tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65891174710199545772010-02-27T03:34:17.289-05:00This is the voice foreigners to American soccer have been seeking.Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-69423993800701277852009-11-25T10:37:00.001-05:002009-11-25T10:37:58.713-05:002009-11-25T10:37:58.713-05:00

Hello all. Now that the season has finished, it's time to part, but only for a little while; the off-season is too short to stay away for too long. The MLS International will return in full force in late-January, just in time to get some more information together to last an entire season. A site redesign is also in the works and over the next couple months do not be alarmed if the site is

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-52211289506755278722009-11-24T12:59:00.000-05:002009-11-24T12:59:06.175-05:002009-11-24T12:59:06.175-05:00

Memories of the 2009 season are slowly being tucked away, so I feel it is time to create a brand new argument: the 2009 MLS Cup Final was the best ever. The venue, the players, the result; all of these ingredients made the final something to remember. From the feel-good story of Andy Williams to misses from both team captains in penalties to great offensive displays, this rendition of the Cup

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-28284912934013520172009-11-19T12:38:00.000-05:002009-11-19T12:38:14.365-05:002009-11-19T12:38:14.365-05:00

The final part of our series for 'The Wizard speaks' will be on expansion in the MLS. The Don might have only mentioned it for a period of 30 seconds, but the words and statements within the paragraph are absolute gold for those that want to speculate on the future of Major League Soccer. Today, we believe we are going to be a 20-team league. What we think in 2020 or 2025, I can't answer and

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-33371245744984291232009-11-18T00:03:00.000-05:002009-11-18T00:03:27.870-05:002009-11-18T00:03:27.870-05:00

Besides the Columbus Crew, it always seemed unlikely that the players in the MLS would rise up in their overalls and hardhats against the monopoly of a socialist leader. But it seems that is the very case as we head into the off season with hopes that soccer will be played on time in 2010 and with content players. The Collective Bargaining Agreement, or the discussions and eventual contract

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-49146448489076482082009-11-16T22:38:00.000-05:002009-11-16T22:38:43.658-05:002009-11-16T22:38:43.658-05:00

Coming out behind the green curtain, the Commissioner spoke live, in person, rather than with his nebulous green face and fire spewing from colums on both sides. In his speech he proved he has heart for the fans, courage to speak his mind, and most importantly, a brain for creating new ideas to improve the league in the coming years. Don Garber is not one to rush, but from what I gathered from

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-871034185763823192009-11-13T23:37:00.001-05:002009-11-13T23:38:06.063-05:002009-11-13T23:38:06.063-05:00

Many fans are already looking towards next year, since majority of teams are now eliminated from playing soccer for the rest of 2009. But for those lucky enough to attend, a look towards 2010 is not far away. The annual Supporters Summit is to take place November 21st in Seattle before the MLS Cup Final. It will feature the likes of Commissioner Don Garber and minority owner Drew Carey, who

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-41898810961764705542009-11-12T22:46:00.000-05:002009-11-12T22:46:54.269-05:002009-11-12T22:46:54.269-05:00

I like the old adage "the best is yet to come." It makes me feel warm and fuzzy, like, something new, exciting and better is around the corner and the anticipation towards that event can be easily cut with a knife. What's better is that 2009 is almost over and I feel the good times are just starting for soccer in America. My nascent league is developing nicely, sheathed in the hopes and dreams

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-64785638685086240732009-11-10T21:21:00.002-05:002009-11-11T00:12:35.891-05:002009-11-11T00:12:35.891-05:00

With success comes a lot of things: rings, trophies, shields, and blame. The Hunt Sports Group, popular in Major League Soccer by basically bottle-feeding the league throughout its infancy, has come under fire numerous times in the past years for their inability to put products on the field that yielded consistent fruits. Starting up with Kansas City and Columbus, Lamar Hunt owned what was 1/

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-30327013835690695532009-11-06T19:03:00.001-05:002009-11-06T19:04:29.686-05:002009-11-06T19:04:29.686-05:00

Our series on stadiums of the potential World Cup in America continues... Indianapolis - Lucas Oil Stadium Probably one of the coolest venues on the list, Lucas Oil Stadium offers an indoor-outdoor feel to those soccer aficionados that are looking to keep the purity of an outside game. With a retractable roof and movable windows, the wonderful Midwest air can flow through the stadium on a

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-20706195958226241372009-11-04T23:51:00.001-05:002009-11-04T23:52:07.626-05:002009-11-04T23:52:07.626-05:00

Our second look at the 'coaches that can be' for the 2010 MLS season...     Preki Well this could be interesting. Preki, the most successful coach of the young Chivas USA franchise, might be moving come December, hoping to become affiliated with a new club and a new challenge. Taking over in 2007 from Bob Bradley, Preki has taken Chivas to the top of the West and into the quarterfinals twice

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-51606401523965883772009-11-04T15:47:00.000-05:002009-11-04T15:47:46.607-05:002009-11-04T15:47:46.607-05:00

Well hello there. I wrote up an article for the magazine I work for that I think you might appreciate. Here's a tidbit from the article to whet your appetite: On any given weekend, the television in my apartment is glued to soccer coverage. Whether a match is on the ESPN family networks, Fox Soccer Channel or our Ohio News Network, the image of a green pitch with the bright white lines is

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-70493764644962405052009-11-03T23:57:00.000-05:002009-11-03T23:57:09.975-05:002009-11-03T23:57:09.975-05:00

Here's the first look at the recent merry-go-round of potential coaching changes and shake-ups that will take place this off-season.   Richie Williams The Red Bulls turn around after Juan Carlos Osorio resigned can be a clear sign of things to come from a franchise that is looking for big things next year. Retaining Juan Pablo Angel and adding some depth to their roster with the Super Draft

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-71070600566049391222009-11-03T00:33:00.001-05:002009-11-03T00:33:56.147-05:002009-11-03T00:33:56.147-05:00

This past weekend marked the first leg of playoff matches that will culminate in the brawl that will last from Thursday to Sunday. Results, while not misleading, only bring half of the truth to life, as many teams played some tough odds in some difficult stadiums that obviously played a role in the result as fans made it difficult for the players to... Ok I can't keep joking. To say that

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-89784801236397728172009-10-30T00:37:00.000-04:002009-10-30T00:37:12.739-04:002009-10-30T00:37:12.739-04:00

Let's face it. America is pretty darn lousy when we play outside America, and even when we play other teams at home, we still manage to screw things up. In 2007 and 2008 both D.C. and Houston advanced to the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, marking the last great accomplishments in CONCACAF tournaments, if you are to mention them as such. The last win in the tournament came in 2000

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-15208262454480105352009-10-28T16:47:00.000-04:002009-10-28T16:47:08.844-04:002009-10-28T16:47:08.844-04:00

Hello everyone. This will be my last (I swear) plug for this today, but I wanted to encourage everyone to check out The MLS Show, a show by fans and for fans of all things footie. I did a short corresponding segment at the beginning of the podcast (in case you were wondering what my silky smooth voice sounds like) and encourage you all download it, subscribe to it, heck even rate it on iTunes

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-87831707769815323132009-10-27T19:24:00.001-04:002009-10-27T19:25:25.938-04:002009-10-27T19:25:25.938-04:00

With all the speculating that has been circling around who will win the prestigious awards that are presented in the coming weeks, I think it's only fair that a little bit of love might be sent to the lesser known awards. While they might be on par with the Razzies, The MLS International would like to present the 2009 MLS Non-Awards and Awards That Were Overlooked. Worst Performance of the Year

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-40030039403357816742009-10-27T00:02:00.000-04:002009-10-27T00:02:07.123-04:002009-10-27T00:02:07.123-04:00

Cunningham seeks protection from fans in some loving arms. So half the soccer blog-o-sphere wants to give their own take on what happened last weekend, and after a couple days off to make sense of it all, I think we're all finally ready to say what needs to be said: It was all FC Dallas's fault. The weeks leading up to the 30th game were, for the lack of a better term, unbearable. With D.C.

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-66007885169805561932009-10-24T19:19:00.000-04:002009-10-24T19:19:52.677-04:002009-10-24T19:19:52.677-04:00

at The last game of the season and Toronto FC needs a huge win to be able to fit into the playoff picture. For New York, spoiler is the role they would like to play, and while these two teams do not match up on paper, it's all about emotion in what is the most intriguing match of the weekend. Thus far, Toronto is 2-0 against New York, a team that has struggled all year long with its new

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-88127546865903189232009-10-24T15:30:00.003-04:002009-10-24T15:35:23.575-04:002009-10-24T15:35:23.575-04:00

Our series on stadiums of the potential World Cup in America continues... Cleveland - Cleveland Browns Stadium   The city on the lake, Cleveland provides a unique venue for what could be one of the most unappealing cities in the final bid. As my hometown, I guess I'm a bit biased in what I say about the city, but Cleveland can be a wonderful place to play the game, and past experiences

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-28086870315604546992009-10-23T15:02:00.001-04:002009-10-23T15:03:26.945-04:002009-10-23T15:03:26.945-04:00

After a glimmer of hope on Tuesday night, only one of the three teams participating from the MLS in the CONCACAF Champions League will move on to the quarterfinals. D.C. made a valiant effort in their match against Toluca to tie away from home in a difficult stadium, but their effort fell short as San Juan Jabloteh failed to tie their match with Marathon, allowing them to take second place in

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-68833691278788334092009-10-21T20:06:00.000-04:002009-10-21T20:06:09.547-04:002009-10-21T20:06:09.547-04:00

There were some wild matches last night culminating in some interesting discussion on what will happen in the next couple days for MLS clubs and how they will reflect on this weekend's matches. Columbus The Crew clinched last night with a tie against Puerto Rico, a game that was poorly played by Columbus in the first half but realized potential later. New guy Emilio Renteria scored the goal

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-57882750724546466382009-10-20T19:11:00.001-04:002009-10-20T19:13:42.178-04:002009-10-20T19:13:42.178-04:00

While the MLS season comes to a close this weekend, added pressure has come upon the shoulders of those teams in the CONCACAF Champions League. Beginning tonight, the Columbus Crew, D.C. United and the Houston Dynamo will face their toughest challenges as their lives in this tournament will come down to their final games. Columbus For Columbus, their trip down to sunny Puerto Rico can bring

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-50959683916069392252009-10-17T01:05:00.001-04:002009-10-17T01:07:44.460-04:002009-10-17T01:07:44.460-04:00

at In the second last week of league play, a whole slew of games were candidates for GOTW. Playoff outsiders Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC, Western Conference hopefuls Chivas USA and San Jose Earthquakes, and the conference favorites Houston Dynamo and Los Angeles Galaxy play in pivotal matches that will effect the rest of the table. While all these games could easily slide in as the number

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-35425540524759911342009-10-16T00:02:00.004-04:002009-10-16T00:07:56.610-04:002009-10-16T00:07:56.610-04:00

Piggybacking on more of the USMNT success, today we'll take a look at some of the cities still left on the list of potential match sites for the 2018/2022 World Cup. Now there are 27 different cities, so this will be a multiple-post series that will be approached once a week. To avoid bias, it will be alphabetical... no cheating, Cleveland. Also, petition counters are included so you can

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6589117471019954577.post-23610632477580453372009-10-14T20:39:00.001-04:002009-10-14T20:39:54.239-04:002009-10-14T20:39:54.239-04:00

I know this is coming in the first half of the match and the U.S. is currently down to Costa Rica, but I would like to congratulate everyone that was a part of the Charlie Davies salute. On television the papers definitely made a nice impact, regardless if Casey's misfire deflated the atmosphere. With the smoke dancing along the sidelines, it made me feel a lot of pride for those people that I

Colin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06725983893933947324noreply@blogger.com0