Bored? Tired? Pissed off because the DP you bought blew out his knee before playing a single game, limiting himself to the bench for 6-12 months?

Well, I can’t preform invasive surgery on Jose Adolfo Valencia, but I sure can give you a wonderful way to waste your time until March. Meet rated90.com, a player rating website, recommended to me by a reader, which lets you gauge the performance of players from MLS and abroad. Sign ups are free, news articles are included, and the site links through Facebook.

Have fun. Yeah, school’s been crazy, so I haven’t been able to blog much. What a shame; there’s been just SO MUCH going on (though I have to say that Buddle’s return and Le Toux’s move are pretty significant). For the record, though, I wasn’t paid to endorse this site. It was just something a reader recommended.

Enjoy

Joe Paterno wasn’t one of us. He was a football coach, and damn good one a that, but an outsider to the world of soccer. He may have won 409 games with Penn State and made himself one of the most storied characters in the history of collegiate football, but he definitely wouldn’t have known Kyle Beckerman from David Beckham.

Yet, in the wake of his death, and with the MLS season inching closer, there’s a lot we can learn from his philosophy toward winning, even if it concerns a completely different ballgame. I offer the following quotes that Paterno gave in a 1968 Sports Illustrated profile:

“We’re trying to win football games, don’t misunderstand that,” said Paterno. “But I don’t want it to ruin our lives if we lose. I don’t want us ever to become the kind of place where an 8-2 season is a tragedy. Look at that day outside. It’s clear, it’s beautiful, the leaves are turning, the land is pretty, and it’s quiet. If losing a game made me miserable, I couldn’t enjoy such a day.

So Penn State players give their best for Paterno and listen for the cheers, and they really don’t worry about No. 1. “You know what happens when you’re Number 1?” says Paterno. “Nobody is happy until you’re Number 1 again, and that might be never.”

As much as rhetorical questions may be a huge journalistic faux pas, I’ve found myself able only to sit here and ask, “aren’t his words just freaking beautiful?” In today’s world, sports have evolved to become a matter of life or death where only victory matters. Soccer and Football may have their differences, but the players, managers, and manic fans of both sports share this savage drive for glory. That’s why characters like Paterno are so profound: they see the beauty in the game itself, win or lose. When modern athletes say that they love their sport, what they are often referring to is a sort of mindless, life-or-death dependence in victory, leaving the game itself to become little more than a vehicle to achieve that glory. Paterno’s breed profess love for their sport, but mean it in just the opposite way: they find the beauty in the simple act of playing the game itself. Victory is preferred, of course, but these people can just as easily savor the art that lies in the essence of the game during a loss. For them, athletics exist to enrich our lives and bring us joy. At the end of the day, they remind us , these sports over which we obsess are just games, and games exist as a way for us to have fun and challenge ourselves to achieve. Behind the million dollar contracts, the sponsorship deals, the national TV coverage, the manic fans, and the cult of untouchability that surrounds the players, professional soccer and football are the same sport we all played on the playground as kids. Paterno’s ultimate lesson was that the exponential difference in skill between collegiate athletics and playing ball at lunchtime shouldn’t cause athletes to approach their game any differently than they did as a kid: as a release, and as a way to have fun.

The need to keep Paterno’s creed in mind extends well into the world of American soccer. When describing why his series “The Office” needed to be radically changed for an American audience, Ricky Gervais said, “Americans are brought up to believe they can be the next president of the United States. Brits are told, ‘it won’t happen for you.’”. This is absolutely true; the 2012 MLS Season is only six weeks away, and all nineteen MLS teams are eyeing the MLS Cup, even the ones for whom that dream is clearly ludicrous. Any club that seems to have a chance at taking the Cup this year has long since articulated the desire clearly, telling reporters in preseason camps that their eyes are already on the prize, and managers of clubs who clearly have no chance at playoff glory spin the upcoming season a time for “rebuilding”, as if to say that 2012’s only function is to begin setting the foundation of future victory.

It goes without saying that this is hollow. When we concentrate only on W’s and hardware, we forget the fact that MLS, our fandom, and professional soccer as a whole are built on the world’s love of the Beautiful Game. And that’s where we’re letting JoePa down. He wouldn’t want us to look at Portland’s 11-9-14 record in 2011 as a failure; he would want us to see the beauty in a new-born side that continued MLS’s strong trend of expansion, consistently drew huge numbers of fans, and, most importantly, played dozens of legitimately exciting games. He would want us to look at the magic that Thierry Henry, Juan Agudelo, Joel Lindpere, and Luke Rodgers produced at Red Bull Arena, not at the team’s thoroughly disappointing finish. And with one look at Eric Hassli’s wonder-goal against Seattle, Paterno would surely be able to make light of Vancouver’s last place finish in the West. Even if we do still want our teams to finish strongly, we should all try to see the art of soccer as its played in each game, even if it’s a loss.

In all, then, it is our job to keep Joe’s vision alive by remembering his lessons. As professional sports become more of an industry, and as professional athletes are further raised on their pedestals as distant demigods, we can be sure that Paterno’s breed is a dying one. But in 2012, we should all approach the fresh season with a bit of Paterno in mind. Let’s try to remember that your team doesn’t have to finish the season with thirty wins and the MLS Cup to be successful. Let’s try to find the value in a great game of soccer, as long as both teams give it their all and put on a good show. Because, as cheesy as it sounds, this is ultimately what watching soccer games is about. The game.

Rest in peace, Joe.

This article was sent in by reader/writer/ Fire fan Daniel Casey. Feel free to follow Daniel’s example; send in any articles you like! We love to hear what you have to say, and could always use the help.

The pre-season for any sport is an exciting time, full of anxiety and hope. Unlike baseball’s Winter Meetings and the ‘silly season’ of the English January Transfer Window, which dangle the hope of changing a team midstream there is no moment of the sports year that can see such a maddening mix of arrivals, departures, rumors, fantasy, and cold hard reality. Though the MLS is no different, I would argue that the league’s labyrinthine, counterintuitive modus operandi create an even more rousing atmosphere during the preseason. A positive outcome of this is the wonderful room for speculation that is afforded supporters.

Last year, Twitter luminary and world-class centerback Rio Ferdinand asked his “Tweeps” a bit of a throwaway question in between his chiding of Piers Morgan and constant updates about the goings on of his kids. That question, “Is it easier to be loyal when your [sic] part of a successful club??,” (Sept 17) got stuck in my head because at the time my MLS team, Chicago Fire, were in the throes of a two season skid. I think it is easier to support a successful club, but a supporter’s true colors are revealed when a club is in crisis. Neutrals and ‘tourists’ will always swell the ranks, but they are regular like tides and to complain about them is meaningless. What makes one loyal to a club is just how serious you take the club and that seriousness has no time for petulant complaint or sour grapes.

Former Fire manager Carlos de los Cobos had no success in Chicago. Quite simply, it just didn’t work out. To release vitriol upon him for the club’s woes is a bit out of line, but only a bit. De los Cobos did a great disservice to Dasan Robinson and Kwame Watson-Siriboe, essentially failing to allow them to maintain match fitness. I didn’t understand his disregard of the journeyman Robinson and the grinder Watson-Siriboe. By the time Frank Klopas took the reins, neither of these talented centerbacks could lay claim to regular playing time. So much so, Robinson became trade fodder and has since retired, and Watson-Siriboe was loaned out to the USL. Combine this with a style of play that was anything but controlling or elegant, I found myself in a woeful state as a supporter. Yet it was inappropriate to demand de los Cobos’s head on a plate. Supporters have gotten a bit out of control over the past few years (American Arsenal fans, the MUST Green & Gold, and most recently those calling for the blood of Blackburn’s Steve Kean). Acting out like this is adolescent. A genuine supporter though they might disagree with the manager still reason their way through decisions and offer proper commentary; knee-jerk lager fuelled disgust is best kept in the pub (where it’s damn fun).

The Fire have issues: the backline is not solidified, midfield is needlessly crowded, and the attacking third is more than a bit shaky. But let’s be honest, I just described nearly every MLS team this preseason. What specifically should we Fire supporters look for out of the preseason? Who should get the starting call for the beginning of the season?

As mentioned, Robinson is gone and Watson-Siriboe is going to have to fight his way back into the lineup (although I can easily see him stepping up and having a ‘comeback’ season like Cory Gibbs did last season). Chicago’s starting centerbacks should be Cory Gibbs and Jalil Anibaba, the perfect mix of veteran and youngster. Gibbs isn’t going to be around much longer, ideally when he does step aside he will have passed on to Anibaba enough experience that Anibaba will be able to form a long-term partnership with First-Round Draft Pick Austin Berry.

Although many Fire supporters became enamored with him Yamith Cuesta, too often he demonstrated poor decision making, poor marking, and an inability to win anything in the air. Similarly, Josip Mikulic garnered support but I couldn’t get past his rash challenges and hot-headed demeanor. The two of them, Cuesta and Mikulic, make up an error prone defense where at any moment opposing forwards can be assured lack of vision or a poor challenge will gift them a goal. Having said that, there’s no reason not to have them both on the squad because they’re both young, strong, and talented which means they are deserving of a spot. Unfortunately, Cuesta is out of contract with little movement made to change that (he isn’t in camp) and Mikulic recently had to leave the country due to family issues.

This leaves the defensive line a bit thin. But if promising draftee Hunter Jumper and deep-round pick Justin Chavez are able to prove themselves, they could easily fill out the roster while gaining experience in the revived Reserve League simply because there is a stark lack of fullbacks in the MLS. Dan Gargan has become, rightfully so, a crowd favorite at rightback; he’s grinder, has the heart and skill to play every minute of a season much like his teammate Gonzalo Segares at leftback. For both of these fullbacks the minutes they are putting in on the pitch will come back to haunt them—the Fire needs suitable depth. So, look to resurgence from Steve Kinney. Kinney and Watson-Siriboe could, due to the current situation, find themselves in an advantageous situation they just have to make it happen. Recently, there have been rumors of an international signing from Greece to shore up the defense, but giving Pari Pantazopoulos more or a look would be a better move for the money. And let’s not forget, Michael Videira has been willing to drop to the back third since the Fire midfield is a crowded scene.

There it is, midfield, and there is a whole starting line-up of players waiting to get their chance. You really can’t have too many midfielders given the regularity of injury or the need to rotate players. It’s maddening for the players because they want to start every week. This is a point not nearly mentioned enough, part of what makes Frank Klopas a good manager is his man-management and he will certainly have that put to the test this season. Of course there are certain players that should be guaranteed starting spots: Marco Pappa and Patrick Nyarko are the wings. If the Fire play their cards right, these two will be running down the way for years to come. But when these two are out, who steps into the position? With Chicago having given up on Mike Banner and the wait for Victor Pineda to ripen continues, Corben Bone needs to step up and be given the chance to shine. With new signing Rafael Robayo and the retention of the last season’s sparkplug Sebastian Grazzini Fire have a two brilliant ‘creative’ attacking center-mids. We’ll see if training camp invitees Ivan Guerrero, Alex, Fabrizio Pittaluga, Omar Persad, and supplemental draftee Tony Walls can make a case for a role on the wings or as a bench option.

With the re-signing of Pavel Pardo the Fire have a veteran who can boss the midfield, someone who alongside captain Logan Pause, only enhance the skill of Daniel Paladini. I was rather disappointed that the Fire didn’t make a move in this year’s draft for midfielder Callum Mallace, who would have been an excellent immediate addition to the squad as well as a long-term investment. But without a midfielder drafted, the departure of Baggio Husidic, and the age of Pardo, Paladini should have a much more significant role this year. It would be one he could quite easily fill with great success. If we mull it over for a moment, we come to realize that the Chicago midfield isn’t as crowded as once thought, it is a midfield where players need to recognize their role and strive to fulfill it—a platitude certainly but clichés are clichés for a reason.

What really makes me flinch is the attacking core simply because, outside of Dominic Oduro, I’m certainly uncertain who the number two striker is. The release of Christian Nazarit, a hulking forward who was never able to look like anything but a bull in a china shop when in the final third, was wise. But we can all understand the desire for a target man whose physicality makes rival centerbacks cringe. However, the Fire had no one last season and continues to have no one that can do that (one of the reasons, the Fire win nothing in the air and are no threat at all from set pieces). Fire fans love Orr Barouch, our super-sub last season, and would adore seeing the youngster in a regular role coupled with Oduro—thinking of the speed and quickness alone makes one dizzy. But Oduro and Barouch both had an evil relationship with the woodwork last season (partially because of their dizzying speed and quickness). Enter Klopas’s new signing Federico Puppo, a striker who can dish the ball off with a bit more flare than Barouch. For a handful of we Fire supporters, the departure of Diego Chaves was a great disappointment but one that did certainly make sense. Puppo looks to be a forward who has all the pluses of Chaves with none of his minuses. Add to this crop former New England Revolution striker Kheli Dube, a forward who has good instincts in the box. I have no idea how late round draftees Lucky Mkosana and Evans Frimpong or camp invitee Walter Restrepo will fair and it’s certainly still too early for Kellen Gulley.

But something that should be mulled over is the status of forward Etienne Barbara. Last year, Barbara dominated the NASL with the Carolina RailHawks (Daniel Paladini’s former team) winning the Golden Boot (28 goals) and MVP. His ‘rights’ were held by MLS expansion team Montreal who made it a point to keep him in a ridiculous state of limbo. Finally Vancouver made a move for him, a partnership with Eric Hassli or new Whitecap Sebastien Le Toux could see a goal glut for the Canadian team. I mention this because Barbara would be a nice compliment to Oduro, Barbara is fast, strong and able to orchestrate goals. These traits could only enhance Oduro’s quality.

Lastly there is the field marshal position, Goalkeeper. Sean Johnson is the Chicago Fire keeper and should be for years to come. His star is rising in American football and soon Johnson will be vying for the number one shirt on the US National team with Bill Hamid of DC United. Once Tim Howard retires internationally, it will be one of these two young men that will take his place. Johnson’s position is secure with the Fire, in fact the club should strive to make him the face of the Fire, but he can still improve. Training for a few weeks during the offseason with clubs in the English Premier League was a good idea but honestly Johnson should have been loaned for out for two months to England. Johnson’s skill would soar if he were to get to face Premiership competitors or even saw regular playing time with a Championship side. The Fire need to encourage players to strive for national teams, the only way an MLS team will be able to dominate is with a squad of players with international experience, players who expect to play or train ten months out of the year. Sean Johnson is a star and he needs to be allowed to shine ever more brightly. The Fire have also brought in Supplemental Draftee Carl Woszczynski, who’s boyhood club was the Fire and who I’d love to see on the pitch at Toyota Park so that supporters could chant ‘Polish Power’ after every save. The first (and only) time I saw the Fire play live was in 1997 at Soldier Field, I really remember only one thing—the drumming and cheering of the fans, a cheerful, motley mix of Mexican-Americans and Polish-Americans, so Woszczynski brings back that memory for me. With Jay Nolly and Woszczynski the Fire have a deep, rock solid keeper core, which is a relief after the hesitancy in the beginning of last season between Conway and Johnson.

Going into 2012, the Chicago Fire are facing pressure. After two subpar seasons (to put it nicely), the Fire are expected to pull it together. Manager Frank Klopas has all the pieces he wanted and now he is controlling how they are deployed; the team knows there are no excuses now. Things look positive, if the Fire start off with the form they ended 2011 with then we will see a resurgent, successful team. The death from a thousand cuts that is the draw still haunts the club. But roles are clear this season, players know what is expected from them and they know that they have a manager that will let them play in the ways that suit their strengths and not try to mash them into a particular system. Again, the pre-season is a time of madness and hope; it is a time of nervous energy. Yet, I think Fire supporters are looking forward with more than just a glimmer of hope—they are looking forward with confidence, a confidence that has been in short supply over the last couple of years.

Projected Starting IX 2012

GK—Sean Johnson

RB Dan Gargan
CB Jalil Anibaba
CB Cory Gibbs
LB Gonzalo Segares

RM Patrick Nyarko
CM Daniel Paladini
ACM Sebastian Grazzini
CM Logan Pause
LM Marco Pappa

F Dominic Oduro

Formation

Oduro
Grazzini
Pappa Nyarko
Pause Paladini
Segares Gargan
Anibaba Gibbs
Johnson

And so it was. In the English matchup of American titans Everton bested Fulhman 2-1, led by the efforts of a Man of the Match-worthy Landon Donovan, who assisted on both goals for his side. Clint Dempsey may have found success where Donovan never could, but in this match, at least, Donovan hushed his frequent teammate.

Meanwhile, back here in the states, we continue to inch closer to MLS Firstkick 2012. Sure, it may be an agonizingly slow march toward March, but we’re already almost at February, right? For those who’ve forgotten, our season kicks off at 6 pm EST on Saturday, March 10, as the expansion Montreal Impact play their first ever MLS match at Vancouver’s BC Place.

The Galaxy released their 2012 home jersey recently, and I can’t tell if their kidding. I like the jersey, but I can only speculate as to whether or not the blatant resemblance to the US’s jersey’s is an f-you to the other clubs, a smug statement of “we’re the best in America and we have America’s best player”, or just a coincidence. It’s not like the Galaxy would be wrong to think they’re the best, but I didn’t expect they’d be so glib about it. Unless I’m wrong.

I’ll be back a few times this week. I’ll be honest, there really isn’t much to writ about at the moment. This season really couldn’t come any faster. See ya soon.

Ahh. I’ve finished my exams. I can say it’s been a very long week, and I’ll be getting my grades back tomorrow. Fingers crossed, people.

But, beside talking about me, I want to point out that this was an immensely significant week for American soccer, and one that really gives us a glimpse into where it’ll be going in the near future. As a minority group in a nation that isn’t always so friendly to what is “new”, American soccer fans are always worried about their future. We see growth, but we see distance. We see improvement, but we see constant disrespect. Whether from the general public, to whom soccer itself is a very literally foreign concept, or from eurosnobs, for whom MLS is peanuts to the European elephants, MLS has barely been able to get the respect we remain convinced it deserves.

I submit to you now that three actions in the past week indicated just how bright soccer’s future is in America. But I also want to draw emphasis to my wording: I said soccer, not specifically MLS. In the past week, an American finally scored a hat trick in England, and a batch of young American talent assured us that the USMNT will be in good hands come 2014, and a Premier League matchup of giants was aired on basic American cable.

It’s only fitting that we start with Clint Dempsey, given his remarkable “first” this week. On Saturday, Dempsey found the net three times in a span of 30 minutes for his club, Fulham, as they went on to smash Newcastle 5-2 in Premier League play. This is the first time any American has notched a hat trick in the EPL, and I’m sure few are surprised that, of all the Americans to have gone across the pond, Dempsey was the one to do it. It’s almost funny to think that Clint wore a New England jersey only a few years ago, especially given his smashing success with Fulham, whose fans named him Player of the Year in 2010-11. He is really the soccer-embodiment of the American dream: his skill, hard work, and dedication to the game have carried him from a trailer in a town where a third of the population lives under the poverty line to the headlines of American soccer. And this has a lot to do with where American soccer is going. It’s going across the pond. Sure, it may not be anything new to think that Americans are choosing to play in Europe over MLS, but it definitely shows where we are. MLS still doesn’t compete for the hearts and minds of players. Look at our youth talent: Tim Ream, Brek Shea, Juan Agudelo, and Teal Burnbury are all being linked to Europe. But maybe this isn’t too bad. I mean, it beats nothing. We’ve learned that MLS’s improvement curve is one that is going to have to follow slow, consistent growth, not overnight success. So if talented American players want to go across to Europe, (and thus prove to the world that Americans can, in fact, play soccer) while the domestic league continues its gradual learning curve, so be it. As long as MLS keeps improving, I’d rather our youth go out and prove what American can do than not play to their full potential in our league. And one day this will stop, and they’ll choose America over Europe, but until then we’ll just have to wait.

But this week also proved just how strong that youth talent is. The US’s victory against Venezuela was definitely a close one: we missed a boatload of chances, and our victory-sealing goal was lucky to have happened at all, given that it took place four minutes after the game was supposed to end. But the talent on the field was undeniable. Besides goalkeeper Bill Hamid, defender A.J. DeLaGarza and midfielder Graham Zusi, who were made their first appearances in the match, Brek Shea, Teal Burnbury, and CJ Sapong were all huge. We have to face the fact that these are the kids who will be representing us in Brazil in 2014, but I don’t think we have to do that with a frown. We have a sick team. My friends and I literally spend twenty minutes debating whether Graham Zusi is a poor man’s David Beckham, or if David Beckham is just a rich man’s Graham Zusi. Shea is an absolute beast, and once Agudelo joins the lineup, I have little doubt that any “problems” the US has had with scoring will be solved. And what’s even more important to see is that most of these players are coming out of MLS and the American player development chain. Even if not through formal MLS academies, these players went through PDA or ODP programs, played in college, and are now ready to represent the US. The fact that they’ll probably spend time in Europe is irrelevant, as their success only proves that America’s means of player production are, by now, more than viable. So in terms of American Soccer’s future, we can be very sure, and very proud, that we are finally a consistent producer of soccer talent, something that will definitely only become more true as time goes on.

And then there was today. At eleven this morning, Fox aired Arsenal’s match against Man United. I want to put this into perspective: in the 1990’s, you’d be lucky to find any soccer on TV that wasn’t World Cup related. Sure, there was the occasional European game, and MLS fought hard to make its way onto the airwaves, but soccer was clearly a commodity on TV, even with MLS’s initiation of a pay-per-view all access pass called the MLS Shootout Package. Fast forward to the 2000’s. In 2005, DirecTV adds GolTV to its repertoire; that same year, MLS Shootout Package becomes MLS Direct Kick; and in 2006 Fox Sports World drops all non-soccer programming, becoming the Fox Soccer network. With a bit of effort, and an open wallet, the soccer-oriented can now keep up with their teams. But then there’s 2011: MLS has a contract with NBC, sports channels ranging from FSC Plus to ESPN brim with soccer, and the Premier League is available on basic freaking cable. People, this is monumental. Even if it may not be MLS, people’s demands for soccer on TV have gotten loud enough for the people at Fox to hear it. I know, I know, there’s a big difference between getting high ratings on EPL matches and MLS games (and a recent report showed that a Chelsea- Liverpool match up had higher ratings than the MLS final. Ugh) but it’s definitely a start.

So, with those three things in mind, this is where I think American Soccer is going: our nation will continue to produce more talent than ever, and a good amount of it will move abroad after some time in MLS. But, as the league improves, this will happen less and less. America’s interest in soccer will start with Eurosnobbery, and then slowly spread to MLS. People will go out to Livestrong Park to see Sporting on Saturday night, then wake up early to watch their European teams on Sunday morning. And that’s where it’ll be. The distant future is far too much to predict, and a lot of that depends on how true what I’m saying now turns out to be, so I’m not going to shoot that far ahead. These predictions really only encompass the next 5-10 years, but I really think they’re pretty accurate. Soccer is growing in America. Period.

Yes, I know I missed the Superdraft. I have midterms this week so, yeah, I’ve been more than a little busy.

Yes, I know you forgive me.

I’ll be back by next week. Promise.

I mean, come on though. What “analysis and opinion” can we give about the Draft? They picked players, and we won’t see them in action until March.

Yes, that is the mid term anger talking. I’ll just see you guys later.

It’s been a week of news for America’s soccer league, but, as fate would have it, most of it has taken place in the UK. With Henry making waves, Donovan about to face off against Dempsey, and Ream possibly about to make a move, the Combine has been more than overshadowed by MLS’s action in Britain.

Today marked Theirry Henry’s triumphant return to Arsenal, where he first made his name as a soccer great. It was as if the Frenchman had never left, and ten minutes after being subbed in Henry found the net for Arsenal for the first time since moving to Barca in 2007. It was his classic goal: Henry gobbled up Alex Song’s through ball and made a sweet shot past the keeper into the bottom right corner, giving the Gunners the lead over Leeds. Quite frankly, if I were Hans Backe (or any New York fan, for that matter) I would be very, very worried about Henry’s future with the Red Bulls, let alone his desire to play, even if he ends up back at Red Bull Arena. There’s no doubt in my mind that Wenger would look to keep Henry for as long as he possibly can, and that he wouldn’t hesitate to dig into his bank account to do so.

Back at Goodson Park, though, Everton awaits the arrival of Fulham, whom they will play in the fourth round of FA Cup action. Fulham will be a tough challenge, and Dempsey comes red-hot off of a hat trick in round three. Everton, though, will surely be ready, as Donovan has looked strong in the start of his loan, and everyone’s favorite keeper, Tim Howard, will be right there behind him. The match will be played over the weekend of January 28th. Be prepared.

Finally, it was reported to Goal.com by Tim Ream’s agent that the Red Bulls defender is in “advanced stages” of discussion for a transfer (that’s transfer with a T, not a loan) to Bolton. “Negotiations between Major League Soccer and Bolton are at an advanced stage and ongoing,” Patrick McCabe told Goal.com via email. “We hope to have a positive resolution for Tim in the next few days.” Well, well, well. It looks like Timmy’s going across the pond after all. To be frank, though, I don’t think he’ll do well. Being a Red Bulls and USA fan, and thus someone who’s seen quite a number of his games, I can say pretty confidently that he’s not ready for the Premier League. And it’s for all the same reasons he barely gets called to the US anymore: he makes mistakes, he gives away passes, and he plays stupid balls. I mean, he won’t exactly flounder anywhere, as he definitely isn’t bad, he just isn’t really good enough to shine. Feel free to debate this in the comments.

That’s that. I have exams next week. Yeah, I’ll do what I can.

Today, an American scored for Everton. And it wasn’t Landon Donovan, despite his having played well in the first match of his loan across the pond. It was veteran keeper Tim Howard who notched the goal, sending a surprise lob past an unprepared Bolton side. Check it out here:

Of course, we all remember in 2008 when Danny Cepero became MLS’s first keeper to put one in, having made a similarly sinister lob against Columbus. Here it is:

Let’s all hope Landon gets the next one.

The picture here is my interpretation of the logo of Liechtenstein’s national soccer federation. Just sayin’.

Now for MLS:

As far back as November, rumors swirled about David Beckham’s next move. Under the surface of the MLS blogsphere, a small media circus simmered near a boil regarding whether Becks would stay, or move on to Paris. And now, in January, he still hasn’t made a move. Then there’s Thierry Henry. Only a couple weeks ago, some talk popped up of him possibly taking a loan back to his beloved Arsenal. Lo and behold, Henry is now in London, training with the club. Clean, quick, no media circus necessary.

Oh, I don’t mean to rag on David, as much as I would like him to just make up his freaking mind already. More importantly, though, (and it really is more important) I hope Henry does well with Arsenal. Lets be honest: he didn’t have the best run at Barca. Henry needs to prove to the world (yes, the whole world) that he’s still worth something, and that, contrary to international sentiment, being good in MLS doesn’t mean you can suck everywhere else. A strong showing at Arsenal would let the world know that Henry’s mastery in MLS can translate to, at the very least, sizable success at the level of the Premier League.

On another note, with all the money I got for Hanukkah, I’ve been spending a good amount of time on the MLSgear.com (MLS’s online shop) and I’ve found some interesting things. First of all, MLS is now selling replica match balls from the MLS Cup Final for, you guessed it, one hundred and fifty dollars. I mean, gosh, who wouldn’t be begging to spend ten times as much on a ball when it comes in yellow and gray and has a print of Don Garber’s signature on the side?! It’s a no brainer, people.

Then there’s the new 2012 jerseys. Look, I have nothing against the Columbus Crew. They’re a great team. But gosh, their 2012 away jersey really does just suck. I don’t mean to be harsh, and I get that they were taking a stylistic risk here, but this time they gambled and lost. This jersey looks like it would make more sense on a WPS team than on the Columbus Crew.

I’m in between on Phillie’s new jersey. The light blue is nice as an add-on to the home jersey, but the away one is a bit much. Its kind of, how can I put this, shiny.

New York’s new jersey is basically the same thing as the old one, but without the dinky button that the team has donned since 2010. So there’s some improvement. But I have to admit, I am a bit disappointed. With a seemingly endless supply of cash from their Austrian overloads, you’d think New York’s brass could call up some designer out there to figure out something a bit cooler than what they have. I mean, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with their current jerseys, you’d just think that the people at Red Bull could make use of their swaths of cash to figure out something a bit more eye-catching.

Montreal’s Jersey’s are nice. Plain, simple, clean. That easy.

Enough of jerseys. The MLS Combine is growing nearer, and we’ll have coverage of that soon. Until then, happy new year.

After a week of vacation, I returned to my post here at the MLS Offside to find absolutely terrible news: MLS Rumors has closed. This website needed no introduction: MLS-Rumors.net was, bar none, the spiciest, edgiest, and, often, most accurate source for anything pertaining to Major League Soccer. Whether it were an MLS star being loaned out, a foreign name being brought in, or a new corporate deal in the works, MLS Rumors would always be the first to report it. No story was too secretive for the site’s tipsters to uncover, and no MLS fan could get by without their stories.

The details of the website’s demise are outlined in their final dispatch, which is now the only thing remaining on the website:

“As you may have noticed MLS-Rumors.net had a number of “brown outs” in the last month where the site was unreachable. This was due to traffic overloading our server.

We were locked out of our server and unable to download our site’s design, nor its four and a half year historical archive of rumors and other vital data.”

I encourage all of you to read that goodbye post though; it really is beautiful. Every word of it is true, from how bland MLS coverage was circa 2007 to the impact that the website had on the current blogosphere. Who would have thought that by 2011 MLSSoccer.com would have its own Rumor Central, thoroughly cover both positives and negatives on and off the field, or offer opinion articles from any point on the opinion spectrum on nearly every issue? That’s the kind of impact MLS Rumors had: the site challenged MLS reporting to go farther than simple regurgitation of events, give some opinion, and bring to light the dark spots and weaknesses of our league. It may now be a fallen giant, but this website deserves as much of a spot in the American Soccer Hall of Fame as any pro simply for the way it impacted MLS Fandom and promoted interest in the sport. As said in the site’s final dispatch, “All we ever wanted was to help to build and expand interest in the league, particularly during the time between games taking place” And there’s no doubt that they did.

Obviously, being an MLS fan, this is a blow to me too. MLS Rumors has had a massive impact on both my fandom and my writing. The site covered the details of acquisitions as huge as Thierry Henry and as small as Luke Rodgers MLS Rumors, which really allowed me to become more and more of a Red Bulls fan. You could tell when reading it that the site was for and by true MLS supporters who actually cared about the comings and goings of the league, and who had much more in mind than simply regurgitating the facts.

MLS Rumors, I solute you. We have all lost a great friend today.

On another note, yes, vacation is over, and will commence regular updates again.