Shotgunning Wednesday's Top News

All the news that's fit to drink.

And because you'd rather have a beer than be reading all the time... we've taken the day's top news and given it the Reader's Digest-treatment so you can get to that post-work pint quicker.

* Timothy Chandler might not be a Nat after-all. At least not a U.S. Nat. Former USMNTer Tony Sannah said today that the Nurnberg defender is re-considering his options and will be meeting with German head coach Joachim Loew soon. Yanks Abroad Brian Sciaretta has spoken to Chandler on multiple occasions and heard that the German-American is committed to the USMNT. We'll find out in two weeks which side of the fence he's on.

"This news will certainly come as a disappointment to US fans who have become excited about the prospect of the German-born Chandler becoming a cornerstone of the US team. Chandler has had a breakout 2011 where he has emerged as a rising Bundesliga star.

 This latest uncertainty comes after Chandler has made to YA on three separate occasions that he had zero interest in playing for Germany and has only wanted to play for the United States...

 ...It'll be about two weeks until the USA and Germany announce their rosters for October. We will likely know Chandler's future then."

* Will a New York team be Major League Soccer's 20th team? No matter if its the Cosmos or not the league's growth since the opening of the millennium has been phenomenal and the bar is set high for the next expansion team, says Sporting News Brian Straus.

"The expansion bar already had been set higher by MLS. Portland, Montreal and the Seattle Sounders had a long tradition of minor league success and support. Philadelphia Union fans showed up en masse to league events before the franchise was even awarded. To enter MLS in the near future, considering its satisfaction with 20, would take an exceptionally special case. There would need to be a wealthy ownership group in place (the expansion fee alone could approach $100 million), a stadium plan (preferably soccer-specific) and a proven level of support."

* The art of the counter-attack is the focus of Steve Davis' "Talking Tactics" column on MLSSoccer.com. His evidence is DC United's Dwayne DeRosario and his movements this past weekend against Chivas USA.

Counterattacking soccer isn’t just tactics; it takes the right kind of players – actually, let’s make that the right kind of “attitudes” – to make the engine hum. United have several like that, none better than Dwayne De Rosario. 

The desire to drive forward aggressively is De Rosario’s hard-wired, default position on the field. On Saturday, he consistently collected the ball in midfield with a stubborn single-mindedness: a hell-bent desire to crash immediately forward. 

This was clear on the first goal. DeRo’s aggressive mindset lay the foundation for Charlie Davies’ eventual piece-of-cake finish. The Canadian star scooped up a fortuitous ball bouncing around midfield and didn’t hesitate for a nanosecond. It’s all about seizing the initiative. That might sound like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many players fail to fully exploit these begging situations. Too many managers value possession, constantly reminding their players that the bad guys can’t score when the good guys have the ball. So they win the ball but frequently forfeit the initiative when “possession” rather than “aggression” is prioritized.

* Want to know how much more MLS players make than you? Here's the full, team-by-team list of their salaries.

* Always wanted that 2007 Columbus Crew Andy Gruenebaum keeper jersey, but never knew how to get your hands on  one? How about a 2008 team signed New England Revolution game ball?

Now those fabulous items and more can be found and purchased at MLSCollectibles.com! Hope you're a huge fan of anything randomly MLS since 2007 and nothing earlier!

*"Why American Soccer?" Because it became the setting for rival Los Angeles gangs to face each other peacefully? (H/T The Third Kit)

Members of the notorious Vineland Boys gang from Sun Valley took to the field against rival Barrio Van Nuys, one of the oldest gangs in the Valley. Their weapons: A soccer ball and a minister's prayer for peace.   

"It was fun, A Barrio Van Nuys player works his way between two Vineland Boys during a soccer match between members of the two gangs on Aug. 24, 2011 at Delano Park in Van Nuys under the auspices of the city's Summer Night Lights program. 

"It meant unity between two rival gangs of the same race. It was just a little night of relief. "Instead of watching your back, you're having fun."

* Former USMNT coach Bob Bradley will be wearing the sweatpants of another nation, Egpyt, as multiple sources report he will be offered the job soon. Sports Illustrated head soccer writer, Grant Wahl, though, says sources close to Bradley have indicated that his appointment is not a done deal.

Egypt have appointed former United States coach Bob Bradley as national team manager, state news agency MENA said on Wednesday. 

Bradley replaces long-standing coach Hassan Shehata who left in June after holders Egypt struggled in qualifying for the 2012 African Nations Cup finals. They have since been eliminated. 

Bradley, fired by the U.S. in July, was on an Egyptian FA shortlist that included the experienced Francisco Maturana, who has managed Peru, Ecuador and his native Colombia, and Zoran Filipovic, the former Yugoslav striker and Montenegro coach. 

The American will be given the task of getting Egypt to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1990.

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