 a.m.
Sept. 29 USA vs. Cameroon Mubarak Stadium; Suez 6:45 p.m. / 12:45 p.m.
Oct. 2 USA vs. Korea Republic Mubarak Stadium; Suez 6:45 p.m. / 12:45 p.m.
Oct. 2 Germany vs. Cameroon Ismailia Stadium; Ismailia 6:45 p.m. / 12:45 p.m.

Uncategorized - 12 Comments »

CSRN’s American Soccer Spot will be returning to regular publication with the return of the US National Team in World Cup qualifying this week.

However, we will not be covering MLS, WPS or USL on this site. The site will focus on primarily on the US National Team, its pool members and youth national teams as well. The American Soccer Show is slated to return to CSRN in the future, but no date or specific format is certain yet. We will publish 2-3 times a week.

Check this space in the next week for a return of national team related news.

For MLS/USL/WPS News please visit:

CSRN: US Soccer News

Major League Soccer Talk

Podcast, US National Team - 1,969 Comments »

The decision of Hermann Trophy winner Marcus Tracey of Wake Forest to sign in Europe put a bit of a damper on the day, but still plenty of quality players were available after one of the best seasons of college soccer in recent memory. The 2008 NCAA campaign maybe remembered as the season college soccer finally opened up: a criticism of American college soccer is the defensive tactical mindset of many managers and the generally physical play which impedes scoring and the development of attacking talent.

Seattle with the first pick set the tone for the day by picking an attacker: Akron’s Steve Zakuani. Zakuani will not count against the cap as a Generation Adidas player.  I loved TFC’s first round getting Sam Cronin, who I considered to be the best player left in the draft after his Wake Forest team mate Marcus Tracey signed in Europe. TFC also drafted injury plagued  O’Brien White who I think can make an instant impact if he’s healthy. Stefan Frei surprisingly fell to TFC, but honestly the Cal Goalkeeper had a huge disadvantage: MLS right now has more solid keepers than any period since the great keeper boom in the league from 1998 to 2000, when every team not only had a solid starter but a capable backup between the pipes.

I loved New England’s pick of Kevin Alston. If Steve Nicol transitions to a four man backline this season, Alston could start. New York’s pick of Jeremy Hall was solid but I believe DC United really reached in its pick of Chris Pontius who as an attacker just isn’t in the same class as the three forwards picked ahead of him in the draft. Rodney Wallace however, a hometown pick from the national champion Maryland Terps should be solid.

Real Salt Lake supposedly reached for Jean Alexandre with the 12th pick of Round One. Let me outline why I believe Alexander may in fact be a steal at that pick.  Alexander has already played in World Cup qualifying for his native Haiti. Alexander has also turned into a big  scorer with his youth team and college legend down here in south Florida. Part of the reason he didn’t go to a big name school like Wake Forest or Maryland was because he’s a Haitian immigrant who was reduced to local options: Lynn University was his best bet.  I expected him to be picked and to have a positive impact somewhere. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be in the first round, but I am happy for him that it was.

I’ve also seen Ryan Maxwell play a few times in the PDL with the Bradenton Academics. He went to school at the University of Tampa and should be a solid role player for Steve Nicol in New England. I also liked the Revs getting Andrei Gotsmanov late in the second round. DC United got a steal with Wake Forest’s Lyle Adams also late in the second round. United defense has been porous and with the intensity Adams showed in college, he could hardly do worse than what the red and black has had the past few seasons.

DC United has to accept the task of rebuilding and that begins with the draft. Hopefully for the fans of the Red and Black this season the franchise will focus on local talents like Wallace instead of spending big on Argentines who may not acclimate themselves well to MLS.

Uncategorized - 16 Comments »

• Maryland won its third NCAA title yesterday with a 1-0 victory over North Carolina in Frisco, TX. The Terps came into the tournament as the number two seed behind fellow ACC school, Wake Forest finished the season with 15 straight wins. Graham Zusi scored both game winning goals for the Terps in the College Cup this weekend. Jeremy Hall was in my opinion the most outstanding player however for the Terps yesterday.
• ESPN 2’s coverage of the college cup this weekend was full of the usual ESPN like flaws. Unlike Eric Wynalda who had made a real effort the past two years to understand the culture of college soccer and follow the season, John Harkes was constantly comparing the quality of play, level of play and players to those in the MLS and abroad. Those of us who watch NCAA Soccer know what it is and can be spared the comparisons.
• Congratulations to Toluca for winning the Mexican Apertura title. Toluca is now technically the most successful Mexican club in history but perception is that America’ and Chivas are still much more massive. Also a heartfelt congratulations to Cruz Azul for fighting so valiantly in the second leg of the finals, but falling just short.
• Saturday’s gaffe by Tim Howard which almost created an own goal is part of the reason why some people like myself are still comfortable with him as the US #1. However, no other standout keeper is on the horizon for the national team which means the US must simply hope Howard’s mistakes are limited in international play.

Mexican League, NCAA Soccer - 14 Comments »

Tonight provided the ultimate shock as Brooks Haggerty made save after save to preserve a 1-0 North Carolina victory over heavily favored Wake Forest tonight. The Deamon Deacons steam rolled through last year’s NCAA Tournament and had done the same this year including a 5-0 quarterfinal win over South Florida. Led by Marcus Tracey, Wake looked unbeatable.

During the ACC season, Wake scored four second half goals to erase a half time deficit to beat the Tar Heels But tonight despite out shooting the Tar Heels 20-9, Wake shockingly lost. North Carolina will face Maryland in an all ACC College Cup final Sunday. The Terps beat St John’s in overtime. Neal Kitson was amazing in goal for the Red Storm, but finally in overtime the Terps who out shoot St John’s by more than a five to one ratio scored on a curling free kick goal by Graham Zusi.

Sunday’s final is at 1pm ET on ESPN2.

College Soccer - 10 Comments »

The Miami Fusion was contracted after the 2001 MLS season. Since that time south Florida football fans, myself included have been eager to see the league return to the area. In October, FC Barcelona in partnership with local businessman Marcelo Claure announced their intention to bring the MLS back to South Florida. Claure is the founder of Brightstar and the owner of FC Bolivar in Bolivia. As of this writing Miami is the clear front runner to be awarded one of the two new expansion franchises by the league. Also in the running are St Louis, Portland, Vancouver, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Ottawa.

The regions football fans are very sophisticated and numerous. That is part of the reason MLS failed before and could fail again. South Florida is the area in the nation with the most football fans outside of New York and Los Angeles. The television ratings and local media coverage of the sport are impressive by any standard. Yet none of this translated into success for the Miami Fusion from 1998 to 2000. MLS was seen by the ethnic fans of all persuasions in the region as an inferior and overly Americanized product. In 2001, the Fusion began to turn things around and had a huge upsurge in fan support and attendance.

Football should not struggle the way other sports do in south Florida if done right. But “doing it right” is not necessarily in the hands of Barcelona or Claure. If MLS treats the Miami market the way it has previously of in a typical American sporting way, the results could once again be disastrous. The whole landscape of MLS and Miami is littered with pitfalls that cannot simply be ignored.

The new club would play at Florida International University (FIU), about 35 miles southwest of Lockhart Stadium, where the Miami Fusion played. This location could make it difficult for fans of the previous Fusion franchise to attend matches. In addition, FIU is substantially west of Downtown Miami and south of the metropolitan area’s population center. Being pinned down at FIU also means for the foreseeable future the new team will not have a full football academy/practice facility which is now becoming the norm in MLS. The Home Depot Center began a trend of MLS clubs not only building soccer specific stadiums, but also youth academies, training pitches, and other facilities.

South Florida is an infamously fickle sporting culture. While the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and the University of Miami’s American football team enjoy consistent local support in the form of TV ratings, merchandise sales but necessarily attendance, the other sports teams both college and professional in the area do not. Not only do the Florida Marlins, Miami Heat and Florida Panthers struggle to maintain consistent fan interest but they often play in front of half empty crowds. The University of Miami’s local popularity in American football does not extend to Basketball or Baseball where even in successful seasons; small facilities for those sports are half full. Florida International University the proposed home of the new MLS team, and Florida Atlantic University (FAU) who plays at Lockhart Stadium, the former home of the Fusion usually are fortunate to draw a decent crowd for American football. FAU has received post season bowl bids two consecutive seasons, yet continues to not only play in front of a half empty stadium, but they struggle for more than a mere mention in the local newspapers.

When the Fusion finally turned the corner in 2001, the majority of the new fans were from Palm Beach and Broward counties, areas that are far less accessible to FIU than Lockhart Stadium. So in other words, the new club would have to start over in building a fan base, with little residual affect from the Fusion days. The rebuilding of the MLS brand locally can only be accomplished if the product is considered presentable to the football loving masses. South Floridians understand football in a way most Americans do not. While this may sound positive, it is a big part of the reason MLS failed here previously. Unlike other American cities that struggle with football/soccer, because of competition from other sports and lack of understanding of the game, Miami struggled with MLS because the product was inferior to what the vast majority of ethnic fans deemed acceptable.

Major League Soccer - 12 Comments »

Dulio Davino becomes the latest former Mexican National Team star to more or less flop in MLS. Sure some Hoops fans will say “he helped solidify our back line when healthy,” but for his $400,000 salary I can think of much better players and more marketable ones also to sign.

Here is a list of top Mexican players signed by MLS in the past and their legacy to the league.

Hugo Sanchez ( Dallas Burn)

Sanchez the greatest player Mexico has ever produced helped the Burn draw well in the inaugural season of MLS before retiring.

Jorge Campos (LA Galaxy/Chicago Fire)

Helped bring fans to games in LA the first year of MLS but was quite honestly a below average MLS keeper. Eventually he was beaten out by Kevin Hartman in LA and then by Zach Thornton in Chicago.

Damian Alvarez (Dallas Burn/New England Revs)

Considered a top prospect in Mexican Football much like Carlos Vela and Gio Dos Santos today but was a bad investment for the league. His most notable moment  in MLS was scoring a goal off a corner kick which was misplayed by the opposing defense.

Carlos Hermosillo (LA Galaxy)

A decent MLS career, not a great one. Hermosillo was dropped from the national team by Manuel Lapuente before the 1998 World Cup and then decided to sign in MLS. He did help lead the Galaxy to the 1999 MLS Cup final where they were shut out by DC United. 19 goals in 44 MLS games is a decent tally but nowhere near his goal scoring prowess with Cruz Azul where he scored almost a goal a game between 1996 and 1998.

Luis Hernandez (LA Galaxy)

Perhaps the worst signing in MLS history when you consider the $4 million transfer fee involved. Hernandez came to LA it seems for the social aspect of life and not to play football. A disater of a signing complicated by LA being forced to give up Daniel Hernandez and Clint Mathis to sign Hernandez.

Jose Manual Abundus (New England)

The Toluca legend came to the Revs late in his career and didn’t accomplish much. Nonetheless, he did contribute off the bench to the Revs MLS Cup final run in 2006.

Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Chicago Fire)

Former America’ great has made an impact on the pitch and in the stands bringing America’ fans to MLS for the first time. Easily the best Mexican International signing in the league’s history.

Uncategorized - 19 Comments »

Terpsports.com photo

The NCAA Soccer Tournament is nearing its conclusion. Eight teams remain from the initial 48 team field.

The match ups this weekend:

1- Wake Forest  vs 8- South Florida

Wake Forest’s Marcus Tracey is probably the most talented player in NCAA Soccer. The Bulls had a great season but are a big underdog to the defending champions.

Northwestern  vs 13- North Carolina

North Carolina scored twice late in the Round of 16 to beat UIC. Northwestern’s defense has been solid all year long and I like their chances here also.

2- Maryland vs 7- Creighton

Jeremy Hall, a former US youth national team prospect helps lead the Terps. Andrei Gotsmanov leads the Jays and he has a professional future.

3- St John’s vs 6- Indiana

Sverre Wegge Gundhus is a player to keep an eye on for the Red Storm. Indiana has gotten through a fairly easy draw to get to this point, but the Hoosiers are never an easy out in the NCAA Tournament.

NCAA Soccer - 9 Comments »